65. You Are More Attractive Than Ancient Weapon

FACT

Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: p@treon.com/CosmicKaminari

----------

Nico Robin noticed Vivi watching her and gave her a gentle smile. That smile only made Vivi more unhappy.

"So you're still after those Poneglyphs in Alabasta," Ikki said, resting his hands on the edge of the bath while checking out Robin. "Now you want to see them as a friend of the hero who saves the country? Pretty smart move."

Ikki didn't hide his appreciative gaze as he looked at Robin. She didn't seem bothered by his obvious interest.

When they were in the Sword Room earlier, she had noticed how Ikki looked at her and Vivi's reaction. Robin understood that Ikki was someone who appreciated beauty.

She even thought that if letting Ikki look at her body would help her see the Poneglyphs, she would still come out ahead.

"If you help me out, Captain Ikki, I'll make it worth your while," Robin offered.

"Oh yeah? What kind of payback are we talking about?" Ikki asked, his interest obvious.

"You seem to know a lot. Ever heard about the Ancient Weapons?"

"Ancient Weapons? Yeah, a bit. Super powerful stuff, right?"

"Crocodile only worked with me because he's after an Ancient Weapon," Robin explained. "To find one, you need to read the Poneglyphs. See where I'm going with this?"

"I help you find the Poneglyphs, and you help me get an Ancient Weapon. That it?"

"Exactly!"

"Sorry, but I couldn't care less about Ancient Weapons," Ikki said, waving his hand while eyeing Robin curiously.

He was surprised that Robin would try to tempt him with an Ancient Weapon to gain access to the Poneglyphs. Ikki had the power of Zanpakutō and didn't care about some weapon like Pluton.

He'd rather focus on helping himself and his partners master their Zanpakutō than risk being hunted by the Marines and World Government for possessing an Ancient Weapon.

"You're not interested in Ancient Weapons?" Robin asked, surprised.

"Nope. Actually, I find you way more interesting than some old weapon, Miss Robin," Ikki said, openly checking her out.

He had to admit that Robin, with her mature and intelligent big-sister type personality, matched his preferences perfectly. Compared to Nami and the others who were still somewhat young, Robin had a definite advantage in attracting him.

Hearing Ikki's words, Robin pressed her lips together thoughtfully. After a moment, she moved closer so her arm and side pressed against Ikki. The skin-to-skin contact made Ikki raise his eyebrows.

"Are you hitting on me with your looks, Miss Robin?"

"Why not? Didn't you just say you're into me?" she replied. "Since you don't want the Ancient Weapon, let's make a new deal. Show me the Poneglyphs, and maybe I'll let you have me."

"Now that's... definitely more tempting than some weapon," Ikki said, raising his eyebrows.

In his experience, Robin wasn't the type to use seduction to get what she wanted. That was more Nami's approach, and only for small favors. Hearing such an offer from Robin seemed strange.

'Robin was very disappointed after seeing the Poneglyph in the Alabasta tomb wasn't what she hoped for,' Ikki thought to himself. 'She was injured by Crocodile afterward and nearly gave up on life. She must not have found what she was looking for.'

'The Robin sitting here probably feels the same way as that Robin.'

Ikki considered Robin's situation carefully. She had wandered the seas for many years, experiencing countless betrayals and betraying many people herself. Those years couldn't have been easy for a woman alone.

Robin was clearly tired of her difficult life. If she had been ready to die in similar circumstances before, now she was a captive and her long-term plans were ruined. It made sense that she might offer her body as a last resort.

"Forget it, Robin," Ikki said firmly, moving her hand away and pushing her back a bit.

"What? Didn't you just say you liked me?" Robin asked, confused.

"And from what I've seen, you're totally into women."

Robin glanced at Vivi sitting across from them.

"Yeah, Vivi's reaction earlier made you think you had me all figured out," Ikki noted. "You're not wrong—I do like beautiful women."

"Especially women like you, Robin. If I ever settled down, I'd go for a mature, smart woman like you. But just because you're my type doesn't mean I have to jump at the chance."

"If a woman isn't really into me, what's the point? Even sex would feel weird. So if you're just trying to make a deal, save it."

In the bath, Vivi and Robin stared at Ikki in surprise. They hadn't expected him to admit so openly that he liked beautiful women, yet still have such firm principles. Even with an attractive woman who matched his tastes right in front of him, he refused her if she wasn't sincere.

After a pause, Ikki continued, "Besides, I already promised if you help us take down Baroque Works and Crocodile, I'll show you a Poneglyph."

"You don't think I'll believe just your word?" he asked. "So you're throwing in something extra to lock down our deal? To feel safer? To make sure I'll actually take you to the Poneglyph?"

Robin was quiet for a few seconds. Then she nodded and looked directly into Ikki's eyes.

"Crocodile worked with me because he wanted the Ancient Weapon," she explained. "You want my help to control Baroque Works."

"With Crocodile, I knew I'd see the Poneglyph. With you, there's no guarantee. Once you get what you want, I'm useless to you. If you break our deal, I can't do anything about it. That's why I offered more."

"That's your thinking?" Ikki frowned slightly.

"Robin, if I was just after your body, I could force myself on you. I wouldn't wait for you to offer," Ikki said bluntly.

"Force is never as good as willingness," she replied. "If I wanted to, I could make you feel things no other woman could."

As she spoke, Robin used her Devil Fruit power to create several arms on different parts of Ikki's body, even underwater.

When Vivi saw this, her face turned bright red, and she wanted to leave immediately. She suddenly felt she shouldn't have come here—this scene was too shocking for a sixteen-year-old.

"I got the Flower-Flower Fruit power. I can make my hands pop up like flowers anywhere I can see," Robin explained, her voice dropping lower. "Anywhere at all, Captain."

Robin's lips curved into a smile. Just like that, she changed from smart woman to seductive one right before Ikki's eyes.

"Cool ability. I bet it could definitely create some fun sensations," Ikki admitted. "I'd enjoy having a woman like you use that Flower-Flower Fruit on me."

"But I still can't take your offer, Robin."

Ikki shook his head and released a slight electric current through his breath of thunder. The electricity traveled through the water to Robin, making her body slightly numb and forcing her to release her Devil Fruit power.

"If you really liked me, I'd totally have a kid or two with you," Ikki said. "But if it's just a business deal, no thanks."

Ikki stood up, wrapped himself in a bathrobe, and walked out of the bath without waiting for Robin's reply.

"You don't need to use your body to make a deal, Miss Robin," he said as he walked away. "I promise, help us stop the fighting in Vivi's country, and I'll show you a Poneglyph in Alabasta."

"Trust me, it's probably the one you're really looking for."

The Poneglyph Ikki mentioned wasn't the one in the Alabasta royal tomb. It was one buried in the desert near Yuba, one of Alabasta's cities. Unlike the Poneglyph that revealed the location of the Ancient Weapon, Ikki believed this might be the one Robin truly sought.

By the time he finished speaking, Ikki had reached the edge of the bathhouse, giving Robin no chance to respond.

Looking at Ikki's retreating back, Robin sat stunned for several seconds before coming back to her senses.