Zoro & Franky
"So this thing is a machine, huh?" Franky said as he stared down at their new companion.
"Who cares?" Zoro shrugged. "Let's just get this started so we can get out of here. How does this thing work? Do we need to press a button or something?"
Franky picked up the monkey and looked it over. "I don't see any kind of controls on it. All right, monkey, you're supposed to show us where this shard is, so show us where the shard is."
The monkey beeped then formed a holographic map. It showed three dots. The map expanded into a larger one. Another dot appeared on the map. An arrow appeared in front of the first three dots then strobed in place. Franky rubbing his chin. "I'm going to assume those three dots are us and that fourth one is the shard. It looks like it might be in that city."
"At least we're not far from it," Zoro said as he walked back to the edge of the cliff. He looked over the edge. It was a long way to the bottom. There was no way they could jump down and not get injured. "And how do we get down from here?"
The monkey freed itself from Franky's grip. It ran a few feet before looking back at the cyborg. "I think it wants us to follow it."
"It better not get us lost," Zoro gripped.
"Seriously?" Franky asked as they started to follow their monkey tour guide. The monkey lead them through a forest and right to a path that would lead them down the side of the cliff. It took them a couple hours for them to reach the bottom of the cliff. At the bottom they found a well worn path and looked filled with treads. Some of them looked like regular shoe prints while others were clearly not human. The nonhuman ones were larger and had straight shapes. "What do you think made those?"
"Who cares? Let's just get going already," Zoro grumbled. The two set off down the path. After a while of walking Franky shifted into his tank form so Zoro could ride on him and they could get to their destination faster. They looked up when more flying machines flew past them. The little group appeared to be racing with each other.
"Whoa! Now this is my kinda city," Franky exclaimed when they finally reached the city. It was filled with machines. Robots were doing everything, even carrying people around.
"You stupid piece of junk! I didn't order this!" Someone shouted. Franky and Zoro turned their attention to a well dressed man at a food vender. The man stood up and knocked the food off the table and the robot down.
"I am so sorry, sir," The robot coward down. "But this is what you ordered. I wrote it down on your tick-"
"Silence!" The man kicked the robot in the head. "How dare you backtalk to me, you inferior piece of junk?!"
"Such insolence," The woman sitting at the table with the man gave the robot a smile that was very condescending. "You cyborgs need always remember your place."
"Cyborgs?" Franky questioned as he and Zoro took a closer look at the robot on the ground. That's when they noticed it wasn't a robot at all. It was a cyborg. And blood was leaking down his face. "Is what's going on here what I thinks going on here?"
"It looks like it," Zoro nodded, looking around the city again. At a closer inspection he found that all of the robots were actually cyborgs. And they didn't look happy or content at doing their jobs. In fact they looked miserable. They looked like slaves.
"You should be dismantled and sold for scraps!" The man shouted. He brought his leg back.
"No! Please don't hurt him!" A woman came running out of the vender's tent. Two other people sitting down jumped up and grabbed her. "Stop it!"
"Why are you protecting that machine?" One of the guys who grabbed her asked. "It's just a thing, not worthy of the space it takes up."
"Die!" The man kicked his foot towards the cyborg. The woman screamed and closed her eyes.
"Now that's not very nice," Franky said while grabbing the man's foot.
"Unhand me! How dare you touch me, you stupid machine!" The man screamed and tried to free himself. He brought his other foot up to kicked Franky in the head. The attack was so fast that neither Franky or Zoro saw it. The man sent Franky flying several yards away.
"Now that was uncalled for," Zoro pointed one of his swords at the man's throat. "You're the one who attacked someone."
"What are you talking about? I didn't attack anyone. I was putting a machine in its place. Just like you should do with your robot!" The man snapped.
"My robot? What are you talking about?" Zoro asked. The monkey scattered at Zoro and showed the map again, but the swordsman didn't notice. The map was showing the fourth dot coming towards them.
Franky got up and brushed himself off. "Well, this isn't what I was expecting, but since you want to fight, then we'll fight."
"You can't be serious," The man said. His muscles started to expand and he got taller and hairier. "You are a worthless machine. And you need to learn your place."
"Hm?" Zoro started at the man. He now looked like an over grown gorilla, but still with most of his skin showing and his clothes in tact. He looked around and finally noticed that the people in this place weren't human. They were some kind of human animal hybrids.
"You ready?" Franky asked when he rejoined Zoro's side. More of these strange people morphed into gorillas and joined the man.
"Yeah," Zoro nodded. The monkey jumped upon Franky's shoulders. It chitter and squawked as the fourth dot continued to get closer to them.
The group was about to engage in their rumble when something large flew down and grabbed onto Zoro and Franky then flew back into the sky with them. The two pirates shouted in annoyance and surprise. A female voice shouted to them over the rushing wind. "Just hold on!"
A few seconds later, Zoro and Franky was dropped onto the ground next to a very worn down house. They looked up to see a young teenager riding on a cyborg in the shape of a flying machine. "You two must be insane to pick a fight with Rumble."
The cyborg landed on the ground. Its side opened up and laid down a ramp. The girl then came out of the cyborg, revealing that she was in a hovering chair. She took off her helmet, letting down her long white hair as the cyborg shifted into a human form with navy blue hair and eyes. He stood beside her. "What were you thinking?"
"What are you talking about? Who's Rumble?" Franky asked.
"And you,"She took off her goggles, revealing her orange colored eyes, and pointed at Franky. "Do you want to be dismantled and killed? You should know better than to speak out like that!"
"Seriously, what are you talking about?" Franky asked again as he and Zoro stared at these two new people.
"Cressida, they are not registered in the database," The cyborg said. "No record at all. They're not from this Time Dome."
"Seriously?!" Cressida looked up at her cyborg. She then shot her eyes over to the pirates. "Then how did you two get here?"
"On our ship," Zoro lied.
"Ship? It's impossible for ships to travel between Time Domes," Cressida narrowed her eyebrows at them. "Seriously, where did you come from? How did you even get here? The Time Spheres haven't been usable in centuries! There's no possible way for you two to have come here by that means!"
The little group fell into silence until sirens could be heard coming closer to them. Cressida tossed a look over her shoulder. "Ky!"
"Yes, ma'am," Ky rushed forward to Zoro and Franky. "Hurry! Come with me!"
Zoro and Franky blinked at him. Cressida spoke to them. "Get inside! Now! Unless you want to be arrested!"
Zoro and Franky then followed after Ky. He led them inside and into a closet. "Just keep quiet and do not move. They will open this door, but they won't see you."
"What's going on?" Franky asked.
"I can't explain that now. Just keep quiet and they'll leave soon," Ky said before shutting the door. The two listen to several, rushed beeps and a couple other strange sounds before the room when quiet. The room filled up with talking when Cressida entered the house with whoever arrived with the sirens.
"Go ahead and look around," Cressida said with confidence.
"We will, Miss Cressida," A male voice said. "I hope for your sake you are telling the truth and those fugitives aren't here. If they are you will be arrested too and your filthy robot will be dismantled. You know the penalty for helping those who attack Master Rumble."
Zoro and Franky remained quiet as they heard several footsteps wondering around just outside their hiding spot. Along with the footsteps there were sounds of things being thrown to the ground and things being broken. Cressida's then spoke out. "Do you really have to break my house? You are still guests here. I would expect you to have at least some manners."
Suddenly the door to their hiding spot flung opened. They did their best to hold still as the officially dressed man looked inside. "All's clear, Chieftain! They're not here!"
"Told you so," Cressida huffed.
"Very well. We will continue our search else where. Good day to you, Miss Cressida." Several minutes passed before Ky opened the door. Zoro and Franky exited the room.
"How is it possible that they didn't see us in there?" Franky asked while looking back at the small room they came out of.
"It was a hologram," Ky explained. "When the guard looked inside all he saw was small broom closet. This house is rigged to project illusions to prote-"
"Ky!" Cressida snapped.
"We can trust them, Cress," Ky turned to her.
"Trust them? They've already lied to us once!" Cressida reminded him.
"They intend us no harm," Ky replied.
"Whatever!" Cressida scoffed then disappeared into another room, slamming the door behind her.
"She saves us then bites our heads off?" Franky blinked at the closed door. "What's up with her?"
"Forgive her," Ky said. "She can be…difficult to understand at times. Please sit down so we can talk."
Zoro and Franky sat down at the small kitchen table Ky gestured to. While Ky moved around the tiny kitchen to get them drinks, the pirates looked around the room. It was a combination kitchen and living room. The only other rooms were the one they just came out of and the one Cressida went into. A staircase led up to a second floor.
Ky placed two cups on the table and sat down. "You are on the Time Dome of Cyborg Slaves."
"Cyborg Slaves?" Franky asked.
"Yes," Ky nodded. "This place has always view cyborgs as inferior beings. Rumble, the man you attacked, is descended from the people who came into power here and made this place into a living nightmare for those of us who are cyborgs. Before the Time Spheres stopped working Empress Futura was in talks with Rumble about abolishing the slavery of cyborgs. I don't know if she would have been able to convince him, but it gave hope to many. But that hope was dashed when the Time Spheres stopped working. Empress Futura hasn't been able to come here for centuries."
"Empress Futura?" Zoro asked.
"She governs the Time Stream you two are currently floating in," Ky looked at the swordsman. They gave him confused looks. "You two are literally flowing along with time. You are in the past, the present and the future while also not being in the past, present and future. It's quiet complicated."
"Why are you telling us all this when you obviously know we're not going to tell you anything about us?" Franky asked.
"Because I trust you," Ky looked at him. "It's just the way Cress built and programmed me. I can easily tell when someone's going to cause harm, when they're good, when they're bad…I can just tell that you are here on a mission and can't share details."
"You mean that girl built you?" Zoro casted his eyes back to the door Cressida went through.
"She did," Ky nodded. "You see, she's quiet the little genius. She got it from her parents. Her parents were doctors skilled in cyborg technology. Unfortunately, they were under the employment of Rumble."
"Were?" Franky asked.
"Although there is no actual proof of this, Rumble murdered her parents about nine years ago. You see, it use to be when people became cyborgs it was because of an accident that mangled their body up. But when Rumble's family came into power they started to abuse that technology and turned people into cyborgs at whim for any reason, or no reason at all. They threatened Cressida's parents into putting control chips into all cyborgs by telling them they'd kill Cressida if they didn't listen. These control chips can hurt the cyborg or even kill them."
"That's awful!" Franky cried.
"Eventually, Cressida's parents had enough and started to make it where the control chips would malfunction. This would set the people free of control. Then all they had to do was escape the city and hide in the mountains where there are other people who want to free the cyborgs. When the truth of what Cressida's parents were doing Rumble's family called for their deaths. They tried to flee with Cressida, however…the control chips that Cressida's parents were using were linked back to Rumble's master mainframe. It turned out that the control chips were also a way for them to control the entire population, not just the cyborgs. It's an army of cyborgs that only that family can control if the population ever gets out of control or decides to retaliate. That's why no one ever stands up to Rumble."
"That's just wrong," Franky said.
"How did you two meet? Are you her family or something?" Zoro asked.
"Now I am her family. I use to be a slave. I don't ever remember not being a cyborg. I don't even know who my biological family is. Cressida found me when her parents were killed. Rumble tried to kill her as well, but she managed to escape. I wasn't even working when she found me in the ditch. But when she found me, for some reason, she wanted to save me. And here we are," Ky place his elbow on the table and rested his chin in the palm of his hand.
"How did she end up in that chair, if you don't mind me asking?" Franky questioned.
"A few years, after she saved me, Rumble tried again to kill her. I wasn't strong enough them to prevent it completely and she was paralyzed in that attack. I told her she could become a cyborg, but she turned it down. I don't blame her. If she did she'd put herself at risk. Rumble would use the opportunity to take control over her. I wouldn't be able to do much of anything then," Ky gave a soft smile. "I don't want to ever loose her. I love her."
"That might be a bit too much information," Franky stated.
"I want to take her away from here, but she won't go," Ky reported.
"Why not?" Zoro asked.
Ky replied. "Right now when a control chip malfunctions she helps them escape to the mountains. She feels responsible for those who are under Rumble's control and wants to try and free them all at once. But there are so many to help and Rumble might try and kill her again. I don't know how much longer I will be able to protect her."
"How was she planning on freeing them all at once?" Franky asked.
"This house is actually a beacon of sorts. We built it so that we can send a disruption wave over the city to disable the control chips, but it's not working yet," Ky then tapped a plate on his chest. A door popped open, revealing a mirror inside that reflected nothing. Franky and Zoro's eyes widened. "This piece of material has some strange abilities. It completely destroyed the control chip that was inside of me. It should be enough to charge the beacon and free the cyborgs. But Rumble is getting suspicious of us. I don't know how much longer we'll be able to keep him from realizing what we're up to."
…
"So what do we do now?" Franky asked as he stared up at the ceiling. Him and Zoro were sharing the spare bedroom upstairs.
"Let's just take it and go," Zoro grumbled.
"Seriously? After all you heard down there? You want to just knock them out and run?" Franky sat up and looked at Zoro.
"Would you prefer to stay here forever?" Zoro casted Franky and one eyed look.
"No, but we can't just…," Franky's voice trailed off. He laid back down and continued to stare up at the ceiling. "There's got to be something we can do to help them."
…
Neo sigh as she stared up at the fake sky on the dome's ceiling. It was a very fake sunny day. She was leaning against the door frame, Law's hat firmly in her arms. Velocity was laying on the back of the couch complaining about the fake sun. "It does give a nice tan, but it takes forever to get one. I much prefer the real son."
"Sunbathing," Neo mumbled to herself as another memory began to seep into her mind. This one was about the bikini stunt she pulled with Penguin. The man had helped her pick out one and gave her some pointers on how to use it on Law...
"Not today," Law said, not taking his eyes off his papers.
"Aw, come on, Law," Neo protested as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She nuzzled her nose behind his ear. "Please? You've been working all day. Can't you take a little break?"
Law let out a low sigh as he turned to face her. "Love, you know I'd lo-...Neo?"
"Hm?" Neo blinked innocently at him as he finally took notice to what she was wearing. She was wearing a bikini. It was two toned. The top part, about an inch of each piece, was yellow while the lower parts were blue, a couple shades darker than her hair. It wasn't as revealing as the ones Nami and Robin would wear, but it was more revealing than anything else she's worn before.
"Why are you wearing that?" Law blinked rapidly at her current state. "And since when do you even own one of those?"
"Because I am going to do some sunbathing then maybe a little swimming," Neo said as she pulled away from him so he could see her full figure. "And I might have picked it up a couple islands ago when we stopped for supplies. Penguin thought you'd like this one over all the others. He said it goes with my hair very well. Are you sure you don't want to come join me?"
She bit her lip, and bit back a smile, when Law started to falter in his decision to keep working. His eyes kept roaming over her body. "All the others? I'mm…ssure. Penguin…saw you in that? I really need to keep working. How many others did he see? I'm working. You…go ahead…now."
"Oh fine," She took a step closer to him. She leaned over and nuzzled their noses together before placing a feather light kiss on his lips. "I guess I'll just have to have the crew entertain me instead."
He watched her every move as she shot one last glance and smile over her shoulder at him as she left their room. When she got on the deck of the ship she opened her wings and flew down to the uninhabited island they were currently docked at. The crew was running around having fun, doing whatever they pleased, swimming, napping, playing, fishing.
"You seriously couldn't get him to come out? Looking like that?" Shachi questioned as Neo landed next to him and Penguin.
"Careful, Shachi," Penguin chuckled. "Though he trusts us he'll still use Shambles on you for your suggestive tone with her."
"Trust me, boys," Neo smiled mischievously as she flicked her hair over her shoulders. "He'll be here. There's no way he won't be."
The three laughed before the two boys separated from her to join the rest of the crew in a game of beach volleyball. Neo sat down on the beach blanket they had laid out for her. As she was rubbing on sunscreen a familiar shadow fell over her. She turned her innocent eyes up to him. He was wearing his black swim trunks with their jolly roger on it. He had his arms crossed, his eyes closed and an eyebrow twitching in annoyance. "I thought you were too busy working."
Law, slightly blushing, grumbled as he sat down beside her. She suppressed a giggle as she waved the sunscreen at him. "Well, since you're here, I could use some on my back."
He grumbled again but didn't take the bottle. "If you don't want to, I guess I could get one of th-"
Law snatched the bottle from her hand. She banishing her wings from her back as she pulled her hair out of the way. He squirted a little too much sunscreen in his palm and started rubbing it into her skin. "Did you really have to do that? Tease me then just walk out wearing… wearing…"
"A bikini."
"That?!"
"Bikini."
"…In front of other men! Penguin saw you in that? In multiple bi-bi..."
"Bikini, love. The word you're trying to say is bikini," She giggled at his flustered and jealous tone. "It's only the crew. I know you trust them enough for me to wear this bikini around them. Besides you were a good boy and followed me."
His face flushed darker. "You are forbidden from ever going shopping with Penguin again."
"And here's your reward for being a good boy," She put her hand on his neck and pulled him into an intense kiss that she knew he liked. She could tell by his tone that he was serious in forbidding her and Penguin from ever going shopping together again. But she was okay with that. She'd easily change his mind about it later. Right now he needed time to recover.
…
Author's Notes: Ya know, I almost didn't do these flashbacks. But I thought the chapters would be boring if we didn't know what Neo was up to. Plus it gives us the chance to see more Neo x Law cute moments and to see how much confidence Neo has gained and how comfortable she is in her skin now to the point of being able to control Law mischievously with her body.