"Captain," I approached calmly the next morning. "May I please go out and buy some other things that I need in order to live here."

"No-"

"Hold on, I wasn't done," I said. "I'll take someone with me, of course. Whomever you choose worthy to make sure I don't run away or anything. Please, Captain."

He narrowed his eyes at me and said, "I guess… Take Penguin and Shachi, they're the only ones that like you."

I smiled happily and said, "Thank you!"

He gave me some spending money and I rounded up Penguin and Shachi to go shopping.

"What? Captain's letting you go out?" Penguin asked. "But he said-"

"Yes, I know, I was there when he said I couldn't leave," I said, too excited to let him finish. "You can ask him, I swear I'm not lying."

It kinda hurt when they left me to go ask Law if I was telling the truth, but it was worth it to go outside.

Penguin and Shachi accompanied me throughout the town as I bought various necessities. For example: tooth brush, tooth paste, socks, underwear, bras… Things of that sort. I even had a little money left over to get some makeup just in case we ever went someplace fancy (and so I wouldn't look dead half the time).

When I was back on the ship with my loot, I put it all away neatly in its new place and sat down on Law's bed.

Suddenly, a feeling of guilt took over me.

Am I really going to be here forever…? Do I really need all this stuff if Crow and the rest are coming for me…? I thought.

I buried my face into one of the pillows and groaned, frustrated.

"Crow… Please come for me…" I yearned hopelessly. "I miss you…"

I rolled over onto my back and looked up at the metal ceiling. It looked a lot like my room's ceiling on the North Spearhead.

But it wasn't. It never would be home, it seemed.

I looked at my left hand that still had the green cast on it. My engagement ring was still on the nightstand of the North Spearhead, wherever it was. I was always too lazy to put it on, or I was paranoid about losing it. Either way, the only thing I had to remember Crow wasn't with me.

"I want to go home…" I sniffled, about to cry.

"This again, Nori-ya?" said Law, standing in the doorway.

I sat up immediately.

"I've already told you why you can't," he said. "So stop asking, it's really annoying."

"I wasn't asking," I said. "I was wishing."

He rolled his eyes and said, "So naïve…"

"Excuse me, but you're not the one being held captive here," I said. "My fiancé's back on my ship. I'm aloud room to grouch, ok?"

He looked away and grabbed a book off of his desk hurriedly. He quickly glanced back at me as he exited the room.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "I'm never getting off this fucking ship…"

I got up out of bed and started walking towards the rec room. Along the way, I bumped into Penguin and Shachi.

"Yo," Shachi said. "'Sup, Nori-san?"

"Nothing," I said. "Just going to go read, what about you guys?"

"We're going to go play cards in the rec room," Penguin said.

"Ah, cool," I said.

We proceeded to walk together to the rec room. They were obnoxiously loud while playing Go Fish that I yelled at them to be quite because I couldn't hear myself read.

"But he's the one lying!" Shachi implored. "He's gotta have the stupid ace of spades!"

"I don't have it!" Penguin yelled. "I swear I don't! Just draw a card until you get one!"

"That's against the rules!" Shachi yelled. "You want me to cheat?!"

Penguin groaned and dropped his cards on the table. "I'm so done with this game…" he said, walking away.

Shachi quickly took his cards and said, "AHA! You did have the ace of spades, you liar!"

"Oh yeah, speaking of ace of spades…" Penguin said, stopping at the door. "Did you hear that Ace from the Whitebeard Pirates was captured by the marines?"

"What?" I asked, putting down my books. "They caught one of Whitebeard's men?"

"That's not just one of his men, that's the second division commander," Shachi said.

"Yeah," Penguin said. "They're gonna execute him, I bet."

"What, do they wanna start a freakin' war?" Shachi asked. "No way the government's that stupid."

"Read the papers," he said. "They said they're gonna do it."

"Whoa…" I said. "He's in Impel Down, then?"

"Or heading there, yeah," Penguin said. "They haven't set a date for the execution yet, though."

"It'll be interesting to see what happens…" Shachi said. "Well, at least we'll be heading to the New World soon; we don't have to deal with this kinda stuff."

"The New World…?!" I asked. "What?!"

"Didn't you hear?" Penguin asked. "After Trinity, our next stop is the Sabaody Archipelago."

"Really?!" I asked. "I can't believe we're this close! Oh my god, I can't wait!"

"You better earn your freedom back from Captain, 'cuz I hear the Sabaody's a real fun place," Shachi said.

"I definitely will try!" I said, looking forward to something for the first time since I came to this ship. "How long does it take to get there from here?"

"I don't know…" Penguin said. "A week, maybe two? That's really a question for Bepo."

I narrowed my eyes and said, "Well, he doesn't like me… Well, whatever."

From what it sounded like, we'd be in the New World in less than a month. I was a little bummed that I wouldn't share the experience with my own crew, but the New World was the New World, after all. And apparently it was nothing compared the first half of the Grand Line.

Shachi was still mad at Penguin for cheating in their silly game of cards as they walked out the door leading into the hall.

It was four days until the log was ready to go. I would definitely need to start getting on Law's good side if I wanted to get my freedom back in time for the archipelago.

If I played my cards right, maybe I'd even get my heart back.

It was later that night, around 11:30 when Law came back to the ship. I was in the kitchen, cleaning some of the dishes because no one had bothered to do them yet. It made the whole room stink, so I thought I'd do everyone a favor.

Penguin and Shachi were just now eating dinner because they'd been out late as well.

"Oi, Nori-ya," Law said. "Make me something eat."

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Rice balls would be good," he said. "You can cook, right?"

"I'm competent enough to make rice balls…" I said. "They might not be pretty, but-"

"It'll be fine," he said. "Just hurry. I'm starving."

"Why didn't you get food when you were out, Captain?" Shachi asked. "They've got tons of places in the town."

"I didn't want anything there," he said. "Rice balls just sounded really good."

"Ah," Shachi said.

I started preparing to make the rice balls when I asked, "Do you want anything inside them?"

"No, plain's fine," he said.

"Really?" I asked. "They'll be so bland…"

"Plain's fine," he repeated.

"Suit yourself…" I said.

I made him a plate full of crooked, plain, rice balls and presented them to him. He thanked me and started eating.

Penguin and Shachi put their own dishes in the sink when they were done soon after and said they were going to sleep.

"Well, I think I'll take a page out of their book and go to bed as well," I said, getting up.

Law pulled me back down and said, "Stay."

"What?" I asked.

"Stay with me," he said.

"Why… should I…?" I asked, confused. "I'm tired."

"Just stay," he said.

I sighed and stayed next to him, watching him eat the horribly misshapen rice balls I'd made.

"You really are bad at shaping them…" he said, picking up the last one that didn't even look like a triangle.

"Shut up…" I said, embarrassed. "I'm not good at cooking."

He laughed, finishing it in one bite. "I'm just teasing."

I rolled my eyes. "You've got rice all over your face now."

"I do?" he asked. I nodded. He proceeded to wipe it all off. "How's that?"

"Better," I said, standing up. "Ok, I'm going to-"

I didn't even realize what had happened until I saw his lips were on mine. Law had kissed me out of nowhere. I had no idea how to react!

At first, I was extremely confused. But then, I started to like it and kissed him back. Finally, I mentally slapped myself, thinking of Crow.

I pulled away, absolutely disgusted.

"What the fuck was that?!" I yelled angrily.

He smirked at me and said, "You liked it."

"No, I absolutely did not!" I screamed, storming out of the room.

"You kissed back," he said. "You did like it!"

"I… I… Shut up!" I said, frustrated.

He laughed, following me out the room.

I stopped abruptly, turning around. I slapped him across the face and said, "Don't you ever do that again, you disgusting asshole!"

He grabbed my wrist tightly. "You slap me again, and I'll do more than kiss you," he threatened.

"I'm sleeping somewhere else!" I yelled, breaking from his grasp and stomping down the hall.

"You kissed me back!" he yelled. "Admit it; you like me too, don't you?"

"Like hell I will!" I shrieked, running down the stairs and into the rec room. I threw myself onto the couch and closed my eyes.

Trafalgar… I thought. How dare you?! How could he do that to me?! I already told him I'm engaged!

I was so confused and overwhelmed. He did have a point, though. I did like it.

And that was a big problem.

Crow was my fiancé, how could I do this to him? I loved Crow enough to want to marry him. But Law… I hated Law. I mean, I think I did…

Oh, I don't know! I thought, exasperated.

Law was by far a better kisser than Crow… Maybe that was the only reason I liked it. But it couldn't be… Law was very attractive; I've felt that since day one on this ship. But there are a lot of attractive people in the world, that doesn't give you the right to kiss them when you're engaged!

Well, he kissed me.

But I kissed him back…

Am I a horrible person? Is it considered cheating if you only kiss someone else…? I thought. Crow… If only you were here… This wouldn't have happened.

I didn't know what to feel at that point. Maybe I did like Law, maybe I didn't. I knew it had to be one or the other, but I was too numb to figure out which one.

I finally exhausted myself enough to fall asleep with the lights on in the rec room.

I didn't see Law at breakfast that morning, much to my relief. I changed quickly in his room and went straight to the rec room. I found Penguin and Shachi playing cards again.

"Oi, Nori-san!" Shachi said. "Can you referee our game? So Penguin over here doesn't cheat again…"

"Yeah, sure," I said, pulling up a chair.

I wasn't really paying attention to their game. I was too anxious to even focus on anything other than my thoughts.

Did I just cheat on Crow…? I thought, horrified at myself. Does one kiss count as cheating?!

"Oi, Nori-san!" Shachi yelled, snapping in my face.

"Hm?" I asked. "What?"

"Can you shuffle the cards?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure," I said, taking the deck.

"Is something wrong?" Penguin asked. "You don't look well."

"I don't really know if something's wrong or not, to be honest…" I said, splitting the deck in half to shuffle.

"What do you mean?" Shachi asked.

I finished shuffling the first time and looked up at Penguin. "Penguin-san," I said. "Suppose you have a girlfriend, ok?"

"Alright…" he said.

"So would it be considered cheating on your girlfriend if someone else kisses you?" I asked.

"No, I… I don't think it would…?" he said.

"It depends," Shachi said. "If he kissed the other person back, then yeah."

My heart broke, wherever it was.

"Yeah, that's true," Penguin agreed.

I felt tears welling up in my eyes.

I'm a horrible person…! I thought, disgusted with myself.

"N-Nori-san…?" Shachi asked. "Are you ok?"

"What happened?" Penguin asked.

"Where's the captain?" I asked.

"He's probably in his study…" Penguin said. "Why?"

I got up silently and walked out of the room. I went back up the steps, passed the kitchen, and knocked on Law's study door.

"Who is it?" he asked, seemingly annoyed.

I opened the door, tears falling down my face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, standing up.

"You…" I said, infuriated. "You made me cheat on Crow!"

"I did what now?" he asked, offended. "You're the one who kissed me back. You didn't have to do anything and I didn't make you do it, either."

I wiped away my tears and said, "You're making me so confused!"

He smirked and said, "I told you I'd make you mine."

"I don't want to be yours!" I screamed. "I want to go back home!"

"That's not going to happen," he said, stepping closer to me. "You're mine."

"I don't belong to anyone, especially you!" I said.

His smoldering yellow eyes were staring intensely into my forest green ones. His smirk tempted me further. I couldn't look away from him; he was just too alluring in that moment.

I suddenly realized that I was the center of this man's attention. And that was a scary position to be in.

"Nori-ya," he said, touching the side of my face. "You like me, don't you?"

"I don't," I said, looking away. "I shouldn't…"

"But you can," he said, lifting my chin up to look him in the eyes.

I could've sworn he was using some kind of hypnotism or something. As my eyes met his, a wave of chills spread throughout my body. My chest started hurting.

He leaned in closer. I felt his warm breath on my face. I was frozen. Law's lips met mine and he kissed me once more.

And I let him. I let it happen. I couldn't pull away, even if I wanted to. He had his hands on my face.

And I just stood there, tears falling down my face as I realized that I liked him.

The kiss itself felt lovely, that's what horrified me.

I liked Law, but I couldn't…

But I did.

He finally pulled away after what felt like hours. Law took his thumbs and wiped away my tears as he held me face close to his.

"Don't cry," he purred. He pulled me into his embrace and whispered into my ear, "Nori-ya, let yourself fall for me."

"I can't…" I whimpered.

"But you already have," he said softly. "You just haven't accepted it yet."

I buried my face into his chest and cried, "But this is so wrong… What about Crow?"

"He's not here, is he?" Law cooed.

"Yeah, but-"

"Nori-ya," he whispered. "It'll be alright."

A million thoughts raced through my mind that day.

How did I manage to like the man that is holding me captive, stole my heart, dissected me alive, broke my fingers, imprisoned me for a short while, forced me to join his crew, and is constantly mean to me?

But the answer was in the question. He stole my heart, in a figurative sense.

I had a million reasons to hate him, but somehow all those overshadowed the things I was feeling.

Maybe I was just caught up in the moment, maybe I had Stockholm Syndrome, or maybe I actually did like him… I don't even know myself, but all I knew was that Crow had a rival now and he wasn't here to defend himself.

I loved Crow, I really did. But I didn't know how I could love him and be ok with loving Law as well.

This whole thing didn't make any sense at all. Why was Law just telling me this now? Why wait this long if he's had feelings for me for a while? Speaking of that… When exactly did he begin to like me? Just the other day he broke two of my fingers! None of it made sense, really. None at all.

I guess I'd been denying my attraction towards him for a while because it wasn't right for an engaged woman to love a different man. But I let myself fall for him that day. And I thought was ready to face the consequences for loving Trafalgar Law.

But I never imagined them to be so severe…

(I don't own One Piece or any of its content. This was made for entertainment purposes only and no copyright is intended.)