In Robin's room, Nami sat there in a daze after hearing her story.
She remained silent for a long time before turning her head to look at herself in the dressing mirror on the table.
Her appearance was undoubtedly beautiful—something she used to admire from time to time.
But at this moment, she couldn't help but reveal a look of sorrow.
"Is there really… no other way?"
"..."
The answer she received was silence.
In the past, they had always been able to face strong enemies together, entrusting their lives to one another.
But against an enemy countless times stronger, one they had no chance of defeating…
Should they all just throw their lives away together?
Nami asked, "How are you planning… to tell the others?"
Robin suddenly smiled, as if she had finally organized her thoughts.
"The world has changed. What we were searching for no longer exists. Wouldn't it be better to settle down and live a stable life? Konoha is a great place for that, isn't it?"
Nami quietly observed the smile on her face, then said, "That doesn't sound like you at all, Robin."
Robin's expression stiffened for a moment before she put away her smile and lowered her gaze.
"I'm tired of a life with no place to call home. I want a stable future. I don't want to go back to the sea. This is truly what I want. And besides…"
She paused before continuing, "We've only been traveling together for a short time. You don't really know me."
She stepped out of the room to find everyone still standing there.
"Robin-chan!"
"Robin!"
The group immediately gathered around her.
Robin glanced at Nami beside her, who remained silent, then took the initiative to speak.
"I just met with the emperor of this empire. He said he's willing to let us go."
Everyone was stunned for a moment.
Usopp immediately broke into a smile. "Really? That's amazing!"
He and Chopper couldn't help but cheer.
Konoha was certainly a prosperous place, but it wasn't where they belonged.
Zoro, however, couldn't help but ask, "Did the emperor say he'd release all of us?"
Robin smiled and said, "Ah, we were only placed under house arrest because of our identities as pirates—to prevent us from causing trouble. Now that everyone has seen what's happening outside, it's likely there won't be any more pirates in the future."
Sanji said, "Well, whatever the case, regaining our freedom is a good thing, right? 'Pirate' is just a title. There are so many people out on the sea—their nature won't change so quickly."
Luffy stood there in silence.
Robin then said, "There's something I'd like to talk to everyone about."
Beside her, Nami clenched her fists tightly.
Everyone turned their attention to Robin.
She glanced around at them before smiling softly.
"Have you all seriously thought about our future?"
Usopp asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"
Robin spoke slowly, "We all came together on the same ship, each with our own dreams… But now, the world has suddenly changed. What I was searching for no longer exists… so I have no reason to continue sailing anymore."
Everyone was stunned.
Sanji hurriedly asked, "Robin-chan! What are you saying?"
Robin remained calm and replied, "It's nothing. I just want everyone to carefully consider our future."
Seeing the stunned, confused, and disbelieving expressions on everyone's faces, Robin's gaze flickered slightly.
She continued, "You all don't really know my past, do you?"
"In the past, I was constantly hunted by the World Government, with a bounty of 79 million Berries. I was always on the run, never able to live a peaceful life. When I first joined the crew, it was simply to seek shelter with you. Though I've had a wonderful time with you all… now, I want to leave the ship."
Sanji was furious.
He shouted at Robin, "Robin-chan! What are you saying?! Did that damn emperor threaten you?!"
Robin shook her head. "This is my own decision. After running away at sea for so long, I've almost forgotten who I really am… I want to stay here and live as an ordinary person. I hope you can understand and respect my wishes."
Sanji stared at her in disbelief.
Robin then smiled and said, "It's not like we'll never see each other again. If, one day, you grow tired of sailing, you can always come back here to find me."
Silence fell over the group.
Zoro spoke up. "Captain."
He was calling for Luffy.
Just as Luffy was about to say something, Robin spoke first.
"Captain."
"..."
Robin wrapped her arms around herself and lowered her gaze to the side.
Her voice was soft, almost pleading.
"Just let me go."
Luffy froze instantly.
Memories of the past flooded his mind.
He never feared facing powerful enemies, but when a crewmate voluntarily asked to leave, he found himself completely powerless.
Robin is leaving the crew…
The world no longer has pirates, and One Piece no longer exists…
All Blue must not exist either, right?
Would Sanji leave the ship too?
Would the others also disband?
Zoro frowned as he looked at Luffy, who remained motionless.
Then, he glanced at Nami—she, too, remained silent.
Had she already been convinced back in Robin's room?
Chopper walked up to Robin, tugging at her pants leg, and asked, "Robin, are you really leaving us?"
"..."
Robin looked down at Chopper's watery eyes and pressed her lips together.
"I've said everything I needed to. You should all think carefully as well. You're free to leave at any time—no one here will stop you anymore."
She deliberately didn't mention Nami's situation, thinking it would be best to let Nami handle it herself.
Robin then turned back to her room and shut the door firmly behind her.
Unwilling to give up, Sanji followed her and knocked forcefully on the door, but there was no response.
The atmosphere grew heavy, and everyone was lost in their own thoughts.
Usopp asked, "Nami, aren't you going to try convincing Robin?"
Nami hesitated.
"I… I haven't made up my mind yet."
Usopp found that strange.
What did she mean by "haven't made up her mind yet"?
He immediately asked, "Do you want Robin to leave the crew?"
"...I'm going back to my room."
............
Inside the Palace Attic.
Hancock was in the inner chamber, carefully washing a plate of fruit.
She had never done such work before—ever since becoming the Empress of Amazon Lily, she had lived a life of luxury.
But now, she had no choice but to do these things herself.
However, she didn't feel too bothered by it.
She was excellent at convincing herself and never fought against reality.
Since she couldn't change her fate, she might as well face it with composure.
Besides, the one she was serving was the Emperor of the Sun Empire—the strongest being in this world.
There was nothing unacceptable about it.
Hancock meticulously picked each grape off the vine, carefully placing them into a dish, ensuring their skins remained intact.
Each grape was arranged neatly, glistening with tiny droplets of water after being washed.
Suddenly, Samui walked in, her expression turning strange as she watched Hancock's delicate handling. "What… are you doing?"
"Washing grapes," Hancock replied.
Observing how Hancock was so gently plucking each grape from the stem, Samui couldn't help but ask, "Isn't this a waste of time?"
Hancock, as if stating the obvious, said, "If you move too quickly, you'll tear the skin. If the flesh gets wet, the taste becomes odd."
Samui: "..."
She, too, was diligent in serving His Majesty, but nowhere near as meticulous as Hancock.
And she could tell—Hancock was doing this out of sheer boredom.
When Hancock finally finished washing the plate of grapes and was about to carry it out, Samui stopped her.
"His Majesty is busy. Wait a little before going out."
Hancock paused for a moment.
His Majesty was busy, likely handling official affairs.
Delivering a plate of fruit wouldn't disturb him… but she still obeyed and didn't go out.
Samui sat in a chair, gazing out the window in a daze.
Hancock leaned against the sink for a while before speaking. "Today, I accompanied His Majesty to meet a woman."
"Mm."
"She used to be a pirate, and she's quite good-looking."
"Is that so?"
Samui's expression remained indifferent as usual, maintaining her cool and taciturn demeanor.
Dressed in black stockings and a professional outfit, she exuded a powerful aura just by sitting there quietly.
Hancock couldn't help but ask, "You know His Majesty well, don't you?"
"I suppose… I just understand some of his habits and preferences."
Samui glanced at Hancock before adding, "You'll come to know them too."
Hancock then asked, "Does His Majesty have a lot of women around him?"
Samui simply replied, "It is only natural for His Majesty to have many women by his side."
"..."
The implication was clear—His Majesty indeed had many women.
Hancock pondered over this.
So far, she had only met Samui.
Perhaps that Robin would become one of them in the future as well.
"What are the other women around His Majesty like?"
"You'll meet another one tomorrow."
.............
Tomorrow…
Hancock felt a mix of curiosity and caution.
She considered herself the most beautiful woman in the world, but this Samui was also quite stunning.
If all the women around His Majesty were as beautiful, would her own charm lose some of its effect?
Meanwhile, outside the room—
Makoto was indeed busy, but not with official duties.
Rin had come to find him.
"I've really been swamped these past few days. It's not that I've been ignoring you on purpose. You must have heard about the pirates causing trouble in the Water Province, right?" Makoto patiently explained his recent situation.
Rin questioned him, "Then are you still busy tomorrow?"
Makoto sighed. "I finally have a break today, but I still need to handle the backlog of official matters."
Seeing Rin's displeased expression, Makoto quickly changed his tone. "No matter how busy I am, I'll make time to come see you!"
Hearing this, Rin's expression softened slightly.
Makoto took the opportunity to pull her into his arms, coaxing her, "Alright, don't be mad anymore. Tomorrow, I'll make sure to spoil you properly."
The word spoil made Rin's face flush.
She glared at him. "Tch! Who needs you to spoil me? You're so shameless! Who do you think you are?"
"Aren't I your man?"
Rin scoffed. "You call yourself a man? I don't see it."
Makoto raised an eyebrow slightly. "Sounds like I need to prove myself again. Just don't beg for mercy too soon."
As he spoke, he made a move as if to undo the front of Rin's clothing.
She gasped in surprise and quickly grabbed his hand to stop him.
Then, she glanced toward the inner room.
Samui had gone inside when she arrived, and Rin couldn't bear the thought of being seen in such a situation.
Hurriedly, she got up from Makoto's lap and adjusted her clothes.
Only after confirming that there was no movement from the inner room did she breathe a sigh of relief.
But when she turned back and saw the teasing smile on Makoto's face, she felt both flustered and annoyed.
She suddenly changed the subject and asked, "I heard you've got another servant by your side?"
Makoto's expression froze slightly. "Who told you that?"
Hancock had only just arrived yesterday—news of it shouldn't have spread yet.
Rin replied casually, "Does it matter where I heard it? Is she not here? I'd like to see for myself just how beautiful she is."
Makoto cleared his throat and said, "There's too much work on a daily basis. Relying only on Samui was becoming a bit much for her, so I found her an assistant. Just an ordinary woman."
Rin pursed her lips, clearly unconvinced.
Makoto letting an ordinary-looking woman stay by his side? That'd be the real surprise.
Still, she had no intention of actually demanding to meet this woman.
After all, she wasn't officially anyone in particular.
This kind of thing was more suited for Hyuga Ayari to handle.
After spending some time talking, the resentment on Rin's face from earlier had faded.
Makoto patiently reassured her, soothing her mood.
But when their conversation turned more intimate, it only served to reignite the fire between them.
Realizing where things were heading, Rin didn't give Makoto the chance to take things further.
Instead, she smirked triumphantly and left.
Makoto sighed inwardly.
Glancing toward the inner room, he hesitated briefly before standing up and walking over.
Just as he was about to push the door open, Rin suddenly returned, standing at the staircase.
"What is it?" he asked.
Rin's gaze flickered slightly.
She bit her lip before saying, "You… come here."
Makoto's eyes glinted, and in a flash, he appeared right in front of her.
Lowering her voice, Rin asked, "You bastard… were you about to go find that secretary of yours?"
It had just dawned on her—after all that teasing, she had left him hanging.
If she didn't deal with him, wouldn't he just go find another woman to resolve things?
Why should I…?
Makoto lowered his head and smiled at her. "I have a lot of official work to do. I was just going to find Samui for assistance."
Rin glared at him fiercely. "You're such a damn bastard!"
Makoto lazily pinched her chin and said, "Did you already forget what you just did? You brought this upon yourself."
Rin shoved his hand away, lowered her head, and fell silent for a few seconds before muttering, "Go to the rooftop."
"What for?"
"…Are you coming or not?!"
She didn't dare to lift her head again.
The two of them were standing close, and her height put her right against Makoto's chest.
Makoto noticed the way her face, the back of her neck, and even her ears were flushed red.
Leaning down, he took a deep breath, inhaling her scent deeply.
"The rooftop's too boring. Let's go to the sky instead."
With that, he wrapped an arm around Rin, and in a flash, they disappeared from the attic.
Not long after, Samui stepped out from the inner room.
"Has His Majesty finished his business?" Hancock, still inside, asked in a low voice.
"He's done. You can go home now."
Samui began organizing the documents on the table, then turned to see Hancock still standing there.
She repeated, "You can go home now."
Hancock, however, said matter-of-factly, "I'm waiting for you."
Samui found it amusing. "Waiting for me for what?"
Hancock replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"To have dinner at your house, of course!"
Samui: "..."
She had planned to stay a little longer and finish up the work left behind by His Majesty.
But seeing the situation, she sighed helplessly and said, "Fine, let's go home for dinner."
Hancock smiled. "Alright! What's Mabui cooking tonight?"
"You'll find out when we get back."
"Ohh."
--------------
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