Mira bounced at the front of the stall, waving at passersby. "Cookies! Delicious cookies! Buy one for your sweetheart! Buy one for yourself! Buy one because I'm cute and I asked nicely!"
Her maid dress fluttered in the wind. Several pirates stopped just to stare at her. Mira beamed and struck a pose. One of them dropped his ale.
Robin stood slightly behind the stall, her arms crossed, her eyes scanning the crowd. Her posture was relaxed, almost lazy. But her eyes missed nothing.
She wasn't just watching for handsy drunks—she was watching for tails. Anyone lingering too long. Anyone whose gaze stayed on them instead of the cookies.
A drunk pirate stumbled too close to the stall, his hand reaching for Nami's waist. Before anyone saw it, a small hand sprouted from his own shadow—a detached palm blooming silently from the ground.
The hand twisted. There was a soft crack. The pirate's face went white. He opened his mouth to scream, but another sprouted hand clamped over his lips, Robin's smile sweet as poison from across the stall.
"Shh," she whispered. "You tripped. You fell. Nothing happened."
She released him. The hands dissolved into flower petals. He staggered backward, one hand clutching his crotch, the other pressed over his mouth. He didn't make a sound. He just ran.
Nami hadn't even noticed. She was too busy counting coins. The stack had grown into a small mountain. She had sold forty-seven cookies at five hundred berries each—that was over twenty-three thousand berries.
But that was just the beginning. She had also started a bidding war for the last three cookies, driving the price up to eight hundred apiece.
A bearded pirate with a hook for a hand had just paid nine hundred for the second-to-last one. Nami's eyes had turned into berry symbols. She was already planning how to reinvest the profits into more ingredients. 'Maybe I can convince Takuya to make a whole batch for the next island.'
Beside her, Vivi had found her rhythm completely. She no longer hesitated. She met every customer's eyes with the calm, unshakable confidence of a queen who knew her worth.
A group of rough-looking pirates had approached, and Vivi had simply raised one eyebrow and said, "I trust you'll be on your best behavior."
They nodded like scolded schoolboys and bought four cookies each. One of them had actually bowed. Vivi didn't even smile—she just inclined her head, accepting their tribute as her due.
'This isn't so hard,' she thought. 'Nami was right. They want to be treated like subjects. So I'll treat them like subjects.'
And behind them all, Robin was having the time of her life.
Every crack of bone sent a small thrill through her chest. The way the men's faces went white, the way they stumbled away without a sound, the way no one ever knew what had happened—it was art.
She had spent twenty years being hunted, being betrayed, having fear of being betrayed, running from one place to another just to survive, keeping her mind on double shift to pursue her passion while also protecting herself from hungry hyenas who just wanted her bounty, she had endured it all for more than 20 years.
Now, she was the one in the shadows. Now, she was the one breaking them.
She let her smile widen, just slightly, as another man walked past, his eyes lingering too long on Vivi's legs. Robin's fingers twitched.
A single petal bloomed at his feet. He stepped on it, slipped, and fell face-first into a pile of horse manure. Robin didn't even need to touch him. 'That was almost too easy.'
But beneath the sadistic pleasure, there was something else. A quiet, steady warmth in her chest. She glanced toward the edge of the market, where she had last seen Takuya disappear into the crowd.
He had said he would be close. He had said to use the cookies if things went wrong. But nothing had gone wrong. Because she was here. Because he trusted her to protect the others.
And if something did go wrong—he would come. He would protect her. She didn't have to run anymore.
The thought settled into her bones like a second skin. She exhaled slowly, her shoulders dropping, and let herself enjoy the moment.
The chaos. The cookies. The quiet knowledge that for the first time in her life, she was exactly where she was supposed to be and where she wanted to be.
Another drunk stumbled too close to Nami. Another hand sprouted from nowhere. Another soft crack.
Robin's smile never wavered.
Vivi glanced over her shoulder. "Robin?"
"Hm?" Robin turned, her expression serene. She gestured vaguely toward the harbor. "Just looking at the port. Trying to determine its history. The architecture suggests it was built over several centuries, with different influences layered on top of each other."
Vivi nodded and went back to her cookies. She didn't ask questions. She didn't need to.
Nami counted her coins and grinned. Vivi ruled her small kingdom of cookie buyers. And Robin watched it all, a silent guardian with bloody hands and a peaceful heart.
The last cookie sold for twelve hundred berries. Nami almost kissed it goodbye.
Takuya had left the stall an hour ago, slipping into the crowded streets of Mock Town. He wore a simple cloak, his face half-hidden. He moved like a ghost through the chaos, his eyes cataloging everything.
He passed a bar where shouting echoed through the walls. Luffy's voice. And another voice—deep, laughing, familiar.
Takuya stopped and signaled to Zoro, who was leaning against a nearby wall. Zoro caught his eye, nodded once, and followed him inside.
Through the open doorway, Takuya saw them. Luffy sat at a table with a large, bearded man in a worn coat. Blackbeard. They were arguing about cherry pie. Luffy insisted the pie at the counter looked better. Blackbeard claimed the one he was eating was superior. Neither would back down.
Zoro found a stool in the corner, ordered a drink, and said nothing. His hand rested on his sword, but his posture was relaxed. Waiting.
Luffy noticed Takuya and grinned. "Takuya! Try this pie and tell him I'm right! And after that, we're going to find a way to the sky island!"
The bar went quiet.
A man with spring-like limbs—Bellamy—laughed from across the room. "Sky island? Are there still people talking about that fairy tale? There's no island in the sky, idiot. It's a legend for children."
His crew laughed with him. Someone threw a peanut at Luffy's head. It bounced off his straw hat.
Luffy didn't move. He didn't look at Bellamy. He didn't even blink. His eyes stayed on the pie. Zoro kept drinking, his face blank, not reacting. Takuya had signaled him earlier. 'Let them talk. Ignore them.'
Another pirate shouted, "Noland the Liar! That's who you believe in? He was executed for lying about a city of gold!"
Still nothing. Luffy picked up a fork. Zoro ordered another drink. Bellamy's grin faltered. He wasn't used to being ignored.
"You hear me, you, one with the straw hat? Your dreams are worthless! The age of dreaming is over!"
Blackbeard set down his fork. He looked at Bellamy, then at Luffy, then at Takuya. A slow smile spread across his face.
"People's dreams," Blackbeard said, his voice carrying across the silent bar, "never end."
Bellamy's face twisted. "What did you say?"
Blackbeard leaned back, still smiling. "Ze ha ha ha. You heard me."
Takuya watched the exchange, saying nothing. This was the moment. The canon was playing out, but he had changed the seating.
Bellamy stood up, cracking his knuckles. "You think you can ignore us? In our town?"
Takuya moved. Not fast, not slow. Just there—between Bellamy and the table. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a small pouch. Inside were cookies. Warm, golden-brown, dusted with powdered sugar.
He placed one on Luffy's plate. One on Blackbeard's. One on Zoro's table. Then he tossed cookies to everyone else in the bar—the bartender, the drunk in the corner, the two pirates playing cards, even Bellamy's crew. Each person caught one, confused but curious.
"Try these instead," Takuya said. "They're better than pie."
Luffy shoved the whole cookie into his mouth without hesitation. His eyes went wide. "It's... it's different. Chewy. Sweet. Not like pie at all. But good. Really good."
Blackbeard took a bite more cautiously. His expression shifted—surprise, then something softer. "It's got a kick to it. Spicy. Not bad."
Zoro bit into his cookie and grunted. "It'll do."
Takuya clapped Luffy on the shoulder. "Come on. We have something to catch."
Luffy stood up, suddenly focused. "Where?"
"The forest. There's a bird that always points south. We need it to reach the sky."
Bellamy opened his mouth to object. Takuya looked at him—just looked—and Bellamy's throat went dry.
It wasn't a threatening glare. It wasn't a challenge. It was worse. It was the kind of look a predator gives prey when it's not hungry enough to bother. A lion looking at a rat. Not worth the effort.
Bellamy felt something cold crawl down his spine. His fists unclenched. His springy legs felt heavy. Every instinct that had kept him alive in the Grand Line screamed at him to sit down, shut up, and pretend this conversation never happened.
He sat down. He picked up the cookie. He bit into it without tasting it.
His hands were shaking. He didn't know why. The man hadn't moved. Hadn't threatened him. Hadn't even frowned. But Bellamy knew—deep in his gut, the way animals know when a storm is coming—that if he had taken one more step, said one more word, something would have happened. Something permanent.
He chewed the cookie and stared at the table until the door closed behind the three men.
His crew looked at him, confused. "Boss?"
"Shut up," Bellamy said quietly. "Just... shut up and eat your cookies."
He didn't look toward the door again.
Luffy, Takuya, and Zoro walked out together. Blackbeard watched them go, still chewing his cookie, a strange look in his eyes.
They ran through the streets, weaving between pirates and stalls. A fishmonger shouted at them. Luffy laughed. Takuya smiled. Zoro followed behind, keeping an eye on their backs.
In the forest, they moved like they had done this a hundred times. Luffy swung from vines. Takuya leaped over the roots. Zoro cut through branches that got in his way. They didn't need to talk. They just moved.
"Left," Takuya said.
Luffy veered left without asking why.
"There."
A small bird with a blue body and a permanently rotated head sat on a low branch, its beak pointing south no matter how it turned.
Luffy crept forward. The bird didn't move. He reached out slowly—
The bird pecked his finger.
"Ow!" Luffy shook his hand. "It bit me!"
Takuya laughed—a real laugh, not his usual quiet smirk. "You have to be faster than that."
Luffy tried again. He lunged. The bird hopped to a higher branch. Luffy's face hit the dirt.
"I almost had it!"
He climbed the tree. The bird flew to another branch. Luffy swung after it, missed, and landed in a bush.
"This bird is fast!"
He tried a sneak attack from behind. The bird turned its head—always south, always watching—and pecked his nose before he even got close.
"OW! It got me again!"
Zoro watched from the ground, arms crossed. "Are you going to catch it or marry it?"
Luffy pouted. Takuya stepped forward, casual, unhurried. He reached up and snatched the bird cleanly off the branch, tucking it under his arm like he was picking up a piece of fruit. The bird squawked but didn't struggle.
Luffy stared at him. "How did you do that?"
"I've had practice." Takuya held out the bird. "Here. You carry it."
Luffy took it, then frowned at the bird in his hands. "Is this food?"
The bird's eyes went wide. It squawked loudly and started flapping.
Takuya shook his head. "No. This is a South Bird. It always points south. We need it to find the way to Sky Island. If you eat it, we're lost."
Luffy's expression changed instantly. He cradled the bird gently, like a baby, careful not to squeeze. "Oh. Okay. Sorry, bird."
The bird stopped struggling. It pecked his nose once, lightly, then settled in his arms. Luffy didn't even flinch.
Zoro leaned against a tree, watching. "You two done playing with the bird?"
Luffy looked at Takuya, a big grin spreading across his face. "Hey. You feel like Ace."
Takuya raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know how to explain it," Luffy said, still grinning, bouncing a little on his heels. "Ace is my brother. We're not related by blood, but he's my brother. And you... you feel like that. Like someone I've known forever." His voice was happy, light, like he was talking about something wonderful.
Takuya was quiet for a moment. Then he reached out and ruffled Luffy's hair, the same way Ace used to.
"Let's go home," he said.
Luffy grinned. "Yeah."
Zoro pushed off the tree. "About time. I need another drink."
Takuya reached into his cloak and pulled out a small wrapped package. He tossed it to Zoro. "Alcohol-flavored cookies. Made them this morning."
Zoro caught it, sniffed, then bit into one. His eye widened slightly. He chewed, swallowed, and grunted. "Not bad."
He took another bite and followed them out of the forest.
A/N: If my story made you smile even once, that's a win for me. That's what I want to live for—brightening dull days and reminding people that joy still exists. My dream is to make a difference in someone's life through my stories, to someday reach a legendary level of storytelling, and spread as much happiness I can in this world, before I take my leave from this world.
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