Nico Robin joins

Robin froze.

That didn't seem like the sort of dream a pirate should have.

In fact, Robin had guessed from the start that Lott must have known she was a survivor of Ohara.

Even with a wanted poster, not just anyone could say her name at a glance. After all, that poster was from when she was eight.

But when Lott said those words, Robin was certain he knew who she was.

She looked at Lott, her face full of wariness.

When Lott turned back and saw her expression, he knew exactly what she was thinking.

He looked into her face and slowly said, "I want you to help me. Without you, my dream can't come true."

A chill of desolation swept through Robin's heart. Sure enough, Lott is no different from the other pirates. They're all after the Ancient Weapons.

She had thought a pirate who dared attack the Celestial Dragons might be different.

But none of Robin's thoughts could hide from Lott, who possessed the Electromagnetic Fruit.

He explained, "I'm not after the Ancient Weapons. Don't you think this world is a little absurd?"

"A bunch of bandits founded the World Government, and their descendants proclaimed themselves the descendants of the creators. They even gave themselves an idiotic name: the Celestial Dragons."

Robin stared blankly at Lott. She already believed much of what he had said.

Over all her years moving between pirate crews and merchant ships, the Poneglyphs she had seen had all pointed to that fact.

"So, I have a dream." In a flash, Lott stood atop the old turtle's hat. He reached his right hand toward the sky, spread his fingers, then clenched them tight. "To overturn this absurd world and establish a new order. A world without oppression, where all are equal."

Robin watched Lott with an intense gaze. She didn't know what to say now.

Lott turned back and gave Robin a sincere smile. "So, will you help me, Nico Robin?"

Robin froze again. She couldn't simply follow Lott based on his word alone.

Over the years, she had witnessed far too much scheming and deceit.

She had met every sort of person. Many had spoken more sweetly than Lott, only to hide a revolting face behind her back.

Lott returned to his seat. "I know you don't trust me yet, but time is the best test of a person's heart. So, are you willing to take a gamble?"

Lott held out his hand to Robin.

Robin looked up at this young man, who was quite a bit younger than her. His eyes were still just as sincere.

After a long while, she reached out and took his hand.

"Then here's to working together, Captain Lott."

"Here's to working together!" Lott gently squeezed Robin's hand. "You've endured so many years on the run. Let me protect you from now on."

An adult's composure often crumbled in a single instant. Robin raised her head and met Lott's gentle gaze.

Her tears fell like beads from a broken string.

Lott gently drew her into his arms, resting a hand against her back. "It's all right. The nightmare is over. Life will be full of sunshine from now on."

Having read the manga, he knew Robin's mother had left her when she was little. When she was eight, everything she knew had perished in a sea of flames. She had become an orphan, and the World Government had deemed her a threat.

At just eight years old, she had been saddled with a bounty of seventy-nine million.

To survive, she could only flatter and fawn, moving from one organization to another. Never mind a girl-even a grown man would have struggled to hold on under those circumstances.

And this embrace was nothing more than a comforting hug, without any romantic feelings mixed in.

Only after a long while did Robin pull out of Lott's arms, her eyes red. "I'm sorry you had to see me in such an embarrassing state."

She really did feel rather embarrassed. At her age, she had actually cried in front of a man almost ten years younger than her.

Lott gently wiped the tear stains from the corners of her eyes. "All right, all right. There are still so many unfortunate people in this world who have lost their homes and live on the run. As long as we're together, I believe we can change this world!"

Robin now trusted Lott completely. After all, no one had ever truly understood her suffering before.

She nodded. "It'll be difficult, but I'm willing to lend you a hand."

"Let's go pick up our companions."

With that, Lott severed the chains connecting the hired carriage to the turtle with an Electromagnetic Knife. Then he controlled the carriage, sending it flying toward Kuro and the others.

The carriage was extremely fast, and it appeared before Kuro's group in no time.

"Hey! Lott, who's she?"

Seeing Lott sitting in the same carriage as a beautiful woman, Nami pointed at Robin, her face full of hostility.

Ling'er's gaze looked a little off too.

Lott slowly lowered the carriage in front of everyone, then he and Robin stepped out one after the other.

Nami rushed up to Lott and hugged his arm, as though terrified Robin would snatch him away.

Lott introduced everyone to one another. "This is Nico Robin, a historian who can read the history recorded by those who came before us."

"This is Kuro, the Lott Pirates' adviser."

"This is Roronoa Zoro, our swordsman."

"This is Imela Ling'er, our cook."

"This is Nami, our navigator."

Lott stroked Nami's head and said softly, "All right, Nami. She's our companion now, so get along."

Nami looked up and stared at Lott. "You smell like her perfume!"

"How do I explain this to you?" Lott scratched his head, somewhat at a loss.

Zoro and Kuro were holding back their laughter. They had never seen Lott look so flustered.

Seeing this, Robin pulled a cloth pouch from her cleavage and swung it in her hand, murmuring, "Oh my, I just found a pouch of jewels in the desert. Who should I give it to?"

"Robin-chan, you're the best! I love you to death!"

Watching Nami cradle the jewels, her eyes practically turning into gems themselves, Lott shook his head helplessly.

"Let's go meet another companion."

Snap!

With a snap of Nami's fingers, a cloud lifted them all and sped toward the oasis.

Rainbase.

"Hurry up and find out where Lott is!" Crocodile looked at the agent kneeling below him, his tone tinged with anger.

"Crocodile, no need to look. I've come to you."

"Who's there?"

Crocodile turned toward the doorway, his pupils suddenly contracting. "You're Lott?"

Lott spread his hands. "The one and only!"

Crocodile frowned slightly and stared at Lott, trying to read something from his face, but Lott wore a smile.

"What brings you here?"

Lott and his group strolled into the office, each finding somewhere to sit, making themselves completely at home.

Having focused only on Lott earlier, Crocodile only now noticed that Nico Robin was with them.

"Nico Robin! Why are you with them?"

In fact, Crocodile hadn't been in Alabasta long. He didn't have that many powerful agents under him, and Baroque Works had only just been established.

Robin had only joined the organization two months earlier.

He simply hadn't expected Robin, who was so efficient and extraordinarily clever, to choose to betray him.

Robin didn't answer, instead sitting quietly to one side.

Lott spoke up then. "Crocodile, let's make a deal."