3. Enemy
"Stop," Robin said, holding out an arm to halt her companion's forward progress. He shot her a puzzled look, which she answered by slowly creeping forward into the undergrowth. There was a simple trap, cunningly hidden, just the cover of some leaves. It was built like a bear trap: an iron jaw around a pressure-switch set to down anyone who got in the way. Set in the thick undergrowth like that, it would be avoided by most animals large enough to set it off. It was a trap meant for humans. Equally apparent were a series of wires running away from the trap: not trip wires, but meant for some other purpose.
"So you've been keeping your eyes open around us?" Zoro asked.
"Yes," Robin replied. Since they had set out from their sleeping-site at the break of dawn, she had been creating Hana Hana eyes (and ears) in a perimeter, surrounding them as they marched further into the cruising island's interior, allowing her to keep aware of their surroundings in hostile territory.
"Good catch," he complimented. "I was on the lookout for enemies, I wasn't thinking about traps."
Robin smiled inwardly at the compliment. The second day of travel so far had given her a much friendlier traveling companion for reasons she could not quite understand, but was thankful for nonetheless. He was useful in this situation for other reasons, with his Observation Haki allowing him to sense enemies even before she could with her Hana Hana parts. But Observation was limited in that its user needed to feel intent before they could react. A user could detect a far-off sharpshooter in their killing intent, but a simple trap like this needed to be detected through normal means.
The wires leading away from the trap were the more interesting thing. "I think these wires are linked to someone or something out there." Robin said.
"A double trap?" Zoro mused. "Stops trespassers and detects them too?"
"Likely," Robin observed. "Shall we test that hypothesis?"
"Alright," Zoro said. He looked around for a moment, then spied a short log. He picked it up and pushed it down straight over the pressure switch in the trap.
Snap! The jaws of the trap swung shut, the sharpened steel clipping straight through the wood.
"Imagine if that had been your leg," Robin said.
"I'm trying not to," Zoro replied. She caught him grinning in spite of himself, just for a moment, and then… "Get down!" Robin quickly found herself face down in the small plants covering the forest floor, Zoro's hand on the back of her head. In the same instant she heard the distinctive sound of arrows flying through the air, through the space her torso had just occupied.
"He's shooting again!" Zoro yelled, now standing up and drawing his swords. Ping! Another metal dart flew out of the jungle and was deflected by his blade. Robin now saw it through the perspective of an eye she had sprouted on a nearby tree, as she was still face down on the forest floor, keeping as low a bodily profile as possible. She saw where the arrow came from, and her perception soon spread…
He was a tall man, clothed all in forest green, including a cap with a gaudy red feather. The hunter was about 100 meters away, and with his heavy-looking crossbow, ready to fire more rounds into the jungle. Robin sprouted an arm at his feet, ready to trip him.
"What the hell is that!?" the hunter shouted. He too must be employing Observation Haki, because he saw Robin's arm quickly, and stomped on it with his boot-clad foot.
Robin grunted in pain, but even her failed attempt to trip the hunter provided Zoro with the opportunity he needed: sound of the man's voice giving him range, and a brief halt in the arrows. In an instant Zoro tore through the undergrowth, and now the hunter panicked, trying to turn and run and load more arrows in the same movement.
Thus distracted, Robin made her move. She sprouted more arms around the hunter, tripping him as he tried to run. The hunter rolled as he fell, managing to shake off the arms, but was quickly tackled by Zoro, who bore the hunter back into the ground, perched with his swords over the hunter's neck.
"Get off of me!" the man roared.
"Not happening," Zoro replied. "And there ain't much you can do about it right now," he added, brushing the blades against the hunter's throat.
Robin stood up and began running through the forest towards her companion. "May I?" she asked as she drew nearer.
"Go ahead," Zoro said.
"Treinta Fleur: Clutch!" Zoro let go of the hunter as Robin seized him in many arms. The hunter was arched over backwards, with two hands about his throat and more ready to break his back should he refuse to comply. Robin squeezed a little, and the hunter yelped in pain, a little extra incentive for compliance.
"Who are you working for?" Robin asked. "Who else is on this island?"
The hunter glared, but spoke. "I serve under Commander Subahu, Commander of Durga Island and servant of Lord Sugriva of Rig Maratha."
"And is Subahu the one piloting this island?"
"Yes."
Robin squeezed again, twisting the hunter's back. "You know I'll need more information than that. Why does he pilot the island? To what end?"
"We cruise around this part of the New World, gathering tribute from other islands in Lord Kaidou's territory and destroying enemy pirate ships in the area."
Robin paused for a moment, taking in this information. "Then where is Subahu? How do we find him?"
"In the mountain," the hunter replied, his eyes leaving Robin's gaze and looking over to her right. The mountain could be seen, still on the far side of the islet, a few days' march away in this terrain.
"Is there anything we need to know to get in?"
"The cave entrance is on the mountain's north face. The pilot station is deep inside. But you'll never survive the journey, the other hunters, or Lord Suba-ackh!" Robin squeezed again.
"We don't need your editorials," she said coolly. "Thank you for your cooperation," she added, but then began to squeeze again, clenching around his throat and twisting to break his back.
"Augh!" the hunter began to scream, before Zoro intervened.
"Whoa whoa, what the hell?" He yelled, stepping between Robin and the hunter. "He gave us the information, what are you doing to him?"
"He's an enemy." Robin said. "I was just going to dispose of him."
"But we already beat him!" Zoro growled back. "What's the point in killing someone who's already beaten?"
"It's just a precaution," Robin said, somewhat taken aback. This man was dangerous, why would Zoro want to leave him alive?
"But he's already beaten!" Zoro repeated. "Nothing wrong with killing him in a fight, but this is just shameful." He glared at Robin with a look that he had not directed at her for several years: a look of distaste and suspicion. The hunter struggled to breathe as his fate was being decided.
"He's an enemy," Robin repeated, a little more coldly. "This is just good sense."
"So is that what we should have done with you?" Zoro growled.
Robin had nothing to say to that. It required an hour's response; or none at all. She slackened her grip on the hunter. Before the man could react, Zoro flipped his grip on Wado Ichimonji and brought the butt end slamming into the hunter's temple. He crumpled to the forest floor.
"We'll be hours away by the time he wakes up." Zoro said coldly. "Was that so hard?"
Again, Robin had no response, still working through Zoro's earlier question. She looked to the mountain and started walking.
It looked like it would be a long hike.
Author's Note: So chapter one focused, in part, on how they are similar. Chapter 2 dealt with what they think of each other. Chapter 3 is how they are different. And now Zoro's mad at Robin. Where do we go from here (aside from walking to the mountain)?