One Piece Fan Fiction ❯ Nest Egg ❯ Heredity ( Chapter 7 )

     K ohato stood outside with her Papa, holding his hand while waiting for Miss Nojiko to come out. She wasn’t entirely sure what Miss Nojiko was doing. She knew it had to do with finding out why the Navy people were here. She’d been curious about it herself, but nobody who asked had any real reason. The best she got was when her teacher at school told Kohato that the Marines in town were their to fix their ship.

     Kohato looked around, there were less of the Navy people today than there had been yesterday. Like they’d all gone somewhere. She only saw people she knew lived in the town. When she turned back towards the general store, Kohato found herself face to face with a boy.

     He was a teenage boy, kneeling down to look Kohato in the eyes. He wore a straw hat, had a silly grin on his face, and a small scar underneath his left eye.

     “C-can I help you?” Kohato asked. She felt her Papa’s grip on her hand tighten a bit. The boy smiled wider.

     “You look just like a friend of mine.” he said. Tosa loosed his grip on Kohato a bit.

     “I do?” Kohato asked.

     “Yeah, only tiny.” he said.

     Tosa tried to grab Kohato’s hand again, but it was too late. She had moved away from him before he could react.

     “Yaaa!!” Kohato yelled as she tackled the lanky boy to the ground.

     That was when Robin came running out and saw her daughter sitting on Monkey D. Luffy’s chest. An angry look in her eye.

     Before Robin or Luffy could do anything, Tosa walked over, grabbed Kohato’s ear, and pulled her off of Luffy. Kohato whined a bit as her papa took her hand again, this time keeping a firm grip on it, and having no plans of letting go.

     “How many times must you be told, young lady, not to do that?!”

     “I-I’m sorry, Papa.” Kohato said, “But he-”

     “No buts.” Tosa said firmly, “We’ll settle this when we get home.”

     Kohato looked at the ground and pouted. It was mostly for show. Kohato wasn’t usually punished too harshly. At worst, she’d get spanked or sent to bed without supper when they got home. The boy she’d taken down sat up and laughed.

     “Ha ha ha ha ha! Guess ya don’t like being called “little”, huh?”

     “No…” Kohato said, honestly. Luffy next looked at Robin, who was watching as her captain stood up and dusted himself off.

     “Hey, miss,” Luffy said, “Have you seen a friend of mine. She looks kinda like this.”

     Luffy held out a piece of paper with a (very) badly drawn picture of Robin on it. It looked like something a child younger than Kohato would draw. Before Robin could say a word the other members of the Going Merry’s crew began to approach. Just as Robin predicted, they had followed. Though this really wasn’t the best place for them to meet.

     “Why, yes.” Robin said, thinking quickly, “I saw her just outside of town. If you’ll meet me there in a few minutes I can show you.”

     “Really? Thanks!.” Luffy said with a smile. He turned around and went to join the others.

     “Tosa. Take Kohato home.” Robin instructed, “We‘re done for now.”

     “We’ll meet you at home then?” Tosa asked. Robin nodded. Tosa left, with Kohato in tow, dragging her feet every step of the way. She wasn’t eager to go home and be punished.

     Robin walked with them until they were well out of town. Kohato and her papa went on as Robin waited. In a matter of minutes the crew appeared. Luffy seemed to be pointing to Robin. Likely telling the others she was the one they were here to meet. The crew all stopped in their tracks as soon as they spotted Robin. Unlike Luffy, they all recognized her despite her blonde hair coloring. Sanji began running to Robin top speed.

     “Oh, my dear Robin, you dyed your hair! It looks gorgeous on you! It makes you appear even more angelic than ever!”

     “Thank you, Mr. Cook.” Robin said with a smile.

     “It’s an interesting look for you.” Nami said, as she walked over.

     “I almost didn’t recognize you.” Usopp admitted.

     “Huh?” Luffy asked, “Do you guys know her?”

     “That’s Robin!!” the others yelled at him.

     “What? No way!” Luffy said stubbornly, “Robin has black hair!”

     “Captain, look.” Robin said as she ran her hand over her head to expose the roots of her hair. After a full two days or so worth of growth, her roots were their natural black. Luffy stared for a moment before jumping back.

     “Hey! You guys! I think that’s Robin!!”

     “We know that!!” the crew yelled.

     Robin chuckled. Unlike the rest of her crewmates, she often found her captain’s antics more funny than frustrating. Her smile left her face quickly.

     “I thought you might follow me.” Robin stated, matter-of-factly.

     “Well, how could we not?!” Nami asked, “This weird bird lands, drops off two Eternal Poses that point the wrong way, and then you suddenly announce you’re leaving!!”

     “For what it’s worth,” Zoro started, “We’re only here to make sure you’re ok. Your business is yours, as far as I care.”

     “Yeah.” Luffy agreed. “Though we’ll help ya out if you want.”

     “Thank you, but I’m fine.” Robin told them. “However, will you mind waiting until I’m finished here. When I’m done, with your permission of course, captain, I’ll rejoin you.”

     “Sure thing!” Luffy called.

     “Also, be careful. There’s a strong Naval presence on this island right now.”

     “We know.” Usopp said, “We docked the ship outside of town when we saw their ship at the harbor.”

     Robin nodded and, without a word, walked back towards the Adoyoshi home. The crew watched her leave before heading back into town themselves. They decided to get a meal before they went back to the Merry.

     Robin walked the path to Kohato’s home. Mulling over what had happened. Had Luffy’s and Kohato’s brief interaction attracted any undue attention? Had it been wise to meet the others? Should she have avoided them until she was done here? Robin thought this through while she walked, not even noticing until she nearly bumped into somebody the large crowd of people in front of the Adoyoshi house.

     Robin immediately began searching for a sign of Kohato. She was there, in her father’s arms, trying to break free. A couple of people had Kasa on a stretcher, loading her into a carriage to take her to the town doctor. Robin made an eye close by to get a look, she looked badly hurt.

     “What happened here?!” she asked Tosa as she walked to him.

     “Marines!” was Tosa’s reply, “According to the neighbors, they came while we were gone and questioned Kasa. They apparently tried very hard to make her answer their questions.”

     Robin closed her eyes. If Marines did this to Kasa, then they knew. Dammit they knew. But did they want Robin? Or Kohato? Thinking of her Robin’s eyes immediately went to the girl.

     “Let me go!” Kohato cried, trying to break out of Tosa’s arms, “Mama! Mama! I wanna see my Mama! Mama!”

     Robin kneeled down and took the girl from Tosa. She embraced Kohato in a hug, trying to comfort her. She felt tears against her shoulder as Kohato cried. When the people finally left, to take Kasa to the doctor, she heard Kohato murmur to herself.

     “I want my Mama…”

     Robin could only hold on tighter. After a second, though, Kohato stopped moving. Robin didn’t realize it, but Kohato had begun thinking about why people from the Navy would do this. Her Mama and Papa had never done anything bad. But then, what else was there? Then it hit her. Kohato realized that the Navy people had appeared just before Miss Nojiko arrived. Miss Nojiko had wanted to find out about why they were here. Miss Nojiko was staying in their home…

     Robin pulled Kohato back to look at her. She was worried a bit about why she’d stopped moving. One look into Kohato's tear stained eyes and Robin immediately realized what Kohato was thinking.

     “Kohato… no… it’s not…”

     “It is!!! It’s your fault!!!” Kohato shouted. Tosa jumped a bit when he heard her.

     “You came here the same time as the Navy! My Mama got hurt ‘caus’a you!!”

     “Kohato, no!” Tosa said, “That’s not- Kohato!!”

     Kohato didn’t bother to listen to her Papa. She burst past Robin and tried to run away. Robin immediately grabbed the child’s hand.

     “I’m gonna tell them all about you!” Kohato screamed, “They’ll take you away an’ my Mama’ll be okay!!!”

     “Kohato, it’s not what you think!”

     Robin’s head suddenly jerked to the left. She felt a stinging sensation in her right cheek. It startled her enough that her grip on Kohato loosened. The girl bolted as fast as she could. She had a healthy head start by the time Robin got to her feet to give chase.

     “Kohato! Wait!!!”

     Robin easily began gaining on Kohato. However, she was in for another surprise.

     “Make her trip!” Kohato said to herself as she ran, “Make her trip! Make her trip! Something! Anything! Make her trip!!”

     Robin suddenly did just that. She felt something grab her ankles, making her fall face-first into the dirt path below. Robin pushed herself up and looked to see what had tripped her. Her eyes widened in shock.

     Growing out the dirt, holding Robin’s legs, was a pair of small, childlike hands. As Robin watched they immediately receded back into the soil from whence they came. A hand very much like those had also appeared through Robin moments ago and slapped her.

     Robin looked ahead of her. At the shrinking figure of her daughter. Robin suddenly understood everything. She knew Owlshiki the Akumanominologist’s motives now.

     “I only just started reading it, but it seems to have to do with inheritance and people who have eaten the Devil Fruit.” Nami, reading her newspaper, had said back on the Going Merry.

     “Inheritance?” Robin had asked.

     “That’s what it says.” Nami said, reading on, “Oh! I understand now. By inheritance they’re referring to-”

     The arrival of Upsy the Sakasido bird had kept Nami from finishing that sentence. But Robin understood. She understood too well now.

     By inheritance, that newspaper article had meant genetic inheritance.