A/N: I loved that 'gravity' manga. I lived for Shuichi and Eiri Yuki XD They were my first real romance. (sighs happily) Keep in mind that the Strawhats are still high school and babies still standing on their own – not up to speed or strength in this world just yet!
Jeminaks: :D There's going to be a lot of that happening, I assure you
CrimsonFox19: :D lol!
Guest#1: lol yeah, there's going to be a lot of that – Zeff's man sensing senses are rather keen…but not keen enough
Penumbra: I'm glad it did! The accomplices in the situation will be further dragged down into the road of confusion. Doffy and Cora are practically the devil and angel on your shoulder :D
Guest#2: Read on for more Strawhat/Pirate interaction :D As for Cora and Doffy, they try very hard to be an influence on somebody haha
Showihd1: lol he is definitely taking his time – and such other things will be coming soon enough, omggggggg….*blushes*
Chapter Nine:
Tell 'Em A Hookah Smoking Caterpillar…
Later that morning, Nami pulled Zoro after her as they entered the coffee shop. Once he caught sight of her after serving coffee to a lone customer, Shachi tried throwing the tray at her, but Zoro quickly dispatched of it with his sword as she ducked behind him.
"That was so cool!" Penguin laughed, clapping his hands merrily as the halved pieces of the tray sailed into some tables with a loud clatter of sound.
"What the hell?" Zoro questioned as Nami stuck her tongue out at the redhead, who growled with frustration.
"Pay them no mind, they're just assholes," she said cheerily, flicking her hair from her face as she looked around. Then she frowned. "Where's the hottie?"
"Ugh, evil girl, he's not in, today. He said it's a serious case of epididymal hypertension, and might die, soon," Shachi said impatiently. "Those are big words, so it's probably just a headache, or something."
Penguin tried not to choke, but he ended up laughing uproariously. "Did he really say that to you?"
"Yeah. Why? What is it?"
"Look it up, bro. I can't believe he said that to you."
Shachi sat down on a stool, sounding out the words slowly as he pulled up his phone's search engine. Penguin looked at the teens. "Anyway, what do you want? We're really busy, today."
Zoro looked around, noting that there was only one person using her laptop, and she was sipping on some tea that Shachi had just served her. He looked back at the two, noting the yellow overalls, with one wearing a beanie with a brim and ear wings pulled practically over his eyes, the other wearing a newsboy cap with polarized sunglasses on. They were averaged sized, lean, but they carried themselves with such light action that he had no doubt they were trained in some sort of martial arts. With how baggy their clothing was, he guessed that they were packing heat of some kind. When he first saw them, they followed Law around like confident puppies, each of them eager to get a word in and looking up at the guy like he was some sort of deity.
He wasn't impressed.
"I just wanted to brag about our exploits," Nami said, leaning on the counter, trying to peer up at Penguin's face, but he blocked her inquisitive hands with a practiced swat. "I'm sure you've heard, by now, what the guys did to Arlong."
"We did. And you all are stupid. What a way to put all of you in danger," Penguin said sternly, hands on his hips. "Especially Zeff. You're not going to feel so happy about it when something happens to him."
"The other day, that surly jerk said something to Sanji. He said something really weird. I wanted to know what he meant."
Penguin slapped Zoro's hand when the teen reached out to investigate the candy jar. Zoro gave him a shocked look, then glowered. "If Sanji-kun hasn't said anything to you about it, yet, then that means he's not ready to talk about it."
"Really?" Shachi screeched, looking at his phone. "I can't believe he said that to me!"
"And you're putting it on blast to everyone here!" Penguin guffawed.
"How? I have not seen that dude macking on anybody coming through here!"
"You're a dumb ass!"
"I'm so embarrassed!"
"You should be!"
Nami growled, leaning over the counter to regain their attention as they shoved at each other, laughing. "Will you stop touching each other and pay attention? What was this about not involving Zeff? You all made it sound like it was a huge thing!"
"Evil girl, like Penguin said, if Sanji hasn't said anything, then we can't say anything," Shachi said with a sneer. "You and your little green friend can go jump off a building."
"I know Sanji babe has been asking about what syndicates are and everything, but it sounds like there's something else to the story. And I hate to admit it, but Sanji's been kind of secretive, lately," Nami confessed, leaning against the counter. "And with the current events, he can't hang out with us, anymore. Texting and Facetiming has done nothing for me, he keeps changing the subject. So I wanted to talk to the other guy."
"Trust me, he's not interested in talking to you," Shachi told her.
"You guys are real jerks," Zoro said. "We're here because our friend has been keeping things from us, and for some reason, he can't spill it. He's been hanging out around here a lot."
"We can't do anything about it," they said in unison. "We just don't care."
Are they twins? Zoro wondered, frowning at them.
Nami growled, pulling herself up and over the counter, sitting at the edge while pulling out her phone. Shachi used a broom to push her back, and Zoro caught her quickly – relying on him, Nami sat up and showed them a picture she'd taken the other day.
It was of Zeff talking to a pair of men that Penguin and Shachi recognized, cringing. Nami caught the action, pointing at them. "Who is this? And why'd it look like I stumbled onto something I wasn't supposed to see?"
"That's freaking Crocodile and Daz Bones, his number one henchman. They're part of the west side of the city! When did you take this?"
"Yesterday. My family and I were out shopping on that side of the city, and I was going to say 'hi' to Zeff, but Bellemere told me not to. My mother isn't easily rattled, but once she saw this, she hustled us away! Now that we're getting more information on the syndicate world, I found it important that I know as much as I can about everyone involved!" she said, pulling her phone back, proud of herself for capturing such a moment. "As the group of us have taken down Arlong, I understand that we did something groundbreaking to the world. It's now up to me to find out if we should involve ourselves with other sellers. Therefore, I demand to talk to your boss. He seems to know more than you do, plus, I miss his gorgeous face."
"Down, girl. He's very sensitive about his looks. It makes him self conscious when people are looking at him."
"Hah!" Nami laughed. "The only reason why you're having such a slow day is because he isn't here. I guarantee you, as soon as he shows up, this place will be packed in no time!"
Shachi and Penguin huffed. "We're good looking guys, ourselves! We can do twice his appearance!"
"Not when your faces are covered, all the time! Now, I'm open to negotiation," she said, slipping away from Zoro's arms. She pointed at him. "My friend here is a master of swordwork. He has three swords, see?"
"Yeah, so what? Swords don't scare us," Penguin snorted. "And you kids are millions of years below us. Shachi's ranked 98. I'm ranked 97. None of your names are on the board."
Shachi looked at him. "Why are you ranked higher than me?"
"Probably alphabetical order. We're actually a tie, but they can't count ties."
Shachi leaned over the register with a suffering sigh. "I'll never get my promotion. I'm ready, promotion, I'm ready, promotion…"
"There are no promotions! And stop singing that damn song!" With a huff, Penguin looked at Nami once more. "So?"
"So my friend has three swords. Do you want to challenge him to an all out battle? You can raise your rank," she said, wiggling her eyebrows.
"It's not official if he's not even recognized," Penguin muttered, looking Zoro over with a scoffing expression. The teen was Sanji's height, but a little more muscular in the upper torso. He seemed like a skinny scamp. His tanned, scarred hands looked confident placed over the three handles of his swords. "It'll just be us picking on some tiny little kid."
"I'm five ten, and you guys look an inch taller than me," Zoro said with a snort. "Maybe ten pounds heavier. It's not that big of a difference."
"Really?" Nami asked, looking at him with a start. "You're just half an inch taller than Sanji babe?"
"On a good day, for him."
"Please, we're eye level to senpai, and technique's more important than muscle strength," Shachi scoffed.
"You guys barely reach his shoulder with your hats!" Nami pointed out. "You're shrimp compared to that hottie!"
"They don't look very sharp, anyway," Zoro said, looking at Nami impatiently. "I'm pretty good at judging a fighter's worth, and these two are not even worth a sweat."
"Hey! Coming from you, kid, that's rather insulting! I'll have you know, we're awesome at taking out tons of guys at once!"
"Pft. I bet I can beat you both at arm wrestling."
"Let's go," Penguin said, rolling up his overall sleeves, Shachi and Nami looking on with interested expressions.
"Look at that weak little arm," Shachi scoffed. "Make light work out of him, yo. And do it quick. I suspect senpai might sneak up on us, again."
Zoro removed his jacket, the woman in the table nearby watching with interest. Nami stood off to the side, waving a couple of napkins around like pom-poms. With a light grin, Zoro rolled up his long sleeves while Penguin stretched out his fingers, cracked his knuckles. When they lined up elbows, Penguin's lips pulled into a concentrative sneer, and Zoro displayed an interested grin. They clasped hands and prepared themselves, Nami placing her fingers between her lips and whistling. Once they started, arms straining, she began cheering for Zoro. Shachi stood at Penguin's back and snarled at him, ushering him to win. The woman at the table left it and walked over for a better look, giggling.
"He's…pretty…strong!" Penguin admitted, grunting as their arms flexed.
"You're…strong…too!" Zoro said, gritting his teeth.
But suddenly Penguin smirked, twisted his hand and slammed Zoro's arm onto the counter with a loud bang.
"Cheater!" Nami howled.
"Nah, fair and square!" Shachi yelled back, arms raised. "We win!"
"Best two out of three!" Zoro snapped, arm up again. "You think you can twink my wrist again? I'm ready for it."
"Technique over strength!" Penguin snapped, both of them resetting themselves. Once they were engaged in strength again, Zoro held his wrist firmly, waiting for the other man to make his move. Shachi and Nami cheered behind them, the woman joining in, and Zoro growled as his strength slowly started to overcome Penguin's. Penguin grimaced and grunted, arm straining until Zoro twisted his wrist and slammed it to the counter. Nami cheered loudly.
"Last one!" Shachi cried. "You lose to this kid, bro, I'm never going to let you live this down!"
"Make that creep pay, Zoro! He doubts your manhood!" Nami shouted, waving her napkins around.
"Not this time, kid!" Penguin said, resetting himself as Zoro grinned, anticipating a hard fight.
Once both of them had each other's arm at a standstill, both of them grunting and straining to hold their position, Nami peering over Zoro's shoulder and shouting at him, Shachi doing the same to Penguin. The woman cheered for them over the display case, all of them focused on the action in front of them.
So no one saw Law walk in from the front, catching sight of the commotion at the counter. He walked up behind Nami and the woman and watched as Penguin and Zoro battled it out, each slowly overtaking the other and managing to turn the tide inches from domination. He sat down at the end of counter, behind the coffee dispenser, and opened up his textbook, a different book smuggled inside, and read the newest How-To manual he'd picked up from the bookstore minutes earlier.
Then he looked at his watch, watching as a few customers ambled in, looking interested in the commotion at the counter. The crowd gathered, watching the match, and he looked at his book again, interested in the fine print.
"You lose this, you're not being paid for two weeks," he then said, causing the main four participants to startle, and somehow Penguin found enough strength to slam Zoro's hand into the counter with a roar of effort.
Shachi cheered, Nami and the unknown woman booing.
"How could you possibly nearly lose to a kid like that one?" Law asked, not looking up from his book.
"When did you come in?" Shachi screeched, hastily taking orders, shooing Zoro and Nami away from the counter as the line started to form. Penguin held his arm, panting, and Zoro frowned, holding his. Both of them growled at each other.
"A few minutes ago. Even if he's a strong kid, that doesn't give you an excuse to lose, at your age. I suggest you do a few extra sets with strength training every two nights."
"Senpai, you're such a jerk."
"Hi," Nami said, appearing seconds later behind him, hugging his neck from behind and causing him to shrug her off. She repositioned herself with a wide grin, her phone out. Zoro stood nearby with a pout, trying to cross his arms, but the one he'd used was worn with effort. "Long time no see. Did you hear what we did? I'm sure you did."
"Is this truly an accomplishment when certain men lose their lives because you're a pathetic weakling who can't handle her own battle?"
"It's too bad you have no idea what friends are for, considering you don't have any!"
"Senpai! You ass! How dare you use big words with me when describing your personal issues?" Shachi then snarled at him, starting a couple of cups while Penguin hastened off to take orders from the other end of the counter. There were more people coming in, and Zoro watched them all, frowning because Nami had been right. He looked at the man again – there was nothing impressive about him. He didn't even have his sword, and that was all Zoro had come for.
The man was pretty tall, well over six feet, muscular with long legs, an animal print hat, and his overalls were more fitted than the other two, which made Zoro sure that the others were packing. He had a patch of bandages wrapped over one hand, bruising visible just at the wrist, and seemed a little on-edge. While his looks weren't that important to Zoro, Zoro could tell from Nami's uncharacteristic fawning that just the sight of him had women falling all over him. Nami never tried that hard for Sanji, and it was insulting to Zoro because Sanji was always doing so much for her. So he looked on with disapproval.
But what made the situation a little interesting was that this man had Sanji's ring on one pinky, and Zoro would recognize that anywhere. He thought it was a little weird for that.
"Anywho, I came to ask you about Sanji," she said, leaning on the counter with one hip. She was taking hand measurement of his feet, and looking delighted doing so. He wiggled his feet to dislodge her fingers from his shoe. "You were snapping at him for putting Zeff into an uncomfortable position. Sanji's said nothing about that – what's happening with our friend?"
"Is he still alive?" Law asked lazily, turning a page. "Shachi. I need a highlighter."
He caught it as Shachi threw one at his head, and he uncapped it and highlighted the passage he found interesting as he waited for Nami to answer. "You throw like a girl, Shachi."
"Go die, asshole."
"Yes, he's still alive," Nami retorted, annoyed. "You made it sound as if Zeff has a bigger role than we thought in the scheme of things. Like he's involved with the syndicates around here, and, actually, when you said Sanji was stepping in on Zeff's behalf as his grandson, what did that mean?"
"It's not our place to tell you his business."
"You can say that all you want, but does any of it have anything to do with this?" Nami asked, showing him the picture she'd taken of Crocodile and Daz Bones. His eyebrows lifted with interest.
"When was this?" he asked, looking back at his book and highlighting another section.
"Yesterday."
"After?"
"Yep."
"Hey, Penguin, when was the last time Crocodile visited with Zeff?" Law asked curiously, highlighting another section. Nami looked over to see what it was, until he tilted the book up. She wanted to know why he was hiding one book within another, like how Ussop did in class with his comics.
"Over a year ago. After that truce," Penguin said.
"You guys did it, now," Law murmured, looking back at his book, turning a page. "Crocodile was rumored to be one of the first to create the White Rabbit, and if he's visiting Zeff, he's pissed because Arlong was one of his subordinates. That man is easy to piss off if he feels anyone is insulting him."
"So what is Zeff?" Zoro asked, drawn into the conversation. "And how the hell can you guys carry such a loaded conversation in a public place like this?"
"No one's listening. They never do. And Zeff is Sanji's grandfather, I thought you knew that."
"That's not what I meant."
"You guys grew up together, right?" Nami asked Law, leaning over to press a hand over the book he was reading to make him look up. "Was Zeff involved with the Donquixote brothers? Is that why you guys know each other so well?"
"No."
"Then why react so strongly to Sanji?" she pressed. "Did we do something to put him in danger?"
"Yes."
"Then why? What's the story?"
"Ask him."
"He won't say!"
"He only recently found out, he's probably still processing it," Law said, closing up his books. "Now, get out of my way. I'm trying to study."
Nami looked at the textbook cover with a low whistle. "Diseases of the world, huh? Are you planning on being a doctor? That's so hot."
"Should we be concerned about him, then?" Zoro asked. "From what I'm getting, Zeff's position is now being questioned because of us."
"On the nose."
"Then that means Zeff has a bigger position than any of us ever knew, and if he just told Sanji about it, then that's because of this thing with Arlong. He always complained he didn't know what was happening out there, and now that he's finding out from other people what this world is about, I knew he'd start digging deeper into things. If he found out about Zeff, then he's not going to talk to us until he has it figured out. Let's go, Nami. There's nothing we can do."
"I like this kid, he figured it out on his own. Now, scat. Shachi and Penguin are trying to work."
"You could help out, too!" they yelled at him.
"I just got here. I need to settle in, first. Besides," he added, plucking his phone from his pocket, "I am having a crisis and I need to get it out of the way before I do anything else. I might create a workplace hazard with my distraction."
"What sort of crisis?" Nami asked, leaning in to look at his phone, which he covered up with a scowl.
"Have you seen Sanji, today, by the way?" Law asked her curiously, scrolling through his phone.
"No. He's been at work since Zeff left, this morning. Why?"
"No reason," he answered, smirking slightly as he pulled away from the stool, carrying his books with him. Moments later, they were packs of napkins that he used to refill napkin dispensers at the tables, leaving the other two to carry out orders.
"Are we done? We're not getting anything else out of that ass," Zoro complained. "And if that's all true, I'd like to go to the restaurant. I'm sure we'd get more answers there."
"I suppose," Nami said with a sigh, angling her phone camera after the man. "He's so delicious."
"I'm sure Sanji would appreciate you oogling his friend like that."
"Oh, please, he gets all knock kneed about Viola, Robin and Perona, sometimes. When I finally find a piece of man meat to admire, I'm going to take my chance. What's the difference in that?"
Zoro grumbled because she was right. Nami took her picture, and they left the coffee shop, catching an Uber to the restaurant.
"Crocodile has a very short fuse," Penguin said with worry. "I wonder if Zeff talked it out with him."
"He could have. With those brats conquering Arlong, he might take it wrong with Sanji's involvement. If he's still alive today, then he must've reached some sort of compromise," Law said, ignoring the playful banter of a couple of women at a table he'd just passed. "I have another assignment for us."
"Thank god, this place has been super slow all day!" Then Shachi scowled, looking over the filling tables. "Until you came in!"
Law shrugged, pulling his hat down low.
"What was your crisis, by the way?" Penguin asked curiously. "And where's Bepo?"
"Bepo is on a super secret mission. Deep undercover."
"Why don't you ever send us on super secret missions?"
"Because you nearly lost an arm wrestling contest to a high school kid, and I fear for your safety as one of my friends."
"Shut up, jerk! Damn you! There's a reason this kid was part of a group that took out Arlong! He had some strength in him!"
"You can't use a Shake-it weight all your life and think that'll do."
"What was your damn crisis?" Shachi asked impatiently.
"Remember when we spoke about yards?"
"Yes. Are you really looking at houses, though?"
"I'm considering buying one, but the realty agent is having trouble with finding value in selling the property to a first time buyer. I'm a very unreliable person, with commitment issues and a bad credit report due to overuse of experimentation in things that weren't of value now, but I'm interested in a long term venture, or even a rental program in which I have the option of returning the house in exchange for something similar in value."
"You never talked about settling down, before, especially out here. What changed?"
"I realized I was looking in the wrong market."
"It's about time, but I thought you were dead set on returning to the other place because of your hot college professor?"
"I might switch teams for awhile."
Shachi dumped his latte, Penguin fumbling with a couple of hot chocolate mugs, much to the customers' dismay.
"Don't say dangerous things!" they yelled at him.
"I knew it. That gravity manga you were reading gave you weird ideas!"
"It was only a matter of time! You sick freak. How can you just decide, just like that, to switch teams?"
"I have a good reason. Right now, I'm researching how-to with a potential partner, and I'm quite excited about it, but I need to wait for his consent. That was my crisis."
Penguin practically wept over his completed beverages. "You say things with a straight face and a matter of fact manner, and it doesn't even bother you that such things are pretty humongous amongst us friends."
"Why?" Law asked curiously. "Would it bother you two if I ventured into another field?"
"It's just weird! After playing in the same field for so long, now you want to change it up and play pitcher for the same team?"
"Or catcher. It doesn't matter."
They both dropped their beverages, hot liquid splashing everywhere.
"At this time, I'm willing to wait for the right opportunity. It might be a long wait. Therefore, I was curious about the house."
Shachi propped himself up against the counter, Penguin sitting on the floor with a lowered head. Now they were really confused because it seemed as if he were truly thinking of buying a house, and not using it as metaphor. Their customers just stared at them with bewilderment, unsure if they were going to receive their drinks at all. Law stepped in and started remaking the drinks with casual action, not at all disturbed by their behavior. He thought they were taking it rather well.
"Should we be worried about anything that might be illegal in this?"
"At this time, yes, it's considered illegal. I'm trying to stay on the line of righteousness."
"Your conscious comes in at the weirdest times, but I'm proud of you for your restraint," Shachi muttered, flicking pieces of a broken cup on the floor with the toe of his shoe.
"But I'm losing the battle, to be honest."
"Then be strong!" they shouted at him.
"Have we, uh, have we met...this person?" Penguin then asked curiously, pulling himself back to standing. He instantly began looking for the man that had been giving Law doe-eyes for weeks.
"Yes. But I'm not willing to say who until we clarify a few things. Like I said, it's going to be a long wait. It won't happen over night. I can be patient, though."
Shachi held onto his hat for a very long time. Then it was his turn to sink to the floor, curling up into a fetal position, rocking himself. He knew who it was. He knew who it was.
"You're just a weirdo, senpai," Penguin muttered, shaking his head. "Why even tell us this, anyway?"
"Because if it happens, I tend to hold onto things I like for a very long time. So you might as well get used to the idea."
Penguin believed him, because Law had that hat of his since he was a kid. And he and Shachi were still following after him, even after all the abuse and trauma they received at his hands. Bepo had been with Law for well over five years. He believed him, so it must have taken a very extraordinary person to turn his elder to bat for his own team.
"Well, okay, if that's what you want. But we better all get along, because it would suck if you allowed a Yoko Ono on us. Shachi, get up, bro! You're in my way!"
"Thanks, Penguin," Law said, reaching out and patting the top of his head. "I knew you'd be understanding. You were always the first to recognize my deviant behavior and ignore it for the long term benefits."
"I'm just here for the promotion, really."
"There are no promotions. We're equals, here."
"Sometimes you're a cool guy, senpai. Equal!" he then stressed to Shachi, who just held himself even tighter.
At the restaurant, Nami and Zoro caught sight of their friend serving large tables, and patiently waited to be seated in his section. Once he saw them, he looked at them cheerfully, veering in their direction. Dressed in a side button white shirt, black tie, long black apron and slacks, he moved with a slight limp but he looked in high spirits. Zoro crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair while Nami gave him a half lit smile, used to the attention that he then tossed onto her with special sparkling water and some light snacks, giving Zoro a cup of water after.
Zoro frowned at both of them, but he looked at Sanji impatiently. He noticed that his friend had some dark circles under his eyes, suggesting a lack of sleep. "We got the gist of things from the other guy," he said. "She made me go with her."
"From who? What?" Sanji asked curiously. "Asked what who?"
"Sanji bae, I followed up with Law about that thing he was saying about Zeff, on Friday," Nami said.
"I was going to talk to you guys about it, but, well, other things came up, so, I just haven't gotten to it, yet," Sanji said, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck as he looked away from them with a guilty expression. Nami tilted her head with a suspicious frown, then reached up, jabbing at his neck.
"What are these?" she asked sharply. "These don't look like injuries. They look like hickies, again!"
"Nami, Kuroobi has hair that he used as a whip, he used it on me a few times," Sanji said hastily, sweating, and Zoro watched him with surprise, knowing that he was lying. Again.
"Sometimes I wonder, Sanji. You hide your phone from me, now. In the space of time that you do have available, you're not around," Nami said, with just a trace of frustration. She held onto her phone with both hands and tried not to react abnormally, but in the midst of the chaos, she was feeling things she hadn't yet voiced. "Your behavior changed since we had sex the other night."
"Oh my god," Zoro muttered.
"It has! It has, it absolutely has! Was that all you were trying to get from me?" Nami asked Sanji, much to the curiosity of customers around them. "You're just going to take what you want and run off with someone else?"
"Let's talk about that later," Sanji muttered, looking guilty. "Do you guys really need a menu? Or do you trust me to make a decision for you?"
Nami waved him off, and Zoro nodded, Sanji hurriedly slinking away. Zoro looked at Nami with a frown.
"I didn't give him those," Nami said with a frown. "We haven't done anything since that night. He hasn't been treating me, the same! He's going to someone else."
"Does it matter?" Zoro asked, embarrassed about the subject. "Look, I didn't come with you today to witness this bullshit, we were asking about other things."
"I know," she grumbled, leaning on the table with an elbow. "Like, it doesn't matter to me if he's seeing someone else, but it matters that he changed after we did this, so, it's like – I feel hurt and insulted."
"I guess it's okay if you feel that way. But I don't feel sympathy for either of you. You treat him like shit, and it's unfair of him to keep treating you like his one and only when he's obviously messing around with someone else."
"Who do you think, Zoro?" she asked curiously, leaning on the table. "Anybody from school?"
"No. I don't know. He's always with me at school. If it's not with me, it's with you. Or Luffy or Ussop. We all talk to the same people. So if he is, it's someone away from school."
"Somebody from the coffee shop? He's always there! Maybe he met someone else in there!"
"I don't know, and I don't care. That's not important, right now."
"Now, I'm curious. Is she better looking than me? Is she older? Maybe one of his followers from Instagram," she muttered, drawing out her phone and finding the app. "I'm going to stalk each and every one of these chicks and send them a DM."
Zoro sighed heavily, wiping his hands over his eyes with annoyance. When he looked through them, he saw that Zeff and a couple of other cooks were leaving the back in everyday suits. He looked pretty intense, and Zoro noted that some of the other patrons in the restaurant saw the same thing.
By the time Sanji came back with their meals, Zoro forgot all bout that. He looked down at the medium rare steak with finely sliced vegetables over wild rice. Nami's was a soup with a decedent salad, and she clapped her hands with approval, before taking a photo of their plates and posting to her various media sites.
"This looks so good!" she exclaimed. "How long do you work, today?"
"All day," Sanji muttered dejectedly. "I'm going to be here every weekend, Nami. Every evening, until he lets up. I'm just happy he gave me my phone, back."
"That sucks," Nami then said, frowning up at him while Zoro cut and tore into his food with a look of cheer. "What sucks even more is that you're still able to go out and get that done to your neck when you can't even make time to see us."
"I apologize, I really do, but really, I knew what the consequences were going to be when I walked up with you guys that day," Sanji said with a tired sigh. "I knew he'd tighten the leash. I'm just glad I get to see you guys for this much. It's been a busy day, and it just started."
"So, yesterday, when Bellemere took me and sis out to go shopping, I got this," Nami said, showing him the photo on the phone.
Sanji shrugged. "I don't know who that is."
"You don't? Law did. He said – "
"Why did you go see him, anyway?" Sanji asked with a frown.
"Because you're not telling us anything!"
"I just found out, Nami, sweetie, I don't know how to deal with it, myself. Once I do, I'll talk to you guys about it, but it's been really busy, lately, I'm sorry," Sanji apologized before hurrying off to tend to another table.
"You're real classy," Zoro told Nami with a mouthful. "Way to start shit."
"Zoro, if you ever find yourself in this predicament, talk to me then. But for now, don't judge until you've taken a mile in my shoes," Nami said to him, picking at her salad, first. "I'll be honest, like I said before, I felt a little hurt because he changed. At the same time, I'm intrigued, because it looks like he's giving his attention elsewhere, when I've had it all this time. So I want to know who it is that's better than me, or who's giving him what I'm not."
"Same thing."
"In the meantime, it looks like we've been foiled. This time. I could go and ask Zeff, but I haven't seen him, yet."
"He left awhile ago. With some guys"
"Damn." Nami pulled up her phone. "What do we know about this Crocodile guy?"
"Just that he's an extra creepy Captain Hook."
"Who's his Peter Pan, then?"
Zoro made a shrug and a face at the same time, cleaning off his plate.
Nami studied the picture for a few moments, then texted quickly. "I'll ask someone else about it. I think if there's a bigger picture happening beyond our eyes, Zoro, we need to know as much as possible. What if we'd really endangered Zeff and Sanji? Whatever Zeff is, and he just now told him about it – wait."
She gasped, slapping her phone down on the table, causing Zoro to choke on the last of his water. "Arlong had mentioned he was interested in taking down a Top Rung! What if it were Zeff he were talking about? I wonder if Zeff's position is so big that that's why Law was freaking out on Sanji the other day, before we rolled up to Arlong's property. If that's so, and he just now told babe about it, then that's probably what Sanji is still dealing with."
"Like Zeff is part of the syndicates?"
"Exactly!"
"That's kinda cool."
"No, it's not! All this time – Zoro! What if this restaurant is just a cover, and they're actually serving crime families!" Nami gasped, looking around herself.
Zoro looked about, then scoffed. "Don't let that imagination get out of hand, witch. "They're all normal people, here."
"Sanji!" Nami then shouted, waving her arm to catch his attention. With his hands full, Sanji was quick to respond to their direction, veering over with a careful whirl. "We figured it out! Zeff is head of his own syndicate, isn't he? Arlong was talking about taking him out, I just guessed it!"
Sanji shrugged, looking awkward. "All I know, to be honest, is that he does hold a delicate position in that world. And because of our actions, he's in danger of retaliation. I don't know all the details. Yes, and that's part of the reason why I have to stick close to him."
"So, what is Law and his ragtag group about?" Nami asked curiously. "They know about Zeff, so, what's their position? I know it has to do with White Rabbit experimentation, but what else do they do? Are they associated with Doflamingo and Corazon?"
"No. I'm not sure what he does."
"Does Zeff know what he does?"
"Let's just say they don't get along, either," Sanji said with a sigh, walking off.
"Curiouser, and curiouser," Nami murmured. "Are they opposition, then? If he's not associated with the Donquixote family, then what is he?"
"I'm getting a headache," Zoro complained.
"To be honest, I had no idea it'd blow up this way," Nami said, leaning chin on palm, elbow to table as she drummed her fingers along the plate, creating a clacking noise that grate on Zoro's nerves. "If we'd known these ties a lot sooner, I'm sure I would've gone about the drug running thing a lot differently. I had no idea we'd be stepping on so many feet at once."
"Me, either, but I think it's not up to us to handle the situation," Zoro said, leaning back in his chair. "I think that once Sanji figures it out for himself where he stands in all this, then we should step back and see what happens."
"But what if something happens that we could've stepped in to stop? What if he's targeted because of us?" Nami asked fearfully.
"I don't think Zeff would allow anything to happen to him. If he's keeping him close to him, then I think he'll be okay. I've never seen anybody step up to the old man. He might not look it, but he's an intimidating guy."
"He's a little rough, but could he be, at his age, against guys like this one?" Nami asked, looking at Crocodile and his subordinate with worry. "This guy looks really mean. And crafty. But look at all that jewelry he's wearing…mmm, I bet he's loaded!"
"Once again, I think we should let them figure it out, and if Sanji wants us involved, he'll involve us. Right now, he doesn't even know what's going."
"I want to find out who he's seeing on the side," Nami muttered, frowning. "Is she prettier than me? Older?"
"Hey," Zoro called out, seeing Sanji emerge back onto the dining floor once more, coming their way with a pitcher of water. "I'll text you later."
"Okay, but Zeff has my phone, right now. I don't know where he is, so I don't know if I'd be able to respond any time soon," Sanji confessed, pouring water into his cup.
"Oh, well, I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow, then."
"I'll be home late tonight, though."
"I'm always asleep by nine-thirty."
"You're such an old man," Sanji snickered.
"Whenever you get the chance, text me," Nami said, money on the table. Zoro scowled at her, because it looked like he'd be paying for a majority of it. He grumbled as he pulled out his wallet and laid out a few twenties. Sanji threw their money back at them, insulted as he picked up their plates.
"I'll see you guys later!" he said, Nami snatching the money hastily and running out before Zoro knew what happened. Then he chased after her with an angry yell.
Once outside, something caught his eye. When he looked, he realized he was seeing the polar bear from the other day sitting patiently against the back of the restaurant, watching videos on his phone. It was such a puzzling sight that he stood there with a dumbfounded look until the bear realized he was being watched. He waved at Zoro, and Zoro waved back, catching himself with a grumble.
So that's how it is, huh? He thought, resuming his chase after the money thief.
By the time Sanji and Zeff returned home later that evening, he was bushed. Sanji took a shower, then went to bed, noting that his phone had blown up with various notifications throughout the day. He answered as many texts as he could, apologizing for the late answer. Zeff had people over to fix his door, and he looked over at the repaired doorframe, the replaced door. He then set his phone aside, too tired to stay up any longer, even as his phone buzzed with more activity.
When he woke up later, it was because Law was climbing into bed next to him, looking just as sleepy as Sanji felt. The teen felt warm and fuzzy and happy because the man pulled him up against him and went back to sleep without anything to say, and Sanji was too tired to do anything, anyway, so he cuddled up against his chest with a content sigh. In the morning, he woke up alone, and he had to wonder if it were a dream. But he rubbed his eyes and grumbled because he missed out on an opportunity to fool around again. Grumpily, he found his phone and looked at it, reading all the texts from last night. Then he sent only one in response.
'You could've woke me up. I couldn't wait to see you again.'
Then he got up from bed, uncomfortable with himself, and got ready for school. Later on, as he met Zoro in front, he received a text back. He reddened considerably as he saw that it was a picture taken of him while he was sleeping. The only thing accompanying it was a heart and a big grin emoji.
"Weirdo," Zoro commented, looking at him strangely.
"Hi hi hi hi hi hi hi hi," Sanji said to him in response, pulling his tie loose, adjusting the collar of his shirt while he put his phone away. He felt it vibrate against him a few more times, so while Zoro stood there looking at him with a bewildered expression, he yanked it back out and saw that Law had texted, 'couldn't sleep with you rubbing up against me all night.'
Sanji was embarrassed when he realized he was getting a raging hard-on just thinking about it, and he took an uncomfortable seat on the sidewalk against the school sign, Zoro just staring down at him. Hating his easy to react hormones, Sanji pulled at his collar again, feeling overheated and obvious as he tugged at his blazer and pulled his messenger bag over his lap with discomfort.
But he looked at his phone and texted back furiously, 'I wasn't rubbing!'
'It was really hot. Even in your sleep, you're a thirsty little freak.'
"Do I need to hose you down?" Zoro asked Sanji as he practically blew his top. "Is that an angry expression, or a dying one? What is happening here?"
"Nothing!" Sanji wheezed, trying to fan himself. "Mia K just released a new video."
"So you're perving on it in front of the school where everyone can see you?"
"I blame my damn teenage hormones."
Zoro looked thoroughly disgusted with him.
'Maybe I'll come over later. There's something I want you to do.'
"Like what?" Sanji asked aloud, texting back rapidly. His sudden interest had not helped his situation, any.
'I can't say over the phone.'
"Oh my god, I'm going to die," Sanji then said with frustration, wiping sweat from his face as Zoro waved off concerned glances from their classmates.
'But technically, I won't be touching you.' Followed by a big grin emoji.
Sanji considered skipping school for the rest of the day.
'Text me after Zeff goes to bed.'
All Sanji sent was a thumbs up, and he set his phone aside, covering his face. Zoro considered kicking him because it looked like Sanji was going to expire right there on the sidewalk.
"You're such a gross pervert," he complained. "I'm sure that woman hasn't done anything unusual or that hasn't been done yet."
"Hi!" Luffy and Ussop said, looking down at Sanji in concern. "What's this?"
"Perving out."
"Sanji! In front of the school?" Ussop asked in dismay.
"It started early," Sanji groaned, hugging his knees.
"Looks contagious," Luffy said with a frown.
"It can be. With certain people."
"Ew."
"Anyway, so we had an interesting day yesterday," Zoro told Luffy.
"Ah, yeah! Nami told us in a group text," Luffy said, showing him. "What's this about, Sanji?"
"Do I have to think about that, right now?" Sanji asked, not wanting to think about anything other than what was planned for tonight. He wished he'd been awake, last night. His hormones were completely taking over every ounce of rational thought. Nothing seemed to matter more than continuing his exploration with the older man. He fanned himself, trying to think of every disgusting, unpleasant thing he could think of.
Ussop and Zoro continued to stare down at him with expressions of varying disgust, Luffy texting with a happy face.
"Well, now I'm kinda curious," Luffy said after, putting his phone away. "Because if we did one thing just to have another thing done, like, what is it? Will we be fighting again, sometime soon?"
"More than likely," Zoro said seriously. "Even if it isn't on this guy's behalf, we've made an impact. People know that we can take out guys like Arlong."
"And who's not to say that Arlong will want to retaliate? Like, what if he sends out guys to do so?" Ussop asked with worry. "If he's part of a larger group, then there's going to be others interested in it."
"What position does Zeff have in this world, Sanji?" Luffy asked curiously.
Sanji sighed. He figured telling them now would help his current state. He just could not get the thought of what Law wanted from him out of his mind.
"Well, apparently Zeff and I aren't related. We came to the states after my real family was killed by another group. Um, they were…they were used as assassins, and somebody got butt hurt about the amount of power they had. Anyway, when he came here, he created his own – but it doesn't sound like he's head of his own syndicate – it sounds like he's one of the very few that enforce their behavior. He said 'contains' them, not control them."
"Whoa," the three said, with varying expressions of surprise and awe.
"And he just now told you that?" Ussop asked.
"Yes. Because of this thing with Arlong. And Law. For some reason, Zeff does not like Law at all. There was an incident the other night where – and he said he got away with his life, and that was it, but…he's not associated with the Donquixote brothers, even if he's related to them," Sanji added, feeling okay to straighten out his legs. "But that same night, after I left your house, mosshead, I went looking for him. I saw something of a confrontation between the brothers and Zeff, but all I know was that something happened where they both came from it with ruined hands, and Cora's been lingering near Law after the lab bust."
Zoro nodded, recalling the bandaging he'd seen yesterday, and Zeff's hand as well.
"I don't know what was said, I don't know what the situation was, but all I know is that Zeff runs a bigger picture, and everyone just falls in line with it in order to maintain operation. He said he was very close to retirement when this happened – he didn't want me involved in it at all, but… I can't say 'no' or ignore it if one of you guys has something going on."
"Wow. How did we go from worrying about winter break finals to learning that your grandfather runs the syndicate world, and, oh, yeah, you have assassin blood running through your perverted veins?" Ussop asked, crouching at the knee.
"Well, we weren't going to stay unknown from that world for very long, anyway," Luffy said, fist made. "The more fights we have on the street, the stronger opponents we'd go searching for, right, Zoro?"
"Yep."
"So, eventually, we'd make our way into that life, anyway. Maybe not doing all the bad things like everyone else is doing, but fighting our way through it because of the sheer joy of it!"
"Eventually, we'll need a plot for this story," Ussop told Luffy with concern, as the bell rang. "Not just mindless fight smut."
"Oh, Ussop, have some fun for once in your life. Don't worry about those kinds of things."
At work right after school, Sanji watched as Zeff readied himself to leave. It was highly unusual of him to do so, but he guessed with some reluctance that the only reason why he was doing so was because of the situation.
"Finish your work here, I'll pick you up in the evening," Zeff told him, handing him his phone. "Call me if you feel uncomfortable in any way."
"Okay," Sanji said with uncertainty, slipping the phone into his shirt pocket. Then he watched him leave, wondering if he should feel any other way about the situation. Zeff never allowed him with his phone on the floor, and he looked rather stressed out. He lingered in the doorway of the side exit as he watched him approach his car, and caught movement from the corner of his eye. Once he realized it was Bepo sitting near the stack of empty pallets and dumpster, watching his phone, Sanji felt a little better about the situation. he waved at him, and Bepo waved back.
Later that night, he had just finished cleaning up a table when he noticed a flurry of activity from the cooks. Most of the customers had just left for the night, and he was just cleaning tables, preparing them for tomorrow's breakfast rush. There were a few lingering at the smaller tables, but they had requested checks from their servants and were preparing to leave. The cooks were leaving the kitchen, with Carne and Patty coming up to the front with angry expressions.
When he looked, he realized Crocodile had come in with his number one standing close by, a group of men lingering behind them. His cigar was lit and he scanned the restaurant with an indifferent expression as Carne and Patty approached him. The man stood grandly in a heavy winter jacket with fur-lined lapels, a sharp three piece suit with a striped tie, heavy jewelry on his fingers, and the golden hook peeking out from underneath the jacket. His black hair was slicked back to reveal every inch of his scarred face, eyebrows lifted just slightly as he scanned the restaurant.
"We're closed for the night!" Carne snapped at him.
"But it's not yet ten," Crocodile told him, clearly not taking any hints. "Party of seven. Biggest table you got. And get those mitts moving, I had a long day."
"Go into the back," one of the older waiters instructed Sanji, who began to do so reluctantly. But Crocodile stopped him, pointing at him with his good hand while Daz Bones carefully removed his jacket to hold.
"I want that one to serve me," Crocodile said, gesturing at Sanji. "If Zeff isn't here to wait on me personally, then I want the next best thing."
"He's done for the night," Patty said, crossing his arms tightly. "The kid's gotta run home and get his homework done. And put that shit out. We don't allow that kind here at the restaurant. I don't care who you are."
Crocodile looked at him for several moments, lip curling with a sneer around his cigar. "Small fry, are you looking to piss me off? Because I can go from zero to one hundred in a second."
"It'll be fine," Sanji said quickly, hurrying over to start shifting chairs and tables around. "Just get the kitchen going, you two. What sort of refreshments are you looking for, you oily bastards?"
"I want the sommelier's opinion. I haven't been to this dump in ages," Crocodile said, waiting for the table to be set. Once he saw the customers hastily making their way to the exit, he told Daz Bones. "Lock it up. I want to dine in peace."
"It's not up to you - !" Carne started to say, but Sanji snapped at him, "Less customers I have to deal with! Hurry up! Get your worthless ass to the stove! Or do you want me to do that, too?"
"Shitty little brat! Gus-Gus! Steven! Jones! Help the kid out," Carne then ordered, gesturing at a few of the older waiters lingering nearby. Once Crocodile's party began to seat themselves, the head of the group taking a chair at the table with his cigar still smoking, Sanji patted his phone with reluctance.
Half hour later, he was helping unload steaming plates onto the table in front of the party, Crocodile looking at his meal with a curl of his lips. He dashed ashes onto a plate nearby, Daz watching him with a frown.
"Where's the old man? I have a complaint," Crocodile then told Sanji, his low, deep voice moving through every word as if it were a stroll. With how slow and threatening he spoke, his henchmen were quick to leap at his every command. Except for Daz, who seemed very patient as he neatly unfolded his napkin. "This meat isn't red enough. I asked for rare, not broiled to charcoal."
"My apologies, you stoogy bastard, I'll have it fixed right away. In the meantime, would you like a refill?" Sanji asked quickly, picking the steaming plate up and holding it with the tips of his fingers away from the table.
"I would like another bottle. This one isn't dry enough," Crocodile said, making a waving motion at the glass he'd been using. "When is Zeff expected back? I'm getting impatient."
"I'm sure he'll be due here at any moment."
"Isn't that plate hot?" Crocodile asked him. "You're not using any gloves."
"Any one in the kitchen afraid of heat shouldn't be in there in the first place, sir."
"Ah, makes sense. Now, an obvious question. Who are you?"
"My name is Sanji. Nice to meet you. I'm your server for the rest of the evening."
"No, I know what your name is, but all I'm asking is who are you?"
"I just told you, you bastard. And you already know who I am, if you've familiar with Arlong. Just look it up. Or if you want to follow me in on Instagram, Twitter, or even on Snapchat and Kik, I can write my at addresses down for you. But it looks like you're too old to even know what means."
Crocodile gave him a frown. "Most of that shit sounds like something Doflamingo would say. Irritating. Tell me, kid, with all the unexpected commotion in the area, does your grandfather truly trust that you'll be safe on your own?"
"I don't know what that means," Sanji said with a smooth lie. "What's dangerous in a restaurant besides the unhappiness of our customers?"
"Are you playing dumb, or are just dumb? Because that ignorance of yours sounds forced."
"To be honest, sir, your familiarity with my grandfather is something I don't know about. I don't know you. I don't know enough about you to treat you with any fear or respect. You're just a customer that's hard to please, and I'm doing my best to accompany you. Here's your replacement," he then said, gesturing at Jones, who hastily brought over another plate with the steak Crocodile requested. Jones then took the plate from Sanji, but he was using cloth to do so. The sommelier quickly showed Crocodile his next few choices, the cart rattling behind him.
Crocodile frowned at him, but he looked over his meal with a critical eye. "I requested no tomatoes. Is it that hard of a concept?"
With a fork he snatched from Daz, Sanji plucked out the offending vegetables. Crocodile's face tightened, and he looked up at the teen with a hard press of his teeth.
"Removed. Is there anything else you'd like?" Sanji asked him impatiently.
"Is this what Zeff finds acceptable? If you worked for me with this sort of behavior, I'd have you removed. Piece by piece."
"Well, I don't work for you. I work here. Anymore shit requests before you allow me to least get my goddamn essay finished for tomorrow?"
"Tell me, boy," Crocodile said, picking up his napkin and unfolding it over his lap with easy grace. He then removed his cigar, setting aside on the plate he'd been using as an ashtray. He picked up his salad fork, and separated vegetables from his pasta. "How did it feel removing Arlong from his place of business?"
"Pretty good."
"And blowing up his lab?"
"We didn't do that. We just hit Arlong for keeping us under his thumb for as long as he did. You want to talk about feeling butt hurt, let's talk about that. He promised us we were near our goal, at least five times. It was obvious he lied to us. He intended on keeping us there for quite a long time. How is that honorable, not keeping a promise?"
"Fair enough. He should have been outright and told you that he intended on keeping all of you on until he was either ran out of town, or he cut his own hand off in the process."
"Is that what happened to you?"
Crocodile lowered his fork, looking at him sharply. The golden hook on his lap trembled just slightly as he looked for offence on the teen's face. But he was only looking down at the appendage with curiosity.
"Let me ask another question. Who was it that hit our lab?"
"I don't know. Look, to be honest, all that's on my mind lately is girls and school. Since none of this stuff is either of that, I don't know what else to tell you. You keep asking all these questions like I know anything, and I don't. Now, if you have any food related requests, then ask. But for now, I'm going to sit over there and get this stupid essay done."
"Most men fear inciting my wrath," Crocodile told him, fork lowering back to his plate.
"Like I said, I don't know you, so I don't fear or respect you. You're just another picky customer."
"First lesson, you'll stop talking to me in such an uncouth manner," Crocodile said, reaching out and snatching his arm. "Next, you'll do well to respect a man of my nature the next time I walk through that door. Is this understood?"
Sanji tried not to cry out with shock as he watched his arm wither dangerously, sand particles crawling over his skin until Crocodile released him. He stared with frozen reaction as his fingers curled uselessly, bones crunching slightly with the action.
"Here, here," Gus-Gus said quickly, dumping a pitcher of water over that arm. In moments, it was back to its normal state, and Sanji exhaled tightly, shocked that it had happened in the first place. But instead of reacting the way that Crocodile had aimed for, with fear, Sanji's face reddened and his eye widened with fury.
Zeff appeared at that moment from the back, and Sanji relaxed with forced air as his grandfather approached him. Crocodile looked pleased.
"Ah. About time. I was just telling your grandson here that his insolence was not appreciated."
"The next time you lay a hand on him, you'll regret it."
"Your words are useless to me, old man. You've only one leg, I've only one hand. And your grandson has only one life," Crocodile said, smirking. "Now that you're here, maybe someone will listen to my complaints. This food is crap. Maybe some intelligent conversation will help me swallow it a lot easier."
"Go home," Zeff told Sanji, pushing him towards the back. Rubbing his arm, Sanji frowned at him, then at Crocodile, but he noticed that the cooks who weren't cooking were gathered in at the front. Sensing trouble, he lingered near the kitchen, watching as Zeff pulled up a chair near Crocodile.
Carne pushed him into the kitchen with an impatient grumble. "Listen to your granddaddy. He's saying it for a reason."
"Is something happening?" Sanji asked him, not budging.
"Just conversation. Crocodile wouldn't do anything rash to Zeff. Trust me."
Sanji stayed for a few moments, then started to look back out just to reassure himself of this, but Carne dragged Sanji towards the side exit door and shoved him out, much to his irritation. Once the door slammed shut, Sanji stood at the steps, exhaling heavily. He rubbed his arm, noting how dry and blistery it looked, skin peeling back. With a wince, he scratched at the loose pieces, turning and making his way towards the front. He noted the cars parked there, of men that looked to belong to Crocodile. All with shiny rims, blackened windows, and impatient faces that looked ready to move. He felt scared and uncertain, swallowing hard as he wondered if Zeff was truly safe.
He turned to make his way to the back, to go back inside with the intentions of sneaking around just to listen when he bumped into Bepo. Bepo held onto his arms, and suddenly they weren't standing outside the restaurant anymore. He jerked away from the bear with a panicked sound, and realized they were standing across the street, near the golf course that opened up to the city beyond it.
"Settle, mini-Zeff," Law told him calmly, Shachi and Penguin standing nearby in black clothes. All three of them looked ready to battle, Penguin holding his sword for him. But to be honest, it looked like Shachi was moments from fainting, his comrade looking at him with concern.
"What are they doing?"
"Just talking."
"They've surrounded the place!"
"Yep. Looks like it. Trust your grandfather. He's got it under control."
Sanji rubbed his arm again, feeling apprehensive. "What's his problem, anyway? He doesn't know who hit the lab. He was asking me about it."
"Huh. I thought it was pretty obvious. Guess we didn't make a big enough name for ourselves as I thought." Law then looked at his phone, then slipped it into his back pocket. "Bepo."
Once the bear held him again, Sanji looked at Law with consternation before he found himself standing in his own kitchen.
"I'm sorry," Bepo apologized to him, leaving his side and hastily running out the front door. Sanji growled, pulling his phone from his pocket and sending a series of angry texts.
But all he got in response was a thumbs up emoji.
