"Would you care to dance?" he grinned at her, his feet tapping out a rhythm in time to the gang leader's frenzied screams.

A gavel cracked on the wooden bench.

"I now bring this court to order!"

Captain Hina blinked, coming back from the disturbing memory. Bailiffs had taken up their places at the entrances, and the judge, a severe-looking old bulldog named Croplam, settled back on his raised chair. He adjusted his spectacles, took a sip of water, and turned his attention out upon the packed courtroom.

"What's the first case, then, Madgwick?"

His legal aide rushed up with the docket. "Sir, Case #123987. The defendant, Summer Salt, is accused of operating an adults-only kissing-and-carousing booth at the local circus. We have…"

"Put that one away," the judge harrumphed, "and bring up #245660."

A murmur went through the stands, and Madgwick seemed taken aback. He recovered swiftly, however, and turned to the hovering court officers.

"Bring in the prisoner."

According to the court flunkey Hina had spoken to earlier, her presence wouldn't be needed until the fourth case. Whether this meant she would have to remain for another ten minutes or half the day was now a moot point. It would seem this particular judge was keen on getting to the meatiest fare on his docket right off the bat. While this meant less of her day would be wasted, the blonde captain still frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. It irked her to see protocol not being followed in this case. The whole point was to illustrate the rule of law over anyone, no matter their title or position. Some things were worth any amount of time and attention. The people involved in this case demanded justice.

She had to make sure it was done right.

The crowd in the courtroom was buzzing in anticipation. Perhaps it was simply paranoia, or ego, but the Marine officer couldn't help but think that most of them were here in regards to her case. Certainly there was only one official accusation brought against the man, but something told her that it wasn't the first time he had strayed beyond the bounds of the law. Any other witnesses had probably been intimidated into silence. Or maybe even disposed of altogether, she thought with a certain level of wrath. In his position, there were no doubt numerous methods available for getting rid of unwanted individuals. It was only through luck that the Government had been made aware of what was going on in this bustling city of Laca Traz in West Blue. But now that they were, the process was to be handled according to the dictates of law. Behavior like his was not to be tolerated.

A door opened in one side of the room, and the prisoner was escorted in, manacled at hands and feet and under heavy guard. Silence fell over the chamber. This allowed them all to clearly hear the sound of his chains clinking. That and one more thing.

His footsteps.

Click-tap. Click-tap. Clickety-tap.

It only took a few seconds for the defendant to be brought to the podium before the judge's bench, but that repetitive paean made every one of those increments grate on Hina's nerves. He stood before the rail, completely at ease and still wearing the pants and shirt of his derelict position. That was another sign that not enough care was being taken with these proceedings. By all rights, he should have been stripped of those clothes. But maybe the higher-ups had decided he would remain in the garb he had soiled with his actions, as a reminder to all of how far their judgment could reach. A military trial might have been more appropriate, considering everything that was at stake here. Although if you really wanted to get technical…

"…nd so we call the first witness, Captain Hina of the Black Cage Squadron."

Hina realized that she had not being paying attention to what was being said. They had already read through the charges and the prosecution was bringing up its first witness. Without a jury, things should go much faster.

The curvaceous combatant rose and marched past the docket where her enemy stood smiling blissfully. Arriving at the witness stand, she faced one of the court officers, who raised his right hand. She did the same.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the complete truth, and only the truth?"

"Hina honest."

"Pardon?"

Slipping off her sunglasses and tucking them into her pocket, she glowered past him at the fugitive.

"I do."

Hina took her seat, and the prosecution approached.

"Now, Captain," the lawyer drawled. "Please relate to us the events that occurred last month on the 13th, a Friday."

"Gladly," she spit, and leaned forward.

"HEY! Wake up!"

Sleeping with his boots propped up on a desk, the call sergeant suddenly found himself upended from his chair to spill out onto the squad room floor. He made a beleaguered attempt to scramble to his knees, but the booted heel planted firmly on his neck made that a wasted effort.

Looking up, he caught his breath at the sight of the heavenly Venus attired in business suit and military overcoat who was squashing him underfoot.

"I'm looking for a man named Buscott."

It certainly wasn't the most comfortable position he had ever been in with regards to a lady, but considering the view, there normally wouldn't have been anything to complain about. The sound of that name, however, cut off all notions of hanky-panky his brain had been concocting for this golden-haired goddess. It wouldn't be appropriate, considering. After finally discerning the insignia on her white Marine coat, he managed to sputter, "C-Captain, I'm sorry, what do you want to sp-speak to him for?"

"That's none of your concern." The lady removed the cigarette she had been smoking and stubbed it out in his ashtray. She managed to do this in a way that let him know his eyeball could just as well have been used for that same purpose, while still managing to look hot at the same time. "Just tell me how to find him."

"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but… Cadet Buscott has been missing for two days. Nobody knows where he is."

This information brought a glower to her flawless features.

"Where's your lieutenant?"

"GUGH!" he gasped, sweating and twitching. "Wh-which lieutenant, Ma-?"

"You know which one."

Pressure applied to his jugular let him know the answer, in the way only pain could. Considering who they were talking about, it made a queer sort of sense.

"He's… on the waterfront, by the post office! They're rousting a gang of… pickpockets today."

The lady absorbed this information. She took her foot off him and spun about to address a squad of Marines standing behind her, long blonde hair flicking out like a whip.

"Report back to the ship. Tell them to cut off any avenues of escape from that area. I don't want the target slipping away should someone give him a tip-off that we're here."

One cold brown eye looked back at the sergeant as she said this last, letting him know that if anyone did warn the person in question, his head would be on the chopping block regardless of guilt or innocence. And he took that message to heart. The Den-Den Mushi lines would now be zealously manned to prevent any word leaving the precinct about the femme fatale and her intentions.

As that intimidating figure left, in spite of the treatment he had received at her hands, he silently wished her luck.

Bring the bastard down, lady.

"What was the reason for your traveling to the island of Laca Traz, Captain?"

Click-click-tap. Click-tap-tap-click.

"Captain Hina?"

The prosecutor leaned up against the side of the bench, and she broke off from her reverie. Damn that man! Even on trial for his life, he had to make a spectacle of himself. Like a little soft-shoe was his way of demonstrating his contempt for these proceedings.

Let's see you tap-dance your way out of this, freak.

"I received a report from Cadet Buscott," she responded to the question. "In it, he stated that the accused was waging a campaign of terror and abuse on the residents of that island, keeping the other police officers subdued through intimidation and unspecified threats. In his message, Buscott implied that there was some kind of conspiracy in the ranks. According to him, this was not the first attempt made to bring these atrocities to light, but for some reason nothing ever came of it. Witnesses to the defendant's crimes either recanted their accusations or the other officers took steps to cover them up. In some cases, the people who levied the charges simply vanished. The cadet could find no explanation as to why so many were acting in this person's interests."

Her ally in this case began to pace around. "And why would this Buscott not submit official charges to his superiors? Why go over the chain of command and seek you out?"

"He chose to forego the official methods of reporting abuse out of fear that nothing would come of it, like all the times before. Instead he contacted me." Hina now directed an icy glare at the spot where the defendant remained casually imprisoned. "Buscott and I came from the same island and had been classmates in the Academy briefly, though we never met beforehand. He failed to pass the physical exams for a position in the Marines, but still wanted to serve, so instead he fulfilled the less rigorous qualifications to become a police officer in West Blue. I trusted his judgment on this matter. Hina concerned."

"Ob-objection, Your Honor!" The public defender at this trial, who had been rifling furiously through her notes, finally seemed to find her voice. "Much of this is hearsay, speculation! It is… inflammatory and…irrelevant!"

"I'll decide what is relevant to this case," Judge Croplam grunted, knitting his shaggy gray brows together. "Overruled. The witness may continue."

The judge appeared hostile. The public defender looked overwhelmed. The prosecutor seemed certain of victory.

And as for the defendant…

He still had that empty-headed grin on his face.

At that point, Hina swore she would bury him.

"As soon as I learned of Buscott's disappearance, I wasted no more time and moved to apprehend the suspect."

Once her men were in place, Hina and the rest of the Black Cage descended on the rundown bar designated as their target's location. It wasn't terribly difficult to find. The size of the crowd milling about in front of it, peppered as it was with lawmen, certainly let anyone know that something was going on here.

Since the loyalties of these police officers was somewhat in question, and considering how pissed she was feeling at that time, some forcefulness on her part could be appreciated.

A powerful kick sent one cop flying through the air screaming. Before the others could react, her men had moved to surround them.

"Where is your lieutenant?" she growled, almost hoping one of them would try something stupid. But then, it wouldn't do to waste any of her cold fury on this lot. Not when a more deserving target was somewhere in the vicinity.

Apparently her obvious rank prevented the policemen from even considering resistance as an option. "He's inside the… premises," one of them stammered while glancing nervously at the grim-faced naval officers surrounding them. "Interrogating the leader of this gang."

He then indicated off to one side. Turning her head, Hina found herself confronted by about a dozen grimy children, all handcuffed, all clearly terrified. Some sported fresh bruises or were clutching injured limbs.

Before she could think of anything else, a shriek came from the building behind her.

"ANIKI!" one of the kids cried out.

"O-nee-san, please stop him!" another pleaded desperately, staring at her from a tear-stained face. "He's hurting Big Bro!"

That settled it.

"Watch them!" she commanded her troops, then turned and strode determinedly into the abandoned edifice.

At first Hina could see nothing. The bright sunlight pouring into the room from the open doorway was the only illumination, the windows all being boarded up. But a few seconds later her eyes adjusted, and she could make out the contents of the room clearly. It was dusty and cluttered with junk around the corners. Old tables lay scattered about, some with chairs still propped up on them, and at the far side of the low-ceilinged hall there was a long bar that stretched practically from one wall to another.

Another scream came, and she left off scanning her environment and moved towards the source of that cry.

There was a door leading into what must be a kitchen at the end of the bar, and lounging in a chair before it was the man she was looking for. He was skinny as a rail, the brown policeman's uniform looking rather like a scarecrow's costume on his slender frame. Black shoulder-length hair beneath an officer's cap set off the unhealthy pallor of his skin, and shockingly red lips did the same for that pearly-white smile. Gold hoops were looped through the ears. His eyes were large with black pinpoints for irises, creepy as hell, especially in this setting.

Leaning his seat back against the balustrade, the man had flung his long legs up to rest shiny black shoes against the door across the way. On the floor in front of him was a kid who couldn't be older than thirteen. The boy's left hand was caught in the doorframe, and as Hina approached, she saw the vampire stretch casually and yawn. As he did, he pressed his feet against the door, using the bar behind him for support. While it didn't look like he was applying much pressure, the heavy wooden portal ground into the child's soft fingers, crushing them like a vice and bringing another ear-splitting howl from his lips.

"Maybe you didn't hear me the first time," the police officer taunted while tapping a billy-club against one palm. "I asked you where you hid the valuables you've stolen from the honest citizens of this town. As an officer of the law, I am sure you can understand my desire to see those goods returned to their rightful owners. Now," and he pressed down harder, eliciting a squeal in response, "Let's see some cooperation."

"Lieutenant Lafitte!"

Apparently he hadn't heard her approach over the sounds of torture, for a look of surprise came over his features as he turned to regard the white-cloaked warrior. His eyes roamed up and down Hina's body, before settling on her face.

"You've found him," he supplied unnecessarily, and offered her a pleasant smile. "What can I do for you today, Miss Captain?"

"This might go without saying," Hina shot back, "but I'm here to arrest you for abuse of power, torture, and conduct unbecoming an officer. Plus, if I 'm lucky," she spit out her cigarette, "resisting arrest!"

Lafitte digested all this in silence, rocking back and forth in his seat while looking as though he were having trouble getting his head around the notion of someone confronting him.

"Is this a joke?" He sounded somewhat baffled.

His opponent shrugged off her cloak, letting it fall to the floor in a rustle of quality fabric.

"Hina serious."

"No chance we could talk this over privately?" He offered her a saucy wink, which she ignored in favor of donning a pair of well-worn leather gloves.

"Hina uninterested."

At this he leapt upright. His head reached well over her own, and from this vantage Lafitte gazed down cheerfully at her stoic defiance.

"My, but you have a cute way of talking! Can I ask your name?"

"Drop the weapon." Hina indicated the club dangling from a strap on his wrist. "You're completely surrounded, not to mention outmatched."

The ghoulish lieutenant cocked his head quizzically. "Is that so?"

He then reached out and placed a hand against the door, resting his weight on it in a casual posture which only emphasized the renewed howls that accompanied this act.

"Would you care to dance?" he grinned at her, his toes tapping out a rhythm in time to the gang leader's frenzied screams.

Between one click and the next a black-shod foot lashed straight for her skull.

Damn, he's fast, Hina thought, even as her trained muscles reacted to bring an arm up to block the attack.

The strength of the blow proved greater than she had expected considering his spindly frame, and the valiant seadog actually flew away as easily as the man she had kicked earlier. Hina landed in a crouch, rising with a newfound appreciation for this fighter's talents.

As for Lafitte, she assumed he had something of the same reaction in regards to her, judging by the shock evident in his face at finding a black iron bar wrapped around his thigh.

Observing his dismay at her powers, the Cage Woman began to walk slowly towards the sadistic lawman once again. As she did, Lafitte jumped back a pace, lifted his unhindered leg and kicked the boy still whimpering on the ground. His blow sent that tiny frame soaring through the air straight at Hina. She caught the pickpocket, pausing only long enough to settle him back on the ground with a Devil-Fruit constraint wound securely around his small body for good measure. During this time her quarry had escaped through the side door, and the captain sprang in pursuit.

The portal proved to lead into a rundown galley with cobwebs everywhere. Hina spied Lafitte bounding out of sight up a flight of stairs, his gait hindered by her Ori-Ori no Mi shackle.

You won't get away, she promised herself, and took off after him.

Judging by the staircase's length, it led to the top of this building. If he meant to escape along the rooftops, he had a nasty surprise in store for him, in the form of her personal soldiers.

There was the sound of a brief struggle up above, and a shot was fired. Hina grinned in anticipation. That'll show him.

Her grin faltered, however, when she emerged into the daylight to find eight of her men lying senseless around the door. Casting about, she felt her good mood evaporate. The prisoner had apparently disappeared.

"Captain, look!"

A cry from one of the men posted atop another building drew her attention. She saw several of them pointing upwards, and when Hina directed her gaze in that direction, it was to find another surprise in store for her.

Lafitte was now airborne, courtesy of a pair of white wings where his arms had once been. The speed of his flight, combined with some impressive aerial maneuvering, made any shots fired at him go wide of their mark. Ascending high into the heavens, the renegade police officer seemed to be making good on his escape.

Let's compare who has the better ability, Bird-Man of Laca Traz.

With that she brought her arms back, and then sent them snapping forward.

"Boomerang Bandolier!"

Two long black arcs shot from Hina's limbs, soaring with unerring accuracy towards her erstwhile comrade. She saw Lafitte's head come around in response to her shout. He banked to one side, avoiding one of the soaring missiles. The next one came closer, but this too he dodged without falling victim to its touch. Even from this distance, the smile he cast down at her was evident.

Too bad you're looking in the wrong direction. Should've listened to the name of that attack better.

Hina triumphant.

Even as she thought this, both of the spinning bands turned in midair and streaked towards the winged escapee. There wasn't even enough time for Lafitte to turn his head before one of them encircled his upper body, pinning his wings to his sides.

He plummeted earthward without a sound.

Hina proceeded towards the edge of the roof at a leisurely pace. A few seconds later, she heard his body striking the pavement below. When she finally reached a better viewpoint, it was to see Lafitte lying crumpled in the middle of the street. Several of her men were already moving in to apprehend the disgraced policeman. Meanwhile, a large crowd of people was gathering at the sight of his fall.

When the Marines hoisted the bound and bleeding but clearly alive captive to his feet, a fierce roar came from the mob, and they surged forward, intent on finishing the job, it would seem.

They never got the opportunity, as the Captain leapt down from her perch. As soon as her feet touched earth, she sent black shafts shooting into the street to emerge in a barred dome around Lafitte and her crew. The irate citizens collided with this impassable barrier. Their rancor could now only be expressed through shouts and threats, which proved to be of little combat merit when the remaining Black Cage members moved in and proceeded to disperse them.

Once the rowdier ones had been moved to a safe distance, Hina dropped her protective enclosure and moved to join her colleagues.

"Beautiful job, Captain," a senior trooper commented. She offered him a nod in response before turning her attention to the caged bird. His arms were back to normal, and he was clearly injured by the fall, but it didn't pay to take chances. With that, she swiftly bound his legs at the ankles in another unbreakable circle of Devil-Fruit steel.

When she was finished, Hina locked eyes with the brutal law enforcement agent.

To her displeasure, she found that his lips were still stretched in a smirk.

"You would have been better off if the rabble did me in," Lafitte spoke softly, cracking a bloody smile her way. "Take my word for it. You'll regret letting me live."

"Hina forewarned."

With that she spun on her heel and led them off to the stockade.

After she finished, other people came forth to offer testimony as to the indiscriminate viciousness exhibited by the defendant in the exercise of his duties on their island. The public defender put up a dispirited defense with only one or two character witnesses, but Hina got the distinct impression that even she wouldn't be too broken up about losing this particular legal battle. There was virtually no solid evidence against him, and no mention was made of any part he might have played in the disappearance of Cadet Buscott or anyone else. But with all these people coming forward, little doubt existed that former Lieutenant Lafitte would be spending the rest of his life behind bars.

Hina stayed through the whole proceeding, and the entire time, she never got the satisfaction of seeing him squirm.

Click-tap-click-click-tap. Tappity-tap-tap-click.

Eventually both sides rested their cases, and the judge leaned forward to give his verdict without hesitation.

"Lafitte of Laca Traz." He sought out the remorseless prisoner and fixed eyes burning with righteous fire upon him. For his part, Lafitte responded back with a look of good-natured ambivalence. Clickety-click went his polished dance shoes. "Having already been stripped of your title and its benefits, I will now pass further sentence upon you. For the crimes of assaulting a Marine officer…"

Click-tap.

"…use of excessive and in some cases deadly force…"

Tap-click-tap.

"… resisting arrest…"

Tap.

"… and intimidating witnesses…"

Tappity-tappity-tappity-tappity.

Hina leaned forward eagerly, along with the rest of those attending these proceedings.

"I do hereby find you to be…"

And Lafitte's heels came down together on the polished marble floor.

CRACK!

As he did, Judge Croplam's face went blank.

"Not… guilty."

A gasp tore through the spectators. Hina's jaw dropped.

WHAT?!

"For abuse of your authority, I do hereby banish you from the waters of West Blue. A Marine vessel will escort you under guard to a port of your choosing in any other sea," the magistrate intoned in a hollow voice. He then picked up his gavel and rapped it smartly on its pedestal. "Case closed. Moving on."

Shouts and cries went up all around her as people surged to their feet. For her part, the decorated naval officer remained where she sat, speechless at this turn of events.

How?! What on earth could have caused the judge to rule so egregiously in the face of all that evidence? Even the crimes that I personally attested to him committing! 'Miscarriage of justice' doesn't do this service! He ought to be…!

At this point, the bailiffs escorted Lafitte out of the chamber. More court officers were brought in to prevent anyone from storming the floor in pursuit of his blood. Passing by where she sat, even through the press of irate people all around her, Hina caught a glimpse of that sneering vermin's profile, and she could have sworn that he looked her way for an instant.

The satisfaction in his gaze told her that it wasn't over between them. But she didn't need anyone else to tell her that. However he had managed to rig this trial, one thing was certain.

Justice would not be denied.

The Battle of Marineford rages around her ears, when Hina looks up to see the stuff of nightmares standing atop the remains of Marine Headquarters.

A gang of murderers. The most black-hearted criminals released from the unspeakable Sixth Floor of Impel Down, along with vicious cutthroats from across the world, all captained by a renegade Shichibukai who had turned on both pirates and Marines when it best suited him.

And behind that faithless monster stands one man with no criminal record to speak of.

In the stillness of the revelations that come afterwards, one phrase alone comes to mind.

'You'll regret letting me live.'

And she does. Now more than ever, she does.

Hina regrets.

FIN.