"Where to, yoi?" Marco casually asks as soon as he takes the driver's seat, looking at Ann with a simple smile that makes her somewhat suspicious. "You're still suspicious of me?"

She does not answer the last question, still trying to wrap her head at what she heard moments ago.

"In the shop. I live on the second floor."

"Okay." Marco nods and starts the car. After a few minutes of silence, he decides to start the conversation. "Was it awkward for you, yoi? I apologize for that."

"I just can't believe it."

"That I'm attracted to you?" Marco glances at her before directing his eyes back to the road.

"Yes?" She's not sure what to feel about the revelation. A part of her is still questioning his motives. It couldn't be because of a simple physical attraction, isn't it? Ann knows that she's a looker, she's heard many people phrase her because of that, but she doesn't think that this is enough for Marco to go on his way to help her or be nice or get close to her.

"It's not that unbelievable, yoi."

"It is. For someone like you."

"Someone like me, yoi?"

"I mean, you're Marco Newgate - "

"So, you know who I am." Ann wants to slam her head on the car window for saying that. She's deliberately blowing her cover by saying she knew who he is.

"Well, that name is famous and you said you own the bar, so that means you are Marco Newgate." She prays that it's enough to make him less suspicious of her. Her mouth sometimes needs to stop opening before her brain can think.

The car stops in front of the traffic light, so Marco has the chance to look at her properly, much to her discomfort.

"I still don't think me being Marco Newgate has anything to do with being attracted to you, yoi." Their eyes never left each other. Ann almost feels as if she's drowning in those blue eyes of his. It's as blue as the ocean, expressive and filled with sincerity.

At the back of her mind, she reminds herself not to get carried away by his facade as this might be fake, but her instincts are screaming at her to allow this to happen.

But now that she thinks about it, maybe she can use this to get her hands on information that none of the Whitebeard family members give away easily. It will be dangerous, but if she can use Marco to her advantage, maybe she'll finally get her revenge.

"You have a bad taste, then." She jokes that earns her a chuckle from Marco who's now starting the car as soon as the green light is lit.

"No, I don't, yoi. I'd say I have a fantastic taste."

"But technically, you're my boss."

"Are you trying to find a fault in everything, yoi?" Marco chuckles because here he is, trying to convince her that he's attracted to her but she finds every possible reason that could refute that. "Look, if you're uncomfortable, just be honest with me. It's not like I am forcing you to go out with me just because I said I am attracted to you."

His eyes are sincere, staring at them made Ann feels as if looking at the deep ocean. They hold deeper meaning, emotions, but their tranquility balances everything. Then, she feels her heart quicken.

"I just can't believe it." She's surprised with her honesty.

"I guess, it's up to me to make you believe it, yeah?" She doesn't answer and he didn't insist on it. The traffic is heavier than they thought, so they are stuck in the middle of the road when Marco opens a new conversation. "How long have you been a mechanic, yoi?"

"Curious?"

"Let's just say that I want to get to know you." Ann smiles plainly. It won't hurt to tell him what most people knew anyway.

"Years. Since I was 21, I think? But I've been interested in machines since I was a child."

"Why did you become a singer if you can be a mechanic? There are a lot of companies that you apply to."

"They don't want it if you don't have a degree. Unfortunately, I didn't get to finish my degree." That's been her story ever since. It won't expose who she is by telling him all of these, anyway.

"Quite a shame since you're quite knowledgeable about machines. Why not try applying for a job? I know a company that doesn't discriminate even if you didn't get a degree."

"Are you trying to win me over by offering me your connections? Let me guess, you're going to call that company and tell them to hire me and since it's you, they will do it without a hitch." She disdains, raising her voice a little.

"Hey, no, I don't mean that, okay? I'm just saying that you might want to apply to that company, and no, I'm not going to tell them to hire you without testing your skills first. I don't want to insult you, yoi."

Ann somehow feels a little guilty for raising her voice earlier.

"Why are you telling me that, anyway?"

"Don't you want a job that you are passionate about?" He fires back.

"Yes, but the fee in the bar is quite satisfying."

"Yes, and you're getting stalkers as a result, yoi. Just think about it. Here, just in case you want to apply." He gives him a calling card. Newgate Motors.

"This belongs to your family, isn't it?"

"Yes, but I don't personally manage that. The decision will fall to the director, not me, yoi. Don't worry, I won't be telling them anything, okay?"

"I'll think about it." She puts the card in her pockets. For now, she needs to think things thoroughly if she is going to put Marco to use and how she's going to execute it.

The car stops in front of Ann's shop, so she takes the seatbelt off.

"Thanks for the ride. Take care!"

"You as well, yoi. And think about it, okay? I think you would like the environment there."

"Pretty insistent, aren't we?" She smirks. "But I will think about it, okay?" With a nod, Marco left the vicinity.

Inside her room, Ann keeps on staring at the business card, nodding, still in deep thoughts. She avoided a full-time job because she knows there will be times that she will be injured. At least, with her cover, she doesn't need to worry about that.

But on second thought, this can be useful. All she has to do is to be a part-time employee.

===XXX===XXX===XXX===

Her footsteps echo in the familiar area. It's been years since she's been here.

Sab, or rather, Blue, is on her way to meet Eustass Kidd in his territory. It's the Southern Part of Grandline, more than an hour away from the Mainland where Sab is.

This city is where she used to stay, where she met him, where everything started...

Sab is walking back to a rundown apartment not too far from the university when she noticed the tracks of blood on the road. It's 40 minutes past 9 PM and at this time, many people from the underground world are roaming the area.

In such a remote place, it is not recommended to be out in the streets when anything could happen.

Sab can hear the shouts of men not too far from where she is.

"Find him! That bastard is going to pay for taking over our territory!" Sab is quick to hide in an alley while she watches the men run around in search of whoever it was.

She shrugs this off. Such a common occurrence cannot faze her at all unless the person they are looking for is her sisters. But since it is not, she could care less about this person at all.

She stops in her tracks when she noticed someone lying beside the wall of her shabby apartment. With careful steps, she approaches whoever it is. Her eyes went as wide as saucers when she saw the man bloody, clutching on his stomach. He either got shot or stabbed.

"Hey?" She reaches to tap his shoulder but his hand instantly grabbed her arm with a strength that made her wince.

"If you shout for those bastards chasing after me, you will be dead along with me." He took his gun out using his free hand to warn her.

"You barely have the strength to fight back anyway." She disdains, making him frown. It's dark in this part, so they can't see each other clearly.

"I have enough strength to kill you, though. Just one pull." Sab rolled her eyes at the man. Just when she was about to retort, she hears voices. It seems the people chasing after this man are getting closer. "Ughh, gotta leave now - " Yet he falls on the ground. His injuries are preventing him from moving as he desires.

She could have left him here but if the men chasing this guy arrives in her apartment, they might think that she is an accomplice. She doesn't want to get dragged into a situation like that.

"You're about to pass out."

"Nice catch, sherlock!" His sarcasm is getting to her.

"Be nice and stay there." She left him to open her apartment. Inside, she takes a comforter out of her linen cabinet and laid it right beside the man. "Get in there."

"What?"

"Get in the comforter and crawl towards my apartment. If you leave traces in front of the door, we're openly telling the people chasing after you that you're inside. So, get in there so you won't leave traces."

"And why would I do that?" Distrust in this situation is common, but Sab doesn't have much patience and time to persuade him to trust her.

"It's either you get in there or you will be caught, then, you will be dead. Your choice."

The man is silent for about a minute before getting in the comforter. All the droplets of blood painted the white comforter red. As soon as he's settled, she drags him inside.

"Take off your shirt and your boots."

"And why?"

"I'm going to use it so they will think you ran away to the alley. Come on, we do not have much time."

As soon as Sab got what she needs, she carefully squeezed the shirt to scatter the blood on the ground. With the boots soaked with blood, she tapped them on the ground, faking the traces for the man.

She did this for half an hour to make sure that no one will think the injured man is inside her apartment. Coming back to her apartment, she half-expected the man to have lost consciousness, but to her surprise, he wasn't, even though his eyes are fluttering. It must have been his will power that forces him to stay awake.

She drags him to the kitchen where she can safely open the lights to see his wounds. And as soon as it lights up, she looks down on him and was surprised to see one of the notorious Mafia leaders in town, Eustass Kidd.

Ignoring this discovery, she kneels beside him, hands reaching out so she can remove his hands covering his wounds.

"Let me see your wounds." A sigh left her when he refused to do so. "Do you want to die of blood loss? Or infection? Fine, have it your way. I will dispose of your remains in the river nearby."

That seems to have worked as he slowly removes his hands. Sab winces when she saw the stab on his stomach. It's a wonder how he is still alive.

"That's a deep wound there. I'll clean this up." Years of training in Baltigo taught her enough how to treat wounds like this. Had it been a gunshot, it would be difficult for her to remove it without the necessary tools.

The man is intensely watching her movement, still suspicious. Anyone would be. But Sab didn't let that affect her. With precision, she managed to clean the wounds until the man lost consciousness because of the blood loss.

For a moment, she contemplated whether to move him from this spot or not. The red-haired man is tall with muscles that indicate he works out regularly. If she tries to move him, she might risk getting the wound open up again.

She decided to leave him on the floor and just in time, she heard voices of the men chasing after this guy on her kitchen floor. While assessing the situation, she can feel the headache creeping in her head. She should know not to stick her nose to where it doesn't belong.

===XXX===XXX===XXX===

Kidd woke up feeling the dull ache on his stomach. Memories came crashing down at him. Looking around, he felt cautious. He grew up knowing people will help him when they need something in return unless they're the people who had been with him for a long time and he trusts.

In this world, give and take. If you have nothing to give, you will only find your back against the wall with no way to run in, so it baffles him why the woman helped him at all. Is she after compensation? Is she going to blackmail him about this? Is she working with one of his enemies?

Many thoughts pass by Eustass Kidd's mind while slowly getting up from his position. His wound still hurts, but he can manage. It may slow him down when the worst situation arises, but at least he won't go down without a fight.

With careful steps, he approaches the small living room. If he's being honest, this small apartment resembles a rat's nest than a human living inside. He wonders how a woman can live under this house at all. The door latches are rusty, the floor has several cracks that need to be fixed, the furniture in the house is mismatched - overall, the house is shitty.

Looking around, he sees no picture frames at all. When he steps into the living room, the small coffee table is filled with books on top, and there, on the couch is the woman who helped him. She's sleeping peacefully with an open book on top of her.

Taking a closer look at her, Kidd realizes that she looks like a sleeping angel. Her blonde hair looks messy but, it didn't lessen her beauty at all. Her nose is prominent, her lips may be chappy but it's tinged with a natural pinkish hue that makes it look kissable.

Kidd shakes his head as he realizes that he's creepily staring at the woman.

'What the fuck is wrong with you?' He chastised himself. This is not the first time he's seen a beautiful woman. He's seen a lot of them and most of the time, they're either horny or a vixen, whichever it is she is categorized at.

When he steps to the front door, she stirs awake, startled that Kidd is awake. The book on top of her fell off the floor and now that Kidd takes a closer look, it's a book about laws and jurisdiction.

'A lawyer, huh?' He muses to himself.

"You're awake. Is your wound still hurting?"

"It hurts like shit, what do you expect about a stab?"

The woman rolls her eyes at him.

"Then, you can go now. Don't come back."

"Don't worry, I won't, but before I go, I need to know who you are. Why did you help me?" Kidd knows enough that civilians do not just offer help to those who are obviously in the underground world. They know enough when to steer clear of instances where it could endanger them but this woman went through the troubles of saving Kidd's life.

And what's even more suspicious is the fact that she thought of a way to make sure to prevent traces that can lead the men chasing Kidd to know that he's in this shabby house.

She's too calm as if she had been in situations like these. At one point, Kidd thought that this woman is an assassin.

"My name is Sab Regor. Law student. As for why I helped you, I don't want those people to inconvenience me. If they found that you were right beside my house, they might search here and kill me. So, I have no choice to help you." She smiles sarcastically which irks Kidd.

"A Law student, huh? And living in this kind of house?"

"If you're just going to insult my apartment, then leave. Don't come back, whoever you are."

"Tsk! I had thought that women like you will want a payment after what you did."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I am not most women you knew. I don't need your money when I can earn it someday. So, leave."

"How did you learn to treat wounds like mine?"

"What is this? An interrogation? Shouldn't I be the one asking questions given I saved your life and let you hide in my house?" She stands in front of Kidd but her height is not enough to level their eyes. With Kidd's 6'4 figure, she only reaches his shoulder level.

"Why don't you answer my question?"

"Why don't you just leave? I have no time to waste with someone like you. I have books to finish." She turns her back on him to continue whatever she was reading, leaving Kidd standing there like a fool.

All his life, women flock to him like moths drawn to the light, but here he is, being ignored. Huffing in annoyance, he decides to just leave when all of a sudden, they heard a car stopping in front of the house. Kidd instantly looks at her but her expression tells him that she's also surprised.

She immediately stands up, lifting the curtain enough just for her to see who was outside.

"Are you sure that he disappeared? That should not be possible. Someone must have helped that bastard."

"That must be it. Search all houses nearby."

The woman named Sab looks at Kidd, worried.

"You have to hide. Come!" She grabbed his arm and led him to the kitchen. On her way, she took the comforter stained with his blood before lifting the doormat near the kitchen sink. Kidd is surprised to see a latch door. "This is a storage area. You have to hide here - " She was cut off when loud knocks echoed.

"Shit." Kidd can only curse. Left with no choice, he went inside the underground storage area of the house. It's just large enough for two people with nothing but old tools inside. The light from the kitchen seeps through the cracks of the door.

Sab places the doormat back before ruffling her hair, messing it up to make it look like she was sleeping. On her way to the door, she grabs her book to make everything look believable.

"Y-Yes?" She yawns, eyes blinking at the people in front of her house. "How can I help you?" She yawns again, looking at them with an observant eye.

As soon as they saw her, their eyes instantly lit up.

"Are you alone?"

"Yes. Why? Who are you?"

"Didn't you notice the blood right beside your house? Did you see anyone here last night?" Sab wants to kick the hell out of them already when the two men stepped closer to her, further invading her space.

"No. I fell asleep pretty early last night and woke up at dawn to study." She lifts her book to show them.

"I see. Do you mind if we look in your house?"

Her heart races when they asked that. Yes, it was a question but she knows better what they are implying. They are not giving her any choice.

"I'm not really fond of inviting strangers in my house, but yeah, go ahead. You don't mind if I leave the door open, right?"

"We prefer to have it closed, you see. You may never know..." One of them leans closer. "We could have fun."

She sighs, irritated. The urge to kick their balls is growing stronger. Had this been at night and there is no one around, she would beat the hell out of them.

"Don't you know that we have laws here in Grandline? If I deny you entry into my private space, and you forced your way in, that's an invasion of privacy that is punishable with at least 2 years imprisonment. You can pay to be released, but I can file a restraining order against you."

If she can't beat them using her fist, she will beat them using words hoping they will listen. She doesn't want any trouble and unwanted attention while she's preparing for her career.

One of the men was about to retort when one of their companions called them out so they can leave the area. They just nodded and leave her be, slightly disappointed that they cannot have fun with her. That made her roll her eyes at them.

'Men...' She inwardly disdains as she closes the door, but before she can completely close it, she heard the men's words.

"Survey the area. That bastard should be hiding somewhere. We checked the CCTVs in the area. There's no trace of him so someone must have been hiding him."

'Ugh, this is going to be a pain in the ass.' Sab sighs, regretting why she got herself involved with Eustass Kidd.

With the people chasing after him still wandering, Sab had no choice but to let Kidd stay in her house in the meantime.

"In this shitty apartment?" He asks when she told him that they have no choice but to stay here. "Why stay when I can call my men to pick me up? Do you want to keep me here?" He smirks suggestively that made Sab scrunch her nose in disgust.

"You think I want to have you here? Dream on, bastard. Yes, that's the best option, your men can pick you up anytime, but what will happen to me if they found out I was hiding you? They're going to kill me."

Kidd didn't answer for a moment. His eyes carefully assessed her words which makes sense, but for some reason, he didn't sense any fear in her words. It's as if she's saying it with inconvenience in mind as if it's nothing but a chore instead of danger.

'She's not an ordinary woman' he told himself.

"Fine. But I will let my right-hand man know."

This starts their cohabitation until his wounds heal and the men chasing after him are not in the area. Kidd will be sleeping on the folding couch which he can expand to fit himself, but even if it's expanded, he's too tall to fit in the small folding couch in the living room.

"You're studying even while eating?" One time, Kidd asks during their breakfast which she prepared.

"I have to. The exam is near."

"When?"

"Next week." She answered.

It's been three days since he started temporarily living here. The only one he told about his whereabouts is Killer. With the group from Kaido constantly targeting him, he needs to be careful in case he planted spies in his group.

"The men chasing after you should no longer be there. I think it will be fine if you leave already." Killer said to Kidd one day when he called him.

"Did you find out those fuckers?"

"I did. We're going to give them a chase as soon as you're back."

"Good," Kidd said.

"You didn't answer me."

"What?" He's confused as to what Killer was talking about.

"Leaving. Kidd, you've been there for three days already."

"My wounds are still not healed. Also, the men could still be around. I can't leave her just like that."

There's a moment of silence before he hears Killer sigh.

"Didn't it occur to you that she could be part of the streets? From what you told me, she's smart enough to know you're a Mafia member, why keep you there? What if she's conspiring with our enemies to finally kill you?"

Kidd almost laughed.

"If she wants to kill me, she would have done it when I was unconscious."

"What if she wants to extract information from you?"

"She would have asked about it, but it's odd. She never asked anything." That's puzzling him. When you're with strangers that can obviously endanger you, people tend to ask questions to either satisfy their curiosity or to prepare for the worse. But she never did.

"You're unnecessarily concerned with her. You're just using your wound to stay there, aren't you? Don't tell me you're sleeping with her?"

"Me?! With her?! HAHAHA! You're hilarious. Of course not, idiot!"

"Fine, if you say so. But a week should be enough to get you out of that town and your wounds should be healed enough." That sounds like an ultimatum from him. "You're whining about a small stab wound when you've been through worse. That's suspicious."

"What?!"

"Nothing. Enjoy your stay there while it lasts."

And that ends their call.

On his 5th day of stay in Sab's house, he's already used to the routine they have. She's a morning person who wakes at 6 in the morning whereas he's not. The first two days, he is constantly awakened by the smell of breakfast being she's preparing. With his nightly activities, it is given that he stays in his bed till late afternoon, but here, he is awakened by the woman constantly walking around the small house.

He's intrigued by her. Of all the women he met, she's the only one who seems to get to his nerves. She's feisty, sarcastic, and her answers often led to them constantly bickering, refusing to give in.

"Take your shirt off." She said.

"Oh? Want to see my body that much?" He teases her, enjoying her expressions.

"I don't want to see your body. I just need to check the wound. I think it's healed enough for you to leave."

That shook him a little. With silence engulfing them, he took the shirt off, letting her check the wound. He can't help but stare.

"Should be good enough for you to leave. I don't see any men hanging around, so you can ask your people to pick you up." Sab stood up after checking the wound. Their eyes meet, and that's when Kidd realized that he should have expected this to happen.

'What the fuck is wrong with me?' He asked himself when he felt the tinge of disappointment in him.

"You're right. I will call them." And when he did, it surprised Killer.

"I thought you still wanted to stay there for longer," Killer said. They're now inside the car. Only the trusted officers came to ensure that no one will leak this information.

"Why would I stay there, idiot?" The blond right-hand man shrugs before changing the topic.

"We did a background check on her."

"Huh?!" Kidd's ears perked up as soon as he heard it. "I didn't ask you to do that, did I?"

"You didn't, but I felt like we must. She's an orphan who grew up in an orphanage. She's a law student, the best in history from what we gathered. Sabrina Regor, 22 years old, accelerated several times, skipping levels, and currently a future lawyer. You better steer clear of her. Lawyers are bad news."

Kidd just shook his head and he signals Wire to start the car. Killer's warning fell to deaf ears.

But maybe, he should have listened.

===XXX===XXX===XXX===

AN: I figured I have to add the flashbacks for Sab and Kidd. :))

And for Luffia and Zoro when the time is right.

IRL is getting busier, but I will try my best to update as frequent as I can