"You seem… pleased?" Robin's voice pulled Carina back from her daydreams.
"Ahem. Don't mind me," Carina said. "I was just deciding whether to take over your group as the owner."
"Have you decided?" Robin asked.
"I have. I'll join the group—but you still need to leave it."
Carina's eyes were firm. She didn't have time to watch Robin every second—she had to watch Arton: keep him from jotting their destination in the diary copy, and, well, keep their rapport rising. Both mattered far more than babysitting Robin.
Cutting off Robin's comms with Vivi, Paula, and Mikita—who might run into Marines or World Government agents outside the Sylvan—was simply safer.
"Of course. I'll add you first," Robin said with a faint smile. "Then I'll exit."
She sent the invite through her diary copy. Moments later, the anxious trio saw a new-member notice pop up in the chat.
[Mikita: A new member?]
[Paula: Ara ara… quite an impressive person!]
[Vivi: The Flameblade Pirates' vice-captain, Miss Carina!]
[Carina: Vice-captain, huh… Hehe. I like you, Princess Vivi.]
[Vivi: I-I don't deserve that!]
[Robin: I'll leave this group in Miss Carina's care for now. If you have questions, ask her.]
A system ping announced that Robin had left the chat. The three tensed—the 'owner' was now one of Arton's actual women.
[Carina: Ahem. I'm only managing this group temporarily. I won't answer at all hours.]
[Mikita: Could you at least tell us where you're headed? We want to meet Arton.]
[Vivi: Y-yes, please!]
[Paula: A man that legendary—if I don't meet him, I'll regret it forever.]
[Carina: Unfortunately, I can't grant that. If Robin becomes a member of the Flameblade Pirates, I might share a sliver of inside info. For now, no. I've got things to do—chat later.]
[Mikita: H-How could you…]
[Paula: So it still depends on Miss All Sunday's performance.]
[Vivi: Sigh…]
Carina closed her diary copy and looked up at Robin's face. "All right—come with me, Robin…"
"What would you like me to do, Miss Carina?" Robin asked with a warm smile. She was in high spirits; she hadn't joined yet, but step one had gone well.
"Didn't Captain Arton say he wants to see you in a qipao? Don't tell me you've forgotten."
"Of course not," Robin said. "Do we have something that fits me? If possible, I'd like a high-slit hem. A front keyhole cut would be even better."
"Hehe. You could just say you want something eye-catching for Arton," Carina teased, then added, "We don't have one tailored for you. But you can alter one. A woman who's drifted at sea this long should have that skill."
Robin nodded. "I'm no professional seamstress, but I can handle basic alterations. It might not come out perfect—but for now, it will do."
Chapter 362 — Recharging Arton
Since Arton wanted to see her in a qipao serving as a waitress, Robin didn't want to wait until they reached a town to buy one. Right now, she wanted to seize every minute to win Arton's favor—so he'd agree to let her stay with the Flameblade Pirates.
"In that case, let's go," Carina waved, about to head toward her room. As the crew's second songstress, she'd prepared no fewer outfits than Uta—qipaos included.
"Wait, Miss Carina," Robin suddenly said. "It seems Arton is writing in the diary again."
"Hm? The diary again? Let me see… Huh, Arton almost revealed our destination! Good thing Kaya is there. But Kaya's being so bold… Asking the shy Kaya to do that is a bit much for her. Hold on—this is… about you?!"
Carina glanced over her diary copy, then looked at Robin with a playful smile. "Lucky you, Robin. If Arton reveals your future, you can sidestep a dangerous one. And since he's mentioning your name so much, you'll rack up a lot of points. You'll get strong fast."
"Let's hope so," Robin replied casually, though her attention was locked on the diary. What Carina didn't know was that Robin, while curious about her future, was focused on the photos and short clips of Kaya.
Using a broad embrace to envelop Arton…If I told Arton I could envelop his little friend with my chest, would he accept? Robin wondered.
…
Aboard the Sylvan, in the lookout room.
"Arton, are you okay? Should I prepare a medicinal bath to help you recover?" Kaya stood behind Arton, worried.
"Uh… a medicinal bath in the lookout room feels a little weird," Arton rubbed his cheek and shook his head. "That fight with Blackbeard didn't leave me drained. Don't worry, Kaya—I just need to sit here and rest a bit."
He patted the stool he was on, propped his chin in one hand, and stared out at the sea.
"I—if that's the case… then at least let me use chakra to help you recover," Kaya said. She stepped behind him and placed both hands on his shoulders.
A subtle pulse of chakra flowed; steady streams of energy poured from Kaya's hands into Arton's body.
"Thanks, Kaya." Arton turned and gave her a big smile.
Kaya answered with a smile of her own. For the moment, Arton had no lewd thoughts—Kaya was recharging him; teasing her now would be over the line. He quietly opened the Voyage Diary, recorded a bit of Kaya restoring his stamina, then focused on the text field again.
Kaya, meanwhile, saw fresh content appear in her diary copy and instantly perked up. She had a mission now: stop Arton from blurting out their next destination.
[Photo: Kaya's Recovery Technique.]
[Inviting Kaya aboard was the best. After every battle, Kaya helps me restore stamina.]
[Bringing Kaya onto the crew was absolutely the right call.]
"Gion: The diary again?"
"Doll: Post-battle recharge—hugely important. Kaya's power really matters to Arton."
"Smoothie: Fast recovery after a fight changes everything in attrition. Having Kaya versus not having her makes a massive difference."
...
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