As she walked out of the bookstore, Reiju watched the ship sinking into the harbor, while the pirates rowed for their lives.
Izuku had done that. With a flick of his finger.
True the world itself had no shortage of warriors who could perform similar feats of strength, but that was typically reserved for monsters like Kaido and Whitebeard. Not a boy barely old enough to drink.
She looked to Izuku, who was holding his hand out to Law. Law took it and rose to his feet. All around, the townsfolk stared at the two newcomers in amazement.
'What did Vegapunk do to make you?' Reiju thought.
"Thanks, for the help there," the black haired man muttered, looking suspiciously down at the boy. Izuku simply smiled behind his mask.
"Not a problem! My name is En by the way." He gestured to Yamato. "This is Anna and-oh, hey Sora!" He waved, and Law glanced her way.
Reiju felt his eyes upon her. He was looking at her, inspecting her; not out of lust like some of the townsfolk, but curiosity.
"Captain!" The duo and mink in jumpsuits came running up. "Thank goodness you're alright!" The bear mink exclaimed. "Thanks for helping our captain! You saved him!"
"I could have dodged out of the way," retorted Law, muttering while looking away.
"How did you do that? Like, you fired some kind of weapon from your sleeves or something?" Shachi asked.
"Not really." Izuku shrugged, looking a little apprehensive to provide too many details.
"Regardless." Mayor Ash said, walking forward. "We're immensely grateful to you. You saved Law here, and those cannons could have damaged the town. Thank you." He bowed lightly, and Izuku nodded while Yamato fidgeted with her fingers.
"Cheers for our heroes!" Old Craft yelled, raising his hands. The townsfolk did likewise, cheering again and again. Yamato was blushing, her hands behind her back; while Izuku seemed okay with it.
"I should have known those pirates would retaliate somehow!" Mayor Ash added, glaring angrily out at the direction of the ship. "So I can't thank you enough. I'm Mayor Talon Ashley, but friends just call me Ash." The scarred man offered his hand, shaking Izuku's hand.
"It's not a problem. We were just in the area," answered Izuku cheerfully.
"Were you now?" Law crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "And where did you come from anyway? Pretty sure we or the pirates would have noticed another ship docking."
"We docked on the other side of the island," Izuku lied. "Our boat was just about ready to fall apart, so we had to bail. We looked around to see if there was anyone living here, heard the shooting, and came running."
Law quirked an eyebrow. "Which side?" he asked, Izuku already starting to sweat behind his mask at the pseudo interrogation.
"Captain, why are you asking questions like this? They saved ya!" Shachi exclaimed. "Name's Shachi by the way." He pointed to Penguin and then Bepo. "And that's Penguin and Bepo."
"Sup." Penguin nodded before smirking up to Yamato and Reiju. "Ladies."
"Hi." Bepo waved.
However, the cheerful mood was brief as Law took another step forward, slowly lowering his sword to his waist should he need to unsheathe it.
"We sailed around the south end of the island," Law said, hand slowly drifting to his weapon. "We saw no ships, aside from local fishing boats. And Beak Beach is hard to moor in, with the rocks and all. So either you're not telling me something or you're lying. Which is it?"
Izuku didn't reply. Reiju could tell he was trying to think of an answer, a quick glance at Yamato showed she was similarly panicking, while Law's crew were quickly starting to get suspicious themselves.
"We landed up at Crown Inlet," Reiju spoke up. Law turned to face her, his brown eyes inspecting her once again. "Like En said, our ship was falling apart. It was barely even firewood once we got off. Probably at the bottom of the ocean by now."
"I see…" Law mused; and something told Reiju he was not convinced. "Still, I'm grateful for the help. At the very least, we can give you a share of the treasure there." He gestured to the big heap of loot Bepo had brought.
"Indeed. Perhaps nine million berries?" Ash offered, and Izuku shook his head.
"Nah, we need no reward," insisted Izuku. "You said the town needs it, right Mr. Law?"
"Yeah! We're more than fine!" Yamato added. "Helping others is its own reward!"
A little surprised by the act of generosity, Law watched in silence as the townsfolk lined up to shake Izuku and Yamato's hands.
"Soooo…" Reiju turned, and saw Penguin smirking at her, cupping his chin. "You travel with those two? Whadda you guys call yourselves? The Masked Pirates?"
"I do, yes. And no, we're not pirates, just travelers," Reiju replied primly.
"Well, there's going to be a nice fancy dinner at Mess Nest. We Heart Pirates brought back a whole Sea King for the town to eat. Gonna divy it up real nice like." Penguin rolled his neck. "I'm kind of a special cook."
"You are?" Reiju asked. "Maybe I can help." She had never had a chance to cook before outside of memorizing various cook books.
"R-Really!?" Penguin was taken aback. "I mean, a pretty lady like yourself deserves to be wined and dined. If there's something you'd like me to cook up?"
"I can cook for myself," Reiju replied. "But I'm happy to help in any way I can."
"Well I mean…" Penguin scooted closer. "You should ask me, I would be happy to-ACK!" He cried out as Law dragged him away by the ear.
"Stop flirting moron, you're embarrassing yourself" Law grumbled, as Penguin squawked and yelped.
"OWOWOWOWOWOW Captain! I was laying down the groundwork!" he whined.
"That was flirting?" Reiju mused.
"Sorry about that. Penguin can make a thirsty man in the desert look tame." He glowered at his hapless subordinate. "Now, help Ash share the goods."
"Gnnnngh… fine!" Penguin rubbed his ear, pouting. "Buzzkill…"
"Pardon me, Mr. Law," Reiju spoke up. Law looked at her, and she saw his narrowed eyes.
"Law's fine. What is it?" he asked, still acting cautious around the group.
"Well, I'd still like to help in the kitchen, if that's fine," Reiju asked, Penguin again perking up in the back. She looked back to the duo, who were being mobbed by the townsfolk. "En! Anna! I'm going to help the Mess Nest prepare dinner!"
"Oh! What's for dinner!?" Yamato asked aloud.
"A Sea King Juvenile!" Ray exclaimed.
"Oh, nice." Her enthusiasm faded. Were they… used to eating Sea Kings?
"Wonder what a juvenile up here is cooked like," Izuku mused. "I'll see about our lodgings. Sora, you go with Law and enjoy yourself. "He grinned, and Reiju found herself smiling back. "We'll join ya for dinner!"
"Sounds good." She nodded and looked back to Law, who gestured to one of the town's larger buildings. The sign read MESS NEST, and showed a bird in a chef's hat sitting on a bowl with twigs in it, like a nest. "I think I can handle things from here, thank you."
"What're you thanking me for?" Law asked. "Talk to Edwell, he's the head chef there."
"Right." Reiju ignored the back and forth, barely paying it any mind.
Reiju trotted off towards the Mess Nest, beaming. Finally, she could know how Sanji felt when he cooked for others; when he had made food for mice, and for mother.
(X)
Something didn't fit.
Law hung around, watching as En and Anna get their lodgings settled at a simple inn close by the Nest. The kids were asking them about their travels; where had they come from, how they had beat the pirates, and how they had gotten so strong. Anna laughed as she lifted up her arms, kids hanging off them as if they were tree branches as she twirled around as they enjoyed themselves.
It was an innocent enough sight, yet Law couldn't help but feel paranoid about the trio.
'Where did you come from?' Law thought, gripping the scabbard of his nodachi as it rested on his shoulders. 'And why do you hide behind masks?'
They didn't act like those Masked Guardians of the Holy Land Doflamingo had mentioned years ago. But En insisted that they weren't pirates either. He was still insisting, very hard, waving his hands. Anna had gone quiet, rubbing at her bandaged arm.
Obviously they were hiding something, what he wasn't sure, but it wasn't something he could just ignore.
His musings halted when the Nest rang its bell, and the townsfolk all headed towards it; eager for dinner. Law waited, letting the others go first, until only En and Anna remained; hanging around at the back.
"Don't you want dinner first?" he asked, still prying for whatever information he could.
"I'm fine waiting until everyone else has had their turn," replied En. He rolled his neck and yawned.
"Tired?"
"A little. We've been sailing all day. Our little boat, rest in peace, took a lot to manage." En stretched his arms.
"I can relate," commented Law. "What kind of ship was it?" En blinked.
"Oh, we had a catamaran. But, North Blue seas. Hard winds."
"I see." Law nodded, mentally going over the information.
Crown Inlet was on the northern shore of Swallow Island. Just north of that lay Rubeck, which they had passed on their way to the Expanse's northern coast.
The winds up there had been fine. Not hard at all.
"Say, En. Care to humor me?" he asked.
"Sure."
"What's the deal with the masks anyway? Got something to hide?"
He looked right into En's green eyes, and saw exactly what he expected to see.
"A little. To be honest," En replied, looking away.
"We did tick off some strong pirates," Anna added. En rounded on her, his irritation apparent even with his mask.
"What!?" she demanded. "We can trust him! He's a hero!"
Law scoffed. She was willing to trust him? Just likethat? She wouldn't have lasted five minutes with Doflamingo.
"I'm no hero. I'm a pirate," he growled. "I attack Marines and other pirates. I rob them blind, and scar them mentally for life." He smirked. "Would a hero do that?"
"But you're doing it to help these people!" insisted Anna, gesturing to the town at large. "If you weren't a hero, you'd just keep all that treasure for yourself! Even rob the town for good measure."
Beside her, En was breathing through his nose, his shoulders rising. He was getting frustrated with Anna's babbling, that much was clear. But why wasn't he telling her to shut up? Did he not have the heart?
What was up with these people?
"What makes you think I don't have a large treasure hoard all to myself?" he asked. "Or that I don't have enough weapons for a hundred men?"
"Because you said so when you talked to the mayor," Anna went on, heedless of her companion's fraying temper. "You want these people as safe as you can make them before you head for the Grand Line, right?"
"You heard all that?" Law narrowed his eyes. Where had they been listening from?
"Yep! We were in the bookstore." Anna gestured towards the town's one and only bookstore. En let out a sigh.
"Yeah, you seem like a good person Mr. Law-"
"Don't call me mister," Law cut him off sharply.
"Law," En corrected himself. "You didn't kill anyone, you just made a warning. And, you want to go to the Grand Line someday right? Best of luck there. It's pretty tough!"
What?
"You've been there?" Law asked, and En froze up. "You did say you came from far away."
The boy looked away, Law could see he was beating himself up for letting that one slip. But if he came from the Grand Line, this was a golden opportunity! "What's it like?"
"Dangerous." En replied, his voice low. "Filled with terrible pirates, with many different and dangerous Devil Fruit abilities."
"I figured." Law nodded. "What else is there?" En looked back up.
"The weather is something else," En whispered. "It's hard to navigate too. A normal compass wouldn't work there."
"Oh! And they have giant Sea Kings there too. Some bigger than whole islands," said Anna.
"Yeah, the weather. The storms we've seen can uproot whole islands and shred Sea Kings. They can reach into the heavens and beyond. Countless sea twisters. It's like they're almost alive."
"I don't believe you." Law said without hesitation. En looked back at him. Hard, enough to make the pirate momentarily wince.
"It's real. Trust me."
For all his distrust something made him believe it. Something in those green eyes, eyes a mere boy should not have.
However, the moment of introspection was interrupted by a grumbling noise, and the two men perked up. Anna giggled, rubbing the back of her head.
"Sorry, hungry…"
"Well, you can go eat, Anna," said En. "And that's another thing. You can go for days without seeing an island, so make sure you take plenty of supplies."
"Right." Law nodded, with a calm he did not feel, taking deep breaths through his nose.
The sound of raised voices drew his attention back to the Mess Nest. He strode over, and poked his head around the door. Inside, the townsfolk were gathered around the kitchen hatch. Inside the kitchen was Sora, in a white apron, her hands a blur over the chopping board. To either side, neatly-sliced onions were piling up. Edwell, the head chef, was watching in utter amazement.
"You say you never cooked before?" the normally gruff cook asked. Sora looked back, still in her black face mask.
"A little here and there, but not this much," she replied. "Will that do for the onions? I'm getting a little teary-eyed."
Law looked back at Anna, who was staring at Sora in almost child-like wonder. En had his arms crossed, but Law could still see a smile at the edge of his mask. The darkness was gone from his eyes too.
The food was ready. Bowls of Sea king Bisque with rice and ribs were handed out, and the feast began in earnest. Law took a seat near En and Anna, and watched them as he ate. Anna guzzled down the bisque with obvious joy, while En ate more slowly; though he seemed to be enjoying it just as much.
Both had their masks adjusted to eat, and Law could see their lower faces. En's face, partly hidden by his rabbit-eared hood, was round and boyish, but otherwise commonplace. Anna's face, with her Hanya mask to one side, was heart-shaped, and far from unpleasant to look at.
And her red horns were still in place. Were they real?
"And with the help of Gull and Daikairobo! I will vanquish thee, foul villains!"
Law looked up, and saw Ray and some of his friends running between the tables, holding action figures in the air. Ray was carrying Sora the Sea Warrior, with his white suit and blue cape.
"Mwahahah! You shall not thwart me, the Great Evil Emperor Germaaa~!" added Creak, one of Ray's friends, holding up a larger, hulking action figure dressed in red.
"And the super cute and evil Poison Piiiink~!" Creak's sister, River, joined in with her own doll.
Law could not help but smile at the sight. He was a big fan of Sora, and had given the kids those action figures himself.
Then he saw En and Anna. They had stopped eating, and were watching the children intently. En actually looked surprised.
"Emperor Germa?" he asked. "They don't mean King Vinsmoke Judge of Germa Kingdom, do they?"
"Judge? He wishes," Law sneered. "He's nothing compared to Emperor Germa, even if the character was based off of him. Talk about gaining in translation."
"Character?" Anna asked, looking puzzled. Law was taken aback.
"You say you're from the Grand Line right. Don't you read Sora, Warrior of the Sea?" Law asked.
"Ummm, what's that?" En asked, titling his head, as did Anna. Law paused, not sure what to say, almost looking offended.
"It's a famous long running superhero comic strip that's been going in the papers for years."
"Did you say Superhero comic?" En asked, suddenly perking up. Law could have sworn he saw the boy's eyes turn into stars for a moment.
"Oh oh! That's those picture books you mentioned back where you're from, right?" Anna asked, and En nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah, where I'm from comics come in different shapes and sizes, like graphic novels and manga."
"Manga? Graphic novels?" Law leaned in, intrigued. "They have those in the Grand Line?"
En blinked; just like he had done before.
"Only… where I'm from!" En waved his hands; again like he had done before. "But it's super super SUUUPER hard to get to! Getting out of there almost killed me!"
Silence rang through the room. The young hero deflated, and Anna patted him on the back.
"So, umm, you're saying that there's a comic strip based on a real actual kingdom, portrayed as the bad guys, against this…Sora?" hazarded En, coming back to himself.
"Yes. Sora is a Hero of Justice, a symbol of good and right," Law declared proudly. "There's been a few different versions so far, but they all come back to him fighting the Germa Empire. By his side are his faithful companions: the strongest seagull in the world named Gull, and a giant robot named Daikairobo. His look changes from author to author. Sometimes gender too. Like Daikaroboko during the Maravich Run."
"Giant….Robot…." Anna's voice was strained, yet she seemed to almost vibrate in her seat with excitement. En was more restrained, but not by much. He looked away, and began to fidget with his fingers; blushing like an awkward child. "Ummm… if its not too much to ask-"
"If you want to read them, that's fine," Law assured him, smiling. "I need to repay you somehow for saving my life today. It's the least I can do for a fellow fan."
"A fan?"
"I saw it in those eyes of yours. That spark." Law smirked. "You're a fan of comics, right?"
"Definitely. I was inspired a lot by them."
"I'd love to check this out too!" squealed Anna, bouncing up and down on her seat. "A hero of the sea fighting evildoers… that sounds so cool! And he's with a giant robot too!"
Law was amazed, on a day full of amazements. This was the first time he'd ever seen a girl get excited over a giant robot.
"Well, I'd be happy to introduce you to 'Sora'. But…"
Law raised a finger, and glared into En's eyes. En and Anna perked up, looking very nervous.
And so they might. This was a serious matter. A GRAVE matter; graver even than bringing new fans to marvel at Sora and his adventures. He wouldn't bend or break, and if they did such a thing, he would never forgive them!
"I have bookmarks. I won't stand for any folded pages, or damage whatsoever to my volumes. Understand?"
En blinked, again deflating from the sudden loss of tension, and slowly nodded. "Y-Yes sir."
Sir? Oh well, he got the message across.
"Ok." Law set to work on his bisque. "Pardon me for asking, but how old are you?"
"He turned seventeen two months ago!" Anna chimed in. En's upper body immediately fell flat, faceplanting on the table; but Law barely noticed.
"Seventeen?" He was a kid!?
"Yeah…" En managed to look up. "How… about you?"
"Twenty-two myself." He reached for a pint of ale and took a sip. "Anyways, I'll be happy to share when…"
"Hey Law."
Law felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked up, and saw that it was Harbor; one of the local Fishing Association. "Isaac is back from the Expanse. Wants to talk to you. Says it's urgent."
Law nodded, and looked back to the duo opposite. "Excuse me, I'll be right back." He took one last sip of ale, then stood up. As he did so, Anna got up and headed for the line by the kitchen hatch.
"Hope they got some of those Sea King Ribs!" she declared, beaming at the prospect of more food. Quite the appetite, that one.
He followed Harbor through the crowded mess, and out a side door. There, in the alley between Mess Nest and the next building, waited Isaac. A rough-looking man in his mid thirties, was leaning on the opposite wall; his countenance grim.
"Isaac," Law nodded in greeting, feeling the chill of the night wind as he stepped out. "What's up?"
"I just got back from working my shift down in the Expanse." Isaac coughed a little and Law winced.
"Need me to clean your lungs?" he asked, raising his hand to employ his Room. "Those coal mines aren't exactly sanitary."
"It can wait. Besides, it pays for the wife and our kid. But Law, now's not a good time to go sailing to the Grand Line." He glanced up and down the alley, then leaned closer. "You're not going to believe this, but the Germa 66 are on the move."
The Germa?
"Why?" Law asked. "Where did you see them?"
"Near Blackgate, on the eastern coast of the Expanse just south of here. I was on a ferry just off the northern coast, heading for Godgrace Dukedom. There was a pirate ship, and then three of their damn snails came rolling up, banners flying. The pirates tried to run, but the snails blew down their masts, ran them down, and butchered them. No prisoners, no looting, no nothing. Just cleared the ship out, set it on fire, and sailed away."
Isaac coughed again, longer and harder this time. But even as he stopped, he looked older somehow; old and drained.
"Is the Germa Kingdom working with the Marines now?" Law asked. Blackgate was close, just a day or two's sail south. It would be risky heading towards Reverse Mountain if Germa was on the prowl; especially with John Giant after his blood.
"Not sure. I asked around the ferry, some folks even made snail calls home. It's all the same." Isaac shook his head. "Germa's on the warpath; just showing up everywhere and jumping pirates. It's been going for two days now."
Two days. Two days, and they hadn't heard a thing about it. That was just the way it was, out on the ocean. Days or weeks, sometimes longer, completely out of contact. The whole world could change, and he wouldn't know a thing about it unless a News Coo flew by.
A good thing they had finished their trip, and were safely in harbor. If Germa had caught them in the open…
"Alright, Thanks for the heads up. I won't be heading out any time soon." Law patted his shoulder. "Let's get your lungs cleaned." He held out his hand, the fingers glowing as he activated his power.
"Room. Shambles." Black gunk materialized around his glowing fingers, and Isaac sighed with relief as it plopped onto the ground. "Drink plenty of water, no alcohol for at least 2 weeks."
"Got it, thanks Law."
Law nodded, and Isaac followed Harbor back inside. He stood where he was, looking up at the sky; at the twinkling stars, and the vast emptiness of the void beyond.
This was a problem. He had already pissed the Marines off by stealing their stuff and humorously (temporarily) mutilating their crews. And there was Doflamingo's inside man, a damned Vice Admiral these days; if those dossiers he'd found were telling the truth.
Now Germa was on the move too. Not their usual raids, but a full-scale rampage, charging around the North Blue like a pack of homicidal maniacs.
What if they came here next? Would they only settle for his ship, his crew?
And on top of all that, as if he didn't have enough problems, there were those two powerhouses inside the mess.
He peeked in the window. Anna was gorging herself on ribs, while En looked on in wide-eyed astonishment. Sora was leaning on the kitchen hatch, giggling at the sight, while Penguin was gawking at her, blushing. The others were having a merry old time; eating, drinking, sharing memories, enjoying the time together. He could even see Isaac embracing his wife, and bouncing their baby daughter in his arms.
Strange. All so strange.
And now we begin to settle into Tailfeather Bay, with Law having questions but finding some common ground with our duo. Along with notice that the Germa are on the prowl. Pirates, Marines, someone will have to take action, sooner or later...
Big thanks to WildJoker000 , Juubi-K , and IKnowNothing as always.
Hope you all enjoyed this shorty. Next one is another medium length.
Also rest in peace Akira Toriyama. You were my first exposure to anime(the episode where Vegeta pleaded to Goku to avenge the Saiyans before he was killed by Frieza when I was a wee lad at a friend's house) and while I think you made some questionable story and character decisions, you were one of the most creative minds to have ever existed. Up there with the likes of Stan Lee, Tolkien and Hebert and Asimov.
I'll see you all in the next one.