Hello my friends, I'm back!

Sorry for the wait, I'm thinking of fixing myself to one chapter per week. I'll post, say, every Friday? (might be Thursday for you) so you have a whole week to appreciate the new chapter (or not) and review (or not).

This chapter isn't too interesting. I'm just introducing the Straw Hats, and the mystery man finally appears. And Law is in love, but he won't admit it, poor dude.

I don't have any of the chapters ready. I never think ahead like that, I just have that vague idea that transforms into chapters. That means you can give me ideas and they will surely be included in the story.

Please review, I lose my motivation very easily, so I would appreciate to get your opinion on the story. Don't worry, I'm not too sensitive, you're allowed to say you don't like it.

As for Ace, I guess I'll stick to him not dying, but this chapter still won't talk about him, so you have time. Or maybe he'll die, since I'm such an evil writer *sadistic laugh*. Just kidding. To be honest, I didn't really want him to die, I just needed your advice and opinion, to know if it was a good idea. Oda was really mean for doing this to us, but it was important to the story, since without the trauma, Luffy probably wouldn't have trained that hard for 2 years to protect his nakama.

Anyway, enjoy that new chapter!

(Disclaimer: No, I'm not Oda-sensei. Sorry.)

CHAPTER 4: the Straw Hats

"That man! I hate him so much!" he clenched his fist, shaking from anger, and kicked his bed.

A tall blonde in his mid forties entered the room with a plate. "Law~! Why are you so upset?

"I knew he was terrible, but I never knew he had slaves!"

"Law, calm down~, I have onigiri~" He showed the plate with a wide smile.

"How could he? I am so gonna murder him next time I meet him!"

"Lawww~"

"Cora-san, will you shut up?" Law looked furiously at his adoptive father. The said father had short wavy hair and coffee brown eyes, and a spike-shaped tattoo under his right eye — he assured it was a tattoo, though it looked suspiciously like makeup. Seeing his lips were constantly painted red, the latter wouldn't be surprising.

Cora-san was just an affectionate name he liked a lot. His real name was Donquixote Rosinante, and he was one of the most important double-agents working for the New World government. That was secret, of course, so he went by the name of Corazon.

Despite his very, how to say, action-packed job, Cora-san was a very carefree, joyful and stupid person. Not to forget incredibly clumsy. How he managed to become a double-agent, nobody understood. Even with this attitude, which was Law's complete opposite and usually annoyed him, the young surgeon loved his adoptive father a lot and would never permit any harm to come upon Cora-san.

"Ahhh~" Cora-san sang, straightening his heart patterned shirt and pulling out a cigarette. "You know, Law, you should be more polite if you want more friends in your life."

"I don't want, and I don't need more friends."

"A girlfriend then?" He chuckled and gave an amused look at Law's murderous expression. He had noticed Law went to the Hearts Hospital a lot these days, he knew it was to see a girl and that said girl was now awake. "You need to grow up, little devil."

"Stop calling me that." Law grabbed an onigiri and took out his phone, reading his new texts. "I'm not little." Well, he kind of was compared to the abnormally tall blonde, but he wasn't going to say it. "I'm not a devil either." With such an attitude, he was a bit of a devil, but again, he wasn't about to admit that.

"Are you going to visit the cute girl again today? When's she coming out?"

"She's getting out tomorrow," he grumbled, ignoring the first question. "She healed really well, only has a scar on her chest."

Cora-san laughed again at his son's stubbornness, earning himself another death glare. "I'm going out," said Law angrily.

"The hospital?"

"The grocery store."

"Ok~" Cora-san patted Law's head with a knowing look. Of course he was going to Hearts. "Get Bepo, too, it's seafood tonight. Don't come home too late, baby~"

If there had been a knife nearby, Law would have stabbed his father and cut him into tiny bits after letting him die a horrible and painful death.

Shachi: [hey bro can I visit the girl?]

Law: [Shut up Shachi]

Shachi: [u wanna eat w us 2day?]

[at the baratie]

[its on bepo]

Bepo: [WHAT]

Shachi: [yup]

[coming?]

Law: [No. Shut up. Cora-san is inviting Bepo for dinner. He says there's seafood tonight]

Shachi: [WhAt? i refuse]

Law: [Bepo decides, not you]

[[Law left the conversation]]

Bepo: […]

Shachi: [its still on u bepo]

[ur coming with us]

[[Shachi left the conversation]]

Bepo: [I hate you Shachi]

[[Bepo left the conversation]]

Mugiwara-ya was beautiful. Now that she wasn't covered in deadly wounds, he could observe her better. He wasn't there for the surgery on her chest — it would be inappropriate — so now she was sitting up, he could see her beautiful curves beneath the hospital gown she was forced to wear. Her straw hat was perched on her short raven hair and her mouth could finally form a smile, a bright, genuine smile that lit up the room. She looked up with a grin as he entered her room, her wide happy chocolate eyes twinkling, the little scar on her cheek curling around the corner of her mouth.

"Hey, Torao, I'm glad you're here. My friends said they're coming soon."

By "coming soon", she (of course) meant "right now", he realised when four people loudly came in. Makino-ya was much calmer. They weren't too polite, too. The blonde weirdo stopped when seeing him and asked angrily what he was doing with "his" Luffy-chan, while the long nosed dude squealed and said he was creepy. There was also a nicely shaped raven hair and a man wearing a skull shaped mask.

"Oh, hey, guys! That's Torao! He's my friend!" Luffy exclaimed happily.

"Torao?" The friends echoed.

Law grumbled. "I'm Trafalgar Law, the head surgeon. I'm your doctor, not your friend, Mugiwara-ya."

"Mugiwara-ya?" They repeated.

"Torao, they're my best friends! That's Usopp," she pointed the long-nosed man with thick curly hair, who was crying in fear. "There's Sanji," she showed the glaring blonde in a formal attire. He had strange curly eyebrows and his hair was parted to hide one of his blue eyes.

"Luffy-chwan~"

"Here's Robin," Mugiwara-ya pointed the curvy woman with long raven hair and sharp blue eyes. "And that's Brook," she pointed the last one, the man with a skull shaped mask. He had an afro and an electric guitar was strapped to his back.

Law just scowled at the names. "Hello."

That just scared Nose-ya even more. "Luffy, are you sure it's a good idea to have him as your doctor? He looks like a murderer."

"Mugiwara-ya, are you sure it's a good idea to have him as your friend? He looks like a dumbass."

"OI!"

"You should know to expect a comeback when you insult someone, Nose-ya."

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING NOSE-YA?"

Law turned to the blonde and the woman. "Aren't you guys famous? The Straw Hats, I think. A famous criminal group in the underworld, which disappeared for two years for unknown reasons. Nobody really knows the number of people this group has. Black Leg Sanji, Demon Child Nico Robin. I've heard of you."

"And me~?" Nose-ya whined.

"No idea who you are. Anyway, Mugiwara-ya, I didn't expect them to be your friends. Are you part of their group?"

"Yeah. How did you know about us?"

"My dad." Law didn't say anything more. Cora-san's job was a secret. He couldn't just reveal it like that. "By the way, I came to tell you that you can go home tomorrow. There will be no lasting physical marks, except for the scar of your chest."

Kuroashi-ya, who turned out to be a real pervert, started twirling around. "O-On her chest? Luffy-chwan~ Can I see the scar~" He suddenly stopped and gave Law a death glare. "You... You took advantage of her situation, didn't you? A scar on her chest?"

"Don't be stupid. I wasn't there for her chest, it would be inappropriate."

"Torao~ Can I have your number?"

Law looked at the beautiful girl sitting on a hospital bed with a wide smile, not realising what she had just said. All four of her friends gaped at her for a moment, until Nose-ya broke the silence.

"Wait. WHAT?"

Torao visited Luffy twice again. The second time to tell her she would be discharged the next day. She was happy, of course, but did it mean they wouldn't see each other again? She like Torao a lot. She wanted to be his friend.

So she asked for his number.

Luffy hadn't expected her friends' reactions. Or Torao's.

Torao went bright red and stammered an "Of course, why not." Usopp shook her shoulders furiously, which of course did not go well with Torao who started lecturing him on Luffy's health. Sanji was heartbroken, though he recovered to join the fight with Torao. Robin giggled and wondered if Torao was a serial killer and would kill Luffy once they were in a relationship, which scared Usopp even more. Brook's eyes popped out behind his skull shaped mask.

The noise they were making was giving her a headache.

"Guys," Luffy pouted, and everyone stopped, "you're annoying. It's just a number, what's wrong with asking for it? I won't be seeing Torao when I'm free, but he's my friend, I want to talk to him."

She was too innocent.

Sanji whined. "But, Luffy-chan, look at him! Why would you want to talk to him? He looks as gloomy as the marimo!"

"Yeah, Luffy, he looks creepy! You shouldn't be his friend! You know he's nicknamed the Surgeon of Death!" Usopp added.

"Maybe he'll cut her up and tear out her insides while she's sleeping."

"Yohohoho! Robin-san, how scary! Yohohohohoho! Luffy-san, may I see your panties? Yoho!"

"There you go, Mugiwara-ya."

"Thanks, Torao!"

"Don't ignore us!"

Torao sent Luffy's friends one of his death glare, making Usopp faint.

"Ahhhh, look at his eyes! Scaryyyy~"

"I like his eyes," Luffy said.

Everyone froze. She might just as well have dropped a bomb. Of course, Luffy as she was decided to drop another one.

"And Surgeon of Death is a cool name. It sounds so badass."

There was a pause.

Torao was red again.

And her friends started screaming, which annoyed Luffy even more. "You guys are pissing me off!" she said angrily. "Torao saved me, you should treat him nicely! Now, get out! I wanna sleep!"

Everyone quickly filed out, knowing Luffy had quite a temper. She saw her friends' expressions were sad, but she didn't care. Did they have to start shouting just because she was honest? She did like Torao's steel grey eyes. Even when they were cold and piercing, they hid incredible pain and grief. Her friends didn't see this, that's why they called him creepy, but he wasn't. Behind his angry reactions was a heart of gold. She knew it.

Law checked Mugiwara-ya's vitals one last time and prepared to leave. The Straw Hats were already gone, hastily getting out of her reach. He told himself he didn't care about being dismissed. Mugiwara-ya was just another patient. But no matter how he tried to convince himself, he was quite disappointed. At least she has my number, he thought hopefully. Yes, maybe she would call. Maybe —

"Torao, wait."

Law turned, surprised. "Yes?

"Can you come back tomorrow? Promise?" Well, that was unexpected. She was going out, why did she want to see him?

"Why?" He asked.

She looked up with a wide grin. "I want to talk to you. Besides, you're my friend! Shishishishi."

It seemed to Law that Mugiwara-ya's laugh was the most beautiful sound in the world.

In a nearby city, a man was standing at the window of his palace. That man was mayor of the city, but he was a criminal, too. Despite his perfectly heroic facade, his background was not something anyone would hope for. And still, he became mayor, after manipulating the population with his twisted mind, manipulating the previous mayor into giving him the seat.

Now, he was in his palace, leaning against a window, and laughing, laughing, laughing as he liked to do. Laughing because he was soon to have a new weapon designed by his own mad scientist. Laughing because he was finally powerful enough to destroy a whole city. Laughing because his idiotic clumsy brother, who was spying on him, would soon be dead. Laughing because this powerful criminal group is finally back in the papers after two years, and playing with them will be so much fun. Laughing because his slave, the beautiful, strong slave the crowd loved so much, thought she had escaped when her boyfriend came. But he would find her. He would get her back.

Because he always got what he wanted.

And he laughed, he laughed, with the wide smile that earned him his nickname in the underground: Joker

Yup. That's the ending. Sorry guys.

So I suppose you know who the mysterious evil man is, right? Yeah, I'm sure you know.

I wasn't too sure what to make the Straw Hats, you tell me. An underground organization? A simple but powerful gang? Give me your ideas!

Their appearance isn't known, they don't have bounty posters, only their names are known. Usopp is still known as Sogeking and Brook isn't famous. In the One Piece timeline, this would be the return to Sabaody. Since they don't really talk to anyone outside their circle of friends, I don't think there's any problem. And Luffy's power of reading people is some kind of weaker version of Observation Haki.

Thank you to those who reviewed, it's good to see you appreciate my work. It motivates me.

Kadek8785: No problem. Many would hate me if I made him die^^. And don't worry about Luffy, it's not what you think. But will that mysterious slaver be dead? Maybe, maybe not...

12slytherin: Thank you, thank you. I love Lawlu too, it's my favourite pairing. And I love Ace too. About the mysterious terrible man, well, yeah, Law and Luffy are kinda connected I guess. We'll see. I don't really plan ahead so you can give me ideas, and I think you just did! I'm so weird lol.

Malu143: I have literally no idea when Ace will wake up. I really don't think about the next chapters, they just appear on the spot. But I'm glad I'm keeping him alive too. Also, how their relationship will work out... ah. Um. Yeah, I never think about the future for some reason.(^_^')

If you have anything to tell me about the story, do it.

I could add more pairing by the way, if you'd like. I like pairing people. Any pairing you want to be included, type it in the box below!

And remember, since I don't plan ahead, you can give me your ideas.

See you next chapter. Review!

Next chapter:

Donquixote