One Piece: I'm Mihawk's Son

On my side of the table, there were Nico Robin and Rocks D. Ali. With all the information I have obtained so far, it wouldn't be far-fetched to say she's Nico D. Robin.

On the opposite side sat Bartholomew Kuma, Monkey D. Dragon, and Emporio Ivankov, with Bon Clay hugging Ivankov's arm and persistently calling him 'queen.'

It was as I had hypothesized. Bon Clay was a contact Crocodile met during her time with the revolutionaries. For the last three years, Crocodile had been recruiting formidable members for Baroque Works. She recently invited Bon Clay to join, though at that time even Robin wasn't aware of their prior connection.

"Let's commence the initial meeting between the Liberators and the Revolutionaries. It's unfortunate that Hancock and Stussy aren't present. They're my right and left hand, respectively," I stated, aware that Kuma and Ivankov held similar positions for Dragon.

In truth, my right and left hand are Mihawk and Primrose, respectively... but I'd prefer to keep that information undisclosed.

"It is indeed regrettable, but don't worry. We didn't come here today for official matters. Aside from dealing with Crocodile, that is," Dragon affirmed.

"You mentioned coming to stop Crocodile, albeit arguably two years after the conflict started," I remarked audibly, pointing out the tardiness in their intervention after Robin had been handling Baroque Works on her own for the past two years.

"There are matters in the broader world to attend to, Dracule Veyron. I knew the Demon Child was antagonizing Crocodile, and therefore, I informed Dragon that we didn't need to get involved in this front. Two weeks ago, our informants informed us that the Kingdom of Alabasta was taken over. Our initial assumption was that Nico Robin was defeated, considering your involvement in a skirmish against Kaido in Wano. Hence, our presence here," Kuma explained neutrally and sincerely, offering the most extensive information I'd heard from him.

"You should have known I wouldn't be defeated," Robin asserted confidently, crossing her legs and arms.

"In this world, nothing is absolute... Rocks D. Ali is still a very dangerous individual. It's only natural that Dragon would care about your security."

Robin furrowed her brows, while Ivankov, Dragon, and I gave Kuma an inquisitive look, sensing his evident discomfort in keeping secrets.

"Why would you worry about me?"

"Because you're the last of Ohara... only you're capable of reading poneglyphs in this world, unveiling the real face of the world government. It would be a waste if you died, Nico Robin," Dragon fabricated and coughed, causing me to wonder why he didn't just disclose the truth.

"Is that so...? Then save yourself the trouble. My husband is the strongest, and I'm not exactly reckless."

"That's reassuring. We didn't think you'd come here straight away after defeating Kaido, Veyron. We thought you'd be…"

"Heavily injured at the very least!" Ivankov interjected, completing Kuma's sentence.

"I was tired for a time but no more."

"Would you tell me what future you have in mind for Wano and Dressrosa?"

I sighed before providing him with a summary of my intentions: transforming both countries into independent powerhouses that don't rely on the world government. The same vision I have for Alabasta. Naturally, I also intend to profit from their land and exploit minerals for my creations, but that's implicit.

"I have always envied your capacity to commercialize your creations. This world is encompassed by crook kingdoms and corrupt systems. Those people are slaves of their reality... because that reality allows them to survive. It doesn't matter how many kings we take down if we cannot change the mentality of the citizens. That is something you seem to have grasped. Our agents in Rusukaina have told us about the educative, productive, and political systems you have created; you may be profiting from those lands, but in the process, you also gave those people a life of their own. They work for you, but they're not your slaves."

"It is called capitalism and bureaucracy. Capitalism applied without greed, that is..." I shrugged. At the end of the day, a Monarchy of humans would never work. A human king can't protect anyone aside from his interests.

Monarchy works for me because I'm not their king; I'm their God. They live for my sake... and in exchange, I protect them.

"I see…" Dragon drifted, appearing to be struggling with his thoughts.

"What's wrong with you? Is there something bothering you?" Robin asked him; I suppose all interactions between them must feel awkward.

"I have made some movements. Right now, Cipher Pol is aware that the three of us are here. I leaked this information."

I frowned profusely and stood up, realizing that what I suspected from Stussy's call earlier was correct. He did it deliberately.

"Relax… I didn't do this so that they'd ambush us. I did it for something else. I need your help, Veyron. You and I don't owe each other. This is just me asking you as someone who has undergone a similar experience to me."

"Explain yourself," I asked in confusion, wondering what shared experiences we had.

"At some point, no, at many points... I also had the woman I loved… taken away from me and used against me," His words dragged on, and he gave Robin a brief but small look. Is he talking about Olvia? It can't be... he wasn't even there.

My eyebrows tilted, and I failed to notice a tense Ali.

"And?"

"I wasn't as successful as you were. I couldn't save her. Do you know what time I went to rescue her?"

"…"

"During the incident with Fisher Tiger."

!!!

All the way back then?!

"That's why you moved..."

He nodded, his eyes looking like he had already moved on, or maybe that was just a poker face. I wanted to ask him if it was Olvia, but the times didn't match and also, with Robin here, she would put two and two together. It had to be Luffy's mother.

"You have gone through the same, and right now there is someone among us who also has someone special to him… she's been gone for a year, and there hasn't been a single day we haven't thought about her, but the revolutionaries are just not as powerful as I hoped we'd be... trying to save her is no different from suicide. I can't allow all of our joint efforts to go to waste."

Dragon continued explaining to me, and I instinctively looked at Ivankov; he looked like the only person here who could have lost someone important to them.

That was until I saw Kuma's tears falling inadvertently, almost comically. His brows were furrowed, and his expression looked as angry as the first moment I saw him, but... tears were trailing down.

"You're crying…?" I thought this man was unable to express feelings. But the more he tried not to cry, the more he cried. Ivankov had to pat his back a few times.

"Explain to me about this girl."

I don't know much about Kuma

 from the manga. What I do know… is that he saved the straw hats and protected their ship. He's not a bad man… although he looks like one. I already know from experience not to judge a book by its cover; my gaze instinctively looked at Ali, and I noticed her a bit tense. She tried to light up another cigarette, but I stopped her, shaking my head.

All I received was a harrumph from her side before she crossed her legs, "Have they also taken someone important from you? That's all they do… destroy hope, everything."

She interjected with a poisonous voice.

"Are you sure about this, Dragon?" Kuma asked his leader, and the man nodded profusely.

"If we have even the most remote chance of saving her... it is Veyron."

"Very well, I'll tell you... about Ginny."

For the next half an hour, I heard the most heart-wrenching story that I could have heard. This is a parallel universe. Because there is no way the author of One Piece could have written something so cold and heartbreaking.

Ginny... she was a girl Kuma met during his time being a slave in the incident in God Valley I have heard so much of... at that time, they were just kids. I was told so many things.

About celestial dragons wiping out civilizations for fun. He has been imprisoned since he was born for being a part of a race called the buccaneers, which the world government loathed to the utmost.

He loved that girl but refused to marry her because he was afraid for her future. How they lived together and he used his powers to absorb the pain of people to try to make the world a happier place. How he suffered for the sake of making others happy... and how ultimately... the only person who made him happy... was captured.

Ginny was captured and forced to become the wife of some bastard celestial dragon a year ago.

By the time he finished his story, I was sobbing, and while I thought my feelings were playing me as a fiddle, I felt Robin leaning on me and crying disconsolately.

I had so many mixed feelings, but there was some individual in the room who could portray with action better than words what my heart was currently feeling.

RUMBLE!!!

We all felt the shockwave of Conqueror Haki. I didn't know she possessed, no... maybe she awakened it just now. But the next thing I saw was Kuma being blasted like a ragdoll out of the palace.

BAAANGGG!!!

BOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!

"You dare play the victim...? YOU F*CKING COWARD! A WHOLE YEAR... AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T GONE AND SAVE HER YET!? HASN'T IT POPPED UP IN THAT EMPTY HEAD OF YOURS THAT SHE'S WAITING FOR YOU TO SAVE HER!?"

Ali snapped.