‘Confirm something for me: is that really her?’

‘Been a few weeks, since we tried to convince the captain not to let her on board; and you don’t know who she is?’

‘Anyone can claim to be anybody! Besides, I wasn’t there when Crocodile recruited another member to our group. I’ve meaning to ask her, but…y’know…what if she turns out to be Nico Robin, and lash out at me?’

‘…Yeah; it’s definitely her. She’s older, but it’s still the little girl who destroyed those warships.’

‘That’s so awesome!’

‘You moron! She was eight when she did it, remember?’

‘I know, but – I’m feeling torn. On one hand, it’s almost like we’re near Gol D. Roger himself, because of that bounty; but when you think about why she has it…it’s so frightening.’

‘Stupid Crocodile, letting that psycho join..! I swear that idiot keeps getting softer and softer in the head – ‘

‘Yeah, but…he insisted on it. He’s the type who thinks things through…sometimes.’

‘Huh! “Sometimes”? Try “once in a blue moon”.’

‘Hey now, he did all he could to help Frederick-san.’

‘Frederick chose to do it, idiot! The sea was too strong for him to stand it, any longer.

‘Guys..have you ever wondered…

‘Wondered what?’

‘Well, have you ever wondered…whether Frederick-san was right? And not just him, the others, too?’

‘… …’

‘I know what you mean…the Grand Line is no place for a sane man. We’ve been out at sea for so long, and it’s been all for nothing.’

‘We got a devil’s fruit, though. That’s something to show everyone else!’

‘You still believe that? Can you get any more stupid?’

‘Yeah, you sound like Crocodile-san.’

‘Oh, that’s a good one, guys. I’m laughing so hard.’

‘Hey she’s very quiet…do you think she knows?’

‘Act like you don’t see her; then maybe she won’t hurt us.’

‘That’s a perfect plan!’

‘Not so loud, idiot! She might hear us.’

She had heard everything. Thankfully, she chose not to say a word about such rumours on her psychological well-being; as hurtful as they were, there wasn’t much she could do to dispel them. There had always been lies told about her even before the bounty was placed on her head, and so far there didn’t seem to be any reason why things should be different, no matter how badly she wished for them to be.

It wasn’t even like she wanted to see these men, anyway. It was simply the young captain’s orders that made her leave the quiet space and comfort of her cabin and come to the upper deck of their ship, the Don Chiavano, where she’d inevitably come across one or two members of the crew who clearly disliked her; judging from how they appeared so intent on avoiding wherever she walked. What was worse was that, unlike with the other groups she worked with before she fled them; the members of the Cosa Nostra Pirates weren’t even that much older her. The notion that she’d again be treated with such hostility even by peers near her age shouldn’t have been ruled out as a possibility, but it apparently didn’t seem to occur to her mind when she had asked to join them, weeks ago.

It was their captain’s fault, for being so misleading. His handsome face seemed pleasant in spite of the slight exhaustion underlining it, when she had approached him that day in the evening. And aside from that, there didn’t appear to be any other option for her to take advantage of: not many pirates were in the area; and the others that were there claimed to already have enough members, bluntly refusing to recruit any more. The only choice was to go to the young man who was looking around for new members near the inn and the sea docks, although she wasn’t sure of his actual credibility and strength. But then she saw what had become of his left hand, and felt herself leaning towards stepping up to become part of his crew. Only an experienced pirate would have such a handicap, right? She remembered pondering, in that moment’s pause back then, as she looked at his steel hook. A regular citizen wouldn’t really lose their entire hand, unless under extreme circumstances…like a pirate. The remaining issue was that he still had his youth; but that in itself seemed to be more of a benefit rather than a problem. In spite of the possibility that his experience at sea was minimal, it was still impressive that he had made it far to this part of the world and had passed the opening of the Grand Line(1).

And so, she chose to take her chances and ask to join these men for their next voyage. If she had perhaps thought it over more thoroughly, she wouldn’t be stuck with having to put up with such a familiar sense of alienation again from her own peers, just like she had to as a child.

‘Robin!’ She looked ahead to see that the captain – Crocodile, he said that he was called – was already coming towards her on the deck, wearing an irritated expression on his young features. ‘I already called you, five minutes ago. Hurry up!’

‘I’m sorry, captain.’

‘Apologise later. We’ve got more important business to take care of, first!’ she quietly followed him, as he led her across to the front deck. Over there, was a seemingly bad-tempered youth in a fedora hat, dark pin-striped trousers and opened shirt who stood behind the fore-mast, holding a lowered telescope. When they approached him, his eyes began to narrow beneath his fedora; forming half of a disgusted scowl. The captain simply glared back at him, in response.

‘I brought her myself. Happy?’ Nico Robin didn’t say anything, as she watched the captain speak to his subordinate. Even though of the boy’s attention was primarily fixed on his commanding superior, he made a glance at the young female behind him. From what little she could gather from this gesture, it was too brief to even be considered a glance, let alone a subtle expression of disdain directed towards her. Whatever hatred, whatever loathing the rough-looking teenager with the telescope possessed; it was focussed on to someone else.

‘Don’t you dare stare at me like that!’ Without any hesitation, Crocodile immediately shot his hand out for the navigator’s throat; tightening his grip on the youth’s gullet with his palm.

‘I’ve had enough! I’m still the head of this ship, and whenever I tell you to do something; I expect it to be done.’ As he was being squeezed harder by the neck, the boy’s expression changed; not only showing his surprise at such a swift and unexpected attack, but also fear at the possibility of a much worse punishment. Thankfully, he was soon released on to the floor; perhaps because his superior was in the presence of another person.

‘Just be polite and repeat what you reported, earlier. Say it loud enough so Nico Robin could listen, as well.’ Clutching the place where he had been strangled, the navigator gaped back wildly at his commanding officer and took a short moment to catch his breath.

‘…S-six kilometres – or more exactly, about five point seven – from here, is another pirate ship. Judging from its size; and the reasonable amount of gold-plating it has – it looks like it might be harbouring a successful crew, on board.’ …Why is he telling me this? The girl asked herself, although she felt that she already knew the answer. And, much to her disappointment, her worries became confirmed by the person she didn’t need to hear it from.

‘I’ve been waiting for this moment for some time, now. The right opportunity to finally show that the Cosa Nostra are actually serious pirates, and not some group of inexperienced amateurs like the rest of the swine out there.’

‘So that’s what you want me to do…’

‘Course I do! I did say that I’d call you to come help the rest of us, remember?’ The rest of us. So she was wrong about him, after all. Like the crew he led, this man was also wrapped up by the rumours that surrounded her, wherever she went.

‘I understand…Captain.’ She couldn’t help it, but there was a sad tone of self-accepted defeat in her voice. In spite of the fact that there weren’t any tears, a pain to which she was too accumulated with (and thus too trivial at this moment), its sound was apparently enough to also make the head of the ship re-consider what he’d said.

‘Nico Robin.’ The young woman glanced up at the captain. ‘Don’t forget that whatever actions you take, however you may destroy that ship, also counts as our actions.’ She simply looked at him, feeling uncertain about whether he was actually being sincere. ‘You’re representing the Cosa Nostra. Be sure to show them no mercy.’ As soon as he had spoken these words, his mood appeared to have slightly lifted. It was now presented to be more encouraging for the young woman, although she could see the impending malice that lay beneath the man’s kind smile.

‘What’s that coming up to us, there now?’

‘It’s a ship, Captain.’

‘Ahou! I can see that – y’think I’ve gone blind?’

‘I was just trying to be helpful, Sir!’

‘Well, stating the obvious isn’t gonna cut it. Hmmm…’

‘It’s a pirate ship, Captain.’

‘Didn’t I tell you not to state the obvious?’ The captain barked at his navigator; causing him to blush with embarrassment and pull his hat off his head by means of humble apology; before quickly kneeling down on deck into a deep prostration.

‘S – sorry, Alex-sama. I was just trying to help…’ Umathor Alex, the leader of the well-travelled Umathor Pirates, let out an exasperated “huff” for his shipmate’s over-enthusiasm, before turning his attention back to the approaching vessel. Unlike his own boat, the Running Betsy, it was smaller and could be considered plain by comparison; in spite of the curved, fanciful designs which ran along its sides and bow. As it drew nearer, and eventually caught up with Betsy, he noticed that one of its passengers had placed a foot on to the railing of the front deck; leaning over with one arm across his knee just in time to enter the outlaw’s field of vision.

This person looked to be at the most about half of Alex’s age, which may have explained his obvious confidence in daring to stand so boldly before an elder. The kid next to him wasn’t even fully dressed, with his shirt unbuttoned like that.

‘Ahoy; there!’ the young man called out. The Umathor captain eyed him with mild suspicion; curious to see what kind of matters he might wish to pursue. He seemed like a decent enough fellow, with his smart checked jacket and clean looks, but – as the old man knew – one can never be too sure of anybody he happens to meet at sea. Discreetly, his fingers reached under his heavy coat to the gun holster secured by his belt; in preparation for what was likely to occur.

‘Excuse me, Ojii-san...’ Ojii-san..? The first mate of the Running Betsy witnessed his commander relax his guard; and lift his hand an inch away from his belt, keeping his gaze fixed on the opposite ship before him.

‘Hey there, youngin’.’ Alex replied, doubtfully. Determined not to be out-witted by this rookie, he raised a spurred foot(2) up to rest against the rail on his own galleon’s upper deck. His opponent gave a smirk, and then stood up straight from his previous stance. ‘What brings you here to my part of the ocean?’

‘Your part, Ojii-san? Last I heard; only the bravest of pirates can claim the sea as his territory.’ There was a brief moment of respectful silence, until the old man could respond.

‘Well, he’s gone, boy. The sea’s just been waiting for someone to succeed him, and it’s pretty damn clear who it’s gonna be.’ It is clear… Crocodile retorted, in his mind. In fact, you just don’t know who I am. It was time to make his name known.

‘Oh really? Isn’t saying such things delusional, for a man of your position, Ojii-san?’ He shouted out to him; casually placing his one hand under the right side of his jacket so as to give the illusion of it being stuffed inside a trouser pocket. His smirk grew wider, as he watched the other captain’s appalled reaction.

‘What did you just say!’ His older counterpart yelled, gripping the rail angrily with both hands. Anxiously, the first mate ran up to him in an effort to calm him down; reminding him that it was merely empty teasing from a petty group of thugs who had the balls to claim that they were pirates. Much to his dismay, the captain brushed him off; intent on taking care of the punk once and for all.

‘I’m only pointing out the facts; Ojii-san. The ocean’s too dangerous for senile people to go out for adventure; go back home where it’s safe, instead. The Grand Line’s certainly no place for weaklings!’

‘You shitty brat! How dare you talk like you even know anything!’ Suddenly, the old man darted down towards the middle deck, passing his second-in-command who was desperate to prevent him from acting foolish in front of other people.

‘Alex-sama! Don’t listen to him, please!’

‘Riff-raff punk – making me waste Betsy’s artillery!’ Grunting, he wheeled around one of the ship’s strong cannons and pointed it in Crocodile’s direction. ‘Let this be a lesson to you: never try to pick a fight with Umathor Alex – the man who is ordained by the heavens to become the new King of the Pirates!’

Now. As she stayed behind the men, Robin was able to read the signal for attack from her captain. Visible only to her, he had shifted his right hand to the small of his back without the enemy even noticing, and closed it into a tight fist. Show them no mercy.

The sign that something terrible was happening came when the first mate’s scream tore out through the air, and everyone else had stopped in their tracks.

If anyone had also looked at the Cosa Nostra’s captain at this moment, they would have seen that whatever self-confidence he had, let alone whatever pride, seemed to disappear; as he watched the event of his opponents’ destruction unfold in confusion and disbelief. Wha – what’s going on? Isn’t the whole ship supposed to…

‘What have you done to my first mate?’ Captain Alex roared at them; the sight of his
second-in-command in pain adding fuel to his new-found hatred for this group of immature ass-shits. In turn, the other members of the Umathor Pirates also glared angrily at these people; furious at the way in which they had hurt one of their nakama.

‘You bastards! What did you do to Aoshi-kun?’

‘Those fucking bastards!’ Something was wrong: they shouldn’t still be alive. Is this what he wanted? Why wasn’t that girl doing anything to get rid of the old man and his comrades?

“To show no mercy” – take down the most important person to the head of a vessel, she reminded herself. The crew will be so startled by such an ambush; they may be left vulnerable to attack.

As predicted, the enemy was unable to spot the several pairs of hands that suddenly struck hard at them; erupting one by one into a seething mass of horror and anguish. Umathor Alex could only stand and watch, stunned by the scene that was occurring right on board the Running Betsy.

‘You…you’ve gone too far.’ Immediately he pulled off his long, thick coat and revealed more than one gun holster strapped around his body. ‘You’ve really done it now – you snooty sonnuvabitch! Where’s your sniper hidden?’

‘You senile, old shit-head! What makes you think I’m using a sniper to finish you off?’ The Cosa Nostra captain’s brain was too caught up in trying to figure out what was actually happening to the other pirate crew, to take advantage of an opportunity that was working in his own favour.

‘Don’t play dumb, boy! How else could you do what you did to my men?’ The old man drew out two revolvers, and arched down his upper body. ‘I’ll teach you a lesson you won’t ever forget – no one ever dares to attack Captain Alex and his pirates and lives.’ To add to the whole furore of the event, he began to change. His limbs suddenly stretched to be much longer and thinner; whereas four more, all of them arms, burst out from both his shoulders and sides. His torso became much bulkier, and all over his body – judging from what one could see on his bare arms and face – grew thousands of fine, dark hairs.

This time, it was the Cosa Nostra’s turn to be afraid, as the strange creature stepped up onto the rail of their rival’s ship, springing his legs in order to order. While he did so, he then pulled out four more guns and waved them about in his inhuman limbs.

‘Kumo kumo fruit – model Tarantula.’ Said the creature, in Captain Alex’s voice. ‘If you go on now and bring your sniper, I’ll leave you be.’

‘You moron – can’t you take a hint and see that I don’t have one!’

‘Quit lying! If you don’t bring him out, I’ll shoot you! I’ll shoot you all to hell!’ As soon as he had said these words, the spider creature swiftly leapt up and landed safely onto the Don Chiovano; sending most of its men off into terrified screams as they desperate ran to get away from whatever sort of revenge their enemy had in store. It seemed that only their own leader was willing enough to stand his ground, despite his vain attempts to get his crew to stay put and, perhaps, fight.

‘Come back here, you idiots! He’s just a big spider!’ As typical of his so-called nakama, they ignored him and continued to run; leaving Crocodile behind to fend for himself against the large, arachnid menace. ‘Cowards! Are you insane? He can’t hurt you – he’s just a big, fucking tarantula!’ The creature shot one of his weapons repeatedly into the air, before steadying the other five pistols into firing positions. By this time, the young man’s nerves were already worn thin, and had driven him to take initiative and attack on his own.

Right before he was able to strike with his left, he managed to see that more arms had appeared on Umathor Alex’s body, and were proceeding to pin down all of his previous, eight hairy limbs.

…clutch.

Using as much strength as they could muster, the extra arms arrested him into an immovable position, and started to pull each limb up to the creature’s spine. Having secured the rest of his body, another pair of arms had sprouted out from behind his head, their fingers grabbing around the top half of his grotesque face in an effort to pull back his neck. With each pull, the creature’s arms, legs and head were jolted out of proportion; tuning in with the breaking of his backbone to give a loud, sickening crack just before one final, sharp cry was heard from near the leader of the surviving pirate group.

As he looked around to see the source of the cry, Crocodile could see Robin, who had stayed with him during the entire incident, holding her right hand in pain. Almost automatically, without thinking, he asked what was wrong. Hesitant at first, she showed him the large red mark that punctured part of her palm and small finger.

‘I grabbed him, but he – bit me, right before I finished him off.’ He took her hand into his own right hand, rubbing a thumb along the throbbing, red bruise. Even though he didn’t say anything, it was obvious that he was somehow affected by everything he had recently witnessed up until now.

Cautiously, one of the shipmates approached the huge monster that lay motionless on the ship. Once he was sure that the thing couldn’t harm him, he turned to his captain.

‘What happened…how did it – ‘

But instead, all Crocodile could find himself to say was:

‘Bring some ice for Nico Robin. Now.’

I don’t know how much I’m keeping young!Robin and young! Pre-disillusioned!Crocodile in character, and I don’t know if I’m actually respecting the manga well, with how the Cosa Nostra pirates are treating her. The pirate crews she worked with in the manga are shown as much older than her, and (I’m assuming) wouldn’t have been as scared of her as the CN are, here (assuming they were much more experienced pirates, as well).

(1) Methinks Robin didn’t really leave the Grand Line after Ohara’s destruction…it seems to me that West Blue is in the Grand Line, as well, since she ate a devil fruit as a child.

(2) I know, I know…the cowboy theme’s been done to death. I couldn’t think of anything else, really…

I know that ocho fleur – clutch, but since she has to pin back eight limbs altogether I think Robin can use more than eight for a clutch (like she did in Skypiea?)

Ojii-san – Grandfather

Ahou – idiot

Kumo – spider

Huhf…so used to the inter-slicing of choice Japanese with English from the scanslations…I think I like the terms of respect, though. Like when Luffy called Dr Kureha ‘Auntie’ out of respect; that was really humble.

Robin, Crocodile and the One Piece universe © Eiichiro Oda

Umathor Pirates and rest of Cosa Nostra © me