In the depths of the sea, the giant, thousand-meter-long fish-shaped sea beast swam rapidly into the dark distance.
In the dim, lightless space of its stomach, Luo Chen and Robin both breathed a sigh of relief.
A long time had passed. Since Aokiji had not caught up, it meant they had escaped this crisis.
Robin asked curiously, "How did you do it? How did Aokiji not realize we were no longer in the coffin?"
Having spent years in the Grand Line, she knew about Observation Haki.
Logically, the moment they teleported out of the coffin, Aokiji should have immediately realized it was empty.
Luo Chen chuckled. "A little trick."
The Wood Clone was an ability he had not yet revealed. He naturally wouldn't tell Robin about it.
"I wonder when the Marines will find out," Luo Chen rubbed his chin.
The Wood Clones inside the coffin had not been dispelled and returned. This proved that they had not yet been discovered by Aokiji.
'By the way, what is the Wood Clone doing? Why hasn't it dispelled the jutsu?'
Luo Chen was puzzled.
Logically, the Wood Clone could have dispelled itself and returned to the main body after being "captured." Even if it was frozen, it would only take a single thought to dissipate.
Could it be that it had some other plan?
'The only drawback of the clone technique is that the memories don't sync. I won't know until the clone returns to the main body.'
Luo Chen sighed inwardly.
Robin said softly at this moment, "You're pressing on my hair."
The two were squeezed into the narrow coffin. When Luo Chen had raised his hand to rub his chin, he had inadvertently pressed down on her hair.
"Sorry."
Luo Chen retracted his hand, slowly widening the coffin and transforming it into a door-sized plank floating on the dark green stomach acid.
The wooden plank made by his Wood Style was extremely tough and could withstand the corrosion of the sea beast's gastric juices.
Robin stretched her body, her long legs bent together as she sat elegantly on her side.
She smiled. "When are we getting out? Are we going to wait until we're with the excrement?"
Luo Chen also laughed. "How could that be? To be safe, we'll wait until the sea beast has swum a bit further. If Aokiji's Observation Haki spots us after we get out, we'll be done for."
He wasn't sure what Aokiji's perception range was. Nor was he sure if Aokiji would keep his Haki active at all times. If they were discovered, all their previous efforts would be for naught.
Robin nodded and smiled. "That's true. With your strength, this Sea King poses no threat to us."
She finally felt safe and secure now.
Strangely, it was when she was with Luo Chen.
Robin's beautiful eyes looked over. "In Loguetown, what that man named Genzo said... it was all true, wasn't it?"
"Yes," Luo Chen nodded. "You heard about what happened in Loguetown too?"
Robin tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Of course. Loguetown is the place where the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, was born and died. When something big happens there, all the major powers on the sea pay attention."
She sighed lightly. "When a person gives up their life to prove something, many people will remember it."
Luo Chen's smile was a little sad. "I have to thank Genzo. If it weren't for him, probably no one would have believed it."
Robin nodded gently. "Besides Genzo, my own past experiences have also made it clear to me that the Marines are not the true embodiment of justice. They also kill the innocent and help the World Government persecute civilians."
Robin believed Luo Chen.
In the past, the innocent civilians of Ohara had evacuated the island by ship before the Buster Call was initiated. Akainu, then a Vice Admiral, had ordered the warships to open fire, sinking the ship carrying the civilians. Perhaps he was worried that there were historians hiding on the ship. But implicating so many innocent people was something Robin could not tolerate. This left her with no good feelings toward the Marines.
Robin suddenly said, "Luo Chen, your earlier offer to recruit me, is it still valid?"
Luo Chen was taken aback for a moment, then nodded.
A beautiful smile appeared on Robin's face. "Then I am willing to join your pirate crew."
She smiled. "When we first met, I thought you were a despicable bastard, but I later discovered that wasn't the case."
Robin's beautiful, deep blue eyes looked intently at Luo Chen. "The most crucial point is that you are strong enough. I believe that by your side, I will be very safe."
Robin said, "I don't know many things, only some history. If you wish to become the Pirate King, I can help you decipher the Road Poneglyphs. If you wish to fight the Marines, I can also help you find information about the Ancient Weapons through the Poneglyphs."
She explained that Crocodile was in Alabasta precisely to find information about the Ancient Weapon Pluton.
Luo Chen naturally knew about Robin's past.
He listened patiently and then smiled. "Good. Actually, I'm not interested in being the Pirate King or the Ancient Weapons."
Seeing Robin's curiosity, Luo Chen explained, "I'm preparing to build a Yonko-level pirate crew. In the future, I'll just make a lot of money and find a stretch of sea to retire in."
"But when it comes to managing a pirate crew and territory, I don't know the first thing. I hope you can help."
Luo Chen stated his goal.
Robin chuckled. "A Yonko-level pirate crew. Your ambition is really great."
Her beautiful eyes sparkled. "But I think you can do it. You can leave the management to me in the future."
He had successfully escaped from a Marine Admiral right before her eyes. Robin believed Luo Chen could achieve his goal.
Luo Chen said regretfully, "We didn't have time to take Crocodile's two billion-plus Berries."
Robin smiled. "I already took it. After he framed me, I transferred the money away. We can just go back to Alabasta to get it later."
Hearing this, Luo Chen laughed out loud. "Crocodile will probably go back to Alabasta after he recovers from his injuries. Next time, I'll take you to see him and settle the score."
Crocodile had framed Robin as the boss behind Baroque Works and had even hunted her down with the Marines. This had clearly made Robin very angry, and in a fit of pique, she had transferred away that two billion-plus Berries.
Robin smiled and nodded. "Alright."
The two chatted idly in the stomach of the Sea King.
A few hours later, Luo Chen figured it was about time to get out. During this time, his stamina had mostly recovered.
Luo Chen stood up, preparing to summon the Thousand-Armed Guanyin statue to directly burst through the Sea King's body.
Suddenly, the stomach acid churned violently, and the world was turned upside down.
Luo Chen's expression changed. He reached out and grabbed Robin.
A barrier of wood condensed around them, protecting them and sealing them off from the tumbling stomach acid.
"Is this Sea King rolling over?"
"Let me see," Robin said, crossing her arms in front of her chest and using her fruit ability to grow an eye outside the Sea King's body.
A moment later, she said in astonishment, "This Sea King has been sucked into the sky by a giant tornado that reaches the seabed."
Luo Chen was stunned.
No wonder it felt like being in a washing machine, spinning around.
He said nothing, controlling the surrounding wood to become soft so as not to hurt Robin.
The two tried their best to maintain their balance and not tumble along with the Sea King, but they still felt a little dizzy.
An unknown amount of time passed. Luo Chen felt it had been at least two or three hours before the Sea King stopped tumbling.
A sense of weightlessness followed.
Luo Chen estimated that the Sea King was probably falling from the sky.
Robin once again used her fruit ability to observe the outside.
In the tornado, her eyes had been stung by the strong winds, making it impossible to observe.
Robin reminded him, "We're falling toward the sea below."
Luo Chen wove a large amount of soft wood around the two of them, preparing for impact.
A loud BOOM came from outside the Sea King's body.
The entire mass of dark green stomach acid rushed upward as if it had been inverted.
The wooden sphere containing Luo Chen and Robin also bounced up and down.
A moment later, everything calmed down.
Just as Luo Chen was about to break through the Sea King's body to get out, he felt another jolt.
It seemed this Sea King was actively charging toward the surface of the sea.
Robin observed quietly for a moment and said, "It's going to attack a ship. A pirate ship!"
Before Luo Chen could ask, she continued, "It seems to be... the Kuja Pirates!"
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]