Me: OMG ya'll have no idea how much I love you guys. I go to bed the other night, not expecting to wait up to any reviews for at least a few days and BAM, ELEVEN reviews! That was just in a few hours! Seriously, if I could, I'd give all of you hugs. Because hugs make the world go 'round.

Disclaimer: Uh huh... And while you're being a creeper, I'm just gonna be over here, doing my job. Shiningheart of ThunderClan-

Me: THAT'S ME!

Disclaimer: ... Right. She doesn't own One Piece.

Chapter 9: Arrival at Island of Mist

Law snapped out orders after steadying himself. "Shachi, Penguin, with me! Nadeen, go back to the infirmary and get out the bandages. Do you remember where I got them from?" She nodded slowly, trying to keep her breathing shallow. The doctor noted the change in her breathing. Had the collision with the wall agitated her ribs more? He'd have to check after this newest crisis was dealt with. "Good. I don't expect us to get out of this without having use for them."

They separated then. Law resisted the urge to turn around and watch the red headed woman hobble away. If she couldn't handle something like a simple Sea King attack, then she was weaker than she made herself seem. Not that he was complaining, really. Bluffing was usually a smart move made by those physically impaired. It made them seem more capable than they actually were.

The three of them wasted no time in getting to the navigation room. The sub, in the meantime, rocked back and forth, like Cyrus was trying to dodge whatever was trying to kill them. Now that Law knew what was going on, he found it easier to keep his balance while running. Shachi and Penguin weren't as lucky and kept falling over, sometimes crashing into each other. If the situation were any less dire, the captain would have found the sight amusing.

He got to the navigation room first. Cyrus was at the wheel, trying hard to keep them all alive. His face was red and blotchy, showing just how much strain was going into the maneuvers. "Captain-chan, I'm not sure how longer I can keep this up!" he grunted. "This thing is determined, and I can't shake it!" The sub gave another shake, and a different siren wailed. "Shit, we're hit!" Cyrus cried.

Law cursed. "Bring us up as quickly as you can!" Cyrus obeyed while the pirate captain went to a small little microphone attached to the wall. He pressed a button and spoke to the microphone. "Derek, Orlando, find where we were hit and do damage control!" He stepped back from the PA system just as Shachi and Penguin came through the door. "Get down to the missile room. If the sea king doesn't breach the surface with us, we'll have to flush it out of the water. I'll deal with it afterwards."

They both saluted before turning and running out of the room. Law went to the large window that spanned all across the wall to see what they were dealing with. A lesser man would have gulped in fear at the sight. It wasn't a particularly big sea king, but it was freaking long. It had a serpentine physique, slender and flexible. It's scales seemed to be strong, and would be difficult for missiles to pierce them. Luckily, he didn't need for them to be pierced.

He was pulled from his musings when Cyrus spoke from the wheels. "We're close to the surface, Captain-chan. If you want to go on deck to deal with this vicious beast, I suggest you go wait by the door." Law glared at Cyrus, eyes gleaming dangerously. The crossdresser gulped a little, in both fear and admiration. The only ones allowed to get away with telling him what to do were Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin. Sometimes Coryn, but that was mostly because he wasn't afraid of their captain's wrath like everyone else. "Just a suggestion, Captain-chan..." he said weakly. Then he inexplicably perked up. Law knew he wouldn't like what had just occurred to his navigator. "In fact, you could stay in here with me until we get to the surface!"

Hm... Facing a giant, possibly deadly sea-king on his own and unarmed, or staying in a room alone with Cyrus... Law turned on his heel and walked right out the door. He knew without looking that Cyrus was pouting and sulking. "Rejected again!" The wail was loud enough to ring behind him, and Law cringed. If he was lucky, Nadeen hadn't heard that. God knows the last thing he needed was for her to have even more ammunition to use against him...

By the time he'd gotten to the exit onto deck, they'd already breached the surface. Law flung open the door with a dramatic flair he usually reserved for pissing off his opponents. Correction, his human opponents. Because this sea king was most definitely an enemy. Anyone that threatened his ship and his crew was an enemy, and would be dealt with like all of the others: swiftly and without mercy.

The sea dragon had fortunately followed them up. The weather wasn't all that great for a devil fruit user to be out alone. Mist hung heavy in the air like wraiths while the wind howled around him. The dragon roared at him, opening it's cavernous maw to display a row of teeth, as sharp and lethal as an assassin's dagger. He hadn't been able to tell the details of it's appearance while in the water. The scales were a dark, glittering blue that reminded him of sapphires while it's eyes were as red and fiery as hell itself. Ironic, considering it was a SEA king...

It roared a second time, and Law rolled his eyes with a nonchalance that would have a human adversary bristling in rage. "I heard you the first time." he drawled lazily. Bepo would be up any second with his nodachi. As if he heard his captain's thoughts, the polar bear emerged from the sub's interior with the bladed weapon in his arms. "Thank you Bepo. Care to watch the show?"

Bepo nodded happily while Law took his nodachi. "If you wouldn't mind, of course, Captain." he added, ears flicking in excitement. "It's been awhile since I've seen you fight just for the sake of having fun!"

Law chuckled and threw the empty sheath back at his first mate, who caught it with ease. "That's because I usually leave the fighting to you and the others. What use is there in dirtying my own hands when I can just have my favorite little minions do it for me?" Referring, of course, to Bepo and Shachi and Penguin. Because, really, they were his favorite minions.

The sea dragon gave a hiss at being ignored and splashed seawater over the deck to get their attention back. Law immediately felt his strength begin to wane, and stumbled a little to regain his balance. Bepo ran to steady him, teeth bared at the monster that had dared hurt his captain. He snarled something that the sea king apparently understood, because it growled back something that caused the first mate's anger to subside to surprise.

He looked to be about to say something when the sea king used it's tail to bash at the submarine. Law kept his balance this time, but Bepo fell on his behind from the tremors. The pirate captain felt the rage bubble inside of him. It wasn't a hot anger that some pirates fell victim to. Law's was cold and uncaring, chilling his heart to the extent that all he cares about it making wanted was to make his enemies pay. "Room." he growled. The familiar blue dome encased both the submarine and the sea king.

It seemed to be more intelligent than even most humans. As soon as it saw the danger, it dove underneath the water. Law cursed and waved his hand to dispel his Room. Bepo groaned as he stood, rubbing his backside where it had hit the deck floor. "Well, that went well." he grumbled, eliciting a glare from his captain. Bepo yelped, realizing what he'd said, and bowed his head. "Sorry! Sorry, Captain! I'm so sorry!"

Law grunted, prompting Bepo to shut up. "Great. Now it's up to Shachi and Penguin to drive it out of the water again." As soon as he said that, an explosion rocked the ocean and sent a geyser of water shooting into the air. The sea dragon didn't emerge again, but the sub jolted. Then only the dragon's head and neck appeared, and Law realized with a mixture of fascination and horror: they were on it's back. "Oh, this is going to be fun." Sarcasm thickly coated his tone, just as the sea king bucked like a horse.

The sub was sent flying. Law and Bepo had to hold onto the railing to keep from being flung overboard. It didn't help much when they suddenly crashed. Man and bear alike were tossed onto what seemed to be a sandy shore. The beast had literally thrown them onto the beach of the island they'd been due to arrive at. Both groaned and held their heads. Soft landing or not, it freaking hurt.

"Captain, Bepo! You guys okay!" They looked up to find the majority of the Heart Pirates crowded around the railing, looking down at their crewmates with concern. The shout had come from Derek. Law scanned the crowd with his eyes, looking for a specific mop of red hair. Nadeen wasn't there, and for some reason that made him worry.

Bepo answered for the both of them. "We're fine." He glanced at Law and asked, lowering his voice so that only his captain could hear, "We are fine, right?"

Law sighed and pushed himself to his feet. Nothing strained, nothing broken. Physically, he was unharmed. But he knew that wasn't what Bepo meant, the oversensitive lug. "Yes, we're fine. Worry about yourself more." Ignoring the way Bepo relaxed subtly, he called up, "Any injuries, take it to the infirmary. Miss Nadeen should have gotten out the bandages by now."

A chorus of agreements hailed and Law turned away from the submarine to take a better look at their surroundings. The sand beneath his shoes was saturated enough to seemed more like loose mud. The mist that had been on the ocean remained even here, though less densely. He could see a forest a half-mile inland, but no signs of civilization. No smoke from chimneys, no buildings towering overhead, nothing. Then again, with fog like that, it was amazing he could even see the trees.

A growl from Bepo made him look over. The bear had his nose up in the air and his ears were twitching. "Strangers. Coming from the north. I can't smell them because of the mist, but I can hear their footsteps. The sand is muffling them, though, so I can't tell how many there are." Better than no warning at all. See, this is why Law had made Bepo first mate. His animal instincts were easier to trust than a human's.

The Surgeon of Death located his nodachi and picked it up, just as a wordless shout drew his attention. Three blurry images were running towards him. Bepo dropped into a kung-fu stance, but Law held up a hand for him to wait. This could just as easily be concerned citizens who'd seen the crash. If there was a way he could twist this situation to benefit him and his crew, he'd do it.

The first thing he saw of the three arrivals were that they were all male, and seemed to be related. The eldest was in his late forties, early fifties. At least, the laugh-lines and gray hair made it seem so. His eyes were, strangely enough, an odd yellowish color. Not like Law could say anything, with his gray-colored eyes. The man had a beer gut, but his arms still had a good deal of muscle on them as well as scars.

The other two men looked to be about twenty years old. Both had the same yellow eyes as the older man, but their hair was pitch black. They too had muscles, though not as many scars. All three of them wore a uniform of gray overalls and black shirts, with the words Dock's Dock on them. One of the younger ones waved his arm and yelled, "Hey, is everyone alright? We saw the crash!"

Law waited for them to come closer before speaking. "That quite depends on who's asking." In one flash, his nodachi was at the neck of one of the younger men while Bepo was suddenly behind the entire trio, ready to attack at any given moment. Law allowed some menace to creep into his voice. "It seems rather coincidental for you to arrive just mere minutes after we land on a beach where there's seemingly no town or village. Care to explain?"

The two younger ones gulped loudly and looked to the elder for guidance. He met Law's gaze steadily and raised his hands slowly, showing he meant no harm. "My name is Dock. These are my sons, Michael and Mitchell." Each man nodded at his name. "We work at our family's shipyard only a little way from here. You had a run in with Chelydrus, our local sea dragon, didn't you? The ocean was getting rough, so we figured she was active again."

Law tilted his head and hummed in thought. Water serpent, eh? It fit with the sea king rather well. He took his nodachi from Mitchell's neck, ignoring the sigh of relief from both him and his brother. "Fine. I'll believe you, for now. I apologize for my animosity. The life of a pirate teaches one that there is never such a thing as too much paranoia."

Much like when he first met Nadeen, he was testing the men. The casual mention of his profession would show what kind of people they are. The two younger men startled, like they hadn't expected it, but they didn't look alarmed. On the other hand, Dock seemed to be expecting it. "Pirate, eh? Figured. Jolly Roger on your shirt gives it away."

Law was about to respond when a commotion on the deck of the sub made him look. Nadeen had appeared from inside. Oddly enough, Derek seemed to be scolding her. Each word he spoke made the annoyance grow on her face before she just walked away towards the railing. Before anyone could stop her, she took hold of it and leaped over. The fall wouldn't hurt anyone at full health, but Nadeen had cracked ribs that were possibly broken now. It was going to hurt her a hell of alot more than it would other people.

-Nadeen's-POV-

The pirates she'd just left on deck cried out and rushed over to the edge, either to watch her go splat or see if their captain would scold her for jumping. 'Jeeze, have a little more faith in me, would ya?' she thought scathingly. Nadeen used his powers to slow her descent until she touched gently on the ground. Law and Bepo stared at her, Law's face blank and unreadable while Bepo's was surprised. "You can fly?" the polar bear questioned.

She waved his question aside with a nonchalant twist of her hand. "It's more gliding than flying, but I suppose to you it would be." She looked to the three shocked strangers. The older man was merely blinking while the younger two were openly gaping. "Unless you want to be eating mosquitoes for dinner, I suggest you shut your mouths." she said glibly.

They did so, appearing quite sheepish. Law was suddenly at her side and holding her wrist up by his face, the unreadable look still there. "You know, when I told you that we'd need them by the time the debacle was over, I didn't mean for you to go and hurt yourself more." Her arm, from her palm to just before her elbow, was covered in bandages. There was a bit of red there too, suggesting she had been bleeding.

Nadeen took her arm back with a nervous giggle and hid the offending appendage behind her back. Not like it did any good, since he'd already seen it. "Um... Yeah, about that... One of your cabinets... might need a new window..." He raised an incredulous eyebrow, silently asking how she'd managed to do that. "I might of, kind of, sort of... fell into it, when the sub tipped?"

It came out more as a question than an answer. The redhead tensed when Law grabbed for her arm again, but allowed him to reclaim it. He examined the bandage before nodding and dropping it. "The dressing is adequate. I won't need to redo it." Nadeen gave a silent breath of relief. She'd done it herself before everyone started drifting into the infirmary. Derek had been the only one to comment on it. "Tell me, Miss Nadeen. Were you always this accident-prone, or is it just a recent development?"

Her answer came quicker than her brain could catch up. "Hey, it's not my fault, dammit! The universe is like a sadistic slut: loves fucking with everyone and watching the chaos unfold." One of the younger man tried to cover his laughter with a cough, but wasn't fast enough before everyone looked at him. Nadeen smirked and crossed her arms, ignoring the way her ribs screamed at her for putting pressure on them. "Ooh, we got us an amusing bugger here. What's your name?"

He smirked back at her, stepping forward and putting a hand out. "Mitchell. However, pretty lady, you can call me Mitch." Nadeen shook his hand and he bowed over it politely. It was to her surprise and delight that he didn't try to kiss her hand. That had always somewhat disgusted her in the past. "It looks like you guys might be staying here for a while." Mitchell nodded his head to a specific part of the submarine. There was a tear in the metal that Nadeen hadn't noticed before.

Nadeen winced a little just looking at it. She was one of the sailors who believed that ships had souls and could feel pain. "Ooh, that's gotta hurt. You think the sea king did that, or when we landed?"

The older gentleman tilted his head while looking at it. "I'd say Chelydrus. I've seen wounds like that on a ship before. I'm guessing you came by the southeastern current, since that's where she usually lurks around."

Bepo, surprisingly, spoke up next. "She said we were near her nest and that our engine was disturbing her babies' naps." Law was the only one to not look surprised that he knew this. "I'm a polar bear. I can speak with other animals."

The eldest of the trio nodded his head. "A sentient, talking polar bear. Eh, there are weirder things in the Grand Line." Immediately, Bepo lowered his head and apologized. The humans all sweatdropped before shrugging off his weird behavior. "Judging from this distance, I'd say you have about a month to get it fixed. Log post takes only ten days to set. Until then, let me be the first to welcome you guys to Terra Nebila. Better known as Land of Mist!"

-CHAPTER - END -

Pages: 7

Words: 3206

Me: Fun fact. According to Google Translator, Chelydrus is Latin for Water Serpent.