Chapter Text
When all that remained of Merry was ashes on the wind, Luffy said, “Now, let’s go. . .get. . .Zoro.”
He tried to draw himself to his full height, but instead collapsed. Or, more accurately, his body seemed to flatten and slump, a ball leaking air every second. Even as Usopp caught him, Chopper rushed over and pressed an ear to his chest. “His heartbeat is really irregular and I think his lung has collapsed!”
“You can patch him up.” With his own wounds, Usopp struggled to support Luffy. “Right?”
The doctor’s muzzle trembled. “I, I, don’t have the supplies here. Most of my surgical instruments weren’t on Merry.”
“Probably back at the old Tom Workers’ factory,” Franky said. “With the rest of your stuff.”
“Can we get through that gate without Luffy?” Nami’s index finger slid over a section of her Climatact, the metal marred with brown-black scorch marks. “And can we handle that Admiral if he’s still standing?”
“It was Captain’s order.” Sanji’s gaze flicked between the Gates of Justice and the unconscious Luffy. “But he’s not in any position to help.”
“We should withdraw.”
It was said quietly, but it was like a thunderclap aboard Pipit. All eyes snapped to Robin. She was handing Chopper anything he requested from his limited supplies, but paused long enough to add, “Luffy’s loyalty to us is beyond question, but our duty is to him. If we let him perish, then we’ve failed him, even if we rescued Zoro in the process.”
She handed Chopper the breath dial he requested. She closer her eyes, steeling herself for her next words. “Each of you know Zoro would say the same.”
No one tried to argue with that.
* * *
Captain Hina regained consciousness at the point when the Straw Hats tossed her and the other Marines aboard her rudderless ship. She hauled herself up with both hands by the Iron Cage’s railing, but made no attempt to stop their departure. “We will need to tend to our wounded, but know the World Government will be more determined than ever to see you captured or dead.”
“What is new about that?” Robin said with an air of calm determination.
Usopp added, “Luffy’s resting, but if he were awake, he’d probably say, bring it on!”
The rest nodded, expressions resolute.
Hina watched them sail away, then limped off to assist the medics.
* * *
“Hey, yo, take us over there a sec,” Franky gestured to where the Franky Family still seemed locked in battle with Linse and Hina’s ships.
It was hard to tell who was winning. The King Bulls' efforts had sunk a few ships, others showed signs of damage. It also appeared that some prisoners being transported had been freed and joined the fight.
Even so, the Marines still had numbers. If Sodom and Gomorrah kept Marine swordsmen from getting too close, they could only do so much to protect Zambai and the others from concentrated rifle fire, and were excellent targets themselves, as the numerous small wounds and scorched bruises from cannon fire attested.
“Kiwi! Mozu!” Franky bellowed.
“It’s Big Bro!” “He’s OK!” A raucous cheer went up from the dismantler’s gang.
“Knock that off,” he ordered. “Pull everybody back! We’re blowing this crappy dive!”
“You heard him,” Kiwi shouted. “Back aboard the floating base!”
Seeing the pirates standing tall after overcoming both the Commodore and Captain Hina seemed to sap the Marines’ fighting spirit. They made no effort to stop the Franky Family, even as the King Bulls offered twin contemptuous snorts of sea spray before chasing after the sloop.
Sailing alongside, Zambai called down, “Are you OK, Bro?”
“Of course!” Franky ran a hand through his pompadour casually. “You think some Government bums were any danger to me?”
“Nga nga nga,” Kokoro cackled, “why’s your back all bloody then?”
“And stop using that hand!” Chopper added. “That wound was a clean burn, but you could damage your nerves!”
“I don’t really have nerves in there anymore,” Franky said indifferently.
“WHAT?! Big Bro’s hand was burned through?!” As one, the Franky Family fell to their knees. “Please, save Big Bro’s life, Doctor Tanuki!”
The Franky Family fell silent as Chopper shrieked, “I’m not a tanuki!!! And Luffy’s hurt the worst right now!”
Linse’s attack pierced Luffy's rubber bones, muscles and organs. Chopper stitched closed the wounds he could, but with Luffy's chest inflated via Third Gear at the time he was injured, the captain's body had been under additional pressure. The escaping air tore most of the wounds wider as it escaped. Lacking better options, Chopper doused Robin's Devil Fruit hands with a bottle of sake Zoro kept aboard Pipit, then instructed Robin where to hold to keep the holes closed.
Chopper held up a probe, long metal with a flat surface at the end. “I need heat for this.”
Usopp held out a dial. “This is what I used to suck up the fires on Merry.”
He aimed it towards the sea, and Chopper extended the probe into the gout of flame. When it was red-orange hot, he hurried back to Luffy’s side. “Roll him on his side.”
Chopper started with his back, heating the skin to close it, then covering it with the few remaining sterile bandages he had. This left only the lung puncture and the wound on Luffy's chest.
Luffy's body continued to flatten, his breathing no more than a faint wheeze by now. Chopper hesitated, then looked up at Franky. “Do you have enough cola to use your vent?”
Franky’s eyebrows shot above his sunglasses. “You bet but, you sure? That could be a lot of pressure.”
Chopper spoke with confidence. “I need his lung reinflated before I close it, or I might seal the front and back together, which would restrict his lung capacity.”
He looked at Robin, and she could see him try to hide his fear. “You’ll have to press down really hard to trap the air until I tell you to move your hand. Franky, stop the air pressure when I say.”
Franky adjusted the cola cannon in his hand. That palm had been heated, but the metal still seemed good, especially for the amount of pressure he’d use here. He placed it into Luffy’s mouth like a funnel, as Robin doubled the size of the hand pressed over the lung.
Chopper held the glowing probe just above her fingers. He took several deep breaths to still his nerves. “Go.”
“0.05 mm Coup de Vent.” Luffy’s cheeks bulged like a chipmunk’s, but the rest of his body remained unchanged. “Huh, that ain’t good.”
Without hesitation, Nami yanked Luffy's head back, opening the airway, while Usopp and Sanji kicked either side of his face, smooshing his cheeks. Franky sweatdropped. “Are you sure you are guys tryin’ to help him?”
Still, they could see Luffy's throat and chest expand as the mass of air slid down. Robin strained against the pressure, keeping her hand clamped down.
Chopper watched the organ fill, plumping around her fingers. He took another deep breath and leaned closer. “Now!”
He stabbed the probe forward as Robin dissolved the hand. The squeal of escaping air was cut off by a hiss and the smell of something melting. Luffy whined, twitching, arms reaching towards the source of his discomfort.
Without hesitation, Sanji and Usopp gripped his arms, keeping them pinned. Nami continued to hold Luffy’s head, whispering, “Come on, Luffy, just a little longer. You can take this. We’re here for you.”
The words seemed to reach him, as Luffy’s struggles eased. Finally, Chopper withdrew the probe. The lung inflated, then deflated as Luffy exhaled. Everyone waited, afraid to speak or move.
Luffy took another breath. The lung swelled, and the skin held. A collective exhale went through everyone, including the Franky Family. “Is he going to be OK, Big Bro?”
Franky settled back into a seat on deck. “Yeah, with this bunch looking after him, I’d say Straw Hat’s going to be just fine.”
Unnoticed by him, Luffy’s crew exchanged uneasy glances among themselves.
* * *
The journey back to Water Seven was a somber one. While Zambai and the others – including the freed prisoners, who turned out to be the remainder of the Foxy Pirates – were ecstatic to have Franky back, they understood his saviors were in no mood for celebrating.
Luffy sank into a deep sleep even before Chopper finished closing the hole in his chest. At his recommendation, the others left their captain alone, though every furrowing of Luffy's brow, or uneasy shift in his sleep, brought all their attention back to him.
Chopper circled from one crewmember to the next, checking wounds, offering what little comfort his dwindling medical supplies could provide. When he started a third round, Sanji caught his shoulder and made him sit. “You’re wearing yourself out.”
Though Sanji surely recognized the food in Pipit's pantry as items he purchased on earlier islands, he made no comment. Before he could even ask permission, Robin’s Devil Fruit hands were passing items to him. Sanji of course quickly turned the ingredients into a solid meal, though the others ate more on reflex than any real desire.
Now he set a bowl of rice with some dried fruit on the side in the doctor’s hooves. As he stepped back, “Do we need to do anything for your antler?”
“Hmm?” Chopper looked up, rice grains tumbling from his mouth. He patted the stub as though just remembering it was there. “Oh. No, the bleeding has stopped for now. I’ll have to snap off the rest so a new one can grow. There’s nothing to do until then.”
“You’re pretty tough, taking that without flinching.” Usopp sat between where Luffy slept and Pipit’s hull. He was attempting to tape the severed halves of Kabuto's haft, while his eyes scanned the horizon.
“Awww, you think so? I mean, that kind of compliment doesn’t make my heart swell, you jerk!”
The others smiled at the brief appearance of their doctor’s bashful nature, before Robin said, “We’re here.”
The crew got to their feet. Water Seven had survived the Aqua Laguna, though not without wounds. The outer regions of the city suffered the worst, as entire neighborhoods seemed to have vanished. Nami asked, “Should we find a quiet place to anchor?”
“Never fear, Nami-dear, your knight will protect you and Robin-chwan no matter what!”
“Don’t worry about that,” Kokoro remarked. The conductor spent the ride seated in Pipit’s galley, drinking Robin’s wine. “Iceburg made sure his people knew you weren’t at fault for the attack on him. They’ll have spread the word to everyone else in town by now.”
“I’ll ride the rest of the way with my gang,” Franky said, leaping aboard the Franky Family’s floating base. “We’ve got a house to rebuild, and I don’t need to get a lecture from Ice-bum about not doing what he said.”
He was in for a rude surprise. As both vessels approached the wreckage of Franky House, they found Iceburg waiting, as well as Chimney, Cat and Paulie. “What are you doing here, Idiot-berg?!”
“Jackass! I knew you’d try to slink away without meeting me!” Iceberg roared back. “Why didn’t you just leave when I gave you those plans like I said?!”
“’Cause you ain’t the boss o’ me!”
“You jerk! You almost got killed! Again!”
Having reached the shore, Franky slid down Gomorrah’s neck to dry land. “Well I didn’t, so there!”
“I can see that, stupid!”
Franky stomped closer. “Who you callin’ stupid?”
“You!” Iceburg shot back. “I didn’t want to lose you again, especially not to the same bastards that took Tom!”
At the sight of tears gathering in his brother’s eyes, Franky could only freeze in place. He mumbled, “Yeah, well, Straw Hat and his crew took care of it, but, you know, thanks for getting Rocketman up and running to send after me.”
“No problem.” Iceburg glanced at Kokoro. “I’m assuming it was put to good use?”
“Nga nga nga, sank two Marine frigates and damaged another.”
“Wow Granny, wow!” Chimney hopped around her grandmother. “That’s great!”
“And the Puffing Tom?” Iceberg continued.
“These crazy pirates wrecked the most of it.” Franky waved towards the ocean. “It’s floating out on the tracks somewhere.”
The Straw Hats disembarked, carrying a sleeping Luffy on a stretcher Franky built in three seconds from boat oars and bedsheets. Iceburg’s eyes passed over most of them, lingering for a moment on the unconscious captain, before locking on Robin. Without a word, the rest of the crew stepped between Water Seven’s mayor and their friend.
With a gentle press on their shoulders, she convinced them to move aside so she could face a man who tried to shoot her less than 24 hours ago. “The Sea Train’s engine reached Ennies Lobby in working condition. Where it went after that, I couldn’t say.”
Iceburg’s expression was hard to read. “Likely to the next island. There are spare cars at each of the other stops. Oh my, I’ll have to speak with the other mayors about the problems this will cause with the regular travel schedule. I don’t want to deal with that, though.”
He looked around, clearly expecting someone to appear and promise to cancel the difficult conversations. Finding that person absent, and recalling that trying to kill one's boss basically counted as a resignation, Iceburg sighed. “That’s inconvenient.”
* * *
The stars over Water Seven shone brightly. Even the scattered clouds somehow added to the beauty, obscuring different clumps of the pinpricks of light as they crossed the sky, continuously changing the image.
Standing atop the roof of a hotel, Robin wished she was in a better frame of mind to enjoy the sight. Iceburg reserved the entire top floor, for them. Robin’s cautious nature wondered if it was an attempt to trap them, but the others seemed confident it was genuine. She chose to trust their judgement, even as eyes formed in each of their rooms.
Her nakama slept deeply, from sheer exhaustion more than peace of mind. Bandages were visible on each, a testament to the difficulty of the battle they had overcome. But they were safe, they were here, her family.
But not all of them.
More eyes formed, spreading across the city like seeds on the wind. Robin hoping against hope for a glimpse of a familiar shock of green hair. One hand resting against the hilts of three swords, the other possibly gripping a bottle of alcohol. The owner grumbling about moving streets and confusing doors.
But Zoro wasn’t here, and the eyes shattered, petals purple in the night drifting from the alleys like signal fires. Robin’s heart threatened to tear itself from her chest. Was she doomed to always lose those she cared about?
Fatigue and grief made her wobble, and Robin was suddenly very aware of how close to the edge of the roof she stood. She took a single step back.
“Change your mind again, Robin?”
Robin whirled, pulse thudding wildly in her skull. Aokiji watched her, eyes showing only mild curiosity. Something was slung over his back, held with one finger, but he otherwise stood at ease.
Robin’s arms rose anyway. Bone claws formed on her hands as chains of arms surrounded him, each bristling with fingers turned to bone spikes like the back of a porcupine.
“Whoa, easy.” He raised his other hand in a halting gesture. “I’m just here to chat.”
His eyes flicked to the floor. “No waking your friends, either.”
The arms Robin formed in her friends’ rooms paused inches from their shoulders. She had little reason to trust him, other than he had no reason to warn her if he was here to capture them. “Talk, then.”
“To the point, huh? Don’t want to discuss the best coffee shops in town?” Her face remained set in a harsh glare. He sighed. “When Saul wanted you to live, I felt I owed it to my friend. To let a child find the people he was sure existed for her.”
He shifted his weight, a flicker of discomfort passing across his face. “But Spandine saw you escape, and you got a bounty. I watched you be betrayed and betray in kind. Staying nowhere long, with no one long. Year after year. I started to wonder if Saul had it wrong, that there was no place for you, and you were better off dead. You wondered the same, didn’t you?”
“Yes.” She saw no point in lying.
He nodded in absently, as though the confirmation was unnecessary. “Then I hear you’re in the East Blue, traveling with a bounty hunter. Then the both of you join a bunch of rookie pirates. And they fought for you, but you were thinking of abandoning them, even then.”
“I thought it was for their own good,” she replied. “They disagreed.”
“I saw that. That swordsman,” again Aokiji shifted, this time rubbing at his side with his free hand, “after the Gates of Justice closed, he said it was OK if he stayed behind to cover the escape, because you wouldn’t be alone. Straw Hat and the rest wouldn’t let you be alone. And if he couldn’t stop me, the punishment should be his.”
The words hit Robin like a kick to her injured ribs, bursting some invisible sack inside her, releasing another wave of grief and regret. She recalled now that Zoro swore to cover their escape, but said nothing about returning to them. To her.
Did Zoro not understand he was one of her family? He was the first to shield her, the one who patiently whittled away her defenses and mistrust by simply being too honest and honorable for her to doubt. Too stubborn for her to drive away.
Grief shifted, igniting into anger. Idiot! How could he throw himself away like that, value his life and ambition, his promise to his friend Kuina, so lightly? His dreams, his goal to become the world's greatest swordsman! His promise that they would help each other achieve their dreams? Robin told him how much she appreciated him!
But, she hadn’t told him everything she felt. She couched her feelings in terms of appreciating his protection of her, of acknowledging his strength and growth. She asked him to lie and deceive for her, thinking there would be time later for the truth.
Thoughts racing, Robin nearly forgot Aokiji was there, until he adjusted the item he carried. Recognizing the familiar clack of sword sheaths bumping against each other, Robin’s anger turned to white-hot rage. Aokiji was holding Zoro’s swords.
"Put. Those. Down." Her voice was low, sharp, and dripping with hate. “You have no right to hold them.”
(She could hear Zoro in her mind, saying that if Aokiji beat him, he could do what he liked with Zoro’s swords. She ignored him.)
The Marine raised one eyebrow. “Geez, no need to be so hostile. You’re almost as bad as the one in the red sheath. The wounds it gave me haven’t stopped throbbing and itching.”
Robin’s voice was without emotion. “Perhaps you have contracted an infection that will cause your liver to fail, resulting in painful death through blood poisoning.”
“That’s pretty cold for such a pretty lady.”
“You should be well-accustomed to cold by now.”
“Good one.” Aokiji chuckled before turning serious again. “Was he correct? Have you found your place here, with them?”
“Yes.” It was that simple. The Straw Hats were her home.
“Even though that captain is sure to stir up even more trouble in the future?” He tilted his head, as though this different angle would expose a deception. “Grabbing attention was never your style.”
“You already pointed out my way of doing things was accomplishing nothing. A change was overdue.” She raised her chin, staring him square in the eye. “They are the people Saul believed were waiting for me, and I will fight for them. All of them.”
“Huh.” Aokiji’s smile was small, but genuine. “Then I guess you’ll need these on your way to Level 5.”
He extended his arm, Zoro’s swords dangling from his finger via a length of rope. Eyes never leaving his, Robin gathered all three close to her chest. Her gaze dropped momentarily to the swords, and when it rose again, he was gone.
Somewhere in the night, Aokiji whispered, “I’m glad you proved Saul right.”
Robin barely heard him, thoughts already on Ennies Lobby, the Gates of Justice, and beyond. Impel Down. A Hell on Earth, one from which escape was supposed to be impossible.
But Robin was not only a Straw Hat Pirate, for whom “impossible” was a word without meaning, but also the Devil’s Child. A Straw Hat would no sooner abandon a friend than the Devil would relinquish a soul it claimed.
The World Government had taken much from Robin, but no more. Zoro was hers.
Robin was going to take him back.
END PART III