Chapter 7
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, but Kyra was my idea.
"Holy shit..."
Kyra silently agrees with whichever crewmate utters those words as she watches Edward Newgate break the very air around him. Whitebeard has done this once already in the last twenty minutes since arriving on screen at the Navy HQ, resulting in the backlash that created the now-frozen tsunamis on either side of Marineford; but still, he broke the air. How often do you see something like that? The sorceress looks down at her own hands, which house a natural magic not obtained by shit-tasting fruit but from some trick of fate at birth. Can she break the air? That's not exactly something she's ever tried before.
So now it has really begun: the war everyone with half a brain should have seen coming as soon as those idiots running the Navy published their intent to kill one of the Whitebeard pirates. Hell, children know that you don't fuck with the Whitebeards; their captain is one scary bastard when it comes to protecting his crew. Even if Firefist Ace truly is the son of the twenty-years-dead Pirate King, the Navy should have left him alone. What's happening now is completely their own damn fault.
She's thinking of going. The men who handed her over to him and the other scientists are at Marineford right now. All three Admirals, one of whom she has briefly met in person; and that gull-hatted bastard Sengoku, who tricked her into going along for the boat ride that put her in Hell. What better chance is Kyra ever going to have to kill them? True, they might die anyway; there are an amazing amount of insanely powerful pirates fighting them right now, hell bent on regaining their captured crewmate. There's a fucking gigantic ogre of all things on the screens right now throwing whole ships around like toys. And of course, there is Whitebeard himself, who aside from shattering reality and siccing his boys on the Navy hasn't even begun to fight yet. Maybe somebody will get lucky and kill the men Kyra wants dead, but that is a huge maybe. She wants it to be a definitely.
Why shouldn't she go? Fuck Law - who has not spoken to her since she dropped his ass here via her favored means of travel. Fuck this crew - they all probably agree with that stupid cook of theirs in that she is a freak anyway. Even the bear - so what if he is cute and fluffy and makes her inner child squeal with glee? This is the perfect opportunity to get revenge on several of the key figures responsible for making her life an excruciating torment for those six long years. If she can just get close enough, she can end their sorry existences with a gesture of the hand or a snap of the finger. And if she can rescue this Firefist guy, help Whitebeard, and give the World Government an extra 'fuck you' in the process by foiling their little plans, why shouldn't she do so? Doesn't Kyra have a right to her vengeance?
Gods, besides that, have any of those fucking bigwigs given the smallest thought to what's going to happen to the world if by some miracle they finally manage to kill Whitebeard? Anarchy. Chaos. Every ambitious piss-ant with a crew behind him is going to go nuts to gain control of all the countless islands currently under Whitebeard's protection. His freakishly loyal and powerful crew will go berserk in their quest for revenge. Civilians, Marines, and pirates alike will be in constant danger. The balance of the world as it is now will be turned on its head if that old man is murdered today. Can't those fools see that? Do they not care?
Oh, wait, of course not. They're the fucking World Government; they don't give a shit about anybody but themselves and their precious nobles.
It won't be too hard for her to get to Marineford. Traveling in that pocket of magic takes no time at all, and she has discovered through practice that such transportation somehow seems to recharge her; almost like the bubble of energy draws still more power out of the very air to fuel itself. She'll pop into place on the island housing Navy HQ and be ready to go at full stength. The only problem is that all of Kyra's belongings are back on Law's submarine; she has a feeling the Surgeon of Death will throw something of a hissy fit if she just blurts out that she's bailing, nice knowing you asshole, have a great life. Considering how weirdly happy he's been since that day she screwed up and killed in his presence, losing her so soon seems like the kind of thing that would piss the man off.
Kyra watches as the enormous green monster on the screen falls, killed by two of the Warlords; dead with his arm still outstretched to grab his human friend. She watches Whitebeard kick a giant's ass with one hand. There are five of the Seven Warlords of the Sea fighting with the Navy; plus at least a hundred-thousand soldiers and the Three Admirals. Whitebeard has all of his adopted 'children' and over forty allied pirate crews fighting alongside him. As expected, the scene is quickly degenerating into one of complete and total chaos. This foolish execution is going to end up becoming a bloodbath.
And Kyra wants in on it, dammit!
"Oi, Law," the sorceress barks, unfolding her arms from where they rest across her chest and turning to the North Blue native. His head swivels so that he is looking at her, one eyebrow lazily raised.
"Yes, Miss Kyra?"
"I'm going. If you don't want to go then I'll say goodbye and pick up my stuff on the way. But whatever you decide to do, I'm leaving."
Oh, he really isn't liking that. Law moves towards her, the rest of his crew divided between watching the two of them and viewing the show on the screens. The captain keeps on coming until he's uncomfortably close, a very unhappy look on his face.
"What do you mean you're leaving, Miss Kyra?" he asks, his voice dangerously quiet. Most people would probably gibber in fear at such a tone when coupled with the look on Law's face at the moment.
"Leaving. Going away. Bailing," Kyra elaborates rather dryly. "I'm going to Marineford with or without your permission. I have some people I want a chance to kill, and a lot of them are at the Navy HQ right now. So I'm going. Are you coming or staying? Doesn't matter to me, I just need to know so I can pick up my stuff or leave it where it is."
"Crew members don't go anywhere without the captain's permission, Miss Kyra." Damn, that would be a horrifically scary voice if he were using it on anyone else. "May I remind you that you are now a part of my crew?"
The girl shrugs, glancing back at the chaos on the screens. "I won't be for long if you're not going to Marineford. You aren't powerful enough to force me to stay, and if you tried I'd kill you. So please make up your mind: are you going or staying?"
Law stares hard at her for several long minutes, scowling furiously. He is on edge, she can tell; apparently he's no more fond of ultimatums than he is of orders. The hand clutching his long sword tightens spasmodically as she waits for him to say something.
"Captain! Captain, look! On the screens!" Bepo is suddenly at Law's elbow, pointing one of his claws at the screens in a frenzy. Glancing over, Kyra has to do a double-take at what she sees.
The Den-Dens used to convey the image are zooming in on something that seems to be falling from the skies. After a moment, the picture focuses enough to reveal a Navy ship and what looks like its crew, plummeting towards the bay at Marineford. A strange crew it is, to be sure: a man with a large red nose; another wearing a long coat with what appears to be a golden hook in place of his left hand; a blue fishman; a... person... wearing extremely small clothes with poofy blue hair and an enormous, make-up caked face; and none other than the thought-to-be-dead Straw Hat Luffy, wearing a new outfit of yellow and red and screaming his lungs out as he falls.
Oh, to hell with this; now Kyra really wants to go.
"Going or staying, Law, because I'm leaving now."
The captain of the Heart Pirates stares at the screen with a gleam in his eye for a long moment before whipping his head back around to Kyra, a grin on his face in place of his former scowl.
"Going. Bepo, men, we're leaving. Come on."
"Aye, Captain!"
Kyra reaches out and snags the sleeve of Law's hoodie, bringing him up short as the others scramble off in the direction of the sub. "I'll meet you there."
That grin turns into a smirk; long tan fingers caress the girl's bare arm from elbow to wrist. "Planning to start the party without me, Miss Kyra?"
The mage waves her hand at the screens behind them, an answering sneer gracing her lips even as she steps away. "Party's going hot already, Law. You'd better book it if you want to join in on the fun."
Her captain adopts a serious look, a hint of menace in those ice-chip eyes. "Don't get yourself killed, Miss Kyra. I'll be extremely unhappy if you do something stupid and deprive me of my newest form of entertainment."
Kyra snorts. "What, driving me insane? Who said anything about me even coming back to your crew when this is done with? I might just disappear; I don't really like you guys anyway, and one of those idiots has already tried to feel me up in the space of three days on your sub. I can take care of myself, thank you very much; I'm not going to die."
Law merely grins at her. "We'll see you soon, Miss Kyra."
He has walked away and is almost out of range before Kyra calls out, "Hey, Law!"
The pirate turns.
"Stop with this 'Miss' shit already! I'm not your fucking ancient next door neighbor! The name's Kyra!"
And then she wraps herself in her magic and is gone in a blink.
The Navy ship hits the hole in the ice created by Whitebeard Commander 'Diamond' Jozu at exactly the same instant that a large black bubble appears on the frozen surface of the bay directly beside it. Pirates and Marines alike pause in their fights to glance at the sphere, unsure as to where it came from or what it is. It shimmers like oil before vanishing, revealing the figure of a young woman in a black tank top and green cargo pants; her hair whips around as though caught in a nonexistent breeze for a moment before settling. Seeming supremely unconcerned with the audience she has drawn, the girl fishes a hair tie out of one of her pockets and pulls her mop of curls into a high tail atop her head. A cannonball hits the ice not far behind her; she doesn't so much as flinch.
Looking around herself, the girl finally seems to notice everyone staring at her.
"Yo. What are you all looking at? I thought this was a war; don't you have better things to do than ogle me like a bunch of idiots?"
And with that snide remark, the strange female takes a running leap and dives into the water, to the general astonishment of all.
Straw Hat Luffy is sinking like a rock, and Kyra pushes herself faster through the water to snag him by a foot. Wrestling with his dead weight in the freezing liquid, the sorceress spins around and kicks for the surface. Straw Hat's just a kid; it would suck if he ended up dying here of all places at his age. Kyra glances back to see the blue fishman swimming after her, the man with the red ball on his nose and another guy under his arms. Breaking the surface, she kicks furiously towards the Navy ship from which these men fell, pulling Straw Hat along with her.
She lays the boy out on the steeply tilted deck, glancing up at the fishman as he does the same with his passengers. "Don't suppose you know how to wake them up, do ya?"
Not waiting for an answer, the mage starts smacking Straw Hat none too gently in the face. "Oi, get up, kid. I don't have all day. Get up already."
Cloaking her other hand with her magic, Kyra lays her palm flat against the young pirate's chest. Forcing energy into him, she jolts him back into consciousness so fast that when Luffy suddenly sits bolt upright his rubber head collides with Kyra's.
"OW! SHIT, STRAW HAT, WATCH IT!"
"OW! WHERE'S ACE!"
Straw Hat jumps to his feet, looking around frantically while Kyra rubs at the goose egg growing out of her forehead.
"ACE! AAAACCCEEE! I GOTTA FIND HIM!"
Kyra latches onto the fur of Straw Hat's pants before the idiot can go tearing off in a random direction. He stops as though just now realizing that she is present, his face showing confusion before a light goes on in that empty skull of his.
"Hey, I know you! You're that lady with the awesome powers from Saboady! Did you come to join my crew? We're kinda split up right now but - wait, Ace! I gotta save Ace!"
And he jerks from her hold and tears off in a random direction, scaling the deck of the ship and leaving a dust trail in his wake.
"AAAAAAACCCCCCEEEEE!"
Kyra briefly considers banging her head into the ground. Why is she helping this guy again? He's obviously a complete blockhead. How in the hell has he made it so far in life with such lack of brains without getting himself killed? Pushing herself to her feet, Kyra takes off after him, the fishman running at her side. Marines rush in from all sides, swinging everything from clubs to swords to maces; a wave of a pale hand is all it takes to have them dropping to the ground dead as doornails, their necks all snapped like twigs.
The odd couple catches up to the rubber moron just as he once again screams Firefist's name, facing towards the distant execution platform while standing on the tip of the ship's now-vertical stern. A grin that defies all laws of nature stretches literally from ear to ear as Firefist screams back. Balled up fists are thrown triumphantly into the air as Straw Hat calls out again.
"ACE! I finally found you!"
"Why were you looking in the first place?" Kyra wonders aloud. Straw Hat is too busy celebrating to hear her; it is the fishman at her side who answers.
"Luffy is Ace's sworn brother," he growls around a mouthful of teeth that would make a shark jealous. "Who are you, girl?"
Kyra flicks a mock salute in his direction, eyes already scanning the enormous crowd before them. "Name's Kyra. You?"
"I am Jinbei, but that is not what I meant. Why are you here in such a dangerous place? This is not the place for children."
The sorceress finds it somewhat funny that he would say that when Straw Hat is younger than she is and this Jinbei clearly doesn't have a problem with his presence. "Well, Bluetooth, I'm a dangerous person. What better place for me to be than here, eh?"
Straw Hat, meanwhile, has missed this little chat as he is still yelling to his brother. "Wait for me, Ace! We're here to save you! We're all here to save you!"
What? Kyra glances around at the people coming up the crazily angled deck towards her. The weirdoes she had noticed back on the screens at Saboady are in the lead, followed by well over a hundred men brandishing weapons and wearing the striped jumpsuits of prison inmates. She does not recognize any faces, but then again in the years since escaping captivity and experimentation she hasn't really bothered to read the news; as far as she could figure from what she had read, it's usually a bunch of bullshit World Government propaganda anyway.
Hey, wait a minute.
"Oi, Straw Hat, don't be lumping me in with 'everyone'," Kyra says irritably, moving up to stand beside the younger boy. "I'll be doing my own thing, thank you very much. Firefist isn't my concern."
"YOU!"
Blue eyes switch from the boy at her side to the figure in white standing on the platform across the battlefield. It is impossible to tell from such a distance, but Kyra fancies she can see the man in the gull-topped hat break into a sweat as their gazes lock. A cruel smirk that would put Law's best one to shame graces the girl's face.
"Yo, Sengoku!" she bellows. "How you been, old man? Still kidnapping little girls? Or do you just stick to fucking goats now?"
The legendary Marine snarls in response. "769! How dare you come here!"
Onyx wisps of energy begin wafting out of the girl's skin, her tied-back hair writhing like snakes as her eyes turn the color of pitch. "My name's Kyra, you fucking decrepit old bastard! And how else was I going to kill you if not in person? Unlike you, I don't always rely on my little brainless lackeys! Your blood's going to paint my hands, Sengoku! Hope you're ready to die!"
It sounds for a moment as though the whole world draws in a collective gasp at her words. Straw Hat looks over at her in surprise; the fishman seems wary. Kyra has eyes only for the man from all those years ago, who took her hand in his with promises of a new life and then left her to suffer under the attentions of a group of madmen.
"Don't worry, child. These are good men who work for the Marines, and by extention the World Government. You can trust them."
"Really? They won't be scared of me?"
"No, Kyra. They will be your friends and caretakers from now on."
"And you'll find Mama? You'll find her, and tell her I'm okay, and bring her here? You'll really do that for me?"
"Yes. I promise, I will find your mother."
Lies, all of it. The bastard is going to die, and by Kyra's hand alone!
"Straw Hat, you can do whatever the fuck you want. Just don't get near the guy with the bird on top of his hat. That one's mine, got it?"
Before the pirate can reply, the... thing... with the skimpy clothes and enormous head suddenly blurts out, "Where's Croco-boy?"
Kyra does not have the chance to figure out who the hell 'Croco-boy' is; as soon as the words are out of the weird person's mouth, the sorceress finds herself hurtling through the air thanks to the glowing pink arm wrapped several times around her waist. She is still reeling from this when a golden hook suddenly rushes towards her face; there is barely enough time to sheild before she almost loses an eye. The confused mage finds herself unceremoniously dumped onto the deck of a new ship, steaming legs in a classic boxer stance about a foot in front of her face right in the middle of a growing puddle of water.
"I honored our agreement and helped you get here! So why are you getting in my way and protecting Whitebeard?" That comes from the guy with the giant hook attached to his arm, who is standing from where Kyra's last-minute sheild threw him further up the deck.
"So this old guy really is Whitebeard then?" This from Straw Hat Luffy, the fucking idiot that just propelled Kyra through the air without her permission and is now standing with his feet way too close to her face. "Then don't touch him! Ace likes this old man!"
What old man? Lurching to her feet, Kyra spins around to get a better understanding of just where the hell Straw Hat has dumped her and almost collides with a leg taller than she is. Tilting her head back, she is forced to look up much farther than usual to meet the golden eyes studying her from a wrinkled old face.
Edward Newgate. The same guy she's been watching rock the world from back on Saboady, the guy closest to the title of Pirate King, and the one person who really doesn't need to die today unless the world wants to face a few years of complete mayhem. Great, so Straw Hat threw her onto the deck of the Moby Dick. Turning back to the rubber numbskull, Kyra collars him by the back of his yellow vest.
"Don't yank me around again, brat," she warns him menacingly. Straw Hat looks at her in confusion, as though he has no idea what she is talking about.
"But you're part of my crew now! I don't want to get separated from any more of my friends and I had to come over here, so that means you had to come too!"
"I'm not in your crew, you idiot! And who the hell said anything about being your friend?"
"You did! You said you came here to join my crew a minute ago when you pulled me out of the water!"
Before Kyra can relieve Straw Hat of his erroneous thinking - possibly by pounding his brains out with her fists - a deep voice speaks from behind her.
"Oi, squirt... that straw hat of yours... it looks a lot like the one Red Hair used to wear."
The witless wonder hooks an arm around Kyra's shoulders and turns her so that they are both facing Whitebeard, ignoring the low growl that issues from the woman he is manhandling.
"You know Shanks, old guy? I'm holding it for him!"
"If you plan on living long enough to give it back, I recommend you get the fuck off me," Kyra hisses, shielding enough to shove Straw Hat's arm from her person. Those wise gold eyes move back to her, gleaming with something that might be interest.
"And who are you, girlie?"
"Name's Kyra," she replies, flapping a hand at him in a dismissive fashion. "Nobody you'd know. I'm just here to kill as many Marines as possible and peel Sengoku's face off his skull with my bare hands. Got a problem with that, gramps?"
Looking over at Straw Hat, the strongest man in the world asks, "And you, you're here to save your brother, right?"
"That's right!"
Suddenly looking furious, Whitebeard lets out an inhuman snarl. "Don't you kids understand what you're up against? A couple of squirts like you have no business here!"
That pisses Kyra off. How dare this old geezer say that to her? He doesn't know shit! She has more reason to be here than most anybody else, damn it!
"Fuck you, shitty old fossil!" she shouts at him, magic lifting her hair crazily behind her as her eyes flash deepest black. "You don't know a fucking thing about me! I've got every fucking reason in the world to be here! You spend six years being a test subject for these people, see how you like it! I'm not one of your pathetic little adopted brats who has to ask your permission before taking a piss, gramps! I'll do whatever the hell I want, and if you get in my way I'll break every fucking bone in your body!"
Straw Hat is shouting right along with her, complete with furious hand gestures and declarations of his intent to be the next Pirate King. Still mad as hell, Kyra marches to the very edge of the deck and makes a wide arcing motion with her hand. Instantly, every Marine within one hundred yards of the ship explodes; guts and bones and blood rain down upon the shocked pirates as their opponents die. Turning back around with a sneer, she joins Straw Hat in glaring hateful daggers at the infamous giant pirate.
"I can take care of myself, you stupid bald bastard!" the sorceress snarls. "You're the one who's coming into a fight with a weak ticker! So why don't you just go change your fucking old-people diaper and let us youngsters do the work!"
"What she said, what she said!" Straw Hat shouts, looking just as pissed as Kyra feels. "Ace is my brother! I'm gonna save him! I'm gonna save him the way I want, old man!"
An extremely irritated mage stomps over and clamps a hand around the rubber pirate's elbow. Immediately Straw Hat is encased in a bubble of pure white magic; after mere seconds it disappears, revealing the boy looking as good as new. Where before every visible inch of his skin was marred with cuts and bruises, now Straw Hat is in tiptop shape and his skin is completely flawless.
"Now you can't spout shit on how he's too banged up to do any good," Kyra barks at Whitebeard, letting go of the amazed boy and pointing a threatening finger at the old man. "Don't fuck with me. You don't have any business fighting when your death is exactly what the World Government and the Navy wants. You've got a shit-ton of younger, healthier pirates fighting for you, so just sit the fuck back and watch."
"Hey! I feel great!" Straw Hat flexes his hands, a look of amazement on his face as he inspects his healed body. "Awesome!" Suddenly going from ecstatic to serious in a second flat, Straw Hat turns back to Whitebeard. "Hey, old man. We heard something on that Navy ship just now..."
Kyra can't say that she is surprised by what the boy has to say. Of course that bastard Sengoku would reduce the time until the execution at the first possible moment. Of course the Navy's doing something underhanded behind the public's back. Why would any of that be surprising? Since when did the Navy as a whole give a shit about honor or truth? If Whitebeard is at all surprised by this news, then he is stupider than the brainless idiot in the famous straw hat.
"Alright! Here I come, Ace! Hey, lady, are you gonna come with me?"
Kyra gives a single nod, letting her magic coat her arms from elbow to fingers until it appears that she is wearing a pair of long black gloves. Straw Hat will be making a beeline for the execution platform; Sengoku is standing on said platform. There's no harm in going with the rubber boy; she can always ditch him and press ahead on her own later.
"My name's Kyra, Straw Hat," she tells him, glancing over and shooting the pirate a feral grin. "I'll be watching your back for a while as long as you return the favor. Ready to fight?"
"Yeah! LET'S GO!"
And with that ear-splitting yell, Straw Hat Luffy and the sorceress Kyra jump from the deck of Whitebeard's flagship down to the frozen surface of the bay - both of them smirking like demons.
Back on Saboady, Trafalgar Law stands on the deck of his submarine while his crew finishes up with some last-minute preparations. He stands at the railing and gazes out at the open sea, his mind at Marineford with his magician. He is... concerned.
Worrying about one of his crew is not something Law is accustomed to. Every man that travels with him can fight plenty well enough to keep from getting killed; each of them knew what they were getting themselves into when they joined his crew. He is not a nice man, after all; he is the Surgeon of Death, the Dark Doctor. His reputation for ruthlessness is well-earned. Law has personally killed - or permanently rearranged - more men than smallpox; he enjoys death and chaos. His crew knows that, has known that since before they departed North Blue. So while Law is always happy to patch them up, and always has the needed supplies on hand to ensure their continued good health and wellbeing, worrying about one of his crew who is currently fighting is definitely a new experience.
Especially when the crewmate can blow up a man's head from ten feet away or rip out a hundred hearts from several yards distance.
Perhaps it is simply that his magician is a woman? Law has little experience with the fairer sex aside from as bedmates. Though he may be seen as merciless, he does not kill or violate women, does not allow his mean to harm them if it can be avoided. Female Marines are few and far between; those who the Heart Pirates have encountered so far were knocked into unconsciousness and then left as they were. The surgeon once killed a member of his own crew who had deflowered an unwilling lady he'd picked up off the streets; the girl walked off the submarine wrapped in bandages and dosed with painkillers from Law's own infirmary. Aside from that - and the silly geese who inevitably flock to the sweet and fluffy polar bear serving as one of his subordinates - Law has not had much contact with women outside his bedroom. Perhaps his concern for Miss Kyra - or simply Kyra, as she insists he call her - stems only from the fact of her gender?
The idea that she is just some weak little girl in need of protection is so preposterous it brings a grin back to the pirate's face. Kyra herself would likely castrate any man stupid enough to underestimate her strength, and Law is anything but stupid. No, the girl can take care of herself more than adequately. Whatever it is that has him feeling this way is not because of her gender.
It must be simply that Law is unaccustomed to sending his crew alone into battle. When one of the Heart Pirates fight, they all fight together; allowing Kyra to run off into a warzone without them is rubbing her captain the wrong way. This feeling will evaporate as soon as he and the others can meet up with her.
"Captain?"
Law turns so that he is facing the speaker. Neil is standing before him, beanie in his hands and a determined look on his face. "What is it, Neil?"
"Captain, we've been sailing together for a long time, right?"
As Neil is one of the men from the islands of North Blue, and has been with the crew almost from the start, the surgeon gives an affirmative nod of the head.
"And you've always listened to me and the guys before we did anything crazy, right? We're always allowed to voice our opinions, even if you don't agree, as long as we understand that captain has the final say?" Neil is wringing his beanie in his hands harshly enough that it is rather surprising the fabric has not yet ripped.
A single eyebrow slowly begins to climb Law's forehead until it disappears underneath his hat. "Do you have something you want to say, Neil?"
This is apparently all the encouragement the cook requires, as he immediately blurts out, "I think we should leave. Forget the girl and book it for the New World. I think going to Marineford right now would be complete suicide. It's too dangerous, Captain, all the Admirals are there, and Sengoku and Garp the Hero. I think we should cut our losses and leave. That... girl is a monster, Captain, and I think we'd be better off without her, anyway."
A rather large spark of anger, usually banked and smothered within the pirate's heart, is currently being fanned into a raging inferno at the other man's words. Bepo suddenly appears at his captain's side, a look of worry contorting those furry features. The bear opens his mouth to speak, only to be instantly silenced by his leader's raised hand.
"So what you are saying, Neil, is that you want me to abandon a member of my crew," Law clarifies, his voice deathly quiet. "Is that right?"
Neil's face has gone pale from his captain's tone, but it is no less determined. "Y-yes, Captain."
"You pointed out a moment ago that we have been traveling together for a long time now, didn't you? What are the first two rules that those under my command have always had to agree to follow before joining me, Neil?"
The cook swallows nervously. "Don't get yourself killed needlessly... and... and don't leave anyone behind."
"I don't care how badly your pride was damaged by getting rejected or hurt. I don't care whether or not you like the girl. I don't care if you approve of her addition to this crew. Kyra is your crewmate now, and will be until I say otherwise. Is that understood?"
A jerky nod. "Y-yes, Captain."
"And Neil?"
"C-captain?"
Tanned fingers bearing the word 'death' across their knuckles wrap themselves tightly around the man's throat, squeezing hard enough to choke him and yanking him forward until mere inches separated his face from Law's.
"If you ever make that kind of request of me again, or if I get wind that you have been harassing Kyra in any way as fallout of this conversation, I will cut you into pieces and feed you to a Sea King while you are still alive. Is that clear?"
"Y-yes," is the wheezed response. The cook is instantly released, a grin returning to Law's face as though it had never left.
"Good. Bepo, is everything ready?"
"Yes, Captain. Gable's set to take us down as soon as you say the word."
"Excellent. Let's go, then."
"Aye, Captain!"
The Surgeon of Death follows his two subordinates into the sub, closing and locking the hatch firmly behind him. Once in the control room, Law seats himself in his customary chair, propping his feet carefully on the console in front of him and folding his hands behind his head.
"Take us down, Gable. Set a course for Marineford; we've got someone to pick up.
"Aye, Captain!"
Here we come, Kyra. Don't have too much fun without me.
A/N: Please review. Beta'd by Tomas the Betrayer.