79 Dark Flower

"I'll be staying here for a while, Tsuru... Robin wants to see the island and also I have to talk to Gan Fall and Wyper, what do you intend to do?".

Veyron looked at Robin who was on the opposite edge of the ship, minding her own business without trying to pry on their conversation. He had already settled two things he needed to kickstart his plans... two individuals deep in the government who could work for him and follow his orders. 

Stussy was a great piece, she was a member of the CP0 and a reliable one at that, although he couldn't completely trust her, he'd make sure to put her loyalty under scrutiny. As for Gion, she wasn't a valuable piece as of yet, but once she reached the Admiral position, that'd be different. 

Only time was needed for those two pieces to reach their utmost capabilities... but there was yet another piece which he wished to obtain. With one in the Cypher Pol and one in the Marine side, there was just one left in the side of the revolutionaries and one among the pirates. 

That piece was in close proximity. 

...

"You're the only one who can take us back to the Blue Sea, what else can I do other than wait for you?" The old lady crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, they weren't going to just jump down from the skies. With the position they were at now, their spots as effective marine members were not handicapped, all of the CP0 members were dead except for Stussy who was now 'loyal' to Veyron although Tsuru couldn't be certain. 

'With time we will know if this lass can be trusted'. 

"Good. I don't expect to stay here for much longer. If you two wish you can find yourself a room in the ship-"

"Leave it, Tsuru... would you mind helping me train?" Gion requested enthusiastically. 

"Hah, it seems you're quite thrilled about your new powers~".

"I want to know how much stronger this devil fruit is going to make me!".

"We don't need to sleep... you can find us in the jungle when it is time to depart" Tsuru and Gion left the ship on their own accord without minding anyone's business. From the star, Tsuru was Gion's mentor and with the precedents of the old lady, Veyron didn't think he'd have to worry about the beautiful marine not becoming strong enough to face the future admirals. 

'It seems that marines don't sleep... yeah, say that to Kuzan'.

With all matters addressed, Veyron walked up to the last person on the ship who was leaning on the edge, looking at the hanging moon, Robin. 

Stussy walked behind her master until he noticed and waved her hand at her in a dismissive manner, 'Shu shu, go away!'.

The blonde pouted and harrumphed, going back into the ship while being completely disregarded by her new master, 'I know you don't trust me enough for now but you just wait. Boa Hancock, Boa Primrose, Momousagi Gion... I'll show you that I can be of more use than them!'.

...

With no one else on the deck, Veyron approached the beauty dressed in simple clothes. She smiled and looked down at him from the side, "You know... it is difficult to believe you whose stature barely reaches my chest, can be so overbearingly strong".

"*cough* my stature is high enough to reach what I want to reach".

"Hmph, I'm sure it is... why don't you go and sleep? it must have been taxing for you to fight both of them at the same time".

"My family is sleeping, someone has to keep on guard".

"Family?"

"They're like my family... if I don't take care of them, who will?" Veyron leaned forward as well, both regarded the moon quietly at night, it was a marvellous visage with nothing but a tad breeze and the calmness of peace they had just achieved with great effort. 

"The skypeans are sure to enjoy scenarios like these from now on, they're free".

"Until another tyrant takes control of it" He frowned, in the manga, it wasn't shown that Enel had such a connection with the world government... which meant from the start they had their eyes on this island, 'Now that several of their most powerful agents died trying to accomplish this mission, they're going to become even more insistent'.

"You're a good child, Veyron... I'm sure you won't allow that, will you?".

Veyron smiled and levitated; he sat at the edge of the ship's handrail next to her and took out something, a devil fruit.

"This is..."

"This is the Yami Yami no Mi, or at least so I thought, I think there is more than one Yami Yami no Mi" He handed it over to her, the fruit was purple in colour, like the Gomu Gomu. 

'The abilities Peter Hornigold used were completely different from Blackbeard's, I think he could nullify devil fruits, otherwise, Enel wouldn't have perished so easily... from the start, the first time I saw the Yami Yami no Mi I was curious as to why it doesn't work like other logias, I think I have my answer'.

"That doesn't make sense... you mean a devil fruit can split in two?"

He nodded, "I have seen another pirate in the past... he already had the Yami Yami no Mi. But the abilities he used were different from Peter's and the timing doesn't coincide as it is impossible for this fruit to be in two places at the same time".

"What are you trying to tell me, Veyron?" Robin bit her lips, she had a hunch; that's why even though he was visually handing her the fruit, she didn't take it right away. 

"Robin, this fruit allows the user to eat an extra devil fruit without dying, as long as it is not a logia" He glared at her, his intentions clear. 

Robin flinched with her gaze drifting between the fruit and him. 

"I already have a-"

"A paramecia... I can't eat it as I'm going to eat the Goro Goro no Mi which is another logia. I want you to eat it, Robin".

She took a step back and bit her lips harder.

"Why me? There is Hancock and her sisters... they're paramecia and zoans, or even their mother who doesn't have any, why do you want me to take it!?"

His body levitated and chased after her until she came to a stop, caught between him and a wall, it wasn't that she didn't need the power... it was that she wasn't sure if she'd live after eating it. She hadn't personally seen Peter using both fruits simultaneously

Veyron thought it was understandable for her to have doubts. 

'How can I tell you that you're a key piece for this story without telling you... you're the eldest figure in the Straw Hat Crew, if you become stronger it will help me a lot in the future'.

He thought there was no one in this ship who fitted this fruit more than Nico Robin.

"You have run all your life from the world government" He leaned forward, erasing the distance between the two until his head was technically in front of hers.

"..."

Robin panted and her blue eyes fixed on his red ones, she noticed his iris had two rings. A detail she hadn't noticed before. 

"Instead of running away from everything, why don't you try becoming stronger? I'm giving you the opportunity if you don't take it... I'll give it to somebody else".

"Do you want something from me?"

"I do..."

Her countenance dropped, once again she was going to be used and discarded, that was until he spoke again following his previous statement. 

"I want you to be strong and independent. You want to learn the concealed story of the void century, you want to go against every law in this world. Do you really think you can do that while being weak? Robin, I want you to discover the story of this world, and then tell it to me~".

Her eyes shone like stars, in the end, it was the same dream.

"I can't read the poneglyphs like you can..."

"Won't you be there to protect me?"

"Eh?"

The papers inverted, Robin pinned Veyron against the wall of the ship, her face so close he thought she was going for a kiss. 

"The poneglyphs are concealed all over the world. If I am that important... why don't you travel the seas with me?! We can unravel the story of this world together".

"..."

Robin's eyes were shining. He could fly wherever he wanted, go anywhere unhindered... if it was him he could take her to see all the poneglyphs in this world, he was also strong enough to protect her from any harm. 

Ironically, this kid would soon become a dependable adult was like the safest haven she had longed for her whole life. 

Veyron evaded her gaze, this was the closest thing to a confession she'd ever muster, but he had to reject it. 

"Sorry, I can't...".

"..." Robin flinched and made some distance between them, she didn't notice when, but the Yami Yami no Mi was in her hands. 

"There are people important to me and I can't just leave them. I want to destroy the world government and make a peaceful world where I can be with the people I care about".

"Then why are you giving this to me if you don't want me by your side?!" Being rejected was something she was used to, most of the time she didn't even care. But this rejection thundered in her heart because someone like him by her side was all she needed to keep moving forward with her dream. 

"I can't go on this journey with you, but I can give you the power to be safe...".

"Why?"

"Didn't I tell you? I will protect you..."

"..."

Robin cleaned some of her tears away with a complex expression of helplessness, "Every time I talk to you... I feel like you've known me for a long time, but I don't remember you".

He ruffled her hair and kissed her cheek softly.

"What are you talking about? I'm just ten years old~"

The archaeologist laughed loudly in front of Veyron's kind gaze, "You're right, it doesn't make sense... I'll eat it now. I trust you, Veyron".

He nodded and she ate the whole thing in one go. Obviously, she had experienced how disgusting a devil fruit could be but what surprised her was that this one tasted way worse than the Hana Hana no Mi.

She hit her chest several times to swallow it and before she could fall on her knees, her body floated and landed on Veyron's arms. 

"Did it taste good?~"

"I hate you...it feels weird, my chest feels very hot".

She rubbed the centre of her chest several times in discomfort until a gust of darkness covered her whole body, by the time the darkness ceased, the discomfort was gone.

"See? I knew nothing was going to happen to you, should have looked at your face~".

"..."

Robin's eyebrows twitched, she picked up the floating Goro Goro no Mi and held Veyron's shoulders, the boy flinched right away. 

"Open big".

"Wait! I can eat it tomorrow!".

"Why leave for tomorrow what you can do today!?"

She shoved the lightning fruit into his mouth and Veyron gasped like never before he had done in his life, his eyes literally grew veins.

If a dog's fresh sh*t had a taste, it had to be this!

*PUAG!*

Before he could vomit, Robin covered his mouth, "You can't spit it! Swallow it!". 

!!!

A bell rang and just like that Veyron passed out, knocked out by the raw disgusting taste of that fruit... he woke up a few minutes a several hands were blowing some breeze towards him, all he could see was Robin's chest sticking out, she was allowing him to rest on her lap. 

"That's the worst thing I have ever tasted in my lives".

"Lives...?"

"Forget it".

*CHA!!*

His palm released some blue lightning and he smirked, 'I lost the capacity to swim... but now, I have the last piece that I needed'.