Trader In The World Of Pirates!!!

[TL/N: Read my new work - Detective Conan: I'm a Succubus?!] 

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In an instant—

The entire antique shop seemed to freeze in time.

Everything stood still.

Robin, radiating a chilling aura, descended the staircase slowly. She stopped midway, her piercing gaze locking onto Finn, who was still holding Jade.

"Ah… hehe…"

Finn let out an awkward laugh. His eyes darted between Robin and Jade before, finally, under the sheer weight of Robin's presence, he hesitantly placed Jade back onto the ground.

He even dusted off her clothes with exaggerated care.

Seeing this, the other two men in the room immediately straightened their postures, standing at attention, too afraid to make a sound.

"Who are you?"

Robin's aura receded slightly, just enough to allow them to speak.

Now that her strength had recovered to more than 80%, dealing with a slightly stronger-than-average thug like Finn was effortless—she didn't need to worry about them causing trouble.

"We… we're from the Dark Hand Gang—!"

Ratso blurted out, only to be cut off by a sharp elbow from Chow.

Finn, now regaining his composure, quickly took over.

"We're just a local gang," he explained hastily. "Some people hired us to come here and stir up trouble."

He forced a fawning smile.

"Madam, we're just small-time guys doing a job for money. This was our first offense—please, let us off just this once!"

He quickly raised a hand in a solemn vow.

"We swear, from now on, no one in this street will dare disturb your antique shop!"

Robin narrowed her eyes.

"A local gang, huh?"

She lifted her chin slightly, exuding a silent but dangerous pressure.

She didn't fully believe them—but at the same time, she had no intention of dragging things out here.

Her instincts told her…

There was something much bigger hiding behind these men.

And whatever it was, it was likely connected to the talisman she had just obtained.

With a flicker of thought, Robin's voice rang out like a whip.

"Since you now understand that this place isn't one to be trifled with—"

"GET. OUT."

BOOM!

Though it was nothing more than a commanding voice, to the trio, it was as if lightning had struck them.

Their entire bodies stiffened. Their eyes trembled in terror.

The next second—

They bolted.

None of them dared to look Robin in the eye as they spun around and scrambled out the door like frightened rabbits.

"Whoa! That was SO COOL!!!"

Jade, who had been watching from the side, immediately forgot her earlier fear. She ran up to Robin, bouncing on her toes with excitement, punching the air like an overactive child.

"That was amazing, Sister Robin!"

Her eyes sparkled with admiration.

"Was that the Conqueror's Haki just now!?" she asked eagerly. "You just said a few words, and they ran away! Maybe I can awaken my own Haki too!"

Robin chuckled softly, her expression softening.

She placed a gentle hand on Jade's head and answered seriously,

"That wasn't Conqueror's Haki."

She smiled, her violet-like eyes filled with warmth.

"Your Sister Robin doesn't have the qualifications to reign over millions."

"But you don't need Haki to make yourself strong, right?"

"Yeah!!!"

Jade nodded vigorously, her eyes gleaming with resolve.

Meanwhile, Jackie Chan, who had just picked himself up from the floor, groaned as he rubbed his sore lower back.

"Unlucky, unlucky, so unlucky…" he muttered.

He stretched his aching limbs, wincing.

"That really hurt… Who were those guys!?"

Jade, still riding the high of Robin's display of dominance, turned to Jackie Chan with a disappointed look.

"Uncle Jackie, you're so weak!"

She folded her arms and huffed.

"I mean, seriously! Look at you—lying on the ground in pain, while Sister Robin just looked at them, and they ran for their lives!"

Jackie Chan, already nursing his bruised pride, instantly felt the sting of Jade's words.

"..."

He forced an awkward smile, scratching his head.

Just as he was about to defend himself—

The door to the antique shop swung open again.

A sturdy, bald man strode inside.

Despite the antique shop's shabby appearance, he entered with familiarity and confidence.

His sharp gaze scanned the room before locking onto Jackie Chan.

"Jackie Chan!? So I wasn't seeing things after all!"

Hearing the voice, Jackie Chan turned, his expression shifting in confusion—until realization struck.

His eyes widened in shock.

"You're… BLACK!!!"

In an instant, his face lit up with excitement.

"Oh my god! I haven't seen you since I saved your life six years ago!"

Without hesitation, Jackie Chan stepped forward, throwing his arms around the man in a tight embrace.

"Black, where have you been all these years!? I looked everywhere for you, but you just vanished!"

His voice was filled with genuine joy.

For a brief moment, all the pain and exhaustion from earlier seemed to vanish—replaced by the thrill of reuniting with an old friend.

 "That… is a long story."

Bald Black gave a cryptic smile before his expression turned serious.

"Jackie, did you recently come across a mysterious antique shield?"

Jackie Chan blinked in surprise.

"An antique shield? Why are you looking for it too!?"

"Too?"

Black's eyes sharpened.

"Besides me, has someone else been asking about that shield?"

"Yes, just now—"

Jackie Chan was about to explain when Robin suddenly interjected.

"I believe this is what you're looking for?"

She stretched out her hand, revealing the talisman she had just removed from the shield.

However, to her surprise, Black only frowned in confusion.

"What… is that?"

"..."

For a brief moment, Robin was speechless.

"Wait… so you don't even know what this is? Then why are you looking for the shield?"

Black hesitated for a moment, casting a questioning glance at Jackie Chan.

Jackie immediately caught on and introduced Robin.

"This is Miss Robin. Despite her young age, she's an expert in archaeology. Even my Uncle—who never praises anyone—acknowledges her talent."

Black's eyes widened slightly before quickly nodding in respect.

"Miss Robin, a pleasure to meet you."

Knowing Jackie Chan—a university professor often scolded by his Uncle for his lack of academic skill—Black could tell that for him to introduce Robin in such a manner, she must indeed possess extensive knowledge.

Turning back to the talisman, Black asked, "Miss Robin, what did you mean by your earlier remark?"

Robin chuckled but didn't answer immediately. Instead, she posed a question of her own.

"Mr. Black, why are you looking for that antique shield? In terms of value, it's hardly a priceless artifact."

Black hesitated briefly before deciding not to conceal the truth.

"To be honest… my real identity is that of a law enforcement officer working for an international organization."

Jackie Chan and Jade's eyes widened in surprise.

Black continued.

"For the past six years, I've been building a top-secret base here in the city—[Section 13]."

"Whoa! That's so cool!"

Jade's eyes sparkled with excitement as she practically bounced on her toes.

Black chuckled at her enthusiasm before continuing.

"[Section 13] was established to investigate large-scale international crimes."

His expression darkened.

"According to our research, nearly every major international crime in recent years has been connected to an organization called the [Dark Hand]."

"Dark Hand…?"

Jackie Chan instinctively glanced around the antique shop, suddenly feeling uneasy.

Black nodded gravely.

"Recently, the leader of the Dark Hand, Valmont, has been secretly collecting historical relics from around the world."

"Historical relics? Why!?" Jackie Chan asked, his instincts kicking in.

Black shook his head.

"We don't know their ultimate goal yet. But one thing is clear—whatever they're after, Section 13 must stop them."

Robin remained silent, but inwardly, she wasn't impressed.

This so-called Section 13…

Just moments ago, three high-ranking members of the Dark Hand had walked right past Black without them even realizing it.

That alone spoke volumes about Section 13's actual capabilities.

Tsk, tsk…

They don't even know who their enemies are, and yet they want to stop them?

For an organization supposedly fighting large-scale crime, their efficiency was abysmal.

Robin sighed inwardly.

Still, she wasn't about to hide the talisman.

If anything, working alongside Section 13 could be useful.

Their bureaucratic procedures were slow, yes, but if she could leverage their resources, it would make her archaeological work significantly more efficient.

And more discoveries meant more magical artifacts for her to collect—and trade for points.

Looking at the talisman in her hand, Robin smirked.

This might just be the perfect bait.

Robin suddenly interrupted the conversation.

"This is what the Dark Hand is after."

Without warning, she raised her hand.

In an instant—

Jackie Chan and Black felt weightless.

Their stomachs lurched as they found themselves suddenly floating into the air.

Jackie Chan and Black Panic

"Oh! My God! What's happening!?"

Jackie Chan flailed midair in sheer panic.

Black, though more composed, looked equally stunned.

On the ground, Jade stared in wide-eyed shock before excitement overtook her.

"Wait… is this the power of the Float-Float Fruit!?"

Her eyes darted toward Robin.

"Sister Robin! Don't tell me—the Golden Lion escaped from Impel Down!?"

Robin chuckled softly, floating up to meet them at eye level.

Under Jade's awestruck gaze, she slowly opened her palm, revealing the talisman.

"This is the source of that power."

With a mere thought, the three of them gently descended back to the ground.

Jackie Chan wobbled slightly, steadying himself as he muttered, "I really need a break…"

 Robin explained calmly,

"This talisman possesses magic similar to levitation. By holding it and focusing your thoughts, you can make yourself—or other objects—float."

"This… How is this even possible!?"

Black's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the small talisman in Robin's hand.

As a staunch skeptic, the idea of magic defied everything he had ever believed in.

And just then—

A door on the second floor suddenly swung open!

Uncle Chan emerged, holding an old manuscript in his hands. He paid no mind to the commotion below and immediately called out:

"Robin! Hand over that talisman to Uncle, quickly!"

"Got it, Uncle."

Without hesitation, Robin activated the talisman's power, levitating effortlessly to the second floor before placing it in Uncle's hands.

Pulling out a magnifying glass from seemingly nowhere, Uncle meticulously compared the talisman to the manuscript.

After a long pause, he sighed.

"Just as I suspected… The talismans have begun to appear."

Robin's eyes gleamed with curiosity.

"Uncle, have you figured out its origins?"

The history of this world intrigued her more and more. She couldn't help but feel drawn to it.

"Hmm…"

Uncle clasped his hands behind his back, his voice turning solemn.

"According to legend, there are twelve talismans in total, each representing one of the twelve zodiac animals. Every talisman grants a unique magical ability."

He glanced at the talisman in his hand before continuing.

"It is said that once the first talisman surfaces, the others will soon follow…"

His voice grew graver.

"With the power of these talismans, one could become invincible… or bring about destruction on an unimaginable scale."

"If these fall into the wrong hands, the world will once again be thrown into chaos."

Uncle let out a deep sigh, though his tone suggested this wasn't the first time he had encountered something of this magnitude.

"Huh?"

Uncle suddenly squinted, something glinting in his vision.

Raising his glasses, he focused—only to realize the source of the glare wasn't an object…

It was a shiny, bald head.

Turning to the culprit, he pointed accusingly.

"Who are you? And why are you in Uncle's shop!?"

Black, who had been deeply engrossed in Uncle's explanation, was caught completely off guard.

Wait… Did this old man seriously just now notice me!?

Despite his frustration, Black knew that Uncle was someone to be respected. So, composing himself, he replied politely,

"Nice to meet you, sir. I'm a friend of Jackie."

Straightening his posture, he added,

"I'm also the head of District 13's Special Elite Forces."

His expression turned serious.

"Could you explain everything in more detail? I never expected the Dark Hand to be involved in something this… supernatural. If we don't put a stop to them soon—"

But before he could finish, Uncle cut him off.

"Jackie! Get rid of these idlers from Uncle's shop!"

Uncle waved his hands dismissively.

"I need peace and quiet to research how to deal with the talisman's enemies!"

Black stiffened.

"…Idlers?"

His eyes darted around before pointing to himself in disbelief.

"Wait. Are you talking about me!?"

Uncle scoffed.

"If not you, then who? Am I talking to myself?"

Black's jaw dropped.

"Hold on—I'm the chief of District 13!"

Uncle snorted.

"Chief of what? A bunch of clueless children who don't even know magic exists? Don't waste Uncle's time!"

SLAM!

Without another word, Uncle shut the laboratory door behind him, locking himself inside.

"..."

An awkward silence followed.

Jackie Chan scratched his head and offered an apologetic smile.

"Uh… Sorry about that, Black. Uncle's not usually like this…"

Black, still processing what just happened, was left speechless.

Robin, who had gracefully floated down from the second floor, chuckled.

"Don't take it personally, Chief Black."

Her voice carried an amused undertone.

"Uncle just doesn't want you to get caught up in something dangerous."

Black frowned.

"Dangerous? Please." He scoffed.

"The officers of District 13 are the best of the best! We've never backed down from any kind of threat!"

Robin smiled knowingly.

"That may be true… But the world of magic is different."

Her tone turned serious.

"It's filled with strange and unpredictable forces."

She took a step closer, her voice lowering slightly.

"Ordinary people don't just fail to help in these situations—they become liabilities."

Her eyes locked onto his.

"Or worse… They get consumed by magic itself."

Before Black could protest, Robin swiftly raised her hand.

In an instant—

Black found himself lifted off the ground.

His body shot upward, past the second floor, all the way to the antique shop's ceiling—nearly ten meters high.

Then, without warning, Robin let go.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Black screamed as he plummeted downward—

But just before he hit the ground, Robin's magic reactivated, stopping him inches above the floor.

A moment later, she gently lowered him the rest of the way.

Black stumbled to his feet, immediately taking a few steps back.

Cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

When he looked at Robin again—

For a brief moment, he swore he saw the silhouette of a grinning demon standing behind her.

This Woman Is Insane!

Meanwhile, Robin smiled sweetly.

"So? Do you understand now?"

She crossed her arms.

"Leave magic to the professionals."

Her eyes gleamed mischievously.

"After all… only magic can counter magic."