Okay, here's a new part for this story :)
Chronology: Law is sixteen here, and this takes place a couple months after 'Friends'.
The Call
Tsuru entered Sengoku's office in search of some papers she thought were there. With Sengoku away from Marineford it fell on Tsuru's shoulders to ensure things ran smoothly. Technically, it should be one of the admirals, and in fact the admirals would be in charge if there was a crisis, but for daily matters everybody deferred to Tsuru as Sengoku's second in command.
The den den mushi on the desk went off. Now, she could ignore it, that would be the polite thing to do, but it wouldn't be the first time someone hadn't been notified of Sengoku's scheduled absence and called in with a report.
She picked up the receiver, but didn't have a chance to speak.
"What the fuck is wrong with you, you shitty old man?! Do you have any fucking idea what's going to happen while you sit there on your ass doing nothing?!" The voice was young, energetic, and furious.
Tsuru knew exactly who was on the other end of a line.
"Law, right?" she asked when there was a pause in the screaming (he was probably taking a deep breath to continue).
A long silence settled on the other end of the line.
"Who the hell are you? I didn't get the wrong number."
Tsuru chuckled despite herself. A rude, cocky little shit. Sengoku's descriptions and occasional tales appeared to fit well.
"I'm Tsuru. Sengoku isn't around right now."
"…Oh. Where is he?"
"On his way to Mariejois. Am I wrong in guessing you just read the newspaper?"
That set him off again.
"Damn right I did! What the fuck were you idiots thinking?! He knows what's going to happen, I told him!"
Tsuru sighed and sat down on Sengoku's chair. She had a feeling this conversation would take a while.
"I know, and so does Sengoku, but there is nothing we could do to stop it."
"What do you mean?" Judging by how Law's voice sounded, he had spoken that question through gritted teeth.
"I mean that, while they ask us for our input most of the time, the decision to appoint the members of the Shichibukai is the Gorosei's. And there is nothing Sengoku or myself could have done when the Tenryuubito supported Doflamingo's appointment as a Shichibukai."
"Why would the Tenryuubito do that? They don't give a fuck about average humans," Law asked, crude and insightful.
"That is something you should ask Sengoku." Because, if Law didn't know, Tsuru didn't think it was her place to tell him, but if Sengoku didn't manage to dissuade him from his crazy quest —which seemed nigh impossible at this point— the least he could do was to give Law as much information as he had at his disposal.
There was another pause.
"How's the old man taking things?"
Tsuru smiled. It was nice to have proof that Sengoku really had someone who cared about him outside of this base.
"Poorly. I am going to kick him out of headquarters as soon as he comes back, so you should expect a visit."
