I thought for a moment. Did I need Robin or not? Even if I left her alone, she'd end up as Luffy's crewmate, do just fine on her own, and eventually reach Laugh Tale.
And I had zero interest in the Poneglyphs anyway—thanks to Living the Game, I could read any language easily, so I didn't need Robin's help.
But I was a fan, and I felt bad for her running her whole life. Plus, she was beautiful.
"I'll decide after I see her."
I pulled [Jack Sparrow's Compass] from my inventory, locked onto her direction, and moved fast.
Not far from where the Ilisia Kingdom was, I saw Nico Robin gasping for breath as she fled through a forest. Kingdom soldiers were chasing her. No Marines yet.
"Huff… huff…"
"Get her!"
"Damn it… Tres Fleur~"
Robin stumbled, twisted her ankle, and started limping. When it looked like she'd be caught, she sprouted arms between two trees and tripped the pursuing soldiers.
"Uwaah!"
Crash!
After that, she kept limping and running, but watching from the trees, I could tell there were more soldiers ahead. She'd be captured soon.
'Huh, that's weird… She's supposed to get away here, right?'
Sure enough, she was caught by the kingdom's soldiers before long. She didn't have much stamina and could only use her ability a few times.
"Let go of me!"
"Hold still!"
Thud!
"Ugh!"
When they tried to bind her, Nico Robin struggled to break free, but she just got hit. As she was being tied up and dragged away, I had no choice.
I used [Nano Buckle] to change clothes, put on a mask, then teleported in, cut the rope she was being led with, and scooped Robin up.
"Ah! Who are you?"
"Prince Charming."
I teleported straight to an uninhabited island and set Robin down.
"Ugh…"
Robin couldn't stand properly because of her ankle and barely sat down on one leg.
"Hold still."
I looked at her ankle—it was swollen badly. I placed my hand on it and used.[Heal]
"Huh? The pain…"
Robin's eyes widened when the pain vanished and the swelling went down. Now that she had room to breathe, she looked around and said,
"By the way, strange-powered Prince Charming without a white horse, where are we?"
"Uninhabited island."
I asked why she got caught there.
"How'd you get caught back there?"
"I was going to leave yesterday, but I heard a supply ship from Merchant's Island was coming, so the departure got delayed. I got spotted while hiding."
"Where were you trying to go?"
"Alabasta."
Just like in the MCU, my involvement was twisting the original story bit by bit. That meant Robin might not meet Luffy and could just get caught or killed. I thought it over for a moment and decided I'd take her with me.
"Sigh~ Can't be helped. Keep this a secret."
I took off the mask and changed my clothes back to normal. Robin looked at me and said,
"Oh my, you're 'Merchant King' Taejin?"
"Yep."
I'd been active for five years, so my appearance was well known. Always wearing a suit, handsome face, dark silver hair, gold eyes—there was no one else like me.
"Prince Charming without a horse turned out to be quite the big shot?"
"Nico Robin, I'll hide you. Work as my secretary on Merchant's Island."
"I heard there are Marines on that island. And I have a reason to go to Alabasta."
"Because of the Poneglyph? You want to learn about the Void Century."
Nico Robin was surprised for a moment, then regained her composure and said,
"I don't know how you know that, but yes."
"That Poneglyph doesn't say anything about the Void Century. It tells you where the Ancient Weapon 'Pluton' is."
Nico Robin looked flustered and said,
"How do you know that?"
"I read it myself. You weren't under the arrogant impression that you're the only one who can read Poneglyphs, were you?"
I mixed in a little lie.
"I…"
"Why are you so obsessed with Poneglyphs? What changes if you know?"
"You wouldn't understand, but I just want to finish what the scholars of Ohara were researching."
I thought for a bit, then said,
"Hmm… Fine! I'll take you to Laugh Tale. But you work for me for life. I'll pay you well."
"What? Don't lie. How are you supposed to take me to Laugh Tale?"
Robin didn't believe me, but I'd already found Laugh Tale. While building the world map with the satellite, I'd discovered an island constantly surrounded by storms, with the area around it oddly calm.
When I analyzed and zoomed in with the satellite, it matched the Laugh Tale from the anime exactly. I'd thought about visiting, but I didn't want to ruin the fun of enjoying the world, so I hadn't gone.
Honestly, I cared about Merchant's Island and Devil Fruits—I wasn't that interested in Laugh Tale.
"Because I know where it is."
"You're not the Merchant King, you're the Bluffing King. Fine! If you take me to Laugh Tale, I'll work for you for life, however you want."
"Decided, then."
I immediately pulled the Talaria camper van out of my inventory. I opened the door and gestured to Robin.
"Get in."
"Where did this come from…"
Nico Robin climbed into the vehicle, amazed.
"Talaria, target 'Laugh Tale'. Plot a route into space, then descend through the center of the storm."
[Understood, Master.]
"Huh! Who was that?"
The AI spoke and Robin jumped.
"This vehicle. It can talk."
"I-I see. Hello, I'm Nico Robin."
[Pleased to meet you, Nico Robin. I am Talaria.]
"Wow~ amazing. I heard sailors' rumors. A fairy called a 'Klabautermann' that only inhabits ships they truly cherish and love."
Robin mistook it for a Klabautermann like the Going Merry's, so I considered explaining AI but gave up. She was amazed and kept looking around while standing, so I offered her a seat on the sofa.
"Have you eaten? Or would you like tea?"
"I'll take a meal. I haven't eaten properly for days while running."
I placed a prepared meal on the table. Robin tried to eat with proper manners, but the food disappeared at an insane speed.
"Ahem… eat slowly. Here's a drink."
I put a drink on the table too.
"Ah, excuse me… I was so hungry."
After the meal was finished and cleaned up, we departed.
"Wait, was this a flying ship?"
"Yep."
She said it again, still surprised. There was more to come. Talaria kept gaining altitude. Robin gripped the sofa tightly, a little scared.
"Ugh… how high are we going?"
"To space."
"Where's space?"
"Above the sky."
"Huh… are we going to the moon?"
With the science gap, Robin was saying weird things. Meanwhile, we reached space. Robin floated and said, amazed,
"Huh, my body…"
I had plus the [Rumble-Rumble Fruit]'s gravity control, so I could just stand there. Robin flailed around in the air. It was funny, so I just watched until she said urgently,[Telekinesis]
"Don't just stand there—grab me."
At that, I grabbed Robin's arm, sat her back on the sofa, and fastened the belt.
"Robin, look at the window."
"Huh! Our world is round… that crazy scholar was right… And why is the sky so black? Wasn't it daytime?"
There must be a Galileo Galilei-type in the One Piece world too. And the World Government or Vegapunk would know.
"Yeah, it's daytime. It's complicated to explain, so I'll tell you later."
"You have to explain it."
Robin was a scholar through and through—she kept asking questions.
[We have arrived above the target. Beginning descent. Sudden gravity shifts may cause injury, so please be mindful of safety.]
Talaria had reached Laugh Tale's airspace and began descending. Checking the monitor below, Laugh Tale slowly came into view.
"There it is, Laugh Tale."
I pointed down, and Robin hurriedly pressed against the window to look at Laugh Tale.
"We really came… Who are you, really?"
"Merchant King. Or Pirate King now? Hahaha."
Talaria landed in an open area on Laugh Tale. We got out and looked around.
"Hahahahahahaha."
"Why are you laughing all of a sudden?"
"I just feel like I should laugh when I'm here."
Robin looked at me like I was crazy, then entered Laugh Tale. She was absorbed in interpreting the same script as the Poneglyphs on the walls.
"Huh! The entire world will be submerged!? Then the time left is…"
Robin crouched on the floor, calculating, then said with a despairing expression,
"There's less than 10 years left… There has to be a way."
Robin went back to interpreting the pictures and text carved into the walls.
"Ah… I see… The island itself was the treasure. We came too early. So this is why Gol D. Roger started the Great Pirate Era. Then the Void Century is?"
It looked like it would take a while, so I pulled out some popcorn and watched. Honestly, with me here, the One Piece world was safe. I could just dump seawater into my infinite inventory and the world wouldn't end. But that was a last resort. I wanted to enjoy the One Piece world too.
"No way… The ancestors of the Celestial Dragons used Ancient Weapons to attack the world, causing the continents to sink beneath the sea… To frame themselves as creators when they were traitors, they erased history—that was the Void Century…"
Nico Robin held her forehead and sat down. I laughed again.
"Hahahahahahaha."
"You know this and you're still laughing? You! You knew, didn't you?"
"Yeah, I knew most of it."
"Then why didn't you tell people?"
"You think people who've lived like dogs and pigs under the World Government would believe such an absurd story? And you think the World Government would just watch? Maybe that's why Gol D. Roger only started the Great Pirate Era."
"But if we tell them quickly, there might be a solution…"
"What solution? And Robin, a powerless outcry is just a dog barking. Think about what happened to you with the World Government."
Robin thought for a moment, then sighed and said,
"Sigh… You're right. 'A Truly Funny Story'—Laugh Tale, they named it well. Hahahaha~"
Robin laughed weakly. It was the hollow laugh of someone who learned the truth but couldn't do anything about it.
"That doesn't mean there's no way. We just take down the World Government. Simple, right?"
"Good grief… Prince, you say it so easily."
"I'm going to build a nation. Using overwhelming science and economic power to make a place without discrimination. Let's be the traitors this time."
Robin stared at me with a dumbfounded expression for a long while, then laughed.
"Pfft! I think I've met an insane person today. Fine, I'll help with that crazy plan."
I took Robin's hand and helped her up. Then I used to change Robin's hair to dark silver like mine, her eyes to gold, and brightened her skin tone.[Metamorphosis]
"Huh? My hair color…"
I pulled a mirror from my inventory and handed it to Robin. She took it and checked her face. Robin said, surprised,
"How is this possible?"
"It's my ability. And eat this too."
I gave her the [Warp-Warp Fruit] I'd saved, with a [Penalty Removal Ticket] applied. The [Warp-Warp Fruit] had an ability similar to my [Teleportation] , so I'd debated eating it and just kept it in my inventory.
"This is a Devil Fruit? I already ate one—I can't eat another."
"Trust me and eat it. We have to change your identity, so there's no choice."
"R-right… I'll trust you."
Robin ate the fruit nervously. Of course, nothing bad happened. But she frowned because of the taste.
"Tastes awful."