A/N: Hello ASL fans! I've been slow with the updates, I know. Sorry! But don't worry! I have not abandoned the story. It's just taking a while to do my updates. I usually have like half of a chapter done really fast, and it just sits there unfinished on the computer for a while, until I get the guts to go back and actually finish it.

Still, I really happy that you guys are still enjoying my story and are leaving reviews and comments! That's really encouraging especially during writers block. And I know some of you have been asking question about what's going to happen and whose crew Robin will chose. But sorry, I can't answer those questions! You'll just have to see.

Anyways... THANK YOU again, and here is the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece


Chapter 6: A Place of My Own

Coming out of Fusha village, Robin felt like she had spent the afternoon in a dream. So far, everyone Robin has met were pretty rough around the edges. And really, it's just the mountain bandits. That's why, when Robin first heard about this Makino woman, she imagined her to be something like another Dadan. Robin always thought Dadan's relationship with the boys was a rather comical one and that she'd be the closest thing to a mother-figure they had, even if the boys only thought of her as an old hag. But Robin soon realized that the Dadan and Makino were nothing alike.

When Luffy introduced Makino that morning, Robin was caught off guard. Never before had an adult greeted Robin with a truly genuine smile. The cheery lady looked so kind, Robin almost didn't know how to respond. She was much more use to Dadan's scowling expressions or the glares the adults in O'hara gave her.

Robin looked down at Luffy standing happily next to Makino. The smile on his face made her relax, and Robin found the words she needed. She introduced herself and thanked Makino for the dresses from before.

The rest of the afternoon was smooth sailing. Makino asked them to stay for lunch, at which point, Luffy began jumping up and down excitedly at the mention of food.

Sitting at the counter next to Luffy, Ace, and Sabo, Robin began to really see the difference between Makino and Dadan. For one, Makino was smaller and a lot gentler with her words and her actions. She also seemed to have this peaceful and loving disposition about her. Not that Robin thought Dadan didn't love the boys. Dadan just had a different way of showing it.

Makino giggled at their silly antics and listened intently to their wild stories. She made them a delicious meal and had seconds ready before Luffy even finished scarfing down his first portion. And when the boys were being loud and fought with each other, Makino didn't get frustrated. To Robin, Makino seemed absolutely amazing. She was like the mother Robin always wish she had: patient, kind, and loving. It made her wonder if her mom was anything like this woman, smiling and cooking before her.

After a few servings, Luffy was stuffed. His stomach expanded 5 times his normal size and he fell over on the floor and huffed a breath of exhaustion. Sabo and Ace had slowed down too not having to battle it out with Luffy for another helping anymore. With the boys finally in quieter mood, Makino was able to get to know Robin more. Realizing the little girl liked to read, Makino gave her a few books along with another small sack of clothes. It wasn't until Robin talked about her living situation that Makino looked a little uneasy. 'It's probably fine for now, but what would it be like when the kids grow a little bit older, and things start to change?' Makino thought. The older woman considered how nice and reserved Robin seemed and decided to make a suggestion. And this became the reason for Luffy's pouting as the four made their way back to the base.

"I don't see why Robin can't live with us," Luffy whined as he trudged behind his brothers.

"Makino didn't say that, Luffy." Sabo said. "She just meant that Robin should have her own room to sleep in."

"Why?" Luffy asked.

"Because she's a girl," Sabo stated.

"I don't get it," Luffy said with a pout and crossed his arms.

Sabo didn't know how to explain it to his little brother. Even he wasn't a hundred percent sure about why himself. Sabo only knew that the etiquette tutors his parents hired always warned him about the proper and improper interactions between boys and girls. Even then, Sabo hadn't thought much about it since he broke most of their ridiculously strict rules anyway. The fact that Makino, who's usually so lenient and understanding, suggested Robin have her own space made Sabo think there's probably a good reason behind it.

"It doesn't matter. We need more room in the treehouse anyway." Ace said.

This was true. Space wasn't much of an issue when Robin first stayed over. The base was still fairly new back then, and the boys didn't have much besides their metal staffs and their blankets. But as time went on, the one room treehouse started to clutter up. Most of it was stuff the boys collected from the junk piles in the Grey Terminal. Ever since they helped that old pirate captain rebuild his ship, they figured they should have things ready for their own ship in the future. After a while, pieces of broken wood and metal parts laid everywhere.

On top of that, Luffy kept trying to bring wild animals back to keep as a pets. This always annoyed Ace because, for some reason, the creatures Luffy favor always end up messing up Ace's stuff.

Like the one time Luffy brought home this furry brown creature that to this day, Robin hasn't figured out what species it was. It should have been a sign that this thing was not meant to be domesticated when it snarled and nipped at Luffy with it's sharp teeth when he tried to touch it. But Luffy thought it was funny and he seemed totally unfazed by the angry glare the animal gave him. He picked the little guy up and protested that they should keep it even though the animal kept trying to bite and claw its way out of the little boy's arms.

Over the span of a week, the creature, whom Luffy named "Bitey", managed to chew up all of Ace's clothes and rip the stuffing out of his pillow. Sabo even had to defended Luffy when Ace attempted to murder his little brother after Bitey woke him up by peeing on his face one morning. But soon, even Sabo had to agree that Bitey had to go. They had come home from a hunt and found the place completely trashed. And the culprit, Bitey, was lying in the middle of the room, chewing on one of Sabo's spare boots. Robin felt bad for Luffy when they finally released Bitey back into the forest. Although, she had to agree with Sabo and Ace. The wild is where Bitey belonged.

But even if Luffy stopped bringing back animals, there was the issue with the books. Of course Robin only owned one book when she first washed up onto the island. But she soon found that Sabo had a small collection of novels hidden away in a chest. He didn't like school and he didn't like his old teachers, but he still liked reading. And now that Robin decided to stay, Sabo thought they could expand their library together.

Arriving back at the base, the four kids looked at the state of their one room home.

"It would be nice if we had more space for our stuff," Sabo stated trying push some junk out of the way.

From the doorway, Ace jumped onto another thick branch with a slightly higher elevation that grew off the truck, adjacent to the treehouse. He knocked against the wood and applied pressure onto the branch with his foot. Then he jumped up and down a few times to test the strength.

"This one's pretty steady," Ace said. "What do you think, Robin?"

Robin looked from up at Ace, who was sitting on the ledge, to Luffy's pouting face. She hadn't voiced her opinion on the matter yet, and the boys were waiting on an answer. After all, she's the main reason they're even having this discussion. She saw the benefits of changing up the living arrangements but she didn't want to upset Luffy.

"Luffy, you won't be angry if I stayed in another room would you?"

"I just want all my brothers to be with me." Luffy crossed his arms and huffed.

Sabo sighed. "Robin is a sister, Luffy." He could never get that clarification right.

Robin giggled. "Luffy, I'll still be here. Just not at night."

Luffy scrunched his face.

Seeing that he needed a little more convincing, Robin said, "Luffy, I promise that you can come over to play whenever you want."

"Really?" Luffy's face lit up.

"Mhmm." Robin nodded

"You know, we can probably add a bridge between our rooms too," Sabo said.

The little boy considered the idea for a moment, before he turned his head up towards Robin. Grinning widely, he gave her a big thumbs up.

The four kids began working on the new addition to the treehouse the very next day. Ace and Luffy chopped down trees for the wood flooring, and they took some metal parts they already had and made a frame for a window. Sabo even drew out a plan.

"We can make this entire side of the wall into a bookshelf. Oh, and the door can go here by the bridge that'll connect our rooms. Then the window can go on this side, facing Goa Kingdom so you can have a view of the palace."

Robin stared at the plan over Sabo's shoulder as he continued to ramble out his ideas and draw pictures on the diagram of what would be her new place. She kept a calm expression on as she listened to Sabo, but on the inside she was riddled with excitement. My own room. It didn't matter how many times Robin repeated the words. They felt wonderful and strangely foreign to say. She imagine it was like how one might feel having tried a new flavor of sweet candy for the first time. The idea of finally have a place that was hers made the whole planning process a bit surreal.

Each day the boys would go gather supplies and come back to work. Robin would help prepare food or pass tools around with her powers. And each day she would look up at the treehouse and smile. The big forest, her new brothers, the half-done bedroom; she took it all in with her eyes, hoping she would never have to know a life without them again.

It didn't take long for the boys to have the floors done, three walls ups, and the bridge built (since Luffy insisted that it had to be one of the first things they finished). All that was left was the bookshelf-wall, which was half complete, and the roof.

It was hot on the day the boys decided to complete the last wall and the book shelf. But by high noon, Ace realized that there wasn't much material left to get the rest of the job done.

"Let's go pick up a few things and finish tomorrow, Luffy" Ace said wiping his forehead.

They climbed down the trunk and saw Sabo and Robin coming towards them. Sabo had two large fish tied to his back and Robin was carrying a basket of berries.

"Where are you going?" Robin asked as she set basket aside and helped Sabo unload the fish.

"The Grey Terminal. It doesn't look like we can finish your room today. Sorry, Robin." Ace said.

"That's okay," Robin said. "Why don't I come with you?"

The boys froze. A happy smile flashed across Luffy's face before realization dawned on him. His face fell and he pursed his lips together like he was trying his best not to talk. Of course he'd love for Robin to come but he remembered what happened last time. He never said it, but he blamed himself for her kidnapping.

"What?" Robin tilted her head at them.

"You should stay here with Sabo," Ace finally replied. Crossing his arms, he tried his best to look composed.

"But I want to help. I can carry things for us." Robin demonstrated with a wave of hands growing out of the ground that disappeared into petals a second later.

"We don't need help."

Robin looked boldly up at Ace. She wasn't stupid. Ever since her kidnapping, they'd been avoiding shady places like the Grey Terminal. Usually, they'd suggest to split the group up. Like sending Luffy and Robin to pick fruit while Ace and Sabo dug through junk piles. Once, Ace even asked Robin to hunt with him so Sabo and Luffy could run an errand in town. She was grateful that they cared for her safety, but they can't protect her forever. Wasn't that the point of her training with them?

Robin resolved in her mind that she had to go. They had to see that she would be fine. That they didn't have to hover over her. That she can fend for herself. It was something she needed to prove.

Ace's shoulder was tense and Sabo could tell he was struggling. Their eyes met and the same thought crossed their minds. She has that look on her face.

Robin had never been a particularly difficult person to deal with. She was polite and sweet and went along with pretty much anything. Though, she's changed quite a bit in the recent weeks. Now, Robin looked calm and composed when faced with deadly threats. A few times, she even ran head on into battle with Ace against the forest's big beasts, instead of standing on the sidelines. There was a growing sense of fearlessness in the way she trotted through the forest as if she'd been there her entire life. Her laugh sounded louder, happier, like everyday was Christmas, and nothing could take her joy away. It occurred to Sabo that with each passing day, Robin was slowly shedding away the shy and hesitant girl who ran away from him scared only months earlier. Little by little, she became like them. A little stronger. A little more comfortable. A little more daring. Sabo looked from Ace to Robin, and thought how similar they seemed in that moment.

"We'll all go together," Sabo said suddenly.

Ace's eyebrow twitched slightly, but he kept calm. "Fine," he said, before turning and walking away from them. Ace knew that once his brother decides to side with Robin, there's nothing he can do. Robin smiled at Sabo as a show of thanks before being pulled into a conversation with Luffy as she followed behind. Sabo sighed and ran to catch up with Ace.

In a voice low enough for only Ace to hear, Sabo said, "She's bound to go to the Grey Terminal eventually." No reply. Ace continued to fix his eyes forward.

"She'll be fine," Sabo said.

"You don't know that."

"You and I will make sure of it."

Ace huffed at the answer. But he nodded his head in agreement.

Before they entered the Grey Terminal, the boys made Robin put on a black cloak with the hood pulled over her head. It hasn't been that long since Robin last saw the mountain piles of trash, but the sight and stench still hit her senses with a punch. Soon, Robin recognized the path they were on. This was the spot where her and Luffy encountered the bad men who took her. Her eyes scanned the area and she almost jumped at the squeal of a nearby crow. She tugged her hood further down. Breathing deeply, Robin reminded herself why she asked to come along. She had to prove that they don't need to worry about her.

The old junky car still sat in the same dusty spot, its windshield shattered from when Luffy fell into it after the bandana man knocked him away. Luffy gazed at the broken glass as he walked by. His eyebrows furrowed together and he mentally made a vow to become stronger.


A man looking through a pair of binoculars zoomed in on the four kids from a high trash pile. A twisted grin found its way onto his face and he turned to the dumb looking man to his left and said, "Go inform the boss that the kid is here." As the subordinate made to leave, the man tossed his binoculars aside and turned to another man behind him. "Should we move in?"

The bandana man, fidgeting with the tangled bandages around his feet, replied, "Not yet. Wait till the others are gone."

The first man gave a cold, mocking chuckled. It was clear to him that he was in the company of a weakling. Who could get taken out so easily by one puny kid?


"I really want a pair of binoculars," Luffy said as he dug through the pile.

"I'm sure there's one here somewhere," Sabo said.

Luffy nodded and continued rummaging through the trash again. They wandered around, looking for more useful tools. Robin and Ace weren't with them as they had agreed to split into groups to scout for supplies. Soon enough, Sabo lost track of his little brother.

"Luffy! Where are you?" Sabo called out. He'd just found the item Luffy was looking for. There was no answer from the little rubber boy. Sabo called his name again, but stopped with he noticed the large shadow looming over him.

"Finally, we have you all alone."

Sabo swiveled around to the sound of the voice and found a group of large men slowly inching closer to him with knives and ropes. Porchemy's crew…

"What do you want!?" Sabo shouted at them, clutching his staff in front of him. "I'm not giving you Robin!"

"Who said she's the one we're after?" The bulky man smirked.


"Uhhh… Ace?"

Robin was on her knees digging through the garbage when she realized Ace wasn't doing the same. It seemed to her that he was quite distracted with something else as he stood there turning his head around suspiciously.

"Yeah?" He replied absentmindedly, unaware of her observing eyes.

She shifted to sit with her elbows propped up on her knees and her chin resting on her hand. Tapping her index finger on her cheek, she watched Ace for a few moments. He was still too preoccupied to notice her gaze. Robin sighed. And finally she said, "You know. I finally have people who accept me. The last thing I ever want is to be a burden to them."

Ace swiveled his head at the statement. "You're not a burden," he stated. And he didn't want her to feel as if she was.

"You sure? Because it definitely feels like I am." Robin raised her eyebrows at him, an indication at his current behavior.

Ace sat down next to her. "Your not a burden," he repeated. "I just… I want to be a good brother…"

With widen eyes, Robin gaped at Ace, who now looked more or less embarrassed or just really uncomfortable. Out of no where, she started laughing which made the 10 year old huff in anger. He wished he never said anything. Ace was never one open up about his feelings, so it was a revelation that he could muster up a statement like that. It just didn't sound like the Ace she knew.

"Okay! Stop laughing!" Ace yelled at her. "Ugh! What? Is that so bad?!"

"No, no. It not bad at all." Robin said when she stopped giggling. "It's just… You are a good brother, Ace," she said looking directly at him. The firmness in her statement made Ace let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Maybe he hadn't thought he was good at being a big brother, seeing as Sabo was always so much better at it.

"But, I don't want you guys going out of your way all the time just for me." Robin stated. "I know you want me to be safe. But isn't the reason you let me train with you guys was so I could protect myself?"

"You're right…" Ace sighed.

Robin smiled. "C'mon lets finish up here."

They were moving through junk piles again when they found Luffy with his head stuck in a hole. The little boy was struggling to pull his head out, but had only managed to stretch his rubber neck with no progress of getting unstuck. Ace shook his head sighing while Robin merely giggled at the sight before helping the poor rubber boy. Ace tugged at Luffy's legs while Robin pushed the boy's lead through the hole on the other side. Luffy's head pulled right out with a pop and ricocheted towards Ace, knocking the 10 year old backwards into the ground.

"How did you get stuck?!" Ace questioned as he pushed his brother away and dusted himself off.

"I don't really remember," Luffy said.

"Well, as long as you're okay." Robin said. "By the way, where's Sabo? Weren't you suppose to follow him?"

Ace could tell from Luffy's expression, that the little boy simply got distracted and went his own way. Typical, Ace thought.

Before another comment could be made, they heard a loud bang and a chorus of shouting. It sounded like a fight was breaking loose.

"Isn't that coming from the direction Sabo and Luffy went earlier?" Robin asked.

Without another moment to spare, Ace took off towards the sounds with Luffy and Robin following close behind.


Sabo was getting weary. Usually, Ace and Luffy would be around to back him up, but not this time. He was all alone and there were just so many of them. Another man made a grab for Sabo, but the blonde jumped high in the air and wacked his staff against the man's temple. As soon as he landed, he was forced to duck from a swinging club. But Sabo managed to knock the guy down with a strike at the shins before running again.

Sabo panted. They were closing in like a pack of wolves hunting a lone animal. The thugs encircled Sabo, steadily watching him, daring him to run again. Then, as if right on cue, a large barrel tumbled down the hillside and broke through the barricade of thugs before breaking apart in front of Sabo.

"Ace! Luffy!" Sabo smiled at his brothers' miraculous timing before asking, "Where's Robin?"

Ace made a general nod towards the top of the hill. Who else would of pushed the barrel down?

Sabo waved to the tiny cloak figure at the top of the hill and the figure waved back. Sabo was okay, to her relief, but the enemy still surrounded them. Robin guessed this was an opportunity as good as any other to prove herself. She crossed her arms over her chest and began.


A/N: How was that? I wanted Robin to meet Makino, but I didn't want to extend that section too much. Don't know why, just a on the spur of the moment kind of decision I guess. This is a kind of a lead-in chapter, so the next one will probably be more action packed. Thanks for reading!