Chapter 51 – Horseplay
Robin leaned against the rail, quietly watching the surging sea.
Beside Dante Voss she felt light, at ease.
A feeling she'd never had beside Crocodile.
Compared with that ambitious Shichibukai, Dante Voss was purer, more dependable.
After all, they shared the same plight.
Sanji carried over a glass of juice and simpered, "Miss Robin, please enjoy the juice I prepared just for you!"
Robin came back to herself, looked at the fawning cook, and gave a radiant smile.
"Thank you, Mr. Sanji!"
"No thanks needed! Oh-ho!"
At her smile Sanji spun in delight, flames practically dancing in his eyes.
Handing her the juice, he glanced at the heap of fish beside Dante Voss and rubbed his chin. "So many fish! Let's make today a fish feast!"
"Then I'll leave it to you, Sanji."
Dante Voss gave him a smile, found a deck chair, and stretched out.
"Oh, leave it to me!"
Sanji nodded, lifted the bucket of fish, and headed to the galley to start dinner.
Watching Dante Voss recline, Robin smiled softly and lay on the neighbouring chair to read.
A salty, warm sea breeze drifted past.
Lying on deck felt like rocking in a cradle—gentle, soothing.
But the quiet didn't last; Luffy, Usopp and Chopper, worn out from play, trotted over to Dante Voss.
Luffy pleaded,
"Dante Voss, take me flying, pleeease? Pretty please?"
He grabbed Dante Voss's arm and shook it hard, eyes shining with hope.
A restless soul like Luffy yearned to soar.
Ever since he'd seen Dante Voss's power of flight, he'd begged for a taste.
"Can we really fly? I wanna fly too!" Little Chopper's eyes sparkled as he stared expectantly at Dante Voss.
"Me too, me too!" Usopp threw his hand up, eager for the thrill of the sky.
The racket roused Dante Voss; reluctantly he activated Devil Power.
In an instant, black vapour poured from his body, forming a rope that bound Luffy, Usopp and Chopper and hoisted them skyward.
The demonic thread lengthened, whisking them dozens of metres above the going merry to spin in wide circles.
Luffy: "Whoa! We're flying!"
Usopp: "Help! I'm gonna die!"
Chopper: "Aaaah!"
Their howls filled the air; Dante Voss, fed up, let the rope climb another few dozen metres until they finally quieted.
"You're surprisingly good to them."
Robin watched, amused.
"Well… they're the only people in this world I can trust."
Dante Voss answered honestly.
In this world he had no family; the Straw Hats were all he knew.
He understood their characters, their backgrounds.
"Sounds like you really like them."
Robin said, a little surprised.
She'd thought Dante Voss was only hitching a ride—their personalities were nothing alike.
"Spend time with them and you'll see—they're the most reliable comrades you'll ever find."
Dante Voss replied, eyes still closed.
He knew Robin had boarded but hadn't decided to stay; her drifting past made trust hard.
In the original tale, if Luffy's crew hadn't saved her at Enies Lobby, she might never have sailed with them again.
"Reliable comrades…"
Robin's eyes flickered; the word felt foreign yet enticing.
"Honestly, those three never give us a moment's peace,"
Nami sighed, watching the spinning trio overhead.
"If they were quiet, they wouldn't be themselves."
Dante Voss's lips curved in a faint smile.
Nami gave a soft laugh. "True enough."
In her memory the three were never still except when asleep; silence would feel stranger.
"Nami, how about a leg massage?"
Dante Voss drawled from his chair.
Flames flashed in Nami's eyes. "Why should I massage your legs?!"
Ignoring her, Dante Voss pulled 100,000 Berries from behind his back.
In a blink Nami snatched the cash.
Her expression turned sweet; soft hands patted his calves.
"Dante Voss, is this pressure all right?" she cooed.
He nodded lazily. "Perfect—keep going."
Robin couldn't stop smiling; in one day here she'd laughed more than in the past year.
Up on deck, Sanji stepped out for a smoke. Seeing Nami kneading Dante Voss's legs, he erupted.
"Dante Voss! Why should Nami-swan massage you? She's never done that for me!"
He sprinted over, eyes bulging with envy.
"Dante Voss, I challenge you to a duel!"
Without opening his eyes Dante Voss murmured, "You can't beat me."
Sanji froze.
He knew ten of himself couldn't defeat this monster.
Switching tactics, he sidled up to Nami with a ingratiating smile. "Nami-swan, could you rub my legs too? They're so sore!"
Nami eyed him, extended her hand. "100,000 Berries, please."
Sanji felt lightning strike.
He didn't have a coin—all their money was in Nami's purse.
"Idiot."
Zoro, working out nearby, snorted.
"What'd you say, moss-head?!" Sanji snarled.
Can't beat Dante Voss, but I can handle you.
"Say that again, curly-brow!"
"Moss-head!"
"Curly-brow!"
They closed in and ended up brawling.
The going merry bustled with noise until the sun dipped and dinner began.
With Dante Voss's catch, Sanji served fish every way—braised, steamed, boiled—an endless spread.
Especially for Robin, new to his cooking, it felt like a whole New World.
After the feast the gang horsed around on deck; Dante Voss, a little dazed, pulled out a strange-looking fruit.