𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 ➳ 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐚 (one piece fanfic)

Chapter 10

Nico Robin was running away, away from the people who once smiled to her, away from the ones who told on her to the marines, for money. Her life was only worth the amount of Berry put on her head.

That night, they smiled to her for the first time. They called her Robin, ruffled her hair, bid her good night. So, she thought... maybe, just maybe. Maybe it would be different. So, she smiled back. She hid a wince when their greasy hands landed heavily on her head and ignored the heavy feeling that settled in her guts.

"We have Nico Robin, the Devil Child. Come quickly," they whispered in the dead of the night, unaware of her spying ears, unaware of the tears glistening in her darkened eyes. Her stomach dropped but she pushed aside her feelings - as usual - to quickly gather her stuff before opening the window and jumping out, her legs straining to take her as fast as they could, away from that place.

She was used to being betrayed, but that didn't mean it hurt any less. A side look, a strained smile, a few whispers, a convenient encounter with a marine, each and every time, she would look up at them. And they would look away.

She had hoped. Hoped that this time it was going to be different. That maybe they would come to value her, to love her. But it was all for naught. It was always like this. She hoped... and her hope was mercilessly crushed. And with every deceit, her expectations lowered.

Weaving through the dark streets, avoiding the beggars and shady people, she ran as fast as she could, her heart rate quickening as she heard the familiar shouts of the marines.

They were here.

She thought she had at least a few hours to escape, their base was a few hours away... it could only mean they were noticed beforehand.

She pushed herself against the wall, holding her breath just as a squadron of marines passed by, their methodical steps fading off in the distance as she turned to run further down the shadowed street.

"There she is!"

Her heart leaped as she looked behind her to see an officer pointing to her with a gun before shooting. 'Bang'. Her shoulder was touched. She stumbled slightly, feeling light-headed. Swiftly, hands appeared on his shoulders and snapped his neck, effectively killing him.

But it was too late, a dozen footsteps were already headed her way.

Sharp waves of pain boomed from her shoulder, making her grit her teeth before resuming her run, this time slower than before, her shoulder throbbing painfully.

She took a sharp turn and immediately cursed as she saw a tall wall looming over her. A dead end. She was about to turn around when she saw a dozen marines had caught up to her and were all pointing their charged guns at her in righteous dignity. As if a dozen men weren't cornering an injured 18-year-old girl that had done nothing to warrant such hate, nothing except maybe existing. But maybe that was a fault in itself.

Crossing her arms in an attack stance, she was stopped when a bullet lodged itself in her right leg, making her crumble on her knees with a sharp intake of air. Damn that hurt. They were prepared against her, they knew how her devil fruit worked.

She saw one officer come nearer with a pair of Seastone handcuffs and she could do nothing but stare with a hint of desperation as he neared. She knew what was waiting for her if she was caught by the marine.

Death.

They would silence her. Like the thousands before her.

"Funny, every time we meet, you're running away..." a mischief-coated voice cut through the thick silence, making the marines guardedly gaze around to spot the owner of the young voice. Meanwhile, Robin almost smiled when she heard the familiar voice but refrained to avoid being laughed at by her two-times savior. Appearing just in time, as always.

"Ko," she continued as she jumped down from the building, her long bubbly pink hair floating beneath her before she bowed in derision, "at your service."

"Kill her," the officer yelled, hiding his trembling hand as he himself charged. Ko was a kill-on-sight person and had been since she sold their headquarters' blueprints to pirates.

However, he soon lost sight of her, the only sign of her presence being the thumps caused by bodies falling drop-dead, their neck cleanly cut with deft precision. Before he had the time to count to ten, all his subordinates laid on the floor, in a pool of their own blood, while the guilty person stood under the moon, staring straight at him in dead silence, their silver mask shining brightly with spots of blood.

As the situation settled in, he fell on his knees – similarly to Robin – his hands falling against his body, releasing his gun and the Seastone handcuffs as he awaited his death. However, even as he closed his eyelids in preparation, nothing came.

After a short moment of silence, he opened his eyes again, only to find no one. Ko, along with Robin had left. Leaving him alone with a pile of corpses.

When his gaze settled on his subordinates, he felt his stomach churn at the opened dilated eyes staring straight at him, in resentment.

He could hear them blaming him for their deaths. It was his incompetence that caused their deaths. How could he save anyone if he couldn't even save his own men...?

As he remembered the families awaiting them at home, their parents, their wives, and husbands, their children, he quickly turned his head to the side to empty his stomach.

How could he face them?

When he finally pushed himself up with great difficulty, he dutifully stepped over their bleeding bodies, eyes trembling as he saw the boy who brightly told to him hours ago about how he was going to propose to his girlfriend, with a red rose, in a restaurant he had reserved and with a diamond ring he brought after saving for a year. His bright blue eyes were now dull with fear and regret lingering deep in them. He was dead, a glaring statement confirmed by the open view he got into his throat: he could see the vessels and the cleanly cut artery.

The officer covered his subordinate's eyes, closing his eyes with a shaky hand before continuing on his path.

He left the alley with heavy steps, silent tears running freely down the middle-aged man's face. The smell of rusty blood was over-present, taunting him.

He was alive, but he didn't feel happy at all, no. He was ashamed, ashamed to be the only one to come back to face their families.

That day, he realized that against sheer power, he was but an ant. 

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This fanfic has reached 1,4k view and I'm so very happy to see that! This story is probably my favorite so far so that makes me very thrilled! :D

Will Robin still join the Strawhat Pirates ?

Since this is a spoiler, I will answer in a comment ;)