The Elementalist Lucia [One Piece x OC fanfiction]

XXXXIII - Alliance

"Wait Lucia, you never told me that you were friends with Tra-guy??" asked Luffy, perched on a huge snowball created by the children. "Lucia ? Lucia?"

The young woman did not answer, lost in her thoughts, her eyes fixed on the incessant ballet of snowflakes in the air. The whole crew stopped talking and turned their attention to the Elementalist, who sat motionless on the ground, her head supported by one hand. Since they had been behind the laboratory on Punk Hazard Island, Lucia had said nothing, done nothing. She had just sat there, completely closed to everything that was happening around her. The fate of the children, Chopper's anger, Nami's resolve. Nothing was getting through to her. Without warning, Luffy approached her and crouched down to be at her height before putting his forehead against Lucia's.

"I don't know what happens in there but it works hard", he noted by pushing his index finger on Lucia's skull.

She had a small sad smile before resigning herself to answer his first question:

"No, I never told you that I was friends with Law. Simply because we are not friends, it is indeed him who looked after me after Marineford and I stayed with his crew for 2 months afterwards, so I know them a little. At least I thought I did..."

"Spit it out," Franky urged her.

"I don't know," she sighed. "There's just something wrong here."

"I think we all noticed that," said Nami.

"No, you don't understand..." Lucia murmured.

They couldn't understand. Not that she didn't want to explain herself, she just wasn't able to do it. That unpleasant feeling that turned her stomach wouldn't go away ever since she had settled down, when she had seen Law. His cold gaze couldn't leave her mind. She was convinced that something was wrong and not being able to put her finger on it was driving her crazy.

"Listen," said Luffy, "if you're worried about Tra-guy, don't be, he's strong and he can defend himself. And if he's really in trouble, well, we'll just help him."

"NEVER IN A LIFETIME!" shouted Chopper and Usopp in unison.

Lucia let out a small laugh:

"I love how simple things are with you!"

With an air of concern, she then looked down at her forearm, Luffy followed this gesture and discovered the blue symbol that adorned it and that glowed weakly.

"Oh but it's-"

She nodded:

"Yes, a life link that I put on him earlier without him realizing it. I don't need to have a long contact with the person to install it, I can create them faster. Just like the one I put on you before the events of Impel Down and Marineford, it allows me to see the approximate state of health of the person I have bound. The more the light weakens, the worse the wearer is, even close to death."

"Its color does not look very bright", noted Robin.

"No indeed, it is another element which pushes me to think that something does not go straight in the behavior of Law."

She passed her thumb gently over the small mark that was pulsing at a regular rhythm.

"I'll come with you to the lab to see this 'Master,'" she announced.

They divided again. The head of the samurai - who had found his legs hooked to Luffy's back - had dashed outside to get his torso that Brook had fought earlier, followed by the skeleton, Sanji - who felt responsible for him - and Zoro. Chopper, on his side, had discovered that the children were drugged and was anxious to free them from the hold of the "Master" who held them in the hollow of his hand with those few chemical treats. Therefore, Nami and Usopp wanted to stay with the children while Luffy, Lucia, Franky and Robin would go to the scientist's laboratory to find out who it was.