Memories of Ohara

Leaving the manor, River and the others headed toward Mock Town's harbor.

Everyone who saw them on the streets hurriedly stepped aside. Clearly, River's face was already deeply etched in their memories.

Before long, the three had neared the harbor, where they could see their warship and Foxy's Ship.

"Finally leaving?"

Hidden in the crowd, Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach, who had not dared show his face all this time, watched River with a flickering gaze.

He had defeated Doflamingo with ease, then used a miraculous power to restore him to perfect condition without so much as a scratch.

This man's abilities were extraordinary, almost godlike.

He kept himself well hidden, knowing full well that now was not the time to clash with River. Most importantly, he had no confidence that he could win.

Meanwhile, as River headed toward the harbor, he saw a group disembarking ahead of him. The boy at their head wore a straw hat and laughed as he said something to his companions. Behind him, a green-haired man carried three swords at his waist.

"What a coincidence!"

A smile curled River's lips.

Just as he was about to leave Mock Town, Straw Hat's crew had arrived.

Beside him, Crocodile's eyes beneath his mask instantly turned icy, and he could not help raising the Golden Hook on his left hand.

"Straw Hat's crew!"

Crocodile spat the words through clenched teeth.

"Don't act rashly. We have more important things to do right now."

River suddenly spoke.

Crocodile's raised left hand froze, and he forcibly stopped himself from attacking.

Who is that kid? Why does he make Ghost Face Man so angry?

Foxy watched discreetly, wondering to himself.

As both groups continued forward, the distance between them shrank until they were face-to-face.

As if sensing something, Straw Hat Luffy shifted his gaze toward them.

When he saw River, Crocodile, and Foxy staring at him, he paused briefly, then greeted them warmly.

"Hahahaha! Hello!"

River smiled and nodded, Crocodile's gaze remained icy, and Foxy waved with a broad smile.

A moment later, the two groups were about to pass each other.

Suddenly, the tall woman at the rear stopped in her tracks, then turned and stared straight at River.

"Robin, what's wrong?"

The blond-haired Sanji asked in confusion, also looking at the man before them.

The entire Straw Hat crew stopped at that moment and turned curiously.

They looked at Robin, then at River.

Clearly, this new companion, who had boarded their ship of her own accord after the recent events in Alabasta, knew him.

"I-is it you?"

Nico Robin's voice trembled, filled with a tangled mix of nervousness, excitement, and anticipation.

River smiled as he looked at the woman before him, both familiar and unfamiliar.

In his memory, she was still a little girl barely half his height, her head reaching only his legs. In the blink of an eye, more than a decade had passed, and that girl had grown into such a tall, beautiful woman.

Crocodile watched his familiar former partner with icy eyes, his thoughts unreadable.

He had never expected that, after his arrest, she would choose to stand with the Straw Hat crew who had defeated him.

That wretched woman!

Just then, River spoke with a smile.

"It's been a long time. I never imagined you'd grown so much, Robin."

That bright, gentle, familiar voice reached Nico Robin's ears, making her whole body tremble. Tears immediately spilled out, beyond her control.

"Th-thank goodness."

"You're... you're really still alive!"

The very next second, the tall, mature, alluring woman threw herself into River's arms and hugged him tightly.

"I... I thought you were dead!"

" Waaaah!"

"I thought I didn't have a single loved one left in the whole world!"

"You're alive! You're really alive!"

"River!"

Nico Robin's voice shook as tears streamed from her eyes, quickly soaking River's clothes. He opened his mouth, but ultimately fell silent.

Then he reached out and held her tightly.

"Have you forgotten, Robin? I told you, I can't die!"

But Robin seemed not to hear him. Who would believe something so absurd?

How could anyone in this world be immortal?

"Th-thank goodness. You're not dead. I... I still have someone."

Her voice trembled as she kept repeating herself in excitement.

"Robin!!"

Standing behind her, Sanji turned to stone at the sight. The others in the crew, however, wore varied expressions.

They gained a new understanding of the woman who had suddenly boarded their ship.

At the same time, they became intensely curious about River.

"All right, Robin. I'll be fine!"

"Keep this up, and your companions will laugh at you!"

River comforted her with a smile, patting her back gently, his own expression filled with complicated emotions.

Scenes from the Ohara Incident slowly resurfaced before his eyes, when he had single-handedly held off the three men who were now admirals.

Saul's death, the beating he had given Spandine, the three admirals he had driven back again and again.

In the end, only the combined intervention of Sengoku, Garp, Kong, and the others had forced him to leave.

Though he had done everything he could, saving a group of Ohara's scholars and allowing Robin to escape, he had paid a tremendous price, growing ever more distant from the Marines and the World Government.

As those memories flashed past, River's gaze grew serious.

There was something wrong with this world!

He had known it ever since coming here and had always worked to change it all. The establishment of the Void Night Palace, his attempt twenty years ago.

Learning about this world's background, the World Government's strength, and the obstacles ahead-all of these were things he had once pursued.

And so, he had chosen to lie low, reaching an agreement with Garp, Sengoku, and Kong to guard Impel Down for twenty years.

Finally, not long ago, he had stepped out of Impel Down.

His plan would begin anew. His grand ambitions would once again be revealed to the world.

And in the end, they would shake everyone's hearts in a stunning fashion.

"Companions?"

At his words, Nico Robin paused, then remembered that the others were still there.

"They're good companions, all of them. They're worth trusting."

River looked at the familiar faces before him and spoke with a smile.

Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Chopper, Nami. The entire Straw Hat Pirates crew stood before him.

"Is that your advice to me at our reunion after twenty years?"

Robin looked at his serious face and asked with a smile.

"That's right."

"I still have things to take care of. Knowing you've found the right companions will put my mind at ease."

River nodded as he spoke.

"I could come with you."

Nico Robin's eyes shone as she spoke through clenched teeth.

"It would be more dangerous than you could ever imagine, Robin."

River smiled faintly.

Then he glanced at the warship in the harbor, his expression turning serious.

"Sorry, but I have to leave now."

After a pause, River grinned.

"Enjoy your new life, Robin!"

"We'll meet again."

With that, he strode toward the harbor.

In moments, he was out of sight.

He left the Straw Hat crew behind, their faces full of curiosity and confusion.

"Who is he?"

"And why does that Ghost Face Man beside him seem familiar too?"

Luffy asked in bewilderment.

"Perhaps you'll find out who he is very soon!"

Robin's eyes flickered as she spoke, her expression complicated.

That man had once sat beside the sea, talking with her about the world, life, and dreams.

So she knew very clearly what he wanted to do. She understood it well.

Now that he had appeared again, this man would surely shake the entire world in ways beyond imagination.