Defeating the Pirates

Clearly, Rubick looked down on Ace of Spades. A bounty of only two million berries could hardly mean much fighting ability. Still, a pirate with a bounty on his head could not be called weak.

Rubick tightened his grip on his Brass Knuckles. Ace of Spades' machete made him wary. In his previous life, he had never even been in a fight, and his recent training had consisted of Macron beating him one-sidedly with his fists.

So Rubick was genuinely afraid of getting cut. It would hurt like hell!

Macron seemed to notice his hesitation and barked, "Rubick, if you can't beat him, get lost."

Rubick frowned. He did not believe Macron would really let him leave. Macron might come after him before he even got out of Loguetown and kill him to protect the organization's secrets.

Looks like I'll have to be harder on myself!

Rubick gave himself a pep talk, trying to convince himself that getting cut would not hurt at all.

Ace of Spades saw his hesitation and struck first, testing him with a slash. Pirates who made their living at sea—or anyone in this world, really—fought head-on, using the same few moves over and over.

Rubick steeled himself, opened his left hand, and reached straight for the machete.

Ace of Spades grinned when he saw what Rubick was doing. He put more strength into his swing, aiming to take Rubick's hand off in one stroke.

But he had miscalculated. Because Rubick's Brass Knuckles used so little material, they had been made exceptionally sturdy.

Clang! The machete stopped in Rubick's palm. His hand had not escaped unscathed, though. Blood covered it from between his fingers down to his palm.

Rubick sucked in a sharp breath from the pain. His will to survive kept him from crying out. He gripped the machete with his left hand and threw an uppercut with his right.

With his machete caught, Ace of Spades seized it in both hands and dragged it downward. The sharp blade sliced Rubick's left hand open to the bone.

But that moment's delay was enough. Rubick's fist reached him, and before Ace of Spades' horrified eyes, the Brass Knuckles slammed into his face. The force of the uppercut sent half his teeth flying.

Boom!

Ace of Spades went flying and smashed through another table. He struggled to prop himself up with his machete.

Rubick was no saint. Now that the fight had come this far, he had to finish the job while his opponent was down. Ignoring his bleeding, trembling left hand, he shook the numbness out of his right and walked toward Ace of Spades.

"Protect the captain!"

Ace of Spades' underlings crowded around him. They could not stand by and watch their captain get killed.

Macron hurriedly rose, but Robin's cool voice rang out: "Two-Fleur: Strangle!"

The Poker Pirates suddenly felt pairs of hands clamp around their heads and wrench them to the side. Terrified, they dropped their weapons and tried desperately to pry away the hands that had appeared on them out of nowhere.

But their strength was no match for Robin's. Bones snapped in rapid succession, and seven or eight pirates died where they stood.

Rubick smiled in triumph. The moment he had seen Robin earlier, he had known she was a Flower-Flower Fruit user. He had also realized her true identity.

With only the half-dead Ace of Spades left of the Poker Pirates, Rubick had won this fight.

Rubick opened his fist and slammed the metal of his Brass Knuckles into Ace of Spades' vulnerable neck, easily knocking him unconscious.

Seeing that all the enemies had been dealt with, Macron urged him on. "Rubick, kill him."

Rubick froze. "Th-there's no need for that, is there?"

You've got to be kidding. I've never even killed a chicken, and now I'm supposed to kill a person?

Macron gave him a contemptuous smile. "Pirate bounties pay out dead or alive. Cut off his head and take it to the Marine Branch for the reward. Look at your left hand. Without money for treatment, you might lose the use of it."

Rubick stood firm. "I don't want to kill anyone."

Macron was about to lecture him further, but Robin said, "Enough. I want this one. Get him treated first. He leaves with me tomorrow."

Macron had no choice but to order his men to take Rubick for treatment and carry Ace of Spades to the Marine Branch to collect the bounty.

Rubick did not return to the tavern that afternoon. After a doctor applied medicine and bandaged his hand, Macron allowed him to go home and recover. All he had to do was leave with Robin the next day.

Before they parted, Macron kept telling Rubick not to forget him if he made it big someday.

That night, Rubick leaned against the headboard, controlling eight hands growing from his bed as they spun four Rubik's Cubes at high speed.

He had copied the Flower-Flower Fruit that afternoon and was now practicing with it. Skill Theft was absurdly powerful: it gave him the target's current level of mastery, and Arcane Supremacy could make him even stronger than the original user.

Knock, knock, knock.

A knock came at the door. Rubick asked warily, "Who is it?"

"It's me."

Rubick withdrew his fruit ability, then grew a hand on the doorknob and opened the door.

When Robin opened the door, she saw two petals drift down. The sight was strangely familiar. Rubick was not standing behind the door, either. Only after she stepped inside did she find him leaning against the headboard.

A flurry of possibilities crossed Robin's mind, but she could make no sense of it.

She closed the door and put on a practiced, insincere smile. She was dressed much as she had been during the day, though she had changed into high-heeled sandals.

Rubick smiled. "What brings you here so late?"

"Nothing much. You couldn't bring yourself to kill someone today, so you aren't suited to our organization. Once we're aboard tomorrow, find a chance to jump ship. I won't come after you."

Robin really was a kind person. She could snap the necks of so many pirates without blinking, yet refuse to take Rubick back to headquarters.

Rubick laughed. "Actually, even if I wanted to leave, none of you could stop me."

He raised a hand, and eight arms began spinning the Rubik's Cubes again.

Robin took a startled step back. Staring at the hands on the bed, she said, "Is that... the Flower-Flower Fruit?"

"That's right. This is my secret: my fruit ability lets me copy other people's fruit abilities. The Marine colonel in Loguetown is Smoker. A Logia Devil Fruit user is invincible in the East Blue, and I'm not afraid of anyone."

Robin regained her composure within a few breaths. "So you can only copy one person's ability at a time, can't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have been cut today."