A large bubble emerged from the water next to a pier, camouflaged by thick morning fog. A tiny silhouette left the bubble and climbed on the wooden boards.
"Wait here," said the silhouette.
"I will," replied a quiet voice, "Be careful, Robin."
The silhouette made a small nod and dashed away, its feet leaving squeaking footsteps behind. The treacherous noise disappeared as they reached the cold sand, sprinting along a winding tentacle towards the central island.
Having crossed several bridges and sneaked through a couple of alleyways, the silhouette reached an almost empty street, all of its inhabitants swarmed around an auction taking place nearby. Robin opened the front door carefully, lucky to find it unlocked.
"Welcome back, captain!"
A man with long brown hair and an eye patch over his left eye stood up, walking around the table with a wide smile on his face.
"How was... the... expedition..." he stopped, his right eye twitching.
Robin rushed past him and towards the table, searching for a key.
The man acted invisible, standing still while cold sweat oozed out from every part of his body.
Robin ran up to a closed cabinet, opening it. She reached for a book in haste, peeking inside.
One corner of her mouth turned up. She stared at the pages, her eyes unfocused.
"Of course..." she whispered.
Her hands dropped the book. Her shoulders trembled uncontrollably.
"Umm..."
She turned towards the man, rage twisting her physiognomy. She glared at him in silence for a time, as if contemplating a decision.
"P-please..." he gulped.
"Leave," she ordered.
"Thank you!" he yelled, rushing outside, "Bless you!" he slammed the door shut.
Robin clenched her fists. She looked around: dozens of shelves stood in rows, all filled with precious artifacts. She brought her palms together. A gigantic arm grew behind her. The arm took aim, prepared to fall.
It stopped.
Robin bit her lip painfully.
"Of course...!" she screamed.
She left the building.
Robin plodded all the way back to the pier, her shoulders slump and her head down. At some point, she chuckled. It felt surreal, her life. Time and time again, robbed of every pleasant thing. She thought of herself as a living, breathing curse that roamed from place to place, bringing only death and destruction. She was poison to this world. Feared and despised. Not needed and unwelcome.
As she reached the shore, the fog was mostly gone, and she could not take her eyes away from the tranquil, glistening sea. She heard it call out to her, allure with a promise of the warmest hug. Robin saw no reason to refuse. She saw no reason to keep going. She saw no–
A certain mermaid's stupid face popped up in her mind. Of course that idiot will be there to ruin the peaceful ending. While Sharley is alive, Robin is bereft of an easy way out. She has to persevere. As long as Sharley is alive. As long as she is alive. As long as she is alive. As long as she is alive. As long as she is alive. As long as she is... alive.
Those words raced in her brain again and again as she stood on the pier, staring with confusion on the bloodied boards. Her eyes jumped from one sharp tooth to another, unable to comprehend why they were there. She saw a severed human hand float in the water. She saw cut pieces of rope. She saw a blood trail her mind refused to register on the way here.
Robin gritted her teeth with the intention of breaking every single one. She grabbed the hem of her dress, hearing the fabric tear. She scowled, shaping the most repulsive expression.
"Why me...?" she seethed, "Why does this always happen to me?!" she shrieked.
Robin turned around. She faced the central island, peeking from the distance. She brought her arms together. Then spread them wide.
Two limbs appeared from her scapulas, followed by four more. Then ten more. Then a hundred. Then a thousand.
The arms reached out, they intertwined with each other, and soon two enormous, angelic wings took shape from her back. The wings spread wide. They flapped. Her feet left the ground. Robin ascended...
Every day, from early morning to late night, hundreds of bandits would gather around a wooden platform in a circle, rising their arms faster and yelling numbers louder than anyone else, as if in a competition.
There stood a man at the front of the stage, pointing to others, and eight guards around him, all clad in leather armor and wielding hook swords with pistols attached to their belts. Behind the auctioneer, at the center, four unfortunate souls were trapped – all beaten and bound.
One happened to be a redhead girl, dressed in a pink dress with open shoulders. To her right stood a much taller girl with black hair and large black eyes. The third slave appeared to be a girl with a huge head and mint green hair.
The fourth was a mermaid. Right now, two guards kept her in place, while one more tasked himself with the act of torture – one by one, he was pulling out her pointed teeth, deaf to the agonizing screeching and blind to the rivers of tears. Suddenly, their heads turned towards the bright morning sky.
Robin watched the crowd from above. She saw their gleeful, brainless expressions. She witnessed them fight for the right to own someone else's life. She slowly brought her palms together.
The ground trembled. The buildings crumbled. Gigantic arms began rising all around the auction. Robin felt lightheaded. Blood poured from her nose–
"Robin!"
She heard a familiar voice call out to her. She saw Sharley form the widest, kindest, softest and... bloodiest smile. Not a single tooth remained in her disfigured mouth.
"Let'sh get out of here...!" the mermaid begged with her puffy, bloodshot, adorable eyes.
The arms disappeared. Robin flew towards the stage. As she landed and wrapped her wings around the platform, the guards leaped towards her, aiming their swords. She brought her arms together.
"She's worth millions!" yelled the auctioneer, "Take her alive!"
Countless limbs caught them by the legs. As they dropped to the floor, something was already missing from their belts. Eight muzzles were point at their napes. The skinny fingers were placed on the triggers. They moved. Eight gunshots were fired simultaneously.
Robin turned to the frightened auctioneer. Before he could mutter another world, dozens of limbs took shape from the wooden boards and clung to every part of his body, firmly keeping him in place. Then two hands were placed on his chin. They began pulling down. The screaming auctioneer's body began bending backwards. The arms refused to stop until his head reached the floor. His spine cracked.
Robin exhaled with relief and satisfaction, her face dangerously pale. The wings disappeared.
A limb tossed her a set of keys and she walked up to Sharley, getting rid of the handcuffs. The mermaid went for a hug.
"Robin, I'm sho gla–"
"Robin, right?!" she heard an unfamiliar voice, "The handcuffs, please!"
It was the tall girl. As Robin obliged and removed her seastone collar, the girl rushed to the front of the stage, as if about to give an unforgettable solo. Yet instead of singing, she assumed a strange pose, formed a heart with her hands and... winked.
What was a lively mob just a moment ago now turned into a graveyard of infatuated stone statues. A forest of besotted souls, trapped inside fragile shells. A creepy museum of once living, breathing creatures.
"Worthless scum...!" she whispered with unrestrained hatred, then turned to Robin, "My name is Hancock" she placed a hand on her chest, then gestured towards two girls behind her, "And these are my sisters: Marigold and Sandersonia," she bowed, "Thank you for saving us."
"Thank you," bowed Marigold.
"Thank you so much," bowed Sandersonia.
Robin made a small nod in response. Her mind was all fuzzy. She lost the feeling in her limbs.
"Robin...?"
She saw the world turn upside down.
Darkness engulfe–
Robin woke up due to moisture and slight pressure in her right shoulder, along with warmth in her right side. Somehow, this time, there was no shudder. Her eyelids remained tightly shut, too, battling the intrusive sunlight that kept crawling under them in an attempt to reach her resting eyes.
Robin breathed steadily, enjoying the soft pillow, pleasant mattress and warm blanket, – something she had no opportunity to experience since being a toddler. In time, the pressure disappeared and pleasant breathing reached her nose.
"Your breath smells like seaweed," she muttered.
"Shorry..."
Robin's left eye opened slightly. There appeared an adorable face in front of her, staring intently with both of its huge eyeballs, unblinking. In a moment, a bright blush colored Sharley's cheeks and a wide smile took shape on her lips, exposing the injured, empty gums. She promptly closed her mouth, looking away in embarrassment.
"Shorry... They will regrow shoon."
Robin felt a needle pierce her heart.
"No, I... I told you to wait..." she mumbled hoarsely, "And because of–"
"Oh, right, did you get what you came here for?"
She cast her eyes down, "No..."
"That'sh awful..."
"Uh-huh..."
They stayed silent for some time, listening to each other's breathing. Robin looked around: this was your average wooden hut, filled with fish, a couple of beds, a table and several chairs.
"So," she spoke up, "Where are we?"
"Oh, Hancock found an empty houshe far away from the auction, sho we deshided to resht here for now."
"Where is she?"
"Hancock? Buying grosheriesh, I think."
"I see."
Another peaceful pause. Robing cleared her throat and spoke once more.
"When are you going home?"
"Home? I don't know. Do you want me to go home?" Sharley's curious eyes fell on Robin's face.
"Yes."
"Hmm... Well, I don't actually know where Fish-Man Island ish, honeshtly."
Robin stared at the ceiling, "You must still leave."
"Why?"
"Because if you stay with me, one day, the bandits will capture you and cut off your tail. They will cook it on fire and eat. You have to leave."
"Don't wanna!" whined Sharley, climbing on top of Robin and choking her with the warmest hug, "And shtop shaying shuch awful thingsh!"
"I'm telling the truth," Robin attempted to push her away, "Come on, get off me."
"No way!" the mermaid buried her face in Robin's chest, squeezing her tighter, "Don't wanna, don't wanna, don't wan– huh?"
Sharley felt two skinny arms wrap warily around her torso.
"Robin...?"
The arms promptly let go. Robin's cheeks burned brightly.
"Sho you do like hugging! Then here I go!"
"Stop!"
"Don't wanna, don't wanna, don't wan–"
The hinges squeaked.
"Ow!"
"Why are you on the floor, Sharley?" asked Hancock, holding a net filled with fruit.
"Robin jusht kicked me!"
"She seems asleep to me," she said, approaching the bed, her sisters following behind, "Robin?"
Robin's eyes snapped open and she jumped up, breathing heavily.
"She's jusht pretending!" exclaimed Sharley, rubbing a bump on her forehead.
"Stop fooling around, Sharley," reprimanded her Hancock, sitting down on the bed, "Here, Robin, have an orange."
Robin accepted the fruit and set about peeling it.
"How are you feeling?"
"Alright," she put a piece in her mouth.
"Good to hear."
"Umm... May I alsho..."
Everyone turned to the mermaid. Robin thought about it for a moment and tossed a slice in her mouth.
Hancock giggled, "It's like she's your pet."
A colorful blush appeared on Sharley's munching cheeks.
She swallowed, "One more, pleashe..."
Robin shared another piece.
"I know, you should pet her!" suggested Sandersonia.
"Yes, pet her!" insisted Marigold.
Feeling pressure from their eyes, Robin put a hand on Sharley's head, moving it left and right reluctantly.
"Mhm..." the shark purred with a wide smile.
"Now tickle her!" said Hancock, "With your devil fruit!"
"Yes, tickle her!" agreed Sandersonia.
"Tickle! Tickle!" chanted Marigold.
"N-No, pleashe, I'm weak againsht–"
Yet it was too late for the mermaid.
About ten arms took shape near her sides, armpits and her large tail fin. Dozens of fingers began moving chaotically, forcing Sharley to twist her body and laugh her soul out. Her bright voice echoed around the room, seeping through the wooden walls.
"Shtop, pleashe!"
Robin promptly stopped, a bitter smile on her face.
"I'll sleep some more," she dropped on the bed and turned on her side, closing her eyes.
"Very well," Hancock got up, "Be quiet this time, Sharley," she walked outside.
Sharley pouted. As everyone left, she crawled towards the bed, climbing on top with great difficulty.
Robin felt the shark hug her tightly, sharing the much needed warmth.
Robin's lower lip quivered. A single tear crossed her face, dropping on the pillow. She sniffled.
Robin slowly fell asleep, begging for tomorrow to never come.