deathsdoctor

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[Blissfully unaware of Admirals stalking the village in search of him, Trafalgar Law is taking a few hours away from nosing around the village and through the journals... though it’s still open – he likes to listen to the background noise from the book. Today he must attend to some of life’s tedious domestic necessities. Mainly cleaning the apartment, cooking dinner, and sitting down on the couch to alter some new shirts and sweaters to accommodate his wings.

Boring, but it’s not going to get done by itself.

Sword maintenance comes next on the list, and that’s when the hairs on the back of his neck start to rise as he sights down the blade looking for imperfections and fractures. It’s a loud day for the journals, what with the floods of new arrivals (and no voices of crew yet), but he’s got the uneasy feeling the fun’s about to visit him in turn. 8| ]

… it’s really going crazy out there…

[… a really uneasy feeling.]

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[Nod] You have it. [Of course he can count on you. You are his first mate]

We must be especially mindful of our interactions with the Strawhat Pirates. They are extremely popular within the village and what they have to say is well respected and carries a lot of weight. They are also nearly fully crewed here. I have seen eight out of the nine confirmed crew members, and they may have gotten their ninth in this last wave. The balance of power does not favour us at all.

There are several things to remember here. This is not the Grand Line, and our hunt for One Piece is at an impasse... the only thing that could get us closer to achieving it is leaving Luceti with our memories intact. They are also our rivals only so far - not our enemies. I bear them no ill will, and a crossing of swords between them and us helps no one. I would prefer to avoid bloodshed if possible. Our survival depends on working together, or at least maintaining a peaceful coexistance.

So far I have been have been as helpful, informative, and pleasant to them as appropriately possible in our interactions. Hopefully, they will reciprocate. [And Sanji did call about Kizaru. A positive sign...]

Now... Blackbeard...

[ Oh, so the Strawhats are here. Bepo can nod his way through that, at least, because it's not hard to understand being civil when you put it that way. This will be followed with a bit of a doubletake, though.

Blackbeard is here? ]

Yes. Blackbeard is here. [Can't you just hear the distaste in his voice as he says that?] A threat that must be dealt with carefully.

I've just been watching him so far - seeing what I can learn. I've avoided revealing my presence for the time, and it seems he has not learned of me yet. But a confrontation is inevitable. There will be no alliance with him - he is powerful, yes, but he is also a dishonorable backstabbing snake and nakama killer to boot. We'd just end up getting screwed over and loathed by the villagers, who also do not think fondly of him.

Honestly, I'd toss him off a ice flow if I could, here and now, but sadly that is not possible.

So that leaves us to stand our ground when it does finally happen. The Strawhats at least seem to be honorable and they may stand with us, or at least offer aid afterwards. I... know what happened to Jewelry Bonney when she did face him, Bepo, but... this way we maintain our own self respect and honor. It is the better of the two evils.

[ It's the kind of thing you really can't sugarcoat, that confrontation: anyone would know how badly it's bound to end. There's really only one thing to say, though, because Law is Captain and he'd follow him off the edge of a cliff if that's where he was going. ]

We'll be ready.

[And this is the thing that makes strong men truly powerful. Nakama. People who want to follow you, who will be loyal till death. People who you can trust completely, who you can lay down your life for in turn.

Nakama.

And this is why, in the end, whatever end, Blackbeard won't be Pirate King.

Law needed this reminder. Needed it so very badly.]

We will. Whatever comes.

[ Good, then that's settled. And it goes a good long way towards halting remaining uneasiness, because you have to stop panicking sooner or later.

Shifting and giving you a semi-curious look; any other news to break, Captain? ]

[All panicked out? That's good, because your Captain is working up to the worst immediate bit of it.

He nods slowly.]

That's the pirates here. I said earlier that there were some Marines here. Two established, and one in this latest wave. Remember the young pink haired Marine who unintentionally stopped Kizaru from blasting us from the water? [The one we damnably owe for that?] He's here. His name is Coby. I only spoke to him over the journals during my arrival... he hasn't placed my face, but there was a sense of recognition none the less. He may have connections to the Strawhats here... he may not, but he does know of what we did at Marineford. As far as I know, they know nothing of what we did there... and they may leap to conclusions when they do. So I'm waiting and seeing before deciding a course of action with him.

The other one I know little about, save he's a logia that turns into smoke. No telling when he's from or his involvement with the others here. Too soon to tell if he's a government lapdog, a psycho on the Marine leash, or one that's a little more reasonable. He seems reasonably intelligent... but again, too soon. Again, hopefully we can wait and see with him before our paths cross.

The last one came with this wave, and I just had one of the Strawhats, Sanji, inform me he's here...

[ Two Marines, not immediate threats: check. It's going to be a very strange stay in this cage. ]

Who is he?

[One long, quiet look before he drops the bomb]

Kizaru.

[ The Kizaru. Kind of a banner day for FML, Captain. D8 ]

...

That's not good.

[Tell him about it. He's had the overwhelming urge to beat his head against a wall. Counterproductive, that, but oh so tempting.]

No. It's not. He's looking for Mister Strawhat and I. [Business as usual after Marineford - being hunted that is - but he's used to fending off slightly smaller fry.] From what I gather, there's been run ins with some of Mister Strawhat's men. No one killed - I would have heard that - but concerning.

Thankfully, I haven't been out today, so I haven't run into him, and none of the people I have been talking about know where this apartment is... so that's something. He may not know yet we're here, and if he does, he'll have a bit of trouble finding us. But that's for now. We won't be able to avoid him forever.

[ One more thing to be ready for, isn't it. Luceti is very unpleasant. ]

Maybe he'll run into Blackbeard first. [ That guy is much louder about things than we are 8|. And when two big names have it out, it tends to end up with people needing to recover.

Not much for the inevitability of any fights, but time is still time. ]

Very likely he will. I would imagine he's out enjoying the chaos.

We'll know when they clash. [The whole village will know. No way around that.] Likely other villagers will intervene once things start getting heated. There are one or two here that may be able to contain them.

Contain those two?

Possibly. The strength and the abilities of some here are beyond belief.

They must be powerhouses. [ ...but still not nearly as bad as the big names from home. ]

[You'd be surprised Bepo.]

They are.

But whatever the outcome, it'll buy a little time. And if worst comes to worst, I'll lure him down to the tunnels if I can. It'll cut away my power, but it'll cut his as well. It'll put us at roughly equal terms of strength.

A last ditch measure, but by then there will be no options left.

[ Power-cutting tunnels. ] Like seastone?

[ So long as it remains safe to assume Bepo's just a really awesome normal bear, he'll be down there with kung-fu backup, Captain. ]

Like, but not, Bepo. It affects everyone who goes down there, Devil Fruit user or not and reduces your strength down to levels of what's considered normal.

[I think it's safe to assume that Bepo would be pretty alright - as strong as a normal bear, but pretty alright.]

There's not much room to manuever around down there. Once a fight starts down there, if one comes out dead, the other will likely come out badly injured. Hopefully the element of surprise, and his height will work against him.

[Because, even equalized like that, your Captain's no fool. Admirals aren't Admirals for nothing.]

[ Nodding slowly. You're planning ahead as usual, and he wouldn't trust anybody's judgment more.

This still makes traditional cages look like a breeze. ]

[No kidding, buddy.

Just slumping against you, because he is tired of all the constant crap this place slings around, and he's just tired period.]

Hey... Bepo...?

It's good that you're here. I missed you.

[ ;__; Captaiiin. HE'S SORRY HE HASN'T BEEN HERE.

Leaning back against you, just a little. He plans on sticking around. ]

Yeah...

[Until you disappear come morning. And your Captain won't remember things clearly, but the punch to the gut and the rip after will be the same. It's just a small mercy that Law, usually so sharp, hasn't realised this now.

But for now?

Falling into the deepest, most peaceful sleep he's had since he's arrived. Because finally there's someone here he knows that will have his back.]

[ Always glad to be of service. Even as a pillow for one night. ]

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Not actually asleep, just dead tired

Understood o/

Re: Now it's for realz

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