When Koby began training his Observation Haki, he learned that there were two Kobys in his brain.

There was Logical Koby. Logical Koby was smart, resourceful, and a doggedly hard worker. Logical Koby was analytical, learned the seven powers as fast as any CP0 member, and had shot to Captain faster than any Marine recruit. Logical Koby could weigh the cost-benefit analysis of any battle, any situation, and rattle off the cold hard facts in seconds. Logical Koby had built him a raft to get off of Alvida's island.

Emotional Koby had gotten in the way of him actually using it.

Emotional Koby burst through all logic and reason with tears and melodrama. Emotional Koby was the voice who screamed "Impossible!" and "No! No! No!" in his head. He been told not to called Emotional Koby the 'crybaby' but Koby had not found a better word for him. Sobbing, crying, afraid, anxious, every emotion was amplified by one hundred when Emotional Koby was in control.

But Emotional Koby was also intuitive, empathetic, sensitive. All things critical to Observation Haki.

Emotion Koby was pure empath, and his Observation Haki was near unparalleled. His Emotion Mind's ability to sense the souls of all things was the power behind his Observation Haki. He wouldn't feel the souls of others as strongly as he did, if he did not feel his own emotions so strongly.

And thus a balance of the two, his Emotion self and Logic self, allowed him to use his Observation as effectively as he did. The two of them together made...a well-balanced Koby. Both of them were integral to not only his Observation Haki, but to his day to day life.

However Emotion Koby was now in complete control and could focus on nothing the horrifying agreement he had just made. There was no balance, no middle path, just his own terror and pounding heart, and now every agonized soul in Impel Down wailed in his head.

Logical Koby pulled in a last haul to maintain some sense of composure, but Koby knew it wouldn't last long, as the lift rattled back up to the main floor.

"COOOOOOBYYYY…..Mmmmmmmm," drawled Sadi-chan, suddenly appearing like a lion in pink leather. "I have drafted my own proposal on the implementation of torture. I would like you to take it into consideration. These new regulations are too mmmmmmm….strict! And not in a good way!"

"Oh for heaven's sake, look at his face, you're terrifying the boy," snapped Domino, grabbing Sadi by the ear. "Rear Admiral, do please feel free to drop by whenever you need to. I assure you, we want to support the World Government in this transition."

"But mmmm….Domino…."

"You've scared him enough today, come now," snapped Domino. "We're going to have a chat about showing restraint. With demonstrations," she added, her gloved hand clenched over the cuffs she carried.

Koby couldn't help but be grateful Domino had misread his panicked complection to be discomfort, and he booked it for the exit as fast as he professionally could.

"Hey, took you long enough," said Helmeppo, who was waiting by the staff entrance. "You got what you need? You -"

He faltered. "Koby, what is it?" he asked.

"Not here," Koby whispered.

Indeed, a small faction of reporters had gathered at the docks by the entrance. Since the fall of the government, Smoker had elected to allow the press greater access to world government facilities, to ensure transparency in the in transition process.

"Right," said Helmeppo. "I got you."

Helmeppo took the lead down the dock, Koby behind him, as several reporters jostled close.

"Rear Admiral, what are the government's plans on improving conditions in Impel Down?"

"What do you have to say about the use of torture in World Government facilities?"

"Is it true there is a bloodthirsty mutant koala?"

"THAT'S A LIE!" Sadi-chan screamed, suddenly bursting out the door. "SHE'S NOT A MUTANT! SHE'S AN AWAKENED ZOAN! MY CHILDREN ONLY LUST FOR THE BLOOD OF CRIMINALS! THEY ONLY MAIM AND TORTURE THOSE WHO DESERVE IT! YOU WORMS WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND THE LOVING EMBRACE OF AN AWAKENED ZOAN KOALAAAAAAAA…."

Domino had resolutely dragged her back inside on leash.

A thin vein pulsed in Helmeppo's forehead.

"So this is transparency…" Koby managed to mutter. His Observation was swimming from person to person, nauseatingly.

Helmeppo gripped Koby's shoulder.

"The World Government has gathered initial data on the practices of Impel Down," Helmeppo said to those assembled. "We will release a statement to the public outlining our plans once it has been drafted and approved. Full transparency is our goal, and thusly we do not want to release any statements on the policies we plan to implement until they have been finalized. Yes, there is a koala. Please, no more questions."

Helmeppo quickly ushered Koby down the dock and onto their ship.

"Set sail," he commanded one of the Marines on deck. "We're meeting below deck, do not disturb us."

"Yes sir!"

"For god's sake…" muttered Helmeppo, rubbing his temples. "That woman is a nightmare. Maybe she's a zoan herself, that's why she likes those things. Jeez…"

Koby sunk into a chair, staring blankly. There were no longer thousands of throbbing souls. Only his own heart pounding in his ears.

"You look like a mess, said Helmeppo. "I'll make us some tea."

Koby nodded, numbly, as Helmeppo busied himself with the kettle.

"I knew this was going to be too much," Helmeppo said, irritably. "I told Smoker you needed to be assigned somewhere else, off re-writing the Buster Call sanctions or helping repair Mariejois. Why he thought to send us to Impel Down, I don't know. I told him to split us up if he had to, I knew it would do you no good to go right back to where Luffy was."

Where Luffy was.

How that voice had echoed down the corridors of Impel Down.

"Shishishi! There you are Koby! Took you long enough! Didjya bring me some meat?"

All that was left in Impel Down was now….

Koby shuddered and broke down into fresh sobs.

Helmeppo placed a steaming mug in front of him.

"Drink the tea," he said.

Tentatively, Koby took a sip, He immediately choked and spit it out.

"What did you put in that?"

"Two shots of brandy," said Helmeppo, sitting down opposite him. "Now, calm yourself. Emotional Koby needs Logical Koby. Let's find the middle or whatever you call it."

Emotional Koby. Crybaby Koby. The Koby that would always be there.

The Koby that gave into Alvida.

Koby took another sip of the liquored tea and sighed.

"...it wasn't just Luffy" he said. "I mean...it wasn't all him…"

"It must have been hard," said Helmeppo.

"It was like my Observation was playing tricks on me," said Koby, cupping his head in his hands. "One minute it was like...like he was there . Like I could feel him. But that's...that's not what…"

He faltered.

"It wasn't Luffy," he said quietly. Koby gulped, trying to compose himself. "It was.."

It was as though he couldn't even bring himself to say her name. "It was...her."

"Sadi?" said Helmeppo. "Look I know she's wild, we're going to have a hell of a time managing public relations with her around, but I didn't think she bit your ear too hard, did she? I'll be having a few words with Bastille about his 'eccentric' daughter to say the least."

"No, not Sadi," said Koby, shaking his head. He took another sip of tea, the liquor burning an unnatural warmth in his chest.

He looked around, even though he knew he and Helmeppo were alone. He flexed his Observation just gently enough to make sure no one was eavesdropping. The rest of their crew were above deck, occupied, setting sail. He and Helmeppo were alone.

Koby swallowed, and slowly looked up to meet Helmeppo's furrowed gaze.

"It was...Alvida."

Koby felt the surge of emotion run through Helmeppo. It was cold, calculating, and protective.

"Shit," Helmeppo said.

"She's in solitary," said Koby.

"Yeah no kidding, we stuck her there so she couldn't talk about you."

"She's…" Koby trailed off. "She's become...rather comfortable over the years." He twisted his hands awkwardly. "She gets things, I guess. Like, she has a couch. And the guards bring her stuff. Books, and flowers and stuff..." he trailed off lamely.

"A couch?"

"Yeah. The staff really likes her it seems."

Helmeppo stood up. "I'm calling Magellan," he said. "Hannyabal might put up with shenanigans like that, but prison reform or not, I'll not have that harlot cozying up to -"

"Helmeppo, no!" said Koby, his hand shaking on the tea cup. "You can't!"

"Damn right I will," said Helmeppo, grabbing the den den mushi off the navigation table. "If Sadi is dying for someone to torture in the midst of this reform, it can be Alvida, clearly she - "

"Helmeppo she's blackmailing me!" Koby blurted out.

Helmeppo froze.

"What?"

Koby broke down into fresh sobs.

"She...She s-says the guards trust her. They'll listen t-to her. Sh-she said that if I don't g-get her out of there, she'll tell everyone I was her c-cabin boy, and she'll ruin things for me..."

Helmeppo had gone very pale.

"And she wants me to v-visit," said Koby finally. "To make sure I'm actually doing it...trying to get her out.."

Helmeppo put down the den den mushi. Very slowly he walked back to the table and sat back down opposite Koby.

"Shit." he said quietly, running fingers through his long hair. "Like, of all the things…"

"She...she said that she's been waiting," murmured Koby. "She knows the government is screwed up right now, she knows that you and me are on the forefront. She's waited all this time for the right moment to threaten me, when I'm most vulnerable."

"Shit," Helmeppo repeated. "Yeah, I mean...if this were literally any other time. Christ, nobody would believe her, and you or I could just request she have her stuff taken away and get tortured. But now, if something like that got out about you, of all people...hell, people wouldn't have to believe her, but if CP0 got wind of that, you know they'd go digging, they'd dig deep. They'd find out. You're already suspicious enough...because of..."

Helmeppo faltered.

"Because of Luffy," Koby finished, his face streaming.

"Yeah," said Helmeppo. "I mean, that's something everyone's let skate by, half the countries in the World Government had ties to him. But that doesn't mean we're not on thin ice, especially you. This is the last thing anyone would need to get ahold of…"

"And so I...I said I'd do it. I got scared. I lost control," said Koby.

He stared blankly into his tea.

"I thought I was better than this!" he sobbed. "Am I still that weak? Am I s-still that stupid cabin boy? H-Haven't I grown at all?"

Helmeppo stood up very abruptly and put his arms around Koby.

"Don't you say that," he said. "You are not the same person you were when you escaped her. She did this because she knew you were vulnerable, that we're vulnerable, that's the kind of person she is. This is not because you let your emotions get the better of you."

He held Koby, tight, and Koby buried his face in Helmeppo's chest.

There was a long, drawn out silence, broken only by Koby crying.

"Alright," Helmeppo said finally. "Here's what you're going to do. You play her game. You put the paperwork in. So she walks. Fine. If that's price of her silence, so be it. You go back there and you set rules. You set limits. She does not get to jerk you around. You are not her errand boy. You are doing her a favor in return for her cooperation, and that's that. She agrees to silence in the meantime while you do what you need to to get her out, and silence upon release. Understand?"

Hands trembling, Koby nodded.

"I got your back on this, okay?" said Helmeppo. "You do what you need to do. I'll handle the worst of Impel Down. You deal with her. Alright?"

"Alright."

Helmeppo looked out the porthole at the choppy waves.

"We'll deal with this just like we're dealing with everything else."


That night Koby returned to base with Helmeppo and went to his desk. He and Helmeppo shared a small flat together with their dog, Butterscotch, just off base.

With nausea in the pit of his stomach, Koby pulled out a file.

Petition for Government Pardon

He sighed. It was going to be a long night.

Taped around around his desk were several newspaper clippings, most of them about Luffy and his various exploits. Many of them had been exaggerated or completely falsified by the press, but Koby had read them ravenously all the same.

Koby was not vain, there were no articles clipped about his role in Marineford, about Rocky Port, or his promotions.

Instead it was Luffy's guileless smile, untouched after all those years, that beamed out at him from the clippings. How he never seemed to age, his grin the same as it was when he burst from that barrel years ago

He was jolted back to reality, remembering that Alvida's fruit also robbed her of aging naturally. She too, remained frozen in time, her appearance not only unchanged, but her spite for him as well.

He began to take down the clippings of Luffy from his desk. Each article was like a knife in the chest to see. Slowly, he folded them gently into a folder and tucked it into his desk.

A few articles remained: a short article about Garp's life before his retirement, a recipe for curry he had wanted to try, and few old cutouts from Sora, Warrior of the Sea.

And a few other unusual articles.

Most of the articles followed the usual trends of sensationalism and largely inaccurate reporting, lauding the Marines for their victories - but these particular articles, regardless of certain 'journalistic license,' Koby had chosen to save.

One article was about a pair of East Blue pirates who had aligned to take out Straw Hat Luffy, targeting him in Loguetown. They had failed and fled to the Grand Line, narrowly avoiding capture.

The duo would resurface in a later article, in which one of them had been arrested for breaking into a Marine base, believing it to be the location of the legendary St. John's treasure. His partner had somehow evaded arrest.

They appeared again, this time in a clipping about the appointment of a new warlord.

And one last, brief article about the arrest of a certain warlord conspirator following the revocation of the warlord provisions.

This article did bear Koby's name.


Okay for real, is anyone actually reading this? So if nobody is really into it, I'm probably going to stop posting. It's just a pain to re-format the chapters for posting here and I'm not really active on this site. Sooo...if you're actually enjoying this, I implore you to let me know, otherwise I think I might stop posting. Sorry, but its a long fic to post without much engagement, and I have other stuff writing I'm working on.

Thanks so much if you have read thus far. :)