Robin chuckled, her hands clasped on her knees, her posture elegant, but her tone understated:
"The moment you picked up the princess with a bounty from Baroque Works, you were destined to confront our boss.
I believe your strength is indeed worthy of challenging him." Her speaking pace slowed slightly, her gaze sweeping over Nami and Vivi, a slight curve to her lips,
"But... what worries me is the route indicated by your log pose."
"log pose?" Nami was startled by the words and immediately looked down at the compass on her wrist.
The needle had been moving slowly during their voyage but always pointed in the same direction.
"The next island is called Small Garden," Robin said faintly, her voice low with a hint of coolness.
"If you take this route... you won't be able to reach Alabasta, even without our boss making a move.
The hidden dangers on that island are enough to wipe out your entire crew."
Nami's expression instantly changed: "What?!"
Robin smiled slightly, took a small object from her bosom, and gently tossed it to Vivi.
The object arced through the air, and Vivi instinctively caught it, opening her palm.
It was a small, delicate compass; beneath the transparent glass cover, a metal needle pointed steadily in a fixed direction.
"An eternal pose," Robin said slowly, maintaining her faint smile.
"With this, you can skip Small Garden. This route points to an unknown island before Alabasta.
Even the members of Baroque Works don't know about it, so naturally, no one will pursue you there."
Nami was stunned, staring up at Robin, her voice full of disbelief, "She... she's actually a good person?"
Vivi clutched the compass, her palm feeling a little cold.
She took a step forward, looking directly at Robin, her clear blue eyes filled with complex emotions: "Why are you giving us this?"
Robin didn't answer, merely lightly brushed a strand of hair from her ear with a slender finger, revealing a playful smile: "You choose."
Zoro, standing beside her with his arms crossed, snorted: "Hmph, it's not some kind of trap, is it?"
Robin chuckled softly, her eyes lowered to the deck beneath her feet, and said nothing more.
Her expression seemed calm, but her gaze held an elusive meaning, as if she was waiting for someone's reaction.
"I don't want to accept her things..." She looked down at the eternal pose in her hand, her hands trembling slightly,
"But if I'm to take this ship, I should choose a safer route, I should..."
She looked up, about to speak, when she saw Luffy step forward, a rare hint of anger on his face.
Without any hesitation, he snatched the eternal pose from Vivi's hand and clenched it tightly.
"Snap--"
To everyone's stunned gaze, Luffy crushed the eternal pose into pieces. The fragments scattered on the ground, making a crisp sound.
"What are you doing?!" Nami immediately exploded, storming over to Luffy and punching him to the ground.
"Are you an idiot?!" Nami grabbed Luffy's collar, her face etched with annoyance,
"She kindly told us an easy route! What if she's a good person?!"
Luffy lay on the ground, looking up at Nami, his usual playful grin gone, replaced by a rare serious expression.
His voice was soft but exceptionally firm: "The route of this ship doesn't need her to decide."
Robin watched this scene, her eyes moving slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in her deep gaze.
She said nothing, simply observing the stubborn Captain before her.
After a moment, she chuckled softly, her tone seemingly tinged with regret: "Is that so? Then that's a pity."
Nami stood by, sighing helplessly, then turned to Luffy: "Seriously..."
Luffy sat up from the ground, rubbing his nose, his voice imbued with an undeniable firmness:
"This person is with those who destroyed Vivi's country. I hate her."
Robin's expression stiffened slightly, her smile still on her lips, but her deep eyes revealed a hint of complex emotion.
She looked down at the fragments on the ground, then up at Luffy, the smile on her lips gradually fading.
"Interesting," she murmured, a deeper meaning in her eyes.
"I don't dislike people with guts," she turned her head, her gaze falling on Luffy, her voice low and soft,
"If you manage to survive, we'll meet again."
Luffy's expression, however, instantly became serious. He clenched his fists tightly, the smile vanishing from his face without a trace, his voice firm without a hint of hesitation: "No way!"
Those words were like heavy stones dropped on the deck; everyone was momentarily stunned.
Robin didn't get angry; instead, she chuckled softly. Her eyes were complex, but no one could discern what she was thinking.
"It seems Princess Vivi has found a reliable group of people."
With that, she turned, her movements as light as a feather, her steps elegant and silent.
She walked to the railing, bent slightly, held onto the ship's side, and leaped down.
Her movement traced an arc in the air, finally landing steadily on a small boat near the going merry.
Usopp was sprawled on the going merry's railing, his eyes wide, his mouth agape enough to fit an apple: "What is that? Is it a Sea Kings?"
The turtle boat slowly moved at Robin's command, gradually moving away from the going merry, eventually becoming a distant, fading speck.
Usopp suddenly snapped back to reality, his eyes widening further, pointing into the distance and exclaiming: "No! That's a turtle!"
Luffy scratched his head in shock: "Wow! What a big turtle!"
On the going merry, the atmosphere gradually quieted.
Vivi, who had been standing upright, suddenly sank to her knees on the deck, her hands gently propping herself up, her blue eyes filled with exhaustion and confusion.
Her lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but didn't know how to begin.
"That woman..." she murmured softly, her voice tinged with unease and bewilderment, "I completely don't understand what she's thinking."
Nami walked over to her, squatted down, and gently patted her shoulder, her voice soft but with a hint of helplessness:
"It's no use thinking about it; you can't figure out people like that. Besides, there are incomprehensible guys on this ship too."
She glanced at Luffy, who was standing by, still staring blankly in the direction the turtle boat had gone, her eyes full of exasperation.
"Hehe..." Luffy grabbed his hat brim and grinned, "The turtle boat is really amazing!"
Vivi's expression remained complex. She looked down at the deck, her hands gently clasped on her knees, her fingertips slightly white.
Finally, she looked up, her gaze serious and firm, at Kai and Luffy:
"Can I really ride on your ship? Will I be a bother to you...?"
Before she finished speaking, Nami had already walked in front of her, lightly poked her forehead with her finger, her voice containing a hint of displeasure:
"What are you talking about? We've already been targeted! If you don't want to be a bother, then don't be so polite in the first place!"
Vivi pursed her lips, bit her teeth, her voice almost inaudible: "I'm sorry..."
Nami sighed and turned to Luffy: "Right, Luffy?"
Luffy rubbed his stomach, his voice carrying his usual casualness: "Yeah, I'm so hungry!"
"You idiot!" Nami raised her hand to hit him, but Luffy deftly dodged.
Vivi watched this farce, her eyes gradually becoming complex.
She raised her hand to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead, sighing inwardly: "Do they... not care at all?"
Kai finally spoke, breaking the chaos.
"In any case, the next destination has been decided."
Zoro, lying on the deck, lazily rolled over, his hands behind his head, and said softly: "Small Garden, huh..."
Usopp, his face full of worry, leaned closer, his voice trembling slightly: "Is that place safe?"
"Who knows!" Luffy grinned indifferently, his eyes full of anticipation, "Let's go, brothers!"
The going merry's sails unfurled in the wind, the ship shuddered slightly, carrying the group towards Small Garden.