Chapter LI: Demon Spawn

While Iceburg made a call to the Water 7 bank to confirm the agreed value of the gold on the Going Merry, Lucci and Paulie left to get to back to work, the latter arguing with the former's pigeon all the while. Robin watched them go, an extremely perturbed expression on her face, before turning to face Luffy, her question clearly written on her face for once.

"We'll talk later, Robin," Luffy whispered. Robin didn't look assured, but accepted the promise and dropped the issue for the moment. But even as she did so, a seed of ever-present doubt in her mind took root for the first time in a month as her recent nightmare returned to the forefront of her mind.

"Well, it looks like your story checks out," Iceburg's voice came as he walked back towards Nami, carrying 6 large briefcases with the aid of Kalifa and another assistant. "I took the liberty of accessing Galley-La Company's vault. I'll hand these over to you now, and when Kaku returns, I'll have him organize a team to fetch the gold on your ship. Does that sound acceptable?"

"Of course!" Nami exclaimed gleefully as she eyed the huge sum of money. "Thank you for your help, Iceburg-san!"

Iceburg sweatdropped as he watched Nami eye the briefcases greedily. "Well, sure…anytime," he said.

The 6 briefcases were distributed amongst the 4 pirates. At that point, Kaku arrived back at Dock 1 and confirmed that their ship was irreparable, much to Usopp's dismay. The sniper then proceeded to ask about what kinds of ships they had for sale, and Kalifa handed him a brochure with all the latest models, while Iceburg explained each one in detail. Through it all, Nami and Usopp listened eagerly, Luffy pretended to listen but didn't really bother, and Robin was immersed in her own thoughts.

As they were speaking, two figures watched from the shadows, eyeing the briefcase in Usopp's hand with a predatory gaze. As they inched closer, Robin caught sight of them, and her eyes widened. Before she could take action though, Luffy's voice spoke up.

"Don't even try," the captain said authoritatively, without even turning around. His voice froze them in their tracks. Although he didn't look very intimidating, the Franky Family couldn't help but remember that this was the captain of the man who had kicked their collective asses that they were dealing with. As such, they started to sweat heavily.

Usopp did the same as he turned around and noticed their close proximity. Damn, I shouldn't have zoned out there...I'm carrying a fortune on me!

"Um...hi?" Zambai greeted nervously, seeing the hardened expression on Luffy's face. "We're just your everyday thugs trying to make a living. No need to get all—"

"Fuck off," Luffy interrupted, layering the command with a bit of Conqueror's Haki.

The Franky Family's next actions were wisely to do just that. As they ran, Iceburg sighed. "The Franky Family again. Well, sorry about that. They're attracted to valuables like moths to a lantern."

"Can we be glad they didn't get their hands on the money and consider the matter settled?" Kalifa asked.

"Yeah, it's fine," Luffy said with a shrug.

"Who are they anyway?" Nami asked. "They don't seem like pirates."

"No, they're not. Officially, they're ship dismantlers, but they just do whatever they can to make a profit. Bounty hunting, thievery, black marketing, the whole deal. But since they only target pirates who are passing through, the Marines leave them to their own devices. Franky himself is no pushover, so we tend to do the same unless they target our customers."

"This Franky guy. Where can I find him?" Luffy asked suddenly.

Iceburg raised an eyebrow. "If you're planning to pick a fight with him, we'll be taking some of that money back for property damages, just so you know."

"If I wanted to pick a fight, I would have just beaten them up before they left," Luffy reasoned.

Iceburg hummed. "Fair point. Well, their base of operations is the Franky House. It's located on a peninsula on the east side of the island." He gave Luffy and odd look. "You shouldn't underestimate Franky, though. I don't suppose you're just stopping in to say hello?"

"Something like that," Luffy said with a grin.

"Well, it's your choice. Don't say I didn't warn you," Iceburg said, shrugging.

By the time they left Dock 1 to head back to the ship, Luffy could sense the distress coming off of Robin in waves. He winced in sympathy. He didn't want to prolong her worrying, but they couldn't exactly discuss what was going on in front of Galley-La. He'd been wondering how to address the issue of CP9 with Robin, but seeing her reaction to Rob Lucci's presence now, he wondered if the fact that she somehow already knew him was a blessing or a curse.

"Nami, Usopp, you guys go on back to the ship. We'll catch up with you," Luffy said, causing them to look at him curiously.

"Are you going to go talk to that Franky person?" Usopp asked.

"If you're going to go do something stupid, don't pull Robin into it," Nami chided.

"We just need to talk about something real quick," he assured. Usopp shrugged and kept walking. Although Nami looked like she wanted to question him further, she reluctantly turned away and followed behind Usopp.

Robin, who had been hiding her distress up until that point, took a deep breath. "I don't even know where to begin," she said tiredly.

"How do you know Lucci?" Luffy asked gently, providing a start to the conversation.

"8 years ago, I was working with an underground criminal organization in West Blue. They weren't much compared to Baroque Works, but they were capable enough for me to stay hidden. At least, until Rob Lucci was given a mission by the World Government to eradicate everyone involved. I was the only member to escape alive, and I fled to the Grand Line. It seems so long ago, but I'll never forget that face." She shuddered. "That man isn't human…Luffy, how do you know him? What is he doing here?"

"I think I can answer that," came a voice from nearby. Robin's eyes widened as she turned toward a nearby rooftop, where a man in a black cloak with red marks running down his face was listening in on their conversation. She instantly recognized him.

"You're with the Revolutionaries," she said. It wasn't a question. I was so tense that I didn't notice we were being followed? Or is he just that good?

"I am. Pleased to meet you, Nico Robin. The name is Mavric."

"What is it with you and jumping down from rooftops?" Luffy asked with a hint of amusement.

"Well, you'd be surprised how many people don't bother to look up even when they think they're being watched," Mavric replied.

"And why were you watching us?" Robin asked cautiously.

"Force of habit. I eavesdrop so much on the job that I tend to lose track of who I can be upfront with. Sorry about that. But enough about me. To answer your question, CP9 is after the Ancient Weapons."

Robin looked pale. "They knew I was coming," she inferred.

"Well, yes," Mavric replied. "But they're not just after you. In fact, you're not the primary reason they're here. You see, they've been working as undercover shipwrights for the past 5 years or so."

"How did you learn all of this?" Luffy asked curiously. "I thought you were just tailing me."

Mavric shrugged. "That was my assignment, but even if I can predict what course you'll take based on the log sequence, it's impossible to know when you'll arrive. So I had some time to kill."

"Didn't I say something along the lines of, 'If i see you again, I'll kick your ass?'" Luffy reminded him.

"Oh, is that what you said?" Mavric asked, sweating a bit. "Well, I would prefer for my ass to remain unkicked. What if I gave you some valuable information? Would you reconsider then?"

Luffy rolled his eyes. "What else do you know?"

"CP9 infiltrated Galley-La because the president, Iceburg, knows the whereabouts of the blueprints of one of the Ancient Weapons, Pluton." He grimaced. "We weren't able to find out where those blueprints were, though. If we did, we would have destroyed them already."

"And now that they know we're here?" Robin asked worriedly.

"From what I can tell, their plans for Iceburg haven't changed. They intend to steal the blueprints and assassinate him."

"How many of them are there?" Robin asked.

"From what we know, four. Lucci is their leader. Then there's Kaku from Dock 1, Blueno, the barkeeper, and Kalifa, Iceburg's personal assistant. We think that's all of them. They're planning something else, though. They've been getting new orders from the World Government, but it's all in code, and we haven't been able to interpret them."

Robin looked even more disconcerted upon hearing this.

"But now that you've arrived, they'll no doubt make a move against the Strawhat Pirates as well. If they get their hands on either of you, I see little hope for the world." He turned to Luffy. "Monkey-san, I don't know how you knew Rob Lucci, but not much about you makes sense to begin with. On Jaya, I told you to think of us as allies. Now, I'm here to offer my services. We'll continue to observe them, and let you know what else we learn. If the need arises, you'll have our full support."

Luffy could tell he was sincere, so he smiled. "Thanks. You may be a sneaky bastard, but you're not so bad."

"Be careful," Robin said. "If CP9 finds out that you're tailing them…"

"He'll be fine," Luffy said. "He's not as weak as he would have people believe."

Mavric smiled mischievously. "Now what would make you come to a conclusion like that, Monkey-san?"

Luffy rolled his eyes again. "In Jaya, you pretended to be floored by my haki, but I could tell you weren't really affected by it. Any reason for that?"

If the Revolutionary was surprised, he didn't show it. Instead, he just smirked, and Robin was suddenly and unexplainably relieved that this man was seemingly on their side.

"You keep your secrets, Strawhat, and I'll keep mine," he replied, before jumping backwards onto the rooftops and disappearing from sight.

Robin turned back to Luffy and took another breath. The conversation evidently hadn't calmed her nerves at all. "Luffy, I can't do this."

Luffy blinked. "Do what?" he asked.

"This," she repeated, motioning to Luffy and then back to herself. "This isn't my life. It's not going to work, and we both know it."

Luffy's eyes narrowed. "Don't even think about it," he whispered.

"I've already thought about it. I've been thinking about it since you sent me an invitation to join you, and it's not simply going to go away. I can try to forget it, I can push it to the back of my mind, but it will always come back to haunt me, and I won't be able to run from it much longer," she said.

"Run from what? CP9? Rob Lucci? I could kick their collective asses any day of the week, and today is no exception. You have nothing to worry about," Luffy said.

"It's not about CP9!" Robin exclaimed. She was beginning to lose her composure, which was a rare sight to see, but she didn't care. She needed Luffy to understand. "You get that this won't end, don't you? It won't end with Rob Lucci! Next it will be something worse. It'll keep getting worse until you can't win anymore! The World Government will hunt me down to the ends of the earth, and I can't let you all get caught up in that!"

"Robin, I don't know if you've noticed, but we've long since made it onto the World Government's shit list ourselves."

"Luffy, you took down a pirate. A Warlord, yes, but a corrupt one. Your worst crime to date was making them look bad. It's not the same with me. They don't just want to capture me to prove a point. I have knowledge that can end all life as we know it.

"Could you remind me again what your crime was?" Luffy asked sarcastically.

Robin sighed. "That's not the point and you know it. They may act like my very existence is a sin. But to them, capturing me means ending the Great Pirate Era. They'll stop at nothing! If because of my presence on your ship, one of you were to…" she trailed off, and hung her head. "I could never forgive myself," she whispered.

Luffy didn't know whether to be sympathetic or annoyed. "And you think I don't feel that way every single day, Robin? They know the risks, and so do I! Stop speaking as if you're a burden! We're family!"

Robin closed her eyes, and when she opened them, they were moist. Hearing him say that meant more to her than he would ever know, but it was a bittersweet moment at best. She knew she was fighting a losing battle either way. No matter how much she tried to pretend she was one of them, her cursed fate would pull her away; no matter how much she tried to distance herself from them, her eternal longing for that which had always eluded her, that which she didn't deserve, would reel her back in.

"I'm not like you, Luffy," she said finally. "I can never truly be one of you, no matter how much you all pretend that I already am."

Luffy clenched his fists. "Do you really believe that?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter whether I do or don't. Because however much I try to convince myself that it's not true, the bane of my existence will continue to prove otherwise." She looked down sadly. "Do you remember that night that I woke up screaming? I never did tell you what I was dreaming about, did I? That's because I could barely convince myself that I'd been dreaming at all. At first I thought it really was just a nightmare. I woke up and fooled myself into thinking it was over. But I should have known better. It was my fault. I forgot who I was. Life has a cruel way of making you remember. It's ironic, really. I can see it now, as clearly as the border of light and darkness that separates us." She slowly raised a hand to his chest, placing it over his heart. "This is the dream that I've been living. When I rose out of bed screaming that night, it was simply a grim reminder of the reality that I'd closed my eyes to. Even now, I still cling to that dream like a lifeline." She lowered her hand. "But I have to wake up eventually."

"Yeah, you do," Luffy said. "You're deluding yourself. You think you're the only one that the world is after? We're all on this ship because we each made a choice to paint targets on our backs and then trust each other to guard them. The only difference between you and the rest of us is that you think there's something separating us. If what you say is true, then I've been living a dream too. For a fleeting moment, I dreamt that you trusted me."

Robin paled. "Luffy, I do trust you...it's just—"

"You don't. Not completely. You're still afraid. And not of the government; you've been dealing with them since you were 8. You're afraid of us, because we were the first ones to break your expectations, the first ones that made you feel something. For so long, you locked away your emotions because they would only get you killed. And now that we've broken through that barrier you put up around yourself, you feel vulnerable. That's it, isn't it?"

Robin swallowed thickly. He had hit the nail on the head. How could he read her so easily?

"Robin," he continued. "We're not going to change just because the waves get rough. We're not going to leave you behind, and we'll never betray you. You can run from us all you want. We'll follow you to Impel Down and back if we have to. Why can't you just accept that you belong with us?"

She bit her lip. "Because everywhere I go, disaster follows. Everyone I've ever associated myself with has fallen to ruin because of me. There was a time where I wouldn't care, but…" She took a deep breath. "But I can't let that happen this time. If my fate is going to bare its fangs at the ones I've finally come to see as family, I'd rather face my destiny here and now." She smiled bitterly. "The Last Oharan. Why do you think they call me Demon Spawn? It's not a title I chose for myself, or even an epithet I can be proud of. It's something I can never rid myself of. It's my legacy, the curse of my existence. Because no matter where I run, or how much I struggle, I can never escape the blood in my veins!"

Luffy was silent. "Neither can I," he said after a moment, causing her to look up at him in question before he continued. "I was born in a small village on Dawn Island, in East Blue." She stared at him curiously, wondering where he was going with this. "Before the start of the Great Pirate Era, there was another born on that same island, under the initial D."

Robin's eyes widened. The Will of D? She found herself eagerly listening. She knew one person who almost fit that description, but Gol D. Roger was born in Loguetown, not the Goa Kingdom.

"That man once came to the same conclusion you have. That his fate was cursed, and that his existence was a sin. But rather than despairing, he embraced it. He decided that if he was already damned, he'd raise Hell to the Heavens."

Robin took a deep breath as she let her curiosity get the better of her. "And what was that man's name?" she asked carefully.

Luffy looked her dead in the eye as he answered. "Monkey D. Dragon."

Robin gasped in shock. "The leader of the revolution...that's his full name…?" As Luffy nodded, she felt her body go numb. "Then you're…"

Luffy smiled empathetically. "You still think you're the only demon spawn in the crew?"

"Zoro," Nami called. There was no response. "Hey, Zoro!" she said louder. The swordsmen kept sleeping. She hit him over the head. "Wake up, dammit!"

Zoro rubbed his head before opening his eyes groggily. "What happened?" he asked, yawning. "Is it raining witches?"

"Which direction are Luffy and Robin in?" Nami asked, ignoring the barely coherent jab.

Zoro blinked before focusing for a moment and pointing in a seemingly random direction.

"That's the east side of the island," Nami said. "So he really went to see that Franky guy."

"Franky?" Zoro asked.

"He's a ship dismantler, among other things. Luffy said he wanted to talk to him for some reason."

Zoro hummed and stood up. "Guess nap time is over." He looked around to see Usopp, Sanji, and Chopper on deck. "How did the ship shopping go?"

"Well, that's the thing," Nami said. "We traded all the gold for money, but Luffy decided to come back before we started negotiating for a ship. He seemed really eager to go see this Franky figure. It was weird."

"I'm sure it's just another one of his whims. Just leave him to it," Zoro said, despite knowing roughly what Luffy was planning at this point.

"I just hope he knows what he's doing."

It was an average day at Franky house. They made some money, they lost some money, they tried to make some money, they failed to make some money. That's how it worked for the most part. You took what you could get, and then spent 90% of it on a party, only to try again tomorrow. Today though, they had missed out on quite the sum, so the boss was throwing an especially lively party to cheer them up. While they were aware that most criminal bosses would punish them for missing out on 200 million Belly when it was in plain sight, they were also aware that Franky was not normal by any means.

"All right, you super bastards! I'm feeling pretty super this week, so drink to your heart's content!" Franky shouted, while striking a pose. The Franky Family roared in approval, but before they could continue their binging, the door to Franky House was blown open. They all turned to the door in equal parts amusement and shock. Who was stupid enough to attack Franky Family at their base of operations?

Standing outside the door was Strawhat Luffy, his leg outstretched, and a jovial grin on his face.

Oh. Right.

"Who the hell are you, fool?" Franky asked in annoyance. "Do you know how long it's gonna take to fix that door?"

"Somewhere between 2 and 3 seconds?" the intruder asked, the grin never leaving his face.

Franky faltered. "Well...yeah, actually. But that's beside the point!"

"So you're Franky, I assume?" the man asked.

"Who wants to know?" Franky asked in response.

"Boss, that's the guy!" Zambai shouted. "He's was the one walking around with over a billion Belly on him!"

"Oh?" Franky asked, interest piqued. "Pirates with style, huh? You've got some nerve coming here of all places. Now, is there any reason why I shouldn't kick your ass and rob you blind?"

Luffy looked amused. "Oh, is this really happening? Because I really hope it is."

"You tell me, bastard! You came here!" Franky challenged. "So either start explaining why, or get ready for an ass whooping!"

"Fine. I came to make a deal," Luffy revealed, as we walked in, Robin following closely behind him. Franky raised an eyebrow as she caught sight of the woman that Iceburg's hair had been greying over all these years. She didn't look very dangerous. In fact, she was staring at the ground, not meeting anyone's eyes. Although...she didn't look intimidated. Just...preoccupied.

It was then that the Franky Family noticed that they were carrying three briefcases, which Zambai recognized immediately.

"No way! You brought it? Does the mean…?"

"That's right. I'm offering it, in exchange for your services," the Strawhat captain replied, still looking at Franky.

"My services? What would a bunch of pirates want with me?" Franky asked curiously.

"I want you to build us a ship," Luffy revealed, causing murmurs to break out among the other occupants of the building.

"Build you a ship? Bro, you know we're dismantlers right?" Franky asked in amusement.

"Yeah. I also know you're one of the best shipwrights in the world," Luffy said.

Franky's eyes narrowed. "And you know that, how?" he asked, not bothering to deny it.

"I have my ways," Luffy said with a smirk. "But that's a story for another time. I'm willing to provide you with 600 million Belly to make us a ship out of Adam Wood.

Franky's eyes widened. That was an absurd amount, even for a ship created from the Treasure Tree. "You're willing to pay that much? How do you even know I'll use all of it? I'm not exactly an established vendor. I could just rip you off."

"Probably," Luffy admitted. "But I don't think you will. After all, how many people can say that they built a ship that made it to the end of the Grand Line?"

Franky actually smirked. "Only one person in history has made that claim, and it was someone I respected deeply. Who are you again, kid?"

"Monkey D. Luffy, future Pirate King."

"Strawhat Luffy, huh? I should have guessed. You're the outrageous rookie that so many people have been talking about lately." He thought for a moment. It was true that he could rip them off, but it wasn't really his style. He had sworn to never build a ship again, and he wasn't going to break that promise just to make a profit. It all came down to whether this kid had what it took or not. If he did, he'd be following in his mentor's footsteps. If not...well, he had more to gain than to lose anyway. The kid was offering him the money on a silver platter, after all.

It wasn't that assurance that had his mind set, however. It was the pure, endless conviction in the man's eyes that did it.

"Strawhat, you've got yourself a deal," he said.

As Luffy and Robin exited the Franky House, having left the 600 million Belly behind, Robin spoke up. "You handled that rather well," she commented. "But is there a reason why you want this man in particular to build our new ship?"

Luffy smiled inwardly at her use of the word 'our.' Robin had been very quiet after their discussion, but he could tell he had gotten through to her. She was still slightly unsure, but it was nevertheless a great step toward her realizing that she was and would always be one of them.

"He's good at what he does," Luffy said. "Just as good as Iceburg, if I had to guess. But Iceburg is too busy to build us a ship personally, so he's the best choice."

"I hope Navigator-san feels the same way," Robin pointed out, and Luffy laughed.

"She'll come around," he said. It was then that he sensed someone approaching them. It was a familiar aura, but at the same time, he had never felt it radiate so much...panic. He held a hand out to Robin, who stopped alongside him.

Mavric approached them through the air using Geppou, at an impressive speed. When he touched down in front of them, Luffy's demeanor changed immediately. The man was pale, and his face was covered in sweat. Whatever was going on, if it had him this shaken…

"What is it?" Luffy asked. "What did you find?"

"Strawhat, you need to get that First Mate of yours over here right now. We're in deep shit!" Mavric said urgently.

"Calm down. What happened?" Luffy asked. "I assume it's more than CP9 making a move if you're losing your cool like this."

"CP9 is the least of our troubles," Mavric said. "Signal Roronoa. Now."

Luffy wasted no more time and flared his aura as high as he could, and soon felt the familiar aura on the Going Merry flicker in response. "Alright, he's coming. Now will you tell me what the hell is going on?"

"That's a question I've been wanting to ask you for some time now, Strawhat Luffy."

Luffy froze. His fists clenched, and without even thinking, he positioned himself in front of Robin, who had gasped at the sound of the voice. Finally noticing the perfectly suppressed aura in close proximity, he slowly turned around to meet the narrowed eyes of Marine Admiral Aokiji.