Two strangers at a bar

"What do you want?"

His rough voice and cold eyes were more than enough to send down waves of pure ice the spine of the man behind the counter. In his opinion the traveler seemed too hard-boiled, too keen, as if he had experienced more than anybody else in the little tavern. One hand holding his beer, the other one, ready to battle, at one of his swords, both did not help to smoothen his picture.

"My, what a rude salutation."

The beautiful stranger on the other hand did not seem to be bothered, even less scarred.

With a mysterious smile she sat down next to the feisty traveler.

"A glass of wine for me, please." She ordered most friendly the barkeeper.

"And for the gentleman over there…"

"Am good!" He cut off her words in an icy way.

His calculating view upon her did not soften for even a second, while she nodded politely and freed her black hair from the hood she was wearing.

With an annoyed grunt, because the stranger apparently attempted to stay longer, the traveler faced his beer once again, obviously trying to ignore the pretty lady.

The black-haired woman laughed it off softly and took the offered glass of dark red wine thankfully.

Both strangers enjoyed more or less their questionable get-together in mutual silence, while the other folks indulged into alcohol and food. Their loud laughter and trashy conversations almost drowned the happy music, but certainly did drown silently exchanged words.

After some while most people started singing, friskier with every single drop of alcohol. Most of the songs were well-known all around the whole world, but some of them only people from that area knew.

The traveler at the counter mumbled something grumpy under his breath and emptied his beer in one go. Annoyed he crashed the glass on the counter. One glance was enough for the barkeeper to hurry over and refill it. He knew just too well, who the guy on the other side was, and even though he did not believe in all of the rumors he heard, he did love his little tavern, just as he treasured his own life.

He did know nothing about the woman next to the traveler, but years of experience told him that she might be even more dangerous.

Maybe even more because of the smile she was showing at that moment, while tapping the rhythm of music with her left foot and watching the other guests. Her back leaned against the counter and she had crossed her legs. Softly she took one or two sips of her wine.

"What a nice song."She said softly.

"Seems to be famous here in the East-Blue."

"What do you want?" The traveler next to her repeated his question, not one hint nicer than before.

"You know, do you not?"

Immediately the room was freezing cold, as the traveler grinned devilishly and let go of his sword.

"Well, I can assume." He answered without letting is evil grin slip but adding a little bit of malice.

"But I do hope that you are not as stupid as the other guy. I got no problem in killing a woman, got it?"

Even now she kept smiling lightheartedly and watched again the noisy crowd, one hand on her leg, the other on her wine.

"Oh, I would love to prevent that from happening. I am not here for a fight, just for some talking."

The traveler sighed in annoyance.

"And I'm not here for talking, just for a calm evening without any problems, understood?"

"That is, you still refuse our offer?"

"That is, that I won't work under someone without knowing their name or face. Tell your boss that I only join your ridicules party as their replacement."

Now it was the turn of the stranger to sigh silently, her smile never leaving place and her eyes being everything else than sad.

"I believe we are not on the same page." She concluded simply.

The man grinned on.
"Indeed."

After half a moment they shared a glance.

"And because I did not plan to die on this beautiful evening, I will for sure not do the same stupid mistake, my precursor did."

She laughed silently. Both of them were well aware that none of them would be in advantage in real combat against each other.

"Very well, then." The traveler nodded quietly and crossed his arms behind his head.

"Actually I'm kinda glad not to break down this place. The booze is quite good."

The almost forgotten listener behind the counter breathed a sigh of relief.

"Tough journey?" She asked ignorantly.

"Just needless talk." He answered with closed eyes and more than a hint of annoyance and malice.

"And where to go?" Without any doubt she continued the conversation.

He opened one eye halfway to look at her.

"Not, that it's any of your business, but I'm searching for someone."

With a smile she took another sip of her wine.

"So, you are going to continue your search this evening?"

He grinned.

"And you will report to your boss tonight?"

They looked at each other.

"I figure he can wait until tomorrow morning." She admitted.

The man next to her nodded, finished his beer and put the glass back on the counter.

"So can I."

He rose at once.

"I assume this meeting never happened."

She smiled mysteriously und put some cash next to his glass.

"Of course it did not. Just two strangers at a bar. We will never meet again."

He looked down at her for a heartbeat, still this dangerous grin on his lips, than he turned around and went away. Like a greeting he raised his hand, a room-key of the tavern holding, before he left the room through an old, crooked stairway, out of her eyesight.

The lady being left behind watched the wine in her glass.

"Just two strangers," she echoed, but now added with something melancholic.

After another sigh her unreadable smile was back on place.

She nodded to the barkeeper, put her wine next to the empty glass and followed the traveler.

The next morning came way to fast.

With nothing more than a towel to hide her figure she left the bathroom. She felt his eyes on her, but none of them said anything.

She could sense his strength, his will, his determination. This man had a goal. Just like she had, did had, so long ago. But something about him seemed different, but she could not quite grasp what it was.

While she started to put her clothes back on, he slowly rose with his upper body and leaned with crossed arms against the wall at the end of the bed. The blanket was almost completely on the floor and could not fully hide his bareness. But he did not seem to mind and she, to be honest, did not as well.

Neither his glance nor his closeness bothered her. They were similar. They did not need unnecessary polite words or a conversation to kill the silence. They were just two strangers at a bar, destined to never meet each other again.

But than his emotionless features changed to that evil grin, she already knew from the evening before.

Tilting her head, she braided her hair.

"Is something wrong?" She asked innocently.

"Why are you going back?"

His voice was bored, uninterested, but his words just broke down her well-made wall.

"Not, that I really care, but I do wonder, why you wanna return to a place, you despise."

The sound of his words did not change, but his eyes seemed to look right into her soul.

But she was not someone, who would go down that easily.

"Just for the same reason you are on a journey. I have a goal."

A soft, snidely laughter reached out from his chest.

"Is the idea of me having a goal so amusing?"

The man shook his head.

"I'm just amused, that you believe a simple goal would be enough to keep me going."

He stood up, ignoring the falling blanket.

"But it explains," he said passing her, before going into the bathroom.

Surprised she turned to the closed door.

What did it explain?

Shaking her head, she dismissed that thought and the strange conversation, to put back on her shoes. One of his kinds was not enough to make her sweat, well not in this way at least.

After a few more minutes the door opened again and he entered, now a towel covering his hip.

"Oh, you're still here." He concluded without any emotion, without even looking at her.

"I expected you already being on your way back to your beloved boss."

With clumsy motions he scrabbled through the room, looking for his clothes.

"What is it?" She asked unexpected.

His cold eyes laid on her, asking what his voice would not.

"What is it, if not a goal, that keeps you going?"

There it was again, this unreadable grin on his lips.

"Something way bigger." He answered simple.

"Call it what you want, a dream, a task, a designation, a promise. The name does not matter, but this alone is what I live for."

"A dream?"

He held her gaze without any problems.

"Maybe."

"And you are ready to die for it?"

Headshaking he turned away to fetch his trousers.

"That's why you cannot understand. Exactly because of that, it is my dream. I will reach it or die while trying. Because of that I threw away my attachment for life."

He looked at her again.

"And this is our difference. Your goal keeps you alive but I offer my death for it."

"That makes no sense." She judged softly. This childish naivety was truly cute, but nonsense in this cold reality. She was surprised, that a man like him still hung on to such innocent thoughts.

"You think so?" He grinned easily, while covering his well-build, tanned, spotless body with a simple shirt.

"But who of the two of us is weary of life?"

Again she was shocked, as she starred at his back.

But he just grabbed his swords.

"The room is paid until noon, stay if you want. Have a nice life and so long, stranger."

He raised his hands for a greeting.

"Robin."

Surprised he stopped, without turning around.

"Huh?" He asked silently.

"I just thought, because I know your name, you might want to know mine as well."

He turned halfway to her, still keeping that smile on his lips.

"That won't be necessary. After all we are just two strangers at a bar, who will never meet again."

He opened the door.

"There is no reason for me to remember the name of a person, who does not want to live, even if it is your real name."

The door fell shut behind him.

She was left behind.

With a small sigh she took out a transponder-snail from her coat and called that well-known number.

After just a few seconds her call was answered.

"So?" Asked a smoky, cold voice.

She smiled, as always.

"It seems I missed him. He was not here."

The other whispered something vulgar she did not want to hear.

"Well, be it as it is, come back. You are needed here."

With that their conversation was ended.

She bit her lips and looked at the closed door.

Just two strangers at a bar.

The Thousand Sunny sailed calmly over the quiet ocean; the sun in the far distance went down slowly. The small ship was filled with laughing voices. The colorful crew celebrated the return of two of their members, Usopp and Robin, as well as the new additions, Franky and the Thousand Sunny.

They had a put a huge table on the lawn outside, it carried more of Sanjis delicious food, than they were supposed to be able to eat. Right next to it the young captain and the even younger doctor of the ship danced happily, sticks up their noses.

"Wait, wait a second Chopper! I do need one of those Steaks! Hihihi!" The Rubberboy laughed and jumped over the table, next to his orange-haired Navigator, who just received one beautifully juicy Steak from the chef of the ship.

"For you, my lovely Nami." He purred while bowing deeply.

"Thank you, Sanji, this is really…" "Sanji! I wanna one, too!" Her voice was drowned by the flying by Luffy.

"You already did!" The cook yelled and kicked his captain against the closest wall.

"Are you enjoying your salad, dear Robin?" He switched back into his love-modus.

The black-haired beauty sitting next to the navigator smiled softly with gratitude.

On the other side of the table were the canonneer and the new ship-carpenter, caught deeply in a conversation about all the past adventures of the strawhats.

Meanwhile the little reindeer joined their interesting talk. With huge eyes he followed the unknown stories of the great captain Usopp, which of course were true into every little detail.

A little bit aloof, leaning cross-legged against the rail, sat the swordsman of the crew, a beer in his hand. The shadows of the dying day made it impossible to read his expressions.

"So that means, Nico Robin was your enemy before?" Asked the cyborg sort of surprised, but not worried. After all, not that many days of the past ago he had not really been a friend of the strawhats himself.

He lifted his sunglasses and watched her closely, but she just smiled back.

"Well, that was way in the past." Growled Sanji and sat down in between the archeologist and his captain, who sucked in tons of noodles like they were air.

"Things have changed a lot since then and Robin-Darling is doubtless one of us."

"Thank you, Mr. Chef." She smiled even more lovely at him.

"But it sure seems strange to trust someone, who tried to kill you not so long ago," mumbled Franky, still in deep thoughts.

"Oh, listen up who's talking." Threw Usopp in, caressing one of his bandages.

"Come on, I never wanted to kill you, Longnose." The blue-haired one laughed and patted the back of his friend with so much power that he almost suffocated on fried salmon.

"Of course we trust Robin. She is a member of the crew." Finished Luffy with a grin, but without even a break from eating.

"Well, not all of us followed that line." Responded the cook with a raised eyebrow and nodded sharply into the direction of the former pirate-hunter, who had just finished his beer.

"What is it?" he growled snarky.

"You were the only one, who treated the lovely Robin like she was a traitor." Replied the cook slightly offended.

"So?" Muttered the green-haired one annoyed.

"She came over from the other side. It's natural to stay cautious. She could have betrayed us."

"Zoro, you're a meanie!" Complained the little doctor.

"You have always been a rude asshole." Nami as well lectured him.

"Just because I wasn't captured by her looks or her treasures, like others of us?"

He stood up, giving them a dismissive look.

"That's too stupid for me." With those words he left.

"Zoro!" Chopper cried after him.

"Oh, let the Marimo be." Sanji interrupted him calmly.

"He just doesn't like it, if he's wrong."

The cyborg looked down to the captain.

"And you don't say anything to this?"

With a surprised grin Luffy raised his head.

"You have to try those noodles. They are sooooo great!"

The next moment his face was thrown against the table by the King of Lies.

"How do, after you glutton ate all of it?!"

The blond-haired man turned awkwardly to the woman next to him.

"I'm really sorry for that just now. That idiotic moss-head can be such a jerk."

But she smiled her mystic smile, like always.

"It is quite all right. I would have behaved the same in his place."

Surprised Sanji tilted his head.

"Oh really?"

"But why that?" Chopper joined the questioning. "You have always been so nice to everyone."

She nodded slowly before rising up.

"I understand him very well. When we met we were just like two strangers at a bar."

Softly smiling she followed the swordsman to the back of the ship.

"What does she mean by that?" The little reindeer asked confused.

"I have no clue." Answered the cook, confused himself by that strange sentence of the archaeologist.

"It's obvious." Nami said, looking at the empty place next to her.

"If you meet someone at bar, you chat nicely with them but you don't trust them over a single Berry. That's just how those two behaved, when Robin joined the Crew."

"Really?" Chopper was still unsure.

"Of course." Usopp answered.

"Just because of my warmhearted aid they were able to become friends."

"What? You helped them?" The doctor asked his friend overwhelmed.

"Sure did." The longnose nodded with a wide grin and crossed his arms.

Sanji on the other side doubted that little story. He looked down to his captain.

"What do you think about it?"

With stuffed cheeks the black-haired one met his view.

"About what?"

"Do you think, the Marimo finally trusts Robin? He still treats her like the asshole he is. It's like he wants her to pay for Enies Lobby."

"I have no plan what you're talking about." Luffy shrugged his shoulders.

"I mean, Zoro has been the first of us, who liked Robin."

With relaxed movements she placed her elbows on the rail and watched the dark water.

Next to her sat the swordsman, looking the exact same way he did just a few minutes ago, at the party.

"Tough day?" She asked softly

He sighed with a little grin.

"Just needless talk."

It became quiet. They did not need any words, they never had. The time flew by.

"Don't be mad at them." She whispered.

"No idea what you are talking about." He replied calmly.

"None of their words were wrong."

She smiled.

"But you had good reasons to stay cautious. After all, I could have been a foe."

He did not say anything.

"Do you regret, what happened back then?" She asked.

He shook his head.

"I would never do anything I might regret." He answered dryly.

Now it was her turn to stay quiet.

"But I admit that because of what happened I might have been over-cautious." The swordsman admitted smiling.

"Even though it turned out to be unnecessary in the end."

She laughed softly.

"In the end we deceived only ourselves."

He simply nodded.

"After all, our deeds always betrayed us."

He nodded again, grinning.

"Quite true." He answered.

Suddenly their joined silence was interrupted by the loud laugh of the flying captain, who fell right upon the swordsman.

With a scary Bang Zoro's head crashed again the wood in his back.

"Are you having a private party?" the strawhat asked with a big smile.

"So not fair!"

"Luffy!" The green-haired one growled and threw his friend away.

The other crewmembers followed their captain, bringing along the forgotten food and drinks. It seemed like they decided to move the party-place over to the two missing ones.

Only seconds later a happy atmosphere filled the Thousand Sunny again.

"So, what did you two talk about?" Murmured Sanji, slightly annoyed for not knowing.

"Adultstuff, Dartbrow, nothing you can talk about." Zoro answered devilishly grinning.

"Oh please!" The blond-haired one raised his voice.

"Don't act so all grown-up. We are almost the same age!"

A surprised noise came from Robin, who was still standing next to the former pirate-hunter, now her back against the rail.

"What do you mean by that, Mr. Chef?"

Sanji looked at her, confused.

"You don't know? That idiot mosshead is not even four month older than me, but he still behaves like a little child and tries to boss me around."

The cook was already expecting the fight between him and the swordsman to turn rough, but to his surprise the other one only smiled victoriously.

The archeologist on the other side blushed slightly and looked down to the man at her feet.

"Oh?" She just said.

"Oh." He just answered. Replying her shy smile with a wide grin.

None of the other would have understood, what they meant, but it was already questionable if someone besides the cook had even noticed.

Zoro stood up, stretching his muscles.

"I assume this conversation never happened."

His eyes looked at her from the side, ignoring all of the other crewmates at all.

She smiled.

"Of course it did not. Just two strangers at a bar."

He nodded and went away, one hand raised like a greeting.

"So long, Nico Robin."

Surprised she looked at him, her eyes big, her mouth open, while he kept grinning, unseen for her.

Sanji stood between them and was not able to follow their confusing conversation.

With a smile she left her spot.

"So long, Roronoa Zoro."