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“Does anyone know what caused this?”
“I need to call my family!”
“Oh my God...”
The memory of the nightmare she’d had swirled around in Robin’s head as she entered the meeting room and took a seat. It had been terrifying to watch that strange flying machine crashing into one of the immensely tall towers, even though the version of herself in that dream (who appeared to be about 6) was watching from afar. And the way the woman who’d seemed to be her caretaker had been holding her so tightly...!
“Hey, Robin, are you alright?”
Blinking, Robin glanced over at Koala. “Sorry, I was just thinking about a nightmare I had.”
Koala opened her mouth to ask about the nightmare, but before she could, Dragon entered and gestured for everyone to settle down. Robin might not have actually joined the Revolutionary Army, but it hadn’t taken her long to learn a considerable amount about its leader, and she could see the righteous fury simmering beneath his skin.
“We all saw what happened barely a week ago,” Dragon said, his tone less neutral than it usually was. “And while the World Government’s most recent attempt to terrify the world into falling in line failed—quite spectacularly, I might add—it has proven what I dreaded. No matter how many good men and women there are among the Marines, no matter how many good men and women there are in the governments of individual countries, no matter how many good men and women there are who actively want to change the world... the World Government will never allow change to happen, not when it means they lose the power they never earned. In their attempt to kill a man barely out of boyhood solely because he is of Roger’s bloodline, the World Government made it clear that they and and the parasites that call themselves gods are beyond redemption.”
Robin closed her eyes for a moment, her mind flashing back to Ohara, to Alabasta, and to everything in between those two points. Her home had been destroyed because they knew things the World Government didn’t want getting out, undoubtedly because it meant they would lose power. And power was all they and the Celestial Dragons really cared about—the mere thought of losing all their privileges, privileges they abused, and had never been worthy of? The mere thought of being exposed as liars and frauds? Of being forced to face the fact that they did NOT possess the ‘divine rights’ they believed themselves to have and were NOT above the natural laws of existence?
It terrified them. They were outright terrified of losing their way of life, of facing the consequences of their actions.
“And that means we can no longer stand by. We can no longer be a passive force. It’s time to act rather than just react. Time to take the fight to them.”
“May I say something?”
Dragon looked over at Robin. “What is it?”
Robin took a deep breath before answering.
“I know full well how horrible the World Government is—how they destroy and ruin lives for whatever petty reason pops into their minds. But if you’re going to take them down, you can’t let yourselves become as bad as they are. They call you terrorists because of your actions, yet they do much the same, with the only difference being they don’t care about collateral damage. You must remember the people you’re fighting for, remember that their lives matter, remember that they need to be protected. Don’t let them end up casualties. If you become willing to let innocent blood be shed in the name of your cause...then you’ll be no better than the monsters you fight.”
Everyone was silent for a moment as they processed Robin’s words, then there were many nods of agreement.
“Very well said, Robin.” Dragon looked around the room. “It’s easy to say that the ends justify the means, but even if those ends aren’t ultimately selfish...”
As the meeting went on, Dragon gave them some basic details of how things were going to change, mostly involving active takedowns—lethal or otherwise—of the corrupt governments and Celestial Dragons. Some pointed out that going after the latter would draw greater ire, but Dragon reminded them that members of the Revolutionary Army already had bounties, so unless they were unwilling to commit, it wasn’t as much of a change.
“There are three forms of symbiosis--mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism,” Robin had helpfully put in. “Mutualism is when both parties benefit, commensalism when one benefits without harming the other, and parasitism when one benefits by harming the other. And the Celestial Dragons definitely fall into that last category, taking and taking without any care for the harm they do. In all honesty, it feels like the whole point of that caste is to be parasites, and that CANNOT stand. The only reason I haven’t outright joined you is because of my captain, though I won’t lie and say I haven’t been at least somewhat tempted.”
Eventually, the meeting came to a close, and as everyone filed out, Robin intercepted Sabo.
“You’re heading out now, I take it?”
Sabo nodded. He'd regained his memories over the past few days, ever since he’d watched his brothers in all but blood escape from Marineford, and he needed to find them and apologize for not being there. Only Dragon’s insistence that he not be left out of the loop kept him from leaving earlier, but now there were no more holdups.
“After everything that’s happened to them recently, they could use some happy news, and what better than finding out I’m still alive?”
“I’m just glad they both made it out of that disaster alive,” Robin said. “And not just because it means the World Government failed, either.”
“No kidding,” Sabo agreed. “If you’ll excuse me, Karasu’s not gonna wait forever.”
“Tell Luffy I said hello.”