Chapter 15 - comfort -13
Under the cover of night, the two quickly grew drowsy as they exchanged questions and answers.
Peter lay down on the ground and closed his eyes, and Robin followed, lying atop his chest.
Despite the huge temperature difference between day and night in the desert environment, Robin didn't feel cold at all—thanks to Peter's thick fur, which kept her warm.
Soon, lulled by the soft sound of his heartbeat, she drifted into a peaceful sleep.
The way she clung to his chest resembled a scene from Beauty and the Beast. But Robin wasn't scared—she slept with a gentle smile and a relaxed face.
Nothing happened throughout the night, until the sun rose the next morning and Robin awoke to the sound of a ringing Den Den Mushi.
"Beep beep beep~ Beep beep beep~"
"Hmmm~"
Robin hummed sleepily, propping herself up on Peter's firm chest muscles to sit up halfway.
After rubbing her tired eyes, she was surprised to find that Peter had returned to his normal form—and was sleeping soundly, completely naked.
"Is it morning already? I really slept deeply..."
She didn't know whether it was due to the lack of threats that night or the overwhelming sense of safety Peter's presence gave her, but after waking up, she felt like all her accumulated fatigue had vanished, leaving her more refreshed than ever.
She stretched slowly, letting out a soft sigh of relief, then pulled the noisy Den Den Mushi from her coat pocket.
The call was from the two subordinates who had fled the previous day. Despite the fortune they'd earned from Peter, they hadn't gone far—instead, they'd been watching the events unfold from a distance.
Naturally, they'd witnessed Peter's terrifying transformation the night before.
And due to the presence of the "giant ape" on the battlefield, they hadn't dared approach until morning, when they noticed the creature had vanished and finally worked up the courage to contact Robin.
"Come immediately. Your boss has changed since last night."
Robin didn't blame them for their caution. Calmly, she told them that Mr. 0—the mastermind behind the scenes—had been defeated, and asked them to come collect what remained.
Then, glancing at the sleeping Peter, she added casually:
"And don't forget to bring some clothes for your new boss. I'm sure you can guess his size."
After ending the call, she looked back at Peter, still asleep, and gently nudged him.
"Wake up, you lazy thing. Is sleeping on sand really that comfortable?"
Realizing his fake sleep had been exposed, Peter lazily opened his eyes, sat up, and covered his head.
"Those bastards... who calls this early in the morning?"
"Now that I'm the new president of Baroque Works, I'm establishing a new rule: no calls before 10 a.m.!"
Then he paused and added,
"Actually, let's make it 1 p.m. That sounds ideal."
Robin looked at him with a silent smile.
Peter nodded seriously, as if the idea truly made sense.
"That's right. One o'clock sounds perfect."
Not wanting to waste more time with his nonsense, Robin stood, dusted herself off, and headed toward the now-deserted Port Baylangua.
"Where are you going?" Peter asked.
"To get you some clothes," she replied without turning back.
"Oh..."
The moment he responded, there was a soft puff sound—followed by complete silence.
Robin looked back, only to find Peter snoring peacefully again.
"This guy... if Crocodile knew he was defeated by someone this lazy, he'd crawl out of hell just to yell about it."
Shaking her head with a sigh, Robin ignored him and continued on her way.
At Port Bailangua, the Baroque Works ship had just arrived. But since the dock had been destroyed in last night's chaos, they had to row small boats to the shore.
Once they stepped onto dry land and saw the ruins of the city up close, they couldn't help but gasp.
"What the hell happened here? The whole city's gone!"
The group was led by Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger, who had recovered after a night of rest.
As they inspected the devastation, they remembered how they had attacked that "monster" the previous night—sending chills down their spines.
Miss Doublefinger's real name was Zala. When she recalled how she had confronted "that flying ape," her body trembled and she wanted to flee.
Her partner quietly reminded her:
"Did you forget it can fly? Running isn't even an option."
"Unless you overcome your Devil Fruit weakness and swim across the sea..."
In that moment, fear gripped Sarah. She didn't want to die—so she began silently praying that Peter would spare her.
Just then, Robin arrived.
The members immediately gathered around her, asking for details about what had happened.
But Robin didn't reveal anything about Peter's powers. She simply said:
"The boss has changed. From now on, you'll be working under Peter."
None of the members showed any objection.
On the contrary—they felt relieved to be following someone so powerful.
"Did you bring the clothes?" she asked one of them.
"Of course. All new, never worn."
The man who brought the clothes was a young employee named Phil, roughly the same size as Peter. Even though it was just a set of clothes, being the first to help the new boss earned him immediate recognition.
The others looked at him enviously, regretting that they hadn't taken the chance.
Robin smiled and said:
"Thank you for your effort, Phil. I'll accept them on the boss's behalf."
Hearing Robin mention his name, Phil was deeply moved. He bowed at a full ninety degrees, nearly folding himself in half.
"It's an honor!"