Rescue

Characters: Law, Heart Pirates. Rating: T. Warnings: blood, injury

When the den den mushi rang, Law's gut twisted. It could have been nothing – an SOS, a Marine trap (those were often one and the same), or maybe Penguin and Shachi had found something they deemed 'fun and interesting' on their scouting. It could have been, it probably was, but he hadn't been expecting a call, and the unexpected rarely went his way.

When he heard his name, the den den mushi materialising Shachi's hat and shades and looking so desperate, even before Clione could say a greeting, he knew that once again it wasn't going to go his way.

A rockfall, or a cave-in? Shachi wasn't entirely clear but Law gathered after a moment that it was both, a cascade of rocks trapping them inside, and his first thought was the exasperated why did you two both go inside without checking its stability. He loved and respected the pair of them, but just sometimes they did make the most bizarre calls, or just plain forgot to think.

When he heard that Penguin had concussion (Shachi didn't say so exactly, but the description was pretty clear and Law knew he'd already diagnosed it himself), Law shifted around the mental list of nakama he was going to bring to dig them out. Shachi was competent, but the faster he could get treatment to the older man the less chance of permanent damage. Unable to help himself, he rattled off a list of instructions, despite knowing Shachi knew it all already, and had probably already done most of them before making the call. As he spoke he gestured to the nakama crowded around, indicating who would come with him and who would double-check the infirmary was ready for Penguin.

He was in the middle of signing to Clione that he should link up another baby den den mushi to the call so he could stay on the line as he left when Shachi dropped the bomb.

The cave was inhabited.

Of course it was, Law groused mentally as he scooped up the new baby den den mushi and claimed Shachi's vivre card from Bepo before hurrying out of the room, his selected 'rescue party' hot on his heels. When something went wrong, everything went wrong. He couldn't just have one problem at a time, no, life was never that kind. Fear bloomed when Shachi repeated the call for him to hurry, a different tone of desperation sneaking into his voice.

"There's no way I'm gonna beat this thing alone."

While not at Law's own level, Shachi was hardly weak. Questions flitted though his head as he picked up the pace into as much of a sprint as he dared over unfamiliar terrain. If Shachi had his sword, would he still say that? If Penguin was capable of moving, would the pair of them be able to defeat whatever the inhabitant was? Was Shachi only saying that because he had to defend Penguin too?

None of those questions were helpful, Law scolded himself, listening intently to the den den mushi in his hand for any signs of how Shachi was faring, and following the vivre card closely. It hadn't lit up yet, Shachi wasn't dying. Yet, his traitorous mind whispered and he slammed a mental door on the pessimistic part of his brain. No, he refused to lose them, especially to something that hid away in a cave.

Small gasps escaped the den den mushi, accompanied by the occasional defiant remark, and Law wondered if the creature was intelligent or if Shachi was just talking to himself. Maybe he was just ordering Penguin not to fall asleep and had actually won without a problem… There was no point kidding himself, Law scolded firmly. Shachi would never had said he couldn't win if it had been something that quick to subdue.

Then the word venomous filtered through the den den mushi and Law prayed they weren't too far away, that it was a slow-acting venom and he'd get there in time. Hot on its heels were screams, and Law realised that Shachi had been right – that Shachi was losing – and found a burst of speed from somewhere as a cave finally came into view, an impressive cascade of rocks blocking in the entrance.

Originally, Law had planned on digging them out, at loath to use Shambles on the concussed Penguin, but with something so dangerous trapped in there with them they didn't have time for that.

The connection dropped as he was reassuring Shachi that they were there, that he only had to hold on another few seconds and Law would be there. The rational part of his brain mused that it had merely been dropped as Shachi fought. It was overridden at the sight of the vivre card bursting into flames, and Law realised the fight was as good as lost for Shachi.

He had to get them out of there now.

His Room expanded, and at long last he could tell what was happening inside. There was Penguin, lying motionless on the cave floor, not far from the entrance – too close, Law's mind scolded, although with the creature also in there it wasn't like Shachi had much of a choice. And then there was Shachi, pinned to the ground by some chimera-type creature Law had never heard of before.

The time for thinking was over. With a twist of his fingers he was inside the cave, Penguin safely out, and facing the creature that was causing Shachi so much pain.

It was dark inside the cave, the only sources of light a faint glow where daylight persisted though the block and his own Room, but it was enough to see the creature shaking a boneless Shachi around like a limp rag doll and he feared he was too late even as he sliced the creature up to reclaim his nakama and prevent it from trying to follow them when they left.

Shachi was still conscious and capable of talking when he was finally, finally, finished with the growling and hissing creature, which Law could only take as a good sign. Less of a good sign, when he teleported the pair of them (plus Penguin's hat and Shachi's dagger, which his Room had picked up on) out of the cave, was the way Shachi's right half was covered in blood. Both his arms were swollen and while the venom hadn't killed him yet, it would if Law didn't treat him fast enough.

The closest, Clione carefully picked up Shachi and the entire group headed back, following Bepo who had reportedly taken Penguin back already.

Sure enough, the man was lying in a bed in the infirmary when Clione stumbled across the threshold of the infirmary, Bepo coaxing him to stay awake with what looked like limited success. Law sent half of the rescue team over to help as he hurriedly cut away what remained of Shachi's top to see the damage properly. It wasn't pretty: the skin was cold and clammy to the touch and had turned a mottled pasty colour. Aware of possible permanent nerve damage, Law had Clione check Shachi's reactions to touch as he started to drain the venom from his body.

Shachi's reactions were to loudly curse as various parts of his arm and right side were pinched, which Law considered to be the first positive sign of the day. He didn't let himself relax until not only had he purged as much of the venom as he could (leaving a grouching Shachi to vomit up the rest as and when his body located more to evict), but Penguin had begun to recognise his surroundings again and was capable of coherent words.

Law decided that, while they needed to find more food if there was anything to forage, they would not be spending much time on the island. The moment Bepo declared their log pose set, they would be leaving. He might have dealt with one such creature, but he didn't believe for a moment it was the only one, and he wouldn't expose his crew to them if he had a choice.

What it was like on the other end of the den den mushi in Trapped (chapter 127).

Thanks for reading!
Tsari