"Presenting, the Master Seer!"
The scribe's exclamation was followed by the line of guards on each side of the walkway raising their swords straight. The sound of metal armor sliding against metal caused Albert to jump slightly. In the massive size of the room, the sound reverberated against the walls and he could feel it in his bones.
Albert was frozen in place, intimidated by the immense size of the throne room. Marble columns rose in regular intervals parallel to the long, purple rug. The whole room was marble, draped with deep red and blue tapestries between grand windows. Across the room, sitting on an enormous jeweled throne, was the king. As always, he was adorned in rich colors and soft fabrics. In his right hand was a scepter, topped with a large blue jewel.
The scribe jabbed Albert in the side with his elbow, and cleared his throat a little. "Uh, that's your cue." He whispered, and Albert realized he'd been standing there without moving. Shaking his head, he forced his feet to move towards the king.
The con noticed that as he walked forward, the guards behind him lowered their weapons. Their swords rested on the floor with a small tink of metal and they froze in a passive position.
When he was no more than ten feet away from the king, he lowered himself onto one knee and bowed his head lowly.
"Rise." The king's voice commanded, and he obeyed. Looking up into the ruler's face, he noticed how joyful and cheery the man looked, a stark contrast to his expression during their previous meeting.
"Master Seer, I would first like to apologize for doubting your abilities. Your prediction proved correct and so you shall be rewarded for your services." He gestured to his left and two servants carrying a large chest approached. They lowered it to the floor and it produced a very heavy-sounding thud. Albert's eyes widened as they opened the top, revealing a mountain of gold coins inside.
"I-I...this is…" He dropped down onto both knees and delicately traced the top of the pile with his fingers, as if it were all a dream and it would disappear with the slightest touch.
'So many things I could buy with this.' He thought. 'I'll never have to work a day in my life. But no, I still need more...' His thoughts were interrupted by the king's voice.
"However," He continued, and the servants closed the lid. Albert snatched his hand away just in time to prevent his fingers from getting smashed. "I have one more task for you."
"And what is that, my Lord?" He asked, glancing around at the guards to either side of the king. He was suspicious of such a heavy guard presence, and his senses were heightened just in case. Their helmets covered their eyes, however, and he couldn't judge their thoughts.
Now it was the king's turn to look around wearily. When he had deemed it 'safe' enough, or whatever he was looking for, he spoke in a much lower voice.
"Several coffers from the castle's treasury have been stolen, one of which contained a very valuable family heirloom. It means a great deal to my family and I must get it back." Albert raised his eyes in surprise.
"Surely you have your best men looking into-"
"Yes, I do. But they have no guidance for the crime was committed by almost supernatural powers. My men have no experience with the paranormal and so I am asking you to aid in the investigation."
"Supernatural powers? By what do you mean?" He wondered.
"The thief cut up my men but kept them alive. They are alive! In pieces! It is beyond human ability. And the crime was done within the five minutes that the guards changed their shift. Most of my treasury is empty. Such an occurrence could not possibly have been achieved in five minutes!" He sighed heavily, rubbing his temple with his thumb.
"Hmm…" Albert had no idea what could have caused such an act, but he figured looking at all the evidence was a good place to start. "I will have to see your men who were affected."
The king nodded. "They are in the medical wing. Charles will escort you there."
Law was exhausted. His late night rendezvous had taken its toll on his stamina. He hadn't realized just how much his ability drained his energy. He'd never had to use it for too long before, always finishing battles before he began to get tired. His insomnia usually contributed to it, but not the use of his ability.
The crew, however, didn't seem to notice his fatigue. They were too focused on the massive pile of treasure that now filled their treasure room. The gold and large chests now took up a sizable part of the room, almost filling it.
"How'd you do it, Captain?" Penguin asked, picking up a few coins from a nearby chest. Law sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"The treasury isn't hard to find when you have a devil fruit." He said. "It's within range of my room and easy enough to steal all the treasure when you can teleport objects."
"Awesome!" A few men shouted, and Law couldn't help but grin slightly. He allowed them to gawk at the valuables for awhile longer before it was time to get to work.
"Alright, back to your duties." Law commanded, and the men slowly filtered out. He was about to follow, but he hadn't yet looked through all the treasure they'd stolen. His curiosity winning out, he turned back inside and walked among the chests.
One in particular was ornately decorated in jewels and stained wood. It had a lock, but with a swift jarring from one of Summer's daggers, it was open in no time. Inside, a long jeweled dagger rested delicately on a silk pillow. It was polished to a stunning shine and obviously well taken care of. It looked extremely dated despite its polished look. Most likely, it was an heirloom of the royal family. With a shrug, he closed the lid and moved to the next chest.
This one was much less spectacular in appearance, a simple wood and brass chest. Judging by the white residue from salt water that coated most of its surface, it was probably a conquest from a ship. Perhaps a pirate ship. It had a pretty sturdy lock. Summer's dagger undid it easily and it clicked open with a rusty squeak. Obviously it hadn't been opened in awhile.
A rucksack and a rolled piece of stained parchment was stuffed inside. He took both objects out, setting the rucksack to the side and unrolling the parchment. He untied the crusted string that kept it closed. It was crusted with salt and stiff, but he managed not to rip it apart.
It was a letter, addressed to a man named Gavin.
November 15, 1982
Gavin,
My father still resists the thought of us marrying, but I will not give up! I will make him see that your are not a monster as the Marines like to portray you and your crew as. I only wish I could have come with you…
I was able to save up enough money to get you a gift! Kyo said that he would send it to you as soon as he could. I'm not sure when you'll get it, but I know you'll like it. Just keep your head warm!
Love,
Kaori
It was dated 1982. Obviously if the parchment was never opened and the contents of this woman's gift to her lover was still inside, the man never received it. Placing the letter aside, he grabbed the rucksack. It was made of thick material. Whoever Kaori was wanted to protect the gift that was inside. The outer layer of fabric was stiff with encrusted salt residue but the inside seemed to be protected. Law untied the top drawstring.
Something soft was inside. He withdrew the object and raised an eyebrow at it. It was a hat, eerily similar to his own, with black spots lining the rim. It was the same white color, only it had a bill instead of the fur trim surrounding it. He turned it every which way, inspecting it. There was no damage to it whatsoever.
The hat had been meant as a gift to a man from his lover, but the pirate must surely be dead by that time. The letter was almost 30 years old. Without any qualms or hesitations, Law took off his own hat and replaced it with the new one. It fit perfectly, though it did smell a little like old leather. A quick wash would fix that.
Feeling rather confident with his discovery, he closed the lid to the chest and headed towards the navigation bay.
"You got a new hat?" Bepo asked, eyeing the different headwear Law was now sporting. He noticed he kept adjusting it, apparently still unused to the different feel.
"Yes, it was part of the treasure we stole." He shifted it again, trying to get it just right on his head.
"Well, what are you gonna do with your old one?" The bear had a brief vision of wearing the hat himself, but quickly decided that it was much too small to fit him. The captain shrugged.
'Give it to Summer.' Was his first thought, but he'd be damned if he admitted that aloud. He'd come to terms with his feelings for her, but that didn't mean he'd say them out loud. There was no way that was going to happen.
"I'm not sure yet." He answered. Bepo thought for a moment, feeling like he was forgetting something. Then it dawned on him.
"Oh, that's right. Captain, the log pose should set tomorrow morning. Will we be leaving as soon as it's ready?"
Law thought over this bit of information. "Yes, I believe we will. Inform the others of the plan."
"Aye, Captain."
Returning to the hallway, Law headed to his own quarters. He desperately needed some sleep.
ns 15.158.61.8da2
