Beast and the Beauty

by Hack.Drawer

Tsuru's spell, intended for Doflamingo, changed Law into a beast. Now in his twenty-second year, he has to find true love, and get their love in return. But Sanji's set to marry someone else, Hunter Zoro wants his head, and the Donquixote family is insistent that he bring a virgin home. AU, fairytale, language, extreme dramatics * COMPLETED *

8. A Passing Storm

Keko: Thank you for reading and commenting! :D

A/N: Thanks to everybody reading this wacky story!

8: A Passing Storm

Law paced anxiously, breathing heavily as he waiting for Sanji's arrival. The rain was coming down steadily, the ground wet and heavy with an abundance of moisture, and he was looking forward to accomplishing the task, to have Sanji live with them. He assumed that within six months, they'd have their human forms again, and he was vibrating with excitement over it. After all the reading he'd done, he was quite positive getting someone to fall in love with him and falling in love with them would be easy. After all, love was just a bunch of silly tasks and grand words, and he was sure Sanji would fall for them all, considering what sort of bad experience he was having, now.

All he had to do was learn what Sanji liked, what his dreams were, and heap his own encouragement and support over that. He'll say all the things the heroines expected – because he was the man, naturally, so he automatically asserted himself as the hero. Sanji was the damsel in distress because he was the one being forced into a marriage, and he cooked, and did feminine things. Plus, Law had to admit, he had nice eyes.

He paused. He'd have to expand on things if he wanted Sanji to fall for him.

"Hello, good afternoon," he spoke to himself, pacing carefully. "It's good to see you. Oh? Thank you, yes, I thought of a good plan, didn't I? Actually, it wasn't very hard, one just has to be accumulated to their surroundings to know how it works, and – my, your eyes are a vibrant shade of cerulean, today. Yes, I know what cerulean is, and I'm confident it is the exact shade of your eyes."

Easy, he thought with satisfaction, sitting down on his haunches.

He then looked around himself again, straining his ears. It was easy to hear people moving in the footpath, because they often dragged their feet, or breathed heavily, and horses pulling wagons could be heard from miles away. But all he heard was falling rain, and occasional thunder, so he got up and continued practicing.

"Actually, Sanji, did you know that I am able to speak four languages, as well as Latin? It was an easy language to master, it's universal. No matter where in the world we go, I am positive that I can speak to the locals with my own - ? Haah? You want me to 'prove it'?"

"I just don't believe you, because I'm in a kitchen all day, and I know absolutely nothing!"

"FINE!" Then he paused, hunching his shoulders a bit, suddenly aware that he was talking to himself, and assuming Sanji's part. He cleared his throat. He was positive that love interests didn't want to be mocked, and if Sanji heard him 'mocking' him in some way, Sanji would probably kick him or yell at him, and Law would have to try harder…

He growled, pausing in place to listen once more.

Then he heard it – the far off cracking sound of something banging off a tree. He stood straight up, feeling a slight edge of alarm as the sound stopped. Moments later, it started up again, and it spelled out trouble. He quickly raced through the wet brush and crowded undergrowth, careful where he placed his feet. It wasn't a good sign if Machvise was signaling for him to return to the castle; with their eyes on the town, it meant Sanji was in trouble.

He wondered what it could be, puzzled – maybe Rayleigh suspected that Sanji had been plotting to leave. It only made sense. So, the old man was a rival – he wanted to make this difficult. Well, Law knew how to handle rivals – he had plenty in the kids in town, and he always made sure they regretted their actions in trying him. With a low growl, he headed towards the castle.

Once he got there, he caught sight of Vergo taking position near a grove of trees just a mile from the castle, where, about fifty feet to their right, was the footpath Sanji was supposed to take. Vergo stood there with some cups and spice shakers, all of whom danced with agitation.

"We received word that Rayleigh is acting strangely," Vergo announced stiffly. "He has been seen asking certain questions to Sanji's whereabouts during the day. Sanji himself has been sleeping most of the day with no apparent desire to wake up. We are thinking of sending a force in to investigate."

Law blinked heavily, sitting low in the underbrush so that if there were any hunters lingering around the castle's east side, they'd have a hard time seeing him. "But he knew we were going to do this. Why sleep all day?"

"It's not a natural sleep!" one of the cups insisted. "Rayleigh was brewing unusual tea, and he keeps giving it to him!"

"A dastardly fellow," Vergo muttered.

"He needs to be rescued?" Law asked curiously. Then brightened. "That could be part of the plan, as well!"

"Ah, good thinking! I was thinking that Rayleigh was only doing so because it is raining so terribly, Sanji might catch cold for their wedding. Your way sounds much better."

"…You just said that he suspected –"

"Ah, yes, I did say that, as well."

Law looked at the cups, trying not to be confused. "Signal to everyone. We'll make our move at night, when everyone's asleep. That way, I go into town, get him, and get out without raising any sort of ruckus."

"Good plan!"

"Vergo, I'll need a good plan to have Rayleigh out of their house."

"I've got a few. Meanwhile, we've seen campfires in the mountains north east of here," Vergo reported, Law looking in that direction. "We've overheard Sanji talking about his friends, it might be them."

"They're in view of the town, no, let them find their way back. We have to focus on Sanji and Rayleigh. If he's as diabolical as Doflamingo claims, than we have to come up with a better plan on allowing him to think that – I got it! We shall leave a series of clues!" Law said, fist in palm. "One of Baby's books detailed how a lover spirited away his lass by leading her family to think she'd run off with a man from the north, but wound up moving west and living happily ever after – maybe we can leave false clues for Rayleigh to find that leads him out to another area. In the time that he spends looking for Sanji in the days afterward, months will have passed, and Sanji will have already fallen for me, and we can kill him once we have our human forms back!"

"Fantastic! I will instruct the others to start an elaborate story," Vergo said, hopping away.

Law thought the plan was perfect, himself. He beamed with pride at having thought of it himself. Then headed back to the castle, constructing the ensuing conversation he was most likely going to have with Sanji once he 'rescued' him from Rayleigh's sadistic clutches.

That night, the village was dark, with barely a flame visible. Farm animals called out sadly, rain still falling, and the group of them advanced towards the town. There were hunters taking shelter in the enchanted forest, but with all the rain falling and with how concentrated the group was, none of them were aware that they were passed. Law made his way carefully through the throng, and reached the edge of town. He climbed the nearest building, and jumped from one to the other, startled at how slippery the tiles were. He usually used this route whenever he made his way through town, but never while it was raining. He looked down to the streets and watched small movement from household items that used the rain as cover for themselves.

Once Vergo pointed out the house that Sanji stayed in, Law made his way over. His feet slipped a few times, scraping down the tiles with his weight carrying him harshly off balance, but he managed to continue climbing and jumping until he reached the one story house with a simple floorplan. He looked it over, the windows closed tightly, but the fireplace emitting smoke and heat. Using the surrounding houses as a way to survey the house, checking out the backdoor, Law waited for someone to give the signal.

He ducked low as the backdoor opened, and Rayleigh himself peered out. He was pulling on a cloak, looking puzzled until he looked down and saw the tin holding the note that Law and Baby had written. There was a rose next to it, and the old man stared down at it for a few moments before crouching to grab them. Tapping his claws against the tile with anticipation, Law watched as Rayleigh opened the tin and read the note inside. Rayleigh frowned at the darkness, and retreated back inside.

'My love, when he sleeps, visit me near the wishing well for one more night before your wedding,' Baby had dictated dramatically as Law wrote carefully. He wondered why he wasn't taking any lessons from her – she seemed to have a pretty good grasp on love.

Sure enough, moments later, Rayleigh left the house from the front, pulling on his hood and endearing the hard rain. Law quickly jumped from the roof of the house and pushed his way inside, the others already clamoring around. Vergo grabbed Sanji's cloak while Law looked over the teen with apprehension, seeing that he was sleeping deeply in the single bed. He looked over at the hot cup of tea near the bed stand, and it smelled of something flowery, and thick.

"Whatever it is, it's not good," Jora said, squeezing herself into the window to keep watch as the others hastily found Sanji's boots and grabbed various odds and ends from the clothes shelf nearby. They took off in a haste, and Law yanked the blankets back, pulling Sanji to him. He wrapped him up in a blanket, then used the ties he'd had to form a sling with them – it allowed him to carry the teen across his chest and mid-section, and it freed up his arms and legs to he could move through the darkness easier.

A stash of 'secret notes' were shoved into Sanji's clothes, as if Sanji had hidden them there, but would be conveniently found by Rayleigh. They were from a sailor living in a town over, who had plans on seeing Sanji for a few more visits before ultimately letting him go to Rayleigh – Baby had poured her heart and soul into the fantasy, so Law thought that the old man would take them seriously, to believe that there was another. To inspire him to go visit this sailor in person.

"He would do it, too!" Doflamingo had commented, as Jora read the finished notes aloud, to the other members of the group. Most of who critiqued and booed, causing Baby to yell at them. "He'd made sure there were no more loose ends!"

Then Law quickly fluffed up the pillows and stashed them underneath the blankets as everyone hurried out the front door. He took the back door out, and carefully climbed up to the roof, finding it a little difficult to move freely as Sanji's weight made him a little unsturdy.

"Ugh, this is harder than I thought," he complained, pulling himself up and settling there, adjusting Sanji to fit against him. He made sure the sling was tight, pulling the blanket over the teen's face. As he made to leap for the rooftop nearby, instinct screamed at him. He turned and snatched the arrow out of mid-air, straining his eyes to see where it had come from.

There were two men standing on the street over, one running around in panicked circles, the other reloading with a wide grin.

"Shit," Law muttered, tensing as three arrows shot through the pouring rain towards him. He crushed those with a fist, then turned, jumped up onto the other roof, and began bounding his way over them, hearing the hunter give chase. Another arrow narrowly missed his snout, and he turned quickly, jumping onto another rooftop, but his feet lost contact, and he slipped. He scratched frantically at the wet tiles, but his claws lost grip, and he fell to the street below. Hastily, he turned and hit on his back in a splay of limbs, wind knocked out of him. He quickly rolled to his feet, adjusted Sanji once more, and spotted the hunter rounding the corner of the street to see him.

"BEAST!" the hunter bellowed, and some candles flickered to life in some nearby windows.

"Shit!" Law exclaimed, bounding off towards a narrow alleyway, hearing the hunter run after him.

"SANJI!" someone shrieked in true panic, coming from far behind. "IT'S GOT SANJI!"

"BEAST! HALT!"

"Like Hell!" Law muttered, taking a quick dash up and over a stone wall, dropping down onto a sloping incline that would take him through the center of town. He crawled up a house's outhouse and leapt atop of the roof, and began moving in that fashion, headed for the north. He figured once he made it to the woods, he'd be safe – he'd lose the hunter in the trees. Arrows whooshed by him, and something bright narrowly tagged him in the leg. He yelped, leapt sideways, and lost his footing on the slick tile. He went crashing down onto the street once more, landing on his side.

Sanji uttered a long noise, Law quickly jumping to his feet, arm over him as that bright thing fell in front of him. Seeing that it was an arrowhead doused with oil and fire made him fret. Surely the hunter wouldn't endanger others in this fashion. He hastily turned and began running, using an arm to do so while he kept the other over Sanji. Breathing heavily, he spotted his freedom of the northern stone wall, and made to leap over it when someone bellowed, "STOP!"

The voice was different, and Law paused and turned because he was only curious as to who would command him in such a way. Once he saw that it was Rayleigh, he growled, teeth showing. The old man was carrying an oil-lit torch, and was walking towards him with a determined expression. Wary, Law scanned him for any sign of a weapon, then paced restlessly because, for some reason, the old man had his full and complete attention.

"Put him down, now," Rayleigh ordered, coming to a pause just feet away. "It is cold, wet, and he could catch a severe illness in this excitement. Do you want that? Beast."

Law knew that he didn't. They didn't have any doctors at the castle, and – he shook his head, spraying water about as he continued to pace. Why did his head feel so numb? He caught sight of movement from his left, and looked to see the hunter catching sight of him, reloading his bow – but then he jumped back into the shadows at the sight of Rayleigh, pulling back his partner as he, too, whipped into view.

Their reactions made Law curious, and he looked back at Rayleigh, breathing heavily. Rayleigh was frowning at him, and beyond him, there was light growing as the villagers grew concerned with the activity outside.

"Release him. Now. Return back to the forest where you belong. You don't belong here with these people," Rayleigh said firmly.

Law knew he didn't. Even as a child he knew he didn't belong there. They'd tried to sell him, after all, and even after that, he and the others were treated with scorn. He inhaled deeply, shaking his head.

"No," he refused, moving backwards. "You can't tell me what to do, old man."

"You'll listen well to your elders, boy."

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"

"DROP HIM, RIGHT NOW!"

Law felt himself sit down, stunned by the heavy feeling in his head. He looked down at the sling that he had tight around him, and searched for the knot. Rain fell heavily around them, causing small streams to rush by, carrying bits of debris and hay. Human voices in the distance alerted him to incoming trouble, and a dog began to bark. But Rayleigh did not look away from him.

"Do it, now," Rayleigh repeated, and Law fumbled with the knot, unsure of why he felt he had to obey the old man when he really shouldn't. This man shouldn't be telling him what to do, and it confused him why he was even listening to him.

As he did so, he felt movement against his chest. A small tug on his fur. He paused in searching, tilting his head to look down. Sanji's fingers were holding onto him tightly, a seeming expression of refusal on his face. But he wasn't fully awake, yet. Moments passed as Law considered his actions, his rising refusal to obey.

"RELEASE HIM, NOW!"

"DON'T DO IT! HE HELD ZEFF CAPTIVE!"

Rayleigh's head jerked around at that voice, Law's head jerking up once he saw the guy emerge from the shadows, the hunter snarling at him to shut up. At once, he could think clearly. He removed his claws from the sling, twisting back up to his feet. Without much thought, he kicked Rayleigh away from him, then turned and climbed up the stone wall with haste. Once the old man caught himself, he growled, then looked down the street. But both men were gone, and the villagers were running towards him with axes, machetes, and oil lit torches.

Rayleigh growled low as he looked at the wall once more, then turned to the face the others. "Damn," he muttered.

: :

Back at the castle, Corazon and the others had the fire going in the family room, and Pica shifted closer to it as Law carefully deposited Sanji onto it. Then he shook off the rain and cold, rolling over the carpet to dry himself off, knocking over various items and tables. Baby chased after him, sweeping frantically to keep his wet fur from sticking into the carpet.

"This has been a pleasant success!" Doflamingo exclaimed, standing on an armrest. "Good job, team!"

"Rayleigh will be furious once he realizes that he's been had," Corazon commented lightly, looking over Sanji curiously. He used his handle to nudge at him. "Hello?"

"Whatever that stuff was, it was strong," Law said while lying on his back. "It smelled like flowers. And it made me sick."

"That old bastard!" Doflamingo growled. "Using his devilish tricks to do this to him! Forcing him to marry! What a coward, what a fool!"

"Certainly people will find it suspicious that he's been drugged, right?" Pink asked curiously, dumping out all the clothes in his drawers over Sanji to help warm him. "When he showed up, people would wonder why he wasn't his usual harpy self."

"'Harpy!'"

"I'm sure they would! Just as they're curious to know where Zeff disappeared to!"

"Whatever happened to him, do you think?"

"I bet Rayleigh had a hand in it," Doflamingo sniffed, jumping onto Sanji's chest and walking himself over to the teen's face. He nudged him with an arm. "Wake up."

"I wonder if he has to pee? Who should help him, I wonder?" Baby asked, breathing heavily as she leaned over to nudge him in the chin with the tip of her broom handle.

"Baby, you have no hands! There's no way you can help him!"

"I can supervise!"

"Listen, things happened," Law said, sitting up with his back against the fire. "It's serious. I think Sanji's friends returned to town, and one of them said that Zeff was held against his will. Rayleigh was responsible."

Most of the family members gasped. Baby fainted over Pica dramatically.

"And it was weird! When Rayleigh spoke to me, I was compelled to listen to whatever it was he said," Law complained, tail slapping the floor. "It was really the strangest feeling."

"But you never listen - !"

"I know! But every word that left him, I was…I was very close to following his orders."

"That's his power," Doflamingo muttered. "That's how he works. Damn. I thought it'd lessen with his old age."

"But the main concern we have here, is that Rayleigh knows you have Sanji," Corazon said slowly. "He could say anything to have us overrun. Our plan could fail because of this."

"And that his friends know."

"…Guys, suggestions?"

"How long will it take to die after being buried alive? Asking for a friend…"

"Can someone smother me, first? I won't hate you."

"STOP!" Law shouted out with frustration. "Look, we got this far. It's not like they can do anything to us, right? No one has been able to get over the castle walls in years. They can't storm in after us. Everyone is too terrified of the enchanted forest to even get close. The hunters wipe themselves out."

"But if Rayleigh himself comes through – "

"He won't, because his deceit was found out," Law mumbled, making his way to the couch and looking over at Sanji. He reached out and pinched his nostrils shut for a few moments, waiting for Sanji to respond to him. Several objects flew at him, Baby smacking him when Sanji's face turned red, then blue.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL HIM?"

"I thought he'd wake up!" Law protested. He straightened away to face the fire, basking in the warmth of it. Eyes closed, he said, "Anyway, counting on those two being Sanji's friends, they discovered Zeff somehow. And from the trust in letting me run away with him, it's definitely a strike against Rayleigh. What's important is that Rayleigh will lay low to avoid any other questions by the village people. They'll think that Sanji being carted away by me will only be an old man's tale because their marriage arrangement was too strange to be accepted."

"Ahh," most of them said with understanding, all in positions of thought. "Makes sense, makes sense!"

"But what about his friends?" Corazon asked. "What if they demand answers, as well?"

"I don't give a flying fuck about them."

"You should! They could be the ones storming the castle walls!"

Law waved that away, stretching his legs out so that his feet could feel the warmth as well. "You guys handle that part. I did my part."

"You are lazy!" Baby snapped at him, hitting him with her bristles, and causing him to growl menacingly at her. She sidled up to Trebol, sniffling.

"I need to be more focused on winning his affections than - !"

At the low sound coming from Sanji, all of them perked to attention. The teen struggled to open his eyes, his fingers curling into the warm blankets that shifted under his grasp. Law stood up and looked over at him, all of them waiting for him to say something. Once he registered where he was, Sanji looked at all of them, then narrowed his eyes.

"Idiots," he muttered, turning his head to the side and falling back asleep.

Everyone grew outraged, shouting and throwing themselves into the air with curses and threats. Law huffed, sitting back on his haunches, arms crossed. Then he stopped Pica from throwing Sanji into the fire, forcing the couch back down.

"Listen, he only said that as 'thanks'," Law said, hands in the air. "There was no malice to it."

"How do you know?"

"I'd say the same thing! Besides if he truly was ungrateful, he'd get up and walk his ass back to Rayleigh, but since he's not – just trust me, so far, I'm the only expert on this harpy."

"'Expert' my ass!"

"Look, Doffy, it's important we know what Rayleigh's up to. Send a team out to the village and have them watch him. In the meantime, find those two guys. They're Ussop and Zoro – if they found Zeff, Sanji will want to see him."

Doflamingo thought about it, then placed is hands on his hips. "Right. You'll regret ordering me around like this, though, once I regain my human form – "

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT TO BEGIN WITH."

"Bah!"

Doflamingo hopped off Pica and made his way down the main hall, Trebol and Pink following him.

"Baby, find and clean out a room for him," Law then said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I already did! It's down the hall from yours!"

Law nodded. "Good. It sounds like we're in business, then."

"Hey, Law, don't you think this is romantic?" Baby asked, leaning over him. "You already did a romantic thing. I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

"He better!" Law huffed. "This was a hassle!"

"Your attitude better change when he wakes up!" Baby growled, hitting him. Then she shifted direction, leaning over his lap with a happy sigh. "When I dream about a prince rescuing me, I look forward to being treated romantically! A good morning kiss, total pampering in the finest clothes, and a fine meal, followed by a romantic walk in the woods, talking about our feelings and our future - !"

Law grimaced. "Ugh, that sounds like so much work…I can't think up weird lies on impulse, I'd have to plan ahead for this."

"DO IT! IT IS ROMANTIC, you ass!"

"DON'T YELL AT ME!"

"NO ONE CAN SLEEP WITH YOU PEOPLE AROUND!" Sanji shouted at both of them, causing Law's fur to rise up with startled action and Baby to shriek with surprise.

"How long have you been awake?" Law asked with nervousness, head lowered in a meek gesture.

"All I heard was this constant shouting, and it's hard falling back asleep," Sanji muttered, laying back down, flushed. He felt more awake than he did earlier, but his body was heavy, sluggish, and he knew when he stood he'd feel dizzy and weak. But the main thing was, he was awake. "Can't you people talk at a normal volume?"

"Are you feeling unwell?" Law asked, looking over him with nervous action.

"I feel dizzy, and I'm sure it was because of that fucking tea," Sanji answered with effort. "I still feel really tired. And hot."

"Then maybe you should eat something," Law said, Baby rushing off to find some food.

Sanji looked up at the shadows flitting over the ceiling, registering the fire's warmth. He was quiet, thinking about what had happened, and feeling disgusted over it. But all he felt relief. All in all, he didn't know what to feel, other than relief. He looked at Law again, the Beast sitting nearby, looking at him with his head tilted.

"How'd you know this was happening?" Sanji asked faintly.

"We had a plan, today. You didn't show up."

"It'll have to be altered," Sanji muttered.

"Did you hear? Zeff was found."

Sanji looked at him again, then sat up with effort. "Really? …Where?"

"Your friends found him."

Sanji's face bloomed with worry. "Ussop is back? Is he okay? Where did -?"

"They're going to find out that stuff. Right now, it's best to lay low," Law said. "Rayleigh was…made aware of things."

Sanji looked away, clutching the blanket over him with both hands. Law couldn't tell what he was thinking at that moment, but at the sound of repeated 'Psst! Psst!' he looked up. Baby was standing nearby, hissing, "Remember what we talked about!"

"Talked about what?" Sanji asked, looking in that direction, Baby disappearing into the stairway.

"Nothing, nothing! Um, maybe it's best if you sit and rested, awhile," Law said, getting up and walking around Pica. "After all, if you were given that tea for some hours, it's still in your system, and – "

"I've been forced into slumber for the past day. I'm done 'resting'. I need to go see Ussop."

"It's not a good idea, right now. Rayleigh caught me taking off with you."

Sanji stilled, then looked at him with worry. His expression changed, eyes flashing as his teeth bared in a snarl. "You dumb ass! How can you let him see you? If he saw you, he's going to kick your dumb ass!"

"Why are you YELLING at me when I just rescued you? You're so fucking ungrateful!"

"He has some weird control over people, he can convince the whole fucking village to storm those walls and kill you! You're so stupid! You should've just let him have me!"

Outraged, Law stood up, glaring at him. "I'm 'stupid'? You're stupid for falling under his control in the first place!"

"You did this to yourself!" Sanji shouted at him, throwing the blanket aside to stand up. Once he realized he was in his nightgown, he growled. The red and pink striped flannel was nearly threadbare in some areas, as he'd grown into it from Zeff's purchase years ago. He didn't feel self conscious in it, through. Not in front of a Beast and enchanted objects. There was no reason to feel that way. "I need my cloak and boots."

"You're not going anywhere! Not after what we did for you!" Law snapped at him, moving quickly to block him from leaving. "We put ourselves out there to rescue you from that pervert, and here you are, running back to him. Do you secretly love him, or what?"

"NO!" Sanji shouted at him, red faced. "NOT AT ALL!"

"THEN DON'T YOU DARE RUN AWAY!"

"You're so stupid! That entire village is going to come up here, and what are you going to do? Can you fight them all on your own? You're going to be dead when they come up! He can convince them of anything!" Sanji shouted, kicking him in the hip to make him move, then made his way towards the Great Hall, most of the enchanted items in the house crying out with dismay.

Law hurried after him as the candles relit with flares of smoke and dust. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going back! I can stop him from coming up here!"

"That's so stupid! I nearly got shot tonight rescuing you!"

"You're going to get dead for doing that!"

"I'm not letting you leave!" Law growled, placing his body in front of Sanji, forcing him to a stop in mid-step. "You're not going anywhere."

"You get your big, ugly mug out of my goddamn face, or I'll kick the shit out of you!"

"You'll stay here and be grateful for what we did!"

"I think you're so fucking stupid in the head for even having the idea that you can outsmart these people! You're not a kid, anymore!"

"I know I'm not a fucking kid!"

Sanji kicked him aside, then hurried for the door as Law stumbled. The heavy metal and wooden lock slammed down against the doors, locking him inside. Sanji reached them, then jerked at the plank with curses. Growling, Law turned and raced after him, scooping him up under one arm.

"You fucking jerk! Stupid mutt! You're so stupid, you don't know what you've done! You're going to get yourselves killed!" Sanji shouted, jerking about, trying to get out of his grasp. Law took a corridor down from the Great Hall, candles lighting the way hastily. "Let me GO! I can stop him!"

"We went through a lot, tonight, just to save you. You're the stupid one for not recognizing our efforts. We've already done this, I'm not changing my fucking mind! You're not going back!"

"Where the fuck are you taking me?" Sanji then asked incredulously, finding it too dark to see. But with how damp and cold it was, he was pretty positive that they weren't heading into a good direction. The candles on the wall showed very little, but a long stairway down became a pit of odd smells and freezing cold.

"I'm going to put you in one of these cells until you're thankful for our efforts."

"You do that, and I swear, I will - ! Don't you put me in there! Goddamn it, I'll fucking kill you, I'll skin you alive - ! LAW! STOP!"

"You think about what you've done, tonight, you ungrateful harpy!" Law snarled, tossing him into one of the cells, Sanji catching himself with a low gasp. He turned as he watched the Beast slam shut the heavy door behind him, and then left him. Outraged, Sanji lifted a foot and kicked the door out, Law pausing in mid-step once he heard it slam into the wall opposite the cell. He looked back with a startled expression, Sanji emerging from the darkness with a snarl.

"Did you just break my door?"

"Did you think it was acceptable to lock me up? You bastard. You're going to pay for this."

"Now, now, calm down, think rationally - !"

"YOU TELL ME TO CALM THE FUCK DOWN WHEN YOU TRIED LOCKING ME UP?"

"It sounded a lot better in my head!"

"I will filet you and feed you to the fucking pigs, myself!" Sanji threatened, striding up the stairs after him. Law scuttled out of reach, causing Sanji to quicken his step. "For a big dumb beast, you're a big sissy. Come here."

Doflamingo and Corazon stood in the Great Hall, hearing the commotion. All the shouts and screams sounded horrific until they actually paid attention to it. It was mainly breaking items, curses, shouts, and threats, and the sounds moved steadily from one level to the next. Corazon sighed heavily, shaking his mirrored head.

"We're going to die, that's all there is to it," Doflamingo muttered.