Robin POV - Blue Star, Grand Line, Sandy Isnd, Rainbase - 20 GAP

  After an enraged Crocodile rushed forward to hunt down both the "spy" and the one behind the atta the Rain Dinners, I didn't stop but tinued my advance following after the trails left behind by Crocodile, something quite easy to do sidering the fact that everywhere he passed there isn't any trace of pnts, roots, flowers, virees, and more importantly, there isn't any trace of that dangerous aphrodisiac pollen.

  Indeed, feeling the dampness within my pahe slight hot feeling c throughout my body, the sudden increase iiveness, and the increased sexual desire, I 't help but think while I once again steel my resolve to fight the effey moment of carelessness, 'That truly is a dangerous substance, with only a simple small whiff and the effect is already this strong... I truly don't dare to imagine what a full-blown exposure would cause. It is very likely that the victim would simply lose all reason and do everything in his or her power to relieve that painful incessant urge... and all that with a single exposure. I fear that stant and prolonged exposure to this substance could easily break someone's mind.'

  This isn't something that I decre without any reason whatsoever, after all, to build up my tolerao aphrodisiad simir drugs, I had to slowly and carefully expose myself to such things, and the effects weren't alleasant, but it was a y to ensure my safety or at the very least fight ba case I became a victim of such means, after all, to hide and escape from the Wover I had to dwell in some of the darkest pces that this world has to offers.

  I'm not proud of the things I have seen and doo keep myself safe, I have killed, maniputed, seduced, betrayed, and ighe suffering of many i people at the hands of the evilest scum walking on this earth, and sometimes even helped those very evil people in bringing more suffering to the i, all so I could keep surviving and fulfill the dream that I ied from my mother Nico Olivia, Professor Clover and the other from my destroyed home, Ohara, uhe true the history of the world.

  This is why I chose to work under Crocodile as he was my best ce to find one of those mythical pieces of this mysterious puzzle, the Ponegylph.

  The only thing that prevented me from truly losing myself in this darkness was the pursuit of this dream and those small acts of kihat I have done whe ossible, like sparing an "enemy" of my employers by faking their deaths or even simply giving them a very good ce to survive and recover thanks to some "tal" timely help, iving them some false information so that some i people won't bee their targets, to even ht betray them and make sure that they receive their just punishment for everything they have done ohey were no longer useful or crossed way too many lines.

  While I'm thinking all that to keep my mind away from the effects of that powerful aphrodisiac pollen, which luckily is starting to get weaker as more time passes because it is slowly being flushed out of my body and also because I was luckily exposed to it only for a very brief instance, I tinue my advand finally get out of the death trap that was the basement of the Rain Dinners which is still very likely to get flooded by the Bananawani-ied waters of the oasis where the ptform on top of which this o was built is located.

  On the ground, I don't stop but tio quickly follow the trail left behind by Crocodile while at the same time being very mindful of my surroundings as it is extremely foolish to believe that I'm now out of danger.

  As I tinue my advance while looking around, I 't help but frown as I notice the many human-shaped dried husks lying on the floors and after letting out a sigh, I mutter, "Just what I expected from someone like Crocodile, he truly doesn't care about how many lives he takes as long as he is able to plete his objectives..."

  At the same time, seeing this se I 't help but once again feel a strong ache in my heart thinking about all the lives lost because of the whims and needs of people like that Celestial Dragon, who for some reason chose to cause all this, Crocodile, who won't hesitate to kill aanding in his way, and me, who still tries to take advantage of this situation to plete her own selfish desires.

  While I'm thinking that, I suddenly stop moving and grimly mutter, "Sometimes I wonder if everything I did to fulfill my dream was worth it in the end... I'm just so sid tired of everything... 18 years... I have lived this kind of life for 18 years, I have been on the run since I was an 8 years old kid and sometimes... sometimes... sometimes, when things get really bad I just find myself wishing that everything will finally e to an end... maybe it will be for the better..."

  But I quickly shake my head to dismiss suegative thoughts and focus ba the present as I tio walk to find a safe way to get out of this building and escape from this city before one of the Admirals arrives in respoo the Celestial Dragon's order and starts his suppression of Crocodile and the rest of the Baroque Works, after all, no matter how strong and capable Crocodile is, I'm pretty sure that even he isn't a match for one of the stro powers of the Marine.

  ing to that clusion, I speed up my pad quickly cross the hallway that tains the hidderao the basement level and arrive in the hall that tains the stairs that lead up to the hotel part of the o which is mostly used by the most well off and important ers to rest or to enjoy spending some quality time with high-css escorts provided by us, after all, as the biggest and most famous gambliablishment in the try, the Rain Dinners had some of the top services in the whole first half of the Grand Line.

  Luckily this hall too was "ed" by Crocodile as I easily notice the signs that his passage left behind, dried empty husks, patches of sand all over the pce, and the damages left behind by both the roots, pnts, and trees, and the teique that Crocodile used to recim this hall.

  After that, I start to look around to search for the "" path recimed by Crocodile, 'Let's see... the stairs are clearly a no-go as it is clear that Crocodile didn't move up sihey are totally covered by the dense forest... the hallway that leads to the restauraion of this building is also out of question, I easily see through the doorway that it is also invaded by pnts, pollen, and trees... furthermore the restaurant is located on the back side of this building with the enting sery of the oasis, basically is a dead end... this leaves only the door that leads to the gaming hall or the door that leads to one of the biggest halls used for private parties and other more importas... one is still overrun by the dense forest but the gaming hall is also the one closest to the entrance meaning it is a way out of here. Meanwhile, the other one is the path that Crocodile took at it is clear that it was recimed by his sand powers.'

  Seeing that, I quickly started to analyze the choices in front of me, 'On one hand, I tio follow after Crocodile, the advantage is that the path is mostly safe as Crocodile basically killed anything in his path, be it pnts, peoples, or enemies, and more importantly he also took care of that aphrodisiac pollen, but following after him also means taking the longer way out of this pce, after all with the colpse of the uer tunnels, the only way out of this pce is the entrance. Oher hand, going through the doors that lead to the gaming hall is a lot more dangerous, not only because the forest that took over the pce is quite, dense, dark, and maze-like, but also because is filled with flowers that disperse that dangerous aphrodisiac pollen, and I 't ighe dahat other pnts are to me, after all, that forest is clearly the result of a Devil Fruit power, it would be foolish of me to ighe very likely possibility that there be more danger hidden within, but despite all that, the gaming hall is the most direct way out of this building.'

  Both paths have their pro and s, but in his current state Crocodile is as much a danger as it is fag the unknown forest, especially since even if I'm still useful to him, if he realizes how I maniputed him to act against Mr. 5 and the Celestial Dragon and how I hid information to him, he still won't hesitate to kill me.

  Realizing that, I don't hesitate any more and start to head toward the door that leads to the gaming hall, but just as I have taken a few steps forward, all of a sudden, I hear an arrogant male voiing from behind me as it ughs loudly and yells, "Hiehehehe! What a shitton of luck -eh! I khat ing back to one of the "ed" areas was dangerous but at the same time it was an excellent opportunity -eh! I finally found you "Devil Child" Nico Robin -eh!!"

  Hearing that, I quickly turn around and raise my guard as I get ready to attack, at the same time, I take a look and see some figure walking out of the forest-covered stairs.

  One is a slim young man with a pale skin tone, curly blonde hair styled upwards, f a curl above his head, and brown eyes, he is dressed in a cssic high-quality suit, something quite ong the guests of the o, but that doesn't make me any less wary as I easily reize him as the Celestial Dragon who is the cause behind everything that is happening, Saint Alfred of House Manmayer.

  Right behind him, there are three strange beings, that look almost like a mix between a human and a tree, and more importantly, I also notice that one of them is carrying a figure on its shoulder, and from her clothes, I easily reize that figure as an unsiss Doublefinger.

  Saint Alfred walks dowairs and starts to move toward me with a wicked smile on his face as he says, "I have finally found you -eh! You don't know how much I waited for just this moment -eh! But now that you are in front of me, I won't let you escape. Hiehehehe!"

  Hearing that, I immediately realize that for some reason I'm actually the true target of this man, all this time, he was aiming at me, and realizing that, I don't hesitate any more and use the power of my Devil Fruit, the Hana Hana no Mi (Flower Flower Fruit).

  I quickly y arms and yell, "Seis Fleur (Six Flowers)!" making six arms sprout from Saint Alfred's body, more specifically two on the feet, two on the waist, and two on the lower back, then I ch my fists as I and, "Clutch!"

  Instantly twrab Saint Alfred's legs and make him fall backward, two pairs hold the foe up at his back, and a pair grabs his upper body, then the pairs of the upper body and legs start to pull, crag the foe's back which produces some dull snapping wood-like sound, making him squeal like a sughtered pig, and hopefully paralyzing him permaly.

  Of course, simply paralyzing him isn't enough, after all, if surviving these 18 years taught me something is that one must be absolutely ruthless against one's enemies, so, I don't hesitate to make my moves.

  First I aim at the most dangerous oppos, the three human-tree beings, "Nueve Fleur (Nine Flowers)!" making nine arms sprout on specific points of the three ehen I and, "Twist!" twisting the bodies of the three eo a side with such force that they break into many small pieces.

  After that, I aim at Saint Alfred who is lying and groaning on the floor once more, "Dos Fleur (Two Flowers)!"

  Instantly two more arms spourt from Saint Alfred's body, this time, they spourt from his shoulders, then I and, "Clutch!" making two hands cover the man's mouth, and they bend backward with bone-breakis as the sound akin to snapping wood once again echoes in this empty hall.

  Seeing that, I let out a sigh of relief while thinking, 'Good... the surprise attack worked as intehat was easier than I thought... At first, I thought that he was a Logia Type user, but since I was able to toud harm him, it is very likely that he was, in fact, some very powerful Paramecia Type...'

  At this point, I 't help but be a little gd of my quick reflexes while thinking back at the bination I just used, 'First I broke his back to paralyze him and make him powerless by not only preventing him from moving, but also from using his Devil Fruit powers as the gut-wreng pain of having his back broken would distract him too much, then I took care of his bodyguard/puppet which he could very likely and with his mind, and in the end I broke his o finish him... This is a bination that I always found useful against other Devil Fruit Users, especially sine Devil Fruit powers affeeoh a simple touch so to prevent being affected by them, it is better to disable the oppo with gut-wreng pain. I'm gd that it worked like a charm.'

  While thinking that, I turn around and start to walk toward the door that leads to the gaming hall, but all of a sudden, I hear Saint Alfred's voice as he lively says, "Oh damn! That did hurt like hell... in the anime, your teiques did look quite painful, but being on the receiving end is a whole other thing... I think I almost pissed in my pants from the pain -eh..."

  Shocked, I turn around ahat Saint Alfred is standing up and moving like nothing happened, and seeing that, I 't help but excim, "This is impossible! I heard your bones breaking! I felt your bones breaking!! You should be dead!! How is this possible!?"

  In respoo that, Saint Alfred smirks evilly, and then he fidently expins, "It is pretty simple, my dear Nico Robin -eh. You see I ate the Mori Mori no Mi (Forest Forest Fruit), a Logia Type Devil Fruit that grants the power to create, trol, and transform into flora, making the user a Forest Human but unlike most ia Type Devil Fruits, this fruit turns the user into a solid element instead of a fluid -eh. This means that the user is uo let attacks pass through his body, though said attacks are still mostly harmless to him or her if his or her oppo does not use Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), as he or she simply regee from wounds like any ia user. This means that for someone like you, I'm invincible -eh!"

  As soon as he yells that st part, Saint Alfred stomps his right foot on the floor and the moment, wooden, root-like tentacles quickly rise up from the ground under my feet at incredible speed and around my body restraining my movement by binding my wrist and ankles, spreading both my arms and legs wide, they also bind my waist ao further limit my movements.

  I unsciously try to break free from these wooden, root-like tentacles, but they are too tough, moreover, because of my struggle I feel some small thorns pierg my skin, and quickly after that, I find that I'm also uo move my body, and at this point, I truly start to panic as I instantly realize that I have been poisoned with a oxin, and that is truly bad because if I 't move my body own, then the same will also apply to the arms that I sprout using my Devil Fruit power.

  At the same time, Saint Alfred snickers as he pulls me toward him and says, "Hiehehehe! Don't worry the paralysis won't st long as I used a very weak toxin... This is just a measure to prevent you from using the power of the Hana Hana no Mi (Flower Flower Fruit) in some clever way to escape... after all, I waited way too long for this -eh. I spent literal years in pnning the perfect way to capture you and make you pletely mio the point that you won't be able to live without me -eh!"

  At this point, I notice that a bunch of flowers quickly grow out of wooden, root-like tentacles ed around my body, and my eyes widen in shod fear as I reize them for being the ohat released that aphrodisiac pollen, at the same time, I also see more wooden, root-like tentacles e out of Saint Alfred's right arm and eny trapped body in a tight co-like space while Saint Alfred ents, "A few minutes in that co full of dense, trated Horny Pollen will be enough to break you into the sex-crazed cumbucket of my dreams -eh..."

  The st thing I see is his disgustingly, creepy grin, before total darkness envelopes me, then quickly after that, I start to smell a weird aroma, and instantly my body starts to get aroused as I try to fight the effects of the pollen with all my being while mentally screaming, 'No... No... No...!'

  Then all of a sudden, I hear the sound of a strong explosion ing from a very near source, and quickly after that, everything starts to shake as rumbling sounds be heard, at the same time, I hear Saint Alfred curse out loud, "What the fuck!? Danm it! The whole pce is fug colpsing on itself!! What is worse is that this fug building is built on top of a fug ptform! If I fall into the water then is game over for me!"

  Hearing that, I 't help but feel a little bit of relief as the effect of the polles stronger and stronger with each passing moment threatening to overwhelm me at any moment now, 'It seems that this is the end... I will die here... maybe this is for the best... I'm just so tired of everything... dying won't be so bad, maybe I'll find peace...'

  (AN: I know that Nico Robin's thoughts seem almost too dark and suicidal, but after going over Arabasta Ard carefully studying her character through both the Wiki a discussion, I think this is the most faithful representation of her mental state at this point of the story. To make it as brief as possible, at the end of the Arabasta Arc, she did indeed give up and wao die, it was Luffy who selfishy saved her, and it was only at the end of Enies Lobby that she finally truly got back her will to live. At the very least this is how I see her character growth in the inal story.)

  Saint Alfred POV - Blue Star, Grand Line, Sandy Isnd, Rainbase - 20 GAP

  As everything arouarts to colpse, for a moment I think back at what happened after successfully capturing the spiky beauty Miss Doublefinger, whose real name is Za, I did not hesitate to quickly knock her out by spshing her face with a good dose of chloroform, one of the stro sedative that I have knowledge of.

  Fun fact about chloroform, this is a substahat has a natural in, in fact, it is naturally produced by many kinds of seaweed, and more importantly there are also fungi that are able to produce chloroform in soil, and one of the ecosystems in which fungi thrive the most is, of course, the forest, sure to find out the right type and process I needed many trials and errors but the result is more than worth it.

  The reason behind my choice of sedating Za was quite simple and straightforward, I didn't have time to thhly enjoy her body and break her will as I was still searg this o for Nico Robin, and so to avoid any kind of surprises and to make it easier to carry her around, I decided to sedate her for the time being.

  After sedating Za, I quickly summohe closest Wood Golem to my side and while waiting for them to arrive, I started to think about where should I seary true target , 'So now the one I was chasing after was one of the sedary objectives and while it is o have captured her, I won't stop until I get my hands on Nico Robin, so... where could she be now? It is very likely that she isn't in any of the upper floors because I don't sense any of my Wood Golem or pnts beiroyed, and no matter how good she is at espio is impossible for her to pass through the bination of my Lost Woods and Wood Golem ued, after all, the Wood Golem use the roots, pnts, flowers, vine, and trees to locate and hunt down any nearby living being...'

  ing to that clusion, I closed my eyes and focused on sensing the current situation within the o overrun by my Lost Woods, 'Crocodile is still moving on the ground floor, it is clear that it is him from the way that everywhere he passes, everythis quickly killed, then there is what I think is Mr. 1 who is still easily mowing dowhing in his path, and those two are about to meet soon... then there are some Wood Golems who aren't moving like they are trapped by something... Ah! That right! This is likely the work of Mr. 3 with his wax... but then there is nothing else of note where could she be? Wait! Could it be that Nico Robin is following after Crocodile's trail of destru? Yes, that's it!'

  Realizing that, I quickly ordered one of the three Wood Golems who arrived to carry Za, then I hurried and started to run toward the stairs to reach the areas ed by Crocodile on the ground floor while the three Wood Golems followed after me.

  Once I reached the ground floor, I couldn't help but grin as I saw the figure I was dreaming of for so many years, Nico Robin in all her beauty, then after a brief fight I quickly overwhelmed and captured her, then after that, I enveloped her in a Horny Co where she is going to be overdose by a high tration of Horny Pollen, but just as I was about to enjoy the fruits of my hard work, the whole building started to colpse.

  At this point, I snap out of my reverie, I quickly move to ensure my safety and that of my toys.

  First, I extend a wooden, root-like tentacle from my left arm to grab and pull the unscious Za toward me, after that I make sure to extend some more roots from my feet to reinforce the ptform on top of which this building was built so that it won't colpse making me fall into the waters and very likely also to my death, and in the end, I raise my arms and from them I produce as many wooden, root-like tentacles as possible and create a dome around me, Za and the Horny Co taining Nico Robin while also hardening them as much as possible.

  Soon after that, the whole o starts to crumble down, but the wooden dome I created is tough enough to easily ehe assault of the pieces of this structure crashing on it, and luckily the reinforced ptform also ehis destru and remains standing.

  After a few seds, the whole building colpsed onto itself, I quickly trolled the roots below the dome to forcefully push it out of the rumble it was buried under, and then as soon as I felt the sun rays fall on the wooden, root-like tentacles that make up the dome, I quickly open up the dome, removing the ceiling while leaving behind the walls that form a circle arouhe co, and the unscious Za.

  I hear the sounds of an ongoing battle ing from the distance, but I don't care about that and focus only on the wooden co in front of me, and then, with a smile, I mutter, "Now, it is time to fully enjoy my prize -eh!"

  Odyin