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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Eighty-Two: Departure
In the early morning, sunlight filtered through the dense forest, leaving bright spots on the ground.
Inside the cave at the Foot of the Mountain, Moo Moo yawned and slowly woke up.
The first thing he did upon waking was to turn and glance behind him, where a Giant Tiger lay resting with her eyes closed.
Moo Moo looked at the tiger, his gaze falling on her slightly bulging belly, and his expression softened.
He immediately transformed into a lion, turned around, and left the cave, running off into the distance.
With a rush, Moo Moo charged towards a massive wild chicken, biting it dead in one swift motion before dragging it back to the cave.
Moo Moo placed the wild chicken in front of the tiger. The tiger opened her eyes, yawned widely, and began to eat the chicken.
After consuming half of it, Moo Moo bit onto the remaining chicken and made his way toward the cave entrance, heading for the Coast.
“Moo Moo.”
Moo Moo let out a loud roar.
But there was no response; the Surface of the Sea was eerily calm, and Xiaqiu had not surfaced from beneath the water.
Is big brother not here? Is he off doing something else?
Moo Moo lay there waiting as time ticked by, but Xiaqiu still did not appear.
“Moo Moo, Moo Moo.”
Moo Moo began to feel anxious. Every morning, her older brother would appear, but today he had been missing for a long time.
Where could he have gone?
Moreover, last night her brother had acted strangely, repeatedly striking himself with Tentacles. What had happened?
Moo Moo waited for a while, and as noon approached, she heard footsteps behind her. Turning around, she saw the tiger coming not far away, walking towards her.
She had been out for too long.
During this time, she had been accompanying him, but today she had waited outside for quite a while.
"Roar."
The tiger let out a roar.
"Moo Moo, Moo Moo."
Moo Moo patted the wild chicken.
Upon seeing half of the wild chicken, the tiger immediately understood what had happened.
Every morning, he would come to the seaside to feed a Black Fish, but today the Black Fish was nowhere to be found.
It was just a pet; if it was gone, they could always get another one. Why be so sad about it?
The tiger extended his tongue and licked Moo Moo's head.
However, Moo Moo gazed at the Surface of the Sea, her eyes filled with sorrow.
In the sea, Xiaqiu swam toward the distance.
He had left the island.
Xiaqiu had stayed here for nearly six months, and now it was summer. After six months of change, he had grown a portion of his neck.
Xiaqiu had grown about two meters in length, with one and a half meters being his neck. For Xiaqiu's massive body, this length felt somewhat short.
However, it was sufficient; he was a fish and did not need a neck long enough to rotate. A longer neck would only add more burden.
The proportion of his neck length was quite similar to that of Tiktaalik, around twenty-five to one, allowing him to move it side to side and up and down.
Xiaqiu's neck connected his head to his body, situated between his pectoral fins and gills.
The neck was very robust, slightly thinner than the thickest part of his body above the pectoral fins but much thicker than the tail section.
In six months, his body length had increased by two meters, growing faster than when he was in the East Sea.
It seemed that the creatures of the Grand Line contained more Evolutionary Energy.
Evolutionary Energy was the force that allowed organisms to break through their physical limits and achieve larger sizes. Creatures in the Grand Line were generally larger than those in the East Sea. After breaking through their limits, every increment of growth required significantly more Evolutionary Energy, thus making it much more abundant here.
As a result, Xiaqiu's growth rate was twice as fast as after he finished with Arlong in the East Sea.
Considering Yuchimura as well, his growth rate was nearly three times what it used to be.
After growing his neck, Xiaqiu decided it was time to leave; he could not continue staying here as there was no way for him to consume Enhanced Energy.
Having achieved his own goals, there was no reason to stay here any longer.
Moo Moo had already adapted to life on the island, spending more time in the forest as time passed, rather than by the coast.
He himself no longer frequented the beach, spending most of his time in the ocean or near the seabed close to the island.
The two only met each morning to exchange food and occasionally saw each other in the evening; they rarely crossed paths otherwise.
Each had their own lives, and their paths had diverged beyond intersection.
What infuriated Xiaqiu the most was that Moo Moo had found a girlfriend—no, now she must be his wife.
Four months ago, they were very affectionate, often cuddling together. Not long ago, he noticed that the female tiger's belly was swollen.
They even had a child now.
As a single fish, Xiaqiu could hardly bear it.
While he was trying to get by with his right hand, Moo Moo was secretly finding someone else.
Xiaqiu was filled with rage and resolutely decided to leave.
Last evening, he bid farewell to Moo Moo, striking him with his tentacles a dozen times, unsure if he would understand.
Goodbye, my friend.
Xiaqiu did not know if they would meet again, but during their year together, they had hunted side by side, fought together, and exchanged food, leaving behind many memories.
For Moo Moo, Xiaqiu had evolved from a pet to a brother and then to a friend, with his status steadily rising.
He allowed himself to feel less lonely, easing the long-standing pressure that had weighed on him.
But he had to leave.
He had his own life, and he would embrace his own future.
From now on, he would live like a fish again.
However, this time, Xiaqiu had a goal of his own.
...
"Is it true that you can interpret Historical Text?"
In the spacious room, a man with a cigar sat behind the table, looking at the tall woman in front of him.
"That's correct," the black-haired woman nodded.
"Good. I want to enlist your help," the man said with a smile as he gazed at her. "Let's work together."
Nico Robin felt cold sweat trickling down her cheeks. The man before her was an exceptional Partner who could assist her in reading Historical Text.
But he was too dangerous.
Crocodile, one of the Shichibukai.
Although the residents of Alabasta believed in his disguised identity, secretly, he commanded a powerful assassination force.
It was in Whiskey Peak that she encountered members of Baroque Works, who revealed her identity and attempted to attack her. She managed to defeat them and then headed to Drum Island.
Then, she was brought here by a high-ranking Officer of Baroque Works.
Those high-ranking Officers were not weaker than her.
"Your bounty is high, but I don't care about that money, so I won't betray you," Crocodile said with a smile. "Working with me is your best choice."
Seeing Nico Robin remain silent, Crocodile continued, "It only takes four years. Just help me for four years, and then you can leave."
"Four years?" Nico Robin narrowed her eyes and slowly nodded. "I can agree to that."
Crocodile said, "Your strength is quite impressive. From now on, you will serve as the Vice President of Baroque Works, as my partner. Your identity is somewhat sensitive, so to avoid attracting the Navy's attention, everyone in Baroque Works has a code name. I am 'R', and you will be 'Issa11Sunday.'"
"Alright." Nico Robin had no objections.
Crocodile continued, "My true identity is known only to you; even the high-ranking Officers of Baroque Works do not know it. So from now on, you will be responsible for contacting the high-ranking Officers and conveying my opinions. At the same time, you will be the highest commander of Baroque Works, responsible for all its affairs. This should be enough to prove my trust in you, right?"
"I will do my best to help you decipher the Historical Texts."
Nico Robin nodded, feeling much less resistance in her heart.
It was rare to find someone who was not interested in her bounty yet possessed such strength; Crocodile was one of them.
He was an excellent partner who needed her help but also granted her sufficient power.
Crocodile looked at Nico Robin and said, "Also, do not reveal my relationship with Baroque Works to anyone. In front of you, I am just one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—Crocodile."
"I understand," Nico Robin replied seriously.
Crocodile clapped his hands, and two young women entered the room. Crocodile instructed, "Take this lady down to rest."
"Yes, Lord Crocodile," the girl quickly replied, her gaze towards Crocodile filled with fervor, a mix of gratitude and trust.
Seeing this scene, Nico Robin suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
Crocodile was a terrifying person, not only because of his formidable strength but also because he was the leader of the assassination group Baroque Works.
What made him truly frightening was that among the people of Alabasta, he was considered a hero.
Two completely different identities converged within him.
Why did he need to disguise himself?
Nico Robin was beginning to understand what he truly wanted.
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