They could hear those guys behind them trying to come up, but having trouble getting past Zoro's battle that had started already. "Oi, Straw Hat-ya," Law said, looking up at their goal with a distant look. "I've made up my mind. The plan I suggested to you guys was a detour to crush Doflamingo. But the truth was, I also wanted to pay him once and for all. I lost once before, but not this time. You won't be responsible for fixing me again."
He then surprisingly opened up about his hate for Doflamingo. Someone he cared about dearly and that helped him was murdered by him. "Corazon", who the name on his jacket's back referenced to, was the warlord's real brother.
"I see. I understand how you feel, then. How I felt about Blackbeard for being the reason Ace would be executed," Luffy said in a serious voice. Law said nothing else and Ace was quiet, too.
It was difficult for Luffy to make sense of what he was hearing around them. There were just so many voices, so much noise from every direction that it was difficult to make out anything helpful. All he knew was that there were people waiting for them on the mountain, on each level.
He had no idea how many or who they were. Since he'd been mostly on his own before he went to help the little people, he hadn't come across the Donquixote family much. Law had to know about them. He had before, and Luffy asked if he knew who was up in front of them. Law looked to Ace, who casually said he already knew about Law's type.
Law, to his credit, didn't look annoyed or pissed. Maybe it made the most sense to him based on how he knew how to take care of Luffy right after the war. Who else would know Luffy needed blood?
"There are multiple enemies up there. Multiple of the family. Five or six maybe. I can't tell who they are but Baby 5, as she always smells strongly of gunpowder. They're all gonna want to kill you painfully. You'll be the main target. You killed one of the family," Law explained. Ace said he'd take them on if they were gonna go after Luffy.
"Tell me about the family and their abilities," Ace said. Law told him all he remembered of those that had been there when he was around."
"Do they know about you?"
"No. I managed to hide it from them, somehow. They won't know how I'm in good shape now," Law said. He was being very honest. Maybe because he was talking to two people who knew more about what he was than anyone else he'd been with lately. Neither were at all bothered, and Luffy had even gotten him someone to feed on.
Ace was glad they knew nothing of Luffy. "They do know about the acidic blood. It burnt the strings off. I wish it worked on weapons, too. Then nobody could stab me without their swords being ruined!" he complained.
"Well, you can't have everything," Ace said. Luffy pummeled everyone who got in their way without getting off Moocy. He praised the bull for keeping moving and being brave. But then the colosseum guys were there, climbing up ahead of them. Luffy was annoyed. They kept saying they were repaying Luffy and Usopp's efforts, but then they were doing what Luffy didn't want. Sure, they must be angry and wanting to take revenge about being toys, and he understood that, but they couldn't do what Luffy didn't want and claim it was helping them!
Ace said, "Those guys are the stronger ones of the whole event. Man, some of them hated you, but it seems like it's changed."
Somebody named Kelly Funk told them he found a shortcut up to the first level. "No thanks, you're a liar!" Luffy replied, and the bull kept riding along, going the long way, it seemed. Ace snorted at this, and at the shocked and frustrated look at the guy who lied. The others were climbing up to the next level, and Luffy had an idea. He would make a good shortcut!
Ace asked what he was doing. "Making a ramp for us right through the mountain!" he said. Luffy had Moocy go straight to the mountain, and pressed one hand to the wall, and tilted his palm upwards and let out a strong blast, and ripped a hole right through the mountain. It was a cave for them! The blasts sure were coming fast, and helpful! Lucky.
"Nice thinking!" Ace cheered.
"That power sure is useful."
"I guess. It's also really dangerous," Luffy said brightly. "Go Moocy! Beat 'em all to the top!" The bull mooed, and Luffy heard the guys saying that wasn't fair at all.
"Damn it! They got past the second level!" Baby 5 said. He recognized her voice. "Get them!" Luffy had Moocy dodge bombs in the walls, and when a big man came to them from above, Luffy punted him in the stomach with a haki covered fist.
Ace said, "Well, I'm off, then." He jumped off of the bull and made a fire wall. "Good luck!"
"Thanks, Ace!" Luffy called as his brother fought off the executives and gave them no way to get past the fire wall easily. The flames were still purple for Luffy's sake. Luffy heard something coming up behind them and was surprised to see the captain Kyros. "Whoa, how'd you get up here?!"
"Ace-san let me pass!" Ace did, and he hopped onto Moocy's back. Luffy asked why he was there. He'd been AWOL for a long time. "I'm going up to the palace with you!" Luffy said Doflamingo was his to take down!
"Ours! If anything, it should be me taking him down alone!" Law protested.
"Hey, he turned me into a toy, too!"
"I'm not after him. I'm going to kill one of the executives. Diamante," Kyros said in a cold voice. One of deep anger and hatred.
"Ah, okay. Well, you do you, then!" Luffy said. He looked up at the cage, wondering if it would all be undone if he was dead. What if they didn't come down and just remained there forever. "Toy soldier guy. I'm sorry you got stuck like that for so long. Even just a few hours was terrible," Luffy said quietly.
"It is in the past and I will never let it happen again," he said firmly. Law said he hadn't even noticed he was gone. "That was how everyone was. Thank you for helping out with operation SOP. You and Usoland."
"Neehee, I'm good at scaring people!" Luffy replied proudly. "I wonder if I can scare Doflamingo? Well, it's worth a try! Law, can you scare people? Besides your grumpy grump face."
"Don't call it that," Law said in irritation. "I've not tried personally to scare anybody like that. Let's not talk about that here."
"M'kay," Luffy replied lightly. They were stopped when a bunch of nut crackers appeared in front of them. "These are toys, too! We can't kill them," Luffy said, able to smell the human in them. He remembered what happened to Tobi. He wouldn't kill any unfortunate toys. Looked like they had to knock out Sugar again.
Law asked what he planned, then. "I'll go really fast. Hang on," Luffy said. He turned into second gear, and lifted the bull and two passengers and zoomed through the field of them, passing many of the huge and clumsy things easily, until one hit Moocy and knocked the other two off. It had nailed Moocy in the head, and he was asleep. Luffy looked at the animal sadly, and picked him up and moved him to the side and to safety.
All three of them now stood in front of a field of nutcracker dolls. Law created a room, and sent them all over the cliff face. "They should be fine. They're immortal toys. Now we have to run, though. But it doesn't reach the whole way up."
Luffy said he couldn't create a blast, so they'd need to wait for the next one. "I could rocket us up there, though." Luffy and Law both looked up when they saw someone come flying over the cliff face, screaming before Luffy caught them. This one smelled like Ace and Robin.
"L-L-Luffy-senpai!"
"Where the heck did you come from?" Luffy asked.
"Ace-san!"
"I thought he was fighting!"
"He is! But I wanted to help Luffy-senpai up here!" Luffy didn't know him much. "The little people came here with Robin-senpai!"
"That wasn't the plan!"
"You don't get to complain about things not going to plan, Straw Hat-ya!" Law yelled, and Luffy laughed.
"So, how'd you get here? And where is Robin?"
"Luffy! Tra-guy!" Robin called from above, lowering down herself. She was coming down quickly, but didn't crash land. There were big beetles that had taken them there. "Go to the palace with Leo, we didn't quite make it all the way!" Robin said. "Bird-kun, can you help them get up?" Robin asked. The guy was blushing furiously about being of use to the Straw Hats.
"Shut up and help us!" Law said in annoyance.
"I don't help you! I help Luffy-senpai and Robin-senpai! Don't act so cocky!"
"He's my friend now!"
"I am not!"
"Well, I'll help Luffy-senpai's friend then! Right!"
"I'm not his friend!"
"Keep telling yourself that, Tra-guy," Robin said in amusement. They all turned when an enemy finally appeared.
"Gladius, he creates bombs on whatever he touches. Be careful of him," Law said. The little person got onto Luffy's shoulder, and Bartolomeo crossed his fingers to make a glass stairway.
"Wow, this is really useful! Thank you!"
"Luffy, stop praising him, he may pass out," Robin said lightly. Luffy giggled and grabbed Law and Kyros, making them both protest until Luffy used gear second to get up the stairs as fast as possible. Leo was holding onto the string of his hat to not be blown off. Luffy looked down, and the stairs disappeared.
"Damn you, Law!" Gladius shouted. Law looked down on him and just wordlessly flipped him the bird. Now all three of them stood in the flower field, seeing and sensing a huge man. Tall and long with weird marks on his face.
"Luffy, Law, I'm taking this one," captain Kyros said.
"Right. We'll find Mingo," Luffy said. Law looked at the man that had to be Diamante in distaste, a look he returned it in full. He said he wouldn't let them get to Doflamingo when Kyros attacked him. Even with one leg, he was a fierce guy.
"I said I won't let you get to the palace, you stupid traitor!" Diamante shouted, swinging his sword at them that stretched. Law wordlessly grabbed onto Luffy's scruff and made a ROOM, using shambles to put them onto the palace grounds and out of the flower field. Luffy looked over the side and saw the two fighting. Diamante was furious.
"This is the royal palace? What a useful power!"
"It takes energy, no matter how useful," he said. "There are multiple strong members in there." Luffy said he smelled burnt flesh. "Yeah."
"It has to be that guy that Ace set on fire. The flammable guy," Luffy commented.
"He torched Trebol? Then Doflamingo must not have known that detail or he'd have done something when Ace was close. Or maybe he just doesn't care as much as he says he does. Like with Buffalo," Law said in a flat voice. "Let's go." Leo, the little person, had left on his own mission, so Law and Luffy were the only ones going to the main antagonist.
When they were walking in, Luffy smelled the one who turned him into a stuffed animal. If he knocked her out again, then all the toys she'd created again would be fixed. When she came into view, looking furious and determined, Luffy sneered and widened his eyes, giving that crazed and demented look.
"Sugar... remember me?" Luffy asked, taking a few steps towards her. "You turned me into a stuffed dog. I'm not a stuffed dog anymore," he said, and popped his knuckles. She landed on her butt, hyperventilating. She was mentally weak at the moment, and he easily knocked her out.
Law looked subtly shocked. "Told you I can be scary! I practiced, too," Luffy bragged. He ripped off the hem of the unconscious Sugar's dress and restrained her hands. It would be bad to get distracted and have her wake up. He dragged her to the pool and tied her hands to the bar so she was in the water, weak, and immobile, but not dead. Even if he would kill her willingly after everything she'd done.
They both climbed the stairs and passed the room that reeked of burnt flesh. Trebol had to be in there. Luffy honestly didn't want to see it. Smelling it was bad enough. Law had a grossed out face on by the smell as well.
Sitting in the chair on the roof, Doflmingo didn't look how Luffy expected him to.
He seemed like he'd be mocking and nasty. Here, he was just livid. He wasn't even wearing the nasty smile. "His" kingdom had been ruined, the truth came out. He lost everything on Punk Hazard, including three of his underlings and all of the SAD tanks. The marines were there and knew what had happened, one of his more trusted allies or friends was severely burned by Ace, one of his other friends had a hole blasted through his stomach. Everything was the Straw Hats plus Law and Ace's fault.
Maybe he regretted not killing them all in that instant. "I see you found Law's key. I don't even know where it had gone," he said darkly. "And you also evaded my trap. I guess you can spot a liar well, can you?"
"Yeah."
"I want to ask you again. What are you, Straw Hat Luffy?"
"A monster," Luffy replied.
"Me, too," Law said. Doflamingo finally noticed that Law was perfectly healed. The wounds he'd been given were completely gone, not a scratch on him. He narrowed his eyes at this. Last time he'd seen both of them, Law was handcuffed and severely injured. Now neither of those things were present anymore.
Law's energy was still low, but he wasn't helpless anymore. "I should have killed you all back then."
"You do like to play with your food too much," Law said.
"I'm so sick of you people. I'll kill you both painfully, and then your crew and both of Straw Hat's living brothers. Then I'll find the Heart Pirates, and kill them as well. You won't get away with what you've done to me and my family."
"You won't get away with everything you've done to everyone else!" Luffy snapped back. He didn't take threats to his crew lightly. And Ace was a sore spot for him. Having nearly died himself. Then there was Sabo, who Luffy didn't know anything about but knew he was his dead brother.
Doflamingo stood. "You were lucky two years ago. You almost got yourself and your brother killed. He didn't even want you there, did he? He didn't believe in you. Now he seems to, but that will be his downfall this time. Believing in a little brother who lost all feeling in half of his body. What would you have done if Law wasn't there to fix you? Do you assume he'll fix you again this time?" he asked, sneering now. Luffy scowled.
"I hear you also have new mental illnesses, too? PTSD I assume? After all, magma fists did rain down on you, boil your allies alive." Luffy swallowed and threw a punch at him, Law grabbed him to stop him.
"Straw Hat-ya, he's just trying to piss you off! Don't let him!" Law insisted. He had to do something, if he really did pull everything up, Luffy could have a flashback! Then he'd be completely out of the fight and possibly get both of them and everyone here killed! If he had a flashback that ended up killing the whole island, then he would never live with himself. He'd rather be dead.
"I also heard you were only able to escape Impel Down alive because you cheated. Your allies were more useful than you had been the whole time you were there. Everything that you've survived as a pirate was due to pure luck. Old man Whitebeard died because you couldn't get to your brother fast enough."
Luffy was feeling complete and utter hate for this man. Law had said he was good at picking people apart and turning them against themselves. When he was about to attack, he flicked a finger, moving a string, and a huge explosion rocked the rooftop. It was on Luffy's left side as he was close to the edge of the roof. He felt his ear bleed, and suddenly he was at Marineford.
"Straw Hat-ya!"
Luffy could feel with his haki where Doflimngo was. He was seeing the war, but he attacked his enemy. He didn't feel any pain as he was sliced at. He was completely consumed with the vision. He slammed a fist into Doflamingo's mouth and pulled. He was switched with a shambles with Law, who attacked Doflamingo.
"Straw Hat-ya! You're not there, you're not on the battlefield, Ace is safe and fighting for you! Fight for him again this time, too!" Luffy was brought back, and was ashamed and humiliated.
"Sorry, I'm back now!" Luffy said. Doflamingo had a bloody mouth. Luffy had managed to yank two of his teeth out. But there were now two of them, and Luffy was attacked by what was clearly the double. Everytime Luffy tried to get to the original, the double would attack him. So Luffy was stuck fighting the string double.
Then there was a third that was going after Law from behind. Luffy stretched an arm out and tried to grab at it, before the first double slashed at Luffy. Law attempted to stop that one and cut it into pieces, but the double attacked Law instead as the original hit Luffy in the face with a haki covered foot, throwing Luffy across the rooftop. The three ganged up on Law and Luffy and attacked, finding drawing out a blast that Doflmingo forced his hands doward, his strings really annoying.
The blast went straight down and Luffy dropped down a couple floors, landing with a loud grunt when he was in some sort of basement. Looking up, it was a long way up. He found a string puppet in there, too. The puppet went after Luffy, but at least this one didn't talk. He couldn't believe he'd had a flashback in the middle of a fight! But he knew no other enemy would be like this.
Doflamingo had seen his state at the war, he knew what buttons to press and how hard to press them. Luffy kicked at the puppet and shot up a floor, but it crumbled beneath him, cracks in the floor from the blast.
He hoped everybody was okay.