In One Piece: I Can Copy Any Talent

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

And Crocodile's efficiency did not disappoint him.

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

Once it had docked, Nico Robin and a flamboyant figure stepped off, surrounded by a crowd of underlings.

Mr. 2 lifted one leg high behind him, rose onto the toes of his other foot, and spun in a circle.

He said in a high, affected voice, "Oh! Miss All Sunday, what is little 0 thinking?"

"Why send me to deal with some rookie who's only just made his debut? Why, oh why?"

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

Mr. 2 had a sturdy build, yet he wore strange, heavy makeup, false eyelashes, and straight-cut bangs.

He wore a swan ballet outfit and a pink coat.

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

His androgynous face was full of reluctance.

But these were his boss's orders, 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 Works agents, the so-called Millions and Billions.

At the sight of Mr. 2's unmistakable appearance, they all looked both fearful and fervent.

After all, his rank was one they could scarcely hope to reach in their lifetimes.

And his strength was terrifying.

Was the man they had been serving these past few days really a match for this Senior Agent?

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

Noil lounged 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 raised his eyes and saw two familiar faces.

Whether in his previous life or this one, he could tell at a glance that the androgynous one was an Okama.

That had to be Bon Clay, the fiercely loyal Okama, right?

As for the sexy woman beside him with long, straight black hair, Noil could have recognized Robin by her legs alone.

Wasn't that Robin?

Noil was rather surprised Crocodile had sent her.

But if Crocodile had sent only these two, he was still underestimating him...

Before either of them could speak, Noil asked, "So what position does your boss plan to give me?"

The rookie's arrogant expression made Mr. 2's false eyelashes quiver with anger.

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

Robin looked at Noil sprawled in his chair and smiled. "Our boss would like to test you first."

The mature woman's charm showed in every little expression and smile. Even Noil was momentarily captivated.

Robin really was the picture of an alluring older woman. She had the warmth of a kind older sister next door and the sensual appeal of a grown woman.

Perfect. She's exactly my type!

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

"With this androgynous guy?"

"Come on, that's a load of balls. Or is it?"

Mr. 2 exploded on the spot, shrieking, "Bullshit! I'm not some androgynous guy! I'm an Okama!"

The scene fell silent for a moment. Even Robin frowned in thought.

What was the difference?

The Last Historian Noil looked at Mr. 2, recalling what he knew about the Okama.

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

With the Clone-Clone Fruit, he could perfectly mimic anyone he had touched with his hand, right down to their body.

Oh... that ability.

A host of improper uses sprang into Noil's mind.

He could copy the ability. It would be a great help in hiding his identity later.

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

The last survivor of Ohara had suffered a tragic childhood and wandered alone through the shadows just to survive.

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

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

Noticing Noil staring straight at her, Robin instinctively tugged down her cowboy hat, hiding half her face in its shadow.

When Noil ignored him, Mr. 2 anxiously raised a leg and spun again. "Hey, brat! Don't ignore me!"

"Take this! Okama Rush!"

He struck a flamboyant ballet pose and sprang forward with his formidable jumping power.

Mr. 2 kicked at Noil's throat.

Noil neither dodged nor moved. He stood there, watching Mr. 2 with an amused glint in his eyes.

Just as Noil expected, Mr. 2's vicious kick passed straight through his neck, leaving a gaping hole of flame.

"Oh! My leg hurts!"

Mr. 2 pulled back. The flames had singed a patch of hair off his leg, and he cried out in pain.

Flames quickly restored Noil's body. He clicked his tongue at Mr. 2. "That's it? I thought you'd hit harder."

"You damn brat!"

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

A Logia user. Just like Crocodile.

Seeing Noil's body turn 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 with stubborn persistence. Robin hurried to stop him from hurting himself further.

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 would like to meet you."

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

Robin maintained her polite smile. "As a Logia Devil Fruit user, you're probably stronger than anyone in our organization except the boss."

Everyone knew Logia Devil Fruits set their users at an extremely high starting point.

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

The passive ability to turn your body into an element alone shut out countless people who could not use Haki.

Luffy, of course, was an exception. The universe favored him, and he had powers to boot.

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

Robin smiled. "Alabasta."

Perfect!

Noil was delighted. His guides had arrived!

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

Unable to put his abilities to use, Mr. 2 felt thoroughly disgruntled. He reluctantly led the way.

The two took Noil aboard Mr. 2's Swan Pink Ship.

Noil's own ship was tied behind it, and several underlings brought it along.

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

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

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

After eating a meal Noil had cooked, his expression brightened at once.

There was no social grievance a bowl of good food could not settle.

And if one bowl was not enough, ten would do it.

The moment Bon Clay took his first bite, Noil's delicious cooking won him over completely. He could not get enough.

Amid endless praise and enthusiastic cheers, Noil finally escaped the crowd in the ship's dining hall.

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

She held a book in her hands. The sunlight, usually so harsh, now seemed gentle as it fell across her face, as though even the sun could not bear to disturb her reading.

Her face was full of curiosity for the knowledge on the pages. Even the air seemed to tread softly. All was quiet around her except for the rustle of pages turning beneath her slender fingers.

Noil said nothing, simply admiring her as she read.

There was no denying it: a beautiful woman looked good no matter what she did.

"Mr. Noil, do I look nice when I turn pages?"

Robin did not look up from her book, but her question came softly.

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

"Nico Robin. I know who you are."

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

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

Robin finally raised her head to look at Noil. An unreadable light flickered in her eyes.

Noil held her gaze and said softly, "You're not here just to hide from your pursuers, are 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 unleashing her ability.

Arms bloomed from Noil's shoulders, seized his head, and locked it in a Joint Lock.

The arms crushed Noil's head in an instant, scattering it into sparks.

The burning pain traveled through her ability and into Robin's hands. It cooled some of her impulsive anger.

The flames gathered again, and Noil's handsome face reappeared.

Robin stared coldly at the man and his disreputable grin. "How do you know my boss is Crocodile of the Shichibukai?"

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

"And who exactly 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 certainly is."

Robin stared hard at Noil.

She had a feeling this man knew far too much about her past.