If anyone had been deceived, it was probably her, as it was Robin who insisted on joining the crew, even when Wood had tried to drive her away several times.
It was because of this that Robin believed, even if Wood was a Marine, he was different from the others—he wasn't someone who harbored ulterior motives toward her.
And when Robin recalled what had happened on Asuka Island, she became even more convinced of this belief.
Even if Wood was a Marine, he was one of those truly "just" Marines, nothing like the ones who had destroyed Ohara.
As Robin quietly mulled over this revelation, Rosinante finally finished his conversation with Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
Because of the importance of Wood's mission, Sengoku had promised to send Tsuru with ten warships as reinforcement. All Wood and his crew had to do was fake their deaths at the hands of the Navy, and they would be able to return to Marine Headquarters.
After hearing the outcome of Rosinante's conversation with Sengoku, Robin, who had learned everything, quietly returned to Wood's room. As she looked at the unconscious Wood lying on the bed, her heart was filled with conflicting emotions.
Wood and Ruth had always been Marines; the whole story of their defection had never been true. All they had to do now was smoothly return to the Navy.
But what about her? She was the "Devil Child" with a bounty of 79 million Berries, wanted by the World Government. The Navy would never take her in.
"I thought I'd found a place to belong, but in the end, I'll be alone again… But maybe this is enough. As long as they're under the Navy's protection, Wood and Ruth will be safe…"
At her age, Robin was still just a young girl, not yet the strong woman she would become in ten years. Though she kept trying to reassure herself, her voice eventually cracked as she spoke, tears welling up in her eyes.
"What's this? Our ship's little schemer is actually crying? That's something you don't see every day. Let me guess—did Ruth and the others bully you? No, that's impossible. A vice-captain in name only and a bunch of idiots—together they don't have half as much cunning as you."
Robin, who had been sobbing quietly at Wood's bedside, suddenly felt a hand gently stroke her soft hair. Before she could look up, she heard that familiar voice speaking beside her.
Wood had just woken up, his entire body aching, with a powerful hunger gnawing at his stomach.
He'd been about to call Ruth and the others to get him some food—after all, they'd just stolen one billion Berries, so they could afford to be a little indulgent. But before he could say a word, he noticed Robin crying quietly by his bedside, muttering to herself.
Ever since Wood had met Robin, he'd never seen her cry—not even when the One-Eyed Pirates had betrayed her and sentenced her to death.
Though she was still a young girl, Robin had been through far more than most children her age, and it had given her an incredibly strong character.
"Wood, you're awake at last!"
At first, Robin thought she was dreaming. But after confirming several times that everything was real, and that Wood had indeed woken up, she threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
"I'm awake? Did I sleep for a long time?"
Seeing how emotional Robin was, Wood couldn't help but ask, confused.
"It's been almost two days since we found you—you've been unconscious all this time!"
Hearing Robin's words, Wood was stunned. Before passing out, he had felt an overwhelming fatigue, a desperate need to rest.
But he never imagined that he would end up sleeping for a full two days!
The power boost from the Heart of God was formidable, but the side effects were no joke.
Back at Enies Lobby, Wood had only used the ability briefly and hadn't noticed any major issues. But here on Minion Island, where he had used it more frequently and for longer periods, the aftereffects were far worse than he had anticipated.
"So, what happened while I was out? Why were you crying? I think I heard you saying something about being alone again… Did something happen to Ruth and the others?"
The idea that Ruth had forced Robin off the ship seemed unlikely, so Wood could only think of one possible explanation.
To survive in the New World, Ruth and the others might not have been strong enough…
"Wood, you're actually a Marine Captain, right? The whole defection was just a cover, and you're really on an undercover mission?"
Hearing Robin's calm, even voice as she said this, Wood's expression turned to one of pure shock.
He even wondered if he hadn't been unconscious for two days, but two months!
In less than forty-eight hours, his cover had been blown? Had there been a slip-up on Sengoku's end? No, that was impossible. Wood knew the old man well enough to be sure that the so-called "strategist" would never make such a blunder.
If it wasn't Sengoku, then there was only one person who could have been responsible.
"It was that bastard Rosinante, wasn't it? I can't believe I went through all that trouble to get him off Minion Island, and he turns around and sells me out!"
As Wood angrily suspected Rosinante of betraying him in retaliation for selling Law to Doflamingo, Robin quickly explained how she had figured out that Wood was an undercover Marine, and what had happened over the past two days.
"I see… So Doflamingo double-crossed me in the end."
Hearing Wood's complete lack of denial regarding his identity as a Marine, Robin lowered her head, her voice tinged with sadness as she asked, "Wood, are you going back to Marine Headquarters?"
If Wood and the others returned to the Navy, it would mean that she would lose her family once again.
Though she felt a deep reluctance, Robin believed she couldn't stop what was about to happen.
"Why would I go back? We've just scored a massive haul of cash—I'm not about to go back to being a penniless Marine Captain. Sengoku's a stingy old man. The pay for a Marine isn't that great to begin with, and he's always finding excuses to dock my salary and make me do all the dirty work."
Robin had been bracing herself for a disappointing answer, but when she heard Wood's response, she looked up at him in astonishment.
And when she saw that he was entirely serious, not joking at all, Robin's previously sorrowful expression began to change visibly. Finally, she looked at Wood, her tears of sadness turning into tears of joy as she asked, "Wood, are you really serious?"
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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 350+ at p@treon.com/Betek and change @ to a