Jason noticed Robin's confusion and, for the first time since arriving in Skypiea, decided to simply let her think. She had her reasons. Among all the Straw Hats, Robin was the one who understood the weight of what happened in Sabaody the most.
She had trusted the crew since Enies Lobby... trusted that they could overcome any obstacle. But in Sabaody, everything fell apart at once.
It was too fast. Too brutal.
A flood of power, information, and reality crushing their idealism.
Jason didn't just open Robin's eyes, he threw the door wide open.
He showed them:
how weak the crew still was for the New World;
how much Luffy had been carried by luck;
how unprotected they all were against the true monsters of the sea;
and most painfully, that even their captain could break.
Robin saw Luffy helpless for the first time... and soon after, she saw Jason, a single man, kill "gods," defeat an Admiral, and wipe a bridge that had existed for seven centuries off the map.
The difference between the two worlds, theirs and Jason's, was striking.
Jason realized this in her and, for that very reason, would not rush anything. Robin was reserved. Difficult to open her heart.
But he had already decided: sooner or later, she would be his.
Robin just didn't know it yet.
"I'm going back to the blue sea, do you want to come with me?"
His voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Robin blinked a few times, regaining her composure.
"...Where are you going?"
She asked, curious, unable to completely hide her interest. Every move Jason made always seemed to precede something big. Was he going to free more slaves? Take down another symbol of the World Government?
Jason smiled, as if he had been expecting that question.
"Now I'm going to meet Monkey D. Dragon for a meeting with him."
Robin's heart almost jumped out of her chest.
Dragon.
The leader of the Revolutionary Army. The most wanted man in the world.
She couldn't hide her surprise and, deep down, her urgency to know more.
Jason going to Dragon could only mean one thing: alliances.
Great alliances.
Against the greatest possible enemies.
And Robin knew it made perfect sense.
Dragon and the revolutionaries were one of the few groups capable of taking on:
admirals,
the armies of Mariejois,
and perhaps even some of the government's secret guardians.
Meanwhile, Jason... Jason could handle something much worse. Something that only he seemed to have the courage to face head-on.
The Gorosei.
The explanation formed itself in her mind, and it made too much sense to be a coincidence.
"It would be better to go with you."
Robin said, with that studied calm. Deep down, she just wanted to get out of there, out of the sky island, out of the tumultuous thoughts since Sabaody, out of the memories of her crew's helplessness. She had already read all the poneglyphs there; there was nothing else to keep her there.
"Hmm, but first I'm going to take a look at the golden city from here."
Jason said, walking in the direction that came to mind, as if Skypiea itself bent to his path. Robin followed him a few steps behind. She already knew the golden city, yes, but at that moment, she preferred to just follow him.
"Do you have any questions for me, Robin?"
Jason asked suddenly, as if he had pulled her thoughts out of thin air. She looked up; he always noticed everything.
Robin had dozens of questions. About Sabaody, about the world government, about his power... but only one mattered now.
"What are you going to do when you get to the war? Are you going to join forces with Whitebeard? Are you going to rescue Ace? Or are you going to act on your own?"
Her voice was calm, but inside her heart was pounding. 'Luffy... you're really going to run into the middle of that hell, aren't you?
Jason answered without hesitation, as if he already knew that war would be yet another stage.
"... I'll fight whoever wants to fight me. Whitebeard, Garp, Akainu, Aokiji, Mihawk, or Sengoku... I'll see how it goes when the time comes. But the fights will be interesting, to say the least."
That didn't help Robin's hidden anxiety much. She knew Luffy. If he couldn't get Ace out of Impel Down, he would go to Marineford alone. Alone.
And she knew that the war was a thousand years beyond the Straw Hats' current strength.
Jason noticed her burden. And then, without turning his face, he spoke with an almost cruel calmness:
"If it's any consolation, Ace's death would not be ideal for this war. That would be a victory for the Navy and the World Government, and I don't want that."
He looked at the golden horizon of Skypiea, as if that war were right there, behind the clouds.
"For better or worse, Ace had become a luxury prize. Wherever he lived would be my victory. His death... would be my defeat."
Robin's breathing became lighter, almost imperceptible. The slight tension on his face simply... dissolved.
Jason had spoken of Ace coldly, almost disinterestedly, but to Robin it meant something else:
Ace had one more life insurance policy.
Not out of kindness.
Not out of heroism.
But for strategic reasons..
And that, for her, was enough.
For the first time since Sabaody, a thin layer of relief passed through her like wind.
With that weight lifted, Robin let another question arise, one that had been hammering in her mind since she saw Jason face Kizaru:
Haki.
She could ask about:
the Lost Century,
what the World Government hides,
the true history of the world,
the meaning of the poneglyphs,
where One Piece is...
But Robin doesn't ask impulsive questions.
She already had that chance with Silvers Rayleigh, one of the biggest names in history, and chose not to ask anything, because she decided to walk that path through her own choices, alongside the Straw Hats.
And the defeat at Sabaody didn't change that.
Yes, they were crushed.
Yes, they saw the difference between themselves and the New World.
Yes, Luffy broke down for a moment.
But even so...
Robin remembered Luffy's expression when he saw Jason fighting Kizaru: fearless. Without hesitation. Just determination.
He knew he was no match.
But he didn't back down.
He didn't waver.
And Robin wasn't going to start doubting now.
The Straw Hats would meet again stronger than before.
That's what Robin believed.
She took a deep breath, looked up at Jason walking ahead, and finally asked the question she really wanted to ask, without showing any anxiety:
"... Jason. About Haki."
Her voice came out soft but firm, containing a technical and deep curiosity typical of Nico Robin.
"Can you explain to me how far it can go?"
Jason looked at Robin and felt a twinge of amusement at her interest in the subject. It wasn't really like her to show curiosity about Haki. She had spent years with the Revolutionary Army, exchanging knowledge and teaching about the Poneglyphs, and undoubtedly learning combat techniques and honing her own fruit until it reached that demonic form. A remarkable feat, considering she had always been more of a scholar than a warrior. Haki, for her, would be just the basics to master.
"Haki," Jason began, his voice calm and steady, yet full of wisdom. "It is a mysterious power that allows an individual to channel their spiritual energy to perform feats that go beyond human capabilities."
Robin nodded slightly, absorbing every word, like a scholar faced with a new fragment of knowledge that needs to be deciphered.
"This energy manifests itself from willpower. Theoretically, any living being can awaken it, but most people are ignorant of its existence or unable to fully master it. Haki users are common in the New World, rare in Paradise, and virtually nonexistent in the Four Blues."
Jason paused, observing Robin's attentive face before continuing.
"That's why someone like Smoker becomes almost invincible in Loguetown; the pirates he faces don't even know what Haki is."
Robin remained silent, showing no exaggerated emotion. It was no surprise to her: from recent experiences, she had already realized that only the natural weakness of a fruit or Haki could affect a Logia user. So she concluded that Smoker could only be hit with Haki.
"There are three types of Haki: Presence, Fighting Spirit, and Intimidation... or, as it is better known, Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and Conqueror's Haki."
"And what does each one do?"
Robin asked, clearly interested.
"Armament Haki allows the user to imbue their spiritual energy into weapons, fists, or projectiles. That's how you can hit Logia fruit users. There are advanced forms, but you're not ready for that yet," Jason explained, aware that it would be pointless to overwhelm a novice with complex techniques.
"Observation Haki gives the user a sixth sense about the world around them, allowing them to perceive the presence, strength, and emotions of other people, even from a distance or out of sight. It is essential in combat to anticipate attacks and react before they happen."
"And last but not least is the Haki of the Conqueror. This separates men from boys, the rabble from true kings and dreamers. Only one in a million is born with this ability. It is the willpower of a king; it cannot be learned, only awakened by those destined to rule or leave their mark on the world."
Robin absorbed every word with almost clinical attention, her interest stemming not from emotion, but from strategy. For her, Haki wasn't just power, it was an essential tool for understanding and surviving in this world, something she could use with precision when necessary.
"With Conqueror's Haki, you can unleash your willpower to dominate the weak, causing them to faint from mental overload, like those people at the auction. That was just the basic level of Conqueror's Haki. But you managed to resist... which means you're already a little better than the average pirate."
Robin rolled her eyes, visibly dissatisfied with what Jason called a "compliment."
"And your fruit... it would be much more powerful if you combined it with Armament Haki in your attacks. It would be something like this..."
Jason moved his hand in a fluid motion, and suddenly thousands of arms appeared out of nowhere, covering the ground, the trees, and even the white clouds. Robin's eyes widened in shock. It was a skill she herself knew, but she had never seen anyone use it on such a massive scale.
The arms began to darken, turning an intense black color, almost like pitch, becoming invisible to Robin, who had not yet developed Haki. They advanced across the ground, threatening, and the archaeologist felt a chill down her spine at the power concentrated in something she could not yet fully perceive.
The black arms advanced rapidly, striking the ground and forming small craters where they touched. Each impact reverberated through the air, causing the clouds to tremble and the trees to bend under the force of the shockwave. Robin stood motionless, eyes wide, absorbing every movement.
Jason watched calmly, as if demonstrating something trivial.
"See? That's how you turn your strength into something tangible. Every blow, every movement, charged with haki, becomes impossible to ignore."
Despite not having Haki, Robin could feel the pressure in the air, an invisible weight pressing down on her chest. It was as if the island itself was shaking under Jason's force. She realized that without Haki, there was no way to react to this. It was a warning, not a lethal attack, but it was intimidating enough.
Jason then closed his fist and his black arms disappeared in a fraction of a second, leaving only the echo of the impact on the ground and absolute silence in the air. Robin took a deep breath, still processing the demonstration.
"If he actually used this in combat... no one would stand a chance," Robin thought, a pang of respect and fear growing inside her.
"Now you understand why Haki is essential. No matter how strong your fruit or technique is, if you don't have Haki, you're limited to reacting and not dictating the pace of battle."
Robin nodded slowly. She still hadn't felt Haki, but for the first time, a different determination appeared in her eyes—she wanted to learn, she wanted to understand how to use this energy, not just to survive, but to control the battle as Jason did so naturally.
"... You said that no matter what devil fruit you have, without Haki you are limited. Does that mean Haki is more powerful than the fruits?"
Robin narrowed her eyes. She wasn't the type to accept easy answers, and Jason, being who he was, clearly spoke from actual experience.
"Good question. It's always nice to talk to smart people."
Jason praised her effortlessly, but Robin looked away, annoyed with herself for feeling flattered by it. He spoke as if it were obvious that she deserved praise... which irritated her a little.
"Well..." Jason crossed his arms, assuming the posture of someone about to give a lecture. "Some strong people like to say that 'Haki overcomes everything'. I would say that... they're not entirely wrong."
He raised a finger.
"Devil fruits give absurd advantages. Zoans have strength and endurance, Paramecias are versatile, and Logias control and turn elements, gaining intangibility."
Then he tilted his head, staring at Robin.
"But what is the strength that allows you to deal with all of that?"
"Haki."
She answered without hesitation.
"Exactly, girl." Jason smiled slightly. "Haki is the great equalizer."
He began to list:
"With armament, you can coat blows, destroy internally, and injure Logias.
With observation, you can predict emotions, movements, intentions... and at an advanced level, even see a few seconds into the future."
Robin blinked, surprised. This wasn't something Jason had mentioned to her.
"As for haoshoku..." Jason looked at the horizon, as if remembering battles. "That's the game changer. Coating attacks with it makes everything denser, more violent, more inevitable. And yes, at the right level, you can even nullify Akuma no Mi abilities."
Robin gulped. It was scarier than she had imagined.
"Now... why did the phrase 'haki surpasses everything' become famous?"
Jason continued:
"Simple. Look at the greatest example in history: Edward Newgate, Whitebeard. The user of the world's most destructive paramecia fruit, master of the three types of haki... and yet his great rival fought only with a sword and haki, and with that alone he managed to conquer the world."
"The Pirate King."
Robin added quietly.
"Gol D. Roger."
Jason confirmed. "This shows that you can reach the pinnacle with haki alone, but you can't reach the pinnacle with a fruit alone. A strong fruit without haki is just... an incomplete tool."
Robin remained silent, absorbing everything.
He spoke so clearly that there was no room for doubt.
Jason then concluded:
"But, and here's the point that almost no one mentions, there are exceptions. Some fruits are so absurd, so broken, that at the right level they can rival raw haki. A powerful fruit combined with powerful haki creates a monster. Just the fruit? It won't get you far. But the right fruits... can take you further than any ordinary person could."
Robin took a deep breath, her expression serious.
Now she understood what was really at stake in the New World. Once again, the realization of how unprepared they were hit her.