"Your identity is that of a Revolutionary. Though I told the Lantis people that the incident with Kuma was a misunderstanding, they likely won't accept you so easily again. If you have sothing to say, make it quick. Whispering to my deputy like this—could it be you're trying to poach her?" Rosen smiled faintly.
Sabo had approached Robin first before sending Valentine to notify Rosen.
Rosen didn't have particularly deep mories of the original events but vaguely recalled that during the ti Robin was sent flying by Kuma, she had already begun interacting with the Revolutionaries and spent so ti with them.
It was likely Dragon had been searching for her or wanted to protect her—either due to the tragedy of her holand or because he might have known her mother. But the greater possibility was her knowledge.
Even the location where she landed might have been deliberately chosen by Kuma.
Sabo was accompanied by two capable aides: Koala and the fishman, Hack.
Hearing Rosen's words, Sabo was montarily taken aback before responding frankly, "Actually, we ca here for two main reasons. First, we hope Lantis and the Revolutionary Army can form a friendly alliance. Second, we'd like to invite Nico Robin to visit our headquarters. This isn't a threat—just an invitation."
"What do you think?" Rosen didn't answer imdiately. After exchanging contact information with Sabo days earlier, he had suspected Sabo had ulterior motives but hadn't connected it to Robin at the ti.
As he spoke, Rosen glanced at Lantis' representative, Alice, and Robin herself.
"Apologies, but Lantis doesn't need allies," Alice refused, echoing Queen Hathaway's stance before her departure.
Though Sabo had fought alongside them against Admiral Kizaru, the Lantis people still didn't fully trust the Revolutionaries. The tragedy following Kuma's persuasion remained fresh in their minds.
"I'd like to visit the Revolutionary headquarters, but I don't know much about your organization. Perhaps your cause is just, but that doesn't an every mber can resist the temptation of ancient weapons. I only seek the truth of history. If I were taken prisoner there, it would be troubleso..." Robin declined tactfully, her thoughts darkening as she considered the possible fate awaiting her.
Without the connection of Luffy being the Revolutionary leader's son—and not being part of his crew—she found it hard to trust them. She remained wary of everything.
"I see. If Lantis ever needs assistance, the Revolutionary Army will gladly help. Here's my contact information—we hope you survive. But Nico Robin, our organization has collected many Poneglyph rubbings over the years. We genuinely need translation, as we too wish to uncover the truth of the Void Century. Our leader knows only fragnts. If we could understand more, we'd choose to reveal the truth to the world." Sabo remained calm, his tone sincere.
This did pique Robin's interest. Given the Revolutionary Army's reach and ideology, possessing Poneglyph rubbings wasn't surprising—it was almost expected.
A group aiming to overthrow the world wouldn't remain ignorant of history's secrets. Perhaps the Revolutionary Army itself was born from such revelations.
Robin hesitated, torn. Joining the Revolutionaries temporarily would be risky, but the potential gains were significant.
"The choice is ultimately yours. In fact, our leader has ordered that if we ever find you, we must do our utmost to protect you," Sabo added.
"Why?" Robin didn't understand. If it was purely for her knowledge, resorting to force would be more efficient.
The World Governnt branded the Revolutionaries as a top-tier criminal organization. While their thods might align with democratic ideals, surviving this long without sacrifices seed unlikely—Kuma's fate proved that.
This world wasn't kind to overly idealistic groups.
From a pragmatic standpoint, if securing one person could greatly benefit an entire organization, exhausting all ans to do so would be the norm.
"I don't know either," Sabo admitted. He didn't always understand Dragon's decisions, but he trusted his leader's judgnt in the broader sche.
"Boss?" Robin looked to Rosen, seeking advice. She was, after all, still his subordinate.
"If you're uneasy, then don't go," Rosen decided.
"Crocodile, shouldn't this be her personal choice?" Sabo countered. Though not a threat, if Robin agreed and Rosen refused, conflict would be inevitable.
"Not necessarily. The core issue is the Poneglyph translations and the truth. If you have rubbings, here's a better solution—why not give them to Nico Robin for free? She can translate them and provide you with a copy," Rosen suggested calmly.
Sabo frowned. Koala spoke up imdiately: "Impossible! Even rubbings were hard-won by the Revolutionaries. Besides—"
"If free isn't an option, then let's make it transactional." Rosen had no patience for Koala's protests. Face-to-face interactions could reveal much—so had sharp enough judgnt to gauge a person's nature after brief exchanges.
It seed others worried Robin might have embraced darkness. If she had, the Poneglyphs could be misused. But with sothing of equal value, a trade wasn't impossible.
"Transactional?" Sabo was puzzled. The Revolutionary Army wasn't lacking in funds, and this wasn't a matter money could solve.
"Exactly. It's simple—you provide the rubbings, and we'll give you the translations. A fair exchange. And considering the rarity of your materials, I'll include a piece of intelligence for you personally, Sabo." Rosen t his gaze, confident.
"For ? I don't have any particular desires..." Sabo shook his head.
He wasn't without wants, but nothing pressing on a personal level. If it benefited the Revolutionaries, he'd consider it seriously.
But Rosen didn't let him refuse: "You've lost a portion of your mories, haven't you? Don't you want to know what's missing? Or let put it this way—one day, you'll rember, and you might regret it deeply. Even then, it doesn't matter?"
"How do you know that?" Sabo's brow furrowed. Only a handful in the Revolutionary Army knew about his childhood amnesia. How did Crocodile?
Yet he often felt sothing vital was missing from those lost mories—he just hadn't found any leads.
(End of Chapter)
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