Acquaintance

Chapter 5

When Law practised medicine under Doflamingo all those years ago, he'd been encouraged to experiment and determine the extent of his Devil Fruit powers. In one such experiment, Law placed beating hearts into a vice, increased the pressure and recorded how long it took before the subjects expired. Some died instantly. Others took longer. Law then ran a series of tests to determine whether there was a relationship between subject health and time till death. His results showed a positive correlation between the two variables.

It was a good thing Law's physical condition was superior to most, otherwise he'd be lying dead in the snow. He had no doubt that someone squeezed his heart—it was also a good thing Law hadn't been in the facility when it happened because he couldn't let Caesar know just how fragile the human heart was. When Law got back, he'd have to have a polite conversation with the scientist about proper organ safe-keeping.

Law pulled the entrance door closed behind him and inspected his surroundings. The building was as cavernous as ever, and devoid of activity which made it all the larger. There were no guards milling about and the machinery was eerily silent.

His heels clicked on the tiled floor, echoing long and loud. The voice in Law's head warned him of danger but he didn't feel the need to create a Room. The only people here were a crazy scientist, a harpy secretary and a few scores of hybrid guardsmen. They didn't constitute a threat.

The entirety of Building B was empty. Perhaps there had been an accident in another part of the facility but there were no sirens to indicate danger. Law shook his head, put it out of his mind and headed towards Building C where Caesar's personal laboratory was situated. Monet had explicitly stated in the contract that Law wasn't allowed to go there but he figured he might as well—if Caesar was there then they could talk and if he wasn't then Law could investigate.

The smell of ethanol and formaldehyde grew more and more pungent as Law neared the laboratory. He rapped his knuckles three times on the door and pushed it open.

"Caesar?"

The pink gaseous mixture in the air solidified into Caesar's human form. The scientist threw his arms wide open with a clown's grin. "Trafalgar! You're just in time to witness something incredible. Come closer, and make sure you watch closely because I'm finally going to be the greatest scientist in the world. I'm finally going to beat Vegapunk!"

"I'm not interested," Law said.

"Oh, you want to see this," Caesar assured. He swirled around the bench in a frenzy, grabbing test tubes, bottles, pipettes and measuring cylinders. "I've finally perfected my weapon of mass destruction!"

"I couldn't care less." Law clamped a hand down on the scientist's shoulder and sent a slight pulse of Haki into the scientist to stop him from slipping away. "Caesar. Where's my heart?"

"Hmm?" Caesar paused in his frantic scrabble, comically supporting an array of equipment between his fingers and holding his arms at odd angles. "What's wrong, Trafalgar? You want it back? I thought you didn't like being babysat."

"Where's. My. Heart."

Caesar set his equipment back on the bench with gentle clinks and stroked his chin, pretending to think. "Now that you mention it, I might have… misplaced it."

Law's fingers tightened.

Seeing the look on his face, Caesar cackled. "Wait, that's not the right word. What I meant to say is that I sold it."

Sold it?

Caesar slipped out from Law's grasp, swirled over to the other side of the bench and began arranging his materials.

"You see, technological advances aren't the government's main priority. It's a bit of a problem because that's how scientists like me earn a living. There's never enough funding for our work and me, well, I can't exactly go up to the Marines and ask for a share of the taxpayers' money, can I? That means I have to take opportunities whenever I can and you just fell into my lap. You wouldn't believe how many people out there are ready to fork over a hefty sum for your precious heart. One of them happened to be nearby so he got first dibs!"

Law clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to stab Caesar in the face. Repeatedly. "You must think very little of your secretary if you're willing to put her at risk like that. Did you think I wouldn't harm her if you double-crossed me?"

Caesar airily waved his hand. "She and the rest of my subordinates are searching for her heart as we speak. I wouldn't be surprised if they've found it already, what with the sheer manpower I have at my disposal."

Law pulled Kikoku from its sheath and pointed it at Caesar. "I want a name."

"Whose name?" Caesar opened his eyes wide and batted his lashes in a sickening display of feigned innocence.

"The man who has my heart," Law snarled.

"That would be me."

Law spun around, eyes zeroing in on that tall silhouette.

Angular sunglasses.

Hooked sideburns.

Food on his face.

There was no way Law couldn't have recognised the man. Everything about that figure was burned into Law's memory a hundred times over. His breath caught in his throat and his voice came out hoarse.

"Vergo."

"It's been far too long," Vergo said, stepping into the laboratory. Caesar flew behind him and stuck his tongue out once he was safely out of Law's reach.

Law curled his fingers tightly around Kikoku's hilt. Of all the people Caesar could have sold his heart to, it had to be this man whom Law despised almost as much as he despised Doflamingo.

"Room!"

Law tossed his sheath aside, gripped Kikoku with both hands and swung, the strike magnified by the effects of his Devil Fruit. Vergo ducked, and Caesar followed his lead with a yelp. Kikoku's impact cut through the air, smashed everything in its path, thudded into the steel walls and left deep, gnarled dents.

"That's no way to greet someone," Vergo said, straightening up. "Your manners haven't improved at all."

Law held Kikoku rigid. "Why are you here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Vergo held out his hands. "I'm here for you. It's time you returned home."

Law almost laughed. What exactly was a home supposed to be? His crew often talked about their families back in their homelands. They spoke with fondness and love, a soft look in their eyes and affection in their voices. Law could never refer to Doflamingo's mansion in that way, not when it was a place he happened to live in during childhood. Not when it was the place that never made him feel lonelier.

"The mansion was never a home for me." Law angled Kikoku and stared down the blade at Vergo. "I'm done playing Doflamingo's subordinate."

"I thought you might say that." Vergo reached into his pocket and pulled out a heart, Law's heart, beating in its cube. "I would reconsider if I were you. Accept my invitation while I'm still being nice."

There was no need for Law to reconsider.

He swiped a bottle from Caesar's bench and hurled it at Vergo.

"Soran!"

Vergo disappeared, leaving Caesar to catch it.

"Whoa!" Caesar shrieked, not trying at all but rather swarming backwards and letting the glass bottle shatter on the floor. The solution hissed and began spreading outwards in a pool, leaving the tiles discoloured and corroded in its wake. "Dammit, Trafalgar! You don't throw acid around! What kind of safety lesson did you learn as a doctor?"

A flash of white caught the periphery of Law's vision. He whipped around, bringing Kikoku swinging in a downstroke that would cleave Vergo in two.

Clang!

The shock of the impact shot up Law's arms. He gritted his teeth and wrestled the blade down against Vergo's arm which was strengthened with Armament Haki.

Vergo's free hand closed in, index finger pointed to sever Law's neck. Law broke free and leapt back, the flat of his shoes skidding on the tiles.

Snow whirled around him.

What?

It snaked around his legs and lifted him up, then slammed him back down into the ground. Law's body snapped upwards and he lost his grip on Kikoku. More snow enveloped him and held him prisoner.

Monet stood to the side, one wing over her mouth but through the haze of pain, Law could make out the smirk in her eyes. Her bottom half was fused into the snow and Law cursed himself for never wondering how Monet successfully captured all those animals for the guards' surgeries.

"Thank you, Monet," Vergo said, straightening his jacket. "That was unnecessary though."

"It's better to be safe than sorry," she purred.

Vergo turned to Law. "This is your last chance. Are you coming home or not?"

Law let out a harsh bark of laughter. "Not even in your dreams, Vergo."

Vergo pulled out Law's heart again, and crushed it in his palm. The pain shot through Law's chest and he thrashed, screaming.

In a mild tone, Vergo said, "It's Mister Vergo to you."

A.N.

I am so, so sorry to the people who I promised I would update in "one week". It had been my original intention, but I forgot about exams and couldn't stick to my original schedule.

I won't be able to update for at least another two weeks because it's smack-bang in the middle of the exam period, but I really wanted to update today, even if it's a short chapter, because it's my birthday. Hooray! I'm now legally allowed to rent a car. Hehehe!