"Don't play coy with me!" Teach's voice roars throughout the entire museum, his eyes bulging with rage as he slams his fist against the receptionist's counter, only drawing an irritant sigh from Kyo's lips in return as her fingers massage her aching forehead. "I know you've had it!"

She thought she'd be able to relax once the tour was over but it would seem that isn't going to happen. 

"If I were to take your ring, I'd do so with the intention of using it in a display..." The redhead lowly mutters as she holds the furious man's stare, her brows furrowed and a pout dominating her features while her pale hand gestures to the side. "So, feel free to check Blackbeard's exhibit, you'll soon find that it isn't here - because I don't have it."

"You are the only one who has noticed me wearing it, the only other person who knows it's value! Don't try to play me, you thieving little slut!" The insult makes her grimace somewhat, not because of the name itself but mainly because a few specs of saliva spray from his lips while he cusses, landing on the girl's cheek. 

Disgust as well as annoyance rapidly beginning to boil inside her although she maintains a cool exterior, calmly wiping the spit away with her sleeve, not missing how Drake glares at the bearded man, the dinosaur-lover clearly bothered by how he speaks to women.

"When did it go missing?" She softly questions, though her composure only seems to rattle the man even more, his hands slamming down on the counter as he leans in closer, his livid eyes burning into her own but she doesn't waver in the slightest, merely just staring back at him while waiting for his response. 

"Last. Night." He essentially hisses through gritted teeth, his fiery gaze only intensifying when she smirks at his answer.

"I was at a party last night." 

"Oh, how convenient!" 

"Alright, that's enough." Drake finally stepping in despite it not being his place to do so, drawing in the black-bearded man's attention as he shifts in front of his employer's daughter, much to her dismay. "She has an alibi and if she wanted the ring so bad, she would've made a deal with you. She isn't a thief." 

He has a point, furthermore he puts it across far more politely than she could. 

Though she still doesn't appreciate how he shields her as if she were a child.

"I can look after myself, Diez."

"She was intrigued by the damn ring and now it's gone! Do you not see the coincidence here, boy?!" At this point the man's argument is just going around in circles, Kyo's fingers pinching the bridge of her nose as her eyes fall closed, her head throbbing with each word that blasts from his mouth.

"Must you yell so loudly? I've encountered children more quiet than you." Her rhetorical question only earning her a frustrated growl in return, though Drake at least tries to defuse the situation once again - he certainly doesn't get paid enough for this. 

"The city is full of money-grabbers, Mr. Marshall." He speaks with a tad of sympathy in his tone, something that seems to ease the larger male stood before him, even if only slightly. "I'm sure others noticed it's value but if someone was planning to steal it from you, they wouldn't have vocally pointed it out, right? Were you hanging around with any untrustworthy people recently? Apart from us, of course."

"Hmph..." The raven folding his arms over his big chest, his lips pursing together as a deeply thoughtful expression begins to set into his features. "Well, I was having drinks with Donquixote just the other day and Crocodile last night..."

Crocodile?

Realization hitting the girl like a tidal wave as her eyes snap open, cold sweat trickling down her face as her stare shoots back up toward Teach, luckily his attention is more focused on Drake however, if otherwise he might have caught sight of her guilty expression.

Sure, she may not have stolen the ring personally but she is partially responsible, assuming that Crocodile really is behind it. 

If he had drinks with Doflamingo, then it could have been him who took it, he's a slippery man after all.

But for all she knows; he could've been drinking with Rocinante or one of the cousins instead.

The surname alone isn't really enough to work with, unfortunately.

"Crocodile wears rings often, yes?" Kyo intercepts upon finally finding her voice once more, forcing her cold and indifferent façade as Teach's gaze rests back on her own. "Perhaps arrange another drinking session with him, try to see if he's wearing the jewellery...?"

Something tells her if Crocodile was the one who took it, he'd purposefully wear it in front of the person he stole it from, just as a further slap to the face. 

He certainly seems like the type...

"Oh, I'll do a little more than look for it, zehahaha!" Even while laughing, his tone still harbours a subtle growl. His features gradually relaxing, shoulders lowering and back straightening up as he finally retracts his hands from the counter. "I'm sorry for accusing you, Littlen. Perhaps you wouldn't have been so obvious if you were the thief, like your little...friend implied."

Hm?

Sometimes it's incredibly difficult to decipher whether he's being genuine in his apologies or if he's merely mocking her but, whatever the case, she doesn't really care - he just wants to get rid of him.

"I wouldn't have stolen it at all; as Drake said, I prefer to trade." Even when her name is cleared, she still argues. She notices how his dark eyes subtly scan her fingers also, seemingly making sure one last time that she isn't wearing the ring, which seems completely ludicrous in her mind since her digits would be far too small for the piece. 

But she allows his observations nonetheless, so long as he doesn't attempt to touch her, she has no reason not to comply.

"Exactly...and if anyone tries to trade my ring--"

"We'll inform you." She assures before he has the opportunity to finish, earning a small hum in reply as he turns around, about to leave before her voice stops him in his tracks. "Oh, and Teach; if you ever call me a slut again, I'll have you castrated."  

"Zehahaha~! How ironic, your father has threatened me with that line too, little Dracule~!"

It was likely more of a promise than a threat in that case.

As it is in hers; Mihawk may not be the sweetest parent in the world, however if somebody were to disrespect his daughter in such a vulgar way...yes, he may remove their manhood. 

Or worse, he does own a few ancient torture devises after all.

"Mhm, good luck finding that ring." She sarcastically murmurs with a charming smile, although on the inside she has already decided to buy the jewellery if it passes through the museum; not because she wants to wear it herself or put it on display, but simply because she doesn't want Teach to have it.

Slut, huh? I'll remember that.

"By the way, madam Dracule..." Drake voices once Teach is gone, gaining the girl's attention. Her brows finally able to knit in irritation as an inquisitive hum rumbles in the back of her throat, watching as the ginger grabs a small box from underneath the counter. "Somebody dropped this off for you earlier, I would've taken it to your office but I didn't get time."

Her orbs lingering on the container for a moment before she hesitantly reaches for it; it's maroon, petite and weightless, a little card stuck to the lid that simply reads;

Kyo-ya, 

Happy Birthday. 

- Law. 

She can barely make out the surgeon's handwriting, it's neat but also small and maybe even a little rushed, though it brings a warm smile to her lips, her annoyance slowly ebbing away as her finger softly brushes over the short message before she finally decides to lift the lid.

What greets her eyes are two silver hooped earrings, a cute little cross dangling from each of them and seemingly shining in the light, her mind immediately flashing back to how focused he was on her necklace just the other day.

So that was why...? 

Of course, she should have known, there is always a reason for Law's actions.

He's a thinker after all.  

The redhead trying her hardest (and failing terribly) to contain her smile, her brows relaxing as her expression softens, her gaze trailing back up to Drake as she instinctively and unknowingly presses the gift into her chest. 

"Thank you, Diez."