Chapter 82:  WE GO!

The sun has been up for a couple hours now and everyone was in the dining room having breakfast. Despite how draining it was the previous day everyone seems to be in top shape especially Nami who was positively glowing.

" Is everyone ready ? " asked Franky.

" YEAH !!! " yelled Luffy.

" Should we say goodbye to Rayleigh and Shaky? " wondered Usopp.

No one had the time to say anything as an explosion was heard from outside. Everyone exited the dining room for the deck. There, they saw multiple marine's ships on the sea shooting cannonballs in their direction.

“That will make things difficult.” said Usopp.
“Franky, can we leave now?” asked Luffy.
“Yes but if we’re hit by one of those cannonballs it will break the coating Rayleigh installed and we’d be stranding on the surface.” replied the cyborg.
“That’s fine, go ahead I’ll take care of…”
“No need, I’m on it.” interrupted Nami at the surprise of everyone.
“Nami?” asked Chopper but didn’t get any answers.

Instead Nami moved in front of them and raised her hands. Immediately dark clouds appeared above the marines’ ships and a few dozen gigantics lightning bolts fell on them. Some ships sank immediately being torn apart, others were quite damaged and on fire and would soon join the others. The entire crew had their jaw on the ground wondering what just happened.

“N-Nami…”
“How..”

Brook and Usopp didn’t have the time to ask their questions; a new explosion came from the land this time. Turning around they saw two pacifistas, and Kizaru’s nephew, Sentomaru. A whole bataillon of marines behind them. Without hesitation Sanji and Zoro rushed overboard and ran towards them, each taking one Kuma clone down, while Luffy threw a pistol punch reinforced with armament Haki right into Sentomaru’s face sending him flying away. The marines around were shocked in fear and didn’t dare to move. The monster trio  simply ignored them and went back to the Sunny just in time as Franky activated the coting, caging the ship into a giant bubble. They quickly sank under the sea and laughed at the sight of all the marines' ships sinking along with them not far away.

The crew was amazed by the surroundings as they were falling to the bottom of the ocean. Both by the fauna and flora. After a very simplified explanation about what to do and NOT to do (along with several punches for Zoro and Luffy who were about to exactly do the forbidden) Usopp finally asked.

“Nami what did you do?”
“Yes?”
“That rain of lightning? That’s definitely not something the clima-tact can do. Heck! You didn’t even use it! You just raised your hands.”
“You ate it?” asked Robin

“I did.” answered Nami with a big smile.
“Ate what?” asked Luffy.
“The Tenki Tenki no mi.”
“You ate a devil fruit?” asked a surprised Chopper to which Nami noded.
“Wait! Wait! Wait! Where did you get a devil fruit? And how come Robin is at the same time surprised and knows about it?” questioned Usopp.

The two ladies looked at each other and Robin shrugged her shoulders.

“Do you remember when we left thriller back? There was plenty of gold inside Sunny?”
“Yes, wasn’t it the pink haired girl that put it there when she tried to steal Sunny?” asked Usopp.
“Perona.” said Zoro.
“What?” Usopp.
“Her name is Perona.”
“... How do you…”
“Long story.”
“Anyway… It wasn’t her who put the gold and treasure there. It was … Rick.” she confessed.
““““““Rick?!””””””
“Yes, When Usopp, Chopper and I got separated from him back in Hogbak’s mansion.”
“Who?” asked Luffy.
“The guy that made the zombies.” answered Chopper, still bitter about that.
“But I thought...”
“It doesn’t matter!” interrupted Nami before continuing.
“Rick scouted the area and found their treasure room and put everything on Sunny. What the zombies were transporting were just empty chests. Among the treasures were two devil fruits.”
“Why didn’t he say anything?” said Sanji.
“He was in a coma, remember? And after that, I don’t know.”
“He told me about them back on Sabaody Archipelago.” said Robin taking over.
“One of them was the Tenki Tenki no mi and was perfect for Nami. The other… he never mentioned anything about it other than his existence.”
“I see” said Sanji.
“But when did he give it to you and what powers did the fruit give you?” asked Usopp.
“When he stormed out of Shaky’s bar. As for the powers… Well, I can control the weather.” answered Nami.
“The weather as in…” began Brook.
“The winds, the clouds, the sky… I can make a storm at sea or make one disappear.”
“Or make lightning bolts rain.” said Robin with a smile on the corner of her mouth.”
“Or make lightning bolts rain.” repeated Nami with a big smile.

Once again the guys’ jaws dropped to the floor. That was such a powerful ability and it had so many uses.

“How did he know?” asked Zoro.
“Know what?” asked Nami.
“That this fruit gave those powers.”
“He memorized the whole devil fruit encyclopedia, remember?” said Robin.
“He did?”
“Weren’t you there when he talked about it back on Water Seven?” asked Nami.
Seeing no recollection from Zoro, the conversation went on.

“Wait, if Rick gave you one, where is the other?” asked Sanji.
“I don’t know.” replied Nami.
“Perhaps in his room?” wondered Franky.

Though she hid it well, Robin was panicking and so did Nami. They had spent the night in Rick’s room and with their activities there, much evidence of their relationship was in plain sight. That was no good.

“I already checked when I came aboard Sunny the other day and there was nothing there.” Nami said quickly.
“What… What about the garden? Did you find anything?” helped Robin.

Usopp and Chopper exchanged a look and shook their heads negatively.
“No, the only thing we found were his notes and his sword. By the way Zoro , could you take care of it?” said Usopp to which the swordsman nodded.
“His notes? About what?” asked Franky.
“Gardening.” replied Chopper to the confusion of many.
“He was trying several things to get the best medicinal herbs, best vegetables and the best flowers.” he added.
“Medicinal herbs and vegetables, I get it…” began Brook
“I don’t! Why grow vegetables?! They are awful!” said Luffy making a disgusted face that everyone ignored.
“But flowers?” finished Brook.
“That was his hobby.” answered Robin to which the skeleton nodded.

Having a look around Nami noticed that it would take some time at the speed they were going to be deep enough to reach one of the currents leading to fishman island.

“Since we have some time, why not talk about what everyone did after we got separated?” She said.
“Oh! Me first! Me first!” declared Luffy jumping from one foot to the other with one hand raised.
“Go ahead.”
“I landed on women's island!”
“SAY WHAT?!” yelled Sanji, grabbing his captain.
“DO YOU KNOW WHERE I LANDED? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF THE HELL I WAS IN WHILE YOU WERE THE ONLY MAN ON THE ISLAND EVERY MAN DREAM OF?!”
“No but you can tell us when it’s your turn.” said Luffy, frowning.

That made Sanji let go and he sat back mumbling.

“At first it didn’t go well….” he started and went on to relate everything that happened until leaving with Ace and Whitebeard.

“Hancock has a fast ship and caught up with Whitestache’s. There she invited us back to her island, so they could resupply and hide in case the marines went after him.”
“Whitestache?” asked Usopp.
“That’s what Rick called Ace’s pops. It stuck.” said Luffy laughing.
“God, I hope he didn’t call him that right to his face.” Usop said dumbfounded.
“Oh he did, and everytime I called him afterwards during training he was super pissed.” replied Luffy, still laughing.
“Wait! Training? You trained with Whitebeard?” asked Sanji.
“And Rayleigh too! They even fought about it on Hancock’s island.”
“That’s…” began Sanji.
“Unreal” ended Usopp.
“They were making the island shake so much that Hancock kicked them out.”
“She kicked two of the strongest fighters in the world just like that?”
“What do you mean ‘just like that’ ? Hancock is super scary when she’s pissed! You should have seen her while she was pregnant with Lynda.” said Luffy, trembling.
“So for two years you trained with both Whitebeard and Rayleigh?” asked Zoro.
“No. The first three months were with Whitestache and the next three with Rayleigh. After that, except the week I spent at Hancock’s side for her delivery and the last month, I was alone on a deserted island.”
“By the way… This overcoat, where did you get it? It reminds me of…” started Usopp.
“OH! That’s Rick’s. He gave it to me before he stayed behind. Hancock had it patched up and resized for me.” answered Luffy spinning around, showing the clothes.
“I never understood why he didn’t buy a new one.” asked Chopper.
“He said because Nami wore it while naked.”  replied Luffy, completely mixing what Rick had told him about it.
““SAY WHAT?!”” yelled Sanji and Brook at the same time before jumping on their captain.
“GIVE IT TO ME!”
“HECK NO! IT’S MINE!”

The two perverts started a fight that was quickly put to an end by multiple love-punch from a tomato red Nami.

“Luffy is that it?” asked Robin.
“Yep.”
“Who’s next?” said Franky.
“Oh me!” replied Usopp.

For the next hour everyone spoke about their solo adventure. Zoro being trained by Mihawk, Usopp landing on a carnivorous island, Chopper with the natives he met… Sanji’s turn brought him a lot of sympathy, especially from Brook. Robin was the last to go.

“Wait a minute, you went back home? As in Ohara?” asked Usopp dumbfounded.
“Yes. The Revolution Army needed a place for their new Headquarters as they believed Baltigo was compromised. So on the promise that they wouldn’t change the landscape too much and keep it a secret I allowed them to create their new HQ there.” said Robin, prompting Nami to get closer and hug her sides.
“It must not have been easy.” she said.
“It wasn’t but not as much as I thought.” answered Robin with a sad smile.
“How so?” asked Chopper who somehow got into her lap.
“There was not a trace left of what the marines did. Rick cleaned everything and even built some habitations. It was perfect for the R.A., food was ready to be harvested, a mill was in working condition; it was like a normal island, just deserted.”
“Did you see…” started Nami hesitantly.
“My mother? Yes, I did. He made her a nice tombstone in a secluded and quiet place. She’s resting in peace in a beautiful place, that’s more than I have ever dreamt of for her. I always believed that she and everyone else would just … be there on the ground....” replied Robin still with her sad smile on.
“Man, the R.A must have had a field day!” said Franky trying to change the subject and lift up the mood a bit.
“You have no idea. Compared to their former HQ it was paradise for them. When I told them who did everything they lost it. They already respected Rick a lot but after that…”
“Oh my god! They thought he built everything for them?” exclaimed Nami.
“Not quite. They thought that he did all of this because he was preparing himself to deal with the world nobles.” she began.
“They had stars in their eyes, Nami. I- I couldn’t tell them the truth.” Robin finally laughed.

Once again, Nami looked around and finally saw the downward current leading to fishman island. She warned everyone, again, of the do and the don’t, which this time Luffy and Zoro listened to. That’s when their adventure really began. Fighting and taming a Kraken? Check! Almost being eaten by an anglerfish and saved by a water spirit? Check! Starting a fight against the water spirit? Double Check and bonus points since it was with the tamed kraken! Escaping an undermarine volcano eruption? Check too!

They went from near death experience to near death experience, until finally fishman island was in sight and after dealing with some hostile fishmen wearing Arlong’s tattoo, they entered the fishman island. Barely as they had used the last bit of air to get away and ended up in the sea, where everyone lost consciousness.