A/N: Ok, I did warn you guys chapters might be a little late! Not only was I jam-packed with homework and projects, but I also got sick Monday and Tuesday, and during that time I could barely stay awake for 5 minutes without being nauseous, much less work on this chapter, as much as I wanted to. So, sorry its late, but its here now! Once again, thanks for reviews, favorites and follows, I don't know how to thank you, and I bet your getting tired of me saying that, huh? Well, onto the chapter!
"Miss All Sunday!" Vivi's rage was palpable. Franky and Brook looked over to Vivi in confusion for a moment before noticing the past Straw Hats, their confusion melding into shock as well. Robin, however, took everything in quickly and calmly, noticing the past crew, as well as Vivi. What took the three future members a minute to process was Ace. Before they could comment on him though the past crew spoke up.
"Your that bad guy!" Luffy said to Robin, face changing quickly, the rest of the past crew getting into fighting stances.
"We sure seemed to have appeared at an interesting time! Yohoho~!" Brook laughed, not quite sure what to make of the scene. Robin stayed silent, also unsure what was happening, but knowing it wasn't too good for her.
"Wait, you've got it wrong!" Cat Burglar said, waving her hands, trying to calm the enraged members.
"That's Miss All Sunday! She killed Igaram!" Vivi shouted furiously.
"And she took my hat!" Luffy whined. Ace looked in shock at Luffy, knowing that most people who took his hat didn't end up too well.
"Nah, she's fine now! She's from the future like us." Monkey said calmly, not too worried about what was happening.
"B-but she's Crocodiles partner!" Usopp shouted fearfully.
"Ack! Crocodiles?!" Chopper screeched in fear, clinging to Zoro's face.
"But she's not." Monkey stated bluntly, pointing to Robin.
"She's our nakama and that's that." He continued, finality in his tone that no one dared to argue with. Slowly the past crew dropped their guarded stances, though they were still wary of Robin. Vivi was glaring daggers at her, not trusting her for a second.
"Ow! I don't really know what's happening but it sure looks Suuu~pperr!" Franky shouted. The crew's attention was focused back onto Franky and Brook now, their eyes widening once more.
"I can't believe how quick we forgot about the talking skeleton." Sanji said, the others nodding in agreement.
"I guess we have more explaining to do..." Cat Burglar said, sighing in exhaustion.
"Franky, Brook, Robin, this is the Straw Hat crew... From the past. This is when we were in Alabasta and Luffy fought Crocodile." Cat Burglar informed, much to Brook and Franky's shock and Robins interest.
"That would explain many things." Robin said, remaining calm as she glanced at Ace who shifted nervously, now understanding the looks they gave him. Franky and Brook nodded, also noticing Ace.
"Indeed it does." Brook said softly. Both crews were silent for a moment.
"We, uh... Told them... About the war, and what happens at the end..." Sniper said, just as soft as Brook. Franky frowned, Robin nodded lightly, sadness flashing in her eyes, and Brook would be noticeably frowning as well but he had no skin to show it. Brook stepped forward.
"Though it may not be during the future time that I am doing this I would still like to introduce myself, my name is Brook, it is nice to finally meet Luffy-san's older brother." Brook said. Ace smiled, trying to get over his shock.
"Its nice to meet you Brook." Ace said, the men shaking hands.
"S-So is t-that a g-g-g-ghost?!" Usopp shouted fearfully, causing Brook to laugh once more.
"Yohohoho~! I am but a mere skeleton of my old self! I ate the Yomi-Yomi no mi, a devil fruit that allowed me to return to my body once I died, though it took my soul a long time to find my body, thus leaving me with nothing but bones!" Brook informed, much to the crews shock.
"So your actually a real live skeleton?" Sanji questioned, intrigued. Brook nodded.
"Hey, can you poop?!" Luffy asked suddenly, Nami hitting him on the head.
"Y-"
"Don't answer that you moron!" Cat Burglar said, hitting Brook.
"Yohoho~! Nami-sans hits always hurt! Ah! May I see you panties?" Brook asks, causing him to receive two kicks from both Sanji's and two hits from both Nami's.
"Pervert!" Both Nami's shouted.
"Did someone call?!" Franky asked happily. Cat Burglar groaned in exasperation.
"I can't win! There'r too many idiots on this crew!" Cat Burglar said, throwing her hands up. Monkey laughed.
"You guys are the best!" He laughed.
"So back to the topic at hand, these are... Future members. We wont give too many details, but this is Robin, who you already... kinda know... This is Franky, the shipwright, and this is Brook, the musician." Cat Burglar introduced. The past nodded their understanding, though still extremely unsure about Robin, which was understandable.
"A musician! Yes! Ace, look! I got a musician! And he's a skeleton!" Luffy shouted happily, dancing. Ace shook his head, smiling. It seemed the appearance of more future members increased his little brothers mood, which was good.
"I see that. You sure do attract strange people Luffy." Ace said, shaking his head.
"You have no idea." Sniper said ruefully. Roronoa smirked.
"Not as strange as love cook over there did during the separation." He said, much to Sanji's hatred.
"I told you never speak of that!" Black Leg growled, kicking at Roronoa who dodged. The two quickly got into a fight, that Cat Burglar broke up.
"I don't understand!" Vivi shouted suddenly, stopping all action on deck. Monkey and Robin frowned, having a feeling they knew where this was going.
"Understand what?" Tony questioned, looking around innocently.
"How can you guys have... Her on your crew?!" Vivi asked, refusing to believe that someone as bad as Miss All Sunday, or Robin as they called her, could have been made a Straw Hat member.
"Simple. She wanted to so I let her." Monkey said bluntly. Vivi was practically fuming.
"But why?! After all she did?! She killed Igaram! She helped Crocodile take over Alabasta! She played games with me, knowing I only wanted to save my country!" Vivi ranted, throwing her arms up in anger. Monkey nodded, remaining calm.
"She did." He said. This only further enraged Vivi.
"So why?! Your not a bad person, I know that! So why would you let her, a bad person, stay?!" She asked. Monkey frowned now.
"Cause she's not a bad person." He said. Robin felt a smile making its way to her face, happy to hear Luffy's opinion of her. Long ago, when she first joined, she never really felt apart of the crew, knew they didn't really like her, but Luffy had accepted her quickly, treated her like he did the rest of the crew, and she almost believed he was going to betray her like many others before, but when he didn't she felt she had a place to finally belong, felt she needed to work hard so she could keep her place with this mismatched group. To hear that he completely trusted her, believed her to be a good person despite all her wrong doings, made her elated.
"I don't believe that for a second!" Vivi spat. Robin's smile left, remembering all the bad she'd done to Vivi in the past.
"I don't believe this will change much at all, but for what its worth, I am truly sorry for what I put you and your friends through during this... Period of my life." Robin said, stepping forward slightly. Vivi didn't say anything, eyes narrowed in anger, lips thin as she pressed them together, arms crossed and stance tense.
"Your right, it doesn't help much... But..." Vivi trailed off, trying to calm down.
"She's not the Robin you guys know, this is our Robin, the future Robin. You don't know her." Monkey said. The past crews stances slacked at this, realizing just how true Monkey's words were. He was right, she was from the future, a future they knew absolutely nothing about. For all they knew Robin could become a Goddess and they wouldn't be any the wiser.
"I-I guess that's true, but-"
"So there shouldn't be any problem. If you've got a problem with Robin you've got a problem with me." Monkey said, crossing his arms stubbornly. Vivi deflated, frowning.
"A-alright... But I still don't like this." She said.
"No ones asking you to accept her immediately, I wouldn't blame you, but Monkey's right, she's not the same Robin you know, so give her a chance." Sniper said. Vivi nodded, not saying much after that as everyone settled back down.
"Now that everyone's settled down, we can go back to the previous conversation. Robin, Franky, Brook, for future reference, were calling each other by last names or our nicknames seeing as it would be confusing to use our first names with two of us. We've only told them about... Ace and a little about the separation, but not in detail. Also, our plan is to keep the future a secret for the most part, and we have no idea how we got here, the island we were arriving at being our best bet." Cat Burglar informed, the three nodding.
"We were thinking the same thing, Robin-San was reading about the island before we appeared here." Brook said.
"I knew Robin would get us back, she's smart!" Monkey said gleefully. Robin smiled to him.
"I didn't get to read much, but I was able to keep the book." Robin said, lifting the object up to show them.
"Well, lunch is mostly over now, Robin-Chan can read while I make her a delicious snack, along with those two." Sanji said. Robin smiled.
"That would be much appreciated Sanji-San, thank you." Robin said, going to sit off by herself, book already open. Everyone dispersed after that, waiting to get more information. Sanji and Black Leg went off to the kitchen to compete in making Robin, Vivi and both Namis a better snack, Zoro went to nap again, Usopp, Sniper, Tony, Luffy and Chopper all running off to play a game together, Nami and Cat Burglar watched the sky, talking amongst themselves, Franky admiring the Going Merry, Brook playing his violin, Vivi getting roped into the game, and Ace following the two Sanji's, wanting to watch the competition, and maybe get a snack as well. Roronoa and Monkey stayed in place a minute, Roronoa having a feeling he knew what his captain wanted to do.
"Zoro?" Monkey asked, dropping the Roronoa now that they were alone. Roronoa looked over at him and nodded, the two heading off to the figure head, though Monkey didn't sit on it this time. Instead both Monkey and Roronoa sat against it, facing the two intermingled crews.
"What was it this time?" Roronoa asked, eye closed, head tilted to the sky, but listening intently to Monkey. Monkey sighed, closing his eyes and trying to relax like Roronoa.
"The whole war really. It started at the half-way point of it all though. Akainu had just started attacking with his magma and I was running to save Ace. I did and we were leaving, but then... Then he died." Monkey said somberly. Roronoa nodded, opening his eye.
"That was then, this is now. I know its still hard, but you should try and live in the now, maybe even talk to Ace. I don't think you'll get another chance like this again." Roronoa said. Monkey nodded, smiling slightly.
"Yeah... Your right... Hey Zoro?" Monkey asked. Roronoa side eyed him and Monkey grinned brightly to him.
"Thanks for listening!" He said, jumping up from his spot and heading to the galley. Roronoa grinned slightly and nodded, closing his eye once more.
"Anytime."
"Oi, shitty Captain! What have I said about coming in the galley!" Black Leg growled, he and Sanji in an intense battle as they danced around each other, creating their dishes. Monkey laughed.
"Shishishi, sorry! I just wanted to talk to Ace." Monkey said. Black Leg paused in his actions a millisecond before continuing, nodding.
"Take it outside then, I need my utmost concentration when preparing both Nami-Swans, Vivi-Chwans and Robin-Chwans snacks!" Black Leg said. Monkey nodded and gestured to Ace who had been watching him curiously. The two left the galley, making their way up to the crows nest where they would be able to talk privately. The crews noticed the two going to talk but said nothing of it, all returning to what they were doing.
"So what did you want to talk about?" Ace questions, stretching out on the ground. Monkey tilts his head back and forth a moment, joining Ace on the ground.
"Its just... Zo- Roronoa said I should talk to you, because I wouldn't get another chance like this." Monkey started, slightly unsure. Ace raised an eyebrow, a small smile on his face though his eyes held sadness.
"Oh? So you didn't actually want to talk to me?" Ace teases, and Monkey shakes his head rapidly.
"No, of course I want to! Its just... I have to keep a lot of things a secret..." Monkey finishes, dropping his head. Ace frowns now, nodding his understanding. They sit in silence a second before Luffy smiles.
"Ace... I'm glad I got to see you again. I wasn't able to tell you before you-... Well, anyways, Im glad you finally have others that you can trust." Luffy says, and Ace smiles again at the thought of his family.
"Im surprised actually, when we were at the war, and even here, when you told me about the Whitebeards, and when I saw them all, working to save you... I was really happy, happy that you finally trusted more then a handful of people." Monkey continues, Ace staying silent.
"And... And when... When you died, you asked me something..." Monkey says, voice softening. Ace turns to look at him, wondering what his dying self had asked, though he had an idea.
"Of course it was a good thing you were born you idiot!" Monkey shouts, slightly louder then intended, but the crew below would deny that they had even heard a thing. Ace frowns, looking to the ground.
"We all love you, and were happy you were born! Sabo too! And- and... And you shouldn't think it wasn't a good thing you were born because without you I would have been lonely with the mountain bandits and I would have wanted to die! Without you I would have never met Sabo, or wanted to become a pirate at 17, and I would have never met the rest of my nakama, and without you... It would never be the same..." Luffy said, his rant trailing off, and Ace tried to hide the tears, blinking them back before Monkey could see them.
"I don't care who your parents are, and neither do your real friends. People who are scared of things like that don't deserve to be your friends anyways." Monkey mumbled, and Ace gave out a choked laugh, ruffling Monkey's hair.
"I know Lu, I'm sorry for always thinking that way, and Im sorry for all the things I put you through in the future. Your right, but its a hard habit to break." Ace said. Luffy nodded, scratching at his scar unconsciously.
"Does it still hurt?" Ace asks, looking at the scar. Monkey looks at him, then glances to his scar, shrugging.
"Sometimes it does, like when Im in the ocean. Chop- Tony has this weird cream thing he gives me and it stops it." Monkey said softly. Ace nods, frowning. This Luffy had definitely matured compared to the one he knew now, but that was understandable with everything he went through. The two sat in companionable silence for a while, listening to the games being played below deck.
"You remember that time we dine and dashed at that stuffy noble place?" And suddenly they were reminiscing good memories, laughing until they were crying, and Luffy even shared some of his adventures from the future, after having Ace swear he wouldn't tell anyone else from the past about them.
Meanwhile, on the deck, the game continued, the Namis talked amongst themselves, Zoro and Roronoa napped, occasionally asking each other something, the Sanji's served their snacks, though there was no winner because they tied, Franky repaired little bits of the Merry, though he knew the outcome would still be the same, and Robin continued reading, Brook playing a happy tune that made everything seem almost like a party, Monkey and Ace's laughs falling from the crows nest and lightening everyone's hearts. Vivi sat off to the side with a small smile on her face as she watched the two crews mingle together seamlessly. Her eyes drifted to Robin and her smile faltered.
She couldn't possibly be what the future crew said she was. She had done so much bad, she was cold hearted, and she was evil, she couldn't just do a 360 like that and suddenly be a good person. A frown made its way to her face, a storm in her eyes. Her kingdom was in shambles because of her and Crocodile, so how had Luffy agreed to let her apart of the crew? It just didn't make sense to her.
Robin, knowing that Vivi was staring at her, stayed engrossed in the book, allowing the princess to mull over her feelings and thoughts. She wasn't expecting anything out of the princess, wasn't expecting them to become sudden friends, but she did feel horrible for what her past self had done to her. She had been cruel and unforgiving, but that was how she was back then, it was a way to cope, to keep herself safe, but it wasn't necessary anymore. Her normal calm demeanor faltered and she knew she had to say something, so with a sigh she closed the book softly, carrying it with her as she moved to Vivi.
Vivi shifted uncomfortably, not expecting Robin to come to her, and she glared at her, though Robin also ignored this.
"Im sorry." Robin said quietly, sitting beside Vivi. Vivi's eyes widened but she recovered quickly, narrowing her eyes.
"Im sorry for everything that I did in the past, your present, and some of the future. I never expected to live as long as I have, and truthfully, I fully intended to die here, in Alabasta. I never meant to leave the island, never meant to continue journeying." Robin admitted, and Vivi's eyes widened again.
"This was my last effort. I was only here to read something, and to read it I needed to get Crocodiles help. I deceived him, used him to my advantage, and I knew, when I finally read this thing I wanted to read, he would kill me. I accepted this. I wasn't going to fight back, after all, I've done many bad things in my life, taking over this kingdom just one of them. I deserved to die. But Luffy... He didn't let me die. I had no plan after that, no idea what else to do with myself. When he rescued me, saved me from death, I felt that he owed me. Really, I was hoping he would kill me, abandon me, but when I showed up on his ship unannounced, told him I was becoming a member of the Straw Hats, he didn't argue. He accepted it. Said I was now a part of them. And I was more shocked then when he saved me. I was ready to die. I wanted to die. But all of my plans were falling through, and I kept living. As a Straw Hat I've had time to reflect on everything, and I realized I don't want to die, that Im sorry for everything I've ever done in my past. One of my biggest regrets was here, at Alabasta. So, I wanted to say, Im truly sorry for everything." Robin says, finishing the long story. Vivi's mouth was agape, shock all over her face as Robin stood, taking her book, and returned to her chair, continuing to read as if everything that had just happened never did.
Maybe... Maybe she wasn't so bad after all...