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"Robin, you were ready to die at Crocodile's hands from the start, weren't you?!"
"What?!" Robin froze.
Logan smiled faintly. "If you hadn't deliberately leaked Crocodile's identity to Vivi, she never could've uncovered it on her own."
He paused, his tone calm but cutting. "If I'm right, you did it because you felt guilty. You helped Crocodile commit too many crimes, and when you saw Vivi risking her life to infiltrate Baroque Works, your conscience couldn't take it anymore. So you made your choice."
"Robin, you've already betrayed Crocodile."
Robin bit her lip and stared at Logan with conflicted eyes.
Every word he said hit home.
She had been ready to die the moment Crocodile set his plan in motion.
Even if it meant her own death, she couldn't let his twisted ambitions succeed—she wouldn't let more innocent people be dragged down.
Logan looked at her gently. "Robin, the one who deserves to die isn't you. It's Crocodile."
He extended his hand. "Join my crew. I'll take you across the seas, help you find the rest of the Poneglyphs, and make your dream come true."
"And besides," he added with a grin, "you don't need to hide who you are anymore."
"A gorgeous woman like you deserves to walk under the sun."
Robin couldn't help but laugh softly. He really knew how to talk.
No wonder his ship was packed with beautiful women.
"Logan, if I join your crew, the World Government will hunt you down for it," she warned.
"Robin," Logan interrupted with a wave, "they'll hunt me down whether you join or not. You don't have to worry about that."
He wasn't exaggerating. Logan had his sights set on every major beauty in this pirate world.
He didn't even know what Im looked like yet—but he was already assuming she was a beauty too.
He planned to challenge the rulers of the sea themselves. If the World Government wasn't after him, that would've been weird.
Seeing Robin lower her gaze, visibly moved, Logan pressed on. "Robin, no one in this world is born to be alone. Not me, and not you."
"There will always be people willing to accept you. The Logan Pirates will always welcome you aboard."
"Once you're my crewmate, your problems are mine. If the World Government comes for you—let them. I'll kill every last one."
Robin's mind flashed back to Saul.
The words echoed—almost exactly what Saul had told her twenty years ago on that fiery day that changed her life forever.
Through the smoke and the flames, she could still hear his voice shouting, "You're not alone, Robin!"
She blinked, and suddenly Logan leaned closer.
"Wanna know a secret?" he whispered. "Saul's still alive."
"Huh?!"
Robin's eyes went wide, her guard dropping as a blush of shock and disbelief spread across her face. How did Logan know what she was thinking?
Wait—did he just say—
"Saul's alive?!" she gasped, trembling. "Are you serious?!"
Back on Ohara, she remembered vividly—Saul had gone against the Navy to protect her, and Vice Admiral Aokiji had frozen him solid.
She'd always assumed Saul had died with Ohara.
The guilt had haunted her for years.
But hearing Logan say he'd survived—her heart could hardly take it.
"Saul barely escaped with his life," Logan said calmly. "He's been living peacefully in Elbaf ever since."
"T-that's… that's wonderful…" Tears streamed down Robin's face.
It wasn't just that she believed Logan—she wanted to believe.
After all, she'd never seen Saul's body with her own eyes.
"Robin," Logan said, his confident smile returning, "I've said all I needed to. So… what's your answer?"
Robin wiped her tears and smiled softly. "Looks like I really can't turn you down, Captain Logan. Please take care of me."
"Welcome aboard," Logan grinned, spreading his arms wide. "I promise you won't regret it."
"Mhm…" Robin murmured, stepping into his embrace.
"Captain," she said suddenly, "Baroque Works agents have already infiltrated the palace. You should go help your crew."
Logan gently brushed away her tears and shook his head. "Don't worry. My people are already waiting for them."
"Wanna come see how I skin a crocodile?"
Robin blinked, then smirked. "Killing a crocodile, huh? Sounds like fun."
Logan focused for a second, using his Haki to sense Crocodile's position—then grabbed Robin's hand and teleported.
Following Crocodile's orders, the four remaining Baroque Works officers infiltrated the royal palace from different directions, hunting for King Cobra.
Mr. 1, the man of steel himself, was tearing through rooms one by one.
As he reached for another door handle, something made him stop.
To his right stood a woman with glasses and a long sword, waiting calmly.
"Daz Bones. Baroque Works Officer Agent No. 1. Supa Supa Fruit user, former assassin from the West Blue," Tashigi said clearly, naming every detail.
Logan had already briefed them on the enemy, so the moment she saw him, she knew who she was facing.
"Who the hell are you?" Daz growled, turning toward her.
"You don't need to know my name," Tashigi said, drawing her blade. "All you need to know is that I'll defeat you."
"A swordswoman, huh?" Daz sneered.
Against him, that was laughable.
"You're unlucky," he said coldly. "I don't show mercy—not even to women."
Metal gleamed as his arms transformed into blades.
With the power of the Supa Supa Fruit, every part of his body could become a weapon—harder than steel, sharp as razors.
"You've run into the wrong opponent, lady."
He swung his crossed blades, sparks flying with a harsh metallic clang.
"Steel skin, huh?" Tashigi said lightly, smiling.
Once, she might've been outmatched. But now? She had no reason to fear him.
Shing!
Wado Ichimonji flashed from its sheath.
In the royal garden, Miss Doublefinger—blue afro, spiderweb tattoos, and a sway in her hips—was prowling the palace grounds.
She froze when she saw someone blocking her path.
"Well, well… look who we have here." She smirked, mock surprise in her tone. "Miss Valentine! You've got some guts. You betray the Boss and still show your face? Not afraid I'll kill you?"
She flexed the spikes on her fingers like a cat teasing its prey.
"Miss Doublefinger, don't get ahead of yourself," Miss Valentine shot back. "Crocodile might not even live past today. And between you and me—who wins isn't a sure thing."
"What?" Miss Doublefinger frowned.
She was Mr. 1's partner, while Valentine was only Mr. 5's. How dare she act so bold?
The Kilo-Kilo Fruit, huh? So she could change her weight—but that wouldn't save her.
Whatever game Valentine was playing, Doublefinger didn't care. Her expression darkened, and the spikes on her arms extended like thorns.
"When I'm done with you, I'll drag your broken body to the Boss myself," she hissed.
"Prickle-Prickle Fruit, huh?" Valentine murmured, exhaling slowly.
Dark Armament Haki flowed up her slender arm, glinting black.
"Miss Doublefinger," she said coolly, "I've already picked out a new home for you. Once I'm done, I'll take you to meet our captain."
Doublefinger blinked, confused—but before she could react, Valentine lunged.
In one of the palace corridors…
"What the heck?! Why do I get you two?!"
Nami groaned as she faced her opponents: a fat man with thick lips and blonde hair, an equally chubby old lady, and a yawning dachshund.
Mr. 4, Miss Merry Christmas, and their ridiculous gun-dog Lassoo.
Nami already knew everything about them—they were the weakest of the remaining agents.
"So that's the gun that ate the Mutt-Mutt Fruit, Dachshund Model? Weird, but kinda cool."
She eyed the lazy dog curiously. A gun that had eaten a Devil Fruit—it sounded insane. How did that even work? Did they just shove the fruit down the barrel?
While Nami was lost in thought, Miss Merry Christmas was already digging tunnels at lightning speed.
At the same time, Lassoo barked, opening its mouth and spitting out a bomb.
Mr. 4 swung his bat and smacked the bomb toward Nami like a fastball.
"You guys are so slow."
With a flick of her wrist, a silver bolt of lightning tore through the corridor.
BOOM—!
In an instant, thunder rained down, engulfing them in blinding light.
Meanwhile, the palace was in chaos.
Baroque Works' last officers were all engaged in battle.
Following Logan's orders, the royal army—led by Bell and Chaka—marched out to crush the millions and billions agents still in the city.
Crocodile, ignoring everything else, stormed straight into the main hall—but Cobra was nowhere to be found.
The longer this dragged on, the worse it was for him.
Irritation twisted his face. He was too far gone to turn back now—he had to find Cobra and force out the location of the Poneglyph.
"Stop looking. He's not here."
A teasing voice cut through the silence. Logan appeared in front of him, hand-in-hand with Robin.
Crocodile's expression darkened instantly.
"Robin… you betrayed me too?!"
"Crocodile," she said coolly, "I never truly served you. So how could I betray you?"
Turning to Logan, she smiled faintly. "From this moment on, I'm leaving Baroque Works—and joining the Logan Pirates."
"As for what you want… I can't help you anymore."
"Good," Crocodile hissed, his eyes narrowing to slits. "Very good."
Leave? Leave?!
As if Baroque Works were a revolving door.
Robin was the only one who could read the Poneglyphs—an essential part of his plan. Anyone could go… except her.
"So that's it. He's the one giving you confidence?" Crocodile's voice dropped to a dangerous growl. "He killed my men and turned my own agents against me—all for you?"
He scanned Logan up and down, trying to figure out what kind of spell this man had cast to make his organization fall apart.
"Logan, the Cloud-Cloud Fruit user. Bounty: thirty million. If that's all you've got, then die!"
Hatred flared in his eyes. "After I kill you, I'll deal with Robin personally."
Robin instinctively stepped closer to Logan.
Crocodile's presence still made her tense.
Logan's expression darkened. "You dare threaten my woman?"
"Robin, stand back. Watch how I strip this lizard of his hide."
"You're just a washed-up loser who couldn't even beat Whitebeard's crew. Don't act so high and mighty."
"You bastard!!"
The insult struck deep. Crocodile roared in fury, raising his golden hook as sand began swirling around him.
"Desert Spada!!"
BOOM!
The ground split apart like tofu, a massive sand blade ripping toward Logan.
But he sidestepped effortlessly.
"Huh? No wonder you're so cocky—you've got some moves."
Crocodile gritted his teeth, launching another attack.
He couldn't let this kid walk away alive. Not after today.
"Desert Glaive!!"
The floor cracked again as a massive sword of sand surged upward.
Logan snorted. "Let me teach you something, Crocodile."
"Water Flow Slash!"
Channeling the rain power from his Weather-Weather Fruit, dozens of razor-thin water blades spun into existence and shot forward.
"What?!" Crocodile's eyes widened. "You can control water?!"
He froze. Panic flickered across his face for the first time.
As a Sand-Sand Fruit user, there was nothing he feared more than water.
If Logan could manipulate it—he was doomed.
"Well, I'll be damned," Robin muttered from the side, eyes wide. "Even Crocodile looks scared."
After all these years, she'd never seen him like this.
Maybe… she wouldn't have to die today after all.
Her eyes sparkled as she watched Logan's back.
The water blades sliced clean through Crocodile's sand sword, then kept going—forcing him to dodge frantically across the hall, terrified of even a single drop hitting him.
"Still threatening my woman?" Logan called out. "Not so tough now, huh?"
"Too late for regrets!"
"Water Whip!"
Streams of water coiled in midair, forming a dozen long, snapping whips.
Crocodile's eyes widened. A chill shot up his spine.
Then Logan smiled—a devil's grin.
"No!" Crocodile screamed.
The whips lashed out with explosive force, striking from every direction.
His agonized roars echoed through the entire palace, mingling with the crack of water against sand.
Locked onto him with Observation Haki, Logan didn't let up until Crocodile was utterly beaten—drenched, broken, and defeated.
"....."