"You asked if I'll get bored of you. The answer is no. Not because you're entertaining or useful or any of the things you're worried about."
He paused.
"Because I don't get bored of the people I choose."
She stayed quiet. Her grip on his shoulders loosened slightly.
"Now stop asking questions you already know the answers to."
She pressed her face against his back. "You're impossible."
"You've said that before."
"Because it's true."
He didn't respond. But his pace stayed steady.
Then, after a few steps, his voice came again—lighter this time. Almost teasing.
"Besides, if I got bored of you, who would carry you around like this? That would be a waste of perfectly good shoulder space."
Robin's head lifted slightly. "Did you just make a joke?"
"Did I?"
"You're deflecting."
"I'm lightening the mood."
"This isn't a mood that needs lightening."
"Everything needs lightening."
She stared at the back of his head. Then she let out a breath—half exasperation, half something else.
"That's exactly why I fear you," she said quietly. "You do things like this. You give just enough to make me feel safe, then you pull back. You throw bread crumbs of reassurance, but you never actually tell me anything solid. It keeps me guessing. It keeps me off balance."
He didn't respond.
"And I hate that I can't figure you out," she continued. "Because if I could figure you out, I could rest easy. I could stop wondering if the other shoe is going to drop. I could stop being afraid."
She paused.
"So I want to know as much as possible. I want to gather as many pieces of you as I can. Because maybe, if I have enough pieces, I'll finally understand what I am to you."
He stopped walking.
"Alright," he said. "I'll give you something."
She waited.
"As long as you don't betray me," he said, his voice flat again, "You're not my entertainment. You're not a toy. You're not something I'll discard when I get bored."
He turned his head slightly.
"But if you do betray me? Then you should actually start fearing me. Because when I get bored of someone who betrays me... they die."
He resumed walking.
"There. That's the answer you wanted."
Robin was silent for a long moment.
Then, quietly: "That's not reassuring."
"It's not supposed to be."
She pressed her face against his back. "Just promise me one thing."
He didn't respond.
"If you ever get bored of me, tell me. I'd rather know when I'm going to die. When the bill is going to be due. When my happiness is going to run out. Instead of waking up dead one morning."
He stopped walking.
"Stop talking like that," he said. "I'm getting bored."
Robin stiffened. Her grip on his shoulders tightened.
"Bored?" she repeated, her voice small.
He turned his head slightly, catching her reaction. "Relax. I'm joking."
She stared at the back of his head. "You're joking?"
"Yes."
"That's not funny."
"It was a little funny."
"It wasn't."
"Fine. It wasn't."
She exhaled, her body slowly relaxing.
He resumed walking. "Listen. Aren't you already living your life properly now? Like I said, keep being my favorite wife, and you're safe."
She was quiet.
"Plus," he continued, "Why are you so focused on when you'd get killed by me when we have so much alone time with us? Instead of being couply and lovey-dovey, like my favourite wife should when my other wives are away, you're constantly talking about stuff that isn't like you. And here I thought I'd get to make some fun of the cook a bit."
Robin pouted. "Who's fault is it that I'm feeling all these emotions that I would have kept hidden behind my calm exterior? You won't even give me the cure. Do you have any idea what kind of emotions and how many emotions I'm feeling right now?
All kinds of fear that I had locked away since Ohara—your experiment brought it out. And now I can't do anything but feel them and rely on you. So bear with all of it."
He didn't respond immediately. Then his hand reached back and gently cupped her head, his thumb stroking her hair.
"You're right," he said. "I should bear with it."
She blinked. "That's... that's it?"
"That's it."
"You're not going to make fun of me?"
"I already did."
She opened her mouth, then closed it. Then she laughed—a quiet, surprised laugh.
He stopped walking and turned her around, lowering her to the ground. Before she could ask what he was doing, he pressed his lips to her forehead. Then her cheek. Then her lips.
When he pulled back, she was still.
"Fine," he said. "I've had enough fun. And I don't want you to go completely hysterical. So just know—be daddy's good girl, and daddy will always protect you."
Robin stared at him. Then, slowly, a smile spread across her face—her normal smile. Calm. Controlled.
"Always?" she asked.
"Always."
She tilted her head. "And if I'm not a good girl?"
He smirked. "Then I'll have to punish you."
She laughed—her usual low, amused laugh. "I'd like to see you try."
"Careful. I might take that as a challenge."
She linked her arm through his. "I'm counting on it."
He started walking again. She fell into step beside him.
"Better?" he asked.
"Better."
"Good."
She glanced at him. "And the cure?"
"Later."
"You said that before."
"And I'll say it again."
She shook her head, but she was smiling.
They kept walking. The clouds parted ahead.
Meanwhile, behind them.
The group had been walking in relative silence for a while. Luffy was ahead, humming tunelessly. Zoro followed with his usual unhurried stride. Sanji walked slightly apart, his hands in his pockets, his cigarette burning low. Gan Fall brought up the rear, his lance resting on his shoulder, his expression thoughtful.
They had all heard the conversation between Takuya and Robin. The experiment. The cure. The fact that he'd risked their lives for fun.
Sanji's jaw was tight. His cigarette had burned down to the filter, but he didn't notice. He was replaying the words in his head.
"I risked your life. Yours. Nami's. Vivi's. All for an experiment I wanted to do for fun."
His hands clenched in his pockets.
"The cure? Later."
Later. Like it was nothing. Like their lives were just something to be played with.
Sanji wanted to grab Takuya by the collar. He wanted to scream at him. He wanted to beat the truth out of him.
But he couldn't. Because the girls' emotions would get hurt. Because they have fallen in love with him, and Takuya was far stronger than him. Because no matter how much he hated it, there was nothing he could do.
So he bottled it. Pushed it down. Let it burn in his chest like acid.
And then Gan Fall spoke.
"Sanji."
Sanji didn't respond.
Gan Fall stepped closer, his voice low and hesitant. "I have a question. And I don't mean to pry, but—"
"Then don't."
Gan Fall blinked. "I was just wondering—what exactly is happening between Takuya and Robin? They seem... close. But also strange. Is she okay? Is he hurting her? I can't tell if they're fighting or—"
Sanji stopped walking.
His hands came out of his pockets. His fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles were white.
"You want to know what's happening?" His voice was flat, controlled, but there was something underneath it. Something barely contained.
Gan Fall stepped back slightly. "I just thought—"
"You thought wrong."
Zoro, who had been watching the exchange with barely concealed amusement, finally spoke.
"Careful, Gan Fall. You're poking a very angry cook."
Sanji's head snapped toward him. "Shut up."
Zoro shrugged, his smirk wide. "I'm just saying. He's been bottling it up this whole time. You keep asking questions, he might explode."
"I'm not going to explode."
"You're already exploding."
"I'm perfectly calm."
"You're trembling."
Sanji looked down at his hands. They were shaking. He shoved them back into his pockets.
Zoro tilted his head, enjoying himself. "What's wrong, cook? Still upset about Nami?"
"Don't."
"About the experiment? About the cure?"
"I said don't."
"About the fact that he's got three women wrapped around his finger and you can't do anything about it?"
Sanji's eyes twitched. "Mosshead."
"I'm just saying. It's a lot to process."
Gan Fall looked between them, confused. "Wait—what experiment? What cure? Is someone hurt? Should I—"
"No one's hurt," Sanji snapped. "Not yet."
Gan Fall's brow furrowed. "But you said—"
"I said nothing."
"You literally just—"
"I'm done talking."
Gan Fall opened his mouth, then closed it. He looked at Zoro for answers. Zoro just shrugged again, still smirking.
"The cook's having a crisis," Zoro said. "He's been trying to compete with Takuya for a while now, and he's losing. Badly. It's eating him alive."
"I'm not competing with anyone."
"You literally just said 'I'm done talking' and then kept talking."
"Shut up."
"See? Competing."
Sanji's fist clenched. "I'm not competing."
"You're definitely competing."
"I'm going to punch you."
"Then you'll lose. Again."
Sanji opened his mouth. Closed it. Took a long drag from his cigarette.
Gan Fall still looked confused. "So... they're not fighting?"
"They're not fighting," Zoro confirmed.
"But he experimented on them?"
"Yes."
"And he's not giving them the cure?"
"No."
"And that's... okay?"
"No," Sanji said, his voice tight. "It's not okay."
"Then why aren't you doing something about it?"
Sanji stopped walking. He stared at the ground. His hands were shaking again.
"Because I can't."
Gan Fall blinked. "Can't?"
"If I try to fight him, the girls get hurt. If I try to take them away, they'll fight me. If I try to reason with him, he'll laugh in my face. And even if I did manage to win—" He paused, his voice dropping. "I wouldn't. Because he's stronger than me. And I can't do anything about it."
He let out a breath, his shoulders slumping.
"And as much as I hate to admit it, he's far more capable than me at protecting them when it counts. Plus, two of them—the blue-haired one and her—they're his wives. I don't have any rights to poke my nose into their personal matters. No matter how badly I want to."
Gan Fall was silent for a moment. "So you just... accept it?"
Sanji took a long drag from his cigarette. "I don't accept it. I just know I can't change it."
Gan Fall was silent.
Zoro's smirk faded. Just slightly.
"So you're just... bottling it up," Gan Fall said.
"Yes."
"And that's working?"
"No."
Zoro snorted. "At least he's honest."
Sanji shot him a look. "Shut up."
Zoro raised his hands. "I'm just saying. You're finally admitting you can't win. That's progress."
"I hate you."
"I know."
Gan Fall looked between them, then at Takuya and Robin ahead. "So... what do we do?"
Sanji took a long drag. "We keep walking."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"Because—"
"Because there's nothing else we can do." Sanji's voice was flat. Empty. "So we keep walking, and we pretend everything's fine."
Gan Fall was quiet for a moment. Then: "That sounds terrible."
"It is."
"I don't like it."
"Neither do I."
"But you're still doing it."
"Yes."
Gan Fall sighed. "I don't understand women. Or men. Or whatever this whole situation actually is called."
Zoro clapped him on the shoulder. "Welcome to the club."
They started walking again. The clouds swirled around them.
Sanji's cigarette had burned out. He lit another one.
Zoro walked beside him. "You know, if you ever want to talk about it—"
"I don't."
"—I'm always here to mock you."
"Shut up."
Zoro grinned. "There you are."
They walked in silence after that. Gan Fall still looked confused. Luffy was still humming. Takuya and Robin were still ahead, their voices drifting back.
And Sanji kept walking. Bottling it up. Just like always.
Gan Fall cleared his throat awkwardly, still trying to process the emotional whiplash of the past few minutes. The couple's banter had left him more confused than any battle he'd ever fought.
"Anyways," he said, his voice regaining its authority, "I should explain where we're going."
Zoro let out a quiet sigh of relief. Finally, something that wasn't about romance or bottled-up frustration.
Gan Fall straightened his cape, his lance resting on his shoulder. "The land ahead is Upper Yard. To you Blue Sea dwellers, it might look like an ordinary island. But it's far from ordinary."
He gestured toward the distant shape rising from the clouds. "Four hundred years ago, our ancestors took over the Upper Yard. It brought prosperity to our lives here on Skypiea. But the Upper Yard was never truly ours. It was the homeland of the people of Shandora.
That is what started the war between us and the Shandians—a war for authority over this land. The war our ancestors began has continued for generations, and after all these years, there has still been no conclusion to our battles."
Sanji's cigarette burned slowly. He took a slow drag, his eyes fixed on the distant clouds where the Upper Yard loomed. "So this land... it belonged to someone else before you came?"
"No. They are the descendants of the original inhabitants. For centuries, they have been at war with the Skypieans over this land. Both sides claim it as their sacred home. The Skypieans believe it was gift from the heavens. The Shandians know it was stolen from them."
Gan Fall's voice grew heavier. "The Shandians believe that when they reclaim Upper Yard and ring the golden bell, their ancestor's spirit will be freed. They've been fighting for that goal for generations."
Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Golden bell?"
"A bell made of pure gold. It sits somewhere in Upper Yard, but no one has been able to find it. The Shandians believe it's the key to their liberation."
Gan Fall paused, his gaze shifting toward the distant clouds. "But then Enel arrived."
Sanji's jaw tightened. "The self-proclaimed god."
"Yes. He came here with his priests and took control of Upper Yard. He declared himself the ruler of Skypiea and has been terrorizing the island ever since." Gan Fall's grip tightened on his lance. "He has four priests under his command, each one guarding a different trial. To reach Enel, you have to pass all four."
Gan Fall listed them on his fingers.
"First, Satori. He guards the Trial of String. He uses mantra to predict his opponents' movements. He's not the strongest, but he's tricky."
"Second, Shura. The Trial of Sphere. He rides a giant bird and attacks from the air. He's arrogant and quick to anger."
"Third, Gedatsu. The Trial of Swamp. He's clumsy but unpredictable. He controls the swamp itself and can trap you before you even realize it."
"And fourth, Ohm. The Trial of Iron. He's the most dangerous of the four. His weapon, Eisen Whip, can cut through almost anything. He's utterly loyal to Enel."
Gan Fall paused, letting the names settle.
"Each priest represents a different element. String. Sphere. Swamp. Iron. They're all formidable in their own way."
He looked at the group. "But they're not the real threat."
Zoro spoke for the first time. "Enel."
"Yes." Gan Fall's voice dropped. "Enel has the power of Lightning. He can transform into lightning, move at incredible speeds, and strike from any distance. He's the strongest fighter in Skypiea by far. No one has ever come close to defeating him."
Luffy, who had been quiet, finally spoke. "Lightning. Like the stuff that comes from the sky?"
"Exactly that."
Zoro's hand rested on his swords. His eyes narrowed. "Sounds like a Devil Fruit user. Like Crocodile. Someone who can turn into an element. That kind of power... it's not natural."
Gan Fall looked at him, confused. "Devil Fruit? I don't know what that is. But Enel's power is unlike anything we've ever seen. He calls himself a god."
Luffy's grin was wide. "Sounds fun."
Gan Fall stared at him. "You're not afraid?"
Luffy tilted his head. "Why would I be afraid? He's just a guy. A guy who can be punched."
Gan Fall blinked. "He can't be punched. He's lightning."
"Everything can be punched."
"That's not—"
"Trust me." Luffy's grin didn't fade. "I've punched a lot of things. I'll figure it out eventually."
Gan Fall opened his mouth, then closed it. He turned to Zoro. "Is he always like this?"
Zoro shrugged. "Always."
"And he's still alive?"
"Somehow."
Gan Fall sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I need to sit down."
"Later," Zoro said. "Right now, we have a god to punch."
Gan Fall stared at him. "You're agreeing with him."
"I'm agreeing with the plan."
"There's no plan."
"There's always a plan. Punch first, ask questions later."
Gan Fall looked at Sanji. "And you?"
Sanji took a long drag from his cigarette. "I'm going to find Nami and make sure she's safe. After that, I'll deal with whatever comes."
Gan Fall nodded slowly. "Alright. At least someone here has a reasonable approach."
Luffy was already walking faster. "Come on! I want to see this golden bell!"
The group followed. The clouds parted ahead, revealing Upper Yard in the distance.
Gan Fall's voice carried over the wind. "Be careful. Once we enter, there's no turning back."
Zoro smirked. "Wouldn't dream of it."