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"Nico Robin!?"
Upon hearing this name with special significance, Smoker's expression suddenly changed, his eyes growing serious.
Nico Robin?
Isn't she the "Devil's Child" wanted by the World Government?
Smoker clearly remembered the briefings during Marine training...
Their instructor had given them a course introducing the world's most dangerous individuals.
Among them, Nico Robin's name was listed alongside the Four Emperors, Revolutionary Army leaders, and other major figures who threatened world stability!
If such a dangerous person remained on the ship, wouldn't the Straw Hats' future become extremely perilous?
Smoker instantly grew concerned.
But a second later, he paused.
Wait a minute...
What does the World Government's wanted list have to do with me, a Marine!?
Why should I worry about a gang of pirates!?
For a moment, Smoker found himself in a complicated mood. Looking around, he realized that everyone's eyes were focused on Robin. He sighed deeply.
"What are we going to do with her? Kill her?" Zoro, who seemed unfriendly toward every prisoner, made his cruel suggestion.
Sanji bit down on his cigarette and fiercely threatened Zoro:
"You bastard! How could you think to do that to a woman!"
Zoro grinned angrily, and sparks of electricity suddenly flashed from his body, clearly wanting to teach the perverted cook who showed kindness to enemies a lesson.
Not to be outdone, Sanji erupted into flames.
In the blink of an eye, the two were sparring on the Merry's deck.
However, not only the Straw Hats but even non-crew members like Vivi and Smoker were already quite familiar with their habit of fighting each other.
No one took it seriously.
"Well, Sanji is right for this time."
Red's words successfully interrupted the confrontation between Zoro and Sanji, and they all turned to look at him with curious eyes.
"Luffy, do you still remember what I told you two years ago about the way to become the Pirate King?!"
"Huh? How to become the Pirate King?"
Luffy scratched his head in confusion, seemingly trying to recall, then suddenly clapped his hands together and said frankly:
"I forgot!"
As the person who had spent the longest time with Luffy on the Merry, Red had long since passed the stage where he would get angry over such trivial matters.
"Forget it~"
Even though Luffy could forget something so important, it was somewhat outrageous!
Two years ago, when Red was not yet prepared to join Luffy's adventure, he had still done a lot of research for him.
He chuckled and said:
"In that case, I'll take this opportunity to explain it to everyone."
Red sighed, then raised his head and glanced around at the Straw Hats.
Everyone's eyes instinctively turned to Red, the Straw Hats' strategic thinker.
"So..."
Under the confused gazes of everyone including Robin, he eloquently explained about the historical texts and the Road Poneglyph.
And in the process, he identified Robin as a historian who could decipher ancient texts.
After half an hour.
The way everyone looked at Robin had completely changed.
"Wait a minute..." Nami interrupted Red in surprise, "In other words... if Luffy wants to become the Pirate King, we need to take this woman with us on our voyage?"
"What is she supposed to be? Our prisoner? Or our comrade?"
At Sanji's insistence, they had tied Robin to a chair.
Apart from the weakness caused by the Sea-Prism Stone, she didn't suffer any other mistreatment.
Robin, now restrained by the Sea-Prism Stone, had successfully become a prisoner of the Straw Hats.
Red smiled slightly but didn't answer directly. Instead, he handed the decision-making power to the true captain:
"Luffy, what do you think?"
"Hmm..."
Luffy twisted his mouth, looking troubled.
"This is really annoying~"
"Are we going to sail with a bad guy who came to assassinate Vivi?!"
"Bad guy?" Red smiled. "That's not the case."
Then he explained to Luffy:
"While Nico Robin may not be a good person, she's definitely not a bad one!"
"After all, there are worse people in this world sailing the seas!"
"Besides, as pirates, we're not exactly good people ourselves."
Red smiled slightly. Of course, he knew that when Luffy said "bad guy," he wasn't talking about morality, but about Robin being an enemy who wanted to assassinate their friend.
So he continued:
"And... I think she never intended to complete the assassination mission in the first place, right?"
"Otherwise, why would someone board an enemy ship knowing they're outnumbered and outmatched?"
"Nico Robin is not a fool!"
Red wasn't defending Robin at this point.
After all, with Robin's Devil Fruit ability, she could have twisted Vivi's head off from a distance if she'd wanted to.
Of course...
That's assuming Vivi was still the same as before and hadn't transformed into a Pokémon trainer under Red's guidance.
"..."
Under Red's penetrating gaze that seemed to see through everything, the captive Robin remained silent, showing no intention of speaking.
After hearing this, Vivi hesitated for a moment and said:
"Actually, come to think of it... this woman does seem a bit strange."
"She revealed information about Baroque Works and Crocodile to me!"
"I originally thought she had some larger conspiracy, but now it seems..."
"Perhaps she really isn't a bad person, like Red said!"
"That settles it~"
Luffy, being surprisingly obedient, nodded decisively and immediately made a decision:
"Well, if I can't become the Pirate King without her..."
"Then she'll be our nakama!"
Luffy made his final decision, then grinned directly at Robin and said:
"Your name is Robin, right?!"
"Join my crew!!!"
Simple and straightforward—this was how Luffy always behaved!
But this scene left Nami and Usopp momentarily speechless.
Since Red's words seemed to suggest the same idea of inviting Robin to join them, they naturally didn't object further.
However...
An enemy one moment, a crew member the next.
This bizarre identity shift left them completely off-balance.
"Wait... you want to invite this woman to be your companion?!"
At this moment, Smoker, who had been silent until now, finally couldn't contain himself any longer and spoke up.
"Do you know what you're getting into with this woman?!"
"She's wanted directly by the World Government!"
"If you associate with her, you'll all be hunted by the World Government!"
"Huh? So what?" Luffy looked at him indifferently.
After training together for so long, he barely heeded Smoker's warnings.
Smoker, meanwhile, looked shocked:
"'So what'?! We're talking about the World Government!"
"If you associate with Nico Robin, in the eyes of the World Government, you're no longer ordinary pirates!"
"But..." Luffy pressed his cheek in confusion: "We're not ordinary pirates in the first place!"
"I'm the man who's going to become the Pirate King!"
"Isn't it expected that the World Government would hunt us down?!"
"I..."
Smoker was left speechless.
But at this moment, Robin suddenly spoke up:
"That man is right!"
Even though she had been captured, her expression remained extremely calm, as if she viewed life and death with detachment.
Although she was indeed startled by Red, who seemed to know everything.
"If you associate with me, you will not meet a good end!"
"It's not just Warlord Crocodile..."
"If the World Government discovers I'm on your ship, they'll definitely take strict measures against you and make it difficult for you to move freely!"
"After all, the World Government won't allow me, someone who can interpret the ancient text, to continue living in this world."
Robin spoke calmly, as if discussing someone else's fate.
In fact, as Red had suggested, she had indeed investigated the Straw Hat Pirates thoroughly.
Including their defeat of the Buggy Pirates and their liberation of Marine Base 16 in East Blue, actions that had made them heroes to many in that sea!
That's why she had approached them directly and claimed she was there to assassinate Vivi.
Although she had struggled to survive, Robin's heart had already been scarred.
She was neither happy to be alive nor afraid of death.
Everything was simply about letting fate take its course and accepting whatever came.
Even if she died at the hands of the Straw Hats, it would be part of her plan.
However, after hearing her words, Luffy continued to look puzzled and asked in confusion:
"So... so what?!"
"What?!"
Robin looked up suddenly, seeing the genuine expression on Luffy's face.
Luffy said:
"Becoming an enemy of the World Government... wasn't that something we prepared for when we set out to sea?!"
"So why would the World Government stop you from becoming my nakama?!"
"After all, even Red said..."
"Without you, it would be difficult for me to become the Pirate King!"