Bepo's words had triggered something in Law he deeply detested. Anxiety.

Fear for the people he cared about the most. After he had lost his parents … his sister … his home … Corazon … Law had vowed to never let it happen again! To destroy Doflamingo and get stronger. To protect everyone who had managed to claw through the maze-like path into his locked off heart. Among these people - even if he would never admit it - were his crew.

More than that, he knew that each of them were ready to die for his goals. And that, as much as it honored him, was something he didn't appreciate. Life was important to him as a doctor, his crew was important to him as a captain and his friends were important to him as a person.

Still, it was his fault that they thought how they thought. It was his fault because he had put himself up on a pedestal the second he had met Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin. He knew that especially Penguin was thinking differently, but there always had been an unspoken imbalance and Law had always wanted to keep it that way. Maybe it was a defense mechanism. Maybe he was a control freak who didn't like when others didn't do what they should do … maybe he just never wanted to feel vulnerable and small again. As small as the day when Vergo had found them …

Now he was holding a steaming cup of coffee in his hand, which had been made by Bepo. He was sitting on the stairs up on deck and stared silently ahead. Behind him stood Bepo, silent as well but obviously nervous and concerned. Probably (or most likely) he didn't believe Law, that he was actually okay. He also had been the one who had made Law sit down and wait for news from Penguin and Kaisei in the first place.

Law holds his eyes closed, trying to breathe in the scent of the warm brew as his neck hair starts to rise before a feeling of dread creeps into his stomach. He jumps up (startling Bepo in the process) and puts his hand out ready to use "room".

Right in front of him stood a person on the railing, staring at them with fiery eyes. He knew this man too well for his own liking. The fire red hair, the pretentious clothing and the dark red lips, surprisingly not curled up in a cruel grin. Right there stood no other than Eustass "Captain" Kid.

"What are you doing on my submarine?", asks Law more calmly than he thought possible at the moment.

"I could ask you the same, Trafalgar", Kid spat as he jumps down from the railing, his heavy boots clicking on the wooden surface. His body language was screaming for a fight.

Law tilts his head, a small but unamused smile playing over his lips. "What am I doing on my submarine?"

Kid glares at him and … turns around and spins around slowly? The sharp yellow eyes stop at Bepo, who was standing behind Law, ready to fight. It looked like Kid was searching for something?

Law's eyebrows disappear behind the rim of his hat, but his question stays unasked because Kid is faster as he comes stomping towards Law. "Where is your shitty crew? In town?"

Law also takes a step towards the other and very much unwelcome pirate captain, not losing his cool whatsoever. "What is it to you, Eustass-ya?"

"Cause I already know", answers Kid. His aggressive demeanor had disappeared, and he had stopped an appropriate distance away, his arms crossed over his muscular chest. "They're all gone like rats, aren't they?"

"What do you know?", Law asks, now it was on him to turn up a more aggressive tone. If Kid had something to do with the disappearance of his comrades, he wouldn't leave this ship alive.

"Killer's gone too", the other pirate opened up and snorts. "He and a few others. I was about to burn down the whole town, but then I saw your ridiculous ship."

The silence was murderous. The only sound was in Shachi's head, where he was screaming at himself for his own stupidity. Why did he do that? Why had he thought it was a good idea to insult Killer? Killer of all people! He could and would slaughter him without even batting an eyelid! What the hell was wrong with him!? Why didn't he recognize that Killer had woken up?

Now he could make his tombstone himself, because even if he ever got free again, Killer was surely going to kill him. He had forfeited his own life and it was all do to that stupid mask! It was already hard enough for Shachi to read people but Killer was simply impossible. Not only was he surrounded by an air of danger that made your heart race just byt being in proximity to him, but he also wasn't exactly expressive in his face.
The only thing Shachi was pretty sure about was that Killer had to be angry … but maybe Shachi could try and turn this whole thing around again and improve his status in front of the massacre soldier from " maybe kill on sight " to " not kill on sight ".

"You're hurt right?", he asks, biting down on the inside of his cheek out of nervousness, when his cellmate actually raises his head. The aura he was emitting was enough to make the Heart-Pirate shudder, but he didn't seem to deserve an answer because Killer was silent once again.
"I just … I mean … you're bleeding and … are you alright?"

Great! Why didn't he just bash his head in himself? Obviously Killer was not alright. He was hurt, had been unconscious and was sitting there like a sack of wet clothes. He probably thought of Shachi as the biggest moron in the world's history … more minus points and probably more minus minutes on Shachi's life clock.

Killer looks at his cellmate through the eye holes of his mask. When he had woken up, there had been this moron who had dared to insult him and his captain. No one lived after uttering such words about Kid.

Sadly Killer wasn't able to move. His whole body was limp and his voice had nothing from its usual sharpness. Still, his answer had been enough to make the other swallow on his own stupidity.
He had learned nothing however, because he was running his mouth again. This time he sounded nervous and Killer was satisfied to find that he was afraid. Afraid of him and that's how it was supposed to be!

The first mate of the Kid-Pirates watches his newest victim curiously. Brown or maybe red hair, a stupid face with a pronounced nose. Most interesting about the stuttering idiot however was the yellow Jolly Roger, which was emblazoned on the other's chest and which Killer knew just too well. This man belonged to Trafalgar Law's crew.
Killer didn't really know anyone other than Law from the Heart-Pirates. He tries to remember the faces of other members but the only once who come back in his mind were the bear (which was hard to forget) and the big guy Law had adopted off the auction back in Sabaody Archipelago. That also was the last time they had met. Then the whole mess had started.

Maybe this guy actually could be useful. At least he didn't seem to be hurt anywhere and what he had shouted out before probably was true. Trafalgar Law would search for him just like Kid probably was searching for Killer right now. Hopefully Law wasn't a guy to just adopt random slaves away from their masters, otherwise his crew was more of an accessory than anything helpful.

Killer's gaze was burning into him, making Shachi more and more nervous. After he didn't get any answers, he had decided that silence probably was the best way to keep his head on his shoulders. He was all the more surprised when he hears the other pirate's voice: "You belong to Trafalgar Law", says Killer. It wasn't a question but more of an observation, still Shachi gives a well-behaved nod. Again, silence follows but this time it just lasts for a few seconds before Killer asks: "Are you hurt?"

Shachi didn't know how to answer. The question threw him for a loop and confused him even further. Why would Killer care for his health? … What? Was he asking because he wanted to know how much damage he had to inflict before Shachi would die?
Thinking about it … besides the headache, he was fine regarding the circumstances. He hesitates before finally giving a shy answer:

"I don't think so …"

Fake admiral pig-nose and the two cardboard marine soldiers had been very cooperative. Especially after Kaisei had shown them a few tricks with his sword. Their enthusiasm had sparked a torrent of words before they ran.
If he was to believe their information, then it wasn't just the members of the Heart-Pirates who had disappeared but normal citizens too. It seemed to be a normal occurrence around this time of the year, that no one seemed to be bothered by. What was wrong with these people?

Kaisei was again delighted by their luck. It seemed like no one had targeted them specifically, but if they had set foot on the island just a day later, they could have continued their journey as usual.

What was he supposed to do now? Should he go back to the ship and report to the captain and Bepo? Maybe searching for Penguin wasn't a bad idea, so they could think about their next steps together?

Kaisei lets himself be carried away by the stream of people, while he thinks about the new information. Random people just disappear, but they always come back later.

…

Which meant in the end all they had to do was wait for the others to appear again. Like a bad magic trick.
Still, what the boys had said was somewhat creepy. The lost crew-members would pop up again like daisies in spring but, and that was what cardboard marine number 2 had said, they would turn into "good people". Whatever that was supposed to mean.

Kaisei rolls his eyes and starts searching for his cigarette pack in his pockets. What a stupid statement! After all, no one on the Polar Tang was a "bad person" anyways.

Shit, all of them probably had saved more lives than they had taken and that should count for the scale, right? Sure they were pirates but mostly the shitty world government was at fault for them being criminals anyways. Law could be cruel but most of the time all they did was for a grander purpose.

The throng of people takes him through a large thoroughfare, which leads up the hill directly towards the ginormous tree. The people didn't crowd the streets themselves but were gathered on the sides, barricades preventing them from joining the nightmarish figures and carts that traveled up the street. Some standing on decorated wagons, waving and throwing candy and colorful confetti into the cheering and partying crowd. There were musicians in between, who were blowing into their instruments with red cheeks. It was a dreadful noise, making Kaisei get a headache almost immediately.

This island proved to be the worst place he had ever been to. For a second he was glad he wasn't forced to stay here with the others … he already could see Shachi and Penguin surfing the crowd like fish, Uni drinking at the stands on the sides and Clione trying to make money by selling weird stuff he found to the drunk and high on dopamine people. … Seriously how could anyone have fun in a place like this, let alone seek it in such a noisy and crowded atmosphere ? They all probably had to be drugged up or at least under the influence of alcohol. Kaisei couldn't explain it otherwise.

His attention gets shifted from him being a party-pooper to a man that looks noticeably unhappy and stressed. Interesting.
Kaisei had noticed the men wearing red jackets with an emblem before, because they didn't seem to join the folk in their happy antics but instead choosing to prevent them from climbing the barricades or helping them out if they got over excited by guiding them away.

Quickly and purposefully he strides up to the man and taps him on the shoulder. "Hey, I have a question."
With a stressed look on his face the somewhat aging gentleman turns around and faces Kaisei with little interest. "Can I help you, boy?"

Boy … wow. No one had called the 22-year-old that in a long time. "Yes you can, actually. I would love to go to one of those places where people reappear."

The man raises his eyebrows, "I really don't have time for such nonsense now", he grumbles and wants to turn away but Kaisei puts his hand back on his shoulder and holds him in place firmly.

"I would love to go to one of those places where people reappear", he repeats his request and takes his cigarette out of his mouth with the other hand. "Can you please tell me, where I can find such a place."

The man's eyes travel over Kaisei's lanky figure, and he tries to wipe his hand off of himself. "I have a lot to do and no time for such foolishness", he growls, obviously not intimidated by the person opposite of him.

Kaisei did not let go and digs his fingers deeper into the shoulder blade of the jacket wearer when he tries to shake him off. The man grabs his hand and tries again to push it away and Kaisei in turn puts his other hand on his hand.

The mouth of the man opens and closes and tears well up in his eyes as the cigarette burns itself into the skin of his hand. He didn't scream which Kaisei appreciated.

"I would love to go to one of those places where people reappear", repeats Kaisei a third time without even batting an eyelid or taking his hand away. The man doesn't answer but instead tries to tear himself away from the burning sensation of the cigarette and Kaisei this time lets him. The pirate examines the red burn mark on the man's hand without letting go of his shoulder, still waiting for an answer. It takes a few minutes but he eventually gets it.

"T-Thats not far from here. You just go down the alley in front and up the stairs to the cloud district. There's a beautiful house with a blue fence, not to be missed." The man pulls again and Kaisei releases his shoulder and watches as he stumbles backwards against a few people.

"Thank you!" He nods briefly to the man who now was busy with his hand and turns to follow the directions. Of course, he didn't notice that the man with the jacket reaches for something in his pocket as Kaisei makes his way down the alley.

Law had listened to Kid's report silently. He and his crew had dropped anchor on the festival island just a few days before Law himself. Their goal had been the same too. To restock on supplies.

They hadn't been in much of a hurry so it had taken a while for Kid to recognize that members of his crew started to disappear, while they made their way through town (mostly the bars and pubs). Law figured that all of them probably had been drunk, so it had taken even longer to recognize that something was wrong.

Killer had offered to search for them when they finally wanted to set sail again … and hadn't returned himself.

"Obviously we searched for them later, after all we wanted to leave … Wire found one of his blades in an alley. Together with what looked like a fight scene." The supernova grimly turns around to face Law again, after they had moved to the front of the Polar Tang during his narration. "Apparently they didn't have it easy with Killer. At least one of them is dead by the amount of blood we found."

"Don't you dare", hisses Law when Kid looked like he wanted to spit out on his deck to give his story the last bit of impact.

Anyways, with what Kid was saying, it was clear that no one had targeted them specifically, but there was someone on this island who was playing pirate hunter. "How long ago was that?"

"Two days ago, why?"

Law frowns. "Because then bounty hunters are out of the question. Killer would have been given to the Marines and that would have been reported in the newspaper."

"I wouldn't say that", Kid huffs. "Maybe they just want to trap us by using them as bait." True, that was a possibility as well. Still, if it wasn't bounty hunters, then who else did have the means to capture so many pirates? And for what reason if not for their bounty. … Which was clearly not the reason alone, because not everyone they had taken had a bounty on their head.

The "how" Law already knew. They probably use the pubs and bars to take out their victims and then collect them comfortably and safely. An easy way of doing things and probably the best way to start for them to get information too. He trusted Penguin and Kaisei were doing exactly that right now.
However, it puzzled Law that neither Kid nor much of his crew had been targeted. If they all had drunken in the bars why did just a few disappear? Was there some sort of system, by which they chose the targets and Law just had been unlucky? What happened to Killer also sounded strange. If what Kid was saying was true -and Law had no reason to believe otherwise yet- then it sounded more like he had been attacked.

…

"Where's your ship?", Law asks looking over the port. The ship of the Kid-Pirates was enormous, conspicuous and not here.

"There is another port… smaller than this one. We came from the other side of the island, and we put it there accordingly", Kid answers, obviously a bit annoyed now that he was the only one answering questions. "So, what about you Trafalgar. What do you know?"

Law puts a hand on his chin thoughtfully. Another port?

He looks up not answering Kids question, but instead creating a room. "Shambles", and his trusty sword appears in his hand.

Kid snorts. "You think you're impressive?" He puts his hand out similarly as Law had when he summons his own devil fruit powers resulting in the polar Tang releasing an unhealthy groan.

Law growls: "Stop that Eustass-ya. Don't you dare damage my ship."

Kid gives Law an almost cheeky look. "It's a submarine."

"Then don't you dare damage my submarine."

After a short and very silly argument about semantics, Law had managed to lay down what had happened yesterday and tonight with the help of Bepo. Obviously Kid couldn't help himself and had made a few stupid comments … Law really would have liked to keep that he had been successfully targeted as well from him. Kid would never let go of that.

They start to discuss what was to do now, when Kid spots the newcomer.

Penguin was climbing aboard when he hears an unfamiliar voice. He pauses and slowly starts to sneak across the deck, not sure what to expect. What he finds however is not what he had expected. Law was standing there with Bepo and Eustass Kid. He couldn't believe his eyes. What was this unlucky charm doing here?

Penguin didn't have to make himself noticeable, Kid already had spotted him and makes Law aware of him too. At least his captain seemed to be doing just fine.

"Penguin …", Law says as he turns to meet his first mate. "What did you find out?"

So no explanation from Law … of course not. Why would he? It wasn't like it was an exceptional situation and Kid always stood on deck together with him to sunbathe.

Penguin reluctantly steps closer and gives Bepo a questioning look.

"A couple of things, Captain." He replies slowly. "What is Kid doing here?" Penguin wants to know and said captain just gives him an offensive look.

"He shares our problem," replies Law with a sidelong glance to Kid.
Penguin frowns unseen but decides to just give his report. "I talked to a few people and a little girl told me what they're celebrating here. It seems like people always go missing around this time of the year. But they also come back and -"

"Where?" Kid interrupts him. Penguin stops and stares at the other pirate before replying. "I don't owe you an answer." He puts emphasis on the "you" as if he was talking about some sort of bacteria.

Law hisses as he grabs the angry Eustass Kid by the arm. They all hear the faint scratching of metal on metal and the submarine makes some unhealthy noises once again.

"Eustass-ya! What did I say earlier? Don't you dare damage my ship OR my crew!"

"It's a fucking submarine!"

Kaisei stands silently, staring across the street at the house to which he had been directed. There are fewer people here and most of them hurried down to where the party was or were on the way to one of the houses. There was no celebrating here.

The house he was looking at shows off the wealth of its owner and probably made every thief's heart beat faster. Gilded doorknobs and window frames, marble and ornate woodwork. The whole thing unfortunately locked behind a large gate and a blue lattice fence.

No problem getting in there, but Kaisei wasn't sure if he wanted to find out on his own what was lurking behind the beauty.

Slowly and without taking his eyes off of the building, he pulls out a sleeping baby den den mushi. Bepo had claimed that he was waiting for their call and now probably was the perfect time to get in touch. So Kaisei calls the Polar Tang to report on what he had found.