Dirty Red Feathers

by misstraffy

Law met him at a strip club. The boy was draped in jewels and glitter, and looked at him with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Luffy was his name? He was exactly his type, Law admits it. But getting involved with anyone would only lead to the downfall of them both, and those around them. If only he knew what was to come. (Long Story/Angst/Sadness/Lil ZoSan/Lil Coffee Shop)

30. Until Tomorrow

A/N: Welcome to the thirties, guys.

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30. Until Tomorrow

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The Following Day, Mid Afternoon

"Since when did my house become a hotel?" Law asks lazily from his couch. "And how the hell did this happen so fast?"

"It's the age of the Internet, my man," Shachi grins from a beanbag chair. "Information travels fast."

The surgeon scoffs. "Yeah, and because of that, so does my heart rate."

Just about everyone he's met within the last twenty-four hours was currently residing in his apartment.

Him and Luffy shared the couch, while Shachi and Bepo rested in bean bag chairs on either side. Penguin took up the chair off to their left. Zoro and Sanji sat together on the floor in front of the patio doors on the right, and Marco, Sabo, and Koala all sat on his red island stools. Marco being a bit more standoffish to the other two, of course.

Once everyone had settled in, and the shock of Law's apartment complex was out of their system- seriously, he didn't live like royalty- they got down to introductions. There were a lot of them, and they needed to become more familiar if they were going to be working together.

Surprisingly, when it was Marco's turn, and he hesitantly revealed his past with Kaido, Koala and Sabo were shocked, yes, but they waved it off. It actually helped them to have someone who knows how the man operates so they could plan accordingly. "Everyone comes from different backgrounds, good or bad, to try and become the people who they are today," Sabo had said.

Law had to try really hard to believe those words weren't aimed at him as well.

Barty was touched upon as well, and it was revealed how he was a part of the Revolutionary Army the entire time. The reactions of the clueless were priceless beyond comparison, and the surgeon wondered if that's what he looked like when he found out. He had to admit, it was kind of funny.

Though Law and Luffy knew this was coming, what they didn't know was how the man had disappeared from Luffy's dorm to infiltrate Kaido's hideout. And the things he learned from there. And how he was lucky to escape with only two bullet wounds. And how it was coincidence that Law had operated on him to save his life.

The group was reeling after that one. Law took their compliments like a champ, thank you, he wasn't the only surgeon, but he did what he could for the man. Koala let everyone know that Barty was resting peacefully in their headquarters, and not to worry about him. He was safe and recovering swiftly. That at least left them with some peace of mind.

But then the peace was gone when they dove into the details of Barty's findings. Why Doflamingo was away the night the Going Merry burned down, and why Trebol took the actions he did. Why the fire was so big and indiscriminate, even killing Crocodile and Monet in the process. How he discovered and confirmed that Kidd was a hostage. How they're paying off the police again to cover up the entire scheme. At that, Marco nearly shook with fury. Law couldn't blame the man. It's the exact same thing that happened to him.

The Revolutionaries' findings answered a lot of questions the surgeon had, but it also made his rage grow.

Soon after, Law started recounting his version of the events that unfolded that fateful night. From his kidnappers, to finding the drug in the van, to the police officer that ended up being untrustworthy. The strippers in the club recalled their side of the tale as well, having fought with security long before the place went up in flames. When Corazon's death inevitably came up, it connected all three stories.

Law remained silent.

The conversation then moved to how Luffy and Sabo had their supposed 'talk' over breakfast that morning. Going by the anger laced into the blonde's body language as Luffy glossed over their chat, he was just as pissed at everything that has transpired as Law was internally. It was fucked up. Everything was. Law's glad he didn't have to be there for that, because hearing everything that happened to them being put into perspective would surely make his head spin. But he digresses, because at least the brothers got to bond once more, alone. That was surely an irreplaceable experience.

After their rounds of introductions and exchanges of information, they got down to business. They still had much more to discuss. Koala seemed to be the more talkative of the two Revolutionaries, so she was the one who took the reins on the conversation, jumping down from her seat and strolling to the front.

"So this is everyone," she breathes, taking in the full room. "We have the guys from the strip club..." Zoro, Sanji, and Luffy all nod at her.

"...The doctors from Flevance..." Bepo, Shachi, and Law all raise fingers of acknowledgement.

"The owner of the coffee shop that burned down," she turns to Marco, who simply lowers his gaze, "then us, the Revolutionaries." She and Sabo exchange expressions. "What a ragtag group of people."

"And we're all gathered here for the same reason," Sabo chimes in.

"Indeed," Koala agrees with a small smile. "Now, let's begin."

Sabo exhales slowly. "We have intel that tomorrow, on the twenty-seventh, there's going to be something big that happens down at Mard Harbor, at seven."

The red head becomes serious. "When we got our guys to investigate further, we found out that a really big shipment of SMILE is happening then. I'm talking distribution nation-wide."

Law whistles, "Shit." Beside him. Luffy lets out a few choice words of his own, and there are grumbles of disapproval from the other men in the room.

"It's okay," Koala interjects. A smirk curls her lips. "We're going to go and stop them."

"How?" Sanji asks from the ground. "You bringin' an army or something?"

"You bet we are." The woman gets up and heads to where the TV used to be. Law helped them move his entire setup out of the way so they could have the space to walk about. There was a wide white paper taped to the wall with the words 'The Plan' written across the top. A crudely drawn map, done by Koala herself, outlined a harbor to their west, the body of water that it jutted into, and then another island a ways off the coast.

"Listen carefully, everyone. What I'm about to go over is very important." She draws a black 'X' inland, far away from the harbor. "This is where we are currently."

The group watches attentively as she changes markers and draws a red 'X' close to the harbor. "Here, on Mard Harbor, is the Distribution Center. This is where all the SMILE go before they're shipped out. It's also the place that Barty snuck into."

She moves over to the island, and marks there as well. "On Dod island over here lies the Main Factory. SMILE is manufactured here, and it's where Caesar's lab is located."

Koala turns to them with her hands on her hips. "Both the Distribution Center and Main Factory are important to take note of, but there's another place that you all need to know of..."

The tip of her marker taps pointedly on Dod Island, further past the Main Factory, at a strange looking drawing of a structure. "It's here, this building. Their Base of Operations, their HQ if you will. Everything is here- most of their force, their future plans, Kaido's living quarters, everything. Before the shipment goes out tomorrow, they'll be meeting here in an enormous hall. The place is huge. What Barty found in the Distribution Center was only a small taste of where they really operate."

She pauses. "The people we meet there will not show mercy. We will need to be extremely careful."

"Damn," Penguin mutters under his breath. "The place Barty went to wasn't even the worst building? Didn't you say he almost died?"

Koala nods grimly.

"Yeah, imagine operating on him," Law raises his eyebrows. "I saw the dude's insides. Digging for that bullet was a hell of a task, and we even almost lost him right there on the table at one point. Shit was not pretty."

Zoro makes a face. "I could've lived my entire life without hearing that."

"We're going to invade these areas," the red head continues without paying them much attention. "We're breaking and entering. And destroying."

"Oh sick," Shachi grins. Bepo seemed a bit apprehensive at the idea. "Won't it be dangerous?"

"Of course it'll be," Sabo answers for his partner. "But it's not like you guys are going in alone."

"I'm assuming we'll be with extra forces?" Marco finally voices.

"Correct," the wavy blonde grins. "Told you. We got your backs."

Koala returns to the men about the room. "Along with destroying all their buildings, we need to arrest the men involved."

Sanji frowns slightly. "How the hell are we going to arrest both Doflamingo and Kaido?"

"And Caesar, too," Sabo reminds him.

"Don't worry about that. It may seem like a lot, but we have a plan. Trust me." Koala rounds to her map and writes out 'Arrest Caesar Team' and 'Arrest Doflamingo Team' in a space to the side.

"Now that we've outlined our tasks, it's time we pick out who will be doing what." She taps on the map. "You'll be working alongside our soldiers, so don't worry about needing backup or help. We're trained in all sorts of fighting styles and have experienced shooters."

Koala side eyes all of them. "To be completely honest, it's not really ideal that you all come, seeing as you're neither trained nor experienced, but-"

There's a roar of disagreement, with fists pounding tables and angry voices snarling. It doesn't matter, they could do something, no, they had to do something. Those men don't just get to ruin their lives while they sit and do nothing about it.

"Exactly as I thought, you'd want to go anyway," the red head smiles. "So, just a disclaimer. You're doing this at your own risk. Any injuries you get, they're all on you. We'll have medical staff on hand to help, but just remember that you signed up for it."

Law didn't care. As long as Doflamingo falls apart by his hand, that's all that matters.

She points to the Distribution Center. "Alrighty, now for the first group. Who wants to stay on the harbor and destroy the center?"

The surgeon doesn't budge. He knows exactly where he wants to go, and that place wasn't it. To his surprise, he sees Bepo raise a hand.

"Doflamingo and the others are on the island, right? Far away from the harbor?" the man asks, and if Law didn't know better, he would've thought Bepo was shaking just a bit.

"Yup," Koala gives him a wide smile. Law thinks she's hiding something. Is it because she saw his uncertainty? "The only people who should be at the Distribution Factory are their workers. All you would have to do here is to just destroy the place."

Bepo sits up straighter in his seat. "If that's the case, then I'll go."

"Oooh, all we need to do is fuck shit up?" Shachi grins mischievously. Nothing good can come from that smile. "I'm in."

Penguin's shoulder slump under their proclamations. "I feel legally responsible to be wherever those two are to keep them out of trouble. So I guess I'll be accompanying them."

"Great!" Koala begins to list their names near the Distribution Center. "You'll be working with Kuma and his men."

From his seat, Sabo laughs heartily. "Oh man, you guys will love Kuma. He's a quiet one, but when it comes to destructive power, there's no one quite like him. Let's just say he's pretty...flashy."

Shachi's grin widens even further. "Wait are you serious? Oh god, now I'm excited."

Penguin raises a brow. "You know, she did say that workers would be there too. Don't forget we're gonna have to deal with them."

The red head's grin falters. "Damn, that's true. My bad."

Koala finishes writing and moves to hover over 'Arrest Caesar Team'. She pauses. "You know what? I thought this should be done as a team, but on second thought, maybe I should just go solo-"

"Can I go with you?" Marco juts in. He lowers his eyes. "He set my place aflame two years back. I want to see him taken down by my own hands."

Koala studies him carefully. "The only thing about Caesar is, he's hard to catch. Like really hard. He may not be as strong as Doflamingo or Kaido, but his elusivity is his strength. They say he slips through your fingers as easily as gas. Arrests like this are my specialty. As much as you may want to help, your inexperience may do the opposite."

The man flinches slightly at the words. "...I understand."

"However," she continues, "if you still want to mess him up somehow, I would head over to the factory on the island. Like I said earlier, it's where his lab is." Koala chuckles low. "I'm sure you know just how obsessed that man is with his work."

Marco loses himself in his memories, then a small smile curls his lips. "Yeah. I remember him never shutting up about it."

"There you go. Now imagine taking his research and burning it to ashes."

The blonde contemplates for a minute, then his smile spreads wider. "I guess that would be nice."

"Then I'll have you down for the Factory Destroying Team." Koala writes his name in the corresponding area. "And I forgot to mention a small, small detail."

Law saw this coming. Her smile from earlier seemed almost teasing.

"Caesar should be at the Distribution Center instead of at his lab tomorrow since there's a shipment-"

"What?!" Bepo cries out, "Wait, I thought-"

"-so I'll be going with you all. Shachi, Penguin, Bepo."

Law has to stifle a chuckle. Koala must have had Bepo commit to the task before revealing who was truly there. She had a good eye. And was pretty cunning as well.

"Nice," Penguin says under his breath. "That's what I'm talking about." The surgeon shoots him a disgusted look. One pretty woman was all it took for him, huh?

Koala finishes signing her name next to Kuma's with a flourish. "Now then. Who else will be joining Marco to destroy the factory?"

"I can," Zoro volunteers, lazily raising a few fingers. "I've been dying to use my blades again."

From beside him, Sanji snorts. "If you don't get lost on the way."

"What was that, shitty cook?" the green haired growls, glaring at the man. "I can very well find my damn way."

The blonde dancer snorts. "Yeah, sure, and I'm the prince of some faraway country."

"Damn well look like one with your curly ass eyebrows."

"Want me to beat your face until your brows curl, too?"

"I assume you'll be going to the factory as well, Sanji?" Koala asks over their bickering, pen poised to write his name. The blonde whirls on her.

"I mean, I have to!" he sputters. "No one knows how bad this idiot is with directions except me...and maybe Luffy."

The teen chokes on a laugh. "Yeah, I know. It's bad."

Sanji motions to Luffy. "Exactly! Like what if this idiot ends up in the water?"

"I can swim. I don't need your help." Zoro narrows his eyes. Then he pauses. "Wait, why the hell would I end up in the fucking water?"

Sanji stares at him deadpan before turning to the woman at the front of the room. "Write my name down please."

"Hey!"

"Already done," she says through a laugh. "So Marco, Zoro, and Sanji will be going to the Main Factory. You guys will be working with Iva...with Ivankov."

Law stills. Ivankov would be coming. He wonders if he could somehow say hi to him, thank him for what he did all those years back. But what if the man didn't remember? It was such a small thing anyway, what he did, and it has been sixteen years. It was his job to help people. And Law was just one of those people he helped. He probably thought of it as all in a day's work, but to Law, it was much more. He pushes the thought to the back of his mind.

He has more important things to worry about.

"He is..." Koala puts a finger on her chin. "One of our more eccentric members." She turns to Sanji with a playful smirk. "I have a feeling your personalities will clash."

Sanji makes a confused sound and shrugs. "I'm sure this Ivankov person is alright. He's not Zoro after all."

"Oh, fuck off."

The woman turns back to the board and writes the names. "Okay, now for the Doflamingo Arrest Team-"

"I'll go!"

"I'll go!"

Law looks at his lover and smiles. They said the exact same thing at the exact same time.

"Law and Luffy, okay." She jots them down on the paper. "The revolutionary going with you guys is-"

"No," Law interrupts. "I'd rather it be just us two."

Koala narrows her eyes. "Just like Barty and Cavendish," she mutters low under her breath. "These crazy lovebirds-" She raises her volume. "You'll at least have some of our soldiers come for backup, whether you like it or not."

The surgeon waves off the news. "That's fine." As long as he gets his revenge, then he couldn't give a shit.

"Anyone else want to go with them? Sabo?"

The blonde shakes his head. "No. I'll be doing something else."

Koala's expression falls. "Are you sure? There's only two of them."

Sabo gives the surgeon a once over. "They're both fighters, so I'm not worried. Law here is worth plenty of well experienced men. Maybe even as many as me. Maybe even more."

Koala scoffs, but there's more disbelief than scorn. "No way that's true...right?"

The surgeon swallows slowly. "...What makes you say that?"

"Forgive my nosiness, but after our first meeting, I was curious. I looked you up in our database," Sabo admits, smiling shyly. "I just had my suspicions ever since you mentioned you were involved in the Rocky Port Incident. So you've known Doflamingo pretty much all your life, huh?" He turns to Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo. "You all, too?"

Law didn't like where this was going. He clenches his jaw to keep from saying things he would regret, and gets out a rough, "We have."

Penguin speaks up, and his words are as cold as ice. "We don't remember him as much as Law does." Bepo and Shachi mumble agreements, not meeting Sabo's gaze.

The blonde slowly looks between the four men. "...I see."

The surgeon was starting to get worried. Too much of his past coming to light was never a good thing. He wanted it to be buried and stay buried.

The emotion must have shown on his face, because the blonde turns to him. "Don't worry," Sabo says softly. "I only looked you up to make sure you were a good guy. For Luffy's sake." Beside him, Luffy reaches for his hand, and Law grounds himself in the warmth of his lover beside him.

"I don't mind your background, Law. Shachi. Penguin. Bepo." He sighs. "You guys were just kids after all, being coerced into that stuff. However..." He fixes Law with a serious stare.

"I just hope that it doesn't come back to bite you in the ass one day."

Law doesn't know why the words pierce him as harshly as they did, but they do, and he grimaces. He closes his eyes against the waves of memories and pain and regret and lets go of a long breath. Then he opens them.

He would be okay. That wouldn't happen. He would beat up Doflamingo, then everything would be fine again. Easy. Piece of cake.

Zoro turns to the surgeon with a raised brow. "Well. Care to explain?"

Law purses his lips and searches the floor. "I'm sorry, I don't...think I want to."

"Dude," Sanji begins. "You've known our boss your whole life?" He gestures to the other medical professionals. "You guys have met him before too? What the fuck?"

Law doesn't want to talk about this.

"Well it makes sense in a way," Luffy offers, trying to alleviate the cold air. "Remember, Corazon's his dad. Is it really strange that Law knew Doflamingo? They're brothers."

Sanji stills. "I...guess that's true, actually."

"What, did you know that already?" Zoro eyes him suspiciously.

"Yeah, I did."

Zoro and Sanji relapse into hushed tones amongst themselves. Law feels his heart clench at the sight. He seriously dodged a bullet right there.

Luffy presses closer to him. "...There's more to the story than what you told me at Sabaody," he whispers. It's not a question, it's a simple state of fact. The surgeon feels a chill run down his back. The bullet hit.

At least it wasn't life-threatening...yet.

"Yes," he responds slowly. Luffy searches his face for a few long seconds before sighing.

"...Fine."

Zoro separates from Sanji and eyes Law apprehensively. "I knew something was off when I first met the guy, I fucking knew it in my soul."

"Zoro!" the blonde beside him pushes him lightly. "Come on, let's just leave it be."

"Right now, we have more important things to focus on," the teen nods over to Koala, who was standing in front, waiting patiently for them to finish. "I want to take down Doflamingo, and Law wants to too. He can tell me whatever went down in the past later, but for now, let's focus on this, yeah?"

Actually, Law was not going to tell Luffy. Not later, not ever. The teen was the absolute last person that he wanted to know. Just like how Luffy didn't want to meet his father lest he upset the 'harmony' in his life, Law didn't want to tell Luffy his past to upset the 'harmony' in his.

And oh how the harmony would become cacophonous if he did.

Zoro looked a bit taken aback at the power behind Luffy's words. "...I mean, if you say so. I'm not the one dating him."

Ouch. That hurt more than expected.

Maybe Zoro still had some reservations about Law after all. The surgeon's lips thin into a line, and he doesn't add to the comment. Instead, he turns to Luffy, hoping to steer the conversation away from himself.

"Luffy," he begins, "you said you were coming with me, right? Do you know how to fight?"

Luffy turns to his brother and they both share a knowing glance. "Luffy's been roughhousing since he was little," Sabo explains. "It's been ingrained into us ever since."

"But that was well over a decade ago," Law protests. "Surely he's out of practice with real situations like this."

The blonde smirks. "I may have been out the picture for a while, but I still know better than to underestimate my brother."

Luffy squeezes Law's hand. "Dancing has given me stamina, endurance, and quick reflexes. And I know my way around a fight. Lots of practice in high school. I'll be fine."

The surgeon doesn't want to put Luffy in harm's way, but he knows how headstrong the man is. Continuing his attempts to make him back down would be fruitless.

And he'd be lying if he thought Luffy was weak. He was quite the opposite, actually.

"Okay," he caves in. Luffy smiles and plants a feather light kiss on his cheek.

"By the way, Sabo," Koala places a hand on her hip and inclines her head. "You said you'll be doing something else while they're with Doflamingo?"

"Yeah," he nods. "I'm sneaking in to rescue the hostage. That Kidd guy."

Shachi makes a noise. "Oh fuck, I nearly forgot about him."

"Yeah, it can easily slip your mind with everything going on." Sabo runs a hand through his hair. "Apparently, they moved him from the Distribution Center to their HQ, so I'll have to be extra careful when trying to find him."

"God, I hope he'll be alright," Luffy murmurs.

Law didn't want to think of Kidd at the moment. Or ever, really.

"Hey I just realized," Penguin begins, scrutinizing the map. "Aren't we getting Kaido, too? He's not on there."

"No, he's not." Koala confirms. "That's because we wanted to get rid of those around him first before we got to him. If he loses both buildings, his men, and his co-workers, he'll be that much easier to subdue. Think of a wild beast you're hunting that you want to stop moving. Where do you aim for?"

The surgeon understands their plan immediately. "Its support. The legs."

"Bingo."

From across the room, Sabo adds on. "And we're gonna need to congeal our forces if we want to take down that man."

"Is he really that strong?" Bepo's brows knit in apprehension.

"Yeah. All brute strength, that guy. A tall wall of lean muscle," Sabo rubs his temples. "That's why we'll need everyone to be there on time so we can catch him off guard."

"When exactly is this all taking place at, anyway?" Zoro frowns slightly.

Sanji huffs. "Like you'd be there on time even if you knew."

Zoro throws him a dirty look as Koala turns back to the map on the wall. "We'll meet up at 3:30 PM tomorrow to get on the road." She draws a horizontal line from their current location to Mard Harbor in gray. "This is a distance of a little over fifty miles, so I estimate about an hour's drive. We'll have our driver, Franky, transport us there." She chuckles. "That guy, when you're in a rush, he's the man to rely on."

She taps a few times on Mard Harbor for emphasis. "Once we arrive, it should be a little after half past four. We'll drop off the people who will be working on destroying the Distribution Center, then the rest of us will be traveling over water to get to Dod Island."

The woman makes another line over the water. "This is just over twenty miles, so it should take maybe another half hour for us to arrive."

"Half hour?" Penguin repeats, baffled. "What type of boat are we taking that can go that fast?"

Koala grins at him. "We'll have our helmsman, Jinbe, bring his cruiser. We'll get there in no time."

"Oh shit," Sanji raises his eyebrows. "Fancy."

"I suppose," the woman's lips curl higher. She motions to the map. "Now, let's say we get here around five. The factory is right here on the beach, not even a two minute walk inland. It's shrouded by some vegetation, but it's relatively easy to spot."

Koala nods over to her partner. "I won't be there to help you guys at that point, but Sabo will be. He'll direct those who need to go to the factory there, and can lead the remainder of you guys to their base of operations a little further in."

"I've pretty much got the layout of the island and base all in here." He points to his brain. "So you can count on me."

Shachi hums. "Impressive."

"It's a, what, 'nother ten, fifteen minute hike? To get to their HQ?" she asks, and Sabo tilts his head back and forth. "Hmm. It's twelve to be exact, but yeah."

"Okay, so let's say you finally get there around 5:15," she concludes. "This base, it's basically Kaido's home. But it's also their main meeting place. So since something pretty big is happening-"

"Doflamingo will be there too," Law finishes for her with venom in his voice. His eyes find hers. "Right?"

"Correct."

Law feels Luffy shiver beside him, shaking his head.

"We'll leave him to you guys." Koala then clears her throat and speaks a little louder to grab everyone's attention. "Everyone. You all must finish your tasks and meet in their base by seven."

"Why the hell does everything happen at seven in this story?" Luffy mutters to himself.

Koala overhears him and shrugs. "Seven is when their meeting will be before the shipment takes place. We need to stop the drug from going anywhere and crash their lil get-together before it's too late."

She turns to Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo. "This means you guys and Kuma have to haul ass when destroying so you can have enough time to both get on the boat for the thirty minute ride and hike twelve minutes to the base."

Bepo runs a hand through platinum blonde strands. "Wait, so we get there like 4:30, and then we have to….oh god, doesn't that only leave us with like, less than two hours to destroy a whole building?"

Shachi laughs aloud. "Oh, that's more than enough time!"

"I hope so," Penguin mutters. "That's kind of pushing it."

"You guys will have Kuma with you," Koala reminds them, as if they knew the man as personally as she did. "You don't know him now, but once you do, you'll realize it's not the time limit you should be worried about. It's the possible obstacles you'll encounter."

"How lovely," Penguin notes sarcastically.

The doctor of the group doesn't look too sure. "I just hope this Kuma guy is as cool as you say he is."

Koala and Sabo share a glance and smile. "Oh, he is."

The woman turns to the group. "The rest of you will also have about two hours to get your stuff done as well. Once seven hits, we should all be in the main hall of their base. It's the first thing you see when you walk in the door. Kaido will be expecting his men, but instead-" She makes a motion as if holding a gun. "Surprise! It's the Revolutionary Army."

When no one else shares her excitement, she lets her hands fall to her side and sighs. "Look, I'm not an idiot. Of course there are gonna be things that me and Sabo oversaw. I doubt the plan won't go off without a hitch or two."

If things were going anything like how they've been going in the past month, then Law wouldn't be surprised if everything went to shit. He couldn't even fathom things going well. It would be a cold day in hell.

"Regardless, try to stick to your role as best as you can." She reaches into her shirt and holds up her phone. "Communicate! Let us know what's happening on every side. Sabo and I have a private line, but if you text us-"

"We can just add you into our group chat," Marco offers.

Koala stares at him, then slowly looks around the room. "...You all have a group chat?"

"Yeah," Luffy says sheepishly. "All Penguin's been saying in it is how hot you are."

"Luffy," the nurse seethes, heating. "You exposing piece of shit!"

"Hey there," Sabo frowns over the man. "Not cool."

The teen chuckles. "It's totally fine, Sabo."

Koala didn't seem to mind the comment. "Then can you add Sabo and I in as well? We can stay in the loop about what you all are doing."

"Sure thing." Marco motions her close to him and brings out his phone.

"What time tomorrow are we meeting again?" Zoro asks, pointedly ignoring Sanji's muffled laugh.

"3:30 in the afternoon. Let's meet here, in the lobby." Koala finishes with Marco and straightens. "We'll talk to the security so they know you all will be coming. Of course, they'll know nothing."

Why the hell was this being decided without Law's input? "Wait a minute-"

"I'll make sure to send you all the information we discussed today in the group chat, and also review it briefly while en route tomorrow. We don't have time anymore. Everyone's gotta hammer the plan into their brains." Her voice drops. "Also, take care to ensure this doesn't get leaked. The last thing we need at the moment is to lose the element of surprise."

Marco stands and makes his way over to Sabo, who types in his contact information and makes a sound of agreement to Koala's warning.

"We understand," Marco says softly.

The blonde dancer agrees. "We know how important this is. No one would mess this up. Not even Marimo here."

Zoro's head tips back so he stares at the ceiling. "I swear to hell, shitty cook-"

"Wait a damn minute," Shachi makes a face. "What are we supposed to wear?"

"Wear whatever you'd wear normally here, so when we meet it doesn't look so conspicuous. But bring a change of clothes, and make those black as possible." Koala hums in thought. "Preferably long sleeves and pants. And some shoes you're comfortable running in."

"Time to bust out my beard again."

"That won't be necessary, Sanji."

"I'll be bringing my swords," Zoro adds. "Just a heads up."

"You have swords?!"

Luffy shakes his head with a smile. "This happens every time."

Koala regards the green haired in a different light. "Bring whatever weapons you see fit, just conceal them until we get to the car."

Law was being completely ignored. "So you guys are gonna just-"

"Make sure to have eaten beforehand, too," Koala suggests, motherly instincts turned to the max. "It'll be a long day tomorrow. And get fluids in your systems."

"Oh shit, she's nice too," Penguin swoons, putting a hand over his heart.

The red headed woman smirks. "I just don't want to spend more of our budget feeding you guys when I can feed my own soldiers."

"And thoughtful. I think I have a crush."

"You always do this, man. Just leave her alone."

"Shut the hell up, Bepo. You're just mad because of your own shitty love problems."

"God damn, Penguin," Shachi says with wide eyes. "Have some chill."

"Well I'm still bringing something for Luffy to eat," Sabo says without missing a beat, handing Marco back his phone. The teen does a small 'whoop' from the couch.

Sabo brightens. "Oh right, Luffy! I can get your number now."

"I already gave it to you this morning, didn't I?"

"Oh. You're right."

Law rubs his temples tiredly. He wasn't going to get a say in their decision after all. With everything moving as fast as it was, it'll probably be more painless to just roll with it.

"Now that everything's been done and decided," the surgeon speaks up, "could I have my TV setup put back?"

Koala blinks at him, then to his TV and TV stand beside the island. "I guess so."

Law lifts himself up from the couch, stretching. "And you all are free to leave my apartment at any time. Except for Luffy, of course. Luffy can stay."

The younger laughs haughtily as he leans back on the couch, crossing his legs like royalty. Shachi groans and gives Law puppy eyes as he walks into his kitchen. "Aw Law, what about me? Can I stay?"

The surgeon turns to him with narrowed eyes. "No. Especially not you, Shachi."

Law bends at the knees, careful to keep his back straight, and lifts the furniture with little resistance. Huh. It was lighter than he thought. He looks up, and Sabo's helping him on the other side.

The blonde gives him a strained smile. "Let's get this put back."

Law nods, the air around them suddenly very awkward. Koala and Marco move out of their way as they wobble over to the empty space and replace the stand. As they straighten, taking in oxygen, Law sees Zoro and Sanji wave bye to everyone as they head out the door.

"Don't need to tell me twice to leave," the green haired grumbles, and Sanji gives the group an apologetic glance that lingers a bit longer on Law. "Sorry about him, guys. See you all tomorrow."

The group bids them their goodbyes, and soon after, Marco follows. "I'll be going as well," he announces softly.

"Until tomorrow," Luffy waves at him, and the blonde is shocked for a moment before exhaling, a smile warming his features. "Until tomorrow," he returns. And then he's gone.

"Guess we should be headed out too, huh?" Penguin rises to his feet, craning his neck. "I'm starving."

"Oh, me too," Bepo perks up. "Can we please go get some Baratie?"

"I dunno," Shachi mutters, crossing his arms. "I could really go for some of Law's- hey!"

The men had taken Shachi by each arm, and were dragging him out of the apartment. "Thanks for letting us stay over, Law!" Bepo calls out to him.

The surgeon makes a noise in the back of his throat. "Not like I really had a choice."

"Law, wait!" Shachi struggles. "Are you sure we can't stay for a plate of your-"

"See you tomorrow!" Penguin yells over the red head, and with a final flash of teeth, the trio is gone and the door is closed.

The surgeon felt a wave of exhaustion as he slowly faced the Revolutionaries. "Would you two also like to stay for tea?" he drawls sarcastically. "Green or black?"

Luffy fails to hold back a snort as Koala smirks. "Neither, thank you. We'll get going as well. Sabo?"

"Yeah." He stands and makes his way over to his brother, giving him a giant bear hug. Luffy digs his nose into the blonde's chest, much like how he hugged Law. "We'll get through this together, okay?" he whispers to the younger.

"Yup," Luffy replies, his voice muffled. Sabo exhales quiet laughter as he rubs a hand over the dark locks.

"Cute, aren't they?" Koala whispers to him, and Law nearly jumps. He didn't realize he'd been staring until he was snapped out of it.

"They are," he replies, his chest swelling with pride.

Sabo and Luffy separate, and Koala goes to take down the map on the wall. She rolls it up and tucks it under her arm for safekeeping. When she reappears beside Sabo, she lets out a large breath of air, turns to both Law and Luffy, and rolls back her shoulders. "Well then. We will see you guys tomorrow."

"Yeah," Law responds. "Until then."

"See ya, Sabo! Koala!" Luffy waves them away, and the couple wave back, all smiles. When they exit and close the door behind them, Law runs a hand down his face.

"Shit."

"I feel you," Luffy admits, face contorted in worry. "I'm about to piss myself I'm so nervous."

"Bathroom's over there," Law jokes, but the teen is serious as he turns to the surgeon.

"We're about to go into their HQ and fight Doflamingo. Can you blame me for being nervous?"

No. Law can't.

The older sighs and goes back to plop down on the couch. "Everything is really happening tomorrow, huh?"

Luffy goes into the kitchen to fix himself a glass of water. "I don't want to think about it. I'll only think about what could go wrong."

"But hey, at least we'll be together when we take him down," Law offers.

The teen makes Law a glass as well. "I know. I can't wait to punch the guy in his stupid face. Kaido too. Especially him. but..."

"But?"

Luffy turns to him, glasses in both hands. "What if something happens to you, Law? I don't think I'll be able to take it."

The air leaves Law's body. "God, don't worry about things like that. I'll be fine, I promise. I won't- shit Luffy, are you okay?!"

Luffy had tripped over a fallen red stool, dropping the cups of water and crashing in a heap of limbs and glass. The surgeon was by his side in an instant, checking over his body for any major injuries or minute shards that possibly got lodged in skin.

There's got to a cut somewhere though, because there's blood coming from his right arm. Law frowns deeply and jumps up to get bandages, but the teen tugs on his sleeve.

"Law, it's just a scratch, it's fine," Luffy assures, and his words calm him down. When Law glances down to the injury again for reinspection, he relaxes even further. Luffy's right. It wasn't bad at all. Just a small little line of red. Probably didn't even hurt. He had overreacted.

"But this isn't important right now. This stupid cut." Luffy holds down the scratch without so much as a flinch. "I'm more worried about you."

Law could practically hear Luffy's thoughts. 'Because I know what Doflamingo did to Corazon, and I know that you've been acting differently since he died, and I know that something's been changing, and I don't know what, but I'm probably going to see it whether I like it or not, and I'm scared.'

His voice is steel as he looks up to Law. "You better fucking promise me that nothing will happen to you."

"Nothing will happen to me. I promise," Law repeats quietly. Of course, he couldn't guarantee anything, but he would try his damn best. He wanted to rip Doflamingo apart limb from limb, but at the same time, he wanted to protect Luffy and be there for him. He wanted this plan to succeed, but he also didn't want any of his friends- Sabo, Koala, and Marco included- to get hurt in the process.

Law wanted to live through this.

But he won't be able to unless he put his life on the line.

Luffy studies him, searching for the conviction behind his words. When he finds it, he deflates. "I really, really hope so."

The surgeon watches him sadly as he continues. "Because if something does happen...if anything happens to you…" The teen eyes his right arm and frowns.

"I don't think I'll be able to handle it."

---

A/N: Thank you for reading!

P.S. Dod Island is based off of (assuming you are at the current arc in the anime) Onigashima, which literally translates to 'Den of Demons'. Just took the first letter of each word~

P.P.S. Peep Luffy breaking the fourth wall.