I don't like you by BloodyMarryMe
Ahh~ Finally done! I've been working on it long enough anyway. Sorry, to keep you all waiting. :( Hope the length of this chapter makes up for that.
So a few thing to say before we start. About answering reviews before the chapter start, since a few people have commented on it and I agree that sometimes my answers are too long so it might make the chapter too long, I've been think about how to fix it. To be honest it's a bit troublesome to answer every review in PM and also there are people that post reviews and questions as guests so I can't PM them. So to take care of this I decided to answer here the reviews where I can answer it shortly and the ones where I can tell it'll be a long answer, I'll PM them. So I hope this solves the problem. Though I also want to note that review answering isn't really a part of the story so it's not like you're really missing anything if you don't read it. You can always just skip it and go the actual story. I actually try not to say anything in there that could be a spoiler so that you can enjoy the story.
Other than that, what I want to say is….a biiig thank you to Zella787, who made a picture of Miyako for me. Thank you! I uploaded it to image manager and it should serve as my story cover but honestly I have no idea whether you can see it or not. O.o Just in case I'll also put a link to it in my profile page. :)
Now to answer some reviews (Don't worry, I'll keep it short. :P):
animefanxD: Thanks! I always worry about my characters becoming Ooc or Miyako being a Marry Sue (but not too weak either) so I try to keep an eye on that. Well I didn't actually get it from Jurassic Park (Though it is an awesome movie, and dinosaurs rule! :D) but when I was thinking about what creatures to put in the jungle (and since it was jungle) I thought; why not dinosaurs (cause I love them)! And yes, Sasori was an inspiration for Reiji. :)
MangaFreak55: I know who you mean, but to be honest I think the scenery (jungle and dinosaurs) is more similar to that one piece Arc than the story of giants themselves. And yeah, you know I always put a cliffy. ;) I think it's my subconscious revenge as a reader when the story always ends with a cliffy and it makes me want to flip things. So now you have to suffer too! XP
SeaDevil: I think Law could never say to Shachi; "You're getting punished because you saw Miyako like that and it makes me kinda jealous." XD That punishment was just for Law's satisfaction, more than to learn Shachi a lesson. :P Thanks for the warning, I changed it. Aaand, the rest you'll understand soon enough. :)
Izzie: Lol your reactions to the chapters always make me laugh. XD Sorry to keep you waiting so long again. ^^' Hope it'll be worth it. Also, I don't think Law would get man for his crew meddling in Unk'Ur battle since they didn't even know he was behind it or what was going on, they were just fighting and trying not to get killed after all.
SeveredReality: You'll get your answers in the PM cause I just can't make it short enough. ^^'
Ok, we're, done so let's start! Hope you enjoy it!
CHAPTER 36
"The man behind this attack…The man who managed to plan this attack and break our defenses to let the Unk'Ar men in using his abilities…was none other than your captain, Trafalgar Law!"
Miyako couldn't help but stiffen at Unak's words. *What is he talking about? Why would Law have anything to do with it? If nothing, our crew were the victims...they were prisoners!* But just as she thought that, new possibilities immediately came to mind. What if the Unk'Ar men made them do it? What if they threatened them somehow? But that seemed too surreal to Miyako; Law following orders or being threatened into doing something just didn't sound like something possible to her.
"What are you talking about? Why would Captain do that?" Penguin asked somewhere behind the group, resting on the wall with his arm immobilized and bandaged.
The leader of the city looked at Penguin for a moment as he heard the confused question. "That's what I want to know…and for you to tell me? Why is your captain working with Unk'Ar?"
"How are we supposed to know! We haven't seen the captain for hours and didn't even know for certain where he could be. We came here in the first place to ask for your help to guide us to this Unk'Ar where our crew is held captive." Josh lost his short temper, almost yelling at the warriors. He had enough of all this. They had been fighting on Unk'Ur's side till' dawn and now they once again get treated like spies.
As the redhead raised his voice, the warriors immediately took that as a hostile sign and brought their weapons closer to the group. Unak's eyes narrowed. "You really want me to believe you have no connection with your own crew and captain on this?"
Miyako nodded quickly. "That's right. Our crew was captured by Unk'Ar warriors and we want to save them. That's why we came here; to ask you for a guide and some supplies that will last till' we come to the city." She stared right at Unak's eyes, showing him there were no lies in her words. The man pierced her with his own cold stare. There was a moment of perfect silence between the groups, the tension still in the air, but suddenly a new voice broke it.
"It's true." They all turned around to see Kah'An standing there, a woman, Khala behind him, resting her hands on the boy's shoulders. She still looked exhausted and breathed hard.
At the sight, Unak's eyes widened a little and Miyako noticed how his expression unconsciously softened up instantly after seeing the woman. The girl tilted her head at this, finding the observation rather interesting. *Maybe I can even use that to our advantage…Jean Bart saved the woman's life after all, unfortunately that debt was repaid but maybe I can talk to her and she can talk Unak into helping us.* While the samurai thought over her new plan of action, Unak walked over to Khala in a hurry, leaving his group of warriors to keep guarding the pirates.
"Khala! What are you doing out of bed? You're not well enough." As soon as Unak came to them, he tried to lead the boy and the woman away.
"Wait, Honey, Kah'An has something to tell you and I think you should listen." The woman didn't look threatened or scared at the man at all. Instead she stood there determinately, not letting to be pushed away from the scene. The man looked down at the cowering boy who gulped, looking uneasy and anxious already.
In the pirates group, every member had their eyes open wide in surprise. "Did she just call him honey?" Shachi couldn't help but exclaim.
Unak turned towards them with another piercing glare. "Yes, she is my fiancée." He said in a voice that dared anyone to hurt her knowing that, before turning back to his fiancé and the boy.
The group of pirates still seemed pretty dumbfounded at the information as if they couldn't process it. They huddled up closer together. "That guy has a fiancé? Really?" Penguin whispered in a surprised voice that showed he just couldn't believe it.
"If that guy can find a woman, than I know there's hope for me…." Shachi sighed somehow at ease.
"She must be a saint to be able to keep up with him…" Miyako shook her head still not believing it either.
Suddenly a shot fired near them, making the pirates jump in surprise and prepare for battle wherever it was coming from. After some looking around, Miyako and the others noticed Unak had his gun pointed at the floor next to them, smoke coming from his rifle. "I can still hear you…" The man almost growled with annoyance, a hard glare on his face. The pirates just smiled sheepishly, except for Bart who sighed as if tired of the whole situation.
Meanwhile, the boy started talking, trying to use as much courage and determination in his voice he could muster. "I-I'm sorry I brought these people here without telling anyone…I know I could've made a terrible mistake and do a lot of damage. I will take full responsibility for my actions." The boy's voice wavered a little but he took a deep breath, looking up at Unak right in the eyes and holding the man's stare with newfound determination. "However, as I said before, these people aren't bad even if they are pirates. They could've resisted the arrest and hurt a lot of people but didn't…and they even helped us fight off Unk'Ar's troops. I think what they're telling us is the truth and I think we should help them. I owe them a lot, for saving sister Khala too, so….I will be their guide!"
Unak's eyes narrowed at the boy. "And when did you become so brave, boy?" The said boy didn't answer anything, only stared at Unak harder. The tall man sighed and rested his rifle on his right shoulder. "So what you're saying is that you will help these people even if I forbid it?" Unak stared at the boy harder as if challenging him to answer that. And he was surprised when the boy did.
At first Kah'An was surprised and taken back with the question. He never wanted to challenge Unak's authority or anything, he just wanted to help Miyako and the others. But he knew he couldn't back down now…so whatever happens, he has to stick with it. Kah'Ah gave the man a harsh nod. "Yes!"
Now was Unak's time to be a bit surprised. He knew the boy was a scardy-cat and especially afraid of him; not that Unak enjoyed scaring the boy. So he never thought Kah'An would show such determination, especially for these pirates. Even if they did save Khala and bring the children to safety, which Unak had to show gratitude for, he couldn't understand why the boy trusted them so much. Well he had to admit, he saw no sign of lying as he talked to the pirates about their situation so he pretty much believed them…but he still didn't trust them. They could change their minds anytime and attack the city and rob them after they meet up with the rest of the crew. Even this far in the first part of the Grand Line, the name Surgeon of Death was feared. He heard many rumors about Trafalgar Law and the Heart Pirates and none were good. Still the boy's determination told him something…at first he just thought Kah'An was being naïve and manipulated but that didn't seem the case after all. And besides…Khala was giving him a stern, warning look behind the boy, probably telling him silently something in the lines of Don't-be-an-ass.
The man sighed, closing his eyes for a second. When he reopened them, his gaze had softened somewhat. "Then…I suppose there's no stopping you."
As soon as those words left the man's lips, Kah'An's face lightened up and a big smile crossed his face. "Thank you Leader!" The boy almost jumped with excitement. Meanwhile, Unak gave a sign with his free hand and the warriors moved away from the pirates, lowering their weapons.
Miyako smiled at the boy who was grinning from ear to ear.
~…~
Shachi adjusted his backpack which contained some food and water. "Why am I the one carrying this?" He whined at the heavy luggage on his back.
Penguin sighed and rolled his eyes. "We've already been over this; Josh is a midget so it'll be complicated for him to carry a backpack larger than him.." He ignored the annoyed protests from the redhead and continued. "….Jean Bart is too big to even put it on his back and he'll need his hands for fighting, and there's no way I'm letting our fragile, cute girl Miya-chan carry it! Where are your gentleman manners?" Miyako sweat-dropped at his explanation; *Fragile….cute..?*
"And I won't be any help to you so I'm returning to the sub. I might try and start working on fixing it again, though I doubt I'll be able to do much with just one hand." Penguin added, a sad sigh escaping his lips.
Miyako looked at the dark haired mechanic with worried eyes. "Will you be able to go back on your own with a broken arm?"
Penguin grinned. "Don't worry, Unak agreed to let one of the warriors go with me just in case." The mechanic pointed at a man next to him who had a rifle on his back and a saber in his hand.
Unak cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Besides Kah'An, Moi here will go with you to Unk'Ar." He gestured at a tall man, dressed in a simple cotton outfit , a spear in his hand and a gun at his waist. "He is one of our best warriors. Don't flatter yourself though, I've only chosen him because he needs to protect the boy; I don't want anything happening to Kah'An because of your little quest." He glared at the pirates who just sighed. They were already used to the man's harsh words and cold glares. "You have enough food and water so you're ready to go." He looked like he couldn't wait for the feared pirates to leave his city. Still, Miyako and the group were thankful for the man's help.
Miyako nodded. "Thank you." She then turned toward the gates and her friend. "Then…" She didn't have to finish. The pirates nodded and turned to leave as well, Kah'An and Moi with them.
Shachi sighed when they were already out of the city. "I still don't get it…why is Captain working with the Unk'Ar warriors? Do you really think he has no choice?"
Penguin, who was absorbed with trying to scratch his broken hand without irritating the wound, looked up at his mechanic friend. "Who knows…But captain has a reason for everything he does so he certainly has one now."
Shachi rolled his eyes. "I know he has a reason; what I'm say is that I want to know what it is!"
"Well how should I know, I'm as clueless as you are, idiot!" Penguin snapped back, annoyed with the whole conversation now.
Miyako sighed. "Whatever it is…I'm sure we'll figure out what it is soon enough." Even though she said that to calm down her friends, Miyako herself wondered greatly what the reason behind Law's actions was. There were a few possibilities that popped into her head; such as that he made a pact with them for a safer place to stay and supplies after they captured them, or that they will be released if he did that, or that they threatened him to do it…But whatever she thought of, it seemed weird to her. But the question that bothered her the most was; since technically Law failed, what will happen to him and the crew now?" That particular question left a bad feeling in her gut and worry in her mind. She knew Law wouldn't die easily and he wouldn't let anything happen to his crew but the uncertainty of it all unsettled her.
After a while, the group separated from Penguin and the other warrior and headed for the city of Unk'Ar.
~…..~
10 HOURS EARLIER:
Law was sitting on the crate, sighing. The sun was slowly setting but the heat was still pretty strong and it made him hard to concentrate. He adjusted his fuzzy hat to keep the sun away, but at this point it only made him feel hotter under it.
Bart was sitting by his side, telling him approximately how much off course they went. They didn't know much about the island or its position but thankfully having advanced technology helped them out a lot so they could at least know how much the island was away from their previous position.
Law turned towards the jungle and so did the rest of the crew when they heard another loud roar coming from the jungle, then a few shrieks. He didn't like this island one bit and he couldn't help the small anxious feeling inside his chest knowing he had sent four of his crewmembers in that jungle. Who knows; maybe they were responsible for these sounds right now. He couldn't even guess what they could be battling right now, but if the sound was any indication, it was big. An image of his troublemaker samurai came to mind and he couldn't help but sigh again after thinking about all the troubles she could get herself into this time. Law looked at the sub, which was still being repaired and saw Shachi working on its hull. "Shachi, how are the repairs going?" He raised his voice a little so the head mechanic could hear him.
The said mechanic turned toward his captain, wiping some sweat from his forehead in the process. By now he and the rest of the crew all had their overalls unbuttoned or the upper part off, showing a simple T-shirt underneath. "It's not that bad and the engines weren't damaged, thankfully. But it will still take a few hours before she can be as sturdy as before." The mechanic put a hand on the sub as if petting his favorite dog. Law wasn't surprised since Shachi and Penguin were a part of making this submarine and considered it their masterpiece. The captain nodded and let Shachi get back to work, while he looked through some books, trying to find any information on this island.
"Captain!" A yell brought him from his work and Law looked up to see one of his crewmembers, who was on guard duty, looking up at the sky, holding a monocular in one hand and pointing at something upwards with the other. Trafalgar followed the pointing finger with his eyes and saw something flying in the air at great speed right at them. Then two more joined in.
*What is that?* A quick thought crossed Law's mind as he stood up and prepared his nodachi for whatever was coming. He squinted his eyes, trying to see better but it was hard because of the sun which was still setting. Even before Law could see clearly what it was, he shouted to his men; "Get ready for battle!" At this order, everyone took their weapons or tried to find some shelter but they were pretty much on the open here at the beach, which gave them great disadvantage.
After some time the crew was able to see the three figures better and see their true shapes. They looked like big weird-looking birds and human forms riding on them. But as soon as they were close enough to be recognized, the men on the birds started shooting at the pirates.
"Take cover!" Someone yelled and the pirates either hid behind the submarine or the trees in the jungle near the beach. The Heart pirates started shooting back but the birds were extremely fast. Law couldn't get them into his sphere either since they were too high in the air. Still he made a sphere around his crew and tried switching as many bullets that were shot at them with sand. Just then he heard a sound coming from the jungle and his haki warned him something was coming closer. The part of the crew that was hiding near the jungle turned around and stared deeper into the jungle forest, as that sound got louder. The sounds of rustling leaves and stomping feet traveled to their ears and they could see tress ahead swaying wildly. The crewmembers moved back to the beach away from the jungle and the sounds, which proved the right choice after a large group of warriors on beasts, no dinosaurs, came out of the jungle trampling on everything in front of them.
"W-what the hell!" Shachi yelled in utter surprise and bafflement. Real, large dinosaurs stood before them, with people on their backs carrying guns and other weapons. Behind them, men ran on foot with loud battle cries. Meanwhile the men on what appeared to be pterodactyls to Law were still shooting down at them.
A cry of pain echoed and Law turned to see one of his crewmembers getting shot in the leg. Meanwhile, Shura, one of Law's best shooters managed to shoot one of the men on the pterodactyl even in fast flight. The man fell down on the sandy ground from at least 20 meters of height. Even if the shot didn't kill him, the fall certainly has.
Law narrowed his eyes and waited for the infantry to run into his sphere. The warriors didn't know of his abilities, which gave him some advantage. As soon as they were in, Law swung his nodachi, cutting a dozen warriors and two dinosaurs along with their riders. At the sight the warriors stopped a bit uncertain and afraid of this unusual power, seeing their comrades in pieces yet still alive.
"Don't stop men! There is nothing to be afraid of! Defeat these intruders that dare walk on our territory!" One of the warriors shouted. He was riding the largest dinosaur there, Austroraptor, a large carnivore dinosaur prompted on two hind legs with needle sharp teeth. The man riding on it was tall, dark-skinned and with a muscled, toned boy. He had scars on his exposed torso and a large scar across his left side of the face, where there was a closed useless eye; or at least what was left of it. A wild mess of black hair danced around him as he rode. The man had a big sword in one hand while holding on the dinosaur's rains with the other. All in all, Law could see that he was the leader of this attack, which made him the first to take out.
Law swung his sword again, slicing some more warriors. Then he swung again slicing the ground between the incoming warriors and his men which were slowly pulling back to the sub and the sea. He saw one of the riders coming towards him from the side but suddenly Bart appeared between them, punching the animal with his large fist, right in the snout, sending it to the ground and on top of its rider, smashing his bones.
"You alright captain?" Bart asked as he glanced at Law. Trafalgar simply nodded and turned his attention back to what he was doing.
Law new they are in a disadvantaged position on the open, and clearly outnumbered. Even with the fighting skills of him and his crew, he knew there would be great casualties on their part if the warriors get to them and they begin an all-out battle. So Law decided to do anything to avoid a direct conflict. Right now we was most concerned with creating shelter. He outstretched one arm, resting his unsheathed nodachi on his shoulder.
As he was working, Jean Bart and Bepo protected him from both sides. Bepo jumped and kicked the dinosaur in the head, then used its head as a lift of to jump higher and kick off the rider as well. "Ha-ya!" With a loud yell he punched another warrior and dodged a spear coming at him then jumped in the air in the middle of five warriors, kicking and punching all of them at such speed that the natives didn't even have time to react. Meanwhile, Bart had tossed a dinosaur into a group of incoming warriors, new warriors ran forward but a dead pterodactyl fell right onto them, courtesy of Garry who shot the animal.
"Everyone pull back towards the submarine!" Law ordered. "Tact" he then simply said and the ground started rising in front of them, creating a barrier between the crew and the warriors. But just then a crumbling of ground created by Law's powers was replaced by the sound of ground crumbling by hard pounding from the other side. Whatever was going on there on the other side, it was making the cracks in makeshift shield which was going to crumble any minute now.
What Law didn't know was that the natives were using Ceratopsidae to run into the ground-shield, crushing it. By now there were at least a hundred warriors waiting for the wall that encircled the pirates to break so they could storm in.
"Everyone get to the sub!" Law realized there wasn't much they could do. A part of his mind was still reminding him of his four crewmembers who were still somewhere out there in the jungle, and could easily become victims of these same natives, if they haven't already. But he had his crew that was here to worry about so he had no other choice but to move out for now. However, just as he said his orders the wall broke. Law slashed with his sword again, taking out one of the first warriors. Jean Bart was by his side, sending the natives flying. "Mister Bart, with Sai gone, you are the only navigator. Go to the sub and submerge it!" Bart looked uncertain about this, not wanting to leave the crew and the captain to their own fate, but the order in Law's voice was clear. After a sigh, Bart nodded.
"Take care, captain…" With that, Bart took off, fighting through the natives who have already encircled them.
Shachi, who was already on the sub using a gun to shoot at the warriors from higher ground, tried to jump down to his captain's side, but Law, seeing what the mechanic was trying to do, gave him a stern look of 'Don't you dare!' ordering him silently to save himself.
The crew remained to fight even when they were outnumbered and encircled without any cover, and the sub already gone and submerged. The natives tried shooting at it but they couldn't stop it before it was gone. Law sliced and slashed, but the natives just kept coming. There were no dead in his crew yet but a dozen of them had either gun wounds or slashes and cuts. After a while, Law saw there was no point in continuing since it was just hurting his crew more.
"Men! We're surrendering!" As soon as the words left him, Law felt a bitter taste in his mouth, cursing silently at their bad luck. When the warriors heard that, the Leader gave them a sign to stop, but they made sure to point all the weapons at the pirates in case they tried something else. The leader of the natives walked to Law, a good head and a half taller than the captain, and looked down at him with a satisfied smirk.
"Trafalgar Law, are you not?" The man's voice was deep and hoarse.
The pirate captain remained silent for a while. "Who wants to know?" He finally asked.
But as a response, the big man just grinned wider as if really satisfied with something. Still looking right at the captain, the man ordered his warriors; "Take them to the city." Then he turned to see his fallen comrades, some of them still alive even though in parts. "And take back both dead and alive." Then before leaving, he turned to glance at Law again. "I hope they can be fixed…for the sake of you and your crew. That's the part of the reason I'm keeping you alive after all." The man was talking about his sliced up but alive men. He grinned at Law, which made the pirate captain want to slice his head off, but he just narrowed his eyes at the leader with a dark look under his hat.
~…~
"So what exactly do you want from me?" Law was standing in the middle of a room, his hands chained behind his back with sea-stone cuffs. Briefly he wondered where the natives got them, but they probably belonged to some other ship that had the same unfortunate luck to come to this island just like the Heart Pirates. Even though the cuffs were tiring him out, Law was able to stand tall, his pride intact. Well at least that's what he told himself; but it was hard to speak about pride when you were a captive. Still, if someone could pull it off, it had to be him. He didn't even look scared of the of the natives' leader, but he did have a dark look on his face as he glared at the big man before him.
"Let me introduce myself first. My name is Arrak, I am the leader of this city of Unk'Ar." The tall man turned from Law and looked out the window of his office. They were in the city hall, the highest building in Unk'Ar that had a view of the entire city. A perfect working place for the town's leader. The city itself was large and seemed quite prosperous. It wasn't high-tech developed but the architecture and constructions were still impressive, and they used the beasts on this island, capturing, training and then using dinosaurs both for war power and labor work.
"I can't really say it's a pleasure…" Law mumbled more to himself, but Arrak must have heard him as he let out a deep, throaty laugh. The pirate captain ignored him and sighed. "So what exactly am I here for?"
Arrak turn towards him and smirked. "You're quite impatient Trafalgar Law. That is not a good trait for a leader." Law only narrowed his eyes at the man's taunts. But Law really was getting impatient. He wanted to know what this man wanted from him, but Arrak kept changing the subject as if to irritate Law on purpose. By his gloating smirk, Law supposed that was exactly the case.
With a clearing of his throat, Arrak put his hands behind his back and turned towards the window again, looking at the vast city ahead. "There is another city on this island. Its name is Unk'Ur and it's just a bit smaller than ours. You see, there are a lot of dangerous creatures and other dangers in this jungle, just lurking around, so getting supplies is very difficult. Both we and Unk'Ur are isolated by these mountain chains, the only way to protect ourselves from the monsters, but that makes living hard as well. For decades, even before I became the leader of this city, those two cities were at war, fighting with each other and trying to take food and other supplies from one another. However, Unk'Ar was better evolved and usually it would win, and Unk'Ur would have to hand some of their supplies over if they didn't want their city destroyed." As Arrak said this, he made a wide grin as if remembering the good ol' days. But then his eyes narrowed and his face darkened. "However…three years ago Unak suddenly appeared out of nowhere." Arrak almost spat the name out. "He came to power soon after and became Unk'Ur's leader. After that, everything started changing. He taught the Unk'Ur warriors how to fight better and used numerous strategies to fend us off. He even built better defenses. Before we knew it, we were at a disadvantage and we couldn't break in nor win anymore. The battle would usually end in a way that we had to retreat. Unk'Ur would lose a lot of great warriors too but Unak even started making some strange war constructions that would make us lose twice as many men. So you see, the evolution of our prosperous city is becoming stagnant and we can't let that happen. We need more supplies! What the jungle has to offer is just not enough...and every time I send my hunters for some dinosaur meat, they succeed but at least two or three of my men die in the process. It's just too risky."
As the man finished, Law couldn't help but sigh tiredly one more time. *So he wants me to help him in his war? I don't have time for this…* "That's a very sad story but I don't see how it concerns me." Even though Law was very aware of what Arrak wanted, he still wanted to annoy the man a little for the hell of it.
Arrak's eyes narrowed dangerously, and he walked over to Law who didn't even flinch as the big man stood right in front of him, glaring down at the pirate. "Since you are my captive and I have your crew at my mercy, I think it concerns you a lot. I think you already know what I want from you, so don't play dumb. I'm not very nice when angered."
"So you want me to help you…alright, and how do you expect me to do that?" Law asked, cutting right to the chase now.
The man walked to his desk and picked up a piece of paper, before raising it into the air for Law to see. "Even on this god forsaken island, we have heard of the fearsome Trafalgar Law and his abilities."
Law looked at the paper and his eyebrow rose. He heard the wanted poster; *310 000 000 Beri? They raised my bounty?*
"And I'm sure your abilities will be perfect for breaking Unk'Ur's defenses." Arrak finished, his voice becoming more deep and deadly, as he grinned evilly.
~….~
BACK TO THE PRESENT:
Law was once again standing in Arrak's office with a great feeling of déjà vu. He was still shackled with sea stone cuffs that were returned on his hands immediately after the fight at Unk'Ur. Even then, the guards and warriors of Unk'Ar never let Law out of their sight, and knowing his crew was held captive in Unk'Ar and could be executed after one simple call on the den den mushi if Law tried anything suspicious, wasn't helping his situation either. He thought about several plans that would enable him to escape, but all of them would get his crew in danger. The warriors themselves weren't a problem and he could easily take care of them with his powers and nodachi, but not before they signaled Arrak about it who would then kill off his crew.
Arrak was once again standing with his back turned to Law, looking outside of the window at the great big city. "So you have failed…." The man said in a gruff voice, simply and matter-of-factly, but there didn't seem any anger or annoyance in that voice. Somehow that didn't comfort Law, but instead made him more anxious.
"I got you inside as was the deal….It was your men who failed to do the rest." Law answered in the same simple tone, not willing to be intimidated by the chief.
The big man made a barely hearable sound, still turned away from Law. It almost sounded like a chuckle, but Law couldn't be sure. Suddenly, Arrak turned around and walked slowly towards the pirate captain. When they were about half a meter apart, Arrak stopped with an expressionless face. Law slightly moved his head upward, to be able to see into Arrak's eyes, trying to determine what was in them. But the man had a strange expression that Law couldn't decipher. Then suddenly, a sound of something hard hitting echoed through the room. Arrak had punched Law at the side of his face. Even though Arrak wasn't going easy on him and the stone cuffs were eating up his energy, Law was able to keep himself standing. He stumbled just a little though and there was a red mark that already started swelling in the corner of his mouth. A small trail of blood trickled down to his chin. Even so, Law's glare didn't falter as he stared with murderous eyes at Arrak.
The bigger man simply sighed. "So you pirates are just useless scum after all…" His voice sounded disappointed as if he was talking about mare trash and that made Law's guts swirl with rage. Still, he managed to keep his calm face, but all the hatred and anger were clearly written in his piercing grey eyes that seemed darker than usual. Arrak just smirked at the threat in them.
"Have you forgotten, Mister Trafalgar? That your crew is at my mercy…You shouldn't be so insolent with me." Arrak said it in an over-polite manner which was obviously used to mock the captain.
Law didn't say anything. He kept his mouth in a thin line and waited for this whole irritating situation to end and for Arrak to finally say what he wanted to say in the first place. Law knew the man had no intention of letting him and his crew go nor stop the attack at Unk'Ur; which meant he would use Law again. But the pirate captain had no interest in helping this man again, he decided to break out of prison and save his crew before the next attack….and then pay Arrak back tenfold.
The said man sighed again and walked back to sit behind his desk. He was going over some papers in his hand, and deliberately made Law wait to annoy the pirate captain further. Then after a while he finally spoke; "Do you know why we failed?" The question was simple enough, but Law had a feeling the answer wasn't. There had to be a reason why Arrak asked that.
"Unk'Ar's men were pushed back and they had to retreat….You lost too many soldiers out there." Law answered.
"You don't find that strange?" Arrak suddenly asked, but Law stayed quiet. He didn't have time nor the patience for Arrak's little games. The big man continued; "True, ever since Unak came their soldiers are getting better training and are more capable…even their defenses and weaponry strength has improved….However, the main reason why we haven't been able to beat them yet was because of their strong defenses. Our forces are still stronger and we should've had no problems crushing them once inside. I counted on losing quite a few soldiers in that battle, but ultimately that battle should have ended with me being victorious."
Law almost wanted to roll his eyes at Arrak's egoism and overweening character but managed to contain himself as he listened in silence.
Arrak leaned back in his big chair made out of wood and dinosaur skin and put his hands behind his head. "So what went wrong…" He lifted a sheet of paper in his hand. "Here is the answer to that."
Once again Law contained his cold, calm face not reacting to Arrak's words at all. The truth was; he was a bit interested but he didn't want to show Arrak that. He knew if Arrak found out Law actually wanted to know, he would stall even more just to irritate him.
Arrak didn't stall anymore though. Instead he pierced Law with his eyes and started explaining. "My informants tell me there was a certain group fighting on Unk'Ur's side, that was responsible for our defeat. Some extraordinary warriors who managed to tip the battle in Unk'Ur's favor. By the look of them they didn't seem like Unk'Ur's warriors…besides, I would have heard of them already if they were." He moved his gaze from Law to the paper in his hand. "A monstrous man able to lift and throw a Aucasaurus barehanded, men fast enough to avoid even our rifles, a samurai able to cut down our dinosaur infantry without batting an eye…Only 5 of them and yet they managed to do such mess of my plans." Arrak skimmed through the paper quickly, telling Law about just a short of the report he got from his informants on the battleground.
Meanwhile, Law was able to maintain perfect calmness even though there was a rush of both relief and tension inside of him. The moment Arrak started describing them, the first sentence was already enough, for Law to recognize his crew. He didn't want Arrak to know he had a connection with them so Law kept his indifferent face. But he was glad his crew was alright…at least the ones who didn't get caught. Still, he had an uneasy feeling that Arrak will do anything to get his hands on the people who messed up his plans and made him pull back. And that put his men…and Miyako, in danger. He didn't like that one bit.
"We don't know who they are or where they came from but they sure caused my soldiers some trouble." Arrak sighed, and Law almost did the same after that sentence.
*So he doesn't know they're a part of my crew…Good. But it'll probably only be a matter of time before he finds out. I need to make my move and get Bepo and the rest out of here before that happens.* Law looked at Arrak, never softening that dark look in his eyes. "So? What is it that you want from me?"
Arrak leaned on his elbows on the desk and looked at Law with a serious look. It left a bad feeling in the pirate captain's gut. "I don't want them messing up my plans again. I want you to find them and bring them to me…and if you can't capture them alive…well you'll just have to kill them then." His words were serious but also lighthearted, as if he just ordered a cup of coffee and not someone's death.
Law still maintained his perfect calm but cold look, not giving away anything. "And how am I supposed to do that?"
Arrak rolled his eyes. "Aren't you supposed to be the genius Surgeon of Death? You figure it out. I'll send some men with you…."
Law sighed. "How simpleminded…" He couldn't help but mutter, purposely loud enough for Arrak to hear.
Arrak glared at the pirate. "But remember…The life of your crew is in my hands and so is your life. Don't disappoint me again…or you won't like the consequences." Arrak's look made it perfectly clear what he meant by that threat. The big man nodded to his guards and they took Law away. The pirate captain walked out without resisting.
Law's eyes narrowed as he was taken back to his cell. *Enjoy this while you can…Because I will make sure you pay for everything soon enough.* The pirate thought bitterly.
~…~
"Captain!" A familiar voice of his first mate sailed through the air as Law walked back to his cell, shared with Bepo, Cody and a few other crewmembers while others were sitting not so far away in their own cells. Law walked inside of his cell and sat on the small bed in the corner. He looked at his first mate as the bear stared worriedly at Law, or rather the swelling in the corner of his slightly bloodied mouth. The bear didn't look any better though. He had small bruises and cuts from the battle on the beach still unattended since all of their stuff was taken, including the medical equipment and bandages. Arrak of course didn't care whether Law's men were hurt or not. Bepo's snow-white fur was now the color of grey, somewhere even black and greasy from the dirt he picked up in the cell. Absentmindedly Law though how much of a high-maintenance and a drag that fur actually had to be and couldn't help but feel sorry for Bepo. "Captain! Are you alright! What happened?" Bepo's panicky voice brought him back from his thoughts and made him focus again.
Law nodded. "I'm fine Bepo. We have more important thing to worry about right now." Cody and Bepo looked at him with a questioning look, and Law sighed just remembering it. He looked at where the guards were and when he estimated they were far enough he begun whispering to his first mate and head medic. After he explained the situation, the two had a similar shocked face Law would have when he heard it if he didn't remember to keep his calm.
"Miyako and the others…?" Cody's whispered slowly, as if he still had some trouble processing it. "We have to do something…they're in danger."
Law sighed at Cody's words. "First we need to do something about our situation. We can't help them in here…" Law didn't like this situation any more than Cody did and didn't want his crew in anymore danger than they already were, including his samurai and the rest in Unk'Ur. But he also knew they couldn't rush into anything unprepared. He wasn't exactly angry at the group that stopped Unk'Ar's attack, after all he didn't give a damn about Arrak and whether he succeeded in his war or not. Though he couldn't help but feel a bit irritated at them messing up his strategy and ultimately getting the imprisoned ones of the crew in danger. However Law doubted they even knew Law was behind that attack and the crew imprisoned here. Still, he wondered what were Miyako's and the other's intentions when they fought Arrak's men off. Why did they help Unk'Ur? He had too little information and didn't know what was going on even though they were a part of his crew. But that's why he had to think about those who were here and whose situation he did know. *Miyako and the others will just have to wait a while.* Even as he thought it, Law felt a strange sting in his chest; probably his body telling him how much he disliked that course of action, but thankfully Law's mind was in charge here.
"Alright. First we need to get out of here. I have a plan but it'll be tricky so listen-" Just as Law started whispering his idea, they heard a couple of voices and shouts outside of the jail. The crew looked at each other in wonder.
~….~
A shadow quickly slipped down the street and into the darkness, hiding from the people. The city of Unk'Ar was in slight chaos; several buildings were on fire and the citizens were running around trying to extinguish the big flames spreading quickly through the city. But what was worse; somebody had opened the gates where the animals and beasts were kept, and now panicked large dinosaur were running around from the fire. Their masters tried to calm them but a lot were just stomped on when the wild herd rushed through the streets.
The said shadow met up with three more shadows coming from other directions, and they started running quietly, before splitting up again.
Miyako and Josh hid behind the wall of a house. The samurai girl turned to the short redhead and whispered. "The building across the street is the jailhouse. We need to take out those guards at the front gate as quickly and silently as possible."
Joshua rolled his forest green eyes. "I know, I know. We went over the plan already. I'm no assassin but I think I can handle two lousy jail guards."
Miyako knew Josh was right but she was anxious nevertheless. The plan was going perfectly so far and she didn't want anything to screw it. They had been working on it until night when they finally snuck into the city, thanks to Kah'An and Moi. However the two weren't allowed into the city, by Unak's strict orders, so they waited outside of the town and far enough so they wouldn't be noticed.
The slightest mistake could alter everything and she didn't really want to do the Plan B, which was much riskier and not her style at all…Basically it was; if you're find out, rush in, kill everything in your way and try not to get killed by an army of pissed off soldiers in the process…Yeah, she definitively didn't like Plan B. Unlike that, their plan had been a bit more sophisticated. They opened up the cages of all the dinosaurs and set fires there and in a few more buildings, creating both chaos among the men and the animals, and both were now running around in panic. Meanwhile as the distraction of the townspeople was in process, they divided in to two groups. Josh and Miyako would go save the crew as quickly and unnoticed as possible since they didn't want the whole city after them while Jean Bart and Shachi secured a way out. They had a special task, and Miyako prayed for the two men to succeed, because if they didn't; they'll all be in big trouble.
The samurai girl nodded to the medic. "Let's go." They snuck a bit closer to the guards who were thankfully in their own world, seeing panicked citizens running around and wondering what the hell is happening here. That gave Josh and Miyako enough of a distraction they needed.
Before they could even realize what's going on, a kunai flew through the air and pierced deep into the guard's head. Before the other could react, a shadow of a samurai rushed forwards, the katana flashing in the night and his voice was silenced with a slash at his throat.
The two pirates quickly rushed inside and ran through a long corridor that turned left and made another corridor. The two stopped and peeked around the corner, seeing a big door and two more guards at the end of the hallway. Josh took out something from the pouch around his waist and threw it at the end of the corridor. The guards looked at the rolling item in wonder as it stopped right in front of their feet. A whole in the item started leaking with smoke and the surprised guards started coughing and had to close their teary eyes. Miyako and Josh quickly ran towards them and finished them off without any trouble.
"A smoke bomb? Exactly how many weapons do you have hidden on you?" The girl blinked at Josh in surprise. She already saw senbon and kunai that he seemed to always pull out of nowhere and who knows what else he had hidden in that black pouch of his. The medic just grinned at her words but didn't say anything. Instead he took the keys from one of the guards and unlocked the big doors.
Meanwhile, Miyako had her head on the doors trying to hear any sounds on the other side that would indicate there were more enemies waiting for them. After a while, she heard some movement and her golden eyes narrowed.
"There are at least two people on the other side." She whispered to her redhead friend.
Josh turned the key slowly so that the sound wouldn't be too loud, but it was heard never the less. Miyako heard the movement in the other room stop and knew the men were looking at the doors, confused as to why they were being unlocked. "We have no choice; we'll just have to rush in even if we don't know what's on the other side." Josh whispered and the girl nodded in agreement. "Ready?" The medic asked and once again the samurai just nodded. The medic gave her a pair of goggles, he already wearing ones. Miyako looked at him questionably but he just showed her another smoke bomb. "This time we might be a longer time there so the smoke will affect us to. Try taking shallow breaths. The girl put the goggles on and followed the medic's lead.
Josh kicked open the door but both of them stayed on the sides of the doors in case the enemies started shooting at them. Josh quickly threw another smoke bomb and as soon as it started working the two rushed in.
There were four men inside. Two of them had spears, another one had a rifle and he was shooting randomly into the smoke, and the last one was big and buff, carrying a large axe. Josh threw himself to the side when the tall man with a rifle aimed the gun at him and started shooting. The medic rolled on the floor and ended in a crouch; he quickly threw a kunai that pierced the man's skull. Meanwhile, Miyako was close enough for the man with a spear to see her. The man sliced at her but Miyako jumped backwards, then as he was about to pierce her, she dived under the spear and did a round slash at his feet. The katana easily sliced through his thigh, cutting the artery there. The man fell with a loud yelp but before he could call for help or say anything else, a katana pierced his throat killing him instantly. Miyako felt a familiar tingle on her neck, her Kenbunshoku Haki warning her of danger from above. She looked up and her big eyes widened even more as a big axe traveled down towards her. The girl quickly jumped away, throwing herself out of the axe's way. The big man was standing not far away from her, his axe ready to slice at her again. The man slammed it down and it crushed the ground beneath it, getting stuck into the ground. However the girl wasn't crushed beneath it. Instead, she was standing on the handle of the axe, holding her katana on her side, the tip facing downward. Her weight was enough for the axe to stay stuck in the ground and the man couldn't pull it out. Miyako ran on the wooden handle without any problems or losing her balance, then sliced with her katana upwards and into the man's face. The large man fell down, letting go of the axe. Miyako quickly jumped from the axe and to the ground. When she looked around she saw Josh had taken out the other man with the spear. The smoke was almost completely gone too. Miyako found the keys to the large, wooden doors with a small barred window. Through it, she could see there was a hall with the cells on the other side.
"Finally." She muttered as they reached their goal and Miyako turned the key, opening the door. She noticed there were a whole bundle of keys here, which were probably keys from the cells as well, so she took the bundle with her and opened the doors, Josh by her side.
~….~
"I'm looking for a pirate doctor with a bad attitude? Seen him?" A woman's voice echoed through the hallway, and all the pirates turned their heads towards the sound. Their faces brightened up immediately when they saw a certain samurai girl and a redhead medic.
"Miya-chan! Shorty!" Garry shouted with surprise and glee at the same time. At the nicknames, the couple narrowed their eyes obviously displeased.
"I think we'll leave you behind.." Josh said to Garry as he continued unlocking the cells.
Miyako did the same with some of the keys she took off from the bundle and finally she opened the cell with Law, Bepo and Cody inside.
"A doctor with a bad attitude, huh?" Law mumbled to her when she walked inside but Miyako just grinned.
"Miyako!" Bepo yelled with teary eyes before tightly hugging the girl and pulling her up until her feet didn't even touch the ground anymore.
"Bepo….can't…breathe…" Miyako barely squeezed the words out of her and the bear finally let her go.
"Oh, sorry…" Bepo muttered rubbing the back of his head while the girl took a couple of deep breaths.
Law walked over to them, while Cody was ruffling the girl's hair despite her protests. "Where are the others? Aren't there supposed to be five of you?"
Miyako blinked a bit, confused as to how he could know that but ignored it for now, seeing as they had more important things to worry about. "We'll tell you everything later, for now we need to get out of here." She then saw the stone cuffs on Law's wrists. "What about those?"
"Arrak, the leader of this village has the key…" Law sighed, remembering the man.
Miyako nodded. "Unak told us about him…I mean, the leader from Unk'Ur." She saw Law's inquiring face but only shook her head. "As I said; no time for explaining." That's when she noticed a slight reddened swelling in the corner of his mouth. Miyako fell silent, but there was a strange, almost thoughtful-like, expression on her face.
Law noticed her strange stare. "What is it?"
The girl seemed like she came out of the daze and quickly shook her head. "Nothing. We should go."
With that, the crew went out of the jailhouse and was once again under the dark, starry night sky.
~…..~
Meanwhile in Arrak's office, there was a large man with a dark look of fury on his face as he banged his large fist on the wooden desk. "What the hell is going on here!" Arrak shouted angrily, before turning towards some of his officers. "Does anyone know what happened? What's the status?" He looked outside at the burning city and the rampaging animals.
"We extinguished most of the fires sir. But the trainers are having a hard time capturing and calming the dinosaurs." One of the officers said his report.
"We still don't know what exactly happened but it seems the doors of the cages were opened and the guards there killed." Another added.
Arrak's dark eyes widened as he understood what was going on. Everything suddenly became clear after that report. "There are intruders in the city. Send soldiers to the jail and check on the prisoners." When the men just looked at each other in confusion, Arrak shouted: "NOW!" The men left quickly. Arrak tightened his hands into clutched fists as anger seeped through him. "I am not letting any of you get away, you filthy pirates." He muttered thought gritted teeth.
Suddenly a loud blow was heard somewhere near in the building and before Arrak had time to ask what it was, one of the officers rushed into the room, forgetting all curtsy. "Sir! The building is under attack!"
"What? How many?" Arrak was already grabbing for his large sword.
"J-Just one, sir…." The officer was obviously uneasy answering that since it sounded ridiculous. Several men were already been taken down and they aren't able to stop the mysterious man's progress through the building.
"One? Don't joke with me, soldier!" Arrak yelled angrily. "Where is he headed?"
The officer shuddered under Arrak's deadly glare. "W-we aren't sure but…He could be after you, sir. We put 10 men outside this room just in case."
Arrak's eyes narrowed. "I will not hide here like some coward while you incompetent fools get beaten by one man out there! I know what's going on, and I will stop that damn pirate whoever he is!"
"B-But sir!" The officer tried to stop Arrak and reason with him but only got shoved away and fell on the floor.
Arrak left the room and saw his men outside. "Everyone, follow me! Everyone with guns, form a line!"
~….~
The officer who was left alone in the room sighed, staring at the door. Suddenly a chill ran down his spine as if he felt a presence behind him. He was just about to turn, but there were hands already holding his head and covering his mouth. His eyes widened and that was the only reaction he had time to do before his head was painfully twisted. A sickening snap echoed through the dark room and the officer fell on the floor with his neck broken.
Shachi looked at the fallen officer for a second before looking around the room. *Heh….I thought he'll be here but I guess I was too late. By the description Unak gave us, this guy isn't Arrak.*Shachi sighed as he remembered Miyako's words when they were going over the plan.
-"After we all make a distraction, we will split up. While Josh and I go save the crew, you find and capture Arrak. Sooner or later the townspeople will find out what's going on and come after us. We can use Arrak as a hostage to escape safely." It sounded good in theory but was a bit harder to actually accomplish. Arrak was the leader and probably the strongest man in this city after all. As they ran towards the City Hall and Arrak's office, Jean Bart decided to act as a decoy, fighting the man in the building while Shachi snakes in and surprise-attacks Arrak when he's distracted. However, the leader just had to go and fight instead of listening to his officer and stay here in the room. Shachi sighed again annoyed by the situation. He was also worried about Bart who was going against the whole building. He knew the man was both smart and freakishly strong, but even he wasn't bulletproof. However they all got stronger in these past 9 months and so did Jean Bart.
*First, I need to think about my job and do my part of the plan right.* Shachi saw a sharp paper opener on the desk and took it. He walked slowly to the doors and crouched in front of them, sticking a part of the paper opener through the crack beneath the doors. He tried to see on the other side, in the bright hallway. There he saw a big man, probably Arrak, standing with a large sword in his hand. Beside him were two men with swords as well, and in front of him a line of five people with prepared rifles in their hands, aiming in front of them. They were obviously waiting for Bart to show up in the hallway, the only way towards Arrak's office. Shachi gulped. *This is bad…If I don't do anything, Jean Bart will be killed!*
Then suddenly he heard a loud crash and ruble started flying all around. The dust was so thick he couldn't see anything. He didn't know what was going on but that was all the distraction he needed. *I think that's my queue to move out!*
~…~
Arrak and his men stood in the hallway, prepared for anything. However the sounds of fighting had stopped some while ago and now everything fell silent.
"It's too quiet….What's going on there….?" Arrak muttered before nodding to one of his officers to go check it out. The soldier ran cautiously towards the corner of the hallway and peeked around it. He looked back at his leader with a confused expression and shook his head, telling there was no sign of the enemy except scattered bodies of their own men.
Arrak clutched the sword in his hand. "Where could he had gone!"
Just then he heard a crack on the wall next to them. The men turned their heads towards the sound of cracking wall.
"What the-" was all one of the men had time to say before a loud crushing noise came and the wall practically exploded, debris and chunks of a stone wall flying at the soldiers. Out of all the debris and the dust, a large figure appeared rushing towards them with one hand ready to strike.
Jean Bart had gone to the room next to the hallway and broke through the wall there as a surprise attack. His large fist hit the floor where the men with the rifles crouched in their ready pose, and crushed the ground together with the men. The others were still shocked from the sudden attack and tried to regain their wits while they coughed violently to get the dust out of their lungs.
One of the men saw a dark shadow through the dust, a shadow so large it reached all the way to the ceiling. With wide, scared eyes and trembling hands, the man lifted his rifle and pointed it towards the figure. But before he could even fire, a large hand reached through the dust cloud and the fingers easily enveloped the gun. With seemingly no effort the large man clenched his fist and crushed the gun. The soldier made a scared high-pitched noise when the large fist grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him in the air, then swung him and threw him into some other soldiers.
Jean Bart hit another man and sent him flying to the wall, creating a hole there. "Tch, just because I'm big and strong, doesn't mean I'm stupid. Who would just rush to this hall and into such an obvious trap." Jean Bart muttered as he continued to pound into the soldiers with his large fists. Just as he thought he was finished, Bart felt a danger coming towards him. He made a step back and just in time to avoid a sharp slice of a large sword. The tip barely sliced Bart's skin and created a thin bloody line on his cheek, right beneath his eye. Bart's eyes narrowed as he tried to see through the dust, which was slowly settling down. When it finally cleared out, he saw a big, muscular man in front of him. The man wasn't nearly as big as Bart but none-the –less quite big. His dark eyes pierced Bart with menace, a snarl on his tanned face. His long, black hair was messy as usual but also had bits of dust and pebbles from the wall in it.
"You must be the leader of Unk'Ar; Arrak." Jean Bart said in a dry voice. He still remembered what happened the last time they met.
"Hn, I remember you…you're that big fellow from Trafalgar's crew…the one who ran away." Arrak sneered and made a wide grin, taunting Bart on purpose.
Bart's eyes narrowed dangerously. It was hard to go and leave Captain and the crew on their own, but it was captain's orders and Bart couldn't disobey them. As a former captain he knew very well how important the role of captain is and that captain's orders should be followed at all time, no matter what. Otherwise the respect and the importance of the whole role shatters.
Before Bart had time to answer, Arrak ran at him and attacked him with his sword. The metal cut through the air and almost cut a part of Bart, if the navigator didn't move on time. Bart dodged to the side and tried to punch Arrak but the leader was a swift man despite his size. He crouched and dodged the fist then jumped towards Bart still in the crouch, slicing at Bart's feet. Jean Bart tried to dodge but couldn't completely and felt a sting above his knee where the sword went in. Arrak was a skilled fighter. However, Bart was too and he was able to keep his balance and doge a piercing attack from Arrak. But going barehanded at a skilled swordsman was always a big disadvantage.
Just then a figure swiftly approached Arrak from behind. The man sensed movement and turned, slicing with his sword but the other was faster. Shachi ducked and delivered several fast and bone crushing punches to Arrak's abdomen. Even with the big, muscular body the man swayed from the blows and coughed some blood. He stumbled backwards and was about to swing at Shachi when a hand came from behind and enveloped around Arrak's hand which was clutching the sword. Arrak watched in horror as the large fist tightened around his hand. With some resistance at first, the bones in the hand gave away and a sickening sound of crushed bone and meat came to Arrak's ear even before the excruciating pain did. Arrak screamed in pain and let go of the sword, looking at what was left of his right hand.
Shachi sighed and warned the navigator. "Hey, don't kill him, he's useless to us dead."
"I know…this was just an answer for before." Bart said, remembering Arrak's taunt that was spat at him not so long ago. Shachi looked at him with a questioning and puzzled look but Jean Bart didn't have the time nor the will to explain. Instead he turned Arrak around and delivered a hard blow to his stomach and literally punched the man into unconsciousness.
Bart put the man over his shoulder. "Come on, we need to hurry to the meeting point."
Shachi sighed. "You know, you're a really scary man, Bart…" He muttered and ran together with the navigator.
~….~
The soldiers surrounded Miyako, Law and the rest of the crew.
"Men, prepare for battle!" Law yelled and the crewmembers answered with an "Aye, Captain!" as they prepared their weapons that they retrieved from the armory.
"Where are Shachi and Bart with Arrak!" Josh muttered impatiently as the Unk'Ar warriors circled around them and prepared their weapons as well.
Just as the soldiers were about to attack a loud voice made everyone stop. "Stop!" It was Shachi's yell and they appeared behind the soldiers with Arrak on Bart's shoulder. Miyako's and Josh's face brightened up immediately while Law and the other crewmembers looked at the pair confused not knowing what was going on. "You stay away from them or your leader is finished!" The pirate threatened as the couple walked cautiously towards the rest of the crew. As soon as they were together, Cody found a key in Arrak's pocket at released Law from his sea stone shackles. Law smirked at his freed wrists.
"It seems things are finally looking for the better." The pirate captain muttered before looking at the town's soldiers. "Now, I think you should let us leave quietly for the sake of your leader." Law walked slowly as the soldiers made a path for him and his crew, nobody daring to attack them now with their prisoner.
But it seemed their luck hasn't been revived completely after all. Arrak started waking up from his slumber and stirring. With blurry eyes he looked around and it didn't take long for him to realize the situation. The pirates were walking away, his men doing nothing because he was the hostage. Arrak smirked. *You have underestimated me, pirate scum!* He breathed enough air to fill his lungs and shouted for everyone to head, surprising both his men and the pirates. Even Law turned around quickly with wide eyes when he heard Arrak's voice behind him.
"Attack! Don't mind me and attack for your honor's sake! Don't let these pirates get away! Kill them! These are your leader's orders! Kill them all!" Everyone was surprised by Arrak's order but it didn't take long before the soldier's moral went sky-high because of their leader's bravery, and they charged at the pirates with a loud battle cry.
Jean Bart cursed under his breath and swung Arrak off his shoulder and into the coming crowd of angry warriors.
Law quickly turned to Josh. "Mister Joshua, about the rest of our crew-" Before he had a time to inquire completely, Josh answered.
"They're waiting with the sub, captain." Even Penguin should have already been there as they planned before leaving Unk'Ur.
Law nodded at some good news for a change and yelled loud for everyone to hear. "Everyone hurry to the submarine!"
The pirates hurried out of the town through the path that opened for them when the hostage situation was still working. But just as they passed the large gates made of stone and wood which were opened for them to pass safely, the pirates came to a sudden stop. Outside was a whole army of Unk'Ur's warriors; men with rifles, swords, spears, some riding on various kinds of dinosaurs. At the front was Unak sitting on a Brachylophosaurus, a large dinosaurs of 20 feet and 2tons with a saddle on its back for the rider, Unak, to sit on. The tall man had his usual big rifle resting on his shoulder and a piercing look in his eyes.
"Men! Prepare to engage in combat! Let's show those Unk'Ar men that you should never mess with Unk'Ur warriors!" Unak yelled words of encouragement which made his soldiers shout with battle spirit. He smirked at the pirates and turned to Miyako. "You should get out of here, it's going to be messy here very soon. Besides, Kah'An and Khala are expecting you."
Miyako blinked surprised a few times at first but then smiled and nodded. She then turned to Law. "It's ok, they're on our side…I think." She sweat-dropped when she saw Unak's glare towards Law. *Guess he still hates pirates though.*
As they went through the jungle and towards Unk'Ur, the pirates could hear sounds of battle echoing not far behind. Unk'Ar was already in the state of panic and chaos from the fires and the rampaging animals, some of their warriors already defeated, and Arrak beaten from the start…with that kind of situation they had no chance against Unak and his men. Miyako wondered if Unak kept a close eye on Unk'Ar and everything that was happening and decided to attack when he realized that the situation was in his advantage. Miyako sweat-dropped. *So he kinda used us…ugh, I hate being manipulated. But he did save us in the end with that…and we can even take care of our wounded in Unk'Ur.*
~…~
It was already dawn when Unak and his men returned…well most of them anyway, since some still died in battle. They were leading Arrak tied with ropes as their prisoner and proof that the long-lasting oppression of Unk'Ar was finally over. As soon as Khala saw the tall man she rushed towards him and gave him a bone crushing hug, then started scolding him for going into battle so suddenly. The whole scene was so unlike Unak and weird that Miyako and the others who met Unak before didn't know what to think of it.
Meanwhile, Cody, Josh and the other medics of the crew treated all their injured crewmembers and Cody, being a good guy as he was, even treated some of Unak's soldiers when they returned. In return, Law managed to make a deal with Unak for supplies and a few men from the town to help them carry it to the sub. The pirates also managed to get some rest before they had to move on towards the beach. At one point Law disappeared and nobody knew where he went, but the talk in the crew was he paid a little visit to Arrak before they left. Nobody knew what exactly happened in the basement of the jailhouse, but some people swore they heard screams echoing all the way from the other side of the city.
"I hope the sub is all fixed now." Cody said.
"Well, Penguin can't do much with one arm, but Sai and Munk are there too so they probably helped as much as they could." Shachi answered rubbing his chin. But it was obvious he was worried as well about the sub. It was normal, after all he was one of the head mechanics and he considers the submarine his masterpiece and is always boasting about how he manages to keep it running. Though he conveniently leaves out Penguin and the other mechanics who work on the sub as well.
When they were about to leave, some of the townspeople walked the pirates to the entrance.
"Well…I still don't like pirates but….I suppose you're not the worst pirates in the world." Unak said somewhat grumpily.
Law smirked at the man's childish behavior and the other pirates grinned.
That's when Kah'An suddenly ran and hugged Miyako, almost knocking her over. The samurai girl's eyes widened in surprise but after a while she got over the shock and hugged the skinny boy back. Her golden eyes softened as he looked down at him.
"Thank you." The boy said smiling at the girl when he finally released her.
Miyako smiled again. "No, thank you. You helped us a lot Kah'An. And you proved your bravery. Don't ever forget what you did that night."
The boy nodded, his eyes full of determination. "I won't! I'll become a strong warrior too, you'll see!"
A hand came over the boys head and ruffled his hair. "Before that you still have a lot to go, kid." Unak said warningly and ignored Kah'An's displeased look. Josh, Shachi and Miyako smirked at that gesture that seemed so unlike Unak once again, but he obviously seemed nicer to the boy than before.
Then just as they turned to leave, Josh finally stopped. "Wait! We can't go yet!" Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked at the redhead in surprise while he looked as if he had forgotten something important. The medic suddenly turned towards Unak again. "I can't go before I know! Who are you!" It was eating at Josh ever since he saw Unak fight. He, as well as Bart, Miyako, Shachi and Penguin, knew Unak wasn't just your average guy. So who was he? Joshua thought he won't be able to sleep at night if he doesn't find out and satisfy his curiosity.
Unak looked surprised at first but then smirked. "So you noticed, kid?" He put his rifle on his shoulder and closed his eyes as if he was remembering something, then opened them again. "I used to be a marine- A Commodore at that….But our ship got destroyed by pirates and I was the only survivor, stranded on this island. The people here took me in and took care of me until I was better….I felt at peace here. Soon enough I realized I like this life and this people…I was getting too old for all that marine business anyway." The man smirked as if he was joking, probably his old age reference. "The marines never even sent out a search party, probably thinking everyone was dead. So I just stayed and made a life here." He took Khala by the waist as he said that and the woman smiled at him.
"eeh…that explains why he hates pirates with a passion…."Shachi answered.
"Yes, I was a marine after all….Any problems with that!" His tone suddenly sounded more threatening as he tapped his rifle with his fingers a few time and gave the group a fierce look just like before.
"No! None at all!" Almost everyone said with a sweat-dropp seeing that scary look. Only Law and Jean Bart sighed at their crew's reaction, and Miyako chuckled lightly. Law looked at her hearing that small sound and saw her smiling face, as she covered her mouth with the back of her hand. He remembered the strange look she gave him in that cell but still didn't have any idea what that was about. He gave up on it for the moment and turned to Joshua.
"Well you got your answer Mister Joshua, now let's go. " The truth was, Law was anxious to see the sub and the rest of the crew as well and to finally be on their way again with a fixed sub and new supplies.
"Aye, aye, captain!" Everyone yelled and happily went through the jungle, following the town's soldiers who helped them carry the crates and guided the way to the beach.
~…..~
"So, I think this is the first time that I went saving you."
Law turned at the familiar female voice as they walked through the jungle. He didn't even have to look at her to know she had a big, gloating smile on her face. "I think I'm still in the lead for that, Miss Miyako." Law smirked.
Miyako made a mockingly serious face, with closed eyes and her index finger high in the air. "Even so, even so…Mister Law, you should really watch not to get in trouble. It endangers…." Miyako started preaching to him similar to how he had done to her so many times. She knew it wasn't really his fault and he was a good captain and he knew what he was doing. But still, she wanted to get back at him juuuust a little bit. Just tease him a little.
Law, of course, knew her intentions but still his eye twitched a little when he heard her and saw her mocking face. "Miss Miyako…" He muttered, just about to stop her ramblings, when she surprised him.
"Still, I'm glad." Her voice suddenly cut him off with something unexpected. Law looked at the samurai girl in wonder, not knowing what she meant exactly. The girl looked at him sideway and smiled a little. "I'm glad you're alright."
Law's eyes were ever so slightly widened but after he got over the initial shock, the captain simply smirked at her. Seeing this, Miyako cleared her throat and quickly made a serious face. "Ehem I mean, I'm glad all of you are ok….you know, the crew…and…it'll be hard to continue traveling if we don't have a captain…or the rest of the crew!" The girl started rambling and trying to get out of what she said before. Law just stared at her embarrassed expression with an amused smirk on his face.
"We're here!" Somebody from the pirate crew yelled and pointed at the beach. They could already hear the sea.
"Oh, look, we're here! We better hurry then!" Miyako quickly said and started walking straight ahead towards the submarine lucky to be able to get out of the embarrassing topic.
*Are all the women in Wano like this…?* Law could help but think as he watched the girl leave in hurried footsteps. *I doubt it…* He couldn't help but smirk at the girl again before he too reached the beach and went to the sub.
The submarine looked in much better shape than before and it seems they even painted the parts that were scrapped off by the sea monster. Just as they walked over to the end of the beach, the metal gates of the submarine opened. A black hat with a red pompon peeked out.
"Oh, it's Penguin!" Shachi yelled and grinned when he saw his friend was indeed ok. But his smile disappeared soon enough. Actually all the smiles disappeared from the crew's faces when he saw the rest of what came out of the sub.
Penguin was unconscious and being carried by a tall man…a very tall man. The man had a simple suit and a familiar mask that looked like it came out of some Greek tragedy.
"Abaddon!" Bepo exclaimed remembering both the figure and the scent of the strange man. Bepo still didn't even know if he should call him a man since the person had a completely different scent than any human he has ever encountered.
"Captain!" Another crewmember pointed to a bay near from here that was barely visible from their position. Still, Law could make out the sails of a marine battle ship.
In an instant Law figured out what was going on. "A trap." His eyes widened a little before he turned to his crew. "Everyone prepare for battle!"
"Heh. They actually think they can defeat us." A new voice came into hearing range and the crew looked behind them and up. In one of the tall jungle trees, there was a big man who looked like a sumo wrestler. He had a girlish hair style, but there wasn't anything famine about him or the big scar on his face. He was wearing a marine coat of an officer. Finally, in his hand he had a large axe almost the size of a person.
"Hey, isn't that guy from Saobody?" Shachi exclaimed remembering seeing him with the pacifista on the day the marines raided the Archipelago. However the Heart Pirates were able to escape that day without confronting the guy directly. Luckily for them, since they had their hands full with the pacifista and later even Kizaru.
Law nodded. "Yes, I believe his name was Sentomaru." The captain explained the little knowledge he had of the big fellow.
"That's right, I'm Sentomaru, a bodyguard of Vegapunk but also a marine officer now. So I can arrest all of you officially! Ah! But I shouldn't have said all that! Well you aren't gonna get anything else out of me!" Sentomaru yelled.
"But how did he find us here?" Miyako asked more to herself than anyone else.
"Akainu used his best navigators to determine where are the possible routes you could've taken after the last location we had of you. This was one of the few islands in that parameter. You've created some serious trouble for us lately so Akainu decided to end you for good. Ah! But I shouldn't have said that either!" Suddenly he turned to Abaddon. "Oy, Abaddon! Vegapunk said you need to listen to my commands so you better do what I tell you! If it's possible we need to capture Trafalgar Law alive…He'll be executed as an example to all the other rookie pirates and the 11 supernovas."
Abaddon lethargically looked up at Sentomaru and was quiet a few seconds, then answered. "Father did? I see…I understand."
Miyako and the rest of the crew looked at Abaddon. "Father?" They didn't really understand what he meant. Was Vegapunk really this guy's father?
"In any case, be careful you guys. That guy ate the Sliver Sliver Fruit and is a Logia type!" Bepo warned remembering the battle he, and later Law, had with Abaddon.
Law glared at the tall, slender man as well. "What did you do to the crew in my submarine?" There was a dark look in his eyes that almost looked like sheer hatred. But Miyako understood it was because he must've been worried about them. Who knows what Abaddon did to them. The girl didn't remember much of the man since she was unconscious most of the time in that castle but by the reaction of Law and Bepo she understood he wasn't a man to mess around with.
The said slender man just tilted his head, looking at Law through his mask. He was as passive as the last time Law saw him. "Who knows…" The man simply answered, which only served as fuel to Law's fire. However the pirate captain managed to keep his calm and not just charge at Abaddon which would be a bad idea. Especially with Sentomaru behind them. And if his haki was right, the two weren't the only enemies here. He looked over at Miyako who had a tense expression similar to his and knew she could feel the presence of other people around them as well.
Just then Sentomaru lifted his arm as a signal and a dozen marines came out of the jungle, running towards them. The Heart pirates prepared themselves but then a light shone somewhere from the jungle, and it only took Law a few seconds to remember what it was.
"Dodge!" He yelled and the pirates scattered just in time to avoid a laser beam that was shot at them. The ground shook as heavy footsteps stomped on the ground. After a while, a large pacifista came out of the leaves, his mouth open and smoking from the laser beam. Law took out his nodachi and the other pirates prepared as well, but everyone had the same bad feeling in their gut. They were overpowered. A marine officer that could use haki, a pacifista, a logia type user and a bunch of marines to get in their way. Law's grip on his nodachi tightened. *Dammit!* He couldn't help but curse at their unfortunate events these days.
Damn, this took long enough to proofread, I almost fell asleep at one moment. And my neighbors aren't helping me with their constant yelling; I could hardly concentrate to finish this. -.-' *sigh* Anyways, it's finally done and the ending is kinda a transition from one Arc into another. I think now you get why I needed to put that fight with the marines at the beginning in the last chapter; because the fight was supposed to get Akainu's attention on the Heart pirates and so he planned this whole thing to get rid of them before they became an even more threat or went to the New World. And Abaddon is back! Bet some of you were wondering what happened to him. :P
So I hope you liked it. After I proofread it I wanted to change a few things but that would make other things change and I would probably find myself rewriting the whole chapter XD So I said fuck it, it stays as it is whether I like it or not! XP
As always, reviews, comments and criticism are always welcome so feel free to leave some. And if anyone else wants to draw Miyako and anything else from my story feel free to do so and I'll post it on my profile. :) Actually, I'm thinking I should at least make a picture of Miyako as well.