•Black Hat•

•43•

Later on the same day, the minks organized a feast for the Strawhats and everyone sat around and enjoyed the food and it looked as if no one was troubled. But if anyone were to take a more thorough look he would be able to see that almost everyone was troubled. To begin with the minks, ten days ago were on the brink of death, because a man named Jack had arrived at Zou looking for a ninja named Raizo and had tortured everyone hoping to learn his whereabouts. That very moment they were enjoying themselves in the feast, one of their leaders, Inuarashi was still unconscious on his bed. And generally the whole mink tribe had suffered extreme losses but thankfully they were saved when the protection team had arrived. Half of the Strawhats were burdened with Sanji's story and the other half by the curiosity of what had happened to him. Pearl, even though she should be considered part of the Strawhats was trying to find a way to talk to Luffy and make her listen to her, and Law... was moody and didn't speak to anyone apart from his crew mates that had showered him with questions.

"So what happened with Sanji?" Luffy asked when he had finished eating. He made himself comfortable on the huge pillows behind him.

Nami hesitated for a bit but eventually began telling him everything that had happened after they separated and began traveling to Zou. How they had managed to escape Big Mom's ship, how they found this place and took care of the minks and most importantly how Sanji was taken or... in the end how he willingly went along with Bege to... get married to Pudding Big Mom's 35th daughter.

"Do what?!" Luffy and the rest of the members that were with him in Dressrosa shouted.

"He left you a letter" Nami said in the end and took a piece of paper out of her dress, giving it to her captain.

Luffy grabbed it and read it quickly.

"What does he mean: I have to go see a woman ??" He asked but at that moment a mink burst in the hall.

"The Prince has awoken!" He shouted causing everyone to cheer. "And he would also like to see the Strawhats" he added.

A dog mink named Wanda, that seemed to be friends with Nami leaned in and told them:

"He would like to thank you for saving us" she explained.

"Who's he?" Luffy asked Wanda.

"He's one of the kings of Mokomo Dukedom alongside Nekomamushi. They were once inseparable friends, but now are antagonistic toward each other. The tension between them grew to a point where they split off their duties; Inuarashi rules during the day between 6:00 in the morning and 6:00 at night while Nekomamushi rules from 6:00 at night until 6:00 in the morning" Wanda explained as everyone got up to visit Inuarashi. Everyone apart from Pearl she remained seated with a bottle of sake in her hands and an empty look in her eyes. Robin was the only one who noticed and kneeled beside her.

"Aren't you coming?"

"I'm not part of the crew. I mean no one acknowledges me as part of it yet... so I'll stay here". She muttered and brought the bottle to her lips.

"They aren't doing it on purpose, it just feels slightly strange to have you here. Listen! They even accepted me, do you how I first met them?" She asked and Pearl shook her head negatively. "I was their enemy" she smiled "and just invited myself to their company".

"They'll leave you behind if you don't go now" Pearl said and lowered her head to avoid the woman's eyes.

Robin didn't get up immediately, instead she looked at the girl with a bitter expression written on her face and eventually walked away. Pearl, finally alone, drank the last sip of sake from the bottle and walked outside slowly.

When she exited the house she could feel a pair of eyes peering at her and already knowing who it was from her Haki she turned around to look at him. She could barely keep her eyes open and her nose and cheeks were even redder than usual, cause at the end of the day she was still a redhair, and her skin took the color of her hair all the time. When she was exposed to the sun, when she was sick, when she was angry or happy and most importantly when she drank too much.

"Can I at least talk to you?" She asked.

"Did you drink?" Law asked.

"Yes, two bottles of sake" she spoke slowly trying not to stutter. Law rolled his eyes.

"Go drink some water, wash your face and go to bed" he advised her without moving to leave.

"Are you mad at me?" Pearl asked.

Law took a few seconds to answer.

"Yes" He said eventually.

"At least you're honest" Pearl muttered and no one spoke for a while. Law raised his head to look at the sky, as the moon started to slowly appear through the trees.

"It's- I'm not mad, maybe disgusted-"

"That's worse!" She interrupted him but Law continued.

"I just can't understand how the fuck you ended up in his bed!" Law admitted "You being a slut doesn't cover it for me! At least I don't like to think of you like that." He spat and stared at her waiting for a reply.

Pearl glared at him with her lips forming a straight line, indicating that she was trying to hold in her tears. Lately she had been feeling the need to cry so many times. It was as if all her bottled up tears were speaking an escape.

"Are you going to let me explain then?" She asked.

"Yeah" Law muttered.

"What I told you before doesn't cover it?"

"What, that you're nothing to me and I don't have any right to judge you? No" he replied.

"Okay" Pearl breathed out and placed her hair behind her ears. "It annoys me" She muttered while she kept brushing it to stay in place but it kept defying her. Gradually the movement she made became faster and more intense and she began pulling at her hair angrily. Her eyes had widened and in the blink of an eye she had grabbed Ace and was ready chop all of her hair off when Law jumped forwards and held her still.

"What are you doing?" He shouted at her.

"I hate it! I hate its color, any color it had ever had, I hate how it defies me and how it defines me. I don't want it! They say it's pretty, I don't want to be pretty! I want to be an ugly sack of potatoes you know how much trouble that would have saved me?" She cried and tried to free her hands from his hold. But soon enough she grew tired and let her blade fall to the ground. "I just wish I could be normal. No bounty, no prison, proper parents. No mourning"