After Chiga spoke, he didn't press Aokiji any further. He knew the man well—Kuzan wasn't the type to betray his comrades.
And truthfully, Uchiha Chiga no longer feared the World Government. What he said was deliberate—a seed planted in Aokiji's heart. When the time came, it would sprout on its own.
He turned his gaze to Robin. Her expression remained dazed, still digesting his words.
Chiga waved a hand in front of her face. When she finally blinked and snapped out of it, he asked,
"You probably can't stay here anymore. Got any plans?"
Robin hesitated, then asked cautiously,
"I wonder... what does Admiral Purple Kirin want me to do?"
Now that she knew his stance against the World Government, Robin felt an unfamiliar trust toward Chiga. Her voice trembled, but her eyes were steady, watching him closely—waiting.
Aokiji, still nursing his injuries nearby, instinctively looked up as well. This mattered to him too.
Chiga offered a small smile.
"You can come with me," he said. "Join the Navy—if you dare."
"…!?"
Aokiji nearly choked. Is this guy serious? He hated how the World Government operated, sure—but to challenge them so boldly?
He was about to speak up when Robin answered without hesitation:
"All right. I'll go with you, Admiral Purple Kirin."
Aokiji's mouth fell open. His brain froze.
Chiga chuckled and extended a hand.
"Then welcome to the Navy… Devil's Child Robin."
Robin's lips curled into a radiant smile as she took his hand firmly. For the first time in years, she felt... safe.
She looked into Chiga's glowing Rinnegan and whispered,
"Then I'll be in your care… Master."
"Master?"
The word made Chiga pause.
He'd been called a lot of things—"Boss," "Captain," even "Chiga-sama"—but "Master"? That one felt… off. The only one who called him that before was Medis, and she was a literal black cat.
It felt less like a title and more like a role in some twisted melodrama.
Robin giggled at his reaction. "It gives me a little peace of mind," she explained. "My life's in your hands now. Calling you 'Master' reminds me not to forget that—just in case you change your mind."
Chiga's eyes narrowed, the purple rings of his Rinnegan glowing faintly.
"There's no such phrase as 'change your mind' in the Uchiha dictionary," he said coldly. "A man who breaks his word isn't worthy of these eyes."
The moment he said that, his Rinnegan pulsed with a radiant violet light, radiating his displeasure at being doubted.
Robin lowered her head.
"I'm sorry. That was thoughtless of me."
Chiga didn't press her. He knew her pain. Years of betrayal, of always being the hunted, had carved deep scars in her heart.
He helped her up gently.
"Call me whatever you want," he said. "Just stay close from now on. As long as I'm here, no one will lay a finger on you."
Robin looked up in surprise, her eyes shimmering. That one sentence—so simple—shook her to her core.
She'd spent her life running. Now, someone had offered to stand in front of her.
Tears welled up as she whispered, "Thank you…"
She stepped forward, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. Her entire body leaned into his back, trembling slightly.
"Thank you… Master."
Aokiji looked away, a strange ache stirring in his chest. It wasn't jealousy—he had no romantic feelings for Robin. But watching her cling to Chiga like that...
It felt like watching a daughter you once protected fall into someone else's arms.
The cabbage I raised… has been taken, he thought with a sigh.
If Chiga were one of those hot-blooded, impulsive punks from Earth, Aokiji might have snapped then and there—gone full Akainu, fists blazing for "justice."
Chiga waited until Robin calmed down, then gently loosened her grip. He turned and brushed a few stray hairs from her forehead.
Aokiji's eye twitched.
This guy's got it down to muscle memory, huh? Smooth as hell.
Chiga whispered something in Robin's ear. Whatever he said made her blush faintly and smile again, her earlier shyness returning.
She looked up at him and asked seriously,
"Master… what do you plan to do with Crocodile and the others?"
Her expression had changed—sharper, calculating. She had slipped into her Baroque Works persona.
Chiga instantly recognized her intent. Robin hadn't forgotten her former employer. She wanted to make sure he didn't either.
He stared at her blankly for a moment, then sighed.
Crocodile, you really hired a black-hearted genius.
---
Meanwhile, at the Baroque Works hideout, all the officers had gathered at the main entrance. Crocodile was the last to emerge, stepping out of his office with a storm cloud hanging over his head.
Everyone was carrying bags, clearly preparing to flee. They were soaked from head to toe—victims of the earlier clash between Aokiji and Chiga.
First came Aokiji's Ice Age, then Chiga's Maha Padme. Both were devastating.
Fortunately, neither Admiral had used their full power. If they had, none of Baroque Works' members would've survived. Their bodies would've been frozen from the inside out, reduced to puddles of water even after the ice melted.
Now free of the frost, Crocodile barked orders at everyone.
"Hurry up. We're leaving. This place is cursed."
But just as he turned to lead the evacuation—
Chiga, Robin, and Aokiji appeared right in front of them.
Chiga folded his arms, eyes glowing faintly with Rinnegan light.
"Going somewhere in such a hurry?"
---
200 Power stones, let's goo!!