Chapter 12, The Drunken Sailor
Notes: Guess what time is it? Good old fashioned piracy and bad flirting! Yeay!
"Can you hear me now?"
"Yes. It works," Killer confirmed to the snail phone on the console. He saw Penguin answered on the other side, his little silhouette showing on one of the many screens of the control room. The image wasn't in very high definition but clear enough for Killer to watch the pirate in disguise casually walked down a hall, a den den mushi on his shoulder.
"Good. Now the navigation room… huh…"
"Turn on your left," the masked man guided him. Installed behind the panel control Killer had the impression of being omniscient. He had eyes on the whole ship: on the halls and empty rooms only lightened by small lamps, on the guards not really focused on their task, and on Penguin. The Kid pirate would have bet seeing him in a Navy uniform would only made him want to punch the hatted man but actually he recognized Penguin too much behind the uniform. The way he stood, his back a little stooped, his feet at a distance from one another, his body on guard without looking like it. The way he walked trying to act military and rigorous without managing to wipe the lightness of his steps.
"I'm close," Penguin told quietly, remembering the way as he was progressing.
"Hurry. There's a guard walking down the next hall."
The hatted man did so, following Killer's instructions. But he regretted immediately walking faster in those clothes.
"Don't be so stiff when you walk," the masked man commanded.
"I'd like to see you walking in this tight uniform!"
"Is it the uniform or you ain't used to wear normal clothes?"
Penguin gritted his teeth at the Kid pirate's light tone; the voice he always took being sarcastic. Well seeing Killer was behaving and not murdering anyone Penguin supposed he could handle sarcasm.
"Why are you so interested with what I'm wearing now?"
Because the only distraction I'll get tonight is gonna be seeing you walking in these tight clothes. Not that Killer really minded at the moment. He casted a glance to the pile of Penguin's stuff laid on the console. His hat was carefully set down with its half red bobble standing high. He couldn't find the words for the mixed feeling he was experiencing about this mission. Should he have come alone tonight, Killer would have already been out with a log pose and a marine battalion on his heels. Quick-and-dirty. But as much as he disliked Penguin's plan of infiltration, that way they'd be able to gather maps and charts, highly valuable information they were desperately lacking. Moreover, it was way more efficient than fighting their way in. Despite clearly having their own ways of being pirates Killer couldn't help but appreciating being on mission with the Heart pirate.
"You're my nightly entertainment," the masked man responded honestly.
"I can still cut off the den den mushi."
"Then I won't be able to tell you where the guards are. Speaking of it, one is coming from behind you, don't turn around."
Killer didn't even bother watching for the said guard who was actually far away from Penguin. Instead he kept his eyes on the hatted man's slim silhouette. As he expected the Heart Pirate wasn't as thin as his shapeless overall suggested. He had the body of a trained fighter. A man light and fast, stronger than you would've thought at first sight. Drove by his examination Killer's curiosity got the better of him.
"So what's your compromising tattoo?"
Penguin almost stopped in the middle of the hall to scold the masked man but he remembered Killer was just a voice on his shoulder, "None of your business!"
"It says 'I love my captain' isn't?"
The Heart pirate snorted, "Between the two of us, you're the most likely to have it marked on your skin."
"I wouldn't bet on it."
"And you better not because you'd make me rich."
"You think so?"
"Ok," Penguin huffed smugly, "Let's play a quick guess game that'll get you off my back. I'm gonna state three propositions. If they're all true, you shut up until I get to the navigation room."
That sounded like a risky game, even though Killer wouldn't say anything he would give up information nonetheless. But they had already reached a point of no return in recklessness tonight and Killer longed to know why the Heart pirate sounded so confident.
"Deal," the Kid's pirate agreed.
A short silence ensued on Penguin's side before he stated: "You took bullets for Eustass Kid. You owe him your life. And you'll give up your biggest dream to make his happen."
There was a long moment of silence that stretched along with Penguin's smirk, before he heard.
"Not bad… My turn." But before Penguin could objected Killer stated, "You think if Trafalgar Law hadn't taken you in his crew, your life would've been miserable. You keep trying to prove your worth even now you've reached half of the Grand Line. And your tattoo is your jolly roger."
Penguin's mouth hung down, no sound coming out as if Killer suddenly took his ability to speak away from him. Penguin had a lot to say but the words couldn't pass his lips as he just been outsmarted by the man he thought he'd figured out. Penguin tended to forget that in addition of being handsome Killer was also goddamn smart! Wait… Did he say 'handsome'? No, troublesome he meant!
.
"There it is," the Kid pirate finally notified, breaking almost ten unspoken minutes, when Penguin reached a large wooden door ornate with a golden plate saying 'Navigation Room'. Penguin resisted checking on his sides like a thief, and he opened the door the most nonchalantly he could. The inside of the room was plunged in the dark only pierced by the moonlight coming through the large window. The hatted man turned on the light, illuminating the large table in the center of the room, as well as the numerous chests of drawers lined up against the walls and the huge folded maps resting at the end of the room.
Marines were so tidy. Penguin hoped he could turn it to his advantage. He took the den den mushi off his shoulder and put the snail down on the table. The animal slid lazily from his hand to the wood and stood still. When he had turned it on, Penguin had wondered what kind of expression it would show but even when it talked it'd remained inexpressive. Needless to say he'd been quite disappointed. It would have been very funny to see what Killer looked like on a snail. However his mind was on another matter at the moment.
"How did you know all that?"
"All what?" The Kid pirate asked innocently.
"These things you guessed about me," Penguin reminded him as he quickly got to work, checking for any tricks or alarm to hide his concern.
"Does that trouble you?" An actually curious Killer questioned.
Penguin got himself busy, thinking that he should not waste time if he didn't want to stumble upon another guard. But Killer's words were repeating in his head. Nothing relevant was on the navigation room's table. It gave him time to think before he answered like it didn't really matter.
"I just want to know."
Killer knew reading between the lines though. He was troubling the Heart pirate! In fact, it was relieving for Killer, considering how much Penguin was troubling him.
"Are you upset that I figured you out?"
Penguin snorted haughtily, a bit too quickly, "Don't be so sure of yourself wise-ass."
"I ain't saying I know everything about you," Killer calmly explained leaning on the console, "But I know where you come from."
Penguin slowed down his search although he would deny ever waiting impatiently for the masked man to go on.
.
On the other side, the multiples screens were casting a dim light on Killer's helmet as he hesitated to go further. Years ago he'd been like the Heart pirate. Dying to prove his worth and rub his achievements in the faces of every people that ever thought he was worthless. He saw that in Penguin's behavior, in the way that he had to sacrifice for what he cared about and fight harder than others to prove he has the right to be there. To be part of his crew and ready to face the New World.
Am I? Or did you want me to fit in your expectations?
A memory of Penguin whispered in the dark of the control room. Far away, echoes of the argument they had days ago, came back to Killer's mind.
Can't we just… come to agree that we're different?
Somehow Killer couldn't entirely agree.
"True, we're different in the way we act but we're driven by the same motive. We both want our captains to win and our crews to be safe."
On the video, the masked man could only saw the top of Penguin's marine cap and the white of his jacket shining on the screen while he rummaged through the room. What would he have given just to see his face… Was he angry? Surprised? Blushing?
"That's why we're here for," the Kid pirate went on with the desire to tell everything he wanted now he'd started, "That's what brought us to talk the first time."
For the captain, for the crew… Penguin kept repeating it in his head but at the moment it sounded terribly false. So he remained silent, not trusting his treacherous voice. It would certainly betray him and confirmed there was another, deeper motive –that he didn't want to think too much about– behind his presence here.
So he focused on the rest of the furniture that happened being full of promising documents Penguin saw now he concentrated on his mission. It offered a perfect distraction for the hatted man. Wrapped up weather charts, official accreditations for docking, the ship's plans… and a lot and lot of maps of the islands of the New World. Actually Penguin was dying to take a good look on these last ones but it wasn't his main objective here… Oh fuck it! Killer would warn him if there was any guard incoming.
He quickly picked up the most interesting charts and maps and spread them on the table. There was so many of them the table was quickly entirely covered. The hatted man hadn't even finished looking in the rest of the chests of drawers; this was more exciting than Penguin would have thought. Finally some good old piracy. Although, he wasn't forgetting the following parts of the plan.
"Did you find a way to get out of here?" He asked while picking other documents that looked promising.
"I think," Killer's voice answered through the snail phone. "But–"
"But?" Penguin asked when the silent lasted, halting his researches.
"Use a duffle bag to carry the papers."
A waterproof bag… Penguin didn't like what it was implying.
"Why don't you– Shit!"
"What is it?"
On the video surveillance the Heart pirate had stopped moving and Killer straightened up on his seat.
"The log book! Or rather… books," Penguin corrected opening the drawer wider "There are a lot of volumes! More than we thought… everything is here."
As he got out the numerous volumes to take a look at their content, the hatted man realized what a treasure they'd found there. This was too good of an opportunity not to take it. One of their objectives here was not getting caught but in the end of the night they could steal everything that pleased them.
Grabbing the largest bag he could found in the room, Penguin emptied the ropes he was containing and filled it with all his findings instead. He even had trouble closing the bag but he made sure no water could infiltrate in it. Penguin was exhilarated by the success of their uncertain plan. The papers he found here were precious enough to pay Killer's debt twice. With a grin on his face, the Heart's pirate took another look around the dark room.
"Perfect! Now, the log pose."
"Did you search the shelves behind you?"
"Yes," Penguin answered absent-mindedly before heading for the desk in the back of the room. He sat on the large office chair and proceeded to rummage through the drawers. Papers, offices supplies, more papers… a bottle of sake? Holding out the item the hatted man lifted an eyebrow. Dedicated to their work those marines…
In the last drawer, heavy folders were kept tidy. Penguin set the bottle on the side and pulled the first folder opened on the wooden desk. He discovered several accreditations for a special cargo. Some words caught Penguin's attention but he couldn't decipher the document right away… That sufficed for the Heart pirate wanting to take a better look.
"Watch out," Killer interrupted through the snail phone, "a marine is coming in your way."
"Is he close?"
"He's moving fast in your direction."
"Shit! Ah, I don't have anywhere to hide in this room!"
"Hide?! What the hell did you disguise for then?"
Before Penguin could retort something snarky, the door burst open and the hatted man straightened in surprise. The guard with the doorknob still in his hand stared at Penguin, unsettled by his presence here. The room fell awkwardly silent between the two men and Killer didn't dare speaking either.
"What–"
"Ssshhhhhhhhh…" Penguin cut the confused marine as he lied down on the desk and his hand clumsily grabbed the bottle of sake he'd set next to him earlier.
Out of idea he simply faked with a drunken voice, "D–don't tell…'nyone. I–eh'll give you some!"
The hatted man simulated a hiccup before pulling out a dumb grin under his cap and holding out the bottle in the marine's direction. For a moment Killer thought the guard wouldn't have any of that, but finally the man closed the door and moved toward Penguin with concern.
"What are you doin' here?"
"Shi, shi, shi, shi! I am… drinking!" Penguin whispered making wide unbalanced gestures with his arms toward the marine.
The man adjusted the rifle on his shoulder, before he reached for the bottle in the hatted man's hand.
"I think you had enough," the marine huffed and when he got a grip on the sake, Penguin made a funny face, "Ah, ah, ya think?"
Before the marine understood the meaning of Penguin's weird look, the hatted man performed an arm lock so quick the guard didn't have time to realize what was happening. Penguin's other hand grabbed the back of his head and slammed his face on the desk before the information reached the marine's brain. Under the choc the soldier lost consciousness and the Heart pirate placed his limp body on the chair he'd occupied earlier with the bottle of alcohol next to him. Penguin fixed his clothes and breathed out before the snail on the table startled him.
"Neat," Killer commented.
"Warn me earlier next time," Penguin scolded.
This interruption had suddenly reminded him of the hazard that this mission was implying. A rush of adrenaline went through Penguin's body and he focused, on the alert now. He took back the precious bag with the sea charts and maps, when his eyes fell down the papers he was going through before the marine burst in. Nothing worthy of his time right now but still he was intrigued by its object.
"Did you find the log pose?"
"No, only… strange accreditations."
"How strange?"
"I think they were carrying weapons on this ship. There's a bunch of official documents for dangerous armed cargos, but I never see that kind before…"
"What does it say?"
"It goes under the name 'Pacifista'."
.
After a moment, Killer shook his head, "Never heard of it. But 'pacify' doesn't sound good for us."
"Better not hang around here too long," Penguin clicked his tongue with annoyance, "Can you take a look in the other rooms for the log pose? Maybe it's not stored here."
"Where then?" Killer questioned. "The captain's cabin?"
"That's a start. Which way it–"
The clicking of the door opening cut Penguin's sentence short. The hatted man froze. Another marine?! Killer didn't say anything! How could there be another so soon after the one Penguin just knocked down?
But the wooden door of the navigation room had remained shut.
Penguin tilted his head failing to understand what was happening when the snail phone on the table shouted.
"Freeze pirate!"
Killer!
Penguin heard nothing but a din on the other side, shouts and gunshots. It was really fast. How many were they? Did Killer get caught? Penguin waited. And the seconds stretched like minutes in complete silence.
"No killing," Killer finally grumbled, "Happy?"
Penguin sighed loudly realizing he had held his breath the whole time. That idiot! Why did he take so long to answer?!
"No I'm not!" He was furious. You could have been shot! But instead Penguin scolded, "They'll know we're here by minutes now!"
"How the he–"
"It doesn't seem weird to you that we both got spotted at the same time?"
"Shit! We knocked out the new shifts," Killer understood with a groan. Fuck. If the guys he and Penguin neutralized weren't giving sign of life, the others will be able to tell something was wrong with the soldiers that took the new shifts of watch.
Being out before the marines knew it was becoming more and more urgent now.
"I'm going to the captain's cabin," Penguin urged. They'd wasted enough time. "I'm going to get that log pose then we'll get out of here."
"Wait! The officer is still in there," Killer warned as he glanced at the dedicated screen. When the blonde got back to the navigation room, Penguin was passing the huge bag of maps and log books on his shoulder with one hand while the other took the bottle of sake. The hatted man opened the corks with his teeth and took two large gulps for good measure.
"He won't be a problem," Penguin assured.
"You sure this going to work twice?" The Kid pirate doubted on the other side.
But the hatted man had already gone out of the navigation room before Killer could finish.
"Why won't it work?"
"Officers aren't as naïve as the soldiers. Just wait for me, I'm going to join y–"
"No! You have to guide me," Penguin protested as he was progressing toward the upper level where the captain's quarters were. "I'll make sure no one will trigger the alarm."
Killer took the snail phone unceremoniously and snatched Penguin's belongings despite what the Heart pirate had ordered. They had to leave the battleship before getting caught. It was a question of minutes now.
"Don't rush!" Killer continued, "You're going to make a mistake!"
"I won't! Trust me!"
The masked man stopped dead in his tracks. Both hands flat on the control panel with the dim blue light of the screen reflecting on his striped helmet. It wasn't just because Penguin's confident voice but what he just told.
Trust me!
Killer wasn't asking for anything more. But… He had a bad feeling about the success of their infiltration. Right now, as he looked at Penguin getting closer to the captain's quarters, it felt wrong. He didn't know why but it'd been a long time that Killer had learnt to trust his guts.
Checking his way on the control screens, he replied, "I'm meeting you in front of the captain's cabin. Wait for me!"
With a small bag containing Penguin's stuff on his back, Killer rushed through the halls. It wasn't long until the fresh air of the summer night blew lightly around him. Out on the upper deck the masked man barely registered the railing on his left and the distant lights of Sabaody. He was almost running now, resisting the urge to go at full speed because of the loud noise he would make on the wooden deck. His earlier disturbing feeling was creeping inside him, pushing him forward eagerly. Urgency had taken over Killer and was twisting his stomach although they had nothing to worry at the moment. Something was off and Killer felt it in his guts. It wasn't his ulcer wakening like each time Kid was doing something stupid. It was the same sickening feeling he had when his nakamas needed his help.
"I see the door," Killer informed through the snail phone with a forceful neutral tone. But no sign of the Heart pirate…
Only then he saw that the snail in his hand had shut down. He cursed and the holes of his helmet whistled. In two steps he was at the angle formed by the captain's quarters and the hall going down inside the battleship. Hiding in the shadows of the night, Killer scrutinized the lower deck under him, with the main mast and tied up ropes flooded by the moonlight, but the only information he received was the sound of several steps coming in his way. Marines…
They weren't that bad at infiltration, were they?
Killer's frustration accumulated in his hands turning into an itch to draw out his scythes. It was sad considering their plan had gone well up to this moment. One thing was sure though, if Penguin wasn't showing up soon heads would fly. Speaking of it a lot of candidates started to gather around the masked man. He breathed out and eased his mind with habit when the marines blocked his way in front and behind him. He'd waited for this all night.
"You're surrounded pirate!" A bold soldier shouted in Killer's back. "Surrender!" He added while arming his rifle.
All of a sudden Killer's murderous thoughts got out of his mind. And the masked man couldn't help a smile nobody would see. Slowly he turned back, forgetting the marines who were invading the upper deck, towards the familiar voice that had spoken. All around him marines were pointing weapons in Killer's direction, but he only had eyes for a pirate in disguise stuck in front of a troop of soldiers. Killer towered the shorter man that was aiming his gun barrel at his chest. Funny, how the man who insisted on having a plan was good at improvisation.
"Was that planned or you got caught first?" The blonde mocked in a whisper only for Penguin to hear him.
The Heart pirate readjusted the heavy duffle bag on his shoulder and Killer bet he was blushing heavily under the marine's cap he was wearing.
"Totally planned!" Penguin lied in a breath, steadying the rifle he was pointing at the masked man.
"I told you to wait for me."
"Spare me the 'I told you' alright?" The hatted man snapped without spite.
The officer on guard burst out the captain's cabin to witness Killer's arrest. Nonetheless the scowl twisting his features was not the expression of someone surprised. He solely seemed deeply pissed off finding a pirate aboard his battleship. As if he had expected some to come aboard. The officer shouted orders to the soldiers whom the white uniforms were shining under the moon rays.
A sudden peace had invaded Killer at this instant. Was it because they finally got caught or because he found the Heart pirate, he couldn't tell. But his stomach had untwisted and he got ready to fight with a renew desire. The masked man leaned imperceptibly forward, his voice going deeper than Penguin would've thought possible.
"Whenever you're ready…"
His rough voice caressed Penguin like a lover's hand rubbing his cheek. Shivers ran down the hatted man's spine. Not from fear this time… but from thrilling anticipation. His heart halted its fluttering for an instant, adrenaline flowing in his veins from head to toe, tickling his nerves. Penguin felt like being in the eye of a storm he could start by a single shot.
He was in control.
*crack their knuckles* Time to kick some asses!
