Chapter Text
“Zehahaha, without a ship, you can’t even call yourselves pirates anymore, let alone escape,” Blackbeard gloated as he stood over Law’s prone form. Law had gone down after taking a particularly nasty hit, Kikoku clattering from his grip, and hadn’t gotten back up. In a panic, Bepo had tried to rush to his side, but Burgess had knocked him aside like he was little more than a cub.
Everyone… Bepo thought in agony, the sound of metal shredding still echoing in his ears. Please be all right. But there wasn’t anything he could do for the others sinking in the water while he was face-down in the dirt a few yards away from his captain. Bepo’s entire body hurt from the blows he’d taken, and even the thought of moving made a jolt of pain run down his spine.
“The owners of the one hundred hearts you stole at Rocky Port are still livin’ on Pirate Island,” Blackbeard went on, the glee in his voice making Bepo’s jaw clench. “I bet they’ll be thrilled if I bring ‘em your heart! We’ll have a toast.”
No, Bepo thought, eyes widening. Law wasn’t just at his limit—he’d blown past that hours ago. No, he was so far beyond his limits that Bepo didn’t know how he was still conscious, considering the toll Law’s awakened techniques took on his body. If Blackbeard tried anything, Law would be helpless to stop him. Bepo was his only hope. And Bepo had one trump card left to play.
He tried to make as little movement as possible as he reached into his pockets for one of the little balls Chopper had given him before their crews had gone their separate ways after Wano.
“You really made these?” Bepo had asked in awe once Chopper explained what they were.
Chopper had blushed and wiggled, clearly pleased with the praise. But he shook a hoof at Bepo in a warning. “I can’t guarantee it’ll work, okay?”
I don’t have a choice but to try, Bepo thought as he bit down on the special Rumble Ball. He closed his eyes, waiting to feel different—to feel Sulong erupt from his blood, to give him the power to do something.
“Now, what should we do with the Ope Ope no Mi? Sell it or use it?” Blackbeard made a show of looking thoughtful, and Bepo screwed his eyes shut, pleading with the Rumble Ball to work. “Don’t suppose you’d fancy makin’ me immortal?”
Nothing happened.
Panic churned in Bepo’s stomach as Blackbeard leaned forward and grabbed Law by the throat. Law hissed as Blackbeard lifted him until his feet were dangling above the ground, but he only managed to weakly paw at Blackbeard’s wrist.
Unable to wait any longer for the Rumble Ball to take effect, Bepo tried to rise—to reach Law—but when he made it to all fours, a sharp kick to his middle had him crying out and dropping to the ground again. Bepo’s vision swam in front of him as a foot planted firmly in his back.
“Captain,” Bepo exhaled weakly.
“Stay down, little mink,” Burgess warned.
Bepo could do little more than growl in response, and Burgess, the bastard, laughed.
“I don’t s’ppose you’d do that, even to save your crew, would you, Trafalgar?” Blackbeard continued while Law’s scrabbling against his grip weakened. “No matter. You’re plenty valuable even without it. Three billion beri bounty for your head. But that’s not all, is it?” Blackbeard turned away from Law for a moment to look at his men. “You know how much the Marines were willing to pay for the Ope Ope no Mi thirteen years ago?” When the others shook their heads, Blackbeard’s grotesque smirk widened as he looked back at Law. “Five fucking billion.”
Burgess whistled while Van Augur raised an eyebrow and Doc Q was thrown into a coughing fit.
“I can only imagine what the highest bidder would pay today,” Blackbeard added as Law’s weakly scrabbling hand dropped limply to his side as he lost consciousness.
“Wait!” Bepo cried out, suddenly panicked. He couldn’t let Blackbeard kill Law for his Devil Fruit. Burgess’s heel ground into his back as a threat, but Bepo ignored it as best he could. Blackbeard’s beady gaze found Bepo’s, and Bepo swallowed nervously. “Y-you carry the initial of D.”
“What of it?” Blackbeard asked suspiciously, his full attention now turning to Bepo.
Sharing this information was an absolute last-ditch effort, but if it would cause Blackbeard to keep Law alive, at least a little longer, it was worth it. “So does Law.”
Blackbeard’s eyes widened briefly, and he glanced back at the slack figure in his grip before looking back at Bepo, his gaze sharp as flint. “Yer lying to save your captain.”
“I’m not,” Bepo said, shaking his head desperately. I’m sorry, Law. “His full name is Trafalgar D. Water Law. H-his family told him to keep his full name secret. So, he does.”
Blackbeard was silent for a long moment, looking in Bepo’s direction though his gaze was far away. Finally, he came back to himself and released his grip around Law’s throat. Law crumpled bonelessly to the ground. Bepo let out a sigh of relief as Blackbeard turned to his men again. “Round up the survivors and lock ‘em up.”
“What about Trafalgar?” Van Augur asked.
“Wrap ‘im in Seastone. I’m not taking any chances with him.”
“We’re not killing him?” Burgess asked from above Bepo, seemingly disappointed. “But he’s worth billions. Him and his fruit, apparently.”
“Not yet,” Blackbeard said, looking down at Law’s unconscious form with a thoughtful look. “My interest is piqued.” He looked back up. “The others, though?” He grinned then, making Bepo’s insides twist. “We sell them.”
Law groaned as consciousness mercilessly returned; every inch of his body hurt, and he was weighed down by bone-deep exhaustion. His eyelids felt like lead, but he forced them open and blinked a few times to clear his blurry vision. He was lying on a wooden floor in what looked to be a brig. There was a rattling as he tried to move his hands, and he glanced down to see his wrists shackled with Seastone. Between the overuse of his Devil Fruit and the Seastone, it was no wonder he felt so tired.
If Law was being honest, he was surprised to have woken up at all. The last thing he remembered was Blackbeard’s hand around his throat and struggling to breathe as the Emperor’s foul breath washed over his face. He must have lost consciousness at some point; he would have expected Blackbeard to kill him for his bounty and his Devil Fruit. Somehow, Blackbeard had known about the price the Marines had been willing to pay for the Ope Ope no Mi when Cora-san had stolen it, and based on Doflamingo’s words back in Dressrosa, he didn’t doubt the World Government would want the fruit back in their possession.
So, why was Law still alive?
“You awake?” a feminine voice piped up.
Law started and looked up to see a young woman leaning against the far wall, her own wrists shackled. Most notably, however, was the third eye on her forehead. He gave it a quick glance before meeting her gaze again; there was something sharp in them that left Law feeling off-balance, like he should know who she is.
“Unfortunately,” Law replied, and slowly pushed himself upright—or tried to, at least. His arms shook with the effort, and by the time he managed to slump back against the wall, he was sweating as his wounds protested every inch of movement. Even breathing hurt. He undoubtedly had a few broken ribs, and there was a good chance there was some internal damage, but he couldn’t be certain of its severity without his powers; his captors—unsurprisingly—hadn’t bothered with any medical care.
The space in the cell was quiet for several moments except for Law’s labored breathing.
“I have to say,” the woman said finally, “you’re not as impressive in person as I was expecting, Trafalgar Law.”
Law narrowed his eyes and, too tired to even turn his head, shot her a glance out of the corner of his eye. “Sorry to disappoint,” he muttered. He wasn’t particularly surprised to be recognized, especially with that latest wanted poster making the rounds. In the woman’s defense, though, he was certain he did look like shit at the moment. “Who are you?”
“Charlotte Pudding.” Law’s eyes widened as she raised an eyebrow. “I believe you know my mother.”
Law let out a humorless laugh. “Fuck. This day just keeps getting better.” He blinked heavily. “I’d say I’m sorry, but, well.”
“You’re not.”
“No.” Law glanced over at Pudding. In her shoes, Law had spent thirteen years plotting revenge against the man who’d killed his beloved person. Yet here Law—the man who’d helped kill her mother—was and Pudding… “You don’t seem too torn up, Pudding-ya.”
Pudding shrugged. “You may have beaten her, but I don’t think she’s dead. She’s a monster.”
Law thought about the depth of the hole he’d created to drop Big Mom into and the explosion after Kaido had fallen. His lips thinned into a line. “She’s dead.”
Pudding’s gaze dropped down to her lap as she repeated more quietly, “Yes, well. She’s a monster.”
Interesting.
Law looked away from Pudding and studied the cell he found himself in. It was a fairly simple design with one set of bars enclosing the space. There was room outside the cell for guards to sit and a door on the other side of the room. Based on the discarded set of playing cards and empty cups of ale, it seemed there had been guards here not that long ago.
“How long have I been out?” Law finally asked.
“How should I know?” Pudding scoffed, but after a moment added, “You were already unconscious when they dragged you in, but there have been two meals since then. So, at least half a day.” She grimaced. “It’s hard to tell the passage of time in here without any windows.”
Law bit his lip. “Did… Did anyone else come in with me?”
“I didn’t see anyone else.”
Law swallowed against a lump in his throat. The last he’d seen of his crew, Bepo had been on the ground nearby while most had been in the water with the Tang when she’d…
Oh Seas, the Tang. He’d forgotten about her until that moment. Blackbeard had made sure Law was watching when he’d sunk her—the ship that Wolf had gifted four teenage boys and had become their home of over a decade. She must be at the bottom of the sea by now. Ten years’ worth of memories… gone, just like that.
And his nakama…
Law felt tears prickle at the corner of his eyes but refused to let them fall here on what must be Blackbeard’s ship. He would not show weakness here, not where Blackbeard or his men could walk in at any moment and not in front of the daughter of an Emperor he’d helped defeat. Law had a lifetime of practice repressing his trauma, and he would put that practice to good use now.
“What does Blackbeard want with you?” Law asked after several quiet moments, glancing back at his cellmate.
“Don’t you know what they say about members of the Three-Eyed Tribe?” Pudding asked.
“So, it’s true? About reading the Poneglyphs?”
“My mother thought so,” Pudding replied with a sneer before looking away, and Law did not miss that she’d referred to her mother in past tense after their earlier exchange.
Law considered this; Blackbeard had said he was waiting for whichever captain happened to travel in his direction to take his Poneglyphs, and he also had a prisoner possibly capable of reading them. It seemed that he was really making his move for Laugh Tale. For a moment, Law thought of Luffy, and something twisted in his chest. He quickly shoved the feeling down as deeply as he could; he couldn’t afford any distractions right now.
“Perhaps the better question is what he wants with you, Mr. Surgeon of Death,” Pudding added, appraising him.
“Hell if I know,” Law muttered, and the cell fell back into silence.
Even sitting up was exhausting with his injuries and the Seastone draining his energy, so he let his eyes slide shut again. He was drifting back into unconsciousness when the door to the brig slammed open. Law ignored it until he heard keys jangling in the lock. He opened his eyes just as the cell door opened and two burly guards stepped in.
Law growled as the guards grabbed him under the arm on either side and dragged him up but couldn’t muster the strength for a stronger protest as he was manhandled out of the cell. The cell and brig doors shut behind them, and the guards dragged Law, whose feet tangled ungainly beneath him, through hallways until they entered the dining room.
The guards threw Law to the floor in front of a pair of familiar boots before stepping back to stand at either side of the door. Landing on the ground jolted his ribs, and Law gasped in pain. He screwed his eyes shut, riding out the wave of pain, before opening them again. He turned his head to see Blackbeard sitting at the head of the dining table. Law felt a surge of rage beneath his skin as Teach met his eyes for a moment. But then Blackbeard frowned before turning to the guards.
“No need for that now. Help him into a seat. Trafalgar is our guest, after all.”
Law snorted at that before wincing as the guards returned and pulled him up and into the closest chair before retreating. The rough handling left Law breathless as his body protested, but eventually, the pain receded to a more tolerable level, and Law looked around the room, noticing that he and Teach were alone except for the guards—who also disappeared once Blackbeard nodded for them to leave. There was a plate with meat, potatoes, and a roll as well as a goblet of wine in front of the Emperor.
After a moment, a side door opened as a server stepped in with a tray and made his way over to the table. Law watched in surprise as he placed a plate with the same foods and an empty glass that he filled with wine in front of Law before retreating from the room.
Once the door shut behind the server, Blackbeard picked up a fork and gestured at Law. “Go ahead, eat.” At Law’s skeptical look, he laughed. “Zehahaha, if I was going to kill you, I wouldn’ta bothered bringing you onto my ship, Trafalgar.” Then he stuck his fork into the meat and started cutting with a steak knife.
Which, Law supposed, was a fair point. And, admittedly, Law was starving; his body demanded more nutrition after using his awakening. He reached for the fork, his shackles jangling and knocking into the side of the table. He gave Teach a wry smile and gestured at his wrists. “It’d be easier to eat without these. If you’re being hospitable and all.”
Blackbeard scoffed around a large bite of food. “How much of a fool do you take me for?”
Law shrugged and twirled his steak knife a few times before using it to cut his meat. “You gave me a knife.”
“Zehahaha,” Blackbeard laughed, completely unbothered by the thinly veiled threat. He paused only to take a large gulp of wine to wash down the meat. “I like you, Trafalgar. It’s too bad it came to this.” He gestured at Law with his fork. “I’ll admit, I was a bit disappointed t’see you were the one who came my way. You were such a help to me at Rocky Port, after all. Couldn’ta made Hachinosu my base without you.”
Law gritted his teeth as he took a bite of the meat, remembering Teach’s threat about the Rocky Port hundred from earlier, but had to immediately bite down on a moan as he tasted the meat. It was hardly the best he’d ever had, but Law was so fucking hungry that just about anything would give even Sanji’s cooking a run for its money at the moment. He forced himself to eat slowly since, if Pudding was right about how long he’d been out, nearly a full day since he’d eaten. He needed to regain his strength for whatever the hell Blackbeard was up to.
“So, what is this, exactly?” Law finally asked when he’d taken the sharp edge off his hunger.
“Hm?” Teach hummed, though from the glint in his eye he knew exactly what Law was asking.
Law put his fork down and, resting his elbows on the edge of the table, casually picked up his knife. He toyed with it for a few moments before turning it over so the tip was pressed into the table and rested his index finger on the bottom of the handle. He absently moved his finger so the knife dug a small groove into the table. He knew this was little more than posturing, considering the Seastone around his wrists, but Law didn’t have anything else to work with, and he refused to look any more vulnerable than he already was.
“You said it’s too bad it came to ‘this.’ What’s ‘this’?” Law repeated. “What game are you playing here, Teach?”
Blackbeard looked at Law over the rim of his goblet. “S’no game here, Trafalgar.”
“No?”
“I told ya, I wanted yer Poneglyphs. Which,” Blackbeard added, “Van Augur got from that tin can of yours.” He smiled coldly. “Or, former tin can, I s’ppose.”
Law stiffened, the sound of the Tang’s metal shredding echoing through his ears. But he refused to rise to the bait. “Then why am I here,” he gritted out, “and where is my crew?”
“Yer here because I’m not done with you,” Teach growled, putting his goblet down on the table with a thud. Red wine spilled over the edge and onto his hand. “As for yer crew,” he went on, lifting his hand to his mouth and licking the wine off with a mad glint in his eye, “they’re below deck. In the slave hold.”
Slave hold…
With a furious snarl, Law tightened his grip on the knife and flung it at Teach’s head in one motion, but the shackles slowed his movement; the other pirate lifted a hand, and the knife was sucked into a small black hole in his palm. Teach’s eyes never left Law’s. As the black hole dissipated into nothing, he chuckled.
“Zehaha. I can’t believe I didn’t see it before,” he murmured to himself. Law wasn’t sure what he meant, but he didn’t have a chance to ask before Blackbeard summoned the guards from outside.
“Sir?”
“Take Trafalgar here down to the slave hold. Let ‘im see his crew then take ‘im back to the brig.” As the guards grabbed Law and hauled him out of his chair, Blackbeard called to his retreating back: “Make it count, Trafalgar. We’ll reach Hachinosu in a day.”
The words, punctuated by the slamming of the dining room door, sent a chill down Law’s spine. Law wasn’t able to dwell on them, though, as the guards’ manhandling jostled his injuries until he was gasping for air once more. They dragged him through hallways and down steps until they stopped in front of a door. The first guard opened the door and pushed Law inside. “In here.”
Law stumbled forward as the door shut behind him and looked around. The slave hold was dark, and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the lack of light; eventually, though, blurry shapes started resolving into people.
“Captain?”
“Law?”
“Guys,” Law breathed at the familiar voices. “Is everyone…?”
“We’re here, Captain,” Bepo’s voice piped up. “All twenty.” Law peered around until he saw the mink rising to his feet in the back of the hold. He swayed unsteadily, both from his wounds and relief that everyone had made it out, but quickly felt hands beneath his elbows on either side.
“We’ve got you, Cap,” Penguin said from his right.
“We’re here,” Shachi added from his left.
“What happened?” Law asked. “The last thing I remember was Blackbeard…” He shook his head. “I woke up in the brig.”
“I’m sorry,” Bepo apologized tearfully as he made his way to stand in front of Law. He glanced down and saw the shackles around Law’s wrists and bit his lip. “But he was going to kill you, Captain. It was the only thing I could think of.”
Law frowned, confused. “Bepo, what did you do?”
Bepo slowly looked up and met Law’s gaze. “I told him your name. Your full name.” Law’s stomach dropped, and Blackbeard’s words from earlier suddenly made sense. I can’t believe I didn’t see it before. “I’m sorry.”
He barely heard the crew’s explanation about the Blackbeard Pirates fishing everyone from the water, tying them up, and bringing them to the ship, where they were placed in the cargo hold. The crew had been too drained and beaten down from the fight to put up much of a resistance. Yet Law, their doctor, couldn’t do anything for them in his current condition.
The door opened, spilling dim light in from the hallway, and the guards stepped inside. They roughly shoved Shachi and Penguin away from Law, ignoring their protests, and grabbed him around his biceps.
“Time’s up, Trafalgar.”
The last thing Law saw as he was pulled from the hold was Bepo’s tearful face before the door shut with a clang.