Warning: This fic is rated M for a reason and some of that reason starts in this chapter.
Nami ran down the submarine halls with a hefty bag of supplies, headed towards the men's quarters. She wasn't worried to go in - anything she would be appalled to see was off the table right now. The men resting inside were all injured and were on strict orders to restrict their movements until the wounds healed enough.
She knocked upon entering and flicked on a light, earning a few displeased groans. Most of them were sleeping but she breathed a quiet sigh of relief that the two she was here for were already up. "Hey guys," she whispered. "I don't know if you heard, but I'll be helping Law out today."
"Oh, we heard," Clione smirked. "I was looking forward to being treated by Nurse Nami."
"That outfit is very cute on you," Hitode complimented with a blush.
"Thank you," she smiled. "Now, who would like to go first?"
The cook volunteered and she set to work on unwrapping his old bandages. There was one on his chest for a shallower wound, but the more serious one was on the arm. They were all thankful for Law's skills. Without his devil fruit and expertise, it might've needed to be amputated, which she knew was a chef's worst nightmare.
"So how did you end up wearing that?" Clione gestured to the nurse uniform she was wearing.
Nami rolled her eyes and thought back to earlier that morning.
XxxxxXxxxxXxxxxX
Shachi and Bepo were finishing plating breakfasts for the crew when Law and Nami joined them in the kitchen. "Good morning," Nami greeted. "That's a lot of food for the two of you."
"We thought it would be enough for you," Shachi teased. "It's not covered in chocolate or vinegar, though, so I doubt you'll like it."
"I can eat regular food," she argued. "I'm not some sort of alien."
"Seemed like it when you covered jalapeños in caramel."
"… I didn't know you saw that," she crossed her arms defensively.
"Anyways," Law decided to take over the conversation and turned to Bepo. "When will be arriving at Komeru Island?"
"We should get there by sundown," the mink replied. "Jean-Bart powered through the night, so I'll be taking over soon."
"I'll be focusing on the crew whose injuries can be healed quickly. That's less than half…" the captain did some mental calculations. "If I can get them all healed today, they can join us on the island tomorrow, but between them and the more seriously injured, I don't know if I'll have enough time."
"I can help," Nami found herself volunteering. "I was the medic of the Straw Hats before Chopper came on, and I've been reading all your books. I can at least do the basics."
Law pondered for a moment. "That's not a bad idea, actually."
"Finally, someone can wear that cute nurse uniform we bought forever ago!" Shachi cheered.
The woman's eyes narrowed. "The what-now?"
The captain sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "We are not making Nami wear the nurse uniform."
"Why do you guys have one?"
"I was going to hire an assistant at one point and these idiots thought it should be a girl, so they went out and bought one."
Shachi folded his arms in a huff. "You should be thanking us that we got a normal one. There were a lot of alternatives."
"I'm not wearing it," she objected. "Normal or not."
"It actually wouldn't be the worst idea," Law replied. "The work I'll need you to do might get messy, and I'm sure you would charge me triple the cost of whatever gets stained. At least this way you could burn it after."
"Fine. I guess I'll wear it," Nami sighed, ignoring Shachi's mini celebration dance. She pointed her finger in Law's face with a stern expression. "On one condition!"
"What's that?"
"This information stays on this ship and I get to castrate whoever leaks it."
The dancing man stopped in his tracks, turning ghost-white.
"Deal," Law smirked, glancing over at him.
XxXXXXxXXXxxXxxXxXxxX
Nami finished tying the last wrap on Hitode as she ended her explanation. "So basically, if any of you let it slip that the great Nami let a bunch of boys dress her up in some nurse uniform, I am allowed to neuter you with your captain's help."
It was a lighthearted threat, they knew, but some of the men in the room who didn't interact with her as much as the others cowered a little bit. If they knew one thing about the Straw Hats, it was that they stuck to their promises as closely as they could.
"That's quite the punishment though, don't you think?" Clione joked, wincing when she started unraveling the bandage around his leg.
"I think it's suitable," she replied. Once unwrapped, she hissed in sympathy at the look of his major wound – a long, deep cut down his thigh. It was a miracle he had enough blood left in him after the battle to stay alive. "I can't believe you were able to walk back on the ship."
"Eh, I've had worse injuries," he assured, trying to brush it off. He inhaled sharply when she patted a cloth full of mild soap along it.
"Sorry," she mumbled, focusing on cleansing it. If any of these men got infected it would be more inconvenient than just making sure it was done right in the first place. She then flushed it out with saline and re-wrapped it. "Okay, where else are you hurt?"
"Just some minor scrapes and bruises. Those are fine on their own," he assured, waving her away. "I'm sure Captain would want to spend more time with you wearing that, so we'll let you go."
"I doubt it, but I'll go anyways. It looks like I interrupted a group nap," she gestured to the rest of the cabin filled with men trying to sleep. She began placing the items in the bag and left, making sure to turn the light off on her way out.
Once she closed the door, she heard the men inside start chattering excitedly about 'Nurse Nami'. 'Great. They're going to remember this forever,' she thought, trying to resist a small smile. It was kind of nice to be appreciated as a helper, even if it was just for tending to wounds in a costume.
She made her way back to the infirmary to swap out the soiled bandages and see if Law had any new orders for her. This was more fun than she anticipated. Not that she was happy people had gotten hurt, but this was a nice change of pace and eased her boredom. If she was needed like this again, she was sure she would jump at the chance.
Once she arrived, she was greeted with the sight of the Heart captain on one of the beds, preparing to work on his own wounds. He glanced over at her before sighing and re-focusing. "I don't know if I've told you, but most of my crew knocks when they aren't expected to be here."
"First, I'm not your crew, and second, I should be expected. All the supplies are in here," she retorted, moving to the back of the room to dispose of the used bandages.
"I'll admit you were quicker than I thought."
"Don't worry, I was thorough," she assured. Once the bag was emptied, she transferred the supplies to a clean bag and threw the dirty one into a pile to be washed. "I'll take your surprise as a compliment, though."
There was a pause before he let out a long sigh. "Actually, I might need your help myself."
"Oh?" She walked over to him, curious.
He laid back and pointed down at the stab wound on his stomach. "I need this cleaned and re-stitched. I was in such a rush yesterday that I just did a temporary fix. It's very sore, and I am fine enduring the pain, but you're here so why not take the easy route?"
Her smile faltered as nervousness set in. Doing her own handywork on an expert doctor? "Okay, but don't complain if it isn't perfect," she warned.
"Fine by me," he sat back and closed his eyes to relax a bit. "Everything you need is on the tray. Do you need a walkthrough?"
She looked to his other side and inwardly smacked herself for not noticing the standing tray earlier. "I'm familiar with the process," she answered. "Do you want anesthetics?"
"No, save it for the rest of the crew. It's expensive," he declined.
"Suit yourself." She took a small pair of surgical scissors and cut where the half-assed stitch was tied and pulled it out, wincing when he let out a soft hiss. "Sorry. You sure about the numbing?"
"Yes. It's fine. Don't get distracted or deterred by sounds of me being in pain," he instructed. "Keep going unless I tell you to stop."
"Okay."
She cleaned the wound, taking a moment to lightly touch around it with a sad frown. He'd been injured because of a fight to protect her in the first place. Shaking off those thoughts for the moment, she picked up the curved needle with the thread already attached and a pair of what looked like a cross between tweezers and pliers.
"Alright, here I go," she warned. She tried her hardest to refrain from looking at his face. Any expressions of pain would only make her falter, and that wasn't needed right now. Once she was at the end of the wound, she tried to gently pull the last part together and tied the thread, cutting it off the needle. "I'm done," she announced, wiping her forehead with her arm as she felt the tension leave her body.
"Thank you," he said, groaning as he sat up.
"I'll wrap it up now." She quickly grabbed a fresh bandage despite his protests to save it for the others. Doctor or not, he was just as important and an infection would be just as annoying, so she set to work anyways. He couldn't do anything but sigh as she worked the wrap around his torso, securing it with a safety pin.
She brushed her fingers along the area above the bandage to make sure it wasn't digging into his skin. Once satisfied that it was good to go, she realised she'd been rubbing the base of his chest without any thought to how it might look. Her eyes slowly wandered up to his, a little worried about his reaction, only to be met with a look of amusement.
"Are you enjoying yourself?" he teased.
"Oh please," she shot back with an eye roll. "Aren't you supposed to be professional in this room?"
"Well, yes, but I'm only asking a simple question."
"Those questions can wait," she huffed, putting her hands on her hips. "Don't tell me I'm the only one serious about getting all your crew healed up?"
That seemed to snap him out of his teasing. With a sigh, he got off the bed. "That's why I was fixing myself up first. Or at least, I started to. Now I'm free to get the more serious wounds. I'll get you to accompany me. I'll mend the bones and help the internal issues, you can do exactly what you did for me. It will be faster that way."
"What about the guys with the easier wounds?" she asked. "You said earlier I would be helping them."
"They'll be easy and quick. Based on your job on me, you'll be more of an asset and time-saver with the others."
The off-handed praise made a warm giddy feeling spread within her chest and head. It was rare to get serious compliments from the man, especially when it came to things he was a genius at. Being acknowledged on her skill felt even better considering she'd been studying medical books for the purpose of helping her crewmates. Although these guys weren't Straw Hats, they were starting to feel like another group of nakama, as much as she tried to deny it.
Without another word, she was handed the bag she'd conveniently restocked, he took an even bigger one, and they were on their way to the secondary men's cabin where the heavily wounded were organised to stay.
They made quick work of it. Law was able to dissect and fix up multiple men at a time, and Nami only got faster with every person she worked on. The wounded were too tired to outwardly comment, but she knew the outfit was going to cause yet another stir once they were healed up. She'd have to tell them of the promise made to her once they were in their right minds, but for now, she was at ease knowing they would still be confined to the room until that day came.
Even though it was faster than initially thought, the procedures still did take up a few hours. By the time they left the room, it was well past lunchtime. Law suggested she go ahead and eat something while he took a look at the men with less severe injuries and promised to join her for the official dinner that his able-bodied crew would make.
She was thankful to change out of the uniform as it still wasn't growing on her, though she had to admit she did look amazing in it like everything else. A soft, loose red shirt and a pair of sweat shorts were calling to her after having to suffer the tightness around the stomach. If she was going to continue wearing it, she was going to make some adjustments.
Her stomach growling was her cue to follow the doctor's suggestion of eating, leading her to wander the ship once more.
XxXxXxX
"Komeru Island up ahead!" Shachi burst into the kitchen where Law, Nami, Ikkaku and Uni were finishing helping Penguin deliver portions to the bedridden crew, the other half having been able to eat in the dining hall.
"We're there already?" the navigator asked, surprised. They were told they'd get there at sundown, and the sun wasn't due to dip below the horizon for a while yet.
"Well, it's about an hour away. Still, we've made good time!" the announcer grinned. "Bepo said something about a sudden helpful wind change. Either way, I'm so excited to see Princess Hikari soon!" his eyes shone at the thought.
"I almost forgot we're meeting a princess. I suppose I'll have to change again," Nami sighed, looking down at her comfortable outfit.
"She doesn't care about appearances when it comes to women, so don't worry about it," Law assured her. "Besides, you always look good no matter what you wear."
She blushed a bit at his comment while the others in the room gave each other knowing glances.
"So… Are we going to finish this up?" Penguin interrupted, holding up a tray of food.
"Oh! Right. Yes." Nami took one as well and followed him out with the rest of the helpers behind them.
The hour passed quickly as they sorted the after-dinner matters and packed overnight bags. Due to the situation with Hiretsuna, Law, Nami, and a handful of the other pirates were invited to stay overnight in the castle. It was for extra protection measures and a lot of paperwork and meetings in the morning. He was due to be put on trial as soon as possible.
Ikkaku had gone to help Bepo at the helm, running out in excitement to let everyone know when they were surfacing. Nami was eager to see the island, especially since it was her friend's home. Her excitement was contagious, and soon they were all standing on the deck looking at what seemed to be a shining city just off the shore. Tall modern buildings stood proudly, their windows reflected the setting sun, making it seem like a thousand gems were just beckoning for the cat thief to approach.
"Wow, it's beautiful," she whispered in awe. "I've never seen buildings like this!"
"You haven't seen them up close yet. It's even more magnificent," Ikkaku assured with an eager grin. "Man, I missed this place, but those two might've missed it more." She lazily pointed to where Shachi and Penguin were holding each other and jumping in a circle out of joy.
"We're going to see Hikari, we're going to see Hikari!" they sang.
"I don't think I've seen them this excited before," the navigator laughed.
"I almost killed them at Amazon Lily," Law entered the conversation, leaning back against the rail. "They were this bad, but there were more women for them to fawn over. It almost wasn't worth it for them to be part of my crew at the time."
"They almost got killed by the women," Bepo added, nearing the trio. "It was a scary island. I was sad there were no female bears, though."
"Sadly, Hikari only encourages them," Ikkaku sighed, shaking her head. "She's always loved praise, even though her favourite kind is from-"
She was cut off by the ship bumping lightly against the dock. Nami had barely noticed they'd gotten to shore so quickly, but was even more surprised to see a group of people waiting for them on the sand. They were still too far to properly make out, but she didn't have to wait long to get closer.
Law was first off the ship and extended his hand for her to grab. She hopped off the deck, happy to be on a big island. Sansetta had been poor and run down but it had a quaint feel. In front of them here were lavish buildings with some made almost entirely out of glass or metal that reflected the sun in a lovely way.
The streets were made up of white brick, and up ahead were colourful stalls selling food, knickknacks, and jewelry that contrasted the simple colours around them. Even though the end of the day was drawing near, this city was bustling with nicely dressed people going about their shopping. This was clearly a prosperous country.
As Nami observed in bewilderment, wondering how she had never heard of this rich country before, the streets suddenly grew quiet.
All the citizens stopped talking and moving, shifting their attention to a figure who was making her way through the parting crowd. The navigator gasped as she came into view, becoming clearer with every step.
It was a woman with striking beauty that almost paralleled Boa Hancock's. She had long, fiery red hair with a heavily decorated silver tiara resting perfectly on top. She wore a turquoise dress that had an a-line form fitting top that flowed out loosely at the waist into a skirt that stopped just below her knee. On her neck was a diamond necklace on a silver chain that matched the crown.
She walked with such grace that Nami felt like an uncivilised brute that wasn't standing straight enough, even though her stomach was feeling particularly heavy at the moment from both the baby and sudden anxiety. She held her breath as she approached them, with her only thoughts being that this woman had to be some sort of goddess.
"Welcome to Komeru Island," she greeted the pirates, looking across all of them and stopping at Nami, breaking into a wide smile. "My name is Princess Hikari. It's nice to finally meet you!" She suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Nami's hands, shaking them excitedly. "You're so much lovelier in person!"
"Hello… I'm Nami," the woman replied before looking to Law for help.
He just crossed his arms and gave her a lazy smile, earning a slight pout. It seemed he was right – her outfit didn't seem to put off the woman at all.
"I've been so excited to meet you, Nami!" the princess almost shouted. "I've heard so much about the Straw Hats. I'm such a fan!"
'Oh no, not another Bartolomeo,' she thought, realising this could get weird real fast. She stepped back, clearing her throat and trying to think of something to say. Before she could, though, her partner decided to finally step in.
"Good evening Princess Hikari," Law greeted with a quick bow.
"Oh," the princess let go of the other woman's hands and dipped gracefully into a light curtsey. "Hello, Law. I almost didn't notice you next to this gem here."
"Princess!" Penguin and Shachi sprung forward as if to embrace her. In the blink of an eye, they were knocked on the ground with the woman towering above them with a steel fan in her hand.
"Hello perverts," she still smiled wholesomely at them, her words seeming more affectionate than insulting, making them groan in both pain and joy.
Ikkaku stepped forward, holding her arms out for a hug. "Don't be so distracted by other pretty girls, Hikarin."
The woman raced forward, almost mirroring the men's previous motions as she ran into her arms. "Ikkini!" They were still for a moment, the redhead nuzzling down into her shoulder. "I missed you. You were gone too long this time!"
"I'm sorry. I'll try to come home more," the pirate promised, patting her head.
"You guys seem really close," Nami commented.
The raven nodded. "Hikarin and I grew up together here. My parents used to be royal advisors," she explained. "By the way, she's quite a fan of a select few pirate groups despite being a princess. The Straw Hats are a particular favourite, along with the Kujas and us."
"The Kujas are so beautiful… Who wouldn't love them?!" Hikari mumbled defensively. "The Straw Hat ladies are also lovely! I wish I could meet Miss Robin in person as well."
Nami blushed at the compliment. "You should look in a mirror – you're one of the most beautiful women I've ever met!"
She shot up from hugging Ikkaku and once again took her hands. Her eyes, which she noticed were bright green, were shimmering with joy. "You honestly think so? Thank you!"
The navigator nodded enthusiastically, earning a hug.
The man next to them sighed. "Your highness, are you sure you want to act like this in front of your people?" Law reminded her, pointing at the distant crowd.
She puffed up her cheeks. "They all know I'm very affectionate towards women. What's a few happy hugs between girls?"
"Well, you've hugged the girls to dizziness and left my boys nearly unconscious," he pointed out.
She backed away the navigator and patted her dress down promptly, returning to a high-class demeanor. "I suppose you're right," she muttered. "I can do this in the privacy of the palace."
"That reminds me that we should get down to business," the captain said firmly. "Your brother."
The atmosphere got tense immediately. "He's not my brother," she turned up her nose. "We disowned him."
"I understand. He's currently on my ship, though, and I would prefer him not to be there. Is there anyone in charge of evil devil fruit users?"
"Right. Yes I do." She took out her steel fan again and held it straight up, making a strange motion with a flick of her wrist.
"Princess!" Two men appeared suddenly as if coming from the shadows. They knelt at her feet, crossing their arms over their chests.
"Hiretsuna has been captured. Take him to the prison to await trial," she ordered.
"Understood."
"I'll bring him out," Law stated, reluctant to invite strangers on his ship. He teleported inside, reappearing a few minutes later with the drained criminal.
The guards put on gloves that were laced with the sea stone. They took him from the captain, walking him through the pirates.
Hiretsuna lifted his head enough to meet his sister's eyes, glaring defiantly. "I still have loyal followers here. You can't bring me down!"
"Watch me," she spat, narrowing her eyes. "The whole kingdom knows what heinous crimes you've committed."
The guards jerked him forward once their princess turned her back to him, ending their short conversation. "Move," one of them hissed at the disgraced man.
"I'm the prince of this island! You can't treat me like this!"
"You've been abdicated. Deal with it," the other guard said coldly. They finally managed to escort him out of the area, taking a route around the city to avoid the crowds.
Once they were gone, the princess looked at the sky and gave a slight hum. "We should probably make our way to the palace if we want to get there before dark. Despite the beauty and wealth of this country, this area in particular can get pretty dangerous at night."
With their agreement, she led the way. Law left most of his crew to watch the ship overnight, bringing only Ikkaku, Nami, Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin. The last two were only there because they would be the main protestors to not being able to go on the rich island and be apart from the captain and Nami.
The cat thief tried to force herself to ignore the stalls, as they were carrying loads of jewellery, reminding herself that she only stole from pirates. She had to keep from gasping in awe at all the fashionable clothes and people, and the many, many more stands filled with gold.
Part of her was reminded that they were being guided by the island's own princess, making stealing even more of a no-no. But the way the earrings sparkled… The necklaces shimmered… The rings glowed…
Law gently took her hand and pulled her to the middle, letting Penguin behind her and Bepo on her other side to block the temptation. She squeezed his hand, grateful for the help. It had been a while since she'd seen this much gold in one place and her instincts were on overdrive already.
It wasn't too long before a tall, grand building was in their path. Her eyes once again almost bulged out of her head at the sight. "What material is that palace made of?"
"It's made of marble," the princess replied. "It was built two hundred years ago."
"Wow…"
"As you've probably noticed, this is one of the richest countries in the world," Law explained. "Their mines produce more gems and gold than anywhere else. I'm surprised you didn't know that, being the money enthusiast you are."
"I was just asking myself about that. This might just be the true treasure island," she whispered as if in a trance. It lived up to the nickname more than that one phony island she'd been to on one of her first adventures with Luffy.
They soon arrived at the gate with it opening instantly for the princess and her company. They were led through a charming, lush garden with a fountain on each side of the path. The palace doors were opened for them as well, and she looked around in amazement.
The inside was massive, the entrance hall itself being bigger than the Sunny even if all the floors were lined up together. There was a wide selection of doorways to go through at the edges of the room, and two curved staircases leading to a balcony and a second floor, which was where they were led. The interior was fully painted a soft shade of blue with white marble floors and red rugs lined with gold on the stairs.
"I suppose I should show you the guest quarters for now. We will talk more in the morning," Hikari said, noting the time. "You're probably all on edge from transporting Hiretsuna. I'll let you relax a bit."
"Sounds good," Law agreed with a nod.
"Ikkini can share my room. I take it you and Nami will be sharing one too?"
"Yes please," the Straw Hat replied a bit quickly, not wanting to be left alone in the palace. She couldn't help but wonder about the princess sharing a room with her friend, but she wasn't about to question it.
"And you three would probably like getting your own individual ones as usual," she addressed the remaining men, who nodded vigorously. It was rare that they didn't have to share a room, or sometimes even a bed. The visits to this island were a definite treat.
The princess showed them their quarters on the second floor and bid them goodnight, informing them that there was a unisex bath a few doors down and a natural hot spring in the back of the first floor, which the other Heart Pirates announced they were definitely going to make their way to.
Nami closed her eyes and sighed longingly at the thought of a nice hot bath. Law only had a shower in his room, and she was hesitant to use the main crew bathroom at this point. It felt like ages since she was able to soak her worries away.
They entered their room and she was once again taken aback at how magnificent it was. The walls were painted eggshell with a light beige carpet. A white canopy bed stood in the middle of the far-left wall, the lace curtains falling around them being a soft white. The bed sheets were lilac and the pillowcases were silver. The room was carpeted as a lilac as well, and the dressers, desk and couch were all pearl white. There was a walk-in closet on the left side of the room as well and a bathroom on the other.
"This room is so beautiful!" she exclaimed. "I always wanted to sleep on one of these!" She ran up to it and jumped backwards onto the mattress, bouncing off it a bit before nestling into the pillows. They were as soft as feathers.
"It really is," Law agreed. "I usually stay on the ship when I visit and let the crew stay here. I guess I've been missing out."
"I wanna go to the hot springs," Nami sat up, looking hopefully at the man.
He crossed his arms and shook his head. "Pregnant women shouldn't go in hot springs. Besides, I get the feeling it's not divided and the others will probably beat us to it."
"What?! Can I take a bath, then?"
"No."
"But you let me take one on the Sunny!"
"That was because you said it would be quick. Pregnant women shouldn't submerge their bodies in anything above basically body temperature for more than a few minutes," he lectured. "If you really want to go, I'll come with you. You'll have to rotate in and out of the water to not raise your core temperature."
She pursed her lips, annoyed. "Fine." She marched into the bathroom, her steps being a little softer on her way back with the towels. "I can still sit under the shower for however long, right?"
"Yes," he permitted. They soon left the room with towels in hand. Law led them to where the baths were, thankful that the others had chosen the hot springs. Not that he blamed them – it was a rare luxury as well. He felt a bit sorry for Nami that she was missing out, but it couldn't be helped. He wasn't about to budge on her and the baby's safety or her privacy.
Once they closed the door and walked past the curtains into the changing area, he started to strip down, putting his clothes in a basket to the side. He was glad he had the foresight to change the heavy wrapping around his wound to a waterproof patch, somehow knowing he was going to get dragged into some sort of wet scenario.
Glancing over to see if she was finished undressing, he was stuck in place, mesmerized by the way her long, luscious orange hair draped and curled around her back and shoulders. He gazed downwards and felt his blood turn hot with the way her waist narrowed and then flared out to her wide hips and round bottom. Her long legs that seemed to go down forever, finally ending at her small ankles and surprisingly delicate-looking feet, were enough to make his throat feel dry. When she turned, he admired the curves of her large breasts, noting how they were almost perfectly symmetrical. She was an extremely attractive woman, enough so to be considered a perfect model.
He mentally kicked himself at the thoughts, swearing to focus solely on relaxing and getting clean. This was not the time to think about how much she affected him, even though it was the first time since the one night that they were letting themselves be in this position. It didn't help they'd just confessed their feelings too. If he thought she still hated him, he would've had better self-control.
As he looked her up and down subconsciously, she finally put her clothes to the side and looked over, noticing his staring and deciding to do some herself despite feeling suddenly embarrassed. Skipping past his face, she started at his tastefully broad shoulders, trailing down to his very toned chest and abs that she'd been patching up earlier, tattooed with the flared heart with the smile in the middle. The patch instead of the bandage was a surprise, though, and she wondered when he'd changed it over. Ignoring it, she refocused on the non-injured parts, following the curve of the heart tattoo. The base point stopped just above his navel…
She had to force herself to stop there, knowing if she looked farther there would be no returning from overwhelming thoughts. Her hormones were already trying to push her to the edge of the situation, and she didn't need another reason to go for it. When she looked back up, all she saw were glowing golden eyes. It was as if he was just barely holding himself back from devouring her. "I guess I wasn't fully prepared," he admitted once their eyes met.
"Me neither," she whispered, her heart speeding up. The reasons not to make some sort of move were fading from her mind as she got lost in his gaze. She swallowed her nervousness and willed herself to saunter towards him, watching his breath hitch as she flipped her hair back. He was just as exposed as she was, and that helped her confidence enough to tease him. She wrapped her arms lightly around his neck, keeping a bit of distance between them. Angling her face up to look more enticing, she grinned. "Like what you see?"
"Yes," he nearly growled, resisting touching her back. He knew the moment his hands touched her skin in this state, there would be too little to hold him back.
She pouted playfully, seemingly reading his thoughts. Him not touching her didn't offend – instead, it spurred her amusement, starting a nice little game. "Law," she purred, "you'll wash my back, right?"
"If you want," he agreed, looking towards the bath. The reason they were there in the first place.
She brought one hand in between them, lightly brushing her fingers down the top of his chest. "And maybe my front?"
"Careful Nami," he warned, his breathing becoming uneven. "It's not smart to tempt me."
"Oh?" she gave a playful pout, moving close enough to brush her chest against his. "And why not?"
He cursed and pulled her straight into his body. "Please. Not now," he whispered, sending shivers down her spine. She could feel him trembling, fighting to hold on to the last of his control.
He let her go and she reluctantly backed away, the skin where he touched feeling like it was on fire. It wasn't like she didn't want something to happen, but that would be better saved for after a proper discussion. Besides, she wasn't sure if something like that would be a danger to the baby, and that thought was enough to settle her a little.
They made it into the actual bath house, the tension fading with the steam and a light scent of flowers set up around the entrance. Nami sat on one of the benches with a happy sigh, scooping some water in a bucket and dumping it over her head, sighing in contentment at the warm water.
Law sat next to her, doing the same. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, enjoying the feeling of the water rinsing their bodies and trying to ignore what almost started before.
The woman got up to grab some soap and sponges, setting them between them. After washing her hair, she turned away from him and looked over her shoulder. "Can you wash my back, for real?"
With a nod, he soaped up one of the sponges and waited for her to move her hair. He began to delicately run it along her back, rubbing gentle circles. Once he was done, he filled a bucket and rinsed her off. She turned back with a smile, gesturing for him to turn around and taking the extra sponge. She repeated his movements, feeling him tense with her touch.
He'd never really had anyone wash his back for him as an adult before, but he was reminded that of all people, it was the attractive woman behind him who was doing it with the occasional brush of her delicate fingers along his skin. He felt her stop and splash the warm water on him to rinse him off.
When he turned around again to thank her, he saw she was already focused on scrubbing the rest of herself down. The sudden urge to touch her soapy chest was overwhelming, taking control of his body. He blamed male curiosity as reached out and planted one of his hands firmly on a breast, earning a surprised squeak from the woman. It was soft, squishy and slippery, convincing his other hand to join in.
She let herself be pulled over to him and planted in his lap for some sudden heated kisses while his hands still groped and explored, massaging the suds more into her skin. They moved down to her stomach, rubbing the edges of the bump and spurring him to kiss her more heatedly. After a while of that, they started to slide down further…
"W-what do you think you're doing?!" she asked, breaking the kiss, though for reasons unknown she didn't push him away. "You just told me to not start anything."
Taking his hands away, he turned in embarrassment. "Sorry. I just really wanted to know what it felt like and got carried away."
"Really? Have you never taken a bath with a woman before?"
"Nope."
"Oh." She looked away, her face growing hot as she thought about what they might've done if she hadn't stopped him. Maybe this whole bath thing was a bad idea in the first place. She shyly moved back to her own seat and rinsed herself off again, turning the setting colder to lower the sudden heat she was feeling. "Well now you know. Let's go in the water."
"Okay," he agreed quickly. "I'll follow you in a second. Remember though, you have to rotate to keep your temperature down."
"Yeah, yeah," she rolled her eyes, getting up with unsteady legs and walking over to the change room to put her hair up before entering the large bath. There were stairs leading into it, and she hummed in bliss when she dipped her feet in. "Oh my god, this is the perfect temperature." She continued down and moved to a bench that was installed along the side, submerging everything except her head.
After he rinsed off, Law followed, making it only halfway down the steps before stopping.
"What's wrong?" she asked with a worried frown.
"It's deeper than I thought it would be, and I might lose my abilities if I go in all the way. It's why I shower instead of bathing for the most part."
"It's not like we're getting attacked, and I'll make sure you don't drown," she assured.
He sighed in defeat, knowing she would probably drag him down in there with her if he kept resisting. As he lowered himself into the warm water, he could feel his powers draining and his body felt like it was trying to lock up. It was uncomfortable for him to feel powerless. He'd almost forgotten what life was like before he was fed the heart-shaped devil fruit, though this feeling was beyond that. The wound stung with the heat, but he decided to grit his teeth and deal with it as he waded over to sit next to her.
He couldn't help but be a bit envious that she seemed very relaxed, bathing peacefully as if she didn't suspect or anticipate that someone could suddenly jump out and attack. Was she letting her guard down? It was hard to imagine, as he imagined being a known thief and pirate would train her to have it up especially at vulnerable times like this. Perhaps it was because she knew that if someone were to attack, he would protect her at any cost even without his powers.
He wondered how she'd gotten so far up the pirate ladder with only average talent at hand to hand combat, extensive control over her climatact and extreme intelligence that had built her into a useful tactician and negotiator. Yes, she had a powerful force that was a living thunder cloud, but what heavy damage could she do beyond that when it came to an overbearing physical attack? Her newly gained haki was exactly that: new. There was no way he was going to let her practise with it in her current condition as it would take way too much energy.
He drifted into thoughts of maybe teaching her some of the fighting techniques he'd learned at a young age once things once the baby was born. A little extra training wouldn't hurt, especially since there was a great chance that they would be hunted. He cursed remembering Hiretsuna's revealing that there were rumours floating around about them. They were true, of course, but it was unsettling not knowing who'd heard that information already.
The sound of the water suddenly moving brought him out of his worrying.
"I guess I should get out before we're boiled alive," Nami joked morbidly, sitting on the wall of the enclosure.
"I see you've picked up some of Robin's dark humour," he grimaced, standing slowly with the help of the wall. "I need to cool down, too."
"It must suck to be a devil fruit eater," she gestured at his struggling, grabbing his arm to help steady him. "I can't imagine not being able to swim or bathe."
"When I was younger, I thought it was stupid too."
"At least yours saved your life. It's not like you were a glutton and ate one without realising it," she giggled, clearly referring to her captain. "Luffy got lucky to eat something useful, though."
They made it to the stairs, sitting at the top with just their feet dipped in. "He's pretty powerful, considering rubber is a stupid-sounding ability," Law admitted.
"True, but I've fought worse. There was this one guy who could summon biscuits… Like, he was tough to beat, but it sounds dumb."
Law chuckled. "What powers would you want if you had a choice?"
She placed a finger on pursed lips as she thought for a moment. "If I had to eat a devil fruit, I think I'd want some sort of bird one. I don't care what kind I would turn into, as long as I could fly endlessly."
"Oh?"
"I would fly over the ocean to help make my maps. I could also get away from enemies a bit easier," she giggled. "Mostly the map thing, though."
"Being a bird would be quite freeing," he replied. "If I could have something different… I think I'd like something to do with time or seeing the future."
Nami almost burst out laughing "I… I'm so sorry," she choked back the convulsions. "You just don't strike me as the type to worry about the future."
"If I couldn't use my current ability, I would like to see what routes I can take medically and what the end result would be," he explained. "I suppose I would also look in on you and our son, too."
"But that takes the surprise out of life. Are you that worried about us?"
"With the types of people we encounter, yes."
"Fair enough."
After another quick dip, they made the decision to go back to their room. Nami felt refreshed as she dried herself off, letting her hair back down. They put their clothes on, careful to refrain from starting something again, and walked back to their room.
Law stopped at the doorway and looked around the room suspiciously. "Someone's been in here," he mumbled, his eyes landing on a slip of paper left on the dresser. He read it quickly, rolling his eyes at the signature.
'This is your chance to officially make her yours again! Good luck Captain 😉 – your best wingman, Shachi'
"What is it?" The woman stood on her tip toes to read over his shoulder.
"He's an idiot," he groaned.
"Because carrying your baby, admitting I love you and moving into your room isn't good enough," she said sarcastically, crossing her arms.
"Oh? So you've been mine pretty much from the beginning?"
"I don't belong to anyone, Law, but if it helps you sleep at night, then sure. I'm yours."
"Aww, so sweet," a voice gushed behind them.
They whipped around, now realising they'd left the door open. Penguin leaned against the frame, smiling innocently at them as if he didn't know anything about the note. "You've come a long way since… Yesterday? Y'know, when you weren't quite sure what to label yourselves as."
"Looks like interference sure helps the clarification, but there's something even better," Shachi appeared seemingly out of nowhere with a devious grin.
"Shachi I will kill you," Law growled, holding up the note.
"Hey now," Penguin tried to ease the situation, "it's perfectly natural to have sex with your girlfriend."
The woman's jaw dropped in surprise at their sudden boldness in this matter. Normally she didn't mind men associating her with sex, but after all this time with them she was surprised they were trying to push this between her and Law. "This is none of your business," she finally said with a harsh glare at the two.
"Yeah, shut up idiot," Shachi said hypocritically, punching his companion in the arm.
"But everyone's expected it since we left the Straw Hats," he didn't listen. "And you don't need to be so reserved on the ship. It's not like we haven't heard you two before, anyways…"
"Wait… What?" Law asked, his eyes growing wide.
"Yah, like four months ago or something. It wasn't a huge secret. What do you expect from stumbling into the sub drunk? At least now you would be aware enough to keep it more private," the redheaded man smirked. "Not that we minded watching a bit."
"Inappropriate," Penguin hit the man.
"This whole thing is inappropriate."
Nami was scarily quiet, looking up with a sudden intensity that made all three men jump back a bit. "What did you see?"
The two crew members looked at each other. "You might want to sit down for this," Penguin hid his blush under his deep hat.
The couple gestured for them to enter the room, closing the door behind them. They all sat on the provided couch, the woman burying her face in her hands. "Okay, go ahead," she coaxed.
"I'll start off by begging both of you not to kill us," Shachi pleaded, clasping his hands together. "And by us, I mean basically the entire crew."
"What?!" Her hands flew down, revealing her horrified expression. They had all seen or heard something and acted normal this entire time?
"Let them explain," the captain calmed her, shooting an uncertain glance at the men. "What happened that night?"
"Alright… A few months ago, we were on Calaway Island to have our annual alliance party with the Straw Hats…"
xxxxxxx
"Hey, Zoro! I bet you can't drink this entire bottle of sake in under a minute!" a tipsy Shachi dangled the bottle of mentioned alcohol in front of the bounty hunter, almost dropping it. He laughed when the man took it and started to chug.
It was always a good time being docked with the Straw Hat pirates. They drank and ate to their heart's content with friendly banter and unnecessary but fun competitions. This was not their first annual party, and by now, the crews mingled effortlessly. Their alliance was no longer just business – they had become good friends despite the competition for their ultimate goal that was the One Piece.
The redhead pouted a bit when he glanced over at his captain, noticing that he was avoiding conversations more than usual. Something had been bothering the man lately, and it was apparently too big to tell his trio of closest friends. He sat alone at a table on the opposite side of the bar watching the crews mingle with disinterest.
"Hah, done!" the green haired man interrupted his thoughts, smashing the bottle triumphantly against the floor and shattering it.
"Hey, watch where you're throwing things," Penguin lectured, almost being punctured by the stray shards.
"I don't think challenging him with this three times in a row was a good idea," Shachi smirked before making eye contact with the swordsman. "We might end up having to be Straw Hat babysitters."
"I'm no baby," Zoro slurred. "Look at your captain. He's the baby for not partying with the rest of us. Hah!"
"You take that back," the shorter of the Heart pirates growled.
"Make me," he beckoned with his finger.
"Wait! Wait wait wait!" Penguin stepped between them. "Let's just get him to-" he cut off mid sentence, his eyes widening and jaw dropping a bit when he looked over at his captain.
Curious as to what he was gawking at, the two turned their heads back to where Law was leaning back in the booth with his eyes closed. They couldn't believe their eyes as they saw Nami approaching him with three glasses of alcohol, two of them carefully balanced in one hand. Those were full, and the third in the other hand barely had anything left. They watched her chug the rest down and put the empty cup on a table, shaking her head and taking a deep breath before continuing her approach
She bravely walked up to the captain, catching his attention with a word. She offered him a glass with a dangerous smile that made two of the onlookers a bit jealous.
"Alright, he's not a baby," Zoro admitted, snapping out of his drunken stupor, "but you all should go soon, unless you want to see something you really don't want to."
"What would that be?" Shachi asked half-mindedly, impressed by the way she had somehow gotten the captain to stand and took her opportunity to casually brush against him. He could almost see her purr as she did.
"Hn. No one can resist Nami when she wants them," the swordsman's words barely registered. "At this state of drinking, she probably would let him make this a public act. She's already had more bottles of sake than me."
"Alright then, time to go," Penguin instantly turned, dragging the two men behind him. "I'll try to round up the crew and get them on the ship. We can't let two monsters unleash in front of everyone."
"But I wanna see what happens," Shachi whined, glancing back at the pair. Zoro scoffed and stumbled off, leaving them to continue to stare.
She was now pressed against him, her arms wrapped around his neck. Law whispered something in her ear, pulling back and looking at her intensely. She gave another alluring smile and leaned forward, pressing her lips against his jawline and down to his neck, sucking just enough to leave temporary marks.
Somehow, it seemed like none of the other party members noticed them, but the two Heart pirates couldn't look away. There stood two beautiful people, who were clearly on the verge of hooking up. It was both a shame and a blessing the others hadn't noticed. They were sure they'd all be split in half and banished from the ship for a week if they were caught watching.
Her shoulder kisses seemed to tread on the captain's patience, and he chugged back another cup of alcohol that appeared from god-knows-where before pulling her head back roughly and kissing her.
The crewmates winced, figuring the rough treatment would be too much for her, but their jaws dropped as she ran her hands through his hair, dropping onto the booth they were at and pulling him down with her. They had clearly lost track of where they were, and he flipped them so she was sitting on his lap and hovering over him.
He grabbed her hips and moved them teasingly along his, earning a wicked smile from the woman. She ground up against him a bit, her eyes locked on his.
"Hey, Luffy! How's it going?!" a voice yelled at the other side of the bar, making the two seemingly snap out of their trance. She moved off him before her captain and crewmates saw, fixing her hair and suddenly looking shy. Law looked away, and his two friends just knew he was cursing that they were surrounded by people.
He caught a passing waitress's attention, ordering something else for him and Nami. Once she left, the couple shyly slid back into just flirting, exchanging risky touches and heavy looks.
Shachi and Penguin felt like they'd seen enough for the time being and snuck away, motioning for some of their crew to do the same. At this rate, they would be having sex right on a table if no one distracted them again. It was only a matter of time.
Once most of the crew got in the sub, they went to the kitchen to pass out snacks and water to sober up before they slept. They knew partying with the Straw Hats usually meant a sour next day if they didn't take care of themselves.
It wasn't even ten minutes before the couple came stumbling through the submarine doors, barely able to stand. The crew went to investigate the noise, surprised and embarrassed to see their captain pressing the woman against the wall to kiss her.
They made a silent group decision to back away into the kitchen and pretend they didn't see or hear anything, but as the two finally had made it to his room, they couldn't manage to tune out the moaning, screaming and calling out of names.
"Wow, he finally got some," Ikkaku smirked, leaning against a wall with her arms crossed. She was one of the few to not be disturbed. "I had a feeling they got along better than it seemed."
"It was intense to watch them in the bar," Shachi winked at her. "You should've seen them. You could split the sexual tension with a knife."
"I wonder if they'll be alright," Bepo cowered, not really knowing what exactly was going on. Not being a huge partier, he'd been in the navigation room to set the next day's course, only coming out once the two were shut in the captain's room.
"I hope Luffy doesn't notice he's missing a navigator tonight," Penguin worried. The last thing he wanted was to fight the rubber man because of a misunderstanding.
"This isn't the last we're gonna see of Nami," Uni predicted, crossing his arms.
Ikkaku scoffed at him. "Of course not. We're kinda part of an alliance?"
"That's not what I meant."
Another scream of ecstasy rang through the sub, making them all blush.
"I hope they're being smart, at least," the woman mumbled.
"Doubt it," Shachi replied. "They slammed those drinks back pretty fast."
Penguin paused, thinking before he spoke. "Um… Don't they both have extremely high alcohol tolerance?"
"The placebo effect is a powerful thing," Clione chuckled. "I bet they'll barely even remember most of this."
They all unanimously decided to send the woman to sneak past the room to get cotton balls from the medical bay to make earplugs. They also made a pact to not let Law know they knew about the hook-up before splitting up to their rooms and trying to fall asleep. The muffled noises eventually ended, leaving them all a bit shaken and embarrassed on behalf of their captain.
They also all pretended to not notice the next morning when the woman snuck out of the sub, leaving them to wonder if something more was going to happen between her and Law or not. Either way, the trio of friends noticed that for the next few days, the man seemed much happier than before, as if the weight that had been pressing down on him got lifted.
That's when they realised that Ikkaku was right. She had been his secret problem. He'd been wanting her, and he finally got her. Now they just had to see where it led. Uni was never wrong about his premonitions – one way or another, they were going to see much more of her.
Xxxx
"I… I can't believe this," Nami looked down at her lap. "This is now the most embarrassing moment of my life. Oh my god!"
"We also figured the baby was from then," Penguin added before shooting a glare at the stunned man. "I can't believe you had such little faith in her, Cap."
"Hey, I don't know what missions she might have gone on," Law crossed his arms defensively. "Accidents happen all the time."
"Exactly like this?" Shachi gestured to the baby bump, getting his arm slapped away by the surgeon of death.
"Yes."
"Can we speak in private, please?" Nami directed her request at the two other men. "Also, this never gets discussed again."
They nodded, quickly getting up and leaving with a wave.
"I'm sorry," the captain bowed his head once they were gone and had closed the door. "I didn't know the entirety of my crew knew about this."
The woman softly shook her head before placing her hand on his face, bringing it up to look at her. "Well, I started it… Either way, I don't regret it. I've liked you more than anyone in my life, and that was before all this. Although I am absolutely mortified there were witnesses for that much."
"You've been subjected to a lot of embarrassment today. I'll make it up to you," he promised.
She adjusted herself to lean back on his chest, trying to avoid putting her weight on his wound. "You're going to regret those words, Trafalgar. There are a lot of clothes and jewelry stands here."
"I know," he sighed, placing his chin on the top of her head.
They sat in silence for a while, thinking over what they've just been told. The fuzzy memories were clearing up, and they were starting to feel a bit more peaceful about their relationship, like that was the missing corner piece of the puzzle's frame.
"So much for a relaxing night," she joked. "I think my blood pressure is at an all-time high."
"Those two are staying on the ship next time," he promised. Without realising it, his hands moved to her stomach and he started to stroke his fingers comfortingly around the defined bump.
She leaned more into him with a content sigh. "Even though it will be complicated, I don't regret anything."
"Me neither."
XxXxXxXxX
Deep in a dark corner of the castle sat the disowned prince, Hiretsuna. He'd been locked to the floor with sea prism chains and cuffs, and there were guards outside his cell to watch him. Or at least, that's what they were supposed to do.
"My Lord," a guard who had just rotated in greeted the prisoner, getting on his knees to bow.
"Ah, is that Rondo?"
"Yes, sir."
"Perfect. Report."
The guard stood, bracing his arms in front of his body. "The shadow strikers still have two hundred men. Most of us have infiltrated the army, including a few spots in the palace."
The wicked man grinned, the moon illuminating his sharp teeth. "When is my trial set for?"
"Tomorrow evening, Prince Heika."
"We strike at the verdict, then."
"I will spread the word."
Hello! I somehow made the deadline after once again staying up for like two days straight. I am currently running on red bull and hoping my heart doesn't stop lol.
Sorry if the warning at the beginning was a bit misleading, but I feel like since the tension seemingly came out of nowhere it might be a shock. Personally, I don't think it did come out of nowhere since like they just admitted their feelings so any restrictions they put on themselves would've lowered and of course I had to do a bath scene at some point. Originally it was actually a straight up scene but editing this like I have, that would've basically came out of the blue.
Also, I am not really a fan of flashback explanations but these flowed better this way so hey, whatcha gonna do.
Shachi and Penguin just get bolder and bolder. I didn't mean to write them as like creeps or anything but if I was in their shoes, I would me mesmerized as well. Law and Nami getting together would look like art in the making since they are just two beautiful people who emit raw sexuality.
Even though it's kind of getting close to them actually getting together, that will not be the end by any means. I still have a loooot of story to tell, and figuring out their relationship is like act 1. Also I am actually very shy to write a full scene of that because I feel like I've built up expectations for how long this is going... It may come as a surprise seeing as I have another story where that's literally all that happens lol. Oh, it also happens that I'll be doing another chapter for that since I settled on a few new inspiration songs.
Anyways stay safe out there an thank you very much for being with me this far.
Extra side note: It's a little annoying trying to spellcheck on this site and I bet some of you might be annoyed at the spelling but like in Canada we use s instead of z for a lot of words and this site does not consider! Rude.
