This kiss was far deeper than Vivi's tentative one.
Luffy, after all, had more experience.
After a long moment, he finally released Vivi, who was nearly breathless.
"Luffy... can't..."
Vivi's face was flushed, her eyes dazed. She pressed closer to him, her voice soft and slurred. "It's getting... strange."
Her voice was sweet, husky with emotion.
Luffy looked at her—dizzy from kissing, nearly melting in his arms—and couldn't decide whether to laugh or sigh.
Vivi was like Robin. When she took the initiative, she was bold. But once he responded, the roles reversed, and she became soft and yielding, pliant and easy to claim.
But she was visibly happier now.
The shadows and worries in her eyes had been swept away by shyness and sweetness. She seemed to glow.
At least he had achieved his goal—to comfort her, to make her happy.
Just then, the familiar voice sounded in Luffy's ear.
[Schedule Warning: Today's (Sleep) schedule has arrived. Please execute immediately!]
[New day beginning...]
[Detecting today's schedule...]
[(Sleep) time reached: 24:00–6:00. Please execute immediately...]
Sleep?
There was no time to get back to the Going Merry. No time to find anywhere else.
Luffy pushed down the strange feelings churning inside him. He looked seriously at Vivi, who was still dazed and soft in his arms.
"Vivi. I'm leaving it to you."
"What?"
Vivi blinked, confused. Then—Luffy closed his eyes. His full weight slumped against her.
"Mm!"
He collapsed on top of her, his head in the hollow of her neck.
Combined with his words, Vivi's mind went to that place!
Her heart raced. She was nervous—and, she had to admit, expectant. She closed her eyes, her lashes trembling.
She waited.
Seconds passed. Nothing happened.
Carefully, she opened her eyes. She turned her head. In the faint light filtering through the leaves, she saw Luffy's steady, even breathing.
He was asleep?!
Vivi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
How could anyone fall asleep like this?!
But she remembered. Luffy's sleep schedule was regular. When midnight came, no matter what he was doing—even in the middle of intense training—he would fall asleep instantly.
Was it already that late?
Vivi stared at Luffy, sleeping soundly on top of her, completely vulnerable.
His weight pinned her down. But oddly, it filled her with a sense of security, of closeness.
She liked this. The kissing. The being close. It made her heart race, made her feel weak.
And now—just the two of them.
Stars. Forest. Silent night. And him, sleeping on her.
Vivi stared at his sleeping face, so close.
Her throat tightened. She swallowed. Her ears burned red.
Her heart pounded.
This was her chance.
On the ship, there would always be others watching. Nami and Robin kept a close eye on things. A moment like this—alone—might never come again.
"I'm going crazy," she whispered to herself.
An excuse. Or a pep talk.
Then, as if drawn by some invisible force, she carefully shifted to make Luffy more comfortable—and to make it easier for her to reach him.
She looked at his lips, so close. Remembered the feel of kissing them. Her face burned.
Desire won.
She leaned down, like a cat stealing cream, and pressed a light kiss to his mouth.
Once. Twice. He didn't wake.
Her courage grew. She kissed him again, harder, trying to match his earlier force. She pulled him close and kissed him more deeply, more greedily.
Like someone on a diet facing temptation. The first bite felt like a sin. Then, after, you think—well, I've already eaten—and you take another bite.
That was Vivi now.
The night was quiet. No one was around. After everything that had happened—the fear, the sweetness, the closeness—and with Luffy asleep beside her, defenseless...
She had to consider: might this be her only chance?
So Vivi lifted her hair from her flushed face. She looked around, like a thief checking if anyone was watching.
Luffy had no idea what was happening around him. His awareness had been pulled away.
[Schedule in progress... Notice: Excessive distractions detected yesterday. Loophole exploitation identified. Adjustments carried over to today's activities.]
[Dream training time has begun. Time allocation: Devil Fruit development. Searching for target...]
[No limit on attempts.]
[Time: 24:00–6:00 (Dream time: 24:00–23:00)]
Even in his dream, Luffy was exasperated by the familiar voice and the unchanged workload.
Just a few quiet days, and now this damn Pirate King Training Plan was throwing something big at him.
"You think I'm scared?"
Luffy's fighting spirit flared in the dream. "Bring it on!"
He had been thinking about his fight with Aokiji. There were things he hadn't fully understood. New ideas he wanted to test.
"This time, you'd better call him in."
He shouted at the void, challenging.
The plan seemed to indulge him. The dream space twisted. A tall figure took shape.
A Marine Admiral's coat. Messy hair. Lazy eyes—but carrying an intangible pressure.
Aokiji Kuzan.
But this dream Aokiji—like the other enemies Luffy had faced here—seemed stronger than the real one. The cold radiating from him was sharper, more intense.
Luffy was about to move. But the dream Aokiji didn't waste time with words.
He raised a hand. Unimaginable cold erupted from him.
"Ice Age!"
BOOM!
The freezing cold came from everywhere, freezing air and light alike. Before Luffy could even react, his mind and body were frozen solid.
This cold went deeper than anything he had ever felt. It went to his bones. To his soul.
***
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