Hello all, sorry for the long hiatus. I try not to take so long before the next free update, but it's been nearly two months since I last posted. I don't really have any good excuse. I got sick for a bit and was unable to work, but that was weeks ago. Ultimately, it was a combination of writer's block, procrastination, some sickness, genuine life issues, and general laziness that caused this extended blank period. I'm deeply sorry to anyone anxiously awaiting the next chapter release.
With that said, huge thanks to Angel Zamora and Joshua Scott for remaining in the ten dollar Advanced tier despite the 2 month long hiatus. You guys are incredible! I don't deserve you!
With that said, I hope you all enjoy this latest post!
…
Chapter 6
What Happened After The Fight
When Luffy opened his eyes, it was night time. He was lying outside on the Sunny's grass turf where Nami's tangerine trees were. Confused, he looked around and saw Nami sitting beside him.
"Nami?" He said.
"You're finally awake," she said. "Good."
"How long was I out?"
"The rest of the day. I'd say about eight hours."
Luffy's eyes widened. "8 hours?! I was knocked out that long?"
"Yeah. That guy literally carried your unconscious body as you two came down. It was worrisome. Do you remember everything this time?"
"Yeah, I think so," he said, getting up into a sitting position, wincing at the effort. "I don't usually forget such a bad ass beating. What happened after I got knocked out?"
"Well," she said as she began to tell the story. "Firstly, the timer rang…"
The timer in the kitchen rang as Luffy flung into the sky and Ryuuhei leaped after him and unleashed a powerful attack that seemed beyond monstrous. The Straw Hats saw the form of a dragon in the sky and the sheer power caused the clouds to part ways.
The move Luffy used against Angel couldn't compare. If it did, they likely wouldn't have to worry about him again.
They worried for their captain as Ryuuhei descended gracefully back to the ship, carrying an unconscious Luffy in his arms.
"Luffy!" Some of them cried as Nami, Usopp, and Chopper ran to him.
"He's fine," Ryuuhei assured them. "Just exhausted. I'm sure you all know he isn't the sort to be done in so easily. It's a family trait."
"Even so," Nami said, glaring at him. "That was way too much. You almost killed him!"
"Yeah, you jerk!" Usopp shouted. "You went way too far!"
"Yeah!" Chopper screamed in agreement as he examined Luffy. He was out cold. His preliminary examination suggested exhaustion, similar to this morning after Angel left.
Ryuuhei shrugged nonchalantly. "I merely went as hard on him as the old guys went on us when we were young. It's really the only way a guy as thick head as Luffy will learn."
That didn't really satisfy them, but at the same time they couldn't argue.
"Anyway, I'm starving. My food is ready. You can join me if you like. I have a bit of information some of you may find interesting. Afterwards, I'll leave."
He walked casually to the kitchen, leaving them behind without a care. He was a difficult man to understand. Was he a good guy or a bad one? At the very least, Luffy didn't seem to hate him. Perhaps that was enough.
They moved Luffy to rest under Nami's tangerine plants. Then, they went to the kitchen.
"It seems you didn't mess up my meal, Black Leg," Ryuuhei said, examining his cooking. The kitchen was permeated with the most delicious smell. It made the crew's mouth water. "Nice to know the pupil of the infamous Zeff is competent."
"Oh, shut up," Sanji said. "I would never allow food to get ruined in my kitchen. Least of all such a high quality dish."
Sanji had observed Ryuuhei when he was preparing the meal. He had the skills of a top level chef. Maybe better than him…?
"So, what are you, anyway? The Revolutionary Army's head chef?"
"I'm the head of our intelligence network. However, I do manage our dietary and meal plans. I don't have the time to do any actual cooking for the Army."
There was the faintest tell of regret in his voice at not being able to cook for others.
"Truthfully, I'd have nothing to do with any of that if the guy originally in charge of the food didn't let himself get arrested awhile back. The idiot's probably rotting in Impel Down right now."
He didn't sound too worried about his friend. Was he callous, or did he know something he wasn't saying. He made it difficult to figure out.
"Hey," Franky said, watching him take a plate from the correct cabinet as if he knew where they were the whole time. "You seem to know where everything is. Why is that?"
"Haven't you been paying attention? I've been spying on all of you."
He took a stack of plates and brought it to the table, then set them for each chair. The Straw Hats looked at him strangely. They really couldn't get a good read on him.
"When you say "spying"," Usopp said. "What do you mean by that?"
"Well, I've been watching you all since you arrived at Water 7," he said coolly, bringing the food to the table.
"You've been watching us since then?" Nami said incredulously. The more frivolous part of her brain hoped she managed to keep her appearance up while the incredibly attractive man was watching them, but that was stupid. She always looked good. "Why?"
"Take a seat at the table. I'll explain what I can as we eat."
The pirates exchanged uneasy looks. This was a strange day. After nearly getting killed by Angel, this man had barged onto their ship, threatened them, hijacked their kitchen, beaten up Luffy, and now he was offering them a meal. Even by their standards, this was weird. It was only after Sanji walked to the table did everybody follow.
Sanji wasn't really thinking about the current situation, He just wanted to taste the dish Ryuuhei made. While he was keeping an eye on it, he could feel it was a high quality creation and he just wanted to taste it to experience it. If he was Luffy, he would already have devoured it.
"Help yourself," Ryuuhei said. The dish he created was some kind of mixture of rice and seafood. "It's called paella. It's a specialty in Dressrosa, a country in the New World."
Sanji was the first to take a bite. Then the rest of the crew followed soon after. Truthfully, they couldn't hold back once the plate was in front of them. It just smelled so wonderful.
"So good!" They cried out, absolutely loving it.
"It really is…" Sanji said, sounding regretful. He suddenly felt inferior to this man, as if his cooking outperformed his own. Cooking wasn't a contest, it was an art and lifestyle. While some foods just tasted better than others, it was impossible to truly measure two different chefs with different skills. Still, this meal he was eating right now was just incredible.
"So, about why I was watching you guys," Ryuuhei started. "It was because of you, Nico Robin. You can guess why, can't you?"
The crew tensed. Robin, on the other hand, was only mildly surprised. She had been pursued by all sorts of organizations interested in her knowledge. It should come as no surprise the Revolutionary Army might be the same, regardless of who their leader is.
"I can imagine," Robin said coolly. "Please tell me why."
"Where to begin? I suppose I will start by saying that both Dragon and Lilia have been wanting to find you since Ohara's destruction twenty years ago."
Robin looked shocked. "W-Why…?"
"Did you know the scholar named Clover?"
"The professor?!"
"He and Dragon were friends. He mourned him when the World Government destroyed Ohara, along with the peaceful scholars who were killed for only trying to study history."
"...Is that so? Come to think of it, Angel mentioned that Ohara could be considered the start of everything. Is this what he meant?"
Ryuuhei narrowed his eyes. "I caught that. I was surprised he knew such a thing. I've been aware the Angel Pirates have been obsessed with Lilia and her group for a long time now. But I never knew his knowledge of her extended to that degree. It's very disturbing. Now, I gotta know. Who is Angel?"
He exhaled and shook his head. Such a simple gesture made Nami and Robin's hearts flutter despite the situation.
"So, did Dragon start the Revolutionary Army because of what happened to Robin's homeland?" Usopp asked.
"I wouldn't say that. Dragon started his Freedom Fighters well before Ohara was wiped out. It's hardly the World Government's only crime, you know? You've all experienced a taste of their corruption with Enies Lobby, but trust me that's still not the worst thing they're responsible for. You'll probably see more as you go further. It's just in Ohara's case, it was a trigger for many different people."
"How so?" Nami asked.
Ryuuhei smiled wryly. "That's a long and complicated story. And not the topic of our discussion."
"Then what about Luffy's mom? Why was she interested in Robin?"
"I'll let her explain when you guys meet her. I expect it will be soon. I will say this, she's been Dragon and Lilia have been searching for you for the past two decades. Separately, of course. If you weren't so good at hide and seek, you might not have been on the run for so long."
Robin actually laughed. "Is that so? How unlucky for me, then. But it wasn't as though I could trust just anybody. My twenty years on the move nearly crushed all of my trust. As you can imagine, I was betrayed constantly."
Hearing that, pangs of sympathy for their precious archeologist enveloped the crew.
"But it all worked out in the end. I like where I ended up after all that pain. I'm happy."
"Robin!" The crew cried out. Sanji and Franky were literally weeping. Even Zoro looked slightly emotional.
"It is funny, I'll admit, that you ended up on Luffy's crew of all people. Although, it makes a strange sort of sense. I don't think Dragon and Lilia would have even gotten together if what happened to Ohara hadn't happened."
The crew gasped at that. Robin looked visibly taken aback.
"Are you saying Luffy wouldn't have been born if the World Government hadn't destroyed Ohara?!"
Ryuuhei opened his mouth to answer, then closed it again. He looked like he was struggling to properly explain it. "You know what? Forget I said it. Let's just say Ohara was a big plot point in a very messy love story involving two morons, and leave it at that. There are better people than me who can explain it. Ask Lilia if you really want to know the details. We got off topic."
The crew became very curious about Luffy's parents now, but Ryuuhei didn't seem to want to explain further, so they dropped it.
"I learned pretty quickly that you ended up on Luffy's crew. Which was pretty shocking considering Dragon and Lilia spent the better part of twenty years trying to find you. You know, if you weren't so good at hide and seek, you might've found your safe place a lot sooner, you know? How does that make you feel?"
Robin shrugged. "That it wasn't meant to be. It's not like I could just trust anybody. If I was so trusting, I'd have been finished a long time ago. Besides… I found where I'm supposed to be, and I'm happy."
"Oh, Robin-chwan!" Sanji swooned. "Are you saying you're happy to be with me?!"
"That's not what she said, idiot!" Usopp shouted.
"Hm, quite," Ryuuhei said, ignoring Sanji. "Anyway, when I told Dragon that you had ended up on Luffy's crew, he said, that's fine and to leave it alone. Which I don't get why he'd be comfortable with having the one of the most dangerous women in the world with his most useless child, but, hey, I try not to overthink the Monkey Ds."
He grinned as the crew glared dryly at him.
"For a while, it was fine, but then word reached me that you guys had a run in with Aokiji, of all people, and I had to tell Dragon."
"You know about that?" Zoro asked. "How are you able to know all this?"
"Information is power. Those who know more are able to do more. Not that I expect you to understand. Anyway, it's lucky you guys ran into Aokiji, of all the admirals. If you had run into Kizaru, or even worse Akainu," he said that name with restrained hate. "You would have been killed. Especially by Akainu. That guy is relentless. Even worse, he hates Dragon."
The pirates looked unnerved. Were the other two admirals truly that much worse than Aokiji?
"After I discovered Aokiji encountered you, I had a hunch it was only a matter of time before the government made a move on you, Robin. You evaded them for twenty years. You being with Luffy was the most vulnerable you've been since you were first thrown into your situation."
"I suppose," Robin said. "What did Luffy's father say? What was your plan?"
"I went to him with my concerns, then he ordered me-the head of his information network-to personally track you down and find you."
Robin frowned, as did the crew. "Did Luffy's father want you to steal me from the Straw Hats?"
"His specific words for this entire mission was "Do what you believe is best". Do you know how annoying it is to get such ambiguous orders?"
They might. Their captain wasn't exactly the king of giving orders.
"So, I did what I thought was right and spied on you guys when you arrived at Water 7."
"When you say you spied on us," Nami said anxiously. "What exactly do you mean?"
"I stalked you all," he said casually. "From the tops of roofs, from the shadows of the alleys. I was keeping an eye on you."
The crew looked disturbed. Water 7 wasn't exactly them at their best.
"Mostly on you, Robin. I watched you separate from the Reindeer when the big guy from CP9 approached you, as well as your meeting with them. Your little goodbye speech to the reindeer and the chef. Not to mention your attempts on Iceberg's life. Of course, I saw the lot of you get your buts kicked by the agents at Iceberg's place. Then, I snuck onto the sea train. Snuck onto Enies Lobby. And watched all of you do what you did there. Do you follow so far?"
They gaped wordlessly. They truly had no words for what he was saying. The sheer disbelief they felt was indescribable.
"I find it hard to believe you were watching me for so long," Robin said, sounding irritated.
"That is what bugs you?!" Franky asked incredulously. "This guy just admitted to watching everything that happened and he did nothing!"
"I survived for so long by always being aware of my surroundings and noticing when I'm being followed," she said matter of factly. "It's quite insulting that I was being watched and didn't know it."
He grinned at her. "You're good at hide and seek, but I'm the best."
"Just hold on!" Usopp shouted, filled with righteous indignation. While he was a little relieved that Ryuuhei didn't watch his fight with Luffy, he was more furious that he had watched everything that had happened. With his strength, he could have prevented everything! "You just watched as we all nearly killed ourselves trying to save Robin?!"
"Yes," he said.
"From the sound of it," Nami said, equally angry. "You were watching when Angel attacked as was about to muder me, too!"
"That is also true."
"You're really twisted!" Usopp, Chopper, Franky, and Nami shouted hatefully. That was their feelings, but the others weren't so quick to judge him. For Sanji, he tasted the incredible dish he made and thought that a person who could make such a meal wasn't all bad. For Zoro, this man was an enigma. He wasn't sure if they could trust him, but he thought he wasn't an awful guy.
"If you want to blame someone, blame Dragon. If he told me to stop the World Government from taking Robin, that's what I would do it. If he told me to protect Luffy, I would do it. If he told me to just grab Nico Robin, tossing Luffy's and your feelings aside, that's what I would have done. Instead, he told me to find you guys and do what I believe is best. So, I just observed things."
The crew shivered. If someone with his insane speed tried to actually take Robin, there might not be anything they could do.
"You guys complain, but if you really needed me to rescue you during those times, wouldn't you be dead already?"
They didn't have a response to that. True, if they actually needed him to save them, they would be dead without his help. The fact is, even without his help, they were still alive.
"Still, you could have helped," Usopp muttered.
"And maybe if I did, you wouldn't be here, Usopp? Or Franky? Or the things that did happen, would not have happened? Would you be okay with that?"
Usopp gasped. He might've been right. He was able to find his resolve to rejoin the crew after they joined together to reclaim Robin. If something happened differently, would he still have been able to rejoin the crew? He'd like to think he would rejoin no matter what, but who could say?
Franky was almost certain he would not have joined the crew if CP9 hadn't captured him, which led to him seeing how good of guys they really were. It shouldn't be forgotten that he was trying to take revenge on them before all that for hurting his bros.
"Honestly, I did consider on multiple occasions just grabbing Robin and leaving you all behind. You looked like you all couldn't handle her very well."
"So, why didn't you?" Zoro asked. "It sounds like you could have any time you wanted to."
Ryuuhei stared down at his plate to ponder his question. "It was entertaining to watch you all, I suppose?"
They scowled at his answer. It felt like he was toying with them, and none of them appreciated that.
"Why don't you just be honest, Ryu-chan?" An unknown voice said. "Just tell them you believed in baby Lu!"
They turned to see a blonde man standing in the kitchen doorway. He was shirtless and dripping wet, as if he had just been swimming. His upper body was lean and muscular. He also carried a burlap sack in his arms.
"Who the hell are you!" Zoro demanded.
"Sairo?!" Ryuuhei said in surprise. "What are you doing here? And how did you find me?"
"You know him?!" Several of the crew asked.
"Yes, he's-"
"Stop, Ryu-chan!" Sairo said, holding up a hand dramatically. "I'd rather make my own introductions, thank you very much!"
Ryuuhei sighed. "Do what you want."
The crew stared incredulously at the strange man and the way he was interacting with Ryuuhei.
Sairo spoke loudly and passionately. "I am one the top three men of the Revolutionary Army! If Dra-chan is the head, and Ryu-chan is his shadow, then I'm the explosive fist who will destroy all his enemies! I am the son of the legendary marine vice admiral Carla The Destroyer! Father of Saiga and Sona! Head of the Revolutionary Army's Destroyer Force! Born in the East Blue in Goa Kingdom ,I am Sparrow D. Sairo!"
"WHAAAT?!" Luffy screamed in shock. He had been listening to Nami's story patiently, but with this latest detail, he couldn't keep silent. "Sparrow D. Sairo?! Sona's dad was on the ship?!"
"…Yes," Nami said as if the memory exhausted her. "Although, you do realize, none of us actually know who Sona or Kyosuke is."
"Oh, yeah. I guess I never mentioned them," Luffy mentioned offhandedly. "So, what happened next?"
The crew stared in stunned silence at the man as Ryuuhei sighed irritatedly. He was posing like some sort of comic book hero. Even Robin couldn't help but gape at him.
"…What?" Usopp said.
"Who is this guy again?" Sanji asked.
"Why is he wet and shirtless?" Zoro wondered. "Why are so many weirdos invading the ship today?"
"Also, did he call Luffy's dad "Dra-chan"?" Franky asked, stupefied.
"Hm," Sairo said, sounding disappointed. "It appears my amazing introduction hasn't moved you kids. Perhaps I should do it again?"
"Please don't," Ryuuhei asked dryly. "Once was enough. He's Sparrow D. Sairo, one of the big three of the Revolutionary Army along with me and Dragon. He's head of the Destroyer Force, our special division for doing the most dangerous jobs. Does that clear things up?"
"Yeah, I think I get it," Nami said. "Why is he here, though?"
"My question exactly," Ryuuhei said. "What are you doing here, Sairo?"
"Dra-chan sent me to come find you because you've been gone so long after the mission was assigned," Sairo explained.
"He sent you to find me?"
"Yes!"
"To pick me up as if I were some hapless child?"
"Not how he put it, but yes!"
"I'll murder that asshole when I see him. You're the last person who should be tracking people down!"
"But I've got a great nose!" Sairo pointed to his nose. "I can track anybody with this. Although, once I discovered you left Water 7, I had to do a lot of guess work. I ended up swimming a good chunk of the ocean trying to find you. Lucky you used so much Haki before or else I may never have!"
"Wait, you swam in the Grand Line trying to find him from Water 7?!" Chopper asked in disbelief.
"That's crazy!" Usopp shouted. "What if there was a storm?!"
"Oh, I would have been fine," Sairo smirked. "I'm a pretty strong swimmer!"
"That goes well beyond being strong!" Nami shouted. "You could have died! Even Fismen can't just carelessly swim the Grand Line without a ship!"
"Huh, guess you're right. But I'm still alive, so that's good, right?" Sairo grinned carefey.
The pirates stared in disbelief. In one day, they invaded by a sociopathic angel, a killer (and handsome) spy, and now someone who defied logic. All of whom were connected to Luffy's family.
"Stop trying to understand him, all of you," Ryuuhei said. "Even by our standards Sairo is too incomprehensible. Even Luffy can't compete in terms of insanity."
"He's even crazier than Luffy?!" That really blew the pirates minds. They couldn't imagine anybody outdoing their crazy captain.
Sairo laughed at that, not feeling insulted in the slightest. "Anyway, I need to explain something to you pirates."
"What do you want to explain?" Zoro asked.
Sairo stared at them seriously. "I overheard your conversation after I climbed up onto your ship. You need to know Ryu-chan isn't a bastard."
They stared in surprise. Ryuuhei scowled.
"Sairo-"
"Ryu-chan is super smart! Like really smart! The Army became super strong the day he and Dra-chan officially united. More than that, he's kind."
They listened intently at what this man was saying.
"He can come off as a little cold, cruel, and mean, but he always considers his friends and allies. Him not helping you all at Enies Lobby was him believing in you guys to succeed without extra help!"
"Cold, cruel, and mean, huh?" Ryuuhei said, sounding slighted before considering it. "I suppose that is true."
"It doesn't matter," Zoro said. "In fact I prefer that he didn't help us back then. We succeeded at Enies Lobby and got Robin back with our own strength, and we're stronger for it. So, is there any point in being angry? I'm sure Luffy is satisfied with everything."
The ones who were upset with Ryuuhei sighed. They did see his point. Water 7 was perhaps one of their greatest failures as a crew between Luffy and Usopp's fight, Robin being, and also having to accept Mary's fate. Ennies Lobby was their shot at redemption. If something had changed along the way, then perhaps they wouldn't have gotten back all the things they had lost.
If Ryuuhei helping them meant that might have changed, then they were glad he had stayed out of it.
"Still, you could have at least helped us against Angel," Usopp muttered. "He nearly killed Nami."
"In a way I did, didn't I?" Ryuuhei got out of his chair, carried his plate to the sink, and cleaned it. "Remember? I implanted a lesson into baby Luffy and the others."
"Brainwashing infants is hardly what I call helping…" Usopp sighed.
"Wait, what?" Sairo said, confused. "Brainwashing? Angel? What am I missing here?"
Unlike Ryuuhei, who seemed to know everything, Sairo had much less information. He had been drawn here after Ryuuhei and Luffy's fight, so he didn't know about how Angel had attacked them. Ryuuhei explained everything to him, including how Angel had been harassing Luffy and their kids as children.
"Woah…" Sairo sighed in disbelief. He glared, anger contorting his face. "You're telling me this Angel bastard has actually been to Dawn Island and was bullying my daughter and their others? That's low! That crosses the line! You don't bring children into this!"
"To be fair, he never harmed them worse than our parents ever did."
"Don't try to excuse him! You don't mess with kids!"
"I'm not. I'm as frustrated as you are. I kept tabs on them, but I never imagined Lilia or the old guys' pirate enemies from the Grand Line would try something like this. It was an oversight on my part. But it's done. Most of the children are grown and out on their own now. Hiyori and the others aren't even on Dawn Island now. So, it's pointless to complain."
"We should pay that bastard back, though."
"Hes a Pseudo-Emperor. We don't have time to be picking fights with someone like that. Besides, he's Lilia's opponent. Let her deal with him."
Sairo looked unconvinced. "You said that guy said he has been obsessed with Lia-chan since before the kids were born. He's even trying to attract Dra-chan. Does that mean he's connected to you know what?"
"It kind of sounds like it, doesn't it?"
"Uh, hey?" Nami said. She was annoyed that the two of them were having a serious discussion in their kitchen as if they owned the ship (plus Sairo was still shirtless), but now she was getting curious about what they were talking about. They all were. "What is "you-know-what"?"
"It's a long story," Ryuuhei said noncommittally. "Let's just say, if you do this sort of thing long enough, you're bound to pick up a few obsessive old foes along the way. You guys should remember that."
That was hardly a satisfying answer, but they doubted they could make him explain.
"Well, I'll tell Dragon about this," Ryuuhei said. "Let's go, Sai. I'm done here."
"Oh, but I'm hungry. I swam for so long!" He complained like a child.
"I'll feed you something later. Let's just go."
"Fine," he complained. "Let's swim and race each other back to Headquarters, Ryu-chan!"
"Please," he scoffed. "We'll take the boat I used to follow them."
"Aw. You're no fun." He glanced outside, staring directly at Luffy, who was still unconscious, lying completely undisturbed by the goings on happening on his ship. "That's Baby Lu, isn't it?"
"Who else would it be?"
Sairo's expression became wistful. "He's grown. I remember when he was this big."
"He was not the size of a tiny rock," Ryuuhei said when Sairo made a gesture with his fist. "But yes, he's grown. That's what happens after 16 years."
"It's been that long, huh? Time flies. I guess Sona has also grown up pretty big, huh?"
"I have pictures of her as she grew up back at headquarters, if you want to see."
Sairo stared at him. "Why do you have pictures of my daughter growing up?! And why am I just now hearing about this?!"
Ryuuhei shrugged. "I have pictures of all of them. I figured you and Dragon would like to see them someday."
Sairo glared darkly at him. "You freak. That crosses a line and you know it!"
"So you don't want to see the pictures?"
"Of course I do! But you're still a freak!"
He smirked shamelessly. "Not so nice now, am I?"
The Straw Hats listened with interest as the two men discussed the situation with Angel and the past. What really caught their ear was hearing that Luffy was once a baby. Of course, he was a baby-he was human after all-but it was still difficult to imagine.
"Oh, right," Ryuuhei said. "Hey, Franky!"
"What?" Franky said in surprise.
"I assume you want to know if it's true what Angel said about your master Tom being on Lilia's crew." Franky stiffened at the mention of that. "I can give you confirmation that he is in fact on her ship even as we speak."
Franky's jaw dropped. "H-He is?! You're sure?!"
"Yeah. Shortly after your teacher's arrest, she recruited him into her unit as the shipwright. I can only speculate as to why, but knowing her I assumed she saw the shadiness of the circumstances of his arrest and wanted to intervene. Lilia is the sort of person who can do that even inside the stuffiness of the World Government and the Navy."
Franky shook with emotion. "I-Is he okay…?"
"Well, that creepy Angel is targeting everyone connected to Lilia, her unit included, so there's that. Plus, his freedom is restricted as a recognized felon. He couldn't return to Water 7 due to that putting his family in danger. My actual knowledge of his specific condition isn't up to date, but I will say this. Lilia doesn't enslave people. Do with that information what you want."
Franky cried. A waterfall of tears streamed down his eyes as he bawled. "WAAAHH! That's all I needed to know! Thanks so much, Ryu-aniki! You're a good dude!"
The display was touching if not a bit gross for those near him, who tried to avoid the snot and tears from hitting them.
"I have no idea what's going on," Sairo said. "But it feels like you did something nice, Ryu-chan!"
"I was just correcting some confusion. Nami." Nami jumped. Looks like it was her turn for something. Ryuuhei reached into the pocket of his blazer and tossed a package of something to her, and she caught it with good reflexes. "That's payment for the food and using the kitchen. You're the one who manages the money, right?"
Excited, she tore open the package and with just a look immediately knew how much was inside. "This is five million berri!"
"What?!" The others shouted, including Sairo. "You gave her five million?!"
"Why do you even carry that much?!" Sairo demanded.
"It's good to have some spending cash," he said coolly.
Nami was crying with berry signs where her eyes were supposed to be. "To think I would be paid so much after Luffy went and spent all our money on that stupid party. You're the best, Ryuuhei-ji! And really hot!"
"H-Hot?!" Sanji said in horror.
"So is the Revolution rich?" Usopp wondered.
"Are we?" Sairo asked, generally confused. He was the breaking stuff guy. He didn't know how well funded they were.
"Every organization needs funding," was all he said. "I suppose the last thing I need to tell you all before we go is that Lilia and her unit are currently stationed at Alabasta."
"Alabasta?" Robin said.
"Why is she there?" Zoro asked.
He explained that the country was left in a bad state after everything Crocodile had done to it. That much they knew. What they didn't know was that pirates were taking the opportunity to invade the country whose military had been weakened because of the incident. It was bad enough that the country required Navy assistance. That was when the Demon Unit came and helped get everything under control. That was a month ago.
"The country should be able to protect itself now. With your latest actions at Enies Lobby, I'm sure she'll want to see Luffy. If she hasn't left already, she will soon. Be prepared to see her."
"I see," Robin said, complicated feelings in regards to Alabasta welling in her chest. "Thanks for informing us."
"Do you have regrets about the country?" Ryuuhei asked. "You played a big role in its turmoil and suffering, you know?"
"Hey, don't try to blame Robin!" Sanji yelled. "It was all that damn Crocodile's fault."
"That's right!" Usopp said. "Everything was his idea!"
"I agree," Ryuuhei said, surprising them all. "At least, I know her origins led her there. I, at least, will not blame her. If you want to blame the World Government for everything, you wouldn't be wrong to do so."
"Believe me, I do. Still," Robin said, looking thoughtfully at the sky. "What I helped do to that country was certainly evil. I do hope one day I can do something to make it right for them."
"Maybe you will," he said. "Well, it's about time we set off. So long, Straw Hats. It's been fun."
"Wait," Robin said, as Ryuuhei and Sairo began to leave. "What is your connection to Ohara, Ryuuhei?"
The crew looked confused. Sairo stared at Ryuuhei meaningfully.
"What makes you think I have a 'connection', Robin?" He asked, his tone deep.
"You said it before. Luffy's mother and father had connections to Ohara. And you did, as well. What is it?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"…Scholarly curiosity?" Robin mused with a half smile. "Please, tell me. I want to know."
Ryuuhei sighed. "My mother was from Ohara."
Gasps sounded across the ship.
"Not only that, she was one of your island's scholars. She married my old man and left Ohara to go with him back to East Blue. She went by Wolf D. Serena. But before that she was Vix Serena. Perhaps you knew of her?"
"Your mother is the Vix Serena?! She's one of my heroes!" Robin exclaimed, sounding unusually excited. Her friends stared at her strangely, not used to seeing such a side to their usual cool archeologist. "Her research into extinct civilizations is simply legendary!"
She then went on to list all of her discoveries and accolades. For those without a background in archeology, it was extremely difficult to follow along. But it was clear Robin really admired her. Ryuuhei, too, looked happy to hear his mother praised.
"S-So," she said, sounding uncharacteristically shy. "Where is your mother now?"
Ryuuhei spoke like ripping off a bandaid. "She's dead. She was killed. This was well before what happened to Ohara."
Robin let out a disappointed sigh. She was too used to disappointment to let it get to her, but this actually stung a bit. She looked up to Vix Serena so much.
"I see… I'm sorry to hear that. She was a great scholar. Can I ask what happened?"
"Maybe I'll tell you someday." He said, sadness in his voice. "I had always wanted to go to Ohara, the greatest place of knowledge in the world, and my mother's homeland. But I was fixated on other things. I always thought I would visit someday, but then the Government destroyed it with the Buster Call. We never have as much time as we think, do we?"
"No, not really. I would say that's one of the key points of archeology. Time is always passing."
"Indeed." Ryuuhei sighed. "Want to join the Revolutionary Army?"
"What?!" The crew shouted as Robin stared in surprise at the sudden invitation. Sanji became very angry.
"You bastard!" He shouted, fired up with rage. "I don't care how good of a cook you are! Don't think you can just try and steal Robin from me, you sleaze ball!"
Sanji attempted to kick Ryuuhei, but Sairo stepped in and caught his kick by his ankle. Sanji attempted to break free, but Sairo's grip was like iron and he couldn't budge.
"You must hate the Government for what they did to Ohara. Our Revolutionary Army is all about bringing them down. Compared to that, doesn't helping Luffy achieve his dream feel unsatisfying?"
Robin opened her mouth to speak. "That's-"
"Of course, you're going to turn me down, right?" Ryuuhei said before Robin could answer. "You just finally found a group of people who are willing to fight for you and who just picked a fight with the Government just to save you. You wouldn't ditch them right after that to join an Army you barely know about just because I asked, right?"
Robin stared at him perplexed. Then, she started to cry.
The crew and the two heads of the Revolutionary Army stared in shock. She wasn't bawling, but tears did stream down her face as she sniffed.
"Hey, why are you crying?" Ryuuhei asked, looking truly caught off guard for the first time since coming to the ship.
"You jerk!" Sanji snapped, his leg still stuck in Sairo's grip. "How dare you make Robin-chan cry?!"
"Yeah, Ryu-chan!" Sairo also scolded Ryuuhei while still keeping Sanji trapped. "Your teasing was too much! Hasn't she been through enough already?!"
The rest of the crew also joined in chastising him.
"You are a jerk!" Usopp said.
"A big meanie!" Chopper shouted.
"There's only so much being good looking can let you get away with," Nami snapped, as she comforted . "You shouldn't make fun of women!"
"Oh, shut up, all of you," he hissed. "Why are you crying, Robin?"
"It-it just sort of hit me," Robin said, hiccuping in between her words as she rubbed her eyes. "I'm not the only one left."
He stared at her, perplexed.
"I'm not the only inheritor of Ohara. You, who are the son of the great scholar Serena, are also one, too."
He let out a tired sigh. "To be honest, I never considered myself any sort of inheritor of Ohara's will. My mother may have been one of you, but I never went there before its destruction, and I definitely didn't endure the horrors of what the World Government did to it and have to carry that pain for twenty years, like you did. If you think I joined the revolution for revenge, you're wrong. I only joined to help Dragon. That is all."
Robin smiled, not bothered by any of that. Sairo muttered that he was wrong.
"…But, if it makes you feel better. If it eases the burden on you, then sure. Consider me another heir to the will of Ohara."
"…Thank you. Let's both do our best."
After that, there was nothing else left to say. The two of them literally jumped of the side of the Sunny, and onto the small boat Ryuuhei used to follow them.
"…That's pretty much everything that happened," Nami said, concluding the recap.
"I see," Luffy said. "So, basically, you guys ate good food without me?!"
"That's what you took from that?!"
"It's true, isn't it?! You guys ate Ryuuhei-ji's food while I was unconscious!"
"Are you kidding me," she sighed. She handed him a ceramic container. "Here. We saved you some."
Luffy snatched it, then tossed everything into his mouth, swallowing it whole. "It's so good!"
"It really was," she nodded. "It's kind of a waste you just ate it all in an instant. Sanji plans to recreate the recipe. He was watching him, so I think he can do it."
Luffy was really excited about that. There was a lot to unpack after Angel's attack and Kyosuke and Sona's dad coming onto the ship, but he would do that later.
Nami hugged him.
"N-Nami?!" Luffy said in surprise. She wrapped both her arms around him, fully embracing him and squeezing him tightly as they both sat under her tangerine trees under the night sky. She squeezed him so tightly, as if afraid he would disappear if she let go. "What are you doing…?"
"Today was a lot," she whispered. "I mean every day since I met you has been a lot, but this time I was genuinely afraid I'd lose you, Luffy. And it sounds like things will just get harder going forward. It's a lot."
"We'll get through it together," he said reassuringly, feeling nervous. Having six sisters, plus his friendship with Sona and Yuki, had never really given him the best ways to be around girls. Although, he never really felt nervous around girls before. What was happening?
"I know," she said. "We always do. Still, the crap with Angel made me realize again how few and far between peaceful moments are. Any moment, something could happen. So I don't want to waste anymore time."
She pulled her head back, not breaking their hug. She stared deeply into his eyes, which made Luffy feel strange and out of his element. She started to lean forward, moving her head closer to his, and Luffy actually looked scared and unsure. He had no idea what to do in this situation. His heart was drumming.
Nami stopped just a mere inch away from his lips. Her wistful expression changed. Her brows furrowed. Her eyes stared seriously at him, as if interrogating him. The sudden mood shift both confused and scared him.
"So, who's Yuki?"
….
To be continued. If you want to read all available chapters, go to my Patreon at Patreon.com/TheWorldForger.
I hope everybody enjoyed this chapter and the entire fic. Feel free to leave a review. I love hearing from those who enjoy my work.
Once again, huge thanks to Angel Zamora and Joshua Scott for joining and staying in the Advanced tier. I'm incredibly thankful to you guys.