Chapter 12: Surfacing

Back tomorrow with guests.

Spade's decoded message was both incredible cryptic and loaded. Marco wasn't entirely sure how to prepare. Bringing anyone to the Whitebeard base meant either Spade trusted her guests completely or she was being forced to bring them here. Even if she was being held against her will, Marco did not think she would actually lead them to the Whitebeard base. She held Marco in too high regard.

He had not heard from her in several weeks now and had no idea who she was traveling with. Underworld rumors placed her with the Strawhats, but fighting Big Mom seemed unlike Spade. Perhaps all that information was false, and Spade was actually bringing the Strawhats with her. Marco doubted the Strawhats held any ill will against him, considering that the Whitebeards had saved Luffy after the Marineford battle, but one could never be sure with the volatile state of affairs.

Either way, Marco decided to play it safe, sending half of his high-ranking officials out to sea aboard the Moby Dick so if in case of emergency, half the force could either flank the battle or escape as needed. Regardless, less was better when it came to Spade's visits; the constant distrust between Marco's men and the person who many liked to call his woman always gave him a headache.

His relationship with Spade was difficult to explain. They had been good friends since Whitebeard absorbed the Spade Pirates, and Marco had a minor role in making Ace and Spade into a couple in the first place. Of course, their relationship had shifted to be less platonic after Ace's death. The credit (or blame, depending on how Marco was feeling that day) for this change really fell on him. Spade had been the best support that Marco could've asked for during those dark days, from drinking buddy to fuck buddy to everything in between. Her clearheaded approach to navigating the weeks following Ace's death gave Marco enough stability to assume command of the rest of the Whitebeards, and for that, Marco was eternally grateful.

Still, when Marco was being objective, he recognized their relationship to be nothing less than scandalous. He was Ace's best friend, Spade was Ace's lover, and the two of them had slept together literally three days after Ace's death. It looked bad, and truthfully, Marco felt terrible about it. Spade was surprisingly less perturbed by how things appeared, which was impressive because his men directed the majority of their antagonism toward her. The constant judgment irritated her, but Spade had become that controlled ball of pent-up energy shortly after she became the Hurricane and did not let the frustration show. She made her reports calmly, listened quietly during meetings, and had only lost her temper once over the last two years. This one incident had resulted in one of the vice commanders losing the majority of his teeth and sporting bruised testicles and a beaten ego to boot, sending the message that Spade did indeed have a limited tolerance of the shit said about her.

Spade was one of Marco's closest confidants, and everyone knew that his faith in her was unbreakable despite that Spade's methods of attaining information were unorthodox at best. Nonetheless, he attempted to make her visits as transparent as he could. Spade despised the open meetings because it always led to questions that she did not feel inclined to answer, which made the men trust her even less. Still, Marco did his best to make her visits easier if he could. He sent people who bothered Spade most on missions before she arrived, gave her a separate room in the base, and honestly did not initiate any sexual contact unless he was really frustrated. Spade's room was essentially an office; he'd encourage her to sleep in it, if only to find her minutes later asleep in his own bed. He never really protested.

They never labeled it. Spade didn't care who else he slept with as long as they weren't going to kill him afterward, and Marco knew Spade would rather die than let anyone else touch her. If she found someone else, Marco believed he'd be happy for her as long as they could give her what he couldn't.

As much as he loved Spade, all of the Yonkou did not have permanent partners for a reason. It was stupid to publicly announce a target for all enemies to hone in on, and Marco simply did not have time or luxury for stupidity.


"We need to talk," Spade said.

Law continued tracing the ink on Spade's shoulder blades as he murmured an incoherent response. He had spent the majority of the last several days either in bed with Spade or in the torture chamber with Burgess, and the activities he was occupied with made him very relaxed. Spade's statement sounded like she wanted to discuss important matters, but Law honestly wasn't in the mood. He pressed his lips right onto the center of her back, on the crossed out S of her tattoo, and she shivered.

"Law," she said sharply as she sat up, holding the sheets to guard her nudity.

"What is it?"

"We'll be arriving tomorrow," she said, looking down at him. "We need to talk about some things."

Law sat up with her. The days since Spade's fight with Burgess had almost felt like a vacation. He was pleased that she did not bother trying to make the sex a one-time thing, and the lack of fighting made Law enjoy her company. Without their previous distrust, their relationship had become almost easy, between the sex and the comfort of confidence. Law could interact with her in a way that was different from his crewmembers. Not being Spade's captain meant that they could discuss matters as equals, which Law found startlingly liberating.

If Law was truly being honest, he was starting to think of Spade as a friend.

Unfortunately, Spade's tone now made him think that this sentiment was not shared. The looming prospect of meeting the Whitebeards reminded him exactly where Spade's loyalty lied. When it came to Marco, Spade became intractable.

"What exactly do you have in mind?" he asked smoothly.

Spade let out a breath and ran a hand through her hair, the strands falling elegantly down her bare shoulders. It was clear that she had been thinking about something serious for a while now, which Law found somewhat offensive given they'd spent all their time after lunch back in bed.

"First, I'm only bringing you to Marco," she said. "You're making the case for the Alliance on your own. I'm still against that, and I'll make my case against it. The final decision will be up to Marco."

"Irritating as that is, I thought as much," Law said.

Spade nodded. "Good. Second, I'd prefer if you keep whatever it is we're doing to yourself."

Law raised his eyebrows. "We're fucking, Spade. It's what adults do. There's nothing more to it."

Her eyes glinted, but she nodded again.

"I get that," she said tersely. "But again, you're showing an astonishing lack of consideration for the optics. People will think my judgment has been compromised and I'm bringing you to Marco because you've somehow seduced me."

"That's actually rather ironic," Law chuckled, "because it does seem like that to me. You only consented to bring me to Marco after we slept together."

"Do you want to talk or not," she said coolly.

"I do," he said, toying with her hair. "I'm merely kidding, Spade. Lighten up."

"You're the last person in the world who gets to tell me to lighten up," she muttered.

"Rude. Our bedroom activities will be kept to myself. Anything else?"

Spade's lips pursed, and it was clear the next topic of discussion was something she did not want to share.

"There is a reason I am not a Whitebeard pirate," she said. "I'm just an affiliate. The atmosphere between the Whitebeards and me…it may not be what you'd expect."

Law's brow furrowed. "More hostile, you mean?"

"Yes. Only the commanders know I'm Hurricane, but everyone has a general idea that I do some shady things with the Underworld. They think that dirties the Whitebeard reputation," she said lightly. "So don't be surprised if…if things get a bit heated tomorrow. And don't be surprised when I don't fight back. Just focus on what you're there to accomplish and ignore the rest of the noise."

This advice confused Law. He leaned against his headboard and looked at her intently.

"I thought they were your friends," he said.

"Marco is," she said. "Some of the commanders and I are friendly. Some of the others…not so much. It doesn't really matter. As long as Marco trusts me, they can't touch me. And as long as you don't do anything stupid, I can protect you."

"I do not need that from you," he said thinly.

Spade smirked. "Any Whitebeard commander could destroy your crew on their own, Law. Don't be arrogant."

"I do not appreciate being treated delicately."

"Neither do I," she said.

"I know," he smirked.

Spade scoffed and looked away from him, her deliberations clearly wandering elsewhere. She was beginning to retreat into herself again, to that place in the back of her mind where she thought too much. Law understood the feeling, but it irritated him to see her thoughts occupied on something other than him. It was petty of him, but it bothered him all the same.

"I do not understand why so few people seem to understand the value of an Underworld connection," he stated. "It seems like a silly thing to resent you for."

"They resent me for more than that," Spade said under her breath.

"What do you mean?"

She looked startled, as if she was surprised the words had left her mouth in the first place.

"It's nothing," she said with a slight shake of her head. "Nothing you need to be concerned about."

"All information at this point is helpful to me, Spade."

"It was about me and Ace," she said again, her tone now edgy. "Nothing that matters to you."

Law surveyed her pensively. She was looking away from him, but the muscles in her back that Law had worked so hard to loosen were now tense again. Contrary to what Law had been trying to do, Spade's contemplations seemed to be escaping further and further away from him. He was reminded of that time on the crow's nest, when Spade had woken up from a dream that had certainly contained Portgas D. Ace. She'd been distressed then, but Law had not offered any words of comfort at the time. She was not a friend or a crewmember.

Did that rule still hold now? Law would not describe it as affection, but whatever he felt for Spade was surely closer to friend than it was to enemy.

The words fell out of his mouth before he could reflect on its ramifications.

"Tell me," he said.

"I told you," she said, voice biting, "it's not something you'd care about."

"I care," he said quietly. "It's bothering you, so I care."

Spade turned around to look at him, incredulity lining her face. Law held her gaze levelly, though he could feel his own heartbeat hasten. What had he just done? He had just verbalized that he cared—that was a terribly foolish move on his part. He enjoyed Spade in his bed, but the dangerous part was that he liked her out of it too. Spade had always been cagey with her emotions, occasionally showing a warm kindness that always took Law by surprise, only to retreat back into that impersonal tower of control just as quickly. Law knew Spade felt something for him, or else she wouldn't have consented to sleeping with him, but never had she verbalized that she cared for him.

Spade turned fully and climbed over his body to kiss him. Relief flooded him, only to be just as quickly supplanted by wariness; was she toying with him? Did she think she could use this stupid expression of sentiment against him in the future, so she was encouraging it now?

Law hated his pessimism sometimes. It made interacting with people like Strawhat Luffy a chore—Luffy was so simple-minded that he never considered the effect his words had on people around him. Law second-guessed everything, which protected him but also prevented him from ever accepting anyone's gentleness at face value. He let himself relish the sensation of Spade's lips for mere seconds before a cold caution replaced it, and he kissed her back only dutifully.

"So you are capable of being nice to me," she said when she broke away from him. "I was beginning to think that the only thing you liked me for was the sex, and you're far from nice to me in that regard."

"I do only what I believe you'll like, Spade. Compared to how I treat many others, I have been quite nice to you."

She snorted. "The bar is so low for your kindness."

She lied down next to him, her head resting on his shoulder as she wrapped one arm around his chest. Law truly was not a cuddly person, and he had always been rather inconsiderate in his aftercare of his partners. He let Spade do what she wanted though, as a testament to his niceness.

"I wasn't even with Ace the year leading up to his death," she said after a brief silence, her breath tickling his skin. She traced the wings of his heart tattoo with her index finger. "We'd been together for a little over two years, but I always kept a fairly low profile compared to him because I didn't want the Navy to find me. Unfortunately, Bartholomew Kuma found us one day and nearly killed us. I left Ace after that because I thought being close to him was too dangerous, and Ace of Spades broke apart. I did…I did what I thought was right. But a lot of the Whitebeard men think it's too convenient that I suddenly resumed this position of being Ace's partner only after he died and became close to the high-ranking Whitebeard officials when I hadn't even stuck with Ace through that rough patch."

Spade's voice had gotten progressively softer with each subsequent word, and she halted frequently after each sentence, as if she expected Law to interrupt her. Now, she stopped completely, letting the mechanical tick-tock of the clock fill in the gap. She seemed completely gone from him now, trapped in a world that Law did not know.

He had never met Portgas D. Ace, and he had barely been at the Battle of Marineford at all. He'd heard stories, had seen the broadcasts of that day, but listening to Spade now, it struck him just how far apart he and Spade truly were. Law had first seen Spade many years ago, on Den-Den Mushi screens and in her bounty poster following the Summit War, and had followed her as Hurricane through the years, but it seemed that all he'd been chasing was a flitting presence, almost a figment of imagination twisted with legend. The Skye Spade curled against his arm now, speaking of people and events that Law could not even fathom, was just as distant.

The picture just didn't fit. Law had difficulty imagining a young Spade who was young and emotional. He felt like the one he knew was someone else, but it was hard to decipher just which version of her was truly real.

"And you agree with them?" Law said finally.

"I don't blame them," she said quietly. "It makes sense. I shouldn't have left him in the first place. I wouldn't have let him go chase Blackbeard if I'd been with him."

Something in Law twisted, not enough to cause him pain, but enough to be uncomfortable. He wanted to push Spade off the bed, declare that in fact, he did not care for whatever was bothering her, that she was right and the only thing he liked was the sex. All the emotional baggage that she came with was not his responsibility, and he regretted ever opening up the door to this discussion. He did not want to hear about Portgas D. Ace and all the regrets Spade had about him because Law did not care, he was not competing with a dead man who was supposedly so perfect for Spade that their names made a fucking pun.

Yet, Law did not chase her away. He was in no position to be cold and callous, especially when Spade had shown mercy to him multiple times when it came to Doflamingo. She avoided that particular wound of Law's with considerate purpose, and the only times she'd aimed for it were when Law had been aggressively cruel in his own way. Even then, when push came to shove, Spade had told Law about Doflamingo's escape from Impel Down, had seen through his greatest fear of being the same as his old captain.

Law had no intention of embarking on that road of fights and fury again, not when whatever they shared now was so tranquil.

He took a deep breath. "It wasn't your fault. There were so many more variables to Portgas D. Ace's execution that were beyond anyone's singular control. All the cards happened to line up and…it just happened."

Contrary to what Law's intent, this response seemed to only make Spade angry.

"What, so it couldn't have been prevented?" she said scathingly, pulling away from him to sit up and glare down at him. "Ace was meant to die anyway, so I just shouldn't feel bad about it?"

"That's not what I meant," he said steadily. "I merely meant that there is no point feeling guilty about something beyond your control. I never said that he was meant to die."

Though sometimes, Law felt otherwise. The significance of the initial D. that he shared with Luffy and also Ace was not lost on him. Both Luffy and Law had proved that they were meant to be large players in this grand wheel of Fate, whether as pursuers of the One Piece or as god-slayers in the meantime. Ace as the son of Gol D. Roger had clearly inherited the initial, but in many ways, his death had served as a greater catalyst to the turning cogs more than his life ever had.

These were not thoughts that Law was about to voice aloud, given that he seemed to be skating on thin ice with Spade.

"Spade," he said calmly, tugging her gently by the wrist. She resisted him, but only slightly. With one firm pull, she collapsed back against his chest, and Law began to work his hand through her hair in what he imagined to be a reassuring manner.

"Sometimes," he said, "being loved is as great a burden as loving itself."

"Don't feed me riddles, Law," she said shortly.

He exhaled, careful to keep his temper in check. "People expect that if someone sacrifices their life for you, you are supposed to feel eternally grateful and indebted to them. But when Corazon died for me, I felt none of those things. I was angry that he believed his life was somehow worth less than my measly one. I was a child who, when given a death sentence, decided that I just wanted to destroy everyone around me too. Why would a genuinely good man die for someone as worthless as me?"

"After he died, every action I did was a testament to his sacrifice," Law continued. "My Devil's Fruit, the name of my crew, its insignia, my lifelong goal of destroying Doflamingo…every thing I have accomplished in life belongs to Corazon because of his choice. It seems glorious, of course, being immortalized by the actions of someone else. But people don't consider just how sometimes…it's not like I ever asked for it. I didn't expect it from him. The decision to die for me, because he loved me, was his and his alone. But the one who must live with those consequences is me."

He paused here, waiting for Spade to say something, but she failed him. She was listening and was not antagonistic, at least, for she remained in his hold and allowed him to continue massaging her scalp.

"I suppose my point is," Law murmured, "that while the circumstances of Portgas D. Ace's execution were orchestrated by the Marines and guided by his heritage, the means of his death was his choice. He died for Strawhat. The ones that survive him, from Strawhat to you to the rest of the Whitebeards, they're the ones who have to navigate what he's left behind. I suppose that's what I mean when I say it's pointless to feel guilty, when you are the one left with the shambles."

A comfortable quiet ensued after Law's words as he pushed down the bile in his throat that rose with the vulnerability. In so many strange ways, Spade and he covered ground much faster than anyone else. He doubted Spade spoke to many about her coping with Ace's death, while Law breathed Corazon's name to fewer people than the number of fingers he had. But what Spade had shared were clearly thoughts she'd locked up so tightly in herself that Law almost felt obligated to return the gesture, if at least to assuage whatever it was that troubled Spade so greatly.

Spade suddenly shifted so that she was sitting on top of him, straddling him. She kissed him at the corner of his mouth and Law held still, attempting to gauge Spade's expression and finding it irritatingly neutral. She noticed his lack of response and kissed him again, this time properly and firmly, her tongue seeking to part his lips and enter his mouth. He allowed it, if not slightly reluctantly, but the resistance fell apart as Spade deepened the kiss, the warm muscle in his mouth exploring fully. Her hands rested on his shoulders as she gave a purposeful roll of her hips over his, and Law's cock immediately took notice. She repeated the movement several times, each brush of her heat causing his shaft to perk with more interest, and soon Law was pulling away from her kiss to groan as he leaned against the headboard.

"You're usually the one in control," she said, her fingers trailing down his chest and brushing his nipples, "so you almost always take me on my hands and knees. This is a new position for us."

"You're mistaken if you think being on top of me will give you control," he said, amused.

"I guess we'll see."

She pinched his right nipple none-too-gently and Law hissed, hips involuntarily bucking upward. Spade smiled and trailed her right hand down his body to his already fully hard dick, taking the length into her grip.

"You can be so oddly kind sometimes," she said, sliding her palm up and down slowly. "It's really quite sweet."

"That's not a term," he said, breathing difficultly as she toyed with the head of his cock, her thumb teasing its underside, "I want associated with me."

"Too bad," she smiled. "It merits its rewards, you know. I want to get you off."

"How generous of you," he panted, back arching as he pressed further into her palm.

She leaned down so their foreheads were touching. Law's skin was already veiled with a thin layer of sweat; Spade's movements were reminiscent of his fantasies, firm and purposeful. It did not take much deduction to know what Law liked, and Spade applied this knowledge well, with gradually quickening strokes that grew rougher as her palm became slick with his precum. Law felt his eyes flutter shut, welcoming the dark as his body obeyed Spade's touch.

She let go of his shaft and grabbed his balls instead, causing Law to let out a moan.

"Oh, that's new," she said, and Law could hear the grin in her voice. "I like that."

He felt her kiss him and opened his mouth willingly, welcoming her tongue as he brought his hands to her hips. He pulled her upward slightly, suggesting that he wanted her seated on his dick, but Spade resisted the movement.

"Not this time," she said. "Eyes open, Law."

He frowned and kept his eyes shut determinedly. "What for?"

"Just want to watch your expression," she said casually, as if she wasn't currently massaging his balls deftly. "Open, Law."

"I don't take—"

"Orders, yes, I know," she said impatiently. "I can make you though."

He smirked. "Please try your hardest."

She scoffed at his arrogance and her hand resumed its attention to his shaft, all precautions tossed in the wind as she gripped him roughly and pumped him. Law hissed in surprise, hips bucking out of his control as he chased after the sensation, and she gave him a closed fist to fuck against. He thrust against her as he breathed raggedly, body betraying his control.

Her fingers slid over his slippery erection, her index finger trailing the wet slit lining the shaft with the barest edge of her nail. Law bit back a moan, his nerve endings searing with sensitivity bordering discomfort but trumped by pleasure. He was reaching that blinding goal of coming completely undone with Spade's quickening strokes when she suddenly gripped the base of his cock, cutting him off right at the edge of his orgasm.

"Fuck," he gasped, eyes flying open.

"That wasn't too hard," she murmured, kissing him briefly on the nose. She resumed her strokes, now languid, and rested her forehead against his so that their eyes were locked.

"Sometimes, your niceness will get you rewards," she said quietly.

"Are you teaching me a lesson, Miss Spade," he said, each word punctuated with a shallow breath.

"Maybe," she said, lips quirking. "Keep your eyes open, Law. I want to watch you come."

Her staid tone shouldn't have been as intoxicating as it was; Law felt like a lab rat on display, played to do tricks to his master's observation. He knew he had no room to talk about the discomfort with a power dynamic, especially when he thrived on taming Spade, and what she was doing to him was fairly benign in comparison to how he'd taken her only moments earlier.

Yet, the feeling remained. Law did not shut his eyes, instead forced to watch Spade's green orbs monopolize his vision as her strokes finally resumed that comforting fast and rough quality to bring him over the edge. Law's mind was going at the speed of light. Why watch him like this? Why maintain the eye contact? Spade's gaze was so intense, as if she were searching for something within him that could only be read in the throes of vulnerability. Sex and pleasure were not supposed to involve such mental exercise, but when it came to Spade, Law could not help but feel almost frightened.

When his orgasm finally hit him, it hit him in waves that accumulated on each other. The creamy release shot with startling force over Spade's hand and Law's abdomen, and Spade milked the last drop out of him as Law's moan echoed through his room.

Spade looked pleased with herself, but did not gloat. She released his now limp length and used the sheets to clean the both of them off before she resumed her position against his arm.

"Positive reinforcement?" Law said when he finally caught his breath.

"Maybe," she said, amused.

"I'm not so easily manipulated, Spade," he said darkly.

She gave a throaty laugh. "I know, Law. It was half a joke. Lighten up."

He snorted at the echo of his own advice, disbelieving, but he held her against him tightly.

"Thanks," she whispered so quietly that Law barely could hear her, "for caring."

She sounded genuine, and looking at Spade's almost shy smile now, Law could not help but believe her. His stomach turned, and he could feel the familiar desire to retreat from anything remotely real.

But for once, he did not want to run.


The Whitebeard base was a sturdy fortress made of rock imbued with Jozu's diamond, making it difficult to penetrate, especially without any direction. In the two years since its establishment, the base had never received any unexpected visitors, as the island it was located on could not be found by a Log Pose. Even if some stray sailors found themselves on the island on accident, the torturous mountains the base was seated on made it exceedingly difficult for any unaware passerby to actually trek to the base itself. Several of the Whitebeard commanders had the ability to fly, which made the journey easy, while the others saw the dangerous hike up and down the winding mountains as a form of training.

Spade's arrival back to the Whitebeard base came without anything alerting of her return. She appeared at the entrance of the fortress with nothing more than a slight warm breeze, her body fully materializing along with one companion.

Out of everyone Marco had suspected, Trafalgar Law was certainly not the guest he'd expected.

The moment the two of them appeared, Marco's men had their swords drawn and guns cocked, aimed at their direction. None of the Whitebeard officers looked even slightly fazed with the disturbance, despite that Spade's arrival had been deathly silent and that they'd been stationed at the base's entrance for several hours now, waiting.

Spade held up her hands in surrender.

"What a nice welcome back," she said dryly.

"Are you safe?" Marco asked, arms crossed as he surveyed Law suspiciously.

Spade nodded, appearing relaxed. "I am."

If anything, it was the Heart Pirates captain who had more reason to be skittish. A pale blue sphere surrounded him, and his hand twitched around the hilt of his nodachi. Marco had to give him credit—most people would shit their pants being surrounded by so many Whitebeard commanders, but Trafalgar Law was not like most people. His gray eyes were steely and focused, and he stood abreast of Spade, not behind her.

Marco took a moment to study the newcomer. Law did not contain an obvious aura of intimidation, especially with his fuzzy spotted cap and colorful clothing ensemble, but Marco was not one to be led astray by appearances. He himself was considered one of the less physically imposing members of the Whitebeard Pirates, but height and bulk meant little in a real fight. Still, though a decent height, Law almost looked skinny. Nothing about him struck Marco as terribly impressive, which made him only more wary.

Marco waved his men forward, and they approached, weapons still drawn. Spade glared at Marco.

"You've never brought a guest here," Marco explained in response to her unspoken accusation. "I need to make sure he's not threatening you."

"If he were, I wouldn't be here," she said coolly, arm extended protectively in front of Law. "I wouldn't bring an enemy back to base."

"He's as much of an enemy as any I've seen," Blenheim growled.

Spade frowned at the sight of him and glanced over at Marco, who sighed. Blenheim was fiercely loyal to Marco, but had always butted heads with Spade. Marco had attempted to send Blenheim with the Moby Dick crew, but the Ninth Division Commander had iterated several times that he believed Marco had a huge blind spot when it came to Spade, and made it clear that he would not leave when she visited.

"I don't believe we've ever had the pleasure of meeting," Law said, voice almost a drawl, "so it's odd that you'd deem me an enemy when this is our first time laying eyes on one another."

Marco stifled an internal groan. Law was a smart-ass. This was going to end poorly.

"You're a Shichibukai," Blenheim said. "We don't have space for you traitors here."

"Ex-Shichibukai," Law corrected smoothly. "It's been all over the news recently, but with your base so remote, perhaps you're not well-informed."

Marco arched an eyebrow at Spade, who shrugged and looked amused at best. She had no intention of defending Blenheim.

"Fucking brat," Blenheim spat. "What're you thinkin', Spade, bringing him here? It's a bad idea."

"Of course you'd think so, Blenheim. It was a favor of sorts," she answered. "Trafalgar has something he'd like to ask, and he gave me a gift for showing him the way."

"What gift?" Marco said sharply.

Law pulled something out of his bag. In his outstretched hand was a blue cube containing a beating heart.

"This is the heart of Jesus Burgess, one of Blackbeard's Titanic Ten. At this moment, my crew is sailing with Burgess himself onboard, so as to throw off any of Blackbeard's men from tracing Burgess's Vivre card," Law said calmly, as if there was nothing ridiculous about him holding the heart of an apparently living man outside of his body. "I came with this heart as a gift of good faith, though truthfully, it was Miss Spade who took down Burgess herself."

Marco looked over at Spade, who grinned crookedly.

"There's a lot to catch you up on," she said, "but Trafalgar's the only reason I got the opportunity. Plus, he's the reason we could keep Burgess alive. I didn't want to risk taking him prisoner by myself and lead Blackbeard here."

"A kind gesture," Marco said slowly. "Spade, come here."

"Marco, it's the truth."

"I know," he said simply. "But being as paranoid as you are, you gotta understand why I'm bein' careful. If Trafalgar's here on peaceful terms, I'm sure he doesn't mind if you leave his side for a second."

Spade frowned, brow furrowed.

"We won't hurt him," Marco said impatiently. "Come here, Spade."

She obeyed, stalking over to him quickly. Marco waved and his men advanced on Law, who remained impressively calm, but the blue orb surrounding him expanded.

"You're being a dick," she said when she got close.

"I'm bein' fucking careful," he muttered, taking her by the wrist and doing a quick one-over. She looked healthy, unharmed, and annoyed. "Prove that you're you and not under duress."

"I'm the fucking Hurricane," she hissed so that no one around could overhear. "Trafalgar Law still remains one of the people I've had the biggest misfortune of meeting. Guarantee you that if I were forced to be here, he wouldn't let me say that."

"Fine," Marco relented. "So what's the deal with Trafalgar?"

"I'm vouching for him," she said. "I wouldn't have brought him here if I didn't trust him."

Marco looked at her steadily. "That's a huge leap of faith for someone you met only a coupl'o weeks ago and didn't have nice things to say about."

"You cross a lot of ground when you save each other's lives and see each other at your worst," she said vaguely. "He's in alliance with Luffy and he's here on behalf of the Mink Tribe of Zou, too. Everything he says about that being Burgess's heart and Burgess being on his sub—it's true. He's not here to harm you."

She was resolute, and because Spade was so careful with Marco's life, he trusted her.

"All right," he said. "Search him. We'll take the heart and your weapon, Trafalgar."

Law raised his eyebrows. "Taking my blade will not stop me from fighting back should I be threatened."

"Do you want us to put you in Kairouseki then?"

"Just give up your sword, Trafalgar," Spade said brusquely. "We're wasting time."

Unenthusiastically, Law handed over his sword to Vista, who drew the blade from its sheathe to examine it with interest. The blue light bathing Law's profile never wavered as several men patted him down, retrieving a Den-Den Mushi from his pocket, before they escorted Law into the base. The Hearts Captain shot Spade a lingering glance, who gave him a reassuring nod. The exchange was not lost on Marco.

Spade made a movement to follow the others into the fortress, but Marco held her back briefly.

"It's been a while," he remarked. "You stopped dropping messages."

"I was on Trafalgar's sub," she said. "Didn't want to risk being overheard, and I have updates that can't risk being Tapped. We have a lot of ground to cover, Marco."

"You always give me so much work," he sighed.

She smiled wryly. "Everyone loves seeing me here."

"You know I'm kidding, Spade. It really is good to see you."

"I know, I know," she said. She wrapped her arms around him, and Marco hugged her back tightly. "Good to see you too, Marco. I've missed you."

He pressed his lips to the top of her head. "Missed you too."


Law was brought to a great atrium with a large looming ceiling and tall windows that lined its walls. A smooth stone rectangular table that seated approximately twenty was placed at the head of the room, while heavy wooden chairs filled the rest of the space. The atrium was clearly a meeting space, and Law was directed to sit at one of the table. He took his seat stiffly, every nerve in his body screaming caution. As much as he didn't need Kikoku, he felt naked without his nodachi, especially when he felt so much on display. It had been a big risk on his part to come to the Whitebeard base on his own, and it said a lot about Spade's relationship with the rest of his crew that they'd let Law leave at all. Bepo had given Spade an almost frightening warning before they'd bade the Heart Pirates farewell, though Spade had appeared more amused than threatened.

Marco took the chair at the opposite head of the table, and the commanders filled in the other chairs, choosing their seats as if there were a proper order. Law had thought that Spade would sit close to him, but it turned out that Spade's seat was right next to Marco's. She had not underplayed the hostility between her and some of the other commanders; Blenheim, three seats down from Marco, looked between the two of them darkly as Spade assumed her place with familiarity. Law could understand the frustration. Even from his outsider's perspective, the fact that Spade was a mere affiliate, yet so close to Marco, would certainly rub people the wrong way.

She did not seem to have the same interactions with some choice others; she smiled at Jozu, the Diamond Man, who returned the greeting with a brief smile of his own, and she laughed at Vista, the commander who had taken Law's nodachi, as he made some joke.

The rest of the foyer was filled by lower-ranking officers, and when all the seats had been taken, Law was astonished that almost a hundred people were in the atrium. He looked at Marco uncertainly. Surely the meeting would not be held with so many people present? He imagined that it would be difficult to accomplish anything with so many opinions eager to be voiced.

Law was surrounded by whispers and glares, and as uncomfortable as it was to be such an object of scrutiny, he brushed them off. He focused on Marco and Spade beside him. Ignore the noise, her expression read.

Marco raised one hand and the hall fell into silence.

"I bet it's strange for you to see so many people present at this kind of meeting," Marco said to Law. "I try to keep my men as informed and involved as possible, so don't be alarmed. Everyone here is trustworthy, so feel free to speak openly."

Law highly doubted that every single one of the hundred people present was trustworthy, and by the amusement on Spade's face, he could tell she felt the same. Still, if this was how Marco wanted to run his ship, Law was not in a position to judge. Only seconds in Marco's presence showed Law that the Phoenix lived up to his reputation.

Given the floor to speak, Law gave a brief overview of the events at Punk Hazard and Dressrosa, ending with the circumstances at Zou that had led Law to serve as an ambassador to the Whitebeards. Marco let him speak uninterrupted for the most part, though occasionally he would look over to Spade for verification or embellishment. Spade remained curt in her responses, and Law did not miss the way her eyes flickered frequently over the rest of the table, giving him the impression that the majority of her information was reserved for Marco's ears alone.

"Kaidou, eh," Marco said. He tapped his fingers on the surface in front of him mindlessly. "Sure ain't a friend of ours."

"Bastard tried to flank us at the Battle of Marineford," scowled a shark fishman Law recognized to be Namur, Eighth Division Commander. "Didn't take him long to pick up the scraps of Pops' empire."

"The Mink Leaders said that you have long been in an alliance with them," Law said. "Fighting Kaidou will be difficult for all of us, but with the Whitebeards involved, I believe we can win."

"They've always been friends of ours," said Vista fondly, his mustache bobbing up and down with each word. "I do miss them. Such kind folk."

"But Kaidou?" said Jozu. "He has not been on our agenda for some time now."

"With Doflamingo in prison, Kaidou's taken a big hit!" a vice commander from the audience shouted out. "If we're gonna fight him, now's a good time, when he doesn't have his Joker!"

"Joker's out of prison," Spade said as she studied her nails. "Burgess told us that Blackbeard freed him."

"What?!"

"Sounds like information you should've included in the initial report," Marco chided.

"It was Trafalgar's report, not mine," Spade said smoothly. "Trafalgar's here to convince you to fight Kaidou, and that news doesn't change anything on that front—if Blackbeard has Doflamingo, Kaidou's still got nothing in the Underworld, and Doflamingo's network has been largely absorbed by other Underworld players. Thanks to Luffy and Trafalgar's alliance, Kaidou certainly has suffered a large blow. He's going to be angry, which will make him foolish. If we're going to fight him, now is not a bad time."

Law frowned, confused. Spade had made it clear she would not fight for his case, but everything she'd just said was in his favor.

Unfortunately, Marco seemed to know Spade better than Law did.

"But?" the Phoenix said lightly.

"It's stupid," she said serenely. "The injuries to Kaidou's force were soft ones, rooted in Intel and econ, not actual fighting power. Yes, Jack the Drought is out of commission at the moment, but that's it. Kaidou is strong and if Blackbeard gets wind that we're fighting him, he'll wait until the battle's over and clean up whatever's left of it. Either way, Blackbeard will win. We have nothing to gain by fighting Kaidou. I think we should focus on Blackbeard, see what he's up to with Doflamingo."

"Once we win against Kaidou," said Law, "you'll have the fighting power of Wano Country, the Strawhats and myself, as well as the Mink Tribe. It's a significant boost to your crew, considering how isolated the Whitebeards have been for the last two years. You won't have to start from scratch when you call upon allies to fight against Blackbeard."

"And if we find out what Blackbeard is doing with Doflamingo, we won't need allies at all," Spade countered. "Taking a leaf from your book, Trafalgar, as long as we have something important to Blackbeard and exploit it, a mass-scale fight won't be necessary."

"Then you should learn from my mistakes, because Dressrosa ended up very differently from what I'd intended," he said frostily.

Spade bared a smile. "You got baited by Doflamingo when you could've let Kaidou clean things up instead. I'm smarter than you—if I can get someone else to kill Blackbeard, that's fine by me."

"If you're against this alliance," Namur said before Law could retort, "why did you bring him here, Spade?"

"I owed him a favor," she answered. "And I wanted Burgess alive. If it was just granting him an audience with Marco, I thought it was a small price to pay."

"And because a decision of this caliber should be presented to all of us," Marco said lightly.

Spade snorted. "Yes, because waiting for a unanimous decision here always gets things done. I wasn't planning on bringing him here. I was supposed to sail Trafalgar's crew in circles."

"Why were you on his ship in the first place?" the Phoenix probed.

"I bested her in a duel," Law said vindictively. "I took her heart."

This was an unwise thing to say—the two officers nearest to him had blades pointed at his throat immediately.

"Let him go. He gave it back," Spade said shortly.

"Why would he?" Marco demanded.

"We…reconciled," was her elusive answer. "I concede that he forced me on the Polar Tang, but again, I wouldn't have ever brought him here outside of my own volition."

At Marco's signal, the blades were resheathed and Law resumed breathing. He still maintained his Room and had not been in any serious danger, but the imminent threats were exhausting.

"That seems awful suspicious of you," said Blenheim, eyes narrowed. "Why bring a stranger to base whose cause you don't believe in, unless you're plottin' somethin'."

Spade gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes. "Plotting what, Blenheim?"

"The fuck would I know. You're the one fuckin' with the Underworld—"

"You cannot just say I'm plotting something without any substantial suspicion," she interrupted. "As you think about exactly what you're accusing me of, why don't we let Marco continue."

"Thanks," he said dryly. "So it's to my understanding that Donquixote Doflamingo is your nemesis. With the news that he's out of prison, why still fight Kaidou and abandon your original objective?"

"My objective was Kaidou to begin with," Law returned. "Targeting Doflamingo was merely a way to dismantle a huge part of Kaidou's army."

"Don't take me for a fool," Marco said lazily, but the gleam in his eyes made Law tense. "I know about your past. Doflamingo was your captain. Dressrosa was a personal vendetta."

Law's gaze swiveled to Spade, but she looked as surprised at Marco's declaration as Law felt.

"Don't glare at her," Marco said, understanding Law's silence correctly. "Spade is a chief informant, but contact with her can be sporadic. I have other ways of diggin' up information if I need it quickly."

"I'm so proud," Spade sighed, a hand placed over her heart in dramatic fashion.

"Fuck off, Spade. Answer my question, Trafalgar."

Law bristled. "There are things I'd rather not discuss in an auditorium full of strangers."

"Fine," Marco said, unperturbed. "Spade?"

Law's heartbeat accelerated. The answers to these questions were personal and would involved bits and pieces of Law's history that he did not want to disclose to people who were, if not enemies, certainly not friends.

Spade did not reply immediately, which caused the Phoenix to turn to her.

"You know the answer, don't you?" he asked.

"General suspicions," she said reluctantly. "We should talk in private."

"They're in on it together!" shouted someone from the audience. "She's always like this, Captain—"

"For fuck's sake, I'm not Captain."

"Commander," the member corrected quickly. "She's always hidin' things, never wants to say anythin' in public. Why? It's fuckin' suspicious!"

"She tells me everything in private and I disseminate that information accordingly," Marco said wearily, as if this were an argument he had frequently.

"But you trust us! The whole point of these meetings is to get everyone on the same page. If she don't follow your orders, then she's not one of us, and you can't trust her."

"It's true," Blenheim said gravely. "I have felt this way for a long time."

"I recognize that," Marco said tiredly. "But I've told you multiple times that I trust Spade, and—"

"Then why did you track her?" Blenheim demanded.

Marco looked at him sharply. "How d'you know about that?"

"I told him," Jozu said apologetically. "It was a slip of tongue."

"It wasn't a slip of tongue!" Blenheim argued. "Marco, tons of us think that the confidence you place in Spade is an issue—your men don't trust her, and yet you welcome her back with open arms despite your own reservations!"

"My reservations were regarding her own safety," Marco said severely. "I have never doubted Spade's loyalty and that remains true."

"Then tell us what she tells you," the Ninth Division Commander said angrily. "All of it."

There were murmurings from the audience that swelled and echoed through the stone atrium. Several men were standing up, their voices clamoring for attention. The situation was absurd, bordering chaotic. Long had the attention been diverted from the Surgeon of Death toward Spade, who looked irritated and bored all at once. It was clear that their meetings commonly devolved into arguments surrounding this point of contention, but the animosity that they held seemed bizarre. Law felt like he was missing a crucial detail.

"I can't," said Marco curtly.

"Then who's the real commander here!" shouted Blenheim, standing up. "You are blinded by this woman who ran away from Ace the moment he lost—"

"Sit down, Blenheim," Marco said.

"A harlot at best—"

An incredible pressure filled the room, oppressive and powerful. Law remained rigid, his Room flickering slightly as foreign Haki fought Law's own. There were thuds all around him as men in the audience slumped over, frothing at the mouth, unconscious. The commanders remained untouched, and Spade looked jaded, but Law was unnerved. Conqueror's Haki was rare, and even compared to the few that Law had experienced, Marco's was on a different level entirely.

"You're gettin' sidetracked, Blenheim," Marco said calmly. "I do not need you defamin' Spade for no reason when we have more important things to discuss, and with a guest in our presence, no less."

"A highly suspicious guest that this woman brought," spat Blenheim. "She's probably fuckin' him too, that's' why she brought 'im here."

"And finally we reach the core of the issue," said Spade as she leaned back in her seat, eyes blazing. "I can never pinpoint it with you, Blenheim, or any of the others who hate me so much. Just what exactly bothers you so much? That I'm Hurricane? 'Cause that's fuckin' ridiculous—I'm bustin' my ass everyday to get this crew information when you sit on your fat ass waitin' for the day Blackbeard finds us and kills us with his double-Devil-Fruit army. It can't be that I've riskin' my life everyday for yours, so really, it must be because I fucked Marco, and if that's the case, I'm sorry you're so jealous—would it make you feel better if I fucked you too? Or would you prefer to have Marco's dick in your mouth?"

"You fucking bitch!" Blenheim roared.

"Spade," said Marco warningly.

"I've dealt with this for over two years," she snapped at him, clearly furious. "I'm the one who always has to deal with this shit, Marco, not you, so the least you could've done was send this son of a bitch away when I returned."

"So what? So you can whisper sweet nothins in his ear and get him to do what you want?!"

"Both of you, out!" Marco shouted.

Spade looked at him, incensed, but Marco looked spent. He made a general hand movement, as if swatting an invisible fly.

"Everyone," he said coldly, "out. I want to talk with Trafalgar alone."

"Captain—"

"I'm not a fuckin' captain," Marco said through gritted teeth. "Everyone, get the fuck out. You too, Spade."

"You've gotta be kiddin' me—"

"Especially you," he said, his tone commanding. "I'll talk to you in a bit."

"Is it wise to leave you and Trafalgar Law alone?" Jozu said, completely unruffled by the confrontation that Law thought was a circus.

"It's fine, he can't touch me," said Marco.

Law felt slightly insulted, but the display of the Conqueror's Haki proved that Marco's confidence was not baseless.

His leadership, on the other hand, had Law questioning. There was a reason Law limited his crew size to twenty and no more. Having fleets like the Yonkou did, with so many men involved, invited dispute and dissent. There was never a way of appeasing everyone, and the thought of a happy family of over a hundred members was naïve at best. Crews could be democratic to some extent, but more than anything, they needed to have a hierarchy. Marco's own refusal to own his captainship was peculiar and frankly weak. There was no way Law would've ever let a crewmember mouth off the way Blenheim had, especially with what Blenheim was implying about Spade.

Spade and Marco's history shouldn't have surprised Law, but it did. Knowing that Spade and Marco had slept together explained the visceral distrust that many of the Whitebeards had for her, and it also elucidated why Spade was so concerned with the "optics." It was not so much that she was ashamed of her behavior, as she was conscious of its impact on her credibility; the warning that she'd given Law prior to their arrival now made more sense.

Law would be lying if he claimed he did not feel anything about the news. He had thought that his only competition was dead, but with Marco in the picture, Law could not help but feel slighted. Jealous, perhaps not, but definitely miffed.

It struck Law that he was not even sure what the competition was for, but this was a question that he had been dwelling on for days now, and still had no answer for.

"You look unimpressed," Marco said as the commanders collected their unconscious men and exited the atrium, leaving him and Law alone at opposite ends of the table.

"Your Haki was remarkable," the surgeon said diplomatically. He had no intention of pissing off anyone who had Conqueror's Haki of that caliber. "The most remarkable I've seen."

"So it's not your first time experiencing it."

"No, I've met three people who could use it. Four, now."

"Who?"

"Silvers Rayleigh," replied Law. "Doflamingo. And Strawhat Luffy."

"Ah, yeah," Marco said, his fingers drumming the table. "Rayleigh's an old man now, and the other two…" Marco shrugged. "Can't compare me to small fry like them."

Law found it difficult to be offended by Marco's casual arrogance, even when he dismissed Law's archnemesis who was also a Tenryuubito as "small fry." Even sitting in his presence, Law could tell that if they fought, Law would easily lose. Marco's Haki seemed to overflow from every pore in his skin, and Law, whose greatest vice was stamina, would be easily outclassed.

The petty side of him affirmed that that would not be the case in the bedroom.

"So tell me, you're serious about Kaidou," Marco said, relaxing in his chair. "Why not pursue Doflamingo?"

Quickly, Law summarized the contact from Blackbeard's team, the circumstances of the Indigo Ring, and conditions under which Spade had defeated Burgess. Marco listened intently, nodding only briefly when Law concluded.

"Good for Spade," the Whitebeard Commander sighed. "Always worry about her in battle, but it's good to hear she can beat a Titanic Ten."

"She's strong," said Law, surprised with Marco's concern.

"You beat her in a duel," he said, amused. "You're a fledgling compared to the Yonkou. If Spade lost to you, she's gonna have to train some more."

"Results may have been different if we'd fought at sea."

"Perhaps, but it's not reliable enough." Marco scratched the back of his neck. "Kaidou, eh. That's a battle I'd honestly rather not fight."

"Why?" Law said, bewildered. "I could understand before I met you, but your Haki alone could take down half of his men. With this alliance, we can win."

Marco pursed his lips. "It may be more complicated than that."

The cryptic response made Law uneasy.

"What are you hiding?" said the Surgeon of Death, tempering the accusation in his voice.

"What do you mean?" said Marco, feigning ignorance.

"This is an opportunity to take down a Yonkou—you could re-establish the Whitebeards as a commanding force over the seas, potentially absorb the Yonkou role again. Additionally, I am offering my services on the Indigo Ring front to leverage Blackbeard; that is an offer that is priceless to you. Miss Spade knows about your Haki and the full extent of your strength but she's adamantly opposed me on this as well. It doesn't make any sense to me."

"That's none of your business," Marco said. "I'll think over your offer. In the meantime, you'll be our guest here. Thanks for coming so far on behalf of your alliance. I imagine the trip wasn't easy, especially with Spade."

"The beginning was rocky," admitted Law. "We are cordial now, though."

Marco smirked. "Glad to hear. I imagine the sex helps."

The statement caught Law completely off guard. He had made no indication of the matter and since their arrival, Spade had been fairly distant with him, if not antagonistic.

Marco laughed at Law's silence. "I know her well. Bringin' you here speaks volumes about what she thinks of you. It's also been a long time since she'd blown up at Blenheim like that—his comment about you two fuckin' must've set her of, but only because it was true."

"It was not a means of persuasion, if that's what you're implying," said Law tersely.

"I wasn't," the Whitebeard commander said simply. "She's not easily persuaded that way either."

Marco stood up and pushed back his chair, eliciting a grating shriek that reverberated in the hall.

"You must be tired from the journey," he said. "We don't have many guests here, so guest bedrooms aren't really a thing. I'll get one of the men to put you in Spade's room."

"That may be a bad idea," Law said curtly. "She asked for our…relationship, whatever it is, to be kept to myself."

"Oh, I wasn't meaning that," said Marco with a lazy grin. "Don't worry. When Spade comes home, she usually stays with me."

Marco exited the room, his orders carrying over to the guards stationed outside. Law suddenly felt exhausted, realizing that he'd been maintaining a Room for hours now. He let it dissipate, the relaxation of his Devil's Fruit power seeping into his muscles, and leaned back against his chair.

He had known this. He knew where Spade's loyalty lied, and it was clear Marco knew it too, which was why the Whitebeard Commander hadn't been the least bit threatened. Law had known all this, had processed all this in his prefrontal cortex, but the sinking feeling in his chest told him that his amygdala and whatever other pathways monitored emotions had not received the same message.

It was truly a burden, loving and being loved.


free talk:

no spade POV this chapter, but living in law's head, the push and pull of spade and law's relationship is clearly felt on both ends. if only open and honest communication were a thing...

this fic is named shambles for the obvious tie to law but really for the reasons that law stated in this chapter. (shambles is also a great word. it sounds exactly like what it means.) it's law's word but spade's world.

thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed. please review!

xoxo,
m.n