A/N: I forgot to write this on the first chapter so I'm writing this now. I DO NOT OWN ONE PIECE. THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION AND MAY CONTAIN DISTORTED FACTS.
Important Note: Please be aware that I shall be using/basing the places and other little things in the real world BUT I'll name them differently - perhaps change the spelling or just reverse their names, you know, copyright issues and such, right? Or am I doing it wrong? Regardless, expect to read familiar names but faulty spellings. Grammar/Spelling Nazis may stay away from this story if this bothers you. Thank you.
Omen
Second Sign
"Wow, so you're really Trafalgar Law. You scared me so much back there. I never would've thought you're actually this brutal in reality."
Elka sat down by the edge of her bed with one leg hanging down and the other folded. She stared intently at the pirate captain who sat on the floor and leaned his back on the closet with his tall sword resting by his shoulder.
"I mean, you made me feel like I was going to get killed one way or another." she continued, gently touching her neck.
Law remained quiet. He didn't return her gaze either and instead hid his eyes under his hat.
Elka sighed. She then began to explain in great detail, tediously at that, the meaning of her so-called collections. She proudly described herself as the number one fan of Eiichiro Oda-sensei's greatest masterpiece: One Piece and she supported the material loyally by buying various products regarding the said title; ranging from its Manga and DVD, to its other merchandise such as figures, statues, art books, posters and other exclusive items.
Law quietly listened. He paid her his full attention until the end even if there were many times he felt irritated with her unnecessary remarks. By the end of her lecture, the pirate captain was skeptical. He couldn't comprehend how things like that existed, rather, he couldn't accept that those things exists but in the end, he couldn't find a loophole to deny what was thrust against his face. He felt exhausted just thinking about it.
"One more thing, I'm not telling you this because I believe your story. I'm still not convinced you're someone from a fictional series." she clarified.
Law threw her a look that sent shivers down her spine. He then rose up and held forth his right arm.
Room.
Under Law's palm was a vivid light blue aura that clearly surprised his spectator. Swiftly, it expanded engulfing the whole room. He then gestured his hand and pointed his index finger upward, making the half of the bed float up. This alarmed the room owner as she was still sitting on the said object.
"W-W-Wait a sec...!" she yelped as she fell back on the bed. She clutched on the corner of the bed to prevent herself from falling.
As soon as she felt the bed descend, she closed her eyes and prayed. After a few snapping sounds and quakes she felt, everything went silent. She slowly opened her eyes only to see the window in normal height again. She shot up and found Law already sitting back on the floor with his back inclined on the closet; his tall sword resting by his shoulder.
Quickly, Elka assessed herself. She patted her whole body, checking every part of it, making sure nothing was missing. Relief quickly washed over her soon as she found herself still in one piece.
"What did you do?" she finally asked.
"I fixed your bed. Now that you've seen my devil fruit ability, I'm sure you believe my story." he stated half-exasperated, half-chastened.
"Uh-huh... Well..."
"Seeing your reaction, it seems to me you're already familiar with what I can do." he scoffed.
Elka stiffened. She shifted her gaze away from the man and admitted, reluctantly at that, "Yes, I believe you."
Shortly though, she suddenly slapped her face twice, she pinched her cheeks and even her arms. She then glanced at Law and pinched her cheeks once more. "Damn, am I really awake now? This isn't a dream, right?" she stared at the Surgeon of Death in awe. "At first I thought you were just a psycho in cosplay but now that I think about it, who would even bother cosplaying before taking victims?"
Truthfully, the pirate captain himself was still lost, both in thoughts and in words. He was still confused with everything - what with the figures, series and whatnot. And the thing that concerned him the most, was the storyline or so-called plot of the entitled One Piece series, because it contained characters and names he was too familiar with and it so much aligned with what has transpired in his world and his future plans. It even revealed his future alliance with the Straw Hat Pirates, which was actually out of his expectations.
"So, Elka-ya? What do you think made me appear in this world?" he asked, uncertain of his own question.
"I don't really know. I can't say you were brought here due to my wishes or anything silly like that." she said in a matter-of-fact manner and continued, "After all, Oda's work is a work of fiction. You don't exist in this world."
"Fiction?" Law sent her a questioning look.
Oh. Elka noted the unguarded feeling from his eyes. It was a first that his eyes looked non-threatening and that he gave off no pressure.
"Well, yeah, you heard me right." she flatly replied as if she was stating the obvious. "Like I told you, One Piece is a Manga Series which included you as an important character in the story. I only got to know you through that."
"So you're saying I'm just an imaginary being, is that it?" Law's questioning look morphed into one of understanding and hostility. "Are you insulting me?" he glowered at her. He rose from the ground and approached her threateningly.
Elka was overwhelmed and frightened she couldn't move a muscle. She could only wait for him to reach her and feared over the assumption of him finally disposing her.
As he got close, he grabbed her chin and forcibly pulled her face up to meet his menacing glare imposing his dominance. "I don't think you understand your situation. Let's say you're correct, and I really am just an illusion." he glanced over her silky black hair and snatched a handful of it pulling them in the process.
It elicited a grunt of pain from Elka. Her face immediately scrunched up as she gritted her teeth in an effort to stifle her groans.
"Can an illusion do this?" Law continued. He crouched over the bed until his head was leveled with hers. He peered into her glassy eyes and added, "Still think you're hallucinating? Do you really believe that I don't exist? Me, who's right in front of you?"
"I didn't..." Elka struggled to keep her voice even as she endured the pain. She also made an effort to return the pirate captain's gaze. "I didn't mean it..that way..."
Irritated, Law shoved her down to the bed and thrust the tip of his sword's scabbard against her throat. He slowly pushed it forward with the intent of choking her. He watched her writhe in pain, coughing every now and then, until beginning to drool as she pointlessly clutched over the scabbard in an effort to break free from it.
"A word of advice: If I am provoked, I would be happy to oblige." he guided his sword's scabbard from her throat down to her chest then between her breasts. "A stab through your heart is child's play, I'd like you to be aware of that." he then pulled the weapon away from her body.
Elka wheezed as she caught her breath. She coughed and panted until she could manage to breathe through her nostrils. She then closed her mouth and brushed the drool off its corners with the back of her hand. Idly laying in bed, she stared up at the ceiling wishing it was all just a dream but the Warlord's deep voice pulled her back to reality.
"It would be better if you watch your tongue, woman." his tone was cold and sharp.
With a deep breath, Elka pulled herself up and met her offender's eyes. He stood tall before her, towering over her. He was looking down on her with rage-filled eyes. She didn't know what to say to quell that anger in him but she figured she had to speak up.
"I do believe..that you exist. I apologize if I..offended you." she began. Her voice shook a bit but she was able to control her fear. She looked intently at the man and continued, "Still, they were nothing but facts. I honestly don't know how this happened. It could be that there exist several dimensions and numerous worlds and perhaps, you belong to one of them."
"That's just a theory. And although I'd like to reject it, my being here accounts to that." his glare softened and there was a hint of approval in his tone. Although it sounded forced, he seemed convinced.
Law's response eased the girl. "But I really don't know how this happened. I don't know why you're here, how you got here and what caused all this." she said, worry creased her face.
"But there's one thing I'm certain." the pirate captain looked at her, his face stern. "You hold the answers I seek, and the key for me to get back. Otherwise, I wouldn't have shown up in your place."
Wide-eyed, Elka was rendered speechless.
This made Law sigh in exhaustion. "I mean I won't kill you. As much as I would love to, I really don't have much choice. Getting back is my top priority, so I'll try to put up with you as long as I can."
Finally, his words sunk into her head. She began to panic. "B-b-b-but...! But I don't have the answers! I don't know what - !"
Elka was forced to purse her lips and stop in the middle of her sentence as the butt of Kikoku's scabbard was suddenly pointed against her face.
"Regardless, you will cooperate." he hissed low. The sound made her skin prickle in horror. He scowled at her defiantly as if ready to reject whatever excuse she may give.
"Yes, certainly..." she muttered under her breath. She was hesitant but her mouth reflexively moved on their own and the words came pouring out without notice.
Law didn't exactly hear what she said but he could mostly read her mouth so he figured it himself. Satisfied, a smile crossed his face. He then retreated and sat back on the floor with his sword resting over his shoulder.
"When I came to, I was sitting above your bookshelf. Any idea why that is?" he began.
Elka took a while before the man's question registered in her head. She then glanced at his left and stared off at a distance. "My bookshelf...?"
Soon as she recognized the object before her, her face turned grim. She hurriedly got to her feet and ran up in front of her shelf. She stared at her figurines, large-scale figures and boxes that were scattered all over her shelf and then down to the little pieces that was left of her precious collection littered on the ground. Misery consumed her as she identified which parts of which it belonged to and the damaged boxes one by one. As if casting a curse spell, she muttered their names together with their prices; she was choking back her tears.
She wanted to complain, to shout, to whine, to actually cry out but she was still frightened. The man with her was a very dangerous one. Although he said he wasn't going to kill her anytime soon, he was capable of hurting her, of disabling and incapacitating her. Death sounded better than living in a world of hurt.
Law did not understand the woman's reaction. She looked devastated, and more than anything else, very vulnerable.
"What's wrong?"
Elka flinched. She didn't expect the pirate captain to be concerned.
Or rather, was he bothered with my strange behavior? It made sense. To him, her precious collection were nothing more than mere objects for aesthetic purposes, or worse, trash, so he was definitely puzzled.
She spared him a glance and forced a smile. "Oh, it's nothing. Can you give me a minute? I'd like to clean up before we continue."
Without waiting for the pirate's reply, she began picking up the clutter of broken pieces of plastics on the floor. She attempted to fix some of her toys to no avail. Giving up, she collected them and placed them in one big box. She wasn't willing to throw them away. Perhaps there was still a way to fix them, or she had some other uses for them. Soon she began tidying up her bookshelf; properly arranging her collection of books and mangas into its proper positions and after that, she proceeded to carry the huge box containing her broken figures in a corner beside her bed.
Law did not bother speaking, nor moving from his place. He only observed the girl quietly and waited patiently until she was done.
When Elka was finished checking up on her collection, she noticed a few of her most prized figures was missing. She searched around the bookshelf, over and under it but didn't find them. One particular box was still present, but the figure itself and the parts that came along with it were missing.
Strange.
She thought it was impossible for her to mix it up with the other figures' broken parts since it was her favorite. She could never make that mistake. She thought hard and long of whether she might have misplaced it or maybe she lent it to someone until her eyes fell on Trafalgar Law who was watching her closely.
"No way..." she mumbled to herself as she felt her eyes grow wider in shock and disbelief.
Law wondered, throwing an inquisitive look over her.
Anxious, her mouth refused to move. The torture she had undergone when she accidentally angered the said man was enough to oppress her. She was uncertain if it had any connection with whatever caused his materialization into her world, into her room - her personal space but she figured that he would like to get even the tiniest piece of information she could give him regarding his situation.
Still, she was dead scared with his would-be reaction. It might sound like a mockery to him and he could snap at her by then. She didn't want to hurt anymore, physically and mentally. His oppressive aura and intimidating gaze was enough to break her cool.
"Whatever is in your mind, let me hear it." Law decided to break the deafening silence that Elka failed to notice as she was immersed in her own thoughts. He sounded impatient, yet somehow gentle.
Swallowing her fear, she spoke up. "While I got over my..figure collection catalog, I realized I was..missing one figure..." her voice had an uncertain crack in it. "And um..." she swallowed the lump in her throat before continuing, "Well, he was..he looked just like you. I mean, it was my Trafalgar Law that was missing. I..bought him this month and-"
"What?!" the pirate captain was mortified as he heard his name; in possessive pronoun.
Elka wanted to shrink then and there and disappear without a trace.
Way to go, idiot. at the back of her mind, she cursed herself. She carelessly spoke of him as if he was her possession.
"I mean, you see this thing?" she picked up a huge box lying adjacent to her. "Look, it has your picture in it, with the same clothes and whatnot." she hovered a finger over the box's images printed on it. "Um, this is you. It's a product made by xx manufacturer and I'm a patron."
"What you're saying is, I'm a toy?" Law couldn't hide his distaste from his voice.
"I don't know..." she said, averting her eyes from him. "But I think it has a connection with your being here. It's missing, and then there's you." she explained as carefully as she can. "I know it's silly and illogical but given with this circumstance, it makes sense, yeah?" she felt awkward but her last sentence came out in an even tone.
Shortly, his expression turned into one of understanding and approval, muttering an agreement as he looked away from her.
"Still, I really don't know what to make out of it." a frown fell on Law's face as he immersed himself in deep thoughts musing over whatever his crew was doing by then. If they ever found out he was gone, they'll go frantic and panic all over the ship just to find him. Without his transponder snail, he couldn't contact them. Worse, he didn't know if time flowed similarly with the time in his world. There's always a possibility a day in the world he's currently in would cost a week in his own world.
"But I wonder..." Elka wondered aloud. "Your devil fruit ability works in our world but why didn't you use it on me?"
The pirate captain's train of thoughts quickly shattered as he heard the person. He inwardly groaned as her words registered in his mind. Nonetheless, he retained his composure. "Are you saying you want me to use it on you?"
"Oh no! Not at all!" was her quick reply. She held her hands up in a manner of surrender and smiled awkwardly. "That's not what I meant. Forget about it, haha. Anyway, what should I call you? Um, Law? Or Trafalgar? Or maybe captain?" the last remark drew her lips into a smirk.
He took a quick glance at her under his hat and curtly replied, "Whichever is fine."
His response made her shoulders relax a bit. Her fear died down as the two of them conversed casually by then. Although unspoken, it was as if she understood him and the things between the two of them became clear.
"How about doctor then?" she smiled softly.
Law remained quiet.
"You see, I'm actually an aspiring doctor! I'm a freshman attending the school of Medicine. And I know you're popularly called 'Surgeon of Death', is why I was so obsessed with your character. You're a wicked good doctor, since you actually healed Luffy's wounds and you possess the ultimate fruit Ope-ope no mi. I'm really envious of you. I wish I could be as good as you or even better." prattling gleefully, she didn't notice Law's discomfort. Her smile broadened, seemingly waiting for a response.
"I see." was all he could mutter. He didn't fancy long talks and trivial chitchats but he considered the possibility of getting some plausible information regarding his situation that would help him get back to his own world - to his own dimension - and fast.
Despite the pirate captain's apparent lack of interest in her personal opinions, Elka continued blabbering on and on about various things. She kept jumping from one topic to another without preamble. It also seemed like she was enjoying herself, just talking on and on about the littlest things she could tell him. It seemed as though she already forgot who she was conversing with.
Regardless, Law kept his silence. In spite of his agitation slowly welling up on him, he lent her his ears for the longest time he could.
"Oh right, I actually have something to do today. I better get ready." the raven-haired girl jumped off the bed and began tidying it up. She then walked up to her dresser and quickly picked out a white tee and a pair of blue jeans. She then placed those on her bed and took a quick glance on the pirate captain. "By the way, aren't you uncomfortable with that thick coat of yours? I'm going to turn off the AC so if you wouldn't mind, please take that off." she spoke in monotone as she walked towards the air-conditioner.
Law reluctantly rose up as he decided to comply. He took off his fur hat, unfettering his black hair and drew near the bed to place it over for the time being. He unzipped his black coat revealing his firm upper torso marked with a huge heart tattoo. He possessed a lean but well-shaped body and his limbs were toned. Both arms, from his shoulder down to his fingers were inked and they looked remarkably fitting. He had a broad back and was tattooed with a huge smiley face covered in spike-like markings that overlaid almost all of it. His muscles were also well-defined making explicit pelvic sexy lines.
"Wow, you look even sexier in person." were the words that came out from Elka's mouth.
Surprise was written all over the pirate's face as he looked at her and this made her realize what she had just done. Embarrassed, she quickly covered her mouth with both palms; her ears turning red.
"Such a candid woman you are." he remarked, a playful smirk graced his face.
Elka's already red face turned even brighter as she heard the man. She wanted to retort back but couldn't find the words. She opened her mouth but no words came out. Stung by his mockery, she looked away and hung her head.
Silence hung dry on air as none of them spoke another word. She wanted to check whether the pirate captain was still keeping tabs on her but she didn't want to meet his eyes if he really was. She knew it wasn't because of the embarrassment she felt, it was somehow fear - but she didn't know for whatever reason. Possibly due to her traumatic experience a little earlier. He was still a criminal, a pirate captain, a cruel man.
As time passed, it felt like the ticking of the clock sounded louder and louder. The atmosphere felt heavier as the silence stretched on. She determined it was time to break the ice and gathered up the courage to raise her head and looked up at the half-naked criminal before her. Soon as she did, she was startled to find grey orbs glued on her.
A curious sensation overwhelmed her and despite her embarrassment, she asked, "You..didn't just stare at me this whole time, did you?"
Smirking, Law was quick to answer. "You can say that again."
"Do you like watching people when they're embarrassed or something?" it came out rude but she convinced herself that she won't ever regret it even if it cost her life.
"I have to say, I was quite amused. Keep doing that and I might just spare you for the fact that you're amusing to watch." although the context of his words were to threaten her, the way he said it sounded almost teasing.
Unable to retort back, Elka decided to toss the issue aside and escaped the room with the pretense of 'borrowing clothes' for Law.
=/=
With a few knocks on the door, Elka repeatedly called out for the landlady. Soon after, a woman with long golden hair and pretty blue eyes opened the door. With a gentle smile, she greeted her.
"Hey Elka, what's up? It's a holiday today, isn't it?"
"Oh, Lady Shiva, good morning." Elka bowed her head down to show respect. "I'm sorry for bothering you this early but, is Mistress Glenn in?"
"Auntie? She's taking a bath." she gestured inside the room and glanced back at the girl. "How may I help you?"
"I know this is really inappropriate but I'd like to ask a favor." Elka began.
As she was explaining herself, Shiva's attention shifted to the person standing behind the young girl. She looked curious as she stared at the man who in turn, stared back at her.
"..so if Ross is awake, can I speak to him? I'll ask him personally."
Shiva stood contemplating the presence of the young man that stood tall behind the girl. The blue towel draping over his torso failed its purpose as her eyes glided over his tattooed shoulders down to his arms, hands and fingers which were also inked. He looked straight back at her with a straight face and Shiva was not pleased by it.
"Elka, who is this rude man?" she asked. Her remark was an obvious warning which made the pirate's brow twitch in a split second.
Elka jolted in response. She spun around to find Law standing tall half-naked. She was shocked as she made certain to leave the pirate captain in her room. Elka wanted to whine and complain to him but was concerned with the lady present so she stopped herself, and thought fast.
"Ah...my...cousin! He came early today and...he was, um, we planned to meet up today and I asked him to come over and pick me up!"
"You know this is an all-girls dormitory." Shiva reminded, her tone firm. "And as far as I know, you're supposed to notify the security by the gates regarding this. If I am not informed about this, that means this man here entered the dorms without the security's knowledge, correct?"
Elka was in the red. She couldn't possibly tell the lady how suddenly, the man before her magically appeared out of nowhere, although it was the truth after all. She didn't know what excuse to use and kept fidgeting about, racking her head for anything useful and partially praying for Shiva's suspicion to pass soon.
"You had security? I didn't know." Law spoke out of turn.
The surgeon's response shocked Elka, and most especially Shiva. The lady quickly went back inside and picked up the phone extension to the gates, finding out how the newly appointed guard on duty was out since dawn that day because of the conflict of schedules of available men the agency missed for that day.
"Why was I not informed by this?" Shiva asked but the agency only swore they sent a replacement by four in the morning. The blonde sighed, ultimately accepting their apology after she told them off for not advising their employers regarding the matter.
"Still, Elka, you should know that men are not allowed in here." Shiva firmly stated as she placed down the phone and returned by the door.
"Yes but he's my blood relative and only visiting briefly." Elka replied. She was relieved her voice came out even.
The blonde woman looked at her suspiciously and then at the man. Her nose scrunched up in a frown before nodding in agreement.
"Then please let your cousin know," Shiva shot a glare at Law before continuing, "that he shouldn't be walking around half-naked. The fact that he bypassed the guard this morning meant he entered the dorm's premises by three."
Elka flinched at the acidity of her tone. She bowed her head immediately and apologized.
Shiva sighed. "Come in, Elka. You should ask your cousin to go back to your room though." she then left the door open as she made her way inside the room.
Soon as the blond woman was out of their sight, Elka curtly grabbed Law's arm and pulled him down to whisper between gritted teeth, "I told you to stay in the room, doctor. This is an all-girl's dormitory and men are not allowed in here!"
The man glared in return. "I don't do well with getting ordered around." his tone sharp.
"Please, doctor, listen to me! I'm not ordering you, I'm begging you." Elka grumbled, almost tearing up in both anger and frustration.
Law hummed. He took a brief look at the girl who was already at the verge of crying in either anger or frustration before deciding to let it go and went back to the room.
As Law traced back his steps towards the girl's room, he took in the image of the hallways and the scenery before the building itself. The place was in a whole different level as he tried to compare it with the places he'd been and seen during his journey in the Grand Line. Although he already saw it earlier, it looked fairly different with the sun up. True enough, the sea was nowhere to be found but buildings were everywhere. They were glued to one another and was separated with walls alone. Some were so tall while others, too short they're almost covered. There were different machines running through the roads: four-wheeled, 2-wheeled, there were even ones who had six wheels and more, and they were huge.
It felt so strange and uncomfortable. Law was not used to seeing such little nature, especially with the sea missing and this worried him. Once he reached his destination, he paused to look up at the clear blue skies. If there was anything that he was grateful with, it'd be the sky looking as similar as he remembered it.