I told you I had another chapter in the waiting and sure enough, here it is! I must warn you though not to be expecting another update next week. This week's chapter is only a result of dividing a much longer Act 3 into two more manageable (and easily readable) parts. The next chapter might take a bit longer to come out and I hope you can all be patient with me whilst I write it.
That's all I really need to say in this annotation, so on with the next chapter of the Scarlet Wind!
Chapter 3: Polarity Act 4
Ace P.O.V
"Oh, where could he be? It's Ten minutes to Eleven and he's still not home. WHEN HE GETS HERE I'LL…oh, I hope he's alright" I sigh loudly at Makino's worried cries.
"Makino, calm down would you?" I warn her with a concerned frown "you're going to wear a hole in the floor" Currently, I'm lying on the couch, halfway in the middle of watching a detective TV-show that has long since been forgotten. Instead, my focus has shifted to Makino, who's pacing left and right in the hall. Of course, it's been a while since Luffy left and I'm a little concerned Luffy hasn't come home yet…but I also trust my little brother not to do anything stupid…
Okay, I trust him to not do anything stupid ON PURPOSE!
Besides, when he walked in before, he seemed like something was troubling him. I tried finding out what was wrong but Luffy's always acting so distant these days.
"But he's not here" Makino replied simply "I've tried phoning him SIX TIMES, I've left dozens of texts on his phone. WHERE COULD HE BE!"
"Luffy's been home later than this" I try to reassure her.
"NOT ON A SCHOOL NIGHT!" Makino counters "AND he's out past curfew"
"The curfew you revoked so we could go with Garp on that 'family visit'" I remind her but Makino doesn't want to listen.
"It's dark out. Who knows what could happen to him out there?" she asks with a sad sigh "I thought he said he was going to try to get better at getting home on time. Oh, if he's not dead out there, I'm going to kill him!"
"The guy's a teenager" I reason with a sigh "he's got a lot on his plate already, give him some time and space to think. He said he needed time to himself"
"He can't use that as an excuse though!" Makino replies "he's had several hours out there to himself and he's still not back yet! I wouldn't mind it but he never answers his phone or replies to my text. It's like whenever he disappears he becomes a phantom"
"Perhaps our little Luffy has got himself a girlfriend he keeps sneaking out to go see" I suggest with a sly grin "that would explain his sudden interest in 'privacy'" Makino turns to me, seemingly confused on whether my suggestion is possibly valid.
"…You think?" she suddenly asks, leaning on the wall with her hand on her chin. Glancing at the detective on the TV, I nod and begin to imitate his movements.
"It is obvious by the frequent amount of disappearances and by the fact that Luffy supposedly comes back 'exhausted' from these excursions that our dear Luffy has found himself a possible lady friend…possibly even a companion of the male persuasion and because of such, he wishes to not reveal it to us out of embarrassment to us" I explain with a nod "it is elementary my dear Makino"
An awkward silence fills up the space between I and Makino as my green haired mother figure watches me with confusion.
"…Ace…have you been at the sake again?"
"Oh, I get drunk ONE TIME at Shank's birthday party and suddenly, every time I act a little bit crazy, you immediately assume I've been at Shank's personal secret stash"
"Have you?" Makino asks, her tone turning serious as she places her hands on her hips. She gives me her trademark inquisitive stare and I start sweating under it.
"…That's not the point!" I complain, shifting quickly onto another topic "I'm just saying that Luffy's absences have a perfectly logical…"
At that moment, the back door bangs open loudly. I and Makino jump at the sound and turn to face the kitchen. Luckily, our supposed intruder calls out as he enters to let us know he is.
"I know I'm late and I'm sorry but…"
"But nothing Luffy" Makino starts angrily advancing towards the doorway into the kitchen. As she moves, I stand up and give a sigh before following after her. We both make it into the kitchen and get a good look of Luffy…only to pause in surprise.
Like when he came back home, Luffy is wearing his usual school uniform, white shirt, black trousers with his red tie untied and barely wrapped around his neck.
That isn't the odd part though.
The truly surprising thing is that there, on the right hand side of Luffy's face is a rather large purple stain on his face. Makino and I immediately pause and stare at Luffy, who looks at us with confusion.
"Er…guys, I know I'm incredibly good looking but the staring is really not welcome…" Luffy jokes with a grin. Makino, however, isn't as quick to reply but when she does, her stern expression has completely disappeared.
"Luffy! What happened to you? Are you all right?" she practically shrieks, racing over to Luffy's side. Luffy tries to dodge Makino's attempts to grab him and examine his black eye and turns to me for help.
"Of course I'm alright, why wouldn't I be?"
"Because you've got the mother of all shiners on your face" I explain with wide eyes, still stunned by the large bruise on the side of Luffy's face. The rest of Luffy's face pales as I relate to him the news of his black eye and he instantly grabs the right hand side of his face. The panic in his eyes is somewhat strange…as if he hadn't realised it was there.
"Where were you?" Makino inquires, suddenly turning Luffy around and rubbing a damp cloth on the bruise "where did you get that from?"
"Well, I'll tell you the answer to both if you stop fussing" Luffy replies, trying to push the cloth out of his face "I honestly feel fine"
"You don't look fine" Makino insists "stop squirming" I shake my head as Luffy continues to struggle against Makino's attempt to clean the wound. It's just like when we were kids. Luffy would be just as uncooperative with Makino back then too, whether it would be dealing something harmless like cleaning mud off his face or something a little more painful like putting a plaster on a cut knee.
Suddenly, however, reality hits me square in the face. Luffy's not just some innocent kid anymore, he's a teenager with a bruise the size of a well aimed baseball bat on his face. THAT doesn't come about by accident…it just can't…
"What happened?" I ask in Makino's stead. Luffy finally manages to push Makino's cloth out of his face, before he turns to face me. For a fraction of a second, Luffy seems to stop, as if he's thinking about what he's going to say.
"Well, after leaving here, I went for a walk for a bit, visited Sabo's grave and I ended up in our old tree house" he explains "then whilst I was there, I had a bit of a nap"
"A nap in our old tree house?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. Luffy nods.
"I like going there" he admits "It's where I go whenever I need to think. It has a calming effect on me I guess…in this case, maybe a little too calming since I actually fell asleep"
"Well, Nami did say she found you in the tree house last Thursday…" Makino comments aloud.
"See!" Luffy shouts with a grin. He seems far too enthusiastic about Makino's supporting to his story however. Almost as if…he's lying…
Quickly, I shake the thought out of my head.
I can't believe I would even think that.
Luffy? Lying? Impossible! He's always been the type of guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. He's the most honest guy I've ever met. I know my brother would never lie, it's not in his nature…
Even so…this feeling that he's bluffing…I can't shake it…
"That doesn't explain why you couldn't answer your phone though" Makino suddenly interrupts, glaring at Luffy for believing she'd let him off so easily "and that also doesn't explain that…" once more, Makino reaches a cloth towards Luffy's black eye but he ducks under her arm and steps to the side in a swift and fluid motion.
Where as Makino doesn't seem surprised by this quick movement, I definitely am. Where did Luffy learn to move like that? His reaction timings are good but they're not exactly super human. I'm so intrigued by this development that I only just realise to refocus my attention towards Luffy as he starts giving his story once more.
"Well, you see, my phone ran out of batteries" he announces, tossing his mobile towards Makino, who begins clicking the buttons to make sure "I couldn't exactly phone you back AND I was also asleep at the time. As for this" he points to the bruise on his face and gives an awkward laugh before rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment "well…I woke up and moved my head up too fast and I banged the side of my face on the wall"
"I've always said that tree house was a death trap" Makino mumbles, going back to inspecting Luffy's face, much to his irritation "but you were still late coming back. We were worried about you"
"She was worried about you" I correct, but Makino glares at me and I quickly fall silent.
"Well, what am I supposed to think when one of my boys just disappears into thin air?" Makino asks with a sigh "both of you are driving me mad with worry these days, especially you Mr Houdini"
"Houdini?" Luffy questions.
"You're the one always pulling the disappearing act whenever I blink" Makino explains, before sighing once more "I know the two of you are just getting on with your own lives…but…"
"Makino, can we not have an emotional moment right now?" Luffy suddenly speaks up "I'm really tired today…besides, you've got no reason to worry. I'm fine, really! Everything's okay!" and to confirm this, Luffy pulls Makino into a hug. She returns the hug with a small smile.
"I know, I know" Makino replies, gently tapping Luffy's back but I couldn't help but frown at her words. Makino had no idea that Luffy's fine, she's just saying she knows to make Luffy (and maybe even make herself) feel better. To be honest, I'm still not sure that Luffy really is fine.
After all, there's that black eye on his face and there's the fact that he's been gone almost all of tonight. He's definitely been up to something…I just wish I knew what's been happening to him recently. I might not show it but I really do worry about Luffy. His grades in school have always been sort of low but he's never had trouble with his attendance like this before.
Skipping lessons, sometimes even spending whole hours away from school? That's not like him. From what Nojiko's told me, he doesn't hang out with Nami and the others too much any more either. It's like there's this whole other side to his life that we don't know about…but the question is: what is that other side to his life?
Luffy finally manages to escape Makino's embrace and yawns loudly.
"Well, it's late already" he announces as if we weren't aware already "I think I'm just going to go to bed" as Luffy attempts to leave, however, Makino grabs his shoulders and pulls him back.
"You think I'm just going to forget about you coming in this late?" she asks with a glare.
"Makino, come on!~" Luffy moans, pouting at the green haired woman with big wide innocent eyes "it was an accident. I promise it'll never ever happen again EVER!" Of course, it only makes sense that Luffy would try giving her 'the look' in order to get out of such a problem. For a moment, Makino remained firm in defiance, glaring towards Luffy. Eventually, however, the boy's charm forces its way under her skin and she sighs loudly.
"Fine…I suppose I could let it slip this one time, especially considering you managed to get such a good grade in that Biology test on Friday" Makino mumbles, but the second Luffy looks like he's about to celebrate, she quickly starts speaking again "but don't think that you can go dashing off again on a school night to who knows where and if for some reason you need to stay out late, answer my calls so that I actually know where you are. I'd like to think that's not so unreasonable…"
"Don't worry Makino" Luffy shouts as he dashes round the corner into the hall "I promise you it won't happen again!"
"IT BETTER NOT YOUNG MAN" Makino yells in reply, but Luffy is already half way up the stairs, no longer listening to her demands. She once more sighs loudly and places a hand on her forehead "I'm pretty sure you and Sabo weren't this much work when you were teenagers"
"Probably not" I comment, my mind still thinking about Luffy's mysterious black eye. His constant disappearances are definitely not like me when I was a teenager. I admit, I got into a fair share of tough situations and I was by no means a perfect goody two shoes but Luffy's behaviour is a lot more chaotic that how I used to be. I wonder…
"I know teenagers like their privacy...but I can't help but feel like something's wrong"
"I know what you mean" I mutter in reply to Makino's statement, still looking up the dark staircase where Luffy disappeared.
"Ace…" As Makino gently calls my name, I turn to look at her.
"Yeah?" I ask softly.
"I'm worried about him"
"I know Makino"
"But that's not just it" Makino suddenly adds with a sigh "ever since Sabo…passed, I feel like there's been something wrong with Luffy, like he's starting to drift away from us. It's like he doesn't want to be a part of the family anymore and…I can't help but feel that he's always pushing me away…"
"Makino, Luffy doesn't feel like that" I reassure her.
"Doesn't he?" Makino retorts calmly "did he tell you something?" a frown appears on my face at the question and my lip quivers.
"No…he…Luffy never tells me anything anymore" I admit sadly "since we were kids, he used to tell us everything, me and Sabo. We were his confidants but…well, after Sabo…" I stop talking immediately biting my lip. This probably had to be the most times we'd mentioned Sabo in the house since his death and I couldn't help but feel sad whenever the name crept up. It doesn't feel right talking about his death with such a negative relation to Luffy's sudden change, as if my kind and brilliant older brother was to blame for it.
"…So you two haven't talked?" Makino asks, diverting the subject away from Sabo, something was very grateful for.
"No" I reply simply "but if it will make you feel any better, I could go and have a word with him. If he won't talk to you about what's going on, then I'll have to get him to tell me what's wrong"
"Not tonight" Makino suddenly says, walking over from her side of the kitchen and resting a hand on my shoulder "he's just got in and he's tired. He needs rest…BOTH of you do" I can't help but smile as Makino says this. Even now, when I'm Twenty years old, she's still trying to mother me.
"Alright then" I agree "but if I'm going to talk to him, it'll have to be on Friday then. Old man Whitebeard's got me on the night shift at the station tomorrow and Thursday, meaning I'll be starting the shift when Luffy gets home from school and only be back once he's most likely fallen asleep so our chance at a proper meaningful talk will basically be zero" Makino smiles at my explanation and nods in understanding.
"Thank you Ace"
Luffy P.O.V
I stand with my back to the door of my bedroom, an ear tightly pressed to the woodwork. I'm silent as I take in the words floating up the stairs.
"Makino, you don't have to thank me. We're family and family looks out for each other, right?"
"Yeah, of course…come on, I think it's time we all follow Luffy's example and get some sleep"
I bite my lip, replaying the exchange in my head.
"I can't help but feel that he's always pushing me away…"
Makino…I'm sorry…
I never meant to make you feel that way. I'm not trying to push you away, I'm not trying to be some mysterious phantom I just…
Sighing loudly, I flop straight onto my mattress, not bothering to throw off my school clothing. I'm too tired for that right now.
I never thought having a double life would be easy…but I never actually thought it would be this hard. I'm still causing my friends and family such pain because I keep being a superhero...
Why do I still do it though? I mean, it seems like no matter how hard I try, I can't get any victories.
I take down a super villain, I get grounded.
I get an A in my Biology test, I fight another super villain as a reward.
Life finally starts looking up, everything's coming up Luffy and then…
BANG!
Nami kicks me in the balls, I let Hancock down when she really needs me, I fail to take down the newest freak of nature in town and now it seems like the police are gunning for me.
You know, it's days like these that make me really want to give up being a super hero…
But it's also days like these that remind me why Dawn City still needs a hero. There are freaks like Monarch, Predator and Waxwork on the loose out there and there are still people I need to protect, including my family and my friends. I groan slightly, remembering all the trouble I've caused…
Giving up isn't my style though.
I have to keep on being Scarlet for the greater good, no matter how much I really don't want to.
With another small sigh, I relax into my mattress, ignoring the part of my brain reminding me to reset my alarm for tomorrow morning. Makino will wake me up anyway and right now, I need to catch up on my sleep. Wrapping up in my blankets, my scarlet costume safely tucked away in my closet, a single thought helps me drift off into happy dreams.
Everything will be better in the morning…
Usopp P.O.V
Lunch has been my favourite time of the day for as long as I can remember.
But today, it was a time to get some advice…
"I MEAN, HOW THE HECK IS THAT GUY ATTRACTIVE?"
Or complain, whatever gets this feeling off of my chest first.
"Usopp, just give it up" Nami sighs, taking a sip from her can of cola. I glare at her in response.
"NO! I'M SERIOUS! IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!" I continue to argue, growling with rage. Currently, I, Zoro, Nami, Robin and Vivi are the only people sitting at the table. Kaya left her lunch at home and Chopper and Sanji had decided that they'd keep her company as she waited for Merry outside, whilst we all go inside and get food. Unfortunately, even the aroma of cafeteria pizza fails to get me to cheer up "I MEAN, SHE BARELY KNOWS HIM!"
"Usopp, I believe you're taking this a little too seriously dear" Robin comments.
"Oh, I'm sorry 'MUM'" I shout mockingly at Robin's statement "I didn't know I was…"
"Usopp…" Vivi whispers in a low voice, noticing how Robin's tensing up at my words "you don't want to do this…" I barely hide the look of fear on my face as I glance at Robin's cold sapphire eyes. It seems, just like me, she's not in the mood for messing around today. Luckily, I know how to pick my fights wisely and I quickly concede defeat.
"BUT I'M SERIOUS THOUGH AND NO-ONE IS TREATING THIS AS SERIOUSLY AS ME!"
"Because you're being jealous of a superhero" Zoro grumbles from beside me, his mouth full of rice "and that's kinda sad"
"Zoro, it's best to keep your mouth closed when eating" Robin advises, flicking a stray piece of rice that had fallen onto the table away.
"Usopp's right, you are the mum of the group" Zoro complains. Before Robin could give him a glare, the green haired man focuses his attention back on me "Wise cracks aside; you're getting way too serious about this Usopp. So what if Kaya has a little crush on the Scarlet Wind? Everyone has their little crushes on celebrities. It's like you falling for a movie star…"
"The only difference is I doubt I'm good enough to get with a movie star" I mutter dejectedly to myself.
"Don't get so down Mr. Inferiority Complex" Vivi says with a smile, giving my arm a friendly nudge "you shouldn't be so pessimistic all the time. That's the only reason why you haven't had the guts to ask her out yet" I grunt at her in reply.
"I guess you're right…"
"Aren't we always?" Zoro asks confidently, relaxing happily in his chair.
"You're not" Nami comments with a chuckle, causing Zoro to almost fall out of his seat.
"AND WHAT THE HECK DOES THAT MEAN WITCH?"
"Guys, calm down" Vivi spoke up nervously. Reluctantly, Zoro obeyed Vivi's suggestion, before taking a large bite out of his food.
Soon after, the table faded into a comfortable silence...
"…STILL I DON'T GET WHAT SHE COULD SEE IN THAT GUY!"
For the most part anyway.
"Usopp, give it a rest!" Nami shouted back, almost throwing her fork straight at my forehead "you're being more irritating than Luffy normally is...speaking of which, where is that bonehead?" As Nami speaks those words, we all stop in our tracks. No wonder things were so quiet, Luffy's disappeared again! Guess this means another boring lunch…
However, my mind quickly changes as I hear Vivi giving a small gasp. Quickly, we all turn to her and notice her staring at something on the other side of the room. Curiosity taking hold, we look over there as well…and are stunned into silence by the sight that greets us…
There's Luffy, standing next to…a seated Hancock.
Pause…
Luffy. He's talking to Hancock.
There's another pause…
A long pause…
Glances are exchanged…
A second look is required.
Finally, we all look back at each other.
"Verdict?" Zoro asks before anyone can interrupt him.
"Aliens" I comment.
"Black mail" Vivi states firmly.
"THE BITCH GOT HIM WITH MIND CONTROL" Nami growls low and fierce.
"Really?" Zoro mutters, fingering his ear lazily "I would of guessed a love potion"
"And I would guess it's because she's his homework partner" Robin explains with a sigh "honestly, all of you are so paranoid"
"But he's SMILING at her" Nami points out "he NEVER smiles at her like that…not after what she's done anyway…" the air around the table suddenly becomes quite tense.
"Maybe she's not all bad…" Vivi suggests.
"Yeah, and maybe I'm the fucking tooth fairy" Nami hisses at the blue haired girl. Somehow, Nami's bitterness didn't seem as over the top as it should have. We all remembered Luffy's brief three second retelling of Hancock's over controlling behaviour (something along the lines of 'She hurt Nami, we're no longer friends').
Then again, however, it had been a long time ago since that event and after that, Hancock appeared to have calmed down quite a bit. She wasn't exactly best buddies with us now but she'd learned a simple lesson: don't mess with Luffy's friends unless you want to get on his bad side and it seemed that both Nami and, to an extent, Luffy had been holding a grudge against her.
It's like my mum says, time heals all wounds and it seems like Luffy is finally just about ready to forgive and forget…
From the look on Nami's face though, it looked like she'd need another century or so to heal her own wounds.
"Nami, be reasonable" Robin mutters "she's a human being after all"
"I'm not so sure about that…" Nami replies in a low growl, before she turns around to look at Luffy once more "still, that doesn't change the fact that he's talking to her now…I wonder what happened between them…"
"Is it really any of our business?" I question, realising that Nami was attempting to intrude on my best friend's life. The orange haired girl gave me her worst glare but even that didn't convince me I was wrong. After all, we were Luffy's friends but that didn't mean we had to dictate his actions, right?
"I agree with Usopp" Zoro says, taking a gulp from his 'special water flask' (which every one knows is really just booze) before continuing to talk "If Luffy wants to talk to her and make friends with her, we can't exactly stop him…even if he's making friends with a total bitch. We're just going to have to keep looking out for him and make sure that he doesn't do anything stupid"
"And if I didn't know any better Nami, it sounds like you're jealous of the attention Luffy's giving to the serpent across the way" Robin jokes, giving Nami another one of her favourite mocking smiles. I'm kinda glad Robin isn't firing her usual small little grin's at me for once. It's Robin's best weapon in an argument.
Heck, I'd even seen her best Zoro and Sanji's squabbling a couple of times with that simple twist of her lips. Even the usually strong and determined Nami actually shows signs of weakening under it, but she looks away from Robin's accusing gaze with an oddly red face.
"I'm just curious that's all…" she grunts, before casting her gaze over to the corner of the room. Both I and Zoro hadn't expected this reaction and glance at each other, before looking to Robin, in a hope that she would explain what was wrong with our orange haired friend. We find no help, however, as Robin presses a finger to her lips, before reaching into her bag and pulling out a book to read.
Great!
With that thing out, she'll be lost to us for the rest of lunch! Vivi, I and Zoro share a very perplexed look, before staring quizzically over at our black haired 'leader'…
Luffy P.O.V
"E-excuse me?" Hancock stutters, her face now a bright crimson. I smile back at her as widely as I possibly can, before repeating the question.
"Well, seeing as we didn't get any work done last night, I was wondering if you'd like to meet up at Makino's Tavern tonight, about 5-ish? That way we can get some work done so Beckman doesn't fail our asses" I explain, scratching the back of my head, keeping up my happy appearance. Inside my mind, however, my head's killing me.
Why am I thinking so much about everything? This is so stupid. Half of my brain is telling me I'm an idiot for making such a scene with this (in the middle of lunch in front of all Hancock's friends no less) but then, there's that stupid new found pride and that heroic instinct telling me that I need to be nice to Hancock. After all, it'd help make up for me abandoning her last night to her fate and why had I done it? Out of fear? Because she'd told me to stay locked in some dingy closet? I don't know but now, the guilt was eating away at me.
She was right before. People do change, they change all the time…and sometimes, to get people to change for the better, all you have to do is give them a chance and reach out a hand…
Hancock still sits where she is in silence, looking up at me in complete confusion. I wouldn't have minded so much…it was just that all the other girls on the table were doing the same. Marigold and Sandersonia especially couldn't believe their ears and were looking at me as if I'd just crashed through the roof in a spaceship.
I quickly had to check to make sure that my Scarlet costume wasn't poking out under my shirt, just to make sure that wasn't the reason why they were all staring at me as if I was some kind of freak. After a while, Hancock finally seems to find her voice, though it has a quiet and embarrassed tone to it.
"…Y-y-you want to meet up with me?" Hancock asks with baited breath.
"Yeah"
"After school?"
"Yeah" I reply once more, giving her a nod of confirmation. Is something wrong with her hearing?
"…Like a date?" she asks hopefully. I feel a bit irritated at the question, but Hancock's wide eyed expression gets me to lower my harsh denial down to a shrug. After all that's happened recently, she needs something in her life to cheer up her up, right?
"…If that's what you want to call it…then sure" I say calmly. Hancock's mouth grows wider at that statement and immediately, the other girls on the table start to gossip amongst themselves.
"Like, oh my Oda, did he just say what I thought he said?"
"I know Daisy, Luffy asked Hancock to meet up with him!"
"Sounded like he was asking her on a date really…"
"So…is that a yes?" I inquire, ignoring the other girls on the table. Once more, Hancock takes a while to reply (I swear I notice her pinching her cheek for some weird reason) before finally, she answers my question.
"S-s-sure. T-that sounds nice…" she stutters with a look of uncertainty on her face.
"Cool!" I conclude the conversation with a smile, before heading back to my table as casually as possible. Unfortunately, my actions have not gone unnoticed and I can hear onlookers commenting on me from afar.
"From the way they're looking at me, you'd think I'd just told her I wanted to marry her or some weird crap like that" I think to myself, before sitting down next to Nami.
Nami P.O.V
As Luffy sits down, I make sure to avoid eye contact with him…not that he is looking at me anyway…
He's too busy staring down at his unfinished lunch. Honestly, watching Luffy eat is like watching an explosion. It's an incredibly dangerous and volatile natural force but it's something you find you can't quite look away from because it's just so bizarre. In a matter of seconds, Luffy's eating happily, chewing on the nameless meat which Makino had packed into his lunch. As he starts to demolish it, sinking his teeth into the meat, I quickly glance away and shudder.
One of these days I would HAVE to teach him some table manners…
However, I soon notice that his loud chomping dies down. For a moment, I feel his eyes on the back of my neck, before I finally over to him. As I predicted, Luffy has indeed stopped eating (I know! It's weird right?) and now, he seems to be staring at me in confusion. Slowly, he turns to glance at Zoro, Usopp and Vivi too, noticeably unsettled by their silence.
"…Are you guys alright?" he asks, looking between the four of us with a nervous laugh "you look like you've seen a ghost" there was a small pause, before Zoro finally spoke up, casting Luffy a reassuring grin.
"Yeah, everything's good Luffy" he said calmly.
"We're all fine" Usopp added as well, faking a smile.
"We were just wondering what was keeping you" Vivi explains with a soft smile. Of course, all of these excuses were wrong but, as usual, Luffy falls for them and starts laughing.
"Sorry about that guys but I had a bit of business to attend to"
"With Hancock?" I question suddenly. Luffy jumps at the accusation but then, he nods.
"Yeah…I was just talking with her about doing that homework thing tonight" he says with a grin "last night, Makino called me back home early so we didn't get a chance to finish it" taking in this information, I nod slowly, before turning back to the lunch box. It seemed like a valid reason and Luffy wasn't really the lying type (not that he had been any good at it to begin with). I can even hear Robin giving a small chuckle from behind her book at being right…
Why is she always right? She was right about her guess that Luffy had left those flowers last Thursday, when I'd phoned her about it that night. She was right about Luffy talking to Hancock because he was her science partner…
…And, I hate to admit it, but…she's right about me being jealous…and that's odd for me…
I'm not usually envious of other people, especially not of Hancock. I like everything about my life just the way it is and I wouldn't trade it for Hancock's so called 'beautiful' looks thank you very much.
But seeing Luffy talking to her then…well, it just got under my skin a little. The weird thing is, I don't know why I'm so bothered with that. It's not like I feel irritated when Luffy's talking to other girls, like Robin or Vivi or Conis…but for some reason, that's not the same with Hancock. Just then, seeing him smile at her and watching him talk to her whilst looking so interested and so concerned about her...I wanted him to look at me like…
I shake my head and sigh, snapping the sombre thoughts away instantly. What was wrong with me? I was thinking really weirdly lately, especially about Luffy and I don't get why. I mean, a few days ago, he was my idiotic hyperactive best friend and now…
Well, granted, he still is my idiotic hyperactive best friend…but now…well, I feel like there's something MORE…
Or that I want something more…
"Hey Nami…" At the voice, I snap around instantly to see Luffy. Once again, he's looking over at me, though this time; he's started eating once again "are you okay?" he says whilst chewing his food, sending a sprinkle of crumbs to the floor. It really is disgusting how he's talking with his mouthful…but…then I see that cute caring look in his dark eyes and then…
"Terrific" I reply, smiling widely at him, before looking down at my lunch. I had suddenly lost my appetite…but, it would be useless just to throw it away…especially when I had the human garbage can sitting next to me. I pick up a mikan from my lunch box and then move my outstretched palm towards Luffy "here…" Luffy blinks in confusion, staring at the orange orb in my hand as if it was some rare and valuable treasure.
"…You…you want me to have that?" he asks in bewilderment.
"What do you know? He CAN be taught" I say with a roll of my eyes. Luffy pouts at the comment and I laugh at how insulted he looks, before putting his mind at ease "It's okay, take it. I'm not really all that hungry…" For a moment, the raven haired boy's hand reaches out for the orange in my hand. Then, the next second, it stops and he looks me in the eyes.
"Are you sure?" he inquires with a thoughtful look on his face "I know they're your favourite food…"
"It's fine. Like I said, I'm not hungry, so take it" I continue to encourage him with a smile.
"But…"
"Take it you big idiot" I smirk at Luffy in an attempt to break the tension and it shatters like ice. Luffy smiles back at me before taking the tangerine gently out of my hand.
"Wow~ Thanks Nami" he says with a grin…before failing horribly at trying to remove the skin of the fruit. I can't help but sigh watching him and quickly turned away with a shake of my head.
This was the guy who I was thinking so much about lately?
I need to get my head checked out.
Something's DEFINITELY wrong with me…
Third person P.O.V
A small beeping sound erupted from next to his ear and Vegapunk sighed loudly.
"I'm sorry Ceasar old friend but I've got business to attend to. There's a call on the other line" Vegapunk said to his sleek black mobile "give my regards to Monet would you?" and as soon as it had began, his phone call had ended in a brief click of the red phone icon. One call was over and as it ended, the other call began.
"Yes, can I help you?" he asked, tapping his knee with one hand. Vegapunk hardly ever answered the phone any other way. The mobile he was currently using was his private line. Everyone who phoned it did not need to be reminded of who they were phoning. If they did, they probably weren't intellegent enough to keep up with him anyway…
"Er hello Mr Vegapunk sir" a quiet voice replied from the other end "My name is Hira Haruki sir. I'm sorry to interrupt you whilst you're busy but…"
"Is there a purpose for you calling me or can I just send you to voicemail?" Vegapunk questioned angrily, tapping his knee harder, revealing his hidden anger.
"My apologies once again sir" Haruki squeaked helplessly from the other side of the line. The sound amused Vegapunk so much that his anger vanished.
"Very well, be quick then. What's wrong?"
"It's the flight tech prototype air board sir" Haruki explained "you remember the one that you were preparing for Mr Donflamingo?"
"Indeed" Vegapunk replied with an unconcerned nod.
"It was…stolen last night sir, by a man in a mask..."
The man who was driving the Taxi quickly noted that his passenger's face had turned a dark red with rage as he gripped his phone tightly, almost as if he wanted to snap it in half. It was only for a moment, but the rage was obvious before he sighed and regained control over his emotions. He had to be relaxed about this setback, composed.
"My user ID is VegapunkG589" he explained simply "and the password to the folder you're looking for is 'Project Icarus'. Now, be a good little boy and print off a copy of the designs and e-mail them to Donflamingo. I'm sure he can take care of the construction of the next one without my supervision"
"But…sir" Haruki mumbled in confusion "aren't YOU going to send them?"
"I am a busy man Mr. Hira" Vegapunk simply responded, losing patience now in Haruki's stalling "now get those plans to Donflamingo as soon as possible. If you're lucky, you'll find an extra couple of hundred beris in your bank account" Haruki seemed to choke at Vegapunk's suggestion.
"R-r-right away sir!" the man replied, before the phone went dead. Haruki had hung up and now, was most likely quickly busying himself putting to right the latest mishap. Vegapunk let out a sigh and massaged his brow.
"Troublesome supers…" he muttered to no-one in particular. Despite his irritation, however, Vegapunk appeared to calm himself down rather quickly. After all, the problem was minor and the thief had only stolen the prototype to the jetboard, not the plans. He doubted anyone knew enough about technology to emulate his successful creation so there was no problem.
Besides, he had already guessed who the thief could be and he knew that there was no danger to himself.
It was a minor set-back and one that he could now ignore. He could relax and calm himself down, taking the rest of the day calmly in his stride…
Or so he thought anyway…
It soon came to Vegapunk's attention that the taxi he'd decided to take across town back to his apartment had remained stationary for far too long. Glancing out the window, he saw no traffic lights and the road ahead looked clear, but never the less, the vehicle remained motionless. They didn't even appear to be on the main road anymore, but trapped in the middle of a side alley.
"What's the hold up?" he asked, checking his watch "I have places to be you know"
"I'm well aware sir" the driver replied, in a surprisingly nervous gulp "it's just that...there appears to be a distraction sir"
"What distraction?" Vegapunk asked, his eyebrow rising cynically at the driver's vague explanation. The answer he received came from an unexpected source, however, as a loud tap sounded beside his window. Vegapunk turned to meet the sight of a man standing at the car window. The man appeared to be dark skinned and had a relatively unshaven look.
The man grabbed hold of the door handle and pulled it open, gesturing for Vegapunk to exit. Behind the man, a short black limousine pulled up silently alongside Vegapunk's taxi. As it smoothly stopped, the silent man gripped the door handle of the Limo door as well before tugging it open. The sight that met Vegapunk's eyes made him stare in disbelief.
There, sitting in the rear of the limo, was a blue haired woman dressed in a simple long violet dress. Her usually frizzy hair was now styled so that it fell free and vibrant down her back, whilst her fringe had been styled so it hung over one eye. Her figure hugged the violet fabric quite nicely, highlighting her curves and revealing just a bit of cleavage due to the low neckline of the dress. The dress only covered one of her slender legs as well whilst the left leg, the one closest to Vegapunk, was slightly exposed.
The woman gave a seductive smile at the scientist and patted the space in the Limo next to her.
"Get in" she instructed simply. Vegapunk's reply was to smile.
"Best kidnapping ever" Vegapunk thought to himself as he stepped out of the Taxi, ignoring the gun-man who was currently aiming a pistol at the driver's head.
"Thank you for the help Daz" Vegapunk commented to the dark skinned man as he passed him and entered the limo, next to the woman in purple. Daz Bones said nothing in reply, but closed the door once Vegapunk was inside the safety of the limo. Once Vegapunk was inside, the limo immediately started moving once more, jerking quickly out of the alley way and onto the open road. Vegapunk was sure he could hear a soft pang as the driver of his taxi was disposed of quite effectively…
Of course, Mr Zero hated witnesses…
"My dear Paula" he continued, turning to the woman beside him "how are you? Still acting as Mr Zero's secretary I see" Paula did not comment on what Vegapunk had said and merely smiled back at him. Another voice, however, replied instead of the great Mafia boss' assistant.
"Please Vegapunk, there's no need to be so formal. We're all friends here right?" Vegapunk jumped a little at the voice and glanced over towards the front of the limo. There, sitting facing them, so close that Vegapunk could almost touch him was a man with large dark eyes that were glaring into his very soul. His dark purple hair which, whilst combed neatly, also travelled down to the top of his shoulders stood out to Vegapunk most of all as the abnormal colour was clearly a sight to behold.
Even in the dark, Vegapunk could still notice that the man was currently dressed in his usual attire, an orange black stiped vest with a dark blue scarf draped around his neck. The man's fur coat hung around his shoulders quite loosely. Vegapunk felt a chill run up his spine as he watched the man's calm and laidback position. The small smile on Mr Zero's face and the scar that ran across his face over his nose seemed to shimmer slightly in the filtered light that peaked through the tinted windows.
Quickly, however, Vegapunk's timid shudder vanished almost as soon as it had appeared and it was replaced by a small smile. After all, this was not the first time he had met one of the two most powerful gangsters in Dawn City and if he was seen to be timid around his employer, Crocodile would have exploited the moment of weakness for all it was worth. That was how people were in this dark world and Vegapunk had learned so the hard way. Never the less, he remained calm as he stared down the crime lord, though a part of him wondered exactly how he had not noticed the man's entrance.
"My apologies Mr Crocodile" he said with a smile "though I do wonder what was so important that it could not wait until my meeting with Spandam tomorrow and of course, why we're meeting up personally for this little chat? I thought you wished to keep your business identity and your crime-lord persona as far away from each other as possible and I assume you didn't pull me over just so we could get some lunch" Crocodile couldn't help but chuckle a little at the man opposite him, before turning to look at the woman currently relaxing next to the scientist.
"I told you he was a smart one, didn't I Paula?" the man with the scar said with a chuckle, before shaking his head "you don't mind if I smoke whilst we do this do you?"
"Certainly not" Vegapunk replied calmly. Crocodile smiled, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a cigar. He chomped on it firmly once it was in his mouth until it was able to hang there by his teeth's aid. As he continued speaking, he began searching his pockets "if you'd have been a detective, you could have been my greatest adversary. Instead…"
"I'm a scientist and by extension, a helpful provider" Vegapunk replied, removing a lighter from his own coat pocket, before leaning forwards and flicking the flame on. Crocodile remained stationary as Vegapunk lit the end of his cigar and as the scientist's pale white hand retreated, Crocodile grabbed the cigar in his only hand and pulled it gently away from his lips, blowing a puff of smoke out towards the floor.
"Indeed…thought that is exactly why I called this little meeting between us"
"You have found a flaw in my generosity to your cause?" Vegapunk questioned, looking out of the shaded window and watching the pedestrians outside.
"I would hardly call it generosity" Paula countered "after all, we've been paying you handsomely for your efforts in turning Lucci into a super soldier and making that pathetic weakling Galdino into a force to be reckoned with"
"I'm grateful for that of course" Vegapunk admitted, turning to glare cynically at Paula, before rolling her eyes "I am merely pointing out that I do not understand why we need to discuss this any further. I have been donating my time and effort considerably to these experiments regarding the super soldiers. I was the one who suggested you choose Lucci for the operation knowing a professional mercenary would be more able to handle the mutagen than the average test subject you sent me, I was the one spending sleepless night after sleepless night researching the exact chemical compound of what to make Galdino's armour out of and I know you may be forgetting, but it was also I who first created the elixir that transformed these useless humans into gods. I have fulfilled my part of the bargin. I have done my job"
Vegapunk was soon aware he had said the wrong thing as the next thing he knew, Croodile had reached forwards, his hook curving barely around Vegapunk's neck. The scientist gasped as he felt the steel brush gently against it. If Crocodile wanted to, he could kill him right now…
"Done your job!" Crocodile shrieked with rage "is that so? Then tell me, if that's true, how come the Scarlet Wind is still alive?"
"Calm down Sir" Paula commented softly, reaching out to grab the man's arm "now is not the time to kill your best chance against the Scarlet Wind, you know that"
"I do" Crocodile simply replied, but he did not move his hook from Vegapunk's neck. For a moment, Vegapunk was silent once more. Then, he smiled. He wasn't going to die. It wasn't in Crocodile's best interests.
"I'm listening" he said, staring directly into the man's eyes. For a moment, Crocodile looked almost like he was going to go back on his better instinct and kill the foolish man where he stood…
But today was not a day for pointless deaths and wasted chances, so he gracefully slipped the hook away from Vegapunk's throat, allowing the scientist to breathe once more. The scientist shivered for a moment and let out a sigh of gratitude but continued to await Crocodile's instruction.
"I am a man who takes failures in his stride" Crocodile began, taking another puff of his cigar before continuing "failure is nothing more than what we name our lessons and my mistakes have made me strong" Vegapunk resisted the urge to glance at Crocodile's hook as he spoke, realising that the crime lord was currently holding it with his hand, no doubt remembering his biggest mistake…
"Accidents happen" Crocodile continued "and sometimes the results are…unpleasant…" the hook sparkled under his fire filled eyes "but I am sad to say that I cannot afford you the luxury of making mistakes Vegapunk. I'm putting too much money into your research and it's getting more and more difficult for me to watch my best laid plans fall to pieces, especially because of one Scarlet stain on this city"
"This superhero causing you more problems than you first suspected?"
"Indeed" Crocodile replied, looking up to Vegapunk with a stony face. He might have sounded desperate but his voice was strong and determined, hiding it behind a tone of steel "he doesn't just go after the big fish. A few nights ago, he foiled a warehouse break in by some of my best men and brought all of them down. They're currently resting in Impel Down and it's not going to be easy to buy them out. Plus, this Hyena guy is making a lot of ripples, as much as I hate to admit it. If that wasn't bad enough though, Donflamingo has worked out that I'm the one who organised Predator's break in at his little party last Thursday"
"I see" Vegapunk mumbled "that must have been a rather awkward conversation…"
"Not really, he's more concerned with something else…"
"Something else?" Vegapunk mumbled "like what?"
"Where I got a leopard man from" Vegapunk winced at the words but Crocodile continued speaking regardless "he wants to learn who made Lucci intothat thing…he's looking to pay heavily to employ someone to make his own super powered thieves"
"Why are you telling me this?" Vegapunk asked, suddenly realising that Crocodile was being far too calm whilst telling him this.
"Because Donflamingo is planning on offering you two million beri a year for you to work exclusively for him and make super powered mercenaries solely for his sake" Crocodile explained "and I can't have that. Paula, if you please"
"Certainly" Paula responded with a nod, reaching to her side and retrieving a suitcase that had been resting by her side. Vegapunk's eyebrow rose as the woman planted the suitcase in his lap before opening it. As the case opened, Vegapunk's mouth hung open in shock, his eyes sparkling. Inside the suitcase was money. More money than Vegapunk had ever seen. Piles upon piles of Beri. Vegapunk reached out to grab the money in the case…only for Crocodile to slam the case shut before he had a chance too.
"I want you to officially, or unofficially, become one of my employees" Crocodile explained, just in case Vegapunk was confused on the matter "You will be creating more of these super powered beings, as strong as you can make them and sometimes, more than one at once. In turn, I will provide you with all the resources and test subjects you need to make this come true and I will be providing, as you can see, quite a high salary for you. It will be exactly the same as things were when you were working as a free lance scientist except you will have better pay and you will have to answer to me exclusively" Crocodile paused for a moment
"However…" and it was this however that Vegapunk had been waiting for "Let us suppose for a moment that you agreed to this proposition and let us suppose once more that you betray my orders or possibly you might be trying to work for people other than myself…well then, I would have no choice but to...eliminate you"
"In other words, if I ever betray your trust, you've going to make me suffer" Vegapunk concluded. Crocodile nodded.
"Now you get the picture" Crocodile responded with a smile "I told you he was bright, did I not Paula?" Paula nodded as Vegapunk spoke.
"And if I don't agree to this proposition?" As a reply, Paula promptly reached her right hand thigh and pulled out an object that was quickly pressed against Vegapunk's head. The cold steel quickly informed Vegapunk it was a pistol of some kind.
"You and I can either be the best of friends or the worst of enemies" Crocodile replied "I have people all over the city who work for me, half of which probably don't even know it, and I can see that things will go my way. Give me your solemn promise that you will serve me and…" as Crocodile spoke, he reached into his coat and pulled out a piece of paper, which he placed on top of the briefcase in Vegapunk's lap along with a pen
"Sign this contract and I'll see to it that the two of us will rule this city together…as partners in crime" For a moment, the limo seemed to grow colder. Paula had still yet to move the gun away from Vegapunk's head, yet the man didn't appear to be anymore flustered by the presence of the weapon that he would have been if she'd have pulled out a banana on him. His eyes were now focused on the piece of paper in front of him. He was reading the fine print and Crocodile could not help but admire the intelligence of the scientist.
"I'm being hired to your 'Personnel support branch'?" Vegapunk wondered as he read the job title Crocodile had offered him out loud. Crocodile nodded.
"Well, you will indeed be dealing with Mr Zero's personnel…and you will also be giving them 'support'" he reasoned. After a long pause, Vegapunk smiled, seemingly satisfied with what he had read on the contract.
"I suppose if I have no choice, I might as well be on the winning side" the scientist said with a shrug "but I must say this seems quite extreme just to get me to make more of these super villains for you to beat that Scarlet"
"You seem to underestimate your place in my organisation" Crocodile responded with another puff of smoke "your experiments are a necessity to my cause and without you, all of my plans fall to pieces" Vegapunk nodded slowly, before he placed the pen to the paper and a few swift flicks of his wrist later, his signature was currently embroidered on the contract.
"Now" Crocodile began, watching as Paula removed her pistol from the scientist's head "we can begin again as official partners. I'm going to need more of those super powered mercenaries as soon as possible. We've finished preparing your new lab and we've even selected a new test subject. You can start first thing tomorrow working full time"
"A new test subject?" Vegapunk wondered aloud "who's the latest unlucky fool to get involved?" Crocodile nodded to Paula in reply, who opened the suitcase once more and removed a small file with the candidates name on it.
"His name's Palazzo Buggy" Paula explained "he's a small time criminal but it seems he has quite the grudge with the Scarlet Wind"
"I see" Vegapunk responded, taking the file with a grin "this situation is becoming more and more interesting. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that you're trying to get a super powered army of people who all hate the Scarlet Wind"
"It's far easier for people to act out of hatred than for money" Crocodile responded "this just makes things a lot simpler. How long will it take to have him transformed?"
"If I start work on the theory immediately, I might be able to fix him up by Friday at the latest" Vegapunk responded.
"See that you do because this time tomorrow, Mr Zero will have officially declared war on the Scarlet Wind" were Crocodile's final words on the matter.
To be continued in Chapter 4: Duality Principle Act 1
"Tell me Mr Hyena. Would you like to help me bring down to the Scarlet Wind?"
Until next time, I'm Shadowonthewall6 and I love taunting you guys with cliff hanger endings and secret peaks at the next chapter :P
Please review. Positive criticism is welcome.