Robin was stunned for a moment.
She just realized that, including Admiral Aokiji in front of her, two of the three admirals of the Marines who symbolize the strongest combat power of the Marines have gathered in Alabasta.
Gawain is very strong, even far beyond her imagination.
But at this moment, Gawain is not a match for Kizaru, let alone another admiral of the same level as Kizaru.
Against two admirals at once, even the emperor, who ruled the New World and represented this era's strongest pirates, would suffer greatly.
For Gawain, the question wasn't whether he could win. It was whether he could even survive.
At this moment, a wave of panic surged through Robin's heart.
"If your target is me, I can do anything, please..."
"Let the captain and the others leave!"
As she spoke, Robin closed her eyes and pursed her lips tightly, and she had already had a bit of determination to die in her heart.
"Ho."
A strange glint flickered in Aokiji's eyes.
For years, he had followed Robin's trail, witnessing her hardships and struggles. He had seen how far she was willing to go just to survive.
She wasn't simply clinging to life; she was carrying the final will left to her by her mother, Olvia, and Saul, which is to live.
Because as long as she lived, there was hope.
And yet, here she was, willing to trade her own life for Gawain's chance to escape…
Aokiji found himself at a loss for words.
During their voyage, he lost count of how many times he had heard Zephyr mention Gawain's name.
Even Kizaru, who rarely praised anyone, had acknowledged Gawain, even going so far as to say: "If we set aside allegiances, Gawain would actually be a pretty good guy."
For Kizaru, whose sense of duty was notoriously ambiguous, those words carried weight. And Aokiji understood exactly what he meant.
But the more he thought about it, the more incomprehensible it all became.
"Gawain..."
"What kind of magic does that guy have?"
Robin, who had resolved herself for death, was now surprisingly at ease. She even let out a faint smile as she spoke of Gawain, her eyes filled with admiration.
"I have been chased by everyone for more than 20 years."
"I have seen kind people who showed ugly faces because of my bounty, and I have also encountered conspirators who wanted to use my ability to interpret poneglyph."
"But Gawain is the first one. He doesn't care about any reason or interests. He tells me over and over again like a willful child."
"Live, I want you to live."
"Even if he is a pirate, he is different."
Aokiji's eyes widened and fell on Robin.
For the first time, he saw something called hope in Robin, something that shines too brightly.
If Robin was just a numb corpse that inherited Saul's will and was like a walking corpse twenty years after the end of Ohara.
Then, now, this corpse is truly alive, and the one who had filled it was a man named Gawain.
She found the reason and motivation to support herself in living.
Is this what Saul has been waiting for?!
Aokiji didn't know.
But what he knew was that at this moment, he couldn't help but start looking forward to it.
What kind of fruit can the flower named Nico Robin that Saul left behind at the risk of his life twenty years ago bear?
Besides, Gawain can give answers to Zephyr-sensei and Nico Robin. Could Gawain also give him one?
He could, right?
No, he definitely could!
The moment this thought came to mind, Aokiji could no longer sit still. He took one last look at Robin and said what he had been holding back in his heart:
"Although I am still a little confused and have not found the way forward, I know that the Marines's destruction of Ohara was absolutely wrong."
"That's right."
Aokiji raised his hand, scratched his head, and continued: "After the destruction of Ohara, I searched for a long time, but I couldn't find Saul's body."
"If he wasn't burned to ashes, he should still be alive somewhere in this world, and he's watching you too."
As soon as the voice fell, the window of the ward opened with a bang, and Aokiji's figure disappeared into the air.
The invisible chill in the room was gradually blown away by the scorching air of Alabasta.
After a few seconds, Robin came back to her senses. Tears had already slid down her face, and even if she pursed her lips tightly, she could hardly suppress her outburst of emotions.
"Ugh..."
"Uwaaaaaah!!"
Her sobs started quietly, then grew louder and louder until they became completely uncontrollable.
When Vivi, who had sensed something was wrong, rushed back with the guards and pushed open the hospital room door, all she saw was Robin collapsed on the ground, crying her heart out.
Gone was the composed elegance and the breathtaking beauty; at this moment, Robin had shed all pretenses.
She cried like a child.
"Nesan, what happened?!"
"If someone bullies you, I will definitely beat them up with Koza!"
Vivi waved her little fist, and before she finished speaking, she was hugged tightly in Robin's arms, and she also heard Robin's low murmur.
"That's great..."
"Saul, it's great that you're still alive..."
"I really want to tell you that I've always been good, I have a good family… And a captain who refuses to let me die, no matter what."
… … …
Outside Alubarna, the desert stretched endlessly, with the scorching sun baking everything in sight.
When Aokiji followed Gawain's aura and rushed here, he saw two figures standing opposite each other.
One of them was about sixty years old, and his hair was already thinning.
But the aura emanating from his body was beyond imagination. He was just standing there like a beast, and it was intimidating.
It was Zephyr, the former admiral of the Marines.
The other was in his twenties, with a well-proportioned figure, holding a silver sword in his hand, exuding an invisible aura that seemed to want to destroy everything in front of him.
Unseen forces clashed in the air, and faint red lightning flickered, a sign that both people's auras were rising to a climactic threshold, beyond which a world-shattering battle would erupt.
The surrounding air, already searing from the heat, felt even heavier under this oppressive atmosphere.
"Ah."
"Zephyr-sensei, you advise me not to attack Gawain, but you have been impatient for a long time, right?"
"Really..."
Aokiji shook his head. Although he was eager to get an answer from Gawain, he still calmed down at this moment.
His eyes fell on the two people on the battlefield.
"Zephyr-sensei is so old, but he is still as impulsive as a child. However, his opponent this time is a real monster."
Kizaru came over at the right time, side by side with Aokiji, and looked at everything in front of him with interest:
"I don't know how long he can persist with his current body."
"Persist?"
Aokiji glanced at Kizaru, shook his head, and laughed: "You may not know that the old man has undergone some kind of transformation during this period."
"The aura that is accidentally released is getting stronger day by day. According to Mr. Garp, he may have awakened the Conqueror's Haki."
Upon hearing this, the surrounding marines who gathered here looked at Zephyr in the distance, showing incredible expressions.
"Really?!"
"Zephyr-sensei was once a man who could be on par with the Fleet Admiral Sengoku by training Armament Haki to the extreme. If he can master Conqueror Haki, wouldn't it mean that he will be stronger than before?!"
"Not necessarily. While his Haki might be stronger, aging is irreversible."
"In any case, this proves that Zephyr-sensei is countless times stronger than the last time he fought with White Knight Gawain!"
"If White Knight Gawain is only as strong back in the East Bluei, he will definitely not be a match for Zephyr-sensei!"