When Love and Death Embrace

ZOMG! I'M UPDATING!!

Anywho, good news. I'm taking a grammar course this semster at school! But I'm currently killing time waiting for my friend to pick me up for a cosplay party. I'm going as Nojiko. She's cool and there is not enough fandom for her (hint hint).

Anywho, ON WITH THE FIC!

PS, you find out what Shanks' relationship is to Luffy!! OMG!

--
When Love and Death Embrace

--Heartache Every Moment

He heard the shower running when he awoke from his doze. Scratching against the light t-shirt, luffy sat up on the mattress. It was different from the one back in his master’s room. The pillows were fluffy and there was a feather down quilt. Kuro had always preferred silk to feather down and Luffy had found that he was cold on most nights.

He quickly turned when he heard footsteps closing in on him. The shower was still running so he had no idea who was there.

“Hello?”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you.”

Luffy’s eyes lit up when he recognized the voice. He positioned himself so that he sat on his heels.

“You are…You’re…eto…Aniki’s friend?”

“Hai hai,” nodded Usopp, “ and you’re Luffy, if I’m not mistaken?”

“Hai.”

Usopp stepped forward and sat himself on the mattress next to the blind brunette.

“Where’s your brother?”

“I believe he’s in the shower..eto….”

“Usopp.”

“Hai. Usopp-San.”

He was taken aback when he heard laughter.

“You don’t have to call me that! Just call me Usopp! Ok?”

Usopp laid a hand on Luffy’s head. He gave a strange look when the other flinched when he touched him.

“G..gomen, Usopp. I..I’m not used to strangers touching me,” Luffy lied through his teeth.

“That’s right. Please behave around my baby brother.”

Luffy snapped his head over as he heard his master’s voice.

“Aniki!”

(Aniki. That’s priceless) Kuro thought to himself. He had never expected himself to hear those words come out of his young charge.

“Sorry, Kuro. I just wanted to get to know your brother. He’s a real sweet-heart.”

Kuro tightened his bathrobe and made way over the fuzzy carpet.

“That’s what’s so lovable about him.”

Luffy blushed under all of the attention he was getting. For once, he wasn’t a sex toy. He only hoped that this reprieve would last for a little while longer.

------------

“What is this all about?”

Nami crossed her legs while fiddling with her drink. She stared at the two men in front of her. The redhead, who claimed to be known as “Shanks”, had a carefree look to him while his brunette partner, namely Benjamin Beckman, was completely stoic.

Nami frowned at the two. Shanks’ response was to merely grin even wider.

“Just a proposition.”

“What kind of proposition?” Smoker lit up another cigar.

“Nothing too important,” Ben intervened, “just Justice and cold blooded revenge.”

Nami’s frown deepened.

“What kind of bull is this?!” She stood to leave when a hand grabbed her wrist. She looked down at the red headed man. His grin had faded, being replaced with a serious expression, but one that seemed to be pleading.

“Please listen. It’s all I ask of you.”

“Why should I? I don’t have any need for revenge.”

“Not even for your mother’s death?”

It seemed as if the temperature dropped to fringed.

Nami stared at Shanks with wide eyes. Smoker made a move towards Nami but was cut off.

“How do you know about that?”

Shanks grinned again.

“Sit down.”

Nami stood there contemplating for a few minutes, then finally sat next to her old friend.

“We specifically need each of you because of what has happened to you in the past,” Shanks started to explain, “We are undercover agents and private detectives who have been working on a special project for nearly 15 years.”

“What’s happened to us in the past?” Smoker inhaled deeply letting loose a gray cloud.

“We have been working on trying to stop an illegal drug, prostitution and slave ring,” Ben started.

“And that has to do with us, how?” Crocodile responded dully.

“This group has affected us and all of you in some way.”

“But what does that have to do with my mother?” Nami bit her lip.

Shanks stared at her calmly.

“You’re mother was a police officer, right?”

Nami nodded.

“She found out about them. She knew too much.”

Nami almost knew what would come next.

“So they killed her.”

(flashback)

“They’re just children! You can’t force them to see something like that!”

“I’m sorry sir, but we do need an identification of the body, and since they are her children-”

“NO! I wont let you traumatize these children!”

“Mr. Genzo, sir, please!”

Nami stared up at the two men bickering, her older sister holding her hand.

“Where’s mommy?”

Nojiko squeezed her hand and pointed to the pale door. Letting go of her sister she ran.

“NAMI! NO!”

“BUT MAMA’S IN THERE!”

Nami threw the doors open, running as fast as her little legs could. He breath came out in the chilled air. She looked at all the people on the tables. She wondered why they were blue and sleeping.

“NAMI! GET BACK HERE!”

Nami turned to go but then saw the crop of hair that was her mother’s.

“MOMMY! THERE YOU ARE!”

“NAMI!”

She ran up to the table, pulling a chair with her to see her sleeping mother. Balancing her two feet on the metal chair she looked down to wake up her sleeping mother, but stopped. She starred at her mother’s open eyes, empty and clear. That was until she saw the gaping hole in her forehead. The huge abyss from a bullet penetrating her skull.

Nami screamed.

(end flashback)

“Nami! Are you alright?”

She gripped her drink tightly, trying to hold back the tears.

“For so long….no one knew who did it……and no one tried to look into it….”

Nami held her hand to her face. She was nine when her mother died. With nowhere else to go, Nami and Nojiko where taken in by their godfather Genzo. He had worked hard for the two girls, making sure they were able to get into college and have a career that they were good at. While Nojiko studied to be a Botanist, Nami went into the field of law. Only now, cushioned by his ward’s high paying jobs, was Genzo able to retire happily.

Shanks continued.

“Why did you go into the academy, Smoker-san? Was it because of Tashigi?”

Smoker inhaled sharply.

“And what about you, Mr. Crocodile? Why do you think you haven’t found Robin?”

His eyes widened.

“You know where Robin is?!”

“What about Tashigi?!”

Ben lit another cigarette.

“Isn’t it odd how both of them disappeared in the same general area of time? And why do you think the police do nothing about these specific cases?”

Smoker narrowed his eyes.

“They’ve got an inside man.”

Shanks snapped his fingers.

“Exactly. That’s why we need each of your help. Nami’s wits, Smoker’s inside surveillance, and Crocodile’s connections.”

“And what’s in it for you?”

Shanks stopped for a moment. His grin faded and one of hurt melted on.

“Just when this ring was starting up I lost someone very dear to me. My sister was taken by them and I have never found her since. I’ve never stopped looking. But…”

He stopped to steady himself.

“…The other day, I met a boy. He had ran away and was scared. He was from the trade ring and had been sold, but ran away from his master after a incredibly harsh beating. He said he knew my sister…..he was her son. He told me that my sister had died in childbirth, but that he also has a brother.”

His complexion hardened seriously.
“My sister died by their hands. My nephews are suffering because of them. The elder is back at HQ being tended too. But his brother is in the hands of the leader. He’s vulnerable. And he’ll never be sold because he was blinded when he was a child. By the hands of his own master.”

Shanks clenched his fists.

“Ace will be fine. But I have to get my other nephew back. I owe it to my sister.”

He stared at the three. Nami covered her mouth with her hands.

“I have to get Luffy back.”


TBC