Chapter 56: Heart to Heart

Inside the train.

Robin and Kai were sitting alone. Kai lit a cigarette and looked at Robin seriously. "So, devil-chan. Have you thought about what I asked you? About what you wanna do in the future."

Robin nodded and hesitated for a little bit before she started to talk.

"Yes, I did. I don't want to continue living the same way I have for the past 20 years. You taught me a lot of new things, Mask-san. A lot of things about myself and about the world. I learned what it felt like to be cared for again, I learned how to laugh again when I first met you. I learned how it felt to have someone watching my back and help me out when you saved me from Crocodile. I learned how it felt to enjoy a journey without having to look back over my shoulder every two seconds in fear of being betrayed on Jaya. I learned about the numerous wonders of this world that I know nothing about on Skypiea. I learned how it felt to have someone protect and care for me on Long Ring island when you stood up to Aokiji for me. I learned what it means to have someone truly want to help me out on Water 7 when you didn't leave my side even though I betrayed everyone. I also learned what it meant to care about someone else, when you came into my life. I learned what it was like to have friends when I lost a bet to you and joined the crew. I learned everything I enjoy in life right now from you or because of you. I learned how it felt to be accepted by other despite my past by everyone on the crew. I truly think of them as my friends."

Robin started to cry at this point.

"I… I don't want to lose all of that. I don't want to lose all these new things I learned. I don't want to lose my place on the crew. I… I don't want to lose you!"

Kai grabbed Robin into a hug as she started to weep. He held her tightly with a deep sadness portrayed in his eyes. He held her for a few minutes until she stopped crying and regained her composure. Kai let her go and she sat back up, looking him in the eyes.

"What do you want to do Robin?"

Robin looked him in the eyes and smiled.

"I want to forget about my past, I want to pave my own future."

Kai had a huge genuine smile on his face that Robin could see as he started to slowly lift his mask.

"Nico Robin. Will you sail the seas together with me?" Kai asked as he fully lifted his mask off. Robin still had watery eyes that threatened to spill out tears and she nodded.

Kai leaned in for a passionate kiss slightly surprising Robin for a moment before she closed her eyes and melted into the kiss as well. The two kissed deeply for the first time and after a little while Kai pulled back away. He had a massive smile on his face and looked at Robin with eyes filled with care and appreciation.

"I'm Kai. Nice to finally meet you, Robin."

Robin's face changed into one of joy as a smile graced her red lips.

"Nico Robin. Pleasure to make your acquaintance Kai."

Kai smiled and leaned back in for another kiss which Robin was prepared for this time. After a little while their lips separated again and they both smiled at each other. Kai touched his forehead to hers.

"It's nice to finally say that out loud. I didn't realize how hard it would be to hide my name from everyone."

Robin giggled. "So you're both Sanji's brother and Luffy's friend?"

Kai smiled. "Yup, and Pipe boy and Daddy's boy are also Luffy's brothers. We all have the same grandpa."

Robin started to connect the dots between everything she had heard and felt that it was kind of obvious. "I wonder how I didn't get that." Robin pondered.

Kai responded. "You're not as bad as Luff. He knows my devil fruit and still hasn't realized it's me, at least Sanji realized it was me when I showed off my fruit. Luffy's just an idiot."

Robin laughed. "Nishishishi! Just a little bit."

Kai smiled and they just stayed in the same position staring at each other. After a few minutes Kai said. "How is it? I'm not THAT ugly, right?"

Robin giggled. "You're actually pretty handsome, I might just eat you up, Kai."

Kai felt a tingle in his spine. He liked that. A lot. But he quickly hid it.

"*ahem* You're pretty adorable yourself, Robin. I might just eat you first." Kai winked with a huge grin on his face.

Robin looked slightly down and to the left with a small blush on her cheeks. She also felt a tingle in her spine when Kai said that.

After a moment her eyes met Kai's once again and she smiled before she pecked him on the lips. "That's what you missed out on after our first date."

Kai was stunned. "Whiskey peak? You still remember saying that?"

Robin nodded and giggled. "It seems like you remember it too."

Kai nodded seriously. "How could I ever forget? A beautiful girl was talking about kissing me."

Robin giggled again before she curled up into Kai's arms and cuddled him. Kai lightly touched his chin to the top of her head while she was wrapped up in his arms.

Robin thought for a moment before she asked. "Do you mind telling me your story?"

Kai smiled sadly and nodded. "Of course, it'll be good to get off my chest anyway." He said as his eyes changed from showing confidence to fear.

Kai told Robin about his past. He told her everything about his mother and his sister. He told her about what his father did to him and about his history with Sanji. Then he went on to talk about Foosha village and then his life in the marines. "...And that's about everything. Not the happiest story… I mean it's not like I'm a great person, aha, I did let my mother kill herself and I still don't have the balls to stand up to my own father and save my sister, even though I know she would be happier if she didn't have to live in Germa." Kai said as he had watery eyes with tears threatening to spill out.

He honestly was scared, scared that for whatever reason Robin wouldn't accept him, that his past might push her away. He was scared that she would think he was a bad person for not saving his mom or his sister yet. He was scared that if she knew about who he was that she would change her opinion on him. He barely brought his eyes up to meet hers as the tears started to roll down his cheeks and his eyes portrayed those of a scared little boy, who couldn't go on any longer without at least one person accepting him.

The moment Robin met his eyes she hugged him tightly and pulled his head into her chest. Kai started to let his tears flow as she held him tightly and patted his head and back. "Don't say that, Kai. You're not a bad person. Don't be an idiot. Only an idiot would think that. You're a great man."

Kai scoffed a bit through his tears. "I'm not an idiot."

Robin smiled lightly and replied. "Then don't say something like that about yourself. Only an idiot would think that."

Kai slowly nodded through his own tears.

After a few minutes Kai picked up his head and smiled at Robin lightly. His eyes were different from a moment ago, the fear and hesitation in them were gone. The eyes that portrayed a scared little boy had disappeared for good. In them now were the eyes of someone confident in himself, the same man who could stand off against Blackbeard and Aokiji without fear. The same man who wouldn't let anyone hold him down or hold him back and would do whatever he needed to, to protect the people he cared about. His smile widened as he felt a huge weight being lifted off of his back.

"Thanks Robin. Truly, thank you."

Robin smiled. "Anytime, you have done the same for me and so much more. Besides, if you want to scare me away it's gonna take a lot more than that."

Kai smiled and started to crawl on top of her as he lightly pushed her back in her seat. "Is that so? Maybe something like this will scare you a bit." Kai said as he started to lean in for another kiss that Robin was eagerly getting ready to accept before Kai froze.

"I'll fucking kill that bastard." He growled.

He quickly grabbed his mask and put it back on moving a respectable distance away from Robin.

Robin was very disappointed but assumed Kai had a reason for stopping. Especially after his little outburst. A moment later Robin realized what it was and also felt slightly annoyed, but didn't let it show on her face. When Kai sensed her annoyance with his kenbunshoku haki, he smirked.

After a few more seconds there was a knock on the window beside Robin. She opened the window with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Scaring the man who knocked.

"Umm. Is something wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing." Robin said while maintaining her scary smile.

Usopp gulped and looked over to Kai who had the same smile on his face only he was much more angry at Usopp. Unfortunately Usopp couldn't tell as Kai was weaning his mask so Usopp sat next to him as he was currently afraid of Robin. Robin saw this and giggled, confusing Usopp.

Kai who was sitting next to Usopp almost threw him out of the window again but stopped himself. He took a deep breath and sighed.

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood right now Pinocchio." Kai said and Robin laughed. "Nishishi! I thought you were about to throw him out the window."

Kai nodded seriously. "I actually was."

Usopp froze. "What?!?!"

He jumped back away from Kai who had already set up a sound barrier in the room so his scream didn't matter.

The two just shrugged like it was no big deal and started talking to each other ignoring Usopp.

Usopp, who was confused as to what was happening tried to interject. "Umm I'm here to save you Nico Robin. I am Sogeking and the Straw Hats sent me!"

Robin nodded. "Thank you Sogeking." Before she ignored him once again and started talking to Kai.

Usopp got confused. "What are you guys doing? We need to get out of here."

Kai looked at him. "And do what? Jump into the sea? Both of us can't swim, plus how do you even plan to get out of here?"

Usopp paused before he answered. "We can climb on the roof and then cut off the last cart on the tracks."

Kai smacked his own head with his palm. "Right. Why didn't I think of that?! Then you'll be sitting ducks in the middle of the ocean waiting for the buster call! Genius!" Robin giggled a bit and Usopp was confused.

"What's a buster call?"

Kai sighed. "My bad, I forgot you left the crew so Zoro wouldn't have told you. It's when 10 Large warships fire non stop at an island or something else in order to wipe it off a map. Not to mention the minimum of 5 vice admirals and possibly admiral's who come with it in order to destroy whatever the buster call is called for."

Usopp gulped loudly in fear. "Aha. A-are you joking?"

Kai shook his head. "No. Ask her."

Robin nodded solemnly. "There was once a buster call called on my hometown before, I'm the only survivor."

Usopp was shocked. "What?! WHY??"

Kai looked out the window.

"Because of some fucking bastards pissing their pants." He seethed.

He was angry on Robin's behalf and Robin nodded her head in agreement.

Usopp was confused and asked. "What happened?"

Robin sighed and told Usopp her story, at least what happened on Ohara. Usopp was taken aback to say the least.

"Those bastards! What kind of justice is that?" Usopp asked in a rage and Kai nodded along with him.

"I've BEEN saying that the government are bastards. Remember what I told Aokiji?"

"Actually, no, I don't."

Kai looked at him with irritation in his eyes. "Then go re read the chapter. My lazy ass in NOT fucking typing all that out again."

Usopp nodded and pretened to see Kai's point as he had no idea what the fuck that meant.

Kai suddenly got up and grabbed Usopp shushing him and hiding him in the corner of the room with a table covering him. A few seconds later a man walked into the room carrying Franky.