To Serve at his Command| Going Back
With arms crossed, Luffy glanced down into the grave, frowning when she found one sleeping clown. He had the shovel tucked in his arms across his chest, legs crossed. "Wake up," she called down to him.
Buggy—after a groggy yawn—cracked one eye open at her, brows lowering into a grim expression. "What do you want?" he asked, voice tired.
"I'm heading back to the mansion."
Nodding, Buggy fluttered his eye back shut only to snap his eyes back wide open. "What?" he screamed, pushing himself up into the sitting position to get a better look up at her. "What did you just say?"
Tilting her head slightly, she repeated herself for him. "I'm going to go back to Crocodile's and ask if I can continue working as his maid. Thought I'd say goodbye before I left." A smirk came to her at the mixture of emotions erupting upon the clown's face—going from shock to confusion to fear and then finally to anger.
"You must be joking," Buggy said as he stood up, hands grabbing the edge of the grave to pull himself up. "You have to be—I mean, just this morning you were swearing up and down that you were done with that guy, right?" Before she had the chance to respond, he took her shoulders and began shaking her back and forth—a favorite gesture of his it seemed. "Right?" he repeated, louder this time. "Please tell me you're shitting me!" A look of panic went through his eyes, face growing pale. "You just have a really sick sense of humor, right?"
Luffy shook her head no, prompting the older male to cry out a strange noise, fingers pulling away from her shoulders to shake to each side of his head. His mouth hung open and it appeared he was trying to say something, but nothing came out.
And that continued on for a good minute before he shook his head and took a deep breath. "I can't," he stated, turning around and waking oddly towards the door to his shack. "I just can't anymore with you." Before he opened the door, he paused and said, "I took you in for the past few months—raised you up to become a fine thief, but it's time you left the nest." Cocking a look back at her, he revealed a tearful face. "Mama bird can't stand up to crocodiles, so…" Along with his expression, his voice grew deep and full of anger. "So don't lead the crocodile here." And with that, he scurried inside and slammed the door.
Luffy—almost at the verge of feeling guilty—frowned when she saw the clown peak a look at her through the window, eyes narrow and lips in a firm line. He proceeded to wave his hands at her in a shooing gesture before drawing the curtains back.
Sighing, she approached the door and gently tapped on it.
"Go away," Buggy growled from the other side. "Spread your wings and fly to your death—don't get me involved!"
"I need my stuff," she called back before pushing the door open, not bothering for him to get around to it. The door came crashing into Buggy, throwing him against the wall.
"Ow, ow, ow," he cried out, hand clutching his nose as he followed after her down the hallway. "Watch it—you could have broken my nose!"
"Nothing can break that big thing," she muttered under breath, laughing when he squealed out louder than ever before.
He took a swing at her back, to which she dodged by entering her room. "DID YOU JUST CALL ME BIG NOSE?" he screamed, turning sharply to follow her in. When he went to throw another attack at her, he stopped when she turned his way, offering him a weak stare.
"Buggy," she began, softly, "can I ask a favor of you?" She clutched her duffle bag tightly against her chest.
His brows furrowed, clearly annoyed. "You want too much," he groaned before sighing and nodding. "What?"
Swallowing, she answered, "I still expect letters from my family, but I can't have them arriving at Crocodile's mansion…do you think you can hold onto them for me until I come around to pick them up?" Her tone was a pleading one because she knew he was her only safe method of communication with Ace. "Please?"
The clown took a moment to think it over, clearly confused as to why she would need him to do such a thing. Shrugging, he nodded. "I guess," he said. "I don't see the problem in that—but, you got to promise me you'll keep me out of trouble with that guy, alright?"
Luffy nodded, happy with his understanding. Throwing him a quick grin, she jokingly said, "If I do end up robbing him, I'll give you some of the profit—I'm sure he has a ton hidden in that mansion."
Buggy—who first expressed a look of sternness—slowly widened his eyes, lips twitching into a smile. "Since you mentioned it, how much do you think he has?" His tone was shady, as if he were already formulating a plan.
Luffy shrugged. "Only Crocodile knows—maybe you can ask him?" She laughed when the clown shoved her aside, grumbling something about her being a brat under his voice. "Alright, alright, I'm heading out now."
When she went for the door, Buggy called out, "If he ends up killing you, you can take that grave I made." He proceeded to laugh. "That'd teach you."
How would that teach me anything if I were dead? Rolling her eyes, she decided not to comment on his remark, pushing the door open and sighing as she took her first step towards the mansion. Here I go: right back to the pit.
It was well into the afternoon by the time she made it back to the mansion, her forehead covered in a thin layer of sweat and her claves sore from all the walking. Taking a deep breath, she threw her duffel bag over her shoulder before turning to walk up the small path leading to the brass gates.
Upon approaching them, she noticed they were locked. Her fingertips ran up one of the poles and her eyes glanced about, looking for anybody who could let her in.
It turned out to be a twelve minute wait before anybody happened to show up, and unfortunately for Luffy, it was Daz—and his grim expression. When he saw her, he stood at his spot for a moment, arms crossing. He appeared to be thinking something over.
Clearing her throat, she called out his name before offering him a wave. "Hey!" she added with a weak smile. "Can you let me in?"
Daz slightly tilted his head and glanced behind him, to the sides of him, and then directly at her. Cracking his knuckles, he went towards the gate, stopping just two feet in front of her. "What do you want?" His tone was dull—tired even.
"In," she answered, letting the word slowly roll off her tongue.
He laughed, almost as if he couldn't believe what she just said. "Seriously?" he asked, tone turning into one of amusement. "Are you really trying to get back in?" When she didn't answer, Daz shook his head. "Listen here you little shit," he began, trying to force the laugher back. "You clearly don't realize how much you've fucked up, do you?"
"Uh…"
"No, stop," he firmly ordered, sniffing before glancing back towards the mansion. "In my twenty years of employment to the boss, I've only seen him this pissed off a handful of times. And it's not like you betrayed him or anything like that—no, you embarrassed him, and if there is one thing you have to know about a man like Crocodile, it's that he doesn't take kindly to such things." Daz paused, uncrossing his arms and pressing his hands upon the gate. "What the hell did you do?"
Luffy threw her gaze aside, unsure of how to answer.
"You just up and leaving like that surely can't be the reason for his bad mood," Daz explained, eyes searching her face for an answer. "I just want to know what happened—did you fuck up with guests? Was that it? Say something embarrassing to that stupid pink bird? What was it?"
"I didn't do anything," she answered quietly. While that was literally the answer to his question, he didn't catch it, thinking that she meant she was not at fault to Crocodile's sour mood. "Come on, he can't be that mad."
Daz smirked, another laugh forcing its way past his lips. "You're…you're naïve, that's all I can say."
"Let me in, alright?" Luffy practically begged, beginning to feel annoyed. She wasn't expecting troubles until she got to Crocodile, but Daz was proving to be very difficult. "I have a good explanation for why I left last night."
He shook his head and tapped the gates twice before pulling away and turning around. "Wait there a moment; I'll go inform him of your…arrival."
Frowning, she glared at his back as he headed off towards the mansion, disappearing once he cut a corner near the drive. Pressing her forehead to the gates, she fluttered her eyes shut and thought of what she could possibly say to Crocodile to convince him to let her back in. I can tell him I had a family emergency to tend to…but that doesn't really explain why I left last night…Luffy huffed out in frustration. She was never a good liar and coming up with all these stories was difficult.
He…he can't be that mad, can he?
The gates opened then, causing her to jump back. With a frantic search, she caught Daz staring at her from the control panel, gesturing for her to approach him. "He'll see you," he simply stated, a tad hint of amusement in his tone.
With a weak smile, she followed Daz as he led her down an opposing path, towards the garage. "He's currently…dealing with somebody else, but he will see to you right now." The garage door was held open for her, revealing an empty room of just simple tool boxes and a car—beaten and taken apart. "Down the steps over there," Daz said before closing the door behind her, with him outside.
Folding her hands together, she slowly went over to the far end of the room, blinking when she found the staircase leading down to the lower level. It was dark down there, with a dim orange light flickering. Sniffing, she held her breath and scurried down, glancing about when she reached the last step.
She walked into the middle of a rather terrifying scene.
A man—whom she had no recollection of—was tied to a chair, arms bound to the back and ankles tied to the legs of the chair. His face was covered in bruises and a mixture of fresh and dried blood, eyes closed and mouth hanging ajar. Crocodile stood before him, sleeves rolled up and hair slicked back.
Luffy swallowed hard, eyes flicking back and forth between the man tied up and Crocodile, mind processing exactly what was happening before her. Her duffel bag fell lightly from her grip to the floor.
Flexing his fist, Crocodile brought it in harshly into the man's gut, earning a loud miserable cry. Taking a deep breath, he pulled his hand back and smirked softly. "This man you see before you—he was supposed to be here yesterday, but he failed me." He paused to turn towards the table behind him, covered with a wide arrange of tools. He took to a pair of pliers, turning back around to circle to the back of the chair. "He disappointed me," he continued, not giving her a single glance, "and I don't take well to disappointment."
Luffy watched in horror as he took to one of the man's fingers, squeezing down with the plier and sharply pulling up. The sound of muscle and joint ripping filled the room, followed by an even louder piercing scream. The finger hung oddly from the hand.
Crocodile sent her a odd stare. "You disappointed me as well."
When the man went to mutter something, Crocodile knocked the tool to the side of his head, leaving him unconscious. He turned his attention back to Luffy and began to walk over to her, to which she quickly backed up—stopping when she found herself backed up to wall.
"W-wait," she managed to spit up, wincing when he slammed the pliers near the side of her skull upon the wall. He was close, expression hard and jaw clenched hard. "I…I…"
"You left," he answered for her. "You left without permission, slinking off into the night like the trash you are." He paused, eyes searching hers. "And yet you return? Did you realize your mistake, hmm?" His tone grew in anger. "Or did you miss the comforts of my mansion?"
Luffy quickly shook her head no, hands pressed firmly against the wall to each side of her, nails digging into the stone. "I…I, uh, had to go." She took in a shaky breath, mentally trying to calm herself so she could properly tell her lie, make it believable. "There…there was an emergency with my brother, and…and I had to go."
"You expect me to believe that?" he asked, voice slightly softer, as if curious with her statement.
"It's the truth," she objected weakly. "I…" She stopped when he pressed the pliers to her cheek, its icy kiss sending shivers down her back.
"You have such a pretty face," he told her quietly. "A shame it would be if something happened to it."
The look he sent her was the same he sent that man when attacking him.
Luffy spat up the only thing she thought that would save her. "I was going to go to you last night—I swear I was…but my brother, sir, I had to go for only that night." His expression changed, morphing into one of surprise. When he didn't say anything, she took the opportunity to continue the lie. "I…wanted to go to you last night, but…but…"
Crocodile pulled the pliers away from her cheek and his eyes softened as he looked to her. "Is that so?" he asked, voice calm. "Was that your original intentions?"
She nodded quickly.
Tilting his head slightly, he sent her a coy smirk. "Then why don't I believe you?"
He seemed to want to believe her, but there was a hint of doubt in his eyes. She had to act fast, knowing that she was on the verge of convincing him. Just do it, her mind screamed at her and with a quick breath of air, she shot her hands up to both sides of his face and pulled him in for a kiss.
While he showed resistance at first, he stopped the moment their lips connected, allowing her to lead. It was awkward for her since she knew little of how such things worked, but she tried her best to mimic the movements he made with his mouth days ago. It was long and hard and strange, but she knew she won the moment the pliers fell from his hand so he could cup the side of her face. Blood from the man tied up smeared from his fingers and across her cheek.
He slowly began to take the lead from her, moving her lips apart with his own to invade her with his tongue. The taste of cigar took to her and she felt weak when he began to push his body against hers—pinning her harder against the wall. His hand fell from her face, traveling down her body—pressing down her chest and stomach and across her pants to caress her hip.
He pulled away from the kiss, revealing hungry eyes. "Bold," he said in a soft huff, hand slinking back up to her waist. "You've grown bolder." He smirked, obviously pleased.
A moan came to life from the back of the room, causing Crocodile to cast a dull gaze over his shoulder. He sighed, pulling himself completely away from her so he could face the man tied up. "I need to continue teaching this one a lesson," he said calmly. "Go back to the mansion and start your chores." He cocked a look back to her, a thin smile forming. "I'll be expecting you tonight."
Luffy sent a fearful look at the man tied up and nodded, quickly picking up her bag and twirling around so she could scurry up the steps.
While she managed to save herself from Crocodile's wrath, she also happened to dig herself into a deeper hole when it came to his…desires. Frowning, Luffy cursed herself and her luck and pushed the garage door open, revealing one surprised Daz.
Taking a step back, he quickly scratched the top of his head before muttering, "You're alive?"
Luffy nodded. "Sure am," she answered, "and I got my job back." With that, she pushed past the stunned driver and headed straight for the mansion. She had one hell of a night to prepare for.
The chef gave her a surprised look, dropping his bowl gently upon the counter and taking a step towards her. "Where have you've been all day?" he asked, voice adding to his excitement.
"Out," she answered. "I…had to run some errors."
Sanji nodded slowly before shrugging. "You're lucky," he began. "You weren't here to experience the master's bad mood this morning—and let me tell you, it was rough. He snapped at everybody and everything…I wonder what gives."
Luffy gave a stiff nod, pushing past him to examine the platter of cookies—fresh and strong of sweet smells. "I'm sure he'll get over it soon." Picking up one of the cookies, she took a quick nibble and smiled at the explosion of flavors happening in her mouth, washing away the lingering taste of cigar.
Leaning into the counter, Sanji reached out for a cookie. "Maybe something happened yesterday with Doflamingo. Everything seemed to go smoothly during dinner, though." With a shrug, he decided to let the curiosity die. "Anyway, did you happen to see that beauty yesterday?" His eyes practically gleamed then.
"Who?" she questioned.
"Viola!" The name rolled off his tongue easily, as if he had spoken it hundreds of times before. "I managed to sneak a peek at her while you were serving the food—oh, she is the very image of beauty." Pausing, he offered Luffy a weak smile. "As well as you," he added, as not to offend her.
Luffy nodded. "She was really pretty—have you ever talked to her?"
Sanji shook his head with wide eyes. "I could never," he explained. "Somebody of my status…and somebody of her status? I'm not worthy!" He fluttered aside weakly, dramatically so. "But I can still sneak looks her way~"
Taking another cookie, Luffy sent him a weak smile. "Well, you never know…" Trailing off, she thought of Crocodile. "You might be surprised by people of that status." Sanji gave her a shrug and they spent the rest of their afternoon dining on cookies and chatting of simple things.
To be continued…
Next Time: Luffy goes to Crocodile's room. Smut train returns to station. Next update in about three to four days.
Thanks for reading!
Fan: Oh, thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Luffy will definitely get involved with a ton of what's going on, but I won't say if she'll solve anything or not; I'll keep what she's able to do a surprise. The idea I have for Zoro will have them teaming up a lot, but that's farther down the plotline. Haha, I'll try not to do from school! Thanks!
Cereza101: Haha, me too! I think they can have a healthy balance of serious and hilarious scenes. :3 Thanks!
Rodessalorenzo: Well, in regards to what Crocodile/Doflamingo/etc. do as mobsters is drug related, as well as other factors. I would imagine that tensions would rise between clans/mobs because of trade routes/territory/etc. And yeah, totally assassinations and killing sprees; when a mob is angry with another mob, fights are going to go down. : ) Thanks!
Yuki Rivaille: Aw, thank you! I hope you're doing well! Thanks for the love and take care! Xoxo much love! :3