We had all split up to look for Zoro and Luffy. I took some shipwrights with me, but we split off to cover more ground.
Some tension that was held in my body had lifted after figuring out why Robin really left us. When I had heard from Nami, Robin's question she asked me before had replayed in my head.
"What made you decide to come back?"
I looked down and pursed my lip as I stared at the concrete beneath my shoes.
Robin must've known this would happen eventually. She must hate this so much.
My thoughts had come to a stop when I saw legs sticking out of a chimney. I would've been way more confused if I didn't see the three swords next to it. A drop of sweat falls down my forehead as I deadpan in disbelief.
You're kidding...how the hell does that even happen?
Before I could call out the swordsman's name, I quickly ducked a knife that was headed my way. Once the knife landed on the wall in front of me, I recognized them and turned to the attacker with a fighting stance, "What do you want, Kaku?"
The boy just gave me a crooked smile as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, "Lucci wants you to come with us. You don't really have a choice, but I'd prefer not to get aggressive."
I narrowed my eyes at the words, not bothering to ask why me specifically since I knew my background. I knew I couldn't defeat him at my current state so fighting wasn't an option. I got out of my fighting stance with a sigh as I walked closer to him.
Kaku's smile widened as he held out his hand again, "Ready, princess?"
I placed my hand in his begrudgingly as I spoke with slight anger laced in my tone, "Don't call me that."
He said nothing to my hostile tone though as he pulled me to his chest again, his arm snaking around my waist, "And what would you prefer?"
My expression didn't falter as I looked up at the boy while he looked down at me, "My name."
He seemed to look around with fake innocence, "So then...Lady L/n."
"You're kidding, right?"
Kaku chuckled slightly at my irritated expression, "Well, it only fits since you're a celestial dragon and everything."
My eye twitched slightly at the mention of my status, "Oh really? And do you hold all celestial dragons like this?" I motioned to his arms that were wrapped around my waist and back.
He smirked down at me as he tightened his hold, "Do you not like it?"
A transponder snail rang, much to Kaku's dismay as he clicked his tongue in annoyance and answered it with an irritated tone before fixing it when he heard Lucci's voice demanding him to hurry up.
Kaku hung up and sighed, no longer holding the same cut-loose attitude as before, "You heard the boss, let's go." He crouched down to get more momentum and then brought us to the sea train station.
Upon our arrival, Lucci turned to face us with a smirk, "Glad you could make it, princess."
Seriously, everyone needs to stop calling me that.
I didn't respond to him, not even giving him the luxury of eye contact as I looked to Kalifa, then Blueno, then finally Robin.
"What are you doing here, Y/n?!" Robin stepped forward, bewildered at my presence.
I shifted my gaze to Lucci, who seemed pleased at the action, with a slight nod, "Ask him."
"Hey! This-"
Before Robin could finish, Lucci ordered Blueno to get Robin on the train causing the bartender to put enough force her back to push her into the train.
The others followed on as Kaku made sure I got on the train with them. I tried to follow Robin, thinking that we hostages would be placed in the same place, but Lucci stopped me.
"You'll be going with me, princess."
"It's Y/n," I said with a stern voice as I shrugged his hand off my shoulder harshly.
Lucci led me to a separate cart right next to Robin's personal one as he ordered the others to wait for him so he could talk with me in private.
The man sat down in one of the booths and gestured to the other side for me to sit which I did assuming that I wouldn't get any answers if I disobeyed him.
"Why am I here?" I got straight to the point with a clear and confident voice even though my fingers couldn't sit still.
"Prin-" He stopped at the sight of my glare, his usual frown turning into a smirk, "Y/n. You are aware of your bloodline, yes?"
"Yes..." My eyebrows furrowed in confusion and anticipation as I waited for him to finish.
"Well, let's just say I'm sure the government will put to good use a celestial dragon turned pirate," His smirk never left his face as he leaned on the table a little more.
"So along with Robin, you were ordered to capture me?" I shook my head, the pieces not fitting together, "No, that doesn't make sense. Why didn't you try to capture me earlier?"
Lucci watched my perplexed expression before his smirk widened and he leaned back as he used his hands while he talked, "See, I was never ordered to bring you back. That was a selfish choice on my part."
My ears perked at the key word, "'Selfish'? So then, it was you who decided to bring me along?" After seeing him nod his head I continued, "But why?"
He looked me up and down looking out the window of the train with an unreadable expression, "There was a time where I was acting as a guard at Reverie and I happened to spot a spoiled little prince, a celestial dragon to boot, threatening a princess' mother and she got so mad she almost killed him right then and there." Lucci smirked with amusement glazing his eyes as he watched my shocked expression, "Does that ring a bell?"
I knew exactly what he was talking about. It was a couple years back when we had just found out of my mothers illness. She had to stay home because her physical state was not well enough to make it all the way to Reverie.
That day, a snotty little prince told me to marry him, but I declined.
"I heard your moms pretty sick right now! Maybe I should make her my slave to put her to use! Ha! Or maybe I should just send my guards to kill her now so she can be put out of her misery!"
There was a rage that I'd never felt before once those words left the fool's mouth. An anger bubbling so ferociously in my chest and all muscles tightened up, ready to act on instinct. And my instinct was telling me to kill the boy who had even thought about such a horrid thought, especially towards my mother, all because he was rejected.
That was the first time I had truly wanted to kill someone and wouldn't have regretted doing so either. I had craved violence. I remember it so vividly because looking back at it now, it terrifies me.
"So, you do remember," Even though his eyes were on me, Lucci didn't look at me anymore. He seemed to be somewhere else as his eyes held an unreadable glint, "I had never seen someone with the same bloodlust as me until I saw you that day."
I looked at him in disbelief.
He's admiring, practically praising, my desire to kill someone...
He seemed to return from whatever daydream he was in as his eyes gazed from my head to my lower torso once again while his head tilted to the side slightly, a hungry look on his face, "You're like me."
I couldn't help, but scoff at the statement. He wasn't pleased with it, but I didn't give a shit, "Like you? That's a load of bullshit. I'm nothing like you."
"Oh, but you are Y/n," Lucci leaned forward, "You remember how you felt that day. You know there's a part of you that wants to let loose."
My demeanor faltered as he made me recall the aggressive memory. Sure, it happened, but it was only once. Maybe I had felt the same bloodlust that radiated off the man in front of me that day, but it's was just a one time thing.
Right?
"You're strong and clever, but most of all," Lucci pointed at me with an amused smirk, "You're a killer. You just have to accept it and then you'll rise to your full potential."
I couldn't believe what he was saying. Me? A killer? I've never even killed anyone in my life and I hated those who did without reason. I was nothing like this man. Nothing.
Lucci stood up from his seat and started to walk away, "So I'll be taking you back with us so I can shape you into the woman you really are and after that you'll work side by side with me."
"What?!" I turned around in my seat to face him as he headed to the door, "That's ridiculous! I'm not going to work with you!"
"Oh, but Y/n," Lucci grinned as he looked over his shoulder with excitement for all the wrong reasons, "You don't have a choice."
***
"We found Zoro and Luffy, but where did Y/n go?" Nami ruffled her hair frantically as she felt like she was losing her marbles.
Zoro narrowed his eyes at the floor, "She was taken by them."
"What?!" Luffy and Nami whipped their heads to the swordsman at the news.
"Oi, Zoro! What are you talking about?" Luffy was beyond angry. First he loses Usopp then Robin and now you? He seriously was ready to shove their foot up their ass.
The green haired man crossed his arms with an unpleasant look, "I overheard them talking while I was...um...stuck. That Lucci guy wanted her to come with them for some reason so they took her."
Zoro tried to ignore the part of you and Kaku talking so casually and how it was excruciatingly obvious that Kaku was flirting with you. He didn't mention it since it was an irrelevant detail and plus he's not one to butt into your love life.
He could care less about who flirted with you....he just thought it was a little wrong that it was one of the guys that's A: with the government, B: trying to kill them and C: trying to take Robin away.
"Seriously?" Nami huffed angrily, her fists clenching tighter as warm water started to form in her eyes, "Can't we catch a break?"
Luffy looked to Zoro who nodded in response, "Lets get going. The faster we can catch up to them, the faster we can save Robin and Y/n and kick their ass!"
And with that they set off to go catch up to the sea train.
Unbeknownst to you and Robin, there were three others on the sea train that had nothing to do with the government: Sanji, Usopp, Franky.
Sanji had to hold himself back when he saw how they had gotten to you too, not wanting to lose any more crew members. He was planning on writing the note he was leaving to you, but he switched it to Nami since you were obviously preoccupied which he didn't mind.
Usopp was scared shitless out of his pants per usual since he couldn't comprehend what was happening or why it was as he watched Franky's unbothered and unfazed attitude in awe.
The archeologist, on the other hand, was bewildered, why were you here as well? The deal was that all the Strawhats were supposed to stay safe in exchange for her, so what were you doing here in the same predicament?
She was panicking way more than she was before. She had just gotten to know you and really meet your personality and who you were. To her, you were the only one on this crew that truly knew how she felt. That's the impression she got from you, especially after you had left that note when they were at Jaya.
Robin didn't want you to get hurt. She didn't want you to face the same fate she was going to. Only someone like her and was supposed to go through this. Only a Devil's child deserved this. And you were anything but that.
Robin could only pray to a god that she didn't believe in that you'd be safe. That she'd be the only one to bare the burnt of this situation.