Chapter 154This kind of delicate psychological counseling should have been Nami's forte.But Luffy just came.He was clearly doing things he wasn't good at."Can I leave it to you?"Vivi's expression suddenly relaxed, her body leaned slightly forward, and her tone unconsciously began to draw out, carrying a hint of soft dependence.Luffy's scalp tingled at her words.It's here, again, this is too familiar.It was like that atmosphere in the Alabasta Palace, starting to spread."You can leave it to me, right?"Vivi said again, her voice softer, her eyes sparkling with a certain expectation.Luffy felt the air around him seem to become thick.Under the starlight, Vivi's eyes were hazy, her cheeks flushed, and the fresh scent of her recent bath lingered at his nose.At this moment, he should have shouted, 'Leave everything to me!'But this seemed to worsen Vivi's'symptoms'.However, Luffy couldn't refuse or even remain silent.His nakama's business was his business, and he had just said those words himself. Wouldn't denying it now be a contradiction?Treating a major illness or a minor one?You always have to choose one.For now, just treat one if you can!Luffy braced himself, trying to maintain his usual tone: "Of course, leave it to me."Vivi's smile instantly bloomed, dazzling under the starlight, as if she had truly caught the brightest star in the night sky.All around was silent, so quiet that they could hear each other's heartbeats.It was as if something had begun to grow in the girl's heart, taking root and sprouting. In this situation, it was hard to refuse; who could refuse?"It's very quiet here," Vivi suddenly said, her voice carrying a subtle hoarseness."It is very quiet," Luffy nodded, feeling his throat dry.Then, Vivi leaned in.Her soft, fragrant body almost nestled into his arms.She looked up, her long blue hair spread on the rock, her eyes shimmering with moisture: "Then, shall we do something else?""Something else?" Luffy felt his mind struggling to keep up.Vivi's blush deepened, but one hand quietly grabbed the hem of his shirt, seemingly wanting to lift it, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum: "I just wore..."She was referring to that exquisite lace lingerie.Before she could finish, Luffy, with quick eyes and hands, clapped a hand over her mouth, cold sweat instantly breaking out on his forehead."Don't do anything strange," he whispered, with a hint of helplessness and warning.Vivi, already extremely shy, was so embarrassed by Luffy's interruption and her own bold words that she wished she could find a hole to crawl into.However, Luffy's reaction made her feel a little wronged, and she muttered: "Why can you and Nami do strange things?""Huh?"Luffy was dumbfounded.Did Nami and I do anything strange? I don't remember doing anything.To Vivi, his reaction looked like he was trying to cover something up."So,"Vivi suddenly mustered her courage, pressing her body even closer, her chest almost against Luffy's arm, looking up at him with a determined, do-or-die look in her eyes, "do some strange things with me too."Things they had never done before.Her breath brushed against Luffy's neck, carrying a scorching heat."Don't you like me?" she asked the most crucial question."Of course, I like you!" Luffy blurted out.Vivi puffed out her cheeks: "I'm not talking about the kind of liking for a nakama!"He couldn't bluff his way out of this one.Luffy felt that if he told Vivi to sit still now, she would probably obey, but most likely with a wronged, teary-eyed look, staring at him. The thought alone made his scalp tingle."Is it because of Nami?"Vivi's voice trembled almost imperceptibly."Of course not!"Luffy immediately retorted.He liked Nami, and he liked Vivi; in his heart, this liking was the same—they were both important nakama.But with Vivi stating it so directly, his muddled mind seemed to have been forcibly crammed with things he had never thoroughly considered. Perhaps he was ignorant before, but now, some boundaries seemed to be blurring.He couldn't process it immediately. In a moment of urgency, he blurted out that classic maxim: "Your situation is a bit off right now, you know that, right? So I can't agree. I'm doing this for your own good!"This perfunctory, somewhat scoundrel-like statement made Vivi instantly furrow her delicate brows."Are you just humoring me?"Vivi suddenly interrupted him, a hint of resentment in her eyes. The docile, dependent look from before faded slightly, and the princess's keenness and persistence resurfaced."No," he instinctively denied, but his confidence was clearly lacking."Anyway, I like you,"Vivi grabbed Luffy's hand, her fingers firmly threading through his and then gripping tightly, intertwining their fingers, "not the kind of liking for a nakama, but a deeper kind."The atmosphere had been built up to this point; she didn't want to retreat anymore.She took a deep breath, as if using all her strength, and panted slightly with narrowed eyes: "I don't care what you think of me, but you can't abandon me."She was like a lost cat that had found its home.Chapter 226: Turning the TablesVivi didn't expect Luffy to give a clear answer immediately.She knew that Luffy's goal was to become the Pirate King, and his mind was mostly focused on getting stronger and on adventures.But feelings must be conveyed.It was a perfect opportunity tonight, under the secluded starlight, fueled by the unease brought by the wanted poster and the flutter in her heart after he comforted her.Otherwise, Nami was on the ship, and Robin, and even Merry.While Vivi didn't want to be at the very front, she certainly didn't want to be at the very back!Suddenly, Luffy moved.He yanked her sharply, pulling Vivi up from the ground, his movement so fast that she gasped.Immediately after, he wrapped an arm around her waist, taking her quickly behind a massive ancient tree that would take several people to embrace.With a soft thud, Vivi's back and the back of her head hit Luffy's pre-placed palm, and he held her firmly.Luffy's body then pressed against hers, completely enveloping her in the tree's shadow, the opaque giant trunk blocking the view from the platform.This sudden turn of events made Vivi so nervous her heart almost leaped out of her chest, and her cheeks instantly flushed crimson.She was the one who had been clamoring to do something earlier, but now, in this moment that felt like she was about to be 'executed on the spot,' her mind went blank, and she didn't even know what to say, only able to widen her eyes and look at Luffy, who was so close.Luffy looked at Vivi's panicked yet slightly expectant eyes, quickly put a finger to her lips, and whispered:"Shh, someone's outside."Vivi froze, then became even more nervous, even holding her breath.The perception ability brought by the Wind-Wind Fruit instantly spread, and she immediately caught the two familiar presences approaching.It was Robin and Nami!Why were they here?!Vivi became as nervous as Luffy, as if she had done something terribly wrong, subconsciously hugging Luffy tightly, burying her flushed face in his neck, not daring to move.Beyond the tree's shadow, Nami's slightly frightened voice came from not far away:"Robin, did we go the wrong way? It's so dark here."She couldn't help but hug Robin's arm tighter."Merry said the location was nearby, so we shouldn't have gone wrong."Robin's gaze seemed to sweep over the area.Nami and Robin had gone back to the going merryto find Vivi, but according to the location Merryprovided, they seemed to have gone to the wrong place.Luffy gnashed his teeth inwardly.He would definitely spank Merry's little bottom when they got back!She must have done it on purpose, leading Robinand Nami this way!But now he dared not move a muscle, not even paying attention to the beeping warning sounds ringing in his mind.If Nami and Robin discovered him and Vivi hiding behind the tree in such an ambiguous posture, Luffy could almost imagine Nami's kind smile, asking in a sickly sweet voice:"What are you two, a single man and a single woman, doing hiding in such a dark place?"When one is nervous, how can one multitask?The warning sound rang out in vain, and the inevitable punishment had already surged through his body.Vivi, already extremely nervous, was pressed tightly against Luffy's body and immediately clearly felt a certain part of his body undergo a noticeable change due to punishment and tension."Ugh!"Her eyes widened even further, and her body instantly stiffened.She let out a soft whimper of surprise and shyness, uncontrollably."Robin, I think I heard something?"Nami became even more frightened; a sudden sound in the middle of the night was simply too terrifying.Robin turned her head and looked towards the big tree for a few seconds, then her eyes shifted as she said, "Shall we go over and take a look?""No, let's not. It should... be an animal, right?"On this side of the big tree, the moment Vivi heard Nami's voice, her mind went completely blank.Her body trembled uncontrollably, either from extreme nervousness or from the unfamiliar stimulation of this intimate contact.Listening to the increasingly clear footsteps, Vivi's heart pounded, almost bursting through her chest.Her hands tightly hooked around Luffy's neck, and she asked in his ear, in a hushed, anxious voice tinged with a sob:"What do we do?"Luffy didn't answer, just pulled her closer into his embrace, hoping to use the tree's shadow and the darkness of night to better conceal them.He could clearly hear Vivi's rapid heartbeat and feel her hurried breath against his skin.Vivi's reaction was strong, so he tightly clasped the hand that wasn't hooked around his neck, trying to convey some calm.The firm, warm pressure from Luffy's palm slightly calmed Vivi down.At this moment, Robin and Nami's footsteps were already very close, almost on the other side of the tree trunk.Just then, Robin suddenly stopped, chuckled, and said:"Never mind, Nami, maybe I misheard, or it's a small animal. It's too dark here, let's go back.""Yes, yes, yes, it must be a small animal! Let's go back quickly!" Nami, of course, couldn't wait to leave.
