One more cohptohap after this!
Robin, Chopper, Franky, and Brook went into the woods, Robin leading the way with Franky and Brook just behind her, Chopper riding on Franky's shoulder.
"It's not too far in," Robin said as they walked.
"Hey, Nico Robin," Franky said. "Something's been bothering me . . . well, a few things, actually."
"Are you going to share, or is that all you wanted to say?"
Franky narrowed his eyes. "If those four were replaced by fake versions, and they know Bro Usopp knows . . . then they've been hanging around him all the time to make sure he doesn't try or say anything, right?"
"Yes, I suppose so."
"Oh, so that's why Luffy—" Chopper paused and frowned. "The fake one kept getting Usopp and me to play cards with him . . ."
"So if they've been insistent on keeping an eye on him," Franky continued, "it seems weird none of them would follow us down to the library."
"Oh, dear," Brook murmured. "Perhaps one of them was eavesdropping . . ."
"I don't think so," Chopper said. "I didn't hear anything . . ."
"Like I said, it's weird, isn't it? Considering their behavior before," Franky pressed.
Robin shrugged, not turning around. "I like to think myself intelligent, but I have yet to learn the art of mind-reading. I don't know what they're thinking."
"Not to mention," Franky continued, "and I only just thought of this—why would you want all of us to go with you? The more heads, the better, but just two probably would have been safer in this situation." He folded his arms; Chopper nearly fell and Franky quickly caught him. "One or two of us should have stayed on the ship with Bro Usopp. He's probably terrified right now, stuck on the ship with no one but fakers."
He put Chopper back on his shoulder.
"Don't you think our friends trapped in the mirror would be happier to see more faces?" Robin replied calmly as they kept on.
"Franky-san?" Brook murmured.
"You're smarter than that," Franky said. "I know you are. I know you. You wouldn't sacrifice a smarter move for temporary emotional wellbeing."
"I probably would," Chopper admitted, "but . . . you're right. Robin . . . ?"
"And one more thing," Franky said as Robin stopped in front of curtain-like vines. "You said you made a mark on your right hand so Bro Usopp and us could tell you apart. You even showed it to us. I guess Bro Usopp was too tired to notice, Nico Robin, but you didn't show us your other hand."
Robin said nothing.
"Robin?" Chopper whispered.
Earlier
"Come on, Sanji-kun," Nami said.
"Right away, Nami-san!" Mirror Sanji cried, leaping off the ship. He cast a glance behind him as they went into the woods.
"Would you let me lead the way, my dear?" he asked.
Nami cast him a glance. "Sure?"
Mirror Sanji smiled and took the lead, cleverly adjusting the path so they headed in a slightly different direction.
"Where are we going?"
"I thought I saw some fruits this way yesterday," Mirror Sanji lied with a smile.
Nami was silent.
"Something's wrong."
"Pardon?" Mirror Sanji said, glancing back at her.
Nami narrowed her eyes. "Usually, if Robin or I offer to help with chores . . . you do your stupid little thing with, 'Ladies don't need to dirty their hands' and whatnot. Why would you invite me along instead of one of the idiots?"
Mirror Sanji sighed as they paused in front of curtain-like vines. "Well, you're the bait, you see," he said quietly.
Nami hesitated, backing up a step. "What—?"
Mirror Sanji turned around and seized her arm, dragging her roughly through the vines.
"What are you doing?!" Nami cried, struggling. "Let go—!"
She froze, her words caught in her throat as her eyes widened.
A mirror stood in the center of the shady clearing. And there, right inside the glass, were Luffy, Zoro, and—Sanji.
When they spotted her, Luffy began waving his arms, saying something, while Zoro looked tense and Sanji looked horrified, mouthing over and over: Run!
"Let go!" Nami screamed, yanking her arm out of Mirror Sanji's grasp, but he caught her again and punched her in the face, causing some blood to trickle from her mouth. Nami gasped, and Mirror Sanji took the opportunity to seize her again, holding her in a tight headlock.
Inside the mirror, the real Sanji was screaming curses at the top of his lungs, though Nami and Mirror Sanji heard nothing. He kicked the glass over and over, his eyes burning with anger at his counterpart's despicable actions, while Luffy and Zoro stepped back in some kind of admiration for the amount of fury he gave off.
Nami stared desperately at the ones trapped in the mirror, pleading for help with her eyes, but she knew it must have been futile, for even Sanji hadn't managed to crack the glass.
And then she was free. A choking sound came from her side and she fell to her knees. She looked up to see Mirror Sanji, his arms trapped behind his back and a phantom hand gripping his head tightly.
"Don't touch her," Robin said coldly, stepping out of the trees.
Nami wiped her mouth. "Robin!"
"Are you okay?" Robin demanded, casting a worried glance at the mirror. Luffy was cheering and Sanji was nearly crying with relief.
"I'm fine," Nami said. She stood, spitting blood on the ground. "Usopp was telling the truth . . ."
Robin nodded, keeping an eye on Mirror Sanji as he glared at her with an anger the real Sanji would never have looked at a woman with. "I talked with him last night," she said. Mirror Sanji ripped his arms out of the hand on his back and yanked away the one around his neck. Robin backed up and caught his arms and legs, tripping him up.
"We should get back and tell the others," she said, eyeing Mirror Sanji as she backed up, one hand behind her. "This guy was trying to switch you, and the imposters back at the ship will know right away he failed . . ."
Behind her, Luffy and Sanji were banging on the glass, shouting, and waving their arms—Nami noticed, but Robin did not—
"Robin, watch out—!"
Robin turned around just as her hand touched the mirror's surface.
Instantly, she was yanked hard and landed inside the mirror—Sanji caught her before she hit the ground.
"Robin-chan," he cried desperately. Robin whipped around to see a figure identical to herself straighten up while the hands holding down Mirror Sanji vanished.
"No!" Robin cried. "Nami—!"
Mirror Sanji straightened up, and Nami turned to run, but Mirror Robin caught her with phantom hands. Robin tried to use her power, but her hands would not go outside the glass.
"Shit," Zoro muttered under his breath as Mirror Sanji seized Nami (held captive by Mirror Robin's hands) and forced her against the mirror.
Nami fell through and Robin caught her. She helped her stand and the five could only watch as Mirror Nami stood outside and said something to Mirror Sanji. She punched his arm, spat some blood on the ground, and turned to Mirror Robin, who nodded, spoke to them for a minute, and waved as Mirror Sanji and Nami left the clearing.
Mirror Robin stayed in the clearing, glancing at the trapped ones with a smile.
"Nami-san, are you hurt?" Sanji cried, close to tears as he checked her mouth. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry—!"
"That wasn't you," Nami snapped, spitting more blood on the ground. "It stings, but I'm fine."
"I can't believe he punched you, though," Luffy said, looking over her with Sanji. She pushed them away. "Sanji never uses hands . . ."
"That bastard," Sanji hissed. He looked at Robin. "Robin-chan, how did you know to—?"
"Usopp," she said, eyeing her counterpart outside. "We were going to think of a plan to get out . . . but then I saw that imposter taking Nami, and I had to . . ."
"He said I was bait," Nami said. "That's what he meant . . . ?"
Robin gritted her teeth. "Then they knew all along that I knew, and Usopp's in trouble . . ." she paused. "No, I made a mark on my hand. He should be able to tell."
She showed the others the circle on her right palm, but the counterpart outside noticed, too.
"With any luck—"
"Too bad we apparently don't have that right now," Zoro said. "That imposter is . . ."
The others turned. Mirror Robin had taken a pen out of her pocket and lifted her left hand, drawing a circle on the right palm reflecting the one on the left.
"Oh, no," Robin breathed. "Usopp . . ."
Her counterpart soon left the clearing.
"You wanna explain all that?" Franky said to Mirror Robin.
"Why should I?" she replied, turning around at last and looking around coolly. "You seem to have figured it out already."
"Robin?" Chopper said, clinging to Franky's shoulder. "You . . . you're not . . . ?"
She spread her arms in a shrug, and they could see the identical mark on her left palm. "I didn't think you were that smart, Cutty Flam."
Franky scowled, shoulders tense. "Don't call me that."
Mirror Robin smiled. "Just teasing."
Her arms were crossed in an X before any of them knew what was happening. Brook, with his thin frame, was completely wrapped up in arms, nearly snapping his bones. He shrieked while Franky was forced to stand up straight, an army of hands the only thing stopping him from falling. Chopper fell off his shoulder and Mirror Robin grabbed him tightly with her normal hands. He squirmed and cried, but she did not let go.
"Shit!" Franky hissed, turning his head, trying to bite at the arms. "Let go, you bitch!"
"Franky-san, really," Brook said reproachfully. He turned to Mirror Robin. "Imposter-san, kindly let us go and piss off, would you?"
Mirror Robin looked at him.
"It was worth a shot," Brook said with a small shrug (in his position, he could do no more than that). "Although . . . I can't reach my blade. This is rather troublesome . . ."
Mirror Robin ignored him and shoved both him and Franky through the vines, following shortly after. Chopper, Franky, and Brook looked up to see the mirror and the ones trapped inside: Sanji, Nami, and Luffy looked angry, Robin was glaring at her counterpart in fury, and Zoro held up his hands in a gesture which said, "Really?"
"Guys!" Chopper screamed, wriggling frantically, tears pouring down his face.
"Hey, skeleton," Franky said, keeping an eye on Mirror Robin, his eyes shifting between her and their trapped friends. "I'm gonna smash it."
"Are you sure that's wise?" Brook murmured, struggling to escape the army of hands.
"Dunno. You got any other ideas, I'm happy to hear them."
Brook was silent, and so Franky struggled more than ever to escape the hands. When they suddenly vanished, he didn't question it and straightened up fast as possible, pulling back a huge fist and running at the mirror, not noticing his friends' horrified expressions and cries of "No!"
The second his fist made contact with the mirror, he was yanked inside, falling flat on his face (for no one bothered to catch him).
"Franky, that was really stupid," Sanji said.
Franky pushed himself up and looked around. "Shit," he hissed, turning around to see his counterpart dust himself off. Mirror Robin smiled and said something while Brook and Chopper stared at Franky (in the mirror) in horror.
"You do realize you made it easier for her," Zoro remarked.
"How was I to know?!" Franky demanded, standing as Mirror Franky seized Brook by the arm and tossed him into the mirror. Brook fell through, landing on his feet while his counterpart showed up outside.
"Oh, dear," Brook said, dusting himself off. "That didn't go so well . . ."
"You're telling me!" Nami yelled.
"Not Chopper," Robin exclaimed, pressing her hands against the glass, but it was too late; despite even turning big, Chopper was forced into the mirror by Mirror Robin, Franky, and Brook.
He turned small again as he fell. Robin picked him up and held him tightly after looking him over for injuries.
"Are you okay?" she murmured, holding him against her chest. "I'm so sorry . . ."
"Those bastards," Luffy growled, staring outside as the counterparts watched them for a moment before turning to leave the clearing, discussing something.
Chopper cried as he clung to Robin. "Robin, that was—we thought it was you, but it wasn't—we couldn't do anything—"
"I'm so sorry," she repeated, hugging him. "Shh . . . it's okay . . ."
Chopper hiccupped.
"Should've realized it wasn't you earlier," Franky said angrily. "How'd you all end up here, anyway? Strawhat and Bro Zoro I can see, but you three? I thought you were smarter than that . . ."
"Hey," Zoro muttered. Luffy frowned but didn't comment.
Sanji explained his situation through gritted teeth. Robin explained how she and Nami had ended up there, and then Franky told them what had happened with Mirror Robin and Usopp.
"This is so stupid," he added, scowling. "We should've believed Bro Usopp—Curly, you were depending on him, and we didn't listen in time—"
"Well, I can't blame you," Sanji muttered, running fingers through his hair. "I wouldn't have believed him either, to be honest."
"Aren't we all depending on Usopp-san now?" Brook said, looking outside wistfully. "He is the only one left."
"Oh, no," Chopper whimpered. "Usopp . . ."
"He's bound to realize it when he sees them," Robin said. "And then he . . ."