It was the last day of the year. Kazu had specially given Carlmand and Behrens the day off so everyone could hold a beach banquet together and celebrate the New Year.
To celebrate, Kazu and Makino had sparred until nearly dawn before getting some rest.
"Kazu, when are we setting sail again? I'm starting to miss drifting across the sea."
Munching on a drumstick, Carlmand came over to complain to Kazu. His two types of Haki had improved further lately, and his physical combat skills had also advanced considerably.
Behrens had also successfully grasped Armament Haki, making him a strong fighter with two types of Haki.
As for Makino, her physical fitness had improved. Two types of Haki, though? She still had a long way to go.
Kazu lit a cigarette and glanced back at Carlmand, teasing him. "I don't think it's drifting across the sea that you miss."
"You've just visited every red-light district in this town and want somewhere new to go cave exploring, right?"
Kazu laid it bare, and for once, Carlmand actually blushed.
"Well... I..."
"I'm an upstanding young man who considers gambling and drugs his mortal enemies. Don't slander me."
"Just give me a straight answer. When are we setting sail again?"
Kazu rubbed his chin, then picked up a recent newspaper. "It really is about time. The Navy went wild for a while, but they aren't putting as much effort into it now."
"In that case, we'll set sail again in three days."
Kazu made the decision himself. Having received a definite answer, Carlmand left the beach in satisfaction and went back to training with Behrens.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and the Blond Hair Pirates set sail once more, appearing on the sea.
"For our next stop, let's head straight to Bird Island. It's close to Alabasta. After resting and resupplying there, we can go see what that superpower has to offer."
Kazu gave his orders as captain. Carlmand steered the ship, Behrens kept watch, and Makino prepared a lavish lunch, each attending to their duties.
Five days later, news that the Blond Hair Pirates had landed on Bird Island spread throughout the surrounding area.
There was no helping it. What Kazu had done a few months ago had been far too shocking. The Navy had stepped up its efforts too, and the world had kept its eyes on them.
No one had expected the Blond Hair Pirates to appear on Bird Island after vanishing for several months.
Kazu and the others followed their usual routine. Carlmand took Behrens to explore new territory, while Kazu took Makino shopping.
Meanwhile, in a room in Bird Island's central town, a stunning beauty's heart stirred once more.
"They've finally appeared."
"I hope..."
"They're capable of protecting me."
The beauty opened her door and headed toward the central town's shopping street, searching for Kazu and his companions along the way.
Kazu and the others swaggered about without trying to conceal themselves. The incident involving the Celestial Dragon's death had died down considerably, and both the Five Elders and the Navy had scaled back their efforts.
They could hardly keep committing vast numbers of personnel to searching for the Blond Hair Pirates when the crew had not shown themselves for months.
This was different from searching for Rouge in the South Blue, where they could send large numbers of ordinary soldiers and Cipher Pol agents to search for a year or two.
If those people encountered Kazu, however, they would probably be sent underground to report to the King of Hell before they could even send back any intelligence.
Anyone leading a search team had to possess at least the strength of a rear admiral.
If they really had those high-level fighters spend a year or two doing nothing but searching for Kazu, the seas would probably descend into utter chaos.
Neither Sengoku nor the Five Elders would allow that.
With public attention dying down, they had a way to back down. Showing the public their determination was enough.
Finding Kazu would be ideal, but if they could not, they would take the opportunity to back down and continue maintaining stability at sea. After all, the World Government's stable rule came first.
Kazu and Makino had just come out of a jewelry store, where Kazu had personally chosen a bracelet and a necklace for her.
Although Makino was not a materialistic woman, these were gifts from her man, and her heart still filled with sweetness and happiness.
Hand in hand, the two were just about to find a distinctive local tavern for something to eat when a tall woman wearing a hood walked straight toward them.
"Her Kazi!"
The hooded beauty came up to Kazu and Makino and called out to stop him.
Kazu looked up and took a closer look, freezing instantly.
"You're..."
"Nico Robin?"
He could recognize Robin even with her hood on. He had seen that beautiful face countless times in his previous life.
But he remembered Robin only going to Alabasta and joining Baroque Works four years before Luffy set sail. She should not have come to the Grand Line yet.
Robin had not expected Kazu to have paid attention to her. She was not surprised that he knew her name, though. After all, her wanted poster had been circulating in the world for who knew how many years.
"What an honor. Even the famous captain of the Blond Hair Pirates knows who I am."
Robin smiled faintly, exuding the air of a mature beauty. Her skin was still very fair now, making her look even more radiant and enchanting.
(Although Robin's dark skin early in the original was said to be an issue with the anime production team, let's say here that she tanned after spending a few years in Alabasta's desert. That's reasonable enough. Since she hasn't gone to Alabasta yet, she still has fair skin. No flaming!)
"You are a survivor of Ohara, after all. The scholars of Ohara were world-renowned for their vast knowledge."
"I just never expected the World Government to order the destruction of that literary treasure shared by everyone in the world. It truly is infuriating."
The regret and anger on Kazu's face touched Robin deeply.
I really was right about him. This Her Kazi actually dares to criticize the World Government like this in public. He truly lives up to being the dragon slayer who dared to kill a Celestial Dragon.
Moreover, he held Ohara in great esteem, which made Robin's favorable impression of Kazu grow even stronger.
"Thank you for acknowledging Ohara. I came here to find you."
Robin had no intention of hiding anything. Both sides were intelligent people, so there was no need to beat around the bush.
Some of the nearby civilians happened to hear Kazu criticizing the World Government and glanced over to see what fearless soul was bold enough to criticize the World Government in the street.
They turned and saw Kazu's already world-famous face...
All right, never mind.
Getting far away was what mattered. The World Government and the Navy could not catch this guy, and they certainly had no such ability themselves. Getting caught up in this would be no joke.
"To find us?"
"Hahaha, then I'm all ears."
Kazu already understood what Robin had in mind.
In the original story, she had always wanted to find a place where she could stay, but people's greed had forced her to keep betraying others and moving on.
In the end, she had found a sense of belonging with the Straw Hat Pirates and devotedly followed her captain on his adventures, never turning back even if it cost her life.