A/N: Sorry for the year-long wait between chapters – had a huge bout of writer's block but a huge thank you to all those that reviewed and favourited: Smarthiz, DangoCorn, Surika Baquesta, Son of Whitebeard, sarge1130, Raden863 and Death-by-Sanity; your support means the world to me.

Chapter 4

Hostility Wars

When she had signed up to join the Straw Hat Pirates, Nami knew that she was most likely signing up for a lifetime of crazy adventures and bizarre situations.

So far she had been swallowed by a ten-tonne whale, almost forced to marry a nutty lion on an island full of zombies, broken into the most heavily guarded Marine stronghold in the Grand Line and defied the World Government to save a crewmate.

Nami had seen and survived them all without blinking an eye.

But this?

"Look, I know I'm cute and curvy and all that (so I could understand why you would want to kidnap me) but really, this is ridiculous!" she screamed, wriggling frantically while trying not to look down at the perilous hundred feet drop underneath her. Flecks of snow rained on her as the cliff trembled under the force of her tugging but the metallic chains binding her remained fast. "LET ME GO!"

She could hear the vague sounds of the Yeti Cool Brothers conversing, their voices largely drowned by the insistent howls of the icy wind swirling around them. While Franky's body was made of steel and iron and god-knows-what-else, Nami swore she could still feel the biting cold of the frigid weather they were currently in. "Damn that Trafalgar Law!" she ground her teeth furiously. "I always knew he was a sadistic jerk…" The redheaded Navigator raised her voice again. "Luffy won't let you get away with this! You're going to get beaten to a pulp…" A high-pitched shriek escaped her lips as she suddenly came face to face with the barrel of an enormous cannon.

"People who talk too much aren't cool." One of those furry jerks snorted contemptuously as he waved the weapon dangerously close to her face. "You have friends coming don't you?" Without waiting for an answer, he gave her a smug look. "Of course you do. After all, we arranged for them to follow our footsteps."

Right on cue, the Navigator heard the unmistakeable sounds of her bone-headed Captain yelling loud enough for the entire Grand Line to get earaches, followed by a strange roaring sound and crashing?! Seconds later, Luffy came hurtling over the cliff towards her, followed by a strangely monstrous shape. "Luffy!" she screamed in relief, wriggling frantically as she tried to get his attention but the huge furry monster's howls easily drowned her voice. Wait, why was Chopper chasing after Luffy in his Heavy Point form?!

"NAMI!"

Even as he was plummeting down the cliff at a few hundred miles an hour, Luffy still sounded happy to see her. "Watch out, there are enemies here!" Nami yelled, just as she saw the Yeti Brothers gather their weapons as they finally noticed her two crewmates.

"This is almost too easy."

"Yeah, those spikes will pierce him."

Right now, Nami felt more frustrated than worried about the black-haired boy – as intimidating as the Yeti Cool Brothers were, she knew they were nothing but a hindrance to the Straw Hat Captain. "AAARGH LUFFY HURRY UP!" The red head pouted as she shivered in Franky's metallic body. Trust Luffy to get into a protracted fight with a bunch of gun-toting snow idiots. She had half a mind to charge him for wasting her time when a round of Gatling Gun punches would sort them out…

A large hand suddenly grabbed her, and the next thing Nami knew she was being hoisted into the air as Scotch hurried away from the fight towards another patch of mountains. "Put me down!" she screamed as she spotted Luffy running after them in hot pursuit. All this swinging around like a rag doll by a thirty feet tall giant wasn't making her day any better.

However, Scotch's monstrous strides soon had him far aheasd of Luffy, no matter how fast the Gomu-Gomu no Mi user tried to keep up. As he climbed further and faster ahead up the snowy peak, Nami felt her anger start to give way to panic.

"He doesn't give up does he," she heard Scotch grunt above her. "But he can't match my reach." With another tremendous leap, she found herself at the summit of the mountain.

But someone was already waiting for them.

As the dark hooded figure raised his head, a gasp of recognition escaped her.

Scotch let out a burst of laughter. "Hoho if it isn't the free-loader, Trafalgar Law! I'm glad to see you here!"

Fear coursed through her, obliterating the strange sense of relief she had felt when she glimpsed Law's trademark furry hat and the unusual yellow Jolly Rogers adorning his pitch-black winter coat. Despite her relief at seeing a familiar face, this man was no friend of hers, nor was he a rescuer. A ruthless, sadistic killer and Nami's fate was surely sealed if he was in cahoots with Scotch…

"Room."

To her shock, a pale blue light enveloped the surrounding area as Law drew his sword and executed two perfect opposing slashes. Scotch's moans of pain filled the air, and Nami watched in horror as the Cool Brother's giant body split into two. The giant fist that had been grabbing her chains loosened but before she had time to scream, she found herself hurtling face-first into the ice. The almighty crash behind her let her know that her captor's dissected body parts had suffered the same fate.

"Bastard – what are you doing?!" She faintly heard the enraged Scotch yelling.

"Counter Shock."

A crackle of static sounded and Scotch let out another blood-curdling roar before falling motionless back down. Only then did Nami slowly dare to lift her head from the ground. "Arigato!" She beamed, pure relief flooding her senses as she glimped the defeated Scotch before the tell-tale groan as she tried to lift her meccha-body reminded her of why she was stuck in this predicament in the first place. "No I meant, hey you! Give me back my body!"

Law glanced at her coolly and the auburn-haired Navigator was suddenly struck at the difference in him since their last meeting. His slate-grey eyes, so lively and full of playful mirth as he had shamelessly flirted with her were now cold, lifeless and intimidating. She shrank involuntarily, but luckily a familiar shout sounded behind her. "Luffy!"

Her black-haired Captain hopped beside her, a quick glance confirming that she was alright before his eyes fell on her surprising saviour. "Ooo Torao! Did you save her?"

Nami swivelled her glance back to where the other pirate stood silently in the swirling snow, his enormous sword slung behind his back as he took several paces away from them. Briefly, she wondered where the friendly white bear that carried his sword had gone, as well as the rest of his crew she had glimpsed on Sabaody. But most of all, why was he here and what did he have to do with the secrets they had inadvertently stumbled on the mysterious island of Punk Hazard?

"I've been thinking."

While her attention had been momentarily diverted by Luffy biting off her chains (Baka, you could have broken all your teeth!), she realised that Law had made his way up the edge of the cliff they were standing on, his back turned to the two Strawhat Pirates.

"I think you arrived on this island by accident. But there is an important key somewhere on this island…that can wreak havoc on the New World."

A shiver she was sure had nothing to do with the icy conditions ran down her spine. He spoke softly, but there was a certain chilling edge to his words she was sure had never been there before. What had happened to him in these two years?

"There are only two ways to survive in the New World," Law continued. "Either by living under one of the Yonkou, or by going against them. And I guess you're not the kind of person that wants to work under someone."

Nami felt a small smile tug her lips. She had to hand it to him, he understood Luffy alright…but a touch of apprehension began to build in her mind. Where was this leading to?

"Then, we have to form an alliance."

Her jaw went slack.

Next to her, Luffy's shock was palpable. "An alliance?" He repeated slowly.

The Heart Pirate Captain finally faced them. "If you and I join forces, maybe we can do it." His eyes momentarily flicked to hers, before he dropped his next bombshell.

"I have a plan to bring down one of the Yonkou."

It was freezing - cold enough to turn brimstone into ice and freeze hell a thousand times over.

Law pulled the brim of his hat down over his ears, grateful that the meagre warmth it brought gave some respite to the two appendages he could no longer feel. It was why he preferred to keep away from the western half of the island; while Law was no stranger to wind and snow as a son of North Blue, even the Pirate Captain did not particularly like making his way around in the glacial weather and geography of the Ice Lands, a remnant of that legendary duel between Aokiji and Akainu not too long ago.

Yet the icy winds swirling around him could not compare to the frosty daggers Mugiwara-ya's Navigator was giving him with every step of the way.

As he had anticipated, Nami had protested furiously at his suggestion of an alliance, casting not-so-subtle aspersions on his trustworthiness and baulking instantly at his brazen claims of overthrowing Kaido. He did not blame her – he was after all, a rival Pirate Captain and Supernova; and every pirate on the great Oceans knew that most pirate alliances ended in tears or more realistically, swords and blood. A lesser disappointment crept over him at her adamant objections to his alliance but he quickly shoved it aside. No matter, even if Nami or the rest of the crew objected they were unlikely to overrule the decision as Luffy had already agreed.

"If you ally with this creep who gives me the chills, I won't be able to sleep in peace at night!"

A stab of irritation pricked him as he watched the curly-haired pirate shake Mugiwara-ya frantically, proverbial tears streaming down his abnormally long nose as he glanced fearfully between Law and his Captain. Law did his best to school his expression to his usual mask of neutral indifference.

"See, Luffy? Everyone's against it – it's too risky!"

This time, Law felt his mouth twitch in aggravation as the Navigator joined in the long-nosed coward's pleading. Couldn't she see that their best chance of defeating a Yonko lay with him? While he had to give them credit for their headline-making, World-Government defying exploits up to now, the Yonkou were a whole different kettle of fish and well…they were going to need him as much as he needed them.

"Luffy."

Law turned his attention to the slim, brunette woman who had been observing the proceedings silently up to then. This had to be her – the famed Archaelogist from the lost civilisation of Ohara, Nico Robin. "I'm going to go along with your decisions but I hope you know that most pirate alliances are marked by treachery and betrayal."

Right on cue, his future Alliance partner turned to him. "Oi, are you going to betray me?"

Law tried not to roll his eyes at the other pirate's simplicity. "No," he deadpanned, as he unconsciously found his gaze wandering to the orange-haired Navigator who was still glaring at him as if he had Chopper's horns on his head. Was she really that against him, or…ohhhh.

He clicked his fingers. "Room – Shambles."

While the half-robot began celebrating loudly, he mentally slapped himself as he tried to pretend he wasn't excited at seeing the female pirate returning to her slender, curvaceous…

"Why am I always stuck in someone else's body? First it was Franky, now Sanji-kun!"

Law inwardly admitted to sharing a little of her bitter disappointment. He had forgotten that there were three members of the crew missing, including one of them with Nami-ya's real body.

"Can't you do something about it?"

He blinked in surprise as the blonde cook suddenly appeared in front of him, batting her eyelashes as she looked at him pleadingly. Eventhough it was Kuro Ashi-ya's face he was staring at, Law still felt his cheeks redden a little. Turning away quickly, he waved his hand dismissively. "I can't do anything if your real body isn't here."

To distract himself, he strode over to where the band of giant children slept, chained securely to one of the pillars as they snored peacefully. Pity and contempt welled up inside him. "Turning people into giants is a project that the World Government has undertaken for hundreds of years…for military might probably. Caesar wants to achieve this goal first, and outsmart Vegapunk and the World Government; but I don't think it will be that easy," he murmured, half to himself. Giant kids, mutant humans with animal parts - Law could picture their half-dead eyes staring lifelessly at him and their torturous screams echoing in the night. Vegapunk was renowned for pushing the boundaries of science with his outlandish experiments, but Caesar had been reviled for doing things to his test subjects that even Vegapunk had been reluctant to do. While what had happened to these kids was a cruelty and abomination beyond mankind, perhaps it would be better to leave them here where they were safe and hidden away from the wider world. Their size and obvious mental scars would mark them out as outsiders, freaks…there was no way they would ever be accepted by society. Nor would the World Government ever want their existence to be acknowledged by anyone outside of Punk Hazard. He exhaled heavily. "Do you really want to help them? You don't even know who they are."

To his surprise, Nami-ya (in Kuro Ashi-ya's body) strode forward. "Yes I do." Clenching her fist, she tilted her head to look Law straight in the face, a hint of defiance blazing in her beautiful hazel eyes; as she dared him to refuse her. Like a tigress defending her young, her conviction in rescuing the children both startled and moved him. It was not something he had expected to see in the fiery, obstinate Straw Hat Navigator. "Although I don't know them very well, they asked me to help with tears in their eyes. It seems that the Master tricked them into coming here, but they already know there is something wrong with this place." Crouching down next to one of the kids, she gently placed a hand on the sleeping girl. Law was struck by the compassionate gentleness that replaced the fierceness from moments ago. She straightened. "Until they're safe, I won't leave this island!"

He sighed internally. Her intentions were good, noble almost but in the circumstances, it would be so much easier to just…"Are you willing to stay here alone?" he shot back.

'I'm not going to leave my friend behind." The Straw Hat Captain's voice was firm, with no hint of the goofiness that he was usually associated with. "If that's what Nami and Chopper want to do, I want it too. If you want to team up with us, you have to help us too!"

For the umpteenth time that day, Law started heavily. He could feel the beginning of a migraine throbbing against his temples…Kami knows what he had gotten himself into. He had thought it would be easy to manipulate, well not manipulate but sway the seemingly simply and happy-go-lucky Luffy to his objectives…He waved his hand again. "Okay I get it. There's not much time, but you guys have to take care of the samurai, while I look into the drugs that the kids were given. Which one of you is the ship's doctor? He's got to come back with me to research the drug behind Caesar's back."

The tiny reindeer started flailing his hoofs. "I am! But I can't walk right now, so how am I going to follow you back?"

Everyone fell silent for a good while before Nami-ya perked up. Picking the injured Chopper up, she advanced to him with a suspiciously mischievous smile on her face. "I have an idea," she giggled, grabbing hold of his furry hat. Law suddenly felt himself break out into a sudden cold sweat. "I'm not sure Law's going to like it though…" As she motioned Usopp to come forward with the rope, he silently found himself wondering if this was the Navigator's revenge for swapping her body with Franky's earlier in the day.

Oh well, he consoled himself miserably as the muffled chuckles of the Strawhat Pirates grew louder and louder around him before Luffy let out an explosive snort of laughter. At least his crew weren't around to take photographs of his humiliation.

A/N: I think I've forgotten how much fun it is to write Law…As always, reviews and concrit are most welcome. Hope everyone is enjoying the current arc on Whole Cake Island!