Chapter 14 - CHAPTER 14 - Different Routes, The City of Wine

"This is a bit tricky to put into words," Robin said, her thumb and index finger pressed together as she thoughtfully stroked her chin, pondering the question Rosen had posed. "Mm, pleasing to the eyes," Rosen privately thought to himself. Indeed, Robin's intellectual beauty was a major draw for many people, and it wasn't without reason. "Be honest," Rosen added, his voice casual. "Are you sure?" Robin seemed unsure, a bit hesitant to speak her mind. Some things, when said aloud, could invite trouble. "Definitely. If you're brave enough to talk about how you'd want to kill me, surely you're not afraid of a little trouble," Rosen responded with an air of annoyance. "Heh..." Robin chuckled softly, covering her mouth. Did he really think that her desire to kill him was some sort of courage? That was quite a strange way to think. "If we're talking about enemies, I know that over the years, you've directly or indirectly ruined countless families, but very few know you're the one behind it all. You're good at keeping up appearances. However, I remember that several underground factions tried to recruit you, but you refused and even killed quite a few people. As for the rest, I can't quite recall much," Robin said honestly. For Rosen, however, this wasn't very helpful. Great, now it seemed like he had quite a few enemies. He suddenly had an unsettling thought. Slowing his pace, he leaned in closer to Robin and whispered, "I haven't ever shared a bed with another woman, have I?" Enemies were one thing, but if one day, from some dark corner, a little Crocodile were to pop out, things would be hilarious—especially with his sister involved. Women's matters were always the hardest to deal with. Thinking of Whitebeard's second son, whether true or not, how could such a strong man like Whitebeard have a son as foolish as that? Wouldn't that be a blow to his pride? "Ah!" Robin jumped, clearly shocked. "What's wrong with Crocodile? He's acting all strange, has he gone mad or is he suggesting something?" It was possible. Given what he had done before, compared to what he was doing now, this seemed to be the only explanation that made sense. "Has it happened or not?" Rosen asked urgently. This could become a big issue in the future. After all, considering Crocodile's influence in Alabasta and a man's nature, finding a companion wasn't exactly clear-cut. After all, Crocodile was a man—well, at least his current form was definitely male. "Let me think... I don't exactly have the time to monitor your every move," Robin pondered for a moment, then, her mischievous side showing, she provided an answer that sent a chill down Rosen's spine. "Actually, there were a few occasions..." "Oh no, Old Sand... why can't you control yourself? Please don't bring a silly little Crocodile into existence," Rosen muttered, his face growing pale. "I was just..." Robin began to explain, thinking Rosen might have taken it the wrong way. She intended it as a joke, knowing that Crocodile must have known better, but was immediately cut off. "Stop," Rosen interrupted firmly. "Whatever Crocodile did, I have no part in it. I absolutely won't admit to it," he though with righteous certainty. "Alright," Robin chuckled, her amusement apparent, and she dropped the subject. Though the number of people dining in the restaurant was increasing, word had spread that the big boss would also be coming to dine, so the long red table had been set with a tablecloth, flowers, and delicious food. The main dish tonight was grilled steak. The long table had over forty seats along both sides, clearly making it the primary dining area of the restaurant. With the efforts of two Alabastian pirate chefs, twenty-something servings of food were ready in no time. The entire restaurant was soon filled with the rich scent of meat. Alabasta was a desert country, and water-based dishes were considered a luxury, so grilling and frying became the mainstream cooking methods. The two pirate chefs from Alabasta were highly skilled in grilling and frying. However, despite the food being ready, no one started eating. The boss hadn't arrived yet, and Crocodile had always preferred to dine alone, in his own private space. Rosen also wasn't trying to win anyone's favor by sharing a meal. He needed everyone to be informed about where they were heading. They couldn't just blindly follow without knowing what lay ahead to avoid unnecessary trouble. After all, the course had deviated a bit, and it was important to let everyone know whether they were returning to the original route or changing paths. "We'll be leaving the Alabasta sea area soon. Our next destination is the famous City of Wine, located just north of Gaia Island. Though the detour has added some time, it won't be a big issue. We'll rest there and resupply. At the current sailing speed, it should take about a week," Nico Robin said, pulling out a map and a log pointer. The map contained some of the most notable islands and countries on the Grand Line. "This City of Wine?" Rosen was unfamiliar with the name. It hadn't appeared in the storyline before. However, the Grand Line had countless islands, and many different routes to choose from. Luffy and his crew had only sailed along one of them, and there were certainly more islands to visit from Alabasta. Rosen had originally planned to follow the same route as Luffy, but considering his current strength, he wasn't sure if he could handle the Thunder God. Moreover, the way Luffy had traveled to Sky Island wasn't something he could easily replicate. So, while he intended to follow a similar route, he planned to take his time and prepare before challenging the Sky Island. After all, he wouldn't go back on his word, and he was also quite interested in the history of the Poneglyphs and the gold of Sky Island. However, he hadn't expected that the log pointer that Robin had was charting a different course than the one Luffy had taken. Still, even though this route differed slightly from Luffy's, it wasn't too far off. It would pass by Gaia Island, which was the place where Luffy and his crew had stopped to rest and repair their ship before heading to Sky Island. It was where they met the spring man. That was fine, Rosen thought. He remembered that there were multiple ways to reach Sky Island, and they could always gather more information while traveling. "The City of Wine... we'll be passing through there?" A sailor suddenly spoke up, his excitement palpable. In this era, there was no one who didn't enjoy a good drink, and wine was always a hot commodity. "If we get off there, we should definitely have a few drinks," an older sailor chimed in, struggling to contain his excitement. Wine from the City of Wine was renowned all over the Grand Line. Many influential figures, navy commanders, and notorious pirates frequented the place to indulge in drinking. If Crocodile hadn't been there, they probably would've already started celebrating. At times, the greatest worry during sea voyages wasn't encountering enemies or being hunted by the navy—it was loneliness. While the Great Pirate Era had countless ships sailing the seas, the vast ocean made such encounters rare, and most of the time, the journey felt torturous. Of course, this depended on the individual's mindset, but seeing land during a long voyage was always a cause for joy. And if that land was a lively place full of fun and wine, like the City of Wine, it would certainly excite everyone. "I've heard the top wines from the three great vineyards in the City of Wine are considered world-class," Mr. 5 remarked, his face betraying an expression of desire. "That's true. Two years ago, when I came here with the boss, we had the Bordeaux vineyard's red wine. It was unforgettable, though there were a few unpleasant events during that trip. Still, it was a journey worth remembering," Robin reminisced, a sweeter and more sincere smile forming on her face. "Seems like a charming little island. Hmm... Robin, last time, was it you who went with me?" Rosen suddenly had an ominous feeling. "Ah, boss, you really do forget things. Wasn't it you who took me to the wine party last time? The invitation came from Doflamingo, another Shichibukai, and we ended up buying quite a bit of weaponry," Robin said, looking at Rosen in surprise. "And the unpleasant things... what were they?" "Well, you killed a few of the attendants. I heard one of them was a crew member of the infamous pirate, the Ghostly Wine Drunkard. I thought you'd remember, since you went to a lot of trouble to win that battle," Robin remarked, a hint of a cold shiver passing through Rosen. "Can't we change the route?" Rosen asked, clearly not eager to walk into potential trouble. "Though I'd like to, this island is unavoidable. It's part of the route. Unless we turn back to Alabasta and find other log pointers, even the alternatives will pass through the City of Wine." "That's too troublesome." There shouldn't be any major issues, Rosen reasoned. If anything serious were going to happen, Crocodile wouldn't have been living a peaceful life for the past two years. His strength was sufficient to handle matters, and there was no need to turn back. There was no point in worrying too much. Once they were there, they'd deal with whatever came. (End of Chapter)