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The sheriff loved books. Indeed, that’s how he liked his adventures these days. On paper, far away from his town and decidedly not involving him.
“Excuse me, sir,” a soft voice called. “That newspaper of yours, can I take a look at it for a second?”
“Getcher own, why don’t you lady. What am I running, a charity?” he said, not looking up from his article. People these days! How much was the paper now – ten or twenty berries? Reporters had to eat too.
“Sorry, sir, I just thought I recognized the person on the cover.”
The sheriff paused. This edition of the paper wasn’t any normal edition – it was announcing the capture and pending execution of a commander of the Whitebeard Pirates: Fire Fist Ace!
He slowly shifted his eyes away from his paper to see black bangs and a cowboy hat.
“Do you now?” the sheriff said as he placed the paper down on his lap. “A pirate, then ain’t ya? Didn’t know they came in such pretty packages.”
“Even the pretty ones have a bit of a bite to them,” the woman said with a smile. “Or so I hear.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” the sheriff said with a laugh. “Back in my day, and I know I don’t look it, but it was thirty years ago now, when I was just right around marrying age and the newly minted deputy sheriff of this here town, I ran into the prettiest woman I’d ever seen. A smile as wide as the ocean, hair the color of cherry blossoms, just getting into her twenties. A whole lot of woman, she was! And there I stood, fresh as a grasshopper staring her down, well more up come to think of it, with my trusty gun pointed right there on her forehead, ready. Then she smiled down at me and asked me my name and I swear, I thought I melted right there like a bowl of ice cream.”
“Did you fight her off?”
“Fight her? I asked to marry her!” the sheriff said. “Alas, she then pillaged our town and left us as poor as a beggar. And for a week there, I was the town pariah. Nobody even wanted to look at me. I couldn’t even look at myself. I even went to so far to avoid each and every room with a mirror. Can you imagine that?”
“Well then not a week later, here comes a navy ship lead by the hero of the navy Garp himself. Man was a pristine as a freshly picked tomato, and he’d come all this way to speak with little old me. Now, I ain’t going to peacock myself and say I was delighted at the opportunity. I gosh darn thought the man had come to take me off in chains. We spoke for a bit, and I learned that he had come out to visit me and that I had become a bit of a hero myself. Turns out that the pirate princess was Big Mom herself! And I, small town sheriff, stood my ground… what a woman.”
“Fascinating.”
“I suppose so. You’ll get a few stories like those now if you live as long and as lively as me. Now for this paper here, I’m sure I can lend you this for a few minutes. It’s not like I’m doing much of anything in terms of working these days. But I have one question for you and don’t go on there lying to me, I’m known around here on this island to be a rather discernible fellow. You don’t stay sheriff out here on the Grandline for 40 odd years not knowing your way around people.”
“I’ll try my best,” she said.
“Well, that’s all you can ask from anyone. Now – this man you recognized– who is he to you?”
“To me?” she said. “No one important. But he’s my captain’s older brother.”
“My condolences then.”
“What?” the woman said.
The man placed the paper in her hands.
“That boy there is scheduled for execution tomorrow. Kid went out and got himself caught by the Navy. Now, while it don’t look it, I haven’t the constitution in me to hold an execution, and I’ve met plenty of folks as downright nasty and underhanded as they come. But you got to be smarter than that. There is a reason pirates who rock the boat don’t last long.”
The woman nodded to herself as she read the article. It took her a few minutes before she looked back at him.
“Do you have a transponder snail in this town?”
“What is this, the East Blue? Of course we got one!”
“Where is it?”
“Well hold on there now, lady. Just because we got ourselves one don’t mean we allow any other fellow to go calling. Especially not a pirate.”
“But I’m an archeologist.”
“With a pirate as a captain?”
“That can be our secret,” she said with a smile, her hand lightly grazing the old sheriff’s arm. “I do love men who can keep a secret.”
“Well, now, as I said. I’m a man of remarkable observation.”
“And what does your observation tell you?”
“That the young miss here needs to make herself a call. Now follow me here, and I’ll take you to the one in my house.”
She smiled and followed along.
“If you don’t mind me asking, where is your crew? Pirates that wander the seas solo tend to be the crazy ones, and you’re far too beautiful to be so.”
“We split up for a moment.”
“This captain of yours, is he this Ace’s older brother?”
“Younger, actually.”
The sheriff nodded. “I was afraid you’d say that, miss. I know it ain’t my place here, but I’ve gotten a few decades on you, and I’d hate to see such a pretty face cry. I hope that this call you’re making ain’t to that captain of yours. It’d be a shame if he followed him to the grave.”
“I know. I’m a bit of a realist,” said Robin. “Luffy, though? He’s probably on his way to Marineford as we speak.”
“What’re you going to do then?” the sheriff said as he handed her the snail.
The woman smiled. “I'm gonna call in a favor.” She then placed the snail to her ear. “Hey, it’s Robin… I need your help… Yes… Its about… my captain is going to go after his brother….”
She looked away from the phone. “What island are we on right now?”
“Dovetail Island.”
“You catch that?... Dovetail Island… Where are you anyway? … Elbaf? How long do you think it will take?... Okay, I’ll see you then… Thanks.”
The woman put the phone done, smiling.
“That your boyfriend?” the sheriff asked.
“No,” the woman said. “You could say he’s my younger, big brother.”
“Lady, what the hell does that mean?”
“He looks younger than me, but he helped me figure out how to live.”
“He’s a pirate, then.”
“One of the best.”
“And why aren’t you a part of his crew.”
“How did you say it? He’s one of those crazy ones.”
“And you asked him to come here?” the sheriff exclaimed.
Robin nodded. “And he’ll be very unhappy if I don’t greet him when he arrives tomorrow. Or if the Navy was to learn that I was here.”
“Of course,” the sheriff said. “It appears the lady is of need a bed and a bit of discretion.”
"It does."
As he said, it took him just a few days to arrive.
Robin didn’t know how that happened. By all accounts, Elbaf should have been a month's sail away at least, but there were many things like that around him.
“Nico Robin,” he called from where he stood on the edge of his ship’s railing. "We can't keep meeting like this."
“Perseus,” Robin answered with a smile. “It’s been a long time.”
“It has,” he said with a smile as wide as the ocean. “Now what’re you waiting for? Hop in!”
Robin raised an eyebrow and looked at the boat. While the Sunny was not the largest of ships, it was still a respectable pirate ship and more than enough for its small crew. This ship, however, couldn’t be more than thirty feet.
“I thought it’d be bigger,” she said with a smirk. “But you must hear that a lot."
“It’s a perfect size!” Perseus exclaimed. “Nimble enough to make any maneuver, but not so big that it’s too much to handle.”
“That’s what the all say.”
Percy paused. “Oh screw you!”
Robin laughed and climbed onboard. “Seriously, though, what about high seas?”
Percy raised an eyebrow.
“Speed?”
The eyebrow raised higher.
“Intimidation?”
Perseus laughed. “Out here? On the ocean? I’d welcome a challenge. I like this how it is: Percy, the waves and the wind.
“That’s all?” Robin asked.
“What?”
“I think your missing another ‘w’ somewhere in there.”
“A whirpool? Contrary to widespread belief, they really are not that fun.”
“No, silly,” Robin said. “A woman.”
“Oh,” Perseus said. “Not much on that front at the moment.”
“Is it because of me?” Robin said with a smirk. “Perseus can’t get over his crush.”
“I’m perfectly capable of getting a girlfriend.”
“I’d hope,” Robin said. “It’s been over 5 years since I saw you.”
“I don’t know if you want to get into this considering how I had you head over heels in love with me.”
Robin shrugged “It was quite romantic the way you rose from the depths like a god of the depths. I got a bit carried away.” Robin paused searching for a reaction on Percy’s face. “I still can’t get over the fact that you can swim with your devil fruit.”
“Yeah,” Perseus said scratching his head. “It… uh… comes in clutch. Really, if I didn’t have it I doubt I’d love the sea the way I do. Seriously, you gain amazing powers whose only weakness is the ocean and you decide to set sail and become a pirate? Crazy!”
Robin nodded. “It’s the price we pay.”
“So,” Perseus said. He'd already manuevered the ship out of Dovetail Islands' harbor, and the island was already beginning to disappear on the horizon. “What's the deal? I haven’t really been keeping up with the news for, well, a while.”
“Define a while.’”
“You know, more than normal.”
“How descriptive.”
“Thank you,” Perseus said.
“It wasn’t a compliment.”
“I know,” Perseus said.
“I met this boy,” Robin started. Perseus wiggled his eyebrows and she rolled her eyes. “Not like that.”
“Well, you’re getting up there, grandma. You need to get on it soon,” Perseus said.
“Focus, Perseus.”
“Percy.”
“Focus, Percy.”
“Okay! So, you’re telling me about this boy that you met, but not like that, right?”
Robin sighed. “Yes,” she said. “His name is Monkey D. Luffy, and he’s dumb and gullible and wholly irresponsible and downright crazy.”
“I’m sensing a but here,” Percy said.
Rob nodded. “But he has the most amazing power to bring people together, to see you for who you are.”
“How’d you meet?”
“My boss tried to kill him.”
“That was the uh… alligator guy?”
“Crocodile,” she said.
“Crikey! I didn’t know he was Australian.”
“What?” Ronin said. What was an Australian?
“This Luffy forgives you though?”
Robin nodded. “He saved my life.”
Percy stared out into the distance. “Sounds like I’ve been replaced.”
Robin giggled. “You know how I am around younger men. I just can’t control myself.”
Percy rolled his eyes. “So what does he look like? Maybe I’ve seen him before.”
“You’re in luck,” Robin said. “I actually have his wanted poster with me. It’s on the newspaper I have.”
Robin reached over and handed the picture of Luffy that she’d borrowed from the town’s sheriff.
“Hmm…” Percy said. “That’s interesting…”
Robin leaned forwards.
“I’ve never seen this guy before in my life.”
“You’re terrible.”
“I try,” Percy said with a smile. “That hat of his looks remarkably familiar though.”
Robin nodded. “The hat was a gift from the Emperor of the Sea Red Hair Shanks to Luffy.”
“Shanks, you said?”
“You’ve run into him?”
“We’re pirates. We don’t do much running.”
Ugh! This boy! “Have you sailed into him?”
“Of course not. I try to avoid that crew.”
“Is Percy scared?” Robin said.
“It’s called intelligence.”
“Since when did you get that?”
Percy rolled his eyes. “Tell me more about your crew,” Percy said. “Anyone got any cool devil fruits?”
“Yes!” Robin said. “I might have the most mundane fruit of everyone. First, there’s our doctor. He’s a reindeer.”
Percy blinked. “He ate the Reindeer-Reindeer fruit?”
“You’ve got it backwards,” Robin said. “He’s a reindeer that ate the Human-Human fruit.”
“You’re joking right?” Percy watched as Robin shook her head. “Like how human are we talking? Does he growl at his reflection?”
“Reindeer don't growl," Robin said. "He does the same thing that you or I do. He’s a real cutie and a bit of a baby.”
“And how old is he?” Percy asked.
“Fifteen.”
“Cool. Anyone else?”
“There’s also our musician. He ate the Revive-Revive fruit so he’s now a skeleton.”
Percy nodded. “Makes sense. I’ve seen my share. So you have a talking, miniature reindeer and a Skeleton who sings? That’s sick.”
“Well, we call them Chopper and Brook, but I’m sure they’d appreciate your excitement. Luffy also has a devil fruit, the Gum-Gum Fruit.”
“I’ve never heard of that before,” Percy said. “What does it do?”
“He’s rubber.”
“Ah – that makes sense.” The boat lurched forwards. Where they were going fast for a boat before, now they were flying across the water faster than any ship Robin had been on, seen, or imagined.
“Is there something wrong?”
“No,” Percy answered. “I just want to ensure we get there in time before anything bad happens.”
Robin paused. Was he not trying before?
“Robin,” Percy said. “Why don’t you go get some shuteye? We should be a few hours away and you look like crap.”
Robin looked at her disheveled clothes. She had barely slept at Dovetail Island, not trusting the sheriff too much.
“I think I just might take you up on that offer."
"Good," Percy said. "There's only one room in below, so make yourself at home."
Robin nodded and began to walk away.
"Wait Robin!" he said. She turned to him. "Does Luffy know haki?
“No,” Robin said. “He didn’t use any fighting crocodile.”
She didn't wait to see Percy's reaction, and she walked into the hold of the ship.
The room was cute and spartan and a bit messy. A few pairs of clothes were haphazardly thrown in a basket. Robin didn't not take long to lie in the bed and fall asleep.
Robin woke hours with Percy's face at the center of her vision.
A picture of Percy and a blonde-haired girl was resting on the stand right next to Percy's bed. Robin sat up and grabbed the picture. It looked as if it could have been taken just yesterday, yet the clothes he and the girl looked completely foreign to her. And the buildings in the background of the picture were as tall as mountains. She looked at it for a minute studying his wide smile, before placing it back down and making her way back to the deck.
“Hey,” Robin said as she joined Percy at the helm of the ship. One of the joys of sailing with Percy was the fact that everything always worked out. He could command a ship of infinite length without moving a hand.
“Get a good rest?”
She nodded. “Percy, I don’t want to overstep, but I saw a picture in your room.”
“Oh – I suppose you would have seen it.”
“I understand if you don’t wanna talk about it.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“What’s her name?”
“Annabeth, I’ve known her since we were twelve. She was my best friend.”
Was.
“Is she—“
“Alive?” Percy asked. “As far as I know. It’s been years since we’ve talked. I don’t even know what I would say to her if I could. She’s far away. Very far away.”
“That city in the picture. What is it?”
“Home,” he said with a smile perked across his face. “So you like it then?”
Robin nodded. “I’ve never seen anything of the sort! The buildings and structures — the whole scale of the place looked remarkable.”
“It’s called New York City, and I’d lived there my whole life until I was about seventeen. It’s definitely a place. Nothing quite like it.”
Robin nodded. She’d never heard of it, or York City which it was named after. She’d have to start researching them at some point.
“Is it on the Grand Line?” she asked.
“I can’t recall,” Percy said. “I forgot how to get home.”
“Well I hope to go there one day with you, Percy,” Robin said.
Percy nodded. “We’re an hour away from the navy’s base.”
Robin raised an eyebrow. They were a three day sail away from Marineford by any conventional means. To be there in a matter of hours hours was unheard of.
“Are you nervous?”
“Yes,” Robin said.
Piercing green eyes bore into her. “I won’t let them touch you. They’ll have bigger things to worry about.”
“I know,” Robin said. “Just stay safe. I didn’t ask for you help to trade one life for another.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Percy said.
Just as he said, the Gates of Justice soon jetted out of the ocean like the hands of giant.
“How are we going to get past that?”
Percy looked at the towering iron doors. “We could go under,” he said.
If anyone else had said that, Robin would call them a liar - at least if they hadn't prepared beforehand. Percy though? On the ocean he was god. Yet the boat surged forwards, not sinking.
"Percy?"
"Going under wouldn't be right," he said, shaking his head. "We're above their Justice. We're going over."
"What?" Robin squeaked as the boat lurched.
The sea shifted, as a great wave built itself up and their boat rode at its tip, scaling hundreds of feet every second. Soon, they could see over the walls.
"Percy," Robin said. "It's going to take out the base of the wave." And the ship would drop, killing her.
"Hold on to me," Percy said.
Robin hugged Percy, and he twisted his hand as the waved topped and went over the gates. The falling water hardened into a slide of ice leading them to the center of the battle.
Somewhere in the middle of the slide, Robin had lost hold of Percy, and she felt herself thrown into the center of the battlefield. Yet, the entrance had seemed to have frozen the fighters, and she could hear the voice of the man right in front of her as clear as anything.
It was voice that she'd heard on three other occasions. A voice that haunted her nightmares. A voice she had never wanted to hear again.
"Nico Robin," Kizaru said and ice began to swallow her body whole.
She felt a hand around her arm, and the encroaching ice stopped then burst into water, falling off her in an instant. She tilted her head to see Percy with a bronze sword in his right hand.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing to my friend?”
Haki exploded like a volcano and all eyes turned to her savior.
Percy stepped past her, haki bursting off him like a thousand explosions. Percy let his gaze move past the admiral.
“Garp,” he said with a smirk. “You look… old.”
“Annoying as ever,” Garp said, taking off his Vice Admiral jacket. “I’m going deal with you once and for all.”
“You’ll get your chance,” Percy said. His eyes roamed the battlefield until they fell on Whitebeard. “It’s been a while, Newgate.”
“You,” Whitebeard answered.
Robin looked at the pained expression of Whitebeard's face. Grarp, Whiteboard... just who was Percy?
Percy laughed. “It really feels like I’m not wanted. Even after I went through all that trouble back then, Edward.”
“You don’t do anything out of kindness.”
“And yet here I am helping you,” Percy said. “Have I changed or is there a method to the madness?”
Percy turned his attention to the Marine admirals.
"You may wonder why I am here," he said. "I am here because a friend asked me. I am here because Roger was early. I am here because Rocks failed. I am here to see a promise kept and the dawn of a new world."
Percy stepped forwards, placing himself between the three admirals.
"What're you going to do about that, Imu?"