Beneath the sheer stockings, her pale feet rested together, her toes slightly parted, almost translucent in the light.
Beautiful…
Vivi's cheeks gradually reddened. Luffy had gone quiet, his gaze lingering on her feet once more.
It made her more nervous. Her heart pounded. She didn't know what he would say next—would he compliment her, or ask for something more?
But beneath the nerves, the secret anticipation and excitement only grew. Even her pale earlobes slowly flushed pink.
She stood up, dizzy, her steps unsteady as she went to find shoes.
Luffy took in Vivi's state.
Oversized white shirt. Shorts. Sheer white stockings. Damp hair. Flushed cheeks. A dazed, obedient look in her eyes, with a hint of allure she probably didn't even know she had.
What was this? The suggestion of something codependent, a strange contrast—cute and seductive at once?
He'd never expected to see this expression on Princess Vivi, who always presented herself as strong and elegant.
More importantly, he could tell: she didn't seem to dislike it.
If anything, she was enjoying this—being controlled, being commanded.
It was like a condition.
A private, hard-to-express inclination.
A secret buried deep, an itch in the heart.
Everyone probably had their own small, hidden preferences. It didn't affect normal life. It didn't mean Vivi was losing her mind. On the contrary, she was perfectly lucid.
She had simply let down all her defenses with Luffy—show him a side even she might find shameful.
Vivi brought out a pair of delicate white high-heeled sandals.
"Are these okay, Luffy?" she asked nervously.
She held them in both hands, like an offering.
Luffy nodded, pushing aside the distracting thoughts. He watched as Vivi clumsily but carefully put on the slightly mature heels.
Then he held out his hand, his tone brooking no refusal: "Let's go."
Vivi hesitated. She instinctively placed her hand in his warm palm before asking: "Where?"
"Out. Staying alone in a room like this will make you moldy."
The stars were bright. The night wind was crisp.
Water 7, still recovering from Aqua Laguna's devastation, smelled of sea salt and damp earth.
The Going Merry was moored at a remote abandoned dock, worlds away from the scattered lights of the reconstruction effort.
It was unlikely the Marines would find them here.
Hidden in plain sight. Who would think they'd come back to Water 7 after everything at Enies Lobby?
Luffy jumped down from the deck, pulling Vivi along. He landed on the muddy ground.
Vivi's hand was cool, her fingers curled slightly. She seemed still caught in the charged atmosphere of the room.
"Let's go," Luffy said.
"Where?"
Vivi's gaze wandered past the dim lights toward the deeper darkness beyond.
Luffy didn't look back. He pointed ahead.
In situations like this, taking the lead and guiding her would help.
He had picked up some medical knowledge—enough to know that much. Vivi's problem, whatever it was, was psychological.
He could treat it!
"Vivi, you like looking at stars, right? I know a good spot."
"How do you know?"
Vivi was confused, but she looked up. The night sky was brilliant with stars.
"You forget? I never sleep before midnight. I've seen you in the crow's nest lots of times." Luffy grinned, not stopping.
Vivi lowered her head, the tips of her ears warming.
She did like watching stars. But more than the stars, her gaze often drifted to the figure training late on the deck below.
Her heels clicked softly on the ground, a small sound in the quiet night. The wind stirred her oversized white shirt, outlining her slender waist. Her sheer-stockinged legs looked especially long in the dim light.
They walked along a rain-washed path through dense trees. Starlight filtered through the leaves.
Even on the outskirts, Water 7's vegetation was tenacious. Streams wound between the trees, their gentle gurgling making the night feel even more serene.
How did these trees grow like this? In this world, even plants had stubborn vitality.
After about fifteen minutes, Luffy stopped before an unremarkable patch of woodland.
The trees here were especially thick, the shadows pitch-black.
"We're here."
He pulled Vivi through the hanging vines and branches, squeezing past.
And then—an open view.
A natural platform hidden deep in the forest. The ground was flat, solid rock, slightly raised.
Tall trees surrounded it like a natural amphitheater. But overhead, nothing blocked the sky. The vast starfield lay spread out like a great painting.
Everything was quiet. Only the rustle of wind in the leaves and the distant trickle of water.
"This is it."
Luffy lay down without ceremony, hands behind his head, looking up at the stars. "Found it when I jumped off that cliff earlier. Didn't think I'd get to come back."
When he had jumped from Water 7's highest point with Blueno, forcing him to open a door into the Sea Train, he
had glimpsed this place.
His eidetic memory came in handy.
Luffy didn't press Vivi. He didn't mention what had happened in the room. As if he'd forgotten, or it didn't matter.
His obliviousness, somehow, helped Vivi relax.
"So, it's nice, right?"
"Yes."
Vivi's voice was soft. She had left that small, intimate, charged space. The vast, beautiful scenery grounded her. She felt almost normal again.
She lay down beside him, copying his pose, gazing up at the brilliant Milky Way.
The moment Luffy let go of her hand, Vivi's fingers curled around his again, her touch trembling slightly.
Luffy paused, but didn't pull away. He let her hold on.
"Don't you have any questions?"
Vivi turned to look at his profile, sharp beneath the starlight.
"No."
Luffy smiled, his gaze still fixed on the stars. "I just want to make you happy."
***
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