Chapter 8

Claire's fingers glided along the scars of her face. The soft scar tissue twitched under her touch. After her initial meeting with Doflamingo, she buried herself in extensive training. A couple claws had scraped into her face, taking her left eye and most of her hair. The farthest right scar was a small hook into her nostril. "I think I know the problem," she murmured. She turned her untouched side to Doflamingo and softened her expression. Her crystal blue eye watched him cautiously. She knew she wasn't going to fight him right now, but she wanted to be prepared in case the shock prompted him to strike. "We met thirteen years ago," she stated. A slight breeze pushed her blonde curls over her shoulder. She added, "I believe the one you had beat me down was named Pica."

A few moments passed before the vein in Doflamingo's forehead rose to the surface and pulsed vigorously. "You're supposed to be dead," he hissed, grinding his teeth. He took a few steps back, no longer concentrating on Straw Hat. Everyone's eyes were on Claire.

She tossed her hair back over her shoulder. "You should make sure that a person is dead before you leave the body," she suggested. She stepped down from the pillar and made her way towards the surgeon. Her stomach twisted at his battered condition. By the look of his wounds, she wouldn't be able to reattach his arm, and he would need a blood transfusion as soon as possible. But she put on a brave face and smiled at Straw Hat. "What's your name?" she asked, her voice as gentle as a morning breeze.

Taking his eyes from Doflamingo, he scanned Claire's face. He didn't flinch like most people did. "Luffy," he replied shortly. His eyes wanted to return to his enemy, but his mind wouldn't allow it.

She bowed her head. "Well, I'm glad to meet one of Little Law's friends."

A trembling hand clutched her ankle, and she looked down to Law. "Claire?" he panted. Tears welled at the corners of his eyes, and every breath he took sent a sharp pain through his body. "Is that really you?"

Kneeling down, Claire wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug. "It's me, all right," she consoled. She kissed the top of his forehead. "I'll always be right here." As Law fought back sobs, she picked him up and carried him back to the edge. "Luffy, grab his arm and come with me. Kat-" she looked over her shoulder with her blind eye- "keep Doffy busy."

Kat gave an understanding nod and charged into Doflamingo's blind side, catching him off guard. She drew her sword and hopped closer to Claire, leaving no room for either Joker or Trebol to slip past. Luffy-though he seemed somewhat perturbed-and Claire started to walk back to the king's plateau, the ground floating up to make their path.

"Get back here!" Doflamingo shouted. He dashed forward and kicked out at Kat; she blocked with her forearm. Trebol's goop started to surround her feet, but it no longer held her down nor stuck to her. She spun to disorient Joker and slashed at his chest. He dodged and pushed back a few feet.

"Your fight is with Yuzuki," she spat. She slid her feet into a sturdier stance. "Or are you going senile and forgetting your feud, Uzuru?"

Doflamingo grit his teeth and pulled at his strings. "Don't ever say that name again!" he hollered. His strings sliced at Kat; only a few were able to make shallow cuts along her neck and cheeks. Trebol shot his goop bullets at her. One hit the top of her thigh, but she was able to dodge the rest.

Tired of him being in the way, Kat moved to Trebol's side and slashed into him. As blood seeped out of the new wound, his coat dissolved and became a part of the goop that he manipulated. His true appearance was emaciated compared to what he made people believe. His arms and legs were bone-thin, and his ribs were prominent like gills along his chest. "So this is what you really look like," Kat grunted in disgust.

The top of Trebol's staff became alight. "You seem to forget that my mucus is flammable!" he shouted. "I'm taking you down to Hell with me, Kat!"

As soon as Trebol touched the flame to the goop, the top of the palace was engulfed in an explosion. Doflamingo was able to jump out of the way of the explosion, but Kat knew she wouldn't be able to get the height in time. Instead, she sucked in her pride and pulled the stone over her like a blanket. For a few briefs seconds, the inside of the rock shell turned into a furnace, but as fast as it had become heated, it cooled down to a bearable warmth.

Landing on a pillar near the shell, Doflamingo watched as Kat emerged from the rock. "How the hell do you have Pica's fruit ability?" he growled. "Do you have some sort of copying fruit?"

Kat hoisted herself out and dusted herself off. "The copy fruit doesn't exist yet," she reminded him. "But when I die, I will become the tree to bear that fruit."

Doflamingo's stance straightened, and his expression turned curious. "So you're one of those devils I've heard so much about?" he inquired.

Picking up her sword, she examined the blade for any scratches. The sun glistened against its silvery side, but the purple side seemed to darken at the touch of sun. "That's exactly what I am," she answered.

A deep laughed emerged from his throat. The laugh carried through the wind across Dressrosa. "I'm going to have fun killing you and cultivating your fruit," he told her. His fingers twitched, and strings moved in a flurry around her.

Kat removed the hilt of her sword to reveal a bandage that held the long blade together. The cuts on her cheeks and neck healed up, and the spots of blood evaporated from her skin. The wound at the top of her shoulder closed up, and even the goop bullet removed itself from her leg, healing the wound with its exit. "I'm tired of entertaining you," she explained. The gentle breeze across the palace roof was replaced by a hurricane-like gust. She was moving so fast that Doflamingo's human eyes could only see a blurry form of where she was supposedly standing. His strings went limp and were carried away across the island.

The atmosphere calmed, and Kat now stood before him. "I think it's about time you let Uzuru get some sunlight."