Thanks to all who are sticking by this story, and a massive shout out to Volleys-chan who wrote a beautiful review that made me so happy I can't even begin to explain how great you made me feel! And she'll never change cos I reckon plump is just as sexy as thin. You'll find a nice surprise in there based on your review, so thank you for that :D
As usual, please enjoy and feel free to submit one-shot suggestions (smut, fluff, crack, etc.) if you've got any cool ideas.
Thanks xx
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Due to his own foolishness, Shachi was eventually socked in the face, resulting in an eruption of blood from his cheek where Lou had only scraped her knuckles across and a howl of laughter from the pirates at him being injured by such a sloppy punch. At that point Lou was covered in sweat and unwilling to fight much more, whilst Shachi clutched his bleeding cheek. The hot sun was beating down on them, and the gentle sea breeze that had blown through the docks had ceased, and many patrons had moved on after finishing their meals.
Law had taken a seat with Bepo in Bella Fortuna, and was promptly served by Malia who had left the fight not long after it had begun. She was accustomed to the chef's pointless hot headedness, often started from her sensitivity to her weight, so it was better to move on and keep business going. For the patrons, however, a good fight was always appreciate by way of entertainment.
The café assistant dropped off a bowl of fried rice at Law's makeshift table and said, "I'm sorry sir we're out of clean forks, but we do have chop sticks if that's okay?"
The pirate captain waved her off. "That's fine."
She nodded and fetched them for Law, slightly rattled as she noticed the similarity between the insignia on his hoodie and those on the boiler suits of the pirates. Ultimately Malia concluded that he too must be a pirate, and likely the captain. Though she was unsure about the strange humanoid polar bear sitting to his right. His face was buried in the bowl of fried rice, and if ever she stared to long his beady black eyes would make contact with her own. Such an expressionless look from such a large creature set her on edge, almost as much as the nodachi that rested against him. She wondered if he was willing to use it on civilians, as even Lou's strength was useless in the face of such a fearsome weapon.
Shakily, the girl placed the chopsticks on the table and made to turn back to the stand where she could bury herself in her work. Lou was no longer fighting, but instead mimicking Shachi by holding the front of his boiler suit in an aggressive manner whilst he gripped her singlet strap threateningly.
A small smirk adorned Law's face as he watched the childish commotion. His attention switched to the serving girl who had moved only a few steps from them. "Come back here." He commanded.
Malia froze immediately, a shiver rocketing up her spine at the imposing tone of his voice. Despite his handsome appearance and cool expression, there was a level of depth to his voice that simply set her on edge.
"Y-Yes sir?" She stuttered, unable to meet his eyes.
"Is that woman your employer?" Malia replied with a tentative nod. "And she's the one who made this?" Another nod. The food was indeed delicious, light but so flavoursome without being saturated in oil or salt. The bacon was soft in the middle yet crispy and caramelised at the edges, likewise with the prawn. The rice was a soft buttery yellow from the oil and a mixture of spices so precise that no one taste was distinguishable from the exquisite combination. He closed his eyes briefly before refocusing his attention on Malia, resting his chin on his open palm.
"Tell me about your boss…?"
"Lou? What do… What do you want to know about her?"
The corner of his smirking mouth twitched in irritation at the density of the girl, thinking, How slow is this girl? He straightened his back and waited for her continue talking. Her thin eyebrows were angled upwards anxiously, and she tugged on a few locks of her hair. A small frown sat upon her brow as she chewed her lip, trying to think of something to reply with.
"Um, well she's been my boss for two years, ever since she arrived here and started Bella Fortuna… She really loves cooking b-but gets into too many fights, I think. Lou isn't good at fighting at all, but she's crazy strong! I've seen her carry one-hundred kilo sacs of flour on her shoulder before like it was nothing." Malia's voice carried more confidence at that point, though her eyes refused to meet Law's. "She's twenty, but I reckon sometimes she acts like she's fifty by the way she treats me."
Interesting, he pondered, she seems a bit more immature than the responsible adult this girl is describing… Although it would be a nice change to have someone actually mature aboard the sub.
Malia wrung her hands nervously and questioned, "You're not going to hurt my boss… Are you? She's only upset because she got ca-called fat, I swear!"
Law quirked an eyebrow at her sudden outburst that contradicted her previous nervous behaviour before looking back at the fight. Both Shachi and this… Lou landed simultaneous punches to the other's cheek, sending the woman to the ground with a heavy thud and Shachi a few metres away. Clearly the woman would've come out better in the fight had it not been for her weak tolerance for pain, evident by the way she rolled on the floor with a hand to her throbbing cheek. Shachi on the other hand was out cold for a few moments until Penguin splashed some cool water on his face.
"Quite the contrary actually," he muttered more to himself than to the server. "I'll be having her join my crew."
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Lou rolled onto her chest, flattening her large breasts on the ground before struggling to her feet. Her eyes met the similarly exhausted figure of Shachi being helped up by Penguin, and his mouth formed a thin grimacing line. Brushing off the dust left on jeans, she coolly approached him, hands relaxed by her sides. The man and his companion tensed at her approach until she planted her feet in front of him and jerked out her hand.
"Tie?"
Unbridled shock was clear on Shachi's face as he gawked at the open palm presented to him, and it was mirrored by Penguin equally stunned expression. Her slightly chubby cheeks were relaxed in a stern expression, blue eyes focused intently on his. Tentatively, he met her open palm with his own and winced at her forceful, if not threatening, handshake.
"Glad we could come to an understanding." Lou jutted her chin out as she spoke, looking up at the ginger man. The corners of his mouth were turned down slightly in a frown and he quickly jerked his head to the side with a mutter under his breath. A faint blush decorated his cheeks at the shorter woman's 'tough girl' persona which contradicted with her previous behaviour. Eyes the colour of early morning sea foam stared up at him with a level of defiance that certainly did not befit her disheveled dark hair and strong curves. What little muscle hung off her hefty arms was clearly honed but not refined, and the small potbelly that was hidden just below her navy tank top only served to discredit her attempt at staunching Shachi.
Quickly the iron grip was released and Lou straightened her ruffled fringe, blowing a puff of air from her red cheeks. "You gonna apologise?"
His similarly ginger eyebrows shot up and he snorted in reply. "Hey, hey, hey, you losing in a fight don't mean I've gotta apologise!"
"Actually Shachi, she did knock you out for a bit-" Penguin interjected with a raised hand.
"SHUT UP, PENGUIN!" He bellowed back, stomping his foot.
"And you also called me 'tubby'," Lou added. "Which I'm not… I'm simply a little bigger than most girls."
"A little?"
"Shachi-ya, I suggest you apologise to Miss Lou." A smooth voice interrupted their disagreement, slicing through the stagnant cyclic argument. Lou turned her head at the mention of her name, immediately coming face-to-face with a smiling jolly rodger identical to the one imprinted on the pirate crews' boiler suits. Its soulless eyes stared her down before she raised her gaze to the man who had spoken so coolly that it almost reverberated down her spine. His stormy eyes were trained on Shachi, a delicate smirk painted on his tan face. Though the lack of emotion behind it was almost disturbing, had it not been for the apparent handsomeness of his features: straight nose, defined jaw and dark windswept hair below a fluffy North Blue-styled hat. A familiar warmth spread across her cheeks and Lou found herself uncomfortably aware of his eye-catching appearance. Immediately she dropped her attention as his eyes darted to the corner to look at her.
His arrival beside them had happened so swiftly it had startled Lou, causing her to step out of his overwhelming aura. Suffocation… that was what it could be most likened to. The feeling of being unable to prevent around such an imposing presence, though whether it was derived from intimidation or attraction Lou couldn't tell. Yet judging by the excessively tall nodachi rested upon his relatively slim shoulder and comfortably slouched posture, he had little to fear from any of them. Once again Lou settled her hair and smoothed out her clothing.
"But captain-"
"Apologise." He repeated in the similarly calm tone, though its effect was wildly different. Shachi stilled and swallowed thickly before setting his sights on Lou.
"S-Sorry," he scratched under his baggy hat with a childish pout. " Shouldn't 'ave called you 'tubby'."
"See that wasn't so hard!"
"Oi don't push it lady!"
Quickly Lou raised her bruised hands in mock defensive and diverted her eyes, unconsciously looking back to the male who had previously interrupted them and elicited an apology from Shachi. Only this time her staring did not carry on largely unnoticed. There was a brief moment in which she had yet to register that she was staring at his face before he tilted his head in a cocky gesture. The blush was embarrassingly obvious against her gently tanned skin.
"Don't take anything he said to heart, Chef-lady! Shachi's just a big dick." Penguin's cheerful, albeit strained, pierced through the moment of tense staring between his captain and the cry baby chef.
"A-Ah that's okay, no problem." The mumbled reply drifted off and Lou glanced at the stand, noting the small pillar of smoke diffused by the soft wind appearing from the fried rice pot. A small knot of panic immediately seized her stomach. "Oh Malia, did you leave the fire going?"
"Hmm?" She turned her head from the scene before her to the increasing amount of smoke and dashing towards it. "Oh! Oh no, oh no, oh no! Lou I'm sorry!"
Grumbling, Lou dragged a hand down her face whilst simultaneously wiping the thing layer of sweat from her face. Malia was a sweet and dedicated girl who genuinely enjoyed cooking, though her skills certainly left much to be desired. Particularly by way of organisation, but she was a good girl, and Lou figured with her solo voyage away from the island looming she would be the one to inherit Bella Fortuna. It had been her pride and joy for two lovely years, a project that had cost her many sleepless nights and a bucket worth of tears. Ultimately it was the one decent thing to come from her short life of tireless failures, the least of which still caused pangs of regret.
Again the tanned man drew Lou's mind from its senseless wandering. "Your assistant has informed me that you are the chef at this café," he drawled. "Is that not correct?"
"Oh yeah, sorry I am the chef." A tentative smile crept upon her face as she gained a better look at his face. "Lou Beira's the name. You lookin' for a feed?"
Once again that irresistible smirk stole its way onto his face, manifesting in the slightest curl of his lips while his eyes remained unchanged. Their predatory stare reminded Lou of a cat watching a small mouse cross an alley, unaware of the ominous presence watching it intently. Though the slight tilt of his head was almost disarming, and Lou found herself tilting her own head in response.
"My first mate and I have already helped ourselves to some of your food," Lou crumpled her nose at this. "Though I suggest we head back to your establishment for a little… chat." He placed his broad, tattooed hand upon her lowing back and firmly guided her back to the café. Despite the apparent tenderness of the action, there was a sense of unwavering strength that left no room for negotiation, indicating that this pirate was certainly stronger willed than Shachi. Lou gulped and meekly allowed herself to be led back to the café, fearing reparation from the man for brawling with his crew mate.
They seated themselves towards the back of the café, though not before ordering a round of beer. Lou waved off Malia's concerns and request to call the mayor, fearing it would escalate into an unavoidable situation if done so. Much of the crew sat not far from Law and Lou, downing their beers as if it were mere water, and devouring what little fried rice hadn't suffered from Malia's lack of attention. Both the adults however were without food or drink, so Lou was left only to fiddle with the hem of her shirt under the piercing stare of the man.
His eyes roamed over her plump body, She might be at a disadvantage or possible liability to the crew if not trained properly, and by the looks of it she isnt't. Nevertheless a cook is a cook.
"So, Miss Lou, might I make a suggestion that would be in the best interest of us both?"
The woman in question chewed her lip and folded her hands tightly in her lap. "A suggestion? You're not going to hurt me?" He quirked a dark eyebrow, vague amusement clear on his face. "For beating up your crew mate, I mean."
A tense flash of distaste replaced the amusement before he said, "Shachi is a crew member, actually, and I his captain. But to answer your question: no, I'm not mad. The short temper of women is a known thing, and Shachi was immature to cause a commotion over such an insignificant thing." He clicked his tongue with a 'tch'. "Rather I am interested in both your cooking abilities and strength, which is where my proposition comes into play. My crew is in need of a chef, and it seems as though you fit the bill perfectly, Miss Lou."
She blinked, eyes wide and lips slightly pursed. "You want me to join your crew? Hell I don't even know who you are, I mean I'm flattered but… this is very sudden." With a flat hand that she waved in front of her face, Lou dismissed the idea fairly quickly. "Besides I have my own plans to travel from Cortula further into the Grand Line."
"Very well, it's Captain Trafalgar Law and as easy as I'd prefer this exchange to be it is less of a request than it is a ultimatum." A sadistic smirked drawled its way across his face with a deep shadow hovering around his naturally half-lidded eyes. "You can either come willingly and we will take you as far as we can until we find a more permanent chef, or I can simply destroy this quaint little café of yours. And possibly half this town is you cause a fuss."
With fingers laced together Law rested his chin upon them, revering the twisted expression of sudden distaste that Lou had. The muscles in her arms and neck tensed visibly, and the faint sound of a frustrated grumble reverberated from her lower throat. The abrupt change in demeanour had startled Lou, though the realisation of the weight of his words drew her mind back to his imposing presence. There were a certain power behind it that the woman had yet to witness, though she could sense the difference between him and other small fry who made such petty claims. Although she was not entirely attached to Cortula, she would hate to see such a peaceful town devastated.
Lou sighed and muttered, "A little more convincing was all I needed to agree, you didn't have to threaten my café y'know."
"Where would the fun in that be?" He replied. "Shall I assume you've agreed?"
She scrunched up her nose and flicked her vivid eyes to the port in front of them. Gentle and cyclic waves lapped against the raised stone parapet of the wharf, with the sound of the breaking water lulling her into a semi-trance. The ocean was a mysterious thing of both beauty and destruction, an open plain of blue glass than opened up one's world to endless possibilities. It had been two years since she had set foot on a boat in the hopes that Cortula might be a permanent home, yet the ache of knowing what existed beyond the tipping horizon was irresistible. Likewise unfinished business elsewhere from Cortula beckoned her like the undeniable call to migrant birds. Though they always returned, and the life of a pirate typically meant you were to leave all behind but what little you could take aboard.
"I'll come," she said softly, eyes not leaving the scene before her as sea birds dipped alongside the shifty ocean breeze. "But not because you threatened me which I will be choosing to ignore… Captain."