A/N: countdown happening! Nine more chapters to gooooo! :D

51. I'll Get You Back

3:30 PM

Zoro and Sanji's Place

"Eat up," Sanji instructs, pushing a plate of food in Zoro's direction. "We're gonna need the energy."

Zoro looks down through his one good eye. "I know. I'm just thinking."

The blonde takes a seat opposite of the man, sticking through his potatoes and shoving them in his mouth. "About?"

"Everything," Zoro admits, sighing. "I'm really worried about Luffy, and how this whole ordeal with the warehouse is gonna go down."

"I'm worried about Luffy too," Sanji mutters. "As long as he gets back to us safe and sound, I don't care what we have to go through. It's scary that he's really not here."

"It is."

They eat in silence for a stretch of time. Zoro hums to himself as a thought occurs to him. "Hey, where's Barty? I haven't seen him in a while."

"Oh." Sanji sets down his utensils. "He said he had somewhere important to be. He's gonna meet up with us later."

"Something more important than this?" Zoro snorts. "I hope he's not just goofing off or something."

"I'm sure he has his reasons," Sanji says, but not without uncertainty. "Let's just hurry so we can get to Law's place soon."

"You know," Zoro starts, drinking his water, "I worry about that guy sometimes. He's suspicious as shit and probably super dangerous, but I'd be lying if I said he didn't care for Luffy. I think the news hit him worse than it hit either of us."

Sanji nods. "Right. He was really distraught."

"No," Zoro waves the statement away, "I don't think so. He was more so angry. And not just a normal anger. It scared even me— it's like he's keeping some monster under wraps in that skull of his."

He fixes Sanji with a serious stare. "The moment he's able to, he's going to let that demon of his out. I don't want to be there when that happens."

Sanji doesn't respond to him, letting the seriousness of the claim settle over him quietly. He can't say he doesn't see where Zoro was coming from— ever since Law stalked out of Luffy's dorm, they've all felt this tangible fury in the air. It sizzled and snapped, burned with the force of his wrath, leaving nothing but scalding fire in its trail. Law almost was like a different person when he was angry, and Sanji was glad the anger wasn't directed towards him.

"And he was also able to decipher that message from the Don Quixote Family like it was nothing," Zoro continues. "What if this is actually all Law's fault?"

"Law didn't kidnap Luffy," Sanji states firmly. "You saw how the man reacted. No way this was caused by him."

"Really?" Zoro questions, eyebrows raised. "There's no way?"

Sanji groans and glares down at his food. "Speculation isn't going to help us. We just need to hurry and get to Law's so we can get Luffy back and get this all over with."

"...Sure, but if Law is somehow involved in this, I don't think I can forgive him."

Sanji reaches over and places his hand over Zoro's. "It'll be fine. We'll bring Luffy back and get through this together, okay?"

Zoro eyes him for several moments before sighing. "Okay."

They continue eating in relative silence.


Around the same time

Flevance Hospital

"Alrighty, you're free to go!" the nurse chirps, clutching a clipboard with a thin arm. "Sorry your treatment took so long, there was a complication with an infection, and-"

"Spare me the details," the patient cuts in with a gravelly tone. "I don't give a shit."

The woman holds her tongue, brows drawn up in worry. "Oh...I see."

"I'm better now right?" the man continues. "If so, then that's all that matters."

The nurse nods, looking all sorts of uncomfortable. "Yes, you're free to go. But before you do, you have a visitor."

The patient turns angry eyes to his provider, and the poor woman jumps. "Who the hell wants to visit me?"

She moves to the door and opens it, revealing a young man with green hair and golden eyes. The visitor enters the room carefully, as if gauging his surroundings first before settling in, then maneuvers to the patient's bedside.

The man narrows his eyes at the newcomer. "I remember you. You're that guy from Luffy's dorm- his roommate."

"Yeah," Barty affirms. "That's me."

The patient huffs. "Why are you here? Need to rub the breakup in my face even more?"

"No, quite the opposite, actually," Barty says. "God, I hope I won't regret doing this."

"Well spit it out already, what is it?"

Barty looks to the floor. "Luffy...he's in trouble."

The man's face crumples. "What the fuck do you mean, 'trouble'?"

"He got kidnapped."

That has the man sitting up straight in his bed, hairless brows raised in alarm, jaw dropping. "What in the everloving fuck?"

Barty purses his lips, sadness taking over him. "Yeah. Luffy is gone. We have a lead but we don't know if it's good. We need all the help we can get to bring Luffy back, so I'm coming to you."

He glares at him. "I absolutely loathe what you did to Luffy, but I think you'll be able to help us find him...Kidd."


3:51 PM

Law's Place

Sanji and Zoro should be arriving soon.

Law sighs and methodically fiddles with the trigger of his gun, just imagining the relief that would spread through him once he's finally able to pull it on the people who took Luffy. He sits in his living room, alone, backpack packed and ready to go for their little trip. His sword lay next to the object, already thirsting for blood, already ready for combat. This time, Law opted for his gun as well. The same one he was given by the Don Quixote family. It's ironic, really, how he's gonna use the thing against them.

He's dressed in simple black from head to toe- turtleneck with long sleeves, dark hat, dark pants. It reminds him of how he used to dress back when he was with the Family. It leaves a bad taste in his mouth, but he swallows it down easily. This was for Luffy. Law was going to get him back, no matter what he had to do. Even if he had to return to being a cold blooded murderer.

The Family fucked up by pissing him off. They wouldn't come out of this unscathed.

It's these thoughts that make Law pause. Since when did Luffy become so important to him? He's always known in the back of his mind how much he loved the guy, but now with him taken away, it's as though he's realizing it all over again. It floors him.

I'll get you back, Luffy, he thinks, clutching the grip harshly, I promise.

A ring at his front door pulls him out of his thoughts, and he snaps his head to the noise. Setting down his gun, he makes his way to the knob and twists it, pulling to reveal a similarly dressed Zoro and Sanji.

Law opens the door a little wider and beckons them into his abode. "Welcome."

Zoro eyes him cautiously but enters the threshold nevertheless. Sanji's right on his heels, shooting him an apologetic look. Law couldn't care less what the two thought of him since his little outburst. He just wanted Luffy back.

"Are you two ready?" he asks as he closes the door, folding his arms and leaning against the wall.

"Of course we are," Zoro snorts, "why would we come over if we weren't?"

"Just checking," Law shrugs, nonchalant.

Sanji looks between the two worriedly before settling on the taller. "How long does it take to get to that warehouse?"

"An hour by car," Law answers in a low voice. "I'll be driving."

"Oh hell no," Zoro spits, "get in a car with you? We're gonna die before we get to Luffy!"

"We need to get there as soon as possible!" Law retorts with a growl. "Luffy could be getting tortured for all we know! They'll do everything to him except kill him. Time is of the essence!" He smirks down at him. "And do you think you're any better? With your shitty sense of direction?"

Zoro scowls. "I just don't wanna die before we get to Luffy because you're too busy being angry to focus on the road!"

"Alright, alright you two!" Sanji steps in between them and levels them both with a steely glare. "Fighting amongst ourselves isn't going to help Luffy! It's already four o'clock. We need to get on the road now!"

Law frowns and side-steps Sanji. He slips his gun into the holster on his pants and picks up his backpack and sword. "You think I don't know that? C'mon guys. Let's get moving."

Zoro glowers at both men before shouldering his pack and following Law out the door, grumbling all the way. Sanji picks up the rear and closes the door to Law's apartment behind them, worry denting his brow.

Law turns over his shoulder. "It locks by itself, don't worry."

"No, that's not- nevermind," Sanji sighs, following Zoro.

Zoro slows a bit to walk beside Sanji. "What is it?" he asks in a small voice.

Sanji looks at Law's back, confident and predatory, and shivers a bit. "I just have a feeling things are gonna go south quickly."

"I mean," Zoro scoffs, "they took Luffy. That's the only way it's been going for a while now."

"No shit," Sanji rolls his eyes. "But I just. Dunno. Have a feeling."

Zoro studies him for a moment more before shaking his head and squeezing the blonde's shoulder. "We'll be fine. Luffy'll be fine. This'll all be over before you know it."

Sanji purses his lips. Much easier said than done. "God, I hope so."


A/N: this is my shortest chapter to date (hopefully there isn't another one this short lol) but i wanted to keep in line with the planned chapters i have until the end of this fic. Pls understand :) Thanks so much for reading! Until the next!

P.S. Did anyone catch the Hamilton reference? It's a lyric from 'The World Was Wide Enough'.