The room is silent except for the hums coming from the green-haired man's throat while his eyes are focused on the swords he just wiped neatly.
Swords are not often used in the streets, not in this kind of age where a bullet can easily kill your target but this man still chose this weapon. Although he's not totally against the idea of using guns, why with him owning a few of them and it serves it's usefulness to him when his targets are meters away from him.
He stands up from his position, a destination in his mind, hand reaching for a certain folder that contains all information he needs for the next target.
The word target may be a term used for assassins, although he could be one if you look at it from a different perspective. He's not a stranger to killing people, at least not the civilians. Zoro's targets are from the Mafia Groups in Grandline, often causing trouble to the residents with their illegal activities.
His finger gently opens the folder, eyes glancing at the written words on the paper. It details all the information he received from the Headquarters of the World Government. It had been a shock for Zoro when he suddenly received that call.
Zoro was adamant in picking up the call coming from an unknown number. He rarely receives a call from this mobile phone unless it's from Yosaku or Johnny providing him sufficient information about the bounties of the Mafia Group.
His eyebrows furrowed after the fourth ring, deciding that it may be worth it to know who was calling him on this private phone.
"Hello?" He greets, not providing his name.
"Roronoa Zoro." It's the voice of a woman calling Zoro's name that inevitably made him raise his eyebrow in surprise. The voice is unfamiliar, something he has not heard of.
"Who is this?"
"I am Stussy, from the World Government Headquarters. We'd like to meet you to discuss important matters about the streets." She said, no doubt smiling and expecting Zoro to abide by her terms.
This is not the first time Zoro received a call from the World Government or Mafia Groups. Every organization out there has made contact with him to invite him to join their organization. All invitations are refused, citing a preference in working alone rather than working under someone he barely knows anything about.
"If it's to join the World Government, I told everyone who invited me that I am not interested."
"This is not an invitation to join us, but rather, we'd love to hire you in hunting down a certain Mafia Group."
"Who?"
"Straw Hat." That made Zoro almost snort in amusement. That name's bee n on the streets for years now but the World Government has yet to get solid information about the leader of the notorious Mafia Group.
Zoro tried to hunt them down before, just like anyone else but the lack of information proves it to be too difficult. Patience has never been his virtue. Besides, there are a lot of Mafia Groups he can hunt aside from Straw Hats.
"At what terms?"
"Beneficial to you, no doubt about that. If you're interested, come to the place that I'll provide." Zoro hums, acknowledging the place she provided. He finds it a little odd that the place is somewhere outside of the city, a rural place with no residents whatsoever.
He shrugs it off, assuming that the person who contacted him is someone from World Government's hidden groups. It's no secret to him that behind the justice this organization promotes is a world filled with brutality and questionable activities.
When the day and time finally came for him to meet with Stussy, Zoro prepared himself for an ambush. With his name on Mafia Group's list of targets, he knows that this may be a trap.
He arrives at the place, devoid of any humans within a hundred-meter radius. It's quiet, eerily so. His hand automatically reaches for his gun strapped on his belt, ready to pull it out and point it at anyone who may want to ambush him.
"Pretty guarded, aren't we?" The familiar voice of the woman made Zoro turn his head in the direction where it came from. Green eyes met blue ones.
"Shouldn't I?" Zoro questions, eyes still on her, guarded to what she might be up to. Carelessness will only reward you with nothing but tragedy, Zoro has learned this in the years that he started being a Mafia Hunter. Even if the woman looks harmless, he knows better than to base the abilities of the person by their appearances.
"Fair enough. Let's get to the point, shall we?" This earned a nod from Zoro. "We'd like you to join our group, temporarily, in hunting Straw Hats."
The word 'temporary' just made Zoro curious as to what the deal is all about.
"Why me? I am pretty sure the World Government has a lot of options aside from me, someone who works alone. Hiring assassins to hunt them down shouldn't pose as a problem."
"You are alone with no connections to several organizations that will tie you down, precisely our reason why we want to hire you in hunting this group." She explained.
"Any reason why you're all focused on the Straw Hats?"
This just made Stussy smile. Underneath her beautiful face is a twisted personality, that Zoro can assure. He's seen people with the same look in their eyes, the eyes of assassins, filled with no remorse, no hesitation, nothing but the sense of satisfaction in killing their targets.
"They've been nothing but a nuisance. Besides, this will help you cement your position in Grandline. To take down such group - "
"I am not after fame." He cuts her off, bothered by how she assumed that he wants any of the bullshit she's spouting.
"Then, you're after the money."
"Money is good, but it doesn't mean that it is what I'm after."
"Justice for your family?" The way she smiled at Zoro after mentioning the word 'family' sends nothing but danger in Zoro's mind. World Government did a lot of research about his past, it seems. "The murderer of your family has long been dead, but the legacy he left behind is strong that it still lives to this day."
A minute of silence passed by, Zoro looks away, refusing to confirm her words, but his silence was taken as an affirmation to the woman's assumptions - that he's hunting Mafia Groups to justify his vengeance for the family that was murdered by a certain Mafia Leader.
"What are the terms?" He asks instead.
"You will be working with a few of our members in hunting them down. They may be small in number, but their allies and influence are all over the place. If you managed to kill one of them, the bounty will be yours, but aside from that, we will provide you with compensation by joining us."
"Sounds fair enough."
"One more condition." She added. "You are not allowed to disclose the identities of the people in the group nor will you be allowed to tell anyone about this negotiation."
"When will I meet them?"
"Tomorrow. We received reports about Straw Hats' movements in the past few days. We will target them when they least expect it."
Zoro only nodded before leaving the place. They know how to contact him, so all he has to do is wait till it is time.
After meeting the rest of his teammates, Zoro's quite surprised to know familiar faces. Rob Lucci, this man is a well-known fighter in the underground arena, winning fights like no one's business. Kaku, this man works as one of Grandline's famous architects. No one will guess that he's a World Government agent.
Those two are the only ones he's familiar with. The others are a blur in his mind, they look familiar but Zoro does not have much information about them. Jabra looks like he could pass as a member of a Mafia Group, while Blueno looks like he's one of those bartenders at a bar.
Zoro spends his time thinking about who he should target first when meeting the Straw Hats. He could target the leader but he knows that won't be easy, not when that person is known for his abilities to escape situations that shouldn't be possible for a human.
Hunting Mafia Groups is never an easy job. Only a few managed to survive long.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Zoro looks at his primary cellphone, wondering who could be contacting him at this hour. He raises an eyebrow as soon as he saw the caller ID.
FB - Tashigi.
He thinks for a few seconds before sliding the answer button to pick up the call, grunting a casual 'hello' to the caller.
"Zoro! I hope you're not busy today."
"Nah. Just lounging. What's up?"
"I am free tonight if you are." Zoro doesn't need to see the woman to know that she's blushing. Probably because of the meaning behind the invitation.
"I'll have to go somewhere tonight." He briefly answers.
"Ah. Okay. That's fine. Next time, then." Her voice sounds dejected but Zoro won't tell her that.
"Okay. See you whenever."
He ended the call feeling slightly guilty at the lie he just told her. Well, technically, there is a place in his mind that he wants to visit, but it's not an errand that he cannot cancel.
The invitation was for him to spend a night at her place for sex. Their relationship only involves physical activities, that hasn't changed for months now. FB stands for fuck buddy because that's what they are.
Dating or being in a relationship proves to be a hassle to Zoro, not in the kind of job he has. Maybe he's just using this as an excuse to get away with a commitment that will only end up with complications and headaches.
Sex with Tashigi is pleasurable, no doubt about that. Whenever he spends the night at her place, they always end up doing it till midnight, or sometimes till dawn, depends on whether they have commitments the next day.
Their bodies are compatible enough, they knew each other for more than a year now, yet Zoro is still perplexed at the idea of being her lover. He likes her, but not enough for him to consider that commitment.
He briefly shakes his head along with those bothersome thoughts, opting to dial Yosaku's number because there's something he wanted from him. After the short arrangement, he decided to leave the house to meet Yosaku who is with Johnny.
The two of them are also Mafia Hunters just like Zoro but often they deal with information selling that made Zoro's job easier using his contact with them.
He arrives at the designated place a little bit late than the agreed time.
"Did you get lost again, brother?" Johnny snickers as he asked Zoro the question.
"Shut up." The green-haired man growled in annoyance, rolling his eyes at the men before him.
"You always forget the direction to places you've been to. It's a wonder you still can hunt in the streets." Yosaku added, snorting at the insult.
"I did not get lost." He did. Zoro will never admit this unless he's forced to. Only Luffia managed to get him to admit that he gets lost most of the time. "Kidding aside, did you get what I asked you to?"
"Certainly!" An affirmative answer came from Johnny, fishing out a USB from his pockets before tossing it to Zoro. "Inside is all that you asked."
"Good. I'll transfer the payment tonight." He nods at them, thanking them for giving the information he needs.
"That is hard to come by, brother. It's not easy." Johnny shakes his head, probably remembering what they went through during the information digging for whatever Zoro asked.
"Thanks for this! I appreciate it!" Zoro knows that the information inside is not something he can ask from anyone else aside from these two. It's the information about his teammates. He knows he shouldn't be digging anything about them, but he needs to prepare himself for worst-case scenarios.
"Are you going for a hunt tonight?"
"Not tonight. Tomorrow, probably." Zoro answered truthfully. "I'll go ahead now."
"Eh? You're leaving? How about a drink?"
"Nah. I'll go somewhere else." He answered Yosaku's question before turning his back on them to leave.
"Oh? Are you going to visit Luffia again?" That prompts him to stop, head turning to the two smirking devils he calls friends.
"And?" He challenges them, his left eyebrow raised as he waits for their answers.
"Heh~ It's been years. We thought you two would have a change in your relationship. Preferably from best friends to lovers." That made Zoro turn his body to face them again.
"Aniki." Johnny emphasizes while walking closer to Zoro's position. "Grow some balls and ask her out."
"She's my best friend." It sounds like a reminder coming from Zoro, but for some reason, he feels like he's reminding himself more than he does to his friends.
"That shouldn't stop you from asking her out." Johnny insists, making Zoro sigh in exasperation. Again, he's reminded of his situation, of the danger it holds.
"With the kind of job I have, no. I will keep her out of danger." Thinking of her brings a smile to Zoro but at the same time, it brings him immense worries that he can't easily shake off.
It's not like he's not aware of the feelings he has. It's been there for a long time and probably one of the reasons why he is adamant in committing himself to Tashigi.
Because he's in love with his best friend.
It sounds ironic, quite laughable of him, but his situation is far more dangerous for Luffia. He could never bring her to this kind of world. Should she be put in danger because of him, Zoro's not sure what he will do.
Confession? Yes, he thought of that multiple times that he lost count. What will confession do to their relationship? It's either going to make it or break it. Zoro's sure it's going to be the latter.
"Aniki. She's not as fragile as you think she is - ouch!" Johnny yelped after feeling Yosaku's kick from behind. "What was that for?!"
"Just go along now, Brother Zoro. Contact us when you need anything."
Yosaku's suspicious dismissal of the topic confused Zoro despite his thankfulness, he still finds it odd. There's something he can't point out but he pushes it at the back of his mind in favor of being thankful that the topic will now be set aside.
"Alright. I'll see you two around." He left the area, a certain bar as his destination this time.
About a minute since he left, Yosaku slapped Johnny's head using his palm, earning another groan from the man.
"Idiot! Do you want to get killed?!" He shouted.
"I didn't mean it, okay?!" Johnny's hands are in front of his chest as an act of defense from any attacks that may come from Yosaku.
"If she ever finds out we told him, she's going to be mad at us!" Yosaku warned.
"I know! I know! Still! Aniki thinks that she's fragile and can't handle danger when she's not." There's no need to further elaborate on what Johnny meant by his words - words that Zoro must not hear at all cost.
"We promised that we're not going to tell Aniki unless she told us to do it."
"Fine! I'll be careful from now on. Sheesh."
Both of them don't understand Luffia's actions but understanding them will not give them any right to tell Zoro about Luffia's true identity. That she's Straw Hat.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
Kidd's eyes are fixated on the picture pinned above in this double deck bed. It's a picture of a blond-haired woman whose smile used to bring happiness into him. A smile that he's used to seeing when he wakes up in the morning.
Now everything is nothing but painful memories to him. What's left is hatred that he can't get off his chest. His hands are shaking upon remembering the last time they saw each other.
It had been almost two years since that happened.
Kidd was sitting on the right side of the courtroom right next to Killer and his lawyer as they wait for the judge's verdict. The verdict for his case.
He was cursing at the top of his head for Apoo's betrayal that caused this situation to happen. The betrayal, he can accept, this is part of the underground world, the Mafia world.
What he can't accept is the fact that his lover is on the other side of the court, sitting right next to the people who devised the plan to send Kidd to Prison.
He briefly glances at her, eyes on the judge, calm and composed as if Kidd's presence doesn't bother her at all.
She must have felt the heavy stare coming from the red-haired man because the next second, she turned her head, meeting Kidd's stares. It was only for a few seconds before she looks away, eyes fixated on the woman who is about to deliver the verdict for this case.
The case had been the illegal distribution of drugs that Kidd never did. The pieces of evidence all point to Apoo's favor, much to Kidd's displeasure.
"All Rise." The judge took his position in the middle of the courtroom, eyes landed on Kidd's camp. There's a hidden meaning behind the almost unnoticeable smile of his that awakens Kidd's instincts. He knows this man is an enemy. "Proceed." He orders the woman who now stands before them all, papers on her hand as she began reading Kidd's judgment.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I will now read the jury's verdict for Eustass Kidd's case."
It made Kidd's heartbeats race when the woman began speaking, stating that the decision had been made based on the evidence and by the law. All Kidd can hear is bullshit coming from her mouth.
"... We hereby declare Eustass Kidd as guilty without a reasonable doubt and shall be sentenced to 10 years in prison."
That made Kidd clenched his fist. He had expected this will happen but hearing it from them made his heart burst with uncontrollable anger.
"Kidd." Killer calls out to him, hand firmly attached to his shoulder as if he's trying to prevent Kidd from causing havoc. "We will get you out of there."
"I will fucking kill them." He whispers to himself while his eyes reflect murderous glares towards Apoo's camp.
"Not now. Calm down."
"How the fuck can I calm down?!" He almost shouts at Killer, trying to shake the firm grip on his shoulder but the blond-haired friend of his did not falter.
"If you cause a scene here, the judge may dismiss any appeal we will make. Think clearly!"
He calms down a little but as soon as his eyes met Sab's, all anger came back again. There's no forgiveness for what Apoo did to him, never in this lifetime will he forget this betrayal, neither will he do the same with Sab's.
He trusted her, he loved her, yet here she is, standing on the other side, defending Apoo's side and won the case with ease.
It takes a lot of time before Kidd will trust someone. The trust he gave her is more than he ever gave to his men. He valued her like she's everything. Meeting her was surreal for him. Never had he met someone who made him feel alive, igniting the hidden desires within him, making him feel at home when she's around.
The police officers approached Kidd to bring him to his prison cell.
"Enjoy the prison cell, Kidd!" Apoo smirked at him while he's walking in the middle hallway towards the exit of the courtroom. He stops dead on his tracks to look at Apoo.
"This is not over." He said before looking at Sab who's as eyes bear no emotions. The lack of emotion in her eyes made it more painful for Kidd. This is the woman he loved? He couldn't believe it but this is his reality. He can't help but think that she only got close to him so she can send him to prison. A spy.
"Move." The police officers commanded only to receive a deadly glare from Kidd.
He looked at Sab before saying: "You will pay for this." Their eyes did not linger, still looking at one another. One is being escorted away, to be imprisoned while the other one remains standing at the cheers of victory from Apoo's camp.
"I hope you are prepared for what is coming, Sab." Even whispering her name made Kidd angry. The grudge is so deep, engraved to his soul that a sheer name can make him fume in madness.
"You will die by my hands, I swear it."
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
Sab refused the afterparty invitation of Apoo, telling him that she has errands and other cases to attend to when there's none.
It's a good thing the man didn't insist because Sab doesn't have the energy to explain further.
She left the courtroom, standing proud and tall even when Kidd's group are still there, glaring daggers at her. If they could kill her right there and then, they would, Sab does not doubt that. They will mangle her, torture her if possible before killing her for the betrayal that she did.
A sigh left her lips, trying to calm her nerves and emotions, willing herself to walk further, to keep herself from emitting emotions that may appear in her eyes - just like what she's supposed to do, just like what she's trained to.
A relieved sigh escaped her lips as soon as she is out of the building, but not yet. She can't let her emotions get the better of her until she's sure no one can see her.
Her eyes saw the approaching taxi, hand raised to stop the driver. It didn't take long before she arrived in her apartment, hands shaking while holding onto the keys that she can't get into the keyhole.
"Fuck." She mutters to herself as soon as it opens, followed by hurried steps and a loud sound as soon as the door is closed.
Alone, she's finally alone and that's when she let her emotions get the better of her. Her tears now falling, sobs escaped her throat as she curses at herself - nonstop.
It was a cry coming from a woman who watched her lover sentenced for imprisonment. No, she didn't watch. She was the one who sent him there.
"I'm sorry." She mutters an apology to him. This apology will never be heard by him, ever.
No matter how many times she will apologize, nothing will change. This is the path she chose - her choice. A choice to hurt the man she loves to achieve her promise of revenge to her family.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
AN: Finally finished this chapter. It's really hard the past few weeks for me since I was so goddamn busy with work. But hopefully things will get better. Stay safe everyone and let me know what you think!
I kinda think the pacing is slow? But I mean, it's a slow burn fic, but any suggestions are deeply appreciated. 3