Lucci and Kaku head to Blueno's bar with the other foremen after work. The pheromones, alcohol and heady frivolity makes for a good mask for Lucci's inner turmoil about Iceburg and anger at Kaku, but also an incredibly intrusive reminder of how isolated from normal human life - and intimacy- he feels. Blueno feeds Hattori nuts.
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, it belongs to Eiichiro Oda. However, the story belongs to me.
Content warning: Sex is mentioned and discussed. I am treating the concept of sex and desire in the characters as a natural and culturally accepted thing in this particular world. Non-binary, trans and other gender and sexual orientations (including asexuality) exist in this world, it just hasn't come up yet. When Lucci is the narrator, his perspective is within his fantasy-based character. It does not reflect greater discussions in real life or my own perspective of real life.
As was the custom, many of the Galley-la workers headed to Blueno's bar after work. Paulie, Tilestone and Lulu (apparently not content that they had worked together all day) looked forward to the cold beer and card games that had become a permanent fixture in their evening schedule. This meant that Lucci and Kaku always went too, not passing up the opportunity to keep a close watch on those shipwrights that had a personal connection with Iceburg.
When the CP9 group had infiltrated Water 7 those years ago, Paulie, Lulu and Tilestone had been circulating between a number of different bars. This (they found out later) was due to the fact Paulie usually ran up large tabs which caused an eventual ban from the bar owner when left unpaid.
Brilliantly executed social engineering by Kaku had soon encouraged them all to start visiting Blueno's bar on a more frequent basis. When Paulie found that he was never turned away (obviously part of their plan), it had become their fixed haunt.
Blueno was in his usual bartender guise as he squeakily cleaned a glass with a cloth. He had looked up and watched silently as they entered and took their usual table. Water 7 civilians greeted them merrily with shouts of things like- "Another game tonight Lulu?" and- "How about that storm then!"
Lucci headed for the bar, slightly away from the others. He had remained silent the entire walk from the shipyard, and didn't respond to any greetings verbally aside from a slight nod of the head if he was directly addressed. He was still angry with Kaku for the risk he had taken earlier and glowered broodily. This went ignored by his colleagues, who noticed little change in Lucci's usual demeanour. The bar was already quite full and he grimaced as he had to wait for people to move out of his way.
Hattori flapped his wings excitedly, clicking his beak. The little white pigeon loved being around so many friendly people that wanted to give him attention. Lucci paused awkwardly, momentarily blocked from taking a bar stool by a couple of young women that rushed over to him from a larger group (that had apparently been hanging around waiting for them to arrive). They cooed and reached out to scratch under Hattori's eager outstretched wing. Lucci found that the overly friendly citizens of Water 7 generally had no reservations with getting right up into the space of the foremen. It seemed to be part of this island's culture, but Lucci also felt with indignation that people tended to view the shipwrights as "public property".
As the young ladies petted Hattori on his shoulder they looked up at him hopefully, flashing flirtatious eyes and using the excuse to stand well within his proximity. This regular behaviour always made Lucci feel quite uncomfortable not only because he desired his own personal space, but because through his zoan leopard sense he could feel the lustful hormones dripping from them. It was intrusive and made his devil fruit rear its aggressive head in a way that wasn't at all pleasant.
The heady mix of alcohol and release of inhibition in a bar like this was always overwhelming. Lucci didn't understand how the other men were so easily taken in by a little bit of flattery from the women in this way. There was always a group of them hanging around here, waiting to eagerly engage them in conversation, sit on willing laps and accept expensive drinks bought for them.
It wasn't like Lucci was adverse to desire and sex. He enjoyed being male and the exquisite feeling an intimate encounter provided. He always felt like a completely new person afterwards: strong, refreshed, powerful. It temporarily satisfied and quelled the raging leopard devil's rampages inside of him. He just wished that to achieve such a state of mind he didn't have to interact with a human being to initiate it. He couldn't stand inane chatter and had very little interest in the other party's needs. He found people like these two in front of him indescribably annoying and intellectually inferior.
A familiar melodic voice suddenly rang out from somewhere beside him.
"Woah! Looks like Hattori won the grand prize tonight! Lucci, you didn't tell me you were hanging out with a couple of tens!"
Kaku had appeared from the crowd and put his arms round the shoulders of the girls, who laughed as he fixed Lucci with a look of mock accusation. He towered over them in height but his long arms easily pulled them into him familiarly. Clearly they already knew each other. Yes, Lucci recognised them now he really looked. These were the girls Kaku had jumped out to scare at the festival of masks.
"We were just saying hello Kaku!"
"You still owe us for giving us such a fright at the festival!"
Lucci's eye twitched as Kaku's own musky pheromones entered the mix, exuding confidence and curiosity that mingled with the receptiveness of the girls.
"Awh, don't be like that, you both looked super cute when you were scared!"
"Flatterer!" one shot back in accusation, but without any real objection. They seemed to be enjoying the attention wholeheartedly.
"Did you enjoy the festival Lucci?" the other asked brightly, directing the conversation back towards him.
Still tense, Lucci gave a brief affirmation. He noticed that Kaku was watching him with that mischievous glint in his eye over the heads of the girls, observing for any reaction. The hot coals of anger in his stomach flared at this once again. He would definitely be having a stern word with Kaku later about the events of today and his conduct as a World Government agent.
"He was talking to Mr Iceburg Dahla, didn't you see? Probably important company business!"
"Oooo it must be so exciting to be able to talk to the mayor!"
"I wish that I worked for Galley-la." The first girl pouted in a babyish way.
"Now, now ladies… don't you get to be part of the action with us here? Let's leave Lucci alone now. He's shy."
"We know." Dahla purred, which Lucci found entirely infuriating. "That's why we like him!"
Kaku chuckled at the furious look Lucci shot him as they turned away towards the Galley-la table. Paulie was busy dealing out cards and called out to Kaku to hurry up if he wanted to play. The young blonde had a cigar half hanging out of his mouth and furrowed his brow with concentration as he shuffled what was left of the pack. Squinting through the haze of the smoke, he glanced at Lucci to assess if he seemed like he was coming over to join them and sat down when it was obvious he was not. Lucci sighed lightly to himself and turned back towards the bar as Tilestone smacked down his Beri bet so hard on the table that all the tankards jumped a few inches in the air.
As Lucci lowered himself onto a bar stool, Hattori fluttered down onto the bar top expectantly. Blueno shuffled over to him and patted the bird gently on the head with a large hand.
"Hello Lucci. Good day?"
"Just get me a beer, Blueno." Lucci squeaked through Hattori.
Blueno blinked and turned to the spigots. "That good, then."
Lucci signed once again and ran his hand through his wavy hair. Hattori hopped sideways to keep up with Blueno who was now filling a tankard with beer, looking keenly at him as if he was waiting for something. A cheer erupted from behind him where somebody at Paulie's table had won a round of their game. Lucci winced at the sudden noise.
"You look stressed." Blueno stated bluntly as he placed Lucci's beer in front of him.
"Don't make stupid observations."
Blueno raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything else. Instead he reached below the bar and brought out a glass jar of peanuts. Upon seeing this, Hattori exploded into a frenzy of wings and squawks and could barely wait for Blueno to pick out one for him before beaking it straight out of his hand.
"Would that your master be so easily placated." Blueno said quietly in his deep, resonant voice before moving away to serve a group of excited patrons at the far end of the bar.
Watching Hattori impaling the peanut on his beak then using his foot to try and lever it off, Lucci sunk once again into the deep analytic recesses of his mind, going over every action and inference over the last week. His brooding thoughts turned back towards Iceburg, where he was and what he was doing.
I have to get to him, Lucci thought to himself resolutely, picking up his beer.
"Oi Blueno, more beer over here!" Paulie's gruff voice resounded loudly as he called across the room. He had stood up to shout, his cigar now so short it was almost singing his stubble. "For- 1, 2, 3, 4…" He pointed at the others sitting at the table as he counted, but more people seemed to pop up around them every time he thought he had the final count. "... 8, 9… for everyone! Blueno, a beer for everyone!"
The table and its watchers cheered in appreciation with joyful laughter and mirth mixed in. Back at the beer taps, Blueno stretched his face into that wide, unnatural smile. "Well, of course Paulie."
Lucci flicked his eyes up to give Blueno a cold look from under dark lashes. Blueno looked at him and shrugged, moving away to prepare a large round for the young men and their fans. Lucci knew that Paulie wouldn't pay for it. That wasn't the point. Blueno would make the books work one way or another. Keeping Paulie under a close watch was and always had been a priority. Even better if he could be kept tame by a ready supply of his favourite vices.
The young blonde was raucously draining the last of his previous glass with Kaku, Tilestone, Lulu and some other dock one members. Paulie had been loudly recounting the valiant tale of how they had single-handedly prevented a structural collapse of dock one due to a rogue crane since they had arrived at Blueno's bar. The story seemed to become more fantastical every time it was told. The amused onlookers cheered and clapped the Galley-la members on the back as the details of the near-miss accident were shared. Kaku encouraged this telling of the story wholeheartedly.
Getting Paulie and the others drunk wasn't too difficult, although he would add telling Kaku to not enjoy himself too much to the disciplinary "chat" list. CP9 would probably have to dispose of anyone that stood in their way before they left, even those they had treated as close colleagues (or dare he say, even friends ).
If they pulled it off and could grab the Pluton plans, they could leave without too much destruction.
Executing a job this close to home base would be an achievement to go down in legend, but also somewhat of a distasteful insult to the city that provided Enies Lobby with its main source of trade and supply lines via the water train. The arrest and re-arrest of Iceburg's master Tom was still a very hotly debated topic, even after all these years. Killing the mayor of such a city, or even harming him would be as good as declaring "yes, everything every conspiracy theorist thought was true- Iceburg was a target!"
Lucci wasn't stupid enough to assume everyone understood the concept of dark justice like he did. A benevolent philanthropist with plans for an ancient weapon of world destructive power still had to be dealt with, regardless of whether he intended to make use of them. If he had to kill Iceburg, he would.
Of course I would. Without hesitation.
A small pang throbbed then twisted itself in the seat of his stomach. He ignored it. He swilled the last dregs of his beer and returned to his musings instead.
Even Paulie was well known across the Grand Line. The golden child, the shipbuilding savant . Taken in from an orphanage at a young age, he had been Iceburg's apprentice and had shown an unprecedented skill for it almost instantly.
Of course he had. With a teacher like Iceburg, anyone would.
Lucci could picture (with no small amount of jealousy) a young, blonde boy being carefully mentored by one of the best shipwrights in the world. The way Paulie behaved sometimes, it seemed like he didn't even know how lucky he was.
A glass being knocked over followed by a more cheers jolted him back into the room. The sound of Tilestone's shouting and Kaku's musical laughter pierced his eardrums.
Imagined comradery would not be an excuse for hesitation, not in the end. Kaku should know that as well as anyone. He needed Kaku sharp, ready for anything at any time. Lucci didn't care if Kaku was young and socially gifted. That wasn't how they had been raised as CP9 agents.
But as Lucci thought this, he found himself unable to turn and look at them all with the rest of the pub patrons as they laughed together, full of what he assumed was happiness. His shoulders might have looked overly stiff in posture from behind but he didn't expect the young crowd would notice as they revelled. He once again ignored the twisting worm in his lower stomach as he imagined how Paulie would react if he ever found out the truth. He thought that he could already see the devastating betrayal in his pure, bright blue eyes.
Now he was paying attention to his surroundings again, Lucci felt Blueno's eyes on him. The older agent was subtly watching him from behind the bar taps with a careful interest that Lucci really didn't like.
He scowled into the fresh beer that he had been brought. Hattori obliviously and quite cheerfully pecked at a second peanut he had been gifted with.