Charlotte wandered through the halls easily, arms folded behind her head and eyes closed. Law went there. Poked at her pride of being a hunter. Finding a measly Devil Fruit in a base filled with enemies couldn't be that hard for a hunter. Sure, it wasn't hard, but—Charlotte didn't get a rat's ass about the stupid fruit. What was she going to do with another Devil Fruit anyway? Eat it? Thing tasted like shit the first time, she was certain it probably still tasted like shit.
Yet some way or another Law managed to convince Charlotte to actually search for the damn fruit, separately too. Charlotte would take care of the east wing while Law west. A plan that weighed favourably in Law's direction only. Which was why she was rebelling by searching with her eyes closed.
Her eyes snapped open, arms dropping before her, muscles ready at the strong presence before her. Standing next to Hina was a large, muscular, tanned man with purple hair with a strange black mechanical right arm. The hairs on her body stood straight when he turned towards her. Whoever he is, he is insanely strong. Charlotte swallowed thickly.
"Ah, that's the woman I was talking about, Zephyr-Sensei." Hina informed and Charlotte fought the fight or flight system that ran through her very core.
The man known as Zephyr scanned Charlotte once over and near silent murderous intent flooding out from her, and grinned. "You don't give her enough credit, Hina." The old instructor laughed, and the two females stared at each other confused. "This one's going places." He explained and lifted an arm to pat Charlotte's shoulder. Heavy! Charlotte heaved under the supposedly light taps. "Isn't that right, um—"
"Charlotte," Hina supplied, and Charlotte snapped her head around to stare wildly at her sponsor. Was every marine a chatterbox?! Charlotte groaned inwardly, somehow feeling that she was attracting unwanted attention again. "You say that, but this morning she got knocked out in a single hit." Charlotte's gaze went flat. Yep, that blow to her pride will last for some time. Maybe she should go find the guy and clock him one back. "Though, you seem to be much better. Maybe I didn't have to pull you out of the rest of today's class."
Zephyr laughed at Charlotte's expression, and this time his excited grin was towards the young Captain. "This one looks ready to fight you for that comment."
"Oh, you think you can take me?" She asked coolly around her cigarette, intrigued. She sized up the young huntress who only looked away.
Avoid unnecessarily conflict. Law's order rang in her mind, and had it not been for Zephyr next to her, she would have done the opposite just to annoy him. "Anyway, who are you and what's with the giant robo-arm?" Charlotte pivoted, having adjusted to Zephyr's heavy arm.
"Oi, show some respect! That's—"Zephyr waved Hina off. He laughed it off easily, reassuring the young captain that it was fine. "I'm a marine instructor and most here call me Zephyr-sensei." Zephyr introduced and lifted his large arm out before Charlotte. "As for this, it's a long story, but in short some mad scientists to give it to me after I lost my right arm."
"Was it Dr. Vegapunk?" Charlotte asked instantly, swiveling her gaze from the Battle Smasher and towards the man who only laughed at her eagerness.
"No, it was some other scientists." He chuckled when the light on her face dropped at the disappointing news. "You seem rather interested in the doctor. Were you hoping to meet him?"
"He's here?" Charlotte snapped her head left and right as if she could see him. Zephyr laughed at her excitement, apologizing for teasing her and Charlotte deflated, muttering something about disliking the marines present.
"Why are you so interested in the doctor?" Zephyr asked, watching closely the woman's brows knit together and her words became more selective.
"... I have a question regarding Devil Fruits." Charlotte explained quietly and Hina quirked a brow at that. Outside of being done in with a club to the head, the woman was plenty strong without a Devil Fruit. Nor did she seem like the kind to be wanting one.
Zephyr's smile dropped a bit at the words. He lifted his prosthetic arm before them. "While Devil Fruits gives the eater special super-human abilities, it doesn't mean that all those who eat them are strong." Zephyr started and Hina took out a fresh cigarette, well used to this conversation and the man's viewpoint on it ever since he lost his arm some time ago.
"You wouldn't want to be a Devil Fruit pirate facing off against Zephyr-sensei." Hina added while shielding the tiny flame as she lit her cigarette. "Zephyr-sensei's Battle Smasher is made out of Sea Stone." She added knowing the questioning look that Charlotte would be sending her way.
"Most fruit users become too reliant on their abilities and that becomes a weakness." Zephyr explained and made a grabbing motion with his large arm.
Charlotte nodded in understanding. The number of times she managed to get a Devil Fruit target down with seastone or water were too many. "That I can attest to." She agreed and the man grinned at her. Charlotte found herself taking back her earlier statement. She could get along with this marine.
"And this user will now excuse herself." Hina informed and saluted to the other. Zephyr waved her off in acknowledgement, promising to bring the young scout back after he's done talking to her. She was growing on him.
"While it may not be the same as meeting the doctor himself and learning about Devil Fruits from the source, the man has written several encyclopedias on Devil Fruits." Zephyr continued, chuckling again when Charlotte snapped her head excitedly in his direction, eyes shining. The woman could get whiplash at this rate. "If I remember correctly, there should be a volume of it here. We often use it to help new recruits get familiar with the different abilities seeing as several pirates have taken the fruit themselves."
Charlotte made a face and the instructor looked at her curiously. "I don't understand it." She sighed, honestly and scratched the back of her head in irritation. "They're constantly surrounded by water. Eating a Devil Fruit and getting cursed to sink in the sea would be the dumbest thing to do." She said and Zephyr could see where Captain Hina was getting at with the woman having a one-track mind. Though it seemed less like she didn't think and more like her number one focus was survival.
Anything to avoid unnecessary risks that could hinder her chances of survival, huh? He thought, watching the mumbling girl deep in her rant. "A lot of marines have eaten them too, you know?" He laughed when her shocked and disbelieving face disappeared as quick as it came with her lumping them all under 'dumb'.
"It's all about how you use it." Zephyr corrected, "Like I said before it grants people super-human abilities, but as long as the user doesn't become reliant on it, then it only aids into their arsenal and further their capabilities. Often times, losing the ability to swim is only a small price to pay compared to the gains." He said and Charlotte's face scrunched. He ruffled her hair with his head and Charlotte thought her neck was going to break under the weight. "Don't be so stubborn. Part of being agile is adapting and adapting isn't just about the physical." He said wisely and pushed off the woman.
Charlotte watched the man's large back for a moment, his words lingering in her mind. "Hey, do you know anything about a Devil Fruit being here?" She asked, suddenly.
"Are you thinking of eating one?" Zephyr asked and he laughed at the way her face twisted up in disgust. Doesn't seem like it. He thought contently as two others popped into the hallway from where Zephyr was walking to as if he knew the two would be there . The one with blue hair and an X-shaped scar on her leg called for him and Zephyr nodded. He lifted his human arm up, waving Charlotte goodbye and telling her to head back to training before he becomes unfriendly.
Charlotte nodded and waited until the man was out of view before turning around.
"You coming, Ain?" Zephyr asked, turning back towards his subordinate. She was still glancing off in the hallway they were just at.
"You go on ahead, Zephyr-sensei." Ain said, turning fully towards the hallway. "I think she may be lost." She said as she watched Charlotte turn down the wrong hall. "You said she was new, right?"
"You're going after her?" He asked and Ain nodded before taking off. He didn't take Charlotte to be an easily lost child.
Elsewhere, Shachi and Penguin glanced at each other. Their faces purple with sickness, their cheeks bulged and the two lurched forward to the nearest trashcan or toilet. The sound of hurling and emptying their earlier lunch echoed through the male's bathroom.
"Yeesh, I'm out of here. I'll let Captain T-Bone know. You two know where the infirmary is right?" The Marine behind them asked, his face twisted in disgust and his dainty fingers pinching his nose. He didn't bother to wait for a response before quickly leaving the vicinity.
The two pirates waited a few more moments before pulling their heads out. They glanced at each other once more and this time their faces split into wild grins. They hadn't figure out any other methods to excuse themselves outside of what happened with Charlotte. Thus, they decided to fake food poisoning to get out of their afternoon responsibilities. It worked perfectly.
"You go left, and I take right?"
Devil Fruit Encyclopedia... Charlotte chanted in her head. A large smile on her features as she peeked into the Marine Registry Archive Room. The walls were lined with papers, organized in some sort of filing system. This seems promising! She beamed. After her conversation with Zephyr, Charlotte pivoted goals. Rather than finding some disgusting poop-tasting fruit, she'd find the book authored by Dr. Vegapunk himself!
"What do you think you're doing here?" The question sliced through the soft tune the huntress was humming. Straightening, the huntress turned around, meeting Law's annoyed face with a plastered smile. "I said East Wing. This is the West Wing."
"I heard there could be a Devil Fruit encyclopedia here." He looked unimpressed at her response and annoyed at the nonchalant in her voice. Still the proposition was an intriguing one. "A Devil Fruit encyclopedia?" Law quirked a brow and Charlotte nodded, mentioning the famous doctor's name again and Law wasn't surprised that he was the author. It was only fitting. "You were supposed to look for the Devil Fruit not a book about it." Law reprimanded lightly.
Charlotte turned to him with a look questioning his intelligence. "While finding some weird fruit is interesting, it has nothing to do with me." Or my hunt. "It was the Heart Pirate's ordeal not mine."
"Need I remind you that you are now a part of the crew, and that means the crew's mission is also your mission." Law reprimanded and Charlotte turned to Law with a look of disbelief.
"Is that how this works?" Law groaned, rubbing his face in response.
"Did you honestly think I would follow your orders after all this time? You'd think being a doctor and all you'd be smart enough to realize that by now." Charlotte commented as she shuffled through files and papers, and Law felt his patience thinning.
She paused her rumbling to peek at the tall doctor. "I could ask you the same thing, a devil fruit can't exactly fit in those folders." Law realized where her platinum eyes had wandered to, and the man quickly jerked the files out view. But it was already too late. She had already seen them. Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Is he a spy for or against the Marines?"
"Huh?" Law quirked a brow at the sudden question.
"Joker's rather popular in the Underworld." Charlotte rephrased, fingers intertwining behind her back. "I'm surprised to see his family name in the Marine Registry. The Doflamingo family name—are they related? That marine and Joker?"
Law eyed the stretching woman silently, unsurely. "...Yes." He answered, hesitantly.
"How interesting." Charlotte hummed lightly as she turned back to scanning the shelves. Supposedly for the encyclopedia. His gaze drifted towards her left shoulder where he knew the scar was. Was Doflamingo the one who did that? Law shook the thought away. It wasn't like his work. Was it related somehow? That was a lot of information to have pieced together from a simple glance of a name.
"He was a spy for the Marines." Law added, to answer her original question. Charlotte whipped around to stare at him, mouth agape. "Huh?" She blanked.
Law blinked back at her too. "Huh?" He thought she knew seeing as how she picked up the file holding his Marine Code just now. "Did you think he worked for Doflamingo?"
"I didn't know. That's why I asked." She commented lightly, still caught off-guard. She would have assumed the other way around given their shared last name. The fact that it wasn't meant that it was more complicated. That there was more behind it. Yet, why did it also relieved her to hear that Joker didn't have arms within the Marine forces. "What's your relationship with them?"
"...why the sudden curiosity?"
Charlotte gave Law a look. "You're my target. A good hunter should know as much as they can about the target. And I don't know why a pirate holds such regard towards a marine." She hoisted herself up on a low cabinet. She blinked at the confusion on his face. "The way you've been cradling that folder to your chest reveals your feelings towards him. Who was he to you? The Marine spy." At her words, Law quickly pulled the folder away like it burned. Though he was unable to let it go. A notion that only further proved Charlotte's point and frustrated the doctor. Her lips curved devilishly at her next words. Watching Law struggle like this was oddly entertaining. "Aren't you going to tell me, Doctor? You were the one who told me to replace rumors with facts?"
Law sighed. He did tell her that. "He was ... my benefactor."
That was definitely not what Charlotte had in mind. The glimpse of his file flashed in her mind. The active status listed was 'Deceased'. She frowned. He used the past tense too. Death left a lot of unfavourable emotions for those still living. "Hey, how did—"
A presence flickered into her Haki range and she threw one of her karmabits out towards the presence. She cursed when she heard the woman shriek, the blade caught inches before it had landed square between her eyes.
"There's two of them." Charlotte informed as she fired off curses in her mind. She was really hoping they wouldn't have to fight him.
"I know." Law expanded his Room out around them. He stepped out from behind Charlotte's defensive stance, ignoring the pointed stare she was giving him. "Your weapon." He called with a frown and Charlotte realized that he wasn't able to shamble it back to her.
Charlotte flipped out her other karambit. "So, you finally realize you can use Kenbunshoku Haki too." Charlotte pivoted. Her voice smug but attention remained focused at the same spot Law was staring at. "Try not to forget that feeling." She instructed as the two intruders stepped into view. "And here I thought we were bonding well, Zephyr-Sensei."
"So did I." Zephyr said back, regret clear in his voice, but they both knew that the damage was superficial at best. Zephyr turned towards his subordinate. "You were gone for too long." He explained to the still shocked woman. He turned towards Law, easily recognizing him. "What is the Captain of the Heart Pirates doing here?"
"And you thought your disguise was ingenious." Charlotte huffed immediately. For someone who was so careful, his disguises were the worst. She turned towards the marines and asked, "Was it the Heart Pirate branding on the necktie that gave it away?"
"Better than some dumb goggles." Law shot back, "The guards recognized you immediately from your epithetic scarf on Sabaody Archipelago."
"Like you're any better with your signature hat!" Charlotte snatched the furry hat from his head to wave it before him.
The two broke away from each other and Charlotte's arm darted out to grab her blade flying back at them. The tip where the two stood just moments prior. Their attentions turned towards the marines.
"You're quite full of surprises. It's rare for Hina to be so off at someone's ability level. To think you've already awoken Haki." Zephyr commented, eyeing their supposedly new scout. He didn't recognize her from any of the pirate registry.
"Are you complimenting the enemy?" Charlotte asked with a grin far too wide. Pride swelling at the compliment.
Zephyr shook his head at the banter, a grin slanting on his face. "I would have really liked to take you into my division." He sighed and Law frowned at the thought. Before he could say that she was already taken, Charlotte spoke first.
"No, thanks." Charlotte rejected immediately, and for some reason Law grew smug at the response. Zephyr grinned wildly at the boldness in her tone, and Charlotte matched his grin, flipping her karambit around her hands.
The air between the four of them stale and thick with tension. Their eyes locking against each other, bodies tense and in the next moment, they disappeared.
Ain appeared before Charlotte, blocking her path when she tried to dart after Zephyr who went after Law. Both dual wielder's blades locking with each other, their strengths matched. The two jumped back and charged forward again as soon their feet touched the ground. Their blades clashing against each other.
"You're fast." Charlotte noted with a grin as Ain dodged another one of her attacks. She twisted on her heel, easily side stepping past the blade and Charlotte's arm. She flipped the grip on her blade and jabbed it towards Charlotte's stomach.
"So are you." Ain said back as she straightened. Her red-brown eyes followed Charlotte as she jumped back. "We both possessed tremendous agility, speed and reflexes, it seems." She analyzed calmly knowing that the other had already come to the same conclusion.
"Except our styles differ quite so." Charlotte agreed. Unlike Ain who had the poise and elegance of a dancer, Charlotte's movements were a lot more wild, instinctual and animalistic. "You remind me of a dancing swan." She said as she darted forward, speeding up as she moved. She pivoted at the last moment, changing direction. "I don't like birds."
Ain twisted on her heel, bringing both blades up to block the attack. "And you a snake." She grunted, forcing their blades apart.
Charlotte threw her karambit forward, knocking one of the blades out of Ain's hands. "Snakes are predators. I'll take that as a compliment." Charlotte grinned and Ain's eyes widened as Charlotte's voice sounded from behind her.
"Modo modo!" Ain shouted, and a pink-purple hue surrounded her hands. She twisted around and shot her hand forward, throwing an energy ball out. The ball flew towards the side, striking against a filing cabinet. It grew faint before falling apart into pieces, papers sliding out into a pile on the floor.
"What did you do?" Charlotte demanded, voice firm. The woman is a Devil Fruit user. Charlotte was right to hook her arm with her karambit and redirect the attack before it touched her. Though, she wished she had used her sharp edge instead. Cutting off the arm would have been better; her hands were dangerous.
"Modo Modo!" Ain charged forward, a blade in one hand and her ability in the other. Charlotte cursed, and pushed off feet, jumping backwards.
"Devil Fruit users are so reliant on their abilities." Zephyr said, throwing another punch. It dented the filing cabinet that Law had shambled himself with at the last moment. "And yours is most annoying." Zephyr turned towards where Law had materialized again. "Do you plan on dodging the whole time?"
"No," Law answered, and Zephyr noticed the long blade now by his side. Law drew the long sword out of its sheath quickly in an attack. One that should have been too far to land.
"That was dangerous." Zephyr announced calmly. His body tilted to the side. The cabinet behind him slid off, top from bottom. The diagonal cut parallel to the way Zephyr moved to dodge the cut. His years of experience and speed being the two factors that saved him. He hadn't sensed the danger until it was seconds from slicing him in two. He now understood why Law was giving the marines so much trouble and why he was part of the Worst Generation. Too bad for him, he wasn't just some marine.
Law frowned at the sight. Just who was this old man to be able to dodge this attack so easily? "Shambles." He called quickly when Zephyr appeared suddenly before him. Law huffed as he appeared where the fallen cabinet was. A cut opening on his cheek from where Zephyr's fist had grazed him. "You're fast for a man of your age." Law scowled and blood dripped down his cheek. Also, what was that black coating on his arm?
Charlotte frowned as she dodged the pink orbs flying towards her yet again. The random objects struck either vanishing or dropping into a pile on the ground. She still hadn't figured out if being hit by that pink glow dissembles you into pieces or make you vanish. Or did it depends on what you get hit with? She had no clue. "What fruit did you eat?"
"I am under no obligation to answer your questions, pirate." She said instead and Charlotte cursed. Weren't all users normally loose lipped? "But, if you must know, I am a reverting human who ate the Modo Modo no Mi." She revealed anyway.
Revert? Charlotte repeated, spinning into the air to dodge yet another attack. Her platinum eyes darting to Law and his battle with the marine instructor. They finally made it back to Law and the other. She watched as Law pivoted, charging towards his mechanical arm instead. "Wait! That arm is made out of Sea Stone!" Charlotte shouted, planting her feet against the filing cabinet and pushing forward towards Law.
"Got you." Ain whispered triumphally from next to Charlotte. She had forward towards Charlotte as Charlotte tried to pivot towards Law. "Modo Modo!" She pressed her glowing hand against Charlotte's stomach only to hit air instead. "Huh?" She stared at the cabinet door on the ground in confusion.
Charlotte launched herself into his face, leg brought up for a round house kick, using Law's shambles would give her the advantage. "That's some awfully scary teamwork you two have." Zephyr hissed, hand grabbing her ankle the last second before the kick landed. He chuck her at Law, who caught her with a grunt.
Bound to happen given how many battles we have. Charlotte responded mentally, slightly irked that her hunting attempts doubled as good practice and understanding of each other's battle styles. "That's twice now." Charlotte panted as Law lowered her to the ground. He looked at her in confusion, but she didn't explain more. Frowning at herself. He saved me twice now.
"To think that you were gathering information earlier." Zephyr said, impressed, remembering their earlier conversations. He had mistaken her questions for interest not for data collection. He looked at Law's confusion in surprise and her grin, realizing that she had done it on her own. "She's a cautious one, that woman." He complimented. He's gotten himself a really good one. A shame that she was on the enemy side.
"I don't think I need to tell you, but we won't win against him." Charlotte said, ignoring Zephyr's commentary. She pointed towards the marine instructor. "If it helps to put in perspective. He's the marine instructor who taught all three vice-admirals." She added and Zephyr's grin grew wilder. Truly impressed.
Law snapped his head towards the instructor, shock in his eyes but a scowl on his face. That explained a lot. But it wasn't good news. Charlotte was right; they wouldn't be able to win against him. "I'm surprise your suggesting to run." He didn't peg her to back down so easily.
She shot him a quizzical look. "Whoever said we're running? We're just postponing this battle." Her lips stretched into a jeer and Law chuckled lightly. Just like her failed hunt—postponed until later. Law stretched his room further, fingers brought up to make their escape.
Or that was the plan.
"As if we'll let you escape!" Zephyr declared, appearing right before them, well into their space.
Fast! The two jerked back as fast as they could to widen the distance. His speed much faster than earlier. Charlotte was barely able to get her voice working before Law was swatted to the side wall like a fly. Charlotte gritted her teeth when Zephyr turned to her, arms snapping up to block anything incoming while pushing back to put distance between them.
Charlotte watched in confusion when the other didn't chase after her, instead stilling, straightening, and then grinning at her. Charlotte's eye widened in realization—she had played into his plan. She twisted around just in time for a pink glow to surround her vision.
"Modo modo!"
And Charlotte faded.
"Hunter-ya!" Law called as he pulled out of the smoke just in time to see the huntress disappeared, leaving nothing but a pile of clothes. "Hunter-ya!" He called again. This time grunting as he blocked the blackened fist with his blade.
What in the world?! Law thought. His sword unable to cut the skin and flesh there.
Law shambled himself out of the way when the mechanical arm reached for him again. Swapping his location with the further item away from their battle to buy time. "Answer me damn it!" He ordered loudly between pants, focusing on the pile of clothes where Charlotte once stood. When no response came back, he relied on Haki instead.
A blue aura focused into view just as Charlotte's purple head popped out of the white pile of clothes in time with the aura focusing into her silhouette.
"Shut up already!" Charlotte snapped, finally getting free from all the fabric. Her platinum eyes widened as she watched past her target's relaxed smile towards the danger coming towards him. "Hands off my target!!" She screamed, muscle coiling.
"You don't have the luxury to be look away from the battle." Zephyr's voice came behind Law.
The doctor spun around just in time to see the Battle Smasher closing in on him. "Shi—" Law's curse vanished into the wind as his body jerk towards the side. A pair of heels dug into his arm and sending him tumbling into a cabinet. "Hunter-ya!" Law called as he climbed out of the rumble. His left arm stung in pain, but he barely had time for it before he was attacked by Ain.
"Don't let her touch you with those hands!" Charlotte warned with a shout, and Law quickly shambled her away from the battlefield. He refocused on the tiny head peeking out from the top of the large prosthetic arm, looking worse for wear. She paid him back once now.
Charlotte struggled against the iron grip. Her one free arm banging and shoving against the seastone fingers weakly. Her energy left her quickly, panting unevenly as she fell limp against the stone. Her platinum eyes held their glare even if wearily.
"You're a Devil Fruit user too." Zephyr said with faint surprised. He hadn't seen her use her ability once in battle. "Except you don't rely on it like the rest of them."
She rolled her head back, trying to lock their gazes so she could glare at him. Her face twisted into a smirk, and she hoped it didn't look as sleepy or lopsided as she felt. "Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of having such a kind ability." She spat but took the man's compliment, nevertheless.
He grinned at the feisty response. "Is that man really worth risking your life to save?" He asked and then added when Charlotte's feeble struggles paused. "Are you really a pirate like him?" He really wished he could have had her in his division. Perhaps if they had met at another time or world.
She wondered about that too. Her experiences with the doctor had been anything but pleasant. He was a sadistic manipulator who infuriated and annoyed her to ends, but then there was the crew. The ones who had called her friend. As much as she'll deny it when asked, her experiences with the Hearts were never boring. Every moment filled with some kind of adventure or laughter. It was almost fun. Compared to the lonesomeness of hunting, piracy was warm. She tilted her head back, so she was looking down at him. Her platinum eyes never leaving his shaded ones, and a cocky grin spreading across her face. "Does it matter?"
Ah. It really is a shame. His grin matched hers. "Guess not." He said solemnly and squeezed tighter. While crushing a child wasn't something he normally did or engaged in, she was pirate, and all pirates were evil.
He frowned when his hand closed far too easily. He opened his grip, staring at the tiny wooden box he had crushed instead. Zephyr snapped his head around quickly. "Damn that Devil Fruit ability is annoying." He cursed. Law was gone too, along with the strange blue dome they were fighting in. "Are you alright, Ain?" He asked as the woman made it back into the archive room, panting. Law had sent her far.
"I'll begin the search, Zephyr-sensei." Ain announced with a salute. She turned around a second later, ready to dash off and begin her search when Zephyr called for her.
"Don't bother. They're gone." Zephyr said and Ain pulled her step back. He sighed. "Come Ain," He pivoted and turned away from where the two had disappeared. "Ain." He called again when she hesitated. Zephyr scowled in memory of the strange box-shaped hole on Charlotte's chest. He had only caught a glimpse of it from where the no longer fitting marine top had failed to cover as she struggled against his hold. The placement of it was where any human heart should have been.
Was she really apirate out of her own choosing?