Chapter 69: I’m sure there is a dirty joke to make somewhere
<b>Chapter 69: I’m sure there is a dirty joke to make somewhere</b>
<span style="font-weight:400">“Did I do something wrong?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rayleigh asked as everybody watched Rick leave the ce. It was Nami that answered him, her eyes not leaving the way Rick left.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“You just rubbed in his face his broken dream, so kinda.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh! I didn’t…”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s fine, Robin and I will cheer him up.” she dered before following Robin out the door, on their lover’s tail.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">Bothdies find their person of interest not far from the bar actually. Their vice-captain was near the shore sitting on the ground looking at the horizon. They wanted to sit by his side but decided against it and just stood a few feet behind him when he spoke without averting his gaze towards them.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m…” Rick began but stopped. It was okay for him to lie to them about everything rted to his mission but when it was about him it wasn’t. That’s why he stopped himself; he couldn’t say he was fine when he clearly wasn’t.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m… not … okay.” the ex-marine finally let out.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“We know.” said Robin.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“That… wasn’t what I meant. I mean sure, seeing my very first marine cap again after almost twenty years… Well that hurt right in the childhood. With the impossibility of being Fleet Admiral and all. But that wasn’t… what… makes me not… okay. You see… whether I had stayed in the marines or not I wouldn’t have had the job because I’m…”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Dying; we <b>know.</b><span style="font-weight:400">” said Nami.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">Rick spinned his head around so fast that it’s a miracle he didn’t have a whish. He looked at them in surprise.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“How?” was all he asked.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Among the pirates crew on Thriller Bark, two of them weren’t knocked out by Kuma’s attack. They saw what happened.” exined Robin.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Great… so everyone knows I take it?”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“No. Only us two and Zoro and Sanji.” said Robin<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“The two pirates tried to tell everyone what you did, but our two idiots, for once, did something smart, and shut them up before taking them to a secluded ce and made them spill the beans.” added Nami.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I found this suspicious so I bloomed an ear on one of them and heard everything.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“For my part, when I saw Robin cry and leave in a hurry outside, I knew something was wrong so I followed her and she told me.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">Rick looked down in shame and before he could apologize, Robin was already sitting by his side, gently taking his face in her face and kissing him lovingly.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s okay, we understand why you didn’t say anything. Honestly I’m just d you just didn’t drop me to spare my feelings.” she dered.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Nor mine, for that matter.” said Nami, now sitting on his other side and kissing him too.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“You would have been hurt either way… I… I just thought it would be better to spend the remaining time happy than sad or angry.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Are you really sure? About the time you have. I mean Chopper didn’t find anything wrong with you except your healing factor which is almost normal now.” asked Robin.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, I… can feel it. And if I had to guess, I’d say it’s because of me eating a second devil fruit and surviving. That shouldn’t have happened, that’s against nature, so maybe nature is correcting itself?”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“It doesn’t matter to me how or why. I intend to spend all our remaining time together happy. And sexualy satisfied.” announced Nami in a joking way.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">That made both her friends smile, before Rick’s turn into a mischievous grin. Now, Robin knows that grin well, it is the one her lover has when he’s about to tease or prank someone. When she saw him reach inside his overcoat and pull out a shopping bag, she knew what she was about to do and grinned as well. She quickly got up and sat back behind Nami, taking her in a very tight embrace before Rick spoke again.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m d you think that way, because I …” he started but was cut off by a meaningful fake cough from Robin who looked at him intently.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I mean, because <b>we</b><span style="font-weight:400"> bought you something.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">Without waiting for an answer from the redhead, he brought out a small box from the bag and handed it to her. Nami looked at him suspiciously but took and opened it. When she saw the cor, her jaw dropped low. Robin didn’t waste any time and, while raising her hands to firmly grasp Nami’s breasts, whispered into her ear.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Since you belong to us it’s natural that you wear something showing to everyone that you’re spoken for.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">She then went on kissing her behind the ear down her neck towards her shoulder, when Nami snapped out of it and tried, with no sess, to get away from Robin’s grasp.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“A cor? Really, a freaking cor?” she asked, a bit outraged among other emotions.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, you <b>are</b><span style="font-weight:400"> the cat burr Nami. So I thought it was fitting perfectly with your moniker. It was a good joke too…” Rick answered with a smile.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I… I don’t know what to think about it. I’m both mad, happy, scared and a bunch of other emotional states at the same time.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">Robin didn’t stop her ministrations and bloomed hands that took the cor out of Nami’s hands before putting and locking it on her Neck.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Just don’t think about it my little kitty and let us take care of you. After all, you purr the most when I treat you like my little pet.” dered Robin<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“That you do.” added Rick, driving the point further home.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">The navigator’s face was now very, very red. She was unable to say anything. She just put her hand on her cor, tracing the letters softly with her fingers and finally smiled shyly.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s not all we got you though.” announced Rick.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“It..it’s not?” asked Nami in a shaking voice. She was both dreading and waiting with excitement what they were about to give her after this first gift.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Nope.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“You see on Thriller Bark when Rick was separated from you after your bath episode; he stumbled upon the treasure room and cleaned it out.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wait, the gold and jewels on the Sunny was your doing?” asked Nami.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course it was. Anyway, among everything I found two devil fruits.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wait two? You said one!” interjected Robin.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“No, I didn’t. I said I found a devil fruit for Nami, not one fruit. Back to the topic, one of them is the Tenki Tenki no mi, the weather fruit. It makes the person who eats it into a weather man or woman, giving them the power to control the weather. The sea? The sky? The winds? At that person mercy and whims.” announced Rick to a dumbfounded Nami.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“And you’re giving such a powerful devil fruit… to me?” asked Nami in total bewilderment.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course. You’re our navigator after all. Besides, it will help you a lot with your clima-tact if you have to fight. Heck you may wipe the floor with the likes of Ener easily.” said Rick while he brought the fruit from his overcoat and put it in Nami’s hands.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I.. don’t know what to think. Again.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s okay, it’s a big decision, so take your time. There is no need to rush.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">Nami just grabbed him and kissed him deeply before pulling back as Robin just pinched her nipples to get her attention. She turned her head to the side and kissed her other lover deeply too.
<span style="font-weight:400">Before it could escte quickly the three of them separated and went back inside the bar, where Rayleigh was talking about his time with Gol D Roger. How they met, how they started their journey, their battles against the marines and other renown pirates.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why did Roger let go of Shiki?” ask Rick.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Shiki?” wondered Luffy out loud.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Shiki the golden lion, one of the most infamous pirates during the pirake King era. It was said he had the greatest pirate fleet ever seen.” exined Robin to her captain to his awe.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“You seem well informed.” said Rayleigh before adding a few more words.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“As for why Roger didn’t get rid of Shiki… Well he wasn’t really worth it.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“So I spent weeks in the hospital because Roger was toozy to put the bastard down? Great.” the ex-marine muttered sarcastically.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh right, you fought him not long after Roger’s death.” said Rayleigh.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Nah. Sengoku Garp, and Tsuru did. I was just bringing support with my gravity. I almost died.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“That story sounds familiar.” said Usopp.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I hope so, I told it when we were on our way to kick Crocodile’s ass in basta.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wait, that was true?!” eximed Sanji.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah. None of you believed it though. Actually, none of you really believe any of my stories, now that I think about it.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well to our defense, you said you were seven at the time! That’s not really believable.” Usopp chimed in.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I never lied a single time about any tales I told you, you know.” dered Rick with a pout.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">It was then that Robin asked the Dark King a very important question. What was the will of D.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Was it what allowed Roger to leave his message on Skypiea?”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“What message?” asked Luffy.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“On skypiea Robin and I found Poneglyphs on the altar of the golden bell. Next to it was another message with Roger’s name on it.” exined Rick.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh you travelled to skypiea? Impressive, very few reach Sky inds and even less get back to the blue sea. As for the message… No, Roger couldn’t read or write in thatnguage but he could hear the voices of all things in the world.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“... How did he leave that message then?” asked Rick.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, we had with us someone who could carve the indestructible material that made the poneglyphs and someone who could read and write thenguage.” Rayleigh exined looking warmly at Robin.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“You look just like her. Except the hair.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">That sentence left everyone confused. But Rick and especially Robin knew what Rayleigh was talking about.<span style="font-weight:400">
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Holy shit!’</i><span style="font-weight:400"> realizing the implications behind the words.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“My.. My mother sailed with you?” asked Robin with a shaking voice.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“That she did. For a few years before the crew disbanded. She was one toughdy for sure, but also really sweet. She was the only one who could beat any kind of sense into Roger.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Like mother, like daughter.” whispered Rick before behind love-pped on the head by a bloomed hand, prompting Rayleigh tough out of nostalgia.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes that’s about how it went between the two of them.” he said, making Robin blush out of embarrassment.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m deeply sorry about what happened to her and Ohara. They deserved better. Did she reach you before…”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“She did. Briefly, but she did.” answered Robin in a sad voice.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Then she fulfilled her dream, I’m d.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Her dream?”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Getting back to you.” said Rayliegh with a smile.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I thought her dream was to find the missing… She found it ?!”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“That we did. Do you want to hear it?”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“No thanks.” Rick interjected, making Robin’s brow rose.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why not?” asked Usopp.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“For the same reasons Luffy is not asking him where the One Piece is or if it even exists.” replied the ex-marine to a confused Usopp.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t want to go on an adventure that isn’t fun.” dered Luffy.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“There you have it.” added Rick to Usopp while winking discreetly to Robin, before adding a few more words.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s not so much about the destination but more about the journey.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rayleigh smiled at that statement then turned to Luffy.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Do you think you can do it? The new world far surpasses even your wildest imagination. The enemies there will be strong and numerous. Do you think you could conquer such powerful oceans?”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m not going to conquer anything. I just want to be the freest man in the world, and that’s the pirate king!!!” the straw hat dered with a big smile.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">Rayleigh didn’t say anything but seemed really pleased with that answer. So much that he epted to coat the sunny. The problem was that it would take at least three days and with an admiral on the way to the archipgo they would have toy low and separate. Thankfully Shaki made them a vivre card, so they could reunite at the right time. Before leaving Robin had asked him about her mother as she never really knew her and was too young to remember much before she left her on Ohara. She was pleased about what she learned and thanked the Dark King. Before leaving she told him that Olvia was buried on Ohara thanks to Rick and that if he wanted to visit her he would have to find a way to the ind as the only eternal pose leading to it was in her possession and log poses didn’t seem to direct there.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">The good mood the crew was in didn’tst long though as they were attacked along the way by a copy of Kuma. Giving everything they had they defeated him but their victory left them exhausted. Too bad for them Kizaru decided to show up nked by his nephew Sentomaru and another Kuma replica. The appearance of Rayleigh taking care of fighting Kizaru was a godsend but was not enough. The crew had no choice but to split.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">Sadly it was useless as the lone Kuma replica was more than enough to deal with them which was soon joined by the real one. One by one Kuma made them disappear until he reached Rick.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I am surprised you’re still alive. I was sure that your captain’s pain would have killed you.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“You need to try a little harder than that to kill me. I’m way too stubborn to let go of the little bit of time I have left.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“... Perhaps there is some hope for you left then.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">Without another word, Kuma swung his arm and Rick disappeared.<span style="font-weight:400">