Robin's pace was swift.
In her more than ten years of hiding and escaping, betrayal and suspicion had been the dominant themes of her life.
No matter the intentions of the man who had suddenly appeared before her, she would absolutely not trust him.
Especially since he was a Pirate Hunter.
Robin didn't consider herself a Pirate, but the 87 million bounty on her head was very real.
Leave this place as soon as possible.
That was Robin's only thought.
She was heading toward the sea.
Every time she arrived at a new place, Robin would familiarize herself with the surroundings as quickly as possible.
She was very clear about the terrain of this island.
She knew even better that on the other side of the island was a smugglers' wharf.
She would sneak onto a ship there and leave.
At the very least, she had to get out of their sight first.
Robin didn't know whether to believe what Cyrus had said about the World Government agents, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
Just as Robin left the town, her heart in a slight panic, two tall, thin figures emerged ahead.
They wore strange smiling masks, white suits, and white bowler hats.
'CP!'
Robin's heart tightened.
She stopped in her tracks and immediately turned around, but behind her, two more figures had appeared at some point.
"Nico Robin, you've finally shown yourself!" a muffled voice came from behind one of the masks.
"Surrender, Nico Robin. You have no chance of escape."
The four men surrounded Nico Robin, slowly closing in.
Robin raised her arms and crossed them over her chest, a trace of despair flashing across her face.
Her Devil Fruit ability gave her some fighting power, but against these World Government agents, she knew she was no match.
'Is this the end?'
The sound of footsteps rang out.
Robin and the four CP agents turned in unison to see a tall figure walking over, carrying a sword.
"I told you those guys were chasing you, but you just had to run off on your own!"
As the calm voice sounded, Robin stared blankly at the approaching Cyrus.
He just came over like that.
These are the World Government's henchmen. Isn't he afraid?
"Stop your approach," one of them warned.
Cyrus chuckled at the words. The ground beneath his feet suddenly exploded, and in the next instant, he was beside Nico Robin.
Then, under Nico Robin's shocked gaze, Cyrus pulled her into his arms.
"I'm taking her with me today. I'd like to see who dares to stop me!"
Cyrus glanced sideways at the men, his tone firm.
Robin, held tightly in his embrace, looked dazed.
The four surrounding men were also stunned.
Where did this kid come from?
"You should go. These are World Government agents," Robin said in a low voice, taking a deep breath while held by his powerful arm.
"I'm partly responsible for you being discovered. Besides, you're the reason I came to the West Blue. I'm not letting you go!" Cyrus said, looking down at Robin in his arms.
"Why? Are you also interested in the Poneglyphs?" Robin asked, confused.
What about her was worth this man opposing the World Government?
"No, I'm not interested in the Poneglyphs. I'm interested in you," Cyrus said bluntly.
That statement left Nico Robin at a loss for words.
Swoosh!
As the two were talking in low voices, a figure suddenly appeared beside Cyrus, an Armament Haki-covered arm smashing toward his head.
Boom!
Cyrus's Observation Haki was monitoring the four's every move.
The moment the man approached, Cyrus kicked out, sending the figure flying.
The other three figures charged at Cyrus simultaneously.
"Wait on the side!"
After speaking, Cyrus released Robin and placed his hand on the hilt of Flame, the blade scraping against the scabbard with a soft hiss.
"Finger Pistol!"
Bursts of force like bullets shot toward Cyrus.
Swinging his blade, Cyrus blocked the incoming Finger Pistols, then leaped forward, bringing his sword down with a powerful slash.
"Paper Art!"
The figure, nearly cut in half, seemed to suddenly lose all weight, floating diagonally away, grazing the blade.
The other two, however, lunged toward Nico Robin.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Flame swung, and dozens of slashes flew out, enveloping the three men.
"Iron Body x3!"
Then, the three figures were sent flying.
The exchange between Cyrus and the three was incredibly fast.
In Robin's eyes, in just the blink of an eye, the three figures were sent flying.
'Fifteen years old?' Nico Robin stared blankly at Cyrus.
When she first met him, she seemed to recall him saying that was his age during his self-introduction.
"Those three aren't defeated yet. You go to the shore first. I have a boat prepared there. The one without a flag is mine!" Cyrus said to Nico Robin.
"You..."
Robin naturally had questions, but now was not the time.
So, she did as Cyrus said and turned to leave.
Cyrus shouldered his sword and watched the four figures walk out.
They had all transformed; they were all Zoan ability users.
The earlier slashes had left sword marks on them, but after transforming, their strong bodies squeezed their muscles together, closing the wounds.
They didn't look serious.
"Nico Robin is a major criminal of the World Government. You should know what you're doing!" one of them, who had turned into an upright rabbit, said in a grave tone.
If it were anyone else, they wouldn't bother with a warning and would have just finished them off.
But this guy in front of them was not easy to deal with.
From just that brief exchange, the four knew Cyrus was tough.
At the very least, they weren't confident they could win.
"Not important!"
Cyrus looked at the four, and wisps of flame appeared from his wrist, coiling around the blade.
Seeing this, the four attacked in unison.
"Stroke Cut!"
Cyrus's figure flashed past.
The bodies of two humanoid animals were abruptly severed, and flames instantly engulfed them.
Seeing two of them killed in a single exchange, the remaining two didn't hesitate for a moment, splitting up to flee.
"None of you are getting away!"
Cyrus turned and swung his Flame Sword, and a massive Fire Tornado enveloped the two men.
Click!
He sheathed his sword.
The Fire Tornado vanished, and the charred bodies fell to the ground, having reverted from their Zoan forms.
These CP agents were tools, and the fruits they ate were ordinary Zoan types.
Their own strength wasn't very high either.
After all, they had been hunting Robin in the East Blue for so many years.
It was impossible for the government to station top-tier experts there indefinitely.
However, these four were just four insignificant members of the World Government's forces in the West Blue.
That much was easy to figure out.
Shouldering Flame, Cyrus strode in the direction Robin had left.
The small fry were dealt with. Next was the main course.
As Cyrus walked away, his expression turned serious.
...
At the shore.
Robin looked at the boat docked at the small pier—the one without a flag.
But the pier, which was usually bustling with people, was now completely empty.
The sound of footsteps rang out.
Nico Robin whipped her head around, and when she saw who it was, her pupils contracted violently.
Aokiji!