Brynlee settled the unconscious Robin in the spare room next to the boys' living space. It was mostly occupied by crates of food and barrels of water, but they managed to set up a comfy enough cot with plenty of spare pillows, and Brynlee pulled out one of the many items she'd purchased back in Waypoint Wares: a pair of Seastone handcuffs. It was enough to calm the others down a bit since Robin wouldn't be able to escape or hurt them as easily without her Devil Fruit.

Vivi was still quite agitated by Miss All Sunday's unexpected… acquirement, but Nami set her up in the girls' cabin and managed to put her to sleep, at last.

Finally, they set out on the next leg of their journey, and Brynlee joined her Captain outside, where he was sitting on the top of their figurehead – his special seat.

"Hey, Luffy?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think I did the right thing? Killing the Unluckies, I mean."

Luffy shrugged. "You said you did it to protect us. I don't like killing for no reason, but I trust you. And we're pirates! There's gonna be people who want to fight us who we won't be able to beat without killing them, you know?"

She let out a small sigh of relief. "So you're not mad?"

"Course not! It's not like you do it just because you like it, either." He crossed his arms over his chest, obviously thinking it over seriously. "People die all the time fighting for what they believe in, anyway. You can't save everyone."

"Fair enough. I fear the Princess may have a harder time understanding that part, however. Despite her years in Baroque Works, I don't think she's ever had the heart to accept the death of others."

"What's that mean?"

"You may want to fight Crocodile, but she wants to stop the civil war and save her people. So, when we get to Alabasta, we'll need to make her understand that it's okay to rely on us to make this work, okay?"

"I don't really get it, but sure! As long as I get to kick Crocodile's ass!"

"Atta boy."

"She shouldn't have talked to you like that."

"Nami, it's okay. I'm totally fine—"

"And what she told you was totally uncalled for!"

Brynlee hadn't expected Nami to get this worked up over her earlier mild argument with Vivi. Quite frankly, she'd already moved on from it, so she couldn't quite grasp why Nami didn't do the same. While unkind, it's not like Vivi had been entirely wrong in her assessment of her character, either.

"How can you not be upset!?" she finally snapped.

"Because I have wonderful friends who'll stand by me no matter what and because what she said wasn't entirely untrue?"

Nami instantly rounded on her, glaring. "You're not a monster."

"Maybe not in the sense she intended, no. But I am capable of doing inhuman things if it means protecting you and our boys. You know that, right?"

Nami's expression softened a bit. "I know. But if push comes to shove, so would any of us."

"Good to know. In any case, Vivi is grieving a very dear friend right now. They went through so much together in the past few years, only capable of relying on each other while undercover, so losing him so abruptly is sure to leave her at a loss. She's forced to rely on a bunch of unknown pirates, forced to trust us with her life and the fate of her kingdom. She's under considerable stress, and she's probably emotionally exhausted, too."

"Still, you tried to comfort her yet she—"

"A stranger offered her callous words that might as well have been lies, if only to get her moving," corrected Brynlee. "She doesn't know me, nor trust me. It's only natural that she would doubt my knowledge, and she's not in a state of mind capable of rationality right now, anyway. So, don't be too hard on her, alright? She'll need a friend, and it obviously won't be me."

After a few seconds, what little was left of Nami's righteous anger finally deflated, and she pulled Brynlee into a tight hug.

"I hate it when you make sense. I feel stupid for getting mad at her, now."

"Don't. I really appreciate you standing up for me."

For only answer, Nami simply hugged her a little tighter.

"Here, Sanji."

"What's this?"

Brynlee handed him one of the books she'd purchased in Loguetown: A Hundred & One Meals – Genuine Alabastan Cuisine. Sanji's eyes immediately started shining with interest, as they always did whenever he got his hands on a new recipe, but his enthusiasm faltered a bit when he glanced back toward Brynlee.

"Are you sure you're alright? What Princess Vivi said—"

"I'm fine. I'll clear the air with her later, but I'm not mad nor hurt. I promise. So, don't feel guilty, alright? Just do your best with those recipes. I'm sure the Princess will be overjoyed to finally taste a piece of home. Who knows when's the last time she did?"

Sanji's shoulders lost their minute tenseness at her reassurance, obviously glad she didn't bear any grudge toward the Princess. She knew that, despite his principles, Sanji would have taken her side had there been any sides to take – and while she appreciated it, there truly was no need for him and the rest of the crew to alienate the poor girl.

Vivi might not trust her, but if she could help the others build a better relationship with her, it should render their journey a little smoother, at the very least.

Since it's the holidays, I'll post the next chapter tomorrow! Ah, I love writing these little moments.