Shinryu's voice echoed through the empty room.
"... "
Naturally, there was no answer.
Seeing this, Shinryu sighed before speaking. "If you leave cola out for too long and it loses its chill, it loses its soul. You have to put it back in the freezer."
"It's like a person who finally gets a rare chance to fulfill their true potential but misses it for some reason. In the end, they have no choice but to hide in a dark corner once more. Is that what you want?"
His words sounded ridiculous, after all, he was just talking about drinking cola, yet he was making it sound philosophical.
But at that moment, Shinryu was speaking very seriously.
He could clearly see the words displayed on the light screen before his eyes.
[Devil Fruits analyzed this time:
Dice-Dice Fruit LV1,
Mole-Mole Fruit LV1,
Kilo-Kilo Fruit LV1,
Wax-Wax Fruit LV1,
Clone-Clone Fruit LV1,
Bomb-Bomb Fruit LV1,
Thorn-Thorn Fruit LV1, and
Dog-Dog Fruit · Dachshund Form LV1.
Those eight fully analyzed fruits were an enormous harvest for him. However, the reason Shinryu had come to Alabasta was not limited to that alone.
What he was looking at now was the line of text at the bottom of the light screen.
"Analyzing Devil Fruit: Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi)
Analysis Progress: 76%.
Those were also the source of his current words.
"I know what you seek, and I know why you stayed in Baroque Works. You want to learn the hidden history and the truth of the world. So, I think we can have a talk."
As he said this, he grinned.
"Even after all that, you're still unwilling to come out?"
"Miss All Sunday... or should I call you... Nico Robin?"
As his words reached this point... he saw it.
On the sofa in front of him, a pair of eyes and a mouth silently appeared.
With only the eyes and mouth visible, one could tell that the owner was certainly a beauty, with deep blue, moist eyes and a pair of thin lips.
At that moment, however, the eyes looking at Shinryu were clearly flickering with shock and disbelief.
"Who exactly are you?" Her voice carried an indescribable sense of wariness and alarm.
Seeing that the other party had finally revealed herself, a soft chuckle escaped from beneath Shinryu's mask.
"How strange... you should know who I am. After all, this assassination attempt should have been an order Crocodile passed down through you. But since you've asked so sincerely..."
He raised his cola cup and made a toasting gesture.
"I am one of the highest-ranking officers of 'The Twelve Zodiac,' code name 'Shinryu.' And if you haven't heard of me, then I think you must have heard of 'Youji (Rooster).' He's my colleague."
Hearing Shinryu's words, Nico Robin's heart grew even colder.
"Shinryu... Youji (Rooster). Just as the intelligence speculated."
As a member and vice president of Baroque Works, she was responsible for handling most of the company's internal affairs on behalf of Mr. 0, also known as Crocodile, the man hidden behind the scenes.
This included the assassination attempt as well. Mr. 0 authorized it, and she acted as his proxy to issue the order.
As such, she had access to a great deal of intelligence, including information about Shinryu's appearance, especially his distinctive "Sea Beast" face.
That alone was enough for her, as well as King Cobra before her, to arrive at a similar conclusion: that Shinryu might be connected to the criminal who had seized the Heavenly Tribute, Youji (Rooster).
However, the Alabasta royal family kept all information about Shinryu extremely classified, without leaving behind a paper trail.
Until now, Robin's understanding of Shinryu's identity was purely speculative.
It was only at this moment that she finally received confirmation that Youji (Rooster) and Shinryu belonged to the same organization.
But this explosive revelation was clearly utterly insignificant to Nico Robin right now.
The questions filling her mind were almost too many to count.
For example, how did the other party know her identity and her goal?
How did they know about Crocodile's existence?
How did they discover her ability?
Most importantly...
"This person's ability feels very similar to 'Aokiji.'"
The moment she thought of that, Nico Robin felt her mind descend into chaos.
That's right.
With the power of the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi), she could make any part of her body bloom on any solid surface.
Earlier, when the hitmen attempted to assassinate Shinryu, she had actually been watching the entire time. She had seen with her own eyes the power displayed by the monster called "Shinryu."
It was an overwhelming power.
Among them, the ability to control ice eerily resembled the nightmare of her childhood.
Yet, at the same time, she had also personally witnessed his ability to manipulate frost and another ability that was completely opposite in nature. Otherwise, she would have suspected that the one hiding beneath the dragon-head mask was Marine Admiral "Aokiji" himself.
"What Devil Fruit user is he, exactly?"
Countless questions threw Nico Robin's mind into confusion.
Fortunately, she had survived and grown all the way to this point while being hunted by the World Government, so her mind was sharp enough.
So, even amid the chaos, she was able to ask a question that struck directly at the core:
"What is your goal?"
"And also..."
She clenched her teeth as she asked.
His strength and knowledge of their identities, Crocodile's and her own, no longer mattered to her.
What mattered was what he actually wanted to do, and...
"What do you need me to do?" She asked.
That's right. After calming down slightly, she realized something.
The other party knew her identity and codename. Which meant that Shinryu's organization's intelligence-gathering capabilities were frighteningly advanced, they seemed to know everything about Baroque Works.
Given the power the other party had displayed, she should never have been granted the opportunity to have this conversation.
"Talking to someone sharp really is convenient." After hearing her words, Shinryu seemed to smile as he spoke.
"Yes, I could have gone straight to the Spider Café and captured you."
"Or I could have informed King Cobra, the World Government, or the underground world directly about your whereabouts and identity. There would be no shortage of people interested in the 'Devil Child.' With Alabasta sealing off the sea, it would be difficult for you to escape."
"Once your identity was exposed, I imagine Crocodile wouldn't protect you anymore. Sheltering the survivors of Ohara would likely cost him his status as a Shichibukai."
With each sentence he spoke, Nico Robin's heart grew heavier.
The Spider Café, located to the west of Erumalu, was both a café and the headquarters of Baroque Works in Alabasta.
Robin had planned to return there to report the situation to Crocodile after the assassination attempt.
"But I didn't do that because, as a businessman... I want to discuss cooperation with you."
As he said this, Shinryu raised a hand slightly.
"A win-win cooperation."
"Cooperation?" Hearing this, Nico Robin let out a soft laugh.
"Go on. I'm listening."
Her laughter was cold.
Since the age of eight, she had heard that word countless times. To her, it had always meant nothing more than profit and betrayal.
Yet Shinryu seemed not to notice the chill in her tone.
"I know what you need. You want to research the truth of history, and for that, you need Poneglyphs. At the same time, you need an organization that will shelter you."
He spread his hands.
"Coincidentally, our organization knows the locations of some Poneglyphs, including the one in Alabasta."
Hearing this, the coldness in Nico Robin's eyes deepened further.
"So, you're saying that you can help me obtain the Poneglyph, but in return, I must reveal its contents?"
"For example, the one in Alabasta?"
She had heard words like these far too many times.
The reason she was in Baroque Works, working with Crocodile, was precisely because he needed her to decipher the Alabasta Poneglyph to search for clues about the Ancient Weapon Pluton hidden there.
Robin naturally assumed that the objective of "The Twelve Zodiac" was the same.
These two organizations were essentially birds of a feather.
However...
In the next moment, though, Shinryu's words left her completely stunned.
"Of course not. We are very clear about the contents of the Alabasta Poneglyph. As for Pluton's location, we know where it is." Shinryu said calmly.
"If you are willing to pay a sufficient price, we can also tell you its location and contents. That is what I meant by 'cooperation.'"
He raised a single finger and looked at the dumbfounded Nico Robin.
"We will shelter you and share some of the Poneglyph locations and contents that we already know on a paid basis. However, we will not search for Poneglyphs on your behalf. Whether or not you can find the hidden Poneglyphs depends entirely on your abilities."
"As for whether you choose to tell us their contents after obtaining them, that is also your decision. We will not interfere."
Beneath his mask, Roy spoke these words with complete sincerity.
Honestly, he was curious about the truth from eight hundred years ago, the contents of the Poneglyphs, and the final island, "Laugh Tale."
But to say that he was obsessively determined to uncover the truth? Not really.
To him, a single Poneglyph was far less valuable than a precious and powerful Devil Fruit.
Moreover, Roy knew very well that if you forced Nico Robin to share the contents of a Poneglyph, she would lie, just as she had lied to Crocodile in the original story.
Therefore, Roy genuinely did not care if Nico Robin told him the truth about the Poneglyphs.
"If I really want to know later, it won't be hard to find a way, the Kozuki clan of Wano Country or the awakened Three-Eyed Tribe. There are plenty of options." He muttered to himself.
At that moment, however, Nico Robin was practically frozen in shock.
"Wait... wait... what did you just say?"
Even through the eyes formed by her ability, one could clearly see her doubt, confusion, and alarm.
"You know the contents of the Poneglyphs, which means there's someone in your organization who can read them."
This was the thing she found hardest to believe.
"That falls outside the scope of our deal, Miss Robin." In response to this question, however, Shinryu merely smiled.
"."
Nico Robin fell silent for a moment.
Then she said, "I don't believe you. If your organization truly has no interest in Poneglyphs, then I can't think of any reason for you to seek my cooperation."
She knew that her ability to decipher Poneglyphs was her most valuable asset.
If the other party truly had no interest in that ability, then what exactly did they want from her?
At the very least, Robin couldn't come up with an answer.
And yet, at the same time, she also knew that Shinryu had no reason to lie to her. Because, just as Shinryu had said earlier, since "The Twelve Zodiac" already knew her identity, her life was effectively already in their hands.
"You're mistaken, Miss Robin." At this moment, Shinryu let out a laugh.
"Your identity is not limited to just 'Devil Child.' In fact, what interests us about you lies in another identity altogether."
As he said this, he stood up and extended his hand.
"Hello, Miss All Sunday."
(End of Chapter)
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