I don't like you! by BloodyMarryMe
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of its characters but I do own the OC Suzune Miyako. This story is rated T for language, violence and suggestive themes.
My whole room stinks of fresh paint…I think the fumes are giving me writing inspiration. :3
I hope everyone had fun summer vacation!
CHAPTER 54
The submarine slowly sailed through calm waters of the New World. It has been a few weeks since they decided on their plan at Rocky Port and since Law started training rigorously to prepare himself. It wasn't just Trafalgar either; the whole crew appeared to be training frequently and harder than usual as if preparing for something big. They understood the dangers of their next move very well and they had to be ready for it.
Even now Miyako was standing on the deck of the submarine, sparring with Cody and Josh as the trio all battled each other in a small battle royale. The girl jumped into the air to avoid Josh's attack before deflecting Cody's with her weapon. She kicked him in the air, sending him flying backwards and the medic did a backflip, landing on his feet expertly.
That's when Shachi and Bepo came out onto the deck with reprimanding stares as they crossed their arms on their chest. "What do you think you're doing?" The mechanic called out to the three pirates battling on the deck.
"Practicing," Josh answered bluntly without a second thought. Wasn't it obvious?
Bepo sweat dropped at the quick response. "Well that's fine but….you're supposed to be cleaning the deck instead!" The first mate exclaimed as he pointed at the makeshift weapons in their hands.
Miyako and the others gazed down at the wooden mops that they used as weapons to fight each other. The girl smiled sheepishly while the two medics scratched the back of their heads. "Ah…I guess we got a bit carried away."
"'Sides, moping the deck is really boring and tiring work," The redhead complained as he splashed a freshly wet mop onto the floor, making a puddle.
"Maybe you should've thought about that before almost destroying the submarine while practicing last time," Shachi commented sarcastically, reminding the trio why they were here under the burning sun in the first place.
"I suppose we got a bit carried away that time too…" Cody admitted, remembering the scene.
It all started in the galley during lunch. And the reason? A piece of cake. The last piece to be exact. Miyako and Josh both had their eye on the last piece of chocolate cake in the dessert plate in front of them. So at the exact same time they reached for it with their forks only to entangle the two cutlery items with a clinking sound right above the pastry. At that moment, looking at the small electricity shocks colliding between Miyako and Josh, the others at their table could already guess where this was going. The small war with forks as weapons started above the cake plate as the samurai and the medic fenced and battled to get the upper hand and swipe the cake for themselves. Cody as the reasonable one tried to stop them of course but when Josh accidentally elbowed him in the face, the taller medic awakened his cold fury at the poor redhead instead. Meanwhile, Bepo decided to take the cake seeing that it was still sitting there, alone and uneaten. However, as soon as Miyako noticed that she tried to snatch it from the bear's big paws, causing Bepo to rise his arm in the air quickly and avoid the girl. The squishy cake then slipped out of his paws and fell behind him….right onto Penguin's head. The angry mechanic retaliated by throwing a piece of bread at Bepo who expertly dodged so the food hit unsuspecting Ben instead. The large medic instantly scooped a good ball of mashed potato in his spoon, aiming for Penguin but hitting Eli instead. And that's how all hell broke loose. Soon the whole galley turned into a war zone where food was the ammo. Not even the booming voice of Munk could calm the food fight raging just outside his kitchen so all the large chef could do was stare in despair as they tossed his precious lunch all around.
Finally the one who managed to calm the situation was Law as he walked into the galley and yelled for everyone to calm down, loud enough for all to hear. As soon as the Heart Pirates heard their captain's voice, they quieted down feeling anxious and embarrassed by their actions all of a sudden. Complete uncomfortable silence enveloped the galley but when the captain asked who was responsible for this, everyone simultaneously pointed into the direction of the samurai's table, accusing the three pirates silently.
Not only did the whole crew have to help clean up the galley until it was spotless, but the three originators of the mess had to clean up all the submarine's decks as punishment.
"Hey, how come Bepo didn't get punished?! He was the one who dropped the cake in the first place," The redhead muttered in annoyance wanting to share his misery with as many people as he could. Maybe that would make him feel less sore from all the scrubbing they were doing for hours.
"Hmpf, I just wanted to eat a cake. Miya-chan was the one who made me drop it," the bear explained, justifying himself. "I explained everything to captain, too."
"Tch, traitor…" Now it was Miyako's time to mutter as she glared at the side with an irked expression.
The only thing she could hope for now was that they reach another island to dock, though she doubted Law would just forget about this anyway. He would probably make them stay here and work while everyone else go to explore the new island. Besides, Miyako already knew they won't be docking to an island again because they just resupplied in a small town yesterday. They bought new groceries, medical equipment and everything else they needed when they sailed into a small island called Aoijima. There, Trafalgar also met with a shady-looking guy and they made some kind of transaction where the man sold them three large crates of something. It reminded Miyako of that document she found in Law's quarters, one about the explosives, but she couldn't get a clear answer from Law about it.
So according to Jean Bart, that was the last island on their way to Rocky Port and now it was hopefully smooth sailing towards the dangerous meeting point for future Kaido subordinates who wanted to join the beast Yonkou. Kaido was gathering an army; that's what that pirate summit was about. And in a few hours, the Heart pirates will arrive at that place, surrounded with enemies from all sides of the New World. The dark tension was obvious inside the yellow submarine as the crew awaited that moment. Everyone was silently preparing for something big. Law needed 80 more hearts of living pirates with a bounty of at least 500 000 Beli and he wanted to obtained them by attacking Kaido's pirate summit. Although unlikely, the Pirate Emperor himself could be there and attacking Rocky Port would be nothing short of declaring war to him. Even if Law's plan works, if Kaido realizes the Heart Pirates were behind it, he would definitively rain down all of his rage onto them with a vengeance. And one thing this Yonkou was famous for was his temperamental nature; he destroyed fleets for much less. How was Trafalgar planning to succeed and get out alive?
Miyako and the rest of the crew had no idea so all they could do was have faith in their captain. At least when it came to strategy, Law was on a whole different level than any of them; so if there was anyone who could actually pull this off, it was him. All Miyako could do was believe in him and follow his plan now. Because she was already one of them. She was a Heart Pirate too.
As if adding to the gloomy atmosphere on the unusually silent submarine, grey clouds flowed above them, darkening the sky and the mood with it. A clap of thunder was heard not far from the vessel and first rain started to fall as the submarine sailed right into that appearing storm. The waves were slightly harsher now as they rocked the yellow vessel and as they went further towards the meeting place, the rain fell harder as if trying to turn them away from this dangerous task. Yet the submarine continued on towards Rocky Port.
~…..~
When the submarine finally reached Rocky Port, it was already in the eye of the storm, rocking harshly on the large waves. The pirates were all inside and some of them gathered in the control room, staring at the land rising before them. Jean Bart was doing his best to keep the course steady and the ruder leveled as they sailed forward. The land before them couldn't really be called an island even though it was definitively the size of one; it was a vast area of black, burnt mess full of blackened rocks and charred soil. In front of them, a lone mountain stood, black just like the rest of the area. It didn't take much time for the pirates to realize they were gazing at a volcano. Even though it wasn't active anymore, it still seemed dangerously ominous. The dark soil around was all made from the volcano's eruptions from the lava that cooled and hardened in the sea. It created such a broad area that it indeed seemed like a small island. Still, there was nothing but rocks and hard, charred soil; no flora or fauna anywhere in sight. Nothing living existed in this area.
"The X is only visible from the mountain top where the seagulls fly high. Look down into the Hell's abyss, there is where we'll lie," Trafalgar repeated the two last lines of the riddle that was meant to bring the pirates here. Seeing the volcanic mountin rising high before them, it was obvious what those two last lines meant.
"But I don't see any other ships here," Sai commented while furrowing his eyebrows as he read the scanner for any moving signs. The submarine slowly sailed along the shoreline while the pirates stared at every visible nook and cranny to notice anything unusual.
"So many pirate ships docking at one place would definitively raise suspicion and they don't want the Navy finding out about this. There must be a secret door here somewhere," Shachi answered as his keen eyes inspected the area of Rocky Port.
"But don't the last two lines mean we need to climb up to that volcano and look down. Maybe we can only see the secret doors from up there?" Penguin muttered, rubbing his chin in thought.
"No." Everyone looked back at Trafalgar as he spoke. "The last line is a trick; it clearly already says where the meeting is; in the inside of that volcano," The captain pointed at the large mountain ahead of them.
"But how do we get there?" Miyako rested her hands on her hips as she stared at the volcano skeptically.
"If they can't even figure out the way in, then they're useless anyway. That must be one of the reasons why Kaido chose this meeting place." A wide smirk appeared on Law's face. "But it doesn't matter for we already have an advantage." The smirk never left Trafalgar's expression as he stared back at his crew who gave him a knowing gaze in return. It seemed they realized they're advantage as well. They didn't have to bother with figuring out hidden passageways since they had a clean ticket inside this volcanic mass. The captain walked over to the main window and stared at the high mountain that almost reached the dark grey clouds above. "There's just one more thing I want you to do before we submerge."
~….~
When the submarine finally emerged again out from under the dark waters of the island where only their headlights could guide them, and into its inside right underneath the volcano, they expected everything other than what they saw. The group gasped in awe when instead of the cold darkness they were expecting, their ship was illuminated with hundreds of lights. The lamps and torches were strapped all around the rocky volcano walls from top to bottom. What's more, from the inside the volcano was full of caverns and levels just like naturally made terrace floors. The whole place was big enough to hold hundreds of pirates. That was the next big thing the Heart Pirates noticed; all around them was lively with pirates who were drinking and chatting on the rocky volcano levels or on their ships docked beneath. Some of the ships were so large that the yellow submarine could hardly compete in size; it looked like a rowing boat being put next to a ferry.
As soon as the submarine emerged from the watery depths, all murmuring stopped for a second as curious pirates stared at the new arrivals. The metal door of the yellow vessel with a grinning smiley on the side opened and a single person walked out casually, as if he wasn't bothered by the possibly hostile territory in the slightest. The man was wearing a long black coat with a yellow grinning smiley of his jolly roger and a white spotted hat on his head. Under the rim were two sharp eyes circled with dark lines of sleep deprivation. A simple smirk was held steady on the man's face as his footsteps echoed across the deck and the noise bounced off of the volcanic walls. A long sword rested safely on his left shoulder, sheathed for now.
"So another one deciphered the message and found a way here."
"Didn't they just emerge from the water?!"
"Is that a submarine? How peculiar."
"Oy..but…isn't that the famous rookie of the Worst Generation; Surgeon of Death, Trafalgar Law!?"
"What is he doing here? Does he really want to join Kaido?"
"I heard he's bounty is 440,000,000 Beli now!"
"Perhaps the pressure of the New World became too much for him as well. It's hard for rookies on their own, especially now that Akainu took over the Navy."
Comments and similar talk traveled all across the hideout as the pirates stared suspiciously at the newcomer. However, Trafalgar seemed to ignore all of them as he waited for the submarine to dock and then easily jumped out and onto the rocks beneath. He wasn't bothered by the chat around him at all and soon the other pirates also got tired of observing the infamous Dark Doctor and returned to their own activates.
Not long after, the large submarine doors once again opened, this time with numerous pirates in the same white overalls and various hats coming out. Only three people looked different, beside the captain. One was an actual bear with snowy white fur and human clothing, wearing an orange overall. Another one was a man so large he could hardly fit through the front gates, with a black wild mane on his dangerous-looking face. The last one was the only girl in the crew with long dark blue hair and fiery golden eyes, wearing simple clothing and a katana strapped to her waist.
"Whoa, the inside of this thing is pretty impressive," Shachi commented as he gazed up at all the lights and rowdy pirates sitting around the rocky mountain.
"Trafalgar Law," a new voice that came from behind made the group turn questioningly. They saw a man in his late forties with thick, ginger bird and a scar across the left side of his face. The scar looked as if it was caused by burning and the reddish skin there was wrinkled like scraggy paper. The man never stopped grinning, showing yellow teeth, as he limped with one good leg towards the Heart Pirates. All the while, his amused stare never left Trafalgar's eyes. "Never did I think one of ya Supernova who caused so much trouble on Sabaody two years ago would have to fall under a Yonko," the words had an obvious taunt in them. "'Tis not surprising though, is be expected. Tha New World became even more dangerous now with Akainu takin' over an' that Teach fella. Small fry canna make't on their own anymore."
Law's eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly but he kept his collected self, not falling under the other pirate's provocation. Instead, he turned towards the red-bearded man with a bored expression. "And you are?"
The pirate's grin never faltered, not bothered by Law's lack of respect or even acknowledgment. "Gage 'Scarred' Sutton they call me," the man grinned even wider if it was possible. Some of his teeth were replaced by golden ones, gleaming in the light. "Not very imaginative I'm afraid. Canna be 'xpecting much from pirates, I savvy. Imma commander in Kaido's army, ya know,' the man answered proudly. It was obvious he viewed himself differently from these other pirates who came to join Kaido's wing even though he was Kaido's henchmen just like all of these men will soon become. But here, even Sutton had an upper rank over all this newcomers. Nevertheless, not all the pirates here were newbies. Law recognized some faces instantly as they have been getting a name for themselves over the past two years after Whitebeard's declaration, which prompted a lot of them to take on pirating and sail for the New World. Some were already well known in the papers. Captain Walker Crawhawk, Gruesome Joe Gull, Marcia Grimbeard; those were only a few names of the pirates whose faces Law recognized here and they all had pretty high bounties already. He was right; this was the place to hunt down pirates that he needed to use for his plan to become a Shichibukai.
Trafalgar didn't answer anything as he stared back at the ginger pirate. The other was talking enough for the both of them anyway.
The one who commented was Penguin, instead. "You got quite a crowd here. Guess a lot of people deciphered that add in the newspapers. Aren't you afraid marines could've caught wind of it too and infiltrate?"
Miyako gave the mechanic a wary stare. It was ironic that of all people, he would ask such a question, as if he was deliberately poking at the unsuspecting Kaido's follower before they all met their doom by none other than the Heart Pirates. Who would have guessed Penguin had such a vile streak in him. Somehow, Miyako found it amusingly likable at the moment.
"'Tis meeting be cooking for a long time now. Tha ones who know 'bout it are tha ones who were waitin' patiently for Kaido's move and follow all information. 'Sides, if there be a traitor in our merry lot here…we'd take care of him quickly," the man stared right at Law and pulled out a large curved knife that looked as if it were made for gutting. He licked it with his long tongue, emphasizing his point. All the while he kept staring at the captain of the Heart Pirates as if warning him silently but Law just gazed right back with the same bored, unimpressed expression. The pirate doctor didn't appear moved by any of it, like the words didn't apply to him in the slightest anyway. The message must've gone through to Gage so the older pirate sheathed back his long knife at the belt and grinned once more.
"Will Kaido come to the summit too?" Miyako asked in interest, her whole body tense while awaiting the answer. That was the one fact that could compromise their whole plan.
Sutton just laughed wholeheartedly. "No, no, girly, come now. Kaido is a very busy man, ya know. He canna be wastin' time with these small matters and small pirates!" The pirate laughed again as if just hearing a good joke. "Well then, I be better gettin' back to preparations. There be still time for new arrivals that were smart enough to find a way here. We don't need tha rest anyway, geheheh," he laughed from deep within his belly, looking at the yellow submarine behind the group. "That be some entrance on yer part, too, laddie." With one last grin he turned to gaze at Miyako and tipped his black tricorne at the girl, before turning and limping back to his post where some other Kaido's men resided at the moment.
"What an unsightly man," Miyako glared at the man's back while he walked away.
"How dare he speak to captain Law like that! We are no small pirates!" The girl turned at the familiar angry voice and saw Bepo glaring daggers at Gage's back just like she was.
Indeed, the man was disrespectful to the maximum, even going so far as to call Law 'small fry.' Even Miyako felt her blood boil in anger at those taunting words. Yet Law stayed completely calm through it all, completely brushing off the insults. She was sure it was because Law had more important plans to accomplish now and couldn't afford ruining them by getting angry from some petty taunts. She was sure in any other time and place that man would be a goner after his first cocky remark but this time it was different. This time, there couldn't be anything to risk their operation.
Penguin spat on the ground, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. The other Heart Pirates had similar expressions of anger or annoyance even though they stayed completely silent during the man's speech. It was because everyone knew not to draw attention to themselves and jeopardize the plan. However, the whole crew was tense with what was to come, waiting what will happen next.
That was when Law's mouth pulled back in his characteristic smirk. He must've been on edge too but he appeared completely relaxed and ready. "Relax…More importantly look around. There are definitively more than 80…"
The group gazed back at their captain questioningly, wondering what he was talking about.
Even without looking at them, Law could tell they were confused and his smirk turned into a sadistic grin. "There's definitively more than 80 pirates with 500 000 bounties on their heads here."
~…..~
Hours seemed to have passed since they arrived inside the volcanic island but it was hard to tell since they had no way of even seeing the sky. Night or day; here it all looked the same.
"How long are we supposed to wait?" Louis asked in impatience, tapping his fingers on the rock he was sitting on. Some Hearts stayed on deck while others waited on the rocky shore of the volcano's inside, careful not to get too far in case of emergency. After all, nobody knew what to expect yet.
Just as Sai was about to answer the mechanic to have some patience, a group of Kaido's men appeared on the high floor of the volcano. After their appearance, everything went quiet. All the murmurs and rowdy pirates partying stopped as everyone averted their attention to the men above them. There were 10 of them though only three seemed more important in their group than the others who were probably just some henchmen. On their front was Gage 'Scarred' Sutton himself, raising both hands in the air as if silencing the pirates beneath him and greeting them at the same time. The ginger bearded man spoke loud enough for all to hear as his rough voice echoed throughout the volcano. "Pirates from all corner of tha world! Ya be here, the few privileged! The smart ones!" He grinned at his own words. "The chosen ones to be a part of tha biggest crew…biggest army 'tis New World has ever seen! A force larger an' stronger than even the Navy!" The pirates beneath him cheered in earnest before going silent once more when Gage continued his speech. "Ya will be given strength, power and protection from tha greatest of all pirates and Pirate Emperors alike! Kaido of the Beasts welcomes ya! And ya'll become powerful beasts to rage through all the Four Blues!" As he ended his speech, the pirates once again cheered with such booming strength, the rocks around them vibrated.
The younger navigator had to close his ears for protection from the loud noise. He scowled with an annoyed expression. "Tch, so nosy…" These fools who were so happily giving away their freedom as roaming pirates are way too happy about it; at least that was his opinion.
Throughout the commotion, Jean Bart walked over to Trafalgar, holding a den den mushi and murmured near the captain's ear. "It's starting."
The smirk once again appeared on Law's face as his eyes gleamed with excitement and anticipation. It was time. "Alright….I hope we get a good show out of this. After all, it's not every day we start a war."
Not long after Trafalgar's amused words, chaos began.
~…..~
At first they heard thundering noises outside but nobody paid any heed since there was a storm raging outside before. However, when the volcano started trembling, everyone started looking around in confusion, murmuring among themselves. None of the pirates knew what was going on outside, including Kaido's men.
An earthquake?
An Attack? Cannons?
Soon, the pirates realized rather than the storm outside, what was thundering were ship cannons. Whole of Rocky Port was vibrating from the attacks coming from the outside.
The men inside started panicking, becoming suspicious of the situation. "What's going on?!" They shouted angrily, glaring at Gage and his gang. "Is it a Navy attack?"
"It's a trap! Kaido must've set us up!"
"Bastards!"
Angry and outraged shouts continued throughout the caverns of Rocky Port. Even as Sutton tried to calm the men down, it was too late. Everyone was already going back to their ships, trying to get out of the closed death trap that this volcano suddenly became.
~…~
Josh, Ari and Eli ignored the rain as they hid outside of the volcanic island, on the far side where cannonballs couldn't reach. The redhead was looking at the approaching ships through the spyglass. "Wow, there's Navy battles ships coming from the East."
Ari was staring at the opposite direction. He didn't even need the spyglass to see the two large ships already shooting at the volcano. Unlike the blue insignia of the Navy, this was a jolly roger with a skull wearing a pirate hat and full red lips covered in lipstick. The jolly roger of another Yonko; Big Mom.
Behind the two Big Mom pirate ships was one, much smaller in comparison but when the Hearts saw the black pirate flag and the captain standing at the front of the ships, they're eyes went wide. They could already hear the large man's distinctive laughter. "Zeehahahahaha!" It was none other than Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach, standing under his flag with three pirate skulls on it.
"It really is starting…just like Captain Law said," Josh answered staring at all the approaching ships. Even though all three sides were definitive enemies, they had one thing in common; a common enemy right in front of them, which was Kaido of the Beasts. Still, it was obvious Big Mom pirates, Blackbeard pirates and the Navy definitively weren't working together because not only were they attacking Rocky Port but also started attacking each other on sight, surprised to see the other forces of the sea in the same place. Even though it wasn't as chaotic and big as War of the Best two years ago, it was definitively a sight to behold as three large forces clashed. But what was even more unbelievable was that they had one more common fact they didn't even know about - they were all brought here by the same man; Trafalgar Law.
"Listen. The truth is I already started this plan a long time ago; when we first saw that hidden message in the newspapers." Law announced to his crew as they all stood around gathered on the deck of the submarine. They were soon to be arriving at Rocky Port when the captain called everyone for an important meeting. It was finally time to explain his plan to them.
"What do you mean, captain?" Penguin tilted his head in confusion.
"When I decided to take the rest of the 80 needed hearts at Rocky Port I devised a plan to do it. Indeed, there will be hundreds of strong pirates there; too much for us to handle right now. But that's why we'll bring a force to distract them." Law could see the expressions of his crewmembers were still confused but he ignored it for now and continued with his story. A smirk appeared with his next words. "When we deciphered the information of Kaido's pirate summit, I didn't keep that information all to myself. I used my informant to spread the info in the underground so to make sure it will get to as many other sides as possible. I wanted to attract as many of Kaido's enemies as possible."
Miyako gasped as things suddenly became clear in her head. "Information of Kaido collecting an army would definitively attract attention of the other Yonkou and the Navy."
"Of course!" Shachi slammed his fist in his palm as he exclaimed. "The others would see it as a threat and would definitively try to stop Kaido from getting even stronger by creating an even bigger zoan army."
"And Akainu definitively wouldn't miss a chance to attack a place filled with wanted pirates," Cody added.
Trafalgar nodded, still smirking in satisfaction. "We'll use that chaos and create a chance to attack. All we have to do is pick the right time to strike when they're all weak and confused." He took a step forward towards his crew, making sure they were all listening carefully. "Now let me explain our plan."
"It's all happening just as captain predicted," Ari nodded as he saw cannonballs fly at Rocky Port.
They could see a dark shadow envelop one of the many marine ships. Blackbeard controlled the black mass as it swallowed up everything in its way and then rose into the air like a ball of pure black. A tornado of shadows suddenly appeared and threw out of itself everything it previously swallowed. Ship parts and humans fell from the darkness onto other ships and into the sea.
"That means we'll need to do our part soon too. We have to wait for the signal when captain calls us via den den mushi," the medic explained.
"Yeah, but this place's becoming kinda dangerous," Eli muttered seeing all the enemy ships approaching Rocky Port from different sides. That's when the master gunner looked down at the long fuse near his feet. His gaze followed the long string back to boxes of explosives, curtsy of Law's underground contact they met at Aoijima and traded with. Right before the submarine submerged and headed towards the inside of the volcano, Law ordered Eli, Ari and Josh to get out onto the shore with the crates and prepare the explosives at the previously agreed points in the volcano grounds. They were to light them at the right time, creating even more confusion and chaos among the pirates inside. What's more it will be it easier for cannonballs to fly and destroy the insides of the large volcano, rendering their enemies defenseless and without cover.
The volcanic island continued to tremble under the attacks when suddenly a ship appeared seemingly out of nowhere. It must've come from some secret passage that led inside the volcano. The large ship was filled with shouting pirates as they engaged in a battle with a marine ship nearby. More ships started going out and a full out war started.
The three Heart Pirates were brought out of their daze from the sight by the sound of a ringing den den mushi. As Josh answered, only one order was heard coming from the usual low voice of their captain. "Do it." The medic nodded to Ari who already had a prepared match in his hand, lighting the fuse.
~…..~
Law and his crew pulled back onto the submarine without anyone even noticing in the chaos of it all. What's more, nobody noticed when the submarine submerged back underwater, deep within the Rocky Port so it was out of reach of what was to follow.
A few minutes later after Law's signal via den den mushi, an explosion rocked the very core of the volcano on Rocky Port, making the top cave into itself and fall. With it fell large rocks and boulders together with shocked pirates who fell onto the ground or sea beneath if they were lucky. A large hole appeared on the side of the volcano where now cannonballs freely ripped through the rocks and soil, together with the pirates inside. Outside, a small war was raging between four large forces battling each other.
The submarine emerged again outside of the island and the Heart Pirates rushed outside on the deck. Law simply walked with his nodachi, unsheathing it in the process and looking down at some of the battling pirates on the rocky area in front of them. He waited patiently as Josh, Ari and Eli hastily slid down the charred, wet soil and ran towards the ship, jumping onto thedeck with satisfied grins on their faces. Just as they ran passed the walking captain, the man slashed one time with his long sword. The slash was filled with his haki together with the devil fruit powers as the large orb of blue now encircled Rocky Port. At first everything was the same with battle noises of clashing swords and firing guns around them. However, after a few moments of wait, the high volcano slowly split in half and the upper half fell apart into large boulders and fell right onto some of the Navy battleships and pirate vessels. They could hear shocked screams of the men on those ships from the distance right before the rocks of the volcano crashed down onto them and sunk their ships. The captain of the Heart Pirates turned around towards his crew that were already ready and waiting on the deck, armed to the teeth. "Let's go! Show no mercy!" At his command, the Hearts roared and rushed out onto the shores of Rocky Port once more, mowing down all the confused and injured pirates in sight that were now escaping the inside of the crumbling volcano.
~…..~
From all the battles Miyako had ever been in this one was the most brutal and chaotic one yet. She ignored all the sounds of pained screams and angry shouts around her, all the noise from clashing weapons and dying screams. She simply continued on, slashing everything and anything that was in her way. Everyone was an enemy besides her nakama right now. And she couldn't afford to show mercy to anyone. Not without risking her own life or, what's more important, the lives of her friends. The girl swiftly avoided a bullet, still running forward, before dodging another from the other side and slashing the gunner pirate in front. She didn't even stop as she sliced him across the chest before moving onto the next one. With the corner of her eye she could see Jean Bart on her left, slamming his big fists into the enemy and taking out dozens at once. On her other side, Bepo was shouting in his usual kung-fu battle cries while he kicked and punched at the pirates, mowing them down one by one. The other Heart Pirates did the same as they all went into battle without hesitation. Suddenly a pirate appeared right in front of her out of nowhere and went to slash her with his sword. The girl was already moving, deciding to dodge swiftly but before that, suddenly the man's right eye was pierced with a bullet. Surprised Miyako stopped and stared at the shocked expression of the now-dead pirate who slumped backwards onto the ground. Looking behind her with wonder, Miyako saw Sai aiming his rifle in her direction from the deck even though the distance was at least half a kilometer between them. He had her back, covering her from behind as the sniper of the crew. The girl nodded with a small smirk of appreciation, knowing Sai's sharp eye would notice it, before turning to charge up ahead.
The samurai girl noticed a cannonball coming at her from one of the ships still aiming at Rocky Port and she quickly jumped into the air with her katana in front of her. She swung the sword and cut the cannonball in two with both parts flying on each of her sides, smashing somewhere in the rocks behind her. She could see Jean Bart stop another cannonball with his bare hand before throwing it right back at a Navy ship with such force the ship sunk from the large hole it created in its hull.
Trafalgar walked through the ruins and debris of Rocky Port, staring at the remaining mess of the volcano. He was searching for familiar faces on wanted posters, examining the fallen and injured but still alive pirates or the ones still fighting that would be worth the time of taking down. Any with high bounties would do. His clothes, sword and hands were already bloody from the fight as he simply killed anyone who wasn't interesting for his plan yet stood in his way. There was a bag in his other hand with something rhythmically moving inside it; the beating hearts of all the high-bounty pirates he already took care of. Luckily, there was a whole mob of wannabe rookie pirates who decided to set sail after the War of the Best in search for One Piece and some already made names for themselves in the past two years. Others here, on the other hand, were older pirates who decided the New World had become too dangerous for them to sail on their own without a Yonkou protection.
Suddenly, the Surgeon of Death stopped his casual stroll through the battlefield. Looking at the ground he could see a struggling body underneath some boulders and instantly recognized the ginger beard and scarred face of the older pirate.
"O-oy…" Sutton coughed a few times while struggling to breathe from the pressure on his body. "Trafalgar…help me some, will ya? Ya'r also…Kaido's man now…"
The dark doctor just continued to watch the struggling pirate with his usual expression of disinterest. That's when he decided to open his mouth. "There are only two ways of surviving in the New World. Either go under the protection of one of the four Pirate Emperors or continually challenge them….and I was never one to listen to orders," with the last statement, the pirate captain smirked widely at the man beneath his feet.
"Wha? What ya…be takin' 'bout…ya small fry?" Sutton grit his teeth in anger and annoyance at Law's sudden high and mighty attitude towards him. The Surgeon of Death was looking at him with such cold eyes as if he was observing a struggling insect with amusement.
"Gage 'Scarred' Sutton," Law repeated the name of the man before him. "Now that I think about it, I do remember that name…you have a bounty of one million on your head." Trafalgar's expression contorted into one of sadistic amusement as an idea crossed his mind. It made the other pirate shiver but he was helplessly pinned down on the ground.
"Tact" Law's finger moved and all the boulders were removed from Gage instantly.
At first the man blinked in surprise but then a relived grin spread on his face, showing his yellow and flashy golden teeth. "Ah, ye be a smart lad after all. Ya, I be a bounty of 1 million, a famous pirate under Kaido-" he never managed to finish when Law's sword moved above him as if he was about to pierce his heart.
"Mes," Law's simple words echoed around them and Sutton's eyes went wide with shock and pain as a piercing ache in his chest hit him. After that, everything went black.
~…..~
The sounds of battle were raging from all around. Battleships and pirate ships shot at each other, while the members aboard tried to cross to other enemy ships to attack them. The large cannonballs swiftly crushed everything, taking both ground and people with them as they flew. The slashes of hard steel cutting into soft flesh echoed through the area along with screams of dying men; pirates and marines alike. In the end, it was all the same when they met their early demise. The blackened soil of old volcanic eruptions was now dark red as blood seeped into the ground, creating muddy puddles. Still, the four small makeshift armies fought on with mighty roars and battle cries. Even as the raging storm outside stopped, the sky was still dark and ominous just like the sight below.
Miyako jumped in the air to avoid a slash from a sabre from the side. Ittouryu: Heavenly strike! With a force she swung down at her opponent, breaking both his sabre and slashing him vertically as she landed before the now dead pirate in a crouch. Just then she felt a strong pressure on her side, filled with killing intent, and the samurai girl turned to block whatever was coming. The force of the attack was enough to make her arms tremble but she held firm even as her feet slid backwards across the charred soil. That was when she realized she just blocked a long spear. The large person before her towered over her, enveloping Miyako in their shadow. The samurai girl had to look up to examine her new opponent and her eyes widened. She was met with a woman that appeared to be in her late forties, with a long witch-like nose and a grinning set of large, mostly crooked teeth. Two black pigtails danced around the large body of the woman who was still pushing at Miyako with her spear.
The first time Miyako saw this face was via video den den mushi while watching the War of the Best. That's where she remembered this large, grinning woman but later it was hard to miss the face of one of the most dangerous escapee prisoners of Impel Down as her face was on many wanted posters. Catarina Devon, also known as the 'Crescent Moon Hunter', and a member of the Blackbeard crew.
"You…" Miyako gritted her teeth and glared at her sudden attacker. "You're with that Blackbeard pirate. The one who killed Whitebeard."
The pirate known as Catarina grinned even wider, amused at the little samurai in front of her. Their builds were completely different where the older woman was about two times bigger than Miyako. "I'm so glad I'm this popular," the woman answered sarcastically, ignoring Miykao's glare. "You know, we came here really hoping Kaido will be here so to finish him off but in the end we just got involved in this mess yet no trace of Kaido. So at least I thought I should blow off some steam by killing you small fry and here I see another woman, slashing away at all her opponents. You seemed so interesting I just had to say hello." The grin never left Catarina's face as she continued her sarcastic speech. Intentionally, she added more pressure into her spear which was still going against the katana in Miyako's hands.
The samurai girl managed a bitter smirk through her gritted teeth as she fended of the woman's attack. "That's a nasty way of greeting someone. You have no manners."
The older pirate kept her grin but her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Then let's try that again…" She suddenly swung her spear from the side, pushing Miyako away in the process. "Nice to meet you!" The woman yelled in amusement, slashing at the girl's side.
Miyako stepped away from the woman, getting some room between them before blocking a series of harsh attacks from Catarina. The pirate woman was bashing her spear with such force it was a miracle Miyako wasn't sent flying from the impact, but the girl stubbornly stood her ground instead, moving in time with each slash of the spear. Blocking yet another pierce attack, Miyako stepped forward towards the larger woman. Ittouryu; 8 gates of the Dragon! With lightning speed Miyako rushed forward to attack, making a series of swift slashes. The technique was so quick, the katana was nothing but a blur and it only looked like Miyako made one strike instead of the actual eight. She aimed at all eight weak points of Catarina's body, her movements barely visible to the naked eye.
Yet the woman, stepping backwards to prepare herself for the upcoming attack, managed to match the samurai's speed, blocking each strike with her spear quickly. Both moved in a rush, in par with each other's strength, with other pirates around them unable to even follow their movement properly. They were both so focused on their own battle, they completely ignored everything and everyone else around them; the battle sounds became nothing more than background noise to them.
The older pirate swung once again before lifting her spear and towering over Miyako, piercing from above and down at the samurai. The girl jumped to the side, dodging the harsh attack that created a small crater where it hit, rising clouds of dust into the air. When the dust finally cleared, Miyako was nowhere to be seen, out of Catarina's vision. The big woman narrowed her eyes in suspense and suddenly looked above where Miyako was already preparing to strike down. Without hesitation the girl put her haki power into the katana, bringing it down towards the woman. However Catarina pierced upwards at the same time and blocked the katana from the side, then swung sideways again to forcefully push Miyako away who was still in the air. On her surprise the nimble samurai disappeared once again as she used the impact as leverage to propel herself back into the air and she landed on the end of Catarina's spear, behind the woman.
"Tch, you're just like a little bug, flying around!" The pirate woman yelled in annoyance as she saw Miyako run towards her on the narrow spear, preserving balance with ease. A katana was clenched in her right hand, ready to cut down anyone who stood in the samurai's way. The girl didn't answer anything to Catarina's comment, instead she just rushed forward with the same sharp glare in her darkened eyes. However her move didn't go as planned as Catarina suddenly slammed the end of her spear towards the ground, along with Miyako. The girl jumped backwards, making a somersault and landing on her feet a few meters behind. Without waiting, the larger woman prepared to swing her spear and run up to the girl again, when a voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Catarina!" An unfamiliar to Miyako voice shouted from somewhere further away and it brought both women pirates back to reality. They separated for a while, jumping further from each other. Miyako was panting, taking shallow breaths, even more than Catarina was. Still, the sharp burning glare of the samurai girl never left her golden eyes.
"What is it, Laffitte!?" The woman pirate yelled back in irritation from being interrupted in her fun. She was still staring at Miyako with that grin though, and licked her lips in amusement.
"Teach is calling us! Kaido isn't here so this is a waste of time, we're pulling back!" A tall man wearing a top hat and holding a cane, going by the name of Laffitte, answered back. Without waiting for his nakama, he turned around to leave completely uninterested in the battlefield around him.
"Tch, and here I was having my fun," the woman muttered, looking dissatisfied for the first time since their little battle started. "Fine, then we'll have to postpone this for another time samurai girl," he grin soon returned as she stared back at Miyako.
"Can't wait…" Miyako muttered in a sarcastic response, though her voice was anything but overjoyed.
The said samurai didn't intend to follow or attack as she saw the woman rush away back to her crew but she kept her avid eyes on the woman the whole time, still maintaining a fighting stance just in case. She didn't want to risk it in case Catarina changed her mind and decided to finish the fight after all. By the news and wanted posters, Miyako already knew those Blackbeard pirates were all a crazy and dangerous lot, not to mention violent and sadistic. Even though the whole fight just now didn't last longer than a few minutes, Miyako could already tell from the numbing feel in her arms from blocking all those powerful attacks; that woman was strong. Strong and dangerous.
"Miya-chan!" Bepo's voice broke through the noise and pulled her out of her musings. This was no place for that anyway. She turned back to the first mate who was rushing over to her, finally relaxing her stance. When the bear arrived to her side he was already panting, both from fighting and running around. "I saw you fighting with Crescent Moon Hunter from the Blackbeard pirates! Are you ok?" He seemed genially worried as his beady black eyes stared deeply into Miyako, checking her over for any injuries.
The girl gave him a tired smile. "I'm fine, don't worry. She didn't land a hit." She could see a relieved look spreading across Bepo's face but Miyako couldn't bring herself to feel as relaxed. A thought was still bothering her. *But I didn't manage to land a hit either.* That fact warned her there were still much stronger opponents than her out there that she'll eventually meet in the New World if she stayed with the Heart Pirates and help in their quest for One Piece. It was inevitable, which meant the only solution was for her to get even stronger and prepare herself. She couldn't afford to relax thinking she was strong enough and lose focus of the fact that there will always be someone stronger out there that she'll have to surpass. She couldn't forget that even for a moment. She turned back to the polar bear with newfound determination. "Let's go Bepo, we still have work to do."
~…..~
In the holy land of Mariejois, a vast estate spread across the land for kilometers. There stood a large palace made entirely of fine white stone. It was surrounded by well-groomed gardens and forests, with glistening ponds where large colorful koi fish swam in circles. Inside the palace everything was as beautifully decorated as the area surrounded it. Right now, in this beautiful home of the Tenryuubito, a meeting was held in the far east wing of the building. Inside a large room which was plainly decorated with only the necessary furniture, five elders sat at a big round oak table in the middle. The Gorosei were in session as they talked over the events of what happened a few days ago. The incident was already covered by the newspapers and the marines tried to get as much information as they could from the captured pirates on the scene. The newspapers called this event the Rocky Port incident but it seemed nobody knew much about what really happened there.
A tall middle aged man was standing before the five Gorosei respectfully, holding a few papers in his large hand. Behind him, two serious marines stood completely still and tense as they guarded the doors. Akainu put the papers on the table in front of his superiors that ran almost the entire world. The heads of the World Government itself. "This is the report of what happened three days ago."
The oldest looking one took the report in his hand and skimmed over it, fixing his glasses in the process. "Can you tell us what exactly happened there fleet admiral Sakazuki?"
"They say a small war happened at that area," another added in a serious tone.
Akainu had the same severe expression as the others while he spoke. "We got information that Kaido was gathering new recruits for his army. We came there to apprehend the pirates…" He had to watch himself not to use the word 'pirate scum' as he usually does, as he was now in front of the five most important people in the world. "But it seems others got wind of the information as well and when we got there two ships belonging to the Yonko 'Big Mom' Charlotte Linlin and even Blackbeard's crew with Marshall D. Teach were already there. We fought with all of them but weren't able to apprehend all of the pirates. Most of them escaped," the man gritted his teeth and clenched his fist in utter rage. He was livid by the thought that so many notorious pirates escaped right underneath their noses. *I should've gone there and handled it myself!*
"And Kaido?" Another old man asked.
Sakazuki shook his head, still clenching his fists. "He was not there. Only some of his men."
The elder with the glasses sighed and put the papers down, closing his eyes for a moment. He shook his head when he opened them again. "Everything went so quiet with the Pirate Emperors after Whitebeard's death but it seems that peace was only on the surface, a rouse while they were preparing themselves. Kaido is even building an army and Blackbeard is sailing around freely, taking over Whitebeard's territory and collecting strong devil fruits. If this goes on the World Government will fall behind as the leading force in the world and we can't let that happen."
"We also must be prepared," an old man with a birthmark on his forehead added.
Then the five elders turned back to the marine admiral. "Thank you, Sakazuki-san, that will be all for now. We need to talk over some plans as well."
The fleet admiral saluted swiftly and turned around on his heels before taking long steps out of the room and closing the doors behind him. The two marines at the doorway followed him down the corridor, walking briskly behind him in complete silence.
"Fleet admiral!" Another marine soldier ran over to Akainu who was in one of his bad moods again. There was already steam rising from his clenched fists. "What?" He turned to the marine and gave him a stare that showed little patience.
The other man gulped but proceeded, handing a photo to his superior. "One of our marine journalists took this at the scene three days ago."
Akainu's eyes narrowed at the photograph and the hand holding it crumpled the piece of paper before it set on fire and started burning. The picture of the smirking captain of the Heart Pirates walking through the dark battlefield burned to ashes in Sakazuki's fist. "Trafalgar…" There was nothing but raging venom in the marine's tone. This damned pirate rookie was a thorn in his side for far too long already. What was he planning this time; to join Kaido? Trafalgar Law didn't seem like the type to do so, which only made his presence there all the more suspicious. What's more, the fleet admiral already had his hands full with this case, investigating what exactly happened at Rocky Port. At least he knew where to start. He turned back to the marine as he ordered, "Get our source here, I'll question him personally on where he got the information about Kaido's pirate summit from."
"Yes sir!" The marine saluted and turned on his heels, hastily walking away to do his duty and relieved to be away from the tense and agitated presence that was Akainu right now.
~…..~
"More than 50 pirates were captured while 80 more were found dead. Unfortunately at least 80 more escaped or are currently missing. The World Government is still trying to investigate what exactly happened at Rocky Port three days ago with the help of the Navy which successfully managed to sink one of Big Mom's ships with the help of the new marine admiral Fujitora. Eh? Fujitora…somehow, that name sounds familiar." Miyako rose her head up from the newspapers she was reading out loud on the deck.
"Whatever, just keep reading." Josh commented, sitting on the deck's floor.
"I'm just happy we didn't run into that marine admiral…I've had enough of them lately," Penguin sighed in relief. Next to him, his friend mechanic nodded in agreement.
"Is there anything about us being there?" Bepo tried to peak over Miyako's shoulder who was holding the papers, reading to the rest of the crew as they all sat together on the deck of the submarine.
"If there is, it might be a problem if Kaido finds out we're behind this. He would seek revenge for certain," Even Jean Bart chimed in with his two cents.
"Eek, don't even say that. I'm getting goosebumps at just the thought of it!" Louis actually shivered, hugging his arms.
The redheaded medic smirked at the mechanic with a chaffed expression. "Pussy."
"What'd you just call me shrimp!?" The explosives expert yelled back, his temperament exploding.
"Who you calling a shrimp, chicken brain?!" Joshua yelled back, standing up from his spot.
The two pirates bumped heads in anger, glaring at each other.
"Enough already!" Miyako intervened, still sitting on the railing of the submarine and holding the newspapers in her lap. The two pirates gazed back at her and she gave them a warning scowl. After a while, they both calmed down with a puff of irritation and sat back down. "I'm reading on." She stared once more at the group, waiting for everyone to calm down as if she was a teacher in a class full of disorderly students. Clearing her throat, the girl continued. "In the end, neither of the Yonko were found or captured. However it is confirmed that Marshall D. Teach commonly known as Blackbeard personally participated in the incident."
"Good thing we managed to avoid that guy. I hear he's sailin' around causing trouble an' collecting strong devil fruits ever since the War of the best," Eli commented with a relieved sigh. Since the Heart Pirates finished their plan, they disappeared from Rocky Port even before the whole battle was over so they managed to sail away underwater pretty much unnoticed by the Navy or the Yonkou. It would be bad if Blackbeard saw them and decided to take Law's power for himself just as he did with Whitebeard.
"Guess we ain't been discover' by tha others, after all. Good thin' Kaido don't be 'nowing of our part in this," Munk scratched his thick dark beard as he commented.
Cody smirked satisfied. "What's more we now have all 100 beating hearts of pirates that have 500 000 Beri bounty or more. Your plan was a success captain. So? What's next?" The blue-haired medic turned to the man who was leaning against the railing, a bit further away from the group that huddled around Miyako and the newspapers.
Law, who had his eyes closed as if resting, opened them and looked back at his crew with his arms crossed on his chest. "Our plan has been set from the start…it's time to put in motion the reason why we were collecting those 100 hearts in the first place."
"So you're really planning to join the Shichibukai then," Miyako commented gazing back at her captain in interest. Even though she knew it from the start, a part of her always had a feeling that Law wasn't serious about all that. But now that it was really happening, the reality hit her stronger than ever. This was really happening. Trafalgar Law will become a Royal Shichibukai…a pirate working under the World Government." She knew why Law was doing this; he would have more freedom to do what he wanted without he marines over his head as a threat. The admirals won't be a problem anymore either. Still, it was so unlike Trafalgar that the idea of him being a Shichibukai just didn't sound right. It sounded fake.
"Jean Bart-ya, set the course for the Marine headquarters," the captain announced.
"Aye captain," the large navigator answered back, heading towards the control room.
"So we're really going right into the lion's den, huh?" Shachi commented rather listless.
"What if they capture us and throw us into Impel Down instead?" The bear was already starting to panic. The group started murmuring anxiously among themselves.
Trafalgar was just about to reassure his crew seeing as they were doubting this plan again. After all, his plans never failed and this time won't be any different. However, before he had a chance, a clear, confident voice cut off all the uncertain commentary as it rose above the voices of the crowd. "If they refuse and try to captures us; we'll just have to beat our way out." Miyako gazed back at the pirates who were now staring back at her with wonder in their eyes. Her golden eyes glittered with mischief and she smiled back at them devilishly. "Right?"
Surprisingly, that confidence appeared to have calmed the crew down and gave them courage and determination they needed. They grinned back and nodded their heads. "You're right! We're strong after all, we can do it!"
"Like those marines can stop us!"
"Besides, captain's plans never fail!"
The Heart Pirates cheered in newfound confidence and smiled happily. "Let's celebrate the success of our operation at Rocky Port tonight!"
"Yeah! Even Kaido can't stop us! We'll be the ones who will find One Piece!"
The Hearts cheered and laughed, their morale rising at the thought of another night of partying.
Miyako closed and folded the newspapers, placing them at a nearby crate. She jumped off of the railing and walked over to Trafalgar still smiling mischievously. "I hope this plan works out for you…otherwise, won't you feel like a fool if it fails? It'll be super embarrassing," the girl teased in a thoughtful tone, ignoring the glare she received in return.
"Why do you sound like you actually hope for it to fail?" Trafalgar answered in a calm but dark tone. He wasn't really angry, perhaps just slightly annoyed.
"Not really…I have no interest in getting captured by the marines either," the samurai shrugged. "But I still find it hard to believe that you want to be Shichibukai...let's just say I'm wondering what you're really planning." She gave him a knowing sideways glance.
"What do you mean?" The captain didn't even blink nor did his facial expression change from the previous collected one as he asked. He had that seemingly bored look instead.
"Nothing, never mind," Miyako dropped the subject but then turned to look straight into Law with her large eyes, piercing him with a serious stare of determination. "Just remember; I didn't forget your promise that one day you'll explain everything to me. I'm still waiting so don't you dare forget about it either."
Law stared back silently, observing the girl's serious expression. He didn't forget either; that he promised to tell her everything when the time comes. But that time isn't here yet even though it was rapidly nearing with his every next move. They already started spiraling down on a path of no return; they just didn't know it yet. Only Law did. He nodded slowly and answered in a calm but equally serious tone. "I didn't forget."
For a while longer Miyako stayed quiet and observed Law's face as if searching for something. As if there was an answer to her questions there. Then with a nod, she turned to gaze at the vast sea before her instead. "That's good then. In that case…let's go make you Shichibukai…and then one day…a pirate king."
Trafalgar's eyes widened at the comment and met the girl's golden eyes as she gazed at him with a sideways stare again. That's when he noticed; there wasn't just determination in those eyes but also trust. This girl wasn't only fighting for herself and her own goals anymore. She was fighting for the Heart pirates. For him.
Hm, I'm not sure what I think about this chapter yet…do I like it or not? I feel it was a bit rushed and that I could've made it a lot better but somehow I didn't have the inspiration at all. X_X So I'm sorry if it wasn't what you expected.
Thank you everyone for the lovely reviews! I hope you enjoyed the chapter even though this one wasn't so long or detailed. I summarized the whole Rocky Port Incident in one chapter. ^^'
Here are some answers to your questions;
Cocobear: haha hmm, let's see…Miyako would be a fox because she's sly and mischievous at times. Law…a raccoon? (because of the eyes! XD) or maybe a panther? :) Cody would be some kind of bird…And Josh would be…a badger because of his temperament even though he looks all small and cute at first (until he opens his mouth). :3 I never really thought about it until now. O.o
Yumi sawamura: hahahaha omg that song! XD But you're right, it fits so well. :')
geckogal077: hehe your right. As soon as Penguin took that underwear, his fate was sealed. XP
Shiningheart of ThunderClan: lol Well compering to some of my other chapter it was shorter, but I get what you mean. ^^' I think he was wise enough to know it wasn't safe to get involved.
Iluvninjas: lol it does, I can feel it getting closer too! XD Come cannon plot, come!
little101: I actually thought about that before. :D Something like Sakura-style situation. But then again, I also like Miyako's hair. :3
Xxikarishipper99xX: hehe nah, that would be less fun. XD Thank you~ ^^
Yappie: Yeah, I think the more I write the more experience I get. (that's why my first chapters are short and then become longer and longer ^^) It also depends on my state of mind and inspiration of that day. Hm, advice…I think what also helps is just reading books, it helps in creating your own writing style. As for cannon characters (like Law) it's good to study their personality through the anime/manga. I hope that helped some. ^^'