The wind roared past Aokiji's ears.
With his speed pushed to the limit, his body became a blue blur racing across the ground.
Adett, dragged along by one hand, already had blood flowing from his mouth and nose and had long since fallen unconscious.
The crushing gravity of Dark Magic: Black Moon was something a mere Marine colonel could never withstand.
"Damn it!"
Aokiji's face was pale, yet after leaving the range of Black Moon, he did not slow down in the slightest.
Instead, he accelerated like an arrow released from a bow.
That pirate named Yuuki possessed power that completely exceeded what someone his age should have.
If Adett hadn't appeared—
Aokiji might already have died back there.
And yet a monster like that had no record in the intelligence reports.
What the hell is the intelligence department doing?
The balance that maintained stability on these seas…
would probably be shattered soon.
Boom!
The airflow created by Aokiji's rapid movement produced a sonic boom.
In an instant, he had already reached the shoreline.
Without hesitation—
He tightened his grip on Adett and rushed straight into the sea.
The moment his foot touched the water, a thin layer of ice froze across the surface.
If they stayed there any longer—
both he and Adett would end up dying in Alabasta today.
Meanwhile—
Yuuki watched calmly as Aokiji and Adett escaped several kilometers away in only a few moments.
He made no move to pursue them.
"'Lazy Justice'…"
"When faced with something it cannot overcome, it inevitably falls into hesitation and confusion."
"Anger, revenge—whatever it may be."
"We'll meet again, Admiral Aokiji."
Magic gathered in front of Yuuki, forming a small red point of light no thicker than a thumb.
Bang!
"Fire Magic: Radiance of the Little Sun!"
A blazing red beam shot from the tiny point of light like a laser toward the distant sea.
The next moment—
BOOOOOOM!
A massive explosion erupted across the ocean surface.
Towering waves surged upward, swallowing everything on the water into the sea.
After launching the attack, Yuuki didn't even bother watching the aftermath.
The Marines.
Pirates.
None of it truly mattered to him.
However—
What he planned to do next did require people.
For example—
The Ten Circle Generals.
Mohji and Cabaji's performance had disappointed him somewhat.
Of course, it wasn't because they had been defeated instantly by Aokiji.
Yuuki had never expected them to defeat an Admiral.
Rather—
The incident made him realize he might have been too cautious.
Originally, until he confirmed whether the Luck Devil Fruit could evolve his grimoire, Yuuki had little interest in entangling himself with the world's major powers.
But recently—
His research into "aura" and the completion of resurrection magic had made him realize something.
This world contained things worth studying far beyond the Luck Fruit.
When he first created the Ten Circle Generals, it had been partly to gain a few useful subordinates—
but also as an experiment.
Magic differed from person to person.
This was especially evident in the Black Clover world.
Even when two people used the same elemental attribute, the spells they developed would always differ.
The biggest difference between giving someone an external mana source and copying that mana source directly into their soul—
was that the former couldn't access the spells stored within it.
They would have to develop their own magic.
But now—
Yuuki's thinking had changed slightly.
Someone like Aokiji would be a perfect candidate.
A man who followed Lazy Justice was already fundamentally at odds with the World Government.
That alone guaranteed that sooner or later Aokiji would stand against them.
His battle with Akainu for the position of Fleet Admiral proved that he wasn't truly "lazy."
He simply wanted to use the power of the Navy to realize his own ideals.
And when he lost—
Unable to accept Akainu's philosophy, he left the Marines and joined Blackbeard.
That proved it even further.
No matter what Aokiji's real goal within the Blackbeard Pirates was—
one thing was certain.
He needed their power to accomplish his objective.
Yuuki didn't care what that objective was.
He didn't need to know.
All he had to do was give Aokiji another choice before Blackbeard did.
Surely—
Aokiji wouldn't refuse joining the Ten Circle Generals.
Even though he had almost been killed moments earlier.
Revenge.
Hatred.
Hidden motives.
None of that mattered.
Did Yuuki care?
Not at all.
"The moment Straw Hat Luffy set sail…"
"The gears of this era began to turn."
"But whether those gears will still follow their original path…"
Yuuki's lips curved into an amused smile.
Even though he possessed Fate Magic, Yuuki had never believed in fate.
He believed only in miracles.
What was a miracle?
Turning the impossible into reality.
Yuuki had once been a commoner who couldn't even join the Magic Knights.
Yet step by step he had grown stronger—
surpassing both protagonists, Asta and Yuno, and forging his own path to godhood.
How could someone like him believe in predetermined fate?
Whoosh!
Robin watched Yuuki descend from the sky.
No matter how hard she tried to stay calm, the shock on her face could not be hidden.
She knew Yuuki was strong.
But she had never imagined strength on this level.
Even more unbelievable—
A Marine Admiral had retreated.
Where on earth did Vivi find a monster like this…?
Yuuki landed beside Conrad and glanced at the broken, twisted arms hanging at his sides.
"Fire Recovery Magic: Phoenix Feather Robe."
Scarlet flames enveloped Conrad's body.
Within seconds, the injuries and broken arms were completely healed.
The flames faded.
Yuuki observed Conrad thoughtfully.
Everything seemed normal.
But Conrad's sudden full-power outburst during the battle with Aokiji had surprised him.
Normally, someone who retained only battle instincts and no true consciousness shouldn't react so intensely to danger.
Yuuki withdrew his gaze and turned to Robin.
Sensing his attention—
"Captain," Robin said gently, standing straight with her slender arms folded before her.
Yuuki looked at her with amusement.
He could sense her tension.
Yet even so, she maintained calm and hid her emotions well.
"You're far better than Buggy and those three," Yuuki remarked.
Now he understood how Robin had survived so long in the dark world.
If Buggy and the others had experienced what just happened—
they would probably be shouting and swearing loyalty already.
Robin felt relieved when Yuuki used the term Captain without objection.
"I brought a gift for joining the Magic Eye Pirates."
Smiling softly, she took a permanent Log Pose shaped like an hourglass from her pocket.
"It points to Fish-Man Island. It was part of Crocodile's collection."
"I thought the captain might find it useful."
Since she had just joined the crew, Robin didn't yet know the internal dynamics.
If she spoke carelessly about Buggy and the others, she might offend someone.
Especially since the vice-captain, Conrad, was standing right there.
"Fish-Man Island?"
Yuuki raised an eyebrow and took the Log Pose.
"An excellent gift."
It had taken his crew nearly two weeks to reach Alabasta after entering the Grand Line.
And that was only because they had obtained Alabasta's permanent Log Pose early.
For new pirates, that speed was already impressive.
But to Yuuki—
it was too slow.
Without a Log Pose, it was impossible to locate the next island.
Even spatial magic couldn't solve that problem without knowing the destination.
But now—
With a permanent Log Pose to Fish-Man Island, they could head directly there.
Any pirate wishing to enter the New World must first gather at Sabaody Archipelago.
Fish-Man Island lay 10,000 meters beneath it.
The reason there was no permanent Log Pose to Sabaody was simple—
Sabaody wasn't truly an island.
It was formed from giant mangrove trees, meaning it had no magnetic field.
Seeing Yuuki satisfied, Robin relaxed slightly.
"Crocodile's criminal evidence and records are already prepared."
"I can release them anytime."
"That should calm the rebellion in Alabasta."
She smiled faintly.
"The Marines will have a headache over this."
"Though right now, they probably have bigger problems."
After all—
A Marine Admiral had just been forced to retreat.
Robin had never even heard of such a thing before.
Even the Four Emperors of the New World might not manage it so easily.
Compared to that—
Crocodile's downfall seemed trivial.
Joining such a pirate crew might bring greater danger.
But for Robin—
it also meant safety.
"Earlier… you wanted to stop me from killing Aokiji, didn't you?"
Yuuki suddenly said.
Robin's fingers trembled slightly.
Yet her smile remained elegant.
"The captain really is perceptive."
Then she added lightly,
"Once before, I escaped Admiral Aokiji by sheer luck."
"Looking back… he probably let me go on purpose."
"Just like how the captain deliberately let him escape."
Robin clasped her hands behind her back.
Yuuki chuckled.
Talking with intelligent people was always pleasant.
"If we're spreading information…"
"Then let's make it big."
"Send Alabasta's information to the World Economic News."
"And include the story about Admiral Aokiji's retreat."
Then Yuuki changed the subject.
"I need you to do something."
Robin straightened immediately.
Yuuki reached into the air.
A wanted poster appeared in his hand from his spatial storage.
He handed it to her.
The face of a grinning young pirate wearing a straw hat stared back.
The Straw Hat Pirates.
Robin's fingers tightened around the poster.
Her face grew slightly pale.
She didn't understand why Yuuki wanted her to join such an unknown crew.
To her—
it looked like he was sending her away.
"Captain… my identity has been exposed."
"The Marines will likely begin hunting me again."
"With my strength, joining such a weak pirate crew…"
"I might die unexpectedly someday."
Robin forced a self-deprecating smile.
"Hold out your hand," Yuuki said calmly.
Robin hesitated, then raised her slender bronze-toned left hand.
Yuuki gently held it.
Silver magic glowed at his fingertip as he began writing something on the back of her hand.
The warm touch and faint tickling sensation made Robin feel slightly uneasy.
But her attention quickly shifted to the strange symbols appearing there.
Silver letters formed one after another.
A language she had never seen before.
When the symbols finished forming—
they arranged themselves into a small six-pointed magic circle above her hand.
The circle flashed.
Then sank into her skin like a tattoo.
"If you encounter danger, activate the power inside it."
"You called me captain."
"I won't let my crew fall into danger."
Yuuki released her hand.
Then he added,
"Oh, and before heading to Little Garden, bring a permanent Log Pose to Alabasta."
Because Vivi had already left with him, the Straw Hats would never meet her.
Without Vivi—
they wouldn't obtain the Alabasta Log Pose.
That meant they would rely on a normal Log Pose.
If Yuuki remembered correctly—
Little Garden required an entire year to store enough magnetic energy to reach the next island.
Yuuki didn't mind altering the story.
But if the Straw Hats stayed there for a year—
key players would disappear from the stage.
And besides—
Usopp and certain future discoveries would help Yuuki locate things he needed.
After speaking—
Yuuki and Conrad vanished.
Leaving Robin standing alone.
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