Chapter 39

Grandline, Paradise, Alabasta

The next morning Azul had set sail to the next island called Jaya, which was said to be a haven for the sc.u.m of the seas. Pirates. There were no marine outposts on said island so it stood to reason to assume that the island didn't have any laws enforced, hence the right of the strongest dominated said island. After hearing this Azul had been beyond excited about the island. He had been near catatonic in happiness. Maybe he could find some strong opponent there and really let loose?

And so he set sail once again, all the while sporting a gigawat grin spotable for miles.

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After meeting Azul, Nico Robin had been a little out of it, not really in a state of mind to think about the future and how to continue to still achieve her goals. Though after trying to calm down for a while she finally succeeded. Going through all the possibilities that remained as options for her to choose from she, for the first in a long time, decided to pick the direct approach to a problem. And thus she rushed towards the royal palace.

After entering it she spotted the king talking with his advisors and the royal guards which she promptly restrained with her devilfruit powers, sprouting arms which in turn grabbed the unsuspecting guards and turned their arms on their backs and bound their legs, making most fall over. The king, with a surprised expression took in her appearance but didn't find any threatening intentions written in her face and thus remained relatively calm. On the inside though he was formulating plans on how to proceed in the best way, to not hurt his subordinates in the process.

"Greetings king Cobra. I have come with information that could be crutial to your countrys future but demand a certain price for giving said information to you." Nico Robin said with a small smile on her lips, her posture relaxed.

"I see. And what would be that 'price' as you call it?" The king answered, using his many years of diplomatic experience to hopefully keep his subordinates from getting hurt any further.

"Nothing you cannot give me, I assure you. I simply wish to see the poneglyph that is in the posession of the royal family."

"The poneglyph? Why could you possibly-? No matter. That is an acceptable price. Now the information if you would, please."

"Fufufu, not so fast dear king. I will give you the information as soon as we have reached the poneglyph. No second earlier. You may take an assistant with you to send the information to your subordinates on the fastest route after receiving them but nothing else. Now, let us move. My patience is running out..." Nico Robin said, her face turning blank to which the king hurried his steps, leading the woman into the crypt under the royal palace.

"Finally...after all these years I'll get my answers..." Nico Robin murmured with an ecstatic look on her face, completely forgetting about the king who only watched her, wondering what she was talking about.

"Nonono, that can't be... there is nothing written about the void century here. This stone cannot be the only one in Alabasta! There must be! King, is there another one of these here?" Nico Robin asked in a frantic voice.

The kings reply though smashed all her hopes. Years upon years of preparations, pointless. With a selfmocking hollow laugh, Nico Robins back crashed against a nearby wall, sinking down on it, not finding any strength in her legs to keep her up any longer. What was the point anyways?

The king watched her sink down against the wall and had an unreadable expression on his face. Could this woman really read those writings? And if so, why did it crush her so to not find what she was looking for? No matter, his kingdoms security came first. Always.

"You promised me information. I would kindly ask you to now reveal them to me." The king said in a monoton voice, just like it was common for those experienced in diplomacy.

"Sir Crocodile has been defeated and should by now be on his way to the marines, if not even Impel Down. Baroque Works is thus without a leader and sooner or later the whole organisation will be crumbling down. Though until that happens you should start cleasing your army from Baroque Works agents and make peace with the rebel army. Crocodile was the one that siphoned the lands rain away with the help of his devilfruit. Oh and there is a giant bomb in the clocktower in the middled of the city, strong enough to wipe out every soldier within miles....Now do me the favor and leave me alone..." Nico Robin told the king in a monotonous voice, devoid of any emotions while staring up at the ceiling with blank eyes.

After hearing the womans words the kings eyes widened and as he turned around to tell the assistant what he should tell his subordinates on how to proceed a familiar voice echoed through the mausoleum. "FATHER!"

"Vivi? What are you doing here?" the king said with widening eyes. He hadn't seen his daughter in years and gods had she grown up. He could still remember the times she would cause havoc inside the palace by riding around on Carue, her running duck and trusty companion.

His melancholic thoughts were interrupted though by her crashing into him with a crushing hug, tears of worry and happiness flowing down her cheeks, wettening his torso, but he didn't care as he reciprocated his daugthers embrace.

After a minute of sobbing and enjoying each others prescences Vivi finally let go of her father and spotted Nico Robin, still leaning against the wall, not even registering the whole scene. Not even after Vivi started asking her father what such a woman was doing here instead of being brought into custody which made Sanji yell in defense of the beauty it not being right to imprison the fairy maiden, hearts in his eyes, which in turn ticked off the Zoro who called him a lovecook which lead to another one of their little quarrels. Luffy meanwhile had walked over to Nico Robin, poking her on the forhead, and after receiving no response after a couple tries, had a giant questionmark grow on his face. Turning towards the king he asked him: "What's wrong with her?"

The king replied: "I don't know. She read the poneglyph and after not finding what she seemed to be looking for collapsed against the wall and has been sitting there since then." He said with a slight shrug.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a war to prevent and an army to cleanse." The king said while starting to walk away.

"Wait, father! What about Crocodile? He needs to be stopped!" Vivi yelled after him, which caused him to turn around with a smile, saying: "Crocodile won't be a problem any longer. He has been beaten and taken into marine custody."

"W-what? But how? Who? When?" Vivi asked not believing her ears.

"Yesterday by a man named Azul at the shores of the river Sandora. I spoke with him, briefly I might add." The voice of Nico Robin answered instead of the king, bringing life back into her former dull eyes. It seemed she had come to an agreement with herself. Though only she knew what it contained.

"You! How dare you take my father prisoner! You will pay for that plus your colaboration with Crocodile!" Vivi yelled in an angry voice to which Nico Robin only shrugged nonchalently.

"Crocodile and I were never real partners. He used me for his ends and I used him for mine. Taking your father prisoner was the only fast way to finally achieve my goal, though that seems to have been a failure in itself... I never really was an enemy of yours. If you remember correctly, I even offered you an eternal-pose to return to Alabasta the fastest way possible but your captain turned my offer down."

"It still does not excuse your crimes against this country!" Vivi responded, a little of her heat gone.

"And yet, without her giving me crutial information the war may have ended up even more fatal than anticipated. In my eyes her slate has been cleaned of any crimes commited. It doesn't mean we are allies though either." The king said on his way out.

"But father! You can't just-" Vivi yelled but was stopped by her fathers firm voice, quenching any further protests. "No Vivi, enough of this. I have bigger worries than the fate of a single woman..."

And with those last words he disappeared, leaving Vivi and the rest to their thoughts until Robins voice echoed through the tomb once more.

"I would like to request you to take me to the next island, Monkey D. Luffy. I will pay you accordingly and afterwards we'll probably not see each other again. While Luffy was still thinking it over in his head and Vivi yelled her protests Namis eyes had turned into Berry signs and promptly smacked Luffy over the head while welcoming Robin on board.