One Piece: System User In The World Of Pirates

Ignoring the fat man, a loud, booming laugh echoed through the room. It sounded ominous.

"Damn, who are you and what are you doing here?"

The fat man, snapping back to reality, pushed Robin away and pointed his gun at Kaelen Tsukishiro, shouting in a desperate attempt to alert the guards outside.

Robin, however, remained calm. She straightened her hair and clothes, fixing Kaelen with a steady gaze.

"Who are you?"

Though she kept her composure, Kaelen's presence did not escape her keen perception. Beneath her calm exterior, a deep caution lingered.

This was no surprise. Everyone who knew her had, at some point, tried to betray her for her bounty.

Having faced this betrayal since she was eight years old, vigilance was now instinctive for Robin.

"My name is Kaelen Tsukishiro. I'm a bounty hunter."

Kaelen's voice was gentle, even magnetic, but Robin's body tensed slightly, her pupils contracting sharply. She was clearly wary.

Kaelen continued, "Don't worry, I'm not after your bounty. It's just over 70 million Berries, which is hardly worth it."

Robin was speechless.

Being undervalued for her bounty was a new experience, and it wasn't happiness she felt but annoyance.

Known as the 'Devil Child' and hunted by the World Government since childhood, Robin found it hard to believe Kaelen's unusual mindset.

More than 70 million Berries was already a huge bounty.

Still, she noticed Kaelen was different from the usual bounty hunters who only cared about the price on their heads. This piqued her curiosity.

'Maybe this is my chance to get out of here…'

Her thoughts raced, even as Kaelen's voice continued like thunder in her ears.

"So, how's the bridge-building life? Want to leave this place?"

Robin remained silent, sensing the sharp, mischievous interest behind Kaelen's words.

If she weren't limited by her current restraints, she would have smiled back.

"Surely you're not normal!"

Robin thought to herself, then asked aloud, "What do you want?"

Aside from her bounty, her only real value was her ability to read the Poneglyphs. Kaelen wasn't here for the bounty, so what was his purpose?

"Purpose? I just heard you were here, so I came to take a look."

Kaelen chuckled, revealing his white teeth with a grin that felt almost like a camera click aimed at Robin.

Robin was speechless.

If looks could kill, Kaelen would have been dead hundreds of times over.

Though composed and mature, Robin was still a woman who cared about her appearance.

"A man like you is truly annoying."

She took a deep breath before slowly speaking.

"Ah, it actually annoys you? That's too bad. I was really hoping to find a quiet place."

Kaelen retracted his smile and said pompously, "Since you hate me, it seems you don't want to come with me, so I'll just leave you be."

As he spoke, Kaelen took a small step back, signaling he was about to leave.

Robin suppressed a swirl of emotions, still uncertain of Kaelen's true intentions. Despite that, she did not want to miss the chance to escape and spoke quickly.

"Wait!"

Almost at the same moment, an angry roar broke out.

"Damn you two bastards! Don't think I'm invisible!"

It was the fat officer who had been ignored.

Seeing Kaelen and Robin chatting as if he wasn't there, he finally exploded.

"Whoever you are, die!"

Bang!

With a twisted expression, the fat officer fired his gun at Kaelen, flames trailing the bullet.

Time seemed to freeze.

Under Robin's worried gaze, Kaelen calmly raised his right hand and flicked his fingers.

The bullet struck his slender fingers and was immediately sent flying back at the fat officer with twice the speed.

Burst!

The fat officer's expression froze in disbelief, a new hole appearing in his forehead.

Everything happened too fast for Robin to react. Shocked, she stared at Kaelen, surprised by his strength.

Lowering his hand, Kaelen looked down at the fallen officer as if stepping on an insignificant insect.

"But a mere soldier, Boring."

Kaelen stretched and said casually, "This place is uncomfortable. Will you stay or come with me?"

Whether Robin stayed or left was her choice. Kaelen never intended to force her.

Robin was beautiful, mature, and powerful—definitely someone Kaelen admired. But he wanted her to come willingly.

She studied Kaelen, unsure what to make of him. He felt detached from the world—dark, dangerous, and utterly confident.

Then Kaelen suddenly said, "By the way, I met Straw Hat Luffy a few days ago. He's training with Rayleigh and will probably be ready in a year or two."

"And your other friends are traveling the seas, training hard."

"That way, everyone will be fine."

Robin's eyes lit up. Kaelen's words gave her hope, easing her worried heart.

"I'll go with you."

Convinced Kaelen meant no harm and trusted because he knew Luffy and Rayleigh, Robin chose to escape.

She ignored the small inconsistencies in Kaelen's story; getting out was the priority.

"Wise choice. Follow me for now. I know how to make you stronger quickly," Kaelen said.

Time can change many things, and two years was enough to alter everything.

"Make me stronger?"

"What can you teach me?"

Robin's eyes gleamed. After everything she had been through, she was desperate for strength.

"Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and even how to develop your Devil Fruit powers."

"Of course, I won't do it for free. You'll have to handle cooking, cleaning, and laundry."

"Besides, I could use a woman around. If you want, you can take a break sometimes."

Robin was initially moved, but Kaelen's last comment annoyed her.

What was he implying? Wasn't she Nico Robin already a valuable woman?

They stared at each other for a moment before Robin said seriously, "I will give you a chance."

Kaelen smiled but felt slightly offended.

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