Hm, did you know that Microsoft Word's spell checker doesn't recognize the word "comradery?" I was very confused. I am also very grateful for Zoro's presence, because I might have gone crazy if I had to write something without anything resembling any humor in it. Robin's such a serious person, not that I blame her. FYI, while I will update monthly no matter what, reviews make me feel guilty about leaving stories unfinished because people are actually reading it. Hint.

Italics 1st person Robin. Bold 1st person Zoro. Regular 3rd person omniscient.

Spoilers up through Enies Lobby. Zoro cusses, so language warning, I guess.

-

It was obvious. Nico Robin was obsessed. Or, it would be if she didn't guard it so fiercely. Deep within a drawer of her dresser, guarded by her clean underwear and bras, was a stash of newspapers. Some of them were old and yellowing, others were very new. Some of them were papers from East Blue, others were from the Grand Line. The one thing they all had in common was an article about the demon Pirate Hunter from East Blue.

Robin didn't really know why, but every time the Pirate Hunter achieved even passing mention in a newspaper of the Grand Line, she was thrilled. Why? She hadn't a clue. But she checked every paper, now, that the "versatile salesman" sold. He made a profit, and Robin now had something to get her from day to day.

When the pirate Hunter had an article in a North Blue paper, she had nearly danced. Or she would have, if Crocodile hadn't been right there with her, insisting she check every paper for strong candidates.

The Pirate Hunter was the demon of the East now. It had been years since Robin first heard the newsstand owner talking about him. As his reputation grew, Robin couldn't stop herself from dreaming of his joining the organization, teaming up with her, and wiping Crocodile off the face of this ocean.

Of course, she was still grounded in reality. Crocodile had spurned the idea of looking at East Blue, right now. The man was such a loose cannon, he probably wouldn't choose to work under a definitive authority. No one really knew what the man was after. It would be next to impossible to entice him into an organization that enjoyed keeping its members in the dark. He'd smell a rat immediately, she knew.

All these reasons never really factor into daydreams. It was strange. Robin had never allowed herself to daydream before. What point was there to dream of a better future when she was a woman without any sort of freedom to choose her future? But this – this was different. It was so impossible it was ludicrous to think about the Pirate Hunter sweeping in and saving her. Truly a "knight in shining armor" dream. A fantasy. And she liked it.

Who cares if it was ludicrous? Her dreams of fantasy were one of the only things she could truly control. The other was when she ran away and how far and from what. These dreams … Robin cherished them so much.

But would her dreams matter to the world? The world that enjoyed throwing her dreams away?

Robin didn't really care if they did or not. The Pirate Hunter had given her a chance to dream. She didn't care what the world thought; now she had her own world to retreat into, keeping her from thinking about the horrors they were inflicting on Alabasta. She was certain that, if it hadn't been for the Pirate Hunter, she would have gone crazy. Her dream to read a history just wasn't enough to keep her going, sometimes. Especially when she was a pivotal player in killing a kingdom.

The Pirate Hunter delivered her from that. He delivered her from having to think, because thinking and reality had no place in daydreams.

She was thankful for that.

Robin had just gotten back, on Banchi of course, from issuing an agent to Das Bones in South Blue when Crocodile surprised her one day. Going deep into the casino, she had approached the man shrouded in darkness. "Nico Robin."

"That is not what I go by, Mr 0 Sir Crocodile."

"Then Ms All-Sunday."

Crocodile tossed her a newspaper in front of her.

"What is this?" Robin picked up the paper carefully. Her heart was pounding as she noticed an article about the Pirate Hunter. Did Crocodile notice her strange obsession with this man? Did he suspect why she was so?

"A man in East Blue." Crocodile turned to her. "I want you to send a dispatch to him. An invitation, if you will."

Robin's heart flip-flopped.

-

In East Blue, Zoro flopped down. "Nice view," he said, looking out over the ocean. Too bad he had no idea where he was. And too bad his boat died. Forcibly. Against the rocks. Sharp rocks. In the storm. Again.

Like he really cared. It was a nice view, this cliff over the ocean.

He looked a mess. His haramaki seemed to be the only piece of clothing left intact on his body, and he was drenched to the bone. His stomach was lean, and it wasn't because of his muscles. It growled angrily, sounding to all the world like a tiger prowling in his digestive system. At least he still had three katana. Last time he broke two of 'em he had had such issues getting new ones.

Eh. Time to sleep. In the middle of the day. In the middle of a storm. Outside.

"Are you the one called Pirate Hunter?"

Zoro cracked an eye open. Hm, this guy looked strong. Strong-ish. Not really strong. "I've never called myself Pirate Hunter."

"Smart ass, are you Roronoa Zoro."

"That name I have answered to." Zoro closed his eyes, ready to go back to sleep.

"How would you like to join a company in favor of an Ideal Nation? You would be a valuable asset to the head of our company."

"Not particu-"

"You could rise to the rank of Number Agents! They are given high positions when the ideal nation is formed. And it's a company concerned with keeping secrecy. Your identity will be preserved."

Zoro raised an eyebrow.

"Of course, you won't know the identities of anyone else, even the boss, Mr 0-san. In fact, no one short of his partner, Ms All-Sunday, has ever really seen him."

Why the hell-ass would I join an organization I don't really know about for a guy I'll never really know about? Fuck, that screams 'trap' right there. Sounds to me like this 0 bastard's planning on short-changing all of his "employees." Or killing them. What's the real motive behind all of this "ideal nation"?

Zoro kept his eyes closed and the man coughed nervously. Silence reigned for awhile.

"You can rise to the top, from the Billions to the Millions, and then from 12 to 1. The closer you get to 0, the better. And when you get to 12 and up, you're usually paired with a really hot chick! So, whaddya think?"

Persistent bastard. I'm trying to sleep, obviously. What do you think I think about your company? "A company without a name, eh?"

The man glared. Whoo. Zoro could feel that glare through his eyelids. "No, dumbass. It's called Baroque Works. Now that I have told you the name, you must join or die."

Zoro sighed, eyes still closed. "And if I don't feel like doing either?"

"Rejected. Make your answer, quickly." Zoro could feel the man take a fighting stance.

"I'd be an asset, eh?"

"Yes. Mr 0 would be very happy to use you."

Zoro blew air up, rustling his bangs. "I'll tell you what. I don't like the idea of working under someone. If you make me the leader, I'll join."

"Impossible! And sheer insolence." The man growled, "I will obliterate you from this ocean."

"Uh huh." Zoro said. "Now shut the hell up and let me sleep."

"You'll sleep in hell!"

A split second later, the man fell to the ground as Zoro was re-sheathing two of his katana. "Seriously, listen to a guy, will you?" he said irritably. "Dammit, you made me exert myself. I'm too tired for this. And hungry." The boat bobbing in the ocean caught his eye.

"Oi, I'll be taking that. I hope you don't mind."

The man said nothing.

Zoro headed off, unaware that the next island he would reach wasn't going to be the closest island to the one he had just left. In fact, it was going to be the least likely island he would have been expected to land on next. He was equally unaware of the fact that this next island held a large marine base. One led by a Marine captain with an axe for a hand.

What he was aware of was that he was going to sleep; let the boat drift where it wanted.

-

I didn't know what to think. Have I invested too much of my heart in this man I don't even know? When I heard the news, I'd felt as if I'd been electrocuted. I didn't really know what to think. The Pirate Hunter had become a pirate himself.

I'd gotten a look at the captain. How could he throw away his reputation for such a curious looking child? Though admittedly, his reputation was never that golden. And that curious looking child had apparently defeated Arlong; weak though Arlong was, it must have been quite a feat. Despite all of that, I still didn't get it. What could have changed his mind from being the hunter to that which he hunted?

I'd allowed my fantasies to be more extravagant once I discovered his refusal of our invitation. It was never going to happen, so I figured that I would at least keep what I had of him.

None of my fantasies ever depicted him as a pirate. It defied logic!

But … pirates didn't like the Shichibukai, either.

I don't know what to think anymore.

Because the Pirate Hunter-turned-pirate has a larger chance of getting to the Grand Line now!

-

Robin was relieved that Crocodile-san seemed to not care about Roronoa Zoro's rejection to the invitation. Of course, she had left out the fact that the Agent had let the Pirate Hunter know that the organization was called Baroque Works.

"Ms All-Sunday," he had sneered from behind his cigar and Robin had stiffened after her report, worried that he would instruct her to send out a Number Agent for the obliteration of the Pirate Hunter. "I hear that a few of the bounty hunter towns are having problems. I was probably mistaken to put so many at that end of the Grand Line, and so close together. See what you can do about keeping the people fed."

"Yes, Mr 0-san." Robin had walked briskly away, her boots clicking against the tile, relief threading through all her limbs.

When she found out about Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro joining the record-bounty of East Blue, Monkey D. Luffy, she wasn't really angry. She wasn't distraught or disappointed, or anything. She really didn't how she should feel about all of this. At all.

Put frankly, Robin was confused. She felt like she should be at least irritated about how things turned out, but she really wasn't. It was strange, when she read that latest news. Her reaction wasn't a "What?!" or even a "No way …"

The first thing she thought was, "This seems alright."

She was actually a little jealous of the Pirate Hunter. He had found a niche that he fit. Something about being a pirate, something about being with that man, Monkey D Luffy, made him throw away his freelance work.

Obviously, it wasn't money he was really after.

Robin found herself wondering about his dream.

Did he? "Is that how he can be so strong?" she muttered, staring gloomily at the bananawani gliding by the glass of the underwater conference room. "Because he has a dream?"

Yes, that was what Robin was really feeling, concerning the Pirate Hunter. Jealousy.

He had the freedom to do whatever he wanted, the world be damned. Robin only had a shadowy mirage of him and the whisper of a last-chance rock.

Even if she found the Rio Poneglyph, what could she do with it? The world would probably kill her before she could let anyone else know. Scratch that. Crocodile would kill her when she refused to end the world.

It was the only thing she knew she would do, death be damned. She could not plunge the world into darkness when she didn't value her life. She was already destroying a nation. A good nation of an open-minded, caring government, from what she saw, who did their duty for their people; and it was going to be wiped out for scum like Crocodile.

Robin shivered. Maybe she did value her life. She wanted to finish her mother's, no, her people's - Ohara's! – dream. Ohara would gain the knowledge, even if it died with her. They would win. Ohara would have the last laugh. Robin shook with conviction.

She would reveal what the government destroyed. That was her dream.

She couldn't help but laugh a little, the eerie lighting fitting her strange mood, shadows flitting across her face as the bananawani swam about the lake. Robin had searched for the Poneglyphs for 20 years already! All the ones she found, and this Alabasta poneglyph was her last one. Unless it directed her to another poneglyph, this was truly her last chance even after traveling the entire world.

It was a little late for her to be identifying her dream now, when it was ending. If it was fulfilled or if it was destroyed, her dream was ending. Robin steeled herself.

The Pirate Hunter had just showed her the true dream she carried, and he had also showed her how unpredictable the world could be. She couldn't live on the smoke and mirrors of her daydreaming. She had to do things, herself if need be.

Robin thanked the Pirate Hunter, wherever he was.

-

Back in East Blue, Zoro was taken aback when a feeling of utter goodwill washed over him. "The hell?"

"What's up, Zoro?" a boy said, a face-splitting grin and familiar straw hat signifying that, yup, he was Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy was hoisting the sail, Sanji the cook attempting to fasten it in the storm.

"I don't got a clue." Zoro scratched his head before hurrying over to the helm to aid a shrieking Usopp.

"Look at that light!" Nami suddenly shouted.

"The lighthouse?"

"That's our guiding light. That light points to the entrance to the Grand Line!"

Luffy's grin, if possible, got larger. "The Grand Line is over there?"

Nami's smile was from her heart, something that happened more often now that Arlong was dead. "What now, Captain?"

Usopp, hugging the mast with all his might, turned in askance because he KNEW what Luffy would say. "What, going in this storm?" he asked, or rather, he whimpered. Though no one replied, the communal grin only made Usopp groan.

"Well, let's have a launching ceremony to commemorate the beginning of this voyage," Sanji said around his cigarette, hoisting a keg up onto the deck. Zoro brightened considerably.

"Oi!" Usopp hugged the mast tighter. These people were certifiably insane. A party in the middle of a storm! At SEA!!

"Alright!"

"Let's do it!" Even the navigator!!!

Getting ready to bust the keg open with his trademark kick, Sanji propped a leg on the keg. "To find All Blue," he remarked. Luffy surprised Sanji and everyone else as he put his own foot on the head of the keg.

"To become the Pirate King!!"

Zoro grinned and joined in. "To be the greatest swordsman!"

With a grin to rival Luffy's, Nami ignored the shortness of her skirt, making Sanji a little sad she wasn't right in front of him. This was a declaration of their dreams, after all! And a show of comradery, something she hadn't allowed herself to have until Arlong was dead.

"To draw a map of the entire world!"

"I-I…" Usopp couldn't believe these people. The conviction each one of them radiated… it made his dream seem a little more attainable. He finally set his jaw and added his own leg. "To become a brave warrior of the sea!"

Luffy grinned, "Let's go, to the Grand Line!"

"Yeah!!" As one, though they hadn't planned on it, they lifted their legs high, Sanji getting an eyeful of Nami's panties.

Bringing their legs down, and busting the keg wide open, marked the start of their journey. There was no turning back, not that any of them were considering it. Drenched in beer and rainwater, they laughed and whooped it up, kanpai-ing and horsing around with their tankards in the middle of a gigantic storm on the deck of their ship.

It was the start of the attainment of the dreams of more people than they could have ever guessed.

-end-

I choose to believe Arlong's dead, because that is arguably the angriest Luffy's ever gotten without hearing the story behind anything. He's very protective of Nami, ne? Also, the marines didn't lock Arlong away immediately and the Strawhats didn't bother with limiting his escape options, which would have been the prudent thing to do if he wasn't dead.