"Ahh, that was the best sleep ever!" Luffy stretched his arms wide and groaned contentedly.
Robin glanced at the freshly awakened Luffy, gave him a cold look, and then buried her head back into the mountain of paperwork in front of her.
If she were the type to curse out loud, she'd definitely have let out an "Fuck My Life" by now.
But unfortunately… she didn't dare.
"Hey, Robin! What time is it now?" Luffy asked cheerfully, utterly unaware of how carefree he sounded.
"It's already ten at night, Luffy-san," Robin replied, clearly exhausted. "Would you like something to eat?"
"Food?" Luffy blinked, then his stomach gave a loud growl. Chuckling awkwardly, he scratched his head. "Now that you mention it, I am kinda hungry. You're the best, Robin, always thinking ahead."
Robin's lips twitched. In her head, she thought: You slept all day. Of course you're hungry.
She ordered the servants to prepare a feast, and even though she hadn't had a moment's rest herself, she sat down to share a late-night meal with Luffy.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
One hour later.
Stuffed and satisfied, Luffy patted his belly and, surprisingly, felt like sleeping again.
Then, as if he suddenly remembered something, he turned to Robin and asked, "Why did Doffy call earlier?"
Robin was taken aback. She hadn't expected him to remember anything important. That was... unexpected.
"Torrebol called," she explained. "It was about the auction house. I've already handled everything."
"There's also a situation on Apocide Island. Two mafia families are fighting. One has pledged loyalty to the Donquixote Family. Their condition? Eliminate the rival gang."
"Torrebol said you should go in person."
Luffy's eyes lit up. "The mafia? Now that sounds fun! Let's rest well tonight and head out at dawn!"
"We?" Robin asked, puzzled.
"Yep! You and me. Us."
"But what about the auction house?" she asked, still uncertain.
Luffy waved it off casually. "Not important. Just let someone else manage it for a while."
"Anyway, it's getting late. You should get some rest too."
Before Robin could respond, Luffy had already disappeared out the door.
That night, Robin stood by the window, gazing at the hazy moonlight outside.
The past few days had been a blur. She'd kept her work flawless, but ever since Luffy destroyed the auction hall and the bloodshed that followed, she had felt like an ant, completely powerless, her fate in someone else's hands.
She sighed.
Closing the window, she whispered to herself, "Time to sleep."
─────────🏴☠️─────────
In the world of pirates, there were deserts, jungles, plains, and grasslands, but the eternal theme was always the unchanging sea.
On the sea were countless treasures, breathtaking sights, endless feasts... and inescapable storms.
"Robin, hurry! Take down the sails!!" Luffy shouted. He was drenched to the bone, rainwater running from his forehead to his chin.
Robin, soaked and fighting against the wind, used her Flower-Flower Fruit powers to undo the ropes that held the sails.
"It's no use! The storm's too strong!" she shouted, panic in her voice.
The ship rocked wildly under the pressure of the wind.
"I know!" Luffy gritted his teeth, gripping the helm tightly. He couldn't steer too hard, or too soft. "Damn it, I knew I should've taken the small ship!"
He had chosen the largest vessel available for this journey, hoping to travel like the wealthy. But the bigger the ship, the harder to control, especially in the unpredictable weather of the Grand Line. Now, they were caught in a deadly storm.
Suddenly, Robin froze.
Her powers vanished, her body rooted to the spot, like the heavens themselves were about to split open before her eyes.
"There's a whirlpool ahead, Luffy!! A massive one!!" she screamed, despair etched on her face.
The whirlpool spun faster and larger with each passing second.
The ship was being pulled toward it, the speed increasing rapidly. They were moments from being swallowed whole.
Robin's eyes slowly dimmed.
She knew all too well what fate awaited a Devil Fruit user who fell into the sea.
"So this is it, huh? Sorry, Saul…" she whispered. "But Luffy-san is strong. He might make it through…"
Just then, Saul's words echoed in her memory:
"No matter what happens, don't forget to smile."
On the edge of death, Robin remembered that warm voice. That kind laughter.
"Dereshishishi…" she tried to mimic Saul's goofy laugh, facing the whirlpool. But no matter how hard she tried, the smile wouldn't come.
Looking back on her life, it all felt like a failure, a fleeting existence like a drop in the ocean, leaving no trace behind.
"Robin! I need help over here! Robin? Robin!!"
Luffy was losing control of the helm and shouted for Robin, calling her name several times. But she didn't respond.
He turned around in confusion, only to see her collapsed on the deck, sitting motionless, mouth moving, as if speaking to someone, her face frozen in a strange mix of laughter and tears.
But the storm was too loud. He couldn't hear a word.
"HEY!!" Luffy shouted again.
Suddenly, BANG!
A massive wave slammed into the ship, tilting it violently.
The deck tilted with it. Crates and barrels tumbled overboard.
Robin, still with her eyes shut, did nothing to save herself. She had completely given up.
She felt her body lift off the deck, and in that moment, memories flashed through her mind like a film reel.
The birthday parties with the professors. Saul's mentorship. Her mother's smile.
Tears streamed from her eyes, blending with the rain.
"So frustrating… I really wanted to see the true history with my own eyes…" she thought bitterly, just before the end.
"Gotcha!"
Luffy caught her mid-air, clutching her tightly against his chest.
"You idiot!! What the hell are you doing?!" he roared, furious.
"Luffy…?" Robin opened her eyes, shocked to feel warmth in the freezing rain. She looked up to see Luffy, holding her with one arm while running toward the helm.
But in that split second, with no one steering, the ship was now fully caught in the vortex's pull.
"Put me down! If you let me go, you can still survive!" Robin struggled in his arms, desperate to save him.
"SHUT UP!! You stupid woman!!!" Luffy's shout cut through her panic.
Robin looked up, stunned.
The ship spun faster and faster, nearing the center of the whirlpool.
Luffy glanced up at the sky.
Dark clouds roared like demons, lightning flashing, and rain pelted the sea like shrapnel.
"If I can't overcome something like this, how can I ever be the world's strongest?"
"Robin, remember this: Facing danger with a dumb smile is the stupidest thing anyone can do!"
Luffy's voice dropped low. He gathered all his strength into his right hand. Conqueror's Haki surged around him. His eyes burned like fire, and even his soaked hair seemed to float in defiance of gravity.
"Ahhhhhh!!!"
A flicker of flame sparked in his palm, just for a second, then vanished.
Suddenly, WHOOOSH!!
A blast of flame erupted from Luffy's body, stretching a thousand meters in every direction.
"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST… STRIKE!!!"
With a roar, he punched skyward, fire spiraling into the heavens like a dragon.
"BREAK THROUGH!!!"
The fiery dragon tore through the sky, slamming into the clouds above and ripping a gaping hole straight through the storm.
Beneath them, the sea boiled. The whirlpool unraveled. Fire radiated outward.
And in that inferno, Robin saw not destruction, but a rainbow arching across the sky in her heart, as if it stood between her and the flames.
She stared at Luffy, entranced.
The clouds parted.
Through the cracks, the sky revealed its deep, pure blue.
The rift widened like a curtain torn open.
And finally, the bright, clear sky stretched wide over the sea.
The storm passed.
A rainbow spanned the horizon from one end of the world to the other, absorbing every gentle hue, just like Robin's heart in that moment.
"Robin…" Luffy staggered, panting. "From here on… it's up to you."
THUD.
Still clutching Robin, Luffy collapsed onto the deck, unconscious.
==========
You can find much more on my Patreon: Patreon.com/Veltoria
There are currently 5 active fanfictions on Patreon, with over 442+ advanced chapters available across them!
From Naruto Onwards, I Control Time — Up to Chapter 283
Haikyuu!!: Rise of Sengoku — Up to Chapter 215
Danmachi: Is It Wrong To Aspire to Be An Adventurer? — Up to Chapter 97
Legend of Hogwarts (Harry Potter x League of Legends) — Up to Chapter 125
I Am Luffy: Partner System Online (One Piece) — Up to Chapter 108