Rain Land.
At Crocodile's "Rain Dance" casino.
After returning the rented camels to the oilseed rape boss's wife and receiving the deposit, they came here.
Then, after clearing out Crocodile's subordinates left behind, this naturally became the resting place for Kong Tai and his group.
After all, it was considered their spoils of war.
It was now the third day after their arrival in Rain Land.
This heavy rain that had enveloped Alabasta lasted for three days, and only began to subside today.
Looking at the thickness of the clouds in the sky, it was likely to rain for another two days.
This heavy rain seemed as if it was going to pour down all the rain that Alabasta had been owed for over a year.
For three days, apart from wandering around Rain Land, Kong Tai and his group stayed in the Rain Dance.
In these three days, they searched the entire Rain Dance. Of course, with Robin's guidance, they found approximately five hundred million in gold and berries, as well as various treasures of incalculable value, including gold, jewelry, and gems.
In a room on the second floor of the Rain Dance, it was surprisingly quiet at the moment.
Kong Tai was lazily leaning back on a sofa by the window, gazing out at the rain, lost in thought. Opposite him, Robin, with her arms crossed, appeared calm but watched Kong Tai with underlying tension.
"You say."
Just then, Kong Tai snapped back to attention, turned his head to stare at Robin, and broke the slightly tense silence.
"You want to join us?"
"Yes."
Robin nodded at Kong Tai and continued, "You killed Crocodile, and I have nowhere else to go."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"Heh!! It doesn't matter."
Robin looked into Kong Tai's eyes and said earnestly, "Since you know my real name, you should know who I am! With my abilities, having me follow you will surely be of some use."
Crocodile was dead, and her immediate priority was to find a powerful person or team to protect her. The Kong Tai before her was the best candidate, the best candidate she had thought of from the start.
That's why she didn't leave immediately.
Under the guise of helping Kong Tai and his group find Crocodile's hidden treasure, the real reason was her desire to join Kong Tai's crew.
Following such a powerful pirate crew, she believed she would be able to see more of history, understand more of history's truths, and realize her value and dreams sooner.
"Mmm!"
Kong Tai nodded and said to Robin, "I do know who you are, why the World Government has a bounty on you, and why you want to board my ship."
He paused, then continued, "Although my ship doesn't need to know about those historical matters, it's sometimes interesting to hear as a story."
Upon hearing this, Robin's face showed signs of joy.
She could tell from Kong Tai's words that he didn't object to her joining the crew.
However, before she could fully break into a smile, Kong Tai's next words froze her in place.
Kong Tai straightened up, reached for the steaming tea on the coffee table in front of him, brought it to his lips, blew on it, and then took a sip.
He put down the teacup, rested his hands on his knees, leaned forward, placed his chin on the back of his hands, and looked up at Robin. "Nico Robin,' the only known person in the world capable of reading the Poneglyphs, the 'Devil Child,' with a bounty of 70 million Berries."
"If I let you on board, I don't know what the World Government will do, but I know we will face endless trouble, and I... dislike trouble."
Robin looked at Kong Tai, the light in her pupils gradually fading, and her smile vanished. She lowered her head.
"As expected, it's still not possible? I suppose even how powerful Kong Tai is, he can't truly go against the World Government!"
Just as she was about to completely give up, Kong Tai's voice rang out again.
Kong Tai looked at Robin, sensing her inner disappointment, and his lips slowly curved upwards, a smile appearing on his face.
"However!"
"What?"
Hearing the voice, Robin quickly looked up, her face filled with anticipation.
She heard a turning point.
Kong Tai didn't rush to answer Robin. Instead, he straightened up, pushed off with his legs, and stood up.
He walked away from the sofa, turned around, and walked to the window. He paused slightly at the water stains on the glass, then reached out and pulled open the window.
Whoosh!!
The sound of the wind, mixed with fine rain, poured in from outside, instantly refreshing the slightly stuffy room.
Kong Tai looked at the pedestrians on the street ahead, their faces filled with joy, closed his eyes, and felt as if the entire world was rejoicing.
His mood also became cheerful.
He didn't turn back. Opening his eyes, he said softly towards the outside, "I've heard a saying."
"What saying?"
Robin watched Kong Tai's back, gazing out the window at the pedestrians on the street, a hint of envy flashing in her eyes. She also wanted to live freely in this world.
"People! In this life, they can't always be alone. The world is vast, the sea is boundless, and everyone will eventually find a partner who truly cherishes and protects them on some future day."
At this moment, Kong Tai turned around, his back to the outside, his azure eyes fixed on Robin, nebulae swirling within them.
"Have you heard it?"
"You..."
Robin looked up, meeting Kong Tai's gaze, a hint of surprise flashing across her face.
"You, how do you know this saying?"
When she was young, she had heard similar words from a giant friend, and it was this saying that had always inspired her, allowing her to live on strongly.
Many people might not imagine what kind of cruel life an eight-year-old girl, even if she was an Devil Fruit user with a sky-high bounty from the World Government, would experience in this harsh world.
If asked who his most admired female character in the world of One Piece was?
In his past life, perhaps it was Empress Boa Hancock, Nami, Princess Shirahoshi, or even Kozuki Hiyori of Wano Country, and then Robin...
The reason was simple, of course, because they were all world-class beauties!
Coming to this world and living here for so long, he was no longer the thirty-year-old programmer, a confirmed bachelor from his past life, but a top powerhouse standing at the pinnacle of the world.
Having experienced so much, he no longer had those fantasies.
His most admired and favorite person now was of course Kuina, who had always been by his side.
This girl, who had been strong and persistent to the point of heartbreak since childhood, might have originally been his sister, but now she was his lover, his one and only love for eternity.
As for the Robin before him, he simply admired her inner brightness that remained despite enduring countless darkness.
Kong Tai didn't answer Robin's question. Instead, he grinned at her and followed up on his previous statement, "However! Although I dislike trouble, I dislike the World Government even more, and I dislike the Celestial Dragons. So, all your troubles are minor issues for me, but..."
Finishing, Kong Tai put away his smile, walked towards Robin, stood beside her, looked down into her eyes, and said sternly, "Are you... sure, you really want to join my ship?"
Robin looked up, meeting Kong Tai's bright eyes, paused slightly, then nodded firmly, "Yes!"
This was something she had long decided, without hesitation.
She had no ambitions; she just wanted to properly understand the history of this world. By following the powerful silver-haired crew, she would no longer have to live in fear.
She had been alone for long enough; she yearned for true companions.
"Good."
Kong Tai took a step back, turned towards the door outside the room, and shouted, "Brothers, come in! Welcome Miss Robin to our team, let's have a feast!"
Creak—!
Hearing Kong Tai's shout, the door was instantly pushed open from the outside. Ah Hua, the three of them, Kuina, and Indigo, who had been waiting outside the door, all entered the room.
Upon entering the room, they immediately offered Robin kind smiles.
Anyone that Kong Tai recognized, they unconditionally recognized.
Robin felt the goodwill from everyone, and her eyes began to mist over. She scanned the room, and a genuine, sincere smile, one she hadn't had in a long time, appeared on her face.
Because she felt genuine kindness from their eyes and demeanor, a feeling that was exactly the same as what her giant friend "Sauron" had given her, opening a crack in her frozen heart and slowly thawing it.
"How long has it been since I felt this way?"
Robin covered her chest with her hand. "Is this the feeling that true companions bring?"
"It's so good!"