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"It seems I might have spoken a bit too much, Mr. Kuzan. Do you have anything else to say?"
Dak, seeing the mood cooling down, didn't plan to continue further.
Enough had been said.
Presumably, both Kuzan and Robin were now somewhat disoriented by what Dak had mentioned, unable to think clearly for the moment.
"Well..."
Kuzan scratched the back of his head, thought for a moment, and then looked at Robin, "It seems like you've found where you belong."
"Yeah, it seems so."
Robin smiled and nodded, though she seemed not entirely sure.
It felt too dreamlike for her and, despite Dak's assurance in the face of a Navy admiral, she still felt uneasy inside.
Uneasy about not finding a reason why Dak specifically needed her, uneasy about possibly causing trouble for the Hatchery.
"There's no 'seems.' You belong here! As long as you don't want to leave, no one can take you away."
"Exactly, Robin. Feel free to stay here. Darkrai is very strong."
"Dak!"
Dak, Bon Clay, and Darkrai spoke one after the other, not minding Kuzan listening on the side.
"Moo!"
Miltank also affectionately hugged Robin's leg.
Even though Miltank was one of the taller ones among the babies, her head only reached Robin's knees.
Characters in One Piece are generally very tall, for instance, Bon Clay stands at 2.4 meters.
Robin herself is 1.88 meters tall, and with high heels, she is even taller than Dak by half a head.
"Eevee!"
"Bark!"
"Pidge!"
The other Pokémon also pounced on Robin, tumbling her over and expressing their affection in their unique ways.
"Yes."
Supported by everyone, Robin felt a bit more confident and responded again to Kuzan's earlier remark.
This place was her belonging.
After drifting and surviving in the vast seas for eleven years, she could finally settle down.
"So it is, huh? Now, you've grown into a beautiful woman."
After hearing what Dak and the others said, Kuzan chuckled softly, then turned and walked towards the door, "I didn't expect to meet you in a place like this."
"I thought I might find you in some corner of the sea, having given up on hope or turned to evil, and then I would have to destroy the seed left by Saul, the time bomb I left behind."
"But... you've finally found a place to call home."
"Whether Saul did right by letting you live, I will continue to see with my own eyes. Now that you've met companions willing to protect you, live well."
"Ohara has not perished."
Kuzan said this as he walked out of the Hatchery's door, his thoughts and feelings unknown to both Dak and Robin.
For Dak,
Although the setting differed from the original Water 7 scene in the story, the words were quite similar.
This could be considered a creation of a memorable scene, bringing a slight joy to Dak's heart.
"Then, I look forward to your guidance in the future, everyone."
Robin had never felt so at ease, her smile filled with happiness.
Dak, seeing Robin's demeanor, couldn't help but nod.
Kuzan was right; Robin was a great beauty.
The current Robin, who hadn't yet experienced the harsh conditions of traveling to Alabasta, resembled the character from the movie Z, who was rejuvenated twelve years by the Reverse-Reverse Fruit.
However, Dak thought, although the younger Robin seemed more youthful and beautiful, he still preferred the mature Robin from the Straw Hat's reunion eleven years later.
"Manager, you seem to be looking at me in a rather rude manner."
Now calm, Robin's sharpness returned.
She immediately noticed the regret in Dak's gaze.
"It's nothing, you're overthinking. The kids here are now your responsibility, Robin. I've been asked to check on the egg that's about to hatch for Newgate; they've requested my presence."
Dak broke into a cold sweat.
He hadn't expected Robin to be so sensitive. Should he lament the frightening nature of a woman's intuition?
Or is it just Robin's cunning nature?
Regardless of which, he didn't plan to stay in the shop any longer and quickly made an exit with Darkrai.
"Newgate?"
Robin watched Dak leave, frowning as she thought about the name he mentioned.
Could it be...
"Just as you're thinking, Edward Newgate, captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, the strongest man in the world."
Bon Clay seemed to guess Robin's thoughts, grinning and feeling as if he saw his past self, "One of the Seven Warlords, Hawkeye, and Vice Admiral Gion from the Navy are also among our clients."
"Do they know about each other?"
Robin was somewhat astonished, finding it hard to imagine the kind of individuals the Hatchery was dealing with.
Looking at these people, it felt like they were involved in top-tier dealings.
"They do, and they've even met each other here. Don't worry too much, you'll get used to it."
Bon Clay waved his hand dismissively.
Although his previous status was relatively low, which limited his perspective, he was smart enough to recognize the potential in Pokémon and the attitudes of these strong individuals.
Surely, they would meet many notable figures not commonly seen, and one couldn't be surprised every time.
Bon Clay's mentality had changed significantly in the past few weeks.
...
Meanwhile,
Dak and Darkrai once again arrived on the Moby Dick.
"Yo! Dak, you finally made it."
The deck of the Moby Dick was bustling, a stark contrast to its usual scattered occupancy.
Marco waved at Dak from afar.
As Dak and Darkrai approached, they could see the pink egg in Newgate's hands twinkling.
Judging by the frequency, it would be at least half a day before it hatches.
Dak thought, the eggs from the same batch should hatch around the same time, meaning Gion and Mihawk's eggs should also be close to hatching.
They would inevitably come to the Hatchery to inquire about Pokémon.
He couldn't stay on the Moby Dick forever.
And...
Dak looked up at the darkening sky.
This unpredictable weather of the New World, he feared sudden thunder or hail, a common occurrence in these seas.
"Newgate, take the egg to the Hatchery. It's too dangerous here."
Dak shook his head, truly worried about the environment.
If a timid Pokémon were born in such conditions, it might be scared to death.
(End of Chapter)