Hopping and landing on the railing Law whirled around to deliver a swift kick into the pursuing marine's face, knocking loose a few teeth. The marine's head snapped back, losing his hat but appeared otherwise visibly unaffected. Spitting the white pearls from his mouth, he turned and struck with a meaty fist that sent Law rolling across the slippery deck. It took him three rolls to recover his footing and stop his slide. Three rolls too long as the blonde soldier stalked after him to continue their battle for supremacy. Deflecting a blow with his nodachi, Law ducked only to be caught off guard as a knee slammed into his stomach. For such a burly and proud man, the officer wasn't above using dirty tactics to take care of a foe. Thrusting his knee high into the air and sending the pirate sky high, the blonde reared his fist back in preparation for his fall and let out a war cry.
As he shouted, he failed to notice a flicker overhead before another blue sphere exploded to cover his surroundings. Unlike the other rooms Law had summoned before, the sphere was smaller and yet wide enough to prevent the marine's escape as he slammed down with his nodachi. Silence that lasted no longer than it took to blink engulphed the deck as the two met each others gaze. The marine trembled as he took in the pirate's bloodied hands still gripping the hilt of his weapon as he slowly rose to his feet.
"What?" he croaked before his uniformed body split into two even halves.
Law's expression was uncaring as he looked over the marine's form, taking in his twitching hands as he tried and failed to move his body and piece himself back together. His equilibrium seemed impeded however as he only succeeded in dragging his two halves in opposite directions. There's snot and tears trailing down his face and a slight morbid fascination claws its way up Law's chest. He knows that the man isn't feeling any real pain but he also knows better than anyone else that fear can do strange things to the mind.
Bending and pulling a blade from the soldier's belt, he swiftly stabs the weapon into a wrist, effectively pinning one half to the deck. "Stay put," he chides before turning and making his way to the cannons.
He counts five more round shots already loaded in the first cannon and three more resting on the ground near the ship's main cabin. 'It will have to be enough,' he thinks as he looks over at the Polar Tang and confirms that his men are holding steady. There are still waves of marines pouring over rope lines that have yet to be cut but they appear to be struggling against his crew just to gain any ground. His thoughts fall on their makeshift bridges, trying to deduce a way to deal with them from afar. Planning to utilize the cannons to his advantage and sink the enemy ships, he considers the trajectory each round shot will have to take just to destroy the opposing ship's hulls, decks and connecting rope lines.
To his right the main cabin's door slams open and his raven-haired crewmember reappears, briefly saluting him before rushing to his side. It's obvious by the blood on his boiler suit that he has finished with his stealth operation below deck. Iconic goggles with red-tinted lenses cover his eyes, shielding him from the sparse sunlight overhead as he peers around at the carnage on deck. "Man, no remorse," he teases. "You'd think you were angry or something, Cap."
"Or something," Law agrees, briefly smirking. "Has everything below deck been taken care of?"
The raven nods. "Not a soul left behind," leaning over the railing and checking on the situation ahead, he continues. "What are we going to do about the other ships?"
Law taps the cannon at his side and a hollow sound rings out. "Shoot 'em down. We need to take care of the ropes still connected to the Polar Tang though, can you handle it?"
"Can I handle it," the raven sarcastically repeats before he is standing on the railing and hollering for Uni's attention.
Upon hearing his name, the fishman turned and revealed the spines on his face twitching in time with each heavy breath that escaped a circular mouth. Without verbally responding Uni wrapped an arm around the railing to anchor himself and held out his hand to catch the raven as he jumped to cross over. His body hit the side of the submarine before being pulled up to safety. Uni, spotting someone charging them threw his crewmate to the floor and lashed out with incredible speed to hit them with the end of his staff. With a crack their head whipped back and their feet swung up as they fell onto their back unconscious. 'Sore muscles be damned,' Uni thinks as he rolls a shoulder.
"Nice one," the raven compliments as he thumbs the goggles off his eyes and onto his head. "Oh! Heads up!"
The spines on Uni's right cheek vibrate before his crewmate can finish warning him and he turns just as a figure appears, leaping at him with their weapon drawn. Before they reach him, there is a heavy thud that sends the officer off course and they barrel into the deck with a dagger sticking out of their shoulder. Recognizing the hilt of the blade, Uni's eyes widen a fraction but he finds himself unable to address the person responsible when his raven crewmate is suddenly swallowed up by a crowd and thrown to the ground. Shouting his name, Uni moves to his rescue only for a uniformed woman to step into his path. Similar to her Captain she wears medals and an identifying sash.
"Pirate," she greets him with a small flourish of her rapier. Behind her body Uni can see his friend struggling with nearly five others but his attention is focused on his own opponent who is quick to traverse the distance between them with a little hop, so light on her feet that she appears to float.
Blocking her hits and forced to backpedal, Uni sees an opportunity and thrusts at her center only to miss. His spines move then as if they were tasting the air and he senses Nyiji directly behind him. "What are you doing?" he shouts, calling to her over his shoulder as he blocks the rapier. From his peripheral he sees the man Nyiji had hit with the dagger beginning to stand. "You missed!"
"I know that!" Nyiji yells back, watching the fishman as his back inches ever closer.
From her position she cannot see the marine he is dueling but she takes notice of how his body declines after every hit taken, how his shoulders sag and his movement speed decreases until a heel slams into his stomach and he is thrown off balance and sent tumbling back into her. She clutches the fabric of his boiler suit and helps him onto his feet, her heart pounding beneath her breast as they slam into the railing at her back. A rapier lashes out over his shoulder, just barely blocked in time with a parry from his staff and misses her face by inches.
"On purpose!?" Uni accuses her, still arguing over her failed throw.
Nyiji's cheeks burn with humiliation and she shrieks: "No! Not on purpose!"
"Enough talk!" the curly haired woman yells, interrupting their argument with an acidic stare. She evaluates them both and snarls. She had never met anyone so disrespectful before.
Catching Uni's staff with the tip of her blade and forcing his arms to rise up over his head, she slithers forward and catches him by the throat before he can respond. Squeezing his neck, she forces him to bend with all of the strength she can muster and pins Nyiji beneath him on the railing. Forced to tighten her grip on his boiler suit and nearly strangling Uni in the process, Nyiji casts a quick look over her shoulder to spy the watery depths below. The waves are churning between all of the ships, growing rockier with every passing minute. Above she can see the evening sky darkening as a storm began to form.
"Disgusting," the marine spits as she stares into Uni's eyes, her fingers digging into his tough skin. While she does not draw blood, she can see the shape of her nails already leaving impressions. "Fishmen should know their place!"
Struck with a sense of familiarity upon hearing the woman's voice, Nyiji frowned before pushing herself into action. Knowing that Uni needed assistance, she released him to paw at his shoulders, struggling to reach around his wide frame to grab at the stranger's wrist. When she felt the woman's skin and a heartbeat beneath her thumb, pulsing with life, she acted. Digging her nails in Nyiji violently began to tear and claw until her hands were slick and the marine was forced to pull away with a pained curse. Grateful for the air drawn back into his lungs with a choking inhale, Uni stepped forward and slammed his elbow into the woman's nose, hearing a crunch in response.
Spotting the man she had assaulted moments ago swiftly draw the dagger from his shoulder as he stalked forward to join his superior, Nyiji shouts in warning: "Watch out!"
"I see 'em!" Uni growls as he spins his staff in a quick circle to block both opponents as they attempted to hammer him from two sides. Recognizing that protecting Nyiji was beginning to put himself at a disadvantage, he barks an order: "Get back inside the sub!"
Nyiji looks to the Polar Tang's front hatch before glancing back at the fishman. A heavy pit settles in her stomach. Before she can act upon his wishes, Uni suddenly slams into her again as he jerks to avoid the rapier that nearly slips through his guard. The railing digs into her spine as his weight presses into her, promising that she will walk away with bruises later.
"Ya alright?" she hears Uni grumble, his voice deep and strained as he resists the weapons bearing down on him.
A strange sense of relief hits her as she registers his words as an act of concern. At any point, Uni could have left her to fend for herself and prioritized his own health. All he had to do was disobey his Captain's orders, lie about what had happened and she would be nothing more than an afterthought. He had no true reason to care about her well-being and yet he had asked. He had asked her in the middle of battle. Her chest tightens and her feelings shift as her gaze drops to the tips of her fingers, desperately searching for her Devil Fruit to assist them. If she could only summon a shield or a barrier. 'I won't be a burden,' she thinks as she squeezes her hands into fists.
Hot breath fans across her face and Nyiji startles as the injured marine makes a sudden grab for her. Shrinking into Uni's form for safety, she cringes as panic bubbles up to overtake her courage. There is nowhere to go to avoid the hand coming for her and when it finally closes in on her, she nearly screams.
"Get your own—fucking—prisoner!" Uni heaves as he pushes the woman off of his front and slams his forehead into the other man's skull. With the temporary reprieve, he yells at Nyiji once more: "You're fucking useless, brat. Go back inside!"
A rapier cuts over his shoulder, targeting Nyiji's head and Uni moves to block it. There is sweat beading along his hairline, collecting in the bouncy spherical hair on the top of his head and spraying everywhere with each of his extreme movements. He is exhausted and his enemies know it; they have found his weakness. When he blocks the curly-haired woman's next attack, he is surprised when a familiar dagger is stabbed into his shoulder, leaving steel to scrape against bone. Struggling to push the two marines back until he was no longer arched backwards, he tries to ignore the searing pain that runs through his arm and collarbone. He can still feel Nyiji's legs trapped behind him and her hands gripping his clothes in terror. In their current position he cannot afford to lash out at either marine nor can he continue to defend himself from them simultaneously. His enemies are back before he can act, both covered in blood and resembling something akin to an attack dog. When the man reaches for Nyiji again there is nothing that Uni can do as a rapier and a bloodied hand demands his full attention.
Grabbing a handful of Nyiji's black hair, he roughly jerks her upper half over Uni's shoulder, further hindering the fishman's capabilities. Letting out a cry of terror, Nyiji's hands lash out to grab anything as support. She fumbles blindly and grips the marine's face, his chest, his wrist and his waist before she finally notices what her hand has landed on. Fingers brushing over a wooden inlay plated inside of a metal frame, a spark of hope surges up inside of her chest. Without a second to debate her next move her hand wraps around the handle and rips the gun free of its holster. No one even realizes what she has done before a shot rings out. The marine, a once sweet-faced brunette falls onto the deck stiff as a board with a pretty hole in the center of his chest. Recovering her balance, Nyiji grips Uni's shoulder and moves on autopilot, her arm extended as she shoves the barrel into the face of her next victim. Slamming back the hammer and ready to squeeze the trigger, she takes in the curly hair, painted lips and fear as the Lieutenant decorated in her sash recoils. Determined not to let her escape, Nyiji fires the gun and sends her to rejoin her comrade.
A quiet shock descends as Uni moves and relieves the weight pinning her against the banister. Silver irises flicker towards his scowling face and take in the hand he is pressing against his ear. The unexpected gunfire must have perforated his eardrum. He doesn't look back at her and she notices that he is transfixed on his crewmates, visually confirming each man's safety. Flooded with relief, the spines on his face twitch before he grabs her extended wrist without looking and forces her to lower the gun down to her side.
"I-I'm sorry, your e-ear," she stutters and winces.
He doesn't respond and she worries that she might have deafened him until the spines on his face twitch abruptly, moving like fingers as they wag and pinch the air. When he finally looks at her, the spines have stilled and there is a strange expression behind his otherwise blank eyes. She wonders if they have somehow notified him that she had spoken or even translated the sound waves into speech in place of his disrupted hearing. Uni spares her a brief nod before thrusting a finger towards the front hatch in a silent command for her to return to its inner halls.
"I—no, I can't," she says while shaking her head, trying to exaggerate her words with hand gestures.
The spines begin moving again as she talks and she can't help but stare. 'How do they work?' the question probably wouldn't go over well with the pirate so she tables the thought.
A great boom sounds behind them, forcing everyone to instinctively drop into a protective crouch. Almost comically, Nyiji jerks the fishman onto the floor with her and presses her hand into the giant afro to keep him from getting back up. He struggles underneath her, smacking her thighs and arms but she refuses to budge. "Cannons," she answers though she suspects he can't hear her.
"Fucking let go!" Uni barks though his voice is muffled from the position, face pressed into the splintered deck. "What are you doing?!"
A few of his spines stab at her skin, easily drawing blood. They are sharper than she expected. Releasing his head in favor of his shoulders, she tries to explain through hand gestures the whistling overhead. Round shots arch through the air, one after the other and fly safely past the submarine. Her attempts to mime the event to him are interrupted.
Slapping her hands away from himself, Uni glares and pushes himself into a proper crouch. "I know what's going on, dumbass! It's the Captain!"
Eyes resembling a spooked owl Nyiji twisted around to look for herself, already seeking out the last location that she had seen Trafalgar. He is not readily visible across the distance so she unclasps the spyglass from her waist and extends the sight. Her lens scopes across the numerous bodies scattered across the deck first, believing him to be among their numbers. After all, he had been struggling to stand before boarding the warship. A second boom sounds and draws the spyglass towards a dark figure, practically collapsed on the floor with his back slumped against the railing. She can make out his jerky movements as he occasionally leans into the cannon, attempting to force it into a new position before lighting the wick again.
"He's not standing," she whispers. Adjusting the lens for a better zoom, she takes in Trafalgar's legs sprawled out before him. At his side numerous projectile rounds were stacked to make his job easier. With her spyglass trained on the surgeon, she watches as he loads the cannon before firing another shot and follows its path as the heavy ball careens into the ship at the Polar Tang's stern. "He's going to sink them… T-that's… brilliant."
She speaks without thinking and doesn't notice when Uni's gaze briefly flits over her form, his spines dancing and failing to gather the sound coming out of her mouth. His brows furrow. His right ear is completely impaired and his left is fairing poorly, making every noise sound distant and waterlogged. If it wasn't for the spines, he would have never known she had spoken. Sensing someone approaching their position, he rotates on his heel and comes face to face with a flushed Clione. The swordsman looks to be in better shape than the rest of their crew. With his pupils blown wide and an idiotic grin, he nods in greeting.
"Can you cover me?" Clione asks as he slides into the space between them and kneels.
Pulling away from her spyglass, Nyiji answers for the deafened fishman: "He can't hear you, b-but I can try. What do you need?"
Noticing the gun in her other hand, Clione nods. Clapping his hands together, he leans close to his friend's face and speaks in a slow lisp: "Watch door. I'm carrying—carry, nod with me, idiot—carrying something out."
Uni's glower darkens before he smacks his friend across the head. "I'm not stupid! I get the point."
"Then you should have nodded," Clione teases before he is scrambling to get away from his friend's vicious swats. He takes a few hits on the rear before he is safe inside the Polar Tang.
A cannon sounds again and a shot sails by in the background with a loud whistle. The targeted warship takes the volley in the center of their hull, sending debris high into the sky. Beside her, Uni points to the aft-most part of the submarine and asks her to confirm that the rope connecting them to the sinking ship is separated. Using her spyglass, even though she didn't need to, Nyiji confirms that a few Heart pirates have succeeded in severing the link. A blur of black and blue cuts across the lens then, making its way to the second line.
"It's alright," she repeats, nodding firmly for the fishman to see.
Reaching out, Uni grasps her wrist and extends her weapon before he slots his finger against hers and pulls the trigger. "Then watch the fucking door," his words are rough but she senses his blank stare is focused on her face, trusting her to understand the sentiments behind it.
A body falls behind them, adding to the significantly decreased volume of marines. Parking herself by the door, Nyiji looks over those remaining, struggling with greater numbers against singular opponents. It is obvious that the Navy soldiers had never expected to have such a challenge. Uni keeps close to her side and she hears a few muttered complaints as he is forced to watch his crewmates battle without him. After a few minutes Clione returns, carefully dragging a familiar and heavy box across the deck.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Uni complains with realization.
In bold letters the word danger stares at them as Clione continues to drag the crate without pause. He looks unabashedly proud with himself. When he gets onto the deck he finally stops and points at Nyiji to ask: "I need to steal you for a moment, how many shots do you have?"
Checking her available rounds, Nyiji answers: "Two."
"Better make them count then," jerking his head he commands her to his side and directs her to cover him. "See the goggled idiot over there? That's where I'm going!"
Spying the raven as a black and blue blur amongst a crowd of white, Nyiji nods and steels herself. She hears Uni calling at her back, yelling at them for disobeying orders but he doesn't make any move to chase after them. Keeping close to Clione's side the two go unnoticed until they reach their destination where he stops to withdraw a sword from his hip. Tossing the blade with a quick flip, he offers it to her by the hilt.
"In case you run out of shots. Yo, 'Sana! I'm goin' across!"
Nyiji hears the raven let out a cackling laugh before she turns on Clione to ask: "W-wait, you're going across without a weapon!?"
Digging his fingers into the top of the box, he peels the wood away to reveal numerous sticks of dynamite. Her heart nearly stops as she realizes she had been sitting on that crate only an hour ago. To make matters worse, Clione begins to stuff the sticks into his boiler suit. "I never said I was going weaponless!" He grins at her.
'They're all suicidal,' she realizes with wide eyes. 'He's turning himself into a human bomb!'
Before she can attempt to stop the fool, Clione jumps to his feet and hops a few times before taking off at a run across the rope. He is quick and agile but she is too surprised by the fact he hadn't prematurely blown himself up to watch the grace he exudes as he charges headlong into battle. Men line up to stop his advance and she realizes her task as one bends to cut the rope. He is shot dead before his blade can touch the woven strands and the result sends the group scrambling for cover, subsequently clearing Clione's path. With a single bullet left in the chamber, she isn't sure how much more she can do for him as he vanishes from sight.
Surrounded by the remnants of battle Nyiji tries to keep herself calm by softly counting and trying to ignore the bodies being thrown overboard near her. "Heads up!" the raven shouts in warning before another marine is sent flying. His rough hands nearly grab her hair in passing before he is swallowed up by the stormy waves between the two vessels.
There are only three marines left aboard the Polar Tang and Nyiji cannot believe that the pirates have managed to come out victorious against three warships and dozens of enemies. A cannon blast interrupts, spoiling the moment as the shock waves reverberate throughout the submarine and send her to her knees. The gun in her hand slides across the deck, far out of reach and the sword slips, cutting into her thigh accidentally. The wound is shallow and she barely pays it any attention as she crawls forward in search of the lost pistol. To the port side, where Clione had vanished, the warship unleashes another barrage of assaults on the submarine that send her and many others rolling across the deck. The Polar Tang reacts and veers to the side in an attempt to put distance between the two vessels, pulling up thrashing waves and debris.
"The fucking rope!" she hears someone shout from nearby.
Pushing up on her hands, Nyiji watches a boiler suit run across the deck to cut the line growing taut. "Wait! Clione's over there!" she shouts.
Before she can move to stop him a heavy weight slams onto her back and a hand pushes her face against the deck. Her struggle is stopped short when Uni's voice gripes beside her ear: "Just watch."
With her fight quashed, Uni's weight is temporarily relieved as he moves to a safer position against the banister before he reaches for her again. Grabbing her clothes and forcefully pulling her against his side, he barks an order for her to hold onto the railing and braces himself beside her. More cannons strike the submarine's hull and water washes over the side of the deck, sweeping towards them as everything tilts. The ocean rocks against them, correcting their vessel before it can be flipped onto its side and the Polar Tang slams back into the waves with a thunderous crash. On the deck, before the water can reach her shoes, she watches it begin to drain away and leave slippery puddles in its wake. Across from their position and undisturbed by their rocky motions, a pirate cuts the rope and waits, clinging to the railing's safety as he watches for the return of his crewmate.
It doesn't take long before the sandy-haired pirate reappears, his uniform missing its bulk. With one hand keeping the hat on his head, Clione leapt across the distance right as his trap was set off. It starts as a series of small bursts that shatter portholes and send glass flying from within the warship's interior before wood and metal follow. Each piece is consumed by flames as it lashes out, splintering apart the hull with larger and grander explosions going off in tiers. There are screams of confusion and fear heard over the wailing winds that are silenced when the deck bursts apart and Nyiji finds herself gripping the arm around her waist for reassurance. A low rumbling begins to shake the submarine that stirs the waves up into a frothy path as the vessel pulls forward to escape. This move however puts the two remaining warships in direct confrontation as another cannon ball hurtles across the water.
"Son of a bitch," Law yells as he forces a round into the cannon while trying to maintain his footing. The ground shakes beneath him as the ship is struck by an explosive round that shreds the hull into shrapnel. He cannot see the damage when he looks over the side, so he knows the wound must be deep beneath the water.
Bracing himself upright on the banister, he looks over the battle field as the Polar Tang moves further away. He can see bodies in the water, increasing in number as many begin to flee their doomed vessels. A burning wreckage waits dead ahead, still bombarding him with cannon fire as the last remaining soldiers refuse to die without a fight. Part of the railing beside him bursts into splinters and he curls into himself to protect his body from serious damage. One of the cannons near him begins to roll away and Law curses when he realizes that the ship he is on has begun to sink. Another blast takes out the cabin nearby, urging him to move. Grabbing a bolted down cannon for support, he takes a step only for his legs to give out beneath him. Knees knocking together, he landed harshly on his face and remained there even as his surroundings continued to fall apart. Bodies and cannons that haven't been strapped down begin to slide. The tilt of the ship is becoming more prominent. Forcing his strained muscles to move, he starts out slow before picking up speed as he crawls towards the bow and hops to grab the railing for support.
Hanging by one hand, Law feels gravities pull and glances down. Dark and angry water pours over the deck, swallowing up everything in sight. Thick bubbles pop and reform faster than he can breathe and waves rock the ship off balance, making Law sway with the motions. From the corner of his eye he spots his nodachi beginning to slide and makes a move to grab it. His body rolls carelessly and his vision swims in circles while he makes desperate grabbing motions with his sore fingers. His fingertips brush over the blade numerous times before he secures It in his palm. In the next motion, he pushes himself off of the deck with one palm and stabs his sword deep into the vulnerable wood, stopping his momentum. Breathing heavily and adjusting his footing, he braces himself over his sword. He has no energy to even attempt summoning another room to teleport to freedom. The sky overhead claps loudly before a few wet droplets fall. A few splash against his forehead and Law lets his head fall back to stare up at the clouds. He didn't even have it in him to complain about his current situation. He can see the Polar Tang turning in the waves, holes littering its sides and bodies dressed in white boiler suits decorating the deck. His jolly roger smiles at him from a distance and his eyes slip closed. The roar of the water below is so loud he doesn't hear voices calling his name. There is only the wind and his pounding heartbeat to keep him company.
"Yo! Need a lift?" the voice repeats and his brow furrows. It sounds far too close to be real. Eyelids opening, he swears he catches sight of a grinning idiot before a blink makes the image disappear, replaced with his crewmates as they shout at him from the Polar Tang.
"Captain! Over here!"
They are all spread out along the side of the deck, each one hoping to get close enough to assist their Captain as the submarine maneuvered itself within range. Amongst them he spots Uni and the fishman's stern expression and revealed features shocks him back into reality. Hoisting himself upright, Law casually waves before he starts a slow progress towards the banister. Every two steps he would need to resituate his sword, utilizing it as a makeshift anchor against the forty-degree angle of the deck. His legs continue to wobble, nearly giving out multiple times as the slope continues to worsen before finally reaching his destination.
The gap between the two vessels was wide and intimidating, stretching farther apart with every passing second. "Jump over, Captain! I got you!" Uni called as he stretched a muscled arm forward. Law noticed a blood stain on his shoulder and frowned. He still had to get himself over the railing before he could attempt a leap of faith, but the injured fishman was his closest point of contact.
Emboldened by his men's cheers and urged by the looming threat of death, Law rigidly threw his legs over the banister one at a time. The ship groaned beneath him as a great bubble burst, speeding up the wreckage's descent into the ocean's murky depths. Rearing back an arm Law threw his nodachi across the gap and watched Uni catch the weapon. All that was left was himself.
Flexing his knees in mock preparation, he tried to ignore the way the movement made his stomach churn and his vision swim. He could make out Uni ahead, waving his hand as if it would provoke him to hurry but the scene was rapidly deteriorating. With a few blinks to clear his sight, Uni's body was practically swallowed up by the afro on his head that bounced and swayed in the turbulent wind. Law shook his head and tried again to focus his eyes. He had one shot, one attempt and delaying would only decrease his chance of success. Legs bent, he held himself steady before springing into a flying leap. Everything became a hazy mess of grey and black then, spinning and combining into a nauseating spin. With a thump his body hit the side of the submarine and dropped before he felt Uni's hand desperately grip his own. Delirious, Law was vaguely aware that he had made the jump as he felt nails dig into his skin. Squinting up at his blurry friend, they shared a moment of relief before the blood on Law's palm interfered. When he slipped both men's stomachs lurched.
"I've got ya!" Uni shouted over the torrent of wind that billowed at their backs. Using both hands to grab Law's bloodied hand and wrist, he roared with effort as his Captain hung like dead weight with a distant look in his golden irises.
Law's curse was lost as he felt himself slide another inch. The muscle spasms had returned, making it impossible to close his fingers and return his friend's grip. Even with Uni's incredible strength he could feel the fishman struggling. Even hanging dangerously over the edge, Uni was determined not to let him fall. Trying to focus his vision, Law watched his form blur and tried to force himself to smile, communicating without words.
"You're… not…" Uni's words were lost as he locked his jaw, grit his teeth and pulled. His forehead creased with the effort and the spines along his face twitched with wild abandon as his muscles strained.
Seeing the struggle, a second figure appeared and Law felt nimble fingers grip his other sleeve, tugging and urging him to hold on. Responding and reaching out, he noticed a faint shimmering light and latched onto it. With a secondary support his body steadily rose until he was dragged over the railing and pulled to safety. Collapsing on top of Uni, face in his chest, Law muttered his thanks. A body drops to their knees beside him and he manages to turn his head, catching sight of the familiar light that had helped rescue him. Even with his vision growing dark he can make out the sparkling gold that envelopes her palms, faintly pulsing with life before vanishing from sight. His body is cold and tired, resisting all efforts to move but when he meets her silver gaze, he forces himself to tip his chin in thanks. His crew continues to cheer and paw at his body, grateful for his safe return and he can tell by their unconcerned faces that none of them have noticed her displayed power.
"Damn I really thought you were going to drop him!" one of the men chastised Uni and slapped his back.
Timidly stepping forward to interrupt the moment, Clione softly spoke: "We should get back inside."
A few of the men grinned in response to Clione's subdued demeanor before agreeing.
"We're clear?" Law asked as he was helped to his feet and slung over someone's arm. His body sagged immediately.
"Yah, Cap. We're all good."
Watching the men drag their Captain and their wounded back inside, Nyiji took a moment to scan over the dead lying across the Polar Tang's deck. Her eyes catch onto curly hair, dyed from a growing puddle of red that stains the wood beneath her body. Knuckles turning white, Nyiji bites the inside of her cheek and represses her memories. The blood continues to grow as it meets with other pools and she imagines it rushing over the entire bow and flowing over the side like a waterfall. 'Four,' she counts as she looks over each of her victims. One of them was missing, likely consumed by the fires on the sinking warship but she will remember them all the same. 'Four more…'
"Uhm… Thanks—F-for your help," abruptly looking up, Nyiji met Clione's tender gaze. His large and rather flat nose had a cut across the bridge and bruising was beginning to appear beneath his left eye. "D-do you need any h-help up?"
Shaking her head in reply, Nyiji's throat bobs as she swallows against her dry mouth. The temptation to get lost in her own mind is nearly suffocating. There are too many thoughts and unasked questions lingering on the tip of her tongue, made even more difficult by the bodies she doesn't want to look at. Pushing herself to her feet and following the Heart pirate back inside, she keeps her eyes forward and focuses on the random pains her body has accumulated. All that mattered was that they were all safe.
Sealing the entrance behind them, Clione hesitates and glances back and forth before calling out to the fishman whose already halfway down the corridor: "U-Uni, what should we do with… well…"
Glancing over his shoulder and with a hand pressed against his wound, Uni grimaced. The spines on his cheeks informed him of the sound but he still couldn't make out the words. Thankfully his Captain answered in his stead: "Puppy-ya, if you don't need any medical attention, go to your room and stay out of the way for now."
Clione smiled bashfully while avoiding her gaze before he physically turned and ran away. Left to her own devices, Nyiji hesitated and watched the group as they dispersed into various rooms. Most of them went straight to sick bay while others vanished to the lower floors. She noticed that unlike the rest of his crew, Law slipped away from sight to retreat inside his own quarters, slamming the door shut before anyone could follow. It was remarkable that he had managed such a feat when seconds ago he had been unable to stand on his own.
"Thinking he's strong, huh?" a voice whispered near her ear and her eyes briefly flickered to the side to take in Owens reappearance. He looked far too casual as he bent at the waist, hands in his pockets and a grin highlighting the scar on his left cheek. "Oh, were you expecting someone else?"
She nearly cursed aloud. Fingertips nervously tapping out an unknown beat against her thigh, she made her way down to the lower levels of the submarine. Her wounds could be treated once her ghosts were gone. Taking the steps two at a time, she dodged a passing pirate as he swept up the stairs carrying an elongated hose that was wider than her middle. It ran up from what appeared to be the third floor, perhaps even father. Voices shouted from every direction, audible even with the lids of the speaker tubes closed. Pulling open the door to her room, her boots splashing in a thin layer of water, Nyiji removed herself from the path of more boiler suits.
With no obstructions in the hallways, two mechanics charged up and down the floors bickering and complaining over the damage done to their creation. Every level had suffered some form of damage, ranging from small cracks in portholes to wider and disastrous fissures like the ones that had ruined the Common room's main window. There were gaping wounds in the Tang's belly and massive dents that had managed to hold up and simultaneously impair the corridor's pathways. Overall, their beloved vessel had not come out of her encounter unscathed.
"There's not enough fucking metal to plug it all," Shachi grumbled as he stepped over the hose to reach the machine it connected to. Crouching, he fiddled with a few switches before pounding the bailer's side with a wrench, forcing it to start with a loud rumbling cry. "I'm telling you now, next marine I see, I'm not leaving 'em conscious."
Penguin was grateful that his snort was drowned out by the sudden rush of water as it shot through the hose. "There's plenty sleeping up on the deck if you fancy the trip."
Shooting a green-eyed glare over the tops of his sunglasses, Shachi took a moment to actually consider the offer before shaking his head. "Let 'em drown," he decided. His next words were mumbled to himself as he patted the floor. "Poor baby. And still not in the clear."
Empathizing, Penguin added: "She's definitely earned herself a good polish after this mess."
Turning on his heel and pulling the hat off of his head to reveal his white locks, Penguin eyed up a hook that had gotten stuck during their escape. Razor sharp tips poked through the metal hull, serrated and dangerous. "I'm worried about the weight on the end of this," he said after a moment, hands on his hips as he considered the broken chain that lay on the other side. "What do you think Shach'?"
Looking up from his crouched position, Shachi's mouth twisted into a sharp line. "With the storm outside, it would be stupid to remove it right now. It'll just make a bigger mess. At least it's above water right now, just focus on the basement first."
Silently agreeing with the observation, Penguin made his way back to the submarine's recesses, his red-haired friend hot on his heels. Another cluster of crewmembers rushed past them on the stairs, stopping briefly to update them on the status of the most vulnerable holes. They had managed to plug the worst of the damage with the last of their metal reserves and avoided sealing off the flooded areas. It was a relief that was short lived as they stepped into water still seeping in through various cracks.
"Can you take the boiler room?" Penguin asked as he made his way to the nearby speaker tube. Shachi nodded and moved away. Flipping open the tube, Penguin then called for the navigator's attention: "Hey Bepo, we've got the lines setup now. Shouldn't be more than an hour before we've removed the excess water. Have you figured out our next stop?"
Answering in a squeak, Bepo's voice sounded distressed: "I need to speak with the Captain for his opinion…"
Grip tightening on his hat, Penguin narrowed his gaze at the mouthpiece as he deciphered the hidden subtext. "Alright. I'll keep her running long as we need," he assuaged the minkman's worries. "Keep me updated."
Leaving the lid open, Penguin pinched the bridge of his nose. With no land options available and a hopeless venture behind them, he knew they would need to find another creative solution to the lack of materials on board. Shachi would hate the ideas running around his skull but there were little options remaining if they were to stay at sea for an extended period of time. Running his hand through his hair, Penguin briefly wondered if his Captain still intended on running off to investigate the slavers while the Polar Tang was in such a miserable state. Making his way to the submarine's lowest depths, he tucked away his worries alongside his hat to deal with at a more opportune time. Shachi was right. Plugging the damage came first. With a hammer in one hand and a welding torch in the other, he waded through knee-deep water and headed towards the worst injury. Fishing a pair of goggles from his pocket to replace his hat, he shielded his eyes as he went to work reinforcing a sheet of metal that had already been nailed down.
"Sorry baby," he cooed to the Polar Tang. "Just a little more and we'll have you all fixed up."
Using his teeth to tear the ruined gloves off of his hands, Law suppressed a wince as the material pulled at his wounds. The injuries were fairly deep and constantly weeping but nothing he couldn't treat. Dropping the red gloves onto his chest, he carefully pulled the necessary supplies from the medical kit in his lap. He had to finagle each item out with only two fingers but he managed without assistance. Setting each item at his side for future use, he forced his hands to obey as he selected a surgical needle. That was when the real difficulties started. Biting off a strand of blue thread and keeping the end between his teeth, he carefully held the needle between his fingers before attempting to thread the strand through its eye. Even with his digits cleaned, he struggled and split the thread on three separate occasions. Growling low in his throat, he pinched the needle and made another attempt only for the tool to slip out of his hold and clatter to the floor. Before he could shout or curse his eyes caught Bepo's dark gaze, standing in the doorway. Without a word the minkman entered his quarters and fetched the needle. Pacing to the bathroom, he disposed of the tool before returning with a sterile replacement.
"Thank you," Law said, voice unintentionally coming out sharper than intended. Bepo didn't seem the least bit bothered however.
Long nails moving with expertise, he helped Law thread the needle before handing the tool over. He didn't need to watch as his Captain began to address the wounds on his own, cheek caught between his teeth to suppress any involuntary sounds.
"I've checked over the maps," Bepo began. "The islets nearest to us would be the safest place to stop to make repairs but we would run the risk of running into those slavers. I've spoken with Penguin and he has some ideas to keep the Tang moving if we decide to sail past."
Kicking his feet up onto the coffee table, Law tied off the stitching on his palm and bit the connecting thread apart. The skin was taut and tough to move but he found himself capable of wiggling his fingers with minimal strain. Bepo helped him rethread the needle for his other hand without delay.
"How long would repairs take?" Law asked as he watched the minkman easily tie the thread off for him.
"Without materials, Penguin isn't sure. He wanted to talk to you about that."
Pushing the needle into his palm once it was handed back over, Law's stitches became sloppier in his haste. Without using his dominant hand, his fingers shook and stumbled, pricking his skin and irritating the edge of his wound.
"We'll discuss the repairs first then before deciding on our next course." Tugging on the thread and closing the wound into a rugged line, Law finished and left Bepo to repack the medical kit as he relaxed into the couch. He was weary even after a few hours of rest, his body desperate for a sleep that he had been denying himself.
Setting the medical kit onto the desk, Bepo paused when the speaker tube came to life with muffled voices. Turning to face the brassy contraption, his muzzle tilted to the side, trying to decipher the familiar tones. Whoever it was, they were not speaking directly into the tube but instead arguing as they made their way through the submarine's levels. His ears twitched backwards then as he heard them just outside of Law's quarters. Striding past Law's form on the couch, where he sat exercising the muscles in his hands by touching each fingertip to his thumb in a slow rotation, Bepo opened the front door onto two men before they could knock.
"I already told you—Hey Bepo!" Hand frozen in midair, Penguin greeted the minkman as if he hadn't just been caught in an argument. Pushing past Bepo's sizeable form and ignoring Shachi who chased after him, he entered the front room.
Law tipped his chin in greeting as the mechanics took over the opposite couch. Their boiler suits were still wet and dirtied with grease and oil, which soaked into the furniture. "Good timing, we were just about to discuss repairs."
Throwing his arm over the back of the couch and jamming a finger in his ear to collect the wax buildup, Shachi spoke: "We've done the best we can and sealed the hull, but I'm not sure what more we can do."
"There's still one breach on the second level. A hook we haven't been able to deal with yet, but what Shach' means is we don't have enough material," Penguin added. Adopting a more serious tone, he gestured towards the door. "Though I have an idea, if you're up for a walk."
To describe Shachi's expression as sour was an understatement but Law dismissed it in favor of pushing himself to his feet. He swayed a moment before Bepo was at his side, hooking a steady paw around his middle to help him forward. Both mechanics led them from the room and towards the deck where Shachi let out a low whistle as he took in the state before them. Ignoring the bodies and the blood soaking into the wood, the lower deck was in a state of complete disarray. Metal, unpainted and shining a glossy silver peeked through the various holes. Some of it was marred with scratches that would need buffed out while others would need sealant.
Peeling the hat from atop his head to run a hand through his white locks, Penguin began to explain his idea: "The deck's our lowest priority right now but even if it wasn't, there's not enough wood on board to repair the damage without making a stop somewhere. If we want to keep ourselves sailing until the next nearest depot, I think we should repurpose what's left to keep the hull secure."
"Not an option! What the hell are we supposed to do with no deck, Pen?" Shachi cried as he rounded on his friend. His face nearly matched the shade of his hair. In that moment, Penguin was glad the livid stare he was on the receiving end was muted by the sunglasses.
Quietly taking in their comments, Law scratched his cheek as he formulated a plan. The minimal repairs they had already accomplished were barely holding, severely limiting their options. Submerging had been ruled out an hour ago. Their water pump could only process so fast, restricting their movements even farther but with the holes sealed even at the cost of their exterior, his original plan to investigate the slavers would be possible.
"Do it," he decided, tone firm to silence the argument brewing between the two mechanics. "Keep us afloat and keep me apprised of the repairs, but we maintain course to the slavers islets. If submerging is ruled out once we get there, I'll make adjustments."
"You still want to throw yourself to slavers while the sub's half sinking?" Shachi snapped before biting down on his tongue when he caught Law's bland expression. Knowing that his Captain was taking the situation seriously and trying to make accommodations they could all benefit from, he sighed. "Alright. Fine, rip her apart. But we're going to need more materials than just wood replacements if we want to maintain enough pressure to submerge."
Penguin preemptively winced. He wouldn't be sleeping in his bed that night, not after adding his two cents: "We do have metal we can use on board… if we melt some things down in the furnace."
Throwing his hands into the air, sunglasses nearly shaken from his face, Shachi hollered: "Sure! Just gum up her entire system while you're at it! And what exactly are you planning on melting there, Pen? Our fucking bed frames—Oh you've got to be shitting me! Captain!"
"Do it," Law repeated before he was practically sinking into the minkman's fur. Feeling Bepo's arm brace him from falling, he clenched his jaw. His body was about to reach its final limit. "Give them a hand ripping up the deck, will you Bepo?"
"Aye sir," the minkman chirped, eyes never straying from the top of his head. "B-but what about the prisoner? If I run into h-her…"
Waving his hand and pushing off Bepo's side, Law turned around to head back inside. "Glad you mentioned that," urging the minkman to follow the rest of his words were lost as the two returned to his quarters.
Author's note; Man, I really have to thank every single one of you for all of your reviews. I kept reading them (still am!) over and over because they just give me fuel and make me tear up! Your feedback is incredible and I never expected any of it. So seriously, thank you all so much!
And yes, now I'm going to name you all, one by one ;)
bbropper , Watermelon 24, yells at trees (and bushes), sarge1130, Zod'a Quatique, Lucy Jacob, Momochan77, MissNanamiChan, Zinthree, Guest(S), Kaytak1999, Himegee17, bwlchck, embossross, Leynadoodles.
You are all amazing, along with all of you that have favorited and followed so far! Just, thank you guys. From the bottom of my heart for all of your support! I can't wait to continue sharing more of Ishi with you! :D
And to answer a question about the rough timeline of the story in comparison to canon-without spoilers- the Hearts have yet to hit the Grand Line for their first time. I have a lot of plans as to how Law learns about Haki (which started in the last chapter) all the way to how he eventually even learns to combat it. I think it's going to be a fun ride as he continues to evolve with his own skills on the way to Sabaody and beyond! I have lots of mischief planned. ;)