Somehow, Sanji managed to get a few hours of sleep. He would have gotten more if they hadn't been attacked at the crack of dawn. The Boss himself wasn't there, only his lackeys, which meant he was still licking his wounds. That was good, they could take out his men before going after the real target.
Noah wasn't much of a fighter, as it turned out, but he had valuable information about their enemies that proved useful. He knew their strengths and weaknesses, and with his help they were able to claim victory rather quickly.
Now they just had one more hurdle to cross, and a rather large one at that. Injured or not, this man had abilities that weren't meant to be taken lightly. He could incapacitate any of them at any given time. But they had numbers on their side. There were eleven of them now thanks to Noah, and powerful or not, he was still only one man. With Law's help they would be able to win.
Sanji frowned sharply at the thought of Law, memories from last night still fresh. He hadn't so much as looked at the man, his stomach twisting at the mere thought. His issues with Law weren't ever going to vanish, it seemed. Instead they only got worse.
But he had more important things to worry about. They were already making their way to the old farmhouse, all of them pissed at the sudden invasion so early in the morning. They were ready to get this out of the way for good. Luffy was especially pumped, claiming he would defeat the man with one hit. Law insisted he remain careful and stay inside the room, but telling Luffy to be careful never did work well.
"So, is there anything you can tell us about him? Any weaknesses?" Zoro asked Noah, although they had already brought this up with the boy several times. He claimed not to know anything, but none of them fully believed it. He had to know something.
Noah sighed, wondering how long they would harass him about this."I've seen him use his powers lots of times but I really don't understand it. Devil fruits are complicated. All I know is he can read your mind, find your deepest darkest fears and make them appear real. He can distort reality and make you think you're somewhere else, and he can do all of this without warning. I've never seen any signs of weakness from him, I honestly don't know how you managed to injure him in the first place." He looked at Law then, something akin to adoration in his eyes, which very clearly made Law uncomfortable.
"How long do his hallucinations last? Is there a time limit?" Nami asked, being one of the few who hadn't had the pleasure of experiencing the man's power.
"Unless there's someone with you to snap you out of it, they'll last as long as he wants them to. You do have to be in his line of sight, if that helps. If he can't see you, he can't cause the hallucinations. But once you're stuck in one, it doesn't matter how far you run, he has control."
"You call him Boss, but does he have an actual name? We never did bother to figure that out." Brook asked, reminding them all of that fact.
Noah shook his head, "I never asked his name. Everyone had always called him Boss, and I figured asking his name would be bad. I've been referring to him as 'penguin face' in my head since his nose reminds me of their beaks."
"Shishishi, his nose is really long and pointy. Kind of like Usopp's!" Luffy grinned, his previous seriousness replaced by his usual demeanor now that they were finally going to finish this.
Usopp looked appalled, covering his nose and glaring at Luffy. "My nose isn't that long! And it sure as hell isn't pointy!"
"So, you're really Trafalgar Law? I heard you gave the military a hundred pirate hearts! But why would you want to work for them?" Noah asked Law, still fully intent on hero-worshiping him despite the fact that Law was the last person who should get worshiped.
"It's not a matter of wanting to. Right now it's what I have to do, regardless of me liking it or not. Besides, it keeps my bounty frozen, so I don't have to deal with people trying to capture me." Law replied, wondering why this kid was suddenly fascinated with him. He wasn't good with kids. Or people in general.
"You're bounty is huge! You must be really strong, no wonder you're the only one who injured Boss." Noah grinned, clearly becoming more infatuated with Law by the second. The warlord seemed uncomfortable with it, but Sanji could tell it was inflating his already large ego.
"Hey, I'm strong too! I'm the one who's going to kick his ass and bring the entire house down! Torao isn't all that great!" Luffy yelled, bristling at the attention Law was getting.
"I had help that day," Law said, and while Sanji was making a point not to look at him he could feel the surgeon's eyes glance over to him, "I wouldn't have been able to do that without help."
"Well, you're still really strong, and your powers are so cool!"
They walked the rest of the way like that, Noah complimenting Law who was growing more and more uncomfortable, and Luffy more jealous. Eventually they came to a stop in front of the iron gates yet again, though this time they gates were wide open.
"Looks like he's expecting us. Didn't bother to lock up or anything," Zoro said. They began moving towards the house, but stopped when they realized Noah wasn't following them.
"Noah? What is it?" Nami asked, noticing the way the boys legs looked a little wobbly.
"N-Nothing, it's just...I don' know what he's going to do to me. I did technically betray him." Noah replied nervously, eyes never leaving the house in the distance.
"Don't worry kid, we won't let him do anything. But you probably should stay out here where it's safe. It's gonna get messy in there and we don't want you getting caught up in it." Zoro said, knowing Noah wouldn't be of any use to them inside. He wasn't a fighter, and he was still so young.
"But I want to help! There has to be something I can do." Noah pleaded, but all of them knew it would be better for him to stay outside.
"You gave us information about him. You've already helped. Just stay here where it's safe." Law told him, knowing the boy would listen to him, though he couldn't understand why.
Noah's shoulders sagged in disappointment, but he nodded anyways. "Just be careful."
"We will. This won't take long." Sanji said, knowing he was right. Ten against one? They had this in the bag.
Sanji was amazed at how wrong he was. Really, the universe never stopped screwing them over. They had lasted a good three minutes before everything went to hell.
In hindsight, all ten of them bursting into the house like they owned the place was a bad idea. The house was big, sure, but not that big. And having all of them in the same room made things too easy for the enemy.
He'd taken out Law first.
It was the smartest move he could have made. Law was the one who injured him, after all, and the man knew by now that Law's powers were too troublesome for him.
After that, none of them really had a chance. Sanji ran as soon as he realized they were fucked, his friends falling one by one. He had to think of another plan, and as long as he wasn't in that bastards line of sight, he would be fine.
He ran upstairs, picking a random room and hiding there, listening to the noise downstairs. It only took the blink of an eye, and this man could have already searched through someone's mind and found what he needed to render them useless. He'd taken out the devil fruit users first. Zoro was still fighting, but it wouldn't be enough and soon he would be like the others, trapped in some terrible hallucination.
He needed Law. That fact really pissed him off, because as of right now they weren't even on speaking terms, but he needed Law's power. The two of them managed to land a hit before, and they would have to do it again.
Sanji stilled as he suddenly realized things were too quiet. With all of them hallucinating, he should hear at least some noise, but all he got was silence.
He quietly left his hiding spot and went back downstairs, only to find the living room empty. His heart leaped into his throat as he heard a thud from below, feet carrying him to the basement before he even registered the movement. He stopped short though, the idea of the basement causing fear to seize his movements. He didn't want to go back down there. But his friends were down there, and who knows what would happen to them now. He had to save them.
He took two steps and was suddenly being yanked into a closet, a hand quickly covering his mouth before he could make any noise. It only took him half a second to realize it was Zoro.
"Good, he didn't get you either. Most of them are down there, some of the others ran off. I think they're all under the effect of his powers except for you, me, Franky and Brook, although I don't know where they went. Everyone kind of scattered, but he definitely has Law and Luffy down there. So, any plans shit-cook?" Zoro explained, knowing they needed to get the two captains to safety.
"We need to get them out of there now, before he does anything to them," Sanji grimaced. He knew Zoro hadn't been down there yet, so the swordsman had no idea what they were walking into. "It's not going to be pretty, but we have to do it and snap those two out of it so they can finish this. The question is how? As soon as he sees us he'll just fuck us up too."
"We need a distraction. Fuck, I wish I knew where the others went." Zoro cursed, both of them going still as footsteps approached the door. They could tell by the frantic breathing that it was a female, most likely Nami. Zoro was quick to open the door and snatch her up, just like he'd done to Sanji.
"Nami-swan, are you okay?" Sanji asked slowly, not sure if she was hallucinating or not. Her eyes seemed unfocused, but she managed to nod her head.
"He got me, I don't know where everyone else is at but he's coming to find us. He's got Law and Luffy chained up downstairs, I think he wants all of us down there before he..." Nami trailed off, covering her mouth as hallucinations assaulted her. Sanji wasn't sure how she could manage talking to them, unless the effects weren't hitting her as hard. Or she had already shaken herself out of it a little.
"If he's searching for us, we have a chance to go down there and break them free. As long as those two are good, they should be able to finish this. We just have to get them to that point." Sanji said, knowing now was their chance.
"You two go, I'm going to try to find the others." Nami said, opening the door before either one of them could tell her to take it easy.
Too many things happened in that moment for Sanji to keep up with.
It took all of them a second too long to comprehend the fact that their enemy was standing right in front of them. Sanji had practically crawled out of the closet and sprinted away, knowing he couldn't be caught now. He knew by the surprised grunt from Zoro and shrill scream from Nami that they were both goners.
His feet carried him down into the basement, which thankfully this time was fully lit, and he spotted the two captains tied up in chains. He did his best to ignore the hideousness that lied in the basement, but the smell was enough to make him gag. He removed the chains as fast as he could, knowing he didn't have a lot of time. He could hear loud thuds from upstairs, meaning the man was bringing Zoro and Nami down to join the captains.
"Luffy, Law, snap out of it! We have to finish this!" He shook both of them, but they seemed to be too far gone. Nami was at least capable of talking. Sanji was starting to wonder if this man could control how deep the hallucinations were as well.
"Fuck, come on, wake up! He's coming!" Sanji even tried kicking them, but they seemed to be trapped in a completely different world. He heard heavy footsteps coming down stairs and decided to just drag both of them into a nearby closet, knowing it would only buy him a few extra seconds.
He didn't usually like using his hands, but he had to wake these two up. He punched Luffy square in the jaw, hoping it would be enough. But Luffy was hard to wake when he was just sleeping. He had no idea how this was going to work.
"You won't be able to free them, I hope you know that. I've got those two so out of it a nuclear bomb going off wouldn't be enough to get them back. Your friends here are in a similar situation, and soon you will be as well. So give up, would you? I'm eager to dissect all of my new subjects." Sanji jumped at hearing the man's voice, and he knew he was just on the other side of the door. He was trapped, and likely the only person who was in their right mind.
He was completely out of options.
"Fuck! Luffy, come on, we need you! Law, you have to snap out of it!" he desperately tried to wake them, but their eyes were focused on things Sanji couldn't see, faces pale in terror. Sanji remembered the last time Law had been like this. He'd kept muttering nonsense, but this time he was completely frozen. Sanji couldn't even imagine what he was going through.
"Law, you bastard, we needed you for this! I thought you were strong, but if you can't even snap out of this...you'll never stand a chance against Doflamingo." Sanji said, shaking the man one last time for good measure. He wasn't really expecting it to work, but Law's eyes flicked over to him, some of the cloudiness fading.
"Oh? Did that get your attention?" Sanji said, voice low as he leaned in closer. If he had to piss Law off in order to wake him up, Sanji would gladly do it. "You heard me. Doflamingo is a warlord, how are you ever going to defeat him when you can't handle someone like this? You're wasting your time. Why even go to Dressrosa? You'll only lose."
He noticed the muscles in Law's jaw tense, those golden eyes flashing dangerously. His entire body began shaking, and Sanji continued, knowing it was working.
"Oh, this is great. I've got a lot to say to you, Trafalgar, and you're stuck here with no other choice but to listen. I actually don't know where to start. You're such a bastard, and you're so full of shit, hiding behind that elaborate reputation of yours. I may not be able to read you, but I do know you're not the person you want everyone to think you are. No, you're a coward." Law's entire body seized at that, and he came back to reality with a gasp, eyes looking around frantically.
"Another closet, hm?" he said, still looking shaken from the hallucinations. He regarded Sanji with a nasty glare, remembering what the cook had just said to him.
"I was trying to help." Sanji raised his hands in defense although the shit-eating grin he wore probably didn't help his case. "It worked."
"Did it now?" Sanji jumped at the sudden voice, turning to see the man standing before them. It didn't register that the transparent blue film enveloping them was one of Law's rooms until the warlord was standing, albeit on shaky legs, with his sword drawn. Sanji knew he had to help, but before he could do anything, he felt a familiar feeling wash over him.
And then suddenly, he wasn't in the closet with Luffy and Law anymore. He was still in the basement, but chained up with the others, watching as the man cut his friends up and their severed limbs joined the others on the wall. He jolted as his stomach ripped itself open, thousands of spiders rushing out and consuming him. Everything was black for a second, until he was back in his hotel room with Law, the two of them pressed close together.
Only this time Law did kiss him, only to get stabbed in the back with his own sword. The man they were fighting was there, grinning at them as he cut Law open even more. Sanji screamed as Law's blood covered him, warm and sticky, the empty look in Law's shocked eyes haunting him. His head spun as Law's sword pierced into his chest, his heart beating frantically before it was suddenly being ripped from his body. Everything went black again, but like a never ending nightmare, he was thrown into another twisted scenario.
Law had his heart, but he had Sanji pinned to the floor and there was something deranged in his golden eyes. Sanji's entire body jolted as Law ripped a piece of his heart off with his teeth, blood oozing from his mouth. He nearly vomited as Law kissed him again, the taste of blood forcing its way into Sanji's mouth.
Law's sword still remained in his body, sticking out of the man's chest and digging into Sanji's. In a desperate attempt to get the man away from him, Sanji gripped the sword's hilt from behind Law and forced it down, splitting Law open even wider. Sanji's breathing became erratic as various organs spilled onto him, but Law only grinned wider, pieces of Sanji's heart hanging from his teeth.
Sanji screamed until his throat felt raw, pain and panic overwhelming him to the point where he wanted to pass out. But he stayed awake through it all against his own will.
His vision wavered, skin crawling as Law's blood drowned him. He couldn't breathe, his body shuddering as he tried to get air into his lungs. He felt something soft on his lips, the tenderness confusing him, but when he opened his eyes again he was still trapped beneath a bloody Law who was now ripping out chunks of his throat.
"L..aw..." he tried to speak, clinging to the imaginary Law tight.
"Your feelings for him are interesting." It was the man's voice speaking, but it came out of Law's bloody mouth. "I missed it last time, or perhaps it wasn't there. You two only recently had a moment together."
Sanji flinched, of course the man knew about that. No wonder Law was in his hallucinations this time.
"Bas...tard!" Sanji attempted to kick the man off of him, only to find that his legs were mere stumps. Seeing his weapons gone, illusion or not, was terrifying.
"You should see what goes on in his mind. You might think this is bad, but let me tell you, the things he got to see were truly horrible. Coming from me, that means a lot."
"Shut up!" Sanji tried in vain to break free, the world spinning as he was suddenly back in the basement. Law was there as well, hanging limply in the man's grasp.
"How about I show you?" he asked, throwing Law's body over to Sanji and smirking. Sanji gasped as he was once again thrown into an alternate reality. This time Law was there, but he was much younger, at least ten or so. Sanji only recognized him by his hat. But he was surrounded by fire, destroyed buildings and dead bodies.
"Or perhaps you want to experience his pain first-hand?"
Sanji had experienced pain in his life, and his hallucinations thus far had been undeniably painful, but suddenly he was seeing things through Law's eyes and the pain he felt was excruciating like none other. He could see all of Law's fears, though some of it seemed like memories rather than illusions. Doflamingo was a large part of it, and Sanji had to experience getting killed a thousand times over by the warlord. Law seemed to fear him a great deal.
There was another blonde man, one Sanji didn't know, but the pain he felt in Law's body every time this man died was almost too much to bare.
And then finally, Sanji saw himself dying through Law's eyes. He saw himself do terrible things to Law, much like Sanji's previous hallucinations. He saw them kiss, and knew he wasn't the only one so affected by it.
Knowing Law had experienced all of that, and was currently trying to fight, made Sanji angry. He had to help. Mere illusions weren't enough to keep him down, and it was time for him to break free. If Law could do it despite all of that, then so could Sanji.
Part of him felt the need to protect Law. Some of what Sanji saw were actual memories, not illusions, and they had truly broken Law's heart. He supposed he could understand why the warlord was such a bastard now. Plus, knowing Law had actual feelings for him was more than enough to snap him out of it.
Sanji finally woke to find a pair of golden eyes staring back at him.
"Mr. Blackleg, are you—" Sanji reacted before he was completely aware of his surroundings, smashing his lips against Law's and holding the man tight. He wasn't completely sure he was awake, but he didn't care. He was going off of pure adrenaline now.
"I'll be fine. Where is he?" Sanji asked, noting that they were once again in a closet. Honestly, the two of them constantly being in the closet together had to be a sign.
"He's..um..." Law seemed genuinely flustered, something Sanji secretly took pride in although now wasn't the time. "In the basement, still. I did what I could by myself, but unfortunately I need help. Your captain is still unreachable and you were the closest person I could get to."
"Right. Let's finish then, I'm tired of these damn illusions fucking me up. This...is real, right?" Sanji asked hesitantly, giving Law a once over to make sure there wasn't anything off about him. No deranged look, no sword sticking out of him, no blood or guts spilling out. Law looked normal, if not incredibly shaken up by everything. He looked tired, and was sporting a large would on his arm that was probably making him weak from blood loss.
"From what I can gather, yes. Although mentally, I'm no better off than you are at the moment."
"Well, let's just hope we're not completely fucked. I'd still like to wake Luffy up, since he'll be pissed if he doesn't get to finish this guy." Sanji said, knowing Luffy needed to be a priority right now. They somehow needed to wake him up without getting themselves caught.
"I suppose I could attempt to teleport him to us. Although in order for that to work, I have to visualize where he is, which is not something I'm very aware of right now."
"You don't know where he is?" Sanji asked, concern lacing his tone. They had all been in the basement, hadn't they? Or did Law need to know his exact location?
"I have an idea, somewhat, but I was still pretty out of it before I managed to get away with you. It's worth a shot, though." Law replied, creating a room that flickered to life. Sanji knew he must be out of energy, and yet he still had to create a big enough room to cover both them and Luffy.
All it took was a flick of his wrist and Luffy was sitting before them, the bucket that had been there now gone. He looked around frantically, though Sanji knew he was still seeing illusions.
Now they just had to wake him up.
So glad I finished this early! I can't promise the next chapter will come so quick, but bare with me. Things are just getting good!