Nico Robin and Franky are on the deck of the Thousand Sunny repairing one of Franky's toys. The sky is grey, but a patch of sunlight shines on one spot on the deck, illuminating the straw hat wearing teen.

Franky notices Nico Robin's lack of interest in the task, yet her manifested hand gives him the proper tools.

Her mind seems elsewhere, watching the silliest members of the Straw Hats fight over a tin can of worms. Fist fighting and all. Piracy in the New World is in fact more gruesome these days.

"Nooo, I didn't eat the bait. It's worms." Luffy cries.

"Guys, guys, wait. The-" Chopper, their littlest reindeer chimes in.

Usopp interrupts, "You stay out of this! He clearly ate them."

Did he eat the worms or did he not? His lips aren't turned to the side, there's no mischievous glint in his eyes.

"You super, Robin?" Franky places a hand on her shoulder. She doesn't flinch. Instead, she lifts her hand, resting it on his mini one.

"Just thinking." Robin replies.

"They shouldn't be fighting over a can of worms?"

Robin giggles at that. Her expression then turning to something of sorrow, "No, I was just thinking about Luffy's history."

"Ah, that's super fascinating, isn't it?" He grins, not knowing where the conversation will go.

"Indeed. Luffy and his ability to change lives."

"No matter what life throws at him, he still wants to go on."

"He has lost his brother, yet he still smiles."

"I believe the saying 'Nothing is quite as beautiful as someone who has survived losing everything and still has a tender heart.' How does Luffy continue with such a kind heart?"

Tears stream down Franky's cheeks, "The same can be said about you, Nico Robin, you've lost your mother, your mentor, your home, but you haven't let that stop you from achieving your dreams. You have us, your found family. You have me."

Robin glances at him with awe in her eyes, tears form in her eyes but she doesn't dare let them fall. "That may be true, but sometimes I feel…" She searches for the right word, "Guilty. Unclean. Impure. Shouldn't I be the 'demon child' as they call me? Cold and unapproachable."

"Robin, you're not that." Franky is brought back to the train ride they had on the way to Enies Lobby.

"Your existence is not a sin."

"Franky, stop." She whispers. The wise Robin still has her doubts and insecurities, believing she is as society says. It may have been two years, but it's unbelievably difficult to erase years and years of the lies and hurt the world government has said about her.

Franky understands this, having heard about her when he was younger. For now, all he can do is hold her hand, hold her close, and kiss the tears away. He'll do it even if it's a heavily clichéd concept.

"I think I understand how Luffy does it." Robin smiles sadly.

For a second, Franky wishes he still had normal hands again, so he could feel the softness of her cheek without fear of covering her face. He asks, "How?"

She wipes a tear from his cheek, "He stays in the present, but when his thoughts stray to the past, he knows that the past is past. He knows he must live on for Ace, for Sabo, for Shanks, for himself, for us. He knows he has the Straw Hat pirates to comfort him."

"I don't know if that explains why he's tender-hearted…" She trails off.

"I think it does… sort of." Franky shakes his head, chuckling.

She chuckles as well, leaning forward, leaving a soft kiss on his lips.

The distant shout of Luffy going unheard, "Franky!"

Luffy, the poor soul, has Usopp straddling him and now tickling the answers out of him. It seems as if the greatest torture is being tickled to death.

Jinbe, their newest recruit, confiscates the tin-can that they had left unattended, reporting, "Luffy did not eat the worms."

"Jinbe! What did you do?!" Luffy shouts.

"You used all of the bait." Usopp crosses his arms.

Jinbe sighs, unveiling a pile of fish ready to be thrown into their aquarium. "Fishing, of course!"

"You could have used your Fish-Man abilities." Brook says.

Jinbe grins, carrying several flopping fish to the tank, and says with pride dripping into his voice, "Where's the fun in that?"

No matter what life throws at you, stay kind. Feed your rubbery captain and don't grow cold.