The Last Historian

The system upgrade was complete. Everything was in place; all Noil had to do was wait for the people from Baroque Works.

Crocodile's efficiency did not disappoint him.

Just as the sun was about to set, a large, bright pink ship docked at the shore.

Once it had docked, Nico Robin and a person of ambiguous gender stepped off, surrounded by a crowd of underlings.

Mr. 2, the Okama, raised one leg high behind him, then spun on the tip of his other foot.

In a dainty voice, he said, "Oh! Miss All Sunday, what is little Zero thinking?"

"Why send me to deal with some rookie who's only just appeared? Why? Why?"

Robin gave the chattering Mr. 2 a helpless smile. "It's the boss's order. You only need to test his strength."

Mr. 2 had a muscular build, but he wore bizarrely heavy makeup, false eyelashes, and straight-cut bangs.

He wore a swan ballet costume beneath a pink coat.

The coat had "Bon Kurei" written on the back, along with a pair of swan heads and wings.

His androgynous face was full of reluctance.

But it was his boss's order, so Mr. 2 had no choice but to carry out the mission.

The two headed into town. Most of the bounty hunters there were low-ranking Baroque agents—the so-called Millions and Billions.

When they saw Mr. 2's unmistakable appearance, their faces filled with fear and fervor.

His rank was far beyond anything most of them could hope to reach in their lifetimes.

And his strength was terrifying.

Could the man they had been serving these past few days really stand up to this Senior Agent?

Guided by the low-ranking agents, Robin and Mr. 2 went straight to where Noil was resting.

Noil reclined comfortably in a rocking chair while a pretty young woman beside him fed him grapes. He looked like a wealthy landlord enjoying the good life.

Hearing the commotion, Noil glanced up and saw two more familiar faces.

Whether in his past life or this one, that androgynous look made the newcomer unmistakably an Okama.

That must be Bon Clay, the fiercely loyal Okama, right?

As for the sexy, long-haired beauty beside him, Noil could have recognized Robin by her legs alone.

Isn't that Robin?

Noil was surprised Crocodile had sent her.

But sending only these two? Crocodile had still underestimated him...

Before either of them could speak, Noil asked, "What position is your boss planning to give me?"

Mr. 2's false eyelashes quivered with anger at the rookie's arrogant expression.

He was about to step forward and teach Noil a lesson when Robin stopped him.

Looking at Noil lounging brazenly in his chair, Robin smiled. "Our boss wants to give you a test first."

The charm of a mature woman came through effortlessly in her smile. Even Noil found himself momentarily distracted.

Robin really is the picture of a sophisticated beauty. She has the warmth of a friendly older woman and the allure of a grown woman.

Nice. She's exactly my type!

After that private appraisal, Noil put on a disdainful expression. "Test me? You just want someone to beat me up, don't you?

"With this androgynous fellow?"

"Aren't you just talking out of your ass?"

Mr. 2 exploded on the spot. "Bullshit!" he shrieked. "I'm not some androgynous fellow—I'm an Okama!"

Silence fell for a moment. Even Robin frowned in thought.

What was the difference?

The Last Historian ### As Noil looked at Mr. 2, everything he knew about the Okama came to mind.

What interested Noil most about him was his Devil Fruit ability.

The user of the Clone-Clone Fruit could transform into anyone he had touched with his hand, perfectly replicating even their body.

Oh... that ability.

In an instant, all sorts of indecent uses sprang to Noil's mind.

He could copy it. It would be a great help when he needed to hide his identity later.

As for Nico Robin, Noil felt considerable sympathy and affection for her.

The last survivor of Ohara had endured a tragic childhood, wandering alone through the shadows just to stay alive.

Because of who she was, betrayal had become Robin's only way to survive.

It was not until she met the Straw Hat Pirates that light returned to her life.

Seeing Noil stare fixedly at her, Robin instinctively pulled down the brim of her cowboy hat, hiding half her face in shadow.

When Noil ignored him, Mr. 2 raised a leg and spun again, frantic with anger. "Don't ignore me, you brat!"

"Take this! Okama Rush!"

He twisted into a flamboyant ballet move and sprang forward with his extraordinary jumping power.

Mr. 2 kicked at Noil's throat.

Noil neither dodged nor blocked. He stood there, watching Mr. 2 with a mocking gaze.

Just as Noil expected, Mr. 2's vicious kick passed straight through his neck, leaving a large hole filled with flames.

"Oh! My leg hurts!"

Mr. 2 pulled back. The flames had singed off a patch of leg hair, and he made a tremendous fuss over it.

Flames swiftly restored Noil's body. "That's it?" he said, clicking his tongue. "I thought you were supposed to be tough."

"You little brat!"

Mr. 2 roared in helpless fury, while surprise flickered in Robin's beautiful eyes.

A Logia user, just like Crocodile.

At the sight of Noil's body turning to flame, Robin quickly reached her conclusion.

No wonder he had been able to defeat Mr. 5. With an ability like that, even Mr. 2 was probably no match for him.

Mr. 2 was still attacking Noil relentlessly, so Robin hurried to put a stop to his self-inflicted injuries.

She looked up at the tall Noil and spoke in her alluring voice. "Hello, Mr. Noil."

"I'm the vice president of Baroque Works. You may call me Miss All Sunday. This is Mr. 2."

"Would you come with us?"

"Our boss wants to meet you."

Noil raised an eyebrow. "What? No more test?"

Robin kept her polite smile. "You have the power of a Logia Devil Fruit. Apart from our boss, I doubt anyone in the organization is stronger than you."

Everyone knew that Logia Devil Fruits granted immense power even to an inexperienced user.

Eat one, even the weakest Logia Devil Fruit, and you could immediately gain enough strength to roam the first half of the Grand Line with ease.

The passive ability to turn your body into an element alone made you untouchable to countless people who could not use Haki.

Of course, Luffy—the world's chosen one with an unfair advantage—was an exception.

Satisfied with Robin's explanation, Noil nodded. "Where are you taking me?"

Robin smiled faintly. "Alabasta."

Perfect!

Noil rejoiced inwardly. There's my guide!

He kept his feelings off his face and said calmly, "Then let's go."

Mr. 2, unable to make use of his ability at all, felt thoroughly disgruntled as he led the way.

The two brought Noil aboard the Swan Pink Ship.

His own ship was tied behind it, and a few underlings sailed it along.

At last, he left Whiskey Peak after several days there.

Aboard the ship, Mr. 2 sulked and refused to speak to Noil, like a child throwing a tantrum.

But Mr. 2's moods changed as quickly as they came.

After tasting Noil's cooking, his expression brightened at once.

There was no strained relationship a bowl of delicious food could not mend.

And if there was, ten bowls would do it.

The moment Mr. 2 took his first bite, he surrendered completely to Noil's irresistible cooking.

Amid a chorus of praise and enthusiastic cheers, Noil finally escaped the crowd around him in the ship's dining hall.

When he reached the deck, he immediately spotted Robin sitting in a chair with a book.

She held it in her hands. The sunlight, usually fierce, fell softly across her face like a gentle spirit reluctant to disturb the young woman engrossed in her reading.

Her face showed a hunger for knowledge. Even the air seemed to tread softly; all was quiet but for the rustle of pages beneath her slender fingers.

Noil said nothing, simply admiring the sight of Robin reading.

Really, a beautiful woman looks good no matter what she's doing.

"Mr. Noil, do I look good turning pages?"

Robin did not look up from her book, but her soft question reached him all the same.

Noil smiled, looked away, and answered shamelessly, "You do. Of course you do."

"Nico Robin. I know who you are."

Robin's hand trembled slightly. Without otherwise betraying her reaction, she asked, "What do you know, Mr. Noil?"

Noil sat across from her, leaned on the table, and looked up at her with a smile. "The last historian. A survivor of Ohara."

Robin finally lifted her head to look at him, an unreadable glint in her eyes.

Noil met her gaze confidently and said something that shook her to the core. "You're here for more than a place to hide from your pursuers, aren't you?"

"Did you join Crocodile because you're looking for a Poneglyph?"

"One about... Pluton, perhaps?"

Before he could finish, Robin sprang from her chair and crossed her arms over her chest, instinctively using her power.

Arms bloomed from Noil's shoulders. They seized his head and wrenched it into a Joint Lock.

His head broke apart beneath their grip, scattering into sparks in the air.

The burning pain traveled through her manifested hands, and Robin's surge of emotion began to subside.

Flames gathered once more, revealing Noil's handsome face again.

Robin stared coldly at the man and his irreverent smile. "How do you know my boss is Crocodile, one of the Shichibukai?"

"How do you know I'm looking for a Poneglyph?"

"And who are you?"

Noil paid no mind to her attack. He smiled. "You're intensely curious. That might not be a bad thing for someone else, but for you, it definitely is."

Robin stared hard at Noil.

She had the feeling this man knew a great deal about her past.