_________ POV Robin_________
I feel strange about leaving after going through so much with Enel and the Revolutionaries. But the only people I've made actual bonds with are Larthy and Enel...
Since training started, I wasn't able to spend a lot more time with Larthy, but at least I got to hear a lot about Olivia... About mother...
The more I learned about her, the more I realised that I knew almost nothing about her...
But I am not against learning more. And Larthy seemed to enjoy remembering things about her as well.
Then there is Enel...
Getting close to him has proven to be a staggeringly easy task... You'd think an Emperor would be difficult to talk to.
He may have acted cold at times, and maybe unapproachable sometimes... But that was only when he was not yet used to me.
Currently, he's mostly acting warm. Even responding to my teasing positively.
Teasing is fun and all, but he always keeps things from going too far, which I certainly appreciate.
I wouldn't mind taking things further with him, or at least seriously trying to...
I still am not sure if that's the right way to go about things... Enel clearly has a lot on his plate already.
From ruling the 'Marine-Revolutionary-Pirate Alliance' to waging war against the World Government...
I also have commitments and promises to keep. I can't shirk my duties either...
We both have a lot on our plates. Soon, we won't be able to spend any more time together either.
And yet... Why does my chest feel so tight? Did I really get that attached to him?
Living my life on the run at all times was difficult, I never really had the pleasure of building a relationship... I only did everything I could to survive and see another day.
Carrying the legacy of those that had fallen at Ohara was the only thing I cared for.
But now? Whenever I think about what I want to do, he comes to mind.
I still want to find the Rio Poneglyph, the one missing piece of the puzzle, so that I could have the entire history of the world laid bare before my eyes.
I have already formed a somewhat decent idea of what occurred in the Void Century, but without the Rio Poneglyph, I still didn't have the whole picture.
Too many things were missing. That is why Larthy keeps trying to find different interpretations of the information that we already have.
At that point, she is grasping at straws...
I need to focus on helping Luffy... Enel doesn't seem to be that interested in the One Piece, but that may be the final key to understanding the way everything went down...
So I can't afford to get too distracted now...
Still, I can at least indulge a bit with the little time we have left, can't I?
_________ POV Narration _________
Enel prepared everything for the journey, rations enough to last them for a few weeks, some extra clothing, and even some books to read.
He was prepared to travel for a bit, after all, he had quite a few places to visit.
Especially since he knew how much had happened in his 'absence'.
One matter of absolute importance was Francisco's report.
'Someone is cloning Xebec...'
It was certainly not a thought that brought joy to Enel.
There were a few culprits he could think of. All of them were former members of the MADS. But the most likely culprit that Enel could think of was none other than Vegapunk himself.
'Who else would've had access to Xebec's DNA after the World Government erased any evidence of his existence?'
Well, there was also the original Buckingham Stussy, who could potentially have the means to clone Xebec... But why would she go out of her way to clone someone she hated with a passion?
Enel already knew from Shiki that Stussy would've much faster slit her own throat much before trying to revive Xebec under any form.
So all signs pointed to only one person... Well, it was one person split into different bodies with varying personalities.
'I'll have to pay the old Scientist a visit... The Seraphims should be done by this point too, or at least they should be close to done, might be worth checking them out.'
But first things first...
"Are we ready, Enel?~" Robin was already on his ship, laying on a beach chair she had brought with her.
She claimed that a metallic one was far too uncomfortable for her soft behind.
Enel wasn't exactly against her bringing her own stuff. She didn't bring a mattress or anything to sleep on though.
And to quote her: "Well, since you're with me, I doubt we'll be sleeping much~"
Enel scowled at her words for a second, but he did appreciate her intentions.
She knew that he couldn't sleep while navigating the sky, so she was resolved to stay awake alongside him.
It was nice of her, although she could have put it in a less perverted way...
"We are ready for departure... Did you say goodbye to everybody?"
Robin nodded as she sighed a bit, reminiscing about the time she spent together with the people of the Sky Islands...
She had already gone and spoken to the Revolutionaries and the people she got along with.
Oven was a bit indisposed from the beating Enel gave him, but she also left him a 'get-well-soon' note.
"Let's get going then!"
Enel's ship then seemed to gain a life of its own, taking to the sky immediately as Enel sat down on a metallic chair and provided electricity to the whole ship.
"To Sabaody..." Enel muttered as he took one last look at the Sky Archipelago and sighed.
'I hope they manage to keep things together without me... Bah, who am I kidding? They can manage just fine...
Kinda sad that I didn't get to see Wyper, but he's still in the middle of his own secluded training, so I wouldn't want to disturb him...
I'll just come back to see how much stronger he's gotten!'
And so, the Emperor and Archeologist duo sailed through the skies.
The first few hours of the journey were spent mostly in silence, with Robin sunbathing.
She was wearing only a bikini, showcasing her tanned skin to the sky. Enel was the only one there to enjoy the view, but he didn't let himself get distracted by it for too long.
'Would be quite rude to ogle her... I'm pretty sure she wouldn't mind though.'
It was around that time that Robin decided to start up a conversation. She moved her chair closer to Enel's after noticing he had opened up a book.
"Hmm? Don't tell me that book is more interesting to look at than my body~" Robin's tone was about as seductive as she could get it.
At that point, it was hard for Enel to tell whether she was joking or not when doing stuff like that, so he just always assumed that she was joking.
So he just gave her a sideways glance and scratched his chin.
"You'd be surprised! Well, you wouldn't be since you also read a lot... But this is a pretty good book."
Robin simply nodded, losing some of her momentum from the way Enel had brushed her off.
'Maybe teasing him too often was a bad idea? He got too used to it...'
The Archeologist sighed as she shook her head and looked back at the book in Enel's hand.
"Oh, the legend of Mont Blanc Noland? That is a fun read!"
She immediately regained her enthusiasm.
The two of them then started reading the book together, talking about its events with an equal amount of interest.
And, despite the lack of teasing and jokes, Robin somehow felt like they were even closer in those moments...
So, she suggested they read another book... And then another one.
Before they realized it, day turned into night. But they didn't stop there.
Enel made sure they didn't lack light, using his body to emit a dim light, which was also providing warmth to Robin, who was somewhat cold by that point.
She smiled in appreciation, her head leaning on Enel's shoulder as the two of them kept going.
And day by day, they quickly ran out of books to read. Enel had only brought so many with him regrettably.
But Robin didn't want that moment to go away, she didn't want the spark to fade... And Enel seemed to agree, also finding the time they spent worthwhile.
So the two of them just started telling stories they remembered reading in the past.
A few days more passed like that, with the two of them engaging in heated debates regarding the books they had liked the most.
Slowly but surely, Robin was fully leaning on him, and her eyes becoming harder and harder to keep open.
Enel told her a story with a smile... A tale of two lovers on a Lakefront.
Separated by death, through stormy weather and endless waves, but never truly alone. A vow to meet on the other side, and to never bestow their hearts onto any other soul...
It was both a tragic and a heartwarming tale... With a sweet ending, a reunion...
And, as Robin listened to it, she quietly looked at the sunset... And finally fell asleep.
Enel noticed her dozing off, she was leaning on him fully, her chest rising and falling slowly.
He observed her for what felt like hours before his gaze finally rose to the starry sky. His hand reached out, almost as if he was trying to grasp the stars in his palm.
And eventually, a light shined towards his gaze, a glimpse of moonlight.
And then his gaze shifted to the forever-orbiting rock... It was there all along, and yet it had slipped his mind...
'Yes... The moon...'
His eyes widened as he watched the planet in the distance.
'How could I have forgotten... The place that Enel was supposed to go to...'
Yet another mark on the map that he needed to visit... The Emperor couldn't help but heave a tired sigh.
His eyes ended up wandering back to the person by his side... His gaze became relaxed.
'Whatever... I'll deal with whatever comes my way... Not like I am alone...'
And so, another week passed with much the same happening.
In the end, Robin ended up falling asleep in Enel's lap right before they reached Sabaody. The Emperor even wondered how they had reached that position...
Well, in truth, she was just seeking his warmth. And he didn't mind, nor did he raise any complaints...
Instead, he looked at the Sabaody Archipelago in the distance.
'I think we made it here first... I wonder how long the others will take to arrive... I'm also curious to see how much Luffy has grown.
Training with Ace must've had its own benefits. The despair that Kuma and Kizaru made them feel should've also done wonders to help him want to grow stronger...'
Enel parked his boat in a more secluded part of the island, he was sure that nobody noticed him.
He had descended from above the clouds into the shadows of a large tree and landed his boat on a few large branches.
Sabaody was not exactly a peaceful place now, protests were still happening, as the Government wasn't able to just kill everyone.
Well, they were able to do it. And it wouldn't exactly go against their ethics and morals or anything.
But if they did kill all protestors, they would run out of people to rule over. The only people not protesting against their rule on the streets were either too young or too old to do so.
A king without any subjects was not even a king at the end of the day.
At the same time, a King hated by his subjects was also not truly a king... Unless they had overwhelming power.
That was the only reason the Government were still the 'rulers' of the world...
'Not for long... They should know better than everybody... Nothing lasts forever in this world. It doesn't matter how big they are, that just means their fall will be more impactful...'
Enel just sighed and closed his eyes, the shade of the tree providing him with a blanket from the moonlight as he fell asleep for the first time in weeks.
__________________________________________________________________
Hope you liked the chapter!
Wasn't at home much, so I wasn't able to continue writing yesterday :( At least I managed to finish up the chapter today.
If u want to support me look up VeganMaster(Vegan Cult) on Patre_on, you'd also get 15 chapters in advance (or 10/5 depending on tier)
_________ POV Robin_________
I feel strange about leaving after going through so much with Enel and the Revolutionaries. But the only people I've made actual bonds with are Larthy and Enel...
Since training started, I wasn't able to spend a lot more time with Larthy, but at least I got to hear a lot about Olivia... About mother...
The more I learned about her, the more I realised that I knew almost nothing about her...
But I am not against learning more. And Larthy seemed to enjoy remembering things about her as well.
Then there is Enel...
Getting close to him has proven to be a staggeringly easy task... You'd think an Emperor would be difficult to talk to.
He may have acted cold at times, and maybe unapproachable sometimes... But that was only when he was not yet used to me.
Currently, he's mostly acting warm. Even responding to my teasing positively.
Teasing is fun and all, but he always keeps things from going too far, which I certainly appreciate.
I wouldn't mind taking things further with him, or at least seriously trying to...
I still am not sure if that's the right way to go about things... Enel clearly has a lot on his plate already.
From ruling the 'Marine-Revolutionary-Pirate Alliance' to waging war against the World Government...
I also have commitments and promises to keep. I can't shirk my duties either...
We both have a lot on our plates. Soon, we won't be able to spend any more time together either.
And yet... Why does my chest feel so tight? Did I really get that attached to him?
Living my life on the run at all times was difficult, I never really had the pleasure of building a relationship... I only did everything I could to survive and see another day.
Carrying the legacy of those that had fallen at Ohara was the only thing I cared for.
But now? Whenever I think about what I want to do, he comes to mind.
I still want to find the Rio Poneglyph, the one missing piece of the puzzle, so that I could have the entire history of the world laid bare before my eyes.
I have already formed a somewhat decent idea of what occurred in the Void Century, but without the Rio Poneglyph, I still didn't have the whole picture.
Too many things were missing. That is why Larthy keeps trying to find different interpretations of the information that we already have.
At that point, she is grasping at straws...
I need to focus on helping Luffy... Enel doesn't seem to be that interested in the One Piece, but that may be the final key to understanding the way everything went down...
So I can't afford to get too distracted now...
Still, I can at least indulge a bit with the little time we have left, can't I?
_________ POV Narration _________
Enel prepared everything for the journey, rations enough to last them for a few weeks, some extra clothing, and even some books to read.
He was prepared to travel for a bit, after all, he had quite a few places to visit.
Especially since he knew how much had happened in his 'absence'.
One matter of absolute importance was Francisco's report.
'Someone is cloning Xebec...'
It was certainly not a thought that brought joy to Enel.
There were a few culprits he could think of. All of them were former members of the MADS. But the most likely culprit that Enel could think of was none other than Vegapunk himself.
'Who else would've had access to Xebec's DNA after the World Government erased any evidence of his existence?'
Well, there was also the original Buckingham Stussy, who could potentially have the means to clone Xebec... But why would she go out of her way to clone someone she hated with a passion?
Enel already knew from Shiki that Stussy would've much faster slit her own throat much before trying to revive Xebec under any form.
So all signs pointed to only one person... Well, it was one person split into different bodies with varying personalities.
'I'll have to pay the old Scientist a visit... The Seraphims should be done by this point too, or at least they should be close to done, might be worth checking them out.'
But first things first...
"Are we ready, Enel?~" Robin was already on his ship, laying on a beach chair she had brought with her.
She claimed that a metallic one was far too uncomfortable for her soft behind.
Enel wasn't exactly against her bringing her own stuff. She didn't bring a mattress or anything to sleep on though.
And to quote her: "Well, since you're with me, I doubt we'll be sleeping much~"
Enel scowled at her words for a second, but he did appreciate her intentions.
She knew that he couldn't sleep while navigating the sky, so she was resolved to stay awake alongside him.
It was nice of her, although she could have put it in a less perverted way...
"We are ready for departure... Did you say goodbye to everybody?"
Robin nodded as she sighed a bit, reminiscing about the time she spent together with the people of the Sky Islands...
She had already gone and spoken to the Revolutionaries and the people she got along with.
Oven was a bit indisposed from the beating Enel gave him, but she also left him a 'get-well-soon' note.
"Let's get going then!"
Enel's ship then seemed to gain a life of its own, taking to the sky immediately as Enel sat down on a metallic chair and provided electricity to the whole ship.
"To Sabaody..." Enel muttered as he took one last look at the Sky Archipelago and sighed.
'I hope they manage to keep things together without me... Bah, who am I kidding? They can manage just fine...
Kinda sad that I didn't get to see Wyper, but he's still in the middle of his own secluded training, so I wouldn't want to disturb him...
I'll just come back to see how much stronger he's gotten!'
And so, the Emperor and Archeologist duo sailed through the skies.
The first few hours of the journey were spent mostly in silence, with Robin sunbathing.
She was wearing only a bikini, showcasing her tanned skin to the sky. Enel was the only one there to enjoy the view, but he didn't let himself get distracted by it for too long.
'Would be quite rude to ogle her... I'm pretty sure she wouldn't mind though.'
It was around that time that Robin decided to start up a conversation. She moved her chair closer to Enel's after noticing he had opened up a book.
"Hmm? Don't tell me that book is more interesting to look at than my body~" Robin's tone was about as seductive as she could get it.
At that point, it was hard for Enel to tell whether she was joking or not when doing stuff like that, so he just always assumed that she was joking.
So he just gave her a sideways glance and scratched his chin.
"You'd be surprised! Well, you wouldn't be since you also read a lot... But this is a pretty good book."
Robin simply nodded, losing some of her momentum from the way Enel had brushed her off.
'Maybe teasing him too often was a bad idea? He got too used to it...'
The Archeologist sighed as she shook her head and looked back at the book in Enel's hand.
"Oh, the legend of Mont Blanc Noland? That is a fun read!"
She immediately regained her enthusiasm.
The two of them then started reading the book together, talking about its events with an equal amount of interest.
And, despite the lack of teasing and jokes, Robin somehow felt like they were even closer in those moments...
So, she suggested they read another book... And then another one.
Before they realized it, day turned into night. But they didn't stop there.
Enel made sure they didn't lack light, using his body to emit a dim light, which was also providing warmth to Robin, who was somewhat cold by that point.
She smiled in appreciation, her head leaning on Enel's shoulder as the two of them kept going.
And day by day, they quickly ran out of books to read. Enel had only brought so many with him regrettably.
But Robin didn't want that moment to go away, she didn't want the spark to fade... And Enel seemed to agree, also finding the time they spent worthwhile.
So the two of them just started telling stories they remembered reading in the past.
A few days more passed like that, with the two of them engaging in heated debates regarding the books they had liked the most.
Slowly but surely, Robin was fully leaning on him, and her eyes becoming harder and harder to keep open.
Enel told her a story with a smile... A tale of two lovers on a Lakefront.
Separated by death, through stormy weather and endless waves, but never truly alone. A vow to meet on the other side, and to never bestow their hearts onto any other soul...
It was both a tragic and a heartwarming tale... With a sweet ending, a reunion...
And, as Robin listened to it, she quietly looked at the sunset... And finally fell asleep.
Enel noticed her dozing off, she was leaning on him fully, her chest rising and falling slowly.
He observed her for what felt like hours before his gaze finally rose to the starry sky. His hand reached out, almost as if he was trying to grasp the stars in his palm.
And eventually, a light shined towards his gaze, a glimpse of moonlight.
And then his gaze shifted to the forever-orbiting rock... It was there all along, and yet it had slipped his mind...
'Yes... The moon...'
His eyes widened as he watched the planet in the distance.
'How could I have forgotten... The place that Enel was supposed to go to...'
Yet another mark on the map that he needed to visit... The Emperor couldn't help but heave a tired sigh.
His eyes ended up wandering back to the person by his side... His gaze became relaxed.
'Whatever... I'll deal with whatever comes my way... Not like I am alone...'
And so, another week passed with much the same happening.
In the end, Robin ended up falling asleep in Enel's lap right before they reached Sabaody. The Emperor even wondered how they had reached that position...
Well, in truth, she was just seeking his warmth. And he didn't mind, nor did he raise any complaints...
Instead, he looked at the Sabaody Archipelago in the distance.
'I think we made it here first... I wonder how long the others will take to arrive... I'm also curious to see how much Luffy has grown.
Training with Ace must've had its own benefits. The despair that Kuma and Kizaru made them feel should've also done wonders to help him want to grow stronger...'
Enel parked his boat in a more secluded part of the island, he was sure that nobody noticed him.
He had descended from above the clouds into the shadows of a large tree and landed his boat on a few large branches.
Sabaody was not exactly a peaceful place now, protests were still happening, as the Government wasn't able to just kill everyone.
Well, they were able to do it. And it wouldn't exactly go against their ethics and morals or anything.
But if they did kill all protestors, they would run out of people to rule over. The only people not protesting against their rule on the streets were either too young or too old to do so.
A king without any subjects was not even a king at the end of the day.
At the same time, a King hated by his subjects was also not truly a king... Unless they had overwhelming power.
That was the only reason the Government were still the 'rulers' of the world...
'Not for long... They should know better than everybody... Nothing lasts forever in this world. It doesn't matter how big they are, that just means their fall will be more impactful...'
Enel just sighed and closed his eyes, the shade of the tree providing him with a blanket from the moonlight as he fell asleep for the first time in weeks.
__________________________________________________________________
Hope you liked the chapter!
Wasn't at home much, so I wasn't able to continue writing yesterday :( At least I managed to finish up the chapter today.
If u want to support me look up VeganMaster(Vegan Cult) on Patre_on, you'd also get 15 chapters in advance (or 10/5 depending on tier)
