"Let go of me."
Nico Robin was dragged all the way to a secluded alley at the edge of 12GR before she snapped back to reality. She abruptly exerted force to break free, but didn't expect Ryan to release her so readily. The inertia made her stagger backward two steps before she stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud. Before she could get up, a shadow loomed over her.
"I've let you go. Now what?" Ryan stood over Nico Robin, his tone tinged with sarcasm. "Are you going to run back to Bartholomew Kuma, or chase after the Straw Hat Kid who got sent flying?"
Robin's expression stiffened. She looked up at Ryan, biting her lip as she said, "Where I go and what I do are none of your business."
With that, Nico Robin pushed herself up from the ground, brushed the dust off her skirt, and turned to leave the alley. Even if the path ahead held unknown dangers, even if she couldn't find her companions' whereabouts, she didn't want to remain near this man who kept poking at her sore spots.
"Heh." Ryan's laughter came from behind her, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "How peculiar. The former 'Devil Child,' who would betray companions without hesitation to survive, who navigated between various factions with 'self-interest' carved into her very bones. What's this? After spending a few days with the Straw Hat Crew, have you forgotten even your survival instincts?"
Robin's footsteps halted abruptly. Her body trembled almost imperceptibly before she slowly turned around, her gaze fixed directly on Ryan. There was embarrassment, there was restraint, but notably absent was retreat. Word by word, her voice clear and firm, she said, "That was the old me."
"The old me could only flee through darkness, surviving through betrayal and pretense. That was because I had no one to trust, no companions willing to stop for me. But now it's different. Luffy... they pulled me out of the darkness. They made me understand that not every encounter is for exploitation, not every stay is for betrayal."
Nico Robin paused, her tone full of sarcasm. "Someone like you would never understand."
"Oh..." Ryan slowly stepped forward, the amusement in his eyes growing more pronounced as he looked at Nico Robin. "Do tell, what kind of person am I?"
Robin instinctively retreated until her back pressed against the wall, stopping only when she had nowhere left to go. Staring at Ryan's mocking face, she gritted her teeth and said, "You're an out-and-out scoundrel!"
"Scoundrel!" Ryan chuckled softly, suddenly reaching out to grip Robin's chin, his tone deliberately suggestive. "Since you've judged me so, if I don't do what a 'scoundrel' ought to do, wouldn't I be failing to live up to your 'honesty'?"
Robin's body tensed instantly. She struggled to turn her head away, but with her chin firmly held, she could only lift her face to meet Ryan's gaze. Her eyes were filled with anger, yet also with unyielding stubbornness, silently glaring her protest.
"Ah, how heartbreaking." Ryan watched Robin's "stubborn yet helpless" expression, his hand slowly releasing her chin before lifting to gently brush aside the black hair fallen at her temple. "When our relationship is so 'intimate,' you can open your heart to the Straw Hat Kid and the others, yet you're so guarded with me."
"Don't compare yourself to Luffy and the others!" Robin immediately snorted coldly, her tone filled with disdain. "They treat me as a true companion—it's genuine feelings exchanged for genuine feelings. But you?"
Nico Robin stared directly at Ryan, her eyes carrying undisguised mockery. "From start to finish, you only think about your own selfish desires. Besides forcing your way in, what else can you do? You and Luffy have no comparison at all!"
By the end of her words, Robin seemed to have exhausted all her patience. She turned her face away, her voice turning cold and hard. "Do whatever you want, quickly. Rather than being toyed with and dragged around by Ryan like this, it's better to be straightforward—at least it'll lessen the mental torment."
"What's the hurry?" Ryan, however, remained unhurried. He leaned slightly closer, narrowing the distance between them, his tone taking on a meaningful note. "You don't need to worry about the Straw Hat Kid and the others. They'll be fine."
"What do you mean by that?" Robin's body stiffened abruptly. She whipped her head around to look at Ryan, her eyes wide with shock and urgency. "Do you know where they were sent, or do you know something?"
"Want to know?" Watching Robin's instantly tense expression, Ryan's smile deepened. He reached out and gently stroked Robin's cheek, adding leisurely, "But I'm not in a very good mood right now. Perhaps... when I'm in a better mood, I'll tell you."
Robin's anticipation froze on her face, quickly replaced by deeper anger. She sharply turned her head away from Ryan's hand, her expression darkening once more.
This guy is definitely doing it on purpose!
Even so, Robin understood Ryan's nature. Though he was a scoundrel, he never spoke without basis. Since he dared to say "the Straw Hat Kid and the others are fine," he must know something—perhaps even where her companions were sent.
In a way, this was the bastard's redeeming quality: everything had a clear price, fair to all, leaving you humiliated yet speechless.
Thinking this, Robin took a deep breath, suppressing her anger. Her expression returned to calm as she looked straight at Ryan, enunciating each word clearly. "Tell me first, and afterward... I'll cooperate with you. Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it."
Ryan observed the Robin before him—the same "Devil Child" who once navigated the darkness for survival, with "self-interest" carved into her bones—now willingly offering to "cooperate" for the sake of her companions. The only one who could make her drop all defenses and even sacrifice herself was that carefree fool, Luffy.
He seemed so reckless, yet he always managed to pull those trapped in darkness out one by one with his sheer foolishness.
Ryan sighed inwardly, but seeing Robin's "calm acceptance of everything" attitude inexplicably irritated him.
What is this? After all this, not a flicker of emotion—it's practically an insult to a man.
"That won't do." Ryan lightly lifted Robin's chin with his fingertip, his tone laced with amusement. "I already said I have to be in a good mood. If you want to know the details quickly, it's not impossible. It just depends on whether your 'abilities' can put me in a better mood."
"Here?Robin keenly detected Ryan's implication. Her eyes widened sharply, pupils contracting slightly as she instinctively shrank back, her voice tinged with disbelief and astonishment.
Although the alleyway was secluded, people could pass by at any moment. Moreover, Sabaody Archipelago had just experienced a battle and was in chaos. Robin never expected Ryan to make such a request.
Seeing Robin finally show some emotional fluctuation, the irritation in Ryan's heart eased slightly. He chuckled softly and said, "If you're embarrassed, I'm in no hurry. Why don't we find an inn first, and I'll slowly explain everything to you."
A faint blush instantly spread across Robin's cheeks—not from shyness, but from anger. She abruptly turned her head away from Ryan's hand, gritting her teeth as she glared at him. Yet, because of the weakness of "news about her companions," she didn't dare to truly confront him.
His words sounded like he was giving her a choice, but in reality, there was no choice at all. She finally understood: when dealing with this guy, one could never expect him to play by conventional rules.
Robin looked at the mischievous smile on Ryan's face, her heart seething with anger. But when she thought of Luffy and the others being sent flying to unknown directions, and the potential dangers they might face, she forcibly suppressed her rage. After a few seconds of silence, she took a deep breath, slowly bent her knees, leaned forward slightly, and bowed toward Ryan.
It wasn't like this was the first time anyway...
Ryan looked down at Robin, the amusement in his eyes growing stronger. Dealing with mature and goal-oriented people had this advantage—no need for excessive words. The other party naturally knew what to offer in exchange for what they wanted, saving a lot of unnecessary talk.
Just then, a faint rustling sound broke the silence. Ryan's gaze shifted, noticing several pale pink petals floating in the air, twirling lightly before gently landing on the ground between them.
Seeing this, the smile on Ryan's lips deepened. He teased, "It seems you're truly anxious. For the sake of the Straw Hat Kid and the others, you're even willing to 'actively use your abilities to cooperate.' How interesting."
Robin didn't look up or speak. She merely adjusted the angle of her bent knees slightly, as if silently urging him on or firmly expressing her "willingness to compromise."
Every second of delay could mean more danger for her companions. Compared to that, temporary humiliation meant nothing.
Watching Nico Robin in this "impatient" state, the last traces of Ryan's irritation from "being ignored" completely vanished. Instead, he found himself quite enjoying the sincere service from the "Devil Child."
Indeed, this was much more interesting.
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