Void Grant

"You don't need to say thank you. Given our positions, even though I'm still a civilian and haven't joined the Navy, I couldn't stop your fate. It's me who should apologize to you."

Yaen rubbed Little Robin's hair vigorously, a hint of helplessness flickering in his eyes behind glasses reddened by the flames.

This was precisely one of the reasons Yaen had always been reluctant to join the Navy, especially to rise to a high rank.

The higher the position, the greater the shackles imposed by the World Government, and the more one had to follow its will—otherwise, they might be deemed a threat and eliminated.

Yet how could Yaen ever endorse a World Government that propped up the world's parasites, the Celestial Dragons, and operated on a system of aristocracy and slavery?

Let alone act as a pawn of the World Government, or even shield the Celestial Dragons like a Marine Admiral would.

Little Robin never expected Yaen to say... "apologize" to her?!

These incredibly gentle words nearly shattered the defenses of the now-lost Little Robin in an instant, forging a deep sense of trust in Yaen.

So... Sauron was right. Beyond the Great Sea, there really were people who would be kind to her.

After hesitating for a few breaths, Little Robin pursed her lips and spoke. "Um, it's okay. You didn't attack me, and I'm already very grateful."

She paused, then suddenly broke into a smile. "The fire's about to reach here soon. You should leave now. I'll find a way to survive on my own."

"What way can you still think of?"

Yaen shook his head helplessly, turning to look at the flames growing larger behind him.

Even though he had repeatedly used Observation Haki to confirm there was no one else here, not even any Marines, he knew this wasn't a good place to deepen his connection with Little Robin.

Besides, Ohara, an island that had stood for over five thousand years, wouldn't last much longer!

"Little Robin..."

Yaen stood up and said gently, "We'll meet again on the Great Sea."

"Huh?" Little Robin looked at him in confusion.

Then, Yaen pulled out a mask from somewhere—a mask made of an oddly textured material with strange patterns.

Even Little Robin, who at just eight years old had already been recognized as a true archaeologist, had never seen such material before.

The next moment, Little Robin felt her vision blur as Yaen leaned down, pressing the mask onto her face while whispering softly in her ear.

"This is the only gift I can give you now. I hope... it can protect you..."

Immediately, Little Robin felt the mask shrink to perfectly fit her small face, and something peculiar seeped into her from within.

"Void Grant: Cursed Eye Sangha!"

From Yaen's perspective, the mask was generating large amounts of white substance, which was seeping into Little Robin's body.

Unlike the power of the Soul Reaper blade Yaen possessed, this was the power of a blade belonging to the "Void."

At first, Yaen hadn't known about the Void's power within him, thinking he could only use the Soul Reaper's blade—until that time in front of Sengoku, when he ate that unknown Devil Fruit.

Then, a unique Void power emerged, named after the seventh blade of the Espada, the organization at the pinnacle of the Void: "Cursed Eye Sangha."

But Yaen couldn't use this Void blade himself; he could only grant it to others in the form of a mask.

However, having lived under Sengoku's watch all this time, Yaen had never had the chance to find someone trustworthy for a Void Grant.

This was his first time, so he couldn't help but feel nervous, staring intently at Little Robin's changes, afraid she might show discomfort or pain.

Soon, the white substance seeping from the mask formed an egg-like structure around Little Robin, completely encasing her.

"Looks like it's about what I expected..."

Yaen murmured to himself, then slowly drew his blade and recited the release command.

"Roar, Tenken!"

In an instant, a massive arm appeared behind Yaen, effortlessly grabbing the white egg in its palm.

Then, with a sudden heave, he hurled it toward the Great Sea.

The immense force erupted instantly, the wind pressure it generated even stirring huge waves on the sea surface.

The white egg shot across the water like a meteor, vanishing from Yaen's sight in the blink of an eye.

"Goodbye, Little Robin!"

As Yaen ended the Shikai of his Soul Reaper Blade: Tenken, he whispered his farewell.

Unlike Yaen's own frail body, the brute strength of the massive spiritual entity manifested through the release of Soul Reaper Blade: Tenken matched his own Reiatsu.

To prevent the Navy from possibly searching the sea surface later, Yaen had to find a way to send Little Robin out of Ohara's waters.

With that throw from his released Soul Reaper Blade: Tenken, Yaen estimated that even with the sea surface constantly reducing inertia, the egg would fly at least hundreds of miles.

After that, carried by ocean currents, which island Little Robin would drift to was something no one would know—the Navy and World Government would naturally be unable to track her for some time.

And that was the best plan Yaen could come up with on the spot.

Even if the World Government later put a bounty on Little Robin, with the protection of Cursed Eye Sangha and the Flower-Flower Fruit's power, her life should be much better than in the original timeline.

Still, after a moment's hesitation, Yaen pulled out an ordinary-looking Den Den Mushi from his pocket, then retrieved an Anti-eavesdropping Den Den Mushi from another hidden pocket before dialing a number.

"Moshi moshi."

The sound of howling wind and a deep voice came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi.

Yaen maintained his Observation Haki at full strength, locking onto the positions of the five Marine Vice Admirals executing this Buster Call. Confirming none were approaching, he asked with a hint of resignation.

"Dragon, where are you now?"

"Oh? How strange. Didn't the Chief of Staff once say never to contact unless it's urgent? What's with the initiative today?"

Dragon paused, then asked, "Could it be that the Chief of Staff is planning to defect from the Navy too, and wants me to pick you up?"