Hello everyone! Hope you enjoy the chapter!

The reason this took so long was because I couldn't think of an appropriate fight scene for the characters, so I said "Screw it" and wrote whatever. Zoro got the short end of the stick, cause I skipped the end of his fight.

Is Robin older than Luffy? She is in canon and in this story, but I guess I could say she's younger than she is in canon? Let's say...about 23 compared to Luffy's 18? Whatever. In my opinion, they live quite the dangerous life, and they could die at any time. Why would age matter to any of the Straw Hats? Sides, we all know they love their family equally. Except in Zoro and Sanji's case. Dunno what you would call that.

I do not own One Piece as it belongs to Eiichiro Oda, Toei, and whoever else owns it.

"You understand that you have to stay here?"

"But...Robin was waiting for me back at the apartment..."

"Ah, you've reminded me of that little detail. Give me the address where you're staying with her."

Pouting, Luffy wrote the information down on the pad that Shanks had handed to him.

"She's nice, Shanks...don't upset her..."

"I'll try not to, Luffy, but I'm worried that she only used you for sex."

"W-Wait...are you saying that Luffy had..."relations" with a beautiful woman!?" Sanji shouted in outrage, walking up to Shanks, "And he didn't tell us about it!?" They had told him that he had a girlfriend, but he had actually gotten physical with her?!

Unperturbed, Shanks pocketed the notepad and looked at the cook.

"Yeah. Actually, I think you're the last to know this."

"Usopp kno-?!"

"Yeah. Usopp knows."

He struggled to keep his serious expression as the cook threw a small tantrum, ending in him crying on the ground.

"You...you mean Luffy has...already surpassed me?!"

"Like that's very hard, you shit cook."

"I did not ask you, you freaking planthead!"

"Enough!" Shanks announced, knowing that if he didn't do anything, he would have to deal with two very aggravated teenagers, and that was something he didn't have time for at the moment.

"Luffy. You're staying here, alright? We'll be back soon."

He found it hard to look at Luffy. The defeated look in the rubberman's eyes bothered him.

"...What are you going to do?"

"We're going to get some answers-"

"Don't worry." Benn looked a little disturbed that Shanks had interrupted him, but knew the red-haired man didn't want to upset the younger man, "We're going to make things right, okay? We just need a few questions answered, and maybe...you'll be able to see Robin again."

"Was...me seeing Robin a bad thing?" Even his voice was tugging on the man's heartstrings, "I'm sorry for keeping it a secret, but she's a good person! I...I don't want to hurt her."

He sighed, and the two commanders of Shanks' gang could see that the man was having difficulties.

"No. You being with Robin isn't necessarily a bad thing." He put a comforting hand on Luffy's shoulders, but he could see it wasn't helping.

"One...one time she told me that she needed me for something..."

"Eh? What? What was it?" Hoping for a better answer than the one he had in mind, Shanks shook Luffy, but was confused why the man's face was becoming redder.

"Robin didn't say why...she said she just needed me...then...we kinda..."

"Oh!" Shanks could tell everyone was a little surprised by that little tidbit.

Sanji started to cry, but managed to control it.

"She also said she needed me for some of her "plans", but she's a good person!"

"Uh...I don't need to hear any more, Luffy. We'll find out soon enough." He and his commanders walked to the door, "Stay here, Luffy. I don't think I can stress this enough. I have a feeling something's going to go down..."

Luffy didn't reply. He lowered his head to stare at the ground in sadness.

"Would it have been better, if I had said nothing...?" Shanks couldn't tell if he meant to voice the thought aloud.

"...No. It was a good thing you brought this to our attention, Luffy." They three started to leave, not noticing that the others looked at Luffy in concern.

"...Are you going to be alright, Luffy?" Nami walked up to him, trying to see his expression after the three had left.

"I...I don't know." His head shot up, his expression stressed as he tried to understand why the others had been so cautious about his girlfriend, "What do you guys think?! I'm telling you, she's really nice! You would like her!"

"Luffy, she's with the government." Zoro spoke up, his tone leaving no room for compassion, "She's an enemy. Have you told her anything about us? About your association with Shanks?"

"...I might have mentioned a few things..."

The room sighed, discovering that their friend may have given information to the enemy.

"This is very serious, Luffy!" The woman was exasperated, but she knew that the rubberman wasn't faring any better than they were, "They could attack us at any moment! Why didn't you try to find out anything about her past or where she worked? I thought you were smarter than that..."

"I didn't do it because I didn't care." His gaze returned to the ground to stare at it ruefully, "Remember when we had to deal with Crocodile? I met her during that mission..."

The three cringed, clearly remembering one of the worst experiences of their lives. What they had thought to be petty dealers and thugs encroaching on their territory had turned out to be the work of an underworld boss by the name of Crocodile. Shanks had been too late to find out, and before they knew it, the group had been deep in the territory of the evil mastermind.

Luckily, Luffy had beaten the man to a pulp, but he had disappeared for a while after that. They had all panicked, thinking that he could have died, but he showed up a few days later looking better than he had before.

"So...that's when you met her?"

"Yeah. She was working for Crocodile, but she told me that she wasn't really working for him. Robin had thought she could find something she was looking for if she followed Crocodile, but he didn't have what she wanted."

"What was it that she wanted?" Nami, being the miser that she was, didn't think the woman wanted money. Government employees weren't the most well off individuals, but they could get anything they wanted.

"She never told me...I think she was looking for a place to belong, so I asked her if she wanted to come with me. Heh..." Luffy chuckled darkly, remembering the pain that he had seen her in, "At first, she didn't trust me, but I convinced her that I meant it. She took me to her apartment and, well, I stayed there for a while. We talked a lot..."

The others felt bad when they saw the sad little smile that started to cross Luffy's face.

"For your sake, I hope your relationship is true." Zoro told his friend, surprising the other two, "If not, then we've got to show her that she shouldn't mess with you like that."

"Aw, Zoro cares about Luffy...quick, Sanji! Get the camera."

"Sh-Shut up! So what if I'm concerned!?"

"Look! He's blushing! And to think, we thought he was an emotionless head of cabbage..."

"Do you all want to die?!" The man jumped up from the couch, his hands already on the hilts of his swords.

"...Shishishi! Thanks, Zoro!" He looked at Luffy and received a grin filled with gratitude.

He sighed, "Whatever. We're friends, Luffy, and if you think this woman is on our side...then I'm willing to believe it."

"Thanks! Alright then, I've decided!" With new found life in his eyes, Luffy stood up and walked to the door.

"I'm going to go find Robin and ask her directly!"

"You think she'll tell the truth?" Skeptical, Nami asked even as she walked over to leave with her leader. Sanji and Zoro also approached the door, managing to not get into an argument as they did so.

"She will! I know it! Robin isn't a bad person, and if I have to show Shanks that, then so be it!" He ran out the door, the others following him.

"I can't stand around and do nothing! It's time to get answers!"

Above the Going Merry, they missed how a few figures stared at them leave and follow the rubberman. They leapt across the rooftops, tailing the Red Haired gang members.

It had been a few hours since she had shown Luffy the techniques, and she was waiting patiently for the next step of her plan.

Her next move would be determined by the events that followed the discovery that she had been with Luffy. Hopefully, "Red-Haired" wouldn't attack on sight or something as silly as force her away from her belo-

"Yo! You're "The Bloodstained Massacre", aren't you?"

Turning, she saw that legendary Shanks stood with his equally famous captains, Benn Beckman and Lucky Roo. Yasopp was still away, tending to his son's safety.

"I do not go by such a name."

"How about "Arms of the Government"?" His expression was tense and expressionless, as expected of a man of his caliber.

"Nor do I go by that one as well." She approached the group, noticing how they looked prepared to execute her.

Not that she would allow them too. At the very least, she would wound them as much as she had to guarantee her escape.

"Well, there's only one other name I know of..."

"My name is Ni-"

"Why are you bothering my friend, "Devil Child"?"

At that, the woman stood still, glaring cold daggers at the three.

"Ah! That got me a reaction. Good to know that my information about you isn't all garbage."

"Refrain from calling me that, if you will. That name no longer applies to me."

"Does it? From what I've heard, everyone associated with such a name has either disappeared," His glare rose the tension between the four, "Or is dead. Which one were you preparing for Luffy?"

"Enough of this. I wanted to deal with you, "Red-Haired"." She needed to change the conversation quickly. A fight was something she didn't want as long as Luffy loved the man.

"...For what?" He allowed her to speak, rather than take the chance to cause more strife within the woman.

"I seek asylum from you to protect me against the government."

Shanks snorted, startling the two beside him.

"Protection? Why would you need that? Admit it, you don't need us to protect you."

"It's not really for me, but for our mutual friend."

"Luffy? Why would he need protection?"

"As I told your lovely assassin, Luffy's group is being targeted by the government. I'm not sure as to when they'll act, but in time, they'll attempt to take them out."

"And pray, tell us how they know about Luffy and the Going Merry?" The three looked suspicious of her, which was starting to sound alarms in her head.

"...I'm not sure how they know about the group, but I've eavesdropped a bit on my colleagues work. Most of them have been directed to this district, aiming for the group."

"What proof do you have?"

"Yesterday, they had attempted to attack Luffy. I'm sure your sniper told you about that."

"He also told me that you protected them from him."

Robin grit her teeth slightly, realizing her mistake.

"...Though I wish to turn on them, the assassins were once close partners of mine. I did not wish for them to meet their end in an alleyway."

"And I don't wish for my close friend to be deceived by the most egregious act that I've ever seen! What makes you think that we'll trust your word that you even feel the slightest for him-?"

"Don't," The word seeped through closed teeth and they realized she was shaking in anger, "Question my feelings for Luffy."

"This is quite unlike you, "Devil Child". I heard that you were intelligent, but all I see is a big fat lie. Though, I must admit, there must be more to this than I see..." Shanks sighed, "Look. Luffy trusts you. I, and my friends here, think that's a big mistake. Is...is there any other evidence you have that you want to help him? Anything you can tell us that will prove you want to turn against the government?"

Robin paused, thinking carefully. The anger still remained, something she cursed herself for, but she had controlled it enough so that she wouldn't murder the three in front of her.

"...I was the one that hacked into your computer, Benn Beckman."

"Ah!" The man gasped in surprise, "You were the hacker? Hm...it makes sense that I was beaten by you..."

"I don't have much evidence. The government keeps me on a rather short leash and I've had to obey their commands."

"Have you been given any serious orders?"

"I was tasked with the assassination of Marco, of Whitebeard's group-"

"Holy shit-!" The three almost drew their weapons on her then and there.

"But he's safe. I merely fought and subdued him." It took much effort to not react to their hostile movement.

"Hey, Shanks?" Benn motioned for Shanks to lend his ear, which he did, "If this is true, we could use this to bolster our relationship with the old man. If we were to return one of his "sons"..."

"That's true...though I don't think I would do it for an advantage. Just being on friendly terms with each other would be good enough for me..."

"Shanks? Should we believe her? I mean, alternatively we could try to kill her here..." Lucky Roo spoke up, "But the poor kid would be heartbroken. I don't think we would want that!" He smiled, despite the seriousness of the situation.

Shanks sighed deeply, thinking about the potential risks and benefits they could get. Accepting Robin could give them a huge advantage over the government, who would then back off for a bit, but if she was faking it...

They wouldn't live to see the next day.

"Well? What's your decision, "Red-Haired"?" They could hear some urgency in her voice, "I don't wish to hurry you, but I'm afraid Luffy is a very vulnerable target at the moment."

"Hm...gah!" Shanks ran a hand through his hair, "Alright. Here's what we'll-"

Before he could finish, a small object dropped in front of them, and in their surprise, it exploded into a light brighter than the sun.

"Hm?" Luffy stopped running to look down the street.

"What is it? Wait...do you even know where they are right now?!"

"I thought I saw something..."

"Oh god! We've been following Luffy! Curses...! I'm sorry, Nami-swan, I should have payed more attention...!"

"That's alright, Sanji." Nami pat the crying man's head, causing him to leap back in joy, "I forgot that he's...a bit restricted at the moment."

"Restricted? Isn't he the same? Like we agreed?" Zoro stressed the last part, hoping the man didn't hear Nami's speech.

"Yeah, he's still Luffy, but he went stupid. Usopp told us how he tried to get to the Going Merry and ended up halfway in hell."

"Hey..." Luffy muttered, "Are they over there?"

"Why are you asking us?!"

Though angered, Nami's expression quickly turned to surprise as Sanji picked her up and jumped in the air.

"H-Hey! What are you doing?!"

Looking back to where she was standing, her blood went cold when she saw the massive gouge in the ground.

"Oh? That was a nice dodge! You're good!" A rough, sardonic voice called out to them from above.

They saw the voice belonged to a man who had a large scar running down his left eye, and he wore a black outfit that looked more comfortable on a martial artist.

"I think I'm going to enjoy this!"

Zoro had dodged the ambush, hoping Luffy still retained enough of his former fighting prowess to also move out of the way, but he was beset by someone who was a little more skilled than he was.

Their swords clashed together a few times, deflecting the other's blade, but not striking any wounds upon the other.

"I say, you're rather skilled!" His assailant told him as they continued to fight, "I believe I will enjoy fighting a man of your caliber!"

"Who the hell are you?!" Zoro had been too focused on fighting, so he took a few steps back to observe his opponent.

And when he did, his mouth almost dropped in shock.

"U-Usopp?!"

"Usopp? Lad, my name is Kaku! Pleasure to meet you, but I apologize, for you have to die here." Zoro had been initially surprised by the man's long nose, but realized that it was square instead of round. The man also wore what appeared to be black track clothing and a baseball hat.

He grit his teeth and prepared to fight, a grin slowly forming on his face. The man might have been more skilled than him right now, but there was no point in fighting weaker opponents.

Fighting people stronger than yourself guaranteed improvement, but if he didn't win, he would die.

The ground exploded, sending Luffy to the side. He hit the wall with a loud thud, but he felt fine.

It wasn't that he didn't sense the attack, but he had been too focused on something else. He thought he felt Robin in the distance, but wasn't sure why.

"So...you're the target today." A man wearing a black suit with top hat appeared before him, "A pity you weren't more of a challenge." His hand was already coming down on the rubberman, his hand in a position familiar to him.

The man's fingers almost tore through his skin, but luckily his curse was able to prevent him from dying from a pierced lung.

"Oh? You're "cursed" aren't you?"

The man was even more surprised when Luffy accelerated from his kneeling position into his gut, using "Soru" to ram into the man.

"Guh...! You know "Shaving"?" The impact knocked some of the wind out of him, but he quickly recovered.

"That's a lame name. "Soru" sounds better!" Luffy took up a fighting stance as he glared at the man who stood across from him. They were in a rather confined alleyway after Luffy's stunt, but he could tell his friends were having problems of their own in the street.

"Hmph. I know of one person who might agree with you. My name is Lucci, and I will be the last person you see in this life."

"Thank you, Nico Robin, for leading them right into the trap!" Through their brightened blindness, they could hear the sound of a man using a megaphone.

They didn't need their sight to know that they were being surrounded by the military.

"You! Did we get tricked?!" Shanks cried out, taking his saber out while Benn and Lucky drew their guns.

"No! I...I didn't know!" Robin, recovering her sight, saw that more than a hundred men, probably with elite training, had their weapons trained on the four.

"Sorry, Robin." A voice she knew sounded near her, "I thought it was suspicious that you were able to save our lives. You weren't supposed to be in the area, but you were."

"Blueno..." A tinge of betrayal went through her before she quashed it. Blaming Blueno wouldn't help them at the moment, and he was right. She wasn't supposed to have been there to save their lives.

"It is regrettable, but we must end your contract here, Nico Robin! You have served us well, so we hope you obey your final order to die!"

"Well, that clears up some of your suspicion! Now we just have to get back to the others!" Benn remarked as he formulated his next move against the many armed forces they now faced.

Robin gasped, realizing who had gone after Luffy, "If you're here...then that means that..."

He was sent flying back, and Nami screamed in a mixture of fear and pain. The man they were fighting had tricked the cook, and had gone for her. A deep gash was in her side, but she was more worried about Sanji.

Sanji slowly got up, his clothes torn to shreds as the man used his inhuman claws to rip through flesh and cloth.

"Gyahahahaha! Are you really targets?! You can barely fight!" The man laughed, holding his sides from laughing so hard, "Man, I really got it easy, don't I?!"

"You bastard...!" The cook took a step forward, trying to ignore the pain, "How dare you attack a lady in such an underhanded way!"

"Please! Like I care about fair! If you weren't smart enough to figure out my plan, then maybe you should just die!"

"You're right...!" Gnashing his teeth, Sanji walked forward, "I should "just die"! Nami was hurt because of my incompetence, but before I die, I'll kill you!"

"Gyahahahaha! Stop it! You really are going to kill me! You're cracking me up!"

"Concassé!"

"Ha! Tekkai!"

Sanji had dropped to one hand and swung his leg to smash it into the man's side, but his muscles tensed up like steel cables.

"Gah! That's impressive, but "Shigan"!"

He drove his fingers into Sanji's side, though the cook turned in time to avoid a fatal wound.

"Anti-Manner...!"

The man was surprised as Sanji turned inwards, bringing the leg he kicked with closer to his body, and the cook rose from his low position using his other leg.

"...Kick Course!"

"Tekkai-!"

As Sanji's foot impacted his chin, the assassin regretted taking the hit. The cook's flexibility far surpassed what the man had thought and he payed for it by taking a big hit.

The blades that came at him innumerable, but he tried his best to block the ones that came down on him while he let the ones that wouldn't cause serious damage to cut his body.

"You lot sure are impressive! At first, I assumed we might be dealing with mere fodder, but you're keeping up pretty well! You have my compliments."

Kaku held two swords in his hands. They weren't quite as long as his own katana, but the user was quick enough to pose a formidable threat with the blades.

"Ha...ha...you're not bad either." They had traded a few wounds, but that last attack was unexpected.

"It's a shame that your three-sword style is weaker than my four. I enjoyed this fight, I'll have you know, but I really must finish it."

"Big words...let's see if you can back them up!" Rushing forward, Zoro brought his swords down onto the man, but Kaku blocked the hits and raised a leg in the air.

"Tempest Kick!"

One might think that trying to kick someone when they bared a sword at you was dangerous, but Zoro had already fallen for that trick once. He moved to the side to avoid the shockwave the leg produced, and he was still amazed at how cleanly it cut into the ground.

The blade of air slammed against a building, causing its inhabitants to cower in fear. Fighting would occasionally happen, but they had thought they were safe due to Shanks' influence in the area.

Zoro pressed forward, slipping one blade underneath the ones Kaku blocked with and slid to the side, swinging the swords in his hand and mouth to attempt to cut the man from beneath his guard, but Kaku twisted one of his swords to block the attack.

What the man didn't expect was Zoro to continue spinning, bringing the other sword to strike Kaku in his back.

Jumping away from Zoro, the assassin thought that he had escaped the technique, but was surprised when he felt cuts form on his chest and legs.

"...Remarkable! Are you becoming stronger as we fight?"

Zoro grunted, satisfied that he wounded the strange man.

"Why don't we keep fighting, or perhaps this isn't going the way you had planned?"

Kaku grinned as he felt a tinge of excitement run through him.

"Don't disappoint me now!" They ran towards each other, intending to see who was the better swordsman.

Luffy struggled to stand. Wounds covered his body and his blood stained the alleyway red. The man, Lucci, stood in front of him with far less injuries.

"It seems that this is the extent of your abilities." He sighed, "How pathetic. I thought it would have been a little more exciting after you used "Shaving"."

The rubberman clenched his fists and tried to think how he could win this fight. So far, his opponent was better at every aspect. The only reason he had lived this long was because of his curse.

"Shigan!"

Grunting, Luffy dodged the man's attack, but crashed against the wall.

"Tempest Kick!"

Ducking, he also dodged the blade of air that cut through the wall, eliciting screams from within.

"Hey! Stop doing that!" He shouted as threw a punch, but was dismayed when Lucci merely stepped to the side as his fist smashed against the wall.

"Make me." Lucci told him as he drove his fingers into Luffy's chest.

Luffy grabbed his hands and used "Soru" to push them both into the wall, denting it. Lucci only used his other hand to stab Luffy, but he had to take a sharp hit in the form of Luffy's own "Shigan" in his side.

"Gr! You know our techniques?! Who taught you?!"

"A friend!" The rubberman shouted as he threw the man into the opposite wall with the hand buried in his side.

Lucci cursed at the injury the criminal gave him. The rubberman's skin tore away at his own and that last move had ripped a considerable amount of flesh from his side. Blood poured out of his side like a fountain, and he knew that his opponent had wounded his kidney.

"I'm impressed." Even though the pain was great, his voice was steady, "Whoever taught you took advantage of your strange body, no, it seems your body was strong enough to perform the techniques. What kind of life have you led, I wonder?"

Distracted, Luffy thought of his grandfather and the hellish things the man had put him through.

"But it ends here." Lucci's tone turned bestial as his form started to grow.

"Prepare to die."

"Shit! Luffy's in trouble!" Shanks, with his clenched teeth and glare, forced many of the men to step back in fear.

"Alright men! Fi-!"

The man on the megaphone was quieted, causing confusion among the enemy ranks.

"I...I need to go." The three criminals turned to see the masked woman shaking, and her arms were crossing her chest.

The many cries of surprise and for mercy erupted from the men as something grabbed a hold of all of them, but they were soon silenced.

Robin left, using an advanced form of "Soru" only she was capable of and the three criminals stood in shock.

"Woah...she killed them all..."

Lucky Roo laughed, despite the carnage he had witnessed, "It's a good thing we weren't going to fight her, right? I'm not sure if we could have won!"

"We can debate that later, but we have to get to Luffy and the others!" Shanks cried out, already moving to the Going Merry.

He seemingly disappeared from the area with his friends as they rushed to try to save their friends.

She sensed Luffy and his friend's current location. She also felt the signatures of three other people she knew.

Never had she thought that the government would consider the group to be that much of a threat to warrant the attention of CP9. Blueno and Kalifa were with them, but they weren't as strong as the Jabra, Kaku, or Lucci, so they were assigned to other, lesser important missions.

Robin was getting extremely anxious. Luffy wasn't ready to fight someone like those three. He had defeated Crocodile, but they were both normal humans.

Those three were anything but normal. Lucci was also "cursed", which made it worrisome that he would participate in this mission.

A small crater formed where she landed on the rooftop that overlooked the three assassins.

"Collier!"

"Tekkai Kenpo: Rōga!"

She saw a blonde man swing his leg at an injured Jabra's neck, who tried to grab the man's leg with his unnaturally long fingernails. The man's leg lowered ever so slightly below the assassin's grasp that it hit his chest instead.

"Longe!"

Twisting, the man lowered himself and tried to sweep Jabra's legs, but he was blocked by tekkai. Even with the iron body, she could tell that he felt it.

"Santen Découpage!"

Trying to conserve his momentum, the blonde man turned again and sent three fast kicks towards Jabra, who had only managed to block the one to the chest, but was unable to do anything against the one that hit his face and legs.

Jabra stumbled as the blonde man spun, and spun, and continued to spin in the same direction.

"Mouton...!"

His leg seemed to glow as he sent it forward, into Jabra's gut.

"...Shot!"

The assassin was sent into the far wall, cratering it greatly as he fell unconscious.

Kaku, who had been fighting a green haired man was on the defensive, was being pushed back by the swordsman's three swords. He tried to use "Tempest Kick", but every time he tried, the swordsman would suddenly push even harder, almost overcoming the man a few times.

She could tell Kaku would lose. The man he was fighting had much more endurance than the man, but not only that, but she could see the spirit in the other man's eyes.

They were the eyes of someone who wouldn't lose, not even if they lost their life.

They must have been Luffy's friends. Robin could see a woman running to the blonde man's side as he slumped forward, possibly losing consciousness.

She observed the two for as long as she could until she looked to where Luffy was.

Snarling, Lucci in his "cursed" state stabbed Luffy's hand as the rubberman tried to punch him. It backfired as Luffy used the force of Lucci's hand to rotate his body, bringing his other hand to smash him in the face.

He didn't seem to notice how his injured hand flew back, almost reaching the other end of the alleyway, but he took advantage of it by pulling it back and delivering a powerful blow to the leopardman.

The walls of the area had been demolished so much that one could see the other side. Sadly, some people had been unable to escape the fight, and she could see some of their remains as the survivors cried in fear and anguish.

She had not expected Luffy to be fighting Lucci in his current state. It was obvious the man was hurt, as blood covered his body, but she knew it was also some of Lucci's.

Their fighting must have gone on for quite a while as they seemed exhausted. Robin felt the need to move in quick, before something dangerous happened.

And her fears started to become valid as Lucci brought his hands together, preparing to use a fearsome technique.

"Luffy! Move away!" Using "Soru" she was already moving towards the two, but she had taken too long.

Either he didn't hear her, he ignored her, or he couldn't stop moving, Luffy rushed in, raising a fist to punch the man in the face.

"Ultimate Radius: Six King Pistol!"

The impact was strong enough to shatter the wall behind Luffy, and the building started to come down as it continued through the building's supports.

He must have been desperate. That move wasn't used lightly due to the exhaustion after using it, but also because of the damage it could cause to the area.

Robin analyzed in the back of her mind, but she didn't give it another second of her time.

Her mind was racing at Luffy's condition as his hand, which used to be a fist, grabbed onto Lucci's face in pain.

His body hit the ground with a sickening thud, accompanied by the sound of him falling into a pool of his own blood. Luffy's hand tore away at the skin on Lucci's face, blinding him for a moment as he held it in pain.

Robin stood still as she reached Luffy. Absently, she noted that he bled more than a normal person could. That he needed medical attention, but she couldn't pick him up due to his internal injuries.

"Gah...!" Lucci opened an eye, "Gr..." He growled, noticing Robin standing before Luffy, "So, you're finally here? You're late. I already got the target. He put up a fight, but it won't be long before he passes."

His eyes were still open, and he blankly stared at her. His hand twitched as he tried to reach out to her.

She reached down, grasping his hand in hers.

A small smile formed on his face before he closed his eyes.

"Thirty Six Flower Cannon"

Lucci let out a gasp in surprise and pain as arms came out of his body, piercing his limbs to hold him up against the wall as three pairs of arms came out, aiming at his head, his heart, and his abdomen.

"What are you-!?"

An immense pressure was forced through his body, but left the wall behind him unharmed. The leopard man fell to the ground, but she had held back.

Before her eyes, her light was going to leave her life and throw her back in the darkness.

Shanks arrived with the others. They had checked the Going Merry, but found that it was burning to the ground. Whether it was the act of assassins, or the government had planned this while they had ambushed the three was unknown, but they searched far and long to find their friends.

They succeeded, but as they met Zoro, Nami, and Sanji, a figure cloaked in black and wearing a mask came out of the alleyway, a bloodied Luffy in their arms.

His friends called out his name and ran to him, but she went directly to Shanks, knowing that he could still save his life.

"Please..." She managed to plead as she presented his damaged body to the shocked "Red Haired" boss.

"...Save him."

Alright, that's it! The end! It's been fun!

Jk, I'm not sure when I'm going to end it. Gah...I really hate endings.

Hope you enjoyed! I'm a little unsatisfied, but I wanted to update. At least, get it out of the way because I've been working on it for a few days.

As to the techniques name, I said "Cannon" instead of "Gun" for a reason. It's a lot stronger, I guess? Meh, whatever.