Subduing Robin is a Bit Difficult

What!

Shock filled Nico Robin's eyes; she understood the extent of Mr. 1's strength quite well. Yet, before this man, he had been utterly defenseless!

Lu Zhuo acted as if he had merely performed a trivial task. He stood up slowly, brushed off his slightly disheveled hair, and offered Nico Robin a faint smile.

"So, Miss Robin, would you mind coming down so we can discuss the terms of you joining our pirate crew?"

Having witnessed Lu Zhuo's power, Nico Robin knew she didn't even have the luxury of attempting an escape. Being a wise woman, she quickly composed her thoughts, leaped down, and walked naturally toward Lu Zhuo.

Watching the calm and intelligent Nico Robin return to her composed state, Lu Zhuo couldn't help but feel that she looked her most beautiful right now, easily on par with Nami.

He then glanced down at her chest—hmm, it didn't seem any smaller than Nami's.

Noticing Lu Zhuo's gaze, Nico Robin's face flushed slightly, and she said coolly, "By cooperating with Crocodile, I can obtain what I desire. Joining your pirate crew would offer the same, so your offer doesn't seem particularly attractive."

Lu Zhuo smiled faintly, but his expression suddenly shifted. He drew his blade and instantly held it against Nico Robin's throat, the sinister aura radiating from it making her delicate body tremble.

"Don't forget, you are in my hands right now. You aren't in a position to negotiate with me."

Nico Robin stared into Lu Zhuo's eyes, a faint smile curling the corners of her lips.

"Heh, if you wanted to kill me, you would have done it already; you wouldn't have dragged it out until now, would you? Since you want me to join your pirate crew so badly, there must be something I have that you need. And what could I possibly possess that would make someone like you feel tempted?"

Her words left Lu Zhuo speechless; Nico Robin was truly far too sharp.

Feeling a headache coming on, he sheathed his sword and patted his forehead with a look of helplessness.

He couldn't exactly say, I like you and want you to be my woman.

That would surely scare her off... and Nami was still right there, too.

"Fine, I do have... er, a goal. You know about the blueprints for Pluton, right? That thing is written in ancient text, and I need you to decipher it..."

Nico Robin felt a jolt of shock, her pupils constricting slightly. It was actually the blueprints for Pluton?

"Hehehe." She quickly regained her composure and let out a soft, charming laugh.

"If that's the case, then we can certainly talk terms, can't we?"

Hearing this, Lu Zhuo took a deep breath and said softly, "Alright, the offer I have is one you'll find hard to refuse. I know you want to obtain all the Poneglyphs; that is the very reason you are cooperating with Crocodile."

At this point, Lu Zhuo held up three fingers and continued, "So, not counting the one here, I know the exact locations of three others. How about that? Is that offer enough?"

Nico Robin chuckled, her eyes seemingly able to peer straight into Lu Zhuo's psyche.

"These are just empty words. How can I trust you?"

"Uh..." Lu Zhuo slapped his forehead. Although he knew from the original story that there was one on Skypiea, one on Fish-Man Island, and one at Laugh Tale at the end of the Grand Line, he truly couldn't produce any evidence right now.

After a moment of thought, Lu Zhuo said solemnly.

"Regardless, you only know about the Poneglyph here. According to your plan with Crocodile, it would take at least three years for you to obtain it. But I can let you have it right now, and furthermore, I can provide you with protection, keeping you safe from the Navy's pursuit."

Hearing this, Nico Robin pondered for a moment before asking, "What makes you think you can protect me? You know who I am..."

Lu Zhuo waved his hand, cutting off her words, and said, "Strength. Possessing strength is naturally enough to protect you. I believe everything that happened here has already reached Crocodile's ears. So, once I defeat him, you will just have to come with me obediently."

"Oh?" Nico Robin's beautiful eyes flashed, and she looked at Lu Zhuo in surprise. Although she had just witnessed his strength, she didn't believe he could defeat the Shichibukai Crocodile, a user of the Logia-type Sand-Sand Fruit.

However, seeing how confident Lu Zhuo looked...

"Very well. If you can defeat Crocodile, I will go with you."

After saying this, Nico Robin looked with slight surprise at Nami, who was watching her vigilantly, and laughed, "It seems your little beauty has some prejudice against me."

"Er, Nami. From now on, she will be your sister... ah, damn, she will be a member of our Holy Sword Pirates." Lu Zhuo said this, whether intentionally or not.

This drew a giggle from Nico Robin; how could she not see through Lu Zhuo's intentions? Yet, she felt an intense curiosity toward this mysterious Lu Zhuo who had appeared so suddenly, even though it was their first meeting.

Curiosity, to a certain extent, would eventually transform into affection.

Nico Robin followed behind Lu Zhuo with a light laugh.

Little man, it won't be that easy to win me over.

The party of two became a party of three, heading toward the forbidden area of the palace... the Royal Funerary Temple.

Naturally, any soldiers they encountered on the way were dealt with silently by Nico Robin and Lu Zhuo.

When the Royal Funerary Temple was finally in sight, Lu Zhuo narrowed his eyes. He reached out to stop Nami and Nico Robin, staring at the dirt beneath his feet as he said, "Since you're here, why hide? Do you think it's fun to be stepped on?"

As he spoke, Lu Zhuo tensed his arms, tossed Nami and Nico Robin aside, and instantly drew his sword.

A flash of steel swept through the air, and the several spears made of sand that had just surged from the ground shattered instantly.

The next moment, a figure slowly emerged from the earth, his body coalescing from sand—it was none other than the Sand Crocodile, Crocodile!

Crocodile stared intently at Lu Zhuo and said in a low voice, "I truly underestimated you. You were aiming for me from the very beginning, weren't you? State your purpose."

"Heh, you think too highly of yourself." Lu Zhuo snorted and said, "My original goal was just to take Robin away, but because of a bet, I have to defeat you now..."

"Arrogant!" Crocodile roared, whipping up a cloud of dust that transformed into a massive blade in mid-air, which he swung down with lethal force.

"Kid, do you think that just because you defeated one of my subordinates, you can defeat me? I've lost count of how many brats like you, who just entered the Grand Line and don't know the immensity of heaven and earth, I've killed!"

Lu Zhuo gripped his sword with both hands, staring intently at Crocodile before him, and said coldly, "Didn't your mother tell you... not to talk nonsense during a fight!"

Void-Breaking Draw Sword Strike!

This was a powerful sword technique that Lu Zhuo could only unleash after becoming a master swordsman; as the blade rubbed violently against the scabbard, a formidable force was transmitted into the steel.

At the very instant of the draw, he utilized sword pressure to further amplify the power.

While out at sea, Lu Zhuo hadn't even dared to use this technique at full strength, fearing he might accidentally capsize his own ship. Now, he could finally unleash it to his heart's content!

A silver-white sword glow, dozens of meters long, swept out in an arc, crushing the sand-condensed blade like dry wood snapping, and even leveled countless surrounding buildings in its wake.

Crocodile was shocked by the power of this strike, and the moment his body began to elementalize, the sword light slashed into him.

A thunderous roar shook the entire city, jolting everyone from their sleep!