One Piece: The Avengers

On the boundless sea, a three-masted sailboat named Dark Signal cut through the

waves.

Yesterday, Shanter and Robin had just passed through a rather friendly town. After restocking on supplies, the two were now heading toward their next historical site.

The afternoon sun was warm, with a gentle breeze that made the air feel pleasant.

Robin was leisurely sitting in a reclining chair, sipping freshly brewed coffee, while using her abilities to enjoy a book. Shanter, on the other hand, was preparing some cakes and dessert for Robin.

"Idiot girl, fess up, did you stay up reading again last night?" Shanter suddenly asked as they chatted casually.

"Uh... no, no!" Robin instinctively replied truthfully but quickly realized her mistake.

Shanter didn't have many demands for Robin, but one rule was non-negotiable—no staying up late. As Shanter would say: "Staying up late is bad for your skin. You're already dark enough as it is, you should take care of it. Otherwise, who would want you in the future?"

While this remark was hurtful, Robin had long grown accustomed to Shanter's teasing. He was sharp-tongued but soft-hearted—after all, he only said these things out of habit.

"You're lying. Remember, no more staying up late from now on!" Shanter wasn't planning on punishing Robin just yet, but he did warn her. "If you do it again, I'll smack your little behind!"

This last sentence was not meant for discipline. The real goal was to punish her—though in a playful way.

Robin either didn't hear or simply couldn't be bothered to reply, continuing to read her book, her eyes never leaving the pages.

"Hey, idiot girl, are you listening or not?" Shanter wasn't happy with Robin's ignoring him.

"I really didn't stay up late!" Robin flicked a lock of her hair, intending to bury her head in the sand.

"I saw you last night! Stop denying it!" Shanter slapped her lightly on the butt, making Robin yelp in surprise.

"Just like that time you peeked at me when I was bathing?" Robin's tone was very calm.

"I was just passing by! Who would want to watch you?!" Shanter snapped back, leaping to his feet as though someone had stepped on his tail. He was flustered. Honestly, Shanter hadn't meant to spy on Robin; he had simply glanced in by accident as he walked by, and then, well... he couldn't walk away. He was caught red-handed, and he paid the price, which almost turned out to be irreversible.

"Right, just passing by and then getting caught by me." Robin continued flipping through her book, her face unchanging, entirely indifferent.

"I really wasn't—" Shanter hung his head, looking like a defeated cat.

"Don't explain! Explanations are just excuses!"

Robin had won.

"Hey, girl." Because of the "peeping incident," Shanter, bored out of his mind, was reading a newspaper. At that moment, he noticed a piece of news that was directly related to him.

Robin, uninterested, didn't react to his call. She couldn't be bothered.

Shanter read aloud the headline, "Ashura Strikes Again: World Government Envoy Attacked." He chuckled. "Heh, looks like this will raise the bounty on us!"

"Of course, it's all your fault for not acting decisively. The enemies hunting us will definitely get tougher now." Robin casually added, though she wasn't worried in the least.

"Let them come. After all, this is the Four Seas, not the Grand Line. I'm confident I can handle it." Shanter was surprised Robin didn't blame him for acting impulsively.

"Whatever. At worst, we'll die together," Robin said with a pessimistic tone.

"I'll protect you!" Shanter struck his trademark pose, pushing his glasses up with determination.

His prediction was right. Within three days, Shanter and Robin saw a new bounty poster—120 million Berries.

"Heh, looks like I'm worth more than you now!" Shanter held the wanted poster, "Look, they even updated the photo. It's not bad, but it doesn't capture my majestic demeanor."

Robin didn't respond immediately, still engrossed in her book. She briefly glanced at the photo, then at Shanter.

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you looking at?" Shanter was irked by her gaze. "What, you think I'm wrong?"

"You said it yourself." Robin replied succinctly.

Shanter was left speechless by Robin's sharp wit: "Uh—"

"Haha, now I'm more valuable than you!" Shanter quickly shifted his attitude, feeling less awkward and even a little pleased.

"There's nothing to be happy about..." Robin said flatly.

"Don't you get it? Now bounty hunters will focus on me! You'll be safe." Shanter ruffled Robin's black hair, messing it up in a playful manner.

"You're just saying that to make it sound nice. You really want to sell me out, don't you?" Robin remarked, not quite comfortable with the affectionate scene. She said it to brush it off, even cracking a joke about Shanter. But inside, she felt touched and even gave him a kiss.

This time, Shanter, unusually, only gently accepted the kiss before letting go.

Then, Shanter said something that made Robin's face turn red: "I wouldn't sell you out. A treasure like you, I'm keeping for myself."

Robin let out a soft moan, her voice tinged with a coquettish tone: "You're so annoying, really…"

"You're a fool nobody wants, so I'll cherish you."

"You're an annoying bad brother too, and I cherish you as well."

"We both have no family, so let's cherish each other, girl." Shanter hugged Robin tightly, not letting go for even a moment.

"Girl, I'll protect you. No matter who your enemy is, I will protect you. Whether it's one person, a nation, or the whole world, I'll stand in front of you."

"Girl, try the fried chicken I made." Shanter, in a good mood, brought over a plate of fried chicken, its golden color making it look delicious.

But Robin didn't dig in immediately. Instead, she said, "You eat first."

Shanter, hearing Robin's polite refusal, didn't smile but instead looked slightly deflated. He picked up a chicken drumstick and began chewing it.

With his mouth full, Shanter mumbled, "Trust me, don't look at it as my first attempt, the taste is really, really, really fine."

Robin ignored his defense, took a small bite of the chicken, and after confirming it wasn't dangerous, she relaxed and began enjoying it.

Shanter really didn't have much natural talent for cooking, but he was a good learner, improving through repeated practice. His sailing skills were the same; experience far outweighed talent. When it came to Shanter's true talents, there were only two: fighting and making sarcastic remarks.

As for his cooking, he often experimented during meals, and unfortunately, Robin was the guinea pig. Thankfully, the food wasn't too terrible, and Robin had grown used to it. After all, she had been eating Shanter's cooking for seven or eight years.

This relationship lasted until Shanter made salmon. That time, he had carefully prepared mustard sauce, but he'd used ten times the usual amount... Before handing it to Robin, he even swore he'd tasted it himself and that it was perfect, just waiting for her praise...

Since that "mustard incident," Robin refused to taste any more of Shanter's experimental dishes.

The trivialities on the three-masted ship aside, the Dark Signal continued on its way toward the next historical site.

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