While Tenryū Yuto was thinking about Robin, Robin was secretly watching him from not far away.
So that is the legendary Celestial Dragon? He does not look as terrifying as the books say.
But Professor Clover looks so tense.
Tenryū Yuto's Observation Haki already covered the entire island, so of course he noticed Robin's furtive gaze. He turned his head and his eyes met a pair of dark irises with a faint violet sheen.
She wore a light cotton short-sleeved top with a pale blue shirt underneath, sleeves rolled up, faint ink stains and pencil marks mottling the fabric.
A dark brown pair of dungarees hung from her shoulders, charcoal pencils and a kraft notebook tucked into the front. On her feet were simple straw sandals like most Oharan scholars wore.
Her black hair fell like a waterfall down her back, the naturally curled ends tied with a red ribbon into a bow. A few ginkgo-leaf bookmarks from the Ohara library were still clipped in her hair.
She looked nothing like the woman she would become after she was branded with a bounty.
The moment she realized she had been spotted, Robin visibly flinched, her body stiff with nerves.
Growing up under the Tree of Knowledge, she knew exactly what a Celestial Dragon meant.
Professor Clover, who had been enthusiastically explaining the structure of the library, noticed Tenryū Yuto's gaze shift. Following his line of sight, he saw Robin standing there, looking awkward and guilty, and his heart clenched.
To look directly at a Celestial Dragon was a crime that was neither too big nor too small.
Not too big, because the severity of the punishment depended entirely on that person's whim.
Not too small, because most Celestial Dragons were vicious by nature and took lives on a whim.
Back in the Taya Kingdom, all those so-called hidden dragons and crouching tigers had been executed by the guards at Tenryū Yuto's side, leaving only Aramaki.
Without time to think it through, Professor Clover immediately stepped in front of Robin.
"Honorable Lord Tenryū," he said, "this is our failure for not clearing the library beforehand. All fault lies with this old man. Please forgive her rudeness."
With that, he dropped straight to his knees.
Tenryū Yuto let out a short, amused snort.
So before things reached a dead end, the old man still knew how to read the room.
But Yuto had come here for Robin in the first place. Punishing one old man would not help him at all.
He ignored the kneeling Professor Clover and walked unhurriedly over to Robin, placing his hand on her head.
He clearly felt her body tremble, but she did not pull away.
"What is your name?" he asked.
"N Nico Robin."
Robin's voice shook, her words halting and broken. She was obviously terrified.
Yuto pretended not to notice and continued asking.
"The scholars should have known I was coming today. Why are you here?"
"I I…"
Robin was not yet the calm, world-weary woman from the original story. Even though Tenryū Yuto's expression was mild, the pressure he exuded made it hard for her to breathe. For a moment she could not think of a single decent excuse.
In truth, she had simply wanted to put what she had learned into practice.
She had read about Celestial Dragons in books for years. The ancient texts the scholars secretly studied also revolved around them. All of that only made her more curious.
Robin had thought her Hana Hana no Mi would allow her to observe everything in secret without anyone noticing. She had not expected that this world also had a power called Observation Haki, which dragged her out into the open in an instant.
"Lord Tenryū…"
Professor Clover's voice sounded again. He clearly wanted to plead for Robin.
This time, Yuto finally turned his gaze back to the old scholar.
"I am not a cruel man," he said calmly. "I will not kill her just because she looked at me."
Before Clover could breathe a sigh of relief, Tenryū Yuto's voice continued.
"But rules are rules. Anyone who looks directly upon the descendants of the gods must pay a price."
"Aramaki, tell him about your experience."
Aramaki stepped forward at once, towering over Professor Clover. In a flat voice, he recounted what had happened in the Taya Kingdom.
"This…"
Professor Clover hesitated.
The reputation of the Celestial Dragons was known the world over, and Robin was still a child.
Even if Aramaki was technically a vassal, if anything happened to him under Yuto's hand, Clover had no idea how he would ever face Olvia again.
The couple had already paid for their study of the ancient texts with one life. If something happened to their only child, Clover felt he would have no choice but to end his own.
Just as he was still wavering, Robin, who had finally recovered her wits, spoke up first.
"My lord," she said, "I am willing to become your vassal. I hope you can forgive my offense."
Got her.
Tenryū Yuto laughed inwardly. This was the power of knowledge.
The broken windows effect worked even in the world of pirates.
If Yuto had asked from the start to take Robin as his vassal, neither Robin nor Professor Clover would have agreed.
But handling it this way, seizing on a minor offense and letting Aramaki tell his own story at his side, greatly lowered their resistance.
He adopted a showy, magnanimous air and nodded.
"In that case, from now on, you will be my vassal."
"Yes, Lord Tenryū."
Perona muttered in a tiny voice, "Hmph, what a show off."
She did not speak loudly, but since Yuto was currently holding her in one hand, he heard every word clearly.
He shot her a sharp glare, then reached up and scrubbed her pink hair into a complete mess.
"Ugh, so mean!"
Perona hurried to smooth her hair, not daring to provoke him again.
Seeing this little scene, a flicker of surprise passed through Robin's eyes.
Looks like I do not need to worry about my safety, she thought. What a pity though…
She could not help thinking of her mother, whose face had already grown blurry in her memory. The thought made her chest ache with quiet sadness.
…
With his goal in Ohara achieved, Tenryū Yuto did not rush to leave. Instead, he took Stella, Perona, Robin, Aramaki the bodyguard, and the two CP agents sightseeing all over the island.
There was less than a year left until the Buster Call. The research expedition led by Nico Olvia would likely draw the World Government's suspicion in the coming months. Once Yuto left this time, Ohara would cease to exist.
So it was worth taking a proper look while he still could.
"This is my tree house," Robin said. "Whenever something upsets me, I come here for a while."
Following the direction of her finger, everyone looked over and saw that behind a small hollow in the tree there was actually an entirely separate space.
It gave the feeling of a narrow entrance that, after a few steps, suddenly opened into something much larger.
Robin had placed books and tools neatly inside. The interior was spotless.
Clearly, she used this place often. Or rather, she often had reasons to be unhappy.
Just like that, Robin became their guide around Ohara.
The little girl's natural warmth and charm were several times more inviting than that old man Clover. Watching her act like a tiny adult made Yuto genuinely amused.
After that, Robin took them to the beach where she collected shells, and to the grove where she had once found a Devil Fruit.
She seemed to know that once she left this time, returning would be difficult. Rather than saying she was introducing the island to Tenryū Yuto and the others, it was more like she was carving the scenery into her own memory.
Near sunset, Robin went to her uncle's house to say goodbye.
Her life there had been even worse than Harry Potter's with the Dursleys, but it was still the home that had raised her. Yuto did not stop her.
About half an hour later, Robin came back with a gloomy expression.
Yuto did not ask what had happened. It was not hard to imagine that the farewell had not been pleasant.
"Since you are back, board the ship," he said. "We are heading for our next stop."
Just as they returned to the ship, a guard hurried over, clutching a Den Den Mushi in both hands.