WARNING: The following contains spoilers for One Piece Chapter #1020, "Robin vs. Black Maria," by Eiichiro Oda, Stephen Paul, and Vanessa Satone, available in English via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
One Piece Chapter #1020 resumes one of the most thrilling fights taking place in Onigashima -- Robin and Brook vs. the alluring Black Maria --, proving, in the process, that Robin is an invaluable member of the Straw Hats. As we return to the third floor Banquet Hall in the chapter, we find that some shockingly familiar faces have joined Brook and Robin: Robin's mother, Olivia, Professor Clover and Saul. But Robin is no fool.
At first, she seems entranced, and Brook's voice doesn't seem to be able to reach the archeologist. However, as Robin approaches to embrace them, her demeanor changes and with a Tres Mano, she strikes at Black Maria's three servants -- who had been posing as Robin's dearly departed family and friends.
It would take a lot more than a simple illusion to trick the smartest Straw Hat pirate. Brook, on the other hand, is quite familiar with telling the difference between fantasy and reality after the 50 years he spent alone in the Florian Triangle, wishing his previous crew's death was only a bad dream.
Black Maria chases after Brook and Robin while wielding a SMILE Fruit user who has taken a Wayundo form. This burning man-faced wheel is a yokai said to drag its victims to hell upon mere sight. With a simple rotation of it, Black Maria can engulf the entire floor in flames. Thankfully, Robin's able to hang from the ceiling with her Spider Net technique.
Brook releases his soul from his body and using Cold Soul, the skeleton's spirit can pass through the Wayundo and freeze him solid. Thinking she still has the upper hand though, Black Maria taunts Robin, saying Sanji calling out to her in an earlier chapter for help was only a way to save his own skin. With her desirable ability to read the mythic Poneglyphs, Robin is only a detriment to her crew -- a target for larger threats like Kaido to seek.
However, none of this seems to have any effect on Robin. In fact, thinking back on Sanji calling to her for help only seems to bring a smile to her face. Brook offers to hold off Black Maria's servants for Robin while she faces down the vile arachnid woman, which the archeologist happily approves.
Black Maria, thinking she has Robin pegged, asks if she hurt her feelings, but her opponent isn't fazed. As Robin puts it, "You don't need to know what it means that Sanji relied on me for help," even referring to him as the "Wings of the King of the Pirates." Robin then summons a gigantic copy of herself with Gigante Fleur, ending the chapter on a stunning half-page panel.
It goes without saying that Robin is the last person the Straw Hat crew sees as a burden in One Piece. After all, they spent two entire arcs getting her back from CP-9, declaring war on the World Government in doing so. If calling her "baggage" is Black Maria's idea of breaking the spirits of the woman whose smile shines most warmly among the Straw Hat Pirates, then this spider is about to get squashed.
Furthermore, as she says herself, Robin is both happy and relieved that Sanji called on her for help. After considering himself a chivalrous knight in shining armor for so long, he's beginning to rely on the women in his crew, finally. Robin couldn't be happier about this as it not only means Sanji is realizing the limitations of his own weaknesses but he's now also seeing herself and Nami as equal capable members who can fight themselves and are not always in need of his misguided protection.
