Unconsciously, Robin had already been on the ship for half a month.
Ever since she had revealed her past to Nami, her demeanor and the way she interacted with the two of them had clearly changed.
In other words, she had shed her disguise and let her true self show.
Through Nami, Robin also came to understand the true extent of Guts's strength
Strong enough to defeat the Marine Hero, Garp!
When she learned this, Robin was utterly stunned. She even secretly thanked the heavens that she'd never once entertained the thought of truly becoming Guts's enemy.
Because even if there were a hundred of her, it still wouldn't be enough to fight him.
During their time together, Robin gradually came to understand his character.
From fear, to awe, and finally, to being able to speak with him normally.
"It looks like we'll be arriving at Sandy Island soon, Captain."
Standing at the bow of the ship, Robin raised the telescope to her eyes, her back facing Guts as she spoke.
Sandy Island—among all the islands scattered across the seas, it ranked near the very top in scale.
At its heart lay the Kingdom of Alabasta, ruled by the Nefertari family, one of the twenty royal families who once created the World Government.
But as Robin knew all too well, in reality the country was already under the grasp of Crocodile, the man who controlled Baroque Works.
The organization's headquarters stood in Alabasta's most prosperous city—Rainbase.
"It's too damn hot, isn't it?"
Guts pulled open his coat, exposing the powerful muscles beneath.
Thankfully, Nami had already grown close to him, and Robin herself was long accustomed to darkness, blood, and killing.
Even so, both of them averted their gazes after a beat, cheeks faintly warm.
"Don't just take your clothes off like that," Robin reminded lightly. "You'll get sunburned."
"Sunburn? No way," Guts muttered.
Nami quickly raised her pale arms to block the sun. For women, sunburn and tanning were practically a death sentence.
Robin chuckled. "It's fine. Once we reach the island, you can buy a few long-sleeved but breathable outfits. That should keep you safe."
"This country really doesn't make me happy. Let's just hurry and solve the problem."
The exaggerated heat alone was enough to make Guts hate every second of being here.
He didn't fear the cold, but he despised the heat.
It was worse than traveling during peak season in some tourist trap.
Still, since they had come all this way, the matter had to be dealt with. Otherwise, the trip would be meaningless.
According to Robin, aside from a few abandoned ruins, Alabasta was basically under full surveillance by Baroque Works.
And within the organization, no one even knew who their true boss was aside from the top executives themselves.
The Marines didn't know either.
Everything was hidden, all in pursuit of some secret buried deep within this kingdom.
Later, in the port city of Nanohana, Robin and Nami had each bought new outfits. To Guts's eyes, the clothes looked almost like those of Western dancers.
He stared openly, his gaze lingering in a way that made both women feel uncomfortable.
Nami pursed her lips in annoyance, silently cursing him.
Robin, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind. At least outwardly, she didn't let it show.
"However… our money is almost gone," Robin said suddenly.
The way she said our made it clear her mindset had shifted, she already saw herself as part of their crew.
Most of Guts's funds had come from bounties: taking down Buggy and Arlong back in East Blue, plus some unlucky pirates they crossed paths with along the way.
But here in Alabasta, a poor desert kingdom pirates rarely came looking to plunder.
As a result, the opportunities to rob idiots had dropped sharply… but Guts's appetite certainly hadn't.
"This is crazy. Guts, look at this."
Stepping out of the clothing store, Nami suddenly pointed at the wall beside the door.
Guts and Robin walked over, and there they saw a few battered bounty posters pasted up.
Edward Newgate.
Marco.
Portgas D. Ace.
Jozu.
The names alone carried enough weight to shake the seas.
Robin sighed softly.
"It's a bounty poster from the Whitebeard Pirates… quite the exaggeration."
Nami squinted at the numbers, whispering under her breath as she counted:
"One… ten… one hundred… one thousand… ten thousand…"
Her voice sped up, but when she got further down the string of digits, she froze.
Her little head wobbled before she collapsed to her knees, clutching it in disbelief.
"There are… so many zeroes!!!"
Robin chuckled, lips curved in amusement.
"After all, he's said to be the man closest to the title of Pirate King. It's only natural."
Guts, however, stared at the posters with half-lidded eyes.
"Not anymore. Whitebeard's body is aging and weakening. His strength isn't what it once was. With Red-Hair and Kaido still in their prime, it's impossible now."
His voice grew deep as he went on.
"Even the old man Garp might be ahead of him now. Whitebeard probably knows it too. Even if he had the will to fight for Pirate King, his old age won't let him."
"Kaido and Red-Hair both surpass him now but if it were Whitebeard in his prime… that would've been a different story."
He crossed his arms, gaze firm.
"To be honest, even if Whitebeard still dreams of the throne, how many years does he really have left? Even without battles, living quietly, five years at best."
"You bastard! What nonsense are you spouting?! The one destined to sit on the Pirate King's throne is none other than Whitebeard!"
The angry voice came from behind them.
The three turned quickly.
A young man, around twenty, stood there. Faint freckles dotted his cheeks.
He wore nothing on his upper body except an orange cowboy hat, its brim decorated with comedy-and-tragedy face badges.
Below, he had on black denim shorts and a backpack slung carelessly over his shoulder.
He pointed at them furiously.
"Take that back!"
Robin and Nami froze. Their eyes darted to the young man's face, then back to the bounty poster on the wall.
Nami gasped, clapping her hand over her mouth while pointing at him with the other.
"Y-You… you… you…"
Robin's tone turned heavy.
"Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division… Portgas D. Ace! How could you possibly be here!?"
"Apologize to Pops right now!" Ace said loudly practically screaming.
"Dad's the only one who can become Pirate King!"
Guts, meanwhile, had suddenly taken on a look eerily similar to the Monkey family whenever they spotted meat.
Ace felt goosebumps crawl up his skin under that gaze.
Then, Guts leaned forward, lips curling into a strange grin.
"Nami… what's the bounty on this brat again?"
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