Chapter 81: The Beauty Swordmaster Arrives with Meat [65K]

"Hmm..."

Robin suddenly heard a faint murmur from her lap.

Awake?

She looked down, only to find the black-haired boy still fast asleep, eyes closed, breathing peacefully. He was just muttering something in his sleep.

Just talking in his sleep, then?

Robin felt a sudden surge of curiosity. She hesitated, glanced left and right, and ultimately couldn't help herself.

She leaned down quietly and carefully, bringing her ear close—

And happened to catch this:

"The sea is vast... one day, you will find companions who will protect you..."

!!!

Robin’s pupils contracted, her breath hitching in her throat.

How could he...

How did he know that?

In a trance, painful, dark memories surged back like a tide: her hometown engulfed in roaring flames, people fleeing for their lives, and that massive figure laughing, "Dereshishishi"—

Was it a coincidence, or...?

Just as her heart was in turmoil, Siano’s sleepy voice drifted to her ear again:

"The path of my dreams... there are too many enemies..."

"I want to live! ...Take me with you to the sea!"

"..." Robin blinked, quickly steadying herself.

Those two sentences had absolutely nothing to do with her.

Sure enough.

She had been overthinking it; it was just a coincidence.

She gazed quietly at the boy’s face, then at the newspaper placed to the side. The 540 million Berry bounty on the wanted poster looked terrifyingly high...

Such a powerful existence, such a happy guy with a large group of companions...

Could it be that, back then, he too had walked alone in the darkness, enduring endless loneliness just like her?

The wind on the turtle's back suddenly died down.

Siano’s eyelashes fluttered, and he opened his eyes on Robin’s lap.

Sunlight sliced across his brow bone, illuminating his pitch-black pupils.

"Good morning."

He stood up as if nothing had happened, stifling a yawn, and looked back with a smile. "Thanks. That nap was much more comfortable than sleeping on the reef."

He shifted his gaze to the newspaper, his interest piqued. "Whoa, the bounty came out this fast? Let me see..."

*Swish!* He shook the paper open.

"Tsk, why only five hundred million... I guess you don't get a higher bounty if you haven't entered the New World yet. Huh, even Nami’s bounty went up to 80 million?"

Robin bit her lower lip.

This reaction... it wasn't right.

A normal person waking up to find themselves on a stranger's lap should have asked "Who are you?" first.

Recalling what he said yesterday, she asked directly, "Do you know me?"

"Huh?"

Siano poked his head out from behind the newspaper. "Of course."

He’d recognize her even if she were burned to ashes.

He shrugged. "You, you've been tailing us the whole way, haven't you?"

Robin paused, a trace of astonishment appearing on her face. "You... you knew all along?"

"Duh."

Siano folded the paper casually, his tone indifferent.

"I noticed it starting from Whiskey Peak. Someone was following us from a distance. Even though you hid well, you’d occasionally slip up... I just didn't know it was you at first."

*I just didn't know it was you at first?*

Robin caught that phrase, but kept her expression calm. "How rude. Being a stalker isn't exactly a title to be proud of."

"That’s true, but you really are a total stalker!"

Siano grinned, stepping closer, looming over Robin, who was trying to maintain an air of nonchalance despite her clear agitation.

"Your ability—you can sprout any part of your body anywhere within your field of vision, right? Like... eyes?"

Siano suddenly leaned down, staring into her eyes at close range.

"If I hadn't mastered Observation Haki, I never would have noticed. You watched while I practiced, while I ate and drank, while I fought... what exactly are you trying to do? Tell me, you weren't peeking while I was taking a bath, were you?"

"..."

Robin suddenly smiled, blinking. "What do you think?"

"Just kidding. You aren't exactly Ayame Sarutobi, after all."

Siano chuckled and straightened up. "But seeing you all nervous and flustered is actually pretty funny."

*Who’s the one actually nervous here?* Robin thought, silent for a moment before saying softly, "Since you knew all along, why didn't you call me out?"

"Hey, don't try to take control of the conversation," Siano complained. "I should be the one asking that! You followed us—what exactly are you after?"

"..." Robin bit her lip, not answering immediately.

What was she supposed to say?

That she was at a dead end and wanted a new boss?

That she envied their bond and wanted to be one of them?

But with her identity, as a monster who only brought trouble to others, was she really qualified to...

"How about we just be honest with each other?"

Siano’s voice broke her train of thought. "Nico Robin, the 'Devil Child,' the sole survivor of Ohara, the genius scholar who earned a doctorate in history at eight years old, the criminal with a 79-million-Berry bounty from the World Government..."

He knew!

He really knew!

Robin’s pupils contracted sharply, her body stiffening for a moment, her fingers clenching the fabric of her clothes.

For sixteen years, this identity had brought her nothing but disaster and betrayal. This scene felt all too familiar; how many times had she had her identity exposed like this over the years?

"Don't be nervous."

Siano reached out and ruffled her hair. The movement was so natural and fluid that Robin froze, and Siano himself was taken aback.

*Wait, why can't I control this hand?*

He blamed Robin—the twenty years of companionship through the manga made her feel so familiar that he treated her like an old friend the moment they met.

Plus, he’d already ruffled Luffy’s, Nami’s, and that duo Zoro and Sanji’s hair...

His hand had developed a habit; it just did it on its own.

"My bad."

He pulled his arm back as if nothing had happened, laughing. "I’m used to comforting my little sister. I forgot you’re older than me; that wasn't appropriate. Anyway..."

Siano crouched down, meeting Robin’s gaze at eye level.

"I didn't expose your identity to threaten you. I wanted to tell you—"

"From today on, those days of living in fear and hiding are over!"

Sunlight danced on his eyelashes, casting a warm glow on the boy’s cheeks. He extended his right hand and grinned.

"Hey, Robin-san, want to join my ship? I’m actually quite interested in the Poneglyphs and want to collect a few. I’m just missing a proper archaeologist."

"..."

Robin stared blankly at the black-haired boy.

She hadn't even figured out how to bring it up... she had even given up on the idea, but he had invited her to join his ship?

Sixteen years...

For the first time in sixteen years, someone had reached out not with a blade, but with a warm palm, even after knowing all her dark history.

The years of being hunted by the World Government, the days spent drifting among dark organizations—all of it felt so distant in the face of this absurd kindness.

She remembered the bright smiles on the wanted posters, the scene of them laughing around the campfire at Little Garden...

That kind of warmth was a dream she thought was forever out of reach.

Now...

Was it really reaching out to her right now, right in front of her eyes?

"I..."

She subconsciously reached out her right hand, but pulled it back just before touching him, as if burned.

"What’s wrong?" Siano glared at her, dissatisfied. "We’re at this point, and you’re still being timid and hesitant? Put it here!"

"You... you don't understand."

Robin’s eyes dimmed, her voice so soft it was almost carried away by the sea breeze. "My existence itself is a disaster... the forbidden flames of Ohara will burn your ship, and the World Government will cling to every one of you like a shadow..."

She lowered her eyelashes, casting faint shadows under her eyes. "The smiles, the campfires, the companions fighting side-by-side you see now... one day, they will all turn to ash because of me."

"Shut up."

Siano rolled his eyes, suddenly grabbing her half-retracted wrist, pressing his warm palm against the back of her cold hand, forcing a high-five.

"There, that makes it official. No backing out now. From now on, you call me Captain."

Siano sat back down, grinning at Robin’s stunned expression.

"What forbidden flames? What are you talking about? Haven't you read the newspaper? Don't you see what my bounty is now? Huh?"

"Fi... five hundred..."

"It’s 540 million Berries!"

He held up six fingers. "Your bounty multiplied by six still isn't as high as mine. Once you’re on board, your bounty will only be the second-lowest. When the sky falls, the tall ones hold it up; who has time to keep hunting you?"

"But..."

"Trying to emphasize the special nature of Ohara again, are we?"

Siano dismissed it. "The Marine Headquarters, the World Government—they sound scary, but what can they actually do? The sea is so vast; they can't possibly mobilize everything to hunt us down. At most, it’s just a Buster Call, right?"

He sneered.

"One Admiral, five Vice Admirals—that’s the configuration of a Buster Call, and I just fought an Admiral and killed and crippled two Vice Admirals... Hmph, anyway, whoever is arrogant enough to try and drag you back will have to get past me first!"

The boy’s voice echoed over the sea.

The sea breeze blew, and the turtle shell suddenly fell silent.

"What? Why aren't you saying anything?" Siano laughed loudly. "Was I too cool just now?"

Robin paused, then chuckled.

She lowered her eyelashes, her fingertips brushing the fabric on her lap that he had wrinkled. Her voice was as light as a sigh:

"Yes, very cool."

—Of course it was cool; it was cool enough to make her eyes burn.

So that was it... the shadows that had weighed on her heart for sixteen years were just scraps of waste paper he could crush with a flick of his hand?

"Captain." Robin suddenly spoke.

"Yeah? What is it?"

Siano grinned. *Finally accepted it, huh?* That "Captain" sounded really satisfying.

"Your poison is acting up again..." Robin said faintly.

*Huh?*

Siano froze, hurriedly moving to the edge of the turtle shell to check his reflection in the water.

A guy who looked like a mix between Thanos and the Hulk stared back at him.

His expression stiffened.

*Wait.*

He had been sporting that face while spouting all those cool, suave lines in front of Robin?

"Aaaaaah!"

A desperate scream echoed from the turtle shell. "Robin-san, why didn't you tell me sooner!!!"

————

The cold wind howled, and heavy snow fell like goose feathers, covering the mountains of Drum Island in a layer of silver.

The sea turtle, puffing on its pipe, slowly sailed along the river into the depths of the island.

The towering coniferous forests on both sides were bent under the weight of the snow, with chunks of ice occasionally falling with a *thud*.

"This place is freezing..."

Siano rubbed his arms; the white mist from his breath instantly turned into ice crystals. He looked back at Robin, who was pulling her cloak tight, shivering, the tip of her nose turned slightly red from the cold.

"Can you handle it?"

Siano couldn't help but say, "There should be a town not far ahead. The first thing we’ll do is find a clothing store and buy you some winter gear."

That was the Grand Line for you—unpredictable.

They had been in the tropics just a day ago, but as they approached this winter island, the temperature had plummeted to minus forty or fifty degrees.

That’s right, it had been a day.

After a full day of sailing, they had finally arrived.

"Drum Island."

Siano looked at the mountains that looked like giant chimneys from afar and realized that the "medical superpower" Robin had brought him to for treatment was actually Chopper’s hometown.

*Never trust stereotypes!*

*Sister, your intel really needs an update.*

This country had expelled almost all doctors, leaving only the "Doctor 20" who served the King. Could it really still be called a medical superpower?

"I’m fine, Captain." Robin shook her head slightly. "Your poison is the priority; we must find a doctor as soon as possible..."

She paused when she said "Captain," still not quite used to it.

In the past, she had called many people "Captain," "Boss," or "Leader," but all of them were insincere, hiding countless calculations and defenses.

Only when calling this boy, who was younger than her, "Captain" did she feel a strange sense of peace and reliability.

"What doctor? I told you, this poison isn't a threat to me."

Siano cut her off bluntly. "If we weren't already so close to this island, I wouldn't have even bothered coming! Listen to me, clothes first! No arguing!"

"..." Robin was helpless. Unable to win against him, she nodded in agreement.

Siano crouched down again, checking his face in the partially frozen river.

*Good, the poison hasn't surged up yet.*

He had checked carefully on the way.

The poison left behind by that crazy female Vice Admiral, aside from the skin discoloration, really couldn't pose any threat to him.

But even with Life Return accelerating the process, it would take time to fully detoxify. He estimated it would take at least half a month.

In other words, if he didn't treat it, his face would occasionally turn that ugly blue-purple for the next half-month.

That was just a bit annoying. Siano had already lost face in front of Robin once; cosplaying as Thanos once or ten times made no difference. He didn't really care.

If he happened to find a doctor, he’d get treated; if not, it was fine.

However.

"We’re already very close to the island" was just an excuse. The biggest reason he finally decided to land on Drum Island was this—

Siano looked at his backpack.

The Devil Fruit detection radar inside was flashing yellow for the first time in a long while.

This meant there was a Devil Fruit within a ten-kilometer radius.

However, last time, it took the whole ship's crew to find the Mera Mera no Mi. Finding one in this vast snowy landscape with just him and Robin wouldn't be easy.

*Hope everything goes smoothly.*

Siano looked up leisurely at the heavy, falling snow.

Wasn't there always a rumor?

Devil Fruits choose their masters and appear before their destined owners.

The old sea turtle docked at the shore, puffing out a ring of smoke.

"It’s completely frozen ahead. Can't get through. Sorry to trouble you to wait here, Mr. Binch."

The two left the turtle's back, stepped onto the land, and crunched through the snow toward the distant lights.

The minus-fifty-degree temperature didn't affect Siano much. He walked shirtless in the lead, clearing a path through the forest and shielding Robin from the wind and snow.

*Crunch, crunch.* A similar sound came from the opposite direction.

A massive white bear, at least five or six meters tall, walked toward them, leaning on a hiking stick.

"That’s a Lapahn. They only appear on winter islands in the Grand Line," Robin whispered, recognizing it immediately.

"They’re very friendly to humans. If you meet one in the mountains, don't worry about an attack; just nod and bow slightly."

*Is that so?*

Siano looked at the giant white bear curiously.

He hesitated, then nodded. The white bear immediately bowed slightly in return, then continued on its way, leaning on its hiking stick.

*Whoa, that’s actually quite polite.*

"If Nami were here, her first reaction would be to roast it for meat. That would be quite the mood-killer."

Siano turned his head and grinned. "Having a well-read companion is wonderful, Robin-san."

"We should be at the town entrance soon."

Robin couldn't do anything about him. She pointed to a small path on a distant hillside, where lights flickered in the wind and snow. "Huh?" She narrowed her eyes. "What’s that?"

—On the snowy slope, a small blue-nosed reindeer was fleeing in a panic, chased by five or six soldiers with guns.

"Stop! Blue-nosed monster!"

"Fire! Fire! We have to catch it this time!"

"Try not to hit the vital parts; just cripple its legs! We still need this monster to catch that damned illegal doctor, Kureha!"

Amidst the shouts, the sound of flintlock guns followed.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

The little reindeer stumbled into a snowdrift, its basket of herbs spilling everywhere. It looked back in terror, the crowd closing in on its wet, wide eyes.

"Nowhere left to run!"

The soldiers surrounded it. The squad leader clicked the safety on his gun with a grin, aiming at the little creature on the ground.

"Speak! Confess! Where is Kureha? In this country, she’s the only old hag still resisting the King’s orders!"

*Swish!*

A blade flashed.

The cold light cut through the wind and snow. Before the soldiers could react, the flintlocks in their hands were snapped in two.

"..." Robin looked at the figure that had landed on the ground, surprised. "Captain, you really are a swordmaster?"

"What kind of talk is that! Forget what my nickname on the wanted poster is?" Siano glared at her, dissatisfied.

"But that was clearly just a disguise," Robin smiled. "Your true specialty is various forms of taijutsu. Wasn't that sword just to confuse the enemy?"

"..."

*No fun.* Finally having a smart woman on the ship had its downsides.

Siano curled his lip, not wanting to respond. The squad leader suddenly let out a ghostly howl—Siano’s swordplay hadn't been precise enough, and he’d chopped off the man's wrist as well.

*Tsk, that’s a bit much.* Siano raised an eyebrow, though he felt no guilt.

He remembered one thing clearly: aside from Dalton, Wapol’s guard troops were all loyal lapdogs who didn't hesitate to persecute doctors, and only knew how to cower when facing external enemies. By the time Blackbeard invaded, Wapol was so scared he fled to sea as a pirate, and these soldiers followed him.

"It hurts! It hurts so much!!!"

The squad leader glared at him with red eyes. "Who are you two bastards! Dare to meddle in the affairs of the Royal Guard? Aren't you afraid King Wapol will have you fed to the cannons?"

Siano hadn't even opened his mouth when a commotion broke out opposite them.

A soldier stared at his face, his pupils shrinking, and he tugged at the squad leader’s sleeve, whispering something.

"What?"

The squad leader froze, then looked as if he’d been doused in ice water, forgetting even the pain of his severed wrist. "You mean this guy is the pirate with the 540 million Berry bounty?!"

"No mistake!" the soldier said, terrified. "The newspaper headlines for the past few days have been full of his photos! Even a Vice Admiral from Marine Headquarters and a Warlord died at his hands!"

"What?!!!"

The soldiers exploded into chaos, scrambling backward in terror.

"Run... run away!" The squad leader had lost all his earlier arrogance, his voice cracking. "Retreat! Retreat immediately!!"

The soldiers scrambled to support their squad leader with the severed hand, fleeing in a panic, not even daring to pick up their dropped guns.

Siano sneered and sheathed his sword. Robin frowned slightly. "No need to..."

"Not necessary."

Siano shook his head, looking toward the highest peak in the distance, which stood five thousand meters tall. "Let them be messengers. I want to see Wapol’s reaction when he finds out I’ve come to this island."

Robin finally understood and relaxed her arms, which had been crossed in preparation.

"It’s okay now, little raccoon. They won't dare come looking for trouble again."

She turned to the little blue-nosed creature, smiling gently. "Where is your home? Do you want us to take you back?"

"..."

The little reindeer said nothing, glaring at her vigilantly, then suddenly grabbed its basket of herbs and scurried behind the thickest tree.

Then it poked its head out, observing them in secret.