Hitomi bit her lip as she watched what was going on, startled to see someone had jumped from the roof near her, wondering if they had already seen her up there before jumping down. Growling to herself, Hit watched as the events unfolded curiously either way, only to see it slowly dissolve after some introductions were made.
A pirate captain looking for a crew.. That captain was named Vera, the Demon Queen. Hitomi wondered if she had heard that name before but she wasn't sure. As the others looked to depart, Hitomi made her move to get away since no one else was on the rooftops.
What she stumbled upon only made more and more questions rise in her own head, heading off to nowhere in particular as she was left in thought. Some time had passed as she stopped in front of the hotel that her things were supposedly left at, entering it to find them gone. Before she was about to say something as she realized it, a woman at the counter addressed her, "Excuse me, miss? Are you the one that planned to make a room reservation with some dropped off belongings?" Hitomi blinked, turning to face the woman, "Oh uh-.. Yeah.. I was.. Did you-?.." "Oh.. No, a marine came by and took care of that for you.. He said there was something he needed to speak to you about and that he's waiting at your room now.. He took care of the pay. It's room 3B."
Blinking, Hitomi was unsure why anyone would already be down here and seem to do things for her before asking.. Something didn't seem right to her, but she sighed and nodded, "Alright.. Thank you." And with that, she was off, heading to room 3B to find her things.
Entering the room as the door looked to remain unlocked, she slowly entered as she looked forward, seeing her bags set onto a table. Looking around, she didn't see anyone else inside as she shut the door. Her eyes narrowed as her brows tersed, body moving into an alert kind of state. "Hello?.. Show yourself. A Marine shouldn't need to hide from their own.." After she spoke, quiet laughter escaped a man's voice as he emerged from an unlit room. He wore a standard marine uniform with the sleeves torn off, looking to be in his mid fifties with a slim build. He had the look of a deceitful rat. "You?.. What are you doing here and what the hell do you want?.." "Come now.. That's no way to address a superior, Hitomi.." "The only superior I address and respect is my mo-.. The Commodore.." "Hnhnhn.. Fair enough.. But I wonder, what have you been up to my little Ensign?" "None of your concern.. I've only been gathering ingredients and other things for the trip back to base." "Is that so? It doesn't have anything to do with a Demon Queen?" "What are you getting at?" "Oh nothing.. Just if the Commodore's daughter were to get into trouble with some pirates all on her lonesome, it wouldn't look good for her considering her future situation.." "What do you mean, what does my mother have anything to do with it?.." "Just be quiet and listen, I'll tell you a story.. A story of a redheaded 'doctor' gone traitor."
Hitomi audibly growled as anger was clear in her eyes, "What game are you playing at here? I'm in no mood for your jokes." The man laughed again with a sneer, "This is no joke my dear.. Your dear Commodore is nothing but a traitorous witch who defected from us twenty years ago." "What the hell proof do you have?" "Plenty.. They all believe her case to be that of a simple hostage scenario but I know better. She helped that would-be-executed bitch of a Captain escape with a band of pirates... She was your age during that time, a Lieutenant Commander just like myself.. Yet here I am, still among that rank at my age while she's a fucking Commodore? Bahaha... The system can go rot in hell.. Oh but don't worry.. I don't plan on spoiling the fun just yet.. You may be able to do something to prevent all of this after all.."
"Damned snake, what is it you're exactly after?" "Simple.. I never liked the Commodore and I would do anything to see her rotting away like the whore she is--.." "You take that back, bastard." "Or what? You'll kill me? Hnhn, I'm afraid that won't be so easy.. You see, I'm not the only one who wishes to see her downfall.. And if I'm somehow to be brought out of the picture.. All that proof will be publicized for all to see, slandered even further to make it look more and more like the truth.. We both know how the Marines really work.. Your mother seeks to change that, make them better... Hah.. Don't make me sick.. You can't fix a system already broken except by becoming stronger by it.."
Hitomi was pissed now from hearing all this, clenching her hands and showing clear signs of holding back, having to listen to the words the man had spewed. She reached a point where she couldn't hold it back any further before growling out in anger before her body went relaxed. Her face was still holding that of an angered fury, her legs shifting around to then lightly bounce herself up and down for a few moments before saying a single phrase, "Blackfoot-.."
After she spoke, she vanished practically from thin air as she quickly ended up behind the man, a leg raised and ready to slam it down upon him with great force. The man was already expecting this as he grinned, pivoting himself around and catching her leg as it was raised. Pulling her down abruptly, Hitomi gasped as she was slammed to the floor, her leg still gripped in his hand, "Ah ah ah... No need to be hasty my dear girl.." He leaned down before reaching for her head, pushing her down, her stomach to the floor. Letting go of her leg, he pinned her as he then pressed his unused arm against her back, something in his hand pressing against her as well, "Y-You bastard-.. Let me go you rotten shit--.." "Angry are we?.. Why don't you try and free yourself then, use your devil fruit.. Oh wait.. You can't can you? You feel yourself getting weak, don't you?" "What--.. You.. How the hell did you get--.." "That doesn't matter.. What does matter is that right now you're just a helpless little girl brought on her knees. I have my doubts that you're even a 'woman' yet.. Considering how many pirates are really here in this town and the wonderful figure your mother had bestowed upon you, it'd be easy to strew a story of how you got yourself into trouble and 'paid the price'..." The man laughed hoarsely as Hitomi growled in disgust, "Oh but don't worry... I won't do that to you yet.. You still have a use to me.. That is if you want to save your mother from humiliation, and possibly even execution.. All you have to do is do what I'm about to tell you.."
"B-Bastard-...!" "As long as I have this stone with me, you can't do anything to me.. So just sit tight and listen.. If you do this for me, then I will spare your precious Commodore.." "Rot in hell you pri--.." He'd add some pressure to holding her down, causing her to mewl quietly in pain, her blue eyes shooting daggers at him, "Hnhnhn... I should do something about that tongue of yours, maybe put it to good use later.. But for now just listen.. That Demon Queen, Vera, that particular captain may be a wonderful opportunity for me to impress the higher ups... And I want you to join them.. Detach yourself from the Marines and join her crew.. Do that and I will spare your mother.."
With another sickening laugh, the man slowly got up as he dragged Hitomi to her feet as well, shoving her off so she collided with the table and chairs, "You only have until tomorrow.. If you don't find a way to join them then, you can say goodbye to your mother's honor. That's all.... Oh, and if you go and rat this out to the others.. I will know.. And they will be quite hard-pressed to believe you. If you do, then there's no chance of you stopping me from framing the Commodore... I guess with that, I will take my leave.. As much as I do wish to have.. Had some 'fun' with you.. I do have other business to attend to.." With that, the older man turned and left with a hearty, despicable laugh, leaving Hitomi to her devices as she laid there among the collapsed table and belongings, infuriated to no end.
Why?... Why was this happening? She was so enraged and saddened she wanted to just break something. She found herself crying at the end of it, gritting her teeth at her own ineptitude to do anything. She witnessed herself being vulnerable right there, and she hated it. She hated that man for what he was going to do, and she always had even before then. As she spoke out in the empty room, her voice was laced with furious venom, "Slaine... You bastard, you won't win with this-...."
There was much to decide on...