Aishiteru 2

Foul Play

A/N: Hey it's me...

I got nothing to say. Enjoy the show...

"Sir? Sir. I don't think we're going to get a good trade deal this way. Sir!" No reply, "Lord Krieg sir!"
"What the hell is it?!" Krieg demanded suddenly, causing the man beside him to flinch.
"I-I-I said that we may not get a good deal this way. They don't seem to be offering us much of their goods and-"
"Who cares about their useless junk. That's not what we're here for," Krieg growled.
There was a long pause. The other man frowned. He was a short man, and he was very scrawny. His skin and hair were the same pale color. He looked as though he had gotten a cold when he was younger and was never able to be rid of it.
"Is something troubling you Lord Krieg?" He asked. To this Don Krieg growled again.
"It's that green haired man. That damned green haired man."
"Sir?"
"Shrimp! Find out everything you can about Roronora Zoro!"
"It's Shrump sir. And yes sir!" The scrawny man took off in and instant.

After much asking and sneaking around Shrump came stumbling back to his lord.
"Sir. I managed to gather some intel." Krieg was still not in a good mood. He was currently sitting in a massive chair in his quarters. His teeth were clenched and his eyes were dark. The skinny man swallowed hard before stating,
"Roronora Zoro is a captain of the guard."
"A captain," Krieg repeated.
"He has been so for about two years. Previously, he was a bodyguard for Prince Sanji." This really got Krieg's attention.
"His bodyguard?"
"Yes. And people say that he and the prince are very close."
"Too close."
"Huh?"
"Did you find out anything else?" Asked the large man, glaring down at him.
"J-just that his quarters are in the west wing, where many captain's and officials reside. I was also told that he retires around midnight. That's all sir."
Then something weird happened. A smile spread across Krieg's face, a crooked smile. That was not something Shrump was expecting. Krieg began to chuckle.
"Good. Good." He stood up abruptly, and nearly slammed his hand down on the thin man's shoulder, "Shrimp-"
"It's Shrump."
"I've got a little job for you tonight..."

Shrump waited near the west wing of the palace. He was shaking lightly. He complained to himself, What's the master thinking? He's thought of many schemes but nothing like this! I don't want any part of it. But if I don't... He swallowed abruptly at the thought.
He then became nervous, What if there's more than one entrance to the west wing? What if I'm not at the right one? What if this isn't where Captain Roronora enters? What if he enters somewhere else? What if he's already in his room? What if he's already asleep?! I can't work my powers if he's asleep! He gulped again and looked around. No one was near. He decided to leave his self-assigned post, just for a moment. He walked around a bit. He wanted to make sure that there was no other entrance or exit. He then returned to his post. "This is the only door. It's almost midnight. Any time now." 20 minutes past. "Any time now." 20 more minutes past. "Maybe he's coming now." Shrump began to get sleepy, very sleepy. Before he knew it, he had dozed off in a sitting position on the floor.

There came a sound suddenly. Shrump's mind awoke. What's that sound? he wondered, still half asleep, It sounds like... bells? He wearily opened his eyelids. It wasn't bells, it was the clinking of three earrings and the clanking of three swords making their way down the hall.
Shrump sat up fully alert. Pulling out his pocket watch as quietly as possible, he tried reading its face in the dark.
It's nearly 2 in the morning! Where was he the whole time?
He hid behind a corner and watched as the swordsman entered the west wing. The small skinny man slithered his way into the wing before the doors closed behind him. He was in.

It was a spacious place. Definitely comfortable looking, and definitely for higher ranking officials. Shrump followed the green haired captain down several halls. The more he followed him the more turns they would take down halls they had already seen.
Is this man drunk? We've been down this hall three times! He was uneasy. Then finally, the captain stopped abruptly in front of a large wooden door, then went in.
Shrump waited a few minutes before knocking on the door.

Zoro was surprised that someone was knocking at his door so early in the morning. For a moment he grabbed the hilt of his katana. What if someone saw where he was leaving from that night?
Without showing the caution behind his actions, he opened the door. There was a small scrawny man on the other side. He looked a little sickly, even his eyes had a slight yellow tint. He seemed to be shaking a little.
Shrump was shocked at the captain's shear size. He was much larger and muscular looking up close. It frightened him. But what was up with this hair? It was so... messy. Did he always wear it like that?
"What?" Zoro growled.
"Eek! I um..." he tried to collect himself by taking a deep breath, "I'm sorry to bother you so early in the morning sir."
"What is it?" Zoro growled again, running out of patience.
"I'm with the Grand Jipang
Bureau of Cleanliness for Captains. And I would like to take a look at your quarters if you'd be so kind." There was a long, long pause.

"Now?" (Lol. You love me I know ya do)
"Well yes. See I've already inspected the other captain's quarters. But since you haven't been around I had been forced to leave yours for last. By the way, where were you all this time-?"
"Don't worry about that." Zoro shot down the question faster than it came up, "Make it quick." He opened his door wider, and Shrump walked in under Zoro's arm.
"Ah, roomy. And not much in it."
"Yeah just hurry up. I'm exhausted."
Shrump suddenly plopped down a black leather bag Zoro didn't notice before. Did he always have that? It was like he pulled it out of thin air.
"Now, Mr. Roronora, if you'd sit down if you please."
"Sit down? I'd rather just lie down."
"It won't be long." Zoro growled but did as he was told. He sat in a chair and watched as the skinny man pulled out a strange item from his bag, and placed it on the table. He turned it on. It made a strange ticking-like sound.
"What is that thing?" Asked the swordsman, "What are you..."
Shrump spun around briskly. Zoro's good eye opened wide, "Y-you're..." Shrump's eyes had changed color. Instead of the pail sickly color they were before, they were now multiple colors, and there seemed to be small shiny things in them. Like stars in a night sky. They spun around and circled and danced around each other. Zoro couldn't look away. Then Shrump began to talk.
"Listen. Listen little boy. You got in his way and now you'll pay. So listen little boy. You'll do as I say..."