Chapter Text
“C’mooooon Vivi you know you had fun,” Luffy leans over the bar to poke at her cheek, “It’s okay if you can’t lie. I can’t either and I’m still a great criminal!”
“Keep your voice down!” hisses Usopp, eyes darting around the empty room for hidden Marines.
Vivi presses her lips together, eyes fixed on her plate. Sanji’s arranged everything in heart shapes, even the lettuce leaves. A warm weight settles on her shoulder and fiery orange fills her peripheral vision.
“It’d be nice not to be the only girl around” Nami says, fiddling with the intricate gold cuff on Vivi’s forearm. It’s a matched set with the one on her own.
“I’d love to.” It’s not an answer.
Luffy leans farther over the table, so close to Vivi his wild hair brushes her forehead.
“Whenever you’re ready, we’ll be waiting.”
She nods, heart thumping to two different beats.
“Ok then, let’s celebrate!” Just like that he’s up on the bar, lifting his glass. The crew cheers and then Sanji shouts at Luffy for having his feet on the table. The rest of the night turns into a series of snapshots, moments Vivi can see herself living in forever.
The celebrations across Alabasta have lasted a week and are still going strong. They’re humble—it would take time for the nation to fully recover—but brimming with joy. And the flood of illegally gained and hoarded resources from Baroque Works returning to the general population is working wonders for morale and unity.
The wheels of the nation keep turning, no rest for the wicked, Vivi thinks. The citizens and administration of Alabasta spent two weeks blatantly lying to the Marines about the identity of particular individuals being treated in the best hospital of the very sovereign nation who has no obligation to share that information, thank you very much. Between covering the tracks of anyone involved in illegal activity in the name of independence, the people have come together on all sides, determined not to allow the same tragedy the now disgraced Sir Crocodile enacted to happen again. From the Royal Cabinet to Koza--former revolutionary, childhood friend of Vivi' and now frontrunner of the newly formed Citizen Welfare Party-- have all sorts of bills and addendums to shape a safe, democratic country. And as an official representative and diplomat, per the popular vote, Vivi has a lot of long days ahead.
Vivi has picked up some bad manners from her time away from the palace because the only ways she can describe it is that a free and fair government is fucking complicated.
It’s a good thing she has friends who know how to turn complicated into an adventure
“So you’re the mastermind? How interesting.”
Luffy glares at the woman sitting elegantly on the bar top.
“No, I’m the captain.”
The rest of the crew drags themselves up from their sprawled positions. Still half drunk from Vivi’s going away party, they’re still on their feet in seconds, facing the former Ms. All-Sunday.
“Well captain, seeing as it’s your fault I’m not dead or in federal prison, I think you should take responsibility.”
“For what?”
The lady grins.
“My curiosity. It can be quite deadly, but you’re all rather stubborn so you should be fine.”
“Look lady, quit with the riddles, what do you want from us?!” Usopp demands from behind Zoro.
“I want to join your crew.”
Protests erupt from every side, demanding everything from a fight (Zoro) to turning around to hand her over to the Marines (Usopp).
“I’m not calling you Miss. All-Sunday by the way, it’s stupid!”
“You can call me Nico Robin if you don’t mind being on a first name basis with the Demon Child”
“The hell does that mean?”
“It means I’ve been living on stolen time since I had my life stolen from me. It means I’ve spent a long time doing bad things for bad people.”
“Whatever, don’t explain yourself then. Robin, we do bad things for good people, you okay with that?”
“Very, captain.”
Luffy scoops up his hat. All eyes track the movement, scared, suspicious, conflicted, though mostly resigned. It’s a moment they all know well. He settles the hat on his head and grins.
“Then welcome to the crew.”
--Fin, thanks for reading!!--