Chapter 161: Miss Robin’s New Life
The sinking warships triggered whirlpools one after another, making the already turbulent sea even more dangerous. The helmsmen used all their methods, and with the Marines’ utmost cooperation, they barely avoided the undercurrents in the sea, watching as the final wreckage of the warships was completely swallowed by the sea.
This battle,
the Navy suffered quite heavy losses,
with a total of eleven warships sunk from front to back, including Sakazuki’s flagship. More than two hundred Marines were killed in action, while the Revolutionary Army as the attackers, apart from leaving more than twenty Artificial Dragons for Sakazuki to vent his anger, did not lose a single member. The most seriously injured was Sabo, who lost an arm.
“Gion, why didn’t you draw your sword?”
“Admiral Sakazuki, is this a reprimand?”
“······No, the responsibility for the mission’s failure lies with me. I just don’t understand why you didn’t draw your sword?”
“The cabin is too narrow; drawing the sword would slice the ship to pieces. The Navy’s warships are funded by the people’s taxes, so please don’t destroy them unnecessarily. Of course, this time I was too careless; the Revolutionary Army’s strength exceeded my predictions. I didn’t expect them to come out in full force······ I won’t evade the responsibility that belongs to me.”
Gion gripped the famous sword in her hand tightly.
The Konpira, which had no chance to be unsheathed, failed to display the supreme elegance of a famous sword and was still deeply sheathed, emitting a faint sword hum due to the trembling of Gion’s arm. The emotions of reluctance and anger were evident to anyone who wasn’t blind.
“······”
This answer made Sakazuki frown slightly.
He glanced at Gion without blaming her pettiness. Reprimanding others at this time would inevitably make people think he was shirking responsibility. Of course, Sakazuki didn’t care how others viewed him; he was just the highest commander of this mission. In his view, his subordinates’ mistakes were his own errors.
“Nico Robin······ Monkey D. Dragon······ and that blond kid.”
Murderous intent surged in Sakazuki’s eyes.
Especially that last blond young man, who took his full-force punch without dying and instead protected Nico Robin until Monkey D. Dragon’s reinforcements arrived······ A fine young man! If he were in the Navy, he would definitely be Vice Admiral-level combat power.
Unfortunately, such talent had fallen into the hands of the Revolutionary Army.
He could only be killed. The next time they met······ he would have to nip this budding villain in the bud.
“······Dragons, I need to properly investigate why the Revolutionary Army possesses these biological weapons developed by the Science Unit······ Help me contact Fleet Admiral Sengoku.” Sakazuki issued the order to the officer beside him.
Failure is not frightening; what is frightening is being entangled in past failures and unable to move toward a new future.
Having been schemed against by the Revolutionary Army this time, he would just settle the score next time. The entanglement between the Navy and the Revolutionary Army wouldn’t end with the curtain falling completely after a single battle. The future was destined to bring more encounters, and when that time came······ they would fight again.
————
“How is Sabo’s condition?”
“No danger to his life, but he’s still unconscious!”
“Then······ when will he wake up?”
“He’ll wake up naturally when it’s time. And I think it’s better for him to rest more in his dreams than to wake up and face his current state. His right hand······ without his right hand, his life is just beginning! Damn it.”
“······Is there really no way at all? Last time, didn’t you reattach someone’s severed leg?”
“Then why don’t you wastes pick up the kid Sabo’s severed hand? A bunch of Army Commanders with nothing better to do, yet you let a kid not even twenty years old take the risk. I feel ashamed just hearing about it.”
The Revolutionary Army’s high cadres hung their heads in shame after being scolded.
Belo Betty, the hot-tempered East Army Commander, also smoked silently with her head down, not daring to talk back to the Revolutionary Army’s chief doctor. This doctor, equally hot-tempered, was the best doctor in the Revolutionary Army; his medical skill was as superb as his temper was foul.
Precisely because this doctor had saved countless lives within the Revolutionary Army, he commanded considerable prestige. Even the Army Commanders could only grit their teeth and take the scolding when facing him, especially since he was quite justified this time.
Seeing Sabo who had lost his right arm,
this made the Revolutionary Army’s senior cadres feel somewhat guilty. If they had been more useful, Sabo wouldn’t have needed to take the risk. This had nothing to do with Sabo’s strength; no matter how strong Sabo was, he was ultimately just a kid not yet twenty.
Being lectured by the doctor now, they naturally had no confidence to retort.
“Reggie, how is our guest’s condition?”
The voice from around the corner was like a heavenly salvation; the Army Commanders all showed expressions of relief, as being pointed at and scolded without being able to retort felt utterly awful.
——As expected of the leader; he was practically the embodiment of sweet rain.
——Saved by the leader again!
The Army Commanders were filled with gratitude, nearly in tears.
“Nico Robin······ eating and sleeping well, much better than the kid Sabo. She has basically no injuries on her body, just some mental fatigue and overly high alertness. I gave her sleeping pills to get a good rest, but she secretly disposed of them all. Talking to that lady is like being interrogated; um, I was the one being interrogated.”
Doctor Reggie spared the Army Commanders and grumbled to Dragon, who had walked out from the corridor corner.
“Sounds like she’s recovering well. It seems it’s time for a proper talk with her.” Dragon narrowed his eyes, was silent for two seconds, then said: “Reggie, Sabo is in your hands.”
“Don’t worry! I’ve practically watched the kid Sabo grow up; I’m not as heartless as these bastards, letting a child take the hit for them. It’s really······ Hmph!” The white-haired Doctor Reggie stabbed at the Army Commanders again as he spoke.
At this,
Dragon said nothing. He merely quickened his pace silently; though it looked like walking, his speed was faster than running. In the blink of an eye, the crowd, who had been hoping the leader would save them again, watched as Dragon’s back vanished around the corridor corner.
······
This is Paradise,
Water 7.
The world-famous Shipbuilding City.
After attacking Sakazuki’s fleet in the outer seas of Alabasta and abducting Nico Robin, the Revolutionary Army did not immediately return to the New World but instead detoured at full speed to Water 7, this great city renowned for shipbuilding and repairs.
Sabo’s injury required advanced precision equipment and large amounts of precious medicine for treatment—to preserve Sabo’s bodily functions as much as possible and prevent whole-body degeneration due to the destructive damage to his right arm······ the Revolutionary Army came to this great city, Water 7.
Here, as long as they had money, they could find everything they needed.
Nico Robin was also brought along by the Revolutionary Army to Water 7. Due to her sensitive identity, she had been under soft confinement, staying in the Revolutionary Army’s base without going out. Miss Robin had no complaints about this situation.
Having drifted at sea for many years, Miss Robin had long mastered the skill of adapting to circumstances.
At the very least, three meals a day were provided, with a private toilet and bathroom, and hot water available around the clock. Well, though washing with Seastone Handcuffs on wasn’t very convenient and she had to ask female Revolutionary Army cadres for help scrubbing her back······ this treatment was already excellent.
Compared to the future of being tortured by the World Government, her current life was practically paradise!
“Knock knock.”
A knock sounded at the door.
“Miss Nico Robin, is it convenient to come in now?”
It wasn’t the voice of the Revolutionary Army female cadre responsible for surveillance and service; it was a male voice, and one she had heard······ on the Navy warship, it was the Revolutionary Army’s leader, recognized by the World Government as the most dangerous criminal.
Under the window was a small coffee table and two wicker chairs. Robin sat in a chair, holding a thick book in her hands.
She was reading.
This was also one of the small perks provided by the Revolutionary Army: providing her with desired books within their capabilities.
In an instant, she used brainstorming to identify the visitor’s identity outside the door, put down the book in her hands, and said:
“Please come in.”
The door, which hadn’t been regularly oiled, opened with a “creak.” Monkey D. Dragon, wearing a dark green coat, walked in. He wasn’t alone; the Revolutionary Army female cadre who had been taking care of Robin these days was with him. The girl’s name was Koala.
“Monkey D. Dragon······ Mister Dragon, is this form of address acceptable? What do you, the Revolutionary Army, want from me? Knowledge of ancient script? Help interpreting historical documents······” Robin’s attitude was not friendly.
The sharp hostility was not concealed by that seemingly respectful address.
“······I’m sorry, my abilities are limited. Apart from some insights into ancient script and historical knowledge, I can’t provide much more help to your side······”
Robin said a lot in one breath.
Her emotions weren’t as perfectly controlled as she imagined. First Crocodile was defeated, and she fell into the hands of the Black Prince’s subordinates; then the Black Prince handed her over to the World Government, escorted by a Navy Admiral toward the abyss of despair. But halfway, the Revolutionary Army stormed in, and her ownership changed hands again······
Life was so ups and downs, unpredictable, teetering between heaven and hell. Even the Devil Child, who had suffered since childhood, felt lost and helpless in the face of such drastic changes.
The pressure accumulated in her heart was quite immense!
Dragon stood quietly at the door, listening to Robin’s vent-like words without any change in expression. Koala, however, had a gloomy face, looking in a very bad mood. If Mister Dragon weren’t here, she could have fought with this woman who caused Sabo to lose his right arm.
She had accumulated a lot of anger from being forced to take care of Robin during this time.
Sabo had been in a groggy coma these days, not fully waking up······ her mood hadn’t improved either.
“Miss Robin.”
After Robin vented some pressure and gradually calmed down, controlling her nonstop mouth, Dragon stepped forward, pulled out the other wicker chair by the coffee table under the window, and sat down directly. Looking straight at Robin opposite him, he said: “We’ve been looking for you for a long time.”
“Is that so?”
Robin’s fingers lightly rubbed the book’s cover, appearing quite nonchalant.
“You’re not wrong about what you said earlier. We’re very interested in the world’s history. What secret does the Blank Hundred Years hide? Does this secret concern those Celestial Dragon trash······ Of course it’s a lie to say we don’t care.”
“The Revolutionary Army’s aspiration is to overthrow the World Government’s tyranny, to topple those Celestial Dragon trash from their thrones. For that, we need sufficient power. The knowledge you possess, Miss Robin, is also a form of power—one no less than violence, and even more destructive than violence.”
“However, we’re different from pirates and from the World Government. We don’t like forcing others to become our companions or work for us. We prefer advancing together with like-minded friends.”
“I understand that you don’t trust us, Miss Robin. Perhaps in your eyes, we’re no different from pirates······ What the Revolutionary Army truly is and whether we’re the same as pirates, you have plenty of time to observe and understand······ This first conversation ends here. Once you have a deeper understanding of the Revolutionary Army, we’ll have a new talk then.”
The conversation ended.
So quickly that Robin was somewhat caught off guard.
What kind of conversation was this? She had barely said a few words from start to finish; it was purely Dragon’s one-sided declaration······
She watched Dragon stand up and stride toward the door, not seeming like he was playing hard to get······ Dragon suddenly stopped at the doorway. Robin raised her eyebrow slightly; sure enough, another big talker······
“Koala, take the key and unlock Miss Robin’s handcuffs.”
“Eh?”
Robin’s eyes widened as she watched Dragon’s back disappear through the doorway.
The disdain and contempt in her heart vanished. Looking at Koala approaching with the key, her face sullen yet swiftly removing the Seastone from Robin’s wrists. Without the suppression of the Seastone Handcuffs, the weakness in her body naturally disappeared, and the Devil Fruit power dormant for so long awakened.
If she wanted, she could strike now and see if she could snap Koala’s neck.
However,
she didn’t attempt it.
This was the Revolutionary Army’s base, with many Revolutionary Army experts present. Leaving aside others, even Monkey D. Dragon, who had just left and could go toe-to-toe with Sakazuki, was a monster she couldn’t provoke. Escaping to safety relying on her fruit ability would be a pipe dream.
Reckless action would only put her in an even worse situation.
She didn’t want to wear the Seastone Handcuffs again after finally getting them off. Moreover, even if she escaped from the Revolutionary Army’s base now······ she had no other place to go. On the contrary, staying with the Revolutionary Army seemed like the best choice for now.
The Revolutionary Army hadn’t shown any intention of using violence to extract anything from her so far.
“Revolutionary Army······ Since that’s the case, let me take a good look! Whether you’re hypocritical villains or sincere good people······” Having made up her mind, Miss Robin ignored the fuming Koala and continued reading her book.
