A/N:

Guest: thank you for the review. I hope the story turns out well. It just that the story mainly focus on the OC, Mirra and the loving relationship with Law grows slowly, not an immediate one. So I hope everyone enjoy the slow progress and the slow burns between them.

Vi-Violence: yeah thanx for telling the mistake. I used to write (y/n) before settling to a real name to the OC hehe...

Hope you guys and all the readers find the story to be interesting.

-

"Since I was very young, I ate a Hyo-hyo (hail) fruit, allowing me to manipulate blizzard- and ice-based attacks. But I couldn't control my power back then, causing more casualties instead. A lot of things happened, and I arrived at East Blue, staying there for years before started my journey two years ago," Mirra chewed, enjoying pasta dishes after being craving of it for a long time, named fettucine alfredo, spaghetti bolognese with chicken mince, including a sizable well baked chicken lasagna.

"So, you're devil fruit user just like our captain. Your power is cool, Mirra", praised Clione.

"You should've told us earlier, Mirra-chan. It'll be a trouble if you fall into the sea and we don't know that you can't swim," Shachi spoke. He is still busy stuffing the food to his face that he didn't bother to look up at the female at all.

"Slow down, guys. You gonna choke if you gobble it up like that," and right after she warned them, Shachi coughed badly asking for water to clear up his clogged throat.

"Told you," she snorted.

Sensing a stare from someone, she turned around, only to find Law looking straight at her. Well, his eyes are but it seemed like he lost his focus while staring. He's definitely in his own world right now.

"So, your family still at East Blue?" Shachi asked.

"No. They'd long gone since I was very young. I was taken care by my grandma, that was until I-she passed away and I was se-travelling around. Someone helped me and brought me to Foosha Village and I lived with a gang of mountain bandits there."

"You lived with mountain bandits??!!" Penguin gasped. His loudness has brought back their captain's mind to the present.

"It was not really that bad. They were friendly and really care about me. Afterall, I made friends with few boys around my age over there. We'd the best childhood moments ever!" She beamed.

"So, you're more ruffian than what we'd thought. That explain how you able to survive in this Grand Line despite having no bounty on you. Have you done any crime or offense yet?" Law asked. He'd just finished eating and done with his meal. He'd put his hat away throughout the dinner time, and for the few times Mirra had been watching him – just out of security – she had to admit that he got a good look. With those sideburns and small goatee, and messy raven-blackish hair.

He's gonna be hella hot in few years. Mirra believed so since he had this vibe just like her black-haired older brother.

"Impossible captain. She is too pretty and too cute to be a criminal!"

"She was the one who got attacked when we met her. If anything, she's more a victim than a bad person!" complained the other.

"And look at those bright innocent green orbs! They're dazzling under the sunlight, sparkling under the twinkling stars, shining under –"

"Enough with the nonsense," Law's order shut them all up.

Mirra chuckled, "you guys don't have to back me up just because you like my cooking. And that trick won't work as I won't get up to cook more for you guys." The sound of their sighed make her giggled more.

Facing Law again, "We reached an agreement where I cook as long as you let me ride this sub. I don't have an obligation to tell you my history".

"Wary of something, Mirra-ya?"

"I believe I'm just being self-conscious with my current situation. Getting a stranger sniffing into my history might cost my life in the future, don't you agree, Captain Trafalgar?" She smirked, putting her chin on the back of her hand while the elbow rested on the table.

"And how can I be assured your past history won't be putting my crew in troubles?"

"Still, you pirates are used to troubles. What will be the difference of having another one?"

"So you're admitting you bringing one?"

"Your words, not mine", she acted calm. Way too calm that no one could tell whether she's being serious or not. The others are simply enjoying the movie laid in front of them. And instead of having popcorns to complete the ritual, they have pastas. Delicious pastas.

They couldn't complain at all.

"All I can say is I did a bit of bad things, like stealing and threatening some people for money. And I've done them discreetly and secretly, so the marines couldn't catch me".

Law hummed. "If you don't have a bounty on your head then that's a less thing that will trouble my crew. But if the marines spot you, they could put a bounty on you, assuming you're part of the Heart Pirates. And there's no turning back once you've a bounty," Law said casually without batting his eyes on her.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'll be fine", she assured him.

-

Days after the incident of getting attack by pirates last time, the Heart Pirates arrived at an island. It's a small island, with a population of no more than 100 people. The island is made up of two major town, called Asa (in the East) and Midori (in the West of the island). Together they are called Asa Midori Island, though none of the Heart pirates knew why it is called that.

Since it's Summer, the thought of going out and exploring the island suddenly died – for Mirra – because if anything, the scorching sun and the unbelievable heat is killing her. And the same went to the polar bear, because, naturally, being a tundra island's animal, Bepo is sweating furiously under his fur, that the joke made by Shachi asking him to remove his fur like the crew removed and tied their upper boiler suit around their waists resulted in the bear pulling out his hidden claws, readied to strike him in the neck.

Shachi immediately seeked refugee behind his captain.

And five minutes later, the sub is left with none other than the read-headed freeloader (not really one if she exchanged her stay with cooking service, right?), the fluffy polar bear and the Surgeon of Death (who refused to leave the sub and Bepo alone incase she tried to skin his favourite polar bear alive).

"It's hot~" Bepo's tongue sticking out in complain. He's practically dying. And so does the ice-user.

"Awww Bepo, are you alright? Don't worry I asked Shachi and Penguin to get us some ice cream to cool down a bit," Mirra fanned her face with her hand. She's wearing a light cream wide-shoulder, loose crop top that skimmed over her tummy with high-waisted shorts. Slippers are well welcomed for this hot season. (No one knew where she got the clothes. Probably in the backpack that she carried around when they found her...)

Both Bepo and the female laying on the deck to feel the breeze of the ocean and cool them down a bit.

Suddenly, Law came out from the door, heading to the two of them, wearing his favourite yellow hoodie. Only this time the hoodie is a bit thinner and it's a short sleeve, to compensate against the heat. His jolly roger proudly decorated the front part, as usual.

"You guys are looking dead".

"Don't worry about that" she looked at her skin. "We're still far from being medium rare".

Law snorted.

Grumbling for the umpteenth time, Mirra shifted her position to sitting in crossed-leg, "Bepo come over here a bit. I'm gonna cool us down." And she turned her palms facing upward as white energy with white thin blizzard swirled around them. She released more of the thin blizzard, making the cold breeze circulated and swirled around both of them, dropping the temperature between their perimeter to a comfortable one.

"Mirra-san! That's very cool. And it's cooling," Bepo scooted even closer, closing his eyes to enjoy the cool sensation. He looked very relief with the changes, making Mirra squealed lightly muttering 'cuteness overloaded' in her mind. When Law saw this, he questioned her as to why she didn't do that in the very first place. Mirra nonchalantly answered that the fire and heat are her top weaknesses and controlling her power during these situations is hard and needed more energy because the heat will constantly neutralize her techniques.

Law stared in silent. He didn't know whether she's purposely telling him that or the heat has fried her brain just enough to make her too hazy to realize she'd just revealed an important information regarding herself that he could exploit to his advantage. But one thing he sure, he's thankful to the coolness as well, so he sat next to Bepo.

The three of them found comfort in the silence, letting the cool air basking against their skin (and fur).

-

Law is getting anxious. It's already past the afternoon yet his crew still haven't come back since last night. Yesterday, after the crew got the supplies and food needed, they straight went to the local bar for a dinner and some drinking session. But Bepo declined for still feeling hot, and Mirra was too tired after using her power. And again, not wanting to leave her alone with Bepo, he decided to stay too.

Law believed that even though the idiots drank too much last night and way too drunk on the next morning, they should be back to the submarine by now. By afternoon.

"Captain, do you think something happened to them?" Bepo's question broke the silence.

"Maybe they got caught by the marines here? If they were too drunk and couldn't get their mind straight, then..." Mirra's thought caused Law to shoot daggers to her.

Scary...

It is then Law decided he has enough of waiting. He looked pointedly at the other two, earning a displeasure grunt from the female for needing to follow him searching for the crew under the scorching sun.

-

All the questioning and asking – and threatening, obviously Law couldn't be gentler in gathering information causing almost all the people he'd asked becoming useless like a noodle – has led the three to an abandon mansion, deep inside the forest at the south of the island. When Law questioned the reason for his crew to be there, the villagers stuttered and tried very best to advert his gaze, coming up with excuses like 'pirates are wanderer', 'they're not paid to keep an eye on them', 'their babies are crying at home so they need to leave now', and the best one, 'her wife will kill him if he's late with the groceries', and he bolted away without a second glance.

Funnily, when the man said that, the only thing he carried was a bottle of rum in his hand, no potatoes nor onions nor bag of fishes for him to bring back home. So it strucked some questions in the female's head.

Something is totally off…

"They wanted to explore the mansion", Law mumbled in disbelieve, repeating what he'd heard a second ago.

Never mind I can just leave them here and run…. after I carry out my mission, she thought again.

Pushing the heavy gate open, the 'creaaaakkkk' sound added a scary effect to the already spooky environment thanks to the setting sun and ghostly whispers in the air. They walked through the yard where dead leaves scattered around and wild grasses in dull grey stretched along the path, reeking the lost of will to live and grow altogether. One lonesome oak tree stood by the house, swaying to the left and right following the rhythm of the wind.

Dark purple-bluish with too little tinge of orange engulfed the surrounding as the setting sun totally being covered by the tall trees, limiting the amount of light reached to the mansion and making the hot and sticky air changed into cold and numb. The sudden drop in the temperature didn't bothered Mirra much, but the creepiness created constant goosebumb, and with Bepo sticking closely to her chanting 'I'm scared' over and over again didn't make her any calm.

"Bepo, I believe your source of reassurance is with Captain Trafalgar" she sighed when he jumped and dug his paws on her shoulders, scared over the howling sound.

How did he managed to be so comfortable with me? We just met…

Mirra glared up. The mouldy, rotting, dirtied-white mansion stood in front of them, warning them to stay away before the death came and greeted them. But the feelings being ignored, as the brave souls climbed the broken wooden stairs - each step creaking noises - carefully to avoid being swallowed by the old structure. Law reached over the brass-door handle, turning it over and opened the door silently, while holding his kikoku tightly with his left hand.

The musty smell of a mansion that'd been long abandoned filled their nose. It's very dim and uninviting inside. Something with messy hair, jagged teeth and missing one eye while the other dripping out of the socket could be crawling it's way right now.

"You can stay behind if you want to. My crew has nothing do with you", Law directed it to Mirra, but the soon he finished saying that, another howling of the air could be heard, and the rustling of the branches and trees caused the atmosphere to be creepier than it is currently.

"No thank you. I feel safer with you two here than staying outside there," she's being honest.

Law glanced over, before facing in front again and started to walk in. From the front door, they could see a long hallway stretched to the very end – to God knows to where –, a stair leading to the floor above on their immediate right and a door to a room on their left, few steps away from the entrance. They headed straight first. Dusts and cobwebs littered around the pictures hanged along the hallway. Some of the pictures are broken and out of the hinges, while some are just either turned over or upside down.

Mirra squatted down and ran a finger over the dusted floor. The thickness of the dust on her fingers, with little to nothing of shoes' marks that could sign anyone ever being here – except of theirs –, Mirra deduced the crew never pass this hallway.

She then jogged a bit further and turned to a corner, exited the hallway as she came upon a huge dining room. A big chandelier that used to hang on the ceiling has dropped on the black wooden table and pieces of glasses are scattered around, on the floor and the table. Broken legs of chairs are spotted, messily toppled around the area. Mouldy plates with leftover food and bones are on the table, and empty bottles of alcohols rolling around, causing unpleasant smell.

Law then followed suit, and then Bepo, but a sudden movement at one of the corners, near the cabinet used to display antique plates and cups alerted all of them. Law readied himself by holding his kikoku's hilt, yet to unsheathe the sword, Bepo is in his fighting stance ready to kick while Mirra has her hand on her sword latched to her weapon's belt around her hip, each of them readied for an action. They soon sighed in relief when it's only a big brown fat rat popped out, looking at the intruders and climbed around the cabinet before dissapeared into the hole in the wall.

They relaxed a bit before the scratch of tree branch scrapping at the window nearby made the red-headed squeaked and unintentionally, leaped to Law, hugging him tightly on his left side with her legs wrapping his torso. Also, unintentionally, she pressed Law's left face against her breast when another scrapping sound is heard, turning around frantically searching for the sound.

"What was that?" She hugged him even more when the wind howled through a broken window gap and papers scattered around due to the fierce wind. Law lost his balance while trying to breathe, causing him to step back before hitting the edge of the dining table. The shock caused a bottle of alcohol to drop and the drink spilled on the floor.

"Mirra-ya, l-let me go!"

"Ack! Captain Trafalgar! I'm sorry I didn't mean to!" She released him and Bepo rushed to their side, checking on his captain's condition. Law's gaze fell on her as if he wanted to say something but brushed it off when he saw her crimson face. He remembered where his face was when he got hugged, and just 'tsked' at it before assuring Bepo he's fine.

Mirra looked away trying to calm herself but she noticed the dripping alcohol on the floor, raising a question in her head. She picked up the bottle and sniffed in before glancing at the table again, analysing the condition of the leftovers. The sour smell of the alcohol – yet still drinkable – and only a small portion of the food's surface covered by mold with little ants and cockroaches feasting on it making her realized, it has not been too long since the food is here.

Besides, the alcohol hasn't fully dried up as well and upon further inspection, the room's floor doesn't look too dusty. There are still no footprints, though there are fresh slash marks on the walls that Mirra didn't think she wanted to know the cause of it.

"Mira-san, we are leaving", Bepo's voice from the hallway has brought her back to reality. She looked around the room again before started to leave but stopped halfway when she felt something curling at her ankles. But there's nothing when she looked at them. She swiftly brushed off her legs, trying to throw away any bugs that probably trying to crawl over.

Wearing shorts is not a good idea.

She rushed over to them, only to not noticing small vines peeked out from the hole on the floor of where she just stood, wiggling around.

-

All the exploration on the first floor led them to nothing, other than broken furniture, ripped curtains, old potraits and paintings – that most likely drawn by popular artists that could price at a hefty amount – peeling wallpaper and gasps in the floorboards.

Nothing of their interest.

But Mirra caught more than enough clues to guess the location of the crew, and she's about to inform the captain of Hearts about it.

"Hey, Captain Trafalgar, I don't know if you noticed this or not, but I don't think your crew is in this floor." She walked to his side, looking straight to his cold grey eyes.

"What did you found?" he questioned back. Probably trying to mix match his findings with the female's.

"First, there's no other footprints than ours from the entrance to any of these rooms and the hallway. Second, if a crew of 16 people entered the mansion, drunken or not, they'll be spook by the sounds around and will create a noticeable mess, but there's none other than the ones that we can clarify as already happened since long time ago. And eventhough there are few fresh slash-marks on the walls like those in the dining room and the living room, though I couldn't find its relationship with your crew, those marks have been there longer than a week. So I think they might have went to other floors to check around."

"But here is another thing," she folded her arms, pressing her breasts in the action causing them to look bigger while staring straight to his eyes, "there're signs of people living here. Judging from the yet-to-dry alcohol and the condition of the leftovers food with the mold, and the few new candlesticks that I found on the coffee table, someone could be here."

"What's with the candle Mirra-san? How did you know someone's here from the candles?" The polar bear started to feel itchy due to the dust and dirt sticking to his fur. He has been scratching over places out of control.

"The candlesticks are still new. When I found them, they're still inside the packet, stay still on the table. But not much of dust covered the top of the box yet the whole table is too dusty. And when I lifted up the candle's box –", she suddenly turned, body tensed while eyes spying around.

"What's wrong?" Law narrowed his eyes.

Mirra stood still, still staring around, before she continued "there's dust under the candle's box when I lifted it up", ignoring Law's previous question. "As if someone just bought it, recently, and put it on that table", she summarized.

"And your action just now? The sudden turn?"

"I thought I heard something snaking around. Maybe my feeling".

"So where should we go now, captain?" Bepo asked. Still scratching.

"Let's go upstairs".

"Maybe this mansion has a basement. Think we can find one?" She said.

"It will be no surprise for this big mansion to have one. And it'll be a good place to do something secretly and leave other floors looked unsuspicious", Law trailed off, ensuring the other two still following him as they heading to the entrance back.

But before they could go any further, the floor caved in on where Mirra had stepped, and she fell with a shriek before she hit her head with a blunt object. She heard Bepo calling her name before Law shouted something like 'get away' or 'what the hell is this?', and they struggled against something before the sound of something getting dragged away became the last thing she heard over muffled voice as she passed out.

-

It's no later than twenty-one hours, yet the island has turned to a complete silence with not a single person spotted to be anywhere other than their houses. Bars, shops and restaurants have long closed, curtains are pulled to fully covered the windows to block any view to the outside, children are safely tucked into their beds and adults stayed silently in their house, some smoking, some pretended to be calm by drinking their tea, some stood still in agitation while some chanting their prayers. Occasional howls from the wolves residing the forest are the only thing that broke the silence. Other than that, not even the crickets dared to make a sound.

"It's happening tonight", as he glanced at the full moon that proudly making its appearance in the sky. He turned to his wife, watching her biting her nails. Her face showed thousands of guilt. The same expression, the same reaction whenever it's happening.

"I feel bad… to them…" she muttered.

"Don't be. They're pirates", her husband replied.

"But they don't deserve this. They don't deserve to get caught between our village's problem".

"Someone need to be sacrifice, honey".

"But not them. Not any of the visitors or travellers. Not the marines. They're not supposed to die like this. They don't deserve this".

"Then who would you like to sacrifice? The villagers? Yourself?!!" The wife stayed silent. Didn't know what to answer. They couldn't leave the island. They couldn't reach other island to ask for help. Any connection to other places has been cut, and threats has been told. Any suspicious action will result to their death.

So they stayed silent. Listening to the demands of those monsters, in exchange for their safety.

There's nothing that they could do. Nothing at all other than surrendering to this fate.

"Sleep honey. Everything will be alright by tomorrow", the husband reassured the wife. And another howl of the wolves could be heard, and those with weaker hearts cried in silence, praying and thanking the unlucky souls for taking their places from being killed.

There'll be no tomorrow for them. But there'll be tomorrow for the villagers.

-

Mirra woke up with a strong burning sensation on her upper back between her shoulder blades, hissing painfully as her hand tried to reach that area, pressing it with her fingers to suppress the pain. Gritting her teeth, she curled her body, muttering few colourful words and took a few deep breathe to calm her racing heart. And only minutes later the pain finally dissipated, allowing her to exhale relief-breathe multiple times.

But another pain shot through her head and she cringed. She ran her hand to the painful area, and when her fingers felt wet and sticky, she pulled them, sniffing at the liquid only to identify it as her blood.

Damn, I must have bled my head.

Mirra knew she had practically fell into one of the rooms existed in the basement. She couldn't figure out what kind of room is this, but looking at the gardening and carpentry tools stacked around, she assumed it to be a storeroom. The room is very small and packed with sharp tools, making her to sigh in relief for not having any of those to stab her to death the moment she'd fell.

Looking at the hole above her head, maybe falling to the basement is not a bad idea. Because now she could go around and search for the missing crew. And probably Bepo and Law as well seeing how they didn't help her after the floor caved in.

Turning the knob of the door, Mirra head popped out as she looked at left and right, discreetly trying to see if any enemies are around. Believed to be no one there, she silently snucked out, walking quietly while her back pressed tight to the wall behind her. It's the only choice after all. The hallway in the basement is too open with no furniture or anything that she could use to hide behind incase someone is approaching.

And when she reached the nearest door, she pressed her ear against it, trying to catch any sound that indicate living souls to be inside. But only silence greeted her. She pulled out her hair clip, about to pick the locked door but she halted when creaking sound of a door and descended footsteps from the staircase next to her are heard. She mentally cursed the person who decided to come down but at the same time, swiftly hiding herself as far as she could in the empty space under the staircase. She watched a woman, draped with a heavy brown cloak opened the door that she was about to pick, and immediately gagged when a strong foul smell invaded her nose. The woman closed the door, disappeared behind it.

Oh Lord, I started to regret picking this sub to hitch a ride, she muttered while pressing her ear to the door, trying to pick whatever sound coming from behind it. She could hear some murmurs, like two people are conversing. Then there's sound like something being…butchered? Cut? Or sliced? She didn't know but whatever it is she didn't care.

She continued eavesdropping until a sudden shout could be heard coming from the next room. It sounded like one of the Heart pirates, and then another shout – in anger – coming from the room that she's been eavesdropping, something like 'let them go' and 'I'll kill you' along the line.

Mirra knew now that both of the rooms held Heart pirates, but she couldn't determine which one required her help the most. And while she's struggling to make decision, she heard footsteps coming towards her from the first room.

She hided back under the staircase, catching the woman shouted "don't worry honey. Your turn will be next after them and I'll make sure it'll be quick and less painful", to whoever inside the room. She watched that woman locked the door again and dissapeared into the second room – is that a bloody hand she carried with her? – before she came out from her hiding spot to break into the first room by cutting the door diagonally.

Instant regret, she forced back her lunch from lurching out because the stench is so much worse than what she'd thought. She felt like the stench of dry and wet blood mixed with the stench of rotten meat just bazooka-ed to her face that made her felt like to drown herself in a sea for a new fresh sea-shower.

She covered her nose with her arm – a futile act – and walked past through all the littered skeletons and bones on the floor. There are cages, lots of them with wild animals inside, mostly reptiles giving their stinky eyes to an intruder that they have never seen before. There are also rotten bodies - missing few body parts - shackled to the wall, few butchered crocodiles and snakes that have been dissected through their middle bodies and left opened for flies to swarm in, and she definitely didn't miss another wooden table on her left side with a body just being butchered at his elbow – probably the mad-woman just now caused it – judging from the still dripping blood on the floor.

A sound of clacking metal on her right made her stop abruptly, readied to spring to an action before she rushed immediately to the male that been kept chained against the wall. Both his hands are chained side by side, locked to the wall with few minor bruises spotted on his face that's enough to draw blood, though not too much.

"Captain Trafalgar! Shit, you're in mess!" She screamed-whispered, placing both of her palms on his cheeks, bringing them upward so he could face her.

"Hurry get me out of this," he gritted his teeth while wrinkling his nose over the smell.

"Wow, that's how you asked help from people? Seriously does it hurt your ego to ask nicely?" The smell might be killing her, but his ego only made her reluctant to release him from the lock.

"This is no time for this Mirra-ya. My crew needs me and this place smells reek!" Law shouted but halted abruptly when cough caught his throat.

"You're right. This is not the time to fight," she immediately grabbed his hat and covered her nose, inhaling a deep breathe through it and thanks him for giving her a moment of fresh air, even though it's only the smell of his hair ( she rather breathe that than the bloody stench). And he accepted her thanks with his signature cold gaze.

She reached over to the shackle on his hand, trying to pick on it but slump over to him when her energy suddenly drained out.

"What the heck! You could've at least warned me its sea prism stone!" grabbing his collar, she brought him closer to her face "how I'm going to release you now?"

"Cut them. You got sword."

"I can't cut sea prism stone! They're as hard as a diamond! Don't you know where's the key? I can go get it-"

"No, you're not leaving me in this room. Whatever you do, just get me out of here!"

"Then you should've asked my help nicely, jerk! Behave or I'll leave!" Her order obviously annoyed him, as vein started to pop on his forehead. But she ignored it, proceeded by leaning her body against his while stretching her hands to try picking on the shackle again with her bobby pin while at the same time trying to not touch the metal of the shackle itself.

She had to tip toe to reach the shackle above his head, and even that still made her struggle and resolved to lean even closer to him, pressing her body against his. Mirra could feel heat radiated from Law's body – either out of his pure anger or he simply that hot – seeping through her cloth and if it's not because of the stench killing the mood, she'd pretty sure she will be blushing like a tomato right now.

In her struggle, Law took the opportunity to put his chin on her shoulder, slightly tipping to the left where her neck covered with strands of her red hair is, and obviously breathing in the scent with no tendency to make it less subtle at all. Mirra had to suppress from shuddering, mentally cursing that idiot captain for taking advantage on her in this situation.

Who the hell go sniffing a woman around?

She didn't care if the captain is suffering from the unpleasant smell, she didn't care if her hair smelled good enough to escape from the killing stench, she didn't care if he'd been locked in this room far too long for anyone to still able to keep their sanity, and she definitely didn't care if his cloth has absorbed the stench and now he is reek of death.

What she cared is to get out of this room as soon as possible and kick his ass for breathing to her neck!

When she successfully unshackled him, she immediately put his hand on her shoulder and wrapped one of her hand around his waist before leaving the room. Any other smell is so welcoming, even the musty basement as both of them then breathe in relief, taking as much as better air after few feet away from the room – though the stench still lingered around due to the opened door that couldn't be reattached anymore.

Not a minute had passed, but Law had abruptly stood up and headed to the second room where he believed his crew being held hostage. The door slammed open and almost out of its hinge as he made his way in with his usual death look. (He reeked death himself, so it didn't make any difference whether he made that face or not).

Mirra simply watched, still sitting crossed leg weighing the pros and cons to help around.

-

Law eyed the room he just entered. It's totally different from the rest. It's big and very spacious and the air is much fresher from the outside, for whatever reason it is. The room looked like it used to be a wine cellar, with whatever remained from the stained dark brown-wine racks sturdily built around three sides of the room, along with two-sided row of racks in the middle, forming two bays. But instead of displaying bottle of wines, the racks stored multiple jars with various content inside. Some stored internal parts or organs, - humans', probably – submersed into formaldehyde and also what Law could identified as dried small animals. And the most obvious one is a jar containing eyes varied in various shades of orbs that gave off the sense of pretty if it's not to the fact that they are blinking.

The room is oddly overgrown with what one can perceived as vines, but there're no trees in sight for where the massive and block-size of vines came from. The floor is uneven due to the vines lapping on each other. In the middle of the room, three big vines intertwined with each other growing from the broken wine racks reaching to the ceiling, before they split into smaller vines, and bent down halfway, floating freely in the air. The crew, wrapped in cocoon-shaped -upside down - by the said vines swaying lightly in the air, trying to free themselves.

And not further from the three big vines stood two females, one wearing a brown cloak, who just threw a disassembled hand into a cauldron – shocked with the sudden interruption – while the other stirred whatever inside with a giant wooden stick. Both sniffed the air with delight as the flames shot up high around the cauldron making the sticky goo bubbled more, before backed to the reality of having uninvited visitor.

"Captain!" shouted one of the crew.

"Captain is fine!"

"Captain, we're sorry for being caught but please help us!"

"Captain, be careful of them. They have devil fruit powers!", are some of the crew's shout.

"'ow you get out for t'ere?" asked the same woman that locked Law in the previous room. She is as tall as Law, with sanguine eyes in hazel colour that glinted with slyness of a snake, attractive dainty nose and long dark bottle green waves, cascaded down her back. The brown coat that she wore covered almost her whole body, but one could tell she's wearing a full-length dress with flat dark shoes. The other one, who still stirring whatever inside the cauldron has the same sanguine eyes, but they're dimmed in baby blue colour, and her hair is short, bob style in blonde. She wore a knee-length summer dress with sandals and a bit shorter than Mirra if anything.

"You let him free", the blondie snorted.

"We locked 'im with sea stone. There's no way 'e can escape", the greenette snarled.

"Whatever".

Law spotted his sword floating in the air held by the vines, not too far from the two women and that big cauldron. He 'room' the area and transported his sword to his hand when suddenly out of nowhere multiple vines shot at him. Law immediately unsheathed his sword and cut them into half before jumping backward as another batch of vines shot through.

"Sis, why don't you handle him? Let me get my job done here", Law watched as a vine neared the blondie snaking around before passing her a jar and some herbs – is that dried lizard in the jar? – from the wine cellar. The blondie dropped those things inside the cauldron, and a sudden green gas 'poofed' in a small shape of a mushroom. She motioned her finger to the big tree and the vines lowered down bringing some of the crew to her height.

"What the fuck woman. Stay away from me", Shachi is one of them. He's being rigid, too worried with whatever that woman had in her mind right now.

"You think this one is fine?" the blondie asked, ignoring Shachi's protest.

"He'll make do", greenette replied.

"Oi. What are you doing to my crew?" Law watched in horror, immediately rushed forward when he saw the blondie took out a long knife while her hand wandered to Shachi's boiler suite's zip. But the greenette stood in the way, with her own set of knives aiming powerful slashes to the captain, pushing him back from his steps.

Another vine curled around Penguin, bringing his hands and legs opened widely like a starfish, when few more vines moved to his neck and around his wrists in sharped and thin-like-needle formed. The wiggles and struggles by both men turned futile as the vines only tightened their hold. Not even a second is delay as the vines stabbed Penguin immediately and specifically at his radial arteries and carotid arteries.

"Penguin!" Law, again is pushed back by the greenette. Damn she is strong.

"What is my prey doing 'ere? You should be chained to the wall rig't now. 'ow do you escape?"

"Prey?" Law quirked his eyebrows.

"Answer my question", she hissed.

"I have no obligation to answer any of your question".

"Tch. Men always make t'ings complicated. Every single man t'at we caug't always try to run away when t'ey know all resistance are futile".

"No sane person will stay after witnessing that room".

"Yet you're still 'ere," she snickered and pulled out a vial from her cloak, green-yellowish liquid swirled in the tube.

"I'm here to get my crew back!" Law snarled. He has enough of the talk. It did nothing other than delaying his rescue work.

The greenette popped open the vile, and poured the liquid into her mouth, "and all the s'outs and running attempts only make us more ex'ilarated to feast on t'em", she finished by licking her lips delicately and threw the empty vial onto the ground.

"You know what we did to the men we caug't? We ate t'em. They're our source of strengt', energy, and most importantly, beauty and yout'" the greenette eyes glowed for a second, and she suddenly went missing from Law's central vision, before he got a hit to the stomach that sent him flying away. Coughing out blood, his peripheral vision caught Penguin's pale face, while the blondie – glowed in delight – tapping the point of her sharp knife to Shachi's bare torso, mumbling 'where to start cutting' repetitively.

"Penguin!!" Law shouted desperately, but he couldn't make way to his crew to save them. Even when he teleported himself, the vines around him will shot out immediately trying to stab or catch him, so he is forced to jump away before he could do anything. To make it worse, the greenette could turn anything that she touched into a stone – after swallowing that suspicious green-yellowish liquid she has the strength of ten musclemen! Making the situation even worse!

And currently, she's been playing dirty by spitting around and turned anything that her spits touched into a stone (get it? Spit = dirty XD).

"I think I start here", the blondie pressed her knife right in the middle of Shachi's torso, about to dug in, but

"it hurts to know you didn't see woman as a source of your strength and beauty, but I'm glad I didn't have to become your prey," she's suddenly being kicked and the strong forced sent her crashing to the wall. Shachi sighed in relief when he saw a shadow of red hair covering his vision.

Immediately, Mirra cut the vines around Shachi – sending him 'plop' to the ground – and pulled out any of them that attached to Penguin to stop the absorption. Or whatever the process is called.

"Thank you, Mirra-chan. I almost thought I'm a goner," Penguin breathed heavily, covering his bleeding neck.

"Well at least I saved someone who knows how to thank me," she smiled. "Damn, did they suck on your blood?" she went wide-eyed.

"I-I think so," Penguin staggered.

"Ummm... a little help, please?" Shachi still wiggling trying to free his tied legs.

Mirra's sense of danger suddenly rang as she jumped away while snatching Penguin's and Shachi's back-collars when multiples of vines cascaded from the air like raining bullets. The force could plummet her to death judging from the hole created by them.

"Who the fuck are you?" shouted the blondie.

"None of your business".

"Why are you free? We caught everyone!!"

"It's not everyone now if I'm standing here, right?" Mirra pointed the obvious.

"You're so gonna pay for this, bitch! I'm gonna kill you for ruining everything!" she charged in.

"Wow wow. Rilex okay? I just happened to stumble to this mansion with that captain and a polar bear. I'll be on my way soon if you let me", but the blondie is not giving a damn to her idea as she chased her around with her vines.

"Saving this crew doesn't include in our agreement", she mumbled lightly but stull could be heard by the two mechanics that attached to her like a leach.

She created an ice-wolf and it leaped towards the blondie while she made a beeline to the big tree where the rest of the crew are. By the time she cut some of them down, the blondie had crushed the wolf pretty easily with her big vines. And when another block of vines rushed into attacks, Mirra turned, blocking them with her sword, covering Shachi, Penguin and those that she has released from the fatal blow.

Today is not a good day as Law almost get multiple heart attacks as he watched the vines sending deadly attacks to his immobilized crew and he's not there to defence them. Though the red-haired female is there to protect and attack, but he didn't push the thought if she suddenly decided to run away.

"Free the others and take away Penguin!" Law heard she shouted, and then she pushed away the vines as she ran toward blondie with her finger posting a pistol sign. She shot an array of iced bullets, but it didn't work as the blondie used her vines as a shield. And when she tripped on the vines that being in her steps, he watched her face-planted to the vined-ground in the most indignant way.

"Shit!" she cursed embarrassingly.

A small shout from a distance caught both the raven-haired and the red-haired attention. And they both sweat dropped watching Shachi and Penguin got caught by the vines again.

"I just released you guys. Can't you guys at least protect yourselves?!!" Mirra shouted.

"Easier said than done! We don't have knives or sword like you! Our kicks won't do much to the vines." Shachi complained. Uni – happened to be one of the free crew – is frantically jumping around avoiding the vines. Law tilted his head downward, grumbling at his crew's antics.

"Oi Captain Trafalgar! You need to do something about your crew. I'm not their mom! And it's not part of the agreement for me to watch their backs!" she jerked her thumb towards the crew, irritated much.

"Then you handle this stone-woman," he 'room' and simply transported himself toward the crew while transported the green-haired woman in front of her.

"The hell – " Mirra immediately jumped sideway as the greenette pushed her hand forward trying to grab her. And even though Mirra swung her sword to the side of the greenette's body, it turned futile as she has turned her body into stone. And another vine attacked Mirra's side sending her flying and coughing out air.

"This is not part of our agreement", she coughed a fit of air, loud enough for Law to hear them. Again.

"You guys leave this mansion now! I will handle this", Law ordered the crew as he ignored Mirra's protest.

"But captain! We're your crew and we need to fight with you as well. We want to protect you!"

Law only took a quick glance and he already knew they're not fit to fight at the moment. "Not in this state". He gave a 'this-is-an-order' look. And he is about to cut the coming vines when Mirra butt in.

Wow... why do I protect them again?

"Mirra-chan..." Penguin talked.

The red headed female glanced, "Bepo is not here. What could've happened to him right now", she said in a way of hinting 'you guys should leave before all of you turn into a pile of dead bodies'. And she took out three daggers; two hidden in her combat boots and another one which is strapped around her left thigh before passing it to them. "Use these if you find it necessary".

'Leave' is basically what she wanted to say.

"But Mirra-chan..."

"Find Bepo and wait for us outside. Tend to Penguin's wound. None of you should butt in into the fight. Captain's order," Law's stern voice sent a conclusion to their discussion.

Shachi shifted his eyes from Law, "Mirra-chan, please protect our captain", and pleaded.

"Are we making another agreement?" she watched Shachi's eyebrow furrowed, probably trying to figure out something that he could throw in to seal another agreement. The crew seemed to do some thinking face as well, but with everyone showing their constipation face Mirra doubt they are in a straight mind to do any thinking after being hanged upside down for God knew how long.

She sighed, "don't worry. I'll fight with him." And before she could change her mind, "I believe he can take care of himself. But if things get worse, don't worry. You've my words".

They hesitated at first, but they soon picked themselves up from the ground and started running to the door to leave their captain and the hitchhiker to fight.

"Oh no I'm not letting you guys go!" the blondie shouted as numbers of thick and big vines sped up to them. At the same time, the greenette spat out more spits toward Mirra and Law. No words needed to be exchange – both trusted each other – as Mirra squatted down touching the vined-ground, creating a trail of ice heading toward the crew, "ice wall!" and created a huge wall of ice from the trailing ice to block the vines from catching up the crew. The vines froze upon their contact with the iced wall.

Meanwhile, Law created his room, and transported the spits to the back of the greenette so it'll attack herself. But the spits won't turn her into a stone since it won't work on herself, because since when devil fruits harmed their own users?

"Shouldn't you transport the spits to the blondie instead?" Mirra said in 'don't-you-know?' voice. She received a twitched eyebrow from the male, and she thought it's better to diverge the conversation to something else.

She coughed. "So... who do you want? The blondie or the greenette?"

"The greenette," he simply replied.