The Surprise Gift(bonus)

As the conversation came to an end, Victor returned to the cosy room where Robin was waiting by the fireplace. 

"Did I make you wait too long!"

Robin looked up at Victor as he entered the room, her expression softening with a warm smile. "Not at all," she replied. "I enjoyed the company of the book and the wine.

Victor joined her by the fireplace, the dancing flames casting shadows on his face as he settled into the armchair. "What are you reading about?"

"Silly things guess! Have you heard the name of Noland the Liar?"

"Tell me about it!" They continued to talk and gossip until they were both sleepy and drunk as they fell asleep on the bed.

The next morning, the soft hues of dawn crept through the windows, gently nudging Robin awake. As she stirred, the memories of the night before flooded back. She found herself in a slightly dishevelled room, sunlight filtering through the curtains, painting the space with a serene morning glow.

Victor was still asleep, his usually serious features softened in slumber. Isn't his face a little too close? Robin's eyes widened as she realized her arm was wrapped around Victor in a tight, unconscious hug. Her heart raced as she carefully withdrew her arm, trying not to wake him. As she watched Victor sleep, a sense of warmth and comfort washed over her. It was strange to think how much things had changed between them. She couldn't help but steal a moment to admire his handsome face when he did not have the usual cold expression.

Robin slowly extricated herself from the embrace, careful not to disturb Victor's peaceful sleep. As she adjusted herself in the chair, she couldn't help but smile at the sheer absurdity of the situation. Her cheeks flushed a faint shade of pink as she observed Victor, still lost in his dreams of meeting the young Luffy and inspiring him to become the king of the Underworld.

The events of the previous night flashed through her mind—the candid conversations, the laughter, and the surprisingly intellectual conversations she shared with Victor. There was a warmth in their interactions, a comfort she hadn't expected, especially with someone from such a different world. With many thoughts in her head, she freshened up, prepared two cups of coffee and went to wake up Victor.

As Robin approached Victor with the steaming cups of tea, she gently nudged his shoulder. "Hey, sleepyhead, rise and shine."

Victor stirred, slowly awakening from his slumber. He blinked his eyes open, momentarily disoriented until he saw Robin with a cup of coffee in her hand. "Good morning," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. As Victor sat up and stretched, he noticed the cup on the table. "You've been busy, I see."

"Just a little," Robin said with a playful smile. "I thought a nice cup of coffee would help. Do you need sugar?"

"Nah, Black Coffee's my thing." Victor accepted the cup with a nod of gratitude. As they sipped their tea and watched the morning sun, a comfortable silence settled between them. It was a new day, and their alliance had deepened in unexpected ways.

After a moment, Victor broke the silence. "About our conversation last night, I meant what I said, Robin. You don't have to choose between your dreams and happiness. I truly believe you can have both."

Robin looked at him, her eyes filled with a mix of emotions. "You're a complex man, Victor. I'm starting to see that there's more to you than meets the eye. Perhaps I've been too quick to judge."

After a moment of silence, she spoke.

"Victor, I'll go out with Sofia today morning. She invited me to go out with her."

"Yeah, she told me about it after the meeting, go out and have fun." He took his wallet from the table and took out a stack of 50,000$ bills. "Just in case you two decide to do some shopping or have a fancy meal," Victor said with a grin. "I know you won't spend it all on frivolous things, but it's always nice to have a little extra."

Robin was surprised by the money Victor was offering. "Victor, I can't accept this," she said, her voice filled with both appreciation and concern.

Victor waved off her hesitation. "Robin, you are Mrs Moriarty, even though I like free drinks we must also maintain appearances, right?" He chuckled. "Besides, I insist. It's not about the money; it's about you feeling comfortable and not having to worry about money while you're out with Sofia. Enjoy your day out, have a nice meal, and maybe pick up something special for yourself."

Robin nodded, touched by Victor's generosity. "Thank you, Victor. I'll make sure we have a wonderful day."

***

Few Hours Later:

"Uncle Hugh! We'll return in a few days. Send the fleet to provide support to the Sanchez during the expansion. It should be over before the winter begins."

"Yes, Master Moriarty! I have made sure that they are ready and follow orders. 

"What about the task in North Blue?"

"It was successful, Law will be arriving in BlackRock in two weeks but we have an issue."

"What happened?"

"He's bringing another companion, a bear mink child called Bepo. He's also distrusting of your goodwill."

"No problem, they have suffered a lot and need help! Tell me about the three devil fruit users who joined us."

"Yes master, after screening from all our territory we discovered 50 talented people. The most notable one is Byron, a young guy. He is able to play many instruments and he apparently can also make good wine. There were three devil fruit users too, The first one was a man named Bob B. who ate the Guta Guta no Mi, a paramecia Devil Fruit, which enables its user the capability to produce and manipulate concrete, a woman named Lily who ate the Mosa Mosa no Mi a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit that grants the user the ability to accelerate the growth rate of plants and control them to their desire and a young man named Joshua who ate the Zou Zou no Mi, a Zoan-type Devil Fruit that allows the user to transform into an elephant form."

"Hmmm, interesting! I'll meet them personally when I return. What about the research lab?"

"It's prepared and ready for operation. We couldn't do much about the advanced equipment but we have the basic apparatus imported from the Black Market channels."

"Good! We must take the first step, it'll grow with time. Ask everyone to prepare reports on the progress, I will hold a joint meeting with all the higher-ups when I return."

"Sir, we are losing money with all the welfare schemes and isolating our borders from foreign trade. The casinos are also suffering and the lack of tourists isn't helping a lot."

"Don't worry, It'll take some time but we'll recover. I have a plan that will print money like crazy but for that, we need some time and money to build the infrastructure."

"I'll trust your decision then, come home safely!" Hugh said before Victor ended the call.

***

Victor after ending the call looked at the briefcase on the table curiously. Should I do it? It might be dangerous but it won't kill him, right? He activated his powers and touched the briefcase for a second, suddenly he felt like he was losing his energy rapidly and he was visibly becoming thinner. 'No! I'll die if this goes on!!" He was alarmed and pulled back his hands while panting and out of breath. His body had become so thin that his bones were visible like some old man. 

"Quick!!! Bring me food!!" He shouted in panic. 'I shouldn't do such shit again...'

"What do you want sir?" The voice of the guard, a young man was heard as he entered the room. "Ahhhhh!! Call the doctor!!!" He shouted in shock when he saw Victor's thin appearance.

"Hey, calm down man!! I'm just hungry, just bring me food. All the food in this house." Victor felt a little flustered but maintained calm. The man did as told and in a few minutes he brought a lot of food which Victor chomped on like a monster. Meat, Fish, Egg, Milk, Cheese, vegetables nothing was left in the storeroom after he was finished and the cook of the guesthouse slumped on the chair after two hours of continuously cooking and cutting.

The man presented a plate of huge roasted chicken and said, "Boss! this is the last of what's left."

Victor gobbled it up in a few bites and finally gave a burp after drinking a glass of wine. He wiped his mouth with a cloth and washed his hands, he had regained a lot of his previous looks as his body absorbed all the energy from the digested food pretty quickly due to his enhanced metabolism.

"What is your name and rank?" He asked the man.

"Boss! My name is Alfred and I am only a soldier from the reinforcement. Captain Smith ordered me to guard the guesthouse during your stay." He said with a little hesitation and fear of offending the big boss, Angel of Death himself.