[Ten Days Later West Blue, Ohara Sea Territory]
About ten meters above the sea level, a small boat was zipping through the air at lightning speed. The turbulence it generated caused a long trench-like path on the sea surface, even ten meters below.
From behind, it looked as though something was rapidly slicing across the water, splitting the waves on both sides. Only after the boat had traveled far ahead did the displaced water finally rush back into place.
This flying boat was being controlled by Reno, who had been traveling non-stop for ten days. It was his longest solo sea journey yet.
The reason it had taken him so long was that he had departed from the farthest eastern point of the East Blue, and his destination was in the West Blue, two regions at opposite ends of the map. Crossing from East to West is the farthest distance in the world, and that's why it took him so long to reach his destination.
While pushing the boat to full speed, Reno expanded his Observation Haki to search for nearby islands. Since he didn't know any navigation techniques, this crude yet effective method was his only option.
As Reno concentrated on his task, a flash of red light gleamed in his eyes. He immediately turned his gaze to the right and steered the boat sharply in that direction.
Before long, he spotted a small black dot in the distance, which grew larger as the boat approached. When Reno got within a few hundred meters of the island, he slowed down and carefully landed the boat, rowing the last stretch at a leisurely pace.
Now that he was here, Reno wasn't in a rush. Previously, his haste was due to uncertainty about the situation. But seeing the island still peaceful reassured him that the Marines' Buster Call hadn't started yet.
As the island loomed closer, a cheerful smile appeared on Reno's face. He muttered to himself, "Robin, my little wife, your future husband has come to save you~!"
The reason Reno was so excited was that Robin might become his first companion to join him on his maritime journey. His previous "little wives" either disliked the idea of traveling or were too strictly controlled by their families to leave, so he couldn't force them.
After hiding his boat in a secluded spot, Reno started wandering along the shore, hoping to "coincidentally" bump into Robin. Unfortunately, after walking around, he found nothing and had no choice but to head toward the island's interior. "If I can't find her out here, I'll just go straight to her home!"
Before long, Reno arrived at a massive tree. Gazing at it, he mused, "Is this the Tree of Knowledge, home to the world's greatest scholars and the largest library in existence?"
He gave the tree a casual glance before turning away. Initially, he'd planned to take a look inside, but upon sensing numerous people hidden around the library, likely World Government agents, he decided to leave the area for now.
After leaving the Tree of Knowledge, Reno found a nearby inn and checked in. Since he didn't plan to leave anytime soon, securing a place to stay was essential.
Instead of immediately searching for Robin, Reno entered his room, pulled out a Den Den Mushi, and dialed a number.
He had initially considered discarding the Den Den Mushi due to its inconvenience, but on second thought, it might come in handy later, so he kept it. Now was the perfect time to put it to use.
The snail rang: "Buru buru buru buru "
"Click!"
The line connected, and the snail's face transformed into a long, horse-like expression. This was none other than the Den Den Mushi left by Dragon when he parted ways with Reno.
Dragon's voice came through: "Sir, is there anything you need from me?"
Ever since Dragon read the books Reno had given him, he had regarded Reno as a god-like figure. His tone was always respectful, addressing Reno as "Sir" without fail.
To Reno, those books might have been just a few random volumes. But to a revolutionary leader navigating a world steeped in ignorance, the knowledge within was nothing short of a miracle. Only Dragon understood their true importance, which is why he treated Reno with such reverence.
Thanks to Reno's guidance, Dragon felt as though he was standing on the shoulders of a giant, able to see the entire path of revolution clearly. What had once been a vague dream was now a sharply defined mission.
Without wasting time, Reno got straight to the point: "The scholars on the island of Ohara in the West Blue are studying the Void Century and have already been discovered by the World Government. They are likely to be annihilated soon. These people will be crucial to your cause in the future. Decide for yourself what to do."
Dragon fell silent for a moment before replying, "Sir, I will prepare and bring my people over immediately. However, I'm quite far from the West Blue, so it will take some time to get there. Can you delay things on your end?"
Reno responded immediately, "I can't intervene openly, but I'll try to buy you some time in the shadows. Get here as quickly as you can."
"Click!"
Reno hung up before Dragon could say anything else. He had no interest in hearing more requests from that shameless man. Agreeing to delay the government's plans was already doing Dragon a big favor.
Kindness, My Foot!
The only reason Reno was saving these stubborn old scholars was to use them as bait to attract attention away from Robin, his little wife. As long as these people were alive, no one would focus on Robin, and she wouldn't have to live a life of constant escape anymore.
Reno had nothing but disdain for these scholars they were as foolish as they were powerless, constantly courting disaster without the slightest self-awareness. If it weren't for Robin, he couldn't care less about their lives.
The reason he left the matter to Dragon instead of handling it himself was simple: Reno hadn't grown strong enough yet and didn't want to expose himself prematurely. He preferred to lie low and develop in peace.
Of course, lying low wasn't the only reason. The most important factor was that he needed to visit Marineford for a mission soon, and offending the Marines beforehand would complicate things. That's why he came up with the idea of having Dragon handle the situation.
[The Next Day]
Reno's Observation Haki enveloped the entire island, allowing him to notice even the smallest changes. Early in the morning, he discovered that Robin was by the seaside. Without hesitation, he left the inn and headed toward her location.
In truth, Reno had already located Robin the previous day, but she had stayed inside her home, giving him no opportunity to approach her.
Before long, Reno arrived at the beach and immediately spotted Robin sitting there, gazing intently at the sea. Quietly, he sneaked up behind her, covered her eyes with his hands, and teased, "Little Robin, can you guess who I am? There's a reward if you get it right!"
Robin flinched when her eyes were covered, initially thinking she was in danger. But when the person behind her addressed her by name, she relaxed slightly, even as she tried to guess who it might be.
However, no matter how hard she racked her brain, she couldn't recall knowing anyone with such a voice. She had an excellent memory, and if she had heard this voice before, she would have remembered it. The unfamiliarity confirmed that she didn't know this person.
Realizing this, Robin stopped guessing and replied irritably, "You're quite the joker. I've never met you before, so how could I possibly guess who you are?"
Unaware of Robin's thoughts, Reno let go of her and asked curiously, "Little Robin, how do you know you've never met me before?"
Robin turned around to face Reno, her mind full of questions. Moments ago, she had been guessing; now, she was sure she really didn't know this boy. But how did he know her name?
She stared blankly at Reno, lost in thought. To an outsider, it might have looked like she was mesmerized by his appearance.
Noticing her dazed expression, Reno grinned and joked, "Little Robin, don't tell me you're stunned by my good looks!"
Snapping out of her thoughts at his words, Robin rolled her eyes and retorted, "You're shameless! I was just wondering how you know me."
After clarifying her thoughts, Robin asked curiously, "We've never met, so how do you know my name?"
Hearing her question, Reno immediately activated his "bluffing mode." "It's a long story. Some time ago, I met a fortune-teller who said my future wife would soon face a great calamity. He told me to come here to save her. So, I traveled all the way from the East Blue to the West Blue to rescue you!"
Robin listened to Reno's explanation with a skeptical expression, rolling her eyes at him repeatedly. She didn't believe a word he said.
The distance between the East Blue and West Blue was enormous crossing it wasn't just challenging for a boy his age; even experienced adults would face life-threatening dangers.
Although Robin had never traveled at sea, her years of reading had given her extensive knowledge about the world. In fact, her understanding of the sea might surpass that of many seasoned sailors.
After Reno finished his story, Robin rolled her eyes once more and replied irritably, "I'm not interested in hearing fairy tales. If you don't want to tell me the truth, just don't say anything. Why bother making up such ridiculous stories to fool me?"
Seeing her expression and hearing her words, Reno realized she didn't believe him. But he wasn't worried sooner or later, she wouldn't have a choice but to believe him.
Deciding not to push the issue for now, Reno smiled and said, "Fine, just treat it as a story for now."
Internally, though, he grumbled to himself: Sometimes having a smart wife isn't so great. If it were someone like Hiyori, a few casual lines would've been enough to win her over. But this clever little wife is a real challenge!
With that thought, Reno introduced himself, "Let's start over. My name is Reno. You can just call me by my name or husband, whichever you prefer!"
Robin's response was another eye roll. Still, she couldn't help but wonder: Everyone else sees me as a monster, yet Reno isn't afraid of me and keeps trying to flirt. Is he really just that fearless?
Curious, she cautiously asked, "Everyone calls me a monster, but you're not afraid of me. Why do you keep teasing me like this?"
eno noticed Robin's cautious expression as she asked, "Are you afraid of me?"
She seemed desperate for him to say no but equally terrified he might confirm her fears. Her voice trembled slightly, and her large, hopeful eyes betrayed her vulnerability.
Seeing this, Reno felt a pang of sorrow. He responded gently, "Don't listen to what others say. You're not a monster you've simply eaten a Devil Fruit and gained special powers. I've met many people like you. Besides," he added with a playful grin, "your husband here is also a Devil Fruit user. How could I possibly fear my own little wife?"
Robin stared at him, her expression shifting like a kaleidoscope shyness, excitement, exasperation all in rapid succession, as if she were performing a face-changing act from Sichuan opera.
When Reno mentioned that there were others like her in the world, she should have felt relief and happiness. But his constant references to her as his "little wife" and himself as her "husband" made it impossible for her to enjoy those feelings. Instead, her face flushed with embarrassment, and she found herself at a loss for how to respond.
Reno, amused by her shifting expressions, couldn't resist teasing her further. He reached out and gently poked her cheek. "Are you performing a face-changing show for your husband?"
"Ah!" Robin yelped in surprise. Snapping out of her daze, she instinctively stepped back several meters and glared at him with wide eyes, shouting, "How can you do this? First, you keep calling me your wife, and now you're poking my face!"
Reno, utterly shameless, countered, "I only poked you because you're too cute! If you don't want me to poke your face, then don't look so adorable!"
"You... You...!" Robin was so flustered by his audacious excuse that she couldn't form a coherent sentence. Her face turned a deeper shade of red as she sputtered helplessly.
Seeing her at a loss for words, Reno couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. He thought, Having such a cute little wife with me on my journey will definitely keep things interesting.
After a moment, Robin finally regained her composure. She frowned and said, "Can't you be serious for once? If you keep this up, I won't talk to you anymore!"
Feigning an exasperated sigh, Reno replied, "I'd like to be serious, but my mom always told me that serious men don't get wives. So, to avoid being single forever, I had no choice but to become like this!"
Pausing for effect, he added with a mischievous grin, "Of course, I could try being serious, but I'd need your help. I can't do it alone."
Robin, despite herself, was intrigued. "What do you need my help with?" she asked hesitantly.
This was exactly the response Reno had been waiting for. With a bright smile, he declared, "The reason I'm not serious is that I'm afraid I won't find a wife. But if you agree to be my wife, I promise I'll be serious from now on!"
Robin, caught off guard, blurted out, "As long as you're serious, I'll agree"
The moment the words left her mouth, she froze. Realizing what she had just said, she stared at Reno in wide-eyed panic. How could I agree to something like that?!
Reno, grinning ear to ear, seized the opportunity to remind her, "Little wife, you just promised! You can't take it back now."
Robin, flustered and overwhelmed, quickly tried to backpedal. "I—I didn't mean it! It just slipped out! You can't take it seriously!"
Reno didn't bother responding. He simply smiled at her with a knowing look, clearly enjoying her current state of panic. Seeing the usually composed and cunning Robin in such disarray was a rare and amusing sight for him.
Robin, unable to bear his teasing gaze any longer, turned bright red and mumbled, "I—I'm going back now!" With that, she turned and walked away, her pace quickening until she was practically running.
Watching her retreating figure, Reno couldn't help but chuckle. Who would have thought that the calm, collected Robin of the future could be this adorably flustered?
Satisfied with his progress for the day, Reno turned and headed back to the inn. Patience is key. Today's lessons in teasing are done for now.
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