"Was that Robin?"

Hearing the sounds of a struggle, Chopper rushed to the scene only to find Blueno lying on the ground, already unconscious. A solitary figure flashed briefly before vanishing around a street corner.

His blue nose twitched. Chopper exclaimed in delight, "It’s her! That was definitely Robin! I have to tell Luffy and the others right away!"

Back when Aranea brought Robin along to steal Iceburg’s blueprints, CP9 had not yet revealed their identities. However, since the Pluton blueprints were no longer in Water 7, there was no longer any need for them to remain undercover by Iceburg’s side.

Originally, the World Government intended to recall all of CP9 to investigate the distribution of the Pluton blueprints. They never expected Robin to suddenly appear in Water 7.

Thus, under the World Government’s guidance and the orders of their superior, Spandam, CP9 began their final mission in the City of Water: capture Nico Robin, take her to Enies Lobby, and then send her through the Gates of Justice back to Mariejois.

"What? You really saw Robin? Let’s go find her!"

Upon hearing the news from Chopper, Luffy didn’t hesitate for a second. He and Chopper immediately sped toward the site of the previous battle, leaving the rest of the crew with no choice but to follow.

Nami, who had met Alucard once before, recalled the events of nearly ten years ago, the terrifying man who had crushed Arlong, her greatest enemy, as easily as an insect.

Robin... did she really escape from that man’s grasp?

The Straw Hat crew and CP9 were both rapidly closing in on Robin. Everything was proceeding exactly as Alucard had foreseen; this confrontation was absolutely unavoidable.

One week later, the battle at Enies Lobby sent shockwaves throughout the Grand Line.

According to the newspapers, the Straw Hat Pirates had declared war on the World Government to rescue the "Devil Child," Nico Robin. This act resulted in the severe destruction of Enies Lobby and the burning of the west coast of Water 7, among other heinous crimes. Ultimately, they escaped from a heavy government blockade. However, the news made no mention of the defeat of CP9, the government’s direct subordinate organization.

The Government had lost immense face and immediately issued brand-new bounties for the Straw Hat crew, including their newest member, the cyborg Franky.

When it came to Nico Robin, the authorities hesitated briefly before ultimately designating her as a member of the Straw Hat Pirates with a bounty of 93 million Berries.

....

At the edge of the coast, Iceburg and Franky had teamed up to build a new pirate ship for the Straw Hats: the Thousand Sunny.

Franky, having a rare moment of peace with Iceburg, showed him the blueprint that Urdaha had given him.

"What do you think they mean by this?" Franky asked, puzzled.

Iceburg fell silent for a long time before shaking his head. "I don’t know. But for the sake of Tom-sensei’s legacy, I hope you can collect the rest of them once you set out to sea."

"I haven’t said I’m joining them yet!"

Franky turned away stubbornly. Iceburg let out a knowing chuckle; he could already see how this would end.

While the Straw Hat crew was still immersed in the joy of their increased bounties and their victory over CP9, scattered about to enjoy their leisure time, a secret meeting was taking place in a dark alleyway in Water 7.

"How terrifying," Robin said, looking with great wariness at the two men before her. "To actually mobilize two Admirals at once."

Aokiji and Fujitora!

Even Robin hadn’t expected the Navy to play such a massive hand.

"Arara... I didn’t have much to do at Headquarters anyway, so I thought I’d come for a stroll," Kuzan said, scratching his head and playing it off.

"Robin-san, we are quite curious about your betrayal of the Immortals to join the Straw Hats."

Fujitora, however, remained perfectly formal. Gone was his usual easygoing nature, replaced by an air of absolute gravity. "With your intellect, it is impossible for you not to know the consequences of betraying the Immortals."

"The Navy and the Government are only this concerned about me because they want the translated text of Pluton, right?"

The caution on Robin’s face began to fade, replaced by a slight smirk. "Unfortunately, before that, you’ll have to collect all the fragmented blueprints currently in the hands of the world’s powerhouses. Otherwise, capturing me is useless."

"Well then, I’m sorry. For the sake of my job, please allow me to arrest you." As he spoke, Kuzan raised his right hand, cold air erupting as he began to elementize.

"Please wait a moment, Kuzan-san."

Fujitora took a half-step forward, blocking Kuzan. "Now is really not the appropriate time to make an arrest. Moreover... what stands before us is merely a clone."

"A clone?" Kuzan blinked, looking at Robin once more.

"As expected of the man who holds the rank of Admiral despite being blind."

Robin crossed her arms, and her body dissolved into cherry blossom petals, vanishing from the spot.

"Does Nico Robin possess such strength?" Kuzan was quite surprised.

During the battle between the Straw Hats and CP9 at Enies Lobby, he and Fujitora had been watching from the shadows. Robin had played the role of a captive the entire time, restrained by Spandam with Seastone. She hadn’t played much of a part in the battle at all.

If she had this kind of power, why did she act so helpless during the previous conflict?

"It seems there are many internal factors regarding the Devil Child’s betrayal of the Immortals that we in the Navy still do not know."

Fujitora turned to face Kuzan. "As the only person in the world who can currently translate the text of Pluton, the Devil Child will soon become the target of every major power. The Navy’s war with Whitebeard is also imminent; it’s best not to add this extra pressure right now."

Kuzan felt there was merit to those words and left with Fujitora, though he couldn’t help but complain at the last second, "But when we get back, I’m probably going to get a massive scolding from Sengoku-san."

...

"Robin, do you want to check out this shop? The clothes are so pretty!"

On the shopping street of Water 7, Nami waved toward a clothing boutique, calling out to Robin.

Seeing this, Robin smiled slightly. "Sure."

"Great! Let’s go together then. If we don’t spend a bit more, Luffy will just eat all our money away," Nami complained.

"Hehe..."

Robin chuckled, a flash of guilt disappearing from her eyes as she seemed to hear Alucard’s voice whispering in her ear: "Don’t disappoint me."