Work Text:
In the midst of Thriller Bark’s darkness, there stood a house made of candy and jam. Appearing like a beacon of light and safe haven for weary sailors who were unlucky enough to got lured into Thriller Bark. And living within that beacon was a witch.
It was so much like a fairy tale that it nearly made Robin laugh.
Nearly.
(“Once upon a time.” Billy began on one of the days where Usopp had no tales to offer. “There was a pair of sibling Hansel and Gretel who live with their woodcutter father and their stepmother…”)
The witch towered over them once they entered, her three green eyes stared down at the Straw Hats as she waved the giant spoon in her hand.
Another wave of gingerbread men advance toward them.
( A tale collected by Brothers Grimm, Billy said, it was about a pair of siblings abandoned by their parents only to be captured by a witch who intended to eat them. The pair achieved their happily ever after by outwitting the witch and burned her alive.
A Grimm’s tale indeed, Robin chuckled. )
The gingerbread men weren’t much of a challenge to fight, easily fell with a twist of her hands. But with each one crumbled, another one rises to take its place. Luffy, her dear captain, was not concerned with that.
No, his attention was paid solely on the sleeping form of Billy within the witch’s hand.
( Robin was the first to see the shadowy hands creeping behind Billy, who was currently too distracted by Luffy’s antics to notice. A word barely escaped her lips before the shadows grabbed hold of the boy. Her hands missed his out reaching one by an inch as the shadow pulled him into the darkness.)
“Now, now children wait for your turn,” the witch said with a sickening sweet tune as she turned her attention to the burning oven. “ Mother will take care of you after she had her fill.”
In her moment of glee, she didn’t notice Franky sending Luffy flying toward her. His skin heated red. Her captain punched the witch right in her stomach with enough force to send her stumbling back only to be tripped by Robin's hands.
As the women fell into the open oven, she let go of Billy. Robin summoned hands after hand underneath the boy, cushioning his fall.
She couldn’t find it in herself to care when Luffy closed the oven’s door and the witch screamed bloody murder behind the steel door. Instead focusing her attention on the rousing Billy.
( Once upon a time a witch from another world made a deal to Gecko Moria. Her shadow for a place on his ship and her powers for any child who step foot on Thriller Bark.
One day, she grabbed the Straw Hat Pirate’s Wizard. And Straw Hat -as Robin had learn- refuse to abandon one of their own.)