"W–welcome…"
"Thank you for joining us, Sister Robin."
When El brought Robin to meet the others, Nami and Carina immediately took the initiative. Their natural enthusiasm and practiced social skills came out in full force, radiating warmth so openly that even Robin—who had honed her own communication and acting skills over fifteen years—felt slightly uncomfortable.
"It's nice to meet you all."
Robin recovered quickly. With the gentle, composed smile of a mature elder sister, she responded to Nami and Carina's enthusiasm and began conversing with them naturally.
Yet, as the exchange continued, Carina—sharp-witted and emotionally perceptive—felt something strange.
It was the same feeling she had when facing El.
A sense of being quietly seen through.
Before they realized it, the two girls had failed to extract much information from Robin at all. Instead, Robin had calmly gathered plenty of information about them.
And yet, neither Carina nor Nami felt wary.
There was precedent—Perona had joined the same way.
More importantly, they trusted Nii-san completely.
Anyone El personally chose would never be a bad person.
Robin, while responding to their greetings, quickly formed a preliminary understanding of everyone's personalities—and what she discovered surprised her.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Whether it was Carina, Nami, Perona (whose name she learned through introductions), or even Kuina—the glamorous blue-haired swordswoman who stood quietly to the side—
Their eyes were clear.
Too clear.
These weren't the eyes of pirates who would betray her for survival. They weren't the eyes of criminals who treated companions as disposable tools.
Compared to the groups that had betrayed her repeatedly over the past fifteen years—
This crew was fundamentally different.
Unconsciously, Robin's wariness toward El lessened—just a little.
After recruiting Robin, the group left the island that same day.
They did not immediately return to the Grand Line. Instead, the Pegasus adjusted course toward another island in the West Blue.
That night, under the vast starry sky, the Pegasus sailed steadily across the sea.
On the deck, Robin—having already chosen her room—attended the welcome banquet prepared for her.
As she ate, her gaze repeatedly drifted toward El.
He was wearing a white apron, busy at the grill alongside Carina and Nami, personally preparing skewers of barbecue.
Robin observed quietly.
Eyes could not lie.
Even if someone were an exceptional actor, it was impossible to maintain a flawless lie at all times—especially when everyone around them would also have to be master-level liars.
But what Robin saw was unmistakable.
The girls' reliance on El.
Their trust in him.
It wasn't staged. It wasn't forced.
It came from the heart.
Without being a truly capable captain, it would be impossible to gain such loyalty.
When Robin realized this, her thoughts slowly drifted.
For fifteen years, she had lived with betrayal.
She had long abandoned any hope for the word companion.
Had she… really encountered the kind of "brave friends" Jaguar D. Saul once spoke of?
"Sister Robin, what are you thinking about?"
El's voice pulled her back to reality.
She looked up and saw him standing before her, holding a large skewer of freshly grilled meat in one hand and a glass of juice in the other. He grinned brightly.
"Here, have a drink. Tonight, you're the protagonist."
"Thank you."
Robin composed herself and smiled gently—like a mask she had worn for years. She raised her glass and lightly clinked it against El's.
"Sister Robin, let's drink too!"
"Me too!"
Carina and Nami quickly joined in.
El waved toward the side where Kuina and Perona were eating quietly.
"Kuina, Perona—come over here. A banquet is better when the whole family is together."
"Okay."
Kuina nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on her face.
As the two girls joined, El looked at the five girls standing before him. He raised his glass high.
"Cheers!"
"Cheers—!"
Six glasses collided.
Juice splashed lightly, mixing together as laughter followed.
The distance between strangers quietly disappeared.
El was confident.
Given time, Robin would truly integrate into the crew—and come to regard herself as one of them.
Later That Night
West Blue – An Island Ruled by Gangs
Inside a grand castle.
"Y–you… who the hell are you?!"
Capone Bege—who ruled half the gangs of the West Blue—stared in horror at the silver-haired boy standing before him.
All of his subordinates had collapsed the moment this person entered.
The notorious gang boss had completely lost his composure.
"My name is El," the boy said calmly. "I'm a swordsman."
El slowly drew the blade at his waist and looked at Capone Bege—the future member of the Worst Generation—with a gentle smile.
"I'm sorry. I quite like your Devil Fruit ability."
"Let's hope you can live an ordinary life in your next one."
"Bastard!"
Unwilling to wait for death, Capone Bege pulled out his gun and fired.
"I see. You want this kind of death."
El raised a single finger coated in Armament Haki.
The bullet struck—and was flicked away.
Puff!
In the next instant, it returned along its original path at far greater speed, piercing straight through Capone Bege's forehead.
Before life fully faded from his eyes, El appeared in front of him like teleportation.
Under Robin's watchful gaze, El placed his hand on Bege's head.
"Hhehehe, Sister Robin—are you curious what Nii-san is doing?"
Carina leaned over, wearing a mischievous smile.
"He's reading his memories."
Robin's expression changed instantly.
But what followed shocked her even more.
After finishing, El crushed Capone Bege's throat with his hand and turned toward Carina with a smile.
"Your turn."
"Leave it to me!"
Carina puffed out her chest proudly, then spat out a pre-prepared box from her Munch-Munch Space.
She placed Bege's body inside, closed the lid, and swallowed the box whole.
Less than a minute later—
She spat the box back out.
Under Robin's stunned gaze, El opened it.
Inside lay a Devil Fruit.
Robin fell completely silent.
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