Chapter 21: A Touch of Flame

Law had never been particularly good at sleeping, a skill that came naturally only to the simple-minded and escaped the over-thinkers. After his brief imprisonment, restful sleep evaded him nearly completely. With the exception of that afternoon nap with Bepo, Law's rest was plagued with flashbacks that left him panicky, drenched in sweat, and nauseous.

It was strange being a doctor and being ill at the same time. His predicament served as a humbling reminder that the belief of mind over body only extended so far—the cerebral mulling over his condition or the ability to put a name to his state did nothing to alleviate his suffering. He knew exactly what was happening: he had acute stress disorder, and if its symptoms persisted for long enough, he would have post-traumatic stress disorder, for which there was no particularly efficacious immediate cure. It would take time and therapy to recover, and the thought of Law in therapy was a bit laughable because no therapist in their right mind would be able to unravel Law of the knots his childhood had twisted him in.

Which meant that the only thing Law could do was tell himself that he had acute stress disorder, that the reaction was somewhat understandable, and he could try to be his own therapist but that defeated the purpose of therapy so it was best not to dwell on his condition in the first place.

Understanding what was best for him was all very well and good, but it didn't make things any easier to deal with. Law knew that his arrangement with Kid annoyed everyone, from his crewmen to Bonney to Marco, and he knew that it wasn't the healthiest way to manage his stress, but the true fact of the matter was that fucking Kid made Law physically exhausted enough that he managed to fall asleep for at least an hour without thinking about anything else. He and Spade weren't exclusive, and he knew Marco and Spade had already slept together again after Law left the Whitebeard base, so he doubted Spade herself would think much of it. They were not partners or lovers; they'd barely been friends.

Though for how much Spade occupied his conscious thoughts, he knew he was trying to justify his own choices.

The night was quiet and stagnant, without even the slightest breeze to alleviate the humidity. The weather had changed for the worse this morning, and Law worried that they were drifting toward the Calm Belt. Law detached himself from Kid's sweaty limbs—the man always passed out a minute after his orgasm—and quietly reached for his clothes. He dressed silently, eager to escape the stifling heat of Kid's cabin and return to his own private quarters on the ship that Marco had outfitted for the Supernovas to track down Spade. It was not as luxurious as the Moby Dick, but it was a decently sized vessel with a wide array of weapons ranging from cannons to catapults. There was enough room onboard for all the captains and Killer to receive their own rooms, while the rest of the Heart Pirates shared bunkers below deck.

Law was honestly surprised that Kid and Killer had agreed to be part of this rescue mission at all. Basil Hawkins had declined Marco's invitation, and though the Phoenix had gregariously allowed the magician to leave, Law was certain that Marco would collect his debts in a less-than-pleasant manner in the future. But fear of the Phoenix wasn't enough to force Kid to do anything he didn't want to; Kid and Killer's reason—payback for rescuing them from Kaidou—had been rather honorable, but Law wasn't convinced. He'd have to keep an eye out for any sign of potential treachery.

He left the room without a sound and wandered on to the deck, which was thankfully empty. Bepo and Ikkaku were on duty tonight, likely up on the crow's nest. Law had stationed both of them on since the change in weather, as with Bepo being the Hearts' chief navigator and Ikkaku the weapons and engines expert, they would be able to quickly adjust the ship's course if they strayed too close into the Calm Belt. Being stuck in the Calm Belt would make them lose days, if not weeks, without a convenient scout like Spade herself. It had already been two weeks since they'd left Wano; Law had absolutely no intention of making Spade wait any longer, which meant he could not make any errors in their navigation.

Sabo had exchanged Den-Den Mushi numbers with Law, and every morning the Revolutionary Army would leave a message with updated coordinates. It seemed like Sabo himself didn't have a Blocker Mushi, which meant that he could not communicate with Law freely. It was frustrating and worrisome, sailing in some woeful direction without the slightest background information; Law could not shake the feeling that they were wandering into a trap, but he didn't have an alternative plan. With Sabo's message this morning, he anticipated that they would join the Revolutionaries within the next forty-eight hours.

Law stood at the ship's stern, watching the waters barely move as he held a cigarette between his teeth and lit it. The air was suffocating and sweat beaded over his bare torso; he didn't want to visibly expose the scars that Doflamingo had left over his body, but the feeling of his clothes clinging to his skin only aggravated his wounds more. He had initially been careful with his wrists and ankles, cautious of straining them while undergoing intense self-surgery to microscopically facilitate the healing process and prevent over-fibrosis; it had been a slow and painful process that had left Law frightened of the impact on his dexterity. With tendons shredded, Law's hands had grown accustomed to a terrifying numbness that could only mean the end of his days as a surgeon.

That was, until Marco intervened.

Shortly before they'd left Wano, the Phoenix had called Law into his office for a clandestine meeting. After ensuring that no one was around, Marco asked to see Law's wrists.

"Why?" Law said, wary.

"Bonney said you're still havin' issues with 'em."

"I'm fine," replied Law shortly.

"How many times am I gonna have to prove to you that I'm not gonna hurt you?" Marco said impatiently. "You're goin' into battle, Law. I ain't gonna send you injured, especially when I can't go myself. Give me your wrists."

Law opened his mouth to protest, but Marco didn't have the patience to prattle any longer. He grabbed Law's left wrist roughly and suddenly Law's entire limb was engulfed in blue and gold Phoenix flame. The fire was surprisingly cool to touch and completely unthreatening—Law felt the flames lick inside his bandages, beneath his skin, but before he even had time to process, the fire disappeared, leaving only Marco staring back at him smugly.

"Better?"

Law rotated his left wrist, stunned. There was no pain or weakness in his hands, and proper sensation returned to his fingertips. With an easy flex of his index finger, a miniature Room appeared over his palm, expanding and retracting with precision that Law was afraid he'd lost.

"I thought your flame only healed yourself," said Law, disbelieving.

"It did. Until today."

Law looked at him sharply. "This was the first time you've tried this?"

Marco shrugged. "I've been thinkin' about it for a while. Bonney's ability gave me the idea, how she can age herself but apply that ability to others too. 'Course, bein' a Zoan…didn't know if it would work for sure. But I guess they call me Mythical for a reason." Marco grinned cheekily at him, clearly pleased with himself.

Law brushed aside the fact that he'd just been used as a guinea pig. "Do you have any idea what you're doing? Any concept of the physiology or anatomy involved?"

"Nope," said Marco breezily.

"You just let your flames…burn."

"Yup."

Law wanted to hit him. Marco had just effectively made the role of a physician obsolete without any training at all—all those years of studying anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology were worthless in the face of a simple lick of Phoenix flame.

"Keep it quiet," said Marco as he gestured for Law's other wrist. "I don't want people comin' to me with medical issues. That ain't my role."

"Really," muttered Law. "You just put your doctor out of a job."

"I don't know if there's a limit to this ability," Marco answered as Phoenix flame wrapped around Law's right hand. "I also don't wanna be playin' God."

Law's eyes flickered up to him. "You realize you won't have that luxury, now that you have this ability? You can tell yourself all you want that you won't pick and choose your favorites, that you'll be fair, but you will reach a crossroads where none of that will matter to you. You will save the ones you want to save, and you will let the ones you want dead to die."

"That what you do?"

"I've never pretended otherwise," said Law coolly. "I do what I can to save the ones I care about, Marco. But my ability isn't like yours. People can still die, no matter how much I try otherwise. Yours…yours reaches a new realm."

"Maybe I can just use it once a day," said Marco. "Maybe I can just use it once at all, or on certain people. The point is, I'm not tryin' to be a god. I'm tryin' to be a captain to my crew, that's it."

"Are you?" Law challenged. "Last time I checked, you refuse to even own that role."

Marco's eyes glowed. "You should be really fuckin' careful, Law. I can break those wrists just as easily as I healed them."

"Just listen to me," he said, frustrated. "Both you and Spade are like this, just running from these aspects that make you uncomfortable. You are a captain, Marco, the captain. You are easily and irrecoverably the Whitebeard captain, no matter how much you try to avoid that title, because you already act as one. But ownership of your roles and your responsibilities create definition and clarity in chaos, and when shit hits the fan, as it so often does, your men will need that clarity for guidance. It's the same for Spade." Law tested the range of motion of his wrists. "Whitebeard affiliate…it's too vague. You don't die for affiliates. You die for your crewmates." He met Marco's gaze fearlessly, despite knowing that he was crossing a boundary. "It is not lost on me that none of the people saving Spade are Whitebeards."

Marco's eyes narrowed. "Believe me, there's nothin' I'd like to do more than go."

"But you can't," countered Law, "because you shouldn't, and for good reason. You're the Whitebeard captain. And she's just an affiliate. It's not enough." The surgeon turned to leave.

"She's not your crewmate either."

Law paused. "True. But again, I've never pretended otherwise."

He was surprised that Marco had let him leave unharmed, but perhaps Law should've given the Phoenix more credit than that. Marco was naturally even-tempered and measured, and Law truthfully hadn't said anything that Marco himself hadn't thought of already. With so much unknown, from Spade's status to Aokiji's allegiance to the Revolutionaries' motive, they needed an anchor, and as much as Law preferred to lead, Marco's newfound ability placed him on a different level entirely. Power was useless unless the wielder decided to own it and its consequences.

Law watched the waters, finding them irritatingly still. Everything was too calm, a false mirage to the tumultuous storm brewing underneath.

As if some higher being knew Law's thoughts and wanted to laugh at them, the shriek of a Den-Den Mushi suddenly broke through the air. Law immediately drew the screaming SOS Mushi from his pocket and answered, bracing himself as his insides turned to ice.

All he could hear was the faintest breath sounds and the clinking of something metallic. Precious seconds passed, and Law opened his mouth to speak.

"Law?"

It was Spade, voice soft and shaky.

An indescribable relief filled him. "It's me."

"Good," she breathed. "Coordinates…are on the Mushi."

Sure enough, the numbers showed up inscribed in the snail's shell. Law's heart leapt slightly—they were closer than Sabo's coordinates. If they fired up the engines at maximum speed, they could arrive within the next day.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"I've been better," she said, words uneven and slow. "Your old captain's…a real piece of shit."

Law couldn't help a rueful smile. "I know."

There was a tired chuckle. "I'm sorry for ever saying you were like him."

"No," he said quietly. "There are similarities. But that's not important right now. We're close, Spade. Just…hang in there."

The words sounded empty, even by his standards. Hang in there? What useless advice, as if she weren't doing her best to stay alive already.

She seemed to know how clumsy he was with his consolations, and she laughed. "Yeah. Okay."

"We're almost there," Law reiterated. "I know you've waited—"

"Law, I'm not going to make it out of here."

The words came clear, coherent. Law stared at the snail in his hand.

"Don't be ridiculous," he said harshly. "We're on our way, within the next day I can get to you—"

"No, you don't get it," she cut in. "I'm not going to make it, okay? Be it mind or body…something is going to break in me soon. This has been the only…bit of clarity I've had in so long. And it's because it's going to end soon. And since it is…you need to follow Aokiji, okay? Give him back-up."

"My goal has never been to help Aokiji," Law said angrily. "Marco sent me to find you, to save you and that's the only thing I care about right now."

"You and I both know that there's always been something bigger than us," Spade said softly.

"Not right now—I never gave a shit about Blackbeard and honestly don't care much for Aokiji either. I said that I would get you back safely if it was the last thing I did and—"

"Please, Law."

Law swore, and he looked out at sea, where the sky was beginning to lighten and gentle lilacs seeped into the clouds. The edges of his vision were blurred, and he wondered why that was the case.

"Why call if you didn't want to be saved?" he demanded. "Why give me your coordinates?"

Spade giggled and it sounded delirious. "Thought you'd want to kill Doflamingo afterward."

"I'd rather, " Law felt something acidic lodge in his throat and he swallowed it down, "I'd rather save you."

"That's the thing, Law," she murmured. "I never asked for you to save me."

"Yes, instead you've asked me to help the men in your life you deem more important than yourself," he said bitterly. "But they do not weigh the same to me, Spade."

"I know. But you will waste your time coming here first."

The sky looked a brilliant canvas of warm hues. Where sea met open air, the burgeoning peak of the sun began to rise, a scene of tranquility that Law wanted to destroy. Something in his eyes stung, and everything felt so vast but vacant. The Den-Den Mushi in Law's hand was such a pitiful representation of something, someone that Law wanted desperately in person. How long had it been now since he and Spade had felt those isolated moments of contentment? How foolish he'd been, to take peace for granted.

"Mushi's almost gone, Law." Spade sounded faint. "Promise me, okay? There are things bigger than you and me…and killing Blackbeard is one of them."

Law could not promise—he could not say much at all. It struck him that this was the conversation that Doflamingo had gleefully urged Spade to make, the last time she would be able to speak to the man she loved.

But was that even true? In this last conversation, Spade still asked Law to save another man, to fight the greater fight. And part of Law could not help but wonder: would Spade have done the same if he were Portgas D. Ace instead? Was there something so fundamentally different about them that whatever love between Spade and Law would always be less significant than a higher goal?

Could this even be called love, if it was not worth dying for?

Spade had always had the uncanny ability to read his mind at the least opportune moments, and she used that ability now.

"It was real," she said. "It is real. Whatever it is between us. Okay? No matter how little you trust me. It's real. I told you I love you. I would've never hurt you."

"I know that," Law said immediately, almost defensively. He knew how he came across, insistent to the bitter end that he was not ungrateful for Spade's trust, that he did truly know her worth, that he had not intended to betray her but instead had simply made a mistake. "I am not trying to save you just because Marco told me to. I…I never intended to hurt you. Even if I did, and I'm sorry for it." He inhaled shakily. "But I wouldn't hurt you willingly. Not…not like before."

When I took your heart and crushed it in my palm because I could, because I wanted to, because I wanted to own you.

There was a long pause, and Law wondered if Spade had fallen asleep.

"Law?" She sounded tired. "Doflamingo made a—"

The call cut off, and the SOS Mushi let out a shrill cry before erupting into a fistful of flames. Law jerked his hand back to avoid being burned, and the fire fell to the ground, leaving nothing but smoldering ashes. The five minutes were over.

Law knelt to the ground, combing through the warm ashes to try and find some semblance of life amidst a pile of nothing. The gnawing ache in his chest became a full-fledged roar; this was the price to pay for emotion, for investment, to care. It had been a long, long time since Law had lost someone he loved, for he had kept a small crew and protected them fiercely, but Spade was neither crewmate nor benefactor, neither foe nor friend.

And in chaotic ambiguity, Law found no clarity. He just hurt, as his heart fell through free-fall, and he both understood and failed to comprehend what exactly it meant to love when safety was never guaranteed.

It took several minutes to realize that his search through the ashes was ineffective, blinded by tears.

"Absolutely fuckin' not."

Law ignored Bonney and made a Room to transport himself to the escape submarine floating on the waters below. Livid, Bonney grabbed him by the arm.

"You've lost it," she said, the remnants of her breakfast flying with her spit. "Do you even hear yourself right now?"

"I spoke with Spade last night through the SOS Mushi," he said calmly. "I'm going to sail to the coordinates I received."

"I had the fuckin' Mushi all night!" she shouted. "It was in my bag because I was on watch, Trafalgar. You dreamed those coordinates and you dreamed that conversation—you're sailin' to nowhere!"

"I understand that it doesn't make logical sense," said Law, still infuriatingly tranquil, "but I cannot explain it. All I can say is that I know this is true. I'm not asking you to join me. I've ordered my crew to sail toward Sabo's coordinates with everyone else. But I need to check this out on my own."

Furious, Bonney turned to Kid and Killer, who were looking at them with amused expressions. Well, at least Kid was—Killer's face remained a mystery.

"Tell him he's gone insane," Bonney demanded.

"You've gone cuckoo," said Kid, the last word in sing-song.

"Helpful," muttered Law.

"Look, Trafalgar, I don't give a damn what happens to you but I'd expect this kinda batshit crazy talk from someone like Hawkins," said Kid. "You literally believe you had an entire conversation with Skye Spade on an SOS Mushi that you don't have, especially while Spade's a prisoner? How'd she have the time to talk? How'd she hide the Mushi while bein' tortured?"

Bonney pointed to Kid, flooded with surprise. "Amazingly enough, all that made sense!"

"Fuck off, pink bitch."

"I can't explain," said Law tersely. "I just know. And I recognize that I sound mad, but you all know that I am not the type to spout nonsense. If I am so convicted of this, does that not carry its own weight?"

Bonney looked at Kid uncertainly. The redhead shrugged.

"I don't care what you do," repeated Kid. "It's your own call. Yesterday you kept bitchin' 'bout how we were gonna lose days bein' this close to the Calm Belt without any winds. If you wanna sail by yourself, fine by me—you'll lose more than days if you're goin' nowhere. Our goal is just to save Skye Spade so we can pay her and Marco back." Killer nodded at this. "No offense, we don't give a shit what happens to you. Die, and we'll have one less enemy in the long run."

"Seriously?" said Bonney angrily. "That's your stance?"

Kid rolled his eyes. "What'd you want, a pep talk? It's fuckin' Trafalgar Law. You ain't gonna stop him from doin' what he wants." He pointed a long, painted nail in Law's direction. "See? Bastard's already gone."

Bonney whipped around, and sure enough, Law was nowhere to be found. The blue Room evaporated, and when Bonney peered over the edge of the deck, she saw the gray steel submarine submerge and disappear from sight.

"Son of a bitch," swore Bonney.

Aokiji had to admit that Blackbeard's imitation SMILE factory was impressive. Missing Caesar Clown, Blackbeard could not mass-produce the artificial Zoan Fruits, but the assembly lines that occupied the underground of Blackbeard's massive base were currently spitting out thousands of tiny lilac pills. They were all uniform with a silver shine, quite pretty as they deposited en masse in a large basin near the laboratory's exit.

"Gotta hand it to Mingo," guffawed Blackbeard as they overlooked the massive assembly beneath them, masked by purple fumes that rose lazily from a distiller. "Didn't think it'd be so easy to get the method outta Trafalgar, but he did."

"Careful," mused Aokiji. "You have no idea if these pills actually work."

"Nah, we tested on someone. They work."

"I see."

The ex-Admiral made his way around the railing overlooking the rest of the laboratory, where Blackbeard's lackeys scuttled around to ensure all systems were properly operating. Early this morning, Lafitte had informed Kuzan that the Yonkou was finally willing to reveal the laboratory and had provided him with coordinates to a nearby hidden base. Kuzan hid his relief to finally have some progress with what continued to be an exhausting plan.

With several weeks of nonstop production, the amount of Indigo Ring pills that had been collected was absurd. The pills did work; in the end, Doflamingo knew Law best, and he had proved that Law could not lie when Spade's life was on the line. Though somewhat disappointing, Kuzan could not help but consider how peculiar Spade's relationship with Law was, particularly in how swiftly it'd developed. Nonetheless, Kuzan was not in a position to question it, given the extent of its ramifications.

Aokiji had been careful to contain his concern for his pupil. Since handing her over to Doflamingo, the Pheasant had not laid eyes on her, though Doflamingo was always more than happy to update him with picturesque details. It made Aokiji sick and guilty; what kind of guardian was he to passively allow for her torture? It dredged up all of the unspoken accusations Marco had of him—Aokiji had raised Spade as a soldier, an orphan he'd picked up amidst refuse, only happy to discard once her use expired.

Kuzan knew it wasn't true, that his concern for Spade extended further than that. This plan was a decision that had both their consents. Spade was an adult, and should she have decided that she did not want to follow through, Kuzan would've been more than happy to abandon this plot. Spade wanted this—as much as anyone could want being the scapegoat. Aokiji ignored the part of his brain that insisted that Spade could not provide true consent to this plan, not with her history of continuously vying for his approval.

Stupid girl, thought Aokiji, though not before thinking, stupid me, why couldn't you have just raised her like a normal person and she wouldn't be as broken as she is.

Aokiji blinked his thoughts away. Spade wasn't broken. Or maybe she was, but really, what Marine or pirate wasn't? Only healthy, sane people could live in ignorance within the confines of the law.

Regardless, their plan had worked. Aokiji was in Blackbeard's factory now, and if everything was going accordingly, the Revolutionaries were close by. The Whitebeards were likely too far to be able to participate in this battle, which was disappointing. Marco would have provided tremendous fighting power against a Yonkou, especially when it seemed that Aokiji alone would have difficulty against Blackbeard.

For good measure, Aokiji surreptitiously reached for the SOS Mushi in his pocket and dialed, transmitting the coordinates to its other half immediately. As he did so, Blackbeard ambled over to him.

"Whaddya think?"

"It's impressive," said Aokiji. "That being said, how effective is it? Has anyone who's ingested two Fruits tried these?"

"Not yet," admitted Blackbeard. "Our doc ain't sure of the interactions with the Fruits. He thinks…somethin' 'bout cells, I don't remember. Either way, he said we should try it on someone fresh, make 'em a new Double User."

Aokiji's blood went cold, but he kept his voice casual. "Oh? Who?"

"Well, we got a good prisoner, dontcha think?" Blackbeard answered. She's a Logia user, which is rare. We got coupl'o spare Fruits, nothin' all that excitin', to make her try. If it kills her, we don't lose anything. If it works, we know then, and we can get rid of her after."

"…This is why you wanted to keep her alive."

"Yeah." Blackbeard didn't sound callous—he simply just didn't care. He spoke of Spade as if she were a fruit fly buzzing around his head, annoying but insignificant. "Thing is, I like her Kaze Kaze ability. Coupl'o me men want to absorb it. Might as well have her test out its limits before we take it from her."

"I see," said Kuzan sedately.

Blackbeard grinned at him. "I won't make ya do it."

"Beg your pardon?"

"Kill her off. Know it'd be weird. I won't make ya do it."

"I was the one who brought her here," said Aokiji dryly. "If you think sentiment remains, perhaps you're not seeing the picture clearly."

"Yeah, I know. Still, I never figured out how Spade got off that executioner's platform at Marineford. Mystery, eh?"

Aokiji did not like the implication. "She's always had a few tricks up her sleeve."

"Yeah, so I'll do it myself tonight. Don't wanna see any more of her tricks. You should come. It'll be fun."

"Fun," echoed Aokiji as the Yonkou left.

The ex-Admiral surveyed the scene below him, committing the layout to memory as he considered his options. He did not know if the Revolutionaries were close enough to be able to provide back-up by the time of Spade's proposed execution. Aokiji could destroy the factory beneath him easily and escape, but Spade would likely die in the aftermath. For all his great power, Kuzan was uncertain if he'd be able to fight Blackbeard head-on and emerge victorious. He preferred to have reinforcements, particularly if Blackbeard was surrounded by his crew.

Amidst the purplish smoke that filled the room, Aokiji noticed the barest flicker of an unnatural and familiar blue. He recognized it instantly.

Careful to remain casual, he ambled out of the atrium containing the Indigo Ring machinery and headed slowly to his quarters. The blue of Trafalgar Law's Room came and went instantaneously—Aokiji blinked as minimally as possible, questioning his vision if the Room even existed, only to be surrounded by a jerking motion and appear directly in his room without any further notice.

He looked down at the Surgeon of Death sitting comfortably in his chair, peering from beneath the shadows of a snow leopard cap. All of the surveillance Mushi that were hidden in the nooks and crannies of Aokiji's small room laid dismembered and useless on his desk.

Aokiji had many questions, but what struck him the most was that Law did not even have his nodachi unsheathed.

"You seem oddly relaxed, especially given the circumstances of our last meeting," remarked the former Admiral.

"Do not let appearances fool you," said Law. "I merely do not believe in useless pretenses. If you're not invested in Spade's safety, then you can turn me over promptly. My plan is contingent on your collaboration; if we are not on the same side, then you can go ahead and call Blackbeard now. I will not struggle."

Kuzan arched an eyebrow. "Oh? That seems most unlike you, to not have a back-up plan."

Law's lips curled. "Perhaps that's my plan all along."

Aokiji sighed. "Enough, playing games with you is exhausting. I am on Spade's side, and as someone whose intentions are constantly questioned, I'm certain you can empathize with my situation of never being believed. Have you been in touch with the Revolutionaries?"

Law's eyes flickered in understanding of Kuzan's peace offering—the blatant admission of his allegiance. "Not since yesterday, when I left the others."

"Who are the others?"

"My crew, as well as three Supernovas."

Aokiji frowned, thinking. They weren't Marco, but the Supernovas were no pushover. "Where are they now?"

"Sailing toward the Revolutionaries," Law let out a breath. "They were following Sabo's coordinates, but seeing as you've just arrived here, they will take some time to correct their initial misdirection."

"So you're here alone? How'd you find this place in the first place?"

Law grimaced. "To tell the truth, I'm not sure how to describe it as other than some kind of divine intervention. I had a…dream of sorts."

"You had a dream," repeated Aokiji slowly.

"The details don't matter," Law said irately. "I arrived last night alone because I didn't want to derail the others on the basis of a mere hunch. I've scouted out the premises and understand the general lay of this base, from the manufacturing plant to the storage of the raw Indigo Rings. The only thing I can't find is Spade herself."

"She's with Doflamingo. He doesn't keep her in the base."

"Then where is she?"

Aokiji kept his voice tempered. "He's on your sub. He realized that Spade does poorly when the vessel reaches beneath a certain depth. I haven't seen her since I handed her over."

Law stared at Aokiji, an undeniable heat flashing through his eyes only to disappear like a bolt of lightning. "I see. But he'll have to return with her tonight, if what Blackbeard said earlier is true."

"That seems to be the case." Aokiji sat down on his bed. "We have only a few hours before they return, I imagine. Not enough time to prepare."

"Prepare what?" Law said dryly. "I haven't even heard what your intentions are."

"I would've preferred to wait until the Revolutionaries arrived before we fought Blackbeard. But Spade has suffered enough. I do not intend to stand by idly as they test on her like a rat."

Law's eyes glittered in vindictive contempt. "Good. Then you're lucky to have me. I've had all day to prepare and have already contacted my crew. They're on their way. I have a plan to escape with Spade while wreaking the havoc on Blackbeard's crew as she intended."

As Aokiji listened to Law's plan, he was struck with a strange thought.

Law would've made an excellent Admiral.

Law had plenty of experience sneaking around enemy bases after his extended stay at Punk Hazard, though he did not enjoy it. There was something unseemly about scurrying in the shadows like some beaten animal slinking with its tail between its legs. As evidenced by the Dressrosa incident, when Law declared war, he typically preferred his enemies to know.

Unfortunately, he did not have that option now. He waited patiently in the atrium containing the Indigo Ring machinery while Blackbeard and several of his lackeys entered, raucous and drunk after their evening meal. Aokiji strode in several minutes later, followed shortly after by a familiar extravagant coat of pink feathers whose mere color made Law's stomach turn. Doflamingo looked well, much to Law's dismay. He didn't expect otherwise though—despite being smashed by the Polar Tang, Doflamingo had incredible regenerative abilities.

"I thought I told you I wanted her alive, Mingo," said Blackbeard, voice echoing roughly in the room.

"She is," came Doflamingo's silky reply.

"Doesn't look like it," Lafitte said dubiously.

"She is, she is," said Doflamingo soothingly. "I checked, she still has a pulse and is still breathing."

"When's the last time she was conscious?" Aokiji's voice was smooth as ice, giving nothing away.

"Earlier today. Don't worry. I've been taking very good care of her."

Something dropped to the ground with a metallic thud, and Doflamingo moved out of the way to give Law vision of a crumpled heap on the floor. It took longer than it should have for him to parse out the details; Spade's long hair was matted in dried blood and appeared cut jaggedly. She was covered in both fresh and scabbed blood, her clothes so shredded that she was practically naked. She looked thin and unbearably fragile.

Law bit his lip, furious and struggling to keep his Haki under control as Doflamingo used his ability to mobilize Spade's limp body into a sitting position. Spade's eyes opened barely with the movement.

"See?" said Doflamingo gleefully. "She's still alive."

"What," she breathed, "for, you fuckers?"

"Well, she's not completely lost it yet," laughed Blackbeard. "That's somethin', at least. Guess she couldn't be useless if she brought down Burgess."

Spade's eyes flickered barely. "That what…you're so angry about? You took Ace. Least I could do…was take one of yours."

"Ya hold grudges for a fuckin' long time then," said Blackbeard, his cavalier tone finally taking on an edge.

Spade's gaze lingered on him, but she seemed too tired to mount more verbal loathing. She turned to Aokiji, who stared down at her impassively.

"Kuzan," she said quietly.

"Oh please," Doflamingo said before Aokiji could even respond. "There's no need to spend time on these theatrics; what did you all want her back for?"

"Some preliminary testing," said Van Auger. "I have the spare Devil's Fruit and the Indigo Ring pill, Commander. Which should we administer first?"

"Wait, what is this?" said Doflamingo, offended. "You're force-feeding her another Devil's Fruit? She'll die."

"She'll die from it or I'll kill her later," said Blackbeard. "Either way, she'll die tonight."

Doflamingo was displeased. "That was not my intention."

"Not your intention?" snickered Lafitte. "You've driven her a centimeter from the grave and you're afraid to push her over it?"

"I have been careful in my cultivation," he retorted. "If she dies before…"

"Before what? Surely you've had ample time to extract all the necessary information from her."

"It's nothing," Doflamingo said resignedly. "I merely wanted Law to see her one more time before she died."

"Why would you want that?" Van Auger said, bewildered.

"No reason," Doflamingo sighed. "A corpse will do its job, I suppose."

"I'm tired," said Spade softly. "Aokiji."

"What do you expect him to do?" sneered Blackbeard. "He brought ya to us. The Whitebeards have no idea where you are, and from our sources, none of 'em have made a move to find ya. You're alone, Skye Spade, and you're gonna die alone tonight."

Spade only had eyes for her old mentor. "Aokiji, please."

Law was a master of self-restraint, but the character of Spade's voice made something primal in him roar with a fury to lash out. Broken and pleading, the sound of Spade beginning that was reserved for his ears alone and in a very different context—as despairing as the situation was, Law did not miss the effect it had on him, reaffirming that he was, at his core, disturbing.

Law saw Aokiji's profile stiffen and he gritted his teeth. The former Admiral had to resist—the timer he'd set on the distillation device to explode just entered its last minute. Once the explosive went off, Law would destroy the rest of the manufacturing chain and in the chaos, escape with Spade while Aokiji fended off the Blackbeards. Earlier the night before, Law had Summoned all of Blackbeard's Interception Mushi and managed to make a call to his crew. He couldn't be certain where the Revolutionaries were, but the other Supernovas and Heart Pirates were already positioned on standby. Once Law and Spade could escape to a vessel, they would be able to lure their attackers out to sea, where the rest of them could ambush from behind. On the ocean itself, they would also have the advantage of terrain, though Law doubted Spade would be able to contribute much combatively.

Quietly, Law unsheathed Kikoku as Doflamingo forced Spade to open her mouth and ingest the tiny lilac pill.

"There we go," purred Doflamingo. "Swallowing shouldn't be a problem for you; we've had much practice with this exercise, after all."

Law wanted to kill Doflamingo so fucking badly.

"Now the Fruit," said Van Auger. "This is the Karasu Karasu no Mi. If it's successful, she'll be able to turn into a crow."

"Useless, since she's already able to fly," remarked Lafitte.

"Don't matter," said Blackbeard. "You ready to absorb the Kaze Kaze no Mi, Lafitte?"

"With pleasure," he grinned. "I've been waiting a long time for a Logia power. I believe this will suit me just fine."

"Wish we'd gotten that Mera Mera no Mi," his commander bemoaned. "Really do work well together."

Spade reached for the pieces of the spiral shaped fruit in front of her, her limbs clearly out of her control. She seemed to be resisting some, for the movement was slow, and Law was thankful that without even knowing, Spade bided time when he needed it the most.

Ten more seconds on the timer.

"Kuzan," Spade whispered. "It's enough."

"I know," he said simply.

Five seconds.

She brought the fruit up to her lips, hand shaking and eyes deadened. "You promised me."

"…I know." Aokiji's features softened. "You did well, Skye. You can rest now."

Law created a Room just as the timer hit zero. The large glass distillery flasks exploded, showering the hall in sharp flecks that Law hoped avoided each and every one of the Blackbeards, because he intended to cut each and every one of them into pieces and sprinkle their beating hearts into the sea.

free talk:

sorry for the delay! hope you all have had a happy holiday thus far. thanks for reading, and please leave your thoughts!

xoxo,

m.n