novelkee Chapter 479 Robin's Change
Chapter 479 Robin's Change
On the afternoon of the day Crocodile revealed his identity, just as he thought Kizaru and the Land of Light would arrange a special ship for him, he met a blond young man with a sunny smile who seemed very easy to talk to.
"Hello, I am Minato Namikaze. Lord Kizaru asked me to take you to see him." Minato, who had been assigned this task at the last minute, showed no dissatisfaction and wore his signature gentle smile.
Crocodile nodded slightly, then stood up from his seat. "Is the ship ready?"
"Due to the urgency of the situation, we will use other means of passage. Please be patient."
After Minato finished speaking, he placed his right hand on Crocodile's shoulder, amidst Crocodile's somewhat puzzled gaze.
Then, Minato gave Crocodile an apologetic smile and formed a hand seal with one hand.
The next second, the two figures disappeared from the room and appeared on an island dozens of miles away.
Crocodile, experiencing teleportation for the first time, stumbled as soon as his feet touched the ground again. If it weren't for Minato's support, he would have fallen forward.
“It’s true that you’ll feel a little uncomfortable during your first teleportation. Would you like to rest for a while?” Minato asked with concern.
Crocodile shook his head, overcoming the urge to vomit. After adjusting his expression, he looked up at Minato again, his eyes filled with a complex emotion.
"Is this the power of a Devil Fruit?" Crocodile asked with some curiosity.
Minato smiled and explained, "This is a secret technique of my Land of Light."
Upon hearing this, Crocodile didn't press the matter further, but his curiosity about the Land of Light only grew stronger. He continued, "I have no problem, let's continue the teleportation!"
"Then I'll trouble you to be patient for a while." Minato maintained a gentle tone, then formed hand seals again.
After teleporting to several islands, the two arrived at Windmill Village, where Kizaru and Aokiji were located.
By this time, Kizaru and Aokiji had been chatting in the bar for quite some time, having long since ended their discussions on formal topics such as politics, and had begun chatting casually.
The moment Minato brought Crocodile to Windmill Village, Kizaru, who was drinking, immediately sensed their presence.
Kizaru smiled and said to Aokiji in front of him, "Our guest has arrived."
Aokiji was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. He remembered that Kizaru had just said that it would take several days to ascend, so how come Crocodile had arrived so quickly?
"To avoid wasting time, I directly arranged for my subordinates to use spatial techniques to bring Crocodile Legend over," Kizaru said calmly, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.
Even though Aokiji gradually got used to Kizaru's style, he was still occasionally bumped into by this guy.
Is teleportation a trivial matter that can be done easily and casually?
With a mental grumble, Aokiji downed the drink in his glass, then stood up from his seat.
"Don't worry, I've already arranged for people to receive them. They'll be here soon." After saying that, Kizaru gave Aokiji a meaningful look.
Aokiji sensed something, but couldn't figure out Kizaru's intentions, so he could only wait curiously.
As the two were talking, Minato and Crocodile appeared out of nowhere in front of a beautiful figure in the woods outside Windmill Village.
Having received Kizaru's order, Robin, who had been waiting there, first smiled slightly at Minato, then looked at the boss who had once sold her out.
Robin at this time was completely different from when she was under Crocodile's command. Living in the East Blue under the rule of the Land of Light, working as an ancient history researcher and teacher of ancient scripts, Robin exuded the intellectual air of a scholar. She showed no fear or apprehension when facing Crocodile again, but instead revealed a confident smile and generously met the gaze of her former boss.
“I thought I’d see you again, but I never imagined we’d be working together again. What should I call you this time? Crocodile? Or Crocodile?” Robin’s confident and generous tone carried a hint of teasing.
Crocodile hadn't expected to see Robin again so soon. Looking at the confident woman before him, he calmly said, "Just call me by my name, Robin."
"Then come with me! Crocodile, Lord Kizaru has been waiting for you for a long time." Robin smiled gently.
Minato, who had been silent all along, interjected at the opportune moment: "You two, I'll take my leave now."
After saying that, his figure vanished into thin air.
Crocodile glanced at the spot where Minato had disappeared, then looked back at Robin, their eyes meeting once more.
"Isn't it amazing? To be honest, I was quite surprised when I first saw such an ability. But later, after I witnessed real miracles, I was no longer moved by these things at all." Robin recalled her journey to the Land of Light, a look of longing instinctively appearing on her face.
That country, that world, is so much better than this place. If my mother and the other scholars had lived in that country, so many tragedies wouldn't have happened.
Crocodile, seeing the look of anticipation on Robin's face, felt even more curious and excited about the journey ahead. He didn't say anything, but calmly followed Robin out of the woods and onto the road leading to Windmill Village.
A dozen minutes later, the two figures appeared outside the bar, and Kizaru and Aokiji, who were waiting there, looked out of the bar almost simultaneously.
Inside the bar, Aokiji looked at Robin standing next to Crocodile and paused slightly.
Outside the bar, Crocodile saw Aokiji standing next to Kizaru and froze in place.
Almost simultaneously, two people wondered, "Why is Robin with Crocodile?" and "Why is Aokiji with Kizaru?"
Compared to the two who were somewhat surprised and confused, Robin, who had been notified in advance, remained quite calm, but there was still a complex meaning in her eyes when she looked at Aokiji.
Robin harbors a deep-seated fear of the former Marine Admiral who brought her despair but ultimately spared her.
However, during her time living in the Land of Light, the Land of Light and Kizaru gave her immense courage, allowing her to overcome the shadows cast by her past experiences and confidently face her old friends.
Kizaru clapped his hands, breaking the silence, and spoke first: "Everyone here is an acquaintance, someone who is already or about to become a member of the Land of Light. There's no need for such silence, let's catch up."
Kizaru spoke with a straight face, but Aokiji, who was standing next to him, always felt that there was a certain wicked sense of humor in the guy's tone.
"This guy deliberately arranged this!" Aokiji was certain in his heart.
Both Aokiji and Crocodile were people who had been through thick and thin. After the initial accident, they both returned to normal. After looking at each other, Aokiji was the first to walk out of the bar and said, "Crocodile, someone like you is willing to be subservient to others?"
“You, the former admiral, have also come here,” Crocodile replied.
At this moment, having witnessed the prosperity of the East Blue under the rule of the Land of Light, Aokiji, having rediscovered his path forward, neither wanted nor could he allow any ambitious person to destroy this beautiful place.
Therefore, he just bluntly expressed his distrust and dislike of Crocodile to Kizaru.
Now, his eyes scrutinized the former Shichibukai and great pirate before him, and he calmly warned, "I will be watching you. This is not the Grand Line, nor is it the New World."
Crocodile knew he was no match for Admiral Aokiji, but Kizaru's words rekindled his courage, and he fearlessly retorted, "This is not the Navy. Don't bring your hypocritical justice here."
Aokiji wasn't angry. After issuing a warning, he chose to ignore Crocodile and looked at Robin beside him. Looking at this confident and intelligent girl who had already grown up, he felt a mix of relief and emotion.
He could tell at a glance that Robin was here and doing well!
"I'm sorry about what happened back then!" Aokiji looked calmly at Robin. The more he saw the beauty of the East Blue today, the angrier he felt about the tragedies he had witnessed in the past while in the Navy, caused by the World Government's orders.
This seemingly lazy man, who wields the power of ice, actually harbors a fierce fire burning within him.
He once had no choice but to freeze the flame in his heart because of his confusion and disgust with the World Government.
But in the East Blue, under the light emitted by Kizaru, the ice gradually melted, and the flames that had not yet been extinguished burned even more fiercely.
Robin was somewhat surprised by the apology, but that was all. She might feel sad and wronged about the past, but she wouldn't cry, especially not in front of this man.
Robin looked up at Aokiji, her heart free of past fears and shadows. Reborn in the Land of Light, she possessed the courage to face any difficulty. She smiled slightly and said in an elegant and intellectual tone, "I want to thank you. Thank you for letting me go back then, Mr. Kuzan."
Aokiji raised a hand and scratched the back of his head, saying quite frankly, "I also want to see what kind of flower the seed that Saul protected with his life will eventually bloom into?"
Robin maintained his confident smile, "The same seed can bloom into different flowers in different soils. For a seed, the nourishment of sunlight and clean water is essential, Mr. Aokiji."
Aokiji understood the meaning behind Robin's words: "This is also why I came here."
"I'm delighted to have you here, and the Land of Light welcomes many more to join us." Robin now considers herself a member of the Land of Light.
Kizaru, who had been watching the show from the sidelines, walked up to Aokiji and said with a smile, "I really like this saying: The old world turns people into demons, and the new world turns demons into people! The reason we are gathered here today is because we are going to create a new world on this ocean with our own hands."
After speaking, Kizaru's gaze swept over everyone present. He could see Aokiji's contemplation, Robin's longing, and Crocodile's calmness.
Taking in the reactions of the three, Kizaru continued with a smile, "Robin, you will now lead them to their respective quarters, and I will also ask you to explain the rules here to them."
After giving instructions to Robin, Kizaru turned to Crocodile, "Crocodile, you must be tired from your journey. Go and rest at your lodgings. There will be a banquet here tonight to welcome you."
After Kizaru finished speaking, the three of them had no objections and left under Robin's lead. (End of Chapter)