In the quiet heart of Water Seven—
down a narrow street hidden between the bustle of the shipwright city—
stood the woman the world called the Devil's Child.
Nico Robin.
But tonight, she wasn't alone.
Three masked figures surrounded her, their presence sharp and oppressive. Their cold voices carried the kind of authority that came from believing the world itself served their masters.
"Nico Robin," the leader said flatly, his tone like steel. "You should already understand what fate awaits you. There's only one path left—accept our terms."
Robin's gaze lowered slightly, her expression unreadable.
"…If I cooperate," she said softly, "will you really spare Luffy and the others?"
The question carried no tremor, but deep in her heart, a storm raged.
Once, she would have abandoned anyone to survive. It was how she lived—running, hiding, betraying before being betrayed.
But the Straw Hats… were different.
Alabasta, Skypiea, the endless laughter, the trust that came so easily—
It had crept into her heart before she realized it.
Now she was tired.
Tired of running.
Tired of being the hunted.
The leader scoffed.
"You don't have the right to negotiate. With our power, your Straw Hat friends wouldn't even have time to scream. Capturing them would be child's play."
The other two remained silent, but their mocking stares said enough.
To CP9, a crew with a hundred-million-Beli captain wasn't a threat—
they were insects.
Robin closed her eyes, exhaling quietly.
"…Fine. I'll go with you. Just… keep your promise."
Her words trembled like a dying flame.
The World Government had ruled for eight hundred years; the Straw Hats were just a breeze against that storm.
If her surrender could keep them safe, then so be it.
"Very wise, Nico Robin," the leader said with an air of satisfaction. "To think the Devil's Child would show such loyalty to her comrades. I'm impressed."
"Come with us."
They turned, preparing to leave.
Robin's eyes dimmed.
Comrades…? Maybe.
She took one step forward—
—and froze.
The three agents suddenly halted, their posture tightening, instincts screaming that something unnatural had entered their space.
Then came the voice.
Smooth, quiet, and heavy enough to crush their lungs.
"CP9," the voice said. "You're making this rather inconvenient for me."
Footsteps echoed from the far end of the street.
"Nico Robin is one of my objectives."
Lucian Vale stepped out of the shadows, his black kimono fluttering in the wind. His presence alone was suffocating.
"You're not thinking of stealing her from me… are you?"
In an instant, pressure flooded the street—an invisible weight that bent the air itself.
The masked leader's breath caught in his throat.
"B-bounty… eight hundred fifty million…"
"'Illusionary Blade' Lucian Vale…"
Their hearts skipped. Just looking at him made their knees weak.
A pirate who tore Impel Down apart.
A man who fought Admirals and won.
And he was standing only a few meters away.
"Why… why is he here?" one of them whispered. "Someone like him should be in the New World, not—"
Lucian smiled faintly.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice dripping with mockery. "Cat got your tongues? Should I teach you how to speak properly?"
The three exchanged tense looks.
They knew him.
And they knew he didn't bluff.
Rob Lucci was the first to step forward, removing his mask slowly.
"Heh… Never thought I'd meet you in person," he said, his voice calm but taut. "Quite the surprise."
Lucian looked him over once, unimpressed.
"Tsk tsk… so you're CP9's 'strongest in eight hundred years'? You slaughtered five hundred civilians at seventeen, didn't you?"
He shrugged lightly. "Looking at you now… how underwhelming."
Lucci's eyes narrowed, fury flickering beneath his calm.
"Lucian Vale," he said coldly, "whatever your reason for being here, Nico Robin is the World Government's target. You can't protect her. No one can."
Lucian chuckled.
"If Sengoku or Garp said that, maybe I'd listen. But you?"
He tilted his head, smiling almost pityingly.
"You're just weak trash."
Lucci's teeth clenched. His aura flared for a moment before he forced it back down. He wanted to attack—but instinct screamed no.
This was no ordinary pirate.
This was death, given form.
Lucian sighed dramatically. "My philosophy isn't much different from yours, actually. The weak exist to be crushed."
His grin sharpened. "But I'm in a generous mood today. So… I'll let you choose your cause of death."
Before anyone could blink—
Shing!
The CP9 agents vanished in unison.
Rokushiki: Soru!
Lucian smirked.
"Heh. Using 'Soru'? I was going to give you a painless death. I see you don't appreciate mercy."
His body dissolved into glittering motes of light—then vanished.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Three slicing vacuum waves ripped through the street, carving deep gashes into the stone.
From the shadows, Robin watched, frozen between awe and dread.
She had seen powerful men before. Crocodile. Enel.
But this… this was different.
The sheer pressure of his presence—it felt like the world itself bent to his will.
She knew it then.
No matter what happened next, her fate was sealed.
Her time with the Straw Hats was over.
Following this man might be her only path to survive.
…
The three CP9 agents reappeared on a nearby rooftop, gasping for breath.
"Damn it!" Kaku hissed. "Five years of undercover work, and this monster shows up now? Just kill me already!"
Lucci didn't answer. His eyes were locked on the street below, scanning the shadows.
Then came the whisper.
Soft. Icy. Right behind Kaku's ear.
"Long-nose…"
"Didn't anyone ever tell you… never get distracted in a fight—"
The hairs on Kaku's neck rose.
His instincts screamed danger.
"—especially against someone stronger?"
His eyes widened.
"Hadō #11 — Tsuzuri Raiden."
A flash of blue lightning erupted across his back.
Kaku screamed as electricity tore through his body—his vision shattering into white sparks.
The scent of ozone filled the air.
When it cleared, Lucian stood where Kaku had been, hand raised, expression cold and unbothered.
"One down."
He looked up at the rooftops, eyes gleaming like twin blades.
"Now…"
"Who's next?"
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