Well, as asked by a few reviewers, I have typed the second chapter. Review if you want more. Also, Zoro and Law may be a bit out of character, but it will get better eventually.
Zoro glared at the den den mushi as it rang, waiting for the man on the other side to answer.
"Hello, Mr. Roronoa. Do you need me so soon then? Your Captain is a handful isn't he?" Came the almost lazy voice on the other side.
"Shut up, bastard. I wouldn't have called if I didn't need to. How soon can you make it to our position?" Zoro grumbled out. Trafalgar Law, Captian of the Hearts pirates, was the last person he wanted to call. The man had found him on Mihawk's island just a little before he was to leave for Sabaody. Luffy had caught the man's attention by his fierce drive and never give up attitude.
"Why, Mr. Roronoa, I can be there right now. After all, I am just underneath you all. I decided to follow your ship after I came across you heading in the same direction that I am. The frequent battles with the Marines made me decide it was a good idea." A dark chuckle issued from the snail in Zoro's hand. Zoro tensed up and stood, drawing his cursed blade as the sound of ocean water surged beside the ship.
"Put away the sword. Afterall, you need me alive, right Roronoa-ya?" With that, the call disconnected. Zoro growled under his breath but sheathed his katana. A round sphere enveloped the deck and then Law was standing there, a bag in his hand and his own sword strapped to his back.
"So, where is Mugiwara-ya?" Law asked, a small smirk on his face. Zoro didn't say a word and marched into the kitchen. Chopper had Luffy lying on the table and most of the blood that Luffy had vomited had been cleaned up. Sanji was leaning against the counter, smoking like Puffing Tom. Robin was helping Chopper go through his medical texts. Nami had left with Ussop and Franky to make sure the ship was still on course.
"Oi, Chopper. I found someone who can help Luffy." Zoro barked out as he made his way to the wall on his Captain's right side and leaned against it. Law had followed behind him and stopped, taking in the sight of a harshly panting Luffy. Luffy was hooked up to a blood transfusion for all the good it was doing him. The Straw Hat Captain kept coughing up blood as it steadily leaked from his nose.
Chopper looked up quickly, hope in his innocent eyes as he saw the surgeon. "Can you really help him?"
"Yes. From the blood coming from his airways, it would seem something is wrong with his lungs. I need everyone to leave. No matter what you hear, do Not come back in here until I leave this room." Law instructed. He had a good idea what the problem was, but he couldn't operate with the Straw Hat crew in the room. They would try to kill him, thinking he was harming their captain.
Sanji quietly led the way out. Zoro was the last one. He didn't leave, instead he pulled his swords from his side and sat with his back to the door. He leveled a glare at the Surgeon of Death that let Law know it would be useless to argue.
Law sighed in irritation. "Do not attack me. If I lose my concentration, it just might cost Mugiwara-ya his life." That was the last warning Law gave before starting his work. He called up a "Room" and proceeded to cut Luffy's chest apart, searching for the reason Luffy's lungs were collapsing. He strained his eyes as he shuffled through the pieces of Luffy's body he had cut.
It was a few minutes later that he finally spotted what he was looking for. He carefully removed the bit of stone with a tool he had brought, being careful not to touch it even through his gloves. It was a fragment of sea stone. That done, Law carefully drained the remainning blood from Luffy's lungs before beginning to put the young man back together.
Zoro hadn't said a word for the two hours it had taken for Law to finish. He understood why Law had tried to send everyone out now. If anyone beside Zoro had been in there, they would've jumped to the wrong conclusion. Zoro had known how Law was going to do surgery as Law had done the same to him at one point after he had finally defeated the Boss monkey on Mihawk's island.
"Did you find what was lodged in him?" Zoro asked quietly. He knew that Law had an interest in the young boy lying on the kitchen table. It was obvious in the way that the man was staring down at him, an almost soft look in Law's black eyes.
"Yeah. Mind telling me why there was a fragment of sea stone lodged in him?" Law phrased the question as a request and kept his voice soft. He had three reasons for doing so. The first was so he wouldn't wake the Straw Hat Captain. The second reason was so that Zoro would be more willing to answer if it wasn't a demand. He had learned that the hard way. The third reason was personal. He was keeping the Killing Intent tightly to himself. When he found out who had dared to harm Mugiwara, Law himself would hunt them down and cut out their hearts.
He knew that the feelings he had were irrational. There was no reason for him to feel so protective over the boy as they had only met a couple of times. The first was at Saboady, the second meeting was after he had been almost killed in the Marineford War. 'The War of the Best my ass. It was a slaughter. Neither side won.' But, he couldn't deny the draw he felt towards the young pirate. They may be rivals, but if he could get Luffy to ally with him and help him fulfill his goal, he wouldn't hesitate to help the younger reach his dream.
Law wasn't really interested in the One Piece like all the other Rookies that were out on the Grandline, in the New World. No, he had one objective he wanted to fulfill, and for that he would need a little help. Perhaps more help than just Luffy. It was something he was going to have to think about.
"We ran into some Marines a day ago. Luffy jumped into the fight to save Nami. They were shooting at her so he of course stood in front of her. Most of them bounced off, but a couple were sea stone bullets. I cut a few of those in half, rather tried to. I guess a piece chipped off and went flying. It must of hit Luffy who was fighting beside me." Zoro explained reluctantly, raking his fingers through his hair. He knew it would do him no good to feel guilty about that. He could practically hear Luffy laughing and saying that risk was a part of being a pirate.
Law tipped his head down a little, the shadows around his eyes deepening to hide them completely under the shadow cast by his hat. It would figure that Marines would start using those as an effective defense against Devil Fruit users. As a Warlord, Law should've been informed. Heads would be rolling for this little neglect of information.
"I see. Well, Mugiwara-ya is safe now. Where are his quarters?" Law asked again. His voice was deceptively calm still.
"I'll show you." Zoro stood and put his swords by his side again before making his way over to the kitchen table. He went to reach for his Captain, but Law had already picked the boy up. Zoro didn't protest and led the way down into ship and down the corridor before stopping in front of the captain's quaters. He opened the door for Law and followed him inside.
"Why are you doing this for him? I didn't think that a rival would care so much." Zoro spoke quietly as Law layed the young pirate down and covered him. When Law finished he turned to face Zoro.
"He's interesting. I have a feeling that some time soon I am going to need his help and one other person's. Other than that, I have no idea as to why I am helping Mugiwara-ya. It's irrational to feel affection for this boy, but I do." Law normally wouldn't have said so much about how he really felt, but he knew that the swordsman would accept nothing but the truth from him.
"We're alike in that. I sometimes wonder why I follow him as my Captian. He's stupid, impulsive, and selfish." Zoro paused here and let a wry smirk cross his face as he looked at his Captain. "But, he would do anything to keep us safe and help us reach our goals. I've pledged myself to him, to serve him. I've swallowed my pride and begged for help from a man I've sworn to surpass for him. Luffy, as chldish as he seems, understands more about us on a level not even we can comprehend. That is what makes me want to follow him. He is my Captain." The affection that the first mate held for the 17 year old was obvious in his voice.
Law smirked at Zoro's speech. He could understand that. It was a type of affection that was bound to turn into something deeper. It was only a matter of time before it did. "Then there's your answer, Zoro-ya. Are we to be rivals over him then?" Law asked. He was serious about that question.
Zoro smirked before answering, "No, my Captain would never settle for that. He's too selfish for it. He'll want to keep us both and whoever else he decides he needs."
Review please. They keep me happy. The happier I am, the faster I update.