SMALL A/N BEFORE THE STORY:

Okay so this is my first multi-chapter story regarding one piece. This first chapter is to get the story going, so it is rather short, but the other chapters are all near 4K and such.

I'll add more important notes at the bottom so you can get on with the story :)

CHAPTER 1 - 2,388 words

Every story should have an introduction, right? So let's get on with ours.

It turned out that Law wasn't meeting his crew at Zou after all. The straw-hat crew had anchored at a random island to get some repairs done and Nami had called his crew behind his back, negotiating with them to meet them there. They had at least a week to get there with the unpredictable weather that conquered the new world, or near five days if they were lucky. Law was angry at first, but there was really nothing he could do, so he just kicked back and relaxed for the first day, only to be shocked senseless the day after when he saw a very familiar ship next to the Thousand Sunny.

The skull on the mast was a dead giveaway of Kidd's vessel, and Law couldn't help but laugh at his own luck. Of all the pirates in the New World, he just had to meet with Kidd again. Luffy, on the other hand, was just ecstatic, and that very evening the two pirates found themselves in a bar.

It was a stuffy bar, but not the bad kind of stuffy. It was kind of relaxing, to be in the presence of so many people and actually integrating without any double intentions, laugh without caring if one of Doflamingo's spies was writing down his every move, his every shift.

It was a rare occurrence, for two crews to meet on one island, and even rarer for them to get along like these two do. Well, counting Law, you could say two crews and another, but really, is there any need for those specifications?

Kidd threw back another shot as Luffy giggled loudly, busy playing with Usopp and Chopper as they hung out in the billiard area of the pub. It wasn't your every-day pub, and had a large area full of sofa booths where one could lounge comfortably, and another area with seemingly spotless billiard tables. Needless to say, seeing these three failing at billiard was an entertaining feat by itself, and by now they had gathered quite the crowd.

The rest of the straw-hat crew, Law, and Kidd's crew were all squashed in a large sitting both, just getting along and passing the night. Nami and Zoro were of course competing in drinking games, winning money off of Kidd's crew by the second as their competition dropped one by one. Kidd just grunted, having given up long ago to stop them from throwing away their money.

Law was sitting between Kidd and Nico Robin, with Franky, Brook and Sanji sitting opposite them. The cook had been fawning over the pretty lady until Kidd made him shut up, something which amazed Law greatly.

The surgeon was oddly quiet. He let the aura of happiness wash over him, the relaxation wrapping around him like a thick blanket. He felt strange, almost as if he was disconnected from his body, not really in control of his actions. The buzz of the conversations going on around him was just a lull in the background, and he felt at peace, almost as if nothing could go wrong with the world now. It was as if he was floating on cloud nine.

Law roughly shook his head, grimacing as he felt Kidd violently poke his side, all the while conversing with Sanji as if nothing was going on. The noises returned with surprising clarity, and Law couldn't help his shuddering breath as he emptied his glass, the alcohol burning as it went down his throat. It tasted odd, like nothing he had ever had before, and he had sampled a lot of different drinks over the years. This was a bit too spicy, but addictive in its taste, almost as if it was pleasing every nerve in his body.

"I think you have had enough for tonight." Kidd's low tone rumbled next to his ear, and the surgeon felt himself jump slightly.
"I can handle myself Eustass-ya." Law cringed at the way he slurred the pirate's name, questioning if he could really hold his liquor after all.
"You're covered with sweat and you were staring blankly at the table for the past twenty minutes Trafalgar." Was Eustass concerned? He certainly sounded concerned. Law couldn't help but thank whatever forces were looking over them as Kidd kept the conversation between them, leaving the straw-hat pirates to argue with each other so as to not notice Law's lapse in upholding his facade.

"I was just thinking, I'm fine." Law hurried to make an excuse, but in reality, he wasn't feeling fine, not by a long shot. The world was tipping and turning, and the conversation sounded far away, as if he was hearing them through a tunnel. He could hear his heart thumping, loud and clear as if it wanted to burst from his very chest, and didn't even register as Kidd dropped their secrecy, roughly grabbing him by his biceps as he shook the now barely responsive surgeon.

"LAW?" His name bounced from mouth to mouth as the occupants of the booth turned to glance at the surgeon, worry apparent in their gazes. Law grimaced as Kidd lifted him as if he were a ragdoll and pushed them both out of the booth. He was dimly aware of the feverish shakes that had taken over him, making it hard to keep his equilibrium as Kidd dragged him out. Out of the stuffy bar and into the open air. The sudden freshness on his face shocked him, and Law gasped, stumbling on his own legs as the world slid in and out of focus.

Kidd felt the surgeon stumble and quickly took hold of him, sitting the lanky pirate against the wall. He was honestly worried for his friend. Could he even consider Law a friend? No time to think that. The surgeon was shaking, cold sweat breaking along his brow as he attempted to breathe. The hitched, short and almost wheezing breaths were almost scary to listen to, and Kidd glanced worriedly at Law, who was grabbing his chest, as if trying to sooth some pain. His eyes were only half open, and the grey orbs were glazed over with unimaginable pain.

Knowing this wasn't a normal effect of drinking, Kidd barged in the bar again, shouting for a doctor before going next to Law again. The surgeon appeared to have calmed significantly, but was now eerily quiet. Kidd felt his own breath hitch as he kneeled next to the surgeon, quickly jamming a finger in the other man's throat, just under his jaw. The seconds seemed to stretch by as he felt no pulse, and saw that Law's chest was no longer falling or rising. His hand had fallen limply by his side.

Panic threatened to blind the red-haired pirate as he lay Law down, pushing his hands together as he started compressions on the apparently dead surgeon. Chopper came out that very second, his backpack in his hooves as he dropped it to the ground before dropping next to Law's head.

"What happened?" Although there was a hint of panic, the doctor seemed to have kept his head.
"No idea. He started shaking at the table and couldn't breathe, got him out here, and he suddenly stopped breathing." Kidd huffed as he pushed down on the surgeon's still chest.
"Was he experiencing chest pain?" Chopper's eyes seemed wide and eerily bright in the darkness of the night.
"I think so." Kidd dropped and delivered two breaths to Law after Chopper had pushed the surgeon's head back and checked that his airways were clear.
"Rip that shirt open, no time to waste. He went into cardiac arrest!" Chopper's shrill voice was commanding, leaving no room for arguments as he rummaged through his backpack for a small device.

Kidd effortlessly ripped the surgeon's sweater, exposing the man's muscled torso, and stood back as Chopper stuck two pads to Law's chest, before charging the device.

"Don't touch him." Chopper's order was clear as he pressed onto the device, and Kidd watched as the surgeon's lanky body jolted on the ground before a shuddering breath sounded.

Kidd exhaled in relief as Law jerked and turned on his side, coughing repeatedly as he attempted to get his breathing under control.

"Sit him up, it should help his breathing."

Law was jittery, shaking worse than ever as he glanced around, attempting to get his bearings. Kidd rested him against his own chest, feeling the sweat on the surgeon's back soak into his own skin. Law fidgeted, still attempting to calm his breathing as Chopper plugged a stethoscope in his ears.

"Law, I need you to breath with Kidd, get your heart under control or you're going to arrest again." Chopper's voice was soothing yet authoritative, and Kidd felt Law attempt to follow his breathing, calming down to a certain extent.

"What happened?" Law's voice was surprisingly sharp.
"You decided to die." Kidd was short and to the point as his concern outlined logical reasoning.
"You had a cardiac arrest, seemingly out of nowhere. I'm taking you back to the ship, you need to rest." Chopper sighed, trying to make heads and tails of what was happening.

Law was a relatively healthy young man, with perfect stamina and no health problems that he knew of, especially heart problems. A sudden cardiac arrest seemed too random… too planned, as if someone had caused it.. Or something. And for Law to seem so fine after having come back to life? It was almost surreal.

"Trafalgar just stay put for once!" Kidd's sudden exclamation shocked Chopper out of his reverie, and the young doctor snapped his attention to the present as he saw that Law was pacing, shockingly not as shaky as Chopper expected him to be, trying to make sense of what was happening.

"Chopper? Is everything okay?" Luffy's low baritone rang out from behind him, and the reindeer turned to see both their crews behind him, concern etched on every face.
"I don't know, I have no idea what happened." The young doctor admitted the truth as he stood up, determination setting in his very being when Law rested against the wall, unconsciously scratching his goatee.
"I have no idea either." Law's voice held pent up frustration as the shock of what had happened caught up with him. Chopper's sensitive ears caught the small hitch in the surgeon's breathing, and he saw the smallest of tremors in his hands when Law passed a hand through his hair.

Sanji was quick, fetching a glass of water just as Law sat on the ground, the exact same spot where he had apparently died, attempting to gather his bearings.

"Law, we'll get to the bottom of this, it may have been the stress of what happened lately, we'll find out." Chopper hopped on the surgeon's lap, his tiny hooves resting on the surgeon's chest, a silent support so Law wouldn't start hyperventilating.

Red welts were already starting to form where the young doctor had shocked him back to life.

"Chopper I just died. Excuse me if being shocked is not helpful but it's expected! How am I even as good as I am now? I'm completely fine, and you should know that's not normal!" Law's voice caught, and the surgeon lowered his head, regaining his breath before he downed the glass of water.

"I know it's not normal, hence why I'm getting you to the ship and try to determine what's going on, and you wounding yourself up into shock or another arrest won't help matters. We'll talk when we're in a more secure place, because nobody knows who might be watching here." Chopper was determined, and Kidd saw the surgeon exhale quietly as he shakily stood up, suddenly appearing pale and drawn.

"Traffy?" Law's eyebrow rose as he gazed at the captain, not even reacting at the much resented nickname. "You okay to walk?" Luffy was solemn, nothing like the child he had seemed to be only half an hour ago. Had it really only been half an hour?
"I'm fine Luffy-ya." Law uttered the words from under his breath and started to take a step. He was not prepared for the feeling of stepping only on air, and everybody saw the colour suddenly draining from his face as shocked grey orbs met Kidd's own red ones. However, only Kidd saw Law's eyes roll back into his head just before they fluttered close.
"LAW!" The shout echoed in different voices as the large captain lounged forward, catching the now unconscious pirate in his arms before Law face-planted on the floor. It was so alike to what had happened before Law arrested that Kidd found himself checking the surgeon's pulse, as if to assure himself that the other hadn't decided to die again.
"It's okay, his body is just tired by the ordeal. Let's just get him to a bed so he can rest." Chopper was already moving briskly, and Kidd scrambled to gather the dead-weight of the surgeon in his arms before following him, continuously making sure that the surgeon was still breathing.

It was a silent, quick walk, and Kidd couldn't help but wonder.. What had just happened?

From the shadows behind the bar, an unrecognizable figure watched everything that had transpired with a sadistic grin stretching from ear to ear. He was shocked that the surgeon had not died immediately, but that only meant that his suffering would be even more prolonged, and for that he found no objection. It just made everything better! And even more, he got to see the two other crews suffering as well. Seeing the surgeon so humiliated, so weak, led to depending on others to get from the bar to the ship.. It was all way too pleasing for the ex-marine. He wouldn't get a front seat to the anguish that Law would go through.. but at least he got to see the others fret with trying to find an antidote until they ultimately gave up and left him for dead.

For who would stick with a person who was undoubtedly dying?

His poison was fast acting and torturous, and if he was really lucky, he might be the witness of the complete and utter break down of the so called surgeon of death.. for no safe cure had ever been found for his special poison. Not that he knew of. The only one that existed resided on his very being, and no one would ever get it.

Things were going exactly as planned after all.

Hey guys! It's been a long time, but I was completely swamped with studying and exams and did not have the time to write and upload. However, I am in summer now and am planning to write quite a lot of things =3 As long as I get time.. My life is a bit packed xD

ANYWAY.

1. I assumed that such devices like Chopper used existed by the sheer technological stuff that appear on Law's submarine. If it is incorrect, then, well, looks like I need to put my head in the game a bit more =)

2. As I mentioned above, this is but to get the story going, the next chapters will be longer and will provide both answers and raise a few questions as well..

3. This is my first multi-chap, so I'm still getting the hang of it really, if any of you more talented people have a few tips, feel free to tell me so by a review :)

4. I will be uploading this weekly, every Monday or Tuesday to be exact. It has a total of 5 chapters, 4 of which are already written. I still need to write the last one but it will be ready on time, not to worry ;)

5. English is not my first language, so any errors, feel free to point out.

6. Leave what you think on this chapter in reviews, I love your feedback and appreciate every single one of them as long as they are not rude flames c=

7. I HAVE NOT seen Doflamingo's arc yet, thus this is set in a place where Doffy is 'defeated', Samurai is gone, but they aren't talking about Kaido and shit. Think of it as an alternate universe to some extent, good?

8. This note is hella long, so I think I'll end things here because I forgot what else I had to say XD

9. Woops? Stay in tune, updates will come your way, you can put this story in your alerts and/or favs as well to get notifs by email =)

10. Yeah that's enough, hope to find out what you think c=

BTW - I REACHED A 100 FAVS ON MY ACCOUNT! Thanks for your support guys, it means a lot to me! =D

-Chrisii

PSS : Disclaimer - I don't own One Piece, Oda does. I'm just borrowing the characters.