Chapter 18: The Hunt for Nico Robin
Year 1516 - Paradise, Six Weeks After Baltigo
The intelligence network Dragon had provided was extensive—decades of Revolutionary information gathering distilled into files, photographs, and sighting reports. But for all that data, finding one woman who'd spent twenty years evading the World Government proved frustratingly difficult.
Aiko stood in the Hakusetsu's war room, now expanded to accommodate the larger crew. Maps covered every wall, red pins marking confirmed Poneglyph locations, blue pins for rumored ones, and yellow pins for Nico Robin sightings.
There were seventeen yellow pins. None more recent than three months old.
"She's a ghost," Koji said, studying the pattern of sightings through his sniper scope—a habit when analyzing data. "Never stays anywhere more than a few weeks. Never uses the same escape route twice. And look at the locations—always places with multiple exit points, always near water for quick departure."
"Professional paranoia," Sadi observed. She'd become invaluable for intelligence analysis, her Revolutionary training showing. "She's been hunted since she was eight years old. Twenty years of constant fear would make anyone this careful."
"Which makes approaching her nearly impossible," Isra added, frustration evident. "Even if we find her, how do we convince her we're not another World Government trap? Her entire life has been betrayal and capture attempts."
Aiko studied the map, his Observation Haki instinctively reaching out as if he could somehow sense Robin across the ocean. A futile gesture, but it helped him think.
"We don't convince her," he said finally. "We prove ourselves through actions, not words. Find her, yes. But don't approach immediately. Instead, we protect her from a distance. Interfere with whoever's hunting her. Show her we're different before we ever make contact."
"Stalking," Marcus summarized. "You want us to stalk her."
"I want us to demonstrate trustworthiness. There's a difference."
Akira cleared his throat. "Actually, sir, I might have something. I've been cross-referencing our sighting reports with Marine activity logs that Tomás intercepted. There's a pattern." He pulled up a chart showing correlating timelines. "Every time Robin appears somewhere, there's increased CP activity in that region within two weeks. They're tracking her, just always a step behind."
"Because she has informants," Aiko realized. "People who warn her when Marines get close. Which means she has a network, however small. If we could identify her informants—"
"We could leave messages," Kiara finished, her strategic mind immediately grasping the plan. "Not 'we want to meet you' messages, but 'we protected this informant' actions. Proof of trustworthiness delivered indirectly."
"Exactly." Aiko pointed to the most recent yellow pin—a sighting in a town called Rainbase on Sandy Island. "This is three months old, but it's in Alabasta. A desert kingdom with limited Marine presence and a major criminal underground. If Robin was there three months ago..."
"She might have established connections," Sadi said. "Alabasta's been destabilizing lately—Revolutionary intelligence suggests a coup attempt might be brewing. Perfect place for someone like Robin to hide in the chaos."
"Or perfect place to recruit her," a new voice said from the doorway.
Everyone turned to find a figure in Revolutionary Army uniform—not someone they recognized. He was tall, pale, with unusual facial features that suggested mixed heritage.
"I'm Inazuma," the man introduced himself with a slight bow. "Revolutionary Officer, Eastern Army. Dragon sent me to assist with the Robin situation. I've... actually met her before."
That got everyone's attention.
"You know Nico Robin?" Aiko asked carefully.
"Met her, not know her. Three years ago, she was researching something in the North Blue. We crossed paths briefly—I was investigating World Government weapons shipments, she was searching for historical records. We didn't exchange more than a few words, but I remember her eyes." Inazuma's expression was sad. "The eyes of someone who's been running so long they've forgotten what it's like to stop."
"Did she say what she was researching?"
"No. But she asked me something strange. She asked if I believed the World Government was legitimate." Inazuma pulled out a cigarette, lit it. "I said I didn't know enough history to judge. She smiled—a terrible, knowing smile—and said 'That's because they erased the parts that would let you judge.' Then she vanished."
Aiko and his crew exchanged glances. Robin knew. She'd known for years that the World Government was hiding historical crimes. Which meant she'd spent two decades not just running, but searching for proof of something.
"She's not just a survivor," Aiko said slowly. "She's on a mission. The Poneglyphs aren't just her curse—they're her purpose. She's trying to learn what the World Government destroyed Ohara to hide."
"Which makes her simultaneously the perfect ally and the most dangerous person to approach," Dragon's voice came through a Den Den Mushi that Inazuma produced. "If she believes you're genuine, she could provide everything you need to expose the truth. If she suspects betrayal, she'll vanish and you'll never find her again."
"So no pressure," Koji muttered.
"I have a proposal," Dragon continued. "Send a small team—three people maximum. Not your entire crew, which would look threatening. Aiko, obviously. Sadi, because Revolutionary connection might help establish trust. And one more person who Robin would find... sympathetic."
"Sympathetic how?" Isra asked.
"Someone who understands what it's like to be hunted for something they can't control. Someone who was also failed by the Marines and found refuge with you." Dragon paused meaningfully. "Aria Mizushima."
Aria, who'd been quietly listening from the corner, looked up in surprise. "Me?"
"You're a former Marine who was ordered to execute civilians and refused. You killed Marines to protect innocents, were hunted for it, imprisoned, and eventually found sanctuary with people who chose conscience over orders. That's a story Robin would understand—someone persecuted for doing what's right."
"He's right," Aiko agreed. "Robin's been betrayed by people claiming to help her. But your story isn't about helping her—it's about understanding her. That might be the difference."
Aria considered, then nodded. "Alright. But I want to be clear: I'm not going to manipulate her. If we do this, we do it honestly. No tricks, no lies, no traps. Just truth."
"That's all I'm asking," Aiko confirmed. Then, to the Den Den Mushi: "Dragon, what do we know about Alabasta's current situation?"
"Deteriorating rapidly. King Cobra is a good man, but his kingdom is suffering from three years of drought while the capital city gets rain. People are starving, blaming him, and there are whispers of rebellion. Meanwhile, a Warlord of the Sea—Crocodile, user of the Sand-Sand Fruit—has established himself as a hero, saving towns from pirates."
"A Shichibukai in Alabasta," Isra said with concern. "That complicates things."
"More than you know," Inazuma added. "Our intelligence suggests Crocodile isn't there altruistically. He's planning something—we're not sure what, but Revolutionary agents have died investigating. Whatever it is, it's big enough that he's willing to destabilize an entire kingdom as cover."
Aiko's tactical mind was already working. "A Warlord plotting something in secret. A kingdom destabilizing. And Nico Robin last spotted there three months ago." He looked at his crew. "What are the odds Robin's working with Crocodile?"
Grim silence.
"It would make sense," Sadi said quietly. "She needs protection from the World Government. A Shichibukai has legal immunity. Working for Crocodile would give her the first real shield she's had in twenty years."
"But it would also make her nearly impossible to extract," Yuki pointed out. "We can't fight a Warlord—they're on Admiral level or close to it. Even if we found Robin, if Crocodile wants to keep her..."
"Then we'd need leverage," Aiko finished. "Or we'd need to offer something better than what Crocodile provides. Safety, purpose, the chance to actually accomplish what she's spent her life searching for."
He made a decision. "We're going to Alabasta. Small team insertion—myself, Aria, and Sadi. The rest of you stay with the ship, ready for extraction if things go wrong. We locate Robin, assess her situation, and make contact only if we can do so safely."
"And if she's with Crocodile?" Marcus asked.
"Then we learn what he's planning. A Shichibukai destabilizing a kingdom—that's the kind of operation the World Government would normally stop. If they're not stopping it, either they don't know or they're complicit. Either way, it's intelligence worth having."
"Plus," Kiara added, "if Crocodile's planning something bad enough, stopping it would prove to Robin that we're serious about protecting people. Actions over words."
"Exactly." Aiko looked at Aria and Sadi. "Can you be ready to leave in an hour?"
"I'm ready now," Aria said.
"Same," Sadi confirmed. "But Commodore, you should know—if Robin is with Crocodile, there's a good chance she's not being coerced. She's brilliant, strategic, and has survived twenty years through careful choices. If she's working with him, it's because she calculated it as her best option."
"Which means convincing her to leave means offering a better option," Aiko understood. "Not just safety, but purpose. A real chance to learn the truth, expose it, and change the world that's been hunting her."
"Can we offer that?" Aria asked. "We're hunted ourselves. We have no nation backing us, no legal authority, and every major power in the world wants us dead."
"But we have something Crocodile can never offer," Aiko replied. "The willingness to actually expose the truth, whatever the cost. Crocodile wants the Ancient Weapons for power. We want the Poneglyphs for justice. Robin will recognize the difference."
He turned to the rest of his crew. "While we're in Alabasta, I want continuous intelligence gathering. Tomás, monitor Marine communications for any mention of Robin, Crocodile, or unusual activity in Alabasta. Akira, plot three different evacuation routes from Sandy Island—assume we'll need to leave in a hurry. Doc, prepare medical supplies for desert conditions. Everyone else, combat readiness. If this goes wrong, we might be fighting our way out past a Warlord."
Orders acknowledged, the crew dispersed to prepare. Isra pulled Aiko aside before he could leave.
"You're taking a huge risk," she said quietly. "Going after Robin could provoke not just Crocodile but every intelligence agency tracking her. You could be walking into a trap."
"I know. But she's the key to everything—to reading the Poneglyphs, to learning the real history, to exposing the World Government's foundational lie. Without her, we're just rebels with theories. With her, we have proof."
"And if she refuses to help?"
"Then we've lost nothing except time. But if she agrees..." Aiko looked at the map, at the blue pins marking rumored Poneglyph locations. "Then we finally have a chance to do what Ohara tried and failed to accomplish. Tell the world the truth."
Three Days Later - Alabasta, Rainbase
The desert city of Rainbase was exactly as reports described—an oasis of vice in the middle of Alabasta's endless sands. Casinos, bars, and establishments of questionable legality lined every street. And dominating the skyline was Rain Dinners, Crocodile's casino and base of operations.
Aiko, Aria, and Sadi entered the city dressed as merchants, their distinctive features hidden under desert robes. The goal was observation first, contact second.
"Information networks first," Sadi said quietly as they walked the marketplace. "Revolutionaries have some contacts here. I'll see what they know about Robin's whereabouts and Crocodile's operations."
"I'll check the actual underground," Aria added. "Criminals talk, and a former Impel Down prisoner asking questions won't seem suspicious in a place like this."
"And I'll visit the casino," Aiko said. "If Robin's with Crocodile, that's where she'll be. I won't approach—just confirm her presence and assess the situation."
They split up.
Aiko made his way to Rain Dinners, paying the entrance fee and entering the massive casino floor. Hundreds of gamblers filled the space, their hopes rising and falling with dice and cards. The whole place reeked of desperation disguised as entertainment.
His Observation Haki extended carefully, searching for anything unusual. Crocodile himself would be too dangerous to probe—a Warlord would sense deliberate observation. But others in the building...
There.
On the upper floor, in a private office, three presences. One was massive, powerful, radiating the confidence of someone who'd never lost—Crocodile, almost certainly. The second was smaller but intensely focused, constantly alert—a bodyguard or lieutenant.
The third was reading.
He couldn't see her through walls, but his Observation Haki painted a picture: a woman, late twenties, sitting with perfect posture, her attention on a book while simultaneously aware of everything in the room. The attention of someone who'd spent a lifetime expecting betrayal.
Nico Robin.
Aiko didn't approach. Didn't even look toward the upper floor. He simply gambled for an hour, lost a modest amount deliberately, and left. But as he exited Rain Dinners, his Observation Haki caught something interesting:
Robin had sensed his Haki probe. For just a moment, her attention had shifted from her book to... searching. Looking for the source of observation. She knew someone had been scanning the building.
Smart. Paranoid. Exactly what twenty years of being hunted would create.
Aiko met with Aria and Sadi at their arranged rendezvous point—a small inn on the edge of the city.
"Robin's confirmed in Rain Dinners," he reported. "Upper floor, private office. She's definitely working with Crocodile, though I couldn't determine if it's voluntary."
"My contacts say she's his partner," Sadi said. "Has been for over a year. They're planning something called 'Operation Utopia'—no one knows details, but it involves the kingdom somehow."
"Underground sources confirm," Aria added. "Crocodile's been secretly supplying weapons to rebel forces. He's manufacturing the rebellion he's supposedly protecting the kingdom from. Classic strategy—create a problem, position yourself as the solution, profit from the chaos."
"But why?" Aiko asked. "A Warlord already has power, wealth, legal immunity. What does destabilizing Alabasta gain him?"
"That's where it gets interesting," Sadi pulled out a map. "Alabasta has a Poneglyph. Revolutionary intelligence confirmed it years ago—hidden somewhere in the royal palace, guarded by the Nefertari family for generations. If Crocodile's planning to take over the kingdom..."
"He's after the Poneglyph," Aiko realized. "And Robin's helping him find it because it's her only chance to actually read one without being immediately captured by the World Government."
"So she's not a victim," Aria said. "She's a collaborator. Using Crocodile's power to accomplish her own goals."
"Which means convincing her to leave will be harder than we thought," Aiko acknowledged. "She's not looking for rescue—she's already found a way to pursue her mission. We'd need to offer something better."
Before they could discuss further, Aiko's Observation Haki screamed a warning.
"Down!" he commanded, pulling both women to the ground as a blade of compressed sand sliced through where they'd been standing, cutting the wall behind them like paper.
Standing in the doorway, smoke trailing from his cigar, was Crocodile himself.
"Well, well," the Warlord's voice was smooth and dangerous. "The Snow Admiral, in my city, investigating my operations. How... unfortunate for you."
His hand transformed to sand, forming a massive blade. "You've been declared Enemy of Humanity. Which means killing you isn't just legal—it's encouraged. And I do so enjoy encouraged activities."
The room exploded into violence as Crocodile attacked, and Aiko realized they'd made a critical miscalculation:
They weren't hunting Nico Robin.
She'd been bait in a trap, and they'd walked right into it.
END OF CHAPTER 18
Next Chapter: "Desert King - The Warlord's Power"