Her Wings of Freedom
One Piece

Lyrics: Home made kazoku – Thank you!
(Ending song in Bleach, lyrics from the full version.)
Disclaimer: I own neither One Piece nor the song "Thank You!".
Made after chapter 391 in manga.

Tasogare no machi ga akaku somaru koro
Nanigenaku michi wo aruiteita
Ikikau hito no mure ga masu gogo
Nantonaku tachidomattemita
Potsuri to aita kokoro no sukima
Umeruyouni ugoita keitai no mana-
Kimi wa hitori ja nai hora mina
Tagai ni sasaeatteku no sa

If he... If he comes here then he will be alone against the entire CP9! He will without a doubt die! I can't let that happen! No matter what I need to say... I will push him away!

(From manga ch390 own loose translation, not necessarily accurate.)

R: "Why did you come to rescue me! When did I ever ask you to do that! I... I just want to die!"

L: "To die!"

R: "That's right."

L: "Robiiiin, you want to die? Well you see Robin, since we have already come this far, we will save you anyway. And then, if you still want to die do so at that time. So please Robin, to die or whatever... No matter what you will say I won't mind but those kind of things... Say them while you are with us!"

"That's right Robin-chan!"

"Come back!"

L: "Leave the rest to us!"

Fuantei na mirai ga kowakute
Yandeita boku ni mukatte
Nani mo iwazu ni sotto te wo
Sashinobetekureru kimi ga ita
Kanashimi ga hanbun ni natta
Yorokobi wa nibai ni fukuranda
Gyaku no tachiba ni nattra sugusama
Soba made kaketsukeru to chikatta

It was warm.

So warm that it reached the ends of her body, her soul and her heart. For the first time in 20 years she felt free, warm and... cared for. Her existence was not chained to the ground anymore. Her wings were loosened from the ropes and spread wide to catch the wind.

She had the right to be here, she was wanted here. That feeling had been rare even before the Buster Call so many years ago but now it filled her with such warmth that she was burning deep inside.

Her eyes were watering and she allowed them to. She allowed the held back tears to fall down her cheeks.

"It is alright...? For me... to be here?" She whispered with a smile, already knowing the answer but just searching for confirmation her soul graved to hear.

He laughed. "Of course."

She knew that his mouth was probably spread into a wide grin at the moment and his eyes were sparkling with life. Her arms tightened around his neck and she snuggled as close as she could get. To his warmth.

It was life she realized.

The warmth that he had, the warmth that was flowing into her... it was life.

Even now when she had no strength left to even stand she felt more alive than ever in her life. Now that she was leaving the Enies Lobby with her friends. The first real friends she had ever had, friends that supported and fought for her. Risked their lives willingly for hers.

And he...

He had done the unthinkable and attacked the entire World Government just for her. Just for her sake. And no matter how she had yelled, how she had pushed him away he had not wavered. He had fought and been hurt because of her and still he extended his hand to her, to pull her to him.

Where did he get so much strength?

Hito wa dare mo hitori de wa ikiteikeya shinai
Tagai wa tagai wo itsumo keyashiai
Igai dekinai toki wa hanashiai
Harakakaeru kurai waraiaitai
Nanoni naze kou toki ni kenashiai
Kizutsukiauno tte ki gashinai
Bakabakashii kurai kimi ga suki da
Terekusai kedo chotto honki da

Her place in life...

She had finally found it. After years of desperate searching and despair she had finally reached that place. Her place was on this ship with these people who all cared for her in their own way, all of whom were ready to die for her. She was their friend, his nakama.

And most of all her place was with him...

Since the first moment she had laid her eyes on him she had been interested. On that ship carrying the Arabasta's princess she had tried to stir up emotions and see if she could make them do as she said and fool them to go to Nanimonai. It had been just for fun since the island was what it was. Playing on people's emotions was easy but he had not been fooled. Whether it had been instinct, stubbornness or brilliance, he had not been affected. He had given her a hard look and she had known that there was more to him than one could see at a first glance.

So from the shadows she had tried her best to help and support him. He was so strong, so unwavering in his decisions. He fought so bravely and so selflessly that she could not stop admiring him. She wanted to keep watching him, to see all the interesting ideas he came up with.

There was so much life in him. Even when he was on the brink of death.

The refusal to die. The iron will to help those he cared about.

And he saved her.

When she had been in the crumbling catacomb in Arabasta she had given up her will. She had been ready to die, tired of the countless battles, tired of trying to find the pieces of history only to find weapons and destruction, tired of the constant loneliness that haunted her day and night.

She had fought for her right to die and he had not listened to her at all. He had pulled her free of the danger and then just left her there. Without a place to go.

She had hated him then. He had forced her to live, to continue the struggle she had thought she could escape with death. He was to blame so he was to suffer the coinquenses of his actions. She had not needed long to find their boat, not long to hide there waiting for them. It had been a long time waiting for them, too many thoughts had haunted her there in the darkness.

Using all the confidence and hiding all her nervousness, she had stepped fort to claim a place for herself.

And he had taken her in without a second thought. He had just smiled to his friends and defended her when they disagreed. He had given her a place in life and showed her what happiness, companionship, caring and support were.

Without questions asked he had given her a status of his nakama. To him a nakama was a person he would help and defend against whoever wanted to harm them. Marine, pirate, king... To him titles meant nothing.

He had given her everything she had ever wanted and so she could not hate him anymore.

Through adventures, battles and everyday life she had watched him. He was a truly strong person and not only in battles. He had a charm that made everything revolve around him. No matter how stupid things he said or did, no matter how much they laughed and mocked him...

None of them would ever abandon him. In return he would never abandon anyone of them. The trust between them, the confidence they had in each other was something she doubted that could be broken. They respected him no matter how he acted because in the end they knew he would pull through anything for them.

She wanted to be a part of it. Part of this strange crew.

She wanted his trust, his attention, his...

When Aokiji had suddenly showed up, she had been terrified. Her entire body had stopped functioning and she had barely been able to speak. If this man was their enemy, they could not win. Because of her they were now in grave danger.

His angry reaction had been a surprise until she heard him claim how he would not allow Aokiji to take her. He had noticed her fear, sensed her terror and reacted instantly. She had never dared view herself as a true member of his crew but he obviously had.

His immediate reaction to his nakama being in danger was the fierce will to protect them no matter what.

Now he was ready to fight him for her...

He was ready to fight to death to prevent Aokiji from hurting or taking her. Ready to die for her. But... She didn't want to lose him. She didn't want him to die.

Aokiji had been fast in realizing who he really was and how dangerous he could become. His grandfather was someone who would haunt him all of his life...

It wasn't really a wonder he had not told anyone about it, no wonder that he became so nervous when Aokiji mentioned him.

Then he had spoken of the past, her past. Everything she had tried to put behind her, everything she could never forget. He tried to turn them against her.

Suddenly she had been afraid. This life... she didn't want to lose it!

She had attacked him in her desperation and then everything had turned to cold darkness.

In the end he had still been the one to protect her. She had heard about it. After she had been frozen, he had first saved her and then fought with everything he had until he too had been enclosed in ice. He had saved her. Again.

And she had been able to resume the happy life she was living with them although the shadow of Aokiji had never left her in complete peace.

Until the CP9 had appeared before her in Water Seven and she had lost everything.

She had pushed them away, tried her hardest to protect them no matter the cost to herself or to the world. She had given up her own life, again.

And he had come after her, again.

He refused to leave her be, he refused to allow her to sacrifice herself, he... didn't leave her alone.

No matter what she said or did she could not shake him. She could not get him to believe that she wanted to die. Could he see it? Had he noticed it?

Her happiness, her will... They all lay in him. As long as he wanted her to live, she wanted to live.

After he had saved her in Arabasta and she had spent more and more time with him, she had started to...
Trust him.
Respect him.
Believe in him.
Like him.

And with time her feelings had deepened to the point of being painful. She could not deny it.

She had fallen in love with him. And with that feeling her despair was growing. He could not die! She would not allow him to! She would willingly give up her life to save him!

But her resolution had been broken. He had broken right through it. No matter how much she wanted to die for him, he would not allow her to and as long as he held that attitude she could not let herself die.

She had a value in his eyes. He had given her life. She could not deny him long and finally she had just accepted it. He would not allow her to die. That was just how he was, she could not do anything about. So all she could do now was fight with him and guard his back. All she could do was go to him.

All she could do was love him and be happy. She jumped into the air and for the first time ever she laid weight on her unused wings...

Kitto minna igai to shai de men to mukatte
Nakanaka kuchi ni dashite ienakute
Dakedo honto wa iitai kuse ni
Nanika ga jama shite mina tsuyogatte
Toki ni sarakedashite tsutaeyou
Kotoba ni wa fushigi na chikara ga yadoru yo
Kantan na koto sa jibun kara mazu hajimeyou
Kitto dekiru yo

Her heart was light.

He was there to support her, to carry her on if her wings ever failed. She was not alone anymore. He would not abandon her nor toss her aside. She had gained her place in this strange crew of his. She could not be happier. The wind of happiness under her wings would take her far from her former misery.

"Thank you!" She yelled to them from the bottom of her soul and was rewarded with wide smiles from all of them.

"Thank you..." She whispered to him from the bottom of her heart. He just chuckled and tightened his hold of her.

And Luffy carried her on his back away from the nightmare to the light.

Itsumo sasaetekureru hitotachi ni
Higoro no omoi wo kometa rhapsody
Appreciation na kimochi yo todoke
Itsumo arigatou honto arigatou
Tatoe doko ni itatte kimi no sonzai ni kanshashiteru yo