Time rewinds five minutes earlier.
When the Enlightenment appeared in the observable waters, the long-hidden agents of Baroque Works immediately relayed the news up the chain of command.
After several layers of transmission, the message soon reached Robin's hands.
"How reckless. Does he have no idea he's already exposed?"
Standing at the window of a tall building, Robin held a high-powered telescope, observing the distinctive ship in the distance.
As expected, that was the vessel of the Demon Pirates.
Its design was unmistakably unique.
However—
Sailing straight into the harbor like that was underestimating Baroque Works far too much.
"He must not realize it. Then again, even if he does, he probably believes he can overpower us. New pirates are always this arrogant… and he's someone who once lost to a Yonko, after all."
Setting down her telescope, Robin sat back down and said coldly, "Tell them to begin the operation."
"Yes, ma'am!"
The messenger immediately rushed out.
When the sound of footsteps faded, Robin took out a Den Den Mushi and placed it on the desk.
Creatures like this were difficult to find in the Paradise half of the Grand Line, but not impossible—especially through the Sea Transport King's channels.
And her reason for taking it out was simple:If anything went wrong, she would immediately contact Crocodile.
That was also why she had chosen Darwin Island as the battlefield—it wasn't part of Alabasta's mainland territory.
A large-scale operation by Baroque Works could be disguised as something else entirely.
Even if things went south,Crocodile could arrive swiftly to clean up the aftermath.
Of course, when that happened, he would likely eliminate every witness.
To him, civilians were as insignificant as insects. Failed agents were nothing more than useless trash—cleaning them up was only natural.
Even so, Robin's ideal outcome remained the same: to have Crocodile deal with Ren personally.
But that man was far too arrogant.
This was the best she could do.
She understood clearly—she was facing a man who once lost to a Yonko, someone who had fought Red-Haired Shanks and lived to tell the tale.
Rumor had it he even possessed the power to resurrect himself—after annihilating a Marine base, he'd escaped from none other than Hero Garp himself.
Against such an opponent, caution was hardly a bad thing.
As a survivor of Ohara, a woman persecuted by the World Government,Robin had more experience than anyone in the dark underworld. Her long years of fleeing and surviving were what kept her alive until now.
And she had done everything she could.
Now—
"It's about to begin… how will you respond, Demon Ren?"
Robin pressed her palms to her cheeks and let out a low, eerie laugh, darkness radiating from her body.
Darwin Island was a desert wasteland, with a single patch of green where a city had been built.
The architecture resembled desert dwellings from a past life.
Normally, merchants would dock here to buy or sell supplies before heading for Alabasta's mainland.
But today, the harbor carried an odd tension—like the air before a storm.
The white clouds above were being devoured by black ones at a visible speed,the daylight dimming as a heavy, oppressive gloom settled in.
A suffocating sense of dread pressed down on everyone present—it was something they had never witnessed before.
Fortunately, there were no true residents here. The natives had long been driven away.
Meanwhile, in a place unseen by Baroque agents—
A magical force churned in the sky, snowballing into a violent shift in weather.
Then—
The waves surged as gales screamed across the sea, bringing with them sheets of growing rain that lashed toward the shore.
Within mere seconds, a torrential downpour descended from the heavens.
"What's happening!?"
"No idea! Should we report it?"
"No need—on the Grand Line, this is normal, right?"
"Damn it, the rain's getting worse!"
"Look!"
As one of the agents pointed toward the harbor, a silver-white serpent of lightning streaked across the sky. Thunder roared, and the flash of light tore apart the darkness.
In that instant of brilliance, the Enlightenment cut through the waves, arriving at the harbor.
Unseen by any, a Shikigami—Ren's Shikigami Technique—flew from the port back to the ship.
Then, in the curtain of rain, a chain of fiery lights erupted.
—Missile Barrage, Commence!
Six silver-gray projectiles tore through the rain. The Corn Cannons locked onto their targets and struck with precision.
Two Baroque Works warships closest to the Enlightenment—each loaded with cannons—exploded into flame.
The twin-masted ships split in half as the missiles struck,screams and cries swallowed by the raging sea within seconds.
Moments later, explosions ripped through four harbor buildings.
The silver streaks of light fell vertically from the sky,piercing rooftops before erupting in thunderous blasts.
The roaring explosions shredded the structures,reducing the agents within—Baroque Works' elite Billion Agents—to twisted heaps of flesh.
They had been the organization's chosen elites,a two-hundred-strong core unit. They were also candidates for future field command.
Now, under the long-range bombardment, they were annihilated in an instant.
Only two survivors emerged from the wreckage.
"Mr. 5! Are you insane!? Why are you detonating explosions at our own base!?"
A furious voice rang from the sky—Ms. Valentine floated midair, face contorted with rage.
Her short blonde hair clung to her cheeks; her lemon-themed outfit was torn and soaked,her once-charming appearance now disheveled from the blasts.
If not for her Kilo-Kilo Fruit power—allowing her to reduce her body weight to a single kilogram—the explosion's shockwave would have killed her.
Now, her pale green eyes glared furiously down at her partner, Mr. 5,who crawled out of the rubble below, shaking off the soot and debris.
With his brown, rock-themed outfit and wild demeanor,the man exuded a punk-rock edge.
Like her, he was a Devil Fruit user—the Bomb-Bomb Fruit man, capable of detonating any part of his body. Even his expelled mucus could explode, and the air he exhaled could become volatile gas.
Immune to explosions and gunpowder,his proudest technique was detonating the air itself.
"You idiot! Look carefully—this is enemy fire!" Mr. 5 snapped, brushing off the dust.
Before he could continue, a piercing scream echoed.
"Gem! How dare you look down on me! I'll kill you!"
Ms. Valentine had dropped all pretense of calm, calling him by his real name.
"Enough, Mikita. Finish the mission first. The enemy's already attacking."
Gem's gaze hardened as he looked toward the harbor. The Enlightenment had anchored before them,the howling wind carrying a palpable killing intent.
Something was coming.
BOOM!
Lightning cracked across the heavens, the flash arriving before the sound. For a moment, the world turned white—then a jagged streak of energy raced across the sky.
Not lightning… a spear!
Gem's pupils constricted. The luminous streak was coming straight for them.
At the far end of that deadly path stood Ren, gripping a horned Den Den Mushi—a targeting relay for his Shikigami Technique.
His movements were simple—he raised his arm and aimed.
Fate Lock: Bomb-Bomb Fruit User – Mr. 5, Gem!
Appearance: Afro hairstyle. Bounty: 10 million Beli.
Fate Lock: Kilo-Kilo Fruit User – Ms. Valentine, Mikita!
Appearance: Lemon-themed outfit. Bounty: 7.5 million Beli.
Then—he threw.
Riptide.
Channeling.
The dual enchantments activated.
The Lightning Spear of Death once again took the stage—and obeyed its master's will to descend as divine retribution,striking without mercy.
BOOM!
Blinding light tore the sky apart.The first to react was Gem.
"So you're targeting me first!? Don't underestimate me!"
He leapt forward, kicking at the spear with explosive force.
A deafening blast shook the air, the Lightning Spear spinning away—but to Gem's horror, it redirected upward, spearing toward the shocked Mikita.
The Gáe Bolg was immune to both explosions and weight manipulation—the powers of their Fruits couldn't destroy it quickly enough.
But the spear, empowered by lightning and enchantment,could kill either of them in just a few direct strikes.
The spear could afford countless misses—they could not afford even one.
Ren had effectively neutralized two Baroque agents before they could even join the battle.
From afar, Robin's expression darkened as she observed. The situation had slipped out of her control within moments.
A strange unease crept into her chest—as if she had fallen into a web spun by a spider she couldn't see.
She shook her head, forcing the thought away. Her years of running had made her too wary.
The Demon Pirates' strength was nothing like that of ordinary fools, but Baroque Works, capable of toppling nations, was no weak opponent either.
"You may go," she said coolly. "End this quickly."
The man leaning silently against the wall opened his eyes—Mr. 1, Daz Bonez.
"You want me in now? I thought we'd wait until they were pinned down."
"There's been an unexpected turn. We can't risk giving them any more time to act. The Demon Pirates' vice-captain is yours—end him fast.
I believe that no swordsman alive can defeat you. After all, you're our chief enforcer—the most feared assassin in West Blue, Daz Bonez."
"…Understood."
Without another word, Bonez leapt out the window,disappearing into the stormy night as he sped toward his target.
(End of Chapter)