Chapter 65: Night In Alabasta!

In Ace's room, a blue-haired figure tiptoed in.

"Thump! Thump!"

Vivi's heart pounded furiously in her chest. She couldn't calm down, but she hadn't been able to sleep in her own room either. At this moment, all she wanted was to see Ace.

However, the situation seemed oddly similar to a legendary "night attack."

"!!!"

Her face flushed bright red as she quickly shook her head. No, that wasn't it at all. She was here for something important.

Clutching the lucky charm Ace had given her, Vivi tried to steady her nerves.

With a quiet "click," she carefully closed the door behind her. She crept over to Ace's bedside and squatted down, smiling softly at his sleeping face.

They would set sail tomorrow. Once aboard the ship, opening Ace's door in the middle of the night would undoubtedly alert everyone. But there were things Vivi needed to say to Ace—things she could only say while he was asleep.

Having spent time together, Vivi knew that Ace was an incredibly deep sleeper. Even in the face of chaos, he wouldn't stir, and that gave her the courage to sneak into his room. What she didn't realize, though, was that Ace's deep sleep was the result of his Combat Turtle Breathing Technique. Even though he seemed unaware, he was far from oblivious.

Vivi gazed at his face, a gentle smile lighting up her own. "He's so cute, even when he's asleep," she thought, reminiscing about the confident, powerful Ace who had stood up to Crocodile.

"Ace, thank you. If you were awake, you wouldn't let me say this, but… thank you." Her smile deepened with gratitude. Ace's words echoed in her mind: "Why don't you rely on your captain for a while?"

"I've always felt so inadequate," Vivi whispered, a tinge of sadness in her voice. "I never felt like a real princess… and I've never been any good at fighting."

She bit her lip and looked down at the charm hanging around her neck.

"But this lucky charm you gave me... it helped me defeat Mr. 2, and even allowed me to wield the power of the Sand-Sand Fruit."

Gripping the charm tighter, a smile of quiet confidence formed on her face. "When you're around, I feel like I can do anything. Thank you, Ace, for letting me be part of your crew. It's been the greatest honor."

Her long eyelashes fluttered as she gently brushed her lips against Ace's cheek. 

Suddenly, the soft sound of a door opening broke the silence.

"!!!"

Vivi's heart raced. She glanced around frantically before diving under the bed to hide. From beneath the bed, she saw the unmistakable small feet of Kaya, who was tiptoeing just as carefully as she had.

Kaya knelt down beside Ace, her face illuminated by a soft, familiar glow. Vivi quickly realized what was happening—Kaya was here to check on Ace's condition.

"Kaya..." Vivi covered her mouth to stifle any sound.

"It's incredible," Kaya muttered as she examined Ace. "No injuries at all."

Though Ace had assured Kaya he was fine, she had been unable to sleep, worrying about him. So, here she was, making sure everything was truly okay.

"Ace, I won," Kaya whispered with a triumphant smile. "These days at sea have been amazing. I never thought I'd sail so freely, or fight by your side."

Her cheeks flushed slightly as she leaned in and softly kissed Ace's cheek. "Consider that my belated thank-you."

She smiled warmly. "Thank you, Ace, for giving me the Devil Fruit. Most of all, thank you for allowing me to be your ship's doctor."

"Crack!"

"!!!"

Kaya stiffened at the sound of the door creaking open again. She quickly scanned the room, her gaze landing under the bed.

With no other option, Kaya hurriedly crawled underneath, where she came face-to-face with a very embarrassed Vivi.

"Vivi, you...?" Kaya whispered, but Vivi immediately covered her mouth, signaling for silence.

"Shh, someone's coming."

They both turned their attention toward the door as a third figure entered the room, moving just as stealthily as they had. Kaya and Vivi exchanged wide-eyed glances before realizing who it was.

"Nami…" Vivi mouthed silently, watching the familiar figure of their navigator approach Ace's bedside.

Nami glanced down at the sleeping Ace and smiled sweetly. "You still owe me a million Berries, you know," she whispered, teasingly. "But… I suppose I can let it slide. After all, who could stay mad at their captain?"

Nami's expression softened. "Ever since Cocoyashi Village, I've been meaning to say this…"

"This is the last time I'll say something like this, but... from now on, I can rely on you completely, Ace."

"Thank you… thank you for saving me, and for bringing me onto your ship. It's an honor to be your navigator."

As she spoke, she gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face and lightly kissed Ace's lips, where she knew he liked her long hair the most.

"Crack!"

"!!!"

Nami jumped, startled by the sound of the door turning. With nowhere else to hide, she too slid under the bed.

"!!!"

Now all three—Vivi, Kaya, and Nami—found themselves staring at each other in utter shock beneath Ace's bed.

"You—" Nami began, only to have Kaya and Vivi both cover her mouth in unison. Their faces flushed with embarrassment, the three of them silently signaled for each other to stay quiet.

Realizing they were all in the same predicament, they exchanged awkward glances before nodding in agreement. They pricked up their ears, waiting to see who else was coming.

The room fell silent. After a moment, a new figure appeared—Tashigi.

She sat quietly by Ace's bedside, holding the lucky charm he had given her. She already knew it contained a fragment of his power, the power that had helped her discover the secret of Shigure during battle. Without Ace's help, she might not have survived.

"Without justice, there's no path forward…" Tashigi murmured softly, her eyes fixed on Ace's peaceful face.

"I never thought I'd become a pirate," she whispered.

"But thank you, Ace. If it weren't for you, I would be so weak that I'd have no choice but to watch others uphold justice while being powerless to do anything myself."

Tashigi slightly lowered her head, recalling the helplessness she once felt.

"Please continue guiding me in the future, Captain," she said with a shy smile.

Suddenly, "Click—" the door handle jiggled softly.

Tashigi froze, her face flushing red in panic. Someone's coming in?!

What should I do?! she thought frantically. Already prone to getting flustered, Tashigi's mind blanked when confronted with the unexpected.

It's over! It's over!

She shut her eyes tight, awaiting her fate as the door handle slowly turned.

Then, with a sudden "whoosh!" several small, pale hands reached out from under the bed and grabbed Tashigi's ankles, pulling her beneath it. Her mouth was quickly covered as well.

Eyes wide in panic, Tashigi opened them to find three familiar faces—Nami, Vivi, and Kaya—staring back at her.

"Mmph!"

Just as Tashigi was about to speak, the trio hushed her in unison, signaling her to stay quiet.

By this point, Tashigi was utterly bewildered. Her already simple mind couldn't grasp the situation. Why were Nami, Vivi, and Kaya hiding under Ace's bed?!

As she struggled to understand, soft footsteps echoed closer.

"Nami, Vivi, and Kaya all ignored Tashigi's confusion, their focus now on the approaching figure.

"Ace..."

Nojiko approached the sleeping Ace with a soft smile, about to say something when her sharp eyes caught a few strands of hair peeking out from beneath the bed.

Raising an amused brow, Nojiko's lips curved into a sly grin.

"Ace, how can you sleep comfortably in your clothes? Let me take them off for you."

The girls' expressions shifted drastically as they heard Nojiko's bold words.

"And perhaps I should undress as well, to rest properly alongside you," she added playfully.

"No!"

Nami, Vivi, and Kaya burst out from under the bed, shouting in unison.

Stunned, the trio stood in silence, realizing they had all revealed themselves. Nojiko, however, merely smiled, watching them with amusement.

"N-Nojiko, you... you..." Nami stammered, struggling to find words.

"Really, girls," Nojiko smirked. "If you're going to hide, at least tuck your hair back properly."

Nami, Kaya, and Vivi blushed deeply, realizing their mistake. They had no experience with situations like this. As for Tashigi, she remained completely dazed, unable to process what was happening.

Suddenly, a soft chuckle broke the tension.

"Hahaha!"

Everyone, including Nojiko, froze at the sound.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself," Ace said, propping himself up as he laughed heartily.

"You—!"

Nami and the others turned beet red, stammering in embarrassment.

"W-When did you wake up?!" Nami demanded. "Kaya said you're such a deep sleeper that you're practically unconscious! Unless you get a full night's rest, nothing should wake you—how?!"

The others—Kaya, Vivi, Nojiko, and even Tashigi—nodded in agreement. This was precisely why they'd been bold enough to sneak into Ace's room at night. Kaya's medical knowledge had given them confidence.

Ace, still chuckling, looked at them with amusement. "I was only asleep, not dead. How could I not know what was going on?"

The girls' faces turned even redder.

"My breathing technique may slow my vital signs, but I'm still fully aware of my surroundings."

"And have you all forgotten? I'm the one who taught you Observation Haki."

At Ace's words, Nami, Kaya, and Nojiko's faces fell, a wave of realization hitting them.

Observation Haki... Of course! How could they have forgotten such an important detail?

Could it be that even while asleep, Ace had been aware of everything going on around him?

Meanwhile, Vivi and Tashigi exchanged confused glances. They still didn't quite understand what "Observation Haki" meant.

"You—how much did you hear?!" Nami blurted out, panicked.

"Everything. But you're quite bold. They only kiss me on my cheeks but you kiss me on my lips~" Ace said with a broad grin.

"Forget it!!!"

Nami launched herself at Ace, flustered beyond belief.

Kaya, meanwhile, covered her face, so embarrassed that she could barely handle it. Nojiko's tanned face flushed with a rare hint of color, while even Vivi and Tashigi were panicking now.

Ace had heard everything!

Wasn't Kaya's medical theory supposed to guarantee they could sneak in unnoticed?!

"How could I forget the thoughts of my most beloved crew members?" Ace teased. "As your captain, it's my job to remember them."

Now even Vivi and Tashigi were thoroughly embarrassed. Ace had heard all of it.

"Ah, such a lively scene."

Robin appeared at the door, leaning against the frame with a faint smile on her lips.

"Yo, Robin!" Ace greeted her casually.

"You...!" Nami fumed, unable to hold back any longer.

"Miss... Robin, w-what are you doing here?!" Vivi asked nervously, nearly slipping and calling her by her code name.

"Me? I just got here a moment ago," Robin replied, glancing around at the panicked girls.

"Phew!" The group collectively sighed in relief.

"But you did hear everything with your Devil Fruit powers, didn't you?" Ace interjected, pointing to Robin's ears, which had turned into petals and disappeared.

"What?!"

The girls stood in stunned silence once again.

Robin chuckled, her smile slightly mischievous. "As expected of the captain."

Ace grinned back. "So, Robin, do you have anything you'd like to share?"

Robin hesitated, then smirked. "Not just yet."

"Really! You two are the worst!" Nami shouted, finally losing her patience as she tackled Ace.

"Forget everything that happened tonight, Ace!" Nami demanded, her voice full of frustration.

Laughing, Ace pinned her arms down effortlessly, looking at her flushed face with a wide grin.

"No way."

"!!!"

Seeing an opening, Kaya, Vivi, and Nojiko silently signaled to one another and pounced on Ace from behind, sending the room into chaos.

Tashigi stood there, frozen, unsure of what to do. Should she pretend not to see? Or perhaps help the others?

As the room descended into playful madness, Robin quietly slipped out, walking toward her own room. She paused slightly as she opened the door.

Will I have something to say to the captain someday...? Robin wondered with a small smile before walking inside.

Meanwhile, Ace's actions had already caused a storm across the seas, as the fall of Crocodile and the revelation of the Alabasta incident, thanks to Ace's use of the video transponder, continued to shake the world.