HortyCord

The scale of NWC never ceased to amaze you. The massive size of each district felt like a metropolis of its own, with countless winding streets leading to varying sections, all with their own personality and vibe. This time when you traveled to meet your doctor, it was in different area of the North District, one that you had never been to. Truthfully, it was an area you didn't even know existed. Tucked away in one of the numerous residential areas sat a brownstone that looked like every other building for several blocks. 

As they led you to the entrance a basement apartment, Kid and Killer explained that Law's regular office that you saw him in last time was being watched. No one else seemed surprised or concerned at that fact, and you felt an odd sense of gratitude. The vastness of the city that made it feel impossible to escape was also the reason it was so easy for you to hide.

Sabo was already inside, and he stood to greet you as you entered. 

"So, you had some sort of episode?" Law asked bluntly as soon as the door closed behind you. 

"Yes," both Kid and Sabo said in unison from their position on either side of you. They shared a questioning glance toward each other before turning their attention back to you. 

You chewed your lower lip, wondering how much of what happened yesterday was necessary to share with the doctor and if he actually expected you to share those details in front of the two men flanking you. 

You eyed Killer leaning against the wall near the door. You hadn't spoken to Sabo about your strange reaction to seeing that girl outside Kid's window. You also hadn't mentioned to Kid what happened with Sabo in his bedroom, and based on his lack of angry outbursts since then, you assumed Killer had not told Kid yet either.  

Law seemed to pick up on your hesitance and thankfully asked you to follow him in the back for your examination. 

"So, I know you're a doctor for criminals, and all this is technically off the books or whatever," you started once the two of you were in private, "but you still have to adhere to that whole patient confidentiality thing, right?" 

Law paused his movements briefly before casting a critical gaze across your features. 

"Yes," he replied simply. 

"Right, right... because I know you more so made the deal with Sabo to treat me, and I know he'll probably ask... I mean, he thinks he knows what happened, but just about the second thing, and I really don't want him knowing the details of what I was... uh," you motioned with your hands in a way that helped you convey absolutely nothing as you continued rambling. "And well, Kid doesn't exactly know about that thing but he does know about the first-" 

You cut off your own rambling when you felt a soft but firm hand grip your chin, forcing your eyes to shift from the fidgeting hands in your lap to the doctor's stoic features. He stared down at you where you sat on the exam table through dark, calculating eyes. 

"Anything you disclose to me in this room will remain between us until you specifically tell me otherwise. Do you understand?" 

Oh, my... Okay, you must be really pent up because that kinda did something for you. 

You nodded when he released you, shaking off whatever that was before your mouth ruined the appointment. He continued studying your expression as he moved back slightly. 

"Tell me everything. Even the smallest detail can be important," he ordered, firm yet somewhat softly. 

You sighed deeply, releasing some tension from your shoulders, then nodded confidently as you decided to fully put your trust in him to help you. 

"Ok, I'll start from the beginning," you agreed with a resigned smile. 

----------

"And then I left Sabo and Killer standing there in Kid's room, and I ran into the bathroom to take a shower. I had planned to rub one out because I thought maybe I was just pent up or something. But in the end I was too confused and embarrassed, and I just kind of stood under the water and disassociated for twenty minutes." 

Law's hands paused at his keyboard, uninterested in adding the last bit of your story to his notes. 

He had asked you to be detailed, and you were. Extremely detailed. 

"Well, that was..." 

"Helpful?" 

"...Thorough." 

You nodded enthusiastically. "So... what do you think it means?" 

Law scratched the rough hairs on his chin as he mulled it over. 

"You said you've never had something like this happen before, even when you were with CP9?" 

"Nope," you replied. 

"And nothing since?" 

"No." 

Law hummed in thought. 

He refrained from answering your original question, and moved to examine your head. 

No tenderness. No swelling. No other indications of a recent injury. It was probably psychological. Lucci had a reputation for violence, so the easiest explanation was that this memory, if that's what it was, ended with you being victimized in some way. 

He supposed it could have been multiple memories jumbled together, your mind taking the bits and pieces it could access and attempting to make something solid from what it had. That would be the most comforting explanation for you, though something in his gut told him it wasn't that simple. 

Second in command of the Revolutionaries, the leader of the most feared unit of Cipher Pol, an unknown little girl, and the color blue. 

He would normally recommend recreating the experience to try to trigger a clearer memory, but he didn't want you to do that. The distress and physical pain associated with both "memories" felt risky. The safest path would be patience. If there were memories you could gain access to that weren't completely damaged by your injury, you could potentially remember something to lead him to where they are keeping Rosinante. If he pushed you too fast, it could only stall the process. He would have to wait, continue helping you so you would continue to trust him with the truth of what you remembered. 

He recommended to continue on as normal and report anything else like this to him immediately, and he hid his relief when you seemed both grateful and agreeable. 

He paused at the buzz of his phone. Pulling it out of his pocket, a lazy grin spread across his face. 

CF:  On my way. 

Law glanced at his watch. 

He wouldn't push you to recreate another episode, but he could encourage you to find out more another way. 

"So, the child from your first episode. You don't know who she is?" 

You shook your head, "no idea." 

"And Sabo doesn't know either?" 

"I haven't really had a chance to ask him... If I was close enough with someone else to feel what I felt, wouldn't he have told me about her already? Or wouldn't she have asked to see me?" 

Law thought carefully. He didn't want you to stop looking for the truth, but he needed it to be your idea. He couldn't have Sabo or Kid getting suspicious if they heard it was him who wanted to know. 

"Maybe the little girl is you. A memory of yourself, lost as a child." 

He saw your frown at the suggestion, and as he suspected, he could tell you knew that didn't feel quite right. 

He tilted his head toward the door. "I'd like to do another scan before you leave to make sure nothing has changed since last time. Feel free to use the room while I get that set up." 

He knew it wouldn't take much. From what Sabo told him, you were stubborn and driven to a fault. Only the slightest push would put you back on track in your tireless pursuit of your memories. 

----------

"What did he say?" Sabo asked softly after you motioned for him to join you in the room, swiftly ignoring the unamused glare it prompted from Kid. 

"He said it's probably fine. Just to keep him posted," you waved him off quickly and redirected the conversation, closing the door behind him. "I wanted to ask you something though." 

Sabo studied your face briefly. He was concerned but you could see the tiniest bit of fear in his eyes. "You can ask me anything." 

You weren't sure how to ask. Part of you was afraid of the answer, but a bigger part knew it felt important. "Did I... I don't know, hang around with any kids back in the RA? Maybe a young girl?" 

He paled slightly and stiffened. "Did something else happen?" 

Reluctantly, you explained to him what happened at the window before Kid found you. 

He listened patiently as you recounted what you saw and felt. When you were done he was looking away from you. He let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his hair. After what felt like forever, he replied to your question. 

"Yes... There was a young girl you were close with." 

He kept his gaze on the wall as he spoke. 

Your gut felt heavy. His body language told you he didn't want to talk about it, but you kept pushing. "What's her name?" 

"Aisa," he hesitated before continuing. "She was a spitfire. Joined around the same age you did... We would joke that she was basically a miniature version of you. She even called you big sis." 

"Where is she now?" You asked, a part of you twisting with dread as you waited for the answer. 

He just kept looking at the wall. 

"Sabo, please." 

"She's gone." 

You stared hard at the side of his face. "Where?" 

He huffed and turned away fully. 

"How?" You pleaded again, understanding what he meant now when he said gone. 

"She's just gone." 

You didn't like this dismissive Sabo. You might never get your memories back, and he was hiding something from you. 

Still, he had gone to great lengths to rescue you and keep you safe from the government. 

You quelled your temper with a deep breath. 

"Maybe... maybe she's not though." The idea seemed even less reasonable when you heard yourself speak it, but without knowing anything else you couldn't be sure. "You thought I was dead, too. Maybe someone is hiding her-" 

"No. Just please trust me when I tell you. She is gone." 

"You said I could ask you anything." You were becoming increasingly annoyed. 

"I know," he sighed. 

"You think telling me is going to give me more brain damage than I already have?" 

"(Y/n), please." 

You frowned at the dismissal, at the name you didn't remember. 

"Why aren't you telling me?" You kept pushing. 

"You always do this," Sabo muttered under his breath bitterly. 

"Always do what?" You all but shouted. 

"You don't know when to stop." 

"Stop what? Stop asking things? How else will I know anything?" 

"(Y/n)-" 

"You aren't protecting me by hiding things from me. You know what happened, and you heard Law last time. I might never get my memories back. So if you refuse to tell me anything about what happened to the girl that caused me to have some kind of brain episode, I at least deserve to know why!" 

"Because you're not the only person who lost someone that day!" 

It was the first time you'd ever heard him raise his voice, and it finally shocked you into silence. 

He paced as you stood there motionless, stunned at his outburst. He finally stopped once he'd worked up enough courage to explain, "I know she's gone because I was there. I watched as you held her body in your arms, and I held you in mine after we buried her." 

You realized in that moment that while you were grasping for a chance to confront your past, Sabo hadn't been able to face his. 

Truthfully, you weren't sure how to process the information. It hurt, but you couldn't fully understand why. How were you supposed to mourn someone you didn't remember? 

Looking back at Sabo's sullen face had you soften immediately. 

You couldn't expect him to get through his trauma then and there, even if you knew you would ask him for more details later. So you did the only thing you could think to do. The only thing that felt right. 

You comforted him.

You slid you hand on his shoulder, gently prompting him to face you. He complied easily. You let your hand slide down his bicep and used your other to grab the hand he let fall to his side. 

"I'm sorry," you whispered, slowly interlocking your fingers with his. You didn't plan it. It just felt natural. 

He rested his forehead against yours and closed his eyes. He was breathing you in. His free hand cupped your face smoothing his thumb across your cheek bone. You raised your gaze but weren't met with the striking blue eyes you expected. His eyes were shut in a strange grimace, as if the closeness he held so tightly to was just as soothing as it was painful. 

"Sabo?" You whispered. 

He pulled back slightly, shifting his hand from your cheek to move through your hair. 

"There's something I should tell you." 

His eyes were still closed as you searched his face for any clue to what he was going to say. 

Before he could continue though, a loud crash rang out from the next room. Sabo's demeanor changed instantly. He pushed you behind him, to your annoyance, as he whipped open the door. Relief and confusion washed over you as you entered the main room. Kid was laughing and embracing an equally large blue haired man as a frustrated Law scolded them over a now twisted and unusable metal chair. 

----------

"I don't care if you're doing us a favor by coming here. You're paying to replace this!" Law bit out at the stranger, who at least feigned guilt as Kid and Killer failed to rein in their laughter. 

"Who is this?" Sabo asked to the room. 

"This is the person I told you about. With similar markings as yours," Law addressed you in response to Sabo's question. "This is Cutty Flam." 

"Actually, I go by Franky now," the blue haired man corrected. "I wouldn't mention my old name in public either, after everything that went down." 

Before he could explain what he meant by that, his eyes caught yours spying him from beside Sabo. He pointed at large finger at you and addressed Law, "Is this the one you told me about?" 

"That's the one," Law replied with half interest as he hauled the crushed chair toward the hallway. 

Franky strode toward you with heavy footsteps, hands clenched and face twisted. For a moment, you thought he was going to hit you. You glanced at Kid to see him leaning casually against the wall with a lazy grin on his face. Franky took a deep breath as you held yours, then collapsed on top of you, flopping his arms around you in a sloppy embrace. The tremors in his body were followed by the loud sounds of wailing as the large stranger cried openly on your shoulder. 

He was then unceremoniously yet surprisingly gently yanked off of you by Kid. "Alright, alright. Keep it down, Cyborg. You wanna wake up the whole neighborhood?" 

Franky explained through heavy sobs that Law told him what happened to you. Your story moved him, and he gripped your hands as he made you a promise. "If there's anything I can do to help, anything at all, all you gotta do is ask." 

"Actually there is something," you began, now trying to hide the feeling of nervous excitement forming in your stomach as you glanced toward the doctor and back. "Law said you spent time working at government headquarters. I was hoping you could tell us what happened to you there." 

So, he told you his story. 

"It was about four years ago. I got a gig doing contract work in the Central District. I would have passed on it, being for the government and all, except that there was this genius there overseeing the department they wanted me in, Dr. Vegapunk." 

"I know him," you interjected. "He still works there. He was the doctor I saw after I woke up." 

"That doesn't surprise me. Fat chance the government would let a mind like his go work for anyone else." 

"What did they hire you for? Was it something neuro-related?" Sabo questioned. 

"Nah, the work they gave me was in biomechanical prosthetics." He gave a nod to Kid, the redhead tilting his head affirmatively in reply in an exchange you almost missed. 

"Dr. Vegapunk worked with you on prosthetics research?" Killer asked curiously. 

"Hope it was worth it after selling out to work for them," Kid added under his breath. 

"It wasn't worth it," Franky replied solemnly, "and I didn't even work with him." 

"Dr. V is head of medical research. He oversees tons of projects, but he only actually works on what interests him," you added. 

"I was there for a while, and I was worried that I wouldn't even get to see Vegapunk before the contract ended. Then one day, Boom! I ran into him in one of the break rooms after staying late one night. We got to talking and he offered to show me some 'very exciting' new research. And like the star struck idiot I was, I agreed." 

He took a deep breath before continuing, the rest of the room silently waiting for him to continue. 

"He called it the Episodic Memory Recorder, or EMR. 'Said the easiest way to explain it was to experience it."

You froze. 

"So you agreed to be a guinea pig for a guy you just met?" Kid unhelpfully asked. 

"The idea of not only hearing about Vegapunk's personal cutting edge research, but to be a part of it? Of course I agreed." Franky snorted. "He hooked up wires to diodes he put on my head and told me to think of a strong memory. He said it worked best on something you remember well, and he suggested something meaningful since those are often the strongest." 

"What was the name of the machine again?" Sabo whispered. 

"Episodic Memory Recorder," Law replied grimly without breaking eye contact with Franky. 

Your stomach twisted. 

"I thought of my brother, the last time we were together, which unfortunately included a conversation we had about me hiding something for him that the government wanted. I won't get into it. You've got enough reasons for them to hunt you down as it is." Franky chuckled humorlessly at his own actions. "It was a strong memory. I thought about it a lot. When the machine started, I closed my eyes, and it was like I was there, experiencing it again for the first time, in my same body, feeling the same feelings, saying the same words. It was kinda freaky, how real it felt. When the memory was over, I opened my eyes to see Vegapunk all smiling and excited. He told me it worked." 

The more Franky explained the sicker you felt. You tried to ignore it, but everything he was describing felt so inescapably familiar. 

"I knew something was wrong, but I didn't wanna believe it. So, I asked him if it recorded brain activity or something. He didn't even answer. He just kept grinning. He left the diodes on my face and switched modes on the EMR. He told me it was time to view the results... The room around me vanished. I was back with my brother, experiencing the memory same as before, only this time I wasn't concentrating on it before he turned the machine on. I was stuck in my body again. Feeling the same feelings. Saying the same words." 

Too familiar. Too familiar. Too familiar. 

"When it was over, I opened my eyes to see Vegapunk just as happy as before. That's when he explained to me what I just participated in, and I knew what I'd done. The harm I'd caused not just to myself, but to my brother." Franky grimaced as he let his guilt sink in again. 

"What did Vegapunk say to you?" Killer finally asked the question the rest of you were thinking. 

You already knew the answer though. 

"He told me the EMR doesn't record brainwave activity. It records the memory itself. And it allows anyone with the machine and recording to view it." 

----------

Lucci's Private Residence, NWC East District 

Lucci's hands slid across the metal case as he opened the machine on his desk. He attached the diodes to his face with practiced ease, as he had a hundred times before. 

Then, he turned on the EMR. 

. . . 

. . . L o a d i n g . . .

. . . 

E M R   O n l i n e

. . . 

P l a y b a c k  M o d e  S e l e c t e d

. . . 

S y n a p t i c  L i n k  E s t a b l i s h e d

. . . 

A c c e s s i n g  F i l e  0 5 0 2 9 0 2 3

. . .

P l a y b a c k  I n  P r o g r e s s . . .

. . . 

Almost three years ago...

Lucci was quiet as he watched you lay there helplessly from across the room. 

"Why..." Your voice sounded so small. "...am I alive?" 

Why did he keep you alive?  

His orders were to eliminate the threat. That was the plan. Right up until you spoke to him. 

He had watched you so long from the shadows. It was the first time he held your attention. When your eyes fixed on his, it felt different. He wasn't sure what to think, but he knew it gave him pause. His gut told him there was an opportunity for something more than just your death.  

Your involvement with the Revolutionaries was enough of an excuse. No, not an excuse. It was the reason. It was an opportunity to gather intelligence. It should have been the flame emperor. He knew that's what his superiors would have preferred. When the situation came down to it though, he either had to kill you both, or abduct you and let the other live. The flame emperor was a better fighter; he was more practiced than you. You were good, but you were sloppy, less refined. You were convenient. Just another lab rat to further their goals. 

Lucci walked toward you slowly, taking in your battered form. Injuries he had given you. He didn't have a choice. He knew how hard you would fight, that you would have rather he killed you than taken you. He had seen you in combat so many times. He knew what you could do and how much of a beating you could take. He knew exactly how to break your body just enough. Enough to subdue you but not to kill you. 

You looked up at him through the eye that wasn't swollen shut, waiting for an answer he refused to give. 

He continued to stare down at you even after you looked away, toward Dr. Vegapunk entering behind him. 

The doctor gasped, his steps faltering at the sight of you. He cleared his throat and approached your side a bit more cautiously. 

"I'm assuming the force was necessary," he stated quietly, mostly to himself. Lucci knew all too well that the doctor didn't have the stomach for this line of work. 

He managed to suppress his distaste for the situation and forced his normal cheerful attitude, muttering to himself as he turned his focus to his task, to the science of it all. 

"Besides the information she will provide, it will be useful to complete the process on a subject with substantial injuries. It would be more useful having a control session to compare it to, one where the subject is healthy. I suppose that could come later, assuming she..." 

Survives, Lucci finished in his mind. 

Lucci helped Dr. Vegapunk hook you up to the machine. Considering you were weakened and sedated, along with the fact that Lucci was extremely familiar with the process himself, it didn't take long before you were ready. 

You protested as best you could, pulling against your restraints with what little strength you had. 

"Hmm, you better hold her down for this. I don't want her wriggling and accidentally knocking anything loose." 

Lucci did as he was told. 

He only hesitated briefly before kneeling over you. Your limbs were already cuffed to the gurney you were lying on, so he wrapped his hands around your biceps in an iron grip. Cipher Pol medical staff had removed your uniform jacket when they treated you. Well, not your uniform, he supposed, but it was what you were wearing when he took you. It surprised him, how soft your skin was. How someone so rough and reckless could seem so delicate underneath him. 

He could see the fear building behind your clouded good eye, adrenaline stifled by the sedative he had given you. 

"Torture me all you want, I'm not telling you shit," you bit out through clenched teeth. 

Lucci felt himself smile. He couldn't wait to see how you reacted when you realized what they were actually going to do to you. 

"Do you remember where you were last night?" Dr. Vegapunk interjected. 

Your hard gaze flit to the doctor then back to Lucci. 

"I remember everything," you growled defiantly. 

Lucci only smiled wider at the anger behind your words. He could almost feel the fire behind your eye, coursing straight into his veins, ready to burn him alive for what he did to you that night. 

"Do you remember how you arrived at the event? Who was with you? What they were wearing?" 

Your eyes shifted slightly, realization mixing into your hatred. Your mind was answering his questions automatically even without you speaking it aloud, and the second he saw it, Dr. Vegapunk pressed the button to record. 

Lucci continued to hold you down even after your eyes fell shut while the machine recorded your memory. Watching you unconscious was less exciting than your previous state, though he never took his eyes off of you, even while making idle conversation with the doctor as they waited for the recording to be completed. 

When it was over and you finally woke, it was only briefly. You looked up at him with an expression he couldn't read. Then just as quickly, the exhaustion took you. 

Once the doctor removed your connections the EMR, Lucci released you. He moved toward the exit before a curious urge took over. 

He turned to look at you. The bruises decorating your exposed arms, the cast on your leg, bags under your eyes, dried blood on your skin, under your fingernails. Everything he did to you, decorating your form, all those colors shining brightly under the harsh lights of the gray room. 

You looked like a painting. 

The last thought he had before exiting is how he'd like to remember you like this. After all, once they recorded everything you knew about the revolutionaries, they would kill you. It couldn't hurt having this memory of you too. 

. . . 

R e c o r d i n g  E n d

P l a y b a c k  C o m p l e t e

----------

Author's Note:

Author: Killer, you can't be grumpy with me after every chapter. Killer: ... Author: You went with MC this time to see her doctor! Killer: I leaned against a wall and said one line. Author: Yes... but an important line! Killer: *grunts menacingly but also hotly* Author: Ok, ok, I promise there will be much more of you next chapter, including the resolution to the conversation with Franky and the trip back home. Plus, I've got a really good scene cooking in a future chapter where you get some one on one time with MC! Killer: ...Fine. But if I don't get more screen time, I'll just move on to other projects. Author: Killer, this whole conversation is just a fever dream in my head put to paper. You can't just walk- Killer: *walks away* Author: Hey, get back here!

"Trafalgar Law."

Law's eyes slowly lifted to meet the large figure seated casually on the overly ornate throne in front of him. The uniform he wore was militaristic in nature, meticulously adorned in unnecessary embellishments. His long blond hair was pushed behind his shoulders, allowing a better view of the many medals pinned to his lapels. His broad shoulders were pulled back, as if sitting taller might provide a way for him to look down on everyone around him more easily. He recognized the man instantly as the King of Germa, and in return Vinsmoke Judge glared down at him with cold distain.

"Look at me whenever I speak your name," the king commanded.

There was no clicking noise within his mind, no signal to his body to comply like there had been when Reiju commanded him. Law's gaze fell to his reattached arm, and his next words came out just as he had practiced.

"What the hell did you do to me?"

"Trafalgar Law," Judge rasped again, ignoring the question.

On cue, Law's vision flit instantly to the king, who responded with a sickly satisfied grin.

"You will not harm anyone on Germa or try to escape."

Law's distain for the man before him helped him mask his own satisfaction of how the situation was playing out. For now at least, it seemed like Reiju hadn't betrayed him. The interaction was unfolding just how she predicted.

Law turned his head to scan the room.

Reiju was standing to the right of her father, stoic and casual as always. Niji and Yonji lingered near the entrance on the opposite side of the room. No other guards or personnel remained in the space with them. It seemed that Judge trusted his children with Law's presence there but maybe not the rest of his men.

"Trafalgar Law."

Law moved his gaze instantly back to the king. He feigned surprise and annoyance, a look Reiju helped him perfect during the return trip to Germa.

"It is imperative that we achieve two goals during your meeting with my father. What are they?" Reiju had quizzed to Law.

"First, he has to believe the control chip is programmed to make me obey him," Law recited the initial part of their plan.

"Right, to obey the head of the Vinsmoke family. And how will you do that?"

"The control chip has two parameters it must meet in order to work. The person's name is the prompt, then both parties must hold eye contact while the command is stated. When the King commands me, I will obey him. Or at least make it look that way."

Reiju nodded shortly. "And the second goal?"

"That I'm more valuable to him alive than dead."

"Tell me: Where are the files you stole from me?"

"I gave them to Donquixote Doflamingo. Only he and a small number of his family members know of the documents. I last saw them in a medical office I was assigned to within his castle."

"Trafalgar Law," the king commanded, annoyance slowly overtaking his smug façade. "Tell me everyone who has seen or knows of the contents of my files after you stole them."

"Doflamingo, Monet, and myself," he lied.

Judge looked skeptical as he stated his next question.

"Trafalgar Law. Tell me: The ginger girl who helped you steal the files never looked at them?"

"No," another lie.

"Why?" the king questioned, and Law had to stop himself from continuing, barely parting his lips when he realized the king failed to trigger his command with the use of Law's name. He spat on the floor at the king's feet instead.

"Trafalgar Law," the king hissed, motioning one of his sons standing guard to clean the now soiled floor near his feet. "Tell me: Why didn't your thieving partner read the contents of the files that she worked so hard to steal from me?"

"I kept them under lock and key in my quarters, though she probably could have stolen them if she wanted. She had no interest in the contents, just completing her mission."

"All those people you mentioned, not including yourself, are they still on Dressrosa?"

Law pursed his lips and pointedly looked away.

He could see the king tensing with annoyance in his peripherals. It was becoming blatantly clear that he did not use the control chip to interrogate anyone often. Seeing how only his children possessed it, Law was starting to understand why Reiju was so confident she could participate in their plan without getting caught.

"Trafalgar Law. Answer every question I ask you truthfully from now on."

Law tensed his jaw in show, making it seem like he was aware that Judge's last command had taken hold of him.

"Are the people who know of the contents of the files still on Dressrosa?"

"Everyone except me."

"Was the information transcribed or copied somewhere else?"

"No exact copies were made, but some of the information on the enhancements was transcribed in my research notes."

"Where are your research notes now?"

"Burned to ash."

Judge glanced briefly at Reiju. He was again skeptical. "Why did you burn your own notes?"

"Because they outlined in detail how the enhancements worked and how they could be replicated. I did not want Doflamingo to have them if he killed me."

"Yes, my daughter informed me of the circumstances of your retrieval... So you burned them before you tried to kill him?"

"Before we tried to kill each other."

"Why did you try to kill one another?"

"For me, it was revenge for him killing a loved one. For him, it was revenge for my betrayal."

"Why bother stealing my enhancement research at all if you were just going to try to kill him anyway?"

"Before we stole the research, I was trying to win his trust so he would let me get close enough to kill him. After I read what was inside, I anticipated that Doflamingo would ask me to perform the enhancement procedure on him. I hid the details of the control chip from everyone. I planned to perform the procedure on Doflamingo and make him answer to me. I was going to use it to make him destroy his reputation, give up his throne, and generally debase him in every way I knew he cared about before I finally killed him." Law smirked. That was actually true.

The interrogation continued at least another hour. The King was thorough, especially with questions about his son. But his questions also skirted several other general topics like the island itself, the family, and the people of Dressrosa. Law could appreciate the fact that while he was looking to gain specific information, he was also clearly gauging Law's depth of knowledge. And Law was sure to make it clear that his knowledge would be useful.

"Well, I supposed that's all we need from him. Daughter," he considered Law for a moment before moving his attention to Reiju. "He was your capture. What do you think we should do with him?"

Reiju tilted her head as she watched the prisoner, humming to herself as if truly considering him for the first time.

"We should kill him," she replied matter-of-factly.

Law swallowed hard. That reply was not something they had discussed, and the alarm on his face was real.

"Yes, that would be the safest course of action," Judge concurred, idly studying Law's visible distress from their words.

"Agreed… Though it would be a shame not to play with your new puppet before throwing him away. He could be a unique tool in retrieving our missing brother."

"Hmm, yes. If not a pawn in negotiations, he'd at least be a good distraction for the Flamingo." Judge waved Reiju toward Law, indicating she remove him to wherever he would be held. "Put him away for now. We'll start planning the idiot's retrieval in the morning. Oh- almost forgot. Trafalgar Law. Do whatever my daughter tells you to," he commanded the afterthought with a lazy wave of his hand.

Reiju gave no indication that she was pleased with the situation, her relaxed façade never breaking as she took her place behind Law, turning his chair toward the exit.

Law did his best to look distressed and angry, all while knowing the interaction couldn't have gone better.

Still, he should've known by now that nothing he planned ever went that easily.

Niji reached for the door handle to allow them through, only to be smacked hard in the face when the door slammed open from the other side.

Cold, crimson eyes moved quickly from his father to Law, stopping Ichiji dead in his tracks as he entered the room.

It was interesting, at least it would be if his life wasn't so endangered, how Law's body was reacting. He could feel his senses on high alert. It wasn't observation enhancements, but he could feel the difference between before the surgery and after. His eyes were fast enough to take in details he couldn't have before. The small twitch of Ichiji's mouth, the minute movement of a single finger, the way his breathing altered ever so slightly - as if he was now actively controlling it to keep it steady and subdued.

Law knew Reiju wouldn't let her brother kill him, though the sparks behind Ichiji's eyes made a different promise.

He heard the king noisily clear his throat, and it was enough to remind him of their immediate need. Judge had commanded him not to attempt escape. He commanded him not to harm anyone on Germa. Law pushed past his fear and focused everything within him on staying still. He couldn't let his body react on instinct to protect himself without giving away that he wasn't really under the king's control.

Ichiji's body turned toward Law. He took one slow step forward, and it was only then that Law realized there was someone else entering the room with him.

"Ichiji!" The King bellowed.

The prince's neck snapped instantly to his father.

"You will not harm the prisoner."

The two fingers Law knew to be reattached to Ichiji's hand twitched. "Do you have any idea-"

"You think I don't already know?" Judge interrupted swiftly. His lip curled with disgust and the condescension that dripped from every word brought an uncomfortable thickness to the air. "After how much damage you caused while I was away, you should be grateful I allow you here as well, boy."

If Ichiji was upset by the way his father spoke to him, he didn't show it. He simply turned his body to face Judge fully, waiting patiently for his next command.

Judge let out an exaggerated sigh when his eyes finally found the girl who accompanied Ichiji into the room.

"So, it looks like none of my children were able to bring back the people they were sent to retrieve."

Law knew even before Ichiji could explain, but he still dreaded hearing the words.

"This is Nami's sister."

Everyone in the room turned to look at the slender girl behind the prince as she shifted uncomfortably from the sudden attention.

"You're sure?" Judge knit his brows together and frowned down at the girl. "They don't even have similar eyebrows."

The unease on her features quickly turned to annoyance as she gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes that both men ignored.

"Nojiko. They were adopted by the same woman," Ichiji explained.

"Not much of a war prize. Girl looks like she bathes as often as a goat." He let out a long breath, as if just talking about her was taxing. "You were supposed to bring back the orange haired one. I wouldn't even work this one in the kitchens. Dispose of her how you see fit."

"On our return, I intercepted a transmission from the King of Dressrosa to one of his ships. He sent a few of his most trusted men to retrieve her specifically."

Judge tilted his head slightly and gave Nojiko another once over.

Law couldn't tell from her reactions how much Nojiko understood of her situation. He doubted that Ichiji told her who anyone here was or why they wanted her. Her brows seemed permanently creased at this point. Even so, she sent Law a few glances with a slightly different expression, as if she was trying to place where she knew him from.

Nojiko might not have understood why they wanted her, but Law did. Something happened on Dressrosa.

Judge hummed in approval. "I suppose it isn't a total loss then. Lock her up somewhere. We'll speak again in the morning."

Ichiji turned to escort Nojiko out but halted when he noticed her uncomfortable shifting, glancing back above Law's shoulder. Law followed her eyeline as Ichiji approached them only to see Reiju with an expression he'd never seen before. Her lips were slightly parted, eyes wide, and there was a faint blush on her cheeks as she stared unashamedly at Nojiko.

"Get control of your perversions, and stay away from my prisoner," Ichiji growled into his sister's ear before grabbing Nojiko's wrist and dragging her out of the room.

*****

Doflamingo leaned further back into his plush desk chair. He breathed deeply, though it seemed even with his current attempts to relax, he couldn't seem to quiet his mind.

He was so tantalizingly close to getting what he wanted. He had obtained so many of the pieces he required, but each small sip of victory was followed with a sour aftertaste.

He had acquired enough test subjects in his dungeons, but he knew the citizens had taken notice. It was a minor issue. In time, he could distract and dazzle them into compliance again.

The brat doctor sorted out the key to enhancements, but he withheld all information on the most useful part. Kaido wouldn't be satisfied with their arrangement only half met. And when Law's betrayal became too apparent to ignore, he hadn't even had the decency to properly die! It was clear someone or something had dragged his body to the water, but the heavy rain had muddied the tracks, making it impossible to identify who the culprits were.

Fishmen, he assumed. But torturing Arlong in the darkest corner of his dungeon hadn't given light to the situation.

Even if he had somehow made it to a boat, the storm would have likely sunk it. Even if he had somehow survived, his former protégé was far too close to death. Even if by some miracle he had received medical care, he would barely be clinging to life. A shell of a man as physically pitiful as his attempt to ruin his king.

No, the most likely ending for this sullen tale was Law becoming fish food.

Still though.

Even with him almost certainly dead, either drowned at the bottom of the ocean or alive but as good as dead...

He couldn't help but wonder...

Why?

Why, when they dragged his body away...

Did they bother taking both his severed arm and his sword...

Doflamingo grunted as he yanked harshly on the brunette curls between his thighs. "Watch the teeth," he sneered before letting her resume.

Before his thoughts could drift again to unwanted topics, his ears perked at the sound of a familiar voice in the hallway.

The voice grew louder and more forceful until she was outside his office door. A toothy grin spread wide across his face.

Viola attempted to stand, but he shoved her under his desk before she could protest. "Make a noise, and I'll slit your throat," he whispered lowly, watching her incredulous expression. In one swift movement, he slid his chair against his desk and sheathed himself once again in her mouth, not a moment before the door to his office burst open.

His eyes were fixed on the redhead, flicking behind her just in time to see his guards outside doubled over in agony, holding their groins with pained expressions before Nami casually slammed the door behind her.

"Kitten," he mused. "What a pleasant surprise."

Nami stared into his eyes for only a moment before gracing him with a soft smile of her own. So seemingly genuine, without even a trace of insincerity. Even knowing it was almost certainly a front, he found himself hesitating to question it. In the short time since he had seen her, he'd almost forgotten how good she was at playing the game. He felt his cock twitch at the thought.

She hummed in agreement before turning toward the bookshelves to her left. "I was just passing by when I thought I would drop in and say hello."

"Just passing by," he chuckled knowingly, tauntingly.

Nami's heels clicked loudly on the wooden floor as she sauntered casually around the room, dragging a finger lightly across each book on the shelf at her eyeline. She turned her head toward him over her shoulder, but let her gaze fall to the windows of the balcony behind him. "It's been a few days since we've spoken," she started softly, ignoring his previous remark. "How have you been?"

"Oh, Kitten, I'm honored," he bit his cheek. She had always been so blunt and prickly with him in the past! To be expected, he supposed. All of their previous interactions were him trying to get what he wanted from her. It would have been easy for her to just come out and ask him for what she wanted, but he had to admit, he much preferred this little dance of theirs.

She knew she wasn't fooling him with this act, but she played the part anyway, feeding into a farce just for the two of them to savor. Did she really expect she could bend him to her will like she did so many others, or was trying to pull his strings so ingrained in her that she did it instinctively? And more importantly, did she have any idea how much he enjoyed it? "To think, you would maim my guards just to see to my wellbeing."

Her giggle was soft and light, yet knowing. "If someone like me can get past them that easily, I think my worries are warranted. Though I'm relieved to find you so at ease." Her eyes met his only for a second before she turned to stride somewhat aimlessly toward the fireplace on the other side of the room. She rested a delicate hand on the mantle, addressing him as she looked into the flames. "I can only assume that means my sister has been retrieved safely."

She got to the point sooner than he expected. Maybe she refrained from dragging it out because she was beginning to trust him. No, she was too clever for that. Despite her flawless mask, she was growing impatient. She knew the time it would take to voyage to Cocoyashi from Dressrosa. She had made a point to avoid him since he last saw her, when she finally agreed to join his family. It was a bargain for her loyalty, and she was waiting for him to deliver on his end of the agreement.

"Storms and rough waters caused a slight delay. My men have had to take a longer route, but they should get to the island soon," he replied easily, watching her grip on the mantle tighten ever so slightly. Was it frustration at the situation, or was she able to tell without even looking at him that he was lying? That his crew had shown up earlier than anticipated, only to find massacred fishmen and an empty hut with a broken opening to a hidden space under the floor? Besides the missing doctor, this was the crux of his anxiety. That whatever group attacked the island left little trace, cleaning up their own fallen men and leaving none alive to tell what had happened. Arlong had plenty of rivals in the smuggling routes he held, and it would take a frustratingly long time to figure out which had taken the girl, and if she was even alive. "But as you said, I'm at ease. No reason to worry." He brought up his hands in show, noticing how she again refrained from looking toward him.

She had looked at him briefly, but ever since she arrived she was making a point to look everywhere except him, everywhere except him and his desk. ...Did she figure that out, too? The idea of her knowing the perversions he hid in plain sight while she continued to seek the information she came for made him unbearably hard.

Her heels clicked again as she turned to amble further into the room. "Storms can be troublesome like that."

He hummed lightly in agreement.

"If you aren't careful," she finally turned to look him in the eyes. "Precious things can be lost."

The smile grew wide across his face. She was dangling the night of the storm over his head. They hadn't spoken of Law, but he knew she had asked Diamante about him. That she cared for the doctor at least to some extent. Did she really expect him to tell her what actually happened that night?

She held eye contact as she slowly sauntered toward him, and as she came to a stop just in front of his desk, he could feel Viola's fingernails digging harder into his thighs.

Nami leaned forward, giving him a quite a view of her assets as she batted her eyelashes innocently.

Oh, she definitely knew what was happening under his desk. And she was using it to distract him, to attempt to get the upper hand. She would never have been so forward and inviting if she thought he could stand up himself and reciprocate her advances.

His gaze darted to her chest briefly before locking back on her eyes, thankful that his glasses were dark enough to hide the movement.

"I have a request," she asked sweetly.

Oh, he was sure she did.

He licked his lips. "And what would that be?"

"I want to speak to your prisoner."

He pursed his lips but his smile remained. "We got what we needed from the Vinsmoke boy. What reason would you have to-"

"Not that prisoner," she corrected with a small smile.

He watched her study him as he quickly put together what she meant, and he realized that despite his awareness of her deception, she managed to use the situation she walked into to seize at least a piece of control.

What a talented pet.

"Funny, he requested something similar." And he had. It was one of the first things Arlong had screamed as they dragged him away, and it was a frequent refrain as he rotted in the dungeons. At least while he was still able to form words, that is.

Her eye twitched. "I bet he did," she muttered as her hatred of the fishman began to eclipse her sultry ruse.

He expected her to request to see Arlong at some point. He just didn't think it would be so soon.

"I must say, as persuasive as you are, I'm disinclined to give him what he wants."

He could tell she was turning it over in her mind, wondering what he could want in return. He could see the gears turning as she considered him, and he could hardly wait to see what she would offer him to-

"I'll make him regret it," she responded, somewhere between a growl and a purr, low and dangerous.

Doflamingo could admit, though only to himself, that he hadn't given her enough credit. For whatever reason, when Arlong originally tasked her with informing on him, she hadn't really been trying. Her heart wasn't in it like it was now. Is this how she was on Germa? If she was able to elicit want from him, he shouldn't be surprised how embarrassingly obsessed the red prince-.

Ah, of course.

Just like that, she'd unknowingly given him more than she would get, and the last of his doubts about where the fishmen's prisoner went disappeared from his mind.

Nami wasn't lying when she informed Doflamingo that she never told the Vinsmokes about her sister. They were idiots, but they were idiots with resources. They had wealth. They had the means to pay for information they didn't even know they needed. And though the red prince seemed calm and calculating, Law's account of his last interaction with him on Germa showed the lengths on his obsession. There was no way the girl escaped or was enslaved after some territorial dispute with Arlong's men.

Nami's sister wasn't on Cocoyashi, but Doflamingo knew exactly where she was.

He watched Nami leave after agreeing to accompany her to the dungeons the following day. He didn't even wait until the door fully closed behind her before shoving his hands under his desk.

He gripped the sides of Viola's face and ignored as she tensed and whined in confusion after realizing he wasn't releasing her or even moving his chair back to give her space after they were once again alone.

His eyes bore into the door as he slammed her mouth onto his impossibly hard erection, over and over again. He only stopped when he felt his balls tighten, slamming her face against him to hold her still as he released down her throat.

He breathed a long sigh of relief.

He finally pushed his chair back and stood from the desk. He ignored the sputtering and crying behind him, not sparing Viola so much as a glance as he moved to leave the room. His only acknowledgment was a lazy wave of his hand as he gave her a final order before leaving the room. "Clean that shit up before you leave," he motioned to whatever she was coughing up under his desk.

Viola was the least of his worries. For now, he had planning to do. And he couldn't let Judge think for a moment he would allow Germa to have the upper hand in what was to come.