Robin’s gaze lingered on Zoro’s profile for a moment longer. His words were blunt, as always, but they carried a weight that settled uncomfortably in her chest.
“...You’re not wrong,” she admitted, voice softer than the pages she’d been turning only minutes ago. “Once knowledge spreads, it becomes a hydra. Cut off one head, and two more sprout elsewhere. That’s precisely why Ohara terrified them so much.”
A bloom of pale fingers sprouted from the tabletop beside her teacup, delicately picking it up and bringing it to her lips so the real hands could remain folded in her lap. She took a sip, then tilted her head.
“Still, if we’re going to do this mad thing, let’s do it properly.” Her smile sharpened, just a fraction. “Imagine Spandam opening a newspaper to find the Marines’ own wanted posters translated into the very language they tried to erase.”
The thought clearly delighted her, melancholy receding behind her eyes like a tide.
“As for sword lessons,” she added, setting the cup down with a soft clink as another hand dissolved into petals, “one blade to start. Something light. A wakizashi, perhaps. I have no intention of shattering my jaw for style points just yet.” She paused, then gave him a sidelong glance that was almost playful. “Fair warning: I’ll sprout as many arms as I need to block if you go easy on me.”
She rose then, smoothing the dark fabric of her skirt, the motion graceful and unhurried.
“Very well. We’ll start tonight; your first glyph is ‘courage.’ Fitting, don’t you think?”