บท 62: 60. Devil Child, Nico Robin!

"Dos Fleur Clutch!"

The woman clasped her hands together and spoke gently.

Suddenly, two thick hands sprouted from Tom and Spike's bodies, wrapping around them completely!

"Oh no!"

A sorrowful cry echoed from above.

Tom and Spike immediately lost control of their bodies, plummeting from the sky like a kite with a snapped string!

If Al were present, he would surely recognize this woman—Nico Robin, Demon Child!

"Mr.0, the mission target Tom has been eliminated," Nico Robin declared, pulling out the den den mushi from her sleeve with a mischievous grin.

In an instant, a deep chuckle resonated from the other end of the line. "Well done, Miss All Sunday. Capture Al and return."

"Mr. 3 is battling Al, but it appears to be futile," Nico Robin remarked.

"What a worthless fool!"

Nico Robin paused briefly before adding, "Princess Vivi of Arabasta is also aboard that ship."

"Kill them both!"

Kachak

After ending the call, Nico Robin crossed her legs, rested her chin on both hands, and gazed intensely at the distant battlefield.

"Let's see how long you can cling to life."

At that moment, the distant clash concluded with Al's menacing sword strikes.

"Don't... please, spare me!" Mr. 3 pleaded, staring at Al as if beholding a monster, his body trembling uncontrollably.

His heart is heavy with regret!

'If I get another chance, I will definitely bring more people.'

"Captain Al, the small fry on my end have been taken care of."

"Huh~ Is this tiny thing part of the Baroque Works?" Al expressed surprise, eyeing the little girl who appeared to be only eight or nine years old.

Nami glanced at the young girl in front of her, feeling somewhat puzzled by her presence among the Baroque Works members.

Just as Nami was about to inquire if the young girl had been abducted by the Baroque Works, Mr. 3's lips curled into a faint, sinister smile as he spoke icily, "Miss Golden Week, the time is now. Hurry and subdue that woman!"

Before Nami could even react, Miss Golden Week swiftly retrieved a palette from behind her. With a rapid stroke of the brush from the palette, a crimson hue was swiftly applied to Nami's cheeks.

Mr. 3 erupted into laughter, as if victory was once again within his grasp.

However, in the next instant, Nami's expression shifted into a grin. With a swift motion, she delivered a powerful punch directly at Miss Golden Week.

The force of the blow created a sizable dent in the ground, about ten centimeters deep.

Upon witnessing this, Miss Golden Week let out a cry of surprise before bursting into tears.

"Seriously, you little brat! How dare you mess with my face!" Nami exclaimed, shaking her fist as she approached Mr. 3 once more. Gripping his face firmly, she continued, "You're the one who instructed that annoying kid to paint on my face, aren't you?"

Before Mr. 3 could utter a word, Nami's iron fist connected with his head.

Mr. 3 collapsed to the ground, his nose bruised and face swollen, tears streaming down his cheeks from the pain.

"This woman is absolutely dreadful, she's like a demon, a monster!"

Once Mr. 3 was sorted out, Nami clapped her hands together and flashed a smile, gesturing an 'OK' sign with her hands.

"Hee hee, Captain Al, consider it done," she said cheerfully.

Al let out a light chuckle, raising his arms and bellowing, "Reclaim all the food and supplies from their ship, and let the feast continue!"

Nami and Carina exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

After the food on the boat was taken away by Al and the crew, Nami refrained from delivering another punch to Mr. 3. Instead, she mocked, "Poor ghost, if you dare to bother us again, make sure to bring more goodies next time!"

As Nami's words landed, Mr. 3's psychological defenses shattered.

Back on the boat, Al called out for Tom and Spike for the first time. However, despite waiting for a long while, there was no sign of either of them.

This sight stirred concern in Carina and Nami.

In that moment, Nami spotted three figures facing off on the sea's surface not far away. Among them, two figures resembled the troublemakers Tom and Spike.

Upon noticing them, Al urged Nami to steer the boat over swiftly. His intuition warned him that the individual facing off against Tom and Spike was undoubtedly formidable.

Al refrained from sharing his conjecture with Nami and the others, fearing they might impulsively rush forward into danger.

Meanwhile, Nico Robin observed Tom and Spike with a peculiar expression. Their bodies contorted into twisted shapes, yet they continued to struggle.

With a calm and curious demeanor, Nico Robin murmured, "Fascinating. Such peculiar contortions of the body... What curious creatures."

Just as Nico Robin was on the brink of delving deeper into the mystery of these two beings' forms...

Suddenly, a light bulb seemed to illuminate above Tom's head.

In an instant reaction, Tom wriggled behind Spike like a caterpillar, inching closer until he was less than a meter away.

Then, with a swift motion, Tom retrieved a set of Arlong's teeth from behind him and sank them into Spike's rear end!

"Aww——" came Spike's pained cry.

Suddenly, painful wails pierced the air as Spike clutched his buttocks, launching into the sky like a rocket.

In a surprising turn, Spike broke free from the arms that had trapped him in an instant.

Mid-air, Spike violently shook his head, his gaze fixed on the sharp teeth in Tom's hand.

Without warning, two pairs of horns sprouted from Spike's head, giving him a devilish appearance.

"How is this possible!"

Nico Robin's eyes widened in astonishment, filled with disbelief, yet it didn't instill fear in her. Instead, she became even more intrigued by Tom and Spike.

In the next moment, before she could gather her thoughts, Spike vanished from her sight in the blink of an eye with a whoosh.

When Spike reappeared in front of her, his sandbag-sized fist was already less than 10 centimeters away!

Nico Robin's pupils contracted suddenly, realizing there was no time to react or dodge!

However, in the next moment, Nico Robin braced herself for the impending blow.

Yet, to her surprise, Spike's fist, which seemed poised to strike, abruptly halted in front of Nico Robin.

After scrutinizing Nico Robin for a moment, Spike suddenly altered its course, charging fiercely toward Tom instead!

Tom, caught off guard while laughing, had no defense prepared.

Upon receiving the punch, Tom was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, skimming over the water's surface before coming to a halt.

Spike stood atop the turtle, clutching his belly as he laughed uproariously. Pointing at Tom, he exclaimed with a grin, "What a clueless cat, hahahaha~"

After chuckling for a while, Spike wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, but suddenly felt something amiss.

His head turned mechanically and stiffly.

"Gulp~" he swallowed nervously.

"Hee hee~"

Spike forced an awkward smile, waved to Nico Robin, and said, "Apologies for interrupting your rest."

"I'll be on my way now, hee hee," Spike chuckled nervously.

Just as Spike began to take his first step, Nico Robin, standing behind him, suddenly burst into laughter and remarked, "Such a funny and adorable dog. Take one more step, and you might find yourself swimming with the fishes."

At that moment, Nami's voice echoed from above, cursing, "Hey, who do you think you are? Why are you scaring Spike like that!"

Carina also chimed in, "You better scram while you still can, or we won't hold back!"

Upon seeing his partner's support, Spike's demeanor stiffened, and he shot a glare at Nico Robin, his eyes devoid of fear. He seemed to have completely forgotten his earlier fright.

Meanwhile, Tom, who had been knocked back by the punch, shook his head vigorously, rolled up his sleeves, and charged forward, fixing a fierce gaze on Spike.

"Clueless mutt, where do you think you're looking!"

Spike gripped Tom's head in his hands, forcibly turning it towards Nico Robin. However, when Spike released his hold, Tom's head bounced like a spring, shaking for a moment before settling to face Spike again.

Frustrated by Tom's unusual behavior, Spike delivered a hard punch to Tom's head.

Undeterred, Tom redirected his attention towards Nico Robin.

"You two are quite amusing. I'm tempted to take you both back as pets."

Nico Robin couldn't help but cover her mouth as she chuckled, her movements graceful and elegant.

However, when Nami and Carina caught wind of Nico Robin's remark, they instinctively protected them, shooting furious glares at Nico Robin in unison.

"You scoundrel! Don't even think about treating Tom and Spike like pets!" Nami snapped.

"Tom and Spike are our comrades, not pets!" Carina added firmly.

Tom and Spike nodded vigorously in agreement, their expressions brimming with pride, as if to convey, "With allies like us, we're unbeatable!"

Nico Robin spread her hands, wearing a gentle smile. "What a shame," she remarked lightly.

Meanwhile, Vivi, who had been hiding in the distance, suddenly shrank back, her pupils contracting as she saw Nico Robin. Trembling all over, fear swiftly overwhelmed her senses. She raised a trembling hand, pointing at Nico Robin, and murmured, "It can't be... Why is that woman here!"

Al glanced over at Tom with a profound gaze, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he grinned.

"Ah, so you've finally shown up? I didn't think you would actually come," Al remarked casually.

Hearing Al's words, Vivi couldn't help but retreat slightly, fear evident in her gaze as she looked at Al. "Are you... with her?" she asked hesitantly.

"No, if you and that woman are on the same team, why were you being hunted by the Baroque Works?"

"Besides, weren't you a newcomer to the sea not long ago?"

Al fell silent for a moment, inwardly marveling at the woman's vivid imagination.

Clutching the western sword tightly in his hand, a sneer curled on Al's lips. "I never said I was on her side," he retorted.

Without hesitation, Al unleashed Geppo propelling himself towards Nico Robin with lightning speed.

Sensing the approaching threat, Nico Robin's guard immediately went up.

As Al charged towards her, Nico Robin stared deeply at him and muttered, "A mere 50 Berries bounty?"

"The Marines' incompetence seems to be increasing," she added disdainfully.

Upon spotting Al's approach, Tom and Spike's figures swelled with pride instantly. They made faces at Nico Robin, displaying a blatant arrogance.

"Are you Captain Al, offering a mere 50 Berries bounty? It hardly seems fitting," Nico Robin remarked calmly, showing no hint of fear.

Al hummed lightly, wearing a grin as he replied, "True, my bounty may pale in comparison to yours at 79 million Berries."

"But in terms of strength, I'm no less than you, Nico Robin!"

As Al spoke, Nico Robin's pupils contracted sharply, but she maintained a smile.

"I must say, I'm impressed that you've taken the effort to learn about my identity," she remarked.

Al shook his head, his tone devoid of emotion. "Not only am I aware of that, but I also know about your past experiences," he continued.

"Even about Ohara."

Upon hearing the mention of Ohara, Nico Robin couldn't contain her agitation any longer. She stood up abruptly, her gaze fixed on Al with suspicion, and demanded sharply, "Who are you? How do you know about Ohara?"

Al spread his hands in a gesture of innocence. "As you can see, I'm just a newcomer who recently entered the Grand Line," he replied calmly.

"As for why I know so much, I'm afraid I have no comment on that."

At that moment, Carina, standing nearby, seemed to have a realization. "Ohara... didn't it vanish? Could it be... you're a survivor of Ohara?" she inquired.

"A survivor? That's an intriguing label, but I don't have the luxury of time to chat further at the moment," Nico Robin replied, her attention drawn to the incessant ringing of the den den mushi in her possession. She cast a glance at Al and the others, her expression a mix of complexity.

With a smile, she added, "Alright then, I must take my leave. Best of luck to you all in the future."

After his words, Robin's figure vanished suddenly, leaving only falling petals in her wake.

If it weren't for the turtle beneath their feet, Nami and the others might have thought it was all a dream.

"Could she be another Devil Fruit user?" Nami wondered aloud, wearing a puzzled expression. She then turned to Al and inquired, "Captain Al, who was she?"

"Let's return to the boat first," Al suggested, "I'll fill you in on the details once we're aboard."

"By the way, Tom, make sure to tether this turtle to the boat and keep it as emergency provisions," Al instructed once they returned to the boat.

As soon as they were back on board, Nami and Carina eagerly ushered Al into the lounge. There, Al recounted Nico Robin's tragic life experiences to them.

Learning about Nico Robin's past, Nami couldn't help but recall her own childhood hardships, her eyes moistening with emotion. However, with the support and comfort from Al and Carina, a resilient smile returned to her face.

Unbeknownst to them, in a darkened corner, a hand adorned with eyes clandestinely observed their every move.

Simultaneously, in Arabasta, Crocodile, after conversing with Nico Robin, furiously demolished the objects in front of him. With an intense and chilling gaze fixed on the distance, he emitted a sinister sneer.

"Nico Robin, what on earth are you plotting, woman?"

"Regardless, as long as Al and his crew dare to set foot in Arabasta, they will meet their demise in this desert."

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