Partners

Li Ziming cleaned his bar. The liquor on Whiskey Peak was decent; after tasting it, he felt the island's selection could meet all his cocktail-making needs.

"Oh ho ho ho! So this is where my partner hangs out? What a run-down place." A frivolous female voice came from the doorway.

"Welcome." Li Ziming smiled. Flighty or not, he never turned away a customer.

"You're Mr. 5?" The woman who appeared before him was fashionably dressed, though he couldn't say much for her taste. Everywhere he looked, he saw lemons: on her hat, her earrings, her clothes, and even the umbrella in her hand.

"You're my partner? Don't tell me your code name is Miss Lemon," Li Ziming teased.

"Do you have a death wish? My code name is Miss Valentine!" She glared at him. "I'm warning you, I ate the Kilo Kilo no Mi. I can change my weight however I like..."

"So you never have to worry about gaining weight?" Li Ziming said with a smile.

"You really do have a death wish!" Miss Valentine floated upward. "I'll crush you!"

"Now that's an interesting way to attack." Li Ziming suddenly appeared beside her. To Miss Valentine's horror, he was hovering in midair, watching her. "But what happens if you miss and slam yourself into the ground?" he asked curiously.

"None of your business!" Miss Valentine shouted. "Nobody can dodge my attacks!"

"Is that so?" Li Ziming gave a wicked grin and grabbed her by the head.

"W-what are you doing?" Miss Valentine was so frightened she forgot to deactivate her ability.

"Nothing." Li Ziming smiled warmly, then began swinging her around like a windmill.

"Waaaaah!" Miss Valentine's terrified screams rang throughout Edenhell. Before long, Li Ziming felt the weight in his hand suddenly increase.

"Did she pass out?" He gradually stopped spinning. By then, her eyes had turned into spirals.

"Maybe I went a little too far?" Li Ziming scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I'll make her a glass of lemonade to apologize."

"What did you do to your partner?" Robin's voice came from behind him. "Miss Valentine looks like you broke her."

Li Ziming shrugged. "I was just teaching my partner a little lesson about how to treat people."

"Training her, are you? I never would've guessed you were that type," Robin said in surprise.

"You could call it that." Li Ziming didn't argue. "But what brings you here, Vice President?"

"Oh? Weren't you the one who invited me to your bar?" Robin took a seat at the counter. "Aren't you going to offer me a drink?"

"Juice or alcohol?" Li Ziming asked.

"I hear you're good at making cocktails. Make me one suited to a woman." Robin smiled at him.

"No problem." Li Ziming thought for a moment about cocktails that might suit her, then settled on one.

He took white crème de cacao, green crème de menthe, and fresh cream from the shelves, poured them into a shaker with ice, and soon placed a pale green drink before Robin.

"Grasshopper. Please, give it a try." Li Ziming slid the glass toward her.

"That's not fair! I'm your partner! I want one too!" Miss Valentine had woken up at some point, and seeing her partner fuss over someone else left her thoroughly annoyed.

"All right, this one's yours." Li Ziming added some ice to a glass of lemonade and set it in front of her.

"Hmph! Even if you make me the best cocktail in the world to apologize, I won't just forgive you for what you did!" Miss Valentine clearly still held a grudge over being swung around by the head.

"Would you like another round?" To Miss Valentine, Li Ziming's smile now looked positively demonic.

"No, no, no!" She shook her head frantically, then lowered it and quietly drank her lemonade.

"Heh." Robin smiled at the scene. She had thought Li Ziming was another schemer like Sand Crocodile Crocodile, plotting something of his own. Seeing him like this made her less certain.

Shaking her head, Robin turned to the Grasshopper. As she lifted the glass, the fresh scent of mint and the rich aroma of cacao rose to greet her. She took a sip, and the smooth richness of the cream filled her mouth with sweetness.

"That's a very good drink," Robin said appreciatively. She truly had never tasted anything like it. Something this sweet could hardly be called a cocktail; perhaps it was better described as dessert.

"I'm glad you like it." Li Ziming shrugged.

"You two may have an assignment soon. You'd better be ready," Robin told him. "It'll also be a chance for the boss to see what you can do, so make a good showing."

"So soon?" Miss Valentine said in surprise. "I mean, you're pretty strong, aren't you?"

"Stronger than you, at least. You already tested that for yourself, didn't you?" Li Ziming gave her an amused look.

"You really are irritating," Miss Valentine grumbled. "Once this assignment is over, I'm asking the higher-ups for a new partner." She hurled her glass at him.

"Sounds like you really don't want to work with me." Li Ziming caught the glass, rinsed it, and took out a cloth to dry it. "Who would you rather partner with?"

Miss Valentine slumped onto the counter. There were other senior agents, but either she couldn't stand them or she had no hope of replacing their partners. The more she thought about it, the more she realized the man in front of her was her best option.

"Argh! Why is everyone in our organization so difficult?" Miss Valentine cried, sounding as though she had given up. "Is having an awful personality a hiring requirement? The worse you are, the easier it is to get in?"

"If the boss heard you say that, he'd definitely dock your pay," Robin said with a laugh.

"You even get your pay docked? It really does sound like a proper company, not a criminal organization." Li Ziming was surprised by how Baroque Works operated. Judging by its benefits alone, it resembled the underworld organizations of his old world. For a pirate to have that kind of managerial vision, along with the cunning behind his plot to overthrow Alabasta... Li Ziming suspected many people underestimated the Sand Crocodile.

"Of course. Though if you'd rather not be paid, I'm sure the boss would be delighted," Robin teased.

"I'll pass. I need my salary to keep this bar running." Li Ziming shook his head. "Besides, if assignments are rare, where else could I get paid for doing nothing? And even when there is work, I'm sure my wonderful partner Miss Valentine can handle it perfectly on her own."

"Why aren't you going to do any work?" Miss Valentine demanded angrily.

"That's a remarkably blatant declaration of laziness." Robin looked at Li Ziming in amusement. "Is it really wise to say that in front of the vice president?"

"Why not? I finally have a partner. It would be a waste not to exploit... I mean, make use of her help." Li Ziming completely ignored Miss Valentine's furious glare.

"You said 'exploit,' didn't you? You definitely said it!" Miss Valentine glared daggers at him.

"You really are an awful man," Robin said, at a loss for words.

"And how do you feel about this awful man, Vice President? A little curious, perhaps? You know, when a woman grows curious about a man, it's often the first sign she's falling for him." Li Ziming gave Robin a flirtatious look.

Robin decided the man in front of her was utterly shameless. She rolled her eyes, no longer interested in answering him.

"Hey, you two! Stop ignoring me!" Miss Valentine's angry shout filled Edenhell.

Grasshopper

Ingredients: white crème de cacao, green crème de menthe, and fresh cream.

Method: Add all ingredients and ice to a cocktail shaker. Shake for about five seconds, then pour into a glass.