One Piece: The Saiyan Pirate

Chapter 64: Ancient Weapons and Double Agents

Goku hovered just above the ocean's surface, his presence a calm defiance against the night's stillness. Robin sat gracefully on the turtle, her eyes still wide with disbelief as she tried to comprehend the man before her.

"You… You really can fly," she murmured, her voice betraying a mix of awe and confusion.

"I told you, it's a long story," Goku said, his tone light but carrying a sense of urgency. "But we need to talk. There's more going on here than you're letting on."

Robin slowly pushed herself upright, brushing her hair out of her face. She gave Goku a careful look, assessing him, her sharp mind working to piece together the puzzle before her. The man before her didn't just exude confidence—he radiated a kind of power that was both intoxicating and dangerous.

"I didn't come here to talk," Robin said softly, her voice regaining its cold edge. "I came to deliver a message. My mission was to find the princess and give Crocodile the information he wanted. That's all." She paused, then added with a trace of bitterness, "But it seems you're not as easily controlled as I thought."

Goku didn't flinch at her words. His eyes never left her, studying her with an intensity that seemed to read her every move. "I've met people like Crocodile before," he said. "They don't scare me. What you should be worried about is what's going to happen if we don't stop him first."

Robin tilted her head slightly. "And what makes you think you're capable of stopping him? Do you really believe a group of pirates like you can take down a Warlord of the Sea?"

"Let me tell you something," Goku said, a smirk pulling at his lips. "You don't know the people I travel with. We're not just some 'small-time bounty hunters.' We're gonna be the ones to change the world, and Crocodile's just another stepping stone in our way."

Robin's eyes narrowed, her mind working faster than ever. She had heard similar boasts before, but there was something different about Goku. A certainty, an unwavering belief in himself and his crew. It wasn't arrogance; it was conviction.

"I don't know what you're after, Goku," Robin said, her voice now barely a whisper. "But trust me, if you keep going down this path, you'll only get yourself and your crew killed."

The threat in her voice was clear, but Goku just chuckled, stepping back from the hovering turtle and landing lightly on the ocean's surface. "I've faced death more times than I can count. And somehow, I'm still here."

Robin studied him carefully, her eyes flickering to the distant horizon. "You don't understand the stakes, do you? Crocodile is more than just a Warlord. He's after something far bigger than a few pirate crews."

"I know he's after Alabasta," Goku said, his eyes hardening. "But we're not just going to sit by and let him take it. If you're working for him, then you're part of the problem. So either you tell me what I need to know, or I'll make you tell me."

Robin's gaze shifted to the distance again, as if contemplating something, a weight pressing on her mind. Then, after a long moment of silence, she sighed softly.

"Fine," she said, her voice quiet but resigned. "But you're not going to like it."

Goku crossed his arms, waiting for her to continue.

"The truth is," Robin began, "Crocodile isn't just after Alabasta. He's after the ancient weapons."

Goku raised an eyebrow, intrigued but not entirely shocked. "Ancient weapons?"

"Yes," Robin said, her eyes now distant, as if reliving something painful. "There are three known ancient weapons: Poseidon, Pluton, and Uranus. Crocodile believes that Alabasta holds the key to one of them—Pluton."

Goku's expression shifted, his mind whirling as he pieced together the new information. He could already feel the weight of the situation growing heavier. Ancient weapons were no joke, and whoever controlled them could reshape the world. But he wasn't about to let that happen.

"So, Crocodile's after a weapon, huh?" Goku said, his voice now colder. "Then he's gonna regret ever crossing paths with us."

Robin took a slow, deep breath before speaking again, her voice barely audible. "It's not that simple. If you try to stop him, you'll be playing into his hands. He's always two steps ahead, and right now, you are no match for him."

Goku's lips curved into a faint smirk as Robin mentioned Crocodile always being two steps ahead. He turned his piercing gaze toward her, assessing her demeanor as though peeling away the layers of her guarded expression.

"I've faced worse," he said simply, his tone steady but laced with an undercurrent of menace. His eyes scanned her carefully now, moving beyond her composed mask to notice the subtle features she kept hidden. It struck him suddenly how strikingly beautiful she was, and for a moment, he wondered why someone like her would serve a man like Crocodile.

"Why are you working for him?" Goku asked bluntly, folding his arms. "You don't seem like the type to chase after world domination or even power. Not from where I'm standing."

Robin's eyes narrowed, her defensive wall clicking into place almost immediately. "I have my reasons," she said evenly, her voice calm but with a faint edge of tension.

Goku studied her reaction carefully, catching the brief flicker in her eyes, a flash of emotion betraying her words. He tilted his head slightly. "So you're not after the weapons, then," he said, his voice taking on a casual, almost teasing tone.

Robin didn't answer. Her silence was deliberate, but the faint stiffening of her posture confirmed everything he needed to know. Goku smirked, stepping forward and lowering himself to sit on the edge of the turtle. The proximity made her shift slightly, her composure momentarily shaken as she glanced sideways at him. A faint blush crept up her cheeks as she realized how close he was.

For the first time in a long while, Goku allowed himself to fully channel the ruthless, calculating part of him—the part forged during his time as Eto Shapan. If he was going to get through this, he wouldn't play fair. He would use everything he'd learned as an assassin to his advantage.

"Watch this," Goku said softly, raising his left hand and opening his palm toward the dark expanse of the ocean. Robin's eyes flickered toward his hand, curious despite herself.

A sphere of energy began to form in his palm, glowing with an ominous blue light. It grew steadily, stopping once it was roughly the size of a tennis ball. Goku launched it casually into the ocean, and for a split second, the world seemed to hold its breath.

The explosion was catastrophic. The dark ocean erupted into a pillar of blinding light and deafening sound, sending waves rippling outward with terrifying force. The sky lit up with an eerie glow, the shockwave reverberating in Robin's chest as she stared, wide-eyed and frozen, at the sheer destruction he had unleashed.

She turned to him, her face pale, her hands trembling. The power she had just witnessed was unlike anything she had ever seen. Her voice failed her as she tried to form words, her mind racing with equal parts fear and awe.

Goku noticed her reaction, his expression darkening as he leaned slightly closer. "I want you to work for me," he said firmly, his voice low and commanding. "You'll stay under the guise of working for Crocodile, but you'll secretly report everything to me."

Robin's breath hitched. "And if I refuse?" she asked, though her voice betrayed her growing fear.

Goku's eyes narrowed, his expression turning cold and merciless. "That wasn't a request—it was an order," he said. "If you refuse, I'll kill you right here, right now. What you just saw? That was a fraction of my power. Whatever reasons you have for working with Crocodile won't matter if you're dead."

His words struck her like a blow, the sheer seriousness in his tone leaving no room for doubt. Robin felt her body tense, fear rooting her in place as he pulled out a folded piece of paper from the pocket of his pants.

"Here," Goku said, pressing the paper into her hand when she didn't move to take it. "These are the details for my private transponder snail. It's encrypted. Memorize it."

Robin stared at the paper, her hands trembling as she clutched it. Goku stood but paused, lowering himself back to sit beside her once more. The moon remained hidden behind the clouds, and under the faint starlight, he turned toward her. Without warning, he leaned in and kissed her deeply, his action filled with a calculated dominance.

When he pulled back, his gaze locked onto hers, unwavering. "You can't hide from me," he warned, his voice chillingly soft. "My abilities will let me find you wherever you are, whenever I want. And remember this—you're part of my crew now. That also means you're my woman."

Robin's cheeks flushed a deep red, her breath shaky as she tried to process what had just happened. Goku stood, hovering slightly above the turtle as he prepared to leave. But before he disappeared, he turned back, his casual smirk returning like a mask that erased the ruthless man who had just spoken.

"Good luck, Miss All Sunday," he said smoothly. "Working for me isn't so bad. Trust me."

With that, he vanished into the darkness, the sound of his laughter faintly carried on the wind. Robin sat frozen, the paper still clutched in her hand, as the waves lapped against the turtle beneath her.

[A/N: Read 20-40 chapters ahead available on patreon.com/saiyanprincenovels]