"Sigh…"
Even though he had just leveled up, gained experience, and collected a bunch of gold, Luffy let out a long, heavy sigh.
Glancing over at the zombies still hard at work on the power system, he felt a pang of regret.
"If I didn't need this island to keep functioning and help us reach another one soon, I would've purified them already and made use of their materials."
"Sigh~" Another sigh slipped from Luffy's lips.
There was no helping it. If he wanted to stay true to his "Zombie Feature Progressivism" and push forward with a sustainable development strategy for a better future, he'd have to endure it for now.
─────────🏴☠️────────
Back in the castle, just as Luffy was about to rest in his room, a hurried set of footsteps echoed in the hallway.
"L-Luffy-sama!" Absalom burst in, panting heavily. His already stitched-up mouth struggled to form coherent words as he called out in a fluster.
After a moment to catch his breath, he blurted out:
"Luffy-sama! Something's wrong! That woman's woken up!"
"Hm?" Luffy raised an eyebrow. It wasn't that he didn't know who Absalom was talking about, he was just surprised Hancock had come so quickly.
Normally, someone who had their shadow removed by Moria wouldn't wake up again unless exposed to some extremely intense psychological stimulation.
Absalom continued, now more composed:
"That Pirate Empress, you know, the Warlord, she regained consciousness in Robin-san's room!"
Hancock was still handcuffed with Seastone restraints, confined inside Robin's room.
"Wait, Robin!" Luffy had planned to ask more, but the realization hit him like lightning:
"If Hancock woke up in Robin's room, and Absalom panicked… then something's probably gone very wrong."
His concern for Robin overtook everything else, and Luffy sprinted out of the room toward hers.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
BOOM!
A loud crash echoed from Robin's room. One of the walls had been blown apart, and from the hole, a leg slowly retracted.
Inside the room, Hancock stood tall, expression cold and regal.
Though her hands were locked in Seastone cuffs, her poise remained elegant and commanding.
Despite wearing a plain black-and-white dress (courtesy of Robin), she still carried herself like royalty.
"You saw it, didn't you!" Her voice was sharp and furious.
Robin, frowning slightly, seemed puzzled by the accusation.
Just moments earlier, she had been peacefully reading a book Moria had collected, an old adventurer's memoir from decades ago.
One chapter had caught her eye: a tale related to the Celestial Dragons.
Remembering Luffy's request back on Sabaody Archipelago to investigate the Celestial Dragons, she focused on that section.
It included stories of their slaves and contained a chilling phrase:
"The Hoof of the Celestial Dragon."
Robin had read those five words aloud, softly.
But to Hancock, those words were like a thunderclap.
The memory hit her like a spear to the chest, painful, sharp, and immediate.
She awoke in an instant.
That's what led to the current chaos.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
"Robin-san!"
Brook suddenly kicked the door open. Seeing Robin cornered, he rushed forward, sword drawn, and forced Hancock back a step.
"Are you alright, Robin-san?" he asked anxiously.
He and Absalom had been taking a stroll through the castle, bonding over their shared artistic tastes, when they heard commotion from Robin's room.
They paused to listen, then boom! The wall exploded.
Brook immediately told Absalom to find Luffy while he rushed into the room.
Robin shook her head calmly.
Hancock's attack hadn't been particularly fast, it had been within her reaction range. Other than being startled, she was unharmed.
─────────🏴☠️────────
"Tch!" Hancock flicked her hair and glared at the Seastone cuffs around her wrists. Her eyes filled with rage as she roared:
"How dare you treat your queen so disrespectfully?!"
She raised a leg to attack again.
"Seis Fleur: Slap!"
Robin crossed her arms, activating her Flower-Flower Fruit power.
Six arms suddenly sprouted around Hancock, gripping her arms and legs tightly.
Hancock was already injured, her legs not fully recovered. Combined with the Seastone's draining effect, she had very little strength left.
Most of her earlier performance had been sheer willpower.
Her pride simply wouldn't allow her to appear weak, even in chains.
"Being taken prisoner... is more humiliating than death itself."
"Damn it! Filthy insects!" Hancock cursed defiantly, though her voice trembled slightly with panic.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
By the time Luffy arrived, he found Robin and Brook calmly seated in chairs, while Hancock lay restrained on the floor, tightly bound.
"You okay, Robin?" Even though the scene looked under control, Luffy still asked out of concern.
Robin beamed at him sweetly, her dimples showing.
"I'm fine, Luffy. Really."
"Good." Luffy nodded, then turned to look at Hancock.
"What happened?"
"It's alright, Luffy," Robin quickly replied.
Partly because she didn't want him to think she had mishandled things, and partly because she didn't want him to worry.
But Luffy frowned.
"Didn't I specifically tell you to move her to the underground prison? Why is she still here?"
He had mentioned it earlier, right after Hancock's defeat. Then again after her shadow was removed.
Seastone cuffs could suppress Devil Fruit users, sure, but against someone as powerful as Hancock, even in a weakened state, there was no guarantee.
Luckily, Robin's recent training had paid off.
Her Observation Haki had allowed her to avoid Hancock's strongest attack. Brook arriving immediately afterward sealed the situation.
"I'm sorry, Luffy," Robin said quietly this time.
She didn't make excuses, she owned up to the mistake. After all, her choice had caused such a fuss. She had to take responsibility.
"It's fine, as long as you're okay," Luffy said, waving it off.
Then he turned to Brook.
"Brook, could I trouble you to escort her to the underground prison?"
"Yohohoho~ At once, Captain!"
"Wait!"
Robin suddenly stood and called out, stopping Brook.
She looked a little conflicted.
"Luffy… can she stay here with me?"
"Hmm?" Luffy raised an eyebrow, confused.
But when he saw the earnest look in Robin's eyes, he relented.
"Alright… but only if you promise me you won't get hurt. Okay?"
"Of course."
Robin smiled again, sweeter than ever.
"Then I'll move into the room next to yours tonight. If anything happens, call me immediately."
Robin's smile grew even warmer.