'I don't like you!' by BloodyMarryMe
I actually uploaded sooner than I though. Whoot! :D I'm kinda feeling 'meh' about this chapter but that might just be my personal opinion as the author…I don't know, I'll let you guys decide. Hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or any of its characters, but the OC Suzune Miyako is mine. This story is rated T for violence, language and suggestive themes.
CHAPTER 46
The Heart Pirates looked around in awe at the scenery before them. There were Merfolk everywhere, of all colors and kinds. The Fishmen swam inside watery tubes that reached every part of the island, branching out like roads. The others used air bubbles on their waists to move around and it almost seemed like they were flying, swimming on air itself as they moved their tails. There were even giant turtles used as transport like cabs and buses to help the Fishmen reach from one place to the other.
The pirates watched all this with open mouths and wide grins, completely losing themselves in the unusual sight.
"But I still don't get it; how can there be so much light here?" Bepo scratched his head as he tilted it to the side questioningly.
"It's because of the Sunlight Tree Eve," Law answered, almost a walking encyclopedia of knowledge. He was always well prepared for their journeys and Fishmen Island was no exception. He studied as much as he could on the subject; history and all. "It absorbs sunlight in the surface and then sends it down through its roots." The captain finished his explanation with a gesture towards the large trees around the island that were actually the said roots.
"That must be the biggest tree in the world then," Penguin muttered in amazement.
Josh grinned at the mechanic. "I bet they'll be even more amazing things in the New World." Both pirates got excited by just the thought, until Shachi came from behind and interrupted them by almost jumping at them, hooking his arms on both their necks in the process.
"Guys, aren't we forgetting something…?" There was a light blush decorating Shachi's already grinning face. "Mermaid Café is still waiting!" He exclaimed, gaining a few worried and fearful looks from the by-passers.
The other mechanic gladly joined in Shachi's cheer, understanding the brown haired man's joy perfectly. "Whoooa! That's right everyone! Let's find some Mermaids!" Penguin raised his fist in the air excitedly.
On the other hand, Josh just covered his embarrassed and slightly red face with the rim of his hat by pulling it further down. "I'm not really interested," he murmured, sporting a slight pout on his expression.
Bepo, Miyako and Cody watched the redhead with a sweat drop, all of them thinking the exact same thing. *He totally is…*
However, as Miyako looked around, she couldn't help but notice the wary stares coming from the Fishmen. The townspeople seemed to be keeping as much distance as they could as they passed them by. True, the Heart Pirates were a rowdy bunch, and were at the moment yelling mermaids all around, probably seeming like human idiots to the Fishmen, but was it really that bad that the Mermen would feel so uncomfortable just seeing them on the street? Or was it because they were pirates? True, pirates were mostly feared and hated everywhere but the officials of the Ryugu Palace even allowed the Heart Pirates passage inside, already used to all kinds of pirate crews stopping here before heading for the New World. Besides, Law mentioned this was previously Whitebeard's territory and now under the protection of Big Mom, both notorious Pirate Emperors. So why such suspicious looks from all the townspeople around?
"Don't you think the Fishmen are acting a bit strange? As if they are avoiding us. Are they scared of us?" Miyako finally asked, unable to withstand her curiosity any longer.
This time it wasn't Law who answered, but Jean Bart, walking the crowded streets beside her. "It's not that odd considering the history between them and the humans," the navigator started, continuing after seeing the girl's puzzled gaze. "A lot of humans discriminate against the Fishmen, considering them lower beings than men. So a lot of them are even hunted down and sold like slaves. They've been fighting this war of prejudice for hundreds of years already." The former captain Jean Bart sighed, looking at the Merfolk around him. As a former slave, he knew well what it was like to live as nothing more than a dog of your 'master'. Slaves were thought of nothing but used property. The navigator could sympathize with these Fishmen and their fear of humans. Humans were cruel creatures after all.
"I see…I didn't even know they were treated this badly on the surface," Miyako murmured. Discrimination wasn't an unfamiliar term to her; she met with it on her journey as a Rounin quite often. There were always differences between the people and the classes as they each had their way of life but some believed they were better than the others. She remembered a particular sort of those people, a picture of Saint Q. Piercy and the Tenryuubito instantly entering her mind, and her features twisted into a displeased frown.
"Heh. You still have much to learn about the world," Josh said in a self-important note, giving her one of those I'm-so-sure-of-myself smiles.
The girl just looked at him from the corner of her eyes, not bothering to turn to him completely, her expression turning even less pleased. "I don't want to hear that from you," her tone was sour as she muttered.
"What's that supposed to mean!?" The redhead growled, his usual temper instantly getting the best of him.
The two bumped heads, glaring at each other, ready to lash out but they stopped cold when they heard a familiar clearing of throat beside them. Cody silently stared at them, not even having to say anything for the two to instantly calm down and fall into place. The medic was probably the only one who could control those two besides the captain. The pair froze and moved away with a sweat drop and guilty looks, not wanting to provoke the wrath of the blue haired medic.
"More importantly, Captain Law, we don't have any duties now, right?" Sam grinned, his thoughts clearly written on his face. If they were in a cartoon there would be two Mermaid ladies instead of his usual hazel eyes. He stared at his captain expectantly, only needing a green light to disappear in the blink of an eye.
The captain stared back at his crew, who were already tense with anticipation by now. He purposely prolonged the silence, pretending to contemplate on the idea, only to make them stir in their own impatience a little. Finally, the pirate captain sighed and nodded. Without having time to even voice his consent, the crew split up in groups and rushed away, heading in all directions. With another sigh and a shook of his head, the captain watched his crew quickly disappear into the crowd, still standing out in their snow-white boiler suits. He could only hope they don't get into any trouble but being the pirates they were, the chances for that were rather slim.
Soon everyone headed their own way. Law mentioned they needed a new log pose for the New World and made buying it his first priority. He invited Jean Bart and Sai for this task, since they were going to use that log the most. The smaller navigator was also interested in some maps of the unfortunately scarcely charted New World so he happily went along.
The rest of the crew also went their own way; most of them on their quest to find the dream-like Mermaid Café they all wouldn't shut up about ever since they set off of Sabaody. Even Cody and Joshua went with them; Cody just smiling, but honestly interested in the Mermaids as well, while Josh kept muttering under his breath and trying to hide his enthusiasm, yet he wasn't fooling anybody.
The ones who didn't go searching for mermaids, searched for some local liquor or cuisine, determined to try out as much as they could while still on Fishmen Island. Most of their interest was turned towards alcohol and women though, as they searched for any good taverns. Some even went shopping, talking about some famous designer who has a clothing brand for criminals or something like that; Miyako wasn't really sure since she wasn't listening closely anyway.
However, for the first time in quite some time, the girl had some time for herself, finding herself alone at the town's square. She took a deep breath with a smile, smelling the faint salty air around her, enjoying the peace and quiet for a change. *Alright. So where to now?* She put her hands on her hips, happily looking around, excited to start her exploration. Soon, that satisfied expression was accompanied by a sweat drop as the girl blinked a few times, her smile wavering lightly. *Ah…I have no idea where to go.* She sighed a bit disappointedly, leaning forward as if a heavy burden was weighing on her back, but then she abruptly stood upright again with a bright smile and hit the palm of her hand with a fist of the other, exclaiming happily in the process and scaring a few bystanders. *I know! Let's find a map of this place first!* With a clear goal in mind now, the girl walked on ahead with newfound determination.
~.…~
The samurai turned the map a few times, then tilted her head accordingly as if that would help her make sense of where she was going. She looked at the street in front of her. "I'm pretty sure the bus stop should be here…somewhere," the girl muttered, looking at the map again, still walking down the street and somehow managing to not bump into the Fishmen around.
"There was another ruckus, this time at Coral Hill. It seems someone from the Fishmen district came there and started causing trouble." An octopus-looking woman spoke up to her Mermaid friend.
Miyako's head turned a little as she caught that rumor while passing by, listening to the conversation. The girl didn't really like eavesdropping but this sounded like an interesting topic since she didn't really want the crew and her to meet any trouble here; they had enough of that on Sabaody and on their way here. Now, she just wanted to relax, find the bus stop that led to the famous sightseeing location called the Sea Forest and look around as nothing more than a tourist.
The old mermaid huffed, obviously displeased and irritated. "I'm getting sick of those thugs in the Fishmen District. Causing trouble, stealing, fighting…They seemed to be more irksome these days than usual." The woman shook her head with a glare on her face, aimed at a third party that wasn't here. "I hear there are some new gangs forming there; even going so far as to call themselves pirates."
The octopus looking woman shook her head as well, looking troubled at the thought, but then her expression lightened up in an instant. "But the princes were there to stop the man and put them into custody. Honestly, we're so lucky to have our dear princes protecting us. As long as they are here, we have nothing to fear," the woman was smiling brightly by the end of her speech.
"Oh, you're completely right! As long as we have our powerful Fukaboshi-sama, Ryuboshi-sama, Manboshi-sama and our wise king Neptune-sama, we are completely safe!" The other joined in the praise of their rules, clasping her hands together and looking up towards the palace almost as if celebrating some deity.
That's when the old mermaid noticed Miyako nearby and subtly let her friend know. They both instantly fell quiet and moved along in a hurry, glancing suspiciously at the human girl.
Miyako pretended not to notice as the women hurried away from her. Instead, with a sigh she kept on walking and looking at her map. *At this rate, I can't ask anyone for directions either.* The girl sighed again but then stopped suddenly as she noticed a red sign right in front of her, that said bus 122. Miyako smiled happily as it was exactly what she was looking for.
~…..~
Miyako stepped out of the large bus which was actually a giant fish with a cabin strapped to its back. The girl gasped as she found herself in front of a large forest with sunlight shining upon the trees. It was filled with both flora and fauna; numerous colorful plants lightly waving as if alive, while various sea creatures swam around lazily completely unfazed by the girl's presence.
She looked around, but didn't notice anyone else here which gave her some peace and quiet to enjoy this view. The samurai walked deeper into the forest, noticing large wrecks of ships nearby. She strolled over to them, examining the wooden and metal wreckage known as the ship's graveyard. It would look eerie in any other occasion, but somehow with bright colors and fish all around her, Miyako didn't find the sight very ghostly or bizarre. That's why she strolled on, passing the large ships and examining each one with interest. She saw a particularly large one, dyed in a blood red color with black sails that had a white jolly roger painted on them. The ship had a wide hole gaping from the side of its hull and both of its masts were broken. The girl wondered what could've caused such damage and she soon decided to satisfy her curiosity by climbing on board. She stepped on the wooden deck, deciding it was still sturdy enough to walk on since the ship didn't look that old.
Miyako went on with her exploration as she stepped inside the cabin and down the stairs that led below. She opened the first door she saw and stepped aside in surprise as a large fish quickly swam out of the room and through the first window that led outside. The girl chuckled with amusement, looking after the fish, before turning her attention to the room once again. After further inspection, Miyako noticed it was the bridge of the ship with the galley, and the girl frowned a little. She had enough of galleys at the submarine; she didn't need to examine some more. So instead she strolled further down, passing the armory and the sickbay. The girl stopped after passing the sickbay and moved backwards, peering inside. She wasn't really interested in the medical equipment since that was Law's area of expertise but a bright thought occurred to Miyako; if she found something interesting, it would act as a good bribe for the captain. The girl already learned how Trafalgar's mind worked; if you want something, you better have something to give in return. That's why it was always good to have something prepared for such occasions where Miyako had to ask Law a favor; usually involving borrowing money. It didn't happen often but it was good to be prepared; one thing she learned involving Law was to always be prepared.
The girl stepped inside and investigated the room, starting from the cupboards. She saw some broken bottles of medication and pills but that didn't quite interest her. The surgical equipment didn't look like anything special since she saw all those instruments at Law's infirmary as well. When it came to Trafalgar Law, you could say a lot about him but you certainly couldn't criticize his infirmary. The man had the very best equipment there.
So instead, Miyako went to the doctor's room inside the sickbay and saw a small desk there. It was neat and tidy with only a few basic items on it. The girl opened one of the drawers but didn't find anything of interest in it. It was only after the third drawer that Miyako found a small but thick book enveloped in old leather covers. It had papers and notes sticking out of it. As she opened it, Miyako realized it was the doctor's diary or rather his research log. Every page was filled with scribbles and notes, accompanied with occasional sketches.
Miyako didn't understand most of it, but she bet Law would. However, one thing even Miyako could perceive. Her eyebrows furrowed as she continued to read and stare at the pictures. It seems our good doctor was preparing for his trip to the Fishmen Island and the girl felt a bit glad he never got the chance to step foot here since he would definitively do more than just tourism. The crew of this ship obviously wasn't friendly towards Fishmen. They seemed to be catching and selling them, while the more interesting ones would end up on this doctor's table as research specimens. The doctor wrote that he even bought some Fishmen slaves to do research on them. The girl closed the book quickly as more detailed descriptions of the research followed, investigating the Merfolk internal anatomy. Miyako remembered Law's desire to 'analyze' those sea creatures they met and even on Fishmen; somehow she had a feeling Law would get along just fine with this pirate doctor, probably compering their research. That gave Miyako a certain idea that brought a smirk on her features; Law would definitively be interested in this research material and would want this book. With a mischievous glint in her eyes, Miyako pocketed the thick book in a small black backpack she brought along with her from the sub. She felt like a scavenger while taking it but then again, it's not like anybody would come looking for it; besides, she was a pirate now. That didn't mean she would go against her morals but perhaps bending the rules now and then wasn't so bad. The girl stopped and thought about that fact for a while, sighing when she realized the Heart Pirates were definitively a bad influence on her.
The girl strolled through the rest of the wreckage, mostly examining the damage of the ship. She even rummaged through the captain's cabin but didn't really find anything of interest. She listed through the captain's log that told about some of their adventures but it was pretty mild; at least compared to what the Heart Pirates went thought in the Grand Line. Not finding anything else interesting, Miyako went back to the deck and jumped down from it on the mossy ground, steadying the katana tied around her slim waist. She stood up from her kneeling position and looked upwards, only now noticing a white building on top of a small hill not far ahead.
*A pavilion?* Miyako narrowed her eyes, trying to focus her sight towards the tall building. She ran towards the hill, scaring a school of fish passing by that swam a circle around the girl before heading higher up. Miyako giggled and looked up, her jaw slacking in amazement as she saw pods of whales swim slowly right above her. She never thought she would see such a sight and if she didn't leave Wanokuni, she never would. The girl smiled at that thought, not regretting her choice to come on this journey with the Heart Pirates. Adjusting the backpack on her back, the girl walked on towards the building.
Only when she came up to the hill did Miyako realize the pavilion was actually a grave and she was standing in front of a graveyard. There were a few more tombstones made out of high quality white stone. The pavilion was the most impressive with golden but subtle decoration around the archway. *It must have been an important person,* Miyako thought, coming closer to read the name on the tomb inside the pavilion. *Beloved mother and queen, Otohime-sama,*the girl read and whistled in amazement as she realized it was the grave of the Fishmen Island's queen.
Her impressed expression was soon changed as Miyako suddenly got serious, looking behind her with the corner of her eyes. *A voice. But it's weak.* Her Kenbunshoku Haki caught a presence nearby and it didn't belong to any of the fish fauna around her; It was a more cognizant being. The girl rushed towards the presence, realizing its voice was still weak meaning the person, whoever they were, were barely conscious.
Miyako rushed through the bushes, moving some plants as tall as her aside, when she heard a slight moan of pain.
"Nyuu~"
The girl looked down to see a Fishman lying on the floor, bleeding profoundly. He looked like an octopus with star-shaped white hair. He had serious injuries all across his body; from deep cuts to obvious broken bones. Any human would be long dead with those wounds but the Fishmen were more enduring than humans, which was the only reason this person was still breathing shallowly.
"What terrible injuries! Hold on!" The girl gasped and knelt down next to the Fishman, examining him. However, there was not much Miyako could do with her limited knowledge of medical care and without any equipment to help this octopus-man. She looked around but there was no one in sight, no one to ask for help. A light bulb lit up in Miyako's mind when she remembered she had a spare t-shirt in her backpack and since there were no bandages, this will have to do. She took out her t-shirt and ripped it into stripes to get a bandage-like shape. She did her best wrapping the makeshift bandages around the deepest wounds, staining her hands and attire with the Fishman's blood.
"Nyuu…Who are you?" The Fishman finally groaned out through slight panting.
"Oh, you're awake, good," Miyako smiled a little, seeing the octopus-man was conscious and much sturdier than she thought. Even with his grave injuries, he was able to open his unfocused eyes and look at Miyako. He slowly sat up, mostly with the girl's help. "Don't strain yourself. We need to find you some help," she warned, worried his wounds will become even worse.
"Nyuuu…I only remember swimming towards Fishmen Island but then I lost consciousness on the way. I must've been brought here by the currents," he explained and looked at the girl a bit better now. "A human?"
Miyako nodded, a bit worried that he will try to push her away and show the same unpleasantness all the other Fishmen were showing to her and the rest of the humans here. "Yes. My name is Miyako."
On her surprise, the Fishman didn't try to push her away nor did he give her a glare. Instead, he nodded to her respectfully. "Thank you for bandaging me. I'm Hatchan."
"I think the bleeding stopped but you definitively need medical attention. Come on, we need to get you to the doctor." The girl helped the octopus up and he hooked one of his six arms around her neck. She was both surprised and amazed that he could even walk with those injuries. Still, she had no idea how to get him all the way to the town, they had no time to just wait for the bus and then enjoy some scenery while he was bleeding to death.
However, once again the Fishman surprised her as he did a loud call, as if talking to someone, but Miyako couldn't understand a word of it. Seconds later a large purple fish came down to them, an air bubble around it to help it swim around. The girl looked at Hatchan with a questioningly gaze.
"Come on, get on." That's all he said, determined to climb on the large animal. Miyako helped him up and then jumped on herself, steadying Hatchan in front of her.
The octopus-man made another weird sound and soon they were lifted in the air, swimming quickly towards the town.
~…..~
As soon as they arrived at the city's center, filled with staring Fishmen, Miyako jumped down and helped Hatchan down as well. However, in all the commotion she soon realized they were surrounded by Merfolk. Everyone was staring at them with expressions of fear or distrust.
"What's this? A wounded Fishman?"
"Isn't that a human?"
"Look! He has cuts all over his body and that human has a katana!"
"The humans attacked another Fishman! She must've done this! What is she trying to do with him!?"
"I bet she wants to sell him at Sabaody!"
"Somebody, help!"
There were shouts and whisperer all around them, the Fishmen coming closer to Miyako who was now warily watching them. She could feel the change in them as fear turned into anger and blood thirst. She saw a few of them in the back, taking out their weapons. At that moment, Miyako realized there was no reasoning them; they were too scared and too untrusting of any human to actually listen. She took a step back, thinking of her best course of action. Trying to fight them would only rile them up more so instead she glanced all around, trying to find the best route of escape. At least they would take care of the hurt Fishman now so her job was done.
"Nyu! Wait! It's not like that! She helped me!" Hatchan tried calming them down, as he stepped in front of Miyako protectively. However, he stumbled forward due to pain and injuries, too weak to even stand anymore.
"Ha-san!" Miyako called out instantly leaping to the wounded Fishman to help him.
"Don't touch him!" One merman shouted and rushed at Miyako with a pitchfork. She was about to unsheathe her katana to dodge but before she could do that or even wonder why did that guy have a pitchfork here with him anyway, a blue sphere enveloped them all and the Fishman's pitchfork disappeared in a blink of an eye, replaced by a simple stick.
The crowd gasped and quickly hurried to the side, as far away as possible from the incoming humans. Law was walking towards them all, still having his room up, accompanied with Sai and Jean Bart. The whole scene of the deadly surgeon of death, a giant man and another with a rifle on his back, must've been frightening for the simple townsfolk and they suddenly lost all courage to fight.
"Mind explaining what's going on here, Miss Miyako?" Law asked with narrowed eyes and a serious expression, pulling his lips in a tight line. He stopped right in front of Miyako and the octopus-man who was lying on the floor in pain now, adjusting his nodachi on the right shoulder. As soon as he did that move, the Fishmen around moved even further, afraid of the sword's mare presence.
Miyako was surprised at the Hearts sudden appearance, but she quickly got over it, remembering there were more important things to worry about right now. "Ah well…It's a bit of a misunderstanding," she sighed with a troubled look, a slight hint of annoyance in it. "More importantly, could you help this guy out? He definitively needs medical attention."
Without even looking down at Hatchan or changing his bored-looking expression, Law answered still gazing only at Miyako. "And why would I care?" He completely ignored the frightened or armed people around him, as if not even deeming them a threat.
Miyako sighed, already knowing what Law would say. "I suppose 'because I asked you to' wouldn't suffice," she muttered with a dissatisfied look. He didn't answer but tilted his head a little as if stating 'that's obvious'. So instead, Miyako continued with a different plan. She remembered the little notebook in her backpack and patted herself on the back for deciding to take it after all. With a smirk she looked up at Law again. "What if I can make it worth your while?" She took out the book from the backpack and flipped over to some research materials she knew Law would be interested it. She ignored Trafalgar's questioning look that seemed less bored now and tossed him the notebook.
The captain skimmed over it, narrowing his eyes. "Where did you get this?"
"Does it matter?" was Miyako's immediate answer before nodding at Hatchan and staring at her captain inquisitively.
The pirate hummed and furrowed his eyebrows, slightly displeased about this change of events, but then he stepped closer to the barely conscious Fishman. His eyes narrowed as he stared at Hatchan, kneeling to look at him better. "I remember you…" He muttered. "You're the one who was saved by Straw Hat at Sabaody, a year ago." Miyako stared at Law with a perplexed expression but Trafalgar didn't explain anything. Instead he stood up and turned to Jean Bart, nodding slightly.
As if on some cue, the large navigator stepped closer and lifted the wounded Fishman carefully. The crowd of people gasped and whispered some more, worried that the humans were trying to take the Fishman to hurt him further but nobody dared to do anything about it.
"Look, the officers are coming!" Somebody exclaimed with relief.
The Heart Pirates looked at each other but Miyako stepped forward before anyone could say anything. "I'll stay and talk with them." She gave a knowing look to Law wanting to say 'You go and help him.'
"I'll stay with her," Sai walked over to her and nodded to his captain. "Just in case." He added and saw the silent approval in his captain's eyes. Law didn't seem to like that fact but then he sighed and turned to take Hatchan back to the submarine.
"And Law!" Miyako called out, making the captain turn around questioningly. "Don't cut him up." She added, half-jokingly but a little worried that he might actually do that, knowing Law and his love for experimenting.
The captain only gave the girl a rather sadistic grin; on purpose, she was sure, before turning around to leave. "I don't take orders from you, Miss Miyako," he finally added, walking off with Jean Bart towards the submarine.
After the captain and the other navigator left, Miyako and Sai stepped forward, awaiting the royal guards that rushed over to them. "Don't agitate them," he warned to the samurai in a whisper though she already knew not to do that much.
"It's them, officers! They hurt a Fishman and then kidnapped him!" One of the townspeople yelled and the rest of the crowd pitched in approvingly. "The other's got away!"
The royal guard of Seahorse-looking Fishman armed to the tooth rushed over to them, surrounding Miyako and Sai in a flash. Luckily, Law and Jean Bart were already gone by then, disappearing in the crowd and numerous streets of the Fishmen Island.
"What's going on here!? We got a notice that there was trouble with the humans!" One of the guards yelled, glaring at the human pirates.
"They kidnapped a Fishman! And they're pirates! Their captain is that Surgeon of Death from North Blue!" The crowd kept yelling comments against the two humans, not making Miyako's and Sai's situation any easier.
"Look, this is all just a misunderstanding. I found him already injured in the Sea Forest and brought him here for treatment. I didn't-" Miyako tried to step closer to the guard as she explained but was rudely interrupted with a spear dangerously close to her neck.
"Not a step closer!" The guard yelled. "We don't have any reason to believe anything you say, human! You will come with us to the Ryugu palace and be judged in front of the king! And you better tell us what you did with the Fishman!" Even the guards obviously had no intention to listen to them and Miyako glared at the group, her eyes darkening a shade. If both the townspeople and the guards were like this, she doubted the king was any different.
Sai's voice brought her back to reality and calmed her a bit. "Alright, we'll come with you," he said, rising his hands in the air peacefully. Seeing a puzzled look from the girl, the navigator whispered. "Just play along for now."
Quite reluctantly Miyako let herself be shackled with cuffs and her katana taken away by one of the guards. She kept a sharp eye on him, determined to take Yawarakai-Te from him as soon as possible.
~…~
Law put on his rubber gloves and unwrapped bloodied rags of clothing previously known as Miyako's t-shirt. He held the dirty cloth to Ben, one of the Hearts from the medic team, who was helping him in the infirmary at the moment.
The captain's sharp eye examined Hatchan's now bare torso with multiple wounds, ignoring the fishmans groans of pain every now and then. He did give him some morphine but it barely helped the octopus-man. It seemed, except being very enduring and strong, the fishman also needed much bigger dosage of medication than humans for it to have an effect. Law cursed under his breath as he realized he needed to waste valuable medical supplies on this guy. That research notebook Miyako gave him better be worth it. Absentmindedly, he wondered how did she even get her hands on that thing. All the while, his steady hands were hastily working on treating Hatchan's wounds with maximum precision and control. This work came so natural to him, he barely had to think about it; he did everything mechanically.
Looking at the octopus-man's face, Law was sure now that it was the same Fishman who got in trouble with the Tenryuubito at the auction house. At that time Law only went inside the auction house to ease his boredom and see Doflamingo's newest field of interest, which was human slavery. He never imagined that the little trip there would turn into such a grand event. At least Straw Hat let him see something amusing at that time. This time, the octopus-man had even greater wounds than at that time and Law wondered how he might have gotten them. It seems this Fishman was falling into trouble as much as a certain Samurai Law knew. That thought brought Law's mind back to Miyako and Sai, but he shook his head slightly. Even if Miyako was always hopelessly getting into trouble, Sai was with her, and both of them were strong. They would be fine.
He looked at the barely conscious Fishman in front of him. "We need to do a blood transfusion, what blood type are you?" He didn't stop his work on the octopus-man's injuries even while looking at Hatchan's pale pink face.
"Nyuu…B-But…you can't give me your blood. It's against the law to mix our blood with humans'," the Fishman murmured, barely able to get the words out through labored breaths.
Trafalgar's eyes narrowed again. "What?" He had no idea there was such a ridiculous law. As far as he knew, Fishmen and humans had the same blood and could give transfusions to each other. There was no medical risk that would require such a law to be instated. Could it be for a different reason; the bad history between humans and fishmen? But more importantly, how were they supposed to find a willing fishman to give them their blood for the transfusion? Law was just about to ask that when Hatchan spoke up again.
"Go…Go to…Mermaid café and ask for Keimi…Tell her Hatchi sent you…" That was all he managed to pant out before falling unconscious again.
"Tch," Law frowned with an irritated expression. This Fishman was way too much trouble than he was worth, and surely more than that booklet was worth! Miyako would definitively get a piece of his mind for this one. Nevertheless, Trafalgar Law wasn't one to break his promises and he did make a deal with her. Grudgingly, the captain turned to Ben who heard the whole conversation and nodded slightly; that silent gesture was enough for Ben to understand his orders and the medic ran out, not wasting any time since he could see the Fishman's state was dire.
Meanwhile, Law did his best to treat Hatchan's wounds enough to stabilize the Fishman but the doctor already knew the whole process of healing would be much harder and slower without new blood to rejuvenate the system
~…~
"I can't believe we got kicked out!" Sam cried out loud enough to turn a few heads at Coral Hill.
Shachi grabbed Penguin in a headlock and rubbed the top of his head with force. "It's all your fault! I can't believe you asked that mermaid if she could poop! What kind of a stupid question was that anyway!?"
Penguin only retaliated by a harsh jab into Shachi's ribs with his elbow. "You're the one who tried to grope the blonde one!"
"That large shark lady was really scary when she got mad," Josh muttered, rubbing his sore left check where he got hit by the woman's tail. "Why did I even have to get hit because of you two idiots!?" The redhead finally yelled, irritated with the two mechanics who weren't even listening since they were still in their own fight. The short medic joined them by hitting Shachi over his head, which made Shachi kick Penguin in the shin that led to Penguin jabbing a fist in Josh's kidney. The three started fighting on the street, completely ignoring the scared and confused townspeople.
"That place was kinda boring…they didn't have even one female bear," Bepo muttered, completely disappointed at the experience.
"Of course they wouldn't, we're 10 000 meters underwater!" Penguin yelled at Bepo angrily.
"Sorry," the bear bowed his head and apologized in a tiny mumble.
Cody didn't join in as he just watched with a sweat drop. Unlike the others, he had a few lipstick marks on his white collar and cheek. Much to the jealousy and dismay of his friends, the bastard once again did it, getting all the Mermaids' attention. Cody was probably the most popular one with the ladies in their crew, not counting Law of course. But unlike the captain who was usually uninterested, Cody rarely said no to the beauties approaching him. But right now, something else caught the medic's eye as he blinked in puzzlement, furrowing his eyebrows a little. "Hey guys!" He called, but of course no answer came from the still fighting crew members. Only Sam looked at him with a questioning gaze. The bluehead got annoyed by his ignoring friends and ended the little tournament between them by giving them all a good punch on the head, stopping them immediately. Now that what was left of their consciousness was directed at him, he tried again, pointing at something in the distance. "Aren't those Sai and Miya-chan being taken away by the guards?"
"Eh!?" At his words, everyone quickly struggled to get back on their feet and stared with wide eyes at the group of fishmen walking with two shackled members of their crew.
"What's going on!?" Sam exclaimed.
"What did that bakaonna do now…?" Josh muttered, sighing and shaking his head. Somehow, she had to be involved in this and it had to be her fault. It always was.
"More importantly; shouldn't we help them?" Cody asked, rubbing his unshaved patch on the chin in wonder, his appearance pretty calm and relaxed considering the situation.
"They look like they're in trouble," Bepo noted the obvious.
"Of course, we should! I don't know what's going on but our Nakama need our help, come on! We need to bust them out!" Penguin raised his fist in the air, always ready for a fight and some action.
"Idiot, that makes no sense! You can't bust them out if they're not in the brig yet!" Shachi contradicted him, staring at his mechanic partner with annoyance.
"Don't be so strung on technicality, idiot!" Penguin growled, jabbing Shachi's side with the tip of his fingers.
The brown-haired mechanic bumped heads with Penguin, ready for another round, completely forgetting their previous goal, until Cody's cracking knuckles reminded them. Both mechanics calmed down, seeing Cody casually cracking his knuckles, probably not meant for the Fishmen but for these two. The mechanics eyed Cody's merciless fist with nervous glances, before Shachi decided to change the subject and remind everyone about Miyako and Sai, hoping to get Cody off their backs.
"A-anyway, let's go help them already!"
The royal guard didn't even know what hit them when Penguin, Shachi, Joshua, Cody and Sam jumped right in, kicks and punches flying all around. Penguin jumped right in, kicking the first fishman in the head and sent him flying in the nearby wall. Meanwhile, Sam took out his two knuckle blades and passed so quickly by one of the guards, the other didn't even realize he was cut. Only when Sam stopped behind him, in a crouching stance, did gashes suddenly appear and blood spurted from the fishman. Meanwhile, Cody took out a kunai and skillfully cut the metal shackles from Miyako's and Sai's wrist. Even the two Heart Pirates just stood there, surprised at what just occurred before their eyes. They were brought back to reality when Josh tossed them their weapons and the pair also sprang into action.
At the end, there were eight Fishmen soldiers lying on the floor beaten in their own pools of blood.
"You idiots, what have you done!?" Sai yelled at the rest of the group who were now looking at each other uncomfortably.
"But Sai, we saw you were being taken away by the guards. What were we supposed to do?" Shachi was the first one who dared to speak, despite Sai's face that was now red in anger, in complete contrast to his usual pale skin.
"And the best you could think of is to kill them all? We were trying to resolve this peacefully. Now we're just in an even bigger trouble," the navigator complained but calmed down after a few deep breathes. He sighed in resignation. There was no use to get angry now anyway, the deed was already done and there was no amount of fury or complaining that would change that fact.
"Why were you in custody anyway?" Josh looked at Miyako suspiciously while asking that, as if already presuming the answer. However, the girl just looked away with a seemingly innocent face as if she had no idea about any of it.
Before the pair could answer, there was a shout coming from the crowd and the pirates noticed more royal guards rushing over to them, armed with swords and tridents. There were at least a few dozen of them. The townsfolk were accusingly shouting and pointing at the Heart Pirates, calling the royal guards over here. The said pirates gulped at the sight. They could probably take the officers out but that would only get them into an even bigger trouble, maybe even with the three royal princes of the Ryugu Palace.
Cody sighed, a bit tired. He didn't look awfully concerned, only disappointed. "I just wanted to see the Mermaids."
"You saw them close enough," Penguin mumbled in irritation, glaring lightly at the lucky medic bastard who stole all the girls from the Mermaid café and had all the fun.
"I think we should run," Sam added, poking at Shachi who was closest to him, trying to get everyone's attention. The fishmen guards were coming closer by the second, all of them sporting anger-filled expressions.
"Don't blame it on me, you're the reason why Madame Shyarly kicked us out," Cody retorted, while Shachi gave Penguin another jab in the ribs as he also remembered it was Penguin's fault he couldn't enjoy his beautiful mermaids a little longer. That, of course, resulted in Penguin kicking Shachi in the thigh and then both mechanics grabbed each other in a headlock looking quite ridiculous in that pose as they both squirmed and tried to struggle out of the grip of the other.
"Guys, they're coming closer…We should definitively run," Sam noted once more, being the only who was actually paying any attention to the angry mob charging towards them.
Miyako sighed with a sad expression. "I really wanted to just be a tourist here; visit some places, see new things…Why does it always end like this?" The girl gripped her head and shook it in frustration.
"You're actually asking that!? It's always your fault in the first place!" Joshua yelled, frustrated as well but for a different reason.
"Eh?" The girl looked up at him with the most innocent big eyes the medic has ever seen, as if she was completely unaware of that fact until now.
Sam's eyes widened as he saw more guards joined the group coming towards them and now a hefty crowd of armed royal guards were hurrying towards the pirates, determination clear in their eyes. "Shut up and run for it!" The assistant mechanic yelled and smacked Josh on the head while his eyes were still glued to the dangerously closing crowd. That's when the rest of the Heart Pirates finally decided to quiet down and listen to the man, following his gaze with their own.
"Uh-oh," Bepo gulped and everyone turned around as one, before sprinting away at full speed towards the submarine.
~…..~
"Thank you so much, Trafalgar Law. Nyuu, I really thought I was a goner for a while there," Hatchan sat up in the infirmary bed as he watched Law walk around the sickbay, cleaning the used equipment while Ben threw out bloody rags and bandages. The Fishman looked much better now, with clean bandages on and a healthier hue of pink on his face.
"Oh, Hatchi, are you sure you're ok?!" The worried young mermaid next to him, Keimi, held the Fishman's large hand with both of her smaller ones, looking at his still-pretty-sorry state.
Law mostly ignored the two but he glanced at the pair now, remembering the mermaid was also familiar. She was the one the Straw Hats saved that day at the auction.
"Don't worry, Keimi. I'll be alright. I got hurt while protecting Straw Hat's ship."
On this statement, even Law looked up at the Fishman, suddenly more interested in the conversation. *Straw Hat's ship?* He didn't know much about the subject since the last time he saw Straw Hat was at Amazon Lilly, and truthfully he never found out how did the other captain disappear from Sabaody that day of the auction. He just opened his mouth to find out more, when the doors of the infirmary opened, his large navigator barely squeezing inside.
"Captain, you need to see this," the man said in a gruff voice, only glancing questioningly at the Fishmen couple in the room for a second.
The captain only gave him a quick suspicious glance but didn't ask anything as he headed up the stairs to the control room, already predicting what it was about.
"Is something wrong?" The mermaid called after them but no one responded as both Law and Jean Bart disappeared out of the infirmary. Keimi and Hatchi looked at each other with worried and puzzled glances, not understanding the situation.
~…..~
Law went out on the deck and squinted his eyes to see at the ruckus happening further up North. It was too far to see anything in particular, even while focusing his sharp vision, but he already thought it would be as much so he took out a spyglass and unfolded it to look once more. Now he could see a cloud of dust coming closer and an angry mob of Fishmen mostly consisting of armed royal guards, which was unfortunately coming closer as well. On further inspection, as the captain's moved the spyglass lower, he saw a few white jumpsuits in front of that mob; it was definitively the Heart Pirates. Not only Miyako and Sai who were about to negotiate with the officers but all the Heart Pirates who weren't already onboard were now grouped together and running towards the submarine as if their lives depended on it. Their frantic expressions, as they desperately ran, were telling the same thing.
"What happened?" Hatchi was out of the bed and walked on to the deck, his Mermaid friend holding him steady for support.
The captain put away his spyglass and glanced back at the Fishman before sighing in slight annoyance. "My crew happened." He mumbled it, more to himself than the Fishman. He didn't expect Hatchi to understand what he meant anyway, but to Law things there perfectly clear; once again the crew has gotten themselves into trouble. The captain turned completely to his two guests to explain the situation a bit better. "It seems the Island's guards think we were the ones who hurt you and kidnapped you."
"Whaaa!? That's horrible!" The girl screamed, her eyes bulging and wide, while her jaw was slack and almost hit the floor. She grabbed her head and looked between Law and Hatchi with a still shocked expression. "What do we doooo?!"
The only thing Law could think of at that moment was how excessive and over-the-top that reaction was. Thankfully, his mind soon started producing more useful thoughts, but what he said next only produced another shocked reaction from the mermaid. "You can do something actually…Get out," the captain said it in a completely calm and relaxed tone, not angry but quite serious and blunt.
"What do you mean?" Hatchi looked at the pirate with uncertainty and a perplexed expression.
"By the time you convince the guards we were helping you, we will already be in jail. I don't have that much time to waste. Due to this circumstances, we will have to cut our visit to the Fishmen Island short and depart immediately," he turned to his navigator now as he continued. "Jean Bart-ya, start the engine." Before finishing, the captain turned to the pair and smirked. "So unless you want to go with us to the New World, I suggest you leave immediately." There was a slight mocking tone in his voice now.
Keimi gulped, obviously not liking the captain's proposition to go to the New World. The two looked at each other and nodded, reaching the obvious agreement.
"Thank you, Captain Trafalgar Law," Hatchi nodded to the captain to show his gratitude.
"That thanks should go to the girl who found you. The only reason I helped you was because of her anyway." Law shrugged with his usual laid-back demeanor, not really caring whether he was thanked or not.
"Captaaaaain!" A new voice echoed towards them as the Heart Pirates ran closer to the submarine, now in an ear shot. "We need to gooo!" The pirates yelled, unaware that Law was already a step ahead of them.
The pirates in white ran to the submarine, not even noticing the Fishman and a mermaid who passed them by as the Hearts climbed up the deck and quickly rushed inside, closing the doors. In an instant, the vessel was moving, catching the current on one of those water-filled tubes that led to the exit of Fishmen Island and out into the open sea depths once more.
"We need to reach the exit before they close it off!" Penguin yelled looking out the main window of the control room.
"Leave that to us," Sai said with a smirk, pushing a few levers that made the engine roar and the submarine double in speed.
"Aaah, we're not gonna make it!" The polar bear panicked and ran around the control room as the gates started closing, trying to stop the fiendish pirates from leaving. However, before it could close completely, the submarine barely made it out and into the open, making a sharp turn and going straight up towards the New World.
"Whoo-hoo! We did it!" Shachi cheered as he raised a fist in the air.
A thought passed through Miyako's mind and she turned to Law. "What about the Fishman?"
Her captain stayed quiet for a while, only looking at her from beneath that rim of his fuzzy hat, his lips in a thin line. He saw the anticipation on her face but decided to let her suffer in curiosity for a while; that's the least he could do after all the trouble she gave him today. Finally, he decided to satisfy her wondering eyes. "He'll be fine. He left before you got here; you probably passed him by without even noticing," he saw the girl relax in relief as she smiled a little. He'll never understand why she'd care about a person's wellbeing she just met. He wondered if she felt some kind of responsibility since she was the one who found the hurt Fishman. However, right now he had other things he wanted to discuss. "More importantly…" he started, looking back at Sai who was at his usual spot at the control panel. "…I believe you have some explaining to do." The captain narrowed his eyes as he finished.
The navigator sweat dropped as he saw the deadly stare of his captain piercing right through him. *Is he saying this is my fault too!?* The navigator sighed dejectedly seeing that a week of laundry duty was already unavoidable.
~…..~
The submarine resurfaced with a loud splashing of water all around, right in the middle of a wild storm. The waves rose over the vessel, at least 10 meters high. They were right in the eye of the storm; the harsh wind blowing while the waves crashed on the side of the submarine, tipping it dangerously to the side.
"Bart-ya." Law called.
"I'm working on it," was the navigator's immediate answer as he tried to keep the submarine level and well despite the raging sea. The vessel rode dangerously on large waves, avoiding the most dangerous ones.
"C-captain!" Bepo, who was beside Trafalgar, pointed out of the window. Outside, there was a 20 meter high wave coming from their side, rising even higher as it threatened to crush them and send them back into the sea depths were they came from.
"We just came into the New World and it's already this crazy here," Miyako sighed, already used to all the dangers and trouble that seem to relentlessly keep following them around.
"Jean Bart-ya, hard to port. Go right into that wave," Law ordered, his calm expression not even showing one sign of worry or panic. He got this far, there was no way a plain storm will stand in his way now.
The submarine cut through the said wave, their view disappearing for a while as they found themselves engulfed with water. Jean Bart struggled to keep the helm steady as the wave tried to push the vessel down and into the sea. The navigator turned the helm to the side leading the submarine and it cut through the wave in a diagonal path. After a while of struggle, the yellow vessel reappeared out of the wave on the other side. Strangely enough, after passing that wave, the storm seemed to calm down a little as they traveled on, trying to avoid the thunder that blasted into the sea around them. The sea was still far from calm but stabilized somewhat, allowing the pirates safer sailing as they headed West.
The captain pulled out his brand new Log Post, the navigators already having their own on the control panel. This one had three needles instead of one that were now moving around. He noticed the two were fairly in the same position while the other still moved, staying unstable. Still, two were enough to set their next destination. The captain grinned in anticipation. It will be their first island in the New World. The beginning of their new adventure.
~….~
Miyako sighed, her arm muscles pained already, as she put down the last of the books of Law's vast collection in his quarters. She just finished reorganizing everything and putting it back on the bookshelves alphabetically, even though her wrist was already sore from transcribing some medical documents she was ordered to do earlier. The captain was obviously enjoying this little punishment game as he kept giving her chores all morning.
The girl gave him a dirty look every time she would pass by, carrying his books, but the man either didn't notice or pretended not to. The latter was more likely. He was just leisurely sitting back in his chair in the quarters, his feet resting on the table, while he read the leather-covered booklet Miyako gave him. His relaxed presence only made the girl more irked as she kept working.
Finally the girl had enough and put one more book into its place on the shelf before turning around to face her captain. "I still don't get it why I need to be punished. Didn't I already give you the book in return for treating Ha-san?" She huffed with her hands on her hips, looking like a sulking child.
Law briefly speculated on who was 'Ha-san' but soon remembered it could be none other than the octopus Fishman. "It was far more trouble than it was worth, considering," he answered in a lax tone without even looking up from his read.
The girl frowned, still dissatisfied, before giving Law a knowing smirk. "Really? Because you seem pretty interested in it. You haven't put it down all morning."
Trafalgar still didn't look at the girl, focusing most of his attention at the book in his hand. Without looking away, he reached for a coffee mug on his desk and took a sip of the black and bitter liquid inside. Putting the mug back down, he finally looked up at the girl, still wearing that bored expression as if he really didn't care about her complaints since they won't change a thing. Both of them knew it; which only meant the girl was persisting in it to purposely bother him. "You know, you would be done much faster if you spent less time complaining and more time actually working. You should be happy I didn't give you laundry duty as well." With that he turned his back to the girl once more, getting back to the book.
The girl frowned behind him, leaning against one of the bookcases. She stuck her tongue at her captain's back as if that would get her at least a bit of satisfaction out of it all.
"…real mature," the captain muttered, loud enough for her to hear, with a smirk on his features and an amused tone in his voice.
Miyako stiffened, a bit surprised. Before she could proclaim her captain a mind reader or a demon, which wasn't far from the truth in her opinion, the girl noticed her reflection in his coffee mug on the desk. Miyako sighed in disappointment; she wasn't even able to get the small satisfaction of hurting Law's pride.
She thought back at the good old times when it was much easier for her to gain leverage over Law with her remarks and wondered what changed? As she remembered, her eyes narrowed and a frown appeared on her face. *Oh, that's right…he found my weakness.* As soon as Law started his sexual harassment towards her, Miyako would be at a loss and the captain didn't refrain from using this tactic as much as he could against her. She remembered his most recent promise to her; I will take all your firsts. She wasn't even quite sure what he meant by that but if it was what she guessed it meant… Miyako's face became a few darker shades of red at just the thought. What irritated her even more was his confident statement that she belonged to him. And he said it with that infuriating smug smirk on his face. That was enough to stir the fire of frustration within Miyako.
More importantly, when did Law get so much advantage over her? So much power? Miyako didn't like it and she definitively didn't approve of it. The girl decided then and there, in Law's quarters standing between the captain and his collection of books, that something needed to be done about this issue. The countermeasure was obvious; she needed to take some of that power back. And to do that, Miyako had to get over her fear of close contact with Law and her easy embarrassment that came together with his harassment.
As if on cue, the captain glanced at the girl, noticing two red cheeks as she seemed deep in thought, completely forgetting her surroundings. His bored expression gained a little interest as he raised one eyebrow in amusement. "I wonder what you're thinking with such a look on your face…Something indecent perhaps?" A slight smirk appeared of his features.
That statement clearly brought Miyako back to reality and she blushed even darker still, realizing she was caught. She turned around towards the bookcases and away from Law to hide her embarrassed expression. *No! I'm doing it again! Baka Miyako, stop blushing!* She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down. *That's right, I decided I won't let him get to me anymore.*
She was able to calm down and put on her best mask of emotionless boredom, mimicking Law's usual expression. The girl turned around suddenly, giving Law a wide smirk. "I think the only one indecent would be you, Mister Trafalgar Law. You're the one who insists on sexually harassing me."
The captain kept quiet a while, more interested now. He wondered why was she suddenly so different and what exactly her new game was. Usually she would already be a blushing mess by now. Intrigued by this unexpected turn of events, the captain put his feet off the work table and stood up, leaving his coffee mug and book on the desk. He got a bit closer to the girl, leaning on the bookcase behind her with one hand. "What are you up to now, Miyako?" The formal title was suddenly gone as he came closer to the girl. He has been addressing her less formally whenever they were alone lately.
The girl stayed completely calm, which only added to Law's confusion. Usually she would definitively try and escape or stutter out some excuse to leave. Yet now she was only standing there with a completely emotionless face while looking him right in the eye. Suddenly the girl looked aside with an overdramatic troubled look on her expression, purposely, he was sure. "I am simply stating the obvious, captain." The said captain narrowed his eyes as his title came out slightly emphasized as if she was saying; 'Perhaps you forgot your manners but I haven't.' By now Law was absolutely sure Miyako was trying to provoke him. Perhaps as revenge for before? Still, he won't let her win that easily.
Little did Law know what was exactly on young Miyako's mind. *He's too close! He's way too close! How long must I keep this up?! Please move away, move away, move away!* The girl was completely freaking out and losing it inside her mind, but she still kept a perfect mask of calm on the outside.
Law smirked, now determined to shatter that mask and get the usual reaction out of her. He leaned closer and looked at the girl with half-lidded eyes. "Weren't you the one who said it was ok to do such things with me? Besides…" He leaned to her ear and whispered in a husky voice. "You didn't seem to hate it."
Miyako's brain almost blew a fuse at this and she stiffened, but was still able to control herself. Years of training as a samurai, perfecting peacefulness of mind through mediation, really came to use in the most unexpected of situations. It was almost comical how her mind, full of panicking thoughts of embarrassment, was completely in contrast with her straight expression. Still, if she wanted to wring out a reaction out of the captain, she needed to step it up a notch.
Law's eyes widened as he heard a soft chuckle come from the girl. Was she really laughing at a time like this? Shouldn't she already be a stuttering mess by now? The captain was even more surprised when he looked back and saw a mischievous smirk on the girl's face, in complete harmony with a devilish look in her golden eyes. "Indeed I did. But you see, I decided it would be unfair for you to have all the fun, mister Trafalgar." This time she was the one to step closer to him, a clear challenging look in her eyes. "You said something about wanting to take all of my firsts, but that's pretty selfish of you; to decide such a thing on your own. You want to own me? But who ever said you deserved me?" The smirk never left her lips as she finished.
The captain's eyes narrowed in moderate frustration, barely visible on his face as he tightened his lips in a thin line. Still, Miyako was able to see it clearly; she knew Law long enough. "I thought we were passed this game of cat and mouse?" His irked expression soon disappeared completely as it was replaced by an amused smirk. "Why don't you just give up; we both know I will win in the end."
He expected an annoyed huff from the girl or at least a pout and a glare, but on his hidden surprise, he only got a wider smirk. "I think you misunderstood me, Law-san. I have no intention of running away from you anymore; on the contrary, I am right here and waiting. But I will definitively not make this so easy for you. You want me, come and get me…but I'll make you work for it. In the end; we'll see who belongs to whom. Trafalgar Law, I bet in the end, you will belong to me."
The captain couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise slightly as he stared at the girl, leaning down a bit so they can be eye-to-eye. He kept searching for some indication of what she was thinking exactly, but he couldn't see beyond the challenging and confident expression on her face, decorated with a smirk. Was this really the same Miyako? That's when he remembered her personality when they first met and realized not much changed since then, besides the fact that she warmed up to them all a little. Indeed, she accepted them but she was far from being an obedient and quiet subordinate in his crew. She was still the same prideful woman who didn't like to lose. Before he could retort anything, the girl sealed her bold statement with the most unexpected thing she had done since the conversation started. There seemed to be no end to her surprises today.
Miyako grabbed the front of Law's hoodie and pulled him in, definitively taking him by surprise. Her lips crashed with his as she kissed him; something she never did before. It was always he who instigated such acts while Miyako either went along with it or tried to run away. This was the first time she was the one kissing him…and she wasn't half bad at it.
After a while, Law collected himself and remembered to close his eyes, deepening the kiss and licking her bottom lip, demanding entrance. She granted it, opening her mouth a little and soon their heated battle of tongues begun, a battle of dominance that Law eventually won. The captain leaned closer and pinned the woman between him and the bookcase with his own body. However, as soon as Law got into it more, Miyako pushed him away lightly and playfully stepped aside, escaping his grasp. He blinked and furrowed his eyebrows, displeased with the loss of contact, looking at her questioningly. There was the same devilish expression on her features as before.
The girl stepped closer to him with a seductive look of half-lidded eyes as she talked to him in a sweet voice. "As I said; you want me, try and get me…if I don't get you first, that is," then she suddenly turned around and walked away, already at the door before Law could process what just happened. "Well, I have work at the galley so I'll be seeing you later. As always, nice talking to you…Law." She gave him one last smirk before disappearing through opened doors and out of Law's quarters.
The captain stood there and watched the closed doors for a long time after the girl already disappeared. He covered his face with a hand, bowing his head down to look at some spot on the carpet, but then suddenly a wide smirk of amusement appeared on his features. There was an excited gleam in his eyes, the exact same one before he would start a fun operation or a dissection on a new and interesting specimen. *Oh you want to play with me, do you?* The captain looked up and leaned against the book case, putting his hands in the pockets of his trousers. "Let's play then," he proclaimed to the empty room, an amused smirk on his face with his excited eyes hidden beneath the rim of his hat.
Special thanks to MsStripey10 for beta reading this chapter.
Hm, I'm not particularly happy with this chapter but…oh well, here it is anyway. It's too late for changes now. ^^' Since Hody and his pirate group rise to 'power' later (about a year after this chapter) I didn't really want to include them into this story since I didn't feel like it would make much sense. It's a pity since the Otohime and Hody story is really great and everything but I just didn't feel like it would fit very well if I use them now, a year earlier when Hody didn't act yet and was still kinda in hiding. That's why I only mentioned it in subtle notes like the troubles in the Fishmen district and the fishmen from there coming to other parts and creating more trouble than usual, but nothing definite. Still, I wanted to give the chapter some cannon touch since it is Fishmen Island after all, so instead the story with Hatchi and his wounds from protecting the Sunny came about. :) I'm a bit sorry I didn't include Jinbe in all this as well but I didn't really want to change the chapter now. ^^' I hope you enjoyed the chapter everyone!
Thank you for everyone's nice reviews and comments. As always, you guys give me inspiration. :)
Kiteria Faye: hehe And even more fun comes ahead! ;D Thank you for the nice reviews!
Izzie: Well it did sting her a little bit…that's why she was so irritated when watching them. :P But since everything that happened with Hody, happened a year after this, I didn't put much of it here. Hm, yes, I think the name is connected with the Heart Seat which was meant for Law, too. I think the Heart Pirates were called that way in the first place because Law sailed under Doflamingo and was supposed to be the 'Heart' in the palace. Not so much as a fuck you, but more like it was his meant position anyway so he took that name. Who knows, hopefully we'll find out. :P Hehe Yes, yes he is possessive. ;P
Wings-chan: Oh well he'll definitively tease her more in the future since it's so fun for him too. ;P
Moguuuuuuuuuu: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy it. :D
Zoro et Robin: haha Thanks XD Ah, alas, the story is not M rated. ;P
Shiningheart of ThunderClan: *Khm* No spoilers, but there's actually a reason for that. :P
reddevil47: Well since Hody and his men come 'out of the shadows' a year later around Luffy's time, I didn't put Law's confrontation with them since that might now have made sense time-wise. :)
florachi: haha Thanks. ^^ I hope you liked this one too.
JustChan: lol I told you I didn't forget. ;) Why, Josh? :O But he was so angry that time because he thinks of Miyako as his sister the most (wouldn't admit it for the world of course), so he was probably the most hurt by her actions. But even he was smiling afterwards.
Hitoshirezu Ryu: Yeah, I really liked doing a chapter with Bepo and Miyako! I want them to have more scenes together. ^^ Well, I always regretted that there aren't any 'bad' kinds of mermaids in One Piece so I wanted to add some of my own. :P And Fishmen Island chater was a pretty mild adventure, so the previous chapter kinda made up for that.
Eternal-DreamWriter: Hehe Yep, I love writing Law/Miyako moments. ^^
robotsftw232: haha Yeah, they didn't get it in the end. ^^' It's nice that Miyako rescued Law for a change. :D
theristia: Ah~ I don't want to give anything away so…you'll see about that as the story goes on. XD
xXLovelyAnimeLoverXx: haha That wouldn't be strange for Josh; I can imagine his petrified face. XD Well, it's not M rated after all. ;P Yeah, they will go on some adventures but I will also slowly lead the story towards the cannon one and add all the little pieces like Law becoming a Shichibukai and so on. What info I don't get from the manga, I'll make it up myself. :P Hehe I'm glad I can actually get so much emotions out of my readers, that makes me really happy. :)
animagirl: I think it's gonna be a real tease-fest for my readers since I'll be putting more *cough cough* romantic parts but it's not M rated after all… XP