Hand In Hand
(Hello again boys & girls. I'm gonna try my hand at a One Piece fanfic. This romantic one-shot features a ZoroXRobin pairing & takes place right after the Enies Lobby arc. I'm also assuming that Frankie joins the Strawhat Pirates as the crew's shipwright. Enjoy!)
Robin's POV:
After so many years of searching, I still can't believe that I've finally found a place where I can truly belong.
It seemed like it was only yesterday when I first encountered these people whom I now call my friends as Miss All Sunday of Baroqueworks.
Back then, they were my enemies. People who needed to be disposed of because they stood in the way of the group's ideals.
Not that I really believed in Baroqueworks's ideals in the first place mind you for they were just a stepping stone in my dream of finding the 'True History' of the world just like my mother did. And it was precisely her dream as well as her ability to read the ancient scripts which had gotten her killed because that knowledge had been deemed too dangerous.
It is also the same reason why a bounty was put on my head.
For years I had wandered around doing odd jobs here & there. I didn't care what the job was, as long as I got what I wanted. I used people on a regular basis without giving it a second thought.
But fate had been cruel. Just as I had used Crocodile & his Baroqueworks to further my goals, he had also used me to further his own ambitions.
Treachery begets treachery I guess.
I would've died if not for the actions of one Monkey D. Luffy. I had been prepared to pay for my sins with my life but Luffy saved me despite my protests.
Of course, I had been angry at him at first. But thinking back, if he had not done so, I wouldn't have been able to make such wonderful friends like these.
Even when I left them to work for CP9 in exchange for their lives, they still came after me because they considered me as one of their own. They went as far as declaring war on the entire world government just to get to me.
The Straw Hat Pirates. My crewmates.
Monkey D. Luffy: The childish captain of this motley crew. Incredibly simple minded but extremely loyal to his friends.
Nami: Our money loving navigator who never backs down when the chips are down. She is the sister that I never had.
Sanji: Our ship's cook. Not only does he cooks delicious food for us, he also puts his body & soul on the line each & every time he fights for us.
Ussop/Sogeking: Sharpshooter extrodinaire who may be a coward at times but stands with his crew when it counts.
Tony Tony Chopper: Our diminutive doctor who displays compassion towards ALL beings. Be it enemy or friend.
Cutty Flam/Frankie: The shipwright & our newest crewman. An odd man to say the least but fought just as hard to save me.
And finally, there's Mister Swordsman, Roronoa Zoro:
It's actually pretty funny how relieved I was especially when I saw you climb out of that big hole to join our crewmates when you stood at Enies Lobby to confront Spandam & CP9. You were always the most reliable among us & I admired you for your strength, tenacity & loyalty.
Ok, so maybe 'admire' is too tame a word. My eyes have always followed you even before the events at Water 7 & Enies Lobby & I know that how I feel for you is definitely something more then just friendship, however inappropriate it may seem. My feelings only grew after you guys saved me again, this time from the clutches of Spandam & CP9.
I wish there was some way I could show you.
Until then, all I can do is stare from a distance.
Zoro's POV:
Sigh Finally this troublesome situation is resolved. It took so much sufferings, disappointments & heartaches but FINALLY, it's all over.
My journey towards becoming the world's greatest swordsman as I've promised Kuina has led me to where I am here today.
And honestly speaking, it has been one hell of a crazy ride.
Everything started when I met that human rubberband, Monkey D. Luffy. Never in my wildest dream did I even think that I, Roronoa Zoro: famed pirate hunter would become an actual member of a pirate crew. But that crazy kid had a way of convincing people.
I have no regrets though. I had the opportunity to do battle & defeat a lot of strong opponents along the way.
Some prime examples would be Kaku of CP9, that 6 armed squid pirate from Arlong's crew & that gigantic fishman Big Bang from Foxy's team.
I also met some inhumanly powerful beings such that navy admiral Aoi Kikiji as well as the current strongest swordsman of the world, Mihawk.
Mihawk was the one who gave me the scar on my chest as proof of my defeat in his hands. But that defeat also made the path I wanted to take much clearer.
I had also met this bespectacled navy officer who looked a lot like Kunia & made me remember the promise we had made with each other.
But it had not been all about blood & battles. Along the way, I also made some good friends.
I consider Luffy as a close friend. In his own goofy way, he is very honorable & loyal. He would do anything to defend his friends.
Nami may be a money hungry swindler. But she does that for our sake & there is nobody more sincere then her.
Ussop/Sogeking may be a coward no matter how you look at him, but I know of his bravery better then anyone else.
Yes, I even consider that blasted cook Sanji as a friend. I respect his cooking & fighting prowess though I'll never admit it publicly.
Frankie or Cutty Flam. A former enemy who may be a wierdo, but I'll forever be grateful for his help in bringing back Robin to us.
Nico Robin however, is a different story.
She had been an enemy going under the alias of Miss All Sunday when she was working with Baroqueworks. It was only natural that I'd be distrustful of her when she joined the crew as we left Alabaster.
I especially hated that smug attitude & that knowing expression that she always seems to wear.
But the sadness in her eyes told me a different story altogether.
I don't really know when it started but I started going out of my way just to make her feel like a part of the crew. A place where she belonged. I became upset if someone tried to hurt her & would do everything in my power to hurt that person back a hundred times over.
Maybe it was because I had realized that she had lived a life that was harder then any of us had ever experienced. She was always so composed that it was difficult to imagine.
Ussop had, one time, noticed me paying attention to Robin & had teased me about it. Of course, I sent him flying for that 'love love' remark.
But in retrospect, I wonder if he had been right after all this time? Could I really have fallen for Robin?
General POV:
It was officially happy hour on the deck of the re-constructed Going Merry.
The Straw Hat Pirates were celebrating the return of Nico Robin & Ussop (at least to Luffy & Chopper since they were unaware that he was Sogeking) as well as the welcoming party of their newest crewmate, Cutty Flam AKA Frankie.
Everyone was having a good time with Luffy chowing down on the delicious food prepared by Sanji, Ussop & Chopper dancing to the tune of Frankie's guitar & Sanji was fawning over a boisterous & obviously drunk Nami.
Everyone were laughing & singing except for two people.
"Aren't you going to join them?" Zoro asks as he joins Nico on the portside carrying 2 mugs of beer. One of which he offers to Robin. "This IS your party after all."
"No, I'm perfectly content just sitting here & watching." Robin answered, accepting the beer from the swordsman. "What about you Mr. Swordsman?"
Zoro shakes his head & looks at Robin. "There you go again. After all that we've been through together, we're still Miss Navigator or Mister Swordsman to you? At the very least, you could start calling us by our proper names."
"I'm sorry." Robin said, looking down at her drink sadly. "It's just that it's been so long that I've gotten used to my way of calling people Mis..., I mean Zoro Kun."
"Oh crap. I think I made her cry. But at least she's starting to get the idea." Zoro thought as he sat down tentatively besides her. "You know..." He started reluctantly. "You can still call me Mister Swordsman if you really want to. We all... missed you."
Robin looks up at Zoro in surprise then starts giggling when he saw the blush in Zoro's cheek.
"What?" Zoro protests. "I was just saying..."
"Hai hai. I know what you were saying." Robin said as she scoots closer to Zoro & rests her head on the swordsman's shoulder. "Would you mind if I stayed like this?... Even for just a little while?" Robin asks.
At first, Zoro was surprised at Robin's bold move & was tempted to push her away. But he was afraid that by doing so, she would alienate herself further.
Besides, the way Robin's head rested on his shoulders felt... right.
"Take as long as you need." Zoro whispered as he unconsciously held Robin's hand as they continued watching the celebration on the Going Merry.
Some thing did not need any words.
Author's Notes: Well, how do you guys like it? Pls R&R