"Sorry," Robin said with a soft laugh, her tone dismissive but not unkind. "What you're proposing is just too far-fetched. For me, it's basically impossible—so I'll have to pass."
Dragon narrowed his eyes slightly. Robin's emotional response felt… off. His Observation Haki told him there was more than what she was letting on.
Still, even he didn't have the full picture. Without certainty or evidence, he wasn't about to press further.
"I understand. After all, it's not something we can confirm yet," Dragon admitted, his voice calm. "I came here to inform you in advance. If we manage to gather the necessary intelligence and critical materials, we may need your help."
No one knew what truly happened in the Forgotten Century. Roger's resurrection could have been the work of a Devil Fruit, or the power of some ancient relic—there was no telling. But in a world shrouded in ignorance, someone who could read the Poneglyphs was an invaluable asset.
And so, naturally, Robin needed to be recruited.
"Just so you know…" Dragon added, pausing before disappearing, "within our ranks, you're known as the guiding light."
With those final words, he vanished in an instant.
At the same moment, dark clouds broke open, and rain began pouring from the sky—dousing Smoker's billowing smoke and clearing the area.
The guiding light? Robin blinked, momentarily stunned.
What did I even do to be called something like that?
Just because… I survived after my whole family died?
She was still trying to process it when—
CLACK.
Ryuji stood up sharply, his attention focused on the horizon. His body tensed.
Because he saw something that made him sigh with a mixture of dread and exasperation:
Luffy… was back.
And this time, he was bringing his whole crew along.
"Ah… seriously…"
Watching Luffy extend his rubber arms and slingshot himself toward the ship like a human cannonball, Ryuji instantly understood his plan.
From Luffy's point of view, this ship had everything: food, supplies, people with skills, and seemingly minimal combat ability. It was the perfect target.
And more importantly—
It was the only ship Luffy knew of.
Ryuji had no interest in Dragon's ideals. He nearly laughed at the idea of them recruiting Robin—of all people—to investigate Roger's resurrection. If anyone knew what was really going on, it was her.
So if both the Revolutionary Army and the Straw Hats were trying to involve his people in their business?
Then they were asking for it.
Blood Qi surged through his veins. He hadn't even bothered refining his Armament Haki properly yet, but the instinctual black mist swirled around the hilt of his sword as if responding to his will.
He moved.
"Don't just drag your damn trouble onto me, Straw Hat!!"
In that moment, guided by his Observation Haki and instinct, Ryuji recalled a sword slash—one he'd seen Roger unleash few days ago. He mimicked it now.
A fierce wave of compressed air erupted from his blade, layered with black Armament Haki. The slash roared through the sky like a hurricane.
And in that instant—he understood what flying slashes really were.
The technique wasn't some magical effect. It was the pressure and force from the sword tearing through the air so fast that it became a slicing wave. On its own, a flying slash was barely eighty percent as strong as a close-range strike.
But with high-level Armament Haki?
It became deadly.
It was no longer just a wave. It was a cleaving force sharp enough to cut iron.
…And more importantly—
It was hard to control.
As the blade carved through the air, it compressed everything around it into a vacuum. Though Ryuji's Armament Haki wasn't all that refined yet, it played a critical role—boosting the velocity and force of the flying slash.
But the moment he released the strike, something felt off.
Why was it so easy to create a vacuum blade in this world?
That shouldn't be the case. In every other world he'd visited, generating such power required far more force, or much sharper techniques.
Could it be… his Observation Haki?
He hesitated for a split second—and that uncertainty made the vacuum blade he released unstable, wild and erratic.
"Watch out!"
Zoro's eye, still bandaged from a recent injury, snapped open wide. That slash—he had only ever seen something like that from Mihawk.
Sitting atop Luffy's shoulders, he didn't hesitate. In one fluid motion, he drew one of his swords and slammed it against the incoming wave of pressure, deflecting the chaotic slash to the side.
Boom!
The impact blew all four of them off balance, tossing them off course and landing them unceremoniously onto a different ship.
"…Observation Haki?" Ryuji muttered, surprised.
He narrowed his eyes at Zoro and realized—the guy had it. A faint but steadily growing presence of Observation Haki. Like a seed sprouting beneath the soil, ready to bloom.
"Interesting," Ryuji muttered, rotating his wrist and lowering his blade.
Zoro, now standing, stared wide-eyed at the jet-black haze still coating Ryuji's sword.
"That's the same black mist Mihawk used… that flying slash too! Who the hell are you?! What's your connection to Mihawk?!"
Ryuji simply sheathed his sword.
"No connection. Just a matter of comprehension. When you grasp the realm of cutting iron—and steel—you'll understand."
His casual answer only lit a fire under Zoro's feet.
Ryuji also noticed that Zoro's swords had changed. Now he wielded Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri—just as he would in the original story.
Despite how far things had deviated, the so-called "fated blades" had still found their way to Zoro.
Destiny. The power of the Nika fruit. The hand of the Pirate King.
Ryuji glanced over at Luffy, who was crawling up from the deck with an annoyed expression.
The scent of fate was strong. Too strong.
"Hey! What the hell, man?! I was just gonna borrow your ship! Maybe steal your crew a little! That's no reason to try and slice me in half! You're so aggressive! So stingy!"
Luffy's aggrieved whining was matched only by the two fools behind him:
"Yeah! What's wrong with letting me admire these three beautiful ladies a little longer?! You harem scum! Filthy degenerate! Disgrace to perverts everywhere!" Sanji shouted, veins popping, practically chewing his cigarette in rage.
"Yeah! Come on, we're all pirates here! What's the big deal about hiding us?! Also, Luffy, did you seriously spill the plan?!" Usopp screamed—and halfway through, he punched Luffy square in the head.
"Oops… I might've said it out loud. Heh heh…" Luffy chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.
Ryuji's blood pressure skyrocketed.
Watching them in the anime was funny. Being on the receiving end of their chaos?
Still funny—but also incredibly infuriating.
"Forget it! What's the point of arguing with you three buffoons? At least I have cool gloves!"
With a triumphant grin, Ryuji revealed a pair of sleek climbing gloves—custom gear gifted by Erina. Stylish, functional, designed like something straight out of Kamen Rider. They had built-in grappling hooks.
Totally overkill for this world… but undeniably cool.
And just as expected, the moment he shot out a test line—
The three morons' eyes sparkled with pure, burning envy.
"You bastard! How could something so cool end up on your filthy, perverted hands?!" Sanji screeched, snapping his cigarette in half.
"You're showing off, aren't you?! Admit it!" Luffy's head inflated as his neck stretched toward the deck.
"You smug bastard! You're definitely doing this on purpose!" Usopp nearly had an aneurysm from jealousy.
Ryuji just grinned, his smugness burning brighter than ever. These idiots were so easy to manipulate.
But Robin, watching him from the side, let out a helpless sigh.
"Captain… you let their stupidity lower your IQ again."
"Eh?" Ryuji blinked.
Realizing he had absolutely gotten pulled into their nonsense, he hastily shoved the gloves back into his pouch and tried to recompose himself, striking a stoic pose again.
Nami, rolling her eyes, simply went to the helm and steered the ship aside to give the Straw Hats a clear path forward.
The two ships passed each other on the open sea.
On the Straw Hat side, four idiots flailed and yelled—but none dared to come back and waste more time.
Ryuji flashed them a two-fingered salute from his temple.
"Farewell, bounty-less pirates. Next time we meet, I imagine you'll have some actual wanted posters. By then, I suppose I'll be a bounty hunter."
Luffy's expression turned serious.
"Sigh… bounty hunters, huh? Wouldn't being my logistics officer be better?"
"Can't bring kids and women on a pirate ship."
"…Tsk. What a pain. Well, next time, maybe we'll work together."
Luffy waved goodbye regretfully—clearly still hoping to one day recruit Ryuji's crew.
Ryuji didn't respond. Luffy was hitching a ride on Smoker's own ship, meaning there was zero chance the Marines would catch him.
So he just waited for the aftermath to unfold.
Sure enough, not long after, Smoker stormed onto his deck, cigar clenched between his teeth and a foul scowl on his face.
"Why'd you let them get away?" he growled.
Ryuji looked unimpressed. "I'm a bounty hunter. What reason would I have to stop them for free?"
"…Tch. Bounty hunter."
Smoker's voice was thick with disdain. He looked at Ryuji like he was just another hyena chasing scraps.
"Fine. Then next time they have bounties, you can chase them. Tashigi! Prep the travel documents! He's getting a bounty hunter's sea pass. We're heading for the Grand Line."
Snorting, he turned and stalked off the ship.
Ryuji didn't argue. Technically, he hadn't been obligated to stop them. Not until they officially became wanted criminals.
Tashigi, polite and efficient, helped process the crew's legal documentation—giving them a permit to sail freely.
…Though, it came with plenty of restrictions.
First of all, bounty hunters' ships were not allowed to engage in commercial trade. Any goods plundered from pirate ships had to be surrendered to the nearest Marine base, and only then would the bounty hunter receive a fraction of compensation. If any contraband or trade activity was discovered—boom. They'd be branded a pirate immediately.
What's more, bounty hunters had to deliver a certain number of pirates to Marine bases within designated periods. Fail to meet the quota, and your bounty hunter license would be revoked. It was a rigid, tightly controlled system.
Basically, anyone wanting to become a bounty hunter was agreeing to become a contract worker—an outsourced enforcer for the World Government. No military service, no official rank, no honors. Just cold hard cash. And no pension or death benefits. Even part-timers would shed tears at the terms.
"Tch tch tch... no wonder bounty hunters barely showed up in the One Piece anime. It's just a glorified unpaid internship. The biggest perk is being allowed to sail legally, but that's useless when the biggest profit on the sea comes from trade—and bounty hunters can't trade freely…"
Ryuji muttered, flipping the freshly minted bounty hunter license in his hand.
Robin chuckled lightly, shaking her head at him.
"Well, it depends on the person. If you're good enough to fool the Marines—or have connections—it's not impossible."
The Baroque Works organization, after all, had long relied on a smuggling network built precisely on bounty hunter cover.
"But… are you really prepared for the Grand Line?" Robin asked seriously.
"That's Crocodile we're talking about. A Warlord of the Sea."
She looked genuinely worried Ryuji might get himself killed.
"Yeah. I'm ready," Ryuji nodded.
Crocodile had been nerfing himself for years, flexing on nobodies and playing the long game. Worst case, Ryuji could just retreat, heal up, and use the power of world fragments to rewind to the exact moment before leaving and try again—with more preparation.
"…Alright then," Robin sighed.
"But you'd better train up. Fire doesn't do much to sand."
Ryuji just chuckled and stepped onto the deck of Robin's ship.
This ship was well-built and seaworthy for the Grand Line, so there was no need to switch until they reached Water 7.
"Not a problem. Besides—"
"Besides what?" Nami looked at him curiously.
"I want to see just how much weight fate carries in this world," Ryuji said, eyes fixed on the direction of Reverse Mountain.
If they still met Vivi, still found Chopper, and still headed to Alabasta—even without Nami or Robin—it would prove that fate in this world had a gravitational pull of its own. And in that case, he wouldn't mind temporarily joining the Straw Hats as a crewmate.
After all, Ryuji didn't dislike Luffy. Back when he watched the anime, he too had once wished he could be part of the Straw Hat crew.
But above all…
If this world truly ran on destiny, then the Straw Hats' absurd "sit-up logic" must also hold.
That miraculous "get-up-from-anything" resilience. That broken progression system where enemies could nearly kill you—but never quite succeed—and where skill and power level skyrocketed mid-fight? Yeah, Ryuji wanted in on that.
He thought of Kaido's tragic end and felt a pang of jealousy.
Even someone like Kid—who got one-shot by Shanks—could defeat Big Mom with Law's help thanks to plot armor and the Straw Hat buff.
That's the kind of plotline I need…
Not long ago, Law and Luffy had struggled to even defeat Doflamingo—a Warlord, not even a Yonko Commander.
And now they were toppling Emperors?
With Smoker and his men watching from the docks, Ryuji's ship began its approach to the Grand Line.
Nothing particularly eventful happened on the way—until they saw Reverse Mountain.
The mountain stretched beyond the clouds, its sheer height causing a pressure that made your heart thump. But what truly shook Ryuji was the upward flow of water climbing the mountain.
It was the sea itself, rising like a river toward the sky.
Ryuji tried to manipulate the water here with his abilities—but nothing. The flow was too violent, too primal. He could move small streams, sure—but to control the entire tide?
That was like trying to stop a train with your arms.
Still, redirecting the chaotic currents to aid the ship's movement? That was doable. In fact, within this chaos, his powers were actually amplified.
"The power of this world… really is terrifying."
Under Nami's sharp direction, he used the wild waters to push the ship precisely into the flow—surging straight into the Grand Line.
The current launched them forward like a bullet train. And despite the sheer force of the ascent, he noticed something bizarre—no air pressure shift. No ear-popping. Just smooth acceleration.
But there was no time to marvel at physics.
They were approaching the exit of Reverse Mountain—and right then—
A massive shadow blocked their path.
"A whale…? Is that Laboon?"
Ryuji narrowed his eyes.
Sure enough, the Straw Hats hadn't made it here first.
Ryuji took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the massive form of Laboon.
He didn't have Luffy's rubber body or the elasticity of a Gum-Gum Fruit. Charging straight through wasn't an option.
So—
His hands began to move in a blur, rapidly weaving through patterns that pulled at the raw, raging power of the Four Seas. The water around Reverse Mountain was untamable—chaotic to the point of madness. The moment he made contact with the flow, it had already surged several kilometers away.
Too fast. Too wild.
The current didn't give anyone time to manipulate it. Ryuji's senses stretched to their limits—one second he felt it, the next it was gone.
So what now?
The whale grew closer—massive, unyielding, and dead in their path.
Ryuji took another deep breath.
Run?
A rare flicker of hesitation passed through him. He hadn't expected danger to arrive so quickly, or with such sheer scale. And there was nowhere to dodge.
But then he thought of Nami.
Nami—still untouched, though her mouth and tone were already well-practiced. Her figure, gradually curving and maturing thanks to a tailored diet and physical training.
Then there was Nojiko and also Robin.
All the women he had gathered. All the ambitions he had yet to fulfill.
"Run, my ass!"
He roared.
In that moment, all hesitation vanished.
This wasn't about logic. This was about pride.
He would never show weakness in front of his women. Not when they had bet their futures on him.