Chapter 10
"I can't believe you tied Luffy to a float and dumped him in the sea!" Sabo scowled.
Rouge shrugged. "He said he wanted to train and wouldn't stop bugging me about it."
"It makes sense," Ace agreed.
"No it doesn't!" Sabo snapped.
Dragon sighed. "Didn't you also say something about dinner?"
"Yeah, I thought he might lure in some big fishes!" Rouge grinned. "Free dinner, right?"
"DON'T USE LUFFY FOR FOOD!" Sabo screeched.
"Oi, oi, it's not like I'm showing favouritism. I used Ace earlier," Rouge pointed out.
She didn't see what the big fuss was about. The mink kid had rescued Luffy after all when he drifted too far off.
"You let him drift out for nearly an hour before informing us to turn the ship." Dragon twitched.
Rouge sniggered, but winced when Dragon whacked her with a haki fist. Ace and Sabo looked horrified.
"Wait, you can hit her?" Sabo asked breathlessly.
"He's as bad as gramps!" Ace gasped.
"It's a handy ability called haki," Rouge explained, rubbing her arm. "I suppose you three will learn more about that as you grow up too."
"If Rouge doesn't get you eaten before then," Dragon grumbled. "Anyway, Rouge, is this where you wanted to go?"
"I have to admit I'm not sure," Rouge admitted, a furrow in her brow. "Something is calling me here."
Ace tilted his head. "It's like a nagging feeling, right?"
"Exactly!" Rouge smiled. "It's like an itch I can't scratch, really annoying, but hopefully something good will come out of it."
They followed Dragon who must have been using his observation haki to track down Luffy. Sabo looked so disappointed in her, and it was so adorable how he never thought she'd do such a thing. It made her want to cackle. Sure, she wouldn't do it in Paradise or New World, but the Blues had such safe seas.
"-And you have such a cool bear!" They could hear Luffy say cheerfully. "I can't believe he talks!"
They found themselves at a beachside with a small group of teenage boys (and mink) with Luffy clinging to the bear's head.
"Oi, get off of Bepo." The dark haired teen frowned, but paused when their eyes met.
Rouge and Ace both gasped.
"Ace?" Sabo called.
Rouge couldn't help but stare at the kid and he stared back at them, eyes equally wide as their own. It took Rouge a moment to recall her manners and she bowed her head.
"Hello, little brother," she greeted.
The teen grimaced. "Hello... Sister..."
He almost looked sick saying it, but if this was the witch who Rouge thought it was, there might be a very good reason for how ill he looked.
"Traffy?" Luffy frowned. "Why did you get so pale?"
"You're a Trafalgar..." Rouge said weakly.
'Traffy' winced. "Yes. Trafalgar Law."
"I'm Portgas D. Rouge." She turned to Ace. "Introduce yourself to our brother, Ace."
The head witches always referred each other as 'siblings'. The nature witches were their 'cousins'. It was a respectable greeting they always shared with each other.
"I'm Portgas D. Ace." Ace bowed his head. "Nice to meet you."
Sabo stared at him blankly. "Those lessons with Makino really did do you wonders, huh?"
Makino had sent them a letter full of lessons for Ace and Luffy about their manners. Dadan had been the one to send it out after a call, along with a gruff farewell for Ace.
"The Elemental clan," Law muttered. "I thought you were all gone."
"I thought the same of your clan," Rouge admitted. "Ace felt it... We both did..."
"I was the only one to make it out of Flevance," Law said coldly.
Rouge growled. "Those bastards..."
"Rouge-" Dragon warned.
"I know. I can't go setting fires otherwise I'll get a bigger target painted on Ace's back," Rouge snapped. "But I would love to crush some assholes right now for what they've done to my witches!"
Law sighed. "Sadly that seems impossible."
Rouge softened. "I'm so sorry, Law."
She looked over his shoulder and saw a flicker of a shadow. The same shadow she was once, but it was barely there, so faint and weak. Law wouldn't be able to feel that one of his parents were there, whoever the witch had been.
"Trafalgar Law," Dragon called.
Law frowned. "Yes?"
Dragon knelt down to be more at level with his height. His face was calm, but his eyes were burning. "You're the last survivor of Flevance, aren't you?"
Law's eyes hardened.
"I am the Revolutionary Dragon," Dragon introduced himself sharply, and Law and his friends all startled. "I am trying to free this world from its darkness, the same darkness that destroyed your home and your people's lives." Dragon gritted his teeth. "I will seek justice for the murder that happened in Flevance!"
Law spoke coldly, but there was a small wobble in his voice, barely there, but just noticeable. "Everyone said that it needed to be done to stop the spread."
Law's friends had also tensed up, their stances growing defensive for Law. Rouge smiled at that. Good, he had found some loyal friends then.
"We both know that is was never contagious. We know that the nobles knew that too, and so did the World Government," Dragon said, equally as cold. "And know that I will do everything in my power to avenge your homeland as I shall with everyone else who has suffered these cruelties."
Law's gaze lost its sharp edge, he sighed softly, his shoulders slumping. "Well I wish you luck, Dragon-ya, because that's a sight I can't ever imagine seeing."
"That's understandable," Dragon said gently.
"Traffy!" Luffy suddenly yelled, making them all wince, then yelp when the kid tackled Law.
It was only Dragon catching them that saved Law from whacking his head off the ground.
"L-Law!" the brunette cried. "Don't just murder him, you psycho kid!"
"I thought we were going to go to your house and get hot chocolate!" Luffy laughed. "Can we put meat in it?"
"He can't do it if you kill him, Luffy!" Ace snapped, yanking Luffy off Law.
"Yeah, apologise!" Sabo ordered, rushing over to help Law to his feet, but Dragon had already steadied him, so Law merely eyed Luffy while he rubbed the back of his neck, wincing.
"I'd appreciate you not trying to murder me again, Luffy-ya," Law grumbled.
"Shishishishi- OUCH!" Luffy yelped, clutching his head where Ace had punched him. "MEANIE!"
"Don't be so careless, Luffy!" Ace huffed.
"Let's just go back to my place and get you that hot chocolate," Law said. "Being out in that water couldn't have been good, no matter how warm it's gotten."
"This is warm?" Sabo groaned.
"They're East Blue babies," Rouge teased.
Dragon rolled his eyes. "In that case you should feel the cold the worst since you were from South Blue."
"I'm dead so na, na." Rouge stuck out her tongue. "Oh yeah, sorry, Law who are your friends?"
The brunette grinned. "I'm Shachi!"
"Penguin."
"Bepo." Bepo bowed his head. "I'm sorry."
"For giving them your name?!" Shachi and Penguin both gasped.
"Shishishishi, he's such an awesome bear!"
"I'm Sabo, by the way," Sabo introduced himself. "Since nobody remembered to introduce me."
Rouge laughed sheepishly. "Oops?"
"Now you just sound like Luffy," Sabo huffed.
.::.
Law reluctantly led everyone to Wolf's house. He was going to have a heart attack seeing this many people coming in, but if they were all from East Blue then they wouldn't be used to the weather in North Blue. Sure, it was warm for them being born and raised in North Blue, but for people from East Blue it would be cold, and for Luffy to be in the ocean during it was bad. Rouge didn't really seem too bothered by it, just yawned when he mentioned the problems.
"Ace-ya." Ace paused and glanced at him, tilting his head. "How did you manage to get your mother to manifest here physically? Having a ghost is rare enough as it is, but she is physically here."
"I'm not sure how it works to be honest," Ace admitted. "I was about to be murdered and suddenly she was just there to protect me, no longer a shadow."
"I've not even seen a shadow," Law sighed. "I had hoped you had advice..."
"I'm in a bit more of a unique position, Law, or I was," Rouge said. "You might not know this but I was once known as the pirate Hibiscus Rouge. I was a thief who sailed the seas alone on my 'Little Red'."
"Alone?" Law frowned. "I didn't think it was possible."
"There's some goth kid doing it right now," Rouge said, then deflated. "I miss him, he was funny. He kept trying to take my title from me."
"Title?" Shachi blinked.
"I was the World's Greatest Swordsman." Rouge grinned fiercely. "I could fight against the likes of Gold Roger and Whitebeard! Rahahahaha!"
Law froze. Everyone did in fact, all except the kids, even Dragon paused.
"The point is I was on another level even compared to most witches," Rouge explained. "My strength and willpower from before had remained intact as I died, but sadly when your parents died they would have been seriously ill with Amber Lead Disease, right?"
Law bit his lip and nodded.
"They would have been very weak, Law," Rouge said gently, reaching down to squeeze his shoulder. "I wish I could bring them here for you, but I can't."
"Is there anything...?" Law asked weakly. "Any sign I'm being watched at least?"
He wanted to know if his father was still here, or if he had given up on Law the moment Law had failed Lami.
.::.
"I've seen a brief flicker of a shadow here and there, but they are very weak and their connection is very faint. I can't even speak to them," Rouge said, staring up at the shadow behind Law, still wavering dangerously out of shape.
There was no way his parent could ever come to him in this state, as much as it pained Rouge to admit it. The fact that the disease had even affected the healing clan of witches was a horrifying thought.
"I sometimes wish I could see my father again, even if it was just one more time," Law admitted quietly. "But I also do not wish to admit to him how badly I failed my sister..."
Rouge barely managed forced herself to breathe in and out to keep somewhat calm. The urge to burst into Marineford or any one of the neighbouring countries surrounding Flevance was becoming overwhelming. She could crush those who put down Flevance and its people heads with her bare hands and hang their bodies out as a warning for what they did to her sister clan and their people.
But Rouge knew how much of a bloodbath that would be. How much danger she would put on both Law and Ace, and they were so young, way too young to be burdened with being the last of their clans. The one and only heirs of the Trafalgar and Portgas clans.
"You never failed her. The world did," Rouge seethed. "The world failed Flevance. The world failed Baterilla." She stared hard at Dragon, and he nodded sharply.
"I will give them justice, Rouge."
"Good, because if I was alive right now, if Ace and Law wouldn't be targetted, I would be tearing them all apart right now in revenge," Rouge spat.
"Well I wouldn't worry too much about that," Law said dryly. "I'm already a target."
Rouge blinked. "And why is that?"
Shachi and Penguin groaned. "We're running from the monster flamingo."
"A FLAMINGO WANTS TO EAT YOU?!" Luffy wailed.
"No!" Law bristled. "Doflamingo is trying to kidnap me!" He glowered at Shachi and Penguin. "Use his real name."
The pair laughed sheepishly.
"Donquixote Doflamingo?" Rouge grimaced. "He was a rookie when I was still running about."
"Not anymore," Dragon said. "I told you he's been running around scaring all the Marines in North Blue. I was surprised he was still here, but if he is after Law for being a Trafalgar witch-"
"And the user of the Ope Ope no mi," Law admitted quietly.
They both froze.
"You're a devil fruit user too?" Sabo startled.
"Just like rubber boy here, yeah," Law said, tugging Luffy's cheek who whined.
"You should be more careful who you admit that too," Dragon sighed. "You know what that fruit can do, right?"
"Yeah, Doflamingo wants me to die for him for eternal youth," Law said, scowling. "He originally wanted it to be given to his brother, but those plans failed."
Rouge's hands twitched.
"Mum..." Ace called worriedly. "Um, you aren't about to go crush somebody's neck, right?"
"Is that what he really wants, Law?" Rouge asked sharply.
"I believe so."
"Then I'm going to kick a bitch's ass."