Before leaving, Kaito made a quick stop at the hospital in Dressrosa.
He appeared directly in the hospital director's office. The moment the director saw him, he instantly recognized the Marine Admiral Shikiryū and exclaimed with excitement,
"Admiral Shikiryū! Hello, sir! I'm Mendel, the director of this hospital. How can I assist you today?"
Kaito gave a polite smile and said,
"There should be a woman here who became comatose after being hit in the head by falling debris. Her name is Russian, I believe."
Mendel nodded immediately. He was very familiar with this patient.
He explained that previously, a man in a black suit used to visit her regularly. But after a while, that man stopped coming, and people from the Donquixote Family started paying her bills instead.
Upon hearing this, Kaito pulled out a large sum of Belly from the Door-Door Space and placed it on the director's desk.
"Those people won't be paying her bills anymore. Use this to cover her expenses."
"T-This... do you know Russian personally? If that's the case, we can waive all her fees!"
"Heh, that's not necessary. Just take good care of her."
With that, Kaito vanished from sight in a flash.
Russian was Senor Pink's wife. During the Minion Island incident, Kaito had deliberately spared that pure-hearted man's life.
To be fair, Doflamingo had at least done something decent—he had arranged for Russian's hospital bills to be covered.
But now that he'd been arrested, chances were no one would be paying anymore. So Kaito figured he might as well lend a hand to this pitiful woman.
As for Senor Pink, it would still be a while before he was released. Hopefully, when that time came, he would cherish the chance to live out the rest of his days peacefully with Russian.
...
Marine Headquarters — Sengoku's Office.
Whoosh!
Kaito suddenly appeared in front of Sengoku. By now, Sengoku was used to Kaito's habit of showing up out of nowhere. Calmly sipping his tea, he smiled and asked,
"Kaito, huh? So, what did you find during your trip to Alabasta?"
"Mmm, Crocodile's been acting up a bit, but I've already given him a lesson. Just a little punishment."
"Ha! Running into you is his rotten luck!"
Sengoku chuckled and kept drinking his tea. He didn't really care how Kaito dealt with pirates. As far as he was concerned, Kaito could handle them however he liked—the result would always be satisfactory.
Kaito continued,
"I also stopped by Dressrosa. Doflamingo used underhanded means to seize control of the country. He's now under arrest."
As he spoke, Kaito opened the Door-Door Space. Issho stepped out carrying the unconscious Doflamingo on his shoulder, with Robin following behind...
Sengoku blinked in surprise upon hearing that Doflamingo had been arrested just like that. But he quickly composed himself and ordered a few Marines to bring seastone handcuffs and escort Doflamingo away.
Once that was handled, Sengoku's gaze shifted to Issho and Robin.
Hmm... This man looks unfamiliar, but he seems quite strong...
And this woman... the more I look, the more familiar she seems...
Sengoku's expression gradually changed. He finally recognized who the woman was—wasn't that the so-called "Devil Child" wanted by the World Government?
From Sengoku's reaction, Kaito could tell he'd figured out Robin's identity, so he introduced them right away.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, this is Issho. He's strong and here to join the Marines. And this is Robin, a scholar—also here to join the Marines."
"...Kaito, do you even know who Robin is?"
"Sure I do. Isn't she called something like the 'Angel Child' by the World Government?"
"They call her the Devil Child."
"Ah? What an awful name. The people at the World Government are really something else—how can they speak that way about a lady?"
"...She's dangerous. If the World Government finds out, it won't be good for you!"
Sengoku had already mentally chosen Kaito as the next Fleet Admiral, and he sincerely didn't want Robin to jeopardize Kaito's future.
Robin silently lowered her head. She had expected all sorts of difficulties upon arriving at Marine Headquarters. She wasn't afraid of being arrested or imprisoned.
What she feared most was being forced to part from Kaito.
After years of drifting, she had finally found a harbor she could rely on. Being at Kaito's side brought her a sense of peace and happiness she'd never known before. Though their time together had been short, it was enough to make her want to stay.
Suddenly, the usually quiet Issho spoke up.
"Fleet Admiral, may I ask... what crime has Miss Robin committed?"
The question caught Sengoku off guard. When Robin had been put on the wanted list, she was just a little girl. If there was any real charge, it would be that her mother had sought to uncover the truths of history.
Sengoku paused for a while, but before he could reply, Kaito said firmly,
"She is innocent."
Just three simple words, yet they carried such unshakable certainty that everyone in the room felt their hearts tremble.
Robin looked at Kaito in stunned silence. Those three words, coming from his mouth, were like a brilliant lightning bolt flashing across her heart.
Kaito turned to her with a warm smile, and Robin felt a surge of warmth flooding through her. In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to throw herself into his arms.
But Kaito wasn't finished speaking.
He continued,
"She's just a victim. Her misfortune was being born to a naive and irresponsible mother—Nico Olvia."
Robin froze at Kaito's judgment of her mother. But rather than feeling angry, she was confused. She knew Kaito wouldn't say such a thing without reason.
Kaito walked to Robin's side and gently pulled her into a hug. He spoke softly,
"Was Olvia's lifelong pursuit of the truth really meaningful? Even if she uncovered everything, did she have the power to stand against the World Government? In the end, wouldn't it just lead to more chaos in the world? How is that any different from what Roger did?"
Sengoku hesitated for a moment before giving Kaito a complicated look. It was clear from his words that Kaito held no respect for the World Government—but Sengoku had to admit, everything he said resonated with his own beliefs.
Robin, too, had never heard such reasoning before. She was a smart woman, and Kaito's words immediately sparked deep reflection.
What made Kaito proud was that she didn't lose her composure just because her mother was mentioned. Instead, she remained calm and thoughtful.
He gently patted her back and added,
"Your mother surely loved you just as much as any mother would. But... she truly wasn't a responsible one."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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