Chaos at Arabasta 11

Robin POV - Blue Star, Grand Line, Sandy Island, Rainbase - 20 GAP 

After an enraged Crocodile rushed forward to hunt down both the "spy" and the one behind the attack on the Rain Dinners, I didn't stop but continued my advance following after the trails left behind by Crocodile, something quite easy to do considering the fact that everywhere he passed there isn't any trace of plants, roots, flowers, vines, trees, and more importantly, there isn't any trace of that dangerous aphrodisiac pollen.

Indeed, feeling the dampness within my panties, the slight hot feeling coursing throughout my body, the sudden increase in sensitiveness, and the increased sexual desire, I can't help but think while I once again steel my resolve to fight the effect of my moment of carelessness, 'That truly is a dangerous substance, with only a simple small whiff and the effect is already this strong... I truly don't dare to imagine what a full-blown exposure would cause. It is very likely that the victim would simply lose all reason and do everything in his or her power to relieve that painful incessant urge... and all that with a single exposure. I fear that constant and prolonged exposure to this substance could easily break someone's mind.'

This isn't something that I declare without any reason whatsoever, after all, to build up my tolerance to aphrodisiacs and similar drugs, I had to slowly and carefully expose myself to such things, and the effects weren't always pleasant, but it was a necessity to ensure my safety or at the very least fight back in case I became a victim of such means, after all, to hide and escape from the World Government I had to dwell in some of the darkest places that this world has to offers.

I'm not proud of the things I have seen and done to keep myself safe, I have killed, manipulated, seduced, betrayed, and ignored the suffering of many innocent people at the hands of the evilest scum walking on this earth, and sometimes even helped those very evil people in bringing more suffering to the innocent, all so I could keep surviving and fulfill the dream that I inherited from my mother Nico Olivia, Professor Clover and the other from my destroyed home, Ohara, uncover the true the history of the world. 

This is why I chose to work under Crocodile as he was my best chance to find one of those mythical pieces of this mysterious puzzle, the Ponegylph.

The only thing that prevented me from truly losing myself in this darkness was the pursuit of this dream and those small acts of kindness that I have done whenever it was possible, like sparing an "enemy" of my employers by faking their deaths or even simply giving them a very good chance to survive and recover thanks to some "coincidental" timely help, or giving them some false information so that some innocent people won't become their targets, to even outright betray them and make sure that they receive their just punishment for everything they have done once they were no longer useful or crossed way too many lines.

While I'm thinking all that to keep my mind away from the effects of that powerful aphrodisiac pollen, which luckily is starting to get weaker as more time passes because it is slowly being flushed out of my body and also because I was luckily exposed to it only for a very brief instance, I continue my advance and finally get out of the death trap that was the basement of the Rain Dinners which is still very likely to get flooded by the Bananawani-infested waters of the oasis where the platform on top of which this casino was built is located.

Once on the ground, I don't stop but continue to quickly follow the trail left behind by Crocodile while at the same time being very mindful of my surroundings as it is extremely foolish to believe that I'm now out of danger.

As I continue my advance while looking around, I can't help but frown as I notice the many human-shaped dried husks lying on the floors and after letting out a sigh, I mutter, "Just what I expected from someone like Crocodile, he truly doesn't care about how many lives he takes as long as he is able to complete his objectives..."

At the same time, seeing this scene I can't help but once again feel a strong ache in my heart thinking about all the lives lost because of the whims and needs of people like that Celestial Dragon, who for some reason chose to cause all this, Crocodile, who won't hesitate to kill anyone standing in his way, and me, who still tries to take advantage of this situation to complete her own selfish desires.

While I'm thinking that, I suddenly stop moving and grimly mutter, "Sometimes I wonder if everything I did to fulfill my dream was worth it in the end... I'm just so sick and tired of everything... 18 years... I have lived this kind of life for 18 years, I have been on the run since I was an 8 years old kid and sometimes... sometimes... sometimes, when things get really bad I just find myself wishing that everything will finally come to an end... maybe it will be for the better..." 

But I quickly shake my head to dismiss such negative thoughts and focus back on the present as I continue to walk to find a safe way to get out of this building and escape from this city before one of the Admirals arrives in response to the Celestial Dragon's order and starts his suppression of Crocodile and the rest of the Baroque Works, after all, no matter how strong and capable Crocodile is, I'm pretty sure that even he isn't a match for one of the strongest powers of the Marine.

Coming to that conclusion, I speed up my pace and quickly cross the hallway that contains the hidden entrance to the basement level and arrive in the hall that contains the stairs that lead up to the hotel part of the casino which is mostly used by the most well off and important customers to rest or to enjoy spending some quality time with high-class escorts provided by us, after all, as the biggest and most famous gambling establishment in the country, the Rain Dinners had some of the top services in the whole first half of the Grand Line.

Luckily this hall too was "cleaned" by Crocodile as I can easily notice the signs that his passage left behind, dried empty husks, patches of sand all over the place, and the damages left behind by both the roots, plants, and trees, and the technique that Crocodile used to reclaim this hall.

After that, I start to look around to search for the next "clean" path reclaimed by Crocodile, 'Let's see... the stairs are clearly a no-go as it is clear that Crocodile didn't move up since they are totally covered by the dense forest... the hallway that leads to the restaurant section of this building is also out of question, I can easily see through the doorway that it is also invaded by plants, pollen, and trees... furthermore the restaurant is located on the back side of this building with the enchanting scenery of the oasis, basically is a dead end... this leaves only the door that leads to the gaming hall or the door that leads to one of the biggest halls used for private parties and other more important events... one is still overrun by the dense forest but the gaming hall is also the one closest to the entrance meaning it is a way out of here. Meanwhile, the other one is the path that Crocodile took at it is clear that it was reclaimed by his sand powers.' 

Seeing that, I quickly started to analyze the choices in front of me, 'On one hand, I can continue to follow after Crocodile, the advantage is that the path is mostly safe as Crocodile basically killed anything in his path, be it plants, peoples, or enemies, and more importantly he also took care of that aphrodisiac pollen, but following after him also means taking the longer way out of this place, after all with the collapse of the underwater tunnels, the only way out of this place is the entrance. On the other hand, going through the doors that lead to the gaming hall is a lot more dangerous, not only because the forest that took over the place is quite, dense, dark, and maze-like, but also because is filled with flowers that disperse that dangerous aphrodisiac pollen, and I can't ignore the danger that other plants are to me, after all, that forest is clearly the result of a Devil Fruit power, it would be foolish of me to ignore the very likely possibility that there can be more danger hidden within, but despite all that, the gaming hall is the most direct way out of this building.'

Both paths have their pro and cons, but in his current state Crocodile is as much a danger as it is facing the unknown forest, especially since even if I'm still useful to him, if he realizes how I manipulated him to act against Mr. 5 and the Celestial Dragon and how I hid information to him, he still won't hesitate to kill me.

Realizing that, I don't hesitate any more and start to head toward the door that leads to the gaming hall, but just as I have taken a few steps forward, all of a sudden, I hear an arrogant male voice coming from behind me as it laughs loudly and yells, "Hiehehehe! What a shitton of luck -eh! I knew that coming back to one of the "cleaned" areas was dangerous but at the same time it was an excellent opportunity -eh! I finally found you "Devil Child" Nico Robin -eh!!"

Hearing that, I quickly turn around and raise my guard as I get ready to attack, at the same time, I take a look and see some figure walking out of the forest-covered stairs.

One is a slim young man with a pale skin tone, curly blonde hair styled upwards, forming a curl above his head, and brown eyes, he is dressed in a classic high-quality suit, something quite common among the guests of the casino, but that doesn't make me any less wary as I easily recognize him as the Celestial Dragon who is the cause behind everything that is happening, Saint Alfred of House Manmayer.

Right behind him, there are three strange beings, that look almost like a mix between a human and a tree, and more importantly, I also notice that one of them is carrying a figure on its shoulder, and from her clothes, I can easily recognize that figure as an unconscious Miss Doublefinger. 

Saint Alfred walks down the stairs and starts to move toward me with a wicked smile on his face as he says, "I have finally found you -eh! You don't know how much I waited for just this moment -eh! But now that you are in front of me, I won't let you escape. Hiehehehe!"

Hearing that, I immediately realize that for some reason I'm actually the true target of this man, all this time, he was aiming at me, and realizing that, I don't hesitate any more and use the power of my Devil Fruit, the Hana Hana no Mi (Flower Flower Fruit).

I quickly cross my arms and yell, "Seis Fleur (Six Flowers)!" making six arms sprout from Saint Alfred's body, more specifically two on the feet, two on the waist, and two on the lower back, then I clench my fists as I command, "Clutch!"

Instantly two arms grab Saint Alfred's legs and make him fall backward, two pairs hold the foe up at his back, and a pair grabs his upper body, then the pairs of the upper body and legs start to pull, cracking the foe's back which produces some dull snapping wood-like sound, making him squeal like a slaughtered pig, and hopefully paralyzing him permanently. 

Of course, simply paralyzing him isn't enough, after all, if surviving these 18 years taught me something is that one must be absolutely ruthless against one's enemies, so, I don't hesitate to make my next moves.

First I aim at the next most dangerous opponents, the three human-tree beings, "Nueve Fleur (Nine Flowers)!" making nine arms sprout on specific points of the three enemies, then I command, "Twist!" twisting the bodies of the three enemies to a side with such force that they break into many small pieces.

After that, I aim at Saint Alfred who is lying and groaning on the floor once more, "Dos Fleur (Two Flowers)!"

Instantly two more arms spourt from Saint Alfred's body, this time, they spourt from his shoulders, then I command, "Clutch!" making two hands cover the man's mouth, and they bend backward with bone-breaking results as the sound akin to snapping wood once again echoes in this empty hall.

Seeing that, I let out a sigh of relief while thinking, 'Good... the surprise attack worked as intended, that was easier than I thought... At first, I thought that he was a Logia Type user, but since I was able to touch and harm him, it is very likely that he was, in fact, some very powerful Paramecia Type...'

At this point, I can't help but be a little glad of my quick reflexes while thinking back at the combination I just used, 'First I broke his back to paralyze him and make him powerless by not only preventing him from moving, but also from using his Devil Fruit powers as the gut-wrenching pain of having his back broken would distract him too much, then I took care of his bodyguard/puppet which he could very likely command with his mind, and in the end I broke his neck to finish him... This is a combination that I always found useful against other Devil Fruit Users, especially since some Devil Fruit powers can affect someone with a simple touch so to prevent being affected by them, it is better to disable the opponent with gut-wrenching pain. I'm glad that it worked like a charm.' 

While thinking that, I turn around and start to walk toward the door that leads to the gaming hall, but all of a sudden, I hear Saint Alfred's voice as he lively says, "Oh damn! That did hurt like hell... in the anime, your techniques did look quite painful, but being on the receiving end is a whole other thing... I think I almost pissed in my pants from the pain -eh..."

Shocked, I turn around and see that Saint Alfred is standing up and moving like nothing happened, and seeing that, I can't help but exclaim, "This is impossible! I heard your bones breaking! I felt your bones breaking!! You should be dead!! How is this possible!?"

In response to that, Saint Alfred smirks evilly, and then he confidently explains, "It is pretty simple, my dear Nico Robin -eh. You see I ate the Mori Mori no Mi (Forest Forest Fruit), a Logia Type Devil Fruit that grants the power to create, control, and transform into flora, making the user a Forest Human but unlike most other Logia Type Devil Fruits, this fruit turns the user into a solid element instead of a fluid -eh. This means that the user is unable to let attacks pass through his body, though said attacks are still mostly harmless to him or her if his or her opponent does not use Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), as he or she can simply regenerate from wounds like any other Logia user. This means that for someone like you, I'm invincible -eh!"

As soon as he yells that last part, Saint Alfred stomps his right foot on the floor and the next moment, wooden, root-like tentacles quickly rise up from the ground under my feet at incredible speed and warp around my body restraining my movement by binding my wrist and ankles, spreading both my arms and legs wide, they also bind my waist and neck to further limit my movements. 

I unconsciously try to break free from these wooden, root-like tentacles, but they are too tough, moreover, because of my struggle I feel some small thorns piercing my skin, and quickly after that, I find that I'm also unable to move my body, and at this point, I truly start to panic as I instantly realize that I have been poisoned with a neurotoxin, and that is truly bad because if I can't move my body own, then the same will also apply to the arms that I sprout using my Devil Fruit power.

At the same time, Saint Alfred snickers as he pulls me toward him and says, "Hiehehehe! Don't worry the paralysis won't last long as I used a very weak toxin... This is just a measure to prevent you from using the power of the Hana Hana no Mi (Flower Flower Fruit) in some clever way to escape... after all, I waited way too long for this -eh. I spent literal years in planning the perfect way to capture you and make you completely mine, to the point that you won't be able to live without me -eh!"

At this point, I notice that a bunch of flowers quickly grow out of wooden, root-like tentacles warped around my body, and my eyes widen in shock and fear as I recognize them for being the ones that released that aphrodisiac pollen, at the same time, I also see more wooden, root-like tentacles come out of Saint Alfred's right arm and enclose my trapped body in a tight cocoon-like space while Saint Alfred comments, "A few minutes in that cocoon full of dense, concentrated Horny Pollen will be enough to break you into the sex-crazed cumbucket of my dreams -eh..."

The last thing I see is his disgustingly, creepy grin, before total darkness envelopes me, then quickly after that, I start to smell a weird aroma, and instantly my body starts to get aroused as I try to fight the effects of the pollen with all my being while mentally screaming, 'No... No... No...!'

Then all of a sudden, I hear the sound of a strong explosion coming from a very near source, and quickly after that, everything starts to shake as rumbling sounds can be heard, at the same time, I hear Saint Alfred curse out loud, "What the fuck!? Danm it! The whole place is fucking collapsing on itself!! What is worse is that this fucking building is built on top of a fucking platform! If I fall into the water then is game over for me!"

Hearing that, I can't help but feel a little bit of relief as the effect of the pollen gets stronger and stronger with each passing moment threatening to overwhelm me at any moment now, 'It seems that this is the end... I will die here... maybe this is for the best... I'm just so tired of everything... dying won't be so bad, maybe I'll find peace...' 

(AN: I know that Nico Robin's thoughts seem almost too dark and suicidal, but after going over Arabasta Arc and carefully studying her character through both the Wiki and Reddit discussion, I think this is the most faithful representation of her mental state at this point of the story. To make it as brief as possible, at the end of the Arabasta Arc, she did indeed give up and wanted to die, it was Luffy who selfishy saved her, and it was only at the end of Enies Lobby that she finally truly got back her will to live. At the very least this is how I see her character growth in the original story.)

Saint Alfred POV - Blue Star, Grand Line, Sandy Island, Rainbase - 20 GAP 

As everything around me starts to collapse, for a moment I think back at what happened after successfully capturing the spiky beauty Miss Doublefinger, whose real name is Zala, I did not hesitate to quickly knock her out by splashing her face with a good dose of chloroform, one of the strongest sedative that I have knowledge of. 

Fun fact about chloroform, this is a substance that has a natural origin, in fact, it is naturally produced by many kinds of seaweed, and more importantly there are also fungi that are able to produce chloroform in soil, and one of the ecosystems in which fungi thrive the most is, of course, the forest, sure to find out the right type and process I needed many trials and errors but the result is more than worth it.

The reason behind my choice of sedating Zala was quite simple and straightforward, I didn't have time to thoroughly enjoy her body and break her will as I was still searching this casino for Nico Robin, and so to avoid any kind of surprises and to make it easier to carry her around, I decided to sedate her for the time being.

After sedating Zala, I quickly summoned the closest Wood Golem to my side and while waiting for them to arrive, I started to think about where should I search for my true target next, 'So now the one I was chasing after was one of the secondary objectives and while it is nice to have captured her, I won't stop until I get my hands on Nico Robin, so... where could she be now? It is very likely that she isn't in any of the upper floors because I don't sense any of my Wood Golem or plants being destroyed, and no matter how good she is at espionage, it is impossible for her to pass through the combination of my Lost Woods and Wood Golem undetected, after all, the Wood Golem use the roots, plants, flowers, vine, and trees to locate and hunt down any nearby living being...'

Coming to that conclusion, I closed my eyes and focused on sensing the current situation within the casino overrun by my Lost Woods, 'Crocodile is still moving on the ground floor, it is clear that it is him from the way that everywhere he passes, everything gets quickly killed, then there is what I think is Mr. 1 who is still easily mowing down everything in his path, and those two are about to meet soon... then there are some Wood Golems who aren't moving like they are trapped by something... Ah! That right! This is likely the work of Mr. 3 with his wax... but then there is nothing else of note where could she be? Wait! Could it be that Nico Robin is following after Crocodile's trail of destruction? Yes, that's it!' 

Realizing that, I quickly ordered one of the three Wood Golems who arrived to carry Zala, then I hurried and started to run toward the stairs to reach the areas cleaned by Crocodile on the ground floor while the three Wood Golems followed after me. 

Once I reached the ground floor, I couldn't help but grin as I saw the figure I was dreaming of for so many years, Nico Robin in all her beauty, then after a brief fight I quickly overwhelmed and captured her, then after that, I enveloped her in a Horny Cocoon where she is going to be overdose by a high concentration of Horny Pollen, but just as I was about to enjoy the fruits of my hard work, the whole building started to collapse.

At this point, I snap out of my reverie, I quickly move to ensure my safety and that of my toys.

First, I extend a wooden, root-like tentacle from my left arm to grab and pull the unconscious Zala toward me, after that I make sure to extend some more roots from my feet to reinforce the platform on top of which this building was built so that it won't collapse making me fall into the waters and very likely also to my death, and in the end, I raise my arms and from them I produce as many wooden, root-like tentacles as possible and create a dome around me, Zala and the Horny Cocoon containing Nico Robin while also hardening them as much as possible. 

Soon after that, the whole casino starts to crumble down, but the wooden dome I created is tough enough to easily endure the assault of the pieces of this structure crashing on it, and luckily the reinforced platform also endures this destruction and remains standing.

After a few seconds, the whole building collapsed onto itself, I quickly controlled the roots below the dome to forcefully push it out of the rumble it was buried under, and then as soon as I felt the sun rays fall on the wooden, root-like tentacles that make up the dome, I quickly open up the dome, removing the ceiling while leaving behind the walls that form a circle around me, the cocoon, and the unconscious Zala.

I hear the sounds of an ongoing battle coming from the distance, but I don't care about that and focus only on the wooden cocoon in front of me, and then, with a smile, I mutter, "Now, it is time to fully enjoy my prize -eh!"