Nonchalance and was the mantra of Birdie's physical actions while mentally he was as observant and anxious as ever. He was dressed in his typical attire with both his hands pressed into his denim pockets. The only weapon he bothered to take off the ship with him today was his six round pistol. He was sufficient enough with his hands that should anyone try him, he'd be able to handle himself and his plus one for the day. A little irritated with his disciple for lack of a better title, Birdie dragged Verde along with him to his usual loitering grounds. Slithering through the streets like he always did, Verde naively followed with child like eyes, taking in everything he saw. This was his first time being brought to the lawless side of Jaya. It wasn't actually lawless, but it might as well had been since none of the few Marines actually on the island ever bothered to travel so deep into such a heavily saturated area.

"Lower your eyes a bit, you look like a victim to a robbery already." Birdie shook his head as he spoke to Verde who was a bit slow on actually catching his words. "Huh? . . . Oh . . . ok." He was draped in his usual loud purple attire which Birdie thought was an eyesore, but he didn't want to take the kid's individuality away. "Just hold on to this, so you at least look a bit intimidating or something." Birdie unfastened his holster with his pistol and handed it to Verde who clumsily fastened it around his hip.

Out of the filthy streets, the duo stepped into an even filthier pub, the Salty Spittoon. "Uhhh, there's a table right there Bird-" Birdie turned his head and put a finger to his lips. "For as long as we're in this part of town, I'm Dante. Our business is at the bar anyways." Verde nodded, figuring it had to do with the News Coo article that was released not too long ago. "Hm?" Birdie stopped in his tracks tot he bar, noticing only the assistant of his purveyor was present. "On that holster, there should be a leather pouch with some Beli in it. Handle this trade for me." Verde looked at Birdie then at the man who sat at the bar with two empty seats to his left and right, then a suitcase in his lap. Nodding to Birdie he went to the supplier to tend to business.

Birdie himself would observe how Verde did from in the company of a few other of his own men. These seven crewmates of his having arrived at the bar prior to Birdie and Verde, had already occupied a table and had a seat left for Birdie and Verde, but he wouldn't be needing it anytime soon. Making his way near the far right corner of the pub, he sat in the company of his allies. "I don't know why you put so much faith in him Dante. He just seems so empty minded at times." Birdie nodded and laughed at the remark. "What can I say, I see things a lot of people don't." He leaned back onto the two back legs of the chair, propping his feet up on the table in a perfect balancing act like he always did. Arms across his chest he watched on for a moment before another one of his crewmates spoke to him specifically. "Hey, do you think that guy in the corner is a bit familiar looking?" Birdie entertained the comment and looked over his shoulder shamelessly at the man sitting at the table next tot heirs in the corner by his lonesome. Squinting a bit he did feel the guy was vaguely familiar, but a lot of people were to Birdie. With the type of person he was though, he couldn't just let the thought go, because it might be important to know who this guy is. His eyes left the man's fram for a fleeting moment as he looked back at Verde, before it clicked and Birdie began to laugh quite loudly. The banter of the pub didn't stop and it only drew the attention of a few as it would seem as if those he was with had told a great joke, as others in the pub laughed similarly all the time. "I'll be damned." He voice was a bit more gruff as he said this and took his feet off the table causing his chair to rock forward stably, now on all four legs. Standing up, he walked over to this man's table, grabbed a chair and sat in it, his back facing his companions, with the rest of the pub to his right side and the man to his left. "Does the name Rooster ring any bells to you?" Again with the shameless attitude, Birdie gazed at the man with a grinning smile as if waiting for him to fall into his trap. If the man was who Birdie had thought he was, the name Rooster would surely bring thoughts of a young ambitious dreamer named Ondori to his mind.

 

Birdie sighed and shook his head side to side in a disappointed manner. Leaning forward onto the table top on both his elbows, he propped his face up on his knuckles. "You see . . ." He paused for a moment in thought, selecting his words with marksman like precision. "I'm not a big fan of the whole, getting hotter getting colder thing. If you are who I'm pretty sure you are, Rooster's previous client, then you'd benefit much more by not playing games. Chances are you'd end up with the shitty end of the stick when it's all said and done anyhow." He leaned back off his hands and pulled his elbows off the table, now slouching back in the chair, his gaze adverted to the ceiling. Inhaling the tobacco and nicotine in the air as a way of soothing his anxiety, he licked his lips then exhaled. "So . . . one more try." His eyes were back on this man, the look in his eyes showing he was already near the end of his patience. "Where did you and my little Rooster leave off?"

In truth Ondori had been one of Birdie's previous companions and Birdie was who taught the youngin all that he knew about science back in Baltigo. He was sad to hear he had died on Drum Island, but figured he'd get caught up sooner or later for he had made too many enemies and drew too much attention to himself. At least too much attention without the means of dealing with the bullshit that came with it.

Birdie's companions had their eyes trained on Verde for the most part, but occasionally they'd glance over to Birdie and Mr. Slasher, not all at once, but just as their attention span lead them to.

 

Birdie chuckled crudely at hearing the man's sour experience with Ondori. When he finished speaking, Birdie began nodding affirmatively. This was surely whom he thought it was. If that much was true, it was odd that he had already been released from Impel Down, but that was none of his worries. That didn't mean it was none of his business though. Birdie was already itching to dig into the subject, but it wasn't of relevance right now. It could always be picked at later should Birdie succeed in planting his seed now. "He's one of my less fortunate products. A little too ambitious for his own good. Left the nest too early and ended up getting killed out on Drum Island." Birdie scrunched his mouth to the side in a disappointed fashion. It truly was a shame and he did feel Ondori had some unrealized potential. "No use in crying over spilled milk however. Have you happened to find someone else who could supply you with your peculiar request?" Birdie's devious grin returned, Ondori may have been foolish enough to get himself killed by some rookie freelancer, but he did right to forge a relationship with Navy personnel. Birdie hadn't done so bad on him after all. "It should go without saying you'd gain more from the brat's mentor than the brat himself." Birdie was much of an amplification of Ondori and was achieving what it was that the sprout was reaching. So while he bore sweeter fruits, he undoubtedly was more venomous than his offspring.

 

Birdie wasn't too content with having to steer the whole negotiation. Sure he could set his own terms or at least try, but it didn't offer Birdie any insight on to who the man really was as a person. "This is quite the one sided conversation. If we establish this relationship this way I don't see you drawing much benefit from it." Birdie was quite annoyed with the passive nature of the man and was amazed that Rooster could go on so long with tolerating him. "Not like that concerns me, but it's simple, you keep this here." Birdie withdrew a Baby Den Den Mushi and placed it on the table. It's eyes closed, dormant in rest waiting to be used. "And any request you have will be heard. What you want my goods for is none of my business and how or where I get my goods I supply to you are none of yours. Simple as that."  Birdie shrugged and left it at that. The Den Den Mushi in the center of the table was a symbol of their partnership, either he took it or he didn't.

On Verde's side of things it was getting a bit heated. Being strong-armed a bit while Birdie was preoccupied a few others under their purveyors banner had slid in and placed themselves in the general vicinity. "I'd be a deadman floating if I came back to report I had paid 150% the original price. I suggest you lower your price." The man he was speaking with exhaled reluctantly. "Both of us play the role of assistant, so I know just how arduous and tedious your job is . . . As is my own." Just as he ended his sentence Verde had placed a firm grip on the pistol Birdie had given him. "I don't think you quite understand that my life is on the line here. I'd appreciate if we ended the child's play and closed this deal while we're both unharmed." As he said that the extras the purveyor had brought in stood from their seats and approached Verde causing Birdie's companions to do the same. "Have some trust in him. I know he's a young one, but he'll get out just fine . . ." Birdie spoke over his shoulder, but kept his body facing Mr. Slasher, before reaffixing his attention back on him in wait for his response.

 

So stiff collared and colorless. Birdie hoped this man really was worth sticking a syringe into. Ondori made him out to be something worth a man's time, but as of now Birdie was a bit skeptical. "Shouldn't judge a book by it's cover I suppose" Birdie thought to himself while the man droned on about the Den Den Mushi and how he traveled. For how much he said he traveled he sure did lack culture.

Birdie took his Baby Den Den Mushi first and stuck it back in his inner jacket pocket, before grabbing the man's and reaching backwards with it. "Make sure it's frisked before we board the ship." One of his companions took the transpoder snail out of his hand before looking at it curiously. "Sure thing." Birdie's eyes stayed trained on the man searching for any signs of life outside of his mouth moving. Already he had a strong sense of distrust in this one. Usually they'd at least care to fake being cordial to his face, but this guy was just bland. Hopefully he'd reveal he had another facial expression when time for Birdie to make him bend to his ambition came. Surely he would, who could resist?

"Lemme see." Birdie extended a hand for the paper his client held in his hand. Should he be given the paper he'd nod in a sagely manner. "Looks like we'll need our little fledging alive for this one. Someone go make sure he gets out of that mess alive." Birdie would have withdrawn a pair of glasses from his inner jacket pocket and put them on his face to read the blueprints. His glasses just barely hanging on the edge of his nose, he'd look through the lenses at the paper while he spoke to his company of hooligans behind him. The shuffling of two chairs, maybe three let Birdie know he was heard and he'd be departing the pub soon. "Where and how soon do you need this?" He'd look up with his eyes only a much more mature side of him being displayed now that his creative gears were churning and ticking away.

 

Birdie laughed at the shitty bait that Asher had tossed out for him to bite. "And I'm actually quite the philanthropist." Birdie cheesed at Asher before cackling in laughter. Swatting the garbage away, Birdie was baffled to hear the expectations Asher had tossed at him. Looking back at the paper, he would look back up at Asher and remove his glasses. "You want this shit by tomorrow? You must think I'm dry on business and have no other clients or that you have some privilege to be prioritized. When I show up with this tomorrow, you better expect nothing short of highway robbery." Tucking his glasses away, he also folded up the paper and tucked it in his jacket as well. "Anyways, all that's needed to be said is done, tomorrow it is." Standing up as Asher did, a shot from a pistol would ring off in the bar and Birdie's men would run off out the back door while Birdie casually made his way out the front with the rest of his company. "Another successful day I guess." The men behind him chuckled greedily as they walked behind Birdie who was heading to the rendezvous point where the others were headed. Birdie wasn't looking to cut his ties off with that contact, but he knew the time was coming sooner or later. Actually . . . he was happy it happened. Verde took matters into his own hands, it showed he was growing up and maturing.

[Exit]