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Heart Pirate's Submarine
Law POV
"Captain! There's been a breach to the ship!" Yelled Penguin, skidding to a halt in front of his captain's quarters and shoving the door open in panic. Normally he wouldn't have dared to so much as speak through the door when it was clear that the surgeon was not keen on being disturbed. However, there was an emergency.
Trafalgar Law looked up at his crew mate from the book on his desk, a mildly startled look on his face. "Where is the breach?"
"The hull, Captain! We activated the emergency door, but the water has already started to break through." Penguin grabbed at his hat in panic. "If we don't do something now, we risk sinking the ship completely!" He paced frantically before turning back to his captain. "What are we going to do!?"
Law frowned at Penguin. "Calm down," He said, getting up from his seat. "Whatever it is, I'm sure the ship-"
Just then, an alarm went off in the cabin, accompanied by a flashing red. The sound was piercing. Penguin jumped at the noise, then ran out of the cabin and made for the control room.
"Shit." Law cursed before following him at a brisk stride. When he reached the control room, it was in chaos. Bepo was freaking out at the wheel, Penguin and another of the crew were arguing, frantically trying to make the other listen. Shachi was running from one end of the room to the other, blabbering nonsense.
"Bepo! What happened!?" Penguin screeched at the bear. "How is there a breach to the ship?" Bepo shook his head in panic.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He wailed. "It just came, I didn't see-"
"What d'you mean, you didn't see!?" Shachi shouted, still pacing frantically. "You have eyes, don't you?"
"Hey!" Law bellowed angrily. "Shut up, will you!" The room fell silent, sheepish heads turning towards their captain. He strode towards Bepo who was clutching the wheel tightly. "Bepo, what happened?" The bear shook his head.
"I'm sorry Captain! It was a massive chunk of ice in the sea! I thought we wouldn't hit cold waters for another few hours at least, but it seems that the wind has blown the ice further southwards than I expected!" He said. "It just came out of nowhere." Law scratched his chin.
"What's the damage so far?"
"There is a whole in the hull, Captain. Water has already flooded half of it, and is starting to leak through the door." One of the crew spoke up, nervously wringing his hands. "If I have calculated correctly, we have about 20 minutes before the ship goes under completely!" Law clicked his tongue, thinking hard. Then he turned around.
"Shachi!" Shachi jumped at his name being called. "Go below deck. Get anything important up here, now." Shachi scrambled to the door, pulling three of his crew mates along with him. Law turned to back to the rest of his crew. "Jean Bart, go and close all the emergency doors below deck. Don't lock the others out." Jean Bart nodded and moved towards the door. Law looked at Bepo. "Bepo, where are we?"
"I'm not sure, we have no map. I think about 1 mile from our destination. We'll never make it!"
"Is there any island nearby where we could stay and repair the ship?"
"No Captain, but the radar has picked up a small land mass just under 1 mile to the east."
"What's our depth?"
"150 meters, Captain." Law nodded.
"Surface and go there now." Bepo looked confused.
"But Captain, we don't know if it's populated or dangerous-"
"It's better than dying, isn't it, Bepo?" Law asked, a smirk curling its way onto his mouth. Bepo nodded anxiously and then pulled a lever next to the wheel. The ship shuddered violently, before it started to rise to the surface. Bepo quickly turned the wheel to the right, facing the ship eastwards.
Law looked around the rest of the crew who were all watching him. "Well, what are you waiting for? Prepare for a rough docking." The crew immediately started running around the ship, making the necessary preparations. Law reached out and grabbed Penguin's shoulder before he could leave. "Penguin, go to the theatre and get my medical kit." Penguin nodded.
"Yes, Captain." He ran off. Bepo nervously turned towards Law.
"Captain, what are we going to do if the ship sinks before we reach the island?" Law looked at his navigator.
"Well, we'd better not let that happen," he replied. "Or we're dead."
Just then, the ship gave a sudden jolt. Bepo gripped the steering wheel tightly, keeping the submarine on course. Law had grabbed a nearby table to steady himself, but the vessel continued to shudder dangerously.
"Full speed, Bepo. We haven't got much time."
The next few minutes were filled with anxious waiting, frantic preparations and panicked shouting. Penguin returned to the control room carrying Law's medical kit, then rushed back out to help Shachi and the others with bringing the important possessions - such as weapons, maps - up to their captain. Jean Bart came back unharmed, having been successful with closing the emergency doors.
CRASH
The ship shuddered again, then gave an almighty groan.
"Oh, crap!" Penguin yelled. "That's the doors!"
"Bepo, how far!?"
"Half a mile, Captain!"
"Half a mile!?" Shachi freaked out. "WE'LL NEVER MAKE IT!"
"Quiet!" Law yelled. "Keep the ship going! How far are we from the surface?"
"100 metres!"
"Keep going up!" Law growled, gripping his nodachi. "We'll make it to the surface at least..."
"90 metres...80...70..." Bepo was counting down, watching the monitor closely. The ship gave another almighty rumble, and the lights went out. The entire crew shouted out in shock.
"Damn it!" Shachi yelled somewhere to Law's right. A clunk sounded, and the emergency lights flickered on, bright and yellow. Law looked around, quickly checking his crew.
"Depth, Bepo!?" He yelled.
"40 metres!"
Penguin freaked. "We'll never make it!" He looked around frantically.
"30 metres!"
"Penguin-ya, calm down!" Law yelled, the man's panic getting to him. In truth, he didn't believe it was likely they were going to make it to the tiny piece of rock they were headed towards. But he had to stay strong for the crew. They turned to him for orders, for advice. Law looked back at them, and he steeled himself.
"When this submarine surfaces, we'll go onto the deck. It won't be long until it begins to sink. Then, our main priority is getting to the island."
"20 metres!"
"We may have to swim. Jean Bart, I'll need your assistance as I can't do so in the sea water."
"Yes, Captain."
"Penguin, you take one bag of supplies, Shachi, the other. Bepo, make sure the ship is as close as possible-" He was interrupted by a deafening rumble.
"We've surfaced, Captain! We're 200 metres away from the destination, and we have approximately 3 minutes before the ship sinks!" Law nodded.
"Go full-speed – we need all the time available! Open the deck doors, now!" Bepo pulled a lever, and a loud beep sounded in the control room. Instantly, the crew moved out. "Bepo, at the first sign of sinking, come out straight away."
And with that, Law ran with the others to the deck. As soon as they turned the corner, the icy wind stabbed at their skin. He pulled his cap further down over his eyes in an attempt to limit the freezing air. It was dark, the sun being blocked by the angry clouds. The sea was angrily tossing and turning, spray flying everywhere – the deck was slippery, water dripping from the railings. The crew gathered on the deck, the roaring wind whipping their clothes.
"There, Captain!" Penguin yelled to make himself heard over the wind. He grabbed Law's shoulder and swivelled him to the right. "There it is!" He pointed to a dark mass that was looming out of the dark sky. Law nodded, although the sea water that kept soaking him was draining him of energy. Then, suddenly, the ship groaned and creaked, rumbling under their feet. It slowed down, and Law noticed the horizon was getting higher.
"Bepo-ya, get out!" He shouted down the hallway, banging his fist on the metal. Then he turned to his crew, gripping his sword tightly. "Brace yourselves!"
The water crept over the edge of the ship, seeping through the railings. Bepo came running out, panting.
"Just over 100 metres, Captain!" He reached and pulled a lever on the inside of the hallway, causing the deck doors to close slowly. "Our speed is half what it was!" Law rubbed his face, thinking hard.
"Everyone, on top of the sub!" They moved swiftly, jumping and clambering their way onto the highest point of the metal ship. The wind was even fiercer at the top, and the swaying of the sea was much rougher; they had trouble keeping their balance. They shuffled close, making a tight circle.
The land mass was closer, but still too far to risk swimming. Law looked around, thinking through the options. Either they waited until the ship was under completely, then swam. But that would leave them without a ship and with no way of escape. He would rather not choose that option if it came to it. Another choice was that he could try and teleport the ship onto the island once they were close enough –ifthey got close enough. Just then, Bepo turned to his captain.
"What are we going to do!?" He cried desperately. Law steadied himself as the ship lurched. He'd made his decision.
"I'm going to save the submarine. We just have to get close enough." Bepo shook his head frantically.
"But that's impossible! We're nearly 100 metres away from the island, Captain!" Law gave him a piercing look that shut him up. Then he smirked.
"You doubt me, Bepo-ya? Have you lost all faith in your captain?" Bepo looked shocked, then opened his mouth to respond, but Law cut him off. "I will not let the Heart Pirates be beaten by the sea." And with that, he turned towards the island. Breathing in deeply, sharpening his mind in concentration, he stretched out his hand.
"Room!" The blue sphere flickered to life under his palm. And he smiled. Then it expanded rapidly. Law pushed it, forced it,willedit to stretch as far as possible. But he had to be quick – the sea was getting higher, and his energy was slipping from him. His knees felt unstable, and his breath began to get laboured. Gritting his teeth, he forced all his power into the blue sphere.
"Law!" Bepo called him. "You've reached it!"
And Law closed his eyes, focused, then forced his energy. There was a flash. For a second, it was like he was floating. A weightless sensation spread though his limbs.
Then reality came crashing down.
With an enormous smash, the submarine dropped into the ground. The crew was thrown violently from the roof on impact. Law felt himself be sent flying, yelling as the ground approached him fast. He tried to shift his body in mid-air to land on his feet, but he wasn't fast enough. He landed heavily on his side, feeling the air escape his lugs with a whoosh. Rolling, he felt his bones jolt, and he choked out a strained groan when he finally came to a stop. He tried to draw breath, but his lungs felt shocked.
He lay there for a second, his muscles trembling from his exertion. Room took a lot of energy out of him. His mind was stunned – basic thoughts were not registering. A freezing wetness soaked through to his skin, and he realised he was lying deep in snow. Shivering, he blinked away the blackness that was creeping into his vision. Then finally –finally– his body allowed him to breathe. He sucked in air desperately, feeling it almost burn his throat. Coughing violently, he rolled onto his front, shaking his head groggily. Lifting his eyes upwards, he saw something that made his heart quicken.
The submarine had been ploughed into the snowy ground, some of the metal crumpled under its weight. Sea water was seeping from a large hole in the side. Yellow paint had been scraped off as well as one of its wings completely torn off. The damage was very extensive, and Law didn't know if it would be possible to fix. Tearing his eyes away from his beloved ship, he looked around panting. The most important thing now was to find everyone and regroup. This island was unregistered – who knows what could be on it.
"Bepo-ya?" He called hoarsely as he shifted, gingerly turning his head to look around. "Shachi? Penguin?" A hiss of pain came from behind him.
"Law," he heard Penguin wheeze. Law turned, looking behind him, still panting heavily. His crew mate looked back, his hat askew. He gave Law a pained grimace, then shifted slowly onto his knees. Law turned away, looking around for Kikoku – that damned sword would be anxious by now. His hat was missing too – but it hardly mattered at this moment. Crawling to his feet, Law stood up. God, he ached. He turned to Penguin, who was stumbling to his feet, clutching his stomach.
"You okay?" Law asked, concerned at the pained expression on his crew mate. Nothing major seemed to have happened, but it was important that his crew was fit enough to deal with any potential threats. Penguin nodded, rubbing his side.
"Yeah," he coughed. "It's just a bruised rib, I think." Law nodded in relief, then turned to look around. Then he froze, his heart skipping a beat with dread.
A dome-shaped building loomed out of the darkness. It wasn't tall, but the grey colour as well as the sign on the long doors were unmistakeable – it was a navy base, home of the Marines. This is exactly what they had been hoping to avoid.
"Fuck," Law spat, eyes darting around immediately for any potential threats. There was no way that the crash of the submarine had gone unnoticed. Scanning, Law realised how small the island actually was – he could see the ocean to his left and to his right. The crew needed to regroup, now. "Bepo-ya! Shachi! Where are you!?" He called for his crew, drawing his sword. Penguin exclaimed to his right.
"There they are!" Law turned to see a slightly dishevelled Bepo and Shachi hurrying towards them.
"Captain!" Bepo said, breathing a little hard. "What's wrong!?" Law nodded to the looming building. Shachi's mouth parted with a sound of despair.
"Law!" Law heard his latest crew member call him, and he turned to see Jean Bart emerge from behind the submarine, a hand covering a bleeding wound on his side. "The ship! It's..."
"I know." Law said seriously, eyeing his beloved ship once more. "But right now, we have a Marine base to worry about." His crew gathered close, and Law rubbed his eyes before making a decision. "Right. By the looks of it, the base is not big, therefore the number of Marines is going to be small, but that doesn't mean that there isn't an Admiral here, or someone of greater power. There's no doubt we have been detected, so they will start to attack any minute now." Law paused then, looking at each of his crew members as he spoke. "We attack, and we storm the base. Kill them – if they realises that I'm here, my Shichibukai status will be lost. Right now, our lives are on the line."
The shouts of men echoed from the distance. The crew swivelled towards the sound, drawing weapons and preparing for battle. The wind whipped at their clothes, and the freezing temperature bit at their skin. But they were ready to fight.
At the first sight of the crowd of men running towards them, Law stretched out his hand, a blue sphere expanding from his palm. It grew until it reached the attackers.
"Room," he called, extending Kikoku. Then with deadly precision, he swung his sword. Even from a distance, he could see the little white hats jump up as he cut off the heads of the assaulters. "Go!" he yelled at his crew. "Bepo-ya, with me!"
They leapt into action. Shachi and Penguin dashed forward, running with no fear towards the Marines. Jean Bart drew his sword and started running too, yelling a battle cry. Law and Bepo followed at a slower pace. More and more men were pouring from the gates, and Law swung his sword again, decapitating the majority of them.
"Tact!" With a swipe of his fist, Law sent the detached bodies and heads flying as far as he could to the side, some flying into the ocean. Jean Bart followed the bodies, swinging and kicking them towards the edge of the snowy landscape. Shachi and Penguin had already fought their way to the gates, downing the Marines that came flying at them, but then they disappeared. It wasn't long before Law and Bepo reached the gate, panting slightly, still fighting off the occasional headless body.
"Where are Shachi and Penguin!?" Law called over the wind to Bepo.
"They've gone inside the base!" Law turned behind him to see Jean Bart finishing off the remaining headless Marines outside.
"Jean Bart! We're storming the base!" He shouted, then turned and nodded to his navigator. They ran towards the tunnel entrance of the base from which they could hear fighting echoing. Law ran forward, ducking under a Marine's sword and bring his own across the enemies stomach. Bepo dashed forward, stunning two marines with a spinning kick which Law finished off with clinical precision. The doctor scanned his surroundings – bodies lay on the ground. They were making quick word of the enemies. Calling out to Bepo to follow, he ran down the entrance and came into a large white dome-shaped room where Shachi and Penguin were fighting furiously. Marine heads turned towards him. One man pointed his gun at Law, surprise evident on his face.
"Hey!" He yelled. "It's him! Traf-" He didn't even have time to finish his sentence as Law cut through him, blood spraying across the walls. Law wiped at his cheek in disgust where some of the red liquid had landed.
"Yeah, it's me," he spat, stepping over the body. Penguin beat down the last Marine remaining in the room, kneeing him in the side of the head. Panting, Shachi turned to Law, wiping a bloody nose. "Is that it?"
"I think that's all of them, Captain." Law nodded, quickly scanning the room. Just then, Jean Bart entered behind him, straightening up from the tunnel entrance.
"All clear outside Captain."
"Good." Law sheathed his sword, letting out a deep breath. The numbers hadn't been as big as he had been expecting, and it hadn't taken them long to storm the base. Looking around, Law saw a dark stairwell with the number one painted red to the left of the doorway. He nodded towards it. "Bart-ya, Penguin-ya, Shachi-ya, are you okay to go ahead and check the remaining floors?" His crew members nodded, dusting themselves off before approaching the stairway.
It was only then did Law realise how cold it was in the base. Chilling tremors started to effect his body.
"Come on, Bepo," he said, turning to the bear, who seemed unaffected by the cold. "We've got to get the supplies we brought up to the deck. They'll be outside in the snow, near the sub."
The two made their way into the icy wind, squinting through the dark to locate the hunk of metal and their supplies. After spotting the damaged ship, they hunted around in the snow to retrieve the important items, including a box of maps and papers needed for navigating, Law's medical kit and a bag of food and blankets that Shachi had grabbed, just in case. After they were sure they had found everything, they hurried back to the base, dumping the supplies on the floor. The three other crew members returned to the top floor, then.
"All clear, Captain." He said, wiping at his brow. "We found nobody. It's just us, and the few Marines who may not be dead."
"That's good news, means that the Marine Headquarters probably wasn't notified..." Law allowed himself a moment of relief, before thinking about what to do next. It was too dark outside to examine the extent of the damage done to the submarine. They needed to dispose of the dead bodies, and round up any Marines that might be alive for questioning. Law was certain he hadn't been recognised, and if someone had realised his identity, he was sure he had killed the person. "Okay, describe the layout of the base."
"Three floors, Captain. The control room is there," Shachi nodded to a large pair of doors to the right of the stairwell, "and there is a prison cell on the third floor. That's also the floor where the supplies are kept. The second floor has a medical room, a lounge and kitchen and a dormitory. We checked the water supply, and its working."
"Alright. I'll scan the bodies and take any access cards, keys, transponder snails, anything of the sort. Pile the dead bodies outside, we'll dispose of them in the morning, it's too dark to see much outside. Anyone who is unconscious, throw them in the dungeon. We'll deal with them later."
The crew set about moving the bodies. It wasn't pleasant work – blood pooled on the floor, and stained the snow outside. Law scanned the bodies and removed anything of importance he could find, making sure to get any communication equipment before they were reported. They needed all the time they could get to fix the submarine. It took them a while, and it was laborious work, but eventually they managed to clear the base of the bodies, and the crew regrouped inside, shivering.
"Captain," Bepo began briefing Law on the situation. "We found five men who were unconscious, and they've been locked in the dungeon." With that, Bepo held out a bundle of keys to Law. He nodded, pocketing the keys, then turning to the control room.
"Alright, it seems we're secure enough." He pushed through the doors to find a large white, brightly lit room – a few desks lay spread out around the room, electrical equipment stacked on their surfaces. Various screens were attached to the right-hand side of the room, displaying information on the status of the building. Law walked around, examining the papers scattered on some of the desks and glancing at the screens. After a quick investigation, it seemed that no alarms or warnings had been set off. There was a large green button labelled ENTRANCE DOORS just on the inside of the room, next to the doors. After a moment of consideration, Law pushed it.
A loud beeping sound came from the room outside. Law looked through the doors to see his crew staring at the tunnel entrance.
"The doors are closing, Captain!" Bepo piped up, turning to Law quickly. Law nodded reassuringly to the bear, then called his crew to follow him. After they had gathered in the slightly warmer control room, Law addressed his crew.
"Right," he began wearily, reaching for his hat, but realising it was missing. The others were tired too, Law noticed. "For now, it seems like the base is secure. No alarms or messages seem to have been sent to the Headquarters. We can't do anything for the submarine right now. The clock says it's nearly midnight, but I'm guessing it won't be light outside until late morning. That's when we'll examine the damage, but judging by what I saw, it will take more than a few days to fix. That will be our main focus, to fix the ship. But while that happens, we'll stay in the base. It has plenty of supplies for us to survive."
The crew remained silent, watching Law with hopeless expressions.
"What if the ship can't be fixed?" Jean Bart said, somewhat quietly. "What would we do then?"
"It will," Law said simply. "We've always managed to fix it when it's been damaged." Nobody replied. After a heavy silence, Law sighed. "I'm going to have a look at some of the documents in here, and figure out where we are. Penguin, take my medical kit. Jean Bart and Shachi look like they need some medical attention, but their wounds aren't serious."
"I'll go find some food," Bepo murmured, turning to retrieve the bag from the other room. Penguin left with him, and Law looked to the remaining two crew members. Apart from a few injuries and exhausted demeanour, they seemed in a stable condition. Law rubbed his eyes, trying to ignore the oncoming headache. The situation was certainly stressful. But he needed to concentrate, and sift through the papers in here. With a sigh, he turned to the desk closest to him, sat down in the chair and grabbed the pile of papers that were stacked neatly on the shiny surface.
Penguin entered with the medical kit, and the two injured men crowded around him as he pulled out bandages and disinfectant. Bepo followed shortly after with some bread and water he found in the kitchen, handing them out to everyone. Law refused with a disdainful look at the bread. Bepo half smiled, and pulled extended a handful of fruit to Law, which he accepted with a mumbled thanks.
"How's it going, Captain? Have you found anything?"
"Nothing," Law sighed in frustration, shoving the papers he had skim-read away from him. "There has to besomethinguseful here. A map, secret Marine operations, anything!"
"I'll help you look!" Bepo chirruped, almost happily. Law pulled open the draws of the desk and started rummaging through, pulling out papers and documents. He handed them to Bepo.
"That would be helpful, start on that." With a little bit of reluctance, his navigator took a seat on the ground and started sifting through the papers. Law started on the other draw, eyes running quickly over the text. At first, nothing came to his attention. Just as he was beginning to get frustrated again, a wad of paper caught his eye. Along the top of the page, the words OPERATION HALK EYE was written.
"I found something." Bepo looked up from his sheets quickly.
"What is it?" Law scanned the first few pages, frowning.
"Oh, interesting..." he mused, a slightly sardonic smile creeping onto his face. "It appears our friends here were spying on us." Flipping through a few more pages, it suddenly became clear to Law. "This island, apparently called 'Arashi', is surrounded by extremely strong currents that force ships away from the island. But there are a few patches around it which the currents aren't strong enough to do so. The Marines discovered this island, and have been using it to spy on any passing ships, hoping to stop rookie pirates entering the New World." He looked up at Bepo then, a little shocked. "We must have been lucky and managed to avoid the currents, and that's why we're here."
"Wow, really!?" Piped up Penguin from the other side of the room. Law turned to the others, who were listening intently.
"That appears to be the case." Law turned back to the document. After flipping a couple of pages, he saw something that made his stomach lurch. ADMIRAL VISITS. Law intently read the passage of text underneath the heading, then swore.
"Fuck," he hissed, turning to the rest of his crew. "We can only stay here for just under two weeks." Bepo jumped up then, staring at Law in urgency.
"What, why!?" He cried. "We won't be able to fix the sub in two weeks!" Law held up the page.
"Because there are Admiral visits every month, and the last one, it says here, was approximately two weeks ago." Jean Bart cursed under his breath.
"The sub can be fixed in two weeks, but it would require us to work all through the day, so as soon as the sun rises until it sets in the evening." Law thought hard, scratching his chin.
"Alright..." The situation was worse than he had expected. He got up from his chair, shouldering Kikoku. "Penguin, how are the injuries?"
"All patched up, Captain." Law nodded, making his way to the door. "I think it's best we get some rest for now. Tomorrow, we'll get rid of the bodies and make a start on the submarine." The other crew members shuffled to their feet and followed Law out of the room. "Penguin-ya, where did you say the beds were?"
"Second floor," he yawned in response. "They are all in one big room, but there aren't that many compared to the number of Marines that were here."
"I don't think I can sleep tonight," Shachi grumbled. "Too much is happening." Law grunted in agreement as the crew descended the stairwell. He felt dirty, and wanted to wash some of the blood from his skin before he slept. At least it was warming up in the base.
"Who knows," Bepo said quietly. "Maybe the submarine isn't as badly damaged as we think." Law didn't say anything, not wanting to depress his crew even further, but in his mind, he said:Bepo, it's going to take everything we have, and more, to get out of here in time.
~ x ~ x ~ x ~ x ~
Hey guys! Yup, it's a OC fanfic, woop!
So the story is actually really long and detailed, with some twists and turns, but I want to point out that whilst there is going to be some fighting and adventure, this fanfiction is mainly ROMANCE based, so a lot of the drama/angst will be centered around that.
I also want to say that there will be fluff, smut and violence, and one scene of rape. You have been warned.
Please leave a review and let me know what you think!