Chapter 21 - I Know Those Eyes, This Man Is Dead - Part I
Fourteen Years Ago in a Destroyed City
Pushing the door to the hospital supply closet open, Law moved into the small space, hurriedly looking over the layout. It was a bit cold, cramped, and dusty, but it was a place that the enemy soldiers wouldn't think to look and that was what mattered.
He quickly checked behind him to make sure that no one had seen or followed him, before slipping into the room and closing the door with his shoulder. A small cough caught his attention and he looked down worriedly at the precious burden in his arms.
Pushing aside some brooms, he moved some rags around on the ground to create a bit of a nest before bending down and placing his sickly little sister in the midst of them.
Lami coughed again, moaning and shivering, her small body covered in patches of white. So much so that the russet auburn of her hair could barely be seen anymore. He looked over her with concern. He didn't want to leave her, but he needed to get help. If he hurried, he could find Sister Benedicta and the other children and get them to wait and get help for Lami. He thought about taking her with him, but he had to move quickly and stealthily and sadly, his little sister would not only slow him down but both of them would be defenseless.
Lami looked up at him blearily wondering what was happening and why he had moved her from her warm hospital bed. He knelt down and took her hand.
"I need you to stay here, okay?"
She wasn't quite aware of her surroundings, but she could hear and understand his voice. That's what was important.
"O-Okay…" She answered softly.
He reassured her, "I need to go find help, but I'll come back for you, I promise."
He would get them both out somehow. He was smart, he was resourceful. He could do this! After they'd gotten free from this hellhole, they'd find someone who had a cure for both of their conditions. There just had to be something! Some way to detoxify Lami and make her well again!
She nodded weakly at his words before trying to call out for him. "L—
Only to go into a horrible coughing fit.
He went back to her side and picked her up and leaned her forward, rubbing slow circles along her back in order to help her lungs subside. As she quieted down, she tried to speak again, though it took a try or two before she was able to finally speak.
"W-where i-is Mom and Dad?"
His heart plummeted and his mind blanked as the sound of gunshots replayed in his head. He had come back from talking to the Sister with the rest of his classmates back at the school, where they begged for him to come along with them, but he had felt that he couldn't leave his family behind. So he returned to the hospital, sneaking past the mass of people who were pleading at the gates for help.
However, a division of soldiers had come and mowed them all down. The soldiers of their own country had been decimated days ago. Really it was just massacre after massacre at this point. Law avoided it and escaped back into the hospital without a second look back. Death and violence had become an everyday occurrence to him now.
He had been heading up the stairs of the hospital to where his family had basically moved to. (He had no idea what had happened to their actual house at this point.) He could hear his father making another futile phone call to governments that had abandoned them, and instead decided to go to his sister's room, rather than see his parents struggle with an endeavor everyone knew was hopeless.
That's when he heard the soldiers busting their way inside.
That's when he heard the shots.
It was by a miracle that the soldiers had somehow passed by their room as they systematically went through the hospital "euthanizing" all within—including Drs. Trafalgar Nelson and Horatia. Law hadn't thought he could weep or feel such visceral pain as much as he had when he found their bloody bodies. The war and destruction of their homeland had still seemed far away and separate until that moment. And yet in only seconds, he had suddenly been made an orphan and had had the responsibility of saving what was left of his family thrust upon him.
It was with those thoughts and memories that Law tried his best to let his sister keep her innocence, just a little bit longer.
Emotion couldn't help but color his voice as he answered her. "They….They can't be here right now, okay? But I promise I will stay by your side just as soon as I go and find help. Can you stay very quiet here and wait for me?"
He figured the soldiers wouldn't come back since they had accomplished their mission, but just in case, he would move his sister to a place where she was less likely to be found.
She vaguely nodded to him and he held her hand for just a bit longer before he made himself leave in search of any refugee transports that he could find that would take them.
What he found—was only more death and cruelty.
Women and children hadn't been spared thus far from the wrath of the gun, with enemy soldiers having slaughtered their people. So he had no idea why he thought that his teacher and classmates would have been any different.
Falling to his knees in front of their bullet-riddled bodies, he sobbed as his fist curled up against the gritty ground. He had known this would happen, but he had let Sister Benedicta's words seep into his head. He had let her blind faith affect him and had allowed himself to hope.
He was such a fool! He should have known—should have warned them!
Pain bubbled up in the pit of his stomach and a wail of sorrow and frustration forced itself out of his chest. He recalled her last words to him and it only made him feel more hollow.
"Merciful hand of salvation"?
Not here, Sister.
Not in this city of the damned. God had forsaken this place a long time ago…
He looked over the remains of Flevance. Its ivory beauty hid a deadly secret that ended up causing its own demise. His home had once been compared to Heaven on Earth. Looking at it now, drenched in ash, grit, smoke, and flame. The white was now stained black by the cinders and red by the blood of all its people. Law didn't think Hell could have been much worse.
With the death of his teacher and friends, he had now not only lost almost everyone he had ever known and loved, but he had also lost any hope of getting himself and Lami out of this nightmare.
What could he do?
He had begun to walk slowly back to the hospital. He just had to come up with a plan. Lami was counting on him!
Get it together, Trafalgar D. Water Law! You can cry later. Right now, you need to come up with a strategy.
As he continued to make his way back, trying to keep to the shadows to avoid being noticed, Law saw a strange green gas beginning to spread and creep along the ground.
Quickly, he raised his shirt over his mouth and nose trying to breathe as shallowly as possible. He recognized Chlorinax for what it was and the idea of them using chemical weapons on the town infuriated him and yet didn't surprise him either. The city was already dead. Why continue to beat the proverbial dead horse?
He thought to stay put for a moment and let it dissipate. It would give him time to regroup and think about what to do—
The roar of flames suddenly rang through the air, followed by the crash of glass breaking en masse. This alone usually wouldn't be something unusual. The entire town was in flames after all. However, all of those were old fires that had been burning for days now. What really caused Law's blood to turn to ice and him to forget about the poison gas entirely and go into a full-blown run, was the fact that this was a fresh fire.
A strong fire…
One that had found something new to consume.
And it was close. Too close.
Law ran faster than he ever had in his life and he prayed even harder. Please God no…not this…not there!
However, as he turned the corner, he was reminded once again that he had been forsaken along with the rest of the town. The sight of the hospital being completely engulfed in flames, the heat rippling through the air, and the blaze ate through timber, plaster, mortar, and Law's soul all at once.
"LAMI!"
He screamed in agony, the pain of feeling everything that made his spirit, his being, his short-lived decade of existence incinerating.
In less than an hour, he'd lost his entire world and everyone he'd ever known. Everything he had ever held dear was lost.
All was lost and he would not gain even a piece of it back until some years later from a man who would literally save his life and reform his heart.
Present Day, on the Polar Tang
All the memories of that night, where everything—including that childhood version of himself—was destroyed, flashed through Law's head as he came face to face with the woman in front of him.
His first thought was that she looked a lot like his mother.
Her auburn hair gleamed in just that way. Her eyes were just that warm, inviting shade of brown. The turn of her lips was just that precise way that it could either devastate or enrapture with the smallest of shifts.
However, there were differences too.
Her eyes were much too wide, too innocent, even compared to his mother. And the cut of her jawline and curve of her brow were all wrong, the shape of his nose was more angular. Her cheekbones were higher, looking more like his father's. And of course, she was much younger.
It was quite a mesmerizing conundrum.
Now of course there was an obvious answer. One that was literally staring him in the face. A resemblance so uncanny that it had stopped him in his tracks. One that his brain, as complex as it was, had recognized immediately.
However, despite that, another part of his brain immediately rejected that answer.
It was impossible.
She was dead.
He'd left her to die.
Even if she had survived the fire by some miracle, she would have been killed by the White Lead toxin long ago. No matter the fact that the woman in front of him looked exactly like his baby sister, it was only God playing another cruel joke on him.
Just a crazy coincidence, or a stranger that just happened to be his sibling's twin in appearance. The genetic chances were very remote, but they existed. Some random doppelganger.
But not his little Lam.
It was the only explanation.
.
.
.
So why couldn't he turn away?
When Lily had seen this man from afar a few weeks ago during the war at Marineford, something about him had caught her notice and wouldn't let go. It had taken artillery fire to finally tear her attention away. However, now those eyes had once again pulled her into their thrall.
His eyes at first glance were a slate gray, but flecks of silver brought them to vibrant life. However, what made them mesmerizing, was the undercurrent of amber gold that lay just behind the silver, causing them to become almost prismatic in nature. Gold in one light, silver in the next, cinereal from another.
Looking at them up close for the first time, Lily realized something.
I know those eyes…constantly following me. Dark and familiar, and deep as the sea…
She had never met this man before and yet somehow her consciousness recognized his eyes. A person's eyes were one of the first things that stuck with Lily upon meeting someone.
Ace's were warm ash that could be cozy, comforting, and enjoyable, but that ash could also ignite into speckles of burnished silver when his emotions ran high.
Scha's eyes lacked the human components of an iris and pupil, but the vibrance of the different shades of purple that held both the mystery and majesty of his species spoke to his moods and feelings at any given moment. She was now able to read them as well as any word written on a page.
Dragon's eyes were volcanically crafted obsidian that didn't falter nor did they erode. They were a steadfast anchor that stood against any storm, a shelter against any enemy and any injustice.
Sabo's were fascinating in that they were almost diametrically opposed to each other. One was the cool placid blue of the ocean, always calm and unmoved, though the right provocation could turn it into a solid chip of ice. The left eye on the other hand, almost looked otherworldly in appearance, and it could burn and broil intensely, almost to the bone, with only a glance.
They say that a person's eyes were the windows to their souls and for Lily, this had always been true ever since the days of having to stare into the haunting eyes of the Director.
The eyes of the man before her, told a different story. Or rather…a story behind the story. Because as sure as she knew night from day, she knew that she had seen these eyes before. But not as they are now.
And not just his eyes, but the entire visage seemed to begin to turn gears in her head. He was older than her, but not by much and he was attractive in that mysterious, dangerous, bad boy sort of way. But that attraction wasn't what pulled her. Those enthralling eyes sat in a setting of tanned skin and sharp angles. Ebony hair grew into both wild and yet controlled locks beneath a well-worn hat of spotted fur. The planes of his face, even despite the fatigue, wariness, and acrimony that tried to distort them, she could see the truth that could—should—have been there.
No…strange though it seemed, the eyes…the face…she saw was younger and kinder and haunted her dreams.
Who was this man? This stranger who was so familiar?
So much so that she saw him not how he was, but as he…should?…be.
Slowly she felt herself rise from the ground and she absently realized that the raven was helping her up, his hand grasping hers gently. They never broke eye contact even as she found her voice enough to ask. "Who are you?"
This seemed to startle him and his eyes narrowed a bit, the silver becoming a bit more prominent. "Who am…? You don't…?"
He suddenly shook his head, the slate gray returning once again and a self-deprecating smirk just making an appearance. "Nevermind…you couldn't be who I…"
Don't do that. He was putting up a facade and she hated it. She tilted her head a little as she looked up at him, feeling this yearning build up within her. "I couldn't be who?"
He breathed in sharply, "'Missy-ya'…is that your real name or one of those old pirate colloquialisms?"
She grimaced slightly. That wasn't a name she wanted him to call her. Also, he was annoyingly trying to deflect.
"It's not, but I think I asked you first… You're from the North Blue?"
His lips thinned into a line. "I am. As I can hear, so are you…It's a big sea…"
She stared back at him questioningly, "Is it?"
The two continued to watch one another fixedly, neither wanting to break whatever this was that was building between them.
However, it seemed that others saw things differently and suddenly the doors to the library burst open, letting in three more individuals into the room, their loud voices destroying the taut atmosphere.
The pirate captain quickly let her hands fall from out of his own and he moved a few steps away. His eyes were the first to look away from hers, traces of self-reproof within them.
She frowned at that, even as she turned to look at who had entered. This time she froze again, but this time for completely different reasons.
Law could kick himself. What was he doing?!
Lami was dead. As dead as the boy he had been that night.
It was more obvious than the black tattoos that ran rampant over his skin. Even if his sister had somehow survived, she would have tried to find him. She would have recognized him in the same way he had her. The fact that this girl had to ask who he was was proof enough.
And then there was the fact that his sister's case of White Lead poisoning had been much more advanced than his own. And as there was still no way to heal such a condition without the use of the Op-Op fruit, she would have died from the toxin long ago and would never have reached adulthood (she would have been 20 years, 5 months, and 16 days).
The idea of his little sister suddenly coming back from the dead and entering his life at the one island where he had no plans to be, and suddenly appearing in his ship's library gushing over his copy of Compendium Medicinæ was ludicrous at best. The odds were 20,000,000 to 1. It wasn't even worth entertaining. He had to get himself together. Keep the past in the past.
His tired mind was simply playing tricks on him.
This woman was a ghost, a mirage, nothing more.
As Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo came running into the room, thankfully only the Mink seemed to have caught a bit of what they had walked into before Law had been able to put distance between himself and the woman-who-was-definitely-not-Lami.
"Captain! What the heck is going on? First Marco the Phoenix and now the Dark King Silvers Rayleigh?!" Shachi stormed in, motioning with his hands incredulously.
Penguin backed him up, "Okay first off, you told me to let you know if there were any changes and it looks like the Dark King knows the snake empress. Enough that she's letting him on her land without any fuss. Though you'd have to be a fool to tell a legend like that 'no'. But whatever he said, worked and she sent her soldiers back."
Law had been expecting that. Phoenix and the Dark King wouldn't have come if they hadn't already had a good plan on how to deal with the pirate empress. Silvers had said as much when he left.
Penguin then continued and his shadowed eyes turned deliberately to the obvious stranger in the room. "And second, who's she?"
Law felt a knot in his throat and he chanced a glance over at the mysterious visitor. On the one hand, he didn't want to talk to her or about her at all. He needed to place as much distance between himself and her as he could. He didn't need the distraction or the vulnerability. His goals wouldn't allow for such dalliance.
And yet…
On the other hand, his damned traitorous curiosity had yet to be sated and if his men asked the questions instead, it would place a dissociation barrier against the lure that this woman somehow created against him.
Shachi didn't wait for him to answer the question as he nearly jumped out of his skin, somehow just noticing the appearance of the auburn-haired woman in their ship's library. "Oh, wow! I totally didn't see you there!"
Law rolled his eyes. He really needed to work on some way to drill his men so that they weren't so freaking oblivious to their surroundings.
Suddenly the ginger snapped his fingers and his face took on a gleeful, dopy grin before he strolled right over to her and in what Law considered, well into her personal space.
"Hey, are you one of the Kuja Warrior Pirates? I can't believe the Captain was keeping you all to himself!" Shachi looked over at Law conspiratorily offended to which the raven could only narrow his eyes with a frown. The implication going right over his head. However, when the other turned back to the girl, the look that Shachi seemed to adopt as he looked the woman up and down in an obviously desirous way, made him rethink that thought and a new very clear feeling sprang up in its stead.
Surprisingly, it was anger.
A very incised anger.
He normally didn't care when the crew talked about their silly attractions and desires as long as they kept them under control and were respectful. It was law that the single female on their crew was off limits and anyone who decided to try anything (and wasn't skinned alive by Ikkaku herself) would have to deal with him.
He'd never had a problem since he started the Heart Pirates, and he doubted that Shachi meant anything serious with that look. And yet, it caused this itch to fester under his skin and wouldn't go away.
Why was he feeling this way? This wasn't at all like him, darn it!
Was it seriously just because she happened to resemble his dead baby sister? Was he really that far gone?
But try as he might, he just couldn't seem to gather his well-maintained control fully back into place.
However, it was mostly for naught as, despite the presence of the three men in the room, the mysterious brunette ignored them all for the moment. Her attention seemed to be completely consumed by the presence of the polar bear Mink who had just been silently observing in the background thus far.
She walked past them all, as if in a trance. Her large brown eyes widened even more as she stopped in front of Bepo. Law was surprised to note how glistening with unshed tears her eyes seemed to be.
Reaching out a hesitant hand, she stopped before looking up at the Mink, her eyes the most unguarded and innocent that he'd seen so far. She asked softly and hopefully, "Are you a real polar bear?"
Shachi and Penguin rolled their eyes, muttering about how Bepo once again gets all the luck, but they were ignored by everyone else involved.
Bepo looked both his usual shrinking self, but also appeared to be a bit thoughtful as he looked down at her. He nodded to her in answer, "I am."
A hesitant smile of wonder appeared in response, and it was followed by the obvious second question. "M-may I pet you?"
Law was ready to tell Bepo silently that it was okay as the Mink would often look to him for reassurance every time one of these kinds of situations came up wearily often. However, surprisingly, this time Bepo didn't look over at him. His attention seemed to be completely taken by the young "missy".
The bear seemed to continue to study her before nodding once again. The look of absolute joy that exploded from the girl's face took Law by surprise. Her grin went impossibly wide and she nearly shrieked with excitement. Her previous hesitance melted away and she carefully began to caress the white fur, marveling at its softness. She then took another step and pressed her face against Bepo, nuzzling against him.
Law felt the corner of his mouth rise in a slight grin. He was surprised to see that Bepo wasn't acting his usual bashful self. Instead, he seemed to be enjoying the attention. In fact, he made a move that Law had never seen him do with a total stranger, and he took hold of the girl in his arms and lifted her so that she was now sitting totally on his back, her hands grasping onto his shoulders.
She had shrieked with surprise at first, but those became gasps of joy as she seemed to delight in her new position. She hugged herself close to him and snuggled deep into the fur of his neck. "Oh thank you so much! I've never seen a real polar bear before! Polar bears are my favorite and I've wanted to see one for forever!"
Law's grin began to melt away slowly as her words catapulted him once again to a scene from his past.
"Law! Law! Can we go to the zoo today?"
The boy looked over at his sister in annoyance before turning back to his book. "Go ask Dad, Lami. I'm busy."
The brown-haired four-year-old pouted, "Daddy said to ask you since he and Mommy are busy. Please Law! I wanna see the new white bear!"
He continued reading, "It's called a 'polar bear', Lami."
She tilted her head to the side in confusion, "'Polar' means white?"
He sighed before looking back over to her, going into his explaining mode. "No, it's just that a lot of animals who live at the poles tend to be white because it's really cold there and they can blend in well with the snow."
The little girl seemed to be thinking really hard at his words. "Then we live at the poles too? Polar Law and Polar Lami?"
She pointed out all the white of their city and home and even their own clothes.
Law sighed at her logic and guessed that it made sense to her young mind considering his explanation. "Not the same, Lam-Lam. But fine, if it will get you to stop bothering me, we'll go to the zoo and see your bear."
"YAY!" she did a happy little twirl as he got their coats and he couldn't help but smile at her adorable excitement.
"We won't stay long, but make sure you hold my hand the whole time, okay, Lami?"
She nodded before taking it and leading him out the door, "Come on, Polar Law!"
He laughed at her joke title. "Lead the way, 'Polar Lami'!"
They had gone to the zoo that day and Lami had fallen in love with the polar bear. She had wanted to get one as a pet but had become crestfallen when her parents told her that wasn't possible.
Law had hated seeing her so sad, that he saved up a bit of money that he had planned to use for his books, and instead bought her a small stuffed polar bear toy for her birthday. The look on her face, when she opened her gift, had been worth the sacrifice.
Seeing this woman, who looked so much like his sister, show such a love for polar bears only caused something inside of him to clench achingly, and once again he moved without thinking and he came towards the pair. His eyes once again found hers.
"You've never seen a polar bear before?"
She looked back at him, her eyes staring back once again with that uncanny intensity. "Hmm, Not that I know of. Only in books and stories."
Shachi walked over to the Mink and the woman on his back with a look of annoyance at having been ignored. "Alright, alright, break it up! Come on ya' big pile of fluff, you can't keep all the girls to yourself."
Bepo looked down sheepishly, "I'm sorry."
Holding a hand up to the woman, the redhead motioned to help her down. The smile he gave her was attempting to be charming, but Law could only watch his idiot friend unimpressed.
"Hey, sweetheart. Name's Shachi and I'm the engineer of the Heart Pirates. I can show you a much better time than that ball of fur or our stick-in-the-mud captain." The redhead laughed freely.
A single arched dark eyebrow went up.
Stick-in-the mud? Really?
Law'd show that jerk what a "stick-in-the-mud" he could be. Let's see who was laughing when they got stuck swabbing the deck for the next 3 weeks.
He was about to give the man a scathing dress-down before ordering him to go cool his head when something stopped him.
The young woman looked at his crewmate's offered hand blankly for a moment before her face shifted and her eyes flattened and her mouth took on a thin razor-sharp smile.
A smile so familiar that it practically slapped the surgeon in the face.
A smile his mother would use like a well-honed weapon. One that she had passed down to both of her children.
"You are going to be very tough one day, like when Mom tells the king's men where they can go drown themselves when they try to hit on her at the hospital. You remember the stupid look on their faces?"
The auburn beauty made no move to take the man's hand, and the look on her face nearly caused Shachi to falter.
Her voice was still pleasant, but it had gained a dry, amused humor that held both snark and danger. It was like being in the presence of a predator, that thought it was cute that its prey was still under the impression that they were on an equal playing field.
"Oh really? And what type of 'a better time' can you show me? Sweetheart…"
Now every other person in the room could tell the unfortunate idiot had made an obvious mistake in judgment. But the deluded continued to press his luck anyway.
Shachi chuckled, dismissing the rapacious smile as charm. "Oh, ya know… I could show you around the ship, the Polar Tang's the best pirate ship on these seas you know."
"Um-hmm?"
He continued boastfully, "And if ya wanted I could teach you all about medicine. It's kinda our thing. And then maybe we could get a bite to eat—"
She interrupted him, "Oh, you know all about medicine?"
The man puffed up his chest proudly, "Sure, I'm also a medical assistant here, practically a doctor."
The woman put a finger to her forehead, her thumb under her chin as she leaned against her forearm. Her smile turned coy, "Oh really? Then do you think you could help me with a little question I have, sweetheart?"
Penguin wanted to stop his best friend from walking into the obvious trap he could see yawning open before him, but a look from his captain instantly silenced him. Though strangely enough, Law didn't seem to be taking enjoyment in the situation as much as he thought he would. The man looked pensive and searching, more thoughtful than had ever seen him.
And so no one stopped the Heart Pirate as he made the unfortunate last step into the hole he had unknowingly dug himself into.
"Oh sure, I can help you with anything you want, dollface." Shahi smirked with confidence.
Her eyes narrowed even further and her sly grin turned wolfish.
"A patient is experiencing a unique form of respiratory impairment resulting from immersion in a liquid medium, suffering damage to their alveolar capillary membranes in the lungs, which leak fluids into the alveoli, dilute surfactant, and impair gas exchange. There is an inability to exchange gases resulting in asphyxia, hypoxemia, and acidosis. and within minutes, syncope occurs. A laryngospasm begins. CNS global hypoperfusion induces releases of excitotoxic neurotransmitters, free radicals, and lipid peroxidation. Cerebral edema followed by autonomic instability results, followed by ST-segment changes, indicating stress-related myocardial damage. The hypoxemia also induces ventricular arrhythmias and severe pulmonary hypertension."
The woman who sat upon the polar bear Mink, her presence having suddenly become quite intimidating, looked at the heart pirate with faux puzzlement as she asked. "How exactly would you choose to proceed so you do not lose your patient, Mr. 'Practically-a-Doctor'?"
The room was so silent one could hear a pin drop.
Shachi had never wanted a hole to drop open beneath him more than at that moment. Picking up his jaw from the floor, the ginger tried his best to save face. "Uhhhh….probably rehydration with lots of fluids and treatment with antibiotics?"
A hand smacked him upside the back of his head and he yelled in pain as his captain finally came to his side, looking at him scathingly. "The patient is a victim of drowning you numbskull, not cholera. Now apologize to the woman for being a complete plebeian ass."
He rubbed at his aching skull while wilting under Law's caustic gaze, knowing the man was really far from pleased this time. He turned abjectly over to the woman who had easily shown him up. "I'm sorry, miss."
She maintained her biting grin, "It's Doctor. An actual one this time."
Shachi continued to rub his head abashedly, "Yeah…I kinda gathered that."
Bepo finally spoke up, patting her leg gently, "Don't think too badly of him, or us Heart Pirates, Doctor Lady Ma'am. Shachi can be silly sometimes, but he was really only just trying to impress you. He was just being stupid about it."
The change in the woman was almost instantaneous. She turned and adorably snuggled against the bear, beaming gently. "Oh, I know you're wonderful. He's lucky to have a friend such as you stick up for him. You shouldn't let him bully you though."
"I don't bully him—ow!" Shachi winced as he got smacked again in the back of the head.
Law looked at him deadpan, "Yeah, you do."
Feminine eyes met Trafalgar's for a moment, the amusement that twinkled in them caused his own to soften.
She then turned back to her new friend and continued to nuzzle against him. "Anyway, what's your name, Mr. Polar Bear?"
The Mink practically purred as she scratched him gently behind the ears, "Ahh, I'm Bepo, the vice-captain, and navigator of the Heart Pirates. The idiot is Shachi and the other idiot next to him is Penguin."
Penguin crossed his arms, murmuring to himself, "Why am I an idiot? I didn't even do anything."
Bepo continued as if he hadn't heard, "And the man over there is our captain, Trafalgar Law, the best surgeon in the world."
She turned to Law and once again their eyes were drawn to each other. Something inside of him gave a bit of hitch at what she would say to hearing his name. He still had yet to hear her own…and further still, he didn't know if he wanted to.
Those enigmatic brown orbs narrowed in thought, "Trafalgar…Law?"
He nodded staidly.
She then frowned in concentration, "Is that it?"
He frowned, of all the things, that hadn't been a response he'd expected. "What do you mean 'is that it'?"
She seemed to get a grasp on herself and she smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it, it's just…"
Her eyes became wistful and Law decided to press her. "Just what?"
She tilted her head with a bit of a shrug. "I don't know what it is, but it feels like that's not your whole name."
An electric jolt ran up the supernova's spine and his eyes widened at her words.
He could count on two hands the number of people who knew his true full name and still have a finger or two left over. And of those people, only 5 of them were still alive and this girl, this doctor (because of course she was a doctor), wasn't one of them. How could she know?
Why did those eyes constantly seem to be able to see straight through him?
Unbeknownst to the two of them, the other three occupants in the room were looking back and forth between their captain and this new mysterious woman who had obviously drawn his interest and he hers.
Shachi and Penguin shared a look, though neither of them knew what to make of it. They both tried to catch Bepo's eyes and he minutely shrugged, though he seemed to know just a bit more than he was telling.
Suddenly a knock sounded against the door jam and everyone turned. Both Penguin and Shachi nearly shot out of their skin at the sight of the stranger in their library doorway.
Rayleigh stood there with an amused eye looking at the entire assembly before he looked up at the woman still perched on the Mink's back. "Well, I hope you had fun while I was away, though we can head to the island now. I think Wildfire may need you once I get him back."
The woman seemed to collect herself and regained whatever loss of composure she might have had before jumping from off Bepo's back and smoothing out her cloak. She went to the Dark King's side.
She asked, "How's Marco?"
The older man nodded up to the roof. "He'll stay over here so as to not aggravate Hancock."
That didn't quite answer her question, but she seemed to accept it.
She nodded, "Alright then, lead the way."
He acknowledged the Heart Pirate captain before dunking out of the room. She smiled and nodded to them all. "Thank you for your kindness, Bepo. I'm happy to have met you, Heart Pirates."
She looked at each of them. "Penguin…Sweetheart…"
Shachi cringed at her wrathful smile.
Before looking over to Law and nodding to him, "Captain."
She then turned to follow after Rayleigh and without his knowledge, Law's body took a step towards her, his hand already in the midst of reaching out.
"Wait."
Turning back to him, her fine eyes once again captivating, he said. "You still didn't tell me your name."
Her eyes seemed to widen in surprise, as if she had forgotten this very important fact.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Completely slipped my mind that I had yet to introduce myself. My name's Lily."
She looked specifically at the ginger engineer, "Dr. Lily"
With that, she walked out of the room. Shachi shook his head and finally deflated landing in a heap on the floor. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"
Penguin folded his arms and looked down at him unsympathetically, "It's your own fault for talking down to her. Seriously, 'dollface'?"
Shachi shook his head regretfully, "Hey! You know how I am around beautiful women. I get dumb!"
"I think that's an everyday affliction."
"Shut up." He then smirked before looking up at his captain, "But forget about me, and let's talk about the Captain."
He jumped up and swung an arm around Law's neck, "I never thought I'd see the day that you were interested in anyone that wasn't a textbook."
Penguin rushed to his friend's other side, "You did seem to be really into Lily, Law! And I think I saw a hint of interest from her too! And you are kind of perfect for each other, both being nerdy doctors and all."
"But how in the world are we going to get them together? She doesn't like me." Shachi huffed in despair.
"Of course not, why would she be interested in you when she has eyes for the Captain?"
"What do you mean by that?!"
Penguin rolled his eyes, "It doesn't matter anyway, the obvious choice to set them up is Bepo."
The other snapped his fingers before going over to the Mink. "Yeah! She really likes you, buddy! You think you can talk to her?"
The bear tried his best to stay out of it, "Well, perhaps it would be better if we let the Captain—"
"Oh, come on, Bepo! You know we can't leave things to Law. Nothing'd ever get done."
Penguin backed him up, "There's no harm in fanning the flames, ya know? A little."
During their entire conversation, Trafalgar Law was silent, still as if he had been turned to stone. In fact, he had barely noticed their presence at all. His eyes shadowed by the brim of his hat, a silent tempest was building inside the surgeon and only his best friend had begun to notice the 24-year-old's incongruous demeanor.
Bepo took a cautious step closer to him, "Hey, are you okay Law?"
Shachi once again, not reading the room, smirked before ribbing the motionless man. "Of course, he's alright! Don't worry, I was struck dumb by her beauty too, Captain. She is hot, isn't she?"
Law, as still as a statue, murmured quietly.
His words were barely audible to all except Bepo who recoiled, his ears flattening away against his skull.
The redhead leaned closer, "What'd ya say, Captain?"
Before he could even blink, Law's hand shot out and grabbed the front of his overalls before dragging him violently closer so that the raven-haired pirate was fully in his face and also towering over him. Shachi gasped as he looked into the man's mercurial eyes that blazed with cold vehemence.
Baring his teeth with an audible growl, his glacial voice now loud enough for everyone to hear.
"I said, hold your tongue, or will cut it out and reattach it to a place where the sun doesn't shine. Don't you ever talk about her like that again, am I clear?"
Shachi rarely had seen his friend this piqued in all the years they had been together, but he knew enough to know that his captain was deadly serious, and would be true to his word. He'd unknowingly stepped over a line and pushed a very big button.
He nodded swiftly, not willing to bear the man's ire for any longer than he had to. Law was slow to anger, but once you got him there? Avoid at all costs.
"Clear as crystal, Captain."
Seeing that his order was understood, Law dropped him before stepping over his prone form and quickly picked up his forgotten books from off the ground and placed them back on the shelf.
"Get the Tang ready for departure."
All three males looked at their leader nervously. Bepo is the only one brave enough to speak.
"We're leaving, Captain?"
The man didn't look at him as he responded. "Chart us a path to Fishman Island and start getting the men back aboard. Penguin, check on our supplies and relieve Hakugan. Get the engines running, Shachi. All of you, be ready to depart in two hours."
With that, the Surgeon of Death stalked out of the room without a single backward glance, leaving his three oldest mates looking at each other worriedly.
After a few moments of shocked silence, Penguin rubbed at his hands uneasily, "What was that?"
Shachi rubbed at his neck, looking a bit ill at ease. "I don't know but can't one of you stop me before I stick my foot in my mouth like that again?"
Bepo shook his head, "I'm sorry, I didn't expect him to go off like that."
"None of us did." Penguin reached down to help his friend from off the ground. "It's obviously because of that Lily woman. Who even is she anyway?"
"A friend of the Dark King and Phoenix I'd guess."
"Come to think of it, we only saw Phoenix arrive and ask to come on the ship. Where the heck did those other two come from?"
"It's the Dark King. I wouldn't question it if I were you."
Bepo quietly interrupted them. "Did Dr. Lily seem familiar at all to you guys?"
Shachi raised a brow in question, "Whaddya mean 'familiar'?"
"Like her smile, or the way her eyes slant when she's angry…"
The two humans grimaced in concentration.
"Now that you mention it," Penguin rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "she did remind me a little of the Captain when she did that whole creepy smile at Shachi."
The redhead nodded, "Yeah, that did cross my mind a little when she did that, she's just as scary as he is when he does it. What? Do you think Law's scared of her or something?"
Bepo looked down, moving back and forth on his paws. "Maybe…?"
"Seriously, the first time our Captain might be interested in somebody and he runs away from her…typical." Shachi put his hands on his hips in annoyance.
Penguin shrugged, "Well, there's nothing we can do, we have orders to leave. I'm guessing he's gonna just leave StrawHat to Phoenix and we'll finally head out to the New World."
A moment or two of downhearted silence lay over the room.
After a while, Bepo rubbed at his chin in thought. He spoke carefully, "Do what the Captain says. But…take your time…as much as you possibly can."
"Oh, you have a plan, Bepo?" Penguin slowly smiled.
He frowned, "I'm not quite sure, but just go to it before he gets back and finds us still standing around here."
"Aye-aye, vice-captain!" The two saluted before heading out of the Library, more confident than they had been, leaving the polar bear alone.
Law burst through his bedroom door before slamming it shut.
Seething, he pulled his hat off and threw it on the bed before running his fingers through his wild blue-black hair and pulling on it in abject frustration.
What the hell was wrong with him?!
She was what was wrong with him. The sooner he got away from that…that imposter! The better off he'd be!
Lily?
Lily?!
Of course, her name was Lily!
Of course, she was a brilliant doctor!
Of course, she had his mother's deadly smile!
Of course, polar bears were her favorite animals!
Of course, she was from the North and was just the right age and thought his name sounded incomplete!
Of course!
Picking up his mug from yesterday, he hurled it at the wall in a fit of rage. The sound of it shattering minutely satisfied his intense emotions.
Raising a ROOM within his chamber, he began to just cut things apart in a towering frenzy. Nothing was safe from his invisible blade. The furniture and objects in the room were all a victim of his vexation.
Because despite all the evidence that was laid out to tempt him. He knew ultimately it was for naught.
Despite everything! He knew it was an impossible false hope.
It didn't make any sense.
She wasn't sick. She was using the wrong name. She didn't know him. She didn't give a single indication of it. She had never sought him out, even when his fame as a pirate was on the rise. Even if she somehow got amnesia, where could she have possibly gone in order to survive?
Lami had barely been able to move because of the poisons ravaging her system. There was no way that she could have been able to move fast enough to escape the flames. And even if she had, she would have sought him out. He'd stayed in the perimeter of the hospital for a couple of days in the vain hope that perhaps he was wrong and some miracle had happened and his sister would come hobbling out of some hiding place or gutter trying to find him. But of course, he had just been deluding himself. An emotionally destroyed kid who had been struggling for any scrape of hope he could find.
A broken laugh came strangled from out of his throat. Haha, had he really changed all that much?
Even if Lami had survived the fire. What six-year-old with a terminal condition would be able to survive the last days of that mass slaughter? He had barely been able to survive himself and that had only been by burying himself in filth and hiding his body in piles of corpses of his neighbors and friends to be smuggled over the border.
His sister would have never been able to live through all that.
He had accepted her death.
Or at least thought he had…
Seeing this Lily was like God playing some cruel trick on him.
She was everything his sister should have been if everything hadn't gone to pieces.
Smart, beautiful, sassy, strong, and caring…
It was like looking through a glass darkly. Everything was right and yet wrong.
Why the heck was he being put through this trial?! Hadn't he gone through enough?
With a gasp, he yelled out in despair and bitterness before falling to his knees, his ROOM dispersing around him.
As his rage broke, everything fell down to the ground, he buried his head into the heels of his hands, his eyes clenched fast. He'd thought he'd dealt with this years ago. And yet it was like ripping a bandaid off of a fresh wound.
Stop this Trafalgar.
Your sister is dead.
You let her die.
The real Trafalgar D. Lily Lami burned to death in a hospital 14 years ago. That was the end of it.
He kept repeating this to himself over and over, even as tears began to flow freely down his face.
This was a mistake. He should have never gotten wrapped up in all of this. The sooner he left the better.
He had enough on his plate, planning his vengeance over Cora's murder and dealing with that guilt. He needed to bury this once more and more permanently this time.
He needed his control back.
He'd shatter without it.
Bepo stood outside of Law's room, listening silently to his first, best friend's heartrending sobs.
He wished he could relieve his captain's suffering, but he didn't yet have all the pieces and didn't want to make things worse than they already were.
Shachi and Penguin thought Law was afraid of Dr. Lily, and he did think they were right but not in exactly the way they thought.
There was a connection between Law and Lily, and he didn't quite know what it was. He didn't think they did either.
The thing was, Bepo was a Mink.
He had abilities humans didn't have.
He had senses humans didn't have either.
And from the moment he saw the woman called Lily and caught the trace of her scent, because of that he knew one thing.
She smelled like the Captain.
And not in the way a mate marks their territory.
She and Law had the same scent.
A familial scent. Similar to how he and Zepo had had kindred scents, and all other Minks could tell that they were of the same litter.
This scent said that Lily and Law were kin in some way. But he knew the Captain had told him when they were young that his entire family had been killed when he was 10.
So what was going on here?
There was also the distinct possibility that in this strange world of the Grand Line, there were individuals out there who could fool even a polar bear's sense of smell.
Was Lily some perfect shapeshifter trying to hurt his Captain?
Or was she the real deal and the Captain had no idea?
Whatever the answer was, Bepo was determined that Law wouldn't get hurt again. The man still thought even after all these years that he had to deal with everything alone. A side effect of his years as a DonQuixote pirate and his tragic childhood at Flevance.
Bepo refused to place even more on his shoulders and see him suffer alone once again. He'd find some way to figure this out, to protect Law. He liked Lily a lot. He felt an instant connection with her the moment he saw her.
He hated to harm her, however, if she meant harm to his captain, then so be it.
She'd see how dangerous and terrifying a polar bear could truly be.
A While Earlier in the Amazon Lily Jungle
In a flash of smoke and purple sparks, Schaden and his passenger fell out of the air before rolling to a stop on the ground with a yelp.
The Cimmerian cursed loudly as his body tensed with the strain and pain from overexertion. He hadn't been able to fully complete the jump which was why they had fallen out of the sky in such a tumbrel. He knew he had made way too many jumps today, this one had been a gamble at best.
He just hoped they had ended up close enough to the target location because he wasn't going to be able to do another jump like that again for at least a good 24 hours.
He followed the groans of his passenger to find that Firefist at least didn't seem any worse for wear.
Ace pushed against the ground and into a sitting position, holding a hand both against his head and his stomach with a moan. "Ughh, I feel like my stomach wants to crawl out of my body and die."
Schaden moved over to the young man and began to assess his body. He hadn't really been brought all that far up to speed but the young pirate seemed to be progressing nicely and he'd hate for the trip to have messed with any of Lily's hard work.
Portgas began laughing though, so he had to guess that he wasn't too out of joint from the travel.
"Sss-top i-it, that tickles!" Ace tried to hold his laughter as he looked over Ange's shadow friend who had been floating over his limbs and torso.
He had barely met Schaden, but he already felt like he knew him well enough from Ange's stories. He guessed the little shadow cloud was trying to check and see if he was okay.
"Hey, I'm fine, it was just a pretty rough way to travel. Now, where's Luffy?" He looked all around for his little brother but could see nothing but woods everywhere.
Schaden only looked up at him, a whistly wind could be heard and he guessed that was the shade trying to speak to him, but unlike Rayleigh or Ange, he was still in the dark in trying to understand any of it.
"Sorry bud, I didn't catch any of tha—"
"AAAAH!"
The scream rang out through the forest and Ace felt his entire body stop dead. His eyes widened and his pupils dilated fully. His blood almost immediately froze over at the bone-chilling sound.
A loud thud suddenly sounded in the distance.
"AAH! AAAH!"
THOOM!
The sound of bedrock being cracked in two blended with the agonizing screams to form the most harrowing melody.
Ace felt like he had been completely and suddenly dunked in ice, one that even his fiery core couldn't withstand. He knew that voice. He knew it better than he knew his own. His entire psyche was nearly bent on it, his very soul recognized its call and suddenly nothing mattered but to go to it.
"GET OFF! GET OFF ME!"
Luffy!
As if a trigger had been pulled on a gun, Ace was off like a shot.
He ran towards where he could pinpoint the origin of Lu's voice, but the stiffness in his legs thanks to the haki and his own fatigue, caused him to stumble forward a bit jerkily.
Dammit.
Of course, it didn't stop him from moving. His legs could break and it wouldn't stop him from getting to his brother.
Thankfully, he wouldn't have to result to that.
Ace made a sound of surprise as he was suddenly picked up and moving much faster than his previous stilted pace could have achieved. He looked down at the Cimmerian that had grown into the shape and size of a grown human as he held in black wispy, ephemeral arms.
He gave a brief smile of gratitude to the shadow and used the reprieve to rest his haki for a bit before having to use it again. He had practiced with it relentlessly, but he could only use it for limited spurts of time before his stamina ran out.
However, all of that was quickly forgotten as he once again was assaulted by the sounds of his little brother's cries and howls. He'd never heard his brother sound this way. Not when he was in danger, not when he was lost, not even when Sabo had died. He'd never heard his brother sound so hopeless, so broken, so defeated and helpless…
The sound of stone crashing to the ground could be heard throughout the area and was getting louder and louder the closer he got.
WHAM!
"UGH! STOP!"
KRAK!
"AAAAH!"
SHWAK!
BOOM!
KRAKKRAK…
"GET AWAY! GET AWAY!"
What the heck was going on? If he didn't know better, he'd think someone had found his little brother and he was in the midst of fighting for his life.
But Luffy didn't sound like that when he was fighting back against an enemy. Even if it was against overwhelming odds.
Luffy's doctor's words echoed through his head:
"StrawHat's wounds were severe…he crashed multiple times on the table…even after two weeks, he's still not out of danger. This is on top of the fact that he was completely traumatized by the war and how it ended… He's in the middle of a mental breakdown and it's beginning to decline into a psychotic break…when he woke up he couldn't seem to be able to tell reality from illusion, the inciting incident being his brother's death of course… This has built up over time, and I'd say this was one traumatic incident too many for him… If StrawHat's wounds reopen, he'll die. Simple as that."
The fire logia gritted his teeth harshly. I'm on my way, Lu. Hold on for me, okay?
He looked down, "Please hurry, Scha."
The shade looked up at him before nodding and discernibly picking up the pace.
Jinbe watched StrawHat Luffy shatter and break in front of him. The terrain of Amazon Lily's cliffside wasn't doing too hot either, but the Fishman wasn't all that concerned about that.
He wasn't quite sure about the state the boy in front of him was, mentally. Even as he had observed him from afar, at first, it seemed the boy was trying to destroy people that only he could see and rub blood off his hands that wasn't there.
Jinbe had a lot of experience with grief. He had felt loss many times before. And so he knew that everyone had different ways of dealing with it and struggling through it. He had barely had a chance to deal with his own grief in the past two weeks.
The war had been a tragedy all around. He had seen grown men destroyed by less.
Monkey D. Luffy though was basically a pup, not even one and twenty yet. And while he had fought in Impel Down and at Marineford, that hardly seemed to make any difference. The kid could lead with the best of them and had a will and a determination that would have astounded even his own captain, Fisher Tiger.
But despite it all, the kid had his limits.
And Jinbe knew what it was like to lose an older brother. He knew how emotionally crushing the encroaching emptiness could seem in the immediate aftermath.
But even he had never experienced the raw trauma and shell shock that he was seeing in the black-haired boy before him.
When he and Ace had talked only weeks ago in the bowels of Level 6, the young Whitebeard pirate had told him all about his little brother. About how amazing, and brave, and silly, and reckless, and ridiculous, and astute, and adorable, and strong the boy was. Honestly, you couldn't shut him up about it.
It was almost like in being able to talk about that which he loved—that which was far from the reach and stain of the torment the young man had now found himself trapped in—that he could still find some shred of happiness in a sea of despair.
It was obvious how much Ace had loved his brother, and once Jinbe had finally met the paragon to which the man had talked for so long, he could see that Luffy reciprocated those feelings right back. If not more.
And having that kind of bond ripped apart so violently, so horribly, on the battlefield—by his brother sacrificing his life of all things—and right in front of his eyes? He could barely imagine what that would do to a person, much less one so young and empathic as Luffy was.
But the evidence before him was obvious. And despite the burning sting that festered in his own chest over Portgas D. Ace's death. He had to stop Luffy before he went too far and was swallowed up by anger and grief.
Ace had asked him to look after Luffy. It had been his last and only request upon his death, and at the time Jinbe had denied him.
He had had a good reason of course. The First Son of the Sea had learned a long time ago to be very careful about those he made a promise to and about those he swore allegiance to. Because to him, his word was his bond, and once given, it could not be taken back unless he was released from it. And a last wish upon death was forever.
He wasn't going to promise to help and protect a pirate that he had never met and that might one day become an enemy.
But somewhere on that battlefield—no, even before that—Jinbe had found his opinion shifting more and more. The longer he was in the presence of StrawHat Luffy, the more he could see the reality of everything that Ace had said about his brother. The more he watched him, ambivalence turned into curiosity, and curiosity eventually became amiability. And before the Fishman even realized what was happening, he had developed a deep admiration and respect for the rubber boy.
And so, Jinbe took up that request and accepted Ace's last request of him. He would protect Monkey D. Luffy. Even if it meant protecting him from himself. No matter his own pain, he had to find some way to break through that shell of pain, anger, and denial that the boy had unknowingly wrapped himself up in.
He couldn't let Luffy aggravate his wounds to the point where he died of blood loss. He hadn't taken the brunt of the Red Dog's attack, just so the boy himself could finish the job.
Ace would be devastated, and he would have broken his promise.
And so with a heavy heart, he slowly approached the pirate as he was kneeling on the ground. At his steps, the boy looked up, staring at him seethingly.
Seething, but no longer with confusion.
This was good.
Stopping a few meters away, he watched as Luffy huffed in an attempt to catch his breath after having destroyed the boulders and trees within the immediate area. His bandages were already beginning to soak with blood which was worrying.
After a few moments of heavy silence and no indication that he was going to suddenly stalk away enraged, Jinbe finally began to speak, starting with what must be understood before any other progress could be made. No matter how much it hurts.
Straightening his spine, he spoke in a somber voice, "The war is over. Ace is–"
He could barely get the words out before Luffy was screaming back in return.
"DON'T SAY IT! DON'T SAY ANYTHING!"
He looked at the Fishman with those incensed eyes, still on his hands and knees. His voice was so rough and distorted from both injury and anger that it was hard to hear the words that he said next.
"I twisted my cheek until it almost tore off!"
With heaving breaths, Luffy looked to be trying to gather all the pieces together in his mind.
He leaned his head down against the ground, "If it was a bad dream, I'd be awake by now!"
Jinbe didn't say anything as the sounds of huffs began to mix with the sound of hiccups and sobs. His next question was so muffled that it was only thanks to his superhuman hearing that he could make out what was said.
"I-It's not a dream…sob…is it?"
Luffy looks up and suddenly all Jinbe can see is a defenseless pup crying out for somebody–anybody–to help.
The rage had turned fully into sorrow and streams of tears were coming down the raven's cheeks. He looked up at the Fishman, a last, dying plea in those watery eyes and drenched visage.
In the midst of his wails, he cries out.
"ACE IS…ACE IS DEAD, ISN'T HE?"
Jinbe's eyes widen and he feels the pain of the realization of what he has to do. The boy continues to look at him with those weeping brown vulnerable eyes, waiting for him to permanently dash even his very last final hope. And even though the ex-Warlord had planned to do just that only moments ago, he suddenly found himself hesitating.
Luffy's entire existence seemed to run on faith, confidence, and hope. To be the one to destroy that seemed wrong.
And yet he had to…
For both himself and for the future of the boy before him…
Taking a deep resigning breath, he opened his mouth, "Yes. He's—"
"Luffy?"
Jinbe suddenly stilled at the sound of the extremely familiar voice that called out from over his shoulder.
His eyes grew huge and he began to struggle for breath himself. What the—he couldn't be starting to hear things too now could he?!
Whirling around, he turned to see that no, he wasn't hearing things.
Standing a couple of yards behind him, a stranger had suddenly appeared in the clearing.
The man was dressed from head to toe in a large black cloak. The hood was up and only revealed the bottom of the man's face. From the shape and what he could see of the man's hands, he was a young human male. Which already made him an oddity for this far into the Isle of Women.
And oddity and a threat.
Jinbe quickly shifted into a defensive stance, making sure the bulk of his form stood between the intruder and Luffy.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" he demanded gruffly.
The hooded man stood trying to catch his breath and raised a hailing hand. However, once again, he spoke with that impossible voice.
"Jinbe—"
The Fishman warrior quickly gathered water from out of the humid air, letting it swirl around his hands and widening his stance, his presence becoming more threatening. He didn't know what kind of cruel trick this was. If the world government was trying to play some sick joke, if this was their way to try and get to Luffy, whatever it was, he was having none of it!
He growled, "I asked you a question. And if you don't answer me, you're going to deeply regret it."
The cloaked intruder stood there for a moment staring back at him before he began to chuckle slightly. Raising a hand to his hood, he continued to speak with Portgas D. Ace's voice.
"It's only been a couple of weeks and you already don't recognize me?"
Sliding the hood off, the man revealed his face. And Jinbe had to admit the intruder was good. Really good.
So good, he even let out an involuntary gasp.
It was Portgas D. Ace's face alright.
And they were careful enough not to make it an identical copy to how he looked at Marineford.
Instead, his face was a bit worn, tired, and a bit gaunt, but healthier and rested, as if it had gone through quite a bit recuperating post-war.
Jinbe would have handed it to the imposter (even his gait and stance were similar!) if it wasn't for the fact that he was completely furious.
His voice lowered to a deep rasp, "How dare you…haven't you people done enough?"
The imposter had the gall to look confused, "Jinbe, It's me–"
The First Son of the Sea didn't even let the man finish. Usually, he was one to let his enemy come to him, and he rarely liked to fight out of anger, but right now he was pissed.
There was no mistake in his mind that this was some World Government trick! No one else could have tracked them so quickly and laid such an obvious trap. Anyone with a brain knew how physically, mentally, and emotionally compromised StrawHat Luffy was at the war's end. It was smart to take advantage of that.
But only a true monster could think to cruelly use his brother's visage against him at his most vulnerable! He could not allow it!
He moved quickly and attacked the doppelganger, his open-hand strike aiming for the enemy's chest.
The intruder yelped before using quick reflexes to dodge the blow and move out of the way. But Jinbe had already anticipated that, and also noting the stilted gait of the deceiver's movements, shifted his stance and used his other fist to send a shockwave using the water in the air, hurdling towards the blackguard!
The man was still on the ground seemingly waiting for the strike. Frowning and with clenched teeth, the masquerader murmured something under his breath before swiftly holding his hand out.
Without warning, a huge wave of heat rippled through the air, evaporating the moisture. On its heels, a large, controlled stream of flame arched through the air, aimed directly at the Fishman!
What the heck?!
Jinbe dodged out of the way on instinct, but the fire continued to follow him like it was a homing missile until he was forced to block it full-on with armament haki. The fire was extinguished,
He would have been more worried if he wasn't trying to comprehend what he just saw.
He knew that move.
He knew that fire.
But that was impossible.
The fire and water had caused a great deal of smoke and steam and the clearing was now obscured. Within the mist, he watched the other figure stagger to his feet. He once again spoke with that voice.
"Is this going to just become a thing with us? Almost killing each other every time we meet?"
Jinbe growled, "Stop trying to fool me with that act! And stop using his voice, it's insulting!"
The sound of Ace's begrudging laughter tittered through the smoke, "Sorry, it's the only voice I've got."
Ace's voice, Ace's moves, Ace's fire, Ace's annoying sense of humor…
The Fishman shook his head, he couldn't second guess himself. He couldn't let his guard down. "I will not let you get past me, interloper."
The laughter came once again, "Why? Because I'm 'trouble'?"
The phrasing of his question took him by surprise. "What?"
The shadowed figure continued to stand its ground, "When we first met, you said I 'looked like trouble'."
Jinbe felt his heart skip a beat. How would a government CP stooge know that?
The voice continued a quiet confidence underlining each word.
"So, what made you genuinely like Luffy? Is he everything I told you he would be?"
The male slowly lowered his arms, a slight tremble spreading throughout his form. His eyes widened, "What? What did you say?"
The smoke cleared enough for glimpses of those raven locks, simmering silver eyes, and freckle-flecked skin could be seen peeking through. The young man who looked like his friend spoke again, his countenance soft and mildly remorseful.
"In Impel Down I asked you, if I died, if you could look after my little brother. You told me not to think you all that charitable, and that unless you really liked him, you refused to protect him. And yet, from the wounds I heard and now see that you've endured, and the way you defend my brother even now, you've decided to honor my request."
Jinbe felt a choked sob rise up in his throat. His eyes grew glassy and huge with disbelief. It couldn't be.
From out of the smoke, the raven-haired young man stood tall, his cloak pushed now over one shoulder showing a body dressed in a simple t-shirt, shorts, and boots. That belt with the large red "A" belt buckle was still around his waist. He was much thinner than when he had last seen him, but still wiry, healthy, and alive.
That rugged familiar smile greeted him. "And so I ask, is he everything I said he would be?"
Jinbe felt the tears fall and he reached out a hand towards the other. "Ace?! It can't be…"
Suddenly a shadow descended and Jinbe looked up to see a giant miasma-like dark cloud, rise up and over from behind Ace (maybe?).
It was huge and he jumped back when the cloud rapidly cut in front of him, forming a barrier between himself and the other man. What the heck now was this thing?!
After a quick check on Luffy, he was horrified to realize too late that the fight had pushed him away from where he had last left the boy. The man who might be his dead friend now stood between him and StrawHat. The kid hadn't moved an inch from where he had left him. It was hard to see his features, but even he could tell that his complete attention was on one person and one person alone. And it wasn't him.
The smoke had hidden the movements of this shadow blockade until it was too late. And now he was completely cut off from both of them! Jinbe growled, furious at himself for having been duped.
His wrathful eyes found "Ace's", ready to attack him, miasma cloud be damned. But he stopped when he realized that the other man was also looking up at the encroaching cloud with confusion and didn't seem to understand what was happening either.
The man who might be Ace called out to the encapsulating shadow, "Wha-Schaden what are you doing?"
Before he knew it, the shadow had completely surrounded the perimeter around both of the humans, blocking them completely from view. Jinbe ran to the dome's edge, though he stopped short of touching the shadowy substance, power, and electricity sparking from its depths.
Though he couldn't see him any longer, he could hear Ace's voice speaking.
"Scha, I was getting through to him. You didn't have to—yeah I know…okay, fine."
A moment of quiet came, before he heard the voice speak again louder, "Hey Jinbe, I'm not sure if you can still hear me. We'll talk, okay? I'll explain everything, I promise. In the meantime, Marco and Rayleigh are on the island too, they might be able to tell you faster and better than I can."
Marco and Rayleigh? What the—Jinbe didn't know what was going on anymore. Everything was suddenly all topsy-turvy. He'd seen Ace die. He knows he did!
And yet, no trickster had any reason to be this elaborate. Whoever it was already had Luffy in their grasp, they could have killed him already and been done with it. No need to keep up the ruse. No reason to pull in people like Phoenix and the Dark King as potential witnesses who would never do something like this, even if under duress.
Could the impossible actually be…possible?
He wanted to believe, he really did. With all his heart!
Both of his fists were clenched tight and he looked to the ground, his teeth grinding tightly against each other. Before he could rethink his decision, he yelled back sharply. "If you really are Ace, swear to me on Pops' memory that you won't hurt Luffy!"
There was a slight pause, before the voice responded angrily, "I won't tarnish Pops' name with something so ridiculous. Even before I met Pops, I'd sooner cut off all my limbs and cripple myself for life before I'd ever hurt my brother."
Jinbe smiled tearfully. That had been the right answer.
He spoke again, "You asked me if Luffy was everything you said he would be. You were right. He's amazing, brave, silly, reckless, ridiculous, astute, and strong."
The voice laughed in return. "I know, right?! And adorable, don't forget adorable."
The whale shark Fishman collapsed to his knees with a wail. His eyes completely filled with tears, sobs of joy catching within his throat. Ace….oh my God, Ace…
His voice was rough and choked up. "Go…Go, you flame-headed idiot! Your brother needs you."
He could hear Ace's smile even though he couldn't see it. His voice sounded further away this time, but that was fine. He was going to where Luffy was, and that's what was important.
"Thank you for taking care of my brother and honoring my request, Jinbe. I'll take it from here."
A/N: And there is part 1! Poor Lily and Law. All the pieces are there, you just have to put them together. Though Law probably has a better time figuring it out than Lily, IF he can just allow himself to hope and see it.
Jinbe and Ace was harder than I thought, but I think it worked out pretty well. Schaden did break up the fight and so Jinbe won't be there for the reunion. But WE /
Also, Jinbe calls Luffy a pup since compared to him, he's basically a baby, and shark babies are called pups!
Next chapter is the big one! Ace and Luffy is going to be super fun!
The chapter's title and some of the lines from Law and Lily were inspired by a Broadway song of the same name, from the musical version of iThe Count of Monte Cristo/i. The song has long reminded me of those two and how they both can see someone they love and remember in the other and yet refuse to believe it because of the other being "dead" and all.
Thanks for all your comments and reviews. It's been wild! And there's still much more to come!