Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own the story or associated characters of Eiichiro Oda's "One Piece". No profit is gained from the writing and publishing of this story, no copyright infringement intended. Should this story be deemed offensive by either the legal owners and/or representatives of One Piece, Mr Oda or this website, respectively, the story will of course be taken down immediately with full apologies extended.


Notes: I'd like to thank the wonderful Kinjiru, who helped me whip this story into publishing quality in record time because if it weren't for Kinjiru you'd be stuck waiting at least one more week for this update. This does not include all the thanks I owe Kinjiru for helping me figure out every single plot crisis I've thrown their way via PM practically since the New Year began (and there were many, let me tell you that).

We have now officially transgressed into A/U (Alternate Universe) land and this story contains spoilers for the manga up to and including Chapter 695. Details on how exactly this story branches off from canon will be contained in the additional notes at the end of this chapter.

Lastly I would like to say that I all your kind reviews have made me extremely happy and excited for this story to the point that I got frustrated for being unable to write as fast and well as I want to. All your reviews make me strive harder to write a better story and I cherish them all. Those that have already left a signed review already know this, but for everyone else I would like to say that I am in the habit of responding to signed reviews as soon as I can. If you have any questions concerning this story or anything about it that you'd like to discuss, I can only encourage you to sign up for an account and leave a signed review so that I can answer you.

I hope you will enjoy this chapter, although I have failed yet again to present the full plot.


Three.

Wherein a pirate's purpose leaves room for speculation.

Whatever kind of mental battle plan Nami had prepared for their inevitable reunion seemed to have flown out of the window once she had identified the item Law had brought her. There was little one could say when facing the prospect of one's own enslavement, Law knew, particularly if one was caught up in a situation where the prospect could (and would) end up being one's inevitable fate. The Straw Hat navigator's face was stricken, displaying something that to his eternal amusement, stubbornly tried not to morph into terror or panic.

Impel Down was as close to hell as a man-made holding facility could be, which was very close in most people's opinion. But in the end, it was nothing but a mirror of the things feared by those who had built it; and although many considered it to be the worst possible fate to befall a person, the pirate captain thought different. There were fates far worse than anything lurking in Impel Down, worse even than anything government officials could come up with. Slavery was one such thing, in Law's opinion, and he was mildly surprised to learn that the red-haired woman apparently shared this sentiment, if her reaction was anything to go by.

Nami's mind was racing. Would this man go so far as to enslave her? (The answer to this one she already knew beyond a doubt - this was Trafalgar Law, after all.) But why? What skill did she supposedly possess that warranted such methods? What could she do that his crew couldn't? Oh sure, there were a few things that immediately sprung to mind, but none of these seemed to be even of remote significance to the dark haired man sitting before her from where she stood. Certainly, none of those skills were worth the effort he went through to drag her out of her cell and bully her into submission.

And still there were those quiet, menacing words, his order, hanging between them. Unacknowledged and unanswered so far, but this time, Nami knew, she wouldn't be able to ignore his words or play them down. She'd meant to lead him down a carefully constructed winding path of arguments, back and forth before seemingly giving in to his demands to ensure she got what she wanted – what she needed – out of this deal. But this was no longer an option. Trafalgar Law wasn't in the mood for games or further delays.

"Shocked speechless becomes you, seven-three seven-three," he drawled and a part of Nami thought that it was unfair how comfortable he was while facing her discomfort. They fell back into a silence that was comfortable only on Law's end. Nami continued to struggle with her own composure and the need to somehow articulate herself. It would not do if he decided that her sudden and prolonged silence was to be taken as a sign of continued rebellion that warranted the use of the iron monstrosity resting half-hidden underneaththe cloth on the table.

"If you don't know what to say," Law began conversationally, "just nod and we'll call it a deal."

In the end it was that self-satisfied and arrogant 'cat that got the cream'-tone of voice of his that ended up anchoring Nami and focusing her thoughts. She had to go through with her plan even if it backfired and she'd end up enslaved. There was no time to come up with something else. When she finally managed to tear her wide eyes away from the collar and focus on him, Trafalgar Lawwas every inch the smug victor. He didn't bother hiding his satisfaction with this turn of events: both of them knew that there wasn't much she could do to counter a slave collar. But she would have to try, because her nakama depended on her; because they were going to need her and because she needed them just as much. But one step at a time. First things first.

Her voice was small and her words came out slowly courtesy of the hesitancy that came with carefully choosing your words when facing a hopeless and dangerous situation in which one word could end you or your freedom.

"I have two questions, if I may?" she enquired and to Nami's dismay, her tone was uncertain as if she were scared. She hadn't wanted that. No matter what, she didn't want this man to think that she was scared of him or the collar, even though right now, she was. It was the sort of open acknowledgement of his power that would give the Shichibukai the edge he needed. The edginess of Law's smirk told her that he knew. In response to her question, he made a vague gesture that was careless and patronizing at the same time, indicating for her to carry on.

"Can you guarantee that Cocoyashi will be spared?" the Straw Hat navigator asked. If he could - if he would - then she might stand a chance, however small it was. The man's lips stretched into a lazy grin that was devoid of any warmth.

"No," was Law's prompt reply and he took delight from the woman's shocked expression. Clearly, she hadn't understood what he'd told her three days ago, and although there was no obligation to do so, he decided to explain it to her again, if only for the pleasure of rubbing it in.

"I've told you before: whether or not it'll be spared depends on you and how willing you are to co-operate, Miss Nami. I am not the one who can guarantee that, am I?" There was a hint of a threat in his tone and the woman swallowed hard.

Could she pull this off? Joining him meant that the threat of a Buster Call would be her constant companion. Could she risk other people's lives like that? But then, did she really have another choice?

"What else would you like to ask?" he enquired silkily, leaning forward with an expression of rapt attention. An involuntary shiver raced down the woman's spine. It was uncomfortable to be the focus of his attention like that.

Nami's fingers played with one of the chain links shackling her wrists together. The Shichibukai wasn't sure whether this was because she was scared to ask her second question or because she was struggling with what he had just told her. After all, he thought, it wasn't every day that she was told that her decisions could end the existence of an entire village. It was completely understandable that she struggled or even faltered under the weight of such responsibility. In fact, he had banked on it. In the long run, it would make dealing with her that much easier. Patiently, he waited for her to ask her second question and when she did, he was at least momentarily surprised.

"What... what would you need me to do?"

He hadn't expected for her to question his need of her. Of course, she didn't trust him (and a part of him itched to tell her to do just that, scold her the way she had once scolded him for the sake of sweet, sweet irony and his personal amusement) but the Nami he knew had been painfully aware of her strengths. And they wereuseful and unique enough to warrant springing her from jail because as far as Law knew, there were only few people around that could create and control lightning with what appeared to be a regular bo staff without having consumed a devil fruit beforehand. In fact, the exact amount of people he knew capable of this was 'one'. He also hadn't forgotten her claim that she was capable of creating wind, which made for two weather phenomenon she could control or at least cause. Possibly, there were more of which he wasn't aware right now. And then there was of course his other reason for wanting her presence on board of his ship.

The tentative alliance with the Straw Hats hadn't gone the way it had been planned. They had failed to achieve their objective of kidnapping Caesar Clown thanks to the combined efforts of Baby 5 and Buffalo and Luffy's incapability of sticking to even the simplest of plans. Law had dreaded an outcome like that and he'd been none too pleased when despite his fool-proof planning – he'd thought it fool-proof but the Straw Hat was an even bigger fool than he could have anticipated – Caesar had gotten away. It had been infuriating. Even more so, because the Straw Hat apparently hadn't cared or understood that their plan had just gone down the drain. The discussions that followed led to a small falling out halfway to Green Bit. Law had to give the Straw Hat captain props for not tossing him overboard then and there – other pirates surely wouldn't have dropped him off at the rendezvous point for him and his crew, but this crew had.

Only afterwards he'd realized that he had made a mistake. Idiot captain or not, the Straw Hat Pirates and their strength were vital to the plan's success. As much as he hated to admit it, Law would have to find a way to get on Monkey D. Luffy's good side again. And was there a better way to achieve that than to reunite the crew with their precious navigator? In so far, Cat-Thief Nami's capture had been a gift from above.

But the woman wasn't aware of this, now was she? So what was the reason for her question?

It was true that according to all reports concerning the Straw Hat Pirates (and he'd read a few of those during the past weeks, thanks to Akainu), their navigator was considered to be one of the weakest members of the crew, superior to the crew's 'pet', only. Law, who had seen firsthand what Nami and the reindeer doctor were capable of, had to concede that as far as weaknesses went, the Straw Hats were an exceptional crew: what was considered a weak member in their crew could easily handle threats other pirates would surrender to without even trying. In so far, the Marine Headquarters' assumptions concerning the navigator's strength and purpose among the crew were preposterous: labeling her a not-entirely-useless fighter but not a true threat in the grand scheme of things, either, was not doing her justice, nor was the assumption that her revealing, almost vulgar clothing style could be an indicator of her true position on board. The Straw Hat Pirates weren't that kind of a crew and Monkey D. Luffy wasn't that kind of a captain. In fact, Law would be honestly surprised if the exuberant pirate should turn out to have even a passing interest in carnal affairs that didn't involve second helpings and the chance to steal from his seat neighbors' plates.

When he'd first requested the Marine's reports on the exploits of the Straw Hat Pirates, Law had been warned by Akainu that several of them were assumed to grossly exaggerate the crew's skills in order to gloss over the Marine's own shortcomings and failures as well as thefact that they hadn't taken their opponents serious. Even the report made by the CP 9 agents who had fought and lost to the Straw Hat Pirates at Enies Lobby was considered to be at least partially untrue. Obviously, their lies had been made with the intention to play down their own cockiness, but this plan had backfired and all agents had been discharged. Still the question remained what exactly Cat-Thief Nami's purpose was on board of the Straw Hat's ship - a question Law had often asked himself until he had seen her in action for the first time on Punk Hazard.

There was little doubt that Nami was a capable navigator. The New World was not an 'easy' sea to sail and conquer and neither was – for the matter – the first half of the Grand Line. It was safe to say that her crew wouldn't have made it this far if she didn't possess some above-average navigational skills, like his own navigator. Unless her captain had a monopoly on dumb luck, which admittedly sometimes did seem to be case. But shouldn't the woman in question know better? She knew wherein her skills lay, didn't she? Or did the circumstance that her crew had not freed her from her underwater prison have anything to do with it? Did she doubt her own worth in light of the (uncharacteristic, he'd have to admit that) abandonment of her crew?

Trafalgar Law knew that the World Government had been afraid of another infiltration of Impel Down. Afraid enough to 'stock up' on Pacifista and to keep at least some Shichibukai nearby during the first two weeks of her imprisonment. Justin case the Straw Hats decided to make an appearance and tried to turn the prison upside down. This hadn't occurred and the Marines had assumed that either the Straw Hat navigator had already been replaced by her crew or that the crew didn't dare to openly confront Akainu like that.

Trafalgar Law didn't agree with either of those theories, although the Heart Pirate's captain had been surprised to find that his 'ally' (in the loosest sense of the word) hadn't made an attempt to free his navigator yet. A man who hadn't been willing to leave anyone behind on an island filled with deadly gas, be they friend or foe, would not so easily abandon a trusted crew member. The sheer amount of time Nami had spent as the crew's navigator meant that any assumptions of her not being trusted or valued were preposterous. Law hadn't thought the rubber man capable of doing the smart thing in such a situation and move on, but apparently he had for some reason decided to do just that. And while he himself would have grudgingly done the same, the fact that Luffy had actually done it remained a point of great puzzlement. Any explanation the Shichibukai could come up with posed a direct contradiction to what he knew about the Straw Hat crew and their captain. It was an intriguing conundrum he had found himself pondering during the last three days, with barely any results for show.

Maybe he was going to indulge himself later on and see what he could learn from the woman but for now...

"I need you to navigate," the Surgeon of Death replied, sounding as if it were obvious and Nami was being deliberately obtuse. "Mister Straw Hat's course has proven to be difficult to track and predict. It should be easy enough for you, don't you think? You are his navigator."

He leaned forward, deliberately seeking her gaze and holding it. "Help me catch up with him. That's all I'm asking."

Nami's brown eyes swiveled downwards to lock onto the slave collar on the table and stayed there. She pressed her lips together tightly, and under the pressure, they thinned and turned pale. She'd known before that he had her cornered - he'd made sure of that - and now she knew what was at stake: her loved ones as well as her nakama. There was no way out. Either she refused, risked her home town's destruction or she agreed and thereby condemned her captain and nakama to an unknown (but not inconceivable) fate. The Heart Pirate's captain idly scanned the room, pleased with himself even as the silence stretched into what felt like hours.

"Well?"

The silence between them was heavy and solid. This had to be the reason why although she spoke quietly, Nami's words felt unusually loud, even to herself.

"I won't join your crew."

There was a moment in which Nami wasn't sure whether the Shichibukai had heard her and Law wasn't sure whether he'd heard right. Apparently, it couldn't be helped, but—

"I won't join your crew," she repeated and then added, "but I will do what you demand."

The pirate captain froze in mid-reach for the slave collar and his lips stretched into a slow, menacing smile.

"Really?" he drawled and he didn't bother to hide his pleasure as he sank back into the couch and got comfortable again.

"Yes," the woman confirmed and he couldn't help but feel that she looked as if she had surrendered herself to a deal with the devil. If he would have been so inclined, Law would have sympathized, but Cat-Thief Nami probably didn't know what a real devil looked like anyway and he liked to think of himself as positively harmless in direct comparison.

"You will follow my orders?"

"Yes."

"Well, well. I suppose that means that I won't be needing this after all," Law said casually and inclined his head towards the collar.

Part of him felt annoyed at the fact that he'd had to resort to such measures as it felt a little like cheating. However, the situation had called for it. Time was a crucial factor and he couldn't afford any more delays. Besides, why dally with smooth and sophisticated if swift and merciless got the job done just as well? Personal preferences aside, the Shichibukai's priorities were rather straight forward and self-indulgence was only an option, not a necessity for him.

The pirate captain threw back the last dredges of his tea and audibly set down his cup. He rose out of his seat smoothly and just as he did so, the door opened. Nami once again had to wonder about the prison warden's surveillance methods, which evidently existed even if they weren't visible to the naked eye.

"Prisoner seven-three seven-three, Cat-Thief Nami of the Straw Hat Pirates," Chief Guard Domino stated with more authority than Nami was used from the blonde. The so-addressed slowly got to her feet.

"Present," she replied evenly.

"By special request of Fleet Admiral Sakatsuki and order of the World Government, you will be released into the custody of Royal Shichibukai Trafalgar Law as of today. Your sentence remains pending until the order expires," the blonde stated matter-of-factly before turning to Law. "Royal Shichibukai Trafalgar Law, you have been granted full legal power of attorney to act as the prisoner's warden on behalf of the World Government. You are solely responsible for the prisoner and her actions. As the acting warden, you have not been empowered to carry out a sentence relating to the prisoner in your care unless a special power of attorney has been granted to you. You are required to take any actions necessary to ensure the prisoner's continued survival and imprisonment. You have been granted permission to choose the means to achieve this at your own discretion."

Well damn.

"Now please follow me."

The Heart Pirate's grin was triumphant and satisfied as the woman followed the order with slow, well-measured steps. Her face was a stony mask of cool composure, but underneath it he thought he caught a glimpse of something that might have been accomplishment.

In the dimly lit corridor through which Domino lead, their steps were a steady rhythm, almost moving in tandem with the flickering lights scarcely illuminating the hallway and punctuated by distant screams or pleas. It was difficult to tell them apart and Nami tried hard not to dwell too long on it. Their group was now even larger than before, consisting of Chief-Guard Domino, whom Nami was following, and about twice as many prison guards to escort them than before. But the red-haired woman was only aware of the crunch of Law's black dress shoes a scant five steps behind her. Her gut twisted uncomfortably, her feelings unsurprisingly mixed. She'd done it. She'd regained her freedom or rather: she'd taken the first step to regain it. But the thought of leaving Impel Down didn't cause the expected relieve or elation. She was leaving Impel Down only to join the Surgeon of Death on his home turf - the yellow submarine named 'Death' (and didn't that sound like a child's song of sorts?). It was alright to feel apprehension, even worry. But she'd dealt with the hardships, that had swept into her life unexpected and terrifying like something straight out of a nightmare, when she'd been a child. Surely dealing with the sadistic captain of the Heart Pirates shouldn't be that difficult after having played the monsters for so long.

And yet having the tall man tailing her in the semi-darkness of the corridor gave her the strange feeling of being stalked by something dangerous. It didn't help that she knew this to be a fact of sorts.

Domino abruptly stopped and turned around. The dim lights played over her sunglasses and Nami caught sight of the Shichibukai's reflection in them, towering over her own. She was proud of herself for suppressing the shudder that wanted to tingle along the length of her spine, and instead forcedherself to focus on Domino.

"Well. This is it," the blonde said. A shrill bell sounded as the heavy double gate behind her was slowly pulled open by some groaning, unseen machinery. Domino gave a sharp nod and Nami followed her into what appeared to be a gigantic stock room of sorts.

Countless shelves filled the vast space, all of them numbered and loaded to the point of bursting with boxes the size of shoe-boxes. A mesh wire construction going from floor to ceiling separated a positively tiny area at the front from the actual stock area. It gave the impression of being the rickety prison version of a hotel's reception desk. Somewhere in the vastness of the room a cacophony of different pitched 'puru puru'-calls filled the air with noise, courtesy ofseveral den den mushis trying to make themselves noticed. There were more guards on the inside of the storage area and Nami was intrigued to note that their attention was mostly focused on the Surgeon of Death. Unlike the corridor they had been following, the air in the storage room was stiff with the stale scent of dust and old coffee, with faint traces of sugar and vanilla wafting in between.

There was the sound of feet shuffling and a few moments later, a thin man came into view. Nami assumed him to be the correction officer. The top of his head was completely bald and what little remained of his hair was a sandy brown color, from the almost mockingly full hair wrapping around the length of his head to his bushy brows and mustache. His eyes were a barely distinguishable pale shade of either blue or green, though it might have been gray, too, appearing to be tiny dots behind his red-rimmed glasses sitting rather comfortably on a long, upturned nose. The man's expression spoke of carefully feigned boredom and Nami assumed that it had something to do with the long, platinum blond hair that stubbornly clung to his black tie. The corrections officer shot Domino a weary look.

"Prisoner seven-three seven-three, Cat-Thief Nami of the Straw Hat Pirates," the blonde announced.

"What wing?" the officer asked.

"Maximum wing, block 9. The prisoner is temporarily released into the custody of the Royal Shichibukai Trafalgar Law."

"Okay, give me a minute," the man said giving a short nod and vanishing again.

He returned with two boxes, setting them down and flipping off the lid of one box. He removed a sheet that had been lying on top off the first box and began to read out loud from the list, pulling the corresponding items from the box as he went along: "One black suit jacket. One pair of black suit pants. One hat, black. One pair of sungla-"

"Just a second," Nami interrupted and then gestured vaguely at the items being laid out. "What is this?"

"Your possessions, of course," the officer stated, sounding nonplussed.

"Absolutely not," the navigator replied and crossed her arms.

"Of course! Seventy seventy. These are your possessions."

Domino coughed politely. "Seven-three seven-three, Kranzof, not seventy seventy," she said quietly.

The officer blushed a deep scarlet and hastily stuffed the clothes back into the box, shoving them aside quickly and hurrying back into the storage area. Someone snickered. When Kranzof returned, he was carefully balancing several boxes stacked into a shaky tower. As he'd done before, the corrections officer opened the boxes one after another, reading their contents off a clipboard and placing them on the desk for everyone to see. Law quirked an eyebrow. This was probably going to take a while.

"One Criminal brand black and white striped top. One cropped Criminal brand black studded leather jacket. One pair of blue denim pants. One black and silver holster belt. One pair of leather sandals. One golden bracelet. One three-needled log pose, broken. One pair of golden hoop earrings. One hair comb. One shopping bag containing two Shabondy Sidings brand miniskirts, one yellow, one white, one black Shabondy Sidings brand tank top and one Shabondy Sidings brand red dress. One shopping bag containing three Burning Subject brand t-shirts, one leather studded belt and two pairs of denim pants. One Cece Chanol brand shopping bag containing one black stole, one black dress and one pair of black shoes. One..."

And the list went on. Law found himself briefly wondering whether the abundance of shopping bags that was slowly brought to the dim lighting of the storage room, was perhaps the reason the navigator hadn't been able to escape the Marines' grasp. Shoes, clothes, jewelry, and - lo and behold - even the odd book tossed in between. Fleeing would have proven much simpler if only she'd thrown her purchases away, but apparently this hadn't been a valid option. Another bag was freed from its dusty card-board prison and the bright pink stripes brought a smirk to the Shichibukai's lips that had nothing to do with the bag's contents.

"One Victorious Mysteries brand shopping bag containing... containing..."

The officer's face slowly turned red with embarrassment and he swallowed hard. With some hesitancy, he reached into the pink-striped Victorious Mysteries bag to retrieve the first item of its contents, then thought better of it and used one of the pens stuffed into his shirt pocket to fish for the individual articles. The action reminded Law of little boys scared to infect themselves with cooties, which led to a rather interesting thought about lingerie and quarantine at the periphery of his mind. It was discarded easily when the officer continued to fulfill his duty of naming and laying out all of the prisoner's possessions before her.

"One Victorious Mysteries brand red b-bra, t-two red matching p-pa-panties, one black bra-"

"Black lace," Nami interrupted and her tone of voice suggested, that this was an important distinction to make.

The officer nodded numbly, swallowed and continued to Law's amusement in a dry, hoarse voice: "black la-lace bra, two... two black matching lace... panties and... and... twenty-three thousand and seven hundred beli," he ended, holding up a thick, powder yellow envelope. "Sign... sign here."

There was a moment of astonished and disbelieving silence, which Law felt compelled to disperse with a dry comment.

"Such a wide selection and you chose the striped jumpsuit."

Nami didn't rise to the bait while she watched the officer unceremoniously stuffing her belongings back into any available bags, then she quirked an eyebrow.

"I'm missing something," she said eventually. The officer shot an uncertain look towards the Chief-Guard and the Straw Hat navigator tensed. If the Marines had disposed of her clima tact, she was going to be in trouble.

"Royal Shichibukai Trafalgar Law will be taking possession of your bo staff," Domino replied evenly.

Nami didn't know whether to be relieved or annoyed and the pirate captain's face had returned to being as mockingly blank as it had been earlier. Deciding that there was nothing she could do about it right now, Nami reluctantly leaned forward to sign the form. She scribbled something that looked like a X with a round swirl attached to it at the top onto the dotted line - it was as much effort as she was willing to invest into signing her name with her hands still manacled. Straightening her form, she was faced with Domino holding up a set of keys. The relief Nami felt when both of her wrists were unshackled was physical only. The clinking and clanking of the heavy metal cuffs was accompanied by a symphony of 'puru puru' and the sound of weapons being readied and aimed at the female pirate. The pirates shared a look of bemusement that was brief, cut off by the realization that the other found the guards' actions as amusing as oneself did.

Gingerly, Nami rubbed the bright red and chafed skin of her wrists and began picking up the massive amount of shopping bags with the ease and grace of an experienced shopper. In a sharp, authoritative gesture Domino pointed the Straw Hat navigator towards a moldy curtain. It was barely distinguishable from the dirty, moldy stone masonry that surrounded it. Nami followed the unspoken command and pulled the curtain to the side. Behind it was what deserved to be called the tiniest and dirtiest changing room in existence. Nami made a face, but pulled the curtain shut behind herself.

It didn't take her too long to re-emerge from it, unsurprisingly sporting some of the previously unworn clothes rather than those she had been captured in. The pair of pale denim pants combined with the loose fitting top easily concealed how much weight she had lost and instead diverted the casual onlooker's eye to what curves she still had in a flattering manner. With her hair pulled up into a pony tail, the golden hoops dangling from her ears caught the light easily, drawing attention to pale column of her neck. She had shrugged into the jacket. Its rolled up sleeves did nothing to hide the marks of her imprisonment and neither did the broken log pose and golden bracelet she was wearing. Her feet were clad in a pair of her signature orange sandals and between the red of her hair and the crimson of her top, she somehow managed to make the orange look less flamboyant than it ought to be. The shopping bags were dangling from her hands and obscured the empty black leather holster sitting on her right hip.

She resembled her old self, that ofthe woman whose wanted poster was considered to be a government distributed pin up, a lot more than the rugged female he'd first seen three days ago. It was a startling metamorphosis and judging by the rosy flush peeking out underneath Chief-Guard Domino's sunglasses, one that hadn't been expected.

Law felt a smirk tug at the corners of his mouth as he absentmindedly fingered a piece of the clima tact. A sour expression settled onto the features of his newest charge. It was another one of those small, seemingly needless provocations that was intended to make a certain point. There was no use rising to the bait and she knew it. Probably, this was why his long tanned fingers were rolling and caressing the metal rod: he was forcing her to acknowledge the futility of butting heads with him.

There was an awkward moment in which Domino and the guards clearly expected for something to happen that, surprisingly enough, didn't occur and in which the two pirates asked themselves what exactly everyone was waiting for.

"Aren't you..." one of the guards stage-whispered to Law, making a vague and embarrassingly hasty gesture in Nami's direction.

"Aren't I what?"

"Aren't you... y'know... going to shackle the prisoner?"

Involuntarily, Nami felt her spine stiffen. The memory of the slave collar rose inside of her mind, but before the image could truly thrust roots into her discomfort Law shook his head. The gesture was accompanied by a smile that was ten different shades of unsettling, particularly on the pirate's face.

"I don't think I'll be needing those. We'll be getting along just fine, won't we?"

His words were menacingly quiet and Law was content to see that they didn't fail to have the desired effect. The female pirate averted her gaze, even as (or because) he sought eye contact. Nami was incapable of verbally agreeing, not trusting her voice to remain steady. Instead, she gave a mute nod.

"She's a very agreeable woman," he drawled. The statement remained uncommented as Chief-Guard Domino took charge of the situation once more and ushered the group out of the stock room through another exit.

The following corridors held an air of vague familiarity to Nami, who thought she might have come this way before. Daylight hesitantly seeped into the wide, spacious corridors that now dominated the group's surroundings and a sudden giddiness bubbled up in the Straw Hat Pirate's stomach, unexpected and strong. They were finally nearing the exit and although she couldn't even see the gate, Nami thought she could already smell the salty tang of the sea and feel the season's cool breeze tugging at the soft hairs in the back of her neck. There was some conversation going back and forth between Law and Domino, but Nami couldn't bring herself to follow it, too intensely aware of every step she took towards her tentative freedom (she resolved to call it that for now because everything that didn't include Impel Down or slave collars absolutely deserved to be called freedom, no matter the accompanying circumstances).

Guards lined the expanses of these upper corridors in the same manner those in the below levels had and up ahead there were the towering shadows of the Prison Warden and his deputy. Their dark silhouettes were thrown into stark contrast against the ash gray winter sky and its low-hanging, steely clouds visible through the open gate. Beyond the gate, Nami could make out the dark uniforms of the Heart Pirates and their vibrant yellow sub-marine, docked up between two marine ships. And still they were going at this maddeningly slow pace that Domino set. It had become almost unbearable the moment Nami's brown eyes had caught sight of the open sky.

"You should commit this moment to memory," a low voice rumbled mockingly near her ear, just as the Prison Warden came into hearing range. He wasted no time with pleasantries.

"Do not lose this prisoner! I will make you responsible if you let her escape! Do you understand that, Trafalgar?"

The so-addressed rolled his eyes and responded with a careless wave, even as the pirates' escorts stopped dead in their tracks. Nami felt the Shichibukai's large hand close around her right wrist, dragging her along and through the gate as the warden sputtered.

"Yes, yes, we've been over this already," the Surgeon of Death snapped and with a not-so-gentle move shoved Nami towards his crew members. Softer, warmer hands caught her at the shoulder before she lost her footing and although the expression on their faces wasn't exactly welcoming, the navigator couldn't help but be slightly relieved at the sight of fresh faces and the distinct lack of Impel Down's drab uniform. One of the two men that had caught her wore sunglasses that gleamed under the bill of his all black casquette, whereas the other's face was thrown into shadows by his black-and-white cap. The word 'Penguin' was printed neatly on the white part in the cap's front. And then there was the ice bear, which was already moving to take the bags out of her hands. He did it with such implicitness, that Nami didn't even think to object although he uttered a quiet "Sorry" as he did so.

"We'll be taking our leave now, if you don't mind," Trafalgar Law said, offering a mocking salute into the general direction of the prison. There was a cry of protest.

"Wait! Aren't you forgetting something, Royal Shichibukai Trafalgar Law?"

The pause that followed was all that was needed for a feeling of dread to firmly settle in the pit of Nami's stomach. The pirate captain made a great show of looking thoughtful. For some reason, Nami thought that the other three pirates were looking at her with an uncomfortable seeming severity. "I'm sorry," Bepo mumbled just as Law's face broke into a slightly apologetic grin.

"Dear me, she's right. I'm sorry but this was so insignificant to me, it must have slipped my mind. Do forgive me, Miss Nami," Law said and in a long tradition of truly bad and uncaring actors, there was no doubt that despite his words, this oversight had not been accidental. "As a precautionary measure, in the event that you should in fact decide that you do not care for the continued existence of that little village and somehow manage to escape from me, it was agreed that you were to give collateral of sorts."

"Collateral?" Nami said at length, turning to face the pirate captain fully.

"Indeed. We're going to leave your heart here. Just in case, you understand? It'll be returned to you once you return to Impel Down."

For a staggering moment, Nami was relieved that one of the Heart Pirates was carrying her belongings at this very second because their weight surely would have dragged her down. Then the dam broke and anger overflowed. If that damned ice bear weren't carrying her bags, she'd have something - anything - to put up a fight. Something to throw at Trafalgar in the hopes that it would bash in his head and wipe that stupid grin off his face. But before the current of her rage could begin to pick up speed and launch her into action (for example forwards and with her hands outstretched, aiming for Law's throat), she felt herself being pulled backwards by firm but not cruel hands. She couldn't tell which of the two Heart Pirates was trying to restrain her, only that the person was kind enough to avoid grasping her still aching wrists and was holding her just below the elbows instead. Although in the long run, this might not have been consideration for her well-being and just an attempt to further immobilize her. It was futile, she knew it, but that didn't stop her from trying to break free. Mindful of her shoes, Nami kicked her right leg back. Upon impact with something hard (she assumed it was a shin) there was a satisfyingly painful grunt which Nami made sure was followed by a yelp as she stomped on her captors foot with her heel. Infuriatingly enough, the hold on her arms didn't loosen, even as she twisted and wriggled, trying to make it harder to keep a hold of her.

Law made a chiding noise. "So childish," he admonished and gave a short, demanding nod to one of the pirates behind her. There was the barest hint of pressure against her shoulder, followed by excruciating pain shooting up and down her arms. A painful gasp escaped Nami's lips which seemed to satisfy the Surgeon of Death for the time being.

"If you hold still, it won't be any more painful than it has to be," the tanned man told her and Nami thought what he meant to say was "If you hold still I might not make thisas painful as I can". And although the prospect was there - what with his sadistic tendencies and her being more or less at his mercy right now - quite real and an immediate threat, she couldn't bring herself to stop struggling.

"Go to hell," she spat instead. Law's expression changed into an unexpected and threatening gleeful smirk. It dawned on Nami that he must have expected or hoped for such a response.

"The hard way, then," he declared, holding out his left where a spinning blue sphere was gathering.

Nami tried rocking back abruptly in a final attempt to break free, but the move must have been expected for the back of her head failed to connect to anything. Out of the corner of her eyes, she caught sight of the sphere growing. At the same time, there was a pricking sensation and the feeling of something cold crawling through the veins of her right arm.

Law advanced towards where she stood, his face set into a grim expression that slowly began to blur before Nami's eyes. It was difficult to remain focused and although she knew it would be a waste of her effort, she sluggishly made a final attempt of breaking out of the vice-like hold on her arms. The last thing she was aware of was a strange echo thundering in her ears as a sudden darkness swallowed her world.

"Room."


Notes: *** WARNING! Here be SPOILERS! ***

This story follows the Punk Hazard Arc up to Chapter 695. From this point onwards the story branches off from canon in the following points:

1) The kidnapping of Caesar Clown failed. Baby 5 succeeded in distracting the Straw Hat Pirates, Trafalgar Law, Smoker and the G-5 long enough for Babylon to make a run for it with Caesar. On his way back to Dressrosa, Babylon encountered Joker who pressed on towards Punk Hazard in order to retrieve his remaining allies and punish Trafalgar Law for his betrayal.

2) Arriving on Punk Hazard, Joker just happened to miss the Straw Hat Crew, which had set sail towards Green Bit, as planned. Despite Aokiji's interference, Joker managed to retrieve the bodies of his three fallen comrades.

3) On their way towards Green Bit, Luffy and Law have a falling out. The alliance failed to achieve its primary objective and trying to place the blame effectively breaks it. Although the Straw Hats drop Law off at Green Bit, where he reunites with his own crew.

Anything else will be explained in the next chapter, which I am sure you'll enjoy.

As a side note: I keep inserting references into the story for kicks and giggles, but so far, no one's caught any. Either my references are too obscure or I'm just doing it wrong. In this chapter, there's a reference to the Blues Brothers movie and several real-world fashion brands. If you can find any of those, let me know.