Ohara, consumed by flames, artillery shells raining down from the sky, the fallen tree of knowledge, Mama crushed under a boulder… 'Robin… I'm sorry!'
"Mama!" Robin jolted awake and sat up in bed.
This was a luxurious bedroom, with a soft, large bed and bedding as soft as feathers. Exquisite paintings hung on the walls, and a golden emblem was woven into the red carpet. The unfamiliar surroundings made her uneasy.
She tugged at her collar. She wasn't wearing her old, tattered clothes anymore, but a dress that was clearly a size too big.
Stepping out of bed, there were soft slippers. Robin felt like this place was paradise. It seemed she had died, too. So, was Mama here as well?
Thinking this, Robin even felt a little excited. Pushing open the door, she was met with the sight of an endless sea. The golden sunlight warmed her body, incredibly comfortable.
A woman's voice came from the other side of the ship, not quite clear. Robin fumbled her way towards it.
"Hmm, the Demon of Ohara? What an absurd charge, a demon attempting to destroy the world? It's laughable, truly."
"Ah, the World Government is really petty." Hathaway took out a bounty poster and handed it to Nero.
"Demon Child: Nico Robin. Bounty: 79,000,000 Berries."
"Sinking six warships? Hmm, how comical, Marine!" Nero scoffed, her eyes full of mockery: "The Great Pirate Era started by Roger, it makes more and more sense the more I look at it now."
"To explode in silence is always stronger than to die in silence."
"Ah, Your Majesty…" Hathaway questioned Nero with her eyes.
"Hmm, little one, come and sit with us." Nero nodded and said to Robin, who was hiding around the corner.
Hathaway went to get another chair. Robin also recognized that the blonde older sister in front of her was the one who saved her in Ohara.
After realizing this wasn't a dream, a tiny hint of disappointment actually arose in the depths of Robin's heart.
"Thank you…" Robin forced a smile and thanked Nero.
That trace of disappointment quickly vanished. As the last survivor of Ohara, since she had lived, she would not easily die.
"Hmm, no need to rush, have some food first." Nero gestured with her chin, indicating that she could eat some of the pastries on the table.
Robin didn't stand on ceremony. After such a long time, her stomach was already empty. The small cakes and unknown desserts in front of her looked very appetizing.
Seeing her eat so happily, Nero nodded in satisfaction: "Hmm, Hathaway, bring some black tea."
Hathaway lowered her head and tidied up the empty plates, discreetly collecting the newspaper from the table before heading to the kitchen.
For a moment, only the sound of Robin devouring her food and the distant cries of seagulls remained on the deck.
As Robin ate, she suddenly made a strange sound again: "Dereshishishi, Dereshishishi!"
Nero was startled, thinking she was having another fit. She raised her hand like a blade, ready to give her another physical anesthetic.
"What are you… doing?" Hathaway, pushing a food cart, saw Nero's raised hand-blade and Robin's strange laughter.
Robin didn't even have time to stop laughing before Nero grabbed her cheeks, preventing her from biting her tongue.
"Hmm, Hathaway! This child seems ill. She often makes that strange laughing sound. Should we go find Dorry first? You know where she is, right?"
"W-w—" Robin, whose cheeks were pinched, was still struggling, making unintelligible whimpers, but Nero's hand remained unmoving.
"Your Majesty, is there a possibility she's laughing? Although her laughter is a bit strange."
"Hmm, how could that be? How could anyone laugh in this situation? This little one is definitely sick." Nero didn't accept Hathaway's explanation, thinking she was also talking nonsense.
"Then why don't we hear what she has to say?"
"Hmm…" Nero looked at Robin's eyes suspiciously. They were clear and lively, indeed not looking like she was sick.
So she tentatively said, "If you're okay, just blink?"
Upon hearing this, Robin's eyes immediately blinked frantically.
Nero: "…"
Hathaway: "…"
After a series of explanations and self-introductions from Robin, Nero finally understood the whole story.
"Hmm, the Giant Race! Those guys certainly have all sorts of strange laughs." Nero said, crossing her arms, as if stating a fact.
Robin touched the back of her neck, still feeling a faint stinging sensation.
Hearing Nero's words, she didn't know what to say, only awkwardly agreeing.
"But I wonder why those idiots in the World Government are so eager to kill you. I didn't expect you to have already learned the Poneglyphs at such a young age."
Nero looked at Robin with fresh interest. She was a talent. With a little training, she should be a good intellectual character in the future.
Thinking of this, Nero asked, "Hmm, so what are your plans next?"
"Next?" Robin said, bewildered. The shock of the drastic changes in her life had not fully worn off yet.
But thinking of Mama and Dr. Clover, her eyes slowly firmed: "I… I want to seek the truth of history, the truth that Dr. Clover and Mama pursued at the cost of their lives!"
"Good eyes! Hmm, but the first thing you need to do now is to survive!"
Nero first acknowledged her dream, then continued: "Right now, your bounty is 79,000,000 Berries. There are very few people in West Blue with a higher bounty than you."
"I'll give you two choices. First, I will teach you survival skills for one year. After that time, whether you can survive will depend on how well you've learned."
Nero raised a finger and wiggled it, speaking seriously. She didn't entirely treat Robin as a child. A girl who became a scholar at 8 years old was undoubtedly intelligent.
"What's the second option?"
Robin's heart tightened when she heard this choice. Intellectually, she understood, but emotionally, she was still a child and instinctively somewhat resistant to Nero's first option.
"The second! Hmm, the second is for you to join my country, which is the Nicuss Empire. Then, as the Emperor, I will naturally protect you."
Nero held up a second finger, her confidence making Robin stare in a daze.
Protection?
For Robin, this wasn't a choice that required much thought.
"Think carefully! If you are willing to join Nicuss, then I will use my connections to help you transition. From now on, you will no longer be a survivor of Ohara."
Just as Robin was about to speak, Nero interrupted.
"Then you can no longer touch anything related to history. Bury everything in the past and start anew. Hmm, this is also one of my conditions for negotiating with the World Government."
Upon hearing this, Robin visibly wavered. Everyone must have wanted her to live comfortably, right? History and truth… were they really that important?
After a moment of silence, Robin made her choice: "I choose the first option!"
She closed her eyes, her mouth a little dry, wondering what she was thinking. But when she opened her eyes again, the confusion in them had vanished.
"Ohara is my hometown, and that will never change. I will inherit what everyone left unfinished and bring the truth to the whole world!"
From a practical perspective, Nero hoped she would choose the second option. For a little girl, starting over would be the best outcome for her.
But if a fledgling's tender ideal cries out for freedom towards the sky, what reason could stop her from flying?
Neither fierce winds nor violent downpours are reasons. The soul's cry can echo through heaven.
This is also the most endearing aspect of art—the dramatic reality and the unyielding soul, playing a magnificent movement that will surely shake the world.
Stroking Robin's black hair, Nero's eyes were surprisingly gentle: "Hmm, then for the time to come, I will teach you well. For today, eat something and get a good night's sleep."
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