The waves churned relentlessly.
The ship rocked unsteadily on the sea's surface.
Yet Will, standing at the bow, remained utterly still, as if the wind and waves had no effect on him whatsoever.
"As expected, the range and precision of my Observation Haki have improved significantly."
Will slowly opened his tightly shut eyes, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
After defeating Ace on Drum Island, he had once again earned a substantial amount of Purity Points.
On the journey that followed, he drew a ten-pull, gaining a new talent.
[Breath of All Things: Innately able to sense the unique aura of all things in the world.]
Though the description was brief, the boost it provided was anything but minor.
Now, when Will used his Observation Haki, he could clearly distinguish the identities of those around him based on the distinct differences in their auras.
Take Nami and the others on the ship, for example.
Even without turning to look at them, he could pinpoint their exact locations.
No longer was it just a vague sense of "someone's there," as it had been before.
He could even sense the rats skittering in the ship's corners or the various fish swimming in the sea, each with its own unique aura.
However, since he had only recently acquired this talent, he hadn't yet had the chance to fully explore its potential.
After all, beyond living beings, even wood, metal, and stone each possessed their own distinct aura.
It would take time for him to adapt and familiarize himself with it.
After the ten-pull, his Purity Points had dwindled to a meager 1,000.
"Hopefully, Alabasta will bring some good rewards," Will muttered, his gaze shifting uncertainly before he decided to rein in his extended Observation Haki.
But in the next moment, his eyes flickered as if he'd noticed something. He turned and called out, "Nami, slow the ship down a bit. Someone's approaching."
"Huh?"
Nami blinked, caught off guard, but didn't question him. She shouted back, "Got it, no problem!"
Karina and the others, seated at the table on the deck, exchanged puzzled glances.
Will didn't elaborate, simply standing in place, quietly waiting.
As the ship gradually slowed, Will's sharp eyesight caught a faint figure in the distance.
"A sea turtle?"
His brow furrowed slightly.
Having already begun retracting his Haki, Will hadn't expected one of the two unfamiliar auras he'd sensed to come from a giant sea turtle.
As for the other aura—the one on the turtle's back—it was still too far to make out clearly.
Judging by their trajectory, however, it was likely they'd pass close to the ship.
All he had to do was wait a moment.
The reason for his curiosity about the newcomer's identity was simple: when he sensed their aura, he noticed something similar to Karina and Chopper's.
The common thread between Karina and Chopper? Both had eaten Devil Fruits.
This sparked a bold hypothesis: could this person also be a Devil Fruit user?
If his guess was correct, he might be able to use this to track down other Devil Fruit users in the future.
As Will mulled over this, the giant sea turtle drew closer to the ship.
The figure seated steadily atop the turtle finally caught sight of Will at the bow.
Her bright, captivating eyes suddenly narrowed, as if startled by the unexpected encounter.
Now that they were close enough, Will could clearly make out her appearance.
Long black hair, a refined nose, and a cool, striking beauty.
She wore a cowboy hat, her face adorned with a calm, confident smile, as if everything was under her control.
The black-haired woman lounged on a comfortable chair atop the sea turtle's back, complete with a simple canopy for shade.
But in the next moment, her composure wavered as the man on the ship called out to her.
"Hey, did you come all this way just to greet me, Nico Robin?"
Will's greeting carried a hint of surprise. He hadn't expected the person on the turtle to be Robin.
Her distinctive long black hair, her cool demeanor, and the sea turtle she rode—all these clues clicked together, instantly revealing her identity.
This also explained why her aura bore similarities to Karina and Chopper's.
All three were Devil Fruit users.
His earlier hypothesis was all but confirmed.
"Hm?!"
Robin's smile froze when she heard him call her by name.
Sitting there, she forced a calm smile and replied, "I never imagined I'd have the honor of meeting the infamous 'Madman Will' here."
"As for greeting you, I did set out with the intention of meeting you," she admitted. "But I also have other matters to attend to, so you could say it's a bit of both."
"Is that so?" Will's lips curled into a slight grin. "Well, in that case, come aboard and let's chat."
He gestured lightly with a wave.
Though Robin felt a flicker of uncertainty, she showed no fear.
She guided the sea turtle to pull up alongside the ship, then stood, lightly vaulted over the railing, and landed gracefully on the deck.
Nami and the others, who had overheard Will speaking to someone, were already on their feet.
When they saw the black-haired woman board the ship, they immediately adopted wary expressions.
But Vivi, upon seeing her face clearly, couldn't hold back a shocked exclamation. "Miss All Sunday! What are you doing here?!"
"What's that?" Nami turned to Vivi, puzzled. "Is she one of your Baroque Works colleagues?"
"Colleagues…"
Vivi's expression flickered with uncertainty before she replied in a low voice, "She's the vice president of Baroque Works. I've only met her a few times…"
"Hm?!"
Robin, now on the ship, was equally surprised to see Vivi there.
Her gaze shifted as she leaned against the railing, arms crossed, and said with a soft smile, "I didn't expect to find you here, Miss Wednesday."
Then, her tone shifted slightly as she added, "Or rather, I should say, Princess Vivi."
Vivi, already tense, felt her pupils contract sharply at those words.
"Princess?"
Karina's eyes lit up, and she whirled to face Vivi, curiosity brimming. "Vivi, you're actually a princess?!"
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