Kidd had been observant of Killer's moves for the past few days. He had Wire and Heat report to him about his day-to-day activities whether they involved the group's plans or his errands. They found none, but his usual composure was diminishing whenever Kidd talked about Sab, even for a moment.
And Kidd decided to test him now.
"She lived for far too long already," Kidd said out of the blue, startling Killer. "She needs to die now."
"You can't mean Sab, right?"
"Who else I desired to kill other than her?" Kidd noticed the way Killer was fidgeting, panicking about what the red-haired just said.
"I thought you would - "
"That's what you thought." He took another sip of an expensive vodka, eyes on Killer.
"What were you planning to do?"
"Oh, simple. She's going to explode. Like, boom! And gone! She will be dead in no time. Dying in a car doesn't sound like a bad idea, isn't it?"
"Kidd..."
"I won't show mercy to anyone who betrays me, Killer. No one can escape my grasp." His eyes were like knives, piercing through Killer's chest. "Especially those who made a fool out of me." The anger in his heart intensifies just thinking that Sab and Killer might be seeing each other now, or maybe even before.
Cheaters. Traitors.
"You're quiet. Anything you want to tell me, Killer?"
"Can you not find any space in your heart to forgive her?" Killer was still hoping that Kidd will realize that what he was planning to do is a mistake. Had it not been for the promise he made to Sab, he would have blurted out everything he knew.
"Forgive her for sending me to prison? For her betrayal? No. There will be no forgiveness for her. And she will die."
The conversation ended like that. Panicked, Killer immediately went to his room to call Sab without realizing that his room has a security camera and a recorder.
"What is it this time, Killer? I thought we agreed not to contact each other again?" That was her greeting to him.
"Where are you right now? No matter what you do, do not get into your car. Kidd might have placed a bomb in your car. I don't know how he managed to do so, but don't get in your car." He knew this was a betrayal to Kidd. He was supposed to be loyal to Kidd, but by warning Sab about the impending danger, he's inevitably becoming a traitor to his oldest friend.
"I'm removing it."
"What?" That shocked Killer.
"I'm removing it. I told you I can take care of myself. I am alive because I am being careful. I knew something was wrong with my car, that's why I had it checked." Sab's habits involved checking her car before using it. With so many death threats she received over the past two years, one carelessness can lead to her demise.
"Good. Just be careful."
"I told you I am no longer your responsibility, Killer. You do not have to protect me anymore. You don't have to do this. You know by warning me, you are betraying Kidd."
"I know I do not have to protect you, but I felt guilty Sab. I can't just let you die after what happened."
The past could never leave their minds. It was always there, reminding them of their failures and what they failed to protect.
"I'll hang up now." Sab could no longer argue with Killer. She understood where he was coming from.
After the call ended, Kidd was beyond furious. He kicked the coffee table and threw everything that he could get his hands on. His room is sound-proof which helped keep the noise of his anger contained, but his heart is a staggering mess. It felt like he was a ticking bomb, ready to explode anytime now.
He kept his anger, setting it aside in favor of focusing on taking care of Hawkins along with Orochi and Kaido's men. Kidd knew that killing Kaido will never be easy. His group had far more members. What they are doing now is just slowly crippling him.
Blue was with them. Kidd is not the type to ask him for his goals, as long as they are cooperating, that is fine with Kidd.
What he noticed during their raids and operations was that Killer was paying too much attention to Blue. With what he discovered a few days ago, all of Killer's moves became suspicious to Kidd.
Kidd couldn't fathom why Killer was being friendly with Blue and went out of his way to cover him. Granted they are temporary allies till they manage to kill Orochi and get more leverage at their disposal, such friendliness and closeness are unwanted.
He put his thoughts at the back of his mind in favor of focusing on their current situation. Cipher Pol is on their tail after they raided a fighting arena that belonged to Kaido.
The skirmish was on a different level considering the fights that were interrupted when Kidd fired at the hosts of the fighting arena.
The security was lax which was a surprise, but the immediate response from the nearby Cipher Pol Agents. They must have been stationed nearby in case a raid happens.
Some of the backups are World Government officers which speaks volumes of how much influence Orochi has.
"We only need to disrupt the fighting arena and target the bookkeeper," Blue said. According to their estimate, the bets placed on tonight's fight are worth several hundred million. Getting that money will be sweet, not to mention it will give Kaido and Orochi more than just headaches should they lose that money in a day.
"Let's split up, that way we can cover more grounds." Blue briefly explained what they need to do now that the security and backups are moving towards them. Kidd, Blue, and Killer teamed up to get the money from the arena's bookkeeper.
Blue aka Sab does not care about the money. She cares more about the list of transactions that they will get once they have their hands on the bookkeeper.
It was not an easy feat. The audience is now taking cover, afraid to be on the receiving end of the skirmish. Some deliberately barred Kidd's path, but they met their doom with a quick gunshot. It was like a bloodbath.
They ran all over the place while Kidd's members are keeping the security team of Orochi busy. As soon as they got into the small office where the bookkeeper was, several of the Cipher Pol agents appeared. The three had to fight their way to get the money and the list of transactions.
Getting injuries during these kinds of raids is nothing new. Everyone got used to it but it doesn't mean Sab likes it. She saw the blood dripping from Kidd's mouth and her heart instantly clenched from the sight. Despite the injury being light, the worries will always be there which is proof that her feelings for him have not changed.
"Why are you looking at me?" Kidd asked after they managed to get to the bookkeeper's office.
"N-Nothing." Her reactions did not escape Killer's eyes.
After getting what they needed, Kidd instantly signaled his men to back away. He and Killer are now carrying bags full of cash and gold while Blue was carrying folders and a hard drive.
They planned to go separate ways but the number of men surrounding the area after the skirmish made it hard to do. They had to fight again. Kidd did not hesitate to shoot them dead.
The chaos is getting out of hand. With the backups of the enemies coming at them, they inevitably have to find ways to escape. Blue told Kidd to escape with his men according to their plan while the latter will find a way to escape on her own. Killer was quick to argue that Blue should escape with them.
The concern had Kidd raising his eyebrows but shoved it off and let Blue go separate ways much to Killer's unease.
Sab was beginning to separate herself from this predicament. If she forms any kind of attachment to the group, even if her guise is under Blue, it would only spell demise sooner or later.
She was on her way to her ride when someone managed to sneak up on her and attack mercilessly. As someone trained to keep her guard up all the time, she managed to evade the attack just in time, but the knife managed to slice through her mask.
The man stared at her, wide-eyed upon realizing the face behind the mask. She did not give the man any chance to escape and dealt a heavy blow to him. She cannot risk getting exposed after all. The dead body lay on the ground, blood scattered on the ground. How many people died in her hands just because they discovered her identity? She couldn't count anymore. But a dead man tells no tale. Her secret is safe.
Disregarding the mask, she decided to leave the place not knowing that a woman was hiding behind a bush, holding a sniper. Kalifa was supposed to shoot Blue but upon discovering the face behind that mask, she decided not to even if it means watching a fellow agent die.
"Sab Regor. Of course, no one will think that you are Blue. Who would have thought that you were right under our noses all this time?" A smirk graced her lips while watching Blue escape from her range. "I'll let you live for now. But not for long. You're a thorn that must be removed."
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
With everything that he found out about Luffia, there is still something that puzzles Zoro. He has a lot of questions, but he finds it hard to point what exactly what he wants to ask.
The ring coming from his phone woke him from his musings. Looking at the caller, he sighed, a little nervous. Luffia who was sitting beside him, eating with much gusto looked at the caller. It must have been instinct for her to know who the caller was.
"Are you not going to pick it up?"
"I should." While it goes against his morals to go back on his word, he shoved anything he believed just for her. "Hello," his deep husky voice penetrated Luffia's ears, making her perk up while wondering if she should be listening to this conversation or not. Zoro did not tell her to go away, so she stayed.
"Lucci is dead," Stussy said from the other side of the line.
"Is that so?"
"And you are still alive?" Her words made Zoro frown. "You were with him chasing after Strawhat. He died. Are you telling me that Strawhat did not kill you?"
"Strawhat did not kill me because his companions arrived. I managed to escape," With her.
Zoro eyed Luffia who looked sad and guilty. His hands immediately reached for her hand and gave it a little squeeze of assurance. "I'll report tomorrow. There's something I need to tell you."
The call ended immediately and Zoro dreaded the day he has to lie again.
"You do not have to do this."
"We've spoken about this. This is my choice." It is more accurate to say that she was his choice. And it will always be her.
For the last two days, Zoro had seen how she interacted with her members. It seems to him that they knew all along with his special friendship with Luffia. The wariness is still there, but for the most part, they ignored him which suits him the best. While he has a few connections with some Mafia Groups, it cannot be called friendship and it felt odd to be friends with them considering his job is to hunt down these people.
He could never fully understand why she wanted to become part of the streets but seeing her talk about her members made Zoro think that perhaps, she found a family in them. She rambled about Chopper being a genius or about Nami being a worrywart and loves money but is soft when it comes to the elderly and the children. She talked about Franky who was cool and Brook who was even cooler especially when he sings. Listening to her made Zoro understand her a little and it was a relief because despite being part of a cruel and brutal world, she remains the same old Luffia he knew.
"You loved what you do, right?" It was a question she threw at him and one glance told Zoro where this conversation is heading to. The guilt in her eyes never faded even when Zoro told her about his choice.
"It's not that I am passionate about this. I guess you could say that sending mafia bosses to jail made me feel relieved." He said. "You know how some Mafia groups operate, right? They will never look back at the damage they have done. They will scatter the blood of those that stood their way regardless of age and gender. They will never hesitate to commit a massacre just to achieve their goals. Seeing them out of the streets made me relieved that at least, with one less murderer, perhaps, I prevented the demise of someone's life."
A dry laugh escaped Zoro's throat. "I sound like a vigilante, don't I? Seriously, I am not doing this to be a hero. I am doing this to deal with the thirst in my heart for so long. And the regrets that I could never make up for."
"What do you mean, Zoro?"
"You must have known that my parents died because of a Mafia group, right?" With that question, Luffia's throat suddenly felt dry, as if her life has put to a stop from the nervousness she felt at that moment. "I'm saying, with less cruel people walking free, it would prevent misery to the innocents." Even without further explanation, Luffia understood Zoro. It's painful that she did as her heart shatters for keeping a piece of information from him.
"You..." Her voice trailed, almost fading as she harness the courage to voice her question. "Do you want revenge?" That was such a hypocritical question from Luffia of all people. She, who was on her path of revenge, cannot ask such a question to someone who suffered like her.
Her question made Zoro laugh a little. "Even if I want to, that person is already dead. His former members are nowhere to be found. Even his family is gone. Who would I direct my revenge at? No one. So, might as well drive these groups out of the streets and put them in their right places."
She swallowed the lump in her throat, not daring to speak a single word for fear that she might break down. The pain she was feeling at that moment is surreal. It twists her heart into knots that can never be unraveled. A part of her wants to face this head-on like she always does, to be brave and tell him the truth, yet she could not find her voice. A certain part of her is afraid to lose him.
"What if..." She squeezed her hand under the pillow she was holding to hide the storm in her heart. "What if they're alive?"
"You mean the Mafia King? Impossible. He is no longer alive. So as his family."
"And if you found his members? W-What will you do?" She was answered by silence yet that was enough for her to know what he will do especially after seeing the thunderous emotions written in his eyes. It felt like a lightning bolt struck at her. "What..." She could no longer form the words in her mouth. "What did..."
"What was that? Are you okay?" Zoro noticed the sudden change in her but she did not answer. She only looked at him, letting her eyes silently ask the question she could never say: 'What did my father do your family?' She could have asked him something different like 'what did the mafia king do to your family, but even if she did, it's scary.
It's scary to know what her father did to Zoro's family. In all the years since her parents' death, no matter what other people say about her family, she only shrugged it off. Even if they told her that he was a murderer, she felt nothing because her memories of her father will remain the same. What she knew about him were a loving father and a loving husband. Whatever Roger was to the others, she could care less for she trusts her father.
But this is different. This is Zoro.
"What's the matter Luffia?" He was getting worried when he saw a tear escape from her beautiful eye. With gentleness, he wiped the tear and before he could ask, Luffia lunged at him, embracing him so tightly.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay. As long as I have you, everything will be fine." He must have mistaken her apology as a pity for what he went through, but Luffia meant it differently. He was focused on her warmth that nothing else matters. In her warmth he felt safe, he felt at home.
No more will he lose his home. He will never allow it. Once was enough. Never again.
Flashback to several years ago:
Zoro was too young to care about what the adults were talking about but he was smart enough to understand what was happening. Wano District has been in turbulent times since the most powerful businessmen somehow got involved with a Mafia Group. That was the hearsay in the streets.
Wano is part of Grandline, and it has several cities where powerful families rule over it. The World Government does not want to stir the peace and left the city government to the families whose businesses were well spread out in the cities under Wano District. This is the only part of Grandline where the World Government took a step back. They would normally have a base or headquarters, but Wano is different. The roots of these families were too deep that replacing them may cause more trouble than necessary.
And this is where Zoro resides. He was merely 6 years old when his peaceful life as the heir to the Shimotsuki family came crashing down.
Fire... Guns... Screams... He could remember that day when everything turned upside down all because of this name - Gol D. Roger, the Mafia King. It was tragic.
Roronoa Zoro... That wasn't his name. His real name is none other than Shimotsuki Zorojuro, son of the late City Governor of Ringo City. But no more.
Shimotsuki Zorojuro is dead in the eyes of everyone. He is now Roronoa Zoro, the Mafia Hunter.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
It was quite a surprise to Ann when she and Sab heard about Luffia being injured and her best friend was the one to help her. The three of them kept no secrets from each other. The twins knew about Zoro for a long time now but they let Luffia handle her situation as she sees fit. She may look goofy all the time but the twins knew her desire to get their revenge is as strong as theirs. She won't do anything to jeopardize their hard work. Not now when they have been progressing well.
After knowing she was okay, Ann shifted her focus to other things and that includes killing Whitebeard. The plan has been set in stone. She will make sure she will not fail this time. The scale of this assassination will cost many lives from the Whitebeard group.
She dreaded every time she thinks about her plan. The blueprint she stole came in handy and all she needs to do is to wait for the right moment.
The blueprint was essential. She studied it and executed her plan of placing bombs all over the place. Once triggered, it will doom everyone in that building. It will be a huge massacre. When she planted the bombs, all she could think about is Whitebeard's death, nothing else, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt hesitant. Is she willing to push the button and kill everyone?
When her resolve began to sway, she immediately reminded herself that this is how it should be.
Her phone started ringing.
'Marco' is what registered on her screen. It was a reminder to her that if she decided to pull the trigger on her grand plan, it might also kill Marco in the process.
With a sigh, she picked it up. She needs to get herself together and act like the Ann that Marco knew.
"Hi. You called." She forced a smile on her lips, pushing away the guilt that was in her mind a few seconds ago.
"We're going to the Blue Phoenix Bar to visit Bay. Do you want to come along, yoi? I know you've been busy with the orphanage, but you might want to hang out and relax." Another pang of guilt attacked her. He was worried about her without knowing that what she was busy with was executing her plans on killing Whitebeard which might result in killing several people at once.
"S-Sure. I'd love that and it's been a while since I've seen her."
"Are you alright? You sound tired, yoi." Every time he was concerned for her, it felt like a knife slowly cutting through her heart. It was especially painful now.
"I am. Tonight, right? I'll see you."
"Okay. I'll pick you up."
She ended the call and threw her phone on the couch. Her hands instantly covered her face as she looked down, exhausted. After a while, she looked up to the pictures of the powerful men she killed in this conquest for revenge. Shiki was now out of the picture and several others who were part of the plot against his father.
Then, in the center of the board was the picture of Whitebeard with a knife piercing through the thin paper. Her thoughts brought her to Marco and instantly, the tug of war in her heart starts. She grabbed a fistful of her hair in frustration. Hatred for the people who plotted to kill her parents or love?
If she goes back against this path of revenge, where would she be? Beside Marco? That's impossible. She knew she could never be by his side, not after all she had done. Even if she chose that, she knew in her heart she does not have the right to be beside him at all.
All she can do is swallow that little hope, smash it to pieces, and strengthened her heart to continue this path even if it's exhausting.
There are times she began questioning when this will end. She thought that once she got closer to Whitebeard, they are all a step closer to getting their revenge, but why does it feel like it was too far away?
"I can't go back." She told herself. The plan was already there, waiting for her to press that button. All she needs to do is to wait till she was sure Whitebeard is in that headquarters. One press and he will die. No bulletproof vest can save him, not when Ann planted several bombs all over the place.
It was the hardest task because of the security but she managed to do it thanks to the Blueprint she stole from Marco's home office. Her body trembled just from thoughts of her actions. His face kept on appearing in her mind. Her memories with Marco kept coming back and she hated this. She hated that no matter how much she hates his father, her feelings for him remained the same.
The denial was strong before. She told herself she was just acting, pretending that she loves him when in fact, she was just fooling herself. She was a fool to believe that she will never feel something like this to an enemy.
Yet she did. And it is painful.
"You'll get through this, Ann. Your parents did not raise you to be weak. You'll get through this. You will forget about him and move on. Remember, you are doing this for your family. This is for your family. He was just a thorn in your path. He is not your lover and never will be. He will always be an enemy." But as she was saying these words, tears were falling from her eyes. Every word felt so painful like she was stabbing herself to death. All she can wish now was for everything to end so she can get past these painful emotions.
But it is not. The end is yet to come for the next events will leave her heart shattered to pieces.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
AN
Back with another chapter. Kudos to all of you who kept on waiting and reading this story. Seriously, the roller-coaster emotions of this story are unlike what I've written in ASL Sisters or Fates of the Hidden World. But don't you worry, this is a happy ending, okay? It's just a slow burn. I placed Fates of the Hidden World on hold for now since I want to focus on this story for at least the next 5 chapters where big scenes will happen. Pray for the twins, because it's gonna be a hell of a ride. I swear