While Hiruto Blake was thinking about Robin, Nico Robin was secretly watching him from not far away.
"So that is a Celestial Dragon? He does not seem as terrifying as the books say."
"But Professor Clover looks really nervous…"
Blake's Observation Haki already covered the entire island, so of course he noticed her peeking. He turned his head and met a pair of dark eyes with a faint violet sheen.
She wore a pale cotton short sleeved top over a light blue shirt, the cuffs rolled up and stained with faint ink smudges and pencil marks.
A pair of dark brown suspenders held up her trousers. Charcoal sticks and a kraft paper notebook were tucked into the waistband. On her feet were woven grass sandals, the kind Ohara scholars favored.
Her long black hair fell like a waterfall down her back, the naturally curled ends tied with a red ribbon into a bow. A few ginkgo leaf bookmarks from the library were still clipped in her hair.
She looked completely different from the wanted poster version in the future, as if from two different worlds.
When she realized she had been discovered, Robin clearly froze and tensed up.
Growing up under the Tree of Knowledge, she understood very well what "Celestial Dragon" meant.
Professor Clover, who had been enthusiastically explaining the library's structure, noticed Blake's gaze shift. Following his line of sight, he saw Robin standing there looking awkward and immediately felt his heart lurch.
To look a Celestial Dragon in the eye was a crime that could be large or small.
Small, because the severity of the punishment depended entirely on the Celestial Dragon's mood.
Large, because most Celestial Dragons were cruel by nature, taking lives as casually as breathing.
Back in the Taya Kingdom, all those "hidden talents" who had tried to take advantage of Blake, aside from Aramaki, had been executed by his guards.
There was no time to think. Clover rushed in front of Robin.
"Honored Saint Blake, it is our fault for failing to clear out the library in advance. If there is any blame, let it fall on this old man. Please forgive her rudeness."
With that, he dropped to his knees.
Blake let out a soft snort of amusement.
So before things reached a dead end, Professor Clover could still read the room quite well.
But Blake had not come for an old man. Punishing him would be meaningless.
Ignoring Clover kneeling on the floor, Blake walked slowly up to Robin and placed his hand on her head.
He clearly felt her body tremble, but she did not try to dodge.
"What is your name?"
"N… Nico Robin."
Her voice shook, the words coming out in broken pieces. She was obviously terrified.
Blake acted as if he did not notice and asked,
"The scholars should have known I would be visiting today. Why are you here?"
"I… I…"
This Robin was not yet the calm, world weary woman from the original story.
Blake's expression was gentle, but to her he radiated unbearable pressure. For a moment, she could not think of any decent excuse.
In truth, she had just wanted to "apply what she had learned."
All her life she had only ever read about Celestial Dragons in books. The ancient script that the scholars secretly researched also had to do with them. That only made her more curious.
Robin had originally thought that, with the powers of the Hana Hana no Mi, she could spy undetected.
She had no idea this world contained a power called Observation Haki that would expose her instantly.
"Saint Blake…"
Professor Clover's voice sounded again, clearly wanting to plead for her.
Blake finally shifted his gaze back to him and said calmly,
"I am not a cruel man. I will not kill her just because she looked at me."
Clover barely had time to feel relieved before Blake continued,
"But rules are rules. To look directly upon a descendant of the gods carries a price."
"Aramaki. Tell him about your experience."
Aramaki stepped forward, looking down at Clover as he calmly recounted what had happened in the Taya Kingdom.
Clover hesitated.
The Celestial Dragons' reputation was known to all. Robin was still just a child.
Even if she became a retainer, if anything happened to her, how could he face Olvia?
Olvia and her husband had already sacrificed one life in the pursuit of ancient history. If anything happened to their only child, Clover felt he might as well find a quiet place and hang himself from a branch.
While Clover was still torn, Robin, who had finally collected herself, spoke up first.
"Your Highness, I am willing to become your retainer. I hope you will forgive my mistake."
Blake laughed inwardly. This was the power of knowledge.
The "broken window effect" worked even in the world of pirates.
If Blake had suggested she become his retainer from the start, neither Robin nor Clover would have agreed.
But by catching them on a small but real offense and having Aramaki's testimony as a "case study," their resistance naturally dropped.
Blake nodded, putting on an air of magnanimity.
"In that case, from today onward, you are my retainer."
"Yes, Saint Blake."
From Blake's hand, Perona muttered quietly,
"Hmph. What a show off."
Her voice was soft, but since Blake was literally holding her up in midair, he heard every syllable clearly.
He shot her a fierce glare, reached over, and ruthlessly scrubbed her pink hair into a fluffy mess.
"Ugh. You jerk."
Perona hurried to fix her hair and did not dare provoke him again.
Seeing this, a flicker of surprise crossed Robin's eyes.
"Looks like I do not have to worry too much about my safety. But still…"
Thinking of her mother, whom she had not seen in so long that her memories had started to blur, Robin's mood dimmed again.
With his business on Ohara done, Blake did not rush to depart. He took Stella, Perona, Robin, his bodyguard Aramaki, and the two CP agents to tour the island.
There was less than a year before the Buster Call.
Olvia's research group would be discovered by the World Government in the next few months at most. Once Blake left this time, Ohara would vanish from the map.
So he might as well look around while he still could.
"This is my treehouse. Whenever something upsets me, I come here for a while."
Following Robin's pointing finger, everyone peered toward a small opening in the trunk.
Behind the narrow entrance was a hidden space, giving that classic feeling of "at first it is narrow and cramped, then after several steps it suddenly opens wide."
Robin had placed a few books and tools inside. The hollow was spotless.
Clearly, she used it often. Or, in other words, she often had things to be unhappy about.
Just like that, Robin took on the role of their guide around Ohara.
Her natural warmth and friendliness were far more engaging than old man Clover's lectures, and Blake found her "little adult" manner oddly amusing.
Robin then took them to the beach where she collected shells, the grove where she had first found a Devil Fruit…
She seemed to know that it would be hard to return after leaving this time.
Rather than introducing the island to Blake and the others, she was really engraving these places into her own memory.
Near dusk, Robin went to her uncle's house to say goodbye.
Her life there had been worse than Harry Potter's, and that was saying something.
But they had still raised her, so Blake did not interfere.
About half an hour later, Robin returned, looking a little dejected.
Blake did not ask. He could easily guess the farewell had not been pleasant.
"Since you are back, let us board. We will set off for our next stop."
They had just returned to the ship when a guard rushed over, clutching a Den Den Mushi in both hands.
------------------------------------------------------------
If you like the story, a positive review would really help a lot! ^^