Chapter 100

To think that... he would be kicked flying away?

【1】 Could it be… that I was kicked flying?

She turned her head to look at the black-haired youth standing where Crocodile had been, holding a long blade gleaming with a cold, chilling light.

【2】 She turned her head to look at the black-haired boy standing where Crocodile had been, holding a long, icy blade that glimmered with cold light.

Who on earth... is he?!

【3】 Who exactly is he?!

Under her gaze, the black-haired youth's free left hand reached forward, his palm seeming to vanish into the void, and when he drew it back, a very large wine gourd had appeared in his hand.

【4】 Under her gaze, the black-haired boy extended his free left hand forward; his palm seemed to vanish into empty space, and when he pulled it back, a large wine gourd appeared in his hand.

He held the blade in one hand and tipped the wine gourd to his mouth with the other.

【5】 One hand holding the blade, the other tipped the wine gourd to his lips and poured.

A Devil Fruit user, then...

【6】 A Devil Fruit user…?

Robin couldn't help but think as she watched him.

【7】 Robin gazed at him, unable to help thinking.

Is this guy a newly emerged pirate? Or someone trained by a secret Marine organization?

【8】 Is this guy a newly surfaced pirate, or someone trained by a secret Marine unit?

What is his Devil Fruit ability?

【9】 What is his Devil Fruit ability?

Something related to space?

【10】 Is it related to space?

Just as she was lost in thought.

【11】 Just as she was lost in thought,

A young, or rather, a boyish voice rang out beside her ear.

【12】 a young, almost immature boy's voice sounded beside her ear.

"Nico Robin."

【13】 "Nico Robin,"

Nico Robin snapped back to her senses, but the black-haired youth was no longer in front of her.

【14】 Nico Robin snapped back to awareness—but the black-haired boy was gone.

She hurriedly turned her head to look around.

【15】 She quickly turned her head to look around.

Turning her head, she immediately spotted the mysterious youth who had, at some unknown moment, come to stand beside her shoulder to shoulder, facing the opposite direction.

【16】 The moment she turned, she saw the mysterious boy standing beside her, shoulder to shoulder, facing the opposite direction—when had he gotten there?

A drop of cold sweat broke out directly on Robin's forehead.

【17】 A bead of cold sweat broke out on Robin's forehead.

93, Eleventh Form, Water's Essence — Nagi (5/5, please subscribe!)

【18】 93, Eleventh Form, Water's Essence—Nagi (5/5 request auto-subscription!)

When did he...

【19】 When did…

Wait, he knows my identity?

【20】 Wait—he knows my identity?

He came here to capture me!

【21】 He came to capture me!

At this thought, a bone-chilling coldness instantly rose in Robin's heart.

【22】 At this thought, a bone-chilling chill rose instantly in Robin's heart.

"No need to be nervous, Nico Robin. I don't have any ill will toward you."

【23】 "Don't be tense, Nico Robin. I have no ill intent toward you."

While she was feeling anxious and uneasy, the black-haired youth beside her—who seemed utterly unfathomable in her eyes—turned his head to look at her.

【24】 As she trembled with unease, the black-haired boy beside her—whom she found impossibly enigmatic—turned his head to look at her.

Under the moonlight, a faint smile played across the black-haired youth's delicate, youthful face as he gazed at her:

【25】 Under the moonlight, the young, refined face of the black-haired boy smiled at her:

"My name is Ron. You could say I'm a traveler who has just set out onto the sea. I have no interest in your bounty; I simply happen to know a few things about you. Don't worry, I won't hand you over to the Marines."

【26】 "I'm Luo En, a traveler just setting foot on the sea. I have no interest in your bounty—I just happen to know a few things about you. Don't worry, I won't turn you over to the Marines."

Robin was slightly taken aback by his words.

【27】 Robin blinked slightly upon hearing this.

"You're not here to capture... me?"

【28】 "You're not here to capture… me?"

"Of course not."

【29】 "Of course not."

"Then did you capture me to coerce Crocodile? That seems impossible—our president isn't the type to compromise over the life or death of a subordinate."

【30】 "Then why capture me—to pressure Crocodile? That's impossible. Our boss doesn't compromise over the lives of subordinates."

Nico Robin gradually calmed down.

【31】 Nico Robin slowly calmed down.

"No."

【32】 "No."

"Then why did you capture me? If it's not to hand me to the Marines, and not to coerce Crocodile, what benefit is there for you in capturing me?"

【33】 "Then why capture me? Not to hand me over to the Marines, not to pressure Crocodile—what benefit could it possibly be to you?"

Robin was genuinely somewhat puzzled.

【34】 Robin was genuinely puzzled.

Standing beside her, Ron held Raijin Tachi in one hand and tipped the Endless Gourd to his mouth with the other. After taking a big swig of wine, he smiled at Robin and said:

【35】 Standing beside her, Luo En held Lei Qie in one hand and the Infinite Gourd in the other, took a deep swallow, then smiled at Robin:

"What if I captured you because I want you to become my companion?"

【36】 "What if I captured you because I want you to become my partner?"

Nico Robin was stunned by his words.

【37】 Nico Robin froze in surprise.

"... Eh?"

【38】 "... Huh?"

She had just been about to say something.

【39】 She was about to say something.

Suddenly.

【40】 Suddenly.

The earth trembled.

【41】 The earth trembled.

The disturbance came from the desert outside the city.

【42】 The disturbance came from the desert beyond the city.

"Well well, what a persistent fellow. Let me go take care of that guy first, and we'll talk when I get back."

【43】 "Tch, such a nuisance. Let me deal with that guy first, then I'll talk to you."

As Ron spoke, he released his grip on the Endless Gourd, letting it sink into the void.

【44】 Luo En released the Infinite Gourd, letting it sink into empty space.

Then he stomped his foot, the ground caved in, a violent gust of wind blew Robin's long hair, and that figure, under Robin's shocked gaze, shot through the night sky like an arrow leaving the bowstring at an utterly terrifying speed, charging toward the desert outside the city.

【45】 He stomped his foot—the ground collapsed, wild winds whipped Robin's long hair, and in her stunned gaze, his figure shot across the night sky like a released arrow, hurtling toward the desert beyond the city at an unimaginable speed.

"What tremendous power..."

【46】 "What incredible strength…"

Robin gazed eastward and murmured.

【47】 Robin murmured, gazing eastward.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind.

【48】 Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind.

"Could it be... he really can defeat Crocodile?"

【49】 "Could it be… that he can actually defeat Crocodile?"

With this thought, deeply shaken, she set her long legs in motion and immediately ran toward that direction.

【50】 Deeply shaken, she stretched her long legs and sprinted toward him.

……

【51】 …

When Robin had run out of Rain Diner.

【52】 When Robin ran out of Rainy City,

She immediately spotted the black-haired youth in the desert outside the city, wearing a white short-sleeved hoodie and holding a sword in one hand.

【53】 she immediately saw the black-haired boy outside the city, wearing a white short-sleeved hoodie, holding a sword in one hand.

And opposite him.

【54】 And opposite him,

Crocodile, having taken a heavy blow from Ron and grown somewhat frenzied, pushed his Devil Fruit ability to its absolute limit, forming a massive sand tornado.

【55】 Crocodile, driven half-mad by Luo En's heavy blow, pushed his Devil Fruit ability to its limit, forming a massive sand tornado.

Vast quantities of withered, lifeless yellow sand spun with furious speed, transforming into an incomparably violent tornado that swept toward Ron.

【56】 Vast quantities of dry, lifeless sand spun violently, transforming into a furious Long Juanfeng that swept toward Luo En.

Like a giant crocodile about to devour everything in its path.

【57】 Like a colossal crocodile ready to devour all things.

Even though Robin was very far away, the exposed skin on her body could still be cut by the fierce wind carrying grains of yellow sand.

【58】 Even from afar, Robin's exposed skin was cut and stung by the wind laden with grains of sand.

One could well imagine how devastating the killing power would be at close range, or from a direct hit.

【59】 One could imagine the devastation at close range—or from a direct hit.

"This is what a Logia Devil Fruit is—when its ability is pushed to the limit, it becomes a genuine... natural disaster!"

【60】 "This is a Logia-type Devil Fruit—when its power is pushed to its extreme, it becomes a genuine… natural disaster!"

Luo Bin's voice trembled slightly.

The massive sand tornado before their eyes could probably destroy half of Rain Ground City...

"Can anyone truly resist this kind of devastating power?"

She cast her gaze toward the black-haired youth holding a blade in the distance.

Compared to that terrifying, enormous sand tornado, he, standing in the desert, appeared especially small.

But when he faced the massive sand tornado ahead, his expression was calm, and he slowly raised the blade in his hand, which shimmered with blue water-light.

Moonlight, yellow sand, raging wind.

The whole world seemed to fall still.

In a daze, Nico Robin seemed to see, beneath that small figure of the black-haired, blade-wielding youth, a patch of calm, tranquil blue water surface appear.

That well-mouth-sized patch of blue water surface flipped and rippled, expanding outward, and in the blink of an eye it covered a radius of several hundred meters, transforming into a great lake of surging waves.

Crocodile, behind the sand tornado, and Nico Robin, outside the battlefield, both stood upon this surging lake surface.

White clouds dotted the sky, the lake surface surged and churned.

There was not even a breath of wind in the air; the only sound at their ears was the churning of the lake water.

"This is... what?!"

Crocodile frowned as he gazed at the surging, churning lake beneath him.

Wasn't he just in the desert a moment ago?

Why had he appeared here?

An illusion?

Or... was it his Devil Fruit ability?

Drip!

It seemed a drop of water fell from high above, landing upon this rippling, churning lake surface.

The center of the lake instantly stilled, a ring of ripples spreading outward from the center, and the entire lake surface instantly became as calm as a mirror.

A heart like still water.

"Water Breathing. Secret Art. Eleventh Form."

A calm, youthful voice sounded in the ears of Nico Robin and Crocodile.

"Nagi."

The words fell.

All strange phenomena dispersed.

Heaven and earth fell silent, the breeze was light and the clouds were pale.