Author's Note: As evident in this chapter, this arc will have A LOT of fluffy HeathAki moments. And, ladies, Heathcliffe says some very romantic things in this chapter. ;D

More Important Author's Note: In six days, I will be leaving for my vacation that I will be taking until the 3rd of August. As usual, I'm bringing my laptop, but I don't think updates on Sunday will be possible, since I will be tired from a six to eight hour car ride and whatnot. Updates during my vacation are likely, since I have a ton of ideas for "The DysFUNctional Pirates" that need to be written, so expect some sort of "The DysFUNctional Pirates" chapter spam after I finish and post the 50th chapter.

And, now, onto our chapter.

Disclaimer: One Piece is the property of Eichiiro Oda. Please support the official release.

Ch. 70: "We Are Lovers, Not Fianceés."

"Aki. Aki, wake up."

"No," Aki muttered in her sleep as somebody shook her. Aki awoke, and she saw Heathcliffe towering over her.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Heathcliffe whipsered as her pulled Aki in for a hug. As soon as Aki realized that Heathcliffe was wearing only his boxers, Aki blushed.

"Morning, handsome," Aki said, sounding groggy from sleep. Heathcliffe and Aki sat holding each other in silence for a few minutes. "Are we… At Longjing Island yet?"

"Hana said that we'll get there this afternoon. We're now safe from Saint Ayame and my father IF he decided to go to Erin Island," Heathcliffe explained. Aki sighed.

"Well, if worst comes to worst, my dad will force me to marry some snobby, rich man, and you'll come rescue me like the time you confessed your love to me," Aki explained.

"Of course, I will. You will always be my lover," Heathcliffe whispered to Aki before he gave Aki a passionate kiss. Aki's face turned bright red.

"Woah! Get a room!"

Aki and Heathcliffe looked up, and they saw Enlai, who had a look of shock on his face.

"Sorry, Enlai. Sarutobi-kun was trying to wake me up," Aki apologized. Enlai sighed.

"Sorry you had to see that, Enlai. Aki's pretty nervous about coming to Longjing Island, since her father lives here," Heathcliffe explained.

"What's so bad about Aki's father?" Enlai asked as he grabbed a bag of rice.

"He raped my mother, resulting in me. He also wants to marry me off and separate me from the people who are my friends," Aki explained.

"You know, I never understood why you rich people have arranged marriages. Why the hell do they think that something's wrong with marrying your lover?" Enlai asked Heathcliffe and Aki.

"We don't know," Heathcliffe said with a shake of his head.

"My father always wants to expand his business and wealth," Aki explained.

"Sounds like somebody I know," Enlai deadpanned. "Anyway, you should get dressed. Breakfast is in ten minutes."

Enlai went up the stairs. Heathcliffe turned to Aki.

"Where was I? Oh, yeah," Heathcliffe said to himself before taking a deep breath. "I've been thinking… How about… We go on a date when we dock at Longjing Island?"

"A… Date? Sarutobi-kun, what if my father sees us?" Aki cried. Heathcliffe put his hand on Aki's shoulder.

"If we see your father, I won't even let him get ten feet near us," Heathcliffe explained with a small hint of anger in his voice. Aki smiled.

"Well, Sarutobi-kun, even if we do run into my father, we'll still have a decent date," Aki said before she kissed Heathcliffe and went up the stairs. "By the way, you should dress nice for me. I'd love to see you in a nice shirt and tie again."

Later that afternoon, Aki sat in her bedroom, waiting for Heathcliffe. She now wore a blue cheongsam with black frog clasps and trimmings.

"I don't care if my father lives here. I don't care if he wants me to marry some rich prick. Sarutobi-kun's my baby, and I will stay with him," Aki thought to herself as someone knocked on her door. "Come in!"

Heathcliffe then entered the room. He was now wearing a white, long-sleeved, collared shirt, a black tie, a black vest, black skinny jeans, and black sneakers. Right when he stepped foot into Aki's room, Heathcliffe smiled.

"Aki, why are you so beautiful?" Heathcliffe asked as he sat down on Aki's bed.

"I don't know, Sarutobi-kun," Aki said with a sigh.

"Ready to go?" Heathcliffe asked Aki.

"I guess," Aki said. Heathcliffe grabbed her hands.

"Aki, if you do manage to get taken away by your father, remember one thing – I will always love you, no matter what. I just wish all this star-crossed lovers bullshit for us didn't exist, and we would be able to get married, start a family, fufill our dreams, and grow old together," Heathcliffe explained. Aki choked back tears.

"Sarutobi-kun… Hold me," Was all Aki said before she broke down crying. Heathcliffe wordlessly held Aki in his arms. "I don't want to visit my father. I know it sounds stupid, but this visit could separate me from you all over again."

Heathcliffe sighed.

"Enlai was right. What's wrong with being with my sweetheart? Why can't I be with you? Why… Why does your family have to do this, Aki?" Heathcliffe cried. "I never got any love from my parents growing up, and I had no friends until I joined the Capricorn Pirates! The Noble kids hated me for wanting to become a rock star, and the commoner kids hated me for being a Tenryuubito's son! Then, right when I find somebody who loves me for who I am and wants to stay with me, she gets taken away! It's just not fair, Aki! I can't be a star-crossed lover anymore! I just want to spend the rest of my life with you!"

Heathcliffe then began crying. Aki wrapped her arms around Heathcliffe.

"Don't cry, Sarutobi-kun. Please, don't cry," Aki said through her tears.

"I can't stop! I don't want to lose you because of some shitty tradition or some technicality! I love you, Aki!" Heathcliffe sobbed. Aki cried harder in response.

"Please, don't leave me, Sarutobi-kun! If I have to follow through with my arranged marriage, then… Then –" Aki sobbed.

"I'll be all alone, and –" Heathcliffe added

"Who will be left to love me?" Heathcliffe and Aki shouted before they both collapsed into a sobbing mess.

The next thing Aki knew was that she was waking up in Heathcliffe's arms. Aki traced the outline of Heathcliffe's cheek where his tears fell earlier.

"Sarutobi-kun?" Aki asked. Heathcliffe woke up.

"Aki?" Heathcliffe said as he awoke. Aki looked outside, and it was already dark out.

"Well, it looks like we're too late to have a date," Aki lamented. Heathcliffe grabbed Aki's hand and helped her off of the bed.

"We can still go out. Bring your spear, though, in case we run into trouble," Heathcliffe explained. A few minutes later, Aki and Heathcliffe were walking hand-in-hand down the streets busy of Longjing Island.

"I don't remember the streets being THIS busy," Aki commented.

"I guess that would serve as the perfect cover for us to be lovers," Heathcliffe commented.

"Sarutobi-kun, why are you so romantic?" Aki asked Heathcliffe as they sat down on a bench.

"Because…" Heathcliffe said. "The both of us just want to be loved."

Heathcliffe and Aki then shared a passionate kiss. But, their romance wasn't going to last long.

"You whore!"

Ending Note: You know you've got an arc of One Piece: Parallel Works that the authoress will have fun working on when she makes Heathcliffe and Aki cry and act lovey-dovey at the same time. She just loves HeathAki.

Anyway, I haven't done this in a while. I have an SBS Corner for this fic where you ask me questions and I answer them at the end of the next chapter. Let's do things differently where I ask the question and you guys answer. Here's your question -

What headcanons do you have for the Capricorns, villains, and/or allies of the Capricorns?

Anyway, review this fic, send me SBS questions, and be sure to answer my question.