Bepo breathed in the humid air of the forest and curled his nose up in disgust. The substance from the dart he found aboard the pirate ship was getting stronger the further in he trekked; the source was bound to be nearby, he assumed. A sense of hope rose in his chest. He honestly disliked this island. Something about it seemed beastly to him. No one was around, but it felt like eyes were on him, gauging him. His fur stood up in fear; he marched faster just to get this over and done with.

"Wait up. I was talking to you," Shachi moaned. He raced to catch up, choking on a sob as he walked next to the bear. "What did I do wrong? I don't understand."

Bepo sighed. Was he still going on about this? Humans and their fixed ideas; the eeriness of the forest seemed more pressing to him, though a distraction from his thoughts might be just what he needed.

"Have you tried talking to her? She might appreciate you taking responsibility for your actions."

The human woman Samira was the one Bepo was referring to. His crewmates had become enamored with her. She seemed nice – no hostel energy. He hadn't spoken to her yet, but his captain made it evident that she was trouble, so he tried to stay clear of her. Even so, her dynamism with the others made him a little eager to start a conversation with her.

"Is she really worth the trouble?"

Shachi grunted. "Of course, and I haven't done anything wrong; she just starting ignoring me. Ya know, you're not very good at giving advice."

"Sorry I can't be any help," Bepo apologized. He had no idea how humans worked. His fur ruffled in aggravation. "I can barely think with this smell up my nose, and not to mention this place is freaking me the hell out."

He groaned and frantically rubbed his nose.

"Captain did say it was mostly uncharted," Shachi mentioned, tone shifting. He crossed his arms over his chest, an icy chill made him shiver in fright.

Massive kapok trees hovered over him like giants; their trunks as wide as the mangroves back on the archipelago. Eerie noises echoed across their wide branches, that in his mind seemed to reach like hands down on him and his crew. Damn the bear for making his thoughts wonder.

"Yeah … me too. But once we find what the Captain is looking for, we can leave."

Bepo sighed; he knew that. He didn't however know what Law wanted with the crew of the abandoned pirate ship, but he assumed his reason had to do with Samira and the poisoned dart, or something he wasn't sure was safe for the crew to know yet. In any case, Bepo was along for the ride.

"I hope we find them soon," he mentioned with a gloomy whine. "It's extremely too hot."

Poor dear.

Samira frowned; Bepo was in obvious grief. If she was hot, she knew that he was bound to be. The boiler suit was keeping the insects out, but the heat was trapped inside the fabric. Her thighs were sweating, and she feared the material would eventually cause them to chafe.

She dared a glance at Law – he was in no better shape – then removed the heavy satchel from her back, rummaging through it until she found a bottle of water amongst the supplies; there were three more, all sweating and a little warm.

"Mester (mister) Trafalgar. Do you mind if I or someone else gives this to Bepo? He looks as though he needs it."

Law glanced at her in interest, then moved his gold eyes towards the bottle. A coy grin pulled at his lips. "How sweet of you, Amunet-ya. I'm sure he'll be pleased."

Her face warmed up. "I'd hope so. There's more if you want one too."

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm fine. Have one if you want." He motioned for Penguin to come near and ordered for him to take the bottle to Bepo – compliments of Samira.

She handed it over with a smile. Now that she was alone with Law – Ikkaku had to remain with the pirate ship – Samira had a question she had been wanting to ask.

"That power you have … how did you acquire it?"

Law grunted. "That's not a story appropriate for this time, nor is my past any of your business. But to humor you, it came from a Devil Fruit; a mysterious fruit that can grant immense power to the eater."

"Like a curse?"

He nodded to show agreement. "The sea hates you and will take your ability to swim. To some pirates that's a heavy burden."

"But is the power worth it? Does it bring more harm than good?"

Law gave her a heated look. He was curious about her motive – was she a devil fruit user? – but her questions were hitting home; bones he wanted to keep buried. She obviously knew nothing about what she was doing, but he still felt annoyance from her questions.

"It depends on the user," he admitted with a sigh. "My power can do more than move us from one spot to another; it has medical purposes that suits me just fine."

Samira widened her eyes in shock. It depended on the user, he claimed. She felt unsure, but her curse didn't seem terrifying when explained like this.

"I … think I may have powers like yours."

Law opened his mouth to respond, but Penguin ran back shouting his name.

"We have a problem. Bepo tracked the scent across the river, but it looks too deep to cross. It's hard to tell with all the mud though," he explained.

Samira glanced at Law for directive, but he merely nodded and sauntered towards Bepo and Shachi at the bank of the river; another time, she presumed. She felt like she was finally on to something.

"So Ikkaku is rubbing off on you, huh?"

She gave a curious look; Penguin gestured towards Shachi and mocked a pout, sobbing her name softly. Samira snorted in laughter.

"All me actually. He put me on laundry duty so he wouldn't have to do it."

Penguin laughed. "Nice. Ya got him pretty good too. I've never seen him so distraught."

He didn't blame her; Shachi was lazy. He did Penguin dirty a few times before. It was all in good fun; made it more entertaining to see Samira so into it – like she was one of them; a Heart Pirate. His smile faded. She wasn't though; she was just a guest.

"Better see about that problem," he mentioned awkwardly, walking off.

Samira gently smiled and trailed behind him to the river. She was in awe at it; the water was thick with mud and who knows what else; honestly, she couldn't tell.

"We're not swimming across this, are we?"

She felt as Bepo sounded; pessimistic. In no way did she want to do that.

"It's sea water, despite the color. It empties into many small drainage points across the area; the water and mud seem to fertilize the trees," Law guessed. This made the most sense to him. Swimming across it was not an option for him.

He groaned in annoyance and brought up his hand, forming a room. It was large enough to cross the river, but his endurance was taking a hit. Law picked up a rock and tossed it, then moved them once it landed on the other side.

Samira swayed back as a spell of dizziness affected her. She'd never been moved so quickly in her entire life; her stomach churned and she about fell over, but a sturdy hand caught her.

Bepo sat her back onto her feet and allowed Samira to lean on him a minute.

"Sorry, but I didn't want you to fall in."

She thanked him. "No reason to be sorry. You saved me from an unpleasant incident, Mester (mister) Bepo."

His face heated up in embarrassment. "Take it as gratitude for giving me the water."

Samira understood; not all of the crew trusted her. She was an enigma to them, offering no reason for them to trust her. It was better this way. Her business was her own. She nodded her head and moved to stand next to Law. He said nothing and pressed forward.

For the duration of the trek, Samira remained quiet. She followed Bepo through the forest, lost in her own thoughts. Her conversation with Law was forgotten for the moment, but his words had struck a chord in her heart. A sense of ease washed over her, but what concerned her was the weight of her awareness to the situation. How long had it been since she had felt this way? Months perhaps. And in the company of pirates no less. Samira huffed a sigh. The last few days was the safest she had felt in years.

"It's strange," she uttered.

Law overheard her, but said nothing in return. It wasn't his business; her personal thoughts. Furthermore, his navigator had stopped. Bepo ushered him over and pushed aside the vivid leaf of an elephant ear.

Beyond the undergrowth was a meadow of giant crocus flowers, swaying gently in the wind; blue and violet like the sea on a calm day. Law stared at awe; the Crocus Sea; he understood. And at the edge of the meadow was a small village.

"You did good, Bepo."

He led them from this point.

Samira cooed in awe at the beautiful flowers, picking one to place behind her ear. She was careful not to step on them as she moved to stand beside Law.

"This is what you were looking for?"

He grinned at her naïve and cheery behavior. "There are some species of crocus that are harmful to humans, Amunet-ya. Were you aware?"

"I've never seen one before … so no," she retorted in dread.

Her sudden expression made him snort. "Fortunate for you, the bulbs here are not poisonous."

"You really are wicked, Mester (mister) Trafalgar."

Samira pouted, blowing out her cheek and pressed on towards the village. The nerve of him; each and every chance he got Law picked on her. It was irritating.

She reached the edge of the village; a shoddy wooden gate stood open, but Samira was hesitant to walk through it. There were no sounds coming from within the square; no people from the looks of it. Was it also abandoned? She wasn't sure, so as she walked through the gate and into the village, she kept up her guard.

The buildings reminded her more of small huts made of wood and straw, some hardly standing. Weeds and creepers covered the entirety of the fenced off settlement, testing her theory that it was abandoned. She stood and waited for Law and the others to catch up.

"There's no one here," she pointed out, as Law sauntered up to meet her.

He took a look around and grunted. Samira seemed to be right; there were no signs of people. However, he felt the uncanny sense of eyes on them.

"Does the scent end here?"

Bepo nodded. "It's hard to tell, but the smell is all around us."

All around us?

Law noticed from the corner of his eye a large menacing silhouette on top of the hut furthest from them, but as he turned to get a better look, the silhouette vanished; the broken straw from the roof lifting into the air was the only reason he thought his mind wasn't losing it. He glanced around, but he couldn't get a lock on the person.

Suddenly he realized why.

"Get out of the open; it's a trap. He's able to camou––

He was too late. Shachi let out a scream of pain and grabbed his left side; a familiar dart was lodged in him. His body immediately hit the ground and convulsed furiously.

Samira called out to him and ran to his side. Her bright eyes widened in fear once she noticed the dart. What was he doing here?

"Move him inside," Law ordered, breaking her from her thoughts. "He's been poisoned."

Bepo and Penguin picked him up and took him inside one of the huts; Law and Samira followed. She watched as Law removed the dart and formed a room around them. The rest she was perplexed by. Law used the large sword Bepo had been carrying to cut him in half; her stomach churned in disgust.

How could he? She thought he was a doctor?

Tears poured down her face. It was her fault Shachi was dead. She grabbed her head and sobbed; her power sparked to life.

"Amunet-ya! Control yourself," Law hissed. He could hardly focus; her ability was chaotic.

She shook her head.

"He wants me; only me. I'm sorry … so sorry."

Warm hands took her own. She glanced up in shock; Bepo was pleading with her to stop. But why? Shachi was dead because of her.

"It's fine; Shachi is fine."

He wasn't though. She watched Law cut him in half. As she looked at him, though, she noticed that he was back in one piece; he was unconscious, but he was breathing.

Her power eased up, leaving her feeling exhausted. Penguin was in shock.

"Can someone explain to me what's going on? Who the hell is that guy out there?"

Law shot a glance at Samira. "Tell them Amunet-ya."

"It doesn't matter what I tell them," she uttered. "Arsenio won't let us leave. He's too fast, and his power is unlike anything you've ever seen; he's a monster."

Law stood up and walked over to them. His room was still activated, but this was mostly so he could determine where Arsenio was. He managed to avoid the room.

"He ate a Devil Fruit; a Zoan type I imagine."

The poison he used was secreted from his body, not amassed like Law originally thought. He came to this conclusion when he figured out that Arsenio could camouflage. His leap radius was beyond human standards too; a dart frog maybe.

"Clever of him to ambush us in a place like this," he mentioned with a grin. The vast forest and fauna covered huts made an excellent place for him to hide.

An instantaneous thump rocked their hut. Law kept his room up, but the control over it was unsteady.

"Can you hear me? I want to speak to the captain; Trafalgar Law. He is amongst the five of you in there, isn't he?"

He'd heard of him. Law grunted in annoyance. "I am. What can I do for you, Frog-ya?"

"Pleased to meet you. My name is Arsenio, ribbit, and yes … I am a frog man." His guttural voice chilled Samira to the bone. "As I am sure you know, the asset within your care is important to me; I need her back, so I am willing to give you the chance to return her to me, before I barge in and kill you and the crew you brought onto the island with you; that includes the pretty lady on the pirate ship too, ribbit."

Law snorted. "Not even going to let us walk, are you? That's cruel. I imagine the missing pirate crew was on you then?"

"It was, ribbit. As you and the others will be," Arsenio stated.

He left Law no real choice. Making a quick decision he grabbed Samira by the arm and yanked her away from Bepo. She gave him a confused look, but he ignored her.

"You want her, Frog-ya? Meet with me in the square and I'll bring her out."

Samira froze up in fear. What was he doing? She pulled away and glared at him; her chest tightened as her power activated.

Law didn't have time for this.

"Listen to me, Amunet-ya. I have an easy plan to beat him, but you need to calm down first. Whatever your power is rouses frenzied emotions from others; I can't focus," he mentioned.

She widened her eyes. Frenzied emotions? She wasn't aware others could feel her power when it flared up. This scared her. Samira took a deep and anxious breath; the feeling in her chest eased up.

Law relaxed a bit. His thoughts cleared up. He also took a breath. "I don't know the extent or power of your ability, but I want you to use it on him when I tell you to. The rest I will take care of."

"I can't … I could hurt you or the others," she tried to explain. Losing control was too great a risk. "There has to be another way. This plan won't work."

He sneered at her. How dare she. "Trust me. Do as I say and control it. You've done it before."

Samira frown; he was right. She controlled her power back in Slab Town, and she did it again just a few minutes ago. Focus … control. Drying her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt, Samira took a deep breath. She could do it.

"How will I know when to blast him?"

Law grinned. "When I form a room; that will be the signal."

He took her arm again – gentler this time – and directed her outside the hut.

Arsenio, like planned was waiting in the square. Samira trembled in fear; he was not as she remembered. He was a monster; a giant and grotesque monster with round cheeks. His obtrusive makeup had spread across his body in bands of black and yellow, and his arms and legs were broad and muscular. Was this the power of his Devil Fruit? Could Law really beat this beast?

Said man suddenly stopped and pulled her close to him. Samira could feel his warm breath against her neck.

"Let her come to me," Arsenio demanded. His voice was guttural and stern, different from the mild-mannered tone in which he usually spoke.

Law released Samira. "Nice and slow; move."

She did as he ordered and sauntered forward. Her heart thumped swiftly in her chest.

Trust him … trust him.

She could find no reason not to.

Nearing the monster who tormented and exploited her for so long, Samira clenched her jaw. He was going to suffer; she would make sure of this. Her demons beseeched her to blast him away, but she trusted Law; she needed to wait.

As she came within reach of Arsenio, her power activated. His horizontal pupils dilated; he seemed to notice. Though before he could respond, a familiar blue room swallowed them – the signal. Arsenio croaked in irritation.

"Don't eve––

Samira interrupted him, throwing back her broken arm. Wisps of chaotic energy poured off her in erratic waves as she landed a hit. The force of the punch generated a shockwave that blasted her and Arsenio back; Samira hit the ground with a loud oomph, and the frog man smacked into the wall of a busted hut.

Law traded places with debris from the wall and used his Scalpel technique to expel his heart. It bounced out and landed next to Arsenio's unconscious human body.

Well done, Amunet-ya.

He picked up the encased heart and brought it to said woman. She was laid out on her back, out of breath and covered in dirt and minor scratches; he was amused that she was still awake.

"Did your plan work?"

Law nodded. "Better than I expected."

He showed her Arsenio's heart and smirked as she wheezed in shock. It thumped in its glass like prison.

"He's not dead? You realize that letting him go is a mistake?"

Law was aware. He brought up the cube and gave it a squeeze. Arsenio may have been unconscious, but from afar Law heard him wheeze noisily in pain.

"That's a strange power you have, Mester (mister) Trafalgar. It's extremely terrifying," Samira admitted softly.

She wondered about Arsenio though. "You have his heart. What do you intend to do with it?"

"I have some questions for him, then I'll let him go, but I'm taking his heart in exchange for the one he took from me."

Samira wasn't sure what he meant by this, but she had a horrible feeling it wasn't something good. She closed her tired eyes and sighed. No matter; Arsenio's fate wasn't her concern. He'd most likely die for failing to capture her.

For the time being she felt safe. Opening her eyes, warm tears clouded her vision.

"I hate this place. The sun is too bright," she mentioned with a sob.

Law grinned. "Whatever you say, Amunet-ya."