To Zion
Part One
Despite Law having said they had to go and Neo agreeing with him, no one moved. The world around them seemed to still upon the decision. The ocean waves stopped washing upon the beach and the seagulls silenced their caws. Several questions hung between the pirate crews and the Summoners, but no one asked anything. The majority of their questions clearly wouldn't be answered until they got to Zion.
"We should really get going then if there's nothing else to talk about," Nami said.
"So how long will it take to get to Zion?" Usopp asked.
"From this island…about a week I think," Elek said.
"As long as nothing happens between now and then that is," Bao added and Elek nodded. "Being pirates you all know how unpredictable the sea can be."
"All right then. Let's set sail," Law said. He glanced over his shoulder to the other captain in the group. "Are you ready?"
"I'm ready." Luffy nodded.
"So where's your ship?" Sanji asked.
"It's at the docks, but we really need to ride with Trafalgar," Elek said.
"Why?" Neo asked, narrowing her eyebrows at the Summoners.
"It's for safety reasons," Elek replied. "On rare occasions those orbs suppressing a Summoner's power can fail. And with how strong Trafalgar is, I'd feel a whole lot better if we rode with you all. If that's all right with you of course, Trafalgar Neo. We'll help anywhere we can or are needed to."
'I really don't want them in our home.' Neo pressing herself more into Law's body, if it was even possible at this point.
'I know, love. And if you really, really don't want them there then I won't allow them to set foot on the sub. It's your home. I really don't want you stressing out over some strangers invading your safe zone.'
Neo thought for a moment. On one hand she really didn't want these strangers in her home or around her family and friends. But on the other hand she didn't want Law to lose control again either. 'I don't want them there. But…I don't want you to lose control either. We have to let them ride on the sub, don't we?'
'Only if you say it's fine. Like I said, it's your home. It's your decision. I'll make sure that you're never alone with them at least until you're feeling secure around them.'
Neo sighed. She really didn't want strangers in her home, especially when she wasn't sure if she could trust them fully or not. But she didn't want to take the chance of Law losing control and hurting himself or someone else. There wasn't much of a choice to be made. She took a deep breath and exhaled. "It's okay for them to enter the sub."
Elek nodded.
"We should pull the Sunny around to their ship," Franky said. "If it's not that big, we can easily pull her along behind our ship. You all probably don't want to leave it behind."
"We don't. And it's not a very big ship," Elek said. "Since it was just us two traveling, there was no point in having a huge ship to sail."
"All right! Then let's get going!" Luffy cheered. "We're setting sail to Zion!"
The two crews and two Summoners then stood up and headed for the ships.
Neo slipped her hand into Law's when they stood up. She carefully eyed the two strangers as they walked down the beach towards the town and the docks. She couldn't help but noticed how her friends were carefully placing themselves between her and these two strangers. She loved them even more for that. They always knew what she needed and when she needed it.
"Don't worry about them," Sanji then said as he stepped up beside her. "You've got a good security detail surrounding you. They're not going to do anything to hurt you."
"I know that. I'm trying not to worry," Neo said. She looked up at her friend and fellow cook. "It's just this is the first real time that strangers have had to come into our home. It's not really a comfortable feeling. And now with the stresses of being pregnant, I don't know if I'm going to be able to adjust to them being there."
"That's understandable. But we're right beside you," Chopper said. He smiled up at Neo. "We'll be there too."
"You can count on us for sure, especially Luffy" Sanji said. "He'll probably ride on the sub the whole way to Zion. And knowing him, he'll soon get over his protectiveness over you and start bugging Elek and Bao." He looked over at his captain to find Luffy was already bugging the two Summoners with what sounded like a million questions. "Good grief."
…
"So you're a cat, huh?" Luffy asked, poking Bao in the left arm.
"Cheetah," Bao replied.
"Cheetah! You don't feel like a cat," Luffy said with another poke to Bao's arm. "Where's your fur?"
"That's because I'm human," Bao said. He slapped Luffy's hand away from his arm. "I don't have fur unless I'm in my cheetah form."
"Can you run fast like this?" Luffy asked.
"No, I have to summon my aura to use my cheetah's abilities or form," Bao said. "I just showed you that a minute ago."
"That's cool," Luffy said before stepping closer to Elek. "What about you? Can you really turn into an eagle?"
"Yes," Elek said.
"Show me!" Luffy demanded.
"Luffy!" Nami shouted. She grabbed Luffy by his ear and pulled him away from the Summoners. "You're being annoying! Excuse him. He's always lacking in manners. But expect him to bug you a lot on this trip to Zion."
"Ouch! Let go, Nami!" Luffy said. "I just want to see him turn into an eagle!"
"You just want to be annoying!" Nami snapped. She pulled Luffy's ear out as far as her arm would let her then quickly released him.
Luffy's head wobbled when his ear slapped against him. He grabbed his head to stop it.
"It's all right. I can go ahead and show him. Flying to the ship would be a lot faster than walking," Elek said just as he released his red aura.
"Wow!" Luffy exclaimed. He watched as Elek's body shift into the body of a bald eagle.
Elek flapped his wings, rising high in the air with a single powerful stroke.
"That's so cool!" Luffy shouted.
"Later!" Bao said before shifting into his cheetah form. He dashed down the beach, disappearing in the sand he kicked up.
Luffy coughed and sputtered at the sand blowing in his face. He waved the sand away before saying, "That's just so cool! I'm going to be a Summoner too!"
"No you're not!" Nami growled. "You cause too much trouble as is it with your Devil Fruit powers! You're not allow to have anymore powers!"
"Aw, Nami!" Luffy whined. "Why not?!"
"I said no!" Nami snapped.
…
"Hm." Sanji hummed. He stared off into the direction that Elek and Bao went. "I think they ran away just to get away from Luffy."
"You might be right," Chopper said.
"Let's get the Sunny ready and get over to the docks," Franky said. He walked over to the Sunny. Grabbing a hold of the ladder, he climbed up first before being followed by the rest of his crewmates.
"This is going to be a long trip," Brook said as he scaled the ladder. "And an interesting one from the looks of things. I wonder if I could see the women of Zion's panties when we get there."
"Don't even think about it!" Nami said.
Neo summoned her wind crystals. Wrapping it around her crew, she lifted them up to the deck. Once there, Law looked at his crew and said, "Let's prepare to set sail. Topaz? Shachi?"
"Aye, Captain?" Topaz and Shachi asked.
"Would you might getting one of the spare rooms set up for them?" Law asked.
"Aye aye, Captain!" Topaz and Shachi saluted before disappearing into the sub.
The rest of the crew started to filter inside to carry out their normal duties in getting the sub ready to set sail while muttering in curiosity about their current adventure. Penguin was the only one who lingered behind with Neo and Law. His hat-covered eyes were locked onto Neo. Like always, he was concerned about her. He watched her just staring down at the deck floor and wondered how she was actually going to handle having strangers she didn't trust in her home. When they got a new crewmate, but for the exception of Jean Bart due to the situation back on Sabaody, Law always gave her a couple days to adjust to the newbie before letting them on the sub.
"It's all right, Penguin," Neo said, causing Penguin to jump from being in such deep thought about her. She giggled, her soft bells chimed in the small breeze that teased her hair. It wasn't often that she startled her family. "I know this is necessary. Let's just keep things as normal as possible. This is just another adventure, but with two extra people."
"Right." Penguin nodded, but he still wasn't sure about this.
"Well, since we're leaving this island earlier than expected," Neo said, "why don't we spend sometime together later? Just the two of us? We can make some cookies. We haven't baked together in some time. What do you say? I could use a little big brother quality time."
"That sounds great," Penguin said. A smile finally spread over his lips. He stepped over to Neo and kissed her forehead before heading inside.
"You spoil the crew far too much," Law said once Penguin disappeared from their view.
"I'm allowed," Neo said innocently.
Law couldn't help but chuckle. She was allowed as long as she didn't over do it. He needed the crew fit and healthy after all. He kissed her hair. "You sure are. But you really don't need to make them sweets all the time."
"You're worried about their health," Neo said.
"I'm their doctor and their captain," Law said. "I'm supposed to be. We need a healthy crew if we're going to survive on the sea."
"I'm their captain too. And we have a healthy crew," Neo said. She poked Law in the stomach. "They work off all the sweets during training. You just don't want me to spoil them despite having the right to. I don't go overboard. I understand the importance of a healthy diet. That's why I make sure they always have well balanced meals to go along with the sweets. And you take care of all the medical stuff. I adjust their meals when necessary. I think you're really just jealous. You don't want me to give them too much attention."
"Absolutely," Law said with another chuckle. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and led her into the sub. "You're my love not theirs."
"Don't worry, lover," Neo said. She wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled at him. "I spoil you more than I do them. I just spoil you in a different way. And I'll spoil you later tonight if you want."
"I definitely want that," Law said. He stopped walking and gently pushed her against the wall, pinning her there with his arms on either side of her. "But as long as you let me do whatever I want."
"That is so tempting," Neo said. She fiddled with the ends of his shirt before slipping her hands underneath it.
"You better say yes," Law said in a slightly warning tone. He leaned his sword against the wall.
"And if I don't?" Neo slowly ran her hands over his toned abs, feeling every muscle beneath her soft, delicate hands.
"I'll make you regret it," Law said before leaning down and capturing her lips. He brushed his tongue over her lips, demanding to be let in. He growled when all she did was smirk against him. Getting his revenge, he took his hands and placed them on her body. Slowly dragging them along every inch of her, using every skillful trick he knew to get her to wiggle and squirm under his touch until he hit a ticklish spot on her back between her shoulder blades. He slipped his tongue between her lips when she couldn't stop a startled squeak.
'That's cheating!'
'That's what you get for denying me what I want.'
'You're going to pay for that later.'
'You're going to pay for that right now.' Law drug his tongue all over her dark cavern. Slowly tasting her sweetness while causing her to melt helplessly under his touch. Getting a little heated, he ran his hands down her sides to her legs. Hooking his hands behind her thighs, he lifted her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist. Her baby bump pressed against his stomach when he pushed her more into the wall. The touch sent his heart and stomach fluttering like a field of butterflies that had been startled. Sometimes he still found it hard to believe they were having a baby.
"Hey, Captain, we're-Oooh…" Bepo's voice trailed off when he realized he was interrupting a heated moment. He dropped his head. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine, Bepo," Law said through soft pants. He bit back a moan when Neo nibbled on his own soft spot on his neck. "What did you want?"
"We just got a call from the Straw Hats," Bepo said. "They're heading over to the docks right now."
"All right. Let's get going then," Law said.
"Aye aye, Captain!" Bepo said before quickly scurrying off.
Neo sighed, nuzzling into his neck. "Well, that was a bit of a mood killer. Just a reminder strangers are getting ready to board our home."
"I know. It was a mood killer," Law said before he leaned down and pressed his lips to her neck. "But it's fine. I can't do what I want with you right here anyway."
"You can be such a naughty boy," Neo said when he passed his sexual desires and plans to her.
"You love it," Law said before sucking hard on her tender flesh.
Neo gasped then moaned in pleasure at the feelings he sent washing through her body. "I thought you said you wanted to wait."
"I do. I was just giving you a preview of later," Law said, releasing her neck so he could look at her. "What would you like to do now?"
Neo chewed on her bottom lip in thought. "I suppose I'll just go out on the deck."
"And obsess over those two coming aboard? I don't think so," Law said. With her still in his hold, he stepped away from the wall.
"I wasn't going to obsess," Neo protest.
"Sure you weren't," Law said.
"Law!" Neo huffed. "I was not going to obsess!"
"It's really cute when you try to lie to me," Law said with a smirk.
"Oh! You're being mean!" Neo puffed her cheeks out at him before hiding her face in his neck. "Fine! I'll stay with you! As long as you carry me!"
"I was planning on that anyway," Law said. He started rubbing her back in an attempt to help keep her calm.
Neo growled in frustration at him always being two steps ahead of her and for knowing her so well. She was going to go out on the deck and obsess. She wouldn't be able to stop herself while watching them inch closer to the docks where the Summoners' ship was docked. She was still going to think about it of course, but being this close to Law would help her not think about it too much. And if she did, he could easily redirect her attention to something else, something more positive until she could adjust to everything. They spent the majority of their time in the control room. Law was using it to distract her. Despite having no intention of ever piloting the sub, he still wanted her to be familiar with the controls and how everything worked. So they spent days in here, working the sub controls together, but most of the time they were flirting and kissing. Eventually, he had to have the crew take over teaching her how to control the sub. If he didn't, she'd never learn. It still took a while for her to get it since she wasn't familiar with the controls at all, but she eventually figured it all out to the point she could take control of it if it was ever needed. She hoped it wasn't. She'd rather rely on her crystals, which she was more familiar with. But she understood Law's reasons for learning how to pilot the sub.
A few minutes later, she finally broke away from Law when he deemed her calm enough to do so. She had the slightest of intension of going out on the deck to watch Franky hitch up the smaller ship, but the thought was quickly extinguished when Law ordered the crew to not let her out on the deck. So, instead, she wandered the sub for a while and ultimately found herself at the crew quarters. One of the doors, on the far end from the stairs, was open. Soft voices came from the open door. Shachi and Topaz were clearly still in that room, fulfilling their orders.
"She'll be okay," Shachi's voice said, floating down the hall to greet her.
"I know. I'm still worried. This is going to be a big adjustment for her," Topaz then said.
Neo sighed. She had everyone worried. She walked down to the door and stepped inside. She looked around the small, simple room. On each side of the room, build into the walls, were bunk beds. Shachi was one of the bunks, pulling a sheet over it while Topaz was on the floor, sweeping up a little dust that settled into the room since it wasn't in use. "How's it going?"
"Almost done," Shachi said. "I guess we're on our way to pick up the two new…uh…"
"It's okay, you two," Neo said with a smile. "I'm more or less fine with this. I know that Elek and Bao aren't a threat to us. I'm just not quite sure about them yet. I should be fine with them by the time we reach Zion. So, please, stop worrying about me."
"We'll try, Neo. But you know it's not that easy because we love you so much," Topaz said with a smile. They all looked up when the sub slowed to a stop. "Well, I guess we've reached the docks."
"I love you guys too. I think I'm going to go read for a while," Neo said, placing her hand on her stomach. "That might help me stay relaxed."
"Good plan," Shachi said.
"See you guys later," Neo said. She waved to the two before exiting the room. She trudged along through the sub halls, her shoeless feet silent against the metal floor. Only the sounds of the crew's voices from random rooms and the low hum of the engines fill the warm air around her. She tried not to think about it, but she couldn't help but wonder how these two new passengers were going to affect her family and their day-to-day living. Elek was clearly the calmest one of the two. She figured he would be able to fit in fine and not cause trouble. But Bao seemed to be the exact opposite. He clearly like to push boundaries and didn't listen very well to what people was telling him. Maybe that was just his youth talking. He really didn't look that old. He was probably around her age. Still, she wondered how often he was going to get into fights with the crew. Or if he was going to try and get close to her in kind of some way. She really didn't want to be touched by either of them.
She paused and looked at the hall she was in. It was big enough that she always had room to slip around the crew when she first came to live with them. Jean Bart had plenty of space in the halls too. She was just worrying for no reason at all. She still had her crystals with her. She's used them before to keep people from touching her. And she could do that here. She could fly over Elek and Bao if she met them in the hall. Or she could wrap her winds around her like she has done a lot to keep people from touching her. She sucked in a deep breath and slowly released it. Heading on through the sub, she finally came to the rec. room. She walked over to the bookshelf near the couch. Plucking the book off the shelf that she had been reading recently, she sat down and curled up in the corner of the couch where she always read unless sitting on Law's lap or laying across it with her feet on whosever lap that happened to be sitting with her. Snug in her favor spot she opened up the book and ran her eyes over the first few pages. At first, she couldn't get into the story. She barely registered the words that were staring back at her. She thought that she wasn't going to be able to read after all. But after a few minutes she finally got relaxed enough to let the story pull her away from reality. She let herself get lost among the story of fairies trying to liberate their kingdom from being destroyed by an evil king who over took and killed the former queen.
…
"This is it?" Franky asked as they glided up to the docks of the island. He ran his eyes over the small ship. It was about a fourth size smaller than the Merry was. He also noticed that it was in good condition. Just from the outside, he could tell it only held one bathroom, one bedroom, and a kitchen on the main level with plenty of storage on the lower level for just two men. His eyes ran up the mass to the flag lazily flowing in the wind. It was a simple white flag with five circles he assumed were images of the orbs the Summoners talked about earlier. "Looks like you've taken good care of her. Are either of you shipwrights?"
"I'm certainly not, but Elek is," Bao said from the deck of their ship.
"No," Elek replied. "I'm not really a shipwright. Or I don't classify myself as one anyway. I do know my way around building ships, but never had a real interest in it to stick with a job like that. I know enough so that I have been able to take care of the ship while we've been sailing around. But I don't know how much longer that this ship would last. Our journey has taken us away from home longer than we had anticipated. We're about out of money for supplies."
"So that's why you stayed out on the beach last night instead of finding a hotel," Sanji said. Resting his arms on the railing of the Sunny, he looked down at the ship and the two men onboard.
"Yes," Elek said with a nod. "That's why."
"And I'm sick of it. I'm ready to get back to Zion and my own bed," Bao said, kicking the mass. "I really don't care much for sailing. I'm more of a ground person."
"So those circles on your flag represent the Orbs of Zion?" Robin asked while she walked over to the side of the ship.
"Yes, they do," Elek replied.
"Isn't it dangerous to have them there considering the power the Summoner Orbs have?" Nami asked.
"It can be," Elek said. "But it's not like we can keep people from coming to Zion. We're just like any other island only with the gifts of Summoners to defend ourselves."
"I see. But speaking of Zion," Nami said. "I need the coordinates for the island. Or do you have a Log Pose?"
"Right here," Bao said. He reached into his pocket and pulled the pose out before tossing it to the navigator.
"Hey! Don't throw it!" Nami said. She stumbled back away from the railing, eyeing the device as it fell towards her. She sighed when it landed safely in her hands. "What if it broke?!"
"No worries," Bao said with a carefree shrug. "We have another."
"We brought two with us just incase we got separated," Elek said, showing the crew his own Log Pose. "We'll let the Heart Pirates use this one. Incase we get separated just go ahead and head straight for Zion. If that happens, once you're there ask for a woman named Teal. She'll assist you until we get there."
"Understood," Nami said while tucking the Log Pose into her pocket for safe keeping until they got underway.
"Hey!" Luffy shouted before swinging down from the mass of their ship. He landed on the Summoners ship with a big grin. "What's it like being animals?! Do you have all their strengths and weaknesses?!"
"You're suddenly very friendly now," Bao said. He leaned against the railing of the ship, crossing his arms and legs. "Is it because Neo's not here?"
"Neo will adjust to you when she feels like it," Luffy said. He ran over to Bao and looked right in his face, getting a little too close for the Summoner's liking. "So tell me! What's it like being animals?!
"We're not animals," Bao said, pushing the Straw Hat captain away from him. "We only turn into them when we need their skills."
"But they affect you, right?" Luffy asked.
"Not really," Bao said. "I mean, they do a little bit, but we're still fully human. I never have the sudden crave to chase after prey."
Elek laughed at the young man's word. "I think that blonde from two islands ago would beg to differ."
"Hey! She wasn't my prey!" Bao protested.
"No, not at all. You only drooled all over yourself because of her curvy body, long legs, and bright blue eyes," Elek said with a bright smile.
"So what happened?" Nami asked as she leaned back against the rail.
"He whispered something, probably sexual, in her ear," Elek continued. "She slapped him and walked away in a huff."
"Just don't try that or anything else with Neo," Sanji warned. He stepped over to the side of the Sunny and glared directly at Bao.
"Not again," Bao said with a little whine in his voice. "What's wrong with you people?"
"Neo's not your normal girl," Sanji said.
"I noticed," Bao replied with a smile that the blonde cook didn't like. His smile faded when a pot whacked him in the head. "Ouch! What the heck was that for?! Where did you even get that pot?!"
"The kitchen," Sanji said with a smirk.
"I know that! But when?! You were standing right there the whole time!" Bao growled.
"I like being prepared," Sanji said. He took a puff of his cigarette, blew the smoke from his mouth, then returned a sharp warning glare to Bao. "I can tell when a flirt is around. You're clearly one of them. And you clearly have no respect for personal boundaries. Neo and Law are married. There's nothing you can do to ever come between them. But if you still try, I'll personally flambé you."
"Fine. Whatever," Bao grumbled before walking away and disappearing into the ship.
"I apologize for Bao's attitude," Elek said. "He's young. And very much a healthy young man as I'm sure you've noticed."
"It would be best if he stayed away from Neo," Robin then said. "She really is a special case."
Elek looked at the dark haired woman, carefully considering her words and everything that had taken place between them and the pirates. He could easily see that Neo was a special case and not because she was an Elemental royal. He wanted to ask them about it, but had enough experience dealing with people to know they wouldn't tell him anything until they were ready. So all he did was nod in understanding then followed after Bao to gather up clothes and other supplies that he would need while aboard the Heart Pirates' vessel.
…
Law sighed as walked down the hall of the crew's quarters. He knew Neo was down here a few minutes ago, but was currently up in the rec. room. He was trying not to hover over her, but his love for her and his doctor side couldn't help but keep a close eye on her. He monitored her heartbeat through their connection like a hawk, making sure she wasn't getting too stressed out from this. He flinched at the word hawk. His hand lifted to his forehead. He fingered the orb that was stuck there and wondered what his animal guardian thing was going to be. He never visualized himself as an animal and he couldn't do it now. He had no clue what he could be or might be. It worried him a bit. But a small chuckle left his lips when he saw himself as something furry and cute, something Neo would love to see him like. Maybe he'd be some form of a cat? Or a dog? Maybe a dolphin? He wondered what all the Summoners transformed into. If they could be an earth dweller like a cheetah and a bird like an eagle surely they could be sea creatures too. That would be something he had to ask the Summoners. But whatever he became, he knew that Neo would love him as it whenever she adjusted to the change. She'd probably force him to transform so she could gush over him as an animal like she often did with Bepo.
"Oh, Captain," Shachi said as he and Topaz exited the room they were in. "Did you need something?"
"Not really," Law replied. "I was just checking to make sure everything was going fine."
"Of course it is," Topaz said with a smile and a playful wink at her captain. "I'm kind of an expert a cleaning after all."
Law smiled and nodded. Topaz has blended in so well with the crew that he often forgot she was a maid back on Luminous.
"Is there anything else you'd like for us to do?" Shachi asked.
Law opened his mouth to asked Topaz to give Elek and Bao a tour of the sub, but instead said, "No, that would be all. You're free to do whatever you wish."
"Later then, Captain," Shachi said as he and Topaz skirted around their captain.
Law watched them go, their voices mingling together as they headed up the stairs. He thought about how he almost asked Topaz to give the two new men a tour around the sub, but quickly stopped himself. He should pick someone else. Someone that wasn't as protective as she and Shachi would be. He instantly saw that friendly spark that happened between Topaz and Elek on the beach. He knew Neo noticed it too but she didn't put it together like he did. Topaz and Elek found each other attractive. He knew Neo would figure it out soon. For now he didn't want to encourage that small spark. He wasn't going to get in-between Topaz and Elek if they pursued a relationship during the time they were together, but he wasn't going to encourage it either.
So who exactly could give the tour? He couldn't just let the two men wonder around without knowing where they were going. The sub wasn't that big, but could be a problem for people who weren't familiar with it. And he certainly didn't want the two men accidently stumbling into his and Neo's room. That would push her over the edge far too much. She needed their room as a safe spot to get away from the two new men. So who was there that would best fit this task? The majority of his crew were fiercely protect of her, especially him. He thought about doing it himself then quickly shot down the idea. He didn't really want to. He was already going to have to give him and Elek a physical for Neo and their baby's safety. He really didn't want to spend more time with them if he could avoid it. And he didn't know if he could keep himself from intimidating Bao with a show of his powers directly. Plus it would upset Neo if she sensed him using his powers suddenly inside of the sub. He didn't do that much. The only times he did he was taking care of something like a sea king outside or punishing a crewmember for doing something they shouldn't have done, neither happened very often. Tero was probably the least close to Neo, but he was still protective of her in his own way. And Tero's protectiveness has increased since Neo has been pregnant.
Law shoved his hands into his pockets with an annoyed sigh. Maybe one of the Straw Hats could do it. They've been over here enough times that some times he felt they knew the sub better than he did. With the exception of Chopper, Luffy, Robin, and Sanji, they weren't as protective of her as his own crew was. But they'd still protect her no matter what. And they were already protective of her from these two men, especially Bao. He sighed again. There just didn't seem to be anyone who'd work. He was just going to have to do it himself.
"Captain," Jean Bart said, "I didn't expect to see you down here."
Law looked up at the large man coming out of his quarters. His eyebrows rose as the corner of his lips curl into a smirk. He should have thought of Jean Bart before. Sure the man was protective over Neo, but he also had more life experience than the rest of the crew. Jean Bart would be perfect for giving the tour. "Jean Bart, I'm glad I ran into you. I have a task that I need you to handle."
"Sure thing, Captain," Jean Bart said. "What is it?"
"I need you to give a tour of the sub to Bao and Elek," Law said.
"Of course." Jean Bart nodded. "Any special orders for them?"
"Just the usual thing about staying out of my medical supplies and not messing with any of the medical and sub equipment," Law said.
"Understood, Captain," Jean Bart said.
"I'm heading up to the deck now," Law said, heading towards the stairs. "Before you take them on the tour I'm going to stress to them to stay away from our room. Neo needs it to get away from them. She's already stressed out enough with them being on the sub. I don't want her private space to be invaded as well."
"Of course, Captain," Jean Bart said. "Where is she right now?"
"Up in the rec. room. She's settled down a bit and is reading," Law said. He focused on Neo again, studying her now soft heartbeat. She was relaxed completely. So that meant she finally got into the book she was reading and wasn't thinking about the two men about to board their home. He was glad for that. She could escape reality for a few minutes before they headed off for Zion. Reaching the main floor, he grabbed his forgotten sword before he and Jean Bart stepped out onto the deck. The sun was bright but his hat shielded his eyes from it. He looked over towards the Straw Hats' ship when it pulled up beside them. Perfect timing. He smirked when he heard Luffy's voice rattling off a bunch of questions to the Summoners. It was refreshing to hear the other captain annoying someone else for a change.
"That's it! I'm out of here!" Bao said before turning into his cheetah form and jumping over to the deck of the sub.
Elek's departure from the Sunny was more graceful. He turned into his eagle form and flew over without a word. He transformed back into his human body once low enough to the deck and shifted his bag on his shoulder after landing.
"You know coming over here isn't going to keep Straw Hat from bugging you," Law said just before Luffy's hand landed on the railing of the sub.
"Huh? Ack! No! Stay over there!" Bao shouted.
"Luffy! Stop being annoying!" Nami screamed.
"Ouch! Let go of my ear, Nami!" Luffy demanded, his hand releasing from the sub's railing.
"No! You've bugged them enough for one day!" Nami replied while she pulled him away from the edge of the Sunny.
"Dang! How can he be so full of energy?!" Bao asked.
Law chuckled, thinking about how he was going to personally invite Luffy over later just to bug Bao. Heck, he'd even tell Luffy what room Bao was staying in.
"Here," Elek said, breaking Law from his plotting. He walked over to the captain and handed him the Log Pose. "This is set directly to Zion."
"Right. I'll give this to our navigator immediately," Law said.
"We also told the Straw Hats to head straight for Zion in case we got separated," Elek said. "We gave them a Log Pose too."
Law nodded. He jerked his thumb towards Jean Bart. "This is Jean Bart. He's going to be giving you a tour of the sub and show you where your room is."
"Great! When's lunch?" Bao asked.
"Bao," Elek warned his younger companion. "Forgive him, again. He has a very healthy appetite. We'll help out with the cooking for that if you'd like."
"No need," Law said. "Neo takes care of the cooking with our second cook, Basil. They're use to handling large meals."
"Neo cooks? That's awesome! I can't wait to taste her food!" Bao said with a bright smile. "I bet she's a great cook!"
Law growled at him. His hand tightened on his sword in desperation to not pull it out and cut this young man's head off, without his powers. "She's a wonderful cook. And you'll find that out since we're going to be traveling together for a while. But despite that there are two top rules you will follow above all else while you're onboard our sub."
"And what's that?" Bao asked in a challenging sort of way.
"Of course we will," Elek said with a sharp elbow in Bao's side.
"Ouch," the young man protested. He rubbed his sore ribs while glaring at his friend.
"First of all, you both will under go a complete examination," Law started. He growled in annoyance when Bao interrupted him.
"No need for that," Bao said. "We're both healthy as horses."
"I don't care," Law said. "If you're going to be riding on my sub, you will complete a physical. Normally, I would do it before we settle sail, but seeing as we're pressed for time I'll have to do it while we sail. It will take place right after your tour of the sub. You two are to immediately report to the medical bay after you put your things in your room."
Bao opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Elek before he could. "Of course. We'll follow whatever rules you set in place. We'll be in the medical bay right after we drop off our things."
"Second rule, you are to stay away from Neo and my bedroom," Law said with a harsh, pointed glare at Bao. "Neither of you are allowed to set foot inside of there. If you need anything from me and I'm in there you're to have one of the crew come get me. If you break this rule, I'll cut you into a million pieces and shove you down in the engine room where you'll stay for the rest of the voyage to Zion."
Bao opened his mouth but before he could say anything, Elek stepped between him and Law. "We understand. We won't invade her space anymore than we already have. But we would like to help out with things while we're on your ship. We don't want this to be a free ride despite having our own ship. We can do whatever you want. We can clean-"
"Hey!" Bao said.
"Or we're pretty good at fishing," Elek said, ignoring his younger companion. "We can help with the food in that way if it doesn't bother Neo."
"I'll discuss this with her later," Law said. He nodded to Jean Bart.
Jean Bart nodded back then signaled towards the door. "Shall we?"
"Of course." Elek nodded. He and Bao then followed after the large man.
Bao gave Law a frown as he passed by the captain.
Law shot the young man a harsh glare. Giving the young man the clearest impress that he was not going to tolerate any disobedience on his ship whether Bao was his subordinate or not.
"Hey, Law," Sanji then called.
Law looked over at the Straw Hat cook.
"Any time you need us over there to help with Neo or anything else," Sanji said.
"I know." Law nodded. He then disappeared into the sub to give Bepo the Log Pose.
…
It was sometime later that voices pulled Neo from her story. She looked up to the door to find Jean Bart was giving Elek and Bao a tour. She wasn't surprised at all that Jean Bart was the one picked for this particular job. He was the oldest of the crew. That helped him keep a cooler head, better than the rest of them. It also helped that he wasn't one of the fifteen that she first lived with. She knew those fifteen were more protective of her since they were beside her when Law brought her onto the sub and for everything they had to deal with on Luminous and with the Elementals. Sinking down into the couch, she fiddled nervously with the page of her book when they stepped inside the room with her. Her heart clenched and her body temperature dropped a few degrees when their bodies blocked the door, her only escape.
"Step over here so you're not blocking the door from anyone who wants to come or leave," Jean Bart said so naturally. He looked over at Neo with a smile, carefully eyeing her current state of nervousness. He relaxed when she returned a grateful smile to him and settled back down a bit.
"Of course," Elek said with a nod. He took a step to his right and looked around while Bao wondered farther into the room.
Both men were wearing backpacks on their backs. Neo eyed the packs, wondering what all was in them. She wondered if Law searched them for weapons. Then she realized their weapons were their summons. It made her nervous that her family never fought people like this. It felt like Luminous all over again. How would they be able to handle the Summoners if they got into a fight? They weren't really able to handle Law when he lost control. Of course he was also using his Devil Fruit powers, but still. Even if he didn't have a Devil Fruit, how would they have done? The Summoners said they had a time limit on their powers, but would the crew be able to hold on long enough to stop them? Her heart skipped a beat. They were heading straight for an island full of these people. Surely they weren't all friendly. Would they try and hurt her family and friends?
"This is the rec. room. This is where we hang out a lot when we don't have orders to fulfill," Jean Bart said. "We can read, play poker, or whatever here. Sometimes we work out in here, but the captain prefers we do that down in the training room downstairs."
"This is a very nice ship," Elek said, crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes scanned every inch of the room, carefully taking in the details of the specially crafted submarine. "I never would have guessed a pirate crew would be using a submarine to travel. And a medical one, I presume since your captain is a surgeon. Am I correct?"
"You are. The medical bay is also on the tour so you'll know where to go afterwards," Jean Bart said. "We'll see that when we venture on through the sub."
"I never realize that pirates read so much," Bao said, as he continued to trek around the room. His eyes roamed over the wall-to-wall bookshelves on the left side of the room before landing on Neo. "What are you reading there?"
"A book," Neo said flatly.
"I can see that," Bao said with a smile. "What's it about?"
Neo frowned and narrowed her eyebrows at him before letting her eyes drop back to the pages. She sunk down into the couch, pointedly ignoring the man as he continued to stare at her.
"Not use to us yet, huh? That's okay. You'll warm up to us eventually." Bao chuckled. "We're going to be spending a lot of time together here on your ship and on Zion."
Neo flinched. She didn't want to be reminded of that. She carefully watched him from over the top of her book. When he started to walk around the room again, she summoned her crystals and lined them up between herself and the man she didn't want anywhere near her, her family, or her home. Her heart thudded in her chest as she carefully scanned his movements, waiting to see if he would dare come closer to her.
"Let's proceed," Jean Bart said, easily picking up on Neo's distress. He knew she's had all she could handle with these strangers being in the same room as her. It was time for them to leave. "We have a lot to go over still and then I'm sure you'll want to settle into your room."
"Of course. Let's go, Bao," Elek said.
"Fine. We can talk about books later," Bao said with a soft sigh. He turned from Neo, the books, and headed of the room.
Neo glanced up fully when she saw the two men finally exit the rec. room. She looked at Jean Bart. He was staring at her. She could easily tell he was contemplating not leaving her alone right now. When he didn't leave, she gave him another smile to show she was fine and he could leave before he finally followed after the two men. She sighed. Dropping her eyes back down to her book before closing it. "You don't have to linger out there like some kind of stalker. I can still sense you, you know?"
"Sorry," Law said stepping into the rec. room with a guilty grin. He walked over to her, propping his sword up in the small space between the couch and the bookshelf before slipping his arms underneath her legs and around her back. He then lifted her up, sat down, and placed her on his lap with a kiss to her temple. "I really didn't like how your blood pressure rose like that. I know you're going to need some time to adjust to them being in your home."
"I don't want them here," Neo said.
"I know." Law nodded, tightening his hold on her and wrapping his presence around her so she could feel more secure and so he could bring her blood pressure back down to normal. "But it's only for a little while. I want you to keep reminding yourself of that. And I don't want you along with them at any point in time. Like I said before I'll make sure you're not. One of the crew will always be with you until you can remain calm around them. I should have already told the crew that. I'm sorry."
"Law, that's not-"
"No back talking me now," Law said in his captain tone. He loosened his hold on her so he could look into her eyes. "You know you need to keep calm. Having those men here is clearly going to cause you some stress. So from this point on, you're not to be along with them. Ever. The only time you're allowed to be alone is when you're in our room. I've already told them that that room is off limits to them completely. If they need anything from me they're to have one of the crew come get me."
"At least I have that then. I can retreat there and get away from them," Neo said before leaning into Law's embrace. "I still don't want them here."
"I know, love," Law said. He pressed a kiss to her forehead before tightening his hold on her again. "Bao has also informed me that he does eat quite a lot. So he'll be in the galley quite a bit."
"Just great," Neo grumbled.
"Don't worry," Law said. "I've already talking to Basil about it when I came back into the sub a minute ago. He'll make sure to take care of our guests most of the time so you won't have to interact with them all that often. The two men are also going to pull their fair share of work around here."
"Huh?" Neo lifted her eyes to him.
"Elek insisted as long as it was okay with you," Law said. "They don't want this to be a free ride despite having their own ship. But you don't have to worry about that. They won't be doing much as it is. All they're going to do is help sweep up and catch fish to help feed Bao. Blackleg has also offered to help. You like cooking with him. The Straw Hats are probably going to be over here a lot. Straw Hat was already bombarding them with questions while they were hooking up their ship to the Sunny."
"I suppose it would be all right if they wanted to do some fishing," Neo said. She tilted her head up. She pecked her lips on Law's goatee before starting to place playful nibbles on his chin. She worked her way back to his ear. Taking his earlobe in-between her lips she sucked slowly, seductively on him. She then whispered into his ear and passed her thoughts of wanting to kiss him all over his body for hours. "Stay with me."
Law sighed. He would love nothing more than to do that, and do what Neo was thinking about. But he knew he couldn't. He had to make sure their two new guests weren't carrying any form of illness. "I'm sorry, love. You know I would love to take you back to our room and let you do that to me then I'd turn around and do it to you. But I can't right now."
Neo pulled away from him and pouted.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry," Law said kissing her between each 'sorry'. He then rested his hand on her stomach. "I have to give them two a physical. I'd rather done it before they boarded, but we're short on time. I don't want you two to catch anything that can be prevented."
"I understand," Neo said with a sigh. She placed her hand over his. "You're leaving me so you can protect us."
"I'll make it up to you later," Law said.
"I guess you'll be leaving now," Neo said. She lifted her hand from his and started fiddling with his goatee.
"I still have a few minutes," Law said. He brushed his thumb over her stomach in slow strokes. "Jean Bart's not going to fly through the tour."
"Good," Neo said. She wrapped her arms around his neck. She placed a light kiss on his lips, signaling for a french kiss.
Law was more than happy to accommodate her request. He glided his hand from her stomach to her back, gently pulling her close to him as he slipped his tongue passed her lips. Slowly, he stroked his warm muscle all over her cavern. Taking in every inch of her until she got the desire to take control and forced his tongue back into his mouth with her own. He liked having control, but he couldn't help but love it when she became forceful with him and demanded control. It was such a contradiction to her natural calm nature. But she was also a natural at taking control. He knew it was because of her royal heritage. She was just born that way. She had the ability to take control of him, the crew, and the Straw Hats if she wanted to. Usually she just didn't want to. She preferred a softer approach. And they all would bow to her either way. It was hard for them to not give into her. Especially when she looked at them with her child like, innocent eyes. Her eyes were probably what undid him the most. He knew she could get him to do anything she wanted with just a simple look of those eyes. But she never abused that ability. And he knew she never would.
So he just leaned back into the couch and allowed her to explore him with her tongue and her hands. Once she was out of breath, she pulled back to fill her lungs. He took back control then. Working his lips across her chin and down to her neck until he hit her soft spot causing her to gasp in excitement. She moaned in pleasure as he continued to work his lips over her. Both knowing he would leave a mark there. And both knowing he was doing it on purpose, for a different reason than normal. It was to show Bao that she was off limits in all kinds of ways and in all ways possible. Several minutes later, it was the voices of two passing crewmates that finally broke them apart. They looked up to see who was near them only to find that the rec. room door had been closed. Both wondered who did it. It became a habit of the crews to close the door to any room where Neo and Law were getting intense like this. It wasn't because of possible sexual acts. If those were going to happen they happened in areas that were sure to be without interruption, mostly their own bedroom. Occasionally they've strayed from that and had intimate relations in other parts of the sub, but it didn't happen often. Here the crew just wanted to make sure Neo and Law had plenty of time along since they were all stuck on the sub, sometimes for weeks at a time without a break from each other, and often caused a lot of interruptions in some way or another, especially since traveling with the Straw Hats.
Neo sighed at both the interruption and the meaning of it. Now Law would have to leave her and go take care of their guests. "I guess you're leaving now."
"Only for a little while. I'll come back to you once I'm done," Law said. He eyed Neo's yawn while she covered it with her hand. That reminded him of something else that needed to be addressed. She was napping a lot more since being pregnant. And he didn't want her sleeping where she'd wake up to their new guests in the same room with her. "Love, if you need to nap I'd prefer that you do it in our room."
"What for?" Neo asked curiously.
"I don't want you waking up to Elek and Bao nearby," Law said.
"Oh, yeah." Neo nodded. "I forgot about that. I'll get startled if I see them after first waking up."
"You will," Law said with a nod of his own. He tucked her hair behind her ear then brushed his thumb over the smooth skin of her cheek.
"But I fall asleep a lot while reading. I don't mean to. It just happens," Neo said, her eyebrows curling up in worry. "What do I do then?"
"Don't worry about it if you do fall asleep in the rec. room or else where on the sub. I'll just tell the crew and the Straw Hats, since they'll be over here too, to take you to our room if you do. That way you won't have to wake up and get startled by Elek and Bao."
"All right then. I can handle that," Neo said.
"Good. I have to go now. Are you going to go take a nap? You're getting tired," Law said, examining her drowsy expression.
"Yeah, I think a nap would be great for me and baby. It's been an emotional couple of days," Neo said, covering another yawn. "You know I get sleepy when I get emotionally stressed."
"I know," Law said. "I'll come join you once I'm done with the examinations."
"Really?" Neo asked.
"Yes." Law nodded. "I think it would do us both some good if we took a nap together."
"Great." Neo pecked his lips. "Don't take very long with the exams."
Law chuckled as she stood up from his lap. He followed her, reclaimed his sword, and slipped his hand into hers with the intent of escorting her to their room. "I'll take as long as it takes. I'm going to be extremely thorough in their exams. I don't want to miss a single thing."
"Aw, Law," Neo said. She leaned into his arm and batted her eyelashes at him. "I want you with me."
"I know. I'll be there as soon as I can," Law said.
"Fine," Neo said reluctantly. "Just try not to scare them too much."
"I'm not going to scare them in any kind of way," Law said.
"Yeah right," Neo mumbled. She knew he would every chance he could get to scare them. And with his surgical type Devil Fruit, it would only make things even scarier. While she didn't want the two Summoners in her home, she didn't want them to have a heart attack either. She decided not to press the matter. She knew he wouldn't do too much to them anyway since they were helping him get control over this new power of his.
Law opened the door to the rec. room and they stepped out into the hall. They were greeted with waves and smiled from a couple crewmates who were passing by the room. He just nodded at them while Neo returned the smile and wave. The two groups then proceeded on their way to their separate destinations. He slipped his arm around her waist and kissed her ever time she glanced up at him, which was about ever three steps. Eventually, they made it to their room. He placed his hands on her hips, giving her one more deep kiss before letting her crawl into bed. He then tucked her under their cover and stayed with her until she had fallen asleep. Once he knew for sure that she was deep in sleep, he pecked her temple then left their room. Walking down the hall to the medical bay, he met up with Penguin. "Penguin, I'm glad you're here."
"What's up, Captain? Where's Neo?" Penguin asked. He glanced down the hall in expectation to seeing his sister. "I thought she wouldn't let you out of her sight with them two onboard and with that orb on your forehead."
"She was sleepy. She's in our room taking a nap," Law said. "I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Sure thing, Captain," Penguin said. "What is it?"
"It's about Neo and her naps. I told her I'd prefer it if she takes them in our room while those two men are on the sub. But you know sometimes she just falls asleep while reading and in other places," Law said and Penguin nodded. "If that happens, I want a crewmember, or one of the Straw Hats, to take her to our room. I also don't want her alone until she gets use to them being on board."
"Of course," Penguin said in complete understanding. "She'd get startled if she wakes up to them. That won't be good."
Law nodded. "I want to avoid her getting stressed as much as possible."
"Absolutely! I'll inform the rest of the crew immediately," Penguin said. "I'll then pop out on the deck and give this information to the Straw Hats."
"Thanks, Penguin," Law said.
"I take it your about to give Elek and Bao their exams now?" Penguin asked.
"I am," Law said.
"Try not to scare them too much," Penguin said.
"You and Neo," Law said with a frown at how similar his subordinate and wife could be at times. "Sometimes I forget you two aren't really related. How is it possible you two often have the same train of thought?"
"We just love you that much, Captain," Penguin said with a bright grin. He quickly rushed down the hall. He didn't want to annoy his captain any farther than he already did, despite knowing he could get away with it thanks to Neo. "See you later!"
"Yeah, yeah," Law grumbled. He then walked the last ten yards to the exam room where he knew the two Summoners were waiting for him. He stepped into the room. Taking in the two men as he walked over to his medical supply cabinet. Bao was curiously looking around the room while Elek was calmly leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.
"I must say, Trafalgar, you have an impressive ship," Bao said.
"Uh huh," Law muttered. He leaned his sword against the cabinet before opening the small door. He pulled out a pair of rubber gloves. While pulling them on he also put on his most sinister look he could manage. It was the type of look he got when he was about to mess sadistically with an enemy, a look that he never used around Neo. He then turned back to his patients. Instantly taking joy in their obvious discomfort of his expression. He snapped one of his rubber gloves against his skin. "Let's begin. Shall we?"
…
Author's Notes: I am so sorry! I didn't mean to go over a month without updating this fic. I'll try to not let that happen again.
Sarge1130: I think Neo will be excited no matter what Law chances into.
Apple Bloom: I know, so many questions. We'll know at some point.
