One Piece Fan Fiction ❯ Nest Egg ❯ Past and Present ( Chapter 5 )

     Ad oyoshi Kohato ran through town up to her house as fast as she could. She couldn’t wait to tell Mama and Papa about her bird coming back. She finally saw her small, red-roofed house with the laundry and bed sheets drying on the clothesline. At full speed, she ran inside and ran to her parents, sitting next to each other. She took no notice of the guest in the house.

     “Mama! Papa! Mama!Papa! Mamapapa!” the child shouted excitedly. Hopping up and down and speaking so rapidly her words were running together.

     “Kohato, dear, what is it?” Tosa asked, though he knew the answer already.

     “Upsy’s back!” Kohato yelled, “Upsy’s back!”

     “That’s wonderful, sweetie.” Kasa told the little girl, who was dancing around in celebration. Robin noticed Kasa was ready to say something else, but waited for the girl to wind down a bit first.

     “Kohato.”

     “Yeah, Mama?”

     “I think you forgot to do something.”

     “Huh?” Kohato asked. She looked at her bare feet. They were fine, she had thrown her dirt covered sandals by the door before walking into the house. Her parents preferred this to keep the floor clean. She looked at the door, it was closed tight. She looked at the table and finally noticed the blonde haired sitting there, watching the child with a content smile on her face. Kohato immediately realized what her Mama was telling her about. She clasped her hands and held and bowed politely.

     “Hello, ma’am.” she said very politely, “My name is Adoyoshi Kohato. It’s very nice to meet you.”

     “It’s very nice to meet you. My name is Nojiko.” Robin said, using the name she knew belonged to Nami’s sister. She hadn’t initially had an alias in mind, but remembering the bracelet the navigator had given her at their departure, decided on that name. Kohato stood there, fidgeting impatiently while Robin and Kasa talked a bit more. Eventually, she managed to break into the conversation.

     “Can I go to my room and put some food in Upsy’s feeder?”

     “Of course, dear.” Kasa said.

     “I’ll help you.” Tosa said as he got up and went with the child. Kohato always made a huge mess with the birdseed if someone didn’t watch her.

     Kohato couldn’t help but think to herself that, if that Nojiko lady had black hair like her instead of yellow, they’d look a lot alike. Robin, meanwhile, watched the little girl leave, unable to stop the flood of memories entering her mind.

     Nico Robin had only been twenty years old when she had met him. The man who would one day become the father of her daughter. His name was Adoyoshi Shuban. He was a younger cousin to Tosa, who raised Shuban after the death of his parents. Though Robin had no concern of that eight years ago.

     She was on the run. Nowhere near a new occurrence in her life. A pirate crew she’d been part of had recently been attacked and captured by the Navy. She had managed an escape on a lifeboat, using her Devil Fruit’s powers to keep cannons pointed away from her, allowing her a clean getaway. She hadn’t much regard for those she sailed with. They were constantly ogling her and trying to get her into bed. She wondered if any one of the men was at all surprised she’d saved herself without even considering them.

     Her Log Pose had brought her to this island. She immediately used some money taken off the pirates’ boat to buy some extra supplies for herself. She wouldn’t be staying long. If those pirates told the Navy of her (which they were certain to do) they’d be here any day now.

     Shuban ran the general store. He was quite handsome, with black hair (not quite as dark as Robin’s) and green eyes. He was somewhat short for his age but his demeanor was such that few ever mistook him for someone still in his teens. He had a habit of making small talk with his customers. Though she was a complete stranger to him, Robin had been no exception. Robin tried to ignore him, but that only made him more determined to get her to speak. Finally, as she was paying for her purchases, she started talking.

     It was all lies, obviously. She wasn’t about to tell this man who she really was. She was just a bypassing sailor, stopping here on her way home after a storm washed away her supplies. He was sympathetic, even offering some extra food free of charge. Robin was happy for the extra supplies and said as much. However, she was in for a shock when she turned around to leave.

     It wasn’t so much the Naval marines standing out on the road that had surprised her. Though she hadn’t anticipated they’d move this quickly. It was Shuban that did it.

     “Miss Robin, this way!” he said as he took Robin’s hand. He led her to a back room. On the floor was a trap door leading to a storage room. He helped Robin inside and closed the door. Robin heard scraping noises as he piled some junk on top of the door, hiding it. Left in the storage room, with nothing around her but clothes the store had in stock, Robin considered what had just happened. She had spent all that time telling lies and he’d known who she was from the start. Robin sat down on a crate and sighed. She resigned herself to the likely chance he’d demand some kind of favor in return for this.

     Several minutes later, she once again heard the scraping followed by the trap door’s opening. Shuban was there and held his hand out for Robin. She accepted and climbed out into the main store room. Robin didn’t beat around the bush as she demanded to know what he wanted in return.

     “Nothing at all, Miss Robin.” He had replied, “I’m just happy to see you safe.”

     “Why would that matter to you?!“ Robin demanded, unable to hide her disbelief.

     “Well, I guess you could say I’m a fan of yours.” Shuban said, “I remember when I was about nine and saw your wanted poster for the first time. I was a pretty rebellious kid, so when I saw a girl not even my age with a seventy-nine million Berry bounty, I couldn’t help but be fascinated. What could a girl younger than me have done to get adults that angry with her?”

     Shuban had laughed. Though she didn’t share the same outlook on her past, she couldn’t help but smile a bit herself. Shuban asked Robin to remain in the store until the Naval marines left. She complied. It worked out for her, anyway. When they didn’t find her, the Navy would likely believe she went to another island within Log Pose distance and head there next. They weren’t likely to come back to a place they’d already checked thoroughly.

     Robin initially had every intention of heading off as soon as the Navy had gone far enough away. But that didn’t happen. Instead, she found herself living in the Adoyoshi home, with Shuban and his cousins, Tosa and Kasa. Robin herself didn’t understand why she didn’t leave the first chance she got. She had dealt with several men in her life, she had thought herself immune to their attempts to charm her. So she didn’t think she was falling for Shuban when, in fact, that’s exactly what was happening.

     Nico Robin was no virgin, but she had never really been in love with a man or even had any infatuations growing up. Adoyoshi Shuban had become her first real love without her even realizing it. Days after, when she finally understood what she felt, she embraced it.

     She still used a fake name. She didn’t dare take the risk of someone recognizing the name Nico Robin. She was chancing not wearing any kind of disguise. But people had already seen Robin so changing her appearance suddenly would only spark unnecessary suspicion. Tosa and Kasa were aware of who Robin really was. Though, for Shuban’s sake, they did nothing. Their misgivings didn’t last. In time, they forgot their misgivings and welcomed Robin as one of their own.

     For the first time in her life, Robin was able to relax and live a little bit. No Navy. No pirates. No criminals. For a brief time, Robin even forgot her quest for the Rio Poneglyph. Robin lived with the Adoyoshis for nearly a year. In that time, her and Shuban’s love had created the inevitable. Robins belly was, after several months, large with a child. She was due to give birth very soon. Every day during her pregnancy, Robin couldn’t believe what was happening. She was about to have a child. She never gave a single thought to having a family. Her life and her usual pessimistic outlook forbade it. On the occasions in her past she had taken lovers, she had always made sure to take every precaution. But, in her relationship with Shuban, she had thrown caution to the wind, and she was about to be blessed for it.

     However, deep down, Robin knew that this happiness wouldn’t, couldn’t last. It would soon be shattered, and Robin would be forced on the run once again. No longer just for her sake, but for the sake of her child.

     The pirates she had sailed with managed to escape the Navy and had tracked Robin down to this island. They had a strict policy about killing deserters. They had no plans of making Robin an exception. They pillaged the harbor town and got the frightened villagers to tell them about a woman matching Robin’s description. It was especially fresh on their minds that day because the doctor and a town midwife had just gone to her home to aid in a birth.

     The pirates wasted no time in going to that home. Robin had been having contractions for some time, giving birth to her child. She was in no condition to fight. When Shuban realized what was happening, he immediately ordered his cousins, the doctor, and the midwife to get Robin to safety. They did so, in spite of Robin’s protests. They took a put Robin into a cart and used a long path that went to town to avoid the pirates. They took Robin to the store Shuban owned and hid her in the same basement room Shuban had helped her into when they first met.

     Shuban refused to tell the pirates anything about Robin. He told them he lived there only with his two cousins. Though there were clear signs of four people living there. Not to mention the nursery that Shuban and Robin had been setting up for this day. The pirates weren’t satisfied with Shuban’s obvious lying. They tried to force him to talk. But no matter what they did, he wouldn’t tell them anything regarding Robin. Eventually convinced that Shuban wouldn’t talk, regardless of whether he knew anything or not, the pirates killed him. If he was indeed lying, it would send a clear message to Nico Robin. If he had been telling the truth, well, they didn’t care one way or the other really. After a good ransacking they left town, deciding to try another island or two nearby in their search.

     Meanwhile, in a dusty hidden cellar in a general store, Nico Kohato was born. Fatherless and, soon, motherless. For Robin didn’t dare remain in that town. She knew she had to get away as soon as possible, otherwise others might come for her. Or, if not her, they might try to harm Kohato to harm her. Just as those pirates had done to her love.

     Using very devious techniques and old knowledge she set up a system that Tosa & Kasa could use to contact her in the event that they or Kohato were ever in danger. With it in place, Nico Robin left her child in her adopted cousins’ care, resigning herself to the fact that she may never again see her daughter.