Gear Four...
Law couldn't help but faintly smile to himself from where he'd propped himself up on the ground. He should have know that Luffy would have had some new attack to fall back on, since his other attacks were not getting him anywhere. It wasn't surprising, really. On Dressrosa, Luffy had been too worn down to put up much of a fight after Doflamingo's trickery. It seemed like Luffy had been serious about being able to kick Doflamingo's ass. And now, months after the events on Dressrosa, Straw Hat was finally able to get around to defeating Doflamingo like he had said he could.
"Your body has certainly gotten bigger." Doflamingo commented with a snigger, clearly not finding Straw Hat's display impressive.
Law flopped onto his side to rest his wounded body, but continued to stare at the sight, and frowned at Straw Hat. Luffy was certainly using haki with whatever he had done…but it looked as if he were using a great deal of it from the haki displayed on his skin.
Too much.
Law highly doubted that Luffy would be able to use his current form for very long, and from the look on Doflamingo's face, the older warlord figured similarly. Law began to inch toward his nodachi, thinking that he may have to intervene if necessary, despite feeling like absolute and utter shit. His hand closed around Kikoku's hilt, and Law kept himself low to the ground, not willing to ease himself into an upright position lest the movement catch Doflamingo's attention. The Surgeon of Death was still in a great deal of pain from being used as a shield between Doflamingo and Straw Hat, and Luffy's punches and kicks that had landed hurt badly.
"Don't go anywhere." Doflamingo's string tore up the ground in front of Law, causing the Heart Pirate to flinch back. "I'm surprised you're not unconscious yet."
Law ground his teeth but settled on the ground, his hand tight around his weapon's hilt. He didn't want to give in to the older man, but Law couldn't deny that he was not in the best of shape, and any wrong move on his part would invite a world of pain. Law chanced a look up, and saw that Doflamingo's attention was back on Straw Hat. Law was going to have to wait for a chance to make his own move, and for now, with Doflamingo so close, he didn't want to risk being used as a human shield again.
To Law's luck, Doflamingo seemed to be far more interested in belittling Luffy for his current display of power than doing anything about the Heart Pirate lying on his side.
-x-x-x-
"Gear Four?" Doflamingo grinned as he observed Luffy's rubbery body that had haki flaring in patterns along Straw Hat's skin. Doflamingo laughed outright at the sight of Luffy bouncing up and down, the former warlord's smile stretching painfully wide. "I guess you had an ace up your sleeve after all, but what is this? You can't even hold still now with that rubbery body of yours." Doflamingo flexed his fingers contemplatively. "Are you even taking this seriously, Straw Hat?"
"I am taking this seriously. I'm gonna kick your ass." Luffy said, as he braced one of his fists. "I just needed more power and resiliency to defeat a monster like you."
"I'll show you a monster, Straw Hat Luffy." Doflamingo frowned briefly at the sight of Luffy's fist going backward into his arm as the younger pirate readied some kind of attack. Doflamingo's smile returned full force. His opponent's rubbery body was strange as usual. "And what edge would power and resiliency possibly give you against me?"
"Shut up, Mingo." Luffy hit the ground and launched himself forward. "You won't have any time to fight back!"
"Brat." Doflamingo spat as he brought his arms up to guard against the oncoming strike. "I'll kill you for your impertinence." The former warlord's feet dug into the ground, but Doflamingo had not expected the punch Luffy landed against his armament crossed arms to be so forceful.
"Mingo!"
Straw Hat's attack was so forceful that Doflamingo lost his footing and was hurled backward as if he were no more than a tiny fly. Grinding his teeth as he went flying backward, Doflamingo moved his hands in order to protect his head. The former warlord had not anticipated for Straw Hat's punch to be so powerful that it sent him not only through the ruined building at the center of the island, but all the way to the opposite end of the island, where he went through several buildings of the port. Remarkably, the port was entirely abandoned. That didn't particularly matter to Doflamingo, as he hit the sand of the shore and rolled several times before he came to a halt. Spitting out blood, Doflamingo clenched the sand beneath him, furious that he'd allowed Straw Hat to toss him like that, before he staggered to his feet.
"He sure flung me quite a distance." Doflamingo murmured to himself, gaging just how far he'd been thrown. The former warlord began to grin.
Interesting.
Doflamingo hadn't realized that Straw Hat Luffy had been holding back in their battle on Dressrosa. But it didn't matter, as the outcome would be the same, yet more deadly for those involved. All Doflamingo had to do was take the hits as best he could, and wait for Luffy to run out of haki. There was no way that much of a boost in power would last the brat very long, and once Straw Hat Luffy did lose his haki, that was when Doflamingo would strike him down.
"Rhino Schneider!"
Doflamingo didn't even see the strike come. One moment he was on his feet, scanning the trees before him for signs of Luffy; the next, he was flying backward into the shallow waters of the shoreline, after being kicked in the face by Straw Hat. Doflamingo shook his now drenched feathery coat off of his shoulders, and brought up an arm in time to block another punch from Luffy. It sent Doflamingo back through the sand a few paces, but he'd managed to prevent Luffy from flinging him again. The attack had put him closer to the trees and some of the port buildings. With a sharp smile, Doflamingo decided to put the pressure on the other pirate.
"Mingo!"
Doflamingo narrowly dodged to one side, missing another punch, before he pressed both hands into the grass he'd landed on, brow scrunching in concentration even as he wore a smile.
Straw Hat Luffy wouldn't know what hit him.
-x-x-x-
Luffy launched punches and kicks Doflamingo's way, and when those were blocked, geared up for another, more powerful strike. Luffy did take note of the way the grass beneath Doflamingo's hands, along with the nearby trees and some of the port building, became a mass of strings. Luffy immediately bounced out of the way of the string as Doflamingo launched it at him, sensing the danger.
"Billow White." Doflamingo growled as he moved his hands sharply.
Luffy changed directions and bounced away out of range of the mass of string that nearly threatened to enclose him. It was yet another different kind of attack from Doflamingo, but Luffy didn't care what it was. All he knew was that he needed to defeat the former warlord, so it didn't matter what kind of attack the older pirate chose to use against him. Luffy just needed to get to Doflamingo and continue to pummel him over and over.
"How long are you able to use so much haki, Straw Hat?" Doflamingo taunted, the palm of his hand outstretched to block Luffy's punch with a large web of string. "Once you lose hold of it, killing you will be simple enough, and then I will go crush Law's skull."
"I told you that I won't let you hurt Tra-guy anymore!" Luffy bounced back from the web, before he launched himself into the air with a kick off of the ground.
"You won't let me?" Doflamingo laughed, as he used his Devil Fruit power to pursue Luffy into the sky. "Then try and stop me, brat!"
Luffy knew that he had to end things before he ran out of haki. Even now, he could feel the exhaustion setting in from using so much of his haki. As Doflamingo drew closer, Luffy pulled back both his fists, waiting for the former warlord to get closer, before he launched himself down toward Doflamingo.
"Gum Gum Leo Bazooka!"
Two large fists struck Doflamingo's arms, where the other pirate had crossed them, but the force with which Luffy hit Doflamingo sent the older pirate spiraling down just to one side of the center of the island. Luffy hopped through the air after Doflamingo, but before the Straw Hat captain could make sure that he had actually defeated his opponent, he ran out of haki. With an exhale of air, Luffy lost hold of his Gear Four form, and fell down to the ground below, exhausted and unable to move.
-x-x-x-
Law had watched Luffy send Doflamingo flying, and spent a few moments seriously considering whether or not he could move. On the other hand, lying on the ground and waiting for Doflamingo to possibly come back was out of the question. Law ground his teeth as he forced himself upright with Kikoku, and began to stagger in what he hoped was the direction of Straw Hat's ship. Law had no idea where the sheathe for his nodachi had gotten to, but it was a moot point with the threat of death looming over him. His hat was missing too, though Law was so worn out and in pain that he honestly couldn't even remember whether he had been wearing it before coming to Fang Island.
"Dammit." Law sucked in a quick breath of air as took another step, wincing as Luffy's earlier punches and kicks settled into a dull ache. Law couldn't fault Luffy for hitting him, as Doflamingo was very good at manipulating people and their emotions. That didn't mean that it didn't still hurt quite a lot. Law hadn't gotten very far when he was nearly thrown over by a heavy impact some distance away that shook the entire island. Law pulled up short when Luffy hit the ground near him, worn out and unmoving.
"Straw Hat?" Law tottered over to where the other captain had fallen. "Why did you come here Straw Hat-ya? What were you thinking?" Law demanded, even as he knelt down and set his blade aside as he attempted to get Luffy to his feet. "Doflamingo wants only me. Why must everyone keep interfering? You would all have been safe, for the time being, anyway, until he chose to pursue you." Law didn't get to hear Luffy's response, because another voice that shouted to him from a distance away seized his full attention.
"Captain!"
Law halted what he was doing, hand dropping from Luffy's shoulder as he half turned. The only thing that kept him from scolding his own crew was the shock of seeing them running toward him in the first place. At the very least it was not his entire crew, but a few of them was still one too many. And Law doubted that Luffy had been able to defeat Doflamingo so easily. Delay him, more like, which put everyone on that island in danger.
"Captain." Shachi had been the one to shout. When the red haired Heart Pirate halted next to Law, he shook his head at the beaten-up state the other man was in. "You really have to stop getting wounded, captain. We're going to run out of medical supplies at this rate."
"I'm sure Doflamingo will be amendable to letting up on injuring me." Law said in return, unable to keep the sarcastic tone out of his voice. "Surely he wouldn't want to make me procure more supplies."
"It's good to hear you be more like yourself." Shachi said with a smile. "We were worried you'd lost your sense of humor."
"It was merely taking a break." Law said, as he reached over for his nodachi. Law made no protest when Shachi got his left arm over his shoulders, and helped him to his feet. Law couldn't think of anything to say, so he merely gave a grateful nod to his crew-mate. With a glance down at Luffy, Law turned his attention to Bepo. "Help Straw Hat."
"Aye aye, captain!"
Law set his jaw as he and his crew-mates headed toward the shoreline where Straw Hat's ship was anchored, and likely his own, as several scenarios playedthrough his head, none of which Law wanted to entertain. They might make it to the ship, and could sail away, but that wouldn't prevent Doflamingo from chasing after them. The skies were cloudy, and that would provide Doflamingo with easy access to them all. Law's submarine could go beneath the water's surface, and could fit all of them, even if it would be cramped. But that would only delay Doflamingo from finding them, and Law knew without a doubt that Luffy would not abandon the Thousand Sunny. By the time Law caught sight of the shoreline, his musings were cut short by another concern.
Kidd.
That stupid bastard hadn't gone to the ship like Law hoped he might have, and the Surgeon of Death eyed Killer with an unfriendly look as he and Shachi drew closer to them. Law would have thought that Killer would have been interested in getting his captain out of harm's way. Apparently, Kidd would get his way as a captain, despite the fact that staying was not at all in his best interest if he wanted to live.
"Hey, Trafalgar." Kidd greeted with a weary grin. His abdomen was still bleeding from beneath the sash that Law had tied there earlier, and Kidd's chest was a mass of blood, fresh and congealed, seeping sluggishly from the blade wound across his chest.
"I thought I sent you closer to Straw Hat's ship so that you would leave." Law said flatly, even as he eyed Kidd's injuries, and marveled at the fact that the younger captain wasn't down and out. But the fact that Kidd was still alive was…a relief, really. Law carefully chose not to dwell on why he felt that way. "You should be resting."
"And miss out on the fun?" The red haired captain asked with a bigger grin, though he didn't manage to hide a grimace. "Hell no." The red haired captain didn't seem put off in the least bit at Law's cold greeting, and from the amusement dancing in those amber eyes, Kidd obviously knew that Law was relieved to see him alive and breathing.
The island shuddered and waves splashed the shoreline, signaling that there was one very pissed off man on the island who wished to murder all of them in the most violent manner possible.
Law's head turned sharply, before he looked up, as that was the most likely angle Doflamingo would choose to attack from. Law's heart sunk at the sight that greeted his eyes instead, because he knew exactly what it was that he was seeing. The string shooting up into the sky meant that Doflamingo was very far from being defeated. Law knew he had only moments to act, and, drawing on as much strength as he was able to in that moment, created a room large enough to send his crew-mates into the shallow waters ahead, though much to his chagrin, Luffy flopped out of Bepo's grasp, narrowly missing being skewered by string that had been falling from overhead.
On the wrong side of the strings, trapping the immobilized Straw Hat as well.
"Is that what he did before when we found you with the vivre card?" Shachi asked nervously as he reached out for the string.
"Stop. Don't touch it." Law's shoulders slumped marginally when his red haired crew-mate dropped his hand abruptly. "Get to the ship. Have everyone ready to sail away in case the navy shows up." Law retrieved his nodachi and struggled upright, leaning against it for support. The Heart Pirate captain held up his right hand shakily to forestall argument. "Don't argue. Go. Penguin needs to be seen to." Law shook his head at the myriad of complaints rising from his crew, the words overlapping and making no sense. "I will do my best to survive, as all of you are so insistent that I do so." Law indicated the string separating them. "Look for the strings to vanish. That will let you know that we have either won or died."
"Stick to winning, Law." Shachi said shakily. "None of us want you dead."
Law offered a shadow of his usual smirk. "Go." The Surgeon of Death watched his crew do so, though reluctantly. Law lifted his gaze to the sky, and the cage of strings he was trapped within. A haunted look crossed Law's eyes before he spoke in a whisper. "Either we defeat Doflamingo or we all die. There's no running from this fight now."
"I can…kick Mingo's ass." Luffy wheezed out from the ground. "Just got to…recover my haki…eight minutes left."
"Shit. That's a long time to avoid that asshole." Kidd muttered from nearby. The red haired captain appeared to be thinking about something, before he shrugged and glanced at Killer. "Hey, carry Straw Hat. I can still run." Kidd turned his gaze on Law, brow furrowing at the way the Heart Pirate swayed. "What about you, Trafalgar?"
Law pointedly ignored what looked like concern in Kidd's eyes and merely nodded his head wearily. "I can stay upright with Kikoku. Let's go."
Running while injured didn't seem like such a good idea a minute later. But running seemed a better option than trying to fight Doflamingo when none of them were in any shape to be fighting. Law was surprised that Kidd could even move with his injuries, let alone run. The Heart Pirate captain figured that adrenaline factored in there somewhere, which explained why he himself was still able to move. Law's worries about injuries flew away when he heard Doflamingo's voice call out from behind them, cold rage coloring every word.
"I'm going to kill you last, Law, and you'll wish you'd never been born by the time I'm through with you."
Law stumbled and almost fell over, and was startled when Kidd was suddenly there to catch and steady him. Law glanced at the other pirate out of the corner of his eye, wondering why Kidd had stopped running. It would have been easy to merely leave him behind, as Doflamingo made it quite clear that Law would be the last to die. The Heart Pirate's exhaustion had caught up to him, and he doubted he was going to be moving very quickly anymore. "Go." Law insisted, pressing his left hand against the arm Kidd had around his waist. "Go, before Joker-ya kills you."
"No." Kidd said simply, and refused to move from where he stood.
"What are you doing, Kidd? Run!" Killer pulled up short when he noticed his captain had gone back to help Law.
"I can manage on my own, Killer." Kidd said gruffly, his metal arm still around Law's waist. The red haired captain pointedly ignored Law's quiet demands for him to leave, and spoke to his crew-mate instead. "Get Straw Hat outta here so he can recover and get up off his ass. Wouldn't be any fun if Doflamingo did him in when I haven't even gotten the chance to fight him yet."
Doflamingo tore up the ground nearby, signaling that he was drawing closer.
"Keep running." Killer's voice grew grim. "Neither of you are in any shape to be fighting anyone."
"Get going already." Kidd said, sending his crewmate an eerie grin as he moved slightly and used his right hand to steady Law. Kidd flexed his artificial left arm. "I can take care of myself."
"Don't let Doflamingo kill him." Killer directed to Law darkly before he turned and carried Luffy away as requested. "And don't overexert yourself, Kidd."
"Fuck off, Killer!" The red haired captain shouted after his crewmate. "I'll be fine." Kidd added in a sullen mutter, as he let go of Law once the other captain had steadied himself.
"Killer is right. Doflamingo will kill you the first chance he gets." Law murmured softly as he glanced up at Kidd. "You should go with your crew-mate."
"I ain't missing out on a fight, Trafalgar. And that bastard won't kill me if I don't let him." Kidd said in reply, his attention sharpening when he saw Doflamingo appear through some of the surrounding trees. "Repel." Kidd spat, as he hastily waved a hand and sent metal he'd been gathering at the former warlord.
"You brats are wasting my time." Doflamingo warned with a nasty grin as he lifted a hand and batted away the metal pieces flying at him with string. Doflamingo turned his head in Kidd's direction, light reflecting off the shades. "I thought being stabbed and slashed would have been enough to kill you. Or put you out of commission. I guess Law managed to not cut you as deeply as I thought he had."
Kidd bared his teeth in return, ready to launch himself at Doflamingo regardless of the consequences. The only reason he didn't was because Law chose that moment to seize his furred coat.
"Don't let him antagonize you." Law whispered harshly, his hand tightly digging into Kidd's furred coat. "He's trying to distract you."
"You're distractin' me right now, Traflagar." Kidd flung another hunk of metal Doflamingo's way, only to have the older pirate sidestep it and head right for him. Kidd cursed before he whirled around and gave Law a hefty shove in the chest to get him out of harm's way. Kidd then brought a crude metal wall in front of him, wheezing out a shaky laugh as Doflamingo hit the wall. Kidd heard Law say something, but with his concentration on the metal, the red haired captain didn't hear it. But he certainly felt Doflamingo's foot slam into his wounded chest after the blond had torn through the metal with his string.
"Shit!" Concentration shattered, the metal immediately fell to the ground as Kidd himself was flung backward from the force of Doflamingo's kick. Kidd hit the ground and rolled, coming to a rest on his back. Kidd knew he was vulnerable in this position, and tried to get upright, but he merely flopped back down, sucking in breath.
Fuck.
Doflamingo hit hard, and there was no way the older pirate wouldn't take advantage of Kidd's injured torso being in plain sight. Kidd snarled angrily when Doflamingo loomed over him, but the red haired captain made an attempt to push himself up once more in order to continue the fight, no matter how hopeless it seemed. Kidd had not expected Doflamingo to slam his foot down onto his artificial arm, near where the metal met flesh. Kidd went still briefly, before he began to struggle wildly. The red head did not at all like the way that Doflamingo looked down at him with that damn smile.
Trapped.
Shit.
"He's not very bright, is he?" Doflamingo commented causally. "I don't know what you see in him, Law."
Kidd's Devil Fruit powers flared in retaliation, but Doflamingo ground his foot into the metal in warning, which caused the red head to reluctantly stop the metal midair.
"Not too bright at all. He doesn't know that he has already lost."
Fuck.
Now that Kidd thought about it, the former warlord was in a perfect position to break the metal of his arm. Kidd did not want to have to fix his arm again, and if Doflamingo put any more pressure on the limb, Kidd wasn't going to be able to make it function correctly. But still…if that was going to happen anyway, there was no reason to just lie there and wait for it to happen. Kidd's course of action was decided when Doflamingo spoke again.
"Stay out of my way. This is between Law and myself."
"Fuck you." Kidd snarled, powers flaring once more as the metal that had been floating in midair was sent spiraling toward Doflamingo. The red haired captain's brief triumph of cutting into Doflamingo's side was short-lived, as the older pirate merely lifted his foot up and then slammed it right back down, breaking the metal with a sickening crunch. It didn't particularly hurt, but Doflamingo damaging the metal meant it was going to be a bitch to try and make the limb move properly, if at all. Kidd bit back a yelp when Doflamingo cut through the metal, slicing it clean off and catching the edge of what remained of Kidd's limb with string, drawing blood. Having his stump nicked like that hurt just a bit more, not to mention it was humiliating. Kidd heard Doflamingo laugh, but it wasn't directed at him.
"You're a fool."
Law had apparently made a move while Doflamingo had been otherwise occupied, but it didn't seem to make much difference. Kidd used his right arm to prop himself up to see what had happened, and sucked in a sharp breath. Law was in mid-swing with his nodachi, but from the looks of it, the Surgeon of Death was only going to come out of it further wounded. And Kidd couldn't do a damn thing to stop it from happening, as he was still raggedly trying to catch his breath. But what Kidd saw happen next made him see red.
Doflamingo was dead.
Dead.
-x-x-x-
Law's nodachi hadn't even completed its swing before Doflamingo let out a harsh laugh at the Heart Pirate's daring and reached out with one hand.
"Why bother attacking me when you already know the outcome, Law?" Doflamingo asked curiously, as he caught the dark haired pirate by the wrist and dangled him. The former warlord squeezed Law's wrist to make the other pirate drop his blade. Law said nothing but Doflamingo was treated to a glare of absolute loathing. Doflamingo flexed his free hand as if in contemplation, before he slammed Law hard onto the ground on his back, taking the Heart Pirate Captain's breath away.
Law swore inwardly to himself, unable to move. To make it worse, Doflamingo cut his right arm deeply with string, piercing the flesh in several places with Bullet Strings. Law could all but picture the nasty smile Doflamingo wore as he laughed, but the dark haired pirate couldn't think about it any further when a large foot rammed down onto the fresh wounds on his arm. The pain drew out a breathless choke of agony.
"I asked you a question, Law." Doflamingo said cooly. "Am I going to have to teach you how to give a proper response when one of your betters asks you a question?"
Law felt that Doflamingo was going to draw things out just to torment him, so there was no point in going along with the other man's games. Drawing in a shaky breath, and preparing himself for further pain, Law gave Doflamingo the middle finger with his right hand.
"Straw Hat-ya….will defeat you." Law's voice was oddly calm for one facing the looming threat of death. "The Will of D…will always bring a storm." Law let out a sharp cry of pure agony when Doflamingo leaned his weight onto his wounded arm, allowing pressure to ride on the destroyed arm.
"You really think I place any belief in the Will of D? That Straw Hat Luffy showed up with the sole purpose of defeating me on Dressrosa as one who holds the name of D? Why even bring that up now? No…" Doflamingo laughed, as if he found the idea ludicrous. "No, he was only on that island because you were able to form an alliance with him and gain his cooperation in the matter. Not that it did you any good at the time. Still…" Doflamingo ground his foot against Law's arm, drawing forth another sharp cry, "It really is a shame that you decided to turn against me. And again on Fiesta Island. I had hoped that you would have behaved yourself, and became useful to me. And perhaps eventually used your Devil Fruit power's ultimate ability on me."
"I would die any manner of death before I would ever die for you." Law said in a flat tone. He turned his head so that he was looking up at Doflamingo, and offered a smirk. "And I brought up the Will of D…because I, too, have the name of D."
"Is that so?" Doflamingo's smile was terrifying. "Interesting how you kept that quiet, but that certainly does explain many things…and perhaps that also explains why my brother chose to help you all those years ago."
"He didn't save me for my name." Law responded immediately, because he didn't want to believe that Corazon's actions had been anything but in his best interest. But as time went on, Law had begun to wonder if Corazon had saved him for the sole purpose of defeating Doflamingo. With nothing better to do, it had become a goal…an obsession, really, but now, it seemed like the decision to try and bring Doflamingo down was going to lead to his own death.
"But back to your own words, Law. That you would rather die than use your powers for me…" Veins appeared across Doflamingo's forehead as his smile grew wide. "I already assumed as much, so you will get your wish, after I've killed the others."
Law's left hand twitched, the pain he was in great, but he did not at all like the expression on the older pirate's face. Suddenly, being out of range of the man was a superb idea. Law automatically tried to call on his powers, but Doflamingo noticed.
"None of that brat. You've lost, and with it, you've lost the right to choose how you will die." Doflamingo shifted his foot against Law's right arm, spreading blood along the limb. "Remember that, Law? How the weak can't choose how they will die? You've become weak, Law. Weak, and no longer as cold and calculating as you used to be. All because of that damn brother of mine, who even in death still appears to have an influence over you after all these damn years." Doflamingo's foot ground into Law's arm again. "And you had the gall to overturn my rule in Dressrosa; dared to walk around with the name 'Corazon' on your back." Doflamingo brought his foot down again, cracking bone and snarling over Law's shout of pain. "Took the name Heart for your crew, when you won't ever sit on the heart seat."
Law's mind was awash with pain, and there was nothing he could do now to prevent what Doflamingo chose to do with him. It was insulting, however, for Doflamingo to abuse his arm so, when he literally couldn't defend himself and the cracked bones lent even more suffering to his already tormented body.
"You really are a fool, Law." Doflamingo stuck his foot beneath Law's wounded arm, and flipped the Heart Pirate onto his stomach, regardless of the agony it would cause the other man. "And that is how you will die. A fool for thinking that you could ever hope to defeat me."
Law's concentration was shot as his mind filled with a blinding flash of pain from the jostling of his injuries. The sensation was so great that it nearly caused him to lose consciousness then and there. But Law pushed through the waves of pain ripping through his body, determined to not let Doflamingo gloat over his unconscious body. Movement to his right indicated that Doflamingo was approaching him, and Law sucked in a sharp breath when a large hand gripped his hair tight and yanked his head up. Law bit back a scream, as Doflamingo was being entirely careless with his wounded body. Law struggled to remain as still as possible, and because of it, could only stare at the ground beneath him, and watch droplets of blood fall, presumably from his shredded right arm. Law could unfortunately hear clearly, and withheld a shudder when Doflamingo's breath ghosted against his right ear.
"You won't die just yet. I still have to find and kill Straw Hat Luffy, and the one who carried him away. And then I will go and locate your crew." Doflamingo's voice became menacing. "But first…there's someone who will die first."
Law couldn't even cry out when Doflamingo suddenly let go of his hair, carelessly letting him hit the ground again. The pain registered in his mind after settling on the ground, and Law couldn't help but let out a low moan. The burning agony briefly fled Law's mind when he heard Doflamingo's next words.
"I think it is time for Eustass Kidd to die."
There was a breathless curse from nearby, likely from the red head himself.
"He's interfered one too many times."
Doflamingo sounded only too happy about ending Kidd's life for good, and there was literally nothing that Law could do to stop the former warlord from following through. Law clenched his jaw tight at the blond's next words, which were delivered with barely contained glee.
"An execution with bullets should do the trick." Doflamingo laughed cruelly, his voice savagely pleased, as if knowing exactly how his words would affect the Heart Pirate. "After all, a few bullets was all it took to finish off my brother. Isn't that right, Law?"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
A/N: The chapter was initially about 10,000 words, give or take after some editing. I picked the best spot I could to break it into two chapters for easier editing, but unfortunately I had to choose between two different cliffhangers (I am sorry for it happening two chapters in a row-I normally try to avoid cliffhangers when able to).
What I'd like is to get up the next part up before I go to bed today. Going to take a break from the computer screen and show up for family holiday stuff, and then go back to editing later, as that's all that is needed for the next chapter. If it doesn't get up by the end of today, it is likely because I want to edit it a bit more to my satisfaction.