Chapter 8

The biter bit

Sanji had taken into account the navigator's remark and he wasn't cooking anymore. Of course, he continued to serve three meals a day and their snacks to his fellow crew members but he might as well have stopped completely that Zoro wouldn't have noticed the difference.

The swordsman shook his head and changed sides of the dumbbell he was holding at arm's length on the deck of the Sunny. He was exaggerating. The difference would have been obvious if one of them took care of the meals instead of the blond but the fact remained that Sanji gave the impression of not being the same anymore. A little more if that were possible.

Zoro followed his slender figure with his eyes when the cook came out of his lair, his tray in hand. This morning again, his absent gaze and half-hearted gait bore witness to the difficulty he had to comply with the request of his adored princess. And yet, it was Nami's!

The swordsman had been sincerely impressed by their friend four days earlier. Although he found her totally manipulative most of the time, he admitted that she has certain qualities in terms of reliability to defend the interests of the crew. Even if he didn't appreciate her methods, he was forced to admit that the young woman knew how to use her assets to their advantage. So when she had taken the floor to finally point out the incredible behavior of their cook since their departure from Wano, Zoro had been surprised in the same way as his crewmates.

Nami was the first to enjoy Sanji's attention. Actually, the navigator had known how to use the blond to her advantage from day one, whether it was about the food he prepared according to her wishes or the shopping he did to keep the budget to the nearest berry, not to mention that he literally indulged her every whim.

If women were the cook's weak point, Nami was the paroxysm of his devotion and Zoro took it for granted that his crewmate really preferred to die rather than oppose her. And he had proof of it once again today as he watched Sanji respectfully give their drinks to the girls a few feet away. No extravagant snacks or excessive cocktails or lyrical verses, but a simple drink that the swordsman guessed was tinged with tangerine juice and a few almost solitary madeleines in comparison with the insane snacks the crew had observed until then.

Sanji then turned in the direction of Brook, Jinbei and Usopp seated near the railing to offer them their shares without a word and Zoro didn't take his eyes off him, his dumbbell only contracting his right arm at regular intervals. No one but Nami could have achieved such a result and the fencer had secretly rejoiced when he had understood that the blond was going to be forced to question himself. No doubt a wake-up call from his dear navigator was enough to force him to open his eyes and pull himself together, he had thought.

However, nothing had happened as Zoro had imagined. Indeed, if Sanji now served them classic looking meals in reasonable quantities, he had died at the same time as his preparations had lost their luster. As if preventing him from cooking endlessly had brutally destroyed him.

At that moment, Zoro saw the cook approaching him and the fencer grabbed his glass when the blond handed it to him, his gaze already drawn towards the shipwright's workshop where Franky, Luffy and Chopper were. Sanji came out a minute later, his mission accomplished, and immediately went to his galley even though he probably had nothing to do up there. In doing so, he came closer to the swordsman who was still exercising his right arm.

"What happened back there?"

Sanji walked past him without stopping but Zoro didn't miss the clenching of his hand on his tray when he reached him.

"Nothing you need to know."

The cook locked himself upstairs and the fencer put down his dumbbell to stretch. As he had suspected, the blond's reaction to Nami's speech had confirmed that his strange attitude was directly linked to the events of Whole Cake Island. And as he had also suspected, Sanji categorically refused to talk about it.

Zoro could have asked Nami or even Chopper, Brook or Jinbei for an explanation but he had a feeling his friends wouldn't tell him more. Similarly, Zoro had ruled Luffy out of the possibilities, his captain paying absolutely no attention to such questions.

The fact remained that the swordsman was now convinced that something had happened back there, something powerful and painful that gave rise to reserve from one of the most direct people in the crew and which made Chopper's large, innocent eyes widen in concern.

Zoro sat down on the grass smoothly and closed his eyes. If his crewmates preferred to remain silent, it wasn't a problem for him. He had complete confidence in them and didn't feel the need to know everything. Nevertheless, if this silence evolved into a disruptive element jeopardizing their unity, he wouldn't hesitate to demand answers. After all, his role was to protect the crew, even from itself.

The afternoon was coming to an end when the Sunny arrived in sight of Kurta Island, the destination they had all been waiting for. Indeed, not only this place was to allow them to take a little rest on the mainland after all their efforts not to be noticed but in addition, they also needed to meet the surgeon of death to concretize the agreement he had made with the crew navigator.

This prospect had charged the atmosphere with as much impatience as nervousness because no one forgot that the other captain was one of the strongest pirates of his generation and the idea of blackmailing him was a risky bet. Nevertheless, the straw hat boy's crewmates had decided that the game was worth the candle. Each of them admitted that they weren't ready to face a new enemy as strong as an Emperor so quickly and they also had in mind the fact that they needed clues linked to the poneglyphs to move in the right direction.

At this point, the most logical strategy seemed to regain strength as discreetly as possible and this is when their former ally came into play. There were no illusions and all the crew members knew that sooner or later, their enemies would make themselves known despite all the precautions they could take. However, in the meantime, they had decided to put the odds on their side.

"He should be here by nightfall," Nami told them as she scanned the shore through her binoculars to make sure the Marine hadn't arrived before them. "The meeting point is accessible directly from the east of the port."

"What should we expect?" Usopp inquired, using his own binoculars, "It seems quiet."

"The island is reputed to be peaceful now, but it experienced many attacks ten years ago and the inhabitants are very careful because they were almost decimated on several occasions. They have even become particularly adept at defending themselves."

"Do they have special resources that would earn them all this attention?" Sanji wanted to know, frowning.

"Geographically, they're not located on a strategic place on the Grand Line," Robin answered. "The reason for these attacks is actually due to the very characteristics of the inhabitants and not to their land. The destiny of the people of Kurta is another tragic example of human greed."

"What do you mean?" Jinbei asked while Chopper stared at the archaeologist with concern.

For a moment, however, Robin just kept her gaze fixed on the outline of the island which was approaching on the horizon. "Each resident from the island has a particularity linked to their people," The young woman finally explained. "When anger overwhelms them, their pupils turn an intense and luminous red."

"Their eyes change color?!" Luffy exclaimed. "This is so cool!"

"This is unusual," Brook agreed.

"I've never heard of it," Franky noted.

"That's precisely the problem," Nami sighed, "It's a very rare specificity that sparks interest."

"What kind of interest?" The sniper stared at the archaeologist, a shudder of terror running through his spine in front of her saddened face. Robin then spoke again. "Some well-known figures have a strong taste for obtaining the rarest pieces in their collection and they don't hesitate to pay crazy sums to acquire them by force or at auction."

"They… collect the eyes of the inhabitants?" Sanji was flabbergasted.

"I've already met bounty hunters specialized in this type of request," Zoro remembered, "The rewards are usually very high and they attract a lot of people."

"This is awful, how can someone do that?!" Chopper got indignant, tears in his eyes.

"Body collectors are some of the worst humans around," Brook shuddered.

"It's super creepy," Franky agreed in a gloomy voice.

"The Celestial Dragons are the most fond of this type of macabre collection but among the pirates, there are also some eccentrics who are just as bad," Jinbei confirmed.

"That's why we'll have to be on our guard," Nami pointed out, "The original tribe hasn't completely disappeared and some of them have become real killing machines to protect themselves. Their warriors are said to be on par with vice admirals."

"Good for them," The cook muttered, "If I were in their shoes, I'd do the exact same thing."

"Their intentions aren't hostile towards foreigners but at the slightest threat, they can become extremely dangerous," The redhead continued. "Several crews have been massacred in the past few years."

"Are you sure it's a good idea to rest here, Nami?" The little reindeer asked her worriedly.

"It's precisely because their inhabitants are known to defend themselves that we'll be fine," The navigator explained to him. "Even if the Marines learned we're here, it's unlikely they'll attack the island for fear of seeing the locals retaliate at the same time as us."

"As long as we don't prey on their eyes, they'll leave us alone," Franky summed up.

"Exactly. There's no better place to regain strength than on Kurta."

Shaking his head, Usopp looked again at the island that was coming closer. "The Grand Line truly is home to a crazy world…"

"They're not here yet…" Nami checked the time again as her friends had waited with her for a good twenty minutes outside the tavern without encountering any sign of the Heart Pirates.

As expected, the Straw Hat crew members had been allowed to enter the island after walking past an armada of warriors whose strength hadn't failed to make the most fearful of them shudder. Zoro, Jinbei, Sanji and Luffy had even stood particularly on their guard, sensing their extraordinary Haki, and each had carefully kept their distance while assessing the other's abilities. In the end, they had left the port and Nami had taken the path directly to reach their meeting place since night was falling.

"Maybe Trafalgar decided not to come in the end," Jinbei suggested.

"I hope not. Our whole plan would fall flat…" Nami cast a worried glance towards the edge of the small cliff near which Luffy was having fun throwing pebbles in the sea below to keep busy. Located a little higher than the rest of the island, the tavern offered a vast view of the ocean and the navigator hadn't failed to note this advantage when she had chosen this meeting point because it would allow them to watch the horizon.

"What if they got turned away by the locals?" Franky asked suddenly.

"Unless collectors of human eyes are among them, there's no reason," Robin pointed out.

"Yeah… There's little chance," The cyborg approved as Chopper and Usopp shared a frightened look, thinking of the diabolical aura that the captain of the Heart could give off.

"They may have disembarked on the other side of the island," Zoro said. "Their crew is in a submarine; they can go unnoticed."

"The official entrance is at the port and any intrusion in a roundabout way is considered an attack," The redhead replied. "Trafalgar knows it and he agreed to choose this place."

"Then they might just be late," The skeleton noted.

A few more minutes passed before the cook approached the captain while taking a drag on his cigarette and he observed the now black sea below them. "I can go check if anyone has seen them," He suggested to the navigator as his smoke billowed towards the sky.

"Hm, why not," The young woman approved after a moment of reflection, "Most importantly, keep a low profile. If it turns out they couldn't enter the island for one reason or another, they mustn't learn we were expecting them."

Sanji nodded and threw away his cigarette before taking the small path that would take him back to the port. Behind him, Luffy demanded that they wait for Law inside and his friends quickly followed suit.

The surgeon of death entered the tavern and immediately, the other captain rushed towards him. However, Luffy was brutally pushed back by the bench the dark-haired pirate had erected in front of him to protect himself with his room and the straw hat boy bounced back hard on the floor. Without a glance, Law walked past him to sit on the free chair that had been reserved for him between Nami and Franky at the table where the rest of the crew had settled.

"You're being mean, Tra-guy! It hurts!" Luffy got up sulkily before planting himself behind the surgeon's back to show him the bump on his forehead but Law didn't turn around. "Don't draw attention to us, Straw Hat-ya." In response, Luffy stuck his tongue out even though Law couldn't see him, then returned to his own seat alongside Chopper and Brook.

"He's right," Nami agreed while looking at her captain. "Locals let us in because we posed no visible threat, but they could quickly change their minds. Two crews as famous as ours that meet is bound to be suspicious."

A waiter came to serve the drinks they had just ordered and Nami paused, giving everyone time to help themselves while making sure their conversation wasn't the subject of eavesdropping.

"Did you meet Sanji-kun?" She then asked the newcomer, "Because you hadn't arrived, he went to the port in case there was a problem."

"I haven't seen him."

"Did you have any difficulties getting in?" Brook inquired.

"The inhabitants were skeptical and they wanted to carry out several checks," The surgeon confirmed.

"I thought they allowed everyone as long as we don't try to kill them to get their eyes," Franky pointed out.

"That's right, but since I once owned a collection of a hundred human hearts, they were suspicious."

"A hundred hu-human hearts?" Usopp stuttered, white as a sheet.

"Are you a body collector?!" Chopper exclaimed, horrified, before pressing his hands over his mouth because of Nami's furious gaze.

"How did you do that?" Zoro wanted to know, interested.

The Heart captain shrugged. "It wasn't that hard. With my devil fruit and my knowledge of anatomy, I can directly remove the heart from the rib cage and keep it in perfect condition."

"Very useful in order to preserve the organs in the long term," Robin acknowledged.

"In order to become a Warlord, you needed to attract the attention of the Marines," Jinbei explained in front of the livid complexions of the sniper and the little reindeer, "The exploits could be of any kind and the more shocking they were, the more likely you were to be noticed."

"My gift had the desired effect at the time," The pirate approved.

"It's dumb and I'm bored," Luffy sighed.

Nami shook her head. "Let's come to our agreement," She agreed. "We talked about two meetings but we didn't define either the duration or the time between the two. I think we should start with-"

"About that," Law cut her short while grabbing a glass and sniffing the contents, "I'm really upset that I was forced to respond to this summons and I hope that we'll find an arrangement that works for both parties."

"It's in the interest of all of us," The redhead resumed, slightly disturbed by the suddenly threatening aura of their interlocutor.

"I want the photos right now."

"Not until we get to-"

"I won't repeat myself." The sharp edge of the dark-haired pirate's nodachi was now resting on the navigator's throat and she gasped in surprise at the same time as Zoro quickly unsheathed. Law then took a sip of his drink. "I don't care if I'm spotted. I'm alone on this island and I can escape easily to join my crew waiting for me at the port. You, on the other hand, don't know where Blackleg-ya is. Not to mention your idiot captain who'll be sure to retaliate if a fight breaks out."

"You think we're gonna give in to your blackmail?" The swordsman snarled. His own sword was aiming at his target over the table.

"Nobody likes blackmail, Roronoa. So you understand my position."

"Nami, give him the photos," Luffy decided, "I want us to have fun!"

With stiff gestures, the young woman grabbed her bag on her knees and rummaged inside for a second before pulling out a small envelope. She barely had time to hand it to him when the surgeon grabbed it, checking its content with a glance before removing his nodachi. Zoro then moved his blade aside and the atmosphere relaxed a little around the table.

Law set fire to the photos directly in front of their eyes and Nami sighed. "That's all we have. We didn't make any copies."

"I sincerely hope so."

The surgeon then got up to leave the table and the navigator panicked. "Trafalgar, we gave you the photos! The deal said you had to spend time with Luffy in exchange!"

"I know."

At these words, the pirate extended his room to the straw hat boy's crew and before anyone could react, they were gone.

Nami staggered before falling to her knees on the sand, nausea twisting her stomach. Around her, her crewmates were also wincing and she tried to come to her senses. "What… What happened?"

"That bastard teleported us!" Zoro fumed.

"It's super unpleasant," Franky mumbled next to him.

"I think we're not far from the port," Jinbei noticed, scanning the surroundings.

"I can see the city lights," Book confirmed on his left.

"Where's Luffy? Luffy's not here!" Chopper suddenly exclaimed, terrified.

"He kidnapped Luffy! He's gonna rip out his heart and give it to the Marines as punishment for forcing him to come here!" Usopp panicked in turn. "I knew it, we should never have tried to blackmailing him, it was suicide!"

"I believe on the contrary that Trafalgar Law will keep his word."

Her friends turned to the archaeologist who held a small piece of paper in her hand and she showed it as they rushed towards her.

"Your captain will be on his ship in an hour."

Trailer parts 4/16

Yeah, you'll need to wait for the next chapter to know what happened between Law and Luffy...

Bonus points for those of you who will spot the reference to another manga!