56 I'm no mental doctor

...

"Here, eat"

-Tap!-

"..."

"Don't look at me like that. I thought you had already gotten over it..."

"...Hmm"

"-Sigh...- Such a problematic woman..."

Grumbling something in an annoyed tone of voice, Farid could be seen walking towards his couch while carrying a fondled newspaper between his arm and chest, probably to read it after sitting.

And a few meters away from him, at the table where he used to eat alone, was now sitting Nico Robin with a small bowl of soup in front of her which she was eyeing with a blank expression on her face. Seemingly thinking about something.

A few days had passed since Operation Poneglyph had succeeded/failed. That day, Farid dragged Robin away from the castle while the King and the others were distracted, and after escaping he brought her to his house.

After that, he told her to spend a night in a spare room of his house to reorganize her thoughts, and that only after that, would he allow her to leave.

He wanted to ensure that she wouldn't try anything funny right away after getting out of his view. After all, for him, the minds of people who wanted to die were weird, and he wasn't sure what would she do if he were to leave her on her own.

She had tried to kill herself that day. It was to be expected that he would worry a little bit about what an unstable mind like that might cause.

He just hoped that at least a night of sleep would be enough for her to change her mind, and maybe make her appreciate her life a little bit more.

After all, the value people place on their own lives for some reason tends to change deeply after a death-near experience, or so he had observed during his years traveling. And seeing that Robin seemed to have gone over something similar, he wanted her to at the very least have a night to think before doing anything rash.

If that didn't work. Then there was nothing else he could do. He had no right to force others to continue living if they didn't want to, and the most he could do was to try and make them appreciate their lives a little bit more.

He was no mental doctor.

If Robin kept thinking that she wanted to die, then that was it. He wasn't going to keep stopping her.

And besides, he was only lending her the spare room for one night. It wasn't like he was losing that much by helping her a little bit.

...

... That's what he had thought in a beginning. However, things didn't turn out as he had expected.

For some reason, her stay which was supposed to only last for one night somehow turned into several days. Days in which, for some reason, she was mostly silent, and where she would only say "yes" or "no" if he asked her questions like if she wanted to eat something or not.

There were also times when she would leave the house. However, all of them were only to glance at the desert around them while sitting at the entrance of the house, and not leave for good, as he had expected.

It confused Farid to no end.

But honestly, he wasn't really bothered by her presence at his house. So he just let it be and continued minding his business.

It wasn't like she was bothering him in any way. And honestly, not being alone for once in a while was good in its own way as well.

He had been living alone for quite a long time by now, after all.

-Rustle...-

-Sigh...-

As Farid sat on the couch, he soon began reading the newspaper in his hands, as he raised an eyebrow with curiosity seeing its contents.

Most of it was about the economy, or about islands that some random pirates had pillaged.

There was even an article about a girl that was becoming famous for her beautiful singing which was spreading throughout the whole world. But he really didn't give it much attention, as there was another article that caught his attention right away.

"Hmm? They are looking for a new Shichibukai already? Maybe I should apply for the job, hahaha... -Sigh...-... What am I even saying...?"

It seemed that after Crocodile was brought down, the world government was already in search of someone else to replace him. However, considering how strong he was, it would be a miracle if they would find someone else that would be fit for the seat as a Shichibukai so fast.

'Though, if they do, let's just hope that whoever it is, they won't be a nutjob like Crocodile... But well, considering that they only pick pirates for the job, I don't think it will be possible..'

Shaking his head with a grim expression, Farid then continued reading the newspaper, as he then began checking up on the new-bounties section of the newspaper, where the marine posted most of the bounties of every newly added pirate.

It was helpful to know the faces of all those bastards that thought that becoming a wanted criminal was a good life choice. So he often did it in case he would find those guys one day while walking randomly in the city.

He had found quite a few idiots like that. So it was indeed worth checking.

-Groan-

As Farid continued checking up the faces of every pirate, soon he groaned in a low voice, as he began muttering something in displeasure.

"For real, it feels as if these guys are multiplying... -Sigh...- Why did I have to pick such a troublesome job?"

Clicking his tongue with a frown on his face, Farid then continued checking up every portrait that was there, before he suddenly noticed something strange amidst the several pictures of the newbie pirates that had managed to get bounties of their own, and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

There were at least 20 new portraits this week. However, amidst those 20, at least 6 of them had strange tattoos on their necks.

'The heck is this? Some kind of pirate organization? Just what I needed... The bastards are now organizing...'

Squinting his eyes as he glanced at the people with tattoos on their necks, soon Farid snorted slightly, before he suddenly looked at the ceiling, and let out a sarcastic remark.

"What's next?... Pirates putting bounties on marines...? Hmph, the world is getting crazier each day..."

Saying that with a foolish smile, soon Farid shook his head with a grin on his face as if he found his own words funny before he then went back to reading the newspaper. Thinking that even if the pirates were going to make an organization, for him that wouldn't change anything.

Like that, Farid continued reading for the next few minutes. Not minding his surroundings anymore as he did so.

...

While Farid was reading, Robin, on the other hand, was looking at the soup that Farid had brought her with a peculiar expression on her face.

It seemed as if she was thinking of something while glancing at it.

However, it didn't take long before she finally picked up the spoon on the table, and took a small amount of soup with it.

-Fuuuu...-

Blowing a bit at the spoon of soup so that she would not burn her tongue, soon Robin put the spoon in her mouth with the intention of beginning eating, before suddenly the contemplative expression on her face crumbled down into another completely different one.

"...!"

As when the flavor of the soup struck her tongue, she widened her eyes, before suddenly a pleased smile rose on her face.

It seemed like the soup was to her taste.

After that, she immediately began eating the rest of the soup with a slight smile on her face. Seemingly enjoying it a lot.

It took a while before she finished it all up. Somehow, Farid had done quite a bit of it, as if he had expected that she would eat a lot. Something that had confused Robin slightly.

'Did he really make this soup?' Was what Robin thought, as she glanced between the soup and Farid, who continued reading the newspaper, with a curious expression on her face.

After all, Farid certainly didn't give off the appearance of someone who would know how to cook.

Though, when she remembered most of the dishes that he had made during the past few days and all the amazing things he had done despite his common and young appearance, she had to accept that his appearance was pretty misleading.

However, despite that, she felt as if the soup just now was on a whole other level compared to the dishes he had made previously. And what's more, she was sure that she had never seen this kind of soup on any other part.

Which made her wonder, was he who created this soup? Or is it a soup from an island she had yet to visit?

She wanted to ask him. However, considering how she had been ignoring him for the past few days because of how he had acted at the Tomb of Kings, she was slightly reluctant to suddenly begin acting as if nothing had happened and just begin talking casually.

She had indeed been angry at him during the first and second days. However, after that, most of her anger disappeared and just slight awkwardness remained by now.

After all, with the night she had spent at his house, she also had a lot of time to think about her moments at the Tomb of kings, and how despite thinking that she was destined to die there, luck had slapped her in the face for once in a while, and had allowed Farid to save her.

It had seemed to her as if fate had told her that it still wasn't time for her to die.

The heavy disappointment and despair she felt from failing in achieving her dream had also disappeared over the last few days. As she had been in similar situations to that many times before that, and never had given up despite how bad she felt inside.

The time at the Tomb of kings had been the exception to the rule, however, as it included the accumulation of multiple years of exhaustion and constant stress. Which had given her a mental breakdown at that moment.

However, now that she was calmer, she had somewhat recovered and was beginning to think about what would she do from now on.

She was a very strong person, after all. The many years she had spent surviving on her own had shaped her like that.

Besides, despite the incident with the Poneglyph giving her a lot of despair, it also helped her realize just how she had wasted most of her life looking for the Poneglyphs. Only to end up failing in the end.

She loved history, that was a fact. However, was she really gonna sacrifice the entire life she now had ahead of her, just to continue looking for the Poneglyphs again...?

She was not sure of what her answer was.

And that was also why she stayed at Farid's house. There, it seemed like the only place in the whole world where she would hide from the World Government while thinking about what to do from now on.

A house in the middle of the desert, several kilometers away from the nearest city, away from all the troublesome matters of the world.

The place made her feel at ease, considering how messy her life had been until now. And that was also why she would from time to time leave the house and sit at the entrance to observe the desert.

Seeing the peaceful and silent dunes of sand get swept away by the wind, with not a soul in sight, made her feel disconnected from all the crimes that had been put under her head, and the troublesome life she had been leading until now.

A life where the whole world hates her and wants her head. And a life where she had to expect anyone to betray her.

But where she was now, she felt free from all that hate and worry.

It was because of that, that her anger at Farid had long disappeared. And now only awkwardness remained.

She had been quite rude towards the guy that had saved her, after all. If she didn't feel awkward after that, it would be weird.

However, she wasn't someone to back off simply because she felt slightly awkward either.

'... It has already been a while since that day... I guess talking a bit won't hurt anyone...'

Closing her eyes for a brief moment to calm herself down, soon Robin glanced at Farid from the corner of her eyes, before she then spoke to him.

"... Was it you the one who came up with the recipe for this soup?"

Hearing that, Farid lifted his head from the newspaper while looking around in confusion, before he then cleaned off his ear as if he had heard wrong, and looked at Robin with a confused expression on his face.

"You said something...?"

"..."

Hearing him, Robin felt slightly hesitant for a moment about speaking. But soon, she shrugged that feeling aside, and simply spoke to him again.

"I asked if it was you who came up with the recipe for the soup"

"... Well, it seems like miss silence is finally talking! Talk about a miracle..."

Feeling her eyebrow twitch in irritation at Farid's response, Robin smiled wryly.

Although it wasn't as if she couldn't talk to him, he wasn't making it easy either.

Soon, however, to her ease, Farid nodded his head and went back to looking at the newspaper. Not teasing her anymore.

"Yeah, it was me who came up with it. I did it a few weeks ago while I was on vacation"

Hearing him, Robin smiled, before she then looked at the bowl and asked one more question.

"Hmm... What is it called?"

Hearing her, Farid raised an eyebrow as he asked her back to confirm.

"The name of the soup?"

"Yes"

Nodding his head, soon Farid closed his eyes for a little bit, reminiscing what name he had given it at that time, before he then answered her, only to stop midway as he realized what he was saying.

"I called it the legendary Fari-... Uh... Nevermind, I didn't give it a name"

"Legendary Fari...?"

"Just ignore what I said"

Grabbing his face in shame as he remembered the stupid name he had given that soup because he had not cared much at that time, Farid then sighed, as he cursed inside his mind at the past Farid.

'I will give it a proper name when I have time...'

Then, as if reminiscing something, Farid's eyebrows raised slightly for a second, before he then turned to look at Robin, and asked her something.

"Hey, by the way-..."

-Knock, knock, knock-

However, before he could finish his question, suddenly someone called out the door and made Farid and Robin frown in confusion. Robin more than Farid.

After all, even if she was feeling grateful at the moment, it wouldn't be the first time someone had betrayed that feeling of hers and had tried handing her to the marine.

And for someone to come visit Farid, when his house was in the middle of the desert... It didn't really seem likely...

"Geez, stop giving me that look... I don't know who it is either..."

Snapping out of her thoughts as Farid said that while looking at her with a raised eyebrow, soon she eyed him with slight caution in her eyes, as Farid began standing up from the couch to go and see who was calling at the door.

Seeing that, Robin also stood up and went to see who it was.

Honestly, she felt a bit helpless at the moment. After all, knowing what Farid was capable of, she found it very unlikely that he would be able to escape if Farid had really wanted to hand her to the Marine. So, without many options, she followed after him with slightly hesitant steps.

Her beating heart seemed to echo in her head as Farid approached the entrance.

-Click-

-Creaaaack...-

Soon, the door of the entrance opened, and Farid, who was there with his hands grabbing the knob, raised an eyebrow before he then squinted his eyes while glancing at the person who had called the door.

Well, not the person, but rather the people that had called at the door.

""Mister...!""

"... Good evening, and... I'm sorry Farid... They were too eager of meeting you again, so I simply couldn't tell them no..."

There, at the entrance, were three little kids with bright smiles on their faces, and an old man that carried an apologetic expression as he looked back and forth between the kids and Farid.

"Huh... Is that so...?"

Seeing that, Farid couldn't help but smile wryly, as his eyebrow twitched slightly.

At that moment, Farid had the slight feeling that his original objective of building his house in the middle of the desert was beginning to disappear.

...

-To be continued-

(A/N: Took me a while to write, but here it is, I will begin immediately with the next chapter tomorrow, and hopefully it will be done in a few days.

Also, there's someone that has been supporting my Ko-fi monthly for two months straight... In case someone is you, but you actually wanted to donate just one time and clicked wrongly on the "monthly" option ... Then check that out, because it will charge you again probably two days from now...

The last thing I would want is for someone to have a bad experience when donating to me! That would be bad for the wallet if you know what I mean.

Pretty bad joke, I know.

But In case you didn't click wrongly in the monthly option, then that's fine. Thanks a lot for the support!

Anyway, that's all for today. It's already 4:30 AM here, and I'm going to sleep.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!)