Chapter 92: Our journey isn’t perfect, but it’s ours…And I’ll stick with you ’til the end

"W-what?"

Violet couldn't believe her ears. Her enemy, who she tricked, captured, violated his privacy by reading his mind and finally beat up, was asking the name of the man she wanted gone for so long. She did not understand.

" I said I would help you so I'll help you."
" Why ? "
" Because it's the right thing to do?"
" Riiiight" said Violet with a dubious face.
" I'm serious but if you feel indebted to me, take your time to think about what to give me when I'm done with the job."
" …"
" …"
"Doflamingo…I want you to kill Doflamingo. "

Rick released and landed her on the ground.

"That's your ex ? Doflamingo ? " asked Rick in surprise. Fake surprise.
"YES! NO! I mean…"

He was dumbfounded. That was a joke.

" That's not why I want you to kill him ! "
" You know, if the guy was some random dude and innocent, I wouldn't have gone for it but Doflamingo? The ruler of Dressrosa ? I'm in! For my own reason though, What's yours ?"
" …"
" So he really was that bad in the bedroom?"
"He took my father's throne and plunged the country into darkness. In a single night everything went to hell because of him." confessed Violet with tears in her eyes.
" You …You're the daughter of the former king? "

He didn't remember that.

" My name is Viola Riku, eldest daughter of the former king Doldo Riku the third."
" Okay …Tell me everything."

~~~~~

" Sooo…He's a Celestial Dragon?"
" Former."
" Well, one more reason for me to kill him."
" Why? "
" I have a big problem with them."
" Which is ? "
" They exist."
"…"
"..."
"That’s it?"
"That’s it."
"I just told you my life story and you gave me a two word answer in exchange?" Violet, or Viola, since it was her real name replied in an irritated tone.
"You’re the one who needs my help. Not the other way around, so I don’t really have to share."
"Oh you’re going to play it like that?"
"What do I get for telling you?"
"Get? Where is the man who told me 'because it’s the right thing to do?' "
"Helping you and giving you my reasons are two different things."
"Fine! Keep it to yourself, I don’t care anymore!"
"A kiss."
"What?!"
"That's the price."
"In your dreams, pig. "
"It’s your choice. Doesn't matter to me."

Rick walked out of the warehouse and Violet followed him.

“Wait.” he said as he stopped suddenly, making her bump onto his back.
“Dofus is out of town right now, right?”
“Dofus?”
“Doflamingo.”
“He… He left for his meeting with Trafalgar law.” replied Viola, unsettled by the nickname Rick has given Doflamingo.
“Goooooood.” said Rick with a wicked smile.
“I don’t like that smile you’re having.”
“You should.” he answered and began to walk again.
“Why… Dofus?”
“Because he let you go. I mean it’s not everyday you get to find and date a woman like you."
"Like me?" asked Viola, an eyebrow raised, waiting for the bullshit she had heard so often.
"You know, pretty face, big bouncy and juicy tiddies and legs so tasty people could start a religion about them." He replied nonchalantly without even looking in her direction.
"..."

She didn’t know what to respond. So many men had flirted with her, had courted her. Every compliment, every flowery words that one could say to flatter her…She has heard. But this? Such blunt language? It never happened, not like that, not said with total disinterest in the voice. Yet he had kissed her against her will while restrained and asked for another kiss afterwards, his seduction for, admittedly, his wife… Nothing made sense. He didn’t make sense.

"Start a religion?"
"Hmm?"
"You said I have legs so tasty people could start a religion about them."
"I did."
"You’re the worst flirt I ever met."
"I wasn’t flirting, I’m married remember? Which is proof enough that I’m not the worst at it."

Viola didn't have any retort to that. Both kept silent and made their way towards the palace. As they got closer she saw something concerning his crew and shared with him.

“A huge lightning bolt just hit your ship.”
“Okay.” he replied nonplussed.
“Okay? Your ship and probably your crewmates were hit by a lightning bolt and that’s all you have to say?”
“It’s probably my kitten who got pissed.”
“Your kit… I get it now, you’re insane! Right? Dear lord, I asked for help from a mad man, he has more screws loose than anything.” she lamented.
“And that’s probably why my friends and I will be successful in taking down Dofus while everyone else failed.”
“What do you mean?”
“Because you all thought inside the box to fight Dofus, you failed to find the possibilities which he would not predict and would work. Just wait and see by the end of the day he’ll be gone.”
“The more you talk the less I trust your ability to do it.”
“Want to bet on it?”
“...”
“Good thinking you would have lost.”
“That’s my life you’re talking about! If you fail to kill Doffy I’m dead too.”
“Now, now; I can’t let that happen. Robin would kill me if I got a bombshell like you killed.”
“Robin?”
“My wife. So you see, I’m even more motivated now. Though Doffus being an ass was enough. Celestial dragon or not.”

Viola didn’t speak anymore as talking with him was giving her a headache. She silently prayed to any god listening that she hadn’t been wrong to put all her hopes on this man and his friends.
Twenty minutes later, after they had made their way from across town they finally arrived at the royal palace as fast as they could without being seen by the Donquixote family’s members.

“Okay we’re here… Any knowledge of a secret entrance would be helpful right now.”
“There is none. The only other way is through the smile factory but it’s under the palace. What is your plan anyway?”
“To begin with, my objective was to destroy the smile factory.”
“It’s under the palace, deep underground.”
“Who’s inside the place right now?”
“Mainly low rank grunts. Pica, Baby-5 and Gladius.”
“The ones you named, are they important?”
“Pica is one of the three elite officers of the family. Directly under Doffy. He ate Ishi Ishi no mi, above 4m in height, very very muscular and go berserk if someone makes a comment about his voice.”
“His voice?”
“Despite his size his voice is very high pitched.”
“How high pitched are you talking about here?”
“Soprano high.”
“... Dude shouldn’t have used steroïds.”
“What?”
“Neverming, what about the others?”
“Gladius ate the Pamu Pamu no mi, there is not much to say about him.”
“And the last one?”
“Baby-5 ate Buki Buki no mi and she’s…”
“She’s what?”
“Nevermind it’s irrelevant.”
“If you say so… So a Stone man who abused steroids while growing up, a rupture man who can blow up everything inanimate he touches and a full-body weapon woman who can turn into any weapon she desires… The last one could be a probem.”
“Baby-5? Not Pica?” Viola asked, confused.
“That Pica is not a logia, meaning he needs to be in contact with stone to use his power, I can deal easily with him, same for the other guy. Her… She can turn in any weapon like a bomb. I can survive that… probably… but I can’t counter it.” replied Rick as he paced around thinking of a plan of action. Viola just observed him, that was a new side of him she was discovering. Being all serious, that was definitely new.

“Ok, I’ve got a plan. You enter the palace, take your time to make your way up, but not too much time, with information on me.”
“On you?”
“Yes, on me. Like you saw me in town taking care of some weak members of the family, or something like that. Whatever, improvise. That way it won’t blow your cover up.”
“How much time do you need?”
“Five minutes.”
“Five minutes what can you…”
“That’s for me to know. Now go!”

Viola began making her way out of the small alley they hid in before being stopped.
“Wait!”

She turned around to see what he had to say. Turned out Rick didn’t have anything to say and just grabbed her by the waist with one hand, grabbed her thigh with the other and gave her another kiss.

“For luck, or just in case I die.” he said with a smirk before taking the air and breaking in through a window on the highest floor. Viola was too shocked to react in time and began running towards the palace’s entrance, her face redder than a tomato. Was it anger or something else? Nobody knew, not even her.


~~~~~

Rick broke through the window and immediately took action sprouting hands on the floor and the ceiling and capturing Pica and Gladius in mid-air unable to do anything.However Baby-5 was fast enough to transform her arm into a cannon but he directly restrained her with arms all over her body.

“Greetings people! I’m a tourist searching for someone to guide me to the smile factory, does anyone know where it is?”
“AS IF WE WOULD GUIDE A SCUM LI…” Gladius couldn’t finish what he was saying as an arm sprouted and kept his mouth shut.
“Now that was rude, so you’re being muted indefinitely.” As he was joking around Baby-5 transformed into a blade by passing Rick hold and tried to attack him but was flatten to the ground and reverted to her human form.

“Feisty! I like it. Now congratulations to the cute lady in a maid outfit for volunteering. That’s very brave! The world needs more people like that. Now what I need, is you showing me the way if you please.”
“O-okay.” she said blushing.
“Baby-...” began Pika in his high pitched voice but got silenced too just like Gladius.
“Don’t worry I won’t hurt your friends. I only need you.”
“I-it’s this way.” she said, blushing even more.

She led Rick outside the room and into a very long corridor. Reaching the end of it was an elevator. They got inside and Baby-5 pushed the lever toward the basement floor.

“T-the smile factory is underground.”

“And here I thought I would have to fight or something. She’s surprisingly docile.”
“Do you need me for anything else?” she asked fidgeting.
“No thank you.”
“Are you sure you don’t need me anymore? Anything, I’ll do anything!”

“What the… Oh my goddess! It’s the need girl! That’s why she’s like that!”

Remembering who Baby-5 was, Rick thought about the situation. Her devil fruit’s abilities were no joke.

“If Franky could have eaten that devil fruit he would have been a force to reckon with. That’s too … Wait a minute, I can use her! She’d be very useful! Come on Rick, play your cards right!”

“Thank you… Baby-5? Your name is Baby-5 right?”
“It is!” she said with a smile.
“You seem very competent at assisting people. Is that why you’re wearing a maid outfit?”
“Yes! I always help people in need!”
“Correct me if I’m wrong but since you ate the buki buki no mi, you must be very proficient and knowledgeable with weapons?”
“I am! I couldn’t turn into them otherwise.” she answered proudly.
“Then you’re perfect for the job!”
“A job? What job?”
“You see, a friend of mine is an inventor and he loves to build new weapons. He needs an assistant though as he has so much work. I’m sure you’ll be able to help him.”
“Really?!” she asked, her eyes full of hope.
“Yes, though I said assistant, but you would actually be more like a wife. You know, helping with his work but also being careful that he does not exhaust himself and let his health deteriorate.”
“W-wife?!”
“Yes. He’s a nice guy, alway needing something or someone to help. Are you interested ?”
“YES!”
“That’s great!”
“Where can I meet your friend?”
“He’s in town. I don’t know exactly where but he’s easy to recognize. He’s around 2m40, has azur hair, and his haircut is really eccentric. And you know what the best part about him is?”
“No?!”
“He turned himself into a robot with plenty of weapons!”
“No way!”.
At this point Baby-5 had hearts in her eyes.

“Finding a wife for Franky? Checked.”

“His name is Franky, if you happen to see him tell him that Rick sent you to him, okay?”
“Okay!”

The elevator stopped at the basement floor, the door opened and just as he exited, Baby-5 tried to follow him.

“That’s okay, I can find my way on my own now. But my friend, he really needs you right now so you should probably look for him.  Oh! He might be a bit suspicious so don’t hesitate to show him your abilities.”

Baby-5 nodde and took the elevator back to the first floor.

“Now if Franky isn’t completely dumb he’ll take care of her.”

With the cyborg’s possible future wife now gone, Rick turned around and saw a window. Getting closer he had a good view of the place. It was a huge underground forest, around what he thought was a tower that he was currently in. Beyond the forest were wooden boxes from different sizes and several buildings, some of them having been destroyed recently.

“ Someone fought there. I better be careful and sneak around.”

He went through the window and floated quickly to the ground. The forest wasn’t actually a forest after all. The trees were organized in rows and columns perfectly, and small dwarves were picking weird fruits from them. They clearly weren’t doing this willingly as a human guard was there with a whip in his hand. He observed the field and found a path that would allow him to sneak without being seen. Finally arriving at the buildings’ area he stayed hidden and bloomed eyes on top of them. He saw a lot of toys, some broken and some not. He was about to move to another location when he felt something pull on his leg. Looking down he saw a little doll.

“Oh my! Aren’t you a cutie!” he said.

The doll waved a hand to signal him to come closer. He kneeled to do so  thinking the doll wanted to be picked up but he was wrong. The cute toy grabbed his left hand and showed it to him.

“What the… Okay who did that? That’s not a funny joke.” he exclaimed after seeing a ring on his ring finger. That had made him frown.
“Was it Usopp? Luffy? Seriously putting a wedding ring on me… There is little chance someone would genuinely love a broken thing like me to the point of marriage. And even if it happened I’d need to trust that lady completely; I don’t see that happening in this life.”

He removed the ring and dropped it on the ground. Patting the doll head he went back to what he was doing before being interrupted. Deciding on a way to go he was stopped again by the doll. This time she hugged his leg.

“Sweety look. You’re very cute and all but unless you know where the smile factory is, I can’t stay with you.” The doll answered with simple hand movements.

“You know where it is?” Rick asked, astonished as the doll nodded.
“Can you show me the way?”

The toy lifted her arms up and made some jumps. Understanding what it wanted, he picked it up and put it on his shoulder. The doll presented him with the ring.

“You can keep it, who knows maybe someday you’ll find a partner to give it to?”

The doll retracted her arms, still holding the ring and lowered her head.

“Don’t be like that. You’re cute and you’re smart, I’m sure plenty of guys would court you!”

Clearly not interested in this conversation anymore, the little thing pointed towards a direction. Walking towards it he suddenly felt immense pain in his forearms, making him stop. The doll seemed worried as she touched his face.

“Don’t worry, someone just cut the arms I left on the surface. The pain will go away soon.”

“That means, someone freed Pica and Gladius. Dammit I should have left an eye there to watch.”

Finally he heard some commontio up ahead and moved faster. He found Usop being badly beaten and a ten years old child trying to feed him something while his friend was being held by black bear toys. Just as Usopp raised his hand to swat what the little girl was holding, from his hiding place Rick used his gravity and violently pushed the girl away. She collided head first with the wall who then fell on top of her. Under his very eyes the toys began to take human form.

“What the…”

He finished his sentence as he was hugged fiercely from behind.

“You idiot…” said the person holding him into a death grip, while resting their head in the crook of his neck.
“R-Ro?”

Robin didn’t answer and just stayed like she was.

“How did you…”
“I was the doll.”
“The doll?”

Letting go of him she moved so she could face him.

“Yes, I was transformed into it when the girl you knocked out touched me. Since she’s unconscious now she can’t maintain her abilities, and everyone who she has touched turned back to normal.”
“I don’t know that fruit. Making someone into toys that’s…”
“That’s not all she could do. She could force a contract upon the toys and make them her slave, but the most horrific part of her abilities is that people turned into toys are forgotten by everyone.”

As she finished her explanation, she took his left hand in hers and put his wedding ring at the tip of his ring finger, not putting it back.

“Robin…”
“I’m sorry.”
“You don’t…”
“I’m sorry I hurt you. I didn’t mean to but I did it nonetheless. I should have known better. I’m sorry to have let you down, when you just wanted to protect me.”
“I.. I was jealous too, so it wasn’t your fault. I reacted badly. I just… I just can’t stand… Gosh I spent too much time with my ex, I became as obsessive as she was, if not worse.” realized Rick.
“That’s alright. I love you the way you are, and I won’t change a thing about you if I could, not for anything in the world, because you wouldn’t be the man I fell in love with anymore.
“Robin…”
“The only question is do you trust me, do you trust my love enough?” she asked, looking at him in the eyes, searching for something.

“You love her more than anything you idiot, and now with your stupid lies and acions you hurt her. Just because you couldn’t just say you’re an obsessive and possessive asshole. Enough!”

Rick didn’t break eye contact as he used his right hand to grab one of hers. The one holding his wedding ring to be precise and with one single motion, without any hesitation pulled on it, putting back the ring where it belonged.

Robin had a happy smile on her face and was crying tears of joy. She jumped into her husband's arms, locked her legs behind his lower back  and kissed him deeply. By reflex Rick took her ass in his hands to hold her.
They broke the kiss and smiled stupidly at each other. That didn’t last as Robin frowned and slapped his face hard!

“That’s for avoiding me for four days!” she said in an angry and cold tone.
“I’m sorry. I just… I was too ashamed among other things.”
“It’s alright, Nami told me. WE’re going to get through this together.”
“I can’t really ask you to help with my daughter.”
“ Our daughter.”
“Our?”
“Yes; you, me and Hancock. I mean, I’d be Lynda’s step mother soon after all.”
“You.. You’re okay with me marrying her? I mean, I told her that in the spur of the moment to calm her down.”
“I’m fine with it. I’m the first. I’ll always be the first. That’s all that matters.”
“You know… Sometimes, I wonder if of the two of us, you’re not, in truth, the crazy one.”
“We both are. I’m as crazy about you as you are about me.”
“... Doubtful.” he whispered before getting another loving kiss.
“You’ll see one day.” she grinned
“Oh, I can’t wait.” he grinned back.

They just stayed like they were seeing the love in each other until Rick started to fondle her ass.

“You couldn’t help yourself…” said Robin with a deadpan face.
“You know I can’t, not after being away from it for weeks! And that dress didn’t make it any easier.” he replied as he slid his hands under the very short dress, touching her perfect bubble butt.
“You like it?”
“I love it! You’re definitely keeping it on for a few rounds tonight.”
“Only if you don’t rip it.”
“You got yourself a deal, dear wife.” he joked, pecking her on the lips.
“YOU HEARD HIM?! GOD USOPP WILL LEAD US TO SALVATION!”

Turning their head to the side, they saw something they didn’t expect. Usopp was held up high in the air by a giant as the light of the sun descended upon him.

“GOD USOPP!”
“GOD USOPP!”
“GOD USOPP!”

Robin and Rick looked at each other.

“What is happening?” asked the former.
“I think they believed he defeated Sugar, turning everyone back into human.”
“So I do the job, he reaps the credit?”
“Pretty much.”
“You know what? It’s fine. If it can boost his self-esteem a bit, I’m okay with it. Not like I could prove it was me.”
“Uh-huh. You’re mainly interested in the birth of a new religion and how it will go from here.”
“Noooo…” he answered but Robin looked at him with a ‘don’t bullshit me face’.”
“Maybe?” he tried but she still made the same face.
“Okay yes!” he confessed, making her smile.
“Now we just have to destroy the smile factory.” she said, changing subject.
“That’s the big building over there?” asked Rick pointing at an edifice farther ahead.
“Yes.”
“Well, No sooner said than done.” he replied, sprouting hands all over the factory and using his gravity with each one of them.
The walls were torn apart from multiple and opposite sources of high gravity and the building crumbled.

“ROBIN!!!” came a yell from behind the couple.

Both turned around just in time for an orange missile to collide with the brunette.
“Ko-Koala?” Robin asked, surprised.

The only answer she got was a nod of the head right in her cleavage.

“Friend or conquest?” the ex-marine asked his wife.
“Hmmm… Work in Progress?”
“Conquest?” asked the young girl raising her head from Rick’s favorite pillows.
She gasped in shock when she saw Rick!

“MESSIAH!” she yelled and jumped on him hugging him.
“Koala! That’s inappropriate!” called out a blond man with a scar over his left eye area, accompanied by a fishman; the two of them making their way towards the couple.

Koala let go of Rick and apologized profusely while bowing.

“I… have so many questions right now.” stated the strawhats vice-captain.
“Hi! This over-excited girl is Koala and my friend here is Hack, my name is Sabo. '' said the blond man extending his hand for a handshake that Rick took.

“Sabo? As in Ace and Luffy’s elder brother? He’s alive?”

“Well that answers the ‘who are you’ question that I had, partly.”
“We’re members of the Revolution Army.” said Koala.
“What is the R.A. doing here?”
“Doflamingo is an underground arms dealer and everything comes from here. So we came to put a stop to it.” answered Hack.
“I see. With our crew fighting Doflamingo you were free to act.”
“More or less.” replied Sabo.
“More or less?”
“Sabo ditch the mission for a while so he could meet with Luffy.” answered Koala.
“You know Luffy?” Rick said, feigning surprise.
“Of course, he’s my little brother!” was said with a big smile on Sabo’s face.
“By the way, here.”

Sabo picked something from his coat’s inside pocket and gave it to Rick.

“That’s… the eternal pose to Lodestar.”
“Lodestar?!” asked Robin, surprised.
“Or so the Doflamingo family says.” replied Sabo.

Rick looked at Sabo with fondness.

“Finally a brother who’s not causing trouble but is helpful to me.”
“Brother?” said Sabo, confused.
“Ace kinda adopted me almost three years ago, then I met Luffy and it turned out that the man who raised me and that I consider my grandfather is actually Luffy’s grandfather.”
“Wow. This is such a small world!” replied the blond, amazed.
“You’re brother with the Messiah! That’s amazing!” yelled Koala in excitement while being back into Robin’s embrace.
“Okay… what’s up with this messiah thing?”
“That’s how the members of the R.A. refer to you.” said Robin with an amused grin.
“... Why?”
“Because you’re awesome!” declared Koala switching from Robin to Rick once again.
“I don’t get it.”
“You were the one who showed the world that celestial dragons were not gods, and that the World Government was corrupt. Your last stand at Marine Ford inspired a lot of people to stand up and fight for their freedom.” explained Hack.

“If I may ask, how did you survive? The navy said you succumbed to your wounds after fighting ten vice-admiral and fleet admiral Akainu?” asked Sabo.
“Well that’s bullshit, I didn’t succumb to my wound after fighting those guys. I did it after fighting Garp Tsuru and Sengoku.”

Rick implied that he died and that was not missed by the R.A trio who had a doubtful face. Thankfully Robin came to the rescue.

“Yes, he died. And he came back, remember that plant I was growing?”
“How could I forget it? You brought it everywhere with you.” said Koala.
“That plant was actually….” began Robin.

The story didn’t take long but Koala had many questions.

“Koala…”
“Yes?” she asked, still hugging Rick.
“Can you let go of me? I’ll keep you forever otherwise.”

That made Robin tick. She slapped the back of his head and pulled her friend off of him.

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t try to steal my husband.”
“Hu-hus-husband?!!!” scream the orange headed girl.
““You’re married?”” said Hack and Sabo, astonished.
“Since a month ago, approximately.” replied Robin.

Koala had a big smile on her face and hugged them both. Rick looked at his wife with pleading eyes.
“No.”
“Robin…”
“No.”
“Come on, let's keep her!”
“NO!”
“You’re no fun.” pouted Rick.
“Keep me for what?” asked a curious Koala.
“ Passionate se…” he couldn’t finish his sentence as Robin just kissed him.
“We don’t talk about that.”
“Yes, my queen.” replied Rick giving her a kiss back.

“That’s too bad, she seems like she would be fun in our bed.”

As the girl who was lucky to get away from Rick’s clutches was about to speak, Doflamingo made an announcement in real time with a video den den mushi.

The real fight was about to begin.