Tashigi received a report this morning from one of his subordinates who was tailing Luffia. The folder contains the detailed report he had for the last couple of weeks. Looking at the pile of folders in her drawer, Tashigi decided to take three of them out to read through.
Opening the recent report, she immediately frowned when she saw the contents. It's too clean. After her part-time job, she goes back to her shabby apartment and never left till morning. And in the morning, she often goes to restaurants around town to eat.
The only thing suspicious about her movements is that she is always visiting Dressrosa, a city around 45 minute drive away from her apartment. Her familiarity with that place made Tashigi raise an eyebrow. What business does she have in there? It would have been understandable if she visited that place once or twice in a month, but three times in a week? Something is going on.
Flipping another page of the report, she read another note of her visiting a faraway private area where most of the exclusive mansions are situated. What could she be doing in such an exclusive place?
Noting the important points, she sent another message to her subordinate to investigate the places that Luffia has been to. Her instincts are telling her that they may find something worthy if they can be patient in digging up about her.
Tashigi waited for a few days before another report was sent her way. And this time, it's Nami Mikan - the renowned owner of SHP Group of Companies. The World Government's internal reports have listed her as a suspicious woman who may be involved in one or two underground transactions.
She not only was seen with Nami, but she also visited the headquarters past normal business hours.
"She might not be as innocent as we thought," Tashigi whispered to herself. "She's deceiving Zoro."
A few days after receiving the last report, Tashigi did was expecting another one but found none sent by her subordinate. When she tracked her subordinate, she found that she could no longer contact him. And on the same day, she received a piece of news that her subordinate was found dead. The last communication she had on him was that he found Luffia in one of the territories of Strawhats.
"Could she be part of them?" Tashigi frowned. With shaking hands, she proceeds with getting to the bottom of this. Anger surge in her just thinking about her dead subordinate. Such anger is now directed to Luffia.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
The calls from the CP0 agents were ignored, not like Zoro has time to talk to them now. When the calls are starting to get into his nerves, he reluctantly answered them.
The conversation had gone awry when Zoro told Stussy that Strawhat escaped. She went as far as to blame Zoro for his incompetence which was refuted with a snarky remark from Zoro about plans that he was never included. They never mentioned trapping Blue nor did they mention turning their backs against Apoo in the process. Add to that is the presence of Eustass Kidd.
There were many factors and things that happened all at once that Zoro had lost track of the movements of others.
Or perhaps that was his shabby excuse for not killing Strawhat.
With the call disconnected, Zoro had more time to think about what happened last night. His mind takes him back to the memory of Strawhat laughing.
"It couldn't be..." He shakes his head, refusing to entertain the idea swimming in his mind. But no matter how many times he does, he can't shake that idea off. Deciding that he won't get any answers or peace of mind by sitting here, he left his house to find Luffia.
Just his luck that she was not around. He even tried to call her only to have no answer. With Luffia's habit of forgetting her phone, he's not surprised. Most of the time, he's not worried but considering the situation he's in right now, the unanswered call only further increases his irritation.
Deeming this as a waste of time, he decided to drive around town to clear his head off, hoping that the idea will diminish itself.
It's been about 15 minutes driving non-stop, with nowhere to go, the mental exhaustion is getting into Zoro so he decided to stop by even for a minute. It's an area near Akagami's territory, something he knew is quite safe enough for him to stay for 10 minutes.
10 minutes passed by with the idea still in his head. Frustrated, Zoro decided to just get drunk tonight. Just as he's about to drive away, his eyes caught of a familiar woman leaving an alley not too far from him. With his motorbike hidden in a corner, he doubts she will see him.
The woman was none other than Luffia. It won't surprise him if she got lost but this does not seem the case. She's with two men and based on how they act and dress, they don't look like your regular men in the streets. The distance is quite far away for him to hear any of their conversations but Zoro is sure they are not threatening her or anything. Contrary, Luffia seems to be following them without any sense of danger at all.
This made Zoro frown especially when the green-haired man put his hand on his waist, inevitably revealing a gun strapped onto it.
'A mafia member? Bartolomeo?' Zoro inwardly asks himself. Just in case they are threatening Luffia, he's ready to run towards him to save her.
But no such actions. Their conversation continued with Luffia looking like she's giving them orders. 10 minutes passed when Zoro decided to call Luffia while his eyes are glued to her. The phone rings and he's glad she picked it up but not before signaling to the two men she's with to keep quiet.
"Hey, Zoro! What's up?" Her cheerfulness never changed.
"Hey, Luffia. Where are you?" He carefully asks.
"Hmm, at home. Why?"
"I will pick you up."
"Oh, but I have to go to my part-time job." She sounds so innocent that Zoro would have believed her had it not been for what he's witnessing now.
"I will pick you up to drive you to your part-time job."
"No need, Zoro! I can go there." Growing irritated, Zoro changed the topic.
"Are you with someone right now? It seems to be noisy around."
"Me? N-No. Must be the neighbors and the vehicles passing by."
"Right." He drags his words, still frowning. "Then, I will see you tonight. I will drop by in the bar to pick you up after your part-time job."
"Okay, see you!" The call ended just like that but Zoro's eyes are still on Luffia who is leaving with the two men in a luxurious black car.
"What are you hiding, Luffia?" He asked then left the area with Johnny and Yosaku's place as his next destination. What he needs to know is who Bartolomeo is associated with. Zoro has a feeling who it might be and he is not liking this idea at all.
When he arrived at their place, he didn't hesitate in asking them the question he's been dying to know.
"Bartolomeo? From the Barto Club? He's a mafia group, infamous for his tortures. He once drowned a man in the ocean, naked." Yosaku shudders thinking about that news that spread in the streets. No man would want to be humiliated before dying.
"And?" Zoro impatiently asked.
"And he's now associated with the Strawhats. More like, he's a subordinate to them. It's never a secret that he worships the leader. Whatever the leader asks, he does it. To be precise, his group does all of the dirtiest jobs possible." Johnny supplied with more information, hammering the thoughts into Zoro's head.
"Okay." He left after exchanging a few words with them. With such information, he's afraid that he must confront Luffia after all.
But confronting her is easier said than done. Not when she's smiling so innocently at Zoro when he picked her up from her part-time job. They stopped by a food street vendor nearby to get some snacks.
Zoro had his usual beer while Luffia is happily munching some Takoyaki, smiling in bliss at every bite.
"Something wrong, Zoro?" She tilts her head, eyes as bright as the sun while waiting for him to answer.
The words formed in his head died down, absorbed by the innocence in her eyes. His eyes wander to her chest covered by the shirt she's wearing. Very rude of him but he wonders if she will be mad at him if he asked to see if there's a wound there.
"Hmm?" She hums, inquiring as to motivate Zoro to say whatever he needs to.
And in the end, he shook his head.
"Nothing. It's nothing. Just finish your food." He drowned the words he was about to ask by drinking the beer he ordered and relatively dismissing the thoughts, branding it as ridiculous.
Or maybe he is afraid to hear the truth... and the lies that come in between.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
So many things happened at once that the people in Grandline can't seem to keep up. So many names were involved that they fear this will only get worse as the day goes by.
Normal citizens may not know, but the people in the streets were aware of what happened last night.
Cipher Pol agents killed by Blue. Kidd Eustass wiped out Apoo's group with the involvement of Strawhats' group. Then, there's the infamous assassination attempt of Firefist on Whitebeard.
"Gurarara! He's got guts!" Edward Newgate is laughing loudly and his voice echoes in the meeting room. They were supposed to talk about the company's standing, but the topic diverted to the pressing matters that happened last night.
"That's no laughing matter, Pops, yoi." Marco is the least amused.
"What's not a laughing matter is you standing in front when you do not have a vest on." Izou pointed out but was ignored by Marco.
"I agree with Izou. We can't have the heir dying on us, yeah?" Vista said. That's been established since Marco was young - that he will be the heir of this company and the group. Not because he's Whitebeard's son, but because they acknowledged his capabilities.
"Do we have any progress on that bastard?"
"He's pretty slippery. Nothing worthy to mention." Haruta shrugged her shoulders. It's not because they are slacking off, but because Firefist is hard to catch. He's been wanted for years by Big Mom, yet they have yet to find him.
"He will come knocking on our doors soon. We just wait for him." Whitebeard said. "Let's stop talking about Firefist for now. It's not like he will show up now if we do. Why don't we talk about you, Marco? Son, when do you plan to bring Ann home? I am pretty appalled that I have not been introduced properly."
Disappointed that the topic about the assassination was put aside, Marco can't help but relent since his father is asking about Ann.
"This weekend, Pops. I already told her I'll be bringing her to our monthly family dinner. But, I am warning everyone of you, yoi. No talks about marriage or wedding! Nothing!"
Izou gasped at the warning, very stunned.
"And why not?"
"Just no! You will scare her away, so shut up!" He was not vocal about one point, that in their line of work, getting married and having kids may almost be impossible. It's dangerous. Ann may have an idea of what world he belongs to, but Marco is still adamant in bringing it up. She might not want to be involved with someone as dangerous as Marco.
Little does he know that he's involved with the person who tried to kill his father, and one of the most dangerous entities in Grandline now - Firefist.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
The failed assassination attempt triggered Ann's anxiety. Her mind is constantly trying to come up with more ways to kill Whitebeard as soon as possible.
The first attempt failed because she never anticipated that he will wear a vest.
'I should have targeted his head' she told herself. For now, patience is the key. She cannot rush this lest the others will catch on. Once her identity is discovered, it will be over. She will no longer have the freedom to move around.
"So, Pops is looking forward this weekend, yoi,"
"Weekend?" Ann is startled, not remembering anything this weekend.
"Yes. I mentioned the monthly family dinner, didn't I? They're all looking forward to it."
"Oh, right. Yeah, of course." The guilt gnawing at her increases when Marco starts talking about formally introducing her to his family. From what she heard from Thatch, he never brought a woman to their family dinner, except Ann.
What the red-haired man is hinting her is that Marco is serious about Ann. The level of his feelings must be quite high for him to consider a formal introduction. This just made her uncomfortable. The happiness she feels is pushed back by the guilt and the reminder she placed in her mind - that she's only doing this to kill Whitebeard.
After killing Whitebeard, she will disappear and will never approach Marco again.
'Easier said than done,' she scoffs at herself. There's no way Marco will let Firefist go if Whitebeard is killed. Not just Marco, but the entire group will be after Firefist should that happen. Ann is prepared for this. Not just her, but so as her sisters. They are prepared to become an enemy to all Mafia groups out there if it means avenging their parents.
The weekend came too soon than Ann wanted it to. She never had a chance to meet the enemies of her parents. Yes, she saw some of them from afar, but never this close.
When Marco's car is approaching the gate, Ann can't help but have second thoughts. This is an enemy's territory - their main territory. What she's doing now may cause her life and all the efforts she and her sisters have done for years.
"Nervous? Don't be, yoi. They will love you. I am sure of it." Marco reaches for her hand, bringing it to his lips so he can plant a soft kiss on it.
"Yes. I-I can't help but feel nervous." She's nervous for a different reason but Marco misunderstood.
"Come on. They're good people. You've met some of them already. Also, don't take their teasing too seriously."
"Right..." Ann forces a smile, watching her tone so he won't catch the icy sarcasm underneath. Looking at the huge mansion, Ann can only see the entrance to hell. The designs may be breathtaking but what this place meant for Ann is like a cage surrounded by her enemies. 'And you are in the arms of an enemy'
Stepping inside the living area, Ann can't help but look around not because she's in awe of the beauty of the interior design but because her instincts are trained to look for an escape route should she need it.
She's thankful that Marco associated her distress with her nervousness in meeting his family rather than an enemy spying onto their abode.
Along the way, they meet Thatch and Haruta who were excitedly greeting Ann, telling her various things about their family. Ann played her part by answering as naturally as possible. It wasn't hard till they arrived in the dining area where everyone is waiting for them.
Ann instantly froze because of the eyes directed at her. It feels as if they are sizing her up, looking into the depths of her soul. She surveyed each one of them, the information she stored in her mind kept popping up when her eyes landed on them.
Then, to Whitebeard. The man is hard to miss with his huge stature despite his old age. Even when sitting, Ann can feel the insurmountable pressure emitting from him. His presence feels like a huge mountain that she cannot overcome.
Seeing him up close, it's not just the pressure that she's feeling. There's hatred boiling in her heart just seeing this man - her father's enemy. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists to prevent herself from springing to action and killing him.
'Hold it. Hold it in.'
Had it not been for the lively atmosphere and the greetings, Ann is sure she can hear her heartbeats and how loud it is.
"Finally! I finally got to meet you." If Whitebeard noticed the glares that Ann was sending his way, he sure as hell did not act as if he did. He smiled with enthusiasm, standing up to greet Ann and Marco.
In this scene, Ann felt like coming back to her senses, like cold water splashed to her face, waking her up from her angered stupor.
A fake smile that she trained herself to wear is now plastered to her face. Gone is the icy glare she had.
"It's my pleasure to meet you, Sir." It took a lot of her willpower to say that in a respective tone.
"You're as beautiful as they said! Gurarara! I'm surprised you chose my son. With such beauty, I am sure you have many suitors lined up."
"Oi, Pops! Don't give her ideas! She might dump Marco after tonight. Hahaha!" Jiru shouted.
"Right, right. We might see Marco crying a river!" Curiel added and was followed by a series of laughter from everyone else much to Marco's annoyance.
"Sorry, they're rowdy, yoi," Marco whispered before bringing her to sit next to him. Ann only smiled, still nervous.
The dinner started and the conversation flowed like nothing else. The people around would frequently tease Marco, often telling Ann about his escapades and embarrassing memories. At one point, the blonde wanted to curse his siblings for their charades. If he didn't know better, he would have thought that they are encouraging Ann to dump him.
Ann is listening to them. At first, she is hesitant, but now that the atmosphere feels lighter, she feels a little at ease. Her guard is still up, yet she can't afford to look stiff all the time lest they will notice the discomfort and nervousness she felt.
She would engage in a friendly conversation with them, very careful about what she asked. Some of the questions may seem harmless but they are the habits of these people that may be helpful in the future.
"They are not bullying you at the company, are they? Just let me know and I will deal with them." Whitebeard told Ann while pointing to his children.
"N-No, Sir. They're all professional. Thank you."
"Sir?" Whitebeard queries, cocking his eyebrow at Ann that almost made her heart stop. "Sir?!" Ann blinks in confusion, swallowing the lump in her throat while waiting for Whitebeard's next words. "Don't call me 'Sir'. Call me Pops instead."
"Uhm, what?"
"Pops. Just call me that. No need for formality. Besides, you should get used to calling me that starting now. That way you won't have any problems calling me as Pops when the time comes." He winked at her, hinting at something that she could not quite understand.
"Pops..." Marco's tone is warning his father. Unlike Ann, he knows what his father is referring to.
"You know, just saying." Whitebeard shrugged and then ordered one of the servants for more wine and dessert.
"What was that about?" Ann whispered her question to Marco.
"Nothing. Just ignore Pops, yoi." Marco smiles reassuringly. Despite the unsatisfying answer, Ann let it go, dismissing the doubts in her.
After dinner, Ann stayed for a while before deeming it time to leave. The others invited her to stay for the night which she declined. They almost didn't want to let her go, but after Marco's insistence, they reluctantly agreed to let her leave but not until she promised to come back often during their family gatherings.
"Of course. I will be back." She smiles innocently, but beneath the smile is a venomous promise. Her eyes wander towards Whitebeard. Both of them smiled at each other.
"Please, come back, ok? I'll be waiting for you." Ann's smile slowly diminishes upon hearing those words. Whitebeard's eyes sparked with welcoming enthusiasm that may seem kind to anyone but Ann's instincts are telling her otherwise. She almost stepped back and took a defensive position after locking eyes with Whitebeard.
It sounds like a challenge to her.
Calming her nerves, she almost scoffs with sarcasm but instead forced a smile on her face.
"Of course! I will be back..." She made sure not to lose eye contact with him before uttering the last word. "Pops."
"Gurarara! That's what I am talking about!"
After the farewells, Ann left with Marco who was still in a defensive mode, debunking what his siblings told Ann during dinner. While Ann is in her own world, reminiscing the exchange with Whitebeard before they left.
'The older, the wiser, the harder to kill. Seems like I have to play more games than I thought.'
Meeting Whitebeard changed her perspective. She cannot be reckless at all. One carelessness can cost her everything she did to get to this point. One wrong move, she is sure as hell she will fall at Whitebeard's palm and his mercy.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
"What do you think of her Pops?" Izou asked, curious about their father's impression of Ann.
"Hmm..." Whitebeard is humming while drinking his favorite alcohol. "She's good."
His answer raised an eyebrow from Izou, not expecting that vague answer.
"Good? As in?"
"She's a good person. Very beautiful." He praised her for who knows how many times that night. "And she gets along with everyone. Very good."
Izou did not press for more information, not with her attention going back to Thatch who is drinking non-stop with Vista. Left unsupervised, they might turn this mansion upside down which Izou would rather not see. She was still mad at them when they splashed paint on the walls that took months of getting rid of. Not to mention the furniture was destroyed, much to Izou's annoyance, and that was after she took a lot of time planning the interior design. The others are in it for another yelling from Izou.
That was what Marco witnessed when he came back after dropping Ann in her apartment. Whitebeard instantly offered his son a drink which the blond took without asking before sitting next to his father.
The silence between father and son stretches for a minute before Whitebeard breaks it.
"You're serious about her, huh?"
Marco swings his cup, taking a mouthful of whiskey.
"I am, yoi. She's... She's different."
"Hmm. I see."
"I know what you want to say, yoi. That I should be careful. That it might result in the same thing as in the past."
"I didn't say that."
"You did not, but your eyes are telling me to do so. I know, Pops, yoi."
"I know I can trust your guts son. If your instincts are telling you she's the one, then, go for it. Who am I to say otherwise? You're no longer a child that needs to be told what to do." Whitebeard smiles at his son, clapping his back to show his support. "But you are worried, eh?"
"You know me so well, Pops."
"What are you worried about?"
"That she might not like this life. That may be, one day, she will realize that this world is not what she wants to live in. I worry for her safety as well. For the first time Pops, I feel so scared that my enemies will get to her. I don't know what I will do, yoi."
"You don't know that. You haven't talked to her about all this, right?"
"No, yoi. I mean, she has an idea, but we've never talked much about it." Even without telling Marco telling Whitebeard everything in his mind, the old man can tell what bothers his son the most. He's afraid that when Ann sees the danger in this world, she will back out.
"For you to worry like this, you must have fallen badly for her, eh? Gurarara! She's a force to be reckoned with!" Father and son laughed. Whitebeard can see the sincerity in Marco's eyes, something he never saw in Marco's when talking about his previous lovers. "Besides, you never know, she might be someone who is fit in this world. She looks like a head-strong kind of woman. Very independent."
"You think so, Pops?"
"Yes. I know so."
"Thanks, Pops. For being supportive."
"If you think she's worth protecting for, do it, son. No regrets."
"Yes, no regrets."
Or is it?
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
AN: Finally finished this! It's been a while. Holiday season is over and the Covid cases are rising, and workload is just as hectic as always. Stay safe everyone.