Three months later, still in West Blue.
After Jason knocked out yet another wave of Marines pursuing them, he thought,
"These Marines are so annoying! They just won't give up! I need to figure out how to get rid of them!"
In the past three months, Jason and Robin had been drifting aimlessly at sea while facing the relentless pursuit of the Marines. This situation frustrated Jason greatly. He had once thought that with so many pirates and with Robin in the original story, an eight-year-old girl could escape from the Navy for 20 years due to their lack of diligence and their interest in fishing.
Now, however, it was evident that things were not as he had imagined. Over the past three months, the Marines had been closing in on them almost every day!
They might not be bad at their jobs, given their enthusiasm for capturing Robin! Despite changing ships multiple times, their identities were still recognizable because the combined bounty on their heads exceeded 100 million Berries, and as two children, they were obvious targets.
So much so, that they hadn't even managed to escape from West Blue yet. But now, they were approaching Upside Down Mountain! Jason's plan was to escape through the channel on the other side of the mountain, creating the illusion that they had entered the Grand Line.
What Jason really wanted was to head to the East Blue, and he had a clear goal in mind!
During this time, Jason and Robin had discussed their plans extensively. Robin dreamed of traveling the world to interpret historical texts, while Jason had no specific ambitions, just a desire to escape their current predicament.
However, entering the Grand Line was not a simple task. The dangers on the Grand Line could overwhelm just the two of them, especially considering threats from both the Marines and pirates! Jason was confident he could hold his own in the first half of the Grand Line—he had completed the system's tasks two months ago and mastered Conqueror's Haki. With three types of Haki and advanced swordsmanship, he was nearly unbeatable in the first half of the Grand Line!
But the weather on the Grand Line was unpredictable. It could be sunny one moment and stormy the next, and they didn't have a record pointer yet.
If it were just Jason, he might risk it, but with Robin in tow, the stakes were much higher. He wasn't sure how old Robin had been in the original story when she entered, but he wasn't willing to take that risk. After some analysis, Robin agreed—they should not rush into things and instead wait until they were older.
So, they decided to disguise themselves and head for the East Blue. One reason for choosing the East Blue was that it was where the protagonist, Luffy, would eventually be, even if he hadn't been born yet! Additionally, the East Blue had fewer and weaker pirates, and Marine patrols were also scarce. Even a villain like Arlong, who had been defeated by a rookie Luffy, could dominate the East Blue. So, Jason and Robin should be able to settle down there without a problem.
Jason's plan was to find a place to hang out in the East Blue and decide whether to go to Windmill Village based on the situation. After all, he wasn't sure how things would go with Admiral Garp in the vicinity. If someone tried to arrest him, he wouldn't stand a chance!
...
A few days later, Jason and Robin neared Upside Down Mountain, with a Marine warship trailing far behind them.
"We're almost there! Just ahead is Upside Down Mountain! We must not let them enter the Grand Line!"
"Speed up and prevent them from getting in! It will be hard to pursue them after they enter!"
The voices of the Marines reached Jason's ears, and he thought, (乛 ✓ 乛) "That's exactly what I want you to think!"
The two ships were closing in fast.
"Your escape ends here! Don't even think about entering the Grand Line!" one Marine shouted.
"You guys can't stop me!" Jason narrowed his eyes and activated his Conqueror's Haki. A dozen Marines collapsed instantly, leaving only one or two standing.
"What Devil Fruit power is that?!"
"Guess! Let's head for the Grand Line now!" Jason said, quickly dispatching the remaining Marines before taking control of the ship and entering the countercurrent.
"So amazing!" Robin exclaimed as the water around them surged upward.
"Hehe! It's incredible! I thought it was amazing when I first saw it too."
"Huh? Jason, have you been here before?"
"Of course! This is where ONE PIECE Gol D. Roger was executed in the East Blue. I've been there once!"
"Really?"
The canal on the Upside Down Mountain side was not as fast as the original story portrayed; it was much wider and had a calm area at the top where they could rest. People from the four seas could communicate and trade through this canal, as people from the Grand Line could only return by crossing the Red Line or passing through the Windless Zone—both daunting tasks.
It took nearly half an hour to reach the top transfer area, and once there, Jason did not hesitate to sail directly toward the East Blue's entrance.
...
Their descent was much faster, and they entered the East Blue within ten minutes. Following the route in his memory, Jason guided them to the nearest Rogge Town.
As they approached Louge Town, Jason opted not to enter directly. Instead, he gathered all their treasures and transferred them to a small boat. He couldn't afford to leave these behind; they were essential for their future survival. After all, he had never worked a day in his life!
Robin and Jason disguised themselves. Jason dyed his black hair blonde, painted a few lines on his face, tucked his sword, Zhenheng, into his bag, and fashioned a homemade mask. Robin tied her long, blonde hair into a ponytail and traded her dress for short sleeves and jeans. If one looked closely, they wouldn't recognize her from her wanted poster.
If Robin had once been a gentle princess, now she resembled a tomboy. Jason couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't thought of this in the original story—perhaps it could have spared them some trouble.
After scuttling the larger ship, the two rowed their small boat toward Louge Town. They finally reached the port as night fell.
...
"Wow, it's really not that lively here!" Robin remarked as they walked.
"Of course! This is the path for pirates entering the Grand Line and the place where ONE PIECE Roger was born and executed! Since the start of the Great Pirate Era, countless merchants and pirates have visited this place!"
"Oh, I see! So, where are we going?"
"First, we need to find a place to settle down! Aren't you hungry? I've been starving for a while!"
Before Jason could finish his sentence, Robin's stomach let out a loud growl.
"Hahahahaha!"
Seeing that Robin was hungry too, Jason chuckled and quickened his pace. They soon found a restaurant that provided accommodation.
After Jason offered one million Berries, the owner eagerly welcomed them as guests, treating them to top-notch service and putting them in the best room.
After eating, Jason lay on the bed, too tired to move, while Robin read a book.
"Jason?"
"Huh? What's up?"
"Where are we headed next?"
Robin asked this again. Previously, Jason had mentioned going to the East Blue but hadn't specified a particular destination.
Jason looked at Robin, lost in thought. Truth be told, he hadn't considered their next move.
"Is there somewhere you want to go?" he asked.
"No..."
"Then let's find a place to settle. You've seen the Marines pursuing us. If we keep sailing the seas or exploring historical texts, we'll never escape their grasp!"
"That's true, but I'm a scholar. What else can I do if I can't explore and interpret historical texts? I bear O'Hara's will..."
As Robin's head lowered, her voice trailed off. She didn't want to challenge Jason; he was the most important person left in her life.
"Of course! I completely understand! I'm not saying you should stop exploring history. I will support you in whatever you want to do!" Jason said, gently ruffling her hair.
"But let's think about it—how old are we? You're 8, and I'm 10. We still have so much time ahead of us!"
Let me tell you a secret: King of the pirates Gol D. Roger is the one who knew all the history, including the Void Century!"
Robin's eyes sparkled with admiration. Someone who knew all of history must have been incredibly powerful!
"The key thing is, he didn't know all the history when he became pirate king."
"Why not?" Robin asked, puzzled.
"He didn't even know about historical texts at first! Later, in his quest to understand the entire history, he sailed the Grand Line again, and it took him just three years to gather all the historical texts and comprehend the complete history!"
"That's amazing!"
"So, Robin, we really don't need to rush. We can wait until we grow up; it won't be too late then!"
"We could even wait until we're over fifty, and our kids will be adults before we set out!"
Robin's cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the thought! She quickly ducked under the covers, turning away from Jason.
"Hahaha!"
Jason felt delighted. It turned out he still needed to be playful around girls. They had been too respectful of each other in the past, and their relationship hadn't progressed as a result! He hadn't even considered how young Robin was!
Lost in the thought of how beautiful Robin might be as an adult, his mind was a flurry of ideas.
Yet, he still decided on a place by the time midnight rolled around—Cocosia Village! Nami's hometown, which was relatively remote, seemed like a good place to settle down!
He also wanted to try to prevent any sadness during the childhoods of his favorite characters, especially Robin. After years of knowing Robin, he realized that both the childhood Robin and the one from his original life were his favorites!
...
Early the next morning, Jason and Robin, carrying a load of treasures, found the captain of a merchant ship. They told him they had been shipwrecked, their parents were dead, and they needed to go to Cocosia Village to join relatives.
Though the captain sympathized with their plight, he was unwilling—Cocosia would take him on a detour.
In frustration, Jason pulled out a dirty gold coin that had been stuck to his shoe and handed it to the captain, feigning reluctance.
"Please, Captain!"
The merchant captain's eyes lit up at the sight of the coin. He knew that one gold coin was worth a hundred thousand Berries!
This voyage could earn him hundreds of thousands of Berries; taking a detour for a few Berries wasn't worth it!
"Alright! Kid, that's not quite enough! If you can bring me another gold coin, I'll take you there. Otherwise, I'll lose a lot!"
"That's all we have left!" Jason pleaded.
"But our uncle will reward you handsomely when we arrive!"
"Really?"
The captain's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Absolutely! Our uncle is very rich!"
"Then let's set off immediately!"
The captain, a greedy man, was a prospect Jason could hardly contend with right now, especially with hundreds of kilos of treasure strapped to his back!
The two boarded the merchant ship, which put them in the smallest cabin and served them only a little bread as rations.
Jason was furious! Were it not for the need for a low profile, he would've considered taking the captain out!
However, Robin was unbothered. The tiny room she had in her uncle's house was much smaller than this, so she comforted Jason and even offered him her black bread. Of course, he refused.
After some patience, they managed to devour a third of the entire ship's food by midnight!
The next day, the merchant captain turned pale, claiming that there was a ghost on board consuming all the food, which set the crew into a panic!
Meanwhile, Jason and Robin stifled their laughter at the commotion.
By the following afternoon, the merchant ship reached Cocosia Village! The captain insisted Jason take him to the non-existent uncle for a larger reward.
Jason simply told him the truth—that they had lied!
Then, picking up Robin, he sprinted away at lightning speed. Before the captain could collect himself, the two had vanished from sight.
"You brat! I swear I'll make you pay if I see you again!"
...
"Robin, let's explore a bit! If you like it, we can settle here safely for a while."
"Sure, I'll follow your lead!"
The two strolled around the village, and even though it wasn't dark yet, there was a steady stream of villagers moving about.
Eventually, they caught the attention of the village officer, Genzo, who was a spirited young man back then.
"Hey, you two!" he called out.
Jason and Robin turned to face him.
"Where are you kids from? Are you from Cocosia Village?"
"Uh, yes! We came from beyond the sea! Our ship sank, and we were left with nowhere to go! A passing caravan saved us, but they dropped us off here because we had no money!" Jason lamented.
His pitiful tale elicited compassion from Genzo after hearing their story.