After taking a moment to gather herself, Robin finally spoke up:
"So, in essence, you don't want other forces to learn the contents of the Poneglyphs, which means that, as a historian, I need to remain under your control."
"Correct," Noah replied. "Even though I have no interest in those so-called ancient weapons, I don't want my enemies to obtain them either. And you are one of the keys to unlocking them."
"I understand. But I have to ask—you could just kill me to ensure secrecy. Wouldn't that be safer?"
Noah shook his head, smiling. "You overestimate your importance. You're not the only one who knows the secrets of the past. Nearly everyone in the Roger Pirates learned the truth at Laugh Tale, yet they chose to wait for the so-called Child of Destiny. I refuse to wait. I don't believe in destiny."
"I see. So Laugh Tale contains the full history," Robin murmured in realization.
"Not quite," Noah corrected. "The history at Laugh Tale is just one perspective—that of Joy Boy. People tend to write selectively, so what's recorded there is simply history as seen through Joy Boy's eyes."
Turning the globe on his desk, Noah continued, "The past is set in stone, but the future remains open to endless possibilities. If I were to accept the idea of a predestined hero, it would make everything I strive for utterly meaningless."
Robin was struck by Noah's conviction, sensing a powerful ambition within him—a determination to reshape the world, undeterred by fate or fear.
"If you're truly aiming to overthrow the world order," she asked, "what kind of world do you intend to create?"
In response, Noah brought out a set of books titled The Dragon Slayer Compendium along with other works. "This is the world I envision. Even if it costs me my life, my ideals will be etched into the history of civilization itself."
With that, Noah waved his hand. "Kuro, arrange a room for Miss Robin."
"Understood, Lord Noah," Kuro replied respectfully with a nod.
Though Robin had many questions, she took the stack of books and followed Kuro.
After settling her into a cabin, Kuro handed Robin a few sets of clothes and other essentials before leaving.
In the quiet of her room—
Robin ate a quick meal, barely taking a break before diving into Noah's books, especially the volumes titled The Dragon Slayer Compendium.
Before she knew it, night had fallen.
Still, Robin remained engrossed, reading by lamplight. After finishing two of the volumes, she found herself deeply shaken.
The following morning, Kuro arrived with breakfast.
"Miss Robin, as important as studying is, you should take care of yourself," he said, eyeing her dark-circled eyes with a hint of concern.
"Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Kuro," Robin replied, clearly exhausted yet her gaze was alive with newfound purpose.
Realizing she hadn't really taken his advice, Kuro left without further comment, quietly departing.
Five days later—
The Prosperity docked at the secret base on York Island.
As Robin stepped off the ship, it was clear she had changed. She appeared more composed and determined; the fear and confusion that had clouded her before seemed to have dissipated. It was as if she'd gained a new perspective on the world's complexity.
When she met Noah again—
Her former unease was gone, replaced with respect. "Mr. Noah, isn't York Island the Capone family's headquarters?"
"Yes. I've… repurposed it," Noah replied.
"Repurposed?"
"Let's call it an application of a Devil Fruit ability. I take notorious, strong individuals and turn them into card apostles. For example, meet…"
Before he could finish, Shiki the Apostle emerged from card form into human form.
Robin's eyes widened in recognition. "The Golden Lion, Shiki?"
"That's right, young lady," Shiki replied with a grin. "I'm Shiki, the Golden Lion, now an Apostle of our master here. Let's work well together."
Seeing the legendary pirate standing before her, Robin finally understood the enormity of Noah's ambition. "I'm beginning to look forward to seeing your new world, Mr. Noah."
"And you will, but you're still too weak," Noah warned her. "Our future opponents are formidable. Without strength, you'll never make it to the dawn of this new era."
Robin nodded. "Understood. Please, Mr. Noah, train me."
Before, she had clung to her study of the Poneglyphs with single-minded determination, overshadowed by an overwhelming fear of the Navy and World Government. But now, with her newfound clarity, she realized the importance of becoming stronger.
"I'll have Kuro train you in physical combat, and I'll guide you on developing your Devil Fruit abilities."
"Devil Fruit development?" Robin repeated, unsure. Her Hana Hana no Mi (Flower-Flower Fruit) always seemed rather limited in potential.
Noah saw her hesitation and chuckled. "You're well-read, but in terms of Devil Fruit abilities, you've barely scratched the surface of your power. You've underestimated this fruit's potential."
"Well… I apologize for that," Robin replied with a faint smile, half-joking.
"The Hana Hana no Mi is a blend of supernatural and Paramecia abilities. You can create flower-like replicas of body parts outside of yourself, and these parts are directly connected to your senses, correct?"
"That's right," Robin confirmed.
"Then why do you make yourself so easy to recognize?"
"What?" Robin was taken aback by Noah's question, thoroughly confused.
"Exactly as I said. You're wasting this fruit's potential. You can create 'flowers' on your own skin, modifying your appearance and even changing your body shape."
Testing it out, Robin tried forming a layer of skin on her face, subtly altering her appearance.
Noah conjured a full-length mirror. "Go ahead—reshape your face completely."
Before long, Robin had crafted a new face for herself, one that was unrecognizable to strangers. Unless someone knew her very well, they wouldn't easily see through this disguise.
"And disguise is just one small application," Noah explained. "The Hana Hana no Mi gives you the ability to create body parts at a distance. If your physical strength and martial skills were sufficient, you could do this…" He coated his fingers in Haki, plunging them effortlessly into the stone slab before them.
"With enough skill in combat and Haki, you could assassinate nearly any target within your Observation Haki range."
Robin touched the stone slab, wincing as her fingers barely left a scratch.
"Next is the third area of development, which will be your main strength—the exoskeleton technique."
"You'll need to mimic the exoskeletons of insects, forming a hardened outer shell and specialized appendages on your body. This will compensate for the natural physical limitations of a human woman."
Under Noah's guidance, Robin began practicing hesitantly.
At first, her attempts at creating an exoskeleton were awkward; the outer shell was bulky and clumsy, hindering her movements more than it helped.
Noah urged her to study insect exoskeletons and human anatomy to improve her design, allowing her development to progress rapidly.
Before long, she had crafted her first functional exoskeleton, naming it the "Ant Queen 1.0."
This prototype was the result of dissecting hundreds of ants under a microscope. When in "Ant Queen Mode," her strength increased significantly, although she could only maintain it for about ten minutes at a time.
Noah knew this limitation stemmed from her rigid imitation of an ant's structure. With more adjustments and fine-tuning to suit her own physiology, she would eventually be able to develop a longer-lasting exoskeleton.