Chapter 42
"You do know you don't have to stay with me, Bepo, if you wanted to see the shipwrights work," Law said, as Paulie removed his shirt and sat down in front of Law, per his instructions.
"I promised Ikkaku that one of us would remain by your side," Bepo said. "Sorry."
"Don't be sorry. I just don't want to keep you here if you wanted to sight see," Law said. "Besides, Lucci's watching anyway."
"We wanted to see if Paulie could be healed," 'Lucci' said. "Iceburg-san doesn't really like leaving Paulie alone with other pirates anyway, not when witch heads are at risk of being kidnapped."
"It's not like Paulie has a bounty, nor uses typical clan magic," Law mused.
"See? I'm perfectly fine," Paulie huffed. "I don't need you lot babysitting me all the time."
"But Iceberg does have a point," Law said. "If you were discovered by slavers or a bad group of pirates who wanted to make some money, they would hand you over to the marines in a heartbeat."
"I can't even do clan magic like you said," Paulie snorted, but it wasn't an amused one, it sounded bitter. "There would be no point handing me over."
"If they wanted us for our magic then they could grab any witch, nature or clan," Law said. "The World Government has to be after something else."
"Like what?" 'Lucci' asked.
"No idea, but it has to do with our clan status," Law said. "Otherwise what would be the point in going out of their way to find us specifically? And why make deals with us too? They did with Boa Hancock, and since you're a civilian, they probably would make a deal with you too."
"Maybe." Paulie shrugged.
Law pressed his hand against Paulie's back. "Try to stay still. I'm going to look into your magical energy, and see if the problem lies there. If you can remain relaxed and keep your breathing even, that would be good too."
"Alright, thank you again, Law."
"Don't thank me yet. I haven't done anything," Law hushed, then closed his eyes and reached out.
Paulie's magical energy was dried out entirely. Law frowned thoughtfully, a witch's magical energy was usually bright and blooming with life. He had never seen one so dried out. Ace's and Law's had been exhausted before, but it wasn't empty like Paulie's was.
"You can make multiple poneglyphs?" A familiar blue haired woman stared down at a blonde guy who nodded.
That was the same woman from Law's last dream. The long blue hair.
"It will deplete all my magical energy to make stone like this, but you want it to last right? The Kozuki Clan can shape it out properly once I finish up making the material."
"I'm sorry to ask this of you."
"Don't be. This can be my last task to save the world. The world needs to know. Imu will keep this quiet once the war is over, and will try bury this war deep, but I won't fail Joy Boy."
"Thank you, brother."
Law stifled a gasp. Okay, another vision then. That was strange, but it looked like Paulie's ancestor burned out their magic creating poneglyphs. Creating those things had seriously burned out his decedents magic out for this long? That was insane.
Paulie hadn't seen what he had seen obviously, he hadn't so much as twitched or made a sound. Law needed to stay silent on the matter. Paulie could tell anyone and that could endanger him.
Right now he was a normal civilian. There was no need for people to become aware of his existence.
"Your magic is completely dried out," Law said. "I'll try replenish it, but I'll need to work at it little by little. Your body wouldn't be used to your magical energy being too strong."
"If it was so depleted, how could I still use some spells?" Paulie asked, confused.
"After you used those spells, were you dizzy or nauseous?"
"He'd faint," 'Lucci' answered. "Iceburg-san forbade him from using magic because of it when you fell off a ship and nearly broke your neck. You're lucky I caught you."
"Lucci-" Paulie flushed.
"That is why then, your energy levels could barely handle a normal spell," Law said. "Imagine a cup of water. When a witch's magical energy is full, so is the glass, but the more we drink from that pool of magic, the emptier the glass is. Yours has always had slithers of magic left, and you've tried drinking from that when it's pretty much impossible to do so, which is why you've fainted."
"Jeez, that makes sense I guess," Paulie said, then straightened up. "But you said you can heal it? That would be amazing-"
"That doesn't mean you can go about throwing spells instantly. The process is going to take months, so don't start trying to use your magic," Law scolded. "Your energy doesn't fill back up, which is what I'm going to start coaxing it to do, but because you've never had a full amount of magic energy in your life, it's going to be a very slow process, like what happens when we grow from a child until we're twelve. That is when our magical energy is first full and we get our grimoires."
"And what happens if you heal me quicker?" Paulie asked.
"It's going to burn out your magical energy and destroy any chance of healing you have," Law said sharply. "So we're not doing that."
Paulie gulped. "Got it."
.::.
Penguin frowned when the random shipwright handed Luffy over the brief cases.
"Dammit, Usopp was supposed to take care of them," Nami huffed.
"Where is Usopp?" Penguin asked.
Shachi had been with him. Penguin had won 'rock paper scissors' to watch over Nami, while Shachi got stuck with Usopp. Now Penguin wondered if he should have watched Usopp instead.
"He probably got distracted by a canon," Nami sighed.
Penguin scowled. They were both clueless. Their money had just been stolen less than half an hour ago and yet they didn't even check their cases? Penguin was about to mention it, but Kaku came back, so Penguin left. He needed to track down Shachi now. If Shachi had been kidnapped by this Franky Family, Penguin would murder them.
Penguin marched out. He'd call Bepo up soon, but right now Law was busy healing, and Penguin didn't know exactly what Shachi's situation was yet. He could be chasing down someone who had kidnapped Usopp, or followed him off somewhere, but that wouldn't explain the planted briefcases.
.::.
"Those assholes," Shachi cursed.
He managed to protect Usopp, but those jerks took the cases and had beaten them both badly for it. Shachi was lucky that Ikkaku had come running, throwing daggers, when she had, otherwise Shachi would have been down too.
Now he and Ikkaku were walking the streets, heading back for their ship. Usopp was on Shachi's back. He could barely walk, hell, even Shachi was just holding on, he could feel his ankle throbbing and pulling, and knew it was going to completely break soon if Shachi didn't stop moving, but Usopp was in an even worse condition. That poor guy had tried so hard to protect their money, but he was a sniper. His captain was supposed to have been watching his back right? Wasn't that what they had all agreed upon when walking into the shipyard? Fucking idiots. Usopp could have been killed. What would the Straw Hats done if they had found Usopp hours later with his throat slit in some alleyway? Say 'oops'?
"I can't believe those assholes kidnapped you both!" Ikkaku hissed, her daggers clenched tight in her hands. "I swear, if they come back, I'll slit their throats."
"I think your dagger throwing scared them off," Shachi groaned. "Usopp, you still awake?"
Usopp had been sobbing against his shoulder for a full on while now, shaking against him.
"I-I lost the money-"
"I'm sorry we couldn't save your briefcases," Ikkaku said softly. "Was it a lot?"
"Two hundred million-"
Ikkaku choked.
"I-I need to go there-" Usopp said shakily.
"Not in your condition you don't!" Shachi huffed.
"I'm going-" Usopp squirmed, slipping off Shachi's back.
"Usopp, you're being reckless-"
"I refuse to keep being a weakling!" Usopp insisted. "I'm going there, and I'm getting the two hundred million beli back. We need it to save Merry!"
"Two hundred million?" Ikkaku still looked shocked.
Shachi sighed. "Fine, if you're doing this, I'll go with you, but first we gotta get some basic treatment at your ship. Can you lead us there?"
Ikkaku frowned at him, but he winked. They get Usopp to his ship, back to the safety of his crew, and they could talk some sense into him. Tell him this wasn't his fault.
That plan didn't work out. Usopp tricked them. He abandoned them the first chance he got in the busy streets of Water 7.
"The brat!" Ikkaku hissed.
"Yeah," Shachi groaned, limping. "Fuck, I think my ankle is completely broken now."
Ikkaku slung his arm over her shoulder. "Lean on me. We're going back to the ship."
"But Usopp-"
"He's the Straw Hat's problem, you're mine," Ikkaku scolded. "If he wants to be a dumbass and go charging in despite being a sniper, then he can be my guest! We already risked our lives to help that idiot. We'll send Law after him later."
"Shit, right..."
"Yeah, when Penguin and Law see the state your in." Ikkaku smirked gleefully. "There won't be a piece of those thugs left to put back together."
.::.
Law had a busy day today. He had left Paulie asleep back at the shipyard, resting after his healing. Law then found out Shachi got kidnapped and beaten up along with Usopp and had left Penguin to treat Shachi and bring the Polar Tang around to sit with the Straw Hats' Going Merry, while Law left with Luffy, Zoro, Sanji and Chopper to go commit murder.
Sadly though the Straw Hats didn't commit murder, so Law was 'nice' and let the Franky Family live, but not without making them suffer for it first.
He made their insides go on the outside.
"Thank you for healing Usopp," Raccoon-ya thanked him.
"Not entirely. He just doesn't have anymore internal bleeding anymore," Law said. "I'm too tired to heal anymore wounded today through my magical means."
The problems arose once Usopp woke up. None of the Straw Hats seemed to realise apart from Sanji, and being that he was an empath witch, it took him longer than it should have, to see that Usopp was really upset. The damn crew was still very immature for sailing the seas with the way they were. They would be wiped out at this rate before they reached New World, but it wasn't Law's place to say right now. He'd try pull Luffy aside to talk to him later. Right now Law just sipped at the tea Sanji made for him.
Usopp was crying and clinging to Zoro, and yet Luffy and Nami were smiling. Yes, Law knew it was in relief, but Usopp was having a breakdown. But at least now Law could see how well Luffy was growing up as a Captain. Usopp was asking about the Going Merry, so now the Straw Hats could work together to explain her condition to him. He was the one who seemed most attached to her after all.
Luffy did not in fact explain it well.
For fuck sakes.
He started off by saying they would buy a new ship.
Law scowled. "Luffy."
Luffy startled. "Traffy?"
"Explain to Long Nose-ya why you're getting a new ship."
"It has to just be a joke-" Long Nose-ya began.
"It's not. I wouldn't joke about it." Luffy opened up a book on the prices of ships. "I've been looking at the book Ice Pops gave us, and it's got a lot of good ships, many bigger than Merry. We could get a really good one with the two hundred million beli we have-"
"What are you talking about-" Usopp stood up, shaking, his face horrified. "Is it because I lost that money? We can't afford to fix her anymore?"
Law stared hard at Luffy, who had been growing angry, now paused and met his gaze.
"Tell him," Law insisted. "You can't spare his feelings over this. This is a ship you have been on since the beginning."
"Tell me what?" Usopp scowled.
"The Merry can't be repaired!" Luffy finally yelled.
Now Usopp was in denial. Great. Fantastic. Law had thought this crew was actually not half bad before, but they were quickly getting on his nerves for sure. Chopper was trying to get his patient to rest, but failing miserably. Nami, Zoro and Sanji weren't saying a thing, and Luffy was getting pissed off.
Usopp actually started to try crawl away, rambling about getting materials to fix the ship, and that was when Law snapped.
"For fucks sake!" Law snarled, startling all the Straw Hats. Law grabbed Usopp, earning a strangled yelp, and tossed him back on to his bed. "You move from that bed again and I won't treat you when you split your stitches and bleed out in a gutter. I will watch you drown to death in your own blood instead."
Usopp went rapidly pale.
Law pointed at Chopper. "You get control over your patient. You're supposed to be the crew's doctor. Act like it." He pointed at Luffy. "You get control over your temper, you're their Captain. You're supposed to take care of them as they take care of you." He pointed at Usopp. "And you, you're not a shipwright, you're a sniper. When your crew, and it should have been told to you calmly, not whatever this egotistical shit is, tells you the Merry has been too badly damaged, then you listen. All of you need to get a grip. I swear to the seas if my crew ever acted like this, I'd cut them all into pieces and swap out their bodies!"
Law placed his cup of tea back on the table, forcing his voice to even out, to no longer shout. "Thank you for the tea, brother." He nodded to Sanji, then eyed Usopp. "Stay. Bed. Or. Else." Law hissed through gritted teeth.
Law then marched out. He could not stand that stupid dramatic shit. By the seas he couldn't. It was so stupid. Rouge would have stabbed them all by now.
Ten minutes later the Straw Hats were all arguing again. Law could actually hear them from the Polar Tang's deck. He smiled sharply, and drew Kikoku.
"L-Law-" Penguin paled, voice shaky.
"I'm going to kill them all."
"It looks like Usopp is walking away?" Ikkaku frowned.
Law scowled. "Dramatic idiots."
"And now they're having a duel?" Penguin's jaw dropped.
"I hate them," Law said. "I absolutely hate them." He stood up. "Get ready to set sail. We'll land elsewhere."
"Captain?" Ikkaku frowned.
"I'm not sitting here with these idiots otherwise we might catch their stupidity," Law said. "I'll talk to Luffy later, but right now this is disappointing. He needs to sort this out, and we're not going to watch like some spectators, no matter how long I've known him for. If they want to kill each other, that is their business."