Chapter 16

Sink or Swim

Wind raged across the streets of Water 7. Maxwell a Robin both shivered from the cold. Their bodies soaked with sea water. Smoke rose a fair distance away. They had both escaped Galley-La headquarters, although for completely different reasons. Robin was about to leave for her destination. Maxwell wanted to intercept her, despite the assassins she kept accompany.

Robin let her head thump back onto the stairwell as she lets out weak laugh, "Looks like you caught me again… Mr. Magician."

"Nah-uh. None of that 'Mr. Magician' bullshit!" Maxwell glared at the woman, "I heard you call me Maxwell earlier. That means you still care, so fess up!"

Robin smirked, "Hmph, you're mistaking me for the rest of the crew. I won't talk so easily."

Maxwell glared, "And you're mistaken me for the rest of the crew. Most of which are in their later teens."

Both the mage and the archeologist stared at each other. Neither side wanting to back down. It was a test of wills. Robin wanted to maintain her mask of indifference. It was only weakened by her vulnerability in the water, and the fact she was staring one-on-one with one of her former friends. Maxwell was content with most situations, but the man knew what he wanted, when he wanted it. He still had a stubborn streak that hadn't totally left him as a child. Growing in the Circle of Magi, you needed a strong will to pass your Harrowing. You either passed it, turned Tranquil, or died. And he survived. That sort of fortitude had served him well in life, and it wasn't going to stop now.

Robin broke eye contact first. Exhaustion, from the water, was catching up with her.

"…I can't tell you."

"You can't tell me!?" Maxwell yelled, incredulous at the archeologist, "Why!? Because of this 'shrouded in darkness' bullshit you told Sanji and Chopper!? We didn't ask, because we didn't want to be rude about it! We haven't bugged Zoro, haven't bugged Sanji, and we certainly haven't asked Luffy about their pasts! And unless you haven't noticed, Robin, we don't give a shit!" Robin scowled as she looked away.

Maxwell wasn't having it though, "I told you this before we even arrived on this island! You are our friend! You think we haven't seen our fair share of shit in the world? You think I haven't!?" The mage put a hand on his chest to make his point.

"I was raised a captive due to religious bias! I had to fight a war not to get killed! Nami was practically a slave back in East Blue! A fishman for held her village at ransom for years! Chopper was an outcast for being a reindeer with human intelligence! Do you know how many times he was chased around his home island!? What's your excuse? Aokiji!? The World Government!?"

"That means nothing!" Robin would have leaned forward, but her body couldn't keep up with her actions.

"BULLSHIT! I've seen the way you interact with the crew! You laugh at Luffy's antics when he's up to no good! You talk with Chopper, telling him about the wider world! You even humor Sanji's eccentricities when you don't have too! You couldn't couldn't care less about the World Government! So don't you try to pull this uncaring double agent bullshit you're trying to personify! I know everything that goes on with our ship!"

Robin jerked away, unable to deny that statement, "…So what? You think you can appeal to my better nature!? Force the truth right out of me!? Catch me out a window and expect me to act like some damsel in distress!? F #$ you! This isn't some fairytale ending! You have no idea what I've been through and you have no idea you're talking about! Neither does anyone else on that crew!"

Maxwell's face began to sag with empathy, "…Your right. I do have no idea what you've been through. But I know what it's like to live with an eye over your shoulder. You go about your day, checking every contingency you have, until one of them in sprung. You think you have a day of piece when your pursuers suddenly show up outside your door. We've had to deal with that kind of bullshit for our entire lives, and have nothing to show for it!"

Maxwell then grabbed her shoulder, "The guys may have no idea what kind of bull shit we've had to live through, but they accepted us, Robin! They accepted you, even when they had reason not to. You were our enemy. Second in command to a f #$&*( Warlord trying to become king of some dessert country. But they allowed you to stay! Even I didn't even care you snuck aboard… I know about the temple, Robin. Look me in the eye and tell me you had anywhere else to go."

Robin tried to look at him, but her eyes quivered as she tried to ignore the accusation. At the time, she was fully content to letting herself die in that temple. Robin had had enough. Dealing with betrayal, after betrayal. Scumbag after scumbag…

"…What was your dream?"

Robin stilled at Maxwell's question, "…What?"

"Let me rephrase that. What. Is. Your. Dream?" Maxwell repeated his question, looking her in the eyes, "All of us had dreams when we joined Luffy on the Going Merry. Goals, discoveries, achievements, reasons we all wanted to sail! All~ except you." Maxwell waved a finger emphasizing his words.

"…I don't think it was ever brought up." Robin said defensively.

"…I'd always imagine you haven't thought of one yet."

Robin looked at Maxwell offended.

"Your wanted poster is a photo of you as a child. That means you probably haven't had much of a childhood… But you got to have something! We've been up in the f #$&*( sky together! If you're going to leave, why not tell us anyways…? Luffy accepts the dreams of his crew, and he wants to make those dreams a reality! So I'll ask again: What. Is. Your. Dream?"

The archeologist looked at him wide-eyed. Maxwell was could not be serious. Luffy wanted them to achieve their dreams? Does he even know what that would mean? That wouldn't be possible, with so many people against hers, "…You really think he'd do it?"

"Absolutely!" Maxwell smirked back, a little exasperated, "Have you seen Luffy? He wouldn't stop, no matter what! So come on, tell me. We can talk to Luffy and—"

"Unfortunately, she is coming with us."

Maxwell spun around, fully intending to blast who ever was behind him. However, Maxwell's eyes bulged when a giant hand clamped around his throt. He was surprised, taken off guard. He couldn't breath! The mage scratched at the arm and glove that held his neck as the mage was lifted off the ground.

It was Blueno, the man with the bull horn haircut. He was standing in a shimmering circle of air that didn't quite match Maxwell's surroundings. Blueno expression almost seemed bored, like he had heard enough and wanted to get on with the show.

"You were a surprise, Maxwell Trevelyan," Blueno complemented him, and he watched Maxwell struggle in his grip, "Your crew is quite the tenacious one. The World Government truly does not know how much of a threat you are."

"…F #$…! …You…!" Maxwell barely squeaked out with his air cut off.

"Hmph," Blueno smirked at the defiance of the magical pirate, "I should probably kill you now, and be done with it. A magician of your caliber should not be underestimated…" Blueno seems to eye Robin as Maxwell struggled in his grip, "…But you can always be dealt with later. I imagine you usually have a sort of trick up your sleeve." Maxwell could feel his sight starting to darken. He couldn't focus on a spell.

"…But not this time. Goodbye, Maxwell Trevelyan. Have a nice swim."

Blueno then threw Maxwell out behind him. His eyesight returned as he could finally take a breath, but the free fall disoriented him. Maxwell could barely recognize where he was, but this definitely wasn't where Maxwell was before. He was out over a ledge of the city, over the tide, swallowing up the lower half of Water 7. Max locked eyes with the Blueno briefly as the assassin disappeared out of existence, and he fell into ocean filled streets bellow.

That World Government agent had a Devil Fruit power. That much Maxwell was certain of. Blueno had made a portal out of thin air, one that could be open and closed like a doorway. Maxwell deduced all of this, but it wasn't going to help him now.

However, there was one thought that ran through his head as he hit the water…

"That gateway felt like part of the Fade…!"

*SPLASH!*

O O O

Maxwell coughed and spluttered as he finally lifted himself out of the water. He was on top of a dome roof of one of the submerged buildings. He had been fighting the waves trying to get a solid platform to stand on. It felt like he had been at it for hours, though it had probably been minutes.

The tide had reached the height of most of the buildings in the lower city. Maxwell could barely see the domes sticking out of the water. The waves had created currents running through the city and that had been what Maxwell had been fighting against. Maxwell would swim for air, only to dunked beneath a wave. He's be thrown into a side of a building and be pinned against it until the swell left.

Magic had been close to useless. Making a platform with Winter Spells where a hazard. They got too slippery to hold on too, and he nearly got knocked out hitting his head with a chunk of ice. Inferno spell did nothing to help. He tried using a Static Cage to anchor himself, but the waves just waterboarded him for it. Maxwell had to use Dispel just to get out it. The only useful spells in the water were Barrier and the Spirit Blade. The aura of protective energy absorbed most of the impacts he was subject to. And the spectral blade allowed him to stab into wall as he tried to spy a safe haven. It was a wonder he didn't drown.

Maxwell dragged himself to where the dome had it's spire and sat himself against it, facing the ocean. He was cold, waterlogged, and his muscles ached. The mage discarded off gloves and conjured a fire ball to keep himself warm. He fought through the exhaustion to in order to concentrate on the spell. The whole experience had left him tired, and he couldn't afford to fall asleep in the cold. It didn't help that he shivered as the winds cut through him like butter, "F-F-F-F #$&*( Andraste…!"

The mage cursed himself. Maxwell remembered storms like this back at Faxhold. The Ostwick Circle was a lighthouse out on a coastal cliff, cut off from the mainland. The only connection between them was a bridge, controlled by the Templars. Maxwell would watch the Waking Sea on nights like these as the waves crashed on the rocks below. The halls would whistle, The coast would thunder, and rain would fall like sheets. But that was then, back when he had shelter, this was now.

Maxwell knew he couldn't stay up here. He had to get to higher ground, find the others, and maybe a shelter. The waves were getting rougher, and Maxwell noticed it was beginning to rain. This was Aqua Laguna, and it was only going to get worse, "And this is a near yearly event… Go figure…"

The mage looked around trying to see where he could go to reach the upper city. The buildings were a no-go. They were just as slick as his roof top, and Maxwell could couldn't leap a tower in a single bound. The only chance he had was the grand staircase. He had spotted it just to the left of him. That meant he had to swim again…

Maxwell knew he had to brave the tides. He had to reunite with Luffy and the others.

It was going to be humiliating, to be sure. Maxwell had caught Robin and then he had lost her. He couldn't get any straight answers either. Tensions were high, and he had lost himself to that. Hopefully, the crew wouldn't hold it against him. If Blueno had made it out unharmed, that meant something happened to the crew. Maxwell doubted they were dead. Both Blueno and Lucci could have killed him at any time, but they didn't. They were playing with them, so it was possible the others were alive as well.

"Alright Max… How do we get over there…?" Maxwell snuffed out the fire and took off his boots and armor. Attached though he was, the weight and the drag would only slow him down. He was reduced to his pants and undershirt, but he didn't dare throw away his foci, "Guys, your thoughts?"

Mordred, Salem, and Mineive lit up like candles as their spirits were summoned. Maxwell energized them so they could float around to take a look.

"…I'd personally still recommend the buildings," said Mordred, "Jump across, use Spirt Blade as a pickaxe, less likely to die in a watery grave."

"Use the Fade Step to jump them. Only for when you need to jump long distances though. I'd get my boots back on…" Mineive informed him curtly. Maxwell scowled as he grabbed his boots again. Why hadn't he thought of that!? He was just doing something similar!

"You'll still need to swim, though," Salem placated his thoughts, "No amount of magic is going to break the gap between the roofs and the bridge… But until that time, if you jump the platforms, you can control where you're going."

Maxwell secured his boots to his legs, "…When Blueno pulled me through that portal, did you guys feel anything strange as we went through it?"

The spirits looked at each other, still animated by the aura of magic Maxwell lent them. It was Salem who responded first, "There was a definite fluctuation in our anchors as you passed the boundaries... That man was undoubtedly connected to the Fade."

"He was definitely no mage, though." Mordred pointed that out, "His Devil Fruit certainly allows him access to the Fade, but that's like saying a farmer stumbled upon the Ancient Magisters ritual and entered the Golden City. Sure, it'd be pretty, but he wouldn't be able to do shite with the energies."

"He needs to be eliminated," said Mineive. "We have no idea if his portals are directed by line of sight, or mental imagery. Additionally, with those Rokushiki techniques, he could almost go anywhere he wanted and remain undetected." Mineive's light then dimmed, "…And I'll be the one to say it then. Are we still going after Robin?"

Maxwell paused as he thought about that question, "…We'll need to let Luffy decide that."

The mage tapped his boots on the tiles, to make sure they were snug, "We have no idea where she is, or where she is going to be by now. Even if we do stumble on her, any attempt of rescue will be suicide, going at it alone. I hate that we lost her, but we have no time to wallow in our own guilt. What we need to do now is reunite with the others. Then we can decide what to do after that."

"…Understood." Mineive drifted back down where her anchor was normally on the belt, and the other spirits followed suit.

Maxwell leaned down to make a running start. He had figured out his course, and was going to run this triathlon of a survival mission.

He had a lot of mixed felling about Robin, "…But, if I'm being honest with myself, I wouldn't mind going after her… One last time…!"

Maxwell ran, and then he jumped.

His course included 11 rooftops to jump for. The first one, Maxwell stabbed his Spirit Blade in the roof. It allowed him to pull himself up for the next one. The next two Maxwell just ran and jumped. The roof were somewhat long and double domed. They had a space in between that somewhat solid. Maxwell used the Fade Step for the fourth one. This jump actually had some distance to, and Maxwell knew needed speed. He summoned the glyph just as he was about to jump. Maxwell tumbled out of the comet as the rain disoriented him. The rain was battering him throughout the course, as if telling him to stay put. But Maxwell wasn't going to allow that.

Maxwell jumped from rooftop to rooftop until he came to the end of his course. There, Maxwell eyed the bridge like stairwell that lead to the upper city. He was aiming at the end of the stairs, that dipped into the ocean. That was going to be the most reliable area to get on, so Maxwell prepared.

He watched the ebb and flow of the tides surrounding it. The waves were huge, crashing into the staircase. However, all those waves also created a current running along it's side, leading back into the streets. Maxwell had to time this perfectly, he might not get another chance.

As soon as the wave hit, Maxwell ran for it. He jumped through a glyph briefly turning him into a blue comet, then swan dived into the water. Maxwell had caught the ebbing and swam with it, hoping to get into position. When the wave resurged Maxwell spread his arms and legs wide. He had to catch that wave.

It worked. As soon as he felt stone, Maxwell stabbed a Spirit Blade down into the concrete. He felt the water recede and Maxwell immediately ran up the steps. As long as he was near the waterline, Maxwell still risked being swallowed up by the ocean.

So he ran. He listened for whenever the water surged. Maxwell would stab down with his magic, again and again, anchoring himself as to not be swept with the tide. But, as he got higher and higher, those moments became less and less frequent. He ran, climbing all the way, until he reached the top.

Maxwell collapsed on his hands and knees when he reached the plateau. He was breathing hard, those waves were strong. Maxwell could barely feel the cold, but he doubted that was a good thing.

"Nagagaga! It looks like you made it up here just fine, big boy!"

Maxwell blinked, then turned his head to look up beside him.

"…Madam Kokoro?"