Sabaody Archipelago, 12GR.
The Straw Hat crew had been scattered. Bartholomew Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit had sent Zoro, Nami, and the others flying to distant locations, leaving only the Straw Hat Kid and Nico Robin behind.
At that moment, Kuma began walking step by step toward Robin. Luffy roared and charged forward to intercept, but just as he approached Robin, Kuma's figure flashed in front of her. His palm, glowing with a faint white light, suddenly rose and swung toward Nico Robin.
Swish! At that critical moment, a faint blue lightning bolt suddenly cut through the air, accompanied by a crackling electric sound. Ryan's Seven Star Sword left its sheath in an instant, a cold glint flashing as the blade precisely blocked Kuma's palm.
Thud! The paw pad collided with the sword blade, the elastic force of the Paw-Paw Fruit spreading along the blade. Ryan's wrist sank uncontrollably, his eyes narrowing sharply. His left foot stomped forcefully on the ground with a crisp crack, instantly creating a half-inch deep crater in the rubble beneath him. Amid the flying debris, he barely managed to stabilize his stance.
This sudden turn of events left everyone present frozen in place.
"That guy... is the newly appointed Seven Warlord Ryan, right?" Sentomaru frowned, hefting his large axe as he stared at Ryan's back, his tone tinged with confusion. "What's going on with him? Why is he helping the Straw Hat Kid's people?"
"A troublesome guy has arrived..." Rayleigh, who was locked in combat with Kizaru, also caught sight of the scene. His grip on his sword tightened slightly, his brow furrowing deeper as he muttered to himself, "This makes things even more difficult to handle."
Dealing with Kizaru alone was already exhausting enough, and now there was the "Tyrant Kuma" with unclear motives. With the addition of the capricious "Wanderer," it was becoming unbearable.
"Oya oya~" Kizaru narrowed his eyes as he assessed Ryan, his tone carrying a hint of mockery. "The newly appointed Seven Warlord can actually block Kuma's strike. His strength is greater than I expected. How terrifying!"
Kuma looked at Ryan, who had suddenly appeared, his face still expressionless as he asked calmly, "What do you mean by this?"
Ryan raised an eyebrow, abruptly exerting force in his wrist to flick Kuma's palm away with his sword. He turned sideways to shield Robin, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "Nothing much. It's just that I want this woman."
Originally, he had thought it would be better to keep Nami and Robin by his side for personal training rather than letting them "mess around" for two years. It would also be a good opportunity to settle some old scores. But who would have thought he would arrive too late? Nami had already been sent flying without a trace, leaving only Robin standing here.
Losing Nami wasn't a total loss—after all, that girl had been sent to "Little Sky Island Visalia," where she could at least learn some proper weather knowledge. But Robin was supposed to be sent to the Bridge Kingdom for hard labor. Even if she could eventually be rescued by the Revolutionary Army, what good was that place?
The Revolutionary Army had been shouting their "Lamp of Revolution" slogan for so many years, but during the nearly two decades of fleeing, no significant actions had been seen from them.
Hearing this, Kuma fell silent. In the original plan, Robin was to be sent near the Revolutionary Army's sphere of influence—both to evade the Marines' pursuit and to receive protection from allies. But now, with Ryan's interference, things had completely derailed.
Although he had only briefly clashed with Ryan twice, he clearly understood that the other party was no small fry. If they were to stalemate here, forget about sending Robin away as planned...
Robin, I'm afraid this will attract even more trouble.
Robin stared at Ryan standing protectively before her, her expression complex. She never expected that at this desperate moment—when she was about to be swatted away from her crewmates and plunged into the unknown—the man who would save her would be the one who had left such a profound mark on her heart.
Just like back at Enies Lobby, he had appeared just as suddenly then too.
"Robin, run!" Luffy shouted in relief upon seeing she was safe, then immediately yelled, "Don't worry about me! Get out of here first!"
Kuma turned his gaze toward Luffy, slowly lifting his foot as he began walking toward him.
Watching this, Robin's face instantly paled. Biting her lower lip, she hurried to Ryan's side, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly. "Please... help us... help Luffy."
"Not happening."
He'd saved Robin because he had his own motives. What did Luffy's life or death matter to him?
Besides, Kuma wasn't actually harming them—he was paving their way forward. If they weren't sent to various locations for training, how could the current Straw Hat crew possibly survive the next two years?
Making it this far on sheer passion alone was already thanks to the protagonist's halo. With their current strength, trying to survive in the New World would only lead to utter defeat.
At this thought, Ryan suddenly remembered that Luffy would be sent to Amazon Lily, where he'd meet Hancock and eventually win over the proud Empress completely.
Well, he wasn't Luffy. He didn't have that "ability to heal hearts." Luffy could win women's affection—Ryan couldn't, nor was he interested. Rather than painstakingly seeking genuine feelings, he'd rather just take their bodies outright.
"What a shame," Ryan mused inwardly. "Hancock was just starting to become properly trained, and now the opportunity's gone." He shook his head briefly.
Just one woman. If she's gone, she's gone. The seas were full of interesting women anyway. Something as fleeting as sincerity had never been what he wanted.
Robin watched Kuma advance step by step toward Luffy, her heart leaping into her throat. Biting her lip hard, countless "small hands" materialized along her arms—the power of the Flower-Flower Fruit. But against Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit abilities, this strength couldn't even buy them time.
Luffy roared as he charged Kuma with a punch, but after just two steps, Kuma sidestepped effortlessly. A glowing paw gently pressed against Luffy's chest. There was no violent impact—only an invisible repulsive force enveloping Luffy's body.
"Luffy!" Robin screamed, her voice tearing from her throat as she tried to rush forward, but Ryan subtly blocked her path. She turned desperate eyes toward him, pleading silently, but Ryan merely raised an eyebrow, showing no intention of helping.
In the end, Robin could only watch helplessly as Luffy vanished from Sabaody Archipelago. She stood frozen, eyes red-rimmed, yet unable to shed a single tear.
Within mere minutes, her crewmates had been swatted away one by one. Now even her captain had disappeared before her eyes, leaving her completely alone...
Ryan glanced at the stunned Robin, uninterested in offering comfort. Instead, he turned toward the distant figures of Kizaru and Rayleigh still locked in combat and remarked with utter nonchalance, "Carry on. I'm leaving first."
"Oh my~" Kizaru narrowed his eyes at Ryan upon hearing this, his tone carrying a hint of mockery: "The newly appointed Seven Warlord is leaving already? Not planning to help?"
"I merely came to assist in dealing with the Straw Hat Pirates who 'killed a Celestial Dragon'," Ryan grabbed Robin's wrist and pulled her to his side, his tone indifferent: "That's your target, not within my obligations."
Having said that, without waiting for Kizaru's response, he directly dragged the still dazed Robin away as they turned to leave.
Kizaru watched the direction Ryan departed, shook his head lightly, then glanced at Kuma before saying to Rayleigh: "See? What did I tell you? Pirates will always be pirates. Even after becoming a Seven Warlord, they still only think about their own affairs. Completely untrustworthy."
Rayleigh's grip on his sword tightened, his gaze fixed on the direction where Ryan had disappeared, his brow furrowing even deeper.
A variable.
Why did Ryan take Nico Robin away? The appearance of this newly appointed Seven Warlord would likely bring...