Renegade Hearts
by Kaline Reine

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of the characters/settings. This is just a fanfiction story. I claim nothing.

WARNINGS: This story contains (or may contain) graphic adult content and language, explicit sex scenes which may or may not be consensual, violence, cursing, dark and/or adult themes, etc. I do not censor my writing, but I do warn people about the subject matter and potential subject matter. Not all of my stories contain such things, but many of them will. So if you don't like that kind of thing or can't handle it, then I suggest not reading this story. You have been warned.

In other words, children please avert your eyes. Thank you. (I doubt this particular story is going to be all that bad, but I tend to get carried away sometimes, so you never know.)

Chapter 11:

Robin sat across from him in a small armchair. It looked like it was positioned away from the sliding glass doors that led to her balcony, probably to better catch the rays of sun as she sat there reading... That's what he would assume, judging from all of the books that lined her walls. She seemed to be an intelligent woman. He hoped they weren't all just there for show.

"I brought back your jacket." Ace stated bluntly. He was so eager for her forgiveness, and just seemed to want to speed things along.

"Thank you for returning it," She adjusted her plain crimson T-shirt, pulling it down. "But it's not a jacket, it's a trench coat."

"Eh, same difference."

He handed the garment to her, but she didn't take it.

"That's an oxymoron..."

"I am not!" He shouted, pouting a bit.

"Good. That's not what that word means."

"Okay, so they aren't just for show..." Ace muttered, under his breath.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Robin asked, crossing her arms, defensively. Yet, she let out a small giggle. She couldn't help it.

"I was wondering if... Well it's silly, heh. Nevermind."

"No, go on..." She leaned forward, seeming genuinely interested in what he had to say. Especially now that he'd apparently lost his nerve. That was a first.

"I was just thinking to myself earlier... I was wondering if all these books were for show or if you actually read them? I'm guessing you do." He smiled cheekily, with a dry laugh. "Little bookworm..."

"Shut up!"

There were several small throw pillows behind her in the large chair. When she threw one of them at his head, it was on. Ace returned it to her, causing her to squeak and attempt to hit him with it. He grabbed one from the couch he was sitting on and tossed it at her, before throwing her coat along with it. It was a good thing she didn't have anything breakable nearby. A pillow fight had ensued and both of them laughed the whole time. It continued for a while, until the two were about to collapse in a fit of laughter.

"Alright, look," Robin held up both hands in front of her face, the palms outspread to signify her surrender. Finally, the onslaught ceased. "This is serious. About what happened last night-"

"Actually, I wanted to ask you..." Ace straightened his spine, seeming more alert than he'd been a moment ago, as he tossed a pillow back behind him. "What did happen? I actually can't remember. But I'm pretty sure you were there. I was hoping you could tell me."

His nervousness had returned. Things had gone from being fun and silly to being completely serious within a matter of mere minutes.

"I was there." Her arms crossed again, as she took a sip of her coffee. She drank from a delicate white and gold porcelain cup. "But how did you figure that out?"

'When did she make that coffee?' Ace wondered. 'I haven't seen her get up from that spot since she came back into the room... Which could only mean...'

He looked over just in time to see her phantom arms vanish from their places along the countertops and floor. She'd used her powers just to make a drink? It made him wonder what other lengths she might be willing to go to.

'So... She thinks she's clever.'

"From your jacket," With a smirk, Ace played along with her questions, trying to come up with something. "I've seen you in it before, I think."

"I don't recall that. And it's not a jacket."

He shrugged. "Fuzzy memory, I guess. I was drunk, you know. Plus there's this." He held up the scrap of cloth he'd torn from her skirt. "I found it next to the jacket- er, coat, I know." He corrected himself.

"Right. Well, thanks for bringing it back to me." Her eyes narrowed, as if trying to see right through him. "You were far too... too inebriated to be reasoned with last night. Are you sure you don't remember anything at all?"

Robin was no fool, and she was very good at reading people. She knew he wasn't exactly telling the truth. No... There was something more to it than that. There had to be.

'Damn it, I was hoping she wouldn't call my bluff...'

"Okay, I give up... I do remember one thing."

"And what is that?" She asked, patiently awaiting his answer with an amused smile.

He leaned in closer to her, like he was ready to speak in a whisper. Ace savored the moment, loving the feeling of being so close to her, and trying everything he could to prolong it. She seemed to be waiting for something, out of sheer curiosity, if for no other reason.

"Your eyes..." He sighed, with a whisper, gazing into them deeply.

Robin didn't know what to say... Here was this madman of a Pirate, dead set on being her... friend or something? He'd weaseled his way into her life from out of nowhere. Her boss had conveniently assigned her to watch him. Her one goal was to extract information from him, any kind of information would do... And here he was, talking about her eyes, of all the things he could be paying attention to.

He had to be insane. There was no other explanation.

"I can't believe you have the audacity to even say that after last night!" She suddenly spat, drawing back. "I should kick you out right now..." Instead, she sipped her coffee haughtily, as if mocking him somehow.

"Whoa, slow down! You said it yourself. I was way too drunk to remember anything about last night. I'm sorry about that, and I apologize if I hurt you..."

'Oh.' The words ran through her head almost without her knowledge. 'He's sorry? Is that all?'

"You kind of should be..."

"What happened? Did something happen? If I did anything, I... I'm really sorry!" He stammered. Ace had begun to panic.

Robin stared him down, her eyes narrowing in annoyance. He was hanging on by a thread, at this point. She decided that blunt honesty was the only way to go. "How do I know I can trust you, Ace?"

And just like that, he decided to tell her everything...

"Then I'll just be honest. Or well... As honest as I can be. I'm looking to meet up with my little brother here soon. His name is Monkey D. Luffy. I haven't seen him since we both were kids, but ever since I left on my own adventure, he's sort of followed in my footsteps. He does things his own way though, believe me."

'There's that name again... That initial... D.' The sudden realization dawned on her. And, things began to make a lot more sense.

"So that's why you can't leave yet?" She hesitantly nodded, urging him to continue. "And that's the reason you've come here?"

"Exactly," Ace nodded. "I left a message for him back on Drum Island. I'm not sure if he got it or not, but he most likely did. Word is, he's on his way here right now, along with his entire crew."

He felt like it would be better if he didn't tell her about Blackbeard. This chick seemed like she knew some people in high places, and he couldn't risk word getting out that he was looking for him. He felt like such a liar... But at least meeting up with Luffy would be a good enough excuse... Or so he hoped.

"You mean to tell me that he's your brother? The Luffy? Captain of the Strawhat Pirates?"

She'd heard many rumors going around about this new Captain... Apparently, he was taking the world by storm. Rumor had it that he'd already defeated Captain Morgan, Captain Arlong, and many other powerful men. His name was already beginning to strike fear into people's hearts. And he hadn't even been sailing long, or so it was said.

"Yep. That's my little brother." He stated it so nonchalantly, as if it were the most casual thing in the world.

'If... If Luffy is that strong, and yet it's his little brother...' She reasoned. 'Then just how strong is he?'

"I don't have any idea what to say..." It took her several minutes to process this new information. "He's on his way here? To Alabasta? Right now? You're serious?" She was questioning everything.

"Yep, that's right. And I'm really looking forward to seeing him again."

"What sort of business could he possibly have here?" She wondered out loud.

"I really don't know, to tell you the truth... I guess because I asked him to meet me here?"

Robin nodded, seeming to accept his answer. He didn't appear to be lying. The small bits of information that he'd just given her alone would be more than enough to appease Crocodile. She didn't know exactly what it would mean to him or if he would even care, but she was able to see the potential danger there already.

Were the Strawhats coming to get rid of Crocodile? Was Luffy planning to overthrow him? To put an end to his tyranny? It might not even be something as simple as that... She wished she knew what his motives were, but that was something no one on the entire Grand Line seemed capable of knowing, not even his brother. The Strawhats were terrifying, and they were also known for being highly unpredictable. Each crew member was a nightmare, and their Captain was known for being the worst of all. He already had a reputation for being wild and spontaneous.

She shivered, involuntarily...

"Are you okay?" Ace put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine," Taking a deep breath, Robin knew what she had to do. "Thank you for explaining things to me. And don't worry about last night. We were both kind of drunk, and what happened has happened. It can't be helped. I'd love to chat more, but I actually need to get ready for work soon."

She placed her glass down on the coffee table, having finished it. She felt more awake and alert now. All she needed to do was get rid of him and get this news to her boss, before it was too late...

"Where do you work exactly? I forgot."

"At the Casino." She said, with a warm smile.

That alone would be too much information for him to know, according to Crocodile. But what the man didn't know wouldn't hurt him. ...Maybe.

Ace took his cue and got up to leave. Robin followed close after him, intent on locking the door as soon as he left. She couldn't afford to take any changes right now. They crossed the spacious room, as they talked.

"Ah, that's right. Well I'll leave you to it then. And I... I'm really very sorry about last night." He tipped his hat to her; a gesture was probably about as close to bowing as Firefist Ace was ever going to get.

"It means a lot to me just to know what you're doing here. Makes you a little more trustworthy, in my book. Apology accepted. Guess I'll be seeing you later."

With those words, it felt like a terrible weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Robin didn't feel afraid around him, but to her... That was all the more reason to worry. Such was the tension between them...

"One more thing..." He said, with a distinct amount of hesitation in his voice. "You should know... You don't have anything to be afraid of. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Forgive me," Robin sighed, with a roll of her eyes. "But I've heard that one too many times before."

Ace knew then that someone had clearly hurt her. He didn't know who, or how they'd done it, but they had. Big time. He wanted to know who had done such horrible things to her, who had damaged her in such a way... He wanted to close to the distance between them.

Standing in the door frame, he leaned in closer to her, expectantly. He was seeing if he could corner her again. Or maybe coax her into something...

"I make you nervous, don't I?"

It wasn't a question.

Robin moved swiftly to slam the door in his face. It was an instinctive reaction, almost involuntary. Then she slouched against it, with a weary sigh. She knew he heard her lock the door, before walking away.

As soon as she'd picked up the phone that day, her fingers trembling, her heart beat quickening, she'd known what she was in for. But she knew she had to tell him. She'd given Ace ample time to leave before even daring to make any calls.

"Hello?" Her boss answered his Den Den Mushi, just like always. She could hear him taking a long puff from what she presumed was a cigar.

"Sir Crocodile... It's Miss All Sunday. I have something to discuss with you."

"No need for formalities, sweets. What's the deal?"

"It would probably be better if I were to deliver it in person," Robin breathed into the phone, clearly exasperated. "You know, just in case. I have some information for you, and it's urgent this time."

"Very good. Come see me any time your sweet little heart wants."

Click. He hung up immediately.

She felt like she probably shouldn't tell him right away... She needed to figure out what to do first. But if there was one man she was completely loyal to, it was Crocodile. One might say that he had his hook in her, so to speak. He had many things that he could hold over her, and many ways to double-cross her, should the opportunity ever arise. All she had to do was give him a reason. Withholding information is all it would take, and once he found out...

Robin didn't want to think about it. She had such little choice in the matter. She was forced to tell him everything she knew. If not, the consequences could be dire. She only hoped that she wouldn't have to hurt Ace in the process... She didn't honestly know whether she would be able to manage that or not. And the thought both intrigued and infuriated her.

Deciding it would be best if she didn't waste any time, she changed into something probably even less suitable for going out in public, and went to see him.

It wasn't long until she arrived. Robin found her boss awaiting her arrival, the golden hook that comprised his left hand gleaming in the light from the giant aquarium in his office. That alone might have been enough to intimidate most people. After the last few days, she was almost relieved to see him again.

She strode up to him, in the typical outfit that she used for working in the Casino. It was a cowgirl themed skirt with a purple corset that laced up the front. Lots of tassels hung everywhere, and it showed plenty of skin. It satisfied most of the customers and it was just the thing for being able to get her way. At least she caught the male patrons ogling her often enough to appease her boss. She hated it, but at least they couldn't touch her while she was here. They only knew that she was fairly close to the owner. Most probably assumed she was his girlfriend. Hah! How wrong they were... Recently, she'd even found a matching purple hat, which reminded her of Ace's, to wear with it to complete the effect. She was clearly losing her mind...

"I trust you have something significant to tell me, if it couldn't be mentioned over the phone?" Crocodile's tone sounded amused.

His eyebrows hung in their typical expression of sadness. It was resemblant of the vague sadness that seemed to always exude from him. He waited patiently for her answer, taking a deep drag from what she knew was an expensive cigar... It was made by his own company, after all. He could have as many as he wanted.

'Sometimes I wish he'd smoke himself to death already...' She certainly didn't lament the fact that their adventure would probably be over soon.

Her heeled boots clicked across the floor, as she made her way over to him. "I finally managed to weasel some more information out of the recent target."

"And just how did you manage to get this information?"

"He told me directly. I... I gained his trust and he told me. That's all."

Her response was met with a sinister smirk. "That wouldn't have anything to do with you spending some time in Ace's hotel room last night, would it?"

'How did he know?' Robin gasped, finally understanding. '...Agatha! That bitch must have told him everything!'

It only made sense. Sir Crocodile had more than enough money from his criminal organization to be able to coerce information from nearly anyone... She would have to be sure to cover things up better next time. She didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea.

"Actually, that doesn't have anything to do with it, we-"

"Your blushing and the look on your face would suggest otherwise." To her annoyance, he rose from his seat, walking over to her, slowly ambushing his prey... "My, my... I never would've guessed that a Pirate would be your type."

Robin became aware that there was no one else in the room. It shouldn't have come as a surprise, after all, Crocodile always was a secretive man. He had to be. He couldn't afford for anyone to know about Baroque Works. Not yet... Right now, all she could manage was to was glare at him, wordlessly.

"No need to lie to me, doll... I know why he must have told you. I have to say, I didn't expect you to go to such lengths for the sake of a mission. Your loyalty has always been impressive... Especially lately." His right hand brushed away a few stray strands of her from her face, before running them slowly, sensually, down her cheek. "Might there be a reason for that?"

Her eyes widened. Without warning, Robin turned, her arms going into her signature attack pose... Phantom limbs sprouted up along his back, grabbing his arms and neck. She held him in place, her eyes ice cold and unforgiving.

"Fuck you!" She spat. "Nothing even happened! Alright?! And if it did, it wouldn't be any of your damn business!"

He'd hit a sore spot.

"It's obvious that I've said a little too much..." Crocodile didn't even have to move. His body slowly disintegrated, the tiny grains of sand falling out of her grasp with ease.

At least he went back to his seat and left her alone after that. At the moment, that was enough to appease her. Due to his powers, he would always managed to elude her. Robin made sure to stand just out of his reach. There was no telling what he might do. The man was as unpredictable as his reputation would indicate.

"Do you want to know what this news actually is, or not?" She sighed, impatiently, rubbing her temples.

"Fine, fine... What do you have for me?"

She finally had his attention focused back on work. Good.

"Have you ever heard of the Strawhat Pirates?"

"Yes," His grin widened. "What about them?"

"He claims they're coming to Alabasta." She watched him to see what he would do, but could read no change in his expression, nor in his body language. "I don't know exactly what they're planning, but I'm worried it could have something to do with the oncoming war. If they get involved, it won't be good."

"So let me get this straight... The Strawhat Pirates are coming here. And they're on their way here? As in, right now? That the gist of it?"

"Yes."

"How would he know anything about it? Isn't he second in command on Whitebeard's crew? So what would that have to do with the Strawhats? I need to know how they're connected."

"He is," Robin nodded. "As far as I know... He claims the Captain is his brother."

"My, my... That certainly is interesting. Any idea why they're coming to Alabasta?"

"My understanding is that Ace recently visited Drum Island. He left a message there for Luffy, who picked it up and set course for Alabasta after finding out his brother would be waiting here. They must have picked here because it was on route to wherever they're headed. It is still possible that they'll merely pass through harmlessly."

"So that's where they're headed from... Alright," Crocodile removed the cigar from his lips, deliberately snuffing it out in the sleek black ashtray he kept on his desk. "We'll need to take care of them. I didn't factor their presence into my plans. But what do you think?"

As much as she hated to admit it, he was probably right. She still wanted to convince him to leave the Strawhats alone if she could. After all, it was Ace's brother. She knew it would hurt him if anything were to happen. Things would be especially bad if Crocodile ever got hold of them.

"From the things I've heard about them, it would likely be a mistake to underestimate them. But I really don't think they will do any harm. They haven't even been sailing for that long, to begin with..."

"Go on..." He purred, immediately lighting another cigar and blowing a small puff of smoke in her general direction.

"That's it." Robin shrugged. "There's no more to tell."

"Is that all?" He chuckled. "Well, it does concern me, but... I'm sure you can handle it."

"What- me, I... Well, sir... I just-"

"Don't act so surprised! I've got the big meeting with my Officer Agents coming up soon. I can't afford to leave, at the moment. You've never let me down before. I know I can count on you to get the job done."

"And what would you have me do?" She raised a defiant eyebrow. "Openly oppose them and fight an entire Pirate crew all on my own?"

"No... Don't kill them yet. Try distracting them. I'm sure the Captain should fall for that killer bod-" He halted in his speech immediately, when he saw her strike a defensive pose. "I'm kidding, just kidding! Look, just go and persuade them to turn back or go a different way. Divert their attention away from Alabasta. Maybe warn them about the impending war? I'm sure they won't want to get caught up in all this mess. They can always find somewhere else to meet up for their little reunion. If anything gets in your way though, blow it up. Especially if you see any ships that aren't ours or the Strawhats'. I want you to send them a message that says we mean business."

"Alright, but-"

"There's no time to waste, and I am not repeating myself." He stated, becoming very business-like all of a sudden. "You've been given your orders. Now go."

"Very well, sir."

Just as Robin turned to leave, she sensed a swift movement behind her. She turned just in time to catch the eternal log pose that Crocodile had tossed to her. It seemed to be pointing insistently in just one direction.

"And take this!" He called. "Give it to them. It'll take them to some bullshit coordinates that I've programmed it to. Don't worry, it's not a real island. But it should keep them away from Alabasta long enough. Maybe they'll decide to make good use of it... If they know what's good for them!"

"Alright. I'll report back when I'm finished."

"No need. Go home and get some rest. You're gonna need it!" He chuckled.

She left him there, to dwell in his wicked laughter all alone...

A/N: Well, here it is, in all it's terrible-ness! xD I never know what to say in author notes anymore... Hopefully this chapter was okay, I feel like it was a little rusty, but well... Things are moving along now, at least? Please don't hate me! D;

-Kaline