Chapter 21 - The Deal with the Navy

It would be an understatement to say that Zoro was dissatisfied with Rei's interrogation skills. He thought he was going to see the genius at work but instead he was being a witness to what could be the dumbest tactic in the world.

"Are you serious?" the Green Cloak imposter asked, looking at Rei, who had her mask and hood back on.

"Yes," she said in her faux-boy voice. "You have three choices. You can either have the former Pirate Hunter kill you..."

She paused to let her prisoner take in the image of the scowling Zoro with his three sword. She couldn't help but wonder why he had also shot a couple of angry glances her way as well.

"Or you could eat this entire plate of food," she continued as she pushed a plate piled high of cold grey meat slabs, the Jeffrey Cogan specialty, "Or finally, you can tell me everything."

"And you'll let me go?" the Green Cloak said excitedly eyeing the piece of meat.

"Yes, well, unless you take the first choice," Rei said getting up from her seat, "We'll leave you alone for a few minutes while you decide."

She signaled to Zoro to exit the room and she followed close behind. He wordlessly obeyed and straightened from his leaning stance and exited the room. As soon as the door closed behind them though, Zoro let loose.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" he shouted at Rei, "OF COURSE HE'S GOING TO PICK THE GREY MEAT! YOU'RE GOING TO LET HIM GET AWAY!"

Rei grabbed his arm and pulled him further down the hallway so that the prisoner wouldn't overhear what she had to say.

"I've done this before and I know what I'm doing," she said calmly and looked directly into the swordsman's good eye, "Please trust me."

The swordsman's arm, under Rei's grip, tightened as he contemplated her request. She felt the bulge of his muscle but she did not release her hold. She stared earnestly up at him so that he could see how serious she was taking the situation.

They stood there looking at each other in silence for a moment before finally Zoro jerked his arm away from her hold. He walked over to the prisoner's door and leaned on it. "Fine, we'll do it your way but I hope he picks option #1. That'll be more fun for me."

"Believe me," Rei said, as she copied his motion and leaned against the door as well, "Once he tastes my dad's cooking, there'll be a high chance he begs for you to end his misery."

"Don't you eat your dad's cooking?" Zoro asked.

"Yes, but it took 20 years of training," Rei said.

I can't tell if she's joking or not, Zoro thought, It's hard enough with that stupid mask on her face but her tone is always so serious!

"I've made my decision!" the prisoner called out after a few minutes had gone by.

The two entered into the room. The Green Cloak was slightly green in the face and there was tiny bite missing from the meat slab at the top of the pile.

"I"ll tell you everything!" the man cried, "Just get that horrible thing out of here!"

Zoro glanced over at Rei but she didn't look at him. Her focus was entirely on her key to the Web Gang.

"Okay," she said, sitting in the seat across from the Green Cloak, "You know who I am but I don't know who you are."

"My name is Eto," the guy said.

"Eto what?" Rei said. She sensed his hesitation and pushed the plate of meat closer to him.

He gulped and said in a hurried voice, "Clayton Eto."

"Huh?" Zoro said leaning in closer from where he was standing.

"Clayton Eto?" Rei said, not showing any sense of surprise or shock, although inside her heart was beating fast, "Are you related to Dr. Clayton?"

"Yes, he's my father," Eto confessed.

"Your father is working with the Web Gang."

"Yes," Eto said not realizing Rei said it more to herself and not directing a question at him.

"Why?" Rei asked, "He's a doctor with a good reputation and trusted by the entire island. We even send him over to the Navy side at times to treat their sick."

"That's why," Eto said gritting his teeth in frustration tears starting to form in his eyes, "That's why he's working for Tarantula."

"What do you mean?" Rei asked.

"My brother was a marine," Eto said the tears now streaming down his face, "He was a strong fighter that was recruited from the Navy. And then…"

Rei knew where this was going but she remained silent and waited for Eto to finish his story, "And then he got killed by pirates last year."

"How come I don't recall meeting your brother?" Rei asked Eto, "I've met all the trainees on this island. I don't remember a Clayton."

"He registered under a different name," Eto said through his tears, "His name was Clayton Marin but he registered under -"

"Marin Eto," Rei said finishing Eto's sentence, the young recruit's face flashing back into her memory, "Yes, I remember him."

They sat in silence for awhile as Rei took a moment of silence for the the fallen marine, who was the same age as her, if she remembered correctly. Eto sat there crying, while Zoro resisted the urge to sit down on the floor. His leg was getting stiff. How much longer is this going to take?, he thought impatiently.

"So why does Dr. Clayton want to work for Tarantula? What does that have to with your brother's death?" Rei asked, refocusing her attention on the purpose of this interrogation.

"Tarantula promised him that if Dr. Clayton helped him, he would make sure he worked only on the Navy side for the rest of his life and never have to treat pirates again," Eto said.

"How can Tarantula promise something like that?" Rei asked, "Does he have the power to make that decision?"

"Not yet but Tarantula has a deal with the Navy," Eto said.

Rei's stomach turned. "What's the deal?"

"If he can deliver 1000 pirates to the Navy by tomorrow then…"

"Then what?" Rei asked, using all of her willpower to sound calm and not alarmed.

"Then the Navy will help Tarantula overthrow the king and his high commanders."

"WHAT?!" Rei couldn't control it anymore. At the mention of the king and her fellow commanders, she lost it. She was about to leap out of her chair when she felt Zoro's hand on her shoulder, holding her down. She looked up at him and to see him glaring down at her. He was angry at her again. And again, she didn't know why.

You told me to trust you, so I am, Zoro tried to say with his eyes as he scowled down at the masked commander, So do your job and don't lose your cool.

Rei broke her eye contact with Zoro and cleared her throat. "Why would the Navy make a deal like that?" Rei asked Eto, although deep down she already knew where this was headed.

"Because of the Summit War," Eto said.

Rei sat in silence for a moment. She felt a pressure in the bottom of her stomach and then Eto voiced her worst fear.

"Because you refused to help the World Government, the Navy wants to overthrow the king and put in place someone who will do more for the Navy."

Zoro's hand was still holding Rei down so he felt her body tense up from the last statement. In response, he tightened his grip on her shoulder but the Know It All didn't seem to notice. She sat in painful silence as the minutes dragged on.

Is this all my fault?, she thought, Did I put everyone in danger?