Nearly seven years twirled past Law so incredulously fast that he hardly even realized his youthful twenties faded into his thirties. The trademark darkness underneath his eyes had more character to them as apprehension became second instinct, first being great over-protectiveness. Every minute step his precious daughter was scrupulously monitored; he was not sure if it were to give him peace of mind or if it were a self-defeating plot to run him into madness. He loved this madness more than any other than he had ever known.
She was astronomically beautiful. He saw this not through the lenses of her father, but in a non-biased standpoint of common sense. Much to his relief, she resembled absolutely nothing of her mother; it were as if she had merely donated a blank egg and Law's genes went to work on his little angel. She had his onyx hair and gray eyes, shaped into vibrant spheres. He couldn't deny that she inherited the lovely alabastrine skin and heart shaped face from the only maternal source he could ever refer to with pride: his own mother's.
Shachi and Penguin became roommates in order to supply the girl with the larger bedroom of the submarine, a favor she did not forget to be grateful for. Against the initial angst that swelled within the three crew members, they had deeply fallen in love with her, from her sweet and demure mannerisms to her charismatic wit. She deeply loved all of her "uncles", or so they had appointed themselves. Their adulation extended towards the child had been so strong that Law had requested that in the event of his untimely but likely death, they should do him the favor of being her legal guardians. Initially, he had wanted to grant the title of godparent to a member of the Straw Hat Pirates, Robin, but did not want her to be raised in such a reckless environment with a captain like Luffy (who was still in hot pursuit of the ever elusive One Piece).
Law watched in admiration of his twirling ballerina, who had been practicing her basic routines for a while now. She was practically a being of pure energy, so he had found a constructive outlet for her in order to refrain her from running around the submarine and chance getting injured. He had purchased the finest leotard and tutu for her, sparing no expense on the real jewels that shimmered in the embroidery, flashing a magnificent crimson. She had been dancing to an instrumental violin track, her favorite instrument. He was proud that she had such intelligent tastes at the tender age of seven, untainted by the outside world. With a graceful back flip, she concluded her dance with a split that almost made him cringe.
"How was it, daddy? Did I do well?"
He responded with an opening of his arms and the warm grin he reserved only for her. She ran into his expectant arms, wrapping herself around his torso as tightly as she could, half intending to constrict him of air. She eased when he coughed, but still remained in his embrace, relishing in the prospect of being a daddy's girl. In the joy of the moment, Law picked up his trademark had from his nightstand and placed it upon her head. Their hug was interrupted by a crashing sound from the kitchen, followed by Bepo's apology and announcement that dinner was ready. The hungry child abandoned her father in the pursuit of food, earning a chuckle from him. She turned on her heel when she noticed her father remained on his bed while she stood in the doorway.
"Aren't you coming to dinner, daddy?"
"I'm not hungry, sweet heart. Eat without me."
She flashed a small frown that was replaced with a smile and drool as the smell of supper enticed her sense of smell. After she was out of sight, he laid down on his bed, feeling his back's soreness especially brutal today. He sighed as he closed his eyes, trying to ease his mind. He wracked his brain in search of the perfect present for his daughter's impending birthday. Every year, he had made a special effort to get her something both personal and appealing. She was never disappointed, so Law took it as a personal challenge to outdo himself every year, no matter how trivial it seemed. He traced his thoughts back through her short life, trying to recollect every significant milestone. Soon, he found himself at the earliest of their time together; the process of choosing her name.
Moments after her mother's corpse was disposed of, the new father found himself sitting at the edge of the soiled bed, completely enamored by the delicacy of her appearance. He hadn't thought of a name throughout the entire pregnancy, so he was at a loss for words. She had begun to writhe in his arms, arms poking out of the soft towel that provided her with warmth. He lowered her down to his lap as his arms grew weary from the whole birthing process. Her right hand had found its way into a pool of her late mother's blood, then smearing it on her face in a grisly swipe. She had cried when the stroke was complete; Law gently brought her back into his arms against his chest, effectively calming her. It was then that the perfect name emerged from his mind; he whispered softly: "Scarlet."
He gave up the fruitless effort and put it on reserve. He slowly rose from his bed, back still aching, then walked to the window of his surfaced submarine to find that they were approaching an island, likely to land within five minutes. He walked into the kitchen to find the dishes emptied and his whole crew and daughter fed to beyond content. He informed them that they were about to dock, and asked if one of them would stay behind to babysit Scarlet. She had pouted and asked why she was never allowed to visit any of the islands they stopped at, wanting to play with the other children, or at least explore a new landscape.
"No, Scarlet," He sternly replied, "you know it's too dangerous for you to vacate this submarine."
She knew better than to try and rebuttal, or they would be at a stalemate for the entire day and night. Law placed his sword upon its holder above the table, shoulder and back aching from the extra weight of seventy pounds. Penguin volunteered to stay behind, to which Law was grateful. Scarlet had swallowed sadness and tears; she was not one to cry, especially in front of others, but she longed for escape. The doctor was truly somber in the aspect of having to deny his only child a basic liberty of freedom and exploration, but feared too greatly the possibility of her discovery by others making her a target in order to get to him. He crouched down to her level as she sat on the chair at the head of the table. He gingerly wiped away a stray tear with his thumb, promising to bring her back a souvenir from the island that she would truly love. He kissed her on the forehead and hugged her before he, Bepo, and Shachi walked to the deck of the aquatic transportation to prepare for docking.
Penguin was no stranger to her unattainable freedom, seeing the poor child desperately wishing to leave the submarine for a good amount of time for a while. Only if an island was guaranteed to be desolate would he allow her to travel, and even then she was not allowed to stop holding his hand the entire time. He sometimes wondered how much longer Law would be able to keep the strict restriction on her before she rebelled or was finally old enough in his eyes. Scarlet sat at the table with her hands supporting her head as she stared down.
"Hey, kiddo. Want me to help you with your violin practice?" He flashed a cheeky grin.
Though she wanted to stay upset for the sake of argument against her father, she could not help but give in and smile at the desire to play the instrument. She led the way to her bedroom with Penguin close behind. It was a not well known fact that he was classically trained in both the piano and violin, the latter of which Scarlet had inexplicably fallen in love with. Soon, they were lost in the musical world of great instrumentalist sound.
The Heart Pirates had discovered the diminutive island was an all around antique store with little farming resources. Against his better judgment, he trusted Bepo and Shachi to purchase the food for the week whilst he shopped around. He came across a small venue with fogged windows and an elderly lady peacefully rocking in her chair on the porch. She smiled warmly, asking if she could be of any service to him.
"Yes please, madam. I wish to acquire a gift for my young daughter's birthday. Something aesthetically pleasing with obvious sentiment."
"Ah, and how old is the deary turning?"
"Seven."
"Such a fine age, indeed. Cherish these years, sonny. They go by faster than you could imagine. They go along with your sight. Before you know it, everybody is dead. And you live with the fact that it's your fault.
Law felt quite unsettled. "Believe me, I know." He said, looking away for a moment. "Her interests include ballet, violin, reading, drawing; most of the arts."
"You seem to have a bright young lady. Hold on a second sonny." The kindly lady struggled to rise from her chair, so Law cordially walked over to her and offered his strong arm for support, which she gratefully took, laughing that it was uncommon for young and attractive men to help her around. He escorted her inside until she broke from his arm, walking to behind her counter. She had pulled out a sketch book and pencils, then changed her glasses for an even thicker pair.
"These are my sketching glasses. No matter which I wear, I can't really distinguish your face. Vaguely handsome, though."
He blushed as she began sketching. Though he knew it to be quite unmannerly, he walked over to the counter where she was drawing and watched the creative process unfold. She drew a perfect circle with the shape of a lady on the inside, standing on one leg. She detailed the arms as holding a violin in the position as if it were about to be played.
"What is the girl's favorite color?"
"Scarlet. That happens to be her name as well." Normally, he would not even dream of acknowledging her to a stranger, but he deemed her as not a threat.
The lady tenderly smiled as she began coloring in the dress of the figure. After a few more minutes, the finished result was a ballerina wielding a violin, wearing a red tutu dress, inside of a snow globe. There had been notes to add in plastic gems for false rubies, along with making the features of the figurine correspond with the girl, to which Law provided the details. Pulling out his money, he requested that she used real rubies if she could, assuring her that she could keep the change. She was beyond bewildered when she saw the copious amount of money, but complied, stating that a friend of hers on the island was a jeweler. She assured to him that the snow globe would be finished in three days time. He thanked her and left the store. All he had to do now was find a way to stall three days, her birthday coming in four.
Penguin had been impressed by the youngster's advancement with the instrument, playing Silent Night with ease. Christmas (or Saturnalia, as Law preferred) was not any time soon, but she had favored that song over many. She was lost within the realm of music, completely forgetting that she was upset about being confined to the submarine. As the final notes played, the duo heard the banter and footsteps of Law, Bepo, and Shachi. After gently placing the violin onto the ground, she raced to the deck of the submarine and jumped into her father's arms. He grunted as he felt his back act up, but ignored the pain, happy to be in her embrace once more.
"I have found the perfect present for you." He hinted with a smile.
"You know what I want for my birthday, daddy?"
"What is it, sweet heart?" He asked as they descended into the submarine.
"I'd love to go outside on a new island!"
He sighed, wishing not to disappoint her once again. "You know I can not do that, Scarlet."
She subtly resigned, holding back any hurt that she felt. The sun had left the skies, draining Scarlet of her energy. Like her father, she was a morning person, but unlike him, she actually acquired decent sleep in the hours of the night. He had her bathed, dried, and dressed in her nightgown. He laid her in her bed and pulled the blankets over her, tucking her in to add to her security.
"Daddy?" She asked with a yawn.
"Yes, sweet heart?"
"Can you tell me about mommy?"
Usually he had been able to dodge this question on the rare occasions that it did come up. Eventually, he did intend on revealing the truth to her, but he could not bare to let a nearly seven year old, innocent girl learn that her legacy was a serial killing pirate father and a child prostitution ringleader mother. He had never conceived of a false back story.
"What do you want to know?"
"What was she like? Where is she?"
"She was beautiful. She had blond hair, blue eyes. Skinny frame." He honestly recounted. "But mommy and daddy did not get along well. I took care of you immediately after you were born. She left."
"Mommy didn't love me?"
"No. But I do." He kissed her head and told her goodnight. He left the night light on as he left her bedroom, unaware of the silent tears that polluted her face.
The days had rolled on, and before Scarlet knew it, she awoke on her seventh birthday. She had jumped out of her bed at the crack of dawn, racing into her father's bedroom, connected to hers by a door. She was taken aback to find his bed empty, looking around the room with her eyes for a moment. Disregarding that, she felt her morning hunger initiate, and ran into the kitchen to find her fathers and uncles sitting there with balloons and a banner that read "Happy Birthday!". Her uncles beamed like fools as her father kept a gentle stoic face with the slightest traces of a smile. A chocolate cake awaited her at her place at the table, adding to her excitement. She sat down and devoured her slice, inviting the rest to eat it with her as per her birthday wish. The men complied, all making sure not to fight over the savory confection.
Her day had been filled with her favorite activities; ballet dancing, violin practice, Law reading to her, and Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo playing nonsensical games with her to her heart's desire. Around seven at night was when the real birthday cake was presented, another chocolate, but nearly as tall as Scarlet.
"Make a wish, sweet heart." Law asserted.
She blew out the candles, hoping for her birthday miracle. It took her a few attempts as they were cascaded all over the side facing her. She opened numerous gifts from her uncles, each gift outdoing the last. She was most esteemed to open the one from her father, as he always provided the best. When she opened the small box and delicately held the snow globe, she reached a new level of awestruck. It had resembled her with the alabaster skin, raven hair, crimson dress with what looked like genuine rubies, and extremely small fragments of emeralds and diamonds in place of snow. She set it on the table in fear of breaking it.
"Do you like it Scarlet?" He asked.
"Daddy I love it almost as much as I love you!" She raced into his arms, cloaking his face with sloppy and appreciative kisses. She asked if she could be excused for a few moments so she could place all of her gifts into her room. He had helped her carry everything in one load save for her snow globe, which stayed on the table. They had placed everything in her bedroom before turning back. They spent the next few hours laughing and talking, celebrating a very special lady's day. Law eventually had to put her to bed, with the other exhausted crew mates believing that turning in sounded sublime. He too was ready to pass out, so he laid on his bed, falling into the deep sleep he had been unfamiliar with.
Scarlet was restless, still amplified on birthday energy. Despite what her father may have thought, her real wish was to see her mother, in some way, shape, or form. She realized that this wish was to go unfulfilled, so she settled for some late night exploration. She furtively wandered down into his laboratory. She had never been in there without her father present, as he stated that she, and the crew, were forbidden to go inside without him as the chaperone. She stood on her toes to reach and turn the handle and light the switch.
Walking inside, she noticed it looked much different that what she had seen before. He had always had drapes and cloaks over many of his "tools", so she had no idea what to make of the scenery. In the dead center of the room, there laid the metal table, as always. Along the right wall was his desk with his duffel bag full of his hand held equipment. The left wall had the mobile monitors and devices, such as the heart monitor and respirator. The wall directly ahead had the cabinets, all of which were closed. The wall she was closest to consisted of a single shelf holding numerous jars. She had trouble making them out; the first one to the left had what looked like a snake without a head or tail, and it was bumpy. The next jar looked like a hand, without a doubt, but she didn't believe it was real, along with the foot, heart, brain, and skull. She picked up the jar with the ropey-like object inside and jostled it, laughing lightly as it bounced. She placed it on the table in the middle of the room before exploring further. She opened the pull out drawer that was the farthest from the door, finding nothing but a yellow envelope. Curiosity's loins coiled around her imagination, prompting her to take it to the table. She crawled atop the metal surface and opened her discovery. What looked like pictures spilled out, all white side facing up.
Before she could turn over the first photograph, the two legs that supported half of the table went out, sending all on it's surface. The first to hit the floor was the jar, shattering instantaneously, only for Scarlet to land on the mess with both feet, large shards of glass breaking into her bare feet. She screamed as soon as she felt the breakage, landing on her ass with a thud. She didn't attempt to mask the tears that flowed freely from her eyes. The ropey substance was on her legs; in an attempt to distract herself, she held on to it as she looked at the photographs that fell with her.
The first was a naked lady on that very table that just broke. She was petite, blond, and had stark blue eyes. She still cried aloud as she read this, sobbing more than wailing. The next picture had the same lady, but she saw her daddy hunched over her slightly, holding what she believed to be a scalpel.
"Mommy?" She said through the pained sobs.
She looked at her pierced feet, unbelievably cloaked with blood, small pools already forming, the burn intensifying. The next photo had a huge square in her abdomen, with what looked like what Scarlet was holding in her hands at the very moment. She shrieked as she threw it, figuring it to be the large intestine her father mentioned before. Other photos included her hung upside down while her daddy flogged her, scourging her nails, slicing up her arms and legs and switching the bones, only to make her walk soon after, pouring drops of hydrochloric acid on her body in various places, and the chemical peeling of her entire skin.
Law had finally arrived in his laboratory, sourcing Scarlet's screams. He was aghast to find her bloodied feet, but immediately noticed after the jar of Sanctus' disembodied intestine right next to her, surrounded by the pictures he had taken during his experimentation with her mother. Initially, he thought that he would be the one to hold anger for her trespassing, but the face of pure horror struck Scarlet.
"Honey, let me look at your feet." He said, bending down to try to pick her up. She squirmed away the best she could.
"Daddy, please stay away from me!" She screamed. She had never once in her entire existence been afraid of her father. Though it pained her immeasurably, she scrambled to her feet and ran past him, only to fall after four feet. He turned to her, beyond concerned for her physical and mental well being.
"Sweet heart, let me expl-"
"You're the reason I don't have a mommy! You killed her!"
"I did not kill her-"
"Yes you did! Stay away from me, I don't want to die!" Once again she attempted to run away, but in the cloudy mist of terror she failed to see the desk directly in front of her and smashed her head roughly, knocking her our cold and leaving a bloody gash on her head and on the wood. Law's heart nearly physically shattered as he fell to his knees, scooping his unconscious daughter into his arms. His breathing accelerated as panic set in for him- what was she going to do when she woke up? Would she be afraid of him for the rest of her life?
As a doctor and father, he had to ignore the voices of indiscretion that plagued his hopes of being liked, and medical instinct took over as he grabbed the necessary extraction tools and antibiotics as he held his daughter. He raced into the kitchen, seeing as it was the only reliable table in the whole submarine. His crew had been in the kitchen with him, seeing a bloodied little girl being worked on by her disheveled and distressed father and doctor. He had begun extracting the many glass fragments from her feet, only to feel even more helpless as he realized many, many small pieces were shoved well into her feet.
"What the hell happened!?" They all exclaimed.
"Laboratory... fell on her mother's intestine jar... found her pictures."
He raced to the sink to sterilize the equipment before operating again. In his absence, she came to consciousness, giving a scream and convulse, sending her precious globe to the ground, breaking the feet and head off of the ballerina. Law only turned around to see his sword unsheathe and slice into her throat, nearly decapitating her. It fell to the ground next to the broken globe, painted in her blood.
Law had never screamed to such despair as he raced over to Scarlet, along with his loyal crew, all screaming in disbelief. He scooped his daughter into his arms, life nearly drained out of her, along with her blood. Her eyes weakly met with the weeping ones of Law's, his tears falling onto her face as he gasped in grief. He futilely tried to stop the bleeding, to no avail.
"I love you daddy." She said, not in a scream, not a whisper, but a whimper. She fell dead right after, in his arms. His hands covered the gash in her throat, repeating his pleas of no and for her to open her eyes, saying it was what daddy was telling her to do.
"No! It's your birthday, sweet heart! You have to celebrate with me! Please open your eyes baby girl!"
As she laid limp in his arms, his eyes, blinded with tears met the forlorn faces of his crew. In that moment, he never cried so intensely, even more than the day he witnessed his own father and mother were shot down along with those he had considered to be cordial neighbors; as if that atrocity was not enough, his own innocent sister had fallen victim to being burned alive in a hospital by the very evil souls that took his parents. He screamed her name before professing another denial to the heavens. A distraught Penguin tried to take the corpse from the hysterical man's arms, only to see his captain refrain from his presence, falling to the floor, kneeling over Scarlet as he cried even more. His sobs became incoherent.
He rose, still on his knees, and regretfully glanced at his only child, cascaded in death. With a trembling hand, the disgraced father gently pried her left eye open with his index; he cringed and sobbed once more when her pupils did not dilate to expose her beautiful onyx iris. His hand traveled down to her slaughtered throat, catching the last of the flowing blood. He had inadvertently wiped the crimson substance upon his forehead; his crew grew mortified and depressed watching the gruesome scene unfold. It was only by examining her abiotic state his screams were temporarily silenced. His tears fell upon her doll face, clearing trails across her blood stained cheeks. He could not stop stroking her hair, himself being grief stricken to the stage of utter denial.
"Just sleep, my darling. You may sleep and never wake."
He just barely articulated the final sentence before breaking down once more into the cries only a parent who has lost their child can emit. Soon his screams were drowned out by Scarlet's. He opened his eyes and looked down to find his hands empty and clean. To his left was Scarlet, who still had the badly bloodied feet. When she looked up to see him, she screamed even louder and tried to run, but the pain proved too intense as she fell backward, smashing her head off of the ground, slipping out of consciousness. He realized that the latter half of the events were merely one of his walking hallucinations. A great feeling of relief and pained happiness swept over him like a born again, scooping her into his arms and into his soul. He raced into the kitchen and laid her on the table, but made the effort to move his sword, which was dangerously loose from its sheathe.
As soon as he noticed his loyal crew, he commanded the to grab his extraction tools, antibiotics, local anesthesia, and bandages, to which they intrepidly began to work on. He removed his shirt, folded it, and placed it under her head gently. Her eyes flickered open; he could see it was labored on her part.
"D-daddy..." She muttered weakly, "it's my birthday."
"I know it is, sweetheart. I got you this." He held the ballerina globe as he repetitively caressed her cheek. The three men had emerged with everything he needed to perform the extraction.
"Sweet heart, I'm going to need you to stay awake for me. Please don't sleep."
"It hurts." She delicately whispered, careful not to send blood flow to her head, or risk throbbing. It had felt like the migraines she got. Whenever they bombarded her, Law would lay with her all night after treating it, making sure she fell asleep from the pain, more often than not sleeping as well.
He applied the local anesthesia to her feet and near hear head, which all felt significantly better within a minute. She knew that she had to be completely still, but not why. All she knew was that it was her birthday.
It took Law a few hours, but he managed to extract all of the glass from her feet and stitch the major cuts together before wrapping them. Her head was going to be fine, much to his relief; he still would monitor her, as it seemed that she didn't remember how she was injured in the first place, or any other events before hand on her birthday. He felt a guilty relief.
She awoke the next morning with pains in her head and feet. As she stretched her arms, her first accidentally punched her father in the face, who was sleeping next to her on the bed on his back.
"I guess I deserved that." He got up from the bed and handed her a blue pill, telling her it would make her feel better. She swallowed it dry, like a little champion.
"Do you remember anything about yesterday, sweet heart?"
"No."
"You stepped on broken glass, then hit your head. You honestly had me worried."
"I'm sorry daddy."
He sighed, stroking her short hair. "No, I am sorry. I do love you, Scarlet. Please do know that." He kissed her cheek gently.
"I'm feeling a lot better, daddy."
He chuckled. "You should be. That's the strongest medication I can safely give you. I'm sorry you do not remember your birthday."
"I'm seven now?"
"Yes. You are a young lady now, sweet heart."
He gently scooped her into his arms, explaining both that this was her method of transportation from now own, and that her uncles were greatly concerned about her well being. Much to their surprise, they were all around the table, immediately swarming around the father and daughter, grateful that she was going to be alright. They all walked onto the deck, agreeing that she could use fresh air. The island they reached did not appear on any map that they had seen. It was a mountainous landscape with numerous waterfalls cascading from the apex into the ocean, the whole island coated with an assortment of colorful flowers of almost every species they were familiar with, leading to sandy shores.
Bepo took in a long whiff, "Looks like there aren't any humans on this island."
Law held his daughter close to him, seeing the amazement and wonder in her eyes.
"I think it to be beneficial to your recovery if we were to take a walk on this island, do you agree, sweet heart?"
"Really?" She beamed.
"Of course."
She hugged him around his neck, once again cascading his face with joyous kisses. He smiled as they began their trek into the uncharted territory. The first flowers they encountered were scarlet begonia's, the girl's and Law's favorite flower.
"You know, what's what the B. in your name stands for, sweet heart."
"I guess I'm pretty all around. Thank you for that, daddy."
"I love you over a mountain, Scarlet." He kissed her cheek, thankful for the back pain that he was feeling flare up. Inside the submarine, where the remainder of the Heart pirates slept with their heads on the table, stood the snow globe, which inexplicably began to twirl as it played a xylophone like tune of Silent Night.