Chapter One: A Lesson in Subtlety
The New World was known for its unpredictability. For seas dotted with raging infernos one day and all but iced over the next. For its temperament not unlike that of a wild animal and inhabitants that did equal justice. On these waters, anything was possible. Things far more outlandish and abstract than that of any other ocean, as the Straw Hats had come to learn in their time here thus far. It was no less than what they were expecting. Despite this, there were several occasions in which they would find themselves amazed by what the treacherous ocean would spring on them. In a nutshell, the New World was ideal.
Today was shaping up to be oddly calm. The deep azure water gently lapped against the Sunny's hull as Franky stared out at the quiet sea from the ship's stern. Ideas for a new update to the docking system filled his thoughts while the morning quietly passed. An ocean this calm was rather nostalgic. The shipwright found himself putting thoughts regarding the docking system aside and reflecting. A lot had changed in twenty-two years. His super cyborg body was just the beginning; he was living his dream on the high seas, sailing the ship he'd always aspired to build and travelling with a crew of crazy Nakama whom rivalled even himself in oddness. He opened the fridge in his stomach and withdrew an icy-cold bottle of cola. Life was good.
As of now, said Nakama were spread throughout the ship, engaged in various activities to keep themselves occupied on this quiet morning. Franky sipped at the cola as he turned and made his way across the ship.
He passed Nami, whom sat comfortably in a deck chair flicking through the day's newspaper. So far she hadn't made any comments. Life out in the world was quiet as the ocean this morning, so it seemed. If any mildly interesting story were to develop however, the navigator was sure to share the news. It was useful to have someone aboard the ship who was up-to-date with current affairs, no matter how mundane or boring.
Usopp had spent the morning busying himself down in his workshop, replenishing his supply of Pop Greens. The kid had come a long way in the time Franky had known him. He'd taken the sharp-shooter in as a sort-of apprentice shortly after joining the crew, and had seen his skills in terms of building and innovation improve greatly. It was good to have a like-minded inventor to brainstorm with from time to time, though it was clear that Usopp's greatest skill would always be the accuracy in his shooting. And coming up with ridiculous stories, but that was something else entirely.
Franky descended the staircase, his bare feet meeting the soft turf of the lower deck, where Brook and Chopper were playing a game of chess. Rather, the musician was attempting to teach the doctor how to play. His success was somewhat limited, as the little reindeer continuously muddled the pieces up. It was often amusing watching the oldest and youngest members of the crew interact. Brook calmly corrected Chopper's choice in movements, before cracking some sort of joke. The pair greeted Franky as he passed, and he responded with his usual super enthusiasm.
As Franky continued across the deck, Sanji exited galley behind him, having finished cleaning up after breakfast. The cook withdrew a cigarette from his jacket-pocket and lit up. If smoking had any impact on his health, it had yet to show. Maybe Sanji was so fit that any unhealthy activities he partook in were nullified. He exhaled a puff of smoke, before glancing over to the chess game and muttering a few pointers to Chopper. The young reindeer took the advice, proceeding to eliminate one of Brook's bishops, and causing the skeleton to exclaim that he 'couldn't believe his eyes'.
Having crossed the lawn, Franky ascended the first staircase to the upper deck. Up in the crow's nest, Zoro was lifting weights. It was one of the only things he did, aside from sleep. And of course, getting lost at every port they docked at. Sometimes the swordsman didn't even need to leave the ship in order to become disorientated, though that had happened more often back when the Thousand Sunny was still new. However, the direction of his loyalty was unquestioned, and his position as first mate unstated, yet unchallenged.
And then there was Luffy. It usually wasn't hard for Franky to work out where his captain was. The Straw Hat boy was often heard before he was seen. Franky watched as Luffy charged over from the Sunny's figurehead and bounded across to Sanji, expressing his desire for a snack despite having had a full breakfast not long before. In turn, the cook snapped at him to wait for breakfast to settle, and that he'd prepare something soon. Any complaint Luffy may have had was interrupted when Usopp stumbled up out of his workshop and managed to (intentionally or otherwise) distract him with a fun game he'd just come up with.
Turning from his Nakama's various shenanigans, Franky ascended the second staircase and reached the upper deck. It was here that he finally found the person he'd been looking for.
The little girl from all those years ago stood at the bow of the Sunny, her arms crossed and resting against the rails before her as she tirelessly gazed out to the ocean. No, not a little girl anymore. Nico Robin was no longer a child. She'd grown into a woman since the first time he'd seen her, and an attractive one at that, as far as Franky was concerned. Her long ebony hair tumbled gently in the soft sea breeze, complimenting her features and giving her a slightly mysterious aura, the type she often carried. But her eyes hadn't changed. The same dark eyes that had captured a younger Franky's attention all those years ago were still exactly as he remembered them.
Robin turned from the side of the ship and made her way down towards the lower deck. As she passed, she slipped him the briefest of smiles, and Franky found himself stumbling over his thoughts for moments afterwards. But one thing was clear: Robin was super. After a moment, he returned to the activity he'd been doing earlier of staring out at the calm sea, though this time from the front of the ship.
It was safe to bet he'd never felt this way about someone before. He wanted to express his feelings somehow. This was a slight predicament. It wasn't that he wasn't confident in his own skills; he knew as a fact he was super-skilled, and could probably woo Robin right off her feet if he tried. But he had to do this right. The more Franky thought about it, the more he longed to do it, and sooner than later. Sanji would probably be his go-to guy when it came to such things. Yes, he'd ask Sanji about it, and maybe some of the others. He would then consider their advice and confront Robin.
By the time Franky came back down to the grassy deck, Sanji had retreated to the kitchen. Usopp's distracting game had only lasted so long, and Luffy had reverted to his ever-ravenous state. Franky entered the galley, where he discovered the cook busily preparing some after-breakfast refreshments. Zoro and Nami were also there, sitting at opposite corners of the table, engaged in idle chat. That was alright though. Maybe they'd be able to contribute some advice of their own.
Franky took a seat at the bench across from Sanji and pondered how to word his predicament. He had almost formed the words in his mind, when Sanji acknowledged his presence.
"You look like you need to ask me about something," the cook observed.
"Yes," Franky cleared his throat, quickly glancing over to Zoro and Nami before returning his focus to Sanji. "You seem to know a bit about ladies…" he stated.
Sanji nodded, adding one last sandwich to the growing pile on the plate. "That's correct."
"I was wondering if you could give me some advice. Bro to bro."
Sanji was about to respond, when the door of the galley was violently swung open. "Sanji! Is the food ready yet?" Luffy demanded as he sprang into the room, Usopp in tow.
"Yes, it's there on the bench," Sanji answered, indicating to the plate of sandwiches and stepping out of the way as his hungry captain barrelled past. He turned back to Franky. "You were saying?"
"Well you see, there's this lady I know who's pretty super…" Franky began.
"It's Robin, isn't it?" Nami questioned, her eyes flicking over to him in an intuitive gaze from where she sat at the table.
"I-well-uhhh…"
"So you do like Robin-chan?" Sanji asked, seeming marginally unsurprised.
"Well… yes," Franky admitted.
"It was kind of obvious, I guess," Zoro spoke up, "The way the two of you spend all that time together. You kept her company the other night during her watch, didn't you?"
" I was planning on staying up anyway…" Franky recalled, "She just happened to be there, so I…" his voice trailed off, noting how a couple of the others (specifically Nami and Usopp) continued to sport knowing smirks.
"No, it's not that hard to figure out," Usopp contributed, "You two went for a sunset walk along the beach last island we were at, didn't you?"
"So it's really that obvious?" Franky asked, unaware that the others had taken such note of his and Robin's minimal exploits.
"Well this is news to me," Luffy admitted, munching on one of the sandwiches.
"As if you'd notice anyway…" Sanji berated him, before returning his attention to Franky. "Now lucky for you, I've come to trust you as a guy who'd treat my Robin-chan well."
"Who are you, her dad?" Zoro questioned him.
"Shut up!" Sanji snapped, "As I was saying, I trust you to be good to Robin-chan and treat her well. So I approve. But how do you plan on telling her about these feelings?"
"Well I have some of my own ideas," Franky said, "But I'm super not experienced in this area. What do you guys think would be the best way to tell her?" he asked.
The gathered crew thought for a moment, before speaking up.
"Try to be subtle," Nami instructed. "Robin is a smart woman. If she hasn't already noticed you have feelings for her, it won't take much to show her without outright telling her. She's very perceptive you know, and would probably like more of a challenge. It's three thousand beli for that advice, by the way."
"Nami's right," Usopp seconded, "You should drop hints for her. Maybe she'll drop hints as well if she likes you in return."
Franky considered these options with a nod, various ideas springing into his head.
"Be mysterious," Sanji alluded, "Like Nami-san said, she'll notice almost anything. But that's good. Go for something subtle enough so that most people wouldn't notice, but obvious enough for Robin-chan to pick up on."
"Subtle," Franky repeated the ongoing theme, "Right. Got it. I'll be super subtle."
"Will you, now?" Zoro asked flatly.
"Do you know how you're going to do it?" Usopp asked.
"I'm not sure yet," Franky said, "I'll think about it. But I'll make sure it's subtle."
Without further ado, Franky left the room to contemplate what kind of super approach he'd use to win over the woman of his affections.
"She already knows, right?" Zoro questioned once the cyborg was gone.
"She hasn't said anything to me about it, but I would be extremely surprised if she didn't," Nami responded. "All we have to do now is wait and see how he goes."
It was late in the afternoon and Sanji had just come by with light refreshments when Franky decided to make his move. Going for an inconspicuous approach, he whistled absentmindedly as he approached the small round deck-table Robin was reading at. He sat in the seat opposite her, taking a brief moment to appreciate how her slender hands elegantly flipped through the contents of the novel she was reading. It was a romance novel he noted, judging by the picture on the cover. How fitting. It would probably put her in the mood for something romantic. And that's where he came in.
He cleared his throat and Robin's eyes met his own in question.
"So…Robin…" he addressed her, resting his chin on his fist.
"Yes, Franky?" she responded.
"Would you ever date-" he allowed a single finger to rise to his metal nose, pressing down on it and subsequently causing his bright blue hair to fan out dramatically, "-a cyborg?"
Whatever Robin's answer may have been, or even if she had time to answer at all, Franky couldn't tell. The reactions from the rest of the crew, who had apparently been listening in, were instantaneous. Before he knew it, Sanji and Usopp each had him by an arm and were hurriedly dragging him away.
"What was that all about?!" Sanji demanded once they'd retreated to the galley in order to escape earshot.
"What was what about?" Franky questioned.
"You may have well just gone straight out and asked if she'd date you," Usopp said.
"Well I thought it was pretty subtle," Luffy said as he stepped into the room and gave a nod.
"Yeah, I think I was subtle enough," Franky said, "It's not like I'm the only cyborg out there. I could have been talking about Kuma."
"Why would she date Kuma?!" Usopp demanded.
Brook entered the room and surveyed the scene before him. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked.
"Franky doesn't know how to be subtle," Nami explained, following the skeleton into the room.
"Yohoho!" Brook laughed at the situation, "I was wondering what you were trying to do back there, Franky-san. I must say, that was a good effort."
"Do you think she knows now though?" Franky asked.
"Do you think she knows?" Sanji rebounded the question.
"I think I need to try a different approach," Franky said, "I have a much more super idea." And without another word, he exited the room and made for his workshop in time to pass Zoro and Chopper as they entered..
"Robin-chan's the most perceptive person who's ever existed," Sanji muttered, "It wouldn't take much at all for her to know. Especially given how Franky's always trying to impress her with his crazy inventions."
"Those are awesome though!" Luffy said, his eyes lighting up at the thought of the cyborg's wild abilities.
"Especially Franky Shogun!" Chopper seconded.
Nami started at the pair blankly. "But Robin isn't either of you."
"Though while Robin is observant, Franky's the most obvious-in-a-crowd person who's ever existed," Usopp added.
"Then clearly, Robin-san is obviously already aware of Franky-san's feelings," said Brook.
"She was probably aware of them before he'd even developed them," Zoro commented. "There's no use telling him to be subtle about it. If she likes him back, it won't make any difference."
"Franky probably knows she knows he likes her as well," Sanji said, "But this sort of thing isn't his area of expertise," the cook lit up a fresh cigarette, "This is something only he himself can do. And whether or not he's subtle about it is for him to decide, I guess."
"How do I subtly say I'm hungry?" Luffy asked.
"That's the most subtle you've ever said it," Sanji admitted, "I guess I should get dinner started then."
With nothing more to discuss, the gathered crewmembers returned to what they'd formerly been doing.
Late afternoon had transitioned into evening when Usopp entered Franky's workshop to find out what the cyborg was up to. He discovered the shipwright sorting through various items, inspecting a few, and placing them into different piles.
"Ah, so you're going about another approach," Usopp observed, "What will it be this time?"
"Fireworks," Franky answered.
"…Fireworks…" the marksman repeated, realising Franky had been sorting through various different rockets.
"The most super fireworks I have," Franky confirmed, briefly inspecting one of the rockets for faults, before moving it across to the other pile.
"You realise that fireworks aren't a very subtle approach, right?"
"That doesn't matter; these fireworks will be subtle enough. It's not like they're going to be spelling out love words or anything like that. Can you pass that one over? The one to your right."
Usopp lifted the long purple sparkler and handed it across to the cyborg, who briefly examined it, before it too joined the ever-growing 'to use' pile. "Do you even know what 'subtle' means?"
"Of course I know what it means! But why be subtle when you can be super?" Franky stood and enthusiastically struck his 'super' pose for added emphasis.
"So it's a lost cause, huh?" Usopp asked, grinning and remembering what Zoro had said about it not mattering either way, "Well I guess it can't be helped then. Ooh, what does this one do?"
"Careful with that!" Franky reprimanded him, quickly taking the flashy-looking explosive and placing it atop the pile.
"What's so special about that one?" Usopp questioned.
"I've been saving it for a super special occasion," Franky responded, "And that occasion is tonight. There're a lot of these to set off. Want to help?"
Usopp shoved all other thoughts aside and felt a wave of excitement bubbling within him. "Help you set off the fireworks? Around the ship?"
"Super right, bro!"
"Y-yes! That would be awesome!"
Several minutes later, Franky and Usopp stood on the deck of the Thousand Sunny, the firework launcher in between them.
"You ready, bro?" Franky asked as he fitted the first of the rockets neatly into position.
"You bet," Usopp responded as he lit a match.
He struck the fuse, and the spark ignited, travelling toward the shell at a steady rate. Once it reached, the entire rocket blasted into the air and flowered in a radiant shimmer of colours against the night's dark sky.
"Nice," Usopp grinned.
"Let's set off the rest," Franky said and the two dispersed.
The sound of crackling filled Nami's ears and for a brief moment she thought they were under attack. A quick glance out the window proved this false. She swiftly left her quarters and stepped out into the main deck, watching as several bright fireworks lit up the sky. Nearby, Robin was staring up at the sky likewise, the novel she'd been reading clutched limply in her hand—albeit with a few fingers keeping the place—as she stood distracted by the colourful expanses.
A glimpse of the deck showed Nami all she needed to see. So this was his next plan, hey? she thought to herself, watching Franky set of a purple flower-shaped firework from the opposite side of the Sunny.
"Awesome!" Luffy, and Chopper exclaimed at the crackling display
Amongst the spectacular sights and sounds, Sanji took the opportunity to walk over and stand beside her.
"I guess it was silly for us to tell him to be subtle," Nami said to him, "The problem is Franky's not subtle."
"So telling him to be subtle would be like telling him not to be himself," Sanji agreed as a particularly large heart-shaped firework expanded in the night sky, causing the nearby Robin to look on just as unreadably as ever. "Though there's nothing stopping the two of us from enjoying it," he continued, inconspicuously weaving an arm over Nami's shoulders.
"Cut that out!" Nami snapped, "If the marines find us, it's all Franky's stupid fault."
"You mean all Franky's 'super' fault, Nami-san," Sanji corrected.
Nami considered hitting him, but chose not to. The fireworks were quite impressive after all. It was incredibly unlikely any marines would be nearby anyway. Once again, her gaze scanned across to Robin.
The woman seemed mesmerised by the magnificent light show Franky and Usopp were creating. The shimmering sparks glistened in her eyes, reflecting every minute detail of wonder at the performance. This was not her usual blank stare. There was something unique about it; there was a spark Nami rarely ever saw coming from Robin, an added detail she couldn't place.
"Sanji-kun," she nudged him and indicated to Robin, "I think it's working…"
Robin continued to watch the dazzling sky, before voicing her thoughts on the display. "I hope they don't accidentally blow the ship to pieces."
"…Or maybe not…" Nami concluded with a sigh.
Nonetheless, the show was enjoyed by the entire crew. Brook provided an upbeat tune to accompany on guitar, whilst Luffy and Chopper's eyes reflected the intensity of the entire firework-filled sky. Even Zoro had ceased his dozing in favour of standing by the ship's edge and watching. Several minutes, crackles, heart and flower-shaped fireworks later, Franky and Usopp had run out of stock, and consequently finished their show.
As the crew returned to what they'd been doing, Franky approached Robin. "What did you think of the show?" he asked her.
Nami noted the way the corners of Robin's mouth threatened to tilt up into a smile. "Very original," she responded, reclaiming her seat and flicking back to her place in the novel.
Franky may have been about to say something more, when Luffy's voice pummelled the ship from the crow's nest. "Island!" he chanted, rocketing down to the deck and landing rather inelegantly atop Zoro. "Prepare for adventure!"
The next morning proved bright and cloudless, ideal weather for exploring. The island's name was Tanium. Robin disembarked early with Nami to explore the its facilities, and Luffy left with Brook and Usopp shortly afterwards. Franky himself did not go ashore until just before midday, leaving Zoro to his training routine up in the crow's nest. Chopper and Sanji had gone into town together to shop for supplies.
It had been close to midnight by the time they'd docked, so not much could be seen. Now however, the day was at its brightest. The town was quaint and unremarkable, much like the fine weather. Also like the weather, it was a relaxing break from all the crazy misadventures of the previous islands, a break Franky hadn't even known he'd wanted until now.
After about an hour of wandering the town (and proudly discovering it had a Sea Train station), his path crossed with Nami and Robin's. They were by the town hall, on a slope that overlooked a second bay and port, around a bend from where the Sunny was anchored.
"Hello, Franky!" Nami greeted him, " We were just at an information centre. Did you know that there are two islands around here? It turns out these are twin islands," she indicated to a smaller form just short of the horizon, "That's different island. It's only connected to this one by a long waft. An ancient civilisation used to thrive there, the ancestors of the people who live here today. Robin is really interested."
"It sounds fascinating," Robin said.
Under more deliberate inspection, Franky noticed the bridge that stretched across the water linking the two islands. It seemed as though it was primarily used for fishing docks and small huts set up on the water, however a narrow section continued onwards and appeared to intersect with the other landform.
"I still have more shopping to do though," Nami said, "And I'd like to go to the resort pool afterwards…"
Catching on to what Nami was doing (now that was subtle), Franky nodded and Nami formulated some excuse for needing to return to the Sunny to do something, offering to take a shopping bag Robin was carrying back with her. Robin accepted, and soon Nami was pacing back to the ship to dump the day's shopping, leaving Franky and Robin alone.
Franky didn't mind in the slightest. "Are you going to explore that island?" he asked Robin.
"Yes," Robin said with a smile, patting at a narrow shoulder bag hanging from a long strap along her left arm, "I have a notebook with me, so I'd like to go there and record some of the information I find."
"I'll come with you," Franky offered, "You know, to keep you company so you don't go getting bored or anything like that."
Robin laughed. "I can assure you that I won't be getting bored."
So he'd just be getting in the way if he came along? Franky felt his heart sink a little.
But Robin hadn't finished. "Though if you were to join me, I couldn't succumb to boredom even if I tried."
Franky wasn't subtle at all in hiding his joy over Robin's willingness for his company. "Super!" he approved victoriously, causing—to his utmost pleasure—Robin to chuckle.
Within half an hour (which included meeting Brook and telling him where they were going, and buying some lunch to take along), they easily located the opening of the bridge and began their walk to the opposite side. It stretched onwards for a couple of kilometres, with a few narrow offshoots leading to small ports or boathouses along the way, as Franky had seen from the hilltop.
They exchanged in various small talk as they walked. From the ruby red ribbon Robin had purchased earlier and was now wearing to tie back her hair, to an incident involving Brook's fear of ghosts and an unopened jar of ginger flakes just the other day.
However, the closer they advanced on the other island the more Franky noticed a certain discomfort in his company. Robin had begun showing minor signs of physical unease. She transitioned the strap of her bag from her left shoulder to her right and kept rubbing at a space just below her shoulder blade. She wasn't saying anything, nor was she making her actions obvious.
Whatever it was, Franky could tell it was causing her some degree of pain. "Are you alright?" he asked eventually.
Robin glanced up at him and quickly hid her surprise with a vague smile. "I'm always alright," she responded.
"I can tell something's bothering you, Robin."
"Only slightly," she responded, "There's nothing to worry about. An old scar. That's all it is." Sliding down the thick strap of her singlet top, and pulling at the material slightly, Robin revealed a thin white scar just below the base of her shoulder blade.
Franky frowned at the blemish. "What happened there?" he asked before he could stop himself.
Robin didn't respond for a few moments, though lost in a memory, "It's an old scar… I haven't really shown anyone before, but I guess it hasn't bothered me like this in years. Maybe it's something to do with the weather today…"
Franky noted the way the subject seemed to make Robin slightly uncomfortable and his frown deepened. This wasn't super at all. "Is there something I can do to help?" he asked, "I'll carry your bag for you."
Robin smiled but shook her head. "It will pass," she said simply, as she readjusted the singlet strap over her shoulder, "I've lived with it for years, after all."
As curious as he was, Franky chose not to question any further.
"It was the closest I ever came to being captured by someone before the CP9 incident…"
Franky took a fleeting look at her, noting how her eyes seemed to be staring far out to sea, lost in a memory. Robin had been on the run since she was eight. Franky had occasionally thought about close encounters she may have had prior to them meeting. About all the nights she would have spent alone, all the times she'd had to resort to drastic measures in order to survive… sometimes about occasions she may have been caught or come close to. Robin was stealthy. Stealthy from experience. It was experience that had made her so good at slipping under the radar. In order to gain that experience, she had to have learned lessons firsthand. And as often as he'd though about these things to himself, never had he heard much about them from Robin firsthand. Perhaps she was opening up to hm.
"It's a reminder," Robin said, her hand lingering on the scar, "Of the time I completely stopped trusting…" she removed her hand from the area, placing it instead on her bag strap. "I was nineteen, and still the slightest bit naive as it turned out. I met someone… too nice… and I was foolish."
Anger simmered at the prospect of someone hurting Robin in such a way, "Who?" Franky asked, "That bastard…"
"It doesn't matter now," Robin said, "He was a bounty hunter who only got the best of me temporarily. He's long gone."
Their conversation was interrupted by their timely arrival at the far side of the bridge.
"Ah, we're here," Robin said, looking out over the smaller sister island.
This side of the bridge was old and weathered from disuse. A few steps were missing in the descent to the ground. Franky stepped down first, the meter-and-a-half high ledge barely an obstacle for him. He turned and assisted Robin down.
"Thank you, Franky," she said as her feet met the ground.
Franky responded enthusiastically, but Robin seemed far more interested in exploring the ancient now that they were here. She was already heading for a large stone structure near the edge of a forest, ready to study it.
It was an ancient artefact suspended in time. Based on the markings decorating its surface, Franky guessed it to be some sort of sundial-like invention. Nearby was what appeared to be a stone tablet, perhaps once a tile from a floor or wall. It looked to have been freshly dug up, likely by other archaeologists, and discarded beside the much larger structure.
Franky watched as Robin studied, handling the artefact with utmost care and respect, before gently placing it back the way she'd found it and turning her attention to the larger artefact, briefly skimming over it, before returning to her starting point and studying it again in more detail.
"This tells a story," she said, "The people who very first lived here several millennia ago…" She pulled out her pen and notebook and began scratching down information she interpreted from the markings, reading aloud what she could translate as she went.
Franky barely understood most of what she was saying, but the passionate conviction in her eyes and posture was enough. He sat and watched her work until she was satisfied, and they headed further into the forest in search of other structures. At some point, Robin pulled out two small lunches from within her pack, and she and Franky sat by a small lagoon on the forest floor to share them.
Afterwards, Robin explored for another hour before she packed away her notebook and set her bag back on her shoulder. "That will do for today," she said, satisfied.
"Nice work, Robin," Franky congratulated her with a thumbs-up, "I bet you uncovered some super interesting stuff."
Together, they began making their way back to the mainland.
Nami stretched in her deckchair and stood, walking over to the pool. After leaving the shopping bags at the Sunny, she'd opted to change into her swimmers and head to the swimming pool the resort on the island offered. She wasn't the only one. Chopper and Luffy splashed about in the shallows nearby, as a seemingly snoozing Zoro kept a watchful eye over them from the shade.
She reached the water just as Sanji twirled over to her. "Nami-swan~" the cook fussed, "What would you like for dinner? I've bought a lot of fresh new ingredients to make dishes with!"
"I don't know," Nami said, "How about you make what you want, Sanji-kun? I'm sure that would be fine."
As Sanji proceeded to coo over how kind his Nami-san was, a sudden change in the direction of the light breeze probed at Nami's senses. Looking up at the sky, she frowned. There weren't any clouds at all in the clear, blue expanse. To anyone else, the day appeared as fine as it had been over the past few hours. But Nami knew better.
"What is it, Nami-san?" Sanji asked, ceasing his twirling and noting her sudden change as easily as she'd noticed the weather's.
"Are Robin and Franky back yet?" she asked him.
"I don't know," Sanji responded, "Why?"
"A storm…" Nami muttered, "It's coming, fast."
Sure enough, dark clouds appeared upon the edge of the horizon. Had Nami not familiarised herself with the weather of the New World, she never would have believed the speed at which the black canopy rolled across the previously perfect plane.
Almost instantly, the light breeze became a blowing gale, and Nami had to grab hold of a nearby post in effort to avoid being bowled over.
"The weather's closing in," Franky observed the dark clouds that had appeared on the horizon, "At least it was nice while it lasted."
Robin looked out at the swelling sea and over to the main island. "Let's hurry," she said.
They hadn't made it far along the bridge when the perfect weather made an abrupt change. In little more than the blink of an eye, the dark clouds consumed the entirety of the pristine sky, covering the sea and islands beneath in shadow. The wind accelerated to an unbelievable speed against them, causing Robin's long hair to fan out behind her and the ribbon to flap furiously as she held the rail of the bridge for support against the sudden gust. But it wasn't dying down.
The waves came next. Being where they stood, the monstrous white water crashed mercilessly against them, and they were drenched in a matter of seconds. Soon it was almost impossible to travel along the bridge in either direction. And like the wind, the sea was not relenting.
Franky grit his teeth at the largest wave yet loomed ominously over them, rolling closer and closer to impact, like a living entity hunting them down. The height of this wall of water was far greater than that of the bridge, which suddenly felt extra small and flimsy in comparison. As the crest of the wave broke, it was almost as though a giant sea foam hand was reaching out to crush them. Franky quickly took hold of Robin as she grabbed onto his right arm, and he protectively encircled her body with his left. No matter what came next, he would not let go.
How was that? Were they in-character enough? I've always found Franky kinda hard to write compared to some of the other characters. He's just too super for me. Anyways, please leave a review and I will get the next part out asap :)