Another semi-upbeat chapter that includes another favorite character of mine. Hope you all enjoy! R/R please :)
I do not own One Piece - that is property of Eiichiro Oda
Chapter 8: The Tough Call
Even though Andy could have had her own room within Shell Base for the short duration she would be there, she preferred her little peaceful hospital room. Seeing the wall where her grandfather had burst through patched up with mismatched boards was amusing and prompted unusual questions from the Marines who had not had the fortune to meet Garp. The days had passed peacefully until today when the door opened without so much as a knock when Akainu walked in with a small bag.
"Get your stuff ready. I have a mission so someone else is taking you to Rogue Town to be trained. Maybe afterwards if you progress well, I might train you too." Her eyes widened with interest as she took her bag and inspected it. "Also do call your brother. Your damn snail keeps beeping."
An eyebrow raise later and she stood up suddenly. "Were you snooping in my room? How else could you hear my baby Den Den Mushi?"
"I wasn't snooping girl. I have to prepare the cabin as I have to escort a noble." She pulled a grim face and he nodded his agreement. "Exactly and I thought it would be nice if I made sure your items were out of there. Who knows what one of them would do if they found… certain items."
She gave a small laugh as her baby Den Den Mushi started ringing while sitting in her hands. She motioned towards it quietly. "May I?"
The Admiral sat down on a chair in the room and nodded his consent.
*Click* "Hello?"
"Hey Ace. Good to hear my favorite twin!" she answered happily. Despite her fears, it still did feel nice to hear brother's voice.
"I'm your only twin smartass," he retorted with annoyance. There was a lot of commotion in the background and he had to shout to be heard. "So I heard you left that little village?"
Andy was about to nod until she realized he could not see it. She bit her lip and sighed as she stood up to start pacing. How will he take the news? "Yeah I left but enough about me and my dull life. How goes the Whitebeard Pirates?"
Loud laughter in the background and scuffling was heard as an unfamiliar voice spoke, "Ummm are you hot?" Akainu snorted at the pathetic attempt and Andy's eye twitched in irritation.
"Only because I'm standing next to a heater," she deadpanned as she glanced towards Akainu who merely shrugged back. "Anyway Ace, I'd appreciate you not calling me when your crewmates are drunk off their asses. Bye." *Click* Sighing, she looked at the Admiral. "I couldn't tell him. I really didn't even care about his crewmates being there but…"
"He'll find out eventually. You both are the children of Gol D. Roger after all. He should have expected something like this would happen."
Putting the snail carefully in her bag, she walked to the door and with Akainu rising from the chair, they both walked towards the dock. "So, who am I traveling with?"
"Ooooooo. I didn't think your new apprentice had such an interesting history. Ah Sakazuki, you've got to keep me better informed that this. Sengoku didn't mention this would be so… exciting!" Andy had almost collided with the tall man dressed in a yellow suit. The glasses glinted off the sun favorably letting him better inspect her. Noticing her amused look, he bent down slightly to shake her hand. "I'm Admiral Kizaru but you may call me Borsalino," he winked at her with Akainu looking on in annoyance.
"All you got to do is escort her to Rogue Town. No flirting is required. And if she does have the potential Sengoku believes she has, she may be a special agent for all of us Admirals." Akainu muttered in irritation as Andy walked over to Kizaru and he placed his hand on her shoulder in a friendly manner.
Andy looked at the friendly Admiral with curiosity. "Do they know about the deal?" Both Admirals nodded as they started walking towards, or in Andy's cause, being steered towards the boat that was departing for Rogue Town.
"Ahh… If she's an agent for us and we're to be her handlers, we definitely have to train her well. Oooo this will be so exciting," the relaxed Admiral exclaimed. "Anyway, time to go! Anyone to say your goodbyes to Andy-chan?"
The brunette was a little surprised how chipper this man was but had heard enough from Garp to be wary. She had heard about the amicable personality but also, his slightly cruel side. "Well Gramps left not that long ago but…" she glanced towards Akainu. Should I give him a goodbye? "I guess I owe someone a goodbye."
Kizaru nodded and pointed towards the ship. "Five minutes then we're on our way." He turned from the two and walked onto the small ship when he paused and looked back with a huge grin. "Not too much time for something overly romantic."
Akainu stiffened uncomfortably while Andrea blushed and looked away from both men. The laughter continued for a few seconds until Andy walked with Akainu a little bit away from the dock. Glancing at her, he looked still unsure how to say something as Kizaru's words made him not sure how to say anything without it sounding slightly flirty. Damn him. She is… agreeable on the eyes but I would not consider such things with her. She still is HIS daughter. "Andy-san, if your training is well, you will get to travel a bit and receive the more tedious but less dangerous mission the Admirals sometimes receive such as spying on certain situations we cannot trust others with. Nonetheless, remember now you don't just represent yourself but the Admirals so we expect results."
She nodded and had a small smile on her face. "I'll try to minimize the collateral damage then if it's on the Marines." The atmosphere had lost the tense air form earlier between the two but he still was shocked when she held her hand out to him. "I'm still pissed at you for threatening me and the village but…" she bit her lip while trying to think of how to explain. "Thanks for giving me a wake-up call. Thanks for looking out for me on the boat even though you didn't have to and thanks for not saying anything to Ace during that call. You could have turned him against me with a simple word but…"
A rare genuine smile crossed his face as he shook her hand. "I'm only a heater after all," he deadpanned as she laughed. She had almost forgotten that she had referred to the Admiral in such a way. "Maybe only for you I'll be a heater."
Andy's hand felt warm but nowhere near the heat that her face held. For me? Whaaa? "Ummm," Akainu's face froze as he realized exactly what he said but before he could correct himself, she approached even closer and realized how much warmer it was near him. Looking up at the slightly taller man, she grinned and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll make myself worth it then. Got to work hard to be worthy of having an Admiral as my heater." She winked at him as she turned towards the dock before glancing back at him. "I'm still pissed at you but… I won't kill you even if I get the chance because as much as it hurts to admit it," she clenched at her heart for a moment to let the sudden vertigo pass. She also brushed her right hand past the scarf that she had hidden her gun under and the motion relaxed her. "You saw me in one of my worst moments when I didn't have family there to help me so I'm grateful to you Akainu-san. I'll make sure the world knows that Marines have their reasons and to get rid of shit Marines like that Morgan. Anyway, I think the time is almost up and I don't want to take away from your important escort mission."
He nodded in approval as he walked towards her and together, they walked back to the docks and ultimately, an Admiral Kizaru who looked altogether, overly pleased at what transpired. Akainu was distracted however; he could still feel where she had pecked him on the cheek and although loathe to admit it, it did feel nice.
