Disclaimer: Bi-rlup! Bi-rlup! Hello? Ah, Robin isn't in today as she's searching for the true history. Until then, please leave a message and she'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Nico Robin in…
Too Many Limbs
Ding-a-ling! Ding-a-ling! A small, silver bell sounded above the door as a tall, dark-haired woman entered the tiny shop; an aura of beauty and mystery encasing her while quick eyes scanned its contents.
She'd heard about the obscure shop by asking the locals various questions as she usually did.
Apparently, the owner was incredibly eccentric, with vast collections of knowledge and constant murmurings of conspiracies. He was simply what they called a quack, despite his worldliness. So, with this discouraging information, why did the archaeologist want to visit this store? She couldn't pass up any possible leads to the Void History and the contemporary bookstores downtown were decidedly unhelpful. Though, the medical section might interest their furry doctor.
As the woman walked deeper into the cramped room, her high heels making hardly a sound on the wood floor, her interest was aroused.
The inside of the shop had an air of a pack rat and the many things he had collected. Just by glancing at the bookcases filled with volumes, scrolls and even inscribed stones was enough for her to see that this person hadn't thrown anything away, from the dustiest recesses to the shiniest baubles. Yet, he seemed to have an excellent eye for priceless artifacts that could be predetermined as useless junk by the average collector.
Forms of writing weren't the only objects inside, and while she glided between shelves, a glass case made her pause momentarily. Her blue eyes were reflected in its depths and she brought a hand up to briefly touch and trace the contours of a skull, one with horns, fangs and a jagged hole in the back; a dragon's skull. Beside it, was a curious crystal sphere, a book the size of her fingernail and a velvet drawstring bag that had the appearance of breathing.
She probably would've been entranced by these for a while longer and had commenced reading a plaque underneath, when a thump and bitter mumble made her look up and turn towards the noise.
Within moments, the woman made her way through piles of haphazardly stacked items, priceless mind you, only to see a tiny specimen of a man standing on a tall, rickety ladder.
He was leaning far to the right with a large book in hand and the muscles in his back were straining. On tiptoes, he looked like he would topple over any moment and at the slightest touch.
"Would you like some help?" she asked
"Eh?"
The little man started and his head whipped around when to see the strange woman. Yet, in the process, he swayed dangerously and the ladder groaned before giving away altogether so he plummeted toward the floor.
"Ack!"
His eyes were shut tight in anticipation of the pain, but it never came in the tumultuous clamor that followed.
Upon seeing the man fall, she summoned a net of arms to catch him. She watched as he opened his eyes and clambered to his feet, dusting off his trousers, seeming to have not noticed the anomaly before. The arms had already vanished.
While he adjusted his spectacles, the woman saw fit to offer her apologies, though her calm demeanor remained unchanged.
"Are you okay? I didn't mean to frighten you."
A book fell from his hands and he seemed to realize he wasn't alone. Yet, his surprise quickly lapsed into a wrinkled smile. "I'm fine, fine. If you hadn't caught me miss… miss…?"
He blinked, as if recalling his manners and ashamed that he hadn't asked this young lady her name earlier.
"Robin. Nico Robin." A bemused smile crept to her face. What a funny man he was.
Relieved, he exclaimed, "Ah! Miss Robin! Without you, I would be in a very sorry condition indeed!" He rolled back the sleeves of his oversized robes and stuck his hand out. "Excuse my forgetfulness, you can call me Del." Robin took his hand; grateful this man didn't harbor resentment for her being the cause for his fall in the first place.
Del rubbed his hands together and turned in a slow circle. His smile faded as he surveyed the damage. Heaps of books had been shook from their precarious positions and looked almost sorrowful in their plight. It was only good fortune that none of the more fragile pieces had been victimized.
Frowning, he bent over to retrieve the volume he'd dropped. The same one that he'd been trying to put away when the archaeologist walked in.
It wouldn't make much of a difference cleaning up this mess however and the dark-haired woman deigned to be of use.
She crossed her arms. "Let me."
While the old man was still reaching for the book, a hand bloomed from the hardwood floor. He didn't make a sound, but his expression said it all as the limb took hold of the book and tossed it. Another hand appeared on the top shelf and deftly grasped the cover. Within moments, the book had been transported and fit snugly between two of its brothers on the shelf.
"T-that w-was…" Resigning herself to the usual fear, Robin waited. "… Amazing!"
This man seemed to get over shock very swiftly and an excited grin was firmly in place. "I haven't met a real Devil Fruit user for… a good twenty years!"
Del began to scurry about, gathering up books and loose paper in his scrawny arms. He started clearing away odds and ends so two overstuffed arm chairs were eventually revealed, having previously been completely covered with journals.
"Come! Come!" he gestured for Robin to sit as he cleaned and searched for a place to put his stuff.
But, the archaeologist wasn't ready to settle down yet. "Are you this store's owner?"
He glanced at her. "Oh, yes, yes! Owned this place for, what was it? Forty years? Forty-five? Something like that."
"Hm…" Robin gave in to the man's hospitality and took a seat. "That's very impressive."
That pleased him; it was obvious as his eyes lit up. "You think so? Well I-"
"Would you like some help tidying up?" she offered with a patient smile.
She addressed it in a way he couldn't refuse. After all, she was responsible for some of this mess, though the confines of the room with its clutter already a nightmare before.
For several hours, Robin worked alongside Del, making the shop a little easier on the eyes and significantly easier to navigate. It would be more right to say, she made sure the elderly man did as little as possible due to his evident frailness, as she used her ability to make better progress. Del wouldn't miss the chance to see arms working steadily with no attachment to a body and, after a while, stopped protesting having his "honored guest" work so hard.
Instead, he scribbled notes in a leather journal and was content to answer any questions Robin had for him or his antiques. However, Robin didn't miss the occasional times when the corners of his mouth would draw down in a frown and his shoulders would tense.
It seemed the shop owner did have a limit and it showed itself sooner than she would have liked.
Robin reclined in one of the chairs after they had finished cleaning up the mess and improving the shop's claustrophobic atmosphere. The air was still cloying and thicker than usual, but the knowledge she was privy to now was enough to distract her from such downfalls.
Not long ago, Del had disappeared into a back room, bidding her to wait and he would make some tea and coffee. As soon as his cheery whistle had faded, Robin had begun to wonder more about who this man was. It was strange to see a shop like this nowadays and filled with eccentricities disapproved of by the general public. She would think Del wouldn't have survived on whatever meager earnings he probably got for his wondrous items.
Then again, this peculiarity took a backseat as Robin resolved to ask the question that had been nagging her all this while.
"Here we go!" Del trotted in with a tray and set it down on a table. "One cube or two?"
"What?" Robin glanced up from her reading and saw him looking at her expectantly. "Oh, none please. Thank you."
She graciously accepted her coffee and sat back until the old man finished fixing his tea. After letting the hot drink cool a little, she took a sip. The rich flavor calmed her with its familiarity and she was reassured where she'd been uneasy earlier.
Del appeared relaxed as well and Robin chose to push forward.
"This is quite a compilation of information you have, Del-san. The quality of your collection is just as remarkable." The flattery wasn't meant to be over the top, as Robin meant to go about this in a subtle way, but the old man chuckled in delight.
"It's nothing, though it wasn't a simple task finding most of my items, Miss Robin. "
Robin nodded and cupped the coffee in her hands. "Yes… but much of the history they preserve is very obscure. For instance…" She held up the thin book she'd been reading. It detailed an expedition in the New World to uncover the cause behind an entire island's destruction under unexplainable circumstances. "… You wouldn't find this anywhere, would you?"
The laughter died on Del's lips. "But, of course you already know that," he murmured. Quietly, the archaeologist observed the sudden wariness around the shopkeeper. She would have to approach this carefully.
"You wouldn't happen to have anything concerning the Poneglyphs or the Void History, perhaps?"
Abruptly, he choked on his scalding tea and the next few moments were uninterrupted except for his coughing. Finally, he held his hand to his chest, took a deep breath and put his mug down.
"It's time for you to go."
That unexpected declaration made Robin glance sharply at the man. Del was shaky, his face no longer smiling and deathly pale. If she hadn't known better, she would have guessed he was incredibly ill.
Her desire to know more kept her from moving but stopped the words on her tongue.
Gripping the arms of the chair, the old man looked down at the ground. "You have to go. Now. Please," he repeated, a desperate note creeping into his voice.
Though she didn't understand the situation yet, Robin complied.
"I'll leave. Thank you for your kindness, Del-san."
With a polite bow of her head and an equally distant smile, she gracefully rose and left the shop with more questions then when she'd arrived.
Soon after the door closed behind the woman and the bells quieted, Del moved. He eased up on his grip on the chair, though his fingers continued to clench and unclench. His breathing was rattling even as he tried to calm himself.
Del's eyes roved the room then suddenly halted on a wanted poster on his desk. A familiar pair of cool blue eyes framed by pitch- black hair stared back at the small man.
He waited a little longer, then, with his heart in his throat, reached for a Den Den Mushi. "I'm sorry, Miss Nico Robin."
0~0~0
Darkness had fallen, dense and menacing in its completeness. However, Robin did not fear it. She welcomed it with open arms like she would an old acquaintance. That it was, as she'd lived in a world of darkness for so long before she met Luffy and the others that she was immune to its effects.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Her footsteps fell on the cobbled stone streets without hurry, in the same manner she would use when she took an evening walk. This went on without pause during which Robin was deep in thought.
She had been close. So very close to a breakthrough, she knew the old man had known something, but the terror written on his features had caused her to waver. In the resolve that was usually so steely, because she'd seen that terror, but reflected on her own. A mingling of confused emotions had muddled her judgment… and it would do so again.
So absorbed was Robin with her thoughts that she neglected to hear the second set of footsteps that had since joined hers.
Tap. Tap. Robin tensed, but continued walking at the same pace. Then she suddenly stopped. Tap. T-. The phantom person halted as well. She resumed along her path.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap! Crack!
Abruptly, the sound increased and the woman sped up, urged on not by fear, but by instinct. Her follower began to run. Robin reached a crossroads. Left or right, where should she go? Then she saw a smaller road far to the side, nearly hidden. She swiftly veered and sprinted down the street.
The pursuer was hot on her heels, their feet pounding almost as loud as her heart, which didn't seem to possess quite the calm assurance Robin's mind did. Finally, she slowed and came to a complete stop. There was the skid of stones as the other person noticed.
It wasn't a dead end and there was nothing to prevent the archaeologist from fleeing further. But, still, she stood unmoving, her back to place from where she'd come.
"Given up already?" the unnamed man spoke with a smirk. There was a series of shuffling, barely heard and infused with practiced stealth. Robin kept her eyes trained on the ground beneath her feet, refusing to look up even as dark figures surrounded her.
Yet, the voices piqued her interest.
"Is that her?" young, probably a new recruit wondered nervously.
His comrades hushed him, but whispered among themselves anyway. "I think so… the one that sunk all those ships…"
"What a scary person…"
One voice rose above and silenced the rest. It held an air of command and Robin's head jerked slightly. She despised the way he spoke and she stiffened.
"You…" There was a pause more disturbing than his tone. "The Demon of Ohara. Your under arrest by order of the World Government unit Cipher Pol. 8."
Smiling, Robin turned around to face a slim man dressed in black from head to toe like the others. Only his eyes were visible, a white sash across his chest and a katana on his hip.
"Is it routine for assassination squads of the World Government to announce their name?" she inquired.
The man caught her implication and gripped the hilt of his sword.
He growled, "Your in no position to be acting cocky!" His furious gaze swept to one of his men while also staying on the woman. "Report!" he barked.
"Yes sir!" A baby Den Den Mushi was retrieved from a bag around the man's waist. There was a crackle of static before it connected, "Sir! Of the two Devil Fruit users, we have found Nico Robin!"
Still fingering his katana, the leader snapped, "Permission to execute."
Hurriedly, the message was relayed in the form of a question. Robin clearly heard the reply, "Permission granted."
For the first time as the assassins strung their longbows, aimed their crossbows and primed their daggers, she took in her situation. Murky figures only distinguishable by their offensive positions were firmly footed on all sides; on the ground and perched on the roofs. Above, moonlight pierced the shadows and reflected the glint of metal. Robin would see her death coming.
Closing her eyes and taking a calming breath, she raised her arms. The commanding chief of the operation saw her move and recognized the position from the files. Drawing his sword, he thrust in the air and shouted.
"FIRE!"
It was at the moment that coincided with another turn of events.
"Stop!" Robin's eyes shot open to see a small form rushing between her and her attackers.
A very familiar one clutching his bathrobe close to him and wearing fuzzy slippers while he panted and wheezed.
"Del-san! Wait!"
His face grew horrified as realization struck, but it was too late. Glittering teeth borne on wings of air shot toward them and Robin reacted.
Though she moved swiftly, merely a blur, to cover the short distance, she only had time to protect. Her body shielded the old man as she murmured words.
"Cien Fleur."
Waves of arms appeared and stretched out to cover Robin and Del from the vicious onslaught. She was able to knock several enemies out with the grasping hands, seeking retribution.
Retribution for the blood that was drawn as numerous arrows and knives struck her. Robin bit back a cry of the pain that was multiplied tenfold by just standing there, holding her stance.
Finally, she could hold her power no longer and collapsed to the ground next to the man she'd saved, her strength sapped and limbs leaden with exhaustion. Red coated her arms and Robin hoped the panicked shouts and enraged cries that were getting farther away weren't because of her injuries.
0~0~0
"Miss Robin? Miss Robin!" Her vision swam so Del's face appeared like it would in funhouse mirrors, but she pushed forward anyways. She got to her knees with the clear intention to continue their escape.
Del saw this and protested, "Your arms!"
Robin's gaze flicked to the blood streaming down her skin and soaking into the dirt, and smiled.
"Thank you. I'll be okay."
The old man looked ready to stop Robin from standing when he sighed and shook his grey hair out of his eyes.
"I owe you," Del replied and stayed by the woman's side anxiously. "I could only bring you a little further away from them."
She gasped from the pain from her arms and leaned against the wall they crouched behind. Her companion hurried over and draped her arm over his shoulder.
"They're still looking for us."
A little color returned to Robin's cheeks. "Then we'd better keep going."
As best they could with her injuries and Del's wheezing breaths, the two targets of Cipher Pol. 8 fled through the night. The twists and turns looked all the same to Robin, but she trusted Del, even if his actions earlier were suspicious and he was a stranger. Sometimes Robin just knew when to trust her gut and this was one of them while she let the man lead her through the town's streets.
They must have backtracked and taken misleading cuts to confuse the assassins because they eventually arrived back at Del's shop. Robin allowed him to bring her to the building, but warily. Her would-be-killers would be watching this place, as they had probably tracked her from here before she was surrounded.
But the weary archaeologist's misgivings on this decision were relieved when Del brought her around the back. He paused at a wall, blank, with no door and gently sat Robin against the stone.
He appraised the ground and scuffed it with his slippered feet, muttering, "Where did I put it? It must be around here somewhere… maybe… aha!"
With an exalted grin, Del bent down, cleared away the remaining dust and revealed a metal hatch buried in the dirt. Curious, Robin turned to see the anomaly and waited until the shopkeeper unlatched it. An entrance opened with steps leading down into the earth.
Brushing his hands off, he moved back and walked to Robin. He glanced back at the secret back way with palpable pleasure.
"Good, good. I thought I'd lost it." Del extended his hand, except the woman was already standing and also smiling.
"Ready to go, Del-san?"
"Yes, yes!" he cried and shooed her over before supporting her weight again. "We've got a lot to do before they find us!"
And so they dived beneath the world, the hatch easing shut behind them.
0~0~0
While Del secured a lock on the door at the bottom of the staircase, Robin took a seat in a simple wooden chair next to a simple wooden table and observed.
It was a secret basement that much was certain, and it had been made with considerable effort and care. The walls were a mixture of ground stone and packed soil creating a room spacious enough for three or four people and belongings. This was particular interesting because the elderly shop owner didn't seem to live with anyone else, so why would he need so much space?
There was also a collection of sophisticated instruments on the table and more artifacts in crates around the room; another peculiarity that Robin intended to find out.
Finished locking up best he could, Del approached the archaeologist. He paused for a moment and looked at her wounds. "I'm glad you're resting, we're going to have to fix that up."
Robin was appreciative, but had to decline. Her own health wasn't a priority for her at the time.
"No. I insist," he argued, suddenly becoming serious. Though it was hard to look serious when you were dressed in your bathrobe and fuzzy slippers. "Don't worry, I've studied medicine a bit. "
He gathered up a bag beneath the table that appeared very similar to the one Chopper used aboard the Thousand Sunny, set it next to the woman's head and scanned its contents. Carefully, he selected a pair of surgical tweezers, rubbing alcohol, cotton balls, and gauze.
"May I?" Del glanced pointedly at her arms.
Relenting, Robin raised one arm for him to examine. He took it gingerly, his discomfort as plain as Robin's. Even the slightest pressure brought the cuts and punctures to burn. Yet, the man stopped his trembling and got to work.
Alcohol was swabbed onto the deepest gashes with the cotton to begin, and Del commenced talking, possibly hoping to distract her from the pain. Robin was used to getting hurt, in more ways then one, but listened eagerly.
"I know what I'm doing, at least enough to get things done," Del stated vaguely, his tone detached. Robin wasn't sure if he was talking about his doctoring skills or his profession in general. She didn't speak and he continued.
"But, I've made my share of mistakes and… I'm sorry."
His guilty eyes rose from his task as if to confirm the woman's reaction. There was none, even as Del confessed, "I'm sorry, Miss Robin. I notified those men that you were here. It's my entire fault, and you got hurt because of it… I'm a terrible person…"
Del's choked words grew to broken sobs and snapped her out of her daze. She met his watery gaze and for the second time saw the hopelessness that was so familiar and so common in people these days.
"No. You're not."
Not believing his ears, Del glanced at the dark-haired woman. "Eh?"
She didn't take her eyes from the man's while she asked.
"Who did they take from you?"
Their heartbeats had gotten abruptly louder, but the implications of Robin's question drove deeper.
Neither person had to clarify who "they" was. It was the same ruling body that protected people for false reasons, and persecuted others unjustly, using them and then tossing them away like a torn doll.
Robin noticed this in Del now more than ever before.
He bowed his head from the pain and his hands stopped in the methodical motion of cleaning her injuries.
"My grandson."
His words were so soft Robin could barely hear him even though she was nearby. Yet, it also confirmed her guess that there was something more to the small man, something heavier.
"I was one of the top researchers for the World Government," Del confessed. "I was paid to look for and record history as accurate and… sided with them, of course. Eventually, I discovered the truth in my searching. It was bound to happen and I supposedly retired from that job, but really, I just couldn't work there anymore."
For a while, Robin had chosen to listen silently, yet she spoke up now. "So, that's how you know about the true history?"
Del smiled sheepishly and his regret was evident. "Hai. I shouldn't be surprised a bright young lady like you figured that out. I learned bits here and there from the traces the government had left behind. When I left, they had no idea about what I knew, but they found out. They always do." He chuckled bitterly. "It's barely been four years since they seeked me out and demanded I keep the information I know under lock and key or I would be tried for treason. However, that's no guarantee is it? That's when they took my grandson, just eight years old, and assured me he would be safe… if I didn't spill anything."
"I'm sorry."
"Ah! Don't fret about me, Miss Robin! I've been talking too much. Let's see how your arms are doing."
They both looked down at the wounds as Del continued to clean them. "They're not life threatening," he reassured her. "Though you've lost enough blood to make movement dangerous… I have a question if you don't mind. Am I right to guess that the damage you take on your extra limbs is all concentrated into your original ones when your use ends?"
The thought had occurred to Robin. "I believe so."
"Hmm… eh? What's this?"
Suddenly, Del's brow creased and the archaeologist glanced at what was wrong. She saw it immediately. He methodically removed his tweezers from a puncture wound, smaller than the rest and Robin winced ever so slightly, more from the sight of a thin metal needle than the pain.
The old man began to look for similar holes and within minutes had a small pile of metal bits on the medical tray.
"Interesting," Robin complimented him on his skills, impressed.
However, Del didn't seem to agree with her. "I don't know what it is, but think I got all of it out." He whipped out the bandages and wrapped them around her arms. After he tied the knot, Robin rolled down her sleeves to cover the patchwork and stood.
She smiled at the man as he put his things away. He didn't see the good side of himself at all; just the sides that worked to keep secrets and would easily betray someone else. Yet, Robin guessed it hadn't been easy, even with a complete stranger he was kind.
A series of thumps and other noise above ground caused loose dirt to spill down. Robin's gaze went to the ceiling. Would it hold if Cipher Pol. 8 tried to break their way in? And, if it did, had they insured their capture by trapping themselves in this room? She glanced at Del.
He was in a frenzy. One moment, he was pacing around the room and the next he dove into the pile of belongings in one corner and dug around like a crazed mole. Stifling a laugh, the dark-haired woman quietly waited and kept an ear out for the situation above. She didn't dare grow another ear or eye, however, because, though she hadn't told the old man, she felt a little shaky and weaker than usual. Not the feeling from when she got near sea stone, but the kind when she'd been drugged…
"Huff!" Del's head popped over a bag of clothing and his arms bore two backpacks among other things. He struggled back to the table and began to pack supplies. First aid kit, preserved fruits and meat, water canteen, extra coat, blanket, matches, and, after momentary hesitation, a baby Den Den Mushi.
Robin walked to his side. "What are you doing?"
He gave her an incredulous look, as if he couldn't believe she was asking a stupid question, but she stared back coolly.
"We're getting you out of here, that's what we're doing!" Del grunted and shoved stuff in faster as more soil fell from above.
"There's two bags," Robin pointed out.
It was Del's turn to be the stupid one. He sighed, "I'm coming with you."
The archaeologist shook her head. "You've done enough for me, Del-san. I don't want to get you into any more danger."
"That's not what I mean," he argued, frustration plain on his expressive face. "I can't stay here anymore, they've already branded me as a traitor." He turned away from Robin. "… If I'm lucky, I can get to my grandson before they do."
Robin merely nodded. She couldn't stop Del from trying to get back what he lost and dying would do that dream no good. She was afraid to hope that this desperate action would succeed, and didn't think it would come to a close without bloodshed, but she hoped anyway.
"Anyways," Del sniffed. "We have to hurry."
He faced a small stack of books to his right and tucked several into one of the bags. One of the books he held in his gnarled hands and stared at. He didn't put this one inside. Instead, he reached out and put it in Robin's startled hands.
"Here. I came across only parts of the Void History during most of my time as a researcher. But this…" he gestured to the frayed book. "… This had some excellent, if encrypted, clues to the Rio Poneglyph."
Robin looked down at the small volume she held with a new and utter fascination. Her thirst for knowledge was awakened instantly. It could be priceless information and, in this bizarre twist of fate, the historian actually discovered it was within her grasp.
"You can't return it. I'm giving it to you as a gift," Del tried to be gruff and nonplus, but failed miserably. His grin said he was delighted with Robin's reaction. "I couldn't read the language there, but you might have more luck with it than I did."
Still at a loss for words and smiling at the cunning old man who definitely knew more than he hinted at, Robin dipped her head gratefully.
Del wagged a finger and shouldered his pack as she did likewise, sliding her new book into the smaller pocket. "Don't thank me yet, we still have a long way to go!"
He tossed her a nondescript cloak to wear and donned was as well. Swiftly, they ducked through the back entrance and ran. Then, a fiery explosion obscured their path and sight.
0~0~0
Out of pure instinct, Robin swung herself and Del to the side and ducked. Pieces of burning wood and glass shrapnel flew through the air right where their heads had been a second before. She watched the smoke intensely for the culprits. When none appeared she got up and helped Del. He was coughing relentlessly, the combination of stinging heat and ash-laden smoke hell on his lungs that had seen better days.
But, he coughed one last time and determinedly pushed forward with the archaeologist beside him. They didn't say a word until they escaped the worst of inferno and only then did Del gasp.
His shop and home, or what was left of it, had been transformed into fifteen feet of roaring flames, dancing eerily in the brightening night. The continuous crackle and popping as the wood and stone relented reminded Robin of another night, many years ago and different, but for one reason they were the same.
Leave nothing, not a trace, not a soul, behind to tell the truth.
The World Government had destroyed both their lives with that statement and the symbolic flame. Robin touched Del's shoulder gently and guided him away from his old home.
And, perhaps, out of her normal way of doing things, she would have extended more than a touch of empathy. That is, if the ones responsible hadn't appeared before them.
0~0~0
"Delshigo Gigoku?" a skeptical voice called from behind the black fabric that cloaked must of his body. "Ha! You've got to be joking me! This geezer can't still be alive!"
"Couldn't? Or wouldn't?" another, familiar one questioned. A white sash was highlighted by the fire and smoke behind them. "Such a man simply refuses to die."
Robin's skin crawled as she recognized the leader of the assassination squad. Del glared at the first man as if he'd personally insulted him.
"I don't go by that name anymore," he growled. "And you…" Del tried to step towards the head of Cipher Pol. 8, but tripped and Robin supported him as he leaned heavily. He gave her a tiny smile, but shook her off. This was his issue. "Where did you hide Niko?"
The white-sash man seemed confused before his eyes sparked with recognition. "Oh! You mean that little, red-haired brat?" What part of his face that was visible took on a sly cast. "He should be fine… when he gets out of his punishment for misbehaving."
"Why you dirty, piece of backwater trash-!" Del lunged at the man, but one of his comrades slid between them and in an instant he was on the ground, unmoving. The dark clothed man lowered the hand he'd used to hit Del with and lifted his head to his superior, who faced another member of the assassins.
"Tell them we've located and aim to kill the second Devil Fruit user!"
In the midst of this trouble, Robin had rushed to Del's side and was insuring he was still breathing when she heard the command. The meaning was conveyed with an acknowledging shiver. She twitched in surprise and glanced down at the unconscious shopkeeper. Could he really be…?
Her physical reaction had been noted by the tall man, "It seems you didn't know the true identity of your ally, Nico Robin."
It could've been the smirk in his voice, Del's secret or her own bitterness at the World Government, yet either way, one or all of them set off the usually levelheaded archaeologist.
She raised her bandaged arms.
The assassins braced themselves, ready to aim their weapons, but their leader held up a hand to stop them. Robin saw the peculiar action.
What are you plotting? She wondered, but it hardly mattered. After they were paralyzed, she could get some answers.
"Veinte Fleur."
Arms appeared from behind the assassins and they reached for their bows. Their panic was quickly wiped away though, when those arms sprouted on the ground as well and started to tangle and grasp at each other… and at her. Robin's eyes widened and she concentrated harder. Her powers didn't want to cooperate no matter how she tried. Abruptly, they have out altogether and she fell to her knees, panting from the effort.
An eerie chuckle sounded in her ears. "How'd you like that, Nico Robin? It's a new drug invented in our labs to make a Devil Fruit user's powers useless by turning them against you." The leader's voice was close, too close. "That's what happens when you mess with the Devil!"
Swish!
Crying out, Robin clutched her side where a gash spilled blood over her hands. She gazed up at the unforgiveable man standing above her. He sheathed his katana and Robin thought she could see a real demon in his single-minded purpose.
To rid the world of people like her, and Del. Yet, they seemed to have forgotten something important.
BOOM!
They didn't rule the will of the world or the heart of the fire they created.
Despite her injuries, Robin used the second explosion to the best of her advantage. She grabbed Del, who was just coming to and stumbled as far away as she could while Cipher Pol. 8 tried to control the chaos they'd unwittingly created.
Partially hidden behind a dilapidated shed, they tried to recuperate.
Del was in no condition to speak, as the assassin had stabbed a dagger in his left thigh in a split moment after he slapped him, but he did so anyways. Because he wasn't merely stupid when it came to these things, he was stupid and stubborn. Robin smiled at how well he and Luffy would get along.
"I-I'm sorry," he spluttered as he fought for breath. "I-I should've told you about me… about how they wanted my head too-"
Robin had put his head in her lap and now placed a finger over his lips.
"That's enough. You're hurt."
"But-"
A sharp glance from the woman effectively shut him up. Yet now Robin had finally regained her breath, she needed to decide what to do next. The cut in her side caused her agony, but she'd stopped the bleeding some for there and for Del's wound with the bandages he'd packed.
For now, she glanced at the old man, even more mysterious than he'd been earlier and aged by far. "I do have a question. What kind of Devil Fruit power do you have?"
He cracked an eye open and managed a weak smile.
"You're a curious one, even after all that." He sighed. "It's been so long. I never use it anymore. I think it was the… Sumi Sumi no Mi. Yeah, that was it."
"Very appropriate for someone like you."
She had a hard time imagining Del with a Devil's Fruit ability, but if he had any it would be one that he might be the only one to find use for.
"Hai. I thought so too and I need to- hey! Where're you going?"
When he'd been busy talking, Robin had stood again and was starting to walk away. She glanced back to see Del attempting to sit and she summoned a hand to push him back down. "I'm going to stop them."
The man froze and didn't say anything before his muscles suddenly relaxed and he didn't try to get up again.
"I see, I can't argue with that face." Del gazed at Robin with teary eyes. "You're also a tough one… guddoraku, Miss Robin."
A smile graced her lips and then she was gone, knowing she had no need for a reply. She would be back and Del would be waiting for her.
0~0~0
Cipher Pol. 8 had gotten the fire under control and was about to commence their search for the missing captives when a shadow slipped away and approached them. At first, they could not recognize the menacing figure, but then she showed herself.
"You!" the white sash leader accused venomously. "You planned this all out from the beginning! You devil!"
He drew his glittering sword and charged, when there was a sharp crack. The weeping sword fell from its owner's grasp and blood splattered the ground. His curses died in the wind with the last breath driven from his lifeless body.
With their commander gone, the squad was in disarray, but they were trained and considered one of the best at what they did. So, when the woman crossed her arms the men raised their bows and took aim.
"Veinte Fleur."
Same attack, same position, you would think they would be able to predict how to avoid it, but her movement was so swift the eye could not follow it as numerous arms sprouted from their shoulders. Necks broke one by one and their faithful weapons could do nothing.
Just like she could do nothing when her home was obliterated besides flee. As an honor to that memory, that would never happen again.
0~0~0
Sunshine streamed into the harbor, bringing fresh light to everything and helping the events of the night to fade with the darkness. Nico Robin relaxed at the dock with an open book, already taken with the secrets that seeped out from the written words. She would've stayed that way much longer, if she hadn't heard footsteps approaching her.
The limping gait gave him away, yet if that hadn't; his constant humming would have done the same.
"Oi! Miss Robin!" Del waved like she hadn't spotted him.
She closed her book with a hopeless sigh. He was too energetic for his own good and he seemed to always forget he was injured.
Del tripped over a rope as he walked toward Robin, and, laden with a large box was unable to stop his fall.
"Ahh! Uf!" Robin's powers rescued him just in time and he smoothed out his ruffled appearance. He used his cane to get the rest of the way and smiled. "Thank you, Robin. You saved my life, yet again."
She slid a bookmark between the pages and faced him. "Not a problem."
"So… umm. I was wondering…" Del shifted the box underneath his free arm. "How did you fight them with those drugs affecting you?"
Robin gave him a sideways glance. "I didn't"
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I mean they weren't affecting me anymore."
"Oh, that makes sense…"
Suddenly, their pleasant conversation was interrupted by a very loud, familiar voice from a lion-headed ship, "ROBIN! LET'S GO!"
She waved to show her rubbery captain that she'd heard him.
"Look's like you have to go," Del remarked.
"Yes, same with you."
They looked towards the merchant ship anchored in the harbor that would be setting off that morning. Apparently, Del had originally planned to take his old sailing boat to go out to sea, which was little more than a dinghy, but he'd had to rethink that idea with his leg injury and the distance.
Robin addressed the little man with a heartfelt wish, "I hope you find your grandson, Del-san."
He laughed, the joyous sound reaching to the sky.
"I know I will! Niko's out there waiting for me and I'll get there if my life depends on it." Del paused, then smiled deviously. "Also, I picked up on a transmission from their Den Den Mushi mentioning where he was."
She smiled and held out a hand. "Arigato, Del-san."
Del reached to take her hand, but pulled her into a hug instead. Robin was surprised, yet returned it gratefully. "Now, none of that!" Del cried. "We can't have any of that!"
They departed after that and the dark-haired woman boarded the Thousand Sunny. Waves slapped against the ship's sides and Robin was content, this was how the world ought to be, with happy endings and reunited families.
She was at the prow of the ship when she heard a loud peal accompanied with a boisterous voice.
"MISS ROBIN! ARIGATO!" Del shouted from the dock as the Sunny headed out of the harbor. Robin could still see the joyful tears streaming down his face when he disappeared into the distance and couldn't help laughing herself.
Some things, and some people, never changed and she was glad for that as she gazed out at the miles of ocean ahead.
0~0~0
Author's Note: Wah! I'm so sorry! This took weeks to get up! I had quite some trouble getting Robin into a bizarre scenario because she the kind of person who wouldn't get into one, no? Otherwise, I really have no excuse. T.T
Realization: It recently dawned on me that I've known One Piece existed for barely a year and have loved it for even less of one. Kind of funny, considering I'm already writing fan fiction AND doing fan art, which btw, I'll post links to if you're interested. ;) Anyways, the next victim is supah Franky mixed with spontaneous dancing, hilarity and no cola? Stay tuned!
Japanese lesson: Arigato- Thank you
Suki Suki no Mi- Ink Ink Fruit (he can manipulate ink and make ink pictures come to life)
Guddoraku- Good luck