It was another day of getting your ass kicked. The only thing different was you were studying more anatomy than you ever had before, and you were starting to notice Grount's habits he carried. As he lunged at you with his dagger, you grabbed his arm flung yourself over his shoulders, and punched in between his shoulder blades.

"Ouch! Fuck!" He used his other arm to grab your collar on your shirt and threw you away. You rolled and quickly got back to your feet. He came at you again, you dropped down and swiped his feet from under him, but as he was falling, he somehow pulled you back you rammed onto him as he fell. Knocking the wind out of you and ending the fight.

"Grount wins!" When he was declared the winner he stood and helped you to your feet, you noticed him wince.

"C'mon, you need ice and heat for that for it to settle the nerves back down. You'll be sore for a few days but at least this way you'll be able to move."

"How're you okay? I hit you pretty good those last few times!"

"I figured getting stomped on a while back would be some of the worst pain I felt, plus you're subconsciously holding back."

"I don't want to hurt you like that, plus we need you to be healthy."

"I know, I'll be more aware the next time I'm called into action. Plus sparring with you has given me some good ideas on what kind of fighting I should focus on."

"Oh yeah? What's that L/N?"

"Not telling."

"Tease."

The rest of the walk was quiet, well sort of.

"I think they'd be a cute couple too!"

"Eh, no way! Grount is her complete polar opposite!"

"They do say opposites attract."

"HEY! IF YOU HAVE THE ENERGY TO SPOUT NONSENSE, THEN I GUESS YOU CAN RUN TILL YOU DROP!" Grount's shout happened right next to you, you covered your ears not that it did much.

"YESSIR!!"

With that, you both left. On your way to the infirmary, you saw Koby coming out of Garp's office looking a little pale.

"Captain?" You called to him, he turned to you and Grount barely smiling.

"Hey, Grount. Y/N-san. How did sparring go today?"

"Never mind that dude, you look like shit what happened?"

"Oh, nothing much. Hehehe." He was smiling but it was forced.

"Come to the infirmary." You walked past him, he was about to say something but you gave him a look that told him not to argue and he followed.

In the infirmary, you took care of Grount first, with the cold pack, and left him with a copy of the newspaper before pulling the young Captain into your room.

"Sit." He obeyed, you went into your little cabinet and started to make the rice malt you'd made him before, not saying anything and not asking anything. You were simply letting him relax. Once it was done, you handed him the mug and went to place the heat pad on Grount before mixing his muscle relaxers for a week.

"Mix a tablespoon in your coffee or tea for a week once a day, and when you shower make sure to soak in hot water."

"Got it. See ya in a week L/N." He walked out and you went to check on Koby, you didn't have any patients today, so you were just waiting for a sick or injured person to come in.

"Captain. What's wrong?" You sat next to him and he finished the malt. He took a deep breath and then turned to you taking your hands in his. He leaned forward and then looked at you; you weren't sure how you knew, but you also leaned forward bumping his forehead with your own.

"Remember how I said that I spent two years on a pirate ship?" You nodded and began to move your thumbs over his hands trying to ease the tension in his body. "Well, she just became part of the new Warlord's crew, Buggy the Clown, and uh I'm in charge of making sure that they are instated properly."

"But wait if she says anything..."

"I'll be dishonorably discharged and arrested." He exhaled again, only this time he placed his forehead on  the crook of your neck, and wrapped one of his arms around your waist. "What am I going to do? If I refuse to is assignment they'll want to know why, and if I go and she says anything I'm screwed. What am I going to do?"

You'd never seen the young man so distraught. Honestly you were having trouble concentrating cause every time he breathed it tickled your neck.

"You can pick who goes right? Pick the people who you wholeheartedly trust and I think you'll be okay. And if not, I guess you can always beat the crap out of her. You're not the same weakling she picked on. I mean, you stood up to Eustass "Captain" Kid, and he was terrifying." You wrapped your your free hand around his neck and pulled him closer. "You're not alone Captain, and you're pretty famous, I think they'd overlook one small infraction due to your work at Rocky Port."

He went stiff when you hugged him back, but after a minute he wrapped both arms around you and you did the same.

"Will you come with me Y/N-San?" You nodded your head.

"You'll probably want to bring Grount and Helmeppo too." He grunted his response. When he pulled away his eyes were dewy and he looked over your face. He placed a hand to your cheek and pulled you closer. Your heart in your ears, you eyed his lips and started to close your eyes.

"ATTENTION ALL HANDS ON DECK! PIRATE ATTACK IN PROGRESS!"

You jumped at the announcement. But it seemed to wake both of you up cause you were mere centimeters away from each other's faces, Koby turned lobster red.

"Oh my goodness!! I'm so sorry Y/N-San! I don't know what came over me!! You were just so sweet and comforting and you looked really beautiful I got carried away I'm sorry!! I'll see you out there!! Justice time!!!"

He ran out of the room red in the face leaving you there to freak out all on your own, you didn't let it linger too long though. You grabbed your bag called your other medical staff and headed towards the dock.

~Timeskip~

It'd been a week since you and Koby almost kissed. And ever since then it had been really awkward between you two, even Garp noticed it. When he asked about it, you made it clear that you weren't upset with each other, you just had wanted to be alone for a little while. Koby must've felt the same, he didn't try to eat lunch with you. You tried to not let it bother you but dammit it did!

"You seriously think you have time to be distracted L/N?" He punch you in the face and you flew beyond the sparring ring causing a collective 'ooooh' to ring out around you.

"Ouch fucking shit Grount!" You finally had had enough and let your frustration come forward and you let lose. "I get that you shouldn't take it easy on me but c'mon you idiot think! I have never been in hand to hand combat ever! I had to have sniper training cause medics are trained to stay away from fighting! I get that out enemies aren't going to care but the least you could do is show me how to fight!"

"Don't be such a baby L/N. I only hit you with 10% of my actual strength you got up. Now I know I can up the ante."

"Did you not hear a single thing I just fucking said!" You both were so busy arguing you didn't hear the talk happening around you.

"Holy shit she's actually pissed!"
"I didn't know her voice could get that loud!"
"Should we break them apart?"

"What is going on right now?" A single voice raised and everyone went quiet. You felt your heart quicken and your cheeks turn red.

"Captain Koby, Captain Grount and Dr. L/N are arguing." He walked towards the both of you with a frown on his face. You crossed your arms and stared at the floor. When his boots came into view you looked up.

"Is there a reason for this?" He looked at you when he asked, his eyes stern as his frown you on the other hand were just trying not to blush.

"She got distracted, I sucker-punched her now she's all pissy about it."

"I'm not mad about being sucker-punched Grount! I'm mad because this whole time we've been sparring together you won't show me anything! I don't know my own flaws unless you point them out to me! I always tell you about your bad habits after I've exploited them cause I figure I'd I notice it so will our enemies! And hey maybe just maybe I don't want my friend to die!"

Grount looked at you now. Genuine shock over his face.

"What?"

"You just said I'm your friend..."

"I did not."

"You literally just did."

"Whatever. I'm done for the day. Unless you're injured either physically or mentally don't bother me." You stormed off, embarrassed that your inner feelings were starting to be vocalized a lot more. Something that you hadn't done since your brother died.

Before you could open your door you felt a tank in your hand and were pulled into a muscular chest.

"Y/N-San...are you okay?" It had been the first time he'd been anywhere near you since that time in your bedroom on Garp's ship.

"I'm fine Captain."

"If you like I can help you."

"With what?"

"Sparring. Finding a style that suits you best and using it to your advantage. From what I've seen you don't have enough physical strength to compete with fighters like Grount. But you are incredibly flexible and because of your medical training, you know how to target someone's weakest points that will make them incapable of fighting."

You ignored how his touch set your whole body burning, and focused on the words that he was saying. You were still frustrated about how he'd been treating you, but you realized that this is how your relationship should've been all along. Professional, no feelings whatsoever. You were both teenagers wanting sex.

"Sure."

"Great! I'll see you later tonight in the training hall tonight!" He left and you went into the infirmary to calm your heart down.

"It's not a big deal, it's not love it's sexual attraction. Once I have sex I'll get over it."

~Time Skip~

"Y/N-San. In a real fight you'll have maybe 15 seconds to judge your opponent and what their weaknesses might be. You must exploit those
To the point it means death for you or your opponent. But since we're training I'll give you 1 minute. Try go find my weak points and show no mercy."

"Won't that hurt?"

"I'll be okay." He gave you one his blinding smiles that you came to view as something he showed everyone, you were nothing special.

You lunged forward and he brought his arms close to his body and crouched down low, learning his lesson from the last time you both sparred about his middle being too open. But you noticed his legs weren't braced so when he came at you, you grabbed the hand meant to punch you, used his momentum against him and kicked his right knee hard. He yelped and fell.

"Ooof I guess I didn't need to give you a minute you're already very good at deciphering a persons' weakness."

"I've been a very observant person for the last 5 years. It's not that hard. I guess I just need help with being able to take a hard hit."

"Hmmm I see. Well we'll slowly work on that but for now let's keep going."

But before you could continue you heard a loud opening of the door. You turned to see who it was. It was an attractive black haired woman, but she wasn't wearing a marine uniform.

"Hello Koby~ It's been a while~ You grew up very nice!" She laughed and Koby looked like he could throw up.

"Excuse me old lady but who are you?" You called out to her. Your old lady comment had the effect you wanted. She got mad and focused on you.

"You little bitch do you know what who I am?"

"No not really. Then again I don't think you've done anything for me or anyone else to remember you as."

"I'M ALVIDA!!"

"Isn't she supposed to be as fat as a whale and uglier than sin? You got the ugly part down, you think you could gain 300 pounds in the next few days? Then I might remember you."

"Puha!" Koby choked on a laugh, when you turned to see him he was shaking from his silent laughter.

"I'm going to make you regret that you little slut."

"You could but attacking a decorated officer will cause a rejection on Buggy's admission to the Warlords. Which means we'd have to arrest you and you'd go right to impel down. But hey you're choice." You shrugged your shoulders and faced Koby again.

"Ms. Pirate. I'm afraid I don't know who you are. And I am currently busy, and I'm guessing you came aboard my ship uninvited. Please send work to Buggy that I will be to see him and him only tomorrow. Once our business is done we'll be on our way and never see each other again. Shall we continue Y/N-San?"

You nodded your response and got back into your starting position.

"You think you can dismiss me? I can end your career just by saying I had you aboard my ship." She started to walk down to both of you. "I would love to tell them how you groveled and begged for me not to hit you. I could tell them how you helped steal and kill. I will..."

She didn't get to finish. You had used soru to appear behind her and use one the metal beams from the training block to knock her out. When she fell forward neither you nor Koby tried to catch her.

"You think they'd miss her if we just threw her in the ocean?" Koby chuckled.

"Probably. Let's just put her in cuffs and gag her. I forgot how annoying she was."

After placing her in a cell and sending word to Buggy you both went your separate ways. You went to bed and tried not to think of your growing feelings.

"It's not love I was wrong it's just sexual attraction."

But there was a little voice in your head screaming. It's more than that idiot and you know it.

But for now you'd ignore that part of your subconscious, it was the only way you were going to sleep.

Wow!!! I finally got around to updating this story!!!! Sorry it took me so long!!! I haven't really been in the writing mood. I had a lot of health issues happen including getting Covid (luckily it only lasted a week), and gastritis. Plus work and my kids have kept me really busy!!!!

I hope everyone is having a great day! If not I hope my story help brings a smile to your face!!

Stay safe and healthy my friends!!!!