A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry I've been mia for like the past few months. This year has been a bit crazy. Anyways, I'm back. I hope this chapter will have a lot less grammar mistakes than the past chapters since I had someone read it over and catch the spelling mistakes this time! Thanks for following and reading!
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece
Chapter 5: Stay
"Gomu Gomu no… PISTOL!"
Robin didn't need to jump away to avoid the rubbery fist coming at her. She knew this was pretty much the only attack Luffy could do and has still yet to perfect. If it were a marine or some nasty adult, this would be about the time when Robin would use her powers to escape. Or if it were one of the kids from Ohara, she'd might have knocked them lightly on the head with a phantom fist. But this was Luffy, the adorably wild, little boy she couldn't imagine herself hurting. So she sprouted a multitude arms around the boy and began tickling him. Luffy fell over laughing hysterically trying to crawl away from the limbs but failed.
From the sidelines Ace smacked his face with his hand, clearly frustrated by the sight of Robin and Luffy.
"That's not fighting!" He yelled. "We're supposed to be training. Tickling isn't going to work against someone who's out to get you."
Sitting next to Ace, Sabo just sighed and shook his head.
After everything that had happened it was clear to Robin that she needed more than just her wits. There were people who'd be looking to capture her and she had to be ready for them. She needed to get stronger. So, when Sabo suggested the boys have another training day Robin asked if she could join in.
At first, Sabo looked hesitant. It was one thing to fight Luffy and Ace, but it was another thing to fight a girl. Despite having run away from his high class and civilized home, there were still a few mannerisms that Sabo respected and upheld. If he learned anything from the etiquette classes that his parents forced him into, it would be this: A boy should never hit a girl. But, he knew it was necessary for Robin to protect herself in case anybody came after her, so he didn't object. Luffy, unlike Sabo, was ecstatic about the idea. The fact that another devil fruit user was going to train with them made him giddy with excitement. Ace agreed as well, saying that if Robin wanted to run around with them then she had to get tough.
They had awoken early that morning and headed towards the small clearing where the boys sparred. To put it simply, Robin was nervous. She didn't know what she had gotten herself into when she asked to fight them. She just wanted to be able to defend herself. Sadly, tickling Luffy during a supposedly serious sparring match was not going to be much help in that department.
Sabo noticed how focused Ace was on Robin and Luffy's match. The way he crossed his arms and scrunched his eyebrows at the scene. Ace had been tense ever since the incident with the bandana guy. He had started treating Robin differently, which was actually sort of a good thing. Before, Sabo was the one to ask Robin if she would like to join them for a meal, go hunting, or just run around in the woods while Ace would stand there saying nothing. Now, it seemed like Ace was always insisting on her following them wherever they went. He'd chose to walk behind the group rather than in front. Which was odd since he loved looking like the leader. And his eyes would wander in every direction like he was anticipating some lurking threat. Sabo often wondered if he should bring up his brother's peculiar behavior but thought it was better to just leave it. If Ace was finally caring about other people then it can't be a bad thing.
Right now, Ace looked upset. He had agreed to the idea of Robin training with them mostly because he was tired of looking out for suspicious people everywhere they went. He couldn't help but think that if Robin didn't get stronger or if he wasn't paying attention again, then some greedy bastard would be able to take her away and turn her over to the government for a fat reward. The idea of that happening bothered him more than anything. He just couldn't shake what the stupid bandana guy said the other day.
Robin could see the irritation on Ace's face and her arms disappeared into petals, leaving Luffy panting on the ground from all the laughing. "I'm sorry. I just…" Robin's voice trailed off. She knew that this wasn't helping. She was afraid to hit Luffy, but she shouldn't be. "I'll be serious from now on," she said looking at Ace resolutely.
Next, she fought against Sabo, who had been too afraid of hurting her and went a bit easy. He didn't even use his metal staff. The fight ended with Sabo winning of course. Robin came out with barely a scratch.
Ace was the last to fight her. When he said he wasn't going to be as easy on her as Sabo, he wasn't kidding. Right at the start, he went after her with his staff. With Ace trying to hit her swing after swing, Robin barely had anytime to react or summon her Hana Hana powers. All she could do was dodge the metal as fast as she could. She managed to avoid the first few strikes, but Ace finally landed a blow. The metal struck her shoulder and she was knocked to the side into the dirt. When she got up she was clutching her shoulder and Ace was already running towards her again. Hurriedly, she summoned hands out of the ground to grab onto Ace's ankles, but the boy saw it coming and jumped high into the air out of their reach. He brought his staff up over his head ready to strike Robin from the air. Just as he was about to land a big blow, Sabo ran in front of her with his arms spread out.
"Ace! Stop!" Sabo yelled, standing protectively in front of Robin.
Ace landed on the ground clutching his staff next to him. "Sabo, you can't interrupt!" Ace yelled back.
"You're being too rough!"
"She's not going to get stronger if we baby her!"
"This is her first time! She needs to ease into this!"
"We never went easy on Luffy when he started training with us!"
"That's different!"
"No it's not!"
"Yes it is!"
"YOU WANT ROBIN TO GET KIDNAPPED AGAIN?!" Ace screamed.
There was a pause. Fuming, Ace turned and started walking away. Luffy ran after him, calling for him to come back. Sabo stood there and did nothing for a moment. When both Ace and Luffy disappeared from view, Sabo let out a sigh and turned to Robin who was still standing behind him.
"Is your shoulder okay?" Sabo asked. He wasn't looking at her.
"Uh… yeah…" Robin almost forgot about her injury despite that she was clutching the area where Ace had struck her. She had been too stunned at the sight of Sabo and Ace arguing. Usually, it was Luffy and Ace who'd argue while Sabo acted as the intermediary. She placed a hand on Sabo's shoulder causing him to look up. "Sabo, I think Ace is right. You shouldn't go easy on me."
Sabo looked at her for a moment, then scrunched his face in thought. He knew Ace had a point. But, he had been taught that a boy should never hit a girl. And even though he disagreed with his parents about almost everything, he still stood by that rule. Something about it just felt wrong. Like somehow it was more immoral to fight a girl than it was to fight a boy. But, this was something he'd have to push aside if he was going continue to let Robin train with them.
Sighing, Sabo said, "Maybe I was being too protective."
Robin smiled softly. Things with Sabo were always easy. He was someone who would be willing to look at things from multiple perspectives. He would listen to what you thought and try to understand how you feel. Ace, on the other hand, was way more stubborn and impulsive.
"But, I still think he was being too rough," Sabo said.
"Or I'm just too weak," Robin said as she sat down and hugged her knees. Sabo sat down next to her.
"You're not weak."
"If you didn't think so, then why did you hesitate so much during our match?"
"I…" Sabo fell silent.
"You looked like you were afraid to hit me. As if I don't know what it's like to be hit." Robin spoke these words softly remembering how her aunt used to beat her.
"I just think it's wrong to hit a girl," Sabo said, a bit exasperated. This made Robin chuckle. It always surprised her how well-mannered Sabo was. It was a quality that set him apart from the others.
"You're really considerate, Sabo. And you have good manners. Sometimes I wonder where you get it from."
Sabo was silent.
"You're not like Ace and Luffy. That day in town, I noticed… how you kind of dress like the nobles. Do you…" Robin paused, a bit hesitant to go on.
"It's okay. You don't have to be afraid to ask," Sabo sighed. He knew Robin wasn't an idiot. It'd only be a matter of time before she'd find out. Not wanting to keep secrets Sabo told Robin the whole story. From how his parents didn't love him, to when he fought with a kid from the royal family, to how he ended up running away and befriending Ace. At first Robin couldn't understand how anybody could leave their parents with such ease. Robin never really got to know her mom and she always wished for a place she could call home. But, as she listened to Sabo's story she realized how empty and unloving his home had been.
"I know you lost your mom, Robin. And I'm sorry for that. You probably think I should appreciate the fact that my mom is still alive. But, having parents that don't love you is like not having parents at all," Sabo said when he finished his story. His fists clenched tightly together.
"Sabo…" Robin put her hand over his causing him to relax. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that. I don't blame you for wanting to leave that place."
"Thanks," he said.
Looking at the ground, Robin said, "You know… I wish I were more like you guys."
"What do you mean?"
"You're all so strong and brave. Even Luffy."
"So are you. You were a lot of help that day in town."
"That's cause I felt safe with you guys around. When I got thrown into that bag I was so terrified I couldn't do anything. But, you're never scared. You guys came and fought them." Robin looked at Sabo now. "I don't want to be scared anymore, Sabo. I want to fight and be strong, too."
Sabo understood and he was proud of her for saying that. Her determination dissolved any other reservations he had in his head. He sprang to his feet with new found grit.
"Okay. I won't go easy anymore. And I'm going to help you the best that I can," Sabo declared. "But first, I have to talk to Ace."
When Robin and Sabo found Ace, he was throwing rocks at a pond. Luffy was laying on the ground next to him tired from chasing after his big brother. Sabo asked to talk to Ace alone while Robin sat next to Luffy.
"Robin?" Luffy spoke up suddenly.
"Hm? Yes, Luffy?" Robin looked over to see he was sitting up.
"How much training did it take for you to control your devil fruit?"
Robin thought for a moment. "I don't really know. I never thought much about it. It just sort of came naturally. Normally, I try to refrain from using my powers because I don't want to be made fun of."
Luffy frown at her response which confused her. "I keep practicing my pistol attack but I can never get it to go straight. But, you can grow a bunch of arms and use them all perfectly fine!" Luffy yelled at her. At first, Robin thought Luffy might be upset because he was jealous that she could use her powers so effortlessly. But then he continued. "I heard that if you train your devil fruit power, it gets more powerful and you'll be able to find more ways to use it. Now, you're telling me that you tried to hide it?! You probably could've beat Ace and Sabo if you didn't do that!"
So that's why he's angry with me, Robin realized. Luffy wasn't the jealous type. He'd never get angry just because someone was better at something than he was. Luffy was upset because Robin had wasted so much time hiding an ability that she should have been proud of and should have been cultivating. To know that someone with so much potential and not utilize it, annoyed Luffy to no end. Robin thought about all the times she'd used her devil fruit. It had only ever been for self-defense. Restraining people's movements and covering their eyes so she could escape if she had to. The only time she ever attacked anybody was that guard on the marine ship. After that incident, she never wanted to think about hurting anyone again. Tickling Luffy was the only other offensive "attack" she had tried since then, which wasn't really an attack. Robin realized that she'd have to find more direct or forceful ways to use her devil fruit if she wanted to get better. She'd have to put aside how she felt and really fight.
"You're right Luffy. I'll work harder to train my devil fruit power." Robin said with a smile. This statement calmed him down.
Smiling back, he said, "We'll both train together. And I'll get stronger and beat up Ace!"
"Who are you going to beat up?!" Ace's voice rang from behind them. A fist hit Luffy's head before the boy could respond.
"Ow!" Luffy cried and fell over.
"Fufufu," Robin laughed as she patted Luffy's head lightly. "Did you two finish talking?"
"Yeah," Ace answered.
Ace and Sabo came to an agreement that Robin should continue training with them and Ace wouldn't have to go easy on her. But, since Robin was so new to fighting, they agreed that it was best she built her strength up before they sparred again. Both of them were going to help her the best they can.
In the following weeks, Ace took Robin through the rough terrain of Mt. Corvo. They jumped passed giant crocodiles, avoided getting swept by rushing waters, and climbed their way up cliffs and mountain sides. Ace overcame each obstacle with ease while Robin struggled to make it through unscathed. The first time they went through the course Robin was almost eaten by a crocodile. Ace had to dive into the river and pull her out. Trying to keep up with Ace was difficult but she was determined. Luckily, Ace was always there to help her when she fell or lost her footing. He pushed her to move faster and fight harder every time. After a few weeks, Robin was pretty used to the harsh terrain and giant beasts. She wasn't as afraid anymore and she met each challenge with composed confidence.
Not wanting to butt heads with Ace, Sabo didn't join them in their obstacle training. Him and Luffy helped Robin in other ways. After having been lectured by Luffy, Robin had told Sabo how she wanted to make better use of her devil fruit. Despite not being a devil fruit user himself, Sabo was creative and had a lot of ideas. Since Luffy wanted to train with Robin because they were both devil fruit users, Luffy and Robin spent their afternoons together with Sabo overseeing their progress. While Ace always put Luffy's devil fruit power down for being lame and un-useful, Sabo was always encouraging and supporting the little boy. So this was a good fit.
"I've only ever seen you sprout arms out of inanimate objects and maybe some hands to block people's eyes. Have you ever tried growing more of them out of people's bodies?" Sabo asked Robin one morning. "If you can do that, then you can do lots of cool attacks. Like putting them in a hold or twisting their bodies! Something cool."
Robin inwardly cringed. It reminded her of that guard's twisted neck on the marine ship. It had been a moment of desperation for her. She wanted to be able to fight but she wasn't ready to do anything that drastic again.
"Uhh… Sabo-kun, I'm not sure I'm up for that kind of thing," Robin mumbled.
"That's okay. Let's try something simpler," Sabo said. "Can you replicate other parts of your body?"
"Like what?" Robin asked.
"Anything! I've read that the Hana Hana fruit allows you to replicate any part of the body like a flower or plant does."
"Ooooh! Make a third eye or something Robin! Like a Cyclops!" Luffy suggested eagerly.
"Ok I'll try." Concentrating, Robin made a third eye appear on her forehead. Luffy fell backwards laughing at the three eyelids blinking at him.
"Shi shi shi! You look funny!" Luffy laughed. "Now me! Now me!"
After making her third eye disappear into petals, Robin made a bunch of eyes appear on Luffy's face. His cheeks, his forehead, and even his neck was covered with Robin's big blue orbs. Luffy turned his head slowly to look at Sabo, who cringed and jumped back. The sight was unnerving. After that, Sabo suggested Robin try other things, like growing a mouth on his shoulder and whispering to him or growing ears on a wall to eavesdrop on conversations. This was quite a revelation for Robin. She had never thought about trying out her powers like this before. Finding so many new ways to utilize her Hana Hana no mi Robin was beginning to feel more comfortable in her own skin. She even had a little fun with it. Like the time they went to visit Dadan after one of their sessions. Luffy had convinced her to sprout a bunch of eyes on Ace's face without telling him. When Dadan opened the door, she nearly had a heart attack and fainted. Some of the bandits even screamed and ran away. Luffy, Robin, and Sabo snickered in the background watching Ace's confused expression. When Ace finally looked into a mirror he started yelling and chased them around the cabin. Although it was Robin who had pranked him, he didn't tackle her like he did Luffy and Sabo. He figured it had to be their idea in the first place.
Robin finally felt at home in the forest. She was able to keep up with Ace when they ran through the training route. She was comfortable using her devil fruit power and practiced it often. She joined the brothers on their daily hunt for food. It felt like she had been with them forever.
Soon enough, it was time for another sparring day. Unlike last time, Robin was excited. She was ready to see how she would fare against the three brothers after all her hard work. She watched from the sidelines as Ace, Sabo, and Luffy took turns fighting each other. Still preparing herself and calming her nerves, Robin had told them she'd fight each of them last. She watched intently as they faced each other off. Each of them determined and confident like always.
Finally, it was her turn. Again, Robin versed Luffy first. The little boy grinned happily as he took his stance facing Robin. He had worked just as hard as she did. Now his hand stretched farther when he punched forward. He also had better control of his arm so that it rarely ricochets back towards his face anymore. It was honestly a huge improvement. But, there were still a few kinks in his technique. Luffy still had a hard time keeping his balance and his aim could use some work. Robin knew she could use this weakness to her advantage. It wasn't hard for her to use her Hana Hana no mi to catch him off guard and trip him. Just a little push and Luffy lost his balance as he stretched his arm out. His fist flew just over Robin's head and she grabbed onto the elastic forearm above her and yanked hard. The little boy came flying forward and hit the dirt face first. Robin giggled lightly at her victory while Luffy pouted and went to the side.
Robin watched Sabo walk determinedly onto the field. He made up his mind that he wasn't going to waste time hesitating like he did last time. She shot him a smile and crossed her arms in front of her in preparation. Before Sabo could do anything, everything turned black as soft fingers clasped over his eyes. Sabo could hear about a dozen feet stomping on the ground all around him and the loud swishing sound of shaking leaves from every direction. So her technique is distraction and confusion, huh? Pretty smart, Sabo thought. Disorientated from the mass of noises, Sabo grabbed onto the hands and pulled in an attempt to pry off her phantom fingers. It was harder than he thought it'd be. Suddenly, all the noises stopped and her fingers disappeared.
"Find me if you can, Sabo," a soft whisper tickled his left ear.
Finally able to see again, Sabo spun his head around frantically scanning the area for his opponent. Robin was nowhere in sight. The mouth on his left shoulder also disappeared into petals. Sabo turned towards his brothers and was given a you're-not-getting-any-help-from-me look. Very clever Robin… Now where can you be hiding. If you're not down here, maybe you're - Sabo looked up just in time to see a hand that extended out of a chain of other hands come at him. He ducked his head out of the way and with both hands, he grabbed onto the arm and tugged downward as hard as he could.
"Aaahhh!" Robin screamed. She hadn't made her arms disappear in time and was flung off from the tall branch above Sabo. She closed her eyes and braced for impact.
"Oof!" Opening her eyes, Robin realized she had landed in a bush. Trying to pull herself out, she realized she was stuck, her legs were tangled in the mess of curvy branches. She made to summon more arms. But Sabo was fast. He rushed at her, then jumped into the air and slammed into her from above and she sunk deeper into the branches.
"Hahahaa! That was easier than I expected!" Sabo said getting off of her and then helping her out of the mess. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Thank, Sabo-kun," Robin said letting him pull her out. She began taking leaves and branches out of her hair with Sabo's help.
"Always the gentleman, Sabo." Ace shook his head as he walked onto the field. "Ok, it's my turn!"
Robin knew Ace loved to attack head on. She prepared to assemble a mirage of limbs in front her to protect herself and catch him when he took off. With a smirk plastered on his face, Ace made a quick dive to the side and eluded the limbs that tried to grab him. He made a sharp turn and sprinted towards Robin again. His eyebrows furrowed. Robin hadn't moved a from her spot at all. Last time, all she could do against him was dodge and run away. Now, Robin knew she'd have to do something different. Instead of trying to get away, she stood tall with her arms crossed and gave him a wink. Confused as he was, Ace didn't slow his pace. He was prepared to tackle her when suddenly arms sprouted out of his body causing Ace to pause in shock. The phantom limbs wrapped around him, holding his arms to his sides and his legs together. Ace wiggled around with a frown on his face. He growled in annoyance when he heard light giggling from his opponent. There had to be a way to loosen her grip.
"Ow!" Robin cried as a sharp pain shot up her arm. Whatever hurt her felt slimy and wet.
Ace's teeth clasped tightly onto one of Robin's phantom limbs and he was biting down hard. Robin pursed her lips and glared at Ace as she tried to steady her concentration. They stared each other down, with Robin trying her best to tighten her hold and Ace biting harder to free himself. She was handling the pain pretty well until Ace started grinding his teeth against her arm. She couldn't hold it in anymore. Robin let out a painful squeal and her phantom arms vanished into petals. Ace didn't waste any time now. He tackled Robin to the ground and quickly pinned her arms to the sides to prevent her from summoning any more limbs. Robin struggled but soon gave up knowing that Ace was too strong for her thin little arms.
Sabo made another mark next to Ace's name on the wooden chart. They were all sitting in front of the score board. Robin wiped Ace's drool off her arm with her dress and examined the rigid bite mark. Boy does Ace have sharp teeth.
"Hah! Ace and I tied this time!" Sabo said as he sat down.
"I'll beat you next time, Sabo," Ace said crossing his arms.
It's unclear who the winner was in their match, so they had decided on a tie. Everyone had gotten stronger since the last time they sparred and they were all tired. In their tattered and sweat drenched clothing, Robin and the boys left the sparring ring satisfied with their hard training. Well, Luffy was still upset that he couldn't beat Ace in a match, but he was too hungry at this point to whine about it. All he could think about was roasting some yummy animal for dinner.
They caught an extra large beast that late afternoon and brought it over to Dadan's cabin to share with the other bandits. As usual, it was delicious. After procuring her portion of the meal at the very beginning with her Hana Hana powers, Robin sat with Dadan at the far end of the room watching the boys fight their way towards the pile of meat at the center. Dadan and Robin sipped their tea gingerly ducking once in a while to avoid the flying chunks of meat. Avoiding flying food pretty much became second nature to Robin by now.
"So what are your plans?" Dadan asked.
Robin paused mid-sip.
"Have you decided to stay or are you planning to go look for those old stones?"
"I…." Robin looked at Dadan surprised.
"I overheard you brats talking about them the first day you were here," Dadan said softly. "And about your mom."
"The poneglyphs were her life's work." Robin dropped her head. She hadn't thought much about the poneglyphs lately or what her future plans were. Dadan moved her eyes back to watch the bandits and the boys tussle. Luffy's teeth were clenched around a large chunk of meat and his neck stretched as the bandits tried to pull it out of his mouth. Ace and Sabo were holding his rubber body down and yanking Luffy in the opposite direction.
"Leaving you behind to research something dangerous like that. It must have been tough." Dadan continued, "I didn't think any mother could leave their child. Especially for something illegal."
"History is valuable. It deserves to be discovered even if it's illegal," Robin stated plainly. "Nobody had the guts to do it but her."
In her peripherals Dadan could see Robin. The little girl had this glint in her eyes, a mixture of admiration and sorrow.
"You look up to her, don't you?" Dadan asked.
"I do."
"Enough to follow in her footsteps?"
Robin didn't say anything. When she had escaped that marine ship there were only two things she wanted to do: survive and find the poneglyphs. She has to. It's her dream to uncover their mysteries and it was the best way she could think of to honor her mother. But things were different now. This was the first time in Robin's life that she felt she could be a part of something close enough to a family. She had settled into this carefree life with Ace, Sabo, and Luffy. Their friendship, their protection, their inclusion of her in all their activities weren't things Robin could easily give up.
"Kid, you've had quite an impact on those boys," Dadan said as she poured more tea into her and Robin's cup.
"What do you mean?"
"They're different. Better somehow," Dadan pursed her lips in thought. "And I can tell they love having you around."
"Really?" Robin said with genuine surprise. She had been so grateful to the boys for accepting her into their lives. She loved it here. She hadn't considered how her presence could change anything for them.
"I can't imagine what it would be like for them if you suddenly left," Dadan said before she down her cup.
Robin's eyebrows creased in deep thought. Questions about the future pulled her mind in every direction. There was a decision that needed to be made but Robin didn't want to deal with it right now. She wasn't ready to leave this life. Not so soon.
Robin scrunched her eyelids when she felt the bright rays flash over her face. No matter which way she turned she couldn't avoid the shining light from the window pane. Surrendering to the vivid yellow beams, Robin sat up and began rubbing her eyes with her fists. She yawned and blinked several times until she was awake enough to register her surroundings.
Oh, that's right. We got back late last night since we ate dinner at Dadan's. Robin looked out the window of the treehouse. The morning sun was up high and there weren't many clouds in the sky at the moment. As she turned to pack her bedding she realized something. It was quiet. She blinked several times looking the room. Three empty bed mats laid on the floor next to hers.
Where's Ace, Sabo, and Luffy?
A note pinned at the entrance of the treehouse caught her attention.
'Went to the cliffside. Come join us when you're ready. -ASL'
Robin could hear the ocean birds singing just beyond the trees, which meant she was getting close. She hadn't been to the cliffside since that night she sat there with Ace.
A little voice nagged in her ear. Why didn't they wake me up?
When she finally arrived, she found the boys sitting in a semi-circle facing her with grins plastered on their faces.
"Hey guys. What's going on here?" Robin asked suspicious of their smiles. They just looked a little too happy to her.
"Shi shi shi!" Luffy giggled his body bouncing up and down.
Robin noticed Ace rummaging through a brown sack. He took out four little red dishes and laid them in the middle. Lastly, he pulled out a big bottle. Robin quirked her eyebrow.
"Is that Sake?" Robin asked.
"Straight from Dadan's private stash," Ace said proudly.
"Is that for us?" Robin asked. "What if she finds out you stole it?"
"The old hag isn't gonna notice," Ace winked.
"Okay…" Robin said.
"I think we're ready to begin," Sabo said as he stood up. Then he turned to Robin. "A while ago, Ace, Luffy, and I exchanged a bottle of sake and officially became brothers."
Robin merely nodded her head still not sure what this was about. She waited for him to go on.
"And you've been with us for a while now," Sabo continued.
"So, if you want to… well you can…." Ace started but trailed off. He wasn't very good with these things.
"Join our brotherhood!" Luffy cried out unable to hold it in anymore.
"Brotherhood?" Robin's eyes lifted.
"What Luffy means is that we want you to stay with us," Sabo said. "I know that might mean you won't be able to research the poneglyphs. But when we turn 17, we're all going to leave and go to the sea anyways. So we can help you find them then. What do say?" He smiled at her. "Be our sister, Robin."
Robin looked at each of their expectant faces. Her eyes began to water as she let Sabo's words sink in.
"Only if you want to!" Ace added quickly anticipating the girl was about to break down. He hated crybabies. Mostly because he wouldn't know how to handle it if she were to burst into tears. "You don't have to stick around with us if you don't want to." He almost sounded hurt when he said the last part.
"It's not that," Robin said while she wiped her eyes with her arm. Robin realized Dadan had been right. She mattered to them. A lot more than she had ever thought. Setting back my search for the poneglyphs a few years won't be so bad, Robin thought. Then she cast her eyes up at the sky. Mama. I'm really happy here with Ace, Sabo, and Luffy. I want to stay with them. But, don't worry. I promise I'll fulfill your dream too. I want to find the truth just as much as you did. Just, not right now.
"Why are you crying, Robin? Don't you like us?" Luffy began to pout.
Robin took a big breath and put on a smile. "Of course I like you!" she said to Luffy. "I'm just…. Really happy."
Then a smile so large came onto Luffy's face that his eyes squinted and all this teeth were showing. The right side of Ace's cheek quirked up as well, making a crooked grin on his face.
"So that's a yes?" Sabo asked.
"Yes!" Robin was beaming.
Robin watched as Ace poured the clear liquid into the four red dishes. Following their actions she took the dish in her hand and held it up to the middle of the group.
"With this exchanging of sake, we will officially be brothers and sister! From today and onward Robin is one of us!" Sabo announced and threw back the liquid.
The sake burned the back of Robin's throat. It's not like she's ever had alcohol before so she didn't know what to expect. She coughed a little and the tingling feeling subsided. For the rest of the afternoon Robin, Ace, Sabo, and Luffy hung out at the cliffside, staring at the clouds and ocean dreaming about the future. It was peaceful at first. But, it didn't take long for Luffy and Ace to launch into another heated argument.
"My crew it going to be waaaay stronger than yours!" Luffy cried waving his fists up and down.
"How can your crew be stronger than mine when their captain is a weak little crybaby!?" Ace yelled back.
"Grrrr! I am not a crybaby!" Luffy screamed.
"Are too!"
"Are not!"
Sabo sighed to himself while Robin giggled at the exchange.
"Guys, can't we get through one afternoon without fighting?" Sabo asked. "Robin just became out sister. We're suppose to be celebrating."
Ace and Luffy both crossed their arms and turned away from each other. Sabo sweatdropped at their stubborn attitudes.
"Fufufu. It's okay Sabo. They wouldn't be themselves if they didn't fight," Robin said.
"Robin! You don't think I'm a crybaby right?!" Luffy asked.
"Luffy, you are one of the bravest little boys I know," Robin answered.
"See Ace! Robin says I'm brave!" Luffy stuck his tongue out at his brother. "That's why she's going to be the first member of my crew when I set out to become the pirate king!"
"Please! How can she in a crew where she's stronger than the captain," Ace smirked, "If anything, she'll be joining my crew."
Robin blinked at their words and tilted her head.
"What makes you think she'll be joining your crew and not mine?" Now Sabo started to get in on the debate.
"Cause I'll be setting sail first. Duh!"
"You and I are the same age. Besides, I'm smarter so I'll be way more help with her research than you." Sabo argued.
Ace was about to argue back when Robin cut in. "Wait, you guys are forming separate pirate crews? Why not just create one and travel together?"
"We've had this debate a long time ago," Sabo sighed. "None of us want to give up being the leader. So the only way around that is to all be captains of our own crew."
As the boys continued to argue, Robin just sat at watched with a content smile on her face. It didn't matter to her who she'd follow in the future. She was just happy that they'd even want her to go along with them on their adventure to sea. It seemed like everything was finally falling into place. She had brothers now. Brothers who would train with her, protect her, and vow to help her with finding the poneglyphs. Washing up onto that beach was the best thing that could have ever happened to Robin.
A/N: And there you have it!
