Gray Clouds
"Les vrais paradis sont ceux que nous avons perdu."-La Liberte
A moment caught off guard is all you need. One moment of carelessness and even the strongest can be felled.
He's perfect- sinless to a fault even.
As the golden boy of the Worst Generation, everything about him is ought to be surprising. The alliance he had wrought with the most promising young captain, Straw Hat Luffy is something that rocked the marines off their seats. Well, he IS one of the Shichibukais. Nobody predicted that he would turn away from the position that gave him power.
Luffy did not question him at all. Knowing the Straw Hat, he may have just smiled and welcomed the Surgeon of Death with beguiling innocence and open arms.
On the other hand, Luffy's crew compensated for this absence of threats. Trafalgar Law had never, in the past few years of his young life, received as many death threats and blackmails combined.
More so, it surprised him greatly how a certain young woman can strike a deal with him thoughtlessly and fearlessly. He couldn't decide whether to admire her for her tenacity or laugh at her utmost carelessness. How petty of her to throw away her life oh so easily! But, is that really the case?
"Let's exchange hearts", she said.
"Oh?"
"I'll give you my heart. You'll give me yours-"
"Nami-ya, are you forcing me to enter in a relationship with y-?"
"Literally."
His brow would have creased, but he's able to stop himself. "I'm listening…" It's just too hard to maintain a bored look while listening to her as she sells herself off for her stupid captain.
"You see, I do not trust you", she shifts her weight from one leg to another. "Neither do the others… what I'm saying is, as a proof that you know... that you're sincere? I would like to get a hold of your most vital organ- your heart. I know what I'm asking for is possible."
His hand clenches and unclenches. How dare she… How dare they…
"Of course, I'll be handing my heart to you for the sake of fairness."
He could have said 'No', but he agreed anyway. At that time, even Law cannot tell what's going on.
The cacophony of swords and splinters orchestrated the mad festival dance of blood lust and death. Smoke and gunpowder fill the air, rightfully articulating the battle cries of the pirates in chaos.
The preceding events are already forgotten- such occurrence nothing unusual to the Strawhat crew.
Now, everyone's just too busy fighting off the attacker. They are a particularly savage bunch… a group of pirates who gained their fame through ambushing, robbing and killing off their fellow pirates. Really, they are far from the image of the famed Strawhats.
Though this group of pirates is weak, they work in numbers. That is the reason why no one aboard Thousand Sunnies can safely rest his ass and laze off during the battle.
Not even Trafalgar Law.
He's fighting a remarkably stubborn one, who just refuses to keel over and die. Law would have to give it to him for his tenacity and guts to continue swinging his sword.
Boredom eats his attention away.
While dodging and parrying one useless blow to another, he decides to let his gaze roam around for a while. Everyone seems to be rather enjoying. Indeed, the Strawhat crew is something. Then his eyes land on the witch of a woman.
With each flick of her wrist, she zapped her enemies effortlessly one after another.
It's a dumbfounding scene. Enchanting.
"Don't you think you should focus on your own fight?"
"Do I even need to?"
The struggling opponent stumbles on his feet, "You cocky prick! We shall show you!"
"Ne, Torao."
"Need I remind you constantly not to call me that?" Law gives the young captain a half-hearted glare.
"Shishishishishi… but your name's too complicated", and he laughs it off once more. "Anyway, I'd like to ask you… Nami's being weird these past few days. The others know nothing about it. What do you think? I'm sure you've noticed it too, she doesn't yell around that much anymore."
He didn't say anything. He just gave the Strawhat a stare.
Another lunge and Law decides to end the pointless battle.
He raises his long sword.
His enemy smirks.
His eyes widen.
Everything happened far too fast, and when the cold metal finally pierced his chest- just a little bit inclined to the left- he knew everything would be irredeemable. At least let him kill these fools, he thought as blood darkened the dark cloth of his cloak.
"Room"
Two hearts are crushed.
Three bodies hit the floor.
He didn't use his ability beforehand… such a careless mistake.
Now, the heart in his chest is almost wretched apart into two. Its myocardial fibers are ever slightly chording together, pulsing with last pathetic attempts to keep the blood flowing.
Still, Law remains standing.
"NAMI!"
Monkey D. Luffy mows down the remaining pirates gathering around him.
The orange-haired navigator clutches her chest between gasps. Blood trickles sideways down to the floor, as she is curled into fetal position.
In an almost dazed state, he makes his way towards her body.
Luffy reaches her before he could. He picks up the navigator… Law didn't know how… but he did it as if the body is a fragile ball-jointed doll.
"Well I'll be damned…" she rasps. Her eyes are glassy, seemingly unseeing. He can only imagine; perhaps her eyesight's coming into a blur?
Looking around, the chaos is now subdued. The bodies of the enemy pirate crew are nowhere to be seen. However, the members of the Strawhat are still transfixed on their places, drowning into unbelievable silence- even the obsessive Blackleg Sanji.
Tony Tony Chopper, being the ship doctor, is the first one to snap out of it. He rushes to his captain's side, "B-but… I… I do not understand. There's not wound…"
Luffy's eyes blazes towards Law's direction, "What is the meaning of this? TORAO?!"
He would have launched into a full rant and beating, but a small, pale hand tugs his arm.
"No… n-none of th-that. I-it was my decision", coughs. "Now I-idiot C-captain, l-listen. You are currently i-in debt. On m-me. S-so, you should ho-honor m-my request." She pauses, shifting her gaze to the man standing a good three meters away from them. "Y-you too. Y-you are in debt."
"We all are", Sanji murmurs, trying to stop himself from bathing in a fit of emotions.
"G-Good" she gulps. "Th-there are maps in our r-room. They sh-should be enough to car-carry you across the N-new Wor-ld. There sh-should be no-no problem with Franky or R-robin navigating. You ca-can do it. B-but, take care of those ma-maps, okay? They cost more than your lives…" and she wheezes. "Hey T-Torao, you can get back y-your heart now. D-don't be… don-t be depressed."
He answers her with silence.
She continues to stare at him dead in the eyes.
With a grin, she rasps, "Thi-this… this is m-my last we-weather forecast… w-we are having c-cloudy s-s-s-skies… with a chance. With a chance of r-rain."
Her heart finally stops.
"Room. What an inaccurate forecast."
As soon as he finishes what needs to be done, he spins around- finally letting the water fall.
Her predictions are always on the dot.
Owari.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ONE PIECE. I NEVER WILL.