I don't like you! by BloodyMarryMe
Finally, another one out! :D Not much to say really, you'll see everything while reading. :P
But before that, as always, let's turn to some comments:
Elielephant: About the Wano thing, yeah I'm interested how it'll turn out and how my story and the info we'll get will fit together. It depends on how much info we'll actually get in the manga. From the info we have now it seems Oda made Wano very similar to real feudal Japan so I concentrated on that, and I don't think I'll be very off in the end. :) However some things that I made up like the Great Restoration War won't match but then again it doesn't mean it couldn't have happened so maybe it won't turn out so bad. ;)
Sorry about the mistakes, I know I will miss some. I didn't even notice I made wonder/wander mistakes. I might be during the Word autocorrect I use. O.o Anyway, when I'll have some free time I'll go check it out. (if you maybe remember in what chapters you saw those mistakes, that would be a great help too. :) ) Also, since my first language isn't English I sometimes have trouble finding the right words to express what I want to say so sorry about that too. ^^'
So about the money; Since Miyako's first priority is getting back to Wano it's much more important and she could find a way to earn money when she gets back there anyway. True, it would be better if she did have some money now but there's also one problem I mentioned; Law is in charge of the finances so all the money they have is in the safe so if she wanted some money of her own she would have to work or something similar, but I guess she didn't have much time for it since it's always been busy when they came to an island. ^^' However it's not a bad idea that she does find a way to get some money of her own, so I'll definitively think about it and try to add it to the story somewhere.
I knew the Baron thing would be repetitive. ^^' But truthfully, I wanted to use Robber Baron more out of personal reasons than story ones. The two really have no connection other than the title. But don't worry, there won't be any barons anymore. :P
Ok, that was a long answer! But I don't think I forgot anything. o.o
And yeah, Torch Phoenix; Still haven't completely decided on the attack names, or rather should I name them…maybe if I wrote them in italic and not like she's saying them, it won't look so odd. I'll think about it.
Now let's finally go to the chapter! Enjoy!
CHAPTER 29
Miyako read her book in the silence of the infirmary.
Law was sitting behind his desk, working on some research. Lately he was trying to figure out the sword he took from Jonny which was designed by Vegapunk. He was still interested in how the doctor managed to get a weapon to absorb a devil fruit, but with all the commotion lately, the pirate captain didn't have time to deal with it. He had more pressing matters such as fighting marines and saving his crewmembers. Finally though, he managed to get some time of his own to study the peculiar item.
The silence along with Law's and Miyako's concentration was broken when they heard a light knock on the door. The girl turned her head questioningly just in time to see two familiar hats peering through the metal doors, followed by two more and finally a big white fur of the polar bear.
"Miya-chan! We came to keep you company," Penguin exclaimed as he waved while walking over to her.
"Yeah, we thought you'd be lonely here," Shachi added, waving as well.
"Sorry if we're interrupting," Bepo quickly bowed his head in unneeded apology.
"Like she'll have anything better to do now," Josh muttered and came to Miyako's bed and on her surprise ruffled her hair. "Troublesome girl."
She frowned a little with one eye closed, as Josh treated her like he would a child. "Hey, stop that!" She pouted, but there was no real anger in her voice. She was too happy to see everyone again to be angry at the moment. Since she never left the infirmary, she wasn't able to see her friends and she was wondering how everyone's been doing.
"I'm glad to see you're ok, Miyako." Another familiar voice was heard and Miyako turned to see the tall medic, his blueish hair high in the air, the bangs held by the red and white bandanna.
"Cody!" Miyako exclaimed happily to see the pirate healthy and well before her. She wasn't able to see how he was doing at all. But it seems Cody was just fine, he didn't even have his bandages on anymore. "You're ok!"
Cody laughed at Miyako's beaming face. "Well of course, you know I don't go down so easily." He sat on her bedside and put an arm around her shoulder in a friendly manner.
However that action didn't go unnoticed by a certain pirate captain who was still behind his desk, working on his research. Or at least trying to since the loud voices echoing throughout the room were braking his concentration. And the fact that Mister Cody was hugging Miyako wasn't helping either…thought that part Law didn't completely understand yet.
"I didn't even see that shot coming. Josh told me you really saved me that day. Thanks Miyako," Cody continued and patted the girl's head.
"Geez, is everybody going to treat me like a kid today." She muttered yet loud enough for them to hear, as she complained about the treatment. However her sulky complaints only made the group lough.
"Well that just proves my point…that you're a brat." Josh said with his index finger high in the air to emphasize his point and he ignored the glare the girl gave him.
"You're one to talk, you look like a 12 year-old boy scout," Miyako muttered in response and then smirked when she saw Josh getting red in the face.
"Ok, Ok, break it up you two. We're not here to fight." Shachi calmed the situation.
"Oh right, I have something for you!" Bepo exclaimed getting everyone's attention. He pulled out a red piece of fabric from his pocket.
"My ribbon!" The samurai exclaimed happily. She could've hugged the bear from gratitude. That red ribbon was the only thing she had from her late mother. She didn't even remember her parents mostly and this was all she had left of them. Her mother gave it to her when she was leaving Miyako all alone. So that red ribbon made a great deal to her.
She took the ribbon from Bepo's paws and tied her hair with it immediately. "Thank you, Bepo." But then she remembered something and blinked in confusion. "But where did you get it? The Baron took it from me on that day when they captured me." As she said the words, a slight shiver ran down her spine from the memory. Something she wanted to forget, but knew it won't happen anytime soon.
"w-well.." Bepo started a little uncertain and then turned to look at his captain who was still writing something at his deck without saying a word.
Miyako followed the bear's gaze and furrowed her eyebrows in thought. *Now that I think about it, Law was the one who defeated the Baron…* As she was resting in the sub, she talked to one of Law's medical staff to ask what had exactly happened and they told her how Law defeated the baron and afterwards they blew up the castle. In any other circumstances, Miyako would think blowing up the castle and creating so much damage would be taking it over the top, but in the Baron's case she couldn't help but hope the guy suffered to the very end of his existence. She looked at her young captain. *So he was the one who took it back for me.* The girlcouldn't help but feel gratitude.
"Um..captain told me to give it to you when you wake up...it was while you were still unconscious. I guess he was too busy….Sorry." Bepo trailed off into a silent mumble and finally ended it with an apology.
Miyako chuckled. "That's alright Bepo." She then turned towards Law again who seemed to be ignoring them, deep in his own thoughts as he worked. When that man started working on something there was nothing that could pull him out of it. "Captain." She called and the man looked up questioningly. The girl bowed her head as a sign of gratitude and smiled slightly, her long hair falling and framing her face. "Thank you."
At first the captain seemed like he didn't know what she was talking about, but then he nodded in return. Still, as he gazed at her bowing form he simply stated, "Don't do that, the wounds on your back will reopen." And that was the end of it.
She stood up straight again and sighed. That man was always so closed into himself and once again she didn't have any idea what he was thinking. Meanwhile, Law turned to his crew and gave them a reprimanding stare. "And you shouldn't bother Miss Miyako so much. She needs rest."
"Aww, come on captain. We just wanted to see how she was doing. I bet she's bored here," Penguin said, silently pleading at Law to let them stay a bit longer.
"Yeah, yeah, and we'll make sure she rest,." Shachi added and he started dragging the poor girl back to bed.
"Hey, wait a min-" She tried to protest, but was cut off as Shachi made her lay on the bed and Penguin pulled the sheets up as if tucking in a child.
Both mechanics grinned innocently at their captain.
The said captain tried his best not to roll his eyes at his two best mechanics. "Fine. 10 more minutes." He agreed in a serious tone that left no room for anymore bargains before returning to his work.
Shachi and Penguin grinned at each other and then at Miyako, but then they saw that the girl was deep in thought with a somewhat troubled expression on her face. "What's wrong, Miya-chan?"
"Well, I just remembered…what of my katana?" She looked up questioningly at the group and the men glanced at each other a bit awkwardly. Even Josh had a guilty expression on his face.
"Unfortunately, we weren't able to retrieve it…The castle was about to blow up so we didn't have time to look for it," Shachi explained.
"Oh…" Miyako's face saddened a little. She understood the situation and she was grateful to her friends. She didn't want to act like some spoiled child who didn't get everything she wanted. But still, that katana meant a lot to her and she felt bare and unprotected without it.
"So, you'll just get a new sword on the next island we come across," Josh folded his arms on his chest. "No big deal."
Miyako sighed. "Well it is to me. Master gave me that katana. It was my first katana and I really went through a lot with it. It had sentimental value…And it was a meito." The girl looked down sadly, fumbling with the a-bit-too-long-sleeves of her button-up blue shirt that reached down her thighs. She needed something loose and easy to wear so it wouldn't irritate her wounds and luckily she had just the thing in her closet. "And now I'll be defenseless in a fight. I need to find another katana." Miyako wasn't too fond of the idea. She didn't want just any sword. A samurai needed a certain connection with their sword, only then they could bring out the best of them and their skills. When she fought, her katana was like an extension of her, which allowed her to control and wield it perfectly. She had this sword for years so it already came natural to her. She doubted she could make such a connection with any other sword, especially one that she'll just buy in some cheap weaponry store. And that reminded her of one more issue…she didn't have money, and that meant she would have to ask Trafalgar for some. Miyako remembered the last time he did her a favor, which led to her dragging bags and boxes all around town and she didn't want to do that again.
"Well until you get a sword, we'll protect you." Bepo said suddenly with a small blush on his cheeks as he scratched his cheek with a talon. And Miyako couldn't help but smile.
"Yeah, we're here for ya!" Penguin exclaimed.
"Thank you guys…for everything. Especially for saving me back there." Miyako bowed her head slightly with a smile. In the end, the Heart Pirates really weren't a bad bunch. Miyako had been suspicious of the pirate men for a long time, but they proved to be trustworthy and loyal, to both their crewmates and especially their captain. They were good people. Absentmindedly, she thought that being on this submarine and with these people wasn't such a bad thing…she could've ended up worse after being sold in that auction. She could've ended up as some Tenryuubito's pet.
However, as the thought crossed her mind, she remembered her home island and her stubbornness and pride just didn't let her yield. She was to go back to Wano and that was final!
A clearing of Law's throat made everyone look at him and stop their conversation. "Miss Miyako should rest now. You can see her again tomorrow." His voice left no room for argument this time.
The group sighed, but nodded knowing there was no point arguing.
"Well see you soon Miya-chan." Penguin called as he and Shachi turned to leave, the rest shortly behind.
Cody elbowed Miyako playfully and grinned. "Don't worry, Josh and I have to work in the infirmary tomorrow anyway so we'll keep you company. That way you won't get too bored."
Before Miyako had time to respond, Josh pulled Cody by the ear and away. "Come on, lover-boy."
Cody blushed ever so slightly, but then grinned and waved at Miyako as Josh dragged him along. The girl smiled nervously with a sweat-drop and waved back as she saw he friends leave.
~...~
Law tapped his pen on the paper in front of him as he impatiently waited for everyone to leave the infirmary. He needed some peace and quiet to work and also sort his thoughts that seemed unusually chaotic lately for a level-headed guy such as himself. At least when it came to a certain samurai woman.
His thoughts were broken when the said samurai leaned over his shoulder.
"Sooo…whatcha doooin'?" She asked innocently as she stared at his papers with her hands behind her back and rocking back and forth on her heels.
"Let me guess…you're bored?" he muttered not even taking his eyes off his work. And he didn't have to, he knew her well enough already to know exactly what face she had on. Just about now she'll put on a frown and say some smart-ass comment.
"Well you're the one who hurried them away."
Ah, he knew it…Though instead of a frown, she decided on a pout which she rarely used. But that got him to another conclusion…she wanted something.
"What do you want, Miss Miyako." Law asked in a somewhat bored tone, indicating he wasn't falling for her innocent act about wanting to chat all of a sudden.
"Weeell…as we were talking about earlier, I'll really need to buy a new sword so...," she trailed off.
"Ah, so it's money issues." He finally stopped writing and leaned back into his chair, putting his hands behind his neck and looking up at the girl who was still bowed down and close enough to reach if he just extended his arm a little. If he extended his arm, pulled her head down a little more and-
Law cut off his own thoughts and concentrated on the conversation at hand instead. "You want me to give you money for a new katana." He stated simply, not even forming it into a question.
"Yeah…oh and while you're at it, can you lend me additional 100 Beli?" She added as if just remembering something else.
Law gave her a questioning look with one eyebrow raised and disappearing under his hat.
"Josh…" Miyako just said with a sheepish smile, nervously scratched the back for her head. At that moment Law remembered Josh still wanted those 100 Beli for the book fetching, and the memory made the man sigh.
His thin lips formed his usual smirk as he got an idea. "Alright…and if I give you the money, what will you do for me?"
Miyako frowned. "Can't you just do it out of the goodness of your heart for once?" She asked dryly, knowing the answer to that one already.
The pirate didn't say anything, but kept that smirk and Miyako knew exactly what it meant. She sighed as she saw there was no point in prolonging the inevitable. "Alright...so what do you want?" Her voice and expression immediately became more cautious, wary of the man's smirk and even warier of his mind. Who knew what the pirate captain had in store for her this time.
He was silent for a while as if thinking, that smirk still present while the girl's expression became more skeptical by the minute.
"Hmm…You still need a few days of rest so there's no point in asking anything of you now. I'll just let you know when I need something," his smirk widened.
"So I'm just supposed to wait at your back and call….when I least expect it?" She didn't like that idea…not one bit. At least when he told her beforehand she knew what she had to prepare for. But now it could be anything, anytime, anyplace and for a person like her, who wanted to have everything in control, it was pure torture. And she was sure Law knew that too, which was certainly one of the reasons why he decided to do it.
"Mhm. Exactly." He answered, his smirk turning into an evil grin.
"Oh, that sounds exciiiiting!" Miyako's voice was full of sarcasm as she rolled her eyes.
"Do you want a new katana or not?" Law rose his eyebrow, his face suddenly more serious. He didn't really appreciate her mocking tone. She was still talking to her captain after all, and no matter what, he still wanted respect from his crew, including her.
"Fine." She muttered with a frown as she finally rose from her bowed position. A few moments of silence later, she proceeded, "And the 100 Beli?"
Law sighed. "And the 100 Beli."
~….~
Miyako rolled a few times in her bed, hissing in slight pain when she rolled on her back, forgetting the injuries that put her there in the first place. You wouldn't think a person would forget it, but currently her mind could only think of one thing….Boredom! She was bored as hell! It had been two days and her lash wounds more or less healed; not completely, but enough to not reopen.
She sat up abruptly in the bed, tossing the sheets away. "That's it! I'm going to die out of boredom! I'll be the first person actually killed by boredom!" She exclaimed to the empty room since she was currently all alone in it. True, her friends would sometimes come to visit, but they had work of their own to take care of, and Law also spent most of his time in the control room or his quarters so she usually spent her time alone, with her book that she was reading for the second time. At one point she actually hoped someone would get sick so they would be transported to the infirmary and keep her company; but as soon as she thought it, she took it back and then scolded herself for being a horrible person who wished ill to others for her own gain.
The doors suddenly opened and she saw two mean-looking red eyes staring at her…mean-looking red eyes on Josh's hat that is; and soon after the short redhead walked into the room. "Alright, captain told me you're free to leave the infirmary. Your days of rest are over so get your ass back to the galley, Ugly." He announced as he walked completely into the room.
He didn't even have to finish as Miyako hopped from the bed and started looking for her clothes. "You know I could hug you from glee right now, but I don't want to get jerk germs." She grinned and found a pair of plain blue jeans she previously bought and that were left for her once she recovered. She straightened her button-up shirt and put her black boots on, pulling the jeans over them.
"But the captain said not to exert yourself for a few-" Josh was cut off though by Miyako almost running out of the room.
"Yeah, yeah, gottcha!" She yelled back, happy to be moving and out of the room again. She hoped they would surface soon so she could catch some fresh air and sun…hell, she'd be happy with a blizzard right now as long as she's outside, but that'll have to wait. So instead she went to the galley, stretching as she walked.
~...~
The kitchen was busy as usual and Miyako smiled a little when she saw Munk ordering the chefs around, hitting some of them with his big wooden spoon when they messed up.
*Aah, nothing has changed I see.*
When he turned around, he finally saw her standing there and placed his hands on his hips. "Well look who it be! All betta' I hope!" He had that friendly grin he wore the first time they met, but this time Miyako wasn't feeling so awkward. Instead, she grinned back and walked inside the galley, putting an apron on.
"Yep, and ready for work." She smiled.
"Well that be good tha hear, girly. Now dontcha just be standin' there! Ya be havin' work to do!" He took a big basket of potatoes and handed it to the girl who almost fell forwards because of the sudden weight.
She took her usual seat in one corner and started peeling, chopping and anything else that needed to be done. Once again she was sitting and pretty much being inert, but she was at least doing something useful and not just lying around. And for the first time, the noise of the kitchen didn't bother her. Instead, she welcomed it.
After work Miyako showered and went to dinner where she met up with her friends again. She was beat but happy to be doing something of use again. However, their dinner was soon interrupted by Sai's voice over the speaker; "We are reaching a new island in half an hour. Everybody, prepare for surfacing."
"Finally a new island! I was wondering when we'll reach one." Penguin exclaimed, happy to get some fresh air again.
"Yeah, it was starting to get really stuffy in here." Bepo said as he pulled on the collar of his jumpsuit a few times.
Shachi sighed, looking at the bear. "You always feel stuffy when we're underwater."
"Sorry." Bepo bowed down his head suddenly.
"You're too easily defeated!" Penguin yelled at him, causing the bear to apologize even more.
The samurai eyed the arguing pair, rather Penguin simply yelling at Bepo, with a sweat-drop. She felt sorry for their first mate. "Well it can't be helped. He's a bear, after all. I'm sure it's really hot in that fur and a jumpsuit," she tried defending him.
However Josh cut her off as he turned towards her. "And you!" He started, pointing a fork right at her nose which made her frown. "You, stay away from trouble this time! I don't want to be saving you again."
The girl sighed, feeling defeated. "Hai, hai…."
~...~
It was already dark when they docked so Miyako couldn't see much of the island or the village they came to. There were some lanterns illuminating their way as they walked towards one of the taverns. Since it was dark, Law decided it would be better to gather information and supplies in the morning. So he only took the usual group with him to find out when the log pose sets here; Penguin, Shachi, Josh, Bepo, Cody and Miyako.
"Captain, are you sure it's a good idea to bring Miyako along. She might get into trouble again and she doesn't even have a weapon to defend herself," Josh said to Law, grinning at Miyako like a brother trying to taunt his sister on purpose. He knew she wanted to get out of that submarine already, and in her mind she was not staying behind.
Surgeon of Death glanced back at the girl who was currently glaring at Josh with a frown and stuck her tongue out at him when he began snickering. Law rose his eyebrow at her actions so she quickly put a straight face with a sweat-drop. The captain smirked.
"Don't worry Mister Joshua, she'll be fine. Miss Miyako will stay by my side this time to avoid such situations." He looked at the samurai, who blinked in surprise a few times. Then she looked away suddenly, finding the ground very interesting, yet she didn't say anything. Trafalgar was staring at this unusual action with a straight but unreadable expression though he didn't ask anything either.
Miyako didn't know why she felt uncomfortable all of a sudden. It wasn't so much that she didn't like being in Law's company...she had to admit he was an intelligent man and conversations with him were interesting, not to mention it was always fun to try and best him in the smart remarks they shared. Though it seemed he was winning in those lately. Still, the girl felt a bit different around him lately, even strange. She couldn't really describe it and she couldn't even tell if it was a bad feeling or not; but she knew it made her feel a certain way that she couldn't understand and she didn't like that. She didn't know why the man suddenly had such an effect on her…though she couldn't really say it was suddenly, either. She wasn't sure when exactly it started, but it seemed to be increasing lately, especially after the Point Blank incident. At first she just thought it was guilt that made her feel all awkward and weird around him, and that it was gratitude that would make her heart start beating just a little bit faster and harder in her chest when she saw him; but in the end she decided those couldn't possibly be the reason why. And she even seemed to be blushing more and was more embarrassed because of him lately. All in all, those sensations and reactions almost frightened her and made her uncomfortable, yet no matter what was the reason behind them, one thing was certain; Law had something to do with it.
"Miss Miyko?" A voice brought her back to reality.
"Huh?" She blinked and gazed up with a slightly confused look, to see Law standing there with a questioning gaze. The group was already far ahead.
"Try not to be left behind. You never know what could happen," he said in his usual serious but calm voice that showed neither worry nor anger. Just a simple statement.
"O-oh, right! Sorry." She hurried towards him and started walking by his side, already feeling a touch of hotness in her cheeks. *What's wrong with me!? Am I sick or something?* However, the thought of a certain doctor examining her only made her blush even more as that heat intensified. *Waaah, I need to calm down!* She put both hands on her cheeks and shook her head as she tried to calm herself and get rid of the incoming blush.
Law raised an eyebrow for the nth time that day when he saw his samurai act strange and unusual. Luckily for Miyako it was too dark to actually see her blushing face, but her peculiar actions were enough to raise a question mark over his head. *Strange woman…* The though crossed his mind as he couldn't decide whether to be amused by this or interested in what was going on inside her head right now. In the end, he decided to just leave it alone, since they still had to find a tavern and the rest of their group was now waiting for them up ahead impatiently.
The girl continued to walk as she finally got all the embarrassing thoughts out of her head and managed to calm herself. She walked silently with her head slightly bowed as she still stared at the ground in front of her. Only sometimes she would glance around, which suddenly made her realize the village seemed awfully familiar. She couldn't really understand why since she certainly never visited it before. Still, the buildings and the structure of the whole village looked awfully familiar.
Only when they walked inside the tavern and Miyako saw the village folk did she understand why. They were dressed in simple clothing that people of Wano wore. That's when she realized the whole village along with the wooden and stone buildings and houses looked like a typical Wano village.
"This village looks just like the ones in Wano" She stated to the rest of the group, who stared at her with surprise and interest.
"Really? But we're not even in the New World! Why would it look the same?" Penguin asked with a tilted head.
Miyako just shrugged, not knowing the answer either.
"Well let's just ask." Shachi proposed with a smile and walked to the bar to sit down. The rest of the group found an empty table nearby and sat down as they watched Shachi converse with the innkeeper. After a while, he returned and sat down with the group.
"So? What did he say?" Josh asked. They all seemed interested in what Shachi had to say…well except Law, who just laid back in his chair and looked as if he didn't have a worry in the world. Though he was also carefully listening to his mechanic's words.
"Well, for starters it takes 5 days for the log pose to set here, so we'll be staying for a while," he started with a sigh. "Also, it seems that long ago some people from Wano came here and established this village and all the traditions from Wano remained, such as clothes or architecture. That's why it looks like an exact replica of a Wano village…though their ancestors were from Wano, they also had a lot of newcomers from different islands here over the years so there's a lot of variety among people." Shachi explained and took a pause to catch his breath.
"Well that's one thing that's not the same as in Wano," Miyako muttered as she rested her head on her hand. Wano didn't like outsiders or foreigners and didn't even let them enter legally without a whole complicated procedure.
The group didn't comment on her muttering, however, and the head mechanic continued. "The island's name is Akai no Shima and the village is called Kyonin Village," he explained.
"Kyonin Village? That's the name of one of the oldest and biggest villages in Wano. It has a lot of history," the samurai explained as she remembered her home island. "Actually, I grew up in a town not far away from there." She said in thought, more to herself than others.
"So they must've named it that in honor of the real Kyonin Village," Cody concluded and the group nodded, agreeing.
Miyako leaned on her chair and stared at the ceiling with a nostalgic look in her eyes. "It really makes you feel homesick when you look at all of this."
As soon as she said that, a man crashed down into one of the tables and everything went flying. A few loud voices were heard as a fight started. The pirate group looked at the scene with a sweat-drop.
"Does this feel nostalgic too?" Josh asked with sarcasm.
"Well actually…." Miyako started with a sweat-drop. The truth was scenes like this one weren't rare in Wano. She experienced a lot of fights in inns and taverns between drunken men or even samurai on her journey as a rounin. Sometimes the fights would even become more dangerous and the men would take out their swords and weapons. Since Wano was a land of Samurai, duels weren't that unusual. Samurai there would get into duels over the most trivial things. Anything could make their blood boil if they felt their honor had been offended. Especially those who were always quick to draw their swords, but Miyako found such men foolish and usually they weren't that good warriors either. They usually just wanted to show off their limited skills and impress the ladies. In Miyako's opinion, true samurai knew when to draw their katana and when to leave it be.
Meanwhile the fight in the tavern looked as if it reached its peak and both parties took out their swords. The weapons appeared similar to Wano katana, but the girl could see they weren't as skillfully made as those in Wano. After all, Wano was known for making the finest katana, it wasn't just a trade but also an art. Thinking about all this just made Miyako more depressed as she remembered she lost her sword so easily.
Soon after, the whole tavern became a chaotic mess as everyone started fighting and then she heard warning whistles as the authorities ran towards the tavern, ready to stop the whole trouble.
Law stood up slowly, one hand holding his nodachi on the shoulder and the other in his pocket. He looked bored an uninterested in the chaos around him as if he wasn't bothered by it at all. "We should leave before the authorities come here."
The group nodded and stood up as well. Just as they were about to leave, the authorities came inside. There was at least a dozen of them. They started clearing out the mess and the Heart pirates took that chance to escape the scene unnoticed…however it didn't work out so well.
"Hey, you there! Stop!" A voice called behind them, as one of the young officers called out to Law and the group.
Law stopped and looked behind him lazily with the same bored expression. He didn't say anything as he stared at the officer.
"Aren't you Trafalgar Law, the captain rookie." It was said more like a statement than a question though. Hearing those words, the rest of the officers turned towards the pirates. And so did the rest of the tavern.
"And what if I am?" Law asked simply.
The officers surrounded the pirates, leaving the drunken tavern men alone for now. Currently, the pirate rookie with the bounty of 300,000 000 Beli was of more importance.
"Surrender peacefully or we will use force!" The officers took out their sabers and pointed them at the group.
Miyako sighed. "And we were so close to the exit too…"
"Heh, I'm not complaining. I needed a workout anyway." Josh smirked and raised the sleeves of his jumpsuit to his elbows.
Cody turned towards Miyako, a little worried. "Will you be alright without a sword, Miya-chan?"
Miyako smirked and looked at the young officers. "Don't worry. I'm not completely powerless without a weapon. At least not against these guys."
"I-If you don't surrender, we will have no other choice but to capture you by force…even if we have to hurt you!" The young officer warned. He looked unsure of himself, more so by the minute, as the pirates weren't backing down. And their captain was smirking as if amused with the whole situation. They didn't look worried at all. On the other hand, the officers had heard of The Surgeon of Death and how he was known for his cruelty, and that made them even more anxious.
As the officers attacked them, Law didn't even have to lift a finger. The men couldn't even get to him through his crew, who beat them quick and with ease. One of the officers tried to stab Miyako, but she moved her head to the side and put her hands on both sides of the sabre, then turned it sharply until the officer lost the grip on it. She caught it by the handle in the air and sliced at the officer without warning. The sabre felt weird and much lighter than her sword, but she didn't have much problem handling it, as she sliced through the rest of the men. She noticed one of them managed to get to Law through the chaos, but the captain just looked at the incoming officer with boredom. Before the young man managed to get a hit, Bepo appeared out of nowhere and kicked the officer away. The polar bear was always watching out for their captain, always ready to protect him.
In a matter of minutes, the dozen officers were defeated and grunting on the floor…at least the ones who weren't unconscious or dead. The pirates looked at the mess.
"But where will we stay now?" Penguin scratched his head with a troubled expression.
Trafalgar gazed up at the innkeeper who gulped. Without even the pirates having to ask, the man started talking; "W-well, there's also a small motel just down the street..." It seems the man wanted to be rid of the pirates as soon as possible.
the Dark Doctor walked out and towards the said motel, leaving the folk stare at each other with discomfort.
~...~
Once in the motel, Miyako finally thought she'd be able to relax. However it wasn't that simple. The master of the motel had only three rooms available and there were 7 of them, not to mention the rooms only had two beds each.
Miyako laughed nervously and turned around. "W-well, I guess I'll just…umm….stay outside! Yeah, it's a nice night, It'll be fiiine." She said, not liking where this was going. At that very moment a thunder was heard outside and the wind started blowing even harder than before. The girl glared outside the motel's window as she cursed Mother Nature. *Traitor!*
"She can stay with us!" Penguin said a bit too excitedly, as a small blush appeared on his smiling face, betraying his dirty thoughts. Meanwhile, Shachi was nodding vigorously next to him.
*Aaand that's exactly what I was worried about.* Miyako sweat-dropped.
"Well that's good because she's not sleeping in our room." Josh said and crossed his arms on his chest, his nose high in the air.
The Wano girl sighed. "Look, you don't have to worry about me, I'll be fine. I'll just-"
"Miss Miyako will stay in my room," Law cut her off.
The said girl turned around towards her captain sharply. "Excuse me?"
"Mister Joshua obviously doesn't want you nearby…" Law begun to explain, conveniently letting out the real reason he didn't want Miyako sleeping with Josh and Cody. Of course Josh didn't really have a say in the matter and if Law ordered it Miyako would have to stay in their room, but the captain didn't like the thought of Miyako and Cody sleeping in the same quarters. "Bepo never sleeps on the bed so if he sleeps in your room, it would be a waste of a good bed," he continued on.
Miyako rose an eyebrow questioningly at the bear.
"I'm just not used to it…it seems unnatural," the bear explained with a shrug.
Miyako's eyes narrowed a little. "And yet you find it perfectly natural to wear clothes?" She couldn't stop herself from asking.
"Sorry." Was all the bear said and the girl suddenly felt bad for asking, since it sounded like an attack.
The captain ignored the couple and finished, "So would you rather sleep with Penguin-ya and Shachi-ya?" He asked with a smirk, already knowing the answer. The two mechanics looked at the girl excitedly at the mention of their names.
Miyako didn't want to offend them, but…"Ok, I get the point." She muttered.
"Why? What's wrong with us?" Shachi exclaimed and tilted his head.
"You're perverts, that's what's wrong!" The redhead yelled at them and the three pirates started arguing.
~...~
Miyako looked around the room. *Well at least it's not that bad.* The room had old wooden floors and walls, but looked relatively clean and in order. There wasn't much in it, just two beds and two nightstands with candles on them. However, they even had a small bathroom, much to Miyako's surprise. She looked out of the only window in the room as the storm kept raging outside. A thin willow tree right outside swayed wildly on the wind, as its branches kept banging on the window glass.
However she couldn't get the awkwardness of the situation out of her head. She was about to spend the night together with her captain, with Law, with a person she could hardly stand being in the same room about 6 months ago unless it was to try and piss him off of course.
*I can't believe I'm sharing a room with a man…and with Law of all people! Maybe I should just ask to spend the night with Josh and Cody, that would be less awkward. And who cares what that shrimp thinks anyway!* Miyako turned around with a new-found plan just to gasp, startled, and gape at the scene before her.
Law, who was in the shower just moments ago, was now in the room with only his pants on.
The Wano girl quickly looked away as memories from that night in Maple Town's mansion came rushing back. "Okay, you got to stop doing that!" she refused to look anywhere else but at the floor in front of her as she caught his movement from the corner of her eyes, who seemed to fold his arms on his chest.
"Doing what?" He asked in amusement, thought he obviously knew what the problem was. It was pretty clear, with the girl staring at the floor and blushing madly.
"Anyway…I think I'll go sleep in Josh's and Cody's room after all," Miyako said and turned towards the door, but before she could go out of the room, Law's voice stopped her.
"No." It was said sharply and seriously, that left no room for arguing. In his "Captain voice," as Miyako called it. It reminded her of the time she wanted to follow Luffy into the jungle at Amazon Lily and see how he was doing, but Law said the same-toned "No" then.
She looked up and put her hands on the hips, her feisty side getting the best of her. "And why not?" The said feisty side faltered a little as Law was still half-naked. She didn't let it bother her this time. "And would you please put some clothes on?" She added, pointing with one hand at his naked torso.
The captain's eyes narrowed a little. It was too late to have an argument and he wasn't in the mood for it. "All the arrangements were already made so there is no reason for you to go troubling Mister Joshua and Mister Cody, is there?" He raised an eyebrow. "Or does my presence bother you that much?"
Miyako wasn't sure how to answer that. She fidgeted with the sleeves of her shirt for a while, thinking what to say. After a while of silence, she looked at him with a smirk and raised an eyebrow of her own. "And what if it does?" She decided to stop acting like a little girl. He was throwing her mind out of balance too much lately and she wanted to get back to the secure and determined Miyako she was before…the one that was slowly slipping away and being replaced by a constantly blushing and awkward girl every time she was around him. It was easy to put on a mask, to pretend…she did it a lot before, she could do it again.
Trafalgar's expression remained calm but serious as he didn't look even a little bit thrown off by her statement. However, his voice was low and cold and even though it was calm it had an edge of danger in it. "I don't have any reason to explain myself to you any further. You got your orders, from your captain, so you are staying here and that is final." Of course Law couldn't say he didn't want her sleeping in the same room as Cody, and the fact that she was insisting on it was making him even angrier. And he was angry enough because of her lack of respect and defying of his orders. Her last statement didn't help his mood, either. He thought they were passed that whole part of her not liking him and giving his snarky remarks all the time. He admitted it could be cute and amusing sometimes, but not now.
He knew his reasons were irrational and even if Miyako did like Cody that was none of his business. And yet he kept repeating that scene in the infirmary when Cody was hugging her and being all close to her…too close for his liking. Irrational or not, he didn't like it and if Law doesn't like something, it has to go away. Of course, the doctor had nothing against his medical assistant. Cody was trustworthy and a good subordinate and the captain would never do anything against his crew, but that didn't mean he had to stand and watch Cody get all close and lovely with his samurai. Law was a bit surprised at being so possessive and out of character, but for once in his lifetime he couldn't help it.
The samurai wouldn't have any of it, though. She didn't like the way Law was talking to her and her stubborn side just couldn't keep still. She couldn't fight the urge to defy this man just to spite him. "You know what…I think that's something I have a right to decide for myself. So excuse me, but-" she turned around and started walking towards the door again, before she felt a grip on her wrist and was sharply yanked backwards. Before Miyako even knew what was happening, she was thrown on the bed, looking up wide-eyed at Law who was towering over her on the bed while pinning her down. In the back of her mind she cursed herself for being such a fool and letting her guard down. *I knew I was beginning to trust him too much!* But the other part of her mind was trying to stifle the slight panic bubbling inside her gut. This was not a position she ever wanted to find herself in.
"What do you think you're doing? Let me go." Her voice was cold and demanding as she glared up at him and tried to wriggle out of his tight grip. She refused to show any sign of worry though and wanted to stay as calm as possible. But he was just making it impossible as he had a completely serious and straight face with an unreadable expression. However, his eyes pierced right into hers and he remained completely unmoving.
After a while Miyako stopped struggling and looked at him, a bit skeptical. She couldn't tell what the man was thinking at all nor what he wanted and that just added to her uneasiness. "W-what?" She asked, sounding a bit more uncertain than she wanted to.
"Stay." The word pierced right through her. Law on the other hand didn't even flinch nor change his expression as he said it, while she just stared at him in bewilderment. Of all the things, she didn't expect to hear that one, and especially not in this tone. It sounded like an order, but not in the cold, sharp voice he used before. It sounded softer. Still, he didn't let go of her wrist and Miyako found it was impossible to get free. How strong was this guy!?
For a while, everything seemed still and silent. She didn't know how long they stayed that way before she got over the shock. She was brought back to reality as a droplet from his wet hair fell on her cheek and slid down it.
"Huh?" It was all she could get out of her mouth right now as she still stared at him with wide eyes. The golden of her eyes glowed slightly in the dim room, which was illuminated with only two candles that cast flickering shadows on the walls.
"Stay." Law simply repeated, even softer this time, and Miyako found it hard to say no.
However she didn't want to seem meek. She cleared her throat to get her normal voice back. "Will you let me go if I do?"
Without a word, Law let go of her wrists and stood up from the bed. He watched her carefully though, analyzing her every move to see if she'll keep her end of the deal.
"Fine." She said in a low voice as she gave up, and she turned to get ready for bed. Still, she felt extremely uncomfortable when thinking about stripping in front of the man, but as she turned towards him, she saw he was already lying on the bed with his back turned to her and his candle out. Miyako realized he did it out of courtesy so she didn't have to feel uneasy, and really, it made her feel a lot better. She stripped down to just her underwear and got under the blankets. For a while she stared at his still back, then with a sigh blew out her own candle and closed her eyes.
Just before they both fell asleep a silent "Good night" came out of her mouth and echoed in the darkness. She didn't get a response, but she wasn't expecting one anyway even though she knew he wasn't sleeping yet. Nevertheless, this whole situating has been weird and she wanted to forget it as soon as possible and she suspected Law did too. Especially when she started remembering actually how close they had been, the feel of his hot breath on her face, his grey eyes piercing into hers as if trying to see right into her, that intense expression on his handsome face when he asked her to stay, her heart beating so loudly in her chest- *Whoa whoa whoa! Wait a minute! I am not going down that road! Nothing happened, everything's perfectly fine and I just have to forget all about this…and never think about it again because it's driving me crazy!* She was irritated by her own thoughts that just kept thinking of all the wrong things today. She realized she started thinking about things she never should, and even more worryingly, she started thinking of Law in a way she never had before. That both annoyed her and freaked her out.
As she tormented herself with her own thoughts, Miyako had no idea Law wasn't any better off at the moment. Right now he was cursing himself for losing control like that and doing and saying things he really shouldn't have. He moved on his back and closed his eyes, putting a forearm over them. So now he was once again lying in the bed with his mind filled with troubling thoughts and the whole scene just seemed too familiar. Yes, this was exactly how it went that night in the mansion a few months ago. He turned his head and looked over at Miyako's bed, but couldn't see much through the darkness. He saw a still form, probably already asleep. *What the hell am I even doing?* Even more troubling thoughts started running through his mind; She doesn't want you. The only reason why she's on your ship and following your orders is because you made her. She's not yours and never will be.
Law gritted his teeth, annoyed at his own thoughts that kept flooding him. It made him angry even though he wasn't sure who should he be angry with. At first it was himself, but little by little that anger was slowly being directed towards Miyako. He knew it didn't make sense and once again he was irrational, but a part of him was blaming her for it, saying it was her fault. It was her fault for getting so damn close to him and getting under his skin. That she was manipulating him and just acting all clueless. Suddenly all kinds of different theories and possibilities crossed his mind and unfortunately the worst ones stayed.
But then he would remember the girl's innocent and smiling face, or that blush she would always get when he came close to her. She always tried to hide it and Law would pretend not to see it, but he always had to hide an amused smirk or a chuckle when seeing it. It was like a little game they would play. So could such a girl who seemed clueless when it came to men really be all manipulative? True, she was intelligent and when it came to dealing with certain situations or problems, or getting out of a pinch, she was very good at it, but to be able to make him trust her and even develop….some sort of feelings for her that even Law couldn't decipher himself yet, could she really be capable of doing all that?
Law was in conflict with himself; arguing and thinking of arguments for both sides, but for the first time his calculating mind wasn't helping him solve the problem. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and tried to empty his mind completely. It was hard to let go of the chaos currently inside his head, but after a while, darkness overtook him completely. And yet the last thing he saw before completely falling asleep was her face.
hai - means 'yes'
Akai no Shima - Means "Red Island" in japanese.
Kyonin - Doesn't have a meaning, just something I made up. Though when I googled it later it seems it's a name for a place in something called Pathfinder. o.O
So they're finally at the new island. This one didn't have much action and it was more focused on Miyako's and Law's relationship and the tension/confusion between them :P
Also, at first I thought I'd return Miyako katana to her but since I didn't mention it in the last chapter at all I thought of a better idea; Why not give Miyako a new one that I'll name from the start. :)
Anyways, I hope you liked it and tell me what you think! Comments, reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome.