Chapter 3: Minion Island
One Week Earlier….
Donquixote Rosinante looked out on the horizon on the passenger boat heading eastward to Minion Island. He got to the location of the Op-Op Devil Fruit before the Marines or his brother, Doflamingo, could get a hold of it. His initial plan was to arrive on the island two days before Doflamingo but he had to push that plan because of the kid he was protecting. Trafalgar D. Water Law was a twelve-year-old boy suffering from the incurable White Lead Disease. The brooding boy arrived almost three years ago from Flevance, the White Town that was massacred by the neighboring countries. Because the World Government turned a blind eye to the tragedy and assisted the other kingdoms, Law had a justified hatred for the Marines. But that was the least of Rosinante's worries.
When Law came to Doflamingo, asking him to join his crew (armed with a grenade necklace), Rosinante thought it would be just another kid for him to toss out of the building. But he underestimated the young man when Law stabbed him. And when he coincidentally learned about Law's secret name, Rosinante knew that he had to take the kid away from his brother's clutches before Doflamingo grooms Law into something evil. So, Rosinante revealed to Law that he wasn't mute, kidnapped him and took him to every hospital in the North Blue to find a cure for Law's disease-and then torched every hospital in the North Blue after the doctors and nurses treated Law like a monster. At first, Rosinante thought it was the Will of D driving him to help this kid. But as time went on, as he watched Law relive his trauma, Rosinante's heart was breaking. All the man wanted to do was give Law something to live for. That's what he told the sleeping child when he was in one of his drunk stupors, tears streaming down his eyes ruining his makeup:
"This blubbering idiot is doing everything he can to save you. You're still a pain in the ass kid but hearing you talk about death…my heart…can't take it. You may have stabbed me, you little shit…but it didn't hurt at all. You were the one who was actually suffering back then." The tears flowed freely as Rosinante opened his heart to this brooding child. "I just wanted to fix things for you…Law."
But the boy was already awake and listened to his bumbling kidnapper cry for him. For the first time in a long time, someone actually cared for him…and it made him sad. Rosinante and Law's relationship changed that day from bitter enemies to a special familial bond. When Doflamingo told him about the Op-Op Devil Fruit, Rosinante rejoiced because he finally found a cure for Law's disease. And he knew that the boy's parents were the best doctors in Flevance so Law had extensive medical knowledge. But Trafalgar Law was dying. His 13th birthday wasn't until October, but Law's prognosis was getting worse. Rosinante had to act fast if he had even a half a chance of saving the kid's life. So, he snuck on a charter ship heading to Minion Island, where the Op-Op Fruit is located.
Which brings us to this very moment. Rosinante held the small boy in his arms, covering him with his black feather coat. Law's breathing was labored and his skin was getting paler by the minute.
"You're gonna be okay, Law." Rosinante whispered. "Just hold on for me just a little longer. We're almost at the island."
"Cora, are you a Marine?" Law rasped.
"Of course not. I'm not a Marine, I promise you. Once we get that fruit, we're gonna leave this place, buy a boat and travel the world together." (Rosinante didn't want to lie to Law about being a Marine but he didn't want Law to hate him either.)
"Promise?"
"I promise."
Law smiled weakly as he snuggled close to Rosinante. The older man pulled Law close to his chest, placing a gentle kiss to the top of his head.
Present Day
Magdalena boarded her boat on the other side of Minion Island. Years of military tactical experience has taught her that hiding her boat on the opposite side of the enemy will increase her chances of not being seen. She packed some food, essential supplies, two guns and a baby transponder snail in her knapsack. She gathered a sleeping Norah in her arms and proceeded to leave the boat when she heard her granddaughter call her name.
"You should let me come with you, Nana." Abigail suggested.
"Minion Island is swarming with pirates. It's too dangerous; you'll be safe on the ship." Magdalena objected.
"At least wear a coat. This is a winter island, I don't want you catching a cold on top of your already weakened state."
"Fine, fine." Magdalena conceded as she took the long wool coat from Abigail. "Stay hidden and keep the transponder snail close to you. If anything happens, call me."
Abigail nodded. "Yes, Nana. Be careful."
Magdalena kissed Abigail on her forehead and put on her coat. "I'm always careful, Abby." She smirked as she jumped off the boat and ran west to the city.
Six Hours Later
Where did it all go wrong? Rosinante thought as he bandaged his leg. He got the Op-Op Fruit from the pirates who obtained it, but his clumsy ass slipped (literally) on the way back and he got caught by some of the pirate crew and got shot at. He beat the crap out of them of course (Rosinante is a formidable fighter, despite popular opinion.) and came back to Law. After igniting a silent bubble, Rosinante fed Law the Op-Op Fruit (more like shoved it down his throat). He didn't want Law to find out that he got hurt, but that happened anyway. To make matters worse, Rosinante ran into Vergo, the first "Corazon" of the Don Quixote Pirates, who was infiltrating the Marines. To say Vergo beat the crap out of Rosinante and Law was an understatement. But the tall man managed to escape Vergo's grasp and hide in an abandoned warehouse. He treated Law's wounds before tending to his own.
It's safe to assume that Vergo told my brother and the Executives that I'm a Marine spy. I gotta get off this island before Doffy arrives. Find a small boat and head to the next island. Rosinante thought as he looked at a map of the North Blue.
"The next island is Swallow. It's a day's journey. If we leave now, we can get there by noon." But as he looked out to the night sky, Rosinante saw something horrendous that put a stop to his plans of escape. "Oh no. This is bad."
Abigail looked up at the sky and saw hundreds of white strings descend from nowhere and encircle the entire island like a birdcage.
"What the hell is that?" She said to herself.
Magdalena saw the strings as well and a look of dread came over her face.
"Doflamingo's here." She shuddered. Her thoughts were interrupted by her transponder snail. Purah-purah-purah. Cuh-lik. "What's wrong, Abby?"
Nana, a strange cage made of white strings just appeared out of nowhere. Did you see it?
"I saw it, dear. This is the work of Doflamingo."
Doflamingo? Rosinante's brother?
"Yes, it's a part of his power. Stay on the ship, no matter what. You're safer there."
What about you?
"I will be fine. That birdcage is dangerous. No one can enter or exit the island. I'm going to find Roci and the boy then get out of here as soon as possible. Do not leave the ship unless I say so, Abigail. Understood?"
Yes, Nana. Be careful, make sure Norah is safe.
"Of course, dear. I'll talk to you when I can."
Norah woke up from her sleep just as Magdalena ended her call with Abigail.
"Nana, what's wrong?" The girl said sleepily.
"Nothing, sweetie." Magdalena replied. "It's getting really cold, so we're going to seek shelter somewhere, ok?"
"When will I get to see Daddy?"
"Soon, Norah. Very soon. Stay close to me so you won't get cold."
Norah nodded and held on tightly to Magdalena. The old woman let out a wet cough before pulling her coat close to her.
"There's no escape. We can't leave this island together anymore."
Rosinante exhaled deeply, the harsh reality of the situation began to sink in. There was no possible way that he and Law were going leave Minion Island alive…at least not together. Rosinante knew that this was a possibility; he was prepared for it. In fact, before he kidnapped Law, Rosinante put all of his affairs in order. He even wrote Bell-mere a goodbye letter. He regretted that he couldn't give Belle the wedding she always wanted. He wished he could see her, talk to her one last time.
Purah-purah-purah.
Rosinante's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his transponder snail ringing. He was so startled, he hit his head on a crate.
"Ow!" He whined. Rosinante looked over at Law to see if he was awake. Fortunately, the boy was knocked out.
Purah-purah-purah. Purah-purah-purah. Purah-purah-purah
"Please let it be anyone but Doffy or Sengoku." Rosinante prayed. He picked up the snail receiver with a Cuh-lik. He remained silent in case it was his brother vowing to kill him. But the voice on the other end wasn't Doflamingo.
Roci? Roci, it's Bell-mere. Can you hear me?"
Rosinante's breath hitched as he heard his fiancée's voice on the other end of the transponder snail. The timing couldn't be more suck-worthy and yet, this was just what Rosinante wanted.
"B-Belle. Is that you?" He rasped.
Rosinante! Thank goodness you're okay! I never thought I'd hear your voice again.
"Yeah, me neither. I'm so happy now. How are the girls?"
Through letters, Rosinante and Bell-mere shared their lives over the years. Rosinante knew about Bell-mere's retirement, and her new adopted daughters, Nojiko and Nami. Bell-mere knew all about Law and Rosinante's vengeful rampages on the hospitals in the North Blue (it's not like they didn't deserve it; they did call a child a monster). It was the first time in four years that they've heard each other's voices.
Nami and Nojiko are great! I can't wait for you and Law to meet them.
"I don't know if it's gonna be possible," Rosinante said.
What do you mean? What's wrong, Rosinante?
"I…I screwed up, Belle. Everything is screwed up."
What happened? Come on, babe, talk to me...
Rosinante exhaled deeply, trying to keep his tears at bay. "I got the Op-Op fruit, but Doffy had a spy in the Marines, and I ran into him. I got shot and beat up in the process and now my brother's here and put a cage around the whole island. There's no escape."
Isn't there something you can do?
"There are some Marine ships heading this way soon. One of them may be Tsuru's fleet. I can find a way to stow Law away on one of the ships."
But what about you?
"I'm staying behind."
The snail's eyes widened. What?! What do you mean you're staying behind?
"I've played every scenario in my head, Bell-mere." Rosinante explained. "There's no possible outcome where both me and Law will come out of this alive."
But that means that Doflamingo will kill you the moment he sees you!
"If it means saving Law from becoming my brother's plaything, then I'm ready to sacrifice my life."
Well, I'm not! Bell-mere shouted. We had plans, Rosinante. We were going to get married and retire to the East Blue with our children. You're going to throw all of that away over a boy?!
"That's not fair, Bell-mere!" Rosinante snapped. "You did the same thing when it came to Nami and Nojiko. Why all of a sudden me protecting Law is a bad thing?!" The only reply he got was loud sobbing in the background. Rosinante knew that Bell-mere wasn't an emotional person. There was something else going on.
"Belle, what's the matter?" Rosinante asked softly.
Magdalena and Abigail came to visit me in Cocoyashi Village.
"Really? When?"
About a week ago. They came to drop something important off to me.
"What?"
Our son.
Rosinante gasped, his eyes growing wide. "Son? What do you mean?"
Magdalena has a rare Devil Fruit power that allows her to create offspring from two people's essences. She created twin children using our essences.
If the tears hadn't escaped Rosinante's eyes before, they certainly did now. "We have…children…of our own?"
Yeah. Their names are Felix and Norah. Magdalena is supposed to drop Norah off to you so…please, Rosinante. Stay alive.
"Damn it, Bell-mere." Rosinante sobbed. "Timing sucks ass. I bet Felix looks like you."
He does. But he inherited everything else from you. Including your well-known clumsiness.
Rosinante laughed. "Poor kid. He's gonna have it rough." He took a deep breath to calm himself before putting the nail in the already buried coffin. "I'm so sorry, Belle. I really want to see our kids. This is the best news you could've given me but…I have to save Law. What he's been through, no child should ever have to face in their lifetimes. I want him to be free, I want him to live. And if that means I have to break our promise… if I have to die for him to do so…. then I'll gladly die."
You sure it's not the Will of D making you do this?
"I stopped caring about that a long time ago. Law is just a bratty kid I happened to take care of. He's like…"
Your son? Bell-mere finished. I get it. You fell in love with this kid and now you're willing to face the entire world, face your brother for him. I can't be mad at you for that.
"Can you tell Felix that I'm sorry?" Rosinante said.
I'll tell Felix that his dad was a hero, and he took on a pirate crew to save a kid just like him. I'm so proud of you, Rosinante. You have no idea how proud I am of you. The transponder snail started crying, a reflection of Bell-mere's tears. I don't want you to die but…I understand.
Rosinante was full-on crying now, his shoulders shaking as he cried silently trying not to wake up Law. His greatest dream came true not once, but twice and now he was faced with the possibility of never seeing his own biological twin children and the love of his life again.
"You're too good for me, Belle." Rosinante laughed tearfully. "You always have been. You're gonna be a great mother to Nojiko, Nami and Felix."
You will be a great father to them too.
"I don't want to get your hopes up…"
There's a good chance that Magdalena is on that island. She'll find a way to save you and Law. Then, she can reunite you with Norah. Don't give up hope yet.
Rosinante sighed. "For our kids' sake, I hope your right, Bell-mere. But if worst comes to worst, I want you to move on."
What? Bell-mere asked.
"You're a beautiful woman. I'd hate to see you miss out on your chance to fall in love because of me. Find a good man who can help you raise our kids.
I don't need a man to help raise our children, I've done very well by myself so far. Besides, I don't want anyone else. I want you, Roci.
"I'm being realistic here."
Well, don't. I'm being optimistic. Please stay alive, Rosinante.
"I'll try for you. But if I die, I'll die smiling. I want Law to remember me with a smile on my face."
I bet he hates it. Bell-mere laughed.
"He says he does, but I know better." Rosinante laughed. "I want you to remember me smiling too."
How could I ever forget that pretty smile? It's infectious, Felix has it.
"Good. I have to go. I need to figure out how to get Law to safety."
There was a pause on the other end of the snail. Okay then. I'll let you go…"
"Promise me that you'll stay healthy." Rosinante promised.
As long as you promise me to stay alive. No matter what.
Rosinante nodded, not trusting himself to speak. "I promise. Take care of yourself Bell-mere."
And you, stay alive, Rosinante. I love you always…my clumsy fool.
"I love you too, my sweet little spitfire. Goodbye.
Goodbye, my Love.
Cuh-lik
Rosinante ended the call with Bell-mere, knowing that this will be the last time he will talk to her, hear her voice again. He thanked every God in the world for giving him such a remarkable woman, and not one, but five kids to call his own: a bratty little boy from Flevance, two girls from the Okyot Kingdom, and twin children born from his and Bell-mere's essences. Rosinante wished that he could meet them; but fate had other plans for him.
I'm gonna get you out of this prison, Law. I'm gonna get you away from Doflamingo's hold, away from the cage in your heart. I'm going to make sure that you're free; free to live your life the way you want to. I'm so sorry that I won't be able to travel the world with you like we planned. Forgive me, Law. I just hope when you're out there living your life, and I happen to cross your mind, that you remember me smiling.
Rosinante wiped his tears and slowly stood up, his resolve clear. He had no time for grief or regret. He's getting Law off of this island one way or another. The only hope he had was the slim chance Magdalena was on the island. She's worked miracles before. He bore witness to it.
"Let's hope you have one more miracle up your sleeve, Mags." Rosinante walked over to Law and picked him up, cradling the sleeping boy in his arms.
"It's time to go Law." He said softly.
Trafalgar D. Water Law opened his eyes to a cringe-worthy sight: a beat-up and battered Donquixote Rosinante smiling widely at him. "Let's Go!"
"AHHH!"
After walking for what seemed like hours, (it was really 30 minutes) Magdalena found an old, abandoned church that was half-destroyed. She hid behind its walls, her energy draining more rapidly than before. She slumped down on a brick wall, breathing heavily.
"I'm getting too old for this shit." She cursed.
"What does 'shit' mean, Nana?" Norah asked.
"That is a bad word you are not allowed to say until you're older."
"Oh. You mean like fuck?"
Magdalena put her hand over Norah's mouth. "Where did you learn that word from?!" She exclaimed.
"Abigail usually says it every night when she's with that guy."
"What guy?!"
"I don't know." Norah shrugged. "I've never seen him before, but Abigail calls him 'Shane' or something."
Magdalena's eyes flashed angrily. "I think I'm going to have a little talk with your Aunt Abigail. Now's not the time though."
"Nana, your nose is bleeding."
Magdalena gingerly touched her nose and saw blood on her fingers. "Don't worry, Norah. It's nothing bad."
"Are Felix and I killing you? That's why you have to send us away?"
"Oh. You're so astute like your mother. I have a rare Devil Fruit that gives two special people who can't conceive children a chance to be parents. I used it to create you and your brother because your parents deserved it."
"But every Devil Fruit has limits and you couldn't keep me and Felix forever because it's making you sick."
Magdalena stroked Norah's blond hair tenderly. "Believe me, if I could, I would raise you and your brother myself. But your parents have dreamed about you since I've known them. They even picked out your names. Trust me, Norah. You will be fine."
"I trust you, Nana." Norah smiled.
Magdalena pulled Norah into a loving hug. Suddenly, her Observation Haki sensed a familiar and comforting presence near their vicinity. She put Norah down and covered her with her coat.
"Stay hidden, Norah." She warned. "Do not make a sound no matter what you hear. Keep quiet and don't come out until I tell you it's safe. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Nana." Norah nodded.
"I will be right back."
Magdalena grabbed her knapsack and moved to the other side of the church to get a better look of who was coming this way. She saw various treasure chests in the middle of the snow and two figures walking over towards them. One of them was a 9 ft tall man in his mid-twenties. He had make-up on and was nearly beaten to a bloody pulp but Magdalena immediately recognized her giant child.
"Rosinante." She breathed.
She stealthy watched as Rosinante placed a small boy inside of the large treasure chest. Magdalena assumed it was the same boy from White Town that Garp told her about.
"You'll be safe here, Law." Rosinante told the boy. "Pirates are going to take treasure chests without looking at them. Once Doflamingo picks up the treasure chest, climb out and run as fast as you can."
"Is Doflamingo going to kill you?" Law asked.
"Nah. Doffy will be pissed off at me, but he wouldn't kill his little brother."
Magdalena felt her heart break. Rosinante knew better than anyone what Doflamingo was capable of. Why would he lie to Law like that?
"Everything is gonna be alright, trust me." Rosinante placed his hand on top of Law's hat. "Calm." Suddenly, a dark indigo bubble formed around the boy. "I put a silent bubble around you so no one can hear you when you make a sound. Doflamingo won't know the difference. This will be over soon." Law touched the invisible wall, fascinated by its power.
"And Law?"
Law looked up to see Rosinante smile at him once more (of course it made him cringe) "I love you, kid!" The tall man declared jovially as he slowly closed the treasure chest.
Magdalena watched as Rosinante took out his transponder snail to make a call. The voice on the other end shook the old woman to her core.
Well, well, well. If it isn't my darling little brother.
"Doflamingo," Rosinante greeted in a dangerously low voice. "I assume Vergo told you about me?"
He did. It's a shame really, I had high hopes for you, Roci.
"I wish I could say the same for you."
Where's the Op-Op Fruit? And where's Law?
"You want to know, come find me. I'm at an abandoned church to the west."
Splendid. Diamante will be glad to see you.
"I'm looking forward to it." Cuh-lik.
It didn't take long for Diamante to find Rosinante. He, along with Trebol and Lao G, beat the hell out of him. Law heard and felt the commotion while Magdalena saw the whole thing. She couldn't understand why Rosinante wouldn't fight back. He was a solid fighter. Rosinante managed to sit up, the treasure chest Law was hidden in supporting his back.
"What's wrong, Corazon?" Diamante sneered. "Can't take my beating like a man?"
"Please, I know an old woman who punches ten times better than you." Rosinante laughed. "Your beatings are mediocre at best. How you've managed to become Doffy's executive is beyond me."
"Shut up, you stupid bastard!" Diamante shouted. "Just because you can talk now doesn't mean you're smarter than me.
"I've always could talk; you were the one who assumed I was mute. Shows how much stupidity you have."
Diamante replied with swift kick to Rosinante's side. The latter hissed and coughed up blood. "You made a big mistake betraying Doffy."
"No. You made a big mistake underestimating me. Even if you kill me now, I'll still find a way to whoop your ass."
"Is that so, Rosinante?"
Rosinante looked up to see his brother, Donquixote Doflamingo, strutting towards him. Magdalena looked at this notorious pirate. He may look like Rosinante, but his demeanor was the complete opposite. He bore an air of arrogance and false superiority. Magdalena understood why Rosinante never talked about his brother. Doflamingo was the exact thing he feared to become.
"You seem quite confident for a man on the verge of death."
Rosinante smirked as he took out his pistol, aiming it at Doflamingo.
"Marine Code: 01746. Commander Rosinante. Marine Spy for Fleet Admiral Sengoku to infiltrate the Don Quixote Pirates." Rosinante banged his head twice against the treasure chest. For a second, Magdalena thought it was one of Rosinante's clumsy moments but that thought was quickly dismissed when he apologized out of the blue.
"I'm sorry I lied to you about being a Marine. I just…I didn't want you to hate me."
He must be apologizing to the boy. Magdalena concluded.
Law heard Rosinante's apology. "Idiot! I already knew you were a Marine. I could never hate you." He said, knowing that Rosinante didn't hear him.
"Look at that idiot trying to apologize to you, Doffy." The snot-nosed man known as Trebol laughed.
"You think saying you're sorry will undo your betrayal?" Diamante said.
"You're about to dig your own grave." Lao G added. "Grave with a capital G!"
"Well, he's a ham." Magdalena observed.
"Enough talk." Doflamingo halted. He turned to his brother. "Where is Law, Corazon?"
"Law is long gone…and so is the Op-Op Fruit in case you were wondering about that too." Rosinante replied.
"What?"
"I snuck Law on a Marine ship before you put up your birdcage. They're long gone from this island now."
"He's bluffing, Doffy. Don't believe him." Diamante said.
"If you think I'm lying, why don't you search the building? Or go through these treasure chests while you're at it." Rosinante challenged.
Magdalena shook her head in disbelief. What is Rosinante thinking? He knew that Doflamingo was smart enough to call his bluff. A transponder snail went off before Magdalena could come up with the worst-case scenarios.
Cuh-lik
"What is it, Gladius?"
Doflamingo, we just saw a Marine ship sailing away before the birdcage was formed. One of the passengers is a small boy.
Rosinante's eyes widened. That was weirdly odd. No way my luck can be this good.
Magdalena breathed a sigh of relief. A surprise coincidence, but a hell of a welcome one.
"Very well." Doflamingo sighed. "Tell Senor Pink to load the rest of the cargo on to the ship. We'll leave once I've taken care of our…familial squabble."
Aye, sir. Cuh-lik
"Diamante, Trebol, Lao G, do one last survey of the area. Make sure Rosinante isn't lying. I need a moment alone with my brother."
The three executives nodded and proceeded to leave.
"I can't wait for the day when you 'whoop my ass' from beyond the grave, Rosinante." Diamante laughed. "Hell will certainly freeze over."
"Be ready when it does, Diamante." Rosinante smirked.
Once Diamante, Lao G and Trebol left to survey the area, the Donquixote brothers were left alone, staring at each other with their pistols drawn. Magdalena didn't need to unlock her Observation Haki to feel the tension between them. Rosinante slowly stood up, his pistol still aiming at Doflamingo.
"You're not going to pull that trigger, Rosinante." The older Donquixote brother said. "You're too weak for that, just like our father."
"Father was a good man. He did what was best for us." Rosinante argued.
"If he did what was best for us, he shouldn't have taken us out of Marie Jois."
"You always thought you were a god, Doffy. We're no better than anyone else in this world."
"We are Celestial Dragons! We are superior to everybody in this world! Father refused to acknowledge that and what happened? Our mother died and we were nearly tortured to death. So, I did what I had to. I punished Father for his crimes."
"Father did nothing wrong!" Rosinante snapped. "You shot him in cold blood then cut his head off! You didn't punish him, you murdered him!"
"I executed him because he was weak! And I'm going to do the same for you."
Magdalena's heart stopped as she saw Doflamingo cocked his gun. She knew much about Rosinante's past but she didn't know that he was a Celestial Dragon. It made sense though, why Rosinante never talked about his family. She felt Norah peeking out of her coat and turned to her direction.
"Norah! Stay down!" She hissed.
The little girl got the message and scurried back under her coat, careful not to make any noise. Magdalena turned back to the heated standoff before her. In the treasure chest, Law heard conversation unfold and tried to bang on the chest to get Rosinante's attention, forgetting that the older man put a silent bubble around him.
"Cora, what are you doing?!" He said. "You said Doflamingo wouldn't kill you. Get out while you still can!"
Doflamingo raised his pistol at Rosinante. "I'm going to ask you one more time: Where are Law and the Op-Op Fruit?"
Rosinante took his lighter out from his pocket and lit the cigarette in his mouth (probably the last one he'll ever light) and chuckled darkly: "I told you, Doffy. They're both gone. Law ate the Op-Op Fruit and left this island before you put your cage up. You're not going to get what you want, not this time. Law has a chance to become the man he wants to be. So, leave him the hell alone, he's free! Free from Flevance, free from the White Lead Disease, free from the Don Quixote Family, free from you! Law is finally free and I will die to make sure it stays that way!"
The veins in Doflamingo's head popped with anger. "Then die, little brother." He said in a low voice.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Magdalena could only watch in horror as Doflamingo repeatedly riddled Rosinante's body with bullet holes. Norah heard the loud gunshots, but she dared not utter a sound. She kept herself hidden and covered her mouth with her hands, tears flowing down her face. Law kept banging on the treasure chest and screaming Rosinante's name, but no one heard him. All he could do is listen as the man he viewed as a second father was getting murdered by his brother. Rosinante's eyes grew wide as he felt bullets attack his body. He knew there was a chance that Doflamingo will kill him, he didn't think it would be overkill though. Doflamingo emptied his clip on his brother as the younger man flew smack dab on the treasure chest, his body slumped over. Magdalena couldn't stop the tears escaping her eyes. Her beloved giant child was gunned down by the hands of a monster.
"Rosinante." She sobbed quietly.
Doflamingo looked at his brother's lifeless body for a long time. He didn't want to kill Rosinante. He was the spark of humanity Doflamingo held on to for a long time. But now that Rosinante was dead, there was nothing holding him back in terms of morality. Diamante, Trebol and Lao G came over to Doflamingo and looked at Rosinante's body.
"Don't feel too bad, Doffy." He consoled. "He was a waste of space anyway."
"He was my brother, nonetheless." Doflamingo replied. "Let's get out of here before the Marines arrive. Get these treasure chests to the ship."
They quickly grabbed all of the chests without looking to see what's inside and left the church, leaving Rosinante to bleed out in the snow. Magdalena waited until Doflamingo was out of sight before she could rush to Rosinante's side. Then she saw the treasure chest Doflamingo was carrying open slightly. Law's small head peaked out and saw Rosinante's body, crying openly as he climbed out of the chest and ran the other way.
Odd thing about that was…although Magdalena saw Law crying, she couldn't hear him. As if his noise was silenced.
"Rosinante is still alive." She gasped.
Once Doflamingo and his crew was out of the line of sight, Magdalena rushed over to Rosinante's side and knelt beside him. His breathing was labored and blood was seeping through his light pink shirt with hearts on them.
"Rosinante. Rosinante, can you hear me?"
Rosinante shifted his head to see Magdalena kneeling beside him.
"M-Magdalena?" He croaked. "Is that you?"
"Yes, it's me."
Rosinante laughed weakly. "I thought I'd never see you again. I missed you so much."
"I missed you too." Magdalena gently brushed Rosinante's hair from his face. "What have you gotten yourself into, my Giant Child?"
"A whole load of crap. I'm sorry you had to see me like this. Wait, how long have you been here?"
"Quite a while."
"You…you saw everything?" Magdalena nodded. "That means you heard everything as well. Mags, I'm so sorry…"
"Shh. I will have none of that, son. I don't care that your family were Celestial Dragons or that your brother is a class A psychopath." Magdalena declared. "You are a good man with a beautiful heart. I'm so proud of you, Rosinante."
Tears streamed down Rosinante's eyes. "You were always so kind to me, Mags."
"That's because you deserve it. Hold on for me, Rosinante. I'm sure Tsuru's fleet will come in time to find you."
"How do you know that Tsuru will show up?"
"Garp told me."
"Vice Admiral Garp?"
"That's not important now. I'm going to try to stop the bleeding."
Rosinante held out a frail hand. "Don't worry about me. Just get off of this island while you still can. Doflamingo took down the birdcage."
"You're going to bleed out."
"I need to hold on just long enough for Law to escape."
"Law? The boy from Flevance?" Rosinante nodded. "But what about your daughter?"
"My daughter?"
"Yes, your daughter is here. I came to this island to bring her to you."
"That's right. Bell-mere told me that you dropped our son off to her." Rosinante began to cough up blood and Magdalena immediately wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.
"Roci, please. You're about to drown in your own blood. Let me help you." Magdalena begged.
"Can I see her?" Rosinante asked. "Can I see my daughter?"
Magdalena held back tears as she nodded. "Of course, you can." She called out to the broken building. "Norah! Come over here."
Seconds later, Rosinante saw a little girl around three or four scurry over to them. As she got closer, he could see it. The girl was the spitting image of him sans the eyes. They were green like Bell-mere's. Her blond hair was long and wavy tied up in two ponytails. Magdalena motioned the girl to come close.
"Rosinante, this is your daughter, Norah." She introduced. "Norah, this is your father, Donquixote Rosinante."
"Hi Norah." Rosinante greeted weakly. "I'm your dad. It's nice to meet you."
"What happened to you?" Norah asked.
"Oh, Daddy just got roughed up a little. That's all."
"Rosinante, don't lie to her." Magdalena warned. "She has Bell-mere's intelligence."
"Of course, she does." Rosinante motioned Norah to come closer to him. Once she did, Rosinante put a frail hand on top of Norah's head. "I'm sorry, Norah. I didn't want to frighten you if I told you the truth."
"I can take it."
"Your dad got hurt really bad." He explained. "And I might not make it out of this."
"Are you gonna die?" Norah asked tearfully.
"I'm afraid so." Rosinante replied. "I'm so sorry, my sweet baby girl. I really wanted to see you grow up."
"No, you can't die! I don't have anywhere else to go and Nana can't keep me."
"What do you mean?"
"Nana created us with her Devil Fruit powers." Norah explained. "She could only keep me and Felix for three years or else she dies. The East Blue is too far, so I can't stay with Mom, Nojiko, Nami and Felix. That's why you can't die, Daddy!"
Rosinante turned to Magdalena. "You're dying, Magdalena?"
"In a way, yes." Magdalena answered. "I've already reached past my limits in terms of my Devil Fruit powers. I can't take Norah back with me to South Quarter."
Rosinante felt his life slipping away little by little. He didn't want to leave Norah all alone to fend for herself. His daughter may be smart, but she's still a child; only three-years-old. She needs someone who will watch over her, someone who needed her…as much as she needed them. Rosinante had an idea.
"Magdalena, I need you to find Law." He pleaded.
"Why do you want me to find him?" Magdalena asked.
"I want you to take him and Norah to Swallow Island."
"Wait. You want me to leave your three-year-old daughter in the hands of a dying teenage boy?"
"Law isn't dying anymore. He ate the Op-Op Fruit."
"That is not the issue here!" Magdalena argued. "You want a child to raise another child!"
"Law is mature for his age." Rosinante explained. "If you tell him that Norah is my daughter, he will take her in."
"Rosinante. Norah needs her father."
"I'm about to die!" Rosinante gritted. "Right now, Norah needs stability and Law needs something to rely on, to live for. He's already lost a lot. I really believe having Norah around will give him a sense of family. Trust me, Magdalena. Law will do right by my baby girl."
"Are you certain this is what you want for Norah?"
Rosinante nodded. "Without a doubt."
This wasn't the ideal situation Magdalena wanted for Norah, but it was the only solution she had right now. Rosinante risked his life for this boy and now he was trusting the care of his young daughter to him.
"Very well." She conceded. "But you have to let me stop the bleeding."
"Deal."
Magdalena turned to Norah, who was holding Rosinante's hand. "Say goodbye to your father, Norah. Then go back to your hiding place." She instructed.
The little girl nodded as she looked at her dying father.
"I'm scared, Daddy." She cried.
"Come here, Norah." Rosinante beckoned. When Norah scootched closer, Rosinante managed to lift his hand to his daughter's cheek. "You're a lot braver than you think you are. I really believe that you're going to be alright. I'm sorry I can't raise you to be the strong woman I know you're gonna be, but I'm going to leave you with someone who will be up to the task."
"You mean Law?"
"Yeah. He may be young but he's strong. He's also lost a lot of good people in his life, including his family. So, be patient with him. He may seem closed off and act like a little shit.."
"Don't curse in front of your daughter, Rosinante." Magdalena admonished.
"Sorry." Rosinante's breathing became more ragged, but he was determined to say what he wanted to say: "Law may try to push you away and say mean things to you but pay him no mind. He needs you as much as you need him. So, no matter what…be there for him. I can guarantee you, that Law will step up when it calls for it. He'll be the best big brother you'll ever have, Norah."
Big tears streamed down Norah's eyes. "Daddy, please don't leave me."
"I'll always be with you, even when I'm gone." Rosinante cried. "I love you, Norah. I love you so much. I want you to know that."
The little girl broke down into sobs as she threw her small arms around Rosinante's neck. "I love you, Daddy."
"I love you too." Rosinante said, kissing his daughter's head.
After a few minutes, Magdalena painfully pried Norah off of her father.
"Go back to your hiding place, Norah. Quickly."
"Take care of Law for me, my sweet baby girl." Rosinante smiled.
Norah nodded and ran off to her hiding spot. Magdalena made sure Norah was safe before turning back to Rosinante, who was getting paler.
"It's for the best, Magdalena." He assured. "Law will give everything he has to protect Norah. He calls me Cora, so make sure you say that name when you mention me."
"I trust your judgment in this." Magdalena replied. "Now let me stop the bleeding before the Marines arrive. At least when they find you, they can give you the medical attention you need."
"How…how are you gonna do that?"
"I have a salve that acts as an anticoagulant. It's very potent; the sting of it alone will render you unconscious. But it will stop the bleeding long enough for the Marines to find you." Magdalena took out a small wooden jar from her knapsack. She then heard the sound of heavy gunfire and cannonballs from a distance. "We must make haste."
"Magdalena." Rosinante began.
"I want you to fight, Roci." Magdalena pleaded. "You can not resign yourself to this type of fate. Stay alive for Bell-mere, for Law, for your children."
"I'll try to stay alive. I promise. Thank you, Mags."
Magdalena smiled sadly as she scooped some of the salve in her hand.
"I want you to take several deep breaths."
Rosinante nodded as he inhaled deeply as best as he could when he felt something cool hit his skin. He looked to see Magdalena rubbing the pasty white salve all over his injuries. Suddenly, his body felt like it was on fire as if the bullets were melting out of his body.
"Argh! God, Magdalena! It hurts!" Rosinante screamed.
"Shh...I know it does, just breathe for me." Magdalena soothed. "Close your eyes and breathe."
Rosinante's kept breathing through the pain as Magdalena tenderly scratched his blonde hair. His heartbeat started to slow and his eyes started to get heavy. Soon, Donquixote Rosinante passed out. Magdalena placed two fingers on his neck, checking for a pulse.
It was weak but it was still there. And Rosinante still had his smile on his face.
"Rest easy." Magdalena whispered. "We will meet again soon. I love you, my giant child." She placed a gentle kiss on Rosinante's forehead before grabbing her knapsack and rushing over to Norah. The little girl's face was wet with tears.
"I'm never gonna see Daddy again, am I?" She cried.
"Never say never, sweetheart." Magdalena comforted. She gathered Norah back in her arms. "Let's get out of here."
Purah-purah-purah
Purah-purah-purah
Purah-purah-purah
Cuh-lik
"Hello?"
Abigail, it's me.
"Nana! Are you all right? Did you find Rosinante?"
I'll explain later. Right now, I need you to find a boy.
"Boy?"
Rosinante took care of a small boy who had a rare disease. I've been tracking his presence with my Haki and he's headed in your direction.
"How do I know who it is?"
Just follow the sound of loud crying. His name is Law. When you see him, tell him that you're a friend of Cora's. Norah and I are on our way back to the ship.
The transponder snail call was cut off before Abigail could respond. She looked back up at the sky and saw that the birdcage had disappeared.
"Doflamingo must've left the island." Abigail thought out loud. "But if Nana is coming back to the ship with Norah, that means something must've happened to Rosinante. But what?"
The sound of loud crying suddenly echoed throughout the port. Abigail's gaze shifted to a small young boy trudging towards the boat. He was wrapped up in a blanket and had on a furry white spotted hat and his skin had white blotches. He was sobbing uncontrollably, as if he just witnessed a horrible trauma. Abigail jumped out of the boat and ran to meet the child halfway.
"Are you all right, sweetheart?" She asked.
Law stopped crying and looked up at the person talking to him. It was a young, dark-skinned woman with long braided hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a yellow winter coat. She looked a like a little girl but in reality she was a few years younger than Rosinante. Law didn't know if he could trust this woman but he knew that she wasn't an enemy. She looked too nice to be in Doflamingo's crew.
"No, I'm not." The boy sniffed. "I need to get off of this island but…I don't know where to go and I don't have a way to get there."
"I have a ship. I can take you where you want to go if you'd like."
"I don't know you and you don't know me."
"True."
"They why are you helping me?"
"Because Cora would want me to."
Law's eyes grew wide. "You knew Cora?"
"Yes. He's a very good friend of my family." Abigail replied. "Is he alright?"
"Doflamingo…. killed him." Law revealed.
Abigail gasped. "Cora's dead?"
"Abigail, get ready to sail. We're going to Swallow Island."
Law turned around and saw another dark-skinned woman walking up to them. She was a lot older than Abigail and her graying black hair was tied in a bun. She was carrying a small toddler in her arms and judging by her face, Law could tell that she wasn't in good shape.
"You must be Trafalgar D. Water Law." The old woman greeted. "Cora sent us to find you."
The journey to Swallow Island was two days if conditions were favorable. That was two days of much needed rest and relaxation after a very emotionally draining night. The next morning, Magdalena was charting a course back home from Swallow Island when the transponder snail started ringing. Cuh-lik.
"Hello?"
Mags! Are you okay?
"Garp. Your voice is certainly music to my ears."
You don't sound too good. Are the twins still with you?
"Felix is with Bell-mere in Cocoyashi Village. I still have Norah with me."
How're ya feeling?
"Better than I was a week ago. I'm still not out of the woods yet."
I just wanted you to know that Tsuru's fleet found Rosinante.
Magdalena's heart stopped. "Is he…did he make it?"
He was barely hanging on by a thread when Tsuru found him. The doctors on her ship operated on his injuries for hours. As of right now, Rosinante is in a coma. We don't know when he'll wake up from it, it could be days, weeks, months. Probably years.
"Well, he's still alive, thank goodness. How's Sengoku?"
He's hanging in there. He declared on record that Rosinante is officially dead and moved him to his private home. He has doctors coming in and out of his house, working around the clock.
"That's good to hear at least. Anyway, I'm headed to Swallow Island to drop Norah and Law off."
Who's Law?
"The boy Rosinante got shot for. He told me to let him raise Norah in his place."
What?! He's a kid himself!
"That's exactly what I said! But Rosinante insisted upon it and I pride myself on honoring dying requests, as you may know."
There are exceptions to that rule.
"I have no other choice. My health will decline even further if I take Norah back with me. Besides, Rosinante firmly believes that Law will take care of her. I'm taking his word for it."
Well, Rosinante was always a good judge of character. I have a friend on Swallow Island who owes me favor. He has a small cottage inn near the main city. You can take the kids there and they can lay low for a while. If he asks, tell him Garp's calling in a favor.
"You're really good at this, Garp."
"I've had experience with hiding troublemaking children.
"Speaking of which, how are your grandsons?"
Still causing trouble.
"I can't wait to meet them one day."
They would love you. More so than I do.
"Did you just say you loved me, Garpy?"
You're the expert tactician, Maggie. You tell me.
Magdalena giggled. She remembered all the times Garp flirted with her during her Marine days. The age gap between them wasn't too wide for people to gossip about it but it was significant enough for them to raise eyebrows. But Garp made Magdalena feel special. They just had bad timing to start anything really serious. But now? Magdalena wouldn't mind giving Garp another shot.
"I'll be back in South Quarter in two weeks. We'll talk then, okay?"
I'm looking forward to it. Be careful out there, Magdalena.
"You too. Bye, Teddy Bear."
Bye, Sweet Pea.
Magdalena ended her call with Garp just in time to see her granddaughter looking at her with an amused look on her face.
"What's with that look?"
"You and Vice Admiral Garp?" Abigail laughed. "Does Papa know about this?"
"No, and he's not going to find out." Magdalena threatened. "Unless you want your father to know about your secret relationship with a notorious pirate?"
"What?" Abigail sputtered. "I don't know any Emperor of the Sea! I don't even like pirates."
"I never said he was an Emperor of the Sea."
Abigail's eyes went wide and she mentally cursed herself. "How did you…"
"You should try to be a little quieter when 'Shane' spends the night with you. Children can hear, you know."
"Aw crap, I thought we were careful."
Magdalena laughed. "Don't worry, I won't tell your father. Are the kids awake?"
"Norah's still asleep but Law's awake. He's reading some medical books."
Magdalena nodded and proceeded to head up back to the bunks. "Get breakfast ready." She instructed. "I'm going to have a little chat with our new ward."
Trafalgar Law was reading up on medical and surgical procedures when he heard a knock on his door.
"Who is it?"
"It's Magdalena. May I come in?"
"Yeah, sure."
The door opened and the old woman shuffled in the room, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.
"You look much better than last night. I take it you've studied up on your new devil fruit powers?"
"It's pretty easy if you have basic medical knowledge." Law shrugged. "But if I'm going to eradicate White Lead Disease from my body, I need to learn some surgical techniques."
"You're very smart."
"My parents were the best doctors in Flevance. They did everything they could to find a cure for White Lead."
"I know an apology is irrelevant but…I am sorry for what happened to you and your country."
"Thanks."
There was a lengthy silence, then the young preteen proceeded to say something.
"So, you were friends with Corazon?"
"I was." Magdalena nodded. "He would come by my restaurant every day when he was with the Marines. His real name was Rosinante but I'd call him my giant child."
"Why?"
"He was very tall and very clumsy for his age. But he also had a childlike personality. He was the sweetest soul I've ever had the pleasure of knowing."
"After my family and friends died, I lost the will to live. I just wanted to die and destroy everything in the process. But Cora…he cared about me. He risked everything to make sure I lived and…I never got the chance to say I loved him back." Law pulled his hat down his face, covering his eyes so Magdalena wouldn't see him crying.
"I'm certain that Corazon knew how you felt about him, Law." Magdalena assured.
"He was gonna save a country called Dressrosa. I was supposed to deliver a message for the Marines but…Doflamingo had a spy and he was the one Marine I ran into."
Magdalena's blood ran cold but she quickly regained her composure. "Listen to me very carefully, Law." She said. "This is not your fault. Doflamingo, the Marine spy, Rosinante's death…. none of it was your fault. Rosinante made his choice and I know he will do it all over again."
"What am I supposed to do now?" Law asked.
"Honor Cora's wishes. He wanted you to be free to live your life, so do that. We're headed to Swallow Island and I know someone who owns a cottage. He can provide you two with a place to stay for a while."
"What do you mean by 'you two'?"
Magdalena took a deep breath before revealing Rosinante's other wish: "There's something you should know. Rosinante had twin children."
Law blinked rapidly. "What? Cora didn't tell me he had kids."
"He didn't know until last night." The boy looked confused so Magdalena continued to explain: "I ate the Stork-Stork Devil Fruit. It gives me the ability to create offspring from the essences of two people I touch. I touched Rosinante and his fiancée and created twins; a boy and a girl."
"Cora had a girlfriend?"
"Yeah, her name is Bell-mere. She lives all the way in the East Blue. I dropped off the boy, Felix, to her. My original plan was to send the girl, Norah, to Rosinante but, we all know how that turned out."
The wheels of Law's mind began to turn and he put two and two together. His eyes suddenly grew wide. "Wait a minute, you're not saying what I think you're about to say, are you?"
Magdalena nodded. "Rosinante wanted you to look after Norah for him."
"Is he shitting me, right now?!" Law exclaimed.
"Watch your mouth!" Magdalena scolded.
"My profanity is the least of your problems, lady. Are you okay with a preteen raising a…how old is she?"
"Norah is three."
"Three-years-old?! You actually agreed to this?!"
"It was Rosinante's dying wish. I don't like this anymore than you do."
"Then why don't you raise her?"
"You think I don't want to? I can't. Norah and Felix are a product of my Devil Fruit ability. I can't keep them for more than three years or I'll die. I've already stretched my limits with them. Like it or not, you're my only option, Law."
Law paused to ponder the situation. He wasn't ready to take on this type of responsibility. But, then again, he wasn't ready to lose everything that he held dear: Corazon, his classmates, his teachers, his parents, Lammie. Suddenly, his thoughts shifted to his younger sister, trapped in a closet as the hospital burned down with her inside. She was only six-years-old. Norah wasn't much younger than Lammie, but she lost her father so suddenly and at such a young age. She was alone in this world too. Maybe, just maybe, Law thought, that they can be alone together. There had to be a reason why Cora would entrust him to raise his daughter.
"I'll do it." Law said finally. "I'll raise Cora's daughter for him."
Magdalena breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Thank you, Law."
"But I'm not calling her Norah."
Magdalena's smile faded. "What?"
"Are you deaf, old lady? I'm not calling her Norah."
"You do realize that's the name her parents gave her?"
"It sounds like it could be my grandmother's name. I'm not gonna subject my sister to ridicule. Doesn't she have a middle name or something?"
"Cora didn't come up with one because he was too busy bleeding out from all of the bullet wounds!"
"Damn, you didn't have to go that far, you old hag." Law sneered.
"I wouldn't have to if you weren't such a rude little shit!" Magdalena bit back.
"Nana!" Abigail scolded, coming inside the room. "You can't say that to Law!"
"He started it!" Magdalena defended.
Abigail sighed as she turned to Law. "I'm so sorry. My grandmother is running on fumes this morning. If you want to give Norah a middle name, you can. Felix's adopted sister gave him a middle name, so it's only fair Norah has one too."
"What's his middle name?" Law asked.
"Rocinante."
"Okay then." Law paused briefly before deciding on Norah's middle name. "Lammie. Norah's middle name is going to be Lammie."
"And you're giving me grief about Norah being too old for a three-year-old?" Magdalena gawked.
"Nana!" Abigail chided.
"Lammie was my little sister's name." Law explained. "She died in Flevance."
"How old was she?" Abigail asked.
"Six."
Magdalena's gaze softened. "I'm sorry, son. Norah Lammie sounds like a lovely name."
"Nana? I'm hungry."
Everyone turned to see Norah enter the room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Law's eyes grew wide for the second time today. This little girl was the spitting image of Corazon. The only difference was that she had large, green eyes. It was almost like looking in a mirror from a parallel universe. Magdalena saw the girl and smiled.
"Ah, Norah. Come here, child. I want to introduce you to somebody."
Norah scurried over to Magdalena and climbed on her lap. The old woman held on to Norah tightly before introducing her new guardian.
"This is you adopted brother, Trafalgar Law."
"Adopted brother?" Norah asked.
"Your father took good care of him and now he's entrusted Law to take care of you."
"Breakfast is almost ready so I'm headed back to the kitchen." Abigail informed. "Nana and I will leave you two alone to get better acquainted. Let's go, Grandmother."
"Alright, alright." Magdalena conceded. "We'll call you when food is ready." She put Norah on the bed and left the bunks, leaving the two children alone.
Law and Norah looked at each other awkwardly, neither of them didn't know what to say. Law scratched his head before asking the three-year-old a question.
"So, are you clumsy?"
"Nope. My brother, Felix, is the clumsy one."
"Good, because I'm not putting out anymore fires."
"What does that mean?"
"Well, you dad used to smoke cigarettes." Law explained. "And he would accidentally light his black feathered coat on fire."
Norah laughed. "Really? Daddy was that clumsy?"
"Yeah, he would trip on his feet everywhere he goes."
"Felix does that too! Abby said that Felix would tumble out of his crib as a baby and she would catch him."
Law laughed for the first time in a long time. "Your brother sounds like a handful."
"He is but, he's really nice and caring."
"Hmm. Reminds me of Cora." Law saw the confused look on Norah's face and added: "That was the name I used to call your dad. It's short for Corazon."
"I miss him already." Norah lamented. "And now I gotta leave Nana and Abby and live on some strange island."
"Well, I'll be living in that strange island too." Law reassured. "You got me."
"You don't want to be stuck babysitting a little girl for the rest of your life." Norah pointed out.
Law stared at Norah in disbelief. Damn, she's smarter than the average three-year-old. He thought. "Okay, I'll admit this arrangement isn't very ideal for me. But your dad believed that I could take care of you. And I wanna do right by him, so it's okay. You're not gonna be a little girl forever anyway."
"I promise I won't irritate you too much."
"Too much?"
Norah shrugged. "Well, I'm gonna irritate you anyway."
"Okay, fine. But I'm gonna call you by your middle name for now on."
"But..I don't have a middle name."
"You do now. It's Lammie."
"Lammie?" Norah ruminated on her new middle name for a moment and smiled. "I like it! It sounds cute."
"Thanks." Law sighed. "Listen, I know you're scared. I'm scared too, but we got this. We're smart enough to figure things out. If we stick together, we'll be fine."
"Daddy told me to be patient with you because you can be a little shit sometimes."
"Of course, he did. Well, he's right."
"Is it okay if I give you a hug?"
Law's eyes started to water. "Of course, it's okay."
Norah smiled widely as she leaped off the bed and threw her arms around Law. The older boy slowly wrapped his arms around Norah and he felt the comfort he thought he lost when Corazon died. It took all of his willpower to not break down in front of Norah.
"Thank you, Law."
"No, thank you, Lammie."
Magdalena finally arrived at Swallow Island and headed to the cottage inn ran by one of Garp's friends, who happened to be an old acquaintance of Magdalena's.
"Welcome to Carnegie Inn, how can we accommodate you today…" The owner took a long at Magdalena and panicked. "Oh no! Not you again!"
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Mr. Carson." Magdalena smiled. "How are the Marauders?"
"That wasn't our crew name."
"It wasn't? I could've sworn it was called Massive Morons."
Flynn Carson started fuming. "Now, you're just being petty. It was the Mayhem Mercenaries!"
"Mayhem Mercenaries, what kind of pirate crew is that?" Law grimaced.
"Yeah, that sounds lame." Norah agreed.
"It's a decent name for a pirate crew!" Flynn snapped.
Law and Norah looked at each other before turning back to Flynn. "No, it's not."
"This maniac is Garp's friend, Nana?!" Abigail exclaimed. "He tried to kidnap you and sell you into slavery!"
"Look, I turned my life around after that day." Flynn defended. "My men and I run a respectable legitimate business. So, if you're not checking in, please leave my establishment."
"Now, don't dismiss us so soon, Mr. Carson." Magdalena said. "I'm here on behalf of Vice Admiral Garp."
Flynn's expression quickly turned into fear. "Garp?"
"Yes, he's calling in a favor you owe him."
"What favor?"
"Provide shelter for these two children." Magdalena explained, referring to Law and Norah. "They're hiding from a dangerous pirate and need a place to lay low."
"Then take them to a Navy Base or something." Flynn suggested.
"If it was an option, I would've done so already. But the Navy can't protect these kids. Joker is after them."
Flynn's blood ran cold. "Joker?! Are you and Garp trying to get me killed, you old hag?!"
"Hey! Watch how you talk to my grandmother!" Abigail scolded.
"It's alright, Abigail." Magdalena assured. To Flynn, she said: "I know you don't like me as much as I don't like you. But I can tell that you're a semi-decent man; you're not the type to put innocent children in harm's way. Garp and I will pay you generously, just keep them safe until they're old enough to venture out on their own. If you do that, Garp will give you a full pardon."
Flynn looked at the two kids in front of him and sighed. He didn't want to be on any pirate's bad side, especially Joker's. But he also didn't want to see innocent children get murdered senselessly.
"Alright, fine. The brats can stay." He conceded. "But this isn't a free ride. You will do chores, welcome guests, serve tables, I will work your little butts off."
"Hey! This is child labor, I'm only three." Norah objected.
"Welcome to the real world, little girl." Flynn smiled. "You gotta earn your keep."
"Nana, do we have to stay with this clown?" Norah whined.
"I agree, there has to be a better solution than him." Abigail added.
"I already want to castrate him." Law sneered.
"Dude, I love my balls!" Flynn shrieked.
"I don't want to hear any more complaints!" Magdalena halted. "This is the best I can do under such limited circumstances. It'll be okay, Norah. Law will take good care of you. And Mr. Carson will make sure that you two are safe. You just have to be strong, child."
"Will I ever see you again?" Norah asked tearfully.
Magdalena knelt to Norah's level. "Of course, we'll see each other again. Just because I can't keep you doesn't mean I don't want you and your brother around. When you're older and out on your own, come find me. I want to see how much you've grown up, okay?"
"Okay, Nana. Thank you for taking care of us."
Magdalena pulled Norah in a tight, loving hug. "It was my pleasure. You will be fine, Norah. Just stay strong for me, promise?"
"I promise." Norah replied. "I love you so much, Nana."
"I love you too, baby." Magdalena cried. She broke the embrace and stood up. "Go on, say goodbye to Abigail."
Norah rushed up to Abigail, who picked the little girl up and hugged her tightly.
"Oh, I'm gonna miss my little sous chef!" She cried. "You keep on cooking and baking. And when you open your restaurant, call me so I can come visit."
"Deal!" Norah chirped.
Magdalena turned to Law. "Rosinante trusted you with his most precious possession, Law." She said. "Keep her safe."
"I'll protect her until my dying day." Law smiled.
Magdalena smiled, kissing the top of Law's head. "You're not such a rude little shit after all."
"And you're okay for an old hag."
"I swear to God." Abigail muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Let's go, Abigail." Magdalena instructed. "It's a long way back to South Quarter."
Abigail nodded as she put Norah down. She turned to Flynn with a menacing look on her face. "If you harm these kids, I will know about it." She warned. "And I will send my special friend to visit you personally."
"Yeah, sure. Whatever." Flynn scoffed.
"I wouldn't take my granddaughter's threat lightly, Mr. Carson." Magdalena advised. "She knows an Emperor."
Flynn gulped. "Um…which one?"
"Now, Mr. Carson, where's the fun in telling you which one? Just don't make us mad and you won't get screwed. Ta-ta for now."
"Bye Norah, bye Law!" Abigail waved. "Be safe!"
"Bye Abigail! Bye Nana!" Norah called.
"Thank you for everything!" Law added.
Flynn sighed in exasperation as he watched the two women leave his inn and headed back to the port. "What the hell have I gotten myself into?" He muttered to himself. He turned to his new charges who were still watching them leave.
"Don't just stand there gawking like fish! Get in here!" He scolded. "Put your bags in the back room, that's where you two are gonna sleep."
"But I'm a girl!" Norah objected.
"So?"
"I need my privacy!"
"Can't she stay in one of the rooms upstairs?" Law suggested.
"Fine. There's a small room near the kitchen you can have, put your bags there. Then come to the living room and see Scooter for your chore assignments."
"Boo!" Norah jeered.
"Child labor!" Law complained.
"SHUT UP, YOU UNGRATEFUL BRATS!" Flynn yelled.
Magdalena felt her strength returning to her as she and Abigail made their way to the port.
"Feeling better?" Abigail asked.
"Yes, although I do feel a little…empty." Magdalena replied.
"I'm gonna miss them too, Nana."
Magdalena nodded sadly. "I'm sure Norah and Law will be okay."
"Of course, they'll be okay. It's Flynn Carson, I'm worried about." Abigail laughed. Then she paused briefly. "Why didn't you tell Law and Norah that Rosinante is still alive, Nana?"
"Rosinante is in a coma." Magdalena pointed out. "It could be years before he wakes up from it or…he'll probably won't ever wake up from it. I don't want to get their hopes up. Besides, it's time for the baby birds to spread their wings."
"Genzo may be on to something."
"What's that?"
Abigail simply smirked. "The world better watch out for the Donquixote Twins."
SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE! I PUT A LOT INTO THIS CHAPTER TO MAKE SURE IT DELIVERED THE FEELS. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. DON'T FORGET TO REID AND REVIEW!