Law, Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo walked through the main street of the bustling city. The noise was quite loud. For an island that was most known for it's array of artistic talent of all kinds, it definitely wasn't as peaceful as he had imagined. Lining the street were a multitude of shops and stores: clothing, art supplies, pet stores, antique shops, painting instruments, a camera store (Law assumed was for photography), and so many others he didn't quite recognize.
He looked down at the small map he'd procured from an unsuspecting tourist in a side alley, tracking where they were with a finger.
"Kat's mom mentioned her contact was here on Caelum. We just gotta find him and beat the information out of him, yeah?" Penguin asked, punching his fist into his palm. Shachi smacked him upside the head, shaking his in exasperation.
"Why can't you just wait for Captain to tell us what the plan is? You always jump the gun." Penguin straightened, flicking his friend on the face. "Ah! What the hell?"
"Do not!" Shachi went in for a punch, but Bepo spoke up.
"Why do you always hit each other?" They both swung to face him.
"Quiet!" Law cleared his throat, catching their attention.
"I believe we are trying not to make a scene. We still need to find Scarlet-ya's informant." They looked down ashamedly, digging the toes of their boots in the ground.
"Sorry, Captain." They said in unison. Law nodded, fully aware that the two were just that way.
"James-ya is most certainly an underground agent, so he wouldn't be obvious or out in the open. I would imagine he has set up his operation in an inconspicuous place."
"Well, we can't exactly go around asking where he is." Shachi said.
"That would be a rather questionable idea, yes." A female voice said behind them, and they all turned. Weapons were raised by instinct.
"You must be Trafalgar Law, the Shichibukai." The woman, barely taller than 5 feet, stood in a fancy, deep blue cocktail dress. Her face was plastered with thick makeup, almost too much to be considered beauty. Her blonde hair was down her back, but it was curled unlike Summer's. Her eyes were…black? A slit up the leg showed off her slim figure and she giggled when Penguin and Shachi openly gawked.
Law narrowed his eyes, immune to such wiles. "And if I was?"
She giggled again, bringing a hand up to her mouth. One glance showed her hands were well manicured and painted with blood red polish. There was black markings on the tops, but he couldn't see what they were.
"Why, I would ask you to come with me. I was sent to collect you, of course." Her laugh and grin were genuine, which perplexed Law extremely.
'This girl will be quite annoying, I presume.' Great, another blathering woman to deal with. He'd had enough of those for a lifetime.
"Who sent you?" Penguin asked finally, the lust in his eyes fading as the situation came to terms. The engineers both stood up and wiped the drool from their mouths. She laughed again.
"Master James! He knew you'd be arriving. Actually he's been expecting you for quite some time."
The whole thing seemed too suspicious, too easy. He wasn't used to being handed what it was he wanted. And when he was, it usually meant something much more sinister. This appeared to be no different.
"Why should I trust you?" He questioned with a step forward, and Bepo took his Captain's tone to be a threat. He flattened his ears and growled lowly at the woman, who seemed unaffected. She only laughed. Again.
"Oh, he knew you'd be like this at first. Master James always knows." She reached for something in a small pocket, hidden masterfully in the folds of the dress. "He said this would convince you." Holding it out, Law saw it was a photograph. It was facedown, so he couldn't see what it was of. He hesitated, but she only continued to stare. Watching her face the whole time, he slowly took it from her fingers. He flipped it over.
He narrowed his eyes immediately. It was a picture of Summer, trapped in a cage and tied to a chair. She was severely undernourished and pale beyond what was healthy. His grip tightened, restraining himself from squeezing the life out of the woman.
"Where did you get this?" He growled, deciding that he didn't trust anything that was going to happen during this exchange. The others glanced at the picture from over his shoulder, instantly growing worried and angry at the same time. The woman smiled with closed eyes.
"Master James instructed me to inform you that if you want to know about that picture," She pointed to it with her finger, "then you'll have to come with me." Her tone was light and kind, but the underlying statement was obvious. If he wanted what he came for, he would come without questions.
Staring at the picture a little longer, he made his decision. "Then lead the way."
The woman bowed before turning and walking away in the opposite direction. Law gave the men and bear a look, warning caution, before following after the nameless woman.
They walked quite a distance, weaving in and out of streets and alleys in a confusing zig-zag path that doubled back and crossed itself. Law didn't dare pull out the map to try figuring out where they were. Early on, she'd made it clear that any attempt to try to locate where James' base of operations was would not be tolerated. She'd probably just disappear into the crowds if he tried anything, and he doubted he would be able to find this James person without her help. He was sure of that now. You didn't send someone to retrieve your clients if you weren't powerful and untouchable enough to afford it.
"We're nearly there." The woman, whose name they still didn't know, led them down another darker alley with relative ease. She'd obviously done this before. The four pirates followed without comment, wondering when they'd get there.
"Here." She said, stopping in front of a nondescript door at the end of the alley. The door itself was rotting away from water and bug damage, but Law would bet that there was a much more effective security measure behind it.
She knocked two times on the door, and a small panel opened, revealing a set of eyes behind a set of metal bars. She slipped a piece of paper through the slot and the man behind it took it. He closed the panel with a nod and unlocked the door. Law watched curiously as they were led inside. It was very risky for this James person to let his clients in without any measure to conceal the location. Either he was very stupid or very cocky. Law suspected the latter.
The inside was basic and gray, essentially just a long hallway. At the end was a set of barely visible descending stairs. There wasn't any adornments on the walls. The floor was a solid black carpet. Lights lit up the inside at regular intervals.
"Please ignore the stench. We have yet to completely clean this wing of the residence." The woman said, which Law quickly latched onto. Wings constituted large buildings, most likely mansions or institutions.
'Interesting.' He thought.
"Ah!" Shachi yelped, jumping onto Penguin's back.
"What the hell?" His friend shouted, nearly toppling over from surprise and the unexpected weight. Shachi pointed at the ground.
"Something crawled over my foot!"
"We do have a small rat problem in the outer-most areas of the residence. Please watch your step." The woman stated, only sparing a moment to look back before continuing on. Law followed quickly, but the two engineers were a little less eager.
At the end of the hallway and down the stairs, they reached another wooden door. She glanced back at the men with a smile before turning the knob and revealing the room on the other side.
"Holy shit." Shachi blurted, which earned him a fevered whisper and a smack to the head from Penguin. His exclamation wasn't unwarranted. The room was lavishly decorated, almost to the point of being the palace of a god. Marble walls and floors, stone columns at various structural points of the room, even murals painted along the walls. Most prominent was of cherubs in fluffy clouds, looking up to the heavens represented by brilliant light.
The paintings that were on the wall were probably priceless, Law assumed based on the ongoing theme of the room. This man seemed to enjoy a life of luxury.
"Master James is in the receiving room. This way." The woman said, starting down the hall. Her heels clacked and echoed on the floors. The sound was amplified by the open space. The rest of the men followed, openly admiring the interior as they went.
While his crew weren't really paying much attention, muttering to themselves about the extreme wealth that this James person loved to show off, he still kept his suspicions. There were no windows in any of the hallways they were taken down. Every so often there would be a door to another room, but they were always closed and probably locked.
'Most likely underground.'
The building itself was a maze, and Law struggled to remember from which direction they had come from. The endlessly perfect walls and floors were beginning to give him a headache, which was saying something since he spent a lot of time in the infirmary. Summer had complained to him a thousand times before how it always gave her a headache sitting in that room for more than five minutes. Now, he sort of understood what she meant.
Finally, they turned out of a hallway and emerged into a large, round sitting room. The ceiling rose up into a dome, also painted with heavenly depictions of angels and happiness. In the center of the room was a pair of sofas, facing each other. They were made of red velvet by the look of it, and sitting on the one facing them was a man and a woman.
He had short black hair, but the most striking feature was his piercing blue eyes. The color was brilliantly bright, almost unnaturally. Though, after meeting the black-eyed woman, it didn't surprise him too much. In his hand was a glass of wine.
Sitting next to him was an exotic young woman, with tanned skin and flowing black hair. She looked just as elegant as the woman before, even more so. She held a glass of wine as well.
"Welcome, Trafalgar. I imagine you've traversed quite a distance to be here." His voice was smooth and elegant. Law predicted a good education was the root. The woman gestured for them to come closer.
"Please, come in." Law's eyes flicked about the room, barely noticeable to those who weren't paying attention to it, looking for any-
"The room is not bugged, nor are there any cameras within at least a 300 meter vicinity." James sipped casually at the glass of wine in his hand, not seeming to mind the uneasy silence as the pirate captain stared.
"We've come quite a ways, yes." Law finally supplied, glancing between his crew mates. They were just as edgy as he was. He didn't trust anything, but in order to get what he wanted, he had to cooperate to an extent. That was the downside to gaining information.
"Then perhaps you'd like a seat? It'd be rude of me to force you to stand there in discomfort." James gestured to the sofa in front of him, and slowly Law walked around to comply. His nakama followed suit.
"Congratulations on becoming a Shichibukai." The woman said, raising her glass before taking another sip.
"Allow me to introduce Dahlia." He gestured to the woman who gave a small bow. "She is my fiancé."
"A pleasure." She said. Law didn't bother extending the conversation. He wasn't there to discuss pleasantries.
"I would offer refreshments but I have a sneaking suspicion you would decline." The man mused, arching an eyebrow carefully. He was quite right, there was no way the captain would risk poisoning or being drugged in a situation like this and his eyes narrowed at the thought. "In that case," He placed the glass onto a coffee table that sat in between the sofas, "let's get straight to the heart of the matter, shall we?"
Law took out the picture the woman gave him. "Where did you get this? Where was it taken?"
"Ah, one of my men procured that photo. I have many connections, and the crews of pirates ships are a highly sought-after resource within the information business." He leaned back confidently. "I would say one of my spies within Viper's crew, I believe. It looks rather recent." He added.
"Poor girl." Dahlia said, placing a hand on her heart with a slow shake of her head.
"You're not affiliated with him." It wasn't a question, Law could see from the way he spoke of the pirate that there was no relation. James nodded.
"Good heavens, no." He snorted in derision. "The man's a brute in need of a good wash. We are not enemies, Trafalgar."
"I beg to differ." James gave a small smile, nothing more than a subtle sign of amusement. It didn't even reach his eyes. Law recalled how Summer would constantly accuse him of doing the same thing. He didn't believe her.
"You don't trust me. That's wise." He picked up the glass of wine and took a sip. Law eyed the drink with interest. He seemed almost dependent on the thing. Perhaps he was a drunk? He didn't look it, but there was much a man could hide if he so chose to.
"There is no honor among thieves." Law stated with a shrug. "Information dealers work the same way." James paused to consider his words.
"Enough about me." He waved the comments aside, neither confirming nor denying whether there was any truth to them. "You came here for a reason, yes?"
"Oh, stop skirting around the issue, James. You have quite an annoying habit of that." Dahlia swatted at his arm playfully, and the man gave her a stern look.
"Right. Well, in regards to your kidnapped crew member-quite tragic business, I admit-"
"Tell me where she is." Law pressed, and his men shifted on the couch in discomfort. He really didn't want to be there all day, dancing around the real reason for coming in the first place. If there was one thing the Surgeon of Death hated the most, it was wasting his time.
James smiled again, carefully forgetting to be irritated at Law interrupting him. "You are aware of her time spent on an unknown island for scientific experimentation, yes?"
"Yes."
"What?" Penguin and Shachi blanched, looking at Law for answers. "What is he talking about?" Law turned his narrowed eyes onto them.
"Another time." He growled, and they nodded apprehensively. Bepo, on the other hand, was there when Law had uncovered the chest with information. He simply looked down at the mention of the thing that had hurt Summer so much.
James glanced between the crew in interest before clearing his throat, returning the attention to him. "Yes, well, years ago, Viper was employed by the leading doctor on that island to find and bring her there for experimentation. After she was captured and taken to Impel Down, he waited for the day she was either released or escaped.
"Once she did go free, he began hunting again. His contract is still in effect, so he brought her back to the island. I hear he got a wonderful payout of 500,000,000 beli for her return."
"That much?" Law asked, slightly taken aback by the measures this doctor was willing to take to get his hands on her.
"Medical anomalies are quite valuable to scientists, Trafalgar. You should know that, being a doctor yourself." Law shook his head. They were getting off topic.
"How are Viper-ya and this doctor connected?" James shrugged, something Law found quite annoying in of itself.
"Oh, the odd meeting at a dock or port, I assume. The details aren't that impressive. Men of their statures are well-known in many circles of influence. It's not surprising that two so happened to start working together." That line of questioning wasn't going to bring about any new information, obviously. Shaking his head, Law sighed.
"Just tell me where she is." His voice was low. He couldn't stand going around in circles like this. He just wanted the name. "Every second I spend wasting my time is another being used to torture her by this damn scientist."
Dahlia gasped, turning to her fiancé. "Oh, James, a girl's life is on the line. Just tell the poor man what he wants to know." She took a sip of her drink to calm her nerves.
"My dear, business is a delicate practice. Please, don't let your emotions control your actions." Dahlia looked chastened.
"I'm sorry, muffin."
'Muffin!?' Law's eyebrow twitched, shocked and amused all at once. Beside him, his companions seemed less able to hold off their snickers. James closed his eyes from an injured pride, no doubt. Dahlia didn't seem to realize the implications of her actions, as her only concern was the well-being of her fiancé.
If the underground knew what his lover called him openly in front of clients, in the middle of doing business, the information dealer would certainly have a difficult time regaining his feared reputation. But…muffin? Really? It was the most god-awful pet name he'd ever heard. James calmed down eventually and turned back to Law. He cleared his throat.
"Information does not come for free." There was a note of finality and business-like professionalism, as if trying to recover the serious mood the conversation had followed before. Law was all too happy to get to the point.
"What do you want in exchange of the name?" He ground out. He knew full well what he was getting into when he stepped into the room. Information dealers did not do things out of the kindness of their hearts. Either they repaid debts or they made a deal.
"Doctor Mundy, that's the man you're after, has done extensive studies into everything you could think of. Most of the breakthroughs in modern medicine have come from his research." With one last sip, his wine glass was emptied. Dahlia seemed to notice this.
"I'll fetch you another glass." She took the glass and exited through the door behind them. James seemed all too relieved to see her go, it was almost laughable.
"His laboratory has thousands of files on any subject imaginable. But," He stared long and hard at Law, "there's one in particular I'm after."
"And that would be?" Law hated James' habit of drawing out a conversation to the point of ending every sentence in a cliffhanger. He obviously loved his dramatics. Dahlia had been right about that part.
"It's been rumored that he's done tests into the origins of devil fruits. Where they come from, what they're made of, anything pertaining to such subjects, he's looked into. I want that file. I want to know what information it contains." He leaned back, staring at the ceiling as Law deliberated.
"The file in exchange for the name of the island?"
"Correct. No tricks, no schemes. I just want that file. And if anyone had to be sent to get it, I know you would have the highest chance of success. Of course," He looked back at the Captain, a genuine grin etched on his face, "if you should fail, the cost will be your life and the lives of your remaining crew.
He stretched out his hand. "Do we have an agreement?"
Penguin and Shachi remained silent, trusting that their Captain would do the right thing. They didn't mind putting their lives at risk to bring Summer back. And Law knew that. Bepo only watched the man's hand, as if he were holding a weapon that could strike as soon as his Captain agreed to anything. He was worried for his Captain's safety at all times.
'You see? There's no despair in this world, Law-kun. Someone will always lend you a helping hand.' The nun flashed through his mind before he could stop it, and he closed his eyes to ward it off.
'You were the one that was hurting, Law! ' Corazon's words rang through his mind and he squeezed his eyes tighter. It felt the same. The whole thing felt the same. Except he was the one trying to help and Summer was in his position.
If Summer was feeling like he had so many years ago…
He couldn't live with himself.
He opened his eyes, taking James' hand firmly. "We have a deal."
James grinned widely. "Excellent. I look forward to getting my hands on that file." They released each other's hand, and Law narrowed his eyes.
"The name?"
James laughed, as if he'd forgotten all about that part of the deal. "Ah, yes. How silly of me. The name of that island is Aspis. But, you won't find it on any map. You'll need a log pose set directly for it." He reached into his pocket, fishing out such an eternal log pose with the name Aspis written in italics.
Law reached out and took it, placing it in his pocket so he wouldn't lose it. Standing, the other three followed his lead.
"I'll have Belinda lead you out the way you came." James stood as well, clapping his hands together. The short woman from before reappeared with a smile, stood beside the door and waited. Her black eyes watched the men patiently.
"I pray your journey is safe. And I will be awaiting your return."
Without a word, Law led the way towards their escort, and Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo fell in line behind him. Belinda, as Law now knew her name, gave a small bow before heading back through the corridors.
"When you return, I'll know." Belinda said, ushering them out into the open street. "I'll find you, so don't worry about looking for that place again!" She smiled, giving a tiny twiddle of her fingers before melting into the crowd.
Law led the way back to the submarine, and the engineers finally felt comfortable enough to talk.
"Was that place fancy or what?" Shachi exclaimed.
"It was like the walls were made of beli! And who calls their fiancé muffin?" Penguin agreed and the two perverts burst into laughter.
"I didn't like the smell of that place. It was too sweet." Bepo walked quietly behind them, and Law gave him an amused glance. Bepo's nose was sensitive, and sweet scents gave him the worst headaches.
"Let's just get back to the submarine." Law walked with his hands in his pockets, keeping a grip on the log pose. He would sooner die than accidentally drop it or have it stolen but some pick pocket. The sooner they arrived at the sub, the better.
"Bart-ya, follow this log pose to Aspis. We will find Summer-ya there." The ex-captain's eyes widened slightly, almost shocked that the one thing they needed was suddenly there. Recovering from his shock, he nodded and took the instrument.
"Aye, Captain." Adjusting their course, the submarine turned in a northwest direction at full speed.
Law next went to the cafeteria, where the crew was gathered in anxious anticipation. He didn't miss the relieved smile on Jean Bart's face on his way out, a rare sight.
"Did you find out where Summer-chan is?"
"Where are we headed? I felt the sub change course."
"What did that guy say?"
The questions kept coming, and he held up his hands for silence, but Casper beat him to it. The older cook banged loudly on a pot with a wooden spoon.
"Quiet down! Give the Captain some room." He gave the whole room a stern look, like he was scolding a bunch of six-year-olds. Which, in a sense, he was.
"Sorry." Some of them muttered.
Clearing his throat, Law addressed the room. "After talking to James-ya, we've come to an agreement. Which means, I've acquired the eternal log pose to the island she's being held on."
The crew gave a loud cheer at the news. Men fist bumped and gave high fives all around. With a smirk, Law watched them let out their relief that they'd found the last piece necessary to go after their missing nakama. Deciding that he'd said all that really needed saying, he backed away down the hall and headed towards his quarters. The crew was too busy celebrating to notice.
Bepo did, however, and followed the Captain through the halls to his room. He tossed his hat onto the table and collapsed onto the comforter. A great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he felt he could breathe again.
"We're going to find Summer now?" Bepo asked hopefully, and Law nodded.
"Yeah, Bart-ya set the course as soon as we boarded. The bear smiled before laying down on the floor.
"That's good. I miss Summer." The bear soon began to snore softly, chest rising and falling with every breath. Law watched his friend sleep, a million thoughts swirling through his head.
'Finally…'
ns 15.158.61.8da2
