A/N: Chapters ahead at patréon
www.patrèon.com/Blazuki
-x-X-x-
Josh and his party, on their way to Alabasta, had to stop on a near island.
They were travelling in two boats. Mikita and Josh are on their boat. Gem and Melissa had their own boat as well. They didn't have to stay together.
Since there is a big battle waiting for him in Alabasta, Josh needed to eat some food, get some supplies, and fresh clothes, since Gem had blown up his clothes.
"Alright, don't cause trouble," Josh said.
"Worry about yourself. I'm professional." Gem said, playing with his nose. "I need to buy new sunglasses."
"Gross." Feeling disgusted, Melissa commented at the man who is playing with his mucus.
"Fuck off." Gem gave them his back and started walking around.
"What a rude partner." Melissa snorted at him.
Josh and Mikita rolled their eyes.
Josh wasn't worried so much about Gem for now.
After all, he had made a false report to Crocodile, which means that Gem is committed to this.
Of course, Gem can run or escape, but he can't join Crocodile's side again, or he may die. And, if he really runs, Crocodile would chase after him.
The same thing for the green-haired woman.
You can't trust a man, but you can trust a forced man driven by a goal.
That was something Josh believed at.
Manipulating people comes after knowing them.
"I'll shop with you then." Melissa didn't go with Gem. Instead, she went to Mikita side.
Josh suddenly rubbed his head and asked the woman. "By the way, do you have money."
"What happened to your share!" Melissa said, astonished. "You are number 7. Anyone who hears about you assumes that you have a lot of money, especially given the fact that you betrayed the boss."
Baroque Works were all but without money.
"I spent all of my money," Josh said.
She took a half step back and stared at his eyes. "Why would I share the money that I have to spend my life gaining."
"Because you will get good karma." Said Josh, lifting his eyebrows slightly.
Melissa looked at Mikita. "He is young, isn't he?"
"Yes, around 17 or 18. We don't know his birthday exactly." Mikita held his arm and smiled. Josh felt quite embarrassed talking about his physical age.
"Don't look at my face, look at my heart," Josh said.
"Yes, right, here's some allowance."
Josh and Mikita's eyes lit up when Melissa reached her pocket.
Josh had traded all of their money with the system, so they are poor.
Josh and Mikita held the green papers.
"50.000 berries." There was a deep frown on Josh and Mikita's faces.
From spending millions of berries to this.
'My poor life.' Sighed Josh.
"I'm not your mommy." Melissa rolled her eyes on them when she saw Josh sighing.
Josh looked at her. "You can adopt me. If you like Kinky stuff, I will call you mommy, right Mikita," said Josh, greedy.
Mikita rolled her eyes. "Stop, please, she is old enough to be my mom."
"Hey!" Melissa took a step back, blushing from embarrassment.
Meanwhile, while the group was touring the market to buy few things, they went to a clothes shop.
Josh bought a cheap shirt for 7000 Berries, and some food for himself.
Mikita spent the rest of it on buying fragrance and trying it with a disgusted expression, muttering, "Cheap perfume."
Meanwhile, the other agents were buying luxurious staff that worthed millions of berries.
"Damn, she bought that necklace." Frustrated, Mikita pointed at Mellisa. "It's 5 million berries!"
Josh shrugged his shoulders. "Her money, her choice. Poor people like us can't complain about the system."
"But still." Mikita clenched her teeth, "she should at least give us face."
"Excuse me." Josh turned and looked at her face, a question mark drawn on his face. He shook his head and then walked away, murmuring. 'Women.'
-x-X-x-
Miss Golden Week was currently sitting in the mall, drawing and thinking about a certain person who had been in their organisation.
But as it seems, he had made a mistake, a mistake that had cost him his life. The Boss, Crocodile, has found out about him betraying them.
Not many days ago, Josh's meeting with the king and taking the money had been known.
'Well, he shouldn't have said I'm a little child. Karma, bitch…'
Marianne snorted in herself as she looked around.
Everyone was huge compared to her, even normal people.
Some woman apologised for almost stepping on her, which made Marianne boil in rage.
But, because of her personality, she always gives a bland expression and let the woman go.
An image of Josh calling her a dwarf appeared in her head.
She shook her head. Josh was still a nice guy, though. But too bad he had to die at a very young age.
She bought some colours and paper since her hobby is drawing.
Soon, she noticed familiar figures passing by.
One of them was a person who was reported to die one day ago.
"Mikita?" Marianne quickly used a near shelf and hide behind it.
because of her small built compared to everyone else in this world, she was able to hide perfectly behind a small shelf.
'What is she doing here, why is she alive. I thought Mr five took care of them.'
She soon turned her head, to see Mr Five's partner shopping around. Melissa exchanged few words with Mikita, chatting and laughing, before moving out of the store.
'Could it be that she survived?'
As she was drifting in her thoughts, she noticed that Josh walked past her.
Josh slowly turned his head and then scratched his hair.
Marianne was behind another shelf, her hand on her mouth, holding her breath deeply.
Her eye moved to the side, her heart beating loudly in fear that Josh has seen her
she thought he had seen her since he was looking in her direction.
But soon, Josh picked up another thing.
"Noodles for dinner." He muttered before he walked out of the store, calling Mikita and the green-haired woman to leave after they paid the bill.
'I must call Galdino.'
Marianne may be a little girl that others may think of her as a loli. But she has the brain of an adult.
If there is something to do, it would be to call the boss. Josh, although she had a quite good impression on him, she is still afraid of Mr 0 more.
The little 16 years old girl made her decision as she started sneaking between the legs of the people, making her way out to a near hotel, and calling her partner, who was selling wax-made statues.
When Mr. 3 saw her, he blinked twice, as she was telling him about what she had seen.
"Well. Who has thought that Ms Liberty betrayed us as well? Did you see Mr 5?"
"Yes."
"So, this means he can be included. Well, let's call the boss anyway."
Mr. 3's hair, which makes three shapes, lit up on fire like a candle.
As he went to the beach, he noticed that Josh's ship has left.
To him, this meant that it is time to go and follow them up.
Mr 3 called Crocodile and waited for his boss's order, as he took a sneaky way to Alabasta, assuming that it would be Josh's direction.