OP68: Bookworm

The meeting had ended, and the different parties had already decided what they were to do and for the sake of whom, All that remained was to be ready to roll and that was the case for everyone except the enthusiastic archaeologist. Robin was preparing a small luggage with hastiness while a daydreaming boy looked at her while levitating.

Primrose and her daughters had already gone to the port with Gion and Tsuru, they wanted to pull him harshly since they noticed some 'fishiness' in the way he was behaving with the informant. For the life of them, they couldn't understand why he was picking so much interest in her.

"Have you got everything you need?" He asked after she assembled what looked like a whole suitcase filled with books.

"Yes, I'm ready".

"What about everything else?" He pointed at the clothes, artefacts and so on, there were just books in her luggage.

"I don't care about anything else~" She smiled, discarding all of her clothes and everything just for the sake of her books. The beauty released it all when the suitcase began to levitate in front of him.

"Let's go then".

"Your power is very handy in these situations".

"You don't say..." He rolled his eyes, recalling his mom and the profane way she used his powers to carry wine. In the eyes of women that seemed to be the only efficient use of his powers, to carry stuff.

"Could I ask you a question?"

"Hmn?"

"How did you manage to survive with a bounty like that".

"..."

The question was personal, Veyron stopped his hand from turning the knob. He knew she was asking because her bounty was placed at a very early age, 'She must have struggled a lot to live in these conditions... I wonder at what point in time she meets Crocodile'.

"Our circumstances are different. I did what I had to do and got this bounty as a consequence. You just weren't lucky, Robin".

"… Do you know my story?"

"I read about you in the newspapers a few years ago".

"Did you already know how to read the newspapers a few years ago?~" She looked at the boy up and down, he couldn't be more than thirteen or fourteen, it was already a surprise he was so articulate.

"Sort of... I saw you there so I know".

"How old are you, Veyron?"

"I'm eleven this year, I think?".

!!!

"You think?!"

She expected him to be young, but not this young.

'And he already has such a big bounty on his head, moreover... he defeated Vice Admiral Kizaru?'.

Those things she read in the newspapers were harder to believe now that she had him in front of her. She always thought his picture in the wanted poster made him look younger than he was, not to mention the newspapers said he disguised as a kid. Clearly that was a vicious lie spread by the government.

it was so weird that theories started to form in her mind around his relationship with the Kuja ladies since they looked very chummy. Not to mention the pretiest girl whom she imagined was already a young adult, proudly declared him as her fiance.

'It doesn't matter, as we travel I'll get to the bottom of it'.

Veyron opened the door and they departed the place that had been her home for years, but she'd never come back here again, or so she thought.

"You never answered me, How come you don't know your age?"

"My mother found me on the shore of her island when I was about two or three, I don't remember anything before that and I also don't know when is my birthday".

"Your mother is Hawkeye, right?"

"Hmn, can you notice?".

"With a kid as astonishing as you, it is no wonder she's that powerful. I'm sure it won't be long before your strength matches hers~".

!!!

He stopped in his tracks and looked at her. Robin momentarily stumbled, she'd usually not be shy around anyone, much less a kid... but this kid in particular emitted an aura so dominant, as if the wrong words would bring forth consequences. But when he spoke and expressed himself, it was as if he was harmless.

Those two opposite poles made it difficult for her to know how to treat him.

"Did I see anything wrong?"

"No... people would usually say that I'm strong because she's my mother. You're the first one that has said the opposite~ only you have motivated me to try and overcome her".

Robin's eyes mellowed and she tentatively reached her hand forward, ruffling his white hair a bit.

"You're a sweet kid, mature and very strong for your age. Although she must have doted on you and taught you a lot of things, I believe this had nothing to do with her, these are talents of your own".

"Hehe~"

In reaction to her warm comment, Veyron could only giggle a bit before turning around, walking ahead towards the docks with a levitating Youbi and luggage behind him.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. You're just like I imagined you, that's all".

It was time for Robin to stop and analyse his sentence, the next thing Veyron felt was a brush of soft breath next to his ear.

"Ara? So I take it... You were expecting to meet me?~"

!!!

Being exposed like that all he could do was try to ignore the comment fruitlessly, she had already noticed his ears were all red.

'There goes the bloodthirsty beast, I guess he's a kid after all~'.

**

**

Primrose was at the front deck, talking to Tsuru and Gion while the three Boa sisters stood to the side of the ship, waiting for their boyfriend. Sandersonia and Marigold were so focused on trying to appease their sister that they failed to notice a sudden gust of wind and sand making its way into the ship.

Hancock was tapping her fingers and also, the tip of her heels, waiting for her fiance to come back with the vix- guest... that they were supposed to take with them.

"Big sis, I don't understand you".

"Hmn? What is it you don't get, Sandersonia?"

"We're already sharing... why do you get so irritated whenever he's with another girl?" A part of her understood why Hancock was usually jealous. Unlike the two of them, she was the 'official'.

"Hmph! How could you not understand? It is not the same sharing with family as sharing with outsiders!".

"..." (Sandersonia)

"..." (Marigold)

'Sis, I think what we're doing is worse'.