Insatiable Desire

04 - Captured

When Ace passed through the door with an exhausted Sabo on his back, Marco was leaning on the wall, feeling refreshed and completely neat and clean. Luffy had already vanished behind a corner of the alleyway with the two prisoners, mask in place. They had been hidden thanks to the officer's Devil Fruit, a highly convenient one. He felt kind of... bad... knowing the two had been two meters away from them while they were... occupied... but, well, they couldn't have heard or seen anything... Though he still couldn't fathom how Luffy had been able to ignore the notion.

"No luck, right?" Ace side-glanced at his brother and Marco noticed the straw hat hanging on the fire-user's neck, hidden by the orange one.

"He's sneaky, yoi." It was not a lie.

"Another proof, then..." Sabo perked up at that and blinked confusedly.

"What are you two talking about?"

Ace sighed and let the blonde slid to the ground. He took the straw hat and held it up to his face. Sabo paled.

"What... Where... No, why is... Wait, explain!" He glared at Ace.

"Marco found it in the Chief of CP9's office..." He took then the folded document, passing it on. "Along with this."

The pale complexion worsened and he gaped. "This can't be..."

"Think about it, Sabo. Same hairstyle, same black hair, same frightening aura... same hat, and even the sneakiness, now."

"No, he's dead..." Little tears bloomed in his eyes, that were still scanning the paper. "How could this have happened..."

"Same question I want answers for." Ace sighed. "Listen, I can't believe it neither, but I highly doubt the World Government would have known about our bond without one of us telling them. The old geezer could have told them in all those years, but he never did."

Sabo's eyes widened. "He stopped coming right after that..."

The raven nodded. "Right..."

Marco looked around and breathed deeply, not wanting to lose more time. "I know you need to adjust, but we do not have much time, yoi. Your friends are being brought on the harbour right now, where an entire fleet of marine ships will arrive to take them to Impel Down." Sabo paled again. "You should hurry up."

"We need to move, Sabo."

The blonde stiffly nodded. "Ok... Fine... I will... I'll deal with it later... First, Robin."

Marco turned, to let the brothers have some kind of privacy, and started leading the way Luffy had pointed to him. He heard them talk but didn't focus on the words, going over the plan instead. The raven hadn't thought once about letting the two prisoners go to Impel Down. He had planned everything to swiftly go his way, even by showing his coldness to scare his subordinates.

While walking the few meters that separated them from the final stairs to the docks, the crewmembers arrived one after the other, carrying the keys that could open Franky and Nico Robin's cuffs. They were wounded and tired, but clearly enduring it to take back their nakama.

The dock was simple, made of stones and concrete. A big door was facing it, over the wide sea, slowly opening and letting a whole fleet of marine ships to be seen through. Luffy was there, facing the pirates, completely relaxed. The prisoners were behind him, the woman seemed happy at seeing them while the robot was smirking. Marco patiently waited for things to go his way.

Ace let Sabo down but helped him stand straight. "You have no more shields, let them go."

Luffy sighed and took his right hand out form the pocket. Nico Robin paled. A golden Den Den Mushi was on his palm.