"So we're going back to Alabasta now?"
Nico Robin asked.
Now that she had left Sabaody Archipelago, she felt completely at ease.
When Sarutobi Hiruzen became a Shichibukai, her bounty had quietly been revoked as well.
In other words, Nico Robin was now a free woman in this world.
For Nico Robin, who had been wanted since childhood, it was a day worth remembering.
"No."
Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head.
"Crocodile is in Alabasta. Nothing will go wrong there."
After seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen and Momousagi fight, Crocodile had thrown himself into training, honing his Devil Fruit abilities in the deserts of Alabasta.
If he didn't have Haki, then he would develop his Devil Fruit powers to their limits.
That was Crocodile's idea. And with Chakra supporting him, the boost to his strength was no less than what Haki could provide.
Besides, realizing his dream of becoming Pirate King still required a certain level of strength.
"And we have other things to do..."
"We need to collect some Devil Fruits..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes were deep and mysterious.
"Devil Fruits?!"
Nico Robin was somewhat surprised. Devil Fruits were treasures of the sea.
They weren't something you could simply obtain whenever you wanted. Sometimes it all came down to luck.
Even the World Government had struggled to collect the Devil Fruits it wanted over the past eight hundred years.
But Nico Robin didn't say much. Now that her bounty had been revoked, she trusted Sarutobi Hiruzen quite a bit.
What's more, so far, Sarutobi Hiruzen had managed to accomplish almost everything he set his mind to.
"Where are we going next?"
Nico Robin asked.
"Have you ever heard of..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up at the sky.
"Sky Island?"
Jaya.
An island in the Grand Line, shaped like a skull.
It was a Lawless