It had been two days now since they arrived in Alabasta. Two days of staying hidden, finding a base where they could do their clandestine operations without being spotted by the local militia, police or the agents of Baroque works.
On a day to day basis they had Spent hours leaping from rooftop to rooftop, surveying alleys, infiltrating sites that might prove to be under the bounty hunting group's control, and every step of it felt like a moment of his earlier life as a marine sergeant.
Back then, he simply followed the orders of Vice Admirals like Comil, Yamakaji, or Momonga. He had even served under the brutal absolute "authority "of Akainu and the rather easy going Kizaru. Now, he was the one giving the orders, but his role in the field would never be diminished. Duty was duty, no matter what.
The desert heat beat down on his shoulders, sweat trickling uncomfortably down his spine. All the power in the world could stop one from going up against the forces of nature. But none could stop themselves from swesting. The sun's heat and the climate was all too real here. He felt like he was in a steamer, in a kitchen oven even.
He knew Portgas D. Ace was here in this town, no doubt of it. In the original story, the fire-user would help Luffy escape Smoker, but Toji wondered how the encounter would change with himself, Bradley, and Ichimaru on the board and wandering around in said town, though said intervention might reveal their identities it might do well to just act like they didn't see him.
Ace was a formidable Haki user, he had to be, coming from Gol D. Roger's bloodline and commanding the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division. He possessed Conqueror's Haki and mastered the fundamentals of Armament and Observation. Yet, Toji knew he held the advantage over the fire user if it ever to a fight. He had trained for longer, he was older and more experienced, plus he had fought through harsher battles, and possessed a weapon, the Inverted Spear of Heaven that could harm his kind. The irregularity in this world of irregulars that could nullify Ace's Logia invulnerability entirely.
But capturing Ace wasn't the goal nor would it ever be while here in this country. Doing so would turn them into immediate targets for Whitebeard, sparking a premature war the Marines weren't yet ready to manage, well they could but wars such as these destabilized their control. So for now, Ace's fate would belong to... well, fate until the time was right.
Toji's focus remained on BaroqueWorks, Princess Vivi, and the "Dance Powder" conspiracy which he was actively having his men unravel fully and the fellow Baroque work agents, Crocodile thought himself a mastermind, but to Toji, most of his higher up subordinates were little more than unprofessional, comical fools. Useful as they were martial yes but they were still fools.
Nanohana — Spice Bean Restaurant
"Water, please," Toji said calmly, sliding onto a stool beside a young man who had just finished devouring thirteen plates of food.
The bartender blinked, startled by the hooded figure whose face remained cast in shadow. "Ah—yes, sir!"
Toji glanced sideways at his intended. "You love to display that tattoo quite proudly don't you ?" He asked the rhetorical question to the pirate.
Ace felt a sudden spike of danger from the man who just spoke, how he hadn't felt it before was shock to even him as the man was now right beside him. There was no direct ill intent, but his Haki flared in alarm. He couldn't see the stranger's face, but the sheer presence of the man forced him to stay on edge, ready for any conflict that might brew.
Toji kept his hood up. He had no desire to be spotted by Baroque Works scouts but he couldn't give up on such an interaction with the son of the former pirate king.
"Perhaps, perhaps not," Ace replied with an arrogant smirk despite his feeling of anxiety which didn't show on his face. "What's it to you? Another bounty hunter ? You've come to your death if you are stranger."
"How reassured you are, but I am nothing of the sort. I don't dabble in such things," Toji replied coolly. He took the glass of chilled water from the bartender, tossed some Berries on the counter, and took a long drink.
"What are you doing here, Portgas D. Ace?" He asked another question, a question he knew the answer to.
The room went deathly silent. The dry heat of the desert town seemed to vanish, replaced by an eerie, artificial chill.
"Asking dangerous questions like that causes problems, friend," Ace stated, turning fully to face the hooded figure. "You know me, but I'm at a loss as to who you are. Its bad manners, not introducing yourself."
Toji let out a short, amused chuckle. He was about to respond when he sensed a familiar, presence approaching. He'd took his time, surely . A second later, the door swung open.
Smoker stepped in, his eyes immediately locking onto the back of Ace's head.
"You..." Smoker growled, biting down hard on his twin cigars.
"We won't be taking him in, Smoker," Toji said without turning around. "It wouldn't bode well for the town or the people here, so leave him."
Smoker paused, his gaze flickering between the notorious pirate and his superior officer/ friend, sitting together like old friends. He looked suspicious, yet still unbothered. Smoker wasn't one for political nuances; nor did he want to ask Toji questions of why he'd be so calm close to that notorious pirate, he saw a criminal, and he wanted a collar put on him, right away.
"I don't care for your suggestions," Smoker muttered, ignoring the direct order.
Toji sighed and shifted his weight, moving further towards the right, just a bit more away from ace. He sensed something else something fast, loud, and hungry. Luffy was here as well.
Ace and Smoker were now locked in a staring contest, neither blinking and not even sensing the danger they were in.
"Surrender yourself willingly, Portgas D. Ace," Smoker demanded.
Ace's smirk turned predatory reading himself for the fight that would't come. "I think not."
"FOOOOOD!"
The shout came from outside, moving faster than the men could react.
'Ah,' Toji thought 'There he is.'
CRASH!!
The door had disintegrated under the force and exploded in. A rubbery blur propelled itself through the entrance, slamming into Smoker with the force of a cannonball. The impact sent Smoker flying into Ace, and both men were launched through the back wall of the tavern in a cloud of dust and debris.
Toji remained seated, calmly finishing his water as a gaping hole now stared back at him where the wall used to be.
The other peoples of the tavern were in shock, even more so when they witnessed luffy's behavior as if he hadn't injured two men and destroyed a portion of the establishment.
"Food!"
"Food!"
Food, he slammed his fists on the counter to demand, blind to the fact that Toji sat staring at him unknowingly.
"Its been a few days hasn't it mugiwara?"
"Hmmm?"
"Its you again you lying bastard!!!"
For God's sake Toji mentally facepalmed.
"I didn't lie to you, you hard headed miscreant you just don't ask questions."
"Oi! Oi! Stay there , i'm going to punch you" He surmises while raising a fist.
"How about I buy you food and we can talk?"
"Ok then." Luffy agreed quickly as he blatantly ignored the fact that they were just enemies.
How shameless of him. But it did play out into Toji's favor.
The shift in Luffy's demeanor was instantaneous. The promise of a free meal acted like a sedative on his aggression, and he hopped onto a stool with a wide, toothy grin, his stomach letting out a groan that rivaled a beast.
Toji signaled the shell-shocked bartender. "Everything you have ready. Double it. And keep the juice coming."
As the cook scrambled into the kitchen, Toji leaned back, the shadow of his hood still obscuring his features. "You have a habit of crashing through walls, Mugiwara. It's an expensive hobby."
"I was hungry!" Luffy shouted, already gnawing on a stray piece of bread he found on a nearby plate. He stopped mid-chew, squinting at Toji.
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