I don't like you!

by BloodyMarryMe

By pure chance and unluckiness Miyako finds herself at the Sabaody auction house as a slave. And of all the people, the one interested just had to be the most smug, egoistical and sadistic pirate she has ever met. So at least she can give him as much trouble as possible, right? LawXOC

52. Chapter 52

'I don't like you!' by BloodyMarryMe

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or any of its characters but I do own the OC Suzune Miyako! This story is rated T for violence, blood, language and suggestive themes.

Note: Ok guys, the last chapter of this Arc/island is here and I hope you like it! I tried to finish it as soon as possible for you guys. Thank you everyone for your awesome reviews! Have fun! :)

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CHAPTER 52

„Uuugh.." Penguin groaned, holding his head as he finally managed to sit up without feeling a splitting headache hit his temples. He was currently on the deck of the submarine along with the rest of waking Heart Pirates. Looking around, he could see his comrades in a similar state to his, holding their heads and groaning from being hangover. Only a few, such as Jean Bart and the captain, survived the party without the nasty consequences of being drunk that came the next morning.

"That was one helluva party." Eli mumbled, slurring words as if still drunk.

"Well at least Miyako and Mayumi-chan managed to work things out." Bepo nodded. He was one of the rare few who wasn't sporting a headache due to excessive partying last night.

"Yeah, and the operation 'Get-Miya-chan-away-from-all-alcohol' was also a success. Though I slightly regret it now." Penguin held the palm of his hand on his forehead, shutting his eyes tightly to protect them from the bright morning light. "How many of her glasses did I drink?"

"Hey, it was tough for me too; I had to distract her every time and she was getting suspicious. I thought she'll figure it out and beat us all." Shachi muttered, not in any better condition than his mechanic friend.

Jean Bart suddenly came into view, his big body enough to cloud over them and conceal the sun.

"Aah, Jean Bart, stay like that…It's nice and dark like that…" Ari yawned, relaxing his eyes now that the sunrays weren't hitting them anymore.

"Don't use me as a sunshade." Bart sighed, looking at the sorry state most of his comrades were in. "More importantly, Captain has a message for you all; Whoever isn't on his station in half an hour will be spending the rest of the day scrubbing the decks...all of them." With that message, Jean Bart grabbed Penguin's hand and helped him up, but still giving them all a warning stare to hurry up if they don't want to be left out here burning under the sun with a mop in their hands.

~…..~

Miyako turned around in bed with a groan, before opening her eyes slowly. At first she only felt confusion, unable to recognize where she was and why wasn't she in her own quarters. However, it didn't take her long to realize she was in a dimly lit infirmary. The girl tried to get up, but felt a stinging pain in her left hand. She looked down, realizing she leaned on her left hand, which was bandaged tightly. That's when all the memories from last night returned to her.

*That's right. I broke the glass and hurt my hand. Law helped me take care of it, he gave me pain killers.* The thought brought her mind back to the local girl, Mayumi, and Miyako felt a bitter taste fill her mouth. The reason why Miyako lost her composure yesterday was because of that girl. A suspicious feeling arose inside of her and a shiver ran down her spine at the memory of seeing Mayumi's changed, dark blue hair. *There's something wrong with that girl. I better stay away from her for the rest of the stay on this island.*

A metal sound brought back her attention and Miyako looked up. That's when she realized she wasn't alone in the infirmary. Still a bit drowsy, she sat up and looked at the other person with her. "Josh?" She blinked a few times, getting rid of the sluggish feeling in her head.

"You finally awake?" He barely gave her a glance as he kept on restocking the medical cabinets with their new supplies. "I see you managed to hurt yourself again…Bakaonna." He couldn't help but comment on her new wound, emphasizing her foolishness.

Miyako frowned but couldn't really argue with him since even she admitted it was a stupid way to get hurt. Especially knowing how important her left hand was for the sword. Speaking of which…The samurai girl looked around, unable to see Yawarakai-Te anywhere. "Where is my katana?"

The redhead turned around the room, searching for it with his eyes, but then shrugged in defeat. "I have no idea, haven't see it."

The girl's frown only deepened after hearing that. *Did Law take it with him yesterday? I know he told me I can't use my sword until my hand heals but isn't confiscating it a bit too excessive?* She fixed her kimono in a hurry and stood up, hissing when her bare feet touched the cold metal floor beneath. Putting them back into her wooden sandals, the girl stormed out of the room without sparing it a glance.

"Oy, where are you going?" Josh called after her in surprise. He was supposed to check on her palm when she wakes up but before he could stop her, the unpredictable girl already flew out the doors.

Ignoring the medic's shout, Miyako headed directly for Law's quarters, expecting to find the captain there. She had to get her sword back; that's all she could think about now. She felt unsafe without it, as if being incomplete. Before even thinking of washing her face or readying herself for a new day, she wanted to get Yawarakai-Te back, it was her priority.

Finally arriving in front of the captain's quarters, Miyako quickly knocked on the doors and walked in before even waiting for a response. Unfortunately, soon she stopped in disappointment. The room way empty and the captain nowhere to be seen. With an annoyed click of her tongue, she slammed the doors shut and thought about where Law could be at this hour.

*The navigation room!* Hurrying her step, the girl walked to the control room, her wooden sandals loudly clacking against the metal floor.

Coming inside, she could see Law towering over a map along with Sai and Jean Bart as the navigators discussed something with their captain. Jean Bart was the first to notice her and nod as a greeting. His gesture alarmed the other two of her presence and they all turned around to see what was going on.

"Miss Miyako?" Law's tone sounded more like a question than the usual greeting as he saw her disordered form. She was still looking drowsy from sleep, her kimono wrinkled and half of her hair escaping the red ribbon and falling around her; showing obvious bed hair. Miyako herself was breathing quickly as if she ran all the way here. That's what made the captain suspect they encountered some trouble; perhaps the marines? However, what came out of the girl's mouth was completely unexpected.

"My katana, Yawarakai-Te, did you take it?" Miyako caught her breath again, enough to inquire about her precious sword.

Trafalgar's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Your sword? What need would I have for it?" He looked back at the navigators, but the two of them seemed just as confused.

Now it was Miyako's turn to furrow her eyebrows in a frown. "But it wasn't in the infirmary when I woke up and Josh hadn't seen it either. I distinctly remember putting it down next to the bed before you started working on my palm." As if to prove her point, Miyako showed him the bandaged left hand from yesterday.

"Indeed, I remember it being next to the bed when you fell asleep," the doctor nodded with a mutter. He was starting to get a bad feeling about this. "A sword doesn't just simply disappear."

But Miyako was far beyond just having a bad feeling. She was starting to panic; it was her precious katana, the one Muso entrusted to her in Kyonin village. Not only that, but that katana had both historic and symbolic value as it was one of the rare remaining swords of Masamune. The sword that could either cut or not, depending on its master's will. Muso entrusted this katana to her; she couldn't lose it. She just couldn't!

"Did you check your quarters?" Jean Bart asked, trying to be helpful as well.

The girl bit her lip and without another word turned around, storming out of the control room. She ran down the stairs, towards her quarters and slammed the doors open when she finally arrived. Luckily, her room was small and simple so there wasn't many places a katana could be. Unfortunately, even after completely overturning it, there was no sword to be seen. She went through her closet, throwing clothes around. Flipped the mattress and looked underneath the bed. She looked everywhere, but with no avail.

"Where is it?!" Miyako exclaimed in frustration. Finally dealing with the fact it obviously wasn't there, she ran out again.

She ran throughout the submarine, even in places she knew she wouldn't find her sword, but she looked anyway. The galley, the engine room, the kitchen…She asked everyone but they all just gave her the same confused looks and shrugged their shoulders. Nobody knew anything.

Once again the girl found herself exactly where she started; in the infirmary. If she was to find her katana, it's best to start at the place where she last saw it. Miyako was already out of breath and out of mind from worry. She looked around every nook and cranny of the sickbay but with no luck. That's when she noticed Joshua was still there, working.

"What's going on with you, you look horrible?" The redhead asked, scratching his head and adjusted his hat. He was staring at Miyako as if she was crazy while she ran around the infirmary.

"I-I can't find it...I can't find it anywhere!" The girl took a few deep breaths to calm down but she could still feel the anxiousness consuming her more with every passing second.

"Find what?" Finally Josh had enough. He walked up to her and grabbed her by the shoulders, trying to calm her down and make her stay in place. Her gaze was darting around the room as if she was still searching for something. "Calm down, you're starting to freak me out."

Miyako sighed and finally looked right at the medic. Her gaze looked mostly worried and scared now. "My katana. I can't find Yawarakai-Te anyway, Josh." She shook her head and stared at him as if silently asking for his help.

"Look…it has to be somewhere. Just calm down, we'll find it. I'll ask Cody and the others to help look with us." He nodded at her, piercing her with his own eyes and trying to keep eye contact with her until she calmed down.

However, Miyako's thoughts were still racing though her mind as she calculated where her sword could be. It just didn't make sense; it was in the infirmary with her when she went to sleep. So who could've taken it? Was somebody here? She finally looked at Josh again and a thought crossed her mind. Josh was the only one here when she woke up. It couldn't be, could it? He wouldn't take it. Miyako knew the two of them had their differences and yes, sometimes they even pulled pranks on each other just like the rest of the crew did, but he wouldn't go so far as to take her sword, would he? "Josh…was anyone else at the infirmary while I slept?"

The redhead gave her a puzzled frown. "No, I came first, early in the morning. I've been working here ever since."

Indeed, when she asked Cody before while running throughout the submarine, he said Josh came first in the infirmary since the rest of them were still hangover or sleeping. Josh was the only normal one in the medical team right now. Even Cody drank too much, sleeping longer than usual.

"Joshua…did you take it?" She couldn't believe she was even asking it but she just had to make sure. Everything was pointing to him, after all. No matter how hard they fought and teased each other, Miyako still considered the medic her friend, a nakama who she trusted. But if this was one of his stupid pranks…

The redhead was completely taken aback and he let go of her instantly, looking at her in confusion. "What? No!"

She bit her lip, feeling guilty but determined to get the truth out of him if he was indeed the one who took it. "You were the only one in the infirmary with me since morning. Look, if this is some kind of a prank, I get it, but it's enough. Return it to me." She was feeling her nervousness returning.

A twitch appeared on Joshua's forehead and his gaze became a bit harder than before. "I'm telling you I didn't take it! Why are you blaming me, all of a sudden!?"

"Because you were the only one with me and could have taken it! Tell me I won't find my katana if I go into your quarters now?" Miyako's voice became a tone louder than before as her irritation grew.

Still, Josh's annoyance was growing just as fast. "Don't go making a mess out of my room! I hope you didn't just go through my stuff without asking!" Even his voice was louder than usual now.

"Why don't you want me to look then!? Don't change the subject!" They were all but yelling now.

"You're crazy! I didn't take your stupid sword!" The medic retaliated just as harshly.

Suddenly the doors of the infirmary opened with Cody entering and Ben right behind him. There were other Heart Pirates also peeking in with interest. "What's going on here? I can hear you guys yelling from the hallway." The tall medic reprimanded both of them in a stern tone. Both Miyako and Josh instantly quieted down and shut their mouth, still glaring at each other.

"I still can't find Yawarakai-Te." Miyako growled through gritted teeth, never taking her eyes off of Joshua.

" ' .it." The redhead spelled every word through a dangerous hiss. They were both on edge already.

Ben and Cody looked at each other with worry before deciding to intervene. "Alright, that's enough. First, you guys need to calm down. This won't solve anything." Cody tried to calm both parties and Ben stepped between the two.

"If you want, we can go look into Josh's room if you really think he took it." Ben suggested, looking at Miyako.

"Wha-? But I didn't-" Josh was about to protest but Cody interrupted him. "And that way you can see that Josh didn't take it and can put all this behind us. We're gonna help you find your katana, Miyako, don't worry. Josh will help too, I'm sure." He gave a pleading gaze to his medic comrade, silently suggesting for Josh to play along.

The redhead huffed in annoyance and stared to the side, avoiding both Miyako's and Cody's gaze. "Fine" He finally muttered. "Go ahead and search, but you won't find it in my quarters, because I didn't take it."

The switch in the situation made Miyako calm down a little and cool off her head. Josh was right; she was starting to act crazy. The redhead wouldn't push a prank so far and since he's willing to get his room searched he obviously didn't do it. She overreacted and even suspected her friend. What was wrong with her? He was even kind enough to help her search, trying to calm her down and reassure her, yet she attacked him like that. Miyako closed her eyes shut and gripped her head with one hand. "No…I'm sorry everyone. I'm sorry Joshua, I didn't mean to suspect you. I'm just…I really need to find Yawarakai-Te. To me it's more than just any weapon…it's special. I worked so hard with it and evolved both as a person and a samurai. And now I lost it." Her voice was getting softer, almost a mere whisper now as she spoke in despair.

The Heart Pirates all looked at each other with sorry eyes. They saw Miyako's angry side, smiling side, anxious side and drunken side, which pretty much turned into anger anyway, but never have they seen her in such despair. Without a word and only with their glances at each other, the pirates decided to help the girl however they could.

Seeing her in such state, Cody couldn't help but give her a tight hug. "Don't worry, Miya-chan, we'll find it."

"Yeah, let's ask Bepo and Captain. I'm sure they'll help us too and organize the search for it," Ben agreed with a small smile.

Miyako tensed a little when Cody hugged her, not expecting the close contact. However, soon she relaxed into it, feeling that the reassuring arms of her comrade calmed her down. She hugged the medic back before stepping away and nodding in agreement. "Yeah…Thank you all."

~….~

"Your sword?" Trafalgar questioned the girl as he sat down in the captain's chair at the control room.

Miyako nodded in response. "Yes, I can't find it anywhere. But I don't believe that someone from the submarine would take it." She didn't want to accuse anyone from the Heart Pirates again; she trusted them and they had no reason to do this anyway.

"It's good that you came to us Miyako, we'll definitively find it," Bepo was uncharacteristically positive as he tried to cheer her up.

"Where did all that confidence come from?" Shachi raised his eyebrow, looking at the first mate.

"You're right…we probably won't find it…" The bear suddenly turned 180 degrees as he bowed his head in depression.

"Don't make it worse!" Penguin scolded, putting the polar bear in his place.

Miyako sighed, feeling a little less agitated than before. Seeing the Hearts bickering like usually actually relaxed her. It was a strange way to feel while seeing them argue but she had a feeling she could rely on them after all.

"Let's think back to what happened yesterday; both you and I remember seeing Yawarakai-Te in the infirmary, next to the bed. None of the crewmembers had seen it or taken it but it couldn't have disappeared otherwise," Law summarized the situation in brief notes.

"So either somebody is lying or someone else snuck in the submarine and took it?" Cody concluded, gaining a nod from the rest of the pirates.

"We were all pretty drunk yesterday…it's possible somebody came in." Joshua added.

"But not everyone was drunk; I was fine and I watched out for anything suspicious just like captain requested," Bepo reminded them.

"Jean Bart, me and captain weren't that drunk either," once again Josh chimed in.

Law turned to the large navigator standing in the back. "Jean Bart-ya, did you see anyone suspicious enter?"

The ever-so-silent Bart simply shook his head. "No, captain, there wasn't anyone suspicious on the deck. However, I did return back to my quarters to sleep later."

"I was passed out on the deck the whole time," Penguin added in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Then don't say anything; what good is that information to us!" Shachi yelled at the younger mechanic, scolding him.

"I didn't see anything either!" Bepo commented, just like Penguin.

"Then who cares!" Once again Shachi lost it as people started listing things they didn't see. Are they just messing around now? Then suddenly he remembered something; "I was mostly passed out too but…when I went to take a piss I saw Miya-chan entering the submarine in the middle of night. Now that I think about it, where were you coming back from?"

All eyes were suddenly turned towards Miyako with questioning stares. The girl, however, could only blink in confusion. "Huh? What do you mean; after hurting my hand I was taken to the infirmary and didn't wake up till morning." She explained.

"I saw her fall asleep but after a while I left and there was none beside you in the infirmary. Even if you woke up and left, nobody would have noticed," Law talked in a flat tone, not suspecting her but simply relaying the facts.

The girl felt like being under the magnifier with all those stares piercing her. She fidgeted uncomfortably. "Wait…you don't think I took the katana and hid it while sleepwalking? That's preposterous!" She didn't know if she should laugh or get angry at them from even bringing up such a ludicrous idea.

"But nobody of the Hearts took it and Bepo didn't see anyone suspicious come near our submarine. Also it would explain the reason why you don't remember doing it," Josh explained with a shrug.

"That's great! So we just need to make Miyako remember!" Penguin clapped his hands with a satisfied grin.

"Wait, let's not be hasty. We have no actual evidence that such a thing actually happened. We need to investigate the circumstances some more." The captain put down a break on the rising atmosphere where half of the group already decided what happened without any proof.

"That's right; I don't find that idea plausible at all," Miyako strongly disagreed. She never sleepwalked before, so why now?

However, after putting that thought into words the redhead simply answered with a shrug. "But you've been acting strange lately anyway. Maybe this is also a part of it."

No, that wasn't right. Miyako just knew it; she knew why she was acting strange and those two things were completely different. "You're wrong, the reason I was acting strange was because-!" That's when she suddenly stopped as another idea hit her. Mayumi. It had to be her doing; she was acting suspicious and after what Miyako saw with Mayumi's unusual change... True, Miyako had no proof and it was dark so her friends would just write it off as her eyes playing tricks on her in the darkness, but her gut feeling told her there was something going on with that girl. And her instincts were rarely wrong. "Mayumi…it had to be her." She finally said it.

The Heart Pirates looked at each other; their gazes were a mixture of confusion and uneasiness. After all, they saw firsthand that Miyako didn't like Mayumi but blaming even this on the local girl was a bit…

The girl noticed their unsure gazes but proceeded on. "There's something wrong with that girl, I tell you! And now my katana is missing? Who else could it be? She was even at the party yesterday, she could've easily slipped in the submarine." Her voice became feverish as she spoke. Why didn't anyone believe her? Was it really such a preposterous idea that Mayumi took it? Was Miyako sleepwalking a better explanation than Mayumi betraying them?

"When I took you to the infirmary, I sent the girl home. She shouldn't have still been there," the Dark Doctor explained. It seemed he was also thinking over the possibility of Mayumi being the culprit but knowing Law he had no intention of acting without getting clear evidence. After all, if they just go in and make chaos in town by hunting a villager down, the rest could call the marines. The marine base was close-by and they had to wait almost two more days to get off this island if they wanted to proceed with their plan. Usually, Law wouldn't care much about the marine threat but it was different now that Kizaru was on their track, trying to find them. One wrong move and they'll meet the admiral again, if not more than one. They might not be as lucky as last time. Trafalgar just couldn't risk their plan going off tracks; not with Akainu wanting them all dead, Rocky Port and his title of the Shichibukai on the line.

Bepo nodded in agreement. "I watched Mayumi-chan leave, myself."

"She could've snuck back in! You were all sleeping at one point, weren't you?" Miyako wasn't about to give up so easily.

Bepo scratched the back of his ear with a claw. "Well…I suppose that's true. Sorry." His ears twitched and then lowered as if he was a dog which was just scolded.

"Bepo's instincts are pretty good, even when he's napping. He could've smelled a stranger on board, especially Mayumi who wasn't supposed to be there." Penguin shrugged, staying unconvinced by Miyako story.

"Or he would have heard the unfamiliar steps on the deck." Shachi added, agreeing with the other mechanic.

"Does nobody believe me?" She looked around the control room, from one pirate to the next until her gaze stopped on the last one; her captain. "I'm certain it was her." Her eyes were begging for someone to believe her but everyone simply stayed quiet, needing more evidence.

"Fine. I'll find her by myself," she finally gave up and turned to leave.

"You will not." Law's voice stopped her and she turned around to face him with a puzzled gaze. He could see her gaze was asking for an explanation so he continued. "We didn't say we didn't necessarily believe you; we just need to find more proof to confirm your theory. But we need to do it wisely and not act on impulse. We need a plan to find her and bring her back here without alerting the locals. You said yourself they fear us; I don't want anyone calling the marines on us because we're kidnapping people." The captain explained in a reasonable voice, trying to calm the edgy girl. Before waiting to hear the girl's response, he turned to Joshua and Shachi. "You two go into the village and bring Mayumi-ya back. Don't let her suspect anything; just tell her I have more questions about the island. We'll question her here." He gave orders to the two pirates.

"Aye aye captain." Shachi nodded and Josh saluted.

"Wait…and I'm just supposed to sit here and wait? This is my katana we're talking about, so it's also my problem. I should be the one to go with them!" Miyako argued in disbelief. Besides, she wanted to find out Mayumi's secret and whether she was really mimicking her or something. There was something suspicious going on around here and as much as she trusted her nakama, she knew how Hearts reacted to pretty girls; they were too bias and easy to fool by any girl who bats her eyes at them. Also, everyone already liked Mayumi so she could lead them right into a trap.

"You're being too personal about this; you're getting too emotional and it's a risk I can't take," Law bluntly answered piercing her with his eyes without batting an eye. "If Mayumi-ya sees you she might suspect something and run."

Miyako couldn't even believe what she was hearing. How could he just isolate her like this when this was her problem more than anyone else's. She ground her teeth as she stared right back at Law, stepping closer to him. "I'm not being too emotional, I'm pissed and just the right amount if I may add," The samurai answered coldly though gritted teeth.

Law was intent on staring her down as he glared with his dark eyes. "Don't question my decisions," it was a warning.

Nonetheless, Miyako had no intention of backing down. Neither of them had. The atmosphere was slowly turning from simply awkward to tense with every new word they spoke. "Then don't make senseless decisions," she bit back without worrying about the consequences.

The atmosphere shifted into a dangerously cold one as Law stayed silent, piercing her with the darkest look she saw in a long time. One of the things Law hated the most was people question his judgment; especially his own subordinates. He didn't have time for this insubordination to deal with.

"Captain…" Bepo all but whined behind them, feeling the dark aura rise around his captain.

Suddenly Law lifted his own hand. "Room." Everyone gasped as the whole submarine was enveloped in a thin film of Law's power. Thinking she was about to get attacked, Miyako instinctively reached for the katana on her waist but then realized with despair that it was nothing but air there. She gasped, grabbing at nothing but had no time to think what comes next as Law took advantage of her little mistake and moved his fingers. In a second, Miyako was standing in his quarters instead of the control room. She was disoriented for a while, unable to comprehend what just happened but soon the realization came to her; Law teleported her. Not only her, but himself as well, as he stood right beside the metal doors with something in his hand.

Suddenly Miyako got a bad feeling about this and she quickly headed for the exit but it was too late. Law stepped outside, slamming the doors shut into her face. She grabbed the doorknob but already heard the clicking sound from the other side. He looked her in. He looked her into his quarters. Miyako slammed her fist into the doors angrily, pounding on the metal doors, which was of no use besides making even her unharmed hand hurt.

"Dammit Law, let me out this instance!" She shouted furiously, banging on the doors with her good hand balled into a fist.

She could feel his muffled voice from the other side. "You're hurt and emotional; you haven't been yourself since we came to this island. Now stay here obediently and let us take care of it." His voice didn't sound angry or annoyed, but it was definitively fierce. It was a direct order from the captain, no doubt about it.

Miyako gritted her teeth. "Law, get back here! Law!" However, there was no answer. He was already gone, left her alone in his locked quarters. She sighed and stepped away from the doors, realizing there was nothing she could do about them at this point. If she had Yawarakai-Te she could cut them open but that was all just wishful thinking because her katana wasn't here in the end. Miyako clenched her fists and hissed in pain when she was harshly reminded of her wounded left palm. She looked at the bandages Law carefully put on it; how come he could act so careful one moment yet like a caveman the next? *I can't believe he just locked me in here! Well I did challenge his authority but still! He could have had a bit more tact.* She scowled at her own thoughts. *No, this is just like Law. Now they're all searching for Mayumi and I'm stuck in here. It's my katana, so I should be out there!*

With a frown, Miyako walked over to his desk, sitting on it with her arms crossed on her chest. So what was she supposed to do now? Just wait for him obediently like he asked? She looked over some papers that were scattered on Law's desk. It's not like she was really looking for something, they were just simply there and she just felt bored and irritated; at least she could try and focus on something else while being trapped here.

That's when one particular document caught her eye and Miyako took the paper in her hand, examining it with a suspicious expression. Her thin eyebrows furrowed as she read it. It was a letter to one of Law's connections in the underground that helped them buy some needed equipment or weapons. But this was a request for much more than a few torpedoes for the submarine or some guns; this was request for enough bombs and gunpowder to blow up a building as large as a whole marine base. What was Law planning to do with so much firepower? *Must be for the pirates at Rocky Port…I knew he wanted to take their hearts, but if he blows them up how will he collect their hearts? What exactly is he planning?* She tried to look for some more papers and details but nothing important caught her eye again. Finally, Miyako turned around and jumped off the desk with a sigh, unable to find anything to keep her interest while she waits. How long has it been since he locked her inside anyway?

The girl walked around when another thing flashed before her, glinting in the sunlight. The glass of the only porthole in Law's quarters. She hastily walked over to it, looking at the sealed metal. It was screwed shut but at better inspection Miyako realized it could be open. An impish smirk formed on her lips when an idea hit her. At first she tried using her good hand but the screws around the metal were too tightly screwed. Trying with both hands only brought back the stinging pain from the glass wounds that were still fresh. Even trying to do it with her nails, didn't work, it wouldn't budge. She needed to use something harder. With a click of her tongue, she stopped, nursing her left hand. *There has to be something I could use.* The girl started looking around, rummaging through Law's possessions to find anything she could use to unscrew the porthole. She looked for a knife, but to no avail. However, going through Law's drawers she found something else; a few Beli coins in a box. Probably some leftover change. Miyako smiled to herself. Taking one of the Beli coins, she returned to the porthole and tried to fit the coin into the slit of the screw. When it went in, the girl's smile only got wider. Working metal with metal, Miyako carefully started turning the coin, trying not to break it. At first the screw resisted, but after a while it started slowly turning, squeaking now and then; it was obvious Law hadn't opened that porthole in a long time. *I am so getting out of here.* Silently celebrating her little victory, Miyako continued to work on the screws one by one, unscrewing the sealed porthole.

The final screw fell loose and the girl grabbed the knob on the window. She pulled as hard as she could, but the porthole wouldn't budge at all. Putting her foot against the wall as support, she used it as leverage to try again, pulling hard. Finally, the old metal shrieked and started moving until the porthole was open. She could feel the light breeze and smell the salty air from outside. "Yes!" With a bight cheer the girl examined her handiwork; now as all she had to do was squeeze through and jump into the water. Thankfully she was slim enough and the porthole was big, so with a little moving around she should be able to make it. With one last look outside, Miyako sighed. "Alright….let's go."

~…~

"We can't find her anywhere captain," Bepo trotted back to Trafalgar who was standing on the submarine's deck. The sun which was already high in the sky was replaced by grey, stormy clouds that slowly started to gather. The sky darkened, warning of a spring shower to come.

Law clicked his tongue in annoyance. "So Mayumi-ya is nowhere to be find. Did you ask the villagers?"

The pirates looked at each other with expressions of uncomf before turning back to their captain. Penguin spoke first. "Actually, the villagers are avoiding us or simply pretending they don't know anything. They say she lives outside of the village, in that forest. Shachi and Josh went to check it out." The mechanic pointed at the thick forest on the North of the island, near the cliffs. The sea was already starting to flounce, first waves rising and splashing against the island shore.

"There is a storm coming captain," Sai warned as he walked out on the deck.

"How big?" Law walked over to the railing and looked at the horizon where the stormy clouds were coming from. This was a spring island after all, so sudden storms weren't that surprising.

The navigator watched the clouds move, assessing the situation. "By the looks of it I'd say the submarine is safe; the sea won't get so strong to sink or topple it, but it's better if we're all inside when it hits," the navigator concluded. There was no worry in his tone but then again, Sai was never one to show his emotions openly.

Law nodded and turned to his crew. "Men, tie additional ropes to steady the submarine. Jean Bart-ya, check the main and secondary anchor. When the storm comes, I want everyone inside!" Trafalgar gave out orders, peering at the sky; it won't be long before the first drops of rain fall.

"What about Shachi and Joshua who went to Mayu-chan's house?" Bepo already had his anxious gaze set on Law, unable to contain his worry. The storm was coming and they were still out there.

"It's fine, we're back." Suddenly Josh's voice made them all spin around, startled.

"Did you find anything?" Penguin walked up to his friends, after checking on the ropes tying down the submarine.

The other mechanic simply shook his head. "She lives in a house near the outskirts of the village, in the forest. One man took us there but didn't know where she was. The house looked unattended and there was nobody there, including Mayumi." Shachi sighed in disappointment.

"Maybe Miya-chan was right…There's something suspicious in this village. Do these villagers really know nothing or are they just pretending?" Bepo commented, asking himself in a mutter.

"Well Mayumi-chi is missing but we don't know if she's guilty of anything yet…We don't know what happened," Ari chimed in feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden. "All we know is that Miyako was seen returning to the sub late last night and she can't remember anything about it. Now her katana is gone and so is Mayu-chi. We know Miyako didn't like Mayumi-chi from the start…."

"Wait, wait, wait! You're not actually saying that you think Miyako did something to Mayumi and hid her body!?" Josh was completely in disbelief at what he was hearing.

"Miya-chan would never do such a thing!" Bepo also protested instantly.

Ari seemed in discomfort, guilt pooling in after hearing his nakama. "I know! I don't believe she would do such a thing either. But she's been acting so strange and on edge ever since we met Mayumi-chi. No…you're right, my bad. She wouldn't do that."

"Hell right, she wouldn't!" Josh growled back at the explosives' expert.

In the meantime the first rain started to fall on them, wetting the ground beneath. It was gradually getting stronger, along with the blowing wind and rising waves. The group all looked at Trafalgar uncertainly, as if needing reassurance.

The captain stayed silent, looking at them all. Then he sighed. "We'll think about it when we get to the bottom of this and understand the situation. Right now, our priority is keeping the submarine and everyone in the crew safe from this storm so make yourselves useful and deal with that first." He turned away from them, ready to go deal with the other crewmembers. Before leaving he turned back to the group, "Besides, we're pirates. Killing isn't something we aren't used to so even if Miss Miyako killed that girl, it shouldn't be so surprising since she is also a pirate. Perhaps it is different from her usual behavior and I'm also interested why that is, but between a random local girl and a swordsman from my crew, I'd rather have the swordsman. That Mayumi girl has no use anymore."

Suddenly, Cody ran out on the deck with a key in his hand. "Captain! We have another problem…"

Law narrowed his eyes already feeling like he won't like what was coming next. Things just got worse by the second around here. He stayed silent but his gaze urged the medic to speak on.

"I went to check on Miya-chan like you asked me to but when I unlocked the door, your quarters were empty. Also, the porthole was opened. She's out there somewhere." He looked back at the island and the village ahead. The streets appeared deserted since everyone already hurried inside to get away from the storm, yet there is still a samurai roaming those streets.

Trafalgar gritted his teeth in annoyance bordering with frustration. *Honestly, can't that woman listen for once!*

"We should go after her," Shachi announced already ready to leave.

"Wait." Everyone was stopped by Law's voice. He was calm once again as he quickly collected himself. His tone didn't even have the sharp edge in it as he thought through the situation rationally. "You heard Sai-ya, it's too dangerous to go out there now. We need to wait out the storm until it passes."

"But what about Miya-chan?" Unlike Law's, Bepo's tone sounded completely uncertain.

"It can't be helped. She's smart enough to know she needs to take cover from the storm too. We'll look for her once the sky is clear again." Trafalgar stood firm in his decision even as he saw some wavering looks among his crew. But it couldn't be helped; the safety of the crew was essential and he couldn't risk even more men sending them out there. He turned to his crew again. "Bepo, get my coat and Kikoku. I'm going alone."

"Captain, you said it yourself; it's too dangerous!" Bepo exclaimed instantly, worried for his captain's wellbeing. He's forbidding the crew from stepping out, yet he'll go out and risk getting caught up in that storm himself.

Trafalgar's raised hand silenced all the complaints instantly. He could see the worry in his crew's eyes but he weighed the situation and concluded this was the best option after all. Miyako was still out there probably searching for Mayumi who was still missing; the samurai girl has been acting strange for a while now and she's even hurt and unarmed. Letting her spend the night during this storm was too dangerous but the crew had themselves and the submarine to look out for. As the captain of this vessel he had to be the one to go out; Miyako was his subordinate after all. So as much as he wanted to kill the girl for disobeying him at the moment, he also couldn't let something happen to her.

While Law was still deep in his thoughts, contemplating on his next plan of action, Bepo returned with his things; the nodachi and the long black coat. Law put it on in one swift motion, adjusted the hat which was covering him from the falling rain and placed his nodachi on his shoulder.

"Be careful captain!" Penguin called out, looking at Trafalgar's back.

The captain half turned to look at them and nodded once before walking off the deck and towards the village. First, he'll go through the village and then go up the hill and into the forest where Mayumi's house should be. As he walked, he could feel the first roars of thunder in the distance, gaining closer. With one last look in the sky, he shook his head with an irritated sigh. *She's going to pay for this one.*

~…..~

After Miyako managed to get herself to the shoreline unnoticed, she climbed onto the wooden docks, pulling herself up. She gasped taking a few deep breaths, finally reaching dry land. Her kimono was completely wet and her long hair was sticking to her face and eyes. She brushed it away, rubbing the water out of her eyes. Looking back at the submarine in the distance, she could see a few Heart Pirates working there but none seemed to notice that she was gone yet. The girl looked at the sky where grey clouds were slowly starting to gather above the island. It won't be long before rain falls.

She ignored the strange looks people were giving her since she was dripping wet, but still walked on as if nothing happened. It's not like she had time to light a fire and get dry anyway; the Hearts could realize she's gone at any moment and notify Law. She knew how he would react knowing she purposely disobeyed his direct orders, yet she couldn't just sit there locked up while someone, presumably Mayumi, had her important katana. Yawarakai-Te was her responsibility and she needed to get it back herself. Otherwise she'd just feel as if she isn't even worthy of the said word.

The girl checked the sky again where she saw thick, grey clouds slowly flowing their way towards the village. *There's a storm coming. I better find that girl before it gets hectic out here.*

She saw an old woman walking down the street, hurrying back home before the storm hits. "Excuse me!" Miyako called out but instantly remembered the scared looks people of the village gave her before. She was already sure that the woman will simply get frightened and try to run away but that didn't exactly happen; the old woman turned and looked at Miyako, awaiting for the girl to speak. There was still some anxiousness on the woman's face but it was nothing like before when she was walking through the village with Mayumi. Why was that? "You're…not afraid of me?" Despite herself, Miyako just had to ask.

The woman looked a bit stunned by the question, before looking away uncomfortably. "You are one of the Heart Pirates, aren't you? What do you want child? Be quick."

"The young girl from your village; Mayumi. Have you seen it?" After that question, Miyako could see woman's demeanor change drastically. She became fidgety and avoided eye contact with the samurai girl. "What's wrong? Why are you so afraid? I won't hurt you." Miyako tried to come closer, but the woman instantly stepped back.

"You are…the new one. I-I'm sorry…I can't help you! Just leave as soon as you can!" Leave this village!" The old woman warned before hurrying passed the pirate girl and disappearing around the corner.

"Wait!" The girl called after her but got no response. She looked around for someone else but people were scarce now that the storm was coming. Everyone was already inside their houses, preparing for the incoming storm. What's more, the ones left outside, ignored Miyako or just answered with shaking their heads, knowing nothing or simply refusing to talk. The samurai gritted her teeth in frustration. What was going on here?!

"Nobody will say anything." Suddenly a voice came from behind her and Miyako swiftly turned around, looking at the newcomer suspiciously. It took her a moment to recognize the familiar face but then remembered; it was the girl that accidentally bumped into Miyako yesterday when she shopped with Mayumi. She was a petite looking young girl with shoulder-length brown hair and large glasses hiding her eyes. She looked timid as the rest of the villagers but still approached the pirate girl.

"You…" Miyako started but then quieted down when the girl beckoned her to follow.

The villager girl walked on while Miyako silently followed. They stopped at a small house. "I live here, come on. I'll tell you what's going on in this village." She stared at Miyako with completely serious eyes gazing behind those glasses. At first the samurai only stood there, suspiciously staring at the new girl but her curiosity finally won over and the girl followed the local with a sigh.

The house was dark and small, with walls from which the paint was already falling off. In the corner was a large bookcase with numerous books and at the other side of the room Miyako could see a small fireplace.

The local girl lit a candle, before walking up to the fireplace and lighting the wood inside. The fire was warm and inviting, casting shadows on the walls as it flickered. "My name is Sara. Come here and dry yourself a bit; it's warmer by the fire."

Miyako came over cautiously to sit beside the fireplace, but she was still unconvinced of the girl's intentions. "Why are you helping me? I thought you people here were completely scared of pirates," Miyako could still recall the frightened gazes they wore yesterday.

"It's not you who we were afraid of…it's who you were with." Sara explained with a soft tone. Taking off her glasses, she cleaned them with her shirt and put them back on before sitting next to Miyako.

At first the pirate girl thought Sara meant Trafalgar Law since he was usually the reason for people's fear when they came to an island, but then it hit her. "Mayumi," she spoke the name in realization with some venom in her voice.

Sara simply nodded. "That girl is….strange. Something's wrong with her."

"What do you mean?"

The young girl sighed and started to explain the story. "Actually Mayumi is not a part of this village; she just…appeared. But nobody knows when or even where she came from. Even the old-timers in the village had no idea; she was just always there. She's probably much older than she looks." She saw Miyako's questioning stare and continued. "But what's disturbing is that…you might not believe this, but she has an ability."

"What kind of ability? Like a devil fruit?" Miyako scooted closer to the fire, trying to dry her kimono while listening.

Sara noticed this and smiled a little. "Wait here, I have some clothes that might fit you. You're drenched, you'll catch a cold like this." The local girl stood up, walking towards another room, probably where her closet was.

"Thank you." Miyako smiled when she was done changing and looked herself over in a small mirror. Sara was smaller than her so it was hard to find something that fit her. In the end she had to do with some clothes Sara's boyfriend left there; baggy pants that she had to buckle up tightly and roll up, along with an oversized button-up shirt. Her kimono was laid on the chair near the fire to dry. Even her hair was released from the red ribbon which was now tied on her wrist and her long hair flowed down her shoulders. "Are you sure your boyfriend won't mind, though?"

"It's fine…it's the least I can do after…" The girl started talking but suddenly stopped with a troubled expression. There was clear gilt in her eyes. "Somebody should've warned you sooner but everyone is already so scared."

Miyako's mouth pulled in a tight line and her golden eyes pierced Sara. "Tell me. Why is everyone so afraid of Mayumi? Who…what is she?"

Nodding, Sara went to finish her story. "As I said before; Mayumi has an ability. She's like a shapeshifter or something; the longer she's next to someone, the more like them she becomes. Their appearance, even their personality, their whole identity; she takes everything for herself. She did it to a lot of others; and then she deals with the original."

"Deals? How?" Miyako was starting to get a bad feeling about this.

"If they oppose her, they get hurt. Some even disappeared, never to be found again." Sara looked right at the pirate's eyes as she continued in a scared voice. "I think she killed them all."

The samurai gulped from the tense atmosphere but it was nothing she wasn't expecting. She knew there was something shifty with that Mayumi girl and now she finally had her answer.

"She's very good at what she does too. She lies all the time and manipulates others; turning them against the originals or messing with their mind. My late grandmother told me a story that happened when she was young; the villagers finally had enough of the mysterious girl and wanted to get rid of her. They knew what she looked like at the time and cornered her on one stormy night such as this. They caught her and killed her, finally throwing her body into the sea from the cliffs. The next day, the same girl appeared as if nothing happened. That's when they realized that the girl they killed was actually the original. But the doppelganger was so good that she made everyone believe the other girl was the fake one. After that all the villagers were so scared they started believing that if you try to hurt the shapeshifter, she will curse you and you will certainly die. So nobody wants to even go near her." Once again Sara looked at Miyako with an intense gaze. "Be careful. I know you have one more day on this island but I suggest you all go now. It's not safe for you."

The samurai realized, the girl was specifically warning Miyako. This doppelganger was after her. She wanted to take Miyako's identity and was slowly turning everyone else against her, isolating her. It was only a matter of time before Mayumi decides to finish the job and get rid of Miyako. The girl narrowed her eyes at the thought. *Well I'm not one to take lightly either. She's messing with me and she'll regret it.* Miyako stood up with clenched fists, looking down at Sara. "I'm going to find her and take back everything she took from me; including my identity." There was nothing but confidence in the samurai's words. She wasn't going down without a fight even if she had to go at it all alone with everyone else doubting her.

Sara widened her eyes in shock. "Didn't you just hear what I said? She's after you and she won't stop at nothing to get what she wants. I've seen it before."

"That may be so, but I'm just as determined to take her down. Tell me where I can find her." Miyako had no intention of backing down as she pierced Sara with a resolved look.

The local village girl was quiet for a while longer, thinking, but soon realized the pirate before her had no intention of giving up either way. She might at least help her as much as she can. Finally, Sara nodded. "I'll tell you where she is."

~…..~

It was already raining when Miyako started going up the hill and into the forest, towards Mayumi's house. She was still wearing borrowed clothing while her kimono dried at Sara's. She promised to go back for them after she's done dealing with Mayumi. Her gaze didn't lose any resolution while she struggled on slippery soil, going through the thick woods.

She just moved away some shrubbery away when something passing by quickly caught her eye. Miyako instantly realized it was Mayumi who just walked and disappeared behind some trees. Quickening her step while still careful of the soft mud on the ground, Miyako ran up towards the place where she saw the other girl. However, as soon as she arrived, there was no one there anymore. As she looked around, searching for the young girl, she once again saw Mayumi in the distance. Miyako bit her lip in annoyance. *She's probably leading me in a trap. But if I stop now I'll never find her.* Deciding to play Mayumi's game, the pirate girl followed until she finally stopped before a large wooden house. *This must be where Mayumi lives.*

Clenching her fists again, Miyako felt stinging pain and remembered her hurt left hand. She looked down at the soaking wet bandages and ignored the pain. Looking back up at the house, Miyako's eyes hardened into a cold stare and she stepped forward, opening the sliding doors and going inside.

The first thing she noticed inside was the smell of dampness and dust. The air was stale, making Miyako scrunch up her nose in discontent. She looked around at what looked like a hallway leading to a large living room. The inside was simple and made entirely of wood. Even though the room was big, the only thing inside was a wooden table with two wooden chairs. There was an old carpet on the floor and a small bookcase against the wall. The whole room was simply decorated and without any feeling that an actual person lived here. Everything was depersonalized, without any pictures or decorations that would show the tastes of the owner. As if the occupant himself was blank just like the room. As Miyako moved on, she noticed the rest of the house was the same. Big rooms with little furniture and no photographs or decorations anywhere. Not even some plants to brighten up the dark house.

She searched around, examining every room to try and find Mayumi but with no luck. Not even a sound other than the blowing wind, which was getting stronger as the storm moved closer. What felt particularly strange was that Miyako couldn't even feel anything with her haki; as if she was the only living being in here. But her gut told her that wasn't right; Mayumi was here somewhere, she just knew it.

After a while, she arrived in a room that appeared to still be under construction. The ground was all soil, with no wooden boards on the floor like the rest of the house, only walls were wooden. A small slope was going from the entrance down but it was too dark to see what was down there. On the far side of the room there was a contraption, which looked like a mechanism for a well, used to collect water. Miyako felt a draft coming from there as if there was something more down there. Mindful of her step she went down the slope and peered into the dark hole beneath. It was hard to say how deep it was considering she couldn't see anything.

That's when a cracking sound came right from behind her. Miyako's eyes widened and she turned around instantly, but it was already too late. She could see her world turning upside down as she started falling, pushed by someone behind her. Just before falling into the darkness, Miyako saw something that made her even more stunned than her fall. Mayumi had the same hairstyle as Miyako, right down to the color. As girl stared right at Miyako, the samurai could see the strange face before her; half of it was the same as always with a large green eye but the other had completely different features and one golden eye stared back at Miyako's stumbling form. The sight of two separate faces molding into one made Mayumi look completely disfigured. Miyako only had time to gasp before she felt herself fall down. She gripped at the thin air and anything she could find but it was too late. The soil was too soft and she couldn't get a good hold on it. As she used both her hands to try and grab at the muddy ground, the red ribbon on her wrist unwrapped and fell, just before she slid down into the old well and disappeared into the darkness. The fall was so painful and sudden, it knocked the breath right out of her lungs, making her gape. As she fell onto her back, her head jerked backwards and hit a rock on the ground, rendering her unconscious. She could see some light from above as he eyesight blurred and a moving silhouette above her, just standing there and staring at her. The last she saw was Mayumi crouching down and taking a red piece of fabric in her hand, before turning to leave. Miyako's eyes went hazy and soon everything turned into darkness as she fell into unconsciousness.

~…~

The rain was already pouring, thunder roaring every now and then, echoing loudly in Law's ears. Even with his waterproof black coat and the fuzzy hat, he was getting completely drenched. A lightning flashed through the darkening sky somewhere near the island, disappearing into the sea. It was so close by, he could even hear the electrical noise behind it.

He was still walking through the village, heading for the forest on the small hill where Mayumi's house should be. In his hand he held a paper with a badly-drawn map on it, showing him where to go; curtsy of Shachi. He put it back into the safety of his pocket, so it wouldn't get wet and torn on the way.

By now there was no one of the villagers on the streets, everyone already hiding away from the storm. The wind was blowing hard, sending droplet of rain into Law's blinking eyes. Still, he continued on. The captain stood under eaves of one house, taking shelter from the rain as he closed his eyes and focused. He ignored the sound of falling rain and even the strong wind. The thunder in the distance was gradually muffled and disappeared while Trafalgar used all his concentration. He was evoking his Kenbunshoku Haki, so he could pick up on any moving living beings around the village. His haki was now strong enough to envelope all the village and he could feel the people inside the houses, families around the fireplaces, even stray cats and dogs searching for shelter in the rain. The captain focused even harder, targeting one aura in particular; Miyako's. He searched for the samurai's presence in the village, from streets to houses, even rooftops. If she wasn't here than the only place left would be the forest and probably Mayumi-ya's house.

For once Law seemed to be in luck. His dark eyes opened quickly when he felt her presence. What's more, she was actually nearby. Adjusting the nodachi on his shoulder, the captain turned around and ran a few blocks, quickly turning around the corner. There, he almost collided with his samurai who looked as drenched as he was. She was just as the last time he saw her; in her pink kimono, her hair tightly pulled back into a ponytail by her red ribbon and even the katana on her waist. Law's eyes stayed on Miyako's sword. "You found it. Where?" He had to speak louder than usual to be heard over the blowing wind.

Miyako had a strange look in her golden eyes, which seemed darker than her usual gaze. "At Mayumi's…but she won't bother us again." The message behind those words were crystal clear even without Miyako having to explain it.

Law was silent for a while before grabbing her wrist silently. "We'll talk about what you did back at the submarine. Now come, hurry." Without waiting for a response, he dragged her with him back to the pirate vessel. By his tight grip it was obvious he was still mad, but getting them back on board was his priority.

~…..~

"Aaah, that felt good." The samurai girl almost sang in contentment after she was safely back at the submarine. She took a hot shower, changed out of her wet clothes and retied her long hair with the red ribbon. Yawarakai-Te was once again securely tied at her waist.

When she arrived, everyone from the Heart Pirates huddled around her, crowding the poor girl as they questioned her all at the same time. Everyone wanted to know what happened with Mayumi while Miyako was away, seeing that she had her katana back. The girl barely managed to answer some of the questions saying Mayumi attacked her and indeed had stolen her katana so Miyako had to kill her to save her own life. She explained the girl pushed her into some old well at the house in the forest but Miyako managed to climb back up and battled the girl until Mayumi fell into the hole and died from the fall.

"So you say Mayumi had some strange shapeshifter power and was slowly changing into you?" Penguin asked in disbelief. Everyone else also seemed stunned.

Miyako nodded, explaining Mayumi was slowly changing her appearance into Miyako's but didn't have time to finish the transformation before Miyako attacked her. "In the end, unlike her I already have fighting skills even without my sword. She was a monster but not a fighter. She didn't stand a chance," Miyako smiled in confidence.

Joshua sighed. "It's good that's all over."

"But I can't believe Mayumi-chi was actually such a villain…I'm sorry for doubting you Miya-chan," Ari really looked sorry as he apologized.

"Yah, she manipulated us all." Eli agreed with a nod.

"It's not like we didn't believe you Miyako-chan, we just needed more proof before acting. Just like captain said; we can't draw marines' attention right now," Bepo added.

Miyako shook her head with a small smile. "That's fine, guys. I understand and I'm not mad. In the end, we're all nakama, I know you wouldn't turn your backs on me."

At the time, Heart Pirates cheered, happy that it was all over. However, the happy atmosphere didn't last for long when Law appeared, still very much upset at Miyako's escape. He ordered her to clean herself up and then meet him in his quarters to explain everything that happened in detail. "After that I'll decided how severely I want to punish you," he said in a cold tone while piercing her with dark grey eyes. It was enough to bring chills to the rest of the pirates, as they quickly went back to their duties.

So now after she was clean and in her dried kimono with the katana on her waist, Miyako was once again in Law's quarters. She was standing before him as he sat in his chair with entwined fingers while staring at her silently. A sweat drop appeared on her forehead and the girl fidgeted uncomfortably. "Um…am I in trouble?"

The captain was still silent as he stood up slowly from his chair and paced towards her, all the while piercing her with his eyes. "I don't know, you tell me; does disobeying my, your captain's, direct orders mean you're in trouble?"

Miyako looked as if she was thinking for a while, giving him a sheepish smile. "I'd say…yes?" She jokingly answered.

However there was no smile on Trafalgar Law's face. "Do you find this amusing? I had to go out there on a storm looking for you, abandoning my submarine and crew at a most inconvenient time when we had to prepare the vessel for the storm." As if on cue, the submarine swayed lightly while waves outside crashed at its side. The storm was still raging outside. "You are lucky things ended so favorably for us all. What part of 'stay here until I get back' didn't you understand?" The man closed in on the girl, only inches away from her as he glared and hissed out the question. He was mad; there was no doubt about it.

"I'm sorry…I…wasn't thinking." Miyako looked completely apologetic but she still kept her eyes on his own, not wanting to be stared down by him and seem weak.

"No, you weren't. Let this be the last time you disobey my direct ordered…not matter what reason." He bit back at her, almost in a growl.

The girl nodded without a word, still looking at him.

"Next time you simply disappear like that pray I don't find you." He narrowed his eyes, staring into her golden ones. In a way, he could understand Miyako's attachment to her katana and wanting to find it by herself, but her behavior was too hasty and could have cost both her life and the lives of the other Heart Pirates. She was panicked and wasn't thinking straight; not to mention she was acting strange and more emotional than usual even before today and she was hurt and weaponless. If she had only listened to him, they would have found Mayumi and get to the bottom of it all. It's not like Law didn't believe Miyako or didn't intend to get Yawarakai-Te. He just wanted to do it on his terms and his way which included a proper plan. Once they had sufficient information he would've talked to the girl and devise a plan of action to get her sword back. He never intended to shut her out, but she had to cool her head before anything could be done. Yet instead of trusting him, Miyako decided to do things on her own as if this was all simply her problem to deal with. That's what pissed Law off the most; once again she wanted to do things on her own instead of relying on her comrades and on him.

"I really am sorry." Miyako bowed down a bit and that's when a piece of paper fell down on the floor.

Law noticed it first and picked it up, looking over it.

"Well if that's all I should-" The girl already turned around, ready to leave.

"Wait." Trafalgar's voice stopped her in her tracks.

She turned around to see what happened and noticed Law holding a piece of paper.

"You dropped this." The captain simply explained and handed her back the paper.

Miyako sighed and smiled. "Oh right." She looked over the piece of paper; it was the list of ingredients Munk gave her.

"I thought you lost that list?" Law looked down, his expression hidden from view by the rim of his hat.

"Oh, I found it. Silly me, it was in my kimono the whole time. Just in a different place than where I looked before," the girl chuckled hitting herself lightly on the head with her knuckles.

"Is that so…?" Law muttered, his face still in the shadow. Then suddenly his hand darted out and in an instant he grabbed Miyako by the throat, squeezing her windpipe dangerously.

The girl gasped and grabbed his wrist with both hands, but the captain was just too strong. She couldn't pry his hand away and the grip only tightened the more she struggled. With stunned eyes of bewilderment, the girl looked at him with fear and shock. "C-captain…Law, what are you….doing?" She barely squeezed out while coughing and gasping for air.

"I just find it strange considering Mayumi-ya had that list all along." His eyes narrowed as they pierced the girl in front of him. "I thought you seemed different than usual but now I am sure…So how about we stop playing this game and you tell me who you are exactly, hm?" The atmosphere in the room turned deadly in an instant as Law's mood darkened along with his killing intent.

For a while the girl still looked nothing but scared but then suddenly a wide grin spread on her face. "How did you know?"

Even though the girl shared the same face, she didn't seem like Miyako at all anymore. Her personality and even the way she talked was the same just a second ago, but now her demeanor changed little by little. Yet the appearance stayed identical to that of the samurai. However, Law could see past that mask; the moment he looked Miyako right in the eyes they seemed different than her usual self. He glared deep into her eyes; the same golden eyes as the samurai girl had, yet the glint in them was completely different. They were darker and colder; no usual burning inside of them, no wonder or excitement that Miyako had. These were the eyes of a dead fish, nothing more. But what made Law certain was Munk's list that was surprisingly with Miyako again. He knew from the start that Mayumi took it; he saw her take it the first day when she was looking at it. At that time he didn't think anything of it, thinking she took it without thinking but later when she didn't give it back even when Miyako was upset about losing it, he knew she was doing it on purpose. Law stayed silent then, wanting to see what Mayumi was actually planning. He didn't want to out her and make her suspicious, which would make her pull back. So he stayed quiet and observed, analyzing her move and wanting to see what she'll do next. Then when Miyako's sword suddenly disappeared, that suspicion was only proven further. Seeing Miyako so emotional made him understand he had to deal with the samurai girl and calm her before going after Mayumi. Yet the foolish girl went by herself and now this imposter is on his submarine while the real samurai is missing. "You're eyes…they might be the same color but they're completely different. I knew you were up to something from the start, Mayumi-ya, if that is even your real name. I presume everything you said was a lie and you are the one with shapeshifting powers just like you said." He suddenly grabbed the girl's bandaged left hand, squeezing it tightly. She didn't have much of a reaction, as expected; even though the hand was bandaged there were probably no wounds underneath. The final proof this wasn't Miyako. His grey eyes turned even more deadly as he continued. "Now…tell me where my samurai is?"

The imposter girl chuckled but it sounded more like a cackle since she couldn't breathe freely. "You wouldn't hurt a woman, would you? Especially someone who helped you with information so much? Who told you about the marine base? Why not take me instead of that girl to sea? She didn't look like she wanted to be a pirate anyway, on the other hand I'd be more than happy to sail under you. I'm already done with this island; it's become too small for me and I've already copied all the interesting faces here."

Trafalgar was silent for a long time, then suddenly his expression changed into a wide evil grin; his eyes shone in a sadistic manner. He seemed like he was swallowed by insanity, ready to turn into a killer any second now. "I won't hurt you because you are a woman?" He repeated the girl's naïve words, the grin never leaving his features. "It seems you don't know about me very well after all. You're underestimating me." His grip slowly begun to tighten, crushing the girl's windpipe. "Now I'll ask you one last time before I start skinning you alive; where is Suzune Miyako?"

The confident smirk instantly left Mayumi's face when she saw Law's sadistic smile; he was serious and she just realized it. This man wasn't bluffing; he'll really skin her alive if he has to. Suddenly she paled, realizing how much in trouble she actually was. She coughed and struggled, trying to get away from his crushing grip but with no use. "I-if…you kill me…*cough* You'll never…find *cough* her again." Mayumi barely let her voice out. "How do I know *cough* you won't kill me*cough* once I tell you?"

Law's eyes narrowed. "You don't know, but if you don't tell me in the next five seconds, then I'll kill you for sure." The captain explained and started counting down from five.

When he was already on three, the girl spoke up again. "She's in my house!" She felt the captain slightly relaxed his grip to let her speak. "The one in the forest," she sighed in relief when his hand gave her more room to breathe, still dangerously lingering on her throat.

The dark doctor pierced her with his stare, promising hell with only his glare. "If she's not there, I will make sure your death is slow and painful." He gripped her shoulder so tightly the girl winced in pain and then turned her around, practically shoving her out of his quarters.

They ran into Bepo in the hallway, who looked puzzled at Law's harsh treatment of the samurai girl. "Captain, what happened?"

"Bepo, this is the imposter, not Miss Miyako. Take her into custody and notify Joshua-ya, Sai-ya and Shachi-ya, we're going to find her." Law ordered before turning back to the girl and shoving her into Bepo who caught her with his large paws easily. "You'll be going with us, just in case you're lying," he gave her one final dark glare before taking away her sword and giving it to Bepo. "Hold onto this as well."

The bear still looked somewhat confused by the situation but nodded anyway, taking the girl and the sword. "Aye, captain." He turned around and went towards the exit. The storm was still right above the island but they had no choice; they'll have to go out there and bring their samurai back.

Law stepped out onto the drenched deck with his nodachi on one shoulder. Behind him the navigator, mechanic, the medic and his first mate stood, all wearing black jackets with the Hearts' yellow Jolly Roger, except for Bepo who didn't mind the cold wind blowing nor the rain. The first mate was still holding onto Miyako's sword and the imposter girl. The captain gritted his teeth as he looked at the hill where the deep forest stood. This doppelganger has Miyako's kimono and all the things the girl was wearing when she disappeared. How did the imposter get even her clothes? In what condition was Miyako right now? As much as he was angry, he was equally worried for the samurai. They had to find her and she had to be ok…no matter what. That's what Law told himself for reassurance as he strengthened his resolve and stepped off the submarine.

~…~

As soon as Miyako opened her eyes, the harsh headache started. Not just her head, but she could feel the ache throughout her whole body. Her left shoulder felt like it was burning and there was a numbing pain in her right ankle. She could only hope that none of her bones were broken. At first as she tried to move, none of the muscles would listen so for a while she just lay there on the wet ground in the darkness. After a while, she tried again, starting from her right arm. Her fingers twitched and she managed to lift it, feeling for the bump at the back of her head where she hit it. There, she could feel a wet substance, probably blood, but it was too dark to even see her own hand in front of her. With a painful groan she tried to sit up and finally managed to after the second try, sliding towards the wall of the well so she could lean against it.

It took her a while to remember what exactly happened, but when she finally did, her eyes darted open which brought an even worse headache. Wincing, she held her head in her hands as scenes from before started coming back to her. *Mayumi pushed me in here.* At that thought, she remembered the half disfigured face of the local girl; Mayumi was changing into her. What surprised her even more was the fact that she didn't feel Mayumi's presence behind her at all; how was she able to sneak up on her and come so close? *The girl took me by surprise, but how? I should have sensed her with my haki long before she was near me. Why didn't I feel her presence?* The questions swirling around her mind along with the headache were frustrating, making Miyako grit her teeth. Soon enough, an even more worrisome thought came across her mind. *She must be trying to take my identity completely. What if she goes after the crew? Or if she tricks them into believing she was me?! Am I going to be left behind to rot in this well while she takes away everything and leaves with them?!* A sudden anxiety started welling up inside of Miyako. *No…I can't die here. I can't die like this! Not when I'm finally starting to realize my purpose, the purpose for my sword. I finally have something to fight for and she's taking it all away!* The samurai gritted her teeth in determination. "I won't die like this!"

Holding onto the wall, she slowly tried to stand up but stumbled instantly. Her ankle was probably twisted as she had problems putting any weight onto it. The good side was that at least nothing seemed broken. Miyako took deep breaths before trying again. "Come on, you can do this," she encouraged herself before trying again. Putting all the weight on her left leg, the girl managed to stand up, leaning against the wall. She looked around but there was nothing but darkness, so black that she couldn't see anything. She could only feel the bumps and cracks on the well's wall. Peering up she noticed a small light, probably from the burning candles in the room above. That light was her only guidance, the small flicker of hope to where she has to come no matter what.

Feeling the cracks on the walls, Miyako used them as leverage to climb up. Her shoulder was hurting badly since she sprained that too and her right ankle barely worked. On top of it all, her left hand was still bandaged and hurt from the glass shards. Yet Miyako gritted her teeth and took a step higher, pulling her body up by her hands. Finding more holes in the old well, she put her foot there and used it as leverage to climb. She felt the wall blindly with her hands trying her best to keep herself up. The well was almost 10 meters deep, but still she climbed on. Taking another step, the rock she put her foot on crumbled along with a piece of wall. She lost her foothold and slipped, only holding herself by her hands. But with her hurt shoulder and hand she couldn't keep her weight up with only her arms, so Miyako slid down desperately trying to hold onto something. Her fingers burned as skin and nails tore from the friction and she fell down with a gasp, ending up right where she started.

The girl coughed and groaned, turning on her back in pain. For a while all she could do was bare the pain while lying with closed eyes. Even when she opened her eyes the darkness around her didn't disappear. "No…can't end like this," she mumbled, weakly shaking her head. *Are you really going to let her win like this? How pathetic are you; you can't even climb this well! Aren't you supposed to be getting stronger; enough to protect the crew, your captain, yourself!? How are you strong enough for the New World when you'll let some doppelganger bitch cross you like this?!* The voice echoed in her mind, taunting her but also harsh and serious; the samurai recognized that voice. Even in near death he just wouldn't leave her off the hook, he just had to push her limits; Law. It made the girl want to laugh and shout in anger at the same time; just from the irony of it. The fact that in this moment, it would be his words that pushed her forward, giving her strength to continue. Miyako gritted her teeth in anger and stood up, yelling in pain in the process. She leaned against the wall, panting hard but there was sheer determination burning in her golden eyes. "You take away my sword…" She took a step on the wall, propping herself up. "My friends." Another step, groaning as she pulled herself up by her hurt arms. "Even my captain." Another step higher, as she carefully checked her foothold before stepping on the rocks. "My identity." Her voice echoed stronger now as she felt rage and confidence fill her. She was moving on, climbing up the well slowly but surely. She gritted her teeth, hissing words and endured the pain in her whole body that seeped into her. "You just wait until I get out of here." Another growl escaped her as she bit down on the pain and continued climbing.

~…..~

Trafalgar and his group walked up the hill through the forest, led by Mayumi who was still held captive in Bepo's grip. The ground beneath their feet was completely turned into mud, soaked from the rain, so every step they took had to be careful unless they wanted to end up in live mud or slip on the eroded, wet ground. The ground was corroding beneath their feet while the wind blew strongly in their face, yet the pirates continued on.

"It should be around here," Shachi notified them remembering the path from when he was here earlier. It was already night outside, making it even harder to see the area around them. The storm, the darkness and the muddy ground was making the whole journey even more dangerous; especially as nobody knew what to expect. Law let Mayumi walk fist; in case there were any traps out there she might be thinking of leading them in, she'll be the first to get caught in them.

The wind blew especially hard, making the pirates hold onto their hats and stop to wait it out. A blinding light flashed before them, followed by deafening noise as if the sky was ripping apart. The lightning hit a nearby tree, setting it on fire. Luckily, the rain was so strong, the fire didn't have a chance to spread. However, it proved to be a good distraction as everyone turned towards the loud noise, suddenly on guard. It gave Mayumi a perfect opportunity; she grabbed the katana out of Bepo's paw and pushed him with all her force. Since the ground was already so slippery, the bear who was caught by surprise stumbled sideways, letting her go. She didn't wait to watch as Bepo fell into a pit of mud. She ran into some shrubbery and disappeared into the night.

"Dammit!" Law cursed and went after her, stopping in his tracks when he realized there was a cliff there. He almost fell from it, barely noticing in the darkness. *So where did she go?*

"Captain!" Joshua's voice pulled Trafalgar back to reality and he turned around to see his crew carefully circling the pit where Bepo was. "It's live mud, he can't get out!" The pirates were holding onto Bepo, trying to pull him out but it wasn't a simple thing to pull a large polar bear from the sucking, sticky substance. The more Bepo struggled, the more he sunk into it.

Law gritted his teeth in frustration, walking over to them to help them out. The girl tricked them; she knew this terrain better than anyone and used it to her advantage. Luckily, they weren't far from the house now so they won't get lost; he still had Shachi's map anyway. Still, the pirate captain was determined on one thing; once they found Miyako, he'll make that imposter pay.

When they finally managed to get the first mate out of the dangerous mud, the pirates were all drenched, muddy and panting from exhaustion. Yet they had no time to rest and this place was far too dangerous anyway. They needed to at least find shelter in Mayumi's house. The group was sitting down on the ground, trying to catch their breath. The captain propped himself with his nodachi and stood up. He knew they needed rest but this was no place for it. "Come on, we need to continue. Let's go." He heard a few groans from the pirates as they struggled to get up.

"You heard the captain, let's go," Bepo encouraged them, giving one paw to Shachi and the other to Josh as he easily lifted them up to their feet. Sai used his rifle to help himself up before putting it back on his shoulder.

When the pirate group finally arrived in front of the imposter's house, they were drenched and panting slightly. The large wooden facility looked like a ghost mansion, casting strange shadows every time lightning flashed, shining over it.

"We're finally here…" Sai commented, walking closer to the large sliding doors. He opened them carefully, expecting a trap. However, nothing happened and the group walked safely inside; finally taking shelter from the rain. The house and furniture inside seemed old. Walls were already starting to rot from dampness and mold. A few candles were lit, braking through the darkness but most of the house was still dim and cold. It was barely furnished as if nobody was actually living here.

"Stay in pairs and search the house." The captain commended, examining what appeared to be the bedroom. It only consisted of one small bed and a closet for clothes, nothing more. There was another candle, flickering on the windowsill. Outside, Law could see trees waving their branches and bending from the strong wind.

"C-captain!" Shachi's panicked call brought everyone back together in one of the rooms. It was completely empty and the floorboards were taken out of the ground. On their place, a shallow hole was freshly dug up. Beside it was a shovel and a hump of dirt from digging. There's when the pirates noticed something in the corner of the dark room; a body.

When Law arrived the rest moved to the side, allowing his some room to inspect the dead person. He came over and crouched next to the still fresh corpse. "A woman. Can't be dead for more than a couple of hours, judging by the decomposition process. I'd say she was killed by a head trauma; she was hit in the head repeatedly by a blunt, hard object." He couldn't get much from observing the body like this, but at least these signs were obvious. He observed the girl more carefully; she was petite and short, with shoulder-length light brown hair. Something glinted beside her and Law noticed a pair of large glasses by the corpse. It was hard to see her face since a lot of her head was smashed in, covered with the red sticky substance that tangled her hair in a mess.

The captain heard a sound behind him and turned around to see Joshua holding a shovel and digging up some of the dirt from that hole.

"What are you doing?" Shachi came towards him and peered inside.

Sai, who was standing next to Joshua answered in his usual monotone tone. "There seems to be another body in here," he just commented flatly.

"These bodies were here before when we checked the house. Actually this whole room looked different with floorboard on the ground. Whaa, this is creeping me out. Can't we just find Miyako and go already?" Shachi whined, feeling shivers running down his spine. This place was too eerie for his taste.

"Wait." Josh muttered and moved some of the dirt, revealing a skeleton. It still had some mummified skin on its bones, and some strands of long black hair.

Trafalgar examined the skeleton. By his approximate estimations the girl looked exactly like Mayumi; same height and long black hair of the same length. Her teeth were similar too even though Law never spent much time observing the girl's jaw. *So after she turned completely into that girl, she killed her and buried her here.* An ominous feeling hit Law's gut and his jaw clenched. "We need to find Miyako, now. Split up." Before even finishing he's command, the captain turned and went back to searching the house.

They found nothing strange until Bepo called out from somewhere at the back of the vast house. "Captain!" Law hastily followed his friend's voice until everyone stepped into a room where there weren't even floorboards but muddy soil. A small slope led to a large hole that seemed to be a remnant of an old well. Law and Sai carefully lowered down the slope, looking into the gaping darkness.

"Hello!? Miyako?!" The navigator's voice echoed, bouncing against the walls, but there was no answer.

"Maybe she's not down there," Shachi commented hopefully but his own tone betrayed that even he didn't think so.

"Maybe she's unconscious," Josh proposed another, more frightening, option.

"Maybe she's already dead," Sai added to their comments.

"Shut up you idiot! Don't say freaky stuff like that!" Both Shachi and Josh yelled at the navigator in unison.

"Miya-chaaaan~" Bepo started to panic, holding his big head with furry paws.

"Don't you start too, Bepo. She'll be fine," The medic's voice was confident and firm, willing himself to believe that the samurai was alive and well.

Meanwhile, Law ignored his panicking subordinates and searched around the room, looking for something to help them down there. Finally he saw the old well's mechanism that used rope and a bucket to collect water. The mechanism didn't really look safe but it was the only thing they could use right now; hopefully the rope will at least hold out. The doctor went over and took the rope from the mud, gazing back at his crew. "We'll use this."

After preparations, it was decided that Josh will be the one to go down there as the lightest. Shachi tied the rope tightly around the medic's waist, pulling on it a few times to make sure it was secure. The redhead had a candle in one hand, helping him to peer into the darkness and shine some light at it. He stepped on the edge of the dark pit, looking down into nothing but blackness. "Ok, guys, I'm ready." The medic looked behind him where Bepo and Shachi were holding the rope, giving it some slack slowly as Josh leaned over the well and started taking steps downwards, slowly heading into the hole. He had his back turned to the dark in his position so he had to look over his shoulder, clutching the rope tightly. He held onto the rope with one hand while trying to keep the candle steady in the other, shining at the stone walls of the well. "Give me some more slack, I have to go deeper!" He yelled back up where he could see Sai leaning over the edge and keeping track of the situation that was going on in the well. For now, everything was going according to plan; now if only Miyako was really down there, alive. Josh bit his lip, not wanting to think any more depressing thoughts. They didn't know anything yet, it was too early to panic. As he told himself that, the medic continued on, walking against the wall slowly.

"Joshua-ya, what's the situation?" Josh heard his captain's voice echo all the way down to him. He felt the rope moving again as he was lowered down some more. They had to keep it slow and careful for the rope not to break.

"Nothing for now, captain. But I didn't hit the bottom yet," The medic yelled back, looking over his shoulder in hope he'll see the end of this creepy well. All he could see was darkness below him. "Get me down, more," he yelled again to Bepo and Shachi. It was good they brought Bepo with them; with the bear's strength there wasn't a problem with only two of them handling the line and his weight on it. Bepo could probably easily take on Joshua's entire weight by himself. The floorboards above him shrieked as the pirates moved. He could hear the sound of the rope slipping through the mud.

What nobody noticed was how the rope would go over a rock next to the well's edge every time the pirates would slacken it. As it slid on the edge of the rock, it would slowly but steadily cut through it; making the cord thinner and thinner. When Joshua yelled for them to slacken it one more time, the line was pressed onto the rock by his weight and finally snapped.

At first, Josh didn't notice anything. Then he heard panicked yells above him, just before the rope holding him slackened completely and he quickly started falling down into the darkness. He gasped and his eyes widened in shock and realization, when the light above him started furthering away from him. *How high am I above the ground?* That was the first and only question the redhead had time to ask himself, knowing that fact can decide between his life and death. Just as he was about to hit the ground with his back, the rope suddenly tightened again and his whole body jerked before stopping.

Just before the rope snapped, Law's sharp eyes noticed it started to fray and that it was about to break. „The rope!" It was all the captain had time to say as a warning as he jumped just a second before it tore. He grabbed the cord with both hand, feeling the burning sensation as it chafed his palms and the friction burned his skin. Josh's weight pulled him forward, but Trafalgar stopped both of their falls by putting a foot on the side of the well's edge. Even so, holding the complete weight of one person singlehandedly was no easy task and he knew his hands won't hold out for long. The captain grit his teeth, thinking at that moment that sending Josh, the lightest and smallest of them, was indeed the right decision he made. Thankfully, his pains stopped soon when the other pirates reacted only a few seconds later even though to Law it felt much longer while straining to keep Josh from falling. Sai, Shachi and Bepo all grabbed the rope, dividing the work among themselves.

"Josh, are you alright?" Sai yelled down, trying to peer at the small, flickering light of the candle that miraculously didn't go out during this ordeal. Perhaps at least there was some luck left on their side.

"Y-Yeah…" The medic gulped, looking around. "That was close, though." He looked around noticing he was only a few meters above the ground now. He shone at the ground of the well and his eyes widened in despair.

"Joshua-ya, what do you see?" Law called out noticing the redhead went uncharacteristically silent all of a sudden. He had a bad feeling about all this.

The medic licked his dry lips and gulped down his saliva. He was still staring at the well's muddy floor when he answered. "It's empty captain….She's not here. This was the last place to look but….Miyako isn't in here."

Still holding the old rope, the Heart Pirates looked at each other with anxious stares before looking back at their captain with uncertainty. If she wasn't here then where was that girl? They could see a darkening look in their captain's eyes, one they haven't seen in a long time now.

*So that imposter lied and led us into a trap…* Law thought, thinking of Mayumi. Along with his bad feeling about Miyako, there was a killing intent so strong he would probably strangle the imposter girl with bare hands if she was there. No, that would be too easy. He'll do much worse when he finally finds that cunning vixen. Yet before that, he still had to find his samurai. The captain managed to control his anger at the moment, remembering his priorities. He looked back at Bepo and the others with the usual collected expression; but the darkness in his eyes remained. "Let's pull Joshua-ya back up. I'll contact the submarine to see if there are any changes on their part."

After a while, the redhead was back up having a similar dejected look in his eyes as everyone else in the badly-lit room. They were all hoping to find Miyako here, but now they were back to square one. No Miyako and no sign of the only person who knew where she was; Mayumi. "So what now?" Josh asked, staring at the empty well.

Suddenly Law stood up, putting a den den mushi back into his coat and taking his nodachi. Everyone looked at him in wonder. "I will pursue Mayumi-ya and try to find Miss Miyako. You stay here until the storm passes, then go back to the submarine. I was just in contact with Jean Bart but he said the situation is still the same; the submarine is safe from the storm and there were no suspicious people around."

"You want us to stay here? But Miya-chan is still out there, we should continue to-" Shachi tried to protest but his captain cut him off.

"It's too dangerous with this storm. There's no need to risk any more people than this. I'll go and you'll wait until the storm passes. I'll come at the submarine when I find Miss Miyako so don't worry. I'll contact you via den den mushi if there's any trouble." There was no reason for others to risk their lives on this stormy night. Bepo already fell into live mud once and who knows what traps Mayumi set for them in the woods. They'll never see it coming with all this rain and mud; it was too dangerous. Not to mention; just being in the woods while there was thunder and lightning outside was completely unsafe. It'll be easier for Law if he only had to worry about himself.

"But if you're going, then I will too-" Bepo also tried to protest, at least convincing the captain to let the first mate go with him but Trafalgar simply shook his head.

"If I need backup, there are still other crewmembers at the submarine. You lot just listen and wait here until the storm quiets down." He turned to leave, giving them one last look and a nod before walking out of the room.

Josh had his head bowed down, hiding his expression with his hat, but with his whole body trembling and his clenched fists it was obvious what he was thinking. *Shit…are we really this useless right now? Is there nothing else we can do?! Miyako…where the hell are you?* A sudden hand on his shoulder made his head jerk up and look back, to see Shachi standing behind him with a determined demeanor.

"Don't worry, Captain will get her back for sure." The mechanic tried to reassure the redhead with an encouraging tone.

"Besides, Miya-chan faced danger before too but she always managed to overcome it and get out alive. So have faith in both Miyako and captain." Bepo added, not completely panicky and depressed for once.

"Also, he'll definitively make that Mayumi girl pay." Sai smirked.

~….~

"So Miyako's imposter got away from captain's group and Miya-chan is still missing?" Penguin summarized the information he just heard from Jean Bart after the navigator talked to captain Law via den den mushi.

The large navigator simply nodded with a grunt.

"So what do we do? Just sit here and wait for captain or if Miyako shows up?" Cody shrugged his shoulders, feeling stressed that all they could do is wait.

"What else can we do?" Ari sighed.

"Search the village one more time, I recon?" Eli proposed.

"The captain said we should stay here and take care of the submarine," Jean Bart reminded them. He could see everyone was feeling nervous and on edge, wanting to do more than just take care of the vessel, but captain gave them clear orders not to go out into the storm. "The storm will probably pass soon," he added, hoping it would calm the impatient pirates. Bart wanted to find the samurai just like everyone else but as a former captain he knew Law also had a responsibility to keep his crew and the submarine safe from harm. Right now it was dangerous outside and there was at least one enemy who can shapeshift; they couldn't act recklessly.

Cody suddenly stood up and walked over to the large window in the control room. "The wind is slowly dying out, I think." He was itching to take out a cigarette and light it but knew it wasn't allowed to smoke inside the submarine. Still he kept playing with his lighter, to calm some of the frustration. Finally he couldn't take it anymore, as his yearning for nicotine to calm him down in this situation overpowered him. "I'll be at the back door."

"Oy, you can't go outside." Penguin protested, clicking his tongue in disagreement.

The medic sighed in annoyance, scratching the stub of hair on his chin. "It's fine, I'll only go for a quick smoke. I'll stay close to the doors." He was already walking out of the control room, taking a pack of cigarettes out of his overall pocket. The medic sighed one more time, putting a smoke in his mouth as he walked towards the back entrance where the higher but smaller deck of the submarine was. He opened the doors, taking a breath of fresh air in his lungs before it is replaced by the smoke and nicotine. He closed the doors and stayed under the small eaves above the metal doors as he lit up his cigarette. The rain was still falling and the wind was howling, making it necessary for him to cover the lighter with one hand in order to protect the fire while lighting the cigarette. The medic inhaled for the first time, instantly feeling calmer from doing his everyday routine. That was the first smoke he had ever since the damn storm started. A bit calmer from the fresh air and the cigarette, the medic's thoughts returned to the missing samurai. *Where could she be? She wasn't at Mayumi's house and not in the village. Damn it, if only I had Kenbunshoku Haki, I could check the village again.* The man bit down on his cigarette, taking another smoke.

"Cody!" A familiar woman's voice brought the medic out of his musings. At first he was sure the howling wind was just playing tricks on him, but as he listened harder, the voice continued. "Cody! Help!"

Without thinking the medic ran across the small deck towards the source of the voice, looking down. He leaned over the railing but saw no one. Cody's eyebrows furrowed as he instantly suspected it was a trap. Feeling someone behind him he turned around and grabbed the woman's hand, his eyes widening in surprise. The well-known kimono, the sword at her waist, even the large golden eyes; everything looked exactly like Miyako down to her red ribbon. But Cody knew this wasn't the Miyako of his crew. He squeezed the girl's hand as she probably tried to sneak behind him and push him over the railing. "Mayumi I presume." He had to yell to overpower the strong wind and splashing rain.

The imposter gritted her teeth as she was caught, but her other hand was still free and hiding behind her back. Without a second thought, the girl quickly pulled out her other hand and the medic noticed something flashed in her hand. A knife. She was so close to him it was hard to dodge and the knife was heading right for his throat. Shocked but acting on impulse, he took a step back to avoid the knife only to hit the railing and stumble over it. The girl pushed him and he lost his balance, falling on the beck below. Luckily, the height wasn't deadly but he could still feel even his teeth rattle as he hit the wooden floor harshly.

As he was about to stand up, the imposter Miyako was already jumping down with the knife in her hands and stood over him. "Sorry Cody-san…I really did like you." Even as she said that, her facial expressed stayed emotionless and her golden eyes dead. She swung her sword down at the laying medic, but before it could hit, the girl was forcefully pushed away as someone rammed into her from the side. All Cody could see was a blur as the two figures disappeared over the railing and fell onto the main deck with a strong thud.

The knife fell out of Mayumi's hand and slid away in a puddle of water. The imposter looked around with wild eyes, searching for whatever just attacked her. She found the form struggling to stand up with her sprained ankle and shoulder and bandaged left hand. "Miyako-san." The girl narrowed her eyes, glaring at the samurai before her.

Miyako was completely muddy in borrowed, baggy and drenched clothes. Her hair was flowing everywhere, sticking to her pale face. She looked tired, barely standing with her hurting body. However, her eyes were burning with anger and determination. Usually when Miyako fought an opponent she was calm and cold, which made it easy for her to assess the situation. Yet her appearance now was completely different; her eyes weren't cold fire as usual, but burning brightly in rage.

"How did you get out of that well?" Mayumi ignored the rain showering on her as she stared at the muddy girl before her.

"I climbed out and saved myself," Miyako simply said glaring at the other girl all the while.

Mayumi's golden eyes widened in surprise. "Impossible, you're lying! That well was too deep for someone to climb out of it on their own! Especially someone this hurt!"

Miyako narrowed her eyes and put both hands up so Mayumi could see. The bandages on her left hand were mostly ripped and fingers on both hands were bloody and cut. Her nails were mostly destroyed as well. "What would I gain from lying now? Well it doesn't matter if you believe me or not anyway, it won't change your situation." She slowly started limping towards Mayumi, her anger only increasing by the step. "I do have one question, though." She saw the girl's questioning stare and continued. "What did you do to me exactly? Why was I acting so emotional and why couldn't I feel your presence in the house?"

Mayumi smirked. "That's more than one question." She saw Miyako narrowed her eyes but shrugged it off and continued. "My power isn't so simple that I just teal your face. Oh no, it's much more than that. I can copy your attitude, personality, way of speech….everything. That's why this power is so handy." The girl grinned before continuing. "And that goes for your presence too. It's not that you couldn't feel me; it's just that right now I even have the same aura as you so you just couldn't recognize the difference. We're the same." The girl hissed the last words, taunting Miyako on purpose.

The samurai glared at the girl. Indeed, she looked exactly like her; as if watching herself in the mirror. But the two of them were nothing alike; Miyako would never do what Mayumi did to her. "Hardly," Miyako hissed back. After she managed to get out of the well she walked back down to the village to meet Sara and take back her things. The first thing she noticed was that the doors weren't locked, while the fireplace inside was still burning. Miyako didn't find any of her things and couldn't find Sara anywhere but her keen eyes did notice remaining droplets of blood on the floor. In addition, here was Mayumi wearing all of the clothes Miyako left behind at Sara's. At this moment Miyako knew that Sara probably wasn't alive anymore. The samurai girl gritted her teeth at that thought. Mayumi was probably tailing her, watching her every move and waiting for the right time to strike and completely take over her life. But Miyako had no intention of giving it away so easily.

"However, the emotional aspect of which you speak wasn't done by me at all…well maybe that's not exactly true. I'm sure turning your friends against you and making you irate on purpose with my actions pushed your mental state a bit too far. Not to mention the constant paranoia that you had about me but wasn't able to prove anything…even when I first started changing into you." The girl grinned widely. "But as much as I purposely messed with your mental state, you were the one who reacted like that…I don't have the power to control your emotions unfortunately." Mayumi shrugged then added with a grin. "Why, Miyako-san, don't tell me you were jealous? Perhaps because I was stealing your friends away and poor Miyako felt all alone." Her tone was completely mocking but then turned venomous as she continued. "Or was it because I was stealing your precious captain away? Were you jealous that night when I was so close to Trafalgar and there was nothing you could do about it?" She sang, porously taunting the girl. "So agitated you were even stupid enough to hurt yourself with the glass!?" Mayumi laughed in loudly while screaming her taunting words at Miyako.

The samurai girl gritted her teeth in anger and started slowly moving towards the girl again. "You tried to hurt my friends. You hurt me. You tricked and lied to us the whole time. You even stole my sword and now you're even trying to steal my life. There's no way I'll let you get away with this." She moved closer to Mayumi.

The local girl suddenly unsheathed Yawarakai-Te from her waist. "I really like this sword, I'm definitively keeping it." She giggled and aimed it towards Miyako. "What can you do in your condition? You're hurt and unarmed, while I have a sword."

On her surprise, Miyako just grinned never stopping as she limped forward. "You're right. You might be armed…" she cracked her knuckles in preparation. "-but I'm angrier." The girl rushed forward suddenly, stepping to the side to avoid a sudden slice from Mayumi. She had to put her weight on her sprained ankle, making her grit her teeth in pain. Still, Miyako endured it and tried to attack Mayumi from the side. Even if Miyako was primarily a samurai and not much of a hand-to-hand fighter, she still had some basic knowledge in cases she finds herself unarmed just like in these kinds of situations. Her master made sure that she was prepared for anything. She tried to get into Mayumi's area but the girl quickly sliced sideways, making Miyako jump back to avoid it. Mayumi was surprisingly fast even if she didn't know how to correctly fight with a sword; or perhaps Miyako was slower because of her injuries. *Whatever the case, it seems I'll need to disarm her first.*

Without waiting for Miyako's next attack the other girl rushed forward with the sword aiming for Miyako's head. The samurai dodged swiftly when the katana slashed the air just above her head, then stepped backwards as the tip of the sword passed inches beneath her eye. Miyako was trying to save her remaining strength and her hurt ankle, not putting too much stress onto it, until she devised a good plan. However, it was hard with Mayumi swinging at her constantly, deliberately not giving her any room to act. *She'll tire eventually; katana is a heavy weapon and she doesn't have any training in it.* Shockingly, Mayumi continued on, slicing and slashing faster and faster. The katana was closer to Miyako every time she dodged and the samurai realized Mayumi had much more strength and energy than her right now. If they're talking endurance, Mayumi definitively has the advantage here. *Of course…with my body she also has my arm strength and constitution.* Miyako cursed at her realization.

"Hahahahaha!" The local girl laughed manically as she continued to slice at Miyako. Her dead eyes were open wide and she was grinning widely, but most of all she looked like she was having fun.

*I have to stall her until I find an opening to disarm her.* Miyako's mouth pulled into a tight line as she thought of her plan in her head. "I don't get it; why do you want my life anyway?"

Mayumi laughed again, her voice echoing through the storm. A quick flash blinded them for a second and a loud thunder filled the sky sounding dangerously close. From the forest, there was a sound of a tree falling. "Do you know what it's like to live in this small town? Nah, you can't even call it a town! I want to see the outside world too you know! There are no more interesting faces to take here anyway." The girl panted slightly as she continued to swing while talking.

Miyako clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Then why not just be yourself? Or is it that you hate your true self so much you'd rather hide behind different faces and your lies?" She smirked, taunting the girl. Perhaps if she can rattle her emotionally, the girl will get angry and attack, leaving herself open.

The imposter suddenly stopped with the katana in front of her. Her head was bowed as wet bangs fell down, hiding her face. "It can't be helped you know." Her voice was eerily calm. "I can't control this, it happens either way; so at the very least I can pick the faces I like and change into them. It's been so long I don't even remember what I truly look like." She slowly lifted her face up, showing a crazed look of wide eyes and that wide grin. Using Miyako's own face to make such an expression creeped the samurai out even more. "But it doesn't matter; I can look anyway I want with just being close to the person. If I go out at sea, travel to different islands, who knows what other interesting faces and lives I could steal." She suddenly ran at Miyako full speed, swinging with the katana.

This time Miyako didn't pull back but rushed forward as well. She avoided a sidelong attack by stepping to the side and forward, standing side by side with Mayumi now. She grabbed the girl's shoulder and punched her in the face hard, making her own hurt hand burn in pain.

Mayumi screamed in surprise and pain and clutched the katana, swinging diagonally at Miyako. The samurai had to let go at the girl, stepping backwards but slipped on the wet ground and fell hard on the wooden floor. Mayumi also stumbled backwards but stayed on her feet.

"You're lucky Miyako-san…You get to go anywhere you want, with your little friends…isn't your life just perfect." The girl mocked sarcastically. "How the hell would you know how I feel anyway?" She screamed and slashed at the ground but missed as Miyako rolled to the side.

The samurai gritted her teeth realizing she didn't have time to get up. If she tried, Mayumi would instantly use that opportunity to slice her. *What is this psycho even saying?* She talked like she knew what Miyako's life was like; yes, now she sailed with her friends and had the opportunity to see the world, but she grew up in a village just like Mayumi did. In a country where women had to act appropriately, where her whole life was already set for her to marry, bear children and take care of the household. Where she was a deviant just because she chose the sword over the norm. She didn't have her parents, she didn't have close friends and at the end, even her master died. She could feel her frustration growing as she listened to Mayumi's drabble while she put a label on Miyako's life.

Miyako rolled on the floor to avoid another stab, than kicked at Mauymi's hand to try and disarm her. The imposter stepped backwards which gave Miyako enough time to quickly get up. She clenched her fists. "So what? You think you have it bad because you live on a small island and nobody likes you? Get over yourself, you psycho. You're the only one to blame for everybody treating you like a monster; you did that with your lies and by hurting others. You even killed Sara-san." The samurai glared, piercing Mayumi with burning golden eyes. They were completely different from Mayumi's shining ones that were glazed over as if the local girl was drowning in her own insanity. "You made your choice on how to live your life and now that you're not satisfied with the consequences, you want mine. Well screw you." Miyako spit out the words. "I'm not handing my life so easily to you. You want it? Come and get it." She hissed preparing for Mayumi's attack by tanking a stance.

"Yooooouuuuu!" Mayumi's eyes widened and her expression twisted in rage as she ran through the rain and wind, towards Miyako.

The samurai took a deep breath, preparing herself. She watched the tip of the katana, following its arch as it moved, while Mayumi swung to attack again. 'Sudenoryuu: Sayawokaesu!' Miyako's hand started moving upwards, as she bent her knees until she was kneeling down on one knee resting on the ground. She watched the tip as it fell down towards her head but before it could connect, she clapped her hands with the katana between her palms.

Mayumi's eyes widened as she stared down at the sight before her. Miyako was kneeling down with her hands clasped together above her head and the upper part of the katana in between them. The imposter tried to move the katana but it didn't budge, as Miyako held it tightly between her hands. Suddenly the samurai's eyes opened and she moved her clasped hands to the side and the katana followed making Mayumi's hands twist to the side as well. The samurai quickly stood up, still holding the katana on the side. She spun around, letting go of the katana in the process and thus breaking through Mayumi's defense. Gaining more speed and power from the turn, Miyako punched the girl with her left fist. She ignored the pain knowing she had to act fast and continue to attack until Mayumi let go of the sword. As the imposter started stumbling backwards, Miyako grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back in, elbowing her in the process. Turning towards her so that they are face to face, the samurai used the palm of her hand to strike Mayumi's chin with all she got. The imposter gritted her teeth in pain and finally fell down, letting go of the sword. The katana slid away from them on the slippery deck.

Miyako followed the sword with her eyes and turned to get it but a hand on her bad ankle pulled her and made her fall forward. The girl landed on both her hands feeling pain in her palms. She looked back to see a bloody version of her own face glare at her with so much hate and rage that Mayumi's whole expression looked twisted. "Where do you think you're going?!" Miyako clicked her tongue in annoyance and pulled back her leg to hit Mayumi in the face. However, the imposter dodged and knelt on her knees, pulling Miyako towards her by the ankle. The wet floor made it easy to slide on but it was hard to get up. "I'll scratch your eyes out!" The village girl screamed in anger.

"Get off me you whacko!" Miyako screamed back, hitting Mayumi on her side. The local girl retaliated by punching Miyako's sprained shoulder and the samurai yelped in pain. She felt Mayumi land another punch on her cheek which now burned from the hit. As they struggled and wrestled to get to the katana, another flash filled the sky along with a clasp of thunder. It shone on Mayumi's bloodied face where the color red slid down from her forehead and nose, making an eerie mask of blood. Miyako managed to wriggle a foot between them and pushed Mayumi off of her, quickly turning around to try and crawl towards her sword. She felt a weight on her as Mayumi came back and pulled a fistful of her hair with a vengeance.

Suddenly, a different sound echoed through the stormy night other than thunder. It was a gunshot. Both girls stopped and looked in the direction of the shot, seeing a group of men in white overalls standing on the main deck. Penguin was standing in front with a pistol aiming at the air.

"That be enough!" Munk roared in his powerful, deep voice, easily overcoming the sound of the storm.

Both girls stared at the Heart pirates with wide eyes. "Guys, you-" Miyako stared but her imposter suddenly cut her off with a smirk.

"Took you long enough, guys." The happy smirk looked exactly like the ones Miyako would make in similar situations. Indeed, Mayumi had her down all the way to the personality. All the craziness in her was suddenly gone as she played her part perfectly.

Miyako's eyes widened when she realized what Mayumi was trying to do. "Wait, don't listen to her. I'm-"

Once again, Mayumi cut her off speaking louder and with more confidence now. "I managed to disarm and overpower her." She stood up, letting go of Miyako. "I'm letting you guys handle the rest."

"Are you really Miyako?" Cody walked forward, helped by Ben. He didn't get a good look at the girl who attacked him before and both Miyakos seemed identical.

"Of course. See?" Mayumi smiled and showed him the red ribbon tying her wet, dark blue hair.

Miyako managed to get up, feeling her whole body ache in protest. "Guys, don't be fooled by her! I'm the real one!" She felt her anxiousness from before return. What if they don't believe her again? What if they take Mayumi's side again? The imposter girl was so good at lying; she didn't even have any tell-tale sign that she wasn't telling the truth.

Ari put his hands on his head and ruffled his head in frustration. "Aaah, I can't tell which one is the real Miyako at all! This is so confusing!"

"Please believe me, I was trapped inside the well in Mayumi's house until now!" The imposter gave them eyes of despair, as she pleadingly gazed at the pirates.

"Don't listen to her, Penguin! It's me!" Miyako responded, her mind racing to find something to prove her identity.

"Alright, then let's ask questions t'see which one's the real one!" Eli proposed suddenly.

"Tha' be a swell idea, laddie!" Munk grinned and nodded approvingly. Next to him, Jean Bart did the same silently.

"Alright, then…what color are your panties!?" Penguin suddenly asked in a loud and clear voice.

Cody's fist connected with Penguin's head in an instant. "How the hell are you going to learn anything useful from that?!" He asked in a cold voice, preparing to hit the mechanic again if necessary. Meanwhile, both girls gaped silently, their eyes wide and faces completely red.

Penguin cradled his sore head with a whine. "I just thought we'd figure it out seeing Miya-chan's reaction since she'll get all embarrassed."

"Well both of them reacted the same, just like any other girl would if you ask them that, you idiot!" Garry yelled at the mechanic.

Munk walked over to the two girls who stiffened in front of the large chef. "Let we be serious now, men." He observed both girls, dragging fingers through his thick beard. "Indeed, ye be completely alike," he commented in an impressed tone.

"Munk…it's me." One of the girls said.

"Don't trust her Munk!" The other yelled back.

"Perhaps, I can help in this situation," a new voice suddenly sounded behind them and everyone looked back at the figure slowly climbing onto the deck.

"Captain!" The crew exclaimed with great relief in their voices.

"What about the others?" Cody asked seeing that the others from the group weren't with Trafalgar.

"They'll stay up there until the storm passes, it's safer." Law explained, nodding his head in the direction of Mayumi's house. "I hope you don't mind us using your house, Mayumi-ya." The captain added sarcastically. He didn't appear grateful nor sorry at all. Instead, there was still that dark, murderous look in his grey eyes.

Neither of the girls answered but they glared at each other.

"Law…let's just tie her up somewhere to rot and get it over with," one of Miyako's said in a calm tone.

"That should be my line, you copycat!" The other responded with a growl.

"Enough." The pirate captain stopped the squabble instantly with his low but powerful tone. "Nobody's going anywhere until we figure out which one of you is the real one."

Cody sweat dropped observing the captain's irate expression. "I don't think neither of them will want to be Suzune when captain's done with them." he whispered towards Penguin who nodded.

"Soon, both of them will be screaming the opposite I think." One of the crewmembers added.

Indeed, Law didn't look happy at all as he walked closer to the two girls. The captain stood before them and grabbed the left hand of the girl in the baggy clothing. He saw the wet bandages there and ripped them apart easily. "Only one Miyako was hurt with the glass shards." He commented and looked at the revealed palm, seeing cut wounds all over. Some on her fingers were fresh but the ones on her palm from the glass were already closing, obviously a bit older and treated. The captain looked with deadly eyes at the girl in the kimono

That Miyako looked back at him and furrowed her eyebrows. She unrevealed the bandages of her left hand and showed it to Law; both he and the other Miyako widened their eyes in surprise. There were treated cuts on the left palm of the other Miyako as well.

"No way…" The girl in men's clothes gasped in surprise and despair. Did Mayumi really go that far to recreate Miyako's wounds and cut her own palm? Was she really that crazy and set on taking over Miyako's life?

"Eeeh, even that!?" The rest of the crew exclaimed in disbelief.

"Seriously, this is making my head hurt!" Penguin shouted in annoyance.

"So any physical appearances are a no go, huh?" Cody sighed in disappointment.

"But their personality is completely the same too…Then how about memories?" Garry suggested and the others awed in agreement of the idea.

The true Miyako smirked in satisfaction and confidence. "There's no way you have my memories as well. You're charade stops now."

The imposter just narrowed her eyes without a word.

"Alright then…Where did Miyako first join the crew?" Penguin asked loud enough for everyone to hear. "You're going to answer at the same time."

Law stood still, resting a hand on the hilt of his nodachi just in case one of the girls tried to run away.

The mechanic counted down and both girls opened their mouths at the same time. "At Sabaody Archipelago," both Miyakos answered in perfect unison.

Once again the crew gaped in shocked silence. "H-how...even memories?" One of the men asked in a stutter. How will they ever figure this out now?!

"Now that I think about it, Mayumi was always asking a lot of questions about Miyako when talking to everybody. Don't tell me she was actually collecting information?!" Ari exclaimed with wide eyes hidden in the shadow of his hat.

Both girls looked at each other with the same bewildered expression. The girl wearing baggy clothes gritted her teeth in frustration. "You….how far will you go to take my life away? You hurt my friends, me, everyone, and for what!? It's enough already, I'm finishing this!" She clenched her fist and grabbed the collar of the girl's kimono, aiming the raised fist at her already bloodied face. However, a strong hand grabbing her by the forearms stopped her instantly. Miyako looked at her side to see her captain holding her back silently. She gritted her teeth but calmed down a little, letting her hand fall loosely at her side. He's expression was obvious; telling her she won't gain anything with that move whether she was the true Miyako or not.

That's when the head chef got an idea. "Then, one more quest'an for ya two." He looked at both girls before gazing at his captain. "Tell me, whachya think of our capn' heea?" The question seemed to surprise the crew, both girls and even the captain himself as he stood there. His gaze was silently asking Munk what he intended to pull with that question but the chef just nodded at Law, asking him to be patient.

Both Miyako's were silent for a long time, glancing at Trafalgar with uncertain gazes. Finally, one of Miyako answered; "W-well he's a…good captain and a smart man. I mean, he's an infamous pirate but rather than being scared, I respect him and trust him. He's…very important to me. I…I like….him…" Her face went bright red as she barely managed to explain her opinion.

Law stayed silent, his face completely unreadable.

The crew stayed quiet as well and turned their stare towards the other girl. That Miyako had a straight face as she looked back at them. "A sadistic maniac," she simply answered in a flat-out tone. It was the Miyako in men clothing.

"Ah, it's that one." Everyone pointed at the true Miyako in baggy clothes, with the same straight expression the girl wore.

"Whaaat?!" The fake Miyako screamed in bewilderment. "T-that can't be all…I mean, that can't be the only thing you think of him! Why would you travel with him all this time then!?" Mayumi still stared at Miyako wide-eyes in disbelief, completely exposing herself. "I copied your personality perfectly, I know what you think of that man!"

"Of course it's not all." Miyako answered, putting her hands on her hips. "But like I'll ever say so much embarrassing things in front of the whole crew, as you did. I'd never do that. Never! Not even if I die!" She answered bluntly with confidence.

"Yep…it's definitively her." The Heart Pirates commented in unison, wearing sweatdrops on their faces.

"What kind of reasoning is that!?" Mayumi yelled with wide eyes.

Miyako just stood upright with pride, pointing her thumb at her chest. "My reasoning," she answered without a second thought.

Trafalgar just silently stared at her, unable to say anything. Well he could, but he would definitively just call her an idiot.

"Are you an idiot!?" Mayumi screamed almost falling to the ground.

A sound of an unsheathing sword brought them all back to their senses and everyone turned to Law who was pulling out his nodachi. "Now that that is settled…I hope you're not very attached to your limbs, Mayumi-ya." The captain commented, glaring darkly at the local girl.

Mayumi grimaced in fear and stepped back. With the corner of her eye she noticed her knife still lying there on the ground nearby. She leapt for it and grabbed it, spinning around suddenly and throwing it at Miyako. "Go to hell!" She surprised everyone with her actions so nobody reacted on time.

The knife flew through the air at Miyako, who was the only one who started going after the girl as soon as Mayumi leapt away. The samurai stepped to the side while running forward and avoided the knife barely as it grazed the side of her neck. It flew away behind her at Law who easily deflected it with his nodachi. "I'm not letting you escape again," her anger already spent, Miyako was back to her cold and rational self as her tone sounded like sharp steel. She appeared before the girl in a few steps, still bearing the pain, and grabbed Mayumi's hand that tried to punch her. Miyako was suddenly behind Mayumi, twisting her hand and hit her in the knees. The girl lost her balance and fell onto the hard ground with Miyako kneeling over her, still twisting her arm behind her back. One knee was on her back, keeping her from standing up again. "Now just stay like this quietly."

Mayumi struggled but with no use since Miyako would just twist her hand harder and make her growl in pain. She was completely immobilized like this. The girl heard slow steps of Law's shoes as he walked towards her with his unsheathed sword. As she looked up, she could see a clear killing intent in his dark gaze. He will show her no mercy, that's for sure. The girl started breathing heavily while her heart beat so loudly she could hear it in her eardrums even in this storm. Realization hit her as she understood she was about to die. Just as Law was about to cut her head off, a voice stopped him.

"Wait," Miyako stopped him, still holding onto Mayumi to not let her escape. She was panting even harder than Mayumi. Now that everything was over and her adrenaline was down, she could feel all the pain and exhaustion hit her at the same time. She could see Trafalgar's skeptical and questioning gaze. "I know she deserves to die for what she did, but she's already harmless now. Just executing an unarmed person…leaves me with a bad feeling in my mouth."

Law narrowed his eyes. "So what do you propose we do with her? She will pay for what she did," the captain emphasized his point, making himself clear.

Miyako nodded. "She will. Let's lock her up and keep an eye on her until the storm passes. Then tomorrow, I'll let her suffer the same fate she wanted for me." Miyako answered and looked up at Trafalgar.

He stayed silent for a while but then finally nodded after considering it and sheathed back his nodachi. "Very well. I think you deserve revenge the most so I'll let you handle it." He turned and then gave Miyako a warning gaze. "However if she escapes, I will personally hunt her down and I won't care whether she's armed or not." Finishing the threat he stared down at Mayumi with wide, deadly eyes promising her a horrible death. The imposter could only gulp silently.

~…..~

Achoo! Miyako sneezed loudly as she pulled the blanket closer around her. She was currently sitting on the infirmary bed, being treated yet again for even more wounds. Beside her, neatly folded was her kimono with the red ribbon on top and the katana leaning against the bed by her side. Miyako personally made Mayumi change from her clothes, giving her the old muddy and baggy clothes of Sara's boyfriend. The thought of the young village girl Sara made Miyako bite her lip; she died because she was helping her, killed by Mayumi. Law told her his group found two bodies there and one was certainly Sara by the description of it. Tomorrow when they go back to Mayumi's house, Miyako will make sure that both bodies be properly buried and the village notified. The petite girl deserved at least that much.

"Don't tell me you even caught a cold?" Cody said as he handed Law some more bandages while the doctor worked on patching the girl up.

"I wouldn't be *achoo!* surprised." The girl answered, lying down on the bed as Law instructed her to do so.

"You're shoulder is dislocated, we need to readjust it," he simply said, giving her a towel to grab with her left hand. "Hold onto this tightly. Keep holding it." He commanded, as he slowly started moving her arm towards the level of her shoulder.

The girl groaned and winced a few times, taking deep breaths to try and withstand the pain.

"Tch, didn't I just told you yesterday to take care of your body?" The doctor commented in annoyance as he continued.

"Well it's not…ngh…like I ah! had a..ugh…choice!" Miyako barely grunted out between labored breaths and the pain. She felt something cold on her forehead and noticed it was Cody, carefully cleaning her sweaty and muddy face with a wet towel. She gave him an appreciative smile in response and her friend smiled back.

"You had the choice of not running off on your own. You could've chose to wait for us so we can deal with the issue together," the captain answered harshly as if piercing her with his words while he put her shoulder back in place with a final move. He jerked her arm one final time a bit more harshly and Miyako wondered was it really necessary or was it because he was just taking out his cold anger on her.

Cody helped her to sit up again and she moved her shoulder to test it. "All better," she joked sarcastically, still feeling the numbing pain inside. Well it was at least usable now.

"You'll feel sore for a few more days, though." The blue-haired medic warned.

Miyako tuned back to Law again, continuing their conversation. "You didn't believe me. You just wanted to lock me up so I couldn't act on my own, but what about my sword? If it was your nodachi, Kikoku, would you have just stayed put while others go search for it instead of you?" There was a bit of irritation in Miyako's voice as she argued on.

Suddenly Law turned back to look at her and pierced her with his grey eyes, staring at her seriously. "Did anyone say we didn't believe you?"

Miyako stayed silent, gazing at him puzzled. The captain continued. "I locked you in there because you were acting out on your emotions instead of reason, you were panicking. You needed to calm down before we could make our next move but you never waited, instead as always, you acted on your own, thinking you need to bear all of your problems on your own back. I isolated you to calm you down exactly because I didn't want this kind of situation to happen, and yet you stubbornly proceeded and ended up in a well with a broken body. What good did that do you?" Law kept his eyes fixed on Miyako's as his serious stare never vanished. He was examining her reactions but also making sure she realizes what he was telling her.

The samurai's breath caught in her lungs as understanding hit her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and jerked her head to look up at its owner, Cody. The medic had a sad smile on his features. "You should trust us more, Miya-chan. Aren't we your nakama? Didn't we already tell you to count on us more? You can be selfish sometimes and ask for help, you know?"

Miyako's wide golden eyes traveled between Cody and Law. They both stared down at her seriously and she finally understood her mistake. She bowed her head with a guilty conscience. "I'm sorry. I understand now…I really was acting strange and too emotional. I was so concerned that you would keep taking Mayumi's side so I thought it was my own duty to get back Yawarakai-Te. It's not that I don't trust you!" She added, looking back up at Cody with pleading eyes.

The medic chuckled at her expression. "Yeah, I know. But you are our comrade not Mayumi. No matter what, I'm sure even those love-sick fools would take your side in the end," Cody explained.

*Weren't you one of those love-sick fools too?* Miyako sweat dropped as the thought crossed her mind, remembering Cody laughing and smiling while he walked hand-in-hand with Mayumi. Leaving that memory behind, the samurai turned back to Law who was now sitting down and bandaging her sprained ankle so it would stay immobilized. "I was wrong, I should've trusted you. I apologize for all the troubles my foolish actions caused you," she formally apologized bowing her head down as they did in Wano, to the best of her ability.

She looked back up to see Trafalgar staring back at her silently. Finally, he closed his eyes and sighed in fatigue. "Just take care of yourself from now on if you want to be of any use to me at Rocky Port. We'll all have to be at full power once we get there."

Miyako smiled and nodded. "Sure." She sneezed again, rubbing her red nose. You're pretty lenient today," she commented in joking surprise.

"….do you want me to punish you severely instead?" Law's irate gaze looked up at her again, sensing that she was teasing him.

The girl put her hands in front of her defensively. "No, no, I'm good!" She smiled sheepishly and answered in haste.

"Besides, I already reprimanded you for going against my orders." He muttered and noticed Miyako's perplexed expression. "Well, it was the other you but I am in no mood to repeat myself. As long as you understand your mistake, I'll let you off this time. You have enough bruises and injuries to prove my point anyway." He sighed remembering he almost got fooled by that doppelganger witch himself. "Still, if you ever challenge me like that and disobey my direct order, you'll get a much worse treatment than a lock down." The captain warned, his tone suddenly icy cold.

Miyako sweatdropped nervously. *He must be thinking about challenging his authority when I called his decisions stupid…I was out of line then, I know. I wasn't really thinking straight.* Suddenly, something hit her. "Eeh, is that the real reason you locked me up? Revenge?"

"No...well, partly. You annoyed me and you deserved it." The doctor shrugged back, answering with a straight face and a laid-back tone.

The samurai girl sweat dropped again. *I knew it.* She decided to change the subject quickly. "So Mayumi got the reprimanding talk instead of me? Guess there's a silver lining even in this story."

Trafalgar's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. She was really pushing it. He looked back up with a dark grin on his face, suddenly looking more sadistic than before. "Well we can talk about other things; for example maybe you'd like to explain to me why you're wearing some man's clothing? Or what exactly did you mean by 'a sadistic maniac,' hmm?" He put slight pressure on Miyako's hurt ankle, making shivers of pain go up her leg.

"Ow, ow, ow…" Miyako winced but relaxed when he removed his fingers from her ankle but his stare was still as piercing as before. The girl smiled sheepishly, a drop of sweat falling from her forehead. "Ah…haha…" The girl could only laugh nervously.

*Well then, I'll be taking my leave…* The blue-haired medic felt the dangerous change in the atmosphere coming from Law and begun to sneak out of the infirmary before he gets caught up in this too.

~….~

Miyako sneezed again as they walked up the hill and once again found themselves in front of the large wooden mansion that was slowly rotting away.

"Sheesh, how can anyone live in this dump," Penguin rested his hands on his hips as he looked over the building up and down. That's when he remembered who it belonged to and turned to Mayumi; "Ugh, sorry about that…Mayumi-chan"

"Tch, don't aft friendly wif fhaf impofer," Mayumi commented in a nasally voice since her nose was completely stuffed. She blew her nose again with a tissue but it didn't help much. She sneezed again, surrounded by cold morning air. Everything was still wet from the yesterday's storm and there was cold dampness in the air.

Cody sighed as he gazed at her with worried eyes. "You caught a cold after all. You should've stayed in bed, Miyako, you'll get a fever."

The girl simply waved his worries away with her hand. "Don't woffy, I'm fine. It'sf juft a liffle cold." She sneezed again and ignored Cody's worried gaze towards her.

"Miyakoooo!" Shachi suddenly ran out of the house with Bepo, Josh and Sai right behind him. He latched onto Mayumi who was being held by Jean Bart so she couldn't escape. Even she couldn't push away that mountain of a man. The mechanic hugged the girl who still looked like Miyako, crying tears of joy. Mayumi grimaced as if in pain though it was more out of disgust as he sniveled all over her.

"I'm ofer here!" The real Miyako yelled in annoyance as she was once again reminded of Mayumi stealing her identity and looking exactly like her.

"Oh no Miyako, what happened to you, you look pale and you're talking funny? Did Mayumi somehow mess up your speech?" Bepo put a paw to his mouth, looking over the samurai girl.

The girl just swatdropped. "It'sf a colfd, Bepo. It'll pasf."

All of the pirates were once again in the muddy room, standing around the deep well.

"W-what will you do to me?" Mayumi's gaze nervously jumped from one pirate to the next. It stopped on Miyako who stared at the imposter silently.

"I tolfd you, didn'f I? I'll juft gife you the same fate you pfreparfed for me." Miyako was hardly intimidating with her nasal voice and stuffed nose but the sly grin along with narrowed, amused eyes that made her seem like a cunning fox, made Mayumi very worried.

The rest of the pirates had similar evil grins and Law just stared at her with a dark, unreadable expression. Josh and Cody tied the girl by the arms with the remaining rope near the well, taking the cord.

"You think she'll stay on this appearance of Miyako forever?" Sai asked as he led Mayumi towards the edge of the well.

"Who knows, maybe the isolation will make her change back to her original self," Cody proposed as he watched the girl go.

"But it doesn't matter anyway," Josh finally concluded as they started slowly lowering the girl down into the well by the cord.

Mayumi started turning and struggling, flaying her legs in the air, but it was no use. She was slowly but surely being lowered into the gaping darkness of the well. "N-No….No! You can't! I'll starve to death! It's the same as killing me!"

Trafalgar narrowed his eyes and a merciless smirk appeared on his face. "Well, not exactly…technically, starvation will kill you," he shrugged, not caring about Mayumi's protests and screams. He then turned back to Miyako who just silently watched Mayumi disappear into the darkness with an expressionless face. "You're becoming quite cruel," he gave her a taunting smirk. "Am I rubbing off on you?"

Miyako shrugged while her expression stayed emotionless. "Shfe left me fo die in tfhis wfell…wfhat mercfy didf she showf mfe?" She walked closer and stepped on the edge while the pirates continued to lower the rope down and Mayumi together with it. "If you wfant fo live than climb back up juft like I had to!" She yelled down into the gaping hole where she could barely see the silhouette of the girl anymore. Miyako sighed and turned around, starting to walk out of the room. "Aaah, anf here I hoped thif island wfill bwe a peacefull one for a changfe!" The samurai sighed in disappointment, letting some of her frustration leave her. The protesting voice of the shapeshifter girl still continued to echo from the bottom of the well even when the Heart Pirates started walking away and headed back to their submarine. Who Mayumi really is was likely to stay a mystery forever.

~…..~

Trafalgar Law stood in the center of the training room with his nodachi unsheathed and in clear view. It has already been two days since the whole Mayumi ordeal and a day since they left that island. At that time, Miyako talked to the village elder and notified him of the situation in which they left Mayumi and the two corpses in her mansion. The villagers took care of burying the dead and left the pirates alone for their remaining day on the island. They didn't scrutinize them for taking care of the doppelganger, nor did they thank them. The rest is now the villager's concern.

The Hearts carefully sailed underwater, avoiding the marine base or any other unnecessary trouble. The things got back to normal and they were once again headed for Rocky Port. The captain turned his head as he heard steps on metal floors of the training room. He saw Miyako wrapped around in a blanket with her nose red. She was still limping and her hands, left shoulder and right ankle were covered in bandages. There was a slight blush on her cheeks indicating she still had a fever. Thankfully it was only a cold and not pneumonia, but in her weakened state her cold could easily transfer into something more dangerous.

Law narrowed his eyes at the sight of her. "What are you doing out of bed?" His tone was harsh, just like a doctor whose instructions aren't being followed.

The girl smiled in amusement as if noticing that doctor's tone. "So you've been training here alone?" She ignored his question and countered with one of her own.

"There's not much I can do though. Any harsher training would endanger damaging the submarine. I can't do much until we get to another island," the captain explained with a cold tone but there was some frustration behind it. He was training any chance he got ever since they started sailing for Rocky Port and usually Miyako would help him too but right now that was out of the question with her current state.

Miyako chuckled as if it was the answer she was expecting. Indeed, the training Law required right now would be a danger to the sub. It would be quite bad if he accidentally slashed the submarine and let all the water inside. They'd be goners in and instant so deep under the sea. In addition, Miyako who was supposed to help him was in no condition to train with his right now. "Yes, but I did promise to help, didn't I?"

Law tilted his head. "What can you do in your sorry state?" It wasn't meant as an insult, but the bluntness of it still made Miyako annoyed a little.

Her eyebrow twitched but she decided to let his comment slide and continue the explanation instead. A slight cough stopped her for a while and it took some time for her to catch her breath again. She felt weak and horrible, but there was at least one thing she could give him before returning to being able to train with him again. "True, I can't help you with my own power right now but there is still something you can do even in here. Right now your Busoshoku Haki is stronger than what your body can handle so you get tired easily and can't use it for long. Moreover, your haki is not yet powerful enough to take down someone covered in armament haki, which is your goal."

Now it was Law's time to get annoyed by Miyako's straightforward tone that kept counting all of his weaknesses. Still, deep inside he knew she was right and that he had to improve himself to get strong enough if he ever wanted to go against the Yonkou…or Doflamingo."

Miyako started coughing again before clearing her throat and continuing again. "So what you need to do is train not only your haki but also your body's constitution. I can't use Armament haki so I can't teach you that, but I can cut it because my haki is powerful enough along with the sheer strength of my cutting power. That is what you need."

"So what do you propose for me to do?" Trafalgar asked flatly, waiting for the end of Miyako's explanation. There was a reason why she came here and it wasn't to simply boast about her strength.

The girl walked over to one of the wooden poles with thick rope curled around it which made it harder to cut through the training pole as the rope always absorbed some of the cutting blow. It appeared Law added even more contraptions, patching up metal and even stone contraptions with his fruit power to get various materials and shapes he could train on. She saw the cutting marks on each training contraption where Law cut them numerous times but patched them back together with his ope ope devil fruit power. She trailed some of the cuts to feel how deep into the pole they went then looked back at the captain who was still staring at her questioningly. Finally she pulled something out from underneath her blanket, dangling it in front of Law's eyes.

The captain's grey eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Is this a joke? Why are you showing me sea stone cuffs?" Indeed, what Miyako was dangling on the chain in front of him was a pair of sea stone cuffs.

The smile never left the girl's face as she shook her head. "I assure you, I'm deadly serious…well, also a bit amused," she admitted with a mischievous grin, shrugging off the glare Law was giving her. "Once you are able to bring out enough power to cut through things and use your haki even with those cuffs on, which are constantly weakening you, you will be ready to cut through anything."

Law still looked skeptical. "But I won't be able to use my powers."

The samurai shook her head again. "You don't need to. The power of haki and the sheer strength of your sword; that doesn't come from your ope ope powers, it comes from you. Of course, with your Room you can easily cut through almost anything but you need to be able to do it even without your devil fruit powers. That's what the handcuffs are for. Put them on and then keep calling on your haki and try cutting all these training contraptions here. Once you are able to cut through anything with sea stone suppressing you…that's when you'll be ready to go against an admiral's own haki even without your devil fruit powers. That's when you'll be able to cut through anything with your haki." The girl smirked, pushing the Kairoseki cuffs in his face.

The captain remained suspicious for a while, mulling over his choices and Miyako's words. Finally he gave her his wrists and let her put the cuffs on him. Instantly, Law felt his energy slowly being drained away and his face paled as beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"I'll leave the key with you." She handed him over the key which he put in the pocket of his trousers. "Now remember, using haki is also risky and dangerous. If you use it too much without any energy left, you can easily die from exhaustion so know your limits, get plenty of rest between training and don't push yourself too much."

"Tch, don't treat me like a child," the dark doctor glared at her warningly. She was obviously enjoying this.

The samurai simply chuckled. "I'm not, but you should listen to doctor Miyako this time, she's giving you wise advice." The girl joked, winking at the pirate captain.

Trafalgar clicked his tongue in feigned annoyance but a small smirk appeared on his face. "You can't even take care of your own body, what kind of doctor would you make?" He muttered, taunting her purposely.

She coughed a few times as if proving his point. "Say what you want but I'm serious. You have to be careful not to overuse haki or you'll die." She then turned around before he could answer and started walking back towards the exit. "I'll come occasionally to check on you in case you faint," she teasingly added though something told Law she was actually serious about him fainting during this training.

The pirate captain watched the girl go, sighing. "Can't she just stay in bed quietly as she's supposed to?" the man muttered, shaking his head before turning back to the wooden pole. He clutched his nodachi in both hands and took a deep breath, feeling like he was being pulled down by the sea stone restrains on his wrists. He focused all his concentration, trying to evoke haki from the pits of his body but barely any energy came out with the sea stone constantly hindering him. The captain took one more deep breath. *Alright, I admit this might prove to be slightly more difficult than I originally thought.* He swung his sword, feeling like he was dragging a ton of rocks with him and sliced at the pole. The sharp blade cut into the rope all the way to the woodwork but stayed stuck there, not even close to slicing the whole pole in half. Law pulled the nodachi back and tried again. In the training room, the sound of sharp steel cutting the air continued all through the night.

---

*Sude no Ryuu: Saya wo Kaesu: Bare hands style: Returning the scabbard

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So that's it for this arc, I hope you liked it. I purposely left Mayumi as a little bit of mystery, it seemed more interesting that way. :) Slowly moving towards Rocky Port and also starting up more about Law's training so he can turn into a badass from the anime. :D Also, I want to say one thing; When I started this story I intended it to be an adventure genre and I don't want that to change. I did put romance (mostly for you guys, since I didn't even intend to make it a romance between my OC and Law at first), but I still want it to primarily stay an adventure story. Which means I want to focus more on the plot and their adventures than just the relationship between Law and Miyako. I don't want 'I don't like you!' to turn into a soap opera with constant love drama and mushy/jealousy/love triangles whatnot. Also I have my hands full with bringing this to the cannon story and that's what I'll be focusing on most right now. Not that I'm going to ignore their relationship, I'll still make it evolve, but I don't intend to make a love drama out of this, which this story would revolve around, if you get my drift. I hope you understand where I'm coming from.

Anyway, thank you everyone for the reviews. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them. But I won't be telling spoilers~

izzie: lol it just made me think; is it good that my chapters are making people angry and annoyed? XD But hey, those are feelings too so I'm glad you can relate with Miyako.

Cocobear: hehe You were right! I think Josh was one of the rare ones who didn't go all droopy-eyed for Mayumi. To be honest,I haven't decided yet but definitively not before we join Punk Hazard and the cannon story (cause I'm too short on time since they're already almost at the 2 year period.) But I would like to add it later since it would definitively be interesting to see Hearts/Kidd pirates interact, maybe once the Hearts split from the Straw Hats. Who knows, maybe Oda brings them all together before that anyway. Yep, the scene at Noir was a hint at Kidd.

JustChan: Yes it's even more than a year and a half now. Guess I wrote it wrong somewhere and overlooked it. Which chapter was it?

I know they are but honestly I'm more focused on the plot and leading the story to the cannon one right now than the romance. It's not that she doesn't like him, she just didn't say it to him yet. And he didn't admit it yet to her either. It wouldn't be indecent as long as it's T rater as my story is. :P I'll think about it, but I still have other things I need to write.

Haha Nah, he's still alive. He's on Law's medic team, I just didn't put him specifically in the story for a while.

Yumi sawamura: :O Can I join your anti-math club? Cause I know exactly how you feel! Hahaha I just pictured an evil copier machine named Mayumi. The people are just never the same after they copy on it.

NightStar85: And you would be right; both about Mayumi being doppelganger and totally crazy. XD No problem. ^^ As Miyako said to Law; she wants to return to Wano one day since that is her home after all, but rather than ditch them first chance she got like she planned before, she's fine with sailing with them for now and not hurrying to return to Wano just yet. And one day when they all do go there…well, we'll see what happens. :)

Nic7C: Don't worry, I don't plan on letting Law win every time. ;) I'd say the loneliness made her psycho.

LilPrincess95: haha I remember Franky's 'super cute', I think it's both in the anime and manga. I know, it'll be such a fun scene to write especially when I get Miyako in there too. No, Luffy never actually saw her so doesn't know who she is…yet. :)

Xxikarishipper99xX: haha well that would have been interesting too. Wow, I can, but it would look so weird. o.o and you just wouldn't be able to take him seriously.

Rawr: lol Must be her new Taft hairstyle! XD But yeah, that's good idea, but Miyako didn't really get the chance to ask before Law dragged her away into the infirmary and then Mayumi disappeared afterwards.

Memarvo: Yes, if there was a reason to suspect something going on. But he wouldn't just because a guy would approach her if it's clearly benign.

Shiningheart of ThunderClan: Because Mayumi's constant cheerfulness and annoying personality just drained Miyako mentally to exhaustion, but it wasn't like a superpower. :P You know, I agree. I like their quirky conversations and scenes more than their make out sessions and whatnot.

VodkaThief: You were pretty much right. :) I don't have a set update time so I just try to write as often as I can and update frequently; especially in periods when I have more time. Also, thanks, I went back and fixed it~

NoName: haha well the positive side is; I gave you something to look forward to after school, maybe? (besides the obvious which is the end of school day) :D

brokenfingers1: and how will the crew react at Law's plan to take on Doflamingo!? :O haha There's a lot to look forward to related to the cannon story.

FloraChi: Theword you want; Suspicious? :) Yeah, every time they are liked it's actually a trap or something. Poor Heart Pirates. :( Thanks, I did. :D I hope you did too~ Let's have a great summer!

Iluvninjas: I'm sorry to worry you, I'm fine. ^^' Don't worry, when I don't update for a while it's usually just related to school work and exams.

Arrow-chan3: lol yeah, cause at first I wanted all of this to be one chapter, so it looked short to me when I split it. ^^' Don't compare yourself to others, everyone on fanfiction have their own thing and should write how they want to the most. :) If I'd compare myself to all those great authors on this site, I'd get depressed. Yes, it's a kind of power, but she was born like that. It's not a devil fruit.