I am so so very sorry for the excruciating wait for this final chapter. Between my muse dying, my laptop being infected with malware, and all around busyness with the holidays and work, I just couldn't get focused on this. With this final chapter, I'm going to be taking a small hiatus, focus on other things and hopefully be able to come back with some fresh stories for LawNa and even ZoNa (maybe Kid x Nami, too). Anyway, I want to thank you all for sticking with me through this entire endeavor, and I hope you all like my ending since I'm kinda 'meh' with it. For my fellow ZoNa shippers- you get a little love in this chapter, I've been getting some feels for them again lately, so I just felt I had to sneak a little into this story.

So, enough of my rambling, please enjoy this final chapter, and thanks again!

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Oda Eiichiro.

His mind was foggy, aware and then unaware, a mess of sounds and sensations assaulted him as he tried to remember where he was, what had happened. He could feel the lull, the rocking of the ship, the sound of the hull adjusting to the pressure of the sea all too familiar to him. A monotonous tone in the background he easily recognized as life monitors, his mind idly realizing they were for him. At one point he thought he felt a strange pressure in his airway, but his mind went black again almost immediately after before he could figure out what was there.

"Nami! Law will be fine, I have him completely stabilized," a high pitched voice broke into his thoughts at some point, his addled mind recognizing it as the Straw Hats' Doctor. "You really need to get some rest, Nami, so just trust me and go to bed."

His awareness began to drift again before he could hear the woman answer, but what little he did hear was enough to rekindle his memory. He had been paralyzed by curare poisoning from his fight with Tangi. Law knew he was most certainly fortunate for his crew and the Straw Hats' timing, if they had come much later he wasn't sure he'd have lasted through the night. The feeling he had earlier in his throat, he realized, must have been from a breathing tube, the one thing that was vital in stabilizing him as his body worked the poison from his system with the help of whatever drugs the other doctor chose to administer.

As his consciousness drifted back once more, he wondered how long it had been since he had succumbed to the drug. Time was allusive when one wasn't aware, and between the sedatives and his paralysis, there was absolutely no chance of him keeping track of the hours he had been recovering. He knew it took the body anywhere from thirty minutes to eight hours to resume independent breathing, from there it was just a matter of time before his whole body should be able to move again. Considering his injuries, both old and new, he wouldn't put it past his fellow doctor to keep him under sedation so he could heal, the possibility making him even more unsure of how much time had passed.

His mind slowly moved on from its idle musings on the relative concept of time while one was unconscious, somehow realizing the thoughts weren't all that important. Law then began to feel his senses open up to his surroundings, once more hearing the repetitive tones of the monitors and the hull adjusting; those sounds familiar to him and reminding him of his previous forays into a distant awareness. With his bearings coming back full force, he felt his body make some attempt at movement, one of his hands twitching, fingers curling, finding a soft, warm pressure there that seemed to hold it in place.

As a groan escaped his throat, he finally forced his eyes open; curious to see what he was feeling. His blue eyes lazily drifted down to the side of the bed, coming to rest on a head of bright orange hair resting on the bed beside him, Nami's face soft in sleep as she held his hand in a light grip. It was then he vaguely recalled hearing Chopper's plea for her to rest, a smirk gracing his face as he realized she must have passed out while watching over him, the woman leaning over the bed from the chair she had set beside it.

"Chopper gave her some mild sedatives," a deep, serious voice broke into his musings, drawing his gaze to the blank face of the Straw Hats' green-haired swordsman. Zoro stood guard at the doorway, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, his eyes closed to the world while his mind stayed keenly aware of his surroundings. "She refused to leave, though."

"I'm guessing you're here to keep an eye on her, then?" Law crooked out, attempting to clear his sore throat as best he could after, his voice rough from disuse and the tube that had at one time been down his airway.

"Something like that," Zoro nodded, pushing himself away from the wall so he could grab a glass of water, holding it out to the captain to take before continuing. "Luffy wanted to make sure someone stayed with her to keep her company, and since he's too hyper to sit still for long, and that love cook wouldn't stop sobbing long enough to let Nami sleep, I got volunteered for the job."

"And the others?" He asked after taking a sip of the cool water, moving to prop himself up in the bed without disturbing the sleeping woman next to him.

"Between keeping Luffy from raiding your fridge, and taking Tangi to drop off at the nearest marine base, they're busy." The swordsman explained, taking his position at the door again, his good eye shutting once more a signal that they didn't have anything more to discuss, at least not then.

Drowsily Law turned his attention back to Nami, his hand tightening around hers as he drank in the sight of her. Her bruises and scars were practically gone, only a few small cuts and scrapes were visible that most likely came from their final battle with Tangi. Her hair was a mess, her concern over him apparently enough to keep her from taking an opportunity to shower. It didn't matter to him, though; she was still beautiful, as long as she was alive.

Slowly, with great care and gentleness, he pulled his hand free from her grasp, pausing for a moment as she let out a low, annoyed groan in her sleep. When she settled once more, he moved his now free hand to the ends of her long hair, doing his best to keep his movements from the swordsman's sight. Running a few strands through his fingers, he lightly brushed his hand through whatever he could, his eyes softening when she released a contented hum.

"So that shit cook's sobbing wasn't for nothing." Zoro's voice once more broke in, Law's eyes snapping back to the other man to observe him still standing at the door with his good eye shut, appearing completely unable to see what the captain was doing. With a subtle movement, though, the other man slowly peeked open his eye, fixing it intently on the man in bed. "Something happened between you two."

Zoro's comment wasn't a question, so Law felt no need to answer, not that he would have otherwise. As far as he was concerned, it was Nami's business to tell whoever she wanted about what happened between them, at least amongst her own crew, and he didn't need to answer to any of them. Staring at the swordsman with a stoic frown on his face, he couldn't help but wonder why the other man would even care; he wasn't the type to take any interest in other peoples' relationship.

Catching Zoro make a quick glance at the sleeping navigator, though, gave Law his answer. Nami was, despite all their disagreements, still his friend, a part of his family, and someone who was important to every single member of the Straw Hat crew. He was being cautious and protective of someone he cared about, someone he didn't want to see possibly taken from his small crew for any reason. Nami had been with he and Luffy the longest, without her they very well could have become lost at sea, starved to death should their luck have run out, and never have made it as far as they had. Without her talents in navigation and weather prediction, they'd be lost. Those were just the more logical reasons for his concern; Law could only imagine what else Zoro was thinking about with the situation.

Before anything more could be said, both men's attentions were drawn to the door as they heard a rather loud commotion that could belong to only one person. As the door was slammed open to reveal the fun loving Straw Hat captain, they watched as he was promptly kicked in the head by Sanji who had come in right behind him.

"Look! Traffy's awake!" Luffy cheered, pointing at the other captain sitting up in bed, a smile on his face as he completely ignored the large lump forming on his head.

"Shitty captain, Nami-swan is sleeping!" The blonde man hollered, earning a sigh of annoyance from Zoro.

"Keep it down," Zoro growled, staring pointedly at the men as he gestured to the bed, "both of you."

Unfortunately any attempts at keeping them quiet for Nami's sake were pointless, as the young woman had begun to groan in annoyance, slowly turning her head to look up in confusion. Her eyes first landed on Law, the man staring at her with a blank, unreadable expression, before looking around the room to see three of her crew mates standing there watching her. Blinking away her grogginess, Nami sat up completely, still oddly lethargic from the drugs Chopper had given her, stretching her back to get the knots out from the odd position she had slept in.

"How are you feeling, Nami-san?" Sanji asked quietly, getting a confused shrug as his only answer from the woman.

Honestly, she didn't feel all that great, and while she knew the sedatives were partly to blame, she couldn't help but wonder if her confused emotions played a role in it, too. She felt completely drained, exhausted, and incredibly reluctant to think that things were going to be back to normal in a matter of days. Nami could feel Law's eyes on her, and that only made things worse as she tried to keep her attention focused on a random point on the floor. Even as he watched her, she could tell he was keeping a distance, closing himself off, something she couldn't blame him for. What happened on the island wasn't something that could happen again; they had to part ways and sever any attachment they may have developed to each other. She was surprised by how painful that thought was, and she couldn't help but wonder if Law's thoughts mirrored her own.

"How 'bout you, Traffy?" Luffy asked suddenly, breaking into the woman's thoughts as he bounded over to Law's bedside to stand next to her, crouching down slightly as he regarded his fellow captain.

"I'm fine, Mugiwara-ya," Law stated simply, his eyes moving from Nami to regard the young man, acting as indifferent as he could to the navigator.

"Then we need to celebrate!" Luffy hollered out, jumping up to turn to his cook with a great deal of enthusiasm. "Sanji! Meat!"

"You've already eaten, Luffy!" Sanji yelled back, the pair descending into an argument over whether it was really a good time to party anyway. "They still need their rest-"

As the pair argued, neither noticed Nami's growing annoyance, a hand going to her head to fight off a headache as her drugs continued to wear away, and her mind began to churn over all her emotions and confusion. Law managed to catch her eyes for a moment, holding back a strangely pressing urge to reach out for her, before she turned away again. The woman stood up with a sudden force, bringing the argument to a halt, as she kept her head down while she walked towards the door, pausing next to a serious Zoro so she could speak.

"I need some air," Nami said, the distant tone of her voice setting the men on edge as they watched her leave. "Let the idiot have his party, Sanji-kun."

As she walked out the door, she could hear Luffy's loud victory cheer but ignored it as she escaped the confined walls of the Heart Pirate's ship and made her way to the deck. Nami needed peace and quiet, a moment for herself, and she knew the best place for it as she took in the sorely missed sight of the Thousand Sunny anchored next to the yellow submarine. With a small smile making its way to her face, she didn't waste any time in crossing the gangplank connecting the two ships, stealthily avoiding any members from either crew as she headed straight for her small grove of mikan trees. Slipping between the trunks, Nami made herself comfortable beneath the canopy, surrounded by the scent that reminded her so much of her home, her sister, her late mother, and all the memories that pushed her forward.

With her mind drifting, she never noticed the figure that followed her out, staying hidden in the shadows upon the submarine decks, keeping a distance even as his bright blue eyes watched her. Law had taken advantage of the chaos his fellow captain was creating just then, the younger man busying himself by nagging everyone to prepare for their celebratory feast, to slip out of his recovery bed after Nami had left. He'd leave her alone to get her thoughts in order, well aware that she probably had a great deal on her mind, but he'd continue to keep an eye on her, if only for his own selfish needs. He had a great deal to think about, too, before they finally parted ways. When both of their minds were in order again, then they could talk and say their goodbyes, and hopefully without interruption.

Later that night, Nami slipped away from the loud and boisterous party her captain threw for her return, both crews still encased in the revelry in the Aquarium Bar. It had definitely lifted her spirits, but at the same time she still had the lingering thoughts of what would come when that night was over. She had avoid Law as much as she could throughout the night, keeping up an air of friendly acquaintanceship rather than giving in to the deeper sense of attachment she had come to develop with him. He didn't seem to care either way, his attitude as laid-back and at ease as it always was, maintaining the distance she was putting between them without any thought.

With a drawn out sigh, she leaned over the railing of the Thousand Sunny, her head resting on her folded arms as she remained tucked away in the shadows on the deck, staring down at the yellow submarine docked next to them. She had spent weeks on that ship, befriending the rival crew and captain, and now it was over. It felt far too soon for her, but she knew she had to accept it as reality, that was always how it was for a pirate. She'd made plenty of friends during her time at sea with the Straw Hats, friends she wasn't completely sure she'd ever see again.

Nami didn't bother looking up as she heard the sound of steady footsteps heading towards her, the gait slow, almost lazy while holding an unshakeable confidence. She kept her gaze forward as they slowly came to stand next to her, leaning down in a similar manner, almost mockingly she felt. She could feel his eyes on her, his head turned to look at her as they stood there in silence, neither completely willing to jump into the conversation they both knew they needed to have.

"Nami-ya," Law suddenly sighed out, his body leaning closer to hers as he spoke softly.

"No, Law," Nami interrupted before he could continue. "You don't have to say anything; we both know what happens next."

"What, pray tell, would that be?"

Nami turned to look at him then, her eyes narrowed in confusion as she regard his stoic face, unsure what he was thinking. She was surprised by how close he was to her, his breath fanning over her face lightly as he waited for her to answer while one of his hands moved to take hold of a lock of her hair, twirling it mindlessly as his bright blue eyes stayed locked on hers. When she opened her mouth to answer, she found her voice caught; emotions she desperately wanted to ignore fighting to reach the surface.

"I-" She began, pausing to search for words she couldn't find, only worsened as Law leaned in closer to her, scant inches from her as she found her voice once more. "We won't be seeing each other again, not after tomorrow."

"And who said that?" Law argued, continuing quickly before she could answer. "Your captain is my rival; we'll see each other again inevitably."

"Well, then there's the other problem," Nami bit out, annoyed at how easily he seemed to be taking their separation. "If, or when, we see each other again, we'll be enemies, we can't let anything that's happened change that fact."

"True, and when that happens I have no intentions of holding back." He responded breezily, smirking slightly as he leaned in closer to her until his nose brushed hers. "And when I beat Mugiwara-ya, I'll just take you for myself then."

"What!? You can't just decide-" The young woman began to argue, only to find herself interrupted as he slammed his lips against hers, silencing her with a deep and desperate kiss that told her everything she needed to know- she would be missed.

Nami eagerly returned the kiss, moaning when his hand moved to the back of her head, tangling into her hair as he turned to pull her closer. As he stood closer to his full height, she had to wrap her arms around his neck to help pull herself up, his other arm wrapping around her waist to give her extra support as they embraced. As their bodies molded together, their passion heightened, their kiss turning into a frantic assault as they both craved more.

"My crew knows not to bother us," Law said after pulling away for a quick breath, his lips trailing to her neck as he listened to her panting in his arms. "They won't be back to the ship for a few more hours, either."

"Then what are we still doing here?" Nami remarked with a low moan as he sucked tenderly at the junction of her neck and shoulder, making her melt against him.

A deep chuckle was all he gave in answer before they found themselves tucked away in his quarters, enjoying one last night together without any interruptions.

"Hey! Where's Nami and Traffy!? They're missing the party!" Luffy's voice rang out in the Aquarium bar as he looked around the room for the pair.

"I think they needed some time to talk, Luffy," Robin answered with a slight knowing chuckle, a soft smile on her face as she regarded her captain. "They've been through a lot these past few weeks together."

The Heart Pirates enjoying the revelry on the Thousand Sunny all gave each other looks mixed with amusement and sadness, all of them very aware of how close the two had become, even if they didn't know details. They had all become a bit attached to the Straw Hat navigator, too, and saying good-bye to her was going to be a very difficult thing to do in the morning.

"But the party's for them!" Luffy pouted stubbornly, biting into a chunk of meat as he stared out the door leading to the deck. He gave a low hum in thought before turning slightly, his aim obviously to go seek out the two missing people.

"Luffy." Zoro's stern voice caused him to pause, the young man turning to his swordsman, the man who had been with him longest, who he trusted implicitly to stand beside him until the end. "Leave them be."

The young captain blinked at him in confusion, before pouting again. "But-"

"Shitty captain," a deep voice interrupted before he could try and argue, bringing everyone's attention to Sanji as he moved to stand by the door, taking a deep puff from his cigarette before continuing to address Luffy. "As much as I hate to admit it, the Marimo is right, give them some time."

Sanji's sincerity was the final thing to sway the captain's stubbornness, the young man frowning for a moment before shrugging indifferently, jumping back into the party as if nothing had happened. The cook, for all his calm, was feeling just as anxious to go find Nami, his foot tapping as if he were preparing to kick someone telling everyone that much, but instead he held his ground, staying with the rest as he respected his crewmate's needs. As much as he hated to admit that there was something going on between his beloved Nami-swan and the rival captain, he knew that it wasn't his place to interfere, and he'd do whatever he could to see that the woman was happy.

The next morning, Law rolled over with a groan of annoyance, distantly hearing shouts from his crew as his hand searched for the woman he had fallen asleep with. When he found nothing but empty sheet, he pried open one eye to see that Nami was gone, the woman leaving him without a word as he slept. As he sat up, brushing his hand over his face, his attention once more went back to the shouting in the halls of his ship as he idly realized that his crew was calling him. With sluggish movements he pulled himself from bed, grabbing his jeans and a shirt before heading out to see what the commotion was all about.

"Captain!" Bepo cried out as he made his way into the hall, waving at the bear in a tired fashion as he continued on his way to the deck. "The Straw Hats are leaving! You almost missed them!"

Law only gave him a small frown in response, well aware that Nami had probably intended to leave before his crew had a chance to see her off, the woman wanting to avoid any sort of emotional goodbye. At his crews' insistence, though, he quickly made his way up to the main deck, just in time to spy the Thousand Sunny pulling away from the harbor they had been anchored to. His eyes lazily searched the deck for a mess of orange hair, the only person onboard that ship that really mattered to him in that moment.

He spotted Luffy, sitting on the railing as he waved joyfully to them, shouting his goodbyes in his usual happy-go-lucky manner. Around him the majority of his crew leaned over the banister, sending their own waves before getting settled in around the ship. At the helm, Franky sent a short wave before focusing on his job of steering the ship out of port. Sanji stood by the door to the kitchen, puffing on a cigarette as he sent Law a somewhat unsettling glare before giving him a short nod and heading into the galley. Zoro was positioned against the mast, settling into the grass for his normal early morning nap. Usopp, Brook, and Chopper stayed with their captain, the group keeping up their boisterous calls. Robin stood a ways off, chuckling to herself as she watched them fool around. And Nami… Nami was nowhere in sight.

Just as he was preparing to go back into his ship, though, he spotted it. Tucked away into the mikan trees on the Sunny was that mess of orange hair he'd been looking for, the woman slowly venturing out into his view to send him a small smile. It was then that he let a smug grin cross his face; his eyes locked on her form as he drank in the sight of her. Clad in tight shorts and a bikini top, she was already begging for him to steal her away, but making that temptation far worse was the button down black shirt she had draped over her, the very shirt she had been borrowing from him for much her time on his ship.

He knew it then; it was her silent way of telling him that she was his, even though they couldn't be together. Keeping his eyes on her, he moved to lean against the railing on his deck, sending her a knowing grin as her ship drifted away. He continued to watch, even after the Sunny was nothing more than a dot on the horizon, his mind drifting into thoughts of one day getting her back and never letting her go. It was until the sound of a throat clearing behind him, that he finally turned his attention back to his men, glancing at Shachi as he came to stand beside him.

"Ah, Captain," he began, holding out a small envelope for him to take as he went on; "she left these with me before she left. She said she wanted you to have them."

Law silently took the proffered envelope and opened it to inspect the contents, his eyes widening in shock as he saw the few pictures tucked away inside, the photos from the morning his crew had caught them asleep together in her room. His eyes jumped up to his crew member, narrowing slightly on the man as he silently asked for him to explain.

"She had me develop them last night, two sets of each picture," Shachi rushed to explain. "Then she destroyed the negatives so we couldn't make any more."

The captain let out a small chuckle then, removing the photos to take a closer look at them as he felt somewhat glad she had thought to leave him with at least one keepsake. The fact she had a set for herself told him just as much as the stolen shirt she wore did.

Tucking the pictures into his pocket, he turned to head back into the ship, calling to his crew over his shoulder. "Let's get outta here; we have a lot to do to get back on track. Can't stay idle and let Mugiwara-ya have all the fun in the New World, now can we?"

He smirked at the sounds of everyone erupting into cheers, the deck emptying quickly as they all began to leave port themselves and head back out into the New World. He had plans still waiting to unfold, chaos to create amongst the Yonkou, and possibly even the World Government, and he couldn't stand around like a lovesick fool thinking of the girl he couldn't have.

The faster he got his plans done, the faster he could have the only other thing he wanted now. In the end, he'd make sure Nami was his, no matter what he had to do to see it happen.

And sorry for any errors, I'm too lazy to do a third and fourth read thru like I normally do.

One last thank you to you all, too. XD