Canon Fodder

CHAPTER 303 MEMORY

“Are you really married to that guy?” Rebecca asked from beside me. She and I were sitting on a little shelf in the small cave. 

“No, I’m just messing with him,” I said. “Why? Jealous?” 

“No,” she said a little too quickly. Kicking her legs as we hung around. The others didn’t appear to trust me since they were conversing on the other side of the cave. I didn’t blame them, I’d have trouble trusting me as well. 

“Tell me about yourself,” I said, putting my hands behind my head as I leaned back. I had gotten used to the small body surprisingly easily. 

“You already know most of it,” she mumbled. 

“I really don’t though,” I said. “I have no idea what my backstory is. You seem fun, any friends?” She shook her head. “No friends? And you’ve lived here your whole life?”

“My family wasn’t well loved here,” she reminded me. “Doflamingo tricked the people into thinking that my grandfather wanted them dead. So the citizens thought I was just like him.”

“How old were you when that happened?” 

“6?” She asked. “Young. I always thought I had a good memory, but how could I forget my father?” 

“Hey Robin!” I yelled. “Who talked you into betraying Crocodile?” I asked.

“What?” She asked, brought out from their huddle. 

“Crocodile. Back on Alabasta? Who talked you into betraying him?” 

“I did that on my own,” she said slowly, confused. I nodded and she turned back to Law and Usopp. 

“That girl right there is called the Devil’s Child. She was willing to let what happened to you, happen to someone else. I helped her come to her senses a little. Saved her life once.” Fucked her brains out on the regular, but I didn’t say that part. 

“She has no idea who I am. I hold no animosity toward her for forgetting me. I’m sure your father doesn’t either,” I said.

“Do you really think he’s alive?” She asked. 

“He has to be. There were a lot of toys down in that basement. Sugar mentioned a contract. I’m sure she is controlling them somehow. I don’t see why she wouldn’t have done the same to your dad,” I said. Moving my arm to over her shoulder I pulled her a little closer. “It’s gonna be alright, Rebecca.” 

“I hope you’re right,” she said, leaning into me a little. I was sure we looked comical. An orange and a black teddy bear consoling one another. I really wished I had a camera. There had to be one since someone would take our bounty poster pictures. I just hadn’t found any yet. 

“We have decided to believe you,” Trafalgar said as they ended their huddle. 

“Well good. I’d hate to have to beat up my husband,” I said.

“We aren’t married!” Usopp said.

“Usopland? You have a queen?” One of the dwarves asked.

“Uh no, I-I don’t know,” he said, lost for a moment. I knew I should end the charade, but it was too funny. I didn’t think Usopp was gay since he had that one girl on his home island, but now he was questioning it. I deserved whatever hell he gave me when they got their memories back. 

“You said Zoro was on his way?” Robin asked, hiding a smile. Even Trafalgar was trying not to smile at the poor dejected look on Usopp’s face. 

“Yeah, should be about here,” I said, feeling him draw closer. “I think he’s gotten lost about 5 times since I said it last. Should be here anywhere between 5 and 30 minutes.”

“What is our plan then?” Robin asked. 

“I think we should be asking Trafalgar that,” I said. “You looked about ready to kill Doflamingo back there on the bridge. Mind telling us your beef with him?” 

“I don’t have a beef with him,” Trafalgar lied. 

“Yeah you do. This entire ploy with Caesar was a way for you to get Doflamingo alone,” I accused. “You really think you had a chance against him?” 

“I know I do,” Trafalgar said. “I hadn’t used my all when you stepped in.” 

“But, you did go there to kill,” I said. “So come on. What’s with the game on the Smile Factory? I don’t mind, Trafalgar. I just want to be on the same page. Is it because you used to be a Donquioxte pirate?”

Trafalgar stiffened. “How did you know that?”

“You must have forgotten,” I said. “You told me.” He hadn’t of course, but he didn’t know that. 

“I doubt it,” he mumbled, but stepped away. Looking out into the dwarf village he was quiet for a little bit. “I was born in North Blue. A famous place called Flevance.” He let out a sigh. “You wouldn’t know it now, because it’s been wiped off the map.” I looked to Robin, her home was destroyed as well. Her Haki leaked pain as she remembered her own pain. 

“Flevance had a very rich source of a special kind of lead. The town prospered, but it wasn’t until years later that the real effects of the lead surfaced. Shorter lifespans and an illness for starters. At first no one cared, but when even outsiders started to catch it…we were quarantined and eventually killed off.”

“How did you escape?” Robin asked, holding back her own pain as she listened intently. 

“In a pile of dead bodies,” he admitted. “I played dead. Was carted out. Escaped before they burned the bodies. I made my way to the Donquixote pirates after that. They were big in North Blue then. I hated the government and the world for what they did to my family right in front of my eyes.” 

“And you want to punish Doflamingo because…?” I asked.

“Because he is doing the same to the world,” Trafalgar spat. “How many kids was he having experimented on under Caesar? The government turns a blind eye to it all. I should have died years ago. The man that saved my life did it because he said it was the right thing to do. Doflamingo killed my savior right in front of my eyes. And I’ll pay him back for that 10 fold. Destroy everything he has built my savior's death upon. Smile? That’s just the start. I want to destroy his crew. Destroy his name. And everyone or everything that has ever profited from those he hurt. So yes, I want Doflamingo dead. Even if it kills me.” 

There was a long silence as we studied him. I could feel the rage in the normally quiet man as he stared at me. Confronted with my cuteness I wasn’t sure how he could appear so angry, but to each their own.

“So you want to kill him right now?” I asked. “Or destroy everything he loves, everything he has worked for, then kill him?” 

“I…don’t know,” he admitted. 

“That’s fine, we can figure it out,” I said. “Usopp, it looks like Zoro is here. Would you be a dear and make sure the dwarves don’t attack him?” 

“Don’t call me that,” he huffed but walked out. I laughed loudly as he stormed off. 

“Damn that’s funny.” 

“Are you really married to him?” Robin asked. 

“Fuck no,” I said. “He’s not my type. I prefer long legs and a glorious bust.” I eyed her up and down. 

“Ha! Doubtful. You’re a cute little teddy bear,” she said with one of her rare laughs.

“I am made for cuddling no matter what body I am in,” I said. Rebecca elbowed me harder than I expected, causing me to laugh and wince. “What?”

“You’re very shameless, you know that?” Rebecca asked. “I remember when we were kids you were always hitting on every woman that walked by.” 

“Damn, young Weston sounds like a player,” I said. “Must have been the royal blood.” 

“You’re royalty now?” Robin asked, walking over. “What else can you do?”

“I have many tricks, Robin my dear. Many that will make you blush when you remember who I really am,” I promised. 

“And who is that exactly? My husband now?” 

“Perhaps I am. How else would I know about that birthmark on your rump?” I asked. 

“I do not have a birthmark,” she said.

“Oh right, maybe it’s just a bruise I gave you,” I said. It was annoying. I couldn't wink in the body. “You should check it out. I bet the bruise will look oddly similar to teeth marks.” 

“You’re lying,” Robin said.

“Guess we will never know,” I teased. “But if I’m proven right. You’ll remember the usual price soon enough.” 

“Price?” She asked, confused.

“You’ll see,” I promised as Zoro and Usopp walked in. 

“How’d you find your way here so quick, Zoro?” I asked. 

“Who's the doll?” He asked, looking over to me on the shelf. 

“Apparently a crew member,” Usopp grumbled. 

“Usopp’s husband,” Robin said, playing into it.

Zoro looked around, “Uh congratulations.” 

“We are not married!” Usopp yelled. “Especially not to a teddy bear?” 

“What? If I was a toy robot you wouldn’t be so against it?!” I barked. 

“Stop!” Trafalgar yelled. “We need to plan.” I breathed a sigh of relief, I thought he would put an end to my fun. 

“Alrighty,” I said, jumping down to the cave floor. “Trafalgar, we went with your plan last time. Now it’s my turn.” Picking up a small stick I drew a donut in the Earth. “Luffy is probably still fighting at the coliseum here. Franky is still in town. Kinemon too, looking for that samurai friend of his.”

“Who is Kinemon?” Robin asked.

“Goddang it, check your sheets. He must have been turned into a toy as well,” I said. “I was able to interrogate an executive of the Donquixote pirates earlier. The main people we have to watch out for are Sugar,” I pointed at Usopp. “You’re on her. Knock her out and you’ll get the glorious memories of our wedding back to you…or not. I could be making it up.”

“I’ll knock her out so hard,” Usopp said, anger leaking off of him. 

“Trebol is another executive. He ate the Mucus Devil Fruit. Diamante as well. He ate the Fabric Devil Fruit. Pica is probably the most dangerous after Sugar. He’s a giant that can control stone. If Luffy hasn’t been found out yet, we should try to break him out of the coliseum. I will look into that since I can float. The rest of you and the dwarves need to storm the castle. Beat up everyone in your path. If we take out Sugar, we win this thing.”

“When did we start taking instructions from a doll?” Zoro asked. 

“Our captain is basically a big kid, is this such a stretch?” I asked. Zoro rolled his eyes but thought about it and shook his head. “Good. Time to get the show on the road. Playtime is over.”