Devilish

Dread

Leila stood in a shop, flicking through magazines and books. Law leant against the counter, talking with the clerk about certain items he couldn't find. She was starting to become bored. She had been following Law around all day at his request but her feet were starting to ache. Although she was perfectly happy, she couldn't help but feel slightly fatigued lately. As the clerk disappeared into the back room to search his stock Law glanced back to Leila.

"You doing okay?" He asked her, watching her closely. Leila nodded but gazed outside the shop. They had stopped off at another random town to pick up food and Law had kept her suffocatingly close to him since the newspaper bounty was released.

"Can I wait outside for a bit?" She asked him, slight pleading in her eyes. "It's stuffy in here"

Law paused and seemed to think about it for a moment. He was being so cautious of her being harmed that he was becoming over protective.

"...Law?" She questioned once more, breaking him out of his thoughts. "I promise I won't go far, I'll put my hood up too"

"Alright, but seriously don't wander off" He said with a tentative nod.

"Got it" She confirmed, pulling her hood up and over her head. She stepped into the street, a cool breeze hitting her flushed cheeks. She let out a comfortable sigh, feeling slightly less constrained. She could appreciate why Law was being careful – but she had been careful her whole life. Being beside him wouldn't gaurantee her safety. Besides, It was him who had persuaded her that she could start living her own life without worrying and overthinking.

Leila looked around at the citizens, trying to search for signs of shady business or familiar faces. Alas, she found none. She turned around the corner of the shop into a small alleyway, barely a few feet away and she sunk to her feet, crouching and leaning against the brick wall. She examined her fingernails as she waited for Law to come out, boredom sinking into her. However, she was startled when a tall figure paced through the alley with a stressed expression. His loud footsteps echoing through the confined space made Leila jump, he seemed to smirk.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you" He tipped his hat down at her in apology. Leila nodded and let her gaze fall to the floor so that her hood would stay down naturally. The man stopped pacing and looked at her for a moment. Leila grew slightly rigid but peeked up at the man with a raised eyebrow.

"Can I help you with something?" She asked calmly, her fingernails gripping into her skin in preparation to draw blood. Suddenly, she wished for Law to hurry up. She stood up in preparation but made it look natural, brushing off her jeans and leaning against the wall.

"Um..." The man murmured, seemingly anxious. Leila didn't recognize him at all and Xander rarely entrusts new men to come find her – it risked letting news of her devil fruit out into the world. Nonetheless, she had been gone for years. There could have been people she wouldn't recognize.

"Sorry for bothering you but do you happen to have a lighter?" The man asked her, making Leila widen her eyes slightly. "My wife's in hospital – we're having a baby...I-I just feel really nervous but I didn't bring my lighter with me"

"No I don't, sorry" Leila smiled at the man, still feeling slightly on edge. The man seemed to exuberate happiness though, his face anxious yet delighted at the same time. Maybe he was telling the truth? Something didn't seem quite right. "Congratulations though"

The man nodded in thanks and Leila began to walk outwards of the alley. She glanced back at the man but he didn't seem to be bothered by her at all – he was staring at the other side of the alley.

'Maybe he is just a worried dad-to-be?' Leila thought, utterly confused by the strange vibes the man had given off. She shrugged it off and as she was almost out of the alley she felt sudden footsteps behind her and a straight edged hand came to cut into the back of her neck – hitting her vagus nerve precisely. Leila felt herself intake a breath suddenly but alas, her vagus nerve that got hit was intensely overstimulated by the precise blow, leading her head to feel woozy.