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We decided to go to the pool with Nami. While we were there, Sanji set up a barbecue, and eventually, everyone who had helped us at Enies Lobby showed up for our party, even Usopp's giant friends.
"Hey, Nami!" I yelled over the music. "Have you seen Robin?"
"She's over there," Nami said, pointing to Robin, who was leaning against a wall.
Robin was never one to talk to herself. I wondered who she was talking to. I slowly got out of my seat and started walking toward her.
"Is everything alright?" I asked when I got close.
"Huh... yes, it's fine," she said with a smile. "Would you like to take a walk?"
"Yeah, sure," I replied, following her out of the archway and away from the pool.
We walked around the streets for a while, just chatting casually.
"This is nice," I said.
"It's really something I never thought I'd be able to do," she replied.
"The whole town must be at the party; the streets are empty," I noticed.
"Yes, Luffy's charisma really draws people in," she laughed. Then, she took my hand, intertwining her fingers with mine. "You're pretty charismatic, too."
"Thanks," I smiled, holding her hand. "Anywhere you'd like to go?"
"Right here is fine," she said, looking me in the eye. "As long as you're there, I don't care where I am. This 'date' has been the happiest I've ever been."
"Robin, this isn't a date; it's just the two of us walking around town."
"No, this is what I wanted," she said. "I just want you. I don't need all that other stuff. Besides, if we actually went on a date in public, people would look at us kind of strangely, don't you think?"
"What, because we're wanted pirates?" I asked.
"No, because I'm twenty-eight and you're eighteen."
"So what?" I said, gently pushing her against the wall of a nearby building. "Who gives a crap about them? Didn't you just say all you needed was me? Then why do you care what other people think?"
She just smiled. "You're right. It's just odd. The way we met and all, first as enemies, then you saved my life, twice. The two of us certainly have a special relationship."
"All that stuff just makes for a better story," I told her, leaning in close.
"I suppose it does," she said, placing her lips over mine.
We stood against that building for a few minutes, just holding each other and kissing.
"Why didn't you tell me who your parents were?" Robin asked after a while.
"It never came up. Why? Does it matter?"
"No reason," she answered. "I doubt the world would be too happy if they discovered the son of Red-Haired Shanks and the Devil Child are in a relationship."
"You're caring what other people think again," I said, "but you're right; they won't be pleased. Now that I think about it, I wonder how my parents will take that news."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Well, Dad will probably throw a party and congratulate me, and then he might try to hit on you," I laughed. "Mom will probably cry about how her little boy is growing up too fast. Then she'd drag you off to make sure you're good enough for her son."
"You have an interesting family."
"Yeah, that's just what they'd probably do. I'm not positive; I haven't seen my parents in years, so who knows what they're like now. I'm also curious how they'll react if they hear about Rose's arm."
"She certainly will have some challenges ahead of her; trying to adapt to just one arm will be hard."
"She can handle it," I told her.
"I guess she can," Robin chuckled. "I heard she 'handled' Zoro this afternoon."
"So you heard that, too?" I smirked. "I'm not happy about it, but I'm not going to argue about it with her again."
"We should head back to the pool," Robin said. "Before the others wonder where we wandered off to."
"Alright," I said, holding her hand. "But can we take the long way? I'd like a little more time with just the two of us."
She leaned her head on my shoulder. "I'd like that, too."
A few days later, the newspaper came, and we finally had a report on what happened at Enies Lobby. The paper only talked about us and thankfully ignored the Franky Family and the shipwrights. It said we had declared war on the World Government.
"You know what this means, right?" Zoro said. "Our bounties will go up again."
"I wonder if I'll get one!" Chopper said, all excited.
"Mine will probably say that a superstar has arrived," Sanji gloated.
"Yeah, I doubt it," Wyper spat from across the room.
"What was that?!" Sanji yelled.
We goofed off for a while until Luffy found out that Franky was going to build our new ship.
"Oh, that's right, you were asleep," I laughed.
"In the meantime, we can go shopping," Nami suggested. "Where's the money?"
"We spent it on the party yesterday," Luffy told her.
"You idiot! I was gonna use that money to furnish the ship!"
Nami beat Luffy up for his mismanagement of the money and then split the remaining amount between the rest of us to buy what we needed.
A few more days passed, and Nami told us the Log Pose was set and ready to go.
"You know where that Log is pointing, don't you?" Kokoro asked.
"That's odd; it's pointing down a little," Nami said.
"That's because it's pointing to Fish-Man Island."
"Fish-Man Island is one of the most famous spots on the Grand Line!" Sanji cheered. "It's where the mermaids live!"
"How do you even get down there?" Wyper asked. "Do you just fall down like we did to get off my island?"
"You can get to that when you get there," Kokoro explained. "It's the obstacles on the way there that will cause a problem."
"Like what?" I asked.
She threw two newspapers down on the table.
"This one says fourteen ships have disappeared this month," Rose explained. "And this other one talks about how a large number of pirates have been caught in a place called 'The Frozen Highway'?"
"That first article refers to a place called the Florian Triangle," Kokoro explained. "More than a hundred ships go missing there each year. They say you can find ghost ships in that sea."
"What about the other one?" Zoro asked.
"That's not too far from here," Kokoro explained. "You'll hit the Frozen Highway first; it's a den for bounty hunters, specifically the Accino Family. They are a literal family of bounty hunters. The father, Don, and his wife, Sena, run the show. I've heard rumors that their youngest daughter has some kind of special power, so they keep her locked away in a tower."
"What could be so special that they had to lock the girl away?" I asked. "Is she dangerous? Does she have a Devil Fruit?"
"No, I hear it's almost the complete opposite," Kokoro explained. "She's just a ten-year-old girl, but they say she can make animals appear out of thin air. The parents use her abilities to create these animals to catch pirates that wander onto their turf.
They can't afford to lose the girl; if they lose her, they lose their business. So they keep her locked away as a precaution to make sure she doesn't run off."
"That's terrible," Nami said. "To treat your own child like a prisoner."
"To use your kid as a staple of your business," I grumbled. "It's disgusting."
"Yeah, it's sad," Kokoro said. "But those are just the rumors; hopefully, they're not true."
The door burst open, and the square sisters and Chimney came in.
"We have a message from Big Bro!" they yelled.
"The Dream Ship is finished!"
"He finished it in under a week!" we all said in surprise.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Sanji yelled.
"STRAW HAT!"
We went to the back window and saw Zambai and the rest of the Franky Family on the lawn.
"What's up?" Luffy asked.
"I have a favor to ask... but first, the new bounty posters are in," Zambai explained. "Do you want to see them?"
"Hell yes!" Luffy and I shouted at the same time.
"You all have outrageous bounties on your heads," he explained, laying the posters out.
"Straw Hat" Monkey D. Luffy - 300,000,000 Berries
"Torturer" Steve - 200,000,000 Berries
"Pirate Hunter" Roronoa Zoro - 120,000,000 Berries
"Death Flower" Rose - 90,000,000 Berries
"Devil's Child" Nico Robin - 80,000,000 Berries
"Black Leg" Sanji (picture unavailable) - 77,000,000 Berries
"War Demon" Wyper - 55,000,000 Berries
"King of the Snipers" Usopp - 30,000,000 Berries
"Cat Burglar" Nami - 16,000,000 Berries
"Cotton Candy Lover" Chopper (pet) - 50 Berries
"Ours went up!" Luffy and I cheered.
"Only fifty!" Chopper nearly passed out in shock.
"Who the hell is that?!" Sanji yelled, saddened by his poor poster.
"You're looking good, blondie!" Wyper laughed.
"I know you guys must be real happy, but please look at this," Zambai said, pulling out one last poster.
"Cyborg" Franky - 44,000,000 Berries
"Even Franky…" I said.
"I know it's terrible," Zambai explained. "Bro will surely leave the island to try and protect us. So we all agreed, please take Bro out to sea with you! He's the son of pirates; it's in his blood!"
"Yeah, sure," Luffy and I told him. "We were gonna ask him anyway."
We headed inside to pack our things and get ready to set sail.
"We all understand what the deal is with Usopp, right?" Zoro asked.
"Yes," we all answered.
A few nights ago…
"Usopp's coming back?!" Luffy asked excitedly.
"Yeah, I heard him rehearsing his speech the other night," Sanji said.
"Alright, let's go get him now!" Luffy cheered.
"WAIT!" Zoro yelled. "I won't let you just go and get him."
"Huh?" Luffy said, confused.
"You can't take such a soft approach," Zoro told him. "I won't accept him back here until he apologizes."
"Zoro!" Chopper and Nami yelled. "Don't be so mean!"
"Quiet!" I told them. "Zoro is right. We fought, and the outcome was decided. He lost and left. Listen, Luffy, you may be the captain of this crew, but so am I. Normally, I let you have your way and goof around, but this is one time I can't. If you don't start to take some things seriously, bad things are going to happen. I'll have to take charge, and this place won't be as fun. Sure, I want Usopp to come back, but not until he apologizes."
"If he tries to make an excuse, we leave him behind," Zoro added.
"We can talk about it after he comes back," Nami told him.
"Is leaving a crew such a simple thing?" Zoro asked. "Do you want to put your trust in someone who acts like that?"
"I'm sorry, Nami, but Zoro's right," Sanji told her.
"It's simple," I said. "If the first thing out of Usopp's mouth is a heartfelt apology, then we're square. If he tries to make up some lame excuse, then he's no longer welcome here." I looked Luffy in the eye. "This isn't a game, Luffy. Am I being clear?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "I got it."
We arrived at the place where Franky was building our boat. Something was covered by a huge curtain.
"We're here!" Luffy yelled. "Give us the ship!"
"Franky's not around right now, but the ship is ready," Iceberg said.
"This ship is amazing," Iceberg explained. "It can cross any sea."
"Show us!"
"Franky left a message," Iceberg said. "He says, 'If you're going to be the King of the Pirates, you need to sail with the king of beasts!'"
Iceberg pulled back the curtain and revealed our new ship.
"It's huge!" we all shouted in awe.
This new ship was easily twice the size of the Merry. It had a ton of sails and an awesome figurehead. We hopped on without wasting a moment.
"There's a lawn!"
"The fridge has a lock!"
"Where's Franky? We have to thank him," Luffy said.
"It seems he doesn't want to see you anymore," Iceberg explained. "You came to this island to recruit a shipwright, did you not?"
"Yeah, we had planned to ask Franky," I told him.
"I thought so; he probably noticed that," Iceberg said.
"Why would he not want to?" Nami asked.
"No, it's the opposite; he wants to go with you very much," Iceberg explained. "So much so that he wouldn't be able to reject the offer if you asked him to his face. That's why he's hiding. Franky really likes being with all of you, but he thinks his duty is to this island. If you really want to take him with you, you'll need to use force."
"Well, then we'll just have to go get him," I told Luffy.
It didn't take long for Luffy and Chopper to get back with Franky... and his pants. Zoro and Sanji were still out there, but they'd be back soon.
"Hey, Franky!" we yelled. "Thanks for the ship!"
"Yeah, have a great trip!" Franky replied.
"If you want these back," Luffy said, holding up his underwear. "You'll have to join our crew."
"Don't assume you can make me your friend by taking my pants!" Franky yelled.
Franky jumped up on a nearby pile of wood and did his signature pose. "Standing like a lion, naked and proud! You wouldn't make an animal wear clothes, so why a man?!"
"We were such fools!" I yelled. "He's too strong! He's a real man!"
"He's just a pervert!" Nami shrieked.
"If you'd allow it, I'll help out," Robin said.
"Yeah, go ahead!"
"Dos Fleur: Grab!"
"GAHH!" Franky screamed in pain.
"She grabbed them!"
"They're gonna get crushed!"
"Don't go touching other men like that!" I told her.
"Robin, I want him to join us as a man!" Luffy yelled. "Don't rip them off!"
"I want to go with you, but I have stuff to take care of here!" Franky yelled through his severe pain. "I quit being a shipwright! That ship will be the last one I make! That was my wish—to make my dream ship!"
"That's a lie, Franky," Iceberg told him. "This hasn't become the dream ship yet."
"I changed my mind!" Franky insisted.
"No, that's not true," Iceberg said. "What you're doing on this island is just atonement. You haven't forgiven yourself for what happened to Tom, but Tom already forgave you. You became a bounty hunter to protect the island; you united the punks on the backstreets and did all this to protect the city Tom loved. Even if Tom and I forgave you, why won't you just forgive yourself, Franky?"
The Franky Family came by and threw Franky a bag, telling him it was the things he would need for his journey. Franky started rolling on the ground in pain.
"I think he's had enough," Chopper cried.
"You're gonna turn him into a girl!" Wyper yelled.
"You stopped a long time ago, didn't you?" I said, raising an eyebrow.
"He's just using it as an excuse to cry," Robin smiled.
"Luffy! Steve!" Sanji and Zoro yelled, running back. "It's real bad! Your grandfather's coming back, and he's already taken up an offensive position on the coast!"
"Why do you still not have any pants?!" Sanji yelled at Franky.
"Here, Franky!" Luffy threw him his clothes. "Get on my ship!"
"Already calling it your ship? You're all hopeless," Franky said, pulling on his pants. "Alright. I, Franky, will be the shipwright for your crew."
"YEAH!" we all cheered.
Franky hopped aboard, and we got ready to leave, lifting the anchor and starting to sail away.
"Aren't you short a guy?" Franky asked.
"I waited in that room at Galley-La all week," Luffy said. "This is his answer. I'm sure he won't quit being a pirate... he'll have fun."
The ship shook as a cannonball almost hit us.
"They found us!"
"Hey, Luffy! It's your grandpa!"
"What the hell?! You said you'd leave us alone!" Luffy yelled.
"Yeah," Garp said. "Something came up, so I'm gonna have to sink you now."
"Everybody get ready," I told them.
"Meteor Fist!" Garp threw a cannonball with his bare hands.
"He's coming closer!" Wyper yelled. "What are we gonna do?"
"Protect the ship! Keep them from hitting us!"
We moved to the back of the ship and started knocking the cannonballs away.
"Usopp's here!"
About time... what's his answer?
Usopp just yelled out a bunch of weak excuses, like he always does.
Just say it!
"He's calling you!" Chopper said.
"I don't hear anything." I replied, knowing what he was doing.
"I'M SORRY! I take back everything I said! Please let me stay!"
Finally.
Luffy threw his arm out to Usopp. "Idiot! Hurry up!"
Luffy pulled Usopp back over to us, and now we were all back together.
"Roll up the sails," Franky told us. "Trust the ship."
"Alright, do it!"
"Before we can leave, we need to name the ship," Franky told us.
Luffy listed off a number of random animal names. Franky told us Iceberg suggested the name Thousand Sunny.
"I like it," I said.
"It's better than the other names," Nami added.
"Let's do it! This ship is the Thousand Sunny!"
"Fine then," Franky said, grumbling. "Take a good look at Water Seven, 'cause it'll be gone in a flash."
"Okay then," Luffy said. "Grandpa, and Coby, and... other guy. It was nice to see you again! We'll be escaping now!"
Garp pulled out his gigantic iron ball and chain and threw it at us.
"Franky!"
"Here we go! Coup De Burst!"
The back of the ship let out a gust, and we flew into the sky.
"It takes three barrels of Cola," Franky explained. "But with it, we can fly! This ship can do anything the Merry could and more. If it breaks, I'll fix it; you can count on me."
When we landed, Luffy wasted no time getting stuff ready to have a party.
"To our old friends Robin and Usopp, our new friend Franky, and our new ship, the Thousand Sunny! Next stop: Fish-Man Island!"
"Cheers!"
? POV
"Just a few more days, and I can leave... I can finally go outside."
"What are you doing, girl?!"
"Mama!"
Slap
"What are you even staring outside for? You're not leaving, Lil. You will stay in this tower and command the penguins to help us catch the pirates, understand?!"
"Yes... Mama."