Night, Alubarna.
"We finally made it. I'm so tired."
"My feet are killing me—am I getting blisters?"
As Carina and Nami passed through the city gate, they let out relieved shouts.
They sounded so exhausted it was like they might flop down to sleep the next second.
"Looks like the training's paid off."
Watching the two girls support each other, Yami smiled in satisfaction. "I thought we wouldn't arrive until tomorrow, but you actually pushed on for hours without a break."
"I'm taking a bath first," Robin said with a smile.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll book rooms at a hotel first—bath, then dinner."
"I've got sand in my hair. I'm soaking first."
Carina and Nami perked right up.
What kept them going without resting wasn't sleeping in a desert, but the promise of hot baths in the city.
"Alright, bath first, then food."
As a reward for completing the trek, Yami handed the lead to the girls.
So Carina and the other two had Yami use his farsight to pick Alubarna's biggest, most luxurious hotel, and the group headed straight there.
As the capital of one of the world's rare superpowers, the Alabasta Kingdom's capital naturally wasn't short of investors.
Even an underworld king had holdings here.
For example, the hotel Yami chose—the world-spanning Tesoro Hotel chain.
Its owner is the master of the world's greatest entertainment city, Gran Tesoro, a user of the Paramecia Gold-Gold Fruit—the Golden Emperor, Gild Tesoro.
At the Tesoro Hotel, they booked a luxury suite.
Once inside, the three girls made straight for the bath, clearly planning a big shared soak.
"Uhehe… Master, want to bathe together?"
Carina tossed the invitation over her shoulder before the bathroom door shut.
"Carina, what are you saying!"
Before Yami could answer, Nami yanked Carina back, cheeks flushing, and called to Yami, "Master, no peeking with the x-ray eyes!"
Saved five years early, Nami's figure had only just begun to bloom; she didn't wield charm as a weapon, nor had the boldness she would in the original tale.
Carina's line made the pure-hearted girl flustered.
"Shy, are we? As a maid, serving Master is only natural. I was just going to scrub his back and wash his hair—what's the fuss, little cat burglar? Uhehe… don't be so worked up."
"You vexing vixen, I'll fight you!"
"My, my… lively, aren't we."
Their bickering and scuffling filtered through the bathroom door, making Yami itch all over.
If Robin weren't here, he'd have already gone in and let Carina and Nami attend to him.
They were too young for anything more, but two stunning girls in maid outfits washing his hair and scrubbing his back was its own kind of bliss.
Right then, Yami decided he needed to raise Robin's favor more often.
The three soaked for nearly an hour before they finally emerged.
Crucially, none had brought clothes in.
So when they came out, each wore only a white towel.
Carina and Nami were cute enough, but Robin's presence hit like a visual shock.
Her long black hair was swept into a bun; her voluptuous figure was wrapped only where it had to be, while elegant collarbones, a flash of pale skin, and long snow-white legs were fully on display.
Fresh from the steam, her skin glowed rose-pale, and even from across the room Yami could almost catch the fragrance of the bath.
What a sight indeed—mature beauty reigns supreme.
"Uhehe… Master, you didn't peek, did you?"
Meeting Yami's gaze, Carina didn't hurry to change. She slipped behind the sofa, looped her arms around his neck, and teased him.
Smack.
Yami said nothing, gave her a light chop, ruffled her damp hair, and smiled. "Go get dressed. Dry your hair."
"Uhehe… Master, I drew the bath for you. Rinse off and go soak."
Carina rubbed the spot and headed into the room with a grin.
Yami went to wash up.
He didn't soak—just washed his hair and rinsed off, then came out.
By then, the three had changed and dried their hair.
Carina and Nami were back in classic maid outfits with white stockings.
Robin wore a tailored suit-dress, her long pale legs sheathed in black stockings.
White-silk lolis and black-silk queen—pure eye candy.
"Let's go eat downstairs."
Yami towel-dried his hair and, without bothering to blow it, led them to the hotel restaurant.
Dinner took over an hour.
There was no helping it—Yami's body was special.
He could go for days without food or drink.
But when he did eat, unless the dishes were piled like mountains, he never felt full.
Fortunately, at twenty-three and in perfect condition, his bottomless appetite didn't wreck his health.
Even so, since arriving in this world, he'd never once eaten his fill.
Tonight was no exception.
"Boss."
Back in the suite, Robin looked to Yami with expectant eyes.
"You want to go now?"
"Yes." Robin nodded firmly.
"Alright. Let's pick up a flashlight first."
Yami didn't try to dissuade her. He turned to Carina and Nami. "Rest here or come along?"
"I'm not going. After a day on foot, I'm beat. I'm sleeping."
"Same."
Carina and Nami shook their heads.
The Void Century didn't grip them—if curiosity struck, they could ask Yami and Robin after a nap.
"Alright. Turn in early."
Yami nodded, then took Robin downstairs and out.
After buying a flashlight, he led her to a secluded spot, opened an air door, and stepped into the pocket space.
Moving through obstacles there as if they weren't real, they slipped into the royal palace.
Earlier that day, while buying a camera and transponder snail in Alubarna, Yami had used farsight and x-ray vision to pinpoint the Poneglyph's location.
So he took Robin straight beneath the royal mausoleum, where a massive stone stele stood.
Though the tomb was pitch-dark, being within the pocket space and having Yami at her side left Robin unafraid, even at ease.
There, she read the ancient script carved into the Poneglyph.
Before long, a trace of disappointment flickered in her blue-black eyes.
Yami asked with feigned anticipation, "Well? The history of the Void Century?"
"No. It isn't."
Robin shook her head. "This Poneglyph records the location of an Ancient Weapon."
"So not the lost history. A shame." Regret crossed Yami's face.
"Boss, you don't want to know where the Ancient Weapon is?"
Robin, who had been watching him from the corner of her eye, suddenly asked.
"Not interested."
He refused her probe without hesitation, and spoke from the heart. "No matter how powerful, weapons are external things. Only strength is truly reliable."
With that, Yami turned without looking back. "Let's go. We leave tomorrow."
"Okay."
Robin answered softly, her gaze gentle on his back, a tender smile on her lips.
She could tell he wasn't lying.
He truly wasn't interested in Ancient Weapons, only in the missing century—just like her.
In truth, had Yami cared about such weapons, Robin would have told him where Pluton lay.
In their time together, she had come to understand his character and accept him as Boss.
Because he was her kind of person—and a comrade she was willing to protect, beating back anyone who coveted what was theirs.
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