Chapter 5: Hope? No, you’re a failure
Multi character x Fem Reader, story, fluff, reversed Isekai, hurt/comfort, crack. Summary: A reversed Isekai where OP characters are thrown into your life as cats, and you discover the mystery of it all while dealing with your own ‘earthly’ troubles. |Master-List|
Word count: 6k 4 5(here) 6(in progress)
A/N: I finally got it out! This established a lot of plot that I have planned, so pay attention! Also Brook is the MVP of this chapter, he’s underrated. ALSO MY RECENT SANJI FIC BLEW UP?? WHY??? IVE NEVER IN A BAGILLION YEARS GOTTEN THAT MUCH SO FAST 😭😭
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“Are you sure you’ll be able to hold down the fort?”
Robin raises a brow, watching Nami smack Luffy over the head before he can break your living room table.
“Mhm! Positive,” Nami smiles tightly, eyebrow twitching, “You and ___, just focus on finding anything you can!”
Throwing on a sweatshirt down the hall, you rummage through your closet to find your ID and essentials. You honestly didn’t know what to expect, and you always preferred to be prepared. Better safe than sorry, right?
Plucking your wallet from a coat pocket, you call Robin’s name down the hall. “Hey, i’m almost ready, jus’ give me sec!”
The archeologist looks up, nodding before continuing her conversation with Nami. “Good luck,” the navigator chuckles, “She’s a clutz.”
“Oh, also we shouldn’t be gone too long, maybe a few hours!” Walking into the living room, you step over Brook and Chopper as they follow you around. “S’cuse me,” you mutter, putting on your shoes, then—looking back, you spot Sanji looking at you with an unreadable expression.
“Huh? What’s that look for?” Blinking, you look down to your phone, then Sanji, and back to your phone. “Oh—Right, sorry! You can’t talk,” letting out a laugh, you kneel beside him, pushing your phone forward which is left open on a google doc.
He probably had something important to say…
A few awkward seconds of silence pass as Sanji starely blankly at the foreign device; looking utterly clueless. Sanji watches your head tilt, and smile grow soft as you wait.
The cook swallows, looking away with a soft blush. So cute…
“Haha, it’s okay, I think I know what you’re trying to say.”
Gently reaching out to pet him, he melts in your hand, making you chuckle. “It’s alright, we’ll be careful, and I’ll keep Robin safe.”
“Oh, you’re too sweet for us, mademoiselle,” One of Sanji’s ear’s flick as you scratch the back of his head lightly, making him purr with content.
Huh. You didn’t know what it was, but something told you he was one of the most caring people here… Not to mention gentlemanly.
Suddenly, a sharp meow rings from the living room making Sanji freeze with a dumbstruck expression, leaving you utterly clueless as Nami yells at the cook again.
“Hey—what are you doing over there?!” she snaps, from the living room. “Stop letting her feel you up!!”
“WHAT?!” the cat splutters, reeling from your touch as if burned, careening back.
“Alright, I don’t even want to know what she said,” you sweatdrop, brushing off your hands as you push up gently, “Thank god I can’t understand you guys..”
“Ok, well I’ll see you later, Sanji!” walking over to the front door, you throw on a light coat, then set your back pack on the ground and call for the purple cat. “Hey! Robin, are you good to go?”
She meows in response, walking over to your form with an uncanny elegance. The others follow, meowing up a storm with constant conversation. “You can hang out in here, cause the sidewalks are too hot for your paws,” gesturing towards your bag, you carefully pick her up, setting her comfortably atop the warm blanket you’d stuffed inside.
Taking a stand, you look back. “Comfy?”
Her head atomically peeks up from your bag, as if processing. Her small head eventually turns towards you with a soft meow, making you chuckle.
As calm and collected as Robin seemed, she was such a sucker for cute things.
“Ok, everything settled, then!” looking over the living room and cats one last time, you see Luffy looking at you with puppy eyes. Of course he was still begging you to let him go… Letting out a sigh, you shake your head. “Look, I’ll take you out another time.”
“Meow..” an audible frown forms on his face, making your heart ache.
“Hey, don’t guilt trip me, now! I’ll be back in a bit!” Quickly looking away, before the cat can make you change your mind, you open the front door sending a gentle wave back.
The others meow in response as if saying goodbye, making you smile as the door shuts with a soft click.
Silence echoes for only a moment, before someone speaks up.
“It must be fate,” Brook says, watching the door with a watchful expression.
“Huh? What wise-shit are you on now?!” “Yohoho, I mean it just must be fate!”
Nami deadpans, “Yes, we know! You already said that!” Franky stares blankly at the skeleton, “We mean explain, Brook.”
“Oh, right! I think it was just meant to be!”
”Like meeting her?” Sanji asks, raising a brow.
“Preciscely, it could’ve been anyone else, and for all we know we could still be lost without a clue; but on her own, in the simplest of ways she brought us all back together!” Brook says, tone appreciative. “I think it’s just sweet, as we know she’s struggling, yet she still helps us!”
“Huh..” Chopper blinks, “I guess I never thought of it that way…”
”Like I said, wise guy shit.” Usopp shrugs, getting elbowed by Nami.
She sideglances the sniper, “Well thanks Mr. Captain obvious, Brook’s a lot older than all of us, I’m sure he knows a few things!”
”If anything, I’d be concerned if he didn’t…”
”Yohoho!” Brook swoons, blushing. “You’re so kind Miss Nami, my heart pounds for—!”
Nami groans, leaning back. “That wasn’t a compliment!”
Zoro rolls his eye, comfortably sitting on the kitchen table. He’d been watching this entire thing with an exasperated expression… yet Brook wasn’t completely wrong. Last night proved that. Someone messaged you and you had completely shut down, it was a total 180.
There was clearly something—or someone, you were running from. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have reacted the way you did. You crumpled to the floor in anger and tears, and Zoro knew what that teary look you wore was, and it was genuine fear. Which, didn’t settle easy in his chest.
Now, he wasn’t preparing to throw claws, but if it meant keeping your peace and smile, he didn’t mind. You were going out of your way to help them, and the least he could do was return the favor.
It’s not like you were growing on him or anything. He scoffs quietly under his breath, turing his head into his arm.
“Tch, that idiot’s gonna get herself in trouble.” Zoro grumbles, letting out a deep sigh.
_________________________________________
How long have you lived here for?
Looking down at your phone, you look to Robin who’s head rests on your shoulder. “Not a while, actually.” You say, propping an umbrella you carry with overhead.
“I moved here a few months ago, from a foster home,” you admit, voice trailing off as you watch the houses you pass. The skies are a soft cloudy gray, with a light breeze and gentle mist, though you knew it would become a downpour soon.
“I really came here to look for family.”
Robin nods, typing quietly on your phone. Hm.. interesting.
Well that’s amazing, how did you find out?
“I found out through my last name’s records, it turns out someone used to live here by that name, so I came here to find out more about my parents.” you smile fondly, thinking back to when you first discovered your last name… confirming you at-least belonged to someone at one point in time, and... that they may have actually wanted you.
“I’ve been told they died in some accident when I little, but I don’t even remember their faces, so I’m not really sure what to believe.” your voice trails off, and you cough awkwardly, deciding to change the subject.
“But it’s alright, not like I knew them or anything, it just makes me curious!” Letting out a shy laugh, you focus on the speckled pavement, ahead.
“I want to travel the world, and find out more about myself, and experience things I never really thought I would.”
Smiling, you look back. “I know, seems fun right!”
Bringing your phone closer to Robin, you think back to the others. “How long have you guys been a group for? Like, before all this I mean?”
She types quietly, deciding what to keep out. We’ve spent a year or so together now, some less than others. Our crew has come a long way.
“Crew?” You blurt, eye brows furrowing. “Like… pirates? I mean, I know you guys come from another world and all.”
Precisely, you catch on quick, __. At the gentle praise, you blush, moving up to scratch your cheek.
“Haha, thank you, but it’s quite obvious. You guys are a hectic bunch, and I think Luffy typed something on the phone about it before,” you say, turning to look at the road and check for cars before you cross.
“Oh, wonderful.” Robin thinks, internally letting out a sigh. We hadn’t discussed how to tell her, but it seem Luffy handled it well.
“Now, the library should be around here somewhere.” you mutter, turning left down another sidewalk.
The town was oddly mellow today, as not a soul was to be seen. “Huh, weird.” You murmur, looking inside one of the empty buildings for sale.
Usually there’d be at-least a few kids running around—then again, it was Monday, and it was only 10 or so in the afternoon. Everyone was probably at work or school.
Speaking of, you should’ve been at work if it weren’t for her. Ugh.
Robin looks back, taking in the desolate streets. From the looks of it, this place seemed like a lovely town, full of life and friendliness, but from the feel of it, this place felt like some abandoned wasteland.
The archeologist wasn’t the type to be paranoid, but something told her there was someone watching you two.
She might be without her powers, but her intuition made her much stronger.
“Hey, we’re finally here!” Looking up, the building in front reminded Robin of an old government building from her world. It’s pillars extended high, supporting the arch of the library’s roof, while circular glass windows aligned with silver metal; showcased the books and history from within.
“I’ve always loved this place, it’s really peaceful when you need quiet.” you say, stepping up the stone steps with a hint of nostalgia. As you enter inside, a bell chimes softly on the door alerting your arrival.
A librarian sits calmly in her seat, reading a book of her own as her tinted glasses cover her expression. She doesn’t greet you, but she sideglances your form as you pass.
Inhaling deep, a sense of calm washes over you.
For some reason, the smell of libraries was always so grounding, as they were always clean and tidied. Whispering softly under your breath, you turn to Robin. “Where should we start?”
She gestures towards the historical section with her paw, and you nod in response, letting out an awkward chuckle. “Haha… right.”
_________________________________________
“Ugh, I can’t believe that didn’t work!” Luffy grumbles, sitting next to Chopper who picks at the carpet out of boredom.
“You mean the puppy eyes? I’m pretty sure that’s just guilt tripping Luffy.”
“Yes it was,” Nami snorts, side glancing her captain. “And remember last time you went out? You really think she’s gonna take you, again?”
Luffy stills in realization, lowering his head with a sulking expression. “But she promised…”
Sanji pauses at that, raising a brow as he looks back from the kitchen window. “Wait, what happened last time you went out?” He asks, glancing at Luffy with a serious expression.
“You didn’t cause ___ trouble, did you?”
“Trouble?” Usopp voices, “You’re asking Luffy if he caused trouble?” Sanji deadpans, turning to the sniper.
“Haha—joking! Joking, relax!” Usopp wipes a nervous drop of sweat from his brow, awkwardly looking away.
“He just bombed a pet store!”
“Bombed?! Don’t you think that’s a little dramatic, Usopp?!” Nami sweatdrops, sitting up from her spot.
Sanji emerges from the kitchen, seething. “LUFFY!!”
“What?! What’d I do now??” “Everything!!”
Zoro walks casually past the cook and captain, ignoring the chaos as Sanji strangles the poor boy. Sitting next to Chopper, who messes with your first aid kit, he speaks. “Why are you so surprised?” He scoffs, “Luffy’s a walking hazard-magnet.” A beat. “Making a mess of some store is the least of our worries, with him.”
“Hazard magnet is one way to put it,” Franky says, messing with your printer, “Man, this would be super awesome to have on the Sunny… if only I could just figure this thing out.”
“Yohoho, good luck with that! Everything in this world is so unnecessarily complicated, even the sinks!”
“Agreed,” Chopper says, looking up. “All the medical stuff is different here too, I mean—there are some similarities, but still!”
“Even the food has weird ingredients!”
Nami sighs, lightly shaking her head. It’s already been an hour or so and she’s about had it with these idiots. But—it was strange. These similarities sounded too suspicious to ignore.
I mean, what’s so special about some place called Oregon? And why’d they end up here of all places? Last she read, this world had more than a hundred states, and multiple countries…
“Yohoho, what has you thinking, Miss Nami?” Brook asks, strolling up to the navigator.
“Huh?” Nami looks up, snapping out of it.
“Oh, it’s nothing I’m just thinking.”
“About what? If you don’t mind me asking,” Brook sits beside her, and the others stop to listen to what Nami has to say.
“I—It’s just, I don’t know it’s just weird. Everything I mean, like why’d we end up here of all places? What’s so special about this town? And why’d we all run into her?”
“Hmm, If I were Robin I’d say it’s all connected!” Brook says, “Or it might just be by chance, though at the same time; we were brought here for a reason, accident or not.”
“Accident?” Sanji voices, finally letting go of Luffy. “who would bring us here on accident?”
Usopp sighs, “Oh, I don’t know—maybe some all powerful god?!” He says sarcastically, “Who knows why they did this, maybe they just wanted to…” suddenly, realization washes over the sniper and he pales. “Wait, what if they’re just messing with us?!” Usopp shrieks.
“No, we don’t even know who they are—and there has to be some kind of rule for that much power,” Nami establishes, “If that weren’t the case, I think things would be a lot more chaotic.”
“Right,” Chopper mutters, “___ didn’t know anything about devil fruits or powers, or magic or anything…she seemed clueless.” looking up, he shifts his gaze to the quiet calico, “What do you think, Luffy?”
“Hmm,” Luffy hums under his breath, looking to the floor in thought. His paws clench, and determinedly—he looks up. “I think imma beat up whoever did this to us!” He exclaims.
“Cat or not, I will become the King of the Pirates, and I’m not gonna let this stop us!” A moment of silence, “And you guys have your dreams too, we won’t be stuck here forever!”
Nami shakes her head at his enthusiasm, sighing. “Stubborn as ever… and how do you think we’ll do that? We don’t know anything yet.”
“Well, we will soon! I’m sure __ and Robin will be back in no time!”
“Luffy, as much as I agree with you, we don’t even know who we’re fighting with, yet.” Sanji deadpans, sitting down with a thoughtful expression.
“And that’s enough trouble on it’s own, we don’t know what to expect.”
_________________________________________
Quietly letting out a soft sneeze, you look into your arm to cover it. Weird… there isn’t much dust around here, even if the library was old, it was incredibly clean and well taken care of. Shaking your head, you sniffle and look back to the organized bookcase in front of you.
Your fingers mindlessly trace the spines of the old books, looking for the tiniest of clues to help the Straw Hat’s. You honestly doubted there was anything here, thinking there’d be better access online—but even then, this wasn’t something research had gone into.
Hell, women’s health wasn’t even a top priority.
Your eyes skim the shelf, until a title catches your eye. ”Robin, I think I found something,” you whisper, shifting to a kneeled position.
Picking up the book, it’s cover is old and brown, while the title reads strange encounters with cats. “Huh, weird it’s got a bookmark in it…” Shifting to read the back, it’s a short dialouge of documented cat’s behaviors, and breeds throughout centuries.
Ok.. not what you were looking for. You slowly blink, setting the book back.
Why was it in the history section, of all places? Why not the pet and animal row, near the back of the store…
“Hm.” Maybe there was an explanation on how a cat could eat a whole week’s worth of food in one sitting? Yet again, you doubted it, but you didn’t understand how Luffy could eat so much with that tiny body of his.
”Meow?” You pause, spotting Robin as she rounds the corner. “Sorry, false alarm!”
Letting out a soft chuckle, you pet her head as she nears. “Find anything? All I found was stuff on presidents, and wars. Super boring stuff, really.”
The cat sighs, gently shaking her head.
“Hey, it’s alright. I’m sure we haven’t checked somewhere yet,” You mutter, attempting to assure the archeologist. “We’re probably just missing something, yeah?”
Looking down the aisle, the rows and rows of books feel endless… Perhaps you should’ve brought Nami or Sanji with you, they seem smart, too. Letting out a sigh, you move to pick Robin up, shielding her from the librarian as you move into the next aisle.
This was obviously a no pet zone, so you and Robin kept quiet, and held your guards up. Turning your back to the front counter, the library’s doorbell chimes as someone enters. You don’t pay it any mind, making your way to the back of the store, yet Robin tenses in your hold.
You pause, looking down. “You okay?” you whisper, eyes soft. She doesn’t respond, going blank for a moment longer. “Robin,” you nudge, waiting for a response. Your eyes worryingly narrow, what’s gotten into her all of a sudden?
She suddenly shifts, quietly looking over your shoulder to the front desk—covered by shelves, and peeks through the cracks to find a mysterious woman up front. It couldn’t be, she thinks—eyes focused. But… that aura.
“Hey, has anyone come through here recently?” A woman asks, tone sweet as sugar. Robin can’t make out what she looks like, but the image of that flashing blue light clouds her vision. Feeling an immediate sense of urgency, she needs to get you and her out of here—immediately.
The archeologist suddenly jumps out from your hold, heading towards the back of the library. There had to be another way out without being noticed.
You jump watching the small purple cat head down the aisle, “Hey, what’s going on?!” you whisper, feeling the urge to follow her. Looking back to the conversation at the front desk, you realize she only started acting weird when that woman came in…
”Recently? A lot of people come in and out through here,” the librarian shrugs, eyes never leaving her book. The woman’s eye twitches, yet she pushes the annoyance down in her tone down. She had no interest in this conversation whatsoever… Ugh.
“I’m sure,” the woman smiles, lips tight. “It’s a very nice place you have, here. But, I meant in general, when was the last time someone checked in?”
You tense, overhearing the conversation as you follow Robin to the back. It must be someone that did this to them. But, how were they here? Had they been following them this entire time?
Looking up, the two of you stop at a dead end. Great.
Robin must be looking for another exit, but there wasn’t one here. If only you’d caught on sooner. ”Hold on, we might be able to sneak through the front—.” Placing your hand against a book’s shelf, you try and catch a glimpse of where the woman is now… and she still seems to be talking with the librarian up front.
“Oh, I don’t know an hour ago?” she replies plainly, making the woman bite her tongue.
“Are they still here?” she asks tightly, patience wearing thin.
Tensing, you shift to crouch low. You look to Robin who wears the same expression. So she was looking for you two, but she clearly doesn’t know what you look like, so you can use that to your advantage.
Leaning back against the wall for cover, your eyes widen as your back finds nothing behind it. Falling back, your brace for the worst as you fall into a dark room.
“Shit—!” you whisper, getting back on your feet, “What the…”
In what you can make out, you’re surrounded in an empty office that must been connected to the library. Weird. You swear this wasn’t here before, you would’ve noticed something so obvious. Regardless, that noise you made falling was loud, and was sure to attract attention.
”Interesting,” Robin mumbles, walking quietly into the room. A strange pathway magically opens up for you when need it, how convenient.
“Robin what do we do??” you whisper, looking around. The light from the library’s ceiling shines into the room, laminating a dark wooden desk with a cozy chair. Everything dusty as if it’s been abandoned for years…slowly glancing back, the light suddenly goes out, and your exit disappears.
Freezing, your voice catches and you immediately fumble to take out your phone. “Shitshitshit—!” Nothing’s gonna jump at you. It’s just dark. You’re fine. 100% fine. Right? No demons or monsters or—
Robin suddenly meows, making you jolt—turning your phone to light up her form. Your heart races, and you nervously laugh with shaking hands. “It’s.. alright, we’ll just have to find another way out,”
Carefully peeking around, the office is the same as when you entered, but behind the cozy desk with scattered papers—as if someone left in a hurry, a warm light glows, showcasing a spiral glass casing.
“When did that get there?” Stepping closer, a dusty but well protected book lies inside. It’s edges glint with a soft gold trim, while a deep navy blue acts as it’s cover. There isn’t a title, only strange symbols in another language covering the book.
“That looks like something we need,” Robin follows, pawing up against the cupboard as if gesturing for you to grab it.
“Really?” you whisper, “Are you sure it’s not gonna curse me or something?” hesitantly stepping closer, you creak open the glass case. “I like having hands, you know…”
Closing your eyes, you brace for impact as you pick up the book, but just as Robin suspects, nothing happens. You blink, letting out a relieved laugh. “Haha—right, I knew that.”
Shifting to hold the book to your chest, you look around with your makeshift flashlight.
The room inside resembles nothing of the library you were just in. It was cluttered, dusty, and incredibly old. Not like your reasonable library store old, but completely out of time. When was the last time someone was in here?
Looking back at the desk, littered papers are covered in messy writing, tugging your curiosity. Stepping closer, it’s normal English but the pen ink has faded with time, leaving a weak black hue.
Leaning closer, a paper in the middle of the desk pulls you in.
The handwriting is bold, urgent, with darkened spots around it; marking either tears… or blood.
Something uneasy settles in your chest, making you hesitantly step back, with a nauseating ache in your stomach.
Robin watches you step away, and hops onto the desk with a cautious expression. She follows your gaze to the paper, and her fur stands on edge. There was definitely a bigger picture here, but what? Robin silently feared this was larger than just the crew…
Suddenly, light footsteps sound from the wall you’d fallen through. Heals click softly against the tiled floor, leaving an ominous feeling to settle outside.
“Meow..” - “We should go.”
Swallowing, you force yourself to look away and focus on finding an exit. It’s alright. You’re safe, it’s just some writing. Even if it was scary, strange and unsettling, it could mean anything. But… what was the cost? And why was that so unspecific? It could literally mean anything.
A knock echoes on the wall behind you, making you whip around. “Robin, get back—“
“Hello?” A soft voice asks, echoing throughout the dead silence. Your teeth clench, and your breath stills. Your heart pounds as a few more seconds pass.
The woman’s sing song voice echoes, again, making you tense. “I know you’re there,” she knocks again, and another beat passes.
When nothing answers, only your frozen breath—the woman scoffs.
“Dammit,” she clicks her tongue, kicking her foot against the floor like a child. “I thought that’d work for sure!”
You let out a shuddering breath, leaning back against a quilt that’s pinned to the wall behind you.
Resting your head back, your shoulders sag.
“They must’ve found another way out…”
Robin stands casually in-front of you, watching the wall with a dangerous look you haven’t seen her wear before. Protective much…?
Inhaling deeply through your nose, you calmly force yourself to look for anything else.
“Let’s just keep looking,” you whisper, kneeling beside a wooden chest.
Rummaging through small boxes, nothing is left but trinkets and empty scrolls and endless amounts of old yellow tinged paper. You needed to find another way out, but where would that be?
“Meow!” Glancing up, Robin suddenly pulls your attention to the quilt you’d leaned against earlier. She digs into the material with her claws, pulling down at it to reveal a wooden door with a golden knob.
”Huh,” you mutter, shining your light on a dark oak that presents itself.
”Well, it’s better than whatever’s waiting for us out there,” cautiously stepping forward, you pale.
“I’m just gonna carefully open this,” you mutter, opening the door to reveal a dark hallway, which seems to get smaller, the further you walk. “Atleast I’m not claustrophobic…”
Stepping inside, it gets intensely darker making you feel small. “Haha, I mean—at-least, I don’t think.”
Your shoes hit softly against the smooth stone, while your hand uses the carved walls for balance. Its smooth edges graze your fingers, sending shivers down your spine.
For some reason… this place felt endless. And you felt a lot lighter, than when you’d entered.
“Do you feel that, too?” looking back to Robin, she seems to agree with a small nod.
This was weird. Really weird. You’d been to this library a thousand times before, and never once noticed this place. How come it only revealed itself, now?
Looking at your phone, the time reads 12 o’clock sharp. Your eyes widen, and you pause. “Wow, we really were looking for awhile, we left around 9 right?”
Robin meows in agreement, walking aside you. This was definitely something she wasn’t expecting, along with the fact someone was looking for her… or you. She didn’t yet know what that woman wanted, but would surely get to the bottom of it, soon. And that aura—that blue light, was something unforgettable. It had to be the same person that did this to them.
“Robin, look!” You say excitedly, pulling the archeologist out of her thoughts. She looks up to find a normal door in-front of you, one you’d find in a cozy neighborhood. “Wait…” you mutter, dumbfounded.
Reaching for the door knob, she watches you freeze with recognition. “Huh?! This looks like—!”
Swinging open the gray door, you two find yourselves exiting through a neighbor’s home, just a few blocks down from your street.
Left utterly paralyzed in surprise, you stand frozen. “But that’s… impossible,” Robin mutters, standing quietly at your side.
The library was at-least an hour’s worth of walking, from your home.
“What?!” You gasp, hitting your phone in frustration. “Why is it already 3, half the day’s gone! I just checked it!”
“I see you walking into that kitchen.” Zoro glares, sitting atop the kitchen table like a gargoyle.
Luffy stops in his tracks, slowly looking up. “Shishi, what do you mean??” Nervously, a sweat drop rolls down from his forehead, and across his furry face.
“What do I mean?” The swordsman’s brow tics, “Don’t play dumb with me!”
“Captain, you’ve already eaten half her fridge!” Brook warns, “Let’s not be hasty, now!”
“Yeah, and don’t forget she’s buying everything with her hard earned money, by working!” Nami adds, hitting Luffy casually over his head, as if she’d done it a thousand times before. “Which—by the way, you don’t do!”
“I mean as of right now, idiot!” Luffy pouts, lowering his head with a soft grumble. She was right, but still. Ugh, he hated this.
“It’s not my fault! I’m bored!” He groans, dramatically collapsing back. “I wanted to go to the library with, ___!”
“Well that’s too bad!” She snaps, teeth baring. “Now stop acting like a child!”
Brook laughs, “Yohoho, she’s right! You’d cause Miss __ too much trouble, I’m sure they’ll be back soon!”
“But it’s been hours!” Luffy whines.
“It has been awhile,” Sanji suddenly mutters, rolling his eyes at his captain’s antics. “I hate to say it, but I’m starting to get worried.”
“Yeah, it has been awhile…” Chopper voices, “But I’m sure their okay!”
Truth be told, it’s been hours since you and Robin left. You seemed confident in finding something, but it didn’t settle their unease. The crew didn’t know much about this world, so they trusted your gut, however; it’d been a lot longer than you’d promised.
They didn’t doubt you, but they were worried, especially with everything being so unfamiliar to them.
In the meanwhile, Franky had taken his curiosity upon your electronics, and the way they worked. Cars were everything here, serving as the main source of transportation—and Chopper, as prideful in his medical experts as ever, had been looking through your cupboards and medical supplies, noting the ingredients and materials used.
It definitely wasn’t the same, but it was similar.
Sitting quietly at your closet, Usopp sits boredly with Chopper, messing with flimsy bandages between his paws. “Who knew being a cat could be so peaceful? I could live like this forever.”
“I guess… but wouldn’t you miss traveling, and our adventures?” Chopper asks, head titling.
“Huh?? Of course! I’m the mighty captain Usopp of the Straw Hat Pirates, I live for the adrenaline!” Usopp stands on his legs, puffing out his chest.
“Right, but didn’t you just say—?”
“Shush! I’m merely enjoying the luxuries of this world!”
Usopp suddenly jumps from his spot letting out a high pitched shriek. His fur sticks out at all angles as his claws grip the floor.
“The great Captain Usopp, huh?” Zoro side eyes the sniper, looking to the front door as it swings widely.
“H-Hey! It just startled me is all! Even the strongest get scared—!”
“Quick inside!” You mutter, holding the door open for Robin. You toss your book and bag on the floor, making sure she’s in before double locking the front door. “Alright, I think we’re fine!”
Glancing back with an anxious pant, you see the crew immediately surround Robin with hopeful looks. They all talk in loud meows, making you smile, nerves easing in the slightest. As soon as you stepped back inside, there was always this comfortable sense on belonging in their presence…
“Are you okay, Robin?!” Sanji asks, eyes traveling over the archeologists state. “Yes, I’m fine Sanji we—.” Luffy interrupts her, excitedly asking questions along with the others.
“How come you were gone so long, we thought something happened!”
“You guys look exhausted!”
Robin quietly absorbs the roundabout of voices in-front of her, chuckling softly. “We’re fine, we found something—“
“Like what?! What’d you find?” Luffy’s eyes light up like stars, as he’s inches from her face. Sanji immediately shoves him down, “Hey! Out of her face will you?! Let her talk!”
“Okokok—“ Luffy’s face mushes ever so cartoonishly in the floor, and only as he promises he won’t say anything—is he let up.
“When we explored the library, we at first didn’t suspect anything, but then…” As Robin quietly explains what happened, a mix of shocked expressions surround the group. “You—huh?!”
“Awesome! Can we go there? I wanna check it out!”
“Strange?! You mean, SUPER!!”
Robin sighs, almost fondly. Her eyes soften, before her expression grows more serious. She glances up as you take off your coat, heading into the kitchen while clumsily trying to pry off your shoes.
“However, there’s more.” “More?! SWEET!”
“Not exactly, someone was looking for us.” …
Zoro’s eye narrows. So, there was a catch? “They didn’t follow you here, did they?”
It’d be trouble if they did, because no one knew what they were dealing with, and they weren’t exactly in the right state to fight anyone…
And the last thing the crew needed was you getting hurt, because of them,
“No, we lost them through this strange room in the library.” Zoro silently lets out a breath, but doesn’t ease.
“There’s more isn’t there?”
“Mhm. ___, fell through some wall and we discovered a passage, and other things.” “Wow.”
“It’s Robin, what do you expect? Be thankful she didn’t bring back a skull or some dead—“
“Okokok!” Nami pushes Usopp aside, covering his mouth. “Let’s just stop there, I’m glad you both are alright!” Nami sighs, shoulders easing. “What’d you find?”
“A book,” Robin answers shortly, looking up as you drop the gold trimmed piece on the dining table. It claps against the table, making the crew glance up.
“Hey, do you guys wanna come look at this?” You ask, calling the cats over. “I can’t read any of it, maybe it’s a language you guys are family with?”
Robin and Nami share a look, before heading over in a group with the others. “Shishi! I wanna see, I wanna see! I bet I can turn Usopp into a frog!”
Waiting patently at the table, Luffy’s the first to bump into you with an absurd amount of energy; practically vibrating with excitement…
“Haha, alright—alright, just give me a second.” Chopper and Franky are next, and the others follow quickly in pursuit.
“So, any ideas Robin?” Franky asks, “It looks super hard to understand…”
“Hm, no I’m not familiar with this, but that was to be expected.”
You carefully open the book, glancing over the pages with the others. From what you all can tell, it just looks like gibberish.
“Alright.. it looks like a toddler scribbled in this.” You mutter, lips pressing tight. “I can’t believe I risked my life for—this.” You deadpan, blinking blanky at the book.
“Ugh, this sucks! I wanted to learn magic!”
“Yeah right—so you can turn me into a freaking frog?!” “Shishi, yeah!!”
Letting out a long sigh, you rest your hands against the table, lowering your head. “You know what, I’m just gonna go take a shower…” pushing back, you decide to leave the cats to it.
“Hmm, this looks like a teddy bear, maybe voodoo?” Robin mumbles, oblivious to those around her. “Cute.”
“What?? Not cute! That’s scary!”
“Yeah—SUPER let down, good luck Robin!”
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