Buster Call

Robin raised her head. Her calm eyes showed not the slightest ripple at Rain's words, and the Seastone handcuffs around her wrists gave a dull clank as she moved.

"If you were an ordinary hunter who could be blinded by a bounty, you should be up on the rooftop right now, joining that CP9 assassin in attacking Luffy." Robin looked at Rain, a cool smile that seemed to have seen through the world curling at her lips. "And judging by your interrogation just now, you clearly have something else you want, don't you?"

Unconcealed admiration flashed through Rain's eyes.

"Talking to smart people saves effort." Rain stood and dusted the lime from his hands. "The Devil Child who hid in the underground underworld for twenty years truly has sharp eyes. Since our goals do not conflict, I'll ask you to be a witness while we're at it."

As he spoke, Rain stomped his foot. The formerly solid stone floor began to roll again, carrying Robin slowly forward.

"Since you're feeling a little weak right now, let me show you the secrets the World Government has hidden underground."

As his Fruit power activated, the walls of the stone chamber split apart to either side like rippling water. Rain walked ahead while Robin dragged her heavy Seastone handcuffs behind him, silently following the mysterious hunter.

Tower of Justice, second underground level, Seastone strategic materials warehouse.

This was an underground fortress built entirely from high-strength alloy and heavy Granite. Its doors were tightly shut, and red warning lights flickered in the darkness.

Rain walked to the main control panel and entered six eights. Then, amid a shift of elemental matter, the upper half of his body turned to rock. He paid particular attention to sculpting his throat before slowly speaking into the voiceprint receiver. "Justice will prevail."

It was unmistakably Spandam's voice.

"Beep—identity confirmed. Officer Spandam, welcome to the special-grade materials vault."

Amid the heavy turning of mechanical gears, the one-meter-thick alloy doors slowly slid open to both sides, and the infrared beams from the automated machine-gun array went dark.

When the doors fully opened, even Robin, who had seen much in her life, could not help widening her eyes slightly.

Rows upon rows of sealed moisture-proof crates were stacked neatly throughout the enormous warehouse. The most eye-catching sight was the central area, where hundreds of unprocessed Seastone ore deposits were piled up, alongside large quantities of forged Seastone shackles, nets, and even specially made bullets mixed with Seastone powder.

This was practically a hellscape capable of effortlessly destroying any Devil Fruit user!

Yet as Rain looked at the Seastone that should have robbed him of all strength, fervent ambition burned in his dark eyes.

If he could thoroughly analyze these materials, perhaps his Rock-Rock Fruit would no longer be limited to ordinary stone. If he combined Seastone's extreme hardness and suppressive properties with his own petrification defense, there would no longer be any so-called "natural counter" to his ability on these seas!

Because of Seastone's suppressive effect on ability users, Rain did not touch it directly. With a thought, the Granite floor beneath his feet instantly rose up and formed two thick stone arms.

Like the most loyal laborers, the stone arms methodically stuffed crate after crate of precious raw Seastone and specialized weapons into the massive custom-made bag Rain had prepared.

"Have you lost your mind?" Robin could not help speaking as she watched Rain plunder the vault with near greed. "Seastone is a strategic material completely monopolized by the World Government. If you take this much, the pursuit you face after being exposed will be no less than what the Straw Hat Pirates face."

"Bounty hunters have never feared being wanted. We only fear not being strong enough." Rain turned to Robin. "Besides, after today, all of Enies Lobby will become ruins. Who would know I took it? The World Government will only pin this blame on your captain."

Robin froze slightly. She had yet to understand what he meant by Enies Lobby becoming ruins.

The plundering continued for a full ten minutes. Only after the massive custom-made bag had been stuffed completely full did Rain reluctantly stop the stone arms.

"The haul from this warehouse should be enough to push my strength into the next tier."

"Now, it's time to take the last thing."

Rain pulled a cross-shaped key from his pocket. It was the key to opening Spandam's private safe and obtaining the Naval Six Powers manual.

He walked over to Robin and looked at the Seastone handcuffs around her wrists.

"The key to your cuffs isn't on that piece of trash. It should be with those CP9 agents." Rain pointed above them, where violent tremors were still continuously echoing. "Your captain and companions are risking their lives to seize your key right now. I won't overstep my bounds and steal the role they earned with their lives. So, are you coming with me, or will you go find them yourself?"

Rain stomped his foot, and a wide stone passage extended along the warehouse wall, rising toward the surface in a series of steps.

"If possible, I'd still like to ask you to protect me until I reunite with them. My ability is restricted right now. I couldn't even handle an ordinary Marine soldier."

Robin looked at the steady stone staircase leading upward, then made her request to Rain. After everything that had happened, she understood Luffy and the others' feelings more deeply than ever. Never before had she cherished her life as much as she did now.

"What a frightening man..."

She did not hesitate. Dragging her heavy feet, she still followed Rain toward the office upstairs.

"By the way, aren't you really worried that Straw Hat and the others won't be able to defeat the CP9 members? Lucci and the others aren't weak."

"It's fine. I believe in their strength. Besides, with you here, if they really are in danger, you wouldn't just stand by, would you?" Relaxed at last, Robin revealed a smile she had not worn in a long time.

"Is that so? But before that, would you be interested in telling me what those Poneglyphs you saw actually said?" Rain was genuinely curious about this. Even in his previous life, Oda had never revealed the Poneglyphs' specific contents.

Robin's smile paused for a moment. "What, are you interested in Pluton too?"

"Not really. I'm all alone; what would I need that warship for? I couldn't even control it. I'm just curious about the secret the World Government doesn't want people to know. The more they forbid it, the more curious I get." The flames of gossip in Rain's heart had long been blazing.

"I didn't lie that time. It really only recorded some of Alabasta's history. There was no secret. If you truly want to understand, you may need to explore further. But all of this is expressly forbidden by the World Government. Even studying it is a capital crime. My homeland is proof enough—it sank beneath a Buster Call simply for researching the Void Century. Oh, his office is here." Robin's eyes darkened.

As Rain entered Spandam's office, opened the safe, and took out the Naval Six Powers materials he needed, he asked Robin, "After all this time, are you still so afraid of a Buster Call? With those companions, you should have a little more confidence, shouldn't you?"

Before he even finished speaking, Rain took out the golden Den Den Mushi and pressed it before Robin could react.