"You're still digging?" Smoker looked at the folder on Tashigi's table, frowning at the Captain. His voice startled the woman, almost yelping. She nodded at him before continuing her research.
"This is getting personal, don't you think?"
"I am not disregarding my responsibilities. I have free time, and this is not just personal, Smoker. I might be able to prove Luffia's true identity. If I am right, this will help us in arresting her."
"I am not against your actions, Tashigi. But be careful. Strawhat had been in the Streets for years without anyone discovering his identity. This meant he had the means to hide it."
"I know." Proving that Luffia is Strawhat was meaningless if she had the means to twist the truth. It would be nothing in front of Zoro, especially after his recent actions. If her guess was correct he might have known about it by now. That explains the silence from Zoro's activities over the past few weeks.
Jealousy clouded her mind at the thought of Zoro disregarding his job for the sake of Luffia. It had always been about her. It was as if she was his whole life.
'Why can't it be me?' She questioned several times than she could count with no answer. The jealousy burned brighter than ever, surprising even herself that these emotions were more deep-rooted in her than she thought it was. Perhaps she managed to ignore the burning jealousy because she knew she still had Zoro, albeit their relationship was purely physical. But now that he ended their relationship, the negative emotions she kept at the back of her mind resurfaced.
'If he was willing to overlook her identity as a Mafia Boss, then perhaps I could give him a more valid reason to forsake her.' She thought while looking at the bounty of Firefist on her table. The connections might be vague, but it was there. Tashigi will not believe in a coincidence, at least not in a thought-out plan of these Mafiosos hiding their identities.
It should not be a coincidence that in Ann Ortiz's records, she was an orphan in Foosha Orphanage, the same Orphanage Luffia originated. Not to mention, they were admitted in the same year with no prior records aside from the two of them found in front of the orphanage.
There should be a connection. And if the rumors are true about Ann's true identity, then she could use this. All she had to do was gather all the information she could find.
Call her a selfish bitch, but she could not allow Zoro to blindly follow Luffia. Her intentions might not be pure, and one might view them as greed, but she could care less. She will not let Luffia have Zoro.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
"Ah-Ahchoo!" Luffia rubbed her itchy nose rather irritably. "Is someone thinking about me?"
"Are you sure it's not your sister? After what you did to her, she would think of various ways to torture you." Zoro rolled his eyes while finishing the last dish he was cooking.
"Hmm. Maybe. I'll just hide."
"What kind of alliance would that be if you are going to hide?" He turned around with the bowl of beef stew in hand, ready to serve their dinner.
"I'm not needed there!" She argued while her eyes are glued on the food in Zoro's hands, following every movement till it landed in front of her. She squirmed in delight when the smell of the food hit her nose before beaming at Zoro, smiling warmly before digging in.
Zoro huffed while shaking his head at Luffia. The tenderness in his eyes never dimmed down when it comes to her. She was like his sunshine, always bringing out the softness in him no one could ever do. Many might call him a simp but he could care less.
"Has there been any change of plans?" Zoro asked after they eat dinner.
"No. There might be depending on the information I will get from Johnny and Yosaku," Luffia nonchalantly shrugs while munching on an apple.
Hearing their names after quite some time made Zoro realize something. His mind took him back to the last time he saw the two bounty hunters.
"They knew about you." It wasn't a question, after all, this was pretty obvious. If they run errands for Luffia, they must have known all along. Sensing the grumble from Zoro's tone, Luffia straightened up, disregarding her half-eaten apple to look at her best friend.
"I asked them not to tell you. It wasn't their fault." The apologetic look immediately shattered the resentment in Zoro.
"I know. It just made me a little sour that they knew about you before I did."
"I'm sorry, Zoro. I didn't want to risk losing you."
"Why would you lose me? You always have me. That will never change no matter what, so trust me, Luffia."
She nodded and threw herself into his embrace, letting his warmth penetrate her soul.
"Zoro will always have me too. Always." She looked up at him, smiling brightly that it almost blinded Zoro. His eyes studied her beautiful face, from her eyes to her nose, then to her lips.
Ever since Zoro found out about her identity, he could instantly feel the transparent barrier between them melting into a puddle of nothingness. Back when he thought she was just an ordinary citizen, he placed that barrier to protect her. Knowing she did not need to be protected allowed him to free his emotions. And she might feel the same. Even without confessions or words, they could feel each other's emotions, affirming that they feel the same.
With a smile, he cupped her face without breaking eye contact, leaning in slowly till their noses brush against one another. The smile gracing Luffia's lips signaled an agreement.
The moment their lips touched, it was as if everything in the world was right. Luffia melted into the kiss as easily as Zoro did, savoring the long-awaited exchange of feelings they held back all those years ago.
How Luffia wishes this will last.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
Ann had been out of her mind for the past few days. She stayed in their base doing everything she could to keep the information as organized as possible. While her sisters are busy with their tasks - Sab with the World Government officials affiliated with Mafia groups and Luffia distracting Kaido from sending reinforcements when said affiliation is at the mercy of Sab - Ann had been nothing but useless.
Her face was everywhere in the streets. While she could still go around, it would not be safer. Once again, she cursed the World Government for putting a bounty on her head. It was an inconvenience that she did not know how to resolve.
A lot of things were swimming in her mind and she didn't know where to start. Now that she's alone with nothing else to do other than stare at the stack of papers filled with questionable data to be tagged as useful for them, she can't help but think of what her life used to be months back.
She was busier then, juggling her job and the quest for revenge, but she was happier than ever. For the first time, she felt like she was just anyone out there, living their lives to the fullest. Sadly, it didn't last. Well, she knew it wouldn't last at all, not when she started with the wrong footing when she accepted Marco's invitation. It was short-lived before she was brought back to her reality. When did this journey for revenge turn out to be this exhausting?
As her mind started drifting to Marco's image, she instantly shook her head, willing the thoughts away. This is not the time to be distracted.
With that in mind, she got dressed, disguised as an old man then left their base. Her feet took her to an area close to the dock where Big Mom's ships were. She chose a convenience store and bought a cheap meal before observing the people passing by. Most might be regular citizens but she could figure out immediately who amongst the crowd might be part of a Mafia group.
After an hour of observation, she discreetly followed a group and eavesdropped on their conversation.
"Let's drop the supplies in the new warehouse. If we fail, we are going to be done for my Mama."
That took Ann's interest. She knew that going after Big Mom in their base is suicide even with a clear plan. There are many factors they have to consider and there was no guarantee she or her sisters won't perish if it is going to be an all-out war. What they can do is slowly cripple Big Mom's operations. That's what they had been doing for years, lowering their capacity for expansion till it is within their manageable number to launch an attack.
The new information she heard was not enough. She needed more but with the people crowding the area, she couldn't hastily follow this group. Being surrounded and discovered was the last thing she wanted to happen.
Ann decided to leave but returned the next day, carefully observing the area and marking the people she was positive to be part of Big Mom's group. This went on for a couple of days.
The same disguise did not bring any suspicious eyes on her which was great. Everyone treated her like an old man passing by.
Or that's what she thought.
Inside one of the buildings, Perospero was using a binocular to observe the old man reading a newspaper in a fast food restaurant.
"Hmm..." He frowned because one look at the man didn't arouse any suspicion in him. "What has that new face been doing the past few days?"
"Outside of eating or reading, nothing."
"Then why the hell did you call for it?!" He shouted at his subordinate, tempted to throw the bilocular to his head.
"But sir, one of our men saw him in an abandoned wasteland, riding a bike. He immediately reported it to us."
"Is that so? Any patterns on the bike?"
"Nothing, sir. But we're searching for traces. It's a black big bike, too much for a lanky old man to handle."
A creepy smile rose to Perospero's face after hearing that. While they have many enemies that commonly use a big bike, his instincts are telling him this old man might be the person he was looking for. The bounty on Ann's head crippled her from showing her face anywhere. A disguise is needed. What could be the best disguise but a different gender?
If his guesses are correct, this old man in disguise could be Firefist. Initially, he thought it will take him quite a while to track her down, but who would have thought she will deliver herself right at his doorstep? What a coincidence that she was observing the area that Perospero was demoted into.
After his failures, as Big Mom called, he was sent to one of the minor transaction supplies in one of their territories. He could have been enjoying his life now had it not been for the humiliation he suffered at Ann's hands.
"Continue observing. Report to me when you find something."
Their play of cat and mouse did not last long. A few days since the start of the suspicious man's activities, Perospero heard a couple more reports about different men around the area, suspiciously covered in the middle of hot summer weather. If there was one common denominator amongst the reports, it was the fact that his men were being followed discreetly.
This area was their loose fortress. Most of the establishments are too afraid to go against Big Mom's group. All of them will answer questions and provide the CCTV footage without questions. And this made things easier for Perospero to set the honey trap.
He purposely released fake information about the building a few miles South of the new warehouse where their firearms were. It didn't take long for that cat to be curious. At first, she was cautious, only surveying the area.
Perospero had to sacrifice his comfort by staying at this god-forsaken place with eager anticipation of Ann's arrival.
"What if it's not Firefist?" One of his men asked and was immediately sent flying. That notion will not only bring dissatisfaction to Perospero but also hatred for expecting the fruits of his labor.
It can't be another person. No one was as dedicated as Ann in terms of making sure their group would suffer damages no matter how small they may be.
"Make sure she will use the North pathway. That was the safest path going here. If she's smart enough, she will choose that." Perospero's obsession with perfecting this scheme had gone over the top, going as far as being meticulous with the details, ensuring she would not suspect being led to her doom. Failure was never an option. It should be Firefist!
"Sir! We caught movements!" One of his men monitoring the CCTV they placed in the vicinity alerted him. His senses immediately sparked, rushing to the monitor and saw the suspicious man walking around the safest pathway he created. It was in the middle of a heap of trash North of the building, with nothing notable in it. The area was filled with scraps of metal, blocks of discarded cement, and garbage. It was a perfect blockage for any intruders to enter.
In most cases, it should be, but Perospero's meticulous planning made this the most dangerous path. Not only did he install several undetectable CCTV cameras here, but he also ordered his men to create several craters to trap this suspicious person with no escape.
"Yes. Just a bit more. Just a bit more. And you will trigger the trap." He was grinning with madness, anticipating the moment he will get his hands on her.
3 Steps...
2 Steps...
"Just a bit more. Don't stop now. Hehe."
And with the last step she took, the floor beneath collapsed, a crashing sound echoed in the area and Perospero rushed outside, grinning like a madman.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
More than a week of slow progress finally bore Ann the fruits of that labor. Her information gathering had been painfully slow but it led her to this new warehouse under Big Mom's group. Why they chose this place was beyond her but that's beside the point.
As long as she can get her hands on one of their men, she can torture whoever they are to spill the beans of who was leading this trade. Any useful information will be sufficient and she cannot be too greedy given her dire circumstances.
As she slowly traverse the safest route she found, the quietness of the area made her senses tingle. It was too quiet for her liking. Too safe.
All the warning signs have been ignored, favoring the desperation she was feeling from being helpless in dealing with the inconvenience her bounty posed. More than an inconvenience, it crippled her to an extent. Now that an opportunity presented itself, she could not find it in herself to walk away. She must see this through.
With that determination, she continued till her feet landed on a trap.
"Fuck!" She cursed as she found herself falling into the crate, panicking a little when her back landed on solid ground with a loud thud. The commotion surely aroused the men in the building and the last thing she wanted was to be trapped her.
Groaning in pain, she got up, observing the crate she fell into, immediately concluding that there will be no escape except for someone to hoist her up.
"Shit." She cursed again. The footsteps approaching this trap alarmed Ann. With trained hands, she grabbed her gun and pointed it at the top, anticipating the arrival of several people. Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger, pointing it at the first person she saw. Then to another.
"Shit. How many bullets this bitch has?!" That familiar voice echoed amongst the shouts in the crowd. "Sedate her!" That was the last thing Ann heard before someone threw a smoke bomb infused with sleeping gas into the crate.
She held her breath but it will be a matter of time before she lost consciousness. And the last thing she did was press the emergency button to alarm the sisters of her predicament.
With her out of the world, Perospero took this chance to finally unveil if he caught the big fish.
It took a lot of effort to get the suspicious man off the crater. The moment they did, the first thing Perospero did was unmask the sleeping person.
"Hahahaha! What a boon!" He laughed hysterically, mind working with various ideas on how to torture her to death. Who could have thought that his honey trap caught the person he was looking for? "Get her inside! There's a show that the Grandline needs to see."
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
Marco was having the worst day of his life starting with the pressing issues of Big Mom and Kaido's movements in expanding territories. This caused a lot of tension in the streets. Their men had been on 24/7 alert to retaliate at any given time should the two Emperors start targetting Whitebeard's territories. Not to mention the stocks of their companies dwindling due to the Emperors' movements. Safe to say, the two of them have allied as rumors said.
He went back to Pops' mansion after an exhausting day wanting to rest. On the other hand, it was a good thing that he was physically exhausted to the point of falling asleep. At least he wouldn't have time to think of her.
When he arrived, he was surprised to see no one welcomed him except for a few servants that pointed him to the meeting room where Pops usually stay when there are pressing matters to discuss.
Without a word, he went inside and spotted Pops in front of his laptop with Haruta, Namur, Thatch, and Izou behind him.
"What are you watching, yoi?" He lazily walked toward them, too tired to notice the worried glances they directed at him. When his eyes landed on the laptop, he immediately froze. It was as if cold water splashed into his soul at the sight of Ann tortured by Perospero.
Marco's eyes remained on Ann's. Her clothes have died with blood, and bruises decorating her face while tied to a post, receiving all the electric shocks every time Perospero presses a button. From the looks of it, Perospero was not satisfied with the electric shocks. He ordered his men to gather a bucket of water and shoved Ann's face there for what felt like a minute, followed by more electric shocks.
"Come on! Scream some more! Hahahaha!"
"F-Fuck you!" She screamed and only received another form of torture.
"Put on a show! Come on, Firefist! The Grandline will watch you as you slowly die. Hahaha! And I'll get the reward for your death. 450 is such a huge sum."
"I swear, I'll kill you." She was having a hard time breathing and her threat fell on deaf ears, drowned by another scream of pain inflicted by Perospero.
Watching her tormented made Marco shudder in anger, fists clenching. At that moment, his anger was directed at Perospero, forgetting his hatred for Ann while silently wishing he could get his hands on the bastard to punch him to death.
"Haruta. Do you think you can decipher where the video is coming from? We need the location." Pops broke the deadly silence, voice grim while his eyes never left the screen.
"I'll try. This is a live broadcast, so it shouldn't take long." Haruta answered and grabbed her laptop.
The torture continued and every second that passes by felt like torture to Marco as well, but he couldn't take his eyes off Ann, too afraid of what will happen next. He shouldn't be concerned about her when she is their enemy. Her betrayal was never forgotten, but no matter how many times he reminded himself about that fact, his heart thought otherwise.
"Now. How was the bath? Great?"
"Go to fucking hell, useless piece of shit. No matter what you do, you will never get your mother's throne. You're just her pawn she can dispose anytime she wants."
"Bitch!" The slapping sound echoed, and Marco winced while watching. He could vaguely feel the blood dripping from his clenched fists. "You still have time to insult me when you're about to die! This is for the humiliation you put me through!"
Perospero must have wanted Ann to beg for her life but she never did. Her eyes never dimmed down even when the torture could have killed her. And her spirit only pissed off Perospero because no matter what he did, she never broke down.
"How about I let the Grandline watch you being fucked to death? That would be great, right? My men would have loved to fuck you thoroughly. I think it's a fantastic idea! At least you don't have to worry about filming a sex tape. I'm doing it for you for free. Aren't I nice?"
Marco was beginning to lose a shred of sanity left in him. His eyes landed on Haruta who was frantically typing in her laptop after hearing Perospero's threats.
"Haruta," Whitebeard called out, urging her to hurry.
"Almost, Pops."
Should Haruta find out where Perospero is, Marco would no doubt use all means possible to go there.
"Tsk. Seems like we have people jamming our connection. You're lucky that we need to hurry. Any last words?"
"Tell your Mama that I will come after her. I'll come back from hell if I need to. She will fall along with the others. Mark my words. She will pay."
"Hahaha! We will gladly welcome you from hell. That is if you can come back. Maybe, you will haunt us. Because you will never get out of here alive. You will burn here. It seems fitting for Firefist to die because of fire. Hahahaha! Let's go!"
The video remained playing but a minute later, they heard explosions.
"N-No..." Marco whispered in abated breath, gasping for air in hopes that this is not real.
The camera caught the fire spreading around the old building followed by more explosions. Little by little, he saw Ann surrounded by fire, almost lifeless.
'Get away from there! Run!' He screamed internally when the fire spread rapidly.
"No. T-That..." He stopped his whispers as soon as the camera went dark and the last thing they heard was the loudest explosion, signaling a miserable end. Marco's body moved, grabbing the laptop screen as if willing to turn it back on.
But there was nothing.
All he could see was the pitch-black screen and the live broadcast ending.
"Son..." He didn't know how long he stayed like that, clutching the laptop screen until his father called out to him.
"I'm..." Okay. He wanted to tell them he was alright, but Marco was anything but. He was lost on what to feel and how he should be reacting. The confusion made him stumble after letting go of the laptop, one hand grasping the edge of the table for support.
"Marco..." He couldn't tell who was calling him this time. His head was somewhere else, and he couldn't process his emotions to even notice the worried glances his family directed at him.
"Yeah... I'm... Uh. I need to take a shower." He mumbled, almost incoherent. "I'm... I'm going to sleep."
His family called him again, but he was so out of his mind that he couldn't answer them, not even registering how he managed to get out of the meeting room and arrive in his bathroom underneath the cold shower while still in his clothes.
Hell, he could not register how cold the water was. All he could feel was the void in his heart swallowing him whole.
If Ann's betrayal broke his heart, her death caused his heart to be completely shattered.
