39 Aftermath

( 3rd POV )

At the dock where Doflamingo's ship is moored, Robin had already inspected the entire vessel and found numerous valuable treasures in Doflamingo's room. Currently, she stood outside, keeping watch over the rest of Doflamingo's crew, who had been knocked out by her.

"I'm feeling worried just now after the whole island shook for a second. Their battle must be hard, huh..." She murmured to herself, casting her gaze toward the Hancock battlefield.

Hancock's last attack had caused the entire island to experience a mild earthquake; even Robin, who was far from the center of the battlefield, could feel it.

"Ughh..."

Hearing a sudden noise nearby, Robin turned her attention to the man who made that noise. She noticed the man with a golden helmet, who Yamato had just delivered to her before she went to Vanze's location, seemed to be regaining consciousness.

"Ara~ Ara~ why don't you take more rest, big guy. Here, let me help you..."

Just before the big man awoke, Robin activated her Devil Fruit once again, and suddenly an arm appeared on his shoulder, covered with Busoshoku Haki before it sent a strong punch toward his face, knocking him out once again.

"Taste my gentle tap. I can't fight all of you again; I'm just a weak woman after all. So, I need to do this for my own safety, fufufu," she mused to herself, feeling satisfaction from punching the man back into his slumber.

Not long after, a black dot from the other side of the island appeared in the sky, heading toward Robin's location.

Sensing someone approaching her at a fast speed, she looked up and saw a man with black wings, holding two girls on each of his arms, starting to descend toward her location.

"You're back, Azel. How did it go? And who are they?" She asked the man who had just landed, recognizing him as her companion. The two sisters who had just arrived with Azel felt uneasy being stared at by Robin.

"Sigh, not bad. I encountered one of their main cadres, but I solved him with ease, and I rescued these two sisters from his clutches," he briefly explained his story to her while surveying the area. He saw many people unconscious, handcuffed, and injured. Even worse, several of them were dying, and there were even dead bodies around.

One of his eyes twitched after seeing those corpses that looked like they had been crushed by something. 'I bet she slapped them with one of her giant attacks...'

Pururururu~ Pururururu~

Just as Azel was about to ask a question to Robin, they heard a sound from Robin's Den Den Mushi inside her jacket before she pulled it out.

"Hm? Who's calling me?" She wondered who was calling her at this time before she answered it.

"Hello?"

"Robin onee-chan! Where are you? No, it's not important now. I saw the fight! I mean, you should go to Hancock onee-chan's place ASAP!!! S-she is badly injured...!"

The voice of a little girl could be heard from the Den Den Mushi; she sounded very worried, calling out to Robin.

"Okay, okay, calm down, Uta-chan. I don't know what happened with Hancock, but Vanze is with her, and Yamato is also going there. I'm sure Hancock will be fine."

"Huft... Alright. I'm sorry; I was worried for a second..."

"It's fine, Uta-chan. Now, can you put Reiju on the phone for me?"

"Um, she is beside me. Here, Reiju nee-san."

"It's me, what's wrong, Robin?"

"Reiju, could you please bring down the Pearl to our current location near the dock of the island? After all, the show is over; it's time to wrap things up."

"Alright, wait for a moment."

"Okay, thanks, by the way."

Robin ended their conversation and put the Den Den Mushi back. She instructed Reiju to bring down their ship to make their next moves easier, looting.

"So, Yamato is heading to Vanze-san and Hancock's battlefield then?" Azel asked once more, to confirm his guess.

"Yes, after she's done playing with that big guy over there, she left him to me to guard and left to watch the show," Robin replied while pointing toward Pica, who had a broken nose after receiving her punch.

"But I think their battle is already over when that last earthquake spread around this island. There is no need to go there anymore, and they will be back soon. Just wait here, Azel." She continued her words toward Azel, persuading him to stay.

She wasn't worried too much like Uta, who had never seen Vanze's real power. She knew with Vanze around, even if Hancock was injured, he could definitely save her. She had absolute trust in him after all.

The two green-haired sisters that Azel had brought with him just stayed silent while hearing their conversation. One of the girls seemed to understand that whatever caused the land to shake not long ago must be one of their friends, and they were not with the bad guys.

Hearing Robin's suggestion, Azel thought for a moment before he nodded and agreed to stay with her at the dock. "I was thinking to go there to help, but I guess you are right. But... What will you do to those people?" He asked while pointing to Doflamingo's crew, who were still unconscious.

Hearing his question, Robin just showed her signature smile to him before responding to his question with a shrug. "Saa... Who knows..."

.....

As the Pearl descended slowly from the sky above, a gust of wind suddenly swept across the deck before vanishing. It passed through the ship's corridors in a fleeting moment, unnoticed by anyone, including Reiju and the others, who didn't dwell on it.

In one of the ship's chambers, a man materialized, cradling a woman who appeared to be asleep. He tenderly placed her on the bed.

"Umu, we're back. Looks like the senzu bean is already working its magic," He murmured to himself, nodding as he watched the woman's injuries slowly heal.

"But her clothes are damaged from the fight... I suppose I'll need to ask Robin for help with this," he said with a wry smile. No matter how inclined the man might be, he wouldn't dare undress the unconscious woman himself.

"I'll wait for the ship to land on the sea outside the deck then. Have a pleasant dream, my empress," he said, leaning in to plant a kiss on her forehead before gently stroking her head.

Exiting the room quietly, the man made his way to the deck, unaware of the slight smile adorning the sleeping woman's lips—a testament to the pleasant dream she was experiencing.

.....

Back on the dock where Robin and the others stood, Robin appeared to be conversing with two sisters rescued from Doflamingo's crew by Azel.

"So, both of you were in the forest on the edge of the island trying to harvest some fruits when those scum appeared?" She inquired.

"Yes, the forest on the island's edge is abundant with fruit, so my little sister and I went there every week. But who would have thought those people would come at such a time? After witnessing the town ablaze from the forest, we felt scared and sought refuge in the woods. While we hid, we witnessed a few individuals fleeing from the town, only to be chased and slain by a towering man wielding a sword. It was our first time seeing such brutality, and my little sister screamed in terror. You can imagine what happened next," the girl with long green hair recounted, still stroking her sister's head to comfort her.

Listening to the sisters' tale, Robin's expression turned solemn. "So, you hid before being discovered by Diamante, and Azel arrived suddenly, saving both of you. You were very lucky..."

The tall girl with green hair could only respond with a wry smile. She wasn't sure if being the sole survivors of the town could be considered lucky, but at least her sister was safe, she thought.

"Someone is approaching," Azel interrupted their conversation, his gaze fixed on a silhouette descending from the sky. Robin and the two green-haired sisters followed his gaze.

As the silhouette drew nearer, they could discern it was a girl with a red horn atop her head, carrying a man with tattered clothes in her arms.

"Oh, she's back with a prize," Robin remarked with a sly smile.

Before long, Yamato landed near them after descending from the sky using Geppo. She tossed the man she carried among the other prisoners.

"Phew, I'm finally back!" she announced her return to those around her. Robin and Azel merely rolled their eyes at her antics.

"Yes, yes, good job, Yamato. But where is Vanze? Wasn't he with you and Hancock?" Robin inquired.

"Oh, he took Hancock back to the ship, saying she needed rest after that intense fight. Then he left me to handle this mess. He even tasked me with picking up this waste," Yamato explained, gesturing towards the man she had brought with her, grumbling about being left alone to clean up.

Hearing Yamato's complaints, Robin chuckled, secretly relieved that Hancock seemed fine with Vanze around. She redirected her attention to the blonde man. "He's in critical condition..."

"I know. Vanze used his abilities to slow down his injuries, but he won't last long. He asked to be brought back to you all, let him stay among the living for a little longer. He still has a purpose," Yamato explained.

"You know it'll be challenging, Yamato. He's on the brink of death," Azel remarked after examining the blonde man's condition.

"Well, I'll figure something out," Robin replied, lost in thought.

"It's up to you then. Maybe ask Reiju and that kid to help stabilize his condition?"

"Reiju can, but that kid? Impossible. This man is his enemy, after all, and with his current abilities, he can't do much to help in this situation."

"Fufufu, how the dragon has fallen..."

The two green-haired sisters watched the conversation with puzzled eyes. While they knew the blonde man was the leader of the criminals, seeing his current state sent shivers down their spines.

.....

As time passed, the Pearl landed at the dock, a few hundred meters from Doflamingo's ships. Reiju, Uta, and the others emerged from the ship, making their way towards Robin's location.

"Onee-chan!!!" Uta exclaimed upon seeing her older sister, running towards them.

"Hey, Uta-chan! Did you see Hancock and that pink-haired guy fight? It was incredible!" Yamato bragged to the little girl about the battle, oblivious to Uta's subtle change in expression.

"I saw it, well, we saw it all. While the fight was indeed impressive and fierce, I'm worried about Hancock nee-san. How is she? Wasn't she supposed to be with you guys?" Uta asked, scanning the area in search of Hancock but finding her absent.

"She's fine. I already took her back to her room, and now she's resting," a man's voice suddenly spoke from behind Uta's group.

Vanze descended from the ship, having overheard their conversation and decided to address her concern.

"Vanze!?"

"Ahhh!!! H-how did you...? Vanze nii-san!"

"Hahaha, no need to be surprised. Just as I said, I took Hancock back to her room after the battle. It only took me a second. You know I'm that fast," he said, grinning as he spoke the last sentence.

"You're scaring me... But I'm glad she's okay," Uta said with relief after confirming Hancock's well-being.

"That battle was dangerous, Vanze..." Reiju expressed her concern after watching the live broadcast.

"I know, but you know Hancock. She's stubborn. She wouldn't let me intervene easily," he replied with a wry smile.

At that moment, he felt helpless. When he saw her injured, he wanted to end the battle himself, but thankfully, Seele persuaded him to hold back. He realized he couldn't let his love for them become their burden.

Reiju returned the smile, understanding each of her teammates' characters quite well despite having recently joined them.

"Hahaha, he's right. Hancock would be furious if someone interfered in her battle without permission. But Vanze, what should we do with the rest of them?" Yamato redirected the conversation back to Doflamingo's crew.

"Should we kill them all?" she suggested with a hint of purity in her voice, sending a chill down the spines of those who heard her words.

Upon hearing her question, Vanze scanned the prisoners. He noticed that some were already dead, like Gladius and the elderly woman whose name he had forgotten, while others, like Trebol, Pica, and even Senõr Pink, were still breathing.

But before he could respond, the voice of a certain clown interrupted. "Vanze-san, may I have a word with you, please?" The man stepped forward from behind Reiju and the others.

Azel and Yamato frowned upon hearing someone interrupt their leader's response, while even Law appeared puzzled. Vanze didn't immediately agree but briefly glanced at Robin before nodding. Seeing his gesture, Robin returned a smile toward him.

"Of course, let's talk on the ship. Azel, Yamato, could you please lock these prisoners in our ship's cells? And bring these two ladies with us. I need to ask them something," he instructed his teammates.

"Consider it done, Vanze-san."

"Alright, hey you two with the green hair, could you come with me for a moment?"

"Cora-san, let me join you. Is that alright, Captain?"

"Law!"

"...Fine..."

They all agreed to Vanze's orders and set about their respective tasks. Azel attended to the prisoners, Yamato escorted the two green-haired sisters, followed by the other children. Robin spoke with Reiju, while Vanze, the clown, and Law headed back to the ship.

.....

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A/N: Apologies for the delay. I was intending to edit the future arc after we finish with the North Blue. I feel the story is too focused on the world of One Piece, so I need time to rearrange it. If you have any suggestions for this book, please leave a comment. I appreciate it 👍

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