One Piece: Dream of Immortality

Chapter 461: Toad Oil



Cherry smiled like a fox. "You're going to be so mad at me when you find out."

"Am I now?" Robin raised an eyebrow. "You don't look all that worried about it."

"That's because I have you all figured out, sweetheart," Cherry tapped Robin's cute nose with her finger. "Everything turned out fine in the end, so you'll forgive me since you've missed me so much."

"You're awfully confident about that," Robin said.

"Of course. It's because you're still young; you can't keep your hands off of me for too long before getting antsy," Cherry said, smirking as Robin stopped squeezing her butt like she was caught with her hand in a cookie jar.

"And you're a perfect model of restraint?" Robin said, glancing down at Cherry's own roaming hands on her chest.

"It's more a matter of perspective. To you, we've been apart for weeks, but to me it was just the other day. Time flies faster and faster the more of it that you experience," Cherry said, nuzzling into the crook of Robin's neck.

Robin had to stop herself from losing control, knowing that these paper walls were even thinner than you'd think. The last thing she wanted was to get her cover blown by having a little fun.

"Alright, fine, but enough of that," Robin reluctantly brushed away Cherry's hands. "I'm working right now and I can't afford to get in trouble. I think I can manage to get into Orochi's palace soon if I play my cards right. Who knows what secrets he'll spill when he's drunk."

"So, you're saying after work?" Cherry's eyes glittered meaningfully.

"...yes..." Robin spoke in almost a whisper, red dusting on her cheeks. Cherry let out a little noise of excitement that Robin hadn't heard before.

"You are so adorable!" Cherry said, holding Robin's face and stealing another kiss. "By the way, Luffy's been captured by Kaido."

"WHAT?!" Robin's eyes widened in shock. She lowered her voice after realizing that she had shouted. "What do you mean?!"

"It was his own fault, really," Cherry said, not sharing Robin's concern at all. "Ran off trying to fight him without any preparation at all. Kaido is going to throw him into some kind of work camp expecting that Luffy will decide to join up with him or something stupid like that. The point is, Luffy will be fine."

"... You just left him to get captured, didn't you?" Robin said, looking nonplussed.

"We can't coddle him, you know that. If I were weaker, then I would have helped him; but as I am, I could take him by myself and that wouldn't help him reach his goal at all," Cherry said.

"Well, alright, I suppose. It's true that Luffy needs to get stronger," Robin admitted. Then she looked at Cherry rather sternly. "However, no matter what happens, you aren't allowed to fight an emperor of the sea by yourself!"

Cherry blinked.

"... You... nevermind, I don't think I want to know," Robin sighed. She had an inkling of what happened and she was under enough stress as it is without finding out about some new way her lover tried to get herself killed again.

"I fought Big Mom... twice," Cherry blurted out. She couldn't help but start giggling whe Robin shot her a dirty look. "Check it out!"

Cherry pulled her new bounty poster out and showed her, along with the issue of the World Economy News that featured herself punching the daylights out of an old lady.

"I had a feeling that little jaunt to Totto Land might make the news," Robin said. She grimaced slightly, "That's going to leave a mark."

Cherry was pleasantly surprised to find that she didn't seem all that angry, just a little resigned. "Oh, it did. Big Mom isn't going to be able to forget about me in her lifetime. Oh, wait, she did seem to have amnesia when she woke up after the second fight, so maybe she will forget me?"

"Amnesia?" Robin pondered that before shaking her head. "Whatever, I don't care."

Robin tossed the newspaper and bounty poster aside and pulled Cherry back into her arms. "I've got you for another half hour and I intend to make the most of it."

...

Cherry walked out of the banquet hall, once again in disguise, pink in the face and a bit wobbly on her feet. Tell tale signs of having drunk her fill, but she hadn't had a single drop. "Did you enjoy your stay with us, sir?" the little man at the door asked with a smile.

"Oh yes, the entertainment was delightful," Cherry said. "That O-Robi really knows how to... ahem, dance."

The little man felt like he was missing something, but he nodded in agreement. That particular Geisha was becoming quite popular for her dancing skills, and her music wasn't bad either. "Feel free to come again, sir!"

Cherry waved off the little man and continued on her way. Robin was lucky she had a cover to keep or else Cherry would have had her revenge right there and then. Later, though, she had another thing coming.

Meandering around the streets was as good a way to kill time as any and Cherry was interested in seeing what the others were up to, so that's what she did.

It wasn't too long before she came across a bearded man named Usohachi selling things on the street to feed his many children, all of whom were terribly sick and in need of expensive medicine, otherwise they would die tragically young. In other words, she found Usopp.

"Hey, friend! Are you interested in my wares? I have only the finest toad oil, perfect for aching feet or styling your mustache. Anything you can imagine, toad oil is the solution!" Usohachi laid it on thick.

"Will it make my sick children healthy again?" Cherry asked in her deep voice.

"Yes, of course-! Wait, where are you all going?!" Usohachi stammered.

Cherry chuckled. "You should try to keep your lies straight at least."

"What's the big idea, buddy? A man's got to make a living, so why are you getting in the way?" Usohachi asked, finally realizing that he'd accidentally discredited himself. Then he noticed that crescent moon tattoo on Cherry's ankle. "Say, friend, I'll let this slide just once, so have a free sample. I'm sure you'll be back for more in no time."

Cherry looked at the little container of 'toad oil' and saw that a paper was attached to it. No doubt it was one of Kin'emon's secret messages. Cherry considered letting Usopp in on her disguise, but... she kind of wanted to mess with him. "Alright, but if I don't like it I'll come back and gut you right here in the street."

To Usopp's credit, he didn't visibly react to the threat and only paused for a moment. "I promise, the next time you see me, you'll be looking for more of my miraculous product, notn/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

out for blood!"

Cherry grunted and stomped away, as if she was disappointed that Usopp hadn't pissed himself. In reality, she was quite proud of him.

In a nearby alley, a figure skulked in the shadows and watched Cherry leave the toad oil salesman. He knew he needed to do something soon, or everything could be ruined.

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