The first train car, after Lucci and the others left, fell into a brief silence.
Robin stared at the closed train car door, then lowered her head, revealing a bitter smile: "You know, sometimes I envy you, being able to live safely in the East Sea… Perhaps it's because of this that you've nurtured a fearless heart."
"Since I was eight, I've been constantly hunted. Everyone wants my head, everyone wants to capture me for a bounty, and I can only desperately escape, continuously running…"
The fear and distrust of twenty years have filled her world with darkness. Back then, she had a chance to board Sage's ship, but having two people from O'hara together was too dangerous. To avoid drawing too much attention to Sage at the time, she gave up on that path.
Her father, her mother's brother's family, treated her poorly when she was young, but that's all in the past now. Despite those hardships, having someone not only from O'hara but also related by blood brought Robin comfort.
But later, Sage's infamy grew larger, his reputation soared, and now he's reached six hundred million...
The news of the six hundred million bounty was just learned from Lucci's words; the information she knew was only about four hundred and twenty million, and suddenly increasing so much surely means another significant disturbance.
If she had boarded Sage's ship at that time, accepting this 'brother's' protection, perhaps she wouldn't fear the Buster Call... nor would she be now dragging the Straw Hat Gang into this.
But if she had boarded Sage's ship...
Robin's eyes turned a bit dazed as a few faces flashed by.
The captain, silly yet hopeful, with a smiling face.
The swordsman, always with a solemn face.
The chef, gentle while cooking.
The navigator, with a money-grubbing face upon seeing treasures.
The long-nosed gentleman, with a cowardly face when facing danger.
The ship doctor, with a happy face upon receiving praise.
Being with them was indeed joyful, and she experienced adventures never felt before. After more than twenty years of running, only during the period on the ship did Robin feel she was truly living.
But the more this is so, the less she can implicate them!
"Maybe someone like me can only bring happiness to others through death." Robin smiled again.
"How odd."
Sage fumbled within his cloak but found nothing.
A heavy rain was falling, and he didn't have any cigars.
"Get me a pack of cigars!"
He shouted towards the train car door, then said, "Someone willingly dies to bring happiness to others? What do they have to do with you or me? Is being born in O'hara a crime? Who decided that? The World Government?"
Sage clicked his tongue: "On this sea, the biggest fist is the truth! It's because your fist isn't as big as others' that everything you do can be criminalized. Clearly, as someone from O'hara, knowing so much history, don't you know how to gain experience from history?"
He stretched out a hand, looking at the spread fingers, "Pirate King Gol D. Roger, knowing everything in this world, was also criminalized by the World Government. But I've never heard him say that only by dying can others find happiness. Even at the very moment of execution, that guy had the whole world tense."
"Whitebeard, once acclaimed as the strongest man in the world, whose name resonates across the seas. Yet, despite his old age now, the sea still doesn't dare underestimate him."
"Hundred Beasts, Big Mom, Red Hair, these well-known great sea powers, I haven't heard of them fearing any Buster Call and then voluntarily going to die just to make people on the sea happy?"
"These great pirates, in terms of danger, are much more severe than any historical guilt. What difference does it make if the World Government criminalizes them? Do they dare use the Buster Call on these top-tier great pirates? No, they don't dare! It's because they're powerful!"
Sage clenched his hand forcefully, "Weakness is the original sin! All reasons stem from insufficient power, like those who want to rescue you. If their strength were sufficient, humph, CP9 wouldn't even receive a task to arrest you! Not to mention being so cautious, clinging to the window, still confirming if there are enemies."
"Window?"
Robin was stunned, instinctively looking toward the window, only to see a long-nosed man wearing a mask using suction cups to attach an octopus outside her seat window, attempting to catch her attention.
"Long-nosed Mr.?!"
The long-nosed man saw Robin's reaction and quickly moved from the window's edge, soon opening the door to the first train car and cautiously closing it.
"What's going on?"
Robin exclaimed: "Why are you here, and how did you sneak in?!"
"Hahaha, suddenly asking so much, don't know where to start."
The long-nosed man laughed: "Nice to meet you, I am the Sniper King from Sniper Island..."
"Stop joking!" Robin shouted: "Answer me!"
"It's a long story, but basically, I'm here to rescue you. Right now, there's a guy named Sanji and a punk named Franky in this train, Luffy and the others are riding another train, pursuing along the same route…"
The long-nosed man took out two suction cup octopuses and said, "With these, we can get outside, then wait for the other train, and we can leave. By the way…"
He looked to Sage beside him and said, "I heard from my friend Usopp that you're Robin's brother, didn't expect you'd be arrested too, want to escape with us?"
"Quite enthusiastic..."
Sage smiled, "But not me, I came voluntarily, besides… Haven't eaten yet, seeing your courage, why not stay for a meal on the side."
"Eat, eat?"
The long-nosed man with a mask, naturally Usopp himself, unlike the guy who stirred trouble on the train, lacked that level of skill, crawling against the train using octopus suction cups.
Initially planning to take Robin directly, but ended up noticing a familiar face.
Seems to be named Sage... Robin's brother, remember hearing Luffy mention this sort of thing, so not an enemy.
Was planning to take him along, but couldn't quite understand the words he said.
Even though captured, still thinking about eating?
"Right, eating… Might as well show your crew member the reason my words are truth." Sage grinned at him.
The train car door opened, Owl pushing a cart full of food came in, along with the World Government official wearing a uniform.
"Captain, food is ready, also the cigar you wanted. Corgi didn't find Wanze, this is made by other chefs… who is it?"
Owl looked at the masked Usopp.
"Long nose!" Corgi exclaimed: "You actually escaped from the sixth car to here, who let you go, Lord Owl..."
"Prepare a serving for him too."
Before Corgi could say he wanted to deal with Usopp, Sage waved his hand and interrupted him.
"What are you talking about!"
Corgi angrily retorted, "Who do you think you are! You're just a criminal, a criminal heading to Enies Lobby, what gives you the right to order..."
Poof!
Sage had just lifted the dining cover, picked up a fork, and casually flicked it forward. The fork pierced through Corgi's head, silencing him, his body swaying briefly before collapsing onto the ground.
Blood incessantly flowed from the hole in his head.
"Take the corpse away, clean up the blood, don't ruin my appetite."
Sage picked up another dinner knife, stabbed into a steak, and took a big bite.
Though eating without any table manners, his manner was crude, yet no one dared criticize him at this moment.
"Captain..."
Jabra heard the commotion and walked in, smiling wryly, "This is hard to explain."
"What's so hard to explain, at least I didn't make you do it."
Sage chewed his food, swallowed, and opened a bottle of red wine beside him, drinking straight from it, then said, "I'm a pirate, killing a World Government official, it's commonplace."
"Understood."
Jabra dragged Corgi's body away, threw it into the sea through the carriage door, while Owl found a rag and quickly cleaned up the blood.
In the second carriage, Lucci and the others stood up, all looking over, but none spoke.
The death of that World Government official was of no consequence, as though it never happened.
"See, this is the truth."
Sage pointed his dinner knife at them, grinning viciously, "Because I'm strong, no one dares say anything against me. Only when I want to be reasonable can others reason with me, if I don't want to be reasonable, they can't even open their mouths."
"This guy..."
Underneath Usopp's mask, cold sweat covered his face, his body trembling.
Just casually killed someone?
And right under the noses of these government special agents?
Those guys looked quite dangerous, even Robin was threatened by them, yet Sage's actions...
It felt like he was at home!
Like those vile wealthy nobles, casually disposing of servants, even these government agents had to heed him?
Why?
Shouldn't this guy be a criminal as well?
Boom!
Before Usopp could think too much, the door and roof of the second carriage were suddenly pierced, from the carriage door emerged a guy dressed similarly to Jabra, while on the roof landed a man with a hairstyle resembling three claws, looks like a weasel.
A blond with curled eyebrows and wearing a shirt and vest approached from the carriage door, while from the rooftop a strange guy, wearing only an open shirt and underpants, descended.
"Suddenly it got lively." Kalifa pushed up her glasses and glanced at Franky, "Besides, this is sexual harassment."
"It's my hobby!" Franky shouted.
"Did they take out all the escorts?" Blueno looked towards the carriage behind them, deep in thought.
"Didn't have much expectations for them anyway." Kaku said indifferently.
"Are you the ones who captured Robin's group?"
Sanji frowned, "Looks like they're quite troublesome."
"Seems we don't need to ask much."
Lucci said coldly, "However, it's best to leave here, Nico Robin must be captured, she won't go with you."
"Leave!"
Robin stood up, crossed her hands, and a multitude of hands grew on Usopp, pushing him into the second carriage.
"I won't go with you, this is my decision!"
"That won't do!"
Usopp quickly got up, threw a smoke bomb into the carriage, instantly making the second carriage smoky, he quickly ran to Robin's spot, grabbed her with one arm and rushed into the third carriage.
"Great job, Uso... Sniper King!" Sanji shouted excitedly, as he and Franky loosened the connection between carriages, making the third carriage detach from the moving train.
But soon, Kalifa brought out a Thorn Whip, wrapping it around the third carriage, while Blueno grabbed the whip, forcefully pulling the carriage back, simultaneously extending his body forward, one hand grasping the door of the second carriage, the other gripping the wall of the third carriage, forcibly reconnecting them.
"You scoundrel!"
Sanji charged fiercely, one leg spinning around his body, powerfully kicking Blueno's body.
"Tekkai." Blueno responded calmly, ready to take the attack.
With pirates of this level, probably don't even know what Six Styles is, impossible...
Bang!
Blueno's body tilted, blood spurted from his mouth, and he was sent flying into the second carriage.
"Tekkai, I know your technique!"
Sanji stood up, bent his leg, and confidently said, "I've seen it before!"
The battle in Alabasta with Gin made him know the origin of this technique.
That big guy, when using it, he could feel it.