"'Crewmate', my ass." Charlotte grumbled as she hauled the wash load into a large bin. "More like housemaid." She continued, glaring at the slow drying machine. There were already two other piles waiting to be dried. She was assigned to laundry duty shortly after the kitchen dish fiasco. The Heart Pirates found out the hard way that Charlotte could not clean a single plate without breaking them. Unfortunately, they had found out after Charlotte had finished cleaning all the dishes.
"It's not my fault, their plates are breakable." She continued. "I'm a hunter, not a maid!" They couldn't get mad at her for doing her job poorly. How did they expect her to do things well that she had never done before in her life? "Also what part of 'I refuse' do they not understand?"
She picked up a smaller white tee from the done pile and brought it against her top half. "At least this way I can get something to wear." She was wearing her regular black sleeveless crop top and cargo pants for the time being. But she didn't have anything else to wear whenever her one outfit ended in the wash.
She folded the top and dropped it along a very small stack of clothes she had put aside as viable options. Charlotte plopped into a random basket and lolled her head back, tired. That was when she spotted a different attire amongst the boiler suits. It was blue in nature and had black spots all over it. A mischievous smirk crawled its way onto Charlotte's face and in the next moment she had flipped herself over and was ripping the jeans out of the tangled mess. Charlotte stared at the hanging jeans for a moment before and throwing boiler suits everywhere to find the rest of his attire.
"There." Charlotte announced happily as she patted her hands off and stretched out her back. The garbage chute that Charlotte had failed to open many times before was now fully open. Relishing in her feat for a moment, Charlotte grinned proudly before bending over and heaving the bag full of Law's clothes towards the chute.
"What are you doing?" Charlotte jumped at the sudden voice, turning around slowly. Her shoulders hunched together slightly from being caught doing something she knew she shouldn't. "Oh, it's only you." Charlotte said, shoulders dropping back to normal as she spotted the other. Without any explanation or further acknowledgement whatsoever, Charlotte turned back to shoving the pile into the hole.
Ignoring the brush off, Penguin peered over at what Charlotte was doing. "What are you doing?" He repeated.
"Throwing away some clothes since washing them takes too long."
"Oh... okay... wait, what? Isn't that Captain's?!"
The next moment, he was fighting against Charlotte, pulling on the sack. "You can't just throw away all of Captain's clothes! He'd kill you!"
"Not if he has nothing to wear to do it!" Charlotte doubt that the prideful Trafalgar Law would just stroll out in nothing but his birthday suit. Actually—Charlotte stifled a laughter—she doubted that he could be intimidating at all in that situation. Her eyes snapped open, and her jaws dropped when Penguin managed to pry the bag out of her hands. "Hey! Give it back!"
"No. You'll thank me for this later." Penguin tucked the garbage bag behind him. It didn't matter if he has nothing to wear when he wants to kill Charlotte. He had her heart! He could easily end her without even as much as leaving his room. "Can't you just get along with Captain? He's not as bad as you think. Scary sometimes, but he cares." Penguin added softly, with a bashful smile. It fell as soon as his gaze met Charlotte's face twisted back in disgust. "He really does!"
Her face snapped back to normal, and Charlotte threw the tail of her scarf over her shoulder. "Yeah, because the doctor who steals heart, drugs his crew, and puts them in chains is totally an outstanding guy!" Charlotte exclaimed sarcastically with a dramatic roll of her eyes.
"Ugh!!" Penguin shot back as if he had been stabbed, "When you put it like that..." He muttered, eyes flickering to the chains rustling when she raked a hand through her hair. A heavy sigh left her.
"Whatever!" Charlotte groaned, pushing past the other. Her mood soured.
Penguin watched the retreating huntress with a frown on his face. Perhaps he should talk to their Captain about the chains. It did feel wrong to keep her chained up still. His brows pinched together. He could already feel the start of a migraine coming. It was times like these that he didn't like being the sensible one. Penguin patted himself down and was about to leave when he remembered the black bag he had took from Charlotte. "What am I going to do with this?"
Charlotte peaked into the galley through the small window, eyes scanning for any signs of life. Ever since she confronted Law about being inducted as a member of the Heart Pirates, she finally understood why the crew became so talkative around her and why they kept asking her questions about herself. They wanted to know more about their newest member. It only added fuel to the fire of curiosity when they found out that she's been to the New World.
Damn prey! Why couldn't he be clearer at the beginning? She hissed, remember how Law had seemed surprised that she didn't know. He only said staying aboard the ship! How was I supposed to know that mean that I was a part of his crew? Also, I refused! She thought, angrily. Her eyes landed on the cuffs around her wrists and her scowl deepened. Some great crew this was.
"Demon Witch, did ya forget how to open the door?" Cole finally decided to ask after staring at the huntress glare at the metal door as if she could light it on fire. "Y'know for someone with the colours of Haki or whatever, you're rather dumb when it come to normal people things!" He commented, stepping past her and into the galley with a push of the door. He made air quotes around the words 'colours of Haki'. His lackadaisical expression turned into an adrenaline rush grin as he dodged a kick to the temple. He scurried quickly inside.
"You will be the last person I ever teach the Haki to!" She promised, yelling after the male. She pulled back when she realized the many eyes now staring at her and the several conversations she interrupted. Turtling into her muffler, Charlotte brought the ridge of her red scarf higher. Silently, she made her way towards the bar for today's lunch. A satisfied grin splitting across her face when she heard Cole's frustrated shout at having to eat with his hands since there were no plates of use.
"Ya dumb face can't even wash a plate?!" Cole shouted, head snapping towards her. Expression a cross between disgust and exasperation.
Her grin dropped.
"Hey, is it just me, or do you think Charlotte's temper is getting shorter and shorter?" One of the crew whispered towards the other from the sidelines. The two already in another fist fight in the center of the galley.
"What is it?" Law questioned, never taking his eyes off the meter connected to his patient's blood pressure. His question directed towards the two still murmuring curses at each other at the infirmary door. Shachi shoved the two further apart with a huff and then fisted his hand in Charlotte's scarf when she tried to run off again.
"These two got into another fight and need to be treated." Shachi informed loudly, shoving the two further apart. Charlotte snapped her head towards the older male at the last word, brows raised and then she pivoted on her heels. Shachi quickly yanking her back when she tried to run off again. "This one especially. She's been hiding injuries and avoiding treatment."
Law piqued at that. He wrote down some notes on Dan's profile while muttering a quick "all's good" to the other. Dan tugged his shirt back over his head, having finished his routine checkup, and slid off the medical table to make room for the other two. "What did the two fought about this time?" He asked. The two of them were like cats and dogs, constantly fighting.
Shachi blanched, remembering how his lunch was ruined when the two ran into his meal. "Plates." He stated one-wordily, and Dan nodded with a simple 'ah'.
What the hell? Law thought, completely unable to follow. He quirked a brow towards the huntress when Cole peeled back his boiler suit top to reveal the bite wound on his shoulder. Really? He blanched at the way the huntress huffed, lifting her nose to the sky and her glancing away. He took the chance to scan her for injuries. The typical scuffle mark present on her body and the occasional bruise. "How many times does this make?" He sighed and Cole stiffened at the question.
"...seven...?" Cole answered reluctantly only when Law sent him a pointed glare.
Law exhaled loudly, nodding silently to himself. He took in the additional bandages Cole was sprouting. They told a similar tale. "How many did you win?"
Cole blinked at the unusual question and even Charlotte had turned back at the oddity of it all. How many did he win? He wasn't quite sure. Most of the time, the fight would get broken apart by some third party like this time with Shachi. If no one intervened, how would it have ended? Charlotte was growing tired... he grinned cheekily. "All of them!"
"As if!" Charlotte interjected quickly. Arms no longer crossing over her chest and now balled up before her. "I would have whooped your ass if no one intervened."
"Psh, don't kid yourself, Dumb Witch. I saw ya getting all sluggish." He retorted back instantly with a self-smug grin, only to get a boot square in the face if it wasn't for Law intercepting it. Cole swallowed thickly at the heel inches from his eyes.
"I would appreciate it if you don't further injury my patients in front of me." Law stated calmly. Though Kikoku blocking her kick spoke otherwise.
A warning that Charlotte blatantly chose to ignore. "So, it's fair game if it's somewhere not before you?" Law's faux smile dropped into a pointed glare. One that had little impact on the huntress who only took the jeer in strides.
"She's not even trying to hide what she's planning..." Dan muttered, unsure whether to mark it off as stupidity or insanity. Probably both. Or confidence. Shachi added after a moment's pause. He eyed the way she held herself steady. She was definitely confident in her skills. Her previous comment on their abilities echoing in his mind.
Law shifted the long blade until it bonked her on the head. "No," He answered anyway, and her face dropped into a childish pout. "At least seven fights, yet there's not a single bandage on you." He commented and Charlotte flinched at the steel cold eyes analyzing her physique again. There were definitely marks from her fight with Cole and he did leave quite a few hits on her surprisingly, yet none of them were patched up like Cole was. "You haven't been coming to the infirmary after your fights like you were supposed to."
"She also has unattended cuts from all the plates she broke." Shachi added helpfully and Charlotte immediately shot him a glare.
"N-No, I don't..." Charlotte stuttered, quickly stepping over her bounded wrists to hide them behind her. The group blanched at her attempt. The motion making it even more obvious. That's what she denies?!
"Come to think about it," Law started, and Charlotte felt the pit of her stomach drop. "You haven't completed your medical exam yet either." He spoke as if he had just remembered it, but the smirk on his face said otherwise. Charlotte had been avoiding it ever since the order came out and Law knew.
"It's fine." Charlotte held out her hand in a polite no. It had the opposite effect though as all eyes fell onto the many cuts lacing her hands from when she tried to find all the broken pieces of the plates in the bubbly sink. The medically literate members shrieked at the state of her hands and Charlotte attempted to hide them again. They didn't look that bad.
"Block the exit. Dan-ya, Shachi-ya, don't let her leave without getting treated." Law ordered to the others and the two was blocking the door immediately, battle stances ready. "Cole-ya, restrain her." Cole's grin split eerily wide at the order. That was an order he will gladly carry out. "Aye, aye, Captain."
A shiver ran up Charlotte's back and immediately her Haki spread out around her. Charlotte slid one leg out around her in a swooping motion, knocking Cole on his back. Her platinum eyes catlike as she focused on the one and only exit as she bolted.
"There's nothing to be scared off, Charlotte!" Dan reassured boldly. Though as time continued and Charlotte showed no signs of halting, he grew worry for his own safety. His arms darted up, shielding his face when Charlotte sped up. "Stop!" He yelped in a last-ditch effort to not be runover.
Charlotte twisted her heel at the last moment, pivoting to jump off the side wall and twisting her body so she slipped through the small opening above Dan's and Shachi's heads and the high arch of the door. "Eh?" Dan blinked, when he realized he was still okay. Then blanched as he locked eyes with his Captain, realizing he had failed him.
Agile. Law noted as he watched the motion. His eyes following the movement well. His lips curved upwards as he was once again reminded of the asset that Charlotte was to his crew. His crew on the other hand... his gaze drifted from Dan towards Shachi and his hand gripping at the tail of her scarf bent over his shoulder. While they had room to improve, they weren't half bad either. They did manage to catch a prey bigger than they could quite bite.
Charlotte sat half against the floor and half against the backside of Shachi's legs, eyes bugged and mouth wheezing for air. Her hands clawed at the scarf now wrapped too tightly around her windpipe. Though the important action of reassuring that she breathed air became a second thought when she saw a pair of dark dress shoes poke into the corner of her peripherals. Instead, she shot Law the nastiest glare she could manage.
Like a hissing cat. Law mirrored the action and with a quick chant, he shambled Charlotte back to the middle of the infirmary.
"Captain!" The others cried out in worry as Charlotte immediately launched a punch towards the tall doctor.
"I'm fine." He reassured with a sigh. His crew often overzealous when it came to his safety. He caught the punch with ease, having already predicated it. He already knew how quickly Charlotte adapted to his shambles from all her attacks. He tightened his grip against the captured fist when she tried to pull back. "Gotcha." He grinned and it was then that Charlotte realized she played into his plans. She wasn't going to get her hands back.
"Captain's so smart!" The crew cheered as the doctor treated her multiple cuts.
Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Wow, a cheer squad."
Law quirked a brow at the grumble and responded in kind with a small exasperation. Equally quiet. "Yeah, they can be extra at times."
Now it was Charlotte's turn to stare at the other in surprise. The comment unexpected, but the small smile on his face said he didn't hate it all together.
"For the medical checkup, I'll need you to remove your top." Law instructed calmly and then added when two of the other males cheered. "You three can leave now." They, except Cole who rather not see anything, booed at that but left, nevertheless. He turned back towards the huntress waiting expectantly. "Your top, Hunter-ya?" A pause. "Don't even think about running. I'll shamble you back."
Charlotte clicked her tongue. She glared at him before cursing and offering a middle ground. "How about I take off my pants instead?"
Perhaps if what Charlotte had said made any sense, Law wouldn't have been so shocked. "What?" was the only coherent response he managed out of himself after a long pause. Never in his whole career as a doctor had someone suggested such a ridiculous idea. Her vitals weren't located in her legs; they were in her torso. Except Law never had the chance to correct her since she was already gone by the time his mind caught up and a 'what' escaped his mouth.
Jean Bart held the helm steady, "We should be arriving soon, Captain." He announced and Bepo gave a nod in confirmation. "Good report, Jean Bart!" The bear complimented, giving the other a thumbs up as if he was supervising the other's work.
"Captain," Jean Bart called again, quieter this time. He kept his gaze forward. He continued when Law lifted his gaze towards him. "You said we were heading there to restock. But the Kuja Tribe was generous in providing us provisions and Sabaody Archipelago was much closer. What do we need from this island that the others cannot provide?"
Law felt his lips curl at the ex-captain's words. While Jean Bart followed him loyalty like the rest of the crew, he was much more experienced and had led a crew himself in the past. This excuse was a roundabout one and they both knew it. "We now have a female crew member." Law informed as if it was new news. "Charlotte needs some clothes seeing as how she refuses to wear the boiler suit or what the Kuja provided." She immediately thrown the boilersuits down the garbage chute the four times they gave her one. They had to upgrade the chutes to avoid her throwing anything else down. He paused, face turning sour before adding. "We also need new plates."
Bepo scratched his head. "Wouldn't she have some on Sabaody Archipelago? Wouldn't it make more sense if we were to go there to pick up her belongings?"
"She'll run away as soon as we dock if we do that." Law commented over the rim of his coffee cup. Sabaody Archipelago was in her turf and who knows what the huntress would do. Plus, there was also that 'business' she had mentioned in the five minutes where she had him.
"You're rather keen on keeping someone who doesn't want to stay." Jean Bart commented, offhandedly, but his gaze remained on the path ahead. "I don't think she'll run away."
Law placed his cup down, humming slightly. "Why is that?" He was almost certain the huntress would. She had declared it so many times and she didn't seem to be lying then either.
"She doesn't seem like the type to give up."
"Meaning?"
"She's still after you, Captain."
"What? She's still after Captain's bounty after all this time?!" Bepo asked horrified. She had been docile and haven't made a single move against their Captain. His eyes darted towards his Captain who didn't seem surprised at the news. "Captain! I'll make sure she doesn't get near you!"
He waved a quick 'thanks' to the bear and his attention returned towards his other recruit. "There's also the heart that you still have." Jean Bart added, and they both agreed that it was insanity for someone to leave that behind.
"What are you getting at, Jean Bart?" Law sighed, reclining back into his seat.
"...Aren't there enough reassurances already without those handcuffs?"
Law had gone to inform his crew that they were docking soon. Or that was the plan, but now he was making a pit stop back to his room first. Strung over his shoulder, attached to his nodachi like a hobo sac was the black bag of clothes. He had found Penguin with them. Next to the open garbage chute. It didn't take long for Law to guess what was happening and before the stuttering boy could say anything, Law shambled him.
Though as odd as it was to find Penguin trying to toss his clothes away. Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw after pushing open the metal door to his room.
"And here I thought you had given up on rebelling given how docile you've been recently." Law commented, closing the door behind him. The hobo sac of clothes now embedded with a karambit Charlotte had chucked at him as soon as he entered his room. "Setting up a trap to capture me?" He asked casually as he put the bag down on the edge of his bed and plucked out the knife.
Charlotte spun on her heels to face him, and his gaze fell immediately to the cufflinks keeping her arms bound. His gaze pulled back to his face when she shrugged, not at all intimidated at being found. "I'm not stupid enough to think that I can take on you and your crew and escape in the middle of the sea in a yellow hunk of metal that I have no idea how to maneuver." She answered easily with a toss of her hair over her shoulder.
A surprisingly logical and honest answer.
"So," Law said, eyeing his room, "you figured to find your heart instead."
She shrugged causally. "I mean, it'll be nice to leave whole."
"It's not here. You won't find it." He told and before Charlotte could respond saying that she knows that already, Law continued. "But that's not what you have there is it?" He pointed to the item tucked under her shirt with the sheathed end of his blade.
"You're quite well read." She said instead and gestured to the many open books strewn across his desk and the many more lining the bookshelves and walls.
He followed the gesture, reading the spines of the several medicinal books he had long ago committed to memory. "I am a doctor." He repeated again, gaze returning towards the humming huntress and the cuffed hands by her stomach, fingertips curled around the edge of her shirt. "And I asked you a question, Hunter-ya?" It intrigued him. What was so interesting that he was able to sneak up on her with her Haki abilities?
"I was getting there, my, so impatient." Charlotte said dramatically. She slipped the thin journal out. "I figured since you have so many, you wouldn't miss one."
The book was just another book like the many ones in his library. His brows furrowed, trying to remember what was so special about that certain book for it catch her attention. "And what's so special about that book?" He asked.
Her face seemed to light up at the fact that he didn't know and his darkened at the easy lie she told. He gave her a warning look and to try again. "It's just a book." She cringed slightly at the word 'just' as if she couldn't bear to call it something so simplistic.
His looked at the journal once more, eyes pausing on the author's name: Dr. Vegapunk. The scientist ahead of his time and the one most knowledgeable about devil fruits. "The book," He called, and Charlotte sighed, placing the book down on a nearby table reluctantly. She raised her chained arms up in an easy show of surrender and Law found his eyes lingering on the bulky cuff and chains around her thin wrists that seemed to be topic as of late. Rayleigh. Jean Bart. Even Penguin.
"Fine, fine. I get it. I won't take your book." Her words drew him back from his thought and he watched her face.
"No, it's fine. If you want to read it." He said and found interest in the way her face lit up again. Her bounded arms grabbed the book to her chest instantly, holding it close in case he was going to take it away from her. He didn't take her for an avid reader. "In exchange, tell me about your Devil Fruit ability." Her smile froze.
It was on of the many mysteries of the woman that interested him. There were no two devil fruits alike, and no known fruits to have mirroring abilities. Yet here he found her using his abilities in their fight together. His. But that wasn't all either, he had seen her use other moves that didn't belong to the scope of his Ope Ope ability, moves that looked far too similar to other known Devil Fruit users.
"Your interested in it has something to do with your ability, am I right?"
Charlotte's lips drew thin and her voice airy. "... wow, you really are... just..." Her lips twisted, "...yeah." She swallowed, lifting her gaze to meet his. An emotion he couldn't quite place in them. "Yeah," she repeated stronger this time. "It helps with my ability."
"And your ability is?" He pressed, taking a step forward. She took a step back. Then there was this strange behaviour of hers. The one where she seemed oddly cautious about the maintaining distance with everyone, especially him.
He took another and she mirrored it backwards, except her heel had crashed into reading desk. He lifted his left hand. "Touch me and I'll kill you." She breathed. Her platinum eyes steeled. His hand hovered over her bare bicep.
"It's touch base." Law said then, his voice warm against her skin. "Your ability." He watched her throat tightened as she swallowed. Her gaze focused on the space between his skin and hers. His hand hovered over her bare arm, tauntingly close to touch. He had an inkling to what her ability could be, and it all makes sense when he thinks about it, but it was a ridiculous idea—a ridiculous ability—if it was true. But when have Devil Fruits not been anything but ridiculous? "You can copy another's Devil Fruit through touch."
For the first time since she boarded the yellow sub, Charlotte's eyes grew wide in shock.
No way... Charlotte mentally muttered as she stared at the unhindered doctor. She couldn't read him through his mask to see if he had just made a lucky guess or if he truly knew. She had much hoped it was the sooner than the latter.
She thought about playing it off as a ridiculous notion. it off, saying that it was a ridiculous notion. A Devil Fruit ability like that was just too insanely OP. But her denial held no weight and her words sounded weak even in her own ears. Her gaze flickered back to the hand ghosting over her skin at even the slightest movements before darting to his face—she was caught. And there was no way out.
She broke eye contact again then, biting and rolling her bottom lip. Law was serious. It was not a lucky guess, and he wasn't going to relent off the topic until he heard the truth from her. She gripped the journal tighter, and she let a breath slip past her lips. "It's called the Gisu Gisu no Mi."
She pulled her lips tight, platinum eyes steeling with newfound fire. Herlips slant and the words that slipped out of her mouth with ire instead were, "Ihate Devil Fruit users."