Chapter 40

Western Sea. A certain island, a certain town.

"Girl, I'm going to pick up some supplies," Shanter said as he was the first to jump off the Black Night.

"Alright, let's go together," Robin responded and followed Shanter off the ship.

"Your handwriting is really beautiful!" Shanter remarked as he watched Robin swiftly jot down a shopping list on a piece of paper, leaving elegant, flowing cursive characters.

Robin simply smiled faintly, not speaking.

In The Market.

"This island's economy is so prosperous; it's rare to see such a wide variety of goods on other islands," Shanter commented, admiring the bustling market full of all sorts of items.

Robin nodded in agreement.

"Here, girl, try on this outfit. Does it fit well?" Shanter said, pulling Robin into a clothing store.

"No need, my dress is just fine," Robin politely declined Shanter's suggestion to buy her clothes, though her eyes lingered on the new and beautiful attire.

Shanter easily noticed Robin's actions and chuckled, "No need to worry about the money, we have plenty now. Besides, how can you only have a few dresses? In the future, you're going to be a charming and graceful woman, and you must have plenty of beautiful clothes." He gazed at Robin's exquisite features, teasing her. Afterward, Shanter touched the "S" shaped scar on his face, letting out a bitter laugh to himself—though Robin was beautiful, he was growing more and more disfigured.

"Since we reunited, I haven't bought you any clothes. Let me make up for it this time," Shanter said half-jokingly, half-seriously.

It's said that accompanying a woman to a clothing store is a painful task for a man, but Shanter didn't mind at all. On the contrary, he enjoyed watching Robin try on different outfits—each new style a pleasure to behold.

A graceful lady, a gentleman's perfect match.

That was what Shanter thought on the surface, but inwardly, he mused, Uniforms... uniforms...

Robin was indeed beautiful, but her usual loli (young girl) style with a dress was starting to wear on his aesthetic. Now, however, his beloved beauty was putting on a fashion show right in front of him, and who could resist feasting their eyes on it? (Although Robin was still a loli...)

Time passed without their noticing.

"Girl, have you chosen yet? We still have other things to buy," Shanter urged.

"Why don't we come back tomorrow and finish?" Robin reluctantly left the clothing store.

"Alright, fine!" Shanter agreed to Robin's request.

It wasn't until the morning of the third day that Robin, laden with her purchases, finally finished her shopping. By then, Shanter had come to understand the true meaning of the phrase, "Accompanying a woman to a clothing store is painful for a man."

Three days, and even just looking at the beautiful woman became tiresome. Of course, if Robin decided to continue her "fashion show," Shanter would be more than happy to keep her company.

The sun was setting, and Shanter and Robin had finally finished their essential shopping.

Carrying bags of all sizes, Shanter was in stark contrast to Robin, who had empty hands.

"Girl, help me carry some of these," Shanter said, bargaining with Robin.

"No way," Robin smiled brightly, reading a book, clearly indicating there was no room for discussion.

"What a lazy and gluttonous bad girl!" Shanter grumbled lightly.

"So what?" Robin dismissed him, continuing to focus on her book.

"Still reading? Be careful you don't turn into a bookworm! No one will like you if you wear thick glasses like that," Shanter teased.

But Shanter's attempt at scaring her was too childish. Robin didn't even bother responding.

Shanter, helpless, could only continue walking ahead with a sigh.

"Hmm?" Just as Shanter was about to tease Robin again, he sensed something unusual.

Years of living in exile and constant danger had sharpened Shanter's instincts. He had developed an acute sense of awareness, almost a sixth sense that allowed him to predict danger.

"Be careful," Shanter's deep and penetrating voice whispered near Robin's ear.

Robin immediately became alert, pretending not to notice. She slowly closed the book and placed it into her bag.

Shanter and Robin were so in sync that Shanter didn't even need to issue a command; even without exchanging a glance, Robin already knew what to do.

"Everything's spinning!" Robin closed her eyes. Shanter hadn't yet developed the habit of using Observation Haki, so all reconnaissance still relied on Robin.

"Bang!" The moment Robin found the enemy's position, Shanter swiftly kicked, sending a huge wind blade toward a nearby abandoned house where the enemy was hiding.

The entire house was shattered by the force of Shanter's kick.

"Not dead yet," Shanter muttered, tossing his bags aside. He pushed off the ground, disappearing into the air. With a flip, he drew his blade and slashed downward in a furious strike.

"Clang!" The sound of steel clashing.

"Oh? A Devil Fruit user? Or is it CP9?" Shanter sheathed his sword, amused.

A giant figure, over two meters tall, emerged from the smoke. The man had a shaved head, dressed in a Shaolin monk-style outfit, and was holding a cup of lemon juice.

Shanter knew the newcomer was dangerous, but he wasn't worried. Thanks to his training with Shanks and the boost from the War God Fruit, his strength had soared. He was far stronger than when he had dealt with Twister. The man before him wasn't weak, but he was on par with Twister, so Shanter had no reason to fear.

However, as a habit before battle, Shanter glanced at Robin.

"Assassin Daz Bonis, born in the Sea Circle Year 1486. He is a Blade Blade Fruit user, capable of turning his entire body into sharp blade edges and cutting through anything he touches. Be cautious," Robin provided the information, exactly as expected.

"A Blade Blade user?" Now Shanter was completely unconcerned. No matter what kind of blade user he was, as long as he was a Devil Fruit user, Shanter could use his Armament Haki to neutralize his abilities. Not to mention, even without Haki, Shanter had the power to cut through steel.

"Girl, just watch from the side. Don't get involved," Shanter said, not wanting Robin to risk getting hurt. Though Robin's body wouldn't suffer damage, she'd still feel pain, and that was enough to make Shanter feel guilty.

"Cut!" Daz Bonis transformed his hand into a blade, aiming to capture and slice Shanter.

Shanter, with his extensive combat experience, easily sidestepped and retaliated with a horizontal slash.

Daz Bonis didn't care and attempted to block with his hand.

However, the intense pain in his arm immediately made Daz Bonis realize his mistake. He quickly retreated.

"You? You think you can fight me? Did Twister's pirate crew send you?" Shanter asked, not pursuing but casually resting his sword.

"So what if they did? So what if they didn't?" Daz Bonis replied, defiant, though his mind was in turmoil. He had heard that Shanter was on par with Twister, but now, he was far stronger than before. Even with his steel body, he had been injured. This was unprecedented.

Daz Bonis was certainly no fool. He believed that his strength was a cut above Twister's (Twister couldn't twist the body of the Blade Man), and he had heard that Shanter, who was comparable in strength to Twister, had already suffered severe injuries. Moreover, Shanter's fighting style leaned toward high offense and speed, which played directly into Daz Bonis' hands. That's why he accepted this mission. However, the strength of "Ashura" far exceeded his expectations.

In fact, if Shanter had encountered Daz Bonis before meeting Shanks, Shanter would have had no choice but to flee in disgrace. But the Shanter now was no longer the same. His strength had soared to new heights, and Daz Bonis no longer stood in his way.

"Break Slash!" Daz Bonis crossed his arms, unleashing a cross-shaped blade of light.

"Hmph!" Shanter skillfully waved his sword and easily blocked Daz Bonis' attack.

Daz Bonis never expected to land a decisive blow, but he poured all his power into his arm, preparing for his next strike.

"Spiral Cut!" Daz Bonis twisted his wrist into a blade, aiming to wound Shanter with the force of his high-speed rotation.

"Enough, I'm not playing with you anymore," Shanter said, growing annoyed, and decided to end the trouble once and for all.

With that, Shalanter suddenly turned his head and gave Robin a tender glance. "Among the three thousand weak rivers in the world, I alone take a sip from one. Three thousand weak waters... one sip."

Shanter's Huang Tian sliced upwards in an eerie arc, as if it were a vast ladle scooping infinite seawater to spill out, radiating overwhelming dominance, much like the boundless, vast ocean, sweeping forth with unstoppable force.

"Foamy Daisy Slash!" Daz Bonis spread his hands to resist the impact of Shanter's strike, planning to unleash a ranged slash after catching it.

But Daz Bonis was wrong. He couldn't even block Shanter's strike.

"Ah—" Daz Bonis was thrown backwards, toppled by the tremendous force.

"Microscopic Dust Slash!" Daz Bonis quickly got up from the ground, his heels transforming into blades, sliding like ice skates.

Shanter, momentarily distracted, was surprised to see Daz Bonis attempting to escape.

"Think you can run? Don't make me laugh. Cross Break!" Huang Tian drew a cross in the air. A leaping cross-shaped slash shot through the sky, exploding in midair.

"Slash!" Daz Bonis' body hardened like a blade, bracing against the attack. After all, this aerial slash didn't carry the overwhelming force, just the sword's edge, so Daz Bonis could withstand it, though he staggered.

"Don't think you're getting away!" Seeing this, Shalanter pushed off the ground and pursued relentlessly, determined to eliminate any threat.

Though Shanter was fast, Daz Bonis wasn't slow either. Given that chasing was more difficult than fleeing, Shalanter had to put in more effort to catch up.

"Aren't you worried about that little girl, Nico Robin?" As Shanter closed the gap, Daz Bonis suddenly spoke.

"What do you mean by that?" Shanter's pace didn't slow in the slightest.

"I'm just bait, meant to draw you away. While you've been chasing me, those bounty hunters have already gone after Nico Robin." Daz Bonis spoke calmly, but there was an undeniable conviction in his words.

"Hmph, trying to fool me? Not a chance." Shanter clearly didn't believe him.

"We know you can use Observation Haki, so those bounty hunters are ambushing at least five hundred meters away, out of your range. Three days is enough for them to gather up and claim the heads of you and your group, with a combined bounty of over one hundred million beli." Daz Bonis continued, revealing that he and the bounty hunters were merely using each other.

"What?" Shanter was shocked and enraged.