To Insomniac Dormouse - Thank you so much! I always found it weird why Drake would return to being a pirate after being a marine... so this just cements it, at least for me. And hey, no matter what, Luffy's still Luffy.

To Jordansdevil - Please mind the cliff. I do not wish for you to injure yourself OvO.

To Guest - Thank you!

Law scoffed. To think that Corazon was actually fooling Doflamingo... that he was just pretending to be mute... Law shook his head. What he didn't understand was what the clumsy executive had said about Ds. Enemies of the Gods? Celestial Dragons? He couldn't understand how his hidden name was even tied into the lives and fates of those damned nobles. Sure, they used his family and friends to get rich, and when the false rumours of their lead poisoning had spread, had abandoned their people. That was as far as "enemies" they were gonna get, though Law was reasonably sure that they weren't Celestial Dragons.

Well, he did owe Corazon a favour, since Corazon had covered for him two years ago. He would just keep quiet about this entire matter until he figured it out.

He blinked. If everything was an act, besides his clumsiness... did that mean that he didn't hate kids?


Law sighed. Doflamingo had brought everyone along to visit a supposed abandoned island. The island wasn't that big, he supposed, just the size of two or three large galleons stuck together. Law didn't have anything against these "field trips", as he would call it.

It was just that his muscles were aching for no reason. He didn't need to inforn everyone of his predicament, but he was sure that he had around 6 to 7 months left.

Better create havoc before his muscles failed him completely.

Upon reaching the island, he glanced around warily. He could feel someone on the island, someone strong. But at the same time, it was weak.

Very contradictary.

Apparently, Doflamingo could feel it too, and ordered everyone to stay in groups. Law was, for some reason, was paired with Corazon. He didn't know if it was because the pirate felt the need for the duo to "sort out their differences" or because he needed someone to protect Law. Either way, Law didn'r really care, unless the executive decided to kick him a couple of kilometres again.

Rosinante and Law just wandered along. Doflamingo did tell them to pick up anything of interest. Some random brightly coloured rocks, some weird colour fruit that weren't devil fruits (Corazon comfirmed it) and a small, shipwrecked boat.

Wait, what?

They went to take a closer look.

"Hmm. Looks like some sea kings got to it." Corazon commented. They were in his quiet devil fruit sphere, so no one could here them.

Law could agree. Those bite marks across the wood were huge. Definately not a land animal.

Lying next to the boat (more like a pile of broken deformed planks), they noticed a small boy wearing a white shirt, though the shirt was so torn up and charred like the boy was caught in an explosion. The boy's skin was equally burnt, and Law would have assumed that the boy was dead, based on looks and smell alone.

Emphasis on would have.

Law could feel some sort of power enamating fron the boy. A feeling of strength. The boy clearly wasn't as weak as he looked. Malnutrition maybe?

Law walked closer to take a closer look, but when he got within a metre of the boy, the boy pushed himself up on one arm. He had a wild, unfocussed look in his eyes.

Law gulped. It wasn't even the expression of a sick tired child. It was the look of someone who had been hurt so much that they wanted to hurt his perpetrators back. Definitely not a look for a little innocent looking kid like him.

It was the look he used to wear after Flevance, and was still wearing for the past few years.

Curious, Law was about to take a step closer when the boy rasped.

"Don't..."

Law watched as the boy rose to his feet unsteadily, swaying as if a small gust of wind could blow him off balance.

"We're not gonna hurt you." Rosinanate spoke up.

The boy hissed, and threw a punch at Law. Law's eyes widened. He hadn't even seen the boy move - he was so fast. Law would have gotten hit if Rosinante hadn't gotten in the way and grabbed him by the collar.

Seeing the boy land where they previously were, Law crossed the absurd idea of the boy's arm stretching out of the question. The boy was just really, really fast, faster than his eyes could keep track of. lunging at the duo. Corazon and Law swiftly sidestepped, but the boy immediately changed his posture and jumped off the tree he landed on.

The boy barrelled into the younger pirate, knocking him to the ground. Law lay sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain is as his back hit the sand, his head having being protected by his fluffy hat. The boy sat on top of his chest, making breathing hard for the sick boy.

"Get... off... me..." Law choked out. The boy wasn't that heavy... his illness was just getting the better of him.

"Law!" Corazon yelled, but stopped when he saw what the boy was doing.

The boy raised his stick like is was a knife, or a spear.

He blinked, his eyes widened, and he slowly got off Law's chest, trembling.


Luffy was confused.

He felt a prescence, and despite his body screaming at him to stay down and not move, he tried to see who was coming neat him.

Two blurs. He couldn't make out who or what they were. Just two moving blurs.

They were going to hurt him. Just like those Celestial Dragons.

"Don't... " He groaned, his throat feeling very dry.

"We're not going to hurt you." One of the blobs said.

Lies... Luffy hissed inwardly. That's what they said, right before they beat the shit out of them. They weren't slaves...were they? They had no collar...

When in doubt, follow your instincts.

That was the rule Luffy lived on. His instincts had told him to ignore that Mjosgard... and he ignored it... he could hear the screams...

Luffy just attacked, and knocked the smaller blob down after rebounding off a tree.

"Get... off... me..."

Luffy raised his current weapon, a rotting, sharp plank of wood. He blinked.

He was back in the coliseum, cheers and screams ringing all around. He could smell the smoke, the charred remains of those who didn't survive...

What am I doing?


Rosinante watched as the smaller boy got off Law, who pushed himself up groaning.

"No no no no... I'm out... we're out... no more... the fire..." The smaller boy babbled incoherently, "They died... I lived... they burned... I'm not there... what am I even..."

Corazon helped Law up as the smaller boy collapsed, blood pooling out of his mouth.

"He must have ripped something..." Law mumbled. Corazon went to inspect the smaller boy.

He was small... really small. Definitely malnourished. Corazon inspected the boy's pockets, and found a knife. How the knife was there without stabbing the boy in the leg by accident, Corazon didn't know, but he pocketed the knife just in case. He noticed a mark on the boy's arm, and grabbed him by the same arm.

"He's got a fever." Law stated.

"We'll take him with us back to Doffy." Corazon said, carrying the boy by the arm. He hissed as he accidentally brushed against the small chain on the boy's wrist. "Kairoseki. Damm. He's a fruit user."

"Are we still taking him with us?" Law asked, confused.

"Yeah." Corazon mumbled.


"There was a kid here?" Doflamingo asked his younger brother and the young doctor.

Corazon made some gestures with his hands. Law just remained silent.

"I see... you just found him lying on the beach?"

More hand gestures.

"I thought you hated kids."

Corazon rolled his eyes.

"No point in beating up already beaten up kids, huh. Anyway, we'll just bring him back. Law, patch him up when we do. I am curious to know how he ended up on that island anyway. And I take it you know how to pick locks?"

Corazon nodded.

"Good. Just call me when the kid wakes up."


Alright, just to tell you guys, Luffy's suffering from a fever and he's delirious. So he's not making much sense and he can't tell what is what.