Full Summary: Being reincarnated into the One Piece universe is not what one would expect after death. Especially when the 'character' you've been born into is someone who technically doesn't exist. Were things supposed to remain the same, or were you suppose to change them? Only time will tell, supposedly.
"I am an informant. I know things. Most of them unfortunately not pleasant." - Portgas D. Roux
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.
Now that Linlin knew of his presence in her territory, she grew pretty bold in her stalking (ahemcourtingahem), always appearing from out of nowhere to drag him to breakfast, lunch, tea time, and dinner. Not a minute has passed by without her being away from him - much to his inner chagrin.
Despite how relaxed he seemed, he was still a busy man with a tight schedule. His self-assigned mission was not only to recruit Katakuri into his crew, but there was also something that needed to be done in Totto Land as well - and could only be done at Whole Cake Island. Which would be hard to accomplish with Linlin practically breathing down his nape.
So, yes, he was very stressed indeed!
Currently, he was having dinner with the queen, Katakuri, and Roci at her castle. In spite of them being friends, Roux was having a headache, trying to form some kind of plan to escape her line of sight - or find something else that would distract her long enough for him to get his shite done.
It was a difficult task... as they do not meet as often as she would have liked (what with him purposely avoiding her - not that anyone should know about his innermost thoughts).
"Oh, right, Red, before I forget..." Linlin bent down so that she could discreetly converse with him - although due to her sheer size, it was pretty obvious she desired to speak to him alone. Everyone at the table, however, pretended to be oblivious and continued to eat their food, not suicidal enough to point out how unsubtle she was behaving.
"Yes, Lin-sama? What can this humble information broker do for you?" Roux placed his cup of tea down and turned his complete attention to her, knowing that this now was work territory.
"I need a favor from you."
"I mean no disrespect when I ask this, Lin-sama, but just to be sure - you do know that favors from me don't come cheap, yes?" He said seriously as he pushed the brim of his fedora upwards, wanting to convey his sincerity through eye contact.
It wasn't that he was patronizing her or being arrogant about his worth. This was all said in order to be clear of misunderstandings before they could even form.
There were plenty of times when his clients thought a favor from him was basically an IOU thing. Which was not wrong, per se. Only that the quantity of it was... larger. Much larger than they had been expecting. That would then result in them trying to kill him for 'scamming' them (as if he had time for that).
"Mmmamamama~ I know. You can hear me out first, and then we'll negotiate the price. If it's acceptable to both of us, we'll form a contract." Linlin nodded solemnly.
Roux's lips quirked upwards at her words. This was why business dealings with Linlin were always smooth (despite that, he would still avoid her as much as possible in the future). She was not like those unreasonable bastards who wanted more than they could give.
"Very well. I am all ears."
As he said that, he extended his hand to Roci, who without delay placed his favorite (overly fancy) ballpoint pen on his palm. Without looking away from Linlin, he pulled out a small notebook and nodded to show that he was ready.
He collapsed gracelessly into the suite's king-sized bed and closed his eyes, not at all caring that his suit would be rumpled if he slept in his attire. He heard his PA follow him into his bedroom, but he paid the younger man no mind. Roci, he suspected, was upset about something. Their walk back had been silent, and not the companionable one either.
He waited patiently for the big guy to speak his mind. And it took about five or so minutes for Roci to come out of his thoughts to test the waters, his voice hinting that he was either worried or anxious. Perhaps both.
"Boss? Are you alright?"
"You need not worry about me, Roci." He sighed, idly throwing an arm over his eyes and knocking his fedora askew, "I'm simply tired - too much... Linlin for the day."
"Is the favor she asked for difficult to achieve?"
"No. Not at all. Truthfully, it's pretty interesting - and I was planning on visiting that place soon, anyway. So it's like killing two bird with one stone, my dear Roci. No trouble on my part whatsoever. In fact, I'm getting more than what she's getting out of this deal."
There was a sound of cloth shifting slightly (someone needed more stealth training) before nimble fingers began to loosen his tie for him. He tilted his head to the side to allow his PA more access, not at all minding how vulnerable this position put him in.
To bear his jugular to someone was a sign of trust (or recklessness) in this One Piece world. Something almost unheard of in his line of work.
Many would call relations based on blind faith a weakness. But could Roci be considered his weakness when he had trained the former pirate to be on the same level as the Shichibukai? A possibility. Exploits came in many different and painful forms, after all.
Ah, he exhaled rather audibly, morbid thoughts with a healthy dose of paranoia. Definitely a sign that he was truly stressed and mentally exhausted.
"... I know that you calculate your every action, Boss, but I can't fathom why you are allowing Charlotte Katakuri to sail with us."
Oh. It seems that Roci was concerned about Katakuri more than that favor Linlin wanted from him. He hummed to gather his thoughts.
"Lin-sama was the one who offered him to be my bodyguard, Roci. Not the other way around."
"That- well, yeah... But, you were the one who played her."
"Played her? I dislike such a term." Although he said that, his lips quirked into a small, satisfied smile, "I simply helped guide her opinions to the right tracks. In the end, the results are all that matter - don't you agree, my dear PA?"
There was another round of silence as the younger man gently slid Roux's tie from his collar, popping the top three buttons of his dress shirt open.
"... You do have a way with words," Roci ended up saying rather than agreeing with his question. He felt a slight warmth (fingers, his mind supplied) hovering over his carotid pulse, slowly tracing upwards to his cheek, but never really touching his skin, "You never cease to amaze me, Boss."
"The day I be banal is the day I lay waste. A repetitious informant is a predictable informant. And a predictable informant is a dead informant. Never forget that, Rocinante."
"Aye."
"You still sound displeased."
"... He's a pirate."
"And?"
"And that means... He's not trustworthy. What if he betrays you? What if Big Mom's plan involves using him as a means to gather the information you've painstakingly collected for her own gain? What if... What if he kills us when we're sleeping? Pirates are known to be ruthless and ambitious, Boss! We can't simply accept him just like that!"
He cracked an eye open and peered at the frantic Roci from behind his curtain of lashes, his lips quirking upwards in blatant amusement.
His PA looked the opposite of pleased as he ranted, his lips pursed and his eyebrows furrowed. Roci's scarf, fedora, and makeup had already been removed, making his emotions quite transparent on his rather dashing features.
"You're stereotyping again, Rocinante. Not everything is in black and white. Do not judge a book by its cover; you might find our newest team member quite different from the rumors. I reckon that, soon enough, both of you will come to enjoy each other's company. You more than him."
He plucks his fedora and plopped it atop his PA's tousled curls, smirking at the poorly concealed pout he received in return.
"It's adorable that you care so much, but really, you have nothing to be worried about. I would never allow someone untrustworthy to sail with us. The risk of sabotage is much too high - and I'd rather steal Whitebeard's alcohol stash than jeopardize your safety. Besides, Linlin is the type of person who will announce her intentions to the whole world, be it by speech or action. If she wanted me dead, I would already be dead by now."
With a soft chuckle, he patted Roci on the cheek, enjoying the way the taller man reddened in embarrassment at his slightly patronizing tone and action.
However, what he said was, indeed, factual.
If Katakura was a danger to Roci, he would never have accepted the pirate, no matter how advantageous the man's foresight and fighting potential would be to their crew. Hell, he would even risk displeasing Big Mom - and that was just plain suicidal.
"Aye aye. No need to be so haughty." Was said grumpily (still looking doubtful) even as the former marine gestured for him to lift himself up, which he semi-complied by lazily arching his back.
Roci leaned towards him to skillfully remove his blazer, their breathes mingling for a split second before he returned to his relaxed position of being boneless on the bed, eyes already drifting close.
They were both quiet for a few moments, and he might have dozed off completely if not for the quiet voice, "I'll always trust your judgment, Boss. Just... remain cautious, please?"
"When am I never?" He paused for a split second before he continued swiftly, heavy-lidded eyes peering at the taller man still looming over him, "That was rhetorical, Roci. Do not answer that."
Roci snapped his mouth shut, a silly smile playing on his lips. It made Roux chuckle, fondness clear in his golden eyes.
Roci was the first to blink and break eye contact, huffing out a few muffled words as he moved lower to remove Roux's footwear. As soon as he was done, he picked up the discarded article of clothing and made his way to the door. Before he left, however, Roux spoke, making him halt in his steps but not looking back.
"Good night, Rocinante. Sweet dreams."
"... 'night, Boss."
The taller man closed the door gently behind of him, ears burning crimson.
...
..
.
It was many hours later when Roci was drifting to sleep did he only realize that Boss had eluded him once again, having not answered his main question of why he had wanted Katakuri to join their team.
He couldn't help but sigh, partially annoyed and partially resigned. His Boss was such a cunning, elusive, and distracting man. And the Roux didn't even realize how much that smile affected those around him - especially Roci. His heart was still thumping a mile a minute even after sleep claimed him.
Whilst Roci was sleeping peacefully back at their suite, Roux was out playing - it was as they say; there was no rest for the wicked.
Where was it again...?
Roux instructed inner-Roux to replay the One Piece episodes again in his head whilst he sneakily moved around the castle.
It was only half an hour later when he finally came across two humungous wooden doors that looked identical to the one in the anime did the muscles in his shoulders relaxed. The Treasure Repository room was sure hard to find, Roux lamented.
Without any delay, whilst keeping his eyes and ears open, he swiftly entered the Treasury - though not before scanning the area for signs of life. As soon as he was away from the corridors, he released an inaudible breath of relief. Whilst he made his way towards the second floor, he allowed a small smile to form on his lips. He was just glad that the second half of his mission would be done soon.
He paid no mind to the many treasures littered everywhere in the room, immediately rushing towards a gated area. His self-given mission lay hidden in this room, where not even Linlin's children were allowed entry into.
After unlocking the gate that guarded one of the Road Poneglyphs inside, he quickly ran his eyes greedily over the giant cube. His fingers itched to copy all of the engravings, however, he dared not make a hard copy of Big Mom's carefully guarded treasure - especially because Katakuri would be traveling with them in the near future.
As he walked closer to the red Poneglyph, he almost tripped over his own feet when his Baby Den Den Mushi rang loudly - causing him to almost lose his soul due to the fright it gave him (he should really train his snail to achieve 'silent mode'). With trembling fingers, he picked the call up whilst turning the volume to low. Before he could even ask for the identity of the caller or even say that he was busy, a familiar voice boomed.
It almost made Roux shite his pants at how loud it was despite having already adjusted the volume!
"Quiet, Garp! I'm in the middle of something!" He whispered harshly as he begun to memorize the top part of the Poneglyph.
The engravings were beyond complicated, thus he didn't dare rush through them. Inner-him, as if pumped full of adrenaline, was making a soft copy of the ancient writings, its hands moving non stop as it used his vision to copy everything that entered his sights.
"Bah! What else could be more important than a call from your old man?" Garp laughed self-importantly.
Roux was tempted to hang up, but he knew that the troublesome old coot would just call him again and again until he said his piece. So he gritted his teeth and endured, his eyes not once looking away from the Poneglyph.
"Ok. Fine. What do you want?" He didn't even bother with being polite, his nerves already shot as he sweated bullets. He prayed that Linlin would not be making any sudden appearances like how she did in the anime with Brook.
"I'll be busy this whole year, so can you tell the boys for me that I won't be visiting? I'm sure they'll be sad, but work is work."
No, trust me, they won't be. In fact, the boys would be ecstatic at your absence, Roux meanly rebutted in his head. On the outside, however, he stated plainly, "I won't be visiting them for the next 1 to 3 years."
"HAAAAHHH!?" Roux winced at the angry yell, his heart beating furiously as he readied himself for a scolding, "What do you mean you'll be MIA for 3 years?! Are you running away from your uncle-duties again?! Why I oughta- where are you? It seems my fists of love has yet to work its magic-"
"No!" He quickly cut in. Just the mental reminder of those damn 'fists of love' was painful enough! "Damn it, Garp. I'm not running away! Believe me when I say I have no choice right now. I just recruited another member - and you know I won't endanger either of the boy's life by bringing in someone I have yet to give my trust to!"
The Den Den Mushi was silent for a few moments as Garp processed his words. It was only when Roux's careful and keen eyes reached the middle of the Poneglyph did the old man speak again.
"Who is it? Another eccentric person with one hell of an identity?"
Right... He had almost forgotten about Garp's discovery of Roci's identity. It happened a while back, purely by accident on Roci's part. The clumsy idiot was sans makeup when Garp made his unexpected and completely surprise visit.
Luckily, Garp wasn't one of those hard-arse Marines. The old man just wept dramatically as he clung to Roux like a monkey, lamenting loudly that he wasn't trusted by Roux - it was beyond embarrassing to have Roci witness all of that.
"You could say that. I'll tell you about him next time. For now, I'm really busy, oyaji."
"Hmph! You say that all the time. But fine. I expect a call from you soon, son."
"Yes, yes."
By the time Roux hanged up, he was smiling foolishly at the Baby Den Den Mushi, his heart was filled with love and affection at the word 'son' being directed at him.
The day of the Tea Party
Roux rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he yawned widely, having startled awake from the sounds of Roci tripping all over the place. This was probably the first time in years he had slept in - and he felt so relaxed and sated. It must be the good food, warm accommodation, and the prospect of smooth sailings in the future that got him to unwind.
"Roci?" he called out as he zombie-shuffled towards the blatant sound of destruction, his voice thick with sleep.
Before he even reached the suite's kitchen, he could already guess what was happening just by the thick clouds of smoke and the smell of burnt food. Without blinking an eyelid, he grabbed a fire extinguisher on the way over and shambled towards Roci, who was currently swinging his arms in the air - as if that would be enough to remove all evidence of his latest attempt at cooking.
The clumsy idiot, as always, was incompetent in these kinds of pedestrian things.
After putting out the stove-top fire, he stood on his tippy toes and bonked Roci on the head - and although it lacked energy and was half-hearted at best, Roci still whined and complained pettishly.
"I-itai..." Roci rubbed his forehead petulantly, his lower lip jutting out in an adorable pout.
"No pouting. You'll tempt me into biting you out of sheer adorableness," Roux threw a lazy smirk and turned away - completely missing the red that blossomed across the other man's cheeks - and peered intriguingly into the burnt pot, "What... is this strange concoction? Poison?"
"Eh?! Don't be mean, Boss! That's clearly curry." The PA too peered into the pot, scrunched up his nose when the smell finally hit him, and turned away. He then shoved his hands into a pair of pink oven mitts and carried the blackened pot to the sink, "It was supposed to be curry, anyway..."
"What're you doing?" Roux raised a questioning brow at his assistant, who only sighed ruefully with slumped shoulders.
"Throwing this away. You shouldn't eat something like... this. Wait for a second - I'll prepare some toast for you."
"You... made this for me?" Roux blinked rapidly, clearly taken aback.
"Aye..." If Roci had dog ears and a tail, they would be flopping right now.
"Hm."
Before Roci could react, Roux scooped out a bowl of rice (that felt more like brick chunks) and poured the dubious-looking black curry into his bowl. Completely ignoring Roci's inelegant gaping, he sat down on a stool at the kitchen's bar and prepared to consume the hideous food for breakfast.
"B-boss! You don't need to-"
Roux slapped the PA's twitchy hands away from his bowl, rolled his eyes, and shoved a spoonful of rice into his mouth. The taste and texture, as expected, was indescribable. He forced himself to swallow whilst at the same time, controlling his facial muscles to not show his inner disgust.
"Thank you for making breakfast, Roci. I appreciate it," he said sincerely whilst smiling softly, causing the taller man to blink stupidly at him. Roux only huffed a chuckle at the cute reaction, "However, next time, I recommend that you buy a beginner's guide before attempting to cook."
With a grin, he ate without chewing, intending to swallow them whole without tasting it to the best of his abilities.
Despite it being the worst thing he had ever consumed in his entire two lives, his chest felt warm at the thought of Roci waking up early to try and cook breakfast for him. The last person who cooked for him was... Rouge. And because of that, he appreciated Roci's attempt all the more.
Perhaps he should do something nice for Roci before they leave Whole Cake Island. It was the least he could do after receiving such undeserving kindness (despite eight years have passed in the blink of an eye, he still loathed himself for forcefully chaining such a kind man to his side).
"... A-aye..." Roci swallowed with much difficulty as he responded to Roux's playful teasing.
As he gave his sole focus on not puking his guts out, he was oblivious to Roci's intense gaze, those droopy eyes not once looking away from his lips.
Rocinante's POV
Rocinante walked unhurriedly behind Boss, hands inside his pockets and eyes looking anywhere but at the man in front of him (although his eyes strayed to Boss's rear-end far too often for his own liking).
Currently, Rocinante was feeling conflicted.
Truthfully, within the safety of his mind, he admits that he has feelings for Boss. They had appeared not long after he had truly gotten to know the information broker on a more personal level (about 3 years into their odd partnership). Before he had been saved by Boss, he had, of course, heard many scary rumors about Daemon Red; the immoral, greedy, and vicious information broker who was also a contradictory polite gentleman.
Even Doflamingo, his monster of an older brother, had warned Rocinante - Corazon - to run if he ever came across the infamous Daemon Red. Ironic that it was his brother that almost took his life and the Daemon Red, someone he was told time and time again to avoid, who saved him.
He was wary at first, of course, always thinking of ways to escape and return to being an undercover Marine, to return to Law - but then Garp appeared. Not only Garp, even Sengoku, the man he looked to as a father, had a close relationship with the informant. Soon enough, Rocinante encountered many bigwigs that he preferred to never cross paths with ever again. All because he had initially been forced to become Daemon Red's personal assistant.
And as their partnership(?) progresses... he found out Boss's real name; Portgas D. Roux. Found out about a nephew he wished to raise but dared not to. Found out about a twin sister that had died tragically due to the unjust treatment of the World Government. Found out about his greatest wish and fears. There were so many things Rocinante found out about him that made him so... normal.
It was strange; to actually hear how mundane the infamous broker's private life was.
Boss even tries his hardest to visit his nephew yearly - and sometimes, the stress and loneliness got to him so badly he broke down in tears (not that Rocinante dared to tell Roux that he, on more than one occasion, stumbled across his Boss crying whilst he was sneaking to get some midnight snacks). Many knew of the fearsome and felonious gentleman, but Rocinante fell in love with the soft, mischievous, and broken man beneath all that tough exterior.
And that was when the realization hit him. Boss was human, just like Rocinante. Although pretty much demonic in his schemes, he still had many weaknesses. Weaknesses that Rocinante could exploit whenever he wanted to because the man opened up so much without even knowing he did.
Boss was so smart... Borderline inhumane in intelligence, yet once he allowed someone into his heart, he trusted them blindly like a fool.
Rocinante was once ecstatic, thinking of how he could utilize the man for the Marines and get back to Law. Now, however, he worries. Constantly. What if Boss allowed the wrong person into his heart? Like, for example, that Katakuri bloke - their so-called future nakama.
But that wasn't why he was currently feeling conflicted.
It was because of his feelings for Boss that was growing more and more uncontrollable by the day that got him so anxious. He feels that Boss should be with a more capable partner/lover. Not with some clumsy fool that couldn't even cook a simple dish for him.
Rocinante knew how hard Boss worked day and night to keep up with all the information he has in his hands. Knew how exhausted the man was on the inside. Knew how fragile Boss was, but always kept a hard and foolproof exterior, not wanting anybody to realize he was human like them.
And Rocinante could do nothing about it because he would inevitably make things worst. No matter how he tries to be helpful, he would always cause more bad than good.
Like that one time when he had unintentionally sunk the ship after offering to steer. Or that other time when he fell into the ocean and Boss had to give out a free IOU to get someone to fish him up. Or those rare times when he tried to help with Boss's paperwork and actually burnt them all - causing Boss to have sleepless nights to make up for lost time.
Yeah... There were too many occasions of him trying and failing to be useful. Till now, he still was clueless why Boss remained patient with him and allowed him to remain by Boss's side. If Rocinante was in Boss's shoe, he would be frothing from all the accumulated stress of having an incompetent assistant.
... And as if the world wanted to prove him right, he accidentally set his scarf on fire whilst he was lighting his cigarette. Boss, without even looking back, pulled out a mini-fire extinguisher and sprayed at him.
Coughing and spluttering, he stuttered out a weak thank you whilst fixing his fedora and suit on habit. Thankfully, they were at a secluded area so nobody had witnessed how Daemon Red's 'cool and reticent' PA had set himself on fire.
"What are you thinking so hard about, Dapple-kun? You should be paying more attention to your appearance." At the gentle (more like murderous) inquiry and polite (more like backhanded) reminder, Rocinante broke out in cold sweat. Did Boss have eyes at the back of his head or something?!
"Nothing important." He hurriedly assured whilst biting nervously on his soggy cigarette.
"Is that so...?" Boss threw a suspicious frown over his shoulder, but thankfully it was only for a few seconds as they have already reached their destination, "Although you say that, I would prefer it if you don't make a fool out of yourself - and in turn; me."
"Aye, Boss," Rocinante smiled self-deprecatingly behind his scarf.
He truly was useless... Rocinante laughed brokenly on the inside, hating himself all the more for holding such complicated feelings towards his Boss - the man didn't need someone so undeserving like Rocinante by his side. Perhaps the reason why Boss ate his failed cooking was because of pity; nothing else.
He shouldn't get his hopes up. Boss has always been a hard man to figure out; always contradicting.
Soon enough, they were greeted by one of Big Mom's subordinates and led to the VIP table. The fingers that were hidden in his pockets twitched discreetly. And without others knowing, he layered his Devil Fruit ability over Boss and himself. This was a precaution against Katakuri's foresight.
Boss had, the previous day, told him factually that his ability was actually a counter for Katakuri's foresight - which was mind-boggling to believe.
Without Boss's hellish training sessions, he wouldn't have known about the Nagi Nagi no Mi's frightening powers. Creating a soundproof field was only the mere basics, not even scratching the surface of what the Devil Fruit could actually do. In fact, the Nagi Nagi no Mi actually allows the user to erase their entire presence. Meaning; even for those who were confident in their Haki, he could hide from them easily.
That was why others called him Phantom. He was, essentially, invisible to everyone - Haki users included - if his ability was in use. That was why they were able to sneak around the Revolutionary Army's base without being discovered (never going to do that ever again, though!).
After he was done with that, he swiftly bypassed the waiter and pulled out a chair at the VIP table, waiting patiently for his boss to sit, before pushing it back inside.
"Thank you, Dapple-kun." Boss's smile was polite and gentle, but to Rocinante who was always by Boss's side, he knew the difference between a real smile and a carefully crafted mask.
The real Boss was more... childish and blunt - easily annoyed and easy to get violent. The complete opposite of a gentleman. Not that he would ever tell that to anyone! He wasn't suicidal, thank you very much!
Rocinante nodded stoically as he sat to Boss's right, back ram-rod straight and hands resting atop the suitcase on his lap.
The Tea Party would begin shortly after Big Mom's arrival. But for now, the many Underworld bigwigs were spread about, some gossiping whilst others made stronger connections. Most of them were keeping an eye on Boss, looking hesitant to approach, but eager to ally themselves with. Rocinante could even hear some of the louder ones whispering excitedly about the activities 'Thousand Eyes' have done in the past.
Unlike them, however, Boss was calmly drinking the matcha tea that was prepared specifically for him as he sat quietly at the VIP table, not even looking at their general direction, more focused on reading the paperwork he brought along.
Rocinante could only lament at his Boss's workaholic nature. Really, they were here for a tea party - the idea was to relax and socialize, not work.
With a sigh, he replaced the soggy cigarette with a new one, making sure to be extra careful when he lit it up, and inhaled those deadly fumes with a blissful expression on his face. Boss only shook his head at his addiction, other than that, he paid no mind to Rocinante's actions.
Not that Boss could say anything about his unhealthy habits! The other man was also a smoker - although not as hard as him, still considered a heavy smoker. And don't let Rocinante get started on the tattoos. Boss, apparently, has an unhealthy fixation with getting inked.
Not only were his arms covered from the wrist up, but his legs were also half-way through with being skin-free. Not to mention his back and chest. Wow was he shocked when he saw Boss half-naked once upon a time. Never has he been that turned on in his life before.
Rocinante quickly took another puff to calm himself down, not wanting to embarrass himself by getting hard at a boring tea party filled with old men and pompous second-generation rich kids.
His mind soon wandered to Law.
Rocinante wondered what the (not so) little guy was doing right now. Was Law healthy now that he has the Ope Ope no Mi? Was he enjoying his life so far? Was he happy now? Was he now surrounded with people? Or was he still being a lonewolf? Was he still wearing that adorable hat of his? Did he still remember Corazon?
There were so many questions running circles in his head, but he dared not ask Boss to quench his curiosity. He didn't want to bother the too-busy man with his unimportant (to anyone but Rocinante) inquiries. Still, he prays constantly every day that Law was safe and happy with whatever he was doing, wherever the little guy was.
"You seem oddly distracted today, Dapple-kun. This is quite unlike you." At his alias being whispered by his crush, his head snapped towards his boss.
Blinking stupidly, he finally realized why Boss had called him out. The table, which originally only had the two of them, was now occupied by the Sweet Commanders, Big Mom, and some other Underworld bigwig that he didn't know the name of. Even his cigarette stick had run out of tobacco to burn, hanging uselessly between his lips.
Stubbing the butt into an ashtray near him, he discreetly shook his head. 'Dapple' was someone who did not talk much, always stoic and aloof.
"Hm. Is that so...?" Knowing that Boss was inwardly worried about him, he nodded his head and tried to convey his reassurance with his eyes. Judging by how Boss's shoulders relaxed slightly, it seemed to work, "Anyway, seeing that Katakuri-san will soon become a part of our crew, why don't you introduce yourself to him?"
Knowing that the man in question was seated next to him, Rocinante swallowed his reluctance and turned to Katakuri, who was currently watching the two of them sharply.
"... I am Quijote Dapple." His words were soft as he gave a slight bow, completely stiff as he murmured into his scarf.
Now that he paid closer attention to the taller man (and wasn't that frustrating? Rocinante was used to being the taller one in their crew of two), Katakuri too wore a scarf in a similar fashion to his. Both of them had their mouths covered, although Rocinante wasn't shy to reveal his lips in order to drink or eat in front of strangers.
Was this a coincidence... or something more? With Boss, it was hard to say.
"Charlotte Katakuri," Katakuri then narrowed his already sharp eyes, causing them to appear twice as intimidating, "Thousand Eyes and you, Phantom. Why can I not see either of you?"
Rather than answering the man, Rocinante simply tilted his head to the side, a mysterious smile playing on his lips as he poured a dash of milk into his teacup. If the pirate wanted answers, he was asking the wrong man.
"You should refer to us by our names, not our epithet, Katakuri."
Idly, Rocinante wondered when exactly he grew the balls to be this cheeky. He used to be so normal before Boss bulldozed into his life. Now, only the Yonko seemed to faze him. He met too many monsters out in the sea to be scared of someone giving him the death glares.
Besides, with Boss next to him, he was pretty much assured of his life. Boss would never let anything or anyone harm him. That, he truly believes with all of his heart.
"Very well. Keep your secrets. I will unveil them sooner or later, Phantom." The muscular man then turned away with his arms crossed, displeasure written all over what was seen of his face.
...
Rocinante had this crazy urge to laugh like a madman.
As expected of Boss. Roux was right. They would indeed get along after Rocinante got to know the pirate on a more personal level. Just by the way the man was acting right now, Rocinante could already tell that he would be a fun guy to tease.
Especially because Katakuri was so used to relying on his Kenbunshoku Haki - and Rocinante's Devil Fruit ability counteracts it.
With a chuckle, he turned his attention back on his food. Maybe having another comrade would not be a bad idea after all...
Roux's POV
Wisps of smoke were dancing in the air around them, the two smokers pretty much content with basking in the sun on their ship's deck. Soon enough, they would finally be able to leave Totto Land. For now, Roux and Roci were currently waiting for their third member to appear with his luggage.
Whilst he was leaning against the ship's railing, Roci was unwrapping the gift Roux had given to him as thanks for the breakfast. Inside the briefcase was basically information on Trafalgar D. Water Law. Not all the information pertaining to the pirate, obviously. Just the recent ones.
He was, of course, nervous since this was a rushed, last-minute job (he had done this during the Tea Party). But judging by how Roci's eyes were watering right now, he was clearly happy with his present. Roux hid a relieved smile behind his hand as he took another drag, loving the way his lungs tighten at the smoke's burn.
But back to Katakuri.
At first, he feared that this tiny ship would not be able to house the hellish tall Katakuri, but thankfully, Katakuri's Devil Fruit ability allowed him to compress himself into Roci's size. Roux was, of course, baffled about the hows. But after thinking a bit more, he decided to leave it be.
The laws of the One Piece universe truly was beyond any man's understanding.
As Roux continues to gaze fondly at the excited Roci - who was reading the documents with feverish delight - his mind worked non-stop, drafting and discarding future plans.
Their next stop... Fishman Island, was it?
A/N:
I'm really sorry about the delay~! My plot bunnies are pretty eccentric and unpredictable (⋟﹏⋞). Whilst I was working on my latest Overlord chapter, those mischevious bunnies suddenly had a struck of inspiration for this fic! I had to reluctantly abandon the other work lest the bunnies stopped humping! No idea how Overlord is connected to One Piece, but whatever, bunnies, just do your thing ┐('～`;)┌
Also, what do you guys think about pairing Roci and Roux together ఠ_ఠ? Romance has always been my weakness... However, I think I would like to try my hand in it and actually start writing the romance aspect. I'll put up a poll for the pairings.
Please, tell me your thoughts about this chapter. Peace out~ (○ﾟε^○)
P. S. If you enjoy my stories and would like to further support my writing hobbies, please consider leaving me coffee at ko-fi /V7V5HKR7 under the page UnknownRegion ~ It'll be heavily appreciated! (๑•̀ㅁ•́ฅ