I Didn't Come Too Late, Did I?

Time slipped by quietly. Night fell, with only scattered lights and the cold moonlight providing a faint glow.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Chaotic footsteps and shouts shattered the silence of the night.

Robin ran desperately, her chest burning from lack of oxygen, every breath carrying the taste of rust.

Behind her was a sea of pursuers: not only three hundred Colombo Family thugs dressed in clown outfits, but also more than two hundred Marines in standard uniforms, armed with swords and guns.

After an almost ground-scraping carpet search, her hiding place had finally been discovered. To ensure nothing went wrong, the Colombo Family had even "called in" Marine support.

As for why the righteous Marines would collude with an infamous mafia family and even cooperate so actively?

The reason was simple and cruel—the Colombo Family's main clients were nobles from numerous World Government member states. They could even occasionally make connections with a few World Nobles.

Among the five most powerful families in the vast underground world of the West Blue, four played similar roles, supplying the privileged class with whatever they desired.

Of course, these "sensible" big shots also understood where the line was. Their "business" and activities were generally kept strictly within non-member nations of the World Government.

That way, they could satisfy the nobles' various unspeakable desires without making the World Government look too bad. After all, only around half the nations in the world belonged to the World Government. The number of non-member nations was unimaginably vast—more than enough for these hyenas to run wild.

What's more, under the World Government's arrogant legal system, civilians from non-member nations... simply weren't considered "people."

To the World Government's upper ranks, slaughtering residents of non-member nations was no different in essence from stepping on an anthill.

That was why, despite the Colombo Family's countless atrocities and the murder of innumerable civilians from non-member nations, the bounties on its core members remained an astonishing zero.

Robin gritted her teeth as she ran and activated her ability. Dozens of slender arms instantly sprouted from the dirt-and-stone road beneath the pursuers' feet, trying to trip them.

However, the hastily activated ability had limited effect. Only a few people, clearly hollowed out by drink and women, stumbled and fell. Against trained Marines and vicious mafia enforcers, such interference was insignificant.

More arms appeared behind her, pushing with all their strength against barrels, shelves, and other clutter stacked along the roadside, trying to block the pursuers' path.

This time, the effect was somewhat better. Some of the pursuers were temporarily held back, but there were simply too many of them. Like a tide, they surged over the obstacles and continued their relentless pursuit.

Whoosh! A figure moved at far beyond human speed, using Soru to instantly appear on the road ahead of Robin.

Moonlight illuminated the savage scar covering his entire left cheek, as well as the drawn longsword in his hand. He was Morsambia, a lieutenant commander from the Marine Headquarters branch stationed in the West Blue.

"Nico Robin!"

Morsambia roared, his sword tip aimed directly at the staggering Robin.

"Surrender quietly! You can't escape!"

A flash of resolve passed through Robin's eyes. Arms instantly appeared at Morsambia's shoulder, elbow, and knee joints, attempting to use a joint lock.

However, the gap in strength was too great. Her arms could not slow Morsambia's movements in the slightest. Instead, with a violent shake of his shoulder, every arm burst apart into petals.

Robin stared desperately at the powerful Marine officer blocking her path, then looked back at the Marines and gangsters closing in from behind and both sides, their faces twisted with savagery. A familiar despair seized her at once. The flames of Ohara seemed to blaze before her eyes once more.

The encirclement closed completely. Torchlight and lantern light illuminated her pale little face with perfect clarity.

A cold, assured look appeared on Morsambia's face as he reached for Robin's slender neck.

"Devil Child, your escape is over..."

Just as his rough fingers were about to touch Robin's skin—

Robin's body suddenly became weightless, floating gently upward and narrowly evading his grasp.

"Huh?"

Under everyone's stunned gaze, Robin continued rising, as though an invisible hand were holding her aloft.

Then she crashed into a broad yet exceptionally warm embrace. A deep, magnetic voice sounded above her head, carrying a trace of barely noticeable concern.

"I didn't come too late, did I?"

Robin abruptly raised her head. Through her tear-blurred eyes, she saw a familiar handsome face. Shoulder-length silver hair gleamed with a cold luster under the moonlight, while those aqua-blue pupils clearly reflected her wretched state.

Years of fear, grievance, and loneliness burst through their dam at that moment. Tears rolled down like pearls from a broken string as she choked out a question in a voice that was nearly broken.

"Idiot... Idiot Adams! You came too late! On the day of the Buster Call... where the hell did you go?! The professor... the scholars... and Mom... they all... they all..."

A complicated emotion flashed through Adams's eyes. He raised a large hand and gently rubbed Robin's hair, soaked with sweat and tears. The gesture was a little stiff, but careful enough.

"Alright, stop crying. I'm back. Whatever you want to say, we can talk after we leave this godforsaken place."

His gaze left Robin and fell upon the restless crowd below, instantly turning cold and sharp.

"Now, I'll deal with those annoying flies down there first."

Below, behind the windows of several homes on both sides of the street, some bolder civilians peered out at the unbelievable sight.

A minor Colombo Family leader scrambled over to Morsambia's side, pointing fearfully at Adams in the sky as he stammered out the basics of his identity.

After hearing him out, Morsambia's expression became incomparably grim, and he tightened his grip on his sword.

But the justice behind him did not allow him to retreat. He raised his head and shouted sternly.

"Adams! Hand over the person in your arms! She is a major criminal wanted by the World Government for an enormous reward! This has nothing to do with you! Don't make a mistake!"

Adams spoke three words without hesitation.

"I refuse."

Morsambia suppressed his anger and tried to explain the "stakes."

"What you've done in non-member nations falls outside Marine jurisdiction. I can pretend I never saw it.

"But if you insist on obstructing the Marines in the performance of our duties and sheltering a world-class criminal, you will immediately be regarded as an enemy by the World Government and the Marines, and a massive bounty will be placed on your head! Have you thought through the consequences?!"

Adams answered with a mocking chuckle.

"Just what I want. I hope the Marines and the World Government don't set my bounty too low."

As soon as he finished speaking, before Morsambia could say another word, Adams casually swept his free left hand downward.

"[Earth Dragon: Earth Scroll]!"

Rumble—!!!

The earth instantly let out an overwhelmed groan. The dirt-and-stone road beneath everyone's feet churned and rose as though it had come alive.

In the blink of an eye, three enormous dragon heads formed from mud and rock. Carrying a terrifying force that seemed capable of destroying everything, they crashed down upon the dense crowd of Marines and Colombo Family members below.

"Attack! Attack now!"

Morsambia was horrified beyond measure. He issued the order in a hoarse scream while slashing at the dragon heads with all his strength.

The minor leader was also terrified out of his wits, shrieking for his men to open fire.

However, whether it was the Marines' desperate sword strikes or the mafia thugs' loudly firing flintlocks, their attacks could only throw up a few insignificant sparks and fragments against the rocky dragon heads. They could not stop them in the slightest.

Amid countless despairing eyes and shrill screams, the three massive dragon heads mercilessly swallowed everyone below, burying them completely beneath rubble and dirt.

After the violent tremors subsided, the once-noisy street was left with only deathly silence and a vast stretch of ruins.

After doing all that, Adams's expression did not change in the slightest, as though he had merely swatted a few bugs to death.

He lowered his head and spoke gently to Robin, who had temporarily stopped crying from shock, as though the earth-shaking destruction just now had not come from his hand.

"Alright, the little problem is solved. Come on, Robin. I'll take you... home now."

With that, he held the girl tightly and shot into the sky once more, becoming a meteor that vanished into the cold night sky.

To be continued