Nico Robin

Amina slowly left the kitchen.

Charlos also walked out of the kitchen.

The shadow hiding in the darkness saw Charlos leave and quietly slipped into the kitchen. She looked around, then sat down in a chair at the dining table.

The late-night snack was still on the table. The girl sat down, lifted the bowl's lid, and leaned closer to take a sniff.

"Wow, that smells amazing."

She picked up the bowl and took a sip of the soup first.

"Mmm, so warm."

She picked up the chopsticks and began shoveling the food into her mouth.

"Delicious, delicious."

Charlos stood behind her, watching silently.

The girl devoured all the food in the bowl in one breath, then put down her chopsticks.

"Ah, I'm full."

Charlos spoke calmly. "Are you full?"

"Yeah."

The girl suddenly turned around, her face filled with panic.

"You—you already left, didn't you?"

Charlos gave a soft chuckle.

"You sneaked into the kitchen without even closing the door?"

The girl lowered her head and stared at the floor.

"I—I'm sorry."

Charlos stepped closer and looked at her.

"Tell me your name. You can't eat my food and still refuse to tell me your name, can you?"

The girl was terrified, and her voice trembled.

"I—I'm called... I'm called Liya. Yes, my name is Liya."

Charlos reached out and gently patted her head.

"Tell me the truth."

The girl's eyes darted around in panic.

"My name is Mel."

"You're still not telling me the truth?"

"I'll tell you, I'll tell you! But please don't tell the Marines about this."

"Relax. Without my orders, the Marines can't board this ship at will."

"Hmph, you're bluffing."

"I'm not bluffing. Do you know who I am?"

The girl stared at Charlos. "Who are you?"

"I'm a World Noble, a Celestial Dragon."

When the little girl heard the words "Celestial Dragon," her pupils suddenly contracted. She turned and tried to run.

Charlos reacted swiftly and grabbed her by the collar.

"Where do you think you're going? You haven't explained yourself yet."

The little girl shook her head frantically.

The little girl crossed her hands over her chest, and several arms suddenly appeared out of thin air, wrapping around Charlos. Some reached for his face, some twisted his ears, and others moved to pinch his eyes.

Charlos still held the girl by the collar, refusing to let go.

"You're a Devil Fruit user!"

"Let go of me first!"

"No."

"Do you believe I'll call for help right now?"

The girl was helpless and had no choice but to withdraw her attack. The arms wrapped around Charlos all dissolved into petals.

Charlos looked at the little girl before him, released her, and gently settled her back into the chair.

"Can we have a proper conversation now?"

The little girl obediently nodded.

"What's your name?"

"Nico Robin."

Charlos's eyes suddenly sharpened, and his pupils contracted.

"Nico Robin?"

"Yes, that's right." Robin nervously clenched the hem of her clothes and spoke cautiously. "So please, don't hand me over to the Marines."

Charlos suddenly threw his head back and laughed.

"Hahaha, why would I hand you over to the Marines?"

"Because I'm wanted." Robin lowered her voice. "My bounty is very high. It can be exchanged for a lot of money."

"How much could it possibly be?"

Robin looked up at him. "Seventy-nine million Beli. That's already a lot."

Charlos casually picked up the spatula beside him and slapped it down on the table.

"This spatula is worth fifty million Beli. This ship of mine is worth at least one billion. Do you understand?"

Robin looked at Charlos, then lowered her head to stare at the spatula on the table, her face full of disbelief.

"You're bluffing. How could a spatula possibly be worth that much?"

Charlos chuckled.

"That's right, a single spatula isn't worth that much. But this ship of mine is worth over a billion. Your little bounty is nothing to me."

Robin stared at him, half believing and half doubting.

"Really? Then I'll reluctantly believe you. But aren't you afraid of bringing trouble upon yourself? If the Marines come after me, you'll be in a lot of trouble."

Charlos gave a scornful laugh, his tone incredibly arrogant.

"I told you already. Without my orders, the Marines don't have the right to set foot on my ship."

As soon as he finished speaking, a shadow suddenly appeared in the kitchen.

A CP0 agent in a black suit and mask knelt on one knee beside Charlos's feet. His voice was cold and rigid.

"Lord Saint Charlos, she is the wanted criminal Nico Robin. According to regulations, she must be handed over to the World Government for disposal."

Charlos tapped his fingers lightly against the tabletop, his eyes indifferent and cold.

"CP0, you're nothing more than dogs raised by us Celestial Dragons. Since when did you get to order me around?"

The CP0 agent did not move and continued reporting with his head bowed.

"Lord Saint Charlos, if you insist on refusing, I will report this matter to my superiors and have the higher-ups decide."

Charlos's gaze turned sharp, and his tone brooked no argument.

"Go ahead and report it if you want. I'm protecting this little one."

The CP0 agent before him looked troubled but remained kneeling on the ground.

"She violated the World Government's strictest law by secretly investigating the Void Century. She must be dealt with."

Charlos's tone was forceful, without the slightest hint of compromise.

"I said I'm protecting her. If there's any problem, have your superior come and discuss it with me personally. Now, leave my sight immediately."

The CP0 agent slowly rose, bowed deeply, and prepared to leave.

Charlos's gaze was cold as he added calmly,

"I'll say it one more time. I can't be bothered with where you go. But within my line of sight, I don't want to see any of you."

"Understood."

The CP0 agent's figure slowly faded into the night.

Charlos turned to Nico Robin and spoke lightly.

"It's fine now."

Nico Robin stared blankly at him and asked in a small voice, "Are you with the World Government?"

Charlos tilted his head and pondered for a moment before speaking calmly.

"More precisely, I suppose you could say I'm the World Government's master."

"Huh?"

"I'm joking." He chuckled, his tone certain. "But don't worry. There are indeed things in this world I can't do, but protecting you is still well within my abilities."

Robin nodded repeatedly. "Oh, oh, oh."

"What do you mean, 'oh'?" Charlos shook his head helplessly. "All right, how long have you been wearing those clothes?"

Robin lowered her head and sniffed her filthy dress, her eyes filled with confusion.

"I don't know. About two months, I guess."

"How about this? You can sleep in my room tonight."

Robin immediately looked up. "What about you?"

"I'll sleep with you."

Nico Robin's face instantly flushed bright red, and she hurriedly waved her hands.

"No, no, you can't!"

Charlos raised an eyebrow at her. "Then where do you plan to sleep? Are you going to find some random corner and squat there all night?"

Robin stammered, unable to get a word out.

"Stop making a fuss. Come to my room with me. My bed is very big."

At that, Robin's cheeks grew even redder, and she became awkward and flustered.

Seeing her bashful appearance, Charlos couldn't resist teasing her. "You're so young. What are you imagining?"

"All right, come with me."

Nico Robin followed Charlos into his quarters.

The moment the door opened, the bright and spotless room was so dazzling that she instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes.

After her eyes slowly adjusted to the light, she lowered her hand and looked around, her eyes filled with amazement.

"Is this your bedroom? It's so big."

"It's all right."

Nico Robin hurried to the bedside and stared at the enormous bed.

"This bed is huge too. At least seven or eight people could sleep on it."

Charlos shook his head.

"You're thinking too small. At least twenty people can sleep on this bed."

"Wow, that's amazing! Have you tested it?"

"No. Why would I test something like that for no reason?"