Rendering Life: The Story of Nico Robin
By: Ginga aka KTB
Disclaimer: I have done this many times before. I do not own these wonderful characters; unless they are ones that you have never heard of or have seen in One Piece. It's kind of obvious which ones are which. Thank you.
Note: This is a revamp; the original will be in here throughout the story. I may add and/or subtract some things to make it a smoother read. Hopefully my grammar and such will be pleasing as it sometimes gives me a headache to deal with. Beta help is open.
**** Part 1 And so it Begins; the Harsh Journey ****
It was raining when she arrived. The kind of rain that filled your ears and kept the air moist even when you were indoors. A young girl stood outside. Her black hair clung to her face, as were the rumpled and muddy clothes clung to her young body. She was pretty; she had been told by people on the street that she was. At times she would sit and be admired by others, but this was only when she truly craved attention.
At the young age of five, Nico Robin had learned to live on her own in the streets. Living in the warmest areas as she could during the cooler seasons and vice versa during the warm. The only exception to the streets was a small room she was allowed to stay in. The old woman who was the concierge of a large apartment complex had taken pity on her and allowed Robin to stay for a few nights at a time. She was grateful for the room and helped the old woman with some minor chores to repay her.
She had always been interested in the life of finding and learning about people of the past. She had known her family was closely tied to the field of archeology. The subject intrigued the girl to no end. It was as if the interest had been there since she was still in her mother's womb. Yet, her family had separated a long time ago and Robin had learned how to live through many trials and tribulations that many children her age couldn't survive through.
She was proud of her family's interests, but not their actions. Today, the seven-year old knew her life would change for the better, for the next day was her birthday. When walking outside of bar earlier that day when she saw one of the biggest ships coming into port. The way the flags waved in the misty wind caught her attention, and being a child, she decided to go and investigate. It was then she found out the people who occupied the ship were pirates, or that they were at least scavengers of a sort. She overheard conversations of a 'great treasure' being found and that it was 'the rarest' thing they had ever seen. The stories of treasure had always interested Robin.
Every night before falling asleep she would read the books that were in the old woman's room, looking for adventure with each word. Walking on the pier she saw many crates being unloaded as the men were hustling and bustling about. She covered her ears as drunken men passed her by; giving quick looks at what they were wearing. She had only read of pirates and had never seen them up close. The stories were very disrespectful in the pirate's eye, but they still piqued the young girl's interests. She thought back to some of the tales she had read about Captains White, Avery, and as well as some other lesser-known captains and their crews.
Tonight was the night she was going to find out if these stories were true. Standing by the massive ship Robin stared at the workmanship of each plank the boat was made of, but she was startled when a large crate fell next to her and break into pieces; all of its contents falling to the wooden pier next to her. Round ringlets of gold and silver covered the wooden planks and Robin's bright eyes went wide. So many riches stood before her, but one thing caught the corner of her eye. It was a round object that looked amiss from everything else that was in the chest. Making sure nobody was looking she grabbed the object and ran for cover. Many of the men had seen her run off, but were too occupied with cleaning up the spill. It was not until the cleanup was over that they would find out that they had lost one of the most valuable items on their ship; the devil's fruit.
Robin ran as fast as her legs would take her to the room in the apartment complex. When she passed the bar she heard the men go into an uproar about the precious item being missing. She didn't know what the round thing she held in her arms was one of the rarest items in the world and that could change the owner's life forever once consumed.
Robin ran into her little room and locked the door behind her. She quickly took out the round object from under her wet clothes. It was shiny and moist from the rain outside that soaked though her clothes, but this didn't seem to matter. The item that was so important was a fruit. Albeit a strange looking fruit, but a fruit nonetheless.
The fruit was round in shape, but was also an odd color. It was pale; an almost purplish mixed with a peach color. The fruit was quite solid and looked as if it was something that would be able to keep for a long time.
Robin brought her legs up closer to the rest of her body and rested her chin on her knees while staring at the fruit. None of the books she had read had anything to do with pirates searching for fruit, so this was indeed a mystery to the girl. Outside she could hear the townspeople cry in their wake as the pirates came and ransacked homes in search for the valuable item. Robin knew she wasn't safe in the room; the men would definitely find her in there, but the streets were also a dangerous place, more so than her room.
There was really no escape.
A loud boom made Robin jump as she heard the door below her being broken into. The old woman's voice could be heard as well as some of the crews. A scuffle was heard and then a scream came from the old woman as a shot rang out. The scream went silent. Listening as the footsteps were coming closer and closer to where her room was situated. Robin looked down at the fruit and did the only thing she could think of. She ate it.
The door burst open in front of her and the men all piled inside the book filled room. Robin looked up with her bright, tear-filled eyes to the man who stood above her. He demanded the fruit and she replied that it wasn't possible. This angered him and he raised his gun to point between her eyes. Robin's voice shook, but she repeated that she couldn't give the fruit back. The men in the room walked up to her and grabbed her small arms. She struggled, but the men were too strong. The leader with the gun kept it aimed at her head as his gang held her down. Thinking of nothing else to do, she closed her eyes and screamed.
There was a gunshot and the hands that were holding her down suddenly went limp. Robin opened her eyes to see the face of one of the men lying next to her on the hardwood floor. Frightened she shifted away from the man, but bumped into something else behind her. Robin sat up and saw that all the men in the room were dead. The man holding the gun shot by his own weapon; the others killed by their own knives and swords.
Robin stood up and ran out of the room. Something killed those people and it was in that building. She ran out to the wet streets into another gang of pirates. One was about to make a grab for her when a hand came out of his own extended one and grabbed the sword he had been holding. With a swoop the man fell to the ground bleeding. The others standing close to the fallen man backed away from Robin, fearing that they too would share the same fate.
Robin looked around rapidly in the street looking for some sort of explanation of what had happened when one of the men yelled out something that sounded like 'She ate it!' The men in the area stopped searching and all began to gather around her staring with scrutinizing eyes. Robin looked at each of the men as they surrounded her with weapons raised, ready to attack when ordered.
The rain came down in sheets, it became harder and harder to see the figures in front of her. They yelled out accusations that Robin could barely understand. Had she killed all those men? It was hard to believe that a seven-year old could take down one grown man, let alone more than three. Then the fruit came back to her mind. May be it had something to do with the fruit she had eaten. Just then she remembered a small chapter about legends of the sea. One of the passages had to do with magical fruit or as most seamen called it, the 'devil's' fruit, a fruit that set a curse upon those who consumed it. The curse would change the body into something that associated their actions with the specific fruit. It was a hard subject to describe, but one thing that she remembered that the fruit cause the person to have a sort of water affliction. The person would never be able to swim again. Swimming was not what bothered Robin; it was the change in the body she was more afraid of. She had not felt any odd effects that should have occurred when she devoured the fruit. The only odd thing she had seen since the eating of the fruit was the arm that had appeared out of the other man's before he fell to the ground in his own blood.
Robin had then made the connection of the arm with the fruit. The men were coming closer and closer, yelling questions, quips and comments towards her. She knew she had the new power inside her so she called upon it. Just after she called her power to come forward extra appendages came out of each of the men's arms as each hand grabbed the weapon the offenders were holding. And with a sickening crack of thunder each arm did something different, but all got rid of the men they had become apart of.
Robin took in the seen of the fallen men before her and began to run towards the docks. Searching, she grabbed what gold coins and trinkets she could and stuffed them into her pockets and wet blouse. She was about to run and find a small ship when she felt a hand touch her shoulder. She turned and gasped when she saw the uniform. It was a marine. She looked at the possibilities to attack this man and get away, but decided against it. Besides, may be they could help her with this curse.
The marine station was warm and welcoming. A secretary had given her a warm blanket and tea to keep her from catching a cold, but Robin didn't think it was much use to try and help her; she was already cursed. She waited in her seat until a normal guard came up to her and asked her to follow him. She complied and walked behind the man, blanket dragging along the floor as they strolled through the hallways that wound in every which-way.
She was led to a room where a man wore a long coat that only touched his shoulder, each should having fringe on the sides. Robin decided that this was a high-ranking figure, possibly a colonel. She sat in the chair that faced the man across the room, her feet dangling just above the floor. She had to admit she was a little nervous, the man on the other end was very intimidating. He was a big man in stature than the small, seemingly insignificant size that Robin was.
When the man in the coat spoke, his voice seemed to boom and bounce on the walls. His name was Lt. Wahine and he introduced himself with up most respect, even though his name literally meant 'woman.' Robin tried not to start laughing with the man looking at her, but it was hard to keep under wraps. She introduced herself and asked why she was there. Lt. Wahine asked what exactly happened that night. Robin told her part of the story, but began to feel uncomfortable when she got to the part of the devil's fruit. The Lieutenant looked at her as she spoke made her feel even more uncomfortable. When she was finished Lt. Wahine just stood and stared out the window for a while. He turned and faced he with the most undeniable expression of guilt in his face.
"Nico Robin, you're under arrest."
By: Ginga aka KTB
Disclaimer: I have done this many times before. I do not own these wonderful characters; unless they are ones that you have never heard of or have seen in One Piece. It's kind of obvious which ones are which. Thank you.
Note: This is a revamp; the original will be in here throughout the story. I may add and/or subtract some things to make it a smoother read. Hopefully my grammar and such will be pleasing as it sometimes gives me a headache to deal with. Beta help is open.
**** Part 1 And so it Begins; the Harsh Journey ****
It was raining when she arrived. The kind of rain that filled your ears and kept the air moist even when you were indoors. A young girl stood outside. Her black hair clung to her face, as were the rumpled and muddy clothes clung to her young body. She was pretty; she had been told by people on the street that she was. At times she would sit and be admired by others, but this was only when she truly craved attention.
At the young age of five, Nico Robin had learned to live on her own in the streets. Living in the warmest areas as she could during the cooler seasons and vice versa during the warm. The only exception to the streets was a small room she was allowed to stay in. The old woman who was the concierge of a large apartment complex had taken pity on her and allowed Robin to stay for a few nights at a time. She was grateful for the room and helped the old woman with some minor chores to repay her.
She had always been interested in the life of finding and learning about people of the past. She had known her family was closely tied to the field of archeology. The subject intrigued the girl to no end. It was as if the interest had been there since she was still in her mother's womb. Yet, her family had separated a long time ago and Robin had learned how to live through many trials and tribulations that many children her age couldn't survive through.
She was proud of her family's interests, but not their actions. Today, the seven-year old knew her life would change for the better, for the next day was her birthday. When walking outside of bar earlier that day when she saw one of the biggest ships coming into port. The way the flags waved in the misty wind caught her attention, and being a child, she decided to go and investigate. It was then she found out the people who occupied the ship were pirates, or that they were at least scavengers of a sort. She overheard conversations of a 'great treasure' being found and that it was 'the rarest' thing they had ever seen. The stories of treasure had always interested Robin.
Every night before falling asleep she would read the books that were in the old woman's room, looking for adventure with each word. Walking on the pier she saw many crates being unloaded as the men were hustling and bustling about. She covered her ears as drunken men passed her by; giving quick looks at what they were wearing. She had only read of pirates and had never seen them up close. The stories were very disrespectful in the pirate's eye, but they still piqued the young girl's interests. She thought back to some of the tales she had read about Captains White, Avery, and as well as some other lesser-known captains and their crews.
Tonight was the night she was going to find out if these stories were true. Standing by the massive ship Robin stared at the workmanship of each plank the boat was made of, but she was startled when a large crate fell next to her and break into pieces; all of its contents falling to the wooden pier next to her. Round ringlets of gold and silver covered the wooden planks and Robin's bright eyes went wide. So many riches stood before her, but one thing caught the corner of her eye. It was a round object that looked amiss from everything else that was in the chest. Making sure nobody was looking she grabbed the object and ran for cover. Many of the men had seen her run off, but were too occupied with cleaning up the spill. It was not until the cleanup was over that they would find out that they had lost one of the most valuable items on their ship; the devil's fruit.
Robin ran as fast as her legs would take her to the room in the apartment complex. When she passed the bar she heard the men go into an uproar about the precious item being missing. She didn't know what the round thing she held in her arms was one of the rarest items in the world and that could change the owner's life forever once consumed.
Robin ran into her little room and locked the door behind her. She quickly took out the round object from under her wet clothes. It was shiny and moist from the rain outside that soaked though her clothes, but this didn't seem to matter. The item that was so important was a fruit. Albeit a strange looking fruit, but a fruit nonetheless.
The fruit was round in shape, but was also an odd color. It was pale; an almost purplish mixed with a peach color. The fruit was quite solid and looked as if it was something that would be able to keep for a long time.
Robin brought her legs up closer to the rest of her body and rested her chin on her knees while staring at the fruit. None of the books she had read had anything to do with pirates searching for fruit, so this was indeed a mystery to the girl. Outside she could hear the townspeople cry in their wake as the pirates came and ransacked homes in search for the valuable item. Robin knew she wasn't safe in the room; the men would definitely find her in there, but the streets were also a dangerous place, more so than her room.
There was really no escape.
A loud boom made Robin jump as she heard the door below her being broken into. The old woman's voice could be heard as well as some of the crews. A scuffle was heard and then a scream came from the old woman as a shot rang out. The scream went silent. Listening as the footsteps were coming closer and closer to where her room was situated. Robin looked down at the fruit and did the only thing she could think of. She ate it.
The door burst open in front of her and the men all piled inside the book filled room. Robin looked up with her bright, tear-filled eyes to the man who stood above her. He demanded the fruit and she replied that it wasn't possible. This angered him and he raised his gun to point between her eyes. Robin's voice shook, but she repeated that she couldn't give the fruit back. The men in the room walked up to her and grabbed her small arms. She struggled, but the men were too strong. The leader with the gun kept it aimed at her head as his gang held her down. Thinking of nothing else to do, she closed her eyes and screamed.
There was a gunshot and the hands that were holding her down suddenly went limp. Robin opened her eyes to see the face of one of the men lying next to her on the hardwood floor. Frightened she shifted away from the man, but bumped into something else behind her. Robin sat up and saw that all the men in the room were dead. The man holding the gun shot by his own weapon; the others killed by their own knives and swords.
Robin stood up and ran out of the room. Something killed those people and it was in that building. She ran out to the wet streets into another gang of pirates. One was about to make a grab for her when a hand came out of his own extended one and grabbed the sword he had been holding. With a swoop the man fell to the ground bleeding. The others standing close to the fallen man backed away from Robin, fearing that they too would share the same fate.
Robin looked around rapidly in the street looking for some sort of explanation of what had happened when one of the men yelled out something that sounded like 'She ate it!' The men in the area stopped searching and all began to gather around her staring with scrutinizing eyes. Robin looked at each of the men as they surrounded her with weapons raised, ready to attack when ordered.
The rain came down in sheets, it became harder and harder to see the figures in front of her. They yelled out accusations that Robin could barely understand. Had she killed all those men? It was hard to believe that a seven-year old could take down one grown man, let alone more than three. Then the fruit came back to her mind. May be it had something to do with the fruit she had eaten. Just then she remembered a small chapter about legends of the sea. One of the passages had to do with magical fruit or as most seamen called it, the 'devil's' fruit, a fruit that set a curse upon those who consumed it. The curse would change the body into something that associated their actions with the specific fruit. It was a hard subject to describe, but one thing that she remembered that the fruit cause the person to have a sort of water affliction. The person would never be able to swim again. Swimming was not what bothered Robin; it was the change in the body she was more afraid of. She had not felt any odd effects that should have occurred when she devoured the fruit. The only odd thing she had seen since the eating of the fruit was the arm that had appeared out of the other man's before he fell to the ground in his own blood.
Robin had then made the connection of the arm with the fruit. The men were coming closer and closer, yelling questions, quips and comments towards her. She knew she had the new power inside her so she called upon it. Just after she called her power to come forward extra appendages came out of each of the men's arms as each hand grabbed the weapon the offenders were holding. And with a sickening crack of thunder each arm did something different, but all got rid of the men they had become apart of.
Robin took in the seen of the fallen men before her and began to run towards the docks. Searching, she grabbed what gold coins and trinkets she could and stuffed them into her pockets and wet blouse. She was about to run and find a small ship when she felt a hand touch her shoulder. She turned and gasped when she saw the uniform. It was a marine. She looked at the possibilities to attack this man and get away, but decided against it. Besides, may be they could help her with this curse.
The marine station was warm and welcoming. A secretary had given her a warm blanket and tea to keep her from catching a cold, but Robin didn't think it was much use to try and help her; she was already cursed. She waited in her seat until a normal guard came up to her and asked her to follow him. She complied and walked behind the man, blanket dragging along the floor as they strolled through the hallways that wound in every which-way.
She was led to a room where a man wore a long coat that only touched his shoulder, each should having fringe on the sides. Robin decided that this was a high-ranking figure, possibly a colonel. She sat in the chair that faced the man across the room, her feet dangling just above the floor. She had to admit she was a little nervous, the man on the other end was very intimidating. He was a big man in stature than the small, seemingly insignificant size that Robin was.
When the man in the coat spoke, his voice seemed to boom and bounce on the walls. His name was Lt. Wahine and he introduced himself with up most respect, even though his name literally meant 'woman.' Robin tried not to start laughing with the man looking at her, but it was hard to keep under wraps. She introduced herself and asked why she was there. Lt. Wahine asked what exactly happened that night. Robin told her part of the story, but began to feel uncomfortable when she got to the part of the devil's fruit. The Lieutenant looked at her as she spoke made her feel even more uncomfortable. When she was finished Lt. Wahine just stood and stared out the window for a while. He turned and faced he with the most undeniable expression of guilt in his face.
"Nico Robin, you're under arrest."