Chapter 33
"What the fuck is going on?" Kid grumbled at the sight of the everyone seemingly huddled in his suite at god knows what hour.
It was light outside so it could actually be late for all he knew. It just felt really bloody early.
"We're trying to make up a battle plan." Sanji said from the couch, surprisingly out of the hospital, though the long nose guy was missing. "So far we haven't gotten far."
"We just go in, bust Law out, grab Penguin and Bepo and slice everyone up." Zoro grunted.
"They have Rebecca." Killer murmured, looking completely tense. "If we rescue Penguin and Bepo they will kill her."
"Which is why I should go after them and Killer should go grab Rebecca." Shachi insisted just as Kid grabbed a bottle of alcohol from the cabnet and sat down beside the Straw Hat's swordsman.
"And I'll grab the treasure!" Nami beamed, looking absolutely delighted by the idea.
"What treasure?"
"Doflamingo has jewels in his treasury." Ace supplied, looking amused.
Kid frowned. "Screw all these plans. I'm gonna win and take Law with me."
"I'm still getting my money. I didn't come here for nothing." Nami growled.
"Well we all have a plan then. Killer and Shachi can make sure the hostages are safe while Nami can go get her treasure." Ace offered. "Meanwhile Kid wins the match."
"And if he loses?" Robin asked.
"I'm not gonna."
"If he does I'll punch Mingo and you can grab Law!" Luffy beamed.
"Luffy you'll give gramps a heart attack!" Ace protested.
"It'll be fun!" Luffy laughed.
Law frowned, wearily watching Doflamingo who was glaring outside the window, looking pissed off but strangely amused too. He shifted on the bed, trying to get comfortable as he played with the chain tethering him to the bed.
"You're assassin is dead, you do realise that don't you Law? He killed Diamante. It will be long and slow. I won't go easy on him, not like I did last time." Doflamingo crooned, still not facing him.
"Going to rape me in front of him again?" Law asked tiredly, he wanted to have faith in his lover but dammit, Doflamingo always won.
There was nothing they could do about that.
"You won't be seeing him again beloved." Doflamingo growled softly. "You're staying away from him."
"At least let me watch his final battle." Law sighed, staring at the chain. "We both know he'll lose, Vergo-san's too strong."
He blinked when Doflamingo was suddenly at his side, stroking his cheek tenderly. "You are serious about surrendering, aren't you love?"
"I told you already."
"I know. It's a good thing Law. We can have everything go back to normal." Doflamingo said, kissing his forehead as Law slumped against him.
"Doffy, please let me watch the match? He's only going to be defeated..."
"Him being defeated in front of you might hit the point home." The blonde mused, still staring down at him with a small frown before it formed into a dark grin. "And him seeing you at my side willingly might just break him, fufufufu, alright, I think I can agree to that. You can join me tomorrow, just as long as you behave like a good boy."
He lowered his head. "I will be."
He wasn't going to be snarky about it or resistant. He just needed to obey and then maybe nobody else would get hurt. Doflamingo could be right, maybe things would just 'go back to normal', maybe he just had to pretend to love him, keep his sister and friends as safe as possible.
That was probably the best idea now.
"So, why are we walking around the gardens?" Ace couldn't help but ask, eyeing his little brother wearily who was grinning brightly at him.
"Because it's a nice night?" Luffy tried to give him an innocent look but his face was far from it.
He sighed at that, grabbing his brother's shoulders and looking him straight in the eyes. He needed the truth, he needed to know for his own sake.
"Luffy, how much trouble is this going to get me in?" Ace demanded seriously. "My old man's here and being his damned annoying self while Marco's been mother-hening me. I don't need to give them another excuse about me apparently not being able to take care of myself. I'm perfectly fine on my own! Shanks and Buggy used to take care of me as a kid and I still didn't die!"
"Shishishishi, it's fine Ace. You shouldn't be in any trouble with this!"
Ace groaned. "The 'should' part isn't that reassuring Lu'."
"It's fine!" Luffy beamed at him. "We're here anyway."
A quick glance around didn't reveal anything of any interest about. They were still at the wall and the bushes were in between them and that actual garden where Luffy might have had fun terrorising someone by diving into the mud and wrecking the place but here? There was nothing to do.
Obviously he underestimated Luffy though.
He glanced back to where Luffy had been only to find his insane little brother climbing the wall, much to his bemusement. Was he trying to break into a room or something?
"Luffy you might fall. Be careful." Ace called up after him however he quietened down when the balcony doors above Luffy opened, making his brother laugh and wave as Law Trafalgar glowered down at them both, looking unamused.
"What are you doing here?" He heard Law ask as Luffy reached him, grabbing on to the railing.
"I came to see you Traffy!" Luffy greeted, though his voice had turned a bit more upset. "I heard Mingo's locked you up."
"It's none of your business." Law looked ready to push Luffy off the balcony, making Ace grumble.
"Law! Don't shove him off!" He couldn't help but warn the older man who scowled further.
"How else do I get rid of him?" Law snarked back.
"You don't!" Ace grinned.
Well, most people didn't manage to get rid of Luffy. He sticks to you, sometimes literally.
Luffy laughed as he jumped over the railing, Ace didn't look too pleased that he was being left behind but he only turned away, looking around. He must have been bored. Luffy decided to help him deal with that later, Traffy needed him right now though!
"He's cuffed you." Luffy frowned, staring at the chain while Law sighed, rubbing his forehead and looking annoyed.
He was used to be smirky, he missed that. He had been trying to cheer Traffy up too but rarely anything worked unless he annoyed Mingo. Annoying Mingo was fun though, so he could agree with that. Traffy did need to smile more though, he looked happier when he did.
Traffy glanced down at the cuff before raising an eyebrow at him. "Yes, it does appear that way doesn't it?"
Luffy grinned. "I can break it if you like?"
"Don't bother. Doflamingo's untying me for tomorrow's match. Right now however he's making sure I stay in my room." Traffy said dryly.
"I wanna beat him up."
"I'm fine Luffy." Law scowled, crossing his arms before a familiar look entered his eyes, where he was focused on something. "If you want to be helpful then keep an eye on my sister. She's always on his badside."
He couldn't help but grin wider, happy that Traffy was actually plotting again, even if in this case it just seemed to be for a way to protect his sister. That was fine though, brothers are meant to protect each other and they are also meant to protect their sisters.
"I'll keep an eye on her." Luffy agreed. "But I'm also keeping an eye on you Traffy!"
Traffy only groaned. "I wish you would stop to be honest."
"We're friends! Of course I won't!"
Silly Traffy.
Penguin sat stiffly in his cell, Bepo was snoring in his several cells down, he could hear that quite clearly and it made him feel a bit warmer. He could imagine being with the others, Law taking a nap on Bepo, Shachi causing a mess somewhere, Jean-Bart actually being helpful, unfortunately he wasn't there though, he wasn't with them.
He wasn't with his family, his precious Captain. Nor was he with Killer, he wanted to spar with him and Rebecca, to try and teach the girl how to fight and not just be on the defensive. He wanted to be nearly anywhere but this damn cell.
He was just happy they hadn't put one of those collars back on him again. The day Law took it off...
Law, he hoped he was okay. Doflamingo wouldn't hurt him, not physically at any rate but Law had been closer and closer to giving in at times. If he thought no one was around the help him, if he thought he was getting his loved one's into trouble... Law would give in... He didn't want his Captain to give in but he probably would.
He was probably so tired. Penguin felt tired and all he had been doing is sitting in this damn cell.
He couldn't sleep, he needed to keep his eyes open.
He needed to wait.
"Penguin." He heard her call, he could already picture the smirk on her face.
"Hello Monet." Penguin greeted coldly, eyeing her as she approached his cell with that wicked look in her eyes.
It was always there and he hated her for it.
"Why are you so loyal to him?" She crooned, leaning in towards him, the cell bars keeping them thankfully apart. "Why not the Young Master?"
"You know why Monet. Law is my Lord, my Captain, the man who saved me. I would still be a slave like Lami Trafalgar is. I don't want that life for myself, not any longer."
"You used to be so obedient." Monet murmured. "It is such a shame. Will you not even consider letting me retrain you? It won't hurt as much as it did before... You've been broken once..."
He shook his head. "I would rather not be broken again."
Monet frowned at that. "Shachi, your friend, he's loyal, why can you not be?"
"Loyal? He's not loyal to Law, he wouldn't stab him in the back like this otherwise." Penguin sneered. "He's going to kill the assassin and ruin Law's chance."
"At freedom? Law's simply playing a silly game Penguin. You know that. He will never win against the Young Master. This is simply him just throwing a tantrum for arguments sake." Monet sighed, stepping away. "I'll leave you be for now, I'll come back once you've settled down. Perhaps you will take my offer more seriously by then."
He couldn't do it. He couldn't break again. He might not come back from another round. He'd lose too much, Law, Shachi, Bepo, Jean-Bart, Rebecca and Killer.
He couldn't lose Killer.
The Colosseum was packed full, Ace was thankfully he was up in the viewing stands he and all his fellow 'nobles' were given. The seat by his and empty, his old man was probably away somewhere causing trouble but thankfully that meant his dad wasn't anywhere near him.
He could see Doflamingo looking a bit agitated at the sight of Kid standing at his gate, looking bored while Vergo was standing at his, the pair still locked in their section before they could cross the bridge into the ring.
He could see Zoro and Sanji sitting in Mihawk's stand with Perona who was currently filing her nails while Zoro and Sanji were talking quietly. Sanji thankfully was looking better already, though Usopp had still yet to leave the medical bay and Chopper, the kid doctor, was still keeping an eye on Sanji most of the time.
Ace blinked though when he saw Law slipping into Doflamingo's viewing stand and quietly sitting down by his side. The blonde leaned in a bit and kissed Law who didn't even grimace, he didn't even seem fazed in fact.
Shit. Luffy was gonna be pissed. That look in Law's eyes, it was like he had given up on trying to escape from Doflamingo.
Ace gritted his teeth at that, wanting to go over and kidnap Law for a bit but the door to his stand was opening and Luffy was suddenly at his side, small and strangely quiet. He couldn't help but frown at that, curious why his little brother looked sullen all of a sudden.
"Lu?"
"Nami won't let me help her. She took Robin and Franky but not me." Luffy sulked.
"Yeah well Robin is more subtle than you." Ace couldn't help but point out. "Knowing you, you would just go up to a random guard and ask for directions to the treasury."
"I'm bored!" Luffy complained.
"Weren't you keeping an eye on Lami?"
"She does boring stuff like laundry."
"Yeah that's what most slaves tend to do. They keep the place well organised."
Luffy scoffed. "Slavery is stupid. Your dad doesn't have slaves."
"Dad is good for that, about the only thing he's good for." Ace grumbled, noticing Luffy grinning at him for it.
"It's funny how you hate that he's protective!" Luffy laughed.
"It's annoying." Ace groaned.
It was though. His dad always showed up whenever he was in trouble, either that or it was Marco. It was frustrating and embarrassing, especially when they both lectured him afterwards for getting into said trouble.
It wasn't his fault. Trouble just followed him.
.:End of Chapter:.
Another one done, bit better this time ;) Though this chapter is a bit shorter, however I felt the next scene needed to be on the next chapter, so shorter chapter it was D: Oooooh and we're so close the finishing 0.o I can't believe we're nearly done after all this time, thank you everyone for being patient and sticking through :) I would never be this far into it without you all :D
SEllen23, I'm glad you did :D And I'm glads you enjoy my story so much to take time out of getting ready xD Also glad you got ready in time :P (Oh wow, that was a lot of glad in there xD) And I'm hoping to try get myself back into the regular updates considering how close we are to the end. It would be nice if this was done by next year when we're so close xD
Edalian, It's great to see you too as well :D And it's gonna be a mix for Doflamingo I think by the end. He's clever so he's gonna win in his own way ;) :P And same to you, hope you have a great day :D
MiKaGu, To me it didn't really suit him to just give in like that, I think he's the type to fight back, no matter who thinks it's stupid and impossible, sort of like Luffy actually but Kid's more pissed off rather than stubborn :P (At least that's how I write him, I hope we'll see more of him in One Piece soon and learn more about him xD)
