Cinnamon: "That Marine admiral really is laid-back. He runs into a Great Pirate wanted by the Marines, and instead of thinking about capturing him, he wants to chat with him."
Smoothie: "Hahaha, since he once let Robin go, of course he'll have a few things he wants to say to her now."
Whitey Bay: "I just wonder what he plans to talk to Robin about. Is he going to tell her he regrets letting her go back then?"
Domino: "Even if Robin was innocent back then, she's definitely not innocent now. Maybe Admiral Kuzan really does regret it."
Sadi: "If that's true, maybe Kuzan could still be forgiven by the Marines?"
Kujaku: "Admiral Kuzan…"
Gion: "..."
All the Marines who had a copy of Arton's diary watched the video feed from it with complicated expressions in their eyes.
Even though Kuzan hadn't officially started talking with Robin yet, the fact that he'd clearly shown his intention to "have a chat" with her was already enough to prove something Arton had said before: That in the Ohara incident, Admiral Kuzan had spared Robin.
It wasn't that they couldn't understand Kuzan's decision—after all, Robin back then had still been just a child, but from the Marines' side, they really didn't want to see Kuzan violate Marine rules.
In the end, all they could do was sigh and silently keep watching as the scene in the diary continued to play out.
…
"He wants to talk with you. What do you think?" Arton turned his head and asked Robin.
"I couldn't ask for anything more." Robin nodded firmly.
After all, coming here, she was carrying the intention of talking things through with Kuzan.
"Alright then, you two go ahead and talk."
Arton shrugged readily, but to make sure Robin stayed safe, he didn't move away from her side.
Kuzan might not be like Kizaru, whose speed was as fast as light, but as a Marine Admiral who'd trained under Garp, his close-quarters combat was definitely not a weak point.
If Arton slipped up and let Kuzan snatch Robin away, he really wouldn't know who he was supposed to complain to.
"Robin, did you tell Arton everything about your past?" Kuzan asked curiously.
"More or less," Robin replied. "I think Captain already understands me very well."
She dipped her head slightly. Even if she had never personally spelled out every detail of her past to Arton, Arton was a transmigrator. He clearly didn't need anyone to explain this world to him.
To Arton, there were basically no secrets in this world.
"Can I take it to mean you've truly found your companions now?"
As Kuzan questioned Robin, he thought of the words his old friend, Giant Vice Admiral Saul, had once said to Robin—telling her to go out and find her comrades.
Kuzan was already almost certain that Robin now saw Arton and the rest of the Flameblade Pirates as her comrades, but even so, he wanted to hear Robin confirm it with her own mouth.
"You're right," Robin said. "Arton is the captain I genuinely acknowledge." The corners of Robin's lips lifted as she smiled at Arton. "From now on, I'll live as a member of the Flameblade Pirates."
Arton answered her with a smile of his own.
"So, was it for the sake of power?" Kuzan asked. "Looks like I really misjudged you, Robin."
"No, it's not something as simple as just power." Robin shook her head.
Power was only a bonus. The true reason she had joined the Flameblade Pirates was the Poneglyphs—the historical stone tablets.
Of course, that wasn't something she planned to tell the Kuzan standing in front of her.
And now, at this stage, the Poneglyphs were only one of the reasons she was willing to stay with the Flameblade Pirates.
Apart from that, the more than just comrades relationship she'd already developed with Arton was also a reason she wanted to remain.
Even though she had lived on the sea for many years, in some respects she was still a rather traditional woman.
Since she had chosen Arton, and things between them had already gone beyond simple closeness, she could only ever choose this one man—Arton.
Chapter 482: Kuzan – Arton, Do You Want Robin to Make a Move on Me?
Mikita: "There's no doubt Robin joined Arton's crew for the Poneglyphs."
Paula: "Exactly. If it wasn't for the Poneglyphs, how could our Miss All-Sunday be willing to become Arton's woman, hehe."
Makino: "Still… Admiral Kuzan probably hasn't realized that part."
Whitey Bay: "Right. The only ones who might know Arton can accurately locate the Poneglyphs are us diary holders. Male Marines like Kuzan can't get their hands on a diary at all."
Smoothie: "Those female Marines could tell their higher-ups that he knows where lots of Poneglyphs are but unfortunately, they've got no way to convince the people above them."
Cinnamon: "After all, Arton hasn't actually gone and found a single Poneglyph in the real world and revealed it publicly yet."
Stussy: "In a sense, we should probably be glad there aren't many beauties among the Marines' top brass or the World Government's upper ranks. Otherwise, they'd definitely have copies of Arton's diary and know far too much about him."
Kalifa: "The fact that the Marine higher-ups and the World Government haven't launched a truly harsh operation against Arton yet proves it. Technically, I was supposed to report this stuff upstairs… but in the end, Arton's side is where I belong. Flameblade Pirates… when will I finally manage to find you all?"
"How come you can't tell me?" Kuzan asked when he saw Robin simply watching Arton without answering.
"Hehe, well, you are a Marine… and I'm a pirate now," Robin said with a smile.
She was too smart to tell Kuzan that she planned to use Arton to search for the Poneglyphs.
Even though, looking at how things stood now, it was only a matter of time before the fact that Arton knew the locations of Poneglyphs spread everywhere, Robin still hoped she could delay that moment for as long as possible.
Only then could she have an easier time tracking down more historical stone tablets and unraveling the blank hundred years.
"But there is something I can say for sure." Robin spoke earnestly to the Admiral standing before her. "From here on out, you won't see me joining any other organization."
"Alright… I think I understand your resolve now." Kuzan exhaled a long breath. It was clear he'd already made up his mind to fight.
He'd been watching Robin for years. He wouldn't dare claim perfect understanding, but he knew her reasonably well. He had never seen this kind of expression on her face before—or at least, not in the past, but now, it was right there, openly displayed.
So Kuzan understood the determination in Robin's heart. "You being able to find comrades… Saul would definitely be happy about that, but right now, I think it's time I carried out my mission."
As he spoke, a massive wave of cold surged out from his body, flooding outward in all directions. The ice on the sea's surface immediately began piling up thicker and wider.
"Arton, you should send Robin back now, and then show me your strength," Kuzan said looking at Arton, who still hadn't moved.
"Hehe, and why exactly should I send Robin back?" Arton replied with a smile.
"Don't tell me… you're planning to have her join in and attack me too?" Kuzan frowned slightly, giving Robin a puzzled look.
After all, Robin's power was ice. Was Arton really planning to have her use that ice to fight someone who had eaten the Ice-Ice Fruit—him?
....
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