Carried on Strange Tides

Waking up on a deserted island is not my idea of a holiday. Neither is finding out I've somehow been blasted across dimensions into a world far too dangerous for any normal person to survive. Good thing I'm no longer normal thanks to a bloody fruit!

And here we are again. Nothing to say here except Enjoy!

Chapter 2

"I see, so thats it…" I said, leaning back to look up at the sky.

Vivi had just finished telling me about what was happening in Alabasta and her goal. Apparently I had appeared a full year and a half before the start of the story, so all the two spies knew was that Baroque Works was behind what was happening in Alabasta and were still relatively low ranking, only Millions. Now, the question I was asking myself was, should I let Vivi and Igaram know who was Baroque Works boss or hold out till later? If I told them now, I could potentially save millions of lives, but the big question was, would we survive to actually use the information and be able to defeat Crocodile. Sure my Aqua Aqua fruit would give me an advantage, but he'd likely had his powers for years and I'd had mine for a grand total of two months. Advantage or not, I wouldn't stand a chance against him. Eventually, I let out a huff. I'd have to keep my mouth shut for now, both because I didn't feel like dying quite yet and because I wasn't willing to show off my future knowledge. I just hope my conscious doesn't get the better of me.

"So you see, thats why we need your help," said Vivi, "Please, we can't too this alone. We need your strength!"

"Well, OK," I said, getting to my feet, "I guess our first job is figuring out how to get me into Baroque Works as well."

"W-wait, so you'll help us?!" gasped Vivi.

"What? Is it that surprising?" I asked with a grin, "I'll help you find the man responsible for turning your country upside down."

Vivi stared up at me for a moment, before she started tearing up and pounced at me, grabbing me tightly around the neck.

"GLERK!"

Getting into Baroque Works was actually rather easy, although I think it helped that Vivi and Igarams superior was an idiot. Vivi did an excellent job of spinning a tale about how the treasure had been guarded by a creature who had killed all of their companions before I'd stepped in to help. The idiot didn't even stop to ask what I'd been doing on the island.

Of course, getting into Baroque Works was a mixed blessing. Sure, it gave me a way to get acquainted with my new home, and would put me squarely in the Straw Hats path (I still fully intended to join them at some point) but in the intervening two years I had to do some...lets say morally dubious things. Its a damn good thing I'd talked Vivi and Igaram into keeping their gobs shut about my Aqua Aqua fruit powers or I'd probably have ended up being ordered to drown entire towns or something. Even so, I spent many a night crying myself to sleep and being eaten alive by the guilt that came with some of the less wholesome missions that came with being a member of Baroque Works.

On the flip side, I had no trouble whatsoever putting down Pirates! After all, while there were some examples of very good people who sailed under the black flag, most of them were scum. It also helped me improve my swordsmanship to the point where I didn't need the very subtle use of my powers I used at the start. Thanks to that (and the general ineptitude of the bottom-of-the-barrel crooks Crocodile currently had in his company) it didn't take long for those with actual skill and brains in their skulls to advance and within a year, Igaram, Vivi and I had been promoted to Frontier Agents and assigned to Whisky Peak.

"Do I have to?" I moaned.

"Yes, its the company policy," said the massive Miss Monday as she loomed over me.

"But having Agents walking around with numbers on them is kinda obvious, don't you think?" I said.

"JUST DO IT!"

I flinched as she stormed out.

"Fine, but I'm not painting it on my face," I muttered, "I'll put it on my hat instead."

I grabbed a sewing kit that was in the room (A skill you quickly learn while on the high seas) and stitched the number I'd been arguing with Miss Monday about for the past half an hour onto my hat, before slapping it back on and stepping in front of the mirror.

Looking back at me was a tall, slim teenager with tanned skin that came from spending so much time under the ocean sky and black hair streaked with blond from much the same that had been cropped short. My eyes were a deep, aqua blue, which they'd turned from brown after I'd eaten the Aqua Aqua fruit back on the island. I was wearing a black shirt with a blue hydra on the front, blue jeans held up by a belt that also held a holster for my sword when I wasn't carrying it. Over the top I wore a long, dark blue coat with pale blue wave patterns around the hem and sleeve ends. Finally, I had a Marine style cap I'd swiped off a Marine ship we'd taken shortly after I joined the company and had re dyed the same shade of dark blue as my coat with lighter blue wave patterns around the top. It now also had a large number 9 sewn into the front.

"Huh, it actually doesn't look that bad," I muttered as I adjusted my hat, "Eh, I can live with it."

I shrugged and headed for the door, grabbing my sword as I left.

"There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" said Miss Monday.

"Bite me."

I ducked under the swipe Miss Monday took at my head as I headed downstairs.

"Ah, there, ahem, mah mah mah, there you are Mr 9," said Igaram.

"Has something happened?" I asked.

"Nothing much, just another Pirate ship approaching the bay," said a random Billion with a sneer, "Easy prey."

I hid a scowl. I hate this job sometimes. I really can't wait for when I get to punt these sickos into the sea.

Later that evening, after the latest batch of gullible idiots had been, ahem, removed, I was out on the cactus hills in a hidden area I'd found that served as an excellent training ground where it would take real effort to find me so I could train with my powers without accidentally blowing my cover. I had just finished turning a training dummy into kindling when the sound of a stone being kicked against the wall drew my attention. Since there were only three people that knew about this place, I turned to face the sound, my sword held at the ready...only to relax a second later when Vivi rounded the corner.

"Hey Vivi, need something?" I asked with a smile.

The Princess stepped out into the light of the fire I was using to light the area and the smile was wiped off my face when I saw the look on her face. The Princess looked horrible. The icy and slightly arrogant persona of Miss Wednesday was nowhere to be seen, instead the person before me was a beaten down, teenaged Princess who was sacrificing everything for her country. Vivi was a very strong person, but even the strongest person eventually reached their limit.

"Can...can we talk?" she asked.

"Sure," I said, "Come on."

I led her over to the campfire and sat her down, handing her a cup from the tea pot I had boiling over the flames. She accepted the cup and took a sip as I sat down across from her. For a moment we sat in silence, staring into the flames.

"Hey Jack, do you think we're doing the right thing?" asked Vivi suddenly.

I blinked.

"Well, I certainly hope so," I said, "Otherwise the past year will have been a complete waste of time."

"But we still haven't found out anything about the leader of Baroque Works," said Vivi, "Every day, every battle I fight, every life I take, I feel a part of myself dying. I...I'm not sure how long I can take this."

I sighed.

"I know what you mean," I said.

"How do you deal with it?" she asked, "You never seem to be affected by it."

I snorted.

"Thats a riot," I muttered, "Of course I'm affected by it, I'm not made of stone. I just try to remember that most of our targets are Pirates and most who sail under a Jolly Roger are the type that the world won't miss. Their deaths mean that someone else won't die."

"And the non-pirates?"

I hesitated.

"I...I don't know," I said, "I just...try not to think about it."

I sighed.

"Look, are you really willing to give up right now, to have everything you've sacrificed be in vain?"

Vivi stared into the fire, her eyes far away.

"I guess not," she said, "Its just so damn hard to keep going when we haven't found anything…"

I shuffled around the fire and gave my partner a hug.

"Hey, we'll get there, don't worry."

Vivi smiled and leant her head on my shoulder.

"Thanks Jack," she whispered.

It didn't take long after that for her to fall asleep. Once she had, I gently moved her to a shallow cave that was nearby where I'd set up a simple camp site for the few times I'd spent the night out here.

"Well, that was quite the interesting conversation."

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sudden voice and spun around, only for my blood to run cold when I saw who was sitting by the fire. Skimpy cowgirl outfit, black hair, faint smile...aw crap, I think I'm in trouble.

"So, you two are looking into who the boss is, are you?" asked Robin, eyeing me from under the brim of her hat, "Not very smart if you ask me."

I narrowed my eyes.

"Whats it you you, Nico Robin?" I asked.

Robin raised one immaculate eyebrow.

"Oh, you know who I am?" she asked.

"I've seen your wanted poster," I said, "So, what do you want?"

"Well, since you're planning on taking down the company I'm the vice-president of, I'd say I have quite a few issues with your plans."

I twitched and clenched my fists.

"Aw nuts, your Miss All-Sunday."

Robin just smiled politely.

"So what, your gonna snap me and Vivi in half? Cus you know it won't be that easy."

"Oh really? And what do you plan to do without your sword?"

She indicated to my sword that was leaning against the stump she was sitting on. I smirked and twitched my fingers. The blade rattled in its sheath, before it shot out and spun into my grip. See, the handle of the blade was actually hollow and had originally been used to store an ointment of some kind, similar to Ikkaku's sword in Bleach. After washing it out, I had filled it with my water, allowing me to exert a certain amount of control over the weapon at a distance. I caught my sword and took a stance. Robin didn't move, just sat there smiling. To be fair though, she didn't need to move to break me and Vivi in half.

"Impressive trick," said the Archaeologist, "I assume that was achieved using those Devil Fruit powers you keep so expertly hidden?"

I scowled. Just how much did she know?

"Oh calm down Mr 9, I have no intention of hurting you or Miss Wednesday," said Robin.

I raised an eyebrow and relaxed slightly.

"You're not?" I asked, "Why?"

Robin shrugged as a hand appeared and tossed my swords sheath over to me.

"Who knows?" she said, "Maybe you and Miss Wednesday's antics are entertaining to me. Maybe I'm just playing with you."

"Or maybe you don't like the boss very much," I said as I sheathed my sword, "Whatever the reason, I honestly don't care. However, you should probably know that I'm a lot more powerful than I'm letting on, so I strongly suggest that you don't mess with me."

"Oh how scary," drawled Robin, "If we're done with the threats, how about we sit down and enjoy a cup of tea?"

I sighed and did as I was told, making sure to keep my sword in arms reach, just in case.

"So, why exactly did you come here?" I asked, "I mean, if you don't intend to do anything to us, I don't get why you'd approach me."

Robin took her time to drink some of her tea.

"Thats a silly question," said Robin.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Silly how?"

"I'd have thought it be obvious. I'm going to help you."

"Your...going to help us?" I repeated, "Why?"

"Well, like you said, I don't like the boss. I certainly don't trust him and the only reason I agreed to work for him is because we both want the same thing. Of course, as soon as he's got what he's looking for, he'll probably kill me."

"So what, we're decoys?"

Robin just smiled politely.

"Fine, don't tell me."

"Alright."

I tightened my grip on my cup as I tried to resist the urge to smack her with my sword. A short while of sitting in silence, Robin drained her cup and got to her feet.

"That was delicious, thank you," she said.

"Yeah yeah, don't mention it," I said, waving her off.

"Here."

I caught the file she threw at me.

"Whats this?"

"Thats everything you need to be able to nail the boss," said Robin with a smile, "I would suggest holding off on leaving for a short while though."

"Duly noted," I said, "Thanks for this."

Robin just smiled at me and hopped off the nearby cliff. A few moments later, that turtle thing she used as a chauffeur came into view and swam off into the night.

"Urg, this is gonna be a headache later on," I grumbled as I opened the file and started flipping through it.

And I'm done. Not much action this time, but it'll pick up. The idea of putting water in his swords hilt so he can manipulate it at a distance comes from Ninja Bat Master, so props to him for the idea. Before I sign out, a few points.

First off, the reason why he's keeping quiet about his Devil Fruit is pretty simple. I don't think Crocodile would risk having someone with a power that could potentially counter his own anywhere near him. Plus, he's far from mastering it, so he decided to keep mum about it till he was skilled enough to hold his own.

Robin showing up. No idea, it just kinda happened. Plus, I really like her character.

Finally, I'd like to know what you lot'd like to see paring wise. I don't have any planned, so I'll take any into consideration. Oh, but no slash. I know I won't be able to write that for peanuts.

And with that, I'm done. Hope you enjoyed this entry, please leave a review on your way out!