FicWad

The next day, after helping in the kitchen with Casper for breakfast, Summer was led down past the crew's quarters into a part of the sub that Penguin and Shachi hadn't shown her before. The captain had requested Liam accompany them, and he took up the rear. The halls didn't look any different, but there weren't nearly as many people walking them as the others. Law walked ahead of her, eventually stopping in front of a door on the right. He gave her an amused smirk before opening the room and allowing her to enter first.

She walked into a fully equipped training room. The metal walls were a dark blue, a stark contrast to the neon yellow that seemed to be the recurring theme around here. Large wooden poles wrapped in hard leather were set up across from her. Shifting her feet around, she found the floor to be a softer padding, probably for close combat training.

"Wow, an entire training room onboard a submarine? I'm impressed." She said.

She heard the door behind her close. Turning, she watched as the captain took up a position by the wall and Liam made his way to the center of the room. She raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"I'm fighting Liam?" The smirk still on his face, Law nodded.

"Liam-ya specializes in close combat with short swords, similar to what you prefer." He gestured to her two daggers on her belt. Whilst he spoke, Liam took out a pair of slightly longer weapons in preparation. "Sparring with him will show me if you're actually skilled in using them. You will start when I say." She took a deep breath to control her temper. Even when he was somewhat tolerable, he said something to make him a douche.

"Alright." She said, ignoring the jab at her ability and pulling her own weapons off of her belt. Her body instinctively eased into a ready position, one dagger in each hand. Liam faced her, holding his own swords at the ready. She gave a small smile. "I'm not going to hold back, Liam."

He grinned in response. "You'll lose if you do." A matching grin struck her face. Adrenaline started working its way through her limbs at the thought of using her weapons, and she ached for Law to signal the beginning of the match.

/'Yes, you have to win. To become stronger.' /Some part of her that only came about when she fought reared its ugly head, begging for bloodshed. She forced herself to hold the urge down, to stamp out the danger to herself and Liam. She narrowed her eyes, the act of suppressing the feeling getting harder by the second. The wait seemed like an eternity.

"Begin."

He hadn't even finished the word when Summer sprang into action. She leapt at Liam with the force of a lion, daggers aimed straight for his heart. She was fast, but his reflexes were as well. His own short swords deflected her blows to the side, causing her to angle left of his body. His blade angled towards her body and she crouched down to avoid being sliced through the middle. Rolling away, she hung back to observe him.

He loosely held his weapons to his sides, crouched just slightly in anticipation of another attack. He suddenly ran at her, angling to the right. She caught his swipe in between both of her blades and pushed him back a few feet, causing him to stumble. She used the opportunity to try to hit his vulnerable body.

Despite being knocked off balance, he recovered faster than she had expected, and his swords clashed back against her daggers. They stood toe to toe, pushing against the other with great force.

"Not bad." Liam said, his easy grin still on his face. Her eyes narrowed at his apparent disinterest. He was better at this than she had first thought. He took a step back, causing her to stumble forward. One of his swords sliced her upper arm before she could catch it in time. She used his momentum to push herself out of his reach.

"Dammit…" She muttered, inspecting her injured limb. The cut wasn't too deep, but it might need a few stitches. Focusing back on her target, the grin was no longer on Liam's face. Instead, concern and worry replaced it. He didn't enjoy harming his own crew mates, but if it enabled them to become stronger he would do what needed to be done. Settling back into position, she waited for him to make the next move.

Law watched as Liam caught Summer's arm. A thin red line appeared and she cursed under her breath. Without hesitated, she prepared herself for the next attack.

Her fighting style was unique. She would charge in close to her target and then quickly retreat before they could retaliate. Whenever possible, should avoided prolonged contact. Looking back to the previous battle on the island, he remembered her quick movements and now connected the two together. She wouldn't waste time on one person longer than was necessary. His eyes narrowed. The only field that consisted of that kind of technique was…

An assassin.

His focus returned to the fight in time to see Summer and Liam hacking away at each other in a strange kind of graceful dance. By now their breathing was labored and the attacks were slower than before. Liam now had a cut across his cheek, directly below his eye.

He barely caught it, but something flashed across her eyes. It came and went so fast he wasn't sure if it was even there, but Summer suddenly held her ground and halted Liam's advance. She struggled to hold her own against his strength but deflected his swords to the side.

She moved in a flash, reaching behind his back and catching him in a hold before slamming him to the ground. Somehow, she had disarmed him and now held him in a strange hold simultaneously. One of his arms were across his back while the other was pinned beneath his own body. Summer sat on top of his back, effectively cutting off his movements. Somewhere along the way, she lost one of her daggers, and now placed the remaining one against Liam's neck

Law pushed off the wall and walked over to them. "I believe you have been bested, Liam-ya." The medic grinned and rested his head on the ground.

"I have to agree, Captain." Summer hastily removed herself from atop his back and held out a hand to help him up. Liam gratefully took it and hoisted himself to his feet. They were both sweaty and tired, but he couldn't help but smile. He brushed himself off and looked to Law for instructions.

The captain walked up to Summer and gripped her arm. She hissed at his tight hold. He turned her arm this way and that, examining the wound and ignoring her sounds of protest.

"You may need stitches." He concluded, releasing her arm. "But before that," He pointed towards one of the wooden poles on the other side of the room. "Hit the target from here."

She glanced at the pole, calculating the distance. Without a word, she pulled her arm back and sent the dagger flying towards the pole. It stuck against the wood with a loud clunk. Right in the middle.

"Hmm…not bad." Law hummed.

"Not bad? That's all I get?" He stared at Summer, who glared back with equal force.

"Are you proficient with a sword?" His question caught her off guard.

"I've never used one." She admitted. Pulling out the dagger from her thigh, she held it up with a shrug. "I've always used daggers. They're lighter and easier to maneuver." He frowned.

"You'll have to learn then." He heard her sigh.

"It takes years to become a master swordsman. I don't have that time." The doctor shook his head.

"You're not aiming to be a master. All we're hoping for is for you to be able to use it well enough to hold your own." She squinted her eyes in thought, silently working it over in her mind.

"Alright, fair enough." She nodded, and he turned back towards the door. Liam followed close behind him, leaving Summer in the middle of the room.

"That's enough for now, you will meet me in this room every evening for training." Her eyebrows rose up in surprise, a grin on her face.

"You're personally overseeing my training, huh? Not gonna lie, I would've thought you would leave that to someone else." He glared back.

"You are still a member of this crew. I will not tolerate weakness." He left before she could retort. She huffed in annoyance.

"The man is unbelievable!" She said, crossing her arms in annoyance. Liam looked at her with pity.

"Don't mind him. He just wants to keep the crew safe." She reluctantly nodded.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean he has to be a dick about it…" She mumbled. To her surprise, he chuckled.

"Well, he has his own way of caring. Don't think too much of it." He motioned to the hallway outside, raising his eyebrows expectantly.

She smiled and followed him into the hall.

Law walked steadily back to his quarters, his sword relaxed against his shoulder. The men who passed by greeted him cheerfully. He nodded in return and continued walking. A small smirk rested upon his face without him realizing it.

The submarine had changed. He noticed it in the smallest things. Ever since Summer came aboard, his men were happier, more boisterous and carefree. Laughter had always been a common sound around the little sub, but now it seemed more genuine. The crew accepted her into their little family so quickly, it came as a great surprise to Law. The girl had something about her that his men seemed to naturally gravitate to.

He was content that the crew was happy with her aboard, but another part of him, the part he was never sure what exactly was thinking, didn't like it. The only way to explain it was an ache of sorts, which left him feeling frustrated.

He shook his head to stop his thoughts. I did no good to dwell on her for too long. Whenever he found himself thinking about her, it seemed harder to focus on anything else. He wasn't even sure why...or how. He frowned.

Dammit, he was still thinking about her. He sighed.

'Get yourself together.'

Luckily for him, Bepo was walking the opposite way down the hall. "Captain, we are sailing into an area highly populated with sea kings. Jean Bart would like you in the navigation room for instruction." Good, exactly what he needed to take his mind off that infernal woman.

"Tell him I will be there in a moment." Bepo nodded and walked away. Law intended to stop by his quarters, but if Jean Bart was asking for help, then the sea kings must pose a bigger risk than he thought. He set off immediately for the navigation room.