Chapter 7: Escape from Hell
Seizing the opening, Saul scooped Robin up and sprinted in the opposite direction of the warships.
"Saul is escaping with the little girl!"
The Marines who were still conscious shouted. Aokiji leaped high into the air.
"Ice Age!"
Two thin lines of ice shot from his palms. The moment they touched the ground, the earth flash-froze, racing toward Saul at terrifying speed.
"Don't ignore me!"
Luo Lin roared, using Soru to appear behind Aokiji, Armament Haki cloaking Shinrai as he slashed.
Aokiji had been on guard the whole time; against someone with Armament and Conqueror's Haki, he wasn't taking chances. He dodged with his own Soru.
The attack still broke his technique. That was all Luo Lin wanted—he never expected to actually hurt an Admiral.
"You're a really annoying brat! You'll lose your life doing that!"
"You think I'm scared of dying?"
"Well, true. Someone with the disposition of a king wouldn't fear death."
"Then—are you ready?"
"Bring it!"
Whoosh!
Both vanished. The air rang with the clash of steel on ice.
The Marines on the warships gaped.
"That… that kid is fighting Vice Admiral Kuzan?!"
"That overwhelming presence earlier—was him! With that kind of talent, becoming strong is only natural!"
"But his age…"
"What a monster!"
Luo Lin had all three types of Haki, but he was still only ten, and his combat experience was lacking. Against a serious Aokiji, he didn't last long.
"Ice Saber — Pheasant Beak!"
"Crap—can't dodge!"
"Armament Hardening!"
BANG!
The impact sent Luo Lin flying. He landed on one knee, clutching his chest, gasping, blood trickling from his mouth, Shinrai planted in the ground to keep him upright.
"Ara ara… incredible, kid. You almost got me."
A long tear ran across Aokiji's stomach uniform—Luo Lin's slash. But the ice beneath had already turned elemental and avoided real damage.
(Logia users are such a pain!)
Luo Lin spat blood but grinned defiantly.
"At your age, reaching this level—you really are a monster. Too bad you die here today."
"Hmph. Again! Soru!"
He vanished once more, but injured, he was slower. Aokiji intercepted instantly.
Luo Lin slashed backward without looking—Aokiji blocked.
"Oh no—"
"Ice Time!"
"System, if you don't save me you're dying with me!"
No answer.
Ice rapidly encased him… but strangely, it didn't hurt. Just cold. Either Conqueror's/Armament protected him, or Aokiji was holding back.
"Well… stay put for now."
Aokiji's voice came from outside the ice.
As expected—Aokiji wasn't trying to kill him. Civilians were allowed to leave if Akainu wasn't around.
When the Marines saw Luo Lin frozen, they cheered.
"We did it! Vice Admiral Kuzan is the strongest!"
"I've gotta chase Saul now."
Aokiji vanished.
Meanwhile, Saul hadn't gotten far from his raft.
"Ice Age!"
Ice swallowed half his body.
"Aokiji! Why are you here?! Where's Luo Lin?!"
"Oh, that kid? Already dead."
"WHAT?!"
Saul's eyes widened in fury.
"He wasn't a scholar—just a child! You were against harming civilians! Why?!"
"He wasn't normal. Conqueror's Haki, mastered Armament at his age, nearly wounded me.
We can't let someone like that grow up to become an enemy of the Navy."
"You bastard! Robin—RUN!"
But Robin was frozen in shock, muttering:
"Luo Lin's dead… Luo Lin's dead…"
"Damn it!"
"Robin! Run! Think of your mother—think of Luo Lin! You're not alone! You have to live carrying their shares too! Do you want their sacrifices to be meaningless?!"
Robin finally reacted.
"Mom…?"
"Yes! Carry your mom's hope, Ohara's hope—and Luo Lin's! Live!"
"I don't want to! What's the point of escaping if I'm still alone?! Luo Lin is gone—I don't want to live!"
"The sea is vast! No one stays alone forever! Somewhere out there are people who will protect you! You have to find them, Robin!"
"Ice Time!"
Aokiji walked forward and froze Saul completely.
Saul used his last moment to shout:
"Run! Don't look back! When it hurts—just laugh like me! Dereshishishishi!"
He laughed as he became an ice statue.
Robin sobbed and ran toward the sea.
When she reached the shore, a tall figure sat waiting.
Despair crushed her.
Aokiji.
"Extreme justice can turn people into weapons. I'm letting you go. I want to see what kind of flower grows from the seed Saul protected with his life.
You can hate anyone you want, but be grateful you're alive. Live quietly from now on.
I made an ice path across the sea. Take the small boat and you'll reach land."
"And remember—I'm not your ally. The moment you commit a crime, I'll be the first to hunt you down."
"My mom is still on the island!"
"Everyone on that island dies. Go back if you want to die—I won't stop you."
Aokiji walked away without looking back.
Only when he was gone did Robin climb into the little boat, hug her knees, and cry until she had no tears left.
Then she remembered Saul's words.
When it hurts—laugh.
"Dereshishi… dereshishishishi…"
She laughed through sobs, remembering Luo Lin, Saul, Dr. Clover…
But the laughter soon turned into heartbreaking wails.
Today had been too cruel. In a single day she lost everything—her mother, her home, and the most important person in her life: Luo Lin.
…
Aokiji walked back toward Luo Lin's location.
Luo Lin had been frozen in his sword-drawing stance for a while. He could've broken out anytime, but he stayed put—if Aokiji was letting Robin go, he might not extend the same mercy to him. And the damn system was still silent.
The warships were far away now.
Aokiji made a call.
"Moshi moshi, Vice Admiral Kuzan! Do we need to turn around?"
"No need. You guys head back. I'll catch up."
"Understood!"
The ships disappeared over the horizon.
"You can come out now. I don't know how you're resisting my ice, but it's safe."
So it wasn't the system? Was it Haki?
Luo Lin shattered the surface ice and stepped out.
"Why let me go?"
"You're not a scholar. The target was only Ohara's scholars. A kid your age with that strength and also a scholar would be too terrifying."
"Fair point."
"Hey, kid. After today—will you become an enemy of the Navy?"
The question was calm, but Luo Lin knew a "yes" meant death.
But he had his pride. And Aokiji believed someone with Conqueror's Haki wouldn't lie.
"Who knows? I actually like some Marines. But I really hate Sakazuki."
"Hah, you know a lot, brat. I'm not fond of his methods either."
"One more thing—will you become a pirate?"
"No idea."
"Hey! That answer's dangerous!"
"I'm ten. Who knows what the future holds?"
"…Fair. Want to join the Marines?"
"Nah. Right now I just want to find Robin and protect her. I'm an orphan. She's my only friend."
"Do whatever. But if you two commit crimes, I'll sink you myself."
He made another call.
"Moshi moshi! Vice Admiral Kuzan! Emergency?"
"Nah, forgot my bicycle. Come pick me up."
"Full speed reverse!"
Luo Lin: "…"
You literally just told them to leave.
"Get out of here before they come back."
"See ya."
Luo Lin vanished into the trees.
He reached the spot where Robin had departed. The Buster Call was over. The ice path was already melting.
Saul's raft was still there, but Luo Lin had his own hidden boat nearby.
He hopped in, figured out the direction, and rowed after Robin with everything he had.
At the same time, he mentally screamed at the system.
"Trash system! Why didn't you help earlier?!"
Ding! "Your beloved System is here~!"
"I didn't detect any lethal danger to Host!"
"Bullshit! I was frozen solid!"
Ding~ "He had no killing intent! No need to activate emergency protocol!"
"You've been mentioning this 'emergency protocol' for two years—what the hell is it?!"
Ding~ "Can't say!"
"Tch. Whatever."
Luo Lin rowed like a madman. The ice path was almost gone—he had to catch her before it vanished completely.
But even after reaching the next island, he still hadn't found her.
…
Two days later A small island in the West Blue
"Where the hell did that girl go? She's too good at hiding!"
A bitter-looking boy clutched a wanted poster—Nico Robin, bounty 79,000,000 Belly.
The boy was Luo Lin.
He had tracked her boat to this island, but she was nowhere to be found. One thing was certain: an eight-year-old girl couldn't have gone far. She was still here.
The day before—Marine HQ, Marineford, Sengoku's office
"That's definitely her! I'm 100% sure!"
Spandine declared.
"Where did you see her?! Did you capture her?!"
The two Marines straightened.
"No, sir! We only spotted a suspicious girl on a remote island near Ohara, but we lost her quickly!"
"Damn it! That brat's luck is insane! I saw her escape the bombardment in a tiny boat!"
"I tried to chase, but the ship wouldn't move—Saul's doing!"
"She can read Poneglyphs. Even as a child, she's an extremely dangerous criminal! We must catch her at all costs, or the Buster Call was meaningless!"
"Issue the bounty! Wanted—dead or alive!"
Sengoku gave the order.
The Marines worked fast. By the next day, Robin's wanted poster was everywhere.
"79 million Belly?! For an eight-year-old?!"
"They say she's the demon spawn of Ohara who tried to destroy the world!"
"Ohara?"
"Yeah! Apparently she killed tons of Marines!"
"So that's how it is…"
"The World Government and Marines are both hunting her! She inherited Ohara's will—if she grows up, the world is in danger!"
"She's the devil's child! She can't be allowed to live!"
Luo Lin snorted at the gossip.
Disgusting propaganda.
But that was the tragedy of the powerless—they'd never learn the truth, only swallow the lies they were fed.
"I've gotta find Robin fast. She's alone… who knows how much she's suffering right now."
He folded the wanted poster, looked up at the sky at a perfect 45-degree angle, and muttered:
"I'll find you, Robin. I swear."
Then he walked forward.
As long as she was still on this island—he would find her. No matter what.
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