On the other side.
The Going Merry cut through the blue sea surface, leaving Long Ring Long Land and the oppression brought by the Marine Admiral far behind.
On the deck, Luffy let out a hearty laugh.
But soon, the laughter was interrupted by a stomach growl that rang through the sky.
Grrrruuuu!
Luffy clutched his hollow stomach and collapsed on the deck, sprawled out like a dehydrated salted fish.
"I'm starving, Sanji!"
"Food! I need meat! Lots and lots of meat!!"
The fierce battle with Aokiji had almost drained every ounce of his stamina. Intense hunger crashed over him like a tsunami, overpowering even the pain from his injuries.
"Wait right there." Sanji had a cigarette dangling from his mouth. Though he grumbled, his feet moved quickly as he dashed into the kitchen. "Usopp, you come help too. Zoro, you marimo-head, don't just stand there—come carry the ingredients."
"Huh? Why should I take orders from you?" Zoro crossed his arms, looking unhappy. But seeing Luffy's pitiful state, he clicked his tongue and followed into the kitchen.
Vivi and Nami hadn't known much about Robin's past before. But with Aokiji laying it all bare, their delicate girlish compassion emerged. They gathered around to comfort her.
Chopper had already transformed into his robust human-reindeer form, grabbing his medical kit as he anxiously shouted, "Luffy, don't move! Your injuries need treatment!"
But Luffy couldn't hear any of it. Hunger drove him like a wild animal sensing food. His nose twitched, following the aroma as he crawled toward the kitchen.
So hungry. So, so hungry.
He could already foresee more battles like this in the future.
Maybe they needed a way to store food?
Luffy knew his own body well. As long as there was a continuous supply of food, he had a continuous supply of energy.
After the battle, he needed to reflect and summarize. But poor Chopper had other ideas.
"Hey, Luffy, wait for me! Don't move yet!" Chopper clutched his bandages and medical kit, chasing after him with his short little legs.
Temporary bandages covered many parts of Luffy's body. The injuries from fighting Aokiji exceeded the total injuries from every enemy he'd faced since setting sail—and they were far more serious.
Cuts from ice shards, frostbite, and bruises from Haki collisions covered his body.
But right now, Luffy's eyes saw only food.
Sanji had experience dealing with this. Soon, aromas wafted from the kitchen. Luffy's eyes lit up. He staggered to his feet, stretched his rubber arm into the kitchen, and grabbed an entire roasted beast leg, stuffing it into his mouth in one go.
He chewed as he walked.
He was still within his scheduled study time with Robin. He couldn't stray too far from her.
So he walked directly to Robin, who sat quietly on a deck chair, and plopped down. His hand kept reaching into the kitchen, retrieving more food.
Robin wore the orange coat Nami had draped over her earlier. Her face was still a bit pale, but watching Luffy devour food like this, so full of energy, a gentle and relieved smile spread across her lips.
That smile carried peace of mind.
Luffy's cheeks bulged as he mumbled to Robin, "Robin, don't worry too much about that ice-block uncle. I feel like he's not really that bad."
"If he really wanted to catch us, he wouldn't have let us go at the end. Seems like he actually cares about you?"
Robin nodded lightly, her gaze somewhat distant.
In her understanding, Kuzan was indeed one of the few Marines who still upheld some semblance of justice.
Letting young Robin escape back then might have been shaken about that Buster Call. Or perhaps...
"He inherited Saul's will."
"Saul?" Nami was cleaning ice debris from the deck with Vivi. Hearing the unfamiliar name, she turned curiously.
But after asking, she felt a bit abrupt. She glanced cautiously at Robin. "Ah, sorry, Robin. Am I asking too much?"
Robin smiled. Now, surrounded by these nakama, she didn't mind sharing her heavy past.
She pulled her coat tighter, her voice calm and soft. "It's okay, Nami. Saul was my only friend on Ohara when I was little. A Marine Vice Admiral from the giant tribe."
A Marine Vice Admiral from the giant tribe?
This drew the attention of Nami, Vivi, Usopp, and even Chopper, who poked his head out of the kitchen.
They recognized all these words individually, but together they sounded so abruptly.
Robin briefly recounted how Saul was branded a traitor for questioning the Buster Call's righteousness, how he protected her in the final moments, helped her escape on a small boat, and shouted those words: "The sea is vast. You will definitely find friend who will protect you."
The deck fell silent. Only the sounds of Luffy chewing and the waves remained.
Nami and Vivi's eyes reddened slightly.
Women were more delicate in these matters.
But...
Luffy looked at Usopp and Chopper, also teary-eyed, and couldn't help complaining, "What's with you two?"
"Bad straw hat."
"Rubber-man."
"You have no sympathy!"
Luffy gasped sharply. Two small hands had somehow found their way to his waist—clearly Vivi and Nami.
"The past is the past." Robin spoke of her past without hesitation. She looked at her nakama gathered around, finally settling her gaze on Luffy—head down, stuffing his face, but ears perked up. Her smile grew even warmer.
"What saved me is Luffy. Is all of you. Is everyone on the Going Merry. This... this is my destination."
After sailing for a while, Usopp, on lookout, suddenly shouted, "Hey, everyone, look ahead! A lighthouse!"
They followed his gaze. On the distant horizon, a solitary lighthouse stood atop some rocks. A faint but steady light flashed from its peak.
"A lighthouse?" Luffy's attention was instantly captured. He gulped down the remaining meat in a few bites and jumped up enthusiastically. "Let's go see! Let's go see!"
"Okay!" Little Merry responded.
Soon, under her control, the helm turned slightly. The Merry tilted and deviated slightly from its course, sailing toward the lighthouse.
Lighthouses at sea weren't uncommon. But there was no city nearby. What was the purpose of this lighthouse?
As they drew closer, they could see a shanty at the lighthouse's base.
When the Merry slowly approached, the hut's door creaked open a crack. A little girl with blonde hair in twin tails and braids, bright lipstick on her mouth, poked her head out.
***
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