Hearing that voice, Lin Yuan could not help smiling.
He knew who it was, of course: Nico Robin, the future historian aboard the Pirate King's ship. For now, though, she was only eight years old.
She had lived with her uncle since she was little, and she was not welcome there. She had also eaten the Paramecia-type Flower-Flower Fruit by mistake when she was hungry, and the people on the island called her a monster.
But she had shown promise from a young age. Just a few days ago, she had taught herself enough to earn a doctorate in archaeology.
Robin and Lin Yuan had known each other for nearly five years, and Robin would never forget.
When others called her a monster and she was starving, a boy with black hair and black eyes walked up to her and said with a grin:
"Hey, little girl, they call you a monster, and they call me a devil. So, would a little monster like you want to be friends with a devil like me?"
She looked at Lin Yuan with her lovely, tear-filled eyes and asked timidly:
"Can I?"
But as soon as she said those words, a large chunk of meat was stuffed into her mouth, and Lin Yuan spoke cheerfully.
"Then we're friends from now on. As your friend, I'll treat you to some meat."
Robin felt it was the most delicious thing she had eaten for as long as she could remember, and from then on, Lin Yuan had a little follower trailing behind him.
Lin Yuan took good care of Robin. He not only gave everyone who dared bully her a beating, but even threatened her aunt, who did not like having her around.
Then he tossed her aunt some gold coins to pay for Robin's meals.
From then on, although others still had a problem with the two of them, they no longer dared say so to their faces, and Robin's life became noticeably better.
Looking at the little girl, whose hair was the same color as his own, Lin Yuan took out the snacks he had prepared and handed them to Robin.
"Robin, have something to eat first. I'm going to make something."
"Okay, Brother Lin Yuan."
Robin did not stand on ceremony. She found a place to sit, then happily watched Lin Yuan as she ate the snacks he had given her.
But her expression soon changed. A flicker of panic crossed her eyes, and she asked in a trembling voice:
"Brother Lin Yuan, are you leaving?"
Although Robin was very young, her experiences growing up and her sharp mind had made her much more mature than other children. She quickly recognized what Lin Yuan was making.
They were parts for a boat.
"Yes, it should be soon."
"Brother Lin Yuan, don't you want Robin anymore? Ever since Mom left, I haven't had any family."
Hearing Robin's choked voice, Lin Yuan suddenly realized what she was thinking. He stopped what he was doing, turned to her, and said with a smile:
"Little Robin, how could I bear to leave you? It's just that some things are beyond our control."
With that, Lin Yuan explained to Robin about the strangers he had noticed recently and what he knew.
Ever since he had met Robin, Lin Yuan had never treated her like a child.
Although Robin was still young, her understanding of things was already no worse than that of an ordinary adult. Otherwise, she could not have evaded pursuit by the World Government and pirates at just eight years old.
Even if she might have been secretly protected by Kuzan, her ability to survive alone was no simple feat.
When Robin heard that the World Government and the Marines were preparing to destroy Ohara, fear appeared on her little face.
She would never have imagined that the scholars, who had always loved peace, would face a devastating blow merely for studying the Poneglyphs.
"Brother Lin Yuan, is what you said true?"
"If my guess is right, it should be."
"How could this happen? Brother Lin Yuan, I know you're strong. Could you save..."
But Robin could not bring herself to continue. Even though she knew Lin Yuan was strong, they were talking about the World Government and the Marines.
She did not want anything to happen to Ohara, but even more than that, she did not want anything to happen to Lin Yuan, who had given her warmth since she was little.
Lin Yuan sighed. To be honest, there was nothing he could do about this. Perhaps he could have done something if he had another ten years.
But with his current strength, he was no match for Sakazuki or Kuzan. Although he was confident he could survive against either one of them, defeating them was a fool's dream.
By his estimate, even if Sakazuki and Kuzan did not yet have the strength of an Admiral, they were not far off.
At best, he was currently at the level of a Marine Vice Admiral, and even that was thanks to the incredible boost from the Zhu Jiuyin Fruit and his relentless sword training, day and night.
But Sakazuki and Kuzan were also master swordsmen, not to mention their Logia Devil Fruits, which were hardly inferior to mythical Zoan Fruits.
"Robin, that's how this world is. The weak can only become playthings for the strong. If you want to survive in this world, you need enough strength and influence."
Robin fell silent. She understood what Lin Yuan meant. She had matured a great deal ever since he had once made her use her ability to teach the people bullying her a lesson.
But as an eight-year-old child, Robin was still at a loss and did not know what to do.
"Don't worry. No matter what happens, I won't let anything happen to you. I'm going to take you all around the world someday."
Lin Yuan rubbed Robin's little head as he comforted her.
His words made Robin feel much warmer inside.
"Oh, right, Brother Lin Yuan, I made a new friend today. He's a giant, and he's really tall. So what the books said was true after all."
Lin Yuan was taken aback. He instantly knew who Robin was talking about, and his heart tightened as he murmured:
"Saul! Looks like they really are coming."
At that thought, his hands involuntarily moved a little faster. It was not until evening that Lin Yuan finished his work.
Ever since learning what was happening, Robin had been rather quiet, silently watching Lin Yuan work.
"All right, now all that's left is to put these parts on."
"Brother Lin Yuan, are you going to assemble these things on the boat? I'll help you."
Seemingly afraid that Lin Yuan would leave her behind, Robin offered to help and used her ability. More than a dozen arms appeared on the tree trunk lying on the ground. It was the main mast that would support the sail.
But Robin was only so old, and even with the extra arms, there was no way she could move a mast weighing hundreds of pounds.
Her little face turned bright red from the effort, but she still could not budge it. Lin Yuan was amused by the sight.
"All right, you can't move that. I'll do it. But I need your help with the oars and some of the smaller things over there, Robin!"
Robin had been feeling a little discouraged, but those words immediately lifted her spirits.
"Mm! Leave it to me!"