Epilog
Epilogue
It was already late when Nami arrived at the Rip Off Bar. She cursed Spandam for putting the teachers' meeting on Friday afternoon.
"I am so sorry for being late!" Nami blurred out upon her arrival inside of the small establishment.
Vivi was sitting at the counter and chatting with Shakky, the owner of the place and an older man she had never seen before.
"Let me guess: Spandam couldn't come down from his mighty horse?" Shakky looked at her with a bemused smile.
"Spandam?" The older man shot the bartender a questioning look. "What is that idiot doing these days?"
"Teaching." the woman replied with disgust. "They should have imprisoned him long ago, especially after assaulting those children..."
"You have to tell me that story!" Nami demanded, sitting down on the free barstool on Vivi's side.
"Nami, this is Silvers Rayleigh. He is something like Shakky's boyfriend." Vivi introduced the guy and started laughing, as both of the mentioned people started arguing on the spot.
"Well, seems like a working and healthy relationship." Nami joked, getting all four them to laugh.
"It miraculously is." Silvers commented, while Shakky served one of the other guests. "If something doesn't work, I simply disappear and come back when I believe it to be solved."
"Does it work?" Nami asked doubtfully.
"Nope. But I mostly get into trouble and can't come back earlier." Silvers laughed.
"You are a fucking idiot." Shakky sighed. "What do you want to drink?" She asked Nami and took her order.
"Shakky, you know everything and everybody, right?" Vivi asked out of the sudden."What do you think about Gol D Roger?"
The bartender didn't reply for a while. "I believe it isn't my opinion you should seek. Silvers was one of his men." With that, she walked over to some customers who have been demanding her attention.
"Why do you ask?" Silvers whispered.
"Personal reasons." the bluenette replied, looking him straight in the eyes.
Nami watched the scene in silence, sure that she was getting her part of the story later.
"He was a magnificent man." Silvers stated. "You should be aware that the people he really knew would never say a bad word about that man."
He drank some of his beer. "Is that what you wanted to know?"
Vivi nodded, staring in front of herself with an empty expression.
"Well, I should be going." Silvers stood up after a short glance on the clock. "Stuff has to be done. Have a good night." he disappeared out of the door before the girls could react, just in time to let the knife Shakky threw after him struck the door.
"That idiot didn't pay again." the woman sighed with annoyance. "I will fucking kill him one day."
"You rather shouldn't." Nami commented, earning herself an angry look.
"I bet you will end up with somebody just like him." Shakky muttered and walked away.
"I bet I will." Nami whispered, before turning to Vivi.
"What was up with that?" she questioned, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"I believe he was Ace's father. Ace is the son of Gol D Roger." the bluenette whispered in an upset tone.
"How did you find out?" Nami wanted to know. This was some other news.
"Pell." Vivi admitted. "You know how good he is with stuff like this. Remember how he dealt with that guy who annoyed Nojiko? Well, he has gotten even better at getting information."
Nami shook her head, stunned.
"But what are you going to do about your relationship now that you know?" she asked carefully. Not that the news changed anything about how she saw Ace or something like that, but now she understood his psychical and emotional condition and as it seemed, he had even more problems than she had initially assumed.
Vivi didn't reply. Instead she motioned Shakky that she wanted two tequila shots.
"I broke up with him already." she finally confessed when Shakky put the glasses in front of them. "It was even before I got the news about his father from Pell."
This time, it was Nami who stayed silent.
"This afternoon, I went over to his place and talked with him about everything. I told Ace that I am not longer capable of dealing with his jealousy. Nami, I really really love him, but there are certain boundaries he has overstepped and I can't no longer date him."
"It's fine. You did what was best for yourself. Don't feel guilty about it." Nami tried to snoot her friend, but was stopped by Vivi turning to face her directly.
"No. You don't understand." the bluenette's eyes were clear and her face lighting. "I don't feel guilty. I feel completely fine. I know that I did what was best."
She fell silent again.
"I feel free. Just like you said. I am happy now as it it." her smile stretched from ear to ear.
"That's great." Nami hugged her friend. "That's really great."
"Ace and I have decided to stay friends. We consider to try it again later, whenever we feel like it, but he has to deal with his problem and he knows that. I am going to help. But for now, for now all that doesn't matter." she gleamed. "But are you happy, Nami?" she whispered into her ear as they were still hugging.
"I am." the ginger replied in a steady voice. For once, she believed it herself. "I am over Enel now, I have met a lot of interesting people and I am sure even more will come."
"Than let us be happy together." Vivi ended the hug just to get her glass. Nami did the same. "To happy singles! Cheers!" both emptied their glasses in one go, starting to laugh uncontrollably just after.
"This will be a great evening!" Nami couldn't but comment.
THE END
