Rating: K
Timeframe: After Alabasta
Spoilers: None off the top of my head
They were mysterious, intriguing even. They fascinated her, captivating her full attention. They were dangerous and powerful, capable of changing the fate of entire countries through sheer force of will.
They were the Straw Hat Pirates.
Robin pulled her hood down as she stared at their little boat. Her plan might just be crazy enough to work. However, she needed more information if she was going to pull off her most ludicrous bid for survival yet. With grim determination Robin boarded the ship, ignoring the pain in her chest.
Their captain was a strange one. He was a relatively unknown pirate who, with a combination of luck and skill, managed to defeat one of the Warlords of the Sea. He didn't even do it for gold or other treasures, instead fighting on behalf of a comrade.
His 'D' initial interested her, as did his thought process.
You have no right to determine our route!
Who cares if you're one of the Seven Warlords? I'll be the Eighth Warlord!
Why the hell should I listen to your ramblings?
Sprouting extra eyes to scout ahead, Robin snuck on the ship. It was empty, its occupants likely to still be in the capital. Still she was cautious. There was no telling if the pirates had set up traps to dissuade looters or unwanted stowaways.
The ship looked like it was in need of a skilled carpenter. Patch jobs and metal plating were scattered about, and even to Robin's untrained eye looked sloppy at best. She tucked that little nugget away and began exploring.
Their ship was a small caravel, and the layout looked simple enough. There wasn't much in the way of fire power, meaning the Straw Hats most likely fled from enemy attacks. The deck was clear, save for some scattered lawn chairs and a small table. A few tangerine trees flourished in a corner. Curious, Robin went over to examine them. A white sign with bold black writing stood in front of the trees.
Do not touch my trees. Not ever. I count the number of fruit ever day, so don't even think of taking any without permission. Luffy, this means you. Do not play near my trees, not even hide and seek. If one of my trees gets harmed in any way, the offender will face Sanji's wrath and have an increase of debt directly proportional to the amount of damage received.
Consider yourselves warned
Suppressing a chuckle, Robin moved on. Having citrus fruit to ward off scurvy was a stroke of genius, although someone seemed to be unnaturally protective of their trees. Briefly she wondered what else she would find on the little ship.
From the deck she explored the infirmary. It was fairly standard, although the doctor's books were very up to date. As Robin examined them she noticed a light dusting of fur on the desk. She picked up a couple of the light brown hairs for closer examination. The only pet she had seen was the princess' riding duck, and Robin's eyes had not picked up anything on the ship. Whatever animal had been aboard wasn't now.
A small picture, tucked away in a corner, caught Robin's eye. Carefully she examined the worn photo. A man with wild white hair posed with a small deer of some sort. She could only assume a Devil Fruit was involved, as the deer was smiling and clutching a fuzzy pink hat (that was somehow able to fit over his antlers) with open enthusiasm
Robin put the picture back in its corner. She hadn't recognized the man or the deer, and she was sure she had seen the entire crew before they reached Little Garden. They must have picked up another member between then and Alabasta. Robin didn't know the exact route the Straw Hats had taken, but there weren't many islands where they could have recruited a new crew member. The only place she could think of was the Kingdom of Drum…
Robin felt her respect for the Straw Hats rise. They had somehow managed to wheedle a doctor out of Drum. Taking a second look around the room she found a thick notebook. Flipping through the pages she realized she had found some of the doctor's notes on his various patients. Robin scanned through them, reading about her (hopefully) soon to be crew from another's perspective.
It was interesting and moderately insightful. The doctor occasionally veered into anecdotal territory, but for the most part the notebook was strictly medical related. After a few minutes she shut it at put it back in its place, feeling she had learned all she could from the infirmary.
Robin went up to the crow's nest next. She didn't spend much time there, the only objects of note were a series of ridiculously heavy weights and it stank horribly of sweat and body odor. Eyes watering, she shimmied down the rigging as fast as her aching arm would allow.
Likewise, not much time was spent in the kitchen area. Robin did notice, however, an alarmingly low food supply and kitchen utensils that were of surprisingly high quality.
Below deck there were more signs of rough sailing and damage, all poorly repaired. She paused at a door marked Captain Usopp's Workshop before slowly pushing the door open, watching for traps or alarms.
There were none (the door wasn't even locked) and Robin entered the cluttered room. Half finished gadgets and models filled the space. One table was cleared off, presumably for experiments. Crumpled papers detailing failed devices littered the floor, while others were spread out on various surfaces.
Robin stepped carefully to avoid disturbing anything. This room smelled of gunpowder and chemicals, two things that she had little experience with. The last thing she wanted to do was bump something the wrong way and have it explode.
As she tip-toed through the workshop she spied a notebook that lay open. This, unlike the other papers in the room, did not detail machines or tools, but a sketch of a smiling boy in a straw hat. It was well done, and as she flipped through the notebook Robin realized that this Usopp character had a good hand for drawing.
There were pictures of a sleeping swordsman, another of a well dressed man offering a snack to a woman pruning her trees, and one of a deer lazily fishing out at sea. There were landscapes of dense jungles and snowy mountains. And on the very first page of the notebook was a drawing (not a sketch, but a true drawing) of a slender blonde girl gazing dreamily out a window.
Robin snapped the notebook shut, feeling as if she had intruded on something deeply personal. After quickly peeking through the rest of the room and finding nothing else of interest, she left the workshop.
The ship had two sleeping quarters, one for the men and another for the women. The passage connecting the two seemed to be the only thing on the ship that had a lock, a sentiment that amused Robin greatly as she searched through them both.
The men's quarters were a mess. Articles of clothing, books, and random knickknacks were spread throughout the floor. Like the crow's nest there was a distinct male odor that bordered on offensive. There didn't seem to be anything important stowed away, and nothing that would give her clues regarding the Straw Hat's personalities.
The woman's quarters made a stark contrast. It was tidy and neat (although to be fair, far fewer people had to share the space), and nothing was out of place. Robin began poking around, starting with the closet.
Luck was with her. Robin pulled out a few shirts and a pair of pants that might fit. Her own clothes were all but ruined, and sticking around the capital to go shopping had not seemed like a good idea. She laid the prospective items out on the bed to go through later, and continued inspecting the room.
She spied a treasure chest, and went over to give it a closer look. It was locked, or course, but Robin pulled out her own set of picks and set to work. The lock gave her much more trouble than it should of, even considering the fact that she was rather out of practice. Someone was highly protective of their treasure.
Finally the lock gave and Robin opened the chest. Carefully she went through its contents, being sure to remember where everything was placed so she could put it back in the right order. There were several small stacks of bills, separated and bound together in rubber bands, a few gems and items of jewelry, and a few sacks of gold coins. At the very bottom of the chest was a leather bound book.
Rocking back on her heals Robin read the book. It wasn't a journal, like she originally thought, but a log. In it daily calculations detailing miles traveled, weather patterns, different islands, and budgets were meticulously recorded.
More importantly it told the Straw Hat's story. Unlike the doctor's notes this book held in-depth observations about each crew member and offered the insight Robin needed if she was going to temporarily join them.
As Robin read she learned of the cook's and swordsman's rivalry, the captain's child-like nature, the sharpshooter's insecurities, and the doctor's ignorance of the world around him. The crew's monetary woes were written in painful detail, as was their implausible journey from the East Blue to Alabasta.
To Robin, it was worth its weight in gold.
The sudden sound of footsteps wrenched Robin from her reading material. Quickly and quietly she returned everything back into its original place. Who could it be? It was unlikely that the Straw Hat's would be leaving this quickly. The marines, perhaps? The ship wasn't exactly what she would call well hidden, although she had been gambling on the Government being more focused on the chaos in the capital. From her hiding position in the woman's quarters, Robin sent eyes to identify the intruder.
When she saw who it was, Robin couldn't suppress a groan.
What in the world was Mr. 2 doing on the Straw Hat's ship?
Using her power to both eavesdrop and hide from her former employee, Robin soon discovered that Mr. 2 was (for some baffling reason) helping the Straw Hats. With his usual…enthusiasm…he had contacted the pirates and told them of his plans to hide their ship from the marines.
It was a solid course of action, but Bon Clay's presence was an unexpected kink in her plans. A flurry of ideas flashed through Robin's head, only to be dismissed one after the other. The problem with Bon Clay was his unpredictability, and he had already alerted the Straw Hat's of his presence on their ship.
Which left working with him as her best option.
Swiftly Robin changed into the clothes that she had 'borrowed'. Keeping up the appearance of power and control was a must; no one (least of all a former subordinate) could see her as weak. Then, with all the confidence she could muster, Robin strolled onto the deck to confront the flamboyantly dressed eccentric.
"My, my, what do we have here?" she asked, easily dipping into her Miss All Sunday persona.
"Miss Sunday?!" Bon Clay exclaimed, "Wha-what are you doing here? Are you friends with the straw-boy too?"
"Not particularly. I would, however, like to join them on their way out of Alabasta. And you?" Robin replied as she leaned against one of the rails
Bon Clay danced around, nearly in tears, "The bonds of friendship are strong; no matter how long (or short) ago they may have been forged! I owe them my life!"
"And you need help escaping the marine's barricade," Robin pointed out.
"That too, but it's mostly because we're friends, I swear on my honor as an okama!"
The two former Baroque Works agents stared at each other in uncomfortable silence. An impressive gambit of emotions ran across Bon Clays features as he tried to wrap his head around the situation. Robin looked at him with an expression of polite indifference, giving him the time he needed to get his thoughts in order.
"You're not going to kill them are you?" he asked accusingly.
"Of course not," Robin said, interjecting the appropriate amount of indignation into her voice.
"Good, because I wouldn't allow it, not even from you Miss Sunday!" Bon Clay replied passionately.
Robin's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and Bon Clay gulped, "I assure you, Mr. 2," she began icily, "that I will do nothing of the sort. In fact, how do I know that you don't have anything planned?"
Bon Clay turned to the sea, eyes glissening and voice thick, "They saved my life. Twice. A true friendship, once made, can never be broken. That is the okama way, and ignoring that would betray everything that I stand for. Did you know that none of the agents they fought died?" he paused to touch his face and transform it into a man she didn't recognize, "I did a little recon, and they're all in prison, excepting ourselves, of course. Even the annoying 4 pair! Even Daz Bones, and I heard he dueled a swordsman…and lost! But the amazing Straw Hats kept them all alive!"
This was news to Robin, and it strengthened her belief that when she asked to join they wouldn't just try and pitch her overboard.
"Is that so," she murmured thoughtfully.
"Yes, it's true!" he said, his estatic smile threatening to blind her. "So anyways, what should I call you?"
"What?" Robin asked, momentarily caught off guard by his quick change of topic.
"I can't keep calling you Sunday, now can I? Not if we're to be traveling together. I'm Betham!"
Feeling immensely uncomfortable at the prospect of actually calling Mr. 2 by an actual name, Robin hesitated. However, seeing his unfaltering grin and unshakable trust, she finally gave a soft sigh and said, "My name's Robin."
"What a beautiful name. Robin. I like that. Oh, do you want me to call straw-boy? I have his number, I'm sure that he'd be glad to hear you're on his ship!"
"No!" she said, perhaps a little too forcefully. Mr. 2 gave her a strange look. Collecting herself, Robin began again, "I don't think that would be wise. I don't think I gave a very good first impression. It's probably best for me to speak to them in person, once we get out to sea."
"Suit yourself," he said with a shrug, "Oh, just you see! They're great, some of the best friends an okama could have!"
Supressing a feeling of impending doom, Robin left him to his own devises. What she needed was a bath, and maybe some coffee. By choosing to board the Straw Hat's ship, she had made her bed. Now, all she could do was lay in it and accept the consequences.
Outside the little ship a fierce battle reigned between the Straw Hats and the marine's own Captain Hina. Robin was nearly certain that their insistence to see the princess off would damn them all. It wasn't even as if she could just waltz out and join the battle, not without causing more confusion that would sink the ship.
But somehow they made it through the barricade. Robin was beginning to wonder what sort of Devil's luck Straw Hat and his crew had, and how well it would stand up against her own dark curse. Now that they were out on the open sea it was time to make her introductions.
Bag of gems (previously belonging to Crocodile, but it wasn't as if he would be missing them) in one hand, and book in the other Robin walked out onto the deck. It was time to make her first impression, not as Miss All Sunday the enemy, but as Nico Robin the ally.
Her time with the Straw Hats had begun.
AN: You can learn a lot by a person's stuff. Sorry this wasn't up earlier, but I completely forgot Bon Clay hid the Merry for them and helped them get out of the blockade, which changed up my ending.
Anyways, I start classes tomorrow, plus I've started a new story (not posted, I want it completely finished before I do in case it falls through), so who knows when the next update will be. I've got more ideas, so don't lose hope on me completely.
And, in the most recent SBS Oda has informed us Zoro and Luffy only bathe once a week. Ew.
As always reviews/comments are appreciated.