One Sword Stuns the Gold and Silver / Meeting Aokiji, Robin Makes Her Move

Since coming aboard this ship, Robin had used nothing but her Devil Fruit powers. She had never called on the Sword Intent or Peerless Sword Case she had inherited from Dongze. She wanted the others aboard to grow stronger; if she settled everything herself, there would be no point in her joining them.

But Aokiji had come to determine just how strong Robin was now, and where Dongze had gone. So he kept needling her, trying to force her hand.

"Well, if you ask me, you're the one person on this sea who doesn't deserve companions. Didn't that man disappear because you dragged him down back then?"

The others' faces darkened as Aokiji refused to let up.

Luffy and Zoro had seen the wanted poster but, for various reasons, had yet to tell the others. They had assumed Xiao Yi was just an archaeologist, not much of a fighter.

Apart from Zoro, none of them had seen her fight.

They did not even know what was inside the long case on her back.

"That's enough! What kind of Marine Admiral picks on a woman?"

Sanji, ever the gentleman, could not stand it anymore. He stepped forward.

Zoro stepped forward too, taking up the opening stance of Three-Sword Style. He was not trying to avenge Robin; he knew she was stronger than he was. He simply wanted to see how strong the Marine Admiral before him really was.

Aokiji stared back with his usual dead-fish eyes, utterly unmoved. Only one member of the Straw Hat Pirates had ever posed a threat to him: Nico Robin, who carried Dongze's Sword Case.

"Heh. Kids, do you even know who this woman is?"

Sanji paused. Hearing the implication in Aokiji's words, he stopped advancing.

Zoro did not. He already knew who she was. He