Dear readers,

I have no words to express how bad I feel about not updating for soooooo long! In fact, because of some circumstances, I haven't even been able to write something new. Anyway, I have come up with something recently and I hope that makes up for the delay. I think that I'm ready to write again.

P.S. Flaming is very welcome!

"You're weak, Zoro" said Kuina after defeating him for the third time that day.

"I'm not giving up" he exclaimed while panting. "I'll beat you, sooner or later"

"I'll be the best, Kuina"

Robin who was sitting on the railing heard him and with wide open eyes she turned to look at him.

When she saw his calm face and breathing, she understood that he was just dreaming. She could wait a little longer until he would wake up in order to talk to him.

"What are you looking at, woman?" said the swordsmen opening his left eye.

"I didn't know that you talk while you're asleep" she said in a playful mood.

Zoro was taken aback. "What could I have said? Probably it was about Kuina" but he preferred to counterattack instead of letting her take advantage of the situation. He hated it when she was trying to manipulate him.

"Do you have a problem with that? I didn't know that you like to watch people while they're sleeping."

"I wanted to ask you something" she said smoothly after leaving her book and she approaching him. She didn't want anyone to hear that conversation and she could bet that neither did he.

She had long been waiting for that conversation. In the start, she couldn't find the strength to approach him because she was afraid of his attitude and the answer he may gave her. And other than that, it wasn't the easiest thing in this world to find someone alone on this ship, and what's more, Zoro.

Either Luffy would be around him trying to steal some of his precious time of training or sleeping, or Nami would be reprimanding him for spending her precious treasure on booze.

Now it was her chance. Nevertheless, she didn't have anything to lose as he was already ignoring her. However, she had a mere hope that she could gain something out of it.

"So?" he asked impatiently. He had an idea of what she would bring up and he didn't have any objection of discussing the matter.

"All this time you claim that you don't trust me at all" she managed to say all in one breath and continued with more courage "you even wanted to leave me behind in Skypiea. Then why did you caught me before falling when Enel attacked me?"

"Because I want you to remember that when you'll be leaving us" he said bluntly staring right into her eyes. As it seemed, his swords wasn't the only deadly weapon he possessed and could manipulate adeptly.

The archaeologist was starting to lose her composure but succeeded in concealing it.

"How can you be so sure?"

"My experience tells me that you'll do it again"

"You can't only depend on your previous experience"

Now she was shocked. Why was she trying to prove that he is wrong when she's utterly sure that he's right?

"Sure I can" he retorted stubbornly.

After that she gave up. She turned her back to him and headed back to her chair.

"It's not worth trying anymore" she sadly thought and looked far into the distance.

Her reaction was new to him. It's not like her to give up in such situations, without supporting her opinion with any means available. That unfamiliar situation made him feel uncomfortable and uncertain of what was about to come.

"Maybe she's preparing me for what's going to happen and thus I'm right. It's highly possible that she may leave this time, too. Damn"

"Hey, Zoro, come over here" Luffy shouted.

"Yeah, I'm coming" unwillingly he left his spot along with Robin reminiscing her past. Their past…

Flashback

On the 11th of November, a considerably cold and windy day, a little boy with green hair and three shinai could be seen practicing vigorously under the lifeless trees.

He was seemingly undaunted by the sudden and furious gusts of wind that were colliding with his body. Even natural phenomena were unable to make him deviate from what he was up to. From what his mind was set to.

That was when Robin appeared from behind and called for him.

When he turned his head to the direction that the voice was coming from he saw the young archaeologist standing some feet away from him. He had noticed that every time he would be practicing, she wouldn't come very close to him. Maybe it was out of fear of getting hurt or even better out of respect for what he was doing.

"What do you want here?"

"I just came to see what you were doing. I don't think that the weather is favorable for training" Robin retorted with a voice full of concern.

"I don't really care" he said and took a fighting stance again.

"Well…"

"Well what?" he interrupted her abruptly.

"Sensei said that you could come to his house"

"It's ok. I'm not coming. Go before you catch a cold"

"Oh my" she sighed "I think that the only way to drag you with me is to tell you the truth"

"Huh?" he wondered cocking an eyebrow.

"Happy birthday, Zoro" Robin exclaimed merrily but when she saw his cracked smile and inconvenience she sighed again "I see that you don't enjoy your birthday a lot, do you?"

"Well, it doesn't matter. Thanks anyway"

"Kuina has prepared dinner and Koshiro-sama has bought a nice dagger as a present for you"

"I'm not coming"

"But why? They'll be disappointed if you don't. It's such a shame after all they've done"

"Firstly, I didn't ask them to do all these and secondly, they shouldn't get disappointed because they should have known I wouldn't come"

"You're really cruel"

"I'm really bored"

"What?" she exclaimed obviously surprised.

"I'm gonna take a nap"

"Alright then" she breathed deeply "You have a lot of time in your hands in order to change your mind" she said and as she started heading back she heard…

"Oi! What is she cooking?"

"Oni giri. Fufufufu"

After that Robin was sure that he would come and indeed, after an hour he could be seen gobbling on his food while admiring his new dagger.

"So was it the food that made you change your mind or did you get less bored?" she asked teasingly.

"That, too. But actually it was you who told me that I should really come"

The moment he realized what he had said he blushed and left immediately.

Robin, on the other side, felt really happy. Having an effect on such a stubborn and introvert boy was really something.

In fact, as for Zoro, her own birthday wasn't the best day of her life, but having people who care about you was something really special that both of them were starting to acknowledge.

Present time

For how long has she been longing for celebrating her birthday along with friends that truthfully care for her. It was something that she was craving for experiencing before dying.

But would her pursuer let her to?

She was sure that Aokiji was out there waiting patiently for the time she would fall into his hands.