Chapter 6: Watched
She stared at him with a sweet smile, hands intertwined behind her back as she innocently blinked her brown eyes up at him and bounced lightly on her toes.
"Oh shit," was all Usopp could think as her seemingly sweet smile grew into a devilish grin. Nami had an evil idea in her head, and she was going to try and find some way to include him in her demonic plans. He sighed, his shoulders sagging in defeat. He had no way to talk himself out of whatever she was planning, and they both knew it. "What are you scheming?"
She beamed and clapped her hands together. "Why Usopp, how nice of you to volunteer in helping me!" She ignored his groan, walked over to him, and roughly patted him on the shoulder. "So, all we're going to do is walk down one of the streets and talk to each other so we blend in with the crowd and don't appear to be doing anything suspicious. While doing so, I'll snag a few goodies and everything will be great! Easy, right?" She spoke it all excitedly in a low voice so anyone walking nearby wouldn't overhear them. "I mean, even you should be able to do it!"
"Excuse me?!" he snapped in defense, a vein twitching above his left eye. Before he could so much as think of a comeback her arm hooked into his and dragged him along like they were the closest of friends.
Nami's eyes darted around to take in all the surrounding streets as she searched for one that would easily allow her to accomplish her goal. She decided that the one next to the clock tower would be the most beneficial, as it was by far the busiest and full of unsuspecting tourists who would be far too busy looking at the clock and window shopping to pay attention to the quick pair of hands that roamed through their pockets and purses. A shiver of excitement ran up her body at the mere thrill of being able to steal again. Usually one didn't brag about being a thief, but damn it all if she wasn't able to boast about just how good she really was at her profession!
The pair circled around the city-centered water fountain and approached their destined street, acting as normal as possible. Nami unlatched her arm from Usopp and stared at the lengthy cobble-stoned pavement laid out before them, her lips spreading into a grin as she took in the sight of shops practically on top of each other. Where there weren't shops were restaurants with patios littered by diners enjoying a late lunch, or small stalls with vendors standing in front broadcasting their goods. She felt like she had entered a shopper's paradise, but for the moment she needed to push the urge to shop towards the back of her mind and focus on the real task at hand. Her eyes drifted over to where Usopp stood, who gave a slight nod of the head to confirm he was ready to proceed. They moved forward, setting the plan in motion.
"So, are you excited to go shopping with me later today?" Nami cheerfully asked as they walked by a boutique with gorgeous dresses on display behind transparent glass. She made a mental note to head back to that store later and check it out.
"Absolutely not!" he exclaimed with disgust evident in his voice. "Every time you force me to shop with you I'm stuck carrying all the bags, and you drag me around to all the stores for hours until my feet feel like they are going to fall off!"
She laughed and jabbed him with her elbow, earning a groan from her companion. "Oh, man up! I do it all the time, and in heels, might I add."
"That's your own damn fault for being a shopaholic!"
"I don't careeee," she sung out.
The two of them continued talking and bickering back and forth while weaving in and out of the thickening crowd. The air was polluted with shouting, laughter, and talking as people enjoyed their time strolling with friends and family on such a beautiful day. Even Usopp, who knew he'd been suckered into Nami's evil idea, was enjoying himself and all the excitement that buzzed through the air. Even though they had eaten not too long ago, his stomach gurgled from all the surrounding restaurants' scents that mingled together and assaulted his senses. He planned to eat as soon as possible, feeling anxious to savor any dishes he came across.
Eventually they reached the end of the street and came across a spacious bazaar. Two hotels loomed over the square at opposite ends, with a few stores and restaurants on either side of them. There was another water fountain placed in the center of the square, with a statue of a man and woman dancing and completely infatuated with each other, etched at the top of the fountain.
"Wow, that's kind of nice," Usopp pointed out as he walked closer to the fountain so he could inspect the statue's details better.
Nami had to agree that it was a rather pretty sight, but she wasn't into art as much as Usopp, so instead she looked around to get an idea of what to do next. At last she decided.
"Hey, since we don't really know how long we're going to be here, we might as well get a hotel room right?" she suggested. "I sure as hell am not sleeping on the streets, that's for sure."
With a compliant shrug the sharpshooter turned around. "Sure, but do we actually have enough money to stay somewhere?"
"Just trust me when I say we'll be good for at least a couple days," she replied cheerfully, indicating their little walk had been successful. "Now, how about we look at that one over there?" She pointed a slender finger towards a hotel to her left, which was a simple yet attractive building colored a brilliant white, and looked to contain about five floors of rooms, each with a balcony.
"Yeah, I don't see why not. I'm not really picky," Usopp agreed as he walked towards the building.
Nami smirked and walked close behind him. "Usopp, you could sleep on a bathroom floor and be perfectly fine with it."
[][][]
Two glass doors automatically slid open for them as they entered a rather refined looking lobby. Two long red velvet couches were placed symmetrically around a dark chestnut coffee table that had a thin piece of glass covering the two top of it, revealing an assortment of multicolored pebbles jumbled inside between the wood. Two matching colored armchairs sat snug in each back corner of the room with a rack of magazines placed conveniently next to the seats. A white marble fireplace that currently wasn't lit was hollowed into a wall across from the coffee table. Across the top of it was a mantle and clock that were made of black polished wood. It was a charming little area that made one instantly feel at home.
Ahead of the two pirates was a reception desk with a black marble top and auburn front with golden letters that read "The Ivory Towers". Behind the desk stood a tall, slim man in a black suit with an upturned nose, curled gray mustache, and small circular glasses. He gave a polite bow when Nami and Usopp approached the desk, though his nose wrinkled at the sight of her barefoot and how dirty they appeared to be. "Good afternoon. How may I help you?"
The navigator approached the desk with the most charming smile she could muster. "Hi! My friend and I were wondering if we could get a hotel room with two beds. How much would that be?"
Clearing his throat, the mustached man glanced down into an open binder and flipped through a couple pages before shaking his head. "I apologize, but the only rooms we have available at the moment contain one bed, not two."
Nami furrowed her brows. "Well, are there any hotels around here that have a room with two beds available?"
"Very unlikely," the man responded with a twitch of his mustache. "There is a rather larger ball taking place this weekend, and people from all over the Grand Line have traveled here just to take part in it and waltz the evening away."
The orange-haired woman's eyes shimmered. "Seriously?! That sounds great! Okay then, give us the room!"
[][][]
"Sheesh, this place is expensive!" Nami complained as her and Usopp entered an elevator. " I mean, 200 beris a night?! Are they serious?"
The doors shut, enclosing the two of them within the elevator walls. The contraption gave only a little vibration before it began its smooth ascent to the fifth floor. Usopp sighed and looked upwards at the ceiling's mirror. " You're the one who claimed that 'we'd be good for a couple days'. Besides, I'm sure you'll just end up stealing more money anyways if we need it, right?"
The navigator's face lit up. "Well yeah! I'm the best of the best when it comes to thieving, after all!"
The elevator slowed down and arrived at their floor with a gentle ping as the doors slid open. Nami pulled out their card keys, handed one to Usopp, and together they looked at the little blue signs on the wall for an indication as to where their room was.
"Let's see, we're looking for room 508," the sharpshooter observed from his card key before looking back at the signs. The one on the top pointed to the right, where rooms 501 though 510 were located. The two friends headed in that direction until they stood in front of a white door with a card-key reader and silver door handle placed on the front of it. Nami slid her card into the slot quickly and pulled it back just as a green light lit up on the reader and a soft click was heard from inside. She twisted the handle and pushed the door open.
The room inside wasn't huge, but definitely had enough space to walk around without any problems. A king-sized bed with a white comforter and indigo pillows was stationed between two round bedside tables that were the same color as the coffee table in the lobby. Both tables had white lamps with dark blue lampshades, and the table to the right of the bed had an alarm clock with red digital numbers glowing on its screen. Across from the foot of the bed was a long dresser made of the same wood as the tables, and over the smooth piece of furniture was a wide mirror that had not so much as a smear on it. A mini fridge, a circular table, and two chairs were near the sliding door that let out onto the balcony.
To the right of the room's entrance was a bathroom with a hot tub, shower, double sink, and toilet. Navy blue towels and washcloths were folded up neatly and placed along the edge of the tub and on a rack next to the sink. A small light brown basket between the two sinks contained mini bars of soap and bottles of shampoo.
Usopp proceeded to walk over to the bed and fall on his back, arms spread out and feet placed on the floor. " Now this is a bed," he stated with a yawn and a smack of his thick lips.
Nami opened the sliding door and stepped out onto the balcony. From their room she could see the clock tower, the street they'd walked down, and a little of the plaza. She had to admit that the view was rather nice, and the room they'd paid for was also lovely. She leaned over the railing and peeked at the street below to watch some of the people go about their business without a care in the world.
[][][]
Sitting on the edge of the plaza fountain was a man smoking a cigarette. His eyes were hidden from the world behind ebony sunglasses, and his auburn hair was pulled back into a long ponytail that touched just below his shoulder blades. He had been watching the Ivory Tower for a few minutes until he finally saw what he'd been looking for. Reaching into the pocket of his green flannel shirt, he pulled out a miniature den-den mushi and pressed a button at the top of its red shell. He dialed up some numbers and stood up, placing a hand into the pocket of his dark blue pants as he patiently waited for a connection.
At last a click was heard as the line was picked up, and his den-den's eyes opened up. "Yes? What is it?" asked a woman in a low voice.
The man smirked and looked up at the top floor of the hotel. "You were right. They're here."