After bidding farewell to Roji, Yashiro padded barefoot into Madam Gusukari's dessert shop. The moment he saw the dazzling rows of pastries lined neatly inside the glass display, a delighted chuckle slipped out of him before he could stop it.
Then he snapped back to reality and shook his head. Every dessert here had its price clearly marked, and while none of them were outrageously expensive, they were still a luxury for someone like him.
Still, Yashiro inspected the display case with the solemn focus of a connoisseur, searching specifically for cream puffs. These pastries looked far more refined than anything he'd seen even in the dessert shops of his previous life. He found the puffs easily… but couldn't help wandering around the shop anyway, admiring everything.
The owner—Gusukari, a voluptuous mature woman—noticed him quickly. She wore a soft gray kerchief atop her head, and her long, waterfall-black hair was tied into an elegant bun that enhanced her feminine charm.
She approached him with a gentle smile.
"Hello, little one… do you need help with anything?"
Yashiro turned and looked up at her. She wore a simple gray low-cut dress, her slender ivory-white neck exposed gracefully. He beamed innocently like a child.
"Hi! Can I have two cream puffs?"
"Of course."
Gusukari had assumed he was just another child wandering around to loiter or maybe sneak a pastry—something local kids often did. She never chased them away, and sometimes she even handed out treats to keep them from stealing.
So she was a little surprised when Yashiro actually produced money.
"That'll be twenty beri for the two," she said as she packed the pastries into a delicate little bag and crouched to hand it to him politely.
Yashiro accepted the bag, reached into his shirt, and handed her twenty beri.
He was about to leave when she suddenly called out to him.
"Kid, winter is only three months away. Don't wander outside alone at night. You should stick with adults. And wearing so little… you'll catch a cold."
Yashiro paused and looked back. Her tone struck him as oddly formal, but kindness was kindness.
"Okay. Thank you, onee-san."
Gusukari—already in her thirties—froze. No one had called her onee-san in years. Her cheeks flushed pink with pleasure.
"You little brat… what a way to talk," she muttered, embarrassed and delighted. "Fine! Onee-san will give you one more puff."
She slipped another pastry into a small bag and handed it to him.
Yashiro accepted it with a cheerful grin. "Looks like Roji's trick really works! Women in the One Piece world are even more susceptible to flattery."
After Yashiro left, Gusukari's smile faded. Her brows knitted in a deep sigh.
"Another winter coming… I wonder how many children will disappear this year. Please let those snow monsters not be too greedy…"
A tall, broad-shouldered man strode past her carrying a large bag of sweets. Without looking directly at her, he leaned close and murmured:
"Don't pretend, Gusukari. Two thousand beri per child. Because of you, we collect more than thirty kids every year on this tiny island."
His eyes darted around nervously, but before he could step away, Gusukari seized him with trembling hands and dragged him into the kitchen.
She shut the door firmly, checked the corners to make sure no one was there, and her gentle expression twisted into something feral. A dagger appeared in her hand as if from nowhere, its point pressing coldly against the man's throat.
"Jabar, why did you come here? Are you trying to break our deal?"
The man—Jabar—didn't flinch, even with the blade at his neck.
He grinned, baring his teeth. They lengthened unnaturally, turning sharp and beast-like. Orange fur sprouted along his face, and his mouth elongated into a tiger's muzzle.
Before Gusukari could react, he slipped out of her reach, seized both her wrists with a massive tiger claw, and slammed her against the table, pinning her completely.
"Calm down, Gusukari. I'm not here to quit. I just came to make sure nothing stupid happens again like last time. What we're doing… isn't exactly honorable, is it?"
He leaned in and licked her cheek with his long tongue. Lust flickered in his predatory gaze.
"Honestly, baby… you're too tempting. I can barely control myself around you."
Gusukari let out a cold, mocking laugh, turning her head aside as if surrendering.
"You wouldn't dare. Even if I lay here motionless… you wouldn't touch me. Because someone far above you is backing me. Isn't that right, Jabar?"
His expression twisted with rage and humiliation—but fear won. He released her.
"Tch. I may not match the one backing you right now… but that won't last forever."
He licked his lips, the beastly teeth glinting.
"I found a Tiger-Type Devil Fruit by chance while out at sea. I'm a Devil Fruit user now. Give me a few years, and I'll surpass your patron. Then… you'll be mine."
He strode out of the kitchen abruptly.
Gusukari straightened up, staring at the door he left ajar. For a long moment, she was silent.
"So he dares talk to me like that now… He really has grown stronger. And he's starting to fear the one behind me."
She wiped the sticky saliva off her cheek in disgust and tossed the cloth aside.
"After this winter… maybe I should move to another island. Start over somewhere else."
Meanwhile, Yashiro hurried toward the center of town, clutching his three cream puffs. Dusk had already settled, and autumn evenings always grew dark quickly. Most townsfolk were already home preparing dinner, leaving the streets nearly empty.
Yashiro quickened his pace and arrived at Nico Robin's home. He knocked.
"Robin! Robin! Little Robin?"
After a moment, Nico Robin cracked the door open. Her face was pale, and she looked weak.
"You came… Yashiro."
Concern flooded him. He reached out and pressed his hand to her forehead.
"Are you sick?"
"No fever… your temperature seems normal," he muttered, comparing their foreheads with both hands.
"What's wrong, little Robin?"
"I'm fine… really."
She backed away weakly as if to close the door.
Yashiro quickly pushed the pastry bag forward. "Here—two cream puffs. You're not feeling well. Eat something sweet first."
Her expression softened when she saw the delicate packaging, but her lips were pale. She quickly pushed the bag back.
"No… you should eat them. I'm just teasing you."
She forced a smile, but something about her condition felt wrong.
Yashiro frowned. Pale lips… no strength to talk… Could it be… that time of the month?
He froze.
Wait—no way. Nico Robin is only six! But… who knows how bodies work in the One Piece world?
No… it must be that. No doubt about it.
Meanwhile, Robin had no idea about the absurd conclusion he'd reached. She was in pain because her uncle had kicked her stomach earlier that day—her abdomen was badly bruised.
But Yashiro remained convinced of his theory. He gently pushed the puff bag into her hands.
"I get it. Just drink lots of hot water. You'll feel better soon. Eat these two puffs. I still have one more."
Robin's expression: (°Δ°`)
He didn't know how girls handled these situations, so he repeated the same advice most clueless men from his previous life had given:
"Drink more hot water. Just… drink more hot water."
Robin pressed a hand to her bruised stomach, wondering, Will hot water… fix this?
Seeing her confusion, Yashiro patted her head lightly.
"Honestly… you're already an adult and still don't understand. Just trust me. Hot water solves everything."
Robin didn't really understand… but she knew he meant well. A tiny smile formed.
"Okay, I won't keep you. It's getting late. I need to return and help Old Jack move some things or I'll have nowhere to sleep."
Without waiting, he shoved the cream puffs into her hands, puff in his own mouth to prove he still had one.
Robin watched his retreating figure, her pale lips curling into a soft, sweet smile as she held the little bag tight against her chest.