Chapter 49 Robin
"Amazing!"
The Straw Hats' eyes went wide.
They'd already seen Dante Voss fight several times, yet every clash still shook them.
After all, that had been an entire Marine fleet.
In Dante Voss's hands it had been nothing but a toy, erased with ease.
The sight spurred Zoro; he threw himself into sword-training again, desperate to grow stronger.
The others, missing Vivi, slumped listlessly against the rail.
Watching them, Zoro—still training on deck—rolled his eyes and called out,
"Hey, what are you all doing?"
"So lonely!" they wailed, tears trailing down as they clung to the rail.
Zoro folded his arms.
"Stop that bawling! If you didn't want her to leave, why didn't you tie her to the ship?"
Everyone pouted.
Chopper: "Eek, barbarian!"
Nami: "Jerk!"
Sanji: "Seaweed-head!"
Luffy: "Three-Sword Style!"
Usopp blinked and quickly said, "Hold on, Luffy, Three-Sword Style isn't an insult!"
Luffy: "Four-Sword Style!"
Zoro sighed in defeat and resumed his drills.
Ignoring their antics, Dante Voss settled in a corner and opened his system.
[Physique: 5835]
[Strength: 6042]
[Speed: 6052]
[Spirit: 5274]
[slaughter points: 2066]
That was his current status; the slaughter points he'd earned earlier had all gone into [Devil Power].
The remainder came from the Marines he'd just slain.
After a moment's thought he dumped the points into [Spirit].
Although his high attributes lowered the slaughter points he gained, the other stats were already high—raising this one wouldn't reduce the reward.
So he pushed [Spirit] straight to six thousand, nearly balancing the four attributes.
The [Physique] stat that still lagged he left alone; on the next island he could raise it passively with the bloodthirsty sword.
A surge of power flooded his mind; his brain felt as if soaking in a hot spring—clearer, brighter, utterly refreshed.
And that wasn't all.
He sensed the [Devil Power] inside him shift as well, responding to the rise in [Spirit].
It seemed thicker now, its might amplified.
"Looks like boosting Spirit also amplifies certain abilities."
Dante Voss mused, opening the [Ability] page.
Three abilities were listed.
[Swordsmanship (Junior Great Swordsman)]
[Blood Fiend Tide (Lv.1)]
[Devil Power (Lv.2 Materialization)]
These were the abilities he currently possessed.
[Swordsmanship] remained his strongest asset.
With Great Swordsman–level skill, he already stood at the pinnacle of the world.
[Blood Fiend Tide] came from the bloodthirsty sword—ideal for clearing mobs, but it required the blade to absorb blood before release.
Lately he'd needed to hide his identity, and the sword left desiccated corpses, so he'd refrained from using it.
The only man he'd killed recently—Crocodile—Cobra had quietly hidden away.
Besides, with Flying Slash he already had an area attack, making [Blood Fiend Tide] less essential.
As for [Devil Power]…
It rivaled [Swordsmanship] in strength; he'd raised it to Level 2 the moment he acquired it, gaining the Ability to materialize the force.
In his view [Devil Power] didn't just boost raw power—it excelled in other areas too.
With it he could fly, opening up countless new tactics.
Advancing either [Swordsmanship] or [Devil Power] to their next tier would be costly.
Six thousand slaughter points to push [Swordsmanship] to Intermediate Great Swordsman.
Eight thousand to raise [Devil Power] to Lv.3 [Dominion].
The deeper the development, the steeper the price.
After briefly reviewing his abilities, Dante Voss opened his [backpack] to inspect the items he'd just obtained.
[portable villa ×1]
[grim reapers guidance ×1]
Apart from piles of common gear, these two stood out.
The first—a [portable villa]—was exactly what it sounded like: a house he could deploy or store at will.
If they ever lacked shelter, it would serve as a temporary home.
As for [grim reapers guidance]—now that was something useful!
It could home in on anyone he pictured in his mind, revealing their exact location.
With it he could track down anybody in this world.
Once strong enough, he could kill whomever he wished—whenever he wished.
A true reaper's guidance.
Closing the system, Dante Voss gazed out across the sea.
The surface surged and rolled; the endless horizon made one feel tiny. Gulls wheeled overhead, lending the ocean a hint of life.
He looked forward to the next island.
A pirates' island, no less!
Most of its inhabitants were outlaws; if he slaughtered them all he'd reap a mountain of slaughter points.
"Hm?"
Dante Voss's eyes sharpened as he glanced toward the nearby waves.
A dark figure was closing in, and under his gaze he recognized her.
Robin!
She was riding a giant sea turtle, gliding straight toward them.
"So she came after all."
Dante Voss murmured.
He'd assumed that, because of his presence, the ever-cautious Robin might avoid the Straw Hats.
Senses extended, he felt her slip alongside the going merry and vault aboard.
"You!"
Zoro drew his sword at once, ready to fight.
"Ah, it's that beautiful lady!" Sanji's eyes turned to hearts.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" Usopp wailed from behind.
"What do you want, Baroque Works!"
Nami shouted.
This woman had worked for Crocodile—she was their enemy.
Only Luffy laughed, stopping the others.
"She's not an enemy! She saved me before. I'd have died to Crocodile otherwise."
At that, the Straw Hats lowered their guard.
Robin strolled to the center of the deck, unfolded a lounge chair, and looked at Luffy.
"Monkey D. Luffy, I saved you. In return, let me join your crew."
With that she carried the chair to the foredeck, set it down, and reclined.
The Straw Hats stared in shock.
None of them had expected Robin to ask to come aboard.
Luffy merely grinned and nodded.
"Sure!"
"Luffy!"
the rest protested in unison.
Luffy reassured them with a smile.
"Relax—she's not an enemy!"
Apart from Sanji's cheers, everyone looked reluctant.
But Robin—used to fending for herself—soon won them over and they grudgingly accepted her.
With the Straw Hats handled, Robin wandered over to Dante Voss, curious.
This man shared a moniker much like hers, and he'd actually killed her boss—Crocodile. It stunned her.