The blonde leered at him enviously. He was so close to capturing this woman's heart and he had to ruin it. He kissed Robin's hand politely; thanking her for the intimate moment before retreating out of the room dejectedly. He exchanged glances with the swordsman as they passed by each other; he gave him the dirty look before continuing his journey. Zoro was not surprised by the cook's reaction. After all, he did have his opportunity squashed by Robin's decision.

Zoro treaded forward towards Robin, each step heavy with anticipation and confusion. Why choose him? Sanji seemed trustworthy enough; Nami had the same gender as her and would probably relate best. Heck even Luffy seemed like a better choice than Zoro.

He sat down on the bed beside her, her eyes capturing his gaze. Even though they were being watched, Zoro felt as if they were the only two people in the area and that privacy no longer mattered. Robin leaned closer to him, almost face to face.

He could feel her breath on his face and he could see the alluring beauty of her eyes. They were so close, yet so far.

"If you're wondering why I chose you, it's because you can relate to me the most." Well, that was unexpected, thought Zoro.

"Why?"

"We share about the same work, we have about the same connections and we definitely have the same intentions in our hearts." What was she whispering about?

"Woman, you're crazy." There was a sudden shift in aura about Robin that stunned Zoro; she was extremely serious. The weak and poignant woman that was in her position had receded back into her heart. All that was left was the her that Zoro was more familiar with; the cold-hearted killer.

"You have to let me escape from this place." She mumbled her tone sharp and precise.

"Fuck you talkin' about?" Something was definitely wrong with her.

"You have to let me leave; you don't know the gravity of the situation. You don't even know what's to come!"

"I thought you were supposed to tell me bout your past-"

"Please, Zoro, you have to help me. I lied about wanting to tell you about my past. I just wanted the others off my back. You need to get me out of here surreptitiously. I can stop this from happening." Zoro grabbed hold of her arms and shook her violently.

"WOMAN GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!" She pushed him away from her, releasing his grip on her.

"I am serious! If you let me escape, you all will be safe! You know just as well as I do how much you would be willing to sacrifice to protect the ones you care about, right?" Zoro was shocked. How did she manage to read his heart?

"Robin… whatever happens, we'll go through it together. We're… we're nakama." His tone took a steep turn from malicious and frustrated to calm and despondent.

"No… we're not. I hardly know any of you."

"That's cause you don't let us. I know you were trying to escape last night. You have to trust us, we will look after you and help you."

"That's… that's a lie!" Her voice was shaky and unstable, tears welling up in her eyes. The vulnerability returned as her heart wrenched with intense agony. Friendship… friendship had never existed in her life and if it did, it was diminished. She crushed all hopes of companionship a long time ago. It was easier to accept reality rather than delude yourself and face the consequences later. This was a life lesson she learnt from young, and she vowed never to forget it.

"What do you mean it's a lie? Luffy risked his reputation and safety to help you, so did Nami, Ussop, Franky… ALL OF US! And if you think that's a scam that I suggest you knock some sense into yourself." He seethed vehemently at her distrust. He was infuriated at her stubbornness, they had already proved their dependability and she would not accept it.

"Robin you've got to let us in; let us help you." He took her in his arms, her face buried in her hands as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"I… I just can't." She muttered inaudibly. Zoro hugged her tighter; he wondered what could have traumatised this woman to the point of distrusting everyone. She had closed them away from her heart, only to reveal a strong façade to hide her vulnerable and soft side. She kept her secrets and emotions safely locked away in her heart. People did not need to know, they need not care. They would only take pity on her, as if she needed to lower herself to that. Distancing herself from others was how she coped with her past, her lonely life proof of her actions. She had a burning desire to tell Zoro; to expose to him her deep dark secrets and naked soul, allowing him to delve into her psych. But there was a morose voice forcing her to keep her trap shut. That voice was bitingly cold, reminding her of the consequences of her past actions and how it hurt her even more if people were to know about her past. She wanted to block that voice out, opening her mouth to speak her heart out; however, no words could escape those quivering lips.

"Robin… we'll always be there for you… I'll be there for you. Just… please trust us, tell us what happened to you." He released her from his embrace and gazed into her eyes. His were full of sincerity, welcoming Robin to disclose her secrets. She looked longingly in those eyes, feeling as if her soul was being bore in with those green irises of his; as if he could read her like a book.

"Does it really matter?" She smiled quietly to herself, staring at her wrists, admiring some deep scars on her pallid skin.

"It does to me." He held her hands tightly, their fingers intertwined. This kind gesture inspired confidence in her to trust him.

"Fine… I will tell you… 10 years ago…"

~Flashback~

The underground was safe haven for Robin; the secret agents would never dare to enter this place unless they had a large armed force with them. However, Robin's bounty on her head paled in comparison to some of the big shots down here. So she was not a notorious target for them, though there were still dangers that lurked in the bowels of the underground and Robin was a delicious prey for them physically and economically.

She would hardly wear any expression on her face when she delved into the underground; however, her heart was always down and heavy. Ever since that incident when she was 8 she had been on the run. No one cared for her, there was no one she could rely on and no place could she call home. Loneliness was her only companion and the solace it provided was pathetic. She could barely survive in the underground if not for a few willing and disgusting men who let her into their gang. She earned money through deliveries, assassinations or through her looks, but nothing physical. She hated that she had to live a dishonest living; murdering people, feeding their addictions, and stripping for their pleasure was definitely not the kind of future she had in mind when she was 8.

Her fantasy dream when she was 8 was to be an archaeologist and get a master's degree in history and the top scholar in her batch. She would also still be with her mother and her mother would be proud of Robin's accomplishments. There would also be a mister in her life, someone dependable and smart just like her. Maybe a family where she could express her love of history to and share her profound knowledge with. Though in the current reality she was equipped with the right knowledge for archaeology, she never had the right opportunity to pursue the interest. She hoped greatly that the present would not prolong too much into the future. She had dreams she wanted, no needed to achieve and this life she was living was hardly a life at all.

As Robin walked into a shabby looking bar, several wolf whistles came from a bunch of perverts at the back followed by stares from several other interested men. She dressed pretty decent that day, it was just that her curves were hugged tightly by the black fabric and her slender legs were covered in tight leather boots with lace. She was probably the only female in the bar but she did not mind the attention; she had lived with it for a few years after she hit puberty.

She took a seat at a lonesome bar stool in a dark corner and ordered some vodka. From where she came from, strong liquor usually solved most problems of the heart and the cold. The bar tender complied lazily and poured her a shot. She gulped it all down in an instant and requested for another. Just then, a pale, lean man took a seat beside her. She ignored his presence, sure that he was here to flirt with her. He ordered a mug of beer and then proceeded to make the first move.

"I guess you should be Nico Robin."

"… Yes…. But if you're here for my head or body you'd better drop the idea. I'm seriously not in the mood to deal with incompetent men like you right now." She swivelled her drink and stared at it dreamily.

"Well, I hope you don't assume that all men are like that."

"If it's not for money, it's for pleasure or ego. Nothing altruistic at all; men in the underground are selfish and cold blooded, they only think about themselves." Cruel experience taught her that hard lesson.

"Then I'm here on more personal business that does not involve anything physical or intimate."

"… And you are?"

"Drake, X Drake." He moved closer to the dim lighting and Robin could see he was near middle aged and had auburn hair and an x on his chin. He looked rather European but he was fluent in his speech so it was difficult for Robin to associate him with any particular race. He wore an honest look despite it being serious and professional. There was something about him that made Robin feel as if she could trust his word.

"I'm here to warn you. But we can't talk here." His eyes shifted to some eager men eavesdropping on the conversation or ogling at Robin. She understood and decided to leave with him for protection and mostly out of boredom. She did not have much on her schedule these days.

She followed him warily, meandering through dull and morose buildings before encountering an abandoned warehouse. Robin realised that they had gone beyond the boundaries of the 'underground' territory. This placed her in a dangerous situation. The man started to open the shutters to the warehouse as Robin kept a firm grip on her hidden gun. She expected a mob of armed men pointing their guns in her face. However, what came into view was a poorly lighted and empty hangout. There were remnants of its inhabitants strewn around the place, but otherwise it was liveable. He stepped in casually and led in before closing the shutters behind them.

Robin did not let her guard down, but was anxious about his every move. Drake pulled out a shabby looking chair for her and she gracefully took a seat. He sat opposite to her and gave her a stern look as if she was in an interrogation.

"Mr X I hope you can finally tell me what my purpose is here."

"First of all, let me clarify that I am here strictly on personal business, nothing underground related or secret agent related. I mean no harm to you so please let go of the gun in your holster." Robin complied half-heartedly; the fluttering feeling in her to trust this man did not fade away but her guts knew better.

"Nico Robin, you possess a very dangerous weapon that no one can take away from you and this very weapon threatens the peace of the world we live today."

"What weapon are you referring to?"

"Your knowledge of the Poneglyphs. You have to put an end to your research immediately." Robin grew infuriated with every word he said; each stinging syllable sliced through her heart. It was her very dream to discover the True History and he was another obstacle to it. What could he possibly understand of her dream or the lengths her people have gone to even achieve it.

"Mr X, your plea will never convince me to quit the Poneglyphs. There have been people who died for the search of the True History and I am not allowing you to stand in the way just because-"

"Ms Nico, you have to understand there is a bitter reason to why the World Government does not want you or anyone else for that matter to discover the True History."

"Well, try to understand this then; I have seen the World Government killing people, destroying an entire town just to keep the True History a secret! That town is gone, erased from the map just because of this reason… and even though it's gone, you can't see how many people were erased from it too. All of them were innocent, some of them were just kids and some just wanted to know for knowledge's sake. History is an important asset of man and the truth will be told someday to the world of what really happened in the last few centuries. A mere man like you would never understand the sacrifices these people have made to achieve this dream! Never!" Her bloodshot eyes glared at him as he took in a deep breath. He bit his lower lip before sighing.

"Robin, you're wrong. I do understand and I definitely know of the pain you suffer every night just because of what the World Government did to your people."

"How could you-"

"I was there; I used to be an Admiral for the World Government and was deployed to eradicate the archaeology research. I didn't imagine that such a mission could expand to a full scale attack. That bastard comrade of mine just had to trigger Buster Call and cause massive destruction to Ohara. I lost a great friend that day as well. I'm sure you've known Saul." Her eyes widened and her fury died down. Saul was the kind soul who saved her life that fateful day, but just like her any of her friends, they disappeared with Buster Call.

"Saul and I had our agreements on the World Government's corrupt and immoral ways but he quit first after he couldn't agree with their methods to obtain 'true justice'. I tolerated it but I finally snapped when they triggered Buster Call. However, the day I decided to throw in the towel was also the very day I learned a grave secret; the True History." Robin gapped at the man.

"Robin, if you do discover the True History and reveal it to the world, mass hysteria and panic will occur, followed by mindless violence and utter chaos. You will plunge the world into darkness because of this unwanted truth and possibly destroy all hopes of human survival. I will not tell you what I learnt to save your innocent mind. But I leave you with two choices: one, you can continue your life on the run and discover the True History or you can co-operate with me and stop your research, save the world and be protected from the World Government and the thugs from the underground." Robin was extremely relieved that she had a choice. Both choices were tempting but led to extremely different paths that would determine her future. She took a while to decide, weighing the pros and cons. Drake waited patiently before she opened her mouth for a response.

"I choose to go with you." Her unblinking gaze bore into his very soul. The intensity of her words really shook him; he'd thought that she would resist and reject his offer. This turn of events had really taken him by surprise. What he did not know was that Robin was tired. Tired of running away from the World Government and assassins, tired from having to do dirty jobs to get by, tired of the very life she lived in. She wanted change, and even if this cooperation with Drake was temporary, the change was sure to come and she could live more freely; and sleep better at night.