nou

fast forward to six months, ace wakes up. he calls out for luffy immediately, in panic, a part of him screams for law, for his lover who he hadn't listened to, for his lover who he hadn't seen in god knows how long, for his lover who loved, missed and longed for.

marco had left ace behind with the red haired pirates, trusting them to keep him safe while he gets the whitebeard crew together. they help him out, reassuring ace they'll take him to luffy.

(ace asks about law too. he finds out his lover had saved his baby brother's life, he felt immensely relieved and grateful. but he also found out his lover was now a warlord, it was unexpected but ace knew law must've had his motives.)

ace and luffy's reunion is a tearful one, they cling to each other for days to pass, always by each other's side and rayleigh definitely does not mind another student, curious to get to know ace.

boa hancock was extremely generous to ace. (the man choked on air when the 31 year old woman called him 'brother-in-law'. but he found it rather amusing as well with how uninterested his little brother was about the entire thing)

ace spent his time with luffy, while actively trying to get a hold of law's whereabouts, shakky told him she hadn't heard anything about law in months. ace hated how good his lover was at keeping low profile.

ace has a long discussion with marco. marco and all of the remaining crew had decided to settle down, scattered on different island that were still under their territory, everyone was content with it but marco urged ace to not follow that, offhandedly mentioning how he could tag along with luffy. ("hah!? i don't want my brother to be my captain!" "you're not obliged to work under him, talk to him about it-yoi")

luffy is absolutely ecstatic with the idea of ace wanting to go adventure with him in the new world. happy that his brother will be with him for a longer time.

rayleigh and shakky advice him to disguise himself. while luffy and his crew were just rumoured to be dead it was way worse with ace. the entire world saw him die. so ace goes with it. he leaves for sabaody before luffy, promising to meet him at the sunny go when he's about to set sail. ace spends his entire time trying to dig up information on law, the information he found was interesting, amusing even, but nothing enough to give him any clues on where exactly law was. ace sighs in distress, he hoped the new world will be more helpful.

meeting the crew again was fun, ace realises. from their reactions to him being alive to the little reunion the strawhats had, coming together after two years. (it made ace miss his own crew, his own family)

punk hazard catches his attention in a way no island had in a while. fishman island was fun, but it was an island ace had visited more than once, considering how it was one of his crew's territories- or well used to be.

luffy offers ace to come along with him, zoro, robin and ussop as they set off to explore punk hazard. ace realises soon which area this was, a part of him grimaced, shuddering when he realised who had caused this, who the magma belonged to. he politely refused, joking about how he'll take care of luffy's crew while he's off having fun.

when they get attacked, ace springs into action, but quickly has to withdraw once he realises the men were carrying poisoned gas with them.

he shapeshifts into fire quick, using it as a disguise to hide away from the poison as he eavesdrops their conversation carefully, it seemed they were heading to the other part of the island, the one covered with snow, aokiji's work.

however he does make a mistake, getting to close to the gas without realizing, he tried to find a safe spot immediately, somewhere that would keep him away from getting caught.

he passes out from the gas in the library and is later woken up by brook ("they couldn't kill me cause i'm already dead yohohoho!") ace offers to go look after the others and brook easily agrees, saying he'll take care of the sunny till then.

in the past two years ace trained his haki well, he closes his eyes as he feels the cold wind rush through his face, trying to sense where everyone was located...ah! all the strawhats seemed to be together at one place but...ace freezes. sensing someone unexpected, someone who wasn't part of the strawhats, someone who ace was all too familiar with.

he rushes in that direction immediately, uncaring that he might get caught, too ansty, too desperate to see- feel his love right now.

ace's pace slows down as he reaches an abandoned lab, panting slightly, he can hear luffy talking to the rest. "will you betray me?"

"no." and god. god ace right. the voice was none other than law's. his beloved's, it makes ace feel weak in the knees, his eyes well up, as he finally looks up to where law stood beside luffy. his breath hitched. law was more built, had a long black coat covering his body, his hat was different but has the same pattern, he stil had that spotted jeans he wore on a daily basis and law- god his face was everything. ace had yearned for years to see him again, to hear him again to just- be with law.

ace doesn't wait a single moment, snapping out of his daze as he practically crashes into law, both of them now on the ice cold floor of the abandoned laboratory. "law" he whispers out with so much emotion.

law freezes. quite literally in shock when he felt a body collide into him, he was about to summon his powers when he heard his name, the voice was awfully familiar, law could not being himself to believe any of this was real

"oh torao!" luffy laughed "i completely forgot to tell you about ace! he's alive! see?" law doesn't understand how could luffy forget something so important but it doesn't matter, his hands tremble and shake as they slowly reach out for the man on top of him, the man who had his face buried in law's shoulder. words couldn't form, he couldn't bring himself to speak as his fingers ran through ace's body, finally cupping his face, law stared, and stared more. none of this felt real, he tried to swallow the lump forming in his throat, a hoarse whisper finally tumbles out "ace"

law doesn't say ace's name often, mostly sticking to hiken-ya, but that doesn't pop up in his head when he held his lover's face in his hands, his eyes roaming around his face in confirmation, wanting to believe what he was seeing was true, when ace nodded, giving him the reassurance he needed, law let his tears slip freely.

no one interrupts them and neither of them speak either, too overwhelmed to form words. they'll talk later, they know they will. ace was alive, ace was with law, they had time.

The little mistakes made by Shachi and Penguin that required her immediate intervention to save them from disaster or save their lives. The running around the narrow corridors of the Polar Tang when they bothered Bepo. The lack of attention to her words. The sudden disappearances on the islands they landed on, when she had expressly ordered them not to move from their places.

The combination of these little things had caused Law's stress levels to rise sharply. Sometimes she wanted to shout at them to be quiet, like now, when she could hear them laughing loudly in the kitchen.

But she knew very well that deep down, what bothered her was not her childhood friends being themselves.

No. What really bothered Law were her growing feelings and her heartbeat becoming erratic when she admired you from afar. She had been silently yearning for you for months, wishing she could be in your arms and you in hers, praying to whoever would listen to be more than just your captain. She wanted the admiration and respect you felt for her to somehow merge into an immeasurable love. A mutual love.

She just wanted you to love her back and didn't know what to do anymore. She didn't know how to act.

She wished it were different. She wished she didn't become even colder than she already was around you, just to hide her blush when she was in front of you. She wished she could be like the men who invited you for a drink in bars, whom you rejected so politely. She couldn't do that in a million years. It wasn't a lack of confidence, it was a lack of knowledge about your sexual orientation.

You never showed anything, and she wouldn't take a misstep that could compromise your relationship and your interactions at the Polar Tang. An uncomfortable atmosphere was not ideal for a pirate crew. And she didn't think she could get over you if she kept seeing you every day.

She loves you. She couldn't identify the moment when it happened.

At first, she invited you to join her crew because she had found such a strong woman on her journey. Until then, Ikkaku was the only other woman on her ship. At that moment, she could only think that another female presence would be more than welcome, a respite from so many men around her.

That thought of admiring your strength soon turned into one of admiring your beauty. The sparkle in your eyes when you saw something you liked or made you laugh, the way your hair moved in the wind and got tousled, forcing you to fix it sulkily, your body perfect for you (and for her), even the way you moved around the Polar Tang, with such grace and happiness. All of that brought a small smile to her face. But you never saw her do it, because she turned her head away first. The expression you always got from your captain was a serious one, with furrowed brows and pressed lips, as if absolutely everything irritated her.

And then came admiration for your personality. How could she have imagined that at some point in her life she would have such a beautiful woman gently knocking on her office door just to bring her a coffee? Or that she would save her rice balls before Shachi ate them all? Her heart and mind needed a break.

Your little actions thrilled her. The meals you prepared for her never included bread. If you went for a walk on an island, you always came back with a new item of clothing for her (and for Ikkaku, but she chose to think that for a brief second your mind was filled with Law, Law, and Law). From time to time, you would compliment her because, even though Law wanted to deny it, everyone loved that their captain was such a beautiful woman. Serious. A little twisted when she used her Devil Fruit. But beautiful nonetheless.

Perhaps Bepo, who was so observant and protective of her, had noticed something strange in her behaviour towards you. But he wouldn't say anything. It was best not to pressure her to talk, even though her silence spoke louder than a thousand words.

It was unthinkable that Law would ask for advice. She wouldn't let Penguin or Shachi laugh at her. And what did they know about relationships? All women rejected them. Like her, they had never had a girlfriend and had never fallen in love. The latter was the only thing that made her a little less pathetic than them.

She entered the kitchen rubbing her forehead. Her morning migraine was killing her, and the ibuprofen she had taken was not working. She looked up, searching for Bepo at the table, and found the polar bear sitting there eating toast with jam.

"Good morning, captain!" They all greeted her. Law just nodded.

She sat down next to Bepo, doing her best not to look at you. The polar bear noticed. She was acting strange again. You, sitting across the table next to Ikkaku and laughing at her jokes, didn't seem to notice your captain's behaviour.

"I'm telling you, it's real!" Penguin suddenly shouted.

Law looked at them.

"Seriously... Only you would believe that." Shachi said, hitting him on the shoulder.

"It's written by doctor Hiriluk. It says here that he's from Drum Island. That island has the best doctors, doesn't it, captain?" Penguin insisted.

The girl with golden eyes raised an eyebrow and nodded boredly.

‘I'm the best. But yes. There are good doctors in Drum."

"Captain… A little humility wouldn't hurt…" Penguin muttered, then turned his gaze back to Shachi. "But you heard her! This article has scientific verification."

"Veracity." Law corrected.

A giggle caught her attention. You were looking at her, laughing softly. Was it her correction that made you laugh, or the nonsense of the other two? A slight blush decorated Law's cheeks as she looked down at her rice balls.

"Okay, okay, listen Shachi. With this, we won't fail when we go to a bar on the next island.” Penguin pointed to the magazine in his hand.

Shachi narrowed his eyes and then nodded, ready to listen. Penguin cleared his throat, placing the magazine in front of him and reading aloud.

"Ten steps to make the woman you like fall in love with you."

Ikkaku burst out laughing. Bepo covered his face in embarrassment. Jean Bart looked at them disappointedly. Law groaned.

"You two need divine blessing so that women won't reject you." Ikkaku teased.

"Even with advice from a Drum doctor, Penguin and Shachi couldn't win over a woman." Bepo added shyly.

"Of course I can!" Penguin shouted.

"This doctor Hiriluk..." You said. Penguin turned to look at you, offended, and Law looked at you intently.

"It's true! Don't you dare say he's lying." Penguin said, banging his head on the table. "A doctor can't lie..."

You bit your lip to hold back your laughter.

"I guess what he says must be true. Cheer up, Penguin." You smiled, patting his shoulder.

Law raised an eyebrow.

"How about instead of reading that nonsense, you do what I asked you to do yesterday?" Law grunted.

Shachi groaned in denial.

"Get back to work. Penguin, go clean the bathrooms. Bepo, clean the deck. Shachi, help Penguin or Bepo." She ordered, standing up.

You stared at her, waiting for an order that never came. Sometimes you felt bad because your captain didn't ask you to do much. The room you shared with Ikkaku was cleaned daily and was never as messy as the one the men shared. Law, on the other hand, had her own room. No one but Bepo had ever entered it, so you couldn't offer to clean it.

"The deck sounds better." Shachi smiled.

"Captain, that's unfair! I cleaned the bathrooms last week. Now it's Jean Bart's turn."

"Actually, I cleaned them last week…" Jean Bart said.

Penguin gave him a look.

"Stop complaining and do what I asked you to do." Law muttered one last time before leaving for her office.

The tattooed woman spent the day cleaning her medical instruments. They were all well cared for, and her office sparkled with cleanliness. It was her space, and since she always had patients coming in for treatment, hygiene was important. She opened her drawer to see what she needed to restock. Bandages, gauze, scalpel blades, disposable gloves, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol...

After writing everything down and leaving the list in a visible place on her desk, she went to the control room to ask Hakugan when they would arrive at the next island.

But on the way, she caught sight of Penguin's magazine on the kitchen table.

"I guess what he says must be true." Your words came to her mind. She bit her lip thoughtfully. Was it possible that Penguin had found the cure for female loneliness this time? Was it possible that she could win you over by following a guide? If she thought about it carefully, she wouldn't fall for a man who followed a list of steps to win her heart. But she wouldn't fall for any man, to tell the truth.

Furthermore, if it was true that the author of that article was a doctor, then it had real basis and foundation. He had researched and experimented before publishing it.

It couldn't be a joke.

She looked both ways, noticing that no one was around, and entered the kitchen. She discreetly hid the magazine inside her blue cape and walked confidently to her room. No one would know she had it, and no one could check either. Penguin would surely ask about the magazine, and she could say something like "I threw it away, it was crap" to get away with it.

She closed her door and sat on her bed, opening the magazine.

¡Ten steps to make the woman you like fall in love with you!

You must be a shy guy if you're reading this. Or you don't know how to act around your beloved to win her heart. Well, I have the solution! I am doctor Hiriluk, born on Drum Island, and this is my research on how to win a woman's heart.

Law frowned, contemplating.

For ten days, you will live at your best. Try to do one thing each day, and by the end, you will see huge changes.

Should she throw this crap away?

Step one: get noticed. When you know you are going to see the girl you like, the challenge begins. On your first day, dress and style your hair well. There is nothing better than a good image to make a good first impression.

Law frowned even more. She was already well dressed, what difference would tomorrow make?

Surely, with luck, she'll give you a compliment! Then you'll know that you definitely have her attention. Her eyes are on you.

She lay down on her bed, placing the magazine over her head, reading the first step over and over again. You already complimented her, but it was for silly things. "You're so smart, Law." "You're amazing, Law." "You're so strong, Law!" And not much about her appearance. Only twice, when she took off her hat and you saw her.

A light bulb went off in her head. Okay, that's what she would do. If they arrived at the new island tomorrow, she would leave her beloved hat in her room. She would wear something cute and win you over.

That night, when everyone gathered in the kitchen, Hakugan announced their arrival on the island at dawn. Everyone celebrated, and you smiled as you watched your captain, who was eating disinterestedly in front of you, her eyes fixed on a book of medicinal herbs. You wondered what was going through her mind, sitting there, mesmerised by her tattooed hands and short black-painted nails.

Ikkaku nudged you.

"We're going to bed! Tomorrow we're having a girls' day. Captain, would you like to come?" Said your friend, linking her arm through yours.

"No." She replied curtly, without taking her eyes off the book.

If your expression turned to disappointment, Law didn't notice. Her mind was absorbed in the first step she had read hours ago. She had memorised every word.

And she was determined not to fail as she got ready in front of the mirror the next morning.

Her hat had been left forgotten on her pillow, leaving her short hair free. She combed it several times, making her fringe fall to one side. She searched and searched her wardrobe for that red shirt you had bought her months ago. Outside, the weather was perfect for wearing it, and a pair of tight jeans seemed to go well with it. Would heels be too much? Her short boots were more comfortable.

She looked at herself nervously in the mirror. Should she paint her nails again? The black polish was chipping.

"There is nothing better than a good image to make a good first impression." She whispered Hiriluk's words.

She decided to do it after putting on perfume. She just prayed that you would notice her effort.

She left her room with kikoku on her shoulder, her expression serious as she walked to the deck. Her crew was already ready to leave the Polar Tang as soon as she opened her mouth. They were full of energy and loved exploring new islands, so she could never find a way to give them instructions before they did so.

A whistle sounded and her eye twitched.

"Captain, you're so pretty!" Penguin shouted, putting his hands on his cheeks. Shachi joined in the shouting.

"Are you trying to win my heart?" Shachi said.

"I'll kill you." Law replied.

You stared at her in amazement. Law was... She was stunning. She looked stunning. Those jeans she was wearing hugged her wide hips, and that shirt... Was it the one you bought her? Your heart skipped a beat as you smiled slightly. You had chosen that specific color because you thought it would highlight not only her hair and eyes, but also her tattoos. But you didn't count on it fitting her waist so well. And her boobs, and the tattoo that decorated her chest... Oh, God. You looked away, blushing.

Suddenly, you felt self-conscious. You wondered if complimenting her would be appropriate, given her reaction to the guys, but in the end you decided not to.

Law looked at you all day, waiting for a compliment that never came.

But she didn't give up there.

Of course not.

It would only be ten days. Ten days to find out if you were even a little bit attracted to her.

The next day she got ready again, more focused on the second step.

Step two: stay close to the girl you like. Approach her and talk to her. Nothing weird, just a smile, an introduction, and start a casual conversation.

Law plucked up her courage and ran her hands over her shirt, trying to smooth it out. Her hair (again without the hat) was somewhat messy, giving her a rebellious look. She took a deep breath and approached you, carrying her kikoku on her shoulder.

You were relaxed, eating a peach, when you saw her walking towards you. The Polar Tang kitchen was empty. You thought you were alone because you had woken up so late, so your breakfast was just a simple fruit.

The shirt she was wearing today was more buttoned up than the one she wore yesterday, but that didn't stop you from swallowing the peach hard, losing yourself in the ink on her chest. Her rolled-up sleeves revealed the tattoos on her arms, and a blush was beginning to spread across your cheeks again. You wanted to curse your body. You wanted, for all the good in the world, to stop reacting like this to your captain.

You shifted your weight from one foot to the other, trying to act casual. Law stood in front of you with an indifferent expression.

"Y/N-ya." She said in his hoarse voice.

Your mouth might have gone dry from that tone if you didn't have a peach in it right now.

"Captain! Good morning. Did you sleep well?" You asked nervously.

"Yes. Thanks for asking." She muttered, looking at your peach.

Law was so embarrassed inside that she couldn't even look you in the eye for very long. She even forgot to ask how you had slept, but many seconds had passed and it would be strange to do so now. She cleared her throat and looked up slightly.

"Are you the only one left? Did the others leave?"

Nothing strange, nothing strange, nothing strange, she repeated Hiriluk’s advice over and over again. It just had to be a casual conversation, something she would say to Bepo. But she was in love with you, of course it wasn’t the same as talking to Bepo.

"I fell asleep and when I woke up everyone was gone." You said, finishing your peach. "I thought I was the only one here."

Law broke out in a cold sweat. In fact, she knew you were here. She was the first of the crew to wake up, so she sent everyone away and asked them not to get into trouble, saying she had things to do.

"I was seeing what things I was missing in my office to make a list." She lied in a casual tone.

You nodded, understanding. The tattooed woman wanted to let out the air she was holding in.

"So, are you free? I'll go shopping."

"Cool! We can go together, I'll do the supplies for the ship." You said smiling.

Law was grateful that it was so easy to have a conversation with you.

The rest of the morning was a dream come true for Law. You talked non-stop and she listened to you. Every now and then you could see the corner of her mouth turn up when she looked away, making you smile even more.

Law bought all the medical supplies she needed, even though you didn't understand much about them. Your captain had come to the conclusion on her own that talking to you about medicine for hours would be boring for you.

She accompanied you to buy fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, chicken, and all the things the crew loved. From time to time, Law gave her opinion on which items were of the highest quality and which were least likely to cause fatal food poisoning. You listened to her with amusement. She was very picky about food.

At the end of that little outing, Law was happy. Step two had gone well.

That's why she never imagined that the third day would be a nightmare.

Damn Hiriluk and stupid step three.

Step three: flirt by making eye contact. When she catches you looking at her, lock eyes on her for a moment and then look away with a sly smile. Wait a few minutes and repeat the process. Girls like guys who can make them nervous! Especially those who show interest in them.

When she read it, it didn't sound so bad.

She had made herself look pretty, she had been able to talk to you for more than two words without wanting to throw up, making you nervous couldn't be that difficult, could it?

Well, she must have been left wondering.

It all happened during lunch. You were eating your fries with a smile, talking to Bepo about his dream of finding a beautiful polar bear to be his girlfriend. You found him sweet and believed that he would surely find a woman who loved him in Zou. But you felt someone staring at you.

When you turned to look at Law, she was distracted by her book. So what was that strange feeling?

You stared at her for a few seconds until she looked up. You noticed that the expression on her face changed to one of slight surprise, before returning to seriousness. So she was the one who was looking at you, and on top of that she was surprised that you caught her doing it.

It happened once. You looked at her, she looked at you, and then she smiled mockingly, lowering her gaze to her book and turning to another page. The second time, you pressed your lips together. Was she making fun of you?

The third time, you were starting to feel uncomfortable. Why was Law looking at you so much? Were you ugly? Did you say something wrong? You approached Bepo, ready to ask him, but you didn't count on the whole table suddenly falling silent and your comment being heard by everyone.

"Hey, Bepo, do I have snot or something? It's just that Law keeps looking at me and laughing."

The crew immediately fell silent.

Bepo tensed up. Law tensed up. Penguin smiled. Shachi raised an eyebrow. Ikkaku bit her lip amusedly.

"Captain!? Why are you bothering our lovely Y/N? Don't be cruel." Penguin shouted.

"Harassing people is wrong, Law. I thought Cora-san had taught you better." Bepo scolded.

Everyone supported him and turned against her, teasing her for the rest of the day.

And now she was in her room, writing angrily on the blank space of that magazine page. She had circled step three with a red marker, writing how awful it was and that they should redo the guide, because this certainly wasn't working.

She wondered if she should give up. There was no way she could make up for making you feel uncomfortable.

She rubbed her eyes in frustration, looking down at step four. She couldn't give up so quickly. In any investigation, something would go wrong, no matter how small. If she wanted to find out if she had a chance with you, she just had to survive the remaining seven days without embarrassing herself.

Step four: forge common interests with the girl you like.

And that's it? No advice, no "talk to her about this", nothing.

Law lay back on her bed, thinking. Her deepest interests, her hobbies and passions, were not something she shared with everyone. If she were to become your girlfriend in the long run, then you would have to accept her for who she was, because that wasn't the worst thing about her. That was her mindset. She had her traumas, she had her grudges, she lived with longing, she lived with a deep pain in her heart, but she lived.

The next morning, she got up before everyone else. She combed her hair and put on her hat before leaving her room, walking straight to the kitchen.

She sat with one leg crossed over the other, a coffee in one hand and her comic book in the other. She couldn't give it the attention it deserved, as she kept looking at the door, waiting for you to come in before everyone else. And so you did.

You were startled to see her and then smiled, whispering "good morning" as you made yourself a coffee. To Law's surprise, you sat down next to her. Your foot lightly touched hers, making her hands sweat.

She turned the page, frowning, the expression she used when she didn't want you to notice what you were doing to her.

"What are you reading?" You asked, glancing at the page.

"Sora, the warrior of the sea." She murmured, trying not to sound nervous.

You didn't respond, causing Law to glance at you sideways, thinking you weren't interested. She bit her lip, stunned by the look you gave her. The sparkle in your eyes and your raised eyebrow, waiting for her to explain. How could you not be aware of the revolution you were causing inside her?

"It's famous in North Blue, I'm from there. Sora is a warrior who walks on the sea and fights against the evil army of Germa 66. The villains are five incredibly strong brothers. They all have a number on their capes and unique powers, but Sora always defeats them."

The more she talked, the more you noticed Law's face light up. You rested your cheek on your hand, looking at her with a sweet smile.

"I hate germa. In fact, I think the marine did such a good job with Sora, they really sold themselves as the best in the world, who will always protect the weakest."

You nodded at every word she said, enchanted by how she turned the comic book to show you different pages. She told you the names of those villainous brothers, the adventures of the protagonist, his battles, the powers of the germa, and even confessed that if she had to choose a favourite among those five, it would definitely be Reiju.

You couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy in your chest when you heard her talk about how beautiful she was. Being jealous of a drawing was so childish that you wanted to hit yourself to snap out of it.

"Am I interrupting something?"

You both turned to look at the door. Penguin and Shachi were there, smiling at you.

"A good morning wouldn’t hurt, you impolite person." You said to Penguin, smiling.

Law put away her comic book while you distracted her childhood friends. She didn't want anyone to know about her feelings for you. She wanted it to be her little secret until she saw whether this would turn out well or badly. She dared to look at you for a few seconds, mesmerised by your profile.

A cough from Bepo (who had just arrived) made her blood run cold, so she grabbed her coffee again and took a sip. The disgust on her face was immediate. It was cold.

But it was worth it, because this step had been a complete success.

Waking up the next day with a smile was something new for her.

She had surprised everyone in the crew as well. Today she wasn't giving orders or scolding anyone. Law's day had passed peacefully, thinking about what she could do for step five. She spun around in her desk chair, staring at the ceiling, recalling your smile from yesterday over and over again as she spoke to you.

It had all happened suddenly. You just listened to her and occasionally asked a question, which she gladly answered. She smiled, closing her eyes.

The best thing was to let it flow. Especially now.

Step five: your body language is important! Give her a subtle signal. Your mission today is to accidentally touch her and apologise politely.

Dinner was more chaotic than usual. Ikkaku, Bepo, and Jean Bart wanted pizza and had decided to make it themselves. The kitchen was a mess with the three of them running back and forth, putting trays in and taking them out of the oven. Penguin and Shachi were playing tag, annoying Ikkaku, who wouldn't stop yelling.

Law watched you. You had your back to her, standing in front of the counter putting cheese on a pizza. Her gaze returned to the table. There were no glasses or anything there yet.

She smiled to herself as she stood up.

She gently positioned herself behind you. Her chest pressed against your back and her left hand held your waist.

You tensed up with the cheese in your hand. Your breathing stopped for a second and your heartbeat went wild from second to second.

"I'm sorry, Y/N-ya." She whispered in your ear as she extended her hand.

When you no longer felt her warmth near you, you turned to look at her over your shoulder, a bundle of nerves. She was pouring water into a glass as if nothing had happened. As if she hadn't made you scream inside! You bit your lip and put the cheese back on the pizza.

Her fingers were cold. And soft. And long. And her hand was large. And tattooed. And her breath was so warm when she spoke into your ear...

You shook your head, excusing yourself to go to the bathroom.

Law pursed her lips, holding back her smile as she watched you hurry out of the kitchen. Had it worked?

She still had more days left and just now, that simple reaction on your part had caused her to feel a little bit of illusion inside her.

An illusion that didn't go away the next day.

Standing on the deck, she sipped her coffee, looking up at the clear sky.

The margin for error was nil. She could be herself without failing in this step. It would be enough to speak to you just to give you an order as your captain. If you were still affected by yesterday, if you were still thinking about her for a second too long, she would feel confident when the tenth day came.

She watched you out of the corner of her eye, you were sitting on the railing of the deck, talking about something with Ikkaku. Your expression was constantly changing. You covered your face in embarrassment, looked nervously out to sea, but never looked at her. Had her touch yesterday made you uncomfortable, or were those reactions provoked by the other woman in front of you? If you were attracted to women, there was a chance that she wasn't your type.

Law frowned, sipping her coffee. Her confidence could not waver at one of the most important steps. At last she had caught a glimpse of a logical one among all the things written by Hiriluk.

Step six: look for signs of attraction. Don't be so quick to jump in! Watch her reactions first. Are her cheeks flushed? Are her pupils dilated? Does she lick her lips? Does she dare to touch you at times? Does she mimic your body language? If she does any of these, you're closer than you think to step ten.

As she was washing her mug in the sink, you walked into the kitchen. Law tensed slightly as she prepared to rinse it. Should she give you an order? Engage you in a normal conversation? She didn't need to stare at you, even out of the corner of her eye, to feel your presence.

She always did.

"Here, captain." You said with a smile, holding out a dish towel.

The woman with golden eyes watched you in silence for a moment, thanking you with a nod, trying to take from your hands that old cloth that should have been changed by now. The touch of her fingers should have been just that, a touch. But somehow it had extended for what seemed like the most eternal seconds ever experienced by both of you. The shiver that ran through each other's bodies was what moved Law. The captain walked away with the dish towel in her hands, wiping the cup dazedly, not taking her eyes off it.

You leaned against the counter, running your index finger along the white marble, distracted or nervous. Law didn't know, but what she did notice was that your arms weren't crossed. That was a good sign. You weren't rejecting her. The captain of the Heart pirates put the mug away with the others.

"Law, you..."

Oh, Law wanted to smile. It was impossible for you to guess given the stoic expression she forced herself to maintain.

You were tucking your hair behind your ear, watching your captain with a slight blush on your cheeks. You wanted to ask what yesterday was all about. You hadn't been able to sleep all night, tossing and turning in your bed, remembering her touch, her breath, her warmth. You had fantasized for hours about those hands, those tattooed arms wrapped around your waist, refusing to let go. Or you refusing to let go.

If it wasn't for Ikkaku, you wouldn't have dared to stand here.

"What happened yesterday..."

"Has anyone seen my magazine!? We're almost to the next island and I don't have my magazine!"

Law sighed in frustration at the interruption. Penguin stormed into the kitchen, searching inside the cabinets, under the chairs, even inside the fridge.

"I threw that thing in the trash."

If Penguin whined for the rest of the day about how cruel Law was, the woman didn't mind in the least. At some point you had disappeared from her side, leaving her wondering what you were going to say.

She tried to talk to you (her concept of talking to you was to stare at you until you got the signal and spoke to her first) but suddenly you had something to do, stepping out of the space Law was in with a flushed face.

Your reactions guided her to step seven.

Step seven: flirt with her. Give her a compliment! It's not that hard to compliment a woman. Just point out what you like most about her or something that catches your eye that day. If the words don't come out, try touching her in a delicate way, something like tucking her hair behind her ear would be nice.

Law did it at different times of the day, and at each one you almost had a heart attack.

The first one happened as soon as you woke up. You were in the bathroom that everyone used, the door was open, as you were just brushing your teeth when your captain walked in. All dressed up. As beautiful as ever. You watched her through the mirror with the brush in front of you and your lips parted.

"You look cute like that."

The blush that broke out on your face was worthy of a teasing from Penguin! After saying that, she just walked away. As if it was nothing. As if she hadn't called you cute, of all things, when you were just waking up, your hair in all directions, a face like you still couldn't get out of bed and your t-shirt stained with a bit of toothpaste.

The second came at dessert time, after lunch. You ate your strawberry ice cream slowly, staring at Ikkaku who pointed at Law sitting next to you, silently begging you to talk to her about something.

Feeling a hand stroking your hair, you stiffened. You turned your head in a daze, looking at Law. She tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear, looking into your eyes.

"Your hair almost touched the ice cream." She said turning her gaze back to the newspaper.

Ikkaku gasped. Penguin and Shachi choked on their ice cream. Bepo's eyes almost popped out of their sockets in surprise. Jean Bart was as stunned as you were.

And if anyone could hear your inner screams, they'd probably yell back at you to shut up, because the third one left you more than a little shaken.

You had entered her office to show her the new map you had drawn. Since joining the crew, you had been in charge of that, given that Penguin and Shachi drew like children. Your maps were amazing. The first time Law saw one, he remembered the ones made by the navigator of the Straw Hats.

"This is from the last island we visited."

You talked and talked, and Law just watched you. The map in your hands forgotten. The way you moved your lips was mesmerising, the movement of your hand to brush an annoying strand of hair from your face was almost elegant, your excitement as you explained what you loved was sweet.

"You're perfect…" Law murmured, unable to help herself.

You looked at the woman in astonishment. You gripped the map tighter, wanting so badly to run your hands over your uniform trousers to dry the sweat.

Law cleared her throat. Was that a blush on her cheeks?

"Making maps, I mean." She said, closing her book. "If that’s all, I’ll get back to my work."

Seeing you run out of her office left her banging her forehead against her desk. She hoped she hadn't been so obvious, but after so many days like that, you should have guessed something about her feelings. About what she was doing. It was no coincidence that after so many months of silence where only her glances spoke, Law acted so strongly.

This wasn't the Law you were used to.

You confirmed it the next day when everyone was joking around on deck. The next island was a day away, and Shachi and Penguin were already planning to go to a bar. Of course, everyone else wanted to go too. More than to get drunk, they were going to make fun of them when they got rejected.

Law watched you leaning against the door, hugging Kikoku.

If Jean Bart could make you laugh with such a bad joke, then so could she, right?

When you came out of the bathroom, you found Law washing her hands. You started washing yours in silence. Looking at her now meant remembering her compliments from yesterday, remembering meant blushing, blushing meant she would see you, and if she saw you, she would ask her typical questions, "are you feeling ill?", "are you sick?", "do you have a fever?" You didn't want that.

Law gave herself confidence.

This was the moment.

Step eight: be funny! Women like men who make them laugh.

"A patient comes in and says, doctor, doctor, it hurts when I do this! And then the doctor replies, then don't do that."

You stopped washing your hands. Her serious voice echoed throughout the bathroom. Had Law just made a joke? Out of nowhere. You looked at her through the mirror with raised eyebrows.

"What?"

"Nothing." She muttered, quickly drying her hands and escaping from the bathroom.

If she crossed out step eight with a red marker that night, writing that it didn't work either, no one would find out.

Law was frustrated. She wasn't good at jokes, she hadn't managed to get even a small laugh out of you. If she hadn't managed that, then she couldn't manage step nine. She knew that everyone had something to offer, but considering how much you liked to laugh, suddenly the thought of you being her girlfriend didn't sound so good anymore.

What if she lost your sparkle?

What if someone else was funnier than her and you preferred them?

What if your type was a woman or a man who made you smile or who was smiling all the time?

She didn't fit into any category.

She took a long sip of her sake. She had felt your gaze on her all day, had noticed how you parted your lips to say something to her, only to be completely ignored. What she feared was happening. Discomfort within the crew. Now you two felt it and Bepo saw it, but soon the others would notice it too.

The music in the bar wasn't that loud. Penguin and Shachi were flirting with two women who were smiling at them for the moment. Bepo was dancing and jumping around with Jean Bart. Ikkaku, Hakugan, and you were talking while sitting at a table.

Law was sitting at the bar, completely alone. She had lost count of how many drinks she'd had.

Why was it so difficult for her? Should she get up, walk over to you and ask you to dance? Buy you a drink? Live with the dream of being your girlfriend, doomed to be your captain? She took another sip of her sake. She could hold her alcohol, even drugs. This was nothing new to her. But as a doctor, she knew she was making the mistake of drinking on an empty stomach.

Ikkaku pushed you out of your chair and Hakugan gave you a thumbs up in support.

All you had to do was approach Law and ask her to dance. The worst that could happen was that she would say she didn't dance. In that case, you would tell her that you could sit together and drink, or walk under the stars in this new town. Something corny. Something you would love to do with her.

You nervously made your way to the bar, sitting down next to her without looking at her. You psyched yourself up to talk to her. You had been ignored all day and thought she was angry because you didn't laugh at her joke. In fact, you laughed to yourself in bed when you remembered it. It was silly. A joke only she would tell. The memory brought a smile to your face, and you looked up at her, only to gasp at her condition.

Her cheeks were flushed, her pupils dilated, and her long fingers —those impressive fingers— were holding a glass. It looked like whisky.

You had never seen your captain in that state before.

"Law? Are you okay?"

The woman nodded. Then she shook her head. The look she gave you was filled with sadness when she seemed to recognise whose voice was speaking to her. She approached you, grabbing your black tank top in her fist.

"You…" She whispered. Her breath reeked of alcohol.

"Me?"

Her face contorted into a grimace.

"I'm going to throw up."

You hurried to hold her up, walking with her out of the bar. She leaned against a wall with a huge sign that said ‘karaoke night’ and let out all the liquid inside her. Her defeated appearance was begging you to take her back to Polar Tang.

The two of you walked under the starry night sky, your arm around her waist and her arm around your shoulders. You wished it wasn't in this situation, but you also thought that in her right mind, Law wouldn't do this in public. The blizzard was hitting her face. Maybe some fresh air would do her good.

Under the light of the street lamps, her golden eyes shone even brighter. It wasn't the time to get lost in her beauty, but it was inevitable. She carried her hat in one hand, twirling it awkwardly on her finger as she swayed her head from side to side.

Law wasn't looking at anything in particular. Sometimes she looked up at the sky, other times she turned her gaze to you, as if she yearned for something.

Getting to the Polar Tang was a daring move. The port where it had been hidden was far from the bar. The plan was to drink all night and then go to a nearby motel. You had agreed to share a room with Ikkaku in the morning, without noticing Law's hurt expression. She, on the other hand, had said she wouldn't drink much and would return to the ship, because someone had to look after it. And she wouldn't be anywhere other than her room.

But finding her like that changed all the plans.

You didn't complain either. Looking after her made you feel good.

Law stumbled several times in the corridors, trying to take off her black boots. For the first time since you arrived at this place, you opened the door to her room.

When you turned on the light, you noticed that everything was perfectly arranged, as you would expect from a surgeon. The books were in alphabetical order, most of them medical. There were a few romantic novels, which surprised you. You smiled foolishly at the collection of comics of Sora, the warrior of the sea. They were perfectly cared for. There were even several collectible figures on a shelf. Was that Reiju? You shook your head, delighted.

Law threw herself onto her bed, completely exhausted. She wasn't thinking clearly. She just wanted to sleep.

You continued rummaging through her desk. Her pens were stored in cases. They looked expensive. There was even one that seemed to have her name written on it in gold. You played with your lower lip. The writing in her notebooks was so neat.

Something caught your eye on the floor. A red marker.

You bent down to pick it up, and hidden, almost unseen in the shadow of the desk, was a magazine.

You tilted your head to one side curiously. Why would Law leave something out of place? You stood up with both items in your hands and opened the magazine.

And then, your heart skipped a beat.

¡Ten steps to make the woman you like fall in love with you!

You read them one by one. Get noticed, stay close, flirt by making eye contact, forge common interests, be funny…

Oh, you fool Law.

Now you understood her actions over the past few days. Her looks and smiles that you thought were mocking. Her grip on your waist when you were preparing the pizza. Her sudden talk about Sora. Her compliments. Her silly joke in the bathroom. She was trying to win you over.

"Has anyone seen my magazine!?" "I threw that thing in the trash."

You giggled as you held the magazine in your hands. You continued reading the steps. Some were underlined in red, indicating that they didn't work. And there were two that she hadn't completed yet. If you counted correctly, day nine should be today.

Step nine: Be playful! Girls like to be teased over silly things.

Highlighted in red, Law had written next to it: "I won't do that stupid thing."

Law opened her eyes abruptly. She had consumed too much. She had vomited. Someone had accompanied her to the ship. She remembered a smile, a hair colour she loved, she had even just heard that laugh. Please, no.

Please don't let it be her in her room.

She sat up in bed and wanted to cry when she saw you holding the magazine. In a nervous gesture, she stood up, snatching the guide from your hands.

"Get out of here."

"Wait, Law, let's talk."

"Talk about what? Just act like you didn't see anything. This is stupid, it doesn't matter..."

"It matters to me." You insisted.

Your captain looked at you with a frown. The alcohol hadn't completely left her system and a headache was starting to bother her. You seemed to notice, so you took her to bed and sat her down.

"Rest today. If you can, rest tomorrow too." You murmured.

"I can heal myself with my Devil Fruit, you know that, right?"

"If you decide to heal yourself, then tomorrow you have to complete step ten."

The smile you gave her stunned Law. Were you serious? Were you not joking or agreeing out of pity just because she was your captain?

Step ten: you're ready to ask her out on a date!

"And preferably, I'd rather have Trafalgar Law go on the date with me than Dr. Hiriluk's advice. Although I know that some of the steps were really you."

You pointed to her shelf with Sora's things on it, and the tattooed woman smiled without looking at you.

"So you..."

"All this time, I've been in love with you." You confessed. "You don't have to make jokes you don't like to make me smile. You do it effortlessly. Like when you correct Penguin for speaking wrongly. And you don't have to force yourself to act a certain way for anything in the world. I know that if you want to say or do something, you'll do it from the heart and not because I insist."

Law's heart tightened.

"If you want us to get to know each other better, then take me on that date. Tomorrow is our last day on this island."

She looked up, daring to look you in the eye without feeling pressured. She could get used to that.

To showing you her love directly.

To living the dream of being your girlfriend.

And if there was anything else written at the end of the steps, neither of you noticed it.

Article correction: To anyone reading this, please do not follow doctor Hiriluk's advice. The vast majority of these steps will yield different results depending on the person you use them on. It could turn out very well, or very badly. Furthermore, this man is a liar. Best regards, doctor Kureha.