Hey guys, this chapter is pretty long, but I really enjoyed writing it. It was written a long time ago, but it took me a while to make changes to it. I have some more chapters in store that need editing and will be released soon. I have a vision for this story that I intend to finish.
Chapter 7 will be released soon.
Enjoy!
Chapter 6: Enter the Grand Line: Road to Water 7!
The weather wasn't getting better. The storm was intense, and the waves were very rocky. He knew Rayleigh was right; their ship was on the verge of breaking.
"Hold the rudder, make sure it doesn't break,'' Rayleigh yelled over the intense winds of the hurricane.
The rain made it hard to see, but in the distance, he saw the largest wall of rock ever. Hundreds of feet high and stretching wide from north to south. The entrance to the Grand Line was right in front of him. Reverse Mountain was in their sights. Lucian held the rudder in place using all his strength.
Rayleigh was making sure the sail didn't collapse. Reverse Mountain looked magnificent. He guessed it was basically a waterfall that was reversed. It seemed to propel you upwards instead of downwards.
He felt his arms getting weaker, and the boat would not stop shaking, but he had to keep the ship straight. They were so close to the entrance. Then, out of nowhere, a massive wave hit their ship. All the saltwater hit him in the face and knocked him backward. The ship's rudder went left—not the direction they wanted to go in.
"Lucian!" Rayleigh yelled.
He looked back, and he almost fell into the ocean. He struggled to get back up; he was freezing, and his muscles were weak. Fuck it, he had no choice. He grabbed the rudder and pointed it right to get back on track.
"Attaboy,'' Rayleigh proclaimed.
After what seemed like forever, they finally reached the reverse mountain. The ship finally reached the stream and was propelled upwards at a 45-degree angle. Lucian and Rayleigh sat back in exhaustion.
"We…need…a new…ship," Lucian gasped.
They climbed up until they reached the peak, and the storm was behind them. For a brief second, he saw the most insane view ever. Once he reached the top, he oversaw the Grand Line for the first time. They were thousands of feet in the air now, and he saw as the ocean glistened in the sunshine, which was weird since the other half of the Red Line was a storm rampage.
He saw multiple islands spread out throughout the sea. They all looked so small from all the way up here, but it was the most beautiful sight, and then they descended quickly.
They were now racing down Reverse Mountain.
They just kept going faster and faster. The ship started to break into pieces bit by bit. There was nothing they could do now; they just had to wait until they reached the bottom. The mast flew off, and the helm and deck were shattered as the ship fell into the sea.
At last, they hit the Grand Line. The ship was barely in one piece, and he and Rayleigh spent the next couple of hours patching it up with whatever they could. Luckily, the weather was amazing—it was a warm, sunny day on this side of the Red Line. They kept sailing until they saw a whale, a massive whale. Lucian was stunned, like this whale was gigantic.
Lucian pointed at it, "Uncle Rayleigh, look how large it is." Then the whale bellowed so loudly that Lucian thought his ears would come off.
"Laboon, it's been a while, huh," Rayleigh said, talking to the whale. Why was he talking to a whale?
Uncle Rayleigh then began to explain the story of Laboon and how he had met him multiple times when he was on Roger's crew whenever they traversed back to the other blues. Woah, so Laboon has been waiting here at the Red Line entrance this whole time.
That was true dedication.
"Well, Laboon, it's nice seeing you, but we must be on our way," Rayleigh said. The whale bellowed again and disappeared underwater. They continued to sail, and the weather held up perfectly.
Rayleigh reached out his hand to Lucian, "Time to start your training again, kid."
"Right now?" Lucian questioned.
Rayleigh nodded in approval.
After a couple of hours, they reached an uninhabited island that looked like it consisted of just forest terrain. They washed up on the beach and pulled the ship into the sand. It needed a break, or else it would completely fall apart, and without their ship, they'd be shipwrecked here. Rayleigh began to examine the ship. He had shipwright skills, but it looked beyond help.
"I'll fix it well enough until we make it to Water 7. Until then, kid, you and me are gonna spend some time here to make your Haki better than ever before." That made Lucian happy until…
Of course, he pulled out the blindfold.
"Put it on and don`t take it off unless I tell you to," Lucian wasn't looking forward to this. He put the blindfold to his eyes and tied it off tightly until he only saw pitch black.
Rayleigh adjusted it so Lucian couldn't see anything. Well, he couldn't see anything now. "You know why you're wearing the blindfold, kid."
"To make me look like an idiot," Luican replied.
Rayleigh laughed. "It's time to master your Observation Haki. You won't be taking off that blindfold anytime soon, so get adjusted to your other senses."
He spent the rest of the day tripping over rocks, bumping into trees, and going the wrong way every single time. He knew what Rayleigh was trying to teach him; by cutting off his eyes, Lucian was forced to use his other senses to navigate himself.
After a while, he could feel his other senses begin to heighten. With the delicate chirps of the birds and the crashing of the waves, he heard every motion of nature throughout his ears, and it slowly improved. After a week or so, his discomfort began to disappear, and he could begin to enjoy the blindfold, but Rayleigh, of course, had to take it to a whole new level.
"Owwww," Lucian exclaimed, holding his head.
He couldn't hear where it came from. But it hurt a lot.
"Hey, kid, turn around and remove the blindfold." Lucian took off the blindfold, and his eyes began to hurt. He hadn't been exposed to sunlight in over a week.
After a couple of minutes, his eyes finally adjusted to his environment.
"From now on, you may only remove your blindfold to eat; other than that, it stays on," Rayleigh said.
Lucian gasped, "For how long?"
"Until I feel as if you dont need it anymore."
Splendid, this was going to kick his ass. The forest they were in was massive and was filled with various creatures. Maybe his eyes were damaged because he saw creatures that he'd never seen before a tiger the size of an elephant, a massive bird flew over them as well, and the scariest sight was a dinosaur. He thought they were a myth.
Rayleigh could tell Lucian was surprised. "Put the blindfold back on, kid." Lucian obeyed. He wanted to become as strong as possible, and this was the only way to achieve his goals.
"I know you're surprised, and you'll notice a lot of things about the Grand Line that will surprise you. But for now, you will navigate this forest only with pure observation abilities. These animals are dangerous, and they will kill you if you're not careful, " Rayleigh instructed.
Great Lucian thought, Rayleigh threw him something. Lucian sensed it and caught it. It was a sword.
"That's for dinner, and remember, kid, promise me you'll only remove the blindfold to eat. I'll know if you lie."
That offended Lucian, "I won't cheat, dont worry."
"I know. I'm just making sure. See you in two weeks."
Lucian gasped. Two weeks seemed long.
Well, the past two weeks were the hardest of his life.
Every day, he struggled to navigate and escape the jaws of the carnivores that roamed the area. He hated not being able to see at all. But eventually, he got used to it. His other senses replaced his eyes, and every time a predator approached, he dodged and weaved. He learned to trust his instincts fully. He could start to see clearly without depending on sight.
It was amazing how Haki worked when you strengthened it. It was weird to explain, but he could see where the trees, plants, and rocks were specifically placed. He understood the fine margins of his surroundings, and his Observation Haki was finally unlocked. In detail, he felt as if he could measure how far he was from two trees.
For example, he was approximately 27 feet closer to Tree A than to Tree B, and he was specifically 18 feet away from the nest of those tiger elephants and 500 feet away from the cave full of dinosaurs. Yeah, they almost killed him a couple of days ago, so he stayed away from there.
But he loved discovering these intricate traits about his training.
As promised, Lucian only took off his blindfold to cook and eat food. He slayed whatever animal he could get his hands on. He slept on top of trees to minimize the risk of becoming prey. Before he even knew it, his two weeks were up.
Lucian started to walk back to the beach shore, dodging and avoiding any predators and obstacles in his way. His senses heightened tenfold, and then he finally made it to the beach.
"Hey kid, nice job," Rayleigh exclaimed.
Lucian turned around to the voice behind him, "Damn two weeks already". Lucian said.
"More like a month," Rayleigh said. Lucian was surprised. Was he really out there for a month?
"What have you been up to this whole time then, old man?"
"Oh, me, fixing the ship and taking it out for a spin to make sure it holds up well for the journey. We leave soon, so don`t worry," Rayleigh replied.
Then he sensed it. Right away, he ducked and weaved left, right, down, up, and left again. Rayleigh was swinging his bat again.
"Tried to catch you off guard. But Your Observation Haki has improved drastically."
He swung again. Lucian dodged them all, and Rayleigh started to swing the bat quicker. For an old man, he moved incredibly quickly. Rayleigh picked up the speed, and Lucian continued to dodge them all simultaneously.
He grinned, "Come on, old man, give me some props."
Then he was hit by a punch and fell on his back. That hurt, he thought. That's what happens when you let your guard down for a split second. "Time for Phase 2," Rayleigh said.
Lucian thought being blindfolded and thrown in a forest with deadly creatures was punishment enough. But not compared to this. He and Rayleigh started to practice their daily sparring, but this time, Lucian would stay blindfolded.
He found it way harder to fight hand-to-hand when he couldn't use his eyes. It took a while, but he started to find his rhythm. Rayleigh was a master of martial arts, but he could tell he wasn't using 100% of his power. He used just enough to make it challenging for Lucian. Ever since he put the blindfold on, Lucian understood the importance of Haki. It was such a beautiful trait.
It's the aura that resides inside every human being. Anyone can use it, but only a select few can master it, and he had to be one of them.
Now, he had a new goal: to become the greatest Haki user in the world. He wanted to surpass everyone, even the King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger!
He was so grateful for Rayleigh because, without him, he'd be lost. So because of this opportunity, he`d pour his heart into it, leaving nothing behind!
After another couple of weeks of one-on-one training with Rayleigh, they finally realized they had to leave the island.
"Time to set sail, kid. We stayed on this island too long." Lucian kept his blindfold on; he felt as if he didn't need eyes anymore(jokingly of course). He hopped on the ship.
Their journey continued…
Lucian and Rayleigh started to island hop. He could sense people were looking at Lucian weirdly because he was wearing a blindfold. He also realized another amazing trait of Observation Haki, which is that he could sense another person's emotions and intentions. To him, that was the ultimate cheat code. Anyone he interacted with could tell if they were genuine or not. However, he assumed individuals with greater Haki made it more difficult to read their mental state.
Rayleigh spent a lot of time negotiating with trade merchants for certain ship parts to make sure that they didn't sink halfway through their voyage. They were low on money as well. Pirates often stole what they wanted. But Rayleigh had a moral code. He appreciated that about him. After waiting at the port for a while, Rayleigh came back with a bag of ship parts.
"Hey, you old man and kid," A voice from behind said.
Both of them turned around. "It costs a hefty fine to dock your ship in Plexen Port'' the voice said again.
Immediately, Lucian sensed the man's deceitful nature; he was sure Rayleigh could, too. He didn't know how the man looked, but he sensed he weighed a lot and was pretty tall.
"Sorry, we didn't know how much," Rayleigh asked.
"1000 berries," the man replied coldly.
That much, this was definitely a scam. "No worries, we were just about to leave," Lucian said.
The man got angry, but Rayleigh pulled out the money and handed it to the man. The man didn't say anything; instead, he took the money and walked away.
"Watch your tongue next time, little boy," said the man as he walked away.
Rayleigh motioned to immediately get on the ship, probably because he knew Lucian's short temper would get them in a fight. He felt the ship begin to move. Lucian asked Rayleigh how the man looked.
He was sure he had the look of a mercenary, those whom they call 'bounty hunters.' Lucian knew he had a bounty on him; they were looking to collect it, but perhaps they didnt recognize him.
"Hey kid, we're heading to Whiskey Peak; over there is a part we need, and I have a guy lined up who can sell me it. After this, it's smooth sailing to Water 7."
Lucian just stayed still, feeling the environment around him. There was nothing but ocean all around them, but he felt a presence lingering behind them. He hadn't taken the blindfold off in so long. He felt accustomed to it now.
"You feel it too, right? Someone is chasing us," Rayleigh said.
His bounty was only 15 million berries, so it wasn't that high, but it was also low enough to make him seem like he was an easy payday for hunters. Apparently, Whisky Peak was close by because they made it there in a couple of hours. Rayleigh instructed him to stay close to the boat. He informed Lucian of criminal organizations roaming around the area because the last thing Rayleigh needed was another Loguetown incident. Then he sensed Rayleigh's footsteps straying further away. He was going to find the part. He could feel the warmth of the sun. He pulled out the hammock and lay there embracing the beautiful day.
There it was again, that presence he had felt since Plexen Port. Someone had been following them, and now it grew stronger and stronger. After what seemed like a while of him relaxing on the hammock...
"What are you doing on my ship," Lucian said.
The women laughed. He could sense her presence from a mile away. "So you must be Lucian Xebel, the Pirate from Loguetown I read about in the paper a while back."
Her voice was seducing. And she knew his name. So, she must be a bounty hunter? "What`s with the blindfold," she asked.
That was a good question because he looked stupid, but he chose to ignore it. He could sense the confusion from strangers ever since he entered the Grand Line, but it helped hide his identity. He was tempted to take off the blindfold. This woman's voice sounded erotic, and part of him wanted to look.
"So you're here to turn me into the navy because I won`t go easily," Lucian said sarcastically.
She laughed again. "I dont work for the Navy. I work for myself. You see, certain people are interested in you."
Of course, he knew they'd draw attention sooner or later, but now was a bad time. "So if you're not here to turn me in…you're here to kill me," Lucian curiously said. That couldn`t be right, though; he felt no malicious intent on her.
She laughed again, and each time she laughed, it tempted him to take off his blindfold. He finally got out of the hammock and approached her. She was sitting on the deck, and he wanted to know what she looked like.
"No, but my boss would most certainly like it if I captured you. He is interested in pirates like yourself, " she said.
"So tell me, then, what game are you playing here, and why is your boss interested in me?"
Lucian knew her intentions; his Observation Haki was too powerful now. He sensed her curiosity, although he could tell she was dangerous.
"You're from Aragonia, right." Lucian tensed up. What was she looking for?
"Yeah, what's it to you," Lucian said.
"So you saw the genocide then. You were present during that time?" she asked.
This woman started to anger him.
Lucian gritted his teeth. "What does the massacre of my people get to do with you."
"Tell me then, did you ever hear about a cursed book there by any chance," she asked.
Lucian froze. She knew about the book containing the ancient poneglyphs. Lucian put his hands in his pockets. He must have left his copy of the traced poneglyphs in his bag. Is that what the woman was looking for?
He never talked about it. Rayleigh told him not to mention the existence of the book to anyone as it drew trouble, as if he already didn`t cause enough trouble.
"No, I was too busy trying to survive," Lucian responded nonchalantly.
"Pity… I do hate liars, you know," she said. She was trying to mess with his head, but she was smart.
Lucian didn`t respond. Instead, she continued to speak, "All I know is that Aragonia is an interesting place with an intriguing history. I wonder how the book ended up there."
Lucian had enough of her mystery. He needed a name. "Before we conversate any further, we need to be on a first-name basis. What is your actual name?"
"Oh no, my, I forgot my manners. How silly of me. You may call me Miss All Sunday."
Lucian clamped up at that name. She was with Baroque Works, one of their top executives that Rayleigh warned him about. They were one of the most formidable assassination groups in the world. How could such a beautiful-voiced woman be Miss All Sunday? Again, he was tempted to remove his blindfold.
"Why are you so interested in my country and me," Lucian asked.
It was silent for a second. He could feel her emotions start to sway, and she was beginning to feel slightly frustrated. "A man used to work for us, well, not officially. He provided our organization with interesting tools to help maintain our status. That man's name was Ilim Abrojo. Do you know him?"
Wait she knew Mr. Abrojo, this was bad.
"Yeah, I do, but sorry to say he's dead, perished in the genocide. What did Mr. Abrojo do for your organization," Lucian asked.
Of course, he knew he had a dodgy past. Was he a criminal? Then it clicked: the reason the suited man targeted Mr. Abrojo in the first place was the ancient weapon. Lucian didn`t know much about Pluton or its importance, but he knew it would be horrible in the wrong hands, and he must have found the book in the Grand Line!
Did the book contain Pluton's whereabouts? It must!
"Oh, that's too bad. He had that book I was interested in. I do love books," Miss All Sunday said.
"What was the book about?". Lucian asked.
"Contained the secrets of the Void Century, it is quite a famous book."
What? She said it just like that. Lucian immediately removed his blindfold. He hadn't taken it off in weeks. It took a while for his eyes to adjust.
"Oh, so you do have eyes," she said. After they finally adjusted, he finally saw Miss All Sunday.
Maybe he was dreaming, or maybe his eyes finally gave out. But she was stunning. He couldn't take his eyes off her. She had long brunette hair whilst wearing a cowboy hat. She was also wearing long boots that exposed her legs, she wore shorts and a button-up crop top that exposed her cleavage. He couldn't keep his eyes off her breasts. They were amazing. Damn, he felt like such a perv. But he hadn't seen any beautiful women in so long, was this puberty and all that shit taking a toll on his brain? Women never caught his attention until recently.
Lucian felt like he was disrespecting her so he looked anywhere else. She laughed again, "Did I catch you off guard."
She definitely did, "Nah, just the sun got in my eyes," he responded.
His mind went blank; all he could think about was her beauty—until he realized she mentioned the Void Century.
"Oh shit, hey, what do you know about the book Miss All Sunday."
She crossed her legs, put her hand on her left cheek, and shook her head. "Oh, so you do know about the book. I want… to help you," she said.
Every time she spoke, she caught Lucian by surprise. Her beauty dulled the senses, which was never good. "Why do you want to help me? I just met you."
Her demeanor completely changed, and she hopped off the deck. "May we take a walk?" she said.
He wasn't going to say no.
As they walked through town, he was starting to feel like he could finally trust her, or maybe not. That was yet to be decided.
"I went through the same thing as you. My home country of Ohara was wiped out, so I understand your situation." Lucian gasped.
She had gone through a genocide, too. Maybe he was too quick to judge, or maybe he was just falling for her beauty. He needed to lock in; the Grand Line was no joke. She could betray him quickly for all he knew. Lucian continued to indulge her because she caught his interest.
"No way, Ohara, where was that? If you can excuse my ignorance," Lucian stated.
She kept the same serious demeanor.
"In the West blue, not many people know but the World Government. They wiped out my nation, and I was the sole survivor." Lucian could sense her emotions; she was telling the truth. Wow, Observation Haki was the greatest thing ever.
But Lucian discovered something they had in common, perhaps a hatred for the World Government. Hopefully, that could be something they could build upon.
"Why?" Lucian responded.
As they walked around, he noticed people staring at them. He hated that.
"Because we knew too much, anybody that knows is an enemy," she answered.
She was right; the same thing that happened to Aragonia also happened to Ohara. She continued to explain her story about the buster call and how the World Government destroyed one of the smartest nations just because they had too much knowledge—another reason to hate them. He was shocked because a part of him thought only he suffered like that, but he was so wrong. Others have suffered heavily in this world; he just never noticed.
"I am sorry, Miss All Sunday. To be honest, I may have judged you too quickly, but you caught me off guard with all of this."
She laughed, and that lightened the mood. "Call me Nico Robin."
She gave Lucian her name. Does that mean she trusts him? No, it can`t. But perhaps she is trying to play a sort of angle here. Or maybe Lucian is overthinking this entire situation. until he finds a better idea, a way in which Lucian could test her intentions, though he believes it to be a long shot. He was going to try something.
"Hey Robin, come with us. You can help us prevent anyone from obtaining the poneglyphs and Pluton."
Robin's eyes widened. "Did you say Pluton?" Bingo, so she knew about Pluton as well. This was getting more and more interesting by the second.
If she came to meet Lucian to discover the truth about the book, then he could truly weigh her intentions with her responses.
"Yeah, some guy who led the raid on Aragonia was looking for the book, but he mentioned that Mr. Abrojo knew something about Pluton."
"Who was this man?" Robin asked.
Lucian calmed his emotions. "I don`t know," he said, not exactly a lie, but not the full truth. Lucian knew of the suited man and that he was a Holy Knight, but he lacked a name.
He never told Rayleigh, but he was desperate to figure out his identity.
Robin stood still and began to think. "To be truthful, I came here to find the whereabouts of the book, and since you`re from Aragonia, I thought you might have had it. My boss wants it. Not only does it reveal the secrets of the Void Century, but It is also rumored to have the knowledge of how Pluton operated.
To answer your other question, I never met Mr. Abrojo, but he provided a lot of intel to my boss during his active status as a pirate. I wish I knew what it was. Ilim Abrojo was one of the most sought-after men in the world a couple of decades ago. I`m surprised they finally caught up to him," she finished.
Okay, so far, she is telling the truth. Were all assassins this nice to teenage boys? Lucian then realized he was overthinking it. Nico Robin seems genuine even though he just met her. He felt as if he could open up to her since she experienced the same things as him.
But back to what she said. Also, Mr. Abrojo was a pirate!
The suited man seemed to know him personally and he did sail the Grand Line at one point. But it was never mentioned in Aragonia that he was ever a pirate. Lucian thought back hard to the day of the genocide. Mr. Abrojo mentioned that he was at God`s Valley, but what was that? Lucian assumed the suited man and Mr. Abrojo met there.
Then it clicked. Lucian remembered what he had said: 'I told you my intentions on God`s Valley all those years ago.'
It must have occurred many years ago. Rayleigh drilled into him an important lesson: Never mention what happened that day in Aragonia to anyone. He couldn`t go around asking people what God`s Valley was. He had to keep it a secret for now. Lucian had the pone glyphs, but he couldn`t read them at all, could Robin?
"Can you read the book because I couldn`t," Lucian asked.
Robin replied, "Why, of course, only a few people in the world can decipher the poneglyph's true meaning, which is what makes them so valuable."
"That makes sense, Robin. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I know as much as you do," Lucian said.
Robin laughed, "I figured as much. Sorry to scare you like that, but I couldn`t pass up this conversation."
Lucian understood. She was just like him in a sense, yearning to know more about the secrets the world had to offer. She seemed so nice and honest. But why? Surely, their dark shared pasts weren`t enough to signify a bond, but he would be the first to take the leap.
Lucian reached out his hand, "Let`s be friends. I want you to join my crew."
She laughed extra hard this time, "That`s cute, but you surely aren`t serious. Aren`t you a bit young?"
Lucian`s face remained serious, and the silence after her sentence started to change the tone of their meeting. Lucian stared at her silently as Robin began to discover that his request was serious. Her face went from laughter to curiosity.
She contemplated for a second. "Join you… but why?"
Lucian kept his tone serious. "I vowed ever since that day to take them down," Lucian pointed at her face. "I can feel that you are the same. You realized it right. The imbalance of power. It must be corrected."
Robin`s face began to tremble, but not with fear but with realization.
That Lucian was truly being serious.
"But you barely know me. I can be manipulating you for all you know, getting you to say what I want," she replied, thinking it was a smart comeback.
"I know you`re not lying. I can feel it," he said seriously. Robin gasped
The sun began to set, and Robin grabbed his hand and left the area of wandering suspicious eyes.
They kept walking and conversing until the sunset began. They traversed the entire Whisky Peak in a couple of hours. It felt like they were on a date, except he wasn't happy his date was taller than him. He'd better get a good growth sprout. But Lucian also learned an important lesson today. It was something that Karas reminded him of a couple of years back when he came back from the Marines. Perspective matters, he said.
He looked at Robin. She had her share of secrets, but she also suffered through a tragedy just like him, and to be honest, she had it worse. At least Aragonia was still standing; Ohara was destroyed. Even though she was an assassin, Lucian felt as if they could genuinely become friends. He could easily tell she was a nice person underneath that assassin persona she emitted. Why did Lucian see past it so easily?
They continued to walk in silence.
"Hey, if you don't mind me asking, why are you traveling the Grand Line," Robin asked.
"To make a statement," he said.
It was all he could think about.
"Oh really, you could anger a lot of people for doing that. I`m interested in what you`ll do."
Lucian turned around at her and grinned. "Robin, that`s the point."
She looked at him and chuckled, but it didn`t sound like she was making fun of him. Instead, Lucian felt that she believed what he was saying.
"You`re really amazing, you know that, Lucian," Robin said.
Lucian blushed, cursing puberty for making him weak in the knees.
He wondered if it would get any worse with women, especially attractive ones.
Back in Aragonia, he never particularly took interest in any of the girls there, maybe because he was younger, but over the last couple of years, his interest started to spark. And Robin was seriously attractive. Hopefully, he wasn't acting like a fool in front of her.
They approached a ship, and it was Robin`s. The walk back was a silent one.
"Thanks for walking me to my ship," Robin said. Lucian didn't realize that they had walked this far. He was on the other side of the island. Running would take a while, but if he used Soru, he could be back quickly.
"One last question before you go, '' Lucian asked.
Robin turned around, giving Lucian her undivided attention. "What were your intentions with the book when you originally met me?" Lucian asked.
Robin replied, "Like always, to keep it out of those who intend to use it for evil. Trust me, I`ve seen true evil in this world, but then you caught my eye when you entered the Grand Line. You became quite a topic of interest.
I have heard horrible things about you. I came here to inspect whether or not you are who they claimed you were."
Lucian whistled, keeping his hands in his pockets until she took out a piece of paper and handed it to him.
Lucian looked at it perplexed. "It`s my vivre card; it will lead you to me. Once you find out the truth about why they wanted the book, come to me. I`ll be there to help. You know, I`m risking everything I stand for to meet with you. But for some reason, I have faith in your struggle. I didn`t before, but now I`ll place my bets on you." Lucian looked at the vivre card and stuffed it in his pocket.
Lucian replied, "Then I`ll do it for both Aragonia and Ohara—the nations betrayed by those they trusted the most."
Lucian began to study her emotions. They were different than when they first met. She seemed more open now. A tear rolled down her eye. She quickly wiped it off. Lucian gasped but didn`t mention it. Robin turned away and began walking to her ship.
"Lucian Xebel," Robin said. Lucian turned his head toward her as she began to embark on her small ship. She turned her head towards him.
"You know, I was wrong. I never thought I`d find someone like you out here, someone who feels just like me," she said. Lucian maintained eye contact with her. He began to understand the pain she was in; he could feel her conflicting nature sway back and forth.
Lucian smiled to lighten the mood. "Yeah, totally. I`ll have your back no matter what. You hear me."
Robin disembarked the ship, reached her hand out, and smiled. "I am interested to see what you make of the world."
Lucian approached her and grabbed her hand, shaking it firmly. "I can say the same for you, anytime, anywhere. Never forget that". Robin let go of his hand.
The sun began to set quickly. He had to get back to Rayleigh. He never took his eyes off Robin as she stuffed his vivre card into her bra. He waved goodbye to the beautiful assassin who had just set sail and disappeared into the night. Lucian hoped to see her again, damn she was gorgeous.
He forgot Rayleigh was going to kick his ass for abandoning his post. He used Soru to run back to the ship, and he made it in record time. But still, it was slow enough because Rayleigh was there working on the ship. He inched closer to the ship as Rayleigh's back was turned. He was tying off the sail knots.
"Hey kid, nice job on protecting the ship," he said sarcastically.
Lucian gave out a nervous chuckle. Rayleigh turned around. "Well, this should get us to Water 7".
Lucian still didnt utter a word. He walked onto the ship. "Where's your blindfold, and why do you smell like perfume?" Rayleigh asked.
He forgot about the blindfold, and he knew he couldn't lie to Rayleigh. He then explained his meeting with Miss All Sunday to Rayleigh, but he didn`t tell him her real name. He expected him to be mad, but instead, he looked proud.
"You did the right thing, not telling her about the book. She is a conniving one," Rayleigh explained.
Lucian disagreed with Rayeigh. Robin seemed amazing as if she was the only one who understood what Lucian was going through. He was glad to befriend her today. Lucian put the blindfold back on again, and Rayleigh set sail towards Water 7.
He was excited to get a new ship.
A couple of days later...
Water 7 was the most magnificent island he had seen in his life. After a couple more weeks of sailing, Lucian took off his blindfold, and the view was amazing.
The city stretched out far and wide and was massive. They made it just in time because the ship they had was about to collapse at any second. He remembered what Robin told him about Pirates being interested in him around the Grand Line, and ever since then, he'd been on high alert.
"Hey, Uncle, let's get a big ship with massive cannons," Lucian screamed.
Rayleigh laughed. "How about whatever our budget can buy us, ok?".
"Boringggggggg. We came to one of the greatest shipwright islands in the world, so let's get a large ship," Lucian argued.
"Look, kid, this place is dangerous, and right now, you are a hot topic within these seas, so please, if it is possible, do not draw attention to yourself."
Lucian laughed. "Come on, Uncle. If anything, you draw more attention than me. You`re a former first mate of the Roger Pirates. Don't worry about me; I can handle myself now."
Rayleigh scoffed at Lucian's response, "Don't get ahead of yourself. You have gotten more powerful, but your overconfidence will be your downfall. Let go of your ego."
What ego?
Lucian trained hard to become this powerful. If anyone wanted the smoke with him, he'd be glad to scrap.
They were approaching the port. If you've never seen Water 7 before, it was just a magnificent island made out of waterway systems. There were multiple highrises with various levels and platforms. Instead of roads, a gondola system allowed you to traverse trade areas carried by these weird water-horse thingies.
"Woah there guys, that ship is messed up," said the worker from afar.
Rayleigh and Lucian stepped into the port, and he looked back at their ship. It was starting to sink now. Perfect timing. "You can say we made it just in time," he said.
He scanned the area. There were so many beautiful ships around, and they looked rather expensive. Maybe the old man could dip into his retirement savings.
Rayleigh and the worker continued to conversate until Rayleigh asked for a man named Iceberg.
The worker's eyes widened. "He's quite a busy man, but if you really need an audience with him, just follow the gondolas to the Galley-La area, " the worker said, pointing toward the inside of the city.
Rayleigh thanked him, and they started to walk around Water 7. They were stuck here for the meantime since their ship broke apart the moment they stepped off it.
"Hey, who's Iceberg, and what are we really doing here, Uncle," Lucian asked.
Rayleigh didnt look at him; instead, they kept on walking. "He's… an old friend. I wanted to check up on him in the time being, so have you seen any ships you like yet?".
Lucian started showing Rayleigh some of the nicer ships, and he started to laugh.
"You kidding, kid, it's too expensive."
Cheapskate.
At last, they arrived at Galley-La, and it looked so cool. He heard from locals that the Galley-La company shipwrights were treated as celebrities in Water 7 they were renowned for their craftsmanship and creativity. A man then started to approach them, "Look who's back," a voice said.
Rayleigh shook the man's hand.
"How's it going, Paulie? Long time no see," Rayleigh said.
Paulie chuckled, "Same old, you're looking for Iceberg. You won't find him here; he's mayor now."
Rayleigh looked surprised, "What a nice surprise. Is it possible for me to see him?"
Paulie never even noticed Lucian until Rayleigh introduced him as his nephew. Lucian and Paulie shook hands.
"Hey kid, you wanna see where the magic happens." Why was he treating him like a toddler? Lucian kept a grim face the whole time. "Sure."
"And dont worry, Rayleigh, I'll take you to Iceberg as soon as he's available," Paulie replied to Rayleigh, leading him away from Lucian as they talked.
Lucian stepped inside the shipwright's yard. He saw a guy with a pigeon on his shoulder doing work on the underside of a ship.
He immediately got bad vibes from him.
Around him was also a guy with a long nose running around putting the finishing touches on a helm. These must be the celebrities everyone was talking about.
He stayed there for a couple of hours watching them. They never noticed him, as they always moved around quickly to get work done. They were certainly impressive; he was sure they could build a great ship. He looked around and realized Rayleigh and Paulie were gone, probably to meet with this Iceberg guy.
Rayleigh always expected Lucian to stay put and behave but they both knew that wouldn't happen, he wanted to explore the area. Lucian got up from his seat and went up to one of the Galley-La shipwrights. Lucian introduced himself to the long-nosed guy as he looked cool enough. The conversation went something like this…
"Hey sir, I was interested in…" Lucian said.
"Hey, kid, I have no time for games. Come back with an adult, or don't come back at all. We have serious work here and no time for distractions," the long-nosed man said, rushing back into action.
"Whatever, screw this…" Lucian muttered under his breath and walked away. He had no time for disrespect.
What a great convo!
He kept sensing the same presence near him. He felt that uneasiness with these Galley-La employees every time he was around them.
Lucian started to explore Water 7 and asked around for other shipwrights who weren't Galley-La. It wasn't hard, but this whole city seemed to be filled with shipwrights. He was wandering around not knowing what direction he was walking in. He then came across a market full of shipwrights and merchants. He asked around for help, but most of them ignored him. Lucian also wasn't in the mood to argue with people; he wanted someone who wanted to help him.
Until he came across a food stand. It smelled good, and he had some money in his pocket. "Best noodles in town," the man said. Lucian ordered one plate and paid the man. The food was delicious, and the cook seemed to be cool, so he took his chances.
"Hey, you know anywhere where I could find a shipwright that is not Galley-La or from this market," Lucian asked.
The cook started to ponder, and then his face lit up. "You can always try the scrapyard. A lot of the masters operate there because it is full of unlimited parts that are thrown away."
Lucian quickly finished his food and asked for directions. He then started to walk over to the scrapyard. He then heard his transponder start to ring. Rayleigh was calling. Click, "Hey Uncle, what's up?"
Rayleigh then began to explain that there was a military presence surrounding the island(so, in other words, don't do anything stupid) and that he had closed a deal with Iceberg to build them a ship.
He wanted Lucian to pick out the designs. Lucian stopped in his tracks. He simply responded, "I`ll be there soon," and he hung up.
Immediately, he wanted nothing from Galley-La. He didn't trust Galley-La; for some reason, it was just his gut feeling.
Once Lucian arrived at the scrapyard, he realized how low-life it was. The cook meant the term 'masters' literally because he saw slaves laboring away on ships and picking up parts. So he approached a man who seemed skinny and lanky.
He`d name him 'lanky man.' That sounds funny.
The lanky man was yelling at his slaves to move around quickly. Even though the area was dirty, the ships these slaves were building were magnificent. Lucian approached the lanky man. "Hey, are you selling these ships?"
The man turned towards Lucian and smiled eerily. "Why yes, boy, does something catch your eye?"
He was just looking at the slaves working. They all looked miserable. He hated slavery, but he couldn't show emotion in this situation he had to traverse carefully. He then saw a giant about 15 feet fall, chubby with goggles on. He was working on a ship by himself it was beautiful. Lucian pointed at the giant ship.
"May I see that one?"
The lanky man scoffed. "That is Jory. He used to work for Galley-La. Any ship he produces will run you three times the starting price."
"Why did he stop working for them?" Lucian questioned.
"No one knows, but he is an exceptional craftsman. Paid a lot for him. He was originally one of the leaders when he joined Galley-La, but then, one night, he was just banned. He was immediately sold into slavery, where I paid a hefty fine at the auction. But it was worth it," said the lanky man.
This master was evil. He could sense his deceitful nature from a mile away. Only greed plagued his mind. "May I speak to him?" Lucian asked.
The lanky man agreed. As they walked to Jory, the master called out, "Hey, Jory, you have a customer."
The giant turned towards Lucian. He immediately sensed his sadness and anger. He hated working for the masters. Lucian motioned to the master to let them be alone, so he left.
Jory ignored Lucian and continued working on the ship. Lucian was no shipwright, but he could appreciate the effort Jory put into his work.
"Hey, my name is Lucian, and you must be Jory."
Again the giant ignored Lucian, he couldn't blame Jory he probably thought Lucian was another dickhead customer. "Heard you were the best shipwright on Water 7, so I had to come to you."
This seemed to get Jory's attention, and he finally turned his head toward Lucian. By some crazy miracle, this depressed giant started to laugh.
"Yeah, kid, my name is Jory. How may I assist you? Sorry for not saying hi sooner. I was putting the finishing touches on the deck."
Lucian was stunned. He sensed his grief and despair, but here he was, laughing without a care in the world. How was he not able to sense his true emotions off the bat?
This guy was special.
Lucian then starts to describe his ideal dream ship to Jory. He wanted it to be fast, durable, and intimidating. He also explained to Jory his desire to be a Pirate captain one day. The giant laughed again, "You know, I am a visionary myself, so I can make a ship in any way you desire."
Lucian began to get excited. He liked Jory a lot and could tell he was a genuine person. Then the master came back. "You find everything you need, boy."
Lucian nodded and explained that Jory would be taking care of his requests. The master seemed to like this news a lot, but Lucian looked around the area and realized how badly these slaves were being treated. Lucian promised Jory to come back tomorrow, and they could talk about the ship's planning.
Once Lucian reunited with Rayleigh. He explained his decision to have Jory build the ship, and as usual, Rayleigh was not happy.
"I already got Iceberg to have Galley-La build us an exceptional ship; what were you thinking."
Lucian did not react to Rayleigh's anger. "Hey, Uncle, I know you mean well. Without you, I would never have made it this far. But one day, when my training is done. I'm going to captain my crew with a ship that I have a say in. If I don`t start making decisions now, when can I? I picked Jory because he`s a cool guy, and he has amazing skill in crafting ships."
Rayleigh scoffed. "Iceberg owes me a favor, so that ship is getting built either way. But if you want your friend to build your ship, be my guest."
Lucian agreed with Rayleigh, but he didn't seem to like it.
"You're so stubborn, kid, but it's your life. Do with it as you will; the money is also coming out of your pocket."
He cared a lot for Uncle Rayleigh, but he hated how he still treated Lucian like a kid, even though he was still one. They walked to the nearest bar and ordered drinks because Rayleigh was an alcoholic, and that problem would not be addressed any time soon.
"Hey Uncle, so what does Iceberg know about Pluton?"
Rayleigh was stunned, "How did you kn-."
Lucian cut him off, "You just trained me too well. You didnt think I wouldn`t find out. So tell me, what's the real reason we're here."
Rayleigh continued to take shot after shot. The bar was lively, and Rayleigh took the conversation outside the bar.
Why wasn't Lucian surprised?
Rayleigh explained to him the real reason they sailed to Water 7. Despite the obvious need for a new ship, Rayleigh went to great lengths to protect Pluton's origins.
For years, Lucian wondered what Pluton was. So he got some more drinks into Rayleigh so he could get some more information out of him. After Rayleigh was pretty drunk, he began to explain what Pluton was.
Apparently, during the Void Century, an ancient ship was built with the destructive capabilities to destroy islands and even continents. It was one of the ultimate forms of power.
Lucian's mind immediately flashed back to the night he saw the suited man. He wanted to find Pluton. A ship with that much destructive capabilities, he could understand now why the World Government would want this weapon. What Pirates or Revolutionaries would oppose them? And what if a Pirate had this weapon? What evil purposes would they use it for?
After even more drinks, Rayleigh passed out, and Lucian carried him back to their hotel room, which he didnt even know they had till 5 minutes ago. He saw the keycard in Rayleigh's pocket and left him there. It was night, and Lucian was sitting on the stairs. He reached into his pocket and opened the folded paper in front of him.
It was a tracing of the poneglyphs Mikasa had traced. He thought it would be useful to use one day since he was exploring the Grand Line. He had to guard it with his life. Could this poneglyph lead to Pluton's location, too?
Or maybe not. He couldn't read the damn thing. It looked like gibberish. But now he needed answers, and if Uncle Rayleigh wouldn't give it to him. He knew only one other person in the entire island who could.
Iceberg.