AN: I almost don't want to update because I don't want this to end! But it must so onto the second last chapter. Enjoy.
Law is soaked in blood by the time Shachi and himself make it to level four. No one was spared, Law killed the marines, scientists, nurses and well pretty much anyone unfortunate enough to stumble across him. The marines had hardly slowed him down with their pitiful attempts at stopping him. Law thinks he's probably injured but he can't feel it. He's running on adrenaline. And rage. Shachi has been eerily silent, only speaking when offering up directions or a warning. Law knows he shouldn't feel offended, this was his fault. Shachi wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him but Law doesn't know what to say to make this better. So he settles for killing every person they come across and making sure Shachi isn't touched.
There's a large room full of tables which Law thinks is some kind of dining hall. It's deathly silent and he gestures for Shachi to take a seat. Law collapses down next to his crew member, or perhaps it's former crew member now. Law doesn't know if Shachi or the others will want to travel with him after this. Law knows he needs to continue on before the adrenaline rush wears off but he's already beginning to feel the fatigue set in. Law checks himself over for injuries and finds an alarming amount of bruises. There's also a graze from a bullet wound on his arm and a bleeding cut on his thigh. Law can't remember a single one.
"Here." Shachi rips a section of his slip and wraps it around Law's bleeding thigh.
"Thank you Shachi-ya." Law murmurs gratefully. He could have easily done it himself but Law knows Shachi was a competent doctor.
"You've changed Law." Shachi looks up at him with interest.
"I just slaughtered everyone I came across." Law dead pans.
"Yes, to rescue us. You rarely ever let anyone touch you let alone provide medical help and you never thanked someone for it." Shachi raises a brow.
"I lost everything the day Doflamingo ordered the marines to kill you all. I just never realised how much you all meant to me until you were gone." Law speaks quietly, afraid his mental health will finally break.
"Doflamingo ordered that? I hope you've ended that bastard. If not, we'll work on it." Shachi gives him a small smile and Law feels his earlier dread lift.
"You still want to travel with me?" Law asks hesitantly. He can still remember clearly the first day he met and recruited Shachi. He'd travelled to an island in South Blue with Bepo and the group of mechanics and mecenarines he'd hired. In the end they stayed on as his crew but Law never had a closeness to them like he did with Bepo, Shachi, Penguin and Jean. But the day he met Shachi was the day his heart grew, the day he'd accepted another person into his life. Not that Law ever really told Shachi
"Of course Captain."
"Doflamingo was taken care of. I formed an alliance with the Mugiwara Pirates. There's a possibility Doflamingo will still be an issue but I'll address that if or when it happens. Both the Kid Pirates and Mugiwara Pirates joined me to rescue you." Law leans backwards to rest his back on the table.
"Damn, I never expected you to play nice." Shachi laughs.
"I think Kid would disagree about the nice part. Luffy-" Law is cut off by a shouts in the corridor outside the hall. He picks up Luffy's voice before things fall silent again. Law raises his brow before Luffy bursts through the door.
"LAW!" Luffy shouts challengingly.
"Straw Hat-ya, inside voice." Law scowls. He can see Luffy is pissed off at him, sure he killed a lot of people but he did warn Luffy it was going to happen.
"You didn't have to kill all of them, some of them were innocent!" Luffy is storming towards him, fists clenched tightly. Law stands up.
"Innocent?" Law snarls out. "I found Shachi chained to a table with a liquidised form of Kairoseki pumping through his veins. They starved him, they experimented on him and I don't know what they've done to Penguin or Bepo. Did you not see those captives chained up in the rooms? Do you call that innocent? They all deserved to die!"
"What you did is carnage." Luffy is front of him now, glaring up at him.
"I told you this would happened, I warned you. If you can't handle it, leave." Law glares straight back. "You didn't have problem with me killing Breed so why is this different? Because it didn't happen to us? My crew have been here for over two years. What would you do if this was your crew?"
"There's just...so many bodies." Luffy unclenches his fist and drops his gaze. "I'm sorry Traffy."
"It's fine. I went too far." Law wraps an arm around Luffy and brings the shorter male close. Luffy returns the one armed hug with both of his. Law has a feeling the blood covering him will come off onto Luffy but he can't bring himself to move away. The sound of a throat clearing breaks them apart.
"Well, Captain it's safe to say you're whipped." Shachi says with a sly grin.
"Shachi as I'm sure you know this is Monkey D. Luffy, Luffy I doubt you remember as you weren't really in a good state of mind when you met- this is Shachi." Law steps away from Luffy trying to regain some kind of dignity.
"Mm...I don't remember you at all!" Luffy announces after peering at Shachi for a while. "Nice to meet you."
"Ah...yeah you too." Shachi looks at Law.
"You get used to his behaviour." Law then frowns. "No, actually you don't."
"Let's go get Bepo and Penguin." Shachi hops up off the seat and leads them to the door on the opposite side of the room.
Law let's Luffy slip past Shachi and to his side. He doesn't want to risk the chance of Shachi getting hurt, it's far more likely someone will be in front of them rather than sneaking up behind. Luffy didn't need his protection so Law isn't concerned for the boy strutting boldly ahead.
"Wrong way." Shachi calls lightly and points to the rocky corridor going left.
"Ah. Strange." Luffy frowns at the corridor going right.
"It really isn't." Law mutters and steers the confused captain down the correct path. Shachi sniggeres behind them.
They walk in relative silence except Luffy occasionally pointing useless things out. Law hummed in response but other than that remained quiet. Luffy is talking about catching fire flies and other equally irrelevant things when they reach the cells. Each one built into the rock up with thick bars at the front.
Luffy snatches the keys from Law's pocket and starts freeing prisoners. Law considers stopping Luffy in case they're releasing dangerous men but thinks better of it. What does he care? The more prisoners roaming around meant a better distraction.
Shachi has over taken him and stops at a cell further up. "Captain, they're here."
"Captain? What are you saying Shachi? Law's dead." Penguin's voice floats out of the cell. Law cringes slightly at the broken tone in Penguin's voice. He doesn't hear Bepo respond at all.
"Luffy-ya, keys. Now." Law demands, his eyes glinting in the dim corridor. Law snatches the keys out of the air and Luffy watches him carefully.
"Law?" Penguin asks in hope, Shachi smiles softly. "Bepo, hey come on Bepo get up our Captain has returned."
Law reaches Shachi at the cell door. Penguin is gripping the bars and staring up. Law can't tell whether Penguin has been expiremented on as well. The dark haired man is equally as underweight as Shachi and it makes his blood boil all over again. But when he sees Bepo curled into a ball right against the rocky wall Law wants to tear this island apart.
Bepo has no clothing on and the fur is matted and brown. If Law didn't know Bepo was a polar bear already then he'd never believe Bepo was the colour of fresh snow. It's obvious Bepo is under fed as well. Law barely registers the snarl that comes from his throat or Luffy's hand on his shoulder.
"Penguin-ya let's get you out of this cage." Law gulps down his rage so he can steady his hands and unlock the cell. Penguin isn't as dubious as what Shachi was and hugs him as soon as the door slides open. Law can tell Penguin is surprised when he returns the hug. "Go with Shachi to the dining hall. Luffy-ya go with them and protect them."
"I won't let anyone touch them." Luffy bows his head.
"Stay safe Captain, we'll see you soon." Shachi and Penguin look at him, reluctant to leave he thinks. But Law isn't sure if it's because they don't want to be separated from him or whether they don't want to leave him with Bepo.
Once the trio have left Law enters the cage. Bepo has yet to turn or make a sound and if it wasn't for the rise and fall of his chest Law would think Bepo was dead. He leans against the wall near Bepo's head and glances down at the quiet bear. Up close he can see the dried blood matting the once white fur.
"Bepo-ya I am sorry for everything, for letting this happen to you, for leaving you and betraying you. I don't have the right to ask for forgiveness and I won't but I need you to get up, we're leaving. I won't ask you to stay with me but I need you to get up and leave with me now. Please Bepo-ya."
The silence drags on and Law refrains from speaking again. He knows he can't stay here long but he won't leave Bepo behind. Not again. This was his second chance and he wouldn't waste it. Wouldn't let Bepo down again. "Sorry Captain." Bepo's voice is rough and sounds as if he hasn't spoken for months.
"Do not apologise. None of this is your fault." Law reaches a tanned hand out and places it on Bepo's filthy head.
"We thought you were dead." Bepo struggles to sit up but Law helps him up.
"Likewise Bepo-ya. I only recently found out you were being kept here." Law sags slightly under the weight of Bepo leaning on him but he knows the bear weighs no where near what he should.
"But you came for us Law...Captain, sorry."
"You are my nakama. Nothing would stand in my way to help you." Law then knows Luffy has rubbed off on him way too much.
"Captain..." Bepo sobs before gaining control of his emotions.
Law stands up and helps Bepo up. He's appalled at just how much weight Bepo has lost but he's pretty sure most of the marines were already taken care of so it would make it harder to kill anymore in rage. Though he could burn the island to the ground.
The two reunited pirates head to the dining hall to meet up with the others. Law has wrapped his arm around Bepo to help support the bear. He has a feeling it's been a long time since Bepo has walked up right.
"I think I'm in a relationship with Monkey D. Luffy." Law says conversationally, mostly to try and lighten the mood so he doesn't punch a hole through the rock and end up breaking his fist. He also feels Bepo will get some amusement out of it. The disbelieving rumbling laugher coming from Bepo proves his point.
"You think you're in a relationship with one of your biggest rivals?" Bepo guffaws.
"Did I not speak clearly enough?" Law mutters.
"How did that even happen Captain?"
"We were captured for six weeks and spent that time locked in a cage together. And then I thought an alliance would be a good idea but Luffy doesn't know how an alliance even works. His crew is insane. He's insane...I'm insane."
"Have you had any head injuries lately?" Bepo asks with genuine concern.
"I was knocked out when I was captured, it might have caused on going issues."
"No that's not it. You're not as cold and hard as you'd like yourself and everyone to think. I think Captain is in love." Bepo gives him a sharp toothed grin.
"If you didn't look like a bear pelt tossed into the mud I'd knock that grin off you." Law replies almost playfully. Truthfully he's annoyed but not so much at Bepo for the statement but rather at the whole situation.
"I should have eaten you when you were ten." Bepo mutters.
Law laughs lowly and readjusted the grip around Bepo. They're almost at the door into the hall when Law feels something is wrong. It's too quiet and whenever Luffy was around it was never quiet. He's not sure what he's going to find behind the door. Luffy might easily fall into an ambush because the captain's an idiot but even so, Luffy wouldn't be subdued easily. But Shachi and Penguin in their current state were weak and vulnerable. Law releases his grip on Bepo so he can unsheathe Kikoku.
"Stay behind me." Law doesn't want to risk leaving Bepo alone out in the corridor but if there's an ambush inside the hall it could be just as dangerous.
Law pushes the door open slowly and his fears are conformed. Shachi and Penguin are being held between four marines and another two marines are holding knives to their throats. Luffy is backed into a corner, not being held but not moving either in case the marines kill Shachi and Penguin. Law feels a sense of desperation. Again, he'd been so close but one wrong move and he'd lose his crew all over again.
"Stand down Trafalgar Law and we won't kill your crew." The marine in charge threatens.
Kikoku is lowered to his side rather than holding it out challengingly. Bepo let's out a squeak of fear and worry. Luffy is looking over at him apologetically. Law wants to kill them all, there were fourteen marines. An easy task but not when one threatening move would result in him losing two of his nakama.
The only thing he could really do is surrender and he makes no move as three of the marines head towards Bepo and himself. They're getting closer and Law can feel the panic gripping at him. He can't go back into another cage, the marines will probably execute him in the end. And what would happen to his crew, to Luffy and the Mugiwara Pirates?
If Law let's the marines win now then all would be lost. He throws out his hand and creates a Room. Law visualises the upper levels, pushing his Room up and up. Past level three, level two, level one and finally up to the boat shed. It's ripping at his energy and Law can feel the Room staining to stay up.
Law feels for the bubbly and strong energy of Luffy in the corner of the room. Once he's focused on Luffy's energy he feels for Shachi and Penguin's calmer energy and Bepo's light and friendly energy. He shuts out all the other flaring energies coming from the marines. Law pulls up the image of the boat shed and concentrates only on that. He's already linked the four energies of his nakama to his own and with the Fruit power sucking all his strengh, Law teleports them all to the shed.
His vision is fading and with the last of his power Law collapses the corridors in on themselves. Bepo has already grabbed him before he collapsed. Shachi and Penguin are rushing to his side and Luffy is calling his name with concern. Law let's it all fade away and the darkness takes him.