Reading the Strawhats
Genre: Character introspection
Rating: None
Summary: Robin's thoughts on books, her relationship with books, her nakama's relationship with books, and her relationship with her nakama. Takes place after Water 7/Enies Lobby, and before Thriller Bark.
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.
Robin stood in the centre of the Thousand Sunny's library, arms crossed, eyes closed. "Cien Fleur!" Dozens of hands sprouted from the bookcases, each equipped with its own eye, and flew into a flurry of activity, picking out books, passing them from hand to hand, and inserting them back on the shelves. In just a few minutes, they were all reshelved, and Robin uncrossed her hands and allowed herself a smile as she gazed fondly at the books, running a hand over the shelves, appreciating their strength, their feeling of permanence.
Adam Wood, Franky had called it - the legacy of a city that had been completely destroyed, like Ohara. A destruction so total that only one tree was spared, from whence this wood came. It must be a sister tree to the Tree of Knowledge, she thought. Its feel, its smell, even the shape of the knots in the wood, were so familiar.
If she closed her eyes, she could imagine herself back in the Tree of Knowledge, the only other place in the world she'd ever considered home, curled up in one of its many nooks and crannies, inhaling the aroma of the hardwood mixed with the musty smell of books, losing herself in the pleasures of the written word.
For a moment nostalgia overwhelmed her and she could feel herself on the verge of tears. But she took a deep breath, steadying herself, and opened her eyes to the new reality, which really wasn't so bad when she thought about it. Even if she'd lost that home, she had a new one now, the first real home she'd had in twenty years of wandering. Finally there was a place for herself in the world, and for the books she loved.
Robin felt a sudden surge of gratitude to Franky, for building this library without her even asking. Despite his thuggish appearance, he must have an immense respect for books and learning, she realised, and she almost felt guilty at the rather ruthless way she'd "persuaded" him to come on board as a Strawhat Pirate. It was guilt tinged with amusement, though, and there was a twinkle in her eyes as she shifted her gaze to the next largest section of the library, which belonged to Nami.
Her eyes landed on the book Brag Men, and she pulled it out and flipped through it with an easy familiarity. She'd read it once long ago, the title attracting her young mind. She'd devoured the stories and believed every word. She'd known by then that the spoken word could contain falsehoods - she was reminded of that every time another kid told her they were friends to her face, then turned around and spread malicious untruths about her behind her back, oblivious to the fact that Robin could hear every word by simply sprouting a ear. But she hadn't believed the written word capable of spreading untruths in the same way - the reverence for books she'd unconsciously absorbed from the scholars precluded that notion - and she was bitterly disappointed when Professor Clover took her aside one day and patiently explained the concept of fiction. Still, she continued loving the stories in Brag Men, and longing to visit the wondrous places they told of.
She'd been surprised, not to mention a little nostalgic, when she'd first seen the book in Nami's collection. Little wonder, then, that the Strawhats hadn't taken her advice when, as Miss All-Sunday, she'd warned them away from Little Garden. They already knew all about it, and had taken the gamble anyway. Perhaps the knowledge gleaned through the book had saved them on the prehistoric island. Knowledge the Strawhats would never have had, if this book had perished in the Buster Call. Had her mother, and the other scholars of Ohara, known that when they sacrificed their lives for this book and so many others? That the books would survive to a new age and inspire a new generation of seekers? That Brag Men would save the lives of the people destined to be her nakama? Probably not, but it was a comforting thought nevertheless, that the legacy of Ohara still lived on, and not just in herself.
Robin's eyes moved across to the next largest collection of books in the library, after Nami's and her own. Actually, Chopper might have more books than Nami, but he kept his most practical books in the infirmary, where he could refer to them in an emergency, and only kept his more theoretical tomes in the common library. She liked the little doctor, so eager in his quest for knowledge. They had spent many pleasant evenings here already, a companionable silence falling as they immersed themselves in their own books, and she could anticipate many equally pleasant excursions to bookstores and libraries in the future.
Anticipation. For years, she hadn't dared to hope for anything from the future. All the future promised was more running, more betrayal, more pain. But just as fate seemed to be closing in on her, when she'd given up all hope, they'd appeared, standing tall on the walls of Enies Lobby. Her nakama. Real, genuine nakama, who wouldn't give her on her even when she'd given up on herself. The nakama Saul promised she would meet one day.
She smiled, and moved her eyes upwards. Usopp and Franky's section was there, their books mixed up together by mutual consent, since their tastes in reading were so similar anyway. She'd been surprised when she found out that Usopp's collection consisted mostly of books on gadgetry and engineering. Apparently his fabulous tales really sprang entirely from his own imagination. Perhaps he ought to write books of his own someday, though she did hope that he would not go down in history like Montblanc Cricket.
Ironically, what fairytales there were in the library belonged not to Usopp but to Sanji, sitting alongside his cookbooks and an assortment of miscellaneous volumes, such as a book describing the marine life of the four Blues, and a book on Devil's Fruits. Luffy's Gomu Gomu no Mi was described in there, as well as her own Hana Hana no Mi, and she allowed herself a moment of idle speculation as to the identity of the previous possessor of the fruit. To her amusement, a dog-ear marked the page on the Suke Suke no Mi, and Robin thought she had a fairly good idea of just what Sanji would get up to with the power of invisibility.
All his books were similarly well-used - Sanji was a fast and voracious reader, but a faithful one, returning again and again to the books he liked best. Rather like his approach to girls, Robin mused. She was always amused at how quickly he could spread his attentions from girl to girl, yet remain ever loyal to her and Nami. She noted a gap between the books on his shelves, which she immediately identified as a collection of tales from North Blue. She smiled to herself when she recalled his swooning thanks when she'd given it to him, but seeing the book absent from the shelves was far more gratifying. He probably read most often while waiting for his food to cook, but there were times when he'd venture into the library in the middle of the night and pretend to be surprised by her presence despite the fact that he'd "purely coincidentally" brought a cup of coffee brewed just the way she liked it. He'd ask her permission to sit down and read, his gaze flicking up occasionally to cast an adoring glance at her, but eventually he would get sucked into his book, his one visible eye wide in wonder as it swept back and forth over the page. Eventually it was Robin who would abandon her book to surreptitiously watch the suddenly boyish Sanji, vicariously enjoying the clear pleasure he gained from reading.
Next to Sanji's books were Zoro's, easily the smallest collection in the library. She'd been surprised when he actually turned up to claim a shelf for his "collection" of five books - what with all the time he spent sleeping and training, where did he find time to read? She found the answer late one night, when she'd investigated a light on in the crow's nest and found him on watch there, a book in one hand and a heavy-looking weight in the other. He'd scowled at the interruption but allowed her to settle down with him to read.
Zoro's approach to books was completely the opposite of Sanji's, Robin decided after observing him for some time, as were so many parts of their personalities. He didn't turn the page for some time, but read it over and over again, attacking it like some kind of enemy, wrestling with it until he was finally satisfied that he'd mastered the author's intent. Which was, when she thought about it, Zoro's approach to life and training in general.
If the fact that Zoro read at all was a surprise, his choice of reading matter was completely predictable. Two martial arts manuals, two books on weaponry, a stack of bounty papers loosely bound. She noted that all but the bounty papers and one of the manuals were newly acquired from Water 7. The manual, a slim treatise on swordfighting, was rather weathered and worn, covered with scribbled notes in more than one handwriting, Zoro's and another's - probably the person whose name was neatly written on the inside cover of the book. Kuina - a girl's name, and one she'd heard Zoro mumble in troubled dreams as he slept on deck, and Robin knew there must be a deep, tragic history behind this book. No wonder Zoro had carried it so faithfully through all his own wanderings, probably tucked safely into his haramaki as with all his most precious possessions.
But then, Zoro was the faithful type, and she knew the crew was lucky to have him as their first mate, even if he had never been officially acknowledged as such. His basic seriousness was a good counterpoint to Luffy's light-heartedness, and she'd sensed from the very beginning that it was he who kept this crew on an even keel.
For such a quiet, private man, it seemed significant, somehow, that this book was out here on the common shelves, where the unspoken rule was that anyone could take any book and read it, so long as they returned it to its rightful place. It seemed to silently communicate Zoro's trust in his nakama, a certainty that they would treat it the respect it deserved.
A playful shout interrupted her thoughts, and when she looked towards the ladder a ball bounced down through the open hatch, and she immediately sprouted a hand to catch it in mid-air. A head at the end of a long rubber neck poked itself through the hatch. "Oh, you caught it! Thanks, Robin!"
"Not at all, Captain-san," Robin replied, forming a chain of hands to ferry the ball up to the deck. Luffy took it, but instead of returning to the game he let the rest of his body snap back to join his head and he slid down the ladder.
"Why're you in here all alone, Robin? Don't you want to play?"
Robin almost smiled at the very suggestion. "It's all right, Captain-san, I'm perfectly happy down here with my friends," she said lightly, though she didn't really expect him to understand. She cast a regretful glance towards the empty shelf designated for Luffy's non-existent collection, and wondered if he even knew how to read.
True enough, he cocked his head to the side with a puzzled expression. "Your friends?"
Robin gestured towards the books on the shelves. "'A good book on your shelf is a friend that turns its back on you and remains a friend'," she quoted.
A tiny frown appeared in Luffy's eyes. "But Robin, we're your nakama now, aren't we? We won't ever turn our backs on you."
"I know that, Captain-san." They'd already proved that in the most spectacular way, by declaring war on the World Government for her sake, and Robin smiled at the look of relief in Luffy's eyes, when she was the one who should be feeling relieved.
"But how come you spend so much time reading, Robin?" Even if she couldn't approve of the question, she could understand the reasoning behind it. To Luffy, reading was something that took time away from fun, from friends, from adventures. He'd never had the chance to experience the joy of reading, so he wouldn't know that all three could be found in a good book.
Robin thought for a moment, casting about for an analogy that he would understand. "You see, Captain-san, books are like ships."
"They ARE?" he asked, his eyes opening wide.
She smiled and nodded. "They transport us to distant lands, carry us to new adventures, introduce us to new people."
"But Robin, we already have Mer - the Sunny for that."
"Yes, but books can take us places where this ship can't go. They can take us into the past. They can take us into people's dreams."
Luffy looked thoughtful - a rare expression, but one that suited him. He walked over to a shelf and pulled out a book, running his eyes over the unfamiliar letters, and Robin thought she could see understanding - and a new respect - in his eyes. He shut the book with a snap and grinned at her, all his usual exuberance flooding back into his face. "Hey, Robin, maybe you can read to the crew sometime!"
"Read to the crew?" she repeated, a little uncertainly. Reading had always been a solitary pursuit for her, something to be enjoyed entirely alone.
"Yeah! That way, you can have fun reading, and have fun being with all the rest of us!"
Robin smiled as Luffy blabbed out his ulterior motives without hesitation. He was so utterly open, and therefore the crew was too. There was no backstabbing on this crew, no intrigues, no secrets (not counting the many plans Luffy, Chopper and Usopp had concocted to break into Sanji's kitchen). It was so different from all the crews and organisations she'd joined in the past, and for the first time in twenty years she felt as if she could genuinely relax without worrying what people were thinking about her, what they were plotting to do behind her back.
Maybe this was what having a family meant. To be able to trust in someone implicitly, to be able to let your guard down, to share your deepest, darkest secrets without fear of reprisal.
"And that way, you can share what's so great about books with us too!" Luffy added.
Yes, maybe she could share that as well.
Robin let a hand sprout from his straw hat and pat his head in an almost motherly way.
"I'd love to, Luffy."
Luffy grinned and grabbed her hand - her real hand. "Great! And now, let's play!" And Robin let herself be dragged up the ladder and into the light.
Author's Note:
I just had an itch to synthesise most of what we know about the Strawhats' relationship with books into a fic, so here it is. I put it up on LJ first, but not many people read my LJ, and anyway I wanted to put in some notes about it, so here they are.
...curled up in one of its many nooks and crannies...
I think the manga and anime have the Tree of Knowledge being a huge straight hollow trunk, but in my mind, even the branches and roots have been hollowed out to make room for more books.
...for building this library without her even asking...
Actually I think Franky did take requests from the Strawhats, but I don't know whether the library is one of them or not. I like to think Franky managed to anticipate Robin's desire for a library.
They already knew all about it [Little Garden], and had taken the gamble anyway.
Robin's wrong here, actually – Luffy broke the Eternal Pose to Arabasta having no idea what awaited them in Little Garden, and Nami didn't locate the reference until the others except her and Usopp were already on shore.
Had her mother, and the other scholars of Ohara, known that when they sacrificed their lives for this book and so many others?
This is canon! Brag Men is one of the books that the scholars of Ohara are seen rescuing in the flashback into Robin's past. As Oda says (not my translation, but from the One Piece wiki): "If this book only exists today because the brave scholars of Ohara gave their lives to protect it 20 years ago, it fills your heart with something warm."
...a dog-ear marked the page on the Suke Suke no Mi...
The Suke Suke no Mi (invisibility) belongs, of course, to Absalom (Thriller Bark arc).
She'd been surprised when he [Zoro] actually turned up to claim a shelf for his "collection" of five books...
In a diagram of the Thousand Sunny Oda said that everyone except Luffy has books in the library, and in an SBS he cited books on martial arts, etc as the type of reading material Zoro would have.
'A good book on your shelf is a friend that turns its back on you and remains a friend'
Not mine, a quote I've seen in several places. It sums up for me the attraction books have for Robin, besides as a source of knowledge.
"I'd love to, Luffy."
Robin does make good on this promise, see the cover page for chapter 540, cutest group image ever!
Thanks for reading!