Chapter shout out! Hopelover124, kuroyukihimesama, Majorasmask2, qwe1234qwe4321, PureWhiteRose, Xen_25 and hikari46!
I don't own One Piece
-----
"So that the plan. I am sorry if this comes as an inconvenience to you Iceberg-san, but we both know that my jobs come first to me with my line of work," Ashlee explained as she was sitting in the comfortable fabric high back chair in front of the Water 7 mayor and Gallery-La president.
"Nmmma… No, I understand. We have an agreement, and I don't feel like breaking it," Iceberg replied, rubbing his chin, before resting it in his hand, propped up by his elbow on his desk. Ashlee, dressed as Lee, kindly smiled.
"And I thank you for that. If not for you allowing me to live in your city and work under you, I'm sure the past three years would have been much more complicated," she leaned back into her chair, looking relaxed. "Has Kalifa said if there are any jobs at Caprona that I can use as an alibi?"
Iceberg looked though a few papers on his desk before handing one to her. "This is the closest one she could find, about a day's travel from here. You're fairly lucky; it's quite new, so it would be a good pick."
Ashlee took the papers, scanning the information on it. It was a simple request from the villagers from Rook Island. They had no shipwrights, and Water 7 had the closest ones available. A few days ago they went through an extremely violent storm, damaging the few fishing ships they had. They weren't sure if they could fix the ships themselves, so they were asking for Gallery-La's help. She set the paper down on her lap, giving Iceberg her attention again.
"Seems like a good job. After I finish the one at Caprona, which should take me two-three weeks, counting one for sailing, I'll head over too Rook and check out the damages, see if we can help. The storm could have damaged the hulls for all I know," Ashlee shrugged at the end. "I'll send word a few days before I leave so that the villagers won't have to wait four weeks for some shipwrights to come."
"Nmma… Sounds like a good plan. I'll tell Kalifa to keep a small team on standby so that they can leave when I get your message," Iceberg replied, looking pleased. Ashlee studied him for a few seconds before sighing when she saw the time on the clock behind him.
"You cancelled all your other meetings today again, didn't you?" Iceberg smiled and stood up, walking over to a window where a small stray cat he had found a few days again, named Falcon, lad in the ledge.
"I didn't want to go to any of them. They all sounded boring," he said as he began to pet the fluffy creature. Ashlee shook her head at his antics,
"Unbelievable. You are no doubt one if the laziest employers, and mayor, I have ever seen," she said under her breath as she watched the tailored jacket, striped pants clad man get scratched when he pet Falcon in a spot the cat didn't like. 'But one of the kindest as well.'
She sighed again, this time for show, as she folded up the paper Iceberg gave her, placed it in her jean pocket, and stood up, grabbing the pack that sat on the floor besides her.
"Well, I guess I have to fulfil my part of the deal before I head out," she pulled out a stack of papers, and set them on his desk. "Here's the list of possible customers coming your way in the few weeks. I'd be careful if I was you, seems to be a strong wave coming in."
Iceberg gave the paper a glance before looking at 'Lee' with a smile. "I'm sure my employee's and your fellow shipwrights can handle them, Lee-chan."
Ashlee waved a hand unimpressed, "yes, yes. I know they are monsters, I'm just saying be careful. There's very interesting pirate crew in that list that could be heading this way. Their ship probably will be in need of repairing, and they don't seem to have a shipwright among them, so they could come and try and find one. And guessing by their previous 'adventures', their captain won't take 'no' for an answer," she picked up some papers that were stapled together, handing it to him. There wasn't much written on any of the pages, but what was, was amazing. Iceberg looked down at the top sheet that showed a mini picture of the captain's bounty. A childish smiling boy around Ashlee's age with a scar under his left eye and wearing a straw hat.
"He must be interesting if he has caught your attention...Know anything else on him?" he said as he read the information. Ashlee could tell he was now trying to pry some information out of her, so she decided it would be a good time to be going. She picked up her pack and hung the strap off one shoulder.
"Well, I would love to stay and chat, but I'm currently on a tight schedule, so I'll be taking my leave now. I'll send word in a few weeks," Iceberg nodded his head as she gave a small bow, and walked to the large double doors.
She was opening one when a thought came to mind. It was about the storm that wreaked Rook's fishing ships. 'It's too soon for it… But it's possible.''
"Iceberg-san," she kept her back to him, "also, the Aqua Laguna might be coming at around the same time I do. It would be wise to start preparing,"
"Nma… Thanks for the heads up Lee-chan."
"It's no problem," she nodded her head, walking out of the room, letting the doors close behind her.
"AH! Lee-san! What are you doing here?" Kalifa, who was walking to Iceberg's office, asked when she saw Ashlee.
"Thanks for the job info. I'll going to go and get supplies and leave tomorrow. I'll be back in a few weeks. Boss' orders," 'Lee' replied rather coldly when she walked past the woman. Not that she had a very good reason for acting as such. What Ashlee had been doing for the past three years, lying and digging up information, was no different than what Kalifa and the others had been doing.
'Maybe it's because they were able to pull the wool over my own eyes for nearly a year," Ashlee grudgingly though as she walked through the building and through the front doors.
At that time the marines, and more importantly, the CP9, had hired her for some information in a personal business meeting, which is where she learned the true identities of the four people she thought she knew and a few others.
'As long as they don't put the pieces together about 'Lee' and the 'Shadow Informant' are the same person I will be alright…'
Luckily, even before she knew of their identities of the CP9, something had always 'rubbed her wrong' about the secretary, so her attitude had always been on the cold side towards her, even if it was uncharacteristic if the 'happy-go-lucky' Lee.
---
'Lee' fiddled with the coils of rope hanging off her rolled up jeans as she walked around the city , seeing as she now had the rest of the day off to get supplies. She still smiled, waved, and laughed with people who passed by and chatted with her, but her thoughts kept con circulation back to the final thing she said to Iceberg,
'Aqua Laguna huh...' a troubled expression fell onto her face when people had finally become too busy to notice her. The thoughts of the giant tidal wave always made her uneasy, and knowing that the rest of the citizens here at Water 7 were for the most part alright with living on a slowly sinking tourist island slightly bothered her even more so. As much as she liked living staying here, Ashlee knew sooner or later she would have to leave,
'Maybe Sabaody. I have a good flow of Intel coming from that island already, and it would be easier to try and access the New World info if I set up there. Plus then I will no longer have to fear falling into the water every few steps, or about any annual giant tidal wave,' Ashlee thought as she leaned over a vendors fruit display, picking out the ones she would take along. She waved the merchant good bye and continued walking. For a few seconds it sounded like a good idea, but she then frowned as she placed her fresh oranges, apples, limes, and bananas in her pack. 'No, not Sabaody. Marines, Nobles, and Pirates with personal vendettas against me are crawling all over there and that's one of the first islands they check to see if that's where I hide. For now, Water 7 is my best bet. Besides, right now I have some amazing assets here… Though I would rather die than say that to his face. He has enough of an ego as is,' she was thinking that, walking down the main street with people everywhere, when she felt the hairs on her arms go up the tiniest amount. Taking a quick peek through her peripheral vision also confirmed what she thought, seeing the people all around stop, stare, gap or glare at something, or one behind her.
"Speak, or rather think, of the devil," Ashlee muttered to herself. "What do you want now Franky?"
"As always, you suuuuper know when I'm here, Ash-chan," Franky exclaimed as she turned around, once again having to tilted her head back to look someone in the eye. She wasn't short, everyone was just abnormally tall!
"And as always, I have to remind you that my name is Lee, not Ash," 'Lee' told him with an unimpressed look before walking away, knowing that he would follow. "And would it kill you to put on a pair of pants, or at least button up your shirt? Just looking at you is making me cold."
"Hey! These show a man's pride!" he retorted.
"Pervert," Ashlee rolled her eyes, but smiled as she said so.
"Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment, idiot,"
"IT WASN'T?!" This went on as the two made their way through the city, sticking to less busy streets the moment they got off the main water way. Along with their near playful banter, Franky asked numerous times why they didn't just take a yagara bull, only to have the girl, who was sixteen years younger and only reached half way up his torso, push him into the canal, resulting in quite a large splash and his gold chain floating away a few feet.
It was common knowledge that the underworld demolition boss was on good terms with the sole female dock one mast repair shipwright, mostly because the two had arrived at Water 7 around the same time, three years ago, Franky a few months before Lee, so he had been the one to take her in and show her the ropes, along with recommending her to Iceberg (in secret). Also, often if Lee was on a job that required demolition, she would hire a few members of the Franky Family to take care of it, befitting both parties. But still, many people were at unease, and thankfully, keep their distance from the blue haired cyborg.
"So, you coming to Scrap Island later? I've been suuuper strong the past week and got some big bounties, so now I have a ton of money to spend," Ashlee placed a finger to her chin in fake thought as she handed over his sunglasses and now wrung out Hawaiian t-shirt that she was holding while he had fixed his hair.
"Sure, but only if you get some good wine or sake for me, I can't stand that revolting stuff you guys drink," Franky huffed and placed his sunglasses back over his eyes, combing his giant fingers though his anti-gravity, still slightly wet, mullet.
"Cola is not digesting! It's a perv- I mean a man's drink!"
"You know I have nothing against your 'fuel' of choice, "she reminded him, "It's the other man's drink that the rest of your family like to have that I don't like. Now, you better head back before the people around here riot," more and more people had arrived since she had helped, or rather, ignored, as Franky got out of the canal, but still offered to wring out his shirt. Many were angered merely at the fact that Franky had even showed his face in an area still a little close to the docks, where he could normally be found if he was planning on causing some trouble.
"Huh, when did all the spectators arrive? Yosh, I'll suuper see you later, Ash-chan!" Franky said before he took off.
"Stop it with the stupid nickname! It's LEE!" she yelled back as she watched him run.
'I swear, one day he'll be the sole reason why my cover will be blown!' she angrily though, turning around to head in a different direction, not wanting to have to go through the sea of people.
But even when she thought that, she couldn't help but smile internally at his antics. He had taken to calling her that after a few months of doing business together, and after out her real identity because of a mission gone wrong within the city. he didn't want to call her 'Shadow' in public, but he also didn't want to have to remember all her different names, so he said he would call her 'Ash' because it was the other part of her name, as well as claiming that shadows and ash were both a type of shade of grey. When she had told him that people would get confused and ask questions by him calling 'Lee' Ash, he exclaimed that all they had to say was that when she was in the right light, her eyes would look ash grey. Problem solved.
'They only go grey when I lose my composure though,' she shook her head with a now external mile as she walked down the sidewalk. Only a very few amount of people had seen her real eye colour from her either losing composure or some other reason. And Franky, who was the master at maddening her, saw them almost at the point where she no longer felt the bother to change them to coal black if they weren't in public.
"Idiots, the whole lot of them," Ashlee muttered under her breath, running a hand over her face. Just thinking about how much she had let her guard down around him just wore her out.
---
'Why again did I say I would come?' Ashlee wondered as she rapped her wrapped knuckles against one of the two colossal green doors, listening to all the noises that were coming from inside. She knew coming out here to Scrap Island in the middle of the afternoon was not the smartest move to make, and she didn't want to make a habit out of it, but she really didn't have much of a choice in the matter. People had seen her tell Franky she would come, what's more, they had saw Lee tell Franky that, so she couldn't come in a different disguise like she would have, and done before.
'Ignorant oaf, and because of that I can't have any good wine!' Ashlee grumbled audibly as she ran a hand through her black let down hair. She wished that when the 'family' first met Lee, that she had not told them that she didn't drink, but if she did if would only be good sake, no rum.
"Ah! Lee-san, you're finally here!" an extremely circular man, who wore the signature Franky family goggles, a bow tie under his double chin, suspenders to hold up his striped pants, and a waist coat, opened the door, greeting the short girl, "Ooooi! Aniki! Guest of honour arrived!"
Ashlee gave Tamagon a suspicious look, "Guest of honour? What is Franky planning now? she asked as she walked into the oddly shaped building, waving to Kier, Schollzo, Kop, and a few other members she couldn't place names to.
"What makes you think Aniki's planning anything, Lee-san?" Zambai asked her when he came up besides her, offering a small cup filled with clear liquid. Ashlee took with a smile.
"Because this is Franky we're talking about." she lifted the cup to her lips and drank the contents in one gulp. Feeling the warmth it left in her throat. 'Though, the sake they have is really good stuff. Smooth.'
As Ashlee sighed at the feeling she looked around, "You know what, I don't even see him here… Or the Square Sisters," she gave back the cup to Zambai, who had just finished drowning his own glass.
"They're probably around here somewhere," he said with a toothy smile, his face slightly flushed red from previous drinks.
"Should I be scared?" she asked, laughing. She had noticed that almost all the men here were holding amber coloured liquid filled glasses, all staggering a little and red-faced.
"I'm not entirely sure," Zambai replied, also laughing. Out of all the members of the Franky Family, Zambai had to be the one she got along the best with. Their personalities might now clash every now and again, but they truly did respect each other-
"So, how's Shadow doing? I'm guessing she let you the list of upcoming bounties to give us," -even if the respect the others felt for her was a lie, just like everything else.
"The Mistress is doing well, and is busy as usual," she replied, throwing a thumb over her shoulder to gesture to the pack that still hung on her back, "and the moment I find him I'll give Franky the list. Looks like some big ones could find their way here," Zambai pushed his goggles up.
"Who-" he began at ask, but was cut off by a very familiar rhythm, and the lights turning off, washing them in pitch-black inkiness.
"Told you he was planning something, "laughing even more so, Ashlee nudged his arm as the stayed in the dark, but a spot light came on, focused at the back where the stage was and a giant white sheet revealed tree very noticeable silhouettes. Men began to roar and cheer for their Aniki as the music continued.
"Hey you guys! Did you call my name?!" the largest silhouettes asked, making the men around cheer and call out for their Aniki.
" ~Don't be shy, listen everyone. Say my name~" he began to sing and dance, along with the other two. 'He still can't sing...' Ashlee face palmed as everyone yelled out "Franky!" and "Aniki!'"again.
"~I'm this island's most super man!~" He continued, throwing the sheet away revealing himself and the two woman beside him. Both had their hair shades as large squared, though the one with the a while white fur collar, yellow goggles, bikini-top, and slacks but didn't have as curly hair as the one with a lilac pearl necklace, pink cropped top, bikini-bottom, and gloves.
"~The Water 7's underground face! Yes, they call me:~" the three leaned over and did a rolling motion with their arms before they went into his signature pose.
"~FRANKY!~" he called out, two arms together, up and to the side, making the two tattoos on them form a single star. Mozu and Kiwi too were in that pose. The yelling and the cheering that had been going on for the whole time dramatically increased along with the drunk men now clapping and whistling.
Ashlee, who had gradually began to feel slightly suffocated by the over excited fanbo- men, and their noise, yelled out an apology to Zambai, who was joining in on the wolf whistling at the twins. After that she made her way over to the bar at the side of the building where there was less people and room for her to finally breathe again.
'Always one for the theatrics,' she watched as Franky did a few more poses for his adoring fans, yelling out 'SUUUPER!' a few times. Though she did have to chuckle when Kiwi and Mozu's job turned from backup dancers to body guards as armour-clad mean tried to get closer to the stage.
The sigh of this amused Ashlee for another good fifteen more minutes as she tended to some more sake in another small glass she had poured herself. It was still half full when she got up from her bar stool and untied multiple coils of rope from her jeans.
"I guess it's up to me to enforce the crowd control," she let out a sigh before smiling in a very un-Lee like way, snapping her wrist a few times, making the ropes that were loose look alive, She let them 'dance' for a few more seconds before she snapped her wrist again, this time at the adoring fans that were making headway onto the stage.
'Sorry Paulie-san. I am going to use two of your attacks. All my moves would be too violent to use here.'
"Shrouds and Rat-Line knot!" as she called out the ropes weaved into an intricate knotted web, smashing and trapping many. Ashlee untied her last two coils, using the 'Top Knot', grabbed other random members and making them spin at impossible speeds, only to stop and topple over when they hit the pile of men caught under the net, all laying on the ground next to the stage.
After looking over her work she nodded her head in approval, dropping the two ends she still held, and once again picked up her glass, taking a small sip.
"You're welcome, by the way," smirking; she looked over the glasses rim at the three figures.
"Ahh! What was that for Lee-chan!" Kiwi, the one in red, yelled as she and her sister jumped off the stage, running to the pile of unconscious mean to untangle them all.
"I thought you two needed some help, so I helped," Ashlee said as she set her glass down again.
"But did you have to use your ropes?!" Mozu, the one in yellow, exclaimed.
"What else could I have used? It's not like I have any of those freaky devil fruit powers-" she heard Franky laugh under his breath when she said this, but Ashlee kept on going, "-so I just used what I know. Besides, none of them are hurt."
If just to prove her wrong, a few painful moans could be heard from the men who were slowly waking up within the pile, making Ashlee wince a little.
"...Much," she walked over to the sister, collecting the ropes that had untangled, tying them back into coils on her belt loop before moving to the stage.
"If I didn't know you as well as I do, I would have punched you for even laying a hand on my men… Actually, I still should," Franky told her, a slight growl in his voice, pushing up his sunglasses up once again as she jumped onto the higher levelled floor. Ashlee rolled her eyes, swinging her pack forward and pulling out a stack of papers (slightly smelling of fruit), a little smaller than the stack she had given Iceberg.
"I know, I know. I'll thank my lucky stars later," she held the stack out to him. "Here's the new list of bounties. I already gave Iceberg-san's his list earlier this morning."
Franky raised an eyebrow and took the paper, "Wow, that's quick. You mean you're leaving again already? It hasn't even been a full three days since you got back to the island!"
She raised one shoulder in reply, motioning with her other hand for him to start looking through the bounties, which he did.
"I can't help it. Got a new job, and if I want to make it on time I have to leave tomorrow morning. You don't need the Cog, do you?"
He shook his head, holding his triple pointed chin while thumbing through the papers.
"Na, you know you're the only one that uses it. Che, you really get worked like a horse, even as the boss. Where you' heading to now?" Ashlee quickly looked over her shoulder when his tongue slipped, but saw that the sisters were still concentrated on the mostly all knocked out fan boys. The ones that were waking up would be too groggy to know what they were hearing.
"Caprona, weeks' travel from here. After that to another island close by. They are in need of a ship inspector after their fishing vessels got wrecked in a large storm. A lot of other islands close by have had extremely violent storms lately, more violent than normal, which means that Aqua Laguna will come at around the same time I might get back, maybe five-six weeks. So I need you to get someone to boards up my windows when it strikes."
"Oi, that means that you'll be travelling through some pretty tough weather. Want me to end some of my men with you for the jobs?"
"No, it would be best if you didn't. It's more of a recon job anyways, with a bit more unfortunately, so less is best. Plus you're men are just as well known as the shipwrights here. If they are seen by a marine or someone, that will only lead them here, putting us both in more danger then already. If I need a few of your men for the other job I will send word then. I already told Iceberg-san I would also send word to him for a few shipwrights before I leave for my second job. If the weather is really, worse than what the Grand Line usually throws, I'll tell Iceberg-san in my letter to send a few of your men as well, because if they went through such harsh weather there is no way the hulls of those ships haven't been damaged."
Ashlee shouldered her pack again, giving the cyborg a small smile. "And thanks for your concern Franky." she told him before jumping off the stage. "I have to go. There's a few more things I have I do today. But because I want to leave as soon as I can, would be possible if the Cog can be rigged up and ready before dawn?"
"Yosh, because I've been suuuper strong this week I can have it ready in no time!" Franky yelled, holding out a thumbs up to her. Ashlee chuckled again under her breath and returned the gesture.
"Alright then. I guess I'll be seeing you in a month and a half. If you keep your nose out of trouble I might tell you some details of what happens," she said before walking back to Mozu and Kiwi, gathering the last of her ropes and saying her goodbyes, then making her way out of the building.
When she closed her door behind her she saw that the sun was still quite high in the sky. 'I guess I have some time to pick up some last minute supplies before I go and fill in Paul about today… Oh, and Fire-kun. I better have a chat with him as well,' she thought to herself, walking away, before a chilling sea salt filled breeze passed her, making her hair fly stubbornly in her face as Ashlee uncontrollably shivered, wrapping her arms around her body, trying to hold back the escaping body heat.
"I hate the cold! And this is supposed to be a summer island. Ha," she muttered darkly, picking up so she was now walking a brisk pace. She kept on walking till she reached the steps to the higher level when another wild, rougher gust of wind blew by, making her grip her sides more forcefully. She looked over her shoulder at the structurally different house and a fleeting emotion overcame her when she looked at it. Ashlee didn't know what the feeling was, what it signified, or why she was feeling it, so she shrugged it off with another shiver, resuming her way up the stairs.