Disclaimer: Still not mine.
Reassuring weight of books calmed Chopper's nerves. Between his visit to the antique shop and seemingly little progress on tracking the rest of his belongings, the tomes were the anchor that kept him from dark thoughts.
If anything, he got his books back. Robin will be happy.
"…Was it necessary to cut that attendant up?" he voiced out finally. The sky above was rolling in streaks of grey ribbons. Law towered ahead of him, a black contrast against the clouds and shady rooftops.
"He will pull himself back together." The word eventually hung all over the statement. Chopper kept trailing after the older pirate.
"The syndicate's hierarchy relies on division of responsibilities. Acquired goods are redistributed between the locals to keep up the appearance of a free market. The guy back there was one of such distributors."
"How do we know where my things are?" Chopper's hands tightened around his precious books. Not a while ago, he thought he will never see them again. Now all he could think of was a familiar weight on his head, memory of acknowledgement and the first warm hands ever gracing his life.
"We will just keep looking," came the answer and whether was it illusion or the fact, everything suddenly seemed colder, darker as the Heart Pirate himself.
Plagued with doubts, clutching freshly recovered books closely to his chest, Chopper looked up. All he saw was the back of the taller pirate and the grim sky above. He shuddered involuntarily as the memory of warmth was swept aside by the stark contrast of grey and black.
Vindi was fuming. Not only did Davy have the audacity to be late for their meeting – an awaited exchange of jewellery – but also turned out to be incapable of guarding his own shop. She tapped her foot, trying to rein in some patience. She glanced at a group of her assistants, engrossed in the task of prying off the incompetent fool off the ceiling and some of the tapestry.
"-areful, would you, that's my knee you're jos-"
Audacious and ungrateful, huh.
"We found no traces of interference with the vault, Madam." Her personal assistant materialised by her side almost noiselessly. For all his posture, the ability seemed a feat. "The rest of the group are searching for intruders."
So the vault was safe. That's reassuring.
"Hold them up, Snarl. It's too much to count for thieves to be still in the vicinity, but that's not an issue here." Her eyes switched to Davy, who was finally put back together at her feet, and regretfully still chatty. She sighed.
"I'm listening, Davy. Who's gotten best of you this time?"
The man in question sputtered indignantly, but regained composure before the senior officer. "A customer of Hairy Harry came to me with a need to complete his collection," he allowed finally. Square glasses were pushed up his nose in an obvious sign of distress. "Talking reindeer wanted its' stuff back." Vindi felt her eyebrows rise at the revelation. A wanted poster came to her mind, one of the many she happened to read through occasionally or meet in person over the everyday's business.
"Talking reindeer?" she mused. "Anything you want to share with me, Davy?"
A competition structure among the gang members prohibited information exchange – in most cases, anyway.
"Ignel found it near the stalls at Boggey Square." said Davy. "It was a chance, that was, and I put Hairy Harry on the case. Never saw it coming back with a new owner to demand its' stuff back, though."
A talking reindeer with a human utensils. Feeling closer home, Vindi leaned back thoughtfully in her chair. It creaked accordingly. Davy was a firm believer of atmosphere and decoration in order to coax as much cash out of unsuspecting customer as possible.
"What of its' owner?"
"Overgrown hanger with fine nodachi and a lot of tattoos." Red flag. Vindi glanced back at her assistant, dutifully noting down the statement. She nodded absentmindedly, getting up and heading towards the exit.
"Notify the Triad. Where's the stuff they were looking for right now?"
"I passed it over to Maurice. He's up the Down Street today."
"Is everything alright, Madam?" Snarl run up to her as she reached for a doorknob, letting the thrill of realisation spread with a grim grin.
This was good. This was way better than a three chests of second handed jewellery could have offer her.
"Cancel my meetings for today. We've got a special customer to tend to." She took a step out of the dusty shop and looked at the busy streets with hungry eyes.
"Runaway Supernova and Straw Hats' unappreciated mascot are here."
Colourful stalls were lining up the street, a startling contrast against the grim rows of buildings. Shouts and encouragements were coming from the both sides of the artery as Law and Chopper slowly walked by, scanning surroundings for a familiar object. Between the height difference and the crowd milling in the street, all Chopper could do was to dodge unattentive passerbys' limbs and try not to feel as pathetic as he must have looked.
"Stop squirming," he heard. "We are out in the open now, the hunters must know we are on the streets already."
Chopper froze, clutching at the ends of scarf suddenly mindful of the precarious handle at the books the activity caused. At least he could do as much now, contrary to the last time he ended up dangling from the handle of Law's nodachi.
Plus, it was safe to say that they had a reconnaissance part covered.
"Everyone looks so… busy," he muttered, hands tightening over the familiar volumes. "How can we find this stall?"
"Stop talking, keep watching." Came the reply. The human faltered in his steps suddenly and it took Chopper a moment to turn and look at what presumably caught the pirate's attention.
The stall was small but cluttered, perched at the far end of the street. From his place over Law's shoulder, Chopper could see a cheerful splash of colours marking toys occupying the shelves. His heart skipped a beat.
Bright blue rucksack was hanging from the shelf, stiches running along the edges in a familiar pattern. A group of kids was sorting through the neighbouring assortment under the attendant's watchful eyes.
"Wait, where are you going?" Chopper bent over Law's shoulder at the stall as the man turned and started dodging the passengers in the opposite direction. "That was my bag! I need it back!"
"Shut it and don't make scenes. Bounty hunters, remember?"
They turned to close alley. Nervous but temporarily pacified, Chopper slid from the harness keeping him attached to the sword so far. Human hybrid form was much more helpful in looking around.
Children's hands were almost onto the Chopper's rucksack now. He was almost certain he heard Law utter a curse as the human reached for his sword.
"Wait, what are you doing? Those are kids!"
"I'm not going to… Nevermind. This is a toys stall. Can you see your hat?" Law's eyes were not leaving the stage on the other side of the street. The man's hand was slowly closing around the handle.
Chopper considered the ups and downs of transforming and wrestling the blasted metal from other pirate's grip. Which was also the reason why the question caught him off-guard. "I… can't really tell," he said, straining to see over the crowd. It was true. The display had toys and bags lined up the bottom shelves of the stall, while the hats and mittens were huddled over the attendant's head in a tight bundle. He could not make the details from this distance.
The answer earned another ground curse from the human. Law turned, then did a double take at Chopper.
"What?" Frustrated and impatient, Chopper felt irritation raise at sudden attention. He was being in a sighting distance from his treasured belongings, moments away being snatched by a group of kids Chopper wasn't even certain on fighting with over these mementos.
The thought stung.
"You have more shapeshifting forms than the giant one, Mr Racoon?" If it wasn't for a time pressure, Chopper would've burst out to correct the nickname. Now he was just too tired to argue.
"Yes. I can change into six form, depending on need. Some of them have certain limitations, though."
"Get into that humanoid one."
Maurice was a busy man. The grand opening of his stall (it was just a few days ago, he was still getting used to running of the independent business) proved both exciting and invaluable occasion to get his feet wet in terms of working for Triad's business. Now, watching the kids and their often bemused guardians crowding around his stand, he was mildly surprised to be approached by elderly (and very, very hairy) gentleman, asking questions about the selection of his hats. Two stacks and forty rows of spare hats later they managed to arrive at the consensus as to the customer's expectations regarding the potential head cover. This, Maurice could meet. Or could've, anyway, as the only hat matching the descriptions was currently stashed safely away and absolutely not for sale. But that was the information the customer didn't need to know.
The customer himself was a friendly type, if a bit awkward. The exaggerated gestures and the outlandish accent were clearly the telltale signs of the comedian profession, though. There were so many of them visiting this place today.
Maurice shoved back his products onto their places, looking as the old man disappears into the crowd and never thought about this encounter again.
At least up to the supper time.
Law waited patiently as the flustered reindeer made his way into an alley and changed back to his default, mini form.
"He's got my rucksack, but not the hat." Cold air and emotions made Chopper's skin prickle underneath the fur and the layers of loose clothing.
He passed the coat back to the human, eyeing the faraway bag sullenly. The children were gone now, as was the attendant. Law kept staring at the stall, hesitant hand half outstretched to cast a spell.
"Law?"
"Wait for it. The bounty hunters are here."
Indeed, Chopper saw a tall, hulky man with much shorter woman, engaged In conversation with freshly re-emerged attendant. The woman was doing all the talking, while her companion was scribbling down furiously in a notebook. After a while, the attendant started to sort through his goods, inevitably drawing close to Chopper's prize.
"Damnit." A hand closed on Chopper's arm and in the moment it took for a reindeer to blink, startled, he realised that they were no longer in that run down alley. Chopper blinked again, amazed, and would've stared at the open sea before him if not for a bright blue weight thrown in his face.
Trafalgar Law was scrambling to his feet uneasily, and he wasn't amused if his expression was anything to go by.
"Get it on and hurry up." The blade hissed as Law sheathed it back. A fragment of wood and an iron nail fell quietly off the Chopper's backpack.
"You teleported us again?" Chopper had to run to keep up with the rival captain. "What about those hunters?"
"Still back there, knowing that we're nearby and that we are looking for a hat. If they get their hands on it before us, we will be facing off the whole team of hunters."
"Wait, you said that they don't like each other!" The vision of a horde of Zoro-like, hungry-eyed bounty hunters closing in on them did little to reassure Chopper. The soft fabric of bag was pressing gently on his back, laden with books, yet the feeling of wind ruffling the fur on his head was all the reminder he needed.
"They don't usually, but after our little adventure on Punk Hazard, I think they'll at least consider cooperation and sharing the reward. We need to move."
Chopper's thoughts raced. "We must warn others, then!"
"Right now, those of the hunters that have seen my room sphere on the market will pour in here any moment now. We have their attention at the moment and they will not jeopardise an easy targets to competitors or a bad luck. If we keep this up, the rest of your crew will have no problems with staying low. Even if it's them."
A stretch of silence.
"I… don't think I need this hat anyway," spoke Chopper finally, willing the burning in his eyes to go away. It hurt to admit it, but that was the truth. He didn't need it. If he was to risk the lives and wellbeing of his friends for a piece of clothing – no matter of how much of sentimental value it had to him – then Chopper simply didn't deserve it in a first place.
A head cover was just a head cover. Doctorine would be ashamed. So would be Hiriluk.
It didn't to Chopper matter how many seas he has travelled, but how many lives he refused to lay waste to.
Law was eyeing him sceptically.
"You have pulled a bigger stunt at Saboady," he said finally. Chopper blinked back, sudden emotions swaying his focus. "What do you know about it!?" The sudden outburst surprised even him. He might be bitter about it, but he couldn't ignore this resentment any longer. For a Supernova to fan the flames of the auction house incident only to scatter away shortly afterwards, was NOT fair. Law left Luffy to the Pacifista. He has saved his life later on, granted, but it didn't change the facts.
If not for the Pacifista, they might have not ended up separated for a whole two years.
If not for that, Luffy wouldn't have to mourn his brother alone.
Whatever Law thought on the matter, was not shown by his expression. Jerk.
"Everyone was busy back then," he said finally. "You were not the only crew facing the Marines." He moved to the side, Kikkoku propped against his right shoulder. "While I see there are issues you wish to discuss on this matter, I say we leave now. We have up to fourhours before the stalls are closed."
"I said I don't need it!" snapped Chopper. It was Breed all over again. Chopper was fed up with watching from sidelines. If they turn back now, they might be able to find Luffy and others on time. No harm would come to any of them. He would see to that.
"Did you?" Law glanced at him over his shoulder. He was already halfway through the molo.
It occurred to Chopper that human, while looking disinterested, shown the sudden streak of ignorance that stroke too close home. Or another captain, to be precise. Chopper couldn't decide what was more disturbing – Law's unexpected stubbornness, or the uncanny resemblance. "Why do you care, anyway? I thought you were in a hurry to get to Dressrosa!"
"Because there are good chances that the attendant has been lying to you and had your hat on that stall the whole time."