I'm touched by your reviews. I know, I also would love to update this story once in week because I don't want you to wait for that long. But I have to admit, it's pretty hard to do so. I don't want to make this sound like an excuse, but I just have the need to tell you that. But I'm not giving up on this story and hoping you all will stick to the end.

Nuff' said... here's the next chapter.

"We'll be meeting them five days from now." Gladius informed. "You might want to rest first. The long journey sure tired you out." He suggested.

"Hmmm… there's still plenty of time..." Doflamingo stated nonchalantly as he read the papers."After all," he looked outside of the window frame, "the night still young."

The door to the room slid open revealing Jora kneeling by the door. "The rooms are ready, young master, Law."

"Hmmm… okay." Doflamingo replied.

Law pushed himself up and walked to the door. "Jora, show me my room." He said.

"Sure thing! Now, if you excuse me, young master..." Jora excused herself as she got up and slid the door close, following after Law.

When the door shut close, Doflamingo folded the paper back and pinched the bridge of his nose as he mumbled lowly.

"Do you want anything young master?" Gladius asked.

"No. That's fine." Doflamingo replied as he pushed the chabudai aside. "I just want to get a good rest." He added as he pushed himself up. Before he slid open the door, he turned his head to Gladius again, "There's something I want you to do."

Gladius shot his head up to Doflamingo. "What is it?"

"Keep an eye on Law. Report to me his every move."

Gladius paused for a moment, "As in, spying on him?"

"Em… Sort of… if you put it that way." Doflamingo shrugged and paused for a moment, "Diamante told me some unpleasant story..."

Gladius waited for Doflamingo to continue but then instead of talking, Doflamingo burst out laugh as if remembering something funny.

"What now?" Gladius spluttered.

"Has he become so soft when I wasn't looking?"

"Wh- What…?" Gladius narrowed his eyes, getting more confused at Doflamingo's weird question.

"I was joking… just joking." Doflamingo let out an inaudible sigh as he turned his head to the door, "Yeah, it was a joke." He mumbled softly as he slid open the door and leaving Gladius in confusion.

Somewhere in another room, Law was sitting on the balcony as he rested his head on his palm where his elbow propped against the rail. His eyes set on the busy street. The town was blinking with lights from the small stalls and crowded with people.

"Just wait for a while, dinner is almost ready."

Her voice rang in his mind. Normally, at this hour, she would prepare food for dinner and they would eat together in the silent night. He had to admit, he had gotten used of her company he felt lonely without her. Hell, it was just that that early morning he left and he felt like it had been so long.

He shook his head quickly at the thought. It wasn't the moment to think about her, he reminded himself. A door to his room slid open and Jora placed the wooden bucket on the floor before excusing herself and closing the door again. Pushing himself up, he headed to the small chest at the corner of the room. Pulling out the drawer and fished out bandage and ointment he knew were there and carried them to the chabudai. He crawled and pulled the bucket until it set next to him. Comfortably he set himself and began to tend to his wound.

"Law, I'm coming in."

Hearing Gladius' voice from outside the room, he glanced at the door briefly, bidding him to enter before returning his attention to wrap his arm with the new bandage.

Gladius came in and sat cross legged in front of him. He waited until Law had done with his task. Eyeing the bandaged in Law's arm, he thrust his chin up a little, "What's with that?"

Law patted his arm and replied, "Nothing!... What makes you come here?"

Gladius sighed, "There's something we need to do tomorrow."

Law lifted his eyes at Gladius, demanding an explanation.

"This has nothing to do with the upcoming meeting… It's Kid." Gladius noticed Law's face twitched in slight discomfort when he mentioned the name.

"You met up with them yesterday…" Law concluded.

Gladius shrugged, "There's no day he never caught up news we'll be here."

Law raised his brows slightly. "What does he want?"

"He was complaining about some newbie messing in his territory."

"And? What's the relation to us?"

"Joker to be exact. Killer suspected they are smuggling hashish, claiming Joker was behind all this. Of course, Kid knew it was just a false claim but young master is not pleased with this, asking us to clean up the mess."

Law knitted his brows together. "What about the goods then?"

"Kid will deal with it." Gladius replied, "We'll meet up with them tomorrow morning."

Law nodded in agreement.

After a while, Gladius pushed himself up, "Well, then… have a good rest."

Law heard the sound of the door being shut as Gladius exited the room. Some time later, he stood up and walked to the oshiire, taking out futon and laid it on the tatami floor. He put out the fire as he lay down. Staring at the ceiling and slowly his mind flew somewhere afar.

At this hour, she usually sitting in front of a lantern mending torn garment or blanket, if not, sitting in front of the irori laying out futon to get ready for sleep. Her image flashed in front of his eyes as if he could see her. He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to put himself to sleep.

Nami had just finished sewing Law's torn yukata. After running a final check over the seam, she folded it and neatly put it inside his drawer.

As she lay on her futon, she turned her head to the side where Law was supposed to sleep. Looking at the empty spot, her heart wrenched and felt empty. At the time, like any other time when he wasn't there, she wished he was there. Lying next to her. She wondered if he had safely arrived there, or had he eaten or maybe if he was asleep by now. Too many questions inside her mind but she somehow couldn't answer. Giving up, she forced herself to close her eyes, letting out a heavy sigh as she dragged the blanket to cover her face.

Gladius and Killer pried open the crate. There were masses of dried grass inside. Hands dug deeper and fished out few small packages wrapped in brown paper.

Kid sat on the barrel. The knife spun between his fingers as he watched Killer examined the packages.

"It's hashish." Killer voiced out and stepped closer to Kid to show him the package.

Kid's eyes shot directly at the one and only woman they spared alive. She was kneeling on the floor, battered and tattered. Her face was marred by dust, sweat and blood.

"Woman, who allowed you people to do business in my territory?" Kid asked as he juggled the package with his other hand before returning it to Killer.

"I… I don't know." She replied between heavy gasps.

Kid chuckled in amusement. "You don't know?" he leaned forward and grabbed a handful of her hair as he lifted her head up. "Are you trying to fool me?"

"I… I really don't know…" She sniffed as she shook her head. " We were just told to move the thing."

"Were told? Somebody told you. Who?" He demanded an answer.

She sobbed and shook her head.

"Shall I cut off you fingers, or pulled off your nails so you will tell?" Kid asked as he stepped on her fingers causing her to cry in pain.

"Please…" She begged, "I don't know… I really don't know… I swear..." looking at Kid as she pleaded for mercy as she tried to pull her hand. "Just let me go." Her eyes were wet with tears. "Please… just let me go." she pleaded again as she sobbed.

Kid pulled back and smirked, amused by her terror expression. "Want me to let you go?"

She nodded along his words. Kid squatting in front of her, lifting her head up and leaned forward his nose almost touching her cheek. "Listen woman! The only reason why I let you alive for now is because you serve me one purpose-"

Kid stopped talking when a small dagger was thrown in front of him. He glanced up to just to see Law stood and looked down at him. He glared hard at Law, not moving his eyes from his.

"What now, Trafalgar?" Kid growled as he stood to his feet.

Ignoring Kid, Law turned to face the woman, "Just kill yourself, woman!" he ordered. "You can see for yourself that there's no way you can get out of this mess... These men wouldn't violate the dead."

"What the hell are you talking about brat!." Kid gnawed, grabbed Law by the shoulder and pushed him aside. "Move."

Gladius stopped examining the goods inside the packages and snapped his eyes at Law and Kid.

She slowly reached out and grabbed the dagger with her trembling hand but then cried in pain when a foot stepped onto her hand, halting her.

"Crazy are you?" Kid snarled at Law, ignoring the cries from the woman. "This isn't your decision. We aren't dragging our butt here for nothing."

Law snapped his eyes at Kid, "Doing a woman in a place like this… Animal, aren't you, Eustass Kid?"

"Heh," Kid smirked as he turned to the woman, gesturing his men to hold her, then he looked at him back, "Why? Do you want to do her first?"

"If you are horny enough, then why don't you just go and grab some whore over the town."

"You just don't get it, do you, Trafalgar?" Kid smirked. "Doesn't her cry turn you on?... Or your bird can't get up at all anymo-"

Kid raised his hand to block the incoming blow from Law. He grabbed his fist and glaring dagger at the other party. Law returned the same hard glare before he pulled his hand roughly and glanced over the struggling woman as she was dragged and pinned on the floor. When they began to undo her obi, Law turned away, distracting himself by watching the dead bodies laying on the floor.

"Oi! Little boy should get the fuck out of this room. We have adult business going on here."

Kid's remark interrupted his brooding. Law glanced at him from the corner of his eyes before he came up with another retort.

"You animals seriously only know how to get your rock off with a loose lady in a room stink of blood." Law stated shortly looking at the blood splattered on the barrels and walls.

Kid grunted and turned his head to look at Law. "Hey, I'm trying to experience a new thing, so shut up and fuck off!" He retorted back. "Or you actually want to take part too?" He added as he removed his haori. "I don't mind anyway."

"Tch." Law remained expressionless as he headed to the door. "You are disgusting."

"Heh! That's cheap coming from you." Kid replied sharply, ignoring the footsteps he heard as Law took his leave. "You can be the first if you want that honor." He yelled at Law.

Law snorted in disgust as he stepped out of the store room. Gladius followed after him, watching as the young man walked calmly. Mirthful laughter from Kid and his men slowly faded as they sauntered away.

"In the end, they don't tell us who ordered them to do that." Gladius started the conversation.

"Obviously, they are just a toy." Law concluded.

"You are right." Gladius agreed, "And, you'd been so nice to that woman. That's not like you at all." He stated casually as he walked past him.

Law stopped in his track, reflecting on Gladius' remark. He peered slightly at Gladius' retreating back before he followed after him with only single thought in his head. "Nice?"

Law sat at the balcony of his room. Gladius' remark days ago still bothered him until now. He clutched his sword that propped up against his shoulder. Was he really being so nice? What did he mean by being so nice? He never meant to. He leaned against the pillar and closed his eyes.

/"Your hand, it's cold."

He almost pulled his hand away when she laced their fingers together. But then the warm hands that holding his was strangely comfortable and gentle. He tentatively tightening his hand around hers. Silently rejoicing the feeling, he took notice of her small hand.

"Even if you have to kill the innocent?"

Her voice broke the deafening silence.

"I'm not the one to decide that." clutching her hand a bit tight, "I am an assassin."

"But you are still a human." She stated softly.

He went silent and stared at their hand thoughtfully.

"They may have someone waiting for them at home. Their loved ones... their most important person."

"I know!' He replied and looked at her, "But, that has nothing to do with me at all."

She felt her hand stiffened in his hold before it loosened a bit. He saw her looking away.

"Then…"

There was another pause before he heard she spoke again.

'If… if… you were ordered to kill me…"

She turned to look at him again.

"Will you kill me?"

He had no idea if she was just testing him or was it just out of curiosity. For a longer minute, their eyes locked like magnets before he broke it off and turned away, pulling his hand in the process.

"If it's an order…" He reached for his long sword and pulled the sword from its sheath a couple of inches free just to look at the blade then pushed it back. He returned his gaze to her. For an unknown reason, no words coming out of his mouth even though he was pretty confidence he could give an answer. But at the moment, when he looked at her, he realized, it wasn't easy to say. Something held him back. All he did was looking away, the question remained unanswered eventually.

He was sure he heard her low chuckle. From the corner of his eyes, he saw her edge back and settle on her futon.

"Then, let me know once you decide."/

He opened his eyes and sighed. Why did he remember that at the moment? He had yet to give her the answer. He could ignore but somehow, it bothered him, not be able to give her a proper answer to her question. No matter how much he thought, he still couldn't find the answer. It puzzled him until now. Something twisted inside him whenever he thought about her question. Something about that made him waver. It annoyed him to admit but that was the truth. He just couldn't figure it out.

He sighed again and turned his head to the lake. Eyeing the calm surface of the lake but his mind still in a mess. The sound of a door being slide open had him craned his head just to see Doflamingo stood by the door with his wide grin. Whether he was mocking or he was really smiling, he had no idea.

"Thinking about your little miss?" Doflamingo teased.

Law glanced away, straightening his posture as he sat facing the lake. Doflamingo took a seat across him, facing the same direction as Law.

"Or remembering your past?"

Law shot his eyes at Doflamingo, staring at him thoughtfully.

"Why exactly you come here?" Law asked out of curiosity.

"Chill!" Doflamingo smirk, "I come to enjoy the view."

"Why here?" His voice was seething with annoyance. He knew it was more than what it seemed.

A smile faded from Doflamingo's face as he turned and looked intently at Law. "Guess, I just really need to say things straight to you."

"…" Law tightening his hold on his sword and slightly pulled it towards his body.

"It's about you Law." Doflamingo examined the young man for a long minute before he sighed.

"I'm not sure if you notice or not, but your cut is no longer deep and clean as before." Doflamingo reached out his hand and gripped Law's sword. Slowly Law let it go and the sword changed hands.

Doflamingo pulled the hilt of Law's sword half way and examined the blade, "Has you blade become dull…" he stopped for a while, noticing the sharp edge of the blade, "...or your killing intention has weakened."

Law snapped his head at Doflamingo who nodded in return.

"Something hold you back?" Doflamingo asked as his lips curved into a smirk. The sword chinked as he pushed it back into its sheath and returned it to Law.

Law shook his head slowly. His grip tightening on the sword as he took it from Doflamingo. His head hung low as he stared into the empty air in front of him.

"Really?" Doflamingo replied with a raise of his brow. Receiving no answer, he shrugged, "Hope so," and turned his gaze to the lake, completely ended the conversation.

Law risked a peer at Doflamingo, noticing the sly smirk etched on his face before turning his own gaze to the lake. His eyes narrowed to slits as his face hardened in concentration.

"When?" He thought sourly.

"Enter Joker."

A called from inside the boat had Gladius and Law turned their heads to the boat. Doflamingo gave them a signal to wait at the jetty while he followed one of the guides that escorted him. Doflamingo noticed few of the guards at both back and front deck as well as the door. He ducked his head a little bit to slip into the small room since the opened-door was too short for him to pass through.

"A room on a boat?" A raise in his brow as he questioned. He scanned around the small room before settling his eyes on his client, Moria.

The guard excused himself after Moria gestured him to leave.

With a wide grin, Doflamingo comfortably took a seat on the empty zabuton laying on the floor. Uninvited.

"Let me get it straight," Moria started and tossed the scroll in front of Doflamingo, "This business serve me no profit and not fair at all, Joker.

"We were charged more for the excessive weight and that's something I don't want to afford."

"Is it?"

"Yeah." Moria propped his head in his palm lazily, "If you could offer me more, I may reconsider the deal. But you said this is all you can propose so, I decline. Assumed this deal never happened."

"You make me wait for a month and five days just to hear this answer." Doflamingo grinned, "Unfortunately…"

"That's right! So unfortunate." Moria took a sip of his tea.

"I don't take no as an answer."

Moria snapped up, "Huh?"

Doflamingo calmly looked at Moria, "It's either a yes… or die."

"Why you?" Moria fumed. "Are you blackmailing me?"

"Did I sound like one?"

"Remember Joker! You are in my zone. You and your only two men don't stand a chance against us."

"We'll see about that."

"What the hell with that?" Moria slammed his hand on the table.

Clanking sounds were heard followed by scream from the guards outside of the boat. Moria craned his neck at the attention and then looked at Doflamingo furiously, "What are you doing?" He pushed himself up and sprinted out of the room to look outside. Doflamingo calmly took a sip of his tea despite the chaos happening outside.

"What the hell are you standing there! Get them." Moria bellowed to his men, gripping the door frame tightly. "Kill them. There are only two of them."

"I told them to act if I never get out of the room before the *hour of the bird. So they did." Doflamingo came up behind him.

(A/N: literally he meant, before sunset)

Moria looked at Doflamingo and gritted his teeth.

"I told you I don't take no as an answer. So, this is your last and only chance."

Moria looked over the land and Doflamingo over and over again. His hand tightening against the hilt of his sword in his waist.

"The time is ticking, you'll lose your man the longer you took."

Sweat trickled down his temple as he watched. Swallowing hard, his fingers twitched to pull out his own sword.

"Tch." Without thinking further, Moria pulled out his sword but in a blink of an eye, the sword slipped from his grip as he stopped dead in his track. His mouth hung open, letting out a sound of his hard breath trying to catch an air. Slowly his eyes moved lower, passing the grinning Doflamingo before he could see the end of chopsticks stuck out from under his chin. His hand tried to reached for the sticking end of the chopsticks.

"W..h..e…n?" The word stuck in his mind.

Doflamingo watched bleakly as the man slowly sliding down against the door frame before he slumped down the floor, unmoved.

"What a shame." Doflamingo muttered as he stepped over Moria's feet and out of the room. He jumped over and landed on the jetty, making his way to where Law and Gladius were, ignoring the few remnants of bodies laying on the ground.

"Failed." Doflamingo utttered. His thumb moved horizontally across his throat as he took his leave. With a nod, Law and Gladius stood in stance, obeying the order of their master, to let no one alive.

Horror screaming slowly faded as the sun set marking the last light of the day.

Laughter filled in the hotel room. Women pouring sake for their partners and the men lifted the cup to their mouths, quickly draining their sake before pouring another refill.

"I was trying my luck, but since the deal wasn't going that well, I am relying on you again Kid." Doflamingo voiced out.

"Count on me, Joker. As long as I have my hand on that jetty." Kid replied with a grin as he lifted his cup at Doflamingo. He leered at the woman next to him who blushed and covering her mouth with her kimono sleeve. He leaned closer and whispered something in her ear causing the woman to blush even more.

Doflamingo's grin widened. "Well then, help yourself dear partner. There's still a lot more." After he said that, Jora came again with another bottles of sake and few girls. The room filled with another laughter.

Soon, the men sprawled comfortably on the tatami floor. Law was sitting alone near the balcony, helping himself with sake after sake, ignoring the snoring and babbling of the others in the room. Then, he felt another presence coming near. The said person sat across him.

"You look so lonely, wanna have some company?"

Law ignored her at first, sipping his own cup before a dainty hand reached out and stopped him.

"You don't seem to enjoy this." She said softly.

Lifting his eyes in annoyance, he looked at her, almost snapping when his eyes widened in shock as he saw her. Nami?

He just couldn't believe she was there. He stared at her intently, scanning her entire being. His eyes fell on her exposed shoulders but he found it so fascinating. He swallowed hard and couldn't take his eyes away from staring at the exposed skin. Slowly she reached out and gently ran the back of her fingers against his cheek. He tilted his head into her fingers, finding her touch relaxing. He saw her leaning closer inch by inch, and his eyes fell on her inviting lips. The sight seemed to loosen the hold he held on his desire. He wanted her.

Like having its own brain, his body moved own its own. Hands reaching out and pulled her closer as he slanted his head and taking her kiss. He really wanted her. So bad.

Notes:

Oshiire : closet (where Doraemon sleeps; for the lack of better explanation)

Chabudai : short-legged table