Chapitre 59: Chapter 30: Robin and Rosan 2
His emotions were… gone? That's why he wasn't the same lovable boy that he used to be? And this virus played part in not only that… But it was aware enough to use Robin to exploit Rosan.
"What happened?" She asked softly, worry dominating her at the sorrowful expression on Mod's frame and the tired sigh Rosan let out.
"During my time captured… I met someone named Meiko," Rosan said quietly. "She was able to see through me in a way that no one else could and we had a synergy that seemed like we had known each other for years… We fell in love but I messed up one day and she died in my arms."
Mod sniffed at that and immediately turned to a downcast Ram for comfort.
Even without emotions, Rosan would never be able to hide the pain and Robin immediately wrapped him in a hug, rubbing a soothing hand through his hair.
"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," she whispered. "I… to have someone you love die in your arms… If you died in mine, I don't... You're stronger then you think Rosan for pushing on."
To say Rosan was stunned, would be an understatement. The redhead looked at Robin with an almost confused gaze and tilted his head to the left.
"You still… you still love me?" He asked quietly, not believing his ears.
But why? Why would she claim to love him? He wasn't getting it.
"I don't understand... I wronged you. In thinking that you betrayed me, I ended up being the one who betrayed you. No matter the circumstances, that was unforgivable for me to pin the blame on 13 year old you," he told her in confusion.
"Of course I still love you," Robin said without hesitation. So he really was being incredibly self critical... it was a good thing Mod was here because Robin was very sure Rosan would have taken full blame for what he did.
"You didn't intentionally decide to blame me, Rosan. There's a virus messing with you and doing who knows what and it caused you to turn on me. The fact that even though you have no emotions, I can still feel how guilty you are is enough for me."
"..." Rosan exhaled slightly and she sighed.
"How long did you "hate" me for?" She asked softly.
"...Around a year until Meiko made me realize how stupid I was," he replied truthfully.
This Meiko sounded precious already. Robin was sad she'd never get to meet her.
"So the virus only made you hate me for a year and you spent the next 15 drowning in guilt... Don't you think thats punishment enough?" Robin asked wisely. "You shouldn't be the one to decide what your punishment is. Seeing as I'm the one who was wronged, I should decide and I think you've suffered more then enough."
She squeezed him reassuringly and stared into his empty gaze. A gaze so completely unlike the Rosan she knew but still being a gaze that belonged to him. Robin wanted nothing more then to restore his emotions and she couldn't do that by letting him think he deserved more punishment from her.
"Don't you remember that time we talked when you had a nightmare? I made a promise to never turn my back on you, even if the whole world was against you. I already lost you once and I'm not going to lose you again even if you try and push me away," she decided strongly, burying herself in his frame.
She was passive, it was something Rosan teased her about nonstop. As a form of revenge, she decided to only be active when it came to him and eventually, it just became the norm. She wouldn't stand here and let Rosan destroy himself for no reason at all.
Mod and Ram looked at Robin with wonder in their eyes, eyes sparkling as someone actually talked down Rosan.
Rosan couldn't blame them because he couldn't believe what she was saying.
How were Ace and Robin able to forgive him so easily? These two were the some of the last people on the planet who should forgive him, yet they had accepted him back into their lives despite everything... even claiming to love him.
Even Meiko, who he had taken everything from, had ended up falling in love with him. Even after he pushed and pushed, she pushed back.
Why? What did his loved ones see in him that he couldn't. How could they all so confidently claim to love him despite his numerous mistakes...?
Was he… was he really a person worth forgiving? Ace, Meiko, Robin… he had done unforgivable things to them but yet, they still loved him anyways.
Maybe he was worth it. Maybe he needed to work on seeing what they all saw.
Mod let out a gasp, as one layer, out of three, of the chains wrapped tightly around the castle, loosened up and disappeared. She chanced a glance over at Rosan and tears fell freely at seeing the faint glow in his eyes.
Had… Had a majority of his lingering guilt vanished? Did he finally get it through his thick skull that he was far more amazing then he gave himself credit for? Was the castle operating on the same level of stubbornness that Rosan was?
The redhead wrapped both arms around Robin and pulled her close to him, squeezing her with all his might. "I missed you so damn much, Robin," he said warmly, taking in everything about her and marvelling at how much things changed and stayed the same. "I can't believe I let myself think for even a second that you didn't care about me anymore. I'm so stupid."
Robin laughed a watery laugh as she heard his tone and returned the embrace with equal fervor. "For such a genius, you can also be really stupid but that's why you have Mod-chan and I and now Ram too. We'll make up for what you lack."
"Thank you for putting up with me," he said truthfully.
Ram and Mod couldn't resist and soon they were all hugging each other, much to Robin's surprise. Despite her shock, she didn't break it and decided she deserved the warmth that they all emanated.
It was a good thing she heeded Rosan's request and kept on living. Now she was back with the person who made her day brighter just by existing.
Eventually they broke the hug and Rosan glanced back at the castle. One chain was gone now and he could already feel the effects. It was faint, but Rosan could actually feel some of his emotions seeping through the castle now.
He grunted at the black and purple figure leaping on him and steadied Mod, eyes going soft as she wrapped her arms around his neck and cried.
"Your eyes are glowing a little and you have some emotion in your tone!" Mod sobbed happily, feeling like she were on Cloud Nine. "I knew it! I just knew it was possible to save you again!"
Proof was right in front of her! Rosan had admitted to missing Robin with such a warm tone that it couldn't be faked! Her little boy was still there and dammit she'd do everything to get him fully back no matter what.
The Devil Child couldn't keep the bright smile off her face at how hopeful Mod looked and knew that this had been eating away at her for years. She was Rosan's guardian after all and knowing that she failed to protect something of his, must have completely destroyed her.
Rosan wasn't so sure if he should do this but he already made up his mind to tell her everything and there was an easy way to do so... even if it might be terrible to witness.
"Robin, do you want to see my memories? I want to show you everything important," Rosan said, grabbing her attention.
She thought about it, before nodding. It had been a long time since they had seen each other and Robin wanted to see parts of his life that she had missed.
"Fair warning, some parts are very… gruesome but this is a great way to show you how much I've changed and... what happened to me. I know how much you care about me so this might really hurt to witness."
"I... I need to see this. I have to know what happened to you and... I have a strong stomach," she assured.
Rosan flashed her a reserved smile on that handsome face and squeezed her reassuringly.
Robin returned the smile on her beautiful face and sunk into him.
Ram's eyes gleamed at watching their interactions. Her head rapidly shifted from her Father's face to Robin's own and her grin widened more and more, sharp fangs glinting.
Yes, this woman was the perfect mother! Ram would make her accept every facet of that title at all costs and that meant making magic happen!
Mod watched that psychotic gleam with an amused smile, shaking her head at the antics of her niece.
Let Ram do what she wanted to do, it's not like the woman had a problem with it. In fact… Mod would actually prefer this outcome because Rosan was incredibly loyal so he wouldn't entertain…
Yes, this would do just fine.
Mod-chan used to mention that she had seen all of Rosan's memories and Robin guessed this is how she had managed to do it.
The room where Rosan's memories were stored, reminded her of an advanced theater and she was sure that the stylish redhead had a hand in how nice everything looked.
There was a large screen that probably would be displaying his memories and many plush looking seats.
"I'll be showing you all the important memories, starting from when we first got separated. Just… be warned," Rosan told her, fixing her with a slightly concerned gaze.
"When you want me to stop, we'll stop and we won't be watching them all in one sitting. Every time we sleep, we can come here. to continue"
Robin was flattered that he was concerned for her but she had already made up her mind to watch the memories.
"I'll be fine, Rosan."
They all sat next to each other, with Robin sitting in between Ram and Rosan, while Mod sat atop the redhead.
Rosan was slightly surprised that Ram wasn't directly on top of him but shrugged it off.
Good for her making a new friend. For someone with such an outgoing personality, Ram was surprisingly antisocial... content to just spend a majority of her time with Mod despite being able to transform into a human.
Perhaps he should force her to come out in human form more.
Ram smiled brightly at Robin, who returned a smaller one and the silver haired woman got as close as she could and grabbed the Devil Child's hand.
Robin just assumed that the woman was similar to the old Rosan in many ways and as a result, she was just as touchy as the redhead who adored contact. She didn't rebuff her efforts and even squeezed back because it was kind of adorable.
The ring grinned even wider and hummed delightfully.
Mod herself, was already squeezing her eyes shut and burying herself in Rosan's frame, turning her entire back to the screen. She hated viewing his memories of when he was trapped on Daybreak. It reminded her of how useless she had been while he suffered.
Rosan squeezed her reassuringly and wrapped an arm around her, adjusting her abit so she could be comfortably seated despite her big dress.
"Alright… Modification: Stream," Mod intoned, holding out her hands and focusing on the screen before them.
Robin watched with bated breath as the large flat screen flashed with life, beginning the memory from immediately after Rosan was awoken on Daybreak.
"Rosan's still not back?" Nami mused, checking her log pose and making sure they were on the right path.
It had been nearly a full day now since he had vanished with Miss All Sunday and they still hadn't shown up...
"Nah, we didn't see him yet," Zoro grunted, unbothered by the situation. The redhead was probably located in his castle with the agent and the swordsman himself had been frequenting that area often these past few days.
Even if Robin ended up betraying him, he saw no way to escape from that place and Rosan didn't look easy to kill at all.
He completely healed from literal lightning after all. He'd be fine.
Sanji took out a puff of his cigarette with a glare on his face. "That shitty redhead better not be taking advantage of that mysterious beauty."
Nami rolled her eyes. "You know Rosan's not like that. Didn't you see how she looked at him and how she fell asleep so easily in his arms? Didn't you see how protective he was of her? Those two are fine."
"I hate him so much," Sanji muttered, distinctively remembering exactly how that beautiful woman had so easily collapsed in his arms.
This didn't even make sense! Everywhere they went, someone threw themselves on the redhead who accepted it all with that same, too cool for this, expression! He didn't appreciate the true beauty of woman; showing no interest, making them pursue him and then leaving them hanging!
This was ridiculous!
Nami watched the idiot with an amused gaze. Just what did he think of Rosan? Knowing him, it was probably something perverted.
Scratch that, it was definitely something perverted.
The redhead wasn't a pervert (she steadfastly removed whatever happened between him and Nojiko from her mind), that's why Nami hadn't protested the decision to sleep next to him when entering his mindscape. She knew he wouldn't do anything questionable to her.
Huh, she probably shouldn't tell Sanji that they slept in the same bed. That would probably break him beyond repair.
Hm… she would keep that in the books in case she ever wanted to get revenge on him or Rosan.
Robin didn't think she'd ever hate anyone as much as she hated the man known as Doc.
So great was her hate, that she wished to revive him just to have the pleasure of inflicting all the pain onto him, that he had unleashed onto Rosan.
No amount of preparation would have been able to help her deal with the atrocities done to her little Rosan.
It all started with one simple question.
"What is your name?"
After that, Robin could only watch in horror, as 8 year old Rosan was repeatedly electrocuted by the mad scientist until Mod forced the child to give it up.
The poor child tried to be brave. Despite how afraid he was, he tried so hard for them and he suffered from it.
The steam and the burn marks and the terror and the tears. But what was most horrifying, was the screaming.
"AUGHHHHHHHH!" Little Rosan screeched and screeched at the pain he was being forced to endure. With no one to tell him it was going to be alright. Tears were turned into steam as they rolled down his charring skin and he thrashed repeatedly in place, voice going hoarse as it reached volumes.
"H-Help me! R-Robin-nee! Mod-chan! P-Please, it hurts!" The child thought mid torture and Robin turned nauseous, feeling herself go a little faint.
This was inhumane… how could… how could anyone torture a child so ruthlessly? Was there not a shred of humanity in the doctor?
Rosan watched Robin out of the corner of his eye and idly grabbed her hand, resulting in her squeezing it tightly. She had not taken her eyes off the screen yet and the horrified tears in her eyes nearly made him stop the memory but he didn't.
It was impossible for Robin to place even a little blame on Rosan after witnessing what he had gone through. How could anyone in their right mind blame him after witnessing this... this disgusting act!
All because one man wanted the ultimate weapon...
In the first month, Rosan had absolute faith in her that warmed her heart despite how much pain she was going through watching this. The little boy really did look up to her so much and Mod was right, there was no way he'd naturally turn on her.
"Just wait for Robin. Robin will save me. She'll come!" He though optimistically, despite all he was forced to endure.
Over and over again, the evil scientist employed more and more types of torture in order to make the child submit and Robin continued to watch.
Mod, despite not looking at the screen, was shuddering with tears spilling out of her as she tried to hide herself deeper into Rosan's frame. Even just his voice was enough to make her crack and the redhead.
Ram had a dark glare on her face, furiously wiping some of the tears falling and opting to snarl quietly instead.
Robin herself fared no better. She refused to take her eyes off the screen after all and it was only making her feel worse as a result.
Doc held nothing back. He didn't care that Rosan shrinked away. He didn't care that the redhead curled into himself and begged. Nothing mattered to him.
"Stop! Stop!" Rosan would beg, writhing at the actions of the doctor and trying to crawl away unsuccessfully.
The doctor, would tut, as if Rosan was in the wrong. "You tell me to stop but still rebel? Aren't you just so funny, Rosan. Give me what I want and I'll give you what you want."
"..." the redhead shut his mouth and braced himself for what was to come next.
"Of course..." Doc sighed before plunging the Devil Fruit user into a tank filled with water.
Robin shuddered as she watched his eyes roll to the back of his head, the effects of being submerged taking effect immediately. Despite that, the only thing going through his mind was them.
"Robin... Mod-chan... please, I can't take this for much longer. P-Please help me!" The boy sobbed.
She was going to throw up. This was even worse then she expected.
He had so much faith in her… she let out a choked sob at hearing him repeatedly chant that she would save him and realized that was the only thing keeping him going.
It was no wonder the virus managed to successfully manipulate him. With knowledge of what was going on, she was able to see its influence clear as day. It snuck in its own thoughts without hesitation, pushing Rosan further and further to the edge with a destructive intelligence that was dangerous to witness.
"Robin would never betray him. She didn't. She didn't. She did. She didn't."
"Everything hurt so bad, it was getting worse but he could(n't) do it. He would(n't) handle it."
A small poisonous voice, one undetectable to nearly all of them, whispering negatives into his ear ontop of being tortured to near insanity. Whoever the virus was... it knew what it was doing and it did it without remorse, taking advantage of Rosan's vulnerable state without hesitation.
"He was fighting an impossible battle," Robin realized, growing more and more nauseous. This just wasn't fair! Rosan was nine! He was nine! Why, why did he have to go through this?! Just the fact that he managed to hold out this long even with the virus' influence spoke of his mental aptitude. Who knows how long he would have gone if his mind wasn't being tampered with?
But it was being tampered with and it was only a matter of time before he succumbed.
Robin just never expected the reason to be... to be this.
Two months (making it three months total since he was there) passed and the guards tossed a newspaper to the prisoner on the order of Doc, detailing... detailing Robin's movements.
"Oh no," Robin thought quietly, horrored realization seeping into her. Was this why he turned on her? How smart was the virus... how dangerous were they? For them to zero in on Robin so thoroughly... what were they up against?
"S-She's not coming," little Rosan whispered, heartbroken as the truth was revealed to him.
Watching the realization that she wasn't coming hit his face, tore her heart into a thousand pieces as the revelation of his breakdown was finally revealed to her.
Robin watched him shut down in real time, tears streaming down his face as a rapid shift of emotions happened at once. Overwhelming sadness suddenly shifted into an uncontrollable rage.
The insidious thoughts overwhelmed him completely and she watched the redhead begin shaking uncontrollably, not in sadness, but in sheer unadulterated rage.
"Nobody in this world was trustworthy. Everyone wanted to use him and when they grew tired of him, they would discard him like he was yesterday's garbage. As if he were useless. Him?! USELESS? HE WAS USELESS?!"
His negative thoughts ran rampant as he lashed out on everything. The optimism that he tried so hard to maintain, vanished completely and was replaced by a harsh hatred—
And then everything suddenly vanished and his emotions stilled altogether, the unnaturally bright glow in his eyes dimming considerably. It was unsettling watching how the sheer anger melted off his face, replaced by a neutral expression that reminded her so much of the current redhead sitting to the left of her.
The purple in his left eye melted away, replaced by the intimidating blood red that reminded her of Mod-chan and Rosan willingly transformed into the monster they wanted him to be.
Now it all made sense.
Doc wasn't the one that successfully broke him… Robin broke Rosan.
Robin couldn't handle anymore due to that detail and she abruptly awoke, making her way to the bathroom and emptying the breakfast they had this morning into the toilet.
A hand made its way onto her back and rubbed soothingly, making her raise a shuddering gaze towards the concerned Rosan. His heterochromatic eyes (the ones that were heterochromatic because of her) were focused on her but he said nothing,
The redhead applied Modification, making the burn from her throat go away and she finally found the power to speak.
"R-Rosan, I'm so sorry you had to go through any of that," Robin choked out, unable to contain herself any longer.
"If I… If I just believed you were still alive, I would have kept searching for you no matter how long it took! You believed in me and I couldn't do anything to protect you. I'm the one broke you, Rosan!"
Months of mental and physical torture. Months of begging and screaming and the pain he must have been in... The pure agony he must have suffered, all in hopes that she would show up and alleviate him of it.
She should have. She should have shown up and razed the entire place to the ground after seeing the condition Rosan was in. Turned the doctor's insides into pure paste because of what he had done.
But she didn't because she gave up on him. Why did she give up?!
Rosan flicked her on the head gently, much to her surprise, and shook his head with a small sigh.
"You refuse to blame me, so I don't know why you think I'd accept you blaming yourself. It's not your fault. The ocean is massive. Even if you didn't think I was dead, it would be incredibly difficult to find me and you were dealing with your own problems. I should have realized that but I didn't and it broke me..."
"...But that's not your fault, Robin. Expecting you to find me was too much."
He pulled the woman into a hug to calm her down and was pleased that he managed to successfully do so. "Don't apologize to me when I'm the one who should be apologizing to you. You did nothing wrong because I placed unreal expectations on you."
She buried herself deeper into him with a shaky breath. "You were a child and they did that to you… how could they? Using our bond against you… I want to see the rest of your memories."
Robin had to see how they died. This was something that would eat at her until her dark urge was satisfied.
Rosan simply nodded, not letting her go. The redhead pulled her up with him and made his way over to the sink, where they helped clean the remains of the bile.
"Are you hungry? We've been there for a while," he asked softly.
Robin shook her head. "We can eat later. I'd like to get back to your memories quickly."
The scout hummed, eyes gazing at her piercingly before he nodded. "The moment you get hungry, we will go eat."
"I understand," the Devil Child replied, already moving with the redhead towards the bed again.
The two quickly entered the mindscape again and were greeted by the concerned gazes of Mod and Ram.
"A-Are you alright, Robin?" The Devil Fruit asked, voice still a little raw at crying from the memories.
"Do you want to stop, Mother?" Ram followed up, holding the woman in concern.
"I'm... I'm fine," Robin assured softly. "I want to continue watching. This is only the beginning and there's more for me to see."
They both nodded, concern not leaving their faces and she was touched that she managed to evoke such feelings in people.
Rosan rubbed her shoulder reassuringly and she shot him a tiny smile.
With that, they made their way back to the theater room and the Stream continued after everyone took their same position (they were all a bit closer now which was saying something considering how close they already were).
Soon after his mental breakdown, the redhead immediately began to implement a masterclass performance in deception, one that she would never normally apply to little Rosan before.
The Devil Child watched Rosan pretend to be broken by Doc and fall into his good graces, smiling at the stupidity of the man for falling for it so easily.
He must have been getting more and more desperate. The blonde hardly questioned the supposedly submissive Rosan who was plotting the best way to deliver his revenge.
He guided Rosan to those dreaded gladiator battles to truly see if the redhead was aligned with him and what happened next would be ingrained into Robin's head for a while.
His opponent was the same person he always fought before... the one who took a disgusting pleasure in hurting him that made Robin scowl. Rosan never participated in the fight, rebellious nature refusing to submit for even a second to the doctor, even at his own expense.
This time though, the redhead did plan on fighting and what a fight it was.
Rosan, wielding a hammer twice his size, dashed towards his opponent with a speed that shouldn't have been possible with that hammer and smashed his opponents knee caps into paste. He then repeated the process with the other leg and forced him into a sobbing mess.
The man tried to beg for his life but Rosan was utterly merciless and in a display that Robin would never forget, he smashed the man's head with the hammer.
"Death is mercy for someone like you," the child intoned emotionlessly.
Robin watched with an equally emotionless expression, no mercy in her heart going out for the disgusting man.
A child Rosan's age shouldn't have been covered in so much blood and the stony expression on his face was eerily similar to the one he had on currently. It was even more unsettling to see on a child's face then adults.
The duo were always oddities when it came to violence, which probably stemmed from having to watch a loved one die but Rosan never actually killed someone directly.
It was possible that he would have always been this brutal, but Doc turned that possibility into a certainty.
How she hated that man. The only person that could match the levels of hate she felt for him, was the man's perverted wife.
The amount of lust the disgusting woman had packed in her body for the small child was nauseating and Mod had been unable to hold back her snarl.
"Doesn't she understand how old you are?" Robin asked in disbelief. What was wrong with all of the people on this island? Did they have a single moral bone in their body?
She knew Rosan was going to grow up into a good looking person but never did she expect someone to so blatantly lust for him when he was so young!
"She didn't care at all," Rosan said softly. "To her, my exotic appearance was too enticing for her to ever let go, even despite the difference in age. That woman was intending to make me hers until I was of age."
Mod snarled hatefully. "Wretched woman. I knew this world was full of perverts but to run into one so depraved so soon... I wish I got my hands on her."
The perverted woman was blatantly attempting to groom the child without a care in the world. Rosan himself was aware of this and had used it to his advantage, successfully seducing the woman and having her be putty in his hands.
Watching the adorable boy actively use his good looks to his advantage, was foreign to her. Besides puppy dog eyes, the redhead generally didn't have an interest in doing things like that...
It was underhanded and a blatant show of manipulation and Robin would have never applied that to Rosan but this place was making him do things that he would never normally do… such as lying.
"Mod-chan, you're hurting me," Rosan said blandly, watching the woman clenching his arms with absolute crushing force due to seeing the pervert kiss him.
"You'll live," she snarled, glaring with such anger at the screen, Ram scooted a bit to the right.
"It was best if I obeyed. The further in her good graces I got, the faster I could regain my powers and see you again," the redhead bargained, managing to appease the woman slightly, though she still gazed heatedly at the screen.
"You shouldn't have had to make such a decision," she grumbled, crossing her arms petulantly.
Robin, while not as angry, was still upset that someone like this existed. She knew they had to be wary of Rosan's looks when he grew up but she had no idea that would be at the tender age of 9.
She knew that this was all manipulation on the boy's part but still... it still rubbed her the wrong way.
Almost everyday, the redhead lied in his prison and they drank it all up. It was startling to see how good of a liar he was because Rosan never lied to Robin or Mod. It went against his character. He hated lying because it made things complicated and he didn't have time to deal with that.
But here he was doing just that. He let a woman think he had feelings for her, convinced a man that he had submitted to his will and had them all think his Devil Fruit was something completely different, which gave him the opportunity he needed to escape.
Robin had to admit, Rosan's mind was terrifying when his thought process was so much darker. He had everyone here dancing in the palm of his tiny hands and they were none the wiser to being unwilling puppets for his mounting performance that would soon reach its apex.
Well, everyone was none the wiser except for Meiko. The girl was the one oddity on this island and the only light in Rosan's, otherwise dark, life at the moment.
Robin adored the little girl. She had the cutest personality and wanted nothing but the best for the, too angry, Rosan. Despite how much he tried to rebuff her companionship, the blonde was dead set on making his life even a little better.
Meiko was very odd though because she seemed to be able to perfectly read Rosan no matter what he said and vice versa. It was actually startling, to be so exposed to someone you barely knew which was probably why Rosan, who had just lost his trust in everyone, wanted to stay away (is what he told himself) from her.
He couldn't hide anything from her and she couldn't hide anything from him. It was surreal.
"I never could explain why it was like that," Rosan commented. "Perhaps we were made for each other. Maybe we were born under the same star. I don't know but it never went away."
Robin pursed her lips, curiosity at the unknown mounting. "I'll try and look into that... it's interesting to think about."
The resemblances between Meiko and Ram were uncanny, even down to the same hairstyle. The ring clearly inherited all her facial features from her mother because the only thing that could differentiate them, would be that Ram had Rosan's skin color and her own unique shade of hair and eyes.
Even a 13 year gap in age didn't get rid of the similarities.
"She's a sweet little thing," Robin commented softly, watching her apologize of all things when it was Rosan who blew up on her for trying to relate the two. It was enough to actually shock the redhead out of his fury and he had ashamedly gotten off of her and told the little girl to leave.
"Meiko was the only one on that island who saw me as human," Rosan said softly, staring fondly at the blonde. "Not even I saw myself as one but she persisted and persisted."
"She helped me break through Rosan's barrier so much," Mod smiled gently.
Robin watched as Rosan's time at Daybreak reached its final act with a look of anticipation on her face.
He brutalized everyone of his opponents in the Ash and Dust tournament up until he made it to the final to fight...
"A fishman?" Robin muttered in shock, watching the positively tiny redhead square up against the eclipsing fishman.
"Ah, Kenzo," Rosan replied. "I fought his daughter recently, she's currently resided on an island I visit often."
The battle, while far difficult from previous ones, was still in Rosan's favor from the start. He quickly employed his overwhelming style and began bombarding Kenzo with a ruthless onslaught. He even managed to quickly remove one of the Fishman's legs!
"So strong," Robin thought to herself, gazing at the little child in awe.
That awe quickly turned into horror at watching the fishman embed detachable spikes into Rosan's stomach, before delivering a punch that sent him to the other side of the battleground.
But he got up like he took a glancing hit, gingerly ripping out each spike after forcefully adjusting his nose into place.
What followed next, was an act of pure sadism on Rosan's part that he always contained, as he dragged Kenzo into the climax of his performance. It was entrancing. She never expected Rosan to be able to fight so gracefully but he could and he made it look like a dance.
In and out, left to right, everything Kenzo did, Rosan had an answer to as he surgically disabled parts of the fishman's body. As Kenzo got slower, Rosan got faster and through it all, the redhead smiled larger and larger until he was full on grinning, bloodied teeth gleaming.
It was clear as day to see who Ram got her personality from. The boy was nearly intoxicated with how much power he had over someone.
Then, Rosan finished the battle off by sending Kenzo to his grave, all while promising that his mother and daughter would be safe for years to come.
And that was that, the redhead won the Ash and Dust tournament and after heavy praise, was escorted back to his cage to prepare for the next steps in their life.
How unfortunate that they didn't know Rosan had his own plans. Plans that involved only himself and nobody else.
Well... Nobody else but Meiko. Her influence on him was clearly shining because the two made up right before Rosan planned on officially escaping and with regret in his eyes, he put her to sleep.
Despite his vengeful mood for everyone there, he had still decided (with Mod's input) to spare the blonde who had been his only respite on Daybreak.
Then, to Robin's amazement, he created two clones and had them take anything of value from the island, including Meiko. Even after discovering that she was the child (wasn't that a shock, though Robin had her suspicions) of Rosan's greatest tormentors.
"You have clones?" Robin muttered. It wasn't that surprising, considering it was Rosan who pitched the idea of making clones to her in the first place by utilizing her ability but she never contemplated the idea of him being able to do it the same.
There were clearly differences, after all Robin was completely cloning herself, there was no difference between her and her clone. Rosan... was practically creating androids that he gave a similar appearance to himself. They weren't naturally biological like her own or actually clones. It was fitting for his computer man motif.
"I actually got the idea from you," he admitted, much to her surprise. "They are Angel and Demon. We can meet them soon, I'm sure they've wanted to meet one of the people who played such a strong influence on me."
She nodded in curiosity. He spoke about them like they were their own people and knowing Rosan, they probably were.
After little Rosan had broken free, he had marched towards Doc's home with a purpose.
It was there that Robin witnessed Rosan and Mod's first argument… about her…
Despite fully understanding why he was like this, it still hurt deep down to know that Rosan was so angry with her, that he'd even lash out at Mod-chan. The things he were saying... it was all magnified by his hurt heart that was still not healed so Robin managed to rationalize it well.
Didn't stop it from filling her with a bit of pain. She was glad Rosan was not like this anymore and realized his overreactions.
"Mod-chan tried to defend you but I was being too stubborn and I ended up scaring her and making her cry," the redhead told her softly.
Rosan stared darkly at the screen. He didn't know its motive, but the virus had taken advantage of his mental state and caused him to become like this. There was no room to talk in his opinion.
When he got his hands on it…
Mod grabbed his hands reassuringly. "I still shouldn't have pushed you so hard even despite knowing what was going through your head. I knew it was unnatural but I still never connected the dots to the virus…"
She held her head at that. She was so confident in her abilities, that she never stopped to consider that the virus was never sealed in the first place.
"I know you forgave me but I'm still sorry, Robin. I… couldn't deal with the fact that you broke a promise that was impossible to keep at the time and I childishly lashed out," Rosan whispered, hoping she knew that he meant it.
Robin sighed fondly and flicked his forehead, much to his surprise. "I won't lie, seeing the actual memory hurt even more but it also showed me clearly that you were just a kid whose anger flared irrationally to things you couldn't control. I said it once and I'll say it a million times, I understand that it wasn't your fault Rosan so stop apologizing so much or I'll get mad at you for that instead," she ordered firmly.
"You tell him, Mother!" Ram cheered, clapping happily.
Was she really just going to call her Mother now? Well, Rosan used to call her Robin-nee all the time so it must have been genetics.
Rosan stared at her before letting out a quiet snort. "Fine, I'll stop apologizing for this then. I'll probably have some new reasons in the future anyways. I've been told I'm still as chaotic as ever."
"Some things won't change, even with age," Robin teased, turning towards the screen again with a sadistic glint. "Let's continue, I want to see you get your revenge on that man and his wife."
All three inhabitants had quite the unsavory gleam in their eyes at that and Robin couldn't hide her chuckles.
Even Mod-chan was unhinged in her own ways, a natural consequence of being Rosan's caretaker for 20 years.
"Rosan's still not here?" Zoro yawned. "I wanted to train some more before landing on this next island but I guess that can wait."
They were fast approaching the next island and Rosan was still nowhere to be seen. He tended to vanish from them often but he was never gone for such a long period of time...
"He must be really catching up with her…" Nami mused to herself. It had been about 16 years for them so they deserved a bit of alone time, away from judging and curious stares.
"Yeah! He's probably showing her his memories," Luffy chimed, sitting on the Merry's figurehead. His brother had mentioned it some time ago.
"HE CAN SHARE MEMORIES?!" Vivi gawked. Who was he?! He was able to do so many things!
"HE CAN DO THAT?!" Sanji repeated, dread mounting. W-What if he showed that mature beauty the memory of when the chef had been saved as a child. His image would be ruined!
"Rosan's memories… I wonder what they're like," Usopp muttered. The enigmatic redhead always mentioned things that sounded like lies but apparently he never once lied to the crew!
Usopp thought about it some more and shuddered.
Nevermind, he didn't want to see them.
Luffy laughed merrily and said, "You don't wanna see them! They're really bad!"
"You've seen them?" Zoro chimed in.
"Yeah! He showed them to me a long time ago," Luffy nodded. "He's been through a lot… Oh but if I tell you he's gonna hide all my meat!"
They sweatdropped at the panicking rubber boy and Nami jumped in for the save, knowing he'd unintentionally reveal it regardless.
"Let's not pry into his life without his consent. He's been through a lot," Nami said, shutting down the conversation.
They nodded in unison and Luffy let out a sigh of relief.
Nami snorted. Rosan and Luffy were both lucky that they had her here to be the logical one.
Watching Rosan return 6 months of torture to the two who had spearheaded it, filled Robin with a dark satisfaction that assured she'd be sleeping well tonight.
Little Rosan marched into the couples home with a dark look in his eyes, soundproofing the house in the process and tying up the couple without waking them.
Then, he forced the wife, Sachie, to reveal her name before slitting her throat. Robin honestly thought she got off too easy but at the very least, Rosan made her think he was going to make Meiko own up for their sins.
Finally, he turned his attention to the man who caused it all and asked him one poetic question.
"What is your name?"Little Rosan grinned sadistically.
What followed next was a degree of torture people with a faint stomach would not be able to watch. Doc proved that he could not handle a taste of his own medicine and he screamed for mercy the entire time. Rosan's glee at that spiked and he only got more violent.
"What? Can't handle a bit of pain?" He mocked, pressing a button that was connected to the collar he forcefully strapped around Doc's neck.
"AIYEEE!"The doctor screeched pathetically, trashing as terrible shocks ran through his bloodied and mutilated body.
"Kahahahaha!" Rosan laughed maliciously. "You seemed so happy using this on me but you don't like it? You're so much older then me so why are you so much more pathetic," he crooned, unrelenting in his assault.
"Good," Robin muttered darkly, smiling at the agony that the doctor was in. The redhead was utterly unforgiving in his torture and didn't stop for even a second, ensuring that Masaru was not given even a second of respite.
Best of all, his sensitivity was heightened so everything was amplified and Rosan modified his nerves so that falling asleep was not an option.
It seemed Rosan appealed to everyone here because when he backed off, they were all satisfied with the job done.
"Don't sleep just yet, Masaru," the redhead advised, knowing he wouldn't be falling asleep. "I've got one more gift for you so just watch. This is who you chose to mess with. This is the monster you created. I'm not going to be the princess or the knight in shining armor," Rosan promised him, fangs gleaming in the night,
"I'm the dragon that's going to terrorize them both except I'm going to win," he finished ominously, pushing the gurgling doctor into an area where he could see what was going to happen next.
Robin's eyes widened at that.
Did he actually...?
He did. Robin watched with a proud gaze, as Rosan's 5 year dream was achieved.
"I'm so proud of you, Rosan! You actually managed to transform into a dragon," she praised, shooting the redhead a pleased smile and affectionately running a hand through his hair.
Rosan smiled slightly at that, quirking up his lip as he accepted her praise. "I wish you were there to see it firsthand... I'll have to show you soon how it looks fully."
"RAOGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The dragon roared its fury to the heaven, coalescing a massive amount of energy in its maw that the screaming people covered in horror could only gaze in horror at.
"ANNIHILATION!" The monster screamed in victory as he gazed with no remorse in those draconic slits, howling his victory once more.
"You destroyed an entire island," Robin said, not quite believing her eyes as the whole island went up into flames, leaving nothing behind. The hellish flames that crashed and burned every single person on it… this is what happened when you messed with Rosan and pushed him over the edge.
He was never normal and the redhead had a malicious streak that went a mile wide.
Soon, all that was left of the island were charred remains. Not even the buildings were enough to stand up to that unattural fire and Rosan snorted before flying to his ship.
"Do I scare you?" Rosan asked softly, watching the memory end.
The Devil Child shook her head. "Of course not. You'll never scare me, Rosan. I came to that conclusion the day you saved me from being captured because you only have my best interests at heart. I have no reason to fear the only person who loves me."
Robin paused as she recalled that specific memory of Rosan saving her and a look of realization came across her features.
Memories of a time that she thought was a trick to the eyes but now that she thought about it...
Rosan tilted his head and asked, "What happened?"
"I think… I think I saw a glimpse of the virus," Robin said, much to the surprise of everyone there. "Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm sure I saw it. Mod-chan, do you have a technique that turns the sclera black?"
The lady going white, was all she needed to know.
"I-I... No, I don't but b-black is their..." she bit her lip nervously and glanced back at her seat that was Rosan with a nervous expression on her face.
The redhead looked utterly unimpressed with her, gazing directly into her eyes and making her wilt.
"I-I know that's bad but, Rosan—" she tried to no avail.
"Even without the castle, you weren't able to detect their influence, Mod-chan?" Rosan tutted, getting a guilty bow out of the woman. "Are you sure you know what you're dealing with? How did you not feel the virus... Are you sure you didn't feel it?" He asked calmly, narrowing his eyes slightly.
Her eyes went wide and she flinched. "I-I promise, the virus managed to completely evade me! I really wasn't aware that they were free," she whispered, hurt.
Robin couldn't keep the shock off her face at seeing Rosan press Mod of all things.
The redhead continued to stare a hole into her. "I just don't get what you're trying to understand. Do you want to know why the Virus hates me? Why they so cruelly turned me against Robin even while I was being tortured? Why they are trapped in the castle holding all my emotions?"
With every question, Mod wilted further. Despite sitting on Rosan's lap, the woman tried to put distance between the two and nervously bit her lip.
"I-I… I'll deal with it, Rosan! You don't need to… please don't interfere," she pleaded, directing wide red eyes towards the skeptical redhead. "I know I deserve your suspicion but p-please, I at least want to understand their motives..."
Robin couldn't believe that Rosan was actually throwing suspicion onto his Devil Fruit and that was, surprisingly, the most surefire way to show her that he had grown up and changed.
"Rosan… Mod-chan? What's going on?" Robin asked warily, watching Ram shrink away from the two, trepidation clear on her face.
There was a tense silence as Mod avoided the redhead's gaze and he turned towards the Devil Child.
"Mod-chan and I have different ways of wanting to deal with the virus," Rosan explained.
"He wants to destroy them immediately… without giving them a chance to explain themselves but I don't want that," Mod told her quietly. "The virus is a piece of me… I'm sure I can talk to them and we can come to some type of an agreement."
"And if you can't?" Rosan interrupted, tilting his head to the side.
"...I don't know," Mod said, refusing to make eye contact with her charge.
"You don't know? You haven't even planned for that outcome? Mod-chan... do you even realize what the virus did to me?" Rosan actually frowned at her. "What type of silly optimism are you holding onto, where you don't even know what's going to happen after we reach the most likely outcome?"
The virus committed one of the worst crimes against him. It took Robin and it zeroed his anger in on her, making him hate his best friend of all people. But Mod didn't know what she was going to do when it revealed that it had no intention of playing nice with Rosan? Was she actually serious?
Mod said nothing. It was clear that she wasn't able to justify why she was acting like this and the Devil Fruit fidgeted, opening and closing her mouth repeatedly.
Ram looked like she dearly wanted to help out her Auntie but she didn't want to argue against her Father and risk his potential wrath. Besides, he raised a fair point. What was Auntie's end goal here?
"Rosan, Mod-chan has never let you down intentionally," Robin stepped in mercifully.
It was jarring to see the Devil Fruit look so pressured and for the redhead to be the reason.
Rosan took his eyes of Mod, who let out a quiet, distressed, sigh and turned towards Robin once more.
"You have to be a bit more considerate. The virus is apart of her and she's probably going through a lot of internal dilemma right now, between wanting to keep you safe and resolving the virus issue. At least trust her up until she exhausts her options if that happens," Robin said firmly, grabbing his hand and locking him in place with those blue eyes.
"…" Rosan said nothing, just gazing at her with a tilted head before he let loose a quiet sigh.
"Okay, you're right. At the very least, I do believe that Mod-chan wants to keep me safe," he finally said.
Turning towards the shocked woman, he wiped the small tears on her face and pulled her into a hug.
"Mod-chan... You don't make bad decisions much so I'll let you deal with the virus first."
"But, if you can't reach a compromise, I will have to step in. You can understand that much at least, right?" Rosan asked quietly.
Mod blinked in surprise before nodding without hesitation. "I understand... if it comes down to that, I won't interfere," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck and letting the tension leak from her body.
She shot the Devil Child a grateful look, smiling brightly at the woman.
Robin returned the smile, only to gasp as Ram crashed into her and hugged her tightly.
"Thank you! You're one of the only people willing to get between Father and Auntie smartly," Ram muttered, sighing in relief as the tension bled out of her body.
The Devil Child smiled at the childish woman and pat her gently. "I know these two well so I'm confident in being able to speak reason into them."
"Of course, of course!" Ram nodded enthusiastically, staring adoringly at the older woman.
"Ram is really taken with you," Rosan commented idly. "That never happens, with anyone. I've never actually seen her act like this."
Had his memories affected Ram's perception of Robin that much? This was their first time meeting and she was calling the woman Mother and was very clearly taken with her.
He wondered why...
"I think it's adorable. She reminds me of little you," Robin smiled, running a hand through Ram's hair and getting a purr out of her.
Yes, Robin was the perfect mother.
After waking up to go make some food, Robin and Rosan had continued from where they left off with his memories.
It started off with Rosan informing Meiko of what happened to her island and the sheer heartbreak on her face at hearing what Rosan did, made even Robin's heart pang in sympathy.
Even little Rosan wasn't exempt, eyes furrowed in guilt as he watched her excuse herself from the kitchen.
"Just seeing the way I used to act with her..." Rosan sighed to himself. "She didn't deserve that. I wish she met the other version of me first."
Robin frowned at him. "I can assure you Meiko took no offense. She understands exactly what you went through. It's why she was so patient with you, right?"
The redhead nodded without hesitation. "Her patience was otherworldly. She always talked about how normal she was compared to me but she couldn't have been farther from the truth. Meiko was special," he said resolutely.
He was right... Meiko was special. Not many people could have so much empathy in their heart.
"...I can agree with that, she really is something special," Robin mused, watching the sheer terror on her face at the realization that the only person she had any connection to, was planning on leaving her alone on some island.
The blonde was mature beyond her years. Even after Rosan admitted to killing her parents, the little girl still felt drawn to him, to the point where she violently protested at the idea of being left alone.
She even managed to admit that she liked him as she berated him! It was unintentional but she still did it!
"I didn't think a person like her could exist," Rosan admitted with a shake of his head. "That's why I blew up on her… I thought she had ulterior motives but no, she's just that confusing."
It was rather funny that Rosan thought someone like this couldn't exist, when Robin thought the exact same thing about him when they first met. Those two really were cut from the same cloth!
"Isn't she just like you then?" Robin laughed, watching little Rosan let out a hearty laugh himself at the adorable blonde.
She couldn't blame Rosan for eventually falling in love with the girl because honestly, Robin probably would have fallen victim to her charms too. Not only did they have an incredible synergy, the girl was clearly smitten with him as well. Meiko even purposely waited for Rosan to leave the room so that they could start the day together!
And he thought nothing of it! He was so adorably oblivious!
"Just like me? I always thought we were different but… we were pretty similar in hindsight," Rosan agreed softly as the memory continued.
Robin couldn't help the small laugh at seeing how vain and egoistic Rosan still was.
Always wanting to look good, the child contemplated using a disguise to hide his appearance and wanted a set of wings to match with his aesthetic.
The boy ruthlessly threw out insects due to how they looked and bird wings because they weren't special enough.
So what did he finally decide on?
Angel wings. The redhead picked Angel Wings because they would look the best on his figure.
...Was he serious?
"You made Reaper just to have a disguise you could throw away?" Robin asked incredulously.
The most famed bounty hunter to sail the seas… the figure who was so mysterious, people weren't even aware they were human… the person who made Robin decide to go the Grand Line early just to avoid getting captured by them…
That was just a means to an end for him? A way for him to secure money while keeping his anonymity?
"I didn't ever really expect Reaper to become so popular," Rosan hummed. "I just wanted an easy source of money with bounty hunting and needed a disguise to do it but it quickly spiraled out of control."
Robin would have believed that was his motive… if she didn't watch him immediately free and subjugate an entire island as Reaper, getting a consistent source of money out of them in the process.
Things were never simple with Rosan.
"I'm still allies with them to this day... We've even become good friends and they know my real identity," he informed her. "Fregate is quite the incredible island in the North Blue and they have supplied me with many important things."
"You must have a lot of money, if you've been getting 15% every two weeks for 15 years," she pointed out. Somehow, Robin wasn't even surprised about his antics and was just glad he had gotten some benefit out of it.
"I will probably never have to worry about money again," Rosan said truthfully. "Fregate is very wealthy, so as a result, I'm very wealthy. I can show you, I keep it all in my Pocket Dimension."
She nodded after some pondering and they did just that.
Learning that the castle they were currently sleeping in, was inside a Pocket Dimension of all things had made Robin reassess just how genius her best friend's mind was.
Using the link between his bag and ship to discover an entirely new place in between? Manipulating space? It was a level of genius that only he could find with that Devil Fruit. She doubted anyone would have thought of that.
"Sometimes, I think the Mod Mod no mi was made for you," Robin sighed.
"Of course, Mod-chan is mine and only mine," Rosan nodded, getting a noise of protest out of the woman.
"Stop being so possessive!" She complained hitting his chest softly and glaring at him.
"No," he replied calmly, ignoring the soft slaps and idly pinching her soft cheeks.
"Stawp!" Mod growled, much to their amusement.
The duo made their way to the redhead's treasury, all while Robin took in the intricate beauty of the castle (Meiko seemed to have a heavy hand in this too) and she couldn't stop her mouth from opening slightly as she gazed at the sheer amount of treasure that was in the room.
"If you see anything you like, take it," Rosan told her. "This is just as much as your stuff as it is mine."
She blinked at that, turning wide eyes towards the redhead. "Really? You're just giving me free access to anything in here?"
He nodded without hesitation. "That's how it should have been in the first place. I'm just doing what is normal."
Robin listened to his words and smiled. "Aren't you just the cutest?" She teased.
"...Hey," Rosan warned, as they went back to join Mod and Ram after grabbing something to drink.
"Hurry up! This is when Father's about to fall in love with Mother!" Ram scowled. She beckoned them over eagerly and slammed a hand on the empty seats repeatedly.
She loved this part dearly and watched it who knows how many times.
True to the ring's words, Robin watched as Rosan presented a pair of ruby red earrings, that she was certain was the same pair in his ears, to the blonde that he wanted to apologize to.
They got into an argument and Rosan's anger flared, making him lash out unintentionally at the blonde and to see him filled with so much remorse... it was adorable to see how fast Meiko wormed his way into her heart.
So he got her the earrings and she kissed him right on the cheek! The redhead quite liked it but he didn't put too much stock into it...
Then he saw her in the dress
"Look at your face! It's so red," Robin gushed. She couldn't even blame him! Meiko looked stunning right now! Her insecurities were honestly unwarranted because she was perfect the way she was.
Watching the redhead slowly come to that same realization, was far too funny and he refused to admit that he had a crush on Meiko. He tried hard to deny it but the proof was right there in his heart and the longer he stared at her, the more red his face became.
Alas, Rosan's self perception of himself and what he deserved, were just too low and Robin vowed to try and fix his issues while she had him.
He thought he didn't have the right to like Meiko, due to what he had done to her but the blonde would never hold that against him.
Robin was thankful that Meiko managed to successfully break through to him. She knew all the right words and even Rosan couldn't escape from the truth.
The blonde was everything someone as self critical as Rosan, needed. Somehow she had even managed to break through Rosan's anger and have him realize it wasn't Robin's fault!
It was Meiko who made him realize that Robin didn't deserve any blame and she helped snap Rosan out of his irrational ways. She always knew the perfect words to say to him and he always diligently listened to her because she was his pillar.
He even vowed to find and apologize to Robin for messing up so thoroughly because of her.
Meiko was amazing and Robin loved her dearly. She was the emotional glue that held everyone together and Robin felt herself growing more and more fond of the girl with every memory they went through.
Robin even smiled brightly at seeing Rosan give the blonde a very familiar ring, declaring that they settle down after attaining his goal of becoming the strongest.
Seeing the insecure girl's worries completely vanish at that simple declaration of wanting to get married warmed her heart. With just those words, Rosan helped Meiko come to peace with herself and she began to live her life without the weight the parents put on her shoulders.
Yes, Robin quite liked Meiko.
Which is why it tore her heart into a million pieces to see everything go wrong.
Ram and Mod both let out apologies beforehand and left the room as the memory started, claiming that they couldn't bear to watch it again and Robin couldn't help but squeeze Rosan's hand reassuringly, at the stony expression on his face.
"You won't leave?" Robin asked in concern.
"...No, I'll be here for you," he said softly. This was a reminder for him. Watching it again didn't mean anything because he had near perfect memory and thought about this moment everyday.
She smiled sadly at the thoughtful words and squeezed a bit harder, getting close to the redhead and just offering her presence.
It all started when Meiko was kidnapped while Rosan was away from her. He frequently did his duties as Reaper and this was one of those times.
Unfortunately, some people with a vendetta against the Angel, wanted to get revenge and had somehow made connections. This must have been an endeavor they were planning for a while now because they knew that Meiko had some sort of relationship with the Shinigami.
They then kidnapped Meiko soon after...
Robin couldn't help the well of sympathy at seeing Rosan explode at Angel and Demon. They made a grievous mistake and the redhead lashed out on them, filling them with true terror that was reminiscent of the earlier days spent around him.
The rage that Rosan radiated could have been felt across the entire island and the Shinigami wasted no time looking for his lover.
The slaughter that followed right after was as horrifying as it was justified. Rosan was making a statement right now.
But in his rage, he lost track of Meiko and some young man had taken advantage of that, putting them in a hostage situation that forced Rosan to reveal his name and appearance, before managing to get out of it.
He choked the man unconscious and was about to finish the job... when the man's little sister, the same one that Meiko asked to spare, made her presence know.
She had taken the discarded gun and attempted to shoot Rosan…
But she missed. She missed and Meiko was mortally wounded instead.
"No," Robin whispered in horror, tears welling up in her eyes at the sheer despair being radiated by the entire crew of the White Rose.
None were even close to Rosan's. The boy looked like he was the one dying and held Meiko with such desperation, it was heartbreaking to see. He held onto her with such fervor... he gazed at her with such love in his teary eyes...
That love was reciprocated equally with Meiko. She... She gave all of them their own parting words because she was just that incredible before finishing with Rosan.
The girl was truly at peace with herself, because even with the tears, the girl was able to smile at them all.
Just like Saul...
"Rosan, I love you," Meiko said, voice full of a tender love.
"I love you too, Meiko," Rosan whispered, tears spilling on his lover's body.
Then, Meiko died and Robin watched the glow in Rosan's eyes vanish at the same time.
Almost like frames of a movie were taken out, Robin watched as the redhead's expression immediately shifted from overwhelming sadness, to nothing at all.
He stopped his cries, his tears dried, and his expression died, as he ordered the clones to clean Meiko's body…
Then... then he focused his attention on the terrified Izumi and he mentally tortured the girl to her breaking point.
To forcefully take her over and have her be the one to torture and kill her own brother… Robin had always known that Rosan's link technique could be much darker if he put his mind to it.
Even she found it difficult to watch the show of cruelty but Rosan never looked away for even a second until the girl was branded with a pitch black rose.
They both watched him equip the deceased Meiko's accessories onto his own person... All with that vacant expression.
"Let's stop for now. We can continue another time," Rosan decided.
Robin let out a shaky sob as the screen went black and she collapsed into Rosan's open arms, tears spilling onto him at the raw wound in her heart.
"S-She died in your arms? I'm so sorry, Rosan," she shuddered.
That… everything made so much sense now. It was a wonder that Rosan was still alive right now! The only thing pushing him forward, had been the request that Meiko had for him…
To keep moving forward, for the both of them.
"Meiko was amazing and what you two had for each other was real and beautiful! I just… I learned so much about her through you... The love you felt, the joy... I feel like all of that was my own! I loved her so much and I can't imagine what you had to go through..."
The redhead let loose a quiet, tired, sigh.
"It was difficult," Rosan whispered, hugging her tightly. "I wish I hadn't let my anger get the best of me. I always let my anger get the best of me and Meiko was always at the receiving end of it… that time it was too much and I lost her…"
"It's good that I lost my emotions there because eventually, my anger would have gotten the best of me again. Anger is always my first response even though I know it's not the best," he finished, closing his eyes.
"But you know that now!" Robin interrupted his self loathing with a determined stare, tears still flowing. "We'll get your emotions back and we'll fix that issue. We can't fix it while you're like this, Rosan so we have to get it back."
Rosan stared at her in wonder before burying his face in her hair and saying, "Yeah… yeah, let's do that. It'll be hard but maybe just maybe it's more possible then I thought."
Mod and Ram watched the interaction with smiles on their face. They couldn't bear to watch the memory of Meiko's death… it hurt too much but they had been there to catch the tail end of the two's conversation.
"You're fully on board now?" Ram asked with an impish smile.
"...Yes. Yes I am," Mod decided.
"Whenever we fall asleep, we can continue my memories. There's still much I want to show you," Rosan decided, detaching himself from Robin and stretching his body.
Robin nodded in agreement, stretching herself, before realizing something.
So naturally, had she slotted herself back into Rosan's life and vice versa, that they had forgotten some key details.
"Rosan… I'm apart of Baroque Works and there's not a chance Crocodile will let me leave without repercussion," Robin told him warily.
She was too valuable to his goals and he would send as many people as necessary to get her back. She just got Rosan back... she didn't want to lose him already.
Maybe she would go back and act as a mole for the redhead? It could be another infiltration mission like the ones they did all the time as children.
The redhead resisted the urge to scowl as his possessive streak came rearing full force.
"I won't let you go back to someone who only wants to use you while I can stop it," Rosan said bluntly, making her flush slightly in appreciation at his steadfast resolve.
"Infiltration missions are cancelled until further notice. I'm not letting you out of my sight. If you stay with me, I'll protect you." The redhead's words were to the point and she was sure he meant it when he said she wasn't leaving his sight.
"As possessive as ever. Some things really don't ever change," Robin sighed fondly, conceding without putting up a fight. She was worried about him but he was already an enemy of Baroque Works.
If she went back to them, Rosan would go retrieve her himself just like all those times when they were kids. The man was spoiled then and he was clearly spoiled now, making sure everything that belonged to him stayed that way.
Wait a second…
"I just realized that you're apart of a pirate crew… and you're not the captain," Robin pointed out. As far as she knew, Straw Hat Luffy was the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and Rosan was just a member of the crew...
That was surreal! Rosan expressed almost no interest in being a pirate at all and showed outright disdain when it came to taking orders from people he didn't respect.
Besides, despite not wanting to lead anyone, the redhead would much rather do that then take orders, as shown with his time on the White Rose, leading the clones and Meiko.
"It's a surprise isn't it? Luffy is a rather unique captain though and I doubt I'd have an easier time following someone else. He allows me many liberties that I appreciate," Rosan said softly.
Monkey D. Luffy… to think he managed to get such a wild card like Rosan under his banner. He must be far more dangerous then Baroque Works thought of him... even Robin underestimated him at a glance but Rosan would never follow someone so weak.
"Will he not have a problem with me on the ship? I didn't really leave a good first impression," Robin added warily.
Come to think of it, she doubted the rest of the crew would be accepting of her.
She had blown up that Igaram's ship after all. He wasn't dead but they didn't know that yet.
"Of course. Luffy is my little brother and he knows you from my memories. He's probably ecstatic that we reunited and has probably already slotted you into the crew… As for the others, if they have a problem I'll deal with it," Rosan hummed.
She sweatdropped at that. Something told her this Luffy was a bit… eccentric.
Well, he had to be if he was able to successfully tame Rosan.
"Wait… little brother?" Robin repeated.
"Yeah… I found Ace and Luffy over the years and we… we became really close despite early problems. You'll see it in my memories," he explained.
"Ace…" Robin mused. She was so glad that they had managed to meet and make amends. It was something Rosan used to tear himself up about nonstop when they were kids. She spent many a night reassuring him.
She actually recognized Ace around 3 years ago while looking at bounty posters. The Devil Child couldn't hold back the gasp at seeing Portgas D. in his name and she kept tabs on him in hopes that he'd somehow end up close to her location.
Robin had resolved to tell him about Rosan if they had ever met but she was happy that they had managed to connect regardless.
The young man had been quite the superstar pirate and absolutely blazed through the Grand Line. He didn't stay in an area long enough for her to even consider heading to his location and she was already apart of Baroque Works at that point too.
Now he was apart of the Whitebeard Pirates and sported a hefty bounty of 650,000,000! He quickly asserted himself as a force in the pirate world and she guessed Rosan had a hand in that.
She still wanted to meet him. Robin was looking forward to seeing those memories.
"Right, now let's go check on my crew after we shower… They're really stupid and though I don't normally feel like interfering, I find myself doing it often."
"That's just because you actually like them!" Mod beamed.
Robin giggled at the sigh Rosan let out before freezing.
"Oh… I never did tell them that they were headed to Little Garden," she muttered. Luckily, she actually did plan on heading back to Alabasta so she already had an Eternal Pose.
"Little Garden? What's wrong with it?" Rosan asked with a tilted head.
"It's a prehistoric island that's home to dinosaurs and two giant pirates," Robin informed him. "While those things alone probably won't phase your crew, the log pose takes about a year to connect to a new island."
"Oh that's not very good," Mod said in dread, realizing the implications.
"Hm, so unless we can find an Eternal Pose… we may be in a bit of trouble," Rosan deduced.
"That's a nice way to put it but don't worry, I have one already," Robin smiled.
The redhead hummed and pulled her into a side hug. "Already proving to be more useful then my crew right now. I missed you."
The brunette couldn't contain her laughter at that. "I missed you too."
"Ah, I see what you meant by prehistoric island but why is it called Little Garden?" Rosan murmured, glancing at the massive dinosaurs lazing about with a contemplative expression.
"Probably because it's inhabitants are incredibly large, so it's little to them," Robin informed.
She did not like that look in his eyes.
They hadn't even been here for 10 minutes and it seemed like the redhead was up to something crazy.
"Ram… do you think Maro would enjoy a pet dinosaur or two?" Rosan asked suddenly.
Yep, she knew it.
"Definitely! But these are too big and too boring," Ram muttered, staring at the giant creatures with an impressed gaze. "We read a book on dinosaurs, you should get her a T-Rex or a Pterodactyl or a Velociraptor!"
"I can't believe we're discussing this... Please don't get her any of those carnivores. Get her like… a Triceratops. They're herbivores, much gentler then those previous options and should be cooler to her than a Brontosaurus," Mod said, staring unimpressed at the giddy ring.
She couldn't believe she was even entertaining this...
"Who is Maro?" Robin couldn't help but ask.
"My student. She was also Grim when Reaper was still active," Rosan informed her.
"So she was Grim. You must have a lot of trust in her, considering I haven't seen her at all in any of your current memories…" Robin mused.
Grim wasn't nearly as well known as Reaper, considering hardly anyone saw them but there were whispers of someone following Reaper around who had inverted colors of their outfit.
To think that her best friend actually took on a student... it was rather unlike him.
"Rosan trusts her with his life because he found her at nothing. Maro was a homeless girl without even a name when he found her as Reaper."
"She stole a bag of apples from me. She was a dirty and skinny little thing, surviving off of pure spite and it caught my attention."
"When she had nothing, Rosan decided to give her something and though she struggled with it, eventually became a reliable source. She's practically his daughter."
"She's also my best friend and a massive pervert," Ram chimed. "That damn goblin is always staring at my ass. I don't know how Auntie Angel can put up with her."
"P-Please don't be so crude," Mod muttered in embarrassment.
"Bah, she stares at your ass too!" The ring said shamelessly.
"PLEASE STOP BEING SO CRUDE!" The Devil Fruit yelled in mortification.
D-Did Maro really stare at her butt?! B-But she wore a dress!
Robin took in the information with a surprised expression (and amusement at the conversation happening between Ram and Mod). The fact that Rosan had probably found her after losing his emotions spoke volumes on how valuable Maro was to him.
"Yeah, I even gave her a Mythical Zoan as a show of trust. Stole it from someone named Joker in the Grand Line… I don't suppose you know who that is?"
"...You stole a Mythical Zoan from Joker?" Robin asked in disbelief, eyes widening slightly. "I don't know his identity but he's the most prevalent underground broker in the Grand Line," she stressed.
Information gathering was her specialty and she had been in the Grand Line for 10 years now. Joker was a mysterious person but she knew that they were very famous and dangerous in the underground world.
"Yeah… he knows Reaper stole it too. Pretty sure he's holding a vendetta against me and waiting for the day we meet," Rosan commented idly, looking utterly unbothered by the prospect of being on such a dangerous person's radar.
Robin forgot how crazy they all were…
She missed it.
Rosan eventually nodded his head and vowed to find two Triceratops before leaving the island.
"Now that we've figured that out…" He turned towards Robin and took off his open purple cardigan before draping it over the surprised woman and leaving him in a sleeveless black shirt, that showcased his tattoo and muscular arms.
"You're dressed way too open for an island like this," Rosan muttered, buttoning it up and successfully covering Robin's exposed body. "You may catch a sickness like that."
While the all cowgirl outfit, that he washed, was great for the desert, it was far too risque for this potentially dangerous place.
"I get sick once and you never let it go," Robin grumbled, remembering the chaos of the day she somehow got sick.
It was endearing how much of an idiot the little genius had been and to avoid a repeat of that, she kept the comfortable cardigan on. Little Garden was still rather hot but the Cardigan's material was fantastic and didn't isolate the heat much at all.
"I didn't know you had a tattoo. It looks good," Robin commented. He had expressed interest in one as a child but based on his memories, that interest seemed to have long vanished. The intricate tattoo that was his name with a thorny rose running through it looked beautiful.
"Thank you... Angel did it for me when I was 16. It looks incredible for someone who learned how to make them in one week," Rosan nodded. "Now that we've solved one issue… where exactly is Luffy? I teleported us to his straw hat but he must have been in a rush and I missed him…"
He didn't see any footsteps that would belong to his little brother, so maybe he had gotten a hitchhike from one of the dinosaurs. That would explain the massive footprints on the floor unless Luffy managed to inflate himself to large degrees.
Actually...
"Come, I can feel him this way." Rosan pointed in a direction and the duo was off.
Monkey D. Luffy… Robin was interested in learning more about the rubber boy who earned Rosan's loyalty.
Then again, only someone more insane then Rosan, would be able to get the redhead to follow them. He was an agent of chaos after all.
"I should warn you, Baroque Works is also on this island," Robin warned. "Not only are Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine here, Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek should be as well."
"How useful are this 3 and Goldenweek?" Rosan muttered. "The previous agents thought it was smart to get in the way between me and Luffy's spat and now the booger bomb one is going to pay the price."
Robin blinked at that ominous message. "Mr. 3 isn't really all that strong but he's crafty and has the Doru Doru no mi. Anything that happens on this island, will be because of his planning. Miss Goldenweek is not a fighter but she has some form hypnotism that alters personality based on the color of her paint," she explained.
The redhead hummed at that. Wax, huh? While not as powerful as Mr 5's fruit, it could be more resourceful. He'd have to see but if the man disappointed him… he'd probably just let him die. His Devil Fruit wasn't as must have and Rosan didn't need some other person's brains besides Robin.
The redhead summoned a bug and had it fly off, before continuing on his way and the duo eventually made their way to the sound of constant, unnaturally loud, laughter that seemed to shake the ground they walked on.
Pushing through the massive amount of shrubbery, Robin and Rosan were greeted to the sight of a giant, Luffy, and Vivi chatting away.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone