As Luffy continued his intense battle with Crocodile outside, Robin and Douglas returned to the Rain Dinners casino. Douglas had insisted on accompanying Nami to help carry Usopp, who was still unconscious and weakened from the earlier poisoning. When they entered, Douglas saw Nami struggling to drag Usopp's limp body across the room. Her arms trembled from both fatigue and desperation.
Without hesitation, Douglas stepped forward and gently lifted Usopp onto his back. "I'll take it from here," he said, sparing Nami the burden.
Nami, now free of the weight, sighed in relief. But her gaze shifted sharply to Robin, who had walked in behind Douglas. With confusion and suspicion still heavy in her heart, Nami took a step closer.
"Why did you do it?" she asked Robin directly, referring to the antidote. "Why save Usopp if you're with Crocodile?"
Robin didn't answer right away. Instead, she offered Nami a soft, enigmatic smile—calm, unreadable.
That only irritated Nami more. "Tch. What's with that look?" she muttered under her breath, clearly annoyed by Robin's mysterious demeanor.
Robin didn't engage further, choosing instead to lead them forward. She guided both Douglas, who was still carrying Usopp, and Nami toward the treasure vault hidden within the depths of the Rain Dinners. When the vault doors opened, Nami's eyes sparkled like stars. Piles of gold, jewels, and countless other treasures filled the chamber.
Overwhelmed with glee, Nami immediately hugged Robin from the side, practically jumping into her arms.
"Yay~ Thanks, onee-sama!" she said comically, her eyes twinkling with greed.
Douglas, unimpressed, lightly smacked Nami on the back of her head with the flat of his hand. "Focus," he said dryly.
"Hey! Don't hit me!" Nami snapped, rubbing her head and shooting Douglas an angry glare. But her focus quickly returned to the treasure.
Then, to her surprise, Douglas extended his hand forward and activated his Devil Fruit ability. A dark, swirling mass began to form in his palm. Nami blinked in confusion.
"Wait… that's your power? I thought you had a different ability…" she murmured, frowning slightly, but chose to stay quiet.
"Black Hole," Douglas announced. A vacuum-like force expanded from his hand, sucking in every single item inside the vault. Gold bars, treasure chests, ancient artifacts, and valuable documents—all absorbed into the singularity. Based on Douglas's quick estimation, the treasure amounted to well over a billion berries.
Once the vault was cleared, the trio stepped out of Rain Dinners. Outside, the rain still poured relentlessly from the sky, soaking the battlefield and rendering Crocodile's sand-based powers nearly useless. In the distance, Luffy and Crocodile clashed fiercely. Crocodile, despite his disadvantage, was still putting up a tremendous fight. With his Devil Fruit powers nullified by the rain, he had resorted to raw, physical combat—matching Luffy blow for blow in a brutal brawl.
"Even without his powers, he's still dangerous," Douglas muttered, watching the fight with narrowed eyes.
Robin stood beside Nami, who had momentarily forgotten her irritation in the heat of the unfolding battle. "So… why help us now?" Nami asked Robin again, her voice quieter, more curious this time.
Robin didn't answer with words. Instead, her eyes followed Luffy's movements, her expression contemplative. Beside them, Usopp began to stir in Douglas's arms, groaning weakly.
"He's awake," Douglas said, surprised and relieved. "That's a good sign."
Usopp slowly blinked his eyes open, confused and dazed, but alive. "What… happened…?"
"You're safe," Nami said, brushing his damp hair back with a soft smile. "Thanks to… her." She gestured subtly toward Robin.
Robin simply turned away, acting as if she hadn't heard.
Then, at the center of the battlefield, Luffy and Crocodile prepared for their final clash.
"Gomu Gomu no… Bazooka!" Luffy shouted, stretching both arms far behind him. With a powerful roar, he launched them forward—his palms crashing directly into Crocodile's chest with incredible force.
The impact echoed through the rain-slicked streets.
Crocodile's body was flung backward, slamming into the ground with a heavy, wet thud. He lay motionless, defeated at last.
-------------------
After Crocodile lay defeated, buried beneath the rain-soaked ruins of his ambition, Luffy regrouped with Douglas and Nami. Together, they rushed to check on Usopp—who was resting against a pillar, his condition stable but still fragile.
As they arrived, Luffy was caught off guard by the sight of Robin standing silently nearby. Instinctively, he lunged forward, ready to strike—but Nami quickly stepped in and stopped him.
"Luffy, wait! She helped us," Nami said firmly, gripping his arm. "She gave Usopp the antidote. She's not our enemy right now."
Luffy blinked, registering her words. He paused, then slowly stepped back.
"Ahhh... thank you for your help. If it weren't for you, we don't know what would've happened," Luffy said with a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his head.
Robin smiled faintly, a mysterious glint in her eyes. "It's not for free. There's something I want you to do for me."
The tone in her voice was sly—calculating. Nami and Usopp instantly tensed at the familiar cunning expression she wore. But before either of them could protest, Luffy responded without hesitation.
"Of course! It's only right. So, what is it?" he asked cheerfully.
"Luffy!" Nami hissed.
"Captain, are you serious? You don't even know what she's gonna ask!" Usopp added, alarmed.
But Luffy just looked at them both with determination. "She helped my friend. That's enough. I have to repay her."
Douglas crossed his arms and raised a brow. "Of course, you're not allowed to ask him to kill the king. That's off the table."
"Yeah, that'd be bad," Luffy nodded seriously, catching on. "We're not doing anything evil."
"Or harming innocent people," Douglas added, before pulling out a notepad. He started listing off restrictions as Luffy nodded in agreement with each one.
Robin chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, I'm not planning to hurt anyone with this request. All I want… is access to the Poneglyph hidden within this kingdom. I want to read it."
The group blinked in confusion. "Pone…glyph?" Nami echoed.
"What's that?" Usopp asked, equally lost.
Luffy turned to Douglas. "Hey, do you know?"
Douglas adjusted his glasses, his voice steady and informative.
"Poneglyphs are large, ancient stone tablets—unbreakable and covered in mysterious glyphs. They're scattered all across the world. Each one holds crucial knowledge of the past."
He raised a finger and continued.
"There are three types. First, Historical Poneglyphs, which contain the hidden history of the world. Then, Instructional Poneglyphs, which give clues leading to the historical ones. And finally… the Road Poneglyphs—the rarest of them all. There are only four. If you gather all four, you'll discover the final island: Laughtale, where the One Piece is said to be."
Robin's eyes widened slightly. Even with all her years of research, this classification of Poneglyphs was new to her. He knows more than me…?
Meanwhile, Luffy, Nami, and Usopp fixated on one thing.
"Wait, wait—Laughtale?!" Luffy exclaimed, eyes lighting up like stars. "That's where the One Piece is, right?!"
Douglas nodded. "Most likely."
"That's amazing!" Luffy shouted.
But Douglas's tone suddenly shifted—more solemn now.
"But there's a catch. The World Government has outlawed any research into the history that those Poneglyphs speak of. They execute anyone caught studying it. That's why... only one person in the world today can still read them. The last survivor of the island of scholars: Ohara."
His gaze sharpened as he turned toward Robin.
"Nico Robin… am I right?"
The air instantly turned tense.
Robin's eyes narrowed. Her body tensed, ready to spring into action. Nami gasped, shocked. "Douglas… what are you talking about?"
Douglas exhaled deeply. "There was an island… Ohara. It housed the world's most brilliant archaeologists. Over twenty years ago, they were all massacred by the World Government for studying forbidden history. Only one survived. An eight-year-old girl. She's been on the run ever since."
Usopp and Nami stared at Robin in stunned silence. Tears welled in Nami's eyes.
"How do you know all this…?" Robin asked, her voice quieter than usual, but filled with a cautious edge.
"I recognized you the moment I saw you," Douglas replied calmly. "My mother collected every newspaper from the time of Roger's execution onward. I've read them all. Every scrap of truth and every lie. And I… can recognize lies in written texts."
Robin didn't respond. She just stared, her expression unreadable.
"But don't worry," Douglas added, his voice softening slightly. "I'm not going to tell anyone. Luffy asked about the Poneglyphs, and as his scholar, it's my job to inform him of what he doesn't know."
Robin looked down for a moment, as though considering something. The tension began to dissolve, replaced by something more fragile—trust, or something like it.
"...Thank you," she murmured.
Luffy, having listened to the whole thing, gave his signature wide grin.
"Well then, let's go find that Poneglyph, Robin!"