The seas were eerily calming this early in the morning.
Ginger found it a peaceful change for once and gladly accepted the quiet space it offered. She sniffled and was annoyed that she was beginning to catch a cold. That morning she awoke to find that her head was throbbing and her nostrils blocked making it hard for her to breathe comfortably through them. Four months of waiting at the archipelago while traveling to and from became quite the nuisance. Law, however, insisted it was better to wait rather than to dive head first into the New World though she suspected it was something much more than that.
She made a fist with her left hand grateful that her arm had healed on its own. It would do the crew and herself no good to enter the New World weaker than she actually was. When she looked down at it she found herself thinking of the stops they made along the way, and of those stops they had encountered pirates with pretty insignificant bounties. She remembered all too well the instructions Law gave them, emphasizing that they were to simply capture them. What became of them afterward she didn't bother to ask knowing that she would be met with cryptic answers.
Why capture pirates with small bounties?
She leaned closer against the railing of the vessel, squinting into the fog as the waves calmly splashed against the submarine.
"I can't be getting sick," she scolded, placing a hand on her forehead and felt it was warmer than usual. "Now now."
At anytime they could be thrusted into the New World should Law order it. The last thing she wanted was to be confined to bed during the most exciting part of it.
"There you are!" Ginger turned and was met with Shachi coming towards her. His cap was nowhere to be found, leaving his red hair bristling in the wind. "Keki had me looking all over for you. Said she wanted you to eat something to help with your cold."
"How does she know I'm sick?"
"That old bat knows everything," he shrugged, coming to a stop beside her. "Though she might've mentioned she heard you sniffling all night." He leaned against the rail with one hand propped under his chin. "You could be faking it to get out of laundry duty." He smiled then baring his teeth in a grin for her to see.
Ginger's face fell flat. "Laundry duty is the least of my worries."
He waved his other hand, seeming to dismiss her. "I'm kidding! Sheesh."
She smiled before her lips suddenly pursed in thought. "Shachi," he gazed up at her, "why did Law want those pirates subdued?"
He made a noise as though he was deciding on what to reply with. "The captain came up with a plan a few years ago. We all were aware of it and supported it. Now he seems to be putting it into motion. This is just the very beginning." Shachi became pensive then as his voice lost the joking nature it usually carried. "He wants to take down some important figures in the New World. One of which he has a personal grudge against." He stood up straight. "That's all I can say, really. I'm sorry, Ginger."
"Thank you. It's something at least."
"Just trust him. He's got a plan and even though he's determined to fulfill it he won't bring us to harm. He said so himself. The crew knows the tension between you two is still there, but give it some time."
She was taken aback at Shachi's sudden reassurance. Had it been that noticeable? She thought the Heart Pirates were not keeping tabs on the rocky grounds of Law and Ginger's partnership. She figured they were too preoccupied with their own duties. At the thought she scolded herself for the second time that day. Underestimating them and their perception wasn't going to win her their trust.
"Shachi," he and Ginger both turned at the same time and caught the sight of Law stepping beyond the doorway. He hooked his thumb over his shoulder, looking bored. "Keki-ya needs you down in the kitchen."
"Right away, captain!" Shachi gave Ginger a mock salute as she rolled her eyes with a grin before making his way to the door. Once he was out of sight Law turned his bored gaze to her.
"Morning, captain!" She greeted with a light tone. "Lovely morning."
Law raised an eyebrow while walking across the deck to meet her at the rail. He stopped a few feet beside her and leaned casually up against it with his back to it. His nodachi was no where to be found but his signature hat stayed upon his head. She wondered briefly if he ever took it off.
"No Transponder Snail in sight," he said, turning to her with a fixed stare. "Though I suppose you're not one who would go back on her word."
"Why would I do that?"
"All those pirates killed. I thought that would be on the grounds of reporting back to your commanding officer." His voice was light though it still carried the same undertone of mocking.
Ginger met his gaze unable to fully register what he had said. Killed? That was impossible. But then again she never did find out what happened to them and Shachi had been just as cryptic in his response when she asked. "A few pirates dead won't even make the front page." She adjusted her position as she leaned with her hip against the rail. "Why do I get the sense you're teasing? It wasn't that long ago that you held it against me."
He crossed his ankles while still keeping her in his line of sight. "You're still under suspicion until you can prove that you've shed your marine self completely. I don't trust you completely but it doesn't mean I'm not going to give you a chance." He turned his head to look over his shoulder at the sea. "You could've stayed on Amazon Lily with Straw Hat and Rayleigh but you came instead." When he turned back to look at her she found that his eyes had become serious. "Bepo seems to trust you even though I warned him not to. He doesn't take to new crew members easily, and with you it seemed that he had no trouble."
It was true that she and Bepo got along better and there were times where she found herself enjoying his company. She sensed that the rest of the crew were merely accepting of her until she gave them a reason not to, but with Bepo it was different. His personality at times reminded her of Marigold in certain aspects. There were also times where she defended him against the others even though she knew it was merely light-hearted teasing.
"I'll say this once, Ginger," Law began, remaining calm and collected as his tone lost its mocking undertone. "Don't put my crew in danger." He didn't need to even say it because she knew what he intended. On the surface it was a simple warning, but as she picked apart the meaning she understood the hidden threat of death.
She steadied her gaze, refusing to break it. "I'm not the type to betray comrades."
Silence befell upon them with nothing making a sound save for the waves pushing up against the vessel. Did he honestly believe that she would do something so foolish that it would jeopardize the crew? He seemed to think so. After a few moments he suddenly gave her a smirk. That alone infuriated her and made her keep her mouth shut to avoid a confrontation.
"That's funny coming from a turncloak."
"I may be a turncloak but I know where my loyalties are now." She replied, catching onto the bait Law had set before her.
He pushed away from the railing then while still keeping that smirk in place. If anything he was amused with her answer rather than impressed figuring that she wouldn't catch onto his plan so quick. Without saying a word he made his way to the door presumably to go down to the kitchen for breakfast. Ginger's stomach gurgled at the thought while patting her stomach.
She followed him inside hoping that this was a promise for a better beginning.
When she opened her eyes confusion set in as she took in her surroundings.
It took her a minute to fully register the fact that she was lying in bed in her shared quarters with the sheets pulled half-way up her body. The persistent throbbing from earlier in the day was back with a vengeance which made her remain lying down for fear that it would worsen should she move. A lukewarm rag settled on her forehead while the door was left slightly ajar for a sudden breeze of the cooling system to enter without restriction.
'Great. I must've passed out.'
Ginger made a slight 'hum' sound in her throat, noting that it too was sore and raw from the sudden flu she caught. She tried to remember when and where she was when she contracted it. 'It had to be that goddamn island settled near Amazon Lily. That was where that small pirate crew was.' She and Bepo accompanied by Jean Bart broke off from the other three small squads to scatter the land for the pirates in question. It was perhaps her misfortune that Ginger had to deal with one of them who was suffering from delusions of some sort. She remembered that he too was suffering from the symptoms she currently had and while she had restrained him and took him back to Law she noticed that it piqued his interest to say the least. It was her fault entirely for being near the infected man though Law had said the flu he had was harmless.
That, of course, didn't save the man from falling victim to whatever scheme Law had in mind.
Those pirates captured were killed according to him, but Ginger wasn't ready to believe that. He was nicknamed the Surgeon of Death, sure, but to kill anyone for no particular purpose was a little hard to fathom.
'Whatever he does is not my business. I'm only here to follow orders as a pirate.'
Ginger looked towards the bed only to find it empty. The bad thing with living aboard a submarine was the fact that it was nearly impossible to tell what day it was. She strained herself and looked up towards the window only to cringe and stop herself when the throbbing resumed.
If she indeed have the same flu as the pirate she contracted it from then she had to remember what Law's diagnosis was. If it wasn't fatal then how long would she have it? She pouted and racked her brain for the memory of Law's deduction. 'Was it a week? Two maybe? Without my heart it might be more...but my immune system is healthy it shouldn't be that long...' She closed her eyes, trying to remember what it was Law said. 'It was a week. I've only had it for a day so I might have it for six more.'
"Mmm, still asleep I see."
Ginger opened her eyes to see that Keki and Bepo were in the doorway surprise on their faces when she looked at them. "Oh! Sorry! I thought you were asleep."
"I just woke up," she mumbled. "When did I pass out?"
Keki appeared thoughtful as Bepo walked in and set down the tray of food on the floor before taking a seat himself. When she looked back at Ginger she said, "Four days."
That made her sit up despite the pain in her forehead. "What?! I've been passed out for that long? Why didn't anyone wake me up?" The rag fell to her lap with a muffled slop sound while she clutched her throat cringing at the stinging pain.
"Law said to let you rest," Keki countered. "He said the flu you had was nothing serious. Your immune system would take longer to fight it without your heart."
"But I've been asleep for four days!"
"Naturally."
Ginger looked away completely angry with herself for passing out for such a long period of time. Bepo looked up at her. "You didn't miss much. Except-"
"Don't say it, yeti." Keki warned which piqued Ginger's interest as she turned to look at him.
"Except what?" she urged, not sure she would like the answer.
"We...entered the New World three days ago," he answered while nervously crossing his arms, giving her a look of guilt. "Captain said not to wake you. You wouldn't have been able to take the voyage."
Her face noticeably blanched but she did well in taking the information. There was no use in getting upset that she missed entering the New World. Bepo had been right that in her current state she wouldn't have been stable to take such a violent voyage. She laid back down while kicking off the blanket in order to cross her ankles.
"You're not mad at all, are you?" Keki mused.
"Annoyed maybe with myself for getting sick but otherwise no." Her eyes flickered towards the tray that laid beside her bed. A bowl of soup with slices of bread seemed to be the lunch or dinner Keki had in mind for someone as sick as her. "Why did Law decide now?"
Bepo lifted the tray to her as she sat up, albeit slowly this time. Carefully she took the tray of food from him and placed it on her lap as Keki made her way towards her bed. The short woman plopped down and made a small 'mmm' sound while Ginger lifted a spoonful of the soup and placed it in her mouth.
She was grateful for the food. "By the way this still tastes like mackerel."
"Shut up," Keki responded, "and to answer your question it was all to head to a nearby base of operations that the Marines are at." Ginger's throat tightened but regardless she continued eating rather than let it faze her. "He's got a special delivery for them."
"And where is he now?"
"We're anchored off shore this island we suddenly came across. It appeared out of no where and we nearly collided with it. According to Shachi the place appeared deserted but it seemed Law was eager to explore it. He and three others went with him while Bepo and the rest of us remained here." It was quite a story. The New World, from what she heard in her Marine days, was filled with uncharted territory and surprises. It was nothing compared to the Grand Line. Everything here was unpredictable right down to the weather, but it seemed that they had little trouble navigating these waters.
Ginger scooped up more while taking a bite out of a slice of bread. "An island, huh? The wise thing would've been to avoid it if he was looking for their base of operations."
Keki's face was grim. "It's been hours since they've been gone." Ginger seized her movements as she looked up at her. "I don't want to admit it, but I'm worried Ginger-chan."
Bepo's head bowed at her comment which made Ginger realize the situation was to be taken seriously. "This is Law we're talking about. I'm sure he and the others are fine."
"I got a bad feeling from that island. It was desolate and eerie and I warned him to move on and forget about it. Nothing in the New World is safe from danger."
The spoon laid forgotten in the bowl. Ginger's eyes were cast down, feeling the submarine rock slightly back and forth from the waves outside. Three days she had laid unconscious and now the sinking pit in her stomach unnerved her. To explore an uninhabited island while throwing caution to the wind seemed like something she would expect from him. She was sure the curiosity had gotten the better of Law and in doing so he decided to take a detour into the unknown.
"That's why you came in here," she said, catching their attention.
"Partly," Keki answered. "The other part is because the others want to go in but I told them not to. I woke you up so you would be aware and to stay put while I went instead."
Ginger's eyes narrowed at realization. "No way are you going alone."
Her eye twitched at Ginger's rebuttal. "I was planning to from the beginning. I'll have a better chance rather than risking everyone else."
"That's stupid! Going in by yourself without knowing which way Law went is asking for a death wish. Besides, what if this is a trap? This is the New World not some detour off the Grand Line!"
"You're no better," Keki countered. "You're still as sick as a dog."
"I'm fine," Ginger insisted, taking another bite out of the slice of bread. "We'll have a better chance with the two of us. Besides, I've been stuck on here for four days. I wanna see the New World in all its glory." She was determined to win the argument, but regardless of what Keki said she would still go with her. Waiting for him to return seemed like the safe solution but at the moment it wasn't something they were willing to do.
If Keki had a bad feeling about the island then who's to say she was wrong?
Bepo suddenly perked up as he looked from her to Keki. "What about me?" Ginger and Keki exchanged glances which made it obvious that neither woman remembered that he was there. Upon realizing this he frowns before slumping forward with his head face down on the floor. "You forgot about me, didn't you?" He mumbled.
"Sorry Bepo," Ginger replied. "You can come along if you'd like."
He moaned quietly before turning his face and revealing one half of it as he glanced up at her. "You're just saying that."
"Let her finish her food so we can leave," Keki got up while heading for the door. "We've got to figure out what the weather is like now."
Ginger blinked as confusion set in. "Now?"
It hadn't taken long for her to finish up what little of her dinner was left. Once Bepo joined Keki she had enough time to dress herself. She decided to wear a light purple dress with black leggings before pairing the outfit with boots. At the last second she decided to take along her coat keeping in mind what Keki mentioned about the weather being unpredictable when they entered.
Her fever was still very much present as she looked at herself in the mirror, frowning as she noticed the dark circles under eyes as well as the red blemish that bloomed on her cheeks. She was grateful that the nausea had long since passed no longer worrying about it being a factor in her capability to fight. Carefully she walked up the stairs leading up to the deck, passing through the steel door as she saw Bepo and Keki looking out into the sea.
The sudden cold air snapped her senses awake.
It was chilly though traces of humidity lingered in the air. It was confusing as the wind shifted from freezing cold to just breezy. Ginger took this as a sign to pull on her coat as she observed the sky with caution. The clouds were dark leaving an almost ominous feeling to the surrounding seas, making this island Keki spoke of appear more eerie than it seemed. In the distance, she heard a muffled crackle signaling that thunder was close by and coming toward them. Even so the humidity clung to air mixing in with the cold.
Ginger walked towards the pair as she directed her eyes towards the large island before them. "Is that it?"
"Mmm," Keki answered. "There's no use in waiting. Let's go." She grabbed the rail and hopped over with Bepo and Ginger following close behind her. Her boots carried most of the impact as she hit the ground. Now that they were on the island the air seemed to be much colder than on the deck of the submarine.
She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her coat as they walked forward. Her hands could feel the daggers concealed underneath her coat as they trekked through. The path they followed was surrounded on either side by tall trees with thick branches that prevented them from looking past them. The ground was soft which meant that it had rained not long before they landed here.
It was quite creepy and it was something that sent chills down her back as she looked around them. It felt as though they were being watched, but by whom Ginger didn't know. 'I should've stayed on board.' The fog was too thick as she looked back and saw that she wasn't able to see the shore nor the submarine that was docked there.
"I don't remember seeing this from the telescope," Bepo said.
Ginger turned back and found that they were nearing a large four story building. Her eyes widened as they came closer, seeing that it stretched on either side for what seemed like miles. It was ominous to look at as they neared the entrance. The front steps were cracked in several places while one of the front doors was missing from its place. Looking inside was difficult considering that the darkness that surrounded them outside seemed to be just as dark inside. She lifted her head and saw that several of the building's many windows were cracked and too dirty to peer through.
The three stopped before the steps. Uneasiness set into each of them as they looked through the open doorway. "I...don't want to go in." Ginger voiced, her voice visibly shaky.
"We have to," Keki insisted, looking at her with a frown. "You wanted to come along. Now you're going in too."
"This building looks like an old hospital," she looked up again swearing that she saw something in the window above. "Long ago abandoned. I have no doubt Law went in here. Let's just wait."
"Unbelievable! We're all going in!" Keki grabbed her arm as well as Bepo's.
Ginger struggled as she was being led up the cracked steps completely baffled as to how the old woman had such strength to pull the two along. She had heard all kinds of horror stories that involved abandoned places—stories that she had no desire in learning if they were true or not. They were inside in a matter of seconds as Bepo seemingly relaxed despite protesting just as loudly as she had.
Keki released them both as they stood in the spacious hallway of what appeared to be either a hospital or prison. Ginger forced herself to relax as the air grew colder the deeper they walked in. Their footsteps echoed loudly in the empty corridors. Each step was taken carefully as they moved further in, taking into consideration that there could be enemies waiting nearby.
The thought made her uneasy but she figured voicing it now was a moot point. "It's quiet."
"Yes," Keki answered, looking all around as Bepo moved closer to the two. "Stay-"
A small snowflake suddenly landed on Ginger's cheek. Slowly she reached up to touch it and watched as it melted in the palm of her hand. Eventually, more came down upon them steadily as the air became cold enough for her to see her breath. When she looked up, however, she was shocked to see that the ceiling was still intact.
"How can it be snowing inside?" Ginger questioned as Keki and Bepo looked up with equal astonishment. "This doesn't seem right."
"Keep your guard up." Keki warned.
Bepo was the first to succumb to whatever force was making the artificial snow. Both watched as he fell forward without warning. The snow steadily continued albeit with more force than it was at first. Keki soon followed after as Ginger reached out to steady the woman. "Keki!" The old woman's eyelids drooped closed without hesitation before becoming heavy in her arms. "Keki! Wake up!"
The snow continued on, leaving Ginger desperate as she scrambled to hold onto her while reaching for Bepo at the same time.
'No.'
She felt her body resist as her arms grew heavy compelling her to release Keki to the ground. Her legs wouldn't stop shaking as she cupped a hand over her nose and mouth determined to not fall under the same spell.
'I have to stay awake. I have to get us out of here.'
Her knees betrayed her as she was forced to the ground. Still, she was adamant on staying awake long enough to see who it was that was causing this. Her eyes looked towards her companions relieved at least to see that they seemed to be sleeping rather than dead.
'Stay awake.'
Ginger's eyelids grew heavy as the snow began to dissipate right before her eyes. One hand reached out to steady her body as she suddenly leaned forward on her hand and knees. Her head began to cloud with promises of sleep to which her body seemed to respond to as it grew heavy enough for her to slump forward in defeat. Her hand remained over her face, eyes looking up as the snow vanished altogether, succeeding in claiming its victims.
When Ginger looked at the top of the staircase she realized it was the same dark shadow she saw only moments before in the window above them. Slowly, it came down with their footsteps resonating off the barren walls of the place.
'Law, did this thing get you too?'
Her mind grew vacant—thoughts becoming few and far in between as the figure stalked closer. Her limbs no longer responded to her commands. They felt like dead weight and for a second she believed that she would be trapped within her shell forever.
The eyelids she tried so desperately to keep open slowly closed as sleep took over.
A/N: So, I was suppose to get this chapter up a day ago but the site was down and you could imagine my frustration. Anyway, thank you guys for your support! It means a lot that you stuck around to see more! I'm definitely feeling motivated now that I'm writing something a tad more interesting. :')