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It’s been two weeks since the world has been shocked into disbelief; Straw Hat Luffy had dared to punch a Celestial Dragon in Sabaody Archipelago, and not only that but had also managed to escape an Admiral. He and his entire crew were nowhere to be seen or found.
The moment Iceberg had read the news he had stared at that article in shock for over two hours and had decided to go home early that day despite a large amount of paperwork on his desk.
And it had only been three short days after that that he had gotten the feeling of being watched. It was an odd prickle sensation, different from the stares and ogles he would get from the people of Water 7. But the strangest thing of it all was that it was familiar.
Familiar to him in the way of something that had once been new but now was common. He had tried to brush it off at first, focusing more on the important duties he was now saddled with on top of his normal mayor and Gallery-Law duties; dealing with the aftereffects of Aqua Laguna, finding a new secretary, and last of all everything relating to the hushed paperwork and cover-ups involving CP9.
But as the days passed by it persisted, going from an annoyance to a chilly unease. At night, the normal sounds of his small house - the settling creaks of wood, and the squeaky sighs of metal - would sound like noises from a living person. Iceberg found himself unable to sleep peacefully as the days trudged by and had resorted to sleeping in his office to ensure he could somewhat function.
It was when Paulie, no longer smelling of alcohol or cigar smoke and with bags underneath his own eyes, had started to take residence in his office as well that should have clued Iceberg in that something was wrong. But when someone is exhausted and overworked, the warnings and red flags would blur into the background, not coming up until it was too late.
“And here is the rest of the dry dock paperwork. There are three ships that are scheduled to be completed by the end of next week, two are that in the last stages of repair, and four that are planned to be scrapped,” Skylar noted, handing the documents to Iceberg who flipped through them.
“I have also rescheduled your appointment with Mayor Lazzle from Smokey Island. He has failed to submit the proper paperwork again in regards to the main employees of the firework factory.” Iceberg rubbed his forehead, a headache seeming to form behind his eyelids. Mayor Lazzle was a true pain in the ass as that man was always finding faults, this time it was with the restrictions placed on the Puffing Tom.
“Thank you, Miss Skylar,” Iceberg noted and watched the young girl easily take the completed folders off of his desk. He had several times, in the beginning, attempted to help his new secretary carry the files away but a stern glare had him slinking back to his desk.
“You’re welcome, Sir.” Skylar placed the files down on her desk and set to organize them as she continued. “I have also pre-ordered your lunch and dinner and they will arrive at noon and 6 pm sharp. I have made sure to order enough for you and for Paulie should be decided to show up unexpectedly. ”
“Thank you, Miss Skylar, may I ask what you have ordered?” Iceburg asked as he began to go through the report for the scrapped ships; these created the most paperwork as everything, from the sails to the nails, had to be accounted for. Parts and material that could be salvaged had to be inputted into the large warehouse reference while everything unsalvageable had to be sent off-island to be dealt with.
“I ordered from the café down the street for lunch, your usual combo, as well as Paulie’s with the cook being nice enough to add in two bowls of soup and dinner, will be the from the pub in the Quazra Plaza,” Skylar informed as she finished off organizing the files before quickly taking them out of his office.
Before he could ask her why she had also ordered for Paulie, the door closed behind her with a small click. Iceburg pursed his lips as he stared down at the paperwork; Paulie had been coming by the office more often but was it really enough time to start taking into account during meal times? Sure, sometimes it would be to have dinner in the office and then walk him home and other times it would be during lunch to make sure he had eaten.
Iceburg hadn’t minded the company even if he didn’t know Paulie as well as some of the other works but he had been confused at first. But it was the little things when it was the two of them that said enough; the way his eyes would dart around at times, especially when it was dark or how he tensed at loud noises he couldn’t see.
There had always been several questions that sat heavily on his tongue he had wanted to ask the blond man but could never seem to find the right words, especially since the raid on Enies Lobby was so fresh in everyone’s minds.
Perhaps now he could ask those questions as well as one particular question.
Iceburg sighed as he shook his head, a problem he would push off to be dealt with later. Picking up the first scrapping report, he began to work. Skylar would come and go from his office and would make sure that his mug was always filled with coffee. And this was how Paulie found him just as lunch had arrived at exactly noon sharp, just as Skylar had ordered.
The blond man didn’t say much, in greetings or otherwise, and quickly set the small table for two. Skylar had popped in just as they were about to sit down and with an amused look stated she would be going on lunch. Iceburg only pursed his lips at the giddy expression on his secretary but decided he would talk with her eventually.
The two ate in silence, with the only sounds being the scrapping of cutlery and clinking of dishes. Every time Iceburg had a moment he could ask, something stopped him. He wasn’t too sure what it was, but something was off with Paulie. He looked his usual self, except for the bags underneath his eyes but there was a tension in his shoulders that made him uneasy.
“Hey, Iceburg,” Paulie said after lunch was finished and the containers put away to be washed at a later time. “You have any plans tonight?”
Iceburg blinked, this was a first. Usually, Paulie would just show up or wait until Iceburg was done for the day, never really asking. The prickling sensation was now a weird spine-tingling sensation. The warning bells in his mind were going off, something had caused a change in the routine and he was sure he wasn’t going to like the reason why.
“None, some later meetings were canceled so I’ll be off before dinner which is being delivered here in case of some late paperwork,” Iceburg explained and he saw Paulie seemed to be mulling over the words carefully.
“I got to talk to you, mind if we can eat dinner here?” Now Iceburg was concerned but tried his best to not show it. Paulie had never been one to welcome sympathy easily but he had become more guarded and even cagey ever since-
Iceburg stopped that thought and gave Paulie a kind smile. “Of course, my door is always open. It’s nothing serious is it?”
But Paulie didn’t reply and seemed to be lost in thoughts as he exited his office without a goodbye. Iceburg could only stare as he was left standing in the middle of his office stupefied until Skylar came back. She didn’t press what had occurred over lunch and he was grateful.
With a nudge from her, Iceburg went back to his desk to continue his work. But he found himself distracted and jittery, to the point where he was constantly checking the time. It got to the point that Skylar actually removed it and placed it on her desk since he was checking on the time every few minutes.
Finally, dinner time rolled around and Iceburg managed to finish the last pressing matter of the day. And right on cue, Paulie was at the door with dinner in his hands. He must have intercepted the courier but Iceburg decided that he would ask about it later as he did Skylar a good night and set the table as Paulie had done earlier that day.
Once again they ate in the same silence and when dinner was finished and dishes put away, Paulie had his way over to the couch, sitting in the middle. Iceburg followed and sat beside him, regarding the dock worker. He was biting his lips which were red and cracked, his eyes were bloodshot and his fingers were digging so tightly into Paulie’s worn denim jacket that his knuckles were white.
“Paulie, what’s wrong?” Iceburg asked. “And I am not asking as your superior but as your friend. You haven’t been yourself in weeks and today has honestly been the strangest one to date. If you’re in trouble, I can help.”
“You sound so honest and open Mr. Mayor; I would say you sound genuine in your care for Paulie. But do you truly ask as a friend?”
Iceburg felt as if he had been kicked off a cliff, his heart in his throat and nothing but white noise in his ears. Paulie had turned as white as a sheet, his eyes wide and fearful and his breaths coming in as short gasps.
There was no mistaking that voice but it was impossible, he couldn’t be here – shouldn’t be here.
But yet there he was, leaning against his desk, hands in his pockets with the same plain bored look he had always worn. The outfit he was wearing was similar to what he had worn when he had worked in Gallery-La, a white tank shirt with black pants. The only things that were missing were his top hat and Hattori on his shoulders.
Rob Lucci.
Cold eyes regarded him as if he was a mere annoyance, and Iceburg felt his insides freeze. The prickling sensation was now a full-body chill and Iceburg felt like kicking himself, no wonder it had felt so familiar. Lucci had worked underneath him for 5 years, that wasn’t something that was easily swept aside in a few measly weeks.
“Lucci…” Paulie croaked, his eyes filled with rage and hurt and fear. Lucci’s flickered over for a second and Iceburg would have doubted it if he hadn’t seen it, a softness that had entered those eyes before they harden back.
“I hope you don’t mind me stopping by Mr. Mayor,” the tone was exactly how he had talked when he had been here. “I know I was terminated immediately some weeks back but I still came by for my exit interview.”
Faster than he had ever seen, Paulie was on his feet, ropes flying towards Lucci. One second he was there, the next he was flying through the air over them, landing on his feet without a sound behind them.
There was a whoosh and before Paulie could turn around, the small side table that Skylar would use for stacking her many books went through the air, slamming with enough force to knock Paulie off his feet. His body hit the ground with a sickening thud and there was a clear crack of bone, Iceburg hoped that it hadn't been his neck that made that sound.
Arms like steel beams wrapped themselves around him and Iceburg felt himself get pulled tight to a chest that held a heart as black as night. He could feel the heartbeat through his back, strong and steady, as if this all was as calming as reading a book.
“I hope you don’t mind me intruding in your space Mr. Mayor,” Lucci whispered into his ear, the air feeling hot and sticky. “But I do believe it’s a wonderful night to go for a jog and I decided that I will be taking you for one, goodness knows how long you’ve been stuck in the office this time.”
The word rushed around him and Iceburg watched as his office became the open air of Water 7. The cool air of his office became the warm summer air that whistled in his ears. The sunset was painting the sky in the brightest of oranges and reds that made him shut his eyes. There was a dark chuckle in his ear, the same one as before, and a shiver ran along his spine.
“What’s the matter Mr. Mayor, scared of heights? You should open your eyes, not many get a view like this.”
Iceburg did crack open his eyes before slamming them shut. What he had seen was enough to make his head spin. The buildings of Water 7, far below him, had been a sea of gray stones with red tiles.
Iceburg could feel the muscles shift, compressing and stretching as they flew through the air, propelled by a technique that no normal humans could do. The constant rising and falling of altitude, the jarring jerks whenever Lucci would make contact with a rooftop before kicking off. It was enough to make him feel ill and Iceburg prayed to whatever deity that was watching he wouldn’t throw up so that Lucci would have an excuse to drop him.
“Out of all the CP9 agents I was unmatched in strength and skills. Few could come close to my speed,” Lucci murmured, his voice unnatural soft like that of the gentle purr of a lover and not a sociopath assassin brainwashed since childhood. It almost sounded like he was talking more to himself than to Iceburg but he was hardly in the position to tell him off.
“There were missions that no one else could complete, either because of the risk or complexity. The agents that were sent in were inadequate and poorly trained; as a result, they failed spectacularly. But where others failed, I would succeed.”
“It was why I was assigned to the Water 7 mission, because of my track record and skills. But this time I didn’t succeed, instead not only did I fail the mission but I also lost my fight against a pirate. My spotless record? Tarnished. Justice? Left unserved.”
“So now I am left to pick up the pieces to prove myself once again when I should not,” there was a hint of a snarl in his voice now, and Iceburg could almost feel the razor-sharp teeth grazing his ear.
“So I bet you are wondering where you fit into all of his, correct Mr. Mayor?” The air rushed past his ear as their altitude suddenly dropped. Seconds later, the arms that had been holding him tightly and securely loosen and Iceburg felt himself flounder in the empty air before he hit the ground, hard.
He rolled several times, the world a kaleidoscope of sensations and sounds. Even before he came to a full stop, Iceburg’s chest was heaving as he fought to get air into his lungs. When he dared to open his eyes after finally coming to a spot, he saw nothing but black spots dancing. It was several long miserable minutes before he could gain a sense of self, and the first he saw was Lucci standing over him, his face was still a blank façade but his eyes burned like smothering black coals from the pits of hell.
Iceburg felt very very afraid.
“I will tell you,” the voice was back to the soft gentle coo that it had been before. “As it stands I have to earn back my standing, which shall return to me my privileges. So until then, keep an eye on Paulie for me.”
Iceburg wasn’t sure what exactly he was feeling; it could have been disbelief or rage or fear, or even sorrow. But none of that seemed to fit the deep terrible ache he was feeling in his chest.
“Paulie has always been an oddity, but I suppose that’s what attracted me. Like a bird fascinated by something shiny, I was curious so I investigated. And what I found amused me, so I always went back to him. But now I can’t, so you’ll have to watch over him.”
“You….” Iceburg’s voice was hoarse and it ached terribly to talk but he pushed forward. “You are….insane! I will….never….do…anything…you ask of!”
Lucci tilted his head before letting out another dark chuckle. “And how would you stand against me? Have I not proved that I am superior to you? You didn’t even notice that I have been watching you for several days now. Of course, I was first looking for that idiotic brother of yours” – Iceburg felt icy fear go through him – “but once I was able to verify that Cyborg Franky wasn’t on Water 7, I turned my attention to you.”
“And Paulie” Iceburg hissed.
“And Paulie,” Lucci agreed, a small half-smile hanging off his lips. Iceburg wanted to smack that smug expression off of his face. “I think I proved to both you and Paulie that I am the better choice. It would be foolish and even deadly for him to downgrade, wouldn’t you agree Mr. Mayor?”
His tone or even body language hadn’t changed but there was no doubt that Lucci had given him a clear threat. One he would easily see through should he be given the opportunity.
“Think about that next time Mr. Mayor next time you decide to play with something that isn’t yours,” and with that Lucci disappears, leaving Iceburg alone in some random part on the edge of town.
Iceburg wasn’t a man to wish for harm to come to anyone much less for their death. But if Rob Lucci and Straw Hat Luffy ever met up again in the New World, then Iceburg wished, with all his heart, that Rob Lucci would fall, and not get back up.