Chapter 47: Reunion

Chapter 47: Reunion



"There! I've released all the hallucinations! Now you'll stop right?!" Miss Spa Day plead desperately.

Cherry focused on her Life Sense and noted that her devil fruit signature had disappeared from the soldiers. The royal faction soldiers quickly surrendered seeing the reality of their situation. The rest of the royal army had retreated, leaving them behind and vastly outnumbered.

"It would seem you've spoken the truth. Very well, I'll end our little game here. Though it was more fun than I expected, I hope this doesn't awaken anything in me..." Cherry said.

Miss Spa Day smiled in relief. Cherry poked her forehead and injected her vital energy, causing Miss Spa Day to promptly fall unconscious.

"Now I'll just stash you away somewhere and come pick you up later. Don't worry, I won't kill you... maybe. Depends on how well my Devil Fruit Suppression Seal works out, but not to worry my little test subject, I'll do my best." Cherry said.

Her talks with Chopper about his understanding of devil fruit have been very enlightening and she had various ideas she wanted to test out, but no test subjects to test them on, until now. Miss Spa Day's devil fruit was too dangerous to leave alone, so she was the perfect specimen.

'Wouldn't hurt to learn her massage arts either.' She thought.

Cherry put Miss Spa Day into a dumpster where she belongs and gave herself a pat on the back for a job well done.

'Now then, I'll do a quick scan to see where I'm needed most.' She began to pass her Life Sense over the city.

Out side the south west gate she found Chopper's devil fruit and two other devil fruits. She concluded that this fight was already over as the other two were not moving.

Within the city there were two more devil fruit signatures, one of whom was fighting someone with a large amount of vital energy, most likely Zoro. She'd stop by there to see if they need help.

She turned her attention elsewhere and found it settling upon the palace. The first thing she noticed was a group of four individuals approaching the gates with vital energy like great burning flames.

'Oh! They must have taken something to burn their life force. That's exactly the sort of thing I need to make cultivation pills.' Cherry made a mental note to ask King Cobra for some later. 'He should be feeling generous after helping to save his country, right?'

Inside the palace she first found a Zoan devil fruit user, probably one of the royal guards that King Cobra told her about briefly.

Next she found what she was pretty sure to be a Logia devil fruit user, almost certain to be Crocodile himself.

After a short scuffle with some marines, Nico Robin pressed onwards with the King by her side.

Eventually they made their way into a secret passage way and Cherry followed from a distance, thinking this was likely to be what she wanted to find, but also remaining on guard in case it was a trap King Cobra was leading her into.

At the end of the passage way, there was a large dark stone block with some sort of writing on one side. Robin seemed to be able to read them as he focus was completely on the block. Cherry silently slipped inside, she gestured to King Cobra to remain quiet and fortunately he had the wherewithal to do so.

She approached Nico Robin from behind, slowly creeping forward. Then she purposefully made the slightest noise to test her.

Robin's eyes widen and she didn't hesitate, raising her arms and sprouting limbs on the stealthy assailant. "Clutch!"

"ATATATATA!" Cherry let the arms yank her head backwards, for old times sake. It was even less of a problem than the first time it happened, but it did still hurt a bit.

Nico Robin spun around to see her attacker. She froze and released the arms on instinct.

"You certainly aren't very good with surprises are you, Robin? Hehehe." Cherry giggled, lying flat on the ground.

King Cobra was dumbfounded. 'Just what is going on? Is Cherry and ally or an enemy?'

Nico Robin could only stare in shock for several moments before breaking her silence. "Cherry? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you, Robin. Though it is apparent that we've found ourselves on opposing sides of a conflict." Cherry said, standing up.

"I do hope you have a better reason for doing this than being hungry for power. It would leave

a terribly bitter taste in my mouth to find out my first friend grew up to be a boring, petty

crook." Cherry said, searching for answers in the woman's face.

Nico Robin looked at Cherry, her only living friend in the world.

King Cobra, on the other hand, only had one thought. 'Nearly destroying my kingdom only makes her a boring, petty crook?'