Chapter Text
The first thing Law was aware of when he regained consciousness was that his head hurt, the second thing was that his arms were bound behind his back.
He fought the groan down as he peeled his eyes open, memory of the Silver Lions and Whitlock slowly filtering back in as he squinted in the light. He took in the room he was in, it looked like a small jail, likely only used for people who needed somewhere to sober up for the night considering the population of the island. The walls and floors were all cobblestone, Law was handcuffed against the back wall, facing the bars of the cell with Tashi and Mariah slumped together on his right and the beat up Shadow Moon on his left. Law could see through the bars of his cell into the one across from him where Akira and Cordya were tied together.
Law shifted, fingers flexing as he took stock of his own body.
“Doc, you with us?” Cordya called.
Law didn’t answer at first, letting his Haki slowly expand to make sure they were alone. The nearest signature he could find seemed to be guarding the door.
“I’m here. I can’t tell, is my mask still on?” Law asked, his throat felt thick and rough.
“Yes, they tried to take it off but couldn’t figure out the latching mechanism. They also didn’t check any of us for Devil Fruits, so it’s not Seastone if that is at all helpful,” Cordya responded.
Law let out a breath and relaxed slightly against the wall. “You managed not to get knocked out?” Law asked, only a little suspicious.
“Side effect of my Devil Fruit,” she said blandly. “I can’t be rendered unconscious, I don’t sleep more than a few hours a week either. I was paralyzed by whatever affected us, but I was still aware.”
“It’s the butterflies,” Anders muttered, head lolling.
“Anders, it’s good to hear your voice,” Cordya sighed.
“What do you mean?” Law asked.
Anders coughed, the sound was wetter than Law was comfortable with and he could see a bit of blood splatter onto the cobblestone.
“The butterflies here have something weird in their wing scales, something that works as a sedative. It’s usually really mild, the people here use it in medications to make sleep aids that they export, but the Silver Lions figured out how to make it stronger, weaponize it,” Anders’ voice started to wheeze.
Every ounce of doctors' instincts bristle at the sound. He flexed his fingers again, confirming Cordya’s claim of normal shackles. He formed a small Room and swapped the shackles with a loose stone a few feet away. He quickly moved over and laid the injured man down, thankful his hands were bound in front of him.
“Anders, you're the medic, yes? Give me a status,” Law demanded.
“Dunno,” the man groaned, “everything hurts.”
“Doc, what are you doing?” Mariah groaned, waking up.
“My job, shut up,” Law responded. “ Where does it hurt?”
“Doc,” Mariah stressed.
“Shut the fuck up and keep watch or I will dismember you,” Law snarled, eyes flashing.
Mariah sighed and shrugged, Haki flaring out, while Cordya watched anxiously at Law’s threat.
“Anders, babe, where are you hurting at?” Akira called. His voice sounded thick, like he had just woken up, and when Law looked up he saw Cordya whispering to him.
“Akira?” Anders almost whimpered. He started to try to sit up, breathing shallow and rough.
Thinking quickly, Law opened another Room and Shambled Akira into the cell with them.
“Keep him calm and quiet so I can work,” Law instructed. He waited only long enough for Akira to shuffle over to Anders’ head and start talking quietly.
Once Anders stilled, Law started prodding, attempting to avoid using his power too much. He gently felt along both arms, taking careful note on what spots caused flinching. He moved on from the arms to his legs, finding nothing broken, though the medic’s knee was puffy and hot to the touch. Moving onto the man's chest nearly made Law curse, the low moan and the give on his ribs when Law pressed more than enough to worry him.
“Fuck,” Law muttered, trying to do a Scan to find the issue. “Cordya, did you see if they left my bag in here?”
“I-I’m not sure,” she answered, voice unsteady for the first time at the sight of Law’s frantic eyes.
Law cursed again before he expanded his Room out, looking for his missing thigh pouch. Instead, he found Kikoku leaned off to the side of the room as well as their other weapons. He looked in the direction of the sword and back to the man under him. The punctured lung he found was bad, bad enough that without intervention soon he would be in grave danger. His supply pack had everything in it needed to do a small surgery, even the things he didn’t really need when using his Room. He really just needed something sharp to act as a conduit, a scalpel was his preferred tool, but would a sword work? He’s used a kitchen knife before as an experiment, and that worked decently.
“Fuck it,” Law muttered, Shambling Kikoku into his hand and unsheathed it. The blade seemed to vibrate and hum in his Room.
“Doc,” Tashi asked, worry in his tone.
Ignoring them all, Law let out a slow breath, sterilized the area in his Room and used Kikoku’s blade to focus his power into a single cut. It was the smoothest incision Law had ever made and within moments, Anders’ breathing evened out.
“Everything else can wait until we get somewhere with a better set up,” Law explained, “but his lung wouldn’t.”
He sealed the incision to the best of his ability with a sigh before he looked thoughtfully at the sword. She still hummed, though for some reason, Law felt like she was pleased with how she was used. Something to think about later, he supposed, turning his attention back to his patient.
“Anders, is that better? Still have issues breathing?” Law asked, watching the man’s eyes flutter open.
“Better,” he responded, letting out a long, slow breath.
“Good. I will get you out of here and get you taken care of, okay? All of you,” Law promised.
“How can you be so sure?” Anders asked.
Law smirked, “Because if I don’t call the Chief by sunset, he’ll be coming here himself. Not that I think it will be necessary, now that I know their trick I should be fine.”
“What?” Akira breathed.
Law ignored him in favor of standing and stretching out his back, vertebrae popping as Law looked around unconcerned.
“Did you know about the butterflies, Cordya?” Law asked, studying the lock on the cell.
“I knew the locals used the butterflies, I did not know what for.”
Law hummed and turned back to his own companions, “Are either of you hurt?”
“I’m good, Doc,” Tashi reported. “Head’s a bit fuzzy but other than that I’m fine.”
“Same, but there are people starting to come this direction,” Mariah replied.
Law nodded and gently put his hand on Akira’s shoulder, who was still leaned down with his head pressed to Anders’, talking softly. “I have to send you back to your cell, I promise it won’t be for long,” he said.
Akira took a deep breath and sat up, nodding silently. Law sat down and maneuvered Anders to rest his head in his lap before he opened another Room and put everything back to where it was when he woke up, including the manacles on his own wrists.
When the doors opened, Law was greeted by the sight of the two men who had led Anders out earlier. Both men were just as ugly as their captain, greasy tangled hair, crooked yellow teeth, and a cruel glint in their eyes.
“Oh good, you’re all awake,” Brute One said, sneering at Law.
“Oh good, you’re not blind,” Law retorted with an eye roll. “Undo my cuffs and bring me my med kit.”
Brute two laughed, “Why the hell would we do that?”
“Because if you don’t, he’ll die,” Law laid the lie out with a blank tone. “Personally, I don’t really care, but as a doctor I have to at least try. By the sound of his breathing you punctured his lung and if something isn’t done he will die.”
“What?!” Law could hear Akira panicking, struggling to his feet to lean heavily on the bars. “You said–you promised !”
Law ignored him as he stared down the brute in front of him. “Well? I’m sure you’ve already ransacked my pouch for anything valuable, and what could I possibly do to you? I’m one sixteen year old kid against two veteran pirates. Or are you embarrassed to admit that you’re afraid of me?”
Law could feel Tashi and Mariah’s eyes on him, they knew he had a silver tongue but had never seen it in action. Not like this at least, the way it struck like a dagger in all the right ways to rile the two up.
“Yeah, well what’s in it for us, huh? We don’t care if he lives or dies,” Brute One argued, the smarter of the two, it seemed.
Law shrugged. “Compliance? Because I promise you, if he dies under my care then I will fight tooth and nail against anything you want me to do.”
They both scowled before Brute One turned to Two, “Go get our med kit. I’m sure Boss would prefer it if he went along with our plans.”
Brute Two scoffed but ambled off, returning a few minutes later with what Law could tell even from this distance, was a half-assed med kit.
Law shuffled, gently moving Anders’ head off his legs so he could stand. Both men were much taller than him and had a good 100 pounds on him, but Law could hold his own against Lucky Roux.
Law moved away from the others as much as he could in the cramped cell as Brute One unlocked the door. Law turned his back to the pirate to give him access to the cuffs. Law gave Mariah a wide, feral, grin as the cuffs came loose. He brought his hands around, rubbing his wrist dramatically before he moved, faster than the Brutes would have ever expected.
Law spun, foot catching the back of Brute One’s ankle, making him lose his balance. Law grabbed him by the face as he fell and slammed his head into the bars. Before Brute One hit the ground, Law was in front of Two. His grin drenched in bloodlust as a Haki coated fist broke the goon's nose. As the goon reached for his face instinctually Law grabbed his shoulders in an iron grip, pulling him down into his knees and forcing the air out of his lungs. Brute Two collapsed to the ground with a breathless groan. Brute One staggered back to his feet, only to be met by a sword tip at his nose and a crazed looking Law on the other side.
“Tashi, how disappointed do you think Dad would be if I killed them?” Law asked, tone conversational, like he was asking about the weather. The goon swallowed roughly as he saw the cruel glint in Law’s eyes.
“At this point,” Tashi started dryly, “I think he would be more disappointed if you didn’t.”
It was now that everyone who wasn’t one of Law’s crewmates realized: the mask the Red Devil: Doc wore now was much less adorned than the one in his bounty posters, mask more white than blood splattered. As he lunged forward, both hands on his sword, uncaring about the blood that he shed, they knew that the mask was simply clean.
A short while later the mask was still clean, though the same couldn’t be said of his shoes as Law looked down at the bodies in disgust. Law leaned down to start digging in their pockets when the others came back to their senses.
“Anders, is he–” Akira started but stopped when he was waved off.
“I told you, I took care of what was life threatening. It was mostly a bluff,” Law said, clicking his tongue when he didn’t find anything of use in the first set of pockets.
“Why bluff though?” Cordya asked as Law stood with a grin, keys in hand. “You were already loose once and obviously whatever Fruit you have is versatile enough to gain an upper hand.”
Law hummed, helping Mariah and Tashi to their feet and unlocking their cuffs. “My Fruit relies heavily on my stamina and it drains me faster than doing something by hand. Not to mention we try to keep it on the down low so that I continue to be underestimated.”
“It was a good move, though,” Mariah agreed, taking the keys from Law to unlock the other cell and let the Shadow Moon’s free.
“Yeah man, I’ve never seen you talk like that before,” Tashi said.
“Yeah, well,” Law didn’t look up from where he was splinting Anders’ knee, “you learn a lot living under a psychopath for three years.”
Mariah flinched where she was unlocking Cordya’s cuffs, hard enough that the captain noticed, though she didn’t comment. “So, do you have a plan?” she asked instead.
“Four that may work, two more that account for people like Anchor, one last ditch effort,” Law listed off. Law looked up at Cordya, golden eyes sharp and calculating. “You said your Devil Fruit keeps you awake, from the way Akira got up I assume you can wake up others. Can you keep me awake if needed?”
Cordya blinked in surprise. “I–Probably? I’ve neve tried to use it that way,” she said. “I don’t know that you would be willing for me to use it, though.”
Law raised an eyebrow, “Why not?”
“She needs your name,” Anders' voice could barely be heard, but it was enough that everyone looked at him.
Law looked back up, standing up to his full height to look at the captain. “Is this true?”
“Yes, my power activates when I call a name,” she answered.
“And I assume my alias won’t work?”
Cordya shook her head, “I tried as soon as you started falling unconscious.”
Law drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “How much of my name would you need?”
“The more I have the better it works.”
“Doc? Are you sure?” Mariah’s voice was quiet.
“I’ve made my move,” he said firmly. “They won’t be happy to just capture me now that I’ve killed two of theirs.”
Law strode up to Cordya, eyes still sharp and calculating. “I tell you this, not out of trust, but necessity. My first name is Law, if it becomes necessary, Mariah will tell you my full name.”
“Doc I–”
“My full name , Mariah. I will make the sacrifices I have to to get myself and you two back home. If that takes my anonymity, I’ll take it,” Law said.
His voice was firm, stance confident. For a moment, Cordya could see him as his own captain, leading his crew with an easy confidence into a fight.
“I hate how the four of you took Chief’s first lesson so seriously,” Mariah growled.
Cordya smiled, “You impress me, Red Devil. I will not take advantage of this.”
Law nodded sharply and turned, “We’re going to have to leave Anders here, the four of us can’t protect him like this, but as soon as it is safe we can send the crew to collect him.”
“But–”
“He’s right, Akira. Think past your emotions for a moment,” Cordya interrupted.
“I’ll be fine, Kiki,” Anders said, groaning as said man helped him sit up. “Hand me the fuckers gun and I’ll be even better.”
Cordya grabbed a gun that the brutes never had a chance to use and checked to make sure it was loaded. The rest pretended to give Akira some privacy as he leaned down to press a kiss to Ander’s bandaged cheek.
“First step,” Law said as he flared his Haki to check for people around the door, “is to avoid the roads. It’s possible that they only trapped that one section of road, but it’s also likely that they did all of the roads and it’s why the people who live here didn’t leave their houses.” He made sure everyone had gathered their weapons as he spoke and gathered what would be useful out of the garbage of a med kit he was brought.
“So stick to the grass where even if it is down the dew should be enough to keep it from getting dusty,” Tashi concluded, making Law nod.
Law opened the door and crept out into the sunlight, a decent bit lower in the sky than it had been when they had been captured, before darting off to a corner of a house off to the side. The grass was dry and crunched a bit when stepped on, but it didn’t kick up any dust as they moved. Law let his Haki guide him, following paths that weren’t being traveled and circling in to the town hall building.
They were passing under a kitchen window when it opened suddenly and silently. Law looked up in a panic to see an old woman, gray hair twisted back into a tight bun, her blue eye noticing them immediately.
“Come around to the back door,” she hissed. “Hurry!”
Law isn’t ashamed to admit he jumped to obey the old woman, he still remembered the old lady who lived down the road from him Before and she was the scariest thing he had ever encountered.
As soon as they started moving, she closed the window and pulled the curtains closed. The room they were let into was a simple, cozy sitting room. There was a plush looking couch and comfortable armchair with blankets tossed over the back. A basket with yarn and crochet hooks sat on the floor as well as a basket holding wooden blocks, for a grandchild Law assumed. The house was silent, all the curtains drawn and very little movement.
Once the group was in the house and the door was closed behind them, the old woman turned to Cordya.
“Captain, I am so pleased to see you,” she said, pulling Cordya into a hug.
“Miss Megan, I’m glad you’re not hurt,” Cordya responded.
“Who have you brought with you?” Megan asked, looking at Law.
“Red Devil Doc, of the Red Hair pirates, ma’am, and these are my crewmates, Tashi and Mariah,” Law introduced politely.
The old woman snorts and raises a critical eyebrow, “You’re awfully polite to be one of Akagami’s.”
Mariah let out a giggle that almost verged into hysterical, likely remembering the bloody bodies he left just a few doors down, “He was told to be on his best behavior.”
Law rolled his eyes and ignored her. “What can you tell me about how the Silver Lions are stationed around here?” he asked.
She huffed out a breath and stalked over to put a kettle on the stove, seemingly more out of habit than to offer any to her impromptu guests. “They’ve trapped us in our own damned houses,” she complained. “The Dust is always bad this time of year, the butterflies hatching season matches with our dry season, usually it just means we need to be a little more careful. Floors are swept and moped more regularly, feet get washed off, but even if you breathe in too much, it usually just makes you a bit drowsy. Whatever they’ve done, I don’t know if it was to the Dust itself or to the butterflies, it’s made it potent just by itself.”
Law drums his fingers on Kikoku’s hilt, taking in what she was saying, but ultimately deciding it was unimportant for the moment. Something interesting to study when the threat was dealt with.
“Whitlock’s set up shop in the town hall. The building is mostly open, more meeting hall than anything formal, and it’s ventilated,” Megan gave Law a sharp smile as his gaze snapped over to her.
“So if we can get inside the hall, we won’t have to worry about the Dust,” Law surmised. “Is there a way in that isn’t the front door?”
“Technically, no,” Megan smirked.
“Get on with it, please,” Law sighed. He worried about the angle of the shadows through the curtains and if Whitlock had already attempted to call the Red Force with his snail. He had a plan in place with the Moons if he did, but he would much rather get to them before he made his family worry.
“There’s a tunnel that connects the town leaders house to the town hall. It’s not in any blueprints and the trap door to the passage is easy to miss unless you know exactly where to look. We got the idea about 20 years ago when an island to the south got trapped in their hall when a fire started,” Megan led them deeper into her home as she explained. She stopped at a closet in her spare bedroom, more kids toys scattered around the floor and the bed, pulling back a rug she revealed a small trapdoor.
Law held back as the others dropped down into the tunnel, eyes shifting over the room.
“Are you going with them, Red Devil?” Megan asked.
Law shifted his weight nervously for a moment before answering quietly. “Are they okay?” he asked.
“Who?” Megan tilted her head and narrowed her eyes.
Law let his eyes drift from the soft pink comforter on the bed, to the mound of stuffed animals in the corner, to the blocks on the floor.
“The child that usually lives in this room,” he said finally, letting his eye come back to the old woman.
Megan stiffened for a moment before she sighed and crossed her arms. “Take care of that Whitlock and she’ll be fine. The Dust is hard on young children as it is, with whatever they did, we sent all the kids to the edges of the town where the Dust isn’t as bad.”
Law nodded, satisfied with the answer, and followed the others down the tunnel.
0808
They were silent as they traveled the tunnel. They were led only by the light of Akira’s lighter as they walked, air damp and earthy. Something about it made Law feel safe for some reason, something to think about later.
Slowly, the earth started sloping back upward and voices could be heard from overhead. The words were indistinguishable, though the tone seemed annoyed to Law.
Akira extinguished the flame as they came up to the thick wooden trap door, flipping the lid closed on the lighter as gently as he could as Law pressed his ear to the door.
Law took the time to expand his Observation, slowly, with every exhale as he tried to listen in to the conversation. When he was comfortable with the fact that there was no one by the door, Law very slowly and quietly pushed it up a few inches. He had to squint, the light nearly blinding after the darkness of the tunnel, to see into the room in front of him. The door seemed to be hidden under a lectern, the gap between the wood and the floor enough that Law could see the main room which was occupied by a large table mostly.
Whitlock was sitting at the table, Law’s snail in front of him as he growled into it. Law could see three other men standing around, one by the door watching the town, one was sitting with Whitlock at the table and the third seemed to be dozing in a chair off to the side. Unprepared, good, Law thought.
“You are going to give me the number for the Red Hairs or I will make sure your captain comes back in pieces,” Whitlock snarled to the snail.
Law blinked in confusion for a moment, not able to hear the response from what was obviously the Shadow Moon’s ship, before he smirked.
The other crew must have given him the number, as Whitlock hung up and started to dial a new number.
“Be ready,” Law hissed, opening the door to let a little more light in so his companions wouldn’t be blinded.
0808
The upper crew all gathered in the war room, not even pretending like they were able to get anything done. The snail slept soundly in the middle of the table while Shanks paced the length of the room. Even Ace, Sabo, and Luffy sat quietly off to the side, just watching their captain and father pace in worry for their brother. It had been four hours since Law called, he had two hours left before they changed course.
“There’s no reason to worry yet,” Beckman soothed, even as he was plotting the route to Cho with Building Snake.
“I just can’t help feeling like I’ve sent him into something he wasn’t ready for,” Shanks yanked at his hair as he turned on his heel to continue his path.
“We trained him well, he’s okay,” Hongo tried to be reassuring, but the tapping of his foot showed his own uncertainty.
The whole room froze as the snail woke from its doze, the quiet purupuru casting a spell over the room. A spell that was only broken when Gab reached forward, pulling the receiver off, the gatcha echoing loudly in the room.
“Red Force control,” Gab answered.
“Ah, Red Hairs. I want to talk to your captain,” A voice that no one recognized said. The snail leered in approximation of the speaker’s face and Shanks scowled.
“And why would you need to speak to the Chief?” Gab questioned, he sounded bored though his face looked furious.
“Because I have something I’ve been brought to believe he wants back,” the voice on the other end taunted and Shanks had to bite back a snarl.
“I’m here, what do you want?” Shanks demanded, stalking to take the receiver from Gab.
“Ah, Akagami, you see I’ve had someone butt their head into my operations. Someone who claims to be your kid. Now, you see, the seas are dangerous for children, don’t you know?”
“Are you threatening me or my son?” Shanks responded, voice dark and even.
“Well, that is going to depend on–”
“Are you really so afraid of a fair fight that you called to tattle on me to my dad?” the whole room went boneless in relief at the sound of Law’s taunting voice.
“How did you–what the–” the snail hung up with a click.
“Well,” Hongo said after a few moments of silence, “I think he has this handled.”
Shanks could only laugh while the boys smiled at each other. They all knew Law, knew that tone of voice. Law had a plan he was sure was going to work.