20 Stirring waters

(3rd Person POV)

"Where is Aokiji?", in Marineford, Sengoku was screaming as he was usually doing. It had started the moment Aokiji returned from Ohara. Ever since then, Sengoku had noticed that he was becoming more and more like Garp. Now, he not only had Garp to deal with but Aokiji as well, who was about the same. The teacher and disciple were very close and would often leave to eat or drink some tea together, giving Senogku headaches. 

"He is not here, Fleet Admiral.", someone told him, worsening Sengoku's mood even more. 

"He really left? Where could he have gone?!"

"His bike is gone too! Maybe he went offshore?!"

"Idiot, he creates his bike out of ice, no wonder it's not here."

"Oh, that makes sense."

"Contact the Five Elder Stars immediately!", Sengoku said and then called the Elders, to tell them everything. 

*KACHAK*

"Did he go off on his own again?"

"A sightseeing trip perhaps? He seems to be doing that more often in the last couple of years."

"*Sigh* ... He needs to be more aware of his status ... and not leave without telling others."

"... After all, he is the strongest man in the Marine Headquarters ..."

[Picture]

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A decade has passed since Kuzan killed Donquixote Doflamingo and increased the size of his family by three. Robin reluctantly stayed for a while longer to take care of the little ones, as Kuzan called them. She stayed for 4 years longer and both trained as well as taught the 'little ones'. 

The family grew very close to each other and whenever Kuzan returned, he brought many presents with him. Books of any kind for Robin and medical books for Law. Both Baby and Bepo would either get some sweets or a cute little dog for them to take care of.

When Robin told them that she would finally leave to explore the world and find out the truth of the world's history, everyone was crying ... even Kuzan. In fact, Kuzan was probably the one who was crying the most. But Robin steeled her nerves and due to her dream, she still left. Kuzan was proud of her and her progress. She had come a long way since the day of the Ohara Incident. No longer was she the weak 8-year-old, who had lost everything. She was now strong and using what Kuzan taught her, she went on her journey. 

As for the other three, they had also gotten much closer and especially grew up a lot not only in maturity but also in strength. Law was the de facto leader of the group. The other two looked up to him and he was also the strongest of the three. Baby loved to be needed and Law, Bepo and Baby planned to create a Pirate crew later. At first, they were worried about what Kuzan would say, but he encouraged them to pursue their dreams. 

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So Law, Bepo and Baby founded the Heart Pirates and went to sea. It was surprisingly hard for Kuzan to watch the news about their group. But it was even harder for him to not know what was going on with Robin for longer periods of time. But every once in a while, he would get a call from her when she would tell him about the things she had seen and what she did. Every once in a while, he would go 'sightseeing'. This meant that he would leave his post in Marineford which the Five Elders had condemned him to and would visit his daughter somewhere. 

But 4 years ago ... Robin was hired by Crocodile, the Shichibukai, to join Baroque Works. Baroque Works is a criminal syndicate created by the Warlord Crocodile to destabilize and conquer the Arabasta Kingdom and, by extension, acquire the ancient superweapon Pluton, according to Robin. For this sole purpose, they conducted countless acts of espionage, sabotage, and murder over a span of years, ultimately manipulating Arabasta into a civil war. When Kuzna told Sengoku about it, he notified the Elders but Kuzan was forbidden from doing anything. 

He was about to go to Arabasta and introduce a new climate to the desert when Robin told him not to. She said that she wanted to do this on her own and that she was aware of the dangers. Robin was a master at espionage and knew how to fight. Kuzan let it be and decided to trust her. He was still unhappy that the prick Crocodile was so close to his daughter, but she was grown up now, and he had to accept the dangers her dream came with. 

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On the other hand, the Heart Pirates were quickly rising to fame in the East Blue. They decided to first gain more experience and gather their crew, before going to the New World and Paradise. Kuzan showed Garp the bounties of them and bragged about them at the time. Garp was quite arrogant at that time and said that something so shameful would never happen to his children ... Kuzan reminded him that his son was the most wanted man on the planet, which made his expression darken. He then told Kuzan that he had great hopes for his grandsons and said that they would become great Marines. 

Kuzan didn't believe him though and he also didn't care. He was glad that his children were doing so well in their lives and had a big smile on his face as he drifted off to sleep. But lately, Kuzan has noticed that things started to become strange. 

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Garp's words about his grandsons becoming great Marines, almost made him die of suffocation when he saw the first bounty of one of his grandsons, Portgas D. Ace. Kuzan asked Garp how it was possible, that his grandson had a different name than him, but Garp refused to answer that. It wasn't necessary anyway, Kuzan had a very good guess as to who Ace was. Did he care though? ... not in the slightest. His children would become the greatest anyway. But I had to admit that Ace had talent when he defeated a Shichibukai, two years ago. 

The one to replace the Shichibukai was Bartholomew Kuma. There was another strange thing going on there. Kizaru was called to attend the meetings between Kuma and Vegapunk for some reason. He managed to have some ice clones, a new move he created, infiltrate Punk Hazard and find out what was going on. Apparently, Bartholomew Kuma has agreed to a deal with the Elder, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn. Vegapunk would heal Kuma's daughter, who was sick with Sapphire Scales and in turn, Kuma agreed to join the Shichibukai and have Vegapunk turn him into a human weapon and have his memories erased.

Kuzan has something planned for that event. But more on that later. The problems seemed to begin to stack up and there was something happening to the world. 

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(Kuzan POV)

Something was going on. I can feel it in my bones. The world is preparing for something. And it started a few months ago. 

(Flashback)

"My grandson has become a pirate!! I won't stand for it!", Garp said as he was shaking me.

"I understand that but what are you going to do? If he is anything like you or Dragon, there is nothing that will make him change his mind."

"URGH, you're right. That brat refuses to listen to me! It's all that Red Hair's fault."

"Akagami? What did he do?", I asked interested. 

"It happened when he went to East Blue. He met with Luffy and made him wish to become a pirate!"

"For real?"

"Yes!!"

"Hm, should we go deal with him then? I mean we could just go pay him a visit and when he attacks us we just ... defend ourselves. You know, accidents happen.", I say being fully serious. 

"Hm ...", Garp was seriously considering it. I could tell. And I would gladly do that, no questions asked. F*ck the World Government and their fake 'stability'. 

"No, we can't. The Red Haired brat even lost an arm when he saved Luffy. He wouldn't be happy."

"Well if you don't want, I understand. But we could still rough him up a bit, though."

"The Red Haired brat has gotten strong."

"So? We're the strongest hte Marines have to offer."

(Flashback end)

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Garp didn't want to in the end. He said it was too much work for him. I could understand him somewhat. But there was something that didn't sit right with me. The fact that Akagami Shanks lost an arm to save a child ... in East Blue. That was impossible and told me that there might be more to it than meets the eye. And I was right. 

A few months ago, there was the first bounty poster of a certain ... Monkey D. Luffy. With a smiling face, typical of the Monkey family. Although Dragon stopped smiling after Ohara, understandably. He didn't talk to me ever since. We used to be very close, but after I 'killed' everyone in Ohara, he never talked to me again. He was very angry that I had killed everyone. I know that he hopes to find a way to read the Poneglyphs, to find out the truth and to find a way to fight the World Government. 

Monkey D. Luffy continued to amass fame and accomplishments. It was impressive and yet, still within the reason of the Monkey family. Both Garp and Dragon are monsters and it makes sense that the youngest member of the family would be no different. But still ... there is something about this Luffy that is different. He is special in a way. And why do I know this? 

...

Because he CORRUPTED MY ROBIN!! That's right the bastard dared to corrupt my Robin and fill her head with useless Monkey D. talk. All of the Monkey D's have this. But apparently, this Luffy is special. Robin is smart, very smart and she wouldn't follow just anyone like that. So she either sees him as someone trustworthy, which I could understand, or she takes advantage of him. I wonder what it is? I would bet on the first one. 

When the Straw Hat Pirates dismantle Baroque Works and take down Crocodile, the government covers it up. Of course, they did. Crocodile is arrested by Tashigi and Smoker in Arabasta, both of whom are promoted for their efforts. I am honestly happy for Smoker, he deserves a win. The drought ends and peace returns to the country and Robin joins the Straw Hat Pirates. 

After that, they left the surveillance for a while and I didn't know what was going on. Only for them to reappear again. I got the 'command' to look for the Straw Hat Pirates and confirm their whereabouts after the Arabasta incident. And that's what I am doing right now. I have come to Long Ring Long Land and that's where I am right now ... sleeping and waiting for this strange contest to end. 

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(3rd Person POV)

*Rustle Rustle*

"You guys ...", the old man says to the approaching Straw Hat Pirates. Luffy, who is carrying a pirate flag, hands it over to the old man.

"We kicked their ass."

"You're hurt pretty bad, yourself."

"Nah ... this is nothing."

"Thank you."

*IHIHIHI*

"Sherry, I'll change the Bandages.", Tony Chopper says to the horse.

"I see. So this is why you accepted the challenge. But an idiot like you would've accepted it either way.", Namy says. 

"Hey! Respect your Captain!", Luffy says.

"Why don't we take you to your people on our ship?", Nami suggests. 

"No ... these ten islands are actually the same one. The guide post won't point to them individually.", Usopp comments.

"No problem. No problem. I'm an easy-going guy. I'm not in a hurry. Let's see ... these must be your friends?! Since you're all here, allow me to treat you with something nice!", the old man says. 

"What do you have? That cheese again?"

"No- poo"

*Bonk*

The old man tries to get into the small house but bumps into something standing in front of it.

"Wa! What is that?!", Luffy asks.

"It's a person."

"Was he there the whole time?"

"Huh?", the tall white-haired person stirs awake as he has been asleep. He looks at the people around him and then asks them.

"Who the heck are you?", he asks.

"That's what we were asking you!!"

"I thought you were a tree."

The man looks around and it seems to remember something and the air around him seems to change when he sees Nico Robin. This causes the young woman to gasp and fall on her behind in ... fear. 

"Ah ... Ah ... EH?!"

This alerts the others immediately. 

"Robin?!"

"What's wrong, Robin-chan?"

The man then speaks again with a cold ... literally ... sneer.

"Arara ... look who has suddenly grown into a fine young and INDEPENDENT woman ... Nico Robin."

!!!

Someone just f*cked up.