Shirazuki really felt panicky when he couldn't locate his friend after the dance ended. She seemed to have given Korenaga the slip as he left the dance floor with another admirer. But Ash was still nowhere to be found. He did come across Oki and quickly checked in with him if he'd seen anything.
"It was the Captain," he explained. "He used Shambles to separate them."
His eyes widened as fear choked his throat, which he found difficult to clear. "R-really? That's pretty damn reckless!"
"Yeah, it was weird," he readily agreed. "More like Straw Hat's style, you know? Can't imagine what he was thinking."
Shirazuki's brow knit with worry. "We'd better hurry this up then. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can leave."
"And the sooner I can breathe!" Oki coughed as he tugged on his collar. It came open and his face fell.
"That's ok, I've got it," he said as he quickly refastened it. Then they parted ways. Oki was determined to slip away from the main party to investigate his office on the second floor. Shirazuki did eventually find Ash with a drink in hand. He heaved a sigh of relief. "Boy, am I glad to see you!" He gushed.
"Yeah, that could have gone better," she agreed after taking a sip.
"Are you ok? He didn't, you know-" he trailed off meaningfully.
She shook her head. "Naw, he just ogled. He wouldn't dare grope so publicly." She made a bit of a pinched face. "But I do remember why I turned down his proposal all those years ago."
He chuckled at that. "Save that trip down memory lane for another time, let's get back to work. And seeing as how you've been identified, you should 'disappear'."
She nodded in turn before handing her empty glass to a waitress to take care of. They both discreetly made their way towards the exit, where they parted ways. She found a maid to trade clothing with, one who she caught spying in on the party with dreams of "being one of them." She was quite relieved to be free from the cumbersome dress, but her heart did slightly ache to disappoint Bepo. She removed the pearls and pins from her updo and let her hair fall about her shoulders. With that out of the way, she made her way up to the third floor, taking a guess that his private quarters would be there. Most would think to check his office but if you want to find the goods, go straight to the source.
After checking a few rooms, she found his and made sure to lock the door behind her. She went over to his desk and took a seat in the great leather chair. She used one of the hairpins to pick the lock on one of the drawers. There were a lot of papers and such scattered about, he didn't seem inclined to organize any of it. She did notice a photograph of her, during her socialite season some years back, and frowned at it curiously. Why would he have kept this? She thought to herself. She crumbled it up and tossed it into the wastebasket. Back to work, she quickly flicked through the mess. It took a trained eye to recognize the jewels from the junk. She found some incriminating information, the sort that Law would appreciate. She folded each into tiny origami animal shapes, each one was code for a particular category. These she slipped into a metal bracer she wore on her upper arm, hidden under clothing. Each link was hollow to secure the evidence. She was just working on picking the second drawer when suddenly the light switched on.
"I had a feeling you'd be here," Korenaga's voice dripped with smug confidence. He pocketed his key and folded his arms across his chest.
She cursed her bad luck, knowing that Law would give her hell if he knew of this second screwup. Oh well, at least now he wouldn't bother to invite her to join his crew. But clearly, she had more pressing concerns than those she would face later. She narrowed her eyes as she made contact with his own, making a show of bravado. She wasn't going to be intimidated by the likes of this pompous idiot. "Did you now?" She quietly challenged as she stood up.
He sighed as he shook his head dismissively. "You really didn't have to go to the trouble of sneaking around, you know. All you have to do is ask."
She looked a bit skeptical at that as she slowly stood up. "Really? Your big mouth shouldn't be that wide."
He burst out into a loud laugh. "You are as insolent as you are beautiful, my dear! Just as spirited as I remember too. I knew that I'd chosen well for I wouldn't have set my sights on anything less."
She frowned suspiciously, not sure she wanted to know where he was going with that. She was keenly aware of the exits available to her, the window behind and the door in front. Three stories up was certainly daunting, but slipping past him wouldn't be much easier either. He may be an idiot, but he was still a military man; solid muscle with the training to use it efficiently. If he was feeling inclined towards her, perhaps she should manipulate that angle.
She managed a sweet smile. "You always did have an eye for quality, Commodore." She praised as she took a few steps forward, determined on this exit.
His smile was cocky. "Enough to recognize a rebel among the roses." He chuckled to himself. "I certainly hope you're not working for pirates now. No, even you wouldn't sink that far."
She hesitated for a moment, not sure if he was dropping hints or just running his mouth. If he thought her a traitor to the World Government, flattery alone may not be enough to sway him. She gently smirked at that. "Piracy? She scoffed scornfully. "Where's the fun in that?"
"Absolutely," He agreed as he took a seat on a couch and patted the cushion beside him. "Let's talk, have a seat."
She approached but stood by the arm rest on the other side. "I'm good, thanks." She just had to edge a bit closer round the couch. Then her way would be clear. He made a show of examining his fingernails. "I'll have you know that I have security stationed outside. If you exit before I do, they have instructions to arrest you." He knocked twice on the side table beside him and two echoed on the door outside, so that wasn't a bluff. She would have been impressed if she wasn't pissed by this unexpected turn of events.
She folded her arms stubbornly across her chest. "So, what do you want to talk about?"
"You don't have to resort to all this sneaking around, Ash." He said in a patronizing tone. "What I have could be yours too." She blinked in genuine surprise. What was he talking about? "I forgive your foolhardy rejection from all those years back; it pleases me that you've come around to reconsider." His expression softened as he reached out for her hand. "My marital offer still stands."
Her eyes widened in horror. Did…did he really think…? "What the hell is wrong with you?" She breathed out incredulously.
He blinked in surprise; his square jaw dropped. "What's wrong with…" he repeated absent-mindedly before his face reddened as his temper flared. "Then why else would you be here?"
She glared in turn. "If you wanna arrest me, then go right ahead and do it!" She purposefully raised her voice. "Rotting in jail would be preferable than being chained to you!" She turned on her heel, prepared to charge at the door.
She made it a few steps before he tackled her; his immense size flattened her to the ground. "You stubborn bitch! How dare you? How dare you look down on me!" He roared in her face.
She grinned wickedly at him; blood dripped from her split lip from hitting the floor. "I do and I will, you big, stupid, ug-"
His massive fist closed around her throat, cutting off her insult. "I've changed my mind," he growled as he narrowed his eyes. "I can do so much better than you." He reached into the breast pocket of his military dress uniform. He removed a small glass bottle and removed the cork with his teeth. "Jail is too good for the likes of you. Why waste time and money with a trial when I can just execute you myself and be done with it?"
Her eyes widened in horror. What was that? Why would he carry poison on his person? That was equally unsettling as her situation had worsened. She thrashed beneath him, but he was much too large to throw off. He pressed the rim against her mouth, trying to force it inside.
The liquid spilled out around her, stinging her lips and skin. She hissed in surprise at the burning sensation, and he finally succeeded in finding an opening. She coughed and gagged as she did her best to resist it. His grip on her throat tightened as he roughly shook to make her swallow. Tears sprang to her eyes as her throat began to burn. He grinned down maliciously at her. "That's right. Feels like liquid fire, doesn't it? My own invention too, but don't worry, the pain is only starting!" He hesitated for a moment as he heard a scuffle take place outside the door. "Keep it down out there!" He snapped.
Suddenly the large door exploded from its hinges, blowing clear across the room and knocking him off her. She rolled with the momentum from the blast and slid across the floor. She wheezed as she felt her throat swell with prickling pain, the sort that makes your eyes water. She raised her head with some difficulty. She couldn't believe what she saw. Outside the room, flames burned brightly with a blue tint. Like a chemically induced flame, the sort of weapon used by…who was it again? Her head felt heavy, and she rested it against the cool floor. It was getting harder to breathe, but her limbs trembled as she tried to summon the strength to rise. She had to get out of here!
Another surge of heat blasted through the room and this time she felt weightless as she flew through the air. She was barely aware of the sharp sting of glass as she was thrown straight through the window. The cool, crisp night air felt like needles against her singed skin as her chest burned within from the poison. Strangely though, only one thing ran through her mind.
Law. Was he alright? Was he safe?