Secret Weapon (Eustass Kid x Reader : Modern AU)

9. Arlong Park

Your phone rings as you are on your way to Rain Dinners.

"Hello?"

"Y/N! How could you do this to me?" Tashigi cries on the other end.

"Look, I'm sorry for leaving you hungover in the house, but Koby and I-"

"It's not that!" She wails. "Why didn't you confiscate my phone last night? You know that I do crazy shit when I'm drunk."

"What did you do?" You say walking into the restaurant.

"I drunk dialled Zoro." Tashigi says. "23 times!"

You burst out laughing. "Did he answer any of them?"

"He answered all of them! That's not even the worst part. This morning he sent me this text. Hold on." She says.

Your phone beeps and you open the text, it reads: "Call me. Btw, I recorded all of last night's calls. You have some explaining to do."

"Oh, my. Please call him. And tell me all about it." You beg.

"Shut up, I hate you!" She says. "Im gonna put it off as long as possible."

"Good luck." You say, and she hangs up.

Both you and Koby have to wait for over half an hour before Cindry shows up, fashionably late as always. She is wearing a disguise, a black wig, and instead of a dress as usual, she is wearing jeans and a t-shirt, with sunglasses to top it off. She, of course, sticks out like a sore thumb in the restaurant where everyone was either in formal or semi formal dressing.

"Aunt Cindry." Koby smiles, greeting her.

"Koooby." She sighs as she sits down. "How many times must I tell you not to call me that? Just call me Cindry, I don't want people to think that I'm old."

Koby rolls his eyes as Cindry turns to you.

"My, my, it's like I'm looking at Cornelia all over again." She squeals.

Cindry and your mother grew up together, they weren't well off, but all they ever dreamed about was to become famous one day. They became models together, starting from the bottom and slowly climbing up as more agencies noticed them.

Your mother's career was put to a brief pause while she was pregnant with you, and afterwards, Cindry also had to look after her nephew Koby. Cindry and Nell lived together in one apartment so they usually left you and Koby together with a babysitter while they went to work.

"I don't look like my mum at all." You say, taking a sip from the fruit juice that you ordered before Cindry arrived.

"You aren't as pretty as Nell, but it's there, if you look hard enough." She giggles. "I heard you joined a gang, looks like you have your father's spirit."

You stiffen. That is the last thing you want to talk about with her. "Where'd you hear that?" You ask.

"Alvida told me." She says looking distastefully at the porcelain plate in front of her. For some reason, after her last divorce, Cindry seems to have developed an intense dislike for plates in general.

"How the hell does Alvida know what Y/N has been up to?" Koby asks irritably. He cannot stand Alvida.

"What do you mean? She keeps me updated on what is happening with all my kids. Congratulations on being selected for a special task force, by the way, Koby." Cindry ruffles his hair.

Koby moves out of her reach. "That's bullshit. Don't tell me you're still paying her! I moved out of that place years ago!" He scowls.

"I'm not paying her. She raised you for me, I'm just thanking her because you turned out so well." She says, oblivious to Koby's anger.