A dilemma below the surface -part2

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Law's quarters were a reflection of himself: orderly and functional, yet imbued with an aura of mystery. Emi had noticed the massive wooden desk that dominated the center of the room. Stacks of papers and newspapers were piled upon it, hinting at a ceaseless activity of research and reflection.

The walls were covered with marine charts, photographs, and handwritten notes. Shelves filled with books and files occupied much of the space, testifying to a thirst for knowledge. Despite the apparent disorder, every element seemed to have its place.

Emi wondered what Law could be searching for among all this information. Was it simply intelligence on other pirates and their activities, or was there something else, something more personal or darker? Was this Caesar a part of it? She knew she had to stay on her guard, for in this environment, information was the most precious currency.

Law finally broke the silence that had settled. "You're already getting along well with some of the members of my crew," he observed.

Emi sighed at his wariness. "Don't worry, I won't manipulate them for anything," she replied, wondering if she herself could keep that promise.

Law was not entirely convinced, but he accepted her answer for the moment. Now that she was here, he needed to address serious questions and explore her activities as well as the clients she was working with. He wanted to avoid involving his crew in his personal affairs at all costs, but he had no choice but to bring her onto his submarine, as she seemed to possess crucial information.

"I want to know the identity of your clients, their names, and the information they seek from you, aside from your journalism work," Law stated directly.

Emi felt a surge of irritation at Law's numerous demands. Why should she reveal all her plans and sources to him? And all at once? She preferred to keep a certain distance, fearing that Law might manipulate her information to his advantage.

"I'm sorry, but I can't disclose all the details," she said firmly. "I need to protect my sources and my working methods."

Law narrowed his eyes slightly. "You don't seem to understand the nature of our collaboration. If we want this to work, we must trust each other and share all relevant information."

Emi nearly choked at his remark. He can't be serious, can he? She crossed her arms, feeling the irony of the situation as he was the first to show a lack of trust, and she still knew nothing about him. There was no way she would spill everything without some reciprocity.

"You first."

Law frowned. "You should know that this attitude might compromise our collaboration," he said, staring at Emi.

Emi looked away, feeling her frustration rising.

"If you want our 'collaboration' to work," she said, carefully emphasizing the word, "you need to accept that I keep some information to myself." Determined to set her boundaries, she added, "I'm willing to help as much as I can, but I won't cross certain lines, Trafalgar."

Law stared at Emi with an impassive look, but she could sense a hint of irritation behind his calm demeanor. He seemed annoyed by her refusal to fully cooperate, but Emi remained steadfast.

He then rose from his chair, leaving his desk to stand in front of her. Despite being of average height for a woman, Emi felt diminished before Law's imposing stature. He advanced towards her, and Emi, feeling she had no other choice, instinctively stepped back. Her firmness wavered slightly in the face of Law's confidence. But despite her growing fear, she kept her eyes fixed on him until she could back up no further and met the wall. Emi could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she remained frozen by the sudden proximity.

"You're in my submarine now, journalist-ya," he murmured in a low, threatening voice. "I make the rules here." He continued, bringing his face closer to hers.

Emi tried to remain stoic despite the closeness, but she felt her blood boiling with adrenaline. She was ready to fight back at the slightest sign of violence, even against this dangerous man.

Before Law could go any further, a knock-knock sounded at the door, abruptly interrupting him. They looked at each other for a moment, their faces just inches apart, before Emi cautiously moved away.

"Sorry, Captain," came Bepo's voice from the other side of the door. "The Log Pose pointed to the next island earlier than expected!"

Law cast one last look at Emi, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes, before turning to respond to the call. Emi stood there, slowly catching her breath, realizing how close she had come to danger.

Law opened the door, his face impassive. "Good, but we're still leaving tomorrow morning," he said, deciding to let his crew rest tonight.

"Yes, Captain!"

Emi heard Bepo's footsteps receding down the submarine's corridors, while Law closed the door, fixing her with an impatient look. "We both want to be done with this conversation. If you could be a bit more cooperative, it would benefit us both."

Emi sighed, still nervous after the recent events but resigned to finish quickly. Time seemed to have flown by, and it must have been well past midnight.

Finally, she responded in a tired voice, "Very well. I currently have two main clients, as you saw at the port. One of them is a pirate of Big Mom who is looking to monitor a certain Caesar and his activities. The other..." She hesitated for a moment, choosing her words carefully, before continuing, "is an influential politician."

Law frowned, wondering who this influential person she mentioned could be, but he decided not to press for details, seeing that she remained vague. She was probably not ready to divulge everything tonight, anyway. If he saw an interest or use in this information, he could always ask for more details later. Another observation, she didn't seem to be a spy sent by Doflamingo to monitor his activities, but he needed to be sure.

"You only have these two clients?" he asked, scrutinizing Emi's face for any sign of hesitation.

"I'm a journalist first and foremost, not a mercenary," she replied with a slight frown.

He accepted this answer, but the idea that something important was eluding him nagged at him. For now, he wanted to know more about this Caesar. Law turned back to his desk, where he opened one of the drawers. He took out a Den Den Mushi familiar to Emi; the one that connected her to the pirate of Big Mom.

"Let's get back to this Caesar," he began seriously. "You communicate via this Den Den Mushi to provide and receive information," he declared, holding the snail in his hand.

Emi nodded slightly. "Yes. As you may have noticed, I never call the client. It's the procedure to keep them anonymous."

The logic of this procedure did not escape Law. Pirates of this caliber were far too cautious to reveal that they relied on external help. He even suspected that the emperor herself was aware of these practices...

Seeing that Law remained silent, probably lost in his thoughts, Emi added:

"And if you could give it back to me, I'd like to retrieve it."

Placing the snail on his desk, Law replied calmly, "I'll give it back to you in due time. What exactly do you know about this Caesar Clown?"

Emi let out a frustrated groan at his authority, but wanted to finish the conversation for the night.

"I started my investigation recently, so I don't know more than you do at this point." She began to list on her fingers. "A scientist specializing in chemical weapons of mass destruction, former colleague of Vegapunk. Currently hiding, I don't know where, probably continuing his crazy research. And he has probably found funding for his experiments from other criminal organizations or pirates... like Big Mom, which gives him some protection, I imagine, given his bounty..."

Law was surprised by Emi's insight, but he supposed it was due to her profession as a journalist. She seemed perfectly suited for this job. He didn't regret bringing her aboard his ship; she would certainly be useful for his research.

Satisfied with her response for now, he walked over to her to hand her the Den Den Mushi, declaring in an authoritative tone, "If it rings, I want you to inform me immediately. And no hiding anything."

Emi looked at him irritably and took the snail from his hands. "And now, what about telling me more about yourself?"

"I'll tell you more once you have more information on Caesar. You haven't told me much that I didn't already know."

Emi was offended by his disinterested tone. "You could at least show some gratitude for the information I shared. It's not like I can know everything with a wave of a magic wand, Trafalgar."

Law raised an eyebrow, his expression remaining impassive. "You want me to thank you for doing your job as a journalist?"

Emi stifled a sigh of frustration, realizing she wouldn't get much more from him that night.

Law then headed towards the door and turned to Emi, gesturing for her to follow. "Curious to know where you'll be sleeping tonight?"

Emi nodded silently. She hadn't even thought about where she would sleep in this enormous submarine. She felt a bit apprehensive about the moment but had to rely on him.

As they moved through the corridors, the dim light from the hanging lamps faintly illuminated their path, creating dancing shadows along the metal walls. The distant sound of waves against the hull added a calm but persistent ambiance to the atmosphere.

As they ascended a level, Emi noticed the subtle transition in the submarine's layout. The kitchen appeared first, modest but functional, with its gleaming metal equipment and well-organized rows of shelves. Then, they passed through the crew's quarters, where the bunk beds were neatly aligned, each equipped with its own storage space.

"This is where you will sleep from now on," he announced, opening a door next to the dormitories to reveal a smaller but well-furnished room.

Law had carefully weighed his options regarding the most suitable place for her and decided that sleeping in the main dormitory with the rest of the crew was not the best option. He didn't want to risk involving Emi in the internal affairs of his crew. Instead, he opted for Bepo's room, which would be more suitable. Not only would it allow him to keep an eye on her, but it would also prevent her from being alone with the more talkative members of the crew.

Two bunk beds were placed on either side of the room, leaving just enough space for a large wooden wardrobe and a bathroom. Emi noted with surprise the order and cleanliness that reigned in every corner of the submarine, testifying to the crew's dedication to keeping their ship in perfect condition. Or perhaps Law was a neat freak and imposed strict maintenance rules on his crew… She leaned more towards the latter option.

With one last scrutinizing look, Law left the room, leaving Emi with her thoughts. She entered the room, observing the two beds and the few simple pieces of furniture. She felt relieved to have a place to rest for the night. After everything she had experienced in the past few hours, a bit of peace and solitude would do her good.

Emi placed her bag on the bottom bunk with a sigh of relief. As she unpacked a few things and put them in the wardrobe, she let her mind wander. Thoughts swirled in her head, mingling with the muffled sounds of the moving submarine.

She wondered what awaited her in the coming days. Working alongside Trafalgar Law would certainly be an interesting experience, but she had to stay on her guard. Despite his charisma and aura of confidence, Emi couldn't help but feel a certain wariness towards this man. She didn't know what to expect from him or what his true intentions were, and Emi was determined not to get caught up in his game.

As she got lost in her thoughts, a slight fluttering of wings caught her attention outside the window. Emi turned her head and saw Coco looking at her through the glass, her small, scrutinizing eyes fixed on her. A smile lit up Emi's face at the sight of her faithful seagull. Having Coco by her side gave her a sense of familiarity and comfort, reminding her that she wasn't alone.

Fatigue began to overwhelm her. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she felt her mind slowly numb. She slipped under the covers, promising herself to delve further into her investigation the next day. And before she knew it, sleep took over, plunging her mind into a world of dreams and mysteries.

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Emi's investigation is underway! Will she be able to gather her information without any obstacles? The answer in the next chapters ~