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

57. Chapter 57

"I don't like you!" by BloodyMarryMe

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

So my exams are finally over, which means back to writing! Yay! This is the first chapter of the long-awaited Punk Hazard arc, so I hope you guys enjoy it!

Have fun!

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CHAPTER 57

„Are you sure we're keeping the right course?" Bepo kept peering over Sai's shoulder as the navigator sat at his control panel.

Sai sighed, already exasperated from the bear asking that every ten minutes. "Yes, I'm sure Bepo, we're heading for Punk Hazard."

"I'm just saying…there's no way we can be sure since it doesn't even show on the log pose," the bear shrugged his large shoulders.

"No, but that's what navigators are here for. Bart and I already calculated everything by using captain's information about this island and drawing it on the map of that part of the New World," the younger navigator reassured his first mate once more. "As usual, you worry too much," he added.

Bepo was about to say more but Jean Bart spoke up first. "He's right. Besides, you can already see it…Look, we're already in another climate," he nodded towards the main window of the navigational room, gazing at the grey, thick clouds before them. Light snow was already falling down as they reached a winter climate.

"So this is a winter island," Sai commented at the harsh change in weather.

"Not quite," the voice came from the large captain's chair facing the window. Law was staring at the horizon laid out before him, playing with the guard of his nodachi in one hand. "There are rumors that this was the place where admirals Aokiji and Sakazuki fought their battle for the succession of the Fleet Admiral position. It is said that the damage was so grand it only left ruins behind. Because of their logia powers, the whole place was either burnt or frozen. That's why half of Punk Hazard now is in deep snow while the other side is burning and filled with lava. Those two actually created two separate climates on one island with their abilities," Law explained in his usual monotone way. Even if he was impressed by that, he wasn't showing it.

On the other hand, Bepo shivered at the mere thought of it. "Those two are really crazy strong aren't they…" But then his mood suddenly changed. "Ah, but we don't have to worry about them anymore, now that you've become Shichibukai captain!" The bear exclaimed in relief, remembering that they were given amnesty from the government.

Law stayed silent, not commenting on what Bepo said. He only kept his gaze out at the distance, where the outline of a new island was already seen.

~…~

The kettle in the kitchen rattled as the unfinished stew inside slowly boiled over the fire. Munk was humming a tune as usual, while dicing some vegetables to prepare them for the crew's next meal.

"Ouch!" A voice exclaimed behind him and the large chef turned around to see the Wano girl sitting in her usual spot, nursing her bleeding finger. It seemed she cut herself while preparing some meat for the stew. Luckily the cut didn't look that deep and the bleeding stopped quickly, as Miyako put the finger under tap water.

"Tis been a long taime since ya cut yarself on duty, lass. Somethin' troublin' ya?"

Miyako sucked on her slightly sore finger, examining the shallow cut on her index digit. It was red but it'll heal soon. She went to one of the cabinets, taking out a small emergency aid kit. They didn't have it before, but when Miyako joined them Munk insisted they put one there. That's how often the girl would hurt herself at the beginning when she was still learning how to cook. "No…well…apart from the obvious," the girl sighed. They'll be reaching Punk Hazard soon, which meant they'll be leaving their captain behind on this island and moving on to Zo. Even after all this time that Miyako had to come to terms with that fact, she still couldn't. It just didn't feel right to her. I wasn't right. She jumped, a bit startled when she felt Munk's heavy hand on her shoulder.

"It be fine! Cap'n be a strong man, he can take care o' 'imself. He ain't tha sort tho lose easy," the chef reassured her with a confident grin on his face. Even Munk didn't doubt Law, not even for a second. It made Miyako fee guilty since she felt like she was the only one having these worrying thoughts. She wasn't the only crewmember though; Bepo was trying to persuade Law to take him with him a couple of times more after Trafalgar announced his plan; it was the first time Miyako saw the bear so assertive towards Law. Needless to say, the first mate's efforts were futile.

Nevertheless, seeing Munk's cheerful face made Miyako feel better. She smiled and nodded at him. The man returned her smile with his own, giving her a good slap on the back. With his strength, it made air rush out of Miyako's lungs as she stumbled forward a bit. However, the chef didn't even seem to notice that as he laughed full heartedly. "So cheer up, will ya!"

~….~

The yellow submarine sailed closer to the snow-covered shore, as the navigators expertly avoided icebergs floating around in the sea. The snow was now falling stronger, piling up onto the thick layers of white already covering the island.

The doors of the submarine opened and a few Heart Pirates walked outside in thick coats, examining the island's shore. Everything seemed deserted and bared, covered under deep snow, as far as eyes could see.

"Are we even sure there are people here? Everything looks dead?" Penguin tilted his head in question, resting his hands on his hips.

"I'm sure," a voice came behind them, startling the crewmembers. They turned around to see Trafalgar Law leaning on the metal doorframe with his hands in the pockets of his long, black coat. The white hat on his head protected him from the snow and cold.

"Why is everything so barren?" Shachi asked the captain, following him as the man walked towards the railing. Behind him, Bepo walked out, only in his usual orange jumpsuit since his fur warmed him in this weather, carrying Law's nodachi in his paws.

"It must be because of the fight between Sakazuki and Kuzan, right?" The other mechanic shrugged his shoulders as he pointed out.

However, the captain shook his head. "Actually, this was one of the government's research facilities ran by Vegapunk in the past. However, it seems about four years ago there was an accident with some poison gas, which destroyed everything and everyone on the island. After this Punk Hazard was deserted; that must be why the admirals chose to fight here," Law explained to his crew.

"Is it even safe to be on the island then?" Bepo shivered at the thought.

"Well if those two could breathe there, then it should be ok. The gas must've dissolved by now," the dark doctor answered, unconcerned.

"The clouds on the other side of the island seem strange…" Sai commented as he walked out on the deck suddenly and neared the railing. He was watching the dark clouds on the other side, which produced thunder occasionally. "It's as you said captain, it's like the climate there is completely different than on this side. It must be really hot out there, judging by those clouds there," Sai commented. It was one of the few times he let go of his usual monotone voice as he actually sounded a bit impressed by this weather anomaly.

Law didn't answer but instead looked back at the snowy mountains of the islands, ready to head out.

"Captaaain!" Voices and running footsteps sounded from the inner parts of the submarine before all the Heart Pirates started rushing out onto the main deck.

"Don't push, step aside!"

"You step aside, moron!"

Some got stuck in the entrance, trying to hurry out at the same time.

Josh kicked Sam and Carl, who got stuck at the entrance, in the back making them fly face first onto the deck. "Don't block the entrance!" The redhead shouted impatiently, showing no mercy to his crewmembers.

Law blinked a few times at the sight of the whole crew standing before him on the submarine. They all wanted to see their captain off.

"Good luck captain!"

"Actually we have something to show you! A surprise, surprise!" Ari grinned excitedly.

The Shichibukai tilted his head in interest, silently asking what it was. The pirates just kept grinning mischievously but there were some murmurs and commotion in the back. Finally, one of the Heart pirates came out, holding something in his hands. It was Zeek, the tailor of the crew. Like everyone else he had the white overall with the sewed-on jolly roger of their crew on it. It was actually made by him just like all the uniforms and jolly roger signs on their clothing, including Law's. He was a shy one, mostly keeping to himself, with bright blue eyes and messy black hair, though his face was mostly hidden by the grey snow cap he always wore.

"That is, we-" Zeek started a bit too quietly as he suddenly felt all eyes on him, including captain's.

"Actually, we used some of the money we got from selling those ice crystals after what happened there and bought a bunch of materials…for our new uniforms!" Louis finished for him before the tailor could explain.

"Surprise!" Shachi smiled with a chuckle. "New uniforms for the whole crew!"

Zeek revealed what he was holding in his hand, showing a long overall similar to the ones they were wearing, except this one was black. It had their jolly roger sewed on the front and a large one in the back. "It's easier to take care of blood and other stains when it's black…especially since the mechanics always get theirs covered in oil," the made a pouting expression while staring at the group of mechanics in the crew.

"It can't be helped," Penguin shrugged defensively. "More importantly captain, we thought now that you are a Shichibukai we should change our image a little too. Maybe look a bit scarier!" He grinned at the thought.

"Is that really necessary? We already have Jean-Bart over here, for that," Cody interrupted with a matter-of-fact expression, pointing at the large navigator with a scruffy look. Indeed, Jean Bart's face and size could scare anyone.

"Oy…" The said navigator grunted in protest, giving the tall medic a slight glare.

"And don't worry captain, we'll even make Miyako wear one this time. And a hat too!" Josh added, pointing at the samurai.

"I refuse," the girl, however, flat out refused, turning away from the medic with her arms crossed on her chest.

"What?! Aren't you a part of the crew!? It's time to start looking like it, too!" The redhead shouted back.

"No way! I don't get why I have to wear a uniform to be a part of anything? Besides, you remember what happened last time, don't you? I'm not trying that thing ever again! I already told you!" Miyako remembered the awkward and still-painful memories of the time the crew persuaded her to try on the overall. After such an embarrassing display where she had Josh laugh at her for the rest of the day, she swore never again will she wear that hazardous thing!

Instead of blowing a fuse as everyone thought he would, the redhead stopped, suddenly calm. Then, a barely-continued chuckle passed his lips as he made an amused face, trying to keep himself from bursting into laughter. He looked at the girl with a mixture of mocking pity and ridicule. "Yeah, I remember…"

Miyako's eye twitched at the annoying sight of the medic before her. She had to fight the urge to hit him and wipe that expression off his face. *How irritating! That expression is so irritating, it makes me want to stab him!*

"The uniforms are good," Law nodded approvingly at his crew, showing an amused smirk from Miyako's and Josh's antics. He wasn't one to give complements, so getting even that much of a response from captain made the crew's faces light up in happiness. Honestly, they were such a simple bunch. He then took his sword from Bepo's hands and addressed the Heart Pirates for one last time before setting off. It will be a while before they see each other. "Alright, men, listen up! We already went through the plan so you know what you have to do. We will meet at Zo in a few months!" His eyes darted across all his crewmembers, stopping a bit longer on the Wanokuni's samurai. She gave him an undefined gaze in return as she met his eyes, but he couldn't tell if she was still mad at the whole thing or has she finally accepted it. Well, it didn't matter anymore, for Law was going through with his plan either way.

"Aye, aye captain!" The crew called out, saluting their captain with enthusiasm. They watched him walk down the metal ramp of the submarine that connected the vessel with the shore. Without turning back, Trafalgar headed though the snow, disappearing in the mist and cold wind that rose up the snow high in the air.

"Aah, I'm so glad he liked it!"

"We're setting off too, right?"

"Alright guys, I'm in charge until captain gets back so you better all listen to me!"

"Sai, the map you drew for captain of Dressrosa and Green Bit better be accurate!"

"Tch, of course it's accurate, I drew it."

"Yeah but I saw it, it looks like shit. Sai, it's surprising how bad you draw considering you're a navigator."

"I don't want to hear that from you…"

There was a momentary chaos on the deck of the submarine as everyone talked, commented and fumbled around to get back into the warm submarine and to their posts. They also had to prepare for setting off. The crew all ran around, preparing to get off the island, making sure everything was in order. It wasn't long before the yellow submarine was slowly furthering away from Punk Hazard, leaving its captain behind.

~…~

Law walked, seemingly unaffected by the cold wind blowing in his face. The snow was swirling around, creating a cloud and obscuring his vision, but he still pushed while treading through the knee-high snow.

*It has to be here somewhere…Caesar's research facility.* He blocked the wind, putting his hand in front of him and squinting his eyes in hopes he'll see better.

After a while, even he was starting to feel the coldness bite into his skin as he walked on, trying to find the place. Finally, an outline of something large was starting to show not far before him. *This has to be it!*

Achoo!

A small sound came from somewhere behind him. Law instantly stopped and turned around, already opening his nodachi slightly with his thumb on the guard. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously as a shadow suddenly ran across the snow and hid behind a large boulder. The mist and the wind were so strong, Trafalgar didn't notice anyone before but now it was clear as day; he was being followed. He turned around again, feigning ignorance as he continued to walk, keeping his guard up. Suddenly, he whipped back around and created his blue sphere before using his powers; "Tact!" A large pinnacle appeared where the person was standing, he could feel it with his haki, but the person jumped and avoided it hastily. Law didn't stop there. He created numerous pinnacles out of the ground, creating a trap for the suspicious person. Finally, they were completely surrounded by the pinnacles, unable to get out. With that, the captain lunged forward unsheathing his nodachi at the same time and delivering one large slash where he estimated their torso would be. The pinnacles all got cut in half by the slice, just as he caught up with the trapped individual and was ready to slice them up. As he raised his nodachi high in the air for the second attack, Trafalgar's arms stopped. He stared at the now-visible person in silence, unsure what to make of the sight.

The girl wasn't affected by his attack. As if predicting it, she crouched down and avoided the slice by a split of hair, as it passed right above her head. Her golden eyes stared back at surprised grey ones, as she waited for her captain's reaction in silence.

"Miss Miyako….What do you think you're doing?" Law's voice was nothing but a hiss, definitively strained as he tried to control himself from sounding as angry as he was right now. Even the honorific, that was usually left out when the two of them were alone, was back now.

"I followed you," she stated it so simply as if there was absolutely nothing wrong with that fact. The girl stood back up, fixing her plated long winter coat that she was wearing. The hood fell down in all the commotion, exposing her bare skin to the cold.

"I can see that…" Trafalgar had do take a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment as he felt a headache coming, before opening them again and glaring at the girl with a deadly, dark expression. He sheathed back his nodachi, clutching it in one hand. "Why?"

"You guys are always saying how being a pirate means having total freedom. Doing what you want to do…well this is what I want to do. This is what I believe is the right thing to do," she was completely serious as she stared back at Law, taking on his deadly glare with determined eyes.

"So what you want to do is disobey my direct orders?" His voice was louder and colder now. The wind picked up as it started blowing around them even stronger than before. Even so, the two stood there in the cold motionlessly, their coats dancing behind them in the wind.

"I want to have my captain's back," she answered seriously.

They were both staring at each other intensely, but neither one was backing down. "Go back. Right now," there was no patience left in Trafalgar's voice. His face was clearly saying 'don't even think about disobeying me on this.'

"Even if I go back now, they are already long gone. But even if they weren't, I wouldn't go back," Miyako said honestly.

Law stepped closer to her, eyeing her dangerously. "You have crossed the line…have you gone completely insane? I told you I can handle it and I certainly don't need you to protect me," he hissed the words out.

"That's true…and if it's like that, I'll be content," the samurai nodded, closing her eyes for a second before returning her gaze on Law. "But I've seen it Law…that first day you told me about Doflamingo. That's why I couldn't…wouldn't let you go alone no matter how strong you are. Because it's him you're dealing with this time."

Her captain narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Miyako's expression was completely serious as she spoke the next words, "You are willing to sacrifice everything to bring this man down. I saw the look in your eyes…even if it means your own death, you are determined to go through with this plan."

Law couldn't help but widen his eyes a bit at her answer. He didn't expect her to say that of all things; namely because he didn't expect her to notice how far he was actually willing to go. However, that didn't mean she could just disobey him and decide everything on her own! Even if he was willing to die for it, who said he would?! It was as if she wasn't only disrespecting him but also doubting his ability and strength. As if she thought so little of him that she was already writing him off as the loser against Doflamingo. Just the thought of it made the captain seethe with anger inside. "You don't understand…This isn't your fight in the first place. It has nothing to do with you so-"

"You're wrong!" Miyako suddenly shouted, cutting him off. Her eyes were burning with emotion again. "You are my captain so of course it's also my fight! I already decided it the first time I saw that dark look in your eyes, I decided to keep you from death through this. I knew you'd do something like this sooner or later…that's why I'm here. I know, it's only my own selfishness, but I'm fine with it, I'm fine with being selfish. I'm not here to protect you as if you are some weakling in need of protection, but I am here to keep my captain from dying no matter what! You have your mission but I also have mine! And I'm staking my pride as a samurai of Wanokuni on it!" She had to shout now to overpower the loud noises of the wind.

The snow still swirled around them, creating white twisters. Law simply stared at her, slightly startled by her speech. This wasn't just one of her impulses when she acted according to the present situation. No, she has given this a lot of thought….she probably decided on this a long time ago. Trafalgar could see it in her burning eyes; she was going through with this no matter what. Even if he told her not to, she would follow him. He had never before seen Miyako look as determined as she did now. The captain sighed exasperated by the whole conversation but surprisingly, he felt calmer now. Perhaps he didn't even possess the strength to fight her on this anymore. Besides, they could argue as much as they want right now, but their situation won't change; she was here and that was the fact of the matter. "Fine..." He expected her face to light up a little, but she stayed as serious as before, only nodding at him. His eyes narrowed warningly as he continued, "But you are to follow me, silently. When we enter, don't speak unless spoken to. Do you understand? Don't even move unless I give you my permission to do so!? If Caesar gets suspicious our whole plan will be ruined," he emphasized the importance of this.

"I understand…captain," for the first time Miyako gave a barely visible, content smile, nodding her head in understanding once again.

In response, her captain only sighed once more, before turning around and walking towards the research facility.

~…~

The doors of Miyako's quarters opened as the redhead lazily waked in, yawning loudly. "Oy Miyako, Munk sent me to get you. You're late for your duty, the galley will be open for dinner soon," he stopped when he noticed the room was completely vacant. The girl's things were still here but there was no sign of the samurai. *That's strange,* Josh thought but didn't put much importance on it yet. Instead, he turned and exited the room, walking towards the navigator's room. They were under the water now so she couldn't be on the deck, but where else would the girl be?

Jean Bart and Sai were steering the submarine as usual, sailing on a slow underwater current.

Josh opened the doors and leaned on the doorframe, searching around the room with his gaze. Soon his expression turned into a confused frown.

"What's wrong Joshua?" Sai asked. Next to him, Jean Bart gave the medic a questioning gaze, but stayed quiet.

"No, well I can't find that girl anywhere? Did you see Miyako lately?" Josh muttered in thought, getting a bit suspicious now. *Perhaps she went to the galley already and we passed each other without meeting?* It wasn't very convincing even as Joshua thought it, but he couldn't find a better explanation for the girl's sudden disappearance.

"What's going on?" Bepo suddenly walked over, keeping an eye on their navigation every now and then now that he was in charge.

"He's looking for Miya-chan but we haven't seen her either, right Bart?" the younger navigator turned in his chair towards the larger man who simply grunted and shook his head.

"Now that I think about it, I haven't seen her for quite some time either…" Bepo trailed off, putting a claw on his lips in thought.

"Let's check the engine room," the medic suggested, walking a bit hurriedly down to the lowest level of the submarine. He had a bad feeling about this and his intuition was rarely wrong.

However, both head mechanics simply shook their heads and shrugged. They haven't seen the samurai either.

Bepo and Josh stared at each other and gulped, slowly starting to realize what is going on.

~…~

Cody stood on a chair in the infirmary, trying to change an annoyingly flickering light bulb. Even with his tall stature he had trouble reaching it, so he balanced with one foot on the very backrest of the chair. He sighed in annoyance. "Isn't this supposed to be the mechanics' job on the crew?"

"Cody!" Suddenly the doors of the infirmary slammed open and both Josh and Bepo rushed inside at the same time, practically screaming in unison.

The poor medic was so startled by this he jumped in place, which caused him to lose balance on the chair. "Wha!" The pirate started falling backwards, hopelessly flailing his hands to try and regain his balance or at least grab onto something. Alas there was nothing but air and Cody found himself on the floor with a sore butt. "Tsk…" He clicked his tongue in pain and hissed. He slowly stood up, rubbing his ass while he put the chair back in its proper place. "What's with you guys, so suddenly?"

"We tried to find Miyako but she was nowhere to seen and I'm worried she was left behind on the island and what should I do…?!"

"The woman is nowhere to be found and I have a very bad feeling about this, she must've gone off on her own again, I just know it, she definitely did something…!"

Both pirates started yelling at the same time, incoherent words rushing out of them. Cody could only stand there and blink at them in puzzlement, not understanding anything they were trying to say. The two weren't stopping either, as they just kept on with their own rambling. "Enough!" Finally, the bluehead had enough of this chaos shouted to stop Bepo and Josh from continuing on. "I have no idea what you're trying to say, so just speak up clearly…one of you!"

"Miyako is gone!" Both Bepo and Josh yelled in perfect unity with panic in their expressions.

~…~

Miyako took down the hood of her coat and looked at the large metal doors before them. Both her and Law were standing right outside the research facility where Caesar's laboratory should be.

"Uh…should we ring the bell?" Strangely enough, there was a white button on the side of the doors, used for ringing.

Law looked up at the upper right corner of the doorframe, examining the small den den mushi which stared right at them, sending the visual picture to the control room inside. "I believe they are already aware of our presence," he stated.

As if confirming his statement, the heavy doors started slowly opening, showing a gaping darkness inside. Miyako narrowed her eyes and put a hand on the hilt of her katana. Just then, a clicking noise of loaded guns sounded off in the dark room ahead. Dozen men were standing there, aiming their rifles at the two pirates. They all had strange yellow suits on them, covering their faces with gas masks. Some of them had large tanks on their backs which connected to their guns with a single hose.

"Stand down," Law warned her quietly as he saw her tension. Instantly, the samurai removed the hand from the katana, obeying her captain.

"Why are you here, Shichibukai Trafalgar Law?!" One of the men shouted, his voice muffled under the suit.

Law took a step forward, ignoring the tension in the cold room. "I'm here to see Caesar Clown," he answered in a voice that seeped authority.

"Master? What do you want with him!?" For a while there was a complete standstill from both sides before the strange men exchanged glances, murmuring something among themselves. Finally one of them pulled out a den den mushi and turned from Law and Miyako, talking into the transponder snail with someone. Even while straining, Miyako couldn't hear anything they were talking about but soon the man faced the pair once more. "Come with us!" The man finally said and the group started leading the two through the room.

As they walked Miyako's eyes got used to the darkness in the room and she had time to observe it more carefully. Even though it was already inside the building, the room was the same freezing temperature as the outside. It was wide and had a high ceiling, but there wasn't anything inside it. The room wasn't furnished and it didn't even have windows. That's when Miyako noticed an outline of the shadow at the nearby wall. She narrowed her eyes as she tried to focus her vision through the darkness, staring at the wall.

The girl gasped, her eyes suddenly wide, as she realized the shadow was actually a person. Well, she wasn't quite sure it could be called a person or was it actually a monster. It was large, like a giant, and had disfigured features. What was most surprising was that the person was inside the wall, which was completely covered in ice. It was frozen inside! What's more, there were more of those frozen, giant creatures throughout the room, trapped inside the ice walls. Miyako took a step back from the wall only for her eyes to accidentally dart towards the floor. That's when she realized the ground was also made out of thick ice and those creatures were also beneath it. Having a bad feeling, Miyako looked up and her suspicions were confirmed; there were more frozen corpses inside the roof of the room. The samurai grimaced in unease. *What's up with this creepy room!?*

Seeing Miyako fidget around at the back of the group, Law turned to look at her with warning eyes. "Don't get left behind, keep up."

The girl jogged on until she was beside him again. "What kind of guy is this Caesar? I think he has some weird hobbies," she whispered to her captain, still gazing around the room with nervousness. She never saw anything like it.

Trafalgar, on the other hand, didn't look affected by their surroundings one bit. He just kept walking forward casually, ignoring the frozen corpses around them. "You better get used to it…we'll be spending a while here, after all," he warned, giving her a look that obviously stated 'you're the one who wanted to come along no matter what so don't dare complain now.'

Miyako sweat-dropped. *Ah…he's still mad…*

When they finally walked out of that room, they found themselves inside a wide hall of the research facility. It was a bit warmer there, with metal walls surrounding them covered in pipes and wires. As they walked on through a labyrinth of halls, Miyako noticed there was a den den mushi watching them set in every hallway. Someone was observing their every move.

It took some time as they walked through the lab, but finally they arrived in a large round room. On one side it was filled with screens showing numerous parts of the laboratory though the den den mushi. Some were even showing the outside scenery around the building. There was a metal counter with a few stools near the screen set. Cabinets and some machines Miyako couldn't decipher were around the room but there wasn't much furniture. The only thing in the middle of the room was a small table with a few sofas placed around it.

"Master, we brought them here as you instructed!" The man in the yellow suit spoke up, leading the group.

That's when the two pirates noticed someone on the far side of the room as he slowly walked towards them. No, not walked…floated. The strange looking man was hovering above ground, his lover body engulfed and hidden by smoke. Actually, Miyako wasn't even sure where his body begun and the smoke ended; it seemed as the two were fused together.

*A logia user?* That was her first thought as she saw this strange sight.

The man called 'Master' by his henchmen was tall and reminded Miyako of satires she often read about in books. Just like them he had two large horns on the top of his head which was covered in black, wild mane of hair. He wore a white coat that appropriately spelled 'Gas' on either side and gloves with his initials CC on them. What interested Miyako even more were the bright yellow eyes that completely opposed his pale complexion.

"Trafalgar Law…" The man came over to them, towering over Law. The pirate captain was definitively not a short man yet the other easily won in height between them. "What brings a Shichibukai here?" There was obvious suspicion in the man's eyes.

"Caesar…" Trafalgar answered as if saying his greeting to the rogue scientist. "I didn't come here on Shichibukai duty, I'm here for my own interests," the pirate answered without blinking an eye. Well, what he said wasn't a complete lie.

"Hmmm?" A slightly high tone came out of the skeptical scientist. "What business would you have here?"

"This laboratory belonged to Vegapunk, didn't it? I hear there's some interesting research left behind here…I want to examine it."

Caesar's eyes narrowed at the mention of the other doctor. "Vegapunk?" He hissed the name. "Ha! That fool shouldn't even be called a scientist! What does he know?! He left this place...abandoned it, along with the wonderful gas research we did here! That guy's just an idiot!" It seemed Caesar Clown had some personal issues with the other scientist as he talked about the man with pure loathing.

"Well I don't care either way…I just want to research this place and take any knowledge I can find here. As a doctor, I'm highly interested in it," Law grinned darkly.

However, Caesar was a suspicious man by nature. "Hmmm?" He leaned in closer to Law examining his face but couldn't find any trace of nervousness or dishonesty in the other man's expression. So he turned his attention to the one next to the captain; Miyako. "Then what about her? Is she a doctor too?"

Miyako was storming her brain to find a suitable answer in this situation when another voice came from behind them. "Burning-Eyed Miyako, bounty; 210 million Beri. She is one of the Heart Pirates…a crewmember of Trafalgar Law the Shichibukai, also known as the Surgeon of Death, bounty; 440,000,000 Beri."

Everyone turned to look at the person who spoke up. It was a young woman with thick glasses covering her eyes and green, wavy, long hair. She was quite tall and well-built. The woman held a book in her hands, as if she just read all that information from it.

"Monet, huh?" Caesar commented on the woman's presence flatly, as if expecting her to show up.

Law gave the woman an unreadable look but after a while turned his attention back to the gas logia user. "You don't have to worry about her, she's simply here as my assistant...a right hand, that's all," Trafalgar commented on Miyako's presence which they discussed before being interrupted by the green-haired woman.

"Assistant? I guess she's like my assistant Monet then…" Caesar still gazed at Miyako a bit suspiciously while rubbing his chin in thought, but he didn't enquire about it further. It seemed that explanation satisfied him for now.

Finally, the scientist went back to sit on one of the sofas. Silently he offered the other sofa to Miyako and Law who sat down wordlessly.

While Law and the gas scientist talked, Miyako's gaze traveled back to the peculiar woman who sat at the counter and started scribbling something in her book. *She seems to know a lot about us, I just hope she doesn't know a bit too much,* even with those thoughts the girl kept her expression calm as to not arouse suspicion from the others.

Meanwhile, the Shichibukai and the logia continued their conversation. "As I was saying, I believe there can be a lot of useful information found here…about the government's plans as well since this was one of their laboratories. So I ask free roam around this island. We won't meddle in each other's business; it's as simple as that. However, as a sign of my good will, I'll help you with your research if you need anything." To Miyako Law sounded very unusual, going as far as offering help to the scientist but luckily Monet and Caesar didn't know the captain's usual nature. Of course the samurai didn't comment on his behavior either.

Once again, before Caesar spoke, Monet interrupted. "He is from North Blue, a doctor. He ate the paramecia-type ope ope fruit…he might be useful to us." She turned back to the surgeon and stared at him. "There are a lot of people here paralyzed by the gas after an accident a few years ago. They can't use their legs anymore. Can you heal them?" For the first time, she removed her glasses showing two piercing yellow eyes underneath. They reminded Miyako of some predator bird or a snake, eyeing her prey and calculating its demise. Everything about the woman screamed 'a calculating harpy.'

"Heh, that would actually be pretty useful…." The gas scientist commented, a small smirk appearing on his face. "It would be great for my subordinates to be a bit more useful for a change."

Monet then turned to look at Miyako. "And Suzune Miyako…she is an expert swordswoman from Wano, we could use her fighting skills if something goes wrong here," the woman smirked, eyeing the samurai girl like a piece of useful data before licking her lips ominously. It made Miyako want to gag as goosebumps appeared on her skin, but she held the feeling in.

The samurai narrowed her eyes at the woman. "If my captain gives me the order I will listen to it…even if it's to play as your bodyguard," she answered calmly, but there was a cold tone in her voice.

"Remember, it would be bad for me if anyone knew I was here, too. Especially the Navy. So don't utter a word about me being here to anyone….including Joker," the captain of the Heart Pirates narrowed his eyes as he stared at Caesar warningly.

"You…How much do you know exactly?" The scientist hissed, unsure whether to be wary or amused about this turn of events. However, he understood Law was right. Even as a Shichibukai he didn't have the right to be on Punk Hazard, a government facility, which would spell trouble for his title if the Navy found out about his involvement on this island. That thought made the scientist relax a little, realizing both of them were practically in the same boat.

"So, do we have a deal?" Instead of answering him, Trafalgar enquired with a questioning but dark stare, wanting to wrap this up. It was actually amusing to him that Caesar was creating here the same SMILE using the information that none other than Law himself acquired for the scientist under Doflamingo's orders. The logia user wasn't even aware of that fact but Law pretended he didn't know anything Clown was working on. Luckily for him, the scientist was offering to tell him by himself and was even asking Law for his help; that will make this whole plan even easier than he expected. The Shichibukai had to suppress from ginning at the thought.

"Not quite yet," the scientist answered thoughtfully. Law's eyes darkened at the answer but he wordlessly gave Caesar a questioning look for the other to explain himself. "I still need something to make sure you won't betray me, Law. After all, the research I'm doing here on Punk Hazard isn't something that should leak out to the public. If the Navy finds out…and you are a Shichibukai after all. So I'll need a bit more than just your word…a precaution if you will," the gas man gave the other a wide grin. He was definitely planning something.

However, Law didn't want to lose the strings he was holding. He wanted to be the one to control the direction of this conversation, including the conditions. "In that case I have an idea…" With that the man did something completely unexpected; he created a blue sphere around them, making everyone stare at him on edge by the sudden use of his powers. He turned his fingers towards his heart and said one word. "Mes." He pushed his fingers towards his chest, until they were actually going inside him. The captain gritted his teeth, enduring the pain as he pulled out a cube out of his chest. Inside it was his own beating heart.

"Law!" Miyako couldn't help but sit up in her sofa, staring at her captain in shock. What was he thinking?!

Ignoring the burning pain in his chest, the captain continued. His dark eyes were hidden beneath the rim of hit hat as he talked. "I don't know how much you know about my abilities, but with this you can crush my heart in your hand and kill me. This will be your reassurance."

Caesar and Monet seemed speechless from surprise for a moment but then suddenly the scientist ginned widely before bursting into laughter. "Shololololololo! Nice thinking Law. Alright, in that case, I will also give you the heart of my assistant in return," he pointed at Monet with a grin. "However! The same goes for your swordswoman here. I don't trust her yet. So Monet will be taking her heart and I will be taking yours, while you will get Monet's heart. Is that satisfactory?"

"Yes, it's fine," Trafalgar answered without looking at Miyako who was sitting by his side.

~…..~

The green haired woman walked casually through the halls with Miyako following right behind her. Finally, she stopped and gazed at the metal doors before her. Monet turned around to face the samurai, smiling slightly. "This will be your room…Suzune Miyako, right?"

The other girl nodded, and peered inside as Monet opened the doors of her new room for her. It was a simple and small room, with metal walls and floor that actually reminded her a lot of her quarters at the submarine. It was differently furnished, with a simple bed, a closet and a desk with a chair next to it. There were also a few shelves above the bed, nailed to the metal wall. However, to Miyako it didn't really matter what kind of a room it was; she wasn't intending to feel at home here any time soon. True, Law said they'll be spending the next few months here but Miyako kept herself prepared for anything, including leaving this place as soon as Law gives the order.

"Cozy…" The samurai commented sarcastically with a frown on her face and stepped inside the room.

Monet smirked, observing the girl all the while with those snake-looking eyes of hers. "I hope you'll get used to it…it seems you'll be staying here for quite some time," the woman answered in an amused tone.

To Miyako her every word sounded like some kind of test, as if probing into her real goals on Punk Hazard. However, the Wano girl stayed calm and collected, mindful of how much she reveals to the other woman. "Why do you think that?"

"Certainly you didn't come all this way to leave so soon. Besides, your captain seems very interested in this research facility and there are indeed a lot of data he can collect. He'll be busy for a while," Monet answered with a shrug before continuing. "However, you don't look like a scientist. Are you here only as a bodyguard…muscle for his brain?" The woman smirked, taunting the samurai as she talked like she doubted the girl's intelligence and usefulness here.

Miyako kept calm, her expression almost bored as if she found it tiresome to speak with this woman. Still her tone was a bit colder than before. "I will use my sword to the best of my ability if need be…even though, I might not have the ability of a secretary like you," the girl answered, taunting Monet while degrading the woman's own position in this laboratory. At least bodyguard beats secretary in her opinion.

Monet smirked at the girl's answer but didn't go further into that topic. Instead, she changed the subject. "Your captain's room will be just across the hall, there," she pointed at the doors across Miyako's.

That fact actually made the girl feel a bit better, knowing Law would be close by in case of any emergency. She still didn't know what exactly they were dealing with and she definitely didn't trust these people. What's more, it seemed Caesar had his men stationed on every corner, making it hard to stay inconspicuous. The scientist was really a cautious man, as Law said. But Trafalgar actually took care of that problem, asking for free access around the island. With that deal, he could move about and research anything he wanted without looking suspicious. What's more, he actually infiltrated into Caesar's research, making the scientist ask for his help and that way allow Law to find out everything about SMILE that he needed to. Miyako couldn't help but feel impressed by how well Trafalgar played his cards, making everything go his way exactly as he predicted. Even now, the gas logia was leading Law on a tour around the facility, showing him exactly what the SMILE research was all about. Of course, Caesar had no idea Law already knew far more about it than he let on, as he was actually the one who stole SAD vials from Vegapunk's laboratory at Abney Cove. The irony almost made Miyako chuckle, but she contained herself seeing that Monet was still keeping an eye on her.

It was obvious the two women didn't trust each other; whether it was simply women intuition or something else. Miyako couldn't put a finger on the reason yet but just in case she decided to keep an especially close eye on Monet. Unconsciously her hand moved over to her chest where a gaping hole was hidden underneath her shirt. There was nothing inside; no beating could be felt from the gaping place. The samurai glanced at Monet again, remembering that this woman held Miyako's heart in her hands….literally.

~…..~

"Sholololo! And here it is," Caesar Clown hovered on his gas over to a sole glass container placed in the middle of the room.

Trafalgar walked into the large round room after the scientist, examining the inside of the said contraption. There was a fruit placed on a metal circle inside the glass, held by four thin needles. The fruit had an appearance of a large blue apple with grey spots all over it.

"And this is the SMILE you were talking about," Law pretended to guess going by the information Cesar just told him about his work.

"Indeed, the one I managed to create all by myself using the SAD gas! Aren't I amazing? Sholololo!" The gas logia laughed in pride, marveling his product. "It does take a long time to create unfortunately, we're still working on it," he added.

*All by yourself? Didn't you just take the original research from Vegapunk?* Law thought sarcastically, but of course kept those thoughts to himself. "How many did you make already?" Trafalgar asked lightly, pretending to only satisfying his curiosity. He had the rough estimation given through torture by one of Kaido's men, Jonna, but he wanted to be certain and what better method than to ask the producer himself.

With a wide grin, the scientist spoke. "Five hundred. As I said, I'm still working on making the production quicker. We've had some…setbacks while researching and manufacturing it, but it's all for the sake of science. There has to be sacrifices," the scientist shrugged wide a wide grin, obviously not truly bothered by the men that lost their lives in the process.

Law smirked. "Hn, so you are that kind of man…? Well, not that I care really. As I said, I'm only interested in collecting data here. What you do with your subordinates is none of my business," the captain answered, keeping a nonchalant expression.

"Shololo...I see. I think we'll get along together just fine…Law," the logia commented with a devilish smirk on his purplish lips.

"Master!" Suddenly, one of the yellow suits called out, entering the room.

"Hmm? What is it?" Caesar turned towards his subordinate with an interested gaze.

"We got a new shipment, it's the-" The man stopped talking as he realized his master wasn't alone in the room. Uncertain, the yellow suit looked back at Law, not sure if he should proceed in front this stranger.

Law saw the unsure look the man was giving him, but stayed quiet. Even though he was interested, he didn't want to appear as if prying. Realizing what the problem was, Caesar glanced between Trafalgar and his subordinate for a moment. "Ah, that. It's alright, you can talk in front of him. He's one of us now," Clown answered with a smirk.

"Ah, I see…In that case, the ship with the new children arrived," the other continued.

Trafalgar narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Children?"

"Shololo…yes well, that is for another research I'm working on. Come, I'll show you," the scientist laughed, amused by Law's interest in his work. He couldn't help but feel proud as he boasted on about his important work here that wouldn't be able to go on without him, while they walked towards the main entrance of the laboratory.

~…..~

Trafalgar and Miyako soon learned that the whole structure of the building was separated into numerous rooms, divided by thick doors that could withstand large blasts and prevent any hazardous material from leaking from one room to the other. The whole research facility had safety measures so that any part of the laboratory could be closed down in case of an emergency, preventing another disaster. Each room of the lab was named by a letter, making easier to orientate.

"Law!" The samurai called out as they met inside of room A which was the entrance room of the laboratory. Another large door was the only exit to the outside and they were automated; they could only be opened by a mechanism inside of room A or from the control room. There was just no way such heavy doors could be manually opened.

The Dark Doctor turned to see his crewmember and Monet walking towards them, heading for the exit as well.

"Ah, Monet, so you heard about it too," the scientist greeted his secretary.

The woman fixed the glasses on her nose and nodded. "Yes, they informed me of the new arrival."

Miyako frowned, staring at Caesar and Monet suspiciously. "What is this all about?" Suddenly, one of those men in yellow suits came to them as she was still talking to Monet and informed them about some ship coming. Unlike Monet who immediately understood, Miyako had no idea what was going on. The samurai tried to ask but the secretary simply chuckled with amusement and told her to wait and see.

Slowly the entrance doors started opening, lifting up to reveal the snowy scenery of the outside. Miyako was glad to still be wearing her winter coat as strong, cold wind started biting her skin. She shivered from the sudden change in temperature before stepping towards the outside. The men in yellow suits ran passed her to the outside, Caesar and Monet following them. The samurai and the Shichibukai exchanged quizzical glances before following their new partners.

Outside, there was a newly arrived ship in the frozen bay. The plank was lowered, and people were already disembarking the ship, while the yellow suits helped them out on the snow-covered shore. There were more of those men in suits walking from the ships, holding those gas rifles in their hands.

That's when Miyako finally realized, they were surrounding a group of children who were fearfully stepping out on shore. "Kids?" She couldn't help but ask out loud.

"That's right, new brats-I mean, new children have come," one of Caesar's men answered.

"But why?" The girl continued with the questions, not understanding why there would ever be children on such a dangerous island as Punk Hazard.

"Hehe, it's Master's new project," the man grinned and snickered, but Miyako obviously didn't understand the humor behind it. She frowned.

Caesar Clown came forward towards the unsuspecting children. They were of all ages, but none probably older than ten. They were all differently dressed as if they didn't even come from the same island and culture. Some were dark-skinned while others were blonde and pale. The only thing these children seemed to have in common was that they all looked scared.

"I want my mommy…" One of them cried.

"Now, now, children, didn't my men explain to you why you were here?" The gas scientist started with a large smile on his face. He hid all his pervious malice that Miyako saw in him.

"They said we were sick and brought us here," a young girl answered quietly.

"Shololo, that's right! You are all very sick. And if you stay with your parents or siblings, you will make them sick too. That's why you will stay here until you get better. But don't fear, for I can cure you! I will help you all!" The scientist answered loud enough for all in the group to hear.

"And…and when we get better, we can go back home?" A boy asked timidly.

For a while, Caesar was silent but then a large grin spread across his face. "That's right," he answered, with hidden venom in his voice.

There was definitely something wrong with this scene…Miyako just felt something wasn't right. But she didn't have any right to call them out on it; she couldn't in fear of compromising Law's position here.

"Now, Monet here will help you get to your new room. You'll see, everything will be just fine, dear children!" The gas logia spread his arms wide as if inviting them to come along.

The kids stared at each other silently, still uncertain about all of this, but they had no choice but to follow the adults. The outside was freezing, with strong wind blowing on their skin. They couldn't stay here anyway.

Monet, a tall woman with a gentle smile on her face, knelt down to be eye to eye with one of the girls. "Come, there are a lot more children like you inside. You can meet them and make friends here. I'm sure we'll all get along, fufu," the woman smiled with a chuckle.

"Take them to the Biscuits Room," Caesar ordered to Monet and his men. "I'll come to take their blood samples, shortly," he added.

"Come on, kids, we'll take you to the others!" The yellow suits started leading the kids away, inside the research facility.

"Caesar, what's the meaning of this?" The surgeon narrowed his eyes, gazing at the scientist.

"Shololo, those kids think they are being treated here for their sickness."

"They're sick?" Miyako walked over to them, frowning at the scientist with a questioning stare.

"No, actually they're perfectly fine. Sholololo! But it's the best excuse to keep them here and use them as guanine pigs for my new project!" The man laughed evilly, completely reverting his personality for 180 degrees from how he acted in front of the children.

Miyako's eyes narrowed, and she opened her mouth, but Caesar continued before she could protest.

"I would usually be worried about you finding out Law, since you're a Shichibukai, but since you're risking your title being here just like me, I suppose it's fine. The way I see it, you can't tell anyone unless you want to be taken down with me as well. As I said, we're in it together now." He stared at Trafalgar tauntingly, to see if the captain will protest.

However, Law simply shrugged his shoulders. "I already told you I don't care what you do. We're here for our own goals. Just like you said; it would be a problem for me too is the Navy comes here." The Shichibukai didn't seem bothered about all this in the least.

Another wide grin appeared on Caesar's face as his eyes sparkled with a devilish gleam. "You really are just a pirate first and foremost, aren't you Law?"

Trafalgar didn't answer anything, only gave the scientist one of his infamous smirks.

That's when Miyako realized she couldn't say anything about this. Even if she didn't like it, even if they were experimenting with innocent children right in front of her eyes, she couldn't do or say anything to Caesar or she would expose them both. Unconsciously, she balled her hands into fists at her sides. *No…I was prepared for this. I already decided to be here, no matter what! Even if this is happening, I can't deter from my own goal here,* she thought with newfound determination. She'll just have to grit her teeth and bear it.

The group turned back to walk inside and take shelter from the cold weather. They followed the first group that was leading the children. Meanwhile, Caesar explained his 'new project' as he called it. "I am devising a new kind of warfare. A new weapon," he started. "Of course those idiots from the Government would never acknowledge my great research; they have no idea what the future needs! But luckily, there are enough people in the underworld who would pay good price for a new kind of weapon," he grinned.

"So what are you doing to them?" Miyako asked, referring to the children, her voice sounding emotionless. She has reached her resolve already.

"I am trying out a new drug that would create giants! Just think about it; you could have a whole army of unstoppable giants! Who would able to beat that!? Sholololo!" Caesar explained, laughing loudly.

"Artificial giants," Law commented, thinking about the possibilities.

"Yes. However, I still haven't perfected it. That's why I need more children for my research. I can only experiment on them since I need humans that are still growing. Then I can use the drug to accelerate their growth until it excels so much that they grow into giants," the scientist smiled with satisfaction as they walked inside the facility again. Behind them, the large doors lowered and closed, leaving them in a dim-lighted room.

"But where do you even find them?" Miyako asked the scientist as they walked through the halls.

"Shololo, we have our ways. It's enough to tell those gullible parents we're from the government and that their kids need treatment, and they practically give them to us! Sholololo!" The man laughed, his strange voice bouncing of the walls. His smirk faltered a bit at another thought, "Though there are some more skeptical than the others…but we have our ways to deal with them as well."

*So they kidnap them! But how do they make the parents believe that they're really from the government…? Do they have someone on the inside?* Miyako's thoughts were cut off by laughter of children. Her golden eyes widened and she blinked in puzzlement. She didn't see that room before.

"This is the Biscuits room, where we keep….the sick children," the gas logia said sarcastically with malice in his yellow eyes. He opened the doors and gave Law and Miyako a view inside.

Miyako's eyes widened at the sight. The room was large, painted in bright colors and filled with toys. It was also filled with children of all sizes. Indeed; all sizes. Some looked quite young, yet were much larger than any adult. They really looked like children of giants. The whole scene was completely out of place here on Punk Hazard. The kids were playing together or with the toys, with cheerful smiles on their faces.

Monet was already there, talking to the new group of arrivals and introducing them to the others. One of the kids was crying, asking for his mother, but Monet reassured him with a gentle voice and soothing words. It was a completely bizarre sight.

What's more, when Caesar opened the doors, the children looked at him and their faces brightened up. "Master!" They all exclaimed, leaving their toys and running over to the scientist. Miyako couldn't believe her eyes. They surrounded him, smiling and talking to him.

"Are we getting better Master?"

"Can we leave soon?"

"Shololo, of course. Don't worry, dear children, it won't take long," Caesar answered with a wide smile, opening his arms as to try and embrace the children that huddled around him.

"Master is really kind to everyone, isn't he?" One of the yellow suits said with a happy voice. It seemed like everyone adored Caesar, even calling him 'Master.' He had them all perfectly fooled and it made Miyako feel disgusted.

"Honestly, this…" she muttered quietly, glaring at the scene before her. Only Law heard her who was standing beside her.

"Remember, it's of no concern of ours," he reminded her of her position here.

Miyako bit her lower lip in irritation, but she stayed calm on the outside. "I know," was all she said in response, in that cold tone she sometimes used. She had to keep her feelings about this buried and go on. She was a pirate after all, and she had to act as one in front of the people here. She wasn't allowed to sympathize with these children; it was too dangerous for their plan. That's why she put on her best mask and stayed collected, as if she was completely unconcerned by all this.

Suddenly, she felt someone tug on her long coat. She looked down to see a small girl of no more than five years. She had a small pony tail with orange hair and big black eyes. She looked pale and small, but she gave Miyako a large smile, showing one of her teeth was missing. "Hello," the girl kept staring up at Miyako with a smile.

The samurai wasn't sure how to respond. She just decided not to get attached to these children as to not ruin their cover, yet one of them was now clinging to her clothes. "….Hello…" After a long silence Miyako answered, showing the girl an unreadable expression.

"My name is Rachel? What about you?" The girl continued to smile, tilting her head with curiosity. Her large eyes were full of wonder.

"….It's Miyako," the samurai continued, trying to give the girl a cold shoulder.

However, the kid just wouldn't get the hint. "Is that a sword on your waist? Are you a swordsman? I never saw a girl swordsman," she continued to ask questions one after the other. "Where are you from?"

The Wano girl grimaced at the rush of questions coming her way. "You talk too much, kid," she answered with a frown.

Still, the girl wasn't insulated or deterred by that comment in the slightest. Instead she giggled and tugged at Miyako's coat again. "You have pretty eyes," she commented, amused.

"…" For a while Miyako could only stay speechless, not sure how to react or how to get rid of the kid. She didn't really want to scare the girl or anything but she didn't want to get particularly close to her either. Staring down at those large dark eyes, gazing up at her with interest and innocence, Miyako sighed and closed her own. Finally, she put a hand on the girl's head and ruffled her hair, making the girl giggle. "Go play with your friends," she finally said and nodded at the other children.

The girl smiled. "Bye bye Miyako!" She called out and ran back to the other side of the room, where Monet was still taking care of the newcomers.

Miyako sighed again, suddenly feeling tired. She felt Law's eyes on her and turned to see him staring at her with an unreadable expression. "What?" She frowned.

The captain gave her an amused smirk before returning his silent gaze back to the room, without a word.

~…~

Miyako was bored. She didn't think it would be possible after only a few days in this place, but it was true. There just wasn't anything to do here for her. Law and her were still unsuspected by Caesar and it seems that the scientist was slowly starting to trust them. He worked with Law on his SMILE research, showing him all his data so far. Miyako tried reading the information about the artificial devil fruits but even though she understood the concept, she wouldn't be able to make one even in her dreams. She wasn't a scientist nor a doctor so she didn't know a lot of the jargon used in those documents. Just like Monet, she was there mostly to help with technical problems; or assist Law in his research when there was something she could actually do. Mostly, it was bringing him documents, or rewriting something from Vegapunk's old research files.

That's how the days went by in this research facility, out in the middle of nowhere on the island that wasn't even on the map. Thinking of this, something occurred to the samurai girl. "Where is Law anyway?" The question was directed to one of Caesar's many men.

She was currently sitting in the control room, as the scientist instructed her to keep an eye on the video screens and make sure there wasn't anything suspicious going on around the area, while everyone else were busy.

The man next to her still had his hazard-suit on but without the usual mask covering his head. He was rather ugly with a bumpy bold head and small, mean-looking eyes. "Law-san went with Monet to see the sick prisoners. The rumor is that he might be able to heal them and bring back their walking abilities," the man grinned widely with happiness. "I guess you and Law-san coming here is almost as much of a blessing as Master being here!"

Miyako, who was casually sitting at the desk with her chin resting in her palm, glanced at the elated man beside her. *Here we go again; master this, master that. These guys all love that creepy gas guy.*

As if on cue to confirm her thoughts, the man started talking in praise of his master. "You see, after the accident with that gas, all of us prisoners were left behind here on this island to rot by the stinkin' government. A lot of us were even paralyzed from the waist down, losing our ability to walk. We barely survived here, dragging around and eating what was left in the storage room. But then Master came one day and he even made contraptions for us to let us move about; we could float around the air with harnesses and balloons! It's amazing!" The man, however, had his legs working normally. He must've been one of the lucky ones, surviving the incident without harsh consequences.

Still, what Miyako didn't understand was; did these prisoners even know that Caesar was responsible for that incident four years ago? He was the one who worked with Vegapunk to experiment on these men, in the first place. Could it be, they didn't even know that much; that their 'savior' was actually the same man who put them in this position in the first place. The girl sighed tiredly at the thought, while the man beside her continued on about how 'Master' was a great guy.

~…~

"It's here," Monet said as she opened large, winged doors to a room. Law stepped inside before her, seeing a sorry sight. It was filled with men who were either lying in beds with their bodies paralyzed, or floating around with hovering contraptions made with balloons. "Caesar filled the balloons with his gas, making them lighter than air so they would be able to rise and keep the people up at all times. Still, as you can guess it's far from ideal."

"And you want me to heal these ex-prisoners," the Shichibukai repeated their earlier conversation.

The tall woman fixed her thick glasses and smirked. "Indeed. Can you do it?" There was a bit of taunting masked under her innocent question as if she was testing his abilities.

He heard the hidden tone in her voice easily and narrowed his eyes as his abilities were questioned. "I'll need to inspect them first," as he finished, he walked over to one of the men lying in the bed.

"W-will you really be able to help us?" The man said, uncovering his legs.

"Just be quiet and relax," the Dark Doctor answered coldly, as he touched the man's leg, pushing at the flesh on some points. He then struck lightly just below the man's knee, waiting for a reaction that never came. The doctor frowned, obviously not pleased. Behind him, he could feel Monet's presence as she loomed over him, watching his every move with those sharp eyes. He turned around towards the woman casually. "Go prepare the operating table in room C. Also, get Miss Miyako to join us," he ordered swiftly.

"What is it, can you save us?!" one of the prisoners asked hurriedly but got no answer. Law ignored him and started exiting the room.

Monet followed as the Surgeon of Death gave one final order. "Also, prepare one of them for surgery. I need to examine them more closely."

~…~

Miyako wiped the sweat from her brow but it didn't do her much good. She felt like her skin was melting as the heat attacked her. What was going on? Less than two hours ago she was freezing from the cold, but then simply crossing a lake and walking a bit further she suddenly entered inferno. The samurai remembered how she came here, on the other side of Punk Hazard.

Law put down the bloodied scalpel, turning away from the operating table. On it was one of the ex-prisoners, his legs sewed back up where the surgeon made his incisions.

"Well?" Monet walked over, followed by the samurai girl. Both of them were wearing white rubber gloves and surgical masks, even though they weren't needed for the operation.

The doctor took off his bloodied gloves and the mask, leaving the man under heavy anesthesia to sleep on the table until it wears off. "Their legs are too damaged, the gas completely destroyed their nerves. Their legs can't be saved," Trafalgar answered casually, without a hint of empathy in his voice.

"So there's nothing you can do?" Miyako asked, looking at the man on the table.

"I didn't say that…" Trafalgar started, bringing out interested stares from the two women. "Their legs can't be saved but there is a way…I can simply replace them with healthy ones by using my powers," he explained.

Monet's eyes widened in slight surprise. It was rare that this woman showed this kid of expression, which meant she definitely didn't expect this answer. "Replace them?"

"I can fix their torsos onto anything you want…so if there is something better to use than these floating devices, I can use it," Trafalgar continued, explaining how his ope ope powers worked.

Monet tapped her index finger on her lips before an idea came to mind. Her lips instantly pulled back into a mischievous smile. "Very well…We can work with that."

Miyako titled her head, looking at the other woman questioningly. "You have an idea?"

The green haired woman simply started walking out of the room, giving Miyako a sideways glance. "I know what we can use. Come Suzune, your skills might be needed," she smirked, continuing to walk.

The said samurai glared at the woman's back, not liking how the other woman spoke to her. She gave Law a glance, but they both stayed silent, before she went to follow Monet, leaving her captain behind.

Miyako sighed, taking off her coat. She couldn't take the heat anymore. She came here with Monet and a few of Caesar's men, but she still had no idea what they were doing here. This was the leftover of Vegapunk's laboratory that blew up, but the land was completely barren with nothing but molted lava and fires all around. The heat was so suffocating, it was hard to breathe.

"What are we doing here?" The samurai finally asked the other woman, slowly losing patience.

"There was a special closed-off reserve where Vegapunk kept numerous animals for research and experimenting purposes. They had their own little space with food and water; so they might still be here if they survived," Monet explained.

Miyako looked around noticing the men were holding ropes, cages and those stun-gas rifles. So they were planning to catch them. "And you want to bring these animals back with us because…" the girl trailed off with a raised eyebrow, not sure where Monet's idea was taking them.

The other woman simply smirked, "To use their body parts." The calm and amused look with which Monet said this gave Miyako goosebumps. She was sure that the woman would have the same look even if she was talking about humans instead. Before the samurai could ask what she meant, Monet continued, "Law said healthy legs would do, but he didn't say it had to be from other humans. We can use animal body parts to help the prisoners."

Finally understanding, Miyako widened her eyes. "You want to attach animal legs to the prisoners? Can that even work?"

"It can….if Law can make it work. It depends on his skill," the woman answered with a sly smile.

The samurai sighed, "And you brought me here to help you catch animals?" The girl was slightly disappointed by her task. She was an expert swordswoman, yet she was asked to run around after Punk Hazard's wildlife.

"Fufufu, not quite," Monet put her finger on her lips as if trying to hide her amused expression. "You see, we don't really come to this side of Punk Hazard much…it's very dangerous to be out here."

"I'll say, it's like four hundred degrees out here," the samurai muttered darkly.

However, Caesar's assistant shook her head. "No, that's not why."

Silently, Miyako's raised her eyebrow questioningly. She didn't have to ask though, because the reason soon appeared before them.

"It's because of this," Monet pointed at the sky where a large shadow was currently above them and lowering its large body.

"It's here! The dragon is here!" One of the yellow suits yelled and they all prepared their rifles.

Miyako could only watch with eyes wide and mouth agape as darkness from the large beast's shadow covered them. They were little more than specs compared to its size. She couldn't even find the words to speak at the moment, while chaos started around her. The men were running around, preparing their guns to shoot at the large beast or trying to get away from where it was about to land.

"N-no way…a d-dragon? A real dragon!?" Miyako could only stare at the animal she only heard about in tales till now. A beast that was only alive in legends, usually hoarding its gold and destroying everything in its sight with the breath of fire. Her mind could hardly believe it, but there was little to doubt as she saw the scaly, gleaming skin of the monster, a long destructive tail and two large wings flapping in the air.

Strangely, Monet stayed calm and seemed amused by Miyako's shocked expression. "It's not real of course; it's one of Vegapunk's creations left on this island after the incident. It's artificial...but it looks pretty real, doesn't it? Fufu," she chucked. "Because it attacks everyone in sight, it's hard to get by. The men always need to sneak around so they aren't noticed, but today we need more time to get all the animals across so it's not possible," she continued to explain. "That is why we need you….to distract it while we work. Keep it busy for a while."

Just then the dragon finally landed, creating a strong gust of wind around it that knocked over some of Caesar's men. Miyako and Monet were standing a bit further away so they weren't affected, but they still felt the strong air wash over them. Miyako felt her hair and clothes dance behind her from the strong wind of the dragon's wings as it finally set its huge body on the ground.

Before she realized, Monet and the others were already running in the back, going for the part of the facility with the animal reserve. "Ah, but don't kill it!" The green haired woman shouted back as if just remembering.

Thinking she misheard something, the samurai girl turned back to the woman with a perplexed expression. "Eh!?"

"Because it's usefull….it guards this part of the island from possible enemies. So it's good to have it around," Monet explained with a shrug, completely unconcerned about the fact that she just left one single swordswoman to fight against a large dragon.

"Eeeehhhh?!" Miyako's eyes widened even more, as her brain just couldn't believe the information she was currently receiving.

She wanted to protest some more but Monet was already gone with the rest of Caesar's men, leaving Miyako to fend for herself. Besides, she could feel movement from the beast behind her. Putting a hand on her trusted katana, the samurai slowly turned around, looking at the dragon. The monster lowered its head and stretched its long neck towards her. Its snout alone was bigger than the samurai girl, showing rows of razor sharp teeth. On its head it had two hard horns and spikes all along its body. It smacked the ground with its tail once, making a small earthquake around them and focused its large yellow eyes onto the human which was only a few meters from its face. With a loud puff, it let out smoke from its large nostrils, making the smoke envelope the human girl as it passed her with a rush.

The action made Miyako cough and try to blow it out of the way by flailing her arm in the air. Her other was still safely resting on the guard of the katana. The girl blinked her eyes a few times, which were now watery from the smoke, and stared right back at the legendary monster. "It seems I have to distract you long enough for them to finish, but I can't kill you, so I need to hold back…that might prove a bit challenging." She stared back at the dragon and her mouth formed a large smirk, with her golden eyes gleaming from excitement. Who would have thought that one day she would be testing her swordsmanship skills on a dragon. The thought made adrenaline rush through her body. "Alright. Let's do this."

As if understanding her, the dragon opened its large maws and came at her, trying to bite her. Miyako swiftly moved from the way, dodging to the side and pulling out her katana in the process. Behind her, the dragon bit a mouthful of stone from a wall, completely destroying it and turning it into nothing but ruble. The samurai understood that only one bite with those strong jaws was enough to completely tear her body. It didn't matter whether this dragon was real or artificial; it was still equally dangerous.

Gripping Yawarakai-Te, Miyako landed on the ground and instantly moved to attack by leaping off the floor and towards the dragon's feet. However, before she could slice its leg, the beast blocked with the claws of its front leg. For a while they stood in a standstill, but the dragon overpowered the girl in strength and sent her flying into a wall. She moved her body in the air, landing with her feet on the wall and using it as a stepping point to leap forward towards the dragon again. This time she was aiming for its side, where the ribs should be, but she soon felt movement on her side with her haki. Twisting her body in the air again, she blocked with both hands on her katana as the spiky tail of the dragon rushed towards her. The samurai managed to block the deadly blow but was still sent flying into the wall again by the powerful hit. The speed was too quick for her to move in the air this time and she hit the wall hard, destroying some of it in the process. The building remains were already old and fragile here so they easily crumbled under the impact, sending dust and stones on top of the girl.

Miyako coughed, staggering out of the rubble and standing back on her feet while clutching her katana. She could feel numbing pain in her ribs and back where she hit the wall. If the stone was harder, she would probably have a few broken ribs now but luckily the buildings here were already worn out from heat and time. Somewhere in the distance a thunder rumbled and a lightning hit, but both beast and human kept their eyes locked onto each other in sharp focus.

Suddenly the dragon opened its mouth and a loud roar came out, as if shouting towards the sky. Miyako saw a bright light appearing from the dragon's open mouth and her eyes widened when she realized what it was. Having no time to escape, the girl quickly jumped over some rubble and found shelter behind the remains of the stone wall. Only seconds later, fire enveloped the whole area, melting everything that it touched.

"Aaah!" Miyako crouched and formed a ball of her body as she felt rising heat everywhere behind her. She felt the deadly heat on her skin even from her sheltered area. The stone behind her slowly started to melt, unable to withstand much more of the scorching onslaught. *Unbelievable! It can even breathe fire!*

Luckily the fire attack ended before Miyako's shelter completely melted away, leaving her exposed. Gritting her teeth, the girl leaped out of her shelter with determination, seeing the dragon before her. She suddenly started running towards it, moving with lightning speed. *You might be stronger, but I'm faster! It's no use if you can't even hit me!*

The dragon went to bite her again, but she jumped high in the air, appearing above its head. The girl clutched her katana with both hands and raised it high above her head. Ittouryu technique: Heavenly strike! She was just about to use her attack to cut off the dragon's head when she remembered Monet's words; Don't kill it!

"Tch", with an annoyed click of her tongue the girl turned her katana so the blunt side was aimed at the creature. With all her strength while she was falling towards it, the samurai brought her sword down onto its head. "Haaa!" With a loud shout, the power of her strike hit the head of the dragon full force, bringing its head down to crash into the ground. Miyako landed in front of the best with a sigh, thinking it was over.

However, the girl relaxed to soon as the dragon was much durable than that. Soon, Miyako realized it hardly had a wound from her attack. Its scaly skin was exceptionally hard. The beast started rising back on its feet again with a low growl.

It suddenly flapped its wings, sending a large gust of wind Miyako's way as it stood back up with a loud, angry roar. The wind from its wide wings knocked the girl off her feet. Just then, the dragon let its whole body fall down where Miyako was sitting, hoping to crush her beneath the heavy body. Realizing this, the girl barely managed to jump out of the way, only to be met with the large tail that came towards her. She blocked with her katana, using her free hand to push the blunt edge of the katana and get a better hold, as the metal scraped against the hard spike on the tail. The girl bit her lower lip as she tried to match the strength of its tail, but she knew she couldn't hold out for much longer.

Her rushed thoughts were interrupted when the dragon opened its mouth again, ready to breathe fire and turn her into ashes. The fire burst out from its jaws, accidentally inflaming the end part of the dragon's tail as well. The dragon growled in pain and raised his tail towards his face, blowing air on it in hopes to make it sting less. That's when the monster noticed there was no sign of the girl below; was she completely obliterated by the fire? It looked around the ruins of the laboratory but there was no trace of the human.

"Up here!" The girl suddenly called out as she stood on the dragon's back with her katana held high.

The beast growled again and tried getting rid of her by shaking its body, but Miyako was gripping onto its scaly back. She used the spikes on the monster's back to hold onto. Irritated, the dragon flapped his large wings and set off the ground with a few strong moves of its wings. It rose high up in the air before making a sharp turn to the side.

"Whoa!" Miyako almost fell off. She had to sheath her katana and grab at the dragon's back with both hands. *It's trying to throw me off!*

The dragon made a sharp circle before turning completely so it was sailing through the sky on its back, flapping its wings to keep itself from losing height. The position made Miyako dangle, flailing her legs in the air as she gripped the dragon's back with all her might.

"Wha-! This is bad…I'm going to fall…" She gritted her teeth, feeling her fingers slide across the scaly surface. Suddenly the dragon turned sharply again back to its original posture and the strong twist made the samurai let go of its back and fly high in the air. She started falling alongside its body, unsuccessfully trying to get a grip on its back again. She felt burning pain under her fingertips from the friction her actions caused. So instead, she pulled out her sword from its scabbard once more. *In that case-* With a grunt, Miyako stabbed the sword into the dragon's side. At first it wouldn't give way since the dragon's skin was too thick, but the exceptional craft with which Yawarakai-Te was made ensured that it was sharp enough to cut through anything, if the samurai was skillful enough. Finally, even the strong red scales of the dragon couldn't withstand the cutting edge of the katana and the sword pierced through the dragon's flesh.

The fiery monster roared loudly, twisting in the air as Miyako continued to fall, slicing along the side of the dragon as she tried to stop herself. Finally the katana pierced deep enough to stop the girl's fall, staying lodged near the dragon's back leg. The dragon twitched its leg in pain and roared again. It started losing focus from the pain as it still kept trying to get rid of the pesky human. It went off the course, not observing its surroundings carefully and started swaying from side to side in the air. It kept its stare on Miyako while wavering in the air, still flying high above, but seeming more unsteady than before. It was trying to bite at the girl dangling from its back leg, but wasn't able to reach as the girl kept swaying her body and dodging every attack. That's why it didn't notice the large building up ahead until it was too late.

Miyako turned her head to see the building before them and gasped in surprise when she realized they were nearing it with speed. There was no time to change course and the dragon didn't even notice until it already collided its large body into the facility. The dragon smashed into the wall, making the large building crumble down. Its wings got stuck and the monster started falling, enveloped in metal, stone and dust.

"Kyaaa!" Miyako screamed and squeezed her eyes shut when they collided with the wall in front of them. They started falling down and the girl soon realized she would be squashed like a fly under the dragon if she didn't act fast. Before they smashed into the ground, Miyako pulled herself up on the dragon's body and pull her katana out of the beast in the process. She used the large body as leverage to leap from it and jump high in the air. She looked downwards, seeing the huge mass of a body twitching, covered in ruble and hidden away by dust. Miyako didn't wait for the dragon to get its senses back again. She could see it was already disoriented from colliding so hard with the building and decided to use this chance. *It's time to finish this!*

Ittoryu no Haki: 9 strikes! Slicing the air in front of her, Miyako delivered nine strikes of haki downwards, towards the lying dragon. The blasts hit the beast head on, smashing it further into the ground. It seemed that was the last straw; the dragon tried to get up, but collapsed back down with a deep whine and a spaced out look in its glazed-over eyes. It was still breathing, but completely unconscious.

Miyako landed on its big body and looked at the beast's face. Its eyes were still open but only whites could be seen. Its long tongue was protruding out of its mouth as the beast breathed deeply. The girl sighed and sheathed back her katana. She jumped off of the dragon's body and stumbled a bit when the pain in her side hit her again. She was still feeling the consequences from her hitting the wall before. She poked her side and winced instantly from the sharp pain that hit her. *Ouch! I'll have to ask Law to look at this later.*

~….~

When Monet returned with the armed men in yellow suits, they were dragging with them captured animals. There was a large variety of animals such as oxen, snow leopards and even horses. There were even more unusual kinds like caprions; animals which looked like goats but were much larger, with three purple large and sharp horns on their heads and they walked on their two hind legs.

The green haired woman looked around the fiery area but it didn't take long before she spotted the one she was looking for; the samurai girl. Suzune was currently sitting on a large dragon which was still unconscious and sleeping peacefully under her. It was rolled on its side and the girl was casually sitting on its rib aerea, leaning against her sheathed katana. The girl had the top of her kimono lowered down and her chest was covered with bandages, which Wano women often used instead of bras to cover up. The girl's long dark hair was in complete disarray, still tied with the red ribbon which helped a bit to contain the mess happening there. Her skin didn't look burned but there were black stains on her clothes, torso and face, probably from ashes.

When the girl noticed Monet and the others, she jumped down and winced a bit at the action. She didn't look awfully injured, but obviously she didn't come out of this fight unscathed either. As she walked towards them, tying her katana back with the sash at her waist, her black boots echoed with every step on the hot stone below her. It was quite an unusual sight; seeing those knee-high boots together with the traditional kimono of her homeland. It just didn't fit, but Miyako simply answered when asked that it was easier to move in those.

"I see you managed to defeat the dragon," Caesar's assistant commented with an amused glance at the sleeping beast.

Miyako followed Monet's glance towards the beast and sighed. "It's not dead, just unconscious…as you requested," she added sarcastically with a snarky tone in her voice. She wasn't even trying to mask her bitterness. The girl looked like she was waiting for a while, already impatient from the heat. She tried escaping the swelter by taking off the top of her kimono, but it didn't help much. She was still sweating profoundly in this stuffy, hot air. "Are we ready to go? I want to take a shower."

Monet smirked at the girl's words before answering, "Indeed. We've found enough animals to take back. The rest is up to Law now...I wonder if he can do it," the other woman almost sang with amusement in her tone as she deliberately questioned Miyako's captain in front of her. Monet's eyes narrowed a bit as she taunted the samurai, putting a hand to her mouth as she chuckled.

The samurai narrowed her eyes as well, but out of irritation instead of amusement. She didn't like the way Monet was talking about her captain; questioning his strength. Miyako was one of the people that knew well what he went through these past two years to get to this point and become strong. That's why it annoyed her when others expressed their doubts towards Law like this. "He can do it," she said curtly, with a tone that clearly stated not to question her captain and a dark look to go along with it.

"Oh my, you have such faith in your captain…how sweet," Monet commented with a mocking smile but didn't go any further than that with the topic. She turned around and went to the boat that was awaiting them. They still had to cross the lake and walk over the frozen wasteland on the other side.

The samurai frowned as she watch the other woman leave but soon grabbed her winter coat, which was discarded on the ground, and went after her. *I'm not going to get along with this one, for sure,* the Wano girl sighed once again, closing her eyes and shaking her head as she left the large dragon behind her and moved on.

~….~

Miyako discarded her coat, which she simply draped over her shoulders on the way back, on the sofa in the large B room before proceeding to room C where Law was preparing for the operation. He was about to cut off the leg of animals and stick them to the torsos of human prisoners with his ope powers. Just the thought of it sounded a bit disgusting to her, but Miyako was already used to seeing Law's eerie creations with his powers in numerous battles they fought together. He would always cut his enemies into pieces and often sow them back together with his powers, making a jumble of limbs and other objects which created disfigured masses of flesh. The first time she saw it, Miyako was appalled by the sight, but she was already used to it by now. This time she felt a bit bad for the animals but Caesar told her he could use them for his research anyway; though that didn't really make her feel any better really. Maybe it would have been better to just put them out of their misery when Law finishes with them, but she didn't really have a say in the matter.

Still in her slightly messy form with the upper part of her kimono down, the girl walked across the facility. She still felt gross from the sweat and dust on her and wanted to go to her room quickly and take a quick shower, but didn't get a chance to. As soon as she got back, she was instructed to help Monet and the men take the animals to Law.

Entering the operating room she saw the Dark Doctor already waiting for them. As soon as he saw her, he raised his eyebrow at her questioningly. "What's with that appearance?" Rather bluntly, the captain asked.

She felt her eyebrow twitch in slight annoyance, but a corner of her mouth pulled up into a mocking grin. "Ah, this is my I-just-fought-a-dragon-look, isn't it sexy?" She answered sarcastically, with a hint of irritation in her voice. She already had a hard time today and didn't really need Law's comments right now. Still, she was expecting the man to say something in return to her snarky joke. Something like; 'Your view of sexiness must be distorted' or 'What sexy? You look like you just rolled around in the dirt' but unexpectedly, the captain stayed quiet in response to her comment. Instead, he just kept his silent gaze on her as if he wanted to say something, or rather, was thinking about her words seriously.

His stare just made Miyako more alarmed as he made her feel awkward suddenly. "Don't think about it seriously! You should make some mocking comment or a teasing joke as you always do! You're freaking me out now!" She exclaimed, suddenly getting red in the face.

"Fufu…Oh my…" Monet interrupted the scene with her own sly comment as she watched the two with amusement.

"Ah…are we interrupting?" A man next to her asked with uncertainty, as he dragged a leopard in chains behind him. The animal was fighting but was completely restricted, with a muzzle over its snout, which prevented it from attacking.

Miyako's lips tightened and formed a thin line as she stayed completely quiet, with an obvious blush on her face. Monet's sly stare on her only made her more embarrassed by the situation.

Finally, Law smirked and decided to save the girl by breaking the awkward atmosphere with his words. "No, it's nothing. Come on, let's start." He turned away and glanced at the man lying on the operating table, still conscious. "Room," the captain called out and created a blue sphere that enveloped the paralyzed man and the leopard. Taking his nodachi with the other hand, the doctor unsheathed it and held it high in the air. A wide, excited grin appeared on the surgeon's face before he swung his sword. "This will probably hurt," he warned though he didn't look worried about the man's safety in the least.

Miyako's eyes widened as she saw Law work. The blue light of his sphere was flashing, reflecting off of the metal in the room and giving the girl a pale, blue glow on her skin. Trafalgar sliced the man in half, dividing his legs from the body and ignoring the screams of pain that the action created. He did the same to the animal, which tried to flee, but its attempts were completely futile. Soon the leopard was wriggling on the floor, without its lower body which was now being transferred to the human. With a simple move of his hand, the Shichibukai attached the animal legs to the man's torso and it stayed stuck like that as if it fit perfectly. The leopard was left on the floor wincing in pain, its muffled growls capturing Miyako's attention. Surprisingly there was no blood and both the animal and human were alright, even though cutting somebody in half would usually spell instant death for them. The whole time while he worked, the pirate captain had a wide grin on his face and an excited gleam in his grey eyes.

"W-whoa!" The ex-prisoner yelled in surprise and excitement as he tried getting up from the table. However, as soon as he lifted himself up, he fell back on the floor. His new four legs kept twitching and flailing helplessly as he grunted, trying to get up.

"You'll need to learn how to use them so it might take a while," the surgeon explained. "Still, once you do, they should work just fine," he added.

"Uncanny," Monet commented breathlessly with an exciting grin on her face. No doubt that later she will scribble everything she just saw in that large book of information of hers. She was always writing something in there, examining the people around her but she would never let anyone see what was really written inside. That just made her more suspicious in Miyako's eyes. The samurai frowned as the other woman kept staring at Law while he worked, and licked her lips like a predator while burning a hole in his back with those snake eyes of hers. Miyako couldn't tell if Monet was this interested in Law's work or the man himself but she didn't feel like finding out anyway.

The samurai girl decided that she saw enough and turned to walk out of the room. "Well then, if my job is done for now…I really want to take that shower," she commented and started heading out without waiting for Monet's response.

~…..~

As the samurai walked down the halls of the research facility, she passed by a certain large room with closed doors. Inside, she could hear loud noises of children's laughter. Silently, the girl stopped in front of the doors, with her gaze lowered towards the ground. She could hear children running around and plying inside. A part of her wanted to go in, but what then? She couldn't save them, she couldn't help them. She couldn't do anything for them. Miyako already knew the best thing for her own goals was to leave them be and not get attached. *Don't think about it. Don't let it bother you.* She fought her impulses, clenching her hands into fists at her sides. With a dark, quiet expression the girl started walking again, ignoring the sounds coming from behind her.

---

That's it for this chapter! The first chapter of the Punk Hazard Arc is over and I hope you liked it. :) There are no Straw Hats yet because first I want to integrate Miyako into this place and the story more. They have about two months to spend here before the Straw Hats arrival (though of course there will be a time skip, since I won't be writing chapters for all those two months :P).

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave a review or pm me!

This time I actually replied to everyone's review instead of writing it here, so I'll just put here the ones who don't have an account or something so I couldn't respond. But it all reminded me why I like the old way better so I think I'll return to the old system after all. ^^' Thank you everyone for the lovely reviews!

Ilovelaw: Since Law loves harassing her, I'm sure there will be more of that in the future. :P

Izzie: Wha! I killed Izzie! Don't die, come back, come back!

Yep, and finally PH! :D and Cora-saaaan! Even though I knew he'd die it still hurt. Ah, if it managed to make you feel uneasy than that's good; I always like getting reactions out of the readers!

Xxikarishipper99xX: That's ok, I'm glad you still read it. ^^ I agree, it's waaay to soon to even think about children, I don't think it would really fit in the story either. Thank you! Thanks for reviewing! I follow both, so I know what you mean. Cora-san~

p.s. Did you know your private messaging feature is disabled? :o

Yumi sawamura: Whaa, I have a feeling I killed half of my readers with this chapter…

Thank you! I wanted to show Cody's and Josh's improvement in their strength since they didn't really get to shine lately. No, Bepo is a worrywart, and he's the only one who actually knows Law's past and true goals, so of course he'll be worried about Law going against Doffy all by himself. Lol You might be right. Though calling someone "that guy" definitely isn't polite. XD I think Miyako will have a hard time around Sanji too. ^^'

Lawismyhusband: Thank you, I'm glad you like the story, I hope you'll find it even more enjoyable in the future. :D Ah, no, I feel it's too early for there to be a child so I'm not planning on doing that for now.

Onepiecelawfan: "I love you" :)

Bizzy: Yeah, parts of it I did cause I was reading Kyou and just thought…It's perfect! . Funny part is; the part with taking her own clothes I even wrote before and then saw it was similar in Kyou. I think Tsubaki and Miyako are very much alike. XD

Guest: lol I kept it T rated though. ;) Thank you for reading, I hope you like the next one too.

Anima: Hope you didn't have to wait long~