The counter was cleanly sweeped. Madam Robin had taken a seat on a stool next to it and daintily sipped a dark red drink.
Sanji seemingly had restored his composure and polished glasses behind the bar.
Straightening his back Roronoa crossed the room to meet them.
When the woman turned towards him he got the impression for a second , that she was about to say something. Then, she just smiled, glanced at Sanji and devoted her attention once more to the glass she was holding.
Now the barkeeper as well raised his head to look at the newcomer. His expression darkened instantly.
Surly he thrust the cloth to the side and frowned.
„You're so much of an amateur!"
He swung around the counter with few, swift steps and closed in on him.
Roronoa strained hard not to withdraw.
„Why's that?" he shot a glance at Madam Robin who just smiled and considered the color of her beverage. The two young men stared at each other.
„What is it?" Roronoa snarled. Open hostility.
„Amateur!" The word sounded profoundly condescending to a degree that made Roronoa take a step towards the blonde in anger.
„It's not like I had high hopes for you from the beginning, but I supposed you would at least be able to dress without too many accidents. I guess I was too optimistic after all."
Before Roronoa was able to even react to this wave of insolence, the blonde was already fiddling with his collar.
„H-Hey!"
The barkeepers devastating glance and a painful jerk at the shirt made him go silent.
When Sanji was content with the collar, he continued his sullen inquisition, pulled the cuffs straight with skilled fingers, scrutinized his new help once more from head to toe.
Then he grabbed for the aprons knot, without even waiting for permission and sighed theatrically.
„It seems the moss is really rooted deep in your brain if you aren't even able to button down a shirt the right way." He opened the knot.
„You ARE looking for a fight, aren't you?" Roronoa snarled back.
„For a fight we ought to be at the same evolutionary stage, mossball!"
Saying this, the blonde pointed to the placket that had sparked his displeasure.
Roronoa grit his teeth. Damn. Obviously he had been so deep in thought that one button had in fact slipped his notice.
He wasn't sure what upset him more, Sanjis self righteous expression or the fact that he had given him a legit reason for it.
Pondering frantically which reaction would be acceptable in front of his new boss but equally mean enough, he almost didn't notice the barkeeper reaching for his shirt one more time.
Before he grasped the meaning of the movement, slender fingers opened the closed buttons with breathtaking ease.
Heat rose within him. He swallowed hard. He tried to step back, push the hand away, but Sanji stopped his arm with an annoyed sigh and a look that made him freeze.
He swallowed once more, didn't look at Sanji and waited.
When the shirt was opened fully, the blonde traced him, traced his body for one moment with an intense gaze, then he turned testily.
„Again. Try to do it right this time. You got me?" „Why sh-"
With a silent but unmistakable clunk, Madam Robin set her glass on the counter and rose from her seat.
„I'm sure you can manage without me here."
Both men stared at her in utter bewilderment. Confused Roronoa realized, that her face was filled with honest amusement. Why she should be amused at all was completely beyond him.
She dissapeared, just after saying these words.
With a muffled curse Roronoa started closing his shirt once more, giving each button a generous amount of attention, while Sanji fiddled grim-faced with something at his workplace.
When the green-haired closed the last button, Sanji stepped towards him again, pressed a note into his hand and grasped for the apron, still lying on the floor.
„I'll show you only once, understood?" his voice was a toneless hiss.
„I can do that myself, poison-mixer!"Roronoa tried to snatch the material from his hands but the blonde dodged in a smooth turn.
A vein on his forehead puckered.
„I don't particularily like playing the chamberlain for a muscle-brain like you, so save us future trouble and behave."
He raised the apron. „One. Time."
With a clearly audible sigh Roronoa resigned to his fate.
The barkeepers expression was hard to read when he positioned the material plainly around Roronoas slim hips with swift and effective touches, pulled the ribbons straight, smoothed them around his body, knotted them down, fixed them in place.
His light eyes were as cold and calm as marble, his mouth didn't reveal an emotion.
Still there was something within that pale face, on these lips, that gave Roronoa a hard time standing still, when the slender, white hands traveled down his sides to even out the last wrinkles.
Sanji rose. „If you keep making that strained a face, you'll scare away the customers."
He nodded in the direction of the note the other still held.
There's a cooling-room right behind the bar. He gestured towards a door almost hidden in the paneling.
Get the stuff I wrote down into a crate and bring it to me. Try not to get lost."
„My fist might get lost into your face, goldilocks." Roronoa fired back, hissing and stomped towards the door.
„Oi, Marimo!"
Angry he wheeled around.„The name's Roronoa!"
„You're centuries too early for me, being that polite to a stray puppy."
He grinned mockingly „I think it's fitting. Get used to it Ma-Ri-Mo!"
Without a word, Roronoa walked through the door and thrust it shut behind him.
When he returned a bit later, carrying two heavy crates, he couldn't see Sanji anywhere, but Madam Robin had returned to her stool at the bar. Surrounding her were four more young women.
All of them were remarkably pretty, all of them dressed in body-emphasizing, revealing costumes and all their heads turned to him, when he entered the room.
„So that's the new one, Nee-sama?" a sleek readhead asked Madam Robin.
The boss nodded.
„Roronoa-kun is the new help for Sanji."
The three others, a curvy beauty with a wave of long, azure hair, a lively person with tattoos and a petite woman with short green bangs, stepped closer.
„He looks stronger than the last ones." The shortest commented friendly „Don't you think, Vivi-chan?" The woman with the blue locks smiled at Roronoa and nodded.
„I think you're right."
The young man replied to the smile with a short nod. Then he looked questioningly at his boss.
„Set those crates down over there and come here for a minute. I want to introduce you to our ensemble."
He did as he was told and joined the small group. Looking more closely the girls clearly appeared to be dancers.
Madam Robin pointed at the readhead next to her.
„I may introduce our crews veteran, Nami." the adressed raised one hand in greeting and made the decorative coins tinkle, that lined her costumes seams.
„Nami's been here the longest and besides her engagement in our group she also does the Dix's financial management."
Next she indicated the tatooed young woman leaning against the bar next to Nami.
„ Namis sister Nojiko, she assists Nami with purchases and stocktaking."
The bosses hand pointed to the blue-haired. Her costume had an oriental style and was decorated with countless colorful stones.
„This young lady is Vivi. She came here a few years ago as an exchange student in urgent need for money and stayed as an elementary part of our group."
„Last but not least." she rested her hand on the petite womans shoulder, „Our junior talent, Caimie. She studies fashion-design and is the creator of all these unique outfits for our shows. Lovely, aren't they?"
Unsure about what to answer, Roronoa just nodded. Caimie gave him a flattered smile.
Just that moment, the door to the stairway opened.
„Madam, I lit the lights upstairs. It should be starting soon."
Sanji joined them at the bar and turned to the dancers. Suddenly his face was lit up by a smile so obliging, Roronoa was stunned beyond words.
„Is there any wish I can fulfill for you, ladies? Some refreshments before work starts?"„That would be great, Sanji-kun."
The women turned their attention to the barkeeper, who already eagerly rummaged behind the counter.
Roronoa stood completely stupified and stared at the blonde mixing cocktails with a strange, extatic expression. Obviously he had gone completely nuts after all.
Before he could further consider this change of heart, the women and Sanji were already entangled in a lively discussion, Roronoa had a hard time following.
The topic, so it seemed being the evenings acts.
Outfits, Music, Timing... Were so many words really needed for a little dancing? Also, why should the barman care about any of it?
Confused as he was he just stood and watched the exchange between chattering women and Sanji, still almost bursting of courtesy.
In the end Madam Robin clapped her hands and everyone went silent.
„I've got a meeting shortly and it's time for all of you to get ready."
„Meeting?" Roronoa didn't miss the alarmed cadence and the sideways look, Sanji gave his boss.
„Meeting." her voice didn't tolerate further inquiries.
„It shouldn't take too long. I will be back in about half an hour at the latest, but we should get a full house soon enough.
Sanji-kun, please assist Roronoa-kun to find his way around. Give him some time today to only to adjust to the way of things here. Usopp and Chopper will be here in an hour to help you with waiting at the tables."
Sanji nodded, then gazed at the green-haired. Was it just imagination or was there still some concern in the blondes eyes when he shot him a dark look?
The young women emptied their glasses and went chattering into the direction of the corridor their changing-rooms were located.
When they were gone, the barkeeper once more hesitantly turned to his boss.
„Robin..."
„It's time. Do me a favor and lead them to my office right away when they arrive."
Soothingly she placed a hand on Sanjis arm and smiled at him.
„In one hour, when the performances start, I'll be back at the club with you."
She leaned towards the barkeepers ear and quietly said something, Roronoa couldn't hear.
Aversion was reflected in the blondes eyes, when he nodded.
Without another word, the woman stood up and left the room.
A long while Sanji looked after her, lost in thoughts. Then he returned to reality with a resolute spin, lit a cigarette andbegan to stow away the bottles Roronoa had brought.
The green-haired himself stood next to the bar, slightly insecure.
„What..." he began, when a small, golden object came flying his way. Instinctively he caught the lighter with one hand.
„There are candles on the tables. Do something useful and light them" came the harsh command. „But I dare you, don't lose that lighter, I want it back."
Shrugging and slightly annoyed by the blondes rudeness, he began his work.
He had just reached the last niche at the rear end of the room, when the sound of heavy footsteps echoed on the stairway. Hidden in the corner he inspected the two large men who at that moment entered the club.
The first was by any stretch of truth a flashy personage.
Blonde, lanky and dressed in a monstrosity of a coat that seemingly consisted of thousans of pink feathers. Concerning his other clothes he hadn't been sparse with painfully flashy colors either.
Following him was an impressive, muscular man in a suit ,whose one Hand was decorated with heavy rings, the other replaced by a massive golden hook.
His black, shoulderlength hair was strictly combed back, revealing a clear-cut face marred by a scar from one side of his face to the other.
„Sanji." The deep purring voice of the blonde stranger had a soft, mocking cadence that made Roronoa shiver.
„It's been a looong time..."
Roronoa looked at Sanji and was startled by the expression of surpressed loathing in the light-colored eyes.
„Doflamingo-dono, Crocodile-dono, Madam gave me instructions to lead you to her office right at your arrival."
The words were polite, but even in the twilight his strain was obvious.
„Fufu... How cold of you,Sanji..."
The barkeeper stepped into the room and indicated the way to the corridor. „If you would follow me, this way please.
With a quiet, rough laugh, the stranger complied with the request and his companion followed.
Confused Roronoa watched them dissapear.
To be continued...
