Author's Note: For those looking for more of my writing, visit my AO3! My username is purplehairedwonder, and I have more fics posted there.

Chapter XXI

It felt like only seconds after Law had ended the call that his Observation Haki picked up Doflamingo's approach. Both Law and Luffy looked up to the sky and watched as Doflamingo, pink coat flowing behind him, descended from the brightening morning sky above the colosseum toward the waiting pirates. Law tensed as Doflamingo landed about ten rows up into the seats. He reclined in the seat like it was a throne, resting a large foot on the seat in front of him.

Law shivered as Doflamingo blatantly raked his gaze over him, most likely assessing his injured state. Law forced his spine to straighten and lifted his chin, defiant. Doflamingo's lips quirked upward in response.

"Well, Corazon. Don't you think it's time you stopped this little rebellion of yours and returned home?"

Law opened his mouth, but Luffy cut in before Law could speak. "Torao isn't going anywhere with you!"

Doflamingo raised an amused eyebrow behind his sunglasses, which raised Law's hackles. An amused Doflamingo was one who felt in control of the situation, and that was not good for them. "Is that so?"

"Torao isn't yours anymore," Luffy nearly growled. "He's free!"

Law looked at Luffy, surprise at the venom in the other captain's voice outweighing his annoyance at being cut off. Where had that come from? Why did he care so much?

Doflamingo reached into his coat and pulled out a small object. "So long as I hold this, I think you'll find that to be untrue."

It was the key to Law's Seastone cuffs.

"Straw Hat-ya…" Law started, but Luffy had already noticed.

"The key!" Luffy exclaimed, stretching his arms toward Doflamingo and causing Law to stumble.

The Warlord easily jumped from his seat and moved a half dozen rows back, settling once more out of Luffy's range. Luffy hissed in irritation as his arms snapped back to his body. A hand reached under Law's elbow to steady him; Law clenched his jaw, frustrated at his weakness.

"Now, now," Doflamingo chided.

"Give us the key!" Luffy demanded.

"And why would I do that?" Doffy asked, amused. "Corazon here is my subordinate to do with as I please, and his betrayal must be punished."

"Maybe if you weren't such a jerk, he wouldn't want to betray you," Luffy growled in reply. "A crew that doesn't respect their captain and a captain who doesn't deserve that respect is destined to fail."

Law inhaled sharply as Doflamingo's expression darkened; Law didn't doubt Luffy's words made Doffy think of Cora-san. Luffy had unknowingly hit a nerve, and the bulging vein on Doffy's forehead made that apparent.

"And why do you care so much about what happens to Corazon, Straw Hat?" Doffy gritted out.

"Because he's my friend!" Luffy replied. "He's a good person."

Doffy let out a bark of surprised laughter. "He certainly has you fooled if you think that."

Law clenched his jaw, refusing to look at Luffy. He knew he had blood staining his hands; over the years, it had stopped bothering him as much as it once would have because he'd done it for the sake of his nakama. He did whatever it took to protect them from Doflamingo, including becoming a cold-hearted Donquixote Family executive.

But Luffy's response had Law looking back at him in surprise. "No! Torao saved me. He's good, and I won't let you hurt him and his nakama anymore."

"Straw Hat-ya…"

Doflamingo held up the key and smirked. "Then come and get it, boy."

Doffy took off, using strings to run through the air toward the interior corridors behind the stands. Luffy spared Law a grin then stretched his arms in the direction Doflamingo had gone. He catapulted into the corridor and let out a whoop as he set off after Doffy, who had disappeared into the bowels of the colosseum.

Luffy chased after Mingo, up one hallway and down the other. The chase stretched on and on; Luffy threw punches at the fleeing Warlord, but Mingo dodged without losing a step. Luffy sidestepped string attacks Mingo threw back at him, but none of them had much intent behind them. Luffy frowned. What was with the chase? Why did it feel like Mingo was just trying to distract him?

His eyes widened. Torao. He'd left Torao alone and exposed in the middle of the colosseum. Luffy needed to get the key and get back to Torao. He shot his right arm out; Mingo dodged, but Luffy kept stretching his arm until he grabbed onto an open doorway, fingers wrapping around the doorframe. He shot forward toward Mingo, who'd come to a halt when he saw what Luffy was doing.

Luffy slammed into Mingo like a missile, and they both went sprawling. There was a clinking as the key bounced down the hall. Both Luffy and Mingo scrambled to their feet toward the key, Luffy stretching his arm out while Mingo sent a string toward it; Luffy's arm reached the key first, and he crowed in victory as his fingers wrapped around it.

His arm rebounded into its place, and he grinned at the scowling Mingo. He made to turn back toward the main stage—to the waiting Torao—but Mingo's voice brought him up short.

"Is the key the only thing you want, Straw Hat?"

Luffy looked back at Mingo, uncertain. "Torao needs the key. What else would I want?"

Mingo's lips quirked upward. "I have something I think you'll be very interested in."

"I don't want anything else." What was Mingo up to? Luffy just needed to get back to Torao.

"Not even the Mera Mera no Mi?"

Law was straining with his senses to follow the chase through the corridors of the colosseum when a voice interrupted him.

"And now we can be alone, as it should be, Corazon."

Law started and turned to see Doffy emerge from the shadows of the south entrance, his looming presence filling the space around Law. What…? His stomach dropped, but his shock gave way to recognition.

"It was a clone."

"Yes," Doflamingo agreed, stopping a few feet away from Law. "It will keep the riffraff out of our business. After all, this is between you and me, isn't it, little bird?"

Law swallowed, the weight of the Seastone shackles heavy on his wrists. Between the Seastone and his injuries—without Luffy there to lean on, it was taking everything Law had just to stand up straight—he was no match for Doffy, and they both knew it. Doffy could have just grabbed Law and taken him back to the palace if he wanted.

So why hadn't he?

There was a loud crash from somewhere inside the colosseum, and Law glanced toward it before looking back to Doffy, who was watching him with an unreadable expression.

"You trust him, don't you?"

"What?"

"Straw Hat. Twice now you've betrayed me." Doffy's lips curled into a sneer. "And twice now you've put your nakama at risk. For him. For an initial."

Law went rigid at the reference to his nakama. Doflamingo, of course, noticed.

"That's right, Corazon. You know your nakama are the ones who will pay the price for your betrayal."

"No," Law said, shaking his head. "They escaped."

"Did they?" Doffy countered, raising an eyebrow. "The three in the dungeon weren't so lucky."

Law's breath caught. Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin had still been locked up when Law had last seen them. How had he forgotten? Suddenly, Doflamingo being quiet while Law was treated at the clinic felt more ominous. The other executives could be doing anything to them at this very moment.

"Besides," Doffy went on. "Do you really think we spent the last day just waiting for you to make your move, Corazon?"

"No," Law whispered, recognizing what Doffy was implying.

Law had sent Uni, Kani, and Iruka back into the city to find the others, who might not even be out there anymore. How many of his nakama were still safe? For how much longer? Law was such a fool.

"The longer this little rebellion of yours stretches on, the worse it will be for them." Doffy shook his head. "It's time to make a choice, little bird: Straw Hat or your nakama."

Once again, it struck Law that Doflamingo could have ended Law's little rebellion at any point during the conversation. But he hadn't; there was something else on his mind, and Law could use that to his advantage. He might be unable to fight at the moment, but he could still protect his nakama.

"No! Torao saved me. He's good, and I won't let you hurt him and his nakama anymore."

He couldn't let Luffy keep stepping in to fight his battles for him; Luffy was only on Dressrosa facing Doflamingo because of Law, because of a weird tug in Law's chest that made him act at a pivotal moment two years earlier.

This wasn't Luffy's fight; it was Law's.

Law hadn't been able to save that for Cora-san, but he could protect the people who mattered to him now. Because he knew that was one thing above all else that Doflamingo wanted.

"Then I propose a deal," Law said.

"Oh?" Doffy sounded amused. "What could you possibly have to bargain with, Corazon?"

"My obedience."

Doffy stiffened, and Law knew he was on the right track. It had become painfully obvious to Law over the last two years that what Doffy wanted most was Law's loyalty and compliance. He held the lives of Law's nakama over his head to force his obedience, but what Doffy truly wanted was to have Law at his side of Law's own free will.

(After all, Law had to willingly sacrifice himself to do the Perennial Youth Operation. There was no guarantee even threats to the lives of his crew would push him to do that operation. But for Law to offer his willingness… Well, that was another story entirely.)

"I will return to the palace and perform my duties as you wish," Law said, throat tightening as he offered his terms. Yet part of him also felt calm; he was making a choice that could protect the people he cared for and who had sacrificed far too much for him already. "I will remain loyal to you and the Family. No more betrayal, no more escape attempts. I will be yours entirely."

"Intriguing," Doflamingo acknowledged. His tongue swiped across his bottom lip in anticipation. "And what is your price for this concession?"

"The freedom of my nakama. You will no longer need them," Law said. He was offering to give Doflamingo willingly what his nakama had ensured for nearly a decade. They would be furious, but Law didn't care, as long as they were alive and unharmed. He was the one who put them in danger in the first place. "Let them leave the island unharmed."

"That's it?"

"And the Straw Hats."

Doffy barked a laugh. "Oh, Corazon. Your precious nakama are one thing—they are mine to do with as I please. But the Straw Hats are an enemy pirate crew invading my island. As a king, I cannot simply let that stand."

Law crossed his arms, shackles clanking with the movement. "The Straw Hats only came to Dressrosa because of me," he said. "If my nakama are freed and I have made my loyalty to you known, they will have no reason to stay on the island. Our alliance will be over."

Doffy made a thoughtful noise. "Clever boy," he said after a long moment then his lips curled upward. Law felt a chill run down his spine as his fate was sealed. "Fine, I accept your deal."

As Doflamingo gestured for Law to follow him, Law felt a familiar tug in his chest.

"Ace's fruit?" Luffy whispered, eyes going wide.

Mingo's smirk widened. "That's right. I searched high and low after Fire Fist's execution and was recently able to acquire it. All of my executives are already fruit users, so I planned to hold a tournament in a fortnight with the fruit as the prize for the winner. But perhaps you would like it. It was your late brother's, after all."

Luffy's eyes narrowed. He might not be smart like Robin or Torao, but even he could tell when something was too good to be true. "Why would you just give it to me?"

"Oh, it wouldn't be for free," Mingo replied airily. "In exchange, you and your crew would leave Dressrosa immediately and never return." He tilted his head as though thinking. "That sounds like a pretty good deal to me."

"What about Torao?"

"What about him?" Mingo sneered. "Corazon is mine. He's been mine since he was a boy, and he will be mine until he uses his final breath in my service." Luffy opened his mouth to argue, but Mingo cut him off. "You know nothing about him, Straw Hat. I taught him, molded him. I made him into the man he is today. I've seen what he looks like in pleasure, and I've seen what he looks like when he takes a life. I know him inside and out, and you? You barely know the boy but would put yourself in danger for him? Why?"

Luffy felt his anger rising with every word Doflamingo spewed, the possessiveness Mingo felt toward Torao making him furious; Torao deserved to be free. Freedom was everything.

He put a hand to his chest where he'd felt a pull toward Torao from the first time they'd met on Sabaody; it had reminded him of the pull he felt when he met his other nakama, a whisper that these people were important and were supposed to be with Luffy, but it was different, too, though Luffy couldn't explain how.

Luffy'd barely had a chance to notice the pull after Marineford, being as tied up in pain and grief as he was, but looking back, he knew it was there alongside his vague memories of coming into half-consciousness with Torao at his bedside, checking his vitals and whispering comforting words before he went under again.

Luffy had been more than a little disappointed to realize Torao had left Amazon Lily before he'd gotten a chance to thank him, but seeing him again on Punk Hazard had brought that feeling back with such strength that it nearly knocked him over. Torao had stood in the swirling snow, fallen marines and some of Luffy's own nakama down around him, and Luffy hadn't been able to look away.

Torao was strong—and his powers were so cool!—but after they'd beaten him and brought him back to the Thousand Sunny, Luffy had been drawn to the way his sharp features had softened in unconsciousness. He looked younger, Luffy thought. And, though he wasn't sure why, he thought Torao seemed sad.

He wanted to help, and the moment he had Torao had shaken hands after agreeing to work together, the tug in his chest had gone quiet, and he knew that this was the right thing to do.

"Because I can feel that he matters," Luffy replied. And Luffy always listened to his feelings; he'd learned from a young age to trust his instincts. "And if taking Ace's fruit means I have to give up on Torao, I refuse. I don't give up on my nakama. Ace would never forgive me."

Mingo looked at him for a long moment, and Luffy considered just turning around and going back to Torao, but then Mingo's expression shifted into a smirk.

"How touching," he simpered. "It's too bad that Corazon just gave up on you."

"What?" Luffy demanded, not understanding. Then he yelped in surprise as the key in his hand started to disintegrate. "Eh?" He looked up as Mingo started laughing, his features contorting as he also disintegrated into a pile of string.

Luffy stared at the small pile of string in his hand before dropping it to the ground. The key was a fake. Mingo had been fake, too. So where was the real Mingo? And what had happened to Torao?

"Straw Hat!"

"Luffy!"

Luffy looked up to see several figures standing at the end of the hallway. He frowned and walked toward them before he lit up in recognition. "Violet!" She had another girl with her, this one with pink hair. He glanced at the other three figures, each wearing a set of coveralls with a familiar Jolly Roger on it.

Torao's Jolly Roger.

"You're Torao's nakama!"

"Torao?"

"He means Law," Violet.

Luffy felt his eyes shining as his eyes landed on the bear. "Torao didn't tell me he had a bear for a nakama!"

"We've met," the bear said, pulling at his snout.

"Oh," Luffy said, realizing that must have been when he'd been freaking out after waking up on Torao's ship. He felt his mood drop at the memory.

"Sorry," the bear said.

Luffy frowned at him curiously. "For what?" When the bear kind of curled in on himself, Luffy shook his head. Weird. Oh well. "What are you guys doing here?"

"I broke these three out of the dungeon after you took Law from the palace," Violet said, nodding at Torao's nakama. "I brought them here to hide since Rebecca, my niece," she added, nodding at the younger woman, "and the other gladiators here aren't loyal to Doffy." She shook her head. "He undoubtedly knows I've betrayed him by now, too."

"Where's the captain?" Penguin hat said, looking right at Luffy.

Luffy's eyes widened as he remembered what had just happened. "I left him out on the stage and was chasing around a fake Mingo to get the key to Torao's cuffs. Then he said Torao gave up on me and, I dunno, melted," he explained, waving his hands.

"'Fake Mingo'?" Rebecca repeated.

"Must be a clone," Violet said, and Torao's nakama nodded, glancing behind Luffy toward the pile of strings.

"We need to find Law," the redhead said, exchanging a glance with the other two. "Before he does something stupid."

That seemed like a strange thing to say, Luffy thought, since Torao was really smart. But then again, Robin was really smart too, and she had tried to give herself up because she thought she didn't deserve to live, and that had been pretty dumb. Luffy had helped her then, and if he had to, he'd help Torao now. That's what allies were for.

"If Doflamingo was a clone, they might not be in the colosseum anymore," Violet said. "We need to get moving."

The group headed out of the hallway and into the main corridor. The others started opening doors and looking down hallways, but Luffy kept moving ahead. He could hear Torao's Voice nearby somewhere.

"Straw Hat!"

Luffy glanced back and skidded to a halt as he saw the others looking out a window. Luffy walked up to the closest window and peered out. His eyes widened as he saw Torao, shoulders hunched forward and head down, stepping into a carriage outside the colosseum. What was happening?

"It's too bad that Corazon just gave up on you."

"Torao!" Luffy called, instinctively grabbing the bars on the windows. He immediately regretted it as the Seastone leeched his strength, and he let go before he melted into a puddle. When he was able to focus on the outside scene again, Torao was out of sight, but Mingo was peering up toward the windows.

When Luffy met Mingo's gaze, the Warlord smirked before pulling himself into the carriage and shutting the door behind him. A moment later, the carriage started off into the city.