With Crocodile's downfall, the criminal organization that had entrenched itself within the shadows of Alabasta for years ceased to exist.
The Baroque Works agents and the pirates released by Crocodile were almost all captured.
Well, except for a certain damn okama who was nearly kicked to death by Sanji, as well as Miss Valentine, Mr. 5, and Miss Goldenweek, who were still playing house with dinosaurs on Little Garden.
Oh right, there was also the organization's second-in-command—Miss All Sunday.
Originally, Nico Robin had planned to wait for death in the crumbling Royal Tomb as her dream had been shattered. However, after being saved by Luffy on a whim, this enchanting woman arrived at a secret Baroque Works stronghold located in Alubarna to evade the Marines' search.
(That guy with glasses probably hid in the palace with his companions after attracting that huge swarm of Marines. As a result, I'm the only one stuck hiding here. He really knows how to cause trouble for others...)
Holding a steaming cup of coffee, Robin walked to the window. She gazed out at the rain, which had grown heavier again, her face washed with sorrow.
(Straw Hat boy, you saved me, but where is a woman like me, who brings nothing but misfortune, supposed to go?)
Thinking of this, the naturally seductive woman sighed. Perhaps the subtle movement pulled at the wounds inflicted by Crocodile earlier, as a burning pain caused her elegant, delicate brows to furrow slightly.
It had to be said that when one is a beauty, any expression looks good. With her brows lightly knit and her eyes holding a trace of grievance, Robin displayed a delicate, feminine vulnerability that would make anyone want to soothe her pain.
Twenty years of life on the run had given this beautiful woman a will far surpassing that of ordinary people. She forcibly suppressed the pain in her body and raised the hand holding the cup, intending to take a sip of coffee.
"Yahoo, I finally found you..." A sickly sweet, cute voice suddenly rang out from behind Robin.
"!!!"
Robin was shaken to her core. The cup of coffee in her hand slipped from her grasp and crashed to the floor, shattering with a crisp sound. She turned around hurriedly, but what entered her vision caused the usually calm woman's pupils to contract sharply.
It was a little girl dressed in a Gothic Lolita dress. Her distinct black and white twin-tails were particularly eye-catching, and her features were exquisitely delicate. If not for the mysterious light flickering in her right eye—which was not covered by an eyepatch—Robin might have mistaken her for a finely crafted doll.
However, in the dimly lit room, this Goth Loli, appearing as suddenly as a ghost, didn't give off a single ounce of cuteness. Instead, she made one's blood run cold.
Splash, splash. Outside, the rain continued to fall relentlessly.
A drop of cold sweat silently rolled down Nico Robin's forehead, and her heart began to beat violently.
Although she usually had no resistance to cute things, Robin felt an invisible pressure radiating from this petite, adorable body—a pressure comparable to facing Crocodile!
"Who are you?!" Robin demanded, feigning calm as she crossed her hands in front of her chest. It seemed that if the other party made one wrong move, those flower-like blooming arms would instantly strike.
"Me? My name is [Lan]. I'm a Marine. Others like to call me Rear Admiral Alan."
As she spoke, Rear Admiral Alan casually pulled a cigar case from her ornate red and black dress. The golden Iris emblem on the box was extremely conspicuous.
"..." Robin looked at the Goth Loli, who was now puffing away on a cigar, with a strange expression. A strong sense of dissonance rose in her heart.
Blowing a smoke ring, Alan looked at the enchanting woman who was still acting as if she were facing a formidable enemy. A cute smile appeared on her smooth, jade-like little face.
"Relax, relax. Although I am a Marine, my mission this time was to catch Crocodile. I don't care about the rest."
"Then what is your purpose in coming here?" The hands crossed over her chest remained in place. clearly, Robin had not lowered her guard just because of the little girl's one-sided statement.
Rear Admiral Alan sat down on the room's sofa with utter casualness, resting her feet—clad in small black leather boots—on the armrest, looking completely at ease.
"I came to find you because I want to ask you a question..." Her right eye, uncovered and glowing with an amber light, looked at Robin with a gaze full of intriguing implications.
"...Don't worry, I'm not here to ask you about the whereabouts of [Pluton]."
Then, ignoring Nico Robin's face, which had instantly turned even uglier, Rear Admiral Alan pulled out a black book like a magic trick.
Judging by the yellowed pages, it was quite an old book. On the pitch-black cover, a massive, hot-stamped gold "K" was extremely striking; it seemed to be the book's name.
"I would like to ask you to translate the contents of this book."
The little girl with the black and white hair waved the black book in her hand and smiled sweetly, a smile like that of a child who had stolen candy from their parents.
"After all, this is full of ancient text. Aside from you, it seems no one else can read it..."
The misty rain fell with a rustling sound, like transparent silver needles dropping from the sky. The little raindrops seemed to accompany a small waltz, causing a certain agitated man with glasses to become immersed in the atmosphere.
Clack, clack, clack. The crisp sound of high heels on the floor approached from the distance.
"Mr. Glasses? It's so late, are you still not sleeping?"
"..."
Sherlock silently withdrew his gaze from the rainy night outside the window. He sighed lightly, then turned to look at the blue-haired girl he was somewhat trying to avoid facing.
At this moment, Princess Vivi had changed into a blue and white princess dress. Her beautiful aqua-blue hair wasn't tied in a single ponytail as usual but was draped loosely over her shoulders. Although she looked a little less lively, she appeared more tranquil.
Moving with light steps, Vivi walked to Sherlock's side and looked out the window.
"This really is a good rain. It's the first time in my life I've seen it rain for such a long time."
Vivi's tone was completely natural—so natural that if Sherlock hadn't noticed the blue-haired girl's slightly red rimmed eyes, he would have thought Vivi knew nothing of the earlier conversation.
But now, the more natural Vivi acted, the worse the Sorcerer felt in his heart.
"Mr. Glasses... no, Sherlock..." Vivi placed her hands playfully behind her back, turned around, and smiled gracefully at the Sorcerer.
"Could you accompany me for a walk outside?"
Inexplicably, Sherlock heard a hint of pleading in her voice.
"Alright..." Sherlock pushed up his glasses gently. He truly couldn't refuse the blue-haired girl's request.
In the square in front of the Royal Palace.
Because it was late at night and raining, there wasn't a soul in the entire square, making it appear extremely empty. However, influenced by the brightly lit buildings not far away, the square wasn't too dark.
A man and a woman strolled softly here. Two layers of invisible force fields wrapped around them, blocking out all the rain filling the sky.
"Your fruit ability is really convenient, Sherlock."
Perhaps because she had called him "Mr. Glasses" too many times, Vivi was actually somewhat unaccustomed to using the Sorcerer's real name.
She walked a few small steps ahead, speaking softly about irrelevant things, while Sherlock followed behind the blue-haired girl, silent.
At this moment, the scene was quite similar to when they were on Little Garden, only their moods were completely different from back then.
"By the way, Sherlock, do you remember what I told you my dream was back on Little Garden?"
"Yes, you mentioned it." Sherlock's memory was quite good. "It was to become an excellent dancer."
"That's right, I liked dancing very much when I was little..." Vivi stopped walking and turned around. Her moist eyes gazed at the person who made her feel so sorrowful. Then, a thought flashed through the blue-haired girl's mind. She took a deep breath, clenched her pink fists, and mustered up her courage to say:
"Can... can I invite you to dance now? Sherlock."
"No, you can't," the Sorcerer rejected with considerable bluntness.
"!!!" The expression of hope on Vivi's face froze instantly.
Shaking his head, Sherlock looked at Princess Vivi, whose eyes were faintly glistening with tears. "Because I feel that letting a lady invite a gentleman to dance is a rather rude thing to do."
As he spoke, Sherlock extended his right hand with dashing grace, leaned his body slightly forward, and the corners of his mouth curved into an impeccably elegant arc.
"May I invite you for a dance? Charming young lady."
Vivi broke into a smile through her tears. She hurriedly adjusted her emotions, performed a curtsy holding her skirt, and then gently placed her small hand into Sherlock's open palm.
"It is my honor, handsome sir."
Sherlock straightened his body, stood firm, and held Vivi's soft, boneless hand. Step, side move, separate, close step—then the two held hands and moved side by side.
After a few simple steps, a difficult series of rapid steps followed. Leather boots and high heels stepped on the water-logged ground, splashing rain and creating a series of pitter-patter sounds.
Under the silent night sky, within the boundless curtain of rain, on the empty square, this pair of young man and woman began to dance lightly, somewhat forgetting themselves.
The light coming from the nearby buildings in the night was like a spotlight on a stage, hitting the faces of Sherlock and Vivi as they performed with all their hearts, as if sprinkling a layer of dark golden powder on their faces.
Pulling, embracing, twirling...
Even though it was the first time Vivi and Sherlock had danced together, the coordination between them was surprisingly tacit, as if they had rehearsed it many times before.
The fine raindrops fell one after another, landing on the ground to outline a moving melody. This rain was like a pianist from nature, playing a magnificent and beautiful movement.
For a time, this man and woman became the sole focus of this small world, as if the entire world consisted only of the endless threads of rain and their elegant dance steps.
It looked a little silly, but also a little romantic...
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