7. After Talking Behind Someone’s Back

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Saria did not hide her blunt words from Nico Robin. “Robin, the only reason I’m helping you is out of pity.” Since Robin had once been a character she liked, and there was no personal gain involved, she was willing to lend a hand. “If danger comes, I won’t hesitate to betray you. For you, that vagrant is still more reliable.” “I suggest that if you ever meet that vagrant again, you should put the six arms from your Flower-Flower Fruit on him.” “So, take your Flower-Flower Fruit arms off me, Robin.” Saria sighed and said, “Don’t trust me too much.” She could forcibly separate Robin’s fruit ability from herself, but that might hurt Robin. Listening to Miss Judith’s comforting words stirred complicated feelings within Robin—touched by the care yet tinged with bitterness. She could tell that Miss Judith was sincere. Even if it was only pity, it was one of the few warm emotions Robin could grasp. Obediently, Robin retracted the Flower-Flower Fruit arms from Miss Judith’s body and silently lowered her head, lost in thought. Today was her birthday, and Miss Judith had thoughtfully prepared a gift. The lady was truly a kind person. If one day, for some reason, Miss Judith had to betray her to the World Government, Robin thought she would resist but never harbor resentment. Besides that, Robin was curious about something else. “Miss Judith, why do you call that man ‘vagrant’?” she asked, puzzled. “That man is one of the Navy’s top fighters.” Robin recalled how Miss Judith had addressed Admiral Kuzan just now. Names like “Cauliflower” and “Old Ice Cube” were vivid nicknames that immediately brought Kuzan to mind. But “vagrant”? A future Navy Admiral, no matter how you looked at it, couldn’t be a vagrant. Outside the door, the “vagrant” himself, sitting on the ground eavesdropping, perked up his ears. He wanted to know the answer too. Saria shrugged and sharply commented, “A person who’s lazy and aimless all day, can’t even do his Navy duties properly, has no firm convictions, and just drifts and sleeps on the sea—if he’s not a vagrant, then what is he?” In the world of One Piece, faith and dreams were crucial. Though Saria’s moral boundaries were flexible, her convictions could shift, and her dreams came and went, her desire to become stronger had never wavered. “If we talk about a steadfast heart, that lazy Navy guy might not even compare to you, Robin,” Saria said harshly. Outside, the eavesdropping Kuzan felt as if he’d been pierced through the chest—painful. Worse, he couldn’t refute Miss Judith’s words. Confused about the justice he believed in, Kuzan silently sank into deep thought. Robin was shocked by Miss Judith’s startling remarks, but when she heard the words “lazy Navy,” she couldn’t help but smile. A faint curve lifted her lips.

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Kuzan was indeed a green lazy chicken. After hearing Miss Judith’s evaluation of Navy Admiral Kuzan, Robin’s fear of him lessened. But Robin still had another concern. “Miss Judith, you said Kuzan must be silently protecting me?” Robin recalled her past—since she was eight, she had been hunted by the World Government, constantly surviving among hostile people. Yet every time, she escaped safely. Combined with what Kuzan had told her on Ohara, Robin believed there was a 70% chance Miss Judith’s claim that Kuzan was protecting her behind the scenes was true. “Is that right?” Saria held her forehead, recalling the plot of One Piece as she knew it. “It feels like the vagrant has projected some of his doubts about justice onto you, Robin. He wants to verify if his sense of justice is correct through your story.” “Still, the vagrant is a rare polite and loyal Navy man.” Among the future three Admirals, Kuzan was the easiest to get along with. If Saria ever clashed with the Navy, the enemy she’d most want to face was Kuzan. Because if you weren’t a heinous criminal or obstructing his justice, Kuzan would go easy on you. The ruthless Akainu would just burn you to ashes. Outside, Kuzan smiled at Saria’s words. After being criticized, finally being complimented made him happy. Saria thought of something and playfully winked at Robin, teasing, “I think the vagrant might be raising you like a daughter. Next time you see him, call him ‘Dad.’ He might even get all paternal and treat you to a meal.” Robin got goosebumps all over at Miss Judith’s words. “Miss Judith, please don’t assume such a creepy possibility!” Robin glared at Saria. Her mother was Nico Olvia; she had no father! Never had, never would! “If the vagrant doesn’t have a father-daughter relationship with you, could it be love?” Saria stroked her chin, analyzing. “If that’s the case, since you’re still a minor, the vagrant would be a perverted pedophile.” “In that case, Robin, you’d better stay away from the vagrant.” Saria said seriously. “Eek!” Robin let out a small startled cry, her face instantly showing an indescribable look of disgust. Originally, Nico Robin had been very fearful of Navy Admiral Kuzan. Now, it was forty percent fear, forty percent disgust, and twenty percent suspicion about his character. Outside, Kuzan couldn’t hold back any longer. “Oh dear, Miss, you must have misunderstood me. I’m not the kind of person you describe.” As the voice sounded, the temperature inside suddenly dropped sharply under an invisible force. On the floor, the previously calm wooden surface began to frost over. The frost seemed to come alive, spreading rapidly upward, finally forming a tall and upright figure. Kuzan appeared suddenly in the room. He wore a neatly tailored white suit vest over a deep blue shirt, with a green eye patch on his forehead, exuding a lazy and unruly aura.

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Kuzan scratched the back of his head and earnestly defended himself. “I like women with full figures.” The sudden appearance of one of the future Admirals, Navy Admiral Kuzan, made Saria gape in shock, clutching her cheeks and silently screaming. She twisted her face into the expression of the famous painting The Scream. Her mind spun rapidly. Before coming to see Robin, she had first used Observation Haki to scan the nearby area. Both her Armament and Observation Haki had awakened through battle, and she had been practicing them on her own. Near the latter half of the Grand Line in the West Blue, there was no shortage of villainous mafia and pirates. Fighting with puppets and vicious pirates, though her real body wouldn't die, the injuries her puppets took would be reflected back, causing real pain. After many battles, with her natural talent, she had mastered Observation and Armament Haki without a teacher. However, her Observation Haki had a major flaw—she couldn’t detect anyone stronger than herself within its range. She originally planned to visit Skypiea to improve her Observation Haki. On Skypiea, Observation Haki was called “Mind’s Network.” The people there specialized in it. She intended to study Observation Haki and collect more gold. But before she could fix her Observation Haki problem, she faced the biggest challenge since her arrival in this world—meeting the future Navy Admiral Kuzan! Though Kuzan hadn’t officially become an Admiral yet, there was no doubt he already possessed Admiral-level power. The tall man before her radiated the invisible pressure of a true strong fighter. Kuzan was the strongest person Saria had met since crossing over. She didn’t know when this lazy Navy man had appeared outside her and Robin’s room. Judging by his appearance, it was clear he had been eavesdropping on their conversation for some time. Thinking about how she had just badmouthed Kuzan, only to be overheard by him, made Saria’s vision darken. She knew full well she was no match for Kuzan. If he wanted to kill her, her “Judith” puppet wouldn’t survive. Fortunately, Kuzan seemed to harbor no ill will and showed no sign of attacking her or Robin. Otherwise, he would have frozen her solid already. Saria’s mind raced wildly, though only a second or two had passed. She looked at Kuzan and gave a genuine eight-toothed smile, then gave him a thumbs-up. “A handsome and dashing man like Mr. Kuzan deserves a curvy beauty.” Backing away silently a few steps to put distance between herself and Kuzan, Saria returned to Robin’s side. She poked Robin and said, “Your dad’s here. Want to call him ‘Dad’?”