Chapter 17: Beneath the Crest
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On the way to the port, Emi noticed that Law had traded his usual hat for a black cap and was now wearing a long black shirt that concealed his tattoos. Intrigued, she wondered if this would be enough to hide him from the marines, as his face remained clearly visible.
"Do you really think that's going to be enough to hide you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Without a word, Law pulled out a pair of sunglasses and a fake mustache from his pocket. He put them on with a disconcerting seriousness, remaining unflappable despite the absurdity of his disguise.
Emi couldn't hold back a laugh. "Really? A mustache?"
Law, adjusting his glasses with a falsely dignified air, simply replied, "It's worked more than once."
Emi shook her head, amused but also slightly reassured by Law's effort to stay incognito.
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After more than an hour of walking, they finally reached the port. Upon their arrival, the scene before them was disconcerting and caused instant unease for Emi. Slaves were disembarking from what appeared to be trading ships but were actually disguised slave ships. Men, women, and children shuffled down the gangplanks, their wrists and ankles bound by heavy metal chains that clanked with every step. The chains were rusted and bruised their skin, revealing the harsh conditions they had endured.
The worst part was the presence of the Marines. Emi couldn't contain her anger at such a sight. Why on earth was the government involved? Her hands clenched into fists, nails digging into her palms as she watched the Marines, the supposed protectors of justice, bark orders and use their weapons to prod the slower-moving slaves, ensuring that the process continued without delay. The sight of the marines' uniforms, symbols of supposed justice and protection, now twisted into instruments of oppression, made Emi's stomach churn.
The slaves were being led into the forest, their weary bodies trudging along a well-worn path. The path snaked through dense trees, leading towards the massive construction site of the castle, rising above the treetops.
Determined to understand the situation without arousing suspicion, Emi approached a marine who seemed less busy. With an innocent smile, she started a conversation.
"Excuse me, we're a bit lost. Could you tell us what's going on here? We're looking for an inn to stay the night," she asked in a sweet voice, feigning the confusion of a lost tourist.
The marine, visibly relaxed by such a mundane question, replied without suspicion, "Oh, you're in the wrong place. This port is currently being used for a very important construction project. A noble is having a castle built for his daughter, just over there in the forest." He pointed towards the castle that Emi and Law had seen in the distance.
"A castle ? Oh, that must be magnificent! But why do all these people seem so... tired?" continued Emi, pushing her luck a bit further.
The Marine shrugged, clearly indifferent to the suffering of the slaves. "They're former pirates and mercenaries. The work is hard, but it's for a good cause, you know, the beauty of the castle for the little princess. They deserve this for their past crimes."
Emi didn't believe him for a second. No pirate or mercenary could ever look so broken, and no child should ever be caught up in such misery.
Emi thanked the Marine with a forced smile, hiding her anger and disgust for the cynicism of the situation. She rejoined Law, reporting what she had learned.
The castle they had seen in the distance was none other than a construction project intended for a noble who wanted to build a castle for his daughter. It was a vain project, funded by the suffering of many innocents.
"Why would the government allow such an atrocity?" murmured Emi, her voice trembling with rage.
Law replied to Emi in a cold tone, "The government and the Marines are not the models of justice they pretend to be."
Emi looked at him, seeming to wait for more, but he didn't elaborate. He kept to himself the painful details of his past, the memories of Flevance, where government lies had caused the destruction of his hometown and taken the lives of his parents and sister. This had cemented his deep contempt for the government, fueling a hatred that had been within him ever since. In his mind, the current actions of the government were just further confirmation of their corruption and indifference to the suffering of innocents.
Law, eyes fixed on the castle, added, "This noble uses his influence to mask his actions under the guise of legitimacy."
Initially skeptical about the relevance of this visit, his interest was piqued by Emi's curiosity about the castle and the unusual activity around it. He realized that, besides the potential to uncover useful information for his own plans, the presence of Marines around the castle added an extra layer of mystery to the matter.
Emi clenched her fists; there was a blatant injustice to fight, and for her, it was an opportunity to reveal a dark and powerful truth through her journalism.
As they discussed the situation, Sachi and Penguin appeared, surprise evident on their faces.
"Captain! Emi! What are you doing here?!" exclaimed Penguin, his eyes wide with astonishment at seeing Law and Emi together.
Sachi, equally surprised, added with a laugh, "You managed to convince our stoic captain, huh? That must be a record."
Law ignored Sachi's remark and turned to Penguin. "Do you have what we need?"
"There isn't a single shop or market here... We were about to contact you," replied Penguin, pouting. "It's organized chaos over there, with the Marines watching everything. They seem to be everywhere." Their expressions were serious, reflecting their own surprise at what they had just witnessed.
Law nodded, his gaze hardening at Penguin's analysis. "Return to the submarine. It's safer there," he ordered in a tone that brooked no objection.
As they acquiesced and prepared to leave, Emi, without a word, discreetly headed towards a merchant ship moored a bit further away. Curious and determined to learn more, she couldn't pass up such an investigative opportunity.
Law, who had turned his head to follow the progress of his two crew members, noticed Emi's absence. His irritation rose as he saw her walking away.
"Journaliste-ya!" he called out, his voice clearly carrying his displeasure. But she showed no sign of having heard him, focused on her mission.
Irritated by her unpredictable behavior and lack of communication, Law gritted his teeth, following her from a distance, ready to intervene if necessary, while silently cursing her tendency to act solo.
Emi cautiously moved between the cargo lined up on the deck of the merchant ship. She stopped in front of a large container adorned with an official Marine label. Everything seemed in order until she noticed a part of the label that appeared to be peeling off. Intrigued, she approached and gently peeled off the rest of the label, revealing underneath the crest of the Amadeo royal family.
Stunned, Emi realized that Madame Amadeo's sister was directly involved in this dark affair. Not only was she linked to arms trafficking, but she also played a role in the enslavement of these poor souls destined to build the castle. Still in shock from this discovery, Emi carefully took out her mini transponder snail and began taking photos of the containers and labels, ensuring she had solid evidence to report to her client and enhance her article.
With the images captured, she quickly checked to make sure no Marine or guard had noticed her. She needed to return to Law, but as she agilely jumped onto the dock from the ship's deck, a nearby patrolling Marine spotted her.
"Hey you! What were you doing on that ship?!" the guard shouted, aiming his rifle at her.
Emi raised her hands in a gesture of surrender, trying to maintain a serene smile on her face.
"Oh, uh... I was just looking for something I lost..." she said innocently.
The Marine eyed her suspiciously, but before he could say anything more, Law appeared behind him and struck with surgical precision, knocking him out with one blow.
"What were you thinking, journalist-ya?" Law murmured, pulling her into a nearby alley.
"I have proof!" Emi whispered, brandishing her mini transponder snail. "Let's go before more show up."
Emi turned on her heel, ready to head right, towards the castle, while Law moved left, towards the ship. They suddenly collided, finding themselves face to face.
Law looked down at Emi, raising an eyebrow, "Where do you think you're going?"
"To the castle, of course," Emi replied determinedly.
"No," he cut her off, the tension palpable in his voice. "We're going back to the ship."
"What? No, listen to me! I can't just settle for these photos. I need more proof."
Law remained calm, but his gaze was hard. "What's happening on this island isn't our concern."
"But these people are suffering!" she protested.
"Journalist-ya, we're not here to save the world," Law replied coldly.
"That doesn't—"
Their argument was interrupted by shouts and the sound of rushing footsteps. The Marines were coming, alerted by their colleague who had woken up to seek reinforcements.
"We don't have time to argue," Law murmured, firmly grabbing Emi's arm. "Now follow me."
Emi wanted to protest, but the sound of the Marines' hurried footsteps behind them dissuaded her from starting a conversation.
They hurried through the alleys and made their way to the edge of the surrounding woods. Reluctantly, Law took a detour through the dense vegetation to avoid leading them directly to the submarine.
As they progressed, the forest began to change, giving way to an expanse of giant mushrooms. They moved cautiously, while behind them, the Marines hesitated to continue.
"Damn it, they've entered the forbidden zone!" they heard a Marine shout to his companions.
"Leave them, they won't come out alive. Those idiots don't know what they've gotten themselves into," another replied with a hint of contempt in his voice.
As the sound of their pursuers' footsteps faded, Emi realized they were no longer being followed, but a growing unease gripped her as she observed the strange and threatening environment around them. Emi came to an abrupt stop, her instinct screaming at her to turn back.
"Law, wait, this forest... there's something very wrong here!" she exclaimed, scanning the surroundings.
Law nodded slowly, his gaze scrutinizing the giant mushrooms that seemed to be watching them.
"I noticed," he said calmly, gripping his Nodachi firmly.
Law had never seen this type of specimen before, and he knew it boded no good. The deeper they went into the forest, the denser the vegetation became, and the air grew stranger.
Suddenly, the mushrooms began to shake, much to Emi's surprise and anxiety.
"What the...?!" Exclaimed Emi.
As they warily watched the immense fungi, the mushrooms started oscillating more and more violently, releasing a cloud of yellow spores. Law and Emi quickly realized the danger. The air was filling with a mist that seemed toxic, descending from the mushroom caps and rapidly enveloping them from all sides. They were trapped.
"This smoke is toxic!" Law exclaimed, covering his mouth with his arm.
But before he could devise a strategy, Emi had already spotted an escape route: a river a few meters away.
"That way!" she shouted, pointing to the river that wound nearby.
Without hesitation, she grabbed Law's arm and pulled him along. Her survival instinct taking over, she ran as fast as her legs could carry her towards the water, dragging a somewhat surprised Law behind her.
It was their only chance to escape the toxic smoke. Taking a leap of faith and hoping that diving into the water would save them, she didn't waste a moment.
"Law, we have to dive! The smoke probably won't get through the water!"
Law hesitated for a moment at the idea of diving into what seemed to be seawater due to the proximity of the port. But recognizing there was no other choice, he nodded, hoping the water would stop the spread of the deadly spores.
As the toxic mist closed in dangerously, without another word, Emi jumped into the cold water, dragging Law with her. The cold water enveloped them immediately, pulling them away from the harmful spores that couldn't reach them beneath the surface.
Emi and Law swam underwater with determination, their movements coordinated to make the most of the swift current that was carrying them away from the threat. Emi, her lungs burning from the effort of staying submerged, felt fatigue setting in but refused to let go. She noticed that Law was strangely slow and less agile than she had anticipated and realized with concern that they had dived into saltwater.
Just when Emi thought they had to resurface for fresh air, she noticed with horror an interruption in the water's profile ahead of them. Her heart raced as she realized the watercourse was rushing toward a steep drop. Time seemed to slow down as she turned to Law, seeking confirmation of what she was seeing.
Law, catching her panicked look, nodded silently. The waterfall ahead represented a new danger, but turning back was not an option. By instinct, Emi adjusted her grip on Law's shirt, stabilizing herself as much as possible as the current pulled them inexorably toward the edge of the waterfall.
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Will Law and Emi survive the treacherous waters? Stay tuned to find out their fate in the next chapter!