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nehswritesstuffs · 1 year

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fly little seagull, the world awaits - Part 4 of 5

Fucking hell, I reread Wano for this.

Also, you’re reading that title line right. It’s now five chapters instead of four, because otherwise I’d have a 20k+ word chapter and I don’t want to subject everyone to that level of bullshit this time around lol (I am also SOBBING at ch. 1081, btw, so there’s that)

Chapter 1 on [tumblr] - [FFN] - [AO3]

Chapter 2 on [tumblr] - [FFN] - [AO3]

Chapter 3 on [tumblr] - [FFN] - [AO3]

Doflamingo is in Impel Down. Strawhat-ya is going to rescue his crewmate. The Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance has begun shifting gears. An entire nation is ready to break its shackles and rise. Law just wants to keep his daughter safe through it all. [11,188 words; AU where Trafalgar Law gets forcefully assimilated into the Unconventional Single Dads Club]

The submarine was full of dread and excitement as it made its way towards Wano. While the Heart Pirates were all glad to be back with their captain, none was more glad than Nauja. She stayed close to Law as they sailed towards the unknown land. Even the guests on the ship were aware that something had shifted, that there was a new element hanging in the air, and that it involved the captain and his newly-discovered daughter. They regarded her presence carefully, not wanting to spook anyone.

“That is truly a disastrously cute kid,” Usopp said, sitting down with Robin and Franky on the top deck of the Tang. Nauja was on the other side of the deck, sleeping curled into Law’s side as the captain himself napped against Bepo. “Really does make sense of his fury when he discovered what Cesar was doing to the kids at Punk Hazard.”

“He makes a good father,” Robin nodded. She handed Usopp a map of Wano’s capitol to let him study it.

“I wonder where she was during Sabaody two years ago.”

“Probably hidden in the ship,” Franky said. “She’s a clever thing—I doubt she’d do anything to reveal herself unnecessarily. That’s what you do when you’re raised by pirates.”

“What’s that you’re working on?” Usopp asked. He looked at the schematics on Franky’s board—it was of the Polar Tang. “I thought Ikkaku didn’t want anyone touching her baby.” He pat the bit of the deck next to him; the submarine was a unique one.

“Well, yeah, but I want to help her make a super special space for the little one once we get a bit of downtime,” he explained. “Space is tight, so I’m trying to think of something to grow with her, as well as some other additions and modifications, as a thank you to Torao for being such a super ally.”

Usopp stared flatly at the cyborg. “Don’t tell me your idea of an alliance is the same as Luffy’s.”

“Fine then; I won’t.”

Robin chuckled quietly at the interaction, glad that the quick repeat separation from the others was not doing anything to hamper their morale any more than it already did. With Zoro sulking in the galley and the concept of losing Sanji forever looming over them, it was good that this at least was easy, that it was as it always was. She then went back to her book only for a shadow to block out the sun.

“Nico-ya.” She quietly closed her book and glanced up at her host captain. “A word.”

“Of course,” she replied. Her eyes found Bepo and how he was now napping with Nauja curled atop his chest. She felt a slight tug and suddenly they were in the empty infirmary, away from prying ears. “Oh, it must be serious.” She took a chair and sat, crossing her legs. “What is on your mind? Is it related to what we discussed earlier?”

“No; Kitsune-ya was giving me some background earlier on the current state of Wano,” Law stated as he leaned against the counter. Robin tilted her head curiously. “He is concerned for Nauja’s safety, as it is no place to bring a child at the moment unless necessary.”

“As her father, I’m sure you have similar fears,” she nodded. “This is not like normal islands, where you can simply leave her in the ship.”

“Precisely.” He felt his face grow warm at the verbal affirmation that he was, indeed, her dad. “That is why I have an extremely important favor to ask of you. It might be a while before Strawhat-ya catches up and I wish to ensure my daughter’s safety in the meantime.”

“…and you trust me?”

“…yeah.”

The infirmary was quiet for a moment while Robin mulled the request over. “This is truly something you wish to entrust with someone from another crew? Alliance or not, you would be putting your child’s life in my hands, and you and her both know me far less than your own crew members. That’s not something to consider lightly.”

“I am not putting my daughter’s life at the mercy of a Revolutionary, nor someone the Marines refer to as the Devil Child, nor even another pirate. I want Nauja to stay in the capitol, where there is plenty of safe food and water, under the care of someone else who knows what it’s like to be the only one to survive.” He saw tears well in the corners of her eyes as she tried to not allow the admission to hit her too severely. “I know about Ohara, what they did, and that it led to you running until you found Strawhat-ya and his crew. Flevance was very much the same, if you turn pursuing knowledge into slowly being poisoned and a Buster Call into bullets and arson. Nauja represents something that can’t change those facts, but can make them easier to live with. You can’t even imagine how often I think of just taking her and leaving all this behind… letting someone else deal with it.”

“Every time you look at her, at the very least,” she replied. He blushed more, averting his gaze.

“Both our crews love her, and there’s no doubt in my mind that they wouldn’t protect her with anything less than their lives, but you alone understand what she truly is to me… what she is to an entire nation she will never meet.”

“This is an honor I do not accept lightly,” Robin said. She made eye contact with Law and he could see the silk and steel that kept her composure steady. “Where exactly am I to keep the Heir to Flevance safe?”

Law allowed himself a small, appreciative smile, knowing full-well that he made the correct choice.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“So, you wish to learn the geisha arts?” the old woman hummed. She regarded the younger woman bowing before her—so regal despite her tattered clothing—and nodded. “You already hold yourself well for someone never trained; I see promise. Tell me something first.”

“Anything, Tsugaru-okaa-san.”

“Why do you wish to learn?”

“My family was ruined and I have been on my own since I was a child. I wish to be free of such uncertainty once and for all.” The woman lifted her head and sat up straight and seiza. “We were with trusted friends, but I made the decision to break from them, as they cannot help me provide what I must. A geisha, on the other hand, does not live by the whims of men and their quarrels. I wish a better life for my ward than a lifetime ruled by the pettiness of men.”

The older woman raised an eyebrow. “You have a child?”

“I did not birth her, yet she is under my care.” She turned and beckoned a child into the room, having her sit next to her and bow. “O-Ja has no mother of her own and is nearly the same age I was when I first found myself alone in the world. It was fate.”

“Quite.” The older woman watched as the child shook in fear, seiza sloppy and hands stained by dirt. “You have curious names and come to me from nothing. Who are you?”

“Refugees who go from place to place, the last being the ruins of Kuri Castle. Please forgive our poverty and ignorance, as it was borne of isolation.”

“We will work hard!” O-Ja exclaimed, face still turned to the floor. “O-nee-ya says young girls can become shikomi and help their geisha sisters! I want to help her gain an audience with the shogun!”

“Is this true, O-Robi?” the older woman asked. O-Robi replied with a nod.

“If I can gain an audience with the shogun before the festival, I would be most honored, as it would show my ward an irreplaceable lesson.”

“Which is…?”

“The value of hard work, how buds blossom and turn into fruit worthy of pride.”

Silence fell over the room, punctuated by noise filtering in from the okiya’s courtyard and corridors. The old woman looked at the poised O-Robi and the trembling O-Ja, thought for a moment…

…and cackled.

“You girls sure have spunk!” she laughed. “O-Robi, if you work hard at this and prove yourself worthy, I shall present you to the shogun as a special case before continuing on as a sort of advanced maiko after the Fire Festival. O-Ja, then you shall become her shikomi, and one day we will be glad to see you graduate to maiko, and then, after much work and training, you too shall become a geisha and be free.”

“Oh, thank you so much, okaa-ya!” O-Ja cried.

“Yes,” O-Robi said, bowing again. “The information we shall learn in your care shall be invaluable.”

“Right then,” the older woman grinned. “Let’s get to work!”

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

The street was busy as Penguin leaned against a building, looking as though he decided to rest and people-watch for a while. The Flower Capitol was a busy place, that was for certain, and he was glad that the crowd was able to hide his presence easier than in a normal port.

“Oh, oji-ya!” He raised his eyebrow as a small child popped out of the crowd and approached him. “I’ve been looking for you! You’re nee-ya’s friend!”

“If I’m nee-ya’s friend, then you can call me nii-ya,” he deadpanned. This acting like they didn’t know one another shit was precisely that. The little girl laughed, fishing an envelope out from inside her yukata sleeve.

“I don’t know about that, oji-ya” the girl said with a grin. Fuck… she really was the Captain’s kid, wasn’t she? He pocketed the envelope and sighed; there had to be a better, safer way to pass information along. “Is there anything you want nee-ya to know when I tell her I completed my errand?”

“Yes—tell her that we have a special errand for you to do soon, and that we hope you both are learning well.” Penguin pat the girl on the head and offered her a smile. “This is a very brave thing you’re doing.”

“I know it is, but I’m a member of the crew, and I gotta do what I can!”

“That’s a good kid,” he chuckled. “Now run along and tell nee-chan that it’ll be in three days’ time.”

“Gotcha!”

The girl vanished back into the crowd, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. He stayed where he was for a few more moments before making the trip back to the edge of the city, where Law popped him back outside the gate.

“Got the goods?” he asked. Penguin nodded. “How’d she look?”

“Just fine—they must have good food in the okiya. She’s faring better than Bush-Bog Bepo at any rate.”

“Then the plan’s going well,” Law stated. He seemed to exhale in relief under the tengai basket, glad that at least one thing in the gods-forsaken place was still going smoothly. “Alright; let’s move out. I want to be at the farm by nightfall.”

“Shame we can’t empty it all,” Penguin shrugged. “It’d make a statement, that’s for sure.”

“We’d get caught.”

“Yeah, but it’s not like we’d be hogging it all; we’d be like the Witching Hour Boy I keep hearing about…”

“Enough of the stupid fucking Witching Hour Boy,” Law grumbled. “We’re not doing that—we’re pirates. Pirates doing good things for civilians makes me sick.”

“Cap…? Isn’t that kind of how you got yourself a kid…?”

Penguin couldn’t try to outrun the Room’s reach fast enough.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Entering the bedroom, Robin felt absolutely exhausted. She sat down next to a low table and exhaled heavily—every part of her body felt as though it hurt from practicing her posture, movements, and dancing. It made her glad that she had been given a room to herself, sequestered from the other oikya residents as she endured her rigorous training.

While it wasn’t the first palace she had gone undercover to infiltrate, it didn’t mean that this one was going to be any easier.

“Nee-ya, I’m back,” Nauja said as she entered the room. She hugged Robin and immediately went to work on getting the ornaments out of her hair. “Did you learn much?”

“I did,” she sighed. “This is a job for those with solid constitutions and silent tongues.”

“Is it?”

“That it is.” She heard each of her hair ornaments get placed upon the corner of the table out of her sight. “What did you learn on this fine day?”

“I learned of histories of Wano that I did not know,” Nauja replied. She then frowned. “Nee-ya, why can’t I attend school?”

“School is for those with money, which we decidedly are lacking,” Robin explained. “Cheer up; who did you hear this history from?”

“One of the customers—he was one of the yakuza’s men, and he said how Wano when you were my age was a very different place. Shogun Orochi had yet to make a pact with Kaidou and his men, and a fool danced in the streets to protect the people.”

“That is how I understand it,” Robin replied, careful of her wording. Even there, where the other okiya residents were very warm and accepting, they needed to watch what they said in case of spies. “Then again, I was only a child, so there are things I do not recall as well as others might.” She felt the final pin slip from her hair and the strands all tumbled down her back. Nauja then grabbed a brush and began to untangle it. “Have you been making yourself useful?”

“Of course, nee-ya!” the girl grinned. “I clean tables and help the geisha and maiko get customers more drinks to pour or food to eat! They tell me I am cute and a hard worker! Okaa-ya says that I am doing well.”

“Maybe, when I have accomplished what I meant to, I might have the time to educate you myself,” Robin said. “I know many things that a geisha does not—my first true family was a scholarly one before it was set to ruin—and I might be able to impart some of that knowledge.”

“Really…?!”

“I do not doubt the ones you were with before my care, but if things go a certain way, I might be able to do so.” She felt the girl hug her from behind and she smiled privately. If only she had been given such luxuries as a loving and supportive family at Nauja’s age; would things have been different? “Now, how about your hair?”

“It’s easy to keep when it’s this short,” Nauja beamed.

“You don’t want it to be longer? A shikomi can do much with longer hair.”

“Yeah, but I had long hair when I was little-little, and I had to get rid of it.”

“You did?”

“Oh, yes, but I don’t mind,” Nauja said. “I like only having to brush it in the morning.” She helped Robin out of her kimono, who in turn helped her out of her yukata. It was good that they had stolen actual clothes instead of Kin’emon’s disguises; they did not need someone coming in to find them sleeping in what should have been dayclothes. They set up the futon once they were in their nightrobes and went to bed huddled together against the chilled evening air. “Should my hair be long?”

“It should be exactly how you like it,” Robin chuckled. She kissed the girl on the forehead and snuffed the lamp before settling in and whispering, “Good night, Nauja.”

“Good night, Nico-ya.”

Robin held the girl close as they eased off into sleep—there was no way she was allowing Torao’s treasure feel anything but secure in her father’s absence.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

It was Strawhat-fucking-ya. Again.

Law really didn’t know what ever possessed him to think that an alliance with the other pirate captain had been a good idea. The kid was absolutely batshit insane, could not follow even the simplest plan, and was incapable of any sort of subtlety, all of which had been repeatedly proven time and again. It had yet to be an entire day and everything was already falling apart and their covers were blown, causing Law to very quickly ditch the wandering monk guise and get Nico-ya to pass off his daughter so they could vacate the Flower Capitol while flirting with capture.

“I need you to stay here with the other children,” Law said. He, Nauja, Penguin, and Shachi were in Amigasa Village, where Momonosuke and Tama were currently hidden, while Bepo was guarding the remainder of the crew in the meantime. “Tony-ya and Kiku-ya will take good care of you.”

“…but Dad! They didn’t figure out that I’m one of you yet!” the girl pouted. “I can still do recon work for everyone from the okiya!”

“No—you are staying here with Tama-ya and Momo-ya,” he replied firmly. “Not only is it no longer safe there, but it’s bad enough you’re not on the Tang.” He leaned in close and whispered in her ear. “You might not be strong physically, but just like the rest of the crew, you are a seasoned pirate. Help Tony-ya and Kiku-ya keep Tama-ya and Momo-ya safe. Okay?” Nauja sniffled and nodded. “That’s my girl. We’ll be back soon.”

“Must I be left here in this place?” Momonosuke frowned. “I would be best served darting about from one locale to the other, learning what I can from those who are paid no heed. Verily, the courtesans and cleaning women are to have much information spoken recklessly in their presence. Even the girls may come and be of service.”

“No sale, you pervy little shit,” Law hissed. Momonosuke harrumphed in irritation. “Be glad you’re even being left with my daughter at all. One toe out of line and I don’t care what you’re heir to or what alliance I joined—you’ll be dead from starvation before they find all the pieces to put you back together.”

“Papa Law is so scary when he’s protective,” Penguin snickered. “I wonder what will happen when real suitors come calling?”

“Let the man live in parental bliss for now,” Shachi joked. “Eight or ten more years and we’ll have plenty of new, young, virile recruits to vet.”

“Are they here to serve under the best captain in the world, or here for the chance to court his lovely daughter?”

“We’ll have to even keep an eye on the women, for who knows who would want the delicate bloom for themselves…”

“I will murder both of you and no one would know the difference,” Law threatened.

“Cap, you are a grown-ass man threatening a child,” Shachi noted.

“You did not watch him motorboard every woman he could while on the Sunny—the child is mentally ill and raised by poor examples, therefore needing a firmer hand in order to correct it.”

“How dare you, knave!” Momonosuke charged at Law, only to collapse into little pieces thanks to a Room. “This is treason!”

“I literally cannot commit treason in or towards Wano despite the alliance—maybe Kiku-ya will be kind enough to explain it while we’re gone. She seems fairly knowledgeable.”

“Vaor…? What are you talking about?” Nauja wondered, an expression of deep confusion spread across her face.

“Remember Nauja,” he said gravely, “you can punch him.” Law then opened a Room and he, Penguin, and Shachi were replaced by leaves.

Huh. Dads sure were weird. Uncles were too… but dads… definitely weird.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“Please play nice while this one has a conversation with our esteemed physician,” Kiku requested gently before heading into one of the empty houses with Chopper. This left Nauja, Tama, and Momonosuke to poke around Amigasa themselves. They found an old dojo with child-sized equipment, which they hauled out to the clearing near the house.

“Verily, this shall be good practice for whilst we await the rest of the adults,” Momonosuke grinned. He took a shinai and beat it against the practice dummy, the thwap it made satisfying him. “You two may watch or serve as a lookout.”

“There’s more than one shinai,” Nauja noted. She picked up the other one, feeling the weight of it in her hand. It felt… right. “Maybe we can spar?”

“I do not engage in battle with women,” Momonosuke huffed. Nauja and Tama exchanged unimpressed looks—even they knew it wasn’t a practical tactic. “If you wish to spar, practice ninjutsu with the junior kunoichi. A sword is unbecoming of you.”

“Kiku-ya’s your samurai—why can’t I fight with a sword too? I already use a knife.”

“O-Kiku was a loyal vassal under my father. You are just a stupid girl.”

Quickly, Nauja used her shinai to hit the other out of Momonosuke’s hand, then spun around, stopping her swing when the practice weapon was nearly touching the side of his head. Tama gasped loudly, while Momonosuke’s eyes went wide.

“I am not stupid,” Nauja insisted. “Besides, I am not the one who can barely hold a sword.”

“That’s no fair! I wasn’t expecting that!”

“Bad adults are not going to care if you’re ready or not!”

“That is why a shogun has vassals!”

“That is how people die!”

“Wait a second! What’s going on out here?!” Chopper shouted as he came out of the house, Tama pulling along Kiku close behind. “Why are you fighting?!”

“This insolent wench decided to attack me,” Momonosuke hissed. Kiku gently took the shinai from Nauja’s hands and stroked the girl’s hair.

“Tell this one what is the matter, Lady Trafalgar,” she insisted, cradling the girl’s face in her palm. “Why do you quarrel?”

“He’s an asshole,” the girl said. Momonosuke went to charge at her, only for Chopper to turn into Heavy Point and hold him aloft by the back of his collar.

“That’s not nice either,” the reindeer sighed. “We need to work together if we’re going to stop Kaido and Orochi.”

“That is correct! My father’s country is at stake! I must become shogun!”

“You’re just a kid!” Nauja snapped. “What do you know?!”

“I am Kozuki Momonosuke, next Shogun of Wano! You are nothing!”

“I am Trafalgar Nauja and I am not nothing!”

“Of which house do you belong, Trafalgar Nauja, that has you believe you can speak to me in such a manner?!”

“Not one run by spoiled brats!” Momonosuke stuck out his tongue and pulled on his lower eyelid, while she gave him a two-fingered salute. “I’m not here to baby you! Grow up!”

“Verily,” Kiku sighed, “we should all take a walk to settle our nerves. This one knows of a path to the beach. We can let out our frustrations against the sand.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea,” Chopper agreed. He was beginning to regret being left behind with the children, but at least he had Kiku as backup.

With that, the two adults marched the three children single-file down towards the beach. Salt still carried on the air from the ocean, while sand began to overtake the ground beneath their feet. Tama could feel the tension between Momonosuke in front of her and Nauja behind her—it wasn’t good.

“Maybe,” she said as she fell into step beside Nauja, “you should apologize to Momo.”

“Why should I?” Nauja scoffed. “He’s an idiot.”

“Even if he is, we’re here to help him.” The junior kunoichi gave her friend a kind smile. “Then, how about if he’s ever doing something stupid, tell me instead!”

“What good would that do?”

“It’d make my shogun less cross with you.”

“He can be cross if he wants,” Nauja huffed. “Shogun or not, he can’t go pretending rules don’t exist when he wants to; I didn’t go through all the trouble I did just for him to treat me like shit.”

“Strooth, however, it gives none of us license to treat him poorly as well.” Tama looked at the other girl and tilted her head. “Where do you and your father hail from, might I ask?”

“Well, he comes from the North Blue, from a country that doesn’t exist anymore. I used to live on an island called Water 7; that’s on the other side of the Grand Line.”

“It no longer exists…? Was it merged with another kingdom…?”

“No. It was killed. The whole country. Vaor… Dad… he escaped.”

“So… you could be the last of the kingdom’s line; prestigious,” Tama nodded. Nauja never wanted to hear anything ever again about sounding like an old lady for using big words and calling people -ya; she wasn’t even certain Tama knew what some of the words she was saying meant… not that it was her fault… “What of your mother? Is she still in the Seven Waters?”

“Tama-ya, I…” Nauja was nearly about to tell her friend that sometimes people didn’t have moms when Momonosuke and the adults all gasped.

They were at the beach alright, right near a beached whale named Charlotte Linlin.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Queen the Plague was gone, having taken the unconscious Emperor with him. Tensions were still high in Udon’s prison, all the way up until Momonosuke accidentally revealed himself. There was a hushed gasp around the yard and nearly everyone dropped to their knees in reverence around the boy.

“…what are they doing…?” Nauja asked, wrinkling her nose. Tama raised an eyebrow at her.

“They are bowing to Momo,” she replied, as though it wasn’t obvious. “I know you don’t get on, but he is still the old shogun’s son.”

“Yeah, I really don’t care about that,” Nauja scoffed. She tried to act aloof in an imitation of her father. “He’s still a brat.”

“You call me such names despite being younger?” Momonosuke snorted. “It is plain to see that you are merely jealous, as commoners often are.”

“Uh-huh, sure, you piece of shit.”

“O-Ja!”

“Oh, to have the quarrels of children again,” one of the prisoners chuckled. Many of them were looking at the pair with laughter in their eyes instead of the insult that Tama feared. “You shall learn of the Kozuki Dynasty’s might and honor soon enough.”

“I’d rather not.”

“They would bow to you as well, you know, if you were my betrothed,” Momonosuke smirked devilishly. Nauja tilted her head in confusion, having never heard that word before. “Oh, come now—fifteen years and I’m sure you’d make a lovely bride… although probably flat-chested as tomboys tend to be…”

“No wonder Vaor said I can punch him,” Nauja said to no one in particular. She gathered up her wits and drew her dirk. “I’m only seven, you idiot! You can’t tell any of that, as though it would even matter!”

“…and I am but eight years of age—we would mature together.”

“Get lost, pervert!”

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Wano, Trafalgar D. Water Law felt a chill go down his spine and inexplicably desired the ability to murder something.

“Could Momo even marry O-Ja…?” Tama wondered. “Even if she wasn’t a foreigner, I think there would possibly be too big a class difference.”

“Yeah—I’m in the class that can kick his ass!” Nauja went to charge at Momonosuke, but was deftly intercepted by Kiku, who scooped the girl up into her arms. “Lemme go! I gotta teach the idiot prince a lesson since no one else will!”

“You are staying with this one, Lady Trafalgar,” Kiku giggled gently. “How spirited you are is a reminder of this one’s childhood, raised by men good of heart but rough of language.” She held Nauja as one would a stuffed animal, which made the girl pout. “They too taught girls to be forceful with their emotions and follow their passions as they grew into confident women. Such excellent role models they made...”

“You sure about that?” Raizo deadpanned. He looked at Kawamatsu, who gestured at the children still mocking one another. “She is the daughter of an ally; brusque yet formidable.”

“If the child is that bold and fearless, her parent must be a force to behold,” the kappa shivered.

“The giant bird called her Trafalgar?” Kawamatsu and Raizo glanced over to see Eustass Kid, who was watching the children fight with interest. “Yer havering; dinna ken the bastard had a wee bairn of his own. Don’ seem the type.”

“You are acquainted with her father?”

“I wouldn’t say something as nice as ‘acquainted wi’, but aye, arsehole and I butt heads when occasion calls,” Kid snorted. He looked at the girl carefully. “Must’ve knocked some poor thing up when he was still barely a nip himself.” He paused and clearly did some mental calculations. “Feck… she didn’t plop out of his mechanic, did she?”

“Her mother is unknown; Lady Ikkaku is more of an uncle to the child than an aunt or mother,” Raizo explained. “I would not test your luck, as he is extremely protective of her.”

“…and how’d yeh ken this, crag-face?”

“Her father’s underwater vessel was my transportation back to Wano; I have seen them interact.”

Huh. Interesting.

“Well, not my bloody fucking business if he uses this as a fucked-up family holiday,” Kid scoffed. “Oi, Killer, let’s go round up the lads—we’re gonna have some fun.”

“Faffaffaffa,” Killer chuckled before cringing. “Have’t untangle this fucking fankle before shite really goes down. Y’ken Heat and Wire gonna have a conniption…”

“Feckin’… see yeh losers up the road.” Kid and Killer both sauntered off, deciding that they were going to use this new information, but how was the question.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“You know, I’m gonna kill Law once we get a hold of him,” Penguin grumbled. He and Shachi were running through the woods, trying desperately to get through Kuri as quickly as possible. “We seriously could have busted his ass out by now!”

“He’s better at getting information,” Shachi reminded him between gasps of air. “We just have to ‘take care of the crew’ until he makes it out.”

“…and it’s his fault for getting us used to teleporting,” Penguin argued. Before long, Amigasa was within sight, the operation being much more crowded since the last time they were there. Some of the people there they did not recognize glared at them as they made their way through the encampment, suspicion being lifted as they finally found Nauja and she paused her katas to run up to them happily.

“You’re back!” she grinned, hugging both of them at once. “Penguin-ya, Shachi-ya, come meet my friends! We were just practicing!”

“We gotta get going, kid,” Penguin said. Instead, she latched onto his wrist and dragged him over to what looked like a sparring area. The purple-haired Tama was trying to beat up a practice dummy, while a pink-haired girl they’d never seen before was sitting off to the side with a shamisen and an unsettling grin.

“Tama-ya, Toko-ya, these are two of my uncles, Penguin-ya and Shachi-ya,” Nauja said. Both children stared at the men and the men stared right back.

“Where’s Momo-kun?” Shachi asked. All three girls silently pointed in the same direction, off to where a house was to the east, where the boy was poking his head around some shabby curtains to stare at them. Ah. “Is he being a dumb boy again?”

“The dumbest boy!” Nauja groaned.

“O-Ja has beaten him up a lot!” Toko laughed. “He doesn’t like to learn his lesson!”

“Momo and O-Ja quarrel unnecessarily and they are often separated by the adults,” Tama admitted. Nauja simply grimaced at being immediately tattled-on by her friends.

“Then let’s change the equation,” Penguin decided. “Get your backpack—we’re leaving. Captain’s orders.”

“…but, I want to stay with Tama-ya and Toko-ya!” Nauja insisted. “They’re neat! It’s Momo-ya who gets in the way.”

“Trust us, okay?” Shachi insisted. He was beginning to sweat—the last thing they needed was someone like Nami or Chopper coming over and asking questions about their captain, as they were liable to crack underneath even the slightest pressure. “Now come on: get your backpack.”

Except, she didn’t need to, as a chain of arms sprouted from the ground and brought it over to her.

“What the fuck…?” Shachi marveled. “How did she…?”

“Don’t underestimate me,” Robin giggled from right behind them, making the two men jump. “I promised Torao I’d watch over his daughter unless it was to pass her off to another appropriate guardian, of which I believe you both count. Between O-Kiku and myself, you can report that she has been well-cared for these past few days.”

“Uh… thanks…” Penguin replied, not really knowing what else to say. Another chain of hands brought over a furoshiki cloth containing some bento boxes, which she handed to a now-excited Nauja.

“It’s a long road back to the Flower Capitol; don’t eat anything you can’t trust.”

“We shall!” Nauja said. She then handed the lunches to Penguin so that she could hug both her friends goodbye. “Promise we’ll meet later?”

“Yes!” Tama said. “We’ll both get strong and help fight as samurai!”

“I’m not strong, but I’ll make sure to not die!” Toko giggled. The trio hugged and Nauja went with Penguin and Shachi, her dirk at her side and Shachi carrying her backpack.

“Fight as samurai, hmm…?” Penguin asked once they were outside of the town. “You’re not a samurai; you’re a pirate.”

“…and Tama-ya is a junior kunoichi, but that doesn’t matter,” Nauja nodded. “We’re gonna help everyone fight! It will be the element of surprise!”

“Do you think your dad will seriously let you join us during the raid when he almost died in Dressrosa and you bullied him into coming along here?” Penguin sighed. “Kids don’t belong on battlefields.”

“…but Tama-ya…!”

“…is probably going to stay here along with Toko and that old guy with the platform sandals. She just doesn’t know it yet.”

“Tengu-ya wouldn’t…!”

“Something tells us that he would,” Shachi replied. “Listen: we’re not doing this to punish you. Children shouldn’t be soldiers, is all.”

“…but that’s the thing! The enemy wouldn’t be expecting someone like me or Tama-ya! We would have the element of surprise!”

“Nauja.” Penguin stopped walking and knelt down, looking the girl directly in the eyes. “Shachi and I were young kids when our parents died and we were taken in by pieces of shit who made us do things that no kid should have to do. Your dad was only a kid when he experienced war, where he watched people he loved die all around him… do you think we’d simply let you walk onto Onigashima with us?”

The young girl looked at the ground. “N-No…”

“That’s right,” he affirmed. “We’re taking you back to the Flower Capitol because we need to keep you safe, and right now, that means to keep you moving.” He stood upright and held out his hand, which Nauja took in order for them to walk along. “Tama and Toko are your friends now?”

“Yeah,” she admitted quietly. “It’s nice having friends my age.”

“It really is,” Shachi agreed. “Looking at the three of you kinda reminds me of me and Peng and your dad! How old are they?”

“Well, Tama-ya is already eight, and Toko is six…”

“Shit, if you’re seven still, then you really are just like the three of us,” Shachi laughed. “Now all you need is a Mink toddler and you’re set!”

“All they do is poop their pants and electrocute people,” Nauja frowned. “Maybe when the Mink is my age, then we’ll talk.”

She didn’t expect them to laugh as hard as they did. What was honestly so funny about that?

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Done with attempting to torture more information out of Hawkins, Law decided to leave the prison. Most of the other man’s blood was coating the floor and the bottoms of his zori as the fortune teller remained within a hair’s breadth of death. He went through the door into the corridor of the torture wing, only to see that X Drake was standing there, simply watching him walk away. The former Marine made no move towards him and Law sensed nothing that could be described as either bloodlust or a desire to recapture him.

“If letting me go is part of your plot,” he said, “then consider me a willing participant.”

“Oh, I’m certain I’ll be seeing you soon,” Drake said. There was something about the tone of his voice that made Law hesitate, turning around on his heel in curiosity.

“Why let me go? I’m an invaluable piece to the puzzle.”

“Let’s just say I don’t like making kids cry,” Drake quipped. A protective ire crossed Law’s face and he chuckled. “Then the rumors were true: you do have a kid.”

“Nowhere you can get to, you overgrown lizard.”

“Relax, Trafalgar. I said I don’t like to make kids cry. Hearing about the two of you makes me nostalgic, is all.”

“Nostalgic? For what?”

“You really want to know?” Law raised an eyebrow and sensed around them with Haki—nothing was raising flags, let alone was there anyone else in the prison’s torture wing. He nodded, allowing the other Supernova to continue. “It reminds me of how my first dad was before my mom left. I have another dad now—a foster father, if you will—but I got him as a teenager. Although I can’t deny what he gave me, there’s nothing like being a little kid whose dad cares, whose parents in general care, and I’m not about to get in the way of that.”

“Didn’t peg you for being a softie,” Law scoffed. “Daddy issues, yeah, but not soft.”

Drake snorted. “Oh…? Of all the things, daddy issues was what you went with?”

“Rare is the Northern kid with a rebellious streak that doesn’t have heavy daddy issues, in my experience. The only difference is if they’re willing to talk about it or not.”

Rolling his eyes, Drake chuckled at that. “Is this you warning me about your crew somehow?”

“Possibly—time will tell.” Law then rested Kikoku on his shoulder and turned to walk away. He made it to the door and popped out of sight, being replaced by a pebble.

Pebble, discarded doll, dango skewer, cat; Law kept moving himself along the streets of the Flower Capitol, searching for any sign of his crew. He found nothing as he scouted the area, nothing until…

Ah! There! He felt a familiar presence within the city and began to make his way towards it. When he finally arrived, he was standing outside an old soy sauce brewery, the windows and doors shuttered. He went around the back and was able to slip in through some loose boards. It was dark as he made his way through the building, going mostly off of how his Haki felt than anything else. He eventually came to a storeroom, where it appeared to be nothing more than some old barrels and busted crates. All it took was a Room and he was able to disassemble one of the barrels, revealing Nauja having been hiding in it.

“…and why are you back in the capitol, young lady?” he asked.

“Uh… if I stayed with Momo-ya for one more moment, I’d crack a shinai over his head?”

“While I like that answer, it’s still the wrong one.” He opened up another room, this one bigger, and decided to takt Penguin and Shachi out of the walls. “Why is my daughter back in the capitol?”

“We needed to make sure she was alright after not only were you captured,” Shachi defended, “but you also said that we needed to take care of the crew.”

“Plus, we heard about a prison uprising in Udon and that one of the people we left her with had been there, so it was something of a security measure in case the village’s cover was blown,” Penguin added. “There’s a lot of people there now—we don’t know if they’re there on borrowed time or not.”

“Shit… and there’s not long until the raid…” Law mused. He allowed the Rooms to drop and Penguin and Shachi landed on their faces while Nauja landed on her feet. “We need to gather the others and lay low for a while, which shouldn’t be too bad as long as there’s a place big enough for us…” He glanced around and frowned. “Where’s the rest of the crew?”

“Hunkered down in Ebisu for the time being,” Penguin replied with a groan. “Bep’s with them.”

“Yeah, we were mostly waiting for news that you escaped so we could figure out what to do,” Shachi agreed.

“Plus, we found this place as a hideout!” Nauja grinned. “Isn’t it great?! Even Jean Bart will fit!”

Law looked around the old brewery again—it was spacious, that much was true, but there was still the fact it was in the middle of town. “It’s big and abandoned, but we’ve got too many people to house and feed to remain under the radar here. This place might be able to accommodate six or seven maximum without drawing attention, not twenty-two.”

“Then we need a big-ass place,” Penguin surmised. He and Shachi were now both standing, covered in wood splinters and plaster dust. “You have to admit that our spatial needs are… unique.”

“I wouldn’t say unique, simply a mild challenge,” Law said. The sight of Nauja jumping up and down with her hand up caught his eye. “Yes…?”

“I know a place!” she said happily. “It’s big, and it’s still in the Flower Capitol, and we can use it to gather more information while we prepare! It’s very useful!”

“That’s my girl,” Law replied, a prideful smirk across his lips. He patted his daughter on the head and she grinned up at him, which was enough for Shachi and Penguin to stare at one another, unimpressed.

“So then, where is this magical place, squirt?” Shachi wondered.

Oh… they did not like the look on her face one bit.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

It was in the early hours of the morning as Tsugaru woke from her slumber to a silent okiya. The elderly woman had gone to bed early the night prior, which accounted for her early rising more than she would like to admit. She shuffled from her room to the bathroom, refreshing herself before going to sit on the courtyard porch and look at the moon. It was impossibly big and beautiful for its partial phase, lending a serene air to the early hour.

Times like this made her glad that she was free.

After a while of sitting there, Tsugaru heard a peculiar noise. It wasn’t a mouse, nor a cat, but it was trying to get in at the gate. The lock rattled—an intruder.

“Well, okay, out of ideas,” a man’s voice said quickly.

“You know I can take apart the lock, right?” another man deadpanned.

“No, no, throw me over!” a child’s voice insisted. Tsugaru paused; the child sounded familiar. “Okaa-san might be angry if you force the lock! She’s really nice when she’s not angry!”

“We are not throwing you over,” the second man replied sternly. “You could hurt something.”

“Won’t know until we try!” a third man said. There was a sudden scuffle—the second man was apparently restrained—and the sound of the child squeaking as she was tossed in the air and tumbled down into the dirt. Tsugaru looked in the direction of the yard and saw a small girl running towards her…

…and it was O-Ja…?

“Okaa-ya!” the girl gasped. She looked terrible, as though she hadn’t bathed or eaten her fill in days, befitting someone who had suddenly gone missing. “Please! I need your help!” Tsugaru brought the girl close into a hug, her ire resurfacing—how dare that villain use a mere child for her schemes?!

“O-Ja… O-Ja, listen to me,” she held the child at arms’ length, “did you know that O-Robi was a lying, thieving spy?”

“Okaa-ya, I’m a spy,” the girl admitted. Wait… what…?! “We never lied to you, though! We’re here to help Wano be free… free like geisha are!”

“If you walk away from that life right now, then I will let you stay here at the okiya without O-Robi,” Tsugaru said. “We will act like nothing happened… like you didn’t show up here with a wanted criminal…”

“I can’t. I have to help how I can! I’m part of the alliance—I can’t let it fail!”

Tsugaru raised an eyebrow. “The alliance…?”

“Yes! The Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance! We’re helping the Kozuki Family!”

“Whatever offshoot has you fooled is just a bunch of nonsense causing you trouble,” the old woman claimed, shocked the child spoke a name long-taboo in the Flower Capitol. “The Kozuki Family has been gone for twenty years—they’re not doing much of anything these days.”

“That’s because they just got here,” O-Ja said. She took a photograph from her sleeve pocket and showed it to Tsugaru. “Is this proof enough?”

There, in the photograph, was O-Ja alright… along with a small girl with purple hair, a smaller girl with pink hair, and… Kozuki Momonosuke…!

“If this is a prank then it’s not funny,” Tsuguru scowled.

“It’s not—I just need to convince you to let my family in for a little while we hide from Orochi’s men!”

“…and why me…?”

“…because you might be strict, but I know you’re good and kind! Why else would you take in strangers before?”

Tsugaru looked in the direction of the gate, then back at the child. “There are men with you.”

“My dad, and the crew, and they promise to behave and not bring you trouble.”

“Your father…? Then you lied about that as well…?”

“I told you: we never lied! O-Robi said I had no mom, which is true! And if you thought I was an orphan, then that used to be true too before Dad gave me his name! You were too important to lie to, okaa-ya! Well, other than my name, but it was close enough!”

“Too important…?”

“…and if anything, then Dad at least wants to thank you for taking care of me, because he might be a pirate, but he still knows manners!”

Tsugaru stared at O-Ja, both of them trembling. She looked in the child’s eyes and tried to see something… something that could justify her sounding an alarm and getting the yakuza’s attention. Nearly an entire minute passed and she made her decision.

“Open the gate and bring your family into the banquet hall,” she said. “I’ll get the others.”

“Right!” O-Ja rushed to the gate and opened it, bringing the Heart Pirates inside the okiya’s domain. By the time Tsugaru led the okiya’s other residents into the hall, the pirates were all sitting seiza as they waited. Several gasps escaped them—it was the missing shikomi, with a group of rough-looking strangers! Tsugaru motioned for her staff to sit facing them, with herself sitting directly in front of O-Ja and a man who looked like their leader.

“Now tell me,” Tsugaru demanded firmly, “why are a bunch of foreign pirates darkening our door?”

“For one,” the man next to O-Ja said, “to thank you for caring for my daughter and giving her a means of acquiring good food and water as well as information for the assignment she insisted on participating in.” He bowed deeply in the Wanolese fashion, which seemed to unnerve the others who were with him. If Tsugaru believed that the child had not been eating her fill of food, then the adults appeared to have eaten even less.

“You used a child for espionage. By any moral and legal code, that is unacceptable. Who is to say I shouldn’t turn you over to the yakuza right here and now? We do that and the girl would be mine to raise in a safer and more stable environment than you could ever provide. She would be free of you, and all I’d have to do is lift my hand.”

“You won’t,” he replied, sitting up straight.

“…and how do you know that?”

“…because although I don’t trust you, my daughter trusts you, and she tends to be a good judge of character.” The man’s piercing amber eyes sent a chill through the okiya’s residents. “Our second reason for being here is that we need a place to hide for a few days and she suggested this okiya. If you do not consent, we shall be out of your hair immediately and you shall never need to think of us again.”

“You’re really doing it, aren’t you?” Tsugaru wondered. “You’re really planning on helping bring the Kozuki Family back from extinction?”

More gasps and murmurs from the staff.

“It is a goal that aligns with our interests, yes. I have done plenty more foolhardy things in the past—none of them involve Nauja being in the line of fire.”

“So that is your name…? Nauja…?” The girl tightened her fists as she avoided eye contact. “Then why, O-Nauja-chan, are you so young, yet you believe in this cause so much?”

“Dad doesn’t care about it as much, but I do,” O-Ja said. She then looked at Tsugaru, expression steely despite her young age. “Momo-ya’s a dumb boy, and I don’t like him one bit, but under him, Wano would be free! No more Kaidou, no more Beast Pirates, no more SMILEs or poisoned factories or poisoned food or wondering when you’ll get kicked out of the Flower Capital for not being important enough! Okaa-ya took O-Robi and I in because we said we wanted to be free, and that’s the truth! We want Wano to be free of these evil people! Free like pirates! Free like geisha!”

The adults in the room all stared at O-Ja, impressed and moved by the child’s conviction. They only saw honesty in her, which moved some of them to tears. Tsugaru frowned before clenching her fist in determination.

“Alright!” she decided. “You can stay!”

“…but okaa-san…!” someone gasped.

“Most of you don’t remember, but business was better under the Kozuki Family,” the old woman said. “Think with your hearts or with your purses—the answer’s the same. We will hide you for as long as you need—Orochi will pay for his maltreatment of the ones who he lauded power over. His laws mean nothing if we are not freed by them… and living in fear of falling out of his favor is no way to live.”

The man next to O-Ja grinned. His gamble was turning out to be a fruitful one.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“I don’t like this,” Shachi scowled. Feeling naked without his hat and sunglasses, he tried to flex his shoulders in an effort to get his kimono to shift—no sale. Between that, the cosmetics on his face, and his hair having been straightened and done in an elaborate manner, he was severely uncomfortable. “I want to touch my face; it’s itchy.”

“No touching,” Ikkaku warned. She was busy applying blush to Clione’s white-painted face, both men having been volunteered alongside her for informant duties. “If I have to redo your makeup too often, I will murder you.”

“I’ll be honest,” Clione said, “I didn’t even think you knew how to do this sort of stuff.”

“Never had the patience to do it very often, and that was before landing a spot on a ship where I’d sweat it all off in half an hour anyhow,” she shrugged. It was then that Nauja came into the room, brandishing a mannequin head wearing a blond wig.

“I got okaa-ya’s extra hair!” she cheered. She waited for Ikkaku to put the finishing touches on Clione’s cosmetics before handing over the wig, which got secured on the man’s head. “Oooh… you look pretty, Clione-ya!”

“Thanks…?”

“…and don’t worry Shachi-ya! You look pretty too!”

“That’s not as much of a compliment as you think it is, kiddo,” Shachi deadpanned. He tried to wriggle his face muscles in order to alleviate the itch, only for Ikkaku to threaten him with the powder brush.

“I will end you,” she threatened. She then finished with Clione’s wig, the three adults now looking no different than many of the other maiko wandering about the okiya. “Okay then, star helper-child—bring us to the goods.”

“Right!” Nauja beamed. She led them through the corridors to one of the dining halls, where there were customers already eating and drinking away. “Nee-ya, I brought the new maiko.”

“Very good, O-Ja-chan,” smiled the geisha who was in charge of the room. “Bring them in.” Nauja did, directing the new hires to be seated on cushions along the wall.

“I’m surprised that Tsugaru-san is willing to take more in after that disaster,” one of the customers scoffed into his drink. “That would have ruined any other okiya, geisha or oiran.”

“That is an astute observation,” the lead geisha admitted. “However, we are taking extra precautions now because of it. There shall be no special exceptions unless we see fit, not because someone requested them. These maiko shall be tested here for as long as it takes before they are allowed to be sent to the shogun. Tsugaru-okaa-san takes pride in her craft and does not permit others to make a mockery of it. If one is to judge this okiya, it should be on the consistent quality we have beholden ourselves to over the years despite our station, not the actions of one snake who found a path through the grass.”

“Didn’t the kid show up around that time?” the customer mentioned, staring at Nauja. The child held a shiver down as she gathered plates to be brought back to the kitchen.

“This cutie-patootie?” another customer giggled, face already red from drink. He ruffled Nauja’s hair and pinched her cheek. “Are you kidding? She’s going to run this okiya one day.” He then shifted and looked at the newcomers before attempting to wave them over. “Don’t be shy! You learn by doing!”

“With respect, our profession learns by watching,” the lead geisha stated.

“Nonsense,” the second customer snorted. “Long as we don’t touch, I think it’s alright to give these gals a taste of what’s to come.”

Customers and subordinates alike turned towards the lead geisha, looking for instruction. She knew the position she was in, as well as the “newcomers” in question…

“For a moment,” she agreed, motioning towards the Hearts. Ikkaku, Clione, and Shachi stood, taking positions next to customers while attempting to seem shy. While the first two secured seats between customers who merely bowed their heads in greeting, Shachi ended up sitting next to the man who gave the suggestion, feeling his eyes claw up and down him.

“Nice to see Tsugaru-san is diversifying again,” the second customer said, staring wistfully at Shachi. “I’d like to get a hold of you in the middle of the night, darling.”

Yeah, and the near-twenty pirates hiding under the tatami mats in the crawlspace would be ready to help make him regret those words.

“Can we go to an okiya without being subjected to your taste in bedmates?” a third customer groaned loudly. He leaned over to Ikkaku and sighed. “He’s a menace, I swear. He gets us kicked out of restaurants for groping the waitstaff.”

“A place with rules should help rein him in then,” she replied with a smirk. She looked at Nauja, who was placing trays by the door, then at Clione, who was trying to not die, then at Shachi, who was not only really trying to not die but was also trying to figure out how he was going to talk his way out of this one considering the timbre of his own voice. They were only supposed to be watching silently from the sides…

“You can’t get her to reply,” Nauja said as she collected more dishes. “O-Chi-nee-ya and O-Line-nee-ya aren’t allowed to speak yet. They sound like farmers.”

…and the kid comes in clutch, thank fuck.

“O-Ja-chan,” the lead geisha gently chided, knowing how big of a save it was. “You must work quietly.”

“Yes, O-nee-ya,” the girl replied. “Forgive me.”

“She is just a young girl; Tsugaru-san has time to mold her into shape,” another man said nonchalantly.

“Speaking of young children,” someone piped up, “I heard the craziest story yesterday, you know… about those whispers involving Lady Toki’s prophecy.” The rest of the customers jumped at the change in conversation, seizing it tightly.

“Tch. Conspiracies.”

“They say that Oden’s son leapt through time and has shown up as a child.”

“…as a child? You know that has to be a pretender, right?”

“A grandson, mayhaps, if the boy had survived?”

Aaahhh… there they were… now maybe all the sexual harassment was going to be worth something.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

It was two days until the raid on Onigashima.

Moving stealthily in the middle of the night, Law returned to the okiya to retrieve his daughter and the last of his crew. He had moved the other half the night before, while keeping the ones who were helping gather information in the game for one more day. Once he was within the okiya’s walls once again, he allowed himself a smile as Nauja ran to him and jumped into his arms.

“You ready to go?” he asked.

“I am,” she said, clinging to him with her arms around his neck. He saw the rest of the crew were all ready, with Tsugaru standing in the doorway.

“I am truly in your debt,” Law said, bowing his head slightly towards the elderly woman. “They are all I really have.”

“Then protect O-Ja and put the better-paying shogunate back in its place,” she demanded. “Go, and don’t come back until you’ve done precisely that.”

With another nod, the Heart Pirates left the okiya and dispersed into the city. They all knew of the meetup point outside the Flower Capitol’s borders, as traveling in a large pack would do more harm than good. Going out different doors and headed in varying directions, most of the Hearts pretended to not know one another side from a few small groups.

“Otou-san, can we get some soba?!” Nauja asked excitedly, seeing a stand sitting in front of a textile shop. Chuckling, Law shook his head.

“It will spoil your dinner,” he gently chided, playing along with the ruse. “Maybe we can have some on your birthday.”

“Oh, I would like that very much,” she said. She held his hand as they wandered through the streets, pretending to be out on a stroll, only pausing when she stepped in front of him and held her arms up. “Please…?”

“You’re getting big for that, aren’t you?” he chuckled. She merely grunted and did a little hop in place. Giving in, he picked her up, careful not to remove the furoshiki cloth that was hiding the Sora design on her backpack. “Better?”

“They’re behind us,” she whispered in his ear.

Taking her claim seriously, Law slipped into a nearby alley and began to run. Using his Devil Fruit at this point would be a potential disaster, while breaking out into a fight in the open was only asking for even more trouble. He eventually found himself blocked in, a certain blue-haired yakuza boss staring him down.

“Kyoshiro,” he growled.

“Public Enemy Trafalgar,” the other man replied. He watched as the pirate drew his own sword, holding it one-handed as he kept Nauja close to him. “Turned to kidnapping, have we?”

“Can’t kidnap what’s yours.” Law tried to flex his fingers to see if he could open a decent Room without dropping his daughter—no dice.

“I beg to differ; kidnappings can come in all forms, as do bluffs.” Kyoshiro looked at the way Nauja clung to the younger man’s yukata and frowned. “What’s to stop me from rescuing that child and bringing her into my household, raising her to be a proper lady?”

“As though a yakuza has any room to judge.” Reaching out with his Haki, Law felt that they were surrounded. “Then again, your wards tend to be… troublesome, from what I hear.”

“You talk of my pride, joy, and heartbreak,” Kyoshiro replied, staring at the pair carefully. “How very astute of you—she was like a daughter to me, wasn’t she?”

“It’s difficult watching them do what they please, isn’t it?” Law said. “It’s difficult and hurts, both heart-wrenching and rewarding, and yet is one of the easiest and best things in the world.”

“Poetic.”

“Words from someone who knew what he was talking about.”

Kyoshiro continued to stare at the little family, his eyes narrowed and tired as he examined the situation. He sheathed his own sword, which only served to confuse his men.

“What are you doing, boss?” one wondered cautiously. “We have him right where we want him!”

“Yet is there not something… familiar about them?” Kyoshiro said. He stepped forward and Law tensed. The other yakuza adjusted their grips on their own swords, hoping that they would not need to rush in to defend their boss. “Let me ask you a question—your reaction decides your fate.”

Law did not answer, instead narrowing his glare at the taller man. Kyoshiro, figuring it was as close to consent as he was going to get, bent down and whispered in Law’s ear, so lowly not even Nauja could hear.

“Long live Kozuki Momonosuke, brother to my ward as she lives and the true shogun of Wano Kuni.”

Law sucked in a breath—fuck—this Kyoshiro was not entirely as he seemed. They exchanged a glance as the older man straightened. He sheathed his sword and created a Room with his now-free-hand, father and daughter being replaced by leaves.

“Shogun Orochi’s not going to be too happy about this,” a subordinate grimaced.

“Then he shall never know,” Kyoshiro stated. “It was a favor, one father to another. That child needs her father, if only for a short while longer.”

“…but what about…?!”

“We all have our part to play,” Kyoshiro nodded. “Now let’s get the fuck back to base—I’m exhausted from all this running around.”

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“You must listen to your father, child,” Hitetsu said gently. Nauja was sobbing on the shore near Amigasa Village, with the elderly man at her side and her father staring her down. Tama and Toko both awkwardly stood a short distance away, wanting to comfort their friend, but being too intimidated by the adults to do anything.

“I want to go along!” Nauja insisted. “I’ll be good and stay on the Tang!”

“No, you are going to stay here, with your friends and Tengu-ya,” Law countered. “You already shouldn’t be here. I can’t risk you any more than you have already.”

“…but I’m strong! I can take care of myself!”

“This has nothing to do with how strong you are and you know it.” Law exchanged a look with Hitetsu and the older man nodded, instead heading towards Tama and Toko. “I thought you were okay with staying.”

“Momo-ya gets to go,” she whined. She then breathed deeply and swallowed to clear her nasal passage. “Why is he going…? He’s pathetic.”

“That’s not my decision to make,” he replied sourly. He really wished that the brat was also staying behind, but he understood the tactical advantage of bringing a physical manifestation of the old dynasty into battle, even if he didn’t agree. “This is why I wanted you to stay on Zou with Alana-ya and Yepo-ya… so that we could avoid this.”

“You keep almost dying,” she reminded him, letting herself lean against his legs. “I’m sick of you almost dying all the time.”

“…and what would you rather me do?”

“Live, with me, someplace not here,” she mumbled. “Just be my dad.”

“Except, when we took down Doflamingo, we took down Kaidou’s supply of drugs, and I highly doubt he’s going to let that one slide,” he explained. Law knelt down in the sand and held his daughter by her shoulders. “I need to look for something there anyhow, and I don’t think I can find it, help take down Kaidou, and protect you.” He gently turned her chin upwards so as to look her in the eyes. “Listen, famke, I love you, and I am different because of it in all the best ways. I plan on coming back, whether it’s to celebrate a victory or to grab all three of you girls and run. Do you understand?”

She nodded.

“Good.” He kissed her forehead and gave her a smile. “I love you, Trafalgar Nauja.”

“I love you too, Vaor.”

“Now go enjoy the festival.” He opened a Room and disappeared, being replaced with a pebble that was on the deck of the waiting Polar Tang.

“Now that’s settled, let’s begin to prepare for our journey to the Flower Capitol for the Fire Festival,” Hitetsu announced. Nauja sat on the beach instead, watching the Polar Tang slip beneath the surface of the waves. The old man sighed heavily—how he wished comforting the child were but a simple act.

“Let us pack!” Toko grinned as she bounced up towards Hitetsu. He saw that Tama was heading towards Nauja and he took solace in at least that.

“Yes, do lets,” he agreed, letting the child lead him back towards the village. They were both well out of earshot before Tama sat next to her friend. Both girls stared out at the horizon, watching the waves gently crest and reach out towards the tide line, never quite touching their toes.

“I get it,” Nauja croaked out as she tried not to cry, “but he doesn’t think he’s coming back.”

“How can you tell?” Tama wondered. Nauja wiped her nose on her sleeve.

“He looked at me like that before,” she said. “That time he went alone to fight the guy who grew the SMILEs for Kaidou. Now he’s taking the whole crew… everyone but me. They even took Momo-ya, and that little brat trips over his own geta.”

“I don’t remember how my dad looked at me, verily,” Tama admitted. She let out a little chuckle, trying to hide her own tears. “My parents died so long ago now that I don’t even remember their faces. I like that you have a dad… that I saw him look at you, because I can imagine that’s how my dad looked. It’s really nice.”

“Tama-ya… I…”

“Nah, it’s fine,” the junior kunoichi said. She stood up and stretched, reaching high as she could into the air. “Wow! What a great day! Verily, it would be a shame to waste it!”

“That’s why we’re going to the Fire Festival, right?” Nauja asked. Tama grinned instead, pointing towards the treeline.

Speed was there.

Speed had a boat.

Speed still did everything Tama asked of her.

“The adults might want us to stay here, but I wanna help create a Wano that doesn’t have Orochi, where we can eat our fill every day, not just on festivals and birthdays. You in?”

In…?! Nauja couldn’t stand up and hug Tama fast enough.

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