Tashigi was completely taken aback by Robin's sudden words. Her heart fluttered, and her cheeks burned with a bright crimson blush. She quietly glanced over at Zoro, watching his profile as they walked through the storm. She looked at the familiar face beneath that short green hair. Normally, his stubborn attitude and stoic expressions made her feel quite uncomfortable, but right now, she felt as if she could look at him forever without getting tired of it.
She remembered the intense confusion and fear that had gripped her mind just a few moments ago. She had lost control of her deep anger and killed those pirates. In that dark moment, she had felt lost, wondering if her sense of justice was broken. But the very moment she saw Zoro standing in front of her, all of her panic had instantly vanished. It was as if simply being near him brought an incredible sense of peace and safety to her soul. She noticed how wide and strong his shoulders looked as he walked beside her, ready to face any danger on this stormy island. Thinking about this made her face turn even redder, and she found herself completely at a loss for words, unsure of how to process these strange new emotions.
She hurried her steps slightly to catch up with Robin, leaning in close so the others would not hear her. She lowered her voice and asked, "Robin, did you feel the exact same way about Teacher Carl in the past?"
Robin remained perfectly calm, her expression serene as she looked back at Tashigi. She answered in a gentle voice, "My situation was quite different from yours. Ever since the very first day I met Carl, he always treated me like a precious little girl. He showered me with love and protection all the time. I cannot even remember the exact moment it started to change. Eventually, I realized that we belonged together. I knew that we should live our lives as one, because if we did not, I would spend my entire day thinking about him. I would constantly feel as though a vital piece of my life was completely missing."
Tashigi blinked in surprise, processing the older woman's words. "Uh, is that really how it happened? It does not sound very romantic when you put it that way."
Robin let out a soft laugh at the young woman's innocence. "Of course a young girl like you would chase after grand romance. But I am not that young anymore, so I look at the world differently. Besides, you should not be fooled by Carl's outward appearance. Even though he looks young, he actually has the spirit of a grumpy old man at heart. He does not understand anything about romance at all. If it were not for my efforts, he would probably still be completely single today."
Tashigi felt even more confused now. She worriedly asked, "Then what should I do about my own feelings?"
Robin smiled warmly and patted her head. "You need to think about that carefully by yourself. However, I will leave you with a piece of advice that consists of just one simple word: brave."
As soon as she finished speaking, Robin grabbed Marianne's hand and quickly ran toward the front of the group. She did not give Tashigi a single chance to ask any more complicated questions. Tashigi stood in place for a second, feeling entirely helpless. She was still very inexperienced when it came to matters of the heart, and she simply could not comprehend these deep feelings yet.
Zoro noticed her hesitation and walked closer to her side. He looked down at her with a blunt expression and asked, "What is wrong with you? Are you really okay?"
Tashigi jumped slightly, startled by his sudden proximity. Her voice shook as she tried to hide her embarrassment. "Ah? Uh, I am fine! I am really completely fine!"
Zoro frowned slightly, staring at her features. "Your face is incredibly red right now. Are you coming down with a sickness? Do you want me to call Chopper over to examine you?"
Tashigi's embarrassment quickly turned into annoyance at his lack of awareness. She stamped her foot and shouted, "I already told you that I am perfectly fine! You green-haired, three-swordsman idiot!"
Meanwhile, on another part of the dangerous island, Luffy and his group were having a very different experience. After the seven of them had successfully landed on the shores of Thunder God Island, they began to march forward without any real direction. They moved aimlessly through the rough terrain, trying to get a feel for their surroundings.
Luffy was the very first one to sprint ahead of the group. Although his rubber body was completely immune to electricity, meaning he was not afraid of the continuous lightning strikes raining down from the sky, he still found the constant noise and bright flashes incredibly annoying. As he walked along the rocky path, he looked around and realized that there was almost nothing to see. The entire landscape consisted of jagged rocks and gray stone.
In reality, this made perfect sense. It was impossible for normal plants to grow or survive under a sky that constantly unleashed violent bolts of lightning. Since there was no vegetation to provide food, it was even more impossible for wild animals or beasts to live in such a harsh environment.
Luffy let out a loud groan, his stomach rumbling as he complained about the lack of excitement. "What kind of terrible place is this? I wanted to find a nice town to explore, but it looks like that is completely impossible now. It would be fine if there was no town, but I have not even spotted a single wild beast. I was really hoping to catch something big so I could ask Sanji to cook up a giant pile of meat for me to eat!"
He kept grumbling and muttering to himself, clearly thoroughly displeased with the barren island.
Walking behind him, Nami, Usopp, and the rest of the crew simply rolled their eyes in unison. They had basically given up all hope on Luffy's intelligence a long time ago. Anyone who possessed a single bit of common sense would know that an island covered in perpetual lightning would not have ordinary towns or living creatures. Luffy was just being foolish, expecting a grand adventure in a wasteland where there was absolutely nothing to explore.
Suddenly, Luffy stopped in his tracks and pointed into the distance. He exclaimed in pure surprise, "Huh? Is that a giant castle up there?"
Usopp squinted through the flashing light, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. "How could there be a castle in a place like this, Luffy? Your eyes must be playing tricks on you because of the storm. Wait, is that really a castle? It cannot be a mirage, right?"
The rest of the group stopped and looked up toward the towering mountain situated deep within the heart of the island. Perched precariously at the very peak of the mountain was a magnificent, massive castle. However, the air surrounding the structure was thick with dense, terrifying bolts of lightning. The lightning was so intense that it seemed impossible to approach, even if they used the special umbrellas they carried.
Luffy's eyes lit up with excitement, all of his previous complaints instantly forgotten. "All right! Let's head straight for that castle then!"
Without waiting for a response or checking to see if his companions were ready, Luffy dashed forward like an arrow. He sprinted into the storm all by himself, completely ignoring the shouts of his crewmates.
Nami and the others did not even bother trying to stop him, knowing it was useless once their captain made up his mind. They could only watch helplessly as Luffy's back disappeared into the curtain of flashing thunder. They had no other choice but to hurry up and try to keep pace with him.
The six remaining crew members increased their speed, pushing through the wind and rain, but Luffy was already completely out of sight. Jinbe and Sanji immediately activated their Observation Haki, spreading their senses across the terrain to locate their chaotic captain. Unfortunately, they could not detect any trace of his presence. Luffy had likely run incredibly fast, moving far beyond the maximum range of their Observation Haki in a matter of seconds.
Left with no other options, the six of them continued to move forward along the rocky ground, hoping to find a path up the mountain.
As they walked, Jinbe suddenly noticed something through the flashes of light. He pointed toward a small clearing in the distance and said, "Look over there. It looks like there is a small village with a few houses."
Usopp adjusted his goggles to get a better look. "It really is a village! Do you think Luffy might have run over there instead?"
Nami took charge and made a quick decision. "Regardless of where he went, let's head to that village first. Even if we cannot find Luffy right away, we can at least ask the local people about the situation on this strange island. Besides, given Luffy's monstrous strength and abilities, we do not need to worry about his safety anyway."
With their plan set, the six of them altered their course and marched toward the small village.
Meanwhile, Luffy was already completely and utterly lost. Although the massive mountain served as a clear guide in the sky, Luffy's sense of direction was only slightly better than Zoro's. He was incredibly prone to losing his way, especially since he was easily distracted by any new or interesting thing he saw, causing him to stray off his path constantly.
As he wandered aimlessly through the craggy rocks, a bright glimmer caught his attention. "Huh? There are glowing lights over there. I should go take a look!"
Luffy's sharp eyes caught the flicker of a flame, and he rushed over to investigate. Within moments, he arrived at the wide entrance of a deep underground cave. The light was spilling out from within the darkness, and as he drew closer, he could hear a series of loud noises and angry shouting. Several voices were violently swearing and yelling echoes through the stone tunnels.
Luffy smiled widely, thinking he had found a solution to his problem. "Are there people inside? Perfect, I can just ask them for directions to the castle!"
He stepped into the cave with relaxed strides. Once he was completely inside, the annoying lightning could no longer reach him, which made him feel much better. Even though the electricity did not cause him any physical pain, being constantly struck on the head by lightning bolts was getting old.
As he walked deeper into the tunnel, the harsh cursing became clearer and clearer in his ears.
"You worthless trash! You cannot even swing a pickaxe properly! Keep moving, or I will beat you to death right here!"
"Who do you think you are looking at? If you do not start working harder, I will personally drag your wife back to the castle tonight!"
"You little brat, how dare you glare at me like that? Do it again and I will gouge your eyeballs right out of your skull!"
Hearing these cruel and oppressive words made Luffy feel incredibly uncomfortable. A deep wave of anger rose within him, and he instantly grew to hate whoever was doing the shouting. Back during his childhood at the Gray Terminal garbage station, Luffy had heard wicked people use those exact same cruel words to abuse the weak. It was a sound he absolutely loathed.
The cave tunnel took a sharp turn, revealing a massive, open cavern at the very end.
In that wide space, a large group of young and middle-aged village men were hacking away at the stone walls with heavy pickaxes. Every single one of them looked completely exhausted, their bodies thin and their muscles trembling from severe overwork. Standing right next to the workers were two large men holding thick whips. They continuously swung the weapons through the air, shouting ugly insults and striking anyone who slowed down.
Even though Luffy was usually a carefree and happy-go-lucky person, he could not stand by and watch such cruelty.
He walked out into the open space and rubbed his ears, speaking in a loud, clear voice. "Hey, you two over there. You are being way too noisy."
The two overseers holding the whips froze in surprise, startled by the unfamiliar voice. "Who is that?!"
They spun around quickly, their eyes landing on Luffy, who was standing just a few feet away. Because the oil lamps scattered around the mine were very dim and cast deep shadows, the two overseers failed to recognize his famous face. They only saw a random stranger who had somehow wandered into their private mine, and to them, he just looked like a thin, harmless monkey wearing a straw hat. The fact that this skinny kid had the nerve to tell them they were being too noisy made their tempers flare instantly.
One of the overseers sneered, stepping forward. "Where did a skinny monkey like you crawl out from? Are you actively looking for a way to die?"
The second overseer cracked his whip against the ground. "Do not waste your breath talking to him. Let's just beat him within an inch of his life first!"
The two aggressive men walked toward Luffy with cruel grins, raising their weapons to strike. However, less than two seconds later, the situation completely reversed. The two overseers were suddenly kneeling flat on the ground, their faces covered in dark bruises and their noses bleeding heavily. All of their previous arrogance had completely vanished, replaced by terrifyingly flattering smiles as they looked up at the boy.
The first overseer trembled, bowing his head repeatedly. "Hehehe, Lord Five Emperors! We are so incredibly sorry, we had absolutely no idea it was you!"
The second one nodded frantically, his voice shaking with fear. "We never could have anticipated that His Excellency the Five Emperors would personally visit our humble mine! Your magnificent presence truly brings the ultimate glory to this entire place!"
Seeing the two brutal tyrants who used to rule over them with absolute terror suddenly reduced to groveling cowards, all the young village men stopped swinging their pickaxes. They looked over at Luffy with wide, curious eyes, whispering among themselves as they desperately tried to figure out the true identity of the boy who had saved them.