•Black Hat•

•38•

•Back To The Present•

Pearl was lying naked and exhausted on the armchair Law was sitting before, her whole body covered in sweat and her curly hair stuck to her forehead and cheeks. The candle beside her had almost melted and it's flame shook frantically giving the cabin a strange haunted aura. She leaned over and grabbed the black fabric strip that she wore around her chest and used it to tie up her hair, in a huge messy bun. Then she got up and walked towards the bed where Law sat peering out the window.

"Aren't you going to put something on?" He asked her having already worn his underwear.

"As if you haven't seen me naked before".

Pearl stood teasingly before him and Law averted his eyes from her body. He felt uncomfortable with how that girl standing in front of him didn't feel any shame, he felt uneasy knowing what she had been through, realizing that she was much stronger than she looked. Stronger in all kinds of ways. To begin with, she was still alive and seemingly sane after losing her youth in the worse prison of all times. And secondly she fought for dominance and always achieved it when they laid together; and the worse part was that he didn't hate it.

"The first time that happened, you had some shame left and you had covered your breasts" he told her and directed his eyes to her face. "You shouldn't be here anyway" he added.

"I didn't see you complaining when I sat on your lap!"

"I am not complaining, I'm only trying to make you go away!" He hissed and got up too. Pearl was tall for a girl but Law was still one head taller than her. Their naked torsos were almost touching and Law had tilted his head downwards do he could see her face.

Pearl didn't raise her eyes to look at him as Law had expected. Instead she placed her right hand over his heart and spoke to him like that, with her eyes blank.

"I don't want to leave. At least not yet" she said and Law rolled his eyes but not in a disgusted way. He was just so sure that telling her to go away wouldn't actually make her leave and he didn't really mind so he remained silent until the candle ran out and darkness swallowed the room again.

"Oi kiddo" he spoke then. "Do you want to be part of my crew?" He asked without looking at her anymore.

"I'm not a doctor".

"Everyone can be trained".

"I can't" She replied. "I can't be your crew-mate" she added.

"You can say no if you don't want to I ain't gonna hold a grudge!"

"Look at me Law!" She said and took one step back so he could see her. "I can't!"

Law grinned and cocked his eyebrows realizing what she meant.

"I see... you're Luffy's nakama".

"Looks like it" She muttered. "I swear I have no idea how I ended up like that!"

"Let me guess. You also don't know how you found yourself kissing him".

No, she thought. That she knew! She had kissed Luffy because he had spoken to her in a way nobody else before him had. In his eyes he didn't sense lust but warmth and she hadn't felt that way ever since her mother had died. Beside him she finally felt safe; safe enough to cry in front of someone for the first time in two years. Remembering all that she felt chills running down her spine and shivered.

Her eyes met Law's and tried to study them as well but he walked away and went to lit another candle.

"If you're cold I can lend you a shirt, that strip of yours isn't going to keep you warm!" He said and brought her back to reality, since she had zoned out for a moment.

She untied her hair and tied the fabric around her chest again. Still completely naked on her bottom half she went close to where she had left her pants and underwear and began dressing herself.

"Do you want it or not?" Law asked after managing to lit the candle.

"No... I'm okay" she hesitated.

"You know... I always wondered if this thing is comfortable. I mean if it's teared or untied during a battle-"

"Then I don't care. You said it yourself I have no shame!" She interrupted him and Law chuckled.

"Did the citizens of Dressrosa get to witness that?" He asked.

"Only one of them... he wasn't really a citizen though" she muttered and lowered her eyes.

Law's eyes widened. "No" he whispered in disbelief.

"I have to go Law" she said as her face took an expression of regret. "Thank you for your offer, but I guess you've regretted even proposing it to me now!"

But Law grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him. His lips had become a thin line and his forehead was wrinkled from his anger.

"What did you do? I remember clearly telling you to keep your distance from that bastard and not let him get too close to you!"

"Doffy wouldn't provide his protection for free, don't be dumb!" She hissed. "It was a necessary sacrifice. It didn't matter to me!"

"It does matter to me!" He shouted tightening his grip on her wrist.

"Shut up and lower your voice!" She hissed. "I don't belong to you Law, I don't belong to anybody! You find it disgusting, I found it necessary. You pretty much did the same thing, you became his Corazon even though he had killed-!"

"Don't compare us you bitch!" Law snapped and Pearl spat at him at the sound of this word. He used his free hand to clean his face and let her go fighting the urge to slap her.

"You don't understand Law, I thought you of all people might be able to get it. Doflamingo wasn't my enemy he was yours and I wasn't and still ain't anything to you!" She began slowly explaining.

"How many people have you screwed?" He hissed.

"How many I've screwed?" She asked taking an amused expression "One! Only one, and that's you"

"Really?" He said sarcastically pulling on the word. "Who are you trying to fool-?"

"How many have screwed me is another story! If you're disgusted by the fact that you've slept with a woman that has slept with him as well, let me remind you of a little something! I'd been raped hundreds of times before we had sex and when I told you you didn't seem to mind! Sex doesn't mean anything to me if it's not with someone I choose!" She yelled.

Law's features had softened and his forehead was smooth once again.

"You're right" he muttered and Pearl's lips curved gently about to form a smile. "You're nothing to me so can you please fuck off?" He added and her smile disappeared.

"Gladly. But Law?" She paused before unlocking his door. "If you tell Luffy anything I'll make sure you regret it!"

When she exited the room Law brought his hands to his face confused, angry and most importantly tired. This girl drained his energy every time, with her cocky attitude and her hysteric crises. Every damn time they met they would end up fighting and almost killing each other. Even though right now he despised her, he knew that the next morning he wouldn't really care.