Disclaimer: Shiningheart of ThunderClan doesn't own One Piece.

Me: ... That's it? No snappy remarks, no sarcastic one-liner? What, did you finally run out of that charming wit of yours?

Disclaimer: ... Just start the story.

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Chapter 4: "I see, so it's a crew requirement."

Nadeen smirked like the devil at Law's retreating back. She knew her attitude had pissed him off, and the knowledge pleased her greatly. Yes, the rest of dinner was probably going to be thick with tension and uncomfortable for the other guys, but at least she had the pleasure of seeing the almighty Trafalgar Law lose his patience. No pun intended. "So!" she said brightly, turning in her seat to smile at the gathered Heart Pirates. A good majority were openly gaping at her, looking back and forth from her to where Law had disappeared through the door into the kitchen- or so Nadeen supposed. He could have just been ditching her to a room full of sweaty, unknown men. "Introductions are in order, I should think, yes?"

The first to snap from the stupor was the man Law had sewn up earlier. Without all of the blood caked on him, Nadeen noticed that he had rather angular features. A straight nose and high cheek bones gave him a sharp look. He had dark green eyes that, at the moment, were sparkling rather... Well, it just made her inch away a little in unease. His braided blond hair rested just between his shoulder blades. He towered over her when he scurried to her side, setting that unnaturally glittery gaze on her. "Howdy, I'm Derek, and I just want to say that that was one of the most awesome things I've ever seen."

She tried to move even further away, but she found that escape blocked by Penguin and Shachi. Penguin was grinning at her and bouncing on his toes like a child who just found a new toy to play with. Idly, Nadeen thought the comparison was rather accurate. "You've already met me, but I'm Penguin! And I agree with Derek; not even Shachi and I look Captain in the eye when he's in a pissy mood."

To Penguin's side stood Shachi. Though he wasn't as open in his awe, he still smiled at her and said, "Would it be inappropriate for me to say you have balls?"

The comment was so different from the other two that she actually almost laughed out loud. But a sudden throb in her side made her take a deep breath and release it in a hiss. The three men surrounding her frowned simultaneously and backed a step away, as if giving her room to breath. Nadeen waved her hand casually and smiled apologetically. "Nah, chill. It wasn't you guys, my ribs just twinged a little." The clatter of a bowl in front of her made her jump (inadvertently leading to another hiss of pain), and she blinked in mild shock up at Law. She hadn't even heard him come in! Without thinking, she blurted out, "Dude, you're a fucking ninja. How the hell did you keep the door from making any noise?"

Law smirked and retook his seat, now with a full cup of steaming coffee. He didn't seem angry anymore, but he could also just as well be hiding it. More likely the latter than the former. Suddenly, Nadeen didn't feel very safe in his presence. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you." She stared at him warily before looking down at her food with the same face. Law snorted at her and rolled his eyes behind his mug. "If I was going to kill you, you'd know it. I wouldn't poison your food and watch as you unknowingly invited death."

Nadeen raised an eyebrow at him and took the spoon he'd brought for her, playing with her soup. "No, you'd just strap me down to your operating table and inject flesh-eating drugs into my system and laugh as I froth at the mouth and scream in pain at the feeling of my innards melting and/or rearranging."

Just as she took her first bite, Law sighed lightly and spoke to the crewmate closest to him, which just happened to be Bepo. "She knows me so well, doesn't she?" Nadeen choked on her food at the wistful tone in his voice, and Law chuckled as he reached over to lightly rub her back. "Now what on Earth was that reaction for? I don't think I said anything that could possibly cause that..."

Her eyes watered slightly as she cleared her throat and waved him off. "Sorry, sorry... Tone of voice... Just slightly... erm..." How do you say "scared the hell out of me" without losing respect points? She took a second bite of her soup, hoping to buy herself time to think of a decent explanation.

Law, who seemed to know exactly what her thought process was, smirked mockingly. "What, did you have mental images? I'm flattered that you're already fantasizing about me!" For the second time in half as many minutes, Nadeen choked. Law didn't even bother to reach over and pat her when he asked, "Is this going to be a reoccurring thing, Miss Nadeen?"

Nadeen decided to not answer his question directly, and instead pushed her bowl the slightest bit away. His eyes narrowed at this, and she had to force her form still so that the instinctive shiver didn't show. "I think I'll wait until you leave the room to finish. Eating while you speak is hazardous to my health." For some reason, that seemed to amuse him. At least, his smirk was bigger than ever. It made Nadeen scowl at him, which in turn made his smirk grow even more. She turned away from him with a huff.

The pirate captain chuckled at her and stood from his seat, taking his precious coffee with him. "If that's how you feel, then I'll go prepare a full physical for you. You should have enough energy for that, then it's back to bed rest." Law didn't give Nadeen enough time to respond before he turned to the room at large with a stern frown. "Make sure she eats." The 'or else' was left floating in the air unsaid. He got a chorus of affirmatives from more than one Heart Pirate before he tilted his head to his guest in mock respect before leaving. Nadeen made sure to flip him off before he went out the door. He may have won this battle, but the war was far from over!

-Law's POV-

Well, that went better than expected. He hadn't even been trying to make her choke the first time. The reaction had been so surprisingly pleasing that he'd tried it again, on purpose. The second one had been even better than the first. Why? Nadeen had been blushing. She probably hadn't been aware of it, though. She was kind of... dare he think it... cute when she was flustered. He knew he'd have a lot of fun with that later on...

Law hummed as he let his muscle memory take over, leading him wherever his body wanted to go. So, what had he learned about his guest/patient aside from his personal opinion? Well, one, she was observant. How else did she know how to calm his frustration down without him blowing his top? He didn't usually blow his top, but patients neglecting to keep him informed was one of his biggest pet peeves. Unless someone had told her, though, how had she known? Maybe she was just betting on the rumors of his cruelty and using his sadism against him.

Okay, second thing? She was able to push pain away and keep her focus. He'd heard one hiss of pain and actually witnessed another, but on both occasions she'd ignored them and gone right back to her conversation. That led him to conclude that she either A. was just naturally resistant to pain or B. was so used to it that it didn't even bother her. Law would have to x-ray for past trauma when they stopped at an island. He didn't like taking out the VERY expensive machines while storms could pop up within a minute.

Did he discover any other useful quirks he could exploit? Well, from what he saw when Derek and Shachi and Penguin were crowding around her like freaky fangirls, she didn't like her personal space being invaded. Either that or she was lying when she said that they hadn't caused her ribs to hurt. That reminded him- he'd have to punish the three of them later for pestering her when she's trying to recover. Yeah, Law might have given Shachi and Penguin permission to flirt with her, but they seriously should know better than to crowd an injured person! He wouldn't have been surprised if she'd used her powers to make them go away.

Speaking of, he'd have to question her about that later, too. He didn't know anything about her devil fruit other than her little display on the marine ship, and she only told him when she'd eaten it. The marines had all floated in the air like gravity had reversed itself around them, so maybe her powers had to do with that? But no, she'd also flung them overboard when she'd flicked her wrist. Gravity, whether in effect or not, didn't throw people around. Only when there's outside force... Then again, she had moved her hand. Maybe that was the outside force necessary to move them?

Law sighed to himself; just speculating wouldn't give him any answers. He stopped and looked around to see where he was. Just outside the door to the infirmary. Good. He stuck his head inside, just in case Nadeen was there before him. He wouldn't put it passed her to throw something at him for annoying the hell out of her. Luckily, though, he'd beaten her back. He could check to see if she'd been right about not having the ingredients to make a salve for her. If worse came to worse, he could just give her a pain killer instead of making it himself. He didn't usually like doing that, though. What was the point of him learning to make them if he didn't use his skill?

The Surgeon of Death went about his domain, doing his thing. There was a short supply of coltsfoot, which was the best for coughs and helped with breathing; chickweed, which worked wonders for both rashes and chest infections; chamomile, for shot nerves; and passion flowers, which he'd need to refill on even before the others. Stupid insomnia... No capsiacin, no ginger, or even feverfew. Wow, he really didn't have anything for pain...

By the time Nadeen returned, still being carried by Cyrus, Law was ready for her. He'd even brought out a few of his favorite scalpels, just for intimidation. He was rather disappointed when she didn't seem to notice them, or even him. She seemed quite hellbent on scowling as hard as she could at Cyrus. The crossdresser was smiling brightly at her and blinking, as if in confusion. Law coughed to gain their attention and got it, only to become confused when Nadeen blushed brightly and Cyrus grinned wider. "... What the hell?" Law asked blandly. He regretted asking as soon as the question passed his lips.

Cyrus opened his mouth to answer, but Nadeen quickly slapped a hand over his mouth and spoke through clenched teeth. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Law narrowed his eyes at her and was about to remind her that he didn't like being lied to when she backtracked with a sigh and a shake of the head. "Okay, I'll rephrase that. Absolutely nothing you want to know about. Trust me, you'll sleep easier without asking."

Knowing exactly how his crewmember was, Law took her seriously and didn't ask again. He only pointed to the bed Nadeen had been sleeping in, and Cyrus obediently set the redhead down. Law was about to speak again when he saw Cyrus wink cheekily at Nadeen, making her swat at him. The okama danced backwards with a laugh and, blowing Law a flirty little kiss, finally left the two alone.

They stared at the door in horrified silence, trying hard not to look at each other. For the second time that day, Nadeen slowly turned to face the pirate that had saved her life. Law did everything in his power to not look at her, but still eventually found himself meeting her eyes. There was a mixture of shock, annoyance, and... dammit, was that humor?! A smile started to pull at her face until she was practically beaming, and she even started to laugh. "What the hell was that?!" she gasped out.

Law glared at her and snapped, "Stop laughing! It's not funny, dammit!" It just caused her to laugh until she was gasping for air... or what Law thought was gasping for air until she grasped at her sides. The doctor in him snapped to attention, and he hurried over to help her lean back against the wall of pillows he'd set up for her beforehand. "Okay, seriously, stop laughing. If it causes you pain, it's not good for you."

Nadeen wiped her hand over her cheeks to wipe off the tears and beamed up at him. There was still laughter in her voice. "I-I can't h-help it! It's just too much!" Law stepped back when she took one of the pillows and smashed it in her face, not giving herself any breathing room. She wasn't the suicidal sort, not that he could see at least, so why the hell was she trying to suffocate herself? He understood only when she took the pillow away and started taking deep breaths, which did eventually calm her laughter down. It didn't wipe off the smile from her face, though. "I'm done... I think... Maybe..."

He sighed and shook his head, taking his hat off to run his fingers through his hair. Without really thinking about it, he sat next to her on the fortress of fluff and put his head in his hands. "Ugh... Seriously, I want to strangle him sometimes." Law wrung his hands in the air in front of him, as if actually imagining choking the life out of his navigator. Nadeen snickered again, but a warning look made her calm back down. "He does that constantly. Flirts and calls me pet names and it... it just..." He shuddered to express his feelings. "My scalpels are too good for him. The only reason I haven't kicked him off of the crew yet is because the man's a genius when it comes to navigation."

She grinned at him and patted his arm in what Law assumed was supposed to be a consoling manner. "There, there, Law. He'll find another man to pester soon enough. And if not, we can find him one. You can't possibly be the hottest guy on the sea, can you?" Law half-turned to stare at her with one eye, and Nadeen raised an eyebrow at him. "What? If worse comes to worse we can always dress a male hooker up to look like you and sic Cyrus on him."

... Wow, Nadeen, way to make a guy feel awkward. Law opened his mouth to speak, made a couple of noises in his throat, but no words came out. He let out the breath he'd been holding in his chest and shook his head. "Just... Just take off your shirt. I still need to take stock of your ribs." To give her credit, she didn't give him the 'what the hell' look he'd kind of been half-expecting. She just turned away from him and took her top off.

Despite himself, Law sucked in a deep breath. Her entire lower back was stained with bruises, some yellowing around the edges and others only just beginning to darken. He pressed the tip of a finger over one of the darkest spots lightly and she stiffened at the feel of his hand. Law couldn't tell if it was from pain of the bruises being touched or shock of the sudden contact. Nadeen answered for him. "That's one of the breaks. Given to me only an hour before you guys attacked the ship." She shifted and ran the palm of her hand over her sides, only giving one or two winces. "I count... Three or four breaks, including the one just you just fucking poked."

There really was nothing he could do for her. 'Dammit.' Law almost felt guilty about it before shaking the emotion off. It wasn't one he was accustomed to, and the feeling of it disturbed him. He heard Penguin's voice ring inside of his head. "I don't know what she ever did to them, but they better hope to God it was something horrible, like mass murdering crippled babies!" Law had thought Penguin'd been exaggerating at the time, but now that he saw this... Yeah, he had to agree with his friend: those sons of bitches were damn lucky they were already dead. Otherwise... His hand, the one not on Nadeen's back, twitched with the urge to grab his nodachi and pay them back.

-Nadeen's POV-

The fury rolling off of her doctor was, oddly enough, comforting. He cared enough to be angry on her behalf. She'd been more expecting apathy, maybe even some passive aggression, but not this. She heard Law take in another deep breath, and the rage in the air simmered down. Nadeen was impressed with his self-control, and straightened a little with the change in the air.

Law got up from the bed and went over to one of the cabinets on the opposite wall. She was tempted to check if Cyrus was telling the truth earlier, but kept herself still. She would not look. She wouldn't! "I'm going to bandage up your entire middle, starting from your hips to just below your breasts. It won't help heal it faster, but it should at least discourage you from moving."

Nadeen grinned a little as he came back towards her and said, "What, you don't trust me to follow doctor's orders and hold still? I'm shocked!"

The Surgeon of Death retook his spot behind her and, true to his word, started wrapping the wrapping down by her hips. It was a little uncomfortable to her, having him so inside of her bubble, but she didn't fidget or move. Law would probably take every chance he could to annoy her if she knew it bothered her. At least, that was the kind of vibe she got from him. Nadeen almost missed his reply to her rhetorical question. "Not at all. I recognize the way you argued with me, back in the galley. You're the restless sort of patient, who'll probably argue with every little thing I tell you to do even if it's for your own good."

That was such a scarily accurate interpretation that she turned to look at him with wide eyes. "... And you got all that just from me pissing you off?" Law forced her to look forward again, but that didn't prevent her from feeling him nod. In as much solemnity as she could muster, she said, "Seriously. Fucking. Ninja." Law chuckled at her and was about to respond when his hand brushed against Nadeen's side, producing a squeak. Both people froze, though for different reasons.

Nadeen sensed the smirk just as much as she heard it in his voice. "And just what, Miss Nadeen, was that?" She gulped loudly and hesitated to answer. Law either got impatient or felt like being an ass, because he lightly ran his fingers over the same spot. Instead of a squeak, it produced a short-lived squeal. "Are you, perhaps, ticklish?"

This was bad. This was very, very bad. She felt sweat drip down her face and didn't deny or affirm his guess. "Now remember, Captain Law, I'm injured! Any movement at all could hinder my recovery. I'd be in here, day after day after day, pestering you about pain or irritation or having trouble breathing. You wouldn't want that, now would you?" Please buy it, please buy it, please buy it...

Law gave an exaggerated hum as he thought it over and said casually, as if discussing the weather, "Or I could just kill you once I've had my fun." He wrapped his hand around the back of her throat for emphasis. The darkness in his tone scared her, and the air grew tense around them. Only a minute passed before Law took his hand away from her with a sigh. "But you're right, I wouldn't want that. You still have a debt to pay, do you not?"

She gave a silent sigh of relief. That was just a reminder: no matter how nice or polite Law might seem, he was still a dangerous man. Nadeen felt confident that, if she were at full strength, she could beat him. Or at least slow him down enough to run the fuck away, as her instincts told her to. But the fact of the matter was that she wasn't at full strength, and Law's mercy was the only reason she was even still alive. If she displeased him in any way... She had to resist the urge to gulp at the thought.

They both stayed silent as Law finished bandaging her middle. The light-hearted mood had evaporated with his threat. Nadeen put her shirt back on when he stood up and leaned against the wall of pillows once more. He was rummaging around again in a different cabinet, and Nadeen felt her eyes wander before she could control them. She snapped back to attention, though, when he turned around with a little pill and a water bottle. "Pain killer. I'd normally make a salve to rub onto your bruises, but, like you said earlier, I don't have the ingredients."

She took the bottle and pill with a nod of thanks. "Cheers." She lifted the bottle in salute before taking a swig and popping the pill, swallowing both with little difficulty. Law took the same seat as yesterday and gave the IV line that Nadeen had put up a glare. Nadeen laughed sheepishly and said, "Well, you never took it out earlier before you left me with Cyrus and neither of us knew what to do with it so..." Without a word, Law took the needle and held his hand out for her arm. She sighed and gave it, wincing when he stabbed the point in with none of the earlier gentleness. "How long am I going to have to stay on this thing?"

Law sat back with crossed arms and a thoughtful frown. "You're not feeling nausea from your food earlier?" She shook her head in a negative. "Then you're already getting better, so I'd say you're on bed rest for about... two months. One month for the malnutrition, and another for your ribs." Nadeen winced, but didn't protest. There wasn't anything she could do about it. "Now, I have some questions. And this time, we're doing it my way. I ask questions, you answer them truthfully. Got it?"

Jeeze, who pissed in his coffee? He was no where near this harsh earlier! Did she do or say something to deserve this, or was he just that sensitive about her laughing at him earlier? Nadeen made a gesture with her hand. "Ask away, Captain Law." She tried to keep her expression from souring, but his narrowed eyes said she didn't succeed entirely.

Luckily, though, he decided not to say anything about it. "Your powers. What are they, specifically?" The only betrayal of his curiosity was the telltale glint in his gray eyes. His posture and expression were perfectly still and stoic.

Nadeen thought of how to best explain it, so her opening words were a little slow to start. "Three years ago, I ate the Lev-Lev Fruit. Not a very creative name, considering it gives it's consumer powers over levitation." Law cracked a smirk at that, but that was all the joke got for her. "Think telekinetic, but with more... restrictions, I guess you could say." She shrugged her shoulders and snuggled more into her best, taking one of the pillows behind her and cuddling it to her chest. "Telekinesis depends on the strength of one's mind; my powers depend on my physical body. How strong I am, how good my health is, how much my target weighs..."

Law interrupted her before she could go on. His head was tilted to the side, a look that made him seem like a confused puppy. Any other time and Nadeen probably would have giggled at it. "You said you'd been in captivity for about a month. How could you still have enough strength left to blast a third of the marines over the ship's edge if you'd been starved and beaten?"

She gave him a half-assed grin. "Natural talent?" He stared at her flatly until she sighed and gave a real answer. "I ate an entire basket of fruit when your two crewmen were raiding the med room/cafeteria. I guess that gave me just enough energy, considering I tired out quickly. If you'll recall, I couldn't stand afterwards."

He nodded in understanding. "So your devil fruit powers let you levitate whatever you want to, so long as you're strong enough to physically lift it." It was a summary, not a question, but Nadeen nodded anyway. "Then why did those marines call you the Demon Gale?"

The redhead barked a laugh out and smirked at him. "Because the World Government is a bunch of ignorant, pompous, lazy arseholes. My first debut as a pirate just happened to coincide with a natural storm. A flick of my hand made a man fly with a strong gust of wind, so they probably thought I had something to do with it." She yawned a little, and then glared at him. "Did that pain killer happen to come with a drowsiness warning?" Law smirked at her and nodded. With a little pout, Nadeen curled up into a ball and stuck her tongue out at him. "You're gonna fuck up my entire sleeping pattern if you keep knocking me out, Trafalgar."

Law rolled her eyes at her immaturity and stood again. "The sun has gone down, anyway. You'll probably sleep through the entire night this time." Nadeen gave a sarcastic cheer. His mood must have improved some, because he chuckled at her sarcasm and took all but one of the pillows from behind her head. When he tried to take the one in her arms, she pulled it closer and glared at him. Instead of trying harder to take it away, he smirked again. "So you're a cuddle whore. Nice to know."

Nadeen stared at him in surprise just long enough for him to swipe the pillow from her slackened grip. She whined at the loss. "No fair, you distracted me!" He made a show of setting his new captive back where it came from, one of the other beds. "I just like cuddling. It makes me feel... I dunno, safer, I guess?" She shrugged, unsure how to explain it. Law apparently understood though, and patted her on the head like a parent would a child.

She made to swat at him, like she did earlier for Cyrus, but Law leaned just out of range and started towards the door with a chuckle. "Good night then, Miss Nadeen. I'll have someone bring you some new clothes in the morning."

She huffed, but didn't protest. Inside her head, she heard Cyrus's voice. "I'm telling you, Nadeen-chan, Captain-chan has one of the nicest butts on this entire ship! You should check it out some time!" Against her own judgement, Nadeen lowered her eyes to look at Law's ass as he walked. She wasn't aware of herself thinking it before she voiced her opinion. "Dammit, Cyrus was right." Law hummed in question when he turned back to her with a raised eyebrow. Instead of elaborating, Nadeen gave one of the girliest squeaks she'd ever made and ducked her head under her pillow. Law didn't ask and just shut out the lights and closed the door.

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Pages: 9

Words: 4671

Me: So, what have we learned? Nadeen's ticklish, the name of her fruit, and that I have no creativity when it comes to naming them. Oh, and that Law has a nice ass. Yay! Thanks for reading, now review please!

Oh, and happy end of the world! XD