CHAPTER 38: Cloaks, Blades, and Bloody Escapes

"Why should I believe you?"

Under her dark cloak, Nico Robin bit her lip. Hesitant. Uneasy.

"What do you think?" Mio shrugged casually. "Right now, the initiative is in my hands, isn't it? Besides," he added with a smirk, stepping a little closer, "you don't need to worry about what I think of you. After all…"

Mio tilted his head, pinching her chin gently as he eyed her with a teasing expression. "Even with that cloak on, I can tell—you're not exactly curvy. So what's there to be interested in?"

Robin's cheeks flushed crimson, her eyes wide with a mix of shame and anger. The words stung, not because they were cruel, but because they were bluntly true. Still, oddly enough, the tension she had felt began to ease. Maybe it was because Mio didn't take her too seriously, or maybe because the conversation had shifted to something less deadly serious.

She took a deep breath and made up her mind. "Fine, I'll agree. But you have to promise me—promise me you'll really take me to see the Poneglyphs."

Even at her age, Robin understood the situation perfectly. Her agreement or refusal was meaningless in the face of overwhelming strength. If Mio truly wanted to force her, she wouldn't stand a chance. But something about him sparked a flicker of hope. The possibility that he might actually lead her to her dream.

The dream that had kept her alive all this time.

Most people scoff at dreams. Call them childish or delusional. But for people like Robin, dreams are everything—the anchor that holds them together through the storm.

For her, this was the reason to survive.

Because without that dream, any child who had faced the nightmares she had would've already broken long ago.

"Of course," Mio said, smiling warmly as he leaned in. The grin on his lips curved with a bit of mischief. "I might as well tell you now—I know where several Poneglyphs are located. One of them? It's in Alabasta, in the Grand Line."

Robin's breath caught in her throat.

"Then… then I promise you."

Her voice trembled, hesitant but resolute. She gritted her teeth and gave her answer. What other choice did she have?

After all, the corpses lying nearby were a silent reminder of what happened to those who refused.

Still, Robin didn't let her guard down. Even if she'd agreed, she remained wary. The man in front of her was dangerous. She couldn't afford to forget that.

That alertness—her constant vigilance—was one of the few reasons she'd survived this long.

"Good. Then welcome aboard." Mio's expression lit up with a grin as he extended his right hand.

Robin hesitated for just a second. Then, slowly, she reached out with her pale, slender hand and shook his.

Mio let go a moment later, stood up, and stretched. "Alright, let's get moving. We were supposed to head for the Grand Line already. But since we stopped here for you, we're running behind."

"But… there's a Navy presence at the port," Robin said anxiously, her voice tight with tension.

"Don't worry." Mio casually placed one hand on the hilt of his sword and the other on his waist. "It's just a local branch. Nothing impressive."

With that, he turned and strolled out of the tavern.

Warwick followed silently, looming behind like a shadow.

Robin lingered for a moment before quietly trailing them.

Not long after the trio had left, the rest of the tavern began to stir. The smell of blood and alcohol mixed with sweat drifted through the air, drawing attention to the corpses left behind. One by one, the pirates inside snapped out of their drunken haze.

Panic set in.

One after another, pirates rushed out of the tavern. Many even decided to abandon Strait Town that very day.

Unfortunately for them, they ran straight into the naval blockade.

At the Port

The docks were tightly guarded.

Naval patrols walked back and forth. Ships lined the harbor. Any group of three or more was stopped and searched thoroughly.

Around two hundred Navy soldiers stood watch, and among them were two majors keeping an eye on everything.

Hidden in a shadowy alley, Mio observed the scene.

"Alright, let's go," he whispered.

He began walking toward his ship with Robin and Warwick in tow.

Robin bit her lip, her nerves on edge. Beneath her cloak, her eyes scanned the area carefully.

"Excuse me, please wait."

A team of ten Navy soldiers intercepted them just as they stepped into the martial law zone.

The leader held a wanted poster in his hand.

"We've had reports that the demon child Nico Robin was spotted in Strait Town," the officer said sternly. "We're checking all departures. Your companion will need to remove her cloak."

He gestured directly at Robin.

Mio smiled sheepishly and scratched his head. "Nico Robin? The one with an 80 million bounty?"

"Yes. Don't be fooled just because she's young," the soldier warned. "She's a dangerous criminal who escaped the Buster Call on Ohara."

"Wow. That sounds terrifying," Mio said, feigning fear.

But before the soldier could respond, Mio suddenly pointed toward the dock. "Hey, what's that person doing over there?"

The group turned to look.

At the same time, Mio muttered under his breath, "Looks like they want to kill you."

And then it hit.

From Mio's ship, a cloaked figure—Erica—raised a long sword and brought it down in a massive arc. A wave of sword energy exploded outward, racing straight toward the group.

The earth split apart in its wake.

Mio grinned and grabbed the stunned Robin in his arms. "Warwick, we're leaving!"

The trio bolted.

As the sword wave struck, it tore through the Navy soldiers. Of the ten blocking Mio's path, only two managed to leap aside in time. The rest were cut down before they could even scream.

"Dammit! Pirates!" one of the surviving soldiers yelled, his face pale. "And that cloak—it is Nico Robin! Everyone, attack!"

The port descended into chaos.

Navy officers turned their attention toward Mio and Warwick.

The two majors raced across the docks, heading straight for them.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Gunfire erupted.

Dozens of musket rounds flew through the air.

Mio turned mid-run, pulling out Raikiri in one smooth motion. With a swift slash, he sent out a wave of black sword energy in the shape of a crow.

The crow-shaped slash intercepted the bullets mid-air, tearing them apart.

In that brief moment, Mio and his group reached the ship.

"Erica! Warwick! Hold them off—we're setting sail!" Mio barked with a laugh, gripping the helm and turning the ship away from the dock.

The Navy rained bullets and cannonballs upon them, desperate to stop their escape.

But it was hopeless.

Erica stood firm, slashing apart incoming shells with ease.

She narrowed her eyes, raised both swords, and crossed them in front of her.

Then she moved.

A blinding double slash cleaved through the air.

The twin strikes fused into a single, massive wave of energy that surged across the harbor.

Swish—

A deafening roar followed.

Screams echoed as the destructive slash carved through the port, tearing up the ground and scattering the terrified Navy like leaves in the wind.

"Ahhh!!"

Panic overtook the docks.

And the pirate ship, with Mio, Warwick, Robin, and Erica aboard, disappeared into the horizon.