"I don't like you!" by BloodyMarryMe

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of its characters, but I do own the OC Suzune Miyako. This story is rated T for language, blood, violence and some suggestive themes.

Hello, everyone! I hope you are all doing well! I'm doing great since I finally finished yet another chapter. As for other news (I sound like a reporter, my god), I've started naming my chapters, starting from the first (and hopefully will catch up to my new ones, one day! haha! – this is a sad "haha"). I also decided to rewrite some of my past chapters (most of them, really), but don't worry, there won't be any major, story-related changes. And I have to thank Volleys-chan here, because she's given my some notes on my chapters that I need to fix (thank youuuu! It makes it easier).

Thank you for picking up this chapter and enjoy! I hope you will like it.

CHAPTER 74

Even as the storm grew silent, the strong wind still crashed against their ship, threatening to blow them off course.

"How the hell are we supposed to enter the cove through this mess!? The strong currents and the wind will steer us right into the sharp rocks of the island," Kin'emon shouted over the howling of the wind. He and his samurai friend were currently holding onto the railing, trying not to topple over as the ship rocked wildly back and forth.

They stared at the large island ahead, surrounded by dangerous cliffs and underwater rocks. Every once in a while, they had to steer away from the ship wrecks that met the grim fate of crashing into those cliffs.

"Uuugh, I'm getting shivers. I think my 'I can't get on this island' illness is returning," Usopp cried as he hugged the mast tightly so he wouldn't be cast overboard.

Dark stormy clouds loomed over the island, making the whole area look even more ominous. As if the raging storms and dangerous territory weren't enough.

"The Pirate Dispatch Organization is definitely here. If they found a way to dock on the island, so can we," Law called out, showing nothing but determination on his face.

"But how can we do it without a navigator," Franky asked in doubt.

"That's right!" The long-nosed sniper turned to Bartolomeo and his men, who were sliding across deck with every sway of their ship. "How can you be a pirate crew and not have a navigator," he yelled at them accusingly.

Barto wasn't listening at the moment, as him and Gambia were on the den den mushi with his first mate's grandmother. "Hello, grandma?! We're trying to reach an island, but the wind is really strong and it's surrounded by sharp rocks. What do we do?!"

"Are you kidding meeeee!? You're calling that grandma with useless advice again!? Like she could help us," Usopp yelled at them through his cries, his fear turning into frustration.

From the other side of the den den mushi, a feeble, elderly woman answered, "Oh, Gambia-chan, is that you? If it's a storm, be sure to use a raincoat. The umbrella would just break. Don't catch a cold, now."

"Oh, thank you grandma," Gambia nodded in understanding as if everything was clear now.

"That's it. We're going to die here," Usopp deadpanned after hearing the exchange. His face was blank, already accepting his fate.

On the other hand, the Strawhats' captain just laughed. He was currently holding onto the Going Luffy's bow, his arms stretching and sending him flying across the air every time the ship moved abruptly. "Bahahahaha! Whoooa!" While Usopp cried, cursing his fate, his captain swung in the air behind him like a monkey, laughing and shouting in excitement.

Meanwhile, some of Bartolomeo's crew were puking overboard, seasick from all the rocking. It was truly a sad sight for those who called themselves pirates.

"To begin with, we need to lower the topsails. It's getting too hard to steer the ship! Otherwise, these rogue winds will carry us right into the cliffs," Robin called out.

"Right away, Robin-senpai!" Bartolomeo saluted her, then immediately gave out orders to his crew.

Zoro just shrugged with a nonchalant expression, "If it comes to that, I'll just cut the cliffs before we crash into them."

"As if that can be done, you idiot," Usopp yelled back at him.

"Tsk," Trafalgar clicked his tongue in annoyance. There had to be a way to the island, they just couldn't see it….yet. Law wasn't a navigator, and he definitely wasn't as good as Sai, or Jean Bart, or even Bepo. But he wasn't completely clueless about it either. *I sailed alone before. Then, I could only rely on my own navigational knowledge. This is the same as then…I can do this,* he assured himself.

His thoughts were interrupted when a particularly strong gust of wind sent the Going Luffy right into a cluster of underwater rocks. The sharp edges were protruding from the sea, sure to rip apart any hull that is unfortunate enough to sail through them.

"I got this," Strawhat yelled and jumped overboard, unafraid by the raging sea beneath him, even though he was a devil fruit user. He inflated with his powers, until his body looked like a balloon, then jumped in between the rocks and the ship's hull. He groaned in strain, squished with great power between the two, and using all his strength to bounce the ship away.

The vessel shook as it was deflected from the rocks strongly, making everyone on board lose their balance. Before Luffy fell into the sea, he stretched out his hand and grabbed the railing, pulling himself back onto the ship. He exhaled in relief and grinned, "That was close. Shishishi."

While the crew was busy steering the ship, securing the ropes and trying not to be swept overboard, Trafalgar stayed focused on the seas ahead. He stared into the water as if it would somehow give him all the answers. As the Going Luffy abruptly changed direction, he felt the winds around him change too. His eyes narrowed when he noticed the water ahead of them was flowing in several different directions, as the sea currents were branching into different paths. His eyes opened in realization, *That's it! If we get on the right sea current it might be leads us straight where we need to go! But which one is it…?* If they pick the wrong current to ride, it will lead them straight into the cliffs.

His grip tightened on the railing while he thought. The ship creaked in protest, unable to handle much more of this abuse. Behind him, Luffy was having the time of his life despite their dire condition. *I bet that idiot would just follow his instincts,* he grumbled in his mind. *But I'm not like him…I want a plan. I want to make sure this works.*

His eyes narrowed as he got an idea. *If I can just use something in front of us, to eliminate the paths ahead, it would be enough,* he concluded and turned to Bartolomeo. "Oy, Rooster-ya," he called out.

"Who you callin' a rooster," came the angry reply.

"Whatever, just listen! I need planks."

"What?" Barto blinked quizzically.

Trafalgar all but growled, annoyed that he had to waste his time explaining when they were already in danger. "Planks, or wooden boards, anything that floats. You have some left after fixing the ship, yes?"

Bartolomeo and Gambia exchanged a curious look, but then the captain ordered his men to bring all the extra wooden boards they had left after fixing the ship's hull. After a while, Rowy returned with a mountain of wooden planks, dropping them at Trafalgar's feet.

"Robo-ya, take the helm," Law continued to give out orders like a true captain. "Listen to my instructions, you'll need to be quick. There won't be much time once I find a direction," he warned.

"Leave it to me!" Franky nodded with a grin and took the helm in his large hands.

"Douse all sails, but the main ones," the Dark Doctor called out.

"Oy, don't take control of my ship," Bartolomeo complained, but there wasn't much he could do, considering he had no better ideas.

"What's going on? Are we going to survive this after all," Usopp asked with hopeful tears in his eyes.

Law ignored the question, then took a wooden plank and threw it overboard in front of the ship, as far as he could. He saw where the water changed to a different direction and tossed another one there. He flung a third one over the bow, in yet another place, on the shifting waters. Now all they could do was wait. He watched carefully at the wooden planks that were carried off by the water currents, each in another direction. One took a sharp turn to the left and ended up lodged between sharp rocks near the cliffs. Another one continued straight, but after a while took a spinning turn and ended up caught in a small whirlpool that tugged it towards a number of shipwrecks there. The last wooden board floated on a winding current that led dangerously near the cliffs, but it never faltered in its way ahead. After a while, it disappeared somewhere around the bend among the cliffs.

*That's the one,* Law decided. It was the only plank still afloat. "Robo-ya, hard to starboard!"

"Huh? That's going to send us right into the cliffs! If a rogue wind blows again, we won't have time to move away before it steers us right into the rocks," Gambia argued in shock.

"It's fine, just trust Torao," Luffy grinned, an excited glint in his eye.

"Understood!" Franky didn't doubt his orders, since Law warned him there won't be much time to move. They were already nearing the fork where all the water currents branched in different directions. If they don't catch the right one now, all will be lost. He turned the helm with all his strength, making a hard turn until they were sailing so close to the cliffs it looked like they could touch them if they just reached out.

"So we either succeed here or we crash to our deaths. This will be interesting," Zoro smirked.

"What part of that is interesting, dammit," Usopp glowered at him in frustration. "Ugh, I think my 'I can't land on this island' sickness is back," the sniper whined, his legs trembling.

"If we crash, the sharp rocks will tear our bodies to pieces," Robin pointed out in an eerily calm tone.

"Stop iiiiiit!" Usopp cried out.

The ship went straight into the current, following its winding flow through the rocks. Just one small mistake on the helmsmen's part and the vessel would crash into the cliffs, or rip the hull apart on the sharp boulders.

"Keep the helm steady at all costs, Robo-ya," Law yelled, clutching the railing. He could feel his nerves grinding, his whole body strained in anticipation.

Finally, they reached the bend where he last saw the wooden board float away. He gulped, preparing himself for anything up ahead. The Going Luffy took a sharp turn, almost scraping against the cliffs there before it turned around the bend. On everyone's surprise, what presented before them was a passage through the cliffs. It looked like a dark cave, menacing and ominous. Who knew what awaited there or where it would lead them. But one thing was for certain; they were on the right path.

The ship sailed inside, swallowed by the darkness. Law and Luffy both stood at the bow, waiting to see the blinding light on the other side.

~…..~

Hundreds of pirates waited on the coast of the large cove – the only entrance to the island. Despite the dangerous climate outside, the cove was calm and quiet. The crashing of harsh waves could be heard outside, but inside the cove, the water was still.

The pirates waited in silence, each armed and ready for the incoming ship that they expected. A soft murmur of the water current echoed inside the cave.

Then something gleamed in the darkness, and a large ship with the bowhead of one Strawhat Luffy came slowly sailing towards the shore.

"Incoming!" One of the pirates from the Dispatch Organization shouted a warning. Everyone readied their weapons, preparing for the pirates onboard to jump from the ship and attack.

Instead, the only thing they got was silence.

The ship sailed towards the shore that was the port of the cove. The anchor fell into the sea as the Going Luffy docked, yet still no appearance from the pirate crew. Not even voices.

The mercenary pirates glanced at each other in confusion. Nervous chatter broke out between the army.

Just as one of the officers wanted to ask if they should get on board to check out the situation, a black ball was tossed from the ship and landed beneath the pirates' feet. The men stumbled backwards, expecting a bomb, but it never exploded. Instead, an intense dark smoke started spraying from it

"What the-," one of the pirates called out as dozens more of the same black balls flew from the ship and right into the crowd. They were organized perfectly so the whole area was covered with a gassy smokescreen. The dark veil clouded their vision, and stung their eyes and throats. Soon, the whole army was coughing violently, trying to shield their faces from the smoke.

That's when a voice overpowered all the coughing sounds and surprised shouts. "Gomu gomu no MUCHI!"

A rubber leg stretched to its limit swept away a dozen pirates at the same time, tossing them into the sea. "Gyaaaah!" The men yelled in surprise.

On the side, pirate snipers and riflemen were hiding behind the rocks, awaiting their targets. Suddenly, numerous hands sprouted from the ground and the rocks, clutching at their limbs or weapons and immobilizing them.

"Clutch," a muffled woman's voice echoed from afar. The arms that held the pirates tightly pulled their backs backwards until their spines broke with a sickly sound.

While other mysterious hands turned the rifles towards the pirates and pulled the triggers, shooting their owners.

A muffled scream came from the other side of the shore where large plants were gulping down people.

Meanwhile, their swords and bodies were cut down by samurai swords at another part of the beach.

Everywhere, pirate mercenaries were falling dead or unconscious, still confused and disabled by the thick smokescreen.

But no matter how many pirates fell, new mercenaries replaced them. Their strength was in numbers, and Za'in wasn't exaggerating when he said he had a whole army of pirates at his disposal.

"There's no end to them," Kin'emon shouted in a muffled voice under his gasmask.

The others all had similar gasmasks covering their faces. The masks looked badly made – or badly drawn, in this case – but they served their purpose. Mostly.

"Dammit, Kanjuro-san, you made the eyes of my gasmask all crooked! I can only see with one eye," Usopp complained in annoyance, before he shot one more pop green in a pirate's face with his Black Kabuto. Despite this handicap, the Strawhats' sniper made a perfect shot.

Beside him, a crewmember from Barto Club tripped and fell on his face. As he stumbled back to his feet, he shook his head, "I don't know how you guys see through all this smoke?"

Usopp laughed, and despite the mask hiding his gloating grin, it was clear from his tone. "That's because I – the greeeeat Captain Usopp – can easily use my Kenbunshoku Haki to sense my surroundings!"

"Whooo! That's so cool, Usopp-sama!" Barto's muffled cry came from somewhere.

Zoro, who just finished cutting down another pirate, turned to look at him. "Huh? What are you talking about? You barely have control over your haki, there's no way you can see much with it. Aren't you just using your special goggles behind that gasmask?"

The sniper stiffened nervously, obviously busted. "Oy Zoro, you don't have to comment on every little thing!" He yelled at the swordsman in annoyance, glowering at him through the one functional eye of his mask.

Meanwhile, Monkey D. Luffy landed right in front of the ship, his own face smiling on the bow behind his back. Trafalgar Law walked to his side. His black long coat fluttered beside him, opened in the front and showing off his bare chest filled with tattoos. Just like the rest of them, a gasmask hid his features. He adjusted the nodachi on his shoulder.

"I'm going to clear you a path," Luffy called out. "Get ready!"

Law nodded, then called to his left, "Nico-ya!"

The woman looked at them from a bit further away, where she was taking care of endless sea of snipers.

He knew she still felt guilty for not being able to stop the pirates from taking Miyako, even if nobody else blamed her. He could see it in her dark blue eyes every time their gazes met, and he knew only one way to change that. His other hand was clutching on the samurai girl's katana – Yawarakai-Te – with her red ribbon tied to the hilt.

He tossed the katana towards Nico Robin, and one of her hands sprouted from the ground and caught it. "I'm leaving Miss Miyako to you!"

Robin nodded firmly under her mask, silently telling him he could count on her.

The doctor turned back to glare at the enemies up front. "Meanwhile, I have a meeting with that Za'in bastard, and I don't intend to disappoint him," he growled darkly.

Luffy bit his thumb. Instantly, his whole arm started to inflate to unbelievable proportions. His fist became that of a giant. "Gear Third!" The young captain jumped into the air and let out a long shout. "Get out of the way!"

He shot his fist forward, easily crushing everyone in the way. The large fist traveled through the mass of pirates in its way, creating an open path with bodies littering the ground behind it.

"Go, Torao, Robin!"

Both Law and Robin ran behind the fist as it cleared up a path for them. They jumped over unconscious pirate bodies on the ground, not giving them a second glance. The rest of their group stayed behind to deal with the pirate army on the shore, and keep them occupied.

They could see the large mansion on the hill up ahead, and also more pirate mercenaries swarming out of it.

"Room!" Trafalgar called out, not stopping in his run, as he summoned his devil fruit power and then unsheathed Kikoku. With one strong swing of his sword, the mercenaries charging at them split in half. He separated them at their waist before flinging them aside with one dismissive motion of his hand. He turned to the archeologist running beside him, "When we get to the mansion, let's split up. You look for Miss Miyako and I'll deal with whoever's behind all this."

"Alright. Be careful," Robin's muffled voice answered.

Another group of pirates appeared on their side, kneeling down and aiming their rifles at them. Just as they fired, Law switched the bullets with some leaves on the ground. He cut with Kikoku again. The leaves still falling before them were cut apart, and so was the group of pirates behind them.

"It appears they are just throwing men in large numbers at us to tire us out," Robin mused. She glanced behind and saw four pirates running after them. They must've split off from the main army at the shore. She crossed her arms and summoned the power of Hana Hana no Mi. "Seis Fleur: Twist!"

Six arms sprouted from each of their pursuers and grabbed at them. The men stopped and screamed in panic, right before the arms violently twisted their bodies in opposite directions. With a pained yelp, the men fell to the ground, groaning in agony.

As they reached the imposing building, a small army of pirate mercenaries was waiting for them at the front. Law clicked his tongue in annoyance, *Damn small-fry, getting in the way!* He glanced at Robin, "I'll deal with them. When you get the chance, infiltrate the mansion and find her." There was no room for argument in his authoritative voice – the same tone he used when speaking as a captain, not a friend.

He summoned his Room again, and the blue thin film enveloped the entire courtyard of the mansion. The pirate mercenaries rushed at them.

Law clutched at his nodachi, then aimed at the pirates running at them. With an onslaught of thrusts from his sword, he yelled, "Mes!" Even before the pirate reached them, they stumbled, clutching at their chests in confusion. Turning around, they saw their own hearts levitating behind them in strange blue cubes. Law smirked darkly, cutting once with his sword. The hearts were all sliced in an instant, blood gushing from the thin but deadly wound. With a strangled cry, the mercenaries collapsed to the ground in unison.

"Now!" He yelled to Robin and the woman ran over the bodies without looking back, disappearing in the hedge maze in front of the mansion.

Law took a deep breath to calm his loudly beating heart. He was feeling fatigue slowly creep on him as his last attack drained more of his energy than he would've liked. Robin was right; their plan was definitely to wear him out since they knew he was a devil fruit user. He could already see a swarm of pirates coming for him, and decided he needed a new plan. Dealing with them head-on would only pointlessly tired him out more. Instead, he ran into the courtyard, disappearing down one of many paths along the wall of hedge. Surely, his enemies will follow, but it will be easier to deal with them when they split up and wander through the maze in search for him. The only trace he left of him was the badly-drawn gasmask on the ground – he didn't need it anymore.

~…..~

Miyako could hear the commotion and knew what was happening even without seeing it – Law and the others came for her. She was glad she managed to scout the mansion in time, and could now navigate herself around, knowing where the nearest exit was.

She glanced at the two pirates gripping her by the arms and leading her towards the room. *But before that, I need to get rid of these two nitwits and find a weapon,* she mused.

A loud crash came from outside and the two mercenaries flinched in surprise. That was her chance to take them off guard.

She twisted her arm to break one man's grip on her, then used her free arm to grab the other by the wrist and twist it, while swiping his foot backward with her leg. It resulted in her captor slamming face-first on the ground, hard enough that he stayed there motionless.

"What are you-," the other started and went to pull out his gun, but the girl was faster. She slammed her palm into his chest and released her haki through it. The blast sent him flying into a wall, where he crashed and slid down it. He stayed sitting against it, slumped forward.

The girl dusted her hands together in satisfaction. "Alright. Now to find the armory."

She guessed it would had to be either on the main or the basement floor. Luckily, with all their focus on the Strawhats and the group, the security in the mansion itself had become rather lax.

She snuck around to the main floor, trying to find the staircase down to the basement and start her search from there. She quickly jumped to hide behind a corner when she heard footsteps. She peeked around it and held her breath, praying they don't come her way. Luckily, the group of pirates just ran past, through another hall, turning a corner towards the main exit of the mansion. She let out a sigh of relief and continued.

She could hear shouts and guns firing from the outside, but the deeper into the mansion she went, the quieter it became. Finally, she came across a staircase that led downwards. Without hesitation, the girl traveled into the darkness, her bare feet soundless against the marble floor.

The basement floor was dark and cold, with only the dim lighting on the walls to show her the way. It had many rooms, and Miyako had to check each one while searching for a weapon.

*Anything would do at this point. A sabre, a cutlass, anything sharp with a handle,* the girl pleaded in her mind. Hell, she would sell her soul for a pointed stick right now.

She reached two-winged wooden doors that seemed much heavier than the others. She pressed on the handle and pushed them. With a bit or resistance, the sturdy doors slowly opened.

The girl stopped in her tracks, gaping at the sight before her.

The room was some sort of a training room, much like a dojo. It was filled with smashed training equipment – from broken metallic training dummies, to large scythes that were once swinging threateningly from the ceiling, but were now laying on the ground broken. She stepped inside carefully, examining the closest training dummy. It looked different than regular ones – for one thing, it was made of metal instead the usual wood. It had small spikes on it so that every hit would hurt the attacker. As expected, she saw blood smeared on it and grimaced, just thinking of the pain it would cause to train on this thing bare-handed. But the quaint thing was, the dummy was dented in most places and had a hole gaping from its body. She could see clean through it. Miyako gulped, pondering what kind of power was needed to punch right through the metallic dummy. It wasn't hollow inside either, so it would have to be something that could easily break through.

Her senses warned her of a presence behind her and she jumped to the side, right in time to dodge a powerful attack that cleaved the ground where she was previously standing. While in her jump, she twisted her body to see her assailant, and recognized the same brawny pirate who kidnapped her from the Going Luffy. She landed in a crouch and slowly stood up, watching the large man stand upright, resting his giant double-axe on his shoulder.

"Are you lost, little girl," the bearded man asked without changing his blank expression.

The girl smirked, even as she saw their difference in size, and remembered she was still weaponless. But she refused to be intimidated by her enemy, knowing that would only be showing him her weakness. Even as cold sweat trailed down her neck. "I was wondering where you were," she mused sarcastically, defiance gleaming in her golden eyes.

The man took the handle of his axe in both hands, his muscles flexing under its weight. "Come with me quietly and I won't hurt you…much."

The girl snorted at that. "I'd rather not." She slowly balled her hands into fists.

"It didn't go well for you last time, little girl."

Her defiant smirk was replaced a serious expression. "Your toys won't work again. I won't be taken by surprise like last time. And this little girl will kick your fat ass."

~…~

Hiding in the hedge maze was the right choice. The people perusing him were as lost as he was and had to split up to find him. However, the courtyard of the mansion was much larger than he anticipated. The whole grounds surrounding the building went on for a kilometer in every direction. The hedge maze circled around the mansion, and there were old crypts and even some ruins here.

Law walked with Kikoku unsheathed, listening carefully at the sounds of running footsteps drawing closer or shouts from the men after him. He stopped and waited, leaning against the hedge as three pirates passed him by and ran onward. He smirked and stepped out, watching their backs.

He was still keeping his Room all around so he could act as soon as he needed to. He slashed with his nodachi once, cutting the trio's heads. He didn't keep them alive, though. He couldn't risk them shouting in alarm to call for reinforcements. By the time someone finds their bodies, he would be long gone.

He walked over the severed heads, proceeding to play this game of cat and mouse. He was only drawing it out to keep the pirates here busy while Robin investigated the mansion and found Miyako. He gritted his teeth in frustration at the thought of his samurai. He couldn't help but worry about the girl; Was she alright? Was she harmed? But his rational mind told him to focus on his task at hand – playing the distraction – since that was the only thing he could do for her now. It was better than rushing in blindly and causing a commotion that would attract the attention of every enemy pirate on this island. *That sounds exactly like something Strawhat would do,* Law deadpanned at the realization.

Even so, he felt a bit more of his energy leave him with every time he used his devil fruit power. Keeping his Room constantly up and all around the mansion was no small feat either. It wasn't a problem for him for now, but he wondered how long he could keep it up. *Better hurry up and find her soon, Nico-ya,* he thought, sweat from strain already forming on his brow.

Just as he thought that, an explosion hit, awfully close for his liking. Then another, right by his side, destroying part of the hedge wall. Law jumped to the side and examined the hole in the ground, realizing there was a cannonball in it. He had a terrible idea of what was happening, and raised his head right in time to prove himself right. The pirates gave up on trying to find him and shot cannonballs right into the vast hedge maze. The artillery rained down on him, explosions creating small craters and destroying pieces of the maze. Old stone statues of forgotten warriors lost to the ages burst from impact, chunks of stone flying everywhere. Leaves and other greenery met the same fate as they were hit.

He saw two cannon balls falling towards him and quickly jumped forward and into a roll, standing back up, right as two explosions sounded behind him. He ran forward, the blasts blowing up all around him. Ground, stone and dirt rained down on him after every explosion, and some of it were in a form of dangerous shrapnel.

He finally stopped and gazed up again, moving two tattooed fingers, "Tact!" All the cannonballs currently in the air stopped. He sensed his surroundings, and inside his Room he knew exactly where everything was. "Shambles," he called out, and the cannonballs disappeared, replaced by minion pirates.

The cannonballs that were switched fell upon other pirates, and he could hear the cries outside the maze as the explosions hit. Meanwhile, he used his sword and slashed the air, again and again, cutting at all the levitating, screaming pirates. They were cut to pieces in the air before he sent them flying in various directions, ignoring their pleading cries.

He was breathing hard now, trying to catch his breath from all that devil fruit activity. He realized he had to bring an end to this quickly. "Time to end this," he murmured, and held the hilt of his nodachi with both hands. He drew the sword behind his back horizontally- a stance he rarely took. With one quick slash from the side, everything in front of him split for as far as his Room reached. The hedges, the trees, the crypts and statues, even the pirates. Then he lifted his hand, and every top of the split item or person went up. Higher and higher for as high as his Room reached, before Law sent it all crashing down around him at what was left of the unharmed people.

Screams of terror and panic echoed around him and a wide grin slowly spread across his features. His eyes burned with satisfaction as he watched his enemies scuttle around like insects, trying to find a safe place to hide – a place that, thanks to him, didn't exist anymore. Finally, he felt like he was paying them back for their attack on the Going Luffy, and more importantly, for taking Miyako away from him.

And then he stopped. Amidst all the chaos, he noticed one person in the distance. A man, tall and muscular, wearing nothing but a pair of black pants and even darker boots, with his fists wrapped up in bandages. The man was neither running about in panic nor charging at Law in some sad kamikaze attempt to end the Surgeon of Death. Instead, he casually walked towards the pirate captain as if simply taking a stroll through the gardens.

Instantly, Law could tell this man was different. He narrowed his eyes; partly because of the sensed danger and partly to focus on the young man better. He continued to walk towards him until the two men met in the middle, as if about to start a dual.

"It's been a long time, Law," the man smirked.

Law's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he examined the man before him. His bare torso, and physic in general, showed he was a well-trained fighter, though Law saw no weapons on him. He had messy white hair and dark eyes that pierced him, following his every move and gesture. He looked awfully familiar. The tanned features beneath that ghostly white hair. The dark eyes with a cold fire burning inside them. And then he noticed the scar on the man's neck. That's what made him understand, and his breathing stopped for a moment.

His own stormy eyes widened as realization hit him. His voice came in a whisper, "Alex…You're Za'in." It was a statement of understanding, rather than a question. He couldn't get over his shock.

"So you finally remembered," Za'in retorted. "It didn't take you as long as I thought it would…good. It won't do if you don't know why you will die, and who is the one who will kill you."

Law didn't ask why. He knew. He understood why this man was after him.

Their conversation was interrupted by a den den mushi. The call was broken and barely understandable, "Someone….help, we need reinf-,…the Strawhats! Cut us off in groups and…smoke…can't…!" Za'in cut the call off, completely uninterested in their plight.

"You're men are dying out there. It's over Alex," Law started. He tried to talk some sense into him. As much as he hated the man who kidnapped and threatened Miyako, he didn't want to fight this man. A man he once called a friend. He felt a suffocating, sickening feeling rise inside him like bile. A feeling of mixed emotions. And suddenly, he was filled with uncertainty.

The whitehaired man just laughed. White hair. Alex didn't have white hair before. It used to be black like charcoal, Law remembered.

"You keep calling me Alex…Yes, that was my name once. Alex Zaintrovski. But I had to discard it, just like everything else. Just like I had to discard my whole life. So that he wouldn't find me," Za'in started.

"Alex-," the captain started, but was cut off.

"So I took on the alias Za'in – formed it from my last name to keep my father's memory with me always – and became something else. Someone, no, something stronger. So that one day I could get revenge for the one who destroyed my life. Who took everything from me…including my father," his tone was nothing but a hiss now, and his eyes burned with rage as he glared daggers at Law. "So I could get revenge on Trafalgar Law one day," he finished.

~…..~

11 years ago, North Blue

He was so close.

A few more days of sailing and he would have reached his destination - Highgrove Island. If only that storm hadn't hit his ship. North Blue was famous for its unpredictable and dangerous weather, and Law was unfortunate enough to find himself in one such storm. It came out of nowhere, overwhelming his ship with strong wind, rain and high waves.

The small one-man vessel stood no chance when a rogue wave hit it and easily toppled Trafalgar's boat into the ocean. He always knew it would be a risk to travel alone from Swallow Island, but he had no choice. Even with the Ope Ope no Mi, he only had enough medical expertise to halt the disease, not cure it. After his parents' death, he could only extend his knowledge in medicine by self-learning, reading books on surgery and biology in the only, tiny library available on Swallow Island. Unfortunately, the island wasn't so big to have a vast assortment on medical and science books for him to use. Especially since he needed to combine surgical knowledge with his devil fruit skills, which he was still getting used to, to cure himself.

He spent years uncovering the Ope Ope Fruit's possibilities, and quickly learned that his abilities were closely tied to his own knowledge on operating – the better understanding he had of medical operations, the more he could focus his devil fruit abilities to become useful to him in that area.

Finally, he decided his only option was to reach Highgrove Island, famous for its Medical University and Academic Library where he could upgrade his knowledge in surgery enough to preform it on himself, and finally get this cursed disease out. The Amber Lead was dormant inside him for now, but for how long? The fear of it reawakening again was like a scythe that hung over his head, unknown when it will fall. Law decided he wouldn't let it.

The Medical University got its name after a famous doctor who was said to be able to perform miraculous surgeries that no other doctor was capable of. It didn't take long for Trafalgar to piece the puzzle together and realize that Doctor Ferdinand Spektor was the previous user of the Ope Ope no Mi, which made him so successful in the first place. That was the final push that made him reach a decision; if there was one place where he could find a way to completely cut out the Amber Lead sickness out of himself, it was Highgrove Island.

Just as Corazon had said; his only salvation to curing the Amber Lead Syndrome was to combine medical knowledge and the Ope Ope no Mi powers.

He heard a loud splash and a wet, cold feeling enveloped him. It didn't take him long before he realized he had fell into the sea. The icy water numbed his body and drained all of his energy, until he felt like a block of lead. So this is what it means that devil fruit users can't swim, his dazed mind realized. He was slowly sinking towards the sea floor. The water drowned all sounds, even the raging storm outside, and for a while he felt peaceful. It was cold, his lungs were burning from lack of oxygen, but the moment was almost serene as he felt like he was floating through nothingness.

He closed his eyes, *Ah, so this is how it ends…*

But then his eyes opened wide as he remembered; remembered the promise he made with Bepo, Shachi and Penguin. They begged him to come along, but he declined, afraid to get them involved. They were still too young to face such a dangerous voyage, and Law didn't want to risk their lives. He was sick of people he cared about dying because of him.

"The next time we see each other, I'll be rid of this disease and we'll form the Heart Pirates, just like we talked about," he reassured them.

"And I will study navigation, so next time we can all sail together," Bepo had announced. It was his way of helping Law, by becoming the first navigator of their pirate crew…A pirate crew that will never come to exist now, he noted.

*No! I can't die yet,* he realized, and started struggling towards the surface, even though his weakened body wouldn't listen to him. *They're still waiting for me to come back!*

And then he remembered Rosinante. He clearly saw the man's familiar wide grin in his mind. *That's right…I can't die before I avenge Cora-san. I need to kill Doflamingo!* Law gritted his teeth, stubbornly clinging to life even as his consciousness slowly faded away. Alas, his determination couldn't help him this time, and after a while, he passed out as the remaining air left his lungs.

Unbeknownst to the teenage boy, an ocean current swept him away and carried him into the darkness.

~…..~

Law coughed, spitting out water as he struggled to breathe. His lungs burned in pain and his head throbbed, yet his knowledgeable mind still raced with procedures; possibly falling into shock from the cold water, hypothermia - depending on the length of exposure, need to rise body temperature...

That's when he noticed two figures fussing over him. An older man was covering him in a warm, thick blanket while he barked orders at a young boy who helped by rubbing Law's torso and shoulders to get his blood circulating again. They knew what they were doing at least, Law's tired mind noted even in his shivering state. Most people would start by warming his extremities, which could cause him to fall into shock instead. It took him a moment to understand he was lying on solid ground on a beach, while the harsh wind sprayed rain and sea water into his face. But even that was highly preferable to sinking to the bottom of the ocean. He was too exhausted to try and guess how he found himself alive on land.

The older man picked him up and carried him in a hurry. Law's eyes were fluttering shut as his consciousness threatened to leave him again. He tried to fight it, but his head kept lulling to the side. His teeth chattered from the cold, the bad weather around him not helping his circumstances. After a while, he decided to give in to his fatigue and closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, the ambient around him was completely different. He was lying on the bed, out of his wet clothes, and covered in soft blankets. The warm feeling around him made him relax, even as his eyes darted across the room to take in his surroundings. The room wasn't big, but it felt cozy. The furniture was all wooden, with a simple wardrobe, night table, and desk with one chair. A fluffy red carpet matched the red drapes on the only window in the room. It looked like a simple, single bed room that really didn't give much information on where he was. An old coo-coo clock ticked on the wall, hanging above the desk.

His grey eyes suddenly opened wide, darting across the room in panic, *My hat!* His gaze searched for the spotted hat he got as a birthday present from his family. He noticed its fuzzy form on the night table and his exhausted body instantly relaxed. *Good…it didn't disappear into the ocean.*

He took the peaceful opportunity to check his pulse, following the clock's hand movement. It was slow, and his breathing was a bit shallow, but it was surely a definite improvement from before. He tried to relax, knowing it was too early for him to try and get up even as he desperately wanted to do so.

As if on cue, the doors to his room opened. A bespectacled man, that had to be in his late thirties, opened the doors. He had long black hair tied in a messy low ponytail. Some of the hair strands got loose and now fell to frame his face. The man wasn't especially tall, and had a simple slim frame, but one thing did caught the boy's eye – the white doctor's coat he wore. It was just a tad too big for him, so it didn't quite fit him. Even so, it reminded Law of the white coats his parents used to wear; always spotless and fitting. They never looked short of the perfect professionals that they were. The memory only brought painful feelings to his heart now, and he quickly dismissed it, worried it would show on his face.

"You're awake! Wonderful!" The man walked in, leaving the doors open behind him. He walked over to Law to examine him, putting two fingers on his neck to measure his pulse, much like the boy did earlier.

Meanwhile, Trafalgar was still focused on the doors and the figure peeking behind them. A boy that couldn't be more than a year younger than him, stared at him curiously. His messy, short, dark hair was the same color as the older man's and by the similarities in their features, Law concluded they were father and son.

"I'll go make tea," the boy exclaimed and quickly disappeared from the entrance.

Meanwhile, the man was nodding at Law with satisfaction. "Your pulse is back to being stable." He lifted some of the blankets and adjusted the thermal bags placed around his body and on his chest, to help warm him.

"Where am I," the boy asked, trying to keep his voice stern even though it sounded weak.

The man smiled heartily at him. "My name is Doctor Illia Zaintrovski. My son, Alex, found you stranded on the beach and called for me. This is our home. How are you feeling?"

Trafalgar frowned and answered drily, "Like I almost drowned." Such a thing should be obvious.

The man only chuckled. "Yes, you were lucky. An ocean current must've cast you out on the beach. Were you caught in this awful storm?" The storm was still raging outside – they could see trees wildly swaying on the strong wind through the window. It howled while the rain tapped on the glass in a quick rhythm.

Another obvious question, Law noted and sighed, "Yes."

The boy from before came back, this time walking into the room with confidence. He carried a cup of steaming hot tea in his hands and placed it on the bedside table. The boy was skinny and shorter than Law. His eyes were as dark as his black hair. Every now and then, he would glance at the bed-ridden boy in interest.

"This is my son, Alex," Illia announced, and the boy nodded to him in greeting.

"Were you really sailing out there all by yourself?" Alex dived right into questioning without a second thought for being tactful.

Law stiffened. Suddenly, he felt foolish for doing so from the way Alex asked him that - there was so much disbelief in his voice.

"Yes," he answered a bit harsher this time, showing his annoyance at all the questioning. He had to remind himself to behave as this two did save his life, after all.

His father must've noticed Trafalgar's exasperation, because he urged Alex out of the room. "We can talk later. Now drink your tea, it will warm you up. And get some rest." Zaintrovski's voice was gentle, but there was a stern authoritative undertone that every doctor possessed.

The two walked out of the room and Illia closed the door behind him, but left it ajar. "Call out if you need anything. I will come to check on you later."

Trafalgar groaned, staring at the ceiling. A fine mess he got himself into. He was supposed to be docking on Highgrove Island by now, trying to find a clue on Doctor Spektor's research or diary that would tell him more about the Ope Ope Fruit. Instead, he was stuck on…Where was he again? He groaned again, this time louder, as he furrowed his eyebrows. He forgot to ask what island this was!

"Pssst," a loud hiss startled him. He looked up and saw light coming from the ajar doors. The dark-haired boy was peeking behind them, staring at Law. "What's your name?"

Law blinked at the younger boy in wonder. That's right, he didn't even introduce himself. In his defense, he still felt weak and hazy from his near-death experience, so his manners were momentarily forgotten. "Trafalgar Law," he whispered back.

He saw the boy, Alex, grin. "Nice to meet you, Law! Let's be friends, ok?" Before Law had time to answer, the boy was gone again.

He frowned. Friends? He was on an important mission to cure his Amber Lead Syndrome; he had no time for making friends! "Foolish," he muttered, only thinking that this kid was troublesome.

The father and son didn't seem like bad people, but it was too early to judge. He wouldn't let his guard down so easily. Law wasn't a trusting sort, which wasn't surprising considering his experiences in the past. Nonetheless, they did save his life, he couldn't deny that fact.

He glanced at the teacup beside him, eyeing it suspiciously. *If they wanted to poison me, there'd be no logic in saving me first,* he reminded himself, but then an idea popped in his mind, *Unless they want to drug me and experiment on me…* He was eerily calm even as he thought about that idea as a possibility.

"That's what you would do! What's with that grim mindset!?" Shachi's voice echoed in his mind. He was absolutely certain the mechanic apprentice would say something like that - he could hear it clearly in his head. Or maybe he was starting to have hallucinations from his hypothermia.

Law exhaled, his throat suddenly feeling very dry. He knew he had to intake hot fluids to warm up his body. Reaching a decision, he grabbed the cup and carefully blew on the tea before taking a sip. And instantly regretted it. *Ugh, black tea!* He hated black tea – that was the only thing possibly worse than poison.

~…~

He awoke in the morning of the next day, groggy and still drained of his energy, but in a better state than the day before. He saw the sun shining brightly through his window as the storm stopped sometime during the night.

He sat up on the bed with a yawn and rubbed the torpor out of his eyes. He was just about to get out of bed and search for his clothes, when a light knock came from the door. Without waiting for an answer, the doctor from yesterday barged in.

"Oh, so you're already awake. Law, isn't it?" His son must've told him Law's name last night, the teen easily concluded.

"You're quite resilient despite how skinny you look, aren't you?" Doctor Zaintrovski smiled, completely oblivious to the hard glare he received from the teen. Was he poking fun at him on purpose?

This time, Illia came with a whole bag of medical supplies and a stethoscope hanging around his neck. "Now, rise you're shirt and let me have a listen at your lungs."

The teen looked down at the pajamas the duo had dressed him into when they changed him out of his wet clothes. They were a bit too small for him so he guessed they were Alex's. He frowned. "There's no need. There is no residual water left in my lungs. My pulse is back to normal, as is my breathing. My fever has gone down too," he explained, putting a hand on his own forehead. "If I had caught pneumonia, the symptoms would show by now and my fever would be much higher."

The doctor eyed him with a raised eyebrow, and for a while the duo stared at each other in silence. Although it was hard for Law to see the other's expression as Zaintrovski's eyes were hidden by the shining reflection of his round glasses.

Finally, the doctor whistled. "That's amazing. You're so knowledgeable despite being this young. I'm impressed," he praised him, and Law was just glad he didn't try to condescendingly pet his head too.

It only made the teen scowl, offended by how the other talked to him as if he were a child. "I'm already 15 so don't treat me as a kid. And I have more medical knowledge than most general practitioners in backwater towns across North Blue," he replied snidely.

Instead of being offended, Illia smirked in amusement, "Oh? Too bad your knowledge in navigation isn't as good. Maybe then you would've known to read the signs of a rogue storm approaching," the man answered nonchalantly, innocently shrugging his shoulders.

But it was enough to hit Law right on the mark like a sharp injection. His eyebrow twitched in irate, as he got a hard punch right in the ego.

"Also, this is hardly a backwater town. We live a bit away from the hustle and bustle of the city to have peace and quiet, but Krasten City is quite large," Zaintrovski pointed out.

*Krasten?* Law repeated in his mind. "Where is this place exactly?" It was the question that kept bothering him since he returned to consciousness.

"You are currently on Pinnacle Island," the man responded with pride in his voice.

"Pinnacle island?!" He exclaimed. It took him a moment to bring up the map of North Blue in his mind and place the island on it. Pinnacle Island was just between the Great Arctic Rock of North Blue that was uninhabited, and Highgrove Island which was his destination. So he was that close to Highgrove, only to be swept away in the wrong direction by a storm. He growled mentally.

*It's alright, not all is lost. By my calculation, it should be only a few days of sailing to Highgrove Island – maybe a week, depending on the winds. I need to find a map to plan this out,* his quick mind already started forming a Plan B. He didn't even realize that the doctor had started his examination, and Law mechanically complied with it, his thoughts elsewhere. He was used to being examined by his parents, especially after the symptoms of Amber Lead appeared, so the medical examination became an everyday routine for him.

"So you have some medical knowledge; are your parents doctors," Zaintrovski asked, just as he finished the examination. His tone was light, as if he was simply passing time with idle conversation.

Only then was Law pulled back to reality. His parents…how should he even explain that one. "They were," he answered curtly, carefully eyeing the man. "But I also study on my own," he added, hoping that would deter the subject from his family.

Luckily, Zaintrovski didn't pry. "On your own? That's quite difficult – medicine is a complex field of study."

Law shrugged, "The books help." More importantly, he needed to find his clothes and a map of North Blue, then resume his journey. He had no time to waste. "I'm grateful to you for saving my life, but I must be on my way. If you return my clothes to me, I'll be going," he started getting up.

"Eh? In your condition?!" The doctor blinked in surprised behind his spectacles. "Impossible," he shook his head.

Of course, the teen didn't listen. He managed a few steps out of bed before his wobbly knees gave out and he started falling. He was caught by the doctor before his face painfully hit the ground.

"See!? You're in no condition to sail anywhere. And if you have medical knowledge as you claim, then you should know that too," he added.

Once again, the doctor knew just where to hit to push his buttons. Law closed his eyes and sighed in defeat, as he straightened back up. "Then what do you propose?"

"Just stay with us until you get better. I'm your doctor now and I can't, in good conscience, leave my patient alone when I know they're not well," the man smiled. "I suppose you'll simply have to put up with me for a while longer."

Law frowned, but knew the man was right. "Fine," he gave in.

"Excellent," the doctor clapped his hands in satisfaction. "Your clothes are still drying so I'll give you some of Alex's for now."

He looked down at this small pajamas. The sleeves on his arms and legs were about four inches too short for him. His shoulders slumped, but he didn't try to argue. "Fine," he murmured in defeat again.

~…..~

He walked out, fully dressed and ready for the day of discovering where the hell he was and how to get back on track. The jeans he wore looked more like capris pants and the white long-sleeved shirt could hardly be called that since it reached almost the middle of his forearm. The only thing his was the spotted fuzzy hat covering his short black hair.

"I look ridiculous," he muttered beneath his breath.

"Bahahaha!" A youthful laughter rang throughout the living room. "Yep! You really do," Alex exclaimed. He just finished setting up the table for breakfast and almost lost his grip on a plate when he saw him walk in.

The older teen glared at him. "They're your clothes," he hissed in accusation. His poor state definitely wasn't amusing to him, as it was to Alex.*I can't believe this annoying kid told me "Let's be friends!" only yesterday, and now he's laughing at me. Not that I want to be friends with him, anyway.*

"Now, now," Illia tried to calm down the situation. "How about you two go into the city after breakfast and buy some clothes for Law. It will be a good opportunity for you to see the largest city on the island," he suggested, gazing at Law warmly.

The teen was still scowling darkly, and he looked away, but didn't refuse. Then the large table filled with food caught his eye and his stomach growled loudly, breaking the uncomfortable atmosphere. He flushed, the red in his cheeks visible even on his dark skin.

Alex and his father looked at each other, before they both laughed. "Come on, what are you waiting for, an invitation? Let's dig in!" Alex invited Law to the table with a bright smile, and handed him a piece of bread.

The teen slowly dragged his feet to the table, trying to pretend that he wasn't starving. He frowned at the sight of that offending piece of carbohydrates. "I hate bread," he mumbled.

Alex blinked in surprise, but then smiled. He took a plate of rice balls and placed it in front of him without offering. Law was about to dig in, when the boy placed another plate in front of him – this one filled with scrambled eggs. Law opened his mouth to give him thanks for the food and stop him, when a bowl of cereal and milk was also placed before him.

"Alright, that's enough! How much do you think I can eat!?" The teen yelled in bewilderment, then gasped when he caught himself in his overreaction. This younger kid completely dragged him into his own pace.

~…~

"Horses?" Law stared at the animals, stumped as he stood in the stables. When the doctor suggested they visit the city, Law thought they'd walk or take a carriage – depending on their wealth – but he didn't expect them to ride there on horses.

What's more, the ditzy doctor left no instructions for them before he disappeared on his own horse. "I need to make some house calls at the nearby villages so I'll be going. Have fun!" And with that, he waved at them and disappeared out the doors. Law had no chance to ask for a map or anything that would help him get off the island when the time comes. He was left with his arm trembling and outstretched towards the closed doors, where the doctor just stood moments earlier.

His mind was brought back to the present when he heard Alex's explanation. "Yup! It's the easiest way to travel around the island. Also, the fastest. The roads to the Krasten City are all paved, but the rural areas aren't as developed. Their roads are still dirt more than anything, and they don't have the same technology like the people in the city. Unfortunately, most money on the island for development and construction goes to the city. Since father often makes house calls for those villages, this is how we get around – usually, I help him," he smiled proudly.

"Is he the only doctor on this island?"

Alex shook his head. "No, there's a hospital in the city, but they don't make visits to homes. Most of these villages are pretty far from the City, and the people there would have to walk all the way to the hospital if they were sick. Plus, most of them can't even afford the hospital treatments. That's why father treats them instead."

"And they can afford him?" Law eyed the large house and the stables next to it. It's not like Alex and his father were extraordinarily rich, but they definitely didn't lack anything.

The boy laughed, "Father also works at the City hospital – this is just an additional job that he takes on, but we never ask for much from the villagers. Usually, people pay us in groceries rather than money, which is fine by us. Like Mises Potkins' peacock pie…Maaan, there's nothing better than that pie on a stormy day," he licked his lips with a dreamy look.

*This kid really likes to eat, despite his skinny disposition,* Law realized. He could see the wiry muscles on Alex's arms since he wore a sleeveless shirt, despite the chill in the air. The cold didn't seem to bother him. Perhaps, he was more of an outdoorsy type, which would explain the tan skin.

Altogether, Illia and his son seemed like a decent sort – helping out the people in need and not caring about the money for their medical services. Law could respect that, seeing as his parents had a similar attitude when it came to treating the ill.

"It doesn't matter what their standing is or who they are. What we care about is the illness. As doctors, we made a pledge to treat the sick, no matter what," his mother had said – the words that now clearly echoed in his mind. He remembered what she added then, "And one day, you will make that pledge too, Law." In the end, he never had the chance.

He took a deep breath, pushing back those memories. Over the years, it became easier to bury the painful memories deep inside, where they wouldn't affect him. Or where they couldn't be used against him. He learned to repress the anger they brought until the opportune moment – his revenge. He couldn't take revenge on the people of the countries responsible for killing his family and friends, but he could get revenge on Doflamingo who killed Cora-san; and he promised himself, one day he would.

"Hello~?" Alex's dark eyes appeared right before him as the younger boy watched him curiously, trying to read Law's thoughtful expression.

Trafalgar jumped at the sudden closeness and took a step back, "What!?"

"Man, you totally ignored me just now while I was talking," he complained, pursing his lips in a pout, as he tangled his fingers behind his head. "I asked, do you know how to ride?"

Law looked up at a stunning black horse in the stable box. Its mane was completely dark and glistening, as were its kind eyes as it stared back at him. He could see the powerful muscles that shifted with the horse's every movement. He shook his head 'no' towards Alex.

The boy grinned as if hoping for that answer, "Then I'll teach you!"

Law was still unconvinced, and he gave Alex a dubious look.

The younger boy rolled his eyes, "Oh, come on. Just trust me!"

~…..~

Law picked the black horse he saw earlier. Alex told him his name was, rather uncreatively, 'Black.' The previous owners sold Black because they believed black horses, much like black cats, were considered bad luck and dangerous. They didn't want to keep him, and they certainly didn't want to ride him lest misfortune befalls them, so they practically gave him away for loose change.

Ironically, their fear of misfortune was rather fortunate for the Zaintrovski family who bought him and took care of him since he was just a foal. And Black, despite his appearance, proved to be a kind and mild-tempered horse, making him easy to ride.

"He's my favorite, but I'll let you ride him this time," Alex had said with a nod, wearing an approving expression that Law picked that particular stallion.

Law was unsteady at first, and soon realized the ground was alarmingly much further from him then he originally thought. He tried not to look down while Alex led Black by the reins and instructed Law what to do.

As time passed, the two youths completely forgot that the whole purpose of teaching Law how to ride was so they could go to the city. Law, as studious as he was with all things that interested him, became completely engrossed with learning how to ride a horse, forgetting even his need to leave the island. Little by little, he was actually starting to have fun. And gradually, he was starting to get a hang of it.

They rode through the woods, the signs of the devastating storm that passed through yesterday all around them – some trees had fallen from the strong wind, completely pulled out of the ground along with their roots. Alex rode on his own trusted steed behind him, and Law was getting confident. Perhaps, too confident.

"Law, slow down," he heard Alex shout behind him, as he urged Black in a full run. He saw a log laying on his path and was confident he could jump over the obstacle without a problem.

He snapped the reins and Black jumped high, but the teen was unprepared for the jerking motion it brought. With a gasp, he realized he was flying off the horse's back.

"Law!" He heard Alex's panicked screams behind him.

He acted on instinct. All those countless days, years, training with his devil fruit abilities, made him so used to it that he could summon his Operating Room in a blink of an eye.

With another flick of his fingers, he was no longer falling through the air. Instead, a rock fell on the ground in his stead, while he found himself sitting on the wet dirt. Black stopped, confused that his rider was gone, but the animal was trained not to run off. He waited patiently on the other side of the log, neighing softly.

Alex rode up, and quickly jumped off his horse. "What the hell was that?!" He watched as Law stood up nonchalantly from the ground.

"I fell from my horse, but I'm fine," the older teen blatantly lied.

Alex just kept staring at him with wide eyes and open mouth. "Wha? No, but I saw…I mean, you were in the air…and then on the ground…," he kept pointing between him and the place where he was supposed to be. He was stammering in shock.

Law shrugged with a cocky smirk, "Yes, well that's how falling works." He dusted himself off. "He threw me pretty far, I'll grant him that."

Alex closed his mouth and frowned at Law, realizing the other was evidently hiding something. But the younger teen was intelligent, and he wasn't about to buy that lie so easily. "You're playing me for a fool. I know what I saw. You definitely did something odd," he challenged the older boy.

Trafalgar narrowed his eyes, and there was suddenly a dangerous aura around him. The tense atmosphere around the two teens could be cut with a knife. "You imagined it," he snarled in a warning.

Alex stiffened, gulping loudly. He frowned, wondering if he should push the issue further and call Law out on it. His inquisitive mind wanted to know, but he could also see Trafalgar wanted to keep it hidden. And the dark aura that suddenly appeared around the older boy, warned him not to step over any boundaries. He exhaled dramatically, "Fine then, keep your secrets," he shrugged. He turned around to go take care of Black. "And here I thought we were friends," he muttered.

Law heard him, however, and sighed. This kid was really frustrating…He had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. "Maybe if you won't be annoying about it, I'll tell you eventually….," he started.

"Really!?" Alex spun towards him again, practically beaming.

"Maybe," Law emphasized, already regretting his words. "Weren't we supposed to go to the city?" He tried to redirect Alex's mind to something else.

"Right, let's go!"

They climbed back on their horses, and trotted back towards the path that led to the city. As they rode slowly, side-by-side, Alex kept guessing about Law's strange abilities.

"Are you some kind of mutant?"

"No."

"An accident where you fell in something radioactive as a kid?"

"You're an idiot."

"An evil genius doctor's experiment gone wrong!?"

"You should lay off the strange books."

~…..~

Krasten City was a mixture of old and new architecture Law only saw pictures of in books. It was a large, lively place, that left him dizzy with all the colorful shops and people. As soon as they reached the market, the crowd only intensified. Merchants calling them over to their stalls, with small and large shops open everywhere. Yet Alex walked through it all with confidence, unworried that they would get lost or separated.

The whole city reminded Law of Flevance much more than the Swallow Island, which didn't have such large places on it. He walked from one stall to the next, or rather, was dragged by Alex. At first, he didn't like the way the younger boy kept pulling at his shirt every time he wanted to go somewhere, but he was so immersed in the hustle and bustle of the city that he barely noticed it after a while.

He was unused to large crowds and started to feel overwhelmed by all the people. He felt interested, but also uncomfortable in such a noisy place. Especially after spending most of his years living by himself, with the exception of a few friends he picked up along the way, and decided they were tolerable. He was already used to the presence of Shachi, Penguin and Bepo following him around everywhere, but it was nothing compared to the suffocating crowd of Krasten city.

Alex must've noticed his scowl whenever a person bumped into him, because he dragged him inside a shop to get him away from the street. He must've planned it from the start, because the shop in question sold clothes – exactly what Trafalgar needed.

The younger teen pulled out the money they got from his father, "Take your pick from the clothes." He was grinning proudly for some reason, and Law guessed it was because he felt some sort of maturity or power since he was the one with the funds. That just made the older teen annoyed.

"Don't get so full of yourself, kid," he muttered.

"Huuh? Who's a kid?" Alex frowned.

"You, obviously."

"I'm not a kid! I'm already 14!"

Trafalgar gave him a smug smirk in response, and it made Alex stiffen. "I'm 15. I'm older, so I'm your senior," he concluded.

The teen bit back, "Only one year!"

Law shrugged, "That's still older – and I always will be." The gloating smirk never left his features.

Alex was starting to get red in the face from frustration, making Law even more amused. Then his expression changed as he remembered one important detail. He chuckled, suddenly feeling superior, and held the money before Law's eyes, "But I have this, so I'm in charge today."

Trafalgar was silent for a while, and glanced around the shop. The shopkeeper was busy with the only other customer in the store, so nobody was paying attention to the two boys. Alex already saw him use his powers before, so what was the harm? Making sure nobody else was watching, Law summoned his devil fruit powers and used Shambles. In one confusing instant, the money was transferred from Alex's hand into his.

The younger teen was left gaping at his empty hand, then stared at Law's hand and his money in it. "T-that's no fair! That's cheating!" His yelling attracted attention, and both the shopkeeper and the customer looked at Alex curiously. The boy's jaw was still slack. "Give it back!"

"Nope," was his only smug response. He turned around to browse the shop, ignoring Alex's whines.

~…..~

Once they were out of the shop, Law instantly felt better after finally wearing more suitable clothes. He kept it simple and inexpensive; just a pair of jeans, a white T-shirt, and a dark hoodie over it.

He was even getting used to the busy streets as he walked through them. Alex was dragging his feet behind the teen, still sulking and muttering something about bullying. Law didn't really care.

Then his attention was attracted by another shop – this one looked different from the rest. It wasn't as colorful or festive, but it had amazing art pieces drawn by hand in the window. Law could tell it was a tattoo artist's shop.

Alex also perked up, seeing that the other looked uncharacteristically interested. "You're interested in tattoos?"

"Yeah…," came Law's answer. Cora-san also had a few of them, and he felt like he wanted to honor the man by getting one himself – something that would remind him of Corazon. But before that, he wanted one that would commemorate his doctor heritage and his family. Initially, he planned to get one after becoming a full-fledged doctor, but after almost dying, he decided 'Why wait?' Before he could think of a reason to dissuade himself, he stepped inside the shop. He turned around to look at the other boy, "You're not coming?" Alex has been following him all this time, yet now, the boy decided to wait outside.

The other shook his head. "Nah. The place looks shady and I don't want to get murdered," he answered bluntly.

Law's eyebrow twitched, *But it's fine if I get murdered? You little punk…* With a sigh, he turned around and disappeared inside the shop.

By the time he exited the tattoo parlor, Alex was leaning against the building's wall with his hands in his pockets. As soon as he saw Trafalgar come out, he ran up to him in interest, shuffling around like an excited puppy, "What'd you get?"

Trafalgar showed him his knuckles. There was a letter on each one, forming a word on his left hand; DEATH. The skin was a bit red around each letter, the dark ink still fresh.

Alex raised one eyebrow, eyeing him skeptically, "That's...kinda scary. Why 'Death'?"

Law raised his left, now tattooed, hand. "From now on, my death will be in my hands and mine alone. I will be the one to decide how I die. While the death of my enemies will also be in my hands. I will be the one to deliver them to death with my own power. This is a reminder of that vow so I never forget. As a doctor, I will have the power to save a life, but I will also have a power to take it away." He finished his explanation with a dark grin spreading across his face – an expression that made him look devious. The reason he chose his left hand for this, although he kept it hidden from Alex, was because he could only summon his devil fruit powers with his left hand for now – therefore, it was appropriate to make the tattoo on the hand which summoned that Death.

Alex couldn't help but think the older teen was a bit creepy, even as he couldn't quite understand what he meant by all this. What enemies? Was there someone after Law? He gave him a worried stare, but then hummed with a shrug, "As long as you're satisfied with it, it's fine, I guess. You're a bit weird, huh?"

Trafalgar gave him an irked glare, but Alex just dismissed it with a sheepish smile. "That's ok, I don't mind. I'm not really one to judge anyway." He looked at the bright sky, and saw the afternoon sun was already low on the horizon. "We should head back soon."

Law nodded in slight relief, and Alex gave him a knowing look, "You don't like crowded places, do you?"

The older boy flinched, then looked away, "I don't really care, either way." Alex was far more perceptive than Law gave him credit for. He could tell the boy, albeit with a rather blunt attitude, was actually quite intelligent.

The other grinned. "Liar. I could tell you were pretty uncomfortable earlier. It's fine, I won't think less of you for it," he teased.

"I can still burry you in the ground, so don't push it, kid," Law bit back in a dark tone.

Now it was Alex's turn to twitch at the annoying nickname, "I told you I'm not a kid!"

~…~

They rode back on the horses leisurely, entering the same forest as before. The whole ride took only a few hours on horseback and they had no reason to rush.

The two soon discovered they shared the same fascination with medicine, since Alex studied to become a doctor under his father, and should one day take over the family business. The whole way back they talked of little else, completely immersed in the subject. It was one of the rare topics where Law would speak more than just what was necessary to answer a question or make, usually a snide, comment.

The more they talked, the more Trafalgar opened up to the other. He was still guarded, never revealing much about himself or his past, but he even admitted his plans of becoming a pirate in the future. Despite the controversy around piracy, Alex was excited rather than put off by it.

The boy was impressed by Law's courage to do that, just like his courage to sail on a voyage all on his own. He sighed, "Man, and here I never even left this island…I want to go on adventures too."

"I don't think your father would approve," Law answered. He didn't want to be responsible for badly influencing the son of the man who saved his life, after all. He had to admit, he surprised himself by realizing he cared about that.

Alex grumbled something with a pouting expression. His gaze fell to the ground and then he gasped. "Stop!" He pulled on the horse's reins expertly, jumping off.

Law still wasn't as skilled at riding so he barely managed to stop Black so suddenly, then carefully stepped down. He saw Alex crouching over something, staring at the ground. There was nothing but mud, dirt and fallen leaves around them, as far as he could tell.

"What now," he frowned.

"Look!" The younger teen exclaimed in excitement, poking something with a stick. "It's Notophthalmus viridescens!"

"The Winter Salamander," Law asked with a raised eyebrow, mildly interested. He saw the large amphibian, with brown and grey scraggy skin, lazily make its way through the mud.

"It must've come out after the storm, since everything's still wet," Alex guessed. He reached for his back pocket and pulled out a pair of white latex gloves, putting them on. "This one will be interesting to dissect and study later," he commented with a smile.

Someone other than Law would certainly be disgusted or surprised by Alex's actions – both for carrying around latex gloves and talking about dissection so easily. Yet Trafalgar saw no fault in it. Rather, he appeared to be just as interested, as he saw Alex carefully pick up the animal and put it in his lunch-box, which he carried in his knapsack The eccentric youth didn't even blink at the idea of putting an animal inside the box he usually keeps his food in.

The older teen rubbed his bare chin. "I wish I had my scalpels with me," he muttered in thought.

Alex grinned at him, "No worries, we have mine."

"I'm surprised you had those," Law gestured at the latex gloves Alex was now taking off and disposing of in his bag.

"I always keep a clean pair with me in case I find something interesting that I want to study," the other boy shrugged.

Trafalgar often did the same thing when he was younger, in case he stumbled upon some interesting wildlife he wanted to examine during his playful explorations. He would often run straight back home, and show his new findings to Lami. He swallowed hard at that memory, watching Alex climb back on his horse, still talking about the great Winter Salamander with enthusiasm. The younger boy reminded Law a lot of himself when he was still happily living with his family – perhaps this is what he would be like if Flevance was never attacked. If Amber Lead never appeared in his country…An ominous shadow crossed his features as his expression darkened.

"Law?" Alex saw the change, and shifted in his saddle uncomfortably.

The other teen blinked, startled out of his musings. His mind wandered to dark places sometimes. He shook his head and climbed back on his horse. "It's nothing," he answered dismissively.

Alex gave him a worried glance, but said no more as they proceeded onward. *Law is pretty cool, but sometimes he gets this scary look,* he mused, watching the other boy with the corner of his eye. *I wonder what he thinks about at those times.*

~…..~

As soon as they came home, Alex ran up to his father, who was also back, to show him his great find.

"Look what we found today, father!" The boy was practically jumping in place from excitement. His bright expression was screaming 'Praise me, praise me,' to his father, and it almost made Law snicker.

*How is this guy so happy about something so minor – it's ridiculous,* he thought with a sweatdrop.

Yet Doctor Zaintrovski played along, "Oh ho, the rare Notophthalmus viridescens. What a find!" He smiled mirthfully, his eyes giving his son a loving look behind his glasses.

"We're going to dissect it," Alex grinned.

"Hey, I never said I'd join you," Law scowled in complaint. He felt he was too old to be playing like that, unless it was for the sake of studying and furthering his skills.

"Oh come ooon, I know you want to," Alex coaxed on, wiggling his eyebrows.

Now even Illia stared at him in anticipation, and he felt pressured to accept. He sighed, "I suppose I can practice my skills with the scalpel that way."

Both the doctor and his son cheered in unison, making Law shake his head in disbelief. *Children,* he concluded.

The two boys spent the rest of the evening examining Alex's dissected animals and talking about biology some more. In the end, Trafalgar spent the entire day with the Zaintrovski family, completely forgetting to find a map of North Blue and chart his course to Highgrove Island.

*Well I suppose I can't sail until I recover anyway,* Trafalgar concluded after he realized his mistake, yet didn't want to admit it. So he assessed this day wasn't completely lost, after all.

~…~

The next day, Alex gave him a tour of their home. The house was large, although the wooden furnishing was simple and modest. It wasn't gaudy, which Law found refreshing. Upstairs were the bedrooms where the two boys and the Doctor slept. On the main floor, right at the entrance, was Zaintrovski's medical practice, where he examined patients, when he didn't go out on house calls or work in the city hospital. Behind it, at the back of the house was the living room, a library and the kitchen.

Finally, there was one door that led to the basement. Law was about to open them, only to realize they were locked, but Alex stopped him anyway.

"Ah, you can't go down there," the youth warned.

Trafalgar frowned. Usually, when someone told him he can't do something, that just motivated him more to do it. "Why?"

"That's where father does his research. He's very protective of it so he doesn't let anyone in, cause he's worried they might mess up something. The basement is filled with expensive equipment, he says. He doesn't even let me in," the boy sulked sadly. "One day, I'm going to be a good enough doctor that I'll be able to help him with it," he exclaimed, voicing his dream, while his dark eyes sparkled. His face instantly lit up again.

The older teen raised his eyebrow in interest, "What research?"

The boy beamed as if he was waiting for that question. He started explaining proudly, "Father is working on a research for prolonging a person's life! He calls it 'Life prolongation research!'" He cleared his throat awkwardly, "The title is a work in progress, too." He continued, "He says it's almost complete. The medicine can already prolong a person's life up to 10 years, even if they are mortally ill!" Alex was practically exuding pride as if the research was his own doing. He talked about the medicine with his nose high in the air and a smug smile on his lips.

Trafalgar listened in amazement, then chuckled at the irony, *If only I found something like that when I was looking for the cure with Cora-san….maybe all that chaos with the devil fruit could have been avoided, and he would still be alive today,* he thought, smiling bitterly.

Alex's smile faltered, and he watched the teen's expression with concern, "Law? Are you ok?"

Law looked up at the younger boy, "Hey, you want to see something cool?" He usually kept his devil fruit powers a secret from other people, unless he trusted them, but he decided he could trust this kid. There was still a bitter look in his dark eyes as he stared at Alex, even as continued to smirk. He needed something to get his mind off of things, and playing around with the Ope Ope Fruit's powers and training them, was always good for that.

~…..~

Alex followed Law through the forest as they made their way away from the house. He reluctantly walked behind the older teen, nervously looking at his back. "U-um…Law? Where are we going?" He wasn't usually so timid, but Law could get pretty dark sometimes, and wordlessly leading Alex into the forest definitely didn't help matters. The younger boy was nervous.

Trafalgar abruptly stopped, which resulted in Alex almost colliding with his back. Then he turned around, his expression blank, "I'll tell you my secret…about my powers," he stated simply.

Suddenly all of Alex's anxiety from before was gone as a twinkle appeared in his eyes. A wide smile crossed his face, "You will?! What is it!?" He was beaming with anticipation.

Trafalgar sighed, feeling drained by Alex's boyish, sparkling curiosity. Then he raised his left hand, and a blue sphere appeared around them, circling in a radius of about 3 meters. He didn't need more than that to show off his power. "I ate a Devil Fruit called the Ope Ope no Mi," he started to explain. "It gives me the ability to modify anything inside my Sphere – my Operating Room," he joked with a dark grin. That was his own name for the blue spherical room that he could create. "I am a Free Modification Human," he finished.

The other boy gaped, "You're a devil fruit user?!" He only read about them or heard stories, but never saw one in real life – neither a Devil Fruit nor a User. "This is my first time meeting someone like you."

Law smirked, amused by Alex's baffled expression. He kept his left hand in the air and twitched his fingers, making logs, rocks and leaves around them raise of the ground and float through the air.

"Wow!" The teen gasped, watching with wide eyes as the items around them danced through the air, swirling around them by Law's chosen tempo.

"That's a nice stupid expression you got there," the taller teen teased with a smirk, watching Alex's shocked face. "I would show you even more if I still had my kodachi." Unfortunately, his only weapon fell into the ocean when his boat capsized. That was one more thing he needed to take care of before he left this island – arm himself.

Alex moved around through the flying objects, amazed that none of them collided with him – surely because of Law who was controlling them. He grabbed at a rock as it passed him by, and tried to stop it midair. Instead, the rock pulled him along, making him lose his balance and fall face-first into the dirt and mud.

Law blinked in surprise, then started laughing. He couldn't contain himself. He watched the younger teen whine while he stood back up, his face completely covered in mud and leaves. He was barely recognizable. Losing his concentration when he burst into his short but unexpected laughter, the Room disappeared, and all the items fell down onto the ground again.

Alex huffed in irate, cleaning his face with his shirt. But his frustration soon disappeared as he gave Law a wide grin, "That power you have is pretty awesome." Once again, his eyes were sparkling with amazement.

Law could tell he was really impressed, and he gave him a smug smile. "It's no big deal, it's simply a devil fruit power," he shrugged nonchalantly, trying to play it cool despite his smug expression.

"Not at all!" The other boy yelled out, startling even Trafalgar. "It's awesome! Just imagine all the things you could do with this! Especially as a doctor. I mean, you can also modify a human body in your Room, right?"

"Operating Room," Trafalgar corrected. "And yes. I could if I wanted to."

Alex grinned, "We gotta tell father!"

Law frowned. Not that he didn't trust Doctor Zaintrovski, but he didn't want too many people knowing about this ability of his. "No," he instantly stopped Alex's train of thought. "This is a secret between us. You can't tell anyone about this," he warned, and his harsh tone, along with the warning stare, left no room to argue.

The other boy gulped, "A secret?" Curiously, he didn't look frightened by Law's menacing aura. Instead, his expression brightened up even more as his heart beat loudly in excitement. "This is the first time I'm sharing a secret with anyone. Let alone a friend."

*A friend, huh?* Law titled his head to the side at Alex's strange behavior. The boy must've been pretty lonely here, with no friends his age for miles around.

"I'll keep your secret! I promise!" Alex grabbed Law's hand and shook it wildly. Trafalgar just blinked in wonder as the other continued, "It will be a secret between two future doctors."

The older teen collected himself and smirked, "Two future doctors, huh? Alright," he nodded, then regretted agreeing to it instantly, as Alex started sparkling with excitement again. This kid was way too enthusiastic about things.

~…~

It was after lunch, when Alex had already showered after his incident, that he came up to Law, who had finally found a map to the North Blue and was examining his course towards Highgrove Island. The younger teen sat, watching, with his elbows propped on the table.

Even as he charted a new course, it was hard to predict the weather conditions that might once again render him defenseless on the ocean. Not to mention, he had no money, yet he needed to find a new ship and, hopefully, a weapon.

*I suppose I can just steal a boat,* he mused, feeling no guilt by his thoughts.

"Do you have to leave," Alex asked by his side, a small pout on his features.

"Yes," came a simple response from Law, without even looking up from his map.

"But you might just end up toppled as last time…or worse, if there is no one to save you," the teen mused.

That idea did strike him, already. He knew a better, bigger ship would be able to weather bad conditions, but such a vessel would require more than one man. He cursed in his mind at his predicament, but didn't regret going off alone. It was still better than risking the lives of his friends because of his own problems.

"I'll find a way," he answered brusquely, and then an idea did cross his mind. Perhaps he didn't need to steal a boat or sail on his own, at all. Krasten was a big city, and he was sure dozens of merchant ships docked in its port every day. He was sure he could find at least one of them that sails to Highgrove Island, on its way across North Blue.

He turned to Alex, "Tomorrow, we're going to Krasten City again," he announced.

The other boy blinked, then furrowed his eyebrows, "Why?"

Trafalgar shrugged," I need to start planning my way off this island. I'll find a ship, possibly merchant's, to get me to Highgrove. I'll work on the deck if I have to, or as a doctor for the crew. Hell, I'll hide and be a stowaway if all else fails."

Alex sighed, "You're really that desperate to reach Highgrove Island, huh?"

"Yes."

"What are you hoping to find there?"

Trafalgar was silent for a while before sighing, "Answers." Seeing the pointed stare he got from Alex, who was evidently unsatisfied with such a vague explanation, he elaborated, "I need to reach the Spektor Medical University. Their academic library is the biggest one on medical science in all of North Blue - they are bound to have what I need on surgery. Besides…I want to study the research of Doctor Spektor himself."

Alex's mouth formed an 'o' shape, "The doctor who could perform miracle operations!? He's the hero of every person who wants to become a doctor!" His eyes were sparkling again.

Law smirked, "And if my instinct is correct, he was the former Ope Ope no Mi user…that's how he was able to do all that miraculous work in surgery," he explained.

Alex almost fell off his chair. "That's huge! So you might, one day, do everything he could," it was said somewhere between a question and an exclaim.

The older teen nodded, his smirk still present.

The other stopped, his mind backtracking as he got an idea. "You know, if you want books on surgery and medicine in general…," he trail off, giving Law a wide grin.

The other furrowed his brows, "What is it?"

"This time, I have something to show you."

Law saw during his house tour that the Zaintrovskis had a library, but he only managed to cast a fleeting glance when Alex was dragging him around. Now, they stood at the entrance, and he examined the large room in all its glory. It was filled with books. It wasn't as big as a city library, but hundreds of books were stacked next or on top of each other, until they covered every part of the walls. And most of those books were scientific in nature, mostly about medicine and biology. Only the floor was empty from books, and there was a small table with a few chairs in the middle.

"You said you mostly learn on your own from books, right?"

Law didn't answer, but instead slowly walked inside the room, already reading the titles on the covers. "Human anatomy, Medical Diagnosis and Treatment…," he muttered as he read, until he stopped at one thick book. His eyes widened a bit in interest, barely noticeable.

But Alex did notice, and smiled proudly.

'Atlas of surgical operations,' it read. Law pulled it from the shelf and had to use both hands at how heavy and large it was. He placed it on the table carefully, and looked up at Alex. "I think I found my new interest in here," he mused.

Alex feigned mocking offense, "Are you saying you were bored with me until now!?"

The two teens spent the rest of the day in that library, going through every book Law found interest in. Alex's muscles started to cramp on several occasions, and he had to get up from his chair and take a stroll around the room to stretch. But Law was relentless; jotting down everything that he deemed important, and studying from the new surgical books he didn't have the access to on Swallow Island. The pair spend the rest of the day and a good portion of the night studying in that library together, quizzing each other on medical questions, until they finally succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep in their chairs.

That is how doctor Zaintrovski found them when he came back from work in wee hours of the night. They slept soundly, resting their heads on open books on the table. The man softly chuckled at the sight, then brought back a blanket to cover them with it. As he tried to cover Law with the blanket, the teen felt a presence nearby and abruptly opened his eyes, grabbing Illia's wrist roughly. Still confused and half asleep, he glared up menacingly, only to see the startled doctor staring at him.

"Ah…," with a trembling hand, Law released the man. "Sorry," he muttered.

"Bad dream?" Illia asked in a low voice.

Law pressed his lips together, neither confirming nor denying it. "You took me by surprise, that's all." He wasn't used to being touched casually and he learned to stay alert of any presence, even when asleep. His survival mode instinctively kicked in when Illia got too close.

"Sorry," Illia smiled, then draped the blanket over his shoulders. "I see you've had a busy day," he gazed at all the open books around them. The table was absolutely cluttered with them.

Law gave Alex a sideways glance. The kid was sleeping without a care in the world, snoring lightly. "I've never met someone who was as interested in becoming a doctor as I was," he admitted.

Illia chuckled, and there was a glint of pride in his eyes. Then he smiled at Law, "I'm glad you're here. The boy doesn't really have any friends, especially his age, since we live in a pretty secluded area. I'm glad he found someone like you. I hope you two can become friends," the doctor said.

Law thought about that. He didn't hate Alex, despite the kid being a bit annoying at times. But even if they were friends, Trafalgar was only passing through. "I'm not planning to stay, though," he stated bluntly.

The father laughed, "I know. Even so, I'm glad he met you. He's been a lot cheerier ever since you arrived." He gave the teen a knowing look before turning to leave the room, "Goodnight, Law."

He closed the library doors behind him, leaving the teen to stare behind him. The man took a deep breath, feeling refreshed again. He walked away, his steps thumping against the wooden floorboards. "Well then...If my son is working so hard, how could I not?" He walked over to the basement and unlocked the doors with a key in his pocket. He smiled brightly while he thought, *Let's work together for a bright future, Alex.* He descended down the stairs, into the darkness.

~…..~

The den den mushi called, ringing incessantly. With an annoyed huff, the good doctor picked up, muttering complains about being interrupted during his research.

"I told you not to call me when I am at home," Illia snarled at the transponder snail, before the other on the line had time to introduce themselves.

A man on the other side chuckled, unoffended by the rude answer. "We got another one. Ya want it?"

The doctor frowned, "I'm not alone…I have a guest in my house."

"'S your choice. But it'll be a waste," he snickered.

He was silent for a while, mulling over the offer before he answered, "Tomorrow night, 2 am. The boys will be asleep then. Don't be late."

"Gotchya," the man sang, then hung up.

The doctor sighed again, shaking his head. "Scum," he muttered, before taking a syringe and a scalpel, then returning to his work.

Aaah, it's finally done! It's been a long time, hasn't it? I thought I would be able to write their whole past in this one chapter, but it proved to be longer than I expected (I never really know until I start writing).

This was really fun to write, especially a teenage Law. I had some struggles with him, but I feel he turned out pretty much the way I pictured him (A little Shit that likes to mess with people. Bwahaha!) And I'm sorry it took so long. The other part is all planned out, so I just need to write it (though I have no idea how long that will take), and it will be the last chapter of this Arc.

Thank you all for being patient with me, and for reading my story! Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and comments. And since I wasn't able to answer the reviews on the last chapter, because I was in a rush to post it, I will answer them now with the new ones. :D (So sorry it took so long for me to respond, I hope everyone will see their answer).

thebeautifuldevices: Yeah, I know it wasn't much of a surprise for the culprit, though I also wanted to write a bit from the perspective of the culprit/victims too, but that kills the mystery, I know. :') Thank you, and I'm sorry about any mistakes. I always miss some errors, even when proofreading…ugh! And yep, Pathfinder and D&D are great! :D

CelinaB: Thank you so much!

Yuki Maeda: Wow, you read it in 3 days, now that's amazing! Thank you very much, I hope you'll like the rest of the story too.

Guest: Nope, Miyako will go to Wanokuni (which was always the plan with my Hearts, it just happened sooner than I expected, because it ended up in cannon). Who'd guess!

guest: Thank you, and I'm sure I will keep updating (whenever I can) ^^ I think the whole story of Momo and what is happening in Wano is going to pretty shocking for her, but I don't want to go into too much detail - You'll have to see on Zou ;) As for Law liking ninjas, I think there will definitively be teasing, especially as he tries to play it cool and pretend he isn't, in fact, in awe.

jessicabailey221: Thank you, I hope you like this chapter too!

DaughterofSelene103: Thank you so much, I'm really glad you like it! I hope you enjoy future chapters as well! :D All the best!

Hitoshirezu Ryu: I'm glad you like it. I try to give a steady growth to the characters, both personality and strength-wise. I feel like her experiences throughout the story have really changed her as a person and a samurai. Same goes for Law. :) I agree, Za'in isn't as bad as he appears to be, or wants to be. But more about his motives will be said in the next chapter. About chp 72: Indeed, the Strawhats springing into action to save the ones they consider friends is one of the best things about them. And even though I wasn't compleeetely happy that I had to make Miyako a victim, it was needed for the story-development, especially for the whole pirate group working together.

kkot2404: Hi! Thank you so much for the wonderful review. Yep, I'm back, I'm writing, and hopefully the next chapter will be out soon. And there will definitely be some emotional Law/Miyako moments, don't you worry. ;)

Volleys-chan: Thank you so much! I feel like it's been a long time since she got to interact with new people, since mostly it's been Law, the Strawhats and their allies…or enemies. Heh. I think you are right about both Za'in and Law, and their dynamic would be interesting to watch – I feel they would be either arguing or trying to outdo one another. Unfortunately, I can't tell you more about Za'in, you'll just have to wait and see in the next chapter. ;)

Guest: I'm so glad! Thank you very much. I also feel like I should rewrite some of my earlier chapters, as I feel my writing is a lot different than how it used to be. It's still a work in progress that needs improvement, though. ^^

Apple Bloom: Yep, I may be slow in updating, but I'm not giving up on the story. Thank you! About Miyako getting shot…funny you should mention that… Haha, nah, I'm kidding, she won't get shot, but-

Guest: Thank you very much, I hope you will also like this chapter. :)

Bizzy: Hiii! HeheI'm glad you like Za'in, I like him too as a character~ Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! And chp 72: You got your question about Za'in answered in this chapter. Hehe. This is pretty long so I hope this chapter gets you through until the next one! Haha! Thank you for being patient and supporting me!

Emilyamazing: I am too! Especially since Za'in has no "special" powers, so it's martial arts vs. devil fruit powers. Chp 72: I have mixed feelings about it because Miyako can usually take care of herself, but this was kinda needed for the plot. :P (Although a pissed off Law is pretty fun to read/write about, I agree.)

Taffdog19943: Thank you so much for reading! As for chp 72: I am convinced Robin is most evil and mischievous out of all the Strawhats (even more than Nami). :D

Fairybaka: Thank you for reading and reviewing! I'm glad you love it! :D

Kiindrex: I think when I deleted my announcement chapter, it sent out a notification e-mail as if a new chapter was updated, but I'm not entirely sure and I have no idea why.

Iviidiis: Thank you for reading and reviewing!

Keiolsha: I'm glad I made you happy! Hehe. Ooh, Dressrosa, but that isn't actually that far away. You can catch up pretty soon (I can't believe that in One Piece it's been only a few weeks and for us, what, a few years now?)

Deelel: Done! ;)

Guest: I haven't! Thank you for being patient with me. ^^

Guest13: Wow, that's a lot of chapters to reread, I'm impressed! Aaand, I finally did! ;)

demonspawn21: I only now realized it said chapter 34, haha, I hope you see this review when you get to here! :D (I love the ? after romantic progress like nobody's sure haha) A friend recently counted, and I think she said they resolve their feelings in 55th chapter, so yeah, it's a slow burn. (Zoro is my fav character too).

Guest: Yes, sir/mam!

Guest: haha Well, sometimes you need a break from class. ;) I'm really glad you liked it, especially the characters – I try to make them all individuals with their personalities and flaws (and not just background people). Not Chinese, but I do read Japanese light novels, so maybe from there? Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, I wish you all the best, too.

RushingWater12: Thank you so much! I try to make the feel of the story One Piecey, especially when I follow cannon. I know, characters like Law can be problematic to figure out, especially when you don't have a lot of information on them. For Law, I feel he is pretty different now (in the cannon), than how he appeared to be in the beginning, so I also feel like, at time, I have to inconspicuously change his character a bit, from what it used to be.

a law fan: Done! :D Thank you for reading!

Butterflygrin: I had to go back to that chapter and refresh my memory, because honestly, it's been so long. So, she is armed – she has a katana. "Rushing to agree with suspicious people" – not sure who you mean. If you mean Reiji, even if you, the reader, know the culprit (because I wrote the story that way), it doesn't mean the characters in the story do. They had no reason to suspect Reiji before. Also, she doesn't have the loyal, obedience to Law like his crew (why should she at this point, when she doesn't yet think of herself as a pirate, even?). She has her own moral code that makes her go out and help people, or investigate a serial-killer, because she is more emotional than calculating in that respect. Not to mention, she has a motive to find this killer as he blames herself for Samue's death (and that's just one of the reasons). I think I covered everything here. If you don't like the story, that's ok too (it doesn't have to be everyone's cup of tea).

Guest: Whoot! Candy! :D Also, for chapter 53; I thought Miyako was the one who'd have nightmares, but on second thought, I think it's Josh. Josh was the most traumatized. XD And I think Miyako's thought were exactly that too; Fuck Mayumi!

Queen of food: I'm so happy you think that! Thank you for being so patient with me. ^^ And thank you for all your support.

bakasaru2: Yes, I'm still alive! :D I'm glad you understand. Thank you so much for reading! Wow, I am so happy you liked it this much. And I'm really glad you like Miyako as a character (I kinda feel proud now, I'll admit). :D I try to develop her as a character, both her strengths and personality, so it just makes me really happy when someone acknowledges that. I know exactly what you feel about the ending because I feel the same way – a part of me wants to make this great ending, and then another part of me just wants to keep writing this story for a long time to come. Thank you so much for all your kind words and for reading my story!

Musiome: It's amazing to me how you guys can all read through this entire story so fast. I wish I could write as fast! Thank you for reading and reviewing, and hopefully the next chapter will come out soon. :)

Musik Drache: Yes, I will! :D

GoddessArtemis22: You are welcome, and thank you for reading! I hope you will enjoy the next chapters in the future too!

Bethanylvn: Thank you, and thanks for reading and reviewing. I think you'll especially love the Wano arc then, since Oda is also taking us there in cannon, and I have my own ideas for that arc, so I'm really excited to combine the two.

Lost4ver2Fantasy: Hi! Thank you so much for that! Don't worry, I'm fine, despite real life. XD I'm really glad you care. Thank you for supporting me and this story~ I'll vent right now: I'm trying to post this chapter and the internet is killing me! Aaargh! XD

Bold DJ: The author walked up to the window from the inside, warm and cozy in her home, despite the storm outside. She sees a lone figure standing in the rain, plastered to the window. She puts her hand on the glass, just over theirs, as she mouths the words, "I need more coffee for this chapter." But what the author is silently thinking; 'My window is on high ground, so how are you flying in the air right now?'

blob80: Yep, we all have a bit of Barto in us. :D Honestly, it was mostly because I wasn't sure where the Hearts were going (we didn't know at that time they went to Zou), so I think there would be a mess in my fanfiction because of the cannon. Especially since after PH, came Dresrossa, which was also important for Law, and Miyako would have missed all of that then. And I think their relationship did change a lot for the sole reason that Miyako experienced Dresrossa and Law's fight with Doflamingo. :) (And I agree, Marco is too awesome to lose to Kizaru – I don't care how strong that Marine admiral is!) As for the woman thing; honestly, I don't like romantic drama. Now, I know, that in some aspects that adds to romantic suspense and so on, but I really try to avoid it…especially clichés. I like a good shojo manga, but I want this story to stay as an adventure genre first and foremost.

As for the paragraph-convo thing, you are absolutely right! Actually, since I read this review, I've been trying to change that and keep it at a minimum. As you say, sometimes it's hard when I also want to express the character's thoughts at that time, but I know it can break the conversation. So thank you, I'm actually trying to keep that in mind now. :) And I'm going to check the Tenryuubito bit to see what's up with that (cause yeah, it sounds like a mistake I might need to fix.). Thank you for your input, and for reading!

Petal Kettle: Thank you so much, I do try to stay true to OP cannon. Thank you for the review!

KuroiKuroi: hahaha Yes, he is all of those things!

Guest: Thank you very much! I hope you will like the future chapters too. (7 times, wow!)

NamikazeAi-chan: Thank youuuu!

Deathlygod: I love this! Thank you so much! I also started mine when I was inspired by another Heart Pirates' fic, so I'm glad I can be an inspiration to someone else. It means the world to me, thank you so much.

: Thank you! I try to stay through the One Piece cannon and feel, but honestly, I just love writing my original arcs too. And I totally agree with you that a pirate world should be a bit more dangerous, and bloody, and dirty, and raw. I do try to make it more realistic because of that. (I mean OP cannon too has slavery, and wars, and even genocide. So I feel it shouldn't be too childish). Thank you, and don't worry, as a non-native english speaker, I know mistakes happen. ^^' The French version was translated by a reader named ZoroetRobin, BUT we haven't been in contact for a long time, and I don't know if they are still active. So if you want to translate it (and wow, I'm really touched and honored by that. Thank you!), the best thing would be to first send her a message on the matter; maybe they'll let you use their work so far). If they don't respond, PM me and we'll think of something together. (PM me either way, actually, if you're interested in translating so I can help you with that) :)

ReflectedDarknes: Thank you for reading! Yep, it feels like those two just can't get any time to themselves. There's always some trouble brewing.

Guest: Thank you!

Stolyint: Thank you very much for reading, I hope you like the future chapters too!

JustChan: Hiiiii! :D I know, wow. I can't believe it's been that long, either. :O (I update way too little in that time, though). Thank you for your continued support and patience. I hope you're doing well.

Meridana: hahahaThank you! Am I going to get an angry letter from your boss? XD

NeKo19-94: Sure! :D

Guest: Thank you~

AnimaQueen: Amazing, enchanting and fireworksy. ;) Better than the first. Thank you for reading!

Darkfrosty: Thank you so much! Don't worry, I'm fine, and I am still writing for this story (as slow as I am). I love those two hostage pirates. X) Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter too.

condoriano3232: Omg, Condorianoooo, it is you! That is one of my favorite OP moments. :') Yes! To all of it! I am thinking really hard about Wano, because I have a lot of my own ideas for that Arc, but also kinda want to keep it cannon, so to be honest I don't yet know what I will do with that. Same goes for the Hearts crew. I am already working on implementing a bit of Oda's cannon into the crew, but I don't think I will do much because I already have my own thing going here. Life of a One Piece fanfiction writer is hard. XD