章 90: Preparing to Part
After fooling around in the bath for a bit, Thomas, followed closely by Caenis, made his way to the main dining hall. There, he found nearly everyone was already present. Lucy was even a little red in the face as she danced alongside Astolfo and a somewhat nervous-looking Usopp. The latter wasn't too good with women, but Lucy and Astolfo didn't seem to care as they forced him to accompany them.
Noticing Thomas, Lucy's smile broadened as she shouted, "Tom! Come and dance with us~!"
Though he would have politely refused under any other circumstance, Thomas only hesitated briefly before joining Lucy and Usopp atop the table. They were about to part for upwards of two, maybe even three years, so he set aside his usual inhibitions and decided to enjoy himself.
Seeing Thomas willfully submit to Lucy's antics, Nami remarked, "You're right. He really is behaving differently..."
Nodding her head, Vivi replied, "I'm not sure if he's just putting on an act, but he's a lot more...assertive than before."
Turning her attention to Vivi, Nami asked, "Oh? How so...?" in a curious tone. The faint blush on Vivi's face told a story in and of itself, but she was interested in hearing the specifics.
Instead of responding to Nami's inquiry, Vivi reached up to massage the heat out of her cheeks. It was just her, Nami, Robin, and the ever-silent Artoria seated together, but she didn't think it was proper to mention how she and Thomas had nearly knocked over a bookshelf when their make-out session got particularly 'intense.'
Narrowing her eyes in amusement, Robin cupped her right cheek as she playfully mused, "How enviable. It must be very 'fulfilling' to have a man as passionate as Tom as a lover..."
Catching Robin a little off guard, Vivi looked her in the eyes as she said, "I'm pretty sure you're one of the girls Tom had his eyes on from the very beginning. Since we'll be working together toward a common goal, I don't mind if you want to start a relationship with him..."
Contrasting the incredulous look on Nami's face, Robin maintained her usual smile as she closed her eyes and replied, "I would be lying if I said I hadn't given it some thought. Before my encounter with Tom, I had just about given up on my dream of locating the Rio Poneglyphs and learning the true history of the world. After all, it took more than twenty years just to ascertain the location of a single Poneglyph. Now, with some help from Astolfo, I could locate the remainder with relative ease..."
Opening her eyes, the corners of Robin's smile curled upward as she added, "If you're truly alright with it, I would like to, at the very least, express my gratitude to Tom for rekindling my hope. Where things go from there, I can only imagine..."
With a somewhat grouchy expression, Nami preempted Vivi's response by raising her glass to her lips and grumbling, "That man really does have the Devil's luck. Even when he's off having fun and partying, his future wife is basically helping him scout women for his harem..."
Smiling wryly, Vivi replied, "I'm not entirely sure that's the case. While it's true Tom plans to have relationships with multiple women, I don't think he intends to build a harem..."
Narrowing her eyes, Nami asked, "What else would you call a relationship between one man and multiple women?"
Without a moment of hesitation, Robin mused, "Polygamy?" in a teasing tone.
Adopting a deadpan expression, Nami resisted the urge to ask what the difference was. Instead, she asserted, "Regardless of what you call it, it doesn't change the fact Tom is incredibly fortunate. He works pretty hard, but the ease at which he accumulates wealth and power is ridiculous. At this rate, it really is just a matter of time before he rules the entire world..."
"Is that such a bad thing?" asked Robin, adding, "The World Government is beyond corrupt. Tom may not possess the disposition or desire to rule, but he has a robust sense of responsibility. That alone makes him better than the vast majority of Celestial Dragons..."
Nodding her head, Vivi appended, "That's kind of what I was alluding to. Rather than 'collecting' women to further his ambitions, Tom is the type of person to pledge his unwavering support to others. So long as they don't cheat on him while receiving his support, I don't think he would mind even if the majority of women he sleeps with moved on or fell in love with other people."
Recalling Thomas mentioning he wouldn't mind sleeping with her, even after she had wronged him, Nami found it difficult to refute Vivi's words. Like most men, Thomas didn't necessarily seek an 'emotional connection' with the women he associated with. He was certainly possessive, but so long as he wasn't in an active relationship with someone, he wouldn't care what they did, much less who they slept with.
Interrupting Nami's thoughts, Vivi added, "Though he presents himself as a 'scoundrel,' I believe Tom when he says he only needs one good woman to be happy. That's why, as his future wife, I've decided to support rather than oppose his relationships with other women. That way, I can protect him from those who only seek to take advantage of him while also forming sisterly bonds with those who intend to remain at his side..."
With Vivi staring directly at her when she mentioned people who only wanted to take advantage of Thomas, the pout on Nami's face intensified. She had a habit of charging men 100,000 Berries a piece if they managed to see her naked. To a similar end, she considered offering Thomas her first time in exchange for 300,000,000. She was certain he would give the money to her if she simply asked for it, but she hated feeling indebted to people...
Disrupting the trio's conversation, Chloe, having just arrived with Illya and Ruby, strolled over to ask, "What's with the serious atmosphere? Isn't this supposed to be a party~?"
Answering in the other girls' stead, Robin replied, "We're discussing the future. Would you like to join us?"
Deducing the true meaning of Robin's words, Chloe directed a half-lidded gaze at Thomas as she muttered, "The future, is it...?"
Adopting an apologetic smile, Vivi said, "I'm not sure what transpired during your conversation with Tom, but I'm certain he wasn't trying to offend or upset you."
Taking a seat, Chloe replied, "I'm well aware of that. I'm just annoyed because he tried to convince Illya and me to babysit tangerine girl and the Straw Hats while he fools around. Like, I get there are other things he wants to focus on, but we have an agreement. How does he plan to break free from Zelretch's influence when he cuts corners and takes long breaks from his training?"
Shaking her head, Chloe preempted the trio's responses by adding, "Forget it. This is supposed to be a going-away party. Let's make the most of the time we have left together."
Though the legal drinking age in Alabasta was only fourteen, Chloe would have consumed alcohol regardless. She didn't feel anything when she did it, but she had killed and assassinated well over a hundred people since arriving in the world of One Piece. She was also a bonafide Pirate, so she felt entitled to drink and make merry whenever the opportunity presented itself. If Thomas or anyone else had a problem with it, they could kiss her squarely on her copper-toned ass...
Seeing Chloe pour and down an entire pint in a single go, Robin exhaled a faint giggle before remarking, "Oh my~" in a playful tone. She knew Chloe was older than she appeared, but it was still surprising seeing her chug an entire pint of rum. The variety they were drinking hadn't been diluted, so it had a minimum alcohol content of 40%.
Testament to the alcohol's strength, a ruddy hue promptly spread through Chloe's cheeks as she filled herself another cup, asserting, "It's too early to be surprised. I'm just getting started...!"
Having made her way over, Illya attempted to stop Chloe before things got too out of hand, but her efforts were rewarded with a rum-tinged kiss. Their exchange drew the attention of Thomas and virtually everyone else attending the party. However, instead of attempting to stop them, the former decided it had nothing to do with him, eventually joining Zoro off to the side as things became increasingly chaotic...
...
..
.
After getting blackout drunk, Thomas was unsurprised to find Caenis and Astolfo curled up next to him when he awoke. What did surprise him was the presence of Atalanta, Benienma, and Artoria. In other words, all of his Servants had crawled into bed with him and were currently naked.
Contrasting his expectations, Thomas felt uncharacteristically calm, albeit very confused. He doubted he would lay a hand on Benienma and Artoria, even while completely shitfaced, so he convinced himself they had simply crawled into his bed alongside everyone else. Thus, instead of worrying about them, he was far more concerned about the exposed bottom a few centimeters away from his face, its owner an easily deducible mystery as there were only two girls he knew with black hair...
Closing his eyes, Thomas attempted to recall the events of the previous night. He remembered doing karaoke and getting entangled in a drinking game that involved arm-wrestling, but that was about it. The rest of his memories were fragmented, but he could vaguely recall Benienma doing magic/party tricks with a wicker basket and Lucy getting upset when he tried to call it a night early...
Interrupting Thomas's reflection, Caenis softly inquired, "How long are you going to pretend to be asleep...?"
Without opening his eyes, Thomas calmly replied, "As long as it takes..."
Though he was fairly certain nothing had happened, the situation Thomas had found himself in was more than a little compromising. Robin had dark skin, so he was 99% sure the bottom before him belonged to Lucy. Thus, until she woke up and got off of him, he intended to keep his eyes closed and mind focused on other things.
Worsening the situation quite a bit, Thomas felt Caenis shift before a crisp smack echoed throughout the room. Immediately afterward, Lucy awoke with a start, shouting, "What the heck was that for!?" as she sat up, sitting squarely on Thomas's face.
"..."
With Thomas unable to speak, Caenis responded to Lucy's flare with a question, her voice carrying a teasing undertone as she asked, "Enjoying your seat?"
Though she was briefly confused by Caenis's words, the gears in Lucy's mind began to turn when she looked down to find a bare chest beneath her. She also felt something pressing into her special spot, so a faint red hue spread through her face as she answered, "I'm not sure..."
Restraining a laugh, Caenis adopted a wolfish grin as she mused, "Well, either way, you should probably move. Tom can only hold his breath for so long."
Realizing she might be suffocating Thomas, Lucy responded with a fairly innocent "Whoops," before promptly scooting forward. However, instead of getting off Thomas completely, she looked back at him to see if he was awake.
Seeing that Thomas's eyes were closed, Lucy remarked, "Looks like he's still asleep," before facing forward and focusing her attention on a specific part of his body. Lying on his back and being enveloped by naked women as he slept had caused a 'physiological' response in Thomas's body. Lucy sitting on his face hadn't helped, so he was currently at full mast without any blankets to cover it.
Leaving Thomas with questions he wasn't sure he wanted the answer to, Lucy asked, "Is this an adult penis? It's a lot bigger than the other ones I've seen. It almost looks like it's in pain..."
Before Caenis could respond, Thomas abruptly asked, "Mind getting off of me?"
Turning around, Lucy found Thomas looking up at her with a faint smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. In response to his words, she asked, "Are you sure? I can help you, you know?"
Shaking his head, Thomas replied, "Maybe once you've become Pirate King. We're about to part ways, so it's best not to overcomplicate things at the last moment."
With Thomas using her dream as leverage against her, Lucy furrowed her brows but ultimately climbed off him. She thought he would be excited to find her naked in his bed, but he apparently wasn't as 'wolfish' as she had been told all men were. She expected to be 'eaten up,' but Thomas barely even looked at her.
Instead of remaining upset, Lucy promptly regained her usual smile and said, "Fine, then. Once I become Pirate King, you'll have to show me the special hug Aunty Dadan told me about. It's a promise!"
Holding out her pinky finger, Lucy's smile became even broader when Thomas, albeit with a bit of reluctance, extended his hand to link their pinkies. The notion of having sex with Lucy still seemed wrong to him, but, given a few years to prepare, he was certain he could come around to the idea...
...
..
.
(A/N: I wonder what it would be like to open your eyes and find an unfamiliar ass in front of you...?)
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