Hi! As always, thanks to those who followed, favourited, and - always my favourite - reviewed! I've actually been sitting on this chapter for a few weeks because I'm really not sure about it. It's a speculation story about the end of the WCI arc and Kaido. I'd be interested in hearing other people's ideas, and if you've got any suggestions for improving this story, please let me know. Hope you enjoy it!
BTW - I've got another OP oneshot not included here for anyone who wants to check it out!
The news coo had arrived with word about Whole Cake Island. Or what was left of Whole Cake Island. Law was nearly certain that Straw Hat hadn't been directly responsible for destroying Big Mom's base, but he was noticing a trend. Feeling grateful that Wano was not directly his responsibility, given the fate of Whole Cake Island, Dressrosa, and Punk Hazzard, Law leaned back while Nico Robin read the article out loud. She read with a sort of resigned pride - Straw Hat was never going to manage a covert operation, no matter how powerful he became, and apparently his crew accepted that. It was hard to say just how much of the article was fact and how much was speculation, but it sounded sufficiently insane for Law to find it plausible. He had been balanced between doubt and hope when he heard about the Enies Lobby right up until he met the rubber teen a little more than two years ago. Hope was what had pushed him to risk his crew and save a straw hatted rival at Marineford.
"It's SUPER that Jinbei has joined us!" Franky exclaimed, taking his signature pose.
"Yeah, I guess it's not a monster trio anymore," Usopp added, making Zoro smirk. The swordsman hadn't moved throughout, only listened quietly. Having finished the article, Nico Robin pulled out the new bounty posters and read out their new bounties. Law didn't care about his own bounty, but knew the government used them to indicate the biggest threats in their eyes, and the Straw Hat's new bounties stunned him.
"Strawhat Luffy, one billion bellis." Fierce, proud, grins crossed the faces of the crew members. "Jinbei, five hundred and fifty million bellis." This earned some whistles from the assembled pirates. "Black Leg Sanji, three hundred and fifty million bellis," she continued.
"What?!" Zoro objected, sitting up. "That shitty cook has a higher bounty than I do?!" Nico Robin handed him the paper, which he looked at in disgust.
"Cat Burglar Nami, two hundred million bellis."
"WHAT?" This time it was Usopp shouting and falling over in shock. Franky groaned loudly.
"Why is everyone worth more than me?! It's not fair! General Franky is SUPER undervalued!"
"Maybe she pulled an Usopp," Zoro commented.
"Oi!" The sniper protested ignoring his friends' laughter. Law saw Nico Robin cover a smile at their antics.
"Chopper one hundred and twenty million bellis."
"So they finally noticed that Chopper isn't a pet?" Zoro asked lazily.
"He must be SUPER happy right now! This is SUPER good news!" Franky exclaimed.
"Well done, Chopper!" Usopp cheered.
"Carrot, two hundred million bellis." This elicited yet more cheering from the crew. Law wondered where they got the energy from. If this is what the cyborg is like powered by cola, Law thought, maybe someone needs to get him some tea.
"Brook, one hundred and ninety-five million bellis-"
"Seriously!" Franky interrupted, "I need to step it up!"
"-and all of our bounties have increased by one hundred million," she finished.
"So I'm not loosing to the love-cook?" Zoro clarified. She handed him his own bounty paper, and he took it, looking relieved. Law was never going to understand this crew.
"Yes!" Franky celebrated. "I'm finally worth more than one hundred million!" Law felt hope stir within him. His plan had been researched, methodical, and completely suicidal, but since running into Straw Hat on Punk Hazzard, Law had felt that tiny flicker of hope he hadn't quite been able to extinguish roar into something foreign and impossible: belief.
"I had planned to wait until Straw Hat got here," he said, drawing everyone's attention, "but I'm not sure we have the luxury of time." He glanced at Killer who had been sitting quietly, observing. If bounties mattered to him, it might be hard for him to see the Straw Hats pull so far ahead; his captain was an ambitious man, after all, and currently Kaido's captive. "From what you've said, Killer, you saw Kaido fall from the sky then back up without any major difficulty." The masked man nodded, tensing at the memory. "And your best guess is that he fell - or jumped - from a sky island." Another nod.
"What about it?" Zoro asked. "We knew the Yonkou would be tough."
"Yes, but I think it's more than that. That's a ten thousand meter fall, if we're right." Zoro didn't look impressed, and Law wondered, not for the first time, what was wrong with the green-haired swordsman. "I think the previous owner of the Op-Op fruit gave him eternal life." The room went silent.
"Can you do that?" Usopp asked incredulously.
"Straw Hat didn't tell you?" He glanced around and it was fairly obvious the answer was no. Killer was staring at him with something like frustration in his eyes.
"He probably didn't think it was important," Franky commented casually, and Law needed a moment to wrap his head around someone not finding immortality important.
"…Right. At the cost of my life, I can make someone immortal. That's one of the reasons it's such a valuable fruit."
"Wow," Franky murmured, staring at him. Law shifted uncomfortably. Telling Straw Hat had been fine - he was too crazy to want immortality anyways - but a lot of people did and Law waited for the inevitable demands.
"Can you undo it?" Robin asked, making Law stare at her.
"…What?"
"Kaido's immortality," she clarified, as if he hadn't just told her that he could make her immortal.
"…you don't want me to make you immortal?"
"No," she answered easily. "My life is my captain's. Immortality sounds like a lonely and terrible burden to me."
"I agree," Franky said. "You don't have to worry about one of us trying to force you to do that. We're your friends."
"We're allies," Law stressed. Seriously, what was with these people? The four of them just smiled at him. Law ground his teeth at the patronizing looks while his crew sniggered; he'd deal with them later.
"Luffy said you're a friend," Usopp told him, as if that was all he needed to know, despite his protests on Punk Hazzard, "and while I'm terrified of dying, I'm not such a coward that I'll harm a friend."
"Winning doesn't count if you can't loose," Zoro drawled.
"The most important thing is if you can reverse it without paying with your life," Robin assured him. There was clearly something wrong with this crew. Law had suspected it for a while, but now there was no denying it.
"…it's theoretically possible," Law replied, leaving his allies' sanity - or lack thereof - as a problem for another day, "but I think I'll be down for a while afterwards, so someone will need to cover me."
"Luffy's your best bet," Zoro told him, as if he didn't already know that, "but if things get heated before he gets back, I'll cover you. I can't have that shitty cook going around thinking he's stronger than me, anyways."
"…alright," Law agreed, glad he had researched Kaido. He had done most of the research to convince his crew that he would succeed in taking down Donflamingo, but was glad to be able to put it to use.
"What makes you think Kaido isn't just strong?" Franky questioned. Law frowned.
"We know where Blackbeard, Shanks, and Big Mom came from. Their ascent to power can be tracked. Kaido came out of nowhere. He is known for making suicide attempts as a hobby - jumping off a sky island isn't surprising - but even when he's defeated, no one can kill him. It's not just skill or willpower that's keeping him alive."
"Most people don't consider willpower something which keeps people alive," Killer interjected. Law snorted at the comment.
"You haven't spent enough time around Straw Hat," he replied, which made the crew smile, until he continued, "after Marineford, he should have died. I spent days with my hands buried in his chest. His heart stopped three times. Anyone else would have been smart enough to realize they were dead. Only Straw Hat could have pulled through in that condition."
"We've never said it," Zoro said seriously, meeting his eyes, "but thank you for saving our captain."
"I figured he'd come in useful later on," Law replied with a shrug. Robin giggled, making his eyes narrow.
"Of course you did," she agreed.
"I did!" Law protested honestly. He'd wanted to find the D.: the one who could turn the world inside out. He might not want to destroy the world anymore, but that didn't mean he was satisfied with what it was. He wanted change, and he saw it in a bright D grin and tattered straw hat.
"Of course," she continued to agreed. Law opened his mouth to protest again before snapping his jaws shut. From what he had seen, there was absolutely no gain in arguing with a Straw Hat; they were all insane. Maybe he wouldn't have them any other way.