Early the next morning, Robin jolted awake from her sleep.
When she opened her eyes and realized she was actually lying in a man’s arms, even Robin couldn’t help but blush.
At her current age, she still wasn’t capable of remaining as calm and composed as she would be in the future.
She hurriedly sat up and checked her body for anything unusual.
After all, she knew there were plenty of perverts in this world, especially those who had a particular fondness for little girls.
After carefully checking herself, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Relax.
I’m not that shameless.
I didn’t do anything to you.”
At some point, Yuri had already woken up and was now looking at her with a smile.
“A proper gentleman wouldn’t sleep while hugging someone he just met, either,” Robin said, rolling her eyes.
“Hahaha!
I’m no gentleman.
I’m a pirate.
Naturally, if there’s something I like, I’ll just take it for myself.
Nico Robin, I like you quite a lot.”
“So you really are a pervert.”
“Uh…” Yuri felt like she had seriously misunderstood something.
…
“Let me properly introduce myself.
My name is Yuri, Gadile Yuri,” Yuri said formally after spending quite some time explaining himself to Robin.
“I know.
Gadile Yuri, the pervert who likes little girls,” Robin replied.
“I already explained it!
There’s only one bed in the house, and I didn’t do anything to you…” Yuri launched into another round of explanations.
“Robin, I’m planning to set sail.
Do you want to join my ship and travel the seas with me?” Yuri asked seriously.
“Haven’t I already gotten into your bed?” Robin replied calmly.
“I’m being serious.
I mean an actual ship that sails on the sea,” Yuri said.
“I’m being serious too.
Didn’t you ask me yesterday whether I wanted to get on your ship?
Oh?
Could it be that the ‘ship’ you were talking about yesterday wasn’t one that sails on the sea?”
How should he put it?
Even as a little girl, Robin already had a rather mischievous side.
“…” Yuri was speechless.
“Then welcome to the Gadile Pirates.”
…
“What?
You’ve discovered the important World Government criminal Nico Robin?
She’s in Buta Town?
Understood.
Gather the soldiers immediately.”
Buta Town had a Marine branch stationed there.
The highest-ranking officer in the branch was Marine Captain Larkin.
It was precisely because this Marine branch existed that Menka had brought Robin to Buta Town.
He had originally planned to hand Robin over to the Marines through the Buta Town branch and collect her bounty.
Unfortunately for him, Yuri had intercepted them halfway.
However, Robin’s appearance in Buta Town was hardly a secret.
Yuri had even shouted Robin’s name in public at the time, with so many people around.
Naturally, there was no way to keep the matter hidden.
By the next day, the Marines had already received the news.
Captain Larkin of the Buta Town branch knew that Robin was a criminal the World Government paid special attention to.
If he could capture her, it would undoubtedly earn him tremendous merit.
So the moment he received information about Robin, he immediately ordered the Marine soldiers to assemble.
He intended to capture Nico Robin alive.
…
“Looks like we have visitors.
The Marines?
They’re faster than I expected.”
That morning, Yuri had prepared a generous breakfast.
The two had only just finished eating when Yuri sensed something and turned his gaze outside.
Through his Observation Haki, he could clearly perceive the Marines gradually surrounding the house.
The moment Robin heard Yuri mention the Marines, her body instinctively tensed.
A trace of fear appeared in her eyes, and the way she looked at Yuri also became somewhat doubtful.
Why would the Marines appear here?
Had she been betrayed yet again?
“What are you thinking about?
If I wanted to trade you in for the bounty, would I really need to go through all this trouble?” Yuri rolled his eyes.
One look at Robin’s expression was enough for him to know exactly what she was thinking.
Hearing his words, Robin became a little embarrassed.
At the same time, she breathed a sigh of relief.
With Yuri’s strength, if he really wanted to capture her and exchange her for Berries, there truly would have been no need for such an elaborate setup.
“Don’t worry.
You’re one of mine now.
If the Marines want to arrest you, they’ll have to ask whether I’m willing to allow it first,” Yuri said with a smile.
Robin rolled her eyes.
She always felt there was something strange about the way Yuri looked at her.
There was admiration in his gaze, but also something resembling affection, along with a hint of possessiveness.
Robin couldn’t understand what there was about her thin, scrawny body that Yuri could possibly find attractive.
She hadn’t bathed in several days and was so filthy that she looked like a beggar.
In the end, she could only conclude that Yuri really was a pervert.
“Wait here.
I’ll go drive them away.” Yuri stood up.
…
“Is this the place?”
“Yes, Captain Larkin.
This is the residence of the Pirate Hunter Gadile Yuri.
He lives here alone.
According to the townspeople, the Devil Child, Nico Robin, was brought here by Gadile Yuri.
If they haven’t left yet, they should still be inside.”
“Gadile Yuri?
Isn’t that guy a pirate hunter?
If he captured Nico Robin, why didn’t he bring her to the Marines to exchange her for Berries?
Why bring her home instead?
Well, whatever.
That means all the credit for capturing Nico Robin will belong to us,” Larkin said.
“But Captain, I’ve heard that Gadile Yuri is quite strong.
Many pirates with bounties have died at his hands.
Just recently, he defeated Menka, a pirate captain with a bounty of nine million Berries, in a single attack,” a Marine second lieutenant said.
“He’s just a pirate hunter.
How strong could he possibly be?
No matter how powerful he is, can he stop this many Marines?
Can he stop rifles?
Can he stop cannons?
I even brought artillery this time.
If he knows what’s good for him, fine.
If not, I’ll deal with him too,” Larkin said dismissively.
Hearing Larkin’s words, the Marine second lieutenant beside him nodded.
He also didn’t believe Yuri could stand against so many Marines, especially when they had cannons with them.
While they were speaking, the door to Yuri’s house opened, and Yuri walked out.
“Marines, I know why you’re here.
But starting today, Nico Robin is a member of my Gadile Pirates.
So why don’t you crawl back to wherever you came from?” Yuri said casually.
Hearing his words, Larkin’s expression darkened.
“Yuri, are you serious?
Do you understand what this means?
Putting aside the fact that Nico Robin is an important criminal wanted by the World Government, the moment you decide to become a pirate, you become an enemy of the Marines.
Think carefully about the consequences of making the Marines your enemy,” Larkin said coldly.
“Enemy?
You mean a bunch of useless trash like you, armed with those pieces of scrap metal?
If you want to become my enemies, you’re nowhere near qualified.” Yuri laughed.
“Bring up the cannons,” Larkin ordered coldly.
At his command, the Marines pushed several cannons forward and aimed them directly at Yuri.
“Yuri, I’ll give you one last chance.
Take back what you just said,” Larkin said with a sneer.
“You’re really annoying.
Is this pile of scrap metal where all your confidence comes from?” Yuri smiled faintly.
As he spoke, he raised one hand.
Electric sparks continuously flickered across his palm and arm.
Then he abruptly lifted his hand.
In an instant, the Marine cannons rose from the ground and flew toward Yuri.
“What’s going on?
Why are the cannons flying?!”
“Oh no!
My rifle is flying away too!”
“My sword…”
“All our weapons are flying away!”
The Marines cried out one after another.
As the cannons rose into the air, the rifles and swords in the Marines’ hands also broke free from their grips and flew toward Yuri.
“A Devil Fruit ability?” Larkin desperately clutched the sword in his hand to stop it from flying away, but the blade trembled violently as though it were struggling with all its might to escape his grasp.
“Amazing!”
Robin was also watching what was happening outside from inside the house.
When she saw Yuri lift a hand and disarm all the Marines at once, causing their weapons to soar through the air, she couldn’t help but marvel.
In truth, Robin had already realized when she first met Yuri that he was a Devil Fruit user just like her.
Having been treated as a freak since childhood because of her own Devil Fruit powers, Robin felt a certain sense of kinship with Yuri.
Even so, seeing this scene still left her astonished by the sheer power of Yuri’s Devil Fruit ability.
“Hahaha!
Since you want them so badly, I’ll give them back to you!” Yuri laughed loudly.
With that, he thrust his palm forward.
The cannons, rifles, swords, and other weapons instantly transformed into streams of steel that shot toward the Marines.
The flying weapons blasted forward like cannonballs, sending the Marines screaming and wailing as they were knocked all over the place.
“Bastard!”
Seeing his subordinates beaten into complete disarray, Larkin roared furiously and charged toward Yuri.
As a captain commanding an entire branch, Larkin had once trained at the Marine Headquarters’ military academy.
He had even mastered Shave, one of the Marine Six Powers.
As he charged toward Yuri, the enraged Larkin unleashed Shave.
His body accelerated explosively, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared directly in front of Yuri.
“So this is Shave, one of the Marine Six Powers?
Too bad.
You’re still far too slow.” Yuri spoke calmly.
At some point, a coin had appeared between his fingers.
The moment Larkin appeared in front of Yuri, the coin in Yuri’s hand transformed into an orange-red flash and shot forward.
Larkin had used Shave to instantly close the distance and was just about to slash Yuri with his sword.
Then his eyes caught sight of Yuri aiming a coin at him.
A coin?
What did that mean?
Was Yuri planning to attack him with a single coin?
Wasn’t he looking down on him a little too much?
At that exact moment, an orange-red beam erupted from Yuri’s hand.
Fast.
Far too fast.
It surpassed the speed of sound.
Larkin didn’t even have time to react before he was struck in an instant.
A terrifying force slammed into his body and sent him hurtling backward.
But by then, Larkin had already lost consciousness.
“Captain Larkin!” the Marines cried out in alarm.
“Is that an electromagnetic cannon?” Robin exclaimed in surprise.
Robin had already seen Yuri use this move before.
Combined with what she knew about Yuri’s ability, Robin, as a scholar, quickly connected it to the theoretical concept of an electromagnetic cannon.
But in this world, electromagnetic cannons existed only as a concept among scholars.
She had never expected Yuri to actually reproduce one using a Devil Fruit ability.
“Do the rest of you still want to test my strength?” Yuri raised his head and asked with a cold smile.
“Retreat!
Hurry, retreat!” the Marine second lieutenant immediately ordered.
The moment the order was given, the Marines fled in utter panic.