eyes ...

“Hello Akira!” Vivi's voice pulls me out of my thoughts. You and Kobra are the only people allowed to call me by my first name. And Nico Robin. I also greet Vivi and remind myself that courtesy and friendliness are paramount. We talk for a while. She noticed that I'm not really happy to be here. I tell her it's still better than hanging around Rainbase somewhere. And that's even the truth! Vivi laughs at it. At that moment I wonder how she can still be in a good mood despite all the bad experiences with me. She talks to me like nothing has ever happened, and for some reason I am pleased.Then she asks me if I would decline the invitation one day. I pause for a moment and then come to the conclusion that I probably wouldn't do what I tell her to do. Vivi seems to be pleasantly surprised about this, but doesn't ask any further questions. That's fine with me, because I don't know what I would answer if she had asked why I was answering. After a few more words, she leaves.

For me there is now nothing left that could prevent me from getting some fresh air. After the oppressive heat in the palace, the cool evening air is really good. I wonder how I could pass the time now. Meanwhile I hear steps behind me, but I don't let them bother me.

“What are you doing here?” I turn to see the owner of this familiar voice and am surprised. Peruh? "The air is much more pleasant out here than in the palace. It's getting stuffy there," I reply.A stupid answer, but still better than nothing ... "That's why I went out." If he means ... But why did he talk to me? "You know, I somehow got the impression that you'd like to decline the invitation ..." That's no reason to grin like that ... But to be honest, I'm still surprised that he noticed. "Where from ..." The words stick in my throat as I look at him. His eyes ... They look exactly like ... But it can't be! ... Exactly! There are probably thousands of people with eyes like that!

Damn it! Hopefully Peruh doesn't have that I was so distracted! ... Apparently not. He probably blames my "shock" on the fact that he noticed that with the invitation, because he answered my incomplete question. "You can tell, Akira ... Sorry! Crocodile, I mean ..." Does it just seem like that to me, or does he look embarrassed because of this error? "I'm really sorry, I was in thought ..." He was probably not the only one, because I only noticed it when he improved.I should say something slowly instead of being silent. "It's okay ... As long as it doesn't happen often ..."

There is another silence. After a short time Peruh takes the floor again. "Why don't you just tell him if you don't want to come to the party? I'm sure he would accept it." "Well ... you have had pretty bad experiences with me, but it looks like , the hatchet was buried again, which for me honestly borders on a miracle. "I laugh for a moment because it is actually absurd. I had planned the fall of Alabasta, and now it is pretended that it never happened ... I continue my explanation. "And so it would be ... how should I put it ..., ungrateful to decline the invitation. Or what do you think?" Peruh seems to think about it for a moment. "There is something to it, but ... what do you want to say when you don't have time? He would never force you to do it." If I were to deal more seriously with plans to restart the company, I would actually have less Time.I could say something like that now, but that certainly doesn't make a good impression.

"I've had all the time in the world since the Baroque company went down," I say instead. Now Peruh seems to find the conversation more interesting. “Did any actually come back?” Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned the company after all ... “Yes.” “Also in the hope that you would go back to work?” “Sure, but I told you right away that it was With the exception of a few special agents, they all ran off again. And I doubt that they'll do something on their own. Nico Robin is the only one who hasn't asked for the company to be rebuilt. I think she was against it from the start. "And if I'm already talking to him about Nico Robin, I have to tell him something else right away.

“Do you know that she wanted something from you?” I can't help but grin at this question. Peruh then gives me a slightly confused look."Well, I always found her behavior towards me a bit strange, but I really didn't expect anything like that." "I only found out after peace had returned to Alabasta. At that time she was no longer in You have a crush. "My gaze wanders over the landscape, but from the corner of my eye I watch my conversation partner and realize that this topic seems uncomfortable to him. Understandable. I don't like to talk about love either ...

“Chaka says they should have put you behind bars for what you did.” I don't know how he came up with it, but I'm glad the subject was changed. Peruh keeps talking. “But I think it's okay that you got a second chance.” I look at him curiously. Does he think that's okay? Well, I don't mind, but he actually has enough reasons: I had Kobra kidnapped and endangered his reputation, I almost killed Vivi and Chaka, I wanted to blow up Alabasta ... Suddenly Peruh starts to laugh.“You don't understand my point of view, do you?” “Not really ... How can you, after all I've done ?!” Now I'm really looking forward to his answer, which will not be long in coming. "Kobra is not resentful towards his friends. -Yes, I know you will be surprised that after this war he sees you again or still as a friend - even as one of his closest friends! - but the friendship with you is his Always meant a lot. "" Friendship or not, you can't just forgive that! "That's just incomprehensible to me ..." Sometimes even Vivi doesn't understand his train of thought. And that means something. "Okay, he I have to know ... "But you should stop worrying about it. Be glad that everything is as it is." "Yes ... I am too ..." While we are talking, I get up once aware that besides Nico Robin there is another person who I feel good around and to whom I could tell everything: Peruh.I have no idea why, but I know that I can trust him in every way. Does he trust me too? But I don't ask him about that. That would be going too far ... "Crocodile? Everything alright?" "How? Yes, I was just ... thinking. Not so important ..." "Oh ... are we going back in?" Has he just said "we"? Understand that, whoever wants ... "Okay." I look at the clock. Half past twelve?! So long have we talked? “Time goes by really fast, doesn't it?” This remark from Peruh prompts me to resolve to act a little more inconspicuously in the future. That certainly looked like I wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible ... "Uh, yes, right. ... What is there to grin?" Actually, I didn't want to ask that ... "You can go anytime You know that. "" Yes, but I think it's rude to leave a party early. "" Since when have you been bothered about being polite? - It wasn't meant like that! "Good question ... But he really seems to care.Still, I prefer not to answer. Peruh probably expected that too, because he is slowly walking back towards the palace. So I'm going too. The rest of the celebration went on without any further noteworthy events. As I leave, I realize that I was one of the last. That's probably because I talked to Kobra for so long ...

When I get home, I actually want to go to bed right away, but notice that Nico Robin is still sitting in the living room. "So how was it?" She asks. "Actually quite nice ... But why are you still sitting here?" "I've been waiting for you." As if that were so natural ... But I don't worry about that now, I tell her about the party. "I'm happy for you!" And what is she talking about ?! The answer to my unasked question comes immediately. "You seem to be making friends with Peruh. Another friendship would certainly do you good." "Maybe ..." I know that Nico is right.She's almost always right ... And when I think about it, I think it wouldn't be that bad after all. After all, I get on well with him. I only stop brooding when Nico Robin tells me that she is going to bed now. "Okay. I'll do it right away ..." I look back over the day before I put my plan into action.

~~~ NEXT MORNING ~~~

Despite the long night, I wake up early. Somehow that annoys me, because I have nothing planned for today. So boredom is inevitable ... I lie there for about half an hour before I get up to go to the bathroom. I spend half an hour there too. That surprises me, because otherwise I'm back outside after 10 minutes. I explain this "phenomenon" to myself by saying that I have definitely slept too little. Exactly. That's how it will be ...

Next I disappear into the kitchen. But this turns out to be a mistake, because this room also serves as a common room.I try to ignore Miss MerryChristmas, who is complaining about her back pain again, as well as the lame laugh of Mr. 4, who is apparently having a great time over Mr. 2's hopping around. The two green tea and cracker freaks, Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek, are the only ones who don't attract attention. And if Nico Robin were here too, she would hardly be noticed either.

Ignoring it works just fine when I have my coffee. A strong coffee in the morning is a must for me, otherwise the day is over for me. But if I wake up in a good mood, it doesn't have to be, of course ... A short walk afterwards, and I can describe the morning as a good start to the day. But I can only allow myself to do that if there is nothing more important to do, such as making plans for the company if we should go back to work. The emphasis here is on "if". Sometimes I like the idea very much, then there are phases in which I would like to forget about the Baroque company and everything that has to do with it ... Now for example ... So I move outside as quickly as possible.The light wind clears my head almost immediately. I decide to go to the beach. Once there, I