A/N: Chapter 3 is here! A little note here is that Bartolomeo is probably really OOC here since I don't know how he acts around people he's close and familiar with since I've only seen him being around people he idolizes (e.g. Luffy and co.) or people he's not close too.
I'm still having my exams but I manage to write this down, I'll probably be updating late again until they're finished.
NeeXlasol does not own One Piece but owns the OCs.
She's not surprised to find him here. Loguetown isn't very far from his headquarters. When she worked for him, he would send her here to either contact his clients or partners or kill people who pissed him off. She did more of the latter because he gets pissed off easily.
"Heh, I have time." The green haired man replied. "And you should too, since you won't need to worry about marines or bounty hunters, your crew too." He added.
"I don't? How sweet of you Barto, never thought you cared 'bout me that much." Reimi replied. Well that explained why no one was out to get us.
"Tch, this is just to get us even, I owed you for fucking up David's business, even though you said you don't screw over your bosses." The man responded.
"He was a prick and I'm a mercenary, someone just offered me a better deal so I just, how you say it, ended my contract with him earlier." David was her last client, a total douche who couldn't take a hint, if it wasn't for the ship, she wouldn't worked for him in the first place. Too bad she screwed him over as soon as Krahe said Raftel.
"That 'someone' is your new captain?"
"Crow." The woman stated.
"Now that explains everything, she threatened you or something?"
"Care to explain why she would threaten me? She just gave me a better deal and of course, solid guarantee." She asked.
"Heard that she used to work for the big guns of the underworld, said she used to be a major asset for his arms dealing business. Expected her to point a gun at your head or something." The man responded.
"You've clearly haven't met her then."
"Don't really want to either, you know why." Bartolomeo sneered. "Back to the topic, what she offered? Think I can double it."
"Not money." The woman stated, "Raftel."
"Well damn, guess that means the captain's…"
"Yup, if it was some random pirate I would've cracked his spine." She explained. Barto had been one of her better clients, she worked with him for three years, six times longer that her usual contracts. They had been close as well on a personal level, but it didn't work out yet still he's one of the few people she trusts.
"Good luck then, you'll be going back home soon, think your old man misses you?" the man asked, not bothering to with his original purpose after hearing her answer.
"Sabaody's still a long way to go you know, wait you don't." She joked.
"Bitch, I meant the Grand Line, Sabaody's in it so I'm kind of right."
"Sure you are Barto, it was nice seeing you." Reimi said, giving some bills to the bartender and getting off her seat.
"Leaving? That's too soon for you."
"Wanna go look around the place since we're sailing at dawn tomorrow, gonna miss this place."
"Mind if I join you then? For old times' sake." The man asked.
"Who are you and what have you done to Meo?" she giggled. "Sure, for old times' sake."
Usually she wouldn't hang out with her exes, but Barto would be an exception. Considering that half of her exes are out to kill her or dead.
Luca was disappointed. Not only were the clothes were overpriced, most of them were crappy or trashy looking. There was also no men's clothing as well. He never liked the fashion in East Blue, most people would wear plain looking clothes and he had also notice that the style had not changed for at least 20 years. 20. Fucking. Years. Maybe it's because it's the most peaceful out of the four blues, he thought.
Krahe thought the same as well, the clothes were either too skimpy or baggy look on her, either it doesn't fit her chest or it doesn't fit her waist. Damn fashion designers and their ideal body designs. "Let's get out of here, the cosmetics store is next door." She stated, dragging the blonde lad out of the store.
The two blondes went to the cosmetic store, Luca went to look for more makeup and face paint for his next performance while Krahe was looking for hair products. She needs to bleach her hair since her roots are starting to show again. Her platinum blonde hair would not go well with her dirty blonde roots. She would also get more hair treatment products, considering how much her hair had suffered and will suffer some more from her monthly bleaching.
Sei had entered the cosmetics store. The captain wanted to go climb the buildings to take some (more) pictures so they've decided to split up and meet up at the town square at 4 o'clock, half an hour from now.
He needs to stock up his hair dye.
The store here stocks up the brand he likes to use; he knows that because that's what his butler told him when he asked. His hair is actually light gray but he dyes it regularly to get the ashy silver hair he has now. He should also get some silver shampoo, since it'll help maintain the color.
"Yo!" a familiar voice called him.
The young man turned his back to the source of the voice, the blonde girl wearing a black mask covering her eyes is in front of him now. "Hey, what brings you here, Crow?" he responded.
"Looking for bleach, can't seem to find the stuff I usually use though…"
"You're a bottled blonde?" he shrugged.
The masked girl let out a small laugh; she forgot that the newbie doesn't know. "My hair's naturally blonde, dirty blonde, actually." She said, "I bleach to get a lighter shade."
Sei, in fact, was not very surprised. He had suspected her to have at least dyed her hair, since most of her hair products in the ship's bath are for treating colored hair. He would sometimes use it for himself, but she doesn't know.
"Since you're naturally blonde, you shouldn't use bleach, it'll damage your hair too much." The man said. He turned to one of the shelves, looking at the hair dyes for his favorite brand. He scanned it until he found it at the bottom row, picking up the dye with the platinum blonde shade.
"You should use this instead; a little pricier but it'll won't damage your hair." He advised, handing the package to the girl beside him.
"Oh, I know that brand, it's the one my sister regularly uses." She stated, "Never really tried that one since its not available back where I'm from though.
"How so, then how come your sister could get it then?" he asked. Krahe's sister is a pirate, a pirate from a Yonko's crew. Unless she's in Sabaody or that city full of the world's filth (his nickname for World Nobles), there's no other place in the Grand Line where she could find that brand.
"This brand is widely available in South Blue, since that's where it's manufactured. My sister lives there with my brother." She answered, "Though my mother also lives there but she's only there only like, one sixteenth of the time."
"Didn't you say your sister's a pirate in Red Hair's crew?" he asked again, surprised by her answer.
"Hm? Oh, that's my oldest sister, she doesn't dye her hair." The blonde replied casually, "I'm taking about my other sister."
"Other sister?" he didn't really expect here to have any other siblings. Well, he doesn't really know anything about her, to be honest, he doesn't know anything about the other guys as well. Considering they had only met for like, one week? Two weeks? He's not sure, all he knows that he knows nothing about his crew member's pasts and they don't know about his either.
"I'm the youngest out of five siblings of three sisters and two brothers." She stated, "My eldest sister is in Shanks crew. Me, my other sister and my second older brother are actually triplets, while my eldest brother…" the girl's mood instantly changed, showing hesitation, "It's a long story really, I'll tell you after dinner."
The silver haired man, while still unsatisfied with her answer, decided to not push the subject further. He understood why she doesn't want to continue, things like these shouldn't be talked about in public places.
"Alright, so where's Luca and Reimi?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Looking at makeup, though I'm guessing he'd be done by now." She replied, "Where's Ace?"
"Taking pictures, I'm going to meet up with him later at the square and again, where's Reimi?" he asked.
"She went back to the ship to put the supplies we got there." She shrugged, "But since its Reimi here, I'm guessing she's just using it as an excuse to go to the bar without me and Luca."
"Why so?" he wondered, the question slipping out of his mouth. He knows that while Luca and Krahe are underage, can pass off as 17 year olds or older with Luca's makeup skills. They would usually go to bars together as well, so it's very odd of her to go there alone.
The blonde let out a small laugh, "Honestly, don't tell me you're not suspicious with the fact that we hadn't had any run-ins with the authorities."
"I am." He responded.
"You know why?"
He was taken aback by her question; it's obvious that she already knows the answer. "At first, I thought it's because of today's paper, the marines wouldn't want to risk the damage the town would have." Though that wouldn't stop the bounty hunters, "But the marines here are known to not let any pirates leave, and yet…"
"Hm…?"
"If I'm right, this town has the mafia that's run by the Cannibal stationed." He stated.
"Yup, pirates would pay them to threaten the marines so they won't have any problems." The blonde added.
"Yeah, I've heard." Sei replied, "They've been following us, as if they're scaring the marines away from us." The silver haired man was starting at the shop's window, a man is standing outside of the shop and he had seen him when he and Ace were at the weapon shop as well. Said man was talking to another man who was dressed similarly as him.
Krahe was also staring at them, the other man had been stalking them back at the fish market, watching them during Luca's scam and even when they were at the clothing store.
"But I don't know why." He said.
The blonde girl was pleased by the older man's answer, he lives up to his reputation.
"You know what Reimi was before becoming a pirate?" She asked.
Again, he got caught in surprised by the girl's answer, she's testing him, and he knows it. "She was a mercenary who only works under contract." Of course he knows, he remembered the slavers trying to bargain with her when they've first met. And it's not like he'd never heard of her, he did his research when he was still an outlaw. "And the Cannibal was one of her clients."
"Correct." She stated, becoming more pleased by his answer.
"That doesn't explain why they're guarding us though." If anything, that would've given them a reason to hunt them down. He knows that the last client she had was the Cannibal's rival, even if she'd betrayed him, he'd imagine that they didn't end their contract peacefully.
"Not really surprised there, but I'm impressed that you've managed to figure it out this far." And she's being honest, it's obvious he's no normal outlaw, she had heard of the rumors about him back when she was still making weapons.
"Glad that I've impressed you." Now he's curious, she has to, or was part of the underworld if she'd already figured it out.
"And here's a little bit of info, Reimi's contracts only last for three months, never more." She informed, "But she'd worked for Barto for nearly three years, see something odd?"
"So that means she joined the Cannibal's group." He guessed, "But then she left? That doesn't explain anything Crow…"
"Well…" She's not so sure if she would say it or not, before concluding that she should, "Reimi was actually his girl."
Surprised couldn't describe the look on Sei's face, he was shocked; it is as if lightning had stricken him. He'd known that Reimi's love life had included a lot of men, but he did not expect the Cannibal to be one of those men. And if that's why her contract lasted so long, he did not expect her to have a long relationship with the mafia kingpin.
She had pitied him a little, he looked like a child who had lost his innocence. "They broke up on mutual terms" she replied, "I'm guessing they're still close friends since I've seen her asked him to pull her some favors back before we were pirates."
"So you're saying she asked him to keep the marines and bounty hunters away from us?" he asked, still a little shocked.
"No, she loves getting into trouble too much to ask that," Krahe stated, "He's keeping them away from us exactly because of that."
"So she's meeting up with him to confront him." he concluded. That explains it though, although he suspects that both sides still has lingering feelings for each other. And he just wants to forget that he even thought of that, or that they've discussed their shipwright's love life just now. He feels like a gossiping teenage girl now.
"I guess, it's gonna end with them going on a date or at least making out." She shrugged.
Oh, now he had to get that image out of his head. Never mind not looking like her age, she doesn't act like it too. "Thank you for giving me nightmares tonight." He said to her, "I guess we've spent too much time on gossiping, since we've still haven't paid for the hair dyes."
"Did you just say we were gossiping?" she teased.
Shit, well now the first mate's blushing in embarrassment, "I have to meet up with Ace in like ten minutes; I'll pay for your dye so I'll see you back in the ship."
He practically ran to the cashier before quickly paying for the dyes and left the store. Krahe was just one step away from laughing and rolling herself on the floor. She hadn't expected him to be embarrassed that easily. So you're not as calm and collected as you make yourself look. She stopped herself from getting into her laughing fits and took two bottles of silver shampoo from the shelf. She walked to the cashier and paid for them, she felt a little bad since Luca is already outside of the store, waiting for her.
Ace was taking pictures of pigeons, and was quite focused on it too. He didn't realize the first mate was standing right next to him until he whacked him on the head with his staff. The silver haired man is still not getting used to the fact that his captain has taken a strong interest in something that he'd expect someone more…intelligent looking (or nerdy, well Ace is kind of a geek at times) to have.
"Do you have to do that? You're as bad as Krahe." The brunette replied, rubbing the back of his head. He's pretty sure that the only sane people on his ship are himself and Reimi. Wait, thinking back Reimi isn't that sane. He himself isn't exactly normal but at least he's sane…right?
Ace has concluded that his crew is full of insane people, including himself.
"Tch, I still have a long way to go if I want to be as bad as her." The first mate shrugged, "Or do you think that being hit with a staff is as bad as waking up being hanged upside down, on the edge of the ship."
Ace shivered, the memory coming back to him. He had accidentally finished the blonde girl's parfait once, since it was a hot day and he's hungry and the parfait was right in front of him. Needless to say Krahe was not amused at all, even though the young captain had apologized and she did say she forgives him, it did not stop her from humiliating the brunette when she found him sleeping at the deck.
Ace from then decided not to touch Krahe's desserts.
"You're evil, you know." He said back.
"I've been called worse." Sei replied.
"Like what? 'Vigilante' is better than 'Fire Fist'; at least you match the title." Ace said, he liked his epithet, he just thinks that he doesn't live up to it. Since well…when you hear someone known as Fire Fist you would have expected them to win an arm wrestling match against a girl…even if said girl is a former contract killer.
"I'm called a noble."
Ace sighed. Sei hates nobles, Ace hates them too, they took his brother away from him and there's no way he would forgive them. Ace also knows that Sei is a noble, even though saying that would probably make him whack you with his giant stick until your bones break. But he knows that not all nobles are stuck up assholes, Sei's a good guy, just like his brother.
"Then I guess you'll have to prove them wrong." The captain replied.
Sei looked into the eyes of his captain. He was caught off guarded by his words. "Huh?"
"If you don't want them to call you that, be the complete opposite of it." the captain boasted, "Be all nice and approachable, give free candy to little kids, donate the stuff you don't need, become a pirate-wait you're already one and of course, hang out with outcasts like us and don't give a fuck. Sooner or later those marines won't be calling you that because there's no way nobles can be like that." With a few exceptions.
Sei smiled, "Well guess I'll start with being a pirate and trying to survive living with you freaks." He appreciates his captain's words and he's also surprised by them. Ace is more than he seems.
"Hey, say that to the others! I'm trying to survive dealing with them myself." Ace joked, "Glad I got you out from your emo moment."
"I am not emo." The silver haired man grunted.
"Sei, buddy, everyone knows you angst in your room every day, no need to hide it."
Ace was then whacked again with the staff, not like he didn't saw that coming. "I. Do. Not. Angst."
"Okay, okay, you don't! Just, no more whacking, that thing hurts." Ace said while placing his hands in front of him in a defensive position, and this is why he doesn't consider Sei sane, he's a sadist.
"Why'd you think I got this thing." He snarled.
"Again, you're evil." The captain pouted, "Let's go back to the ship, I saw the blonde duo heading back."
"Translation: nearly time for dinner."
The captain was already walking back to the ship, before turning back to reply, "Of course."
The first mate followed him, while letting out a little laugh.
These guys just keep on surprising me.
A/N: This chapter is pretty much Reimi and Sei-centric with some exposure of Krahe's personality, Luca's not really focused on this chapter but he'll play a bigger role in the next chapter with Krahe.
And Ace is a little OOC as well since I'm writing him back when he was a newbie and still a teenager, so he's not as mature as he was in the manga/anime.
Please R&R and criticism is very much welcomed as long as it's constructive!
