When Ash woke up next, she was disappointed to find that she was alone with not even a note left behind this time. She hugged his pillow close as she breathed in his rich, musky scent. Last night…last night had been…her skin tingled at the memory of his lips traveling along it. His touch now lacked the slight tremble from their first intimate encounter. He was becoming more comfortable and confident as her lover, tuned in to what she enjoyed most. She still marveled at how his golden eyes seemed to gleam even in darkness. Nothing had been declared between them yet but the lines that divided them was definitely beginning to blur. She set the pillow aside as she sat up with a sigh. She had to make her decision and soon, but honestly, it wasn't the only one she'd have to make either. She'd fallen for some real jerks in her time, losers and users, but this Pirate Captain was the worst.
As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes she could hear heavy boots running back and forth in the corridor. That was strange and she felt a familiar tingle run down her spine. Something was going on, was it good or bad? She slowly stood up as she heard voices outside the room.
"The Captain gave instruction for me to wait for Ash. I'm to keep her busy and out of his way." she could just make out Penguin's voice. "He would have sent Bepo, but he's on the bridge plotting out a new course."
"You mean she's in there? Right now?" Shachi asked in disbelief. "So she spent the night again…?"
"Forget that, it doesn't matter," he firmly cut him off. He didn't want to speculate in such personal matters.
She couldn't quite hear the next part and pressed her ear against the door.
"Yeah, I heard about that," Shachi said solemnly.
"He's gonna take care of it, that's his plan anyway. So keep your mouth shut and act none the wiser when she comes out." Penguin instructed. She was surprised to hear just how serious he was.
She frowned suspiciously, what was going on that they didn't want her to know about? Why the need to keep her in the dark? That didn't sit well with her at all, especially if she was going to join them. She caught herself for a moment. Maybe? She still hadn't made her decision yet, but the unconscious slip had formed so naturally. First things first, she had to get to the bottom of this mystery and to do that she'd have to get out of here. She looked down at her nightshirt, only then to realize that she was wearing his shirt. She flushed red at that and hurriedly threw it aside. After looking around, it was obvious that nothing of hers was here, aside from that hospital gown, and she wasn't about to wear that again. It was clear that she didn't have much of a choice.
She glanced through his closet, determined to find something that would work. She selected one of his button-up shirts, a short-sleeved black one with a gold heart design on the side that resembled his shoulder tattoo. It would make do until she could find something better, she resolved as she tried to ignore how soft it felt on her skin. He clearly had an eye for quality fabric, how unexpected.
As long as Penguin watched the door, he would assume she was still in the room. She'd have to find another way out. Keeping her footsteps light, she carefully felt her way along the walls. Surely a Pirate Captain would have a trap door or secret passageway set in the wall. To her surprise, the only such thing was a laundry chute. Seriously? Oh well, it's better than a garbage one. She carefully climbed onto the pull-down door, shivering slightly at the cool metal. As she scooted towards the shaft, curled up with her knees to her chest, the door shut behind her. She fell into darkness and hoped for a soft landing. Within minutes she saw light down below and soon landed on a pile of clothes set in a great bin. There were a few crew members about, but no one noticed as she carefully climbed out, dropped down, and hid behind it.
"Hey, did you see it in the paper?" One asked as he sorted one bin into three separate ones: uniforms, undergarments, casual clothes.
"I did notice that advert for foot-cream. Frankly, I think you're beyond such help." His friend said dryly as he emptied one fresh-washed load into a massive dryer. He grunted as a pair of boxers was thrown at him.
"Oh ha ha, you're hilarious." He laughed sarcastically. "Though maybe I should buy some for your mother."
She heard a soft rumble as another load was falling down overhead. She reached out to grab a uniform and quickly pulled it on. Thankfully it didn't smell too bad and was free from any stains. She had to roll up the ends of the pants to adjust for the length. Nearby she found another bin full of hats of all sizes and fabrics. This would be perfect! She picked a green knit one and gathered her hair up underneath it. She pulled the front down so that the broad brim kept her eyes in shadow. Hopefully she wasn't so recognizable now.
"Wow, really?" The conversation continued as she stood up. "Does she know?"
"Well I'm not gonna be the one to tell her," his friend huffed.
"Hey you, hand me that detergent."
She looked about for the exit; this room was huge!
"Hey! I'm talking to you, newbie!"
She jumped as she felt a large hand grab her by the shoulder. Instinctively, she whirled around with her fist curled tightly. The man easily caught her small fist into his large hand. He heaved a sigh as he pushed it aside. "Cool it tiger, just grab that for me, will ya?" He pointed to the shelf behind her where an assortment of laundry products was. She made a guess and grabbed a box.
He gave her a funny look. "Not even close, it's this one," he said as he reached for it. He turned away, grumbling disparagingly under his breath but she ignored him. Someone entered the room on the left and she hurried on over. Thankfully no one else noticed, or worse, asked for her help. She caught the door before it closed and slipped through. This corridor was empty, but she wasn't sure what floor she was on. But more importantly, where was she looking to go? She wasn't stupid enough to confront Law head on, not when she went through this much trouble to escape from his room. But what about Shirazuki? Would he know, and if he did would he tell her? It was her best chance though, and she moved forward with resolve. Once on the elevator, she selected the residential level. Thankfully it didn't make any stops. She did pass a few crewmembers in the hallway as they made their way to the elevator. They were too busy chatting about last night's activities to really notice her.
She knocked on Shirazuki's door, hoping to find him alone. Not that she minded his roommate Oki, he was nice enough, but she didn't trust him to keep his mouth shut. Her friend opened the door and blinked in surprise as he recognized her. "Ash? What are-"
She shoved him back as she hurried into the room and locked the door behind her. "I need your help, Shira!" She hissed in as loud a whisper as she dared. Her voice felt faint as it squeaked a little too, but at least she wasn't coughing.
He looked bewildered at the sight of her in the ill-fitting uniform and over-sized cap. It definitely wasn't one of her better disguises. There was panic in her eyes as she grabbed hold of his undershirt and gently shook him. "Law set a watch on me! There's some trouble going on he doesn't want me to know about."
He looked a little exasperated. All that panic…and over this? He carefully pried her hands free and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "If there's trouble going on, naturally he wouldn't want to involve you. You're our guest after all."
"But he assigned Penguin to keep me occupied!" She insisted.
"That would make sense too, we've all had to do something similar to keep guests out of our hair when something bad goes down. Now, I know it feels sudden," he interrupted as she opened her mouth to protest further. "But that's piracy for you. It could be a run-in with the Marines, Bounty Hunters, or even other Pirates."
She shook her head stubbornly. What he said did make sense, but she couldn't shake the feeling that it centered on her. He pulled her into his arms to give her a hug. "You're safe here, Ash, and among good friends."
She grumbled against his chest, still mistrustful as ever. Some things never change but it made him smile all the same. "That's the difference being part of a crew makes," he said softly. "You don't carry it all on your own and constantly look over your shoulder. We work as a team and share the burden, but a team is only as strong as the Captain who commands it. We're a very small crew-"
"The Straw Hats are half your size," She felt the need to point out with a pout. She wasn't really in the mood to be lectured to at a time like this. Why wouldn't he just listen to her?
"They're a recklessly carefree group, hardly skilled in the sort of operations we undertake," he scoffed with a slight smirk. She looked a little skeptical. Yes, they were a rowdy group, but they were just as driven as the Heart Pirates. It wasn't so much a matter of numbers as it was a matter of spirit. He could tell that she going to be stubborn about this. "What I'm trying to say is that there's nothing to worry about," he tried again from another angle.
Just then there was a firm knock on his door. "Shirazuki! Are you in there? Open up!" Law ordered through the door in a hard, terse tone.
She felt her heart drop into her stomach, but he didn't look so worried. "Sure thing Captain, just a minute," he answered as he approached the door. She wasn't gonna be found out like this and slipped into his closet and shut the door behind her.
"Oh sure, like that wouldn't be the first place he'd check," he said dryly as he opened the door. He stumbled backward as Law burst into the room with a face like thunder.
"Is she here? Have you seen her?" He asked as he brushed past him and looked around with a searching, critical stare. She could see him through a crack in the edge of the door. There was a hardness to his face that frightened her. This was the Captain, a cold and ruthless pirate; not the tender lover with gentle golden eyes.
"Huh? You talking about Ash?" Shirazuki asked, confused by his strange attitude. Law was on edge, almost off his usual guard, it was a strange sight to see. "Damn, she really got you good there, didn't she?" He chuckled in spite of himself as he reached out to poke his black eye.
She blinked in surprise. She had given him that black eye? When? She blushed as she realized it likely would have been when he tried to restrain her before the surgery. As a child she had a reputation for biting and scratching doctors and nurses who approached with needles. She frowned suspiciously. But why didn't he just tell her? Why lie about it?
"Never mind that!" Law snapped. "She's run off and I need to contain the situation!" His voice rose slightly but was still under a yell as fury blazed in his eyes. "So have you seen her or not?" He repeated himself.
Shirazuki frowned curiously as he began to wonder if Ash was right to be worried. He'd never seen his Captain in such a state. "No, I haven't seen her this morning," he said in a slow and steady tone. She felt grateful for his loyalty. "What's this all about?"
Law paused at that, blinking in mild surprise. His face softened miserably. "So…you haven't heard then." He quietly concluded. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He kept it out of reach for a second. "You are not to tell Ash about this." He insisted in a still, solemn tone. "You must swear it."
Her heart dropped as he nodded with a small salute. Then again, she didn't fully blame him either. It was one thing to lie to a fairly innocent question, but if Law required a promise that was more binding. His loyalty to his Captain was absolute. Law pressed the paper into his hand and turned aside, his back to her now. His head was bowed with a heavy sense of regret. Shirazuki carefully unfolded a large newspaper insert but the paper was too thick for her to see through the back of it.
She did notice how color drained from his face as he read. His hands trembled as he slowly shook his head in disbelief. "No…i-it's not possible!" He protested. Law's head turned towards him with a mournful expression. "But how! Why?" He demanded.
"It only makes sense really," Law said in a haunted whisper that she could just barely make out. "Death by vigilantes is disgraceful. She's just a convenient excuse."
Shirazuki took a seat, letting his arm rest over the back as he slouched horribly. His hand turned slightly so she could see it for herself. It was a bounty poster, WANTED in bold letters along the top. The bounty was fairly high, set at 100,000 berries. The picture though…she frowned suspiciously. It did look familiar; she'd seen it recently.
It finally clicked when she recognized the name: Asherah Yue. Her name. Her bounty. The picture was old, dated from her debutante days, the very same she found in Korenaga's drawer. It was an odd choice, to be sure, but would still accurately identify her. She struggled to keep her panic under control. Now wasn't the time to freak out. She didn't dare give away her position.
Shirazuki face-palmed with a shudder. "This is my fault, isn't it?"
Law sighed as he reached out to give his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "In part, yes," he admitted honestly. "But ultimately I am responsible." He firmly added. "I can fix this, but I have to act quickly."
Shirazuki looked exasperated. "Fix this? Once it's in print it's too late. Anyone who reads this will know. Even worse, her Marine family will know!" His voice was beginning to rise angrily.
Her heart nearly stopped that this reminder. Her parents! She could still clearly recall her Father's plea to find safer work. "This sort of business turns south fast. I don't want you to find yourself in over your head with no way out." She thought she could avoid such attention by carefully selecting her clientele. Yes, she did work with pirates, but the honorable sort and always short-term and discreet with aliases. How did this simple intel mission blow up so catastrophically?
Law silenced him with a sharp glare. "I meant what I said, it's a calculated risk, but I need to ensure that she doesn't discover this."
His eyes widened in absolute shock. "Wha- you mean…you're not going to tell her?" He asked incredulously.
He shook his head. "She's a wildcard I can't control." He said frankly. "Once she finds out, there's no telling what trouble she'll add to it. I can't have that; my plan is already a gamble."
Her hand curled into a fist as she felt tempted to make a matching set on the black eye of his. How dare he? HOW. DARE. HE?! This was her problem, why should he feel the need to fix it in the first place? Unless…their voices faded away as the horrible realization dawned on her. This…was a problem of his own design. He was the one behind her bounty's creation. Oh how easy it would have been to let her failure leak out, even naturally, if it would benefit him in the end. That was why he asked her to join his crew in the first place! Asking gave the impression of it being a choice, even though he had blackmail sitting in his pocket. Her cheeks burned as she remembered the tender way he had about him last night, when he whispered in the darkness how much he needed her. His tempting touch left her craving more of it too. It was another skillful manipulation, seduction, the oldest trick in the book. And to think she nearly fell for the act! She should have known better than to trust a pirate! Angry tears sprang to her eyes and she didn't see the two gentlemen leave the room. Shirazuki volunteered to help his Captain in the search, it was the best way to give her a head start. His heart broke for her though, a bounty is a heavy burden to bear. For a pirate it's considered a mark of valor, but this…this would destroy her quest for the independence she'd always wanted.