Luffia sees the opened door, and without hesitation, she goes in only to meet a pool of blood on the floor with a man lifeless on the ground. Looking up, she sees Ann standing beside the man, huffing from exhaustion.
"Ann..." She calls her eldest sister's attention.
"He won't talk about who the traitor was in Dad's group. So, I killed him. Where's Sab?"
"In the laboratory with that Doctor."
"Good. We'll take everything that this man owns. It could be useful. Let's search the hideout."
Ann steps over the body of someone she just killed, not even looking back. She feels no mercy and pity for this man who was her father's enemy. Sooner or later, the other enemies will follow suit.
Luffia follows her sister. Seeing a dead body is no longer strange for her. They killed more people than she can count.
Arriving in the laboratory, they find Sab checking the documents lying on the table. In the corner of the laboratory, Ann notices a wounded old man tied up on the floor.
"Damn Shiki. He's no longer a Mafia member but a terrorist. Take a look at this." Sab never bothered to ask Ann how it went with Shiki. The presence of Ann in this room meant that Shiki was dead.
"What do you mean?"
"Look at this." Ann peeks over what Sab is showing them, followed by Luffia. The three of them are looking at the blueprint of the water sewer system of some cities in Grandline. They knew about it because Sab stole some of the blueprints to use them as their ground in moving for their missions. "They are planning to release a virus in the water consumed by many citizens."
Ann shivers just thinking what it will be like if Shiki succeeds. Many innocent people will die. They are no saints but killing innocent civilians is not in their vocabulary.
"Do they have an antidote?" Ann questions while looking around the dinky laboratory.
"They do. I have them here. We can't destroy this lab until we are sure that it won't affect the surroundings. Let's ask Chopper to have a look at this, Lu." Sab looks at Luffia who instantly dishes her phone to call Chopper.
After a minute of conversation, Luffia confirmed that Chopper and Usopp will be in the area in half an hour.
"Let's get the guards sleeping outside. They might wake up anytime soon."
Ann and Luffia dragged the sleeping guards back to the laboratory. They made sure that they are tied up, maintaining a good distance away from Dr. Indigo just in case he tries something with them.
They interrogated them as soon as they woke up but just like Shiki, they are tight-lipped and do not even know about the incident of Roger's death. Dr. Indigo just laughs at them for their supposed revenge against the Big Shots. Sab punched the hell out of him for the insults he threw at their parents.
"Let's kill them before Usopp and Chopper arrive," Ann said in an icy tone that made the five men shiver.
"Agreed." Sab nods. The twins' identities as Blue and Firefist may have been known to the Strawhats, but none of them know about their real identity as the daughters of the late Mafia King. It's not like they do not trust them, but it prevents possible complications, which Luffia agreed to.
"No! No, we will talk! I will! Shiki is collaborating with the World Government at that time! H-He... He was talking to one of the leaders." Dr. Indigo hastily opened his mouth before Sab can pull the trigger.
"Really? Which leader are you referring to?"
"The leaders! The ones behind the World Government operations! They are called 5 Great Elders."
The sisters exchanged looks at what they heard.
"Names. Give us names." Ann demanded.
"W-We don't know! Shiki is the only one who met with them."
Ann sighs. What Dr. Indigo said is a lead they can use, but its usage is limited when they don't know about the names of these 5 Great Elders. However, they can still use this to dig deeper.
"Good. Then, thank you for the information." Ann smiles, then pulls the trigger of her gun. The bullet hit Dr. Indigo in the head and as soon as it did, he didn't have time to process what just happened. His head falls to the side, eyes still wide open as blood drips from his head.
The four guards shrieked in fear at what they witnessed. One of their bosses was killed without hesitation.
Merciless.
"As for you four..." Sab trails off. "You all know too much." Then, she dedicated one bullet for each guard. The floor of the laboratory stinks of the mixed stench of gunpowder and blood.
This is what welcomed Usopp and Chopper who shrieked after they saw the dead bodies lying around. They looked at Luffia who is shrugging in nonchalance. The two members of Strawhat should not be surprised by what they witnessed, but this cruelty is far from what they want to see, especially if it involves Luffia.
Luffia knows what her members are thinking of now, but she has no choice. She would have let the guards go had it been a different circumstance. But, it's not. The guards knew about who they are. They can't let them go. So, she lets her sisters handle them.
"Chopper, have a look at this and determine if this poison," Sab calls out to Chopper who just braced himself and followed the blond twin.
It took him about 15 minutes before he can make an initial analysis of what Dr. Indigo was making in this laboratory. They all decided to store these chemicals somewhere secured until they can safely dispose of them without harming innocents.
Usopp and Chopper left the building when Franky arrived with a big truck. Now that they cleaned out the hideout, the sisters decide to leave. But not without leaving a mark.
Ann took Shiki's infamously yellow fur coat before she set the hideout on fire. The coat is now thrown on the ground, far enough that it won't be caught on fire.
She took out the stamp she sometimes uses when she leaves her marks.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Sab asks Ann.
"We could just leave our mark here instead of yours." Luffia offered. The implication of Firefist killing Shiki will shake the Grandline. While some may think it's good riddance, Ann is inevitably getting attention from all the Big Shots.
"No, this is fine," Ann answered them. She'd rather take this on her shoulder than let her sisters do it. Luffia has her group members' lives to think about, and so as Sab who is an official part of the Revolutionary Army.
With that, they turned around to get to their vehicles not too far from Shiki's hideout. Before leaving the vicinity, they heard cars approaching the hideout. Sab used her night-vision binoculars to see who they are.
"It's Whitebeard's men." She said. "Your lover is there too." Ann twitches a little after what Sab said.
"They're fast to be here."
"They must be keeping a close eye on Shiki since he resurfaced in Grandline." Sab shrugs, but she side-eyes her sister, watching how she fidgets in her position. "Let's go."
Better leave now before Ann thinks of anything stupid that can get them all killed.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
Marco frowns at the fire consuming a very old junkyard. They are in the area ever since they received reports of Shiki's movements. They were not sure where the hideout was or who was snooping on it. It just so happens they have business nearby when they saw the smoke coming from a remote area.
"Marco, look!" Thatch called out, pointing to the coat on the ground far enough from the source of the fire. As soon as he arrived at where Thatch is, he gasped when he recognized the coat as well as the mark embedded on it.
"Firefist." He growls.
It's like he's sending a message to everyone in Grandline that he's out for their blood. The most irritating thing is that no one knows what his motives are. They do not know why he's targetting the Big shots of Grandline.
Marco is about to order the men to get out of the area to avoid entanglement with the World Government once they start sending men, he sees three motorcycles speeding the highway.
One of the riders stops several meters away from them. The vehicle is of orange and black designs, but what caught their eyes are the insignia of the rider's jacket.
Firefist's insignia. Marco is wide-eyed upon recognizing who the rider could be, and he's alarmed when the rider rummages on his hips, revealing a gun strapped on them. Marco thought he will fire. Yet, he didn't.
He pushes the helmet's visor upwards, revealing eyes that Marco cannot discern. The only light they have is the fire coming from behind him, making it hard to see what those eyes look like, but there's no doubt Firefist is looking at him.
A minute of staring contest lasts before Firefist left. He arrived too fast and left just as the same that none of their men managed to process what was going on.
"That's Firefist, isn't it?"
"Looks like it."
"Should we give chase?" Thatch asked.
"No." Marco shakes his head. "He has company, yoi." He points at the two motorcycles following Firefist's. They can't venture to what might be a trap for them.
Thatch didn't say anything anymore. Looking at Marco, he shivers when he noticed the dark look in the blonde's eyes. It's the eyes of a sleeping monster that everyone knew of. It seems that Firefist may get a taste of what it's like facing a monstrous Marco.
If Firefist threatens their Pops, no mercy will be given to him. None at all.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
The news of Shiki's death resonates in Grandline, shocking everyone to the ground. Who could have thought that he will die just like that even before he can unleash his mark again?
The World Government released a statement that the culprit is most likely Firefist. In most cases, a wanted poster would be released, but what could the World Government publish when they do not know what Firefist looks like? What they can include in the wanted poster is his mark.
"Brats! They think they can threaten all of us just because they took out Shiki! Hmp!" Big Mom spats out before throwing the newspaper on the ground.
"Mama, that brat's been one of our headaches." One of Big Mom's daughters spoke out. "He killed many of our members."
"But he's been pestering Whitebeards now." Katakuri, one of the officers voices out. "And from what we gathered, the Whitebeards are also after his head."
"If they kill him, all the better! Of course, I wouldn't mind choking that bastard to death!" Big Mom's laughter echoes in the room they are in till it dies down. "How careless of Shiki to die from a brat's hands."
Such news is the hottest topic amongst the veteran Mafia Emperors. Some of them may have been shrugging this off, but the alarm it brought is not something they can brush off in the long run.
Who knows what's in store for them now that one of the hidden bombs in Grandline starts ticking off.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
A heavy sigh left the old man's lips right after reading the newspaper containing the details of the death of Shiki.
"They're being reckless again." He shakes his head.
"Reckless but decisive. And they succeeded." Another man speaks out.
"I wonder if it's the right choice to let them wander Grandline."
"You worry too much, Rayleigh."
"How could I not, Dragon?" It's hard to express the worries he has for the three sisters. They are like his children. Knowing that they are in Grandline to seek revenge against the most influential and powerful people there are, Rayleigh wonders if he should also go back and make sure they are safe.
"Even if you tell them to stop this path of revenge, there's no way they will. No one can stop them. Even if hell breaks loose in Grandline, they will still walk that path. They are walking that now."
Dragon stands up from his seat to look at the blue sea in front of the balcony. Its peacefulness makes him think of nostalgic memories he buried in his head about the two people he deeply admires.
"Going back now to help them will only endanger them. You know that. The World Government will stop at nothing to kill you. You're risking their identities as well."
"I know that! I am still worried about them. They're like their parents, stubborn. I just worry that they will stumble upon an enemy they cannot defeat."
"They will be fine. They waited so many years to get to this point. They won't be reckless now."
"I hope so."
Rayleigh left Baltigo island an hour after, just in time for Dragon's phone to ring. It's an unknown number. He picks it up, expecting that the caller will be one of the officers of the Revolutionary Army.
"Hello," he greets.
"Mayday. Claws of the Dragon." Dragon nods, understanding the code. It's the code introducing who the other person is on the other side of the line. It's Sab. He expected she will call tomorrow, not immediately after the news of Shiki's death broke out.
"Do you have anything to report?"
"A few things. The World Government manipulated the media. They diverted the attention to the death of Shiki, brushing off the news of the deals they have with Mafia groups like Apoo's, Kaido's. The lawsuit against one of the World Government officials about their involvement with the slaves and drugs are dismissed by the court. They said there's no sufficient evidence to prove the person guilty."
"Hmm, as expected. They took the opportunity that Shiki's death provided them to make sure that none of their deals are publicized. Continue to gather more opportunities for us. We will strike them harder next time."
"Anything else you want to report?" As much as possible, they do not want to bring up Roger or the sisters' identities while talking on the phone. They might have anti-tap preventive measures in case their calls are hacked, but they have to be extra careful. After all, most of the Revolutionary Army members do not know that the sisters are Roger's daughters.
"The five Great Elders." Sab suddenly blurts out that shocked Dragon. "Do you know who they are?"
The conversation is moving into far more dangerous territories than Dragon would like. Only a few knew about the five Great Elders of the World Government. Not even the top officials of the Revolutionary Army know about them.
"Where did you hear that?"
"Does it matter where I heard it?" Sab's impatience grows larger.
"You are not ready to know the identities of those people. You are walking in a path that might get you killed if you recklessly dive into them. I know you." Years of taking care of the sisters, Dragon knew what goes through their heads, especially Sab.
Sab may be calm, but that's her facade. Deep inside, Dragon can see a dark hole of hatred she's keeping inside. Recklessness is usually Luffia or Ann's trait, but when triggered, Sab can be more reckless than her sisters combined.
"Step by step. Isn't that what you told me before?" Dragon has to remind Sab what she promised to him, that she will make sure the three of them will carefully walk on this path.
"I know." Sab ended the call right after that, leaving Dragon to ponder if he should talk to her more. If the World Government caught a whiff of her snooping about the five Great Elders, they will not hesitate to move against her.
"Hold off for now, Sab. The war is coming soon."
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
'Whitebeard is looking for you'
Those words never left Ann's mind. Whitebeard looking for Roger's children can only mean one thing - that he intends to finish them off.
"Not if we can finish you off first." She muttered to herself. She's in their hideout right now, alone in her room while looking at the wall with pinned papers and notes - their lists.
Shiki's face has a red x drawn over while the rest of the picture remains the same, save for a few scratches from Ann's knife. Her eyes never left Whitebeard's picture and right next to Whitebeard's picture are his commanders'.
Without meaning to, her eyes shift to Marco's picture. Unexplainable emotions resurface in her heart just by looking at it, but before her mind is consumed by such thoughts, she starts shaking her head, calming herself.
It doesn't matter what Marco is to her. Sooner or later, he will be her enemy. Might as well let him fall for her. The harder, the better.
"Such a shame, but you will be a pawn to my plans, Marco." From what she gathered, he has been by his father's side since his teenage years. He was trained to take over one day.
And if she calculates the time, he must also be involved in the hunt against Roger.
"Pray that I won't find you are directly involved. If not..." Ann almost chokes the words out of her mouth. "If not, you will have to die too. By my hands, if need be."
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
"It bothers me." Nami looks up to watch Usopp's expression. "Luffia's... She and her sisters."
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean," Usopp exclaims in frustration. "They're... They're monsters."
It's not like Nami doesn't know what he meant. Of course, she knows and if she's being honest, it bothers her. Yes, they all have seen deaths. Heck, they even killed people before, but it does not mean that they do not hesitate.
From what Usopp told her, the three sisters lacked any emotions while walking around the room with the dead bodies lying around and a pool of blood soaking the sole of their shoes.
It's as if they never cared.
Witnessing it firsthand must be hard for Usopp.
"I am confused about what they are after. Aren't you curious? They are so strong, so monstrous. And they said they are from an orphanage. What kind of orphanage did they come from for them to be this... this merciless."
"You know that by being in this world, death is inevitable. Killing someone is unavoidable."
"I know that! But still! You didn't see it! They never felt remorseful when they killed those people. It's not the same Luffia we knew. Her sisters, yes, I can understand that. But Luffia? That's not her." Luffia can be merciless but only when necessary. And even when they got some of the enemy mafia members killed, she always sigh in sadness.
But at that time? There's no such thing as sadness in her eyes.
"Perhaps we don't know her at all," Nami said, closing the conversation for now.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
"What's wrong with you?" Killer asks their leader. While the blonde Mafia member is busy wiping his gun clean, Kidd is in deep thoughts, sighing from time to time that made Killer raise his eyebrows in suspicion.
"Cipher Pol."
"Are you thinking of getting their offer?"
"Maybe." Kidd is still frowning. Their conversation can be heard by Wire and Heat who is also around.
"What's making you hesitate?" Killer abandons his gun on the table in favor of sitting on the couch in front of Kidd's.
"If you ask me, their offer is good." Wire suddenly speaks, getting the attention of everyone in that room. "We get Apoo's head."
"Indeed. Saves us the headache." Heat nods.
"And we also get that traitorous woman." Wire's voice growls, and so did Kidd.
"I will kill her myself!" Kidd shouts, slamming his fist on the couch.
"Then, there's your chance. You can arrange whatever it is with the Cipher Pol. They can kidnap that woman. Then, you can finish her off. That's it. It's a good offer, Kidd. Besides, Blue is nothing to us."
"You want to get into Cipher Pol's good books and risk getting the anger of Revolutionary Army?" Killer raises his voice, scoffing as he finishes his sentence. "The World Government will always be after us one way or another. It doesn't matter if we can strike a deal today. Tomorrow is different."
"I'm just saying it will be better to finish the enemies that they are offering. Besides, aren't you taking your sweet time in killing that woman? What were you waiting for?"
This pisses Kidd off. With a firm grip on Wire's shirt, he pulls him.
"She will die no matter what. By my hands. Do you get it? If you want to see me kill her, fine! I'll strike the deal with those Cipher Pol bastards to include her in the deal. She will be delivered to me alive. Then, I will kill her."
"Kidd!" The sudden shout coming from Killer surprised the three other members. Kidd lets go of Wire's shirt to look at Killer who is frantically panicking. "Let's not be hasty."
"Hasty? Huh. Hasty, you said? She sold me out! She sent me to prison, how could you say this is me being hasty?!"
Realizing his mistake, Killer raises his hands in an attempt to calm things down.
"No, I mean..." Killer sighs a little, struggling to find the right words to say. "Let's not be hasty about dealing with Cipher Pol. They were working with Apoo recently. This could just be another trap."
"That sounds like an excuse to me, Killer. Aren't you just referring to that woman? Why do you sound like you are protecting her?" Heat raises his eyebrow at Kidd's most trusted member. "This is not the first time you've done this."
"What?" Kidd frowns from what he just heard. "What does it mean?"
"A few times when we tried to mess with that woman while you are in prison, he always forbids us. Always."
"Now that is out in the table, tell us, Killer. Why does it seem like you are protecting her?" Wire added more pressure. Hearing everything, Kidd starts thinking about the situation including the times they talked about Sab while he's in prison.
"She must have her reasons," Killer told Kidd.
"Reasons? What reasons will she have for betraying and selling me out? She used what she knew about us to win this case! Tell me, Killer. It's as clear as day, she's their spy!"
"But she loves you. She cares about you."
"Hmp! Cares about me? If she cares like you are claiming, where is she now? Ahh, probably partying around, celebrating my imprisonment."
At that time, Kidd never thought much about it, but now that he's hearing these comments from other trusted members, he starts doubting why Killer is defending her. Right at the start, Killer is totally against Sab.
"Do you want to say something, Killer?" Kidd's voice is as low as it can get. He does not like the thoughts and possibilities running in his head. "Why are you quiet now? I thought you are against her?"
"I am!" Killer insists. "It's not that I don't want you to kill her, but think about the ways you are doing things. Weigh down what you will gain from this deal. Cipher Pol initiated this deal with you, someone from the streets. This just means that they are pretty desperate in catching Blue. Revolutionary Army is always known for its stealth. Blue is a person they have no idea about. Don't you think he will be suspicious if you initiate another deal all of a sudden? Who knows how many assassins they have in their midst! We don't want that kind of enemy when we are just starting to regain what we lost when you were in prison."
Silence ensues in the room. All eyes are still on Killer, weighing the words he just said.
"Fine," a few minutes of silence. "You have a point. I still have some time to consider this."
Kidd watches Killer nod at him. They've been together for years now that small actions will be noticeable. And Kidd notices how the blonde sighs in relief. The stiffness in his body is almost gone.
With such actions, Kidd's suspicions of Killer grow a little bit, but he decides to push it at the back of his mind for now. Such thoughts are dangerous, and he does not like them. Not one bit.
'What are you hiding, Killer?'
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
AN: Finally managed to update this after such a long time! Hopefully, workload from the office will lighten up and I can get the stories updated as frequently as I can.