On the gently breezing deck, a handsome man and a beautiful woman stood gazing at each other in the twilight, seeming to make a rather fitting couple.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Robin inwardly wished she could stab Noir with a knife.

After many years of lurking in the dark world, she had long since developed a cold and hard heart.

But never before had she felt such a strong urge to kill as she did today.

Robin couldn't understand why a man she had just met could reveal all of her personal information.

To her, the best way to protect herself was to eliminate the person who knew her secrets.

Seeing the growing wariness in Robin's eyes, Noir sighed and said with a wry smile, "Stop staring. You can't kill me."

Of course, she knew she couldn't handle Noir.

If she could, she would have killed him already for her own safety.

Robin smiled again, but this time her smile was unfamiliar and hostile.

She said quietly, "You know so much, you must have an ulterior motive."

"Why are you looking for Crocodile? Or... are you looking for me?"

Facing Robin's probing, Noir said bluntly, "There's no need for pretense. I'm here for you."

"But don't worry. I know you can read ancient texts, but I have no interest in them."

Noir was telling the truth; he had no curiosity about the poneglyphs or the hundred years of lost history.

Apart from the World Government, only conspirators and ambitious people cared about Robin's identity.

But Robin did not believe him.

Having experienced countless betrayals and counter-betrayals, Robin would never believe Noir's empty words.

But she did not show her doubts. Instead, she feigned confusion and asked, "If it's not for that, then what is it?"

Noir straightened, looked into Robin's beautiful eyes and said, "I want you to be my mate.

Looking into his inky black eyes, Robin was surprised to see his sincerity.

... And gentleness?

For some reason, Robin began to believe him a little. Hesitantly, she asked, "What's in it for you? What do I get out of it?"

"You should know that I'm very safe hiding under Crocodile's protection."

Noir shook his head and said, "It's not your own safety you care about."

"You're working with Crocodile because he's also looking for a Poneglyph, and your goals happen to coincide."

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Hearing that, Robin fell silent. In a way, Noir was right.

Though she could hide under the title of Shichibukai, Robin's special identity would eventually be discovered by someone.

Even without the Shichibukai, Robin had evaded capture for so many years, and the sea was vast.

As long as she didn't want to be caught, it was difficult for anyone to catch her.

She followed Crocodile because she knew there was a poneglyph in Alabasta.

This was the closest Robin had come to the poneglyphs in so many years!

This place could be considered her last hope to realize her dream.

She didn't want to give up!

Seeing Robin's slight hesitation, Noir seized the opportunity and said, "Don't you want to sail the seas and realize your dream and then find more history?"

Robin snorted coldly and said, "I've searched for so many years and only found this one clue. Do you think you can do better than me?"

Having said that, she seemed relieved.

By admitting this, she was acknowledging Noir's previous suspicions and openly admitting her true identity.

It was the first time in many years that Robin had spoken so openly.

She leaned back in her chair, gently caressing the cover of an ancient book, and said, "This is my only, and possibly last, chance to see the true story."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Noir, I..."

"You don't have to answer right away."

Noir interrupted her confidently, "Then I'll help you find the poneglyph in Alabasta first."

Robin gave him a surprised look and said, "You? Forget it. Even if you're strong, you can't beat Crocodile."

Noir stubbornly replied, "How do you know without trying? It's a piece of cake."

Robin shook his head, still clearly unconvinced.

Remembering that this man seemed to know a lot of information...

Robin hesitantly looked at Noir and asked, "Is the poneglyph in Alabasta really about the ancient weapon Pluton?"

Noir nodded calmly and said, "It should be."

Robin's eyes dimmed. She wanted to decipher the poneglyphs that told the story of the lost century.

After opening up, the atmosphere between them became much more harmonious, and the system's voice finally rang out.

"Host has befriended an important character. Reward will be issued: Universal Talent Copy Card 1, Special Whitening Water 10."

When Noir saw the system rewarding cosmetic bottles, he was stunned.

Why would he get Whitening Water for befriending Robin?

Should he give it to Robin?

Noir secretly looked at Robin.

Hmm...

Even if it didn't affect Robin's beauty, a smooth skin might add some points, right?

While he was hesitating whether to give it to Robin, Mr. 2 suddenly appeared, breaking the strange atmosphere between them.

"Oh! Little Noir, what are you two doing?" Mr. 2 asked in a high-pitched voice, doing a ballet twirl.

Hearing his voice, Noir's eyes lit up. Right, there was something else he had to do.

Noir ran over to Mr. 2, put his arm around his shoulder and said, "Nothing much, just chatting.

With his arm around Mr. 2's shoulder, Noir quietly took the copy card out of the system and discreetly stuck it on him.

Blue Talent, Devil's Host - Copied!

Noir was satisfied as he pulled his hand back.

Some Devil Fruits might have poor offensive abilities, but their utility was incredibly valuable.

For example, the Imitation Fruit. Even though it had no offensive power, it was extremely useful for assassination, infiltration, deception, and spying on bathing women...

Ahem... Forget that last one.

Using it for these purposes was like having holy help.

The more Noir thought about it, the more excited he became, and finally he burst out laughing.

Mr. 2, who had his shoulder around Noir, asked confusedly, "Little Noir, why are you laughing?

Noir stifled his laughter and lied, "I'm just glad to have met you, my friend!"

Upon hearing this, Mr. 2 was also pleased. He shyly shook his hand and laughed, "Oh, my friend! Hahaha!"

And so, for some reason, the two of them found themselves standing on the deck in broad daylight, laughing like mad.

Robin watched them in silence, then commented blankly, "Like a couple of laughing monkeys.

"Ha...haha...hic..."

The laughter stopped abruptly, and Noir and Mr.2 froze.