I truly apologize for not uploading last week, but I have made the best of my break, and I'm now ahead again, so it probably won't happen a second time.
Either way, enjoy the chapter :)
~Battle royal~
Robin had never seen a flower such as the one which was in the centre of the volcano. It truly was something else. The best word Robin could find to describe it was glamorous. Its navy blue colour was soothing and enchanting, the pellets looked like the softest thing Robin had ever come across, and as the sun went down and the moon appeared it started to glisten as if small diamonds were covering it and reflected the moon light. However, with the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon Robin noticed that the once peaceful animals around her started to move around and, as the sun shone its last rays across the island, a deafening sound was released all around her. It sounded like the animals were screaming and crying in agony, and Robin knew she had to get out of the mouth of the volcano as fast as she could.
She ran away from the centre and let her wings take her up to the edge, where she took a look back at where she had been only seconds ago. It was a bloodbath. The animals who had previously lived together in harmony were now out to kill, and Robin knew that she couldn't get caught up in it. Her first thought was to go to the foot of the volcano, but as she heard the sound of ferocious wolves, she decided against it. The jungle was just as dangerous as the volcano. Then what should she do? If she stayed at the edge, she was bound to become a target at some point. If not of the beasts by her feet, then by the unusually large birds who were flying her way.
Robin took a look around and found that not long from where she was, the edge had an opening. She immediately started to make her way there, but a screech stole her attention, and as she turned an eagle with claws as big as a person came right for her. Robin acted fast, activated her power, and grabbed hold of the eagle's wings. No longer able to fly, the eagle crashed down and slid down the side of the volcano and Robin made it to the opening.
It wasn't big. There was a hole that could fit two, maybe three people, but it was good enough for Robin. Using her powers once again, she gathered some leaves and branches, which she used to close the entrance. When she was well hidden away, she relaxed. But Robin was a curious woman, and only hearing the animals go at it could not satisfy her, so she used her powers to keep an eye on everything.
Robin noticed how it wasn't only the animals which were targets of this purge. It was also the plants growing around them. Everything had been completely torn to shreds, but the flower still stood untouched.
She sat like this for a while, merely observing the turmoil before her, when one particular group of animals caught her attention. It was the giant turtles which Luffy had befriended on their first day, and for some reason, they were now moving towards the edge of the volcano. As Robin got a closer look at what was going on with the turtles, she gasped quietly. She then concentrated all her energy into her power and desperately made it reach all the way to her completely screwed crew mate. As she could feel her hands having met its target, Robin pulled him backwards, and sent him tumbling down the side of the volcano. He moved a little faster than what she had wanted for him to do, but she managed to grab hold of him, and flung him closer to her location. She was sure that he'd get some bruises this way, but he'd probably prefer being wounded than dead.
Apparently Robin had succeeded in confusing the turtles, and they were no longer moving towards Franky, who she was rather mercilessly throwing around. When the turtles finally began to move and go rejoin the battle royal in the volcano's mouth, Robin let Franky go behind some bushes, where no one would find him... hopefully. She then tried to show him, where she was currently sitting, but at this point he was so far away from her, that it was getting hard to use her power properly. She could only hope that he got the message, and that he didn't expose their hiding spot.
Not too long after, Franky slipped through the leaves and smiled reassuringly at her. He had some scratches here and there, but nothing too serious. She smiled back, and rested upon the stony walls surrounding them. She was still keeping an eye on everything, making sure no one had followed Franky. The cyborg himself seemed extremely exhausted, but just before going to sleep he took some of Robin's discarded leaves and made some make shift beds. He then went out as a light, and Robin was beginning to suspect that something had happened before he had come to her. Granted, he had been walking through the forest, and from what Robin could see, every single animal on the face of the island were affected by the setting of the sun.
Robin was a true night owl and could be awake for longer than many of her crew mates. Yet with an early start and a taxing day of exploring, running about and having used her powers the entire night, Robin grew tired a few hours before the sun rose once again.
In her dreams Robin was walking amongst the fighting animals. Like a ghost she slipped through the fights and made her way to the flower in the centre of the volcano. There was something about the flower, which Robin couldn't quite explain. It was like its presence alone enhanced the ferociousness in the animals, yet Robin was as clam as still waters. She was drawn to the flower, and when she got close enough she reached for it...
"Robin," Franky's voice pulled Robin out of her quiet slumber and she opened her eyes. The cyborg was fumbling with some vines and leaves, and Robin stretched her stiff body, as her mind slowly started to wake.
She noticed that Franky had removed half of the roof, which explained where he had his materials from, but he had kept her in the shadows. Possibly to avoid waking her too early. The sun was still climbing the sky, but it was far from morning, and Robin took a peek at the centre of the volcano. She had expected to find everything in ruins, just as it had been when she had fallen asleep, but the sight surprised her. The animals were licking their wounds, yet there were no signs of deadly injuries on any of them, despite the fact that Robin was sure at least half the animal population would cease to be. The plants that had been trampled and destroyed stood in their full glory and were steadily climbing closer to the sun. There were not many things which Robin didn't understand, but this had to be one of them.
"Franky..." she whispered for no good reason. Perhaps the feeling of not talking was just as perplexing as the reality before her.
"I know," he said slowly, "I don't understand either."
"What are you doing?" Robin asked after awhile and moved closer to Franky to see what he was working on. It looked like he was wrapping a bunch of leaves around a big coconut.
"I'm making a catapult," Franky answered and attached some vines to the ball.
"... I don't think that's going to do too much damage," Robin observed and seated herself so that Franky's 'catapult' was in between them.
"Hopefully it won't, I'm going to launch it at the Sunny," Franky said and Robin understood.
"What do you know?" Robin asked intrigued, and Franky told her of his adventures and encounters. It seemed that their situation was worse than first anticipated. In the end they decided to write the message in code and they prayed that someone, Sanji or Chopper, would be able to decipher it. The first two messages shouldn't be too hard to understand, and should their enemies figure them out, it wouldn't be the end of the world. It was the other messages which held importance. It was their location, and the fact that night time was dangerous.
Robin did point out that they might have come to the same conclusion, but Franky insisted that they take no risks and she added the last part of the message. When it was successfully attached to the big coconut Franky fired it using a catapult made of sturdy vines and Robin's powers. Hopefully they had calculated correctly and their crew mates would get the message.
They decided to rest until the sun would set. They would have to get to the flower when it bloomed under the full moon, and Robin suspected that the flower blooming would result in even more horror than the previous night. They took shifts to allow them both some sleep before the inevitable battle, and kept a close eye on the flower in case someone should pass by. Because they were no longer hidden away in the little opening, many animals found their way to them, and Robin took comfort in the small squirrels and birds which joined her as she stood watch. She found it hard to believe that these same animals had been trying to kill each other not long ago.
When the colour of the sky started to change Robin woke Franky and they got ready to act. They decided to not go down to the flower just yet, as it needed to bloom before Robin could get what she needed. They once again hid in the safety of some bushes and some leaves they had brought with them, and stationed themselves as close to the flower as they possibly could without endangering themselves.
The sky went from blue to orange to pink and finally to black, and as soon as the moon shone its first ray the horrid sound roared through the area once more. The animals were fighting again, and this time, as Robin was much closer, she could smell the blood slowly making itself noticed. But the animals were not the focus, they were the complication. Her target was the flower that would save her captain.
Robin looked up towards the flower and she saw as it slowly opened up. It's pellets spread out and covered almost half of the battle ground, and Robin gripped her bag tight. Now was the time. She was lifted up by Franky and, as they had decided beforehand, he flung her at the flower and, using her wings, she gracefully landed on one of its pellets. The flower was strong and didn't even give in even as she walked across it. She walked to its centre and brought out her jar to fill it with the liquid in its middle, but before she could get any something was fired at her, and she jumped backwards.
"Robin!" She faintly heard Franky's worried voice from afar, but her attention was on the two people who were standing on the edge of volcano. The one who had shot at Robin was still aiming his gun at her. He was tall with a lean build and brown hair tied in a ponytail. Beside him stood a girl who looked physically stronger than him, and she carried a sword at her hip.
"Get away from the flower, Nice Robin!" The girl shouted, and rested her hand on the tilt of her sword.
"No." Robin simply answered. They needed to do much worse if they wanted to make her retreat. Besides... it wasn't like this was a two-on-one situation.
Franky had been quick and attacked the two newcomers from behind. He aimed for the girl first and sent her flying directly into a fight between some stags and foxes. The man dodged Franky's second punch and shot him in the chest. Of course, as long as he was hit from the front, Franky was immune to bullets. This took the man aback and Franky sent him flying as well. When there was no longer any risk of them getting to Robin, she turned her attention back to the flower and filled the jar with the liquid. Now to get out in one piece.
It seemed that the animals were slowly making their way to the flower, and Robin felt trapped. The swords woman was fighting as ferociously as the animals, but with a clear mind she appeared to be stronger. Robin was not blind to the fact that the girl was slowly closing in on her. The gunner on the other hand seemed troubled, and Robin could have sworn that his right arm was injured. Not wanting to get caught between the girl and the animals, Robin made her wings and flew to Franky's location.
When she was almost there, she saw something in the corner of her eye and as a hawk charged for her, she deactivated her power and let herself fall down. She wouldn't be able to use her wings again for the next five minutes, so she started running towards the edge. However, she was soon cut of by some badgers, who were definitely not as cute as Robin wanted them to be. She then changed directions, hoping that she was faster than them, but ended up running straight into the gunner. Thankfully he was a little busy saving himself from some deer, but he still took the opportunity to fire a bullet in Robin's direction. She dodged effortlessly, but she couldn't afford to be stuck down here.
She looked towards the place where Franky had been not long ago, and found that he was no longer there. She quickly scanned the area and found him making his way to her. If they could just survive another four minutes, she could fly them out of here. As some wolves suddenly charged from behind, both Robin and the gunner dodged, and watched as the pack clashed with the horde. This gave the gunner an opportunity to fire another bullet at her, but this time she was one step ahead and she twisted his right arm. He let go of the gun, and screamed in agony as the familiar sound of bones cracking was heard. Robin then ran closer to where Franky was.
She was just a second to slow to notice the sword, and Robin fell to her knees as the blade cut her arm. The blood trailed down her arm and stained the ground beneath her, but she had no time to feel sorry for herself. As the girl launched for her once more, Robin took hold of her ankles and made her fall. In the few seconds the girl was down, Robin tore off part of her shirt and stopped the bleeding the best she could. As the girl got up, Robin got ready to restrain her, but the girl charged her sword downward and made the entire ground tremble. Robin lost her balance, and the girl got ready to swing at her. Robin rolled out of the way, but as she looked up, her view was blocked by a set of sharp teeth aimed at her throat. She quickly got up again, and as the wolf sprinted towards her, she jumped over it. She let it chase her and directed it towards the girl. Noticing this, the girl readied for another attack and send a flying blade towards the both of them.
Robin got ready to take the attack with the least amount of damage possible, when Franky pulled her out of the way. The two of them were now further from the edge than before, but if they could just survive another three minutes then it was okay.
Another gunshot was heard, but Franky had put himself between the gunner and Robin, and the opponents were determined. Robin activated her power once more and tried to restrain the girl, but a cut on one of her hands made Robin flinch and lose her grip. The girl got free and send another attack after her. This time Robin dodged, and circled around the girl, giving her no opportunities to attack from a distance. Robin then caught the attention of some eagles and as they charged for her, Robin launched for the girl again. This time, however, Robin restrained the eagles just as they were getting close to the girl, and as they lost control of their movements, they crashed all around the swords woman.
Robin let go of the eagles, and watched as they began attacking the girl, who defended herself gracefully. She had yet to lose her cool, and Robin suspected that she was planning her next move carefully. She then shot Robin a look and a smile, and sent her next attack towards Franky who had his back turned to her. Robin acted quickly and pulled Franky to the ground, but not in time for him to completely avoid the damage. His left arm got cut, and as he stumbled to his feet the gunner readied to kick him back into the ground. Robin used her powers to stop him, and while she succeeded she also found that the girl had gotten much closer.
Robin dodged yet another attack, and this time she didn't even use her powers as she forced the girl to the ground by sweeping her off of her feet with the swing of her leg. From the ground, the girl swung her sword, and while Robin didn't take any damage, she found that that was not the girl's objective. She cut open the bag, and Robin watched as the jar slowly fell to the ground. She saved it with her power, but the girl stole the jar from her and made a run for it.
Another two minutes, Robin thought, and ran after the girl. The chase didn't last long as the girl was cut off by the huge turtles, and Robin closed in on her from behind. The girl swung her sword at Robin, who jumped up, dodged the blade and used her power to grab onto the jar. Of course the girl wasn't about to let go that easily, but as Robin landed, she punched the girl in the stomach, and the shock was enough to make the girl loosen her grip. Robin retrieved the jar, and turned to run, but now they were completely surrounded by the turtles. Robin then heard a screech from a above and saw the hawks diving their way. There wasn't much time to act, so Robin charged at one of the turtles, jumped onto its shell and away from it before it could react. The hawks were still coming for her, and she used her power once again to immobilize them.
Another minute until she could use her wings again, and she had to avoid using her power altogether if she were to fly anywhere. Robin ran to where Franky was. He had already taken out the gunner and was now struggling with some foxes and badgers. Robin picked up some rubble on the ground and threw them at the foxes, taking their attention off of Franky. She waited until they were closer to her, and dragged her foot through the dry surface, causing dirt to fly everywhere and blind the foxes. She then took them out, for now, by kicking them as hard she could. Just another thirty seconds.
Robin made her way to Franky, and they now stood back to back, surrounded by foxes, badgers and the incoming hawks. The swords woman was not too far away, but Robin doubted that she would make it to them in time. The battle was intense and tiring as Robin couldn't use her powers just yet, but she only had to endure another ten seconds. She could hear Franky panting hard, and Robin was getting scared, as she had only planned on how to get out of the mouth the volcano. There was still the forest to think about, and it would take them the entire night to make it to the Sunny.
As it was about time, Robin signalled to Franky, and as he understood, he pulled her up on his back, and he attacked all the animals surrounding them at once. She secured Franky with her power and they took off.
Robin's wings dissolved just as they made it to the edge, but that was good enough. From there they ran down the side of the volcano and didn't bother to look behind them. When they were in the safe covers of the thick forest they stopped for a break. However lucky they were, there were no animals surrounding them and as the adrenaline slowly seeped out of her system, Robin began to feel her whole body aching and complaining. She collapsed against a tree and found that Franky had done the same. For some time they just sat there, catching their breaths.
"We should get going," Robin said when she heard a faint sound, and they got to their feet. They walked quietly, not wanting to draw any attention, and whenever they heard something, they hid away. They wanted to avoid fighting the best they could.
The two of them were almost by the Sunny when the first rays of sunshine broke through the treetops, and Robin smiled. There was no longer a chance of some kind of beast attacking them. But just as Robin felt relieved, their path was blocked. A girl with a metal arm stood before them, and one look at Franky told Robin all she needed to know. This girl was an enemy, no doubt.
"Hand over the ingredient and I'll let you live," the girl said confidently.
"I thought you said that next time we met, you would finish me off," Franky said, but Robin noticed that his tease sounded more serious than it usually would. Robin supposed that it meant that the girl was strong. Strong enough for Franky to be on his guard even with two of them there.
"You're right," she said, and took her stance, "You'll die no matter what."
She charged at them.
I hope you enjoyed reading, and if you did then please fave, follow for more and leave a review with your thoughts :) All your support is much apprieciated :D
