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

56. Chapter 56

"I don't like you" by BloodyMarryMe

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

I wanted to get this chapter out before my exams start and while I still have the time. It seems some think that last chapter was a cliffhanger and that we're starting from there….Nope! :3 hehe, I feel so evil now...and I like it! *gasp* I'm turning into Law!

Thank you everyone for the wonderful comments and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well!

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CHAPTER 56

"So we're returning to the Red Line?" Shachi asked as he leaned against the control panel of the navigation room.

"Yes, the new Marine Headquarters are situated on the Red Line. This time that actually goes in our favor since we won't have to leave New World to get to them," Sai answered, lazily sprawled in his chair. They had the coordinates of the new Marine Headquarters set in the navigational panel so there wasn't much they could do but keep the course towards the Red Line. Jean Bart was handling the helm while Sai watched the radar for any anomalies or dangers beneath the water. It's been like that for a week now; except for the few sea monsters they battled and storms they avoided, most of the sailing went surprisingly smooth.

"It won't be long now till we arrive. You all better prepare yourselves, we still don't know how the marines will react to us," the large navigator by the helm warned while keeping his eyes glued to the deep waters outside.

"I expect Fleet Admiral Sakazuki might be a bit of a problem, but we'll just have to be persuasive then," Law smirked. He was sitting in his captain's chair, staring at the deep beyond and playing with the guard of his nodachi in his hand. There was no reluctance in his voice; he was already certain that their plan will succeed.

Shachi and Penguin glanced at each other with worried expressions. They saw firsthand how dangerous Akainu was when they crashed the War of the Best. The man was strong enough to battle Whitebeard, which said a lot. They still remembered that dreary day when they first read in the newspapers how he became Fleet Admiral after Sengoku resigned, wining a great battle with Aokiji on some unknown island. In their opinion, Akainu was the worst possible outcome for becoming a new fleet admiral of the Navy, seeing at the man had no mercy and an almost childish view of the world as he separated it in either Good or Evil. If you weren't on Akainu's side, then you were an enemy; it was as simple as that. No matter how much the mechanics' believed in their captain, the thought of meeting with that man gave them goose bumps.

"Captain, we're nearing the Red Line. It'll take some more time before we reach the marines, though," Sai announced, looking at the long line showing on his radar a few kilometers in front of them.

"Take us out," Law ordered simply, nodding at the new information.

Sai announced via his den den mushi that connected all floors of the submarine, to prepare for emerging, before the submarine slowly started rising towards the surface. The yellow vessel emerged from the sea, splashing waves of water around and disturbing the once calm surface. The submarine made a large turn and started sailing along the mountains of Red Line, towards the Navy Headquarters.

"We're really doing this," Penguin gulped as the vessel slowly continued on its way.

"It's too late to turn back now. What will we do with all those beating hearts in the infirmary," Bepo commented. He was also in the room, napping until now.

"Like I care about that!" The mechanic exclaimed in return. Those hearts were the least of their problems now.

"We have a visual on the radar, captain!" Their bickering was interrupted by Sai who saw the first signs of the marine base on his navigational panel.

Law stood up slowly, propping himself up with his nodachi, before a slow grin spread on his features. He went over to the control panel and took the den den mushi, which was connected to it and therefore to the whole submarine. "Everyone, we are reaching the Navy Headquarters soon, so prepare yourselves. Be on standby to act and defend at any moment," the den den mushi made a closing sound as captain finished giving his orders. He then turned around to exit the control room, "Bepo, Shachi-ya, Jean Bart-ya and Penguin-ya, meet me at the main deck is twenty minutes. Sai-ya, take over the helm," with those words the captain disappeared through the doors.

~…..~

Miyako sighed for the nth time that day. She was trying to concentrate on her meditation but it was hard to focus; various thoughts would constantly sneak into her mind before she would shun them away again, but after a while they would just return. Finally, she gave up and opened her eyes again. She was too tense to even try and relax at the moment. They will be reaching the marines soon and Law will become a Shichibukai.

"Law…." A barely audible whisper escaped her lips.

Already a week passed since they had their conversation on the deck. Well it couldn't really be called a conversation since she did most of the talking while Law simply watched her with surprise in his eyes. With a blush, Miyako remembered his words.

"So why do I feel like I've lost right now?" His words echoed in her mind. However, things didn't go quite as she hoped they would. At that time she didn't really plan for anything to happen since everything came out of her so naturally, without thinking. But now, after a week has passed, Miyako's feelings were more mixed up than ever. The events of that night came back to her in flashes.

Law's lips separated from hers, as he cupped her cheek with one tattooed hand. He seemed to be observing her with his gray eyes, but they didn't look as piercing and dark as usual. His gaze was a bit milder now.

Miyako could only stare back at him in anticipation, tense to see how he will react to her words. However, their brief moment was rudely interrupted when the metal doors opened and the atmosphere around Miyako and Law broke like a water bubble on Sabaody Archipelago.

Penguin and Joshua came out, both walking casually with their hands deep in the pockets of their overalls.

"Hoo, captain, Miya-chan, you're here too?!" The mechanic exclaimed with a smile, greeting the duo that was already on the deck.

The redheaded medic grinned. "What are you doing here at this hour, Bakaonna, isn't it already passed your bed time?" He just couldn't help but annoy the girl.

Miyako's eyebrow twitched in utter annoyance. Not only did they interrupt an important moment between her and Law, a moment of revelation, but the shorty even had the nerve to tease her further. She whipped back to face the medic with gritted teeth and a mocking expression on her face. "That should be my line. Isn't it already bed time for little boys?" She even patted him on the top of his head, indicating his shortness with that condescending gesture.

"What's that!? Didn't anyone teach you to respect your seniors? Don't underestimate adults!" Joshua bit back.

"You're only 4 years older than me, so don't get so full of yourself!" The girl argued on.

Penguin could only watch between them with a sweat drop, trying to stop their bickering. "Guys, come on….Didn't we have enough excitement for today?" The mechanic tried, smiling nervously at the two.

Suddenly, Miyako's eyes widened as she remembered an important thing. Law! She looked around, suddenly completely ignoring Penguin and Joshua, but there was no sign of the captain anymore.

The mechanic noticed the girl was looking for something and guessed who. "If you're looking for captain Law, he already left…" Penguin sweat dropped again and told her in a dull tone. "He made this kind of face"-the mechanic bowed his head with closed eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, while sighing – "and then left while shaking his head." He explained, mimicking Law's facial expression.

"…" The girl stayed silent for a while, completely in disbelief. She blew it…She blew her big moment to hear Law's true feelings. After a while of silently staring in despair, the girl turned her stare towards Josh and Penguin. "Hyaaa!" She screamed in both annoyance and despair, taking her sheathed katana and aiming it at the two pirates. It's all these guys fault!

"Wait, what-"Joshua yelled in panic as the girl suddenly became violent.

"What did I do!?" The mechanic cried as even he couldn't escape the girl's sudden rage.

~…~

Miyako covered her face with her hands slowly, trying to cool down from the hot sensation that was creeping on her cheeks. *It's my fault…If only I hadn't been so engrossed in that stupid argument with Josh…* But that wasn't the end of it as things only became worse from there. They just couldn't find the right moment to talk about it anymore and something or someone always interrupted them. The just couldn't get back that right atmosphere anymore. What's more, Miyako started feeling self-conscious and embarrassed by the whole thing. However, more than anything, she just felt insecure since she still had no idea what Law thought about the whole thing. As she started overthinking things, the thoughts swirling in her mind only became worse, and she started avoiding the captain instead of trying to talk to him. After already a week has passed, she just couldn't face him anymore.

*Get a grip already!* The girl slapped both her cheeks with her hands and shut her eyes tightly. *We're reaching the enemy's lair soon so you need to be at the top of your game now!*

Knock knock

A loud knock sounded from her door and the girl stared at it for a moment before standing from her kneeling position on the ground and walking towards it. She opened the door enough to see who it was, only for her eyes to widen in shock. Without thinking the girl slammed the metal door shut, leaning against it with her back. *What is he doing here, of all people!? And just as I remembered all those embarrassing moments from this week. I can't face him right now, I just can't!*

"Miss Miyako, what do you think you're doing?" A dark and annoyed voice of Trafalgar Law echoed from the other side. Even with that muffled tone, she could hear the displeasure in his voice. The doorknob suddenly moved along with the doors that started opening without warning.

Still acting mostly on instinct which was mixed with her heightened emotions at the moment, Miyako started pushing the doors, while trying to close them again, but there was a strong force also pushing from the other side. "Wait, wait, wait!" The girl was completely flustered now, with a red face and a panicked expression. "I can't right now, I'm not ready yet!" She screamed in panic, pushing with her shoulder at the doors. However, they just wouldn't close as Law continued to push as well.

"I have no idea what the hell you are talking about," he answered through gritted teeth, obviously angry now.

Suddenly the force from the other side stopped and Miyako finally managed to slam the doors back shut. She sighed in relief. *He gave up…*

A blue sphere circled around her quarters before she could even move. All of a sudden, Law appeared right before her, using his powers to teleport into her room. The girl almost screamed in surprise when she saw that, but was unable as she saw Trafalgar's dark glare.

"Don't make me use my powers for stupid things!" He scolded in obvious irritation.

"Yes, sir!" The girl could only exclaim back in surprise and tension, still panicky about the whole situation. She just couldn't relax her strongly beating heart at this point.

Purupurupuru purupurupuru Chachak

The tense atmosphere was slightly diluted by a ringing den den mushi in Law's trousers. He answered it with an "Yes?" only to hear Bepo's voice on the other side.

"Captain, we have a visual! Come quick!" The first mate exclaimed excitedly as they finally reached the Navy Headquarters.

"I'll be right there," Law hung up and put away his den den mushi before sighing in exasperation and gazing up at Miyako again. "I don't know what got into you but we've reached the marine base. We need to go, now." There was a clear order in his subtle tone.

The girl blinked a few times, before letting out a breath she didn't even know she was holding in until now. "Marine Headquarters, that's what this is about," she repeated in a tone between a question and a comment.

The captain furrowed his eyebrows. "What else would it be about? Come on, we need to hurry to the deck," without even waiting for her, Law went to leave her quarters and headed towards the deck of the submarine.

Miyako stayed there, hit with his words as they echoed in her mind over and over again. What else would it be about?! Her whole body shook as she realized what a mistake she made and suddenly started feeling incredibly down. She bowed her head as dark thoughts entered her mind. *Ah, of course…what else would it be…? I'm such an idiot…* The sight would almost look comical if it wasn't so pathetic. Still gloomy, the girl exited her quarters, swaying from side to side as she walked towards the deck.

~…..~

All her gloominess disappeared, however, when Miyako stepped onto the deck and saw the sight before her. A large, western-style building was displayed before them. The first thing Miyako noticed was the large sign with the text 'Marine' along with their usual kanji of the Navy. The cylindrical-shaped wall that circled the main marine tower was filed with cannons on three stories, and they were all aiming at the yellow submarine beneath them at the moment. Miyako could hear shouts coming from the Headquarters as marines informed each other of this peculiar occurrence; it wasn't every day that pirates voluntarily visit a marine base like this.

"Remember, no sudden movements," Law warned quietly to his men. The ones out on the deck with him were Miyako, Bepo, Jean Bart, Shachi and Penguin. He needed enough people to be able to quickly defend themselves if push comes to shove but also not too many so that they would appear hostile to the marines.

Finally, from a large megaphone, one of the marine Vice-admirals shouted at the pirates. "Heart Pirates, stay where you are! You are under arrest, if you make any suspicious moves, you will be shot down and sank by our cannons!"

The submarine slowly continued sailing inside the circle of walls and towards the port of the Headquarters. Miyako instinctively put a hand on the hilt of her katana, holding the guard with her thumb so she could open it at any moment if necessary. Finally, their vessel reached the inner part of the base; even though it only took a few minutes, it felt like an eternity in this tense atmosphere. She could see marines running out with their rifles aimed at the pirates who were approaching. They were completely surrounded now. Of course, Law already told them about an escape plan in case of an emergency, which consisted of diving under water and escaping on sea currents, but that would still be difficult to manage when they're under such heavy fire.

As the submarine stopped at the docks of the marine headquarters, all the marines cocked their guns. Law didn't seem alarmed by it at all; such treatment was expected after all. Instead, the captain took a deep breath, ready to shout loud enough for all to hear. "I've come to take the position of the Shichibukai!"

At that moment, everything went eerily silent. It was as if all the Blues suddenly fell into a deep quiet, not daring to even produce waves that would crash into the Red Line. The marines gaped at the Heart pirates, forgetting to aim their guns at them or even breathe for that matter.

In that silence, a lone sound of footsteps on dock floorboards echoed in the crowd of marines. There was some shuffling from the back while marines stepped aside for a tall man to pass. Suddenly, Miyako felt the atmosphere just got a lot tenser, as a dangerous feeling overcame her. She could feel the suffocating pressure coming from the approaching vice-admiral as he used haki. He walked casually all the way to the front of the dock where the Heart Pirates still stood on the deck of their yellow submarine, prepared for anything. He had a gray suit with the usual white marine coat draped on his shoulders while he held his hands in the pockets of his pants, seemingly relaxed. His grey hair was slicked-back and sunglasses hid his eyes. There was a large scar across his left eye but the sunglasses hid the sight from view. He repositioned the thick cigar in his mount from one corner to the other before speaking. "Did I hear you correctly; you want to be a Shichibukai?" His tone was calm but there was a sharp edge to it.

"That's one of the Vice-admirals, Cancer! He was at the battle of Marineford," Bepo whispered to his friends in a worried tone.

"That's right," Law wasn't about to be intimidated, thought. He casually responded to the marine, tilting his head to the side and resting his nodachi on his shoulder. His expression was collected and unreadable as always.

"Kid, you must be joking," the vice-admiral started. "Not anyone can get a title of a Royal Warlord just because they had enough balls or were stupid enough to enter the Navy HQ and ask for it," Cancer commented.

Law's gaze became just a shade darker from the condescending name the marine addressed him with. However, he didn't let his annoyance show as he started walking towards the end of the deck. Suddenly, the metal ramp lowered itself down to make a small path from the high deck to the docks. As soon as Trafalgar started moving, all guns were once again aimed at him as marines became tense again, but the vice-admiral simply raised a hand, silently gesturing for his men to wait.

"I thought you might say that," the pirate captain started. He gestured with a nod to Shachi and Penguin who lifted a simple wooden crate and started walking with it behind him. "So I didn't come empty handed," he finally finished as he walked over to vice-admiral Cancer and his two mechanics lowered the crate in front of the marines.

"What's inside?" One marine captain questioned, feeling even more worried all of a sudden.

"It's a trap, for sure!" Another marine commented.

"I can hear a strange thumping noise coming from inside."

"What if it's a bomb!?" A slight panic started among the marines now. Even Cancer was glaring at the suspicious crate in front of him, chewing on his cigar while deciding what to do with it.

Trafalgar couldn't help but smirk, amused by the atmosphere he caused so easily. However, making them more panicked won't do, that's not why he came here. "It's not a trap. However, I can open it for you if you are too afraid to," he couldn't help but mock the marines, gazing at Cancer with an amused stare.

The vice-admiral growled at the cocky pirate before him. "Kid…" He murmured, chewing on his cigar again, but then stared back at the crate. He turned towards two marines and gestured for them with his head. "You two, find a crowbar and open this," he ordered.

The two men didn't look very pleased by their new order but didn't have the right to refuse. So instead they ran back with an iron crowbar and opened the create. The thumping sound from the inside was even louder now. Inside were numerous small bags, which were rhythmically moving in time of those sounds. "W-what is this…" One marine commented and went to open one of the bags, only to shriek in surprise and fall back on his ass. "Iiiiieee!"

"What is it!?" Another marine called but then made a disgusted expression at the sight inside, feeling like he might puke at any moment.

"What in the Four Blues…" Even vide-admiral Cancer paled a little when he saw the contents of all the bags. Inside, numerous hearts -100 to be exact –were beating as if still working normally. "Trafalgar, what is the meaning of this!?" The vice-admiral turned back to glare at the pirate under his sunglasses, thinking this was some kind of a sick joke.

The captain of the Heart Pirates didn't say anything but instead nodded to his samurai on the right. She was holding hundred wanted posters with pirates that were all relatively a threat to the marines. Some were more dangerous than others but none had a bounty under 500 thousand Beri.

"Burning-Eyed Miyako…" Cancer muttered as the girl from Wano approached him and handed him the wanted posters.

"All these hearts belong to these pirates…as you can see, they are all still alive and kicking, but missing their hearts," she explained, stepping beside her captain again.

Law continued, "With this you literally have their lives in your hands. You can kill them, capture them, or make them obey you…the rest is up to you."

"Are you telling me we obtained the lives of 100 pirates? Kid, don't mess around, how can such a thing be possible!? How do I know you're telling the truth?" Cancer didn't seem convinced yet.

Even so, Law showed no sign of worry. He simply shrugged, "Proving it is simple. All you need to do is stab one of those hearts and send out your spies. One of the pirates on these wanted posters will surely die," he explained further. "If that isn't sufficient, I can always demonstrate it on one of your men," the captain added with a grin, deliberately taunting the vice-admiral.

Cancer stared at Law with an intense glare. He looked back at the bag full of hearts before picking one up. It was a bluish cube, preserved from any harm. He could feel the heat coming from the organ as it kept on beating rhythmically in his hand. The feeling was disturbing and gave him goosebumps, but he endured it, as he squeezed the heart hard enough to crush it. He felt resistance from the flesh at first but then the organ burst along with the blue thin layer of the cube. Everything was silent and the wait was dreadfully long; it lasted at least a half an hour before a marine came running back with some shocking news.

Captain Walker Crawhawk with a bounty of 800 thousand was brought into custody by the marines after the Rocky Port incident. They said he was never the same after that incident and rumors went he was indeed found passed out on that volcanic rubble with a hole in his chest. The doctors found it miraculous that he was even alive but nobody could explain it. However, even then the marines already knew of Trafalgar's strange ope ope powers and Akainu already suspected the pirate captain was somehow to blame, involved in the Rocky Port incident. However, the Navy's suspicions about the ope ope powers being able to cut out hearts were completely confirmed now with this new information. After Cancer crushed one of the hearts, it was said that the prisoner known as Walker Crawhawk just died of an unknown cause in his cell. There was nobody by his side at the time, so it couldn't be someone from the prison who killed him.

Cancer slowly turned to stare at a smirking pirate captain while the rest of the marine soldiers watched the Surgeon of Death with horror in their eyes. Finally, the vice-admiral spoke to one of his men, "Inform fleet admiral Sakazuki of this at once."

~….~

A marine rushed in Sakazuki's office, forgetting to even knock in his hurry. "Fleet admiral Sakazuki!" The man called out, instantly gulping when he was met with a dark glare under Akainu's hat.

"Why are you barging in here like this? You better have a good excuse, soldier," the large man warned as he sat behind a large mahogany desk.

"S-sorry, Sir, but it's urgent," the marine instantly pulled himself together and stood in a tense stance, with a salute and the other arm behind his back.

"Then spit it out already," the fleet admiral growled, annoyed for being bothered at this time. He was busy enough as it is.

"Actually," the marine gulped as he started. Everyone in the Navy already knew how Akainu became when angered; especially his subordinates who worked close to him. The marine soldier was already mentally preparing for Akainu's temperament, which will soon explode with this news. "The Heart Pirates just docked at the Navy Headquarters, sir!"

The fleet admiral slowly rose from his chair. "What?" His voice was nothing but a dangerous hiss as he glared darkly beneath the rim of his hat. Steam started appearing from his shoulders and arms as the fruit user's temperature continued to rise while his mood became colder in contrast. "Why wasn't I informed of this sooner? That runt Trafalgar actually thinks he can knock on our front door and win this battle? I'll send him to the bottom of the sea where scum like him belongs!" The cigar in his mouth caught aflame from the rise in his temperature, while a few drops of magma dripped down at his feet.

The soldier in the room gulped again, since the news only got worse from here. "W-well…that is…." The man hesitated.

"What is it now?!" Sakazuki urged on with a fierce tone in his voice.

"Surgeon of Death came here…to become a Shichibukai, Sir," the man finished, almost wincing at the piercing expression Akainu made after hearing that.

~…~

Feet admiral Sakazuki banged his large fist on the round table with force, completely forgetting to keep his cool even in front of his superiors. "We cannot allow this! Let me wipe out this pirate scum here and now!" He exclaimed angrily, in front of the five geezers.

Gorosei were much calmer about this whole situation as they analyzed the pros and cons of letting the Surgeon of Death in their ranks as one of the Royal Warlords.

"Calm yourself, fleet admiral Sakazuki."

"This isn't a decision to make lightly."

"Trafalgar Law has a bounty of 440 million Beri. His ope ope powers are very useful to us as well."

"He even managed to give us rule over 100 strong pirates. That ability alone would prove useful on our side."

Akainu couldn't believe what he was hearing. Will these people really make a pact with another pirate!? Another pirate will roam the world free from consequences by the marines, escaping their grasp and prison!? In his opinion, such a thing as Shichibukai shouldn't even exist; they should all be wiped out from this world since they are nothing but evil clashing with the justice that is the World Government. The Navy shouldn't work with pirates no matter what the situation is! Even so, he calmed his temper at the old men's warning words. "If we let these Shichibukai do what they want, it will make the Navy look weak!"

"On the contrary, Sakazuki-san," one of the Gorosei started, "Having pirates fight for us only shows the power we have over them. 'Even the strongest pirates decided to join the World Government;' that is the message we are sending. Trafalgar's powers will be of good use to us."

"It is better to have this man with us, than against us," an old man with a large mole spoke.

"Bring him in, we are ready to decide." Another, a tall elder, exclaimed indicating that the conversation was over and their decision reached.

As Akainu hurried out of the room, he slammed the doors shut before clenching both hands into a fist and gritting his teeth. There was nothing but murderous rage and hate in his eyes. Steam once again started coming out of the large man.

~…..~

A marine captain quickly approached, keeping a suspicious glare on the Heart Pirates the whole time as he spoke with vice admiral Cancer. It was too quiet for the others to hear but soon Cancer relayed the message to the pirates anyway.

"It seems the Gorosei will see you," he simply said, "along with fleet admiral Sakazuki…" a vicious grin appeared on his satisfied face. Everybody knew what Akainu was like in front of pirates and few pirates lived to tell the tale of it. If Law gets the title of Shichibukai then there won't be any problems, but if the Gorosei refuses, Akainu will try to crush the pirates without second's notice. "The Gorosei will see you now…but you need to come alone," Cancer finished, staring at Trafalgar.

Law's eyes narrowed at this suspiciously.

"Captain," Bepo exclaimed beside him, worried about his captain's well-being.

Surgeon of Death stayed silent for a while, thinking about this new proposition. However, he knew there was no other choice if he really wanted to become a Royal Shichibukai. The Gorosei won't wait for him and they certainly won't bend their will; those geezers were as stubborn as they were old.

Law sighed, finally deciding. "It's alright, Bepo," he reassured his first mate and stepped forward only to be stopped by the marine captain.

"And unarmed," the marine gazed back at Law, neither of them breaking eye contact with their piercing gazes. "It's the only way you'll meet them," finally the marine captain said.

Rather reluctantly, Trafalgar gave his nodachi to Bepo before following after the marine captain. His crew stayed behind, staring at the leaving back of their captain with nervous gazes. Nobody liked this new turn of events where their captain was taken alone and unarmed into the marine headquarters. It took a completely bold and confident pirate to take such a step yet Trafalgar carried it out without even one word of complaint.

Miyako watched Law go and squeezed the hand around the hilt of her katana. *Law…* She couldn't help but worry at the idea of what might happen in there. She stepped forward without thinking, still deep in thought. However, her way was blocked by vice admiral Cancer, staring down at her.

"You can't go in, Burning-Eyed Miyako," he stated simply with a resolute expression.

The girl frowned but stayed put. Law told them not to cause any trouble and wait for him patiently, so that's what she intended to do.

Murmurs started again among marines. "Eh, that's Burning-Eyed Miyako? She's pretty hot!"

"What are you saying, you idiot, she's a pirate!"

"I hear her bounty is 210, 000 000 Beri!"

At the last statement Miyako's eyebrow twitched. *Wait, when did it go up again!?* She felt a dark mood coming over her as her bounty rose even more. The girl fell to her knees, completely depressed. *I'm sorry Master…your student finally found a reason to fight for, but also became a 210 million worth criminal…*

"Is she ok….?" Another voice among the marines asked with uncertainty.

A heavy paw landed on her shoulder and she could feel Bepo's presence behind her. "It can't be helped Miya-chan, it's probably because of all that trouble with the Tenryuubito. You angered them after all…" The bear tried to cheer her up, not aware that he was only making the girl feel worse instead.

The commentary among the marines started again. "Whoa, it's a bear! A polar bear! And it talks"

"How come a bear talks!? He's even wearing clothes, what's up with this bear?"

In the next instant, Bepo was in the same position as Miyako, both of them next to each other on their knees and completely depressed. "I'm sorry…" The bear apologized with a sad sigh.

"Would you two stop that, you're making us look bad!" Penguin scolded them, seeing that they were making some kind of comical scene here while the situation was so serious.

"…." Jean Bart simply stared at the arguing Heart Pirates wordlessly.

"What's up with this crew…?" Vice admiral Cancer commented, not sure what to make of the whole scene in front of him, while staring at the Heart pirates as if they were completely insane.

~…~

Law entered a large, plain and barely furnished room, walking after the marine captain. Inside, at the large table were sitting the five elderly men known as the Gorosei. Standing at the far corner of the room was fleet admiral Sakazuki, leaning against the wall and piercing Law with a glare that followed his every move.

Trafalgar pretended to ignore the fleet admiral but in reality he was conscious of every move the man made, in case he had to act quickly and protect himself. Law's sharp eyes observed the room and everyone in it, trying to find any indication that this might be a trap. Even though he found none, the pirate remained alert just in case.

"Trafalgar Law also known as Surgeon of Death by the Navy," an old man with a black hat started, his eyes fixed on Law's wanted poster in front of him. "You've been creating all sorts of trouble lately, even though you are still a young rookie." That's the second time today Law was being treated as a 'kid' but the pirate captain let the comment slide, too engrossed in keeping his attention on anything suspicious that might come up.

"We have reached a decision, Trafalgar Law. But be aware, that if you fail to accept any of our terms or fail to uphold them…" another old man trailed off as his gaze averted to a steaming but silent Akainu. "It will be a breach of your contract with the World Government, which will mean your immediate expulsion from the Shichibukai position." The unspoken threat was clear behind those words and Law glanced at Akainu. In other words, if Law betrays them, he will have to deal with the fleet admiral himself. If he says 'no' to any of the terms now, once again he will be brought down by Akainu here and now.

Trafalgar sighed. "I understand."

A man with a large mole on his forehead took out a paper and presented it to Law along with a simple pen. "In that case, you will sign this pact with us and become one of the Shichibukai."

The pirate captain took the pen and skimmed through the contract, before signing it. Somehow the atmosphere got lighter slightly; perhaps it was only his imagination since with this he felt a little bit safer since his plan seemed to work perfectly. Even so, the pirate didn't relax much, still alert of his surroundings and suspicious about everything. It's not over and done with until he and his crew are safely away from here.

"Excellent!" The youngest of the Gorosei exclaimed. He took the paper and looked over Trafalgar's signature, checking that everything was in order. It made Law think of some sort of bureaucratic process. "With that, we can also give you your fist assignment as a Shichibukai, Trafalgar," the man continued.

Law's interest was piqued with those words and he stared back at the five old men. "Assignment?"

"Think of it as your initiation," the old men grinned.

Law didn't really spend a lot of time in the room of the Gorosei, but it felt like a whole eternity had passed when he was finally excused. As he opened the doors to let himself out, a low voice of Akainu rumbled from behind. "Remember Trafalgar…I will be watching your every step. If you slip just a little as a Shichibukai, I will hunt you down personally," there was no bluff in his words. Only a dangerous promise.

Nevertheless, Trafalgar kept his expression collected as he opened the doors and left the room without another word.

~…..~

Miyako waited patiently but it was becoming harder by the second. Luckily, everything still seemed peaceful in the Headquarters for now; she was sure that if something went wrong the marines would also attack the submarine. There weren't any signs of fighting or Law's blue sphere coming front the large towers where her captain was taken.

When she finally saw Trafalgar exiting and walking back to the submarine, she couldn't help but smile from relief. "Captain!" She called out, alarming the other Heart Pirates that their captain returned. She wasn't the only one with the relieved smile on her lips either. The other pirates grinned happily when they noticed Law returning, and even the large navigator sighed deeply in relief.

"So you really managed to do it, Trafalgar….become one of the Shichibukai," Cancer commented not entirely pleased with that fact. "But don't forget what happens if you mess up. You're a dog of the government now," the man added spitefully, trying to taunt the pirate.

Law didn't answer but instead half-turned towards the vice admiral behind him and smirked with a knowing look in his eyes. It was hard to read what that expression meant, but Law was definitely wordlessly telling him something. This only lasted a few seconds but it gave Cancer a rotten taste in his mouth that made him go silent instantly. The vice admiral didn't trust this pirate; he didn't trust any pirates, be it Shichibukai or not, but this guy was particularly making him feel on edge.

The Heart Pirates followed their captain up aboard the submarine again. "We really did it," Bepo commented quietly, as if scared to break the outcome that was for once in their favor. Indeed, with this no more Akainu or the marine admirals after them; they could finally sail the seas a bit safer. The polar bear sighed in satisfaction.

Law nodded at the first mate. "We were assigned a mission, though. We'll head out for the given course immediately."

"A mission? Where?" Miyako blinked in surprised but then frowned. She didn't trust the marines after all.

"Don't worry...it's on our way," the pirate captain answered simply.

"On our way? What do you mean, captain?" Shachi stopped in his step, looking at the back of his captain. However Law stayed silent as they boarded the submarine, indicating that the discussion was over for now. Taking a hint, Shachi and the others silently followed him, secretly happy to finally being able to leave this dangerous place behind.

~…~

After the submarine sailed out of the Marine Headquarters, they spent a good time sailing underwater just in case of any attacks. To most of the Heart pirates it still didn't feel real that their captain was a Shichibukai now and were therefore safe from the Navy's wrath.

The crew all gathered around in the galley, focusing on their captain who was sitting on one of the tables, leaning on his nodachi, which was in his hands. He was about to explain the 'initiation' mission he got from the Gorosei.

"The task is simple; there is a small island not far from here. I already gave the coordinates to Bart-ya that were given to me by the marines. The island is currently occupied by a pirate crew named Baxter pirates, led by their captain Patton Baxter and we are to 'liberate' it.

All pirates already knew what that meant. The Shichibukai sometimes had the job to seize pirate territory in the name of the World Government, which then took over that island. This was called 'liberating.' It happened rarely and Shichibukai usually didn't do such missions even though it was in their job description. Only when the Government needed that territory for some reason but evaluated that sending their men would be too dangerous, did it employ one of the Shichibukai instead. That meant that this island they were supposed to 'liberate' was of some importance to the World Government, but of course Law wasn't given the reason why. He hated going blindly into things but this time they didn't have much choice; as the Gorosei said, this was somewhat of an initiation so failure was out of the question. The Heart Pirates already proved their strength to the World Government numerous times, including the usefulness of Law's ope ope powers, and now they had to uphold to that fact so the Government could see their power.

"And what are we supposed to do with those pirates once we…liberate the island?" Miyako asked, crossing her arms on her chest.

Law was silent for a while, remembering the exact words of one of the Gorosei. "It's your choice whether you want to take them dead or alive but I will tell you now that Impel Down is already crowded enough with so many pirates…" The insinuation behind those words was perfectly clear to Trafalgar. "Live capture isn't necessary," Law answered to his crew. It was clear in their eyes that they instantly knew what he meant by that.

"So in other words, we are taking care of the government's dirty work. We go in and take out the trash so that they could swoop in like heroes later, shouting to the world how they freed yet another island from the evil clutches of pirates," even though Miyako's take on the situation was rather dramatic, that was indeed how it truly was. The dogs of the government do their dirty bidding for them. Somehow, it left a bad taste in the samurai's mouth as she knew they were all only being used in the World Government's plans. However, it was a two-way pact; the Heart pirates also got certain benefits out of it now that they were a crew of a Shichibukai. As long as this deal was valid, they could sail wherever they wanted and even pillage and plunder other islands and ships. Nevertheless, that thought didn't sit well with Miyako at all but only made her feel sickened. World Government, which was a supposed protector of its civilians practically gave certain pirates free reign to do whatever they wanted to those said civilians. What's more, they even expected a percentage of profit from all their plunders at the end. The government that was supposedly the hero here and Navy behind it as its Justice was actually working alongside those same pirates they keep calling true Evil in this world. The stench of hypocrisy was crisp in the air and the lone thought of this fact made the girl scrunch up her nose in disgust.

Feeling the tension in the air from Miyako's words, Shachi decided to change the subject. "Captain you said that this island was on our way…but to what? Where are we actually heading?"

Once again, Law became silent, but then closed his eyes momentarily before opening them. When he did, the gaze in them was sharper than before. "All in due time. First thing's first; we take care of the Baxter Pirates. The rest comes later," his tone and expression made it clear that he didn't want to be questioned about it further and the mechanic could take the hint. Neither Shachi nor anyone else asked anything more about that particular matter.

~…~

"So how do we do this?" The samurai girl finally asked as they approached the designated island. It won't be long now before they arrive, so when they do they had to have a clear plan to take down the Baxter Pirates.

The captain watched out of the large window in the control room as the small island appeared before them. The yellow submarine was sailing on the open sea, as Heart Pirates didn't even bother hiding their presence. The vessel stopped near the wooden docks and the metal doors opened with Bepo coming out first with Sai following after him. Shachi and Penguin came out next, followed by Miyako. Finally, after Cody and Joshua, came Trafalgar Law, holding his nodachi. He looked at their surroundings, stepping out form the deck and down onto the docks. The place before them appeared as dead as a ghost town, with no people on the eerily empty streets. Whether it was because of the Heart Pirates' arrival or was this the usual norm, there was no way to tell. Law noticed that besides the townspeople, there weren't any pirates around either.

When almost all the crewmembers in white overalls came outside and onto the island, with a few of them staying behind to guard the submarine, the captain gave his orders. "Spread out but be careful, the Baxter Pirates must be around here somewhere."

The pirates did as they were told, taking small groups to search the island for any locals or the enemy pirates.

Miyako looked around at the small houses and deserted streets. A cold wind was blowing lightly and rising up the dust into the air. "It looks deserted. Maybe the pirates already left?"

"But what happened to the people then?" Joshua added, walking beside the girl.

"I doubt the Navy would send us here if they didn't have accurate information. They're here somewhere…I'm certain of it," Trafalgar answered glaring at the distance as if he could see a hidden opponent waiting for them there.

Suddenly, Miyako felt a presence as something unseen moved and surrounded them. *There are people hiding around the buildings here…I'm sure of it.* She looked at Trafalgar and the rest of the group but they all seemed to have noticed it also. They narrowed their eyes, inconspicuously observing their surroundings. Nobody made sudden movements as not to alarm the enemy that their presence was discovered. Suddenly, a click of a rifle was heard and Miyako quickly unsheathed her katana. "It's a trap!" At that moment, gunshots cut through the air from all sides as their opponents started shooting at the Heart pirates.

Miyako jumped in the air and easily sliced through the bullets before slashing the air and sending a few aerial attacks towards their opponents. They slashed the nearby houses, almost hitting the men who had to jump out of their hiding places.

"Room!" Law called out his powers in an instant. "Shambles!" With one move of his fingers, the rest of the bullets got replaced with some dirt near the attacking men, making the shots rain down on them. More men ran out of hiding, showing their colorful head-scarfs and clothes with their jolly roger sewed onto them.

"It's the Baxter pirates!" Cody called out as the pirates surrounded their group. The rest of the Heart Pirates were already out of sight, searching the area, but it was possible they also stumbled upon a similar trap up ahead. The Baxter pirates drew closer with aiming guns and numerous weapons. They were all armed to the teeth but seemed like just small fry; they were large in numbers but low on strength.

"This won't take long," the captain of the Heart Pirates commented simply before taking out his long nodachi and slashing the air a couple of time. At the same time, Miyako ran with lightning speed towards a group of Baxter pirates, slicing them as she moved through. Cody was on the other side, easily kicking and punching the attacking pirates around him. He kicked one man before jumping into the air and landing right onto another, smashing him into the ground. Dodging a stab to the side, the medic kicked the sword out of the pirate's hand before punching him in the face. Meanwhile, Joshua was fighting in a similar fashion next to the taller medic, before taking out a hidden scalpel from the sleeve of his overall and slicing through the men. A shot was heard and the redhead turned just in time to see a bullet flying towards him. He sliced upward once, cutting the small missile in two before both parts passed by each side of his head. In return, the medic quickly threw the scalpel at the shooter, hitting the pirate right in the middle of his forehead.

In a few minutes, the large group of Baxter pirates was defeated, with all the men groaning on the floor. Those who survived were either unconscious, or cut into pieces with Law's strange power.

Cody took one of the men, lifting him up and slapping him a few times to wake him up. "Oy, where's your captain?"

However before the pirate could answer anything, the man in his arms suddenly got shot. The medic's eyes widened and he stared up and behind him at one of the rooftops.

"Look!" Josh pointed at a shadow holding a steaming gun, casually keeping their balance on the roof.

Suddenly the shadow split, presenting two people who jumped down in front of the group. Miyako instantly clutched the hilt of her katana in response. The two pirates were obviously a part of the Baxter crew with the same Jolly Roger painted on the armor on their chest. They both looked big and bulky, with dark metal plates on their chest and large gauntlets with small metal spikes on the knuckles. But what brought everyone's attention was the fact that both men looked completely the same. Not only their clothing, but their features as well. They both had tanned skin with long black hair tied in a ponytail. There were black rims around their eyes as if painted on with eyeliner. Their stature and dark blue eye color also appeared completely the same.

"Twins?" Cody tilted his head in wonder.

"That's right! We are Baxter brothers of the Baxter pirates, though our real name isn't Baxter at all!" One of them exclaimed in a scruffy voice.

"Ha?" Now Joshua tilted his head in wonder. The Heart Pirates blinked in puzzlement at their words. "So you call yourselves Baxter Brothers but…you're last name isn't even Baxter?"

"That's right! It is in praise of our captain Patton Baxter!" The other twin answered this time but in a same voice. It was impossible to tell them apart. "We are the pirate twins, Clangor and Clamor and we shall not let you through, Heart Pirates!"

Law's eyes narrowed at that comment. "You know of us…" It was more of a statement than a question.

"That's right, we know all about you and how you came here to stop our captain!" The first twin answered.

"So they already knew we're coming. No wonder they were able to set this trap before we came here," Miyako muttered with a dissatisfied expression. "Did someone tip them off?" She couldn't think of any other explanation than the fact that someone must've warned the Baxter pirates of their arrival. Perhaps they had a rat in the Navy, who told them about the situation.

"Tch, so your captain is hiding somewhere while you fight?" The redheaded medic commented, deliberately trying to taunt the two pirates.

"Hey, don't you dare disrespect our captain! He's somewhere safe and I'll never tell you that he's staying at the end of the town in our base!" The pirate twin yelled out at Joshua, obviously angry at the medic for insulting their captain.

"Gya, Clamor, you just said it! You said it!" His brother, Clangor yelled out in shock.

The other slapped both hands over his mouth with wide eyes. "Dammit! Sorry big brother, I said it!"

*Are they idiots…?* All the Heart Pirates thought the same thing as they watched the two brothers who looked like they were in the middle of a sketch suddenly.

"Are these idiots messing with us…? I can't tell," Josh commented while muttering to his companions.

"Never mind!" Suddenly, Clangor yelled out. "You won't be passing us alive anyway!"

"Because the two of us-" Clamor continued.

"-are a perfect weapon!" Both brothers exclaimed at the same time, making a strange pose with their backs together.

Both twins charged at once, aiming for Trafalgar. Clangor clutched an armored fist, preparing to punch the captain. Law already prepared himself, but at that moment Cody appeared before him, blocking the punch with his kick. The medic and the pirate were at a standstill for a moment, as their powers clashed together before both jumped backwards, carried with the strength of the impact.

The blue haired medic looked back at his captain. "Captain, please go on ahead, we'll deal with these guys!"

"Cody-ya…" Law turned from Cody to Joshua, who nodded at him. Both medics had determined and confident expressions silently telling him it was alright to leave this for them to handle.

"I'll go ahead with you," Miyako sheathed back her katana, preparing for a run.

Law nodded back in understanding and both of them charged forward, ignoring the two twins standing between them and their path.

"Like we'll let you!" Clamor yelled out, running towards Law and Miyako to stop them. However, before he could use his gauntlet to attack again, Joshua threw a few of his scalpels before rushing forward to attack the pirate and make him stop. Clamor had to stop and defend against the medic, unable to pursue Law and Miyako. Meanwhile, Cody attacked the other one, giving the two Heart Pirates safe passage.

Before they were out of sight, Joshua called out to the samurai girl. "You better watch captain's back!"

"Tch," the girl clicked her tongue in slight annoyance. "What am I, a babysitter?" She muttered, before turning back to the two Heart Pirates. "You better worry about yourselves!" She shouted back as a warning for them to be careful, before running after Law. There was something suspicious about those two twins making her have a bad feeling. Her instincts were warning her of their strength yet she had no choice but to follow Law and leave the rest to Cody and Joshua.

~…~

Miyako and Law continued to run forward to the end of town, hoping to find the pirates' base soon. "It's weird; we didn't see any of the townspeople yet," the samurai commented as they ran.

"It doesn't matter; we're not here for the civilians anyway. We just need to eliminate the pirates," Law answered mercilessly, in his cold voice.

The samurai couldn't help but let a drop of cold sweat appear on her forehead as she watched her captain. *Figures that he'd think that way…*

It didn't take them long before they arrived in front of a large building completely surrounded by tall walls. Beyond the walls, they could see a large colorful rooftop rising in the air, made in the old Chinese style of architecture. The rooftop painted in green and red colors had two curved beams and was completely decorated with numerous symbols.

Law and Miyako finally stopped in front of the large gate that led inside the courtyard. "Do you think the others are already inside?" The girl asked, referring to the rest of the Heart Pirates.

"If they are, I don't see where they entered," the captain explained, examining the thick stone walls in front of them. There weren't any openings where they could sneak inside.

"Then how will we get in?" Miyako frowned, staring up at high walls. She put a hand on her sword. *Should I cut it?*

Even before she voiced out her question, the captain could tell what she was thinking by her actions. "That won't be necessary," Law answered her unspoken question before stepping forward and creating a small blue orb around them.

Miyako wasn't sure what he did, but in a blink of an eye the two of them appeared on the other side of the large walls. Just like that, they were in the courtyard, gazing at the large building before them that was supposed to be the Baxter Pirates' base.

At that instant, numerous clicking sounds of loaded weapons surrounded them. Law and Miyako glared at the pirates aiming their weapons at them.

"Tch, more small fry," the captain commented coolly. He didn't seem to care about being surrounded by these enemies even the tiniest bit. He was already completely confident that he could beat them all in a second.

"They're annoying," Miyako added in a similarly cold tone as she watched them. Even if they weren't strong, there were many of them, which meant they'd slow them down. Both Miyako and Law wanted to end this mission quickly, find and erase Patton Baxter, and reunite with the rest of their crew to be on their way. Neither of them wanted to waste their time here anymore than it was necessary.

"Let's end this quickly then," Law answered, loud enough for their enemies to hear as well. As if on cue, all the Baxter pirates started shooting at them. Trafalgar instantly summoned his Room, using his powers to switch the bullets with simple dirt, before he slashed at the pirates in front of him.

Meanwhile, Miyako ran towards the pirate group, dodging the shots or using her katana to block each bullet that was coming at her. Quickly, the girl jumped into the air and landed among the confused pirates, slicing them with her sword before they could even act.

It wasn't even a minute later that all the Baxter pirates were on the ground, while Law and Miyako stood with their swords unsheathed among them. The pair nodded to each other before running inside the large, decorated building before them.

~…~

"Do you even know where we have to go?" Shachi complained as the group of Heart Pirates walked through the outskirts of town.

"I'm the first mate, so follow me!" Bepo countered, getting a bit angry at the disobedience of his fellow crew members. Even though he was supposed to be the first mate!

"That's why we got lost in the first place!" Penguin yelled at the polar bear in an annoyed tone.

"We're not lost, we're in Opal Town," the bear readily responded in a mater-of-fact tone, repeating the town's name that he heard before from captain.

"That doesn't help us shit!" Penguin stomped his foot in the ground angrily.

They followed Bepo, separating from the other group to look for the Baxter Pirates, and their captain Patton, but didn't stumble upon anyone yet.

"Should we just head back?" Sai sighed, sick of the nosy mechanics and Bepo, since they were still arguing over this matter.

"Yeah, maybe Captain and the rest had more luck in-" Shachi suddenly fell quiet as he noticed movement with the corner of his eye. The mechanic instantly tensed up, thinking it was the enemy, but at better inspection he noticed the shadow was much too small for that. Relaxing a bit, he blinked in surprise as he realized there was a small child hiding behind a wall and peering at them.

"What is it?" The polar bear noticed Shachi's change in demeanor and followed the mechanic's gaze. At that moment, his sharp eyes noticed the human as well, catching the scent of an unknown person in the air. "Ah!" The bear opened his mouth as if wanting to say something after seeing the child but that only alarmed the kid more. As soon as the child realized Bepo and the others noticed them, the kid turned and started running away. "Hey you, wait!" The bear called after the little spy.

The Heart Pirates barely had time to think about their next step. They all just gave each other a quick glance, deciding what to do at the same time and started running after the kid. It was the first islander they saw after coming here and their first clue to finding the rest of the townspeople and Baxter Pirates. They couldn't just let this chance slip away.

As the pirates ran through the streets that twist and turned on their way, Penguin noticed an alleyway nearby. There were crates piled up, going almost halfway to the wall's height. There were two windows up there one above the other. The mechanic smirked as an idea crossed his mind. He saw the kid just turned another corner, Sai, Shachi and Bepo right behind the child. However, Penguin didn't follow. Instead, he jumped onto the pile of crates, expertly climbing up from one to the other. He then jumped even higher from the highest wooden box, and used one foot on the wall to get some rebound as he kicked off the wall and even higher into the air. He reached out his arm as much as he could, feeling the tips of his fingers reaching the windowsill above. The mechanic grinned as his plan turned out to be a success. He used the strength in his arms to pull up and kicked off the window sill to reach for the second window above. The fingers almost slipped from the metal surface this time, but he managed to hold on, gripping onto the windowsill. With gritted teeth, the head mechanic pulled himself up until he was holding the windowsill with both arms and his feet rested on the wall. He looked up only to realize the rooftop of the building was too high for him to reach from this position even if he jumped. However, Penguin didn't give up yet. Instead, he noticed the wall of the other house being close enough to use as jumping leverage. He smirked once again, before springing into the air towards the other building behind him. As soon as his foot touched the other wall, Penguin used all his leg strength to kick off the wall one more time back towards the rooftop of the original building. The kung-fu user easily flew towards the rooftop, grabbing onto its edges with both hands and pulling himself up with only his arms. As he finally climbed up onto the high building, the mechanic could hear his friends' voices below. He followed the sounds, running across the roof and jumping onto the other one, until he could see Bepo and the others running after the kid. Penguin kept up, jumping from one rooftop to another, until he finally had his chance. He noticed the child turned into another street which was parallel to the building he was standing on. The mechanic jumped down, using his feet and one hand to slide down the wall, slowing down his fall a little. He landed right in front of the running kind, eye to eye with them as he landed in a crouch.

The child yelped in fright at the sudden surprise in front and tried to quickly turn the other way and run but Penguin already had a hold of the kid's arm. At better inspection, he noticed it was a young boy, not older than 10, in ragged clothing and with messy brown hair. Two bright green eyes stared at him in horror as the boy desperately tried to pry away from Penguin's strong grip on his forearm but the mechanic wouldn't even budge.

"Hey, calm down, we won't hurt you," Penguin tried to calm the kid by grabbing his shoulders and turning him so they could look each other in the eyes. Even though Penguin's face was mostly hidden, which only added to his suspicious presence.

"D-don't…pirates…" The child started stuttering incoherently, deaf to Penguin's calming words as he still tried to escape. By now, Shachi, Bepo and Sai also joined the pair, circling around the boy with puzzled expressions.

"Well it's true that we're pirates but we actually came here to help you," Shachi scratched the back of his head as he gazed down at the boy.

"Actually we came here to kill the Baxter pirates, not necessarily to help the islanders. We're just doing this as our mission for the government," the young navigator corrected the mechanic of their true purpose why they were in this town in the first place. He ignored the warning stare he got from Shachi who was simply trying to calm the struggling boy in Penguin's grip. Whatever helped them and made the kid talk was good enough for Shachi to say, even if it was only half of the truth.

Surprisingly enough, the boy who paid no mind to their words, suddenly stopped after hearing Sai speaking and stared right into the navigator's eyes. "You…will kill Patton?"

Sai and the rest of the pirates glanced at each other, not sure how to read the shocked reaction that the kid just showed. Finally, Bepo decided to speak. "Yes, that's why we're here."

On the bear's surprise, the boy completely calmed down and simply stood before them with his head bowed down to stare at his feet. The heart pirates were still watching him nervously, unsure how to take his expressions. "In that case…." The boy started and looked up at them. The expression on his face completely changed, from a fearful one into a darkening fury. His eyes shone with killing intent, directed at the pirates. Even if he was only a kid, the pirates suddenly felt a chill and tensed as if they should prepare for battle. However, the next words that came out of the boy were completely unexpected. Still staring at them with those murderous eyes that weren't fit for a ten year-old, the boy spoke, "Take me with you."

"Eh?" Bepo couldn't hide his surprise as he looked at the child. "What are you talking about?"

Yet the boy's determination never faltered as if he was completely certain about what he was saying even if it sounded completely strange to everyone else. "I'll help you so take me with you! I want to be there! I want to see that bastard die with my own eyes, and if I can kill him myself I'll definitely do it!" The boy shouted suddenly, his fierce demeanor overflowing.

~…..~

As soon as Miyako and Law walked inside the large palace-like building made with stone and wood in architecture, they were surrounded by more pirates. It seemed like there was an infinite supply of small-fry men in the Baxter pirates' crew, as they kept coming and attacking them, yet all was in vain. The samurai and her captain simply kept reaping them easily, as they kept on walking through the maze of numerous hallways.

Finally they managed to catch a little break, as they walked alone through another corridor. Even though all these pirates were weak, there were many of them, which was still tiring and Law tried to save his devil fruit powers for when the need really arises. It was wasteful to use his energy on these thugs, yet a part of him started to suspect that that was exactly what the enemy was hoping for. As if Captain Patton already knew about the weaknesses of the ope ope fruit and prepared for it. By now it was obviously clear the captain knew the Heart pirates were coming, so thinking he already knew about Law and his crew wasn't unreasonable either. However, that brought a whole new set of questions; was there a mole in the Navy? How did the Baxter pirates know of this?

Trafalgar's thoughts were interrupted when he heard a sound beside him and his eyes fell on the Wano girl walking with her unsheathed sword next to him. Her eyes, that were only moments ago clearly and sharply focused on her enemies in front of her, were now glazed over as if she was also deep in thought. Every now and then she would fidget nervously beside him, as if something was making her uncomfortable.

"Is there a problem?" He couldn't help asking now that they were momentarily alone and safe from attackers.

Miyako twitched nervously as soon as she heard Law's voice address her. "Huh? No, not at all!" The girl shot back instantly, only adding to his suspicions that she was hiding something. However, Miyako just couldn't say it...what she was thinking right now. Because she was well aware that this was neither the time nor the place for it, yet the pesky thoughts wouldn't go away as they walked through the halls. As inappropriate as this setting was, this was the first time after that night that the two of them were alone together. Miyako's cheeks slightly flushed a red color as she remembered the night she confessed her love to the pirate captain. In the end, she was never able to get a clear answer out of him and since they were constantly busy or in danger, they didn't have any time to address that night at all. Even when Miyako found a small chance of approaching Law and mustered up all her courage to mention it, they would get interrupted; usually by Bepo who was constantly beside Law or some other crewmember, who would come in with a problem for the captain. Bit by bit, time passed and it became too awkward to mention anything about it and the girl only got more nervous thinking about it now. Even if she could gather some courage before, she was too embarrassed to do it anymore as she had no idea how to even begin talking about the matter. What's more fear started gripping at her heart recently; will she really be content by getting any answer from Law? What if it's something she doesn't want to hear? So instead, she unconsciously started avoiding him.

Miyako sighed deeply at those thoughts. *Maybe it's better this way...I was too rash about the whole thing. No, well…it's not that I didn't mean it, but I might have just troubled him by saying it,* the girl sighed once more at that. At first, Miyako was content by just being able to become Trafalgar's equal…But as their time together kept flowing, it wasn't enough for her anymore. In their journey together, she noticed that she wanted more from the pirate captain. Not just to be acknowledged as an equal, but to capture this man's heart as well.

*But I have no idea what he's really thinking. How does Law see me? A nakama, lover, just a toy for boredom? I can't tell at all what he really thinks of me but…he did save me countless times. He came back for me even all the way to the Tenryuubito palace, risking his own life. Still, I don't know if he really feels the same way I do. Am I just being selfish, pushing my own feelings onto him?* Miyako glanced at the pirate captain walking beside her, but quickly looked back to the front before their eyes could meet. *To make this prideful, arrogant man submit…what do I need to do? It probably won't be easy but…even if it's selfish, I still want his heart. Yet, in order to do that I can't stay indecisive like this, that much I know.* The girl unconsciously balled her hands into fists while getting back her determination.

*I need to attack openly!* With such a fierce decision, the girl suddenly turned towards Law to look him straight in the eye. *Even if it's not the right situation for this, I can't lose this chance or else it'll just be like before!* However, her sharp expression soon turned into a confused one when she almost bumped into Law considering how close his face was.

The captain had been observing the girl for a while, as different expressions crossed her face. She was still deep in thought, sometimes glaring at the distance before suddenly getting flustered. What was she thinking about? What's more, she kept glancing at him or fidgeting with her shirt as if nervous; it was obvious that whatever she was thinking had something to do with him, yet she so blatantly lied to his face just now and repudiated everything. It wasn't only now that she was avoiding his gaze either. These past few days the girl got the nerve to avoid him relentlessly. He pretended not to notice but irritation was slowly forming inside him. After all, she said something like that not too long ago, yet now she's avoiding him as if pretending nothing happened. Was she only toying with him when she said it? Some plan to get his guard down? He could feel annoyance rising up inside him again as the girl kept on glancing at him from the side.

"You're lying," he simply stated in comment to her previous answer, but there was a sharp tone in his voice.

Miyako couldn't help but take a step back to create some distance between them. "W-what are you talking about?" She continued to feign ignorance, smiling nervously as the corner of her lips twitched in nervousness. She steadily avoided eye contact with him, her eyes darting everywhere beside into the intense grey ones before her.

"You've been stealing looks at me this whole time. Besides, haven't you been avoiding me for quite some time now?" Trafalgar didn't falter as he took a step forward again, determined to corner her.

In response Miyako just took another step back, putting both her hands in front of her protectively. "Eh? W-wait, why are you getting angry?!" The girl was getting more flustered by the second, suddenly confused about Law's complete change in demeanor. Her face would be comical to the third party if someone saw her now as she all-but-panicked in Law's presence. Wasn't he suddenly pressing the matter a bit too hard? *I'm not ready for this after all!* She was so determined just now, but forgot all about it as the captain's behavior completely took her off guard. She wasn't prepared for this!

Before she could move away again, Law grabbed the girl's forearm. His voice was still sharp but perfectly clear as he kept eye contact with her. He wanted to look her dead I the eye so that she couldn't hide or avoid anything. It irritated him how she kept looking away from him. "Didn't I tell you before never to look away from me?" As strange as that sounded, it made Miyako actually look at him, mostly in surprise as she blinked at Law's words. Finally staring at her golden eyes directly, the man kept holding her forearm as if she would run away otherwise. "I won't let you escape this time. And I won't let you play ignorant about it either," even though he didn't clearly say what he was talking about, Miyako's sudden stiff expression said she understood. She gasped lightly despite herself, staring at the captain wide-eyed. However, the girl stayed quiet, be it from shock at his words or anxiousness from the subject.

Law didn't seem to mind her silence as he continued, still baring a rather irritated expression and a sharp tone to make sure she heard clearly every word he said. He didn't want any misunderstandings later. "What I'm telling you is that I want-" Yet the captain never had the chance to finish his thought as the wall behind the girl suddenly opened. A gaping darkness revealed behind her, along with numerous hands pulling her inside the emerging secret doors in the wall. The unexpected situation made Law's grip on Miyako falter for a moment in his surprise, but it was enough for those hands to rip her away and pull her backwards into the opening. The girl lost her balance as she fell backwards, the same expression of shock on her face that Law held. The whole scene happened in an instant, so quickly that neither had time to react, and in the next moment the secret doors closed again, showing nothing but a stone wall.

"Miyako-ya!" The pirate captain yelled and quickly banged onto the wall in hopes of opening the secret doors once again, but nothing happened.

~…..~

The samurai girl kept falling through something narrow, like a tunnel that made her tumble down through the darkness. Finally she stopped, groaning as she hit the cold, hard ground. She quickly stood up, checking to see if her katana was still intact, before looking at her surroundings. It was mostly dark, with a few candle lights set on the stone walls. It looked pretty different than her previous location just moments ago. She was in a room with wooden floors and wooden walls which were all decorated and painted in red and green colors. The decorations were set all around the walls, mostly covered in gold.

She was still a bit disoriented from her situation when she heard the first voice. Miyako gripped the hilt of her katana as soon as she felt the person's presence.

"Hehe, they let their guard down," a voice came from the darkness.

"We have her! Now all we have to do is order Trafalgar to surrender if he doesn't want his crewmember split in pieces!" Another man added.

"Oy, oy, first we need to capture her, don't get ahead of herself!" Another commented lazily.

Miyako suddenly understood, clenching her fists in a silent rage. It was more of those Baxter pirates' men, probably as weak as the previous ones. Instead of attacking them openly, they wanted to separate Law and Miyako and attack each one individually. If even one of them went down, they could just use them as a bargaining chip to get the other to surrender. Maybe even all of the Heart pirates if they were lucky enough to beat the captain. Not that it was a bad plan, but the reason why Miyako was so angry right now was a bit different from what the men expected. Perhaps they thought she was mad for getting caught in their trap like that, as they saw the girl stand up before them with her head lowered and the expression hidden behind her long bangs. Her one fist was still clenched while the other hand rested on her sword. That's why when the girl finally spoke, the pirates could only stare at her with puzzled expressions.

"So close…" Miyako muttered, her darkening form still standing in the same pose before them.

"Eh? What're ya mumblin' 'bout over there?" One of the pirates spat out, confused by the girl's barely audible words.

"Yeah, just be quiet and stay still. Be a good girl, you have nowhere to run," another man said as dozens Baxter pirates surrounded the samurai.

However, Miyako seemed as if she couldn't hear or see any of it. As if she was still in her own world somewhere. She just kept mumbling. "I was so close…Just a bit more and he would've said it…I would finally know what he thinks and would stop fretting over it…Just a bit longer…" Her head started lifting slowly as she kept on talking incoherently. A dark aura of pure intent to kill started swirling around her as her swordsman's spirit went wild. As she finally looked up at the men, her golden eyes blazed with fire as she seethed in rage. The killing intent in contrast created a cold pressure in the air which all of them could feel. Suddenly, the pirates didn't feel so confident anymore as some gulped or took a few steps back unconsciously, all of their instincts screaming for them to run while they still can. Miyako gritted her teeth. "And you ruined it!" She finally yelled in anger.

"Yaaaahhhh!" Screams of terror echoed through the dimly lit room, loud enough to be heard through the whole floor level of the pirates' base.

~….~

Penguin, Shachi, Bepo and Sai couldn't do much than stare at the young boy in front of them in shock. Finally, Shachi spoke up, waving his hand as if to dismiss everything they just heard from the boy's mouth. "Wait, wait, wait, that's impossible. Look kid, we can't be babysitting you while fighting the Baxter pirates, it's impossible! So go back home to your parents and-" The mechanic didn't finish when he noticed the kid's expression change at the mention of his parents. The boy clicked his tongue and gritted his teeth in anger, clenching his fists at his sides. The Heart Pirates looked at each other knowingly.

Wanting to change the atmosphere, Bepo joined in the conversation. "Now that you mention it, where are all the people in this town? Why is it so deserted?"

The kid glanced to the side, staring at some spot on the ground. "That bastard Patton took everyone away…as hostages," he answered.

"Wha?" Penguin just stared at the boy in disbelief.

"So they really did know we were coming," Sai commented in an even tone, matter-of-factly.

"But how? Was there a leak? A spy in the Navy?" The younger mechanic kept asking loudly in the middle of the street. Not that there was anyone else here to hear him talk about the things that could easily get a person in jail for slander.

"Probably," Shachi shrugged as he responded.

The kid didn't know what they were talking about but he ignored their exchange as he continued, "The Baxter pirates took everyone so that they could threaten the Navy if they tried to overtake the island from them." The boy mumbled darkly. "But I doubt it'll matter now since the government sent pirates instead. You lot don't give two shits about us, anyway."

A smack at the back of his head came to the kid from Penguin. "Oy, watch yer tongue you little git! It's not like brats like you can do anything either!"

"Who ya callin' a brat, old man!?" The kid kicked the mechanic right in the shin with full force.

"Gya!" Penguin yelped in pain before grabbing the top of the boy's head with his large hand, gripping tightly to teach the kid a lesson. The two glared at each other, showing their teeth in a growl as they fought.

"Well he's right, though…" The navigator interrupted, looking at the kid. Indeed, Trafalgar wouldn't surrender just because Patton Baxter threatens him with some civilians. Perhaps that was exactly the reason why the government chose the Shichibukai for this job. If the marines came here they couldn't just turn their backs on the civilians here for the sake of their reputation as 'Justice' in this world. As such, they would have to deal with a hostage situation but the Navy obviously didn't want to be bothered by it. So instead, they sent the pirates to do their dirty work knowing Law would take care of Baxter pirates either way. Even if the Heart Pirates let the hostages die they wouldn't be prosecuted for it as a part of the Shichibukai, but the World Government could just simply let all the blame of society for such a heartless act fall onto the Hearts instead. Once again, it would only prove what evil the pirates in this world are, while the World Government would stay clean-handed and preserve their reputation in this.

Sai thought about this with a cold mind, not really caring which way their reputation went anyway. Shichibukai, pirate, outcast….it was all the same to him. In the end, the only person he truly followed was Law and that was enough for him. Even so, he mulled over the plans of the Word Government and the Navy in this case. He knew the Heart Pirates had to play the role of the Government dogs for a while until they achieve their goals, but this was as if being used by the marines as scape goats. Still, he doubted captain Law would care enough to save the islanders just to spite the Navy. Even though Law constantly defied the marines his priority was always to reach his own goals. He didn't care enough about his reputation nor would he be willing to do troublesome things just to save the civilians if he didn't really gain anything from it. "We're not heroes or some charity organization. Even though we're working for the Government right now it's nothing more than what a mercenary would do for a job. We're pirates. There is no reason for us to save any of you, our job is only to kill Patton Baxter and his men," the navigator answered flatly, shrugging his shoulders as if he was simply stating a fact of the matter.

Sai's answer was enough for Penguin and the boy to momentarily stop fighting and look at the pale, tattooed pirate in front of them. The mechanic sighed and let go of the kid, "Well, that's true," the pirate shrugged.

"I know that too…don't treat me like an idiot," the kid suddenly muttered darkly, staring down at his feet again. His shoes were already falling apart, as the leather looked patched up numerous time to try and keep them together for a while longer. "I know there's no way I can make you help the folks in town but…if I can kill Patton in time then…maybe nobody will die."

"That's naive brat…thinking nobody will die. There's no such thing in the real world," Penguin said it straightforwardly. There was no reason to try and spare the boy's feelings while pretending the world is such a fair place. It's better for the kid to learn while he's still young and not delude himself like that.

"I told you, not to call me a brat!" The boy argued instantly. "My name's Tolly!" He exclaimed in anger, glaring at the mechanic.

The Hearts ignored the dark glar, focusing on the conversation instead. "It's better if you go and hide somewhere till we kill that Patton pirate."

The boy now known as Tolly clenched his fists again. "Look at me...I know the world isn't a fair place." Indeed, by his ragged clothing and thin small frame for a 10-year-old it was obvious that life wasn't treating this kid very kindly. He looked like someone who didn't even know if he'll be able to find his next meal. "My parents were killed by Patton before they refused to go along with this tyranny on his island and I'm forced to live like an orphan alone here, trying to find some food every day. Living in poverty, the townspeople are too immersed in their own troubles with the Baxter pirates to worry about me as well. Everyone are paying high taxes and fear for their lives here. So at least….at least, let me avenge my parents and this town and kill Patton! I'll help you or lead you to them so…at least let me see it with my own eyes!" The boy yelled out in pure despair and determination at the same time. It was obvious this kid already made up his mind to kill Patton a long time ago and finally was presented a chance in the form of the Heart Pirates. But what was most surprising was that he would rather go kill Patton than even try and save the hostages. Or could it be that he gave up on that idea as soon as he saw he was dealing with pirates as the 'liberators' for this island? Having bad experiences with pirates up until now, the boy probably didn't even carry any hope that the pirates would go out of their way to help them. So instead, his hatred for the Baxter pirate was and thoughts of vengeance were everything he had left.

Shachi sighed. "Honestly, everyone's trying to use us for their own purposes….It's starting to piss me off," the mechanic grumbled, thinking about the Navy as well.

"Well in the end, it depends on our first mate," the navigator answered, staring back at Bepo who was mostly silent until now.

As if only registering it now, the kid gasped. "A bear!"

"Too slow!" Penguin yelled back, smacking the kid upside the head again.

"Sorry!" The polar bear bowed his head down in depression.

"You're too weak Bepo!" Shachi answered, thinking about the bear's weak personality when it came to confrontation.

"Do we really have time for this?" The navigator sighed.

After they all calmed down, Bepo hummed in though, returning back to their previous conversation. Indeed, he had to decide his next step. He knew the kid wanted to go after Patton but was that really the best choice now? Captain and the rest also went after Patton so they could already be fighting him at this very moment, but the bear firmly believed there was no way Law would lose. So would it really be so bad if Bepo and his group dealt with the hostage situation instead?

"Tolly…do you know where they're keeping the hostages?" The polar bear asked seriously.

The boy blinked a few times puzzled, not expecting the question. "Uh…yeah. When they were rounding everyone up, I managed to hide and escape their sight. Later I followed them to the place they tied up everyone and kept them there. They're in the Old Man's Mill," Tolly answered, remembering the name of the large, old mill just outside the town.

"In that case, take us there," the bear ordered.

"Eh?" Not only did Tolly make a questioning sound but everyone else as well.

"Oy, Bepo, you sure you want us to bother with that now? Shouldn't we be looking for the captain of Baxter Pirates instead?" Shachi tilted his head in question.

"Captain and the others will be fine…I'm sure of it. So we should take care of the Baxter pirates keeping the hostages. Besides…didn't they tell us to defeat all the pirates," surprisingly, the bear used such a loophole in their mission to find a reason the help the townspeople.

Sai and the others couldn't help but smirk at this. Bepo could sometimes be surprisingly sharp. "Well…if we're just going there to kill the rest of the pirates…" The navigator commented, with a knowing smirk still on his features.

"W-what?" The kid was still completely baffled by this turn of events. All he could do was stare wide-eyed at the strange pirates before him who were all wearing amused expressions on their faces.

"What's wrong kid? You should hurry up and take us to that mill then…so we can do our job and get rid of the pirates, ya know," Shachi grinned even wider.

"The brat's speechless from gratitude," Penguin commented teasingly, flicking Tolly's forehead. Surprisingly enough, the action seemed to wake the boy up and bring him back to reality.

"Shut up, I told you not to call me a brat, old man!" The kid instantly fired back at the mechanic's comments.

~…~

Miyako silently cursed as she sliced the air once swiftly with her katana, making the blood it was stained with fall from the steel and splatter onto the floor. She took a piece of a dead man's shirt, carefully cleaning the sword before sheathing it back into its scabbard. "Honesty these people…can't believe them…wasting a perfect opportunity…" The girl was still muttering in irritation as she walked on, trying to find the exit from this building floor. She went out of the room where she fell down only to find herself in a maze of more hallways and rooms made similarly as the previous area. Everything was still made with painted red and green wood, along with golden and copper decorations on the walls. The decorum varied from dragon and phoenix shaped creatures to numerous flowers.

Suddenly, Miyako stopped as she felt another living presence. Her sharp eyes glared thorough the darkness of the barely lit space around her.

"That should be my line…honestly these guy are worthless. I thought they'd at least tire you out a bit," a whiney voice came from the darkness and a tall person stepped out before Miyako. The samurai blinked as the person before her looked strange and familiar at the same time. As they spoke, their voice was strained as if they were trying to make it sound higher than it actually was.

Beautiful long black hair flowed as the person stepped out in two black high-heel shoes. Two, defined long legs were strapped in fishnets, which ended with a skirt that reached to their thighs. The woman smirked, putting a gloved hand on her hip while looking down at Miyako from her obviously superior height. The woman wore a blood red corset instead of a top, but the chest it covered looked well defined and strangely toned. She smirked with her red lips, with the makeup and lipstick perfectly applied to her face. A hand with a black glove that went all the way to her elbow moved to her lips, to hide her smile as she chuckled in amusement. "I observed you fighting. You are quite a crude one, aren't you?" The woman commented in a sly tone.

The Wano girl felt her eyebrow twitch in annoyance at the woman's words. *Crude? Well so what if I am? I don't need to be girly anyway!* Despite her thoughts, the girl seemed more irate than surprised now. Yet, there was something that still bothered her about the person before her. Something just wasn't right.

"To be honest, I'd rather like it if I was given the order to go fight that eye-candy, Trafalgar Law. He's totally my type too~" The woman of around 30 years-old whined with a sulky expression of a child. "But darling said to take care of you first, so there was no choice. I just hope I get to play with Surgeon of Death later," the woman sighed sadly, staring at Miyako as if she was disappointed by the sight before her.

The other girl could see the woman was doing it on purpose, trying to agitate her. However, the samurai stayed silent and calm, observing the other. Even as the woman spoke, her voice tone still sounded strange to Miyako and something about her appearance didn't seem right either. Finally, Miyako realized what it was.

"I hear you're the only girl in the Heart Pirates crew. That's so unfair, having that delicious captain all to yourself. It makes me mad…I think I'll take him away~" the woman cooed, chuckling again. "Such an ugly girl should just die here in the darkness!" As the woman said that she suddenly disappeared, charging with great speed at Miyako. The woman kicked her leg out aiming at Miyako's head, who quickly pulled out her sword again, blocking the high-heeled shoe from crushing her skull.

The samurai narrowed her eyes, keeping pressure on the sword as she felt the woman trying to break her defense with her one leg. "I don't want to hear that from a guy!" Miyako finally realized why the person felt familiar; they reminded her of those okama people she met when running from Marineford. Just like them, this person was actually a man.

The okama's eyes widened in surprise before glaring darkly at Miyako. "What, is it a woman's intuition? Well whatever…don't call me a man! I'm more of a woman than you'll ever be!" The okama yelled, stepping back to gain more balance before delivering a round kick towards Miyako's side who had to jump backwards to avoid it.

The samurai could feel the cutting pressure in the air even as she avoided the kick by a hair's width. Miyako's sleeve tore a little, forming a cut on the fabric. She narrowed her eyes and glared right back at the person in front of her. *Haki…* She understood what the pressure behind that kick was right away. The samurai took a stance and aimed the tip of her katana at the okama's neck, preparing for battle.

~…..~

"Joshua!" Cody yelled as he saw his friend fly into a nearby wall before sliding onto the soft ground. The other medic gritted his teeth and stared back at the two strange twins in front of him. They hardly had a bruise on them while Cody and Josh already looked beaten and bruised all over. The reason was the strong force emitting from the twins every time the medics attacked which resulted in them not being able to even land a hit on the two Baxter pirates.

"I'm alright, let's go!" The redhead instantly stood up, glaring with a dark look at their two opponents and ignoring Cody's worried gaze. Before the taller medic could stop him, Joshua charged forward at the twins.

However, the same thing as before happened. As soon as Joshua came closer to deliver a punch, Clamor appeared before him and crossed his arms to block Joshua's hit. Then before the redhead could react, the twins turned around and switched places. Clangor used his armored fist to deliver a strong punch at the Heart Pirate. Even though Josh blocked just like Clamor did seconds ago, the force of Clangor's punch still ripped through Joshua's defense and sent him flying again. The redhead could feel numbing pain in his arms where he blocked the punch. It was no use; because both twins could use Busoshoku haki. Clamor used it to create a force of defensive armor around them, blocking every attack headed towards them. Then they would switch, and Clangor would attack with haki of his own, creating a powerful enough force to break the medics' defense and deliver hard and painful blows their way.

While they were distracted with Josh, Cody tried attacking as well, jumping towards the two to deliver a powerful kick. However, the twins suddenly yelled 'Spinning Top!" and the two leaned on each other's back, whirling so fast they both created a haki shield around them strong enough to blow Cody away onto the ground. The medic could feel the air running out of his lungs with force.

"There is no way of defeating us; for we make the perfect human! The ultimate weapon with supreme defense and offense powers together!" Clamor laughed as the twins stopped spinning and landed back on the ground.

The redheaded medic wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the sleeve of his overall, glaring at the twins. "Tch, say what you want, but the two of you are going down."

Clamor narrowed his eyes with a smirk. "Those are some words for a man that can't even land one hit," the pirate answered mockingly.

Joshua gritted his teeth in annoyance, starting to seethe with anger.

"Josh…" Cody called out to his friend calmly, giving him a silent warning to calm down and not act rashly.

"I know," the redhead answered, knowing exactly what Cody meant just now. He wasn't so foolish as to get himself killed due to his anger. Joshua might be a temperamental person by nature, but he was by no means a stupid one.

"It seems this won't be so easy after all," Cody murmured looking at the twins. "They can use haki against us while we don't have such power."

"Even so, that can't stop us. Dammit, we even said to the captain that we'll handle it! If we fail now, how can we ever look him in the eyes again!?" The redhead exclaimed in determination. They had to defeat these guys…they just had to!

The taller medic stared at his nakama in surprise. "Josh…" He started, touched by his friend's words.

"Hn, such wonderful devotion to your captain! We respect that!" Clangor exclaimed honestly, grinning at the redhead who was already panting hard from the damage he took in this fight. "You should just change your names to Trafalgar boys, in that case!"

"Don't compare us with you, you morons!" The redhead yelled back angrily with clear irritation in his voice from just the thought of the twins' suggestion. He didn't want to be on the same level as those two, as his pride simply wouldn't allow it.

"I agree with my short friend here, I'm afraid. We just can't let you win this fight no matter what," Cody added, much more level-headed than the other medic.

"Oy, who you callin' short, you parrot head!?" The said redhead yelled back, even more annoyed now, as he commented on Cody's spiked hair that always seemed to defy gravity.

"Heh, if you think you can defeat us than try it. But there's no way you can win with your level of power against our haki! Our defense-offense system is perfect!" Clamor didn't look worried at all as he heard the medics' strong words.

"Yes, even though Busoshoku Haki can be beaten by pure force even without haki!" Clangor added.

"Idiot, don't tell them that!" His brother exclaimed in shock, reprimanding his twin.

"Whoa, I said it!" The other brother quickly slapped a hand over his mouth even though it was already too late.

The blue-haired medic sweat dropped, staring at the duo blankly. He wasn't sure how to even comment on this situation.

On the other hand, Joshua just stared at them with mouth agape and eyes wide with shock. "That's it, I definitely don't want to lose to these idiots! No way!" He finally yelled out as he regained his senses from the scene.

"Enough!" Clamor suddenly stopped the conversation with a booming voice. "We'll finish this now! Let's go, brother!"

"I'm ready, brother!" His twin answered, as both of them prepared their fighting stances. The two clutched their fists, making clanking sounds come from their spiked metal gauntlets.

"Sharp twister!" The two Baxter pirates yelled in unison, making perfectly synchronized movements as they charged towards the Heart Pirates.

"Aim for the one that is based on attack movements!" Cody shouted to Joshua as they prepared for the impact, planning to counterattack immediately.

"But which one is it? I can't tell!" The redhead answered in slight panic, unable to decide which man to attack.

Cody didn't answer, but instead kept his eyes trained on the two incoming attackers. He analyzed their swift movements, but it was hard to say which pirate was proficient in which haki skill until the very last moment. Will they be able to make it, though? Will Cody and Josh be able to realize which one to aim for and counterattack before the blow from the Baxter pirates hits them? They'll have to be fast; even quicker than before.

As the twins moved, suddenly all four fists came toward the two medics. Cody's eyes widened as he realized both pirates were about to attack them simultaneously.

"Idioooot! Just because we're more skillful with one doesn't mean we can't use the other! I can defend just as my brother can attack, too!" Clangor yelled with a wide grin right before both of the twins smashed the ground and the two medics with it. The force of their strong blow created a crater in the ground. As the dust finally cleared, two medics were barely holding their ground, their legs trembling from the pressure as they both held their arms in a block to protect their body from the incoming punches. However, as impressive as it was that the two could block two haki attacks with just their body strength, the Baxter pirates didn't stop there. "Metal shower!" Clamor yelled and both brothers started quickly sending strong, consecutive punches towards the medics. The strong blows filled with haki rained down on them until both Cody and Josh couldn't take it.

"Gaaah!" With a yell, the two Heart pirates were swept from their feet, their defense broken, and fell onto the ground with forceful blows hitting their bodies without stopping. They could feel the metal spikes ripping their skin and blood sprayed out from the wounds. When the rain of punches finally stopped, the Heart Pirates were left lying on the ground inside the dirt crater.

"Well that's that," Clamor nodded, satisfied with their results.

"They lasted long but in the end nobody can defeat the perfect weapon which is us," Clangor agreed beside his brother.

The two pirates turned from the medics, starting to walk away. However, a grip on Clangor's ankle stopped the man. "huh?" The man looked down below only to see Cody's hand firmly gripping his ankle.

"So you…can use haki…and we can't? Who…the fuck cares…?!" Josh muttered darkly, panting between his words. The shorter medic slowly started rising back to his feet while his whole body trembled in pain. Still, he didn't let his suffering win as he clenched his teeth along with his fist. Cody grabbed the other ankle of the man and held him in place, while Josh prepared a punch.

"Brother!" Clamor noticed what the two pirates were about to do and went to help his brother. He ran up to them in swift motions just as Cody pulled Clangor's ankles and made him fall heavily to the ground while Josh started swinging his arm to hit the man while he was down. However, as Clamor prepared to use his haki to push Josh away, the redhead's punch suddenly changed its course right into Clamor's head. Taken by surprise, the large man couldn't dodge nor block in time, taking the punch head on. Even with Joshua's lean and short form, the force of the punch at Clamor's nose sent him flying down right into his twin brother. His twin grunted in pain as the other landed onto him with his heavy mass and hard armor, rising dust into the air as they slammed into each other.

Cody finally let go of Clangor and Josh helped him up. The two smirked nodding at each other, but their celebration was short-lasting. As the dust started to clear, they could see two large figures standing up before them. This was far from over.

The Heart Pirates glared at the twins who returned the dark looks with their own. There was blood dripping down the corner of Clamor's mouth as his lip was cut. The side of Clangor's forehead was also bleeding with a cut right above his brow. The blood was dripping over his right eye, obstructing his vision from that side as he had to keep it half closed.

"You….you'll regret doing that," one of the brothers said darkly in a low, raspy voice.

In response, Joshua simply cracked his knuckles while Cody did the same with his neck, twisting it to the side. "Bring it on. We're going to surpass you, haki or not."

"Spinning top!" The two brothers yelled in unison again, leaning against each other back to back and spinning with their arms out to get more force and crate the shield of haki around them.

However, instead of jumping away and dodging their strange attack as usual, Cody ran towards them. As they flew towards them, the taller medic jumped onto the ground and slid towards their feet, kicking them with his own. The added object messed up their rhythm and the speed which they used to spin was now caused them both to lose their balance. The twins started falling down, still shrouded in their haki. With force and speed the two brothers collided, hitting each other accidentally with their own attacks. Clamor's defense and Clangor's attack haki collided, creating a blast that hit both of them and shook them to their core.

The two were disoriented from their own blows, unable to see what was above them until it was too late. Both Cody and Josh jumped into the air and were now falling down with speed towards the two brothers. The redhead had his fist clenched while Cody used his long leg to deliver a powerful kick their way. Both Heart Pirates hit the twins at the same time with everything they've got left. The brothers put up their haki defense again but it was much weaker than before now due to their injuries and exhaustion. The Heart pirates were exhausted as well but still they hit their opponents with every ounce of energy and strength left in their body. At first the shielding force wouldn't give but soon the twins couldn't keep their defenses up anymore and the Hearts fought through. They delivered their finishing blows to the twins, creating a hole in the ground where the two unmoving and now unconscious twins lay.

Josh and Cody landed back on their feet, stumbling backwards and falling on their bums on the ground. They were both panting hard, feeling pain and possible broken bones in their body.

"Tough…pant bastards…pant…" The redhead commented, lying on his back on the ground, not caring about the dirt around him.

Cody smirked at his friend's statement. "Yeah…"

~…..~

"There it is, the Old Man's Mill," Tolly pointed towards an old stone building with a large windmill lazily turning on the wind.

In front of the building, a couple men were standing and guarding the parameter. "So the guys out front must be Baxter's men?" Bepo commented as he stared at three armed pirates standing in front of the building. Two were in the front while one was in the back, guarding the back door.

"How do we go about this?" The navigator whispered, looking at the nearby territory that they could use in their advantage.

Right now, the Heart pirates were hiding behind a house wall, dozen meters away from the mill together with the young boy. They were all inspecting their surroundings for any way they could sneak near the mill undetected and take out the pirates. However, they didn't know how many more were waiting inside, ready to take out the hostages if something goes amiss.

"We have to get closer."

"But how?"

Penguin looked up towards the roof of the mill. It was just outside of town, away from rest of the houses so it was hard to get closer unnoticed. There was a large tree right beside the mill, covering its roof with its branches. A few meters away, a thick forest started. If they could just climb up that tree and get to the roof of the mill undetected, they'd have an advantage.

"We'll need a distraction."

"I'll go," Tolly's voice whispered beside the group. The pirates gazed at him skeptically, considering could he really do it or not.

"It'll be dangerous, you might get hurt," Shachi warned the kid but Tolly looked completely determined.

"I can do it!" There was no scruple in his tone nor the look in his eyes.

Before they could stop him, the boy walked out of their shelter and appeared right before the two Baxter pirates guarding the front doors of the mill.

They both noticed him quickly, but didn't seem too worried about it. Instead, they were surprised they missed one islander. "Hey, kid, what are you doing here? Come here at once, didn't you hear captain's orders!?"

"Ya wanna die, kid!?" The other growled in irate when the boy refused to move from his spot. The pirate put a hand on the scabbard of his sword menacingly.

Tolly only smirked. "You think you can kill me, filthy bastards? Try and catch me if you can!"

"Why you!" One of the pirates ran after the kid, while the other aimed his gun at the boy to try and hit his legs.

Meanwhile, Penguin and Shachi quickly ran towards the side of the building, climbing the large oak tree in a few swift steps and were on the roof in no time. Bepo and Sai stayed behind to keep an eye on the situation outside in case Tolly needed help. Sai already pulled his rifle from the shoulder, keeping his aim on one of the pirates who was about to shoot at the kid. Before the pirate had the chance to do so, two hands pulled him up in the air, holding his head in an arm lock. The pirate could feel the oxygen disappearing from his lungs, as he continued to struggle and flail his legs in the air but all was in vain. The other who was still focused on yelling at the kid didn't notice his friend being strangled behind his back. What brought his attention was a loud thud as the limp body fell back onto the ground.

"Huh?" The other Baxter pirate glanced behind him in wonder, but just then a shadow jumped from the rooftop behind him. Just as he was about to look back to see what that was, two hands grabbed his chin and twisted with force, making the man's neck break in one swift motion.

Bepo and Sai looked at each other in satisfaction before they ran up to the Old Man's Mill as well. The navigator snuck, keeping to the wall, towards the back of the building, with his rifle in hands. He saw the last Baxter pirate looking around as he snuck behind his back. Clutching his rifle, the navigator subtly whistled to get the other's attention. Instinctively, the Baxter pirate turned around towards the sound, only to get a strong hit with the butt of the gun into his head. The strong hit completely disoriented him, making the man fall down onto this back and let go of the gun he was holding. Looking down at him, Sai swung with the rifle once again delivering a strong hit into the other man's head with the butt of his gun, crushing his skull.

The polar bear joined the navigator and peered inside the window while Shachi and Penguin snuck towards the front doors.

"Hey, what's all this commotion outside?" Suddenly, the front doors started to open as one of the pirates heard to noises from outside. The mechanics had to act quickly, glancing at each other for a second before Shachi delivered a hard kick in the man's stomach that sent him all the way back into the building. With a pained grunt the pirate crashed into the wooden stairs of the mill that led towards the upper floor.

"What the hell?!" Another Baxter pirate shouted in surprise as he saw two Heart Pirates standing at the front doors.

"Shoot them!"

However, no gun shots were heard behind the executive who ordered it. As he turned around he saw a large polar bear in an orange jumpsuit and a young man with a dark tattoo on his neck, who were just finishing off the last of the Baxter pirates' gunmen.

"Kyaa!" One of the tied up women from the hostage group screamed. "A bear!"

"Sorry," Bepo suddenly bowed his head down, stopping his fighting momentarily.

"Bepo, we don't have time for that!" Penguin yelled back, hitting another pirate in the head and sending him flying in a stack of hay.

The remaining Baxter pirates attack the Hearts with knives and swords but they all soon got taken out by their much stronger opponents.

"Stay back or I'll kill 'em!" One of the men exclaimed, taking an old man by his neck and putting a knife under it. He was glancing around at the Heart Pirates like a cornered animal which knew its end was nearing. Still, he wouldn't go down without a fight.

Shachi and Penguin stopped and glanced at Bepo and Sai who were nearing the pirate from the other side. The man turned towards them, trying to keep all four pirates in his line of view. However, keeping an eye on the four pirates, the man didn't notice another person who snuck inside the mill, so light on their feet they could hardly be heard. Only when he felt the sharp pain in his back did the man look down, his eyes widening in shock. A boy was standing there behind him with such glaring dark eyes it was hard to think of him as only a kid. At first the pirate thought the boy simply bumped into him, but then noticed a sticky, wet feeling in his back along with the strong pain.

"Ungh…what?" The Baxter pirates groaned when he realized the boy rammed a knife in his back as hard as he could.

Still staring up at the pirate with a killing intent in his eyes, Tolly muttered out through gritted teeth. "Die, you pirate scum!"

The pirate gritted his teeth in both pain and anger, and pushed down the boy, letting go of the elder in his arms as well. He took the knife that was meant for the hostage and swung it at the kid, but never had the chance to bring it down at the boy that fell on the ground. Instead his eyes became completely white from the impact as he fell unconscious onto the ground. Behind him, Penguin stood with a clenched fist, obviously K.O.-ing the man easily.

"Pirate scum, huh? Well I guess I can't blame you," he shrugged at the kid, helping the boy up. Tolly thought for a second as he saw the mechanic's extended hand, but then silently took it and got back to his feet.

"T-Tolly?!" One of the townspeople exclaimed in surprise as they saw the orphan boy with some strange men who had a jolly roger different from the Baxter pirates.

The boy grinned for the first time that day. "Yeah, don't worry, you'll be ok now!"

"What's going on here?" The town mayor insisted on some answers as they all looked completely confused.

"Well for now it's enough to know that Patton is going down," the boy explained.

"What?"

Tolly's eyes became serious again. "I'm going to kill him no matter what. So you just all wait here till I return."

"Eeeh? Did you hit your head kid?! You can't just go and kill Patton, you'll be dead before you get close!" A man yelled back, looking as shocked from the kid's words as all of them.

"You want to end up like your parents!?" A woman shrieked in worry.

Tolly's fists clutched at his sides when his parents were mentioned. He bowed his head down to hide his expression. "I'm…definitely gonna do it…for my parents, to avenge them! Even if I die, I'll-!"

Suddenly Tolly's eyes widened as he felt sharp pain in his abdomen. Penguin, who was standing beside him, punched the kid in the stomach hard enough to send him into unconsciousness.

"What did you do?!" A man from the town tried to break loose from the ropes they were all bound with and attack Penguin.

However, the mechanic didn't look worried at all. "I just put him to sleep for a while, he's too troublesome. There's no reason to die yet…" He scratched the back of his head before kicking a knife that was on the ground towards the hostages. "Free yourselves and wait till we finish the Baxter pirates. Then, do whatever you want," the mechanic shrugged uninterested by the hostages.

"He'll hate you for this, you know," Shachi sighed as he talked to Penguin, staring at the unconscious boy on the ground.

The younger mechanic gazed at the kid as well. "Well at least he'll be alive to do so, then."

"Why…did you save us?" A woman from the hostage group asked timidly, staring up at the Heart pirates.

The said pirates looked at each other as if thinking. Suddenly, Shachi sighed, scratching the back of his head. "We just felt like it, that's all."

The townspeople stared back at the Hearts as if the pirates were crazy.

"Besides, you were taken hostages because we were coming, right? Now I don't particularly care, but if that girl knew there were innocent civilians being held hostage because of her, she'd surely feel responsible and want to do something about that, right?" Penguin shrugged lazily.

"That…girl?" An elder asked quizzically.

The Heart Pirates sighed, all of them thinking of the same Wano girl staring at them with reprimanding golden eyes. Indeed, she would never let them hear the end of it if they didn't do something and she found out about it. Her sense of responsibility was just that intense.

Just then a sound of a den den mushi was heard. "B-boss…we're under attack by the Heart Pirates…we lost…the hostages…" Barely conscious and bleeding, one of the Baxter pirates managed to get his hands on a den den mushi, calling his captain.

"Arlond, what's happening out there?" The den den mushi narrowed his eyes dangerously while an unfamiliar deep voice sounded itself from the transponder snail.

"Ugh!" Before the pirate Arlond could answer, Sai hit him hard in the head with his rifle, sending the man back to unconsciousness.

"You're a nuisance, Arlond-san," Sai commented in his bored tone before taking the snail in his hands.

There was nothing but silence on both sides of the den den mushi before that deep voice was heard again. "You…Heart Pirates…You won't get out of this island alive."

Ignoring the man's statement, Sai talked into the transponder snail. "How did you know we're coming here anyway?"

A dark chuckle came from the den den mushi. "Don't underestimate the power of information and money, boy."

"Hn, it doesn't matter. Captain will kick your ass soon enough!" Bepo suddenly yelled into the snail before hanging up. He took the snail and set it free into the wild, removing the communicator from its little house. There was a rare frown on the bear's face as he still thought about the Baxter captain on the other side of the line.

"Don't worry Bepo, even if they know everything about us, captain Law will still win," Penguin grinned, putting a hand on the bear's shoulder. He was actually more worried about something else right now. His hidden gaze behind the rim of his hat traveled to the ground towards the 10 year-old-boy sleeping there. That kid was so set in his vengeance; he was even ready to discard his young life to beat this Patton guy. His hatred ran so deep, even his own life wasn't a priority anymore. Penguin sighed at that thought. *It's too early for you to die kid. World is a large place, at least see some of it first.* The mechanic felt a nick of annoyance inside of him, aimed towards a certain pirate captain called Baxter. "Come on guys, let's go clean this island from some pirate scum," he stated sarcastically, using Tolly's words even though, ironically, the ones saving the islanders right now were also pirates.

"Hey, Penguin, I'm the first mate so don't start giving orders!" The bear complained loudly as the Heart Pirates walked out of Old Man's Mill, leaving the townspeople to look after the peculiar group with dumbfounded expressions.

~…~

A man stood alone in the room and sighed in exasperation as he put his den den mushi back in place. "So they failed, huh?" Patton Baxter turned around, showing a face of a man about thirty years old. His right eye was covered in a black eye patch though the rest of the right side of his face was completely scarred as well. He wore a dark red cloak above his simple clothes with two leather straps on his torso that carried two pistols. In a decorated wooden room, some music was playing on a record quietly from a gramophone.

The man sighed again, sitting back behind a large heavy table which was filled with all kinds of food and drink. Patton took a glass of red wine, drinking the whole contents of the crystal glass in one sip. Beside him there was a young, pretty woman in a simple dress, holding a silver tray of food. She was just a girl from the town, taken in as a servant for Patton's need. She was completely silent but obviously scared out of her wits as her whole body trembled while she put the new tray down onto the wooden table. "Honestly, they're all so useless! I guess it's like the saying goes; if you want something done, you need to do it yourself." He looked up at the young blonde next to him and grinned, showing shiny white teeth. "Right?" Suddenly he took the girl by her waist, bringing her down on his lap.

"Hya!" The woman yelped in surprise but didn't try to run away as the pirate held her down on his lap. He went after his glass again but only stared at it disappointedly as it was now empty. Seeing his look, the girl froze in terror. "S-s-sorry master! I will get you a refill right away!" She tried grabbing the pitch of wine with trembling hands as cold sweat flowed down her back. However, she winced in sheer fear when the man grabbed her fumbling hands. It wasn't a fast movement nor did he squeeze her hands too tightly so it would hurt, yet the girl still froze in fear.

"That's fine, we'll just use something else to fill the glass then," Patton chuckled with a calm voice. "You know…I really hate being disappointed…" He took a knife from the table in one hand while holding the girl's wrist with the other. "Making sure my glass is always full is your job isn't it?"

"Y-yes?" The girl barely managed to speak, tears forming in her eyes. But not answering would only bring her more trouble.

"I even let you work in my nice home here yet you fail at your job," his tone was still completely calm. Even as he moved the knife over her wrist, making a thin but deep slice appear on the woman's hand. He moved her wrist above the glass, watching as the red liquid continued to flow into the glass. "So you see, you have to work hard not to disappoint me," he gripped her wrist harder so that more blood would come out. The woman screamed in pain as tears started filling her eyes. She was starting to feel lightheaded from the loss of blood but the captain didn't stop.

Suddenly, a step echoed through the room. "I see…So you wanted to use hostages in order to bargain with them for your life? But even if you still had them, that wouldn't help you at all," a new voiced came from the darkness as a man entered the room.

Patton glared at the tall man who was leaning against the doorframe of the room with his nodachi at his side. There was a smirk on the man's features as he kept his grey eyes trained on the other captain.

Baxter watched Trafalgar Law come into the room uninvited, while staring at the Baxter captain as if looking down on him. Patton's eyes narrowed at that sight. "So you managed to come all the way here, did you? Honestly, every last one of them disappoint me…He suddenly threw the girl from his lap and onto the ground, standing up slowly. He put one of his hands on the machete by his side while he took the glass filled with blood in the other and drank it all up easily as if it were really wine.

~….~

The Okama turned on his heel before aiming a series of strong kicks towards Miyako. Every hit was meant for his high-heel to pierce the samurai's defense and her head with it. "Okama kempo; la danse de rue!" He yelled in a high pitched voice, showering Miyako with numerous kicks. However, the girl moved her katana in accordance, blocking each of the kicks with her sword.

Finding an opening, Miyako swung her sword to move the man's leg to the side before stepping forward in order to slice the okama. However, the other jumped backwards into the air and tried kicking Miyako's chin with his long legs in the process.

The samurai barely blocked with her katana, but then charged forward as soon as she recuperated, seeing the okama land onto the ground again. Ittoryu: 9 strikes! Miyako aimed at nine vital points of the person in front, trying to slice each as she charged forward with lightning speed. Yet, the opponent blocked each one with his leg gazing down at the shorter girl in front. Suddenly, the okama stepped down on Miyako's katana, bringing it down onto the ground along with Miyako who had to bend down in the process. Before the girl had a chance to take it out, the okama hit the samurai girl hard beneath her chin and sent Miyako flying backwards onto the ground.

With a grunt of pain, the girl landed back onto the wooden floor, sliding across it. During that time, she let go of her katana and watched with panic as the man stepped on it. "It's useless, darling gave me the order to kill you and there is no way I can disappoint him," the okama chuckled. Miyako guessed by 'darling' the okama meant captain Patton Baxter. "Too bad, Trafalgar will be disappointed in you though. That just proves I'm the better woman here," the man grinned. "It's too bad that handsome Trafalgar will have to be killed too, but between them, darling is still better after all." Slowly, the okama started walking towards Miyako who was still on the floor.

The samurai girl could feel the metal taste of blood in her mouth from the previous hit, but her golden eyes were only trained on the katana on the floor thinking of the quickest way to get it back into her hands.

"So let Madame Tissou put you out of your misery," the okama chucked again, his long silky black hair swinging as he walked.

Miyako slowly stood up, glaring at the opponents in front of her. *I didn't use this technique in some time now, but-*

The tall man was soon right in front of Miyako, preparing to deliver the finishing strike. "Okama kempo; fleche!" His leg darted out towards Miyako with such speed that the regular human could hardly follow the movement with their eyes.

However, the samurai didn't get confused by the speed at all. Instead, she made a proper fighting stance even without the katana in her hands. Her arms moved to one side as if she was about to attack with an invisible weapon, while her body moved to the other, stepping forward towards the okama's attack. 'Ittouryu: Vanishing Sword!'

The samurai girl seemed as if she simply passed right through the deadly leg attack by her opponent as a ghost flowing through the air and leaving an afterimage behind her. The okama's eyes widened in shock as she felt a chilling presence on her, as if the girl just literally passed through her. But that was physically impossible! While thinking these thoughts, the okama barely realized Miyako was no longer standing in front of her but was instead behind her. The samurai ran and jumped onto the ground, taking her sword, before rolling into a crouch behind her opponent. Her eyes shone with their golden color brightly as her long hair danced around her, while the girl moved the katana in front of her still in a crouch and turned sideways towards the man. Ittouryu Technique; 8 gates of the Dragon! In one move, Miyako leaped from the ground towards her enemy, aiming for the eight points of the other's body.

"Eh?" the okama just turned around in time to stare at the quickly approaching doom with wide eyes. He tried to block but wasn't fast enough to turn, as Miyako sliced at his body before passing him by.

The tall man started falling backwards with wide eyes and mouth agape, blood spurting from his body. With a thud, the okama fell backwards on his back with only whites seen in his eyes.

Miyako sharply swung her katana to the side once to let the blood fall from the metal before carefully sliding the sword back into the scabbard on her waist. "Sorry, but I don't have any intention of disappointing my captain either. There's still a lot I need to do," the samurai gave the limp body on the ground one last glance before turning around and stepping out of the room.

She found herself in a maze of hallways again and glanced around her. There was suddenly a troubled expression on the girl's features. "Well I said all that but….how do I get out of this place?" She tilted her head to the side in question, with her arms crossed on her chest. All the coldness in her gaze was gone as it was replaced by a comically troubled expression.

~…~

"Hmm, so even if I try and use this girl as a hostage I doubt you'll care, huh?" Patton sadly gazed down at the terrified blonde who was trying to crawl away from him on the ground.

Law took out his nodachi and smirked. "Well you can try." Of course if Patton did, Law would just slash both of them instantly, without batting an eye.

Baxter smirked back but his eyes held just a glint of nervousness in them. "Alright Trafalgar Law…let's see what you're made of," with that, Patton charged towards Trafalgar with his machete in hand.

"Room," the captain of the Heart Pirates slashed with his nodachi towards the other man, while the blue sphere circled around them. Just as Law thought the hit landed, Patton disappeared right before his eyes. To be more exact, Baxter created something that looked like a black hole in which he jumped, dodging Law's attack that way.

Trafalgar's eyes widened slightly when the black hole closed again and Baxter completely disappeared from his sight. Looking around for any sign of the other captain, Law didn't notice another black hole opening up behind him from the ground. Patton came up from it, swinging with his long machete at Law's back.

Luckily, the other captain's haki warned him in time of the man's presence and Law swiftly turned around to block the weapon with his own. *A devil fruit?* that was the only explanation he could think of that would give Patton such an advantage. He could see Baxter's grin before his eyes, making Law narrow them once more. "Room!" His sphere that was broken before returned again but was smaller this time. Law tried to keep his breathing level but could feel some of his energy drain from his system. "Shambles!" He suddenly called out and Patton disappeared, only to be switched with a nearby chair by Law's powers. Even before Patton appeared there, a bit confused and disoriented, Law sliced the air with his nodachi towards the other captain.

Baxter used his haki-laced weapon to block one of Law's slice attacks before jumping backwards into another black hole that appeared right out of thin air. The hole closed behind him instantly, and reappeared right above Law. Trafalgar looked up and clicked his tongue in annoyance as Baxter came out and attacked with his haki, clashing his machete down onto Law who blocked with his nodachi.

"It's useless, I ate the ho-ru, ho-ru devil fruit and can teleport through these holes wherever I want. You'll never be able to land a hit." Even as the captain said this, Law kept his cool gaze on the pirate above and didn't say anything. However Patton noticed Law's breathing became more ragged and grinned with satisfaction. "I guess my men weren't completely useless after all. I know that using your devil fruit power takes away your energy, and makes it harder for you to use it after a while. The more you use it, the weaker it becomes. That's why I sent all those small fry at you, hoping to at least wear you out. I was right to do so!" The man attacked again, completely dropping out of the hole and above Trafalgar, as he smashed his haki power onto Law.

"Tch!" Trafalgar clutched his nodachi harder and swung to the side with it, sending Patton in the air and away from him. The other captain simply landed to the side before sending some of his haki slices flying towards Law.

The Heart Pirates captain did the same and the haki slashes smashed in the air between them, creating a blast that rose up all the dust in the air.

"Tact!" Even though blinded from the dust, Law could still feel the presence of the other man and rose up numerous wooden pinnacles from the floor where the man should be standing. In another moment, Patton's presence vanished. *Did I hit him?!*

Just then, Law felt it return right beneath his feet as the hole appeared there and Patton grabbed his leg. *So I can't feel his presence when he's inside here!* As Law thought that, he went to pierce inside the hole with his nodachi, only seeing Baxter's hand come out of it. However the other pirate puled at Law's leg, making him lose his balance and start falling. Another hand with a machete came out, swinging towards Law but the Heart Pirates used his powers to teleport instead, barely dodging the slash coming at him. Once again Baxter rose up from his black hole, chuckling all the while.

"Hole in one!" Baxter suddenly shouted and blasted a black hole from his hand.

Law felt a bad feeling about the attack and decided to dodge inside of blocking it. He jumped to the side, rolling onto the ground and landing in a crouch. The black hole nicked a wooden pillar that was behind him instead. Where the hole hit, the piece of the pillar was gone, creating a spherical cut instead. "Let's try that again," Patton grinned and started creating an ever bigger black hole than before.

"Like I'll let you!" Law growled and slashed the air a couple of times with his nodachi, his hits laced with haki and still using his devil fruit powers. However, using all that at once took even more energy out of him. Half a year ago he would already be spent, unable to use his devil fruit powers or haki anymore but the harsh training he went through paid off. He still wasn't so far gone as to lose his powers at a time like this.

However, Patton jumped into another hole to dodge then appeared right before Law, sending the other captain flying backwards with a kick in his stomach.

"Ugh!" Law grunted as he felt himself flying backwards but then noticed with the corner of his eye there was a black hole created in the air behind him. The captain flew right in and in the next instant found himself on the ground with Patton swinging with his machete right above him. Law's eyes widened when he realized there was no time for him the dodge the deadly attack going for his neck.

"Law!" A familiar high voice came to his ears as a clashing of metal echoed through the room. Before him, Miyako was standing with her katana, blocking the machete that was meant for him. The girl sighed in relief when she noticed heir captain was alright, glancing at him from the side. "Thank god I found this place in time."

Baxter's eyes narrowed dangerously at the newcomer hindering him. "You….didn't I send Tissou to deal with you?"

"He failed," Miyako answered coldly, glaring at Patton while still holding back his weapon with her own. The two swords scraped together, creating friction between them.

"Honestly, everyone is so disappointing today. How hard can it be to kill one little girl?" He commented mockingly as if talking to himself and completely ignoring Miyako.

The girl glared at him but stayed quiet, unimpressed by his taunting words. She wouldn't lose her head because of something trivial like that, anyway.

Suddenly, Baxter jumped away but then created a black hole next to him, pulling out one of the guns strapped at his torso. He let the gun get swallowed in the hole while another hole appeared right behind Miyako. The man shot from the gun, the bullets being transported into the other hole and right towards Miyako.

"Room!" Law yelled just as the samurai girl turned with wide eyes to see the bullets flying in front of her. Before they could hit, however, Miyako disappeared with Law's help and reappeared by the side of the once again standing captain.

"What was that?!"

"Be careful, he ate a devil fruit. He can create and transport anything or anyone through those black holes. It seems he can create them anywhere and even destroy the space when they hit," Trafalgar quickly explained, his eyes sharply glued to Baxter in front of them.

The girl glanced from one man to the other, but she looked more worried about Law than Patton's attacks right now. Trafalgar was panting and his Room just now was much smaller than she was used to seeing from him. "Are you ok, you look tired?"

As soon as she said it, Miyako regretted it as Law gave her a dark look. He didn't say anything but his gaze was enough for her to know to drop the topic. He didn't want to be saved by her; she knew that much. "Stay here, I'll deal with him on my own," Law finally said, stepping forward towards Patton.

"Eh!? But-!" She wanted to protest but his eyes full of killing intent were enough for her to realize there was no point in complaining. She sighed, staring at the man with her troubled expression. Still, she stayed silent, unmoving from her spot as Law went back into the battle.

"Kahahaha! How nice, so much pride you have!" Patton laughed at Law's actions. "However…your naïve if you think-" He started, creating a hole and sending it towards Miyako. "that I'll just leave her be!"

The samurai gasped in surprise, but jumped to the side, avoiding the attack that created a crater in the wall behind her. The part of the wall there just simply vanished as if teleported somewhere by the hole attack. With such a devil fruit power, there was nothing left but dodge or else her katana or body would end up the same way. Miyako gulped at the thought.

Seeing that Baxter had no intention of leaving her out of this, the girl clutched her katana and charged at him. "Why you-!" She muttered, swiftly appearing before the captain.

"Oy, I said not to get involved!" Law warned but it was too late, as Miyako already attacked the other pirate.

However, Baxter simply created a hole beneath the girl's feet, letting her fall into it. Miyako appeared out in the other part of the room, confused by the sudden change in her surroundings. Suddenly a hole opened up above her and a rain of haki filled pierces came out, made by Patton. Her eyes widened and she instantly put her katana above her, trying to block or dodge each one. As the attacks rained down onto her, Miyako could feel slices cutting at her skin every now and then. There were just too many of them to block all of them, and some ripped her flesh, making blood flow out of the wounds. She gritted her teeth, thought, and waited till the attacks stopped.

Meanwhile, Patton was just about to disappear into another hole in the air. Before it could close, Law sent a few slashes into it, hoping to get the man inside. Instead, another hole opened behind him and his own attacks came towards him. He managed to disappear and dodge using his powers in a nick of time. Law gritted his teeth and used his powers to create numerous boulders and sharp pieces of wood from the room. *If I could only hit him once it would be enough,* the captain thought irritably. His eyes caught a quick movement to his side, and Law used his powers again. Suddenly Patton found himself surrounded by various sharp objects flying towards him and about to crush him from all sides.

Baxter clicked his tongue and disappeared through another hole, but as he emerged out of it, Miyako quickly jumped after him and grabbed at him. "What!?" The captain exclaimed in surprise and the girl held his arm tightly.

"I won't let you run again! Law!" She yelled for her captain to act. The girl's clothing was ripped in some places, showing bloodied, red cuts.

"Let go, you bitch!" Baxter exclaimed in slight panic, but the hand with his machete was being held by the girl who let go of her katana and held his arms with both hands and all her strength. The man tried to dive back down into the hole but the girl kept pulling him up, determined to not let him go.

Her captain appeared right above Patton with his nodachi raised, not about to lose this opportunity. His glare was as cold and merciless as always, as if he was cutting down any insignificant bug whose life didn't matter to him.

"O-oy, wait!" Baxter shouted in panic, realizing he was about to be cut down.

Law's nodachi came down, slicing the flesh in front of it, as easily as butter. The Hearts captain's eyes widened as he saw blood splash out of the body. Miyako had the same shocked look as she watched the scene.

A tall woman with long black hair suddenly appeared in front of Baxter shielding him from the attack with her own body. The nodachi slashed through her deeply before Law pulled it out and stepped back in confusion.

Miyako instantly recognized the person that just appeared. Madame Tissou!

The okama fell back onto Baxter, his blood staining his captain and the floor around them.

"Tissou?" Even Patton seemed shocked as he realized his life was just saved.

The okama coughed, a painful expression on his face, as he tried to smile up at his captain. "I…was useful…after all….darling…" He managed to stutter through fits of coughs and ragged breaths.

Patton suddenly grinned in satisfaction. "Yeah, you did great Tissou. Nice work!" His grin was wide and gleeful even as he watched his subordinate die. Baxter was simply glad he didn't die; but there was no compassion for the crewmember who just gave his life to save his. Tissou's eyes closed with a smile on his face as the life disappeared completely from him. "I guess this disgusting guy wasn't a total disappointment after all," Patton stood up, discarding the body off of him as if it was a piece of trash.

Miyako's eyes widened in disbelief at his words. "How can you say that, wasn't he your comrade?! He gave his life to save yours!"

The look Patton gave her in return was completely void of any emotion. "So what? That's what the crew is supposed to do for their captain anyway."

The samurai stayed silent but her hands clenched into fists. She took back her katana in one hand, clenching the hilt in her palm hard enough for it to turn white.

"That guy was completely disgusting, calling me his darling. What the hell was with that anyway?!" Patton continued with a completely disgusted expression on his face. „No matter, he served his purpose and now I'll get to finish you once and for all."

The girl glared at the pirate captain with a deadly stare, filled with killing intentions. *This bastard…To his own nakama…*A dark aura swirled around her as she suddenly leaped at the pirate to cut him down.

However, the man grabbed a hold of Tissou's body, using it as a shield in front of him. Even though she knew the man was dead, for just a split second, Miyako hesitated, having mixed emotions about cutting through the body, but even that small moment was enough for Baxter to use in his advantage.

"Miyako!" Law saw what Patton was about to do and tried to move to create his Room but grunted in exhaustion when the sphere wouldn't start. His powers were slowly reaching their limit. He tried again, but it was already too late.

"Hole blaster!" Baxter yelled out his attack and simply tossed Tissou's body towards the girl. She dodged but it was too late as his attack already hit her and Law. He used air pressure to contain in a small hole, before releasing it through another portal hole. As it came out, the pressure was released and the blast hit the two Heart Pirates head on. Both Miyako and Law were sent flying backwards, landing hard in the ruble.

"Room!" Law tried again and this time managed to get himself away from the biggest part of the blast, but wasn't able to get to Miyako in time.

As soon as the dust cleared, Trafalgar could see the damage Patton's attack has done. The room was filled with ruble and pieces of broken furniture and wood. He saw Miyako sprawled on the ground, with a few sharp wooden pinnacles underneath her. She didn't look like she was stabbed with any but her physical condition was still unclear at this point to Law. She had her eyes closed and was lightly moving as if trying to regain her senses.

That's when Law noticed a shadow coming towards them. He clutched his nodachi and tried to move, but stopped in shock when he noticed his legs wouldn't budge. Looking down, he noticed he was standing right in one of Patton's black holes that the man probably created as soon as his other attack finished. Law's legs disappeared in the darkness of the hole all the way to his knees and he wasn't able to climb out or move. Struggling, he saw Patton walking towards them and gritted his teeth when he noticed the captain stopped in front of the barely conscious Miyako.

Baxter grinned as he saw the condition of the girl that was still lying on the ground. She had cuts and bruises on her pale skin, bleeding slightly from her head that she probably hit when she fell down from the blast. That's probably why she was so disoriented now, she could even have a concussion. Her clothes were ripped apart in some parts; her black stockings had large holes and slits on them and a part of her shirt was also missing, showing some skin underneath. The pirate licked his lips as he saw a part of her skirt lifted to show off one thigh. The pirate had a sickening grin on his lips when he moved closer to the young girl, a new idea in mind.

As Patton made one more step towards her, a cold voice sounded itself behind him. "Make one more step and I'll tear you to pieces," the voice sounded completely void of emotion, but that only made it sound more venomous. The tone was so dark, the room suddenly felt a lot colder and even Patton unconsciously felt a chill down his spine.

Baxter turned towards the source of that voice and stared at Trafalgar. The captain of the Heart Pirates was glaring back at the other man with such a deadly expression that it wouldn't be a surprise if he could kill someone with such a look.

It actually made Patton stop for a second and rethink his plan, but then the man remembered Law's legs were captured and he was unable to move. As if trying to mask his relief and nervousness, Baxter snickered amusedly. "I doubt you can do that in your position," as he said that, the captain once again turned towards Miyako and grabbed the front of her shirt to lift her off the ground with it. Then with a painful force strong enough to make all her air rush out of her lungs, Patton slammed her back down using even his haki. Her eyes widened in pain as she felt pieces of the floor get destroyed under her body and some of them stabbed into her. Miyako coughed, feeling blood in her mouth. "You and I are going to have some fun before I kill you," Baxter snickered putridly again and licked the girl's ear.

The samurai turned her head from him, trying to shield herself from the disgustingly wet feeling. She gritted her teeth, trying to struggle but Baxter was already using his weight to get on top of her and keep her from moving. She was still disoriented and too weak to get him off of her. "Struggle all you want, it just makes me more excited~" The man cooed, laughing. As she saw the look in his eyes, a sudden realization hit Miyako and a freezing chill went down her body. *No…stop…no, don't'!*

"I want to see you suffer more. You both will pay for destroying my lovely base and killing all my henchmen." Miyako could feel his hands on her as he still spoke in her ear, before licking the side of her face. She winced, more from unease than actual pain, as she continued to struggle uselessly. *No, I don't want this!* Fear traveled Miyako's veins, a feeling completely different than when she's fighting her opponents. As Patton's hands traveled down her sides and thighs, beneath her skirt, that fear only grew stronger. These things…it wasn't anything Law didn't do before yet it felt completely different. That thought brought the picture of a man in her thoughts, silently pleading for his help. *Law! No…if it's not him…I don't want it, if it's not Law!* The thought completely surprised even Miyako. When did she start thinking like that? From the 'I don't need anyone' to 'I want only Law,' her eyes widened as she realized this change just now.

She bit her lip and newfound determination entered her mind. *No, I won't let this happen!* She glared up at Baxter, ignoring her pain and hazy mind, seeing how he was already on top of her. Pushing him off wasn't working but Miyako had something else in mind. With all her might the girl moved her knee upwards as her leg rested just between his. The knee made contact with his most sensitive area and hard, making Patton release a choking surprised sound and stiffen completely. The girl used this chance to roll him off as he momentarily let go of her, and quickly leaped towards her captain.

Law's eyes widened as he saw the situation and the girl quickly grabbed both his hands, pulling him out of the strange black hole that was keeping him from moving. "Uuungh!" Miyako pulled as hard as she could, before both of them fell to the ground and Law was finally free.

"You….you little bitch! I'm going to rip you apart! I'm going to rape your dead body!" Patton roared numerous profanities as he finally managed to get up and walk off the pain in his groin. He raised both hands in the air. A grin appeared on his face as a large black hole started appearing. In wasn't a ball, but a thin surface with a round shape like a disc. It continued to grow in his hands.

Miyako however, took back her katana and stepped beside Law, glaring at the man in front of them with pure hatred. *I'll kill him…this sick bastard, I'll definitely slice him to shreds!*

"Miyako," Law's calm voice reached the girl, bringing her back from her dark thoughts. She looked up at him in wonder. The man was standing beside her, breathing hard but mostly uninjured, with his nodachi in one hand. "Don't get distracted," he warned in his usual tone. However, even as his voice seemed calm, the look in his eyes was so dark and full of hate that it was enough to bring anyone to their knees from pure fear. Law might want to kill this guy even more than her.

The girl looked back at what Patton was doing. *This guy is sickening, but Law is right…getting angry now won't help, it'll just make me vulnerable. What I need to do now is end this man. Treating his crewmembers like objects to be used, and even doing that to me…* Miyako shivered at the nauseating memory of his heat which was still fresh in her mind. It was completely different than when Law touched her. *That reason is enough to kick this guy's ass into oblivion!*

"Kahahah, I'll make you disappear from this world without any trace left!" Patton Baxter exclaimed at the two Heart Pirates, as his weapon was nearly done.

However, both Miyako and Law simply took a stance. "Room," Law created the blue sphere to surround them while swinging back his nodachi, to prepare for a slash. Meanwhile, Miyako sheathed back her sword and took a battojutsu stance. "As if we would just wait for you to do it," the samurai girl commented, both she and the captain thinking of the same thing.

Patton gritted his teeth as he saw the two were about to attack. "Well it's a bit incomplete and sooner than I expected, but this amount is enough to destroy you too! You don't even have a chance!" Baxter yelled back, releasing his black disk towards the pair as he threw it.

Ittouryu Technique; Kiritateru! Miyako released her strongest technique, while Law also swung his nodachi filled with both haki and using his ope ope powers. Their two attacks collided with Baxter's, creating a mighty blast. At first everything seemed at a standstill, with Miyako and Law gritting their teeth to hold out against the strange attack. Then with a roar from them, their attacks slashed through Patton's , making the thing explode and blast everything away. Their two slashes went through to captain Baxter, slicing his body at once. As the dust finally cleared, everything was in ruins. Patton was on the ground, lifeless. The two slices didn't only go through his attack and him, but sliced the whole room and building in half. The rooftop started falling as the whole base started crumbling to the ground. Miyako and Law who were panting hard and completely exhausted, watched as everything around them crumbled.

"We need to get out of here!" Miyako exclaimed, trying to see a way out but everything was falling apart. Even the ground beneath them started cracking and falling towards the floor below. The building was slowly caving in. "Can't you just teleport us!?"

"Room!" Law tried to create another sphere with his powers. The air circling around his palm appeared and it started expanding, only to disappear again. "Tch! Room!" Yelling louder, the captain tried again and a sphere appeared weakly around them. It was small, and it wasn't enough to teleport them out, but Law had another plan.

A large piece of the roof started falling onto them. Miyako slashed with her sword above, and cut the piece into smaller ones but it was still dangerous there. However, before they could move, the floor beneath them crumbled and both started falling down into the darkness.

Miyako's eyes widened when she felt Law grab her protectively and move his body to be closer to the ground when they hit. Unlike Patton who would let his people die for him without blinking an eye, Law was shielding her with his own body as they fell down. They hit a pole which was crushed beneath some walls and they rolled towards a piece of wall which was now horizontal and eased their fall a bit before the two finally fell onto the hard ground. Even with a few obstacles on the way, they still hit the floor hard enough to feel the numbing pain in their body. Miyako had it better as she fell on Trafalgar rather than directly on the ground. Her katana made a clanging sound as it fell beside them; luckily it stayed close and undamaged. Yet she didn't have much time to revel in that fact since she saw numerous large boulders and pieces of the building fall towards them. Her eyes widened in despair, before hearing Law groan under her in pain. He gritted his teeth to fight the pain in his shoulder and yelled Room!" Once again nothing happened. Miyako unconsciously tightened her grip on his coat. "Room!" He yelled again and a small sphere appeared just around them. "Tact!" the man yelled again. Everything went dark when the ground created a dome around them with Law's powers to shield them from everything that was falling down. Their stone shelter shook as rumbling noise of destruction raged outside.

When Miyako opened her eyes the darkness was so thick she wasn't even sure if she really did open them. The space was small and there wasn't much oxygen here. The heat and stuffiness was unbearable, but she felt for her surroundings until she felt the soft fabric of Law's coat beneath her fingers. "Law," she called out hoping that he was well and awake. It took some time but her eyes finally got used to the dark a bit, when he responded and shifted in his place.

"I'm fine," he sounded awfully exhausted. "But we're probably buried beneath the whole building. The air in here won't last long, either," even as he said that, Law kept his usual calm tone as if analyzing the situation. He wasn't panicking even in this event that could lead to their deaths.

"You can't use your powers anymore, right?" Miyako asked worriedly. She tried to feel her away to her sword and sighed in relief when she felt it. Still, the space was so confined she couldn't swing her sword to cut the stone surrounding them. Law didn't answer anything at her question, but that was enough for her to understand what that meant. She tried to use her hands to push away the ground around them.

"Don't. The whole thing might collapse on us if you do that," the captain warned quickly.

*Well even if that wasn't the truth, I don't have enough strength to push this away anyway,* Miyako sighed sadly at her thoughts, wishing Jean Bart was here to help. *That's it!* An idea crossed Miyako's mind and the girl looked back at Law through the darkness. She could already see his outlines now. "Law, do you have your den den mushi with you?!" She heard quick rustling of clothing and silently hoped the transponder snail wasn't broken by their fall. There were some more noises and soon a sound of a calling tone came out of the den den mushi. Miyako would've jumped from happiness if there was enough room to do so.

After a while, a voice came out of the other side and the call connected to the den den mushi in the submarine. It was none other than Jean Bart who waited at the submarine with a few other Heart Pirates. "Hello?" A deep, grunting voice came from the snail.

"Jean Bart-ya…" Law started explaining the situation, while Miyako smiled silently and sighed in utter relief one more time.

~…~

The pair waited silently in the darkness, trying to preserve the little oxygen they had left. The samurai girl felt sleepier as moments went by and a bit light headed, probably from how stuffy it was in this place.

"Thank you…for protecting me," she suddenly muttered through the darkness. There was no response from Law but she knew he heard her. "And I'm sorry…you were right. I was avoiding you these past couple of days," she admitted a bit awkwardly. However, the fact that she couldn't see his face because of the darkness helped a lot.

"Why?" Law's voice cut through the silence.

Now it was Miyako's turn to go silent. *Isn't it obvious why?* However, before she could answer, surprisingly, Law cut her off as he continued.

"I didn't protect you," he said a bit sharply.

*Eh?* Miyako blinked in question but her facial expression stayed hidden in the darkness.

"Just now I…couldn't protect you," Law's voice was still sharp as if he was angry but she couldn't tell at whom. There was clear venom in his tone. He was acting different than usual, but because she couldn't see his expression, she couldn't read what was going on with him. "That's why that bastard almost…" The captain stopped talking suddenly.

Even though he didn't finish, Miyako knew what Law meant by it. True, if she didn't act quick enough to stop Patton at that time, who knew what would have happened to her. The girl shivered at the idea, not even wanting to dwell on it. "Law...you don't have to protect me," she started, but Law kept silent. "We…your crewmembers, aren't here to be protected by you. We're here to fight beside you, to reach our mutual goal along with each of our own," what she said might have sounded rude, but Miyako hoped Law could understand what she was trying to tell him. "We're all training to become stronger not only to protect each other, but so others won't have to. That's why, you don't have to worry, even if you don't protect me, I'll still be fine…." She sighed, worried she might have come across differently than she intended to. Trafalgar was still silent beside her. "If I have to constantly be protected by you than my place in this crew is meaningless," she smiled softly even though her captain couldn't see it. "So you shouldn't feel bad or responsible, even if I get hurt. That just means I need to get stronger. I'm not saying I don't need you all, I do, but what I want is to fight side by side with everyone equally. I think that's what nakama should do. Sometimes when I'm in trouble you'll help me, and sometimes you won't be able to, but don't worry Law...in the end, I'll always find a way and be fine. The same goes both ways."

The silence dragged on forever in her mind and Miyako started feeling a bit awkward, thinking she was rude to say such things after all. She didn't mean it in a bad way but perhaps she came across like that after all. The subject was a bit hard to explain even inside her own head. Feeling uncertain, the girl opened her mouth to say something else and ease the atmosphere but she suddenly felt something pull her forward into comfortable softness. It took some time for her hazy mind to register that she was being embraced in Law's arms, feeling his warmth wrap around her. That was the first time Law actually hugged her, the first time he initiated it. Even though they did so many other things, this was a surprising first for her. She could barely see anything in the darkness, only outlines and moving shadows. But that only made her feel everything around her more, all of her senses suddenly heightened, as her heartbeat started thumping loudly. It felt like her heart would beat right out of her chest, as the sounds echoed in her ears.

One hand brought her closer towards that warmth, while the other entangled in her long hair, pulling her in. At first she thought he would kiss her, but instead, she felt his hot breath on her ear. There was nothing but silence and rustling of clothes around them, when Law's lips moved next to her ear and he whispered the words softly into it. It took some time for the words to reach Miyako's mind, but as they did the girl widened her golden eyes in shock and stayed completely still in her spot. Nothing else came out of Law's mouth, nor did he move after that. But those simple words still echoed in her mind, when small tears appeared in the corner of her widened eyes. She could feel her face becoming hot and Miyako was sure there was a deep blush on her face, but she still smiled gently with her vision hazy from the teardrops.

~…..~

Miyako didn't know how much time it passed when they finally heard muffled voices and rumbling sounds above them. The two called for the others, leading the crewmembers towards their small shelter.

As they heard more crumbing noises, Miyako had to squint her eyes and shield them from sudden light that burst into their space. Above them, pieces of stone and wood moved away and the face of Jean Bart and Munk appeared along with the other Heart Pirates.

"We found them!"

"They're here!"

"Get more men!"

The Heart Pirates yelled out, smiling in relief when they found Miyako and their captain more-or-less safe and sound.

Miyako also smiled in relief, happy to see everyone's faces. Some of them also looked a bit beaten up, like Cody and Joshua, but nobody was that seriously injured. They were all already patched up and in bandages. All that was left was to take care of Law and Miyako.

The two medics shared stories with the samurai girl of their own fight as they helped her bandage her wounds. Luckily nothing was broken and there was no internal bleeding, so there were only some cuts to heal.

"But seriously, what's with that shameless, half-naked appearance?" Joshua eyed her suspiciously since her clothes were mostly thorn.

The girl blushed and gave the medic a pout, putting her hands in front of her protectively. "Don't stare you pervert!" However, she didn't tell anyone what Patton almost did to her; and Law didn't mention anything either. She was thankful for that.

"Like there's something to stare at anyway," the redhead bit back in irritation.

"Now, now…" Cody tried to calm them down with a sheepish smile on his face.

Penguin sighed as he saw the usual troublesome group arguing and being loud. They were currently sitting on some crates at the docks in front of the yellow submarine, readying their departure. "Honestly, how did you guys get such injuries anyway? You need a lot more training to do obviously," he shrugged and tilted his head, giving off a high-and-mighty feel.

Josh and Miyako both glared at the mechanic, clenching their fists to deliver him a blow.

"I apologize deeply!" The said mechanic instantly took a step back as he noticed their dark auras. A hand on his shoulder stopped him and Penguin turned around to see Shachi pointing behind them. There, standing at the entrance to the town was a group of people, timidly looking at the Heart Pirates. The townspeople probably wanted to at least send their helpers off even though nobody seemed to dare and approach the pirates. That's when a small boy in ragged clothing came out from the crowd, slowly walking towards the Hearts.

Law, who was giving instructions to Sai, stopped and looked at the boy with questioning eyes. However, the kid didn't walk over to the captain, but to the mechanics instead.

"Tolly," Shachi nodded as a greeting to the young, scrawny kid in front of him.

The boy didn't acknowledge him but instead kept him head down, standing right in front of Penguin with his fists clenched at his sides. Penguin also stayed quiet, waiting for the boy to say something.

Finally tired of waiting, the younger head mechanic spoke up. "What is it, brat?" He knew the kid probably resented him for taking the opportunity to kill Patton from him. He doubted Tolly looked at it as 'saving his life,' as Penguin did.

Suddenly, Tolly swung his leg and hit Penguin right in the shin, hard. Even some of the Heart Pirates winced at the sound it created.

"Urk!" The mechanic choked up and started bouncing on one leg, holding his sore shin with both hands. "What the hell was that for, you damned brat!?"

"I told you not to call me 'brat,' you old man!" Tolly yelled back in anger and both the boy and Penguin glared at each other.

"What was that, you little-!? Who you callin' an old man!?"

"You're old so you're an old man!"

"Brat! Go eat some spinach and come back when you're stronger!"

"I will! I'll live and be much stronger than you and then kick your ass, just you wait!"

"Ha! I'll be waiting to see that day!"

The two yelled loudly at each other on the docks, completely oblivious to the surprised crowd around them. As they bickered, they both looked like kids trying to best the other. The puzzled spectators just kept staring at them in wonder. Miyako and the others also just gazed wide-eyed at the scene. Only Bepo, Shachi and Sai snickered at the sight of the arguing pair, satisfied how things turned out.

Trafalgar sighed, ignoring the loud pair and turned back to his head navigator. "Jean Bart, call the Navy and tell them our mission is done. They can come 'overtake' this island whenever. Tell them…cuffs won't be necessary to bring. We disposed of all the Baxter Pirates."

"Aye captain," Jean Bart nodded and turned to walk over to the navigation room to take the den den mushi and call the Navy.

Law looked back at the island and his crew. They did it; now Law is a full-fledged Shichibukai. After this, the real plan starts.

~…..~

"Well it's really official; you are a Shichibukai captain," Shachi sat down at the table in the galley where everyone in the crew was currently resting after eating dinner.

That's when Law who was silent all the while, took out a folder full of papers that said 'Classified' on it and presented it to his crewmembers.

"Huh? What's this?" One of the Hearts asked, tiling his hatted head.

It was the folder about SAD gas information that Law took with him at Abney Cove. Vegapunk's research on creating Devil Fruit zoan types. Law had been trying to find more information on it all with his contacts in the underworld, knowing that Doflamingo was now creating this gas for his own benefit to keep a deal with Kaido to whom he was providing these devil fruits. At that time in Abney Cove, Law was to steal samples and information on this Vegapunk's research on Joker's orders. What Law found out afterwards using his connections was that Doflamingo's subordinate Caesar Clown, a rogue scientist, has perfected this research and was no creating zoan devil fruits for Joker in a particular laboratory. But Law's information went even further than that as he knew exactly where Caesar was doing it.

His crew already knew that Doflamingo was using his resources to create the devil fruits and give them to Kaido who was creating a zoan army. Still, the captain didn't mention yet that they were the ones who got the vials of SAD for Joker to use at Abney Cove on the man's orders. Also, Law still wasn't able to find out what Joker got in return from that deal, but that wasn't a priority either.

"So you're saying, you know where those devil fruits are being made?"

Trafalgar nodded. "It is an island in a New World that doesn't even have a magnetic field so it doesn't show on the log pose. It's a perfect place; Punk Hazard," the captain explained calmly.

"But why do we care about this deal between Kaido and Doflamingo anyway? How does destroying this SAD gas help us?" Josh titled his head in wonder.

Law fell silent and Miyako could feel herself getting tense without even knowing why. Their captain started, "I always said; there is only two ways to survive in the New World; either get under the umbrella of one of the Yonko or constantly challenge them. If we destroy this SAD supply, not only will we handicap one of the Four Pirate Emperors, but also possibly destroy one of the Shichibukai; Donquixote Doflamingo. Isn't it time for the gears to start turning again…everything has been at a standstill since the War of the Best. The Government and the Yonko are all preparing their forces but nobody is doing anything." Law grinned menacingly as he continued. "It's time to set the gears in motion. Destroy the old system and create the new one in this world. There has only been an end of an era with Whitebeard's death….and we'll create a new one."

"Whaa, I'm all pumped up now!" Penguin raised his fist in the air with a wide grin on his face.

"Let's do this! Captain is right; it's time for us Heart Pirates to create some real havoc in the New World!"

A sliver of guilt appeared in Law's heart as he watched his comrades celebrate his words. They were also being used…used by him to get to his real objective; destroy Joker and make him pay for 13 years ago.

"So you're meaning to take down one of the Four Emperors?" Miyako stepped forward, asking the captain. She already knew more than the others, except for Bepo who wisely stayed silent through all of this, but that only made her more suspicious about this whole plan. Was this really what Law was after or was there something more to this story? She already knew that every time Trafalgar mentioned Doflamingo, there came a dark shadow over his eyes as if there is a deeper meaning to his plans concerning the older Shichibukai.

Trafalgar nodded. "If it all goes well, Doflamingo and Kaido will destroy each other. And even if Kaido survives, he'll be in a disadvantage afterwards…and that's a perfect chance for us to strike at him. We'll let Doflamingo do as much damage as he can before we finish it."

"So how tha we go 'bout tis then?" Munk asked, crossing his big arms on his chest.

"First you'll drop me off on Punk Hazard. I'll wait for my chance to destroy Caesar's research facility there. It's enough to just destroy the SAD gas and kidnap Caesar; that way they'll have no way of obtaining new devil fruits."

"Wait, wait. What do you mean 'drop off' captain? Aren't we going with you?" Cody asked a bit worried of his captain's plans.

Again, Law fell silent for a while before speaking up again. "No. If we all go, Caesar might suspect something. He needs to trust me in order to let me in on his research and give me an opportunity to destroy it."

"But we don't know how many men he'll have there!" The crew was unsettled by this plan.

"Then I ask you; what did we spend this two years training for? " Their captain's voice was sharper now as he became impatient with all their questions and interruptions. They should just listen to him and follow him as always. "I can deal with Caesar and his men on my own; I'm strong enough for at least that much," he sighed. The crew noticed the change in his tone as it became fiercer and gulped, calming down suddenly. The last thing they wanted was to anger their captain.

"So what do we do in the meantime?" Sai asked.

"You will sail with the submarine to the island called Zo and wait for me there. After I'm finished with my work in Punk Hazard I will go to Dressrosa and then come to Zo. "

"Why there?" Jean Bart widened his eyes at the mention of a familiar name. He had heard about that island before.

Law, who was sitting with his elbows resting on his knees and leaning forward, entangled the fingers of his hands and clenched them tightly. A silent atmosphere fell around him and the crew as his mood seemed to darken, but not because of his men's questions this time. It was as if he was preparing to say something, his lips in a tight line. "Truth is, defeating Kaido is only one of our objectives…the other is destroying Doflamingo."

"Eh?" The whole crew blinked in surprise. "Aren't we just using Doflamingo to take out Kaido more easily?"

"Captain…" Bepo's weak voice came from the side as if he wanted to say something but was unsure how to do it. However, the polar bear didn't interrupt further and simply quieted down when he noticed Trafalgar's expression. Law was determined to do this.

The dark atmosphere stayed the same as their captain continued. "In the past I was actually Doflamingo's subordinate." He waited out as murmurs started from the crew. Some were in silent shock while others started whispering questions around them.

"What?" Penguin started weakly.

"It was before I made this crew of Heart Pirates and started going for One Piece. A lot has happened in the past but even when I started sailing under my own jolly roger, one objective still remained over these 13 years…To stop Doflamingo and completely destroy him," Trafalgar continued. "Right now he still doesn't know what I'm planning. He still sees me as one of his subordinates, but in truth I haven't seen myself like that for more than 10 years years."

Shachi gulped, realizing the seriousness of Law's words. There was just something dark and tense in the air that made the whole crew realize how serious Law was about this one mission. Perhaps it was the scent of vengeance. "Why? What happened?" The mechanic and one of the oldest crew members asked something nobody else dared to.

The pirate captain sighed again. "As I said…a lot happened in the past and you're right about what you're thinking; I'm after Doflamingo. It's not like I'm giving up the quest for One Piece or being a pirate, but I need to do this before I can continue. There's something…I definitely need to do. I finally have the chance I've been waiting for and enough strength to do it. I have leverage." A part of this was a lie; because Law knew he would have gladly given up One Piece and even his own life if that meant destroying Joker. His biggest goal never changed in these 13 years; to finish what Corazon started. Even Kaido, who he used as bait to lure the crew in his plans isn't even that important to him. Even if they don't defeat Kaido, Law would be content with just seeing Joker fall. That's why he kept pretending to be the subordinate of that despicable man for all these years…only to get this one chance. That meant, he wasn't allowed to fail! "However, I will understand if you don't want to do this with me. After all, you'll be risking a lot by doing this." Nevertheless, he promised himself one thing; even if he uses everyone else and lies to them in order to achieve his goal, he won't do it to his crewmembers. At least to his nakama, he'll ask them straight out. "With all that said…I ask you to risk your lives for my selfish goal!"

The Heart Pirates stood there with surprise in their eyes from everything they heard just now. Their captain was Doflamingo's subordinate but then something happened and he is now set to kill the other Shichibukai for some reason. They didn't know what happened as it seemed Trafalgar really didn't want to talk about it, but whatever it was it had to be something big for Law to keep these plans after all this time. A part of them really wanted to know what was it that steered Law down this path but they didn't want to pry either. It was obvious Law wasn't ready to tell them yet. The crew respected that; a lot of them had their own harsh backstories since becoming a pirate usually meant there weren't any other options to take. Even so, Law never asked about it, accepting them no matter who they were or where they came from. He never judged them so they couldn't do that to the captain either; they respected him too much.

After all these thoughts went through the crews mind, the men smirked. "Captain…don't we always risk our lives anyway? Being a pirate, sailing the seas…all of it means risking your life. We were ready for all that the moment we joined this crew," the Heart Pirates grinned, looking at the captain who was watching them with wide eyes now.

"We won't ask what happened 13 year ago, because we trust you. So if you say Donquixote Doflamingo is an enemy, that's enough for us!"

"Yeah!" Everyone else agreed, cheering at the speech.

All Law could do was stare at his crew in wonder as they showed absolute trust and loyalty to him. They didn't ask unnecessary questions, they simply accepted it. "You guys…"

In the back, the samurai girl who was hidden from view, showed a small satisfied smile.

"So? What's the plan?" Penguin asked with a grin on his face.

The grinning expression of his head mechanic brought Law back to reality and made him calm down again. With an amused chuckle, the captain shook his head lightly and closed his eyes before looking at his crew again. "Alright, here's what we'll do."

After that, Trafalgar explained to them that he will capture the scientist Caesar Clown and destroy SAD, used to produce the devil fruits SMILE, on Punk Hazard. After that he'll make a deal with Doflamingo to exchange Caesar for Donquixote quitting the Shichibukai. If the older Shichibukai refuses he'll lose Caesar and get wiped out by Kaido of the 100 Beasts. However, even if he accepts, he'll be hunted by the marines and captured by the Admirals. Law was sure Akainu was readily waiting for a chance to pull Doflamingo down since he hated the Shichibukai just as any other pirates. It was a lose-lose situation for Doffy while a sure win for Trafalgar. No matter how Joker acts, he'll be brought down. The exchange will take place on a small island North of Dressrosa called Green Bit. After that is done, Trafalgar will join his crew who will be waiting at a nearby island, Zo, for him. After that, they'll simply inform the marines of Doflamingo's whereabouts and Law will help finish him off as one of the Shichibukai.

Miyako clenched the hem of her shirt after she heard Law's plan. The Heart Pirates cheered, saying this like; "As expected of captain!" and "It's a full proof plan," but she wasn't so convinced. Law was going into the unknown all by himself, leaving them behind. He did tell them the truth and part of the story, but Miyako could see the reas reason why he was doing it himself; he was still trying to keep his crew out of this. He wanted to be the only one to go after Doflamingo and do this dangerous trade alone, in case something goes amiss. He was still pushing his crewmember away if the others couldn't see it.

If something does happen on Punk Hazard he'll be all alone. She didn't like that one bit. She knew how strong he has become, but unexpected things happen all the time. What's more, he'll be alone when facing Doflamingo in this exchange on the other man's territory, which is everything but ideal. Miyako remembered Law's expression when he first told her about Joker; it was an expression of the man determined to do whatever it takes. That's what worried her the most; she was afraid it meant sacrifice even his own life for this vengeance. The thought made her heart beat louder in her chest as anxiety started creeping up her spine. Law, who went even against his nature pretended to listen to Doflamingo's orders for all these years only to get a chance at destroying him. That fact was enough to be worried how far Law was willing to take this. He said that it was only a mile stone on his path as a pirate and that after this was done he will return to searching for One Piece but somehow Miyako thought it was only if he survived this meeting with his nemesis.

"I don't like it." Everyone's eyes turned towards the source of that statement. Bepo was standing away from the group, looking at his captain with worried black eyes.

"Bepo?" Shachi questioned the bear with an askance expression.

The polar bear shook his head harshly. "Captain, I don't think you should go and do this alone. It's too dangerous!"

Everyone was silent for a while, as the crew's gaze traveled between the captain and his first mate. Finally, Law spoke up. "Bepo…I know you're worried but you should know best that we've all gotten stronger in these past two years. If I can't do even this much, how can I even call myself a captain," as always, Trafalgar was strict even on himself. That's what brought him this far, after all. "This plan is the best solution...Caesar Clown is a suspicious guy, he won't want to cooperate if he feels threatened," the captain explained everything to the bear in a reasonable manner. It was simply a logical course of action.

"But…at least let me come with you," still the bear was surprisingly stubborn about this. Perhaps he shared the same worries as Miyako.

Even more surprising was the fact that Law didn't lose his patience yet as he would with other crewmembers when they would question his judgment. Instead, he continued in an even voice. "Bringing a bear with me would fall under the category of being threatening, Bepo," the captain sighed.

"Ah…that's right. Sorry," as if only realizing it, the bear sadly bowed his head.

"Bepo, you of all should know what captain Law is capable of. There's no way he'd lose, right?" Cody grinned at the bear who gave the medic a questioning look. "Just trust him," the medic nodded.

"Let's have a party tonight!" Ari exclaimed suddenly.

Eli sighed by his side. "Ya just wanna have a party an drink, dontcha?"

"Whatever! I agree with my man Ari here!" Penguin suddenly swung his arm around Ari's shoulder, pulling them both forward with his weight. "We have to ceebrate the job well done, getting into the Shichibukai without a problem, and our plans going well without a hitch so far. Let's party tonight!"

"I'll go if there's fish!" Even Bepo joined in, some of his nervousness from before gone now. He was glad that everyone decided to stay by captain's side even though he was also worried about Law going on his own to Punk Hazard. Was there really no other way? However, the polar bear trusted his friend and captain, believing in his strength.

The samurai watched the sight before her with the Heart Pirates fervently discussing about the plan among themselves. They all looked excited to 'change how this world turns' as Law said. However, the girl just couldn't feel as excited as they were about this. Unable to take it, Miyako turned around and exited the galley, leaving the rowdy pirates behind. She didn't notice that a certain pirate captain was watching her back with an unreadable expression as she left.

~…~

Even as she stood outside on the deck, she could still hear the loud voices of the partying pirates in the galley. However, Miyako preferred to be alone right now to clear her head while breathing the fresh, night air. It was a bit chilly outside at this hour but that only helped her calm her thoughts and think about the whole situation rationally.

It's not that she didn't trust Law or believe in his strength. She knew better than most how strong the captain really was. But that still didn't change the fact that she was worried about him. Perhaps, if he was going on his own to deal with any other person, she wouldn't feel all this anxiety. But exactly because he was dealing with Doflamingo, Miyako felt this fear inside of her. She didn't know much about the older Shichibukai, but she knew how dangerous it is to have your emotions get in the way when fighting an opponent. And Law was probably in danger of just that since he'll be fighting a hated enemy he obviously has history with. She just couldn't stop thinking about that day when Law first told her about his relationship with Joker. At that time, there was so much darkness in Law's eyes, it was surprising even for this man they called the Surgeon of Death.

*I don't like this….What…what if he doesn't come back? What if he doesn't make it back to Zo?* These thoughts kept swirling in the girl's mind.

Suddenly, she remembered what Law whispered to her when they were trapped inside that shelter on the island. Unconsciously, she squeezed her hand to her chest, biting her lower lip. The events of that time came rushing back, remembering her own thoughts about the captain at that time. *No…after everything I realized, I don't want him to go away now of all times!*

That's when someone sighed behind her. "You are overthinking things again," the deep voice of her captain came from behind.

She partly turned towards him, giving him a sideways glance, but stayed silent as she watched the man walk over to her. Law stopped beside her, staring at the night before them. Still looking at the dark horizon, the man spoke again, "You should go back inside, you'll just catch a cold out here." Even if his words could be interpreted as concern, his voice stayed even as if he didn't really care either way. It was always hard to tell what this man was really thinking.

"What's that, doctor's orders?" The girl joked sarcastically, pretending that she wasn't upset about her troubling thoughts. She stole a glance at the captain, seeing he smirked at her words. However, her mask of unconcern didn't last long as he looked down at her feet sadly. "You're unfair…"

This time Law was the one who glanced at the girl, interesting what she was talking about. He didn't say anything, waiting for her to continue.

"We made a deal, didn't we? You promised that you'll tell me the whole truth one day and I said that I'll wait for that day and form my own opinion on the matter when that day comes…when I have all the facts. I promised to follow till then at least," she stopped for a while to take a breath before continuing. "But now you're going away on your own and I still don't know what to think about it all." Suddenly she looked up at him, anger in her burning golden eyes, "Don't go somewhere where I can't follow, you idiot!"

Law blinked at her words in wonder; unsure should he be more surprised about her feelings or the fact that she just dared to insult him. Finally he stepped closer to her and stared her right in the eyes, almost as if challenging her. "You think I won't be coming back?" It was as if he was silently asking her 'Do you think I'm that weak?'

The girl gulped but stood her ground, returning his stare with her own determined one. "That's what I'm afraid of," she answered honestly. "It doesn't mean that I don't trust you, it just means that I don't want to find out if your plan will work or not."

"Coward," the captain said it so simply that Miyako wasn't sure if she heard it right. Her eyes widened as she felt insulted and was about to respond angrily, before Law cut her off. "Weren't you the one who said all that stuff about nakama fighting side by side. That even if you're not protected all the time, you'll still be fine…that that's what you worked for these past two years. Well I'm the same." He leaned towards her, so close she could feel his breath on her. "Didn't I already tell you to trust me more? Do I need to order it so you would listen?" His lips met hers as if wanting to shut her up before she had any chance to object.

However, instead of objecting, the girl grabbed his collar, pulling him into a deeper kiss as she closed her eyes. Miyako was clutching at his collar as if not wanting to let go. She could feel embarrassment mixed with excitement as her heart beat loudly in her chest. *When did I start to feel like this; thinking that hugging and kissing wasn't enough anymore? When did I start wanting this man like this?*

When they finally separated, both of them were breathing hard. Law gazed down at the girl's eyes, which had a glazed look in them. The way she was looking at him now was somehow different than before; almost longingly. It was enticing. Suddenly, Law covered her eyes with his tattooed hand. *Don't stare at me like that or you'll seriously make me lose control.* However, what actually passed his lips in his usual calm tone was completely different, "Come on, go inside before you seriously catch a cold. I don't want to nurse you back to health for the second time, it's a pain."

"What about you?" The girl tilted her head, clasping both hands around his one and removing it from her face, but she didn't let go afterwards.

"I'll stay here for a while longer," the captain simply stated. In reality he was worried that if he followed her now, he would drag her down to his quarters before she had a chance to protest.

Still holding his bigger hand in her warm grip, Miyako gave Law's hand a light squeeze. She was staring at the ground with a slight blush on her cheeks. "But then you'll catch a cold and that's no good either…so we should…together…"

Trafalgar was about to say something about how as a Northerner the cold didn't affect him the same, but stopped when the girl looked up at him again with that embarrassed gaze. She was doing it again; showing him that longing look in her eyes. He wasn't sure if she was doing it consciously or not, but it was starting to make little difference to him. He was a man that took pride in his patience, but after two years it was getting harder at times. Finally deciding, he clasped the girl's hand in his own and started walking from the deck, down the stairs of the submarine and towards his room. Noises of the partying, and already drunken crewmembers sounded from the galley, but the girl being dragged behind him didn't make a sound of protest.

Even when they entered his quarters and he closed the door behind them, Miyako didn't make a sound. Law walked over to her again and lifted her head so he could look her in the eyes. He just couldn't tell what the girl was thinking right now. His eyes narrowed skeptically, "What is it that you want?"

Miyako bit her lip as if choosing her words, before gripping the front of Law's yellow and black hoodie again. She lowered her head so that her forehead was resting on his chest. "I…I want you to be mine already!"

The girl's lips tightened in a line as she felt her face heat up with embarrassment. She couldn't even look up at Law right now. However, she suddenly felt his body shaking and sounds coming from above. It didn't take her long to realize what was happening. She suddenly pulled her head up and stared at him with a comically shocker expression. "You're laughing at me!" It was more of a statement than a question as she didn't know how else to react than to angrily state the obvious.

The captain stared down at her, grinning evilly with an amused look in his eyes. "Well you sure can say some embarrassing things." She wasn't sure was he teasing or mocking her at the moment; was there a difference anyway?

"You jerk!" Miyako already started to protest before Law cut her off again with another deep kiss. He pulled her head close, entangling both his arms in her hair and cupping her cheeks. He let his tongue lick along her lower lip. However the girl stubbornly kept her mouth closed as if trying to get him back for his teasing commentary. Losing patience, Law bit down on her lower lip, not hard enough to draw blood, but enough for her to gasp in surprise. Quickly, he took advantage of her opening and let his tongue slip in, twisting it around hers.

Even as he pulled away, he kept his hands on her head as if making sure she doesn't run away the first chance she gets. The girl was panting, with rosy cheeks from the warmth they just shared and glazed eyes of want in them. However she wasn't trying to run away as usual. Even Law's grey eyes were darker than before. "Are you ready to take responsibility for those words? After saying that and even coming to my room willingly…you can't object whatever I do to you," his voice was raspier than usual as he slowly felt his patience slipping away. If they go any further than this, he wasn't sure he would be able to stop later even if she begs him to.

However, Miyako's next words completely took him off guard. "Alright," she simply stated while looking at him with completely clear eyes. She knew exactly what he meant yet she answered like this.

Law's eyes widened as he was about to throw all caution to the wind, but his rational mind still prevailed and stopped him. He was cursing his own logically-working brain right now but he couldn't go forward without inquiring about this anomaly. "Why are you in such a hurry?"

Not expecting his question, Miyako blinked in surprise and gazed up at him. "Eh?"

Making a bit of distance between them, Law continued. His voice was once again his usual one, as the conversation calmed him down a bit. "For someone who was so set on keeping her first time, even saying it should only be on your honeymoon…yet you're suddenly so ready."

"That's…" Miyako stared down at the floor again. "We've been through so much already, risking our lives and almost dying a couple of times. Even today…To be honest things changed a lot over these past two years, but I am certain about one thing more than ever," She looked back up at Law, straight into his eyes. "I wanted to properly show you my feelings. I don't want to regret not being able to convey my feelings to you."

Trafalgar sighed as he stared back at her. "Regret, huh? Are you planning my death or something? Don't just decide that for yourself…" He kept quiet for a while, looking troubled as he started talking again, "So regret over doing it is better, huh?"

Still with the same clear and determined expression, Miyako answered immediately. Her answer came out so naturally that it actually surprised the captain a little. "That won't happen." Seeing the man's questioning gaze, she continued with a confident smile on her face, "I don't know if I'll stay with the Heart Pirates forever and maybe one day our feelings will change; but I'm still certain that I won't regret it. I'm happy that my first time will be with you." The girl nodded, but then added decisively, "Even though you are sadistic and sometimes creepy."

Trafalgar's eyebrow twitched in annoyance at her last words. And here she almost managed to seem cute for a while.

"Kya!" Miyako suddenly exclaimed as she was pulled and pushed down. Opening her eyes widely she realized she was lying on her back on the soft bed with Law on his hands and knees looming over her.

There was an evil smirk on his lips as he examined her like a predator. "Is that so? Yet you came here anyway. It really means that you're prepared whatever I do to you." He trailed off as he leaned down, capturing the girl's lips again before moving on to her neck and trailing kisses down her collarbone.

Miyako felt the heat rise in her as if all the warmth from Law's body seeped into her. She tried to stifle her moans and voice but every now and then, a wince or gasp would come out when Law hit a sensitive spot. She closed her eyes shut, feeling heat in her face. She was probably as red as a tomato. *Wha! This is so embarrassing after all! Even though I came here mentally prepared…* Her thoughts were cut off when Law's warm hands started moving up her stomach, moving her shirt up as well. Miyako's eyes opened suddenly as she felt his skin on her own. His tongue was still licking the vein on her neck while his one knee moved between her legs. Suddenly everything was happening so fast, she felt dizzy. *It feels strange! It's too hot and I can't seem to calm down!* "W-wai." She was cut off when she felt Law raise her shirt and reveal her bra underneath. The girl suddenly turned a few deeper shades of crimson.

"Wait!" Half shout half moan came out of her as she finally found the strength to push him off and sit up on the bed.

Law watched her with questioning eyes that were glazed over with want. His gaze alone was enough to make her shiver in anticipation. "What? Don't tell me you changed your mind?" He raised a questioning eyebrow.

"That's not it but…it's too fast! I'm not prepared," she objected fiercely. "A-at least let me…take off my own clothes and prepare myself."

It seemed Law was mulling over her request, but finally sighed and nodded! "Alright." Still watching her skeptically, he sat back to give her some space.

Miyako grabbed the hem of her shirt and was about to pull it up when she noticed Law's stare. "Don't look," she warned, suddenly feeling too exposed.

Law's eyes narrowed in response. "Don't order me around." He kept his firm gaze on Miyako as if giving her a warning.

However, the girl only returned his stare with her own, unprepared to go further if her certain conditions weren't met. Giving up, Law sighed and closed his eyes. "Fine." However, as he heard the rustling of clothes, Law was slowly losing his patience, becoming agitated. Why did he have to listen to her anyway? *This is getting us nowhere,* with that thought, the captain opened his eyes to see the sight before him. The first thing he noticed were the neatly folded clothes at the side of the bed, which almost made him laugh. It was so much like her, a Wano traditional girl, to do that. However his amusement vanished when he noticed the girl in front of him. Her back were turned to him, perfect and pale except for a few long pink lines. They were barely visible now but Law instantly remembered what they were; whiplashes. He felt a small sting of anger rise inside his chest at the memories. Despite himself, the captain reached for her back, trailing his fingertips over one of the scars.

The sudden touch startled her, making her straighten her back, as she gasped. She was only in her panties now, trying to hide her well-developed chest with her arms as she slightly turned back to look at the man behind her. Her cheeks turned even brighter red as she saw Law watching her with the corner of her eye. Realization hit her and the girl's eyes widened as she let out a yelp and quickly grabbed the sheets, throwing them over her head and hiding beneath them. She looked like nothing more than a lump underneath the white fabric; definitely not a sexy sight.

Law didn't know whether to sweat drop or chuckle at this point. „Oy...Come out from there," he called out in amusement.

„No way! You promised you'd keep your eyes closed!" A muffled voice came out from underneath.

Law sighed, suddenly feeling exasperated. *Am I supposed to keep my eyes closed the entire time, then?* „No, I agreed on closing my eyes. I never said how long I will keep them closed." A smirk appeared on his lips as he answered her.

*He's beating me on a technicality!?* The girl almost chocked out in disbelief, but managed to leave the question in her thoughts only. Suddenly, the darkness was lifted from above her and she found herself face to face with Law. He got tired of waiting for her and simply pulled off the sheets off of her.

Before she had time to protest, he came closer, taking a strand of her long hair in his fingers. "Hn...you even let down your hair." Indeed, her red ribbon was neatly folded with the rest of her clothes. "You could've at least let me do that much."

"Eh? Well if you want, I can tie it bac-" She started to say but never got to finish as Law kissed her and pushed her down under him at the same time. Her long hair enveloped them as she fell on the soft matrass. Once again that heat arose inside her as she felt the captain's hands all over her now-naked body. It felt even more real than before; telling her that this was indeed happening now. *What do I do…my heart is pounding so fast. I feel like I'm going to faint.* There was a suffocating feeling in her chest and she looked up at Law with teary eyes. "It's unfair…" She barely managed to squeeze out as Law lowered his head, his kisses and licks traveling down her body.

"Hm? What is?" Thinking he was interrupted again, the man stopped and looked back at the girl under him.

"B-Because, you still have all your clothes on," Miyako pouted slightly at the injustice. The only thing gone was his fuzzy hat, resting on his desk now. It's not fair that she was the only one feeing so overwhelmed and embarrassed. She knew Law had much more experience than her concerning this but at least she wanted to level the field a little.

Without a hint of embarrassment in his expression, Law pulled up his hoodie over his head and tossed it somewhere to the side. Miyako's eyes widened at the sight before her; his tanned, well-defined torso with tattoos painted all across his upper body and arms. The slightly disheveled back hair. His features and the deep grey eyes that watched her under him. It made Miyako's breath hitch as she forgot to breathe from the sight for a moment. *Law…he really is handsome…* She found herself thinking this with blushing cheeks, completely mesmerized by the sight before her. She was pulled out of her thoughts when a hand reached down and entangled in her hair, pulling her closer to the captain who bound her in a deep kiss again.

Reflexively, Miyako reached upwards, hugging the man's back and closing her eyes, ready to completely give herself to this man. *Somehow…all the words up until now…They just aren't enough to convey these feelings. Even though I'm scared and a part of me wants to run away…but at the same time I don't want him to let me go. I don't even understand what's going on anymore. Being ashamed, or prideful, or any of these things…somehow in this moment, none of it matters anymore!*

~…~

When Miyako opened her eyes in the morning, she found herself staring at the wall of an unfamiliar room that definitely wasn't her quarters. She scrunched her nose in confusion before the memories on the night before started rushing back to her. The scenes from last night made her whole face turn a bright shade of red as she felt the hotness in her cheeks. *Whaaa, I can't believe I did that last night with Law! But more than that…I can't believe how much it hurt!* From the embarrassment, the girl hid her face in the sheets and turned around sharply, only to feel acute pain in her lower regions. Her hips felt sore and stiff, and the girl had to stop moving immediately to ease the pain.

"What is it, does it hurt?" A lazy voice came from beside her as Miyako's tossing and turning woke the captain. He leaned on his one forearm and watched her with interest as her whole body, entangled in the sheets, quivered from the pain.

"I-it…it…doesn't hurt…" The girl squeezed out through gritted teeth, obviously acting tough.

Law raised an eyebrow skeptically, not believing her for even a second. "Is that so; in that case, why don't you get us some water?" He pointed at the small bathroom that was connected to his quarters.

The girl stiffened once again but this time because of a different reason. "T-that's not a problem," with a confident smirk she went to sit up in bed…and stopped. Even just sitting on a soft surface hurt like hell. She clutched the sheets that she was holding in front of her to conceal her nudity and swayed to the side, trying to keep her wincing voice inside.

The captain smirked evilly, rising one eyebrow in amusement. "Well?" He couldn't' help but tease her further as he saw the stubborn girl trying to ignore the pain.

"I told you it doesn't hurt!" The girl gave him a sulky expression, and whipped her head away from him. Wrapping the sheets around her, the girl took her first step out of bed and stood up. If sitting hurt like hell, then this was pure agony. She took a step forward, too stubborn to admit how much she was feeling every move she made.

Finally, the captain sighed, seeing that the bullheaded girl would rather endure the pain than admit her defeat. As she tried to move, she looked like a penguin waddling away; the thought almost made him laugh. Having decided that he tortured her enough for now, Law grabbed her hand and pulled her back onto the bed.

"Wha!" Miyako couldn't help but screamed as she was suddenly pulled backwards and fell onto the soft mattress, enveloped in white sheets. She came eye to eye with the captain as he stared at her from above, his head upside down in her view.

"There's no need to act tough, it hurts for all women on their first time," Law simply stated without even changing his expression, unembarrassed by the topic at all. He sounded more like a doctor informing his patient, then a loving boyfriend. Well in Law's case, perhaps it was too much to compare him to a loving boyfriend anyway. Even just the word boyfriend and Law in the same sentence sounded weird to Miyako as she thought about these things.

Finally, the girl gave up on pretense and said with a bead of sweat on her forehead and a troubled expression, "I must say, I admire all the women who can do this more than once. They have to endure such pain…perhaps I have a new opinion on the brothel women in Wanokuni."

Trafalgar stared at the girl, who was still under him, with an expression of wonder as if she was talking crazy. Finally, he had to keep in his laughter as he understood what she meant. "Honestly, you're such a traditional woman." She doesn't even know how sex works, does she? Well at least not much besides basics. She wasn't completely lost last night but that's pretty much because Law took care of everything. Well that's not that bad either…that just means he can have his fun teaching her. He was sure teasing her will be a delight too. He had to conceal a devilish smirk that threatened to appear at these thoughts. *Perhaps I should tell her it only hurts for the first time and gets better as you do it.* He mulled over it for a while but then decided it would be more amusing to see her surprised expression when she finds out next time. Grabbing her chin, Law stared at her right in the eyes. "Well whatever…you'll understand next time."

Miyako's eyes widened at the statement. "Eh? Next time!?" She was about to protest but her objections only became muffled sounds as Trafalgar closed his mouth over her own in a kiss.

~…..~

Somehwere in the New World, a large ship sailed the waters. Another one, even bigger ship was slowly sailing beside it. The deck of the first ship was covered in blood and dead bodies. Only a few men stood there, alive and well. One of them sat in a large throne-like chair made of various metals and weapons.

"Heh, they were really idiots, attacking us like that…" A tall man with long blonde hair and a mask covering his face commented at the dead people around them.

"Boss, look at this morning's newspapers!" One of the Kid pirates tossed a piece of bloodied newspapers to his captain. Eustass Captain Kid took the papers and read the front page; 'A new Royal Shichibukai arises; Trafalgar Law!' Under the large title was an article about the man called the Surgeon of Death and his bounty, together with the Heart Pirates.

Kid's expression changed into a dissatisfied one as he all but glared at the picture of the pirate in front of him. "That guy…what is he thinking? Did he go crazy; becoming the dog of the Government?"

~…..~

A young girl with bright pink hair kept eating in a restaurant without even taking a breath. "More food, dammit! Bring me more!" She yelled, stuffing two slices of pizza in her mouth, at once. "Hn?" Suddenly she saw a man sitting at the table next to hers reading a newspapers. The front page that was turned towards her read a large article of Trafalgar Law becoming one of the Shichibukai. Jewelry Bonney gulped down her food with a tall glass of beer. Taking the papers from the civilian beside her who look too frightened to response as soon as he recognized her, she stared at the article. "What is that guy panning now?" She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

~….~

Capone Bege sat behind his desk, smoking a cigar as he rested on his ship. Suddenly a man in a tuxedo from his crew entered after loud knocking, disturbing his peace. "Eh? What do you want?"

"Captain, look at this!? It's one of the Supernova…he became a Shichubukai!" The man exclaimed and presented the morning newspapers to his captain.

Capone's eyes narrowed as he read them. "Trafalgar, huh? How disappointing…to become a dog of the government."

~…~

"You're telling me they need men there!? Alright, dispatch a group of pirates immediately!" A man with make-up on and a large red nose ordered around some of his crewmembers.

"Yes, captain Buggy!"

"Buggy, look at this!" A tall man with a strange black hairdo turned into a number three showed his nakama the newspapers. "It's Law from the War at Marineford!" Mister 3 exclaimed and showed the article to a blue-haired pirate.

"Whaa? Law became a Shichibukai? What's up with that, even though I just became one myself!" Buggy protested loudly.

"I see! He must've heard that captain Buggy became a Shichibukai and wanted to follow your example!" One of the men in Buggy's crew exclaimed with sparking eyes. At this, the other crewmembers also awed in understanding, shouting and sheering for their captain. "As expected of captain Buggy! Hoooo!"

Mister 3 watched the dimwitted crew from the side while Buggy basked in their adoration, laughing with confidence and talking something about how Trafalgar will become his subordinate soon. *There's no way any of that is true, though…* The man thought with a sweat drop.

~…~

All throughout the world, the news of Trafalgar Law becoming a Shichibukai spread out like wildfire. Civilians, marines, other pirates…everyone commented of this new situation on the busy streets.

That's why it wasn't strange when the news reached a certain tall man wearing a pink coat of boisterous feathers. Doflamingo sat in his chair on the balcony, enjoying the sunny day in Dressrosa, while he examined the morning papers. A wide grin appeared on his face as he stared at the young man on the front page. "You've grown….Law."

At that time nobody knew, that the eyes of Donquixote Doflamingo had already been turned towards the Surgeon of Death.

---

That's it for this chapter! Thank you everyone for reading! Ninja Penguin is in action, while Cody and Josh are strong enough to fight haki users now! The training they all went thought, paid off! :D Also Miyako's and Law's relationship reached a new stage. ^^ What worried me a bit was how to do a bit with the Heart Pirates crew and how much will Law tell them about his history with Doflamingo. I hoped to see some indication of it in the manga but it seems that won't happen for quite some time. So I decided that he would tell them part of it, but leave the personal details out. So that's it for the newest chapter and next chapter is Punk Hazard finally!

Thanks again for all the awesome reviews. I wanted to answer anyone but then realized, wow, there are really a lot of them! :O So I tried to answer as many as I could, but tried not to make it too long.

TrafalgarDWatelLaw: Thank you, I try to proofread my chapters but sometimes mistakes still elude me. Hopefully, it doesn't affect your reading and the story too much. I'll try to get better at grammar, though. Hehe yes, I actually have something like that in mind but since I need to move along to the cannon plot, I decided to let it wait until I can write some original fillers again. ^^

Onepiecelawfan: Thank you for the support and wonderful comments. I might be a slow writer though, so please bear with me. ^^'

VodkaThief: I took notice of it this time, thanks for warning me. :o

GlassedGamer: hahaha I agree, that would be perfect! The atmosphere in the submarine would never be the same after that. :3 Also you wrote about wondering how they're first time would be; now you know. ;)

Izzie: Welcome back! Glad to have you back! :Dhaha Indeed, I think she'll have a blast seeing how Law is losing to Straw Hat's craziness. XD

Lucy Jacob: I'm glad you liked it. I know there's quite a lot of chapters to catch up on, but I hope they'll be interesting to read. ^^' And there's definitely gonna be more of Sai. ;)

GloriousMissy: hehe yeah, I must say I'll miss him and Josh now that the cannon plot is starting. I hope they get to meet the Straw Hats too one day. :D

NightStar85: Yeah, I definitely can't see Law as a married man, and going through any wedding ceremony. ^^' Well it seems a lot of people were wondering about their first, and hopefully I managed to pull it off. I don't think it was too rushed a decision on Miyako's part either.

Flypool: I hope you'll also like the rest. ^^

Bioware: hehe I think I'm getting good at surprising readers with unexpected twists. Bwahaha! :D

Thedarkdoctorgirl: Hey, welcome back! ^^ haha Great minds think alike! XD Well I don't feel like Miyako 'lost' even if she said "I love you" first. Because even though the two of them started out competitively, they're feelings slowly changed until the fact who said it first didn't even matter anymore. That's why Law didn't feel like he had won, either.

Memarvo: Guess I'm doing it whenever. XD I wish I knew a bit more info on Law and his crew from the cannon, but unfortunately I can't wait anymore to start the PH arc. It's been long enough, so I'm starting now. At least we'll get to find out more about Law's past before that.

Yumisawamura: haha well maybe not a pervert face but he definitely stared. XD Thanks, I think I can honestly say I'm better at fight scenes than love scenes. ^^' I think your take on the "I love you scene" is pretty accurate actually, yes. :) Somewhere along the lines, it stopped being a game for them. Haha I don't think he would get a nose bleed, but he would definitely be surprised. But I don't think Miyako would wear those clothes even if her life depended on it. ^^' Oh sorry, it means Name or Identity.

Iluvninjas: Ah~ Evil auto-correct strikes again.

ThexWhitexPhoenix: haha That's a good message, indeed. :3 Yep, that's true, he can learn a thing or two from Miyako. ;)

FloraChi: Breathe! XD Thank you, for saying all that. ^^

NoName: hehe might be. It'll definitely be interesting to see how Law will react to Sanji and Momo around Miyako.

Cocobear: I searched for that word in the text but I couldn't find it anywhere. :O Wow, I think that is an awesome theory and you just gave me an excellent idea related to it. :D I think adding a tailor to the Heart Pirates would be a great idea, so with your permission I would like to add one (cause it was your idea). :)

At first I just wanted to make him sound really piratey, but sometimes when I think of him and his speech, I think of Haggis McMutton from a game called Monkey Island, who really is Scottish! So I guess there's some truth in Munk sounding Scottish.

JustChan: haha As I said before, you known me well. :P I think it's because Miyako cries so rarely so it's a special sight. ;) As for the time skip question; there are about two months until the full two years, but it's all according to plan so we can safely proceed onto PH.

Shiningheart of ThunderClan: Haha well I was actually grinning while reading your review. I'm happy that I could surprise you all and that I managed to make a confession without turning it too much into mush.

Ubermarine: Protagonist uses stab. It's super effective! :3

Narumiyu: hehe Thanks. Somehow, when there's Penguin involved, it's always perverted, yet hilarious. :P

little101: Ugh, I know, I'm also glad about that. I don't like too much lovey-dovey stuff either. ^^'

Hitoshirezu Ryu: I'm glad you like the chapter. As always I try to integrate some cannon facts into the original story (at least as much as I can find out from the manga ^^'). As for the ice crystal, indeed, the Heart pirates won't have to worry about being poor for a long time. It might come in handy later.

Zod'a Quatique: Thank you very much. I always try to make my chapters long enough, though I'm slow at writing and posting them. So I'm sorry since you had to wait long. ^^'