"Mm…"
Robin suddenly heard a faint murmur from her lap.
Awake?
She looked down, but the black-haired boy was still fast asleep, eyes closed, breathing calmly, just mumbling something under his breath.
So he's talking in his sleep?
Curiosity rose before she could stop it. She hesitated, glanced around, then finally leaned down quietly, carefully, close enough to catch his voice.
And she heard, exactly this:
"The sea is wide… Someday, partners who'll protect you will surely appear…"
!!!
Robin's pupils shrank. Her breath caught.
How…?
How could he know that line?
Those words, words from a past drenched in fire and screams, from a day where her entire world was swallowed by flames… and the laughter of a massive silhouette,
"Dereshishishishi…"
Coincidence…?
Or, before she could steady her thoughts, Shanu muttered again, still half-asleep:
"My dream road… too many enemies ahead…"
"I… I want to live! Take me with you… into the sea…"
"…?"
Robin blinked. These two lines had nothing to do with her.
So. She had just been overthinking. It was coincidence after all.
She looked down at the boy's peaceful face, then at the newspaper beside him,
the bounty poster showing 540 million Berries.
Such a terrifying number…
A person this strong…
A person blessed with comrades…
Could he have once been like her, walking through darkness alone, carrying silence as his only companion?
…
The wind atop the turtle's shell stopped suddenly.
Shanu's eyelashes trembled. Slowly, still lying on Robin's lap, he opened his eyes.
Sunlight carved over his brow, making his dark pupils shine.
"Morning."
He yawned like nothing had happened, stood up lazily, and smiled over his shoulder.
"Thanks. That nap was way better than sleeping on a rock."
His gaze slid to the newspaper.
"Oh, bounty posters already? Lemme see, "
He snapped it open.
"Tch. Only five hundred mil? Guess they don't give real numbers unless you head into the New World. Huh? Even Nami's up to eighty million now?"
Robin pressed her lips together.
That reaction… was wrong.
A normal person waking up on a strange woman's lap would first ask:
"Who are you?"
Thinking of the words he'd spoken yesterday, she simply asked:
"You… know who I am?"
"Huh?"
Shanu peeked from behind the newspaper.
"Of course."
Nico Robin?
He'd recognize her even if she turned to ashes.
He shrugged.
"You've been tailing us forever. From Whiskey Peak onward, right?"
Robin stiffened.
"You… you noticed that long ago?"
"Duh."
Shanu folded the newspaper.
"From Whiskey Peak I felt someone watching us. You hid well… but small slips are still slips. Just didn't know at first it was you."
At first didn't know it was you.
Robin caught the nuance instantly.
Her face calm, she said:
"Forgive me. Being a stalker isn't exactly something to brag about."
"You can say that again. You really are a stalker though."
Shanu approached, step by step, looking down at her composed-but-clearly-flustered expression.
"Your Devil Fruit lets you sprout body parts anywhere in your field of view. Eyes too, right?"
He leaned in, staring directly into her eyes.
"If I didn't have Observation Haki, I'd never have noticed. You watched me train, eat, drink, fight,
What were you after?
Don't tell me you were peeping while I bathed too?"
"…"
Robin suddenly smiled.
"Why don't you guess?"
"Hey hey, just kidding. You're not some Hot-Spring Voyeur or whatever."
He stood upright again.
"But seeing you get nervous like this is kinda funny."
Nervous?
Robin almost laughed at the absurdity.
She collected herself.
"…Since you knew, why never call me out?"
"Hold it."
Shanu frowned.
"I should ask you that. Why were you following us?"
"…"
Robin's lips tightened.
What should she say?
That she was cornered and needed a new employer?
That she was jealous of their camaraderie and secretly wished to join them?
But someone like her… someone whose existence brought trouble wherever she went…
Did she even deserve,
"Honesty's easier."
Shanu suddenly said.
"Devil Child Nico Robin. Ohara's survivor. History scholar with a seventy-nine million bounty at age eight…"
He knows.
Of course he knows.
Robin's entire body tensed.
Sixteen years of running reflexively wrapped around her heart.
This scene, being exposed, being cornered, she had lived it countless times.
"Relax."
Shanu reached out and ruffled her hair.
Robin froze.
He froze too.
Huh.
Did my hand just move on its own?
Well, hard not to. Robin had been in his life for twenty years… even if only on paper.
She felt familiar, like an old friend.
And besides, he'd already patted Luffy, Nami, Zoro, and Sanji's heads before…
Old habits.
"…Sorry."
He withdrew his hand quickly.
"Got used to comforting my little sister. Forgot you're older than me. Anyway, the reason I said all that, "
He crouched down, meeting her eyes at the same level.
"Isn't to threaten you. It's to tell you, "
"From today on, all that hiding and running ends."
Sunlight warmed his cheek as he grinned, extending his right hand.
"Hey, Robin. Want to join my crew? I'm actually pretty interested in Poneglyphs. And I need a real archeologist."
"…"
Robin stared at the boy.
She hadn't even prepared her speech. Hadn't even fully accepted the idea herself. But he offered first.
Sixteen years…
For sixteen years, anyone who learned her truth greeted her with blades or betrayal. Never a warm hand.
Those hunted days, those years spent drifting among criminals, all felt so distant under this absurd gentleness. She thought of their smiles on the bounty posters. The bonfire on Little Garden.
The laughter, a dream she had never dared to reach for.
And now…
Now it was right here.
" I…"
She reached out instinctively, then jerked back at the last second, like burned.
"What're you doing?" Shanu snapped.
"Quit hesitating. Get over here."
"You don't understand…"
Robin lowered her gaze.
"My existence is a curse. Ohara's flames follow me. The World Government will shadow you,
Your laughter, your bonfires… Everything could turn to ash because of me."
"Annoying."
Shanu rolled his eyes, seized her retreating wrist, and slapped their hands together decisively.
"There. You're on board. No backsies. Call me Captain."
He sat beside her and grinned.
"What curse? What flames? Didn't you read the paper? What's my bounty?"
"…F-five hundred mil, "
"Five hundred forty million."
He raised six fingers.
"Your bounty times six still isn't mine. After joining, you'd be second to last. Who has time to hunt you?"
"But, "
"You're gonna say 'Oharan special case', right?"
He waved dismissively.
"Marine HQ, World Government, scary names, sure. But what can they do? The sea's huge. They can't mobilize ALL forces. Worst case? A Buster Call."
He snorted.
"A Buster Call is one admiral and five vice admirals. And I just fought an admiral and crippled two vice admirals. If anyone wants to take you, they get through me first."
His voice echoed across the water.
The wind quieted.
"…Why so quiet?" Shanu laughed.
"Was I that cool?"
Robin blinked, then softly laughed.
"Yeah. You were cool."
Cool enough to make her eyes sting.
Sixteen years of shadows, and he crushed them like paper.
"Captain."
Her voice trembled.
"Hm?" Shanu smirked.
That word sounded fantastic.
"…Your poison's flaring up again," she murmured.
Huh?
Shanu rushed to the edge of the turtle shell, peering at his reflection in the water.
A purple-skinned monster glared back.
He froze.
Wait.
I just said all those cool lines…
This this face?!
"AAAAAAHHHH!! Robin! Why didn't you say something?!"
-------
A frigid wind howled across the land. Snowflakes as thick as goose feathers drifted endlessly from the sky, wrapping the mountains of Drum Island in a blanket of white.
The old sea turtle puffed on its pipe as it floated slowly along the frozen river channel toward the island's interior.
On both sides, towering conifer trees bent heavily under the weight of snow. Every so often, a chunk of ice would slide off with a soft pffsshh.
"This place really is freezing…"
Shanu rubbed his arms. The white mist from his breath instantly crystallized into ice. He looked back at Robin. She had her cloak pulled tightly around herself, body trembling, the tip of her nose pink from the cold.
"You holding up?"
Shanu sighed. "There should be a town up ahead. First thing we do is find a clothing shop and buy you proper winter gear."
That was life on the Grand Line, weather shifting without warning.
Just yesterday, they were sailing in warm tropical seas. Today, after nearing this winter island, the temperature plummeted to forty or fifty degrees below zero.
Yes, an entire day had already passed.
After a full day of sailing, they finally arrived.
Drum Island.
Shanu had recognized it the moment he saw those massive mountains shaped like giant chimneys. Only then did he realize, the "world-class medical nation" Robin planned to bring him to for treatment… was actually Chopper's homeland.
Talk about stereotypes biting you back.
Sister, your intel seriously needs an update.
This country had already expelled nearly every doctor, leaving only the "Twenty Doctors" who served the king. Could anyone still call this place a medical nation?
"I'm fine, Captain," Robin shook her head gently. "Your poison is more serious. We have to find a doctor as soon as possible."
She paused slightly when saying "Captain." Even now, she wasn't quite used to it.
She had called many people similar titles before, captain, boss, leader, each one hollow, each hiding calculation and distrust.
Only with this boy, younger than herself… calling him Captain felt strangely reassuring.
"What doctor? I told you, this poison can't hurt me."
Shanu cut her off impatiently.
"If we weren't already close to this island, I wouldn't have bothered coming! Listen to me, clothes first. No arguing!"
"…Alright." Robin sighed, unable to win against him.
Shanu crouched beside the frozen river's surface, checking his reflection in the ice.
Good. the discoloration hadn't started spreading yet.
He had checked again on the way.
The poison that crazy Vice Admiral left in him, other than the discoloration building under the skin, couldn't actually threaten him at all.
Still, even with Life Return accelerating his metabolism, purging it completely would take time, at least half a month.
Meaning if he didn't get treatment, for the next couple of weeks his face would occasionally flare up with those ugly blue-purple blotches.
It was mostly embarrassing, nothing more. And since he had already embarrassed himself once in front of Robin, cosplaying Thanos ten more times didn't matter anymore.
If they ran into a doctor, great. If not, whatever.
But
"Being close to the island" was just an excuse.
The real reason he came ashore was this: Shanu glanced at his pack.
His Devil Fruit Scanner was blinking yellow for the first time in ages.
That meant, somewhere within ten kilometers, a Devil Fruit was nearby.
Last time, the whole crew searched for Ace's Flame-Flame Fruit before finding it. This time, it was just him and Robin. Searching this endless snowfield wouldn't be easy.
Hopefully things would go smoothly.
Shanu exhaled softly and gazed up at the heavy snowfall. There was always a rumor, wasn't there?
Devil Fruits choose their own masters, appearing of their own will before those destined to receive them.
…
The old turtle finally pulled ashore, puffing out smoke rings.
"The path ahead is completely frozen over. Whether you return or not, I'll wait for you here."
The two stepped off the turtle's shell onto land, their boots sinking into thick snow with crunch, crunch as they walked toward the distant lights.
The fifty-below temperature didn't affect Shanu much. Bare-chested, he strode ahead like a human snowplow, clearing a path and blocking some of the wind and snow for Robin.
Crunch… crunch…
Another set of footsteps approached from ahead.
A massive white bear, five or six meters tall, walked toward them, leaning on a mountaineering staff.
"That's a Hiking Bear," Robin whispered immediately. "A friendly creature that only appears on winter islands in the Grand Line."
"They're very polite. If you encounter one, don't worry. Just nod and bow a little."
"Oh?"
Shanu looked up at the huge bear.
After hesitating a moment, he nodded.
The bear instantly bowed back politely, then continued on its way.
"Huh. Pretty courteous."
"If Nami were here, her first instinct would be to grill it for dinner. That'd ruin the mood."
Shanu grinned.
"Having a knowledgeable crewmate is amazing, Robin."
"The town entrance should be up ahead."
Robin pointed toward a snowy path on the slope, faint lights flickering through the blizzard.
"Huh?" She squinted suddenly. "What's that?"
On the snowy hillside, a tiny blue-nosed reindeer sprinted in panic.
Behind him, five or six soldiers chased with flintlock rifles.
"Stop! Blue-nosed monster!"
"Shoot! Don't let it get away this time!"
"Try not to hit vital areas! Cripple its legs! We need that monster to track down that cursed outlaw doctor, Kureha!"
Gunshots cracked through the air.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The little reindeer stumbled into the snow, herbs spilling from his basket. He turned back in terror, huge wet eyes reflecting the closing soldiers.
"You're done for now!"
They surrounded him. Their captain cocked his gun with a cold click, aiming at the trembling creature.
"Speak! Where is Kureha hiding?! She's the last doctor in this country disobeying His Majesty Wapol!"
Shing—!
A flash of steel cut through the blizzard.
Before the soldiers could react, their rifles snapped cleanly in half.
"…Captain, so you really are a swordsman?" Robin blinked in surprise at the shadow landing in the snow.
"What're you saying?! Forget my wanted poster title already?" Shanu glared at her.
"But that's just a disguise, isn't it?" Robin smiled. "You're best at martial arts. The sword's just to trick enemies."
"…"
Annoying.
Having a smart woman on the crew had downsides.
Shanu didn't bother replying. Meanwhile, the squad captain let out a blood-curdling scream, Shanu's cut had sliced off his wrist along with the gun.
Oops. He raised an eyebrow, but felt no guilt.
He remembered clearly: aside from Dalton, Wapol's guards were vicious dogs who abused doctors and ran from real enemies. When Blackbeard invaded, Wapol fled the island in terror, and these same soldiers followed him like cowards.
"It hurts! IT HURTS!!"
The captain glared at Shanu, face twisted in pain.
"Who the hell are you two?! Interfering with the King's Guard, aren't you afraid His Majesty Wapol will feed you to the cannons?!"
Before Shanu could answer, one soldier suddenly panicked.
He stared at Shanu's face, eyes shaking, and whispered to the captain.
"What?"
The captain froze, then went pale as if drenched in ice water.
"You mean, that guy… that guy is the pirate with a 540 million bounty?!"
"No mistake!" the soldier cried. "His photo's been on the front page for days! A Marine Vice Admiral and a Warlord died by his hands!"
"WHAT?!?!"
The soldiers instantly erupted, stumbling backward in terror.
"R-Run! RUN!!"
The captain completely lost his earlier arrogance.
"Retreat! Immediate retreat!!"
They grabbed the bleeding captain and fled as fast as they could, not even daring to pick up their broken weapons.
Shanu snorted and sheathed his sword.
Robin frowned slightly.
"You're not going to…"
"No need."
Shanu shook his head and looked up toward the highest mountain peak, towering nearly five thousand meters.
"Let them spread the message. I'd like to see how Wapol reacts when he hears I'm on this island."
Robin relaxed, dropping the arms she had quietly crossed.
"It's alright now, little tanuki. They won't bother you again."
She turned toward the blue-nosed creature with a gentle smile.
"Where's your home? Do you want us to take you back?"
"…"
The little reindeer said nothing.
He grabbed his herb basket and darted behind the trunk of a large tree.
Then peeked out nervously.
Except…
"You're hiding wrong," Robin blinked.
"No one hides their head behind a tree while leaving their whole body sticking out."
…Right!!
The little reindeer panicked, scrambling to reposition himself behind the tree.