Naghi-Tan: It's so weird because once I started posting, I stg I began seeing more of the Baratie arc on my social media feeds, even before our Tumblr convo. Krieg and Gin were more of a focus than my usual OP likes and I think it's just fate that they're brought back around. As for Law and Snooj, I did promise for a happy ending :D I just like writing trouble :P
Mazout: For titles, I just go with the flow of the song, and it ends where it ends ( can't say where! :D) 'Sandy', 'Pipo' and 'Creek'? Why? XD Tho, I do like the sound of Pipo and Sandy XD XD Gin was the only loveable character from that arc (not counting snooj and papa zeff) that should absolutely be allowed to show his face again in these modern times – it's been long enough, where is he? Surely they're making their way up to the top of the pirate times…! Or maybe Krieg got himself in trouble and caused a setback? But you'd think at least Gin's name would reappear…I do wonder about him…despite their relationship, I wonder what Gin sees in Krieg that makes gin an absolutely devoted follower after seeing Krieg served up by a kid in a strawhat and a bunch of cooks?
13: I Don't Think You Know Her
"I've years upon your experience to know exactly what I'm doing," Krieg told Law directly, rolling his blood-spattered eyes in the man's direction. They then shifted to Robin, the woman's fan of arms behind her shifting direction to slowly encase her, like a drooping flowerhead. "I've learned that our souls can linger…like a bad memory or smell, as long as we continue to grow with the addition of other gleams. Gin, bless his dumb soul, figured out that destroying a body could interrupt the process – but it can't stop it. Otherwise…how is she still thriving?"
Robin's lips tightened, but she said nothing.
"Other gleams won't last like we do," Krieg said, looking to Law once more. "But as long as I keep pulling them in – I won't die. Other ghost hunters learned the hard way about it."
"You've run into your last hunter," Law promised, Kikoku pulled up defensively in front of him. "I'll send you to hell."
Krieg laughed noisily. The glass windows vibrated ever so slightly, as if a plane were passing too close overhead. Gin exhaled slow and steady, but his skin seemed to shimmer with a light sweat. Sanji watched him from behind the counter, looking for clues while Luffy braced himself with his fists up in front of him.
"Many have tried!" Krieg shouted at Law impatiently, voice causing the living to cringe ever so slightly. "But I am too mighty to be felled that easily! I was at peace, Trafalgar, living where we were. You decided to interrupt that peace. Now…I take your peace from you."
"Krieg," Gin sputtered with some hesitation, the ghost glancing at him with a frown pulling at his lips, "think about it."
"What's there to think about?"
"Keep your wits about you," Robin said aloud, Sanji feeling a twinge of guilt hit him as he realized she was addressing him. "Do not fall prey to something so obvious."
"I'm not…!" Gin protested in her direction before pulling back his voice and expression, looking at his former employer with resignation.
Law narrowed his eyes as he felt Sanji's attention drift back towards the ghost standing in the corner. "Luffy."
"I'm here, old man," Luffy said, showing a confident smile.
"Be a layer."
"We're going to do the Fusion Dance together? We'll be unstoppable!"
"Not me, moron!"
Krieg laughed, filthy hands to his hips. "You two? Against me? Don't you know of my history?"
"Whatever was written about you was lost under the glare of his crimes!" Law snapped at him, indicating Gin. Krieg paused in mid-laugh, looking over at him with a frown.
"We were a successful group," Krieg told Law with a serious frown. "Feared by cops and public alike. Fed like kings, cared for like treasures. We were without any wants. Recognized by those that understood our successful operations. We can't transport it? We brew it."
"So…no Fusion Dance?" Luffy asked, dismissing Krieg's exploits. He looked at Kikuko with excitement, Law resisting the urge to hide his sword childishly.
"I was one of the most feared men at my time," Krieg murmured. "Gin understood that. That's why he obeyed me back then. It is still, to this day, that situation, isn't it, Gin?"
"There's nothing to fear now that you're both dead," Sanji spoke up evenly. "What can one ghost do to another, asides sending them where they need to go? Not like there are anymore earthly attachments. If he threatens you, it's meaningless, Gin."
Gin glanced at him, furrowing his dark brow with consideration. Krieg's wild eyes snapped to his direction, seeming with warning.
"What we die with," Gin said low, "is all that we have left. The fairy tale he spoke of is nothing more than hope in a fairy tale I don't believe in."
I know, I saw it for myself, Sanji thought with a tightening of his jaw. I see it all for myself in these streets.
"But you were also left with the fact that what you did was right for your time," Law insisted, fingers tightening on the handle of his sword while he kept Krieg in line of sight. "And it's still right for right now."
"He didn't kill me," Krieg insisted. "He only set me free! Just as he was supposed to do! This tale of doing the right thing was something I'd insisted on! She said it – I was looking into my killer's face as he slaughtered me!"
"History doesn't mention you," Robin retorted, "because all that's left your mouth are fictional stories!"
Then how did Shachi figure out his name? Law wondered off-hand.
Krieg looked to Robin once more with his face blazing with rising fury. His eyes began to darken with filmy oil, coloring the orbital areas with heavy shadow while his mouth began to elongate – shadows began to build around his shoulders and hair, the sound of hissing beginning to rise from his area. His body seemed to expand ever so slightly, growing in height and width – stretching with unrecognizable material caused by a power Law couldn't place.
He figured Krieg was powerful only because of the amount of gleams he'd consumed. Law hadn't been able to count out how many souls he'd cut to ashes, earlier.
"You might have had sensational exploits," Robin continued smugly, "but it was your men that carried out what you could not."
"I was there, every time," Krieg murmured. "I caused both the living and the dead to fear me. Of course I couldn't draw that much attention – what I could do was already unbelievable. Who would believe what I do? Do they, now, understand what you can do?"
He directed this to Law, who frowned ever so slightly.
"All this dumb talk!" Luffy exclaimed, moving forward. "Less talking, more action!"
Robin yanked him back with sprouting hands from the floor, yanking him clear over to the bar area while leaving Law standing there alone. Luffy grunted as he impacted the counter, Sanji looking over to Gin with resignation and finding the ghost fading slowly from sight – the gleam of his cleaver visible for a split second as he welded it within one hand.
He pushed forward with instinctive action, to get to Law before Gin could while Krieg held the man's attention.
He heard Law's frustrated explanation in his thoughts – about the waiter, what he did – and realized too late that he was doing the thing Law feared the most. He halted in mid-step, even as the instinct to help screamed horrendously throughout his entire body. He picked up parts of a chair and flung them instead, one of the legs bouncing off Law's head and causing the man to stumble. Gin's cleaver missed his neck by inches, allowing Sanji to determine where the rest of his body was. He shot in that direction, whipping a leg around and catching the ghost directly in the chest, knocking Gin out of his camouflage and sending him flying back towards the front door. His cleaver clattered noisily to the floor.
When he was aware of what happened, Gin gave Sanji an astonished look, hand to his chest with surprised pain.
Now aware of what was happening around him, Law shouted, "LUFFY!"
Luffy jerked away from the counter, Robin resetting herself with a lighter expression, hands shooting up from the floors and debris around the scene. Sanji hopped backward, feeling the boy jump into him. Krieg reacted by lunging at Law as Luffy took over Sanji completely, Gin picking himself up from the floor with a low growl of frustration.
With a roar, Luffy ripped off the hoodie and shirt Sanji had outfitted himself with, then shot forward to meet Krieg's massive fist before it could connect with Law. Krieg reacted with a start when two skinny arms held his unnaturally large fist overhead, the limb smoking lightly with black, filmy bubbles. Using Krieg's wrist for support, Luffy kicked out with both feet and caught the ghost in the gut, sending Krieg flying across the bar space and into a wall, causing pictures to shatter and fall, and for the entire wall to shudder with a light protest.
Law looked at Luffy with clear shock as the boy straightened himself up with a chuckle, reaching up for a hat that wasn't there. Law looked back at Robin for an explanation, but the woman merely shrugged a shoulder.
She cleared the floor of debris with her multiple hands, giving Law room to maneuver while Gin assessed the scene and Krieg slowly picked himself up from the floor. Luffy shot towards Krieg with a winding growl, the man hastily bracing himself before charging forward to meet him. Both of them slammed into each other, Luffy using his feet to climb up Krieg's thigh and wrap his legs around his ruined neck. Krieg wrapped his massive hands around Luffy's neck as Luffy crossed his ankles and straightened out his legs, managing to yank out of the bigger man's grasp. Luffy reached out and grabbed hold of Krieg's knee and hugged it, blond hair dangling over the floor as Krieg made to steady himself. With a keening growl of effort, Luffy forced his feet to the floor, Krieg rocked off balance with a startled look to his face as both head and neck popped, dangerously stretching from what bodily attachments were left. Blood splattered over the floor, evaporating slowly as Krieg fought to stay steady with Luffy's effort.
Seeing that he couldn't succeed, Luffy hurled a fist into the man's open groin and caused Krieg to fall to his knees. Scrambling out from underneath him, Luffy climbed onto his back and hugged his neck within both arms before using his feet to brace against his shoulders and yank upward.
He barely had time to duck the cleaver Gin swiped at him, losing hold of Krieg's neck and tripping to the floor. Robin grabbed hold of Gin, the man wildly swinging his cleaver about and hacking off various hands and fingers, dancing out of her grasp before she could tighten her hold. Krieg jerked his head up and back before Law's blade could find it, but Kikoku scraped over his thighs and cleaved through one arm before Krieg could stop it. He snagged hold of the man's turtleneck and swung him outward before flinging him across the bar.
Shelves, glasses and bottles shattered as Law slammed into it, dropping down behind the counter with a winded grunt. He curled into a ball as that shielded him from the falling debris, cursing noisily as all aches and pains in his body began to register. Hearing the sounds of the fight continue, Law shakily pushed himself up to one hip – every part of him felt battered and bruised, and he winced as he braced himself for a second wind.
I'm going to feel it tomorrow.
"Last job?"
Hearing Robin ask that caused Law to remember why he was still in it.
"You're not as spry as you used to be."
"Stop calling me old," Law said crankily, using the counter to rise to his feet. "I'm twenty-fucking-six."
He watched incredulously as Luffy fought Krieg nearly fist to fist – blocking, dodging and throwing bombs that rocked the bigger man nearly off his feet. His fast moving feet and hasty turns and lunges were nearly inhuman – Law had to remind himself that Luffy was in Sanji's body to do so, but it was hard picturing the sullen blond when he was moving like that.
"Where'd you find this kid?" Law asked Robin.
She didn't answer, and Law popped out from behind the counter, seeing Gin watching him warily from the side of the fight scene. The basement door cracked open very slightly, and Law wiped his face (blood or booze?) and kicked it shut before moving on. He stalked towards the man, eliminating flying obstacles that bore down on him in the spray of Luffy's and Krieg's fight.
"To rid of the man, I need to get rid of the dog," Law vowed as Gin prepared himself to fight with a smirk of his own.
"Even if you do, it won't affect him," Gin assured him, lunging forward. Cleaver and sword met in the middle, Law shoving the weapon aside before teep-kicking the ghost – forgetting that he couldn't touch him without his layers. He watched his foot pass through Gin easily before he reset himself and used his sword to do all the reaching. Gin evaded all swipes and parries, cleaver clanging noisily upon occasional connection.
"Just die already, move on!" Law snarled at him, catching the cleaver at the guard and hauling both weapons upward. Gin lightly hopped up to move with the motion, then flung legs over head to somersault over Law's head, cleaver unlocked from Kikoku. Gin lunged at him with his weapon, clashing first with his blade, then whirling around to whip it at his head – Law jerked away, twirling sword in both hands to plunge blade back, catching the man's left thigh and causing him to stumble.
Ashes fluttered against the floor, causing Gin a startled expression as he dragged his leg, clapping a hand over that area. He looked from Law's sword to him with surprise as Law reset himself, Luffy flying through the air behind him to impact the front door. Krieg roared with mighty victory before flinging debris at Law, charging at him. Robin's hands caught the debris individually before extending and forming ropes to curl around Krieg's legs, stopping him in mid-rampage. Gin shot forward to force Law towards Krieg, Robin's hands lifting from the floor like flowers and snatching at Gin's feet.
The man shifted attention to them while Law steadied himself and began charging at Krieg while Luffy slowly picked himself up from the floor.
"Gin," he heaved as Krieg easily parried away Law's sword, using his blackened fists to do so. It sounded like metal upon metal, sparks flying ever time impact was made. Luffy's face softened ever so slightly to represent Sanji's, his fists held at his sides as his chest heaved for breath. Gin looked at him reproachfully.
"We can handle it from here," Sanji told him. "You've done enough."
Luffy's face reappeared with an outraged roar, shaking his head from side to side. "Men can only talk with their fists! I'm going to pound my opinion into you with just my hands!"
Smirking, Gin replied, "I know that dance well enough."
"But you made such an effort - !" Various expressions shifted through Sanji's facial features. "So far - ! It bothered you that much to make a change – if this is what you want, it won't fix the problem that bothered you – well, so be it! You gave me permission to kick your ass!"
Krieg managed to rip free from Robin's grasp, sinking into the floor in a flurry of smoke. Robin's fan of hands quickly curled over and around her, multiple fingers plunging into the floor at her feet to provide a safety cage for herself. Krieg ripped out from the floorboards away from her, multiple hands pushing and shoving him away. Others reached out from the floor, tripping him as she stood her ground.
"If I get rid of you, I can get rid of the evidence! Cop! Or were you a government dog?" Krieg snarled, hurling debris at her. Hands formed out from the fan around her, blocking impact from the ghost that stood her ground with determination. Krieg whirled around and blocked Law's attack, gripping Kikoku within one hand, the blade sinking into his fist and causing it to smoke and hiss. Growling, Krieg turned to him, Robin's hands crawling all over him to pull him towards the floor. Gin disappeared and reappeared near Law, forcing him to duck and yank away from Krieg – but his blade shifted and cut just enough to allow that hand of Krieg's to disconnect, flung from his outstretched wrist.
Krieg screamed as that hand turned human – dirty, stained and twitching – and fell to the floor with a solid thunk that seemed outrageous against the fallen debris around them. Gin looked at it with stark action, then looked at Krieg with horror as the ghost screamed. Krieg sank to his knees, holding the wrist that billowed with filmy smoke.
Catching his breath, Law studied their reactions, Luffy looking down at the hand that began to fade slowly – fingers twitching towards the ceiling.
"Boss," Gin heaved, skin paling as he watched the hand disappear.
"All the power you have, and it's not enough to stop me," Law warned Krieg, flicking his blade aside as filmy oil decorated the sharp edge. "If you want to be sent to hell piece by piece, then so be it!"
"Have you ever seen 'Idle Hands'?" Luffy asked Law, his eyes huge against his face. "Because this looks like the plot to - !"
Law charged as Krieg was inactive, Gin moving to stand in his way. Lifting Kikoku to slash through the ghost, Law didn't see Krieg rise to his feet, reaching out and grabbing Gin by the back of his hood. With a lunge of his own, he slammed ghost to hunter – Law expected impact by Gin, naturally reacting to avoid impact, but instead of evading, he ran right into Krieg's thrown fist, Gin harmlessly passing through Law and tossed aside like a discarded toy. His cleaver landed onto the floor and whirled away while Law collapsed against Krieg with a winded grunt, fingers loosening around his sword handle as his lights flickered.
Luffy was in action, flying high enough to land a heel against Krieg's face as the ghost intended on finishing the task with Law. Law managed to roll aside as Krieg flounced backward under Luffy's kick. The boy landed atop of him, sitting on his chest to land punch after punch into Krieg's face. Krieg rolled off to the side, thrusting the boy aside with a hard push of his handless wrist. Gin slowly picked himself up, hand to his ribs – he looked down at his hand to see ashes collected in his palm, and he was bewildered as to how that had happened in the flash instant action began. He searched for his cleaver.
With a roar of effort, Law tightened his grip and whirled around, plunging the tip of his sword into Krieg's back and pushing downward so that the blade effectively cut through the ghost's shoulder blades, ribs and hips. Krieg jerked forward, smoke and ashes falling away from him – he rolled away, kicking aside debris to do so.
The moment Krieg rested his weight to recover with panting gasps, Robin's hands reached up and latched onto him, fingers cutting into his flesh with the grip of steel. She growled with effort, the fan around her momentarily flickering as she applied all her energy and power into the move. Krieg shouted aloud with curses, struggling to get out of her grip. Gin retrieved his cleaver and was on his feet, placing himself between the man and the two others that faced him.
"Gin," Krieg cried, using one hand to pry at Robin's, "I'm weak."
"Stand aside! Don't stick up for someone willing to use you as a fucking tool!" Law snapped at Gin, who gripped his cleaver with both hands, feet firm on the floor.
"I'll create space!" Luffy shouted, charging forward towards Gin.
Gin ducked underneath his fists, kicking backward to catch the boy in the back with the heel of his boot. He jumped and lunged at Law, who rolled off to the side to avoid being halved by the cleaver that was then caught within the tile of the floor. Law saw his moment, lunging forward on his knees to cut the ghost into halves, Gin watching him with unease.
He fluttered out of sight, Law watching his blade connect with the floor with harmless weight. He gave a growl of frustration.
"Focus!" Robin cried out, the fan around her disappearing and more hands reaching up from the floor, from Krieg's body to hold the bigger ghost down. Krieg struggled in earnest before pushing himself back down into the floor with an enraged roar that caused the windows to vibrate. Her multiple hands gripped nothing, clenching tightly as the ghost's weight disappeared.
The entire floor shuddered, then seemed to explode upward – the debris left behind jumped and rang out noisily, the three expecting something massive to rise where Krieg had disappeared. Glass vibrated from the floor, broken pieces glittering underneath the streaming sunlight from the windows. The counter, covered with debris, shuddered noisily. Law straightened from the floor, looking around him sourly until the world seemed to burst with excruciating violence.
: :
You're a dumb ass.
The words reverberated through his consciousness, confusing him as his thoughts slowly collected together. In the ringing darkness, Law fought to recognize his standings, growing aware of soft noises that didn't quite come together for him to identify them. Everything ached and stabbed, head pounding with a headache that made it feel like his very brain was trying to escape through his ears.
Slowly opening his eyes, he registered the panels on the ceiling and the heavy silence that followed. He wanted to throw up, but everything felt so damn heavy. Once Law realized that he was staring up at the bar's ceiling, he winced, trying to remember what had happened. The words that woke him caused him to realize he'd heard them before.
He was coming out of a hangover; they'd had a fight. The waiter had told him this as Law was re-awakening, quite aware that he'd drank excessively and that they'd exchanged hurtful words. The waiter was watching him while he smoked, giving Law an unimpressed look while dressed for work. For a moment, Law thought he was actually there, and he was waking up from that disaster where the waiter had left him – on the kitchen floor with a throw blanket tossed on him and a pillow at his head.
But he wasn't there – he was inside the bar, and the noises around him were those of Luffy fighting Krieg and Gin at the same time, and Robin was calling out to him. Sluggishly rolling over, Law blinked the scene back into place, Kikoku vibrating on its own near his left hand.
He stretched out to grab it, his fingers unwilling to listen to the command until finally curling over the purple robe. Law wasn't sure if he could form words to speak, so noises left him in a slurred jumble. He was suddenly grabbed, hauled with violence from the floor and he realized that his crew were behind the action as Jean Bart held open the basement door and slammed it shut to quiet the noises that were happening inside the bar.
"I have," Shachi said hastily, helping Penguin drag Law to the basement floor while Jean Bart held the door shut with both hands. The door vibrated with heavy thumps and rattling that made both Shachi and Penguin wear panicked expressions. Law felt drained and injured, wincing up at the basement lights with a sense of detachment to his limbs that caused him to drop his hold on his sword. The blade clattered noisily against the floor.
"I have the last of the gleams, boss," Shachi finished clumsily. "Take them. You're gonna need them, man."
"It's so fucked up seeing that place destroyed by nothing!" Penguin exclaimed, hands to his head. "Like, how are we supposed to know what's happening when we can't see anything? All we see is that guy running around half naked, getting slammed around by invisible things!"
"Gleams!" Law realized with a croak as Shachi gestured at himself repeatedly.
"They're recent ones," Jean Bart assured Law from the door, Penguin hurrying over to help him pull the handle towards them as the door continued to vibrate against the frame. "They're strong, they can help. You're getting your ass kicked out there."
Shachi crouched by Law side, placing a palm on his chest. Law felt the difference immediately, various memories scattering over his own and leaving him momentarily disorientated. A few moments later, Shachi looked down at himself with slow action, reacting to the scene upon display from behind his Ray-Bans with dramatic depth.
"Are there now solar eclipses inside of buildings?" he whispered with horror, hands stretching to the ceiling light. Penguin ripped off his beanie to throw at him as Law sat up, breathing slowly to regain his base personality over the layers of different gleams. "It always amazes me how far into the future we already are!"
"God, you're an idiot!" Penguin cursed at him.
Law glanced over his friends before catching sight of a single shadow person crouching behind one of the filing cabinets. Blinking as Shachi exclaimed with awe over the sunglasses he pulled from his face, Law realized that the ghost hiding with his friends was wearing modern clothing – a traditional three-piece suit that was fitting for a funeral. The man's facial features slowly came into view – the ghost hunter Krieg had mentioned, Law realized vaguely. That was how Krieg was named.
Useless knowledge filtered through Law's thoughts as he slowly stood, brushing himself off. Shachi's influence, combined with the gleams the redhead had used to understand today's technology and internet services, rendered Law a far cry from the serious, old soul that he normally was. He took Shachi's Ray-Bans from his friend's hand, pulling on the beanie while Jean Bart and Penguin watched him skeptically.
"What a mess," Law then said with a heaving sigh, hands finding his hips as he frowned down at Kikoku. All he saw in his head were images of anime samurai characters and Uma Thurman in 'Kill Bill'. The sharp whistle of certain scenes hit him as his vision locked in on a blade that looked dirty with ashes. His base personality recalled using it on Gin and Krieg, both of whom were determined to prove their might and get rid of him. He looked to the others. "I need to change my outfit. Something yellow and black, to send a message."
"FOCUS!" Penguin roared at him impatiently, causing Law to jolt with surprise. "For fuck's sake!"
Snatching up his sword, Law held it grimly, waiting for his instinct to kick in. His body was fully aware of the sword and how to use it, but he could not get that ominous whistle out of his head.
"Bill and I need to talk," he whispered, Shachi looking at him with confusion while Penguin struggled to understand who 'Bill' was. Jean Bart looked pained. Law then looked to the man that was watching him with confusion. "Who are you?"
The ghost rose from his hiding spot, brushing off his suit nervously. "I, uh…I know that guy outside. I used to hunt ghosts until…well, I was also fighting off depression, and, well…I knew what that guy was doing. I thought…I heard of you guys, so I thought you could go and…I know, it was stupid, but…!"
"There is the ghost hunter from the group that reached out to Penguin in here, if that is whom you are addressing," Jean Bart told Law, who vaguely remembered the Twitter incident with Penguin. The gleams Shachi was using gave him a vague memory of hearing a man whisper desperately into Shachi's ear minutes earlier to give him Krieg's name. The ghost wasn't sure if he would be heard, but he was successful when Shachi had given Law Krieg's name. Jean Bart watched Law face a corner of the room where only their shelves, filing cabinets and supplies stood. "With his method, he pierced the smugglers' group together, and was able to name Krieg. That's what you needed, right?"
"The demon was a man named Krieg," Law confirmed with a nod, blade against his forehead.
"Can you even see in those glasses?" Penguin asked him skeptically.
Law adjusted them, the lenses flashing. "No, but I see why Shachi wears them. He blocks out the haters this way."
"YOU FOOL - !"
"I'm so nervous - ! I don't know what to do! This is my first time knowing that all the responsibility is on my hands! I usually have a computer or something in them, I don't play with big ass swords!"
Shachi laughed merrily, hand to his stomach. "Blocks out the haters …! Wow, I'm kinda cool, man. But seriously, I can't see. Where's my eyes, man?"
Penguin vibrated with barely contained rage as Law and Shachi looked at each other, laughing with rising hysteria while the ghost and Jean Bart looked confused.
Jean Bart cleared his throat noisily, causing Law to regain his seriousness once more. He looked at Kikoku in hand with a look of chagrin then exhaled heavily. "I think I can do this," he said, moving to the door. "Just got to put the demon away. Okay. This is something even I can do, I've done it before millions of times. Where's the on/off switch on this thing? Probably the only thing that could make this all better is if a babe in a bikini was holding it…"
"Krieg will find us and kill us all," the ghost sobbed, hands to his mouth with fright.
"'Those of you lucky enough to still have their lives, take them with you'," Law uttered, Jean Bart snatching Shachi's glasses off his nose before Law could emerge from the basement. He ducked and cringed when debris shattered overhead, belatedly covering his head with both hands and ineffectively jamming Kikoku into the door – nearly stabbing Penguin on the way down. Penguin shouted and threw himself back while Jean Bart wore a discomforted expression – dark eyes flittering to Luffy before moving back to Law with indecision.
Law hastily stood, using a foot to brace against the door and kick out to dislodge Kikoku from the door and watched as Luffy battered Krieg into one wall before kicking out and knocking Gin back. A cleaver flashed, multiple hands moved in flashing tandem to help, and Law felt dizzy just watching a spectacular scene unfold.
"This was a bad idea!" Penguin whispered to Jean Bart, Shachi ambling up the stairs to look out. He gasped and ducked back in, the ghost wearing a fearful expression as the noises boomed.
"LAW!" Robin shouted at him, her voice desperate.
"So much pressure," Law hissed with dismay, feeling his skin break out in a sweat. Luffy flew past him, slamming into what was left of the counter. In a falling shower of debris, he laid there for a few moments, trying to catch his breath. Gin and Krieg were trying to catch theirs – seeing ghosts struggle to breathe caused Law a troubled expression.
Luffy lifted his head as he pulled himself up, looking tired, but determined. He looked at Law, then tilted his head with confusion.
"What's wrong with you?" he asked, Law looking to him with a start. "You look…different."
"I've got Shachi's gleams," Law told him, brushing himself off as he walked over. Luffy froze at the sight of him brandishing Kikoku like the Bride had before facing off with the Crazy 88. Robin's expression shifted with dismay. "It's the only way we can win right now."
"Oh my god," Luffy exclaimed, dirty hands at his dirty hips. "We're all going to die. You can't take that guy seriously."
"You're already dead," Law reminded him crossly, looking at the reflection in his sword's blade to see Gin and Krieg looking at them with confusion. Law turned to face them, struggling not to have a panic attack. Kikoku shook his hands, Luffy looking from that to his face with indecisive panic of his own.
"Maybe I can help. I might not be that brave, but…but…! I can do something!"
Both of them looked over to see the ghost emerge from the basement. Once Jean Bart, Shachi and Penguin were aware that attention was their way but not on them, they looked around themselves with confusion.
"Who's this guy?" Luffy asked, tilting his head. "I can see him. He's got weird stuff coming out from around him."
"It's his gleam," Law said, squinting at the ghost. "They're…plants? Plant tentacles? Oh, god, I got images…!"
"What's your name?" Robin asked, voice wavering under the strain of her abilities, but struggling to remain calm.
"…Ussop. It's Ussop. Nice to meet you."
