Robin the Schemer

The atmosphere on the field suddenly turned strange. Buggy continued to wail, "Oh my, oh my~ it hurts so much."

Then, his other arm was snapped off by the power of the Hana Hana no Mi and fell to the ground.

"..."

Robin stared at the severed arm on the ground for a moment, then retreated two steps in vigilance, though a calm smile remained on her face. "Hehe, Mr. Red Nose... where did you learn my name?"

Buggy, who had been howling just a moment ago, instantly regained his vigor and roared, "Don't call me Mr. Red Nose! My name is Buggy!"

Robin smiled faintly and used the power of the Hana Hana no Mi to bind Buggy's body even tighter. "Very well, Mr. Red Nose."

"Well... alright, Miss Robin. Why must such a romantic first encounter turn into this? Wouldn't it be wonderful to sit down, have a couple of cups of delicious black tea, and talk it over slowly?" With the arm around his neck twisting his head ninety degrees, he still tried his best to express his feelings, shouting toward the sky.

"Thinking about it, it really is a romantic encounter, Mr. Red Nose. Your idea is truly heart-fluttering."

The faint smile on Robin's face remained unchanged, yet it was somewhat unsettling to look at.

"What a black-bellied person..." Buggy muttered. His entire body suddenly split apart, and the six arms, having lost their anchor point, turned into petals and scattered in the air.

Buggy's body reassembled, revealing a smile that looked as cunning as ever: "You are too rude, Miss Robin."

"A Devil Fruit user..." Robin's face did not show much surprise, as if she had already anticipated this result. She said calmly, "You followed me here—is it to hand me over to the government, or do you want my bounty?"

"Neither. My goal is the same as yours: those ruins." Buggy bowed like a gentleman, though it was a bit clumsy; he didn't mind. "I can't understand the profound and complex text at the bottom of the parchment, but if it were you, you should be able to. Why don't we use each other's strengths, become temporary partners, and seek out the ancestral ruins?"

"Partners... how interesting. Since you know my name, you must also know that I am the Child of the Devil who survived by betraying countless companions, a woman walking in the darkness." Robin smiled, yet not quite, a trace of self-mockery flashing in her eyes.

Anyone who had read the original story knew that Robin's background was truly tragic. After her hometown of Ohara was wiped out by the Marines' Buster Call, she had wandered the seas alone, struggling to survive amidst the betrayals of her companions.

In just a few minutes of contact, Buggy felt more intuitively the faint, lingering sorrow and loneliness radiating from her—or perhaps, a unique temperament.

Buggy smiled. "What I care about isn't the process of whether you might betray me, but the final result. As a pirate, I need treasure and wealth, but I don't think you need these vulgar things; you need something more interesting. I don't think we have any conflicting interests. Without the drive of profit, you probably, perhaps, have no reason to betray me, and the same goes for me."

Robin was stunned upon hearing this. It was the first time she had heard someone speak so bluntly, without hiding their ambition at all.

Buggy continued, "If we can be friends, why should we be enemies?"

Robin chuckled. "Mr. Red Nose, you really are an interesting person. If it's cooperation, I have no objections."

Buggy: "Don't call me Mr. Red Nose!"

Robin: "Hehehe~ Very well, Mr. Red Nose."

As expected, is she a natural-born black-belly...

Finally, with the premise of a shared goal, Buggy and Robin reached a temporary peace agreement: they would cooperate until the exploration of the ancestral ruins on this island was complete.

Buggy glanced at Robin, who was a head taller than him. With her 188-centimeter height, accentuated by high heels, she possessed a perfect golden-ratio figure and an elegant temperament. If she were on a stage, she would definitely be a top-tier model. Then he looked at himself—175 centimeters tall, coupled with his natural red nose. Compared to her, he suddenly felt a bit discouraged...

Buggy quickly shook the negative thoughts from his mind and asked tentatively, "Miss Robin, how did you end up here?"

"Mr. Red Nose, asking about a lady's privacy so abruptly is not very polite," Robin replied, giving nothing away.

According to the original plot, Robin should be working as Miss All Sunday for Baroque Works right now. How could she appear here? Did Crocodile send her? No, that shouldn't be it. The two were supposedly at odds; Robin wouldn't work for Crocodile in good faith. Since she came to Gali Island, it was highly likely she had received some information or a treasure map, just like him...

Buggy thought rapidly. As a transmigrator, he tried to leverage his knowledge of the plot. Combined with the ancient cuneiform he had seen earlier, these ancestral ruins were clearly not simple.

Along the way, Buggy tried to get closer to Robin, but her vigilance was at an absolute peak, and he ended up returning empty-handed.

The two walked through the primeval forest, pushing aside the long, flat leaves that blocked their view, and the scene suddenly opened up.

A ravine over twenty meters wide split the forest in two. Below, a stream flowed, with tiny bubbles rising to the surface, where one could faintly see black shadows constantly circling and swimming.

Buggy pushed a bucket-sized rock down.

The rock tumbled down, and suddenly, a giant crocodile lunged from the stream, opening its blood-red maw. With sharp teeth and powerful jaws, it bit the entire rock into pieces before diving back into the water.

Such astonishing bite force... Buggy took a deep breath and looked at the ravine in trouble. "Miss Robin, I think we should take a look at the map on the parchment."

"Of course, Mr. Red Nose." Robin opened the parchment and scanned it. "There is a rope bridge about three hundred meters to the south. We can cross from there."

"Three hundred meters south," Buggy muttered, then used a stone to carve a mark on the ground so that Cabaji and the other pirates could follow the trail later.

Watching Buggy's actions, Robin smiled faintly. "What a thoughtful captain."

Buggy didn't reply. After marking the path, the two arrived at the rope bridge. The wooden planks serving as steps were rotten, and the iron chains connecting the two banks were swaying precariously. The whole bridge looked extremely dangerous.

Buggy pulled hard on the iron chains; they weren't as fragile as they looked, but rather surprisingly sturdy.

"Miss Robin, let me scout the path." He tried to gain her trust and favor. He held an appreciative and identifying attitude toward the Straw Hat crew from the original story, and if he could recruit her to his ship, it might add a significant amount of combat power.

Robin chuckled, emitting a sound like silver bells. "Mr. Red Nose is unexpectedly gentlemanly!"

Buggy organized his words in his mind: Companions are meant to protect each other, Nico Robin-chan!

Let my burning friendship reach your heart and irrigate your withered flower field, Miss Robin!

He hesitated; it was too embarrassing, so Buggy didn't say it out loud. He stepped onto the rope bridge, his steps very small and cautious, while Robin followed a short distance behind him.

Walking on the swaying rope bridge, Buggy couldn't help but feel his mouth go dry and his heart race. He looked back at the calm Robin and suddenly felt she was quite charming. He was startled: Is this the legendary suspension bridge effect?

Buggy turned back around. Just as he took a step forward, before his foot landed on the plank, he heard a crack. The loose plank fell away and dropped into the water.

That was truly dangerous... Buggy couldn't help but let out a breath.

"Mr. Red Nose." Robin looked at Buggy with a straight face. "If you fall down, you'll be carved into several pieces of meat by the crocodiles below. Your blood will splash onto the fresh meat like tomato sauce, whetting the appetites of these crocodiles."

Buggy felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over his head, chilling him to the bone. The romantic feelings in his heart vanished instantly, and his face darkened. "Don't say such terrifying things!"