Between Two Worlds: Nen and Haki

"Gold?! Thank you for your bounty, Milord!"

Galdino hadn't even seen what was flying toward him, but he instinctively reached out to catch it.

His hands sank under the weight. When he realized the glittering object in his palms was a gold brick, his face filled with shock.

Without a moment's hesitation, the realization hit him, and he slammed his forehead against the deck in a deep kowtow.

So generous.

A gold brick given on a mere whim.

The new boss was so lavishly wealthy that it felt like a dream.

Crocodile? Sorry, never heard of him!

"I am also willing to become your subordinate, Milord."

"Me too!"

"I..."

Perhaps the allure of the gold bricks had taken effect; with Galdino as an example, the remaining Baroque Works officers scrambled forward to kneel.

Soon, only two people remained standing on the other side.

One was the Dice-Dice Fruit user, Bones.

The other was the okama... Clone-Clone Fruit user, Bon Kurei.

"What? Are you two refusing to become my subordinates?" Seeing Bones and Bon Kurei standing their ground, Zane looked at them with a smile, but his gaze gradually turned cold.

Unexpectedly, Bones shook his head.

"No. I am willing to follow you, but I don't want to be like them." Bones met Zane's eyes without flinching.

He was a pragmatic man.

If Crocodile were still alive, he would have been willing to die for him.

But since Crocodile was dead, he was now a free man.

He didn't mind swearing fealty to Zane.

After all, based on strength alone, the man was more than worthy of his respect.

"Me too, my dear!" Bon Kurei added, blowing Zane an enchanting wink.

"You two..."

Bones and Bon Kurei's words were naturally heard by the other Baroque Works officers.

The others felt awkward; Galdino, who had been the first to surrender, glared at the pair.

"Oh? You two have quite a bit of backbone. Well then... you two will work under Manlong from now on!" The chill in Zane's eyes was replaced by a smile.

He didn't get angry at their perceived insolence; instead, he burst into laughter.

He was also a pragmatic person.

As long as they were sincerely serving him, why would he suppress a little bit of pride?

Among the Baroque Works officers, Zane knew well that aside from their outstanding strength, Bones and Bon Kurei were the most reliable.

Instead of crushing their pride, Zane showed appreciation.

Placing Bones and Bon Kurei under Manlong's command was undoubtedly a sign of high regard.

Ignoring the envy and jealousy of Galdino and the others, Zane had someone bring forward another person once the recruitment was finalized.

"You are the Princess of Alabasta, right? Baroque Works, led by Crocodile, has collapsed. This Transponder Snail is for you. Find someone to pick you up later!"

The person brought forward was none other than Vivi.

She was lucky; after Crocodile had her escorted out of the bar, she managed to avoid the ensuing battle.

When the Hunting Team was clearing the battlefield, those responsible for guarding her handed her over to Zane to save their own skins.

"You're letting me go?"

Zane had Baby 5 unlock her shackles and tossed her a Transponder Snail.

Scrambling to catch the snail, Vivi looked at Zane with a face full of shock.

She never expected she would be released so easily.

According to what she knew, the man before her was a pirate.

Given her status and appearance, even if she weren't mistreated, she would surely be kidnapped to extract a massive ransom from her father.

"Otherwise? Do you really think I'm some pirate? I have no interest in a decorative ornament like you—all looks and no power. Keeping you around these past few days was already an act of mercy." Zane gestured toward her bluntly.

He knew her background wasn't simple; she was supposedly linked to Imu.

But so what?

In his eyes, she was just a beautiful, naive woman.

There were plenty of beautiful women in the world; he didn't feel the need to keep every pretty face by his side.

As for Zane releasing Vivi so casually, it wasn't just Vivi who was surprised; Nico Robin was as well.

Although Zane had claimed he wasn't a pirate, words were cheap; actions were what mattered.

'What an unexpected move. This man actually seems decent.'

Nico Robin watched from the side as Zane ushered Vivi off the ship, a hint of a smile touching her eyes.

Having gotten rid of the dead weight, Zane immediately ordered the ship to set sail.

The fully supplied New Riding the Wind and Waves quickly departed the harbor.

"Here, this is for you. Consider it a reward for your good performance lately."

After the warship was underway, Zane stopped Nico Robin as she was about to leave and led her to his cabin.

The door closed. Just as Nico Robin began to feel anxious, wondering if Zane simply preferred her type over Vivi's, Zane took a neatly folded piece of paper from his safe and handed it to her.

"This is..."

Nico Robin was momentarily stunned and instinctively took the paper.

"You'll understand once you look at it." Zane sat down casually on the sofa.

Though she didn't know what he was up to, seeing that he didn't intend to force himself on her made her breathe a sigh of relief.

With curiosity, she unfolded the paper.

A sharp gasp escaped her lips!

As the familiar script on the paper met her eyes, Nico Robin sucked in a sharp breath. Her nonchalance vanished instantly as she scrambled to sit on the floor and began to decipher the ancient text with intense focus.

That's right.

The paper Zane had given her was a rubbing of the Poneglyph from the base of the Golden Bell.

The Golden Bell was too heavy, and leaving it behind helped maintain rule over the Shandia and the people of Angel Island, so Zane hadn't moved it onto the warship.

However, as a precaution, he had made a rubbing of the Poneglyph at its base.

"Where did you get this Poneglyph?"

As she read, Nico Robin's head bowed lower and lower, hiding her shifting expression.

From her initial excitement to deciphering the content, her heart began to race once again.

After taking a moment to calm herself, Nico Robin looked up at Zane, trying her best to appear unfazed.

"Skypiea," Zane replied succinctly.

There were many Skypieans on the ship; even if he didn't tell her, someone as smart as she was would find out soon enough. Keeping the origin of the Poneglyph a secret was pointless.

"Skypiea?!" Nico Robin looked at Zane in sheer amazement.

She had only ever read about Skypiea in books; she hadn't been sure if such a place truly existed.

"It seems you had quite the spectacular adventure," Nico Robin remarked with a sigh.

"Indeed. This world has many wonderful places. One of my reasons for going to sea is to see them all." Zane smiled.