Getting To Know Her and Problems
On the Straw Hat's ship, Chopper escorted Law and Ash to the infirmary. Her back hurt like a bitch and the pain wasn't going away like normal. On top of that, something wet was running down her back. "Could you tell me what's going on? Maybe I can help." Chopper seemed to be worried over her. She was trying to get used to people doing that.
"It would be better to show you instead of explaining it," Law replied. He brought her to the room. "Ash-ya, I need to remove your coat, okay?" Ash nodded. Her mind was clouded with pain. She just wanted it to stop. She got the long coat removed from her body as she stared downward.
"Just...be careful," she said. Law nodded. Sitting down, Ash lifted her shirt until it was off. The movement made her wince with the pain of moving her back. She tossed it to the side. "What is...wet on my...back?"
Law walked around her and undid the bandages. He gasped. Chopper screamed. "Ash-ya, this is not good." He put a hand on her shoulder. "I need to clean the wounds. They are infected and what was wetting your back was puss. Can you walk to the bathroom with me?"
"What happened to her back to be this bad?!" Chopper asked. He sounded exceedingly concerned.
"I...was bitten...by a...sea king." She stood from the bed but swayed on her feet. "I can walk...a little." She took a shaky step forward. "How far...away is the...bathroom?"
"It's just down the hall. Do you need any antiseptic to clean them?" Law nodded and the reindeer handed a bottle over to him. She crossed her arms over her chest to hide her breasts and followed Law out of the room. She wasn't bothered by walking like that at the moment because the burning pain in her back was all she could think of.
When they got to the bathroom, Law went over to one of the shower heads and turned it on. "Do you want to finish getting undressed or do you want to keep the rest of your clothes on?" Ash didn't answer and just finished undressing. It hurt her even more to do that.
Going over to the shower, she screamed again when the water hit her back. "AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ash dropped to her knees because of the pain. She gripped her arms and almost ripped her skin because of the pain.
Law took her hands off her arms and then went to her back. He had taken off his coat a moment before. He grabbed a rag from somewhere. Law proceeded to wash her back which made her scream every time he ran it over her back. The door opened a little bit later. Ash was huffing and her throat hurt from how much she had screamed.
"Law? What are you doing?" Ash looked over to see Nami in the doorway. Tears were running down her face and mixing with the water.
"I am tending to Ash-ya's wounds. I am trying to clean the puss off of her back." He ran the rag over her again. Another scream was ripped from her throat.
"It sounds like you're killing her!" Nami sounded worried and slightly like she was freaking out with what was happening. "We can hear her from the deck of the ship!"
"I-I'm...s-s-sorry for...b-b-b-bothering everyo-one..." Ash said through pained pants. She rested her head on the wall. "C-Could you..."
"No! Don't you dare ask for that," Law scolded her. "You are not going to do that with me right here."
"B-But...it w-will make...me s-stop sc-screaming." She turned to look at him. Ash had to immediately look away from Law. She didn't want to face him with that look on his face. It was a look of pure concern and worry. It made her cry even more.
"I said no. Nami-ya, please leave. She will be fine in a bit. Tell the others not to worry about what is happening. She is going to be alright." She watched Nami nod before shutting the door behind her. "Now, no more of doing that. Just try to bear with me for a little longer."
Ash tried to keep her screams at a minimum. She, at some point, bit her arm to keep quiet. She bit so hard that it drew blood and she almost tore the piece of flesh of her arm off.
When Law was finished washing her back, Ash released her arm from her mouth. She fell forward and gasped for breath. Law placed a hand on her shoulder. "D-Don't...Don't touch...me..." Law removed his hand from her. "J-Just...give me...a m-minute..." She heard him walk away after a moment.
"When you are ready, I need to disinfect them. It might keep them from getting infected in the future," Law said as he went and sat on the other side of the room. Ash sat up and leaned her right side against the wall, facing Law. The water was still flowing from the shower head and looked to Law.
"S-Sorry about that," she apologized. "It just...hurts. A lot." Law nodded. He was leaned against the wall. "I don't know...what happened. Didn't...Didn't you check them...before we got to that...island?"
"Yes. There was redness around the wounds but nothing like what I saw this time. I wonder why they aren't healing properly." That was something she wanted to know as well. Something was wrong with them.
"Torao, where is Ash?" She turned her head to the door. Law quickly got up and locked the door.
"I am helping her get cleaned up. Is there something you need, Straw Hat-ya?"
"Sanji wanted to know if she was okay." There was silence for a moment. "Is she okay?'
"Yes. I'm...I'm okay. I'll come back when we're finished. Tell Sanji that I'm...thankful for his concern." Luffy agreed and then walked off. "Did you get my clothes with yours?'
"Yes. I brought a few pairs of clothing for both of us. Don't worry about that." He walked over and cut the water off. "Are you ready for me to clean them?"
"Yeah. Let's...get this over with." Ash turned her back to him as he got the bottle of antiseptic. He poured it over her back. She screamed again but this time she punched the floor. It cracked the tiles underneath. With the pain still there, she punched the floor again. It hurts! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! "Make it stop! Please, make it stop!"
"Ash-ya, it's okay. Please, calm down." He placed a hand on her shoulder. She punched the floor again and almost put a hole in it this time. She didn't break more of the tiles, though.
When the pain subsided a little, Ash saw that her arm was bleeding profusely. "Could you clean this, too?" She held up her arm. Law poured some on her arm. It didn't hurt anywhere as much as her back. Law brought a towel to her. She wrapped it around herself and stood up.
Slowly, she walked with Law back to the infirmary. Ash was panting and she was exhausted. When they got there, she sat on the bed while Law helped her dry off and re-bandage her torso. He also bandaged her arm.
Chopper came in a few minutes later. "Is she going to be okay?"
"She should be." Law walked over to their stuffy that he brought. "Tony-ya, I need to tell you something in private." He turned to Ash. "We're going to leave you to get dressed. We'll meet you on the deck."
"Fine with me." She watched them leave before getting up and going to get dressed. She put on a white shirt, baggy black pants, her boots, and a dark red hoodie. Ash walked out of the infirmary and made her way to the deck.
Ash she got there, she heard Chopper talking to the crew. "Law wants us to keep an eye on Ash. He didn't explain why but we need to." Anger filled her at the comments.
"LAW! YOU ASSHOLE!" Ash broke the door down to get to him. She stomped over to him and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "How dare you! I told you that I'm fine!" She punched him across the ship. She was huffing with anger. "I don't need to be watched like I am some child!"
Ash watched as Law stood back up. He rubbed his jaw. "Ash, what's going on?" Luffy asked. She turned her fury to Luffy.
"None of you business!" She looked back to Law. "That is my problem! Not yours to tell just anyone!" She screamed in frustration. Luffy walked up to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't touch me!" That made Luffy angry.
"We're just trying to help!" he shouted at her.
"Straw Hat-ya." Both looked over to Law. "You don't want to fight her." Her anger was still there.
"What do you mean?" Robin asked.
"I don't care! She needs to calm down!" Luffy took a fighting stance. "Maybe she needs to fight it out!" She took ones as well.
Ash heard Law sigh. "This is not going to be good fro Straw Hat-ya." Luffy threw a punch at her. She easily dodged it by moving to the side. For her, it was child's play. She smiled at him. "Everyone, step back."
Gathering up all of her anger, Ash ran up to Luffy and punched him in the cheek. It sent him flying to the other side of the ship. "What?! How?!" Zoro asked. Luffy came back a minute later, bleeding from the mouth.
He wiped away the blood. "Are you still wanting to fight me, Luffy?" Her anger was gone since she put almost all of her anger into that one punch. He didn't look finished with their fight. "I don't want to fight you anymore." Ash put her hands down.
"What?! Only one punch and you're done?!" Luffy asked. She nodded.
"I put all of my anger into that punch." She turned around. "I'm fine now." She turned back around just in time to grab both of Luffy's fists. She held him at bay. "Luffy, I don't want to fight." He still pushed at her. She didn't move from her spot. It was as if he wasn't pushing her at all. "Please, I don't want to fight. It is pointless." She pushed Luffy away. "Don't come back to fight me."
"Amazing," Usopp said. "She was able to keep Luffy from pushing her back How is that possible?"
Luffy was huffing off to the side. He was in the same spot she pushed him to. "What is with you? You attack Torao and then punch me once. Now you don't want to fight me anymore." He walked up to her. "I don't get that."
"Straw Hat-ya, don't fight her anymore. She has enough problems." Law got in between them. "Plus, we have something to do."
After everyone was calm and okay, Ash laid down on the grass while Law spoke to Doflamingo. She wasn't bothered by it and was enjoying her time on the grass. It had been a while since she had last seen or touched it. Her back had stopped hurting and she was watching the clouds.
Her face then took on a black state. She looked around. Everyone was focused on what Law was doing. Ash rose from the ground and walked inside. She wasn't stopped as she made her way to the kitchen. Going through one of the drawers, she found a small knife. It was a paring knife.
After acquiring the object, she left the kitchen for the bathroom. "Where is Ash-ya? I told you all to keep an eye on her!" She ignored the shouting and continued on her way.
Arriving to the bathroom, she shut and locked the door behind her. Taking off her shirt, she looked at her arms. She undid the bandages on her torso and arm before sitting beside the door. Slowly, she started to slice her arms, stomach, and chest.
The knob jiggled on the door. "She's in here! Hurry! I smell blood!" She made three more slashes on her chest before the door was swung open. Law rushed in with Chopper, Nami, Robin, and Luffy in tow. She didn't look up to them.
"Torao-kun, is this what you were meaning?" Her hand was grabbed and the knife removed from her fingers.
"Yes. This is why I said to keep an eye on her," Law replied. He grabbed her arms and helped her up. "She does this at random points." She looked up to Law.
"Why are you here?" She looked over to the others. "What are you all doing here?" Their expressions were of concern and sadness. Her anger rose again. "Don't pity me. I'm not weak." Law hugged her to his chest. "I'm stronger than you think," she said into his chest.
"Come on. We'll get you fixed up again." Law grabbed her shirt and slipped it on her before they left. The others followed them. "When you see her face go blank, keep her in the same area as you."
"Got it," Nami said. They all nodded. She sat on a bed. Her expression was still one of emotionless.
"How long does it last? When will she be back to normal?" Robin asked. Ash looked to Luffy. A flash of the face of her brother took the place of Luffy's for a split second.
"Hm." Everyone turned to her. Law had left her to get bandages. "How interesting."
"What's interesting?" Luffy asked. She sighed. Tears fell down her cheeks. "What's going on, Torao? Why is she crying?" He got close to her and looked her in the eyes. She saw him and blinked.
"Ash-ya." She ignored Law. More tears flowed out of her eyes as she stared into the other's. "Ash-ya." Ahs felt him put a hand on her shoulder. "Please, look at me." Moving her gaze from Luffy, Ash looked up to Law.
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me," she said as she wiped her face off.
"Okay. I need to clean your wounds." Ash agreed.
...
Night fell after a while. The Straw Hats were getting used to their new members Ash followed Law around most of the time. They got her to eat with them which was interesting. She got to know Momonsuke more and his father, Kin'emon. They had been watching her from a distance.
A bit after it turned dark, Caesar was stolen from their ship. "We need to get him back," Law said.
"I'll go with you," Luffy volunteered. Chopper also said he would go.
"I want to go, too," Ash said. They agreed even though the sub was small and only for two people.
When they got where they were, Ash agreed to stay with the sub. She laid down on the floor inside it. She was interested in it. Ash thought back to what had happened earlier that day. She had tried to harm herself again and Law stopped her. Again. She had gotten angry that Law for telling the crew to watch her like a child. Ash even had a small fight with Luffy. It was a strange day.
A few hours passed before she heard something climbing on the sub. Popping her head out, Ash saw Caesar trying to get in. His jaw dropped when hew saw her. Suddenly, Law and Luffy appeared out of thin air. "Caesar! There you are!"
"What is on your necks?" Ash got out of the sub and walked up to them. She touched it and it felt like some sort of metal or plastic. "Can you take it off?"
"No. Not by ourselves." Luffy was standing before her. "Come on. Torao wants you to come with us."
Ash nodded. She watched them plug their ears. She gave Law a questioning look. He told her not to worry about it. Walking with them, Ash saw that the place looked like a circus. It weirded her out. I never liked circuses. They always gave me the creeps.
Luffy busted open a door. A man that looked exceedingly strange stood in the middle of the room. She stood next to Law. "Law! Straw Hat Luffy! How did you survive?!" He eyed her. "Who is she?!" He laughed. "Law! Luffy! Sit!" Nothing happened. "I said sit! Can't you hear me?!"
"Huh. I was correct." Law took out an ear plug. "If we can't hear you, your power doesn't work." The man laughed.
"But your friend is vulnerable." He threw something at her and the same collar formed around her neck. "My, what a fascinating specimen. What is her name?"
"Ash, what is he saying?" Luffy asked.
"Ash, sit!" Nothing happened. "I said, sit!"
"That is fascinating," Law said.
"She can hear me, can't she?!"
"Yes, I can. And you need to stop yelling," she answered. "You're loud and annoying." His jaw dropped.
A fight ensued after a moment between the man and Luffy. Law stood next to her. "That is amazing. You are immune to his devil fruit ability."
"Is that what this collar is? A devil fruit?" Law shook his head.
"No. It is an ability of a fruit. A devil fruit is a fruit that give you abilities that normal people do not possess."
"Like super powers?"
"You could say that. But there is a thing that prevents us from using out powers."
"Kind of like a kryptonite?" Law raised an eyebrow at her statement. "It's like a power drainer."
"Exactly like that. It is sea prism stone. We can't use our powers when we have it on us or around us." Ash nodded. "But, somehow, you are immune to his." Ash knew he was thinking when he went quiet for a moment. "I want to try something when we get back." Ash nodded.
She walked over and picked Chopper up when Luffy beat the man. The collars disappeared. She felt bad for how beat up the reindeer looked. They got back to the ship and were better. She listened to the strange animal talk. He was like a seal and turtle mix. He was nice and thanked them for what they had done. She also found out that he knew Luffy.
As the sun came up, she was glad to see it. Law had told her that he would wait to try what he wanted to do when they got to the destination. She saw it in the distance. Hello again, Dressrosa. I didn't miss you all that much. Hope I never have to see you again after this mission. The thought of the grin made her almost crush the railing under her hand. That...monster. We will take you down. I will see to it personally.
Hope you like the addition to the story. Please, don't hesitate to tell me what you think. All reviews are welcome. Hope you have a great day and happy holidays. I love you all and the happiness you bring me with your reviews. Tatty-bye!