One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda
Kingdom Hearts characters belong to Square Enix and Disney
OCs belong to me.

-Chapter Two Hundred and Six-

"Yeah, that's a good point" Usopp chuckled, agreeing with the blond.

"Hey, check it out! We're almost through the jungle!" Luffy pointed as I lifted my head to see that he was right...yet I couldn't help but cast one more glance down at the groove, cautiously looking back at Robin who was doing the same. Slowly I found myself starting to feel anxious as a sense of unease washed over me. "Well that's a letdown, just looks like a whole lot of nothing out here" the captain pouted as we came out into a clearing that had nothing of interest in it saved for one huge rock in the middle.

"What did you expect from an uninhabited island?" I questioned as Chopper suddenly gasped and rushed ahead toward the huge rock that sat in the middle of the clearing.

"He's excited? Did I miss something?" Luffy blinked, tilting his head in confusion. Curiously, I looked at the rock Chopper was rushing toward...only for my blood to run cold the instant I spotted the black mushroom-shaped hair that was poking out from the top.

'No...it couldn't be...' I quickly shook my head in an attempt to clear it of such thoughts. Surely it couldn't be who I thought—I hadn't seen that man in years, I doubted he'd just magically be on an uninhabited island in the middle of nowhere like this.

"I don't get it either, maybe he found some new herbs" Zoro suggested.

"Huh? Chopper, you cheater!" Luffy frowned the minute he spotted that same head of mushroom-shaped hair. "You were going to hog that big mushroom all to yourself—weren't you?!" he accused, clearly not realizing that what he was looking at was hair and not an actual mushroom. "Get back here!" he huffed as he quickly chased after the reindeer who had disappeared behind the rock. "Hey, what happened?

"Are you okay?" he worriedly asked, attitude quickly changing the second Chopper frantically tumbled back and away from the rock as if he had seen something that had scared him.

"There must be something behind that rock—come on! Hurry!" Zoro motioned as he went after Luffy.

"Whoa! You're not a mushroom..." Chopper nervously noted, trembling at whatever it was hiding behind the rock.

"A raccoon dog?" I paled as soon as I heard that voice—that dreadfully familiar voice that I hadn't heard in years, yet remembered so clearly.

"Can't you see the antlers?! I'm a reindeer!" Chopper snapped, anger temporarily replacing his fear for a brief second.

"I saw you fall—are you hurt?" Luffy asked as he slid near the fallen reindeer. "Who the heck is that?" he frowned as he glared up at the man seated behind the rock.

"What's going on?" Zoro asked.

"I don't know, someone's here" Sanji answered as I started to slow down and stumble. My knees felt weak as I struggled to move any closer—I could feel my stomach churning uneasily as a knot slowly started to build itself up within its pit, making that nauseous feeling I already had worse...

Please...no...please...

Please let it be anyone else but him—let it be someone else, just don't let it be him of all people.

"Do you mind? I was sleeping" the familiar voice yawned as I slowly started to tremble.

"Miss Swordswoman?" Robin quietly questioned, resting a gentle hand on my shoulder as I started shaking my head.

'I don't want to go back...I don't want to go back...I don't want to go back...' was the only thing I could think as fear took a tight hold of me. I didn't want to look and yet couldn't bring myself to tear my gaze away from the rock or that head of hair as I anxiously waited for my fears to be confirmed.

"Say, did you hit my friend?" Luffy frowned as the rest of us finally caught up.

"Oh, man! That guy's huge!" Usopp gawked upon finally spotting the person behind the rock.

"I thought we were alone on this island..." Nami nervously said as I stopped dead in my tracks the second I caught sight of that familiar face. I...I felt the knot in my stomach almost double in size to a sickening degree as a flood of memories suddenly hit me—bringing with them that same awful fear as always. Part of me should have known there was always a chance I was going to run into one of them again out here on the vast sea while traveling with a bunch of pirates...yet I had foolishly thought it was never really going to happen...

I didn't really think I would ever see any of the Admirals ever again.

-Flashback-

Thick globs of tears raced down Skylar's cheeks, messily dripping onto the table as her lips quivered in a pitiful attempt to hold back the sob that was now choking her. Terrified that if she were to be any louder in her crying then her father would return and lash out at her once again.

"You are to sit there and read—every book, every wanted poster and their reasoning, and so on" he had coldly told her, angrily throwing the papers and books down on the table in front of her, stacking them high as he ignored her pathetic sniveling. "A good Admiral must know everything in their position," he sneered as he slammed the last of the books down, "I'll be quizzing you when I come back" and with that, he had left. Leaving her all alone with a stinging cheek from where he had harshly slapped her earlier that day for speaking out—for angrily yelling at him for talking negatively about her brothers. Quickly and frantically, she wiped at her eyes and loudly sniffed in an attempt to rid herself of the snot leaking from her nose the second she heard approaching footsteps. She didn't want to know what he would do if he discovered she had been crying this entire time since he left.

She bit her tongue, desperately trying to stop her trembling as her father entered the room, followed closely by a tall stranger.

"Skylar" she flinched upon hearing her father's deep, authoritative voice as it broke the tense silence of the room before shakily standing when he motioned her to come to him. "How are your studies coming along?" he asked...and though his face was set in a neutral expression, she could easily see the disgust in his eyes as she warily peered up at him. She could see the way he looked at her as if she was nothing more than a piece of filth on his shoe—a disgrace he was embarrassed to call his own daughter...

To call his future successor.

She tensed, lowering her head when she saw that look in his eyes worsen as he silently examined her. No doubt he could tell that she had been crying this entire time due to her puffy eyes and reddened nose that was still leaking snot. She could see how the hatred and disgust in his gaze only grew the longer he looked at her—at her splotchy, tear-stained cheeks to her wrinkled dress which looked far too big on her small body...at her swollen and nearly busted lower lip from how hard she'd bit down on it to mask her crying to her shaky legs that struggled to hold her up...

No matter how hard she or the help tried, there were always going to be disgraceful flaws for him to find whenever he looked at her...

"They're going alright, sir..." she quietly responded, knowing that he didn't really care either way if they were going well or not—he never cared because it never stopped him from lashing out...it never stopped his harsh words or violent actions. He'd still find a reason to hurt her no matter if she was doing well or not...he'd still find a reason to sneer and snarl at her about how much of a failure she was no matter how perfect she was at doing what he said. Cautiously, she looked back up at her father, relieved when he simply nodded and turned to the man at his side.

"Aokiji, this is my youngest daughter I wasn't telling you about, Skylar—she's the one I have chosen to be my successor" her father introduced, not even bothering to look back down at the child, unlike his comrade who curiously peered down at the brunette—watching as she seemingly shrunk into herself under his stare as she anxiously shuffled around on her feet.

"Successor? Why her and not one of your sons—particularly, your oldest?" Aokiji curiously asked, only to receive a blank stare that slightly unnerved him as he watched the other man turn away and cross his arms behind his back.

"There are...reasons...as to why the other two were not chosen—I just didn't feel they were worthy enough for the title, Skylar here was more of a last resort if I'm being honest" he confessed, not ashamed to show his dissatisfaction as he coldly looked down at his daughter who only shrunk further into herself. "Trust me, if my wife were to bear any more children, I may change my mind" he answered as he walked to the door. "Come, let us speak further in my office" and with that, he disappeared...

Aokiji didn't follow though.

No, instead he chose to linger back as he bent down in an attempt to be closer to the child's level—slowly bringing a hand up as he gently touched the tips of his fingers to the vibrant red mark on the girl's cheek...it looked bad enough that he had no doubt it was going to bruise. Skylar flinched under his touch before shivering at how oddly cold his fingers felt despite the intense heat of the afternoon. If she was being honest...the sensation felt rather nice against her stinging cheek that she was almost tempted to lean into his touch the longer she felt it.

"What happened to your cheek?" though the question was normally one asked out of concern, Skylar knew better. She knew better than to think anyone actually cared about what happened to those around them let alone her and her brother—they didn't care...

She knew they didn't.

She knew that they didn't care when someone was in pain, knew that they didn't care when someone was on the floor sobbing or curled up in the corner pleading for mercy...they never cared. No one ever did and she knew that better than anyone. After all, all she ever saw from the parties and meetings her parents would host were an endless sea of facades—all she ever saw were fake people who wished nothing more than to maintain a certain image of themselves. People who wished to play make-believe and act like they were good people who did care about the world and those suffering...it was nothing more than a lie though. No doubt this man was no different, she just knew that he had to be like all the others—why else would someone good wish to associate themselves with her father of all people if they themselves weren't just as monstrous as he was?

"Training didn't go so well today..." was her response in a voice that was barely there as she spoke what she perceived as a convincing lie. Aokiji said nothing, quieting staring before slowly nodding.

"I see" he stood back up to his full height, gently patting the top of her head in passing as he left. Skylar shivered as she watched him take his leave—disappearing into her father's office as she raised her hand and rested it atop her head in silent confusion. Looking back at the books and papers scattered across the tabletop that awaited her return, she quietly slipped out of the room before soundlessly rushing down the hallway—not caring that she would be punished later for skipping out on the rest of her studies. It didn't matter, she knew that father was going to be angry no matter what once his meeting was done with...he always was. No matter what she did, the outcome would always be the same...all she wanted now was a bit of refuge until then.

She chose Cloud's room this time, not wishing to wake Sora up who was once again laid up in bed in their shared room—sick and running a high fever that once again had the household staff uncaringly whispering to one another in hushed tones about their doubts that he'll get better this time. About their doubts that he'll live to see another day this time around...it was the same old spiel they always whispered about and it was one she didn't wish to hear in fear that they may be right. Cloud didn't question his sister the second she slipped into his room and crawled onto his bed, snuggling into his side as closely as she could. He didn't say a word when she slowly started to shake, tiny hiccups slipping past quivering lips as snot began to run down her nose once more. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her and continued to read his book.

-End of Flashback-

My body stiffened as I averted my gaze, almost childishly believing that if I didn't look at him then he wouldn't notice that I existed—childishly believing that as long as I didn't acknowledge him then he wouldn't acknowledge me.

"You know him?" Luffy questioned as Robin gave a startled gasp, staring up at the Admiral in recognized horror.

"Hey, is this guy an enemy?" Sanji asked.

"Who is he?" Nami curiously inquired.

"If Robin's freaking out then so am I!" Usopp shivered, already starting to panic the moment he saw the look of fear on the older woman's face.

"Something's wrong" Chopper frowned.

"Whoa! Whoa, whoa, hold on—look, I know you're surprised to see me, but don't get so worked up" Aokiji said, raising his hands as he quickly tried to settle everyone down once he saw how worked up they were getting. "It's not like I came here on official orders or anything. It's a nice day, so I decided to go for a ride" he told us.

"Orders, huh? And who is it that you work for?" Zoro glared. I felt my vision blur as I struggled for a moment to breathe over the lump in my throat that only seemed to grow in tandem with the knot in my stomach. Irrational thoughts started to fill my head as fear gripped my heart and painfully clawed its way into my mind—worming itself into every little crevice as it flooded my entire being. My legs tensed and felt just about ready to take off sprinting at the mere thought of being discovered. Subconsciously, I found myself curling inwards as my shoulders scrunched up and my body shrunk away from the man despite him being nowhere near me.

"He's a Marine" Robin firmly answered.

"M-Marine Admiral Aokiji..." I shakily breathed, catching the woman off guard.

"Not only that, but he's also known as one of the World Government's ultimate powerhouse" she continued, sparing a glance at me with eyes that questioned how I knew his name when all the others seemed to be in the dark.

"Whoa! For real?" Luffy questioned.

"I'm afraid so, this is Admiral Aokiji from Navy Headquarters" Robin nodded as I clenched and unclenched my fist in some pitiful attempt to calm myself...

They're going to know my whereabouts...they're going to know where I am...

I found myself torn between wanting to laugh at the blow that would be delivered to that man's pride upon this discovery or screaming because I realized there was a real possibility now that I could be dragged back to that hellhole. Instead, I kept quiet. Despite how terrified I was at the thought of what hell awaits me now should I ever be returned to him...I felt my lips quiver and twitch as they curled upwards for a brief second. An Admiral's daughter found on a pirate ship or—more importantly—the successor of an Admiral found on a ship full of pirates would surely smudge anyone's pristine image.

Should I be proud or terrified?

"My, my, my" Aokiji said, scanning the group before him. "You've grown into quite the lovely lady, haven't you, Nico Robin?" he asked, and even though he was addressing the woman beside me, I could practically feel his stare burning into me. I didn't like the feeling of his eyes on me—it wasn't helping at all with my mixed emotions.

A/N: Enjoy

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