I do not own One Piece
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Crouching Demon, Hidden Dragon
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"Enough about that," Cat Viper gently growled. "What's really got me concerned is your safety, Nico Robin," and the woman in question blinked in surprise at him. "All the rascals 'round the world who're interested in the 'Voidcentury' have been able to gather countless numbers of Poneglyph copies, but…none of 'em had any hope of deciphering those things! When the time comes, and you go about readin' those things…all the 'Big Names' from 'round the world will surely come to snatch you away, rascal!"
"SNATCH ROBIN AWAY?!" the Straw Hats pirates yelled from behind her in shock.
But Robin just beamed, "I don't mind one bit! After all…I've got strong, reliable friends who will always be there to protect me!" She then basked in the warmth and love from her crew, her family, as they yelled about how flattered they were by her conviction in them, but also swore how of course they would be there for her. Even the usually far more cautious Usopp and Nami were furiously passionate to her defense, ready to go to war against anyone, even the Emperors, in her name.
And if any of those 'Big Names' try to coerce me into cooperating by going after them, or those that they care about, then I'll be ready for them, 'Demon Child' Nico Robin vowed, thinking back on her training with the Revolutionary Army, and the true power she had yet to unveil against her enemies. This won't be like Enies Lobby, I'll be right there alongside them, standing in defiance against the world.
And then she felt her memory drift back to her last two years, her time with the Revolutionary Army.
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Having met Luffy and his Grandpa, Monkey D. Garp, Robin confessed that she was very curious about meeting the middle generation, Luffy's father, Monkey D. Dragon, who was as infamous as the other two. And like the others, he defied expectations of him. Of course, she conceded, most of what is said about him comes from Government sponsored sources. Still, it's surprising seeing someone related to those two being so guarded. Luffy and Garp paint their emotions and intent on giant flags and wave them in front of people's faces, but there's no telling what depths lie under the surface of this man.
Dragon glanced up at her as she entered with her escort, "One moment please," he asked, and finished sorting through the papers on his neatly organized desk while another subordinate patiently waited for him to find whatever he was looking for. This interest in paperwork was but one of many ways Dragon was different from his son, whom Robin had been personally tutoring so that he was no longer only barely literate. Did he receive any schooling? As for Garp, based on what she had seen, Robin suspected that after years of frustration, the Navy had given up and had tried assigning someone to him to handle the paperwork for him, but had then given that up years ago too since the Vice-Admiral would have chosen to 'make a man' out of whatever paper pusher they sent him.
Still there were subtle signs of similarity between the three of them, even if tattooed man tried to hide them. Dragon's on guard and ready to fight at a moment's notice even here, preferably with his bare hands by the looks of them. His office space is simple and utilitarian, hinting that he doesn't care for the 'finer' things in life. The way his men act around him makes it clear he is also very charismatic. And I can smell cooked meat.
This should be interesting.
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Dragon leaned back in his chair, finding his conversation with the lovely woman very entertaining. Oh granted, she was attractive, but it was the personality beneath the surface that he found so interesting. It made him proud to know that Nico Robin was such a close friend of his son. Yet now that they had finished talking pleasantries and had gotten through the meat of their discussion, they were approaching the part that he had been dreading: why should they help her?
She had made it clear that she was willing to work with the Revolutionary Army, providing both her formidable intelligence and powers, but only as a temporary ally, not an actual member. That an undetermined point of time, Nico Robin would have to take her leave to rejoin his son as a pirate. Such an act posed an obvious security risk if she or her crew were captured, and since part of the 'agreement' she was proposing was that she would receive training from them; one could certainly argue that she was getting the better end of the deal as it was.
"You are the Light of the Revolution," Dragon grimly conceded, "and your bounty and achievements speak for themselves. Yet if you are going to be leaving us, I must wonder why we must invest so much into making you even stronger? How will that aid us in freeing the world?"
As expected, there were some startled sounds and muttered comments from his assembled men at his apparent lack of concern for helping Luffy, but Robin did not miss a beat and only gave an enigmatic smile. "Because my Captain has done significant damage to the World Government, defying and defeating their three greatest facilities, defeated two of the Warlords of the Seas," there were even more murmurs of surprise at that, but few enough that Robin suspected they had already known the truth about Crocodile, "and did the unthinkable and assaulted a Celestial Dragon. When he returns it can be expected that the Government will do all that it can to stop him before he does anything else, and when that time comes, I need to be as strong as possible for him, to ensure that he can continue to do great things."
Dragon grunted, but could tell from the mood that most of his men were in support of this even before she had spoken. Smart woman, she's given me the excuse I need to help my son with the Army's resources, while expressing it as if I'm instead just helping a pirate who's proven to be a significant thorn in the Government's side. I can't afford to be seen as stooping to nepotism, not even for Luffy, not with what's at stake.
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The hardest part of Robin's first day with the Revolutionary Army was making clear to them that she would not be sleeping inside their headquarters, and was instead camping out a fair distance away at a spot that she had assessed would suit her needs. The crags would conceal any duplicates of her eyes that she bloomed allowing her to observe all avenues of approach, there were several routes of escape, and places she could briefly conceal herself for an ambush. Not that it would likely make a difference if one of their higher officers, or Dragon himself, came after me, but I need to keep sending a message that I'm not one of them.
She made herself comfortable and took a few moments to enjoy the stars in the sky, relaxing before settling herself down for the night. Or rather, a series of brief moments of rest spread out over the night, having trained her body to rely on little sleep since she was barely ten years old. Not having to be on guard all the time, and sleeping from dusk to dawn, had been but one of the many, many reasons that she knew that being with the Straw Hats was where she belonged. She had at first thought she had been drugged the first time she slept through the night, unable to understand why she had still woken up inside her comfortable bed.
Yet they were not here now, and it would be a long two years until the Straw Hats were reunited. For now, her only companions were the Revolutionaries, who were too busy seeing her as the 'Light of the Revolution,' the last survivor of Ohara, the country that defied the world. Because of that title, and my connection to their leader's son, they forget: I'm a pirate. And at the end of the day, the Revolutionary Army is seeking to replace the World Government with a new system…and Luffy and the rest of us will always remain pirates.
But that was a concern for tomorrow, so Robin closed her eyes; her first training session was starting early in the morning.
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As the sun peaked over the horizon, Sabo strolled over to where he had asked Nico Robin to meet him for training, trying to hide his glee at meeting someone who was personally connected to his baby brother. True, she was being a little evasive about Luffy, but if anything that only encouraged Sabo, knowing that she was being so careful about protecting him. In fact, he had been downright giddy ever since he had learnt she was coming to see Dragon.
He arrived a few minutes early, but was pleasantly surprised to find that she had already been there, and given her appearance had probably been exercising for the last hour. Makes sense, he concluded as she got up from finishing another set of one-armed sit-ups, her fighting style is apparently based around grappling from a distance…that's an oxymoron isn't it? ...Anyways, so she works to improve her strength. Perfect.
"You do this regime every day?" he asked as she drank some water from a bottle. Where did she get that? I didn't give her it, and they said she came straight without stopping in the kitchens.
"Yes."
"Good, that'll make what I'm here to help you with easier," Sabo continued with a grin, "although I'm curious how you're able to keep your arms looking so, well, unmuscular."
"I've learned a few tricks."
And probably taught them to that Cat-Burglar Nami too. In the manly world of pirates, hiding their true athleticism would only benefit them. But does she have to be so vague and mysterious with everything she says? Oh well, makes her more interesting. ...Why do I suspect that was one of the reasons Luffy took her on? No, knowing him, that's not crazy enough.
"Alright then, I'll be training you on improving the physical properties of your Devil Fruit, and when I'm not available we've got some manuscripts for you."
"Oh?" and now Sabo caught a flicker of interest in her eyes, and even then he was half-wondering if he had imagined it.
"Yeah, Paramecians like you tend to have to work harder in drawing out the full extent of your powers, but Devil Fruits and their users have been around for centuries. Lots of different users have used the Flower-Flower Fruit before, and records of how they used it were kept. The World Government makes special training manuals to help their dogs do it, and people like us like to steal copies from them. I know you've been working on yours for a long time, but it never hurts to get a few pointers. Even Ivankov, one of our strongest fighters admitted that it was useful for him to read what previous users had done, taking his powers a little further than he'd imagined."
"Thank you," Robin said with a small smile, but not one she would have given her crewmates. "So what will my physical training entail?"
"Well," Sabo grinned while showing his teeth, "as I understand it, if you can see someone, you can capture them almost instantaneously, but that's no good if you can react fast enough, and aren't strong enough to actually hurt them. So I'll be attacking you a lot, building up your reflexes and such, but I don't think you're physically strong enough to hurt me even if you caught me." She declined to take the invitation to ensnare him right there, doubtlessly realizing that he meant what he said, and deciding that even if she could it would be too provocative. "Which is why I'm going to be teaching you something new."
And with that, he held up a hand, spread out his fingers but then brought his index-finger and middle-finger together, and then his ring-finger together with his pinky. "These are the three Dragon Claws." And with that he brought his hand down and crushed a rock between his fingers.
"Oh, and the name's Sabo."
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Robin's fingers ached too much to even turn the pages of her books. The man's training regimen was brutal, doing all he could to push her into becoming the best fighter he possibly could within the shortest period of time, so that whenever she was not fighting him (with his monstrous strength indeed allowing her to snap out of her arms with ease and knock her down while the multiplied feedback of her injured arms distracted her for an eye blink), he was making her do exercises to make her fingers strong enough to eventually crush rock, steel, and bone.
The only downside was that when she was lying on the ground trying to recover, he would pester her with questions about Luffy and her crew. Some of it was obviously related to his job as a high-ranking Revolutionary officer, although she had yet to determine how highly ranked, such as what she had learned during their brief period of time trapped within the G-8 Navy base. But for the rest of his questions, Robin was surprised to discover she had discover what may be the first fanboy for Luffy and his antics. He was clearly obsessed with her Captain, wanting any detail, no matter how small, and was patiently undeterred by her evasions, or easily satisfied by the harmless tidbits that she provided, such as how Luffy liked to fish.
Unable to read what precious few books she had available, Robin closed her eyes and began to focus on her limbs. Sabo was correct that there was more to her Devil Fruit powers than she had previously imagined. Previously imagined that is, before Eines Lobby. But afterwards, she had found herself advancing her abilities as she had not done so in years, developing entirely new techniques. The pain in her fingers increased the difficulty, but physical pain was no stranger to her, even if he continued to rudely insist on barging into her life.
Part of the reason Sabo is able to beat me so effortlessly is because he can move faster than I can see him. I was already training for that with Luffy and Sanji's help, but what if I can make it so that the 'me' they are attacking isn't really me?
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Months had passed, and Robin was meeting more and more of the Revolutionaries, including some of the various leaders who answered only to Sabo, whom she know knew was the Chief of Staff, and Dragon. All of them were charismatic and eccentric, men and women who were so obviously individualistic that it was no wonder that they had refused to conform to the expectations that society, and thus the World Governments, held for them. Unfortunately, that also meant that they would clash with Dragon's decisions as well, and while they were willing to patiently gather their strength for going to war with the world, they still burned with passion, and were eager to seize opportunities to accelerate their timetables, especially since with every delay more and more people suffered and died under the yoke of the World Nobles.
"But she's with us now! She must tell us about the Poneglyphs!" the furious cell leader finally snapped.
"No she's not, and no she doesn't," Sabo gently corrected, but Robin noticed how Koala and Hack seemed to be reacting to something in his manner, as if they were afraid he would attack his comrade. "She's a Straw Hat pirate, and only working with us for now."
"But—"
"As it is," Sabo railroaded over him, "we've already received some very useful intelligence about the Navy's activities, such as being able to confirm the truth about Gekko Moriah among other things. Be gracious for what she's already given us."
Outside of the headquarters, Robin paused in her training to smile at what her clone had seen and heard while it took her place at the meeting. I'll have to think of some way to show Sabo my appreciation. Maybe a funny story about Luffy?
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The next near conflict had been over deciding what other nations the Revolutionaries should help overthrow, which was always a difficult and careful process. After all, even if the uprising was successful, the inhabitants still had to be strong enough afterwards to be make sure any campaigns by the Navy to 'liberate' the country were too costly, unless they were willing to dispatch their powerhouses or larger fleets. With the rise in piracy, the World Government might decide that recapturing the nation was not worth diverting the resources and risk leaving somewhere else exposed. Alternatively, given the particular spiraling geopolitical situation, the Government might decide to make an example of the island in question, which was unacceptable to Dragon.
If the local rebel cells had a good chance of success if they were to receive further aid, then it was given. Otherwise they were to remain patient, and build up their strength.
"What about Alabasta? Their civil war made the people's feelings clear, and they've seen the hypocrisy of the Warlord system up close." one Revolutionary asked. Robin did not even blink at the probe into her past, merely keeping a calm expression on to communicate that she thought the answer obvious.
Noting that her friend was not going to answer, Koala spoke up, "Just the opposite. The king is too popular right now, and by making the former rebel leader the new Environmental Minister as they recover from the artificial drought, he has co-opted any possible opposition."
Hmm, alright, maybe I should give Koala a more accurate description of King Cobra later, Robin decided, realizing that the reason this discussion was even happening was because the Revolutionaries intel on the country was surprisingly out of date.
"And Alabasta is too obvious a target," the Fishman Hack added. "And too close to Navy Headquarters. That is why we never gave any support before."
"But the Navy's weaker now!" the hothead argued, believing the new Fleet-Admiral's policies would be insufficient.
Robin was still impassive, but had already vowed to take immediate action if any of them actually tried anything, knowing that any possible consequences to herself were irrelevant.
In the year that she had secretly been with the Revolutionary Army, her talents had been used for various covert operations, striking at the Cipher Pol intelligence agencies, and had had played a critical role in several uprising. Robin was well aware that such actions did cause strife for the citizens, which did concern her, now that her sense of compassion and empathy had been reawakened by her crew, but she knew that it was for the best in the long run. And even the slightest drain on the World Government's resources might make all the difference when the Straw Hat pirates reunited to challenge the New World.
Causing trouble in Alabasta however, was another story, being strictly nonnegotiable in her mind, and this not because she was guilty about her own past sins in fermenting the civil war. No, that's a lie... But more importantly, Princess Vivi is a friend of the crew, and a full-fledged member, and protecting the Straw Hats, any Straw Hat, is my highest priority.
Fortunately, as the debate continued on, it became apparent that those opposed to acting in Alabasta lacked sufficient support, especially without Robin helping them
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"Why don't you ever use your Dragon Claws?" Koala asked months later as both women relaxed in the house Robin was using to hide herself. The owners were on vacation which made it available, and the pirate still refused to relax around the Revolutionaries or stay where they were hiding out, carefully maintaining her distance from them.
With some exceptions.
"There was no need," Robin simply said, deciding to answer since Koala had become a friend. "My normal techniques are sufficient, and the Dragon Claws," and with this she flexed her fingers into the signature grip, "are not something I want to be actively using just yet."
The younger women conceded that Robin had hardly needed to use her increasing skill with the Claws during the mission they had just accomplished. The local military representative was as corrupt as they came, and had been blackmailing the local monarch into letting him do as he pleased. Since this was a relatively powerful kingdom, with even a major navy base nearby, this held dire consequences for the local inhabitants, which was why such an elite team had been dispatched. Robin's powers had allowed her to not only help them avoid any patrols or identify the coverage of any surveillance Den Den Mushi, but even open doors and windows from the inside. Now the Revolutionary Army had the incriminating files, which at the very least would lead to the marine officer's removal.
But still, "If you don't use it in actual combat situations, you won't be able to test how good you really are with it," Koala advised.
Robin nodded in agreement, conceding that the Fishman Karate master had the right to rebuke her like that, but said nothing, deciding it was best for the Revolutionary to arrive at the answer, or close enough, on her own.
"And you're getting really good. I mean, you've really been going at it. You're not at crushing steel yet, but when you meld your limbs together to increase your strength you can easily manage it."
I've actually progressed a little further than that, Robin mentally corrected, but to be safe I'll keep that to myself. Instead, "You're forgetting that I haven't been doing this as long as Sabo has, my fingers can't take the strain of prolonged use yet." Koala chewed her lip at that, knowing that with most of the missions Robin had carried out, including assassinating that despotic mayor of a small island, she would hardly need to use her Claws repeatedly. Just enough to quickly eliminate the strongest powerhouses from afar.
Koala stewed for a few moments more, but then she got it, "You're afraid that it's too distinctive. That people will recognize it as Dragon's signature technique, and connect you to him."
"Yes," Robin beamed. "And once I use it, the World Government, and others will connect the Straw Hats with the Revolutionary Army, and while I don't know what the consequences will be, I can be assured that it will complicate things for us immensely." Robin relaxed her hand now, And knowing our Captain, things will become very complicated as it is, and very quickly, once we finally reunite in just a few short months. She was rather looking forward to that, but she would not pass up a chance to make her family safer. We don't need to add to people's fears of us. Luffy won't care about being more associated with his father, but some of the other crewmembers would worry.
Then Robin's expression turned stony, "And of course it will connect me to Sabo."
At that Koala winced, and knew that Sabo, who she was well aware Robin also knew was outside and reclining above their window, would also be squirming a bit at hearing Robin meniont him. When Sabo had revealed the truth that he was Luffy's long-lost brother, and Koala had verified that his absence had been the result of amnesia, Robin had been given an actually honest smile right up until Sabo had asked her to promise to not tell Luffy about him.
It was right then that Koala finally had a hint of why the woman had been called that 'Demon Child' as she stared into the freezing orbs that had become Nico Robin's eyes as she calmly, so calmly, asked why she should keep such a secret from her Captain.
They could hear her capitalizing Luffy's title.
Eventually Robin had conceded that it was for the best that Sabo do it himself, but they both picked up hints that Robin was uncomfortable with the idea, and was concerned about when she would have to eventually tell Luffy that she had known about his brother.
"But once you're with them, won't you need to use the Dragon Claws? You're going to be traveling in the New World after all." Koala asked, forcefully returning her attention to their previous discussion.
A confident smile glowed in the unlit room, "My crewmates will also be becoming strong during our years apart. I doubt I'll need to resort to them until we start to face real challenges. If an emergency appears, then I'll use them of course. Or until my association with Dragon becomes public."
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Later in Dressrosa, Robin smiled as she watched Kyros fight the man who had killed his wife and had now tried to kill his daughter, furiously forcing the Donquixote pirate back.
I could end this now, she admitted to herself. Even with my normal techniques, from what I can see I might already be strong enough to restrain him for Kyros to kill. But I won't do that to Rebecca. I'll let her see her father as the hero he is, avenging her mother on his own. So I'll just make sure she's safe.
Then she spared a brief glance through duplicate eyes to the top of the summit, where she got some brief glimpses of the battle as her Captain and Law were fighting Doflamingo Donquixote himself, before dispelling the eyes. And neither Kyros nor I would be of any use against Doflamingo, given what he is shrugging off. Only Luffy has the strength and speed to handle that monster. For now, it will be safer for all of us to stay down here.
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And then Robin pulled herself out of her memories, and started to ask Cat Viper how the Minks knew so much about the Poneglyphs. That is then, and this is now. It appears I might have to show my Claws sooner than expected, but right now what is important is gathering more information.
Behind her, Luffy stopped his antics to hear what came next, knowing that Robin had also been vowing to protect them as much as they had been doing the same for her, and he was looking forward to what she had to show next.
Two years was a long time, especially for him and his crew, and he knew they still had more to share, but having fun reuniting and with everything that had been happening (it had only been a few days since Fishman Island) his crew had yet to really have a chance to tell each other what they were now capable of. Circumstances in Dressrosa had handicapped Robin and Franky's chances to show their true power, albeit by choice. And Zoro admitted to being largely bored by his fight with the gigantic but hilarious Pica. Only Usopp and Luffy had been forced to unveil their full potential. I can't wait to see what new and interesting things they've got! Shishishishi!
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Author Notes:
The reference to the G-8 marine base is from an anime filler arc.
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