[35] In Exchange… (1)
Chapter 35: In Exchange… (1)
—
Robin knew the Cipher Pol was a much more dangerous group than a single Sir Crocodile. Not only because of their powers but because they moved in groups.
Another reason was that they relayed information to the Government fast, so if they ever noticed Hashirama’s connection with Robin being good, even if Hashirama managed to defeat them later, the Government would already have known about his shenanigans. Then stronger people would have come after him.
Robin planned to explain that point too, in case he argued that he was strong enough to take down Cipher Pol. However, he never brought that up. Either because he wasn’t strong enough back then, or because he knew her thought process.
“They say to trick your enemy; you need to trick your allies first,” Hashirama said as he poured coffee into a cup in front of her. “Can’t say I am still not somewhat sour about all this, but it would be rather weird to turn you down because of that.”
Robin sat on the dining table and picked up the cup slowly. She gave him a nod of thanks for the coffee and took a sip. “You are not mad anymore?”
“You agreed I am not a hot-headed guy, didn’t you?” Hashirama laughed a little and sat down opposite her, though he wasn’t drinking anything. “I said if you came to me a few years ago, you’d be lying on your blood. Saying ‘a few years ago’ suggests I have not been mad about it for that long. Sure, it did leave a gap in my heart, but that’s it.”
“… Once again, I’m really sorry.” Robin sighed. “It’s just my bad fate that brings everything to ruin.”
“Maybe,” Hashirama shrugged. “Anyhow, tell me about the reason you’re here. Mikita. What happened to her?”
Robin was about to start, taking a sip, but right then someone else entered the living room. Someone climbed the stairs down from the second floor to walk into this floor.
“Huh?” Vivi Nefertari blinked as her eyes locked on Robin. She looked pale suddenly and turned to look at Hashirama. “…A ghost? Hashirama, what’s happening?”
Hashirama took a deep breath in.
* * *
“Wait, really-?!” Vivi jumped to hug Robin when the explanation ended. “To think you fled from the ship and jumped into the sea! How did you even survive? I thought power users cannot swim?! That’s why I didn’t take that Bomb Fruit that Hashirama tried to feed me… I want to swim in the sea.”
“Hey, you are not supposed to tell her that.” Hashirama reminded her from the side as Vivi bit her tongue playfully. “I swear, I will mess you up on your birthday night.”
“What does that even mean?”
“Uh…” from the side, Robin looked confused at the girl suddenly hugging her. “Um, hey. I am a criminal, you know? You shouldn’t be so comfortable hugging me.”
“What? No.” Vivi turned to look at Robin. “How are you a criminal? You saved our country. Above all, Hashirama told me and my parents the story of Ohara. You are not a criminal; you are just a person desperate to live.”
“…” Robin’s eyes moved to look at Hashirama, her confusion asking why he told them such good things about her even after what she did. “…Now I just feel guiltier.”
“Oh well,” Hashirama stood up and pulled Vivi away from Robin. “Princess, isn’t it your 16th birthday in two days? August 2nd. That's your coming-of-age ceremony. So I think you should go do princess things in your wardrobe. Leave the adults alone.”
“Oh, shut up~ You can’t be saying that after what you did to me last night.” Said Vivi with a scoff, while Robin’s questioning eyes focused on Hashirama.
“…She is talking about training.” Hashirama corrected her. “I have been training her since she turned 14, asking permission from her mother. A smart Queen is good, but a smart Queen who has the strength of a Warlord is better. I told aunty Titi that, and she allowed me to train her daughter.”
“Strength of a warlord…” Robin looked at Vivi slowly. “But she doesn’t have a devil fruit, how will that work? The Bomb-Bomb Fruit is strong, but she didn’t take that. Oh wait, why do you have that fruit anyway?”
“Gol D. Roger, the King of the Pirates, didn’t have a Devil Fruit. Did you know that?” Hashirama made his point while Robin squinted her eyes. “It’s the truth. Emperor Whitebeard can destroy islands with a clap of his hands, and Roger could match that with just his strength. Also, Mikita didn’t tell you about the Bomb-Bomb Fruit?”
“She didn’t, but that’s not the point. What you said doesn’t make any sense. How could the King of Pirates have never eaten a Devil Fruit? How could he have become the King, otherwise? Also, how do you even know that?” Robin looked confused, rather interested in this subject.
“Oh well,” Hashirama pointed to the wall nearby. “Vivi. Break that.”
“Huh? Okay.”
Vivi shrugged her shoulders and kicked the ground, seemingly vanishing from Robin’s eyes. Vivi reappeared before the wall and slammed her fist against it.
– Bang!
Robin stood up instinctively; her eyes focused on a portion of the wall that vanished with a large and circular hole in it.
“Is this good enough?”
“It’s good enough,” Hashirama said and turned to look at Robin, who had a stupefied look on her face. “Yeah. Vivi technically has the blood of Celestial Dragons flowing through her veins, as her Kingdom was one of the twenty that formed the World Government. They just never moved to the city of Mariejois. So her potential to grow is a lot more than you and I… well not I, my bad. Anyhow, my point is she can be considered a superior specimen of humanity. She is like Oden, though I am not sure if you even know who that is. Anyway, for people like them, the Warlord rank is a low ladder.”
“…Okay. How do you know all this?” Robin sat down with a heavy breath out and asked. Soon she shook her head. “Never mind, you told me the reason three years ago. I can’t possibly ask for the details as we are now.”
“Good that you understand, now,” Hashirama turned to look at Vivi. “Vivi, we really need some alone time to talk. Can you leave us for now?”
“Sure,” Vivi agreed easily. “Just saying, in case this ends up in you leaving Alabasta for however long, don’t you dare. My birthday is in two days, and I want you to attend it. Do whatever you want after that.”
Hashirama shrugged. “Sure,” and Vivi was about to leave, but he called her one last time. “Oh right, can I go to that underground place with her? Don’t tell your parents, but I need the permission of a Royalty for that. Also, don’t tell your parents about Robin, I will tell them myself.”
“Huh?” Vivi tilted her head, confused for a moment before she smiled. “…Oh well, sure. Just don’t do anything that might deliberately expose you to father and mother. Bye.”
With that Vivi left through the same hole that she created. Hashirama channeled his chakra to temporarily fix the concrete wall with some solid wood, and then went back to take a seat.
“What do you mean by ‘underground place’?” Robin asked with a frown.
“You’ll know later. I told her I will take you there, so you’ll see yourself.” Hashirama sat down. “Anyhow, tell me about Mikita. What the hell happened to her?”
**
**
**
Master4thWall Note: Was planning to give Vivi the Bomb Fruit, since Sand Fruit isn’t available at the moment. But then I wonder, does someone of her ancestry need a fruit at all?
Wish to read chapters ahead of here? Visit my Patreøn.
Link: Patreøn.cøm/Master4thWall