Looking at Robin's face, Lorca smiled and spoke.
"This is your first lesson: disguise. The magic of makeup is that once it's done, you'll become someone else. No one will recognize you as the Demon Child.
"And if you want to take it a step further, you can change your body shape as well. I think your ability can easily do that. For example, you can use your power to fill out your face or legs."
Robin stared blankly at the mirror as Lorca's words echoed in her mind. With just a spark of inspiration, she could already imagine several ways to disguise herself.
It was such a simple method. Had she really been too stupid to never think of this before?
Lorca saw her confused and doubtful expression and immediately knew what she was thinking. Putting aside the mirror, he said, "Don't overthink it. It's not because you're stupid."
Robin came back to her senses and was just about to reassure herself with a silent 'Right, it's not me who's—'
"It's because I'm too smart."
Before she could finish her thought, his smug voice cut in. Robin's eye twitched as she crossed her arms in annoyance.
"Hey, hey, hey!"
A while later, Lorca sat there looking a bit disheveled, smiling helplessly. "Kids these days can't take a joke at all. Not cute in the slightest."
Seeing Robin raise her hands again, he quickly threw up his arms in surrender. She huffed and turned her head away.
After a brief silence, she asked, "Why don't you catch me?"
Laying in his chair, Lorca stretched lazily. "Hmm~ why would I catch you? A mere 79 million berries. Money like that? I don't need it."
Robin turned her head to look at him, speechless for a moment. It was true. If he wasn't short of money and wasn't working for the government, there was no reason to catch her.
But... something still felt off.
Lorca went on, "As for that nonsense about you being some 'world-destroying threat.' It's just a lie to fool the masses. I don't buy into that crap about the scholars of Ohara. I doubt they could uncover anything groundbreaking."
Robin couldn't hold back at that. "The professors are not fools! Everything they did was to learn the truth of this world! To stop people from being deceived by the government!"
Lorca smirked, his voice slow and calm. "Even if tomorrow you spread this so-called truth across the world. So what? It's just empty words. History is about the past, and the past can't be changed. To sacrifice an entire island of lives for something irreversible, isn't that foolish?"
Robin opened her mouth to argue but couldn't find the words.
Lorca leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling. "And once you know the truth, what then? It's meaningless. Do you know why the World Government has ruled the world for eight hundred years?
"If you wanted to overthrow them, or even start small by toppling just one country. What do you think it takes? Is it the truth? No, no. What is it really?"
Thinking it over, Robin replied, "Power?"
Lorca lowered his head and rubbed his chin. "Power… well, that's too vague. What do you think the strongest power is capable of?"
When Robin heard his question, her mind instantly drifted back to the flames that consumed Ohara, and the endless bombardment that erased the island from the map. That was the kind of power she remembered.
Noticing her trembling with fear as she recalled the tragedy, Lorca gently patted her head. "Don't be afraid. It's all over now. So you believe the answer is a Buster Call, right?"
Robin's body gradually calmed as she gave a firm nod.
"That?" He shook his head. "That's hardly real power. It's nothing more than a weapon meant to scare ordinary people. You can't even imagine the might of true strength, just like most people in this world. Sometimes, ignorance really is a form of happiness."
He paused for a few seconds. "Do you think Cusk Island is big? Compared to Ohara?"
Robin thought for a moment and answered hoarsely, "About twice the size of Ohara, I think."
Lorca looked at her. "What if I told you there's someone out there who could sink this island with a single punch, wiping it from the map. Would you believe me?"
Robin's eyes widened in shock. "How could that be..."
She stopped mid-sentence, unable to speak. She knew he wouldn't lie to her. Which meant...
Lorca sighed. "See? Even with all your knowledge and intelligence, you still can't believe it. So how do you expect the majority of people to believe it? They only see such things as fairy tales, myths, or jokes. Everyone chooses to live within the limits of their own understanding, and that's how the Buster Call came to be.
"The masses may not understand the true power of the strong, but they know exactly what happens when a warship's cannon fires near them.
"The Buster Call is simply the government's way of keeping the world in check. But those who can destroy islands with a single blow exist both in the Marines and among pirates.
"And the World Government, which stands above them all, just imagine what kind of power it holds."
Robin's mind went blank. She shook her head in despair, unable to picture it.
Lorca spoke softly. "Hmm... how should I explain this to you? If one day you have the chance to reach the Grand Line, or even the New World, look up a place called the Sgri Sea."
Robin repeated the name under her breath. "The Sgri Sea?"
"That's right. The Sgri Sea." Lorca nodded. "It's located in the New World. It's still marked on maps, but all the islands there have been wiped out.
"From this island we are on to the next, it takes us about five days to sail. But the Sgri Sea used to have over a dozen islands, not to mention countless islets and massive reefs. Can you understand how vast that area was?
"Yet a battle between powerful individuals cleared it all. Every single island sank beneath the waves. And that was just a clash between pirates and the Marines. Now think of taking that to a higher level. Can you guess what kind of power the government holds?
"What if they can destroy an entire sea? And if they can destroy a sea, wouldn't that mean they could wipe out the world itself? What could you possibly use to resist them? Where would you find the strength to destroy or overthrow them?
"Ohara's scholars and their history books? If history alone could save the world, it wouldn't be history anymore."
Robin nodded slightly, then shook her head. "I..."
She didn't know what to say. The answer wouldn't come. Everything Lorca said clashed violently with her understanding of the world.
Lorca continued, "Can't think of anything, can you? Then let me show you something."
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!