36 -Dead or Alive

On their way back, Ian who was holding Robin's stuff, didn't know what to say or what to talk about after their encounter with Aokiji, so he just started talking about the new ship he had built here in water 7. He described it to Robin thoroughly, he talked about how good looking it was, and about how many rooms it had… baths… cannons and so on. By the time he finished they were already standing beside it at the docks.

And Robin once laid eyes on it she was impressed. The combination of the colors (brown, black, and blue), the shape, the size, and most importantly the figure head, which was modeled to look like a western dragon's head, gave the ship an impressing look. It looked intimidating and at the same time made you want to board it and sail it across the seas.

"How about you give me a tour of this lovely ship?" she asked as she gestured with her hands up ahead.

Ian nodded and did as she said. And even if he had already talked about it before he still introduced each room they passed on their tour again.

After a while, Ian started making his way up to the deck of the ship and was preparing to set sail. He had showed Robin her room, and left her there to sort her stuff. As for him he had already put everything where it belongs in his room the moment he had gotten the ship. He had even upgraded his previously annoying and uncomfortable bed to a good one. In fact he did so for all the rooms. Except the one on his room was more expensive.

Once he stepped on the deck though and after the ship was a bit away from the docks due to him using his powers to steer it, he found that all the straw hat crew were running towards them from afar when he looked back. As such and even though he was perplexed, he slowed down the ship a bit and went inside towards Robin's room and reached it shortly thereafter. He knocked on the room. And waited until she opened it up. She had a book on her hands that apparently she had been reading once she sorted her stuff.

As to where the book came from. Ian when he first got the ship and started filling it up with all the needed stuff, he had made it a point to fill all the rooms including the shared ones, with a 6 shelfed bookcase. Then he filled them all with some books he bought from different islands. And Robin must have liked the bookcase on her room and started browsing through it.

"What is it Ian?" She asked curiously, as she closed the book she was holding. She noticed that they had already started sailing, as such she didn't expect him to come towards her right now.

Ian just smiled as he pointed upwards with his thumb.

"Let's go to the deck, then you'll see." He said, before he started going upwards to the deck.

Robin's curiosity was ignited even more, as she turned back towards the room and put the book on her nightstand near the bed, and only then did she start following Ian back to the deck.

Once she did she found all her friends, the straw hats crew standing on the docks and waiving them goodbye.

"Our friends are here to say goodbye once again haha" Ian said and laughed lightly as he waved back. Robin too started waving towards them.

"These guys…" she muttered as she smiled gently.

Nami yelled from afar.

"Robin, Take care of yourself" she had tears on her eyes.

She was followed by Nojiko as she too told her that she was sure they will meet again in the future. The three of them were girls as such they all had been quite close.

Meanwhile from the guys, Sanji yelled that the next time he will surely make a heavenly dish befitting of her status as a goddess that will leave her utterly satisfied.

Then after that Luffy yelled.

"Hey Ian, make sure to take care of her alright? And Robin, our promise, I would not forget it, so you can rest easy" he said as he finished with a grin. Before the ship was finally too far away for their words to reach.

.....

"Those guys sure are funny and amusing" Ian muttered as he thought about the straw hats.

Robin gave a nod with a smile on her face. She had spent a while with them so she knew that they were a bunch of funny guys.

She then noticed that the ship was sailing apparently with nobody on the helm. She turned towards Ian with an inquisitive look. Her eyes were asking the question of how is this possible.

Ian chuckled as he replied.

"This is my ability. Remember how I rescued you that time?" he asked.

"Yes, I felt some sort of energy grab a hold of me. So that is your power? I didn't know that you too had eaten a devil fruit." Robin replied.

"No I was born with this ability." Ian shook his head as he said.

"Born with it? Such a strange thing. I have never heard of something like this before" robin had a hint of amazement in her voice. As for whether Ian was lying or not Robin didn't even have the thought, as she knew he didn't have any reason to lie. Such a thing could be easily verified if Ian fell into the sea. As such he would only be setting himself up if he lied.

"In this world, there are still many unexplained things and powers you will get to know in the future. Let me show you something" Ian said. Before he used telekinesis to levitate.

Robin looked shocked.

"You can fly using your power?" she asked. She had thought that when he saved her, his ability consisted of pulling or pushing something, but this was amazing.

"I can. And I can even make you fly". He replied with a grin. As he made her fly next to him. Robin got out of her stupor and enjoyed the feeling for now.

After a while they landed. And Ian made the ship sail at a very fast speed. But since he was coating it with a layer of his energy, no apparent discomfort was brought to them due to the high speed.

The reason he sped up, is to reach The Island Rayleigh was on. Sabaody archipelago.

Then Ian told Robin to relax on the deck, while he goes and make them a light snack in the kitchen.

Robin nodded, but first went to her room to get that book again. Then she unfolded a deck chair and sat on it. And after a while, and while she was engrossed at her book, a news coo was passing near, and she waved at it. When it landed it gave Robin a newspaper and robin gave it the money needed.

When she started reading, a bounty paper slipped off.

On it there was Ian who was wearing his Royal one shoulder cape above his clothes, he had his left hand on his sword.

But what shocked Robin was how high his bounty was.

She knew that this was the first bounty he ever had, but when she read below she noticed that the marines had said that this Ian guy had been an unknown pirate before with a low bounty only reaching 30.000.000 before he climbed his way up. And now with how strong he had become and with the events of Enies lobby, they raised his bounty as much as needed.

Robin knew that the marines would hide this stuff from even before. So she was not overly surprised, besides such a bounty didn't do Ian any justice, as this guy was someone even Aokiji spoke high of to her. She put the bounty poster aside and waited for Ian to come to show it to him. As he was cooking she didn't want to interrupt him.

The info she read was:

Ian Louis.

Dead or Alive.

550.000.000 berries.