What entered her sight was a gloomy sea. The sky was covered with dark clouds, dim and lightless. The sea was calm, glimmering with scattered light, and a chilly breeze blew steadily, carrying a subtle, bone-chilling cold. Looking out into the distance, the water's surface was littered with the wreckage of broken, sunken ships, gently swaying with the waves.
Where is this place?
Kaguya descended from the sky and landed on a wrecked, rotting ship. The decaying planks seemed ready to splinter at any moment. Who knew how long they'd been soaking here, exuding a sickening stench.
She stepped down and leapt into the air. With the aid of the Wind King's Barrier, she soared through the sky toward the distance.
Aerial flight consumed a lot of mana, but thanks to the Black Holy Grail, her magic was supplied endlessly. Otherwise, she would only be able to fly for a short time—long-term flight wouldn't be possible.
But after flying for a while, Kaguya began to notice something—this place felt familiar. After a few more loops, she was finally certain. The broken ship below her was indeed one she had seen before.
What was going on?
Kaguya frowned. But then, something clicked in her memory. Her eyes narrowed.
Could this be... the Rainbow Mist?
The Rainbow Mist was an original storyline from the anime TV series. It never appeared in the manga.
The Rainbow Mist was said to be a closed temporal space, where time inside was relatively frozen. The flow of time was drastically different from the outside world. Days inside could equal years, even decades outside—like the saying, "a day in heaven is a year on earth."
If that was the case, then this was troublesome. Kaguya had no interest in wasting time here. Staying too long could lead to massive changes in the outside world. If she missed crucial story events, it would be a great loss.
What concerned Kaguya the most was that her system missions had time limits. If she couldn't complete them in time, she might be judged as having failed. She wasn't sure whether the time here followed the One Piece world or the system's internal time—but better to be cautious.
Just then, a slender silhouette appeared in the mist ahead.
Someone else was here?
Kaguya paused briefly, then kicked off and shot forward like a gust of wind, speeding toward the shadowy figure.
When she saw who it was, Kaguya froze.
Standing before her was a tall, graceful girl. Her eyebrows were delicate and her expression fresh and elegant. Her eyes were a deep ocean blue, features exquisite. She wore light makeup, exuding a youthful vibrance.
If Kaguya wasn't mistaken, this was Robin.
And she had grown up.
What was she doing here?
"Who are you?" Robin crossed her arms in front of her chest, eyeing the sudden intruder with vigilance, ready to fight at any moment.
"You don't recognize me?" Kaguya smiled as she walked closer.
"Stop right there," Robin said in a low voice. "Take one more step and I won't go easy on you."
"It's been so long, and you've forgotten me already?" Kaguya stopped in her tracks and said, "That really hurts, you know."
Robin's eyes narrowed slightly. "I know who you are. You're Artoria. What are you doing here?"
Kaguya was momentarily startled, then understood. She was currently using the identity of Artoria, not Kaguya, so of course Robin wouldn't recognize her. Besides, when they met, Robin had still been a child. Whether she remembered Kaguya at all was uncertain.
"I see," Kaguya said. "But do you remember Kaguya?"
"Kaguya?" Robin was slightly taken aback. "Why are you asking about her?"
Kaguya stepped closer and said, "She was a good friend of mine. She mentioned you before—Nico Robin."
Instead of relaxing, Robin became even more guarded. "Don't lie. Kaguya disappeared years ago. How could you possibly know her? You think a few sweet words will make me trust you?"
"Disappeared for years?" Kaguya frowned. "That can't be. I just saw her a few months ago. How could she have been gone for years?"
"Still trying to deny it?" Robin said, her wariness deepening. "Years ago, Kaguya suddenly vanished. The World Government and the Navy sent out a massive search effort, but they couldn't find any trace of her. Eventually, she was officially declared a missing person."
Missing?
How was that possible?
From the time she transformed into Black Saber until now, only a few months had passed. How could she have been missing for years?
But Robin's confidence made it clear she wasn't lying.
"Can you tell me more about what happened to her?" Kaguya asked. "I have very reliable information."
Robin hesitated. Seeing that Kaguya didn't seem like a threat, she slowly began to explain.
A few years ago, Admiral Kaguya suddenly vanished without explanation. At first, the World Government and Navy didn't think much of it, assuming she was on a mission. But after a year with no word, they began to take it seriously. A massive search was launched. After months with no results, the Navy had no choice but to declare her missing and revoke her admiral status.
Upon hearing this, Kaguya finally understood. Time had shifted drastically since she entered the Rainbow Mist. Although only a short while had passed for her, it had been years outside. And since Robin had arrived after her, she knew about events that hadn't yet occurred for Kaguya.
Just then, a loud rumble echoed from the distance. On the horizon, a massive object suddenly appeared and began moving swiftly toward them across the sea. A large barrel-like cannon extended from its top.
"This is bad. It's them," Robin said, her expression changing.
"Who are they?" Kaguya asked.
"They're pirates searching for treasure here, under orders from Mayor Wetton of Ruluka Island," Robin said gravely. "They forced me to help them find it."
"Treasure, huh?" Kaguya's lips curled into a wicked grin. "Looks like my luck isn't too bad after all."
...
"Wonderful! Wonderful!" An old man with white hair danced with excitement and shouted, "After fifty years, my treasure will finally see the light of day! Hahaha!"
This old man was none other than Wetton, the mayor of Ruluka Island—the one who had waited fifty years for this treasure.
One had to admire his persistence. To wait half a century for a treasure... Now already in his late seventies or eighties, what good would all that money even do him?
The value of money lies in spending it. Even if he acquired unimaginable wealth, it would all be as fleeting as a mirage.
The guards around him wore expressions of excitement as well. If they could find the treasure, perhaps they could get a cut of the loot. Even a small reward would be enough for them to live in luxury for quite some time.
Unfortunately, they were celebrating far too early. This old man had no intention of sharing the treasure—not even with his own grandson.
But before Wetton could bask in joy for long, a panicked voice came from within the tunnel.
"Something's wrong! We're being robbed!"
Robbed?
Wetton's face twisted in disbelief.
What kind of joke was this? Who would dare rob pirates?
Besides, that place was a graveyard of ships—anyone inside should be long dead and turned to bones. How could anyone still be alive?
And robbery? They had so many people. How could a robbery even be possible?
Just then, a group of guards came fleeing in panic, like they'd seen something terrifying.
Wetton reached out and grabbed one of them by the arm, shouting sternly, "What happened in there?"
The guard grimaced in pain but dared not resist. Who would've thought this old man, despite his age, had such a strong grip?
"Someone's robbing the treasure and killing our men. Many of our brothers have already been slaughtered!" the guard said, still trembling.
"Daring to target my treasure? They must have a death wish," Wetton said coldly, his face twitching with anger. "How many are there?"
"Just one—no, two! Two women!" the guard replied urgently.
"Two?" Wetton looked utterly incredulous. "Just two women frightened all of you like this?"
The guard explained in a panic, "They may be women, but they're incredibly strong. We can't compete with them. Mayor, it's not cowardice—they're just that ruthless!"
Wetton said emotionlessly, "Fine. You may go."
"Yes, sir!" The guard bowed like he had received a pardon and turned to flee.
But he didn't get far before—Bang!
A gunshot rang out.
Blood burst from his back. With a heavy thud, he collapsed to the ground, twitched a few times, and lay still.
Wetton turned, holding a pistol still smoking in his hand. He said coldly, "Let's see who else dares to run."
The rest of the guards stood frozen, exchanging glances, silent as the grave.
"What a grand display, no wonder you're the mayor. So impressive," came a melodious voice.
A figure slowly walked out of the tunnel, a faintly mocking smile on her lips as she stared at Wetton. It was Kaguya, and behind her stood Robin.
"So it's you," Wetton's face darkened with a flush of anger as he struggled to contain his fury. "Perfect timing. Now I'll show you what I'm made of."
Saying that, and under Kaguya's curious gaze, he clambered into a nearby mech. The hatch closed with a clank, and two metallic arms raised into the air.
What was this thing?
A Gundam?
Definitely not. Even the lowest-tier Gundam wouldn't be this awful. This looked more like the difference between a brand-name figure and a $1 knockoff from a shady marketplace. It was cobbled together so crudely it was almost painful to look at.
Did it at least have some secret overpowered ability?
Seeing Kaguya momentarily stunned, Wetton grinned proudly. "Afraid now? If you kneel and beg for mercy, I might spare your life. Otherwise, I'll burn you to ashes!"
As he spoke, the mech raised its arm and spewed fire from a nozzle.
This thing counts as a weapon?
Kaguya blinked. Was this... a toy?
Still, she tried to reassure herself. Appearances can be deceiving. Maybe it had some hidden power.
But seeing the guards behind him pedaling bicycles to generate power... she really couldn't feel any threat from it at all.
"If you're scared, just surrender! Hahahaha!" Wetton cackled. "Become my concubine and I—ahhh!"
Before he could finish, the expressionless Kaguya raised her leg and, with a loud bang, kicked the oversized toy into the sea.
"Help! I'm drowning! Glub glub!"
The mech flailed a few times, then sank like a rock.
Kaguya was speechless.
It looked like a toy, and it was a toy. A big one, at most.
Where had he gotten the courage to use such a pathetic contraption against her? It was beyond laughable. Kaguya felt like her intelligence had been insulted.
Just then, not far away, the rainbow-colored mist began to shift. The vibrant hues gradually faded, turning transparent. It was a sign the Rainbow Mist space was about to close.
Robin looked at the vanishing mist in the sky with a trace of regret. If only there had been more time—she could have found more valuable archaeological material aboard the wrecks.
After all, most of those ships were centuries old. Surely, there were many historical insights to be discovered.
Compared to Robin's refined interests, Kaguya was a bit more crude. She had taken plenty of valuable items, but what thrilled her most was finding three Devil Fruits among the wreckage.
If she hadn't stumbled into the Rainbow Mist by chance, she couldn't imagine how difficult it would have been to find such a treasure again.
All in all, not bad luck.
But just then, several Marine warships appeared in the distance, rapidly approaching. And the person standing at the bow made Kaguya blink in surprise.
Why... was she here?
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