Nico Robin

"I'm Bred. Sorry to disturb your rest so late, sir." Facing the star-studded sea beyond the window, Bred dialed his phone and reported to his immediate superior.

After a rustling sound, Minister Honest's tired, feeble voice came through. "I can't hear any sincerity from you at all, Bred~" He immediately complained, "Honestly, lack of sleep isn't just a woman's enemy. Men suffer from it too. Lately, my hair has been falling out in clumps, and I've even had the rotten luck of developing high blood pressure. Can't you people show a little consideration..."

"Eating vegetarian would guarantee a lot of improvement," Bred interrupted Minister Honest.

"Huh?" Minister Honest froze, as though he had suffered a grave insult, and his spirits instantly rose. "Going vegetarian is impossible! Impossible in this lifetime!"

Bred replied flatly, "Suit yourself. Back to business, sir. I'm sending you a few photos."

A long while passed.

"Well done, Bred. Well done." Minister Honest's tone turned grave. "Who would have thought those bastards had secretly come this far right under the government's nose? They can practically fully decipher those complex ancient texts already."

Bred said, "This list of people capable of deciphering ancient writing partially overlaps with the previous list of people who had contact with the Poneglyphs hidden beneath the Tree of Knowledge library. Some are newly discovered. The ones marked with red circles pose major threats; I recommend eliminating them immediately. The rest can be left alone for now. As long as the Poneglyphs remain as tempting bait, the fish will be willing to risk taking the hook."

"I understand," Minister Honest said readily.

Bred idly flicked his fingers. "Sir?"

"Hmm?" Minister Honest responded.

Bred gave a slow, blatant hint. "Logically speaking, my contribution hasn't been small. The planning, strategy, and mission execution were more or less all handled by me alone..."

"Oh~~ Oh~!" Minister Honest suddenly understood and laughed. "Already holding out your hand for a reward? You greedy little devil!"

"I'm a realist," Bred said. "I lack the awareness for selfless devotion. I like the sense of fairness in doing as much work as I'm paid for—or receiving payment for however much work I do."

"What reward do you want?" Minister Honest asked in return. "How about making an exception and promoting you into Cipher Pol-PL? An unprecedented honor! You'll become the first person in history to become a P0 agent the moment you become an agent, as well as the youngest P0 agent on record."

Bred smiled. "A reward I could obtain easily with just a little time? Sir, you said it with such certainty before—you aren't a miser."

"..."

Minister Honest laughed loudly, shaking off the awkwardness. "Once you finish your work and return to Mary Geoise, you may choose any one item from the Holy Land Treasure Vault."

"One item?" Bred haggled with practiced ease. "Sir, as I understand it, among the various achievements recognized by the government, accomplishments related to the Void Century are ranked half a tier above all other kinds."

"You troublesome little brat, you know far too much!" Minister Honest pretended to be furious, but then said, "Don't be greedy, Bred. You may choose one item from the Holy Land Treasure Vault, and I'll make an exception by promoting you into Cipher Pol-PL!"

"OK," Bred said. Then he added, "But I request permission to return to Mary Geoise first to handle a few personal matters."

"Personal matters?" Minister Honest teased. "You aren't just impatient to get your hands on something from the Holy Land Treasure Vault, are you? Patience, young man."

"They really are personal matters," Bred said. "I was one of those who probed the person researching the Poneglyphs hidden beneath the Tree of Knowledge library, in order to investigate their progress. Given the danger revealed by that probe, I had no reason to spare him, so he died. But he wasn't merely an ancient linguist—he was also a historical hunter with a Hunter License."

Minister Honest clicked his tongue in schadenfreude. "Lying low, huh? According to Hunter Association procedure, when one of their hunters dies, they must investigate before revoking the hunter's license. And the Hunter Association knows your identity. Even without evidence, you were extremely close to the scene of death, making you their primary suspect. Especially since you're also a licensed hunter, and this involves violating the Hunter Association's rules—the Hunter's Ten Commandments."

"The pressure from the Hunter Association is one aspect. On the other hand, most of those researching the Poneglyphs hidden beneath the Tree of Knowledge library are historical hunters and ancient ruins hunters. They know my identity too. Swain's death will inevitably cause them panic. My temporary departure will help stabilize them and let them continue their research while clinging to a hopeful chance," Bred said.

"Fine, I approve your request. Yawn~~~" Minister Honest yawned. "Going to sleep. Going to sleep."

The phone call ended.

Bred remained in Swain's study, while Swain himself already hung from a beam overhead.

Bluish skin, a long tongue, protruding scarlet eyes, and tear tracks still wet on his cheeks... Swain had not died prettily, but the man who had chosen to end his own life to protect his wife had died like a man.

Only after methodically removing every trace of his presence did Bred finally leave.

The instant he opened the door—

"Hello, Ms. Olvia." After a brief moment of surprise, Bred greeted her courteously.

Olvia had appeared outside the study at some unknown time. She remained strong and did not cry, even when she saw her husband's corpse.

"Don't waste the chance Mr. Swain bought with his sacrifice. Before you give birth, go seek refuge at the Hunter Association as soon as possible." Bred took a few steps, then turned back. "Forget everything. Everything!"

Only after Bred's silhouette vanished into the night—

"Waaah~~~"

Olvia finally choked up and sobbed. Before long, her grief-stricken sobs turned into pained moans, then screams.

"Dong, dong, dong."

The Bell of Knowledge on Ohara Island rang twelve times.

February 6th, early morning, 12:07 a.m.

Nico Robin entered the world beneath the "gaze" of her departed father.

And Bred, having returned home, teased Altair while speaking with Anderson. "In a few days, I'll be returning to Mary Geoise. I'll have to trouble you to keep watch over Ohara Island, Father Anderson."

"Of course, child," Anderson said.

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