008 ⎯⎯⎯ playing dress up.
"I've never seen a house this big before," Luffy awes, looking up at the mansion in front of us.
"Impressive, right?" Usopp brags, "Kaya's given me an open invitation to drop by anytime I want."
"Wow! All of this just for one person?"
"Well, she lives here with her butler and a few other staff."
"Money really shows you who people truly are," Nami sighs, "most people only care about themselves and what's theirs."
I glance at her. She sure is quick to judge considering she is a thief and a criminal. And arguably a bad friend, I haven't decided if I should call her that yet.
"Sounds like someone I know," I shrug.
Nami rolls her eyes, "and a small staff makes for easy pickings."
"Why?" Zoro raises a brow, "gonna rob the place blind?"
"At least a little blurry."
I grin, "just a little?"
We continue to follow Usopp through the backyard of the mansion. The man showing off several ponds, gardens, and statues.
"So if you have an invitation, why are we going around the back way?" Luffy asks.
Fair question. It definitely raises suspicion.
"Oh I never use the front entrance. This is more of a VIP entrance reserved for special guests," he explains.
I whistle, "this guy's full of shit."
"Yeah but as long as he gets us inside, who cares?"
Usopp suddenly turns, his face slightly panicked, "Oops. You know, there's actually a more exclusive entrances this way."
I peer over his shoulder, two people who appear to be maids cleaning the balcony. They look up, noticing us, and both have equally negative reactions.
The man on the porch picks up his blade, chucking it at us. It lodges in the ground where Usopp is standing, right between his feet.
"What the hell are you doing here, Usopp?"
I knew he was lying.
"Buchi, buddy," Usopp smiles nervously, "Kaya's expecting me."
"Another one of your lies," he grabs him by the collar, "you ain't welcome here and you know it."
"I know nothing of the sort, I'm here to give Kaya an extra special gift."
"Usopp!"
I turn to see a blonde, frail-looking woman in a pink dress, making her way through the gardens as she holds onto what must be her butler. I'm guessing that's Kaya.
"What a wonderful surprise!"
Usopp grins, slapping away the maid's arms as he makes his way over to the girl. "Happy birthday!"
"You remembered?"
"Of course I did!"
"Usopp," the butler clears his throat, "we've had this discussion. You mustn't show up unannounced."
I glance around at the woman's staff. They don't look like your typical maids and butlers. They all have an air of irritation around them. Is it because of us or because of Usopp?
"Nonsense, Klahadore," Kaya smiles, "have you come to tell me another story? I do love hearing about your adventures."
"I'll do you one better," Usopp waves at us, "I've brought some of my crew."
My lips draw into a thin line as I raise a brow. I'm barely a part of Luffy's "crew" there's no way I'd be a part of this moron's.
"Is he talking about us?" Luffy glances at me.
"It's so nice to meet you, you all must stay for dinner."
"Ms. Kaya," her butler, Klahadore, seems annoyed, "it is a bit last minute. I'm afraid the kitchen hasn't prepared for any extra guests."
Yeah right.
"Please Klahadore," Kaya begs, "it's my birthday. It can't be too much trouble can it?"
I narrow my eyes at the frail looking woman. She seems too reliant on others, weak, fragile, and unable to stand up for herself. She reminds me of....me.
Well the old me anyway.
"Of course, Ms. Kaya," he sighs, "anything for you."
"Alright!" Luffy claps, "when do we eat?!"
Klahadore switches back to his hardened glare, "you don't. Not dressed like that. Sham, kindly show Usopp and his friends to the guest suites. You will bathe and change before dinner."
* * *
"Why would anyone even need this many clothes?"
"It's not about need with these people," Nami rants, "it's about want."
"What're we even supposed to wear?"
I glance at where Luffy is sitting on the floor, "just choose anything, I'm sure she won't mind."
"Woah," Luffy awes, "when did your voice get so...nice? You don't sound mad at me!"
I scowl, my cheeks flushing slightly, "shut up."
"Well?" Nami walks out of one of the back aisles in a long dark velvet dress, doing a small spin for us to see. "What do you think?"
"You look like Nami," Luffy shrugs.
Nami's expression falls and she spins on her heel, stalking back into the maze of clothes.
I smack Luffy, "that wasn't nice."
He pouts, "what do you know about nice?"
I ignore him, continuing to dig through the rack of clothes I'm currently stuck on. Everything in this closet is outlandishly fancy or just plain ugly. I'm sure Kaya keeps her day to day clothes with her. This stuff seems like it's for dress up.
Huh.
I grab a hanger, pulling out a dress. It's a traditional black cheongsam that reaches down to my ankles with slits running up each side to a few inches below the waist line. It has gold trimming and patterning, and a hole above the chest area.
I look around the ginormous closet.
Do I really wanna go through the struggle of looking for something else to wear?
No, I really don't.
I make way to the opposite end of the closet, hiding behind a few racks of clothes before beginning to undress.
"Hey Zoro!" I hear Luffy shout, "whatcha gonna wear?"
"Something black."
"How edgy," I chuckle, fastening up the dress. I tuck my photo safely into the folds of the dress before looking around for a mirror. I find a cracked one hidden behind a shirt.
"Hey, does that butler seem familiar to you guys?"
"Yeah, I think he was at the last dinner party I attended."
"I swear I've seen him somewhere."
I roll my eyes at their conversation, pulling out my hair stick to allow my waves to fall down to my shoulders. Hm, I need a trim.
"How's this?" Nami must be showing them another outfit.
"Still Nami."
"I said I'm wearing black."
"I hate you guys."
I grin and glance down at my dress, oh well.
My eyes catch my expression in the mirror and I falter. What's going on? Why do I suddenly feel so comfortable with these people?
Less than a month ago I would've never turned my back to anyone, let alone changed around them, it leaves your guard down.
Do I trust them?
I shake my head, look at what happened the last time you trusted someone.
"I feel kinda bad for Kaya," I hear Luffy, "all this stuff, all this space. It's gotta make a person feel lonely."
"Rich people don't have the same emotions we do, this doesn't make them feel lonely it makes them feel important."
"Still," he sighs, "Usopp likes her and she invited us to dinner. It shouldn't be hard to convince her to give us the ship."
"Rich people don't stay rich by giving things away."
"Wanna bet?"
"What are the terms?"
"I bet I can convince Kaya to give me that ship-"
"And if you don't?"
"We go with your plan. Steal one and move on."
I smile slightly at their banter, grabbing a hanger and making my way towards the center of the closet again. Zoro's eyes flit to me from the couch he's on.
"You look...good-"
I scoff.
"But I'm wearing black," he finishes.
I toss him the hanger I grabbed, "suck it up."
He looks from me to the outfit, "I can work with this."