A/N:
Guest: thank you for the review. I hope the story turns out well. It just that the story mainly focus on the OC, Mirra and the loving relationship with Law grows slowly, not an immediate one. So I hope everyone enjoy the slow progress and the slow burns between them.
Vi-Violence: yeah thanx for telling the mistake. I used to write (y/n) before settling to a real name to the OC hehe...
Update: re-edit version
3.This is not in our agreement
Should have stay…
"Since I was very young, I ate a Hyo-hyo (hail) fruit, allowing me to manipulate blizzard-like attacks that can also turned into ice-based attacks, like the ice blocks I used before. But I can't control my power back then, causing more casualties instead. A lot of things happened, and I arrived at East Blue, staying there for years before started my journey two years ago," Mirra chewed, enjoying her pasta dishes after being craving for it for a long time.
Tonight the crew was enjoying a feast of fettucine alfredo, spaghetti bolognese with chicken mince, a sizable well baked chicken lasagna and mushroom soup along with toasted garlic bread.
Yes, bread.
The day their captain found out that the crew secretly hided a stash of bread everyone wasn't spared. However, Mirra managed to talk to him, telling him that the food stock was getting lower and unless they make use the bread for their daily meals there will be no more food left before they could reach an island. Even though Law reluctant to agree to it, Mirra promised that she won't serve the bread to him and will always have other dishes specifically for him that had nothing to do with bread.
Law agreed, and Mirra became the hero of the day.
"So, you're devil fruit user just like our captain. Your power is so cool, Mirra", Clione praised.
"You should've told us earlier, Mirra-chan. It'll be a trouble if you fall into the sea and we don't know that you can't swim," Shachi spoke. He was still busy stuffing the food to his face that he didn't bother to look up at the female at all.
"Slow down, guys. You gonna choke if you gobble it up like that," and right after she warned them, Shachi coughed badly asking for water to clear up his clogged throat.
"Told you," she snorted.
Sensing a stare from someone, she turned around. She found Law was looking straight at her. But based on his eyes and expression she knew his focus wasn't there. He was definitely in his own world right now.
"So your family still at East Blue?" Shachi asked.
"No. They'd long gone since I was very young. I was taken care by my grandma, that was until I- she passed away and I was sen- travelling around. Someone helped me and brought me to Foosha Village and I lived with a gang of mountain bandits there."
"You lived with mountain bandits??!!" Penguin gasped. His loudness has brought back their captain's mind to the present.
"It was not really that bad. They were friendly and really care about me. After all, I made friends with few boys around my age over there. We'd the best childhood moments ever!" She beamed.
"So, you're more ruffian than what we'd thought. That explain how you were able to survive in this Grand Line despite having no bounty on you. Have you done any crime or offense yet?" Law asked. He'd just finished eating and done with his meal. He'd put his hat away throughout the dinner time, and for the few times Mirra had been watching him - just out of security - she had to admit that he got a good look. If she looks pass the fact that the guy is so skinny and so... fashionable with his choice of clothes...
Spotted head and spotted jeans? Yeah, your choice.
"Impossible captain. She is too pretty and too cute to be a criminal!"
"She was the one who got attacked when we met her. If anything, she's more a victim than a bad person!" complained the other.
"And look at those bright innocent green orbs! They're dazzling under the sunlight, sparkling under the twinkling stars, shining under -"
"Enough with the nonsense," Law's order shut them all up.
Mirra chuckled, "you guys don't have to back me up just because you like my cooking. And that trick won't work as I won't get up to cook more for you guys." Their sighs made her giggled more.
Facing Law again, she crossed her arms and leaned to her chair. "We reached an agreement where I cook as long as you let me ride this sub. I don't have an obligation to tell you my history".
"Wary of something, Mirra-ya?"
"I believe I'm just being self-conscious with my current situation. Getting a stranger sniffing into my history might cost my life in the future, don't you agree, Captain Trafalgar?" She smirked, leaning forward and put her chin on the back of her hand while the elbow rested on the table.
"And how can I be assured your past history won't be putting my crew in troubles?"
"Still, you pirates are used to troubles. What will be the difference of having another one?"
"So you're admitting you bringing one?"
"Your words, not mine", she acted calm. Way too calm that no one could tell whether she was being serious or not.
The others watched the scene laid in front of them, like a movie that played on their Friday nights. And instead of having popcorns like usual they have pastas. Delicious pastas.
They won't complain.
Mirra eventually back off as she remembered she had to gain their trust somehow.
"All I can say is I did a bit of bad things, like stealing and threatening some people for money. And I've done them discreetly and secretly, so the marines couldn't catch me".
She assured the crew. Law hummed nodding his head. His eyes looked passed her injured shoulder then back to her eyes.
"If you don't have a bounty on your head then that's a less thing that will trouble my crew. But if the marines spot you, they can put a bounty on you, assuming you're part of the Heart Pirates. And there's no turning back once you've a bounty."
"Oh, don't worry about it. I'll be fine", she assured him.
Law calculatingly looked at her face. At last he relented.
"Suit yourself."
- - -
Days after the incident of getting attack by pirates last time, the Heart Pirates arrived at an island.
It was a small island, with a population of no more than 100 people. The island was made up of two major town, called Asa (in the East) and Midori (in the West of the island). Together they are called Asa Midori Island, though none of the Hearts knew why it was called that.
Since it was Summer on the island, the thought of going out and exploring suddenly vanished - for Mirra - because if anything, the scorching sun and the unbelievable heat was killing her. She was melting like a popsicle.
And the same thing happened to the polar bear, because, naturally, being a tundra island's animal Bepo is sweating furiously under his fur, that the joke made by Shachi asking him to remove it like the crew removed and tied their upper boiler suit around their waists resulted in the bear pulling out his hidden claws, ready to strike him in the neck.
Shachi immediately seek refugee behind his captain.
And five minutes later, the sub was left with none other than the red-haired freeloader (not really one if she exchanged her stay with cooking service, right?), the fluffy polar bear and the Surgeon of Death (who refused to leave the sub and Bepo alone incase she tried to skin his favourite polar bear alive).
"It's hot~" Bepo's tongue sticking out, complaining. He's practically dying. And so does the ice-user.
"Awww Bepo, are you alright? Don't worry I asked Shachi and Penguin to get us some ice cream to cool down a bit," Mirra fanned her face with her hand. She was wearing a light cream wide-shoulder loose crop top that skimmed over her tummy with high-waisted shorts. Slippers are well welcomed for this hot season. (No one knew where she got the clothes. Probably in the backpack that she carried around when they found her...)
Both Bepo and the female laying on the deck to feel the breeze of the ocean and cool their body.
Suddenly, the door connected to the upper room opened and stepped out of it was Law. He gently closed the door back, nodachi stayed loyal by his side as he walked to them. He was still wearing his favorite yellow hoodie, only this time the hoodie was a bit thinner and in a short sleeve form, to compensate against the heat.
His jolly roger proudly decorated the front part, as usual.
He looked down and mockingly teased them. "You guys are looking dead".
Mirra lazily gazed up, before looking at her palm. "Don't worry about that" she mumbled. "We're still far from being medium rare."
Law snorted.
Grumbling for the umpteenth time, Mirra shifted her position to sitting crossed leg.
"Bepo come over here a bit. I'm gonna cool us down." She decided she's gonna use her power no matter what, though it will significantly send her draining later.
As she turned her palms facing upward white energy with white thin blizzard swirled around them. She focused to release more of them, making the cold breeze circulated and swirled around both of them, dropping the temperature between their perimeter to a comfortable one.
"Mirra-san! That's very cool. And it's cooling," Bepo scooted even closer, closing his eyes to enjoy the cool sensation. He looked very relief with the change, making Mirra squealed lightly muttering 'cuteness overloaded' in her mind.
When Law saw this, it raised interest in him.
"If you can do this, why don't you do it earlier?"
"Because the fire and heat are my top weakness. If I tried to use my power during these situations I won't last long and my energy will be quickly drained to nothing."
"And why is that so?"
"Because the hot neutralized my power and I have to constantly called it out forth so that's why."
Law stared in silent. He understood the explanation. But why she nonchalantly told him these? Did the heat fired her brain too much that she didn't realize she has revealed an important information regarding herself that he could exploit to his advantage? Or was she just warming up to them?
But one thing for sure, he was thankful for the coolness, because it was comforting enough.
The three of them found comfort in the silence, letting the cool air basking against their skins (and fur).
- - -
Law was getting anxious.
It was already past the afternoon yet his crew still haven't come back since last night. Yesterday, after the crew got the supplies and food needed, they straight went to the local bar for a dinner and some drinking session. Bepo declined for still feeling hot, and Mirra was already passed out on her bed. She wasn't kidding when she said heat consumed her power a lot. And again, not wanting to leave her alone with Bepo he decided to stay too.
But till now his crew hasn't returned.
Law believed that even though the idiots drank too much last night and way too drunk on the next morning they should be back to the submarine by now. By afternoon.
"Captain, do you think something happened to them?" Bepo's question broke the silence.
"Maybe they got caught by the marines here? If they were too drunk and couldn't get their mind straight, then..." Mirra's casual thought caused Law to shoot daggers to her.
She immediately made the 'zipping her lips' motion to show her devotion to stay silent.
Scary...
It was then that Law decided he had enough of waiting. He looked pointedly at the other two, earning a displeasure grunt from the female for needing to follow him searching for the crew under the scorching sun.
- - -
All the questioning and asking - and threatening, obviously Law couldn't be gentler in gathering information causing almost all the people he'd asked become useless like a noodle - led the three to an abandon mansion, deep inside the forest at the south of the island. When Law questioned the reason for his crew to be there, the villagers stuttered and tried their very best to advert his gaze, coming up with excuses like 'pirates are wanderer', 'they're not paid to keep an eye on them', 'their babies are crying at home so they need to leave now',and many more.
And to Mirra, the best excuse was 'my wife will kill me if I'm late with the groceries',and then he bolted away without a second glance. Funnily, when the man said that, the only thing he carried was a bottle of rum in his hand, no potatoes nor onions nor bag of fishes for him to bring back home. So it struck her some questions at his behaviour.
Something was totally off...
"They wanted to explore the mansion", Law mumbled in disbelieve, repeating what he'd heard minutes ago, still glaring at the mansion in front them all.
Never mind I can just leave them here and run... after I carry out my mission, she thought to herself as she looked at her blade and daggers strapped around her waist. For this searching purpose, Law had returned her weapons for a while, saying that 'I don't have time to watch after you just in case', so she gotta do it herself. She lifted an eyebrow as a sign of mockery when he turned his back to her and walked away with the weapons in hands.
Pushing the heavy gate open, the 'creaaaakkkk' sound added a scary effect to the already spooky environment thanks to the setting sun and ghostly whispers in the air. They walked through the yard where dead leaves scattered around and wild grasses in dull grey stretched along the path, reeking the loss of will to live and grow altogether. One lonesome oak tree stood by the house, swaying to the left and right following the rhythm of the wind.
Dark purple-bluish with tinge of orange engulfed the surrounding as the setting sun totally being covered by the tall trees, limiting the amount of light reached to the mansion and making the hot and sticky air changed into cold and numb. The sudden drop in the temperature didn't bother Mirra much, but the creepiness created constant goosebumps, especially when Bepo was sticking closely to her chanting 'I'm scared' over and over again.
"Bepo, I believe your source of reassurance is with Captain Trafalgar" she sighed when the polar bear suddenly jumped and dug his paws on her shoulder, scared over the howling sound. It elicited a low growl from her lips because the pain on her injured shoulder resurfaced but she didn't mention it to the poor boy.
How did he managed to be so comfortable with me? We just met...
Mirra glared up. The mouldy, rotting, dirtied white mansion stood in front of them, warning them to stay away before the death came and greeted them. But the feelings being ignored, as the brave souls climbed the broken wooden stairs - each step creaking noises - carefully to avoid being swallowed by the old structure. Law reached over the brass-door handle, turning it over and opened the door silently, while holding his kikoku tightly with his left hand.
The musty smell of a mansion that'd been long abandoned filled their nose. It was very dim and uninviting inside. Something with messy hair, jagged teeth and missing one eye while the other dripping out of the socket could be crawling its way right now.
"You can stay behind if you want to. My crew has nothing do with you", Law look slightly to the said female. But the soon he finished saying that, another howl of the air could be heard, and the rustling of the branches and trees caused the atmosphere to be creepier than it was currently.
"No thank you. I feel safer with you two here than staying outside there," Mirra was being honest.
Law glanced over, before facing in front again and started to walk in. From the front door, they could see a long hallway stretched to the very end - to God knows to where -, a stair on their right that led to the floor above and a door to a room on their left, few steps away from the entrance.
They headed straight first. Dusts and cobwebs littered around the pictures hanged along the hallway. Some of the pictures were broken and out of the hinges, while some were just either turned over or upside down.
Mirra squatted down and ran a finger over the dusted floor. With the thickness of the dust on her fingers, with little to nothing of shoes' marks that could sign anyone ever being here - except of theirs -, she deduced that the crew never pass this hallway.
She then jogged a bit further and turned to a corner, exiting the hallway as she came upon a huge dining room. A big chandelier that used to be hung on the ceiling has dropped on the black wooden table and pieces of glasses were scattered around, on the floor and the table. Broken legs of chairs were spotted, messily toppling around the area. Mouldy plates with leftover food and bones were left uncleaned on the table, and empty bottles of alcohols littered around, causing unpleasant smell.
Law then followed suit, and then Bepo. The three looked around briefly, when suddenly a movement at one of the corners near the cabinet used to display antique plates and cups alerted all of them. Law readied himself by holding his kikoku's hilt, yet to unsheathe the sword but was ready for anything, Bepo was in his fighting stance while Mirra had her hand on her sword latched to her weapon's belt around her hip.
Waiting in nervous and pounding heart they were soon set to relieve when a big brown fat rat popped out, looking at the intruders and climbed around the cabinet before disappeared into the hole in the wall.
They relaxed a bit.
But then scratch of a tree branch scrapping at the window nearby made the red-haired squeaked and unintentionally, leaped to Law, hugging him tightly on his left side with her legs wrapping his torso. Also, unintentionally, she pressed Law's left face against her breast when another scrapping sound was heard, turning around frantically searching for it.
"What was that?" She hugged him even more when the wind howled through a broken window gap and papers scattered around due to the fierce wind. Law lost his balance while trying to breathe, causing him to step back before hitting the edge of the dining table. The shock caused a bottle of alcohol to drop and the drink spilled onto the floor.
"Mirra-ya, l-let me go!"
"Ack! Captain Trafalgar! I'm sorry I didn't mean to!" She released him and Bepo rushed to their side, checking on his captain's condition. Law's gaze fell on her as if he wanted to say something but brushed it off when he saw her crimson face. He remembered where his face was planted at when he got hugged, and just 'tsked' at it before assuring Bepo he was fine.
Mirra looked away trying to calm herself but then she noticed the dripping alcohol on the floor. Pondered in question, she picked up the bottle and sniffed it before glancing at the table again, analysing the condition of the leftovers.
The sour smell of the alcohol - yet still drinkable - and only a small portion of the food's surface covered by mold with little ants and cockroaches feasting on it making her realized, it hadn't been too long since the food was here. Besides, the alcohol hasn't fully dried up and upon further inspection, the room's floor doesn't look too dusty.
There were still no footprints, though there were some fresh slash marks on the walls that Mirra didn't think she wanted to know the cause of it, but she believed it hadn't been too long.
"Mirra-san, we are leaving", Bepo's voice from the hallway has brought her back to reality.
She took another glance around the room again before started to leave but stopped halfway when she felt something curling at her ankles. When she took a look immediately nothing was there. Maybe it was her imagination. Or some bugs crawling around.
She swiftly brushed off her legs, trying to throw away any bugs that probably trying to crawl over.
Wearing shorts was not a good idea.
She rushed over to them, only to not notice a small vine peeked out from the hole on the floor of where she just stood, wiggling around.
- - -
All the exploration on the first floor led them to nothing, other than broken furniture, ripped curtains, old portraits and paintings - that most likely drawn by popular artists that could price at a hefty amount, - peeling wallpaper and gasps in the floorboards.
Nothing of their interest or clues that could lead them to the crew.
"Hey, Captain Trafalgar, I don't know if you notice this or not, but I don't think your crew is in this floor." She walked to his side, looking straight to his cold grey eyes.
"What did you found?" he questioned back. Probably trying to mix and match his findings with the female's.
"First, there's no other footprints than ours from the entrance to any of these rooms and the hallway. Second, if a crew of 16 people entered the mansion, drunken or not, they'll be spook by the sounds around and will create a noticeable mess, but there's none other than the ones that we can clarify as already happened since long time ago. And even though there are few fresh slash marks on the walls like those in the dining room and the living room, though I couldn't find its relationship with your crew, those marks have been there longer than a week. So I think they might have went to other floors to check around."
"But here is another thing," she folded her arms, pressing her breasts in the action staring straight to his eyes. "There're signs of people living here. Judging from the yet-to-dry alcohol and the condition of the leftovers food with the mold, and the few new candlesticks that I found on the coffee table, someone could be here."
"What's with the candle Mirra-san? How did you know someone's here from the candles?" The polar bear started to feel itchy due to the dust and dirt sticking to his fur. He has been scratching over places out of control.
"The candlesticks are still new. When I found them, they're still inside the packet, stay still on the table. But not much of dust covered the top of the box yet the whole table is too dusty. And when I lifted up the candle's box -", she suddenly turned, body tensed while eyes spying around.
"What's wrong?" Law too stopped walking, narrowing his eyes.
Mirra stood still, still staring around. Her brain suddenly turned into a 'flight or fight' mode but she couldn't pinpoint why.
She eventually turned and faced Law again when she sees nothing out of ordinary.
"When I lifted the box of the candlesticks there are dust underneath. Do you get it? It was as if someone had put it on top of the dusty table and let the new dust collected on top of it."
"And what's with the sudden turn?"
"I thought I heard something snaking around. Maybe my feeling. "
"So where should we go now, captain?" Bepo asked. Still scratching.
"Let's go upstairs."
"Maybe this mansion has a basement. Why not starting from this floor and around the house at the outside for the entrance? Think we can find one?" She asked.
Law thought about it for a while.
"It will be no surprise for this big mansion to have one. And it'll be a good place to do something secretly and leave other floors look unsuspicious." He looked back again at the two, and then turned to look at the entrance door. He was considering to take her advice.
But before they could go any further the floor on where Mirra had stepped caved in, and she fell with a shriek before she hit her head against something. Eyes blurring she heard Bepo calling her name, but then Law suddenly shouted something like 'get away' and 'what the hell is this?', followed with their struggling noise against something, before it being hushed and replaced with dragging sound.
Their muffled voice was the last thing she heard before she passed out.
- - -
It was no later than twenty-one hours, yet the island had turned to a complete silence with not a single person spotted to be anywhere other than their houses. Bars, shops and restaurants have long closed, curtains were pulled to fully covered the windows to block any view to the outside, children were safely tucked into their beds and adults stayed silently in their house, some smoking, some pretended to be calm by drinking their tea, some stood still in agitation while some chanting their prayers. Occasional howls from the wolves residing the forest were the only thing that broke the silence. Other than that, not even the crickets dared to make a sound.
"It's happening tonight", an old man as he glanced at the full moon that proudly making its appearance in the sky.
He turned to his wife, watching her biting her nails. Her face showed thousands of guilt. The same expression, the same reaction whenever it's happening.
"I feel bad... for them..." she muttered.
"Don't be. They're pirates", her husband replied.
"But they don't deserve this. They don't deserve to get caught between our village's problem".
"Someone need to be sacrifice, honey".
"But not them. Not any of the visitors or travellers. Not the marines. They're not supposed to die like this. They don't deserve this".
"Then who would you like to sacrifice? The villagers? Yourself?!!"
Upon being shouted at the wife stayed silent. She didn't have the answer to the question.
She couldn't leave the island. None of them could. They couldn't reach other island to ask for help. Any connection to other places has been cut, and threats has been told. Any suspicious action will result to their death.
So they stayed silent. Listening to the demands of those monsters in exchange for their safety.
There was nothing that they could do. Nothing at all other than surrendering to this fate.
"Sleep honey. Everything will be alright by tomorrow", the husband reassured the wife. And another howl of the wolves could be heard, and those with weaker hearts cried in silence, praying and thanking the unlucky souls for taking their places from being killed.
There'll be no tomorrow for the Hearts. But there'll be tomorrow for the villagers.
- - -
Mirra woke up with a strong burning searing pain on her upper back, in between her shoulder blade. She hissed painfully as her hand tried to reach that area, pressing it with her fingers to suppress the pain. Gritting her teeth, she curled her body, muttering few colourful words and took a few deep breathe to calm her racing heart.
Minutes later the pain finally dissipated. She exhaled relief breathe few times before sucking in big air.
But then another pain shot through her head and she cringed. She ran her hand to the painful area, and her fingers felt wet and sticky. As she pulled them she sniffed at the liquid on her fingers only to identify it as her blood.
Damn, I must have bled my head.
Mirra knew she had practically fell into one of the rooms existed in the basement. She couldn't figure out what kind of room was this, but looking at the gardening and carpentry tools stacked around, she assumed it had to be a storeroom.
The room was very small though and packed with sharp tools, making her to sigh in relief for not having any of those to stab her to death the moment she'd fell.
Looking at the hole above her head, maybe falling to the basement was not a bad idea. Because now she could go around and search for the missing crew. And probably Bepo and Law seeing how they didn't help her after the floor caved in.
Turning the knob open Mirra's head popped out as she looked at left and right, discreetly trying to see if any enemies were around. Believed to be no one there, she silently snuck out, walking quietly while her back pressed tight to the wall behind her.
It was the only choice after all. The hallway in the basement was too open with no furniture or anything that she could use to hide behind in case someone approaching.
And when she reached the nearest door, she pressed her ear against it, trying to catch any sound that indicate living souls to be inside. She heard some rustling sound or any unidentified sound so she decided to pick on it. Pulling out her hair clip, she was about to pick the lock but suddenly she heard the sound of creaking door above her. There was a staircase next to her and footsteps climbed down.
Immediately Mirra hided her figure in the space under the stair. She crouched her body down, peeking in between crates as she watched a woman, draped in a heavy brown cloak opened the door that she was about to pick. The moment the woman opened wide the door a strong foul scent invaded her nose, almost make her gagged.
She disappeared behind the door but left it slightly open.
The foul smell came out from the gap, making Mirra covered her nose with her arm trying to diss the smell away.
Oh Lord, I started to regret picking this sub to hitch a ride, Mirra muttered to herself as she leaned against the crates.
What should I do now? Who's she? Is there anyone else in the room?
She took a peek from behind the crates. She could hear low murmurs coming out from the gap. It wasn't clear regarding the topic of the conversation but she was pretty sure there were at least two people inside.
Mirra's eyes darted to another room next to it. The door was closed. And probably locked too. If she wants to pick it open she had to walk passed through that smelly room. But there's a risk of being found out. She had to plan we-
A loud scream came from the room.
It shocked Mirra immediately and she almost spring in action to help whoever there but then another loud angry shout halted her intention, that came from that smelly room. She could hear clearly, something like "let them go!" or "I'll kill you" along the line.
She also heard some sinister laugh mocking at the shouts earlier, and then the sound of something being cut or sliced, or butchered, or something like that before it became silent again and the woman with the brown cloak came out from the room.
With a sinister smirk she gave a final look, giggling at the person inside.
"Don't worry dear, your turn will be next after them."
She closed the door, walking in to the next room with a butchered arm in her hand that sent Mirra pale.
Frozen in her place, Mirra trembled on the spot. Not because of the butchered limb, or the dripping blood on the floor but because she was holding her feet back from lurching forward and break her hide. Only when she was sure the woman was gone and inside the room that she immediately leaved her hiding spot, headed to the first room and cut the wooden door diagonally with her sword.
She rushed in immediately. She forced her sleeve against her nose because the stench was way worse than what she'd thought. She felt like the stench of dry and wet blood mixed together with rotten meat, and it just bazooka-ed to her face the moment she stepped in.
But she pretended like she didn't care. Her inner soul might be screaming telling her to retreat, but her legs refused to do so.
And Mirra was proven right, as she walked pass through littered skeletons and bones on the floor, and rotten bodies that some were shackled to the wall and also some were laid on metal trolleys half dissected, half butchered and half cut letting the inside out and swarmed by flies. Mirra gulped in disgust.
She covered her nose with her arm - a futile act - and walked past through all the littered skeletons and bones on the floor. There are cages, lots of them with wild animals inside, mostly reptiles giving their stinky eyes to an intruder that they have never seen before. There are also rotten bodies - missing few body parts - shackled to the wall, few butchered crocodiles and snakes that have been dissected through their middle bodies and left opened for flies to swarm in, and she definitely didn't miss another wooden table on her left side with a body just being butchered at his elbow - probably the doing of the madwoman just now - judging from the still dripping blood.
She... had no words about it.
A sound of clacking metal on her right made her stop abruptly. She turned, weapon readied by her side but when she recognized the person chained by it she was quick to be next to him.
Both hands shackled and chained to the wall Law looked battered. Few bruises spotted on his face, enough to draw some blood.
"Shit, you're in mess!" Mirra screamed-whispered. She placed both of her palms on his cheeks, bringing his face upward so she could see him.
"Hurry get me out of this," Law strained his wrist against the shackles and chains that locked him to the wall.
...
"Wow, that's how you ask help from people? Seriously does it hurt your ego to ask nicely?"
"This is not the time for this Mirra-ya. My crew needs me and this place smells reek!" Law shouted but halted abruptly when a cough caught in his throat.
"I have you know that you better thank me after this."
She said, as she leaned forward grabbing his hat and inhaled his scent deeply. She thanks him for the momentary fresh air a.k.a his hair's scent as she put it back on his head, sloppily, and Law accepted the thanks in his signature cold gaze.
Mirra reached over to the shackle at his wrists, a bobby pin pinched in between her index finger and thumb but slumped over Law's body the exact moment she touched it. Her energy was drained out.
"What the heck! You could've at least warned me it is a sea prism stone!" Mirra grabbed his collar and shouted on his face. "How am I going to release you now?"
"Cut them. You got a blade."
"I can't cut sea prism stone! They're as hard as a diamond! Don't you know where's the key? I can go get it - "
Law suddenly bumped her forehead with his.
"No, you're not leaving me in this room. Whatever you do, just get me out of here!"
"Then you should've asked my help nicely, jerk! Get out of my face!" Mirra pushed him away by the shoulder as she massaged her forehead.
Mirra grumbled, crouched down to her knee to collect back the dropped bobby pin that she gonna use to pick the shackle. She leaned her body again against his, while she stretched her hands up to the shackle and at the same time avoided touching it.
However due to the difference in height Mirra had to tip toe, and even that still made her struggled so she resolved to lean even closer to him, pressing her body against his. She ignored the heat that travelled from his body to her. In her mind, she just wanted to get him out of there immediately so she could leave.
But in the middle of her action Law took the opportunity to put his chin on her shoulder, covering his nose against her cloth. It was obvious enough the man was breathing through her cloth, probably did so to not smell the stench but in Mirra's defence, she was struggling to not kick him in the face because she remembered a certain scene that she hated much.
After a while Mirra successfully unshackled him. She lifted him up by wrapping his arm around her shoulder, and dragged him away. But half way through the room Law's power returned and he picked her up immediately, running with a bigger step to reach outside. Mirra bounced in his hold the moment he abruptly stops, holding tight to his hoodie as to not fall.
"Where?!!" Law screamed as he frantically looked around.
"Next to yo-" Before she could finish saying Law already ran to the said room.
"Wait Trafalgar I don't want to get inside!"
Too late. Law kicked open the door causing it to break at the hinge.
Mirra immediately get down from his hold and hided before the door, kneeling as she quietly peeked inside. What was behold upon their eyes were not amusing at all. Even Mirra herself went wide-eyed.
She gazed up, looking at Law's expression. And for the first time, she felt like he was totally a different man. He now was living up to his name.
Trafalgar Law, Surgeon of Death...
- - -
Law eyed the room that he just entered.
It was totally different from the rest. Big, spacious and bright, and even the air was way fresher than the musty basement, for whatever reason it was. From his judgement, the room looked like it used to be a wine cellar. Stained dark brown wine racks sturdily planted around three sides of the room, along with rows of two-sided racks in the middle, forming two bays. A handful amount of wine bottles nicely arranged on the rack, and other than that, were multiple number of average-sized jars with various questioning content inside.
Another look and they seemed to be storing humans and animals' internal parts, or organs, like heart, liver and even intestines submersed into formaldehyde. And one huge jar contained eyes in various shades of hues that looked pretty shone by the bright light, if not for the fact that they are moving and blinking.
"Captain!!"
Law looked up to the voice.
The room was oddly overgrown with massive and blocked-size vines. The floor was uneven, vines intertwined and lapping on each other. And in the middle of the room, three big vines swirled and intertwined together from the broken wine rack almost reaching the ceiling, and the tip split into smaller vines to different directions. The crew, tightly wrapped in cocoon-shape, left hanging upside down and floating in the air by the smaller vines.
Not further from the three big vines stood two females, circling a cauldron that was boiling with gooey green liquid. The woman in brown cloak earlier was throwing the dismembered arm into the cauldron, causing flames shot high up and made the sticky goo bubbling, at the same time she turned facing Law who just arrived.
"Captain is fine!"
"Captain, we're sorry for being caught but please help us!"
"Captain, be careful of them. They have devil fruit powers!", the crew shouted.
"'ow you get out for t'ere?" The woman with brown cloak locked gaze with Law. She was as tall as Law, with sanguine eyes in hazel colour that glinted with slyness of a snake, attractive dainty nose and long dark bottle green waves cascaded down her back. The brown cloak that she wore covered almost her whole body, but it could be seen she was wearing a full-length dress with flat dark shoes.
There was other one, standing next to her stirring whatever inside the cauldron. She had the same sanguine eyes, but they were dimmed in baby blue colour, and her hair was short, in bob style in blonde. She wore a knee-length summer dress with sandals and almost the same height as Mirra.
The blonde rolled her eyes, eyeing the taller woman. "You let him free, obviously", she snorted.
"We locked 'im with sea stone. There's no way 'e can escape," the greenette snarled.
"Whatever." She shrugged.
Law spotted his sword floating in the air held by the vines, not far from the two women and that big cauldron. He call forth his 'room', and transported his sword to his hand when suddenly multiple vines shot at him, out of nowhere. Law quickly unsheathed his sword and cut them into half before jumping away as another batch of vines shot through.
"Sis, why don't you handle him? Let me get my job done here", the blonde glared up, frowning. The grenette replied with a scoff. She watched her sister walked away from the cauldron, lifting her fingers and directing small vine to get a jar from the rack and passed it to her. Opening the lid she put her hand inside and grabbed few pieces of dried lizard and dropped it into the cauldron, and directed the vine to tuck it back to the rack.
She smiled, wickedly when ominous smell rose.
Through Law's peripheral vision he could see the woman lowered down three vines, that currently held three of his crewmates as hostage to her level. She continued smiling, circling the tree and eyeing them up and down, undressing them with her eyes.
"What the fuck woman. Stay away from me", Shachi screamed when her long nail poked his side.
The blonde ignored, looking over her shoulder to her sister to ask for opinion.
"You think this one is fine?"
"He'll make do", the greenette replied, unbothered.
"Oi. What are you doing to my crew?"
Law watched in horror, immediately rushed forward when he saw the blondie took out a long knife. Her hand started to wander to Shachi's boiler suite's zip.
Law was stopped half way as the greenette appeared in front of him. He took a step back, forming his stance while scoffing.
At the same time the vine that wrapped around Penguin unwrapped, holding him by the wrists and ankles and pulled him open wider like a starfish.
Gritting his teeth from the sudden pain Penguin eyes widened when a thin-like-needle vine greeted his eyes. He struggled to break free, but the hold tightened and pulled him even more. The needle-like-vine stabbed in, specifically at his radial arteries and carotid arteries.
"Penguin!" Law, again was pushed back by the vines. Damn it! They're in the way!
"What is my prey doing 'ere? You should be chained to the wall rig't now. 'ow do you escape?" The grenette stepped down from the floating vine that hold her up. She glared down at Law, frowning.
"Prey?" Law quirked his eyebrows.
"Answer my question", she hissed.
"I have no obligation to answer any of your question!"
"Tch. Men always make t'ings complicated. Every single one of you!"
"No sane person will stay after witnessing that room."
"Yet you're still 'ere," she snickered and pulled out her hand from underneath of her cloak. A vial, with a green-yellowish liquid swirled inside tucked in between her index and middle finger. Her smirk widened when she noticed Law's eyes noticed it.
Law glared back up to her face, dissing at her. "I'm here to get my crew back."
"O' really? I wonder about t'at." She drawled on her slur, popping open the vile and poured the liquid into her mouth. "I wonder 'ow fast you can be, Trafalgar Law."
She finished it by licking her lips delicately and threw the empty vial onto the ground. When she looked back up, her eyes glowered, and her wick smile widened tremendously with eerie giggle. She took few steps, circling Law.
"You know what we did to the men we caug't?"
Law ensured their distance was well kept.
"We ate t'em. They're our source of strengt', energy, and most importantly, beauty and yout'"
Law got enraged. Any seconds he wasted will cost his crew's life. And the greenette was toying with him.
The greenette sighed, touching her face and patting at her supple skin. Her eyes glowered more, and she smiled sweetly. "And every man, was just a good feast for us."
Suddenly she disappeared.
Perplexed, Law suddenly was sent flying when something just hit him at the stomach. He coughed, holding his stomach as his gaze back to the center but another kick was sent to his face.
Crouching, he could see the hem of her dress swaying in front of him, as she had appeared back in front of him.
"W'y don't you say again w'at were you saying earlier?" She mocked, with her smile never fade.
Law bite his lip, realizing the perilous situation he was currently in. It became worse when he heard Shachi's scream. When he turned he saw Penguin's face paling as the needle-vine sucked out his blood, while Shachi was held still with the blonde tapping the tip of her sharp knife to Shachi's bare torso, mumbling 'where to start cutting' repetitively.
"Penguin!!" Law shouted desperately.
No matter how hard he tried he can't make his way to his crew. Even when he teleported himself the vines around him will shot out immediately aimed to stab or catch him, like they had their own minds. And not only that, he was also targeted by the greenette that had the ability to turn anything she touched into a stone, including her own saliva. She had been trying to grab him multiple times, and whenever she failed she will spit. If Law hadn't avoided them the parts of where the saliva touched him will turn into stone.
And her speed was not something to underestimate either.
"I think I start here," Law was brought back to the other side when he heard the blonde chimed. She had pressed the tip to Shachi's skin, drawing a small amount of blood, and Law's eyes widened as he was very, very scared that Shachi will be cut open.
But then suddenly...
"It hurts to know you didn't see woman as a source of your strength and beauty, but I'm glad I didn't have to become your prey," someone whispered next to the blonde's ear, shocking her. Couldn't makein time to turn and see the blonde was send flying away, crashing herself against the bark of the intertwined vines.
Shachi exhaled in relief when he saw a familiar figure in front of him, her red-haired dancing along with the breeze the follow her.
Mirra turned, swiftly slashing at the vines that tied Sachi sending him plopping to the ground. With her other hand she pulled out the needle-vines that attached to Penguin.
"M-mirra-chan... Thank you..." Penguin breathed heavily stuttering. He covered his neck to stop the bleeding.
Mirra nodded calmly, eyes gazing around the room before settled to him again. She was quite taken aback.
"Your neck... Was she sucking your blood?"
"I-I think so," Penguin staggered.
"Ummm... a little help, please?" Shachi sounded next to them. He was still wiggling trying to free his tied legs.
Mirra wanted to help Shachi when she suddenly sensed danger. Immediately she grabbed the boys by the back collar and jumped away, barely made it before multiple vines cascaded from the air like raining bullets.
The force created hole on the floor, which lethally dangerous and could have killed them had they not evade them.
"Who the fuck are you?" shouted the blondie.
"If you want to know me you have to introduce yourself first."
"Why are you free? We caught everyone!!"
"It's not everyone now if I'm standing here, right?" Mirra pointed the obvious.
"You're so gonna pay for this, bitch! I'm gonna kill you for ruining everything!" she charged in.
"Wow wow. Calm down, okay? I just happened to stumble upon this mansion with that captain and a polar bear. I'll be on my way soon if you let me."
Mirra's plea however was ignored. The vines started to chase her.
Mirra slide sideways, flipped backwards and jumped around to avoid every single one of them. Her left hand still strongly latched onto her blade that still rest in the scabbard. She was yet to take it out as she assessing the situation.
"Saving this crew doesn't include in our agreement", she mumbled to herself, at the same time she created a blizzard-wolf that leaped towards the blondie as a decoy.
Mirra ran across the floor to where the three intertwined vines, where the rest of the crew were left hanging. She pulled out her blade and swiftly cut every each of the vines that hung them. Every one of them fall to the ground with thuds. She at the same time blocked the incoming attack from behind and cut those vines into multiple blocks.
The Hearts, despite being protected, it didn't bode well to a certain captain. He almost got a heart attack watching every time the fatal blow almost reaches them. Law was almost sure that Mirra will not risk her life for his crew, so this could be a temporary. When the blondie overpowered her, she will leave his crew defenseless so he needs to start working out something on taking out the enemies.
"Free the others and take away Penguin!" Law heard she shouted, muffled by the sound of slashing and wind blowing as she slashed and released blizzard through her palm. Mirra turned 360, blade sheathed back and twirled her body with her hands stretched outwards, creating a hug blizzard that surrounded her and the Hearts from outside.
Any vines that tried to get in where froze on the spot. A great technique, but it won't last long because more were coming to attack.
Mirra ran out from within the blizzard, distracting the vines. However, she tripped on one of them on that jutting out from the floor and face planted to the vined-ground in the most indignant way.
"Shit!" she cursed embarrassingly, lifting herself back up and started running away before the vines catching up to her.
"Captain Trafalgar! You need to do something about your crew. I can't defence them all!"Mirra shouted calling for his attention. The securing blizzard surrounding the crew dispersed and diminished throughly.
Gritting his teeth, Law crouched down at the last minute to avoid the greenette's prickling stones that hurling at her.
"Room," he suddenly called forth his power, engulfing a large area consisted of everyone.
"Shambles," in a blink he shifted place with the red-haired, causing her wide-eyed and surprised at the sudden coming attack from the greenette at her way.
"Don't let her grab you Mirra-ya! She'll change you to a stone!"
That asshat- Mirra pulled out her blade swiftly and blocked the incoming hand from touching her, deflecting it away and cut down across her chest but failed as she had stoned her own body. An unforeseen vine hit her from a blind spot, sending her crashing to a wall.
"Mirra-chan!!!" Some of the crew wailed as Law took a peek behind his shoulder looking at her.
"This is not part of our agreement", Mirra coughed out a fit of air, sliding down from the wall.
Law turned back to his crew, eyes serious and glowered in danger.
"You guys leave this mansion now. I will handle this."
The crew turned to him back sweating in worry.
"But captain, we can't let you fight alone. We're your crew, right? We'll help you."
Law scoffed. He only needs one quick glance to tell that they couldn't fight at the moment. And he's not going to risk his crew's life no matter what.
"Not in this state". Law gave a 'this-is-an-order' look, and his crew reluctantly obeyed.
He was about to say more when Mirra slide in next to him while cutting the chasing vines.
"Give me a break," she muttered to herself as she gave the final slash. Mirra turned to Law and his crew as she shouted.
"We have to go now!"
"Mirra-chan..." Penguin talked.
"Bepo isn't here. What could have happened to him? And you guys are only a dead weight so get out of here before you become carcasses." Harsh, but she was speaking the truth.
Penguin fell into a dead silence and Shachi pursed his lips into a thin line, dissatisfied at their hopeless state.
"Take them out of here,Mirra-ya. You guys need to look for Bepo first before going back to the sub."
"That's my plan originally. I'm not staying -"
"Mirra-chan.."
Mirra stopped, turned to Shachi whom had called her. She raised an eyebrow in questioning manner, and she was surprised as Shachi suddenly on his knees, bowed to her without second thought.
"What? -"
"Mirra-chan, please help captain. Captain can't do this alone against the two."
"Huh?"Mirra went perplexed. She couldn't catch the drift. Especially when Penguin was about to copy his best friend's action too, but he stopped midway because of his wound and the sudden shot of pain.
"Mi-mirra-chan... We know you are just... a stranger, and just hop onto the sub for temporary. But please, if you could, lend captain..your st-strength.. Just this t-time..." Penguin was begging.
Contemplated, Mirra turned to Law. She seeked for an opinion behind his silent glare but the only answer she got was him telling her to made the choice. Obviously, Law wasn't expecting to witness this act of his crew. Whether they did so because of their worries or doubt on his strength he couldn't guess. Maybe it was both. But he can't deny, silently, that facing those two opponents alone will be hard.
Mirra casted her gaze to the crew again, eyes flickered in doubt as she eyeing each of their expressions. Helping Law won't benefit her in any ways.
"Are we making another agreement?" She wanted to know if there's anything she could gain from it.
At that question the crew momentarily paused, swallowing down their saliva. Mirra was a bit humoured by their constipated look, as they struggle to come out with something to seal the deal with. But at the end she relented.
"Fine. I'll join this fight." She sighed slightly.
She bent down a knee and pulled out two daggers that strapped at her hip and one from her combat boots. "Make use of this if you find it necessary." She sternly spoke, and dropped them on Shachi's and Penguin's palms.
"Get them out, captain Trafalgar. I'll do something to distract the enemies."
Mirra went back to face the blondie and the greenette. But before she could leave,
"Thank you,Mirra-chan." Shachi thanked her.
Mirra nodded her head as she created two blizzard-wolves that each ran to the enemies.
"Now hurry up and go find Bepo. Leave this mansion immediately," Law called his 'room', engulfing them all and immediately transported the crew to outside of the room.
Seeing this the blondie shouted. "No!! I'm not letting you guys go!" sending multiple number of vines to strike them.
Law once again transported himself and the red-haired to the door, as he slashed them down while Mirra freeze them.
"Don't get in the way!!" The blondie raged.
Mirra scoffed glaring up to the older man next to him.
"So... who do you want? The blondie or the greenette?"
"The greenette," Law replied.
To be continued
Thanx for reading
- redheaded997 -