Guess who has ZERO self-control when it comes to this story and how it's portrayed? This girl.

Guess who edited and revised the entire story again because the plot was still messy as all fuck? This girl.

Guess who will be switching from FanFiction to Ao3? This girl.

Miss Bones

The sky was a pure shade of cobalt, framed perfectly by the lifeless, silky green curtains hanging over the large, circular window. The bright afternoon sunlight filtered through the room, making the polished wooden floors and walls shimmer in the hazy yellow glow. The smell of sweet mangoes and coconuts wafted from the streets below, the many women milling across the stony road with wagons piled high with fruit.

It was another peaceful day, but the humidity was far too intense; not even the shade could combat the heat that clung to her skin.

Ameria stood at the window and wiped the back of her hand across her forehead, groaning in irritation. It never ceased to amaze her how the women of Amazon Lily could handle the extreme tropical weather. She counted down the days when she would be able to escape it, but it all depended on when Luffy got back. He was running later than expected, and she hoped he didn't cause too much trouble, but knowing him, he caused total mayhem and probably changed the world. Or something like that. Ameria wasn't certain; she didn't know what was going on since the island was extremely isolated. Though, she was certain Luffy did cause enough damage to create a major uproar, which was probably why he was so late.

Then a frown pulled at the corner of her lips and she clasped her hands together. "Please Mortalitas…" she closed her eyes, and she murmured under her breath. "Let him be okay. He's just late because it's Luffy being Luffy doing his Luffy thing. This isn't the first big battle he's done before, and he also turned out on top no matter how many times he fell down. Right? Right."

Ameria nodded to herself and tried to remain positive, but she could feel a thin wire of negativity weave around her heart and squeeze—hard.

She quickly turned away from the window and plopped down on the edge of the narrow bed behind her. The thin quilted sheet was warm within the yellow light cast by the window, but the feeling didn't comfort her. She leaned forward, propping her elbows up on her bare knees and she cradled her pink tinted cheeks in her hands. Staring down at the ornate copper amulet dangling from her neck, her mind went blank. She didn't want darkness to invade her thoughts, so she shut down instead.

Then excited shrieks of pure ecstasy pierced right through her ears and she was snapped back to reality.

Ameria stood up and leaned over the window's railing to witness a stampede of jungle women sprinting down the road at top speed. Hundreds and hundreds of Amazons clogged the dusty streets. They were filled with joy as each beautiful lady had a fevered grin on her lips as they swiftly migrated to the same place: the gated bay to the island's city.

Ameria brows furrowed in confusion, but then the door to the bedroom swung open and her attention turned to the slim blonde standing at the entrance. It was Marguerite; one of the women that temporarily took Ameria in while Luffy was away. The young woman was out of breath, one hand clinging to the doorknob while the other wiped away the sweat that had accumulated under her curly blonde bangs.

"She's back!" There was an excited gleam in her amber eyes, even the snake wrapped like a scarf around her neck looked blissfully happy. "Princess is back!"

Ameria's eyes opened wide. "That means Luffy's back!?"

Marguerite nodded and smiled brightly, waving a hand over her shoulder as she turned away. "Come on!"

Without delay, Ameria followed Marguerite through the tiny house and out into the city's massive horde of women that ran to greet their returning princess at the bay. Ameria blended in seamlessly with the crowd. Her borrowed long brown cape fluttered behind her as she ran, and she was glad Marguerite gave her some old clothes to wear in the tropical weather. It was a bikini top with a purple and white tribal design and matching skirt, which allowed the artificial breeze from the run to cool down her exposed, sweaty skin. Then the run slowed down as the pack of Amazons filed impatiently into a large, stone stadium that sandwiched a long canal.

Marguerite grabbed Ameria by the hand, pushing through the crowd as the young blonde shouted familiar names. "Sweet Pea! Aphelandra!"

The two women were down at the front row, and they both turned around when they heard their names. The tall Amazon Aphelandra eagerly bounced on her heels, the blinding glare from the top of her shiny metal hat like a beacon in the sunlight. Then the large Amazon known as Sweet Pea nodded with a smirk, taking a step to the side to allow Marguerite and Ameria a place to stand among the dense crowd.

"Phew!" Marguerite sighed, wiping her brow to displace her bangs from her sweaty skin. "I was worried we were going to miss them!" "Just on the other side of the gate." Sweet Pea remarked coolly, crossing her arms over her large bosom. Then the smirk on her lips widened to a bright grin. "They'll be coming in any second now. Both Princess and Luffy!"

"Oooh!" Aphelandra smiled and clapped her hands together. "I can't wait! We've all been so worried!"

"I just hope they're alright…" Ameria chimed in, a somewhat worried smile on her lips. "They are pretty late."

"Don't worry." Marguerite placed a comforting hand on Ameria's shoulder. "Princess is very strong. I know she made sure that Luffy returned safely, so that is probably why it took so long."

Ameria nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right…"

She fought to agree.

Luffy would always prevail through the toughest situations, but Ameria couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that something was…wrong.

The shouts of joy grew ten times stronger as the mighty Kuja ship appeared through the open gate. Two mighty Sea Kings pulled the tribal galleon through the wide canal, and a wave of high-pitched screeches followed when the Amazons saw their princess standing on the wooden deck with her crew. Ameria clung to the edge of the thick railing in front of her, her nails scraping against the stone. There was no sign of Luffy among the Amazons on the ship.

Marguerite noticed the lack of one young man from the ship and she frowned perturbedly, but then her amber eyes flickered towards the back of the galleon. "Wait a minute…" Marguerite's joyful tone darkened and hushed to a wary whisper. "What's that following Princess?" and she pointed to the tiny mystery vessel.

Sweet Pea, Aphelandra and Ameria followed Marguerite's finger, seeing a flashy yellow submarine in tow of the Kuja galleon. The black Jolly Roger painted on the side looked vaguely familiar, but Ameria didn't have a chance to study it closer before the other Amazons in the crowd noticed that the deck of the unknown vessel was filled with men.

Ameria felt a bead of sweat on her brow. Uh oh…

"MEN followed Princess!"

The rough voice of Kikyo arose from the enraged crowd of Amazons. The tough woman furiously leapt onto the stone wall, her long snake locked into the shape of a bow and she knocked back an arrow only to let it fly a second later. The projectile disappeared briefly from the air before it slammed into the submarine's metal wall, slicing the iron like butter. The sharp arrowhead nearly burrowed into the flesh of someone who looked way too calm for the situation, especially since the rest of the crew of men panicked when the other Amazons also took up arms.

Ameria tucked her elbows in close to her sides, her head nestled between her shoulders as Marguerite, Sweet Pea and Aphelandra followed Kikyo's example along with dozens of other women. They jumped on the wall, locked their snakes into bows, knocked back arrows and let them soar. However, the rain of bolts never hit their target as another mass of missiles countered them mid flight.

"Huh?!" Sweet Pea's eyes opened wide in shock. "The Kuja stopped us?!"

The primary pirates of the Kuja had mimicked the stances of their fellow Amazons, their snakes locked into bows and arrows drawn, but it was to protect the men trailing behind them.

"Put down your weapons!" The princess then stepped forward, her order loud and clear for every person present to hear. The crowd was instantly silent as they listened to their ruler. There was a dark scowl on the princess's features, yet her voice held a tiny quiver of concern and there was even a small hint of a tear at the corner of her large brown eyes. "Luffy is on that vessel!"

All the color drained from Ameria's face, her skin turning into a sickly shade of white. The dots connected instantly when she remembered who that Jolly Roger belonged to. Her jaw dropped, and she covered her gaping mouth with her hands. She would have leapt from the stadium to the submarine if she could, but the women of Amazon Lily were ordered to evacuate the area and she was carried with the crowds. There needed to be a discussion about what to do in the dire situation. Luffy was the only man given permission to be on Amazon Lily, but not the rest of the pirates aboard the submarine. Marguerite later told Ameria that the submarine was allowed to dock at the bay on the other side of the island, but only a few of the elite warriors had permission to give the men food and other supplies. Not even their princess could see Luffy. However, that wasn't going to stop Ameria from seeing her dear friend, but then she reached a tiny hitch in her plan.

"What do you mean I can't?"

Crossed spears blocked her path to the forest, and the women warriors remained completely emotionless as they stood guard in front of the gate's entrance. "Orders," was the simple response, both women saying the word in monotone unison.

"But he's my friend," Ameria argued. "I want to make sure he's okay."

One of the woman warrior's stony expressions softened and she sighed. "I am sure you heard the news. No woman on the island is to come in contact with the men save for the warriors to give them supplies."

"Uuuh…" Ameria's brows furrowed. "You know I'm not a villager, right? I literally fell from the sky with Luffy. There is a giant paw-print in the mud to prove it."

"You're our guest." The second warrior spoke up gently. "More reason to make sure you are protected."

Ameria crossed her arms with a huff, annoyed by the response. Then a hand touched her shoulder, and she looked around to see a pleading look from Marguerite. The blonde knew the warriors wouldn't make any exceptions and it was best to wait like everyone else.

Sighing, Ameria turned on her heel, following after Marguerite slowly. When Ameria heard the warriors relax their spears, she swiftly pivoted on her heel and dashed toward the opening. The two warriors were startled and braced their spears to block her again, but Ameria shifted all her weight to her back and slid underneath the crossed spears. She flinched when she felt tiny stones scrape along the skin of her calf, but she pushed through the pain and hurriedly regained her footing. Then she ran, but was jerked backwards when an iron grip snared her cape. The growl of an angry warrior came from behind, and the fabric was forcibly yanked. Ameria gagged, the collar choking her, and she struggled to undo the pin that held the fabric in place. Click, the pin was released and she bolted like a bat out of hell.

The roar of the warriors multiplied from two to twenty in a matter of seconds, which pumped adrenaline into Ameria's veins. She would understand if she was an actual resident of Amazon Lily, but she was a member of the Straw Hat Pirates. Was is true what Marguerite had said? That it seemed like the princess really disliked Ameria?

Thunk.

The sound of bark splitting snapped her from her inner thoughts and she peeked over to see that an arrow was embedded into a tree's exposed root. Her eyes opened wide. Arrows?! She gasped. Really?!

That would only make her run faster.

Until she was stopped by a cliff.

She nearly tumbled over the edge. She took a few steps back, about to turn around to find another route, but the silhouettes of the warriors drew closer. She bit her lip, her mind zipping through the options she had. There were only two: get caught or don't. Then she knew what she had to do. Ameria took a deep breath in and then out, tuning out the shouts that were closing in. Dozens of hands were right behind her, reaching out to restrain her, but they were too late.

She jumped.

The screams of the warriors were drowned by the wind rushing through her thick ebony hair, the tangled knots whipping against her ears. Time around her felt slow as she focused her mind on the ground. The energy around her was warm, and she closed her eyes to concentrate. The image of the leafy canopy was burned into her mind, but she imagined the ground hidden beneath the leaves. The forest floor covered with dirt.

The ground shook, dust spiraled through the leaves like a wild tornado. The thin powder started to build up slowly, gaining in weight and size until the dust carved the images of bones. The cartilage whirled with the force of the wind, snapping together with large cracks to create a complete form: a skeletal dragon.

The dragon emerged from the circling dust, flying up quickly to meet her fall. With a small tap, she landed atop of the smooth cartilage of the dragon's skull. Then, the undead beast took flight high into the sky. Wind passed freely through her clothing, and knotted her short hair even more. She steadied her stance, her feet glowing light grey has she rooted herself to the cartilage, and she guided the dragon's movement as a snowboarder guides his board down a snowy slope. Ameria didn't know exactly where the bay was, but time was not an object as her dragon circled the small island. She scanned the beaches of the island, easily sighting that spot of yellow: the Heart Pirates.

With a small twist of her body, she sent the dragon's bone body creaking and it turned in the direction of the bay. The crew of the Heart Pirates below panicked when the dragon approached and prepared to land. The magic woven wings forced intense winds upon the crew, knocking men over while others shielded their eyes. The mighty undead dragon's claws dug into the solid ground with ease, making fresh trenches in its wake. It landed with its head held high, showing an unspoken law of respect.

Ameria stood just as tall perched on the dragon's skull and looked down at the men below. "Where's Luffy?" Her question was a demand.

It carried over the heads of the gasping men. All they did was stare up, gawking at the large animation, watching the dragon's neck creak with each lifeless breath, dust falling from rubbing joints. Must be intimidated, she thought, and who wouldn't be after that display. Undead plus dragon equals bad news.

"He's sleeping, Miss."

Ameria's blue eyes were trained on the man that spoke up. He stood out from the rest, his composure just as calm as when an arrow nearly burrowed into his forehead. Ameria tapped her foot against the cartilage and the dragon lowered its head, making the jump she had to take a shorter one. The other pirates stared as Ameria marched straight ahead to the man, the captain of the Heart Pirates: Trafalgar Law.

Aside from his calm demeanor, Trafalgar Law stood out from the rest of his crew in other ways. His crew wore baggy white boilersuits whereas the surgeon sported a black and yellow hoodie with his Jolly Roger on the front. The yellow fabric had a sneering smiley face that had a T-like design sticking out from the edges of the circle, and his hat and jeans had an interesting spotted design on them.

Trafalgar Law eyed her curiously, his arms crossed over his chest, which showcased the tribal tattoos on his exposed forearms and also the letters printed across his fingers to spell the word DEATH on his left hand. He opened his mouth to say something else, something that was probably as snarky as his smirk, but she didn't allow him the pleasure.

Ameria stood toe to toe with the surgeon, hands on her hips. "Where's Luffy sleeping?" She clarified with a tone just as demanding as the first time.

The look on his face changed drastically. The mild interest flipped to anger in a heartbeat, like she hit a nerve hard. The shadows under the brim of his signature brown-spotted white fuzzy hat darkened to the point where she couldn't even see his steely grey eyes anymore. "Miss, I should inform you that I do not like to be ordered around." He stated coldly, stepping closer to use his height as an advantage. "It's a captain thing."

She was playing with fire, and there was a tiny nagging in the back of her mind that told her not to stoke it, but she was worried and wanted to see Luffy. Pissing off the guy that was going to let her do that wasn't a good idea. She hadn't ran away from Hancock's elite and jumped off a cliff for nothing.

Ameria took a deep breath in and then out, calming down. "I just want to see him." She told the surgeon. "I haven't seen him in over a week, and I want to know if he's okay."

The darkness over the surgeon's eyes softened, yet there was still an emotionless look on his features. "I already told you: he's sleeping," was his response.

"Jerk." Ameria glared, and he sent her a just as nasty glare back.

"Captain Trafalgar," a new voice entered from stage right, making her glance away from the surgeon and towards the large fishman standing nearby.

The fishman was bandaged heavily along his chest from, and his orange kimono was covered in dirt, dried blood and holes. He tried to walk calmly—despite the pain from his injures—over to the pair. "We should comply and answer her question. The women of the island are helping us and I assume they simply want to know Luffy's condition. We just got back and it has been over a week, after all."

"Women of the island? Don't be fooled, Mister Jinbei." The surgeon rolled his eyes. "If a woman of the island was here with that question then of course I would give an answer."

Jinbei's brows furrowed in confusion from the surgeon's annoyed response.

Ameria scoffed, feeling somewhat insulted. "Look, just let me see him—"

Trafalgar Law's jaw locked, and she could see every muscle in his body tense from the tone in her voice. "He's asleep." He gritted through clenched teeth.

"I'm not going too—"

"No." Trafalgar Law cut her off again.

Ameria knew she was getting nowhere. "Then I'll stay here and wait for him to wake up." She declared, walking away from his intense glower to sit beneath a nearby tree.

"But…" the fishman started, a worried look on his face. "Aren't the women of the island not supposed to be here?"

"Yes, but she isn't one of them," the surgeon answered. "She's Bones of the Straw Hat Pirates."

Law had to admit Bones was an interesting character. Bad attitude when she didn't get her way, but it was fueled from the concern for her captain which made it…understandable. That aside, he had always been mildly intrigued with Bones well before he ever met her. In the newspapers, where many bounty posters were published and then distributed to the public, Law saw that Bones of the Straw Hats was different. She was wanted alive, and only alive. It was rare to see that, especially since it was so common to see criminals wanted as either dead or alive. What fueled his curiosity was how X. Drake reacted to her. Then his fascination reached an all time high when they informally met at the Auction House and he saw her conjure a small army of skeletons. Law believed it was an extraordinary Devil Fruit, but it was something different. It was magic; he figured that out when the Marines rushed to capture the mage, as they called her. He didn't have time to examine her magic thoroughly back then, but now he did.

For the past couple of days Bones decided to stay at the bay, Law was able to witness her create and control skeletons at her very whim. Whenever his crew got a bit of courage to talk—flirt, because that was how his crew was—she would show off the many skeletal creations she had in her arsenal to scare them away. They ranged from humans to animals, even some mythical beasts like dragons, griffons, and more. Though, Law noted that some of the proportions were a bit off…

Nonetheless, he could see where her bounty of 60 million beli came from; an infinite army of the unkillable.

Still, there were questions left unanswered. It was magic. He wanted to know where magic came from. Was the light grey glow from her hands the source, and why? However, every time Law tried to ask her anything, she was bitter and refused any details. She would only give him simple answers of yes, no, maybe so.

She even turned down the offer for a trade: answers to see the rubber captain. At that point she was being stubborn and didn't want to see him get what he wanted. An eye for an eye. But despite that, Bones had the potential to be a useful asset to his goal. Who wouldn't want an undead army on his side? With a bit of tutoring on the bone structure, he could make her into something terrifying to his enemies.

The only obstacle in his path was the rubber captain. Bones was only sitting there dealing with the stares and questions because of Straw Hat. Law could use the you-owe-me card, but then her loyalty to him would be nothing. Law could just picture her trying to escape whenever she had the chance. That was something he didn't want; her feeling like she was a prisoner.

Well…she joined the Straw Hats for a reason, he pondered, if I could just throw her mind off kilter then maybe… then he smirked, walking casually over to her tree.

Bones had claimed a tree as her base, huddled between the roots like it was her fortress. She was curled beneath the large brown cloak that all the warriors of the island wore. When a few of the Amazons came to give his crew supplies, they returned Bones's cloak and also tried to convince her to come back to the city. Boa Hancock was apparently very persistent with her demand that Bones return immediately, but lucky for the surgeon, Bones remained as stubborn as a mule.

Law leaned against the tree and greeted her with a simple: "Hello, Miss Bones."

"Captain Trafalgar." Bones acknowledged his presence, but refused to look at him. She was too focused on picking the large, but blunt, thorns from her sandal's soles.

That was another thing Law had noticed: Bones seemed a little accident prone. He remembered back at the Auction House that Bones had gotten a nasty shot to the arm. It grazed through her arm, not enough to be a through and through, but enough to leave it gaping that needed to be treated. It looked like the ladies of Amazon Lily had patched it up nicely; there was only a fresh red scar now. Bones had multiple faint scars across her skin. A majority of them looked old, like they happened back when she was younger, but there was another relatively fresh one across her stomach. As Law stared at it, his mind suddenly got attached to a different and unrelated question.

"Miss Bones?" Law inquired. "Did something bite you?"

The question caught her off guard and she looked up, blinking wildly. When Law pointed to her scar, Bones sheepishly looked away and admitted that: "A tree did."

"A tree?" He repeated, astonished.

"A tree," she repeated.

"…"

Law was at a loss of words. A part of him wanted to press the subject, but he needed to stay on track. The surgeon decided to sit down in front of her, crossing his legs, then he extended a hand toward her. "Would you like some help?"

Bone's brows furrowed into a skeptical knot. "I can pick the thorns out myself."

"I know you can. I've seen you do it for the past three days," Law replied. "But I meant the wounds; even a tiny one can lead to infection if not treated properly."

Bones shifted uncomfortably where she sat, and a crease formed along her brow. She was in deep thought, but then she nodded slowly. "Okay," and she placed her hand in his.

Law cocked his head to the side in confusion, but then a mischievous smirk curled at the corner of his lips. "Cute," he purred, which made her eye him warily in response. Her hand started to slip from his, but he held onto it tightly as he used his free hand to produce a small transparent blue sphere around them. With a wave of his hand, the thorns were pulled from her feet, but then the surgeon chuckled in amusement when he saw her eyes open wide and she jumped in her seat, shocked.

"That hurt!" She squeaked, her grip tightening around his hand, and her toes curled in discomfort.

"It was only a sting, bella donna," Law corrected firmly, and then he placed his other hand over hers, patting it gently. "Nonetheless, I believe it was a good idea to hold my hand."

Bones stared at him for a moment, a blank expression on her face before her cheeks quickly flared up when she saw her mistake. She ripped her hand from his grip and cradled it delicately to her chest. "It's not funny," she glowered.

"Of course not," Law mused, grinning mischievously at her pretty pink features. "But that aside, do you feel better now, Miss Bones?"

She didn't want to, but she begrudgingly nodded. "Thanks," she grumbled and looked away in a huff.

"You are very welcome," Law chuckled. He felt like he was able to lower her guard a bit more, but he didn't want to risk asking her any questions about magic. So, he stayed on track with his original plan. There was a small stretch of silence as Law allowed her to relax before he asked: "Miss Bones, why did you join Mister Straw Hat's crew?"

This question also threw her for a loop because she looked back at him in utter confusion. "Why would you want to know that?"

"I felt like shaking things up a bit today." Law shrugged nonchalantly. "If you're a Straw Hat there must be a noteworthy dream and also a touching tale."

Bones scoffed, her brows knitted in annoyance and she whipped her attention away from him. "I have my reasons."

"And that would be?" He pressed on.

She glared at him. "Curiosity killed the cat."

"But satisfaction brought it back," he finished with a smug smirk.

She paused, observing his expression to find any meaningful tells, but he didn't let her have one. Then she sighed. "You really want to know?"

"Yes," he was blunt.

"Will you leave me alone if I tell you?"

"I'm not making any promises, but I'll give you more space if you cooperate."

She pursed her lips, her eyes weighing the trade. "I'm…" she paused, a doubtful gleam in her azure eyes, but then she finished. "…looking for something."

Law leaned in, feeling like a fisherman when his bait is snared by a huge catch. "And what is it that you're looking for, Miss Bones?"

"None of your business," she snapped, a sharp glare in her eyes. "You said you'd leave me alone!"

"If you answered my question," Law smirked. "And I believe that something, isn't a very good answer. Hardly is one, wouldn't you agree? It should at least be three to five sentences long. Didn't your teachers tell you that in school?"

"Uuuugh…" she groaned and rolled her eyes.

Law chuckled, pleased with his fishing. Something, was all he needed. He positioned himself so he sat beside her, invading her fortress of roots, which made her squirm in discomfort when their arms touched. Then he leaned over and whispered in her ear: "How are you going to find that something if you're stuck on this island?"

Bones backed away, scowling at him. "I'm not going to be stuck here that long." She scoffed, trying to scoot away.

Law wrapped an arm around her shoulders, ceasing her movement, and he pulled her close to his side again. "How do you know that?" He inquired with a frown, a faulty mask of concern on his features. "You might be here for years."

"I have my animations." She retorted. "You have seen what I can make."

"And it's impressive work, but…it's lacking." Law was honest, and her eyes opened wide at the sudden critique. "You have skills, don't get me wrong, but you seem to have the skills of a novice under your belt, Miss Bones. A few minutes, maybe a day of good work can get people far, but can you keep up that pace for years?"

She was speechless, so he took the opportunity to continue.

"Can your animations even go off on their own without the source in the same radius?" He inquired. "And even if they could do that, what if it takes a year to find that something, then another year for the animation to get back. Overall, it's a waste of two years when it could have taken one."

"What are you saying, Trafalgar?" She questioned, venom in her voice.

Law leaned in close, brushing away locks of ebony hair from her ear so he could whisper: "Join my crew, Miss Bones. Find what you need in a year rather than two with Straw Hat."

"H—How—How dare you!" She snapped and shoved him, but only succeed in tumbling away from his grasp rather than pushing him away. Her cheeks prickled crimson from rage and she jumped to her feet. "How dare you say that! At a time like this! How dare you! I will not! I will never! I will never ever abandon Luffy!" She seethed. "I will have you know that Luffy isn't the type to stay in one place for long. I'll be on my search again before you know it, Trafalgar!"

She was fuming fire as turned away, steam whistling from her ears. Then she stormed away, but her angry march deflated rapidly when she stepped on, yet again, another blunt thorn. She flinched for a second before pushing on into a very slow retreat to a different tree to hide behind on the other side of the camp. She sat down in the roots and then started to pick at the thorn buried in her sandals.

Law just watched her leave without a word. He didn't need to get the last word on the matter. He knew his words were already racing through her mind. He planted the seed, now he just needed to let doubt grow.

Though, the doctor side of his mind said he should probably check in on her once she cools down. For her foot's sake, but Ameria could care less about her foot's sake. She was too annoyed to pick at the thorn and she just ripped it out, leaving her with a very sore foot afterwards.

She was too angry to notice the pain as she curled up into a tense ball of furious anger. That surgeon's offer left a bitter taste in her mouth. How unsympathetic of Trafalgar Law to ask her to join his crew when Luffy was still recovering. She should have expected the man to be cruel given he's the Surgeon of Death. Luffy was his patient, but it was clear the surgeon only cared for himself. Ameria knew she wasn't the best necromancer nor was she the most graceful lass, but she knew well enough that Trafalgar Law only wanted to use her magic for his own benefit; just as she was taught. No matter what, Ameria would stay by Luffy's side; he needed her more than anything right now.

Ameria tried to steady herself into that firm, ironclad resolve, but she felt it wavering quickly under the weight of her mission. She hated to admit that the surgeon's words were digging through her mind like a plow, which was probably why anger was so deeply rooted in her mind. The reason she left home: a mission that was a ticking bomb that crushed her shoulders under the pressure of time. The thought left her pale; an eerie shade of pale white. She wanted to be with Luffy, but she couldn't ignore her purpose.

She could only hope that Luffy would recover soon, and then they'd be on their merry way back to the rest of their friends to venture into the New World. She couldn't wait, like Law said, and she didn't know what she would do if Luffy decided to stay longer. She would need a Plan B if that was the case, but joining the Heart Pirates was not an option.

…Or was it?

Before she could even came to a conclusion for her train of thought, a long piercing scream echoed through the small camp. The familiar voice made her leap to her feet and look towards the ocean. The yellow submarine began to shake, rocking between the large waves forming in the still waters around it. Sirens blared from the swaying vessel, and the windows flashed an ominous shade of bright red. The crew panicked at the sight, and the surgeon and fishman rushed to the edge of the bay where the submarine slammed into the side of the cliff, metal scraping against the stone like nails running along a chalkboard. The ground shook as the submarine groaned in pain, then with a loud crackle of iron sheets wrinkling under immense pressure, the top of the vessel warped violently and popped. A roar followed when the thick iron gave way as the culprit shot out into the sky like a bullet before tumbling to the ground like a meteor.

When the dust cleared, there he was.

Luffy.

Covered in bandages from head to toe, the gauze stained with dirt, sweat and fresh blood. His back rose and fell rapidly as he struggled to remain balanced on his hands and knees. Members of the Heart Pirates approached the rubber captain cautiously and tried to restrain him, but a tremor rumbled through Luffy's body like an earthquake and he raised his head, screaming to the heavens, "AAAAAAACCCCCEEE!" at the top of his lungs. The roar was so potent that the men tumbled backwards under the weight of his tone.

Like a feral beast reacting only to primal survival, Luffy leapt to his feet and ran. He ran, and he ran, and he ran around the camp. Nothing was safe in his path. His eyes were wide and wild, but also filled with an empty void; blank with pure shock as he continued to cry his brother's name over and over again. The Heart Pirates did their best to soothe the savage beast the rubber captain had become, but Luffy's strength was too much for them. He resisted every time, throwing them off like limp ragdolls to the ground.

Ameria froze, her eyes wide and her hands covering her mouth. It was like Luffy was trapped in the moment, forced to watch it happened over and over…when Ace died. Then she slapped her cheeks, breaking herself from the trance. "Luffy!"

She rushed towards him, her heart crumbling to pieces when she saw him plowing through wooden crates of supplies and slicing through boulders like butter with his unhinged strength. The blood from his open wounds gushed through the gauze until they turned a tainted shade of black. He was in a blind state of hysteria when his rubbery arm extended and she ran into the danger zone recklessly. His knuckles collided with her temple and Ameria was knocked to the ground. Blood seeped down the side of her face as Luffy's fist continued to soar through the air above her head, ramming into a boulder that shattered into pieces. The explosion ripped holes through the tall cloth barrier that surrounded the camp, and Luffy fled into the jungle through the large hole in the barrier with the Fishman Jinbei right at the rubber captain's heels.

Ameria clutched her forehead as she stumbled to her feet, desperate to follow after her friend, but then strong arms wrapped around her stomach from behind. "Don't," the surgeon's voice was firm as he forced her to sit back down on the ground.

"B—But I need to—"

"He's unpredictable right now," Law stated calmly as he inspected the cut on her head. Then he mumbled something under her breath, and one of his crew members standing nearby quickly left.

Ameria froze again, staring at where Luffy had disappeared into the shadowy maze of towering trunks and vines. His screams still pounded against her eardrums, the echo like a broken record. She felt her skin prickle with goosebumps, the nap of her neck uncomfortably hot when she found it hard to find the words to say. It felt like her heart sank to the pits of her stomach like a brick. "But…" she tried to speak again, but her voice was too weak to continue.

"Mister Jinbei went after him," Law reminded her as he took a gauze and applied pressure to her temple. "There is nothing you can do," and with his free hand, a small blue sphere appeared around them.

She flinched, his words cutting deep.

Was there really nothing she could do? Could she really not comfort him? But how could she comfort him if she didn't know what to say? Everything is going to be alright couldn't be the words he needed to hear, or wanted to hear. Could the fishman really be more help than she would be at a time like this? Maybe. He was there, and maybe he did know the right words to say, but what kind of friend would she be if she didn't go after him? They spent months together, experiencing all the good and bad times together. Times were peaceful, times were tough, but they always made it through together.

Ameria scowled at the surgeon and pushed him away, startling him when she used so much force to create distance between them. The bloody gauze that was on her temple fluttered to the ground as she sprang to her feet, slipping through the blue dome like a ghost. Then she made a mad dash to the broken barrier. The pirates couldn't stop her when she was in the forest. The men weren't allowed to wander outside the barrier the Amazons provided, so Ameria was free to search for Luffy because there was no way in hell she was going to abandon him in his time of grief. Even if she didn't know what words to say, she would rather try and fail than not try at all.

Following carnage left behind the rubber captain's rampage, and for brief seconds she could hear his blood-curdling cries echo through the trees. The vicious roars slowly melted into desperate sobs as she got closer, and when she found them, Luffy was in nothing but tears. The rubber captain was on all fours, surrounded by a puddle of tears and blood. Luffy was wailing as he pounded the side of his fist to the ground, his words as muddy as the muddy jungle floor.

Ameria didn't know how to approach him, but then she spotted the fishman nearby. Jinbei was resting against a cracked boulder, more battered looking than before he left to follow Luffy. There was a calm expression on his features as he looked toward Ameria, smiling weakly, and he nodded.

Ameria nodded in return and tentatively tip-toed over to the rubber captain and sat down on her knees beside him. Luffy was so distraught that he didn't notice her until she placed a hand gently on his shoulder. He lifted his head to look at her, his eyes overflowing with large tears, but renewed with life. His brows trembled and his lower lip quivered as he wrapped his arms around her neck and he started to wail right beside her ear.

"I—I have you!" He sobbed. "Meriii! I still have you, and everyone else! I still have all my friends!"

Ameria paused, unsure of how to react, but then she smiled and hugged him back. She let him cry on her shoulder for as long as he needed, until he passed out from pure exhaustion.

Jinbei groaned as he stood up from his seat on the ground. "Let's head to camp. Trafalgar needs to tend to his wounds. Luffy could die if he's not properly treated again."

Ameria nodded grimly. "...Right," and she helped the unconscious rubber captain to his feet, but Jinbei was able to carry Luffy the rest of the way.

When they returned to the camp, the pirates had already cleaned up the mess Luffy had made. The rocks were cleared away and the scraps of wood were discarded into a pile and set ablaze. Beside the broken barrier was the surgeon. He stood there impatiently, a disapproving look in his steely grey eyes, but he turned his attention to his crew and called a few men over. A group of four men with each wearing a unique hat trotted over with a stretcher and a few medical kits. The men took care of Luffy and escorted the rubber captain and the fishman to the submarine. Ameria was prepared to follow suit, but the surgeon swiftly grabbed her arm and pulled her close. The same blue dome reappeared around them as he placed a hand to her bloodied forehead. It felt like her skin was stitched up by invisible, but extremely sharp needles in a matter of milliseconds..

"Ow!" She yelped, wincing in pain, then she leapt away from the surgeon and scowled. "Would you stop that?!"

Law rolled his eyes and didn't bother giving her a response as he turned on his heel, strolling toward his submarine.

Ameria wanted to go after him, but she thought it would be best to stay put. She had a feeling the surgeon wasn't going to let her on his submarine—unless she decided to join his crew afterwards. She had a feeling he would try and pull such a deal out of his pocket. Instead she took a seat at the foot of her tree, snuggling between the roots and she wrapped the cloak around her tightly. She was suddenly extremely drowsy, and within minutes she was drifting off into a much more peaceful sleep than she expected. She had empty dreams, but it was better than nightmares about uncertainty; she had too many of those the past few days. Then her peaceful dreams were quickly interrupted by the loud sound of obnoxious snoring.

It sounded like it was right beside her ear, but it was coming from just the other side of the camp. Luffy was sleeping soundly on a blanket laid out across the ground. His bandages were a pristine white once more and he looked at peace while he slept; he was drooling and even a bubble of snot expanded and deflated repeatedly with each breath he took. Jinbei was sitting on the ground beside the rubber captain, the fishman with fresh bandages and even fresh clothing. However, beside him was a surprise guest.

"R—Ray-san?!" Ameria stuttered, her eyes opened wide in shock.

Rayleigh broke his conversation with Jinbei and he smiled as Ameria trotted over to them. The Pirate King's former First-Mate was dawned in his white cloak and robes, but the fabric was damp and smelled of salt. His long white hair was stringy, the curls drying stiffly because of ocean water. Rayleigh chuckled when he saw the baffled look on her face. "Why am I here, and when did I even get here?" Rayleigh read her mind, and he answered: "I'm here to check up on our dear friend Luffy's condition, and a few minutes ago Maybe fifteen of twenty minutes, give or take. I may be old, but I'm still a pretty decent swimmer, Miss Manolia. Nearly lost my glasses though…"

"O—Oh." Ameria murmured; she didn't want to ask about the distance, especially since they were in the middle of the Calm Belt.

"That Trafalgar isn't so bad." Rayleigh continued wryly. "He helped Luffy after all, Jinbei," and he motioned toward the fishman. "And I heard he used his quick healing on you. A gentleman, if you ask me," and he winked at her.

Gentleman my ass, she frowned.

Rayleigh let out a short laugh. "Seems like I missed him being a deviant, didn't I? I would say ignore him, but that might be hard."

Ameria's brows furrowed in confusion, but when she felt a tap on her shoulder, she inwardly groaned.

"Miss Bones."

She remained silent, but the curious look behind Rayleigh's glasses and the look of bewilderment from Jinbei didn't make the situation any better. Slowly, she turned around to face the surgeon to see that he held Luffy's trademark straw-hat in his hand and held it out to her. She graciously accepted the rubber captain's treasure, but the surgeon didn't let go right away.

"My offer still stands." Law stated, his tone full of confidence. "I'm sure you'll find me when you make up your mind. I hope to see you again."

She had to give him credit for trying to until the bitter end, but there is no way she could leave Luffy. She sent him a dark expression, her eyes telling him he should doubt that confidence, but it didn't work. He just smirked and then walked away to continue overseeing his crew bring supplies to their submarine.

"What was that about?" Jinbei asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Hmmm," Rayleigh hummed, a wry smirk on his lips.

"Don't worry about it," she grumbled, sitting down on the ground in a huff. "It means nothing."

Within a matter of minutes, the Heart Pirates were stocked up and left, meaning that Trafalgar Law was officially out of her hair. Jinbei and Rayleigh exchanged a few words before Luffy woke up, the rubber captain slightly upset that the surgeon left before a proper goodbye. However, Jinbei gave Luffy a true farewell before the fishman went on his way, but then the princess herself came to visit. Apparently Rayleigh was the other man with special permission to be on Amazon Lilly, but Ameria also learned why the warriors wouldn't let her see Luffy and why they wanted her to return. Boa Hancock had the biggest crush on Luffy, and in the eyes of a jealous woman, all other women are a threat. Not that Luffy noticed any of it; the only thing Luffy knew he truly loved was meat.

Ameria didn't have to deal with the murderous glares for long because Rayleigh asked for a moment of privacy with the two members of the Straw Hat Pirates. That meant Hancock was dragged away, and boy did she not like that idea, but once the screeching of the princess died down to nothing but a small buzz, Rayleigh began.

He wanted to discuss the importance of being prepared with Luffy and Ameria, but the conversation turned into an argument when Rayleigh recommended a two year wait before venturing into the New world. The Straw Hats needed to train for all the challenges because the Grand Line was a dangerous place. There was a reason why one side was called Paradise and the other was called New World. Still, Rayleigh gave Luffy a moment to decide his choice with Ameria.

Luffy hadn't said a word since Rayleigh left. The rubber captain chose to binge eat through his frustration until he calmed down. Ameria's mind was running a mile a minute, unsure of what to tell Luffy and also afraid to even discuss the decision. She knew she couldn't avoid it for long, especially since she could physically see the gears whirling in the rubber captain's head and she felt like she knew what he was going to do.

Ameria wrapped the cape around her, huddling under the fabric before she finally spoke up. "Sooooo…what're you gonna do?"

Luffy had been obnoxiously gnawing on a bone while he thought, but then he paused to reply. "Think I nee'ta listen to Ray-san." He answered through the greasy cartilage between his teeth. "I wanna see everyone, but I gotta think about everyone, too, y'know."

Ameria felt her heart drop, but she managed to smile weakly. "He's right… We need to get stronger for the real rivals up ahead."

"Yup!" Luffy grinned blissfully, waving the bone back and forth in his hand. "Everythin' so far was just the Grand Line pickin' off the weak from the strong, just like Zoro said!"

"…Yeah." Ameria closed her eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply.

"Eeeeh?" Luffy noticed her dropped mood, and he tilted his head to the side with a frown. "Wassup? You don't sound too happy…"

"Time…" she bit her lip. "Time really isn't on my side right now."

"Oh?" Luffy's brows furrowed in thought, but then they shot up, his eyes opening wide. "OH! Your master's mask! I forgot about that! You need to find it, like, right now!"

"Yeah…but," and she clutched the copper amulet around her neck until her knuckles turned white. "Maybe he can hang in there… He's tough, y'know—"

Luffy pointed the greasy meat bone at her, the stained cartilage dripping with drool. "Bullshit!" He called her out, scowling at her angrily. "You told us he could die without it! You need to find it, like, right now!" Then the fuel from his excitement sizzled out when he realized the massive problem they faced. Luffy plopped down on the ground then he placed the bone between his teeth again, chewing thoroughly, and he crossed his arms over his chest. "We nee'ta think of a way to get you off this island and search for it… How're we gonna do that…? How're we gonna do that?"

"I don't know," Ameria sighed, frowning grimly. "We're in the middle of the Calm Belt, and there is no way I can swim like Ray-san."

"You can make dragons with your magic!" Luffy snapped happily, grinning widely at the idea as he started to flap his arms wildly like they were bird's wings. "You can fly!"

"I—I—I—" Ameria stuttered, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment. "I—I don't think I could make it… I'm not powerful enough yet to do something like that…"

"Hmm, yeah that's right… You get tuckered out pretty quick. You nee'ta train, too, but mask first!" Luffy exclaimed, but then he hummed and his eyes closed in deep concentration. The rubber captain swayed to and fro over and over again until a bright lightbulb dinged above his head. "Oh!" and his eyes snapped open wide and he pointed a single finger to the sky. "Kuja! We can ask the Kuja Pirates to help!"

"I don—Maaaybe…but, I think the Kuja return back to Amazon Lily often to deliver supplies… So—So they probably never leave for too long. Plus…I think Hancock won't leave as much knowing you're here."

"Why? That sounds real dumb."

A bead of sweat trickled down her cheek; too oblivious to even notice that the princess had a permanent blush around him.

"Hmm…" Luffy when back to humming, but there was a dissatisfied expression on his features. "Too bad Law left before I got back," he grumbled. "Could of asked him to take you along with him."

"W—What!?" Ameria's eyes opened wide in shock. "You'd—wait, why?!"

Luffy eyed her in confusion, like she suddenly grew three heads from her shoulders. "He's my friend,duh. I'm sure he'd help."

Ameria was speechless, stunned for a solid minute because the first time the rubber captain ever met the surgeon, they were rivals and since then, Luffy hadn't spoken to Law once. She should have known that this was what he was like this by now, but this time was irritatingly frustrating because the surgeon had asked her for greedy purposes while Luffy was being pure, innocent and genuine with his response.

"He…" she found herself saying before she realized. "He…He already asked me to join his crew."

"Whoa, really!?" Luffy's eyes grew in shock. Then he grinned widely, rubbing the side of his forefinger under his nose. "Do you think he predicted the future? I bet that's how he knew to come at the right time to save Jinbei and me! Traffy is so cool, isn't he, Meri?"

Ameria felt another bead of sweat travel down her cheek and her brow twitched in annoyance. Trafalgar Law is far more sinister than you think Luffy, she wanted to say, but something about bursting his bubble right now seemed too cruel.

Luffy then leapt to his feet, throwing the meat bone over his shoulder into the pile behind him. "That settles that!"

"Err…" she didn't like where this was going, and she inched away as the rubber captain that drew closer. She wasn't fast enough as her captain gathered her into his arms and started to carry her toward the bay's cliff. "L—Luffy?!" Her eyes opened wide in panic and she wiggled in his grasp; she really didn't like where this was going. "L—Let me go!"

Luffy ignored her protest and resisted her struggle to escape. Then with a large grin, he shouted: "Fly, my pretty, fly~!" and threw her off the cliff.

"LUFFY!" She shrieked at the top of her lungs. "HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU I CAN'T—!"

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To be continued...