One Piece is already known for its in-depth, complicated characters, but the first major development focuses on Nico Robin. Originally a member of the Baroque Works company led by Sir Crocodile, Robin joined the Straw Hats after their win in Alabasta. Upon the events at Enies Lobby though, a lot of tragic history came to light about both Nico Robin and her home of Ohara.
There’s not much known about Robin before she was around six years old, but by that time she had already found the Bloom-Bloom Fruit. She is decently crafty with it as well. She spied in on the scholars’ meetings and learned to read the Poneglyphs. That’s only where her story begins though, with much more to explore in Nico Robin’s checkered past.
Robin’s Childhood
Nico Robin was born to Nico Olivia, often left behind when her mother went on research trips. She was usually left with her aunt and uncle, along with their daughter. She got the Cinderella treatment of cleaning while everyone else had fun. Even worse, Robin is bullied by the others, just because she has Devil Fruit powers. Robin was miserable, and it’s no surprise she was always sneaking away to the library where the Scholars met and studied.
It’s here she learns about the Poneglyph’s Void Century that nobody should know. Nobody can, and that’s what eventually brings the Navy down on Ohara, much to Robin’s horror. Unaware of the tragedy to come, Nico reads and studies in The Tree of Knowledge along with the Scholars, and is an advanced student. They don’t know it, but despite their secrecy and working underground, Robin has used her powers to spy in and learn their information.
Nico Olivia
Olivia is Robin’s mother, also a scholar of Ohara who researches the Poneglyphs and Void Century. It’s on one of these voyages to discover hidden knowledge when she’s caught. She ends up in the custody of Jaguar D Saul, a Navy Vice-Admiral, and good friend to Aokiji the Admiral.
Olivia knows that whatever they’re covering up isn’t good, and convinces Saul to let her go. They flee together, Saul living up to his initial D, but end up separated during a Navy attack. While Saul washed up on Ohara unconscious, Olivia is captured by Spandine, former head of Cipher Pol 9. He’s also the father of future head Spandam. She’s brought back home to Ohara in an attempt to scare the scholars into giving themselves up. They almost make it through too, with Olivia saying she doesn’t know any of them until she can’t bear it anymore and acknowledges Robin.
The Scholars
An odd assortment of men and women from all over the Grand Line and beyond, are here to study the Void Century. These are some of the foremost minds in the world, historians and mathematicians, philosophers and linguists, all trek here. They take to Robin almost immediately and are happy to teach her most of the knowledge they have on things not relating to their secret study. She studies hard too, and earns sort of graduation ceremony before everything goes bad.
All of these scholars die along with the population of Ohara by the will of the World Government. Spandine decides they’re too dangerous to exist, all because they know the Void Century doesn’t show the World Government favorably. They’ll do anything to wipe out their knowledge and keep any negative view of them hidden. Spandine kills each of them before setting off the Buster Call, as poor Robin witnesses.
Tree of Knowledge
At Ohara’s center sits the Tree of Knowledge, a massive, hollowed-out tree that contains thousands of books. The entire history since the Void Century is here, with other discoveries and knowledge about Devil Fruits, kingdoms, and anything else imaginable. Robin spends most of her childhood here and finds it a place of comfort. Unfortunately, it will be just the first casualty in CP9’s demolition of Ohara’s secrets.
Jaguar D Saul
Saul is a Vice-Admiral of the Navy who defects, betraying the Navy and freeing Nico Olivia. They go on the run, hunted down by CP9. Saul knows it was against orders, but said that something just told him that he needed to help Olivia, who held valuable information. He eventually washes up on the beaches of Ohara after they separate from a Navy attack. Here he unknowingly meets Olivia’s daughter, Nico Robin.
Robin and Saul become friends, Saul himself a large imposing figure but really gentle and kind. He was just one Vice-Admiral alongside others like Akainu and Aokiji but had an outlook more in line with Garp. He took to Robin and told her that whenever things are bad he just laughs to feel better. Something those with the Will of D usually have in common is a sense of humor and a trait that young Robin uses to cope once she’s drifting away.
Saul finds out to his horror that he’s on Ohara, which was his destination all along. He wants to warn everyone but is too late by the time he finds out. Saul is found by his friend Aokiji, who questions his allegiances.
The Buster Call
While Aokiji and Saul are talking though, Spandine finishes his execution of the Scholars and has his men throw all the books in the lake. They burn the Tree of Knowledge for good measure while Spandine pushes the switch and activates the Buster Call. Dozens of Navy battleships surround the island, and Navy soldiers are anxious about what they’re about to do. Among the Vice-Admirals in charge is Akainu, who takes a particularly bloodthirsty approach.
As this is happening Robin finds Saul and Aokiji. She screams when Aokiji freezes her friend solid and pushes him into the ocean. Robin cries as she watches and Aokiji has a moment of hesitation before he kills her, instead choosing to talk. He deliberates with himself for a time before leaving Robin with a small boat. He creates an ice path using his Devil Fruit powers and sends Robin away on it.
Aokiji’s Mercy
Robin wasn’t the only person that Aokiji knowingly saved that day, as he took mercy on Saul too. Jaguar D Saul is still alive, though he lives in Elbaph, the island of Giants. There’s not much context given about his survival, but when He and Aokiji spoke there were questions about Aokiji’s motives. It seems to have made the future Admiral question his morality at the moment.
Much like when Aokiji freezes Robin later on Long Ring Long Land, he does the same to Saul. Robin is frozen, but she thaws out on the Merry Go. After he froze Saul in a massive chunk of ice, he pushed his friend into the ocean. Saul wasn’t a Devil Fruit user, so is more than capable of swimming after ocean water thawed him.
Saul is found in the ruins of Ohara by Dragon and his Revolutionary Army, who rescue others nearby. They took him in for a time and helped to gather all the books from the Tree of Knowledge from the lake. Now, Jaguar D Saul resides on Elbaph with the hidden knowledge of Ohara, waiting for the day to show everyone.
The Demon Child of Ohara
Robin sails on from the ruins of her home and into a tumultuous life of blood and piracy. She’s the youngest person to ever receive a bounty from the Navy. It’s a ridiculously high one at that, even for accomplished pirates. She falls in with various criminal organizations as she tries to survive on her own. Unfortunately the Government and Cipher Pol 9 make it a point to hunt her down. Sometimes the pirates or gangs she was with turn her in so she tries to keep her identity secret.
Baroque Works was her longest-serving role until her place in the Straw Hat crew, mostly because of the secrecy and safety of a Warlord. She worked under Crocodile as Ms. All-Sunday, taking part in his grand scheme in Alabasta so she could get the Poneglyph there. After Crocodile’s defeat, she falls in with Luffy but doesn’t truly become a part of the crew until the battle of Enies Lobby.
Straw Hat Historian
Nico Robin now serves as the official historian and Poneglyph translator for the Straw Hat crew. She embraces her name of the Demon Child now. Robin will use it in any way possible as long as it helps Luffy or her friends. She was alone since the Ohara incident, but the Straw Hats are home now. There’s a noticeable difference in Robin after Enies Lobby, as she becomes much more open to the other Straw Hats. In turn, they warm up to her and she becomes a big sister figure to many of the crew.
Now she fights on alongside the Straw Hats and is an instrumental part of their journey to Laughtale. The Demon Child of Ohara, wanted dead or alive by the World Government, is even more infamous now. She’s a strong member of the Straw Hats, and leads the Pirate King to victory as Luffy nears the end. The Grand Line awaits, with it lies the secret of the Void Century Robin has so long been chasing down.
One Piece is available to stream on both Netflix and Crunchyroll in the United States.
