LW: So this should be a nice, fun, filler type chapter, hope you all enjoy it.

Rubber King and Mirror Master - Off time and interruptions.

With no ship the Straw hats all were brought back to Water 7 on Iceberg's, the man also ensuring they had somewhere to stay while they worked things out as an apology for what happened just before Aqua Lagoona, as well as returned all their items which the citizens had taken while they were gone. This gave the straw hats time to reflect on their current predicaments.

Zoro was unfortunately stuck with 2 swords for the moment, as the katana's he favoured weren't something they actually made in Water 7 or the nearby islands, and he knew from experience the swords the marines used wouldn't last that long under the strain he puts them under, which would just put him back in this same position, most likely in the middle of a battle. The search for new weapons for others though…

"Do I even want to know why I'm your 1st stop, even before the market?" Kaos asks, sitting with Robin and Artemis on the roof

"Because you're a hoarder, and you seem to be at least mildly competent in most styles of weaponry because of your shape shifting sword so would probably keep a few on hand in case you needed spares" Valentina explains

"She's got you there Sparkles" Kaya teases, taking the time off to sunbathe before Ussop was taking her on a stroll through Water 7 and maybe a little shopping too.

Kaos stands, his spine crunching slightly "Fine, what do you want?"

"A dagger, kunai or shikoro sized blade" Valentino requests, her hand splayed, trying to estimate a size

"A bow, I'm little out of practice but it's the only weapon I actually do HAVE some skill with" Victor admits, amusing their little audience.

Clicking his tongue the researcher slaps his palms together and slowly spreads them, revealing a silver coloured, wave style dagger with a solid black hilt, reminding Robin of a Kris dagger, but she kept that to herself "No, that won't do" he sighs, then walks over to his discarded coat and plunges his arm into it, routing around before clicking his tongue and smirking. Valentina was about to ask what happened when he threw something at her, catching the handle just before it stabbed her in the eye "Will that do?" he asks, like he hadn't nearly killed her

"You're an ass, but yes this is perfect" she sighs, checking the weight and balance, though already knowing it should throw well if needed.

"Great, now as for our build-a-bomb-er… I'm going to be honest with you, archery is on that mental list of things I always wanted to learn to do, but never did. As such, this is going to go to waste anywhere else" Kaos explains, presenting a silver and blue recursive bow to Victor along with a quiver.

"Nice quality stuff, Alabasta?" Victor hums, testing the draw weight and accuracy of the bow

"Enies Lobby. Took a wrong turn and ended up in the armory" the reflect human admits, not seeing anything wrong with looting a place that was now a crater.

"Well, thanks for that, but I'm not sure how to replay you" the kilo girl admits

"Babysitting duty" Robin responds, most likely before Kaos could make a joke "Artemis can take care of herself, but an adult nearby is never anything but a bonus" she adds, knowing her daughter was pouting behind her.

"Gonna get an itch scratched, or your spine snapped by our favourite psycho?" Val teases getting a chuckle from Victor and Kaya, though the syrup girl was also blushing

"None of your business, but there are a few things I do require his assistance for" Robin replies, the kilo girl deciding not to push her luck.

Later that day - Market District

"I said this back in Alabasta, you don't need to get me a ring Luffy, I have the traditional one" Vivi says, as Luffy searches for a jeweler of some kind

"But I don't, plus shouldn't we be getting each other something nice, mirror eyes did make us a threesome not just give the Captain his own harem" Alvida argues, seeing some very nice pendants and bangles as they kept walking

"Exactly, plus there's nothing too good for my girls" Luffy grins, stopping to look at the gems in one of the windows

"Speaking of, you didn't borrow money from Nami did you?" Vivi asks worryingly

"Nope, we're safe from her" Luffy assures the bluenette, then walks into the store "Hi, do you guys do custom rings?" the boys asks the owner

"What you looking for?" they ask as Vivi and Alvida enter behind him

Wedding rings, it was kind of a spur of the moment thing so I didn't have them on hand" Luffy admits, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment

The owner chuckles in amusement "You'd be surprised by how often that happens, so which is the lucky lady?" he asks pointing to the 2 behind him

Luffy looks confused "Both. I was thinking silver with a piece of Lapis in a raindrop shape for Vivi…" he points to the bluenette who smiles "and a gold band for Alvida with either a Ruby or Aquamarine as a centrepiece" he hums, unsure and conflicted

"How about one of each, if we're actually going through with this I should be getting something for my sister wife" Vivi suggests, winking at Alvida

The smooth woman hums "True, and I think if that's the case, can I have some blue agate set into a pyrite ring for this cutie here?" she asks, hugging a now blushing Vivi to her chest "Though I think we're forgetting one person in all this, our darling husband. Gold band of course, then maybe a Lapis and Ruby, because aquamarine would be too similar that it would look weird, flanking a Garnet centrepiece"

Luffy chuckles "Looks like someone else has been reading Robin's books since we left Alabasta" he teases "Are those rings all possible?" he asks

The owner grins "Of course my boy, provided you have the funds I can have them made in the next couple days. I'll just need to get your sizes so we won't need to adjust them later" he explains, all 3 pirates offering their left hands "Thank you"

Elsewhere

"You do know she could have come with us right?" Kaos asks as he runs his fingers along the spine of a rather old looking book "I doubt Artemis wants to be stuck in Iceberg's house any more than the rest of us do"

Robin sighs "You are correct, however given recent revelations, things have been different between us and I felt we both needed space, and that you and I required the opposite" she explains, her eyes drawn to an ornate looking hand mirror

"Still wrapping your head around the fact she actually IS your kid, and should be 10 rather than 14?" he asks with a hint of amusement in his tone as he stepped closer to her

"Among other things" Robin agrees "Valentina wasn't entirely wrong with her comments earlier today, there are a few things my captivity put in my mind I'd like you to sterilize and overwrite, physically and forcefully" she explains, shivering as long arms wrap around her waist and hot breath caresses her neck

"I'm not going to even pretend this sounds like a healthy way to handle your issues, but much like Artemis I'm just happy to have you back. To the point I got you a welcome back present while helping Sanji shore up our supplies of food" Kaos purrs, nipping softly on her ear

"I'll accept it, so long as you accept a gift from me, for actually showing up to rescue me, even after I tried to break both our hearts, and for taking me back" Robin says with a hint of melancholy

"Like it was even a choice" the researcher chuckles "I've said this before, you're stuck with us Robin, just in different ways" he then smirks and points out something dead ahead of them "One benefit to not bringing the kid, you can get them things without them knowing" he teases, getting a similar grin from Robin, agreeing Artemis would appreciate it.

Iceberg's backyard

Thunk

Thunk

"I think your going to need Kaos to pull more of those out of his ass if you intend to throw them, Val" Victor teases, though impressed by how close she came to the centre of the target Artemis had painted on the trees in front of her

"Don't worry I intend to have him pass along any he comes across, though for one outside of Wano or back home it's pretty good quality" the kilo girl muses as she pulls the kunai from the trunk "Solid construction, well balanced, I suppose I could attach a rope to the end but that's always thrown off my aim… maybe when I get back in practice. Speaking of…"

"That was awesome Uncle Vic!" Artemis cheers, as the arrow had hit his target right in the bullseye "It was perfect"

The bomb man chuckles "Guess archery is like riding a bike, GG will be proud"

"Who?" Artemis asks curiously

"And old friend, mad as a hatter but as chipper and energetic as the captain and your pops in one person"

"She sounds nice" Valentina hums

"She was like an annoying little sister, but yeah" Victor agrees before taking aim at the next target

2 days later - remains/construction site of the Franky House

"So the reindeer Doc says Gamorra's eyes should be fully healed by the end of the month as long as he doesn't strain himself and takes it easy"

"That's great news, the little guy's a miracle worker"

Zambei smiles, happy to hear their Bulls were going to be ok, as well as the progress the family had made to building a new base. Sure they were better demolition workers, but they could build things too, plus that guy with the shades and bow helped work out the kinks of their plan, so the new Franky House should be better and more sturdy than ever before, might even be able to stand up to an Aqua Lagoona… provided they did it right.

Iceberg's home

"So, you finally burnt the blueprints?" Iceberg summarises, sounding almost amused "It's probably best that way, now we don't HAVE anything for the Government to try to take from us. Though you also made yourself their enemy in the process"

Franky chuckles before taking another gulp of cola "Yeah I guess, not like I wasn't already Icicle. By the way, what are you drawing over there?" the cyborg asks, Iceberg's eyes having remained on the table since he arrived

"As you probably noticed, Aqua Lagoona was quite bad this year, which has people worried that one day it will become strong enough to simply wipe the island from the map" Iceberg explains

Franky sighs "Yeah, we're going to have more of the city underwater than above soon enough. So what's the plan then?"

"I'm going to make the city float" Iceberg says completely seriously in a deadpan

"WHAT! I'm the one meant to have the stupid ideas Ice for brains!" Franky bellows "Would making the island… a boat even be possible?"

Iceberg chuckles "Have you forgotten already, we grew up watching a man make the impossible true, as proven by the fact nobody, not even we have managed to make another Sea Train since he died. But now I'm going to carry on his legacy and do the same. If you're really a man, show some Gusto"

Franky frowns "Fuck you Iceberg, using the old man's words against me" then he smirks, readjusting his shades "But it's definitely something Tom would have liked to see, so good luck to you"

Pura pura pura, click

"What?"

"Oh good you're still there boss, it's arrived, your 200 million beri treasure" Zambei calls over the Den Den "We're down by the train station"

Franky laughs "Great, I'll be right there"

With the pirates

"You know I was joking right?" Valentina asks as Luffy stuffs his face while still conked out asleep "I didn't actually think the captain could sleep eat"

"You'd be surprised at how good he can sleep eat" Alvida says with a smirk, until Vivi gives her a headslap, it didn't hurt but the smooth woman pouted like it did "Vivi" she whines as the doors open again

"We have returned" Chopper cheers, Kaya smiling alongside him "We even stopped for supplies and everything and we didn't let Robin out of our sight the entire time" he grins, having completed the assignment Kaos had jokingly given him and Artemis when the woman decided she wanted to tag along with the medics

"We even got stopped by some guy to deliver some boxes, here you go Uncle Luffy" Artemis says with a smile, setting the box on the table in front of him, Sanji a second ahead of Kaos when it came to waking their captain up

"Ow, I was trying to sleep. Do you know how draining Gear 3rd and multiple Gear 2nd's are?" Luffy grunts, a large chunk of meat hanging out of his mouth

"Something quite important and expensive arrived for you, I've already removed what I ordered" Robin explained, drawing attention to herself until the word 'expensive' summoned Nami like a genie

"What did you do?" she asks through gritted teeth, not getting an answer but instead a chuckle, pulling Vivi and Alvida over and kneeling

"So, we made this pirate official a while back, how about we make it physically official" he says jokingly

"I thought we did that the same night we…" Alvida begins but is silenced by Vivi

"Yes Luffy of course we will" she answers for both of them, extending her left hand, which the smooth woman follows suit with.

"Aw, this is so sweet" Kaya coos, just as the rest of the crew enter to see what was going on

"Luffy, you forgot something" Vivi hums, the rubber boy blinks before removing the 3rd box, which the princess takes from him

"Are you sure you want to make this official hon?" Alvida asks, just barely finishing the question when Luffy gives a quick yes, grinning widely as he slipped his own ring on "I'm no expert, but I like the way this one looks" he thinks aloud, then notices his girls get pulled into a mob consisting of all nearby females, even a mildly confused Artemis and Carue, though the duck did think the rings looked nice on her friend's finger.

It was this commotion Franky walked in on, and by walked I mean entered the room butt first while also knocking the door open "You guys feeling SUPER!" he yells, Kiwi and Mozu mimicking him on either side

"Actually yes, Luffy finally put a ring on it" Alvida cheers, finding the 2 gems contrasted nicely alongside one another

"Sweet, you hitting that brother?" Franky asks with a thumbs up, only to be kicked in the face by Sanji for 'disrespecting women'

"Yeah, why?" Luffy replies in the usual way

"Not important just asking"

"Are you here for a reason?" Zoro asks

Kaos nods in agreement "That entrance did seem kind of big news-y"

Franky chuckles "Yeah I do, now listen close kiddos. Now there's an island constantly at war…"

"Boring! Get to the important part" Luffy complains

"Context matters brat!" Franky shouts, before continuing his story, a few of the pirates actually were interested "For years fires reigned on this island, death and destruction all it's people know. Cities destroyed, houses burned to the ground, there's nowhere for people to run to, and in the midst of all this madness there's a single tree"

'Sounds like Jashin heaven'

"No matter how much the island is wrecked the tree stands tall, and no matter how much time passes the people return and gather around it. It's said to be the strongest wood in the world, only a few are known to exist. It's known as the Jewel Tree, Adam"

"Still bored" Luffy grunts

"I'm getting to it. Anyway, every now and then some Adam Wood shows up on the black market. I've wanted some for years now, but the going price is 200 million berris…"

"So that's what you spent our money on!" Nami screams, only for Kaya to shut her up with a syrup gag

"Got it in one, sister" Franky sighs "A long time ago, I swore I was done building ships, after what happened to Tom, it felt wrong. But I still followed in the old man's footsteps, and I designed a ship, something even he could be proud of me for building, a Magnum Opus so to speak. Now, my goal is to use the Adam wood to build it, put my heart and soul into one last ship, a ship of dreams that could sail across any sea!" he declares, Kaos seeing the gears turning in his brother's head… and smirks "I've had the plans for years, and I finally have the wood. What I'm here to ask, is that when it's finished, you take my ship and sail the world!"

"Wait, you're serious?" Sanji gasps

"You'll just GIVE us the ship?" Nami asks, not believing her ears

"Right again missy, that way I know it's in good hands, I saw the care you had for your last ship, I know she'd be perfect for you guys" Franky replies with a grin "Plus… technically you guys paid for the wood already" he laughs, dodging the punch to the head from their still salty navigator, then turns serious again "Gol D. Roger is the only person to sail the entire Grand Line and his ship was also made of Adam Wood, in fact it was built by my old master, Tom. Give me this chance and I'll give you the best ship you've ever seen!"

"Sound good captain?" Zoro asks, as Luffy had been silent since Franky's offer

"Yeah, I think we'll take the ship shishishi" Luffy grins "Now if you don't mind, I have some celebrations to attend to" he winks but gets stopped by Nami grabbing his ear

"Speaking of, where did you get the money to afford those rings?" Nami asks, voice cold as ice. Luffy points to Kaos who nods, reminding the navigator of one of the few people who doesn't let her handle their finances

"I only hoard things that would be of use or value to me, everything else I sell on whenever I find somewhere to do so" he explains, getting a nod from Luffy, as his rubber body means Nami grabbing him was mostly pointless.

"Fine, but you better not be taking my mon...I mean dipping into the ship's treasury" Nami warns them both, getting chuckles and smiles from the 2 of them, before a shiver runs down the elder's spine

"Something wrong?" Chopper asks

"Not quite, just a very bad feeling, one I hope I'm just imagining" the researcher replies

That bad feeling, manifested in the wall exploding due to a marine punching it "Pardon me, but are you folks the straw hat pirates?" came a gruff, weathered voice, which had all colour drain from Luffy and Kaos' faces

'Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!'

"You see, I have some friends here who would like to have a word with Monkey D. Luffy. Ah, there you boys are" the marine, wearing a dog mask/headgear zips forward, punching both Luffy and Kaos in the face, causing the former to writhe around in pain for a minute and the latter to spit blood and a tooth

"How, one punch like that shouldn't be able to hurt him, he's made of rubber" Alvida gasps

The marine laughs "That's because even a devil fruit is no defence, from the Fist Of Love" he says, removing the mask "You boys have been making quite a mess these past few months, just like Ace"

"Grandpa?" Luffy gasps

"Still an asshole Gramps, guess you're too old to change that" Kaos wheezes, glad Garp's punch didn't break his jaw

"WHAT!" Was the collective yell from the Straw Hats, Franky, his companions, Kokoro and Chimney

"A marine Vice Admiral, is your Grandfather?" Chopper squeaks

"Technically, Garp is Luffy's Grandfather as far as blood is concerned" Kaos answers "But he's the only one I have so I guess yeah for me too"

"Don't worry your mother was a Vice Admiral too before she died" Garp says casually, causing the reflect human to give a bloody spit take

"What?"

"Yeah, damn Kuja broad" he grumbles, causing a little light bulb to go off over Luffy's head

"That explains so much, and yet so little" he whispers, getting a minor punch to the back of his head, meanwhile a different light went off over Vivi's head

"Fist of… you're the reason Luffy won the Davy Back Fight" she gasps, catching Garp's attention

"What?" he grunts, along with most of the crew

"When Luffy threw what he called a REAL punch at Foxy, it wasn't GumGum anything, it was Fist Of Love" the bluenette explains

"Stealing my moves boy? Can't have that, not unless you're planning on becoming a respectable marine" Garp scolds "You 2 have been causing a lot of headaches over at headquarters, especially this rumour about you taking on CP9, complete poppycock"

"Rokuogan" Kaos mutters, before being essentially folded by Garp's fist in his gut

"That word, never mind the technique itself is a navy secret, where did you hear it?" Garp asks

"Where else, from Rob Lucci when he fired it into Luffy's guts at point blank range, twice" Kaos coughs, blood dripping from the side of his mouth "Also, kind of saw that coming"

"If you saw it coming why didn't you dodge I thought I taught you that much kid?"

The gears had finished turning in Nami's head as she asked "Garp, as in the man who fought Gol D. Roger back in the day?"

Luffy nods and Garp laughs "Yep, that's me, Monkey D. Garp, also known as Garp the Hero, but I prefer my other title more: Garp D. Fist" (Couldn't resist)

"Nobody fight him, he'll kill you if you try. To this day I'm surprised Kaos and I made it to our teens never mind Reverse Mountain with how many times he tried" Luffy orders/admits, Kaos nodding as he stands up again

Garp chuckles "Now now, don't give your little friends the wrong idea about me, though I did throw you into that ravine once, and punched a hole through Serpens' stomach… speaking of you still can't dodge for crap kid" the old bastard 'defends' "Also there were those times I left you in the jungle, and tied you to those balloons. But I didn't do any of those things to kill you, I did it to make my grandkids into MEN, like ME!"

"So that's why these 2 take every hit and keep going" Zoro mutters

"When I left you 2 with my friend for training, I thought everything would work out fine, but I turned my back for one minute and this happened" he sighs "I tried to make you the perfect marines, how could you run off and become criminals?"

"Maybe leaving us with mountain bandit's wasn't the 1000iQ move you think it was" Kaos muses "I mean Dadan will always be our mom, but she's still a bandit"

"I've been telling you my whole life I was going to be a pirate, not my fault you don't listen to anything you disagree with" Luffy screams

"This is Red Hair's fault, corrupting you into becoming scum like him!"

"I'm only alive because of Shanks! Where were you? You dropped me on an island and only visited to torture us!" Luffy shouts, anger overriding fear for a minute, something put right when Garp grabs him by this shirt and proceeds to punch the rubber boy repeatedly in the head

"Is that any way to speak to your only grandfather, disrespectful brat?" Garp asks while swinging, until he nods off.

"Are we sure… damn it!" Kaos groans, saving his question for later as Luffy has also fallen asleep again.

"Should we run?" Nami asks, just as Garp awakens with a snort and a yelp

"Who, what, where, Sengoku! Oh crap did I fall asleep again, training new recruits is exhausting, and boring" Garp whines then see's Luffy sleeping "Wake up you ungrateful, disrespectful little shit!"

"Gramps, maybe stop beating him when he wakes up, and before you beat him into unconsciousness. You have altered the shape of a man's head with that fist after all" Kaos reminds the old marine, mostly worried as the Monkey family does, he would do something stupid otherwise.

"I still don't know how you're NOT related to Sengoku, and instead that stoner, you take all the fun out of everything" he sighs, Luffy groaning weakly in his hand "Speaking of Red Hair, have you heard the dangerous things he's been up to these days?"

"No, I haven't heard from him since he came to the village for a couple weeks nearly 10 years ago. Ask Nami or Kaos, they read the papers" Luffy argues "is he ok?"

"Ok, the boy's a Damn Yonko of course he is! He's on par with Whitebeard, Linlin and Kaido, luckily most of their activities are limited to the 2nd half of the Grand Line, but the New World is still basically their playground"

'Wow, and Usopp's dad is strong enough to be part of those pirates' Kaya thinks to herself, noticing the commotion had caught the renegade sniper's attention, peeking his eyes and nose in through the window

"The Warlords and the marines have allied ourselves against them, keeping the balance of power to stop them controlling the world"

"I don't care about anything you just said, but it's good to hear Shanks is ok"

"Well, I'm bored now. Boys, time to see if you've improved" Garp orders, dropping Luffy as Vivi helps him up, a blond with a black visor and a pink haired boy step forward

"Family bonding?" Kaos teases, getting a grin from Luffy as the 2 face what they presume are Garp's 'newbies' the blond jumping at him with dual kukri blades, blocked by Kaos rapid spinning Hebi directly in front of him "Damn Buttchin, who knew you could fight?" he laughs, taking advantage of the momentary surprise to slip into range and backhand the blond into the wall "I'll admit the knives are cool, but not quite enough"

Meanwhile Luffy's fight was similarly short, as while a random marine being able to use Soru surprised him, he'd fought both Bluno and Lucci, meaning he was able to follow and counter the pink boy's attack and throw him to the ground

Garp just laughs "You boys still suck, given how fast my prized pupil's kicked your ass"

"Given how much of a weakling you used to be, I'm impressed by your skills, and more so the speed of your growth" Kaos admits, feeling sympathy for a fellow sufferer of Garp's 'training'

"You're as tough as I thought you'd be, fighting you was an honour, as much as seeing you again, Luffy" pinkie says unfazed by Luffy's fist raised above his head "I give, maybe next time?" he chuckles as he and his companion are allowed get up

"Huh, do I know you?" Luffy asks in confusion, but someone else on the crew did.

Vivi's eyebrows rise as she see's Alvida suck in as much air as she could before bellowing at the top of her lungs…

"KOBY!"

Proving her right the pink haired marine nearly jumps out of his skin, which has Luffy laughing "Wait, holy shit how did you change so much in so little time?"

Ignoring Luffy Koby's teeth clench "Iron Mace Alvida, we heard there had been… changes, due to eating a Devil Fruit, but that won't stop me taking you…" he stops when Luffy pushes him back "Luffy, why are you protecting her?"

"I'm not going to let anyone just take a member of my crew, just ask Enies Lobby or CP9, least of all one of my wives" Luffy replies completely seriously

Garp chokes "Wives? What the Hell did I miss that you got snared by some girls?" he shouts

"Clearly you don't read your own records, much like Water 7, Alabasta considers Luffy and the Straw Hats to be heroes because of their actions in stopping the war perpetrated by the Warlord Sir Crocodile" Vivi steps forward to explain "His reward, besides taking Crocodile's title as 'Hero of Alabasta' was a betrothal to the nation's princess, namely me. Alvida was an addition we mutually agreed to, as feelings had blossomed while traveling"

"Poppycock, there's no way that's true" Garp argues

"On the contrary, it's legally binding and filed within Alabasta, and whether you admit it or not, there are certain 'individuals' who even the navy know not to cross, my family being one of them" there's a hint of steel in her voice, though the gloves haven't gone on so she was still in 'royal diplomat' mode rather than 'future Pirate Queen' mode.

"Besides, did you really think I was going to just hand myself over to you Koby? Just cause we're friends doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you, why would taking one of my girls be any different?" Luffy asks the question serious, even if the tone was light.

Koby blushes and rubs the back of his head "I suppose you're right, I let bad memories get in the way of my brain" he chuckles "You're looking well Alvida, the cloud of anger that used to envelop the ship is pretty much gone"

"My husband is made of rubber and there's a literal princess on my other arm, take a wild guess as to why my mood is better than back when I had you as my cabin boy" the smooth woman drawls, Koby twitches before chuckling, then getting strong armed by Luffy to follow him

With that out of the way, and his brain resetting Garp turns to the remaining marines "Men, I have an important job for you: Fix this wall" he orders, a few of the straw hats chuckle as they watch what feels like a Luffy mood from an outside perspective

"But sir, if you were going to have us fix it why'd you break it in the first place?" one marine asks

"Because entering the room through a door doesn't leave as much of an impression, or is anywhere near as fun" Garp admits, and while unseen both Luffy, Kaos and even Franky nod in agreement, just walking through a doorway 'like a normal person' is boring

"Ok we'll fix it but it's your fault so you have to help"

"Aw, do I have to?" Garp whines, and at that moment they could clearly see the family resemblance (and some of Vivi and Alvida's worries about their future evaporate, as Garp is well built and healthy for a 76 year old man who regularly fights pirates and throws cannon balls almost for fun), before he relents and gets to work repairing the hole in the wall

"At least Iceberg won't be mad at us if they repair it" Valentina points out "And if he still is we can blame the the marines"

"So Luffy" Sanji says, getting the rubber boy's attention "Your grandfather's really some bigshot?"

Luffy shrugs "I don't know, never really cared to ask what he did if I'm being honest"

"He's a Vice Admiral, like the assholes in charge of the Buster Call, and it is the 3rd highest rank so yeah, Gramps is a bigshot" Kaos clarifies

"Great Grandpa Garp, are you an asshole?" Artemis asks, the man turns and stares at her while some of the crew freeze up in panic (Robin included) and Kaos considers throwing Luffy in the way to defend 'his kid' from Garp's fist of love

"Yes, mostly to people who I don't know or particularly like, which is most people. If you ask Sengoku I'm also an asshole to people I like, such as him and Tsuru" Garp answers, shocking everyone, he then turns his attention to Luffy "By the way kid, I heard or I guess inferred from some reports that you finally met your old man, must have been one Hell of a reunion"

Luffy tilts his head in confusion "My dad? Where? When?"

"Loguetown, he didn't introduce himself?" Garp asks, oddly amused by the response

"Kind of creepy dude, with diamond tattoos on his face?" Kaos asks, remembering the man who saved them from Smoker

"That's him. Luffy, your dad, is Monkey D. Dragon, The Revolutionary" Garp drops the bombshell in typical Monkey fashion, with a finger in his nose and no fucks given.

"Luffy's father is the Head of the Revolutionary Army?" Vivi gasps, causing Garp's head to turn

"How'd you… oh yeah princess, so you were at the Levely when he was brought up" Garp sighs

"Yes I was, it also reminds me Wapol has somehow gotten worse since that day" the bluenette groans, pinching the bridge of her nose while Garp laughs

"Yeah, metal mouth was always a dick"

"Can someone explain what the big deal is?" Luffy asks, everyone automatically turning to Robin for an explanation which she gave after some collecting of her thoughts

"Let me try to explain it this way: Pirates are enemies of the navy, but we don't spontaneously decide to attack them, it's usually a response to them trying to arrest us"

"Like how we stormed Enies Lobby to get you back" Victor offers

"Exactly. But, there is one organisation that directly opposes the world government, technically 2 if you burning the flag hadn't simply been proof of determination and intent. The Revolutionary Army, with your father Dragon as the Sōshireikan (Supreme Commander). By now his ideology has spread all over the world sparking rebellion in countless islands, the government's hold having collapsed in a number of regions, which obviously has pissed them off, in response besides trying to take back or destroy said regions, they labelled him as The 'World's Worst Criminal', though how high his bounty is I'm unsure. They will stop at nothing to take him down, but the problem for them is that nobody actually knows anything about him, it's all very mysterious don't you think?"

"Oh. So Dad's a big shot just like Gramps" Luffy summaries in a way only he could

Kaos chuckles "Pretty much Lu" which Garp rubs the back of his head in embarrassment

"I, probably shouldn't have told you any of that, should I?" he asks, knowing the answer already as he begins to laugh "Just forget about it kid, K?" he then stands up and dusts himself off "Anywho, you're my grandkids so I won't arrest you and haul yer asses to Marineford, I'll be honest with them and explain you can't put work before family, I'm sure they'll understand" he says

"Sir, that's not going to work, just say they got away" one of his marines suggest

"I'm pretty much just here as a favour for Koby and Helmeppo, you kids have fun and I'm going to go back to my ship, take care kids, don't do anything too stupid Luffy" Garp laughs as he leaves

"Don't hold your breath Gramps, stupid is coded in his DNA" Kaos hums, settling himself for a rest while Luffy dragged Koby aside to chat, Nami slipped away to work on her easedropping/wiretapping skills, and Vivi as well as a less reluctant than expected Alvida followed their husband in the hopes he wouldn't go too crazy too soon.

It was almost a shame Koby couldn't even stay the entire day, but it made sense as despite being kind of a lazy bastard Garp was still a Vice Admiral and had technically more important things he should be doing than visiting his pirate Grandsons, meaning this was at best a pit stop/ supply run on the way to Headquarters.

"I know, that one day we will meet and do battle in the New World, you as the King of the Pirates, and me and marine Admiral" Koby declares, partly as a goodbye, but also as proof that even if they were enemies, he still believed Luffy could follow his dream

"You better be that strong when we have our fight, I'm not going to let some weakling like a Captain take me down" Luffy fires back, grinning widely before Koby and Helmeppo leave, as well as give a more normal/proper 'goodbye'.

A little later

Given how the day has gone, a barbecue made by Sanji was greatly appreciated by all, even if the cook only did it for the ladies. Though given the Franky Family, Galley La and even Ussop's new giant friends invited themselves to the party it was a good thing he made so much, otherwise there would have quite the angry mob, with Luffy or Alvida at the helm.

"This is quite the party, why don't we do this more often?" Iceberg wonders aloud, privately amused at Poly's usual freakout about any women showing skin, in this case Nami's swimsuit as there was a table full of food, and Luffy between him and Alvida, plus the table helped hide Kaya and Vivi's ankles so they were spared his complaints.

"Cause you're a workaholic?" Luffy suggests with a mouth full of Watermeat, getting a light chuckle from the mayor

"Probably, even given the company pool specifically for things such as this, it's more accurate than I'd care to admit" he hums before settling down to share a drink with Kokoro, realising it had been a while since he'd done so with the old mermaid "They're something else aren't they?"

"Yeah, it's been so long since I've seen pirates like these, probably that Roger lad was the last one when he came to Tom looking for the perfect ship" Kokoro slurs then laughs

Robin stepped away for a minute, wanting a little quiet as well as getting enough distance to actually see everyone enjoying themselves without needing to use her Devil fruit… "Stay right where you are Nico Robin" when she froze hearing Aokiji's voice behind her

'It can't be, please let me be wrong for a change' she pleads in her head

"So, why didn't you run like you usually do?" he asks, staying on the other side of the wall "If you'd acted alone, you could have probably given CP9 the slip easily, given your experience and skill at not being found"

Robin scoffs "Even you should have realised things were different this time, I couldn't abandon my crew, my family, and I couldn't just leave them to die at the hands of CP9. Speaking of, did you know she was my daughter, or just that she was an experiment?"

"Neither, I don't usually seek out shady shit like that but I deal with it if I run into them. You might find this hard to believe, but your friend Jaguar D. Saul who you saw me kill in Ohara, was my friend too" he stops when he hears Robin's sharp intake of breath, then continued "While I did my duty ensuring the Buster Call was carried out to completion, I also honoured his wish, by sparing you and assisting with your escape. After that, I still felt responsible for your life, but after 20 years and you still bounced from island to island, I feared Saul had been wrong about you. In the end, even I had decided you were too dangerous to be allowed to live, and I was sure Ohara's legacy would finally end in Enies Lobby, and in a way it did, but only by becoming entwined in Straw Hat's tale. I never thought a crew as green as Straw Hat's could actually be a challenge, never mind beat CP9, but as we're already established, I've been wrong before and will be again. So, Nico Robin, have you finally found a place to call home"

"Yes" Robin replies, and a weight is lifted from her shoulders, and her heart

"I don't know if Saul was right, or if what I've done is right. I need you to show me that answer"

"I intend to" Robin states confidently

Aokiji smiles as he stands up straight "Then live your life with courage, and show that Ohara lives on in you, and that kid of yours" he says before walking off, not seeing a structure on the wall that looked like a wilted flower, until it twitches, the ivory fingers part to reveal an eye staring at him as he heads to his bicycle, having no other reason to stay in Water 7. It's gaze switches to Robin as she runs around to where he had been a moment ago, but only ice remained as proof he was even there at all, before being called back by Luffy's boisterous yelling, a content smile crossing her face, she really had found a home hadn't she?

That evening

"Well, Vivi and Alvida have finally met Grandpa Garp" Kaos muses, slipping behind Robin as she prepares for bed "As have you and Artemis. Also Luffy passed out like an idiot from overeating and Alvida from too much booze, so no 2nd honeymoon for those 3 quite yet"

"Poor Vivi" Robin chuckles "We also all learnt who Luffy's father was, seems being a force of nature is a Monkey family trait" she teases "As well as your mother being a Kuja, and a former Vice Admiral, did you manage to get anything out of Garp about your father?" she asks, getting a sad laugh

"You kidding? I asked and he yelled why would he tell me about some no good pirate, it'd just make me want to be just like him, then started to walk off, probably didn't think I'd hear him say I'd already starting picking up strays just like him" Kaos answers, Robin seeing his arm turn silver in the mirror before beginning to bubble, a sign he was pulling something from the reflection hammerspace thing she wasn't sure he'd even named himself at this point "How did the talk with Aokiji go?" he asks, her eyes widen with shock

"How did you… right, Devil fruit detector" she chuckles "It was fine, he helped me to realise I'm finally at peace with myself, this is where I belong. What are you doing over there by the way, unlike the others I'm not going to be requiring any of your wares" she chuckles

"Seeing as it seems to be a day of surprise and revelations, as well as you receiving whatever you decided to get me…" he smirks "I thought it was the best time to give you my gift" he slips the chain around her neck and she gasps, the pendent was a beautiful spiral of malachite and blue topaz, and had a worn, old feel to it that reminded her of some of the ruins she'd hunted for poneglyphs in "Crap, the chain was too long" he sighs, pale cheeks turning slightly pink as Robin's new piece of jewelry is swallowed up by her cleavage, leaving just the thin silver chain visible

Robin chuckles before turning and kissing his cheek "It's beautiful and thoughtful, I love it. Though I think there's more than just a welcome back to this gift" she muses, watching the pink darken

"Just because Luffy's already married, doesn't mean I'm going to propose right on the spot. I don't think I'm ready for that, or that you're looking for that kind of commitment, though maybe I'm wrong, it does happen surprisingly often" he chuckles "Still, I saw something that made me think of you, and you returning the the crew was a good excuse to spoil you" he gives a toothy grin

"So are you saying I shouldn't have gotten you a ring?" Robin asks with a half smile, the researcher confused before a bloomed hand passes a ring box to her "You are right about me not feeling ready for that, I barely understand how you and Artemis could forgive me so easily and I've literally just now started to consider the idea of living my life, not just running from place to place with the government at my heels. But, given my daughter has claimed you as her dad, you know we're just taking our time to get the words out. Though maybe it's the thought of marrying a woman 10 years your senior that worries you"

"Not at all. I'm just not like Luffy, saying we could die any day so just do it, instead trying to make sure we live long enough to do things at the right pace. Luffy and Vivi are married at 17 and I think it'll work for them, but I think we're moving at the pace we're meant to"

Robin smiles "I agree, let's not rush into marriage, though I do hope that's in the cards for us Serpens-kun" she coos, and snaps open the case, the purple haired researcher's eyes widen at what's inside: a silver ring shaped like a coiled serpent, a marble sized orb of purple iolite clenched in it's open maw, held in place by onyx fangs, it's eyes made from the same material. She takes his right hand and slips it on him "It seems I was right about your bony hands, I just asked them to size it for mine plus 3" she thinks aloud

"It's very beautiful" Kaos says before kissing her "and for the record, that's where I hope we end up, it's just a little too fast for either of us it would seem"

"At least we're on the same page, but I believe you promised me something rough and messy" Robin coos, watching Kaos' eyes widen as her blooms grab and caress him.

"I should have known someone like you would be into role play" he teases, nibbling lightly on her neck

"I've always been good at playing a part, being someone else, why would the bedroom be any different?" she purrs and winks, before switching to a Southern drawl "Maybe later All Sunday can see if you're the right kind of man she would want to restart Baroque Works with hon"

A little later (Not my best work, but Robin twisted my arm with 5 of hers, so here you go)

"No matter what torture you put me through I will never tell you anything" Robin spits, before being shoved against the wall

"Oh you silly girl, we at CP9 never had any need for your voice in the first place" he purrs, cupping her chin "but I'm sure I know what to use that mouth for" he pushes her jaw then slips his thumb between her lips, depressing her tongue "I presume someone as smart as you, knows the only way you're making it to morning" he chuckles as a long, thin tongue caresses her cheek, Robin's response is garbled, but the grip is weak enough for her to nod, seeing that the agent smirks and steps back, allowing Robin to slide to her knees "any teeth and I break your jaw, as well as both arms and both legs, do we understand each other?"

"Crystal" Robin drawls, her blooms having already made short work of his belt and slacks, meaning the only warning was a wink before she threw herself at him, her tongue running up and down the shaft before leading it to it's warm home, his hands running through her hair and massaging her scalp while long bony appendages rub and squeeze her plump ass and tits.

This was definitely not what a doctor would recommend, but she had something better, a home, a family and a lover, one who was willing to go along with all her crazy, thank Oda for that.

TBC

LW: Well, I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, and had a good Halloween, even with all the stupid lockdowns. Post Enise Lobby will be a short arc, hopefully done by the end of the year, so here's to that.