Prompt: Fairy Tale

Disclaimer: Eichiro Oda created One Piece, not me. The anime and manga are licensed by Shonen Jump. I make no money for the writing of this fanfiction.

Dark lashed eyes fluttered open to darkness, illuminated by phosphorescent yellows and greens. The sort caused by bioluminescence. Just how long the archeologist was out she wasn't sure. Judging from the saline smell of the air, and the lack of moisture on her clothes she guessed it wasn't too long. Her neck was fastened in a collar while both hands were locked to either side of her head. The draining feeling she sensed confirmed her fears: sea stone cuffs.

"It's you, Marlin the spike?" Robin called out, keeping her voice calm. Putting on a mask was something she had too much experience doing.

"How nice you remember me, archeologist. Or should I say child of the devil..." Murmured the voice she hadn't heard for years. Stepping into the greenish blue light she saw the yellow and purple shirt, a pinstripe suit, and broad brimmed hat under a long dark blue duster coat. He wore no shoes but modified sandals.

Gold eyes gleamed with the satisfaction of a cobra having caught its prey. The long flaps of skin on either side of his head gave him the appearance of a sea devil. But she saw a few scars and the tatoo on his hand.

"You've aged well," she commented. From what she could see the chamber had a curved ceiling which suggested she was in a cavern, underwater and dug into the coral.

"For an inferior ugly human you would pass as attractive," he sneered, touching her face with a slightly warm hand. "I see you kept his sunglasses."

"Those are ones I bought with my own money," she explained, sniffing the thick sea air that burned her nostrils. Her ears popped from the change in air pressure.

"Could it be you wear them like a trophy? For what you did?" He asked, before he smacked her hard in the face.

Robin bore up against it. Slaps were nothing though it stung. "No. As penance. As a reminder that power can corrupt when not tempered with control."

"Are you mocking me?" He hissed, pulling down his gold sunglasses.

"No." Robin replied, looking him in the eyes. "I am no longer with Baroque works. I am a straw hat pirate."

"Doesn't matter to me. I'm sure you've done your perverted favors like Arlong's wench did. How many men did you blow to get here?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Robin said with a smile.

Rolling his eyes, Marlin shook his head. "Everything is a joke to you. But you do realize this is all for your benefit..."

"I apologize for killing your brother. I was only trying to..."

Disgust came over the fishman's face. "Paralyze him? Oh, and that's supposed to bring him back? Excuse me if I'm not magnanimous, but he and I were close, till you rubbed him out!"

"I am truly sorry," she repeated again, closing her eyes. Her wrap skirt fluttered in the cold breeze of the fishman made caverns, something she remembered from those ten years ago. Both her ankles were chained, and her whole body was fastened to a frame she realized could be rotated and swung to a level surface like a table.

"Well that's a meager start, but as killing you is meaningless, I can take away the one thing fate gave you, your crew. One by one I'll pick them off," he threatened.

"How unoriginal," she began.

"But fun," he laughed, gurgling. "And the marines don't care if you're dead or alive."

"My own ransome is worth enough. Let the others go..." She began.

"Oh no, you see I know about Straw Hat. He doesn't give up. No matter what you say. And that means I'll have to take him on..."

"You'll die," she warned.

"I have become stronger. Ten years is long enough to develop hatred. And hatred breeds a poison worse than you can imagine. Comparable to Magellan's I'd say..." He laughed.

"Please..." She trailed off.

"Just sit back and enjoy the show. You've a morbid sense of humor like mine... Let's watch the straw hats come to save their precious friends," he snickered. "And that robotic freak. He's special to you isnt he?"

Robin didn't take the bait. "Even if I was, that means nothing..."

Grinning, Marlin grabbed at her soft hair, feeling it and petting it. "Well then, I'll have to make his demise twice as horrible. But they'll have a good fight. The straw hat will die saving his friends,"

"You do that, and Red Haired Shanks will gut you and have your liver for breakfast, as will many others. Can you afford to risk it?" Robin asked, smiling with more confidence.

"I'll take my chances, with Big Mom, and my other powerful friends," he sneered. Two fishmen brought in a large clam, and opened it. The flat mother of pearl inside gleamed and flickered with energy, till she saw a picture displayed on its inner shell just like a tele snail.

Other clams were opened, showing her other views from around the island. The images crackled in a limited blue and green color scheme. With glee, Marlin swept out his arm. "Welcome to the show of a lifetime. I'm sure that many will pay for tone dials of this!"

"You must be mad," she sighed, bowing her head. He forced her chin up and yanked on her hair. She was forced to open her eyes. Reflected in his sunglasses were the images of her friends arriving on the island, and finding Chopper. Luffy's rage was apparent as he looked through the screen as if he knew someone was watching.

"Don't worry. The name of Monkey D. Luffy will be remembered along the other pirates,as a worthy adversary, since history is important," he rambled squeezing her cheeks. She surpressed a gasp as he bit into her ear, and blood dripped down to the floor.

"Luffy will absolutely not forgive you," she warned. "His anger and love for us makes him like a god..." Robin said in a low threatening tone. She watched Usopp hunched over the reindeer doctor, using his first aid kit to help revive him. Good. At least Chopper was ok.

"Hey! Whoever you are! Watch out! I'm coming to blow you away!" Luffy shouted, shaking his fist. "I'll make you pay for taking my archeologist! I'm gonna kick your ass so far they'll not find it on the other side of the New World !"

For a split second she could swear she saw Marlin flinch. Luffy's dark eyed stare seemed to gleam into her soul like a beacon of hope. "Luffy, come and get me please..." She whispered.

Much as a distressed damsel in a fairytale, the brave knight who would be king was coming with his trusted band of retainers to rescue her. Unfortunately this tale could end up as gruesome as the original versions unsanitized by revisionist history. She chuckled sadly at the notion that technically when Franky donned the Shogun suit he was encased in shining armor.