Just then, a rustling sound came from the sand not far from Taro.
Then, with a whoosh, a thick hook emerged from the desert, followed by a massive Desert Scorpion with a dark red body crawling out of the sand. It was astonishingly large, and under the desert Moonlight, its dark red shell appeared somewhat black.
Taro was already angry with himself for only daring to make trivial changes despite knowing what was about to happen. Seeing this Desert Scorpion emerge and provoke him, he wasted no time. He stood up directly and shouted loudly:
"Fire Fist!"
A cyan-white whirlwind of flame surged up. As Taro threw a punch, the flame rapidly expanded, rushing toward the Desert Scorpion and striking its body head-on. With a thunderous boom, the Desert Scorpion crumbled to the ground with a crackling sound, dead beyond any doubt.
At the same time, Nico Robin, who was riding on f·crocodile, gazed into the distance at the suddenly brightened sky, revealing a thoughtful expression. After pondering for a moment, she urged her mount to head toward the source of the light... Having dealt with the Desert Scorpion in one punch, Taro's depressed mood improved a bit. He was now enthusiastically roasting a large chunk of Desert Scorpion meat on a skewer over the campfire.
"Roasted chicken wings, I love to eat..."
"But your mom says you're about to ascend to heaven..."
"The sooner you ascend, the more you should..."
"Holy shit!"
Taro, who had been singing a famous tune by Stephen Chow in a cheeky voice, suddenly let out a startled cry.
On a large rock in front of him, a woman sat with her legs crossed, resting her chin on her right hand, watching him with great interest.
Taro was stunned. Were these people really that easy to encounter?
First Ace, then Crocodile, and now he had met Nico Robin.
Tsk tsk, this was really fucking thrilling.
"Keep singing, why did you stop?"
Nico Robin's voice drifted over leisurely.
Taro examined Robin under the firelight and Moonlight. Her hat and robe were both white, with a purple top open at the front and a matching short skirt underneath, revealing an explosive figure.
Taro took a deep breath, silently warning himself not to act impulsively, or he'd get beaten to death by Luffy.
Forcing down the strange feeling rising in his heart, Taro noticed that Robin was much fairer than he remembered. It seemed the animation team really had messed up the coloring. He smiled and extended the sword skewering the roasted meat toward Robin.
"Hello there, have you eaten? Want to share some?"
Nico Robin had actually arrived a while ago. She first observed the Desert Scorpion's corpse before cautiously approaching Taro.
She had expected to find a supremely powerful ability user, but as she got closer, she heard a young man singing some incomprehensible music.
It was probably music, with a strange melody and in a language she didn't recognize!
This piqued Robin's interest, so she patiently listened from the boulder for a while until the young man finally noticed her.
The man was initially shocked, and then his gaze toward her held a hint of lewdness. Though it lasted only a moment, as a woman who had witnessed many of the world's evils, Nico Robin clearly sensed it.
Suppressing her anger, she spoke as calmly as possible, "Was that a song you were singing just now?"
Taro found it odd. He had asked if she wanted to eat, but she hadn't given a direct answer. Still, he nodded in confirmation.
"What language was it in?"
"Chinese language!"
Taro retracted his sword, casually responding before taking a bite of the roasted meat.
"Chinese language?" Nico Robin murmured, frowning as she searched through the database in her mind.
After a long while, Robin still couldn't find an answer. She looked at Taro again and said, "Teach me."
Taro, who had been busy swallowing chunks of meat, choked. He struggled to swallow the meat in his mouth, then coughed violently twice. "What did you say?"
"I said, teach me that language!"
Only then did Taro understand her meaning. He wondered inwardly, aren't you a historian? Are you dabbling in linguistics too?
His eyes flickered as he glanced at Robin, his brow twitching slightly. "Sure, but you'll have to trade something for it!"
As Taro said this, a hint of fervor shone in his eyes.
Upon hearing his words, Robin instantly stood up, anger flashing in her eyes. She crossed her arms, assuming her iconic attack stance.
Holy shit! What the hell?
Taro looked at Robin, who was staring at him, in surprise. He stood up in a panic, extended a hand, and shouted loudly:
"Wait!"
Seeing that Robin hadn't attacked, Taro seized the opportunity to speak. "Is there some misunderstanding?"
Watching Taro's reaction, Robin also felt a bit confused. Could it be that he didn't want her body...?
If Taro knew what Robin was thinking, he'd probably say, well, actually, I do want that too!
"What do you want?"
Taro wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. "Knowledge. I want your knowledge!"
"Knowledge?" Robin frowned.
"First, put your hands down. Let's sit and talk slowly. You don't look very friendly like this." Taro pointed to a low rock beside the campfire.
Robin hesitated for a moment, then lightly jumped down from the boulder and walked over to the campfire.
Seeing this, Taro sat back down and gestured with his eyes for Robin to sit as well.
Robin gazed at Taro thoughtfully for a while before finally sitting down.
"Really not eating?" Taro offered the roasted meat again. Robin looked at the rows of tooth marks on it, turned her head away in disgust.
Taro didn't mind. "Suit yourself."
Robin glared at him with her beautiful eyes. This guy really was despicable.
Taro just laughed heartily. With a slight exertion, he tore off the piece of meat he had bitten into, then flipped the military knife and handed the handle to Robin.
As Robin took it, Taro was about to speak when she suddenly stood up sharply and said sternly, "You're a Marine?"
"Huh?" Taro looked up blankly, then followed Robin's gaze and realized the Marine-issued military knife had exposed his identity.
He scratched his head, his tone somewhat helpless. "Let's agree first—no fighting, okay?"
Seeing that Robin didn't object but only watched him warily, he continued, "That's right, I am a Marine."
"But don't worry, I have no interest in arresting you!"
Robin's mind raced, instantly understanding the hidden meaning in Taro's words. "So you do know who I am?!"
"Of course I do," Taro swallowed the last bite of meat and patted the sandy ground beside him, signaling Robin to return to her seat. "Hello, Nico Robin!"
"My name is Taro!"
"Taro?" Robin repeated the name, seemingly having no recollection of it. Then her expression relaxed slightly.
"Here's the deal. I can teach you Chinese language," Taro said softly.
"But I want to know what the poneglyphs actually record!"
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