Rosen was caught off guard, and the next moment he was completely stunned when Robin whispered in his ear, "BOSS, do you… like me?"
There was no confidence in Robin's voice, only fear and unease. In that moment, even she didn't know why she asked.
But she was not foolish. On the contrary, she was highly intelligent; she had simply never considered this before.
Yet Rosen's presence had been like a gentle, silent rain—small and subtle, but enough to make barren soil slowly take root and bloom, eventually growing into flowers that stirred her heart.
It wasn't grand or intense, but a feeling that gradually emerged from countless small moments.
Rosen panicked. Why ask this all of a sudden? Did he even know if he liked her? Naturally, he did—but which kind of liking? That he wasn't yet sure of.
Being on the same ship every day, constantly together, did it even matter? They were always near each other.
"But I'm not as pretty as Sister Hathaway. BOSS, maybe you like the wrong person?" Robin's tone carried a hint of teasing, but underneath it was hidden anxiety.
"I…" Rosen was about to reply, but Robin suddenly kissed him. Rosen froze, stunned. The fleeting scent was intoxicating, the touch light as a dragonfly's wing, yet it left an indelible, exquisite impression—like feeling nothing, yet having everything.
"Robin, you…" Rosen was shocked. Her bold move after the delicate question completely caught him off guard.
"Oh my, BOSS's technique is unexpectedly clumsy… hehe, but what just happened stays secret." Robin returned to her usual composed elegance. Though unfamiliar with kissing, she noted his stiff, awkward reaction immediately.
"What just happened?" Rosen muttered, watching Robin walk away. Had he been entirely passive? Maybe he should have been more proactive.
Well, perhaps Robin had simply been overwhelmed today and needed to release her emotions.
"Uncle… what were you doing just now?" A small voice suddenly came from the window, a little head peeking over the edge with curiosity.
"Hmm?" Rosen's heart skipped. This mischievous child, skilled in Observation Haki, often appeared and vanished unpredictably.
"Why are you looking for me? Isn't it right after mealtime? Go ask someone else if you want food." Rosen went to the sofa, poured a glass of water, drank, then lit a cigar to calm down.
"Uncle, are you changing the topic? How did Sister Robin touch your lips with hers?" Natalie asked bluntly.
Recently, she had learned a new communication method from Valentine: focus on the key point, ask the important question.
She tended to talk endlessly, from day to night, always with fresh topics. After Valentine's lesson, she decided to simplify her questions.
"Come here, I'll tell you," Rosen beckoned Natalie.
"Yay!" She eagerly jumped into the room, but before she could celebrate, Rosen grabbed her ankle and lifted her.
"Here we go." He swung her in a circle and tossed her toward the mainmast sail.
"Wow, so fun…" Though spinning in the air and landing on the sailcloth, Natalie was exhilarated.
"What kind of game is this?" Leah glanced briefly and lost interest. Being tossed out of the captain's room was nothing new for Natalie.
Robin returned to her room, cheeks burning. Having avoided the desert sun and long travels recently, her skin had become fairer.
Blushing was obvious. At this moment, she wished for darker skin, so it might not show.
What had she been thinking? And BOSS—why didn't he stop her?
"Hey, I'm telling you, just now Sister Robin in Uncle's room…" Natalie slid down the sailcloth and got up to gossip, but before finishing, two arms sprouted behind her, covering her mouth.
Then an arm from the floor flipped her over, and before she hit the ground, two rows of arms pushed her rolling into Robin's room.
"Fun, ahahaha…" Natalie found it hilarious—rolling around by someone else's hands was entertaining.
Rosen, standing in the captain's room, watched her roll into Robin's room through the window, smiling and letting out a slight sigh of relief.
Anything Natalie spoke of could morph into many interpretations. Her perspective was often sharp and tricky.
"Huh?" The crew sensed a subtle tension, but nothing concrete—Robin in BOSS's room wasn't unusual.
"What's happening in the room?" Hathaway wondered, though she realized it wasn't important, despite Robin acting unusually.
Meanwhile, the bloodshed at the Sabaody Archipelago continued, but Rosen and his crew were unaffected, having escaped in time.
Other pirates weren't so lucky, and from all angles, the Marines' joint operation with the World Government ended in failure.
Days passed, and the storm gradually settled.
"Give me a month, two warships, and I'll bring back the heads of the Straw Hat and Dawn captains," Ramirez said over Den Den Mushi. He had gotten too carried away fighting the legendary Pirate Dark King Rayleigh and forgotten his task.
"Understood." The other side paused briefly, then consented.
Marine Headquarters then withdrew all forces, as the news was public: Whitebeard was surely preparing for battle.
The public execution was scheduled in five days.
Though the chaos at Sabaody was severe, it could not compare to the coming storm: Whitebeard's mobilization.
The other Four Emperors would not sit idly by. For territory or wealth, they wouldn't miss this opportunity.
Each Emperor's territory was fortified; even another Emperor would suffer losses trying to invade. When they moved out, it meant massive upheaval.
Kaido, Big Mom, Red-Haired, and others had begun taking corresponding actions.
The Marines dispatched surveillance to the New World, but ships were often destroyed by Whitebeard's crew soon after arrival. Marine Headquarters could not track Whitebeard's fleet.
The world debated whether this war would truly break out. For Sengoku and others, it would—it was inevitable, as they knew Whitebeard.
Sabaody Archipelago began to recover, as it was to host the live broadcast of the public execution. Famous journalists from around the world gathered near the giant Den Den Mushi screens to report Marine Headquarters' broadcast instantly.
(End of Chapter)