Nami jolted awake, energy crackling in her veins. Her breathing was uneven, her pulse erratic—she felt as if she'd exploded. Again.

A weight beside her shifted, and she turned her head. Zoro lay nearby, unconscious but breathing steadily. As she tried to sit up, hands—far too many hands—appeared out of thin air, gently changing the bandages on his chest.

She gasped, but a calm, melodic voice stopped her from reacting further.

"Please don't explode again. Franky can only handle so many blasts at once."

Nami's gaze snapped toward the speaker. A tall woman stood across the room, her raven-black hair cascading over her shoulders, framing an elegant but unreadable expression. She was dressed in a lavender mini dress with gold detailing, a flowing robe draped over her shoulders, and boots that accentuated her long legs. But it wasn't her appearance that unnerved Nami—it was the countless arms blooming from the walls, the floor, and the ceiling, all moving seamlessly, tending to various tasks.

Another shout echoed from below.

"Pass me the wrench!"

Nami watched in disbelief as a row of hands materialized from the ground, passing the wrench from one appendage to another until it disappeared downstairs.

"Thanks!"

Her head spun, trying to process everything, when a sharp pain seared through her temple.

Robin was suddenly beside her, holding out a cup of dark liquid.

"Drink."

Nami narrowed her eyes. "Are you trying to poison me?"

Robin smiled—slow, deliberate, calculating.

"If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have helped you heal… or your swordsman over there."

Nami followed her gaze back to Zoro, her mind racing. Why did you attack him? she wanted to ask, but before she could, Robin smirked.

"We left on bad terms last time we saw each other… I owed him a beating."

"Right."

"But more importantly," Robin continued, her eyes gleaming with interest, "I see he has found his witch."

"His witch?"

Before Nami could demand an explanation, heavy footsteps echoed up the stairs. She turned just as a massive figure emerged—blue hair slicked back, goggles perched on his forehead. He was practically nude, save for a minuscule black piece of cloth covering his manhood, his body covered in grease stains.

Nami yelped and immediately shielded her eyes.

Robin chuckled, watching as the man sauntered forward and casually kissed her cheek.

"Well, little girl, looks like you've bested my newest suit."

Nami peeked between her fingers as the towering man laughed, hands on his hips, looking absurdly confident despite his nearly naked state.

Robin smirked, and with a flick of her wrist, a hand bloomed from his side and smacked him on the butt.

"Franky, love, please put on some clothes. I think you're scaring her more than I ever did."

Franky grinned, unbothered, and walked off as Robin's gaze followed him with obvious amusement.

"Now then," Robin turned her attention back to Nami. "To whom do I owe the pleasure?"

Nami straightened, forcing herself to ignore everything she just witnessed.

"Brook sent us."

Robin's eyes narrowed with curiosity. "And how, exactly, did you find us?"

Nami hesitated before answering, "It's… my power."

Robin hummed in thought, her many arms moving in unison. Suddenly, bookshelves rattled, arms sprouting between the dusty tomes, rifling through pages. Finally, one pulled free an ancient-looking book, and the many hands passed it down like a ghostly assembly line until it landed in Robin's grasp.

She studied the worn cover before glancing at Nami.

"A real-life witch. I've only read about you all…"

Nami frowned. "So you think I'm a witch?"

Robin flipped through the book, scanning the aged parchment. "From what I can tell… you are not a god, demigod, demon, or monster. So, by process of elimination… you must be a witch."

"But I thought witches could tap into their previous lives… how come I can't remember?"

Robin didn't answer immediately, lost in thought.

That's when Franky returned, slightly more clothed—but only slightly. He had managed to throw on a strange floral shirt, but there were still no pants in sight.

"Then you might need to go to the Field of Memories. Right, love?"

He plopped onto the floor, resuming work on some strange metallic device. Meanwhile, a hand blossomed from his shoulder and lazily played with his hair.

Robin rolled her eyes. "The last time I suggested that… a demon cursed me out, and I had to slap some sense into him."

Franky smirked. "Yes, but now he has his own woman to talk some sense into him."

Nami waved her hands. "Wait, I'm confused—where is that giant… monster?"

Franky grinned, flashing his pearly whites. "That would be me, kiddo. Well… parts of me."

"Parts?"

"Yes. Have you heard of… science?"

Nami narrowed her eyes. "Yes. The old men at Weatheria taught me some of it."

Robin beamed, genuinely impressed. "Weatheria? My, my. You have traveled quite a lot."

"Yes, well, it's a long story…"

A pair of hands appeared by the teapot, striking a match, the flames flickering to life. Robin smiled knowingly.

"Well, it's a good thing we have some time before the Demon Lord wakes up."

Robin blinked as Franky sobbed dramatically on the floor, pounding a grease-stained fist against the wood.

"Y-you poor child!" he wailed, tears streaming down his face.

Nami wiped at her damp cheeks, overwhelmed by her tale.

Robin patted her arm gently, one of her many hands resting reassuringly on her shoulder. "That was… quite a tale, Nami. I'm sorry we caused you so much trouble."

Nami shook her head, her voice unsteady. "I mean… I'm just glad I can finally get some answers."

Franky nodded vigorously, his energy immediately shifting from sorrowful to enthusiastic.

"Well, you've come to the right place! Between Robin's knowledge of the past and my knowledge of the future… I'm sure we can help!"

Nami blinked. "The future?"

Robin and Franky exchanged smirks before Franky crossed his arms over his broad chest and replied with an unmistakable air of mischief.

"I am… a traveler. I actually was never born in this world… nor am I from here."

Nami stared at him, feeling her head spin yet again. "Then where—?"

Robin silently pointed upward.

Nami followed her gaze, and for the first time, she truly took in the windowed ceiling above them. Beyond the glass, the vast cosmos stretched infinitely, swirling with endless stars and celestial bodies. The universe seemed alive, planets drifting and shifting as if caught in an eternal dance.

Her breath caught in her throat.

"I don't… I don't understand…" she whispered.

Franky chuckled as he tousled her hair, his large hand ruffling the fiery strands like she was a kid.

"Space, kid. Like beyond the stars."

Nami furrowed her brows. "Are you… a witch, too?"

Franky bellowed a laugh, shaking his head. "Nah, just a SoCal dude who got a little too into quantum mechanics and space-time travel."

Nami's mind spiraled yet again. The information was too much.

"I have no idea what that means..."

Robin, ever observant, poured her another cup of tea. "Think of it this way… just as we are all connected—evil and good, darkness and light—Franky is also a part of this energy. He's just from another space and time...where they apparently have only one sun."

"And why did you stay here? If this isn't your home?"

Franky grinned, his gaze softening as it drifted toward Robin. "Home is where the heart is… and she captured mine in her hands."

Robin raised her cup to her lips, a slight blush dusting her cheeks, but she hid it well.

"He thought I was an angel…" she mused.

Franky deadpanned. "And then she clutched me by my balls and, well… here we are now."

Nami was flabbergasted. Her world had already flipped upside down, but the more she explored, the more it became something entirely unrecognizable.

She let out a slow breath, rubbing her temples as her eyes flickered to Zoro's still form. His chest rose and fell steadily, his breathing even. And yet… she had questions.

"Can you… tell me about Zoro?"

Robin smirked, flicking her wrist to turn on the stove, and a hand materialized to ignite the flame.

"Now, that's an even longer story…"

Franky stretched his arms over his head, already moving toward the kitchen.

"I'll get dinner started then."

The wind howled through the empty ruins, carrying the scent of ancient stone and salt from the distant sea. A storm churned on the horizon, its ominous presence crackling in the air. The world seemed to hold its breath.

Robin stood in the center of the temple ruins, her fingers wrapped around the hilt of Wado Ichimonji.

The blade rested in her grasp, its pristine white sheath stark against the darkening sky. Her expression was unreadable, but her body was tense, bracing for the inevitable.

Zoro's voice shattered the silence, raw and laced with fury. "Give it back."

His silhouette stood at the temple's entrance, his figure outlined against the setting sun. His muscles coiled like a predator, ready to pounce. His eyes, burning with barely restrained rage, were locked on the sword in Robin's hands.

She exhaled softly, her many hands resting by her side, not yet raised in defense. "Zoro, listen to me-"

"No." His voice was low, but there was something lethal in it. He took a single step forward. "You don't get to talk your way out of this, Demon Child. Give me my sword. Now."

Robin frowned. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Demon Lord. I had to take it. Something is wrong with this blade, and you-"

"You stole from me." His hands curled into fists at his sides. His breath was controlled, but she knew that control was fragile, teetering on the edge of something dangerous. "Of all people, you-"

Robin remained still. "I did it to protect you."

"I don't need protection from my own sword!" Zoro's voice boomed through the ruins, the storm clouds roiling above in response.

"This sword is not yours." Robin's grip on Wado Ichimonji tightened. "This sword is older than you think. Older than even the name you carry. It has a past that you haven't begun to understand. And if you don't remember-"

"I don't care about the past!" Zoro roared, finally stepping into the temple. His aura was dark and suffocating, and his entire body was rigid with barely contained violence.

Robin narrowed her eyes. "Then why do you feel like killing me right now?"

Zoro flinched.

Something dark flickered in his gaze, an instinct buried deep, one even he didn't recognize. The rage, the possessiveness over the blade... it wasn't just anger. It was something more primal. More ancient.

Robin saw it clearly now.

"You don't even realize it, do you?" she murmured. "You're not just attached to this sword. It's controlling you."

"Enough." Zoro reached for his remaining swords.

Robin's eyes darkened. "If you dare unsheathe those against me, I will consider it an act of war."

His nostrils flared, and for a split second, she thought he would do it- that he would strike at her without hesitation.

Robin didn't move.

"Find your memories, Zoro." Her voice was softer now. "You need to understand who you were before you were a swordsman. Before Luffy saved you. Before you even had this blade."

Zoro's teeth clenched. He took another step forward, shadows stretching behind him.

Robin's stomach twisted. The presence around him was shifting. She could see it now, dark energy curling around his frame like unseen chains, whispering to him, pulling at him. Something buried inside of him was awakening, and it wasn't something he was ready to face.

Her heart clenched.

"You don't want the truth." She took a step back. "You're afraid of it."

His jaw tightened. "And you're afraid of me."

Robin finally allowed a smirk to ghost across her lips. "No. I'm afraid of what's inside you."

That was it. That was the moment he snapped.

Zoro lunged, his speed inhuman; his remaining blades were left at the door as he screamed a guttural cry and clawed at her.

Robin was caught off guard by the animalistic nature of the man she once considered a friend. The sword reacted in her palms, burning her as she took flight from the oncoming attack.

A dozen arms bloomed from the stone floor, from the walls, from Zoro's own body-grabbing, restraining, blocking his path. She didn't attack. She only stopped him long enough to make her escape.

She leaped backward into the temple shadows, her voice carrying over the wind as she vanished into the darkness.

"Next time you dare lay a hand on me, Roronoa Zoro... I will kill you."

The storm finally broke, rain crashing against the temple ruins as Zoro stood there, his inhumane screams echoing a deathly echo that came from Wado Ichimonji.