Cappello di Paglia
chapter 2
fandom: One Piece
characters: Monkey D. Luffy; Roronoa Zoro; Nami; Usopp; Sanji; Tony Tony Chopper; Nico Robin; Franky; Brook; Trafalgar Law; Bepo; Jean Bart; Shachi; Penguin; Eustass Kid; Killer; Wire; Heat; Kaya; Nefertari Vivi; Viola; Nojiko; Makino; Red-Haired Shanks; Portgas D. Ace
rating: T or PG-13
summary: When one of the Four Capo di Capi Re start encroaching on their territories, the Straw Hat Family, the Kid Family, and the Heart Family form an alliance to take the Capo di Capi Re out...permanently. But will this alliance be successful, or will it lead to their demise? AU. Mob-Style.
genre: action/drama
author's note: Okay! Next chapter and I promise things are gonna start picking up! I'd like to, again, apologize for the long description-thing I have going on, but that's just how I operate, and it'll probably happen again in the future when I introduce other characters into the story. Personally, I like reading stuff like that so I can build a picture of that character in my head. And yes, I know that, since this is a fanfic on an Anime, ppl already know what the characters look like, but I still like doing it. If you don't like it, don't read it. Simple as that. I hope you enjoy! Franky, Usopp, and Brook all manage their own gangs, and organize them to assist in Straw Hat business.
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of One Piece's characters mentioned in this fic.
Warning: This is AU. Basically, all that remains are their names, faces, and a few personality traits, but other than that, the characters in this story are completely OOC.
After Luffy finally finished his breakfast-well, what was left in front of him since Sanji's too busy fighting to cook him anything else-he occupied himself with watching his Family interact with each other, smile wide, before remembering Usopp's earlier action of running into the Mansion, screaming at the top of his lungs. Pushing the plates away from himself, he suddenly stood and slammed both his fists down onto the table's hard surface with a loud BANG, stopping everybody in their tracks. For him to do something like that was out of character.
"Luffy?" Zoro questioned, a tad wary. It's been awhile since Luffy did something so…assertive like that, and the last time was not a time he wants to remember.
Once he was sure he had everyones attention, Luffy calmly sat back down before his usual smile spread across his face. "So, Usopp, what's up?"
Usopp stared at Luffy a second or two longer than necessary before remembering what had him in such a tizzy before. "Oh! Right, right. Sorry." Reaching into one of his pockets, he pulled out an envelope as the rest of the Straw Hats each slowly took a seat around the table. Slapping the envelope on the table, he said, "Chopper and I were coming back from Party's when two guys approached us at the front gate and-"
"Who were they?" Nami interrupted.
Usopp rolled his eyes. "I was just about to say. Be patient…please." He hastily added when Sanji raised a threatening foot. "They said they were from another Family." Usopp paused before saying, "The Kid Family."
No one said anything for at least a minute before everyone started talking at once.
"The Kid Family…"
"What the hell do they want…"
"Led by Eustass Kid?"
"That's not very supah…"
"They came here…"
Luffy said nothing and simply reached forward to grab the envelope. If they want to find out what the Kid Family wants, the easiest way is to read what's inside, right? Sliding his finger under the flap and opening it, he reached in to pull out the paper that resided inside. Unfolding the sheet, Luffy silently read over it as his friends continued to talk around him, all except for Zoro, who'd noticed what Luffy was doing. Sure, he could shut the others up, but Luffy doesn't seemed to be bothered by the background noise, so he's content to silently watch his Don until he's needed.
Meanwhile, Luffy's halfway through the letter and already really shocked at its contents. This can't be right…Don Eustass wants to what?
"Luffy, what's up?" Nami asked, finally noticing the unusual silence and stillness from Luffy. "What does the letter say?"
Finally finishing, Luffy looked up at his now-silent friends with an astonished look on his face. "Umm…"
"What does it say, Luffy?" Zoro asked before grumbling and grabbing the letter from his hands.
While Zoro read through the letter, Luffy finally said, "It seems the Kid Family wants to meet with us."
"Why in the world would the Kid Family want that?" Sanji asked while lighting up another cigarette.
"To discuss an alliance." Zoro answered before Luffy could, finally finished with the letter.
. . .
"WHAT?!"
"An alliance? With us?!" Nami exclaimed before reaching across the table to snatch the letter from Zoro. "Let me see this." Nami quieted down as she read it over.
"He contacted the Heart Family too." Luffy added, once again rocking from side-to-side.
. . .
"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!" Usopp yelled, clutching his chest. "This is way too much."
"Why do they want to form an alliance with us?" Sanji asked again, still puffing on his cigarette.
"It has to do with the recent attacks that've been going on." Nami answered, having finished the letter.
"Attacks?" Chopper asked, resting his elbows on the table.
"OH!" Franky suddenly exclaimed, startling just about everyone around the table.
"Don't do that, Franky!" Usopp exclaimed, gripping the table in a white-knuckled grasp. "Being in this Family will kill me one of these days, I just know it."
Franky ignored him as he focused his attention on Luffy. "I meant to tell you this when I first came in here, but then the whole fiasco with Usopp happened and it slipped my mind."
"Tell me what, Franky?" Luffy asked, resting his chin in his palm.
Leaning back in his chair, he said, "My bros reported another attack, this time in Suiren Town." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Luckily, some of them were in the area so they were able to drive off the small group who'd started attacking some of the businesses." He then let out a sigh. "We averted a crisis, but this has been happening way too often in our other territories. I don't like it."
Luffy looked understandably distraught-he cares about his territories, unlike some Dons, and feels personally responsible for everybody that lives in them-but before he could talk, Nami butted in.
"We're not the only ones this is happening to." Nami said, waving the letter. "That's what Don Eustass wants to discuss with us." She placed the letter down on the table. "It's also happening to the Heart Family, so that's why they're being included too."
"How do we know it's the same people attacking all of us?" Chopper wondered aloud.
"Luffy?" Said person looked over at the blond chef, head cocked to the side. "I think we should finish this discussion at the Thousand Sunny." He took a drag off his cigarette before continuing. "This involves all of us and we're two members short."
Nodding, Luffy pushed away from the table and stood. "Good idea, Sanji." Looking around, he added, "Everyone get ready to go. We leave in fifteen."
"Got it!" everyone said back.
~~Line Break~~
The sun was just reaching its peak as Luffy-now dressed in a black leather jacket over a blue t-shirt, brown denim shorts, black combat boots, and his ever-present straw hat-led the rest of his Family down the busy sidewalk of Dawn City, though people stopped him every so often to pay him respect; not that he asked for it, but he knew it'd be rude to just ignore the people. Smirking at his discomfort, Zoro-wearing a black sports jacket, left open, covered in thin silver plaid lines, navy blue trousers, black boots, and a light brown haramaki with his katanas bundled over his right hip-patted him on his head, over his straw hat; Luffy responded by sticking his tongue out.
"Stop being immature, Luffy. We're in public." Nami chastised, pushing his shoulder lightly; she changed into a white spaghetti-strapped, sweetheart-neckline dress that reaches her knees with black lines decorating it and the left side hiked up to her hip, a dark pink belt slung around her lower-waist, and light brown heeled sandals.
"Ahhh!" Sanji noodle-danced around the orange-haired girl. "Nami-swan is so beautiful when she's hitting other people." He's still dressed in what he had on earlier: a white dress shirt, left untucked, under a black waistcoat with vertical lavender pinstripes and a loose black tie, black suit pants with a silver chain hanging from the belt loops on his left side, a double eyelet-studded dark gray belt, and black dress shoes.
"Tone it down, love-cook. You're drawing attention." Zoro drawled, sending the blond a glare.
Before Sanji could even reply, Nami had grabbed his attention again, wanting to prevent another fight between the two. Usopp, seeing what she had done, gave her a thumbs-up; he's still wearing a lime green sports jacket, left open, over a periwinkle blue dress shirt and a red bow tie, pink trousers covered with dark brown polkadots, a white belt, and red penny loafers.
"Chopper-bro!" Franky called, loudly, as he looked down at the younger man. "You okay there?" He's in a black leather jacket with blue stars over the chest and silver rivets around the cuffs, dark red jeans with gold stars on either back pocket, black boots, and a large golden chain necklace worn around his neck.
Chopper-in a brown leather jacket with brown fluff on the collar over a white polo shirt, maroon trousers, black loafers, and his ever-present hats on his head-smiled back up at Franky. "No, I'm okay. Just thinking, is all."
Franky patted the young doctor over his hats with a chuckle. "That is what you do best." Slinging an arm over his shoulders, he said, "Don't you worry about a thing, Chopper. Luffy will figure everything out. You'll see."
Looking down at the ground, Chopper smiled. "I know, you're right. I trust Luffy."
After a brisk, half-an-hour walk, the Family finally arrived at a dusty old antique shop, the sign Ohara Antiques displayed proudly above the door and on both large shop windows; it looked unassuming from the outside, different odds and ends decorating every available space along with a little reading nook nestled in the back, complete with two small bookcases. To anyone walking past, the shop looked ordinary and not worth much of a look, a small stone in a rather large pond that was the city.
And that's exactly how it was planned to be.
Luffy cheered the second he stepped inside the dimly lit store room and immediately started looking around. "Rooobbbiiinnnn! Where are you?"
"Luffy, hush!" Nami said, quickly walking over to the boy to quiet him as Franky locked the door behind them. "You know not to shout in here!"
"Yes, Don, please be quiet while you're in my store." The group was greeted by a beautiful woman sitting behind the counter placed near the back.
34-year-old Nico Robin is as intelligent as she is beautiful, and fills the role of Luffy’s final Consigliere. She’s 6’2” and has straight, hip-length light black hair with two chin-length strands framing her face, sky blue eyes, light tan skin, and a slender, hourglass figure with long legs and arms, a flat stomach, and large bust; she’s wearing a purple long-sleeved, scoop-neck minidress with black lace-embroidered edges, thigh-high fishnet stockings held up by suspenders, and black knee-high, high-heeled boots. It’s definitely not an outfit one would associate with a shop owner. Like Luffy and Chopper, Robin also ate a Devil Fruit when she was younger, one called the Flower-Flower Fruit; she can spread her body parts on any surface, including her own body, other bodies, and other objects, allowing her to create copies of them. With help from her Fruit, she excels in judo, often incapacitating others by breaking their necks or backs. With that, along with her side job of assassin, Robin earned the epithet “Devil Woman” with a bounty of 480,000,000 berries.
"What brings you all here?" Robin asked politely, closing the book she'd been reading. "Has something happened?"
"Is Brook still here?" Luffy asked instead of answering.
Robin nodded, sweeping her hair behind her. "He should be."
"Good. We need to have a meeting." Luffy said, already moving to where the back door was located.
"Alright." Robin said, grabbing the key that hung around her neck.
To those passing by the shop, rushing as people in cities tend to do, they’d only see a nice, smart woman owning a respectable business and assume the place was a normal antique store. This fact is exactly why Robin is the proprietor of the most successful combination underground bar, gambling house, and strip club/brothel (a speakeasy, so to speak) in the Four Blues. It’s such a well-kept secret that not even the FBI has a clue to where its location is, never suspecting it’d be located in an antique store of all places.
Called the Thousand Sunny, and located in the secret, undocumented basement area of the antique store, the hidden bar is one of the Straw Hats’ biggest sources of income. Robin ran the joint well, and all the employees loved the fun and interest it provided; she paid everyone generously, thanks to the hefty sum she received from being on the Straw Hat payroll. While running the Thousand Sunny-one of the Family’s favorite hangouts-she uses the goods and supplies Luffy provides, and in return, she helps her boss by using her excellent skills and Devil Fruit power to gather information.
So the group followed Robin down the stairs before going through another locked door and being greeted by the sight of a half-full room; well, it's only noon, the bar's not really busy at this time. After giving a wave to the bartender and co-manager, Riku Viola, Luffy led the group to the back, closed-off room they usually use for meetings while Robin went to grab Brook.
Settling around a large, oval-shaped maplewood table-with Luffy at the head, Zoro sitting to his right, Nami to his left and the others fanning out from there-they all waited until the last two members arrived to begin their discussion. Speaking quietly among themselves, everyone looked up when they finally heard the door open and Robin enter with another person right behind her.
"Yohohoho." The person laughed, a smile on his face. "What a nice surprise. I didn't expect to see you all here until later."
42-year-old Laboon Brook has a passion for music-gaining him the epithet “Soul King”-but mainly works as Luffy’s last Caporegime. He’s 9’1” and has a curly black afro, dark brown eyes covered by round, tinted glasses, a curved scar on the right side of his forehead, dark brown lips, pale skin, and a thin, bony frame; you can sometimes mistake him for a skeleton. Despite his strange appearance, Brook’s a gentlemanly individual and runs the smart, tough Rumbar Gang, which help in managing most of the alcohol, drug, and firearm pedaling in the East Blue and parts of the Grand Line. Like the other three, Brook is a Devil Fruit user; he’s eaten the Soul-Soul Fruit, which allows him to control his very soul and manipulate it any way he wishes. He’s currently dressed in an orange long-sleeved top with three buttons at the neckline, a high collar, and flared cuffs underneath a black vest decorated with white flowers, trousers with the left leg white and the right black/orange vertical-striped, and black heeled boots; hanging from his bony arm, like usual, is his purple shikomizue, called Soul Solid.
"Robin-chwan!" Sanji exclaimed, hearts dancing in his eyes. "Your beauty has decided to grace our-"
"Sit back down, curlybrow." Zoro intoned lazily. "We don't have time for your half-assed flirting."
"What was that, cyclops?!" Sanji yelled, about to jump up.
Luffy slammed his hand down on the table, loudly, getting the attention of the two bickering men. With one look at Luffy, they immediately settled down.
"Good, now that everyone's here, we can get down to business." Nami said before motioning to Zoro.
Rolling his eye, Zoro pulled out the letter from his pocket before passing it over to Nami, who, in turn, passed it to Robin.
"You two need to read this letter so we're all on the same page." She instructed, crossing her legs delicately.
Grabbing the letter, Robin settled back and quickly scanned it over, eyes widening slightly the only emotion she showed. Once she finished, she handed it over to Brook, who read it over as well.
"Yohoho." Brook said quietly, a little shocked, before placing the letter on the table.
Before continuing where they left off at the Mansion, Nami told Franky to repeat everything he told them earlier, wanting to make sure Robin and Brook are caught up with everything.
"So, we're all on the same page now?" Nami asked once Franky was through, and when everyone answered with a nod, she turned to look at their Don. "Luffy? Thoughts?"
"Well," Luffy said, titling his head to the side in thought. "Chopper asked a good question back at the Mansion."
"I did?" Chopper asked, slightly surprised, before remembering what he'd asked. "Oh…yeah. I asked how we knew it's the same people attacking all of us."
"Since that is the main purpose of the letter, I would assume they have some kind of knowledge we do not." Robin said calmly. "What have our own investigations come up with?"
"Usopp?" Luffy asked, looking at his information guy.
"Well, at first, between witness interviews and the word on the streets, we had a lot of information, but no way of knowing what's true and what wasn't." Usopp said, reading from a notepad that suddenly appeared in his palm.
"And…?" Sanji questioned, lighting another cigarette.
"Well, once we collected that information, I took it to Vivi." Usopp said, flipping through the pages before reaching the one he needed. "We asked her to see if she could find anything out from her end."
"Did she?" Zoro asked, arms crossed as he leaned back in his chair.
"Thanks to help from her dad, she started discreetly looking into anything the FBI might of found at the scenes they were actually called to. After a week, we finally got something." Usopp said, excited. "A description."
"A description?" Brook asked, swinging his shikomizue back and forth. "Of what, a person?"
Usopp shook his head no. "Not of a person, but of a distinct mark, a tattoo, on almost every attacker; the witness descriptions, the back-alley chatter, and the FBI's info are all consistent with that fact."
"A tattoo?" Sanji questioned, giving the long-nosed man a blank look. "Tattoos aren't uncommon nowadays, Usopp."
Usopp, in turn, gave the blond a dirty look. "It isn't the tattoo itself, Sanji. It's what the tattoo's of." Smiling widely, he added, "The FBI even had a drawing of it."
"The kanji for Hyakujū (百獣)." Robin stated before Usopp could continue.
Usopp immediately deflated before pouting at Robin. "You ruined my big reveal, Robin!" Crossing his arms childishly, he grudgingly asked, "How did you know that?"
Motioning to the letter she held in her hand, she said, "Don Eustass mentions it in his letter." She put a single slim finger on her chin, pondering something. "If the information you collected is the same as what the Kid Family discovered, then there really is a connection between the attacks."
"And it seems the Heart Family is involved as well." Zoro stated before looking at Luffy. "Well, Boss, what do you think?"
Luffy had already come to a decision awhile ago, but knew that the information Usopp got needed to be discussed; like Robin is always telling him, knowledge is power. Looking around the table at his inner-circle, his closest friends, he stated his choice. It was times like these you could tell why he's the boss of the Family.
"Robin," the black-haired woman looked at him, "I want you to write a letter back to Don Eustass, stating that I'm interested in hearing what he has to say."
"As you wish, Luffy." Robin said with a small smile and nod.
Letting out a breath, he looked over at the dark-haired sniper. "Usopp?" Said person looked over at him. "I'd like you to collect any information you can on both the Kid Family and the Heart Family. I don't want to go in blind."
"Consider it done." Usopp said, already typing something out in his smart phone.
"Franky?" Luffy asked.
"Yeah, Luffy?"
"Once Robin is done with the letter, I'd like you to pick two members of your gang to deliver it." Luffy stated, resting his chin in his palm. "This is very important, so I want you to pick the two who'd be the least likely to start a problem."
"I'm supah on it!" Franky said, jumping up and doing his signature move. "You can trust me, bro."
"Good, thanks." Luffy said before looking at all his friends with a wide smile. "So, I guess we get to meet the two other top Families, huh?"
"Well, if that's the case," Nami said, a weird glint in her eyes, "we're gonna need the appropriate outfits." Standing up suddenly and grabbing poor Luffy's arm, Nami exclaimed, "Time to go shopping!"
~~Line Break~~
It was a week later that the Straw Hats heard back from the Kid Family; this time, the envelope they received contained only a single card with a date, time, and location written on it. The ball is now in motion as the beginning of the game gets started.
fandom: One Piece
characters: Monkey D. Luffy; Roronoa Zoro; Nami; Usopp; Sanji; Tony Tony Chopper; Nico Robin; Franky; Brook; Trafalgar Law; Bepo; Jean Bart; Shachi; Penguin; Eustass Kid; Killer; Wire; Heat; Kaya; Nefertari Vivi; Viola; Nojiko; Makino; Red-Haired Shanks; Portgas D. Ace
rating: T or PG-13
summary: When one of the Four Capo di Capi Re start encroaching on their territories, the Straw Hat Family, the Kid Family, and the Heart Family form an alliance to take the Capo di Capi Re out...permanently. But will this alliance be successful, or will it lead to their demise? AU. Mob-Style.
genre: action/drama
author's note: Okay! Next chapter and I promise things are gonna start picking up! I'd like to, again, apologize for the long description-thing I have going on, but that's just how I operate, and it'll probably happen again in the future when I introduce other characters into the story. Personally, I like reading stuff like that so I can build a picture of that character in my head. And yes, I know that, since this is a fanfic on an Anime, ppl already know what the characters look like, but I still like doing it. If you don't like it, don't read it. Simple as that. I hope you enjoy! Franky, Usopp, and Brook all manage their own gangs, and organize them to assist in Straw Hat business.
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of One Piece's characters mentioned in this fic.
Warning: This is AU. Basically, all that remains are their names, faces, and a few personality traits, but other than that, the characters in this story are completely OOC.
After Luffy finally finished his breakfast-well, what was left in front of him since Sanji's too busy fighting to cook him anything else-he occupied himself with watching his Family interact with each other, smile wide, before remembering Usopp's earlier action of running into the Mansion, screaming at the top of his lungs. Pushing the plates away from himself, he suddenly stood and slammed both his fists down onto the table's hard surface with a loud BANG, stopping everybody in their tracks. For him to do something like that was out of character.
"Luffy?" Zoro questioned, a tad wary. It's been awhile since Luffy did something so…assertive like that, and the last time was not a time he wants to remember.
Once he was sure he had everyones attention, Luffy calmly sat back down before his usual smile spread across his face. "So, Usopp, what's up?"
Usopp stared at Luffy a second or two longer than necessary before remembering what had him in such a tizzy before. "Oh! Right, right. Sorry." Reaching into one of his pockets, he pulled out an envelope as the rest of the Straw Hats each slowly took a seat around the table. Slapping the envelope on the table, he said, "Chopper and I were coming back from Party's when two guys approached us at the front gate and-"
"Who were they?" Nami interrupted.
Usopp rolled his eyes. "I was just about to say. Be patient…please." He hastily added when Sanji raised a threatening foot. "They said they were from another Family." Usopp paused before saying, "The Kid Family."
No one said anything for at least a minute before everyone started talking at once.
"The Kid Family…"
"What the hell do they want…"
"Led by Eustass Kid?"
"That's not very supah…"
"They came here…"
Luffy said nothing and simply reached forward to grab the envelope. If they want to find out what the Kid Family wants, the easiest way is to read what's inside, right? Sliding his finger under the flap and opening it, he reached in to pull out the paper that resided inside. Unfolding the sheet, Luffy silently read over it as his friends continued to talk around him, all except for Zoro, who'd noticed what Luffy was doing. Sure, he could shut the others up, but Luffy doesn't seemed to be bothered by the background noise, so he's content to silently watch his Don until he's needed.
Meanwhile, Luffy's halfway through the letter and already really shocked at its contents. This can't be right…Don Eustass wants to what?
"Luffy, what's up?" Nami asked, finally noticing the unusual silence and stillness from Luffy. "What does the letter say?"
Finally finishing, Luffy looked up at his now-silent friends with an astonished look on his face. "Umm…"
"What does it say, Luffy?" Zoro asked before grumbling and grabbing the letter from his hands.
While Zoro read through the letter, Luffy finally said, "It seems the Kid Family wants to meet with us."
"Why in the world would the Kid Family want that?" Sanji asked while lighting up another cigarette.
"To discuss an alliance." Zoro answered before Luffy could, finally finished with the letter.
. . .
"WHAT?!"
"An alliance? With us?!" Nami exclaimed before reaching across the table to snatch the letter from Zoro. "Let me see this." Nami quieted down as she read it over.
"He contacted the Heart Family too." Luffy added, once again rocking from side-to-side.
. . .
"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!" Usopp yelled, clutching his chest. "This is way too much."
"Why do they want to form an alliance with us?" Sanji asked again, still puffing on his cigarette.
"It has to do with the recent attacks that've been going on." Nami answered, having finished the letter.
"Attacks?" Chopper asked, resting his elbows on the table.
"OH!" Franky suddenly exclaimed, startling just about everyone around the table.
"Don't do that, Franky!" Usopp exclaimed, gripping the table in a white-knuckled grasp. "Being in this Family will kill me one of these days, I just know it."
Franky ignored him as he focused his attention on Luffy. "I meant to tell you this when I first came in here, but then the whole fiasco with Usopp happened and it slipped my mind."
"Tell me what, Franky?" Luffy asked, resting his chin in his palm.
Leaning back in his chair, he said, "My bros reported another attack, this time in Suiren Town." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Luckily, some of them were in the area so they were able to drive off the small group who'd started attacking some of the businesses." He then let out a sigh. "We averted a crisis, but this has been happening way too often in our other territories. I don't like it."
Luffy looked understandably distraught-he cares about his territories, unlike some Dons, and feels personally responsible for everybody that lives in them-but before he could talk, Nami butted in.
"We're not the only ones this is happening to." Nami said, waving the letter. "That's what Don Eustass wants to discuss with us." She placed the letter down on the table. "It's also happening to the Heart Family, so that's why they're being included too."
"How do we know it's the same people attacking all of us?" Chopper wondered aloud.
"Luffy?" Said person looked over at the blond chef, head cocked to the side. "I think we should finish this discussion at the Thousand Sunny." He took a drag off his cigarette before continuing. "This involves all of us and we're two members short."
Nodding, Luffy pushed away from the table and stood. "Good idea, Sanji." Looking around, he added, "Everyone get ready to go. We leave in fifteen."
"Got it!" everyone said back.
~~Line Break~~
The sun was just reaching its peak as Luffy-now dressed in a black leather jacket over a blue t-shirt, brown denim shorts, black combat boots, and his ever-present straw hat-led the rest of his Family down the busy sidewalk of Dawn City, though people stopped him every so often to pay him respect; not that he asked for it, but he knew it'd be rude to just ignore the people. Smirking at his discomfort, Zoro-wearing a black sports jacket, left open, covered in thin silver plaid lines, navy blue trousers, black boots, and a light brown haramaki with his katanas bundled over his right hip-patted him on his head, over his straw hat; Luffy responded by sticking his tongue out.
"Stop being immature, Luffy. We're in public." Nami chastised, pushing his shoulder lightly; she changed into a white spaghetti-strapped, sweetheart-neckline dress that reaches her knees with black lines decorating it and the left side hiked up to her hip, a dark pink belt slung around her lower-waist, and light brown heeled sandals.
"Ahhh!" Sanji noodle-danced around the orange-haired girl. "Nami-swan is so beautiful when she's hitting other people." He's still dressed in what he had on earlier: a white dress shirt, left untucked, under a black waistcoat with vertical lavender pinstripes and a loose black tie, black suit pants with a silver chain hanging from the belt loops on his left side, a double eyelet-studded dark gray belt, and black dress shoes.
"Tone it down, love-cook. You're drawing attention." Zoro drawled, sending the blond a glare.
Before Sanji could even reply, Nami had grabbed his attention again, wanting to prevent another fight between the two. Usopp, seeing what she had done, gave her a thumbs-up; he's still wearing a lime green sports jacket, left open, over a periwinkle blue dress shirt and a red bow tie, pink trousers covered with dark brown polkadots, a white belt, and red penny loafers.
"Chopper-bro!" Franky called, loudly, as he looked down at the younger man. "You okay there?" He's in a black leather jacket with blue stars over the chest and silver rivets around the cuffs, dark red jeans with gold stars on either back pocket, black boots, and a large golden chain necklace worn around his neck.
Chopper-in a brown leather jacket with brown fluff on the collar over a white polo shirt, maroon trousers, black loafers, and his ever-present hats on his head-smiled back up at Franky. "No, I'm okay. Just thinking, is all."
Franky patted the young doctor over his hats with a chuckle. "That is what you do best." Slinging an arm over his shoulders, he said, "Don't you worry about a thing, Chopper. Luffy will figure everything out. You'll see."
Looking down at the ground, Chopper smiled. "I know, you're right. I trust Luffy."
After a brisk, half-an-hour walk, the Family finally arrived at a dusty old antique shop, the sign Ohara Antiques displayed proudly above the door and on both large shop windows; it looked unassuming from the outside, different odds and ends decorating every available space along with a little reading nook nestled in the back, complete with two small bookcases. To anyone walking past, the shop looked ordinary and not worth much of a look, a small stone in a rather large pond that was the city.
And that's exactly how it was planned to be.
Luffy cheered the second he stepped inside the dimly lit store room and immediately started looking around. "Rooobbbiiinnnn! Where are you?"
"Luffy, hush!" Nami said, quickly walking over to the boy to quiet him as Franky locked the door behind them. "You know not to shout in here!"
"Yes, Don, please be quiet while you're in my store." The group was greeted by a beautiful woman sitting behind the counter placed near the back.
34-year-old Nico Robin is as intelligent as she is beautiful, and fills the role of Luffy’s final Consigliere. She’s 6’2” and has straight, hip-length light black hair with two chin-length strands framing her face, sky blue eyes, light tan skin, and a slender, hourglass figure with long legs and arms, a flat stomach, and large bust; she’s wearing a purple long-sleeved, scoop-neck minidress with black lace-embroidered edges, thigh-high fishnet stockings held up by suspenders, and black knee-high, high-heeled boots. It’s definitely not an outfit one would associate with a shop owner. Like Luffy and Chopper, Robin also ate a Devil Fruit when she was younger, one called the Flower-Flower Fruit; she can spread her body parts on any surface, including her own body, other bodies, and other objects, allowing her to create copies of them. With help from her Fruit, she excels in judo, often incapacitating others by breaking their necks or backs. With that, along with her side job of assassin, Robin earned the epithet “Devil Woman” with a bounty of 480,000,000 berries.
"What brings you all here?" Robin asked politely, closing the book she'd been reading. "Has something happened?"
"Is Brook still here?" Luffy asked instead of answering.
Robin nodded, sweeping her hair behind her. "He should be."
"Good. We need to have a meeting." Luffy said, already moving to where the back door was located.
"Alright." Robin said, grabbing the key that hung around her neck.
To those passing by the shop, rushing as people in cities tend to do, they’d only see a nice, smart woman owning a respectable business and assume the place was a normal antique store. This fact is exactly why Robin is the proprietor of the most successful combination underground bar, gambling house, and strip club/brothel (a speakeasy, so to speak) in the Four Blues. It’s such a well-kept secret that not even the FBI has a clue to where its location is, never suspecting it’d be located in an antique store of all places.
Called the Thousand Sunny, and located in the secret, undocumented basement area of the antique store, the hidden bar is one of the Straw Hats’ biggest sources of income. Robin ran the joint well, and all the employees loved the fun and interest it provided; she paid everyone generously, thanks to the hefty sum she received from being on the Straw Hat payroll. While running the Thousand Sunny-one of the Family’s favorite hangouts-she uses the goods and supplies Luffy provides, and in return, she helps her boss by using her excellent skills and Devil Fruit power to gather information.
So the group followed Robin down the stairs before going through another locked door and being greeted by the sight of a half-full room; well, it's only noon, the bar's not really busy at this time. After giving a wave to the bartender and co-manager, Riku Viola, Luffy led the group to the back, closed-off room they usually use for meetings while Robin went to grab Brook.
Settling around a large, oval-shaped maplewood table-with Luffy at the head, Zoro sitting to his right, Nami to his left and the others fanning out from there-they all waited until the last two members arrived to begin their discussion. Speaking quietly among themselves, everyone looked up when they finally heard the door open and Robin enter with another person right behind her.
"Yohohoho." The person laughed, a smile on his face. "What a nice surprise. I didn't expect to see you all here until later."
42-year-old Laboon Brook has a passion for music-gaining him the epithet “Soul King”-but mainly works as Luffy’s last Caporegime. He’s 9’1” and has a curly black afro, dark brown eyes covered by round, tinted glasses, a curved scar on the right side of his forehead, dark brown lips, pale skin, and a thin, bony frame; you can sometimes mistake him for a skeleton. Despite his strange appearance, Brook’s a gentlemanly individual and runs the smart, tough Rumbar Gang, which help in managing most of the alcohol, drug, and firearm pedaling in the East Blue and parts of the Grand Line. Like the other three, Brook is a Devil Fruit user; he’s eaten the Soul-Soul Fruit, which allows him to control his very soul and manipulate it any way he wishes. He’s currently dressed in an orange long-sleeved top with three buttons at the neckline, a high collar, and flared cuffs underneath a black vest decorated with white flowers, trousers with the left leg white and the right black/orange vertical-striped, and black heeled boots; hanging from his bony arm, like usual, is his purple shikomizue, called Soul Solid.
"Robin-chwan!" Sanji exclaimed, hearts dancing in his eyes. "Your beauty has decided to grace our-"
"Sit back down, curlybrow." Zoro intoned lazily. "We don't have time for your half-assed flirting."
"What was that, cyclops?!" Sanji yelled, about to jump up.
Luffy slammed his hand down on the table, loudly, getting the attention of the two bickering men. With one look at Luffy, they immediately settled down.
"Good, now that everyone's here, we can get down to business." Nami said before motioning to Zoro.
Rolling his eye, Zoro pulled out the letter from his pocket before passing it over to Nami, who, in turn, passed it to Robin.
"You two need to read this letter so we're all on the same page." She instructed, crossing her legs delicately.
Grabbing the letter, Robin settled back and quickly scanned it over, eyes widening slightly the only emotion she showed. Once she finished, she handed it over to Brook, who read it over as well.
"Yohoho." Brook said quietly, a little shocked, before placing the letter on the table.
Before continuing where they left off at the Mansion, Nami told Franky to repeat everything he told them earlier, wanting to make sure Robin and Brook are caught up with everything.
"So, we're all on the same page now?" Nami asked once Franky was through, and when everyone answered with a nod, she turned to look at their Don. "Luffy? Thoughts?"
"Well," Luffy said, titling his head to the side in thought. "Chopper asked a good question back at the Mansion."
"I did?" Chopper asked, slightly surprised, before remembering what he'd asked. "Oh…yeah. I asked how we knew it's the same people attacking all of us."
"Since that is the main purpose of the letter, I would assume they have some kind of knowledge we do not." Robin said calmly. "What have our own investigations come up with?"
"Usopp?" Luffy asked, looking at his information guy.
"Well, at first, between witness interviews and the word on the streets, we had a lot of information, but no way of knowing what's true and what wasn't." Usopp said, reading from a notepad that suddenly appeared in his palm.
"And…?" Sanji questioned, lighting another cigarette.
"Well, once we collected that information, I took it to Vivi." Usopp said, flipping through the pages before reaching the one he needed. "We asked her to see if she could find anything out from her end."
"Did she?" Zoro asked, arms crossed as he leaned back in his chair.
"Thanks to help from her dad, she started discreetly looking into anything the FBI might of found at the scenes they were actually called to. After a week, we finally got something." Usopp said, excited. "A description."
"A description?" Brook asked, swinging his shikomizue back and forth. "Of what, a person?"
Usopp shook his head no. "Not of a person, but of a distinct mark, a tattoo, on almost every attacker; the witness descriptions, the back-alley chatter, and the FBI's info are all consistent with that fact."
"A tattoo?" Sanji questioned, giving the long-nosed man a blank look. "Tattoos aren't uncommon nowadays, Usopp."
Usopp, in turn, gave the blond a dirty look. "It isn't the tattoo itself, Sanji. It's what the tattoo's of." Smiling widely, he added, "The FBI even had a drawing of it."
"The kanji for Hyakujū (百獣)." Robin stated before Usopp could continue.
Usopp immediately deflated before pouting at Robin. "You ruined my big reveal, Robin!" Crossing his arms childishly, he grudgingly asked, "How did you know that?"
Motioning to the letter she held in her hand, she said, "Don Eustass mentions it in his letter." She put a single slim finger on her chin, pondering something. "If the information you collected is the same as what the Kid Family discovered, then there really is a connection between the attacks."
"And it seems the Heart Family is involved as well." Zoro stated before looking at Luffy. "Well, Boss, what do you think?"
Luffy had already come to a decision awhile ago, but knew that the information Usopp got needed to be discussed; like Robin is always telling him, knowledge is power. Looking around the table at his inner-circle, his closest friends, he stated his choice. It was times like these you could tell why he's the boss of the Family.
"Robin," the black-haired woman looked at him, "I want you to write a letter back to Don Eustass, stating that I'm interested in hearing what he has to say."
"As you wish, Luffy." Robin said with a small smile and nod.
Letting out a breath, he looked over at the dark-haired sniper. "Usopp?" Said person looked over at him. "I'd like you to collect any information you can on both the Kid Family and the Heart Family. I don't want to go in blind."
"Consider it done." Usopp said, already typing something out in his smart phone.
"Franky?" Luffy asked.
"Yeah, Luffy?"
"Once Robin is done with the letter, I'd like you to pick two members of your gang to deliver it." Luffy stated, resting his chin in his palm. "This is very important, so I want you to pick the two who'd be the least likely to start a problem."
"I'm supah on it!" Franky said, jumping up and doing his signature move. "You can trust me, bro."
"Good, thanks." Luffy said before looking at all his friends with a wide smile. "So, I guess we get to meet the two other top Families, huh?"
"Well, if that's the case," Nami said, a weird glint in her eyes, "we're gonna need the appropriate outfits." Standing up suddenly and grabbing poor Luffy's arm, Nami exclaimed, "Time to go shopping!"
~~Line Break~~
It was a week later that the Straw Hats heard back from the Kid Family; this time, the envelope they received contained only a single card with a date, time, and location written on it. The ball is now in motion as the beginning of the game gets started.