Free Heart

Ch 96 - I am Who I Am

"Good morning. My name is Monkey D. Emmy and I am looking for my nakama. Her name is Robin. She has blue eyes, black hair down to here and she's about this tall. Could you please tell me if you have seen her?" Emmy moved her hand to her shoulder and then high up over her head to indicate Robin's height. Her eyes, while with heavy bags growing darker by the minute, shined with anticipation for an answer.

The fishmonger in front of her paused in the middle of hauling a rather large fish out of an icy barrel. "I'm sorry, little girl. I see a lot of people every day. You'll have to be more specific. Do you happen to have a picture?"

"I'm afraid I don't," Emmy said, lowering her head and giving the fishmonger a polite bow, "But if you do see a woman with black hair and blue eyes named Robin, can you please tell her that her nakama are looking for her and they are staying at the Tropical Breeze Inn?"

"I will try," the fishmonger said, and then his smile turned into a frown when he noticed that the girl in front of him was trembling all over. When she righted herself, he saw that her face had a dull, waxy look to it, "Are you...are you feeling okay, little girl?"

"I'm fine. I need to look for my friend," Emmy replied.

The fishmonger narrowed his eyes. "Have you been looking for her all night? That won't do at all. You look like you're about to collapse. Go back to the inn! Get some sleep."

"No. I'm fine," Emmy insisted, "I'm —"

"Going back with me."

Emmy turned in surprise and without missing a beat, Sanji picked up her hand and tucked it in the crook of his arm.

"Sanji!"

Sanji patted her hand and then scanned the fishmonger's wares with a swift but careful glance. "Hrmm. You've got some fresh catches here, old man. I'll come back once we have a ship secured. In the meantime, shall we head back, Emmy-chan?"

"I need...I need to find Robin," Emmy insisted.

Just then, a middle-aged woman came racing over towards the fishmonger with tears in her eyes. "Tyree-san! Tyree-san! Did you hear the news?" she asked, "The mayor has been shot!"

"Iceberg-san?!" The fishmonger gasped.

"I think that's our cue to leave," Sanji said and turned Emmy away from the fish.

"But —"

"Emmy-chan," Sanji said in a firm but gentle tone, "I've been out all night waiting by the cape in hopes Robin-chan would return but she has not. Would you please accompany me back to the inn? I'm afraid I'm so tired I might have a hard time finding my way there on my own."

Emmy frowned. "You know I can tell when you're lying."

Sanji smiled. "But you can also tell that I am truly tired. And I can tell you are too. You haven't gotten much rest last night and you need to especially after healing up from all of Usop— from all of those wounds. It would be best for you to have someone else search for Robin-chan now. You are so tired you could be missing clues without realizing it."

"That...That is true," Emmy admitted and she gave a sigh, "I guess we should head back."

"Excellent," Sanji said and then maneuvered her right to the lobby of the inn, "Now then, which floor were we on again?"

Emmy had to shake her head and blink a few times to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. How did she not realize that Sanji was already walking her back while they were talking? Maybe she really was tired.

"Emmy-chan? Which floor? I wasn't lying when I said I might have a hard time making my way back," Sanji prompted.

"Oh. Third floor...But...everyone is awake," Emmy said, giving a quick check on her bonds, "So I don't think they're in the room."