"Who's there?" Zoro was the first to react, instinctively reaching for his sword.
Yet when he gripped the hilt and pulled, he found that no matter how hard he tried, he could not draw it. An invisible force restrained him, keeping his blade firmly sheathed.
Only then did they see who had spoken: a black robe, a smiling face, perfectly blended into the surroundings.
They could not even tell when he had arrived, because if he had not spoken, they might never have noticed his presence.
"The God of Time and Space, Uchiha Shin?" Zoro cried out, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.
He had heard of Uchiha Shin's fearsome reputation. One palm strike had sent Marineford to the bottom of the sea, and when he wreaked havoc in Mary Geoise twenty years ago, the World Government had not even dared send pursuers after him.
Why had a figure straight out of myth appeared here?
Luffy looked up without the slightest sense of danger. Instead, he greeted him with a grin. "Uncle Shin, long time no see! Thanks for the fruit. It's helped me out a lot along the way. Oh, and thank you for saving Ace last time."
Robin also looked up then. Upon seeing Shin, she let out a startled cry before hurriedly saying, "Lord Shin, it has been a long time."
Though startled, she showed no other emotions. After adventuring with Luffy, she had clearly grown tremendously and had now truly matured.
"Robin, you know him?" Nami asked quietly as she moved to Robin's side.
Robin nodded. "Yes. Lord Shin saved us during the Buster Call, and he also took care of me when I was little."
"That's good." Nami patted her chest, finally letting out a breath of relief. It seemed the two sides had some