Chapter 55: Hell hath no fury...

They have done it. They got everyone back together and were now sailing away from Enies Lobby to Water Seven. All was well. Actually not everything. Rick, sitting against the mast, was facing Sanji, Zoro and Sogeking.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Nobody was saying anything and the air was tense. Nami had had enough and smacked the head of the three idiots facing their Vice-captain.

"Will you apologize already?" she yelled.

"""Sorry."" said the three in perfect sync.

"Sogeking, why are you apologizing too?" asked Chopper.

"Ah! Hmm... Usopp asked me to apologize on his behalf if I had the chance."

"He could have done it himself."

"It's fine Luffy, I'm sure Usopp would have done it had he been here. Let's put everything into the past and let's not think about it anymore." said Rick.

""I agree!"" replied Nami and Chopper.

"Not so fast."

Someone didn't want to end things here, not like that. It was Robin. She bloomed hands and pulled Rick on his feet before restraining him against the mast. He couldn't move an inch.

"Robin?" said the ex-marine.

*slap*

She had slapped him! So hard his head turned to the right.

"That was for not telling me about O'hara."

*slap*

This time his head turned to the left.

"That was for not telling me about Aokiji."

*slap*

"That was…"

And she didn't stop. She slapped him again and again, faster and faster, for whatever reasons she could think of. Some were reasonable and some were not. Rick's cheeks were swollen, that definitely were not regular slaps. In fact it was love slaps, a variant of the love punch.

"Robin, you're going to disfigure him!" said Luffy in panic.

*slap*

"That one, for being irritating!"

She grabbed his 'face', if you could call that a face anymore, with both hands and looked him in the eyes intently.

"Robin Stop!" said Luffy, now being restrained by Nami.

"This one is to thank you for always taking care of me."

She drew her head closer and gave Rick a smoldering kiss. Everyone's jaws dropped to the floor with the exception of Nami who had a smile from ear to ear. The archaeologist ended the kiss; she was blushing more than a bit. Embarrassed, she didn't turn around and went straight inside the Merry.

"What just happened?" asked Sogeking.

"Robin just kissed Ric. Ah! He's passed out! Not good!" answered Chopper before going to Rick seeing how he was doing.

"So kissing someone makes them pass out?" wrongly realized Luffy which earned him a smack on the back of his head from Nami.

"No it doesn't! That was the slaps you idiot!"

"We got another one down here." interjected Sogeking pointing at something on the floor.

Sanji had collapsed. There was foam in and around his mouth; his eyes were shedding tears of blood. Was it from pain or jealousy? With him, probably both.

"Wow, what happened to him?" asked Luffy.

"It's better if you don't know." replied Sogeking.

Nami left the idiots alone and joined Robin in their cabin but not before warning them that someone may be hiding on the ship, as Merry couldn't have come by herself to rescue them.

The tall brunette was laying face down on the bed, head buried in a pillow. The latter sat down next to her cross legged, put a hand on her friend's back and started stroking it.

"That was very bold of you, Robin."

Robin tried to disappear by burying her head further into her pillow. Her embarrassment was at his peak. It wasn't the first time she ever kissed someone, far from it. After 20 years on the run she was used to such physical things and more. But it was the first time it wasn't a means to an end. No, for the first time it meant something. That's why the always calm and collected Robin was in that state. Her emotions were all over the place. She didn't know what to feel anymore. The kiss was more than a thank you, she couldn't explain what exactly. Perhaps was it relief? The Buster Call was her trauma, her demon haunting her since she was eight years old and Rick destroyed it. Just as he said he would.

"Pfmmffppmphf." was what she answered.

"So, I guess I'm not having him?"

"Hmmphmfmf."

"It's fine. I'm a bit sad about it but not heartbroken."

Robin turned her head to the side to look at Nami. And to breathe because she was starting to suffocate.

"I don't know, okay?"

"Don't know what?"

"What I…"

"What you're feeling?"

"Yes."

"So I still have my chances then."

"Nami!"

Robin's reaction made Nami laugh. That was so much not like her friend to act the way she was right now.

"Fine, I won't do anything while you're sorting out your feelings. That doesn't mean I'll stay away from him."

"That's… alright I guess. Thank you."

"Now, do you know the mess that "little" kiss created?" said Nami with an evil and sadistic grin and punctuating the word 'little' with air quotes. It was definitely not a 'little' kiss.

She was going to enjoy Robin's torment.

Every. Single. Second.

~~~~~~

It wasn't long before Robin, followed by Nami, were on the deck again. The former decided that going back to everyone would prevent the latter's 'torture'. During their talk, Rick woke up and Chopper had reanimated Sanji who apparently forgot why he had fainted in the first place. No one dared to remind him.

"Did you find anyone on board?" asked Nami.

"No. There's only us." replied Zoro.

"Were you expected to find someone?" asked Kokoro.

"Yeah. Merry couldn't have come alone from Water Seven." said Sanji

"And I definitely heard a voice telling me to jump into the sea when the marines' ship began sinking." added Robin.

"I'm telling you it was Merry's voice!" yelled Luffy.

"Idiot, there is no way a ship can talk." said Zoro.

"Really? Islands in the sky, a guy made of rubber or lightning, those are fine to believe but a living ship talking is beyond reality?" questioned Rick.

"Yeah." affirmed Zoro.

"You heard what that heathen said, Sogeking? Do you think Usopp would agree?"asked Rick

"There is no way he would. The voice belonged to Merry." supported Sogeking.

The argument stopped there as Luffy noticed a ship coming from ahead. It was a huge vessel with the name and logo of the Galley-la. Captained by Ice Burg who had for a crew every worker of the Company. They were surprised and relieved that the strawhats survived the Aqua Laguna and came back alive from Enies Lobby. The joyous reunion didn't last though, as the Merry broke in half. She held on as much as she could for her crew but now with the galley-la ship present to bring them back safely, she didn't have to anymore. Luffy asked one last time Ice Burg for help fixing her but there was nothing anyone could do, no matter how good a carpenter they may be. The only thing the president of the Galley-la said was to let her rest for good. Luffy and finally Usopp understood that asking her to do more was a selfish act. They had reached acceptance and now needed to say goodbye to their friend.

Ice Burg lent them a small boat so the entire crew could stand on it while Luffy, on an even smaller one, was in front of them holding a lit torch ready to give Merry a viking's funeral.

"Merry, the bottom of the sea is dark and lonely. We'll see you off here. Thank you, for carrying us all this time Merry" declared Luffy before setting Merry on fire.

The most emotional ones of the crew started crying and Rick, positioned between Nami and Usopp, grabbed the hand of the former and the shoulder of the latter to bring them support.

"I'm sorry. I wanted to carry you to the end of the world. To go and share all your adventures while getting you there but I couldn't."

"That's not your fault merry! It's ours! We kept hurting you! Destroying many things! Every time Usopp tried to fix you up but he was never really good at it! We're the ones who are sorry! Because of us… Because of us you.." yelled Luffy in tears.

"That's okay, because I was happy. Without your love and care I would never have come to life. A happy life. I thank you for it."

Rick let go of Usopp's shoulder and with his hand used his gravity to tear Merry's figurehead from the body.

"RICK! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" yelled Luffy.

The Vice-captain didn't say anything because Merry did.

"He's honoring the promise he made to me."

"What promise?" asked Luffy, upset.

"I want to stay together and since I can't carry you anymore, and I was hoping that perhaps you would be willing to carry a piece of me with you."

"OF COURSE WE'RE WILLING!"

"Thank you. I'm really glad to have met all of you."

Those were Merry's last words. The flames were covering her entire body and soon enough what didn't turn to ashes sank deep into the sea.

~~~~~

Back to Water Seven everyone slept for an entire day. Not so much because they were physically drained but more because they were mentally and emotionally exhausted. Luffy was the only one still sleeping. Rick wondered why, as his fight against Lucci didn't tire him as much since he still could move after his victory. Perhaps was it the result of saying goodbye to Merry?

While Luffy was eating asleep, Franky paid the crew a visit. He told them about the treasure tree Adam and announced that the money he stole from them was to buy wood from that legendary tree. That was the same wood the Oro Jackson, Gold Roger's ship, was made of. His news didn't stop there, he asked for the crew to sail on the seas with the ship he would built with this special wood. Everyone was overjoyed! They were currently stuck on the island, without any means to sail but soon they would be able to continue their journey.

"The blueprints for the ship are done but it would not be your ship if I don't incorporate some of your wishes." said Franky.

"A lock on the fridge and every cupboard in the kitchen." said Sanji

"I guess a lab for Chopper." added Nami.

"And a library for Robin with a desk to work on." Rick tagged in.

"Probably a training area for Zoro." Nami

"If possible an indoor garden with a removable roof" Rick ended

""A garden?"" said Sanji and Nami with astonishment.

"What? I like gardening. Who do you think took care to change the soil of your mandarin trees?"

"You did what?!" said Nami

"Soil is not an infinite source of nutrients, you know. When I joined the ship, the one used for your mandarin trees was almost devoid of it. A month more and they would have died. So I took and added some dirt from every island we visited since then. I even took a bit of the cloud sea so I could experiment its effects on plants. The trees of Skypiea fed on it and grew huge!" explained Rick.

Nami didn't know what to say or do. Should she love-punched him for touching her trees or thank him for keeping them alive? She didn't have to choose as Robin and Chopper entered the room.

"We're back! I examined the Frankies injuries, they're all fine. And I didn't take my eyes off of Robin either!" said Chopper with pride.

"Good job Chopper." replied Sanji before going back to the kitchen.

"Once again, it's not fair! Why can Robin go out and I can't?" protested Rick.

"Because Sanji is cooking for Luffy and I'm keeping an eye on him in case he wakes up, meaning there is no one to chaperone you!" said Nami.

"I'm the oldest here I don't need…"

"You're not, I am." intervened Robin.

"Fine! Second oldest here, I don't need a chaperone."

"One you're being punished for your stupid plan!" said Nami

"Two, you need to rest. I don't believe your fast healing isn't without consequences."added Chopper

"And three, everytime you go into a town you create some trouble." finished Robin.

"Oh! That's not true! Name one time I caused trouble!"

"When we went to see Ice Burg, you punched a guy in the face then subdued everyone with your gravity." started Nami.

"The guy was molesting you and everyone was after us!"

"In Skypiea when you flatten on the sand the entire platoon of White berets." continued Chopper

"They wanted to arrest me!"

"You plundered every single pirate ship and even sank the last one in the port of Jaya." concluded Robin.

"... Okay, that one is valid." agreed Rick.

"And that's why you're not allowed to go into town." said Nami with finality in her voice.

"For my defense you were with me at the time, Robin."

"What can I say? I had just joined the crew, I followed my Vice-Captain's lead." said Robin, playing innocent.

"Oh you!... You… You...I'm never going to win that argument am I ?"

""No!""

Franky laughed out loud at the situation. He couldn't ever get bored of how crazy this pirate crew was. Rick did the only thing he could do about his loss, he sighed. When he got up from his seat Nami called out to him.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"To the bathroom! Why? Do I need a chaperone for that too?"

Nami let it slide and let him pout. She was harsh on him but that was out of worry. When Luffy told them the state he was in after facing by himself all members of the CP9, on the way back to Water Seven while he was resting, she was horrified and swore to keep an eye on him at all times. They almost lost him in Skypiea and now Enies Lobby, that was twice too much for her taste. After all, Rick was watching over them but who was watching over him?

"Rick is grumpy." noted Chopper.

"You can't really blame him, he's used to his freedom and to floating around. Now he's caged." said Robin.

"It's for his own g-..."

Nami didn't get to finish her sentence as one of the walls bursted open. From the huge hole walked a tall broad-chested marine with a dog mask.

"You… are the strawhats crew aren't you?" asked the newcomer

"What If we are?!" said Sanji

"Good. Now where are my grandsons?" asked the newcomer.