Chasing Robin

Cade sat beside her brother on the roof. The fight had ended hours ago, a fight she refused to watch but still attended. Tension and emotions from that fight were still high. After the fight Luffy gave Merry to Usopp. They gathered their stuff and left the ship.

This was the first time Luffy had ever lost a friend like this. He was taking it hard. Cade had no idea what to say to him, but knew he needed and wanted her close.

"Luffy!" Nami said. "Big news! Everyone in the city is talking about it! Last night Iceberg was shot!

"Ice Pops?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah, he was shot. He's unconscious right now," Nami said.

Luffy hummed. "I thought everyone in this town like that guy. Why him? I'll go look." He looked at Cade. "You coming?"
"There's going to be a lot of people around his house. The few of us who go the better. Unless you need me."

"I'm fine."

Cade nodded.

"Want to help us look for Robin?" Sanji asked.

"Sure." Cade joined Sanji and Chopper.

A siren goes off during their search. A voice came over a loud speaker giving the people a warning about an approaching storm.

"Aqua Laguna?" Sanji turned to a citizen. "Hey, you, what was that announcement about?"

"Ah, you must be travelers. What a bad time to be here, eh. Aqua Laguna is what you would call a high tide. Make sure you get to a high place. This town will be underwater by midnight."

"Well, that's troublesome," Cade said.

"It's like this every year. Take care!" The guy waves and walks off.

"This place is going to sink?!" Chopper gasps.

"It seems that way so we have to hurry and find Robin," Sanji said.

They raced down the sidewalks, trying to figure out where Robin might have gone.

"Face it. We don't know anything about Robin," Cade said. "She didn't want to tell us much about herself."

"Hey, Sanji?" Chopper said. "What if there was someone who didn't know about this storm? Someone who's injured?"

"Hey, Chopper, didn't you forget something back on the ship?" Sanji asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah! That's right!" Chopper stood on Sanji's shoulders. "I forgot something back on the ship!"

Cade stood back as Sanji and Chopper yelled back and forth about the in coming storm. With that done they headed back into town.

"The sea train is still operational." Sanji eyed the schedule. "One train during the day, and one in the night. The weather is this bad, and they can still go to Enies Lobby at eleven. The sea train sure is amazing. Hopefully Robin didn't get on the train already. Otherwise, it'll be a lot of trouble. It's already hard enough searching in just Water Seven."

"I wonder why she left. Did I make her mad when I went to the bookstore?" Chopper asked.

"That's not something someone would get upset over," Cade said.

"Have you seen this girl in this picture?" Sanji held up the newspaper with Robin's bounty poster.

"No, but the real person is around twenty years older. If I'd seen her, I'd be telling the Galley La by now," a man said. "She's the assassin."

"This sounds bad," Sanji said.

"I wonder what happened to Luffy," Chopper said.

"Luffy is fine. It's Nami I'm worried about." Sanji said as they continued walking.

"This place is like a ghost town now," Cade said.

"The wind is getting stronger, too," Chopper said. "Wait a second." He sniffed the air. "I know this scent."

Robin stood on the other side of the water way.

"Robin!" Sanji and Chopper cried.

"Where did you go?! Everyone is worried about you!" Sanji said. "Let's get back to the hotel! We can talk there! I'll tell you everything later. Wait there. I'll come over to you."

"No," Robin said. "We're fine where we are. I won't be coming back with you. Let's say our farewells here in this town."

"Robin?" Chopper asked.

"What are you saying, Robin? Is this about the thing in the papers?" Sanji asked. "Don't worry. We don't believe it. They always blame the pirates whenever anything bad happens."

"Yes. You guys were falsely accused of the crime," Robin said. "However, for me, it's the truth. I did shoot the mayor last night. I am shrouded in a darkness that you have no knowledge of. And that darkness will eventually be the death of you. Now you will be my scapegoats for this incident. I will soon leave and the situation will worse."

"What are you talking about?!" Sanji asked. "You're not make any sense! Did something happen to you?!"

"Let's go back together, Robin!" Chopper said.

"We haven't known each other for long, and after today, we won't see each other again," Robin said. "Say, hello, to everyone for me. In the time I've been with you all you have treated me well. Goodbye."

Cade jumped across the waterway. She dashed down the hall Robin took. A hand grabbed her ankle and fell to the ground. Growling she jumped back up when the hand disappeared. "Robin!"

But Robin was gone. No where to be seen.

Cade went back to Sanji and Chopper. "Sorry. She got away. What now?"

"You two go back to Luffy and tell him what happened," Sanji said.

"What about you?" Chopper asked.

"I have a plan. Don't worry I'll be fine."

"I'm going with you," Cade said.

"Ah! You finally fell in love with me!" Sanji gushed.

"Not likely." Cade held him away from her. "It's my job to keep an eye on you. Chopper's heading back to the crew. He'll be fine."

"Okay." Sanji nodded.

"I'll see you two later." Chopper ran off.

Cade followed Sanji to the train station. They hid in the shadows and watched marines.

"We have to figure out how to get on board," Sanji said. "Do you see it?"

"Yeah." Cade nodded. "Robin could easily get away from these guys. She's willingly leaving with them. But why?"

"It has to be because she wants me to save her!" Sanji gushed.

"I doubt it."

"Let go of me!" Usopp said.

"What's Usopp doing here?" Cade asked.

"Where do you think you're taking me?! I'll never forgive you bastards!" Usopp said.

"That guy." Cade huffed.

"Says he won't cause us trouble. Well, it still feels like trouble," Sanji said.

The train announced it's early departure.

"Well, that's great. What now?" Cade asked.

"Hold on. I'll leave a note for Nami." Sanji dashed around a corner.

Cade followed to find the cook painting a note on the wall. "Where did you even find that paint?"

"Doesn't matter. Let's go." Sanji walked towards the train.

Cade lifted them onto the ship with her water. "Should we bust in?"

"It would be best to sneak in without being noticed."

"On a train full of marines?"

The door opened.

"Collier Shoot!" The marine goes flying to the other side of the car.

"Well, that was easy," Cade said.

"Who the heck are you two?!" A man dressed in black points a gun at them.

Cade swirled her water and disarmed them.

"Well, you two are rather strong. Still this isn't the type of thing that should concern CP9."

Cade looked up to the man hovering over them. "Talk about tall."

"I am the king of the south blue's island that's famous for karate."

"Couldn't care less."

"Let me handle this one, my sweet angel fish."

"Knock yourself out." Cade stood back as Sanji dealt with the tall man.

They moved to the next car.

"Sanji! Cade! What are you two doing on the sea train?!" Usopp said.

"That's what I'd like to ask you, you don't, ah, I don't know you're name." Sanji turned. "Oh! A transponder snail. Is this place also the communication room? I can contact Nami-swan now!"

"You guys, are pirate friends," the man said.

"Were," Usopp and Sanji said.

"Who are you?" Cade asked.

"I'm the hidden boss of Water Seven. Franky the dismantler," Franky said.

Sanji planted his shoe in Franky's face. "So you're Franky! You sure did a number on our long nose back then!"

"Hey, hey! Wait a minute! A lot's happened since then! He did save Merry at one point!" Usopp said. "Oh, yeah... Merry."

"Hey, wait. Now's not the time to become depressed," Franky said. "Could you please just get me out of this?"

"Why would I do that?! You should stay that way until you rot!" Sanji said.

"Okay. Enough. As much as I'd like to leave him tied up here we might need his help." Cade pulled out her dagger and cut them lose. "You're getting too loud anyway."

Grabbing a transponder stand they small group climb upon the top of the train where Sanji called Nami. Nami passed on the reason why Robin turned against them.

Franky wails. "It's all so touching!"

"Why are you crying?" Cade asked.

"Idiot! I'm not crying!" Franky blows his nose. "Dang it! Nico Robin... isn't she suppose to be a cold blooded she-devil?!" He stood up. "Okay! I, Franky, the head of the Franky Family will lend you a hand! My reason is if the government has Nico Robin, it will be a problem for me as well! Not to mention that moving story! Hey! Long nose! Let's go!"

Usopp turned away from them. "I'm not going. It's got nothing to do with me anymore, right? If we keep going, we'll end up in direct confrontation with the world government. I don't want to be a part of that. And you'll be regrouping with Luffy and the others, right? After saying what I said in front of everyone I can't possible rejoin you guys. I'm grateful for what Robin did. But it's not my duty to save her. I left your crew already. Goodbye."

"What do you mean by that? You have nowhere to go from here," Franky said.

"Forget it. Let him go," Sanji said.

"They're up here!" A marine poked his head up.

"Metallic Star!"

The marine flew off the train.

"Who did that?" Franky asked.

Usopp stood with his arms crossed and a mask over his face. "He told me everything. I heard that you guys are on your way to rescue a defenseless girl. So I will assist you for free. Let us fight together. My name is Sniper King!"

"You've got to be kidding me," Cade said.

"That's still him, right?" Franky said.

"Yup. That's him," Sanji said.

"Just get over here," Franky said.

"Okay. Now we carry out our strategy to rescue Robin," Sanji said.

Cade stayed on top of the car while the other three go down to get the marines attention. When they came back up the headed to the other end of the car and disconnected them.

"With those two cars, I'm guessing we've reduced their numbers by fifty," Sanji said.

"But the Straw Hat pirates are traveling on the same railroad track, aren't they?" Usopp asked.

"They'll manage somehow," Sanji said.

They enter the next car and got bombarded with marines.

"How dare you do that to Captain T-Bone!"

"We're reporting you to CP9."

"Water Shot." Cade shot water at them, knocking them out. "Yeah. Sure."

A soldier sat up and fired his gun. Franky jumped into the path of the bullets.

"What the heck was that? How did you do that?" Cade asked.

Franky rips up a bench and knocked the man out. "I'm a cyborg. My body is made of steel and weapons. It stings a bit if I'm shot, and I may bleed a little but... well, it won't hurt me."

"Such a thing exists in the world," Sanji said.

Usopp poke Franky's back with a needle.

"Ouch! What are you doing, ya moron?!" Franky demanded.

"What? Just a needle can hurt you?"

"You bonehead! I did all this remodeling myself! I couldn't reach my back! I also have a fridge in my stomach." Franky opened his stomach. "I run on cola."

"This is just too weird." Cade opened the next door to find an odd looking man with curly white hate skating around the room. "It just got weirder."

"I'm Wanze! I'm the mad, mad Wanze! Are you hungry? I'm Wanze! Since I'm the head waiter, I can make anything! You want some ramen?" Wanze gobbled down flour, massaged his cheeks, and noodles come out of his nose.

"That's just gross," Cade said.

"There's no time for this, Wanze. We're keeping someone waiting. We're in a hurry to see ya." Sanji waved.

"Wait! If you want to go through this car you'll have to get through me!"

"You all go on ahead. I'll take care of this one," Sanji said.

"Take care, Sanji," Cade said as they skirted around Wanze. Climbing upon the train's roof they meet up with another special marine soldier. "Not another one."

"I got this one. You two go ahead," Franky said.

Usopp and Cade rushed around the marine.

"Here. Put these on your hands and feet." Usopp handed her some octopus. He climbed down the side of the train.

Cade followed him.

...

"What happened? Why are you two here? How did you even get here?" Robin asked once they were inside.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Sniper King."

Cade pushed Usopp to the side. "We don't have time for all that. We came here to get you back. Right now it's just us, Sanji, and a guy called Franky. The rest of the crew is coming on another sea train."

"Hey!" Usopp pushed her hand away. "We peeked through the windows on our way here. The four people in the car behind us look really strong. We should get out of here before Sanji and the others have to confront them. But don't worry about a thing. Now, escape with me and my friends. Here put these on your hands and feet. You can hold on to the side of the train."

"Why are you doing this?! I told you I quit the crew! Don't make me tell you twice! I'm not one of you anymore!" Robin said.

"You don't understand Luffy at all," Cade said. "We already know why you walked away. Luffy doesn't care about your past. He doesn't care if you say you quit. You can't leave the crew without his permission."

"That's right. That Ice guy from the shipyard told us everything," Usopp said.

"He's alive? No! I still can't go back," Robin said.

"What are you babbling about? Didn't you hear Cade? You don't need to worry about protecting us! Before you made this stupid deal, you should have talk to them about it first!"

"You might not have been with us for very long, but do you honestly think Luffy is the type of guy who would be okay with you sacrificing yourself to save the rest of us?" Cade said. "At this point Luffy will walk barefooted through hell to get you back."

"You don't understand what you're saying! I never wanted for you guys to save me! I won't let you have your way!"

A knock at the door.

Cade hid in a seat in front of Robin, listening to the man and Robin talk.

Usopp jumped out and fired a blast at the man.

Robin goes to the other car with Usopp holding on to her. "Hold it, Robin! What are you doing?!"

"Robin!" Sanji smiled. "I'm so glad! Are you okay?! Did they do anything to you?! I'll take care of these guys right away, then we can run away together!"

Robin grabs Usopp and Cade and throws them into Sanji.

"Robin, what are you doing?!" Sanji asked.

"It seems my words me nothing to you people," Robin said.

"Franky, cut the car loose!" Usopp said.

"Why?"

"To get away!"

"What are you doing?!" Sanji asked.

"You should get ready, too. It'll happen in an instant," Usopp said. "Sniper King! Smoke Star!"

Smoke filled the car.

Usopp grabbed Robin and they run.