Luffy 2.06

She fell asleep leaned against him not more than a half hour later, and he looked over her sleeping form. Luffy had processed all reasons why he had first kissed her, but for one conclusion or another, he didn't think that even one reason he had was good enough. That she was soft was a given now, but why had he wanted to test that theory by touching everything he could reach?

Her features pleased and warmed his circuits in ways he still didn't quite comprehend. Her smile was pure joy - after making her cry he wanted to ensure it never happened again. Was just feeling that he liked her enough? Was just telling her that enough? And didn't every man want to-

His internal inquiry stopped at that point, and he frowned to himself. I'm not a man ... it's illegal for us to be together like this. How did I bypass that law? I couldn't be ...

He sat up carefully, watching her so that she wouldn't awaken.

When Luffy had first awoken in that locker room, everything had felt so strange, but the moment he had heard her voice, things had begun to click into place. Things that had blocked off ...

He held his chest with a slight wince - his CPU was growing hot. Luffy hoped it was the other Luffy. That would be logical.

The other thing - it was possibly an error.

He heard a crash from the living room, and he frowned softly before getting up. Going down the hall, he frowned when he saw a shadowed figure head down the hall. He said, "Oi, get out."

"I wanted to talk to you," said a feminine voice. She came forward enough that he could finally see her features, and he recognized the gynoid from the bar.

"Robin ..."

"I was surprised to see you, Luffy."

He blinked at the familiarity in her voice, she certainly didn't seem to be a gynoid, but he still had in his memory of what the commentator had called her, "You were?"

"Of course. You were the last person I'd expect to change his mind. You Ds are always so unpredictable though."

Ds? Eyes narrowing, he looked her over before he said, "What did you want to talk about?"

She smiled, "Well, not talk. Just confirming that you didn't find it."

"No, I haven't," he said, still utterly confused, but what he said was truth enough even not knowing of what she spoke. "You neither?"

She giggled - a pleasingly low sound, "Mmhmhm, would I be here asking you if I had?" Her eyes saddened slowly, "We only have so many clues to go by, and I'm just a theory still." She sighed, closing her eyes, "You cyborgs are so lucky."

His eyes widened before he could try schooling the shock away, and before she could open her eyes, he tried to mask the surprise for something else, "The - theory? I don't think so, Robin! Why would you say that?" Cyborg ... cyborg!?

She blinked, looking at him before her smile returned, gentle and soft, "You're sweet to think so." Robin winked, "But don't think you'll win me over like that. It wouldn't work between us."

"Ah, right ..." he grimaced slightly, just more confused than he had been.

"I'll let you go, Luffy. We should meet again soon to compare notes. Maybe where we first met, hm?"

He swallowed hard, "All right ... where was that again?"

"You remember, in the ..." she frowned just slightly then, "Luffy, why are you in position to defend yourself?" Luffy hadn't even realized that he had done it, and he wasn't about to stop now that she was suspicious. After a moment, she backed away, smiling, "I see. You really did change then."

She glanced behind him down the hall where Nami slept, and his hackles rose before he charged at her - full force. They crashed and skidded through Nami's living room, slamming aside the couch and coffee table before Luffy could get a proper hold of the gynoid. Robin's eyes widened just before he brought his head crashing down against hers.

Something grabbed him from behind, and yanked him off. Yelping, Luffy braced himself to hit the wall, and sprang back to his feet quickly.

"Stay away from her!"

She perked her eyebrow up, smiling slowly, "I was just looking."

Luffy tensed, "Get out."

"Were you having some fun before I interrupted you? Be careful, I don't know if you're compatible with humans anymore."

His brow creased in confusion before he shook his head, "Guess you don't know everything about me then."

She hesitated, seeming to process that before suddenly arms bloomed from her elbows, and she said, "We'll see about that. I'll have to take you in for study."

She rushed at him then, and he grasped her normal hands, pressing back as he struggled to keep from getting grabbed by too many of her extra ones. Almost instantly, the empty hands sprouted more arms that wrapped around him. As they constricted, he scowled, and flung his head back to let his neck stretch.

Pugilism

power: 70% 90%

agility: 20% 10%

defense: 10% 00%

It snapped back hard.

He heard something warp and bend when his head made contact, and her grip loosened enough for him to tear several of her extra arms off. Enough to allow him to break loose from her. She stumbled back, holding her head as she shed the extra arms.

She gaped at him in shock and pain, her hand partly covering a severely indented forehead, "What are you made of? There's nothing even left of him anymore, is there? What happened to Luffy?"

"Get out."

Robin hesitated only a moment before she turned to run.

Behind him, after Robin had left, he heard Nami inch down the hallway, "Luffy?"

Looking back at her, she looked both frightened and angry somehow, wide eyes taking in her living room. He bit his lip before heading for her, "I'm sorry. Some gynoid broke in, and I got angry ..."

She tackled him, and he took it for her anger, so he didn't resist. However, it soon became apparent to him that she was embracing him, "Are you all right?"

Smiling, he wrapped his arms around her, "I'm fine, Nami."

Nami frowned up at him, "I don't like people breaking into my house. How'd she find out where you live? Was it some GPS bug?"

Luffy scowled at that thought, and immediately ran systems, programs and devices checks. He said, "If they did, you'll have to do a visual check. I found nothing." He opened up his shirt to get to his motherboard.

Her cheeks flushed red - not too long ago, perhaps she hd been thinking of striping him for other reasons, but his expression seemed to sober her. She started searching through his chest.

He fidgeted with one of the chest flaps, still watching Nami before he caved. For the briefest of milliseconds, Luffy had considered not telling her about the conversation he had had with Robin - it felt hard keeping secrets though, and making up information was so strange, "She seemed to know me - even my name. She called me a D, and she implied I was a cyborg."

"You don't need to be one!" Luffy jerked back slightly from her outburst. Eys wide in alarm, she had grabbed his shoulders, "I don't care about that! You're fine the way you are!"

Starting to grin, he said, "But I wanna know."

"Luffy, I thought you wanted to know where you came from."

"But maybe that's why I'm here with you! And if it is, I can get it out of the way, so we ..."

Her smile began to return, and she looked through his motherboard before she shook her head, "Well, there's nothing new connected to you."

He cocked his head to the side, "For a moment there, I thought you were gonna kiss me."

Flushing hot red, she pulled away from Luffy quickly, "What? No, I wouldn't ...!"

Pouting at that, Luffy said, "You wouldn't do it here?"

She flushed hotly, glancing out the window where the sun was starting to illuminate the world outside, "I told you it's illegal! I don't want it getting out, or we'll be in more trouble than just entering you into this tournament!"

He stared at her while processing the new information, "So illegal activities ... can be done ... so long as it's in a secret place? That's why this tournament's underground?"

Groaning, she covered her face, hanging her head, "Yes, Luffy."

"So if I want to have sex wi-"

"Yes. Luffy."

He blinked, "How did you know what I was going to ask? I didn't even finish my inquiry."

"Just trust me. I know what you were going to ask me." Taking a deep breath, she said, "More importantly, you said she called you a D?"

"Yeah," said Luffy, and he straightened the couch back upright, pulling Nami down to sit beside him.

"That would certainly be big ... Ds are the group that came out of nowhere and changed android and cyborg technology in an instant. Then they suddenly said they were done making new renovations twenty-four years ago. Technology still hasn't progressed much further with androids since."

Brow furrowing, Luffy shook his head, "What does that mean though?"

She pursed her lips, "Well, now that I have more than just your name, maybe I can search for you. Maybe she just meant you're D-built."

Luffy shook his head, not sure he trusted that information, "I don't know ..."

Getting up, she glanced out the window to check for people before kissing his forehead, and going down the hallway. With a sigh, Luffy rose to follow after her slowly, scratching his head, "Would it really be that easy to find something online?"

"The Ds are famous, Luffy. The media tries to follow them like they're celebrities. I'd be surprised if we didn't find some kind of hint. Maybe you're some kind of new project of theirs."

She pulled out her tablet, and searched by typing in 'Ds Luffy'. He glanced outside where the sun was rising through the trees.

When he looked back, he froze.

There were three faces. His was smiling brightly in the center, framed by the other two - both of which were equally happy looking. Luffy didn't recognize either of them, but his arms were around both of their shoulders as if they were lifting him up slightly. Like they were all familiar with each other.

D Loses Life in Sailing Trip

Luffy was dimly aware that she was talking - to him, maybe.

He scanned what he could of the article:

Monkey D. Luffy would have turned 18 years old today if he hadn't gone sailing with his two best friends. At 6 pm, witnesses say a huge wave overturned the sail boat before it then crashed into the rocks.

Attempts to help were compounded by quickly rising tides, but by the time they reached him, it was already too late.

Monkey D. Luffy was bed ridden most of his young life until his father, Monkey D. Dragon, and grandfather, Monkey D. Garp, fitted him with cyborg enhancements when he became of age. He thrived in his highschool's cyborg boxing league, and was active in many other sports activities. His friends say he was planning on competing professionally.

"You'd never think he was ever

Nami stepped into his line of sight, and he blinked when she held his cheeks gently, "Luffy!"

He blinked again, not quite understanding before he shook his head, and pulled away, "Hey, I was reading that, Nami."

She didn't move out of his way, but she smiled in relief, "Please, don't space out like that again. I thought ..." Kissing him suddenly, she shocked him a bit before he responded in kind.

When he broke off the kiss to let her breathe normally, he said, "Nami, I'm fine. I'm not going anywhere."

"Damn straight, you aren't! What gave you the idea you were going somewhere on your own?"

He gaped at her before bursting out in laughter.

"Eh! Ah ... stop that! Stop laughing at me!" She flushed red while he snickered.

"Did you wanna come with me then?"

Nami pouted at him, "Well, I don't think they'd like a sudden dinner guest ... not the Monkey D. family anyway." She closed the article before he could read anymore, "It looks like he was friends with one of the Portgas D. family, so not them either. Not that I know where they live." After a moment, Nami said, "I know where Gol D. Roger lives though."

"Eh!? Really?"

"I had to go there once to help with a weather system he was working on ... or ... rather he told me to stand in the corner and watch him. It's just that legally, he couldn't do anything without me there." She grimaced, "The old man just kept hitting on me, honestly."

"All right, then we'll go see him, and kick his ass!"

Eyes widening, she snapped, "Luffy! You can't do that! I thought you wanted to ask him what he knew."

"Ah, well, I ..." he frowned in confusion himself. "It was just the first thing I thought of when you said that. I don't want another guy kissing you."

Smiling after a moment, Nami said, "He wasn't doing that. I wouldn't let him anyway."

"Oooh! Nami-chan! Come in! Come in! Idiots, open the gates!"

She glanced at Luffy in surprise, "I didn't think he'd remember me."

Luffy muttered a bit sullenly at that, frowning as the gates swung open. He didn't seem at all pleased that Roger was acting so friendly towards her. It made her smile, honestly. A man made of wires and steel being ... instinctive perhaps? Some program that made him that way? Whatever the case, it made her a little happy - she couldn't explain it very well herself.

Luffy was jealous.

Roger waved them on from the vid screen, "Go on ahead, Nami-chan, I'll meet you at the front door."

Behind her, Luffy grumbled something inaudible, and she smiled.

At the front door, she turned to him, and said when she saw his sour expression, "Honestly, what are you so worried about?"

"He keeps hitting on you, and I'll knock his head off."

Finally frowning, she hissed at him, "Don't you dare! I don't care what he says, Luffy. Don't you dare." Thinking about it for half a second, she said, "Unless he does something other than talking."

Luffy relaxed, but he looked up at the big mansion before facing her again with a softer frown, "But he's got this big ol' house."

Nami's eyes widened before she burst out laughing, "You ...! You think I'd leave you for another man because he has a mansion?" When he eyed her somewhat nervously - maybe thinking that the question could posibly be rhetorical, or just unable to process an answer - she said, "I have a house. I bought it myself. I don't need to cling to some guy to keep it or keep living in it. If anyone should be worrying, it's you. You're living with me just doing whatever you like. Like a trophy wife or something."

He tilted his head in confusion, and someone behind her said, "Oooh! Brought your boyfriend, eh?"

Flushing straight to her roots, she spun around, "Roger-san! I - I'm sorry, I didn't notice you there!"

He grinned down at her, "It's nothing, come on in."

Taking a deep breath, she followed him, glancng back at Luffy who still followed with that confused look on his face. What she had said hadn't hurt him apparently, but she was worried that perhaps he was advanced enough to hide it.

Roger invited them to his living room where she sat down a bit tentatively on the luxurious sofa with Luffy. Almost immediately, he asked, "So what is it you want to know?"

Jerking in shock, Nami only stared as Luffy leaned forward intensely, "What do you know about me?"

"Hm?" Roger looked at him, and started laughing, hitting his armrest, "You come here to me, not knowing anything, and you expect answers!?"

"He ended up on my doorstep, and his registry was tampered with," Nami said quickly, flushing in embarrassment. Were they missing some other piece of this puzzle? Why was he laughing?

Roger chuckled still, scratching his chin as he leaned back into his chair, "Hmmm, that so?"

"So you know something?" Luffy said.

He frowned at him before he snorted, "And if I did?"

"Tell me!"

"Like I'd tell a brat ordering me around like that!"

"Me and Nami want to know!"

By this point the two were up on their feet, nearly in the other's face.

"Nami-chan can speak for herself!"

"Stop calling her that - she doesn't like it!"

"She's got her own voice, boy!"

"Yeah, she told me that herself, old man!"

"'O - old'!? Rouge-chan, he called me old. Am I so old now? Nami-chan, I'm not old, am I?"

Before she could even think about responding, Luffy's fist met Roger's face, and she gaped as he slid to hit the wall.

"Luffy!" Standing to get between them, she started out snapping it before trailing off in confusion, "How could you ...?" She glanced back at Roger before gaping at a trickle of blood from his mouth as he sat up. "How ...? But that's-!"

A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm ... Roger's completely human - Luffy shouldn't have been able to hit him unless he was actually a cyborg! Is he actually ...?

"Wonderful! I knew one of those idiots would send one. Really truly free! Those others are all just talk!" Nami gaped at Roger as he stood up, "I had to know." He grinned broadly, the blood smear making him appear menacing, "You're a real man."

Luffy finally began to look confused as well, and he asked, "No, I'm not. You know what I am. You knew soon as I came in."

"Mmmn, let me guess. Dragon's work. Must be. Only one other idiot would desecrate that face, and even then, he'd count his brain cells before trying it."

Nami blinked, "You knew Luffy?"

"Knew?" He spit to the side, and Nami delicately stepped back a smidge, "Kid practically lived here."

Nami's mind began to race then, and her eyes widened in realization, "I forgot! Luffy, we have to go."

"Huh? But-"

"Now!" She grabbed his hand, yanking him along quickly, "I'm sorry for disturbing you! Maybe we can talk on the phone later!"

"Luffy?" Passing a side hallway, Nami looked up to see Portgas D. Ace standing in there.

I had to rewrite this three or four times. On top of that, The Wheel of Time ended, and there was nothing that was going to stop me from reading the last book. Not even book 8 through 11. On that note, if you're gonna whine that I took too long, shut up, and read a book series where the author died before he could finish it himself, and thus left mountains of notes for someone to finish his masterwork. In other words, why the hell are you still reading this? Get started already with book 1, The Eye of the World.