The Den Den Mushi conversation ended, and Evan turned to Robin with a grin.
"Now that guy has no one left to rely on."
"The one negotiating with Crocodile is Sanji's older sister, Reiju. I recognized her voice. She's on our side. Poor Crocodile." Evan chuckled, surprised at how far Crocodile, once a mighty figure, had fallen.
"Oh? You seem pretty close with her," Robin teased, though she was already aware of the situation. Still, she feigned ignorance.
"I'm a little jealous." As she spoke, Robin subtly made her move. Her tactics were simple yet effective, the sort only a mature woman could master. She used her abilities, summoning a hand to gently caress Evan's shoulder.
"Robin, you're playing with fire," Evan muttered, feeling the tickle of her touch.
[Robin is such a temptress. She must like me to be this forward.]
[But I can't let myself fall under her control. I have to stay strong!]
[Besides, there are others around; now's not the time for this.]
Evan's inner monologue continued, as his diary updated silently. Robin, who had a habit of peeking at it, raised an eyebrow.
Just then, a message from Nami came through, cutting through the tension.
[Nami: Robin, what are you doing?]
[Nami: Didn't we agree no fooling around during serious business?]
Before Vivi's return, Nami and Robin had been very aware of their dynamic. When Vivi was away, they made sure to hold her accountable for anything that was out of the ordinary, often teasing her in the process. These playful fights only deepened the bond between them.
The group had even established some rules: first, they would always unite against outside threats. Second, there was to be no romantic antics while serious matters were being handled. After all, as pirates, they couldn't afford distractions in life-or-death situations.
So when Nami saw Robin's behavior, she immediately intervened.
She wanted to make sure Robin wasn't breaking the rules they created by flirting with her.
Ultimately, the group seeks to keep at bay all the women who approach Evan and are not part of the group, although with some exceptions such as Tashigi or Nojiko, the first because she has not seemed very interested in Evan and the Other because she is her sister.
She knows that in the future all kinds of women will seek Evan out and if they are not able to get allies they will end up letting Evan fall into the clutches of other women.
[Robin: Don't worry, Nami. I'm just helping Evan relax.]
[Nami: You better be! You're always bending the rules!]
Robin, being more experienced, often pushed the boundaries. Nami had to keep an eye on her constantly to ensure she didn't cross the line.
"What fire? I just saw you running around and thought you could use a little massage." Robin smiled, withdrawing her hands but keeping her mischievous air.
Miss Doublefinger, lying on the ground nearby, was feeling increasingly uncomfortable. Watching them flirt while she was paralyzed by Evan's lightning attacks was almost more unbearable than the electric shock itself.
Robin had provided the intel that led them to Miss Doublefinger. The fight had barely begun before it ended, and she was now at their mercy.
"So, what should we do with this one?" Robin asked, lounging on the nearby sofa, one leg crossed over the other.
Evan, for the moment, ignored Miss Doublefinger and approached Robin instead. "Let's decide what to do with you first."
Robin raised an eyebrow, confused. But before she could react, Evan leaned in and kissed her. It was quick but decisive, leaving Robin momentarily stunned.
"You ever get shy?" Evan teased, wiping his lips with the back of his hand, clearly amused by her reaction.
Robin, trying to maintain her composure, stood from the sofa. "Why would I? Are you implying something?"
Evan smirked. "I just think you're quite good at that. How many times have you practiced behind my back?"
Robin's cool demeanor returned. "I don't care how many people you think I've been with."
Evan studied her closely, searching her eyes. "Stop staring at me," she muttered, finally breaking eye contact as a blush crept across her face.
It seemed Evan's sudden move had genuinely caught her off guard.
"You two done yet? I'm still lying here," Miss Doublefinger groaned, desperate for release from the electric numbness. Watching their display was becoming unbearable. "Just kill me already!"
Evan crouched down beside her, lifting her chin with a finger. "Such a pretty face. It'd be a shame to kill you."
"How about you come aboard our ship and become a maid?"
Miss Doublefinger's face burned with humiliation. "I'd rather die!" she spat, though her body remained weak from the shock.
Evan chuckled, brushing her hair aside. "It's not your choice to make. Just wait and see; your new life starts soon."
Robin helped her to her feet, whispering something in her ear. Miss Doublefinger's eyes widened.
"I understand... I'll listen to you," she said, her tone now filled with newfound determination.
Evan, seeing this, doesn't know what Robin would have said to him, but knowing her, it's surely nothing out of the ordinary.
Evan seeing this doesn't know what Robin would have said to him but knowing her it's surely nothing out of this world.
So he put that aside and looked at Miss Doublefinger and asked her: "Miss Doublefinger now I'm going to ask you some questions and I hope you answer them honestly and don't try to lie because I can tell when you're lying, do you understand?"
"I understand" Miss Doublefinger said, giving up when she saw that this guy could detect lies.
So she can only accept her fate, hoping that this guy doesn't do anything to her, believing in what Nico Robin told her.
[That thing about knowing if she was lying was a lie; I only said it so she would answer me truthfully..]
[Maybe I could achieve it by combining the powers of my Devil Fruit and Observation Haki to read Miss Doublefinger's heart rate. Who knows, maybe this ability will come in handy in the future.]
[Anyway, what should I do with these guys? Should I recruit them for the fleet? I could get some interesting devil fruits for those who don't have them]
[For example, Marianne could eat the Fude Fude no mi. It's just a matter of finding that traitor Kanjuro, finishing him off, and getting his fruit.]
[I should also start investigating if there's a way to take a devil fruit from someone alive so I could give them powerful fruits and not useless ones like the ones Mikita or Miss Double Finger have.]
Reading what Evan had written, the women were a little shocked to see that this guy was tricking a poor woman into believing that he could detect her lies.
But what shocked them the most was that he planned to hunt devil fruits to give to future fleet members and in the process manage to extract the useless fruits from them.
Upon hearing Kanjuro's name, almost all the women weren't worried that he was a traitor since they didn't know him. However, others, like a certain group of three green-haired women, were a little shocked to find out that someone else knew that Kanjuro was a traitor, but it didn't last long since it was obvious that Evan would know.
Only two reacted in the worst way: a certain oni girl in Wano was screaming furiously until her father arrived and knocked her out to stop her from making noise.
The other was a beautiful woman with long aquamarine-green hair that falls in soft waves. Her eyes are a deep purple that seem to shine with a hint of mystery. Her skin is white and soft, like porcelain. She wears a pink kimono with red flower details that gives her an elegant and traditional look. In addition, she wears a sun-shaped necklace that highlights her unique style.
Her name is Amatsuki Asa, the daughter of the former leader of the Amatsuki clan. Currently, she is another inhabitant of the underworld and was sad to discover the traitor who sided with Kurozumi Orochi.
If she had known earlier, she would have been able to escape Orochi's pursuit and could have lived happily with her daughters.
She quickly put aside her sadness which was replaced by an angry expression to which she said "Damn Kurozumi Orochi, if I ever revive, I will make sure to finish you off with my own hands."
She quickly focused again on the diary to see what Evan would say next.
She just wanted to know what lies ahead for her daughters. Nothing else matters to her right now, as she only has two things on her mind: worry for her daughters and a thirst for revenge.