The bustling commercial streets of Water 7 were alive with color and noise.
"Robin! There are so many books here!"
Chopper's eyes sparkled as he stood before the towering shelves of a grand bookstore, overwhelmed with excitement. He turned around, ready to share his joy.
"Robin?"
His cheerful expression quickly faded. The space behind him was empty.
"Robin! Robin!"
Panic set in. Chopper bolted out of the bookstore, his small hooves clicking against the cobblestones as he searched frantically.
"Robin? Where did you go? Oh no, I lost Robin!"
He transformed into his reindeer form, nose twitching as he followed her scent through the winding streets.
"Strange... the scent stops here? Did I get it wrong?"
He found himself at a narrow dead-end, the scent trail vanishing abruptly. His round eyes blinked in confusion, and doubt began to creep in.
---
Inside the same alley — hidden behind a transparent barrier that distorted the light.
"Your little raccoon companion has quite the nose. He actually tracked you here. Should I go silence him?"
The eerie voice came from one of two masked figures standing before Robin. Both wore crisp, strange suits and porcelain masks, symbols of the World Government's most secretive organization.
The one who spoke, donning an azure ghost mask, had been watching Robin earlier at the dock.
"Don't hurt him! He doesn't know anything and has nothing to do with your plans," Robin said sharply, her calm eyes flickering with concern.
The Azure Ghost tilted his head. "You know us well... CP-0 doesn't usually get recognized so easily."
"I've had my share of dealings with your kind," Robin replied coldly.
The masked agent chuckled. "Then you must also know, Nico Robin, that you've joined a pirate crew feared even among the Four Emperors. Your Vice Captain, Shirogai Yamikuro, has been causing quite the stir lately. His actions have disrupted several of our operations. A real thorn in our side."
Robin's lips tightened, but she said nothing.
Shirogai hadn't told anyone what he'd been doing during his brief disappearance. The crew didn't pry, and Robin, having severed ties with the underground information network, knew little about his movements.
She had once considered subscribing to the underground papers, but Nami, ever the cautious treasurer, refused.
"No need to waste Berries on rumors," Nami had said. "They just make up stories for attention. Remember the last time I trusted one of their 'rare jewel' reports?"
That particular adventure had ended with nothing but wasted time — and Nami's outrage.
The Azure Ghost noticed Robin's subtle confusion and grinned beneath his mask.
"So... even you Straw Hats have no idea what your Vice Captain did?"
Robin stayed silent, her gaze sharp and unreadable.
"Good," the agent said. "It's better that way. The less you know, the less trouble you cause."
He turned to his companion. "Let's go. We'll rendezvous at the secondary point."
---
"I don't recall giving you permission to take my companion."
A calm, amused voice sliced through the air.
Robin's head snapped around. "Shirogai!"
From the shadows behind her, Shirogai stepped forward, his presence quiet yet overwhelming.
"Soru!"
In an instant, CP-0 vanished, reappearing around Shirogai in perfect synchronization. Their movements were fluid — disciplined. Both agents launched ten slender, dimly glowing needles straight toward him.
The projectiles were forged from pure Sea-Stone and infused with Armament Haki — a deadly combination meant to pierce even the strongest defenses.
It was a classic CP-0 assassination tactic, designed to neutralize Devil Fruit users who relied too heavily on their abilities.
But this time, they faced Shirogai Yamikuro.
"Sea-Stone? I'll confiscate that."
Shirogai smiled faintly, lifting his hand. A small black void shimmered into existence, swallowing every needle effortlessly.
The agents froze.
"Your little tricks won't work," Shirogai said casually.
The Azure Ghost exhaled, tension visible in his stance. "Plundere... why waste your time on small fry like us?"
"Small fry?" Shirogai's tone stayed light, but his eyes glinted dangerously. "You tried to abduct my crewmate, didn't you? And last I checked, CP-0 aren't exactly 'small fry.' You're supposed to be the Celestial Dragons' strongest shield."
"It's embarrassing, really," the agent replied with dry irony. "For an intelligence unit, we're far too well-known."
He paused, studying Shirogai closely. "But the Fifth Emperor standing before me — this isn't your real body, is it?"
Shirogai's duplicate, formed through Robin's Flower-Flower Fruit, chuckled. "You noticed. Care to test your theory?"
The air thickened. The Azure Ghost hesitated, his instincts screaming. To try — and fail — meant death.
He finally sighed. "Forget it. This was our mistake. Forgive us, Fifth Emperor. We'll leave immediately."
He turned to retreat, but Shirogai's soft voice halted him.
"Did I say you could leave?"
The masked agent froze mid-step.
"Shirogai-san," the agent said cautiously, "even for someone as powerful as you, openly defying the Celestial Dragons... isn't that arrogance?"
Shirogai tilted his head. "Arrogance?"
In an instant, his right arm transformed, covered in gleaming azure dragon scales that pulsed with power.
The ground trembled under the weight of his presence.
CP-0 Ao Oni's eyes widened behind his mask. That power — unmistakable.
The Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan.
Kaido's very same Devil Fruit.
He swallowed hard. We can't win this. Not against him.
A few tense seconds passed before the agent deflated, his enlarged form returning to normal.
Shirogai's dragon scales receded as he smiled faintly. "So, you've chosen not to resist. Wise choice."
"If you force us to stay," Ao Oni muttered, voice low, "you'll only find our corpses."
Behind him, CP-9's Blueno stiffened, silent beneath his mask. Suicide — that was their contingency plan.
All this, just to ensure the safety of the Pluton blueprints and their agents still at large.
Robin watched in stunned silence.
What exactly did Shirogai do while he was gone?
For CP-0 — the World Government's most secretive and feared intelligence division — to tremble before him? It was beyond belief.
"Suicide?" Shirogai's amused voice broke the silence. "And have me framed for murder? How boring."
He waved his hand lazily. "Relax. I only wanted to confirm something with our crew's archaeologist."
Robin blinked. "Huh?"
Snap!
Shirogai snapped his fingers. Instantly, a silence field enveloped the area. The two masked agents could no longer hear or perceive sound.
Robin turned toward him as the two spoke quietly, their conversation lost within the soundless space. After a moment, she smiled — softly, knowingly.
Snap!
Another finger snap, and sound returned.
Shirogai turned back toward the two agents. "Alright. You can take Robin with you."
The Azure Ghost froze. "What... did you say?"
"But know this," Shirogai continued, his voice still calm. "If she's harmed or humiliated in any way, I will personally see every member of CP-0 — and their families — erased from existence."
The words echoed directly in the agent's mind, not spoken aloud. Despite the gentleness of his tone, the sheer killing intent made his blood run cold.
By the time he dared to look up again, Shirogai was gone.
Only a single crimson rose drifted down from the air, burning faintly before vanishing into smoke.
"Let's go," Robin said quietly, her expression serene once more. Her fear was gone, replaced by calm determination.
Ao Oni hesitated before finally nodding to Blueno. "As planned. We leave."
And with that, the three figures disappeared into the shadows of Water 7.
_______
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