The island appeared just before noon.
On first sight, it appeared normal.
Small harbor. Wooden pier. Some buildings side by side. Smoke coming from chimneys. Vessels tied up off the shore.
But Rael didn't relax.
He stood at the front of the boat, eyes calm, slouching slightly, a sensory perimeter extended just far enough to detect what didn't belong.
"This place feels wrong," Robin said quietly.
Rael nodded. "Good. You noticed."
Vivi narrowed her eyes towards the docks. "I don't see anything odd."
"That's because you're seeing," Rael said. "You're looking
Kaya swallowed. "I feel. watched,"
"How are you going to get me to marry this guy?" she
"Good," he said again.
As they got closer, the truth was distintincteactuatedAn unearthed
Too many men on the docks.
Not working. Not unloading the cargo. Just standing. Sitting. Leaning on the crates.
watching.
And then, once their vessel was definitely visible, once the faces of **Nico Robin**, **Nefertari Vivi**, and **Kaya** appeared, so did theirs.
Smiles twisted.
Eyes lingered.
Whispers circulated.
Vivi knew it right away. She tensed her shoulders. "I don't like the way they're looking at us."
Kaya shrunk back. "Me neither."
"You're just like everyone else who's ever threatened me," she said. "You
Rael has seen the whole thing.
"Don't react just yet," he said quietly. "This is part of the test."
Vivi blinked. "Test
Rael steered the boat toward a clearing on the dock. "Awareness. Control. Judgment."
The boat nudged softly against the wood.
There was no one there to help.
Some men were laughing.
One whistled
Rael led off, his boots thudding softly on the dock. He didn't glance at the men. He turned to help Kaya down, Vivi, and finally Robin.
As soon as all four were on the dock, the pressure intensified.
Some pirates separated themselves from the crowd and began to walk towards them.
Slow. Lazy. Confident
Their clothes were frayed, their weapons slung loosely at their hips. Not muscular, but hardly dangerous either.
"Oh, look." One of them grinned. "Well, now, didn't expect such a nice view today."
Another man leaned in closer. "You ladies lost?"
Vivi clenched her fists.
Kaya's breathing quickened
"Robin's gaze sharpened
Rael didn't move.
He only said, "Handle them."
The girls froze.
Vivi turned to him. "Here?"
"Yes," Rael said calmly. "These are not good people."
One of the pirates laughed. "Hey, are you ignoring us, pretty boy?"
Rael finally met his eyes. They were expressionless. "You made your choice when you looked at them like that," he said.
This was sufficient motivation for the pirates.
One of them reached out too. "Maybe we'll just—"
"He never finished the sentence."
The first move was by Robin
She moved forward fluidly, her hands crossing briefly. The man's equilibrium was destroyed as unseen strength turned his wrists behind him, slamming him into the dock with his face pressed against it.
The echo sounded.
There was a silence
Then chaos.
"What the hell—!"
"Get them!"
Two pirates rushed Vivi.
Her heart was racing—but then she remembered Rael's voice. Breath. Feel. Move.
She moved aside rather than step back.
Her foot came swinging in a clumsy but rapid motion, knocking one pirate off kilter. Another grabbed her arm.
Pain flared.
Fear attempted to take control.
And then Vivi pushed—not hard, but with intent.
The pirate stumbled backwards as if he'd just hit a wall, bumping into an array of crates.
Vivi looked at her hand in shock. "I… I did that?" she repeated
"Don't stop," Rael said
Kaya was cornered near a post, shaking.
One pirate charged at her.
"No—!" she cried
Something clicked.
"I felt it—it was the same slight weight I'd had difficulty discerning before," she said.
She raised her cane without consideration.
The pirate held himself mid-step, as if his body had stopped listening to his commands altogether, and then he crashed to the floor, gasping for air.
Kaya gawked. "I. I felt him."
Rael smiled faintly.
Robin was already moving again, calmly and surely. A pirate went down. And another. And another.
In this case, there was hesitation among
"These were not helpless girls."
These were not easy targets.
"Retreat!" cried a
"Too late."
Rael finally moved forward.
He did not strike.
He didn't need to.
His presence alone was what forced the last pirate back on his heels, sending him tumbling to the floor on his hands and knees.
The dock fell silent.
People stood by, hesitating to interfere.
People stood by, hesitating to interfere.
Vivi's chest was rising and falling rapidly. "That. that was terrifying."
"But you handled it," Rael said.
Kaya nodded slowly. "I didn't freeze."
"They underestimated us." Robin dusted off her hands.
"Good sit
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