The rather joyous day had taken an unexpected and dark twist. Crocodile had soured the banquet, naturally... when half of the palace was blasted away with a single fist of hers. The party was called to an end. She had punched Kuma so hard that he travelled from the palace to the edge of Alubarna where he came to an abrupt stop after crashing against a big building.
Although there were parties in the vicinity, the people were still tense and his impact there did nothing but resurface the public unrest. Cobra had to personally step forward and say that it had been a 'misunderstanding' but people still went to their houses to sleep instead of continuing the festive.
When I turned around to scold her, she was already gone.
I was together with Robin in our assigned room in the palace and we could still hear the steps back and forth downstairs of the city guards and palace guards trying to cover the massive hole created by Ali's attack.
I sat on the bed wearing loose robes after we had a bath, Robin was next to me, brushing her hair in front of a mirror.
"She used Conqueror Haki. I didn't know she had it".
"Conqueror Haki is a manifestation of will. Kuma's story must have resonated with her on a different level".
"Veyron..."
"..."
"What should we do?"
"I don't know Robin. I don't know..."
There was too much at stake for someone who wasn't even related to me. But at the same time, I couldn't help but feel pity for that girl and Kuma too. Ali's response was exactly what I felt. A whole year of your lover being taken away... and you never went to save her? I'd go even if at the risk of my life!
In their words, they couldn't allow their revolution to be handicapped, a movement which bettered the lives of countless people couldn't be sacrificed just for one person. In my opinion, a revolution that can't save its members is not a revolution worth keeping.
Even if I didn't do it for the sake of Kuma. I would do it for the sake of Ginny.
"Dragon has already leaked this information to get the world government's attention, the two of you meeting each other so far away from Marie Geoise, they wouldn't expect it...he knows the three of you together can make your way to Marie Geoise in less than ten minutes".
I looked at her with furrowed brows, the way she was telling me, it was as if she wanted me to go.
She finished brushing her hair and came to me, hugging me.
"I don't want you to go. But I know the only thing keeping you away from going is us, our bond. We told you to stay safe and not overuse your powers if necessary but I love the Veyron that acts according to what his heart tells him... I fell recklessly in love with that boy~".
I couldn't help it, I blushed there and then as she rubbed my cheeks.
"So, do what you want to do, sweetheart. I'll support you. Don't worry, I won't mother-in-law anything~"
It is not like she's not going to know that I infiltrated the enemy lines.
"Thanks, Robin, I love you".
"Me too~ the mission is to save that girl, Ginny... not to make a scene. The three of you together should be enough to do it. I have fought Kuma before, his devil fruit is very troublesome but it will allow him and Dragon to leave swiftly once the job is done. As for you, I don't think anyone can catch you if you're trying to leave"
I love this woman, she was telling me all the pros and cons that my mind was unable to see right away. The only thing I have been thinking about is that woman, Imu. Going to Marie Geoise means that I'm likely to fight her and that's the whole issue.
I still don't know if I can defeat that woman. What's most ridiculous is that I don't know if I can get away from her either. She wasn't using her whole power at that time, but for some reason, her power reminded me of Robin.
I can't even grasp my mind on what her devil fruit is.
She can transform into a gigantic western black dragon, she can regenerate her wounds, she can use darkness and create domains and even suck things into them like a blackhole, she can create a quasar-like mass-destruction cannon... what the f*ck kinda devil fruit is that?!
Just thinking about fighting her gave me anxiety, I didn't want to do it without taking two or three atomic bombs with me.
Let alone this time she and the other knights like Garling are going to be there too... realistically, the only way to do this mission is to do it undercover.
"I'll talk to Ali first and then make my decision".
"Aren't you going to take me? I can be of help~"
She kissed the underside of my chin, leaving me baffled.
"You didn't want to take me along for my safety, right? but surely after those lovely words, you must be having doubts"
"Vixen..."
"You love me like that".
"I-I will think about it".
I stood up, ready to go to Ali's room. Robin lay down on the bed giggling and seducing me with the bathrobes she just opened. Truly a vixen, trying to seduce me in this situation.
I'm trying to come up with an excuse to not take her but I just can't... her powers are just too convenient for this mission. If it has to be done undercover, there is nobody better than her to do it.
"Go and talk to her... but remember you have a lovely wife here waiting for you, sweetheart".
"You don't need to tell me. If it was for this predicament-"
"What? Would you be doing something to me?~"
I closed the door behind me and clenched my fist against the door.
'Frank, not now'.
**
**
My hands are still shivering. I have taken tobacco three times now and it has fallen off my fingers each time. After my outburst in the meeting, I just left the room.
Tears in my eyes? I wanted nobody to see them. I didn't even know there were tears left to shed, what a shame.
It was like I saw the man who never came to save us. He never came to see Mom when she was being abused, she never came to me when I was being abused, or used... or almost killed, or taken prisoner. My only blessing was the suna suna no mi, it was given to me by my mother, and that's all I know. But it was a power I didn't know how to use until I finally made up my mind.
To kill and stop suffering. To take that disease and become infected.
I lit up the third cigarette and sat in front of the massive window, but it fell again. I felt like it wasn't going to end. I feel so much wrath inside that I can't help it. I want to kill someone right now, a celestial dragon preferably.
The snow isn't helping.
'Damn it all!'.
…
KNOCK.
KNOCK.
…
KNOCK
KNOCK
KNOCK
…
KNOCK
KNOCK
…
Somebody was knocking on my door and I didn't even need to sense who it was.
"Just come in, Veyron".
"How did you know it was me?".
I deadpanned, "Aside from the raw power you exude, only you would knock on the door in that ridiculous manner".
He entered the room wearing loose bathrobes. Any other lady would have taken that as some sort of signal. But I didn't care... that was until I saw his crotch.
"Why do you have a boner when coming into a lady's room? You damn pervert!"
"It was Robin I swear!"
"Huh?! So you say you won't get a boner for me?!"
"I didn't mean that!"
"So you would~"
"I absolutely would not!".
"Hmph, rude..."
After a small back and forth we fell silent and I irritatedly kicked the tobaccos on the floor before walking up to the bed, discarding my coat.
"So, what did you come for? To punish me like you always do? go ahead... I don't care"
"...may I sit?" He asked me. I almost felt the urge to push him to the limit.
"Asking me? Haha~ you're being unusually kind now that you know I'm a woman. It has always been your weakness now that I think about it" I pulled him and pushed him onto the bed, straddling his waist while wearing only this tight dress.
His flustered expression was so amusing that it calmed my heart for a bit.
"Did you forget I'm a woman?"
"No, I didn't".
My body began levitating on its own, this annoying power of his.
He levitated me until I was completely parallel to his body lying down on the bed, he crossed his arms and looked at me sternly.
"I'm trying to be understanding with you... but you're making it difficult, Ali".
"I don't need to be kind to me. Just leave the nonsense and punish me for what I did".
"Are you so eager to be punished...? Why don't you tell me instead why you reacted like that, for even your Conqueror Haki to be triggered".
"Conqueror Haki...?"
This time he did surprise me, did I use Conqueror Haki?"
"Not only did you use Conqueror Haki, you used the advanced version... some people in the palace fainted even though you were not focused on them. We didn't know you have this power, for it to be awakened Kuma's story must have truly impacted you. If you don't want to tell me your story, that's fine. I just want to know what you wish to do".
I groaned and tried to resist, transforming into sand... but he already had a grasp of me with his psychokinesis... it would take a more abrupt and brash method to free myself.
"What you want to do, you won't help me with".
"Why? Tell me?"
"Because you're Mr Goody-two-shoes... I want to massacre all the celestial dragons! I want to flatten Marie Geoise until only blood is left. Would you accept that? Will you help me do this!?"
In my voice, there was actual hope. No one in this world can help me like he can. The location of all the ancestral weapons is unknown. But this man... he is a walking ancestral weapon!
At that time when he flattened Enies Lobby with Astrape and Bronte; I was so afraid of him that I couldn't see it. But now there is a possibility.
"..."
His silence showed me that he was unwilling to go along with my wishes right now, but it didn't matter... I only have to keep pushing him... any means necessary.
"Hmph, I knew you wouldn't-"
"That can be arranged".
"Ha?"
Can it?!