Rating: T, the second one's the darkest thing I've ever written (which, comparatively speaking, might not be that dark, but you have been warned)
Spoilers: Shiki, Fishman Island, Ace, Blackbeard, Ohara…
Timeframe: AU, following the events of chapters 17 and 21. Go read those first if you already haven't
Robin hid.
Really, she should be running far, far away. Kuzan had told her to so, and, after all, Kuzan knew what he could and couldn't handle. As it was, Robin wasn't sure she could run. She couldn't bear leaving him, not knowing whether or not he would be okay.
"Ice Demon," the vice admiral said, his voice low and dangerous, "It's been too long."
Kuzan tilted his head, acknowledging his former comrade. "Sakazuki. I see you haven't changed much."
"It's Akainu now, actually."
"You always were a dog to the government," Kuzan agreed. Sakazuki's face twisted into a sneer.
"I'm stronger than you and you know it, traitor. Accept your fate and I'll let you live the rest of your miserable life in Impel Down."
"Oh, my. This is serious, isn't it? Let's at least move somewhere where there'll be less damage. People could get hurt out here. The Kingdom of Drum doesn't deserve to bear the aftereffects of our fight."
"Unacceptable." Sakazuki spat. "A coward like you would take the opportunity to flee. Your kind has no interest in helping the common people."
"Well, that's a trait we share." Kuzan frowned and sighed. "I guess we're doing things your way then."
No more words were shared between the ex-marine and his former ally. Robin felt the atmosphere change as the two men activated their Devil Fruits, shifting between immense heat and deadly cold. Their intent was clear: This was a fight to the death.
Hunkering down from her hiding spot, Robin could only watch in horror. Kuzan was everything she had left. Robin didn't think she could stand to lose everything for a second time.
Please win. I can't be alone. Not again. Please, please, please win this fight.
Xxx
They battled for hours. The city surrounding them was all but destroyed, and Robin found herself hiding behind one of the last intact buildings.
Both men knew where she was, they had to. More than once Sakazuki had launched an attack her way, only for Kuzan to block it with a wall of ice. Just how they knew of her presence, Robin didn't know. She had heard Kuzan make vague references to advanced surveillance techniques during their lessons, but for some reason he refused to elaborate. Maybe they were using this mysterious technique, or maybe she picked a poor spot to hide. Whatever the case, her presence was hindering Kuzan's ability to press an offensive.
Unfortunately, Robin couldn't flee without Sakazuki burning her to a crisp.
And, more unfortunately, Kuzan was losing.
To an untrained observer, it looked like the fight was playing out to a draw, as Drum's naturally frigid climate helped Kuzan overcome Sakazuki's fruit. Robin, however, had been studying the art of battle under a highly trained ex-marine officer and knew better. Kuzan was playing defense for two, and Sakazuki was using that to his advantage. The duel between them might last for hours yet, perhaps even a day or more, but unless Sakazuki made a mistake Kuzan was going to die, with Robin to follow soon after.
Too bad the Red Dog didn't make mistakes.
Robin shivered, and not from the cold radiating from the impromptu ice shelter Kuzan threw her way. This was her fault. As an explosion of magma erupted overhead, Robin berated herself over and over. How many times had Kuzan warned her against fighting a pointless fight? How often had he drilled in her head to know her limits? Did he not say, again and again, that when he said run, she should run?
Kuzan let out a soft groan as he was thrown ten feet backwards into the crumbled ruin that used to be a store. He rolled to his feet almost immediately, but Robin could tell he was getting short of breath. His round sunglasses had been lost long ago, and there was a hint of desperation in his eyes.
With his face set in an unreadable mask, Sakazuki used the momentary distraction to launch another ball of magma towards Robin. The fist-shaped attack would surely break through her wall of ice. With a wordless cry, Kuzan clapped his hands to the ground, trying to intercept the attack.
"Predictable, as always," the vice admiral said with distain. Sakazuki whipped around, building up power to finish off Kuzan while he was vulnerable.
"Hellhound."
As Sakazuki was in the process of launching the ball of magma that would kill Kuzan, Robin did the single stupidest thing she had ever done in her entire life. Half-blind with panic, the twelve year old girl crossed her arms and called on her power. Immediately Robin's hands blistered as the unbearable heat burned her skin, but she didn't care. Kuzan couldn't die, not for something that was her fault. Robin knew she couldn't touch Sakazuki, not directly anyway, so she settled for the next best thing.
She pulled his trademark baseball cap over his eyes, obscuring his vision.
Sakazuki howled with rage, and the dog-shaped piece of magma flew off target. Robin released her phantom arms before he burned his hat into nothing before collapsing to the ground, holding her real hands close to her chest.
In that split second, Kuzan shaped an attack of his own. With a furious, "Ice Block: Partisan!" he threw dozens spears made of ice. One managed to pierce Sakazuki's arm, drawing blood.
There were more shouts and more ice, but Robin couldn't understand what was being said. Her arms felt like they were on fire, and the stench of her burnt flesh filled the air. Robin tried to remain in control, but the pain was too much. A groan escaped her, and she slipped into unconsciousness.
Xxx
"Please, Robin, I need you to wake up."
Robin wanted to obey the desperate command, but her eyelids felt like blankets of lead. She tried to raise one of her hands to rub her eyes. That turned out to be a bad idea as a horrible agony shot up her arms.
Hissing in pain, Robin forced herself to relax. Beside her, she heard a sigh of relief, "Oh, my. Oh my, oh my, oh my," Kuzan's deep voice said weakly.
With a great deal of effort, Robin managed to crack open her eyes. "Kuzan?" Her mouth felt like it had been shoved full of cotton balls, and her voice was rough.
"Don't move." A wet rag was wiped across her eyes, getting rid of gritty crusts that had built up while she was unconscious. "You, little lady, gave me quite the scare."
"You're alive?" she croaked.
"Yes, and thankfully so are you. Attacking Akainu like that? That was ballsy," Kuzan said with a soft chuckle.
It took Robin's sluggish mind several seconds to remember who Akainu was. "I'm sorry. I should have run when you said…I could have gotten you killed!"
"Hush. I'm fine, and to be honest, I'm not sure I could have beaten him without your distraction."
"Is he gone?" Robin asked, her voice small.
"Forever. I think I'll get a bounty rise out of it, but we're safe for now."
Robin shut her eyes, and a knot she didn't know she existed loosened in her stomach. Sakazuki, no…Akainu, had been the focal point of her nightmares for years. Now they were free of him and his devastating power.
Her arms twinged. In the back of her mind, Robin wondered what sort of medication Kuzan had to have drugged her with to deaden the pain so much, or if she had been burned so badly her nerves had been damaged.
"Robin," Kuzan said, as if he could read her mind, "You messed up your hands pretty badly, and your forearms are burned too. I patched you up the best I could, but I had to find a doctor. We're going to have to stay put for a while. There's a big risk for infection, but the old hag says she can make it so you get full function back."
"Old hag?" Robin repeated.
"Yeah, but don't let her hear you call her that. Dr. Kureha's one of the best, and I'm pretty sure she won't rat on us."
Robin forced herself to look at her arms. It was difficult, she was lying flat and her head felt three times heavier than normal, but it was impossible to miss the clean white dressings that went up to her elbows.
"You'll probably scar, but at least the doctor managed to save your hands," Kuzan said nervously.
Shaking her head, Robin laughed. It came out dry, and after a few seconds she began coughing. Worriedly, Kuzan brought a cup of water to Robin's lips, and she drank greedily.
Once she had taken her fill of the water, Robin cleared her throat. "I don't care if I have hands or not. I'm just happy you're okay. I thought you were going to die."
After a moment of shock, Kuzan's deep, throaty laugh filled the room. "Arara, oh my. I think that's the pain meds talking for you, but thanks anyway. I thought I was going to die, too."
Robin smiled. It didn't matter who came after them. As long as they had each other, things would always be the way they were supposed to.
"What do you want with me? I swear, whatever it is I'll give it to you, just let me go! Please!"
Robin licked her lips in apprehension as Spandine, former director of CP9, begged for his life. After so many years of searching and waiting, seeing him lying prone on the kitchen floor of his vacation home was highly satisfying.
Not good enough. After all he did, he should know that we won't be merciful, the voice of Robin's mother whispered in her ear.
"True, true," Robin agreed. "He's done many bad things. Begging isn't good enough."
"What the hell?" the man screeched. "Who are you?"
"You don't remember?" Robin asked quizzically. "I remember. I remember everything. I even remember when you visited my cell, after the man invaded my mind. You just stared," Robin said, eyes darting across the room. Spotting the den-den mushi hidden in the corner, she grinned wildly. Shiki was right. Even while on vacation the government kept their precious Spandine under surveillance. Calling up a phantom arm Robin plucked the snail from its hiding spot.
"The Demon Child?" Spandine gasped.
"So you do remember. Good. That will save me time." With quick, deliberate movements she faced the den-den mushi so that it was recording Spandine. "There. Now your bosses can know what happened to you after you're dead!"
The government employee struggled uselessly against the arms that pinned him down. Robin clucked disapprovingly. He was a paper pusher, while she had been training with the Flying Pirate ever since her escape from Impel Down. There was no way he could escape her.
Justice. Give us justice, the voice of a giant rumbled.
"Patience. Not yet," Robin murmured, her eyes bright with glee. The look of terror on her captive was delicious, and she wondered if she pushed him if he would wet himself.
"Please, my son…my wife…they're coming home soon," Spandine panted.
"You mean the purple haired guy with a face of a panda and the fat lady with a lot of wrinkles?" she asked with a giggle. "We've already met." Sitting cross-legged in front of him, Robin leaned forward as realization dawned on the hapless man.
"No…"
Ancient Law dictates that vengeance goes to the surviving family. An eye for an eye, Professor Clover's sagely voice said approvingly.
"Yep. Now, to business!" Setting the den-den mushi aside so she had her hands free Robin poked Spandine in the forehead. "I wanna know where the Government's searching." A look of pure hate passed across his features, and he tried to spit at her. It missed, but Robin thought the effort was admirable.
"My family had nothing to do with this," Spandine said, his voice tightly controlled fury.
"Hmm, no. I disagree. The way I see it, you pressed the button, Mr. Murderer. You sent the Buster Call. You destroyed Ohara. You killed my mother." Leaning in closer Robin copied his gesture, spitting in his face. She didn't miss. "An eye for an eye."
"They all deserved to die, just like you do," he said through gritted teeth. "I won't tell you anything, Demon."
"Your choice, I guess. But Shiki says I can't kill you until I know what the Government knows, which could take a while."
That seemed to make something inside Spandine snap. "I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" he shouted, writhing against her holds.
Robin's predatory grin showed all of her teeth. "Oh, but you do Mr. Murderer. The Vice Warden went into my head and stole my secrets and gave them to his bosses. They're out there…looking for the very thing that they destroyed Ohara for. Naughty, naughty, World Government! Weapons are not toys!"
Spandine howled in pain as she forced his arms to go in an unnatural direction. The whispers that were always with her edged her on, telling her to keep pushing and pushing, farther and farther until something snapped.
"Now, that's just a start. Shiki taught me lots of tricks, and because I like learning I remembered them all. Tell me and it'll be over!" Robin said over his screams.
"I don't know anything!" Spandine cried, "All Lin got was the damn translation to those cursed stones, we've had no leads! I swear!"
He's a fool if he thinks we'll fall for that.
Lies.
Coward, not facing his end with dignity.
"I don't believe you, Mr. Murderer," Robin hissed. "I don't like being tricked. You know what I can do, what pain I can cause if pushed. Tell me!"
"Demon."
"Don't play the part of the saint, Mr. Murderer. How many have you condemned? How many have your two-faced lies hurt? I was eight. You made me. You've one more chance, before I start showing off what Shiki taught me."
Spandine let out a whimper of defeat and pressed his head against the cool tile of his floor. "There was one," he whispered, his voice broken, "On Turnix, in the West Blue. We've found no others."
He's told! Don't hold off for any longer!
Avenge us, Robin.
He deserves his fate. End it.
Cocking her head, Robin listened to the whispers grow louder as they demanded the blood of the man who killed them. Seeing no reason to deny them any longer, Robin grew two extra arms and snapped Spandine's neck.
"It's nicer than you deserve, Mr. Murderer." Picking up the frightened looking den-den mushi Robin addressed whoever was watching on the other side. "You made a mistake the day you trusted him. And you made an even bigger mistake the day you targeted Ohara."
Carefully she set the animal down and petted his shell. Then she gave the home a last going over, making sure there wasn't anything she had missed. There wasn't.
Outside Shiki waited. At the sight of her savior Robin smiled, her eyes wide.
"Turnix, in the West Blue," Robin said cheerfully. Shiki grinned behind his cigar and patted her fondly on the head, and the two of them went to where he had docked his flying ship.
The race for the Ancient Weapons had officially begun.
An eighteen year old Nico Robin looked over her stack of papers at her younger sister. Nami had that look in her eye, the one that indicated trouble.
"Hello. Did you forget something?" Robin asked as she continued to grade homework assignments. She had been the teacher of the small school for almost two years now, and her sisters often sought refuge with her, usually when they were trying to get out of chores.
"No, I want to show you something!" Excitedly Nami whipped out a folded sheet of paper and thrust it at Robin. "It's good, isn't it?"
The hand drawn map was beyond good. Lifting an eyebrow, Robin eyed Nami. "This is excellent. Is this why you didn't have your history assignment done?"
Nami stuck out her tongue. "History's boring. I'm going to draw a map of the whole world!"
Robin's other eyebrow shot up. "That's a very big dream, but with talent like this it's certainly possible."
"That's what Bellemere said," Nami said happily as Robin handed back the map.
"Oh, that reminds me. I have a gift for you," Robin said. Reaching under her desk she pulled out a thick book and handed it to the girl. "I saw you eyeing it the other day. Consider it an early birthday present." Bellemere had been adamant. Robin was to give her no charity, even though tangerine prices had been poor the last several years, which forced Robin to find increasingly creative ways to try and pay the woman back for everything she had done in the past.
"Oh, wow," Nami breathed, "Robin, you're the best sister ever!"
Robin chuckled. "Don't let Nojiko hear you say that."
Nami nodded as she flipped through the topography book, before looking up at Robin. "Hey, where are you from? I could make a map of that place for you for your birthday!"
"I—I'm not really from anywhere, Nami." Robin said.
"Everyone's from somewhere," Nami said with a frown. "Is this another secret? Like your You-Know-What?"
"Yes, this is like my Devil Fruit," Robin said quietly. Both girls had surprised her by actually keeping her Devil Fruit secret. Cocoyashi might be small, but there was no reason for Robin to call undue attention to herself.
"Robin, are you ever going to tell me 'n Nojiko why you have secrets? Bellemere always says that family shouldn't have to keep secrets from one another."
"Bellemere also says it's important to know when to break the rules," Robin reminded her. Nami opened her mouth to argue, but Robin was luckily saved from anymore of the unpleasant conversation by the timely arrival of Nojiko.
"There you are! Hurry up and come on, we've got stuff to do at home."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," Nami grumbled. "Hey, look what Robin got me for my birthday!"
Nojiko batted away the book Nami shoved in her face. "Whatever! Bellemere's gonna be mad if you're late again."
The girls bickered back and forth in a familiar routine. The hairs on the back of Robin's neck stood on end, a left over reaction from her days on the run. Nami had come much too close to the painful, forbidden topics of their household. Even though Robin had moved out once she had begun teaching, those rules remained. Unbidden, Robin's eyes slid to the hidden compartment in her desk where she kept her money. She lived modestly, and besides giving gifts to Bellemere or her sisters saved every penny she could
Nami wasn't the only one who dreamed big.
"Girls, if you don't stop you'll both be late and you'll both be in trouble," Robin reminded them.
Nami and Nojiko began to argue with her, but Robin held up her hand for silence.
"Do you smell…smoke?" Robin sniffed the air again, and this time there was no mistaking it. Something was on fire.
"What's going on?"
"Girls, stay by me," Robin said. Her uneasy feeling worsened. Even a small house fire had the potential to get deadly if not stopped in time. A numb feeling spread through her as Robin looked out the window. She had always appreciated enjoyed the view of the ocean, but how what she saw filled her with dread.
Sprouting arms, Robin grabbed both girls and shoved them under her desk just as a group of fishmen knocked down the door to the one room school. With phantom limbs she held her sister's mouths shut, trying to will them into staying silent.
"Well, well, well! Looky here, Boss, we got one that don't scream at the sight of ya!" one of the pirates guffawed.
A fishman with a long, jagged nose looked down at her with a smirk. "I bet it wouldn't take me long to teach her some respect," he said.
"What do you want?" Robin asked quietly, keeping her gaze to the floor. She recognized the leader as Arlong, formally of the Sun Pirates. She hadn't realized his gang had drifted this far north.
"Show some respect, human!" one of his underlings growled. "Do you even know who you're addressing?"
"Yes, I do. And I know that his kind always want something. I'm simply asking what it is," Robin said.
"And what kind am I, human scum?" Arlong's voice was playful, but his eyes danced murderously.
"You're a predator, always lording your superiority against those you think are weaker than you," Robin said, trying desperately to keep her voice calm. It had been so long since she had dealt with pirates. She had forgotten what that fear felt like.
Arlong tilted his head back and laughed. "Shahahaha! Finally, a human who understands! I'm not here for your life, just your money. You see, we live here now. And every month every one of you humans get to pay a Please-Don't-Kill-Me Tax. 100,000 belli for adults, 50,000 for kids. You have any kids, human?"
"No, and I'm not registered either," Robin said, seeing one of them flip through a sheet of paper with the townspeople's names on it. "I just moved here because of the open teaching position and haven't had time to do so."
"Whatever, pay up," Arlong said, still grinning. Robin nodded and opened the secret compartment in her desk where she kept her cash. After counting out the bills for the fishmen to see, she handed them their due.
"That's a lot of money for a teacher," Arlong noted.
"I brought my lifesavings when I moved. It's all I have."
That seemed to satisfy him, and with a quick gesture he ushered his gang out of school. "Don't forget, teacher-lady, every month!"
Robin held her breath until they were gone, and then released her power. Instantly her sisters scrambled out from under the desk, clinging on to her with desperate strength.
"Shh, girls. It'll be okay," Robin said in a hushed tone.
"Wh-who was that?" Nojiko sobbed.
"Pirates from the Grand Line." Nami gasped, and Robin tightened her grip. "Girls, how much money does Bellemere have?"
There was a heavy silence, and Robin's stomach dropped. "Not enough," Nojiko whispered. "Not 200,000."
"Then I have to get there before the pirates. I with what I have left, surely she'll be okay…"
"We're coming with you!" Nami insisted. Robin looked down at her sisters and recognized the stubborn look to their eyes. She didn't have enough time to argue, and Bellemere's house was too far away to hold them with her power.
"Fine, but you must be silent. They'll kill you without a second thought. Do you understand?"
xxx
The three of them snuck through the woods, taking the back way to the tangerine farm. Even with their haste, the pirates got there first.
It felt like ice-water went through Robin's veins. Bellemere, the woman who had taken her in when no one else would, was being held at gunpoint by the monsters. She had obviously been beaten, her face was bruised and one arm hung uselessly by her side.
"Bell—!" Nami began to shout before Robin used her power to hold her mouth closed.
"Yelling won't save her," Robin hissed. Glancing back up to the pirates, Robin made up her mind. With a few murmured words she knocked both of her sisters down. Before covering their ears she said, "Whatever happens, don't look until my power lets you go."
With as much confidence as she could muster, Robin walked out into the clearing. At the sight of her, Bellemere's eyes widened and she groaned. The pirates turned as one, their expressions varying between annoyed and amused.
"Look, it's the one from before," Arlong said. "The teacher."
"If it's money you want, I can pay for her," Robin said, her voice wavering.
Arlong's smile widened. "Tempting, but no. This scum-bag human tried to attack me once, and it's always nice to set an example for the rest of you idiot sheep."
"Then it seems I have no choice."
"Robin, no! Don't fight him!" Bellemere shouted, desperation in her voice. Arlong effortlessly batted her to the ground with one of his webbed hands. Once she hit the ground she didn't stir.
"What can you possibly do against me? You humans are weak. I'm stronger, faster, and better than you in every facet of life!" Arlong said. His eyes were wild with bloodlust as he began stalking toward Robin.
With a cold hate she stared back at him. "Well then, it's a good thing that strength and speed mean nothing to me. Trienta fluer!
It seemed that for all the advantages the fishmen had over humanity, their necks broke just as easily.
xxx
Robin looked as Bellemere slept on the old, broken down couch in the living room. She appeared to be resting easily, her casted arm crossed lazily over her chest.
Feeling enormously guilty, Robin set a pair of envelopes on the kitchen table. Pausing only to watch Bellemere's chest rise and fall as she breathed peacefully (never easy to do with cracked ribs), Robin went to the door.
"Running away again, Robin? Bellemere said sleepily.
"I didn't realize you were awake."
"Hmm." Bellemere cracked open an eyelid. "You didn't answer the question, kid."
"I can't stay here," Robin said softly. "Arlong's death is too suspicious for the marines to stay away."
"Yeah, that doesn't mean you can't say goodbye like a normal person."
With a sad smile, Robin pulled over a chair and set it next to the couch. "I left a letter."
Bellemere snorted. "I doubt you put down a forwarding address."
"No."
Neither of them said anything for several minutes. Finally Bellemere shifted into a more comfortable position. "What are you going to do?"
"The same thing I did before I found you. Hunting for my dream, trying not to get caught. Wishing things were different." Tears began to streak down her face, and Robin looked away, ashamed.
Bellemere wiped them away with her uninjured hand. "Hey, kid. You've grown a lot since then."
Sniffing, Robin choked back a laugh. "I don't know how you've put up with me for so long. I was a mess."
"Yeah, but you've moved past that."
There was another beat of silence. "I really do need to go. The girls are with Genzo, and the boat leaves in an hour."
Bellemere struggled to sit up properly. "Okay, kid. If you're really going, let me leave you one last piece of advice, mother to daughter." She looked at Robin, her dark eyes serious, before she sighed softly and cupped Robin's face with her hand.
"You've got a good head on your shoulders, but don't let it get in the way of your heart. I know there're a bunch of people out there that'll want to kill you six ways to Sunday, but know that there's good out in the world, too."
"Of course, Bellemere."
"And remember that you've always got a home here, and no matter what the world thinks you'll always be welcome."
Robin hugged Bellemere tenderly, trying not to aggravate her wounds. "Thank you for everything you've done. Please tell Nojiko and Nami I'm sorry. I've tried to explain in my letter, but I'm not sure how much they'll understand."
"Yeah."
"And make sure they never stop following their dreams. Tell Nami that I expect to see her map someday, and Nojiko to be the best that she can be…"
"Kid," Bellemere's voice was thick as she pulled away, "I'll tell them. You've got a boat to catch, remember?"
Robin nodded and rose to leave. She paused at the door, looking one last time at the house that held her happiest memories.
"Good bye, Bellemere. I'll make you proud, I promise."
Robin wandered aimlessly. Usually when she needed to get away from the hustle and bustle of the palace, she went to the sea forest. Sometimes the queen even took time out of her busy day to walk with her. Today that didn't seem appropriate, not with Queen Otohime on the surface negotiating with the Celestial Dragons and everyone on edge waiting for her to come back. Instead, Robin prowled around the city with her hands stuffed in her pockets and her head ducked down so no one would look too closely at her.
No one did. Humans, while uncommon, were hardly a unique sight these days. After years of striving for equal rights, the queen's efforts were finally beginning to pay off. Robin's presence in the palace had played a small role in that, but for the most part Queen Otohime had respected Robin's request to stay out of the public eye. To everyone except the royal family and their two most trusted ministers, Robin was no more than a charity case the queen took on after a tragic shipwreck.
That was all well and good, except now Queen Otohime was on the surface and there was no guarantee she was ever going to be able to come back.
Robin's thoughts took a darker turn. The echoes of her past circled through her mind and her back twinged painfully. The queen wasn't safe. She'd be sold and kept in a tank and tortured, and then Robin would never walk along in the sea forest with her again...
No. Queen Otohime was different. She would succeed. She had to.
After forcing the bad thoughts away, Robin looked up and frowned. She had strayed farther than originally planned and didn't know where she was. Eyeing the shoddy storefronts, Robin suppressed a rush of fear. There were still many places where it wasn't safe for humans to go. Shrinking down further, Robin ducked in the first alleyway she saw.
Robin crouched down beside a dumpster and took a deep breath. Behind her the thin walls of a restaurant reverberated as a swing band playing inside. The smell of the trash mixed together with the stale stench of cigar smoke and vomit. This was definitely a place she didn't want to be.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid," Robin said, softly knocking herself on the forehead. Her mind had picked a poor time to go through one of its blank spells that occasionally overcame her. No one knew exactly why they happened or how to predict them. The Minister of the Right guessed the episodes were related to the trauma of her enslavement, and no treatment Robin had tried managed to cure them.
There was no helping it now. What she really needed to do was get back to the palace before she was missed. King Neptune was already beside himself without the presence of his wife, and Robin didn't need to compound that by not showing up for dinner. But before she could leave, she needed to know where she was.
Almost unconsciously, Robin rubbed the back of her neck. Her fingers grazed over two small scars, insignificant when compared to the rest, and she grimaced. Memories of a tight-fitting collar skirted around the edge of her thoughts, as did the phantom feeling of white-hot electricity lacing through her body.
Robin had not used her Devil Fruit since her first weeks as a slave; her handlers had made sure of that. It had been so long Robin wasn't sure she even remembered how to activate her power. But she needed directions, and asking around probably wasn't a good idea. If she could grow eyes from the top of the buildings then maybe…
The back door to the restaurant opened and a large mermaid in a bubble floated out. Robin froze, and the two stared at one another.
After a moment, the mermaid scowled. "If you want to see your fortune, come back tomorrow. I've finished reading for the day."
Robin swallowed. The mermaid was big, but ink-black hair covered part of a face that still retained some youthful roundness.. If the princess had taught Robin anything at all about merfolk, is that size wasn't an indicator of age. Robin guessed she and the girl were probably around the same age.
"I-I didn't come for my fortune," Robin stammered, resisting the urge to bow her head.
"Oh, please," she said with a snort. "What other reason would a human have for hiding behind a bar in the Fishman District?" The mermaid pressed a clear ball closer to chest.
"The Fishman District? I'm in the Fishman District?" Robin said weakly. Of all the places to wander, this was the worst. It was a miracle she hadn't been attacked yet.
The mermaid's face softened, and she approached Robin. "Human, are you lost?"
"Yes." Robin attempted to regain control of her heart as it threatened to pound out of her chest. "And I…I would be very much appreciative if you could, uh, show me back?"
"Of course. It's not safe for your kind here." Several loud shouts came from the street, and the mermaid's head jerked to attention. Face paling, she unceremoniously lifted the lid to the dumpster and threw Robin in. It all happened so quickly Robin didn't even have time to make a sound of protest. Robin gasped for air, and the stench of rotting food flooded her nose. Luckily the dumpster wasn't very full, giving her plenty of room to move even as the lid slammed down, leaving her in total darkness.
"Hey, finished with work Shyarly?" a male voice called. "Got time to tell me about my glorious future killing all the humans?"
"Go away, Hody. If you want your fortune, come in while I'm working, just like everyone else," the mermaid, Shyarly, replied coolly. Understanding the reason for her abrupt decent into the dumpster, Robin remained as still as she could, listening to the muffled voices.
"Oh, don't be like that! You know your stupid bosses kicked me out of that place weeks ago!" Hody said jovially.
"Any word from your brother recently? Arlong was the coolest," a different, higher pitched voice asked.
Robin strained forward. She didn't much care for Arlong, out of all the Sun Pirates he was the only one to treat her cruelly, but this previously unheard of sister might have word of Fisher.
"No, and even if I did I wouldn't tell you. Now, go away and leave me alone."
Disappointment tore through Robin, and soon Shyarly's harassers left, shouting obscenities as they did so. Robin waited for the mermaid to cautiously lift the lid to the dumpster before crawling out, looking in dismay at her dirty clothes.
"Don't look at me like that. Those guys are serious speciesits. Who knows what they would have done if they'd seen you," Shyarly said.
"It's not that," Robin said quietly. "Thank you for hiding me. This is yours isn't it?" Robin asked as she picking up the crystal ball Shyarly had dropped in her rush to put Robin in the dumpster.
The mermaid accepted the ball with a smile. "Yes, it is. You know, you're the first person in a long time who hasn't wanted me to look into their future, it's a nice change…" Shyarly's blue eyes grew wide as she looked at the crystal sphere.
"Shyarly?" Robin asked cautiously.
A pained sound escaped from the mermaid. "Who…who in the world are you?" There was a hint of accusation in the question, and Robin took a half-step backwards, ready to run if necessary.
"My name's Robin."
Shyarly looked down at her. A faint sheen of sweat gathered across her forehead, and her visible eye bored strait through her. "Your future…"
"Please don't tell me," Robin begged. It was highly debated whether fortune telling was even real, and even if it was her future probably involved her getting caught as an escaped slave and tortured to death as punishment. "Please. Nothing good will come out of it."
"Um, okay," Shyarly said, taken aback. She let the crystal ball hang down in her arms lamely. After a moment of awkward silence she asked, "I guess, you, uh, want directions then?"
"Yes," Robin said, letting out a sigh of relief. "That would be very kind of you."
Shyarly nodded, and gave Robin the directions she needed. Before leaving, Robin bowed.
"Thank you, Shyarly. For everything."
"Robin, you are the strangest human I've ever met. Would you like to go out and eat lunch sometime? You know, like normal people?"
Robin blinked, and a strange emotion rose in her chest. "What?"
Shyarly rolled her eyes. "I threw you into a dumpster, and you're thanking me for it. That must say something for your character. Plus I think you're one of the only people in the world who doesn't want to know their future. Would you like to be friends?"
"Of course," Robin blurted, shocking herself with her sincerity. She had never had a friend before. Even though they had spent very little time together, Robin enjoyed the mermaid's presence. Whatever her future held, it must not be so horrible that Shyarly never wanted to see her again.
A wide smile spread across the mermaid's face. "Great. Until next time, then."
Robin could only nod, still trying to wrap her head around the thought of having a real friend.
Robin attached a white den-den mushi to her regular snail phone. Frowning, she glanced into the other room of her small apartment and dialed Dragon's emergency contact number.
He picked up on the first ring. "Hello?"
"Greetings from Alabasta. You said to call if something important came up?" Robin said, careful to keep her voice low.
"Does this have to do with the matter you wrote about?"
"Yes. I've just met an interesting person today who has some sensitive information on Baroque Works."
Dragon was silent, and static streaked across the line. "…I don't see what this has to do with the civil unrest or your mission."
"That's because I haven't said who it is yet." Again her eyes flickered to where her guest sat.
"Oh?"
Robin grimaced. "The Princess of Alabasta is sitting in my living room, Dragon. And she swears that the Baroque Works Company is the puppet-master behind everything that is going wrong in this country."
"The princess is your living room." Dragon repeated flatly.
"Yes, and she says she's run away from the palace to infiltrate Baroque Works and figure out the identity of their leader," Robin said.
"I would ask you how it came to be that you found this out, but I fear the story would take to long for you to tell."
"Er, yes." Robin wrapped the den-den mushi cord around one of her fingers, trying not to think about Sabo and Koala's recent reckless behavior. "That's the gist of it. What am I supposed to do?"
Dragon sighed. "What were you thinking?"
"I don't know. If she's right, then this is bigger than I thought. It isn't a revolution, it's sabotage."
"Do you believe her?" Dragon asked, his voice thoughtful.
"I'm inclined to. They were the ones behind the Dance Powder shipments to the palace, as well as being on the fringe of a dozen other incidences over the last several years. Since I've been out here there's always been something…off about the civil unrest. I've never been able to put my finger on it before, but the odds of it being a coincidence are slim," Robin said.
"And the princess was planning on joining this organization?" Dragon asked.
"Yes." Robin looked to make sure the princess wasn't watching before saying in a quiet voice. "She's an idealist. I don't think she thought it all the way through. She's smart, though. Smart enough to piece things together when no one else did."
"Hmm." Robin could imagine him putting together a dozen plans on the fly and then deciding the best course of action. "Send her home, Robin," he said with some reluctance. "If I remember correctly, the princess is just a child."
"Sixteen," Robin corrected.
"Do you think she's ready for the cutthroat nature of the underworld? She's lived a protected life."
"We can't let this play its course," Robin countered.
"I didn't say that. Here's what my plan is…"
After listening to Dragon's instruction, Robin said her goodbyes and hung up. Slowly she walked into her living room and sat opposite of the princess. The girl looked scared, with her head hidden between her hands. Dragon was right. The princess had heart, but infiltrating criminal organizations isn't where she belonged.
"Coffee?" Robin offered. The princess jerked up, before shaking her head no. With a shrug, Robin poured herself a cup and leaned back in her chair.
"So? What are you going to do?" the princess asked, her voice weak.
"I'm going to ask you to go back to your father, Princess. He doesn't need to be worrying about your safety on top of everything else."
"I refuse to do nothing while my country crumbles around me!"
"I didn't say that, Princess," Robin said placating tone.
"Then what?" she asked desperately. "What am I supposed to do?"
Behind her coffee cup, Robin's lips curled into a small smile. "Why, Princess, I expect you to trust a professional. If you go back to the palace, I will enter your organization for you and find out who its mysterious leader is. That way you find out the information you need to know without putting the royal succession at risk."
The princess gasped. "Why would…How could…?"
"I've saved your life once already, Princess. Trust me when I say I can find the information you need to know."
She seemed to deflate a little at that. Biting her lip she looked down at the ground. "I still feel as if I'm doing nothing."
"Nonsense. You'll have hired me," Robin said with a hint of dark humor. "And I'm sure there are plenty of other helpful activities you could be doing that don't require you to risk your life needlessly. Helping maintain the unity of the country, for example."
"And what do you get out of it? You can't pretend it's your nationalistic pride, because you're not a citizen." There was no suspicion in the girl's question, just confusion as she tried to wrap her mind around the changing situation.
Only a chance at the poneglyph that's rumored to be in this country, Robin thought to herself before saying,"Oh, I'm sure we can negotiate a settlement after the fact. Just be assured that I am very invested in Alabasta's survival."
"Whitebeard? Pah! That old bastard's nuthin' more than a washed up has been. If he's really the strongest man in the world, why the hell hasn't he found One Piece yet?" Robin felt Ace tense beside her. She quickly sprouted several limbs, forcing him to remain seated.
"Now is not the time, Fire Fist," she murmured.
"Like hell!" Ace growled. "The asshole insulted Pops. We can't just let him get away with it!"
Robin winced as the strain in her wrists increased. "It's your choice, Fire Fist. Make a scene here and you risk your chance at Blackbeard."
Ace's balled his hands into fists and grit his teeth, but made no more attempt to break her hold. "Fine," he spat. "Have it your way. Just so you know, I hate this."
Warily she released her power and rubbed her arms. "I know, Fire Fist, I know."
Xxx
"I should've kicked that guy's ass."
Suppressing a sigh, Robin gave her comrade a sidelong glance. He had been in a foul mood ever since they left Alabasta. Actually, to be accurate, he had been in a foul mood ever since they had begun their unpleasant search for Marshall D. Teach. Robin was sure that her presence didn't help in that regard. Ace was very much a free spirit, one to do things his way. She had insisted he make several changes to his usual persona while they were on their hunt, much to his dismay. Asking him to cover up his hallmark tattoo had been particularly upsetting. It spoke to how much Ace wished to avenge Thatch that he agreed at all.
However, they had been traveling together for quite some time, and Robin was beginning to grow tired of his pigheadedness.
"If you'd like, we can still turn around. I would be willing to kill him in his sleep and carve Whitebeard's mark into his chest as a warning to others."
The flame of the boat's small engines sputtered. "Wh-what? Why the hell would we do that?!"
"You wanted to teach the man a lesson, did you not? I'm sure that would get the point across," Robin said bluntly.
"That's not Whitebeard's way! You know better than that, Robin!" Ace exclaimed.
"Neither is it Whitebeard's way to get upset every time an ignorant upstart says something stupid," Robin said pointedly. Ace's mouth clamped shut, and she sighed. "That man worked for Baroque Works, an organization under Sir Crocodile's control. He was just defending his superior the same way you defend yours."
"How do you know that?"
Robin smiled. "The tattoo on his shoulder was a big giveaway." Ace groaned at the jab. "Honestly Fire Fist, one of these days your temper is going to get you killed."
He gave her a crooked smile. "We can't all have your cool head. Besides, I swore I'd live a life free of regrets, and I would never regret dying defending Whitebeard's name."
It was the truth, they both knew it, and in that truth was the biggest difference between them. Robin had sworn to survive at all costs, while Ace had spent his entire life fighting tooth and nail for what he believed in. Because of it, Ace lacked a certain pragmatism that would otherwise be expected in a man of his maturity level. Robin shuddered to think what manner of trouble he would have gotten into had he gone out by himself to search for Blackbeard, and how much longer the task would have taken him.
"Anyways, how long till we reach our destination?" Ace asked, all traces of irritation forgotten.
"Actually, we should be there soon. Drum is very close…" Robin's voice trailed off as Ace silently pointed to a faint trail of smoke on the horizon.
"It's him."
Robin didn't ask how he knew, but instead hung on tighter as he pushed his boat as fast as it could go.
xxx
"He's in the log raft," Robin whispered. "I know this is sudden, but I think this is our chance."
Ace leaned forward, his eyes blazing with intensity. "You're sure? It's really him?"
Robin nodded. Her observation haki might not be very refined, but with her Devil Fruit it didn't have to be. "I'm positive. Blackbeard, as well as several others, are sitting on that raft. They must have ransacked the island."
"Testing his new power, no doubt," Ace said with a sneer. "Okay, I'm going to attack. It's risky over open water…"
"But Blackbeard will drown just as easily as any other Devil Fruit user," Robin finished. "I don't think I'll be much help, Fire Fist."
He grinned. "Nonsense. You got me here, just like you said you would. Now it's my turn to burn the bastard to a crisp. Hang on, things are gonna get rough."
Without any further warning, the engine of his boat roared to life. With a cry of fury, Ace launched a massive fireball towards Blackbeard's raft. The heat made Robin's skin pull taunt, and she had to turn her head away from the bright light.
They managed to catch Blackbeard off guard. Ace's ship was small and nimble, and with proper application of the Flame-Flame Fruit it was easy to keep quiet on the open water. Blackbeard's crew only had seconds to protect themselves, and those seconds weren't enough for maneuver their clunky raft out of the fireball's path.
Robin's extra sense prickled and instinctively she dove away. Blackbeard's raft exploded into a ball of fire and debris. Ace didn't wait, instead throwing two more lances of fire into the mess.
"You okay back there?" he asked, most of his concentration in front of him. When Robin didn't answer, he spared her a second glance, and what he saw made him swerve his boat dangerously.
"Holy shit! You're bleeding!" Robin laughed weakly, her hand clasped over her injured shoulder.
"Eyes ahead, Fire Fist. The bullet didn't hit anything important. The fight's not over yet."
Indeed it wasn't. A pale man with the ability to grow wings had managed to rescue Blackbeard, hovering thirty feet over the water. Ace swore again, his face twisting in hate.
"Zehahaha! Fire Fist Ace, you think you can kill me? It seems Auger managed to get the bitch you dragged with you before the ship blew! Now that you've shown yourself, there's no way you can win against my darkness!"
"Awfully big talk from a guy whose only alive 'cause a pretty-boy with wings managed to save you first!" Ace shouted back.
"It's a shame Commander Ace! You could have joined me! I'm going to be the Pirate King, zehahaha! But now that you've killed my precious subordinates and destroyed my ship, I'm going to kill ya!"
"Get me closer," Robin whispered as Blackbeard continued his monologue.
"What?" Ace asked, his eyes still on his opponent.
"I need to be closer." Once again Ace revved the engines to his ship, weaving towards Blackbeard and the man who held him in the air. Ace shot several blasts of fire, but the winged man was amazingly agile. The blasts did, however, have one positive effect: They forced the man to fly closer to the ocean's surface.
Finally they got within range for Robin's fruit. Closing her eyes in concentration, she whispered, "Dos Fleur." Two copies of her uninjured arm grew around the man's wings, making it impossible for him to flap them. At the same time, Blackbeard and Ace prepared attacks of their own.
"Black Hole!"
"Fire Fist!"
Blackbeard's attack never made it to its destination. Due to Robin's interference, he and the man that held him in the air plummeted to the sea like a stone. Ace's signature attack met them halfway, and Robin smiled in satisfaction as their screams of pain were soon cut off by a loud splash.
Ace stood still for a moment, his face impassive as he looked at the burning ruins of Blackbeard's raft. Then he spun, tense with worry.
"Shit! You're hurt! You weren't supposed to get hurt!"
Kneeling down he pried Robin's fingers away from her wound. "I'm fine. I managed to move enough that the bullet hit muscle, not organs," she insisted. "This is not the worst injury I've sustained."
"Shut up! How the hell did someone manage to shoot you?" Ace tore through his supplies for a first aid kit.
"It seems Blackbeard had an ability for gathering talent." Robin winced as he pressed a bandage over her shoulder. "You do realize that Drum is famous for its doctors?"
"You saying you don't trust me to keep you from bleeding to death?" Ace asked, a hint of humor returning to his voice.
"You're a logia; I'm sure you've forgotten even the basics of first aid, if you ever learned them at all. If left under your care, my arm will probably fester and I'll die of infection."
Ace laughed. "Okay, if you're making crappy jokes, I'm convinced you're not going to die right this minute. Do you think the people of Drum would appreciate us killing the man that probably screwed up their country?"
"Probably," Robin agreed.
"I can't believe we did it. And it's all thanks to you, Robin." His voice was thick with emotion, but he still wore his wide grin.
Robin shut her eyes and allowed herself to relax for the first time since Thatch died. "You should give yourself a little more credit, Ace. You were the one who defeated Blackbeard."
"Together. We beat him together."
She didn't argue, and as the sun set against the Drum Rockies Robin reflected on how much her life had changed and wondered where her next adventure would take her.
AN:Ok, I originally said that this would be the last of this AU set, but I lied terribly. There are two more chapters (32 and 33, I believe). Once (if) I edit them I plan together into one clump of AU goodness.
In other news, I was watching the new dubbed episodes (One Piece is going to be back on Toonami and released in the UK for those who care!) and I figured out I've been pronouncing a lot of things wrong in my head. If I spoke Japanese, I'd have the worst accent ever.
As always, reviews make my day.