The hall was simple and understated, untouched by renovations. Apart from the four golden chairs beneath the group, there was nothing else in the room to speak of.
"Koala, would you mind cooling them down for us?" Luffy asked casually, gesturing at the heated chairs.
Koala rolled her eyes in exasperation, clearly unimpressed by his request. Pouting slightly, she walked forward, change her form and opened her mouth to blow a cool gust of air over the seats.
Within moments, the golden chairs lost their excessive warmth, returning to a comfortable temperature. With a final huff, Koala stepped back and shot Luffy an annoyed glare before transforming back.
Meanwhile, Robin watched the display, her lips curving into an amused smile. Afterward, she and Ain each picked a chair and sat down. Luffy, however, seemed restless and couldn't even bring himself to pour Robin a glass of water, which made the atmosphere feel awkward.
Breaking the silence, Luffy decided to get straight to the point after Koala returned to her seat.
"In truth, I had a meeting with Dr. Vegapunk not long ago," he began, his tone serious yet filled with admiration. "From my observations, the doctor is incredibly passionate about his research. His ideas are brimming with imagination and potential."
The group listened intently as Luffy continued, each of them nodding in agreement or lowering their heads in contemplation. Koala, in particular, looked delighted when Luffy began praising the Revolutionary Army. Her pride was almost palpable as she beamed, her enthusiasm making her seem even more animated.
"Vegapunk is an idealist—a kind, generous man who dreams of using his inventions to benefit the world," Luffy went on. "Someone like him only needs a safe and stable environment, free from the burden of worrying about research funding. If we can offer him that, I believe he'll seriously consider joining us. Even if he doesn't agree immediately, planting the idea could lead to something great in the future."
Koala practically glowed with pride as Luffy spoke. Meanwhile, Robin leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed and her chin resting on one hand. Her long legs, elegantly crossed beneath her cloak, revealed a tantalizing glimpse of pale skin.
Seeing this, Luffy couldn't help but think to himself, Has Robin always been this fair-skinned? Or does the Revolutionary Army have some kind of secret recipe for whitening skin?
His curiosity piqued, he made a mental note to ask Koala about it later. If they do have a secret, I need to bring some back.
Lost in his thoughts, Luffy failed to notice the shift in the atmosphere. The way he was staring at Robin's legs hadn't gone unnoticed, and it earned him a pair of icy glares from Koala and Ain. Even Robin herself began to feel slightly uncomfortable. Though she wanted to retract her legs, doing so would risk embarrassing Luffy.
Instead, Robin broke the awkward silence to steer the conversation back on track. "You've said a lot, Luffy, but you haven't addressed the most critical issue—Vegapunk's safety. With the World Government's resources, even if he were to go into hiding, they could track him down using their warships."
Luffy snapped out of his daze, his expression quickly shifting to one of focus. "Ah, that's actually not a hard problem to solve," he replied, turning his attention back to Robin—only to find her smiling at him in a way that was both amused and slightly dangerous. Meanwhile, Koala and Ain were still glaring at him with thinly veiled contempt.
Realizing his earlier lapse, Luffy panicked inwardly. I hope Robin doesn't think I'm some kind of pervert.
In an attempt to salvage the situation, he blurted out, "I was just curious about your whitening secret. You believe me, right?"
Robin raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a smirk. "Of course I believe you," she replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Curiosity is such a... virtuous trait, isn't it?"
Luffy groaned inwardly. She totally misunderstood!
But instead of backing down, he doubled down, reasoning, Since I've already been exposed, I might as well enjoy the view while it lasts. His gaze drifted back to Robin's legs, earning him another round of disapproving stares from Koala and Ain.
Robin, equal parts amused and exasperated, decided she'd had enough. She pulled her legs back under her cloak, effectively ending Luffy's "lucky streak." Despite this, Luffy didn't seem too disheartened, quickly shifting gears back to the matter at hand.
"Have you forgotten something?" he asked, his tone turning serious. "You just came down from Sky Island. Is there anywhere safer than ten thousand meters above the ground?"
Robin's expression shifted to one of surprise before she quickly regained her composure. "The concept is sound, but reaching Sky Island is incredibly difficult. Not to mention, transporting supplies would be a logistical nightmare."
"That's for you to figure out," Luffy replied confidently. With a flick of his wrist, he activated his powers, using magnetism to lift the four of them—and their chairs—into the air.
Robin, who had seen this ability in action before, dangled her legs slightly as they hovered. "What kind of ability is this?" she asked, her curiosity evident. "As far as I know, you have the powers of the Lightning Fruit."
"You're right—it's Lightning," Luffy confirmed with a grin. "I've just developed it a bit further."
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