Chapter 7: Meeting of the Minds

April 30, 801 WG

After they arrived at the palace in Alubarna, the Straw Hats and Hearts Pirates explained the situation with Pluton. Cobra, bound to his wheelchair now that illness had claimed his physical strength, paled at the news as did everyone else.

"Can you really be certain?" asked Cobra. It was an understandable reaction and Law didn't blame the man for asking. This was the worst news any king could be receiving.

"I trust Aaron to not call me after all these years just to lie to me, especially of something this grave," said Lance. "Dragon also confirmed it when he rushed to stop the ship. Unfortunately, the ship was too well guarded, and it was last seen beginning the undersea crossing from New World."

Cobra shook his head as he slumped in his chair. "I had hoped that that weapon would never see the light of day again."

"So had I, and we even moved the bloody thing, since its original location had been compromised," said Lance with a sigh.

The Alabastans started at Lance's casual statement. "You moved it?!"

"Yes, a government agent found it twenty years ago. We had to move it keep it from being found again right away."

"Who was part of this 'we' you are talking about?"

"I, Dragon, Maryanne and a dozen of his cousins, including Aaron. No one else."

"Dragon has cousins?" squeaked Vivi before she could contain herself. Law could understand the reaction. Dragon lived an enigma. The world learning he had a father and son, never mind who they were, had humanized him a bit. An entire extended family seemed otherworldly.

Pell gaped and spoke a heartbeat behind the princess. "Dragon, the Revolutionary Leader himself, knew where Pluton was located this whole time? Why has he ignored its presence instead of using it to attack the World Government? It would have given him overwhelming victory against his enemy."

Lance gave the man a cool look. "And it would have caused untold fatalities among the citizens and defeated his entire purpose in forging the Revolutionary Army. He wants to change the world for the better, not destroy it!"

Pell raised his hands in apology. "You seem to know the man better than I. I apologies for my assumptions."

Vivi wasn't ready to let it go. "Countless people die in his revolutions as well."

"Not as many as there could be," said Lance. "He knows he can't change a world as broken as this one without bloodshed. He already tried and he paid a steep price for his naivety."

Law thought of the story Lance had related to them on the way to Alabasta. What Dragon had had to allow to happen while he pursued his ambitions as a Marine. How many times had he had to sit on his hands while injustice occurred around him with the goal of stopping future injustices by being promoted into a position of power? Dragon must have been laboring under many regrets.

Vivi stepped back as if she had been slapped. Law had heard a bit from the Straw Hats about Vivi. She had wanted to save everyone from Crocodile's ambitions. She had risked her own life by infiltrating Baroque Works at the age of fourteen by playing the role of a bounty hunter and doing whatever dirty job or fighting whomever she was ordered to until she could gain the name of the man organizing the setup of her family.

She had been desperate to keep her people from dying but how many had died at her hands, directly or indirectly, before she could get Crocodile's name? She had worked her way up to being Number 9's partner in the organization. Lance's words must have struck at the heart of her own actions and ideals from that time.

Cobra put out his hand to steady his daughter but seemed to understand what Lance was saying. "Leaving the matter of Dragon's choices aside. The fact that Pluton is loose is terrifying enough, but how do you know we are the target?"

Lance closed his eyes. This next part was going to sound the craziest and it was the reason why Lance only wanted to explain all this once. Law bit his lip and glanced at his little brother. Luffy had settled into a Marine parade rest without realizing it, his feet shoulder's length apart and his hands clasped behind his back. His expression serious and his body stiff. It was an unnatural for the carefree young man to stand like that. And Law wondered where he had learned it.

"Luffy has recently awakened to a gift his mother possessed when she was alive," replied Lance. "He was shown a vision of Alabasta's destruction while we were rushing to Reverse Mountain to get to this side of the Redline. He was unconscious when I arrived and didn't awaken until we reached the Lighthouse at the entrance. He had no way of knowing of Pluton's discovery until he awoke, yet he saw a vision of Alabasta being blown apart by single weapon. Maryanne's visions never proved wrong, just unpredictable in their timing. So we are here to prevent the terrible future he saw."

The Alabastans turned to stare at Luffy, who refused to meet their gaze. The visions still unnerved him, and he was also still reeling from what Lance's stories had revealed about his origins.

Law was now grateful it was Lance and not any of them that was relaying the devastating news. As a former Vice-Admiral and village leader, he knew how to relate bad news matter-of-factly while remaining compassionate to the people involved. Any of them would have been possessed by a desire to lie or deflect the question.

King Cobra did them the favor of not questioning it further. Perhaps he was hoping they were right. At least then they could plan a defense against the ancient weapon. If it went somewhere else, a nation and its people would be erased without ever being able to fight back.

"You said, you re-hid the weapon twenty years ago, so you know what it looks like," said Cobra. Lance nodded. "Is there a way to stop it or was your failure to destroy it then a sign of its invincibility?"

Lance grimaced. "Back then we had not the resources to destroy it. Right now, our only hope is to ignite the ship's magazine, which is well constructed to prevent such a thing. Whoever does the deed will be risking their life. Sabo was supposed to fire blast the interior with his Flame Flame fruit, but he was prevented from boarding."

Vivi's expression became pained for a moment at the mention of the Flame Flame fruit and Law wondered if she had known Ace.

"Is there nothing else we can try?" asked Cobra with a defeated sigh.

"Well, we brought an island whale with us?" said Lance. "No one had that before."

Law finally spoke. "There is also me."

Everyone turned to regard the captain of the Hearts Pirates. Law didn't even flinch under the attention. Surgeons had to act under extreme pressure. A little staring wouldn't bother him.

"The Op Op fruit allows me to cut and manipulate anything within my sphere of influence. I don't know how big this thing is, but I may be able to cut a whole out of it that would allow it to sink right away. I did slice the mountain the laboratory on Punk Hazard was contained within when I destroyed the SAD facility."

"The only trouble is getting you close enough to do that kind of damage with those escort ships," said Lance as if he had considered it.

"It had to be easier than putting someone on the ship and you wouldn't be risking anyone getting caught in the explosion," retorted Law.

"Super-awesome idea, Tra-o!" called Franky with a pose. "Even if the ship would still be intact on the ocean floor, I don't know how anyone would salvage it, given its size and near-solid state."

"Then we'll need to work out a strategy to get you close to the ship," said Lance. "I just hope this doesn't burn through too much of your life force in the process."

"Huh?" Luffy glanced between the two in confusion while Law tried to pretend Lance hadn't said anything of concern.

Damn, how had country bumpkin known about the Op Op fruit's limitations? Law didn't want his brother fussing over that little detail, though, so he refused to respond.

In the face of thousands of lives, a few years wasn't much to offer in exchange.