One Piece: Mandala Swordsman

Chapter 93 Child, eat more.

Sure enough, good things happen when you follow Bucky.

Roman believed he had not mistaken the person for someone else.

She is Nicole Robin, the "Devil's Child".

Roman was still a little excited to meet the important figures who would later become part of the Straw Hat Pirates.

Before Robin could react, he immediately removed his left hand, slowly stood up, took the food with his right hand, and handed it to Robin under the table.

And he gave a friendly smile.

"Eat more, you must be very hungry."

To avoid putting additional psychological pressure on Robin, Roman immediately shifted his gaze.

This left Robin somewhat bewildered.

Since her hometown was destroyed, she has been wandering around the Western Sea for the past few years.

First, the world government issued an arrest warrant for her, which polarized public opinion towards her.

However, they all contained malicious intent.

They either see her as a terrifying criminal and want to expel her, or they see her as a cute fat sheep, a piece of easy money, and want to hunt her down everywhere.

If he hadn't eaten the flower-fruit, he probably would have been caught long ago.

However, the long period of being on the run left Robin exhausted; after all, no matter how intelligent she was, she was still just a little girl in her early teens.

Hunger and cold, eating in the wind and sleeping in the open were the basics of life.

So she was very thin and very dirty.

If Saul hadn't insisted that she live, she might have given up on herself long ago.

Roman's smile was one of the few acts of kindness Robin received.

But that's probably because she didn't know I was a wanted criminal. If she had known, her kind expression would have been filled with disgust.

But what can I do? I feel like crying.

Driven by hunger, they swallowed food; controlled by their emotions, they cried silently.

This is also a typical day for Robin.

But even now, Robin's mind is still preoccupied with figuring out what her next step should be.

The fact that she was able to successfully remain in exile for 20 years without being captured by the World Government's agents must have been due to a combination of factors, including Robin's Devil Fruit ability, her cautious nature, Kuzan's covert protection, her own good intelligence, and her gradually accumulating experience.

But while Robin was thinking, Roman reached under the tablecloth and found a note in his hand.

Instinctively, Robin picked it up.

The text was brief, but its contents shocked Robin.

“I know you are the wanted criminal Nico Robin, but I mean you no harm. The reason I am writing this note is that I want to invite you to take a short trip with us. Please rest assured that I will ensure your safety during the trip.”

She knows, she knows everything.

But why...?

She felt neither disgust, nor fear, nor greed towards herself.

Robin felt very unfamiliar with that look of joy in someone's eyes; she hadn't seen that look in someone's eyes for a long time.

Perhaps she should refuse, because the invitation carries an unknown element and might plunge her into an abyss, but she has been lonely for too long.

Conflicting and chaotic emotions, accompanied by struggle.

This is how Robin's mood is conveying to Roman at this moment.

After all, they are children who have been hunted for a long time, so it's normal for them to be wary.

Roman felt that perhaps he shouldn't rush things.

So she simply kept passing food to Robin below, and although the reception hall was bustling, few people noticed this corner.

The feeding went very smoothly.

And she also handed her a note: Don't worry, I am now someone who cannot reveal my true identity.

……

Passenger cabin.

"What's going on? Why is there another brat?" Bucky yelled in dissatisfaction. Bucky, who had just succeeded, was in a good mood, admiring the ruby ​​in his hand with a pleasant feeling, but when he saw Roman bring another girl into the room, he was almost shocked.

“Don’t underestimate this child, she’s quite formidable, Bucky. You might…” Roman looked Bucky up and down, “You might not be able to beat her.”

“There’s a limit to underestimating people, Roman. Wait, this kid looks familiar.” Buggy started looking Robin up and down.

This sudden scrutiny made Robin extremely uneasy, and she considered all sorts of terrible scenarios. But looking at Roman's friendly smile, she forced herself to calm down. At worst, she could just run again.

"Ah, so this is Nico Robin with a bounty of 7900 million Berries. Speaking of which, how did a young girl like you manage to have such a high bounty?"

As a former crew member of the Pirate King, Buggy would certainly not be fooled by the rumors of a "devil's child." In his opinion, it was more likely that the girl had something special about her.

Even if she really has a fighting power of 79 million Berries, hasn't Bucky seen plenty of those? Back on the ship, most crew members were guaranteed at least 500 million Berries. Not to mention the past, this little monster next to her now is worth hundreds of millions in fighting power.

So Bucky was clearly not afraid; he was more curious about her special features.

"Huh?" Robin was surprised. Roman was friendly to her, and although Bucky was impatient with her, he was more curious.

"She's a Devil Fruit user, so don't underestimate her. Wouldn't it be better to have another bodyguard? As long as no one finds out she's a wanted criminal, that's fine, isn't it?"

After saying that, Roman looked at Robin again: "I don't know if you mind being this guy Bucky's free bodyguard for a while. You just need to protect him. As for your safety, I will take good care of it."

"Are you really okay? My identity might implicate you," Robin said anxiously.

"Well, I'm not scared, Bucky. Are you scared?"

"What a joke, she's just a little girl, do you think I'd be scared?" Although still a little hesitant, Bucky was clearly not someone who could resist being provoked. With just a little provocation from Roman, Bucky fell into the trap.

"That's good, you don't need to worry at all." Roman picked up some fruit from the plate and fed it to Robin. The service here was quite good; the waiters would even bring fresh fruit to each room.

Like rain after a long drought, Robin ate heartily.

It seems that even though she was in the hall, she wasn't completely full.

Look how hungry the child is; he must not have eaten in a long time.

Looking at the pale and thin face, Roman felt a pang of heartache.

His mother left him when he was young, and he was raised by his aunt, but she never treated him well. Later, he ate the Flower Fruit, which made him an outcast in the eyes of the children. After his hometown was destroyed, he was all alone, with a bounty on his head and nowhere to go.

Her first 20 years were only briefly mentioned in the comics, but this is Robin's true first half of life.