So if you clicked here, maybe you like my story, yay!!! No real warnings in this chapter, a few naughty words and some Tashigi teasing.
Chapter 2
After two more days of following Zoro, Tashigi was about to give up. Whether she could understand these people or not, the marine was beginning to think the hassle wasn't worth it. Keeping up her disguise to prevent Zoro from recognizing her was irritating. While her subordinates at the base paid no attention to what she wore or did, Captain Smoker seemed to like to keep an eye on her and apparently followed her, on her second day of following Zoro. She had been leaning non-chalantly against a heavily shaded park bench, watching Zoro take is afternoon nap, when a rumbling voice a few inches behind her ear nearly startled the life from her.
"What in the hell are you doing here, Sergeant Major?" The deep baritone inquired.
"Well...umm...I..." Comprised her well-planned and witty retort as she was dragged away from the park and let into an ally behind the nearest building by a large hand on her arm.
"You are aware, Tashigi, that the man you're following is a wanted man and known pirate, correct?" Tashigi could feel his annoyance in his tone despite the conversational nature of his words.
"Y-yes Captain, I was merely, well..." Her stammering reply was cut short as Smoker, having enough of her pathetic attempts at explanation finally got to his point.
"Tashigi, if you plan to take him into custody then do it. Otherwise let this go. You could endanger your career chasing around after this green-haired killer. Even taking him in might be a bad idea; without a contingent of men you could be killed."
"I can handle any swordplay that green-haired fool can dish out, Captain" Tashigi leveled Smoker with a baleful glare as she contemplated the idea of needing guards to bring in her nemesis, " and I'm not, 'Chasing after him,'" as you put it." her voice grew impassioned with her denial, "After Arabastia, when I was completely useless, I decided that I wanted to understand these people. Sadly, the only one who may actually possess normal brain function is that bastard swordsman!" Her flailing arms dropped to her sides as she glared at Smoker who was, if truth were told, trying hard not to laugh.
"I see, so the disguise is to better observe him while not disturbing his natural habitat, eh?" He suppressed a grin at her blush and leaned down to whisper the last part in her face. "And staring at him longingly as he sleeps must be giving you a whole lot of insight, right?"
Sometimes, he decided, his second officer was just too fun to leave alone. Turning away as she eeped, spluttered, and turned red-faced with rage and embarrassment he got in one last parting shot.
"If your going to continue mooning over him, at least think of a halfway decent excuse to use on your superiors, Tashigi" He said, smirking now that she couldn't see, "like that your Captain, having spotted the Straw-hat crew about a week ago, ordered you to spy on them and ascertain whether or not they were involved with any of the smuggling or slave trafficking rings prevalent in the region." He lit up two more cigars as his previous ones went out and started walking back toward his favorite bar. "Just don't forget Tashigi, if this gets in the way of work I won't stand for it!" And under his breath so she would never hear, "try not to get hurt."
Leaving his subordinate staring at him in wide mouthed disbelief he couldn't help wondering if he'd made the right decision in his handling of her 'investigation'. Sure she was a grown woman, capable of handling nearly any situation, but she still could get caught up in the schemes of these pirates. Well, though she didn't seem to realize it, more likely involved with one sword wielding pirate to be exact. As her superior he should have ordered her to desist and find some other way to past their time until they could return to sea. As her friend and mentor he was half tempted to try to smack some sense into her. In all honesty though, he knew forbidding her this new past time would only make her want to indulge it more. His last thought was the one he had based his decision on though. While he would bring all those damn straw-hats down and throw the lot in jail, he knew their captain to be as good a man as a pirate could be. As for the merciless pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro, well the man had saved his life in Arabastia, cursing him with a bored marine following his every move seemed like fair pay back.
Allowing himself a grin he sat down at his favorite bar, ordered a large gin, and decided to sit back and wait for the fun to begin.
Chapter 2 end.
Author's notes: Thanks for continuing to read, next chappie, maybe Zoro gets a clue! Oh, and in case it wasn't clear Tashigi isn't, at least in her mind, actually mooning over Zoro, Smoker just loves giving her grief. Especially when he's stuck in town and bored.
