"Everyone has a different reason for traveling," Li Ke countered, his voice steady as he looked out over the sparkling blue sky. "To some, the sea is a battlefield; to others, it's a path to a throne. But to me? The ultimate treasure is, and always has been, a beautiful woman."
He turned to Robin, a faint, unapologetic smirk playing on his lips. "If Roger had left the most gorgeous woman in history waiting at the end of the Grand Line, I might have actually bothered to chase it. But a pile of gold? Some ancient weapon designed to turn the world upside down? I couldn't care less about that. I don't deny the One Piece exists, but 'Great Treasure' is a subjective term."
He reached out, his fingers closing around Robin's hand in a firm, possessive grip. "Robin, you're already part of my Great Treasure."
As he spoke, his mind wasn't just on her sharp intellect or her dark, striking beauty. He was thinking specifically about the Hana Hana no Mi. The creative potential of her clones was unmatched—a literal force multiplier for pleasure. He could already envision it: once she mastered her abilities further, she wouldn't just be a companion; she would be the ultimate, multifaceted partner.
"I think you've simply taken a liking to my body and the convenience of my powers," Robin said, curling her lip slightly, though she didn't pull away. "But I suppose I like the sentiment well enough."
She paused, her expression turning serious. "Besides, you should have obtained my 'power' by now, shouldn't you? When we were together, I felt something leaving my body."
She casually waved her hand and opened her 7 Days To Die inventory, which surprised her—it was still there.
"I'm afraid not," Li Ke shook his head. "What I collected was something else entirely; it won't affect your abilities."
So far, the influence of 'World Power' had been mostly negative—like how it rendered Toph and Elsa helpless in Minecraft or brought 7 Days to Die monsters into his world. He felt no guilt in taking it.
"Then how do you plan to get this power?" Robin asked, her tone sharpening. "I don't intend to give it up yet. I'm not ready to resurrect my mother permanently, and I still need this strength to survive. So... please don't take it away. Not yet. All right?"
Her voice was unwavering, carrying a weight of conviction that left no room for argument. Though the reunion with her mother had been tragically brief, it had been long enough for Robin to recognize the fire burning in Olvia's eyes—a fire that mirrored her own. They were cut from the same cloth: scholars bound by an unyielding, almost self-destructive stubbornness.
Robin knew with terrifying certainty that if Olvia were resurrected into this chaotic era, she wouldn't seek a quiet life. She would instantly return to the shadows, hunting for Poneglyphs and the 'True History' with the same reckless passion that had led to the destruction of Ohara.
But the world had grown colder and more dangerous since her mother's time. Olvia was a researcher, not a combatant; she lacked the hardened strength and the devil fruit powers that Robin had spent years refining just to survive. In a world dominated by Emperors and a ruthless World Government, a scholar like Olvia wouldn't just struggle—she would be hunted down and crushed before she could take a single meaningful step.
Robin refused to let her mother endure that cycle of fear and flight again. She had spent twenty years as a ghost, a 'Demon Child' fleeing from one betrayal to the next, and she would not wish that existence on the woman who had died to give her a chance at life.
She made her choice: she would wait. She would wait for the winds of the era to shift, until the name 'Nico Robin' was no longer a synonym for a global threat and the shadows of Ohara had finally dimmed. Only when the world had forgotten to hunt them would she ask Li Ke to bring her mother back. Only then could Olvia live—not as a fugitive, but as a woman free to walk in the sun.
After all...
The physical resemblance between the two of them was simply too striking. To the World Government, it would be like waving a red flag in front of a bull.
"I see..." Li Ke let out a soft chuckle. "Fine. But there's a price."
"Name it."
"Tonight... how about you tell me a bedtime story?" Li Ke whispered directly into her ear.
Robin rolled her eyes. He called it "storytelling," but they both knew he just wanted to get her back into bed. After a brief moment of consideration, she gave a slow nod of agreement.
"But don't finish inside," she added firmly. "I have no intention of having a child right now." She still had adventures to go on; a pregnancy was the last thing she needed.
"Of course," Li Ke agreed, nodding as the promise entered his left ear and promptly exited through his right.
"You bastard," Robin murmured, closing her eyes as she allowed him to press his lips against hers. A moment later, with a startled yelp, she was swept off her feet and carried toward the bed.
When Li Ke finally stepped out, feeling thoroughly satisfied, he checked his gains: 140 energy points. While it wasn't as much as he got from Erina, considering how long he'd known Robin and his "performance" the night before, 140 points was a pleasant surprise.
Before long, the four of them met up on the street to stock up on supplies. They purchased a fresh map and prepared to set sail for Cocoyasi Village.
The village had a decent reputation in the East Blue; even the locals in this town had heard of it. They knew the tangerines from Cocoyasi were excellent, though rumors said the area had been troubled by pirates lately. Li Ke found it fascinating—everyone knew about the fruit, yet no one seemed to know the truth about the village's situation. Or rather, those who knew were being kept quiet.
If Garp doesn't know about this, Li Ke thought, it must be because he's being kept in the dark too. Otherwise, with Arlong's pathetic level of strength, there wouldn't even be a fight.
The group was ready to cast off. However, just as they were about to depart, a massive warship with a dog-shaped figurehead cruised into the harbor. Standing at the bow was an old man wearing a dog-head hat.
Beside Li Ke, Robin let out a sharp gasp. "Garp?! What is he doing here?!"
Li Ke turned his gaze toward the ship. The man looked exactly like he did in the manga and anime—a spirited, robust old veteran.
As their small boat was heading out, Garp's ship was coming in. And Roger happened to be standing right there on the deck.
It was a classic, world-shaking confrontation. Roger stood at the railing, coming face-to-face with Garp.
Cold sweat began to pour down Li Ke's back. He had guessed Garp might be in the area to visit his family, but he never expected them to collide like this!
"Well," Roger muttered, a wry grin tugging at his lips. "Talk about a cursed fate... It was always like this. That old man always had a knack for running into me in the most unexpected places..."
Roger couldn't help but grumble. In the old days, you could blame Marine intelligence, but now? This was nothing but a cursed twist of fate.
"Whatever you do, do not blow your cover..." Li Ke whispered a frantic warning.
"Of course, of course! No one understands better than I do what kind of storm the Pirate King's return would stir up in this world!" Roger laughed with immense pride. Then, he drew his blade and, in a display of peerless, overbearing charisma, let out a thunderous roar.
"BECAUSE I AM THE PIRATE KING!!"
His voice cracked across the sky like a bolt of lightning. In an instant, the entire harbor fell deathly silent. Everyone stood frozen, staring blankly at Roger as he held his sword high.
"..."
Li Ke stared at his own fist. He calculated that in exactly two-thirds of a second, that fist was going to imprint itself onto Roger's face.
But just as Li Ke was about to swing, Roger suddenly snapped back to reality. Seeing the Marines passing by on the warship, he began scratching his head with an awkward laugh, waving his hands dismissively.
"Sorry, sorry! What do they call it? That thing that's so popular with the kids these days... Oh, right! Roleplaying! Cosplay! I was just cosplaying as the Pirate King!"
However, looking at that face—which was identical to the one in history books and the execution broadcast—the Marines on the passing warship shrieked in terror.
"IT'S THE PIRATE KING!!!"
"BATTLE STATIONS!!"
"SOMEONE WAKE UP VICE ADMIRAL GARP, NOW!"
Hearing this, Li Ke finally realized that Garp, who had been standing at the bow looking lost in deep thought, was actually fast asleep!
But just as the Marines were about to open fire, Garp finally moved.
"Hey, hey, what are you boys yelling about? How could this possibly be Roger?" Garp said, picking his nose as he looked at the man standing there, and at Rouge, who had just set down her teacup to join Roger's side.
"How could a dead man come back to life? Besides, look at this fellow—he looks like a husband who actually takes responsibility for his wife. How could he possibly be that irresponsible, alcoholic, hiccuping, nose-picking-and-wiping-it-on-people, bill-dodging, dine-and-dashing, good-for-nothing, tooth-grinding, snoring, absolute idiotic, bastard, son-of-a-bitch, moron Roger?"
Garp finished his rant, flicked a booger toward Roger's head, and continued in a tone dripping with contempt.
"Am I right, Mr. Cosplayer? You surely aren't an irresponsible piece of work like that Roger, are you?"
Li Ke saw it clearly.
Roger's hand was trembling with rage.