Rating: K+

Timeframe: Post Time skip

Spoilers: Film Z, post-time skip stuff

AN: So I watched Film Z for the first time not too long ago, and wow that's a good movie. Definitely my favorite, over Strong World.

There were many things Robin had never expected for herself in life. Finding people who would declare war on the world itself for her sake was, for example, not a notion she had ever entertained. Neither was living twenty-two years after being given a ridiculously high bounty, spending pleasant afternoons working for the head of the Revolution, or speaking on friendly terms with the man who killed Jaguar D. Saul.

In fact, she was still having a difficult time coming to terms with that last one.

"Ah, you're back to your regular self. That's good. You look better this way."

Robin shot Kuzan a withering glare. "I didn't come here to discuss my age." The former Vice Admiral offered her an amicable smile, and Robin forced herself to relax. "I didn't expect to see you again."

"It's funny how life works out sometimes, isn't it?" He chuckled softly to himself. "But you're here, and we're not all blown to bits, so I suppose I should offer my thanks."

"You're the one who made our escape possible. We're even."

Kuzan's eyebrows rose, the only indication of his surprise. "Even? Nico Robin, I don't believe that things can ever be even between us."

"Put to rest, then," Robin said. She crossed her arms and studied him closely. "I can see that your resignation from the marines did not go well."

He touched his neck, where the edges of a burn snuck out beneath his shirt collar. "You can say that."

They were silent for a moment. With her power Robin confirmed that her absence was not missed. Most of the crew was on Secon Island, preparing for their departure. Having already bought all the supplies she needed, Robin was free to do some investigation of a private nature.

Although Kuzan could have chosen a less conspicuous meeting place.

"Did we really have to meet outside the bathhouses?" Robin asked. "People will see us together and get the wrong idea."

"Weren't you dancing in front of a bunch of googly-eyed marines the other day?" Kuzan said.

"I never had a chance to act so irresponsibility in my youth. I was making up for lost time," Robin said airily. When that failed to garner any sort of reaction, she continued more seriously, "I was surprised to get your message. What do you want?"

Kuzan leaned against the wall of the bathhouse, his sunglasses making his expression indecipherable. "You spent the last two years with Monkey D. Dragon."

Robin stiffened. "That's none of your concern."

"Maybe, maybe not. There are a lot of people that find such an alliance worrisome. Not just in the marines," he added quickly when she glared at him. "I just want to know, is what I asked earlier still apply?"

"Asked earlier…? What in the world are you talking about?"

"At Water 7." His voice was almost pained. "Are you still…settled?"

The memory of their meeting two years ago flashed through her mind, and Robin was more confused than ever. "Of course I am. I wouldn't have returned to the Straw Hat pirates otherwise."

It was almost impossible to tell, but Kuzan relaxed, and the smile he offered her was more genuine. "Good. That's all I wanted to know." The air cackled with cold as Kuzan activated his Devil Fruit power. Robin realized he was going to use the same trick he pulled two years ago to disappear from sight.

"Oh no you don't," Robin said, calling up arms to hold him back. His body was so cold it burned when she touched him, but Robin didn't let go, even knowing there was nothing she could do to stop him if he was truly determined to leave. "You got what you wanted. Now it's my turn."

"'Your turn'?" Kuzan asked, scratching his head. "You're smarter than I'll ever be, Nico Robin. I doubt there's anything I can tell you that you don't already know."

"I want answers," Robin said. "You always claimed to be my enemy, but aside from the episode of the Long-Ring Island you've never done me any harm. You said Saul was your friend, but you killed him."

The lines in Kuzan's face deepened. "Oh my, oh my, oh my. You certainly don't know how to let sleeping dogs lie, do you?"

"You told me to live a normal life. How was I supposed to do that when my head was worth nearly 100,000,000 berries? How?" Robin asked desperately.

"You were never supposed to get a bounty," he sighed. "I thought if I could prevent the ships from trailing you, you'd get off scot-free. I was wrong."

"What do you mean, prevent them from trailing me?" Robin asked

A small smirk graced Kuzan's lips. "You didn't think an intelligence group like CP9 would miss an unauthorized boat out in open waters, did you?"

"And you…stopped them?"

"You're alive, aren't you?" Kuzan said. "Despite my best efforts someone managed to snap a picture. For a long time I wondered if it wouldn't have been kinder just to let them capture you. It would've been faster, that's for sure."

"But you didn't," Robin said. "And that's something I don't understand."

"I don't know what to say that I haven't said already. Saul was my friend, making sure you lived was his last wish. I hoped you'd be able to move on, but that didn't work out, so I did what I could."

Briefly Robin tried to envision what would happen if she were forced to fight one of the Straw Hat Pirates. For once her imagination failed her, and she couldn't think of a situation that would lead to such a terrible fate.

"Did you give Spandam the authority to issue the Buster Call?" Robin asked quietly.

Kuzan went very still. "I guess that depends how you look at it."

Neither said anything for a long time. The noise of the city seemed very far away and unimportant. Luffy had already declared Kuzan an ally—or something close enough that it didn't make any difference—but Robin's opinion of the man still hung in the balance.

"I just want to know the truth," Robin said. "That's all I've ever wanted."

"That's funny, considering how you've spent most of your life lying to people," Kuzan said. "But if that's what you want, fine. I did talk to Spandam about the Buster Call. It was at a Government function, and I was hammered. Everyone knew he was itching to get his hands on a golden den-den mushi. The rat bastard was always gunning for more power.

"After Long Ring Island I knew your next destination was Water 7, so I reported into HQ. Next thing I know I'm getting a call from Sengoku."

"The Fleet Admiral?" Robin asked, unable to hide her shock.

"Ex-Fleet Admiral, but yeah, that's the guy. He said he had orders to give CP the authority for one Buster Call for your apprehension, and since I had made the initial call it would technically be under my name. It would have been too much effort to put up a fuss, so I did as I was told." Kuzan grimaced. "The rest, you would say, is history."

"You just let them?" Robin asked incredulously. "After you've seen the destruction the Buster Call causes?"

"Wrong question," Kuzan said. "What you should be asking is who had the authority to tell old Sengoku to give a ridiculously powerful weapon to an idiot like Spandam."

Robin thought about it, then paled.

"Bingo," Kuzan said. "At the very least it was Commander-in-Chief Kong, but a stunt like that doesn't fit his style. My guess is that Spandam buddied up to the Elder Stars."

"But…how?" Robin sputtered.

"Better question, and the answer is I have no idea," Kuzan said with a shrug. "Now, if that's all, I've got places I need to go."

He leaned into the wall as he activated his power. There was the grating of ice rubbing against ice as he forced his elemental body through the cracks in the bathhouse wall.

"Kuzan, wait!"

But it was too late, he was gone. Robin rushed around the corner to see where Kuzan might have went, but the only sign that he had even been there was a small patch of ice.

There was still so much she wanted to know, about his involvement in her survival after the Buster Call, if he knew anything about Saul's D. initial, why he had left the marines in the first place…Rubbing her forehead, Robin sighed. The former Vice Admiral had to be the most frustrating man she ever met.

But at least he had answered some of her questions. It was better than what she expected. It seemed like once again Luffy had the right of things. While Robin wouldn't go so far as to say Kuzan was a friend of the Straw Hat Pirates, he was not their enemy, and in the cutthroat world in which they lived, sometimes that was enough to make all the difference.

AN: So…Kuzan. What a fascinatingly enigmatic figure. I know there are some who think he pulled some strings behind the scenes to keep Robin alive as a kid, but I'm not so sure. I don't see him having that kind of clout—especially with the Cipher Pol branches who were probably chasing her—and the manga shows that Robin was nearly captured several times. Who knows, I could be wrong.

Thanks for reading.