Saul gently sat little Robin down in front of Shiro, his eyes full of hope and trust.
Shiro looked at the small girl before him, and memories from his own childhood rose in his mind.
He had boarded the Roger Pirates at the age of four, sailing alongside Roger and Rayleigh.
Buggy and Shanks had been taken in by the crew as infants, raised under the protection of the Pirate King's ship.
Compared to that… this little Robin now faced a life on the run, hunted by the Marines, her home destroyed, with no one left to rely on.
A deep sense of empathy welled up inside Shiro. He felt sincere sympathy for the tragedy she had endured.
Without a moment of hesitation, he nodded firmly toward Saul and said with conviction:
"Don't worry, Saul. We'll take care of Robin—at least until the day she's strong enough to stand on her own."
Robin stood before the crew of the Virtue Pirates, her eyes filled with curiosity and fear.
There was Crocodile with a body of swirling sand… Jinbe in his towering fish-man form… the hulking figure of Moria… and then—
Her gaze fell upon the skeleton that was Brook.
Her eyes widened sharply, fear overtaking her face, her body trembling as she instinctively took a step backward.
At that moment, Saul's warm but steady voice sounded behind her:
"Little Robin… listen. You must go with Shiro and the others. Only then can you survive—only then can you grow up safe and sound, understand?"
His voice carried reluctance… but even more, it carried hope for her future.
Robin froze, then slowly turned to look at Saul's towering silhouette.
Through the smoke drifting over Ohara's port, the sunlight cast a soft golden outline on him.
Warm memories flooded her heart—
running through the forest together,
his laughter as he said "the world is so big, there's always a place you can belong,"
and the moment he shielded her with his own body.
Tears welled in her eyes. She bit her lip to stop her voice from trembling, and gave Saul a firm, earnest nod.
"Come on, little Robin," Shiro said gently. "Travel with us. No one will ever hurt you again."
He crouched down and placed a large, rough palm lightly on her head.
His voice—usually sharp in battle—softened like a warm sea breeze, every word carrying a calming strength that chased away the last traces of fear in her heart.
The crew gathered around, watching with mixed curiosity.
None of them really understood why their captain had taken such a risk to shelter this child.
But a pirate crew's rules were absolute: the captain's decision was never questioned.
Some offered Robin gentle smiles; others stepped back quietly, leaving space for her and Shiro—silent gestures of acceptance.
Brook shook his bony skull, eye sockets glimmering with enthusiasm.
His trademark laugh echoed out before he even reached her.
"Yohohoho! Little Robin! Once we're aboard the Virtue, I'll play you the most beautiful music every day! I guarantee it'll make your heart sing, yohohoho!"
Robin jumped in fright, shrinking back and clutching tightly at Shiro's coat, hiding half her body behind him. Only a pair of trembling eyes peeked out at Brook.
Brook froze mid-gesture, his raised hand awkwardly suspended in the air. He tilted his skull in confusion.
The crew couldn't hold it in anymore—they covered their mouths, shoulders shaking as suppressed laughter escaped through their fingers.
Even the ever-severe Crocodile turned his head away, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
Shiro held back a laugh as he patted Brook's shoulder reassuringly.
"Hey, Brook, don't rush. She's been through a lot. Once she gets used to the ship, you two will get along just fine. She'll know how good you are."
Brook finally relaxed, nodded hard, and flashed an OK sign before skipping up onto the deck of the Virtue.
Robin followed closely behind Shiro.
As she stepped onto the ship, she couldn't stop herself from glancing back.
Saul still stood at the port, tall and steadfast in the ocean breeze.
She waved with all her strength, little arm raised high, her eyes full of reluctance.
Watching the ship drift away, Saul cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted:
"Little Robin! Remember—smile often! Your smile is beautiful—brighter than even Ohara's sunshine! Dereshishishi!"
Robin nodded hard. A tear slid down her cheek and splashed onto the deck—but she forced a smile, imitating his laugh through her sobs:
"Dereshishishi!"
In that laugh were farewell, gratitude… and a fragile glimmer of hope for the future.
The Virtue's sails filled with wind, carrying them farther from Ohara.
Just then, a sudden shadow flashed across the port—so fast it startled the entire crew.
They turned their heads in shock. Even Moria, adjusting the sails, poked out his head in confusion.
A hunched man with a sleazy expression stood at the dock—most conspicuous of all was his missing right shoulder.
It was none other than the Marine Vice Admiral whose arm Shiro had severed.
Chaton.
"Shiro of the Virtue! You bastard!" Tokikake roared, his eyes burning with hatred as he glared at Shiro on the deck.
"You cut off my right arm! I've been training day and night to master left-handed swordsmanship—and now it's perfected! Today, I'll take my revenge! You'll pay for what you did!"
Without waiting for a reply, Chaton kicked off the ground, leaping toward the ship with incredible speed. The sword in his remaining left hand gleamed coldly in the sun.
"Captain," Crocodile drawled from the railing, arms crossed, clearly amused, "looks like he came just for you."
"Why bother?" Shiro sighed.
He raised his brows, voice full of helplessness.
"Why cling so hard to hatred? Wouldn't it be better to let go and live your own life?"
But the moment he finished speaking, his eyes sharpened.
His hand dropped to the hilt of Tetanus Blade.
A flash of blade—
a devastating slash wrapped in crackling red-black lightning—
shot straight toward Chaton's chest.
It was Shiro's signature technique—
Divine Departure.
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