"What?!"
Everyone was stunned. Was this guy insane? How could he dare to provoke Doflamingo?
Domino thought he must have misheard. "You… what did you say?"
"I said, call him," Takero's tone was flat, but the impatience in his eyes was growing. "My patience is limited."
Staring into Takero's calm eyes, Domino felt a chill shoot up his spine. He didn't dare to disobey again. Trembling, he pulled a special Transponder Snail from his pocket. Under the nervous gaze of everyone in the alley, he dialed the number he only ever called in the most dire emergencies.
"Purupuru... Purupuru... Click."
The call connected. The Transponder Snail's face morphed to simulate Doflamingo's iconic, sinister grin and orange sunglasses. A low voice, laced with annoyance, came from the receiver. "Domino? You know the consequences of disturbing me unless the world is ending."
"L-Lord Doffy!" Domino's voice was shaking uncontrollably. He glanced at Takero, who was watching him calmly, and forced the words out. "It's… it's like this! That… that kid named Takero, the one who attacked the Celestial Dragons… he's on Ambri Island right now!"
The other end of the line went silent. For three long seconds, there was nothing. That eerie silence made every person in the alley feel a knot of dread tighten in their stomachs.
Then, Doflamingo's signature maniacal laugh echoed from the Transponder Snail, though it sounded strained. "Fuffufu… Is that so? That kid… what… what does he want?"
Hearing Doflamingo's voice, Baro and the others felt a surge of hope. Lord Doffy hadn't abandoned them! Baro snatched the Transponder Snail from Domino's hand and yelled into it, "Lord Doffy! Help us! This little bastard is on a rampage! He declared he's taking over Ambri Island and said he wants us all to submit to him! Please, come back and serve justice!"
But the response they received plunged all their hopes into an icy abyss.
In a complex tone mixed with fear, anger, and a heavy dose of resignation, Doflamingo said, "Is that right? Then you will all submit to him. From now on, Ambri Island is his."
Takero grinned when he heard this and raised his voice. "Hey, pink-feathered birdman. When are we gonna fight again? I've kind of missed you."
As if struck by lightning, Doflamingo's voice came back, rushed and panicked. "From now on, don't you dare bother me with anything related to him! That's it!"
"Click!"
Before Baro could say another word, the line went dead. The Transponder Snail went silent.
The back alley was deathly quiet. Baro, Domino, Maria… everyone was frozen in place, as if they'd been turned to stone. Lord Doffy… what did he just say? He told them… to submit to this kid? He gave Ambri Island… to this kid?! How was this possible?
As their entire worldview crumbled around them, Takero's voice, tinged with pity, sounded like a death knell in their ears. "Looks like your boss isn't coming." He took a slow step toward the terrified gang leaders, a grin spreading across his face. "In that case… let's continue!"
...One minute later.
Takero casually kicked aside the lifeless body at his feet, a look of disdain on his face. "'Iron Fist,' he called himself. Couldn't even take one punch. So weak." His tone was flat, as if he were complaining that a new toy had broken too easily.
He looked up. All that was left was a landscape of corpses and sticky blood. The only other person standing was a small girl in a black cloak. Takero watched her with interest. "Hey," he asked curiously. "Aren't you scared?"
Of course she was scared. At that moment, Nico Robin was terrified. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it would leap out of her chest. The metallic smell of blood in the air made her stomach churn. Even after surviving the fires of Ohara and living among the world's worst criminals, she had never witnessed such efficient, pure slaughter.
She forced herself to take a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. She lifted her head and met the gaze of the god of death before her. "Yes, I'm scared," Robin said, her voice hoarse but her words clear. "But you can see that I am not one of them. And I have no grudge against you."
"I know," Takero nodded.
Hearing that, a flicker of hope ignited in Robin's heart. Perhaps she would survive this. Her tense body relaxed slightly. But Takero's next question sent a chill right back through her.
"So," he tilted his head, his eyes full of genuine curiosity, "why were so many people chasing you and shouting about killing you?"
What should she do? The 'Devil Child of Ohara,' the 'woman who can read Poneglyphs'—those titles were a death sentence. If she told him, would this terrifying boy also become interested in her bounty, or in using her abilities? But if she lied, he would surely find out the truth eventually. Concealing it would only make things worse.
Deciding to take the gamble, Robin gave up all pretense. "Because I am Nico Robin," she said, her voice full of self-deprecation. She closed her eyes, ready for the end.
But what she heard next was a simple, confused question.
"...Who?"
Robin's eyes snapped open. She saw Takero's face, which held nothing but genuine bewilderment. His confusion was so real that it made her confused, too. "You… you don't know me?" The bounty for the 'Devil Child' had spread across all four seas. Anyone in the underworld should have known her name.
Takero looked her up and down, then said with a dismissive shrug, "You're just some shrimp. Why should I know you?"
Robin didn't know what "shrimp" meant in this context, but she could clearly sense the contempt in his voice. This reaction was more unsettling than if he had shown interest in her bounty. His complete indifference made it seem like her identity, her skills, everything she was, was completely worthless in his eyes.
"I… I can be very useful!" Robin said, forcing herself to stay calm. "I can gather intelligence, infiltrate, steal, and read ancient texts! I have a vast amount of knowledge! With me, your affairs will be much easier to manage!"
Takero stroked his chin. He felt like he'd heard a similar speech not too long ago.
"Alright, then," he said with a casual wave of his hand. "You'll do. You're Maid No. 2." He already had Maid No. 1, Monet, who could cook. This one seemed to have other skills, so she could keep Monet company and share the workload. Perfect.
"Ma… Maid No. 2?" Robin was completely stunned. She had imagined being captured, interrogated, or exploited… but she had never imagined that her identity, which made the entire World Government uneasy, would earn her a… maid's number.
But no matter how absurd it was, a long, silent sigh of relief escaped her. Her tense body finally relaxed. She had survived. For now, that was all that mattered.
Just as she was trying to process her new, bizarre identity, she heard Takero's voice again.
"Oh, I have one more question."
"Please ask," Robin replied respectfully.
"Why is your nose so pointy?"
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