Noah and Emma left the others with their share of gold and walked off into the busy streets of Water Seven. The city was loud, bright.
"Man… this place is cool," he said.
Emma nodded. "If I lived here, I'd never walk. I'd just ride water everywhere."
"Unfortunately i can't swim," Noah said.
"Shut up."
They reached a small shop where a merchant counted coins with greasy fingers. He looked up when they placed the gold on the counter.
The merchant examined the gold carefully, rubbing each piece between his fingers and squinting like he was trying to see into another dimension.
"Hmmm… this gold is good quality," he said slowly. "Very good. I can exchange it for… 300 million berries."
Emma smiled sweetly. "Three hundred? For THIS much gold?"
The merchant nodded confidently. "Yes. Very fair price."
Emma leaned in. "You must think we're stupid."
The merchant froze.
"Five hundred million," Emma said, still smiling, "or we take our business somewhere else."
Noah crossed his arms behind her, pretending to look intimidating.
The merchant swallowed hard, face twitching. "…F-Five hundred million it is."
Emma winked. "Smart choice."
Noah shook his head as they stepped onto the street. "Seriously… how did you pull that off?"
Emma smirked, swinging the briefcase of money by her side. "A little charm… a little intimidation… and a whole lot of skill."
Noah raised an eyebrow. "Skill, huh?"
Emma winked. "Exactly."
They walked around Water Seven some more, buying snacks, staring at canals, and judging people's outfits.
Noah tried to buy a sword but Emma slapped his hand away.
"You already have a sword"
"Yeah… but two is better than one."
When the sun started to set, they reached a hotel with a big sign that read Ocean Dream Inn.
"Looks fancy," Noah said.
"We're only staying one night, relax," Emma replied.
They checked in and opened the door to their room.
Two beds. Soft lights. Clean floor. A window overlooking Water Seven's bright canals.
Emma threw her shoes off and fell onto the bed face-first.
"I'm never leaving," she said hugging the pillow.
"You said that in Skypiea."
"And? I meant it back then too."
Noah jumped on his bed, and fell backward with his arms spread out.
"This mattress feels like someone slapped clouds together," Noah said.
Emma rolled over. "No one slaps clouds together."
"You don't know that."
They ordered room service. Noah accidentally ordered enough food for ten people. But he ended up eating half of it anyway.
Later, they sat on the balcony, watching the water glow from the city lights.
"This place… feels calm," Noah said.
"You say that now," Emma replied. " But something crazy will happen tomorrow".
"It probably will."
They both laughed.
The next day, Noah and Emma left the hotel, stepping out into the busy streets of Water Seven.
They overheard people talking nearby.
"Did you hear? The Straw Hats just attacked Iceberg!"
Noah frowned. "What's going on?" he asked a passerby.
The person glanced at them, wide-eyed. "Nico Robin… she tried to kill Iceberg!"
Noah blinked. "Who's Iceberg?"
"He's the mayor of Water Seven," the person replied.
Damn it… Noah said, running a hand through his hair. "What's happening here?"
Suddenly, a flash of memory hit him.
NOAH Thoughts – [I got caught up… I forgot what actually happened. In the anime, Robin sacrifices herself to save the Straw Hats… but so much is different now. I can't just trust my memories.]
"Noah, are you alright?" Emma asked, noticing his blank expression.
He shook his head slightly. "Yeah… I'm fine. Probably just hungry."
Noah rubbed his stomach. "Let's grab something to eat first. Then we can figure out what's going on."
Emma nodded.
They made their way toward a small food stall.
They bought some noodles and sat on a nearby bench, keeping an eye on the crowds. People were talking in hushed tones, glancing nervously toward the central plaza.
"Everyone's scared," Emma muttered. "Something big must have happened."
Noah nodded, taking a bite. "Yeah… but we don't even know where Robin is. Or what she's planning."
Emma frowned. "Should we… try to find her?"
Noah shook his head. "Not yet. We have no idea what's going on. If we rush in, we could make things worse."
They quietly made their way along the canals, keeping to the shadows, until they got closer to the commotion.
Someone in the crowd noticed Noah and Emma.
"Those two! They're with the Straw Hats! Get them!" someone shouted.
The mob surged forward, trying to grab them.
Emma reached for her blade. "I'll—"
"Don't," Noah said quickly,"They're just civilians."
Emma frowned. "Then… what should we do?"
"Run," Noah replied, grabbing her hand and pulling her along.