Hallo and welcome back!
I'm a bit sad, you know? It's been so long! Over a year, can you believe it? Feels like the end of an era to me! Thank you all so so much for following, favoriting and commenting this Story. Your support throughout this journey… I had never thought anybody would be interested in my silly writing!
Special thanks go to Rexica who beta-ed almost all of it and
AKZJ for making me post this in the first place.

"Fuck, I really hope this isn't one of those 'at least I'll look badass' moments, like when we were covered in wax," the beyond agitated navigator next to her mumbled.

Now, of course, she didn't know the stoic man hanging from the gallows as well as the others cowering next to her did. In fact, she had never met him in person, but even she knew beyond a doubt that this was exactly one of those situations. She couldn't help the fond smile on her lips as she watched him, hanging and glaring as if the marines around him were the ones being executed instead of him.

"God damn it, Robin, what the fuck?" the navigator cried out, and she turned to her, smiling. They had accepted her in their midst without a moment of hesitation; she was sure that she wasn't the first clone they had welcomed like that. She was one of many probably.

"Youu especially should be a bit more concerned about this whole situation. We need to know when he's actually struggling. This needs to be a last minute kind of thing, and we can't do that if the fucking bastard is fucking meditating into his death. For fuck's sake, I can't believe that child is going to be a father," the girl continued to rant right before profusely apologizing to her for speaking like that. After all she had to be terrified to lose him. For good.

She wasn't. Didn't have to be. She was only a few days old and didn't know all that much about their past, but she knew that he would live. Just like she knew that, without ever meeting the man, he was somehow the most important thing in her life. Without a doubt, she would jump in front of a bullet if it meant to save him, and she couldn't help but wonder whether that was indoctrination from her creator or her creator's honest feelings. The profound soul deep love she felt when looking at him… it couldn't be artificial, could it?

"Damn Marimo can't even die properly. You're supposed to say last words, idiot, they didn't bring out the transponder snails for nothing," the cook said, putting their lunch boxes back in the bag he had brought along.

"Horohorohoro, just imagine him dying there. He'd lose all his bodily functions, and I mean he isn't cute any normal day, but shitting himself, uh-u, not cute at all," huffed the pink-haired woman to her other side, Perona.

Common sense told her she should feel even slight jealousy towards her, but she didn't. Looking at her, she just felt gratitude and the need to mention that with that man they were more likely to witness autoerotic asphyxiation because stubborn as he was, even in death, he wouldn't lose control of his body.

I wouldn't be surprised to learn he was immortal. If only for the fact that he would get lost on his way towards the light . She chuckled, not entirely sure where that thought had come from. Her own? A memory?

Behind her, the sharpshooter shifted, readied his dubious weapon. "Brook is out! He's getting weaker."

Why did it even have to be last minute? Right, to prove that the marines present weren't in on this, which they weren't, but apparently one couldn't underestimate the fleet admiral's ridiculous determination. Funny how he himself had been the security breach. Hadn't expected one of his former Shichibukai to set the pink ghost girl on him after enquiring about strawhat weaknesses before the reverie.

When the stretch of rubberbands sounded behind her, she jumped off the ledge, arms sprouting from her back to keep her afloat as she soared over the heads of surprised marines, murmuring, panicking.

The rope snapped, and he fell for just a moment before her arms caught him, pushed him up to stand right as she landed in front of him. His chest heaved as his eye blinked her into focus, and she couldn't help the tears of relief falling from her eyes. He looked surprised to see her, eye snapping down to her flat belly, and she instinctively knew she was missing a vital piece of her, but it didn't matter. He was there, he was alive. Her phantom limbs opened his shackles with the pick pocketed key the navigator had given her, and her world turned when she was wrapped up in a hug and consumed by the most searing kiss her young mind could imagine. One possessive hand on her neck, the other gripping her hip so tight she already felt the bruises under his fingertips. Felt so right, though, and her body instantly responded with liquid heat pooling between her legs and her heart surging with a love that she shouldn't be able to feel for a man she had never seen before - shouldn't be possible in general, too hot, too destructive, too much. Made her feel like the world would end if he were to take it away from her. Like she couldn't live without it.

When the first gunshot rang, she instinctively bloomed black arms around them to keep him alive, to keep her in the moment for just a little bit longer, because she knew she wouldn't see the end of the day. She lived for him, to keep him alive. And despite the haze his touch, his kiss put her in, she was sure that she differed from her creator here. Her life was just as sacred as his, that's why she was here in her stead. She was disposable, she could vanish right now and nobody would cry a tear after her so long as his radiant presence would persist. He was the one reason she was alive, and she didn't fault anybody for it. She was happy in fact, because right this moment, in his embrace, she felt what the likes of her could only dream of feeling. With him, she felt alive. He was her life.

One of her stray eyes planted all across the court saw the little reindeer jumping over the marines, three precious katana lodged within his antlers, and she didn't halt to question how it was that he looked so different from before. She had things to do.

With her hands on his bearded jaw, she pushed him away. Her heart clenched at the thought of leaving him, but she had heard the order loud and clear, had seen the marines outside ready their rifles with their most precious bullets. She didn't have much time. This was the end for her, but he would live, strong and proud, and maybe he would remember her. Remember her as something not quite her creator.

"Be ready, my love," she murmured against his lips, ignored the searing pain in her side as she held on to this fleeting life to put her lips just one last time against his.

Yes, this was life.

And when she burst apart, her soft petals caressing his skin as he caught his blades without missing a beat, she knew this was worth it.

She had mused what death would feel like for her, but she hadn't thought it would feel like going home. Like endless gratitude and appreciation. Like love, not the heated all consuming love she had felt for him, but the soft mellow love of being welcomed back by a mother.

The feeling washed away as memories crashed over her, memories of sitting in the crowsnest, memories of slipping on a green and thoroughly divine smelling robe, memories of hugging her huge belly, reading books. Memories that weren't her own while every now and then flashes of things she could remember interfered but all wrong. She hadn't experienced horror at the sight of her man hanging but still delight at the notion that he wasn't struggling on purpose. The kiss was the same. The same soul-searing love. They were one.

She looked out the window, saw the sun all but vanishing beyond the horizon. She'd gotten used to the onslaught of memories and emotion when her autonomous clones returned, but this time, she couldn't help the tears. He'd be home soon.

I really hope this end was satisfactory for most of you!

If you can't get enough of my writing, I have good news for you, if Zoro Robin bis your OTP I have bad news… and good news… I think... I hurt myself in confusion….
Anyway, here's my plans for the future:
This year I'll present you with the Zoro/Perona prequel to this story and I really really hope to see at least some of you there.
Once that is done around February I'll give you a two chapter Smoker spinoff, where the second chapter puts us back on track to the real sequel to Shôganai.
I don't have a real posting schedule yet so you might wanna follow me on Twitter ( nitwentyone) or Ao3 so you don't miss any updates.

Now… I know not everyone is interested in Perona or Smoker, and most of you have probably reread everything in the Zoro/Robin tag to death. But if you want to get your fill of that adorable couple while I'm off cheating with other pairings, here's some fics I recommend!
For example Company by zanyzoom, I know that won't get you far, since it's just one chapter but that's some good stuff! Seriously, already read it? Read it again!
If you want something a little longer and a bit different, try Marionette, by eiyayeee. It's an AU about cop Zoro on the hunt for "Raven"
You didn't have enough heartbreak, because I'm weak and let you off easy? Try this: After, by subtlyimpulsive.
This one, I haven't read myself but it comes with the warmest recommendation from Ghostly:transcendence, it's a really long One shot, and I'll be off reading this as soon as I'm done crying over this last update.
Lastly, this is new and I know I saw some of you in the kudos list, and the updates are slow, but we think it has a lot of potential and a whole lot of small little character moments
Boukyaku no Tsurugi by Synthasia.

Thanks to SomethingGhostly for helping me with that list and for being a wonderful human being that supported me from day one… even though I didn't know...
If you're the author of a fic not listed it doesn't mean yours is bad! I personally haven't read many fics while writing because I didn't want to accidentally copy anything so I might just not have read it yet!

All that being said… please leave a comment or a kudos… and please please please don't forget about me while I'm indulging in other ships (In fact you should read it, it'll be fun!), because I will be back with Zoro/Robin next year, I promise!
Also: I'm not crying, asshole!