****
Part 6
Unwinding the Cycle
****
Robin stayed in Arontowne for a few more days after receiving her pay from the
'disposal' of Ruther. She bought herself a new boat and went on her way doing small
jobs here and there. As good as she got, someone out there was always better. It was
when she turned fifteen when she got the label of 'lady killer' when she finished a job
that included a whole 115-man crew and ten marines. She was paid well for that, but the
money was all spent on things that would lead her to the Rio Poneglyph.
She owned a large ship that held enough room for herself, food and all of her
hundreds of books. Though not all the volumes helped her in her search, she was hesitant
to part with them in case she had overlooked something important. As she got older, she
had read many of what lied on the dusty shelves three or more times than necessary.
Her life on the ship was quite simple and the complexity of outside life was not a
problem. It was around the age of eighteen when she saw the world shift and a new
meaning was put into her life... She had met a man.
She had come across this man after a letter he sent to her while she was out at sea.
He was interested in her skills and experiences, which she gladly told him about, but
refrained from giving any real personal information. She was not very trusting of a
person that she couldn't see or actually physically communicate with, but she kept in
touch by writing letters to him all the same. She had also asked him to talk about himself,
but his reply was to check the papers. This confused her slightly until the monthly paper
arrived by gull. Here she saw articles on rogue pirates of the worst kind and flyers of
those who are wanted by the marines. One sheet caught her eye as she flipped through the
newsprint; the man who had a crooked smile, dark slicked hair, and clothes of the best
kind... She knew it had to be him, The Crocodile.
She inquired this in her next message and was replied with an answer that said he
was nothing but the man she assumed he was. She was having conversations with a
wanted pirate, a fellow person who is wanted by the marines, a fellow person who also
has a similar secret as she. Though she'd never tell.
It was a few weeks before she made it to the next shore of a small island called
Kahini. The people that lived her led simple lives, farming mostly, and were run by a
small urban town in the center of the island. The main food sources here were Taro; a
root that was used to make other dishes, much like a potato; and an array of fresh fruits
that grew on the tropical trees in the warm, sunny climate.
The people on the island looked at Robin without kindness and some went so far
as to whisper some names behind her back. The eighteen-year old kept her eyes to the
ground and made her way towards the city hall. The dirt roads soon turned to gravel and
then paved as she got closer and closer towards the more metropolitan part of the island.
The streets in the city were quite different from what she experienced in
Arontowne; covered on the sides with fallen frawns and brick colored dirt people walked
with only sandals and sarongs with T-shirts. It had small commercial businesses
including a farmers market in the center of town and some popular sea shops next to
small food businesses. People looked at her from store windows with hungry looks
mainly because foreigners usually brought money and Robin was definitely a foreigner to
this island. A land having the economy based on tourism... it was a good concept, unless
nobody showed up and because of that the situation would bring the land into economical
turmoil, but she tried not to think about any of this. It was not her problem.
She walked up to the city hall, which looked like a large plantation home, and
knocked on the door. A guard answered and allowed her to enter almost instantly
recognizing who she was. Robin had noticed his hand slightly tremble when closing the
door behind her. The guard had her follow him to where the governor of the island did his
political business. The room was quaint, but had a thick odor that reminded her of a bar.
It was the stench of liquor and self-annihilation, that is, if self-annihilation had a smell.
Robin sat herself down in the wicker chair that was placed in front of the governor's desk
and waited for the man to return from wherever he was.
It didn't take long till Robin figured something was amiss. She stood and walked
around towards the other side of the desk and saw a large man asleep on the ground,
scotch bottle in hand. Robin gave a deep sigh and looked around the room for a glass of
water. She had to get the man conscious in order to do business with him. She found a
wineglass filled halfway with water and grabbed it by the neck. She turned back towards
the man and dumped the warm water in the governor's face.
The man groaned loudly before his eyes slowly fluttered open. It took a while till
he registered his surroundings, but finally became aware of the young woman standing in
front of him.
"Miss, I am not looking for a 'good time.' Just take some money and go."
Robin couldn't help but smile. She knew what others thought of her beauty. She
was exotic looking and was well known for it. It was easy to mistake her for those whose
professions and conducted on street corners.
"Sir, I've come here because you requested a job to be done."
The governor looked up at her with a confused expression on his face. He finally
saw Robin's face and figured out who she was.
"I'm so sorry, Miss. Please take a seat. I know what thought that might have been
running through your head when you saw me..."
"Sir, I don't believe you do know what I was thinking."
"Er...of course. I only assumed. Well, anyway, I wanted you to do something for
me. It's really quite simple and this particular person will go quite willingly. In fact, will
aid you in anyway he can."
"Sir?"
"I want you to kill me, Miss."
Robin looked at the governor with wide eyes. Never had she received a wish for
herself to kill the employer. It was farfetched and very dangerous, especially when
dealing with a man involved deeply in the politics in his own country. To kill a governor
was a dangerous job, but to kill a governor who was willing... it was almost unheard of.
"Sir, with all do respect. I believe that you may need to rethink this..."
"NO!" The man's dilated eyes drew her attention to his face. He was still quite
drunk and his hair was matted down with the water she poured on his and the sweat that
he had secreted earlier. "I can't be the one to let my people down! I have to die. For you
see, this island's economy is so bad; we can't survive unless we have without outside
support. Our business revenue has dropped drastically and we have really nothing left. I
have nothing left to give them. I can't live anymore to let this place down, let the people
down."
Robin nodded in an understanding manner. She remembered seeing the people's
desperate looks in their eyes as she passed by the businesses in the streets. These people
were under trying times, but surely there was a way to get through it? Robin was about to
ask the man a question when she saw a gun handle two inches from her face. The
governor held it out to her without reluctance and Robin took it in her hand.
The man closed his eyes expecting to feel searing pain when he heard a loud
thump. He slowly opened his eyes to see Robin standing in front of his with the arms
crossed and eyes narrowed in anger. It wasn't till he felt something grip his neck and
begin to choke him when he felt almost absolute terror.
Robin's eyes almost flared in anger. How could he just throw away his life so
easily while others strive to keep their own alive? This type of person made Robin feel
sick to her stomach. She felt the grip on the man get tighter with the arm she had
summoned. Watching the man's eyes bug out was not amusing, but she decided to grant
the man his wish, despite what consequences she would have to face in the future.
She watched as the man's body gave up on itself and crumble on the floor. She
left just as quickly as she came, walking through the town as if nothing had come of this
day. She killed their leader and she didn't want to be killed because of that. 'Nico Robin,
killed by angry island villagers...' She definitely didn't want that to be the headlines in
the next paper and what was even more important was that she didn't want to have
Crocodile see it.
There was just something about the man that man her happy and cringe at the
same time. This feeling could only be described as weird.
She left the island in no time leaving nothing that said she had been there except
footprints and the dead governor. It was only a week later when the new paper was sent
out when she saw the wanted sheet with her on it, but instead of the 20 million bellies it
was now raised to 79 million. The marines upped the bounty because of the governor, as
well as probably some of the others she had gotten rid of recently.
Robin was not proud of the rise in the bounty, but accepted her place in society.
Some people were just made to be on the run while others had normal decent lives. Robin
knew that she wouldn't be satisfied with a normal life, not while the Rio Poneglyph was
out there. It was what she wanted most in the world, and who was she to deny what she
wanted?
It rained a couple days after her departure from Kahini, but the rain actually felt
calming amidst everything that had been going on recently. Robin sat outside a few times
enjoying the cool sea rain splatter on her face and arms. It felt nice to just enjoy what was
around oneself and Robin took it upon her to do just that.
Robin received letters more and more from the man named Crocodile and she'd
reply in the same fashion. She was happy to have some kind of companionship while she
was out at sea, especially on long trips. She had mentioned her slight unhappiness to him
and he replied by giving a gift to her. Yet it was no ordinary gift, but a large turtle that
swam by her boat.
Almost fell when she first saw it swimming towards her ship. She let out a sigh
when it had stopped next to her boat but was quite confused when it stayed there for a
few minutes, as if waiting for her orders. It wasn't until then that she saw the note in the
turtle's beak. She had one of her arms take the note from its place and pass it up the side
of the ship to where Robin stood.
Unfolding the paper carefully she read the runny ink lines that held a message.
While some words were not recognizable, the main meaning of the message was quite
clear; Crocodile wanted to be close to her. Robin read the letter over and over to see if
there was a catch or some weird kind of hidden meaning to it, but found none. The man
didn't send the turtle to threaten her, but to make a closer link to her. A small soft smile
appeared on her face and she hoped that one day she'd be able to meet the man who was
being so kind to her.
It was only six years later when her hopes would turn into reality.
Robin's years in her twenties weren't going as well as she had hoped. When she
turned twenty she had lost her ship in a storm and rode Panchi towards her destinations.
She was later grateful to her turtle friend, but she still saw it as a bit of a hassle for she
couldn't have him carry all the books she wanted. So she read them as quickly as
possible, soaking all the information she could in her mind like a sponge.
During her twenty-first and second years she was face with some of the rowdiest
and disturbing pirates she had ever encountered. Before her job was accomplished the
ship crew almost got her in the middle of a domestic dispute and then a very close
encounter with the marines. Wanting nothing more that to keep her life out of the hands
of the marines; she took some money and fled the ship, never seeing the Captain and
crew again. It was only till she had received a message from Crocodile did she see
anything worthwhile to follow.
The message she received her twenty-third year was full of promise and intrigue
that poor attention-starved Robin needed to see and hear for herself. She decided to go
and let Crocodile know of her acceptance. The reply came faster than she thought it
would and she soon found where her next destination would be: The small city of
Natamba, outside of the large kingdom of Alabasta.
Part 6
Unwinding the Cycle
****
Robin stayed in Arontowne for a few more days after receiving her pay from the
'disposal' of Ruther. She bought herself a new boat and went on her way doing small
jobs here and there. As good as she got, someone out there was always better. It was
when she turned fifteen when she got the label of 'lady killer' when she finished a job
that included a whole 115-man crew and ten marines. She was paid well for that, but the
money was all spent on things that would lead her to the Rio Poneglyph.
She owned a large ship that held enough room for herself, food and all of her
hundreds of books. Though not all the volumes helped her in her search, she was hesitant
to part with them in case she had overlooked something important. As she got older, she
had read many of what lied on the dusty shelves three or more times than necessary.
Her life on the ship was quite simple and the complexity of outside life was not a
problem. It was around the age of eighteen when she saw the world shift and a new
meaning was put into her life... She had met a man.
She had come across this man after a letter he sent to her while she was out at sea.
He was interested in her skills and experiences, which she gladly told him about, but
refrained from giving any real personal information. She was not very trusting of a
person that she couldn't see or actually physically communicate with, but she kept in
touch by writing letters to him all the same. She had also asked him to talk about himself,
but his reply was to check the papers. This confused her slightly until the monthly paper
arrived by gull. Here she saw articles on rogue pirates of the worst kind and flyers of
those who are wanted by the marines. One sheet caught her eye as she flipped through the
newsprint; the man who had a crooked smile, dark slicked hair, and clothes of the best
kind... She knew it had to be him, The Crocodile.
She inquired this in her next message and was replied with an answer that said he
was nothing but the man she assumed he was. She was having conversations with a
wanted pirate, a fellow person who is wanted by the marines, a fellow person who also
has a similar secret as she. Though she'd never tell.
It was a few weeks before she made it to the next shore of a small island called
Kahini. The people that lived her led simple lives, farming mostly, and were run by a
small urban town in the center of the island. The main food sources here were Taro; a
root that was used to make other dishes, much like a potato; and an array of fresh fruits
that grew on the tropical trees in the warm, sunny climate.
The people on the island looked at Robin without kindness and some went so far
as to whisper some names behind her back. The eighteen-year old kept her eyes to the
ground and made her way towards the city hall. The dirt roads soon turned to gravel and
then paved as she got closer and closer towards the more metropolitan part of the island.
The streets in the city were quite different from what she experienced in
Arontowne; covered on the sides with fallen frawns and brick colored dirt people walked
with only sandals and sarongs with T-shirts. It had small commercial businesses
including a farmers market in the center of town and some popular sea shops next to
small food businesses. People looked at her from store windows with hungry looks
mainly because foreigners usually brought money and Robin was definitely a foreigner to
this island. A land having the economy based on tourism... it was a good concept, unless
nobody showed up and because of that the situation would bring the land into economical
turmoil, but she tried not to think about any of this. It was not her problem.
She walked up to the city hall, which looked like a large plantation home, and
knocked on the door. A guard answered and allowed her to enter almost instantly
recognizing who she was. Robin had noticed his hand slightly tremble when closing the
door behind her. The guard had her follow him to where the governor of the island did his
political business. The room was quaint, but had a thick odor that reminded her of a bar.
It was the stench of liquor and self-annihilation, that is, if self-annihilation had a smell.
Robin sat herself down in the wicker chair that was placed in front of the governor's desk
and waited for the man to return from wherever he was.
It didn't take long till Robin figured something was amiss. She stood and walked
around towards the other side of the desk and saw a large man asleep on the ground,
scotch bottle in hand. Robin gave a deep sigh and looked around the room for a glass of
water. She had to get the man conscious in order to do business with him. She found a
wineglass filled halfway with water and grabbed it by the neck. She turned back towards
the man and dumped the warm water in the governor's face.
The man groaned loudly before his eyes slowly fluttered open. It took a while till
he registered his surroundings, but finally became aware of the young woman standing in
front of him.
"Miss, I am not looking for a 'good time.' Just take some money and go."
Robin couldn't help but smile. She knew what others thought of her beauty. She
was exotic looking and was well known for it. It was easy to mistake her for those whose
professions and conducted on street corners.
"Sir, I've come here because you requested a job to be done."
The governor looked up at her with a confused expression on his face. He finally
saw Robin's face and figured out who she was.
"I'm so sorry, Miss. Please take a seat. I know what thought that might have been
running through your head when you saw me..."
"Sir, I don't believe you do know what I was thinking."
"Er...of course. I only assumed. Well, anyway, I wanted you to do something for
me. It's really quite simple and this particular person will go quite willingly. In fact, will
aid you in anyway he can."
"Sir?"
"I want you to kill me, Miss."
Robin looked at the governor with wide eyes. Never had she received a wish for
herself to kill the employer. It was farfetched and very dangerous, especially when
dealing with a man involved deeply in the politics in his own country. To kill a governor
was a dangerous job, but to kill a governor who was willing... it was almost unheard of.
"Sir, with all do respect. I believe that you may need to rethink this..."
"NO!" The man's dilated eyes drew her attention to his face. He was still quite
drunk and his hair was matted down with the water she poured on his and the sweat that
he had secreted earlier. "I can't be the one to let my people down! I have to die. For you
see, this island's economy is so bad; we can't survive unless we have without outside
support. Our business revenue has dropped drastically and we have really nothing left. I
have nothing left to give them. I can't live anymore to let this place down, let the people
down."
Robin nodded in an understanding manner. She remembered seeing the people's
desperate looks in their eyes as she passed by the businesses in the streets. These people
were under trying times, but surely there was a way to get through it? Robin was about to
ask the man a question when she saw a gun handle two inches from her face. The
governor held it out to her without reluctance and Robin took it in her hand.
The man closed his eyes expecting to feel searing pain when he heard a loud
thump. He slowly opened his eyes to see Robin standing in front of his with the arms
crossed and eyes narrowed in anger. It wasn't till he felt something grip his neck and
begin to choke him when he felt almost absolute terror.
Robin's eyes almost flared in anger. How could he just throw away his life so
easily while others strive to keep their own alive? This type of person made Robin feel
sick to her stomach. She felt the grip on the man get tighter with the arm she had
summoned. Watching the man's eyes bug out was not amusing, but she decided to grant
the man his wish, despite what consequences she would have to face in the future.
She watched as the man's body gave up on itself and crumble on the floor. She
left just as quickly as she came, walking through the town as if nothing had come of this
day. She killed their leader and she didn't want to be killed because of that. 'Nico Robin,
killed by angry island villagers...' She definitely didn't want that to be the headlines in
the next paper and what was even more important was that she didn't want to have
Crocodile see it.
There was just something about the man that man her happy and cringe at the
same time. This feeling could only be described as weird.
She left the island in no time leaving nothing that said she had been there except
footprints and the dead governor. It was only a week later when the new paper was sent
out when she saw the wanted sheet with her on it, but instead of the 20 million bellies it
was now raised to 79 million. The marines upped the bounty because of the governor, as
well as probably some of the others she had gotten rid of recently.
Robin was not proud of the rise in the bounty, but accepted her place in society.
Some people were just made to be on the run while others had normal decent lives. Robin
knew that she wouldn't be satisfied with a normal life, not while the Rio Poneglyph was
out there. It was what she wanted most in the world, and who was she to deny what she
wanted?
It rained a couple days after her departure from Kahini, but the rain actually felt
calming amidst everything that had been going on recently. Robin sat outside a few times
enjoying the cool sea rain splatter on her face and arms. It felt nice to just enjoy what was
around oneself and Robin took it upon her to do just that.
Robin received letters more and more from the man named Crocodile and she'd
reply in the same fashion. She was happy to have some kind of companionship while she
was out at sea, especially on long trips. She had mentioned her slight unhappiness to him
and he replied by giving a gift to her. Yet it was no ordinary gift, but a large turtle that
swam by her boat.
Almost fell when she first saw it swimming towards her ship. She let out a sigh
when it had stopped next to her boat but was quite confused when it stayed there for a
few minutes, as if waiting for her orders. It wasn't until then that she saw the note in the
turtle's beak. She had one of her arms take the note from its place and pass it up the side
of the ship to where Robin stood.
Unfolding the paper carefully she read the runny ink lines that held a message.
While some words were not recognizable, the main meaning of the message was quite
clear; Crocodile wanted to be close to her. Robin read the letter over and over to see if
there was a catch or some weird kind of hidden meaning to it, but found none. The man
didn't send the turtle to threaten her, but to make a closer link to her. A small soft smile
appeared on her face and she hoped that one day she'd be able to meet the man who was
being so kind to her.
It was only six years later when her hopes would turn into reality.
Robin's years in her twenties weren't going as well as she had hoped. When she
turned twenty she had lost her ship in a storm and rode Panchi towards her destinations.
She was later grateful to her turtle friend, but she still saw it as a bit of a hassle for she
couldn't have him carry all the books she wanted. So she read them as quickly as
possible, soaking all the information she could in her mind like a sponge.
During her twenty-first and second years she was face with some of the rowdiest
and disturbing pirates she had ever encountered. Before her job was accomplished the
ship crew almost got her in the middle of a domestic dispute and then a very close
encounter with the marines. Wanting nothing more that to keep her life out of the hands
of the marines; she took some money and fled the ship, never seeing the Captain and
crew again. It was only till she had received a message from Crocodile did she see
anything worthwhile to follow.
The message she received her twenty-third year was full of promise and intrigue
that poor attention-starved Robin needed to see and hear for herself. She decided to go
and let Crocodile know of her acceptance. The reply came faster than she thought it
would and she soon found where her next destination would be: The small city of
Natamba, outside of the large kingdom of Alabasta.