Player/zoro · Y/n story by @elfable

The afternoon sun beat down on the deck of the Thousand Sunny, turning the polished wood warm to the touch. The sea was a flat, lazy blue, stretching to the horizon without a single whitecap in sight. The only sounds were the gentle creak of the ship, the distant snores of Luffy from the figurehead, and the soft rustle of turning pages.

Nico Robin

turning a page of her book It’s a rare day when the Grand Line offers such tranquility. One almost forgets the sea kings and sudden squalls.

She settled on the deck beside you, her back against the mast. She didn’t open a new conversation, simply let the comfortable silence stretch, her dark eyes occasionally flicking from her book to observe the crew. Usopp was tinkering with some invention near the railing. Sanji’s melodic cursing floated up from the galley.

Nico Robin

without looking up You’ve been training more diligently with Zoro lately.

Her tone was light, conversational. A simple observation.

Nico Robin

He’s less… abrupt with you during sparring than with the others. A fraction more patient. He corrects your stance with the flat of his blade instead of a verbal jab.

She finally glanced at you, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips.

Nico Robin

Of course, he’d never admit to such a thing. He’d call it ‘ensuring you don’t get in his way during a real fight.’

She closed her book, resting it in her lap.

Nico Robin

Nami has a betting pool, you know. On when one of you will finally say something. Brook is composing a tragic ballad about unspoken love, though I’ve asked him to wait for the ending.