𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 ➳ 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐚 (one piece fanfic)

Chapter 28

A year later ~

A pink-haired girl was whistling, a lollypop in her hand as she walked through the dark room before settling in a front seat, and adjusting her silver mask. She tasted her sweet treat without minding the threatening looks people were giving her along with the whispers that surrounded her arrival.

"The auction will now begin," a smiling lady announced, tapping the desk with her hammer.

Ko yawned in boredom as the items were presented.

"Miss Ko?" a voice interrupted her, a butler presenting himself to her.

Ko hummed in answer, raising an eyebrow in question.

"My master wants to see you," he bowed, presenting a golden card.

"He sure took his sweet time," Ko smirked as she bit her lollypop, and threw the finished stick away. "Lead the way." In the corner of her eye, she saw several people tense up as she got up and walked away. Not really discreet...

She was led through several corridors, as she admired the numerous bodyguards littering the way, some disguised as civilians, though no one would believe any civilian could possibly worm their way through one of the highly secured auctions of the Underworld. No one could enter without an invitation or in her case without some major leverage. Who knew the Celestials were that deeply rooted in the Underworld...

"I'll have to ask you to put all your weapons here." He bowed respectfully as his hand pointed to an empty table.

Ko tilted her head before she took a knife from her belt, and another, and another one... one by one she dropped the metallic weapons onto the trail, staring the butler dead in the eye as she took them out. A few needles were taken from her hair while she took out a folding knife from her bra and other kunais from her ample pants.

"Stop ridiculing yourself, let her in!" an irritated shout interrupted as the doors slammed open, making way to a dark room with multiples screens showing the whole building.

Finally, she entered the shadowed room and was welcomed by a man dressed in flamboyant pink clothes.

"I've been meaning to meet you for a long time, Ko, it's an honor," the man drawled, while sprawled over the whole sofa.

Ko raised a brow as she took in the lazy sight and the pungent smell of alcohol. She calmly took a sit opposite him, looking in the corner of her eye at the screens showcasing people barging through the corridors and fighting the guards. "Likewise, Joker, I've heard much about you..."

"All good things I suppose?" He smirked, humoring her as his fingers tapped rhythmically against the armrest.

Ko smiled quietly while staring at his shameless face. Her silence answered for her.

"You're very popular," he taunted while waving at the screens. When he saw she didn't budge, his smirk widened. "I've been watching you."

"Right... Like that's not creepy," Ko sneered, her hands now playing with her cotton-colored hair.

He ignored her remark and continued, "In the span of a few years, you've raised to become one of the Underworld's central figures, second to none when it comes to providing information, yet your identity remains a mystery..."

"Call it self-protection," she interrupted, staring at him from beneath her silver mask.

"But I'm curious about what's hiding beneath," he continued, raising a brow as her lips tilted up in a smile.

"How much are you willing to pay?" She taunted smoothly, sending the lavishly decorated room a pointed look.

Joker was taken aback for a bit before he burst out laughing at the guts of this newcomer who walked straight into a tiger's den and continued poking him without fear.

Messy steps made themselves heard from afar, coming nearer and nearer as the sound of fights approached.

"It seems like they're already here," he commented with a hint of disappointment, "I'm afraid we must cut our conversation short!"

Ko yawned as she got up and stretched, "What a pity..."

Joker stared at the teenage girl's appearance, taking in her lack of care, and her confidence. "Pleasure meeting you." He extended his hand in a handshake she took. "I'm looking forward to our next encounter." He squeezed her hand hard, noticing quickly the purple glint her skin took, before he let go. "Try to survive till then!"

He waved at her as he walked out through the back door, the lock soon clicking through the room. He had closed the door behind him, leaving her to altercate with the marines on their way.

"What a bastard," Ko cursed, her smile disappearing as she felt the heat from the room raise tremendously and the door burst open.

"Look who we've got here," Akainu remarked with irony as he barged in, and though he smirked, his clenched fist told her otherwise.

He had been looking everywhere for MT's authors, only to find nothing, there were no traces, the newspapers were sent every week using some sorts of powers but once they landed, they became normal papers. After a while, his only lead became this so-called informant who everyone sought. Only she could have that amount of information and dirt on everyone. Unfortunately, Ko was very elusive, rarely appearing, often disappearing for months on end. Like a slippery fish, she always managed to escape his net.

He was slightly impressed when he saw that the one who had managed to create such a reputation for herself was only a teenage girl, who didn't seem to be any threat. But he knew how much appearances could be deceiving so without any further thoughts, he attacked her. His body melted into lava as he launched a punch toward her face.

Ko jumped away, whistling in surprise as she looked at the remnants of the sofa that was now a puddle of magma. "How uncouth of you to attack a defenseless lady without warning!" She complained, kunais appearing between her knuckles as she said so.

He paid no heed to her words, continuing his assault which she smoothly avoided. When she launched her kunais, he didn't pay them any attention as they were useless against him.

Or so it should have been if he hadn't spotted the faint purple glint in them as they neared him. He immediately jumped away, narrowing his eyes as they landed deep within the marble floor, successfully cracking them.

"Good intuition," Ko giggled with a devious smirk. They were tinted in Haki after all, a clever trick she had spent much time refining and mastering.

Akainu raised his guard, finally starting to acknowledge her as a proper threat.

"Unfortunately, you're too late," she commented, as a little ball rolled on the floor before exploding and releasing smoke that spread all over the room. "Let's play again later!"

Akainu cursed as he sent a magma punch her way, dispersing the smoke to reveal a now empty room.

Ko, now Nanko, reappeared on the other side of the island, with cotton candy in his hand. He whistled innocently as a pillar of fire erupted from the auction house, along with a string of curses. "What a bad temper," he criticized shamelessly while shaking his head in exasperation and taking another bite out of the soft clouds.

________________

I'm back in school, me sad.