First Penguin had wanted to leave immediately, but then he had decided that there would be no point in searching for the others unless they themselves were in a good enough condition to be prepared for … whatever situation was waiting out on this crazy island, be it a fight or otherwise. Neither him and Bepo nor Kaisei had slept last night and all of them had worked the day before too.
So Penguin allows them and himself an hour of sleep.
It probably was better to not show the Jolly Roger around, even if they were wearing it with pride. If someone was targeting the crew, then it probably was better not to make themselves a deliberate target. … A Clothing change it was before he and Kaisei finally managed to leave again.
Bepo stayed on the submarine to take care of Law. The mink was just far too obvious and out of place... Or so Penguin had thought.
The sun was just rising when they finally left the Polar Tang. Kaisei had his two swords strapped around his waist and somewhere he had found a torn black jacket with the jolly on the left side of his chest. So much for being undercover … It seemed to be impossible for them to wear something that wasn't somewhat related to their Jolly or their captain. … Penguin wasn't really any better in that regard, so he doesn't comment on it.
Kaisei didn't seem very motivated to leave the submarine either. Between his grey lips hung a cigarette which he lit after catching up with Penguin.
"You know that Law doesn't like that."
"We aren't on the ship and the capt'n isn't here", Kaisei responds, blowing the smoke into the rising sun. Penguin ignores his comrade and instead wonders where they should start. "Let's go back to the bar where we were with Law yesterday." Kaisei nods in agreement, and so the two heart pirates set off into the colorful jungle of buildings.
His eyes snap open and immediately close again.
Not a good idea.
Everything around him starts to spin.
Law opens his eyes a second time and stares at a familiar ceiling. It wasn't spinning ... It just felt like it was spinning ... right now he wasn't sure if he should take that as a good or a bad sign.
He was in his cabin and in his bed. A definite good sign.
His limbs and eyelids felt heavy, his neck was screaming, muffled with stiffness, and everything seemed to point to too much alcohol the night before. Something that didn't happen often. A definite bad sign.
Law never had one over the eight. Far too important was it for him to keep a clear mind and to maintain control over his actions. He was not averse to alcohol, but never drank more than a glass or two at a time.
… And still here he was laying in his bed with a hangover and feeling sicker than a dog.
The captain of the Heart-Pirates groans and tries to sit up. It takes a bit before he manages to fight back the nausea that was hitting him after having moved and now was finding that it was preventing him from catching a clear thought again.
What the hell did they do yesterday evening?
They had berthed on an island that seemingly was preparing a festival of some sorts. What was the name again? Did he even ask? Did anyone even mention the name of the island? No one had cared … had they?
Law shakes his head. Irrelevant, after all they already should be at sea again. What was the point of informing yourself about an island if you just wanted to stay a few hours and you didn't want to get involved in anything? If there had been danger then the person in charge of the research would have told him. … Ikkaku was the one if he remembered correctly … maybe he should ask her later.
Sitting upright turned out to be a good solution to stop the dizziness, determines Law.
What did he do yesterday?
He went out with Bepo … No, not just Bepo but Penguin as well.
…
…
Oh fo ...
Penguin!
Damn it!
Law rubs his palms over his eyelids and sighs heavily. If he had dared to liquor Law up, so he would forget about the Shachi situation, then he should begin begging for God's mercy because Law wouldn't give him any!
Trying to concentrate proved to be difficult. His mind was shielded by thick fog and drowsiness and it was frustrating to say the least. Law wonders if it was a good idea to try to get up again. A few minutes pass, where he just stares into nothing before deciding that he did not want to stay in bed. As soon as he had a cold shower and some coffee in his hand, he would feel better!
Law pulls his legs out of his bed and faces the first challenge for the day. Balance. And it turned out to be a tough opponent.
He falls back on his bed and stares down at himself. He wasn't wearing anything beside his underwear and his shoes were missing from their usual spot right beside his bed too. Not really a surprise, he thought, but still annoying.
The second and third attempts to stand also fail. The magical number for the day seemed to be five, because it left Law reasonably safe standing on his feet.
The captain of the Heart-Pirates needed to still secure himself by holding onto the iron wall of his room as he blinked in hopes that his eyesight would return to normal.
Shower! Who needed the freaking One Piece if you could have a cold shower!?
Slowly but steadily he fights his way to his small bathroom, which he used alone for hygienic and personal reasons.
Again everything had gone black.
As Shachi awakens this time, he actually was in a brighter room … or at least there was some light, as he could make out through his closed eyelids.
After madam syringe had checkmated him again, they must have taken him somewhere else. It was maddening. Why couldn't he fight back? Why didn't his body want to obey him?
At least he was feeling a bit better. … He still refused to open his eyes though. Who knew what would happen this time if he did.
His headache had largely subsided, and he could move his legs. His arms were also moveable, but when he tries to use them, it's accompanied by the rattling of chains. Shachi sighs, he was still bound. This time he was chained to the wall, his arms above his head. The fire in his shoulders told him he must have been sitting like this for a while. Now that he could keep himself upright and tried to relieve his hands and shoulders, his weight was no longer on his arms and some blood was slowly tingling back into his fingertips.
He dares to carefully crack his eyelids open. A wooden room revealed itself in front of him, so obviously a cell Shachi maybe would have thought it funny in a different situation. There even was some mandatory straw sitting in a corner, smelling innocently. Shachi couldn't see a window but a single light bulb at the ceiling dimly lit the room and there was also some light coming from what might be an opening over his head.
Shachi's attention however was on the man who was, like himself, chained to the wall opposite of him. He appeared to be injured and hung in his chains like a limp piece of meat, suggesting that he was not conscious right now. Shachi probably had looked the same way just minutes ago.
His upper body was wrapped in bandages, some already stained red and hanging loosely. What bad handiwork, he noted subconsciously.
The most striking thing about this man however was the white and blue mask he was wearing. It made Shachi's blood run cold. He would recognize this mask and hair everywhere! The man he was sharing a cell with was no other than Killer, first mate of the cruel kid-pirates.
After a long and extensive shower, Law manages to get dressed. Even though his pants had proven to be a problem ... For some reason his feet weren't compatible with pant legs today.
After a short fight, however, they were in place and the shirt was no problem after that. The shoes however just refused until Law decides he doesn't need them and kicks them across the room. Barefoot he creeps along the wall and braces himself for the fight with the door and its sly sidekick, stairs. Before Law can touch the door handle he halts and watches some water drop from his hair to the floor. His brain was slowly getting back to its usual performance and with it came the memories.
The strange taste, the dizziness and then the recognition. Law takes a slow breath … someone … had dared to knock him, the surgeon of death, a 200 million rookie of the worst generation, out with a rape-drug. Thinking about his current conditions and how awful he felt, he concluded that it probably had been chloral hydrate.
Bepo and Penguin, or at least one of them, had not been drugged and had managed to get out of whatever situation had occurred. Otherwise, Law wouldn't be in his quarter.
He felt anger rising as he clenches his fists. Whoever was responsible for this would pay a thousand times over. Before Law manages to take mental notes about what kind of things he would do to the culprit, he staggers because of the door suddenly moving. Law would have found himself on the floor if it wouldn't have been for Bepo. The mink catches him and gives him a relieved smile. "Captain, you woke up!", he exclaims pulling Law into a bone crushing hug.
"I was so afraid you wouldn't wake up again", he lets Law know, who was trying to escape the paws of the cuddly bear. Bepo was smart enough to realize that he wasn't doing his captain a favor and lets go of him. His paws still rest on Law's shoulders to keep him steady and Law was grateful for that. After this little … event ... he feels the nausea creep back up again. "How are you feeling?", asks Bepo scanning Law's body and frowning at his barefoot state.
"I'm okay", Law mumbles his answer inwardly while trying to make sense of his state of being, mentally noting things such as up from down right now.
Bepo didn't need an order or a question. He already knew what Law wanted to know next. "Penguin and I brought you back last night after you lost consciousness. Nothing happened to us though! We're fine!" Law gives a small nod, he already had figured out that much. At least it was comforting to know that Penguin was safe too.
Law wanted to protest when Bepo starts gently pushing him through the door and starts to navigate him to the upper deck, but he lets it slide simply because at least now he didn't have to face the stairs alone.
"You need some fresh air", claims Bepo firmly.
"I actually would prefer some coffee", Law admits, surprised by how rough his voice sounds.
"Aye aye! One coffee for the captain!" Bepo replies, eager to please his captain and make sure he was as good as possible. Especially because he hadn't told him the bad news yet.
First he brought Law up to the promised fresh air. Law narrows his eyes when they finally open the door to the upper deck. Something wasn't right … They hadn't met anyone in the corridors of the submarine, it was suspiciously silent and just now he realizes that they hadn't left the harbor yet. Even though the sun was already up and shining.
"Where is everyone?", he asks slowly while his gaze starts to wander over the deck and the harbor beyond. He didn't get an immediate answer, so he turns his head to look at Bepo, who was very obviously nervous.
"Bepo … where is the crew?", he repeats in a more sharp tone.
The mink deliberately avoids Law's eyes. "Penguin and Kaisei are in town", he answers meekly. "They … are searching for the others. No one returned yesterday and Kaisei waited all night for them. Now I'm keeping watch."
Law remains silent after this revelation and returns his eyes back to the town. In the distance you could hear loud music and people.
The festival had begun.