"The ability user beside Raymont isn't easy to handle." When Hathaway saw Rosen, she felt uneasy, as if she had messed something up, but her face remained calm.
"Hmm, you've done well. We'll wait a little longer. Since Raymont has made his move, it means he won't target the king for now. He'll likely join forces with the current king to eliminate us first. This grudge will be repaid sooner or later," Rosen said coldly.
It wasn't good news, but battlefields rarely offered good ones.
Raymont himself was a troublesome obstacle. Rosen had originally hoped Raymont would divert the king's attention away from them, but now he had unexpectedly switched sides and joined the king's camp.
"What kind of poison is this?" Rosen frowned, pressing his hand on Hathaway's wound. She winced slightly, and Rosen's expression turned serious—it was clear this poison caused extreme pain.
Otherwise, with Hathaway's endurance and willpower, she would never show discomfort so easily.
Even when she had fought Admiral Kizaru and was seriously injured, she had been as calm as a machine—anyone unaware might have thought she couldn't feel pain at all.
"Let's go inside. I'll try to heal you." Rosen wasn't sure if his vitality could counteract poison, but he knew ordinary vitality had been useless against Daz Bones' deep-spreading toxins before.
"Sorry for the trouble," Hathaway said indifferently.
"Go to your room? You… you mean…" Alice froze for a second, and her icy demeanor melted instantly. Her face turned slightly red as she looked at Rosen in disbelief.
"What are you thinking? Go reflect on yourself," Rosen sighed, then raised his Haki-covered foot and kicked her lightly—but with precision and force. He estimated she'd fly at least ten kilometers.
"Bastard!" Alice's voice faded as she disappeared through the shattered window.
Truly a larger version of Natalie.
"Hehe…" Robin covered her mouth and laughed softly.
"What's wrong with Alice?" Hathaway asked, confused. Normally, Alice wasn't like this.
"It's because of you."
"Because of me?" Hathaway looked even more puzzled.
"When you were on Landis Island, wasn't there a project about raising super soldiers from childhood? She's been obsessed with that."
"Yes, there was something like that… wait, did Alice actually approach you about it?" Hathaway wasn't embarrassed—she agreed that strong bloodlines had a higher chance of producing powerful offspring.
But she was surprised Alice would actually go to him. When did that happen?
"Yeah."
"And you agreed?"
"Are you serious? Sure, I don't reject beautiful women who take the initiative, but having a child with no emotional foundation? That would only lead to messy drama later. Besides, I'm not planning for that now. I'm living on the edge every day—how could I provide a child with any happiness?" Rosen sighed. Hathaway seemed to agree.
"What a strange idea. Once the child's born and grows up a bit, they'll rely on themselves. What does that have to do with us as parents?" Hathaway said, confused. From his tone, he seemed to think parents should create a comfortable life and even care for their child's whole future. Wasn't that too much?
"Isn't creating a good environment for your child the parents' responsibility?" Rosen was stunned. It seemed the people of this world viewed children differently—independence was valued far more.
"Boss, you're weird," Robin said after thinking it over, agreeing with Hathaway.
Indeed, looking at pirate history, orphans were everywhere. How many parents had truly fulfilled their parental duties?
Even Garp mostly let Luffy grow freely—he just toughened him up to survive on his own. Dragon barely existed in Luffy's life at all.
Usopp's father left to join a Yonko crew. Even if he loved his son, he never stayed to give him a stable life.
It was mostly maternal love that stood out—like Ace's mother or Sanji's.
Rosen had been applying his own world's sense of responsibility, but here, love was fleeting, and offspring weren't treated with that same weight. Their sense of "care" was simply different.
"So… are you two encouraging me?" Rosen glanced at Robin and Hathaway. Both were stunning—and unlike Alice, they had no ulterior motives, which made them easier to accept.
Robin's skin had grown fair and soft since leaving Alabasta, and her curves more alluring. Combined with her intellect, she was captivating.
As for Hathaway, she was a beauty on the level of an empress—a true enchantress.
"No," both Robin and Hathaway shook their heads. Robin, especially, suddenly felt flustered inside.
"Then let's focus on business."
"There's no need to go to the room," Hathaway said suddenly. "Let me drink some of your blood instead. Transforming your energy this way should work better."
"Drink blood? Are you a Devil Fruit user too?" Robin asked curiously. She'd never heard of that before.
"Fine, go ahead," Rosen said casually, rolling up his sleeve and extending his arm.
"Boss, at least wash first. You haven't bathed in days," Robin reminded him.
Hathaway froze. She didn't actually mind—she'd endured far worse conditions—but after Robin's comment, she suddenly felt awkward ignoring it.
Rosen said nothing, face darkening as he walked into the bathroom. He'd actually been keeping himself clean using sand—it was a legitimate "dry wash," after all.
"Robin, massage my shoulders. Hathaway, draw blood. If it's too troublesome, just use a knife or syringe," Rosen said as he came out, lying back on a chair and closing his eyes. He was exhausted from days of planning without rest.
He hadn't planned to make Robin work more, but since she had "insulted" his cleanliness, he figured a little "punishment" was fair.
Robin and Hathaway exchanged glances. Was he… being childish? Impossible. But if he was, that probably meant he trusted them deeply—almost like family.
They couldn't be sure, but it felt nice.
Robin smiled and didn't mind. She wasn't as tired as he was; she'd only been helping organize his strategies, while he had handled everything from start to finish.
Robin's massage was soothing. With Hathaway nearby, Rosen relaxed completely.
Hathaway thought for a moment, then covered her fingers in Haki and pricked Rosen's arm. She guided his blood into a cup and drank it in one gulp.
At first, Robin found it a bit eerie—but then oddly beautiful.
Hathaway's elegance made the act of drinking blood seem sacred. It wasn't that different from a transfusion—just… less conventional.
"He's asleep?" Hathaway asked after a while. The poison in her body was fading—his blood was effective. Looking at Rosen's calm, steady breathing, she was slightly surprised. He truly trusted her now.
"Yes," Robin replied softly, her hands moving more gently as her mind drifted.
The blood of a strong man, huh?
(End of Chapter)