Missy

Zero Hour

I don't own One Piece. If I did.... well... someone's face would be beaten in even more than it already is.

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The scene before you certainly was an interesting sight. There was CP9, as indifferent as ever despite the numerous holes that dotted the train car. Blueno by the far car door. Kalifa sliding her glasses gingerly back up her nose. Kaku with a strange excited gleam in his eye. And Lucci, staring impassively towards you from over his shoulder. Flinching, you turned your attention towards the suspicious red-brown stain sunken into the carpet right in front of his feet.

You... didn't think you wanted to know who or what that was from.

One of the government officials (Corgy was it? You hadn't exactly paid attention) stood dutifully by the carriage door, jaw almost touching the floor as both you and Robin walked past him.

You would have laughed if the situation allowed it. But it didn't. And you wouldn't. Not that you felt you could laugh right then.

Since there was someone in front of you that was making your gut coil as soon as he glanced your way.

"Oh!" Sanji's face lit up the moment that you and Robin stepped into the train car. "Robin-chan! (y/n)-chan! Thank god! Are you alright?! Are you hurt?!"

His smile hurt. Far more than Eneru's volts or Lucci's torture. He didn't deserve to be this happy to see you again. Not after all you'd said and done. He shouldn't be so... relieved to see that both you and Robin were safe. The guilt was suffocating. You didn't deserve such an honest and loyal reaction.

Especially when you were about to crush the last shred of redemption you had.

No!

You slapped your cheeks.

Stay positive! You had a plan! Kinda. It was more like weak guidelines than anything concrete, but hey! It wasn't as if you had any time to properly sit down and think of anything. But it would be alright.

You could pull through this. You had to.

"So that's Nico Robin eh?"

You blinked.

...huh?

'Isn't that...' Your face lost what was left of its remaining colour as you finally recognised the bulky man in the back. He was quite striking after all... The metal nose and shock of blue hair really made an impact.

"It appears so," Mello hummed, somewhat more distracted than he normally would have been. "Although in case you have forgotten, Usopp did mention that Franky was on the train, no?"

Oh riiiight he did didn't he? You'd been too caught up in brooding and general pathetic edginess to really pay attention. Though it was pretty strange to see him here of all places. As far as you knew, Franky was just a well meaning petty criminal. So how in Kronos' name did he wind up on a sea train bound for Eines Lobby?

Just how much of this picture weren't you seeing?

"Hafta say-" Franky flicked his sunglasses onto his forehead- "she really does bear a resemblance to the picture in the wanted poster. And the other one..." His eyes lingered on you, and you could see the recognition quickly turn to something far more bitter. Your clothes. Your wounds. Your collar. The seer intensity was enough to make you glance away.

You didn't want to see his pity.

Sanji took one step forwards. Then another. And another. "Hey," he beamed, face bright despite the number of welts and stains littering his body, "let's go back together okay? Let's all go back again. Okay?"