A/N: Hello again! Sorry for not updating in a while, but at least this chapter is longer than the last few. Enjoy! And let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece


Chapter 4: The Hunt Is On

"Umm… I think I'll pass."

Robin watched Ace, Sabo, and Luffy climb onto each other's shoulders. Now stacked up like a pillar, Ace covered them with the large black cloak they used whenever they wanted to sneak into town. As amusing as it was to watch the boys play dress up and wobble around as they tried to balance, Robin didn't really want to be part of it herself. Plus, the cloak was only long enough to cover the three of them and if they added another person to the stack, the figure would have looked too tall and attract suspicious eyes.

"Why do you need a disguise again?"

"Because we're famous," Ace said.

"The guards at the gate recognize us as troublemakers," Sabo explained. "And this makes it easier to sell crocodile skins if the buyer thinks he's dealing with adults."

"How is Robin going to get in?" Luffy asked.

"Can I just walk in? The guards don't know me as a troublemaker unless they saw my wanted poster."

That thought hadn't occurred to them.

"The guards at the gate are used to seeing low life criminals all the time. There's so many in the Grey Terminal. I doubt they even pay attention to those posters," Ace said.

"Yeah. They won't go after you unless your on the kingdom's watch-list like we are. Or if you cause trouble," Sabo said.

"And, I doubt they'd be on the look out for a criminal from west blue," Ace said

That made Robin feel a little better about going into town. After seeing her wanted poster, she wasn't sure what would happen if someone recognized her in public. Would the cops come for her? Will they call the marines? So many bad things could happen. She didn't enjoy the idea of not knowing what to do should such circumstances arise. She needed to be prepared to run. But for now, Robin felt secure with Sabo, Ace, and Luffy around. Plus, she was excited to explore a new area of the island. After the boys loaded the crocodile skins onto a cart, the four of them set off towards the Grey Terminal.


The stink of decomposing waste and rusty metal filled the air. The Grey Terminal, a mountainous heap of rotting leftovers, was a place where the trash piled high on the land smelled almost as bad as the people who lived there. Despite the stench, Robin was excited to see what was beyond the gates that separated the Grey Terminal from the rest of society. Sabo explained that Goa Kingdom was divided into several sectors. Beyond the gates, there was Edge Town, then the Town Center. Then there's High Town and the Royal Palace in the middle. Robin listened intently as she walked with the hooded figure tugging the cart with the crocodile skin. It must have been an odd sight to see such an innocent looking girl strolling the ghetto with this shady character. But, this was the Grey Terminal, and nobody here gave a damn about anything or anybody unless it pertains to themselves. The men didn't give Robin nor the disguised Ace, Sabo, and Luffy a second glance, all too focused on rummaging through the garbage for something of value.

Not too far from the city gates, a man with a red bandana wrapped around his head sat lazily reading a newspaper from this morning's garbage drop. His eyes fell on the headline, 'Demon of Ohara Escapes Marine Ship'. He skimmed the article and laughed out loud.

"Hey, guys! Get this! The marines got beaten by some little kid!" he called out to his hoodlum buddies, who were all laying upon piles of trash, some of them drunk.

"Hah! Marines! What a joke!" one bellowed.

"Yeah! And it's a little girl too! Check out the picture!" The red bandana men stuck out his arm so his buddies could see. Under the article was a black and white photocopy of Robin's wanted poster.

"The kid is worth a lot," another commented

"Yeah. Imagine how rich we'd be if we caught her"

"Doesn't matter. Any money we come across, we have to turn it over to the boss. He's still upset about losing a bunch of cash to those 3 brats."

"True. But, what if we brought back B79,000,000 for the boss? We'd be on his good side for life!" The red bandana man said.

"It's a nice dream. But it says the demon kid is from Ohara. Isn't that a bit far from here? The chances of finding her around these parts are zero."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that…." The red bandana man smirked. Something in the distance had caught his eye. Moving nearer and nearer to the city gates was the little girl from the newspaper. An insidious plan formed in the bandana man's head, and he called his buddies to gather together.

"How would you boys like to go demon hunting?"


Robin thought Edge Town was like a suburban Grey Terminal, except it had concrete buildings and paved streets. The ground wasn't covered with rotting food, but it wasn't exactly clean. It didn't smell as bad either, but whiffs of Grey Terminal odors still found its way through the gates. The environment looked more livable in comparison, but like the Grey Terminal, suspicious figures stood in every corner. A foreboding aura hung around the entrance of Edge Town. Robin could feel people watching her. The characters along the streets and in the alleyways seem to clump together in groups, all of them discreetly eyeing some poor sap who walked through the gates. They were like predators examining their prey, each seeking to take something shiny after the kill. The only thing holding them back was deciding who their target would be. Under the scrutiny of looming glares, Robin walked closer to Ace, Sabo, and Luffy.

Tugging onto their cloak, she whispered, "Why does it feel like everyone is watching us? Nobody in the Grey Terminal paid any attention when we walked by."

"They're probably after our goods," Ace whispered down.

"Be on your guard. We might have to run," Sabo said through the cloak.

"And stop wobbling around Luffy," Ace hissed at Luffy who was at the bottom.

"I'm getting hungry and my legs are tired," Luffy whined.

"Just a little further," Sabo said.

They were passing by a narrow alleyway when a skinny man in a leather jacket came and stood in front of them. Following him, a gang of young hoodlums began to surround Robin and the cloaked Ace, Sabo, and Luffy.

"I'm afraid you'll have to hand over your goods. Unless you want a beating," the skinny ringleader said.

"You chose the wrong people to pick a fight with," Ace said from under the hood.

"A little girl and a man who can't even walk properly. I think we picked the perfect target!" The ringleader laughed.

"You asked for it," Ace replied with a smirk on his face. Then pulling the cloak off them, he yelled, "Luffy, grab the skin and run!"

The three boys separated, with Ace and Sabo fending off the hoodlums with their metal staffs while Luffy tried to escape with Robin following close behind. Unfortunately, a few guys came running towards them from the side. Determined to protect Luffy, Robin turned around to face them. Crossing her arms in front of her, she concentrated. Arms sprouted from the ground and grabbed onto the men's ankles, causing them to trip and fall over. Robin smiled at her accomplishment and ran to Luffy's side. He was hugging the crocodile skin protectively and the men were closing in on them. Ace, having seen what Robin did, got an idea.

"Luffy! Stretch your arm out to me!"

Nodding, Luffy gave Robin the skin and twisted his arm around. "Gomu Gomu no!" His right arm extended, passing in between the legs of one of the men. Ace caught Luffy's wrist and began running down the opposite side of the alley, yanking the arm with him as he passed the hoodlums. They lost their footing as Luffy's arm swung under their knees and they all toppled over. Now it was their chance to escape before the gang could get back up. Ace jumped up onto a high wall and over to the other side. Sabo followed up and reached down to pull Robin and the crocodile skin up with him.

"Luffy! Hurry!"

Luffy stretched his arm towards his brother. Grabbing Luffy's wrist, Sabo tugged, and Luffy came flying over the wall. Having made it to the other side safely, the kids ran towards the Town Center.


"Phew! That was close," Sabo exhaled in relief as they made it to the Town Center.

"Yeah, for a second I thought Luffy was going to lose our goods," Ace said

"Nuh uh! I would have protected it!" Luffy huffed

"Yeah right! If Robin didn't trip those guys, you would have lost it!" Ace yelled

"That was pretty smart of you, Robin," Sabo said as he turned to look at her.

But, Robin hadn't heard anything that was said in the past few minutes. She was too consumed by the tall buildings of all different colors and the crowds of vibrant people going about their day. Here, everyone was dressed in a variety of fashions. Some looked grand and rich, the men wearing expensive one-eyed glasses and top hats. Their wives wore frilly tight dresses and held their noses high in the air. Others looked more humble and wore average clothing, nothing too fancy. A few shabby looking men walked by, probably here to sell something from the Grey Terminal. The Town Center was a crock pot of people from every class. Robin tried to think of Ohara being as busy as this, but she had a hard time seeing her old home as anything but ruins. It would never be the same. Robin kept turning her head around, taking in the sights, until her eyes met the great towering palace. It was actually quite far away from where she stood, but it was so huge that it could be seen practically anywhere in town. Wow…was all Robin could think. She had never seen a palace before. Goa Kingdom was truly a place of nobility.

"You like it here?" Sabo asked.

Robin nodded turning to him. Looking Sabo up and down, she realized how his hat and clothes resembled the rich men's and how different they were compared to Luffy's or Ace's. She wondered if Sabo had any connection to the nobility here, but didn't ask.

"C'mon, we're going to sell this thing and then we can buy something to eat," Sabo said.

Luffy's tummy began to grumble. "I'm hungry…" he pouted.

"You're always hungry," Ace shook his head.

Robin and Sabo laughed at Luffy and Ace as they walked down the street. In another alleyway, the three boys put on their disguise once again. Robin waited outside the shop while they went in to do the exchange. When all was done and the three took their disguise off again, Ace had a smile on his face.

"We got more than last time," Ace said as he counted the money and stuffed it in his pocket.

"Food! Food! Food!" Luffy screamed jumping up and down.

"Alright! We get it! You're hungry," Ace said as he walked ahead of them on the street. "C'mon, we'll get some street food today."

Luffy sunk his teeth into the short rib he was holding. The juices dripped down his mouth and chin as he savored his lunch. When they first sat down at the table in an outside seating area, Luffy's plate was piled high with meat of all sorts, all from this little barbecue stand across the street. It had only been a minute after they started eating and he had already gone through half the stack. Tearing the meat off with his teeth, Luffy tossed the bones haphazardly in all directions, eager to get to the next piece. A few pieces hit several people passing by behind him. One even landed inside the cleavage of a woman's blouse, and another in a man's soup.

"Ow!" Ace yelled as a chicken bone hit him on the head. "Watch where you're throwing that Luffy!"

"Luffy, you might want to slow down. You'll choke on something the way you're eating," Sabo warned.

"Shishishi. Sorry guys! I'm just really hungry!" Luffy grinned with his mouth still stuffed with food.

"That's okay," Robin said as she picked up one of Luffy's rib bones off her plate and tossed it. She watched as Luffy downed the rest of this plate and giggled inwardly at how funny he looked with his cheeks stretched out and bones sticking out of his mouth. That's one perk of having rubber cheeks. You can fill them with as much food as you want.

"I think I lost my appetite," Sabo said when Luffy leaned over to grab the last chicken leg and a big blob of drool mixed with meat sauce plopped onto Sabo's dish.

"Desert!" Luffy screamed after swallowing the last bit of his meal. "I want ice cream!"

"There's just no satisfying your stomach is there?" Robin asked still giggling.

"Nope. It's a black hole." Sabo answered for his brother.

Down the street, at a corner of the intersection, two policemen stood watch. Apparently, there had been a few complaints from the citizens about food bits being thrown at them. A woman freaked out when she found a steak bone in her baby's carriage and started badgering the officers to arrest the culprit who threw it in there. "My baby could have swallowed it and died! Oh, and the germs! Ugh! People should have the decency to throw garbage where it belongs, in the Grey Terminal!" she yelled. So the two officers were forced to come investigate the matter, although they had a pretty good idea of who was causing the ruckus. And sure enough, they spotted the three shortest troublemakers in Goa Kingdom, and it seems they've added a fourth member to their little rabble-rousing crew.

"Ugh. Them again… Those guards they hire at the gates need to pay better attention to who they let in. Somehow these three always slip through," one of the officers groaned.

"Quit whining and let's get them," his partner replied.

The two officers began to move through the crowded street towards the group of kids.

"Guys, I think we'll have to save ice cream for next time," Sabo said gesturing his head towards the approaching policemen.

"Time to make our exit," Ace said jumping up from his seat.

"WHHHHY?" Luffy whined.

"Cause we've been spotted, dummy!" Ace said yanking his brother by the back of his shirt and dragging him off the chair.

The four kids started going the opposite direction of the policemen. When the two officers saw that they were making a run for it, they sped up. "Sorry Madame!"…"Excuse me, Sir!"… "Watch out there kid!" they said as they desperately tried to weave through the crowd. When they got to the other side, the two officers began sprinting to catch up to the fleeing troublemakers. At first, it seemed like they were gaining on them. That was until two hands sprouted on the sides of their head and clasped over their eyes. Unable to see anything, the officers began to stumble and tried to stop themselves. But, not before one of them ran straight into a pole and the other fell into a pot hole.

Ace looked behind him and laughed, before rounding a corner into the alley and ducking behind some trash cans in case those suckers had backup. Sabo, Luffy, and Robin followed suit. The four of them took the opportunity to catch their breath, all panting from the chase.

"That was… good think…ing," Sabo said in between breaths.

"Thanks," Robin replied.

"Shi shi shi! That was funny," Luffy giggled.

"C'mon, let's get out of here before someone else recognizes us," Ace said.


Leaving town was a lot easier than getting in. The guards never pay attention to who leaves the city. Their only job was to weed out the people who are and aren't allowed to come in. So no disguise was needed. Ace, Sabo, Luffy, and Robin walked back into the Grey Terminal with ease, not having to worry about being chased by the authorities as this was a lawless zone.

Ace and Sabo walked ahead and chatted among themselves about going to their treasure stash and hiding the rest of the cash from today. They tried to calculate how much more they needed to save. Luffy marched happily behind them, and Robin walked a little farther back. She was feeling pretty relaxed now. The trip into town went really well. There was so much to see, the food was good, and the sneaking in was fun. But the best part Robin thought, was the feeling of outmaneuvering that gang and the police. It was a thrill she had never felt before. Robin smiled to herself. Then coming out of her thoughts, she figured she better catch up before she fell behind too much. Starting to speed up her pace, she realized something. Only Sabo and Ace walked ahead of her. Where did Luffy go? Turning her head everywhere, she went into a panic. That was until she spotted a tiny figure running down a path between two tall piles of sheet metal on her right. Quickly, she ran in that direction before losing sight of him behind one of the piles.

"Give that back you ugly bird!" Luffy yelled as he ran.

Flying away from him, a large crow held Luffy's straw hat in its claws. It had swooped down earlier and snatched the hat right off of the boy's head. Now, Luffy was on a mission to retrieve his precious headwear. Turning at a corner by a mountain pile of garbage, the crow dropped the hat and a man with a red bandana tied around his head caught it and spun it in his hand.

"Hey, that's my hat!" Luffy yelled at him.

"Your hat? I don't think so kid. I found it just now. So it's mine," The bandana man smirked.

"Luffy! What's *pant* going on *pant* here?" Robin finally caught up with Luffy. Perfect timing the bandana man thought.

"Robin! He stole my hat!" Luffy pouted.

Robin looked at the man Luffy was pointing to. She did not appreciate the smirk on his face. Stealing from a little boy? What a despicable thing for a grown man to do. Robin would love to wipe that stupid grin off his face for picking on Luffy. Just as she got ready to use her powers on this guy, she felt two big hands grab her from behind. The next thing she knew, she was being thrown into a big sack and everything turned dark.

"Hey! Let me out!" Robin screamed.

"Robin!" Luffy made a run towards the man hoisting the sack over his shoulder. He didn't get far. The bandana man blocked Luffy's way and kicked him backwards into the dirt.

"Take her back to the shack boys," the bandana man ordered.

Robin couldn't see anything so she couldn't form any phantom limbs to help her. She knew that if she had practiced her devil fruit more she'd probably be able to do something about her situation. But since she always felt she had to hide her powers, she never had the opportunity to explore what she could really do besides form a few arms and legs here and there. Feeling completely helpless and scared, she cried for Luffy! She was worried that the stupid guy was hurting the seven-year-old.

"Luffy! Run!" She screamed as she felt the sack bob up and down as the man carried her off.

"Give Robin back you stupid hat stealer!" Luffy ran towards the bandana man, ready to jump on him and attack. This time, instead of kicking Luffy away again, the bandana man took out a splintery club he found on the ground and knocked Luffy into the air. Luffy's head hit the windshield of the rusty car, shattering the glass as he fell inside. Grinning to himself, the bandana man felt that was probably enough fun.

"Don't fight battles you can't win kid. Oh, and thanks for the hat."

By the time Luffy got up and was able to climb out of the car, the bandana man was gone and so was Robin. Luffy bit his bottom lip, angry at himself for failing to save Robin along with his hat. He was weak and he needed help. He had to find Ace and Sabo. They'll save her! He knew that the first thing they'd do is hide their money at the secret spot. So Luffy ran as fast as he could towards the forest.


"Do you think they got lost?" Sabo asked after unloading the money into the square hole that was cut into a branch high up on a tree.

"Maybe. We'll go look for them as soon as we're done here," Ace answered as he emptied the last of the cash from his pockets.

As they covered the treasure-filled hole again, Luffy came running towards them.

"Ace! Sabo! Help!" He cried.

Jumping down from the tall branch, Ace and Sabo rushed over to their frantic little brother.

"What's going on?" Sabo asked. He noticed Robin wasn't with Luffy, and from the distress written on his brother's face, this couldn't be good.

Luffy talked so fast Ace and Sabo couldn't understand a thing that was coming out of his mouth. Sentences were cut off in between Luffy's panting, and the whole story came out a jumbled mess.

"Luffy! You need to slow down!" Sabo tried to calm his brother. "Take a deep breath."

"Okay," Luffy said. After inhaling and exhaling deeply like Sabo advised, he said, "Robin was kidnapped by this stupid bandana guy who stole my hat."

"What?!" Ace and Sabo yelled.

"What do they want with her?" Sabo asked.

"I don't know! He just said they were taking her to 'the shack'," Luffy replied

"They're probably going to turn her into the government for the money," Ace said with his fist balled up in anger.

"Maybe it was a bad idea taking her into town," Sabo said with regret

"She would have been fine if we were there," Ace said. "You weren't supposed to run off!" Ace smacked Luffy on the head.

"Ow! I didn't mean to get Robin into trouble…" Luffy said dejectedly as he rubbed the new bump forming.

"Ace, stop it," Sabo said. "Don't worry Luffy, we'll get her back. Right, Ace?" Sabo looked at Ace as if he wasn't 100% sure if Ace would agree to save her.

Ace caught the tone in Sabo's voice and his look.

"Robin did help us out a lot today so we shouldn't abandon her," Ace said, showing that he would help.

Luffy smiled, now determined to get Robin back.

"Luffy. You said they were taking her to a shack?" Sabo asked.

Luffy nodded.

"The only shack that's big enough to house a big group belonged to that chump who kidnapped Luffy before," Ace said.

"But Porchemy's gone. That means a new group of thugs must have taken over," Sabo said.

"Yeah! That hat stealing bandana guy was barking orders like he was the boss!" Luffy said.

"Then we know exactly where Robin is," Sabo said.


After making their way back, Ace, Sabo, and Luffy were able to locate the shack at the far end of the Grey Terminal, a place most of the homeless avoided. They were able to sneak in without being detected since the guard outside was apparently taking a snooze. They tiptoed past him and hid behind some large crates on the side. Sticking their heads up a little, they tried to get a good look at the people in the room. There was a total of 9 men. Four of them carried big clubs, two with guns, and three had swords.

"Pssst… Look," Sabo whispered and nodded his head to the far corner.

There, Robin sat, ropes binding her to a wooden pillar. Fear, sadness, and uncertainty ran through her as she watched the men in the room. She knew they planned to trade her in for the cash bounty. Robin didn't like the idea of being imprisoned on a government ship again with no hope for a future. But, knowing that Luffy was able to avoid being taken was something good. She didn't want this kidnapping to be the last time she'd ever see that little face. Thinking about Luffy's bright and cheery smile, Robin felt she had to escape, or at least try. After all, she worked so hard to get off that marine ship and the bandana man was still wearing Luffy hat. She had to get it back for him. Robin thought about how she'd been able to help Ace, Sabo, and Luffy escape with her powers all day. Maybe they can come in handy now, too.

Her arms were tied to her sides. If Robin concentrated really hard, she may be able to form a limb or two without crossing them. Her power was always more effective when she crossed her arms together. Why that was, Robin never really knew. Maybe it was just a something that helped her focus her energy. Either way, she was going to have to try if she wanted to get out of here. Taking a deep breath Robin tried her best to concentrate. If she could grab one of the swords, she can cut herself loose. Suddenly, one arm sprouted from the ground. Unfortunately, the bandana man noticed the phantom limb and quickly took his sword out and swung. Robin made her arm turn to petals, but the sword nick the phantom arm before it could disappeared completely. Robin whimpered as a small cut formed on her original arm, droplets of blood trickling down from the opening.

"So you're a devil fruit user, huh? I guess I shouldn't be surprised that your such a freak. The papers did say you were a demon," the bandana man jeered. Turning to his buddies, he said, "If she tries anything funny or makes any more freaky arms, cut them off!"

"What if we accidentally kill her when we slice her limbs?" One of the men asked

"Who cares! The poster says 'dead or alive' so we'll get the money either way. Besides, she's a demon child. The world is better off if she was dead!" The bandana man sneered.

Silent tears streamed down Robin's face as she listened to them talk. She didn't see any hope of escaping now and the fact that they were taunting her existence only destroy her resolve even more.

Those words again…. Demon… The way that guy spat them out made Ace's blood boil. Ace's grip around his metal staff tightened and a dark hatred shuttered through him.

"Okay, we need a plan to get her out. Ace –" Sabo stopped talking when he realized Ace wasn't crouching beside him anymore.

At the sound of a loud clang, Sabo and Luffy stuck their heads up from the crates again and saw Ace's metal staff locked against the bandana man's sword. Ace and the bandana man were staring at each other intensity, both trying to win dominance in this battle of strength. The two jumped backwards seeing that they were evenly matched, although, the bandana man tried to play if off like he was going easy on the 10-year-old. Sabo slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand.

"Why am I the only brother who actually thinks before he acts?!" Sabo said exasperatedly.

Sighing, Sabo jumped up from behind the crates and landed next to Ace, ready to have his brother's back. Luffy followed and stood behind his older brothers, his small fists up in front of him. Robin looked up, completely shocked. Out of the corner of his eye, Ace could see Robin, her face stained with tears. This only added to his rage.

The bandana man eyed the three boys, his gaze settling on Sabo for a moment. Sabo furrowed his eyebrows with suspicion, as he felt the man's scan him up and down. The tension was rising as Sabo thought of an escape route when suddenly the bandana man shouted.

"Get them! And don't let the girl escape!"

A fight broke out as the boys were now being chased around the shack. The men with guns aimed and fired. Fortunately, Sabo and Ace were quick to jump out of the way, while Luffy just stood there. The bullets stretched into his skin, then ricochet back out hitting some of the goons.

"Shi shi shi!" Luffy laughed and stuck his tongue out at the now very irritated men. He broke out into a sprint as the angry men now rushed towards him with clubs.

Sabo tried to find a path to Robin while Ace wreaked havoc on the kidnappers. He seemed to be trying to take on all of them at once. The freckled 10-year-old jumped up over a group of four men and swung his staff violently, striking them down. Robin winced as the metal connected with their jaw bones and skulls. Ace was a good fighter and he would attack hoodlums to steal money, or wild beasts in the forest but something was different about the way he was fighting now. Robin stared at the livid expression on Ace's face. There was rage there, a pure hatred that shook Robin's very core as she watched him lose control.

"Robin!" Sabo had made it to her in the midst of the confusion and began untying her ropes.

"Sabo! What are you guys doing here?"

"We're here to save you. What else?"

Having undone all the knots, Sabo pulled Robin up. Taking her hand, he ran for the shattered window nearby.

"Luffy! Ace! Let's go!" Sabo yelled.

The bandana man clenched his teeth in frustration, seeing that the kids were escaping. He made a run towards Robin and Sabo with his sword, when suddenly Ace leaped in front of him, blocking his path. Luffy had already joined Sabo and was climbing through the window now.

"Ace…" Robin stared at Ace's back, tense and sweaty from his rampage. Why is he fighting so hard? This can't just be about wanting to save me.

"Sabo. Take Luffy and Robin, and go," Ace directed.

"Ace," Sabo used his warning tone. Sabo would drag Ace with them if he didn't know how stubborn his brother was. He knew Ace would never back down from a fight, and normally, Sabo would give in and fight alongside him. But he couldn't leave Robin and Luffy alone this time, so heeding to Ace's request, Sabo helped Robin climb outside and followed after her. Luffy, Robin, and Sabo ran as fast as they could into the forest back to the base hoping no one else was coming for them. Ace will be okay. He's strong. They all knew that.

Don't do anything stupid Ace…. Sabo said silently.


Most of the men had fallen unconscious or were juddering in pain by the time Sabo, Robin, and Luffy had made it to the forest entrance. From the ground, the bandana man pulled himself up by the elbows and glared angrily at the 10-year old who had rendered him immobile with a violent strike at the kneecaps. Ace walked towards him slowly.

"Don't ever call her a demon again," Ace hissed with a dark and warning expression.

"What are you going to do about it if I do? Kill me?"

Ace was silent.

"You brats think you're so strong just because you injured us a little. You don't even have the strength to end me. You think you can protect her or those two other kiddies?"

"Shut up!" Ace yelled.

"You can't protect someone the world wants dead. You know why?" the bandana man smirked. "Because you're weak and monsters like her are a lost cause. You'll die if you keep trying to protect her from the government. I'm sure there are plenty more people who will be going after that little demon."

A vein formed on Ace's forehead as he clenched his teeth and his eyes widened in anger. His foot went up and with all his strength, he struck it down hard. A loud crack echoed as Ace's heel mashed into the bandana man's face.

"And I'll be taking this," Ace said as he relieved the man of the straw hat and put it on his own head.

The bandana man didn't reply as he laid there, blood flowing down from his nostrils and out of his mouth.


Luffy plopped down on his back in exhaustion and rested. They had run all the way back to the base and now the sun was starting to set. Robin stood looking in the direction they had come from, hoping to see Ace coming up the path soon. Why isn't he back yet? Did he lose the fight? We shouldn't have left without Ace! It's my fault! Why did they have to come and save me?! Sabo climbed down the ladder after disappearing into the tree house a few moments ago. Walking next to Robin, he noticed her worried expression and the tears that were threatening to spill. He placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"Don't worry, Robin. Ace will be fine. He's the strongest out of all of us! Just don't tell him I told you that." Sabo smiled softly at her. "C'mon, you need to sit down."

He led her to one of the logs under the tree and sat her down.

"Let me see your hand," Sabo directed.

Hesitantly, Robin brought out her arm. Sabo took it and examined the cut.

"It doesn't look too bad," he said. Taking some bandages, which he got when he went up to the tree house, Sabo began wrapping her arm. "I'm sorry they hurt you, Robin. Ace and I should have noticed when you and Luffy went missing. If we had paid more attention, this wouldn't have happened. Can you forgive us?"

Robin blinked at his words. He… blames himself for this? It's not their fault those guys went after me or that they picked on Luffy. If anything, I'm the one to blame for getting them into this mess.

"Sabo…" Robin bit her bottom lip, her emotions starting to get the better of her.

"Hey, don't cry. You're safe now," Sabo said.

"Yeah! Robin, you don't ever have to worry with Sabo and Ace around!" Luffy sat up and grinned with his big shining teeth.

Now she was full on bawling. But not because she was sad or scared or in pain. It was because she had never been so thankful in her life. Besides Saul, she had never had friends who would go out of their way to help her. But these three boys did, even risking their lives fighting a bunch of armed men just to get her back. Sabo chuckled mildly, knowing these were happy tears. Robin wiped her face with her unbandaged arm, trying to stop herself from crying.

"I'm *sniffle* sorry… *Sniffle* I just…."

"It's okay," Sabo patted her head. "You don't have to say anything."

Robin smiled, her eyes red and puffy. "Thank you," she said softly.


Sabo and Luffy had just started stoking the campfire when Ace finally arrived back at the base. He didn't look at anyone as he walked past them and climbed up the ladder to the tree house. Before he disappeared inside, he tossed Luffy the straw hat.

"Yay! Thanks, Ace!" Luffy yelled. Despite not getting a response back, Luffy was still overjoyed that his brother was able to retrieve his prized possession.

Robin, on the other hand, felt anxious. She was relieved when she saw Ace making his way up the path. She was glad he was safe and he didn't seem hurt, but there was something bothering him. She could tell from the hard and distant look on his face as he approached. And now, without a word, he had gone up to the tree house and she didn't know what to think. She stared up at the dark window of the wooden shed.

"Don't worry, Robin. He's just heated up from the fight. He'll be better tomorrow." Sabo tried to reassure her, even though he wasn't exactly sure what was going on with his brother. Ace was hard to understand sometimes, but Sabo was patient. He knew that whatever this was, Ace wanted space to deal with it on his own.

Robin nodded and went to back to helping Luffy and Sabo with gathering firewood and preparing dinner. They didn't have time to catch anything to eat today, so they settled for berries and apples which Robin was able to gather from nearby trees and bushes with her powers. Ace didn't eat with them, but Robin wrapped some food in a small cloth in case he was hungry later.

It was dark when Robin, Sabo, and Luffy climbed into the tree house. Sabo and Luffy fell asleep almost instantly. Robin dozed off for a little while too but then woke up unable to fall into a comfortable slumber. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around. It was pretty late outside and the room was dark. She noticed that Luffy's blanket had fallen off his body and laid at his feet, covering nothing but the wooden floorboards. So Robin got up to retrieve the blanket. She laid it over the little boy, making sure to cover his shoulders so he wouldn't get cold. As she made her way back to her mat, she realized that Ace wasn't in the room. Did he get up while we were sleeping? Where could he have gone now? Still a little worried due to Ace's silent behavior from earlier, Robin decided to go and look for him. Climbing down the ladder, she started her search.

As the trees became less dense after half an hour of walking, Robin realized she was heading towards a clearing where the terrain ended. She could hear the loud nighttime waves crashing against the jagged rocks at the bottom, and figured this was a cliff side. As she came closer to the clearing, she could see the dark ocean stretch far away from her. And sitting at the very edge was none other than the person she was searching for.

Robin looked at Ace's hunched form as his t-shirt blew in the cold evening wind. Ace's disheveled hair swayed in the breeze, but the rest of his body remain still, his shoulders stiff as he sat looking out. Was this where Ace went to find peace, an open refuge that can liberate him from troubling thoughts? Was he in some deep distress and needed space to think? Robin wondered how often Ace would come here and stare at the ocean by himself. Robin decided to approach Ace after long deliberation. She walked up from behind him slowly, waiting to see if she was unwelcomed. Ace heard her approach but didn't move. He kept his eyes fix on the dark scenery in front of him. Now, next to him, Robin sat down and looked out at the ocean too. They sat in silence for a short while.

"Thank you for saving me today," Robin said softly.

"You helped us escape. It was only fair," Ace replied.

Despite trying to down play the whole ordeal, it was clear from the way Ace fought those men that there was more to it than just returning a favor. Something had caused him to blow up. Robin was curious as to what that was, but she wasn't sure if she should ask. She didn't want to push Ace into sharing nor pry into his life. Out of the three boys, Ace was the least open.

"I hate cry babies," Ace said suddenly, surprising Robin.

"Huh?" Robin was confused. At first, she didn't understand what he was talking about. But then she remembered she had been crying when Ace, Sabo, and Luffy showed up. There was this half-second Ace had glanced at her and his face twisted slightly as their eyes met, right before the fight broke out.

"Crying shows you're weak," Ace continued. "Don't cry when people tell you the world is better off without you."

Ace had a hard look on his face as he said this. But still, he didn't look at Robin. She wondered how much of that was really directed towards her. It almost sounded like he was saying it to himself. She wondered what sort of life Ace had and who would want him to disappear? He was a troublemaker but he wasn't a wanted criminal like her. Well, at least not yet.

Still hesitant to pry, Robin only nodded her head, figuring Ace could see it through his peripheral vision. Looking up at Ace, Robin admired his fortitude. Sure he was rough and hard to get to know, but the resoluteness in his words and in the way he fought for her that day made her see him in a different light.

"Good," he said. His shoulders relaxed. Robin and Ace fell into silence once again as they went back to gazing at the night sky and letting their thoughts wonder. Neither of them knew what kind of bond had formed between them. But, whatever is happening, Robin felt they both had more in common than they may realize.


With a bandaged face and a crutch to lean on, the bandana man limped into the room.

"Nice face," someone in the background snickered.

"Shut up!" the bandana man growled, showing the new gaps between his teeth. These were the consequences of provoking a hot-tempered 10-year-old.

"So you got beat up by those brats too?" A long bang sounded as a large fist hit the tabletop.

"Sorry Boss," the bandana man lowered his head.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you now?"

"Because I have good news."

"And what's that?"

"I think I've found that rich guy's kid"

"Is that so?" Captain Bluejam, the man whom the bandana guy just referred to as 'Boss', tapped his fingers together with amused consideration.

"Yeah. We should make a phone call to his rich papa now."

"Oh, we will. Soon… After he gets a little more desperate."

"But, Boss. The money!"

"Don't worry. We'll get more out of that self-righteous noble. Not only that, we're going to get all the money we lost and more."

A sinister smile crept onto Bluejam's face as he lifted a picture to his face. A youthful blonde boy smiled back at him, wearing a school uniform with a white buttoned shirt and suspenders.

Let them have their fun, Bluejam thought. It'll make revenge that much sweeter when I tear their little crew apart.


A/N: And that's Chapter 4! Thanks for reading! I wanted to make Sabo more of a caring and encouraging brother while Ace a really protective one. Let me know what you guys think!