One More Piece

Chapter 2: The Ruins and the Mysterious Orrin

     Robin sat on a barstool reading. Nami, in her brother's absence, was helping ViVi clean up the restaurant. The others had gone upstairs after eating their lunch.

     "Mr. Patterson, do you have the faintist idea as to the whereabouts of Orrin?" Robin asked. The heavyset man laughed and smirked.

     "Please! Call me Pat", he said, drying a plate, "Since when does that boy tell me where he's going? If you wanna know where he is, ask ViVi."

     The princess smiled shyly.

     "To be honest, all I know is that he goes down that old forest path. I don't know where it leads, though", she said. She and Robin looked at Nami questionably. The navigator was surprised.

      "Don't look at me! I haven't seen or heard from my little brother in seven years!" she exclaimed. Robin thought for a moment. She got up and went outside. Walking along the road, she headed in the direction of the demolision site. ViVi mentioned a forest path, she thought, I remember seeing one somewhere near hear...there! Robin had spotted an old trail. It was overgrown and neatly cut vines were scattered across it.

       "Odd. It looks like it hasn't been used in years, yet these vines are freshly cut", she said, curiously. There was a slight, ominous breeze in the air.

* * * * *

        Sanji leaned back in his chair, lighting a cigarette. The pirates sat in the loft. ViVi shifted nervously in her seat.

        "You guys aren't even gonna come up with a plan against this Arlong?" she asked. Nami looked at her in shock. "How does she know?" she thought.

         "You talk in your sleep!" Zoro said, as if reading her mind, "Moron."

        "You're one to talk, Zoro!" Nami retorted. Chopper started to worry for his own safety. He looked around and hid behind ViVi's chair. ViVi chuckled at the sight of him.

        "Don't they do this everyday, Toni?" she asked.

        "That doesn't make it any less scary!" Chopper replied. Nami and Zoro's argument ended as it usually did, with Zoro getting a lump on the back of his head.

         "Are you two done yet?" Brook asked, "I'm curious to know how we're going to handle this fishman."

          "I just gotta kick his ass again, right?" Luffy said, punching his own hand.

          "Idiot! Have you forgotten that everyone's injured?" Nami scolded, smacking him in the back of his head.

           "That may be true, but it's the only chance we have", Sanji said, getting up from his seat.

           "For once you're not acting like a love sick idiot", Zoro snickered.

          "What'd you say to me, moss head?!"

          "Shitty cook!" Zoro retorted. The two started fighting. Nami started to look worried. This is useless. There's no way we can beat Arlong, she thought. She sat down on the bed near the window.

* * * * *

         Robin studied the cobblestone on the path. It was old and crumbling. There was still no sign of anyone. As she walked on, she began to hear soft music from a harp. The nostalgic tune filled the air. Where's it coming from? she thought. The end of the trail was closer than she had expected. Ruins and ancient relics were clustered together, an orange tree stood a few yards away from the edge of the cliff. The harp stopped.

         "This is amazing", she said. Walking up to a wall, she brushed the dust off of it gently. A slight movement caught her eye. Robin went to the tree and sat down, gazing over the cliff, towards the sea. Someone climbed down to the branch just above her head.

          She turned to see a boy in a gray T-shirt with black at the sleeve ends and the collar. He wore khaki cargo pants and dark green sneekers. His platinum blonde hair went down to the base of his neck. His right eye was pale yellow with an oddly shaped scar going from just beneath it to the other side of his cheek. The other was dark brown. His lanky stature seemed to out rule him as a fighter.

          "Orrin", Robin said, "You don't look a lot like your sister." The boy sat quietly, his legs dangling off the branch. Robin took out a piece of paper and handed it to him. The letter. Orrin read it, thought for a moment, then went to the cliff edge and took out his spyglass. Robin walked over to him and looked towards the area he was aiming at. He handed her the spy glass. Using it to get a closer look, she saw that Arlong's ship was already anchored at the docks. Orrin sat down on the cliff.

           "When did he arrive?" Robin asked him, "Looks like our friends are in for some trouble."

           Orrin raised his head and looked behind him. He then stood up.

           "What's the matter?" Robin asked. He didn't reply. Instead, he scrambled up the tree. In a few seconds he came back down with two duel daggers sheathed on either side of his waist. Daggers? Did he see someone, possibly one of Arlong's crew? Robin thought. Orrin's eyes widened and he grabbed the hilts of the daggers.

           "LOOK OUT!!!" he yelled. Too late. Robin was stabbed in the arm, as well as her leg, out of nowhere. She stumbled, toppling over the edge of the cliff...