"Well, I've got to admit that I'm pleasantly surprised. I didn't expect such a warm welcome, or even anything resembling proper hospitality."

Finding the main base of the Barto Club had been relatively easy, considering they changed location every couple of weeks or so. Ever since she'd urged the Army to establish a mutually beneficial relationship with the most powerful gang in the East Blue, though, the Barto Club had made a gracious effort of nurturing that relationship, which included meeting with a Revolutionary envoy every couple of months or so – meaning they shared their base's new location in coded riddles each time.

Brynlee wasn't exactly privy to this particular relationship. She'd set for the foundation for it, sort of, but she'd always made of point of mostly staying out of the Army's business, keeping her aid to the more surface-level aspects of it. She'd volunteered to act as the envoy this time around, however, if only to ensure that her interference with Bartolomeo's business hadn't messed up his laid-out future as a pirate. He'd prove to be one of Luffy's best allies, after all.

Still, she'd been greeted with something akin to mafia decorum, treated to a fancy drink, and she was even offered extra pillows for comfort. Honestly, she hadn't expected the royal treatment, but she certainly wasn't going to complain about it.

"Please, we know how to treat our guest of honor just right," snorted Bartolomeo, leaning back in his couch with a grin that showed off his razor-sharp teeth. "The Revolutionary Army is the Club's number one partner, after all. Can't say I expected an unfamiliar face, though. Aren't you a little young to be slumming it with our type of people?"

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not a member of the Army," she assured.

That made the temperature in the room drop a bit as Bartolomeo immediately tensed, obviously fearing his fortuitous but highly illegal partnership had just been blown.

"I'm a pirate!" she added, laughing a bit when he exhaled in relief. "But I've been helping the Army in my spare time. Everyone needs hobbies, after all."

"Right… Well, let's move on to business, then. What have you got for me?"

Brynlee simply handed over a large, sealed envelope containing a variety of documents she didn't know the contents of, nor did she care to know. Weapon smuggling, drug control, recruitment notices, spying reports – whatever it was, she had full faith that the Army would make good use of it. Their numbers and influence in East Blue had already grown a considerable amount thanks to the Barto Club's support, and she had no intention of meddling with that progress – much.

"Hey, Barto – I can call you Barto, right? – anyway, what're your thoughts on pirates? Or piracy in general?"

The green-haired ruffian quirked a brow at the question, then shrugged. "Better them than marines, I say. Don't care much for them when they get tangled up in my docks, though. Some of them 'cause more trouble than they're worth."

"Have you no aspirations for a flag of your own, then?"

"Sis – I can call you Sis, right? – anyway, is that your recruitment pitch? 'Cause let me tell ya, it kind of sucks."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Nah, I was just curious. To be honest, I'm surprised a guy of your standing never once heard the call of the sea, if anything."

"Who ever said that?" He took a swing of the bottle of fancy whiskey he'd brought. "But I've got a good thing going here, and I ain't about to fuck it up for a pointless chase in search of a treasure that probably doesn't even exist."

"Fair enough." She leaned forward a bit, smiling mysteriously. "Hey, Barto. How about we make a little bet, you and I?"

"What kind of bet?" he asked, obviously intrigued.

"Simple! I have to meet up with my Captain and the rest of my crew in a few hours, at the execution square. I want you to see my Captain. If he can convince you to answer the call of the sea after all, I want you to swear him your future allegiance and comradeship."

"That's a tall order," he whistled. "And when I win?"

"Then I'll give you three secrets"

"Three secrets?" He cackled a bit. "I'm not short on information, Sis. You'll have to give me a bit more than that."

Her smile merely widened. "Three secrets – the kind that could shake the world to its core, depending on how you'd decide to use them. Secrets I haven't even told the Revolutionary Army, but they'd surely pay you a generous fortune for them."

He narrowed his eyes a bit, now evaluating her offer. Despite his brashness, Bartolomeo was far from being a complete idiot – he was the one of the top underworld criminals in the East Blue for a reason. And he was a pretty good judge of character, too, and this strange girl before him, this Lucky D. Brynlee…

He believed her. She sounded just crazy enough to be telling the truth.

"Alright, let's shake on it," he laughed, spitting in his hand, and extending it. "But you better be ready to pay up! I'd have to get struck by goddamn lightning straight from the skies to get me to leave and take to the seas, ya know?"

Her smile merely widened as she spat in her hand and shook his. "Funny you should word it like that."

A shorter chapter this time around, but I'll try and post another one either tomorrow or the day after to make up for it. Barto's built himself a pretty cozy life now that he's partnered with the Army, so Brynlee had to go and make sure he wouldn't miss Luffy's near-execution, is all.

PS. I can't tell you guys how much I laughed when pretty much everyone proved even more upset about Brynlee's "winnings" from the wheel than Brynlee herself. Looks like we all have a bit of an addiction xDD