She need not have said anything. The door was only beginning to open when Luffy slipped inside between Nami and Robin at approximately the level of their legs. Yosaku, who had already managed to 'revive' again, attempted to repeat the young man's successful maneuver, but Johnny immediately caught him by the collar. A fierce struggle erupted between them at once, and Usopp took advantage. While the two old friends fought, the long-nosed young man simply walked past them and the women. Entering the bathroom, he calmly closed the door behind him and left Johnny and Yosaku to 'drip.' Battles for the bathroom had long become routine—more than three people simply could not fit inside, and ideally only two could wash at once—so Nami paid not the slightest attention to her 'boys' conflict and immediately dragged Robin toward the ship's only cabin.
"We'll find something for you now." Seating Robin on the bed, Nami began digging through the piles of her clothes.
Every item that could even hypothetically fit Tashigi had long since migrated to the shared sleeping quarters where she slept, and so finding clothes for Robin posed no problem. Fortunately, unlike the Marine, the black-haired girl possessed body measurements close to Nami's. Less than five minutes passed before Robin wore a fitted white shirt and loose black drawstring trousers, immediately giving her a charmingly domestic appearance.
"You'll sleep in the kitchen." Having dressed in clothes similar to Robin's, Nami picked up a clean set of bed linen and pulled her companion toward the aforementioned kitchen, not forgetting to collect the arm Law had severed along the way. "It isn't a private cabin, of course, but we have a fold-out couch there, so it won't be cramped."
Zoro, having rejected water procedures, snored loudly not far from the figurehead. Beside him, Tashigi swung her katana, obediently beginning her daily training despite all recent events. Her facial expression and the glances she periodically cast toward the sleeping Zoro spoke more eloquently than any words. Without doubt, the girl had returned to training so quickly only to become stronger sooner and then throw Zoro into prison—or kill him outright. Perhaps she even considered herself a lone warrior who had set out upon the path of revenge and freeing the world from the incredible evil represented by Zoro. In reality, her militantly determined little face and behavior resembled a kitten that had resolved to settle its conflict with an opposing ball of yarn once and for all. Such cuteness was difficult to find!
"Move your asses, you lazy bastards! I'm not going to make the women do such heavy, dirty work! Are you men or not?!"
Sanji's voice rang across the entire area. The young man directed the preparation of turtle soup for everyone, including the surviving bounty hunters of Whisky Peak. Those same surviving hunters were helping him cook, though they consisted mostly of women and teenagers. Apart from Mr. Nine, four other men had survived the night by proving the most cowardly of all. Or would it be more accurate to call them the smartest? They had taken no part whatsoever in the ceremonial welcome or the celebration that followed, preferring from the beginning to hide as far from the town as possible. That had unquestionably saved their lives. Now they were butchering the enormous turtle carcass while the women helped Sanji with the lightest and simplest tasks.
"That's everything. You can go to sleep," Nami said.
It took little time to unfold the couch and cover it with a sheet. The duvet cover proved more difficult, but the girl always struggled with those and therefore tried whenever possible to dump the task on Luffy. Or at least to put the blanket inside together with him.
"You heard me warn Sanji to take everything he needed out of the kitchen at once. Sleep peacefully and don't worry about anyone disturbing you. Until Luffy wakes up, no one will set foot in the kitchen, and I'll find something to occupy him even afterward. So, have a peaceful night. Or rather, day. And lunch."
Nami left, abandoning Robin alone with thoughts and feelings that now resembled a whole flock of headless chickens more than ever before. They raced around inside her mind, collided with one another, 'died,' and were immediately replaced by new 'chickens.' The last several hours had been so surreal that Robin could not form any definite opinion. It felt like the first ride on a roller coaster at an amusement park. Terrifying and entertaining; never again in her life, and yet she wanted more. Perhaps for the first time in a very, very long while, life had genuinely managed to surprise her. And surprised her so greatly that Robin could not even gather her own thoughts together. The girl sensed no falsehood, but was that truly the case? She had met people far too unusual today to draw any final conclusions.
"Dereshi-shi-shi-shi..."
Robin did not laugh. She merely spoke the sound aloud, as though hoping the strange laughter Saul had once taught her might bring at least some order to her thoughts. At the same time, the girl developed a powerful desire to sleep first and only afterward attempt to understand everything that had happened. The sensation of being a 'squeezed lemon' had not gone anywhere, her broken arm had stopped aching, and the couch made up with clean linen, a soft pillow, and a blanket looked impossibly attractive. So attractive that Robin finally failed to resist and decided to follow Nami's advice by lying down to sleep. Although she still feared someone might attempt to violate her honor, Robin understood her present position clearly. If those fears proved justified, she would be unable to do anything. The enormous difference in strength left her no room to maneuver. The girl could only place her trust in everything Nami had said—the woman Robin stubbornly continued calling 'the Queen' in her thoughts. Probably because the title suited her as it suited no one else. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say, as it suited no other woman.
"Dereshi-shi-shi-shi..."
Robin could no longer remember the last time she had relied on that strange laughter for help. During the first few years after her escape from Ohara, it was probably only Saul's foolish laugh that helped her endure every trial that fell upon her and avoid losing her mind. Later, things became easier. She grew older, wiser, and more experienced, and endless survival gave way to a difficult but more or less ordinary life. With time, she needed the aid of the strange and foolish laughter less and less. Robin was not certain, but most likely she had not resorted to it once over the last ten years. Perhaps because it felt inappropriate, or because she considered herself strong and adult enough to cope without it. Had it not been for the horrifying visions on the shore when she met the Monster, Robin probably would not have permitted herself such weakness even now. Yet the strange and foolish laughter from a childhood that had become so distant calmed her in an incredible way.
"Dereshi-shi-shi-shi..."
Lying on the couch and looking at her own severed arm hanging from the wall, Robin lightly moved the fingers of the hand she supposedly no longer possessed. Nevertheless, the fingers of the arm hanging on the wall moved precisely according to her will. Another surreal experience in this insane day. Nami had decided there was no point reattaching Robin's arm when it could provide little benefit and create a great many problems. Hanging the broken arm on the wall also guaranteed its complete immobility and therefore faster healing. In addition, it allowed Robin to perform one very simple but useful trick under the circumstances.
"Un Fleur!"
A completely new limb, indistinguishable from an ordinary arm, sprouted where her own had been severed at the shoulder. Had she done that in the bathroom, she could easily have washed herself. With her fruit's power, Robin could have arranged a hundred-handed bath without difficulty. But she had not. First because of Nami's overwhelming insistence, then because of even greater embarrassment, and after that the option had simply lost its purpose.
"Dereshi-shi-shi-shi..."
Could a pirate crew genuinely exist in this world that wished to challenge the World Government? It sounded far too insane to be true, but Robin had already managed to assess her new 'partners' somewhat, and from her point of view they appeared insane enough to truly attempt it. Yet the girl understood clearly that issuing a challenge was easy. Remaining alive afterward and refusing to break beneath the pressure was far harder. Robin had seen many self-confident pirate crews over the course of her life that seemed afraid of neither God nor Devil. Or so they believed until they stood before a genuine threat. Few could comprehend the true danger of the World Government until they became one of its actual enemies. For some reason, everyone believed that keeping away from the Holy Land would be enough to remain safe. In reality? The World Government was everywhere, and no unquestionably safe place existed.
"Dereshi-shi-shi-shi..."
Saul's strange and foolish laughter also slightly muffled her guilt over surviving once again. Another end that had seemed absolutely inevitable had passed her by. Destruction and death surrounded her, yet she remained alive. Everything as usual. At moments like these, Robin could not avoid thinking about the past. How many curses had she heard directed at her? Many people throughout her life had accused the girl of being a mistake merely by existing, and said she had no right to live. Yet almost all of them died, while Robin continued living. Anyone in her place would probably have begun asking whether she truly was cursed. And whether perhaps it really would be better if she died.
"Dereshi-shi-shi-shi..."
That was how Robin fell asleep—amid thoroughly unhappy thoughts about life and the sound of her own foolish laughter. Laughter the girl continued murmuring softly until sleep finally overcame her completely.
"Dereshi-shi-shi-shi..."
At approximately the same time, while Robin still hovered between sleep and wakefulness, the open palm of a satisfied Nami struck the equally open palm of an equally satisfied Luffy. Robin had not been mistaken. Neither had pretended, and neither had lied to her about anything. Yet although Nami could not be called 'Luffy in a skirt,' she had still proven an excellent student. Besides, to a certain extent, absolutely everyone in the family knew how to speak the 'truth.' Indeed, during a first meeting with Luffy, the most important thing was to survive the opening moment and then manage to interest him. What Nami had 'forgotten' to mention was that Luffy's interest could prove a hundred times worse than instant death. Unfortunately for herself, Robin had managed to interest the young man beyond all measure, and worse still for her, the route to Alabasta was far from short. A little more than a month had been enough for him to transform a loyal Marine officer into a 'sleeper agent' with enormous potential, and the strongest pirate in North Blue into his subordinate. Only one question remained: how long could Robin hold out?
"Dereshi-shi-shi-shi..." the girl murmured as she fell asleep.
"Fu-fu-fu-fu!" Luffy and Nami rubbed their hands together in anticipation.
Correction: how long could Robin hold out if Luffy and Nami worked together? The black-haired girl had clearly overdone the number of trump cards she placed on the table. And now she would have to pay dearly for it.
========== End of Chapter 4 ==========
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