Mazout: FF still has my heart, I'll always post here. Sanji is the best fashion disaster out there – I wish we all had an idea of why he pairs things as he does, but I thought I read somewhere that Robin helps him make all the bad choices…and Law rarely wears a shirt so ofc he needs to keep those bewbs out and about lol This chapter will still wind up a bit confusing, BUT - !

Naghi-Tan: They barely get along, but Luffy is no pushover lol He's always got a comment for that cranky old man!

10: If The Right One Came Along


The demonic creature (doglike in form, save for the spikes on the shoulders and for the fact that it was oozing filmy black bubbles), rose on its curved back legs. The beady red eyes seemed to shimmer with color as mottled teeth opened to reveal a filmy black mouth. Seeing it from the distance caused a viewer to think it was an animal, but the creature was a mixture of human-like features and yet absolutely convincing that it was something that clawed its way up from Hell. The smell it emitted was rotting eggs and smoke, strange liquids causing its every movement a squishing sound.

Law watched it cautiously, toothpick moving from side to side as the creature took up most of the space in front of the front desk. Pamphlets fluttered to the floor as the creature's tail bumped it, spilling pens to the tile. The computer monitor rattled as the demon began a slow, predatory movement away from the desk, black tipped hands stretching and palming onto the gleamy white floor. Dirty fingernails scraped against the tile as fingers clenched and unclenched.

Law was aware that Gin was starting a slow half circle behind him; he could feel Sanji – Luffy – against his back. The man's body had a seeming modification in him – instead of moving in a slouched, slow pace fitting for his insecure stance, his body felt like it were strumming with energy. Law wanted to at least see the expression on Gin's face to see what the ghost was intending on doing. The fact that Luffy attacked him in the first place was enough to have his suspicions heightened to his action. What was Gin intending?

The demon hissed, spilling oily black drool over its curled lips (like facing off with one of those Xenomorphs, Law thought vaguely). It emitted a barking sound, like an animal – but it also held a word. Law caught the formation with a slight smirk.

"So, you can speak," he said tightly, fingers tightening around the shaft of his weapon. "Speak to me, boy. What's on your blasted mind?"

"That sounded like a bark to me," Luffy said with uncertainty. "You should be asking this guy the questions. Hey, Gin, what's up? Looked like you were creeping in close for something…"

"My intentions were basic," Gin answered roughly. "I knew it was here."

"And yet, you have us pinned," Law pointed out without looking away from the demon.

"Well," Gin admitted, his voice low and gruff, "if it succeeded, then I'd have a chance to get rid of it myself. Unfortunately, I left something on that guy, there, and I'm only useful with it in my hands."

"The knife?" Luffy asked clumsily, lowering a fist to pat at the messenger bag at his hip. He could feel the shape of it in there. "The big knife? You were going for that? I assume it isn't for cutting sandwiches."

"Not exactly," Gin agreed.

"You feel comfort in the weapon. I remember you thinking that you missed your own knife," Luffy said low, with Sanji's intonation. "Kinda weird that I remember that feeling."

Law lifted an eyebrow, wanting to look away from the demon that stopped its slow, careful movement, hands flattened against the floor. It seemed to tense. He didn't hear Gin reply, but he could sense Luffy tensing up all over again, sneakers squeaking against the floor.

The demon hissed low, lowering its head ever so slightly. Law watched it, allowing a smirk to lighten his expression. "What's your motive, demon? You angry about something? Let's talk it out."

"You've come to defeat me," the demon hissed, its voice tonal and shifting with a water gurgle. Its words were tinged with an accent Law couldn't place. He was blasted with a sensation in knowing that this thing wasn't speaking aloud – he was hearing its words from deep inside of himself. Sure enough, now that Law had noticed, the mouth was trembling ever so slightly – like a badly moving puppet, or a bad lag in audio dubbing. "Wandered into my chosen home to destroy me. Who was I harming?"

"Ah, I thought this was your problem," Law answered. "So, you got offended by my mere presence. Admittedly, I have some concerns about your true purpose here in my hometown."

"Those that wander into the forest already have intentions that fit my method of survival," the demon growled, narrowing its eyes. "Their deaths, their worn, weary spirits – are my meals. I learn of humans this way – absorb their last moments and their last memories to stay up to date on this changing world. And you want to destroy me!"

"I know of you," it continued, moving fluidly a few steps around Law, forcing him to move in order to continue facing it, "because the last I'd eaten had your image in their memory."

"Flattering that the living know of me," Law murmured. "Considering it's not their lives I'm interested in."

Luffy wore a confused expression throughout this exchange. All he could hear was Law talking aloud, the creature growling in muted noises that didn't exactly fit a verbal conversation.

"You are like me. Feeding off those that shed their shells," the demon snarled at Law. "What makes us different?"

"There isn't much of a difference," Law answered carefully, sword lowered ever so slightly. The blade gleamed underneath the dimmed library lights above. "But you did possess someone and allowed him supernatural powers that he claims was used to feed you while slaughtering the living. I take the afterlives of the dead. Most of which are nuisances."

"That was years before I found the forest," the demon snapped, oily drool splashing the air. The teeth Law saw were discolored, blackened and mottled, flattened like a human's. He expected sharper points. "Why am I being punished now?"

"The fact that you can use a living being is cause of concern for me," Law said. "You may show interest in someone like me that can use gleams for strength. The forest may not provide anymore, considering today's efforts to assist with severe mental health, and you'll venture out for more sustenance. So…it's time to nip it in the bud before it has a chance to bloom."

"That was your intention?" the demon hissed, moving from side to side, as if trying to determine which direction to attack from, first. Law followed its movement, Luffy nearly tripping against him as Law forced him to move. In this position, Gin was now visible from the corner of his eye. Law's eyes darted towards the ghost, seeing that the hooded figure was just standing there – hands at his sides but his visible mouth pulled into a light smirk of his own.

Luffy resumed his stance, taking the time to frown at Law and the angry creature he faced off with. His rounded eyes darted here and there before looking at Law with a disappointed frown.

"Wanna trade spots?" he whispered. "Looks like your guy wants to fight. Mine's just standing here, staring at me."

Law nudged him away. "Focus, brat. Any wrong move of ours could be our last one. This one is singing all the right words to me – you just keep an eye on that one. We don't know what his intentions are."

"After having a taste of this city," the demon continued, extending its neck upward while lifting onto its back legs in a crouch, hands rubbing together (like a cartoon dragon, Law thought), "I could use extra. I could flourish forever, here."

"Also something I would like to prevent," Law said. "The fact that you can take on different forms to impersonate another is alarming."

"After having a taste of your life," the demon said, "I could sustain myself for a very long time."

It once again propped itself up on all fours, looking Law over with a wide grin. "I could live forever doing what you're doing, and it wouldn't be killing the living. I could see and pursue the dead as I have been doing. Doesn't that sound fine? It would be for the same purposes as yours."

"I don't negotiate with demons, demon," Law told him firmly, the tip of his blade up against the creature's lower jaw. Its skin shriveled and hissed, causing the demon to lurch backward with a surprised snarl. "My goal will still be its goal – getting rid of you will lower my blood pressure and a nice, concise check off my To-Do List."

The demon hissed at him. "Then it stands to show that your shell will be my newest home!"

Law smirked at it, releasing one hand to curl his fingers towards himself in an invitation for the demon to attack. That same arm nudged Luffy's head from behind, indicating that he back up.

Luffy looked back at him with an insulted gesture, watching Gin warily as the ghost continued to stand still and silent, his expression unmoving. Gin's hood fluttered as he reached up to lower it around his neck. His dark eyes moved from Luffy to beyond Law, watching the creature seethe noisily as it paced in front of Law. He licked dry, cracked lips as Luffy's eyes coasted over and around him with some confusion.

"Law, you can see him, can't you?" Luffy asked.

"Why ask such an obvious question?" Law snapped back at him impatiently.

"You normally don't see all ghosts," Luffy continued, Sanji's voice distinctively audible in that question. "Mostly just those with a strong gleam, right?"

"…yes?"

"Then where is his?"

Law chanced a glance back to look at Gin, who silently watched the exchange with a slightly interested expression. He was once again focused on the demon, whose pace began to increase, filmy shadows building around it.

"I don't know," he confessed tightly.

Luffy looked back at Gin with determination. "Your fight is for your dog, right? Then help us take it down!"

"We don't know his true intentions!" Law hissed back at him incredulously, toothpick flung to the other side of his mouth. "After I deal with this, then we talk."

"Gin! Doggy justice!"

Gin snorted. He lifted his hands, which were stained with dirt and blood, his fingernails dirty. Luffy's eyes immediately shot to them, some thin veil of understanding shooting through him.

"I don't have a weapon," Gin said tautly. "You expect me to fight something like that with my bare hands?"

"I'm not giving you this knife," Luffy warned, almost breathlessly. His facial features shifted subtly. "I guess we'll deal with you later."

The demon shot forward, teeth missing Law by inches. He shifted his stance, drawing his blade over the creature's exposed throat but those hands gripped him by his brown jacket and he found himself flung through the air like a discarded toy. He slammed through book shelves in a collusion of sound – bending metal and causing books to fly. Once he lost momentum, shelves slammed against one another in a domino effect.

Luffy twisted to face the thing once Law was out of his way, the demon lunging in on him. He threw a few quick jabs to keep it at a distance while shuffling backwards, missing that demonic face as it lurched from side to side. He launched up into a kick that connected shoe to jaw, watching its head bounce up and back. Its startled gurgle was short-lived before he threw a hard haymaker right into its left orbital ridge. It lost its balance and crumbled before catching itself hastily with its hands fumbling against the floor, back feet scraping against the tile. Its red eyes widened with shock.

Luffy looked at his fist, knuckles red and stinging. He gripped it with his other hand, whispering, "Ow."

Then he laughed noisily. "I never kicked anything in my life! Ace only taught me how to box! Where'd that come from?"

Law picked himself up from the mess, dusting himself off. Gripping his sword, he walked back over, tilting his head from side to side. "That was stupid. But now I got a gauge of that thing's strength."

Luffy glanced towards Gin, seeing the shift in his expression. He couldn't tell what Gin was thinking, but his frown seemed to have deepened, his eyes narrowing as they cast from the men to the demon that hissed at them. His dirty hands were clenched at his sides, and though he stood with a sense of non-threat, Luffy couldn't trust keeping his eyes off him. He touched the messenger bag on his hip, exhaling slow as Law reached him.

"They're still connected," Luffy told Law grimly, voice lowered.

"I kill him, I hurt it?"

"You can't kill him."

Law looked at him with exasperation. "Getting rid of them both will solve the problem just fine."

"If Gin doesn't have a gleam, it doesn't make sense for you to take it."

"Stop arguing with me with that face. It pisses me off," Law snapped at him, Luffy looking at him with bewilderment. Law wiped his free hand off on his jeans, facing the demon. "Tell me, soul sucker, how do I detach you from that man, there?"

The demon didn't answer, teeth glowing with a smirk before lunging forward. Instead of attacking, it sunk into the floor before Law, filmy bubbles bursting just before the linoleum. Law shoved Luffy aside, the layered blond flopping to the side before catching himself as Law's body turned transparent, leaving only his sword handling arm visible. The demon reappeared moments later, teeth clasping around nothing as it intended on biting him from below, its entire body shooting upward from the floor with a burst of blackened smoke and film. Law jerked around as Luffy gaped at the sight of him, watching as Law swung in measured swings to rip shreds from the demon's body as it then lunged away.

It howled, rattling the lights above as its skin shredded in visible marks, smoke hissing from them. It once again disappeared through the floor, Law remaining transparent as he concentrated on the floor.

"How'd you do that – oh my god, you really are Danny Phantom, aren't you?" Luffy gasped with wonder. Law's eyes jerked to him, and he was at him in moments, shoving him away with his solid forearm before the demon reappeared, mouth gaping and narrowly missing Luffy by inches. Law stabbed downwards, blade effectively slamming through the demon's opened cavity, causing it to spasm with agony before forcefully ripping itself away from the weapon. It opened up its throat and chest cavity, spilling out hissing smoke and oily fluids that immediately stained the floor.

It spasmed violently, choking on its own secretions, shoulder spikes jiggling with its movements as it attempted to cover its wounds. But seconds after achieving space, both men watched as the wounds slowly stitched over and closed. The demon coughed and sputtered, using both hands to brace itself against the floor before looking at them venomously.

Its eyes narrowed, it croaked, "You've achieved something I've never seen before. Using the souls of those you've stolen for parlor tricks. Aren't you considered a demon yourself?"

"I don't work for any immortals. I take or debit card, or just cold hard cash," Law assured him. "Mostly from the living."

"Maybe I should do that," Luffy murmured to himself thoughtfully. "I could avoid going to college and just get rich fighting ghosts - !"

"You're already dead!" Law reminded him with irritation, toothpick spat out. It was replaced with another from his inside jacket pocket as Luffy looked at him with renewed horror.

"Quit reminding me of that!"

The demon attacked again, forcing Luffy to hurl himself out of the way while Law visibly flickered, allowing the creature's form to pass through him. He whirled, blade cutting through the creature's back and causing it to scream as it cringed. It turned rapidly, its wound hissing behind it as it fixed itself. Law noticed the shadows lingering within the library underneath the dim ceiling lights pulling around it.

"Luffy," he commanded, "find the lights and turn them on full blast."

"Aw, man, that's lame - !"

"DO IT!"

With a huge sigh, turning away from the sight of Law attacking the demon with his blade flashing with his movement, Luffy turned and scanned the walls for light switches. At that moment, Gin caught his attention. He spotted the ghost standing against the wall near the front entrance door – clearly pointing at a set of light dimmers. Luffy brightened, hurrying in that direction.

"Thanks, man!" he said, reaching for one of the knobs. He drew back with a start when Gin purposefully stepped in front of them, dirty hands tucked into his pants pockets.

"The knife," he said low, watching the teen frown at him. "The knife for the lights."

"Why should I trust you?" Luffy asked accusingly. Gin's expression didn't shift, but he reached out and pushed lightly on Luffy's head. For a moment, ghost and the living being shifted into two, Luffy flailing back to steady himself and Sanji coming to awareness for that split second. Luffy reattached himself stubbornly, Sanji's facial expression changing to reflect the boy's face.

"You shouldn't," Gin answered, hands once again tucked into his pants pockets. "But you're going to need help fighting that thing."

Luffy watched him for a few moments, thinking rapidly. My mom was able to hurt the living, he thought clumsily, memories scattered but recalling a memory of a blond, frustrated woman reaching out to push him (no, not him – Sanji). Corazon told me that any contact with the living can hurt them. That's what this was. I took the hit on Sanji.

"Both of you have the same hands," he stated slowly. "So how do I know you're trying to help?"

"You don't. And there's nothing I can say to convince you otherwise," Gin said with confidence. "It's a leap of faith."

"We came here to find out the truth," Luffy stated. "So, after that – then I can rely on my own trust."

Gin's chin tilted upward ever so slightly. "Even once you find your truth, you won't like what you'll find. So trusting me now would be your advantage."

Boundaries, Sanji, Luffy heard Law say, and he had to glance back to see if the man was addressing him. But once he saw that Law was driving the demon away from them, rattling windows and nimbly avoiding the spilled books of broken shelves, Luffy realized it was just his memory (Sanji's). Luffy clenched his fists.

"Step away from the lights, sir," he said firmly. "Or I'll remove you myself."

Gin's expression didn't shift, nor did he move. Luffy cocked a fist, bracing himself to punch when he noticed Gin's eyes shifting from his face to beyond him. He didn't hesitate – he jumped out of the way as Gin lunged into the other direction, the demon slamming through the wall with a loud roar of sound. The wall shattered outward, revealing a stairway that was plunged into darkness. The lights fluttered overhead, then died out.

"I said turn them on, not off!" Law barked with exasperation from somewhere behind them, the demon rattling the stairway as it struggled to right itself. The hand railing shuddered noisily, pieces of wood and brick raining down onto the stairs. "Figures I can't trust a kid to do a man's job."

Luffy whirled around to glare at him, then searched the darkness for the ghost he was addressing. Before he could do anything, the demon lurched up and over onto the floor, cramming its large body through the hole it had made. It heaved heavy breathing noises and grunts, hands finding purchase on the floor. Luffy retreated backward with unease, standing abreast of Law as Law calmly stood there, toothpick nudged from side to side.

"That guy disappeared again," he mentioned, Luffy squinting hard as he struggled to use the light from outside of the building to search for Gin. "I can see just fine in the dark. That thing snatch him up?"

"No, he got out of the way in time. You got some sort of cat-ghost in there, too? Man, you're so extra!"

"So, he working with it, or not? You were standing there, chatting his ears off, surely you found out some useful information."

"I'm trying to find some information!" Luffy said with exasperation, the demon's back paws scraping against the floor as it righted itself. It shook itself wildly, dislodging debris from its fur. "I don't know if he's on our side or not!"

Law made to speak when a ramming force from behind him sent him onto his hands and knees, sword clattering to the floor. Luffy looked just in time to see Gin disappearing out of his sight, but his side vision caught sight of new movement. There was an older man picking himself off the floor, looking startled while Law breathed heavy, breath gusting over the dirtied floor. The older man – with swept back hair, a hard jaw and steel, angry eyes – looked from Law to Luffy, his expression drawing with confusion. Luffy saw hands emerge from Law's back, fluttering out like wings before revealing themselves as multiple sets. Various people popped out from the man like they were drowning, floundering noisily in multiple voices and grasping fingers. Most of them looked as if they were popping out from Law's back like forced daisies. Luffy didn't know what to think as the demon shifted about, smacking its lips.

Law heaved for breath, head bowed for a moment before lifting. "Knife," he snarled out, in a voice Luffy had heard just moments earlier. Bewildered, Luffy froze in silence as he realized Law's body language spoke of a struggle. "Get out - ! Give me the fucking knife – get out of – knife!"

"Did you just – push out all the people he was using just to take up all the space?" Luffy asked with confusion, aware that the demon was moving as multiple people noisily bespoke of their confusing surroundings. "Get your damn sword!"

"Kid, instead of talking, get to action," the older man snapped at Luffy, stepping over Law to approach him. "Clearly he ain't in no control."

Luffy looked to the demon with eyes that steadily grew large on his face, hearing Law curse noisily as he struggled to rise to his feet. The man buttoned up his shirt, hands shaking with the task as his expressions shifted with a noticeable lag. Law dropped to his knees once more, panting heavily as his shoulders shifted and shook. Luffy lunged forward to grab the abandoned sword on the floor, his fingers uncomfortable with the weight and shape of it. But he posed with Kikoku with determination, brandishing it as best as he could in front of the struggling man.

"Old man," Luffy addressed the one standing nearby, who was patting his pockets. The demon lurched about, ghosts scurrying about with confused expression. A girl with pink pigtails wailed angrily off the side, stomping the floor with one heel. "I watched a ton of anime. I know how to use this thing. A lot of Samurai Champloo knowledge go to these hands!"

"I don't know what that is, but I know you're doing it all wrong," the older man snapped at him. "And call me Smoker – I ain't all that old, you little shit. I died in combat, prime of my life!"

"Says you with your white hair – c'mon, demon! Come get some!" Luffy shouted, swinging the sword with chaotic movements.

The demon's eyes flashed brilliantly before setting itself into a warning crouch, mottled teeth gleaming with an oily grin. Fingers wrapped tightly around Luffy's ankle, and he glanced down to see Law holding onto him. He kicked that hand away.

"Start trusting me!" Luffy snarled, before charging at the demon.

"Oh, that kid's going to die," Smoker muttered with a cringe, watching the long sword flash from side to side with clumsy action. Luffy leapt over some debris as the demon sprang to one side and slammed into him like an overgrown dog, pushing body through the hole in the wall and down into the stairway. With pure, stubborn determination, Luffy released the sword and wrapped his arms around the creature's thick neck as they slammed into the hard set of stairs. He was nearly knocked out of Sanji, both of them flickering briefly upon impact.

The demon snarled as Kikoku clattered noisily down the stairway, blade scraping noisily against the plastic edges of the stairs. Luffy hugged the creature tightly, legs kicking out and back to brace himself against any sturdy ground his feet could find. Both his and Sanji's forms flickered ever so briefly before resetting, Luffy growling noisily as he pressed his head against the creature's jawline, to prevent it from twisting and biting at him. Cold, wet hands grasped his arms as the demon pulled back, jerking him off his feet. The sensation of ice against skin caused Luffy to shout with surprise, but his feet braced against the creature's stomach, and he flung all his strength and weight into a kick that knocked the demon's breath from it. The moment he felt it start to jerk back, he loosened one arm and landed a hard punch against the creature's jaw, still clinging with one arm around its neck.

He punched several times in succession, bracing his feet against the creature's stomach. Once he felt it start to lose its balance, he jerked his weight outward, swinging it off center. Luffy forced it down the stairs, clambering over the creature like a mouse before jumping with both feet against the back of its head to help it fall.

He caught himself neatly onto the stairs as the demon rolled down the set of stairs, ending up on the basement level with a clatter of noise. He grinned victoriously, then angrily pulled at the hem of his shirt – he ripped that off and tossed it to the side, moving his shoulders and arms freely, the messenger bag dropped to the stair at his feet. He found Kikoku, the blade catching against stairs, railing and wall before he steadied himself with it.

Examining the long blade with bewilderment, he hollered up so Law could hear him. "You overcompensating for something with such a long sword, man? How suspect! Longer isn't always better, Ace always said."

"Shut up!" Law shouted back crankily, his voice briefly intermingling with another's before it turned into his own. "Get back here!"

"I mean, I'm sure Ace was – is – straight," Luffy assured himself, watching the demon as it struggled to right itself within the confined space. Legs kicked out, hands flailing before it managed to do so with an enraged snarl. He could only see red globs in the darkness, Luffy pausing in mid-descent. "But he always talked so much shit - !"

"Kid, you talk too much," Smoker commented from the hole in the wall before hefting himself down onto the stairs. "Make some room. I'll help ya out."

"No, I got this - !" Luffy protested before Smoker disappeared into him, Sanji's shoulders shaking briefly before his facial expression changed to reflect the older man's smug one. His fingers tightened around Kikoku as he descended the stairway.

The demon snarled noisily before lunging up at him. A split second later, Smoker kicked out to catch the demon's face with one heel before whipping around in a roundhouse that knocked the demon up against the wall with a loud rattle of sound. He caught himself nimbly with one foot atop of the rail and the other foot braced against the wall as the demon slumped briefly onto the stairway, its weight carrying it back down the steps with a sense of disorientation. Black tipped fingers scraped against the stairs noisily as Smoker whistled with appreciation, looking down at himself.

"This body is nimble despite its wimpy appearance," he muttered thoughtfully before releasing the sword with one hand and making a face. "Weak fists, though. Suspiciously stretchy legs – are we a ballerina?"

"Give me the knife!" Law barked from the hole in the wall, expressions shifting on his face as he unsteadily pushed himself to his feet. His limbs jerked about, as if trying to shake the invader from his body. His voice shifted, lowering and trembling with each change. "Give me – stop fighting – give me that – get out – fucking knife!"

Hand over his eyes, as if shielding them from the sun, Sanji gave Law an expression that was entirely Luffy's. "Man, you are the definition of a crazy man…"

But he picked the bag and tossed it up to him. "We're working together here, okay? No funny stuff, or I'll kick your ass, too."

The demon lunged up at him, barreling into his body and carrying him up the stairway as Law shakily opened the bag to retrieve the cleaver. His hands shook dangerously, knife nearly dropping out of his reach before he could catch it. Sanji was slammed into the wall, Kikoku dropping from his hand as he braced himself against the demon with a stubborn grunt.

"Filthy animal!" he snarled, kicking to gain some space as the demon grabbed him by the top of the head and slammed his head back against the wall. Two heads lagged behind his before he could collect himself with a stubborn expression, facial expression twitching. He managed to stretch a foot underneath the creature, kicking upward and catching the demon just below the ribcage. Once he had space, he rammed his fist into the demon's face, slugging him multiple times before leaping out of the demon's grasp.

Sanji hopped away from the demon, nimbly using its bowed head as a springboard to return to Law's side. He jerked the older man to his feet, forcing Law to drop his bag. "Get yourself together, old man," he snapped as Law snarled at him, cleaver clutched dangerously close to his face. "Decide on what you're going to do."

"I know what I'm going to do," Law heaved, his facial expression twisting and twitching before taking on Gin's maddened one.

It took Sanji a moment to determine which instinct he wanted to trust before leaping away from the man – moments before the cleaver could cut him. The metal flashed menacingly as it nearly connected with his throat, and Sanji pushed himself into a backward slide along the tiled floor, looking at Law with grim understanding.

The older man –Gin – turned to face him as the demon slowly crawled out from the stairway, panting noisily. Gone was Law's confident stance, his scowling expression. Over that was every characteristic of Gin's face over his, jaw moving with unfamiliar clenching and tension.

"To think, I almost trusted you," Sanji commented lightly, shaking his head as Gin's fingers tightened around the handle of the cleaver.

"I admit, I'm a little slow at capturing trust," Gin confessed with a shrug. "Must be the face."

The demon lunged over Gin and slammed into Sanji before Sanji could do a thing. Both of them passed through the window without breaking it – going ghost! – and hit the lawn outside in a tumble of limbs. The creature was the first to right itself, snarling and attacking with teeth exposed and fingers grasping – Sanji kicked and twisted, landing a foot each time to parry away its attacking hands and mouth. He whirled legs over head and was on his feet in moments, fast enough to put distance between them. The demon lunged at him once more, flimsy bubbles and smoke drifting after it with its movements.

Sanji avoided the danger easily, but his eyes kept darting back towards the library.

Law - ! he thought desperately, his own voice audible outside of the concentrative efforts of both Smoker and Luffy as they commanded his body. It was seeing the activity from some other position – third person? – and Sanji was helpless against it. But he had to trust the layers to keep him from being felled, trusting both Luffy and Smoker's fighting instincts to take over where he couldn't.

Gunfire rang out noisily, startling Sanji. But the demon jerked back spastically, releasing a furious roar of tonal noise as its skin reacted with open, smoking wounds.

"You bastard!" Penguin shouted furiously, striding forward with gun held with confidence in both hands.

"You killed Law!" Shachi shouted theatrically from the van, fist in the air. He snickered (how could he laugh and quote a cartoon at a time like this? Sanji thought) and Jean Bart was removing himself from the van as well, loading a gun with bullets that gleamed silver underneath the street lights. Penguin fired again, the demon screaming noisily, smoke exploding around it.

"Silver bullets?" Sanji heard himself ask skeptically, fists clenched as he readied himself to react if the demon attacked.

"Specially made," Jean Bart assured him as Penguin emptied his clip into the demon. The creature jerked and twirled about like a balloon released of pressure, shrieking in pain. "Where is Law?"

"Gin took him over. Removed everybody."

Jean Bart frowned grimly, lifting his gun with one hand and taking over while Penguin hastily reloaded. "That's not good. Why are you half naked? Pretty sure you went in there fully clothed…"

"If you had guns," Sanji stated with disbelief, ignoring his question, "why didn't you use them earlier?"

"Pellets against steel," Jean Bart answered as Penguin began to unload his weapon onto the demon. He reloaded calmly with a new clip. "It's not enough, but it's enough to distract."

"Yeah, but - !"

"Who are you exactly?" Penguin asked him as Jean Bart took over. "And why are you half naked? What is with you guys and wanting to fight practically naked all the time?"

"Freedom, guy! I have better movement this way. It's too bad I'm not wearing shorts, and then I'd probably be much faster…"

The demon began to pull shadows from the areas around it, heaving noisily with gurgling breath. The pair of man watched it grimly, Shachi hastily tossing them new clips from the van. Sanji caught sight of Gin walking away from the library, heading into another direction. He made to give chase when the demon pounced in front of him, blocking Sanji's view of the other man.

Penguin used that moment to dart around the demon, firing at the man's back as Sanji looked at him with horror. Easily, Gin evaded the action, turning and using the cleaver to cut bullet in half. Penguin's face shifted with awed action, gun lowered slightly as his mouth fell open. Gin steadied himself, one foot back before closing the distance between them in seconds, the cleaver's blade flashing for brilliance as the man was frozen in shock.

Sanji was already in movement, foot slamming into the side of Gin's head and knocking him backward. The cleaver's blade cut through Penguin's bang with harmless action before the man jerked back in belated action. Gin righted himself, arm flung out and catching Sanji across the chest, slamming him down into the grass. Jean Bart fired round after round, Gin jerking in motion to avoid behind hit. Sanji used his feet to kick one of Gin's legs back; then, once the man was off balance, caught him in the hip. He made the bicycle kick look easy as he rolled onto his back, heels landing hip – stomach – chest - chin - forehead before twisting on his shoulders to grab the man's ankle and yank him off his feet.

Gin landed with a hard exhale, but the cleaver whipped through the air – Sanji jerked wildly to the side, using a fist against the back of Gin's hand to redirect the cleaver away before launching his other fist into the man's face. Gin kicked at him, Sanji avoiding neatly before slamming elbow into the older man's face. He whirled back to his feet, launching punch after punch as Gin was caught in the flurry. For a moment, Gin and Law separated before Gin ensnared Sanji's fist with his teeth and yanked his head backward.

"OW!" Sanji shouted with surprise, caught within the force and stumbling forward. Gin landed hard punches of his own before Sanji could land a foot to his chest, forcing them apart. Now that they had distance, both of them glared at each other, panting for breath.

The demon continued to grow stronger, Jean Bart looking slightly worried as Shachi took cover behind him with an anxious look. He held a reusable grocery bag in hand, which held boxes of bullets with stickers and permanent markers declaring the boxes as "HAZARDOUS".

"Go find Kikoku," Jean Bart ordered of the redhead, Shachi nodding before shooting off towards the library, leaving the bag behind. Seeing Sanji and Gin stare at each other with fearsomely determined expressions, Jean Bart reloaded his gun, Penguin crawling to his side with part of his bang missing. "We'll keep that thing occupied. Let them handle each other."

"How are we going to remove the hostile from him?" Penguin asked shakily, retrieving a box before reloading a clip.

"If you have the shot, take it. It'll be enough to rattle that guy away from Law."

Gin turned his head to determine the demon's strength, Sanji looking in the same direction. The creature's wounds were gone, and it looked light on its feet as its red, beady eyes turned in their direction. It released a hiss, smoke emitting from it as the gathered shadows around it began to bulk up its body.

Gin looked back at Sanji. "No matter what you do to it," he said low, "it'll continue to survive. It's too strong. Fighting it is pointless."

"Is this a warning?" Sanji asked him idly, examining his shoulder for wounds before winding it up. "Are you telling me how to kill it, or you trying to prompt me entry into your cult? I can fight it all day! I feel great!"

"We had this conversation," Gin warned him. "And you have my answers."

"Maybe I wasn't listening," Sanji said with a worried frown. Gin frowned back at him, Law's features unidentifiable as his own – but Sanji's was a mixture of Luffy and Smoker. "So you should tell me again."

The demon roared noisily, grass fluttering underfoot and tree branches shaking. Pigeons, roosting for the night, took startled flight. There were sirens in the distance, steadily growing closer to the area because of the gunshots. A man screamed in horror, but his voice was tinny and far away – a ghost startled by the event.

"Let go of him, Gin," Sanji then ordered. "He doesn't wanna work with you. He doesn't trust me to make the best decisions for all of us. Control freak."

"It's too bad for him," Gin answered as the demon lunged in their direction. Gin stepped calmly to the side, watching Sanji while Sanji looked grimly at the creature that intended on charging him. Another glance at the man assured Sanji that Gin was not intending on interfering. He bunched his fists and set himself as Jean Bart and Penguin fired repeatedly at the charging demon.

Its skin and fur exploded upon multiple impact, smoke and filmy bubbles blasting away from it. It stumbled ever so slightly, but opened its mouth wide, intending on a bite. Sanji launched up and flung a foot out at its face, twisting just in time to avoid being grabbed in mid-air – he dropped an elbow atop of the demon's head, snatched a handful of fur and flung himself over the demon's back as it stumbled forward onto the grass. Nimbly, he rolled off the demon's back and landed in a clumsy crouch as the demon rolled feet over head.

It didn't take long to recover – once again in Sanji's face, Sanji's hands pushing up from below to catch its chin and redirect those mottled teeth away from him. But the demon's hands grabbed him by the middle, ripping him away with its longer reach. He was slammed down into the grass, repeatedly until the demon tossed him like a toy in the distance. The demon turned to face the two men that watched it warily, reloading their weapons while Gin watched without expression nearby.

"Law," Penguin called out slowly, watching the demon move their way. "Law, do something, asshole."

Gin's eye twitched, but his shoulders relaxed, cleaver held at his side.

"Law…!"

Gunshots fired off as the demon charged at them, not slowing, even as bullets impacted its heavy body. Gin's mouth stretched with a smile as Penguin and Jean Bart began to back away, firing and reloading as fast as they could. The demon's powerful back legs took its weight to allow it to jump, hands outstretched towards the pair. Jean Bart shoved Penguin away so he could take the impact, gun signaling an empty clip. Gin's smile stretched and held, waiting for impact.

A Smart Fortwo Electric Drive car slammed off the demon's body, causing Gin's expression to shift with a startled look and the demon a pained whine as creature and electric car rolled over the grass with heavy noises. Gin whirled around to see Sanji breathing heavily, having lifted and tossed the tiny car like a toy; his expression was pure Luffy, the boy reaching for a hat that wasn't there.

"I forgot," Sanji panted, starting to run towards the demon as it shook off the impact, "I'm practically Superman, now. I'm going to super-pound your ass, demon!"

"Well, now that's a feat I kinda want to see, and kinda don't," he heard Penguin mutter, Sanji pausing in mid-stride to think about what he said. He reddened, but used his mortification with his wording to propel him forward.

"Not what I meant!" he yelled, lowering a shoulder to ram the demon away, causing it to fly into the nearby parking lot. "NOT WHAT I MEANT!"

"IDIOT!"

Sanji made to charge after the demon, but instead grabbed the smartcar by its back bumper. Gin looked at him with surprise as Sanji then flung the electric car at him. Once Jean Bart saw Gin fly out of Law's body with a whoosh of sound, he darted forward to cover his friend as Law hit the ground. He couldn't see the ghost now, but Law looked at him with a dazed expression – more confused than injured. Once he was able to get his bearings, he pushed sluggishly to his feet, Jean Bart helping him with a pat to the back.

Sanji pointed at Law before returning his attention to the demon as it slowly picked itself up from the parking lot. "I did that. I saved your life. You owe me."

Catching his breath, Law looked back to see that Gin was gone. He patted himself weakly, then refocused on the shirtless blonde ahead of him, a look of distaste on his tired expression. Shachi was running out from the library, holding his sword. The sound of sirens was growing closer, and Law saw the flicker of red and blue lights on the surrounding building walls.

"Get the van," he ordered of Jean Bart, feeling like he'd just run a marathon. "Get the van, park over there. Give them what they what, but act the part. Meet back at the bar."

"What are you going to do?" Jean Bart asked him skeptically, watching as Sanji charged after the demon (yelling a battle cry with Luffy's voice).

Law touched the tattoo on his neck with dirty fingertips (DEATH) before retrieving a locket from his fifth pocket. He showed Jean Bart before snatching a sheathed Kikoku from Shachi's hands, the redhead out of breath and on his knees before he could say anything. Jean Bart yanked on Shachi's arm to force him to his feet, giving Law a look of chagrin before Law could leave.

Hearing the trio abide by his order, Law hurried towards the battle in the parking lot. It was impressive seeing that skinny, unremarkable form hold up impressive feats and launch attacks only seen in cartoons, but Sanji was basically a superhuman when layered. Once settled, he clenched the locket within his fingers, struggling to catch his breath.

"Luffy," he commanded, catching the blonde's attention immediately as he looked away from the demon (who was trying to pull itself together, using the shadows around it), "get out of the way."

"What's that?" Sanji asked curiously, venturing towards him. He wiped his hands on his jeans, then settled them on his hips with boyish action. It made Law wince at the sight of his bare upper torso, which was flecked with dirt, grass and light injury – but nothing serious. He looked once more at locket, eyebrows lifted with interest.

"Just do as I say," Law ordered him. "Cora. I need you."

"That big clown guy?" Sanji asked with alarm, as black smoke exploded away from the locket, enveloping Law's hand and arm like a snake. He jerked back as Law looked at him with a wince – apology? – before being completely covered by black smoke. Once it blew away, Sanji lifted his chin ever so slightly to see another man standing in Law's spot – he wore Law's clothes but clearly stood as a completely different person. Unlike the layer Sanji was used to, where the ghosts were invisible behind a living person's features, this one was clearly the clown without makeup.

The demon hissed as its head whipped from side to side, clearly searching before giving it. It sank into the shadows and disappeared without indication of its direction. Corazon looked at Sanji with disdain before turning and walking briskly away from the parking lot lights, heading for the sidewalk. Sanji followed with a clear look of confusion on his face. Once they were out of sight of the approaching patrol cars, Corazon paused in mid-step – a hit from his palm knocked both Luffy and Smoker out of Sanji, all three of them falling to the sidewalk in various directions.

"Ow," Sanji croaked, utterly disoriented and wondering where his clothes were.

Luffy stared up at the city scape, eyes huge against his face while he held the knuckles of one hand, rubbing absently. Smoker crossed his arms over his chest, scowling while his teeth snapped together; clearly craving something. Corazon propped the sword at his shoulder, looking down at them. All around them was a visible flutter of smoke that constantly rotated and shifted around their supine bodies like rushing water.

At the sound of approaching steps, the three on the ground looked over to see a couple of police officers with flashlights and drawn guns looking around them with expressions of concentration. Without realizing it, Sanji held his breath, unable to think of any excuse to give when he was found. But the cops looked beyond and over them – as if the pair were wearing some sort of invisible cloaks. Looking to Corazon then back at them, Sanji sat up stiffly, hugging his torso as the pair then darted back to where they came from. Luffy sat up with a complaint while Smoker checked his uniform pockets for anything to put between his teeth.

"Can I please be excused?" he asked impatiently.

Corazon nodded at him, Smoker fading away without saying anything at all. Luffy reached out and grabbed Sanji, but his fingers only closed around the man's arm without any other action. He crammed himself up against Sanji, Sanji pushing him away with alarm. Once he realized he wasn't realigning with Sanji, Luffy looked at Corazon with immense confusion.

"Get up. Both of you," Corazon commanded of them, patting his jeans pockets until he found a silver case. He tugged out a cigarette and lit it with a match – Sanji stared incredulously at him, absolutely positive Law didn't smoke. And yet, the cigarette case and the cigarettes themselves were obvious products of the clown's time. The exhaled smoke was fragrant and thick – familiar – when Corazon frowned down at the pair of them. "My gleam is doing all the work. You're safe for now."

"What happened to the demon?" Luffy asked sullenly, reaching up to adjust his hat and fiddle with his clothes. "Is that it?"

"For now. We got a good gauge on their strength and abilities," Corazon said tightly. He looked to Sanji. "And? Is Gin or isn't Gin on our side?"

Sanji shook his head ever so slightly, clumsily crossing his arms over his naked chest and shivering. "I don't even know. The moment I thought he was on our side, he…clearly made way for the other thing…"

"He has a gleam," Corazon reported. "I was able to see it. He can camouflage himself to his surroundings– it's very interesting that he can do that. Hide from prying eyes. Like one of those little green lizards…"

"I mean, he's a ghost," Luffy pointed out impatiently. "Ghosts can be invisible."

"If you're not looking in the right spot, you can absolutely miss him," Sanji murmured thoughtfully. "But he can be seen."

"Let's go home, we'll talk in depth there," Corazon then ordered, sword on his shoulder and cigarette at his lips. He walked ahead while the pair ambled after him with uncertain expressions. Luffy gave Sanji his coat, but Sanji refused it because he was still a living being and Luffy's coat was something only a ghost could wear.