A/N: Hey everyone! Thank you to the people who reviewed the last two chapters! You guys are awesome and it's great to get feedback! Here is Chapter 3! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own one piece nor the characters.

Chapter 3: Where To Go

To everyone's surprise, Nami won the drinking game. She was still chugging down a jug of beer when the last of her competition collapsed on the floor unable to keep up with the redhead. Zoro may have stood a chance against her, if Sanji hadn't knocked into him while spinning around yelling, "Go Nami-Swan!" The Swordman's anger got the better of him of course and he left the contest to tussle with the cook.

Now, all the Strawhats sat at the large table, mingling with the other pirates as they feasted on dishes of takoyaki and rice balls. Everyone snickered at Luffy's rice ball impressions of Zoro and Sanji. Sitting in between Nami and Chopper, Robin joined in and laughed merrily at the comical captain.

Just as Robin was about to pop another takoyaki into her mouth, a piece of paper fell onto her lap. Robin looked around but found no clue as to who had dropped it. Unfolding the paper, she read the message:

The poneglyph is in the forest. Why don't you come and find it - Alone.

I'll be waiting for you, Nico Robin.

A poneglyph! Someone has it and is using it as leverage! Robin wasn't about to let this opportunity to decipher another ancient writing slide, especially if it's in danger of being destroyed. Clasping the paper tightly, Robin thought anxiously about her next course of action. Creasing her eyebrows in deep thought, she look around at her crew. Should I tell them about this? These are the people who risked their lives saving me only a few weeks earlier. How can I betray their trust by keeping this secret from them? But, if I do say something, then they'll only want to come with me. Then whoever sent this might really destroy the poneglyph. I can't let that happen. It was my mother's dream to find out everything about the void century, and she's gone now. It's my duty to carry on her legacy. This is my inheritance. I can't put that on the line.

Getting up from the table, Robin excused herself from the merry crew saying she was going to take a breather. Walking off to the side, she climbed off the ship and made her way along the beach towards the ominous shadows in the distance that was the island's forest.

Ace was sitting on the floor, having a drink with Marco, when he saw Robin climb down the ladder attached to the side of the ship.

"I think I've had enough to drink for now, man. I'm going to sober up a bit, maybe get some fresh air," Ace excused himself.

Putting his drink down, Ace got up and made his way over to where Robin had disappear. Squinting into the darkness, he saw a small figure walking along the shoreline of the beach. Figuring that's probably Robin, Ace jumped off the ship deciding to follow her. He wondered why she was out there.

Robin trotted along the sand determined to get to the forest. The note had set an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Robin's desperation with finding the poneglyph and the unknown sender clouded her mind and perhaps her better judgment. She knew that there was a chance this may be a trap. But at the moment, she didn't care. She only wanted to get to the forest and fight whoever it was that challenged her so she can be a step closer to fulfilling her mother's dream.

The further along she walked, the rougher the sand became. The path to the forest began to curve and twist, so much that Robin found it harder to navigate between the boulders of ocean carved rocks. Robin was almost at the entrance of the forest when she paused for a moment to look behind her. Suddenly, she realized her complete aloneness in this situation. None of her crew knew where she was nor what she was about to get herself into, and the ships in the distance seemed so isolate and fragile. The Thousand Sunny and Whitebeard's Ship was a tiny speck of light, floating over the murky water that blended with the night sky into obscurity. To her, it looked like a small firefly, hovering in the blackness, its small light an insignia of joy and hope, completely separate from her.

Robin turned her attention back to the path in front of her and stared up at the vast forestry she was about to enter. The overwhelming mass of vegetation that seemed to run wild over the land towered over her small form. It made her feel tiny and weak and she hated the feeling of vulnerability. Her legs became stiff, and a heavy sense of foreboding weighed on her chest. It was like walking into the mouth of a deadly beast and for a second, she wondered if she had done the right thing coming here alone. Then the doubts and questions kept on coming. She thought about what she would do when she made in to the forest. How will I know where to go? The note hadn't mentioned how to navigate through this heap of trees. This has all the makings of a trap, but what can I do when I've already made it this far? Suddenly, she spotted a piece of small white paper pinned to a tree with a knife. She pulled the knife out and read the note: Follow the narrow path.

Little did she know, Ace had followed her all the way to the entrance. Hiding atop one of the boulders, he watched her. She had been standing there for quite awhile. Ace thought he ought to make his presence known, but he shook his head opting that it was better to find out what she was doing first. He saw her look back at the ships in the distance. He looked back too. They had come a pretty long way away. The ships hardly resemble ships, but more like a white dot in the distance. By the time Ace turned his head back to Robin, she had already disappeared. She must have gone into the forest. I have to pay more attention or I'm going to lose track of her. Ace hurried and made his way off the boulder and towards the entrance. He wandered along for a while not having found Robin yet. The path became more obscure and the leaves of the trees became thicker the deeper he walked. Where did Robin go?

Robin followed the narrow path until she came into a small clearing. She looked around and in the mist of shrubs Robin saw a man size hole with vines that twisted around into an arch over the opening. There seems to be another path across this clear area, she thought. She took a step towards the opening but stopped, suddenly alert. The air around her feet became thick and a black, sickly vapor began to gather together. A giant form burst from the layer of icky fog and took the shape of a creature with a spiked beak and beady red eyes. It had wings that span across 10 feet and the thing hovered in the air over Robin, eyeing its new prey with avidity. Before Robin could react, the bird beat its wings together in a swift motion blowing the air around her. She felt a great sting in her side as the sharpness of the wind slash into her flesh with keen precision. The technique resembled one of Zoro's attacks, where air was made to cut like a blade. The force knocked her off balance and she almost yelped out in pain as she felt her shoulder slam into a load of large rocks.

Ace was beginning to worry that he had lost her for good in the large forest, when suddenly he spots her in a small clearing some 20 feet ahead of him. Quickly, he hid behind a few dangling leaves before she could spot him.

From where he stood, Ace noticed Robin had stopped walking. Suddenly, he saw an enormous shadow rise into view above Robin, its shape resembling a crow. The massive creature opened its beak and the noise it released sounded like the painful shrieks of a hundred burning children. The screech pierced Ace's ears and made him press the palms of his hands against them, holding his head in agony. The next thing he knew, he was watching Robin fly through the air and hit a gathering of rocks. Assessing the danger of the situation, Ace sprinted forward ready to fight. His right hand lit up in a fiery blaze, and just as he was about to jump from behind the trees and attack, he saw a dozen human arms sprout out of the crow's body and grip the bird firmly. Ace looked to the side and found Robin standing with her arms crossed in front of her and blood oozing from a big gash on the side of her waist. This must be her devil fruit power, he thought. She stood uneasily, struggling to hold herself up, most likely do to the pain of her injury. She had a determined look in her eyes. Then the sound of crunching bones echoed through the forest. Cringing, Ace watched in horrid amazement as the human hands tore the wings off the raven's body and snapped its feathery neck with a loud crack. The arms disappeared into nothingness and the bloody mangled carcass of the raven laid on the ground unmoving.

Ace was completely stunned and fairly impressed. Wow, Luffy wasn't kidding when he said her specialty was assassination. Pretty gruesome, but I guess that's why she's the famous Nico Robin.

With a stoic expression, Robin looked at the bird on the ground. Taking a breath and sighing, she called out.

"You can come out now. I know you're hiding behind those trees."

Ace's eyes widened in surprise. Hesitantly, he walked out from behind the leaves and into the clearing. He was caught spying on the girl he has yet to meet, and this made quite an awkward situation for Ace. Robin tried to stand straight and assertive like she always does but found it difficult. She placed one arm around her torso, a hand pressing down on the wound to keep the blood from spilling out. She wasn't angry, but her expression called for an explanation from the commander.

"How did you know I was there?" Ace asked.

"I didn't. At least not until after that thing knocked me down. When I was getting up, I saw a something glow in the dark by the trees. It looked like flames so I figured it had to be someone with a fire devil fruit power. And here you are, Fire Fist Ace."

Robin's tone was calm and her voice was soft. This made Ace a little more comfortable. So she's not mad. That's a good sign, he thought to himself.

"So, why are you following me?" Robin asked with honest curiosity.

"I saw you leave the party and you were alone and its dark out here. So I wanted to make sure you were okay, because I don't think you should be alone in the dark. I didn't realize you'd come all the way here… and well… What are you doing out here anyways?" Ace rocked awkwardly on his heels. He seemed to have rambled that sentence out and almost couldn't stop his pace.

"Thank you for your concern, but I can take care of myself." Robin said, somewhat amused at Ace's nervousness.

Unsure if she can trust Ace with her situation, Robin had avoided his question. She needed to get rid of him, and fast. If he tagged along with her, then the poneglyph will be in danger of being destroyed. Suddenly, Robin coiled over a little and hissed in pain. Her wound was throbbing and she was starting to feel woozy from the blood loss.

"Are you okay!?" Ace rushed over to hold her up in case she fell, but Robin push her hand out in front of her stopping him before he got close enough. She proceeded to rip the bottom part of her dress and tie the fabric around her waist to cover the wound.

"I'm okay," she said with a heavy pant. She stood straight up again with confident poise, and started, "You should leave. Go back to the party. You're missing all the festivities."

"So are you," Ace pointed out in protest. "Besides, you're hurt. I'm hardly going to leave an injured girl to wander around in the woods by herself."

"I can handle myself. I'm a big girl." Robin winked at him as she turned to walk away.

"I'm going to take a guess and say that you didn't tell any of your nakama what you're doing. So, if I go back to the ship and Luffy happens to be wondering where you are, I'm going to feel obligated to tell him. I wouldn't want to lie to my brother now."

The minor threat stopped Robin in her tracks. Ace smirked at this, knowing he has her cornered. Robin turned to face him, slight annoyance uttered in her expression. She eyed him determinedly, thinking of a way out. Ace crossed his arms and met her stare with one of his own, challenging her. When she didn't speak, Ace decided to push his argument a little further. She seems like a smart girl, so she has to listen to logic.

"You obviously came out here alone for a reason. And you're sending me away because… well, for one thing, you don't trust me. And two, whatever you are doing, you feel you have to do alone. But I'm already here and you're injured. What if you just collapse on the ground? Or more of those crow-things pop up? You might run into some trouble and need back up! I'm not going to abandon you knowing that something like that might happen."

Wow, he's a pretty caring person, kind of like Captain-san. Robin considered his words for a moment. Maybe he's right. I might need back up. And I definitely can't have him telling the others where I am! Luffy will just come barging into the forest with the rest of the crew trying to find me, and if that happens, then I might lose my chances in saving the poneglyph!

Ace's thoughts were churning as he watched Robin think. He imagined how hard it must be for Robin to trust him. Not only because he was still practically a stranger, but because of the things she may have gone through in the past. He remembered how hard it was for him to trust people and he thought about the secret he was still keeping from almost everyone in his own crew. So far only Luffy and Pops knew of his true lineage. He had wanted to create a new person for himself, separate from his father. He almost succeeded, but the old thoughts won't shake, because he knows that on the inside, he had the blood of Gold D. Roger. He can only imagine the mental struggle Robin must be going through right now, weighing out all the consequences in trusting him.

"Everybody has their secrets, Robin. I know what its like to carry a secret around and not tell anybody. After a while, it starts to weigh you down and crush you. It did to me. Then I found someone to help me carry some of the weight. You hardly know me, so I don't expect you to trust me with your secret. But, at least let me make sure you're okay," Ace pleaded with her honestly.

She didn't know what to say to him. The sincerity in his voice had caught her off guard and she wasn't sure what to make of it. He has secrets too. Is this what Marco was talking about when he said Ace was struggling? How can he be so kind to me? He doesn't even know what I'm doing, and he's offering to help. Does he even consider that I'm might be doing something bad? Sighing, Robin resolved to just let Ace tag along.

"You surprise me, Captain-san's brother. I didn't expect the fearsome Fire Fist Ace to be anything more than just a charming brute and few sparks of fire," Robin teased, breaking the tension that had been brewing in the silence. Ace smiled, pleased to hear Robin speak with such lightness in her voice.

"Please, call me Ace." Ace wanted to knock down those barriers of formality between him and Robin. More than that, he wanted to know Robin more and for her to know him.

"Okay, Ace. You can come. But, when I tell you to hide, you have to do it. And you must stay out of sight until I say so."

"Why would I need to hide?"

"Because the thing I'm looking for is in danger of being destroyed. If whoever has it knows you're here too, then it really will be." Robin's expression was serious and Ace realized the how important this object must be to her.

"Alright, I'll stay out of sight."

Then the two disappeared into the opening with the vine twisted arch.

A/N: Chapter 3 done! See, I told you they'd meet eventually! I really wanted to show off a bit of Robin's devil fruit powers and not make her too much of a damsel in distress! She did work as a secret agent and an assassin before, so I thought I'd mention some of it! I hope you liked it! Thanks for reading guys! Stay tuned for Chapter 4.