Enies Lobby.
On the bridge leading to the Gates of Justice, Nico Robin lay sprawled across the cold stone, blood trickling from the corner of her lips. The Seastone cuffs had rubbed her wrists raw, leaving them bloody and mangled.
"You reckless fool!" Spandam snarled, his face twisted with malice as he crouched down, gripping a thick rope. He roughly seized Robin's arm, wrapping the rope around her wrists twice before tying it into a tight, unyielding knot.
The Seastone had already drained Robin of her strength, but the stubborn defiance in her bones only fueled his rage.
"Don't think your little tricks will work!" Spandam yanked the other end of the rope hard, dragging Robin's body across the rough stone surface. Her fitted denim jacket tore against the jagged rocks, leaving fresh cuts that immediately welled with blood.
"Even if that Straw Hat Kid and his idiots show up, so what? This is Enies Lobby—the World Government's territory!"
Robin let out a muffled groan as her forehead struck the hard bridge, her vision swimming with darkness. Blood trickled down her brow, obscuring her sight, but she could still feel the rope biting into her flesh, hear Spandam's furious curses, and—most of all—knew that once she was dragged past those gates, she would lose any right to "live" forever.
"Let… go…" Robin forced out the words, her voice hoarse, her fingers clawing uselessly at the stone, leaving faint streaks of blood behind.
"Let go?" Spandam sneered, tightening his grip on the rope. "Once you're in Impel Down, you'll have all the time in the world to regret this!"
Bending forward, he hauled the rope again, dragging Robin's body across the bridge with a grating screech. But just then, a sudden gale swept across the bridge without warning, carrying a scorching heat unlike any sea breeze. The wind was so fierce that Spandam instinctively shut his eyes, his grip on the rope loosening slightly.
"Damn weather," he cursed under his breath, glancing up—only for his eyes to catch a flash of peach-red streaking across the sky. The shadow grew larger and larger, its deafening roar drowning out all other sound as it blotted out the sun above.
It was a massive dragon.
Its peach-red Scales shimmered ominously beneath the clouds, its colossal Dragon Body covering half the bridge. The Dragon Pupils, with their piercing Vertical Pupil, swept coldly over the scene, freezing Spandam in place. The rope slipped from his fingers and hit the ground with a dull thud.
The next instant, the dragon's body coiled midair, its Scales receding as it transformed into human form in the blink of an eye. A slender figure landed on the bridge with a resounding crash, the stone beneath his feet cracking under the impact.
Dressed in casual attire, the Seven Star Sword swayed lightly at his waist as he smirked, amusement dancing in his eyes. It was none other than Ryan, who had come to stir up trouble.
When Spandam recognized that face, his pupils shrank to pinpricks, cold sweat drenching his back in an instant.
This was the newly appointed Seven Warlord of the Sea—the Wanderer, Ryan.
Ryan didn't spare Spandam a glance. His gaze settled on Robin, lying battered on the ground. Blood and dirt smeared half her face, her wrists raw and bleeding from the Seastone cuffs. The woman who had always carried an air of intellect and grace now clung only to sheer stubbornness.
"Nico Robin," Ryan said slowly, stepping forward until he stood over her. He looked down, a teasing smirk curling his lips. "You're really… in a sorry state, aren't you?"
Robin's head snapped up, her blood-streaked face twisting in shock. Why was this man here—the one who had killed Crocodile, taken his place as a Warlord, and left her with unforgettable humiliation in the Tomb Hall of Alabasta?
Had he come to capture her? Had the World Government even mobilized the Warlords?
"L-Lord Warlord!" Spandam finally regained his senses, plastering on an obsequious smile as he hurried forward, bowing deeply. "What brings you here?"
"Do I need to report my actions to you?" Ryan flicked him a glance, the sheer indifference in his eyes choking Spandam's words in his throat. His fingers tapped lightly against the hilt of the Seven Star Sword.
"N-No, of course not!" Spandam paled, a cold sweat beading on his forehead as he hastily lowered his head. "It's just… this criminal is of utmost importance. Please allow me to escort her through the Gates of Justice first—"
"The Gates of Justice?" Ryan chuckled, his gaze sliding back to Robin, who was struggling to rise only to collapse again under the Seastone's suppression. Amused, he remarked, "She doesn't seem too keen on going."
Robin clenched her jaw, refusing to speak. She simply met Ryan's gaze with unyielding defiance, as if silently resisting.
No matter who came, she wouldn't stop fighting.
"You know…" Ryan studied her for a moment, finding her reaction even more entertaining. He leaned down, reaching out as if to brush his fingers against her cheek—only for Robin to instinctively flinch away. Grinning, he mused, "If I took you away right now, do you think that Straw Hat Kid would lose his mind?"
Robin's pupils contracted sharply. She knew Luffy and his crew all too well. If she were taken now, those idiots would chase after her without hesitation—and facing a Warlord would spell disaster.
"Lord Warlord!" Spandam, overhearing this, broke into a nervous sweat and couldn't help but interject again. "She's a remnant of Ohara—a high-priority criminal wanted by the World Government! You can't possibly—"
"Say one more word," Ryan cut in without even turning, his voice icy, "and I'll kill you."
Spandam's words died instantly in his throat. He didn't doubt the threat for a second. His face drained of color, his legs nearly giving out beneath him.
Every Warlord was a ruthless figure drenched in blood. He could only press his lips tightly together, not daring to breathe too loudly as he watched Ryan and Robin, his heart torn between panic and dread.
Robin bit down on her lower lip until she tasted blood before finally releasing it. Lifting her head, she met Ryan's mocking gaze, her voice hoarse. "What do you really want?"
"What do I want? Just having a bit of fun." Ryan smirked, a lazy, roguish tilt to his lips as he pinched her chin, studying the blood and defiance on her face. "You know, if you'd just followed me back in Alabasta, none of this would've happened."
Leaning closer, his tone took on a coaxing edge. "So? Nod your head, agree to come with me, and I'll take you away right now."
Robin stiffened. Memories of Alabasta flooded back—how desperate she had been, how this man had once extended an offer to her. But if she went with him now… She shook her head instinctively, a flicker of conflict in her eyes before resolve hardened them once more.
"Never," she said, each word deliberate and unshakable. "I won't go with you."
"Oh?" Ryan arched a brow, as if surprised—or perhaps not at all. His voice dripped with amusement. "Are you really counting on that Straw Hat Kid to barge in here and save you?"
Robin didn't answer. She simply lowered her head again, her gaze drifting toward the Gates of Justice. But in her eyes, there was a glimmer of hope—one too faint for others to notice.
She knew.
Luffy would come.
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