Chapter 120: Snowy Day Routine on Drum Island (Patreon)

The once-clear sky had been overtaken by thick, leaden clouds. A biting wind swept across the sea, bringing a piercing chill.

Flakes of white snow drifted down from the sky. At first, only a few fell here and there, but before long they were falling thick and fast, covering the sea and the deck with a thin blanket of white.

The temperature had plummeted, a stark contrast to the warm sunshine of just days before.

But inside the ship's galley, it was warm as spring, filled with the mouthwatering aroma of hot pot.

A bubbling hot pot sat in the center of the square table. The spicy red oil broth and the rich bone broth gave off enticing aromas. Plates of thinly sliced meat, fresh vegetables, handmade meatballs, and various seafood were spread across the table in dazzling variety.

Moren, Robin, and Baccarat sat around the table, enjoying the steaming meal while watching the world outside turn white through the porthole.

"Ahh~ this food is amazing. It's a perfect match for weather like this." Baccarat picked up a slice of meat, cooked just right in the spicy broth, and popped it into her mouth, her eyes narrowing in satisfaction. "Warm and satisfying!"

Robin, who preferred the clear broth, took her time sipping the soup with a spoon. Watching the snowflakes drift past the window, she said softly, "We've entered the climate zone near a winter island. We should be able to see Drum Island soon."

Moren was locked in a battle with a fish ball, determined to pick it up with his chopsticks. Hearing Robin, he nodded.

"At this speed and heading, we should arrive within a day or two."

Just then, the galley door swung open, letting in a gust of cold air.

Nami, who had been on deck checking the weather and sea conditions, stepped inside.

She was wrapped in a fluffy white fur coat, with unmelted snowflakes still clinging to her collar and the brim of her hood. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold, but her eyes sparkled with life.

"It's snowing pretty heavily out there, but the wind and current are in our favor," Nami said, taking off her heavy coat and hanging it on a hook by the door. "We should reach Drum Island soon."

She walked to the table, her gaze sweeping over the three of them before landing on Moren, who was still focused on his fish ball with his back to her. A sly grin crept across her face.

Robin, sitting opposite Moren, caught Nami's expression and raised an eyebrow in silent question.

Nami quickly put a finger to her lips, her eyes pleading, Don't tell.

Robin understood immediately. The corners of her lips curled into a faint smile, but she said nothing. She simply lifted her teacup and took a small sip.

Nami tiptoed behind Moren. In a flash, she shoved a snowball, partially melted from being held in her hand but still ice-cold, down the back of his collar!

"HSSSS!!!"

Moren shot straight out of his chair, instantly reminded of his middle and high school days, frantically trying to pull the icy intruder out from the back of his collar.

But it was already too late. The snowball had melted against his skin, and icy water trickled down his spine, making him bare his teeth and suck in a sharp breath.

"Pfft! Hahahaha!" Baccarat burst into laughter, nearly dropping her chopsticks onto the table.

Robin couldn't help letting out a soft laugh as well. She quickly covered her mouth, though her eyes were filled with amusement.

"Hahaha! I got you!" Nami, the culprit, practically danced with excitement, pointing at Moren as she laughed. "Captain, your reaction was hilarious!"

"Na...mi!" Moren finally shook most of the icy water out of his clothes and turned around with a mock-menacing grin aimed at the triumphant orange-haired girl.

"Uh... Captain, I'm sorry! It was just a joke! Look, it's so cold out, I was only helping you loosen up... Ah! No!"

Nami's smile instantly froze. Realizing she was in trouble, she turned and tried to run.

Unfortunately, she was far too slow. Moren took a single stride forward, effortlessly hoisted the petite girl over his shoulder like a sack of flour, and strode toward the cabin door.

"Help! Baccarat! Robin! Save me! The captain's going to kill me!" Nami flailed helplessly over his shoulder, crying out for help.

Baccarat laughed even harder and even waved.

"Safe travels, Nami!"

Robin merely watched with a smile, making no attempt to stop him.

"BAM!"

Moren pulled the cabin door open, and a blast of freezing wind and snow immediately rushed inside.

He carried Nami onto the deck, where a thick layer of snow had already accumulated.

"Nooooooo!"

With a long, drawn-out scream, Moren mercilessly tossed her into the snowdrift.

Whump!

Nami disappeared completely into the snow, leaving only her legs sticking out and kicking wildly.

A few seconds later, she crawled out with snow covering her head and face like a living snowman.

"Ptui! Ptui! It's freezing!"

"Hahahaha! Serves you right!" Moren burst into laughter from the doorway.

Then his gaze shifted toward Baccarat, who was still watching the spectacle from inside the cabin with obvious delight.

A wicked grin slowly spread across his face.

"You too, Baccarat. You're having quite a good laugh, aren't you? As punishment for standing by and doing nothing, you can keep Nami company out there. And..." He deliberately dragged out the final word. "There'll be some extra 'punishment' later, too."

"Ehh?!" Baccarat's smile froze.

"W-wait! I only laughed once... Ah!"

Her protest was just as ineffective. Moren quickly escorted her out of the cabin in exactly the same fashion, turning her into the second snowman on the deck.

Robin thought she was safe. After all, she had only watched. She hadn't participated in the "crime," nor had she kicked anyone while they were down.

Holding her teacup, she intended to continue enjoying her hot pot, a calm smile still resting on her face.

"Robin! Don't think you're getting away either!" Nami suddenly shouted after climbing back out of the snowdrift, her eyes darting mischievously.

"Captain! Robin saw everything! She didn't warn you! She's an accomplice!"

Robin: "!!!"

Moren's gaze instantly locked onto Robin, and the smile on his face became even more "kind."

"Is that so? Looks like you need a little exercise too."

He slowly walked toward Robin.

"W-wait, Captain, I can explain..." Robin's calm expression finally began to crack. "Nami, you traitor!"

Her protest was just as powerless. Under Nami's and Baccarat's gleeful gazes, the elegant archaeologist was effortlessly lifted onto Moren's shoulder and, with a short yelp, tossed into the snowdrift.

"Hahaha! Robin's down here too!"

"Nami, you little traitor!"

"Captain, that's not fair! Why are you only throwing us?!"

"Don't run! Take this!"

Before long, the deck had turned into a lively snowball fight. The three girls quickly went from "victims" buried in the snow to allies joining forces against their "tyrant" captain.

They scooped up snow, packed it into snowballs, and kept pelting Moren with them.

Robin even used her Devil Fruit ability to catch Moren while he was dodging and pull him into the snow, making him the fourth snowman.

Naturally, Moren refused to be outdone. He immediately launched a counterattack, taking on all three of them at once. Before long, all four of them had turned into little snowmen, chasing one another all over the deck.

Laughter and excited cries filled the air, chasing away the cold brought by the falling snow.

After a while, Robin, breathing hard while dodging a snowball that Nami had accidentally thrown off target, reminded everyone, "Alright, alright, that's enough. Be careful, or we'll catch cold."

Only then did they finally stop, panting.

Their cheeks were flushed, their hair was a mess, and their clothes were covered in snow and melting slush. They looked thoroughly disheveled, but every one of them wore a bright smile.

"Alright, we've had enough fun. Go take a hot shower, change into dry clothes, then have some ginger tea to warm yourselves up," Moren announced as he brushed the snow from his clothes.

The lively snowball fight came to an end.

The four of them headed back to their respective rooms for hot showers before changing into warm, dry clothes and returning to the table to continue their meal and tea.

A little later, Robin returned to the galley, gently drying her still slightly damp long hair with a towel.

The first thing she noticed was that, aside from herself, Nami was standing with her ear pressed against the wall, seemingly doing something mysterious.

Looking around, Robin asked,

"Where's Baccarat? And Moren? Are they still bathing?"

Nami didn't answer immediately.

Instead, she raised a finger to her lips in a silent "shh," keeping one ear pressed against the wall with an expression full of curiosity and strange excitement. She then beckoned Robin over.

Robin looked puzzled, but she still set down her towel, walked over, and copied Nami by pressing her own ear against the wall.

Nami's cheeks were flushed, her bright eyes shining with curiosity and a strange excitement.

"T-this doesn't seem right..." Robin whispered softly, her blush spreading all the way to her ears.

Yet, for some reason, her feet remained rooted to the floor. She wasn't sure why she couldn't bring herself to leave. The slight trembling of her eyelashes and her quickening heartbeat completely betrayed the unrest in her heart.

Inside the cabin, the hot pot continued bubbling away.

The warm air, the faint sounds drifting over from the bathroom, and the two women standing against the wall with flushed faces and racing hearts together formed a warm yet intimate scene.

A short while later, Moren and Baccarat returned to the galley together, and the atmosphere subtly changed.

Baccarat's cheeks still carried the rosy flush left behind by her bath, and the tips of her hair remained slightly damp.

She tried to maintain her usual composed demeanor, but the subtle charm that slipped through her composed expression and the lazy contentment lingering about her were impossible to hide.

To ease her own embarrassment, she chatted casually while returning to her seat. Then she picked up the ginger tea, which had already cooled a little, and took a sip to disguise her awkwardness.

Robin also answered casually, but she kept her head lowered, as though carefully studying the patterns inside her teacup. A faint blush still lingered on her usually calm and elegant face.

She wasn't sure whether it was the lingering warmth or the sounds she had overheard earlier that had left her so flustered.

Compared to her usual composed self, it gave her a rare, adorable look.

Only Nami appeared completely natural. She continued eating hot pot while her eyes darted around, a sly smile lingering on her lips as she was clearly plotting some new mischievous idea.

Moren seemed completely oblivious to the slightly awkward atmosphere. He calmly picked up his chopsticks and went right back to eating. His physical constitution was exceptional, and his appetite was just as astonishing.

After resting for a while, the four of them bundled up in thick winter clothes again at Nami's suggestion and headed back to the deck to clear away the accumulated snow.

The storm had eased somewhat, but the sky remained gray, and visibility was still poor.

As they were nearly finished and taking a short break, Nami, who had been monitoring their course, suddenly cheered.

"Look! There's an island ahead!"

She hurried to the bow, grabbed her telescope, and peered across the hazy gray sea through the drifting snow and thinning mist.

Through the flurries and the lighter fog, a massive shadow gradually appeared on the horizon.

"It's an island! Those tall shapes must be mountains..." Nami said excitedly as she adjusted the focus of her telescope.

"That's right! It's Drum Island! We're almost there!"

"Finally here?"

Moren walked over to the bow as well, narrowing his eyes at the distant island.

"Prepare to dock. Find a place to moor the ship."

As they drew closer, the full outline of Drum Island gradually became clear.

It was a classic winter island, almost entirely covered in snow. Sparse coniferous forests and the outlines of several buildings could be seen scattered across the island.

Before long, they found what looked like a suitable place for mooring, a small natural harbor with a simple wooden dock along the shore.

However, just as their ship slowly approached, before it had completely come to a stop, a harsh shout suddenly rang out from the shore.

"Halt! Don't come any closer!"

A squad of about ten soldiers, bundled in thick winter clothing and carrying flintlock rifles, emerged from behind the snow-covered buildings near the shore and quickly formed ranks along the dock.

Their rifle barrels were uniformly aimed at the approaching ship. Their eyes were filled with vigilance and hostility, along with a barely perceptible hint of tension.

"Leave this place! Drum Island does not welcome outsiders!"