Chapter 1: A Daunting Sunset

Low life, Monster, Demon Child

These words floated around in Nico Robin's head as she lay across the deck of the ship known as the Going Merry. She was still recovering from her encounter with the Marine Admiral known as Aokiji. "Does my life even mean anything?" she wondered, as the ship continued on its way toward the setting horizon in the distance.

Her reencounter with Aokiji had brought up terrible memories of the past. She remembered her time back on Ohara. Life had been much simpler back then, even suffering the abuse of her uncle was much better than her life was now. Now all she ever did was run and hide, trying to make a life from all she had left.

She had thought that she maybe had found a family among the Straw Hat Pirates. They were a little childish at times, but she knew that they were good people. Earning their trust hadn't been that hard either. It had been practically no time at all since she had joined the crew, yet they all already treated her like family. They had even gone on an amazing adventure together to the island in the sky known as Skypiea. For the first time in 20 years, Robin felt like she was around people she could really get to know. For the first time, she wondered if what Saul said all those years ago was true. "The sea is vast. Surely, someday you will find friends that love and care for you."

Now that had all changed. Even here, where Robin seemed happiest, her past came back to haunt her. "Will I ever find peace," she wondered as she looked at the sunset finally coming to a halt at the horizon. "Or am I just doomed to a life of sorrow for all time."

As she sat here wondering this, Robin noticed a commotion going on at the back of the ship. She almost cracked a smile as she looked at the familiar routine that seemed to happen every night on this odd ship.

"Sanji, I'm hungry. Make me something to eat," Luffy obnoxiously shouted at the tall blonde chef who was busy smoking a cigarette off the edge of the ship.

"Yeah, yeah just give me a minute," Sanji replied. If anyone else had asked him to do this at this time of night, he probably would have been angry at them, but constant wearing down from Luffy had taught the chef that any and all resistance was futile when trying to negotiate with the captain's requests.

"Luffy, we just had dinner an hour ago! How the hell are you hungry again?!" Nami said as she had a shock of disbelief on her face.

"Nami's right you know Luffy, overeating is a bad habit to get into when were so low on food," said Usopp, who was busy tinkering with some new gadget.

"Yeah right, says the guy who barley eats anything at all anyway," Luffy said to himself. "How do you even know what eating too much is?"

"Hey I'll have you know I once ate an entire sea king after bravely facing and killing him with my own two fists!"

"WHAT REALLY! NO WAY!" This reply came from Chopper who looked like he was about to fall down out of shock.

"I wouldn't believe everything he tells you," said Zoro who was leaning against the railing of the upper deck. "Anyway, hey eyebrow when's the food coming I'm starving over here."

"I SAID GIVE ME A MINUTE YOU STUPID MARIMO!" Sanji's angry reply was quickly met by one from Zoro.

"YOU WANNA GO; I'LL SLICE YOU INTO BITS AND EAT THOSE INSTEAD!"

"BRING IT, I`LL KICK YOU UNTIL YOU'RE DEAD AND SERVE YOU UP ON THE BARBEQUE!"

As the two continued to fight, Robin, who was still laying down on the deck of the ship, noticed a rumbling noise in her own stomach and decided to get up and join the rest of her crew for the coming meal.

Just as she was leaving she looked behind herself to have one last look at the sunset. As it finally set and she turned around, Robin couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen.

...

"Where am I," Raiku thought to himself as he looked around to find his surroundings. "A torn up battleground, the sound of the wind roaring." Now he remembered where he was. Raiku looked down to see the broken body of the girl next to him. Covered in blood, the black haired girl had a look of fear in her eyes as she looked at what was in front of them. The girl tried to move but couldn`t find the energy to do it. She quickly looked up at him and whispered the words that still haunted him to this day.

"H-help."

Of course he wanted to help the young girl, but he himself was also almost completely out of energy and was having a hard time moving. Raiku realized that there would be no way they could possibly escape from their enemy who was moving slowly, but surely towards them. He decided, as he decided to do then, to give up and accept his fate. As the large man approached him Raiku decided that his last words would be the name of the young girl next to him. As he prepared to say them, the large man brought his weapon down upon him.

"Robin!"

Raiku awoke on a rock overlooking the sea in a cold sweat. It had been a long time since he had dreamed about that horrible day. He figured it was because the "festival" was coming up soon. Raiku used the word festival loosely because that's what the villagers on Concho Island were forced to call it. 16 years ago Berezda's pirates came to the island and created the "festival" in order to force the villagers into free labour so they could make a profit. All the while, the government had chose to turn a blind eye, even though Concho Island was fairly close to one of the top three government facilities, the Enies Lobby. This was because of the popularity of the festival to travellers, who had no idea that the villagers were being exploited.

Despite everything they tried, the villagers on the island could never hope to stand up to someone like Berezda, who had a staggering bounty of 120,000,000 on his head. And so, for the past 16 years, the festival had continued.

Raiku cringed as he thought about this so he changed his thoughts to something else. He thought of the girl he once knew. The one with pitch black hair and piercing eyes. As he thought about these things, a wish came into his head. He was surprised by this as he thought he had given up on this wish a long time ago. As he looked out onto the setting sun he couldn't help but smile as he thought to himself.

"I wish I could see her again."