Lovely Snow [Trafalgar Law]

[III] Questions Asked

Chapter Three: Questions Asked

Miyuki finally awoke around noon the next day. Her entire body ached, but by far the worst was the throbbing pain in her head. She expected to find the bright blue sky over her, but when Miyuki opened her eyes she instead found a blinding light and a metal ceiling. There was no way that the villagers had helped her, and this clearly wasn't a pirate ship. That left two options, the marines or...

"You're awake!" A familiar looking red head with a blue and red cap entered her vision.

"Get out of her face Shachi." At the sound of the second voice, Miyuki turned her head to see a familiar black and yellow hat that read 'Penguin'.

"Where am I?" Miyuki made a move to sit up. Her whole body protested and her head began to spin. Miyuki's already pale complexion completely drained of color.

"Miss Cook Lady, are you okay?" When Miyuki didn't respond, Shachi grew more concerned. "Go get Captain!" Penguin quickly jumped into action and ran out of the infirmary.

"Miss Cook Lady, you should lay back down until Captain gets here." Captain? Shachi gently placed his hands on Miyuki's shoulders and pushed. She went down without a fight and squeezed her eyes closed.

Everything hurt. And for the first time in a while, Miyuki didn't want to hurt. All she wanted was for the pain to go away.

"Captain, Captain!" Penguin came running towards Law with a pale face. Law lazily turned his attention to Penguin.

"That lady woke up but something is wrong!" This got Law's full attention. She should be fine, he was sure of it.

"What happened?" Penguin took a deep breath and explained the situation. He tried to remain as calm as possible, but he still had a sense of urgency in his voice.

Without another word, Law headed towards the infirmary. Chances were she was fine, but concussions can be tricky. A quick examination would tell him everything that he needed to know.

When Law entered the infirmary, he found Miyuki attempting to sit up again despite Sachi's protests. "Help her up. I need to make sure that everything is fine." Sachi didn't question his captain's orders.

A pair of blue eyes zeroed in on Law and a shocked expression took over Miyuki's face. She was on the Polar Tang. "Look here." The deepness of his voice surprised her. He was a lot more handsome in person too. Miyuki continued to gape silently but allowed Law to perform a series of examinations.

"She's fine." Law announced. "She just sat up too fast. She should be more careful with her concussion." Shachi and Penguin sighed in relief. They couldn't let anything happen to this amazing cook, and if they were lucky, their captain would allow her to join the crew. "Shachi-ya, Penguin-ya, out. I need to speak to our guest."

The pair scurried out the door, closing it behind them. Law sighed and took a seat on his stool. Miyuki carefully watched his every movement. How had she ended up here? What happened and why did her head hurt so badly?

"Take this. It'll help with the pain." Law handed over a cup of pills. "I can't give you anything too strong with that injury but those should help." He was stoic as usual watching Miyuki obey with no hesitation. She intrigued him.

"Care to tell me why I found one of my men standing over you with a gun?" The question caught Miyuki off guard. She couldn't remember anything. Had she gotten in a fight with one of his crew?

"I can't remember." Law nodded his head. He trusted Bellamy's side of the story, but he had wanted to confirm it. Perhaps other questions could clear things up better.

"What's your name?" It was a simple question, but Law needed to make sure that she remembered at least that much before their conversation could continue. He had questions and expected answers.

"Miyuki." Law frowned. He wanted more than just her first name. But, this was a start and it showed that Miyuki was willing to answer his questions.

"Miyuki-ya?"

Now it was Miyuki's turn to frown. She had no last name. "Just Miyuki."

Law nodded, realizing his mistake. She was an orphan that clearly never had a family. "What about your devil fruit? What do you have?"

Miyuki gasped. No one had ever brought up her powers so casually before. In the village, it was seen as a curse. "I'm not sure. I've had it as long as I can remember. Does it not scare you?"

Law chuckled. Miyuki sure was naive. "Why would I be scared of someone like you?" His words weren't harsh, but Law was clearly amused. Especially at how Miyuki's eyes lit with hope.

"The village, they fear the powers of the devil fruits. They say it makes me an abomination. Everyone fears me." She mumbled but Law was able to hear it. He sighed and rested his face on his fist.

"You won't have to worry about that here." That even caught Law off guard. He had already decided that she would be joining the crew, but he didn't intend to ask in such a way.

"What?" Miyuki looked shocked, staring at the captain with wide eyes. She always wanted to join the Heart Pirates but this seemed unreal. Maybe she had heard him wrong. Or maybe her head injury was making her hallucinate.

"You're a cook aren't you? We just so happen to be on the market for one. And, from what I heard, you can handle yourself. So I'd like you to join my crew." Law was calm and speaking rationally, but Miyuki looked at him as if he had a screw loose.

"Yeah, I'm a cook. I run the kitchen in one of the local cafes. I'm also in charge of baking everything. But-" This was a dream come true for Miyuki. She finally had a chance to escape this town, and with the crew she wanted to join the most. So why was she so hesitant?

"I don't expect an answer now. Take some time to think it over. The crew leaves in four days, with or without you."

Miyuki nodded. She was grateful for the chance to think his offer over. It was a dream come true, but that's exactly what Miyuki ever thought it was. A dream. She wasn't sure if she was ready to leave behind the only place she had ever known, no matter how they treat her.

"Tell me about your powers." Miyuki didn't hesitate. She had finally found someone that wasn't scared of her.

"I have extreme resistance to the cold and I can lower my temperature. I can narrow this down to specific places on my body, like my fists while I'm fighting." That explained Bellamy's face, Law realized. He nearly had frostbite. "I can also lower the temperature of the things I touch, so if there is any moisture, they start to freeze over."

Everything Miyuki explained about her powers matched Bellamy's version of events. Even without remembering anything, she was giving Law all the answers he wanted. And he couldn't help but be amused by Miyuki's childlike joy while talking about her powers. Law guessed it was probably the first time she had ever been able to openly talk about them.

Word Count: 1200

Published: 3/29/2024

Unedited