Part Two

"You smell like another man," Law said as Sanji set his black hat back atop of his head and settled up against him, satisfied to finally be off his feet. He'd found him sitting near some rocks in view of the fire, but far enough away that Luffy, Tony, Kidd, Shachi and Ussop couldn't bother him with small talk. Sanji had inserted himself between his legs, leaning back against him, head propped comfortably against his chest. Law accommodated the movement, his longer legs on either side of Sanji's, one knee raised.

The man was older than him; the southwestern desert sun had made lines stand out around his eyes, and had given him a warm tan that Sanji enjoyed seeing against his own pale skin. His messy black hair seemed permanently flattened by the shape of his hat, but long sideburns framed the harsh outline of his face. His grey eyes were always shadowed with intense thought – intimidating and dangerous when he was angry. He was almost as tall as Kidd, giving him a few inches over Sanji, but Sanji liked the height difference because that meant more support to hold onto. He was also rangy, thin, but with definition to him that Sanji enjoyed seeing when he took off a layer or two – the man liked to hide all the best parts of him. Sanji enjoyed feeling Law's body against his, because, in a way, he felt comfortable being with someone that seemed like his size, but Law had a surprising amount of strength to him that kept Sanji feeling 'safe' – those long limbs of his had a reach that Sanji appreciated.

There was so much more that Sanji physically enjoyed about Law, but after the Marine shootout, the mine that was supposed to be a safe haven, he had come to realize that physical appreciation wasn't going to keep them close. He felt like all he had been doing was disappointing the man over and over again as he struggled to regain his confidence and security in himself to be the man he was before rape. For some reason, it was taking longer than usual to bounce back, but maybe it had to do with the shootout that put them there in the first place. It had been traumatizing for everybody to lose how they had, but when the guys started treating him like a delicate flower, Sanji had been determined to put it away and earn their respect, as a man, all over again.

"We've got the supplies and money needed to take us to the next town," Sanji said airily, wincing as Luffy held something over the fire on a sharp stick that lit up with flames. "We had to do something. I didn't want to wake you because you've got watch, tonight."

"Kidd said he'd rob the next bank coach that came by. There was no need for you to go fishing in other men's wallets."

"You said you wouldn't get jealous."

It took a few moments for Law to answer, but when he did, it was slightly angry. "I'm not. I'm just saying. Maybe you didn't have to do any of that, now."

"The only reason why I smell like another man was because Mihawk thought he was going to teach me a lesson. He's the only one that put his hands on me. Not in the way that you think, though," Sanji said uncomfortably, folding his jacket and setting it underneath him.

Law said nothing in response, and Sanji could feel the tension in him. The rigid way he kept himself propped on the rock, the lack of his own touch, the way he had his head turned the other way told Sanji that he was feeling some way about the situation. Sanji wished he wouldn't. His body was only a tool he used to fight and tease with.

He lit a cigarette, then tilted his head back to see Law's expression. He reached up to touch him, and the other man pulled his head away. Sanji relaxed against him with a grumble, folding his hands over his stomach and looking off into the distance while the tension kept him rigid. He listened to the nightlife – the owls in the trees, the frogs hidden somewhere in the brush, the buzz of insects.

"He should be here, soon. He needs to talk to us," he added vaguely. "Something about Shanks sending him."

"Then he's alive?"

"Guess so."

After that, Law was silent, but Sanji could still feel the tension there. He rested his hand on the other man's knee, drumming his fingertips around it while he flicked ashes to the side.

"There's no point in being mad. Don't treat me like I'm some untouched maiden," he said tightly.

"It wouldn't bother you at all if I had come back to you smelling of another?"

"No." Sanji wasn't sure if he was capable of feeling jealousy the way Law did. He'd never been in this position before – he'd always felt incapable of anybody feeling anything for him the way Law did. Everything between them was new to him.

"I thought you weren't ready for that sort of contact, anyway."

"Drop it, all right? Would you like me to go sit elsewhere? It's pointless making such a damn big deal out of this at this point in time!" Sanji snapped, straightening away to look at him. "You knew who I was when you decided to make me a part of your life."

With a frustrated expression, Law continued to keep his head averted. "I just feel that you shouldn't have to put yourself in that situation anymore – "

"Look, shut up about it. If it bothers you so much, give your heart to someone who's a little less untouched than I am – "

"I feel hurt, all right? That's it."

"Get over it!"

"I don't like the thought of another man touching you, you should make it a big deal, because anybody that touches you – "

"Am I a fucking material possession to you, now? Asshole. I do what I want with my own body, it's mine! It's not yours to have a say in, about, with or what! You have a problem with it, you leave! But who'd want you, you psychotic fuck, and who would want me, a dirty, used-up whore? We are all that we are ever going to get, so there's some major compromising in the middle to meet if you want to keep pretending that we're this 'thing'," Sanji snapped at him, rising away from him. "Sulk about it. I'll take me and my other man scent to the other side of the camp. Zoro doesn't mind. He's used to it."

That expression of Law's only turned meaner, and he looked away from Sanji as Sanji left him, feeling a whole mess of feelings that didn't stop hurting as he flicked the cigarette aside, crushing it into the dirt. He felt angry at himself for lashing out the way he did, and he really wanted to rip out all the emotions that caused him to feel this way. He wished he could take back all the words he'd just said because the other man didn't deserve it – Sanji knew he was in the wrong. But he also felt that he shouldn't be treated differently. This was how he was.

Luffy looked at him as he sat harshly next to Nami, who giggled as she tried on some of the sparklers that she'd found, diamonds catching the fire light. The teen looked at Sanji with wide eyes, chewing on something that smelled sweet and smokey.

"Sanji! Have some! It's marshmallows!" Tony said, nearly whapping Sanji in the face with a smoking piece of his own.

"Pass. It looks like charcoal."

"Luffy, trade me!"

"I like mine with flavor!" Luffy laughed, Tony looking at both of them with annoyance. The child's face turned to Zoro, and he whined for help, the man heaving a sigh as he reloaded the stick with a fresh piece and held it over the fire himself.

"What's that smell?" Luffy then asked, leaning over to sniff Sanji. "Is it something new, Sanji? Does it scare mosquitos? Because I'm getting bit up, here."

"Sanji," Nami said with a wince, looking at him. She lowered her voice. "I thought you at least took a bath. That's really rude, to come back to Law like that."

"I know, I heard," Sanji grumbled. "I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry. Shit."

"Did he get mad at you?" Luffy asked curiously.

"Luffy, anybody would. It's understandable. Maybe we should have left you here," Nami then said to Sanji, taking off the earrings that she'd put in.

"I wanted to help. Granted, I didn't think it'd end up the way it did, but it did! Whatever, it's over with."

"What happened?" Luffy asked.

"Nothing," they said together, causing him to give them a frustrated expression.

"Why is it when you two go out together, it's always 'nothing'? There's always something because Nami's always running off with people's things and Sanji always has that laugh he has when he does something bad, too!"

"I do not!"

"Do too!"

"Luffy, the day you stop treating a situation with your fists and take care of it with words and attitude, is the day we'll show you what we're up to and why we don't talk about it with you," Nami said with a huff. "Adults will handle things in an adult manner!"

"We're the same age!"

"I'm a year older, and you're no where near where I am mentally."

"Here he comes," Zoro said suddenly, passing the stick to Tony. Immediately, all of them looked over to seeing Mihawk emerge from the shadows. Nami quickly gathered her treasure up, grabbed Tony's hand, and ushered him away from the fire while the men rose from their relaxed positions.

Mihawk walked up to the group, observing the stances each man had taken, almost in rank of power and strength. Zoro was in the front, Luffy trying to peek over his shoulder, Sanji next to him – behind him was Kidd with a bored expression, Ussop at the edge of the shadows with Shachi next to him, Nami and Tony beyond them. He could feel another presence nearby; he supposed it was only standard that they should have certain positions of advantage over a man such as himself.

"This is quaint," he said, observing their camp with a critical eye.

"You're Zoro's trainer?" Luffy asked excitedly, managing to push himself between Zoro and Sanji so that he could walk up to him with a delighted expression. "It's nice to meet you! Zoro talked highly of you – well, like Zoro does."

He made a face similar to the other man's, saying low, "He's cool. He taught me stuff. I can't kill him, so I'll respect him."

"That's not what I said!" Zoro snapped at him.

"No matter. Shanks mentioned a little of your situation to me. Because I owe him a favor, I agreed to do this," Mihawk said, with a bored tone.

"Who the hell are you?" Kidd asked, looking annoyed.

Mihawk looked up at the man with some irritation. The man was very tall, very muscular, very broad – comparable to an animal's brute size. He wore pants with garish print, fringed boots, a brown vest over a single buttoned short sleeved shirt that showed off heavily muscled torso and equally impressive arms. He wore a similar printed bandanna underneath goggles that held his bright red hair back from his pale face, which looked like it was held in a scowl most of the time. Mihawk did see that, despite his appearance and size, his fingernails were lacquered black. It was such an unusual sight that he was briefly at a loss for words. Women were the only gender he'd seen with color on their nails, so for the man to have it on himself with such an appearance made him unsure on how to judge the man's masculinity.

"Who is this child that barks at me so fearfully?" he asked.

"'Child'? Listen here, gramps, I'm one of the worst ones out there!" Kidd exclaimed fiercely. "I've been behind every grand robbery on the road, and even hit towns that boasted of heavy Marine artillery! I'm a force to be reckoned with, you just watch out!"

"His name's Kidd!" Luffy said, crouching on a flat rock near the fire as Mihawk took a seat near it as well. "He's cool! He can move stuff with his gloves – trains, even! Stop bullets in the air!"

"How cute." Mihawk withdrew all their Wanted posters and handed them to Luffy, who passed them to Zoro without looking at them. Sanji snatched those out of his hands with a grumble.

"None of them can read," he mumbled. "Updated bounties! For nearly everybody!"

"Who is this guy with your name?" Zoro asked him with amusement, plucking out Sanji's poster and indicating the artist's rendering.

Sanji tossed it in the fire.

"Even mine?" Tony's voice rang out from the darkness, where Mihawk assumed the boy was hiding in a safe place with Nami. Sure enough, he heard her shush him.

"Are you looking to collect, now that we're in one spot?" Kidd asked.

"I'm not here to collect. Shanks only wanted the information passed along. For some reason, he thinks you've no idea how much the amount has grown," Mihawk said impatiently. "Having said that, I'm sure you're all aware of the heavy Marine activity in the area. Their campaign into smearing your little group as a result of your shootout a month ago has backfired – the public now sees you as 'heroes'. You've made your mark from town to town as the result of 'accidental mishaps'."

"Ha ha! Yeah, well, some people want to fight, they're going to fight!" Luffy said with a laugh. "It's like a showdown in the school yard – everyone wants to test their might, and their gun. It's too bad for them, I've got the baddest group in the west!"

"Not compared to mine! Mine is the most bad-ass group because we hit everything deliberately, and not by 'accident'," Kidd argued, fitting a marshmallow onto a stick and holding it over the fire. When he saw Mihawk looking at him, he snarled, "What? You ever see a man eat a roasted marshmallow, before?"

"But the public has taken notice, and you're now media darlings," Mihawk finished. "As a result, you've pushed yourselves north, rather than west. Why the sudden route change?"

"I figured it'd be best," Nami said, reappearing from the shadows. Mihawk noticed that Ussop and Shachi were missing, no doubt taking up other advantageous positions around him. It amused him that the group was constantly on alert, ready to fight at a moment's notice – especially to treat him, a single man, as such. Zoro must've said more than he let on. "After all, everyone knows we're headed west. Luffy told everyone he saw. So if we deviate a little, we should be fine. This land is vast, it's uncontrolled, and every little town we come to is just a clusterfuck of other travelers that are trying to avoid the law as much as we are."

"Such language from such a beautiful lady."

"Aw, don't flatter me right now, I'm in too much of a good mood to appreciate it!"

"As such, wandering up into this territory might be a problem for both groups," Mihawk continued, crossing one leg over the other and relaxing back against the small outcroppings of rock that Zoro had been sitting in previously. "The terrain is hell for horses and humans alike. Most deaths are caused by animal attacks, hostiles that are conditioned to the environment, and falls. Drownings are a regular occurrence, as well. The river can have unpredictable currents."

"Okay, so walk your horses and shoot at shit that rustles in the bushes. You had to track us down to say that, gramps?" Kidd asked sarcastically. "Like it's any different from the desert, where the heat overwhelms you before you take two steps out the door, with high temps in the shade!"

"Can someone other than this child address my concerns?"

"Hey!"

"Are you telling us to switch course, sensei?" Zoro asked curiously. "Why?"

"I've only recently made my home up here. I'm not quite used the terrain, myself. If I am to cover your backs, as Shanks had requested, it wouldn't do much good. The trees here are too close together, there is too much overgrowth in between to maneuver properly. This is a very new area to explore, and the river ferry had only recently come to fruition only because there was rumor of gold in the mountains that have, so far, produced nothing but more deaths."

"Shanks asked you to watch over us?" Luffy repeated. "Why?"

"It was a favor to him. Due to his disability, he, too, does not have an advantageous position out here. It would be dangerous. That is what I make of it – he claimed he was still monitoring the development of these territories between the Marines and the groups behind the westward expansion efforts. The rail lines are being laid into hostile territory and, while you've made a name for yourselves with your exploits, the Marines are pulling more of their men in to handle the security of the rail road."

"Somehow, I feel like this is something I learned in school a long time ago," Luffy said with a concentrated expression.

"We're supposed to trust Shanks, the guy that abandoned us?" Kidd asked.

"Did you truly think a one armed man such as himself would be able to survive such an onslaught? You barely survived, and you've all working limbs," Mihawk said, almost defensively. "I was surprised he'd even showed up at all. He shouldn't have. Fool should stay out of children's games, at his age."

"Don't talk about Shanks that way," Luffy then said to Kidd with a firm look.

"Look, write down a list of all the names of people and things that you take offense of, so I can use it to wipe my ass with!"

"I can't write!" Luffy shouted at him.

"This is all I request of you," Mihawk then said, rising from a sitting position. "I'll take my leave, now. I also wanted to mention that this area is monitored by smaller bounty hunting groups posted along the river, looking for heads such as yours. As I've mentioned earlier, it's not so much the Marines you should be wary of."

"You're not going to camp with us?" Luffy asked.

Mihawk gave him a look of revulsion.

"So! When you say you'll be covering our backs, it's only to come out when we're in a situation?" Sanji asked. "How are you even going to know if we're in a bad place when you're not even with us?"

"Do you lack so much confidence in your group's abilities to watch over yourselves?" Mihawk asked him.

"Well…no…but I mean…we've all gotten ourselves into a pinch so quick that…it's easier…never mind," Sanji then mumbled, seeing Zoro's look of disgust.

"I trust that you all can handle yourself. Granted, most of the bounty hunters here aren't miners," Mihawk added, giving Zoro a sharp look before he turned away.

Luffy looked up at him with question, Zoro clearing his throat and looking up at the sky to avoid the look. Then he wandered off to find his bedroll to settle down for the night.

"Busted," Nami whispered.

"Who was that guy?" Kidd demanded again, chewing on his marshmallow.

"Dracule Mihawk," Shachi said with a heavy wipe of his brow. He had his red hair tied up in a ponytail, his hat tossed by his things. He put his Colt away, and resumed his earlier position of sprawling over a saddle and his bag. "One of the older generation's warriors. There were a bunch of them when this land was still untamed, but a lot of them were killed or died of old age."

"I trust your information. You know just as much as me. Which is really annoying."

"He's not that old!" Nami said with exasperation, pulling her treasure to herself as she motioned for Tony to join her, the boy hurrying over with a few marshmallows of his own. "Well…he's a lot older than us, and most men of that position don't last long out here, but…you have to respect him if Shanks personally sought him out to watch our sorry asses."

"That's the guy behind your swords?" Kidd asked Zoro, resettling down in his own spot near the fire, slapping his shoulder with irritation.

"Yes."

"Huh. Okay. Well, that's that, then," Kidd said with a shrug. "But what's this about miners? Who cares about those guys?"

"Nothing," Nami stressed, drawing a thumb over her neck in a failed attempt to change the subject as Luffy looked at them.

"Why would he say something like that, Zoro?" Luffy asked, sitting cross legged near the fire and looking at the swordsman. "That was really weird."

"Miners must've remembered how scary I am. Night."

"Well, he did have to be chained up so they could fix him," Luffy mused, looking at Nami, who nodded her head rather violently. "Okay, well! That's that! I trust Shanks' decision! Nami, if you can map out a different route, tomorrow, we'll head out when you've come to a decision."

"Aye, aye!"

"Look, your bounty information changed," Sanji said, walking back to Law once he saw the man resettle in his seat away from the others. "Instead of contacting the Marines for fund release, it's asking to contact a private transport contractor."

It was too dark for Sanji to see the expression on the other man's face, but he just exhaled heavily. "Means nothing to me."

"But that means Doflamingo has his feelers out, right?"

"Not that it makes any difference to me."

"Please stop," Sanji said with an exasperated sigh, lowering all the bounty papers.

"None of this shit makes any difference to me at all! If I'm caught, I'm caught. Whatever happens, happens. At this point in time, I don't give a shit what happens when they finally catch up, okay? It's my turn to take watch, I slept while you were out fucking around with that guy."

"Please drop it!" Sanji hissed, lowering his voice as he heard the others' in the background talking loudly to each other, laughing over something that Kidd brought up.

But Law was on a bitter roll. "I can see why you'd bother with him. He's the type that will give you all the material the shit you need and want. You'd be well taken care of with him, rather than someone like me, who can't give you any-fucking-thing. At least, nothing you appreciate, anyway."

"You're behaving like a fucking child."

"I'm trying really hard to be what you need, but you're such a fucking asshole, you don't even appreciate my efforts! Instead, you take all the things you should be giving to me to some old fuck in the middle of no where, for nothing but fucking money!"

"I told you what to expect! I didn't beg you to do anything differently! You put yourself in this position! It's your own damn fault!"

"All I'd asked of you, that other night, was that you at least consider my feelings if you did something like this. You don't have to do this! There's no reason for you to put yourself in that position, anymore! After that shit in the damn mine? How could you even want to?"

"It wasn't my first rodeo, asshole."

"That shit tore me apart, seeing that!"

"Oh, now it did? Now, after all those years you spent putting us back together after you know what was done to us, now you have fucking feelings? Feel my arms, motherfucker! Those scars are scars that you personally left behind! How could you even think you deserve anything better that you're getting now? You're getting more than you fucking deserve!"

"I…I have…I know I can't ever be forgiven for that, but…"

"Then shut up! Then shut the fuck up! You and your fucking feelings, they mean nothing to me if they're only there just to tell me what to do, or how I should be living my life!"

"I've never told you what to do, I just asked that you consider what I felt when it came to you and your safety."

"Fuck your damn feelings. If they're only there just for you - "

"You're all I'm concerned about! You're all that I care about! You should at least watch what you do - !"

"I get to do whatever the fuck I want! You're nobody to tell me differently! You're just another notch on my bedpost. Notches don't have a say in what I do!"

"Sanji doesn't fight fair, does he?" Tony whispered to Nami, curling up against her as she hugged him close. She listened to their voices, and felt sorry for Law.

The older man kept to himself a lot – Nami had to admit she didn't talk to him very much. When he spoke, it was short and blunt, and he often had negative things to say about their plans. When he fought, he was just as demonic and angry as Zoro. But if someone was hurt, he treated them immediately, with all the care and confidence in the world. Penguin's death had affected him greatly, and he didn't hesitate to assist if someone needed him.

The media blasted him as a sociopath for the Donquixote family, behind some of their most treacherous deeds, but sometimes Law let slip clues to his past when it came down to it – killing anybody that put their hands on Tony, made references to having no remorse for anybody involved with the treachery back East, and dismembering anybody that put their hands on her when she fell and they thought they could have an opportunity. To be honest, Nami felt much safer with this 'sociopath' than she ever felt with her own family.

But when the man looked at Sanji, he was a whole different person. Nami swore his face lit up, and those eyes rarely left the other man. And with Sanji, that man let down so much of his guard that it was almost as if seeing a stranger with him, as well. Sanji didn't reveal too much of his personal opinions or direction, going along with whatever the others decided and picking up whatever he could when they dropped something. She could always count on him to have their backs and get them out of a serious situation – but when it came to his own personal hell, he kept that to himself.

He had been so quiet when they'd left the mine, unable to look anybody in the eye. Nami thought that the man would have some type of breakdown. He didn't sleep for the first three days, waking up with heavy nightmares – he refused to go anywhere alone. He refused to eat, refused the comfort of the others, and said nothing unless he absolutely had to. But after that, something snapped in him and he was nearly his normal self. As if he'd just swept the incident under the rug. The town after that, he was back to eyeing men he found pleasing – but he didn't disappear with them, like he used to. Instead he helped Nami rob them. She had to wonder if it was only because of the horror that happened, or if he were changing his ways because of Law.

That man had made Sanji his entire world, and she hated when Sanji fought it. As scary as Law was to her, as dire as any situation that might happen, Nami knew Law would be there for Sanji. And Sanji was starting to open up and let it happen. That was the big obstacle – Sanji allowing something to happen without feeling as if his pride or masculinity was being threatened. The man was so determined to prove that he was just as man as the others were, that he failed to see what he was doing to himself.

"It'll be okay. It's just some things between them that they need to sort out. It's hard for both of them, because both of them have had some terrible things done to them in the past," Nami whispered back with a sad frown. "In the morning, they'll be okay."

"I hope so."

"They're getting to know each other, Tony. That's how it works."

"So loud?"

"I don't think they mean to be loud." Nami sat up, grabbing her boot. Luffy was laughing over a dirty joke Ussop just shared, Kidd exclaiming with disgust, Shachi chuckling, so none of them were paying any attention to the two snapping at each other a short distance away. She stood and heaved her boot in that direction.

"Ow, fuck!" She heard Sanji exclaim.

"Time for bed, Sanji hun!" she called out. "You're keeping some of us up."

"Sorry," he said a few moments later, carrying her boot, a shamed expression on his face as he looked to the other men to see if they'd heard. "I'm sorry. Did you guys overhear…?"

"You're an ass, Sanji," Tony said. "I hate the way you talk to him."

"Ah, Tony, just go to sleep."

"You can be so mean, and you say a lot of things that you shouldn't even say. Luffy always says for people not to use people's past against them, but you're always throwing his back at him," the boy said, lifting his voice. "You're such a fucking asshole."

"Tony!" Nami snapped.

"It's okay, Nami," Sanji said, sitting down next to them, carrying his bedroll. "He's right. I am a fucking asshole."

"Took you long enough to admit it," Zoro muttered.

Sanji kicked dirt in his direction. "This is an A and B conversation. C your way out of it."

"Lame."

"Both of you, are!" Nami growled.

"Please be nicer to each other. It was nice seeing you guys be nice, than it is to see you growling at each other. And for why?" Tony asked impatiently. "Haven't we been through enough? I want everyone to be happy, I'm tired of feeling sad! I miss Brook a whole lot, but I bet he'd want us to be happy than sad, right? So be happy!"

"I'm sorry," Sanji apologized to him, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "I'll try harder, okay?"

"Just do it, don't talk about doing it, just do it."

"You are so cute," Nami said, hugging the boy close to her.

"Nami, my turn."

"You are not."

"Scooch over, people, I'm coming in for a landing!" Luffy said, plopping his bedroll down between Sanji and Tony, Shachi turning the fire down with a few pushes of a used marshmallow stick. "What are guys talking about?"

"Nothing," the three of them said.

"Tony? You too?" Luffy screeched with outrage.

"Morning will be different," Sanji said with a sigh, rolling onto his back to look up at the night sky. The stars glittered brilliantly, a few falling with flashing magnificence through the atmosphere, burning up just as quickly – the sound of an owl in flight whispered over head, and the river rushed quietly just beyond them. Zoro started snoring, Shachi, Ussop and Kidd lowering their voices to trade ghost stories, Luffy eating the last of the marshmallows, Tony catching sight of him with an indignant protest.

Sanji felt horrible for the earlier exchange. He knew he was unfair, and he couldn't seem to stop himself from throwing Law's past back at him. The man took it, too, accepting all of it like it was self-flagellation. With Sanji, it was punishment for what he'd done – when the others mentioned it, Law put on such a show that the others were comfortable with it. But Sanji knew it bothered him, and he hated that he used it as a weapon because he himself felt incapable of accepting another human being's devotion because of all the things that had been done to him.

He wiped his face with both hands, exhaling heavily. He'd apologize in the morning.