Robin watched Smoothie's agitated expression and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Honestly… this is all one-sided, she thought.
Nothing between her and the captain has ever been settled. For all she knows, it might never happen.
But when Robin saw the fire blazing in Smoothie's eyes, she swallowed the words she'd been about to say. Instead, she simply reached out and gently patted Smoothie's back, choosing silence.
Just then, Yamato strode over, her blunt personality as unfiltered as ever.
"Smoothie," Yamato said frankly, "if we're being honest, your relationship with Captain Shiro just looks like that of a crew member and her captain. You two barely interact outside of work. It's nothing like how close he was with that Marine woman."
The words hit Smoothie like a bucket of cold water.
She froze.
Memories replayed in her mind—her daily interactions with Shiro, all business, all distance. Compared to that… there really had been nothing intimate at all.
Slowly, the anger drained from her face, replaced by confusion and then deep contemplation. Her grip on her sword loosened.
That night, as the Virtue sailed steadily across the dark sea, Smoothie lay awake, staring at the ceiling. Yamato's words echoed in her head again and again.
At last, she clenched her teeth, sat up, straightened her clothes, and quietly slipped out of her room.
She made her way toward Shiro's cabin.
Inside, Shiro was seated at his desk, flipping through the ship's navigation logs. When the door creaked open, he looked up in surprise.
"Smoothie? It's late. What's wrong?"
Before he could finish speaking, Smoothie rushed forward and pushed him back into the chair.
"Hey—!" Shiro exclaimed, instinctively reaching out. "Wait, Smoothie—calm down!"
But she clung to him tightly, pressing her cheek against his chest, her voice trembling with frustration and resentment.
"Why is it that a Marine woman can be close to you… but I can't?" she demanded.
"I've liked you for so long. Haven't you noticed at all?"
She lifted her head, closing the distance between them.
Shiro froze.
Her long lashes trembled, her eyes shimmering with emotion. And then there were those unmistakable long legs—now wrapped firmly around his waist.
Shiro swallowed hard.
The image of Doll leaving earlier that day flashed through his mind, leaving behind a faint, lingering loneliness.
Faced with Smoothie's unrestrained feelings, his hesitation lasted only a moment—before he stopped resisting.
More than an hour later, Shiro stood and walked toward the table, intending to pour himself some water.
He had barely taken two steps when Smoothie caught up from behind and wrapped her arms around his waist again.
"No," she said stubbornly. "You're not leaving. We're not done."
Shiro turned his head with a helpless sigh.
"Smoothie… I need a break."
"No!" she shot back, lifting her chin, fierce competitiveness burning in her eyes.
"I have to spend more time with you than that Marine did. I refuse to lose to her!"
Shiro could only sigh.
He knew her personality well—once Smoothie set her mind on something, she never backed down.
Left with no other choice, he sat down to rest briefly… then gave in once more.
From that night onward, Smoothie frequently slipped into Shiro's cabin under cover of darkness, insisting it was all for the sake of "deepening their bond."
Though Shiro sometimes felt exhausted, faced with her unrelenting enthusiasm, he could only accept it.
Not long after, the Virtue Pirates arrived at the island known as the "Island of the Future" — Egghead Island.
As the Virtue entered waters crowded with mechanical structures and futuristic buildings, the island's master, Dr. Vegapunk, had already spotted the uniquely designed ship through his surveillance systems.
When his mechanical assistants reported that the ship had been built by Tom, the legendary shipwright, Vegapunk's eyes lit up.
Abandoning his experiments on the spot, he rushed to the harbor.
The moment he laid eyes on the Virtue, Vegapunk began circling the hull, touching the wood and structure excitedly.
"Incredible! Absolutely incredible!" he exclaimed.
"Tom's craftsmanship—this stress distribution, this hull curvature! A perfect fusion of shipwright art and nautical engineering!"
After examining the ship's power system, Vegapunk grew even more animated. He grabbed Shiro by the arm and pulled him toward the lab.
"Captain Shiro! I've just completed a brand-new Pulse Propulsion System—three times more powerful than the most advanced steam engines on the sea today! Let me install it on your ship!"
Without waiting for a reply, Vegapunk and his mechanical assistants leapt into action. The sounds of clanging metal and humming energy filled the lab.
In less than half a day, the new system was fully installed.
Looking at the renewed Virtue, Shiro clasped Vegapunk's hand firmly.
"Dr. Vegapunk, the Virtue Pirates will never forget this favor."
After a moment's thought, Shiro continued,
"You've been searching for someone to inherit your knowledge of shipbuilding and machinery. I know someone—Tom's own disciple. His talent for mechanical modification is exceptional."
The person Shiro meant was Franky, whom he had met back in Water 7.
Using his teleportation ability, Shiro traveled to the shipyard island of Water 7, finding Franky hard at work while Tom supervised nearby.
After explaining Vegapunk's invitation and Egghead's advanced technology—
Franky's eyes ignited with passion.
"VEGAPUNK?! That's the dream!" he slammed the table.
"Learning from him would be the ultimate SUPER opportunity!"
Tom laughed heartily and nodded.
"Franky, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Go to Egghead. One day, you'll surpass even me."
With their full approval, Shiro brought Franky to Egghead Island and formally introduced him to Vegapunk.
Watching the two immediately plunge into an intense technical discussion, Shiro finally felt at ease.
With that settled, the Virtue Pirates continued their journey onward.
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