Watching the dozen or so Navy soldiers in front of her devouring roasted meat as if they were starved to death, Robin sat to the side in a daze.
Has being a Navy officer become this miserable? How long has it been since they've had a decent meal?
"Little girl, what's your name? Since you said you're a resident of this island, you must be quite familiar with its terrain. We'd like to ask for your help. We'll pay you a satisfactory reward after the job is done. What do you think?"
Seeing Wood offer her a piece of roasted meat, Robin politely declined and then put on an innocent smile.
"You can just call me Robin, Navy brother. I'm not extremely familiar with the island's terrain, but since I gather herbs every day, I've been to many places. If you're looking for something specific, I think I can help."
When she heard Wood's request, Robin smiled warmly and internally breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried about how to offer her help if Wood hadn't asked her first.
Russ and the others, hearing Robin's words, also smiled happily. Having a local to help would make finding the treasure much easier.
However, not everyone present was smiling. One man, who had been devouring his food with great enthusiasm, froze when he heard the girl's name, even dropping his roasted meat without noticing.
"What did you say your name was?"
Wood stared at the black-haired girl in front of him, his expression one of shock. He finally understood why she seemed familiar—she was one of the future main characters!
"My name is Robin…"
Seeing the young Navy officer in front of her growing more agitated, Robin felt a bad premonition.
The name Nico Robin, the Demon Child, had a bounty of 79 million Berries placed on her by the Navy when she was only eight years old, marking her as an extremely dangerous individual. However, years had passed, and Robin's appearance had changed significantly from the wanted poster. Without her full name, few could connect her to the Demon Child.
But as she watched Wood's increasingly excited reaction, Robin realized something was very wrong. When Wood spoke his next sentence, she reacted like a startled wildcat, instinctively jumping back to put distance between them.
"Robin? Nico Robin, the Demon Child, the last survivor of Ohara?"
Hearing Wood accurately state her background, Robin abandoned any last hope and immediately turned to flee into the forest.
At that moment, Robin no longer cared about the consequences from the One-Eyed Pirate Crew for failing her mission. These people were Navy officers, and now that they had recognized her, being captured by them meant certain death.
The name "Demon Child Nico Robin" was well-known, even to Russ and the others. The World Government had emphasized her danger, claiming she could bring disaster to the entire world, placing a 79 million Berries bounty on her head when she was just eight years old.
Captain Wood, a former high-ranking Navy officer, had released hundreds of Impel Down prisoners, driven off both the Golden Lion Shiki and Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral Gion, and had a bounty of only 50 million Berries.
In other words, this little girl was considered even more dangerous than their own captain.
Almost out of instinct, upon hearing that she was the Demon Child who could endanger the world and seeing her attempt to escape, Russ and another former Navy sergeant charged after her.
"Four-Wheel Bloom!"
As an ordinary girl, Robin's physical abilities couldn't compare to those of Navy officers like Russ. Seeing the danger, Robin had no choice but to reveal her abilities, using the powers of her Paramecia-type Devil Fruit, the Hana Hana no Mi.
Two slender arms suddenly sprouted at Russ and the sergeant's feet, trying to trip them. However, against the physical strength of a Navy Headquarters lieutenant and a sergeant, such resistance was easily overpowered. They quickly broke free of the arms, which then turned into petals and vanished.
As the fists and kicks were about to strike her, Robin instinctively crouched down, covering her head with her hands. This was a posture she had often taken over the years, a reflex ingrained in her by now.
For a girl who had been on the run at sea since she was eight, resistance was futile. To survive, she had learned to constantly endure and rely on the strong.
Seeing the girl suddenly crouch defensively, Russ and the others instinctively wanted to stop, but they realized too late that their punches were already in motion.
"Soru—!"
But just as Russ and the others' punches were about to hit the girl, a figure suddenly appeared in front of them, using a Shave technique. In an instant, a punch and a kick struck Russ and the sergeant in the face, sending them flying backward.
"Do you guys have any humanity left? How could you be so harsh to a little girl?!"
Robin, who had closed her eyes tightly, was confused when she felt no pain. Hearing a voice close by, she hesitantly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a somewhat familiar back. Just like when she had faced the wild beast earlier, this person had saved her again, even after knowing her true identity.
"But Captain, this girl is the Demon Child, a wanted criminal by the World Government. They say she's going to bring disaster to the entire world."
Russ got up from the ground after taking Wood's punch. Because Wood had held back, Russ wasn't seriously hurt, but he was puzzled as to why Wood was protecting this notorious Demon Child.
"Demon Child my foot! She's just a regular kid in her teens. You actually believe the World Government's nonsense? Besides, we're not Navy officers anymore, so why should we be the World Government's lackeys? I can't believe you two grown men were about to beat up a teenage girl. As your captain, I'm embarrassed for you."
Hearing Wood's reprimand of Russ and the others, Robin was stunned. Although Wood hadn't said much, the information hidden in his words was enormous.
First, this young Navy lieutenant commander seemed different from the others; he didn't seem to harbor any ill will toward her.
Second, it appeared that these "Navy officers" weren't real Navy officers—in fact, they were no longer with the Navy at all!
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 230+ at patreon.com/Betek.