CHAPTER 144 - NOJIKO'S EMBARRASSMENT

"You damn woman, die!"

"Sandstorm! Desert Spada!"

Crocodile's face contorted with anger and ruthlessness as he swung both arms simultaneously. A sandstorm tornado and several giant sand blades attacked Esdeath at the same time.

Esdeath showed no fear, instead filled with a fervent desire for battle.

"This is the battle I want! Ice Cavalry Spear!"

The ice crystal spear, with an unstoppable momentum, shattered the Desert Spada and pierced through the sandstorm tornado. Esdeath's elegant figure followed behind the spear, agilely closing in on Crocodile.

Damn it!

Crocodile was greatly alarmed. Gritting his teeth, his elementalized body burrowed into the desert, leaving only a bloody right calf behind.

"He ran?"

The bloodthirsty smile receded, and Esdeath became gloomy and displeased. "A strong person running away without being defeated... how ridiculous!"

Despite Crocodile's status as a Shichibukai, it didn't change the fact that he was a pirate. Seeking advantage and avoiding harm is the nature of living beings, let alone pirates. He didn't have Esdeath's resolve to risk her life in every battle.

"Mahapadma!"

Esdeath lost all interest and activated Mahapadma, freezing space. Then she locked her gaze on an area of the desert, swinging her right hand downwards.

Crack, crack, crack!

Cone-shaped icebergs fell from high in the sky.

Boom!

The ground trembled. Ice crystals and sand flew everywhere. The icebergs gradually dissipated, leaving only a massive circular crater in the sandy ground where they had impacted.

Crocodile lay battered at the bottom center of the giant crater. His body was broken, and he occasionally spat out blood. He was still alive.

Esdeath jumped into the crater, stood in front of Crocodile, and sneered contemptuously, "Hmph, a runaway."

Then, with her rapier wrapped in Armament Haki, she beheaded him with one strike.

*****

[Ding! Detected that Esdeath has eliminated Transcendent Crocodile, earning Doom Companion doomsday points!]

[Congratulations to Esdeath for obtaining 100,000 doomsday points, Ren for obtaining 10,000 doomsday points, Nami for obtaining 10,000 doomsday points, Vivi for obtaining 10,000 doomsday points, and Tendou Kisara for obtaining 10,000 doomsday points!]

With a raised eyebrow, Ren said, "Is this what it feels like to get something for nothing?" It was his first time experiencing it.

"It's over." Esdeath was bored.

Ren: "Are you disappointed?"

"Tsk, to run away during a battle."

Although it was a destined crushing victory, running away was truly disappointing to Esdeath.

"Haha, next time I'll spar with you, suppressing myself to your level so you can have a satisfying battle." Ren said with a smile.

"Then I'll wait for you."

Esdeath licked the corner of her mouth, decisively confirming her return.

"Eh, she's leaving already?" Tendou Kisara was surprised; it was still early.

Ren glanced at her and asked, "What about you? Staying? Or do you want to repay me now?"

"I..."

Tendou Kisara was indifferent to herself; repayment would simply mean offering herself. However, seeing Ren and Nami's matching outfits, she felt the timing wasn't quite right.

So, she let out a dry laugh and said, "I'll go back first too."

Both of them disappeared.

*****

Robin's eyes widened. She couldn't understand at all. The woman who easily killed a Shichibukai could not only use ice powers like a Marine Admiral but also disappear instantly. The other woman too.

Or rather... all four of these suddenly appearing people could do it?

The same Devil Fruit ability? Or was someone else behind them using an ability? Robin could only guess using her existing knowledge.

Nami hugged Ren's arm: "Ren, we're not in a hurry to go back, are we?"

Ren nodded.

"This is Alabasta, a kingdom on The Grand Line. Shall we explore here?" Nami's eyes sparkled; she was also very curious about this kingdom on The Grand Line.

"That... I'm very sorry..."

Vivi spoke, her expression sad: "Our country has been almost completely desertified by Baroque Works; there's sand everywhere..."

*****

"Crocodile is dead. As for the environment, you either adapt or improve it; just take your time. I mainly want to see the landforms of the countries on The Grand Line and the surrounding ocean currents, etc."

Nami was still very interested in drawing sea charts, and understanding these things would be very helpful for chart drawing.

"Thank you very much for your help!" Vivi bowed deeply.

"You should thank Esdeath for this; we... didn't do much."

Ren was still very principled, not accepting credit for what he didn't do.

"Esdeath-san, she..."

Vivi wanted to talk about the Chat Group but found she couldn't speak.

Ren gestured to Robin's presence, sending her a private message.

Ren: "You can't talk about Chat Group information in front of outsiders. You can say anything in the group, or you can directly private message Esdeath."

Vivi: "Oh, oh, I understand."

Vivi: "Ren-san... everyone in the group says you're very powerful and that you saved a world covered in ice and snow. Can you save Alabasta Kingdom from desertification?"

Given the current desertification of Alabasta Kingdom's land, which is over ninety percent, the process of complete desertification is already irreversible. Tree planting and afforestation are also meaningless. Everything is just a matter of time.

"If you have anything to say, you can tell me in person." Ren looked at Vivi and reminded her.

"Oh, oh!"

Vivi's face flushed again; she had forgotten Ren was right next to her!

"That... Ren-san, do you have a way to stop the desertification of Alabasta Kingdom?"

Her eyes held hope, showing that she truly wanted to do something for her country.

... ...

Robin listened in silence. She sighed in her heart. The desertification of a country was not something human effort could stop. Yet, she didn't mock her fanciful ideas; thinking for her hometown was worthy of respect.

Hometown... a word that made Robin's lips slightly bitter, a word she found hard to forget.

"Dealing with desertification, that's a minor problem."

It was simple to forcibly change the geographical environment of an area through the Dominator. He had even changed the climate of an entire planet.

"Really?!"

Vivi believed him, and she pleaded, "Please help this country!"

"Are you sure?"

Ren raised an eyebrow: "Have you ever considered, if I turn this desert into an oasis, would it attract others' attention?"

... ... Vivi was stunned.

She was momentarily excited, but she hadn't thought of it. A country suddenly turning from a desert into an oasis could not possibly go unnoticed. Even Crocodile had slowly turned this place into a desert year after year.

The Abnormal Doomsday of this world hadn't appeared yet, and Ren wouldn't interfere with this world on a large scale. If the Abnormal Doomsday was a person, that would be fine, he could be found. But if the Abnormal Doomsday was non-human and non-material, like the Doomsday Game, or some other unseen phenomenon, excessive interference with the world leading to the abnormality not appearing or undergoing changes would be problematic.

He couldn't possibly destroy this world and transfer Nami and Vivi to another world, could he? As it stood, the future Doomsday was the easiest to deal with, allowing for bold interference.

*****

In the private chat channel.

Ren: "Let's think about Alabasta after the Abnormal Doomsday of this world appears and is resolved."

Ren: "At least one of your biggest enemies is gone for now."

Vivi: "Understood, I understand."

There was disappointment, but she quickly regained confidence: "I will work hard to change this country!"

Ren smiled and said, "Let's go, take us on a tour of this country."

Vivi, being the princess of this country, naturally became their guide.

"Okay!"

... ...

Robin couldn't judge the truth of Ren's words. Could someone really turn a desert into an oasis? But it was undeniable that Ren and the others had a greater influence than the Shichibukai.

Most importantly... Ren said himself that he was not interested in the identity of the Devil Child. She had to rely on influence to survive.

She made up her mind: "Can I join you?"

"Hmm? Ren, she said she wants to join us..."

Can one actively join the Chat Group? Nami felt confused.

"Idiot, she probably thinks we are a faction."

Giving Nami a sidelong glance, Ren looked at Robin: "Why?"

Robin lowered her eyes, her voice low: "I want... to live..."

From childhood to adulthood, drifting everywhere, all the betrayals throughout had been for the sake of... living. Only this greatest obsession supported her.

"—It's probably not possible to join us at the moment."

Ren was referring to the Chat Group.

Robin smiled bitterly, mentally prepared for this. Next, it would probably be another lonely journey of wandering.

Unexpectedly, Ren's tone sharply changed: "However, you can become my subordinate."

"...Is there a difference?" Robin looked up.

"The difference is, as my subordinate, you will never be able to betray me," Ren narrowed his eyes, his words filled with undeniable confidence.

Betrayal. It was not a good word. She had also grown accustomed to betraying. How could a person accustomed to betrayal be made to never betray?

"Of course, the guarantee I can give you is that as my subordinate, you will live well, and the World Government will have no way to deal with you."

!!!

Robin was dumbfounded. This man actually said that the World Government would have no way to deal with her. That was the World Government! The World Government, possessing the strongest power in the world! The World Government that even the Four Emperors in the New World couldn't overthrow! How could anyone do that?

Clearly, Robin didn't believe him.

Ren didn't elaborate, shrugging: "Let's go."

Just as he was about to turn, Robin called out: "I agree!"

"Hmm?"

Immediately, Ren's gaze focused on her. She clutched her fists and shouted again: "I agree to become your subordinate."

This time, she was prepared to trust her intuition.

"As you wish."

As his lips moved slightly, a starlight flashed in Ren's eyes. In an instant, Robin understood the meaning of Ren's 'unable to betray'.

"This is truly..."

A bitter smile. Out of the tiger's den and into its mouth... and becoming a truly unbetrayable subordinate.

As Ren and the others toured Alabasta, Robin could only follow in silence.

*****

When they had toured enough, Ren and Nami chose to return. It was just a return with Doom Companion. The return location was still Nami's home.

This time, Robin was with them.

Before Robin could even observe in a daze, the sight before her made her frown.

Ren and Nami were even more stunned in place.

Nojiko, Nami's older sister, lay naked where the two had been. Her two delicate hands rested on different positions, seemingly tiredly drooping from playing with a toy between her fingers.

Ren and Nami stared at each other. The large area of poetic traces beneath that perky form definitely wasn't left by Nami.

So... it could only be Nojiko's!

"This..."

Ren was about to speak. Nojiko rolled over, opening her blurry eyes slightly, then slowly closing them again as if she hadn't seen anything.

There seemed to be three people just now... Hmm? Three people!

Her eyes snapped wide open, all sleepiness and fatigue gone! Her beautiful eyes trembled slightly. Her heart pounded. Startled and flustered.

Ren... Nami... and an unfamiliar woman. All standing by the bed, looking at her with different expressions!

Nojiko moved her hand from the special place, feigning composure as she pulled the blanket over herself, her scalp tingling, and still greeted them normally: "Ahaha... you're back..."