One: Piece, TDOTS, Chapter 98 (Patreon)

"Good morning, everyone!" Sin lazily stretched his arms as he arrived on the Main deck, and everyone, except for Bepo, who was steering the ship from the quarter-deck, and Augur, who was inside the Crow's Nest, was gathered on the forecastle deck, and he could hear the chattering of their teeth as they entered the waters of Drum Island and chilling cold wind greeted them.

"It's too cold!" Lily, despite her superior physiology, could not help but tremble, and Wolf and Desire were uncontrollably shaking despite all the layers that they were wearing.

Only Robin, Yamato, Hiyori, and Grount seemed fine, and the four of them were not in the least bothered by the cold weather of this Winter Island, which was all thanks to their Devil Fruits.

Bonney was feeling cold, but she was not really bothered by it. Her focus was on keeping Nami, Nojiko, Vivi, and Pascia warm, and they were all huddled under a thick shawl, sticking close to each other.

Sin smiled when he saw that the pink head had turned herself two years younger to lower her height and gel in with them. He saw Kuina standing a little away from the rest, bearing the cold and taking it as a challenge, and it made him chuckle.

However, what was truly funny was watching Bart and Vigaro trying to keep indifferent expressions on their faces as their bodies uncontrollably trembled.

"Captain, we will die..." Penguin and Shachi were hugging each other to keep themselves warm, but it was not working for them.

"Bear with it. You will be staying on this Island for a while." He told him, much to their horror. "It will help you grow stronger as well."

The two boys and Wolf hailed from North Blue, the coldest of the Four Blues, and yet they were faring no better than the others as the sheer cold of Drum Island threatened to freeze the blood inside their veins.

Shachi and Penguin reluctantly nodded their heads, and when they saw Kuina standing alone and wearing fewer layers than him, a spark of determination flashed in their hearts too and they separated. They managed to stand away from each other for only a few seconds before they were back in their earlier position.

"This is hell!" Shachi complained, and those who witnessed their acts laughed at them.

An hour and a half later, they docked at the port that was still under construction and where dozens of other vessels were anchored, including the new Royal Fleet.

"Your Highness!" Dalton, who was waiting for them with a small group of guards, kneeled when he started descending the Ship, and Sin chuckled when he sensed the monkey on his shoulders feeling more proud, as if believing that they were kneeling to it.

"It's good to see you again. Get up." He ordered the men and then stepped forward to pat the Chief Commander's shoulder. "You still need time to grow stronger. All of you."

"Yes, Your Highness!" They all replied in unison and he smiled at him.

"Show my crew around the place. I am going to the Castle." He said then turned to look at the girls, specifically Nami and Vivi. "Come."

The two of them happily rushed into his arms, and then he disappeared with them in a flash of lightning.

"Princess." Dalton bowed to Robin when she looked at him.

"How are you, Dalton?"

"I am fine, Thank you." He said. "Where would you like to go first?"

"Bighorn." She said and led everyone to sit on the carriages that were waiting for them.

Hiyori was quite excited as she saw the beautiful Reindeer who were pulling the Carriages, and she took her time to greet at pet them all as she found them too cute.

Everyone then looked at the White Walkies that Dalton had brought with him, and the largest one was meant for Bart, who grinned as he walked over to climb on its back.

The Guards sat atop the furry horses, and then Dalton whistled, and the reindeer started moving.

"Hancock has been quite active." Kuina smiled, knowing well that their Second Vice-Captain was responsible for taming all these reindeer.

"She has." Robin giggled and then started utilising her Observation Haki to check on the people and their state of heart.

On the other side, atop the tallest Drum Rocky, Sin arrived on the Balcony of the Castle with Nami, Vivi, and Hit, surprising the boy who was half-naked and practising his sword in the sheer cold.

"Captain!" Law smiled, and both the girls cheerfully greeted him.

"Law." He nodded to the boy and then playfully smiled as he saw the boy carrying a sword he was very familiar with.

"I asked Hancock if I could take it." He blushed a little as he said those weds and Sin chuckled at him.

"It's a Curses Blade."

"I know. I want it." He determinedly said and fondly tightened his grip on the handle of a sword that was longer than him.

"Good. Keep working." He said and then put the two girls down on their feet. "The rest will be here in a few hours."

"Everyone's here?"

"Yes." He smiled at the excitement that flashed in his eyes.

"Let's go, Hit!" Nami and Vivi were already off, running inside the Castle, and the Crowned Monkey jumped from his shoulders and chased after them.

"I will see you at dinner." He told the boy, who nodded to him and then got straight back to his sword practice.

Sin smiled as he watched him practising the basics, and then turned around to walk inside.

"Sometimes, you just need to sit down with your sword and clear your mind. Go blank." He lightly said, and by the time Law stopped and turned to look in his direction, he was out sight.

A frown appeared on his face and then he looked at the sword he was holding, and without thinking much, he sat down cross-legged and sheated the blade before putting it on his lap.

Clearing your mind of everything was easier said than done. As he tried not to think much, his earlier movements with his blade kept replaying in his mind, which eventually started bothering him, and a while later, his expression turned serious as he started ridiculing himself over his flawed movements with all possible scenarios that his opponents could exploit.

It took a while for him, a very long while before he managed to clear up his mind, however, the weight of his blade in his lap always stayed on his consciousness.

Sin smiled when he sensed Law's heart calm down, and then raised his head to look at his beautiful Hancock, who was sitting on his throne, and on her left arm was wrapped a very pretty white snake with pink spots.

Shakuyaku had told him that she had sent his Queen a present when he visited her and Rayleigh with Lily to inform them about the things he had learned in Wano. And it seemed like this snake was the gift she was talking about.

"It's so pretty!" Viva and Nami curiously patted its head, not in the least scared of it, but Hit did not seem amused by the presence of a snake. However, the prideful monkey stayed silent as it kept staring at its natural enemy.

"What did you name it?"

"Her name is Salome." She brightly smiled at him and then stood up, letting the snake slither off her and wrap itself around Nami and Vivi, which made them giggle. "She's only a few months old."

"She's quite big for a snake that's only a few months old." He commented, knowing well that the Snakes Weapons of Kuja did not grow longer than six to seven feet, and at best reached the height of eight feet. However, Salome was already six feet long.

"She's special." Hancock entered his arms and then looked up into his eyes. "Just like me." She grinned. "That's what Shakuyaku said."

"No, there's no like you." He told her and smiled as he watched her blush at his words.

The two girls looked their way and blushed when they found them kissing each other, but then something else caught their attention as they saw someone enter the Throne Room and come to stand behind Sin.

"Yes?" He asked after he separated from her lips, and there was a clear sign of rage flickering Hancock's eyes at the interruption.

"Your Queen has refused to pay the Heavenly Tribute." Kalifa fixed her glasses and meaningfully said.

"And?" He nonchalantly asked.

"Are you really not going to pay the Heavenly Tribute?" She frowned.

"No." He replied and turned to meet her eyes.

"Why?"

"I don't have it." He said to her with a smile, and Kalifa curiously raised her brow at him.

"And why is that?"

"It's not your concern. The Marines are already aware of the reason." He said to her and then looked at the black suit that she was wearing, which hugged her body very sightly, accentuating her curves.

Kalifa frowned as she found his eyes wandering all over her body, and in her heart, she started cursing him.

"That's sexual harassment!" She blurted out, and it elicited a chuckle from him.

"No, not really. I don't like girls who throw their bodies out there for everyone to feast their eyes upon them. You repulse me." He told her, and Kalifa gaped at his words.

And then something suddenly clicked in her mind.

All the girls around him were conservatively dressed, including Hancock.

He was a control freak!