By Your Side (Trafalgar Law X Y/N)

Chapter 4

Trigger Warning: This Chapter deals with Self Harm and Sexual Assault

[Law's POV]

"Y/N-Ya" I say

She looks towards me and keeps her hand away from the left collarbone. She is constantly mumbling in the same way back in Amazon Lily.

" Doc..Captain, When did you..."
" I heard you swearing out loud and the door was locked, Y/N-ya."
" Well it wasn't much serious..just a nightmare." she mumbles out

She's clearly lying. I know all those patterns.

" Don't lie."
" I'm not lying, Captain."

Her actions are similar to how I was back then on Swallow Island. I can't let my crew member to experience it. I lean close to her and tug her shirt to check the collarbone. The skin is red and some scratch marks are present on a hook like symbol.

" You were clearly harming yourself here."

She lowers her head as an attempt to hide her problems.

" Y/N-ya, follow me."

We leave the room and climb up the ladder to the upper level. I enter the kitchen, take out two glasses and fill them with water. We sit across the table in my office. I offer her the glass and she takes a sip from it.

" Drink it and then we will talk."

~~~~~~~~~~[FlashBack]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(10 Years Ago)
[ Law's POV : Age 14]

I patch up my scarred arms and cover it with bandages. I don't want Wolf or Bepo to worry about me, probably make up some story of running into a wild animal or so.

It's almost a year since I left Doflamingo's crew and got myself cured thanks to Cora-San's help. I'm living here with this wacky inventor, Wolf who promised me to live with him on a condition until I figure out what it means to feel free. Bepo is a mink who I saved from two bullies not so long ago, he has a habit of apologising on very small things and makes cute faces while doing that.

I don't even know what I should do in my life now. My family is dead, Flevance is destroyed, Cora-San died to save me. I feel so empty inside that the only thing that give me relief is this.

I glance at my medical set.

Cutting myself up several times. Removing my organs, limbs, breaking up my bones. With these Devil Fruit abilities, I could play with my own life to feel better. I do it in secret, at odd hours or out for hunting food alone.

I create another room and take out the scalpel to stab on my eye. Inching the blade closer gives me pleasure.

"Don't Do it, my friend." A male voice shouts

Wolf and Bepo are standing next to each other dropping the hunting rifles on their hand.

" WHY CAN'T YOU BOTH LEAVE ME ALONE? JUST LIKE ALL OF THEM WHO DIED BECAUSE OF ME!" I shout out in agony and drop the scalpel.

The room deactivates and I feel a furry arm over me. Tears start to fall from Wolf's eyes and he takes away my set. He looks towards me with furious yet concerned eyes. The furry arm tightens the grip over me.

" Law, why are you being reckless like this again? Is this what your family and benefactor wanted?"

" I don't know! I just want to feel better and this was making me feel like that, Wolf!"

" My Foot, if I even believe that! Are you even willing to give up your dream for that, my Friend?"

My dream...I always wanted to follow father's footsteps and become a Surgeon. Help as many people I can.

" Tell me now, my friend!"

~~~~~~~~~~~[Flashback Ends]~~~~~~~~~~~

[Law's POV]

" Doc..I mean..Captain" Y/n whispers

Her empty glass is on the table and she still has that tense expression everywhere. I almost got lost thinking about my past struggles.

"Hmm..Feeling any better?" I ask her

She nods.

" Are you comfortable talking about your past with me? I will keep our conversations a secret, since that's what a typical therapy session follows."

" Therapy?" She blinks slowly

" We will talk on your past, understand it..perhaps figure out on your amnesia and other stuff." I reply

She does that stare again and it felt intense.

" You won't tell anything to others right?"
" Yes, I won't."

" I'm okay with it. I have to be double sure on this."

She might have used Observation Haki as a way to detect lies. Jimbei told me about it while he was recovering and it requires an advanced level of control.

" Alright, Y/N-Ya. Does that hook shaped mark trigger a memory for you?"

" Yes."

" Can you talk about it?"

She nods and swallows. She takes a deep breath before speaking.

" It's after the time I left the Doctor who took care of me. Her name is Dr Kureha and that Reindeer with the Straw-hats. She provided me a rowing boat and supplies and I sailed for a few days without a map or log pose. Until I crossed paths with Baroque Works."

Baroque Works. It was a Mercenary Organization under Crocodile based in Whisky Peak and later on Arabasta. I got to know about Mugiwara from his battle with Crocodile.

" One of their agents took me in their ship after it got destroyed in a battle between the pirates. Little did I knew it doubled as a Brothel. They knocked me out and by the time I gained my consciousness...."

She starts to tear up but she continues to speak, " I was forced to have sex with both men and women. If I said no, they used to beat me up until I lose my consciousness. They used to tie all of us inside with ropes or cuffs on our limbs so we can't escape, for their pleasure they used a lot of torture methods that.....like...like...like forcing alcohol, cigar ash, weapons and one time even...."

Tears slowly fall from her eyes, I give her some tissue to wipe her face. It's hard to digest all of this for me. I heard about Pirates sexually abusing their victims and saw that a lot back in North Blue due to the intense presence of the Underworld.

"...I don't want to talk more about those times now. Luckily enough, the Princess of Arabasta helped us in escaping and I kind of took some revenge by stealing their money and supplies from their place. I left Arabasta after waiting for a week in a civilian ship. I got so afraid from human touch that I attacked anyone who touched me for a while."

She ends her words with a cry. I see her cry and sob softly for some time with her reliving those traumatic moments once again. Her inital behavior towards all of us must be connected with this incident and that's why she took her time to get comfortable in the presence of an all male crew.

She lowers her head again, " I'm sorry if I troubled you with this...."
" No, Y/N-ya, Never apologise for this. As a Captain, I have to check up on everyone's mental health."

And not to let anyone fall in the darkness like me. Like myself in the past.

" I see but still I should..
" First Rule of our Therapy Sessions. You won't apologise to me for anything. We will work together for your recovery. Do you understand?"

" Yes...Captain."
" The sessions will be daily and tomorrow's session is after your medical check up in the morning."

Before she says, her hand partially covers her left eye. It has a soft purple glow and a chilling aura. I tighten my grip on the chair automatically like a reflex. Is this what the Dark King told me?

It stays for a few seconds. The pressure is hard to tolerate, giving me a feeling of my exposed skin nearly ripping off me. It's similar to Haki but feels different from it, cold yet dark. By the time the pressure weakens, she uncovers her eye slowly with the glow fading into her usual eye color.

What is this? If this is not, Conqueror's Haki then what is this?