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Law walked out to the kitchen, trying to decide what would be best to tell the Straw Hats before him. Most of them had gathered in the kitchen for mealtime. They had sat themselves around the table, waiting for an explanation of why their cook was found on the ground and how Rena was doing. He looked at the ones gathered: Luffy, Chopper, Usopp, Nami, Sanji, Brook, and Bepo. There were a few missing, but he figured he could just spit something out and they would buy it, at least for now.
“How is Miss Rena, Captain?” Bepo finally broke the silence, his voice filled with concern.
“She’s fine. She’s resting,” Law retorted, his tone flat.
“Mind explaining why she was glowing like an angel~?” Sanji questioned, bringing food to the table and smacking Luffy’s hand as he tried to dig in early.
“I’ll let her explain that when she wakes up. It’s a bit complicated, honestly, and it would give me a headache trying to explain it to you all,” Law replied, rubbing his temples.
“But she’s really alright?” Nami asked, her eyes filled with worry.
“Yes. I think she’ll be fine. She just got a little overwhelmed,” Law said flatly, trying to reassure them.
“Well, alright then. We’ll take that answer for now. But we expect a full explanation when she’s better,” Nami said a little coldly, not entirely buying what Law said.
Law just scoffed and turned towards Sanji. “Blackleg-ya. Get me a drink.”
“Get a drink your damn self! I only serve the ladies!” Sanji snapped, but reluctantly gave in when Nami gave him a glare.
Meanwhile, in another location across the universes, a gold dot suddenly appeared on a 3D hologram in the middle of a dimly lit room. The walls were lined with dark, foreboding machinery, and the air was thick with an unsettling silence, broken only by the faint hum of the hologram.
“Master! We got her! We finally got her!” a voice exclaimed with excitement, echoing through the eerie stillness.
A high-backed chair swiveled around, revealing an ominous man cloaked in shadows. His eyes glinted with a malevolent light, and he rested his elbows on his knees, bringing his hands to his face, hiding the deadly smirk growing on his lips. The dim light cast sinister shadows across his features, making him appear even more menacing.
“Show me,” he said, his voice a low, dangerous growl. He stood up, his movements deliberate and predatory, and walked towards the hologram. He took note of the world and the exact location, his eyes narrowing with a predatory gleam. He touched the golden dot, his fingers lingering as if savoring the moment. “Well, hello… Versa,” he sneered, his voice dripping with malice.
He turned and pointed to two men standing at attention, their faces expressionless and cold. “You and you. Let’s go,” he commanded, his tone brooking no argument.
With a wave of his hand, he opened a swirling, dark portal, the edges crackling with ominous energy. The portal seemed to pulse with a life of its own, casting an eerie glow that bathed the room in an unsettling light. The three stepped through, disappearing into the void, leaving the room in an even deeper silence than before.
Back on the Sunny, it had been 24 hours since ‘operation soul-removal.’ Rena had not awakened yet, and Versa was getting anxious.
“Why hasn’t she woken up yet? She should have been awake by now,” Versa said, pacing back and forth in the small infirmary.
Law was leaning back in the chair, hands behind his head, hat over his eyes, trying to take a nap. “Worrying like that won’t wake her up any faster,” he muttered.
“I know that, but…” Versa stopped mid-sentence. At the same time, Law pushed his hat straight and sat up fully, both with wide eyes. They suddenly felt an immense, ominous pressure. Pressure that made Kaido and Big Mom feel like small fries.
“What is…” Before Law could finish, Rena sat straight up.
“It’s HIM,” Rena said coldly. Law and Versa snapped their heads towards Rena.
“R-Rena!” Versa started to tear up, hoping she was back.
Rena looked up at Versa and blinked a few times. “Versa,” she said even colder. “Why can I see you?” Rena was definitely… pissed. She had a feeling she knew the answer, and that would explain why HE was here.
“Um… well, you see…” Versa started to explain, but Rena cut her off. “No time to explain. We have a situation on our hands.” Rena turned towards Law. “Can you put her back?”
He looked at Rena, surprised she knew it was his doing. “Yes, I ca—” she cut him off. “Do it. Now! Then move me down to the bar and join the others on the deck to buy me some time.” A small smirk formed on her face. “I have a feeling he thinks I’m dead… So let’s make a flashy entrance, shall we?”
Law glared at Rena. “I don’t take orders,” he snapped.
Rena looked at him and smiled. “Please?”
Law grumbled, then activated his room. “Shambles.” He put Versa’s soul back in Rena’s body and moved them down to the bar. Then he grabbed his nodachi that was leaning against the wall and walked through the kitchen and onto the deck, where he saw the Straw Hats facing three men. He recognized the men from Rena’s memories. A frown took over his face as he jumped down and joined the other pirates on the deck.
Right before Rena woke up, a swirling, dark portal opened on the deck of the Sunny, crackling with ominous energy. Three men stepped through, their presence immediately altering the atmosphere. Odysseus, looked around and scoffed at the scenery, his eyes filled with disdain.
“What the hell is this nonsense? Why would she be here?” he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.
As the Straw Hats felt the sudden pressure of an enemy, they quickly moved. Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji jumped down to the main deck, their faces bound with intensity and determination. Robin, Jinbe, Brook, and Franky looked over from the top deck with curiosity and caution. Nami, Usopp, Chopper, and Bepo hid behind the railing right in front of the kitchen, trembling with a mix of fear and readiness.
“WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU WANT?” Luffy shouted, his voice echoing across the deck as he fixed an intense stare at the group that had just invaded their ship.
Odysseus spouted back, “Versa. Where is she?”
“Who is Versa?” Zoro spat back, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, ready for a fight.
“You know who she is. Now hand. Her. Over,” Odysseus gritted between his teeth, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
“Even if we knew who that was, why would we hand her over to you?” Sanji said after taking a puff of his cigarette, his eyes cold and calculating.
Odysseus scofted, turning towards his left. “Scan. Is she still here? I’ll just take her myself.”
The mad-looking scientist, Kage, held up a device and hit a button. A laser shot out and scanned the entire ship, its light casting eerie shadows. “Yes, sir, she’s still—wait… the signal… it just vanished.”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT JUST VANISHED?” Odysseus growled with such intensity, his voice a low, menacing rumble as he stepped towards the man, about to kill him on the spot.
Law had jumped down and joined the crew on the deck, making Odysseus turn his attention away from his prey.
“You…” he said, looking at Law, assuming he had something to do with the sudden vanishing. “Where. Is. She?”
“Who?” Law smirked, his eyes glinting with defiance.
Odysseus raised his hand, ready to unleash his fury on everyone, when suddenly fog started to spread across the deck, thick and swirling. The piano started to play, and an angelic, eerie voice began to sing, the notes haunting and beautiful.
𝅘𝅥𝅮The king and his men
Stole the queen from her bed
And bound her in her bones
The seas be ours and by the powers
Where we will, we’ll roam𝅘𝅥𝅮
The piano stopped, replaced by slow, deliberate footsteps, causing a ripple after each line.
𝅘𝅥𝅮Yo ho*step*
All hands *step*
Hoist the colors high *step*
Heave ho, *step*
Thieves and beggars *step*
Never shall we𝅘𝅥𝅮 *step*
Die.
Rena spoke the last word as she stepped through the threshold of the door. From the shadows of the bar and into the light, locking eyes with Odysseus, a deadly stare plastered on her face.
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2kB1qnB4c
