THE CHILDREN Set Sail!
Disclaimer: Even if I stray from my code as a man~, even if I stray from my code as a woman~, I could never betray my basic humanity~! That is the difference between us~! If my brethren and I are to fall we will fall together, clinging to our freedom and watching it bloom~!—Bon Kurei.
Luffy and Kaoru (crying): "BON-CHAN~~~!"
Normama: "Basically, he's saying that I won't seek ownership of One Piece or Zettai Karen Children by inhuman method. That's why I still have no ownership over them…"
Cannons continue to rain down all around them as Merry Go, with the nine members of the Straw Hat Pirates aboard, makes its way away from the sandy island country of Arabasta.
Left behind are the Princess of Arabasta, Nefertari Vivi, and her faithful duck Carue. She had come to see her pirate friends off. She was offered to join them, but came to give them her answer. She will remain in the country she loves, but she showed that her friendship with them was eternal. The Children and the rest of the Straw Hats acknowledged it and even display their mutual feelings for it. They couldn't openly say it with the Marines in hearing range, but the message was sent and received.
The Children knew that. They were happy that the secret message was conveyed. But at the moment, they were all angry in frustration.
"God damn it~!" the Children exclaimed at the pursuing Marine Battle Ships, "Let us have our moment~!"
"Whoa~!" Luffy awed as the Marine Ships steadily draw closer, "The Marines are fast~!"
"Is this a time to be impressed!?" Kaoru comically bonked Luffy upside the head.
"Rather," Sanji corrected Luffy's earlier statement, "We're beginning to slow down…"
"That sounds about right," Aoi frowned in realization, "The Merry Go is smaller than their ships, so we should be the one determining if they could approach or not…"
"We're not going to make it much further than this," Shiho commented, reading the ship's condition, "Water is flooding from the holes that were made earlier…"
"Chopper and Usopp should be down there patching them up," Aoi noted getting ready to teleport below deck, "I'll go see how they're doing…"
"I'll keep the ship moving faster as possible," Kaoru declared, using a bit of her power to propel the ship forward.
Below deck, Aoi reappeared only to find that the water level had reached well pass her ankles.
"Ugh!" Aoi gasped, "It's that bad huh?"
"Yeah," Usopp answered without turning to her as he clumsily hammered at a nail of a plank that was supposedly trying to cover a hole, "Hey Chopper! I need more planks! We'll be in trouble if-!"
"Chopper?" Aoi noted not seeing her medical mentor at work. Staring around, she finally spotted him…passed out and floating face down in the water in his human form. "GAH-! Chopper~!"
"Eh?" Usopp turn to see Aoi trying to right her mentor, "CHOPPER~!"
Usopp immediately went over to help.
"How is he?"
Aoi first checked his pulse. She sighed in relief when she found it pulsing still. She then checked for any external injury before check carefully at his temperature.
"…It looks like he's alright," Aoi noted, "He just passed out from overworking…"
"Ah~, good~!" Usopp and Aoi laid him down over at a couch that had remained above water level, "If that's the case, I better get back to work…"
"I'll help too!" Aoi followed Usopp as he return to fixing up the holes.
Meanwhile, despite Kaoru's best effort to keep the Merry Go at top speed with its ever-growing weight, the Marine Ships were still making progress to close in on the ship.
"Here they come," Zoro growled as he ready his swords.
"We got a fight," Sanji motioned his feet to prepare to fight.
"Ready!" Kaoru smirked, giving up trying to keep the ship moving faster.
"Then let's go-!" Luffy declare as the four began to rush forward…before all of end up tripping over a piled of organized black spears.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?" all four of them comically cried, having landing on their face when they trip.
"Oh that?" Nami noted and glance at the various black spear piles scatter all over the ship, "Usopp said to hold on to them in case we needed them for something…"
"Who knows what he had in store for them," Shiho shrugged.
"Come on!" Zoro exclaimed in comical frustration.
"They're in our way!" Sanji exclaimed in the same manner.
"And they're weighing us down!" Kaoru reasoned, since the black iron spears were contributing to weighing down the Merry Go along with the water.
"Then let's get rid of them," Luffy simply concluded, as he began picking up the spears.
"Oh~! I help too!" Kaoru made the spears glow faintly red, lifting them off the deck, "Psychic~ Spear Throw~!"
"Take your position!" A Marine Captain ordered his crew. They are one of the Marine Ship that are chasing and closing in on the Straw Hat Pirate Ship. "Once we pulled up, everyone attacks!"
"S-Sir!" a marine soldier managed in horror.
"What!?" The Marine Captain had his back turn to him so he turns forward to see what was wrong, "… … … … …Oh shit-!"
That was when he saw it too…numerous black iron spears were raining down upon them. And it wasn't just them either; the other marine ships soon found themselves impaled by other black iron spears.
"…Well," Luffy smirked, since he and Kaoru threw away the last iron spears, "That's the last of them!"
"Okay~!" Kaoru grinned as she and Luffy turned to face the Marine Ships, "Now we're ready-!"
They stopped in their tracks to see that the Marine Ships that were chasing them had now halted…damaged and destroyed by numerous iron spears.
"Wow! When did this happen!?"
Zoro and Sanji, who had watch the whole thing, comically fell over as Shiho comically dope slap the back of her head, along with Luffy's.
"YOU caused it!" Shiho exclaimed, "How could you've NOT realized it!?"
"…Why did you hit me too?" Luffy comically pouted, nursing a bruised on his head.
"Just because…"
"Oh…"
"… … …! N-Now's our chance!" Zoro suddenly realized, "Nami! Full speed ahead! Shake them off!"
"Uh," Nami managed, recovering from her deadpan before rushing to the stirring rudder, "R-Right!"
It's now been an hour since they shook off the Marines, thus also leaving Arabasta. Everyone had pitched in using large paddle to increase the ship's speed and Kaoru, now deprived of her duty to guard the ship, used all her powers to increased it even further.
"It looks like the Marine has stopped following us," Zoro noted, not seeing any more pursuing ships behind them.
Everyone just gave pathetic groans of sadness as they lean out from lounge deck's rail (each occupying an area between each Spindle).
"That's good news isn't it? We shook them off!"
Everyone gave anther pathetic groan.
"… …Seriously, stop it! What with the pathetic groans?"
At Zoro's pissed off question everyone stared over at the area that Vivi (and Carue) would have joined them.
"…We miss her~~!" Everyone admitted with a comical depressed face, complete with droopy eyes, rivers of tears, and exaggerated frowns.
"That's enough whining!" Zoro rolled his eyes, "Don't cry anymore! If you wanted her join that badly…then you shouldn't let her leave; you should have kidnapped her…"
"WHAT!?" Aoi exclaimed in shock, "How can you say that, Zoro-han!?"
"You savage!" Chopper exclaimed in the same manner.
"Blockhead!" Nami grumbled in the same manner.
"Ingrate!" Shiho hissed.
"Moss-Head," Sanji mumbled.
"San-Tou-Ryu (Three-Sword-Style)," Luffy mumbled, earning a shock look form Usopp who was leaning out next to him.
"W-Wait a minute, Luffy," Usopp managed, "San-Tou-Ryu isn't an insult!"
"You-Tou-Ryu (Four-Sword-Style)," Kaoru mumbled, causing Usopp to turn to her next.
"Like I was telling Luffy, that isn't an insult! You're just using a different number! An effective insult must involve some personal detail about the recipient that is rude or humiliating! Now if you called him Bean-Breath or Muscle-Brain, that's okay!"
"Fine, Bean-Brain…"
"Muscle-Breath," Luffy sounded off.
"You two mixed it up!?" Usopp exclaimed.
"… …Fine, fine," Zoro sighed, giving up and preparing to head off, "Mope all you want…"
"Looks like we finally escape the firing squads, excellent work…"
"Yeah," Zoro answered absentmindedly before realizing that the voice that spoke was not one of his crew.
The other realized it too as they stared down at the galley doorway, where the voice originated from. There stood a beautiful woman, tall and slender with dark and wide brown-pupil eyes, shoulder-length black hair, and thin defined nose.
She smiled pleasantly at them, but everyone immediate reaction was jolting in shock (for those leaning out of the rail, their heads comically collided with Handrail/Top-Cap). The Children out of pure shock by her sudden appearance, but as for everyone else…
"Here to avenge your friends!?" Zoro growled getting ready to draw his swords, "Just try!"
"It's an Enemy attack~!" Usopp yelled, pulling out a speaker, "Warning~! Enemy on Board! Warning~! Enemy on Board!"
"What the hell are YOU doing here!?" Nami cried out, nursing the comical swell on her head as Chopper ran around in panic.
"Ah~~!" Sanji immediately began to swoon, "Pretty Lady~~! I don't know who you are~! But you're so damn beautiful~!"
"…Oh it's you!" Luffy commented dumbly, "You're still not dead?"
"…? Who's she?" Kaoru wondered to Shiho and Aoi.
"You're asking me!?" Shiho sweat dropped.
"Chopper-han," Aoi caught the panicking Pirate Doctor, "Who's she?"
"Who is SHE? She's-!" Chopper began only to cut pathetically, "Wait! Who's she?"
"You don't know yet you're panicking!?"
"She's part of Baroque Works!" Nami indicated as she joins Zoro, readying her Climate-Tact and pointing at the intruder, "Ms. All-Sunday! She's also Crocodile's partner and sub-leader!"
"…EH~~!?" The Children exclaimed in shock, getting ready themselves to fight.
"…That's correct," The woman shrugged as if the information held no meaning, "By the way girls, I was present when you fought Crocodile at the palace. And I must say I was impressed with your performances…"
"…! O-Oh!" The Children giggled embarrassedly at the woman's compliment, "T-Thanks!"
"Don't be fooled!" Nami exclaimed.
"Sorry~!"
The Children prepared themselves again. But as Aoi got ready to draw her swords, a hand pop out of her side and swat her two swords off her.
"Ah-!" Aoi cried in shock and horror as the hands immediately disappear, "Hands!?"
"What!?" Kaoru and Shiho exclaimed as they watch more hands appearing to swat Nami and Zoro's weapons from them, "A Devil Fruit!?"
"Didn't I tell you before," The woman smirked at Zoro and Nami, "Don't point such dangerous objects at me. Are you always this slow?"
"Damn you!" Nami growled, "How long have you been on our ship!?"
"Quite a while," The woman answered as she went to pick out a lawn chair, "In the cabin, reading a book and taking a bath. These are your clothes right?" She suddenly indicated the Indigo-colored button shirt and purple pants she was currently wearing. "I'm borrowing them…"
"Just a minute, Lady!" Nami screamed comically, "Who the hell you think you are!?"
The Lady ignored the outburst before turning to Luffy, a lawn chair in hand. "…Monkey D. Luffy. It hasn't been so long that you forgotten what you did to me, has it? You did a terrible thing to me~…"
"A-A terrible thing!?" The Children gasped, not believing what they just heard, as they glance over to the perpetrator who was currently being shaken by the collar by an outrage Sanji.
"Luffy~~!" Sanji shouted at Luffy, "What the hell did you do to this Beautiful Woman~~!? You Lousy Bastard! Tell me~!"
"All stowaways must leave this ship immediately~!" Usopp continued to speak through the Load Speaker.
"Are you still doing that?" Shiho commented with a sweat drop.
"Wait a minute! Stop lying!" Luffy called out to the woman, "You know I didn't do anything to you~!"
"Wrong," the woman corrected immediately, relaxing reassuringly in the lawn chair she set up, "And what you did to me was unbearable. Go ahead, admit it! You better take…responsibility~!"
"U-U-Unbearable~!?" Kaoru managed.
"R-R-R-Responsibility~!?" Aoi staggered before both of them leapt at Luffy, joining Sanji as he intensifies the shaking of Luffy.
"LUFFY~! What the HELL did you do!?"
"How IMPURE~! I thought of you better than this~!"
"Confess now~!" Sanji shouted, "Before I tear you apart! Spill it!"
"All stowaways please vacate from this ship or we'll be force to call the Marines~!" Usopp continued through the loud speaker, "Thank for voyaging on the Merry Go~!"
"We can't call the Marines!" Shiho rolled her eyes, "Give it up~!"
"You're not making any sense!" Luffy called again to the woman in frustration, "What do you want me to do!?"
As if hearing the right words, the woman smirked mischievously at Luffy.
"…I want you," the woman began dramatically, "…to let me join your crew…"
Blink. Blink. Blink.
"WHAT~~~!?" Everyone except Zoro and Shiho (both being dumbstruck by the demand), "JOIN US~~~!? HOW DID THAT HAPPEN~~~!?"
The woman smiled. "It was right after Monkey D. Luffy sent Crocodile flying. Earlier, because I couldn't fulfill one of his demands, Crocodile cut me down. After the battle, Straw Hat here was poison by Crocodile…fortunately with the same poison I just happen to have an antidote for…"
"…Wait!" Shiho spoke up, "Does that mean…you gave Luffy the antidote…"
"…Not exactly. I simply offer it to the King and he was the one who feed it to Straw Hat…"
"Why would you do that!?" Aoi inquired.
"I had no reason at the time," the woman admitted, "Just out of whim, perhaps as a bit of a reward for taking out Crocodile…"
"…Oh~!" Kaoru suddenly thumped her palm, "I remember the King said that Luffy carried two out! The other one was you, wasn't it?"
The woman smiled. "Yes…that was your Captain's crime…"
"… …Eh?"
"Uh, wait!" Zoro frowned, "I thought you said Luffy did something unbearable to you…"
"That sounds more like he saved you," Shiho frowned in confusion.
"Yes," the woman nodded, "That was part of the unbearable part…"
"…Huh?"
"For twenty years of my life, I was searching for something…Arabasta was my best lead. I have joined Baroque Works in order to obtain it. It was my last hope but it didn't work out; it was a dead-end. So at that point, if was going to die, it would be the perfect moment. I was tired of my foolish crusade. I had resolved to die. But instead…" Robin glances at Luffy with a sad smile. "Straw Hat here, he brought me out of those collapsing tombs. I had protest of course but it was then that he spoke those terrible things to me: 'Why should I listen to your ranting? You're coming with me! Do what you want once we're out of here.' Those were your exact words, Straw Hat…"
Luffy thought about before nodding. "Yeah, I said that…"
"I wanted nothing more than to die at that very moment, but you force me to live. That's your crime. There's no place for me to go or return to. So I decided that I join you…"
"Oh, if it's like that, then there's nothing I can do. Welcome aboard…"
"WHAT!?" Everyone else exclaimed, "LUFFY!?"
"There's nothing to worry about," Luffy turn to everyone with a grin, "Trust me! She isn't a bad person…"
"…Uh, well," Kaoru managed, noticing everyone else's deadpan express, "if you say so Luffy…"
"Mellorine~!" Sanji repeated heart-struck on the spot.
A little while later, Shiho and Usopp sat themselves on lawn table both facing the woman. The scene looks as if they were interrogating her if it wasn't for…
"Stare~!" Kaoru managed as she, Chopper and Luffy stared intently at the wavy hand that had sprout from the ground in front of them. They followed its movement from left to right when they were suddenly knocked down by another hand that had sprouted unknowingly behind them. Instead of being offended, the three laughed knowing it was practical joke on the woman's part.
"Hey!" Usopp yelled, slamming his fist onto the table bringing the woman's attention back to them, "Pay attention!"
"We want some straight up and honest answers! Tell us what's your name and o-!" Shiho began to demand before pausing in realization, "Uh, sorry about that! My name is Sannomiya Shiho…"
"…? … …! A-And my name is Usopp! Pardon for our ill-manner…"
The woman smiled as both Shiho and Usopp bowed apologetically. "My name is Nico Robin…"
"Okay, Nico Robin, so what's your occupation?"
"Archeologist…"
"…!? A-Are you serious?" Shiho blinked, not expecting that type of response.
"Archeology runs in my blood. I come from a long line of them…"
"Hmm~! I see," Usopp nodded, jotting down that information on a piece of paper, "So your family has a scientific background, huh?"
"…What the hell are they doing?" Zoro grumbled as he and Aoi listen in nearby.
"I seriously don't see how this is going to help," Aoi adjusted her glasses.
"Go on~," Shiho offered noticing that Usopp was done scribbling.
"It was when I was eight years old, that I decided to pursue Archeology as my Career. Shortly thereafter, I found myself wanted by the World Government. Since then, I spent the past Twenty Years hiding from the world…"
"…!? You mean you got a bounty at the age of eight!?"
"You've been alone?" Usopp gasped, "Ever since you were eight!?"
"Then one day," Robin continued, "I heard the calling of the sea but there's no way a child could survive alone out at sea. The only option I found to insure my protection and the ability to achieve my goal was to work for various rogues, not a very ideal solution but it brought me this far. And here we are…"
"And I'm guessing you incorporated Crocodile into your gallery of rogues?" Shiho inquired.
"Of course. I used him to get to the Rio Poneglyph…"
"…? Rio Poneglyph?"
"I'm good at maneuvering through obstacles to achieve a goal. I'll be a great asset to you and your friends…"
"Hmm~!" Usopp cupped his chin, "You seem quite confident! What's your specialty?"
At that, Robin gave a mischievous smile. "Assassination~…"
"Okay~! She flunked~!" Shiho exclaimed as Robin became amused by her interrogator's reaction.
"Luffy~~~!" Usopp comically cried out, "Our investigation has concluded that she is FAR too dangerous~~~!"
However, Luffy wasn't listening as he, Kaoru and Chopper found themselves covered in sprouted hands, tickling them at every possible place.
"Are you guys listening to us~~~!?"
BAM! A sound was heard on the second level, drawing everyone's attention to Nami, who had stomp on the wall of the ship in frustration.
"Seriously~!" Nami began, "I'm disappointed! You guys are pathetic! Until recently she was the Vice-President of a Crime Syndicate! And do really think such a woman should join us?"
"Nice," Shiho praised as she and Usopp clapped in acknowledgement, but she could help but notice that Robin had smile at Nami's words.
"You may have fooled these idiots," Nami glared at Robin, "but I'm not convinced! You pull anything and I'll personally kick you out! Got it!?"
"Alright, I'll keep that in mind," Robin smiled, before pulling out a small sack. Judging from the sound, it was loaded with gems. "Oh I just remember~! I brought along some of Crocodile's jewelries with me. I think I'll hang on to them if that's the case-…"
"Kya~!" Nami dreamingly descended from the stairs and swoon over Robin, Beli symbols forming in her eyes. "I love you sister~! You're the best~!"
"Oi~! Oi~! Oi~!" Aoi, Shiho, Usopp and Zoro sweat dropped, "Here we go~, oh boy~!"
"Nami has been had!" Usopp sighed in a whisper to the other three.
"So underhanded," Shiho palmed her face.
"This chick's bad news," Zoro muttered.
"She's following her lead," Aoi grumbled, "like some pet…"
Suddenly, flutters of cartoon hearts appears all over the area as Sanji dramatically exit the kitchen with a plate of food in hand.
"Ah love~!" he spoke poetically as he dramatically dance over to Robin, "Flowering in love, I am nothing but a blackened log, drifting on the current of the river~! Struck by lightning commanded by you, which sent me into a river, ever flowing down a waterfall~!" He finally presents the plate of food to Robin. "Here's a snack…"
"Ah~, thank you," Robin smiled warmly at Pervert Cook, causing him to melt onto what remains of the table.
"Ah~!" Sanji swooned, "She's great~! With an adult charm~! She's far different from Nami-san~!
"…Did he really just do that?" Aoi sweat dropped, a tad disturb.
"…Yeah," Shiho shook her head, "But he's that kind of guy…"
"Look at him," Zoro palmed his face, "Falling all over himself…"
"Yeah," Usopp sighed, "Well, he was a lost cause from the start…"
"Well, looks like the four of us are the only hold out on this ship…"
"The castle huh?" Shiho hummed.
"Those guys," Aoi rolled her eyes, "really need someone to take care of them…"
"We shouldn't blame the others," Usopp frowned, "Their simple mind just can't resist her deadly charms-!"
"Hey! Aoi, Usopp!" Luffy suddenly voiced.
"Huh?" Aoi and Usopp turn to see…
"Chopper~~~!" Luffy squealed as he reveals his goofy face impression of Chopper with two arms coming out of his hat, forming the antlers. Kaoru and Chopper were rolling around on the ground on the ground in uncontrollable laughter.
And, unfortunately for Zoro and Shiho, Usopp and Aoi after preforming a Spit Take at the absurdity of the impression also joined upon seeing the impersonation.
"This ship has a unique charm," Robin suddenly voiced as she pass by the two, "Is it always this lively?"
Zoro and Shiho glared at her before Zoro finally spoke. "…Yeah, it usually is…"
"It can get even livelier according to what I've heard," Shiho added.
In response to their answer, Robin gave them a seductive smile before moving on.
"…What is she planning?" Shiho grumbled at the strange reaction.
"The woman is definitely up to something," Zoro nodded, "But what?"
"If only we know…"
"What the forecast, Miss Navigator?" Robin, meanwhile, called to Nami, "Is it smooth sailing ahead?"
"The wind is calm and the weather is beautiful~!" Nami answered back, still love-struck with the bag of jewelry, "There's no problem on my end, Robin-nee-san~!"
"How would you know?" Zoro rolled his eyes, "You haven't stopped gawking at those jewelries…"
"Sanji," Luffy suddenly whined, "I'm hungry~~! Is our snack ready~~~?"
"Be patient!" Sanji grumbled, having been brought of his daze by Luffy's annoying whine.
"But I'm hungry~!"
"Well I don't care~! Just shut up!"
"I better go help Sanji," Shiho sighed as she begins to follow the Pirate Chef.
Clack!
"Hmm?" Aoi blinked, hearing the strange sound. Just as she was about to turn to see what it was…
Clack!
"Ow~!" Aoi managed. Something fell on her head.
"Aoi-? Ouch!?" Kaoru exclaimed when something fell on her head. She quickly grabbed whatever it was and brought it to eyelevel to check it out. "A chipped wood?"
Clack! Clack! Clank! Clack!
"What the?" Zoro frowned, "Is it raining?"
"It's not rain," Sanji noted, staring around as the steadily increasing sound of Clanking.
"Is it hail?" Usopp began shielding his head.
"No, something is falling from-," Shiho began as she glance up, only to cut herself off and gasped in shock, "Huh!?'
Hearing her nearly helpless noise, everyone stared up. At that moment, the Children some reason remember one of Minamoto's quotes he got from some random Physicist:
Everything that human can imagine is possible in reality.
The Children widen their eyes in shock, in fact everyone on the ship widen their eyes in shock, as a giant galleon ship appeared in the sky nearly directly above them, falling towards the sea.
Normama: "So officially ends the Arabasta Arc and the start of the Jaya Arc…"
Kaoru: "…Ok, Normama, fess up!"
Normama: "? Fess up? About what?"
Aoi (readjusting her glasses nervously): "Where the HELL did that giant galleon ship come!?"
Normama (thumping my palm): "AH~, you mean that~!"
Shiho: "That was psychically impossible to happen… …even WITH psychic powers! How can you just stick something so random in-!?"
Normama: "I'll admit it's random, but that's how it went in the original One Piece story…"
The Children: "SO THAT REALLY HAPPEN!? HOW!?"
Normama: "Even I'm not quite sure. Anyway, some mystery may be answer in the next chapter, so stay tune~!"
Gorilla: "Salvage~! Salvage~! Salvage~!"
Shiho (sweat dropped): "… … …Okay, that was random!"