When the first pale ray of morning sunlight slipped through the warehouse window, Yashiro slowly opened his eyes. His body felt refreshed as he stretched beneath the thin bedding.
He was just about to climb out of bed when he noticed something soft pressed against the mattress beside him.
Nicole Robin was curled up there, sound asleep.
Her tiny face was relaxed, her breathing steady, and a faint trail of drool glistened at the corner of her mouth. She looked exactly like a small, drowsy tanuki curled up for winter.
Yashiro couldn't help himself. Very carefully, he reached out and brushed his hand across Robin's head, smoothing down a stubborn clump of hair that had sprung up. Her hair was still the same long, straight black it had always been. Seeing her like this made him narrow his eyes with a gentle smile.
Even while he'd been unconscious, he could vaguely sense someone tending to him — changing the damp towels, checking his forehead, wiping his sweat. Someone had stayed by his side the entire time.
"Thank you… little Robin," he whispered.
He didn't wake her. Moving with exaggerated lightness, Yashiro slid out of bed, pulled a quilt over Robin's sleeping form, and tiptoed to the door. After washing his face in the cold morning water outside the warehouse, he started preparing breakfast.
Breakfast was non-negotiable. If you didn't eat regularly, you'd ruin your stomach — especially children still growing. Missing meals could even stunt their height.
As a self-proclaimed "delicate little piglet," Yashiro took nutrition very seriously. In his previous life, he'd learned the hard way never to skip meals. Even now, limited as his resources were, he was determined to eat properly every single day.
Besides… lately his body demanded more and more food, especially after that serious fever, as if it needed huge amounts of energy to recover.
He set up a small stove outside, added rice and chopped vegetables into a battered pot, and soon the scent of simmering vegetable porridge drifted into the air.
As the aroma rose, Yashiro squatted beside the stove, wiped a line of drool from the edge of his mouth, and stared eagerly at the bubbling pot.
Inside the warehouse, Nicole Robin finally began to stir.
Blinking sleepily, she pushed herself upright — and immediately froze.
Yashiro was gone.
Instead, a warm quilt had been draped over her shoulders.
"He must've gone outside," she murmured.
But when she tried to stand up, Robin wobbled. Her legs and arms tingled painfully, sending needles of numbness up and down her limbs. She'd fallen asleep sitting beside his bed all night, and her body had paid the price.
Gritting her teeth, she used her Devil Fruit ability — several tiny arms sprouting behind her to vigorously massage her calves and forearms.
After a few moments of intense kneading, the numbness faded. Robin stood, inhaled deeply, and—
Sniff.
Something smelled good. Very good.
Following the scent, she stepped outside and spotted Yashiro squatting on the ground, staring with absolute intensity at the pot of porridge.
He sensed footsteps and glanced over his shoulder.
"Little Robin, you're awake! Wait a bit… want breakfast together? This is my own cooking. I'm pretty confident in it!"
He waved his small hand enthusiastically and grinned.
Robin nodded, her lips curving into a quiet smile as she sat beside him, naturally settling at his side. Together, they watched the pot with anticipation.
Soon, the humble green vegetable porridge was ready. Yashiro produced two bowls from… who knew where, washed them clean, and eagerly filled them to the brim. Steam rose in comforting waves as they dug in.
He might not have achieved anything great in his previous life, but with a gluttonous, food-loving older sister at home, Yashiro's cooking skills were surprisingly solid.
Once they finished, he washed the bowls, chopsticks, and pot, then scratched his hair awkwardly.
"That… uh… thank you."
Robin blinked in surprise. Then she turned slightly away, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
"We're friends, aren't we? There's no need for thanks. Next time I'm in trouble, you can help me too. And you treated me to porridge this morning, didn't you?"
Yashiro nodded earnestly. "Don't worry. If you're ever in danger, I'll definitely protect you."
For once, he was serious — solemn, even. The sincerity in his voice made Robin duck her head shyly.
"O-okay. It's getting late. Didn't you say you wanted to go to the beach? Let's hurry! I need to stop by home and grab a book."
She practically skipped away, clearly happy.
Yashiro watched her with a small smile. He'd originally planned to go straight to the beach for meditation, but recent rumors of a "snow monster" in town flashed through his mind. The thought made him uneasy.
"I'll go back with you!" he declared.
Robin turned. "Huh?"
"W-what? Haven't you heard the rumors? People say there's a snow monster around! Even though it hasn't snowed yet… I'd worry if you walked back alone."
Without waiting, he grabbed her hand and jogged beside her.
They soon arrived at her home, where Robin picked up an old sheepskin-covered tome that Yashiro couldn't read. Then the two walked to the beach — one child reading quietly, the other sitting cross-legged, meditating and working to break the chakra seal within his body.
After a long session, Yashiro slowly opened his eyes.
Snow was falling.
Pure white flakes drifted from the sky, the temperature dropping sharply. He extended a small hand, catching one snowflake before it melted against his palm.
"It's snowing… Little Robin, it's snowing!"
He sprinted toward the woods where Robin had gone to read, shouting excitedly.
Robin had just immersed herself in the allure of her book when his voice exploded beside her.
"I KNOW — be quiet!"
Yashiro found her, and instead of yelling again, plopped down quietly beside her. Resting his face in his hands, he stared at her with a blank, intense expression.
"…What?" Robin asked, shivering a little under his strange gaze.
"It's fine, it's fine. You keep reading. I'll just look at you… hahaha."
"I feel like you're up to something," Robin muttered, scooting away with suspicion.
"Hahaha… Actually, I just think you look really nice when you read."
She let out a small "oh," thoroughly unimpressed, and continued reading.
Yashiro gazed at her — the tiny figure, the soft features, the concentration in her expression — and a slow smile spread across his face.
If he hadn't met Hyūga Hanaka first, he might really have fallen for this girl. Maybe he'd have even begun laying the foundations for some absurd "loli-raising plan."
It wasn't as if he felt nothing for Robin. He felt a faint fluttering in his chest — feelings buried deep but still quietly stirring.
After all, men were naturally broad-hearted creatures. Becoming fond of more than one girl wasn't exactly rare.
As he watched Robin reading, Yashiro thought:
Nico Robin… the future member of the Straw Hat crew. The childhood goddess of countless fans. A woman who, once grown, could capture hearts without even trying. Even someone like me couldn't escape her charm in my previous life.
Compared to the powerful allure of Pirate Empress Boa Hancock, Yashiro preferred Robin — calm, elegant, composed even in the face of a storm, one long leg crossed over the other as she read.
But no matter how charming Robin was, Yashiro's heart already belonged to someone else. Ten years with Hyūga Hanaka had made it impossible for him to love another girl seriously. Otherwise, this small, adorable Robin probably would have stolen the last of his defenses.
For now, she felt more like a close friend — someone who fit perfectly into his life, as if they'd known each other for years.
He did have the occasional wicked thought — he couldn't deny it — but every time, a line echoed through his mind:
"Three years minimum… death penalty at maximum… nope nope nope…"
He sighed internally.
Guess I'll just have to wait for little Robin to grow up.
In his previous life, as a respectable young man raised under the Five-Star Red Flag, his tastes were perfectly normal.
Like most men, he liked soft curves — fat where it should be fat, thin where it should be thin. Plump, not overweight. The kind of beauty grown-up Nami and Robin both had.
Compared to the current tiny Robin, the adult Robin was definitely more his type.
Of course Yashiro would never betray Hyūga Hanaka. But if he could accidentally cop a little harmless physical affection someday… well, no cat ever refused stolen fish.
Yashiro: ⊙▽⊙
The truth was, he'd always had one dream in his previous life:
To sleep on Nico Robin's long, perfect legs.
Impossible back then — but now? Now there was a chance.
"Hahahaha…" he chuckled darkly.
Robin's eyebrow twitched.
Before he could react, a small but solid fist came down on his head.
THUNK.
He collapsed to the ground.