Louis had watched One Piece in his previous life. His understanding of the world—and of certain infamous figures—was fundamentally different from that of the locals.
What he didn't realize was that the way he looked at Nico Robin had already given him away.
While walking toward the captain's cabin, Louis was busy calculating how to maximize Captain Medica's aversion toward Robin. If handled properly, a single sentence would be enough to send her off the ship.
After suspecting Louis might be an ambitious schemer plotting a mutiny, Robin began observing him with quiet interest.
Whether he was truly a traitor didn't matter much to her. She had no intention of sincerely joining the Tequila Pirates. All she needed was passage to another island.
The World Government's inspection net was tightening. She could no longer leave through ordinary merchant routes.
That was why she had set her sights on a pirate crew.
Her choice of the Tequila Pirates was simple: the captain was strong, relatively principled by pirate standards—and, importantly, not lecherous.
As Louis led her toward the captain's cabin, a confident smile appeared on his face.
All I need to say is: "Captain, Nico Robin carries a bounty of 79 million Berries. She's a threat to your authority." That's enough.
Captain Medica didn't care for wealth.
He wasn't driven by lust.
He was even restrained with alcohol and tobacco—aside from the occasional glass of tequila.
What he valued was power.
Louis himself was strong, cautious, and efficient.
Yet his bounty was only 8 million Berries.
Which was practically the same as having no bounty at all.
Among illiterate, muscle-brained pirates, bounty numbers equaled authority. Strength alone wouldn't convince them to betray their captain—but a low bounty certainly wouldn't inspire them either.
High strength without political threat made Louis the perfect confidant.
That was why he could request a private audience at any time.
Robin, on the other hand, carried 79 million Berries. That number alone commanded awe.
They entered the captain's cabin.
Captain Medica looked up from his book, irritation on his face—until he saw Louis. The anger melted into a faint smile.
"What brings you here, Bardell?" Medica asked warmly.
Obedient. Capable. No ambition to usurp him.
Medica genuinely valued Louis as a trusted subordinate. A competent, fearless fighter who kept his head down was incredibly convenient to use.
As for Louis—
He treated piracy like an unconventional job.
He didn't enjoy this life. But in a chaotic era, once you overcame fear, followed the rules, and attached yourself to a reliable captain, being a pirate could actually be safer than being a civilian.
In the Tequila Pirates, over three years, they had only lost twenty-nine men.
Of those, seven were executed for breaking crew rules. Four vanished in a storm.
The rest were ordinary casualties.
Back in the Baron's territory where Louis once lived, his village had roughly a thousand people. Every year, forty or fifty would starve or die of exhaustion.
The baron didn't care.
If the peasants died out, slaves were cheaper.
It was a rotten world.
Robin considered quietly:
If I were a conspirator planning to betray my captain, what would I do first?
Eliminate variables.
Because variables ruined plans.
If he and Medica aren't aligned, then the first thing he'll do is attack my weaknesses and damage my first impression.
A faint, mature smile curved her lips—before she quickly suppressed it, replacing it with youthful restraint.
Too mature wouldn't suit a sixteen-year-old fugitive.
"Captain," Louis began smoothly, positioning himself beside Medica, "this is Nico Robin. She wishes to join our crew."
He lowered his voice for the second half, though Robin heard every word.
"Her bounty is a full 79 million Berries. With her, our crew could expand even further."
Louis was satisfied when he saw Captain Medica's expression remain neutral—but a shadow flickered in his eyes.
Heh. Captain's bounty is 76.3 million Berries. The higher hers is, the greater the threat. There's no way he'll tolerate that.
Louis flashed Robin a subtle smile.
No matter how cunning you are, you'll still drink my bathwater.
So he's planting a negative first impression? Perhaps my suspicion is correct.
Robin instantly understood the captain's weakness.
"Captain," she said softly, lowering her gaze, "I… have something difficult to admit. My bounty may be high, but my strength isn't. In West Blue, I can only survive by hiding. If you're expecting me to significantly increase your crew's combat power… I'm afraid I must apologize."
Louis's eyebrow shot nearly into his hairline.
Wait. That's not how this works. Aren't you supposed to brag about your strengths?
Captain Medica, who had just lost interest in a 79 million-Berry subordinate, suddenly leaned forward.
"You're saying you're famous—but not actually strong?" he asked eagerly.
Now that was useful.
A symbolic figurehead with reputation but no threat. Someone who boosted the crew's deterrence without challenging his authority.
Robin continued her internal analysis.
To remove me—the 79 million variable—he should strike again right now.
Conspiracies were fragile. A 79 million-Berry anomaly wasn't a minor mistake—it was throwing a bomb into the latrine of a secret plot.
Louis couldn't state the real reason he wanted her gone. Mentioning the World Government's classified pursuit would raise questions.
Fortunately, he could fabricate another angle.
"Captain," Louis interjected quickly, "wouldn't that make her dead weight? High reputation, low strength. That only increases Marine attention. It's bad for the crew's future. If the Marines deploy forces calibrated for two pirates worth over 70 million Berries, we'll be finished!"
Captain Medica hesitated.
There was logic in that.