After much persuasion, Erik finally convinced Robin.
Shanks looked too much like her daughter, she couldn't help but believe.
However, the Devil Fruit ability to bring her future grown-up daughter to the present was simply too bizarre.
Robin was overjoyed. Now, she had a powerful husband who accepted and protected her.
And she had a lovely daughter.
What if this happy time could last forever?
But she knew this was only temporary. The World Government's shadow loomed over her, and one day it would come to destroy this beauty.
Therefore, Robin cherished it, talking constantly with her eldest daughter.
Erik watched the harmonious scene of mother and daughter chatting warmly, and didn't disturb them. He silently walked out of the room.
"Robin's identity is still too sensitive. It will be exposed sooner or later."
"When that happens, we'll face the World Government's wrath. I must prepare for the future."
Erik wasn't worried about safety.
He had the "Descendant Shadow" ability. In case of danger, he could send Robin to a different space.
In fact, this spatial ability could also be used in combat. As long as he covered his whole body with shadow, Erik would enter a state of "absolute defense."
Any attack directed at him would be swallowed by the shadow.
But this wasn't a long-term solution.
"In times of chaos, whoever has an army is king!"
"Just as the Navy Headquarters gave me the task of building a branch, I can openly recruit soldiers!"
"However, this can't be hidden from my trusted aides. I need to inform Calvin first."
Erik formed a plan in his mind.
Before Robin was exposed, he would develop his forces as much as possible.
Of course, he couldn't forget about having children. The more descendants, the better. Let the Proudmoore family grow stronger!
As he was thinking, Calvin came to him.
"Colonel, we booked this hotel for a month. It's almost time to pay."
"Is the hotel urging you to pay the final payment?"
Calvin shook his head and said helplessly, "There's still a week. Colonel, I wanted to say, we've been here for almost a month. What are your thoughts on the mission?"
They were supposed to build a new Navy branch, but there wasn't even a shadow of progress.
Erik nodded, walked to the sofa, and sat down, gesturing:
"Have a seat."
The Colonel isn't in a hurry at all... Calvin thought with a headache. What would he say if Headquarters inquired? Would the Colonel be punished then?
The Colonel was already demoted to the West Sea. If he failed, would he be demoted further?
Besides, the Colonel marrying Nico Robin was another bombshell.
If it exploded, the consequences would be unimaginable!
Calvin sat down opposite him, full of worry.
"Calvin, do you know the truth about Ohara?" Erik asked calmly.
"The truth about Ohara? Isn't it because the scholars there violated the World Government's taboos, leading to its destruction by our Navy's Buster Call fleet?"
Calvin was stunned. The Navy's database described it that way.
Could there be something hidden?
"That was the Buster Call fleet. The Vice Admirals who participated included Aokiji and Akainu."
Aokiji and Akainu.
These two are now two of the Navy's Three Great Admirals!
And Admirals represent the Navy Headquarters' highest fighting strength!
"How did Robin, who was only 8 years old at the time, escape from this inescapable net?"
Without giving Calvin time to think, Erik shook his head, "It was Vice Admiral Sauro. He betrayed the Navy and helped young Robin escape."
In fact, it was Aokiji who let her go.
Sauro was Aokiji's good friend. Even though he didn't understand Sauro's betrayal, Aokiji chose to respect it.
"Why?"
As expected, after hearing this, Calvin couldn't help but ask, "Why did Vice Admiral Sauro betray?"
Erik didn't answer this question, but instead talked about a second character:
"The Revolutionary Army that has been making a lot of noise these years. Their leader's name is Monkey D. Dragon, you should know this, but he is actually Vice Admiral Garp's son."
"What?!" Calvin's face was full of disbelief.
Monkey D. Garp, the Navy hero, the face of the Navy, his reputation within the Navy is even higher than the Admirals'.
Even the current Admiral Aokiji is considered Garp's disciple!
That "world's most heinous criminal" leader Dragon is actually the son of a hero!?
"Why... why?" Calvin was completely dumbfounded.
"Don't understand?" Erik's tone was full of mockery, "Dragon used to be in the Navy. He felt a lack of justice in the Navy, so he left."
The Navy, lacking justice?
Calvin was speechless.
Erik continued, "Going back to your question. Why did Sauro betray and let go of the so-called Devil Child? I ask you, why did Ohara have to be destroyed? What are the so-called taboos? To take a step back, even if the scholars made a mistake and died, the civilians on the island were innocent."
Calvin had never considered this issue. After all, Ohara had nothing to do with him. He only knew that this incident had happened.
"The Navy is not as righteous as you imagine."
Seeing that his goal was achieved, Erik finally brought up the next point: "Every three years, the Celestial Dragons will choose an island to hold a killing contest. The Navy is responsible for blocking off the island during this contest. If you calculate the time, last year, a country perished."
Calvin was completely shocked.
Last year... If he remembered correctly, the news did report that a remote country had perished. It wasn't done by pirates!?
Finally, Erik shared his own experiences.
He participated in the battle against BIG·MOM, but unfortunately, 50 years of his lifespan were stolen.
He was deprived of his compensation by World Government officials.
He was used as a means of balancing the books by some people in the Navy Headquarters.
After hearing the previous secrets, and combining them with Colonel Erik's own experiences, Calvin believed it.
He muttered, "The upper echelons of the Navy are so dark?"
"You're just a Lieutenant, a lower-ranking officer. You don't know much about many things. I'm only a Colonel, a middle-ranking officer, so I don't know much either, but what I know alone is shocking."
Erik got up, "Come with me."
Calvin was numbed by the series of secrets, and mechanically got up to follow his superior.
"Colonel, should we still establish the branch? It feels like we're aiding and abetting evil."
"Establish it, of course we should! And build it big!"
If you don't build it big, how can you ask for money?
Erik snorted coldly, "Use the World Government's money to raise our troops!"