Chapter XXXIII: Hope in Disguise

When Luffy arrived back at the royal palace carrying an unconscious Crocodile and a resigned Robin over his shoulders, the Strawhats that had gathered there already, namely Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, and Seal, all had varying reactions.

Once Luffy landed, Usopp immediately started cheering. "Alright! You beat him Luffy! I never doubted you for a second!"

Chopper chose to stare at Luffy in awe. "Luffy's so strong…" he said quietly. Seal was especially enthusiastic, waving his arms in the air and somehow jumping up and down despite lack of the necessary appendages with which to do so. Although he didn't really know who Crocodile was, he'd been able to piece together that he was the leader of the ones who the crew was at conflict with, and therefore recognized this as a victory.

Nami, on the other hand, decided to focus on the fact that the one she knew as Miss All Sunday was still conscious, and was now moving of her own free will. "Luffy!" she yelled in panic. "What is Miss All Sunday doing here!?" Meanwhile, Sanji was staring at Robin with glazed over eyes as if mesmerized.

Luffy scratched his head. "Huh? What do you mean? She's here because she wants to be."

"That's not what I meant!" Nami yelled, waving her fist. "I meant why did you bring her here unrestrained!"

Luffy's face lit up in comprehension. "Oooohh ok, I get it." He then turned to King Cobra, who, having caught on to who she was, was watching Robin nervously, along with Pell and Chaka. "So anyway, king ossan, can you-"

"Don't ignore my question!" Nami shouted indignantly. If she hadn't been terrified of the warlord at his feet, she probably would have gone to bonk him over the head by now. As it was, she was hiding behind Sanji while shouting.

"If I may interrupt," Robin began, "I've already surrendered to your captain, and even if I wanted to, it's not likely that I could do much of anything with him here. So you really have nothing to fear from me," she pointed out. Nami was still staring at her suspiciously though.

"Don't worry about it Nami," Luffy said dismissively. "I trust her. She won't try anything."

"Monkey-san," Robin spoke up, addressing Luffy. All eyes turned to her, and she closed her eyes. What she was about to tell them could change everything. "Since you're helping me, I thought you should know...the princess' friends from the rebel army were being held in Rainbase." She looked down at the ground. "Though to be honest...I don't think they're still-"

"Taken care of," Luffy said. Robin looked surprised, and Luffy grinned. "I sent Zoro to help Vivi retrieve them. They'll be back soon."

Robin looked at him somewhat guiltily. "I'm not certain they'll be able to help…" she stated.

"I am," Luffy said with a tone of finality. His sheer confidence surprised her, but she supposed she shouldn't be shocked. He had been this way from the beginning.

"Luffy," Nami began uncertainly, "What does she mean when she says you're helping her?"

"Right, I was getting to that. But you guys kept interrupting me," Luffy said with a pout. He turned back to the king. "Hey king ossan, can you let Robin see the poneglyph you guys are protecting?" As soon of the words left his mouth, Cobra's eyes widened considerably, while Pell and Chaka looked at him in confusion. When the king got passed his shock, a bead of sweat rolled down his brow.

"Not to come off as rude, but how do you know about that exactly?" he asked carefully. Luffy sighed melodramatically.

"Why does everyone keep asking that?" he said, looking around at everyone present. "For the last time, I know a lot of things. So? Can we see it?"

Cobra looked uncertain as he snuck a glance at Robin, which neither she nor Luffy missed. "I cannot express how grateful I am that you've saved this country, but I'm not sure that would be a good idea. That stone is kept secret for a reason. It is guarded by the Alabastian royal family so as not to fall into the wrong hands." As he spoke, Robin tensed up.

Luffy hummed in thought. Then he did something no one expected. He took his hat off and placed it over his heart while still facing the king. "King Cobra, I swear on this hat as well as my life that neither I nor Nico Robin will do anything to risk the safety of your country or the world using anything we find under your guidance." He bowed his head. "I ask you, not as the savior of this country, but as the captain of the Strawhat pirates and Vivi's comrade, to grant our request." Everyone present now stared at him with wide eyes, but none were as shocked as Robin.

The king's eyes had widened imperceptibly at the name 'Nico Robin,' but now he simply stared at Luffy with an unreadable expression as Robin waited with bated breath. After a few moments, it was his turn to surprise everyone. He bowed low to the ground, much to the slight exasperation of Pell and Chaka, and spoke.

"I acknowledge your good will, young one, and I will grant your request," he said, causing Luffy to grin widely. Meanwhile, Usopp turned to Nami.

"Do you have any idea what's going on here?" he asked quietly. Nami, being just as lost as he was, shrugged. Sanji watched the exchange with open interest. His gaze was now on Robin again, but there was no trace of lust in his eyes now. He looked as if he was trying to piece together a puzzle. Eventually, he just shrugged, figuring it was none of his business anyway.

As Cobra led them to the underground tomb, Robin turned to Luffy. "Thank you," she whispered. Luffy just grinned again and flashed her a thumbs up.

As they were about to leave, however, they were interrupted by the arrival of Smoker and Tashigi. While the latter was rather shocked once she laid eyes on Crocodile's fallen form, the former just glanced at him disinterestedly before turning back to Luffy.

"So you really did beat Crocodile," he commented.

Luffy nodded. "And you guys stopped the bomb," he acknowledged. "Do you have any seastone handcuffs by any chance?

Smoker motioned to Tashigi, who had a pair ready. As she walked towards the fallen warlord, Smoker turned back to Luffy. "I still have some questions for you, Strawhat."

Luffy shrugged. "Fine with me," he said, before turning to Robin. "Give me a minute?" She nodded in consent, and Luffy walked off, following behind Smoker. As they left, the king turned towards her.

"Your name was Nico Robin wasn't it?" he asked. Without facing him, Robin closed her eyes and nodded. The king was silent for a moment. "And am I correct in assuming that you can read the ancient language of the poneglyphs?" Robin sighed tiredly and nodded again.

"Then what I am about to do will not only disgrace the efforts of my predecessors, but put the very balance of our world at great risk. Still, I owe that man a great debt, not just as the king of the country he brought salvation to, but also as the father of the girl he aided. So seeing as I trust his judgement, I will fulfill my promise."

Robin said nothing in response.

"So? What did you want to ask me?" Luffy asked casually once the two were alone.

"Don't pretend you don't know," Smoker said impatiently.

"Why not? It's more fun for me that way," Luffy said with a straight face. This caused Smoker to growl, and Luffy smiled widely. "Lighten up, Smokey."

"First of all, how long are you going to keep calling me that?" the smoke man asked in annoyance.

"Until I'm dead," Luffy replied. "Ok, next question."

Controlling his temper, Smoker sighed and looked Luffy dead in the eye. "Why didn't you kill me, Strawhat?"

"What do you mean by that?" Luffy asked.

"Don't play dumb with me. Not once, but twice, you defeated me, and both times you let me live. I want to know why."

Luffy didn't answer for a moment as he stared at Smoker with an unreadable expression. Finally, he spoke. "How many people have you killed, Smokey?"

Smoker's eyes narrowed. "What does that have to do with it?" he asked.

"Humor me."

Smoker hesitated for a moment. "Twenty one," he answered finally. "Sometimes they had hostages and had to be dealt with quickly. Other times I had orders to kill. The rest…" he trailed off. "The rest did things that I couldn't find it in myself to forgive. They don't always sit there and wait to be arrested, Strawhat. But you should know that."

"But you haven't lost count," Luffy pointed out. "You haven't forgotten about them...even the ones that you thought deserved it."

"No, and I'll cut my stomach open the day I do," Smoker growled impatiently. "Now what's the point of this?"

"The point is that you need a legitimate reason to kill someone," Luffy said. "So what makes you think I'm any different?" There was an underlying tone of anger in his voice now. "What have I ever done that makes you think I need a reason to not kill someone?"

Smoker found he had no answer to that, and Luffy continued.

"You ask me why I let you live. My question is, why do you need my permission to live? A life isn't something I have rights to unless it's my own, and it's not something I'll take away just for the hell of it."

There was a long pause. "That's all well and good," Smoker said, his voice slightly more subdued now. "But I hope you know that the rest of the world doesn't share your sentiments. With a bounty like yours, if I had captured you before, you'd be dead by now, or worse."

Luffy shrugged. "That's your choice," he said as if it was inconsequential. "And I know what the world is like. Believe me, I know."

Robin tried to stifle her anxiety as Luffy and Smoker made their way back. It wasn't in her nature to be impatient, but this was a rare moment when she couldn't help it. Her twenty years of searching had come down to this. But despite how she felt, she knew she had no right to rush her strange benefactor. Even disregarding the fact that she was in no position to do so…

"Ready, Robin?" said man asked with a grin as he walked up to her. She suppressed her initial reaction upon once again being addressed by her first name as she nodded. She was slowly getting used to it, due to Strawhat Luffy's general aura of ambiguity, if nothing else, but it still surprised her enough that she had to keep herself from showing it.

Once Cobra led them to the courtyard, Robin wasn't surprised to see him activate an underground stairwell that no doubt led to what she was seeking. She had suspected that it would be near the palace. Anyone could find it if it was inside the building itself, so that was out. That left underground. As they descended the steps, Robin felt her heart beat faster and faster. She was finding it more difficult to steel her emotions by the second as her mantra of hope repeated itself within her head over and over. This could be it. This could be it. This could be it.

When she caught sight of the stone and her mind started processing the inscriptions, the first thing she felt was denial. It made sense for the poneglyph to at least mention the ancient weapon. She had long concluded that it was a topic relevant to the void century. But as she kept reading, her denial, short-lived as it was also not in her nature, melted and gave way to nervousness, then desperation, and as she read the last words, grief.

It revealed the location of the ancient weapon, Pluton. Nothing else was inscribed. She had failed. She had failed Professor Clover, and her mother, and all of Ohara. She was a disgrace the name of The Last Oharan. Tears flowed down her cheeks as her long lived shell of protective indifference came crashing down. She payed no heed to the bewilderment on King Cobra's face as he watched her shameful display. It didn't matter anymore.

She suddenly felt a hand grasp her shoulder, and she turned to face the sad eyes of Monkey D. Luffy.

"Why are you crying, Robin?" he asked gently.

It was strange, she reflected. A barrier twenty years in development, and it been shattered so easily. For so long she had hidden her anger, frustration, grief, and every other genuine emotion she felt, in order to survive. Now, here she was, crying in defeat in front of the embodiment of her unreachable dream, as her former enemy attempted to console her. Whatever other twists life had to throw at her, she didn't want to see them. She was tired. She was so sick and tired of it all. Enough. No more. This was the end of the line.

"Robin," Luffy said, a little more forcefully. She looked back at him.

"I don't think you understand. This was my last lead. I have nothing else to keep me going." She was silent for a moment. "Twenty years," she reflected bitterly. "I lied. I killed. I betrayed. And for what? A beacon of false hope."

"Is that what you think it is?" Luffy asked. "What you're seeing as false hope, you should really be seeing as hope in disguise. You let doubt sway you, convincing yourself that this was your last chance, when you really should be asking yourself where you need to go from here. Tell yourself that you have to work harder than you ever have before, but don't ever tell yourself that it's over. Accept that it's not going to be easy, but don't ever give up. If you keep going like that, one day, you'll find what you're seeking. That, and more than you could ever hope for."

Robin covered her eyes with her hand. "You don't get it. I can't keep going like this."

"Maybe not," Luffy agreed. "Not alone."

Robin looked up at him, and was once again taken aback by the endless conviction in his eyes. Why was he so committed to her cause?

"Excuse me," Cobra interrupted. "But is this not what you were looking for?" he asked.

"No," Luffy answered. "This one tells the location of an ancient weapon."

Cobra nodded. "That knowledge has been passed down through the Alabastian royal family, but even we don't know the location. No one in the world did, until now."

Luffy didn't really see the point in correcting him, so he said nothing.

"But then, what is she searching for?" Cobra asked, motioning to Robin.

"The Rio Poneglyph," she answered. "The one that tells the True History of the Void Century 800 years ago."

Cobra's eyes widened. "Are you saying that the threads of that ancient history can be woven together? But then…a bounty of 79 million...why was such a large price placed on your head? It was my understanding that you intended to reawaken those weapons, yet your goal is the pursuit of knowledge?"

"The World Government doesn't care what her intentions are," Luffy responded. "As long as she can read the ancient language, they view her as a threat. In fact, I'd appreciate it if you kept this meeting a secret. It would be bad if they found out she knows the location of Pluton." Cobra nodded without hesitation as he looked at Robin in a new light. Said woman was still staring at Luffy. She seemed like she was struggling to come to a decision about something. She opened her mouth momentarily, and then closed it.

"It still stands," he said knowingly. "My offer for you to join us."

She was silent for a long while. "I don't have anywhere else to go," she finally admitted. "I have no home."

He stared at her intently. "Let's change that."

The rebel army had been pacified. Upon waking up, they had all assumed that they had fallen under attack and resumed the invasion of Alubarna. But before they had arrived at the palace, they had been confronted by Kohza, who had briefly gone missing again. But that wasn't the surprising part. He was being accompanied by three people. One was a mysterious stranger with green hair and three swords. One was Princess Vivi, who had been missing for two years. The last one was Kebi, who Kohza previously claimed he had seen die. This had demanded an explanation. And did they ever get one. Kohza and Vivi had explained everything right then and there. From what had really happened with the dance powder two years ago, to how Kohza had been impersonated by a devil fruit user, and finally who was behind it all. After that, Kohza had personally ordered them to drop their weapons and surrender to the royal army. While the vast majority had done exactly that, a select few within the crowd had drawn their guns and fired at Kohza, much to the shock of everyone there. But even more shocking was the unknown swordsman that had intercepted the gunfire and incapacitated the shooters within seconds. Upon further inspection they were all seen to be adorning the same mark, which Kohza and Kebi testified was the mark of the underground criminal organization run by Crocodile. The unconscious perpetrators had been apprehended on the spot.

Now, the rebel and royal soldiers alike stared in wonder as Kohza bowed low in front of the king as a sign of renewed loyalty. What happened next came as a shock to everyone. King Cobra didn't even hesitate before offering him a place in his personal guard, claiming that it was a chance for him to redeem himself. But most saw it for what it was, a gesture of forgiveness and even trust.

But the really shocking part came next. Cobra had announced that the group that had taken down Crocodile and the rest of Baroque Works, in other words, Alabasta saviors, was a group of pirates led by Strawhat Luffy. Upon becoming the center of attention, said pirate had looked slightly uncomfortable and very annoyed, and eventually the king and princess had ushered their crew into the palace. But not before the press got wind of the situation and obtained a story that would make the headlines of Alabasta's newspaper. Needless to say, Alubarna was in a state of chaos.

And that was before the rain started falling.