Today, Robin's emotions and experiences felt like a roller coaster ride.
First, she was nearly killed by the One-Eyed Pirate Crew. Then, she almost got killed by a wild beast while trying to play her part in a performance. Finally, her true identity was recognized by the Navy, but just when she thought she was doomed, someone saved her. And just now, she learned that these "Navy officers" in front of her were actually former Navy officers.
Robin didn't have much doubt about Wood and his crew's identity because she was currently in a position where she had no power to resist; they had no reason to lie to her. Moreover, if they were real Navy officers, they certainly wouldn't dare to insult the World Government in such a way, as the consequences would be dire.
What puzzled Robin now was how Wood had recognized her and what his intentions were toward her. It was clear that Wood was the leader of this group, so his attitude toward her was crucial—it could directly determine her fate.
"Captain, even if we're no longer part of the Navy, Nico Robin is still a dangerous criminal with a bounty of 79 million Berries. If we hand her over to the local Navy branch, we could get a hefty reward, right?"
Russ felt a bit uneasy about attacking a young girl, but he also believed that letting someone as dangerous as Nico Robin roam free was far too risky. Given that she was a wanted criminal and they were in need of money, turning her in seemed like a good idea.
"Handing her over to the Navy is no different from killing her! I may love money, but I have my principles. Look at her—does she seem like the vicious person the World Government claims she is?"
It wasn't hard to understand why Russ and the others suggested this. The true reason for Ohara's destruction was far beyond what low-ranking personnel like them could know. Covering up the true history was the World Government's specialty.
As former Navy soldiers, they only knew about the highly dangerous "Demon Child" as portrayed by the World Government. So they naturally felt that letting Robin go would be too dangerous.
"The so-called 'Demon Child' is just an ordinary girl from Ohara Island. Ohara was a famous archaeological site in the West Blue, where the islanders possessed wisdom far beyond ordinary people and, most importantly, the knowledge to decipher the Poneglyphs. But it was precisely because of this that they faced complete annihilation. The idea of a 'Demon Island' is pure nonsense. The real reason for its destruction was the World Government's fear of the islanders' ability to read the Poneglyphs."
Hearing Wood reveal such secrets left Russ and the others stunned. They had been in the Navy for so long, yet this was the first time they had heard anything about Ohara.
Robin, who was being protected by Wood, was equally shocked by his words. But besides the shock, she was also filled with a deep sense of wariness.
Robin wasn't foolish; in fact, she was very clever. Otherwise, she wouldn't have survived alone on the harsh seas since she was eight years old.
If Wood recognized her and knew the truth about Ohara, the reason he wanted to protect her might not be out of sympathy but rather because he had ulterior motives.
It wasn't surprising that Robin thought this way. After all, they were strangers, and this was their first meeting. Robin couldn't think of any reason why Wood would want to help her. Moreover, given that he recognized her so quickly, Robin suspected that Wood might have deliberately learned about her.
"Captain, if what you say is true, then how should we deal with the 'Demon'... this young girl?"
Russ and the others weren't surprised that Wood knew such secrets. They knew that Wood had been a student of Admiral Zephyr at the Navy Academy and was also a close friend of Rear Admiral Gion. Though his rank was low, his connections were quite impressive, so it wasn't strange for him to know things only higher-ups in the Navy were privy to.
"If she really is Nico Robin, then she's clearly not a local resident, and what she said earlier was a lie. So... Robin, are you currently taking shelter with a pirate crew and being used by them?"
As someone who was familiar with the story of One Piece, Wood had a general idea of Robin's experiences before she met Luffy and the others, so he made this educated guess.
Robin, on the other hand, was utterly dumbfounded. She even wondered if there was a Devil Fruit power that allowed someone to see through another person's past.
This was just too unbelievable. It was one thing for Wood to recognize her and know the truth about Ohara, but how could he possibly know about her life over the past few years?
Could it be that all this time, while she thought she had been evading the World Government's capture, she had actually been under their surveillance?
The thought that her struggles for survival over the past few years might have been watched over by the World Government made Robin feel as though all the strength had been drained from her body, and she collapsed to the ground.
To Wood, however, her actions appeared as though she was worried he might harm her.
So, in an effort to restore her trust, Wood tried to adopt a friendly expression as he turned to her and said, "Don't worry. We're not part of the Navy anymore, so we won't make things difficult for you. Once we're done with our business on this island, we'll let you go."
Wood thought that after saving her twice and promising not to harm her, Robin would at least feel grateful, if not completely touched. He expected that her opinion of him would at least improve.
However, to Wood's surprise, Robin's reaction was far from what he anticipated. Instead of looking happy, she sneered at him.
"Let me leave alive, only to watch me struggle like a clown from afar?"
Robin had read enough about the World Government and the Celestial Dragons to know what kind of people they were. Though she had never seen them personally, as a scholar, she was well aware of their nature.
In her mind, what Wood said matched the kind of behavior those high and mighty individuals would enjoy.
Hearing Robin's response, Wood paused, realizing where he had gone wrong.
Indeed, as Wood in this world, it should have been his first time meeting Robin, but he had shown that he knew too much about her.
If it had been someone as oblivious as Luffy or Zoro, it might have been fine. But Robin, given her cautious nature due to her childhood experiences, was clearly alarmed by Wood's overly knowledgeable behavior.
Now, in Robin's eyes, Wood was either someone monitoring her for the World Government or a villain coveting her ability to read Poneglyphs.
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Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 230+ at patreon.com/Betek.