The air grew heavy with silence as Robin watched the unfolding nightmare. One moment, the Billions stood armed and vigilant around their captive princess. The next—they simply ceased to exist. No screams. No struggle. Just the quiet whisper of fabric dissolving into nothingness, like sandcastles before the tide.
Her breath caught in her throat as she turned to the source. Nolan lowered his weapon—that impossible gun—with the weariness of a man who'd performed a mundane chore. The barrel still shimmered with residual energy, the air around it distorting faintly.
"How...?" Robin's voice barely rose above a whisper. Her fingers, usually so steady, trembled against her crossed arms. This wasn't combat. This was erasure.
Nolan didn't meet her gaze. He simply slumped forward onto Chopper's waiting back, his exhaustion palpable. "Mm. Tired," he murmured, as if that explained everything. Only then did he seem to remember her presence, offering a half-hearted wave. "Ah. Sorry."
The casual apology hung in the air, absurd against the carnage. Robin's mind raced—this power, this effortless annihilation—it defied every law of nature she'd studied. Her usual composure cracked, leaving her exposed in a way she hadn't felt since Ohara.
"Nolan!" Vivi's voice shattered the tension. The princess rushed forward, her relief at odds with the horror surrounding them. "You saved me!"
Nolan mustered a weak smile, forming a finger gun. "Bang," he whispered, the childish gesture clashing with what they'd just witnessed.
Vivi laughed, bright and brittle, clinging to normalcy. But her hands shook as she helped guide Chopper toward the casino's underbelly, where the others were imprisoned.
Nolan tilted his head slightly as he studied Robin. "Oh... what about you?" His voice carried its usual lazy drawl, but there was a glint of curiosity in his pink eyes. "Not coming with us?"
Robin's lips curled into that enigmatic smile of hers as she gracefully stepped forward. "Certainly, Mr. Sloth."
"Already giving me nicknames?" Nolan mused, the ghost of a smile playing across his lips. "We're getting along well."
Their descent into the underground prison was met with dramatically different reactions. Crocodile's smirk widened as they entered, while the Straw Hats immediately perked up like sunflowers turning toward the light.
"Excellent work, Miss All-Sunday," Crocodile purred, barely glancing at Nolan. "I see you've brought us a bonus. No matter - he'll make fine collateral."
Robin simply folded her hands demurely, offering no correction to her boss's assumption. The subtle arch of her eyebrow spoke volumes to Nolan alone.
"Nolaaaaan!" Luffy's shout echoed off the stone walls, his rubbery limbs stretching the bars comically. "You're here! Awesome!" The captain's boundless enthusiasm made it seem like they were meeting at a party rather than in a dungeon.
Crocodile's eye twitched. "Will you brats take this seriously—"
"Can you break these?" Zoro interrupted, rattling his seastone cuffs. "Even my swords can't scratch them."
Smoker's cigar nearly fell from his mouth. "Another crewmate? Strawhat, how many strays are you collecting?"
Luffy laughed, completely unbothered. "Shishishi! Nolan's our new member! He's super lazy but really reliable!"
Throughout the chaos, Crocodile's vein pulsed dangerously on his forehead. "I AM EXPLAINING MY EVIL PLAN HERE!" he bellowed, his hook embedding in the stone wall.
Nolan yawned loudly, the sound somehow cutting through the noise. "Yeah, yeah... sand kingdom takeover..." He waved a dismissive hand. "We've heard it before."
The sheer nonchalance finally made Crocodile's eye start twitching in sync with his throbbing vein.
Crocodile's patience had run dry. With a sharp click, he activated the flooding mechanism. The seastone prison would keep them trapped as water filled the chamber. "Enough of this farce. Miss All-Sunday, we're leaving. The rebellion awaits."
Robin remained motionless, her lips curling into that infuriatingly calm smile. "I'm afraid I must decline, boss."
Crocodile's golden hook glinted as he turned slowly. "...Explain yourself." His voice dripped with barely contained fury. "Have you forgotten who gave you sanctuary?"
Robin's gaze drifted past him to where Nolan lay draped over Chopper's back, snoring softly despite the chaos. The contrast between the two men couldn't have been starker.
"It seems I've fallen into a rather sweet trap," she mused, almost proudly. The Straw Hats' jaws collectively dropped at her blatant admission.
"You're throwing away everything," Crocodile hissed, advancing toward her with murder in his eyes.
A lazy voice cut through the tension. "Ah-ah... no touching."
Crocodile barely dodged in time, but not fast enough - his left arm vanished below the elbow. He stared at the cleanly severed stump, then at Nolan who now held a smoking pistol with trembling hands. For the first time in years, real fear prickled down Crocodile's spine. This wasn't just power - this was annihilation.
Without another word, Crocodile dissolved into sand, his severed limb regenerating as he retreated. The water was rising fast anyway - better to regroup than risk that weapon again.
Nolan collapsed against Chopper, drenched in sweat. Erasing the Billions had drained him, and that shot at Crocodile nearly knocked him out.
'Note to self, cardio. Maybe.'
The door burst open to reveal a panting Sanji. "Did I miss- HOLY-!" His eyes darted between the rising water and Robin. "M-Miss All-Sunday?! You're here?!"
Robin dangled the keys with a playful smile. "Someone has to keep you fools alive."
As Sanji melted into a lovesick puddle, the others groaned. "FLIRT LATER!" Nami shrieked, water already at her waist.
Smoker watched the chaos unfold as Sanji freed them all. "This doesn't mean we're even, Straw Hat," he grumbled, though the usual fire was missing from his threat.
Luffy just laughed, slinging an arm around Nolan's shoulders. "That was AWESOME! Let's go beat up Crocodile!"
Nolan groaned. "Nap first..."
Nami crossed her arms, eyeing Robin with suspicion. "Let's get one thing straight - did you really betray Crocodile, or is this some kind of setup?"
Robin tilted her head, a playful smile dancing on her lips. "Who can say? Perhaps I simply found something more... interesting." Her gaze flickered toward Nolan, who was dozing against Chopper.
"Eh, she's fine," Nolan mumbled without opening his eyes. "Trust me."
Luffy nodded vigorously. "Join my crew!" he declared, as if offering someone a piece of meat.
Robin's smile softened into something genuine. "I accept. Though I should warn you," she added, removing her hat in a small bow, "I'll be keeping a particularly close eye on our sleepy friend here." She reached out and booped Nolan's nose with her finger.
"HEY!" Nami and Vivi shouted in unison, their faces turning scarlet.
Robin chuckled, clearly enjoying their reaction. "My, my. It seems I have competition."
Vivi sputtered while Nami looked ready to strangle someone. "I-it's not like that!" Nami protested, though her red face betrayed her.
Zoro rolled his eye. "Can we focus on the psycho sand warlord trying to destroy a country?"
Right. Crocodile. As Robin outlined his true plans, the group's amusement faded into grim determination. The scale of his scheme was worse than they'd imagined.
Robin's proposed solution, however, brought back some of the levity. "You want to do what with Nolan?" Usopp asked, equal parts horrified and impressed.
"It's our best chance," Robin said simply.
The crew turned to look at their sleeping sniper, then at each other. Poor guy had no idea w
hat he was in for.
"Alright," Luffy said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's go save a kingdom!"
---