CHAPTER 7

…SOMETHING YOU CAN HOPE FOR

"Robin's lost!" cried Chopper desperately.

"Zoro have you seen onee- chan?" asked Kuina worryingly.

At first, no one seemed to worry that much. Why bother? She could have seen something on the way back. She could have met someone that could may help them.

That was everyone's thoughts except Zoro's.

"No, I haven't. But why bother so much? She probably is in your home's library." Zoro retorted calmly without stopping what he had been doing for the last few hours.

"Well, fool, I have already looked in the library and she wasn't there."

"Well, foolish girl, she could be anywhere. Just wait for her."

"We can wait for her a little longer" said Luffy and continued eating but that didn't seem to make Chopper less concerned about his friend, so he said with trembling voice

"But, what if she's in trouble?"

"Oi, Chopper, Robin is very strong and clever, but we can go and look for her if you want it that badly." Said Luffy reassuringly.

"Yes, go you fools. As if you'll ever find her" thought Zoro and continued, "So, history repeats itself, indeed. She should know better than that being such an exquisite archaeologist."

Zoro was so fixed to his own mind and perspective that the thought of something bad happening to her didn't even occur to him. In fact, he was angrier than sad for what just happened that even the image of him and Kuina asking hopelessly where Robin was back then couldn't move him.

"Anyway. It's better without her around" and that was the exact same phrase he used to convince himself that everything was alright, back then, when Robin left them for the first time. But he was so angry that he couldn't remember.

"Hey, Zoro, are you okay?" asked Usopp.

"Absolutely" he retorted confidently.

But he was so angry.

"I'd better kill her with my own hands."

"Hey, guys, I saw something really weird" said Sanji who came straight to the ship after witnessing something that he didn't like at all.

"What? Did you see Robin?" asked Chopper anticipating Sanji's answer.

"Yes, and she was with a really weird guy."

"Huh?" that took even Zoro by surprise.

"I think it's high time we looked for her" said Chopper and jumped off Going Merry.

"Well, well, Nico Robin, we're finally together" said the CP9 Agent mockingly.

"To the hell with all of you" she thought but preferred keeping her mouth shut. Paradoxically, the biggest problem she had to think about was Zoro and everything that he definitely must be thinking about her. She was sure that by now he would have been convinced that she betrayed them. Not that she could blame him.

For a moment she tried to lie to herself and said that only her ego was hurt. That the only thing that mattered was letting that stubborn boy believe that he was proven right and she wrong about her staying or rather not staying with them. But that was just for a moment. The very next thought that jumped into her mind was a profound and full of emotions "I mis…"

"What are you thinking of Nico Robin?" the masked guy interrupted her "I hope it's something good because in the next few days you won't be able even to think. Let's not talk about walking."

"Definitely good" she internally chuckled with her thought but didn't say a thing. She kept looking straight into the distance not even glimpsing at her newly found company.

"You won't bend me. Now I have something better that Death waiting for me. I have something good that I can hope for."

For some crazy reason she was feeling that something good was going to happen. It was the first time that she caught herself not being pessimistic and rational. Everything was pointing to her death but she had that nice little feeling.

"In a little you're gonna meet with my partners. Oh, and I'm really sorry that you didn't have a chance to say goodbye to yours" he said feigning sympathy but his next words were full of venom "not that they meant anything to you."

She didn't reply despite the strong urge she had to.

"You won't break me!"

"What do you mean Chopper by saying that there's a darkness in her heart?" asked Nami breathlessly.

Sanji and Chopper had finally met with Robin somewhere in the city and as it seemed she didn't run away. She was willing to explain why she was doing this even if she hid the whole truth. Nevertheless, the main point was to protect them from being apprehended or decimated along with herself. "Who knows, maybe Zoro will appreciate that, not that he will ever understand. Stupid, stubborn boy!" she had bitterly thought after saying her last words to her comrades.

"I don't know. I don't understand a thing." Chopper's head was ready to explode. "Her exact words were that she's leaving us because there's a darkness in her heart that could eventually destroy the rest of us" the moment he finished repeating Robin's phrase he started crying out loudly. "The only thing I know is that I want my friend back."

"We all want her back" said Nami but Zoro wasn't sure if he could agree with her. Enough trouble she had caused him when she reappeared into his life.

"I don't care what she says. I know that she's a good person and we're taking her back with us. She's one of us now."

"I agree with Luffy. Have you even thought that maybe this weirdo forced her to go with him?" Nami pointed out.

"Yes, that's a very convenient thought" Zoro opened his mouth to talk for the first time since the four of them had met "but maybe you're wrong. We shouldn't have false hope" he said and when he finished talking everyone looked at him with a grim face.

"I won't let myself be fooled and disappointed by her again."

That thought infuriated him and her face being all the time all over his mind was driving him nuts.

"Damn woman, I mis…"

"Hey, Zoro, what happened to you? Follow me or else we'll end up searching for you, too" said Nami.

"Shut up" he yelled at her.

That thought he just had was too shocking to even think of.

"Seriously now, we're on a Sea Train without brakes chasing our so called Nakama that's been taken in Enies Lobby to be killed and adding to all these we're being chased by a huge wave."

Zoro wasn't supposed to think about such things while meditating but he couldn't help it. Not in the situation that they were.

"You fool, how can you even be so calm and meditate in that situation?" Nami yelled at him but that wasn't enough to take him out of his thoughts.

Flashback

Young Robin took off her brown sandals before sitting on the warm sand. She had followed Zoro to the beach where he would practice that nice sunny day. Not long after that she started getting hot but the light breeze that came and went every few minutes made her feel reanimated.

It was such a great day that she almost felt like she was totally free! What a nice feeling!

"You really like it here" said Zoro, her bandana in his arm catching her attention "aren't you?"

"Of course I do! You're so lucky to have grown up in such a beautiful place" she said and put her legs under the scorching sand. She immediately shivered but even that was a very beautiful feeling for her. She reminisce her childhood in Ohara and the time she was having with her huge friend.

"Yeah. Unfortunately, I'll have to leave this place behind someday, but I'm sure that this will be the island in which I will live the rest of my life. Of course, after my dream comes true."

This was the first time that she had heard Zoro talking like this. His determination was always obvious, especially in his actions, but now she could understand that he had actually made bonds with something else other than his katana. She understood that he had something more to hope for except for being a great swordsmen. Something more…humane.

Her silent attitude towards what he said and that look of admiration she had while staring at him was really unsettling, so he pushed himself ask her something.

"So, what about you?"

"What about me?" she asked trying to conceal her sadness. She didn't expect him to ask her that. She had never thought about that. Ohara was destroyed. Her mother was dead.

"I have noth…"

"I mean, is there a place in which you would like to return after completing your journey?"

"I haven't really given that a thought. After all, there will always be something more to learn about history" she said when the real answer was "I have noth…" but Zoro interrupted her thoughts for a second time.

"If you ever get tired you can always get back here, you know" he said casually like it was the most logical thing in the world and continued his training, thankfully for Robin because she didn't want him to see her crying like this.

That realization was too much to take all at once.

"I have them"

End of Flashback

Robin's eyes were full of tears as she saw her nakama standing atop the courthouse of Enies Lobby determined to take her back with them. And Zoro was there, too, his eyes gleaming with anger while unsheathing one of his katana.

"Do I really still have him?"

The moment that thought occurred to her she saw Zoro staring intently at her with a heart-felt smile on his face. She knew that this time she wasn't alone. Now she was sure!

"I WANT TO LIVE" she screamed.

"Well, Robin, you should have said that earlier" thought Zoro placing his white katana in his mouth ready for a fight to get her back.