For kumiko-sama-chan's ZoSan Christmas Exchange.
Crimson trails covered her skin, white as snow. Detective Roronoa touched a vein on the victim's icy-cold neck, checking her pulse. He already knew the girl was dead and it was pointless.
"Cause of the death: blunt force trauma to the back of the head. The murder weapon is missing." A curly haired forensic scientist told him. "Apparently, she died instantly," He added with a slight pity in his voice.
Zoro straightened, lighting up a cigarette. He observed the senseless body. Everything, even the victim herself, reminded him of the case that happened about twenty years ago, when his sister was murdered.
"Can I inspect the crime scene now?" The detective turned to the scientist, who squatted near the corpse and rubbed his long nose.
"Sure. But all objects must remain on their places."
Zoro nodded shortly and walked to the chimney. Blood on the carpet next to it was already dry; it seemed several hours had passed since the murder.
Cheerful Christmas tune was sounding from the radio, and Zoro shut it off sharply. Loud sobs proceeded from the other room, and his ears caught a fragment of the questioning.
"Tashigi was my roommate," A woman's teary voice was speaking. "I told her so many times that working at the police wasn't a good idea…" Her voice broke, and she whimpered heavily.
"Calm down, Miss." Now it was Officer Smoker talking, his tone straight as usual. "State your name and occupation first."
"Name's Nami Beri," She was obviously trying to speak calmer. "I'm a geography teacher."
Detective Roronoa slid his gaze to the chimney's wall, which was also covered in red splashes. He noticed two socks hanging on it, both stained with blood. He picked one of them and looked inside.
"So, you aren't aware of your roommate's work?" Smoker asked.
"I only know she was working with that green haired guy," The woman's voice answered. "And I have no idea of who'd want to kill her… Tashigi was such an innocent person!" She burst out crying again.
True, Tashigi didn't deserve such a tragic end. Zoro was overwhelmed when his new partner, with whom he had been working just a couple of months, was murdered out of the blue. On Christmas Eve. Faith is such a cruel thing.
The detective pulled a small object from the sock. It was a piece of paper, though it didn't seem to be a postcard. The paper was crumpled and folded in half. He unfolded the paper and his eyes widened.
There was a typed message.
"If you don't want to lose someone else close to you, bring all Koshiro's files to the docks at 10 PM tonight. Don't you dare call the police."
Zoro looked around cautiously: none of the forensics was looking at him, busy examining the body. He entered the room where the officer was questioning the witness, hiding the paper inside his jacket pocket.
"Any clues?" He asked Smoker, coming to a stop behind him and exhaling the bitter smoke.
The officer stood up and approached the detective, lighting up a cigarette.
"Almost nothing. She returned home when the victim was already dead." He answered quietly. "What about you?"
"Nothing as well."
Roronoa hated to lie, but now it was his chance to reveal the truth behind the murder of his sister. He couldn't blunder it away.
"I'm sorry." Smoker added a little softer. "She was your partner after all, I understand how you feel."
Zoro nodded slowly, looking at his shoes. He couldn't waste his time now.
"Thanks," He said simply and hovered over the ashtray to crush a cigarette butt. "But you'd better cheer her friend, she seems broken. I'm leaving now."
"See ya," Smoker returned to the sofa and sat next to Miss Beri, waving his hand.
Roronoa put his tweed coat and hat on and exited the house. Frosty air met him mercilessly, slamming cold in his face. He shuddered, heading to the roadside, trying to catch a cab.
The city was covered in half-melted snow mixed with mud. The whole picture didn't remind of the holiday at all.
When the detective finally caught a cab, he jumped inside instantly: his limbs were starting to feel numb.
"To the 'Baratie'-bar," He told the driver. His own clouded breath was visible in the air, and the window misted slightly.
Zoro observed the city through the cab's window wistfully. It was all painted in gray, and people's faces were dull and empty. He tapped his fingers over his knee impatiently. By all appearances, he was close in Kuina's case finally, if the murderer invited him to a meeting. It was going to be dangerous, though he couldn't believe he'd finally be able to take his ruthless revenge.
The cab stopped in front of the 'Baratie' front entrance. Zoro paid for the ride and got out from the cab.
He entered and looked around the whole place. The bar was overcrowded: it was Christmas Eve after all, though people here didn't look like they were happily celebrating. Thick fog of smoke soared in the stale air, mixing with rough smell of alcohol.
A beautiful raven haired woman in a long red dress was singing on the stage. The sound of her song was pleasant to Zoro's ears; she breathed the words smoothly with that velvet voice of hers. A tall man with an afro was accompanying her on the piano.
The detective headed right to the bar desk. There were a couple of customers sitting on the barstools and drinking, chattering loudly. As soon as Roronoa approached, he noticed a figure of a tall man behind the counter.
The man was blond; he was wearing a white shirt with a narrow tie and a silver-gray vest atop it. He was staring shamelessly at the singer on the stage, his eyes flickering with excitement and corners of his mouth raised in a slight grin, while he was biting a short mouthpiece with unlit cigarette between his teeth.
"Hey, bartender," The detective hopped on a barstool right in front of the blond. "Double whiskey."
The bartender waved his hand exasperatedly at first, without looking at his customer, obviously showing he was busy. Zoro rolled his eyes.
"Damn, Curly. What a perv are you."
It seemed the bartender was going to ignore his phrase, though he glared at him out of the corner of the eye, his swirly eyebrows narrowed. He almost turned away to watch the lovely image further, but then returned his gaze sharply to the detective, breaking into a wide grin. Apparently, he noticed Zoro just now.
"Oh, Marimo, I thought it was yet another annoying bastard begging for some booze." He chuckled.
Zoro smiled at the man and knocked his knuckles over the desk slightly.
"I still want my booze, idiot."
The bartender nodded and reluctantly drew his attention away from the singer. He bent down and took out a bottle of whiskey, then poured the liquor into a glass and slid it to Zoro. The detective nodded gratefully and took a cigarette. He leaned closer to the blond, who instantly repeated his movement, lit up both their cigarettes and inhaled the smoke deep into his lungs.
"Tash was murdered today." He uttered, his voice barely audible, almost killed by the noise all over the place.
The blond's curly brow arched and eyes widened in disbelief. He leaned to the detective as close as it was possible across the desk and whispered:
"Stop making such stupid jokes."
"I wish it was a joke," Zoro took a sip of whiskey, still holding the smoke within his lungs, and then exhaled it slowly. "Blunt force trauma. Christmas Eve. And-"
He searched inside his pocket and pulled out the message, placing it onto the wood counter. The blond wasted no time and grabbed the paper. His eyes ran across the note quickly and he whistled.
"Shit. Looks like him."
Zoro nodded, taking the paper out of the blond's hand and hiding it inside the pocket.
"I need Koshiro's files," He said quietly.
The bartender frowned.
"Are you really going there?" He asked, concerned.
"Yeah. It's definitely Kuina's murderer, I have to catch him."
The blond ran his fingers through his hair, biting his lower lip.
"Okay, I'll bring your files," He sighed. "But I'll go there with you."
"Dammit, Curly!" Zoro hissed and a couple of heads turned to them. He lowered his voice and continued. "You quit this work exactly because of this case! It's dangerous!"
The blond shrugged, grinning at the angry detective.
"I quit because I had to run this bar. I'm still your partner, Zoro." He crossed his arms over his chest, smirking victoriously.
"You are a stubborn idiot, Blackleg," Zoro slammed his palm over his forehead and took another drag.
"I am. But after all the research your father had done, and after we both did-" He leaned closer to Zoro, looking straight into his dark eyes. "I'm on your side no matter what."
The ex-detective Blackleg was right. They both did an enormous work, trying to solve Kuina's case after Koshiro's death. Zoro's father was a cop, and eighteen years ago he was working on the smuggling ring case. A large amount of drugs was involved, and he ended up blackmailed. When he refused to quit the case, the unknown blackmailers murdered his daughter. He died three years ago in a car accident, and Zoro took the case. The bastard who murdered Kuina was going to taste Zoro's merciless punishment.
They agreed to meet at the docks at about 10 PM. Blackleg left the bar, leaving the pianist with an afro as a temporary bartender.
Zoro and Sanji worked together for about two years. The files that remained after Koshiro's death were mostly related to the drug smuggling, though both cases were connected tightly. The detectives found a trace leading from both the existing and new information, that probably the mafia was linked to the whole case.
Sanji had to quit the job when his old man fell ill. The disease he was suffering from was life-threatening, and the blond couldn't focus on the case properly. But the fact that he quit didn't mean he gave up helping Zoro. All files concerning both smuggling and murder cases were kept back in his apartment, since they had been closed already.
Thus Sanji drove to his apartment to grab the files. Zoro loitered in the 'Baratie' a bit more, smoking nervously. When his wristwatch finally showed half past nine, he stood up and left the bar.
The detective went to the docks by foot. The breeze was chilly and he shivered uncomfortably every time it pierced his body through the clothes.
It took Zoro about twenty minutes to reach the docks. He stopped behind a container's wall and lighted a cigarette. Sanji still wasn't in his view.
"Roronoa," A low voice sounded from somewhere in the dark. Zoro turned out of the corner, clenching a revolver underneath his coat.
Two silhouettes were barely visible in the darkness, then became clearer as they stepped under the lantern light.
One of the men was wearing a long black cape and a broadbrim. He had black hair and a goatee. Zoro figured it was the mafia's boss. He had found some information about him before: he knew the man's name was Dracule Mihawk and he was famous in narrow circles by his masterful skill of using a katana.
"Mihawk," The detective swallowed thickly. "So it was you."
A short thought that Sanji still was nowhere around crossed his mind, but he focused on the conversation. Mihawk lit up a cigarette, grinning.
"Did you bring the files, brat?"
Roronoa scowled.
"No, but my partner went to grab them-"
The boss cut off Zoro's pitiful excuse with an evil laughter. Zoro firmed his grip on the revolver, ready to pull it out any second.
Though it wasn't necessary: a sound of hasty steps arose the next moment. Zoro turned back and saw Blackleg, who was running in their direction.
"Oh, there he is." The detective smirked. Mihawk exhaled the smoke and nodded, satisfied.
Suddenly a car appeared out of nowhere. A shrieking sound of wheels was the only thing they caught before the car stopped sharply right behind the blond, almost knocking him off. Zoro's eyes widened: the driver ran out the car and gripped his struggling partner. The next moment the door slammed shut after them and the car started instantly.
"What the hell?!" Zoro dashed from the spot, pointing the revolver at the escaping car. The next moment a shot pierced the cold air. The detective froze, inspecting his body: he wasn't injured.
Mihawk cursed loudly.
"Damn, he betrayed us!"
Zoro turned to the mafia boss. He was keeping his hand pressed near his ribs, his fingers covered in blood.
"What-" Zoro's brow raised. He hurried to the man.
A red haired man (apparently Mihawk's assistant) lowered to his boss, mumbling something.
"I knew he'd betray us!" Mihawk's eyes flickered with rage. "I suspected something was off even when he was explaining his plan. All we needed to do was just remove you and your partner, Roronoa." He turned at the overwhelmed detective. "Seems he changed his mind, damn bastard."
"Who is 'he'?" Zoro squatted down beside the boss. So he had been wrong. Mihawk was never a puppetmaster. It explained the contradiction that Mihawk was known as an underground boss but still hadn't been caught. Could it be…
"Oh, don't say it's-" Zoro whispered.
Mihawk turned to his assistant.
"Shanks, drive to the base and bring a cassette with the mark AMF-S." He commanded.
"But boss, you'll bleed to death!" The red haired man objected.
"Go and get it! Now!"
The man nodded and dashed away.
"Your wound looks terrible." Roronoa noted. Mihawk only laughed. He was sitting in the wet snow and his blood was dripping on the white cover.
Mihawk's assistant came back so fast that he and Zoro had enough time only to smoke two cigarettes each. As soon as he approached the two men, the boss grabbed an object from his hand.
"It was a good idea to record our conversation after all," He smirked at Zoro and pushed the button on the dictaphone.
"Tsk, don't call on my work phone," A man's low voice sounded. A voice, which Zoro knew too well not to recognize.
"Oh chief, how could you kill such a young, innocent creature?" Mihawk's voice responded. "Did you think it was the best way to stop that cop?"
"He was too close with his investigation of my smuggling ring. I had no choice."
"So, you'll kill him if he won't stop?"
A pause hanged for a couple of tense seconds.
"Yes. My reputation is at stake."
The record broke off. Zoro clenched an unlit cigarette between his teeth.
"This bastard…" He hissed. "He murdered Kuina!"
"And your father," Mihawk sighed. "That car accident was set up well by the chief Akainu."
"And how can I be sure it's not a fake?" Doubt reached Zoro's mind. What if he was too fast to jump to conclusions? But the voice on the type was Akainu's for sure.
"You're the mafia boss, I can't trust you," Zoro said. "I even thought you killed my sister."
"You're free not to trust me, that is understandable. But I swear it's not a fake. You'll be assured when forensics examine it."
Zoro hesitated for a second. His instincts were telling him he should rely on Mihawk now. He took the dictaphone the boss was offering to him.
As soon as his fingers clenched the object, Zoro felt his blood boiling with rage. I'll kill him.
"Calm down, Roronoa," Mihawk stood up; his assistant supported him by an elbow. "Now, when you have solid evidence, you should act with a cold head."
Zoro nodded slowly, but he still couldn't calm down. The police chief Akainu, whom he knew for so long, appeared to be his sister's and father's murderer. And it was a matter of time before Blackleg would come to harm.
"What about you?" He asked Mihawk, who already turned to leave. "If the police get this record, you'll end up in jail."
"Don't worry." The boss grinned. "I'll be far away from this country when the dawn breaks."
Zoro walked slowly to a callbox near the bridge. Wet snow was dripping from the dark heavy sky; the detective felt snowflakes falling down under the scruff of his coat and he shivered. The streets were empty: all the people in the city were now celebrating Christmas, gathering at the tables with their families, opening their presents with pleased smiles.
The detective opened the cabin's door. His breath made the glass mist up. He lifted the receiver and rummaged his pockets, searching for a coin. There. Zoro put the coin inside the phone and dialed a number on the wheel. Slow beeps.
If you don't want to lose someone else close to you… He couldn't lose Sanji.
The moonlight highlightened the blond's blue eyes, as his spine arched. His fingers gripped Zoro's shoulder blades, then eased after the final passionate moan escaped his lips. They both panted, sweating and feeling wet all over their abdomens.
Zoro straightened; his eyes never left the blond, who lay still, bringing a cigarette to his mouth. The green haired man grabbed a lighter from the nightstand. He rolled its wheel to lit Sanji's cigarette, then pulled one for himself from a pack with a word 'DEATH' on it.
"Zoro," Sanji exhaled a huge cloud of smoke. In the moonlight his sweating body was glimmering so beautifully that Zoro couldn't drive his eyes away. "Tell me… What will you do when you find him?"
The detective frowned, inhaling deeply. They both knew perfectly well what Zoro was going to do with a murderer of his sister. Sanji's voice was so bitter and concerned when he uttered the question, that it made Zoro feel even more guilty, despite the fact he still hadn't done anything.
"You know it already. I'll kill him." He said quietly.
The blond sighed heavily, taking another long drag.
"Doesn't it make you a villain like him?" He sat up on the bed, looking straight into Zoro's dark eyes. The gaze of the man's blue irises was piercing Zoro's heart with aching pain.
He didn't reply, just ruffled Sanji's soft hair with his palm, implying something like "don't worry about me". The blond lowered his eyes, and even if the scowl never left his face, he hugged Zoro, his hands resting on the other man's back softly.
"I just hope you'll change your mind."
The beeping sounds were cut short as soon as the phone was picked up at the other end. Yet the answer never came.
"I have what you need and you have what I need." Zoro said confidently.
Heavy silence almost deafened him.
"Bring him to the bridge in half an hour, no sooner or later. You've already obtained Koshiro's files, but I still have solid evidence against you, chief."
"What kind of evidence?" The familiar voice sneered.
"Oh, an important one," Zoro grinned at the receiver: apparently Akainu had no idea Mihawk could record their call. "I'll give up on further investigation and forget everything you have done to my family if you accept the terms."
After several moments of silence, the man on another end sighed.
"Roger."
Short beeps cut the call. The detective hanged up and went out of the callbox.
He stood on the bridge, smoking. His father was murdered. Zoro had a slight suspicion after he read the autopsy report; the crash didn't seem like it was an accident. But the case was closed immediately, without any investigation.
Chief Akainu murdered Kuina. Murdered Koshiro. Murdered Tash. And now he kidnapped Sanji. Roronoa exhaled slowly, his icy breaths mixing with the smoke. He only wished the blond was alright.
The tall man was wearing a cap. A thick cigar was clenched between his teeth, and its harsh smell hit Zoro as soon as the chief stepped into the light.
Akainu was alone.
"Where is Blackleg?" Zoro grit his teeth, crushing a cigarette butt in his mouth.
"Your evidence first," The chief answered coherently, his eyes piercing the detective's like steel blades.
"I'm the one who makes demands here." Roronoa hissed, feeling his blood starting to burn.
But Akainu only laughed at his statement. He shoved his hand inside his coat's pocket and pulled out a small wrinkled piece of paper.
"You both are annoying youngsters; poke your noses into other people's business," He laughed sharply. "Especially this Blackleg; always playing a spy, what a stupid brat. Though he is a dead man already." The police chief smirked, raising the paper to the detective.
Zoro's heart froze and he stopped breathing. Blood hit into the back of his head ruthlessly, leaving muted circles in his eyes.
He refused to believe these words. Sanji couldn't die now.
"You're lying." It was hard for Zoro to recognize his own voice, so low and harsh it had become.
"He'd been useful at least for the files, and then I just killed him. Here is a message from him, if you still refuse to believe." Akainu's eyes flickered devilishly.
Zoro slowly took the paper from the chief's grip. His fingers were trembling while he was unfolding it.
The paper was sprinkled with scarlet spots. A note was scrawled on it. The addresser's hand had obviously been shaking when he was writing it, but Zoro instantly recognized the blond's handwriting.
Finding All Blue is hard.
"Now you can follow him peacefully, detective Roronoa."
Zoro felt his forehead had been aimed at even before he raised his face to the man. He straightened, ready to receive a bullet. But before he closed his eyes, he glanced inside the darkness behind Akainu's back. The corners of his lips quivered.
A deafening shot thundered. Zoro winced and groaned hoarsely, feeling numb pain in his shoulder instead of a final blow to his head. He still wasn't dead.
"You underestimate me just a little, chief."
Zoro threw his eyes open and saw Akainu, who was gripped from behind by a man's arm.
Blackleg indeed had some incredible spying skills; he could always creep soundlessly, scaring people with his sudden appearance. But chief Akainu obviously wasn't expecting to hear his voice again.
The blond was holding his arm with a firm grip, his other hand pointing a revolver to the man's skull. Akainu's gun was dropped on the snow next to his feet.
Loud sounds of the police sirens pierced the intense silence, and the chief grinned crookedly.
"Idiot. You escaped death for now, but you won't be able to escape the judgment."
Sanji only smirked, nodding slightly to Zoro, who was covering the fresh wound with his palm. The comprehension of the blond's plan hit the detective immediately, and he whipped out his revolver, aiming it at the chief. Akainu laughed.
"FREEZE!" Smoker's voice sounded from the loudspeaker. "CHIEF AKAINU, YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!"
The chief's overwhelmed face went numb as he heard the accusation. He couldn't believe his ears.
"Officer, it's a mistake," He uttered nervously to Smoker, who approached the three men, handcuffs in his fist. "These two are criminals, you should arrest them."
"They just did their work," The officer nodded to Zoro and Sanji, closing the handcuffs around Akainu's wrists. "And you're the one who is a criminal here."
As soon as Smoker gave the cursing Akainu in charge to the policemen, he turned to Sanji. Zoro, who was feeling dizzy because of bloodloss, only now noticed how violently his partner was bleeding, barely able to stand on his feet.
"Nice job, Blackleg. I don't know what we'd do if you didn't call and explain everything." Smoker smiled at the blond and clapped his shoulder slightly. Sanji grinned weakly, lighting up a cigarette, filtered end of which was instantly covered with blood from his quivering lips. "And you too, Roronoa. I can't imagine what we'd do without these files and your research."
"Why were you so sure it was the chief?" Zoro asked, remembering he had never said anything about the type.
"Blackleg said he had heard you had solid evidence against Akainu." Smoker explained. "Though it was already obvious the chief was involved when he kidnapped him. He got himself cornered."
"Add our wounds from his gun. He was just too cocksure, thinking I wouldn't survive and leaving me in his mansion," Sanji chuckled, but then his legs betrayed him, and he fell to his knees. Zoro bent down to the blond, giving him a hand to stand up.
"You'd better to go to the hospital," The officer frowned. "You're bleeding, damn it."
"Take this, officer," Roronoa handed the type to Smoker. "This is the decisive evidence against the former chief. He committed more crimes than we thought."
Smoker grabbed the dictaphone, nodding gratefully, and turned to leave.
"Rely on me, detectives. I'll do my best to reveal the truth."
Zoro was sitting in the hospital hallway, his fists clenched firmly. A bandage was put on his shoulder. He still felt cold and his eyes couldn't see straight, but all his concerns were directed at his partner. Sanji's life wasn't in danger anymore, but the thought that it all had happened because of Zoro's inability to help him bothered the detective.
It was already 1 AM and the hallway was empty. The unfriendly walls made the detective feel slightly dizzy, and monotonic sound of the lamps didn't help to feel better as well.
Sanji's bandaged head appeared from the doorway of a cabinet, and Zoro stood up, looking at the blond. The man received several shots to his arm; he also had a large amount of bruises all over his body, including a bleeding from the forehead, which caused him a slight brain concussion. At least the young brown haired doctor said so to Zoro, while Sanji was still in the infirmary.
"Are you alright, Curly?" The detective asked, trying to hide the concern in his tone.
"Yeah." Sanji smiled weakly. "Let's go take some fresh air."
They went out of the building and stood up at the stairs, looking at the empty road covered in snow. Sanji rummaged through the pockets with his unharmed arm and pulled out a pack of 'Death'.
"How were you able to escape?" The detective asked, lighting up a cigarette.
"Oh, that." The blond grinned, exhaling. "Fortunately, I fainted when he was punching me, and woke up when he had already left. Then I eased off the rope, grabbed the files and escaped the mansion. I called Smoker, retelling him the situation in brief; though the fact Akainu kidnapped and attempted to murder me was already enough to put a blame on him, and the ballistic marks could be a solid proof of his guilt."
He paused, inhaling. Snowflakes had already covered his eyelashes.
"You know, when I was trapped here, for a moment I thought we wouldn't be able to reveal his crime since I had been caught like an idiot…" He bit his lower lip, frowning. "But then you called. From what I was able to hear from the phone, I understood you had something big against him. Summarizing all the information, I figured out that he had a deal with that mafia boss, because even if I was shocked while he was kidnapping me, I noticed he fired to his side."
"What if he was just trying to shoot me?" The green haired man asked.
"I had this idea, but after he hanged up he said something like 'Damn this Mihawk' and I realized something went wrong, and the boss could betray him. Though, who betrayed whom is another question."
They both stood in silence for a moment, smoking and watching the night sky.
"You're an idiot," Zoro sighed heavily. "For a second there I almost bought his lie about your death."
"That's why I left the message. Didn't you understand it?" Sanji grinned, turning to the man and looking directly into his dark eyes.
The detective leaned to the wall, throwing down the cigarette butt and crushing it with his heel.
"I didn't get the exact meaning, but somehow it sounded like you were implying you still had some deal on this cursed Earth."
"Right, dumbass," The blond chuckled, stepping closer.
"The fact that you're a big idiot still remains," Zoro snorted, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Were you worried about me, stupid Marimo?" The blond leaned in to the detective. The piercing gaze of transparent blueness always left indefinable bitterness in Zoro's soul.
"You saw the message he'd left on the Tash's murder scene." He frowned and closed his eyes.
Corners of Sanji's lips fell, and he sighed quietly. The blond carefully wrapped his free arm around the man's neck, trying not to disturb their fresh wounds.
"It's all over now," He whispered into Zoro's ear. "I'm glad you didn't take away the sin."
The detective smiled weakly, gently laying his hands on Sanji's shoulders.
"Thank you."
The blond chuckled, his warm breath touching Zoro's neck.
"I did what I had to do," He tightened their embrace, and the cold of steel night dissipated. "Merry Christmas, Marimo." He added with a small grin.
"Merry Christmas, Curly."
