On a high slope along the coast, a little girl and a giant were deep in conversation. "Robin, you should eat it. I'm not hungry." The giant
On a high slope along the coast, a little girl and a giant were deep in conversation.
"Robin, you should eat it. I'm not hungry."
The giant stared at the tiny, sesame seed-sized bread in his hand and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Bwahahahahahahaha... Bwahahahahahahaha... Bwaha Bwaha, Bwahahahahahahaha... Bwahahahahahahaha."
"Saul, your laugh is really weird," Robin said.
A little girl held a piece of bread in her hands, her big eyes staring at the laughing giant.
The girl's name was Nico Robin, and she was eight years old.The giant's name was Jaguar D. Saul, 105 years old, and currently a wanted criminal by the World Government.
"Yeah, ever since I was little, my people made fun of my laugh. But I never cared—those giants were all dumb anyway, and their laughs weren't half as good as mine!"
With that, Saul burst into laughter again.
"Bwahahahahahahaha... Bwahahahahahahaha... Bwaha Bwaha, Bwahahahahahahaha... Bwahahahahahahaha."
Tears actually spurted from his eyes as he roared with laughter.
Robin shook her head and looked at him, speechless."What could be so funny that it makes you laugh until you cry?"
"Really? Robin, you shouldn't always be so gloomy. You need to laugh more.
"Bwahahahahahahaha... Bwahahahahahahaha... Bwaha Bwaha, Bwahahahahahahaha... Bwahahahahahahaha."
"Laugh more… like your laugh?"
"Laugh more… Like this?"
Robin mimicked Saul's laugh perfectly, even copying his exaggerated facial expressions.
"Bwahahahahahahaha... Bwahahaha
Seeing her imitation, Saul's heart swelled with joy.
"Oh, right, Robin—you must never tell anyone you're an archaeologist. The World Government forbids it. I used to be a Vice Admiral in the Marines, but I was hunted down after saving a scholar named Olvia."
At his words, Robin's small face fell slightly.
"By the way, Robin, make sure you never tell anyone that you're an archaeologist. The World Government forbids it. I was once a Vice Admiral in the Navy Headquarters, and just because I saved an archaeologist named Olvia, the Navy started hunting me down."
Upon hearing this, Robin's cheerful expression faded.
"Dr. Clover told me the same thing," she said softly. "He even made me swear to stop secretly researching the history of the Void Century."
"Robin, you have to be extremely careful. It's a major crime. I know that from my time in the Navy—if they catch you, the punishment is death."
"I'm not afraid. I've never had any friends anyway. Everyone hates me. I've always been alone, with nothing to lose."
Robin took a bite of her bread, her tone indifferent. Despite being just a child, her expression carried a maturity far beyond her years.
"Dereshi-shishishishi, Dereshi-shishishishi, Dereshi, Dereshi, Dereshi-shishishishi, Dereshi-shishishishi."
"Saul, what are you laughing at?"
"Dereshi-shishishi, Dereshi-shishishi... Robin, everyone will have companions someday. As long as you go out and seek them, you'll find them. The path must be walked by yourself, and fate is something you change with your own hands. Don't complain about reality. There are many people suffering in this world. You have to laugh more—only then will it hurt less."
After finishing, Saul laughed again,"Bwahahahahahahaha... Bwahahahahahahaha... Bwaha Bwaha, Bwahahahahahahaha... Bwahahahahahahaha."
"Everyone will have companions?" Robin looked doubtful.The concept of "companions" didn't exist in her heart—she had been treated like a monster for as long as she could remember.
"Dereshi-shishishi, Dereshi-shishishi, of course. True companions are sincere. As long as you treat them with sincerity, they'll accept you."
"Mm, Saul, you're right. I won't give up. Dereshi, Dereshi-shishishi, "Bwahahahahahahaha... Bwahahahahahahaha... Bwaha Bwaha, Bwahahahahahahaha... Bwahahahahahahaha."
Just then, Robin and Saul heard voices calling out from the island.
"Hey~ Robin~ Where are you~""Hey~ Robin~ Your mom is looking for you~"
"Robin~ Did you hear that? Hurry to the Tree of Knowledge, your mother, Nico Olvia, is waiting for you~"
Upon hearing those words, Robin's expression instantly froze—and then, tears began to fall.
"Mo…Mom?"
"Hey~ Robin~ did you hear that? Your mother, Olvia, is waiting for you at the library! Go see her right away!"
"Robin~ where are you~? Did you hear us~?"
At that moment, the giant Saul spoke up:
"Robin, Robin… So Olvia is your mother. Hurry and go see her now."
Robin snapped out of it and wiped her tears with her hand.
"Mm!"
She immediately dashed off, her little fists clenched tightly, swinging powerfully as she ran with all her might, eager to see her mother as soon as possible.
She took a narrow path back, so she didn't encounter the scholars who had come looking for her.
"Hey, everyone look! There's a giant over there."
"Let's go ask him."
"Hey, giant, have you seen Robin?"
"Robin? She heard you calling her earlier—she already ran back."
"Thank goodness! Then let's hurry back. The Navy's Buster Call is almost here."
Saul was shocked upon hearing this.
"Wait, did you say the Navy's Buster Call is coming?"
"Yeah, giant, you should run too. That's all—we're out of time. Let's go, go, go!"
After the scholars left, Saul's usual goofy expression vanished. His eyes turned cold as ice.
"Those damn bastards… Is this what the Navy calls justice?! No—I have to stay and protect Robin!"
He recalled Robin's cute little face, her pitiful childhood—being insulted, isolated, looked down upon, even cursed as a demon child. His heart burned with anger.
Compared to her, his childhood had been so much easier.
"Ah… ah… ah…"
Robin gasped for breath, mouth open as she ran forward with all her strength, crying as she went.
"You there! Be careful with those documents! They're precious records of human civilization—don't damage them!"
Dr. Clover was giving orders on the side, constantly reminding the others.
"We got it, Doc. You're too naggy,"
Even the usually quiet Jozu couldn't help but grumble.
"Old man, why aren't you doing any work?"
Bruma Lin said impatiently.
"You're older than me, and you still have the nerve to call me old man?!"
"Hmph! Look at you, panicking over a pile of old books. Can they be eaten? Can you sell them for money?"
Bruma Lin continued mocking Clover.
"You don't understand! These are priceless treasures—you can't buy them with money!"
At that moment, a little girl appeared breathlessly at the doorway—it was Nico Robin, who had sprinted all the way back.
Dr. Clover turned and immediately walked up.
"Robin, you're back."
"Doctor… Has my mother come back?"
"Yes," Dr. Clover nodded.
"She's inside moving some documents. Wait here—she'll be out soon."
"Okay."
Robin stared intently toward the entrance.
Moments later, a woman appeared in her line of sight, carrying a large stack of books with a serious expression on her face.
"Mom…"
Tears slid down Robin's cheeks.
It had been six years.
She had forgotten what her mother even looked like.
But the moment she laid eyes on this woman, she knew—this was the mother she had longed for, day and night.
"Ah…"
Olvia's heart trembled. The books in her hands slipped from her grasp.
Dr. Clover dove forward and caught the falling books with his hands.
"Phew… that was close. Good thing I caught them."
At that moment, mother and daughter locked eyes, both with tears welling up.
Nico Robin's facial muscles tensed, her mouth quivered, her tiny fists clenched—and tears streamed down her face like a waterfall.
Olvia slowly approached and knelt down, crying just as hard.
"Robin-…"
"MOM...! Waaah—!" Robin wailed.
"Robin…"
Mother and daughter embraced tightly.
"Robin~ Robin~ Did you hear us? Hurry back to the library~"