38 O.P.J Chapter 38: Buster Call
"Unfortunate news, my dear Saitama," Robin said with a sly grin as she leapt down from the mast of the ship. "The boss has been informed of the failure of Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine's Day mission."
Saitama scratched his head, his baldness glistening under the sun. "So, do you need a hand?"
Tilting her hat and casting a coy smile, Robin approached Tashigi. "Oh, I don't need help. In fact, I can offer you both a way out of this mess."
Tashigi raised an eyebrow, intrigued yet skeptical. "You claim to be Crocodile's partner, yet you're willing to betray him?"
Robin chuckled, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Betrayal is such a harsh word, my dear Tashigi. Let's just say Crocodile and I were merely... associates. But lately, my situation has turned dicey, and I'm seeking a new path." She paused, then added, "Rest assured, though, I have a crucial role at Baroque Works that doesn't involve any crime. So, can you trust me to assist you, Mr. Saitama and Miss Marine?"
In that moment, Princess Vivi arrived on the scene, riding a majestic duck onto the deck of the warship.
"Apologies for the delay, I was searching for 'Karoo'!" she exclaimed breathlessly.
But before she could continue, her eyes widened in shock as she spotted Robin, who was looking intently at her from the deck.
"Miss All Sunday!?" Vivi exclaimed, her heart racing. "The pursuers are already here? Saitama-san, she's the boss's partner! Be cautious!"
Robin's true identity was now confirmed, and she appeared every bit as formidable as rumored.
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The salty sea breeze kissed their faces as they sat on the deck of the ship, Saitama and Tashigi enjoying their afternoon tea, while Robin sipped her coffee nearby.
Although Saitama didn't care much about Robin's presence, Tashigi knew that her expertise would be crucial in apprehending the Baroque Works criminals. With Robin's help, they had a better chance of capturing every last one of them.
The next day, Robin received an unexpected call from Crocodile himself. He requested that she supervise Mr. 3's assassination operation against the Marines and, if necessary, eliminate every single one of them and take Vivi into custody.
The conversation was intercepted by the Marines and recorded on a black Den Den Mushi, leading to Crocodile's downfall and Robin's successful mission.
As they chatted on the deck, Robin couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy towards their carefree demeanor. She longed for the same lightness of being, but her responsibilities as an ally of the Marines weighed heavily on her.
Despite her feelings, she knew that her skills were necessary to ensure the success of the mission. And as she took another sip of her coffee, she resolved to do whatever it takes to protect her new allies and bring the Baroque Works criminals to justice.
"Your relationship is quite good, Ms. Tashigi and Mr. Saitama," Robin said as she leaned her chin on her hand, looking at the two talking.
"Is the Navy always so considerate and friendly to their subordinates, or are you two dating?" she added with a sly grin.
"What?! What are you talking about?" Tashigi's face immediately turned red, and she almost spilled her tea.
Saitama, on the other hand, blinked lazily and didn't seem to be bothered at all. "We're just discussing today's headline in the newspaper," he said casually, handing the newspaper to Robin.
Robin took the newspaper and looked at the headline, and a feeling of coldness swept over her.
The headline read, "Buster Call Order: Nine Snakes Pirates had raided a small town, leaving 328 people dead. Pirate Empress Boa Hancock was executed on the spot by Admiral Akainu, and even the Nine-Snake Island's Amazon Lily Kingdom was destroyed!"
"Buster Call Order" - those three words were a nightmare she could never forget.
The Buster Call Order was a Navy operation authorized by the World Government, which involved ten battleships, five vice admirals, and the Navy's elite forces to conduct indiscriminate and destructive attacks on the target area, wiping out everyone and everything in the area.
Robin's hometown, Ohara, was destroyed by that Order!
Only the Fleet Admiral and the three Admirals have the authorization to launch such an operation.
And Akainu happens to be one of them.
The plan to eradicate the Shichibukai is not just empty talk.
In addition to Saitama, the other Navy members are also quickly launching actions against the Seven Warlords.
If it were Kizaru or Aokiji, they might just capture the Pirate Empress and call it a day, but Akainu's sense of justice is to eradicate pirates completely without any mercy.
"No wonder...
No wonder Crocodile's tone this morning became less confident.
He was starting to panic!
In the past, the Navy would not have intervened in the Seven Warlords' looting of small towns due to the World Government's intervention.
But this time, not only did the Seven Warlords' leader, Boa Hancock, get executed, but her entire Nine-Snakes Island was also destroyed!
This cruel method - could it be that even someone like Crocodile was beginning to feel afraid?"
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"Who would have thought that the legendary world's most beautiful woman would meet her demise," Tashigi sighed. "But as pirates, we all know that death is always looming over our heads."
She paused, her expression turning grim. "But why did the Navy have to issue a Buster Call on Nine-Snakes Island? Couldn't they have just taken down the pirates without causing so much collateral damage? Surely there were innocent people living on the island."
"Perhaps," Saitama replied, looking up at the sky. "But according to the Navy's records on the Seven Warlords, Island of Women doesn't produce any resources of its own. All their supplies, from food to clothing, are obtained through the Nine-Snakes Pirates' raids and distributed among the island's residents. They know full well that those goods were obtained through piracy, yet they still use them without any qualms. It's hard to call them entirely innocent."
"Three hundred people dead in just one attack," Saitama shook his head. "It's tragic. If it were me, I wouldn't have let those pirates go unpunished, but a Buster Call seems a bit excessive."
Tashigi nodded in agreement, "Yes, it's a cruel fate for both the pirates and the innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. The consequences of living as a pirate are harsh, but it's the price we pay for the freedom we seek."
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"Then what about Ohara?" Robin suddenly spoke up, her face obscured by the shadow of her hat, making it impossible to read her expression. "They were just a group of scholars, researchers who sought to uncover the truth about history. Are they also unforgivable criminals?"
"Ohara?" Saitama and Tashigi turned their heads, confused by the unfamiliar name.
A place long erased from the maps.
Two tears trickled down Robin's face, shattering her composed demeanor in an instant.
It was as if Saitama could see a young girl of eight, wailing in agony before the endless barrage of artillery fire.
"What happened in Ohara was a tragedy," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "It was a slaughter. The government deemed their pursuit of knowledge a threat and annihilated them without mercy. Innocent people, children even, were caught in the crossfire. All for the sake of protecting their secrets."
Silence hung heavy in the air, the weight of the past bearing down on them all.
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