Location: Yuba (Approaching), Alabasta Desert Year: 1522
The desert did not forgive.
Hiroki walked through the shifting dunes, the sun hammering down on his shoulders like a physical blow. He had been walking for two days. The water he had taken from Nanohana was hot, tasting of clay, but it kept him alive.
[Environmental Hazard: Extreme Dehydration][Endurance: 18.5 → 19.1 / 100][Status: Heat Adaptation - Active]
"No camel," Hiroki rasped, his lips cracked. "I should have stolen a camel."
The sand beneath his feet vibrated.
It wasn't the wind. It was a tremor.
[Tactical Insight: Active]
Threat Detected: Subterranean.Size: Massive.Type: Arachnid.
The sand exploded ten meters ahead. A Giant Sand Scorpion emerged, its chitinous armor purple and glistening in the sun. It was the size of a bus, its tail dripping with green venom that sizzled when it hit the sand.
"Finally," Hiroki muttered, drawing Umitsubame. "Shade."
The Scorpion hissed and lunged, its pincers snapping like hydraulic presses.
Hiroki didn't run. He calculated the trajectory.
Left pincer. High swing. Right pincer. Low sweep.
He jumped over the low sweep, landing on the Scorpion's right claw.
Armament Haki: 6.5%.
He focused his will into his boots. It wasn't enough to turn them black, but it was enough to increase the traction and impact. He pushed off, launching himself toward the creature's head.
The tail struck. A lightning-fast sting aimed at his chest.
Hiroki twisted in mid-air.
Ittoryu: Desert Haze.
He parried the stinger. Steel met carapace.
Clang.
The impact threw him back, but he landed cat-like on the sand.
"Armor rating: High," Hiroki noted. "Good practice."
He sheathed his sword. He took a deep breath. The dry, scorching air filled his lungs.
Breath of All Things.The breath of the desert. The breath of the poison.
He waited. The Scorpion charged, frustrated by the tiny prey.
Hiroki stepped forward into the danger zone.
Draw.
Ittoryu: Black Swallow - Iron Cutter.
For a split second, the blade darkened. It wasn't perfect. It flickered like a dying candle. But it held long enough.
The blade sliced through the Scorpion's faceplate.
The monster shrieked, thrashing once before collapsing.
Hiroki stood over the carcass. He didn't celebrate. He just cut off a chunk of non-poisonous meat and moved into the shadow of the beast's massive body to drink his water.
"Impressive," a calm, feminine voice drifted over the dunes.
Hiroki froze. His Observation Haki hadn't picked her up until she spoke.
Why?
Analysis: She has no killing intent. She is just... observing.
He looked up. Sitting on a rock outcropping twenty meters away, protected by a parasol, was a woman. She wore a cowboy hat and a purple outfit. She was reading a book.
Nico Robin. Miss All Sunday.
"You killed a Sand Scorpion in ten seconds," she noted, turning a page. "Most bounty hunters end up as lunch."
Hiroki finished his water. "I'm a picky eater."
He stepped out of the shadow. "Miss All Sunday. Or do you prefer Robin?"
Her hand paused on the page. The relaxed atmosphere vanished instantly. Several arms sprouted from the rock surface around her, crossing in a defensive posture.
"You are well-informed," she said, her smile not reaching her eyes. "Mr. 3 said you were dangerous. He didn't mention you were a historian."
"I read newspapers," Hiroki lied. "And I connect dots. The survivor of Ohara working for a Warlord. It's a strange partnership."
"It's a convenient one," Robin replied. "Why are you here, Swordsman? Mr. 0 is... occupied. He doesn't take audiences with ghosts."
"I sent a message."
"He received it. He laughed. He thinks you're a gnat flying into a furnace."
Hiroki shrugged. "Furnaces have vents. Weak points."
Robin closed her book. "Six Fleur."
Six arms sprouted from Hiroki's own body—shoulders, waist, legs. They grabbed him, attempting to lock his joints. Clutch.
[Restraint Detected][Strength Check: 26.5 vs Devil Fruit Force]
Hiroki didn't struggle. He didn't panic.
"If you snap my neck," Hiroki said calmly, "my sword falls. If it falls, the scabbard hits the sand. If it hits the sand... well, nothing happens."
Robin tilted her head. "Are you trying to be funny?"
"I'm saying," Hiroki continued, tensing his muscles, "that this hold won't work."
Acceleration Boost: Muscle Expansion.
He flexed. His strength—honed by giants and gorillas—surged against the phantom limbs.
CRACK.
It wasn't his bones breaking. It was the sound of the flower-arms being forced open by sheer physical torque. The limbs dissipated into petals.
Robin looked genuinely surprised. "Raw strength? No... leverage."
Hiroki dusted off his vest. "Your fruit is powerful against the weak. But against someone who knows their own skeletal structure perfectly... it's just a nuisance."
He walked toward her. The summoned arms didn't return.
"I'm going to Rainbase," Hiroki said. "Are you going to stop me?"
Robin studied him. Her blue eyes were unreadable. She saw a young man with a sword that hummed with violence, yet he spoke like a scholar. He knew her name. He broke her hold.
"Mr. 0 is in the VIP room of the Rain Dinners Casino," Robin said, standing up. "He is in a foul mood. The Dance Powder shipment was delayed."
"Thanks for the tip."
"I'm not helping you," she clarified. "I'm just curious. It's been a while since I've seen someone so eager to commit suicide."
She turned, her white coat fluttering. "Try not to die too quickly. It would be a boring chapter."
She vanished behind the dunes—likely heading to a mount or transport hidden nearby.
Hiroki watched her go.
[Social Encounter Resolved][Relationship with Nico Robin: Curious / Neutral]
He looked at the horizon. A green oasis shimmered in the distance. Rainbase.
The City of Dreams. The lair of the Crocodile.
Hiroki gripped Umitsubame.
"Sand," he whispered. "I hate sand."
He began to walk. The final leg of the journey had begun.
[Chapter 15 End]