Where to start?

Before joining the Straw Hat Pirates, Nico Robin is first introduced to us as the illusive Vice President of Baroque Works, the right hand to Alabasta’s main antagonist, Crocodile. As many of you know, Luffy defeats Crocodile and uses his broken charisma stat to recruit Robin. With some powerful optimism, the powers of the Hana Hana no Mi, and unmatched intelligence, Robin often comes in handy. (See what I did there?)

Though with great power comes … a heavy backstory and A LOT of conflict.

From waging war with The World Government at Enies Lobby to battling it out with the strongest members of Cipher Pol No. 9, Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates eventually liberate Robin in what might be the most symbolic moment in the series.

But why must the Straw  Hats liberate Robin in the first place?

We quickly find out that Robin is the sole survivor of Ohara — an island in the West Blue that was destroyed by The World Government. In their eyes, Robin and her people share an ability that makes them the most dangerous humans in the universe.

This polarizing skill is her ability to read and decipher Poneglyphs.

Poneglyphs are mysterious stone structures that contain written secrets that were lost in history. It's said that Robin is the only person left in the world who can interpret them.

See, it’s ALSO alluded to that one cannot navigate to the final island and claim the One Piece without this (now-scarce) ability.

Luffy simply cannot become King of the Pirates without Robin. And the greatest part is? Luffy is ignorant to all of this. He saw promise in someone who had no one, wagered his life, and extended his hand to her.

Just as Luffy intends to fulfill the dreams of his crewmates, Luffy’s crewmates intend to fulfill his dream of becoming Pirate King. Nico Robin just so happens to be the biggest key to doing so.

*MANGA SPOILERS AHEAD*

In terms of power, it’s obvious Robin isn’t a monster on the same level as Luffy, Zoro, or Sanji, but if you’re a manga reader … you’ll know she’s rapidly becoming one.

And SPEAKING of the One Piece manga ...

... we’ve recently learned that Cipher Pol Aigis Zero is in hot pursuit of Robin, and while their intentions aren’t directly stated, they emphasize that their mission is capturing her alive … it’s quite likely that they’d like to use Robin’s gift to bring light onto the One Piece themselves.

There’s no telling if Cipher Pol Aigis Zero will be successful on their mission, but one thing is for sure, the Straw Hats have been unloading their stamina against Kaido and company with no idea that Cipher Pol Aigis Zero has been plottin’.

Talk about an unpleasant birthday present. The pot is being stirred.

Is Robin your favorite Straw Hat? Can the crew protect her from the Government?

Alex Poehlman is a Features Writer for Crunchyroll. Want to talk One Piece? Follow him on Twitter!

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