I don't like this chapter; I feel like it just doesn't have the adorable flow like the others do. Maybe it's because I'm not writing in Robin's POV. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. I know I do.
Chapter 4 – The Man in Black
The long-nosed man led the horse with his unconscious rider slung over his back. The crisp autumn leaves crunched under his boots, and he couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. But maybe that was just his own paranoia acting up again. He and this two companions finally reached the shore of the Grand Line River that ran deep within Oharan territory, feeding out into the ocean. On a small makeshift dock was moored a small five-man vessel.
The long nosed man pulled Robin from the saddle as the lavender-haired man pulled a strip of cloth from his pocket. He ripped at a piece of cloth, pulling the insignia of a neighboring country from it. He slid the patch between the pad and saddle of the princess's horse and slapped the animal in the rump. The horse bolted, galloping back in the direction from whence it came.
"What was that?" His long nosed companion asked, handing the unconscious woman to the largest man.
"It's the patch of a high ranking officer from the army of Enies."
The larger man gently set the princess down on her barrel, her head lolling as he inexpertly tied her hands. "Who's Enies?" he asked curiously, straightening.
"The country across the sea," The lavender-haired man said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The sworn enemy of Ohara." He watched the horse disappear before going to join his companions in their ship. "Once the horse reaches the castle, the fabric will make the prince suspect the Enies Army have kidnapped his love. When he finds her body dead on the Enies frontier, he will have no choice but to confirm his suspicions."
"You never said anything about killing anyone!" The larger man said indignantly.
"I've hired you to protect me while I start a war," the leader said, laughing at his subordinate's stupidity. "It's a prestigious line of work, for the long and glorious consequences, all for the sake of justice."
"I just don't think it's right," the other man continued. "Killing an innocent girl."
"Am I going mad?" The lavender-haired man laughed aloud. "Or did the word 'think' escape your lips?" The smile melted from his face as he approached the much larger man. "You were not hired for your brains, you hippopotami cal land mass!"
"Spandam," The long-nosed man said, deciding to enter the conversation before the two started to tear their heads off. "I agree with Luffy," he added, leaping into the boat to start working the rudder.
Spandam jerked his hands up. "Muhammad has spoken!" he said dramatically. "What happens to her is not your concern!" He went up to the higher platform of the ship where the long nosed man was shifting the cargo. "I will be the one to kill that stupid woman! And don't forget this, never forget this! When I found you, you were so slobbering drunk, you couldn't buy brandy!" Spandam turned to Luffy, who had resumed picking his nose. "And you!"
Luffy pointed to himself as if asking whether he was the point of conversation.
"Friendless, brainless, helpless!" With every word, Spandam took a step down to stand directly in front of Luffy, who stood at least twice his height. "Do you want me to send you back to where you were!? Unemployed in Greenland!?"
Luffy shivered, imagining the icy prison from where he had been raised. No, he did not want to go back there. Spandam took his silence as a rejection of his offer. Smiling, he laughed loudly and went to the front of the ship to adjust the rigging. The long-nosed man, seeing his companion's predicament, went over to stand by his friend.
"Spandam," he said, smiling. "He can make a lot of fuss."
Luffy contemplated this, the tiny gears in his brain working on overdrive. "Fuss… fuss…. I think he likes to scream at us!" He smiled proudly at his ability to rhyme.
"Probably he means no harm," The long nosed man continued.
"He's probably very short on… charm!"
The other man smiled. "You are very good at rhyme."
"Yep! Well, most of the time." Luffy agreed happily, rotating the wheel he called the "thingy-bobber" that raised and lowered the anchor. "Kaku, I love these games. Let's play some more."
"Enough of that!" Spandam's voice interrupted the men's game.
Chuckling to themselves, the three men finally pulled away from the makeshift dock and sailed with the current to the ocean. Kaku, wanting to play one last trick, said loudly enough for Spandam to hear, "Luffy, are there rocks ahead!?"
"If there are, we'll all be dead!"
"No more rhymes now, I mean it!"
Luffy, not wanting to be left out, put in a joke of his own. "Anyone want my piece of meat?"
"GAAAAAH!"
"Too bad, I wasn't going to give it to you anyway."
~X~X~X~
Night came as the small ship left the Grand Line River and sailed into the sea. The North Blue Ocean was notorious for its sea king infested waters, and Spandam took no risks that they fall prey to the giant monsters. He ordered everyone stay six inches away from the rail, keeping himself on the highest platform to keep as far from the water as possible.
Robin had awoken, but still had not said a word since her capture. She sat curled in a corner, watching the stars above her head and wondering of Zoro's spirit had become one of those stars, watching over her. She didn't believe in superstitions like that, but it was a comforting thought.
Luffy, who had been the first to introduce himself to the awakened princess, stood next to her, smiling happily. The other man, the swordsman called Kaku, was up in the crow's nest keeping watch. Spandam, the obvious brains behind Luffy's brawn, was sleeping with his head resting against the bow. He had informed Kaku to alert him the moment he saw the Enies Cliffs, hopefully to be seen by dawn.
But now, the swordsman alerted his employer to another sight. "Oi, Spandam. Are you sure no one is following us?"
"That would be inconceivable."
"Despite what you think," Robin said from her small corner. "You will be caught. And when you are, the Prince will see you all hanged!"
Spandam looked to her, and they exchanged glares. "Of all the necks on this boat, Highness, the one you should be worried about is your own. Because once we get to Enies, you will die, and the great Spandam will be hailed as a hero throughout the world!"
Kaku wanted to point out that starting a war wasn't really considered heroism, but he dropped it and instead went back to watching the ocean.
"Stop doing that, you fool!" Spandam yelled. "It's pointless."
"Are you sure no one is following us?"
"I told you, it would be absolutely inconceivable. No one in Enies knows what we've done, and no one in Ohara could have gotten here so fast." Spandam, content with his reasoning, leaned back to fall asleep. After a pause, he looked up again. "Why do you ask?"
Kaku smirked. "Because I look back behind us and something is there."
"WHAT!?"
The three men gathered at the back of the ship, staring out at the ocean. Illuminated by the full moon, a small ship could barely been seen against the black backdrop of the night. The owner of said boat could not be seen, but the only thing that identified it as a ship was the white sail full with a gust of wind.
"Probably some local fisherman out for an evening fishing trip through sea king infested waters. Don't mind him, push on."
Luffy plopped his fist into an open palm. "It's a mystery ship."
A splash drew the men's sudden attention to the water, and Robin could be quickly seen thanks to her bright red gown. She began swimming in the direction of the ship, her hands completely unbound. Spandam glared at Luffy.
"Jump in and get her!"
"I can't swim! I bet it's the funnest thing ever."
"Kaku?"
"I only dog-paddle."
"GAAAH!" To replace his frustration, Spandam began yelling to turn the ship around in pursuit of the fleeing princess. "Veer left!"
The icy water bit at her bare skin, chilling Robin to the bone. Her limbs began to numb instantly, and she could only compare this cold to the day she had discovered a young Zoro half dead in the snow. She banished the thought from her mind, moving her limbs awkwardly to reach the other boat across the water. It was her only hope.
Suddenly, a high-pitched shrieking noise could be heard, bouncing off the water and making Spandam cringe. With a little cry, he jumped up, forcing Luffy to catch him. The huge man stared confusedly at his employer, who was now laughing loudly at the princess, who had ceased swimming and was now treading water, staring around to find the source of the shrieks.
"Do you know what that sound is, you stupid woman?" Spandam yelled over the shrieks. "Those are the sea kings! They say they always get louder as they're about to feed on human flesh!"
As if to prove his point, a thick dorsal fin suddenly sprouted from the water, arcing high over her head and blocking out the moon before disappearing once again into the water. Robin panicked, trying to swim as fast as she could away from where the fin had vanished back into the water.
"Swim back now, and I promise, no harm will come to you." Robin wanted to believe him, but she knew they were planning to kill her. "I doubt you will get such an offer from the sea kings." So now she had to decide her death: at the hand of Spandam, or eaten by a sea king?
Another fin rose from the water. This one was smaller than the first, but it was a sickly blue color, and Robin had seen that in a book in the castle library. It was poisonous, causing death in less than five seconds. The shrieking grew louder, and a huge form suddenly loomed out from the water, beady red eyes glaring at her from high above. The sea king opened its huge mouth to reveal lines of sharp pointy teeth, waiting to swallow her whole.
With a roar, the creature began to dive for the terrified woman. She opened her mouth to scream –
~X~X~X~
"She doesn't get eaten, you know."
Ace looked up, confused at his grandfather's words. "What?"
"She doesn't get eaten. I just wanted to tell you because you were looking kind of nervous."
Ace released his death grip on the sheets of his bed. "Who, me? I wasn't nervous at all!"
Grandpa let out a hearty laugh, giving his grandson a mighty slap on the shoulder. "No, of course you weren't."
"Maybe I was a bit… concerned, but that's not the same thing." Ace unsuccessfully tried to act natural.
"Because we can stop now, if you want." Grandpa went to close the book.
"No. No, you can keep going, if you want."
Grandpa Garp smiled, returning to the page. "Do you know what that sound is, you stupid woman?" he read. "Those are the sea kings…"
"You read that already," Ace said, releasing a little sigh.
"Who're you calling old?" Garp rapped his grandson on the head once again. Ace mumbled something incoherent. "Now, where was I?"
~X~X~X~
The shrieking grew louder, and a huge form suddenly loomed out from the water, beady red eyes glaring at her from high above. The sea king opened its huge mouth to reveal lines of sharp pointy teeth, waiting to swallow her whole.
With a roar, the creature began to dive for the terrified woman. She opened her mouth to scream, the sound already ripping itself from her throat.
Suddenly, a sound like steel against steel rang out over the cries of the sea monsters, followed soon by a whoosh like a sword had been swung. A pause, and the head of the sea king rolled off its body, crashing into the water. Waves sent Robin spinning rapidly back and forth, and she felt herself hauled up back on deck by Luffy's gentle hands.
Luffy lowered Robin slowly to the deck as Spandam raced over to her. As she felt her hands being tied more securely, she noticed the flash of steel as Kaku sheathed his sword. He gave her a small wink before her attention was once again drawn to the lavender-haired man.
"I suppose you think you're pretty brave," he said, tying her hands together painfully. "But you know it could only result in pain, pain, and more pain only for you! You stupid woman, and your foolish antics. I hate women. So do you think you're brave, you stupid woman?"
Robin stared Spandam dead in the eye. "Only compared to some," she said simply.
Spandam returned her glare before returning to the helm, plotting their course for the Enies Cliffs. Kaku watched the exchange below, before returning his gaze to the ship at sea. He might have been wrong, but he guessed it was getting closer, and quickly.
~X~X~X~
Dawn rose on the two ships that sailed on toward Enies. The sky was lit with reds and yellows and blues, and Robin would have thought it a beautiful sight had she not known this day would most likely be her last. The rising sun sparkled off the water like diamonds, and she longed to jump in and end her misery there and now.
"Look, he's right on top of us!" Kaku called from his position by the rigging. "I wonder if he's using the same wind we are."
"Well, he's too late!" Spandam's eager voice came from the crow's nest. "See!"
Robin looked, a gasp escaping her lips. Before them rose the Gates of Justice as they were known, towering cliffs that rose a good two and a half miles into the sky. Not even the birds could fly that far up unless they really desired to, and no man could climb those cliffs alone. Some called them the Cliffs of Insanity, for any man who dared climb them was considered insane.
"Hurry up!" Spandam called down. "Move that thing!" Luffy reached for the icebox which held all the food. "No, you stupid moron! The other thing!"
With Spandam yelling in their ears, the three kidnappers finally moored the ship at the bottom of the cliffs with as little difficulty as possible. With every second, the vessel hot on their rudder grew ever closer.
While Kaku was gathering necessary items for a journey, Spandam was hauling Robin across the ship, muttering something about being safe and only Luffy was strong enough to climb up their way. "That fool will have to sail around for hours until he finds a harbor!"
Kaku pulled the leather vest around Luffy's torso, and Robin was placed beside him a thick strap around her bottom for her to sit in. Spandam made himself comfortable pressed against Luffy's chest, and Kaku adjusted himself on the larger man's other side.
Robin stared up at the looming cliffs above them, already feeling the vertigo falling into her stomach. She resolved to keep her eyes closed for most of the climb up, which would be via a thick rope that had been placed there before their arrival. With shaky movements, Luffy slowly began the long hand-over-hand climb up the Gates.
Robin couldn't stand it and opened her eyes, looking down to see if their pursuer had already reached the shore. Their group of four were about a third of the way up the cliff side now; the rope below them swayed from side to side like a dancing snake.
"Don't bother looking, you stupid woman," Spandam said, and she looked back at him with narrow eyes. "I planted a bomb down there. So if he tries to climb the rope, KA-BOOM! Bahahaha. And then there will be no one to save you!"
Robin looked down again. The man was examining the base of the cliff. After a moment, he grabbed the rope and began climbing after them. He was too far below to see his face, but Robin could see his face was masked.
"He's climbing the rope," Kaku said, surprise evident in his voice. He, too, was watching the man, his eyes curious. "And he's gaining on us."
"Inconceivable," Spandam murmured. "What happened to my bomb? Ah well, we're going too fast for him to catch up with us, that fool! Luffy, climb faster!"
"I thought I was going faster!" It was true; Luffy had pulled them just over halfway up the cliffs now.
"You were supposed to be the most fearsome of your kind. You were supposed to be this great, legendary… thing. And yet, he gains!"
"Well, I'm carrying three people," Luffy pointed out, his breath coming out in short gasps. Robin instantly felt sorry for the man, even if he took part in her kidnapping. "And he's got only himself."
"I do not accept excuses. I'll just have to find myself another giant is all."
The rest of the trip passed mostly in silence, with Spandam throwing an occasional threat in Luffy's face, quite literally. Finally, after about forty-five minutes of rigorous climbing, the first group reached the peak of the Gates ofJustice.
Atop the cliffs were the remains of a once noble city. The walls had long since fallen in, vines creeping up the stacked stones like skeletal fingers, and dilapidated buildings caved in on one another. A dried river flowed through the center, where a well was positioned. Stray bits of pottery littered the ground.
Kaku was the first to pull himself up to the mesa, his sword skidding roughly across the rocks. He pulled Robin up next, setting her gently on a small outcropping of rock to the side. She looked at the ruins in curiosity, wishing she had a notebook to record all the history. Spandam came up next, who immediately went to the giant rock where the rope was tied off, pulling a pocket knife from inside his vest. As Luffy pulled himself up with burned hands, Spandam began sawing like a madman at the thick rope.
The man below them continued to gain, and Kaku watched his progress with a keen eye. He was about fifteen feet from the top when the rope finally snapped. Spandam released it, and it skidded between their feet and over the cliff side.
There was silence. Robin didn't dare look over the edge; she did not want to witness a man falling to his death. The swordsman went to check, staring down below. He was joined soon by Luffy, who gave a low whistle as a broad grin stretched across his face. Spandam, laughing aloud at the man's foolishness, went also to watch the man.
Rocks clattered down the mountain side. Kaku could only stare at the man, gripping the rocks with a death hold. Now that Kaku had a closer look, he saw the man wore black leather boots with tight black pants tucked into them. Over a thin white shirt he wore a black vest with three buttons at the neck. His hands were covered by long black gloves. Belted to his hip were three sheathes, the hilts of swords sticking out of all of them. Over his head was a black bandanna, and a mask covered his eyes. Those eyes were staring up at him, daring Kaku to fight him.
Luffy joined his companion, watching the Man in Black curiously. "He's got very good arms," he commented lightly.
Spandam shoved his way between the two. His eyes bugged out of his head, snot flying from his nose. "EEEEEEEH? He didn't fall! It's just inconceivable!"
Kaku glanced at his employer. "You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means."
He looked back down at the Man in Black, watching as he slowly maneuvered his hands to a small ledge just over his head. Tiny rocks clattered to the shore far below as his foot moved to a crevice to his right. "Oh no…" He whispered. "He's climbing."
Spandam scoffed. "No matter. He's seen us with the princess and must die." He turned to Luffy, jabbing a finger in his chest. "You, carry her. We'll start straight to the Enies frontier." He glared at his swordsman. "Catch up when he's dead. If he falls, fine. If not, kill him yourself. But most of all, you must not make sure he comes after me. I'm the most important out of all of us!"
Kaku flexed his fingers. "I'll have to duel him left-handed."
"You know what a hurry we're in!"
"Well, yeah. But if I use my right, it'll be over too quickly. And you want to get as far away as possible, neh?"
Spandam snorted. "Have it your way." The lavender-haired man went to the edge of the ruins, checking his bags to make sure he had everything. Kaku went back to look at the climbing man when Luffy grabbed his shoulder.
"You be careful," he said, concern evident in his voice. "People in masks can't be trusted."
"I'm waiting!" Spandam yelled expectantly from his spot at the end of the ruins.
Luffy gave Kaku a sad glance as he slid his arms beneath the princess and holding her close to his chest, joining Spandam and disappearing around the edge of the ruins, leaving the swordsman to deal with the Man in Black.
I could not resist keeping "inconceivable" in there. It's my favorite word. Also, I'm not sure if I spelled "hippopotami cal" correctly; I honestly have no idea what Vizzini says there. Oh well. I guess we'll have to deal with it.
Aaaaaaanyways, please read and review! Chapter five shall be up soon.
Next Time:
Robin continues forward and Kaku was left behind to deal with the mysterious Man in Black, who carries three swords! When the two men finally collide, will it be a battle of strength or honor? Chapter 5 – The Swordsman
