Disclaimer: Eichiro Oda created One Piece, not us. We neither own the rights nor make money from writing this fanfiction, which means no harm to the anime or manga. Please don't sue because we're both not made of money!
A/N: This is a collaborative effort between us. Comments are the only payment we get, and they're good as pieces of eight. So any questions, comments, criticisms we want to hear your input!
It was the conclusion to a long day as the orange haired woman strode up the stairs of her apartment complex to unlock her door. Her hand shook as she fumbled with the keys. The building was located in a relatively nice complex that she could afford with her salary, but a dark cloud eclipsed a sunny life.
As the door opened, it revealed an apartment as dark as her mood and her hand reached out to flick on the switch, almost automatically. She went through the motions, as she did most evenings when returning to work. Keys hung up, coat and purse placed neatly in their respective places. The apartment was nice, tidy, everything where it belonged but it ached of loneliness. There were few personal touches to the decor, looking like something out of a catalog, despite most of the furniture being second hand.
"Shit;" she sighed, closing the door. She then walked over to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of rum, pouring some for herself.
Then she walked into her bedroom, and turned the light on. Most prominent was a huge poster of a man with three swords... One in either hand and one clenched between his teeth.
It had been a pull out poster from a less than popular Martial Arts magazine a few years back, a way for the magazine to expand its fan-base perhaps. It hadn't worked, the magazine was long out of business. She was probably the only one out there that had the damn thing, but it'd been with her for so long...something about it made the room less drab. Something about the man, his shadowed face, the mystery of it all intrigued her to this day. Walking by the poster, she moved a hand over it before sitting on the bed, taking a long drink from her glass and rubbing a hand over her face, not caring that she smeared her makeup. It was probably wrecked beyond repair anyway. She knew her mascara had streamed down her face in streaks
Sighing she took a wet wipe and cleaned it off. There were bruises on her arms and she knew she'd have to wear a long sleeved shirt again to work tomorrow.
Then she began to undress, looking at the poster all the time as if wishing it would come to life. But that was bull. Fairy tales were not for real. This was Southern California, not some fantasy world. Slipping on a comfy silk nightgown she then took down her hair and sat on the bed. She stared up at the ceiling, blinking back tears. Another day she survived. If she could keep this up she'd keep that awful secret from everyone.
Her hands moved over her face, wiping away the tears angrily. She had an image, a reputation. She had to keep herself together no matter what. Damn that bastard for this. After she'd worked so hard to put herself through school, after working her way to the top and get the job she'd long coveted. She wasn't going to let him ruin it. She wanted a shower but she was too exhausted to contemplate taking one, settling for setting her alarm a half hour earlier. Her finger paused as she finished setting the alarm on her phone, seeing the four missed calls and she checked her messages, setting it to speaker. "You have two new messages, first message..." The automated voice droned.
"Hey sis, dunno why you aren't answering but give me a call!" Nojiko chirped cheerfully through the speaker.
Nami swallowed hard. She had to hide this from Nojiko most of all. And it wasn't easy when her sister had tried to set her up with dates. The last one lasted six months, and she had been ok with buggy, but he was completely insane and she had finally called it off. But that was well before this had started. She then heard the next. "Nami, you know who I am. I need a favor from you. You better come see me to keep up our arrangement. Shahahahahah!"
Nami grabbed at the tattoo on her opposite arm, which she hid under a bandage. The one she displayed proudly was the tangerine and pinwheel from the produce store, but the other... Flinching she hissed, "Arlong."
Deleting both messages quickly, she connected her phone to the charger, making sure once again the alarm was set. Her hand was still on the bandage covered tattoo, a reminder, a brand saying who truly owned her, no matter how hard she fought it.
"It's for the best. And I'll survive this," she vowed.
She settled down on the bed, shutting the lamp off, feeling a whirlwind of emotions. She could barely make out the silhouette of the poster on the wall but maybe, just maybe it gave her a little hope, no matter how childish it was. Curled up in a fetal position Nami buried herself in the blankets. She soon fell into sleep. Images formed in her brain as she slumbered fitfully.
11111
The slender blue haired young woman walked up the steps to town hall, unable to keep her eyes off the building. She worked there everyday but it never failed to impress her. The old Spanish colonial architecture of the former monastery was somehow breathtaking every time she saw it, reminding her of a palace almost. The facade had been kept original though the inside had been redone to be both modern and functional. Taking off her sunglasses in the fading light, Vivi Nefertari moved through the double doors of the building into the lobby, seeing the metal detectors and security station ahead. Somehow they seemed to detract from the beauty and imagery of it all, but they were necessary.
Taking out her security badge, she approached were the guards were, spotting a familiar face immediately.
A man with large black eyes and a fringe of black hair under his cap came over and grinned at her from ear to ear. His badge said, "Monkey D. Luffy."
"Vivi! Morning!" He called out cheerfully as he waved her to the metal detector. He held out a tray for her purse and valuables.,
Vivi couldn't help but smile as she passed her purse and jacket to him. "It's almost 8 P.M. you goof." She scolded gently, slapping his hand away from the bag with the tupperware in it. She could see Chaka, Luffy's supervisor and one of the head guards shaking his head in the background but he let it slide.
"I'm always happy to see ya," he giggled. "Shishishi!"
He placed them on the belt and sent them through the x-ray machine. Like always he scanned them for potential items.
Vivi waited patiently, knowing the security procedures and let Luffy do his job, waiting for him to wave her through the metal detector. She moved through without a hitch and began to gather her things, opening her purse. She could see Luffy almost dancing in anticipation. Usually she brought him something and he knew it. "A little something from Sanji." She said, handing him a paper wrapped sandwich.
Eyes lighting up Liffy gasped, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" As he hugged her tightly.
Vivi allowed the hug, patting his back and only protesting slightly that she couldn't breath until he let her go. He seemed ready to tear into the sandwich and she heard Chaka shout that he could wait 5 minutes for his shift to end. She smiled at the younger man. "Plans tonight?"
"Gonna join my brother for a drink, and kick back. And then I'm gonna buy that new video game," Luffy said as he grinned. "How about you?"
Vivi laughed a bit at that. "Ah yes...I remember hearing Kaya say something about it, the new Call of Duty? Usopp and Franky seem really excited as well..."
Luffy nodded, eyes shut. "You bet! We are all gonna give it a play together on that wide screen tv!"
Vivi shook her head thankful for a moment that her boyfriend wasn't as video game obsessed as the rest of their group. They had a Wii at the house but it was rarely used. "I'm just going to drop some food off to my father and head home. Quiet night, maybe a movie..."
"Sounds nice. Is Zoro gonna mope at home tonight again?" Luffy asked. "Sanji was bitching he doesn't go out a lot like he used to and..."
Vivi sighed a bit, knowing Luffy had a point. As of late, their housemate hadn't been much of anywhere except work. "I'm not sure what his schedule is. He's been working and sleeping mostly as of late." She admitting, dropping her voice and gathering her things.
Leaning close Luffy whispered, "man he needs to spend some time with us! I swear he's a real grump since Perona d..."
Vivi held her hand up to silence him. "I know. He's had a rough time of it...And I'm not sure it helps that he sees her everyday..." She said quietly. She reached out to touch his shoulder. "The best we can do is be there for him. Show up on Monday to the gym...it's the first spar session they've planned in ages..."
"You bet!" Luffy said brightly. "Maybe if we kick each other's asses..."
His eyes travelled to the clock on the wall and back to Vivi. Around her neck Vivi wore a locket that Sanji had given her. "Well loves kinda complicated. Lucky I don't have that problem yet..."
"It can be," Vivi admitted, "But you never know how much it's worth until you have it." She told him sagely, touching the locket.
"Your off the clock short stack!" Chaka called out.
"I better let you go," Vivi said, reaching out to hug him. "I have to make sure my father eats something other than crackers and peanuts from his desk drawer..." She said with a roll of her eyes. "Enjoy your sandwich...Sanji said it was a 'poor boy' or something...he said it kind of strangely..."
"All right! See ya later Vivi!" Luffy called out. He hugged Vivi and then waved as he made to leave. "Thanks boss!" He called to Chaka. Luffy then headed to the break room to eat his sandwich and watch some tv. His stomach growled in anticipation.
Opening the paper, he saw what seemed to be a simple baguette, though knowing Sanji it was homemade, some sort of mayo like sauce, breaded shrimp and lettuce and tomato..it seemed so simple but at the first bite it was far from it. He was so absorbed in eating the sandwich he nearly forgot that he had to meet up with Ace.
Mouth bulging with sandwich he glanced up at the screen. It was channel 6 news in the morning, still continuing with the show. The weather woman had just gone heard the TV and a news segment popped on. "Today in lifestyles we have a special interview with an up and coming resort owner..."
Luffy then looked up as the words, "breaking news flash" appeared and blinked.
"Crap! I'm late!" He helped as he saw the time on the screen.
"We interrupt the scheduled programming to announce that Magistrate Riku has announced his resignation from office..." The TV droned on but Luffy didn't really seem to register the importance of the announcement.
"Crap crap crap!" He cried as he rushed to get changed into his non work clothes in his locker.
Soon he changed into shorts, a red T shirt that said "Franky Family Auto Works" , and a pair of sandals. He then stuffed his uniform into the locker and rushed out of the rear entrance to catch the bus to meet his brother.
It didn't seem to register that it was 50 degrees outside despite the stares he got exiting the building, backpack slung over his shoulder as he adjusted the straw hat on his head, heading toward the bus. He saw a car turn its blinker on, a Ford Taurus, completely inconspicuous and plain and he saw his supervisor stick his head out of the car. "Where you headed kid? Let me give you a ride."
"Thanks!" Luffy said as he ran over to Chaka. He gave the address of the place he was supposed to meet his brother.
Chaka nodded, stating he lived over in that direction anyway, assuring Luffy it was no big deal. Luffy knew next to nothing about the man other than he was long time friends with the Governor, Vivi's father. He knew vaguely that the man was married and assumed he had children by the carseats in the car. Chaka was listening to some sort of political show on the radio and turned it down with disgust. It seemed all over the news about the magistrate resigning, possible candidates, repercussions, etc. and Chaka didn't seem too happy about it all.
"Hey what's wrong?" asked Luffy. "You seem ticked off."
He relaxed in the seat as he tipped a straw hat onto his head more securely. Outside of work he wore the hat almost all the time. Chaka seemed to sigh as he drove across town. "Nothing. It's just that this whole change makes me a little nervous. Where my family is from, political changes of power were never a good thing..."
"Well that's one reason why I wanna change all that someday," Luffy said with a shrug. "Sorry man."
He knew Chaka was from Egypt which went through much political turmoil. He himself hailed from Brazil originally.
Chaka gave him what could only be a sceptical glance and smiled a bit. "If you could kid, I'd have your back." He assured the young man, continuing to weave his way through traffic. "I just don't like who they are talking about succeeding...both candidates make my skin crawl."
And yet, he knew the young man was originally from Brazil, a region of the world under the most turmoil at the moment due to it being the headquarters of a group of guerilla fighters originally from the jungles, who'd branched out worldwide, the Revolutionary Army as they called themselves. Maybe the kid knew more than he let on, knowing what freedom was all about.
"Well all it takes is a bunch of people who hate oppression..." Luffy said. He then chuckled a bit. "Makes me glad to be in this country."
The pressure of the World Government, although they'd unified the world and brought relative peace, seemed to be a crushing force at times. Chaka smiled a bit as he pulled into the parking lot of the address Luffy had told him, reading the sign. He glanced at Luffy, "You aren't in trouble are you? Bail bonds?"
"Nah, Ace works here," Luffy laughed. "Sometimes I help out!" He then unbuckled his seatbelt. "Thanks for the ride!"
Getting out of the car he then headed to the office doors and looked for his brother. Chaka seemed to breath a sigh of relief and gave Luffy a wave. "No problem. See you next shift." He drove away as soon as Luffy made it to the doors. He glanced around the parking lot, recognizing most of the cars there, but not his brother's.
Luffy then ran into the office where the receptionist desk was. "Oi, where's Ace?" He asked the pink haired woman behind the desk.
She wore black lace and ruffles with dark makeup. Her eyes rose to meet his with an almost bored expression. She seemed to be going through some files at the desk. He could see neat piles spread out in front of the computer. She stared at him for a full minute before popping her gum. "He's on his way. You can wait in the lounge if you want." Her tone wasn't exactly welcoming but he was used to it. She seemed to be looking at him in that typical haughty way of hers, as if he was beneath her.
"Shishishishi!" Luffy couldn't help but laugh. He then asked, "how's the business been going?"
Perona, the businesses' goth desk clerk and secretary seemed to thaw a bit as she shuffled the papers into neat stacks. "It's booming, which isn't saying much for the state of the world." She said with barely hidden pessimism. There was a little smile that graced her face as she tossed her long pink pigtails back over her shoulders. "Good for my paycheck though."
"Shishishishi!" Luffy giggled. He then said, "By the way, you dropped this on the floor?"
He handed it to her.
She took it, seeing the file that had somehow ended up on the floor, nearly across the room and looked at it almost accusingly before sorting it into the others. "No clue how that got there..." She muttered to herself. "Your brother's on his way. Mr. Grumpy's sitting in the lounge, probably sleeping. You can wait there if you want." It was as if she was gracing him with permission.
"Thanks!" Luffy said as he headed into the lounge. He'd have a word with Zoro about being mister antisocial.
"I don't know what he's thinking going off on me for a file error..." Perona muttered, keying something into the computer, apparently on a tangent to herself. "I don't make the files you know, just sort them." She continued, making Luffy suspect maybe she'd chucked the file at a certain someone.
"Well yeah, but they kinda grow legs and jump," Luffy said knowingly.
"I know!" Perona agreed, "It's like we've got ghosts in here or something." There was a bit of a chill to her smile before she absorbed herself in working on whatever it was that had caught her attention.
"Yeah... Hollow ghosts," Luffy whispered as he headed to the lounge.
In between the various offices of the building was a nicely laid out lounge. Leather sofas, a TV and coffee machine. It was supposed to be for customers, that had been the thought but it was used by the staff. Few customers stuck around longer than need be. Luffy suspected it was on purpose with the choice of the secretary. Perona was nice once you got to know her, sweet even, but she could scare the socks off the hardest criminal, no problem.
"Shishishi," Luffy chuckled, arms folded behind his head as he wandered in. He slipped coins into the cola machine and pressed a button. The machine whirred and clicked as if considering not working before dropping a bottle with a loud thunk, startling the other occupant of the room, who'd been lounged out on one of couches.
Luffy then extracted the soda and turned to see the green haired muscular man sprawled on the sofa. Three gold earrings dangled from his left ear. He wore thick black boots, into which black jeans were tucked, and a button up green shirt, short sleeved. He cracked an eye, seemingly peeved at his interrupted nap and sat up stretching. "Hey..." He said simply. A hand ran through the short green hair on his head, as if putting it back in place from its perpetually disheveled state.
"Zoro! How are you doing?" He asked.
"Good," Zoro muttered a bit lackluster as he checked his phone, seeming to grimace at something before setting it down, picking up a couple of the files on the table and glancing at the clock.
"You are being mister antisocial..." He said. "Why not come out with us tonight?"
Zoro shot him a skeptical look. "Franky and Usopp already tried that, some club opening. Nice try but I've got stuff to do." he muttered.
"You always do. Whatever. Your loss." Said Luffy shrugging. "I guess you are allergic to fun."
"Right." Zoro agreed before glancing up and seeing Luffy's expression. He seemed to deflate a bit, soften as he glanced to the younger man. "Look, it's nothing personal, man...I just...I don't know." He muttered, trailing off, packing the files into a bag that was next to the table.
He sat down near Zoro. "Anyhow, you doin stuff at the dojo right?"
"Yeah." Zoro agreed. "We've got a couple extra classes going and we've started an outreach program." He muttered, feeling lame because he'd been at the dojo only for his classes and really hadn't had much to do with it.
He smiled a bit at Zoro as he patted his shoulder. "They need you."
Zoro nodded, seeing the sincerity in Luffy's face. What was it about the kid that always made him feel that he was ten feet tall and could do anything even when he felt like shit?
"You don't have to be a party animal. Do something for the kids," said Luffy suggested.
"Yeah, that doesn't sound too bad." Zoro agreed, seconds before he narrowed his eyes at Luffy suspiciously. "This isn't some set up Franky and Usopp put you up to to lure me out? Guilt me into coming out tonight? You know I hate the blind date shit...need I tell you how the last two turned out?"
"Not anymore," Luffy said simply. He winced. So much for that idea.
Zoro nodded, seeing a bit of guilt there. He wondered just how much Luffy knew about the last time, just a couple months ago. Usopp and Franky had set it up, meaning well, one of the two of them had met this girl somewhere, had convinced Zoro to meet her. It had sounded fine and good. The girl was Japanese, was here studying, studied Iaido in her free time. It had seemed too good to be true. He'd nearly freaked when he'd seen her, thinking it was a sick joke...he shook his head, rather than have to remember the failure there. He'd kept quiet the whole time then snuck out the back when excusing himself to use the restroom.
"I heard it was a bomb cause she freaked you out," Luffy winced. He patted his friends shoulder. "Maybe you're not ready for romance again?"
"Yeah well...when a girl shows up looking like..." He stopped talking, taking his phone out and going through his text messages for something to do.
He then saw a text from his dojo. He glanced to Luffy, "You wouldn't know what romance was if it bit you in the ass..." He muttered in Luffy's direction, meaning it as a joke as he read the message, from Kojiro. It was to all instructors, asking them to come for an extra session under the week, a little unusual but not enough to worry him. He made a note in his calendar
He also saw a text from his roommate, "Hey asshole, you gonna be home for dinner?"
He sent a quick text back, not answering either way, leaving it intentionally vague, knowing it'd piss the chef off before glancing up, seeing Ace walk into the room and drop dramatically onto the couch across from them, as if the day had been the absolute most exhausting day ever.
"Fuck, I'm tired..." Ace nearly whined, relaxing into the contours of the couch.
"Ace!" Luffy called out. "Sorry I'm late!"
He then tossed him the soda. "Here!"
Ace cracked a grin at his brother. "Dude, you realize you got here way before me right?" He asked, catching the soda and taking a gulp from the bottle.
"Rough day?" Zoro asked
"What happened?" Luffy asked as he sat next to Ace.
"Yeah. Rough day. Had three skips today and none of them wanted to go quietly" Ace muttered, taking another gulp of the soda and throwing it back to Luffy. "Two fishmen and some weird ass dude that apparently has been selling drugs and got busted." Ace explained. "Two fishmen...two! I remember when we used to get one a month."
Another text beeped from Zoro's phone. "Hey can you do me a favor man?"
"The good old days." Zoro muttered, squinting at the message on his phone
"Two?" Luffy asked as he sipped from the. bottle.
"Two," Ace confirmed. "SUCKED..." he muttered, one tried to jump the pier.".
'Favor?' He typed back. The text read, "Man I need your help! I'm setting up a new security system in a day or so... And I need some backup."
Luffy shook his head. "Aww great. Stupid pier!"
Ace grinned at that, shaking his head in amusement. "I know right? I mean who needs piers anyway? Stupid ocean should just disappear. " He laughed at his own joke before glancing to Zoro. "Dude, someone die?" he asked seeing Zoro concentrate on his phone.
Zoro glanced up and shook his head.
"Who is it?" Luffy asked. He stretched his neck to see the phone. "Usopp's playing with security stuff again?" Zoro put his hand out, catching Luffy's face and shoving him back.
"Seems like it. " Zoro shrugged. "I don't like it when he does this shit but..." Again he shrugged. "He makes money from it. Who am I to not help a friend right?"
"Oww!" Luffy whined. There was some sarcasm laced in there but no malice. Zoro seemed tired, overdrawn really.
Luffy then muttered, "Do you need a vacation?"
"Yeah! Like Bora Bora or something!" Ace exclaimed, "Think about it, meditating on the beach all zen and stuff...drink in hand..."
Zoro rolled his eyes. "I'm good." He assured them, hearing the all too familiar clack of heels approaching.
A pink pigtailed head peaked in. "Hi boys." Perona said approaching them, file in hand. "Good news and bad news."
Her outfit of the day was a black lace skirt and matching top with red and white striped stockings, her black boots topping it all off. They tapped impatiently at the floor as she read over the file.
"Bad news first," Zoro shuddered. He didn't look at her.
Ace didn't miss the strange interaction between the two, Perona's eyes moving over him and Zoro avoiding her like the plague. "Yeah, bad news." He muttered
Perona made a show of clearing her throat, "Welll..." She said with dramatic pause. "The new guy? What was his name, John or Steve or something? The not cute guy with the bucky beaver teeth."
"Thomas?" Ace added helpfully.
Perona checked her notes again. "Apparently he broke his wrist, at least that's what the doctor's report says. And he quit, says it wasn't the 'right fit for him'." She added with a scoff.
"Well, hell...keep this up and we'll be out of employees in no time. This is the what 3rd guy to quite this month?" Ace muttered.
"Wimp," muttered Zoro. He rolled his eyes.
Luffy then thought a bit. "What if I... filled in?" His eyes opened to Perona, Ace and Zoro. "I mean I have the time and all..."
"Johnny and Yosako are still on the payroll," Zoro reminded them. Both of Zoro's friends had been with the organization for as long as he had.
"Yeah, but considering we're hauling in so many people at the moment...and Johnny and Yosako only take the small frys..." Ace countered. "And let me tell you how many of them are sitting on my desk..." Perona added, handing a file over to Ace. He waved his hands. "Oh hell no, I've been on shift for like 12 hours!" He protested.
She narrowed her eyes and huffed before holding the file out to Zoro. "You are just going to have to get over your high and mightiness and take a lowly drug dealer, Zoro." She said putting a hand to her hip.
"Fine," Zoro grumbled.
"I'd take it." Luffy began, but Zoro glared at him.
Luffy pouted and mumbled under his breath.
"You haven't gone through the mandatory courses yet." Perona reminded him. "We pay you under the table remember?" The World Government had regulations on everything under the sun, including law enforcement which covered the bail bonds sector. All of them had gone through the mandatory 8 hour course which covered everything from Emergency management, CPR and human trafficking. Luffy had done something similar for his gig as a security guard but it wasn't enough for Mihawk to check him off the list.
"Haven't you been on shift as long as me?" Ace asked Zoro. Perona gave them both a smug smile. "An hour less actually. He's still in the clear."
"Well I guess I'll have to take them," Luffy sighed.
Zoro said, "You'll do that in time. But not today, Luffy."
He then grinned a bit. "I've got an urge to beat the crap out of something."
"You're just trying to get out of getting to... OW!" Luffy began.
Zoro shot Ace a look of gratitude as Luffy rubbed his side where Ace had poked him hard
Perona handed off the file to Zoro and he took it without so much as a glance to her, cracking it open. Sighing she started to move toward the door. "You need to tell Mihawk we need more people...four of us covering 24/7 isn't enough..." Ace told her pointedly.
"I'll get right on that." Perona said, walking out the door. It wasn't clear if she was being sarcastic or not.
"I'll take the course myself," Luffy said. "If that'll help..."
Zoro then said, "Both of you go do your thing. I've got this."
He took the file in hand, glad fate had provided him with an out again. He was sick of blind dates, surprise get togethers, and other things. While it was fine to have a drink once in a while, he wasn't in the mood for things when there were other things he'd rather do. He tried not to think about why. It was just how he felt. It was easier that way. Less of a mess.
Not when they were nothing like what he thought the ideal woman should be, and she was unattainable.
Luffy grumbled under his breath at Ace. "He's really bummed out."
No kidding." Ace muttered, watching Zoro gather his things and leave the room. "I haven't seen him this down in a while."
"I just wish he could meet the right girl y'know," muttered Luffy, frowning. "There's gotta be some chick out there who could handle his moods and stuff and who he can enjoy arguing with."
Shrugging he added, "If Sanji wasn't with Vivi they could at least..."
Ace shrugged, glancing at the clock. He was finally free as of 5 minutes ago. He liked his job but after a long day, he was thrilled to have some time off. "Yeah, well knowing him, when he's this way, even if he does meet the right one he's gonna scare her off."
"Yeah," Luffy sighed, following his brother to get his stuff and exit the lounge.
"Nothing we can do about that one bro, except be his friend." Ace said, throwing his arm around his brother and moving him toward the exit. He gave a half hearted wave to Perona and they moved outside toward the parking lot. "I'm starving...what do you think, pizza or subs?"
"Well that love stuff's not happened to me, and it probably won't cause any girl I've tried going with hates me eating meat and says I'm some kind of... HEY that's a GREAT idea. Subs! Italian style! with MEAT!" Luffy cried. He raised his hands throwing them out.
Whatever he had been saying was effectively out of his mind as soon as Ace mentioned food. He leaned into his brother and hugged him. "Have I mentioned you're the best brother in the world Ace?"
Both brothers grinned at each other in almost the same way.
"Yeah yeah kid..." Ace laughed, trying to pry Luffy off of him as he unlocked his car, a classic restored Corvette in bright red that was his pride and joy.
Next to it was parked a black Viper, restored with the same care as Ace's Corvette. There was a white racing stripe on it, but a subtle orange further down. Luffy opened the door on the passenger side of Ace's car and climbed in.
Ace climbed in and started the engine. He glanced toward the viper, seeing Zoro in the driver's seat. He hadn't left yet, seeming to concentrate on his phone. Ace gave a wave as he gunned it out of the parking lot. "Subs it is..." He assured his brother. And he knew just the place too.
11111111
Inside one of the workshops two people tinkered with their respective machines. One of them was working on a jet ski, fitting a new seat to it as he reached for a tool from his large red box. Across from him a dark skinned young man about Luffy's age wore a pair of worker's goggles as he soldiered a circuitry panel. He had a distinctive long nose and wore a pair of brown coveralls while the other wore a red shirt unbuttoned with banana trees on it and a pair of speedos. Other then that he was barefoot with a gold chain around his neck and gold rings on his fingers.
On his cell phone, Franky said, "You're due for a oil change this week, swordsman."
"Okay, but we were going for a drink later." he added. "Come along will ya?"
"Can't tonight. Busy. Pencil me in for tomorrow will you? I'll be by with the car." Came the simple reply, giving a clue just to how not busy the swordsman really was. He'd answered almost immediately.
"Oh c'mon Usopp's here!" insisted Franky. "Just one lousy drink!"
"That'll turn into 6 or 7. I'll pass." Zoro's reply read.
Usopp glanced up, hearing the annoyed huff from the other man. "Everything alright? Seat giving you trouble?"
"Yeah," muttered Franky. "See ya later pal."
He looked to Usopp and nodded and then shook his head. "That kid's just making me wanna go and shake him." he said after he clicked off the phone. "He needs to get laid!"
Usopp blinked for a second, before letting out a laugh. "Don't tell me you tried to get him to come out for a drink again, man. You know he's just gonna say no." He slipped the goggles up and set down the soldering iron
"Ugh." Franky sighed. "That kid's going to drive himself crazy."
Clicking off his phone he put it on the workbench and mumbled, "Not that I can talk much in the sex department, but hey, I still keep busy and have fun with my friends. More than I can say for Zoro sadly enough."
He then said, "I guess all we can do is be super friends and pick up the pieces."
"He's never really been a social butterfly you know." Usopp pointed out, looking over the circuit board he'd completed with a critical eye. He glanced to Franky, nodding in agreement. The past year's been rough on him. He finally found someone only to have it fall apart again. Can't blame the guy." He muttered.
"He really needs someone in his life that can give him some focus," muttered Franky. "But where's that gonna come from? Out of the sky?"
Usopp shrugged, "You never know man. Sometimes things happen when you least expect them." That had happened with him. His mother had passed away when he was a teenager, throwing his life into chaos. Meeting Kaya had helped him more than he could ever know. She had gone through a rough time as well, had been chronically ill for years before recovering. Out of their circle of friends , Usopp was the only one married. He'd married Kaya literally right out of high school and they'd been happy since.
"Yeah, though I guess the right person could be out there and we don't know it..." Chuckled Franky. He then turned to his cell phone to check for any more messages.
There was nothing there. Zoro hadn't sent anymore messages, seemingly done with the conversation, leaving it as it was. Usopp shrugged again, seeing a message from Kaya on his phone, wishing him a good night. She was the OB/GYN on shift at the local hospital that night, which meant she was going to be busy. He sent her a text to answer and glanced at Franky again, setting the complete circuit board off to the side so that Franky's techs could work it in somewhere. It was actually a board to control lighting on a boat, destined for a yacht most likely. He liked to help Franky out where he could. "We still gonna check that new club out. What was it called again? Rain Dinners? Isn't that also the new casino?"
"Yeah we are," Franky said nodding. "Sounds good..." He looked at the circuitry board. "Woah that's super!"
Usopp blushed a bit seeing Franky excited over the board. "Eh...it's nothing. Just a little tweaking to what your guys did already." Despite Usopp's over the top boasting most of the time, when it came to genuine compliments, he was rather modest. It was an easy fix really. Just an overlooked diode or two.
He scooped it up smiling at it. "It's nice and simple... really simple!" Grinning he said, 'I'll buy you a drink for sure this week!"
Usopp smiled at that, looking forward to an evening out. He'd heard the place they were going was nice, luxurious even. Franky had gotten a couple vouchers for the bar from a customer. He glanced up at the clock. "Let's head out then?"
"Yep, let's go!" Franky said as he washed his hands and grabbed his sunglasses.
Franky had a variety of cars at his disposal, from quirky to conventional, most of them given or donated to him and in varying degrees of being lovingly restored. He either sold most of them for a profit then, his cars popular with the street racing scene or even drag racers, others, older models or less sporty cars he tended to sell or give away to people who needed them most, most of the time losing a good chunk of change in the process. But even the poorest of Franky's customers, who'd bought cars for a steal turned up for services, oil changes, tires and the like. It all balanced out on the books in the end, Franky always said.
"Which car are we taking?" Usopp asked, "Or we driving mine?" He added the second part as a joke, knowing Franky thought less than fondly of Usopp's hunk of junk.
"Heh, well let's take the Cadillac!" Franky said as he motioned to it. A dark blue Cadillac with striping on it down the sides and convertible top down sat in the nearest parking space.
Usopp let out a low whistle seeing the car restored to all it's shining glory. Last time he'd seen it, the thing had been a rusted shame of a wreck. Now it looked like something out of the Soprano's really, or at least it would have if not for the racing stripe. "The great Usopp and Franky, gangsters for the night eh?" He joked, "I like it."
Leaping into the front seat, Franky unlocked the doors. "Hop in!"
Usopp didn't need a second invitation, getting in on the passenger seat and sinking into the leather seat. "Oh man. You aren't going to sell this baby are you? I'd never forgive you." He'd done an amazing job restoring every detail to the car, the interior looking new in leather, the dashboard gleamed. Franky had even updated it to meet modern safety regulations with airbags. Not that you needed it in a steel boat like this but still...
"I won't. It's my pride and joy," said Franky as he fired up the V6 engine and let it purr.
The white leather interior was spotless, and seemed to suit his personality.
"It suits you." Usopp agreed, seeing Franky punch a button on a remote to open the bay door and coaxing the cadillac out into the front of the shop. A few more buttons pressed and the shop was locked up tighter than a sardine can. Usopp had even built in an alarm system that rang directly to Franky's cell if there was a break in, as well as the authorities and he could activate and deactivate it from an app.
"Now, let's roll!" Franky called out, turning on the radio. Quadraphonic speakers blasted out the rock music to the perfect sound.
Usopp grimaced as decibels louder than a rock concert assaulted his ears but he relaxed after a moment or two as Franky gunned it, heading down the road from the shop. It was prime real estate really, despite looking a little run down, right on the rocky shoreline of the coast. A half a mile down the road was the ship building company that Franky sometimes worked at, an old family owned establishment.
"There's the old Galley La," he said pointing to it."Still can't believe it's been in operation for 100 years."
Even in the dimming light Usopp could see the various buildings, the dry docks and a variety of ships there, either moored and being fixed or being built. At the moment, there was even a Navy destroyer there, looming large over the landscape.
"Looks like business is booming." Usopp pointed out.
"They're refitting that ship," muttered Franky. "They've got a military contract so they're doing great."
"Navy probably pays top dollar. Even if it is a deal with the devil." Usopp muttered quietly. He wasn't the biggest fan of how the World Government conducted its business. He'd seen his home country nearly go broke due to their policies.
"Yeah, that's what bugs me," muttered Franky, shaking his head. He snorted, looking in sympathy at Usopp.
Usopp shrugged, "What Iceberg does doesn't reflect on you." He knew Franky's adoptive father had been hauled off by the World Government and he knew Franky's views, the rift between Iceberg and Franky ran deep at times. "Let's just get a drink man, not dwell on stuff we can't change."
"Right, let's do that," said Franky nodding. "A nice stiff one. Captain and cola for me!"
"I'll second that !" Usopp said with a grin, feeling the stress start to melt away. He'd been overworked the past couple weeks and he was looking forward to a night of cutting loose.
As much as he loved Kaya and spending as much time with her as possible, there had been some stress there as well and he needed a little space to think things over too.
"So man, what's your poison this evening?" asked Franky as he looked at his fellow inventor. The two got along thanks to their shared love of tinkering.
"I'm thinking Cap and coke too." Usopp said, "Heavy on the cap. Been a rough few weeks man."
"You and the missus having some trouble in paradise?" Franky asked.
Usopp blushed a bit and folded his hands, looking down at his lap for a minute. "Not really. I mean things are fine and stuff..." Usopp said quietly, "It's just..." He raked his hand through his hair a bit nervously and adjusted the bandana tying it all back. "We're trying to start a family..."
"Ohhh..." Franky trailed off. "Well there's always in vitro fertilization... and a surrogate mom I guess..."He rubbed his neck.
Usopp shrugged. "We know all the options. You'd think having a wife who's one of the lead women's docs in the city would be an advantage right?" He sighed a bit, feeling a little better though. He hadn't confided in anyone as of yet and he knew Franky wouldn't go blurt it out to everyone. "Everything's pointing at a green light man, but we've tried for over a year..."
"Usopp, I'm sorry man. It sucks when it doesn't work out right." Franky trailed off.
He didn't want to just say, "Well you could adopt" because some people had a thing about the child being their own flesh and blood.
"Yeah well." Usopp muttered before brightening up a bit, giving a smile. "If things are meant to be, it'll happen. And if all else fails, we've considered adopting...there's a lot of kids right here that need a home you know."
"Yes, that's right. Wasn't Luffy adopted and Ace too? By Shanks?" said Franky. "And I was adopted."
"Yup." Usopp agreed, "And all of you turned out alright. "I had a friend at my other school who was adopted too, from a war zone and she turned out fine."
"Oh cool. What was she like?" asked Franky. "Feisty, or calm? Or demure?"
He bobbed his head in time with the music as they drove under the palm trees on either side of the street.
"Her and her sister both." He added, "And then there's some kids that should have been adopted." He thought darkly, thinking to how Zoro'd grown up.
He glanced at Franky, smiling at the question. "She was a firecracker, her and her sister both. They were raised by an ex marine mom." He thought back fondly remembering hanging out with the girls after school, mostly at their place. They never had much but they'd always had a blast. "I lost touch with her a couple years ago but I heard she's made a name for herself, doing news or something. She always wanted to be a meteorologist."
"I bet she has," chuckled Franky. "If they chose you as a friend, then it could not have been all that un super!"
Grinning Franky said, "Sounds like they did ok."
"I hope so. Maybe I should try checking if she's got a Facebook or something. You never know right?" Usopp smiled.
"Good idea," said Franky nodding. "She may be in some part of the country... or state?
"Could be," Usopp agreed. "I think I heard she went to San Diego for college but I'm not sure..."
He waved a hand, seeing the bright lights of downtown ahead. "But that's something for another day, I think it's time we concentrate on having a good time."
Usopp brought a grin to his face, seeing the ritzy city center. It wasn't often that he was in this part of town.
"Yep! We'll have a SUPER time!" called out Franky as he pumped his fist.
Valet parking was only the first bright spot of the night. As they were led into the ultra modern interior of the building, seeing the layout of it both were stunned. After handing off their vouchers to one of the clerks and being declared as VIPs Usopp couldn't anticipate anything but having a good time. A few things caught his notice here and there as they were led to the VIP section of the bar and lounge, things that should have made him question a bit more, if it wasn't for all the glam and bling that blinded him. Franky seemed to have similar thoughts as he looked around wide eyed. Usopp could only hope the night would turn out to be one to remember...
11111
Dozens of workers wait staff and chefs moved about in the large high class restaurant known as the Barate. It was known for its excellent cuisine made without additives or preservatives. Also it gave its leftovers to the soup kitchens. Nobody left the place hungry, or wasted food.
Or at least no one was supposed to. Sanji felt his blood boil a bit as he moved along the meat and fish station, two of the newer line cooks working on cuts of meat and filleting the night's seafood choices, seeming more keen on football scores than what they were doing with the scraps. He watched as the one neatly descaled and filleted a red snapper, the head and scraps landing in the nearest trash bins. He was almost certain the memo had gone out, that all edible scraps were to be placed in bags and sorted at the end of the night. It was a change from policy, he realized that but it wasn't like it hadn't been a couple weeks. Clearing his throat he looked at the two meaningfully, seeing one roll his eyes, the other going white with dread.
"Where the fuck is that bin for the Saint George's kitchen?!" Shouted Sanji. He glared at his staff, marching towards the bins.
Rescuing the food he took it back. "This is a delicacy in some countries!" Kicking their butts with his shoe Sanji yelled, "I hate wasting food you stupid shits!"
The one line cook rolled his eyes again. "Where I was taught, it's unsanitary to keep the scraps." He muttered, before he was elbowed by the other line cook. "You saw the memo." He muttered in a hushed tone before meeting Sanji's eyes. He had to respect the man. He'd been skeptical before coming in on his day off for a crash course, something that had been optional, that most of the other new cooks had skipped. He'd seen first hand how Sanji had turned kitchen scraps into some of the best broth he'd ever tasted. There was a reason for these scrap bags and he felt stupid for forgetting about it. Looking the man in the eye, he apologized profusely. "It wont happen again..." He assured the sous chef.
"Better not cause there are starving people in this city who don't have two pieces of moldy bread to put together!" he snapped. "It can even be turned to slop for the pigs if you save it!"
"Yes chef!" Both line cooks said, one more enthusiastically than the other, seeing Sanji move down the line, his watchful eye on the sides and garnishes stations, as well as where the meat and seafood was being cooked. He saw both Carne and Patty, two of the more experienced chefs working the grill and moved toward them, taking down a ticket and looking at it critically before sparing a glance at the grill. Everything seemed in order, at least until one of the waitstaff appeared, plate in hand. "Problem with an order!" he muttered.
"What do you mean problem?" Patty groused, "Those shrimp were perfect!"
"All right, what is it?" Sanji asked, frowning as he glared at the waitstaff. He took a look at the shrimp and shook his head, then frowned.
Carne glanced over Patty's shoulder. "They're fine. Nice and rosy, not over cooked." Carne muttered, taking the ticket from the waiter. "Seafood etouffee...what's the issue?" He asked, squinting as he saw something scribbled underneath the order.
"See that?" said Sanji. "Right there..."
"You made that one." Patty muttered, pointing to the squiggles. "It clearly says without shrimp." Carne glanced at it again, "The hell it does...Extra shrimp is what it says!" He shouted, glancing to Sanji, "That's what I did, extra shrimp!"
The handwriting on the ticket was nearly illegible. It was hard to see what it said.
"No shrimp?" The waiter staff said meekly, not even looking to Sanji.
"Someone needs to fucking write!" Sanji muttered. "You think we can read this? What is this sanskrit?"
"Sorry ?"
Sanji then glared at them. "LEARN TO FUCKING WRITE!" He waved the ticket. "ITS NOT that hard! You aren't doctors!"
"Sorry." The waiter mumbled, setting the plate down. "The customer doesn't want the dish..."
Patty glanced to Sanji, muttering. "I'll remake the damn thing. Stupid customers...Wish him a happy meal when it's done." He said contradicting his anger. Despite him being able to lash out with the best of him, Patty was all for the Baratie making money and being customer oriented.
He fumed as he grabbed at his hair and then sanitized his hands. "I'll eat it myself." Sanji said.
He took the plate of food and then said, "Give it to the guy out back in the alley!"
He grabbed it and marched back to the back door, and kicked it open. There was a street person sitting there. Sanji handed them the plate. "Looks like you could use this man..." he said. Then he lit a cigarette and inhaled it deeply.
"Put it in a styrofoam container first!" Carne shouted after him, knowing Zeff was pissed at the number of missing plates of late. He sighed, knowing Sanji could care less. The man nearly dropped the plate in surprise, lethargic from cold and alcohol. He smiled up at Sanji as the man walked toward the front of the alley, hungrily digging in. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome," Sanji said smiling. He then leaned against the building, pulling out his cell to check for messages.
He took another deep drag of his cigarette as he did so, seeing the vague message from Zoro, the answer to his earlier text. He hadn't even gotten to check his messages since, it'd been so busy. He felt the nicotine sooth his burned out nerves, or perhaps it was just the peace and quiet of the alley way. He scoffed at the message, Marimo writing back that he'd take care of his own dinner and could only imagine the horrors of what that meant. Sighing, he didn't even message back, knowing there was little he could do there. He sent Vivi a message back from her reply, stating he loved her as well. He knew she would be out as well that night, heading to dinner with a college friend. Glancing to the front of the alley, he saw people walking by. Some were couples hand in hand, others, students, business people. This neighborhood held people from all walks of life. Rich and poor, it was all mingled here. He then watched them quietly, peering out from under his fringe of blonde hair.
"Damn moss head needs someone to kick his ass. I did it too many times before," Sanji muttered. In the past they had each other's backs and still did, but Sanji had moved on, and he thought Zoro had. What they'd shared was a comfort that two lonely people gave one another, but they ended up best as fire forged friends. Somehow the man seemed an easy target for his pent up annoyance, though he realized that wasn't entirely fair.
"Shitty Marimo," he trailed off, then his eyes spotted someone distinctive.
Something caught his eye. A woman who'd walked by the alley and paused, seeming to check her phone for something. She was tall, statuesque really in her long dark trench coat and heeled, knee high boots. A hat covered her head, giving only a peek at her shoulder length dark hair and bangs. Her features were strong and beautiful even from a distance. She glanced around, seeming to be looking for something. The kitchen had been so warm that he didn't even feel the bite of the cold from the cold spell they'd had lately until just now.
"Brr," Sanji muttered, rubbing his hands together. He hoped she was coming into the restaurant. He wore a white kitchen smock buttoned up in front with double rows of buttons, his apron, and a black pair of pants.
Walking over to her he said, "Good evening Mademoiselle. If you're looking for a place to dine, The Baratie's right in the next block. I'll even give you a discount."
She glanced at him before seeming relieved. "So it is here? I was beginning to wonder if I'd gotten the wrong address. This street isn't marked very well."
"Follow me." he said as he motioned her, and offered his arm. "I'm Sanji, the sous chef... lovely lady such as yourself needs to be escorted to the door by a humble man such as myself."
The trenchcoat she wore was high quality tight fitting leather and he could see a bit of lace peeking out from the front, as if she were wearing something fancy underneath. Shutting her phone off she pocketed it. There was a slight way that she pronounced certain sounds that made him wonder if she was European. She seemed to give him a once over as if inspecting him skeptically before finally finding him believable and she relaxed visably. "I would appreciate that very much. I have to make a reservation for my employer and I'm in a bit of a hurry..."
"Of course," said Sanji. "Nothing but the best."
He then guided her to the front door of the restaurant, and opened the door for her.
"Your wish is my command."
Her face lit up with amusement and something else and she graced him with a smile as she walked through the door, glancing around at the lobby of the restaurant, seemingly impressed.
Sanji then waved the Maitre D over. "Which table would suit you best?" he asked.
"It doesn't look like much from the outside," She admitted, "But this is amazing." She muttered, seeing the decor, simple but exquisite, high class. The Maitre D seemed flustered but allowed Sanji on the computer. There was a book in front of the computer as well, ensuring that if there was an outage, there customers would still be cared for. The woman leaned forward, "My employer is very particular, he enjoys his privacy, given his ranking, as well as his discretion. A table in a private room? Is that possible?" She pulled out her phone, seemingly checking the details. "It will be two days from now, for a total of 8 people."
"Yes it is," Sanji said as he nodded. He typed a few keys and showed her the banquet rooms. Complete with private entrance in the back.
She glanced to the Maitre D who seemed out of hearing range and lowered her eyes, dropping her voice. "Four of the guests are fishmen, and as such their choice of recreational beverages may be a bit different. Can your restaurant accommodate?" She asked. Fishmen had a different metabolic way of dealing with alcohol, therefore most tended to think human alcohol as weak as drinking soda. Their beverages were hazardous for human consumption and most restaurants avoided getting the extra permits required to serve them.
"Yes we do," Sanji said nodding. "We've a well stocked bar for this very purpose."
She nodded in approval and made a note on her phone. "Two days from now at 8 PM then." She confirmed, seeming much relieved.
Nodding Sanji gave her a smile. He kissed her hand. "My pleasure." He then handed her a card with the information on it. "If you need anything let me know."
She graced him with that careful smile once again, her blue eyes shining for just a moment, making them seem less hard, less haunted. "Thank you very much, Monsieur." She took the card, before handing one over herself. "The name for the reservation is Crocodile." She said, the Deputy Governor's card was placed in Sanji's hand. "I expect you understand the need for discretion then." She added, letting him think on that. It was almost if she was giving hint of something without having said much.
Nodding Sanji said, "Understood."
"Thank you very much for your assistance." She said again, turning to leave. "I have another engagement I'm running late for." She started to walk toward the doors. Something made him feel uncomfortable, as if she were not forthcoming. However, he wasn't sure what to do.
"If you need anything, let me know," Sanji repeated. His eyes met hers. "Good friends are hard to come by. You may find them in the most unexpected places."
He could only see her profile for a brief second as she turned to leave, but could see the skepticism there before it was masked behind a cool collected facade. A hand was waived and the woman was gone, as if she'd never been there at all.
He shook his head. Damn it, what if she was in trouble. If he could save at least one woman who looked desperate or trapped. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the card and pocketed it.
Sighing he went back into the kitchen, his sense of mystery acting up.
She left Sanji in a cloud of confusion. Something seemed very, very off here but he could do little but annotate the details of the reservation in the book and computer. The Maitre D seemed to clear his throat discretely. He was a small older man, originally from France. "May I have my post back?" He asked Sanji politely. "Monsieur Zeff has arrived and I'm not sure he's happy with the state of the kitchen."
"Yes, yes," Sanji said. He marched back to see the boss, shaking his head."See what the shitty old man has to say."
"Eggplant! Where the hell have you been?!" Zeff demanded. "Smoke break's five minutes, you've been gone 30! Lucky the damn kitchen didn't burn down!" The old man was standing there in his spotless cook whites, his usual almost ridiculous hat in place. He leaned on the counter, discreetly keeping the weight off the prosthesis on his leg that looked to be older than him. Sanji heard snickers across the kitchen at the nickname.
"Well for your info shitty old man I had a reservation for a client to take care of!" Sanji snapped.
"Someone who wants to get things right or else."
"You the Maitre D now? I thought I promoted you to sous chef, or you want me to swap you? I'm sure Jacques would do a better job managing this place than your doing right now!" Zeff told him with biting sarcasm.
"Fine, fine!" Sanji snapped. He glared at Zeff. "Old geezer."
Zeff seemed to read through Sanji, like reading a book and saw something notably off in the younger man. He barked out a few orders to the line cooks, who'd been staring and they went about their business before he waved Sanji aside, leading him to cool storage, where all the perishables that weren't frozen were kept. The air was chilly but no more than outside. "What's eating at you Eggplant? Not like you to make a reservation for a customer, no matter how tight her skirt is." He said knowingly.
"Some girl came and asked for reservations for Crocodile and some fishmen," he whispered as he showed him the card. "She sounded Russian, and looked like she was on some sort of danger but..."
He expected Zeff to be skeptical, or even scoff it off, but the old man took the card, glanced at it and handed it back. "Don't stick your nose into something you can't handle." He muttered, leading Sanji to believe that Zeff had a bit more knowledge than he to what was going on.
"Huh, if you say so old man," Sanji said as he held up his hand. "I'm just the not nosy assed sous chef. Saw nothing."
"You've always been a nosy assed little brat." Zeff said with a grin, seeing Sanji scowl at that.
The grin faded as Zeff sighed. "Crocodile has been meeting up here for years with a few other people. We've been paid to keep our mouths shut. Where the hell do you think the money came from to replace the boiler?" He asked. This was news to Sanji.
"The fuck?" Sanji asked. He raised a curly brow."Then we... Oh fuck. No wonder. Well that's just great. Means we keep our nose out of this?"
He sighed and shook his head knowing they were in it deep. "Okay, I saw nothing and heard nothing."
Zeff's features tightened as he glanced to Sanji, knowing how the young man felt. "Back in my younger days, back in N'Orleans...My restaurant was thriving...after the storm, after I found your scrawny ass, I made the mistake of making a noble choice. I'd lost everything, but my restaurant...It was still standing...a shell of her former self but still there...she'd survived, until one day she wasn't there..." He paused, looking at Sanji meaningfully. "Sometimes you have to turn a blind eye to help the people you care for." With that the older chef turned and headed back toward the kitchen. Sanji could hear him barking orders in his typical harsh tone, making Gordon Ramsey on TV seem like a saint.
Sanji then nodded as he looked at it, and frowned. He'd keep his eyes and ears open just in case. If there were any other women in bad situations he would try and help them. This he vowed.