After some discussion, the Straw Hat crew summarized the commonality of their strange encounter:
The points in time they traveled to were precisely the softest, most blissful periods buried deep within other people's memories. But what was heartbreaking was that those beautiful times were something they could never retrieve...
Moreover, precisely because of this bizarre Rainbow Mist, the bonds between the few of them had invisibly deepened.
This large expanse of strange mist seemed to have completed its mission, so it slowly dissipated amidst the resentful gazes of Sanji and Usopp. At the same time, the Log Pose on Nami's wrist returned to normal.
"Alright, then let's set off again!" Luffy pressed down on his treasured straw hat, revealing a big grin.
The Going Merry set sail once more!
Night fell; the moon was bright, and the stars were few.
Having finished dinner, Sherlock walked out of the chaotic cabin and came onto the deck. Leaning lightly against the ship's rail, he gazed at the silent night colors, and his originally somewhat restless heart gradually calmed down.
Actually, Sherlock had many questions he wanted to ask Luffy—he wanted to ask that airhead captain what he had done with his younger self and his sister back then. But the Arcanist hesitated again and again, and in the end, the words never left his mouth, as if he were constantly running away from something in his heart.
(Actually, I'm a coward too. Not only do I not dare to find out how Lisanna is doing now, but even regarding the things from before...)
A cool night breeze blew through Sherlock's black hair, revealing a small tuft of bright silver hair. He gently pushed up his glasses and spoke faintly:
"I really am a complete idiot."
Patta patta~~ Along with the sound of footsteps, a faint scent of flowers drifted from afar to near.
"You ate very little tonight, Sherlock. Mr. Cook was just suspecting that he might have used the wrong seasoning." Robin walked gracefully to the Arcanist's side, leaning somewhat lazily against the rail as she looked into the distance. Blown by the refreshing sea breeze, the intellectual beauty narrowed her eyes comfortably.
Sherlock shook his head. "No, Sanji's cooking is delicious as always. I just didn't have much of an appetite today."
"Oh? Is it because you remembered your sister again?" As she spoke, the enchanting woman turned her head to look at the bespectacled man beside her, a smile on her lips.
"..." Sherlock remained silent. The lenses of his glasses turned white from the reflection of the light, obscuring his black eyes and making it impossible to fathom his thoughts at this moment.
Speaking of which, Sherlock and Robin were indeed painted in a different style than Luffy and the other goofballs. But the difference was that Sherlock blended naturally into the group of goofballs; even if he never acted foolishly along with Luffy and the others, he didn't seem out of place.
But Robin was different. Ever since she joined the ship that day, there had been a faint sense of distance between her and everyone else, though the distance between her and the Arcanist was much smaller.
Coupled with the fact that this man and woman had surprisingly similar personalities and hobbies, the two of them often stuck together. This terrified a certain lovestruck cook, who was deeply afraid that his dear Robin-chwan would fall into the "quagmire" just like Princess Vivi, unable to extricate herself.
"People can only continue to live by forgetting memories..." Sherlock lamented quite abruptly. Then he raised his head, gazing quietly at the starry sky, the expression on his face extremely focused. "However, there are also things that absolutely must not be forgotten."
"Yes, people shouldn't always live in their memories." Nico Robin nodded. Then she hesitated for a moment before asking with feigned casualness, "By the way, Sherlock, you must have met the childhood version of me, right?"
"Did you do anything strange?" Robin's beautiful eyes curved into two crescents. This question was the main purpose of her seeking out Sherlock for a chat.
Hearing this, Sherlock's expression changed slightly. He looked at this mature, sexy, top-tier beauty, and the image of that innocent, cute little loli slowly surfaced in his mind. Comparing the two, the sensation of time travel made him lose focus for an instant.
Plains turned into high mountains, a loli became a cool beauty. Truly, time flies, and the world changes!
Sherlock turned his head away. "The moon is really round today..."
(This guy's way of changing the subject is too clumsy!) Robin felt a slight sense of foreboding in her heart, but her face, calm as an ancient well, showed no sign of it. Instead, she asked again, enunciating every word:
"What did you do to the childhood me???"
Sighing, Sherlock glanced at Robin. "You really want to know?"
"..." Robin didn't speak, and the expression on her face didn't even change, but Sherlock knew very well in his heart that the woman before him was already curious to the extreme.
"Come closer, I'll tell you." The Arcanist hooked his finger at Robin. The latter raised an elegant eyebrow, hesitated for a split second, then generously took a step forward, shortening the distance between herself and Sherlock to less than half a meter.
Instantly, that intoxicating floral scent became even richer. There is a saying about knowing a woman by her scent, and looking at it now, it certainly held some truth.
Robin's figure was very slender, standing a full 188cm tall, but standing next to Sherlock, she was still a notch shorter. The height difference looked quite harmonious.
Swish—
Sherlock suddenly reached out a hand, placed it on top of Robin's head, and gently began to rub...
This completely unheralded action stunned Robin directly, so much so that she even forgot to dodge.
[Sarsalian, Sherlock] used the skill [Head Pat] on [Nico Robin]!!
Hit a vital point! It's super effective!!!
[Nico Robin] has fallen into a [Confused] state!
Amidst Robin's somewhat dazed gaze, Sherlock gently stroked her smooth black hair. After rubbing for a while, the Arcanist withdrew his hand and sighed faintly with great regret:
"Sigh~~~~~~~ The texture felt better when you were small, after all."
Between the cool beauty and the loli, Sherlock still chose the loli. Not because he was a lolicon, but because the cool beauty's head was comparatively larger, so the hand-feel was indeed lacking.
The Arcanist, having said these words with a calm face, shook his head helplessly. Then, without waiting for Robin to react, he walked back into the cabin on his own.
The breeze blew gently; the moonlight was thick.
"..."
Robin stood blankly alone on the deck, left disheveled in the refreshing sea breeze...
East Blue, Loguetown, Goldglint Trading Company Headquarters.
President Anna sat properly in her soft leather chair. A crisp women's business suit perfectly accentuated her hot figure. She rested her chin on her hand, looking at several documents in her grasp, seemingly pondering something.
"Um, President Anna, do you really plan to go to the Grand Line?" Koala considered her words carefully before continuing, "Currently, the Kohler Trading Company has only recently collapsed. Why aren't you seizing the opportunity to take over its market, but instead going to the Grand Line, that place where fish and dragons mix together?"
"Hehe, Koala, you don't understand this." Anna put down the intelligence report in her hand and pushed up her glasses with a smile. "Actually, if it weren't for the Marines acting as their backstage support, the Kohler Trading Company would have ceased to be our match years ago. It was only a matter of time before Sherlock wanted to take them down, but he didn't do so."
"Sherlock said this at the time: No one wishes for the existence of a trading company that can unify an entire sea. Besides, showing off too much is not good."
Speaking of this, Anna pointed to the intelligence reports on the table and continued, "Moreover, judging from the documents Sherlock sent via the Fax Transponder Snail, for the Goldglint Trading Company to go to those two countries is simply going to 'pick up money'!"
In this sea, if one were to ask who the wealthiest group of people is, the answer is absolutely obvious: Merchants!
But no matter how wealthy merchants are, it is very difficult to gain a foothold in this sea where power reigns supreme. Therefore, most of them attach themselves to major powers, nations, the Marines, nobles, the World Government, or even famous great pirates.
Of course, there is also the Goldglint Trading Company's current backstage support: The Revolutionary Army.
Cutting off someone's wealth is like killing their parents. Although the Goldglint Trading Company is powerful and rich, regarding the backers of other trading companies, Anna didn't want to offend them too much, even with the Revolutionary Army as her background.
After all, merchants still prioritize harmony to generate wealth! If this portion of the East Blue market is conceded, then let it be conceded. The Second Generation Head of the Goldglint Trading Company once said: Making a fortune in silence is the kingly way!
"Oh." The orange-haired girl nodded, seeming to understand yet not fully understanding. Then, as if she remembered something, her clear and beautiful face suddenly became serious.
"Anna, in a few more days, I have to return to headquarters to report in." Koala said with some reluctance. Through their interactions these past days, she had completely come to regard Anna as her own good sister.
Anna was startled. "Back to headquarters? Did something big happen over there?"
"I'm not clear. The Leader just said to have me return for a trip, and mentioned something about the structure of the world being about to change. Anyway, I didn't understand what he meant."
The orange-haired girl shook her head, then spoke very seriously, "After I leave, headquarters will send a personal bodyguard to protect your safety. Just to be safe, you should wait until she arrives here before setting off for the Grand Line."
"Though Xitong is young, and her personality is every bit as mysterious as her name, she's a true combat prodigy. Her fighting skills are so refined they actually surpass my own Fish-Man Karate!" Koala said, pumping a small fist; it was clear she had immense confidence in this colleague of hers.
"With her here, you should be very safe in the first half of the Grand Line!" As the current President of the Goldglint Trading Company, Anna's personal safety was deemed a top priority in the eyes of the Revolutionary Army.
"The structure of the world..." Anna repeated this phrase in a low voice, a thoughtful look on her face. Then, from a folder on the table, she pulled out a brand-new wanted poster. The bounty of 97 million Berries at the bottom of the poster was very eye-catching.
(You must also be extra careful, Sherlock...)
Gazing at the handsome figure on the wanted poster that was both familiar and strange, President Anna's eyes gradually lost focus.
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