Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

Content Warning: sexual situations, graphic violence

Chapter 8

Senses

Nami opened her eyes and blinked until the metal ceiling above her came into view. She heard rustling at her side, and a familiar voice called her name. She turned to see Law's lazy grin. She closed her eyes again and smiled, knowing she was safe.

"How are you feeling?"

"Hmm, stiff." She slowly moved to a sitting position and took in her surroundings. She was in a medical bed inside Law's submarine. "How long have I been out?"

"Just shy of ten hours."

She stretched her muscles and grimaced.

"Where does it hurt?"

"My back," she replied. "It's not that bad though."

He moved behind her and lifted her shirt to inspect the area. He prodded gently on the skin adjacent to her dark bruises, and she flinched.

"It's from his hands." She answered before he could ask.

Law lowered her shirt and moved back in front of her. "I should have gotten there sooner."

She shook her head. "He did that before I called. It doesn't matter anyway. It's over now."

She stood from the bed and walked slowly to a mirror over a sink hanging on the wall. Her hair was a tangled mess and there was some less angry bruising around her neck, but other than that she seemed ok.

She caught Law's eyes watching her in the mirror. He stayed quiet, but she felt like he was holding back. She spun around when she remembered something. "Law, what did he inject me with?" She asked urgently.

"A powerful sedative," he replied calmly. He paused and said his next statement more cautiously. "He didn't have a chance to start the procedure before we got you out."

She swallowed hard and moved back to sit on the edge of the bed. "Procedure?" Thoughts of everything that happened that night flashed through her head as she tried to put the pieces together.

He sat down next to her. "Based on what was in their files, it looked like he was going to try to give you some combination of physical and mechanical enhancements."

She again appreciated how he never sugar coated any details, even when it might be difficult to hear. She looked down at her hands and a shiver went through her at the thought of what something like that would do to her.

"That doesn't make sense. You said only the Vinsmoke siblings are enhanced."

"True."

"I mean I know he liked me, but how could he be ok with letting someone outside of the family have their abilities?"

Law paused and studied her a moment. "I have a theory. Maybe you can confirm it," he started slowly. He grabbed Ichiji's file from the table and handed it to her. "We were correct in thinking he was affected differently than his brothers."

Nami opened the file. The first page still had the photos he showed her inside the lab. The next page was photos of specific body parts. There were also internal diagrams of mechanical parts fused within his body.

"He can suppress his emotions better than his brothers when he's calm, but when he doesn't suppress them, they manifest physically in an extreme way. When this happens he becomes completely single minded, focused exclusively on a singular goal. A useful trait for battle, this is likely why he was able to overpower both of his brothers while we escaped."

She continued to flip through the pages of his file, not understanding most of it. She looked up and waited for him to continue. All of this seemed obvious based on her time with him.

Law took a deep breath before continuing. "Your experience with him was not the first time he has failed to suppress the intensity of his emotions. According to his file, there have been around a dozen casualties as a result. I'm guessing he thought he wouldn't be able to accidentally murder you if you were as strong as his siblings."

Nami's eyes widened. "He lost it a few times. I was able to calm him down the first. Well, I guess technically I crushed his windpipe."

"You're lucky he allowed you to do that."

Nami thought carefully about his words. "He knew things he shouldn't have." She furrowed her brows. "He could tell when I lied. Well, kind of. I figured out a way to deceive him, but only barely." Nami wasn't ready to explain to Law what she did to make that happen, so she continued before he could ask. "He said he knew you were already there when I called you."

"He has observation enhancements." Law watched her closely as he spoke. "He must have noticed me following you."

It almost made sense, but something still didn't seem right. "He noticed you following us from a distance, but he didn't notice you swinging a giant sword at him before you cut his fingers off?"

Law smirked at the memory before replying. "It's more limited than his other enhancements. It doesn't work in an autonomic way. He has to make a conscious effort to use it." His smile faded, his face turning hard before he spoke again. His voice was barely a whisper. "You have no idea how critical it was that we got you out in time."

Nami's head was reeling, remembering the traumatic night with what felt like more traumatic context.

"The second time he lost control," she stated slowly, reasoning through her thoughts aloud, "it was after I mentioned leaving." She threw the file away and shivered. "He was never going to let me go."

He looked like he had more to say, but he was holding back again. Nami felt sick. She wasn't sure she even wanted to know more if there was anything else.

Law grabbed her hands gently and pulled her to face him. "It's all over now. They sent ships to pursue us but we lost them easily. There's been nothing on the radar for hours."

She couldn't believe how incredibly close she was to that terrible fate. She thought about what might have happened to her, where she would be right now if Law hadn't saved her. She thought about what would definitely happen to Nojiko if Arlong found out she didn't return. It was almost too much to bear. "Look, I know you're going to ask me tell you every detail of that night, and I will. But before we do that can you just..."

He looked at her expectantly.

She moved against him and wrapped her arms tightly around his chest. "...Just hold me."

He was already pulling her close by the time she voiced her request. She closed her eyes and held him tight. It was probably her imagination, but she swore she felt him place a soft kiss on her temple. Even after everything she had just been through, in that moment, she knew she had never felt safer.

Their arrival at Zou was a literal breath of fresh air. The home island of the mink tribe was full of lush plant life. The main city was nestled in the center of a tall forest. The simple design of its buildings and streets only helped to compliment the island's natural beauty.

Being in a place that looked completely different than Germa was a relief to Law, and he could tell Nami felt the same. Even more different though was Zou's people. The mink tribe welcomed them with open arms. It wasn't often that outsiders returned one of their own, more often coming to kidnap and enslave them. And it helped that Bepo was there with them, even more so when Oso recounted his version of the events.

Law had been stealing more and more glances of Nami since they arrived. It was her fault. She was softening again. Each time he looked at her, she was closer to showing her real smile. The one she had when she first met Law's crew in their apartment on Germa. When she saw Oso embrace his family, he felt her hand slide into his. She kept her eyes on the minks but she held him tight, all but unable to contain her happiness for them.

Law didn't know exactly what compelled Nami to stay working with Arlong, but he knew enough to know it wasn't for herself. She was protecting someone, the only person left in her village. She really was kind, and he wondered how long it had been since she was able to show it. The joy she felt in that moment was infectious, and he found it hard not thinking about her long after she left his side. It was probably the reason why he found himself doing what he did next.

"Hey, stranger. Fancy meeting you here."

Law kept his back to her, hiding the smile he couldn't suppress at hearing her greeting. He was well off the beaten paths of the island. There was no way she just bumped into him. She had sought him out.

"Which one of them told you?" He asked casually.

Her only answer was a giggle.

"It was Bepo wasn't it? His ears always give him away." He closed the cloth bag in his hand as he responded to his own question, turning to greet her with a lazy grin.

He immediately regretted turning around. She was closer than he realized, looking up at him, smiling with feigned innocence. She had apparently joined in the tradition of trading clothes with the minks, wearing Wanda's dress from earlier in the day. He hadn't noticed much about it when Wanda had it on. In fact, he wondered if it was even the same garment. The thin purple fabric went all the way to the ground but left little to the imagination. The generous neckline and laces up the sides made it painfully obvious she wasn't wearing anything underneath. He swallowed hard and forced himself to look at her face.

"Penguin, actually," she mused.

Law frowned, finding that answer harder to believe.

"He walked in on Wanda and me changing," she laughed. "I fined him a hefty sum of belli but agreed to waive the interest once he told me where you disappeared to."

"Extorting my crew after all they've done for you." He dared to step closer to her, looking down with a sly grin. "And just when I was about to give you your gift."

"Gift?" She asked, not even trying to hide her eagerness.

Law smiled wide. "Yeah, too late now though. I'm not sure you deserve it after how you swindled poor Penguin."

"Hey, the deal I made with him was more than generous after all he saw!" She closed the small distance remaining between them and put her hands on his chest. "Please," she purred.

He had no intention of denying her his gift, but he loved making her think that he might. He rolled his eyes half-heartedly before pulling away and walking in the other direction. He glanced over his shoulder and gave her a nod, signaling to follow.

After walking a few minutes, Law reached behind him to grab her wrist as he sensed her going for one of the pockets in the bag slung over his shoulder. He tried to hide his grin with a stern look. "Don't be greedy," he teased. He moved the bag to his other shoulder and slid his grip from her wrist into her hand before pulling her along on their walk. He stopped trying to hide his grin when he saw how much that little touch made her blush.

They eventually came to a small clearing, and Law stopped at the edge of the tree line. He leaned back against a surprisingly large trunk, pulling Nami to stand in front of him. A soft breeze tugged at the tall grass of the clearing. The shady spot gave them a perfect view of the large whale carved statues across the bay.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. Her breath hitched as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "I hope you appreciate this. They were harder to track down than you'd think."

Law slipped the bag from his shoulder and held it in front of Nami. He wasn't sure why she had become so welcoming of his touch. Ever since they left Germa, she would all too often find a reason to be close to him, and he would all to often find himself looking forward to it. Even spending most of his time on their trip pouring over the Vinsmoke files, they were never far from each other. She rested her feet in his lap under the table. He ran his fingers through her hair as they lounged against Bepo. Despite how good she felt nuzzled against him, he held himself back. He had too much to do before they returned to Dressrosa, even with Shachi and Penguin's help. Everything they brought back had to appear perfect if his plan was going to work. He couldn't afford to get distracted. At least that's what he told himself before doing the exact opposite of what he intended.

Nami almost jumped as her hand wrapped around one of the items in Law's bag. She pulled it out and leaned further against him, turning her head to beam up at him. That look alone was enough. It was worth his absurd trek to a distant village to trade an absurd amount of belli to the only ones on the island with any of this treasure.

"Mikans," she whispered sweetly.

He shifted slightly, trying to hide the shudder he felt under her soft gaze. He turned his head to brush his nose over her ear as he hummed in agreement.

She shivered, leaning into him more as he left ghosting kisses down her neck. "I guess this means you're in trouble," she purred as she slowly pressed her hips backwards into him.

He paused to smirk against her neck at her reference to their previous code word.

"Definitely." He dropped the bag in his hands. He was definitely in trouble.

He could stop now and walk away. He should. He should let go of her waist, forget how perfectly she fit in his arms. He should ignore the little noises she let slip as his breath fanned over her neck. He should bat away her hand as it slipped under his hat, running her fingers through his hair. All he had to do was walk away.

She moved her hand to his cheek and turned her head to face him. His heart was pounding as she looked up at him with soft hazel eyes. "Law," she whispered, her lips only a fraction away from his own.

He should definitely leave, but there was nothing in this world that could make him pull away from her now. He was putty in her hands, happily ready to bend to her will.

"Not here," she whispered, giving a subtle nod toward where the Polar Tang was docked in the bay.

The second the door to the captain's quarters closed behind them, she was back in his arms.

The warmth of his skin was magnetic, and she relished in even the smallest touch. It wasn't just that he was the textbook definition of tall, dark, and handsome or that his baritone whispers in her ear made her knees weak. There was more to his touch that made her unconsciously seek it out.

Being alone with him was dangerously comfortable. It was a new feeling, like nothing she had experienced before. She spent most of her life trusting no one, knowing she could only rely on herself. Friendships were a liability and a distraction she was careful to distance herself from. The few people she had taken into her bed in the past, she only did so with her taser in the nightstand and a knife under the mattress.

It was different with Law. He protected her. Even after driving him crazy with her impulsive decisions, even after breaking down crying in front of him in the middle of the night, he still protected her. Her rational mind told her that he was only protecting his own interests, but her pounding heart drove those thoughts away when she felt his golden eyes on her.

He planted soft, slow kisses across her jaw until finally capturing her lips. She ran her fingers down his chest, lightly pushing back his open shirt. His hands traced from her wrists to her shoulders before slipping under the beaded straps of her dress. She tilted her head to deepen the kiss while moving her arms to her sides, allowing the thin fabric around her to easily fall away onto the floor below. Her naked body shivered, and she leant into him.

His hands continued to roam over her, deliberate movements, tracing every inch within reach. Not every inch though, Nami realized as the hand on her back refrained from grasping anywhere she still had bruises. Her heart felt like it was on fire. She was fully naked in his arms, so completely vulnerable, and he was still protecting her.

Giving in to this feeling, this overwhelming sense of safety, should have been frightening to her. But it wasn't. It was intoxicating. She removed his shirt and pushed herself closer against him as they moved together toward his bed.

Desperate not to lose his touch, she pulled him on top of her as she fell backwards onto the soft sheets. She wound her fingers through his hair before pulling him down into a hard kiss. He held himself up on one arm as the other wandered down her curves, pulling a loud moan from her as he teased over her sensitive bud.

"Law, please," she pleaded breathlessly. "I need to feel you."

He instantly pulled away, just long enough to kick off his remaining clothing and grab a condom from the nightstand. The next thing she knew, he pushed himself all the way inside her. She cried out as he stretched her to her core. He paused to stare down at her. He felt amazing, his touch, his gaze, penetrating her completely.

"You're so fucking incredible," he growled in her ear as he began thrusting into her. She arched her back, gripping hard onto his shoulders under his relentless passion. She could hear him whispering something, but she could hardly make it out over her own loud mewling. Her senses were overwhelmed. The sound of his voice, the scent of his skin, and the weight of the man on top of her dominated her every thought. Her vision went dark as her whole body clenched around him. He unsteadily thrust inside her a few more times, riding out his own release before she finally fell limp in his arms.

They were the only two people in the world. There was no fear anymore. No anxieties. Not as long as she felt his touch.

Nami's eyes fluttered slightly, adjusting her vision to the darkness in the room. The steady breathing beside her let her know Law was still fast asleep. With a cat-like grace, she snuck out of the bed and slipped on her dress from the floor. Although she would gladly spend the next several days in that man's bed, she desperately wanted a shower.

She grabbed a white fluffy towel from the spare room she had been staying in after he allowed her to leave the infirmary. As much as she rolled her eyes at Law's constant planning, she was impressed at the efficiency of his escape plan.

Shachi and Penguin had gotten every single thing they had from the apartment in Germa before their quick getaway. She didn't even mind at how haphazardly everything was packed. She was just overjoyed to know she still had all her things and there wasn't a trace or trail left for anyone to follow.

Once clean and refreshed, she put on some clean clothes. She knew whatever she had with Law would have to end once they returned to Dressrosa. It was easy to ignore that fact when she was wrapped in his arms, but it plagued her mind the longer she was away from him. It would probably be easier if she started distancing herself now. She should focus on her next steps, what to tell Arlong about what they found, and how best she could position herself to dig up more info on the king for him.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her stomach growling. She smiled mischievously to herself. She would definitely distance herself from him, but not before retrieving the delicious mikans he had given to her.

It was still too early for anyone to be awake, so she crept silently through the halls back towards the captain's quarters. She paused before turning the corner when she heard the door to his cabin close. She peaked into the hall when she heard the sound of retreating footsteps, catching a glimpse of Shachi heading the other direction with the Vinsmoke file binder. He wasn't practiced at being stealthy, but she could tell he was trying. Maybe that meant she could grab her gift as well before he was awake.

She pressed her luck and was pleased when she saw him in the same position she had left him in as she slipped back inside. Her eyes scanned the dark room as best as they could, finally eyeing her prize on the desk across from the bed. When she was close enough to grab the bag, she noticed something else that made her pause. Set against the wall was the Vinsmoke file binder. The same one she just saw Shachi leaving this exact room with.

She looked at the form on the bed. No movement, steady breathing. It was early. Maybe she had mistaken what he carried for something else. Her curiosity was peaked, though. The only thing she really knew about the contents of the file binder was what Law explained to her after she woke up in the infirmary. As much as she never wanted to think about anyone from that family again, she knew it could help her in Dressrosa to have a better idea of what exactly they had stolen.

She lowered herself onto the desk chair before pulling the files toward her. She wasn't sure where to start. Ichiji's file had been towards the front, but she would rather not start there. She pulled out the file at the back. Vinsmoke Yonji.

The dim light from the door to the hallway was just enough to view the contents of the file. He had the same photos of himself paperclipped to the first page as Ichiji had in his file. Despite being the youngest of the three brothers, he was slightly taller with a somewhat more muscular build. She flipped to the next page. These pictures also seemed similar to those she had seen in Ichiji's file. There were differences in the mechanical aspects of his anatomy for sure, and for many of them, she struggled to imagine how they would practically work. The other thing that stood out to her was the large tattoo on his upper arm. It was a tribal design with the number four in the center. Why is that familiar?

She pulled out Ichiji and Niji's files from the binder, flipping to the same pages in each. They all had the same tattoo with different numbers in the center. Ichiji's had a one, Niji's had a two, and Yonji's had a four. She pulled out Reiju's folder. Even though Nami knew their sister was older, she thought maybe she would have the missing number three tattoo. Before she could look further, she heard the bedside lamp flip on from behind her.

"You shouldn't read in dark, Nami-ya. It's bad for your eyes."

She glanced over her shoulder at him, and golden eyes smiled back at her.

"I didn't want to wake you." She shrugged. "But seeing as you're awake now, I can do what I actually came back in here for."

He raised an eyebrow before watching her grab a mikan from the desk.

She returned her attention back to the files as she ate. Law stretched as he came up beside her. "Find anything interesting?" He asked before kneeling down and stealing a slice of the fruit for himself.

"I was just wondering why there's no three. Yonji's tattoo has a four, the others have one and two, and Reiju just has two large sixes on her thighs."

"Hmm, yeah, there was a fourth brother born before Yonji-ya." Law said casually before stealing another piece. "It doesn't say much in his file except that the treatments that his brothers received didn't work the same on him. He's marked as presumed dead, though there isn't anything explaining why."

Nami found this new information unsettling, but with the way Law's fingers combed through her hair made it hard to concentrate on.

"It just makes me that much more grateful that I got to you when I did."

She hummed in agreement and leaned closer to him. She could feel his breath over her pulse.

"We can't keep finding ourselves like this when we're back on Dressrosa," she whispered as her hand grazed across his bare chest.

"I know," he agreed, bringing his other hand to her cheek.

She turned to face him, forgetting any other protest she had in mind when she met his eyes.

"I know you know better than to trust me, but I promise you this. I will do everything I can to protect you."

Her chest was on fire, and all logic and reason were cast aside. It wasn't long before she was wrapped around him again, begging him to make her scream his name. Her plan to distance herself from him over the next few days was long gone. She would greedily accept everything he was willing to give her for as long as she could. Despite his own warnings, she did trust him to protect her. She had never felt so sure of anything. She had no doubts that when she was with him, she was safe.

Germa

Ichiji exited the car into the dim alleyway. The sun had just begun to rise, barely illuminating the pitifully dull building in front of him. It was hardly an accommodation worthy of someone like Nami. If he had realized just how repulsive of a place this was, he would have insisted that she stay with him sooner.

He knew someone watched him from the darkness. It was to be expected. No prince of Germa had ever sullied himself enough to set foot in this part of the island, but today, there were three.

He approached the building slowly, pausing to stand in the open door of the first floor apartment. It was regrettable that Niji and Yonji were still questioning the drunk who called himself the building's landlord. That meant they hadn't found anything yet.

"What news," he demanded, though he already knew the answer.

Yonji turned around to address his brother, wiping the blood from his hands with a kitchen towel. As he moved aside, Ichiji saw the man's bloated and bloodied form. He was lying face up on what appeared to be a dining table. Each of his limbs was tied to a different table leg, leaving his head hanging backward over the edge. Part of his flannel shirt was torn off and shoved into his mouth. The damage to his body was less than Ichiji had expected. They must have just gotten started.

"The doc rented the place upstairs under a fake name. Paid in cash. Slipped him some extra belli to look the other way for whatever else he did up there." Yonji tossed the towel aside before spitting in the man's face.

"That's all we've gotten out of him so far," Niji chimed in as he waved the electric paddles in his hands dangerous close to the man's temples, laughing lowly as the building's owner trembled beneath him. "Then again, he still has all his limbs."

Ichiji turned to make his way upstairs. It was unlikely his brothers would learn anything else worthwhile. The lights flickered briefly as he reached the second story, the man's muffled screams from below echoing in the chilly morning air.

The dingy apartment was bare apart from a few basic pieces of furniture. Ichiji wasted no time in his search. He worked methodically, searching every nook and cranny. They left no items behind. Even the trash was emptied and taken away. What he did find wasn't useful in the least. There were pencil shavings under the breakfast table and mink fur in the couch cushions.

By the time he reached the bedroom, his frustration was starting to peak. He looked at his hand. Only the faintest trace of a scar was left where his fingers had been reattached. Law. He could torture that human filth for an eternity and still not be satisfied. He had stolen everything from him that night. His family's private research files, his mother's photograph, and his woman. Nami was his.

He won her heart that night. There was no denying that. He knew every time she lied. He even found it entertaining when it was directed toward one of his brothers. She could lie to everyone else with ease, but she could not lie to him. She told him she wanted to stay with him, and there was no lie. She ran away from Law when he came to take her back. She ran deeper into the lab, farther from the exits. She wanted to stay. Even as she succumbed to the effects of the sedative, she fought to stay with him. She was different from the others. She wasn't going to leave him. She didn't leave him. Even though she feared him, she knew she belonged to him. It didn't matter how far from him she was taken or how deeply she was hidden. She was his.

Another scream from downstairs pulled him back to the present. His heart was pounding through his chest. He closed his eyes as he sat on the bed, carefully working to catch his breath. He stilled all movement as he caught a familiar scent. It was her scent. Citrus with hints of lavender and honey. The only trace of her, forgotten with the sheets on the bed. He picked up her pillow and buried his face in it, breathing in deeply. He ripped the pillowcase off and started to pocket it when he heard something fall to the floor.

It was some sort of paper. He slowly unfolded it, careful to not cause any ripping or smudges. His mouth twitched. It was a map. There were no labels, no discernible landmarks, not even an indication of cardinal directions. It wasn't anywhere he recognized, but that didn't matter. It was hers, and nothing would stop him from finding her.