Hi! you can call me Phantom! She/Her, 24 multi-fandom and OC writing/art This is my writing sideblog (though i mainly post here nowadays) where I post fics and art of whatever I want. (nsfw included)
The crew finally land on Dressrosa, splitting up to enact the next steps in Law's plan...
CW: This slow burn fic delves into some distressing topics such as drug addiction, violence, gore, and dark themes. Please check AO3 for all tags.
Character reference || Masterlist
Previous || Next
Armour parts lay scattered all around the Sunny's lawn deck underneath the shade of the tree. Leona sat in the grass, running her energy-infused hands over the last of the damage to smooth it out.
“Beautiful.” She whispered, admiring her repaired helmet. “Some of my finest work.”
“I'm still baffled as to how you made all of that when I had you in a seastone cuff…” Caesar muttered.
“GAH!” Leona gasped, whipping around and clutching her chest. “Ugh… I forgot you were sitting there…”
“Oh, that's the biggest crock of shit I've ever heard!” Caesar yelled. “You have some sort of weird superhuman memory capacity! How are you able to forget anything!?!”
“Okay, listen, asshole…” Leona said, putting down the helmet and laying her moon fabric underlayer out flat. “It's completely impossible for anyone to remember every single thing they've ever experienced at any given time. Even I am able to forget things…” She then looked down sadly. “...which is a painful truth to admit, considering my memory is what's defined my entire worth all this time… but for your information, the things I do forget tend to be beneath me.”
“YOU LITTLE WENCH!! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS!? I STUDIED UNDER VEGAPUNK! VEGAPUNK!! THAT'S MORE THAN YOU CAN SAY, YOU LITTLE…”
She tuned out Caesar's angered shrieking to smooth out the dark moon fabric and feel for any tears or loose threads. Her eyebrows raised when she felt a hard bump inside a pocket, pulling it out to reveal one of her strawberry hard candies. “Huh… how'd that get here?”
“...And another thing!” Caesar continued to babble. “I know the only reason you've been so confident with talking down to me is that you knew daddy dearest would protect you, but who's laughing now, you bitch!? I can't wait to hear your screams and cries for mercy when he executes you by wringing the life from your worthless body!”
Leona's hackles raised, rage swelling in her chest. She was about to pounce on Caesar like a rabid animal, but then she glanced at the wrapped candy, and a flash of inspiration came to her.
“Oh, Caesar…” she started, faced away from him. “Seeing as you were manufacturing thousands of them per week… Do you remember how much NHC10 went into a single one of your medium-sized drug candies?”
“Hrm!? Of course I do! Who do you take me for!? Those medium-sized ones had a bumped-up dose to account for the size and tolerance of the bigger brats, so it was around 5 milligrams! …Why do you ask, anyway?”
Leona giggled darkly, looking over her shoulder and revealing the treat. “Oh, you know… I just figured the children deserved some poetic justice at some point, so I snuck one with me.”
Caesar started sweating. “Huh? W-w-what does that mean?”
Leona stood up, and Caesar began scooting away. “Hey! HEY! You stay the hell away from me with that! The deal is to keep me alive, remember!?”
“Oh, I know,” Leona said, continuing to back him into a corner. “A man of your size won't immediately die from a measly 5 milligrams of NHC10. But, seeing as the lethal dose for a regular-sized human adult is about 1.5, and you’re quite the scrawny bastard, well… you won't be feeling great, let's just say that.”
“Get back, woman!!” He screeched as she approached, unwrapping the candy. He clenched his teeth shut and covered his mouth.
Leona grabbed him by the hair and kicked him in the throat, causing him to choke and gasp for air, which she took as an opportunity to throw the candy into his mouth. As if on instinct, Caesar accidentally swallowed it.
“Penumbra!! What are you doing!?” Chopper cried, watching the scientist scream, cough, and writhe from where he was making Leona's medication. “I just finished treating him!!”
Leona rolled her eyes. “Relax, it's a normal strawberry candy! I had a whole jar back at the lab for myself. Can you blame me for wanting to fuck with him a bit?”
Chopper stared and blinked for a minute, then went back to work. “Oh, okay.”
Suddenly, Robin's voice echoed from the crow's nest window. “I see an island!”
Everyone dropped what they were doing and rushed to the bow to see for themselves. Up ahead was an island bordered by a ring of massive rock formations.
“Wooahh!! Pepperoni, is that it!?” Luffy asks excitedly.
“Yep.” She nodded, adjusting her glasses. “Dressrosa, the land of love and passion.”
“YAAHOOOO!!!” Luffy cheered. “DRESSROSA HERE WE COOOOOME!!!”
“Don't shout, idiot!! Doflamingo will hear you!!” Usopp hissed.
Leona side-eyed him. “Don't be obtuse.”
Franky steered the ship close to some ground-level rocks and deployed the absolutely adorable lion paw anchors. Luffy was the first to disembark.
“DRESSROSA!!! LET'S PARTYYYY!!!” Luffy cheered upon hitting terra firma.
“I told you to keep it down, Luffy! Dammit! We're deep in enemy territory!” Usopp sobbed.
Leona huffed out a sigh, closing her eyes and focusing on her Observation Haki.
Franky disembarked next. “AAOW! This week I'm…” he struck his signature pose. “EXTRA super!! As soon as we find that factory, I'm lettin’ my lasers RRRIP!”
“Usopp, relax,” Leona said, touching his shoulder. “He's inside the palace. There's no way in hell he'd hear us from there.”
“How do you know that!?” Usopp cried.
“Observation Haki,” Leona said simply, tapping her head. “It takes a lot of focus, but I can sense people’s emotional wavelengths across… uh… well, however many kilometres Dressrosa is in diameter.” She shrugged. “I-I've done most of my Haki development here, you see.”
“Wow, Haki can do that? He inquired, eyebrows raised.
“Of course! Observation Haki is super unique, since it's sort of like a fingerprint.” Leona explained excitedly. “For instance, I was born with a very strong ability to read the emotions of living beings by sensing the energy given off by each person when they're in a certain state of mind. If I focus hard enough, I'm able to glean parts of someone's past or see whole silhouettes of people, even through walls! But as I said, it manifests differently for everyone.”
“I… don't really follow…”
Leona withered a little. “Oh… y-yeah, I've found it's kind of something you need to have to understand… otherwise you just sound crazy.”
“I will not fly…! YOU CANNOT MAKE ME!!!”
The sudden shout from below had Leona and Usopp peer down over the rail just in time to see Momo—who was still a little pink dragon—and Luffy brawling, arguing about some matter Leona hadn't been paying attention to.
“L-Luffy, stop!!” Leona cried. “He's an eight-year-old child!!”
The two either were ignoring her or just couldn't hear her over their own shouting.
“CUT DA CRAP!! I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE A SHAMURAI!! I'M GONNA BE KING A’ DA PIRATESH ONE DAY!” Luffy gnashed as Momo stretched his rubber cheek.
“SO WHAT!? I SHALL BE THE SHOGUN OF WANO SOME DAY! YOU WILL BE BUT A WORM BENEATH MY FEET!” Momo shot back.
“ENOUGH, MOMONOSUKE! WE OWE THIS MAN OUR LIVES!”
The two abruptly stopped—though didn't calm down—when Kin'emon shouted. Leona hastily descended the ladder to further separate them in case they went at it again.
“Luffy-dono, please forgive my foolish son. Though he is a proud samurai, he is still a young boy, and lacks restraint… that said, you could use some restraint yourself in dealing with children.”
Luffy pouted. “Hmph! If he's such a crybaby coward, maybe he shouldn't talk so big!” He then proceeded to childishly stick out his tongue at the boy.
“What the HELL is your problem!?” Leona yelled, running up and striking Luffy across the face.
Luffy didn't seem to be affected much by her slap, but seeing him stumble backwards a little in surprise, coupled with the sting on her palm, made the realization of what she had just done hit her like a wave of freezing water.
“Oh my god!!” She gasped, clutching her hands back. “I-I-I'm so sorry, Luffy! I wasn't thinking!! P-please forgive me!”
“No, he deserved it,” Nami spoke up.
“Completely deserved it.” Other members of the crew nodded in agreement.
“B-but I hurt him!” Leona tried to protest.
“I didn't really feel anything.” Luffy shrugged.
Leona blinked. “Ah…” Either she was weak as hell, or Luffy was just weird.
“Yo, Kin'emon!” Franky interrupted. “We should head into town already! How should we perv… uh, convert our outfits so we don't stick out?”
“Ooh, I can answer this!” Leona butted in excitedly. “Dressrosa's society is extremely segregated by class, so if we're to be taken seriously around the richer parts of the country, we either have to look like nobles or like wealthy vacationers. Think elegant dresses, business suits… oh, you may be able to pull off the vacation look too, if the outfit looks expensive enough.”
“Really? Because I heard the men tend to wear collared shirts while the women are nearly completely nude…” Kin'emon hummed, pulling out a drawing with a very Wanoan art style detailing a man in semi-formal wear and a woman wearing nothing but a leaf skirt.
Leona squinted at the drawing. “The fuck? No! Who told you that? Did you draw this? I should kick your goddamn ass.”
“Ignore him, Glasses-ya,” Law said, ripping up a piece of paper as he approached. He handed the torn piece to Nami. “Here, better take this, miss navigator.”
“A vivre card?” She asks.
“It'll take you to that place called Zou I mentioned before.”
“Oh, do you plan on heading there afterwards?" Leona inquired, having not heard this part of the plan.
“Yeah, my crew is waiting there for me.” Law nodded.
For some reason, the mention of Law's mysterious crew had excitement bubble up in Leona's chest. How many members did they have, she wondered? What did their ship look like? Were they like the Strawhats in the way they were all great friends? Or were they like a typical hierarchical pirate crew? Oooh, Leona wanted to meet them all!!
“Glasses-ya, you listening?” Law's voice suddenly snapped her from her thoughts.
“Wuh—huh? Oh, uh… sorry.” She looked down as Law unrolled what looked to be a map… if it were drawn in crayon by a child.
“What's that?” Luffy asked.
“A map one of my crew members made.”
“It's… kinda sloppy,” Nami muttered.
“Aww, it reminds me of Yoshie's drawings…” Leona cooed. “Gosh, I miss the kids so much already…”
“Focus,” Law said. He tapped an area southwest of the blob labelled “Dressrosa”. “We're here right now, on the west coast.” He moved his finger up to the crude white circle in the middle. “The palace is at the center, here.”
“Oh, you know…” Brook spoke. “Since Doflamingo is a king, wouldn't that make you the crown princess, Penumbra?”
Leona groaned and rolled her eyes. “God, please never call me Princess, I beg you. I resent being associated with a usurper's title…”
Brook (somehow) took a sip of his tea. “Understood.”
“Glasses-ya, can you point out where the factory is for me?” Law asked.
Leona knelt down, eyebrows furrowing. “Uhh, well… it's a bit difficult to tell on a map without any detail, but…” she made circles with her finger in the southwestern region. “It's here, in the city of Acacia. We're right next to it, actually.”
She then stood back up and dusted her skirt off. “Mr. Franky, sir, I gave you that slip of paper with the detailed instructions on how to get there, so please don't lose it, okay?”
“Wouldn't dream of it, sister!” Franky said, giving a thumbs up.
“My team will be responsible for handing over Caesar.” Law continued, tracing a route with his finger up to the crude rendition of a bridge to the north of the island. “We'll pass through Dressrosa until we get to the northern shore. There, we'll cross the bridge until we get to the uninhabited island of Green Bit.”
“Why do we have to go through the island to get there? Can't we just take the ship?” Usopp asked.
“If we do, your ship will be torn to shreds. That area's infested with an enormous school of fighting fish.” Leona explained.
Usopp started sweating. “What the hell is a fighting fish?”
Robin giggled. “I, for one, think it sounds like fun.”
“P-please just get me there safely…” Caesar said meekly.
Leona narrowed her eyes at him, mumbling, “God, I hope you get mauled to death by a big one…”
Usopp began pretending to look ill. “Oh no…! I-I think my can't-step-foot-on-Dressrosa-itis is acting up…!” He croaked.
“And as for the rest of you, the Sunny Security Team… be wary of enemy attacks. You may have to be our decoy.” Law informed Nami, Chopper, Brook, Sanji, and Momo.
“What's that mean!?” Nami worried.
“W-we'll be… facing combat?” Momo gulped.
“Whaaat!? B-but I thought guarding the ship would be the safest!” Brook bemoaned.
Chopper sighed. “Well, this is enemy territory… but that’s okay, since we have Sanji on our… side…”
Everyone looked up, astonished at the complete lack of Sanji and Luffy's entire team.
“W-where'd Sanji go!?” Chopper cried.
“Where'd everyone go!?” Nami asked.
“Dammit, Strawhat-ya!” Law groaned loudly. “You were the key to this whole thing!!”
“I-I could use my Haki to search for them…” Leona offered. “They couldn't've gone far…”
Law pinched his nose, grumbling, “No, it's fine… but since that samurai was with them, we have no choice but to make our own disguises now. What a pain in my ass…”
“Ooh!” Nami gasped. “Now this is more my speed! Come on, Penumbra!”
“Huh?” Leona gasped as Nami grabbed her arm and started dragging her to the ship. “W-wait!!”
***
“Now let's see here…” Nami said with wiggling fingers when she—with Leona's permission—opened up Leona's suitcase of clothes.
The blonde awkwardly rubbed her arm as Nami and Robin rifled through her stuff, oohing and ahhing at certain articles of clothing.
“Oh my god, these strawberry-patterned pajama pants are sooo cute!” Nami cooed. “Where'd you get these?”
“Um… here,” Leona said. “Most of my stuff is from Dressrosa…”
“Robin, we have to go on a spree when this is over.” She looked back at Leona. “You have no choice but to come with us, by the way.” She decided, putting the pants aside.
Leona blinked. “Uh… o-okay! I guess???”
“Oh, how about this one?” Robin asks, holding up a strapless, half-black, half-purple party dress with a satin fabric belt. “It definitely gives off a high-class feel, I think.”
“Oh my god, yes!” Nami squealed. “Penumbra, what do you think?”
“W-well, if you think so…” Leona shrugged. “But it's gonna take more than just a dress for a good disguise…”
Nami hummed, thinking. “Let me see what I have…”
The redhead started rifling through her closet, throwing out potential items she felt would match. “Hey, Penumbra, what's your shoe size?”
“8.5, why?”
“Get out, so is mine! That makes this perfect, then!” She came back with a pair of strappy black pumps and a black, wide-brimmed hat decorated with a red rose. “Okay, now put these on!”
“I found some pantyhose and leather gloves that would do nicely,” Robin said.
“Oh, yes! Add them! Add them!” Then Nami gasped. “Ooh! And for the final touch…”
The redhead went over to their vanity, opened a drawer and pulled something out. “A cute leather choker!” She said, holding it up.
“Gosh, you two love playing dress up, don't you?” Leona asked, chuckling as she stripped off her long blue dress and hair ribbon.
“Don't you?” Nami asked, searching through her closet again.
Leona shimmied into the bodycon dress. “Well, I am a spy… costume changes are a big part of the job.”
“Aw, c’mon! Look at all those fancy dresses in your suitcase! You cannot tell me you don't like to doll yourself up.” Nami teased.
Leona snorted, zipping herself up and slipping on the gloves. “Alright, alright. There's a little truth there.”
There was a beat of silence, and then Robin spoke up from where she was changing. “So, a little birdie told us you and Law shared a romantic chat last night.”
Leona's head snapped towards her. “Who's this birdie, and where are they so I can drown them for lying?”
“Brook.” Both women answered.
Leona sighed, slipping the shoes on and fastening them. “Of course…”
“Soooo?” Nami prodded. “If it wasn't romantic, then what was it?”
Leona's face erupted into hues of red. “I-it was just catching up, I swear! Talking about the past and stuff! I just… wanted to make amends…”
“Did you get lost in his eyes?” Nami asked.
“Wh—Nami!” Leona whined, hiding her burning face in her hands. “No! I– ugh… look, just because I think he's kinda hot doesn't mean I'm… into him or anything. Besides, he doesn't like me like that, anyway!” She looked away sadly. “I-I'm… not even sure if he likes me at all… he just tolerates me at most, I’m sure…”
Nami and Robin gave each other a concerned look, then Nami crouched down to Leona's level. “Hey, I didn't mean to make you feel bad… I was just trying to tease you a bit. All in good fun, I promise. I'm really sorry, Penumbra…”
She held out her hand for her to take. “Could I do your hair before you set out?”
The blonde looked up at her, then took her hand and smiled. “Okay.”
Moments later, Leona's disguise was finished, complete with her wild hair tamed into a half-up lace braid.
“Ahh! Sooo cute!!!” Nami squealed. “I wish we were going out on the town instead of this dangerous ass mission we're on… It isn't fair!!”
“Well, hopefully, if all goes well… I'll take you guys. My treat.” Leona said, offering a shy smile.
“Well, aren't you sweet?” Robin giggled.
“I'm holding you to that,” Nami said.
When Leona and Robin finally exited the girls' quarters, they were met with Law and Usopp standing on the deck, clearly bored from waiting.
“Finally!!” Usopp groaned upon seeing them. “What took you so long!?”
“There you are. You sure took your sweet ass time.” Law huffed.
Leona snorted upon seeing Law's disguise, which consisted of an open, long black hooded jacket, spotted skinny jeans, sunglasses, and the silliest fake moustache she thinks she's ever seen. “S-sorry!” she tried to stifle her giggles.
Law gave her a once-over. “Your disguise is alright, but you'll need to swap the glasses out for shades. You're the most likely of us to get recognized since you've been living in Dressrosa for the past decade, and…”
Leona didn't mean to start tuning Law out, but her attention was drawn to his bare torso that was on display, more specifically, the huge tattoo covering his chest that she didn't know he had. She had seen the tattoos on his hands and didn't question them, but now she was curious as to whether more of his body was inked up, as well.
Suddenly, some fingers snapped in her face. “Quit spacing out, Glasses-ya! This is serious! Did you hear a word I said?”
Leona blinked. “Oh! Um… s-sorry… C-could you repeat that…?”
Nami and Robin looked at each other.
“She's absolutely into him,” Nami whispered.
“Undoubtedly,” Robin whispered back.
***
The trek all the way from Acacia to the bridge went surprisingly well, all things considered. Leona did her best to lead the group in the quickest way north and avoided as much trouble as possible, as she had mapped out the entire island in her mind during her time living there.
As expected, though, the sight of the living toys shocked everyone but her. When asked about their nature, she regretfully had to hold her tongue, knowing that it could compromise them. She had never liked the toys. The truth of their origins made her sick with guilt.
Now, they sat outside a small northeastern cafe next to the bridge to rest a little.
“How are the shades coming along, Glasses-ya?” Law asked.
Leona was checking her handiwork, using moonglass to fill the cheap frames she swiped from a random kiosk on the way there with ones matching her prescription.
“Moment of truth…” she said, removing her normal round glasses and slipping on the diy moonglass sunglasses she had just made.
She blinked, looking around at her now blue-tinted surroundings. “I can count the leaves on the trees, and I can read that far-away sign from here… so I believe that means… success!”
“They look adorable,” Robin said.
“Thank you,” Leona smiled.
“Good afternoon, friends.” Said a waiter who had just approached their table. “What can I get for you?”
“I'll have a hibiscus tea, please,” Robin said.
“Make that two.” Said Law.
“Café con leche, please,” Leona said.
“None for me,” Caesar said.
“Uh…” Usopp muttered. “Do you have cola?”
“Yes, sir.” The waiter nodded.
“Yeah, one of those, thanks.”
There was a stretch of silence between the five as they waited, and to Leona, every second felt nerve-wracking. The entire trip here, she'd been looking over her shoulder, not for Doflamingo, but for someone else. Her leg bounced, growing more and more restless.
She cleared her throat. “Um… I have to do a scan of the island real quick, if that's alright… something's been bothering me.”
“By all means,” Law said. “Hurry it up, though.”
Leona nodded. “Of course.”
She folded her hands on the table, taking deep, slow breaths as her Haki activated. In waves, she detected the wavelengths of each person and animal's emotions, steadily growing larger and larger. Happy children, excited spectators, passionate lovers… angered women, fearful men, the seething hatred of the toys… but none quite matching the presence she knew, until she had finally sensed her fiery passion all the way in the city of Primula to the northwest, specifically at Lovers Lane, engaged in one of her usual street performances: Violet, A Donquixote pirate assassin.
“Oh, thank goodness…” Leona sighed with relief as she returned to the present.
“What is it? Something we should be concerned about?” Law asks, which makes Leona blush in embarrassment at the fact that she did that out loud.
“Oh! Um… i-in a way, I suppose?” Leona shrugged. “I was looking for a specific assassin, but i-it's— it's fine, it's fine. She's performing in the next city over.”
“An assassin!?” Usopp worried. “I-is she looking for us right now, do you think?”
“I… I-I don't know for sure, but… I want to avoid her as much as possible…” She said, nervously shrinking. “But for more of a, um… personal reason…”
Thankfully, the waiter saved her any more explanation by returning with their drinks. Leona straightened up, presenting herself with a practiced air of nobility.
“Thank you, sir.” She said as he placed her coffee in front of her. “Oh, I hate to be a bother while you're working, dear shopkeep, but I'm awfully curious about that little island on the other side of that bridge, there… do you know much about it?”
“Oh, that?” He asks, looking in its direction. “That's Green Bit. I wouldn't recommend goin’ there though. Why? You guys uhhh… explorers or scholars or somethin'?”
“Uh… a little of both?” Usopp shrugged.
“Yes dear, we're esteemed historians, you see.” Leona followed along. “And I happen to be a bit of a thrill-seeker, as well…” she tilted her glasses down and winked.
The waiter laughed. “Oh yeah? I'm sorry to tell ya, ma'am, but that bridge goes way beyond a thrill, if you ask me. It's way too dangerous.”
“The bridge looks quite strong, though… what's so dangerous?” Robin asked.
“Oh, don't let the look of that solid-iron bridge fool you,” the man warned. “See how everyone's avoiding it? That's ‘cause of the school of fighting fish surrounding the area. They say that in the last two hundred years, no one who's dared to cross that bridge ever came back, even with the safeguards.”
“Heavens!” Leona gasped. “Fighting fish, you say? Aren't those the beastly fish they use in the colosseum?”
“With the big horns and teeth, yeah!” he said, pantomiming the horns. “Those colosseum ones are specially bred, though. They're itty-bitty compared to the wild ones there. They have to be, otherwise they wouldn't fit in their tanks.”
“I've heard rumors that they can chew through solid iron… that isn't true, is it, sir?”
“That's no rumor, ma'am.” The man shook his head. “That's just a cold, hard truth. Why do you think anyone who's ever crossed the bridge went missing?”
“W-wait a minute! They're fish!” Usopp interjected. “What, do they just… fly out of the water and tear through the gate!?”
“Probably! I ain't brave enough to find out, though… if you're determined to get there, I won't stop you… but don't say I didn't warn ya.”
“Well, I do say your information is much appreciated, my dear man,” Leona said, reaching into her wallet and handing a sizable wad of bills to him. “A tip for a tip, so to speak.” She winked again.
“Holy crap!” He gaped, hesitating to take the money. “A-are you sure, ma'am!?”
“Oh, darling, it's merely a trifle! Go get you and the missus something nice.” Leona crooned.
“I… uh… a-alright! Thanks, lady! Hope you find what you're lookin' for!” The man thanked profusely, going back into his store.
“...the hell was that?” Caesar hissed at her.
“What?”
“I'm not complaining, since we got good intel, but… Couldn't you have just told us all of that yourself?” Usopp asked, finishing off his drink.
Leona sipped her own drink, speaking in a more hushed tone. “Usopp, that was me playing a character to covertly give intel in case someone was listening. I'm trying not to get caught here. Keep up, please.”
Law gave a small, amused huff, and for a split second, Leona swore he was smirking under his moustache.
She sipped her drink again. “Still, Law… why Green Bit of all places? You could've picked a much safer remote location, like Flower Hill, or the ruins of Carta, for instance…”
“Yeah, no kidding!!” Caesar hissed. “Why not those places!?”
Law sipped his tea. “...Live with it. We're already here, so there's no point in complaining.”
He then turned to the scenery. “Anyway, don't you think the people here are way too calm? You'd think there'd be chaos if their king stepped down…”
Suddenly, Robin pulled down her hat and tried making herself look smaller.
“What's up?” Usopp whispered.
Robin shushed him, covertly glancing over.
When Leona caught sight of who she was hiding from, she gasped.
Three people were wearing long white coats, hiding their faces with gaudy masks. In other words…
“CP0…” Law muttered.
“C-CP0?? L-like… like CP9…? Oh, please tell me they aren't that tough…!” Usopp trembled.
“They're worse,” Robin said.
“I wonder if they're here to investigate the resignation thing…” Leona whispered. “Either way… them being here is not a good sign.”
“...I can't disagree there,” Law muttered, checking his watch. “Ah, shit, we have forty-five minutes until three PM. We have to get moving.”
The group scrambled to finish their drinks, and Leona slapped down the payment on the table, shouting. “Thank you for the beverages, sir!” as she picked up her armour suitcase, and they all left.
Now they walked along the bridge to Green Bit. Usopp and Leona had their slingshot and bow at the ready.
Usopp gulped. “So… how do you tell if one of those fighting fish sees you…?”
“You don't. Leona put simply. “That's what makes this bridge so dangerous. They prey on your false sense of security.”
“Shurororororo… well, the iron bars should protect us, shouldn't they?” Caesar asks.
“I wouldn't count on it…” Leona muttered.
Suddenly, she gasped, feeling a tingle alerting her to a fast-moving presence from below. She stopped and manifested an arrow.
Law seemed to feel it too. “One's approaching…”
Leona watched the left side, and Law watched the right, trying to sense the fish's plan of attack. There was a giant, dark shadow under the water for a moment… and then…
SSSPLASHH!!
The gargantuan fish leapt from the water with the force of a high-powered cannon, flying over the bridge and back into the water.
“It saw us.” Law said.
“We need to run!” Leona cried. “They hunt in schools!!”
“Wait, WHAT!?” Usopp screamed. “B-b-but we just—!”
“NOW!!”
The group bolted, not arguing with her.
“Why can't you and Nose-ya just shoot them to death!?” Law panted.
“Are you crazy!?” She snapped back at him. “Our weapons would only temporarily stun them at most! It'd take massive harpoons to do any significant damage!!”
There was an immense crash from mere inches away as one fighting fish rammed itself headfirst into the bars, warping them as if they were made of tinfoil.
Leona pointed behind her. “SEE!? do you think just a few arrows could slay THAT THING!?”
“Incoming!!” Usopp gasped. Up above, there were two of them that leaped out of the water, about to descend upon them from the front.
Robin was quick on the draw, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “MIL FLEUR! GIGANTASCO MANO!!”
Thousands of arms sprouted from the bridge, fusing into one giant arm. She then swiped one arm in the air like she was slapping someone, bellowing “SPANK!!”, making the hand smack the fish back into the sea.
Leona fired multiple shots, three arrows at a time, at the other one, managing to skewer an eye, but not much else. “Shit! Someone cover me!!”
“SKULL BOMBGRASS!” Usopp shouted, firing a pop green into its mouth, which burst into a skull-shaped mushroom cloud explosion, making it fall back into the sea, too.
“Thanks, you two! Amazing work!!” Leona praised. “But we can't fight them all, so keep running!!”
“Believe me, I wasn't planning on fighting anyway!!” Usopp cried.
“Nose-ya!” Law called over his shoulder, suddenly getting an idea. “Unlock Caesar's cuffs! I want him to help get those fish off our backs!”
“YOU'RE INSANE!!” Usopp yelled. “He's just gonna fly away and leave us for dead!!”
“Then he'd better reconsider…” Law said, pulling out a beating object contained in a clear, rubbery cube from his jacket pocket.
Caesar cried out. “Ahh! You bastard!! When did you take out my heart!?”
Leona swooned playfully. “Oh, how I love a man who's well prepared!”
Usopp took the cuffs off, and Caesar skidded to a stop, facing the oncoming fish. “You’ll all burn in HELL for this!! GASTILLE!!”
On his command, Caesar fired fucking high-powered lasers from his mouth at the fighting fish.
“What the fuck!?” Leona gaped. “I didn't know he could do that…”
“Don't get distracted, keep up the pace!” Law yelled.
“Hey, why the hell aren't you fighting too, Law!?” Usopp griped. “You can jump in whenever!!”
“I can't! My power saps away at my stamina bit by bit, and I need to be at full strength on the way back!! If my energy is the least bit depleted, we're screwed, understand!?” Law explained. “This is Doflamingo we're talking about!!”
“Ugh, fine then!! But what about Penumbra!?” Caesar shrieked. “Surely she could do MORE?!”
“I'm in the same boat, I'm afraid!” Leona panted. “I-I’m truly sorry!!”
Unfortunately, there was a sight up ahead that had to make everyone skid to a stop. Right in front of them, there was a gap in the bridge, far too wide to even consider jumping over. To make matters worse, the other side was even shrouded in thick fog.
“Ohh, just perfect!!” Usopp sobbed. “The bridge is out! What now!?”
“How much energy would it take to teleport us over, Law?” Leona asked, frantically scanning for more fighting fish.
“I can't tell, the fog is too thick,” Law said.
“W-well, we need to think of something fast!! There's another one about to jump!!” the blonde cried as the fish broke the water's surface.
Law grit his teeth and raised his hand to summon a Room, cursing the fact that he needed to use it now. But before he could utter the word, the fish reacted like it was in severe pain mid-jump, and something like a net flew over it, making it fall into the water, dead.
The four of them stood mouth agape, trying to process what had just happened, until little squeaky voices shouted from the other side.
“We caught one! We caught one!”
“Hurry and reel it in!”
“Today's the day! Let's fuel up with some fighting fish stew!!”
“Hooray!!!”
“Whose voices are those…?” Robin wondered.
“Th-that'd be the Tontatta tribe…” Leona explained. “They're native to Green Bit, you see.”
“But Traffy said it was uninhabited…” Usopp said.
“Well, he was wrong,” Leona said, taking a deep breath. “EXCUSE ME!! IS THERE ANY WAY YOU COULD PLEASE HELP US CROSS THIS GAP!?” She shouted.
“Eep! I heard a human!!”
“We gotta get outta here! Hurry!!’
And just like that, the slain fighting fish was dragged off into the fog.
“...Shit.” Leona huffed.
“What now?” Robin asked.
“OH, WELL YOU'RE WELCOME, BY THE WAY!!” Caesar shrieked as he returned to the group. “NO NEED TO THANK ME FOR SAVING YOUR UNGRATEFUL LIVES ALL BY MYSELF!!”
“...Hey, Law?” Leona asked, not turning around.
“Hm?”
“May I squeeze his heart just once? Just a tiny bit?”
“No.”
Leona pouted. “Hmph…”
Law looked over his shoulder and pointed. “Caesar. Fly us to the island.”
“WHAT!? AS IF, YOU LITTLE—!”
“You know what, Glasses-ya? I changed my mind. You get one squeeze.” Law said, pulling the heart out again.
Leona squealed, excitedly clapping like a child on her birthday.
“WAITWAITWAITWAIT, HANG ON NOW—!”
***
“Law, you rat bastard!!” Caesar cried, carrying all four of his kidnappers in the air like a hot air balloon. "You'll pay for this... you'll ALL pay for this!!!"
“Quit complaining!” Usopp rolled his eyes. “I mean, look at this beautiful view!”
“It makes me wonder why we didn't just do this from the start.” Robin mused.
“Hey, you're right! We totally should've!” Usopp nodded.
“ARE YOU KIDDING!? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH GAS ENERGY IT TAKES FOR ME TO FLOAT FOUR PEOPLE ALL THAT WAY!? I THOUGHT HOSTAGES WERE SUPPOSED TO BE TREATED HUMANELY!!!”
“Says you.” Leona huffed. “Shut up and fly us over, flight-bitch.”
After all of that arduous nonsense, the group had finally, FINALLY landed on Green Bit.
Leona adjusted her glasses, scanning around for threats. “Huh… I can understand why people would think this place is uninhabited, now. It feels like a graveyard…”
“Doesn't seem like anyone's here,” Robin observed, also scanning. “But I do see lots of shipwrecks from those fighting fish… perhaps you aren't too far off, Penumbra.”
Usopp gulped, peering up at the colossal plant life. “Gotta say… the landscaping leaves a lot to be desired…”
“Well, the Tontatta are nothing if not proud nature-dwellers…” Leona shrugged.
Suddenly, Caesar began shrieking again. “HEEY!! JOKER!! I'M OVER HERE!! COME AND GET ME!!’
Law pointed the hilt of his sword at him. “Save your breath.” Then he pointed it over to the far-right distance. “See that beach on the southeastern side? That's where we're leaving you at three PM. He'll be here shortly.”
Then, Usopp started yelling. “G-g-guys!! Look on this side!”
Everyone turned to see the stern of what looked to be a Naval battleship sticking out of the sand.
“How the hell does that happen?” Leona wondered aloud.
Robin reached into her bag, pulling out a set of binoculars. “Hmm…” she hummed, looking through them. “The damage to those plants is still fresh… it appears that this ship just got here.”
“So that means there are Marines here with us too…” Leona hummed. “Injured at the very least, but still…”
“WHAT!? DO THEY KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE!?” Caesar cried way too loudly. “THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING!”
“Well now they do!” Leona scolded him. “Learn to be a good little hostage and keep your fucking mouth shut!”
“I've had about up to here with your mouth, Penumbra!” He hissed. “If it weren't for these chains, you'd have been dead ages ago!”
“Yeah, dick? Keep in mind that if it were up to me, and not for the circumstances, you'd be fighting fish shit by now!” Leona spat, jabbing him in the stomach with her finger. “It's a good thing that Doflamingo resigned from the Warlords, because that means there's a chance that the Marines here will get to you before he does!”
“Nnrggh! LAW!!” Caesar demanded. “We cannot do this transaction here! Abort this mission at once!!”
“The Marines are my enemy too, you know. What do I have to gain by having the Strawhats and Penumbra-ya with me?” Law told him.
“D-did you set me up!?” Caesar cried.
Law ignored him, turning to the rest of the group. “Listen, we have about fifteen minutes until three o’clock. I need you three to hide out somewhere and cover for me. Be on guard for Marines skulking about in the forest, and let me know if you find anything as soon as you find it, got it?”
Robin and Usopp nodded, but Leona hesitated. “W-wait, Law… you're not seriously thinking about facing Doflamingo outright like this, are you?”
“I won't be alone,” Law stated. “You'll be covering for me.”
“N-no, I mean…” Leona sighed. “Like… taking the brunt of it, if he decides to get violent? I-I just…” she groaned, not knowing how to articulate herself better. “Can you see why I'm antsy, Law?”
“Glasses-ya,” he started. “If I didn't believe I could handle it, I wouldn't have gotten this far. Don't back out on me now.”
Tears pricked at Leona's eyes, and she turned towards the forest with a heavy sigh.
“Alright…” she said, peeking over her shoulder one more time. “I trust you… But please be careful, okay? I don't… I don't think I could handle losing you all over again…”
After word of Doflamingo's resignation spreads through the world, Law contacts him directly to discuss what to do with Caesar...
CW: This slow burn fic delves into some distressing topics such as drug addiction, violence, gore, and dark themes. Please check AO3 for all tags.
Specific CW: emetephobia and emotional abuse
Character reference || Masterlist
Previous || Next
“Vice Admiral Tsuru!! Vice Admiral Tsuru, ma'am!” A naval lieutenant cried as he raced down the hallway, barely missing other officers in his way.
“Hey! Slow the hell down, Lenny boy! You nearly made me spill my coffee!” An older commander yelled as he ran past.
“I'm sorry, sir! I-it's urgent!” Len apologized. “Vice Admiral, ma'am!!”
Len burst through a pair of ornate double doors sporting Vice Admiral Tsuru's name on the doorplates. “Vice Admir—!”
“Calm down, Len, my dear.” The elderly woman sighed. “I could hear your shouting all the way through the building. Now, what's the issue?”
Len panted with his hands on his knees. He raised one that clutched an opened envelope. “A… a letter… haah… f-for you…”
Tsuru got up, making her way to her subordinate. “Breathe, boy, breathe. What is this?”
Her aged hands took the paper from him, unfolding it. “I swear, this better be worth the fuss you're… making…”
Tsuru's eyes widened the farther she read. It was a letter detailing not a request, but a full-blown, sudden resignation from the Seven Warlords, signed by none other than Donquixote Doflamingo.
“When did this get here, Len?” Tsuru asked.
“Just now, ma'am.” He said, fixing his ponytail and cap. “It was delivered to the Fleet Admiral first via Albatross Post. He's preparing for an emergency meeting now regarding the status of the Seven Warlords, but he requested I deliver you this letter before then.”
“I see…” Tsuru muttered, rereading the letter while she paced her office. “Doflamingo is plotting something; he has to be. There's no way he'd just up and quit his position as warlord without an ulterior motive. The question is what?”
“It seems completely out of character for him… but then again, he has a history of being unpredictable. It's just so strange because I can't conceive of a single outcome that isn't a net loss for him in one way or another! I’m stumped, ma'am…”
Suddenly, there was a voice over the intercom. “All personnel report to the conference room for an emergency meeting. I repeat: all personnel report to the conference room for an emergency meeting.”
Tsuru sighed. “Len, my dear, could I request you to contact Big News Morgans regarding this matter? And once you're finished, please join us in the conference room.”
Len saluted. “Aye aye, Vice Admiral Tsuru, ma'am!"
Tsuru smiled. “That's my boy,” she said as she left her office.
Len adjusted his glasses and got to dialling Morgans’ private line.
***
“GOOOOD MOOOORNIIING!!!!” Brook belted, holding a fresh newspaper and shredding a solo on his fish-shaped electric guitar. “Rise and shine for the morning neeewwwsss!”
One by one, everyone awoke from their sleep and freshened up before meeting together on the deck in a circle.
“Ooh…” Leona whispered with wiggling fingers as Luffy unrolled the paper. “Untampered with news… How exciting! Let's see…”
Upon reading the front page headline, Leona could swear her heart stopped for a moment.
“Donquixote Doflamingo withdraws from the Seven Warlords… and abdicates the throne of Dressrosa? What the hell?” Sanji read aloud.
“The throne? He was a king?” Brook asked.
“More of a usurper, really…” Leona mumbled.
“Seriously? Who would that guy rule over?” Luffy wondered. “A kingdom of birds?
“This seems too good to be true…” Leona worried. “I can understand him giving up his warlord position, but the throne, too…? Goodness…”
Law smirked. “Nah, it's a good thing. I mean, since he didn't have a choice in the matter, after all…”
“Huh… oh, hey! Traffy, you and I are here too!” Luffy pointed out on the next page.
Everyone leaned in, and Leona read the article. “Trafalgar Law of the Seven Warlords forms an alliance with the Strawhat Pirates… it remains unseen how the government will choose to punish Trafalgar?”
“Oh dear…” Brook muttered.
“Look, there's more! Nami said, flipping the page. “The Kidd Pirates, On Air Pirates, and the Hawkins Pirates have also allied! This is huge!”
“Why are all these crews deciding to group up too?” Leona wondered, feeling anxiety pool in her stomach. “I have a terrible feeling about this…”
“Forget about them,” Law said, getting up and walking over to Caesar. “They have nothing to do with us, so let's focus on our original plan for now.”
Law grabbed Caesar by his hair, thrusting his head forward to make his point. “Now you know how important yesterday's negotiation was for him. All we did was kidnap Caesar, remember? And yet he gave up not only the throne he's been sitting on for the past ten years, but also the carte blanche the government gave him when he became a warlord practically overnight.”
Law threw Caesar back to the floor and began walking off. “If he did all of that just to get Caesar back… well, that should tell you everything.”
“Where are you going?” Luffy asks.
“Just fetching your snail, I'll be right back," Law said, disappearing into the galley.
Leona gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. “Oh god, Law, please don't tell me…”
When Law returned with the Strawhat's snail, he gently put it down on the foremast bench and began dialling. Leona paced around anxiously, hands not leaving her face.
“Alright… let's see if he picks up,” Law says, pressing the call button.
Purupurupurupuru… purupurupurupuru…
Leona did her best to breathe, praying she didn't vomit when she heard his voice on the other end. Her stomach was already doing flips from the anticipation.
Purupurupurupuru… purupurupur—Gacha.
“It's me. I've resigned. Happy now?”
Leona had to face away from the snail and squeeze her eyes shut at the sound of his voice. She didn't dare remove her shaking hands from her mouth in fear of even the smallest sound coming out.
“HE PICKED UP!!” Usopp yelped.
“Is that him!?” Luffy gasped.
Leona bristled, trying to communicate “quiet!” By putting a finger over the hand covering her lips.
Usopp seemed to share this sentiment, trying desperately to shush him. “Just leave this to Law! Don't let him hear you!!” He hissed.
But of course, in true Luffy fashion, he stormed right up to Law, swiped the receiver from his hand and yelled, “Hello!? This is Monkey D. Luffy, future pirate king speaking!!”
It took all of Leona's strength not to scream.
Usopp punched him in the back of the head and began trying to wrestle him from the receiver. “Dammit, Luffy! You do this every damn time!!”
“Hey!! Mingo!! Are you Caesar's boss!? ‘Cause that guy really sucks ass, you know! Sucks ass!!! He did bad stuff to Brownbeard, Pepperoni, and a bunch of little kids!!! We'll give him back since that's what we promised, but if he does it again, we're kicking his ass twice, and then I'm gonna beat the hell outta you!!”
Leona dropped to her hands and knees in utter shock and dismay, feeling like the wind was knocked out of her lungs. What the FUCK is wrong with this kid!? While it's probably a good thing Luffy apparently still forgot her name, that's not much of a comfort considering ALL OF THE THREATS HE JUST MADE???
“...Strawhat Luffy.” Doflamingo finally spoke. “I have a question for you… After your dear brother Ace died two years ago… you and your crew suddenly disappeared. Just what were you up to?”
“That's a secret! I'm not telling!!” Luffy yelled.
Doflamingo chuckled. “A shame… I've been quite eager to see you. See, I have something that you'd want VERY badly. That I am quite certain.”
“Something I'd want… very badly…?” Luffy repeated.
But it was too late. Luffy began to drool as his imagination ran wild. “I-is it meat? Is it some kind of super amazing tasting meat I've never had before!?”
Leona couldn't take it anymore. This kid was going to be the literal fucking death of her one way or another. She silently curled up in a ball, nearly ripping chunks of hair from her head.
“Cut it out!! He's toying with you, idiot!!’ Law yelled at him, but Luffy was just too deep in his apparent fantasies involving food.
While Usopp tried to shake Luffy out of it (to no avail), Law took the receiver back. “Cut the shit, Joker! We're handing over Caesar as the deal entailed. No more, no less.”
“Well, that's for your own good as much as mine,” Doflamingo replied. “We both know what will happen if you try to run away with him. It won't be a happy ending, I assure you… Now, I have a couple of requests while we're still here. First, I'd like to talk to my business partner for a moment, if you wouldn't mind. I want to confirm he's nice and safe.”
Law rolled his eyes, holding the receiver out in Caesar's direction.
“OHH JOKER, I'M SO VERY SORRY!!” Caesar blubbered, scooting closer. “You resigned from the Warlords all because of me!! How selfless of y—!”
He attempted to grab the receiver from Law, but Law yanked it back. “He's fine, see?”
“Yes, yes, energetic as always.”
“Eight hours from now, on the beach on the southeast side of Green Bit, north of Dressrosa. We'll leave Caesar there at three in the afternoon. Pick him up, and we're done here.” Law instructed.
Doflamingo chuckled darkly. “What's the rush? Why not share a drink and catch up afterwards?”
“Hang up already!!” Luffy yelled, but Doflamingo quickly interjected. “HOLD IT!”
Law groaned. “For fuck's sake… what?!”
“I did say I have two requests, did I not?”
“Hurry up, then. I don't have all day.”
“Would you mind letting me speak with my dear daughter now? I miss her terribly, you see.”
Despite her best efforts not to, Leona let out a fearful squeak behind her hands.
Doflamingo chuckled. “Theeeere she is… come now, Penumbra, don't be shy.”
Leona broke into a cold sweat, wide, terrified eyes staring at the receiver like it was a gun pointed at her head.
“D-d-did he say… daughter!?” Usopp cried.
Leona's eyes flitted up to Law, who stared back at her with uncertainty. She was clearly terrified out of her mind. It didn't feel right for him to just let this happen…
“Tick tock, Penumbra dear… Don't keep dear old dad waiting.”
Leona swallowed, getting up on her shaky legs and reaching for the receiver with her equally shaky hands. She took another glance up at Law, then took it. “...H…H-h-hello…?”
“Ahh, my sweet girl!” Doflamingo cooed. “I'm so happy to know you're alright! You hadn't called in months, I was worried sick!”
“I-I was… um… a-a-a bit… tied up…” Leona said quietly with her trembling hand clutching her skirt.
“Ah, yes, yes, I heard from Monet… Poor thing, locked away down there for so long… You must've been so lonely.”
Leona didn't know how to respond, so she just nodded her head with an “Mmhm…”
“Speaking of Monet,” Doflamingo continued. “Did you hear the sad news? She's dead.”
Leona's eyebrows raised. “Monet… died…?”
“Tragic, isn't it?” He sighed. “I had her on the line the whole time, so thankfully she wasn't alone when she passed. Baby 5 and Buffalo also went over to Punk Hazard, but fortunately, they didn’t suffer the same fate. We took her home and gave her a proper burial. At the very least, I can take solace in knowing you're also unharmed...”
“Are you done ye—” Law tried to say, but Leona raised her palm for him to stop almost mechanically, which surprised him a bit.
“...But I have to say, dear daughter…” Doflamingo continued. “As much as I'm relieved… I'm also greatly disappointed that you weren't also there with Baby 5 and Buffalo. No, instead, you decided to run away with Law on Strawhat's ship, away from your responsibilities. Away from your family.”
Leona's heart raced. “I-I-I… I-I'm…”
“You're what? Sorry? Ahh, Penumbra, Penumbra, Penumbra… always with the sorry's. How many times have I told you now that sorry loses its meaning after a while? Do you honestly think sorry is anywhere near good enough after what you've just done to me?”
Leona choked, tears welling in her eyes. “J-Joker, please, I—”
“Please, nothing, Penumbra. You and I both know your memory is much too strong for you to forget my three very basic rules I drilled into you at an early age.”
Leona's breath hitched, and the Strawhats all looked at each other uncomfortably, worried if they should step in or not. Law grit his teeth and reached for the receiver, but Leona, again, stopped him.
“W-wait, please, just…” she hiccuped. “J-j-just wait a moment…”
“Hmm, but perhaps I'm the one who's forgotten. After all, I'm not the one with the steel trap mind, am I? Do refresh my memory, won't you, my dear? What was number one?”
Leona whimpered. “O-o-one… th-th-the young m-master is… never to be defied… or questioned…”
“Good… two?”
Leona felt her gut begin to stir, and she clutched her sweaty palm to her stomach. “Um… b-b-betrayers of the young m-m-master… and d-deserters get no…” she swallowed. “...Second chances…”
“Good girl… and now, three.”
Leona gagged, panting. “D-desertion… and… ngh… betrayal will be… punished by e-e-ex… hrrgk!”
“Glasses-ya, give me that! You're letting him get in your head! Hang up now!” Law demanded, reaching for the receiver.
“E-execution!” Leona managed to finish with a gasp, dropping it and scrambling over to the side of the ship to vomit.
“...See you this afternoon, dear daughter.” Were his final words before Law slammed the receiver back on the snail.
“Penumbra!” Several crew members (except Luffy, who said Pepperoni, as usual) shouted as Leona emptied her stomach into the sea. Nami, Robin, and Chopper rushed to her aid.
Robin held back her hair, Nami rubbed her back and offered support, and Chopper was preparing to take her to the med bay when she was done.
Eventually, the vomiting devolved into dry heaving and coughing, and Leona crumpled onto the deck in a sobbing heap.
“Penumbra, can you walk? Do you need—” Chopper tried to ask, but Leona's cries cut him off.
“I-I-I'm sorry! I'm s-so… so sorry…! I've been bad!” she hyperventilated for a moment. “I-I'm a bad g-girl… I-I don't wanna b-be bad…! I'm sorry! F-forgive me, please!!”
Leona was utterly inconsolable, like she had regressed into a terrified, abused child.
Chopper swelled up to a huge, muscular version of himself and effortlessly picked her up. “I'll take her to the med bay. Fill me in on the plan later!”
Once inside, Chopper laid Leona down on the cot, grabbed a vomit bucket and a sports drink from a minifridge. He then shrank down to his usual tiny self, knowing his bigger size could be a potential trigger.
“Okay… okay, Penumbra…” he whispered. “You're alright. Doflamingo isn't here. It's just you and me, okay? Penumbra and Chopper. No one else.”
Leona sobbed, curling into the fetal position and hugging herself. “I'm sorry… I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry… god, I'm s-s-so s-sorry…”
“You're okay, Penumbra.” He reassured her. “You don't have to be sorry. No one is mad at you, and no one is gonna hurt you. You're safe here. May I touch your hands?”
Leona's puffy eyes glanced at him, and she slowly reached her shaking hand over. He took it in his little hooves and rubbed gentle circles on the back of it. “That's it. Very good… Would you like to try square breathing with me?”
Leona sniffled, nodding her head with a whimper. “Mhm…”
“Okay. Follow along with me. Breathe in nice and slow for one… two… three… four…” He said as he filled his lungs up. Leona mirrored him.
“Very good, now hold for one… two… three… four… and breathe out slowly for one… two… three… four… and hold again…”
The two breathed in sync for a while until Leona's heart rate and breathing slowed to a normal pace.
“You did great.” Chopper said, patting her hand. “How's your stomach? Do you still feel nauseated?”
Leona shook her head. “N-no… I'm… I should be good…”
“Okay. Here, I have a sports drink.” He said, offering her a bottle. “It's cherry. I did have orange and kiwi ones too, but I think Zoro or Luffy might have drunk them all.”
“Thanks…” Leona sat up, unscrewed the cap and took a few gulps of the sweet liquid.
“...Um, I have a question…” Chopper began, but Leona stopped him.
“I… don't really wanna talk about it right now.”
“O-ok, that's fine! It wasn't about that anyway.”
“Oh, sorry,” Leona muttered, screwing the bottle closed.
“You're okay! Um, I've been a bit concerned since we've met, but are you taking any vitamin supplements?”
“Huh? Um… no.” Leona shook her head.
Chopper nodded. “I see… I'm worried you may be quite deficient in Vitamin D. You spent a lot of time indoors on an island that didn't see much sun to begin with, after all.”
Leona sighed. “Yeah, that sounds about right…”
The little furball scooted off the cot, jumping up into his desk chair. “I'll whip you up some supplements and ask Sanji to cook you up some Vitamin D-rich meals. Hopefully that'll help with the joint pain you’ve been complaining about.”
“Oh, um…” she bit her lip. “That's…”
Before she could say any more, though, there was a knock at the door. “Chopper? It's Sanji. Can I come in?”
Chopper turned to Leona. “Is that okay?”
“Go ahead,” she nodded.
“Come in!”
Sanji entered the room carrying a platter of food and beverages.
“Oh, Penumbra, my sweet moonflower, are you alright? Do you think you can hold down solid food? Or are you still throwing up?” He asked, kneeling at her side with the most worried sick expression she thinks she's ever seen on a man.
“I'm okay, Sanji.” Leona said, “I-it's just an anxiety thing… it goes away fast.”
A wave of relief washed over the blond. “Oh, thank goodness! I was so worried, seeing you like that… Here, I made you some delicious prosciutto, apple, and cream cheese tea sandwiches on white bread with absolutely no cilantro,” he paused to wiggle his one visible swirly eyebrow, which made Leona smile, “and a cold, refreshing glass of white peach iced tea, complete with a peach slice garnish and cocktail umbrella. Bon appétit, ma chère Penumbra.”
“Oh, Sanji… gosh…” Leona whimpered as he pulled up a small folding table and placed the food tray on it. “You're so lovely, thank you…”
“Ah, I believe you're the lovely one here, sweetness.” He said, kissing her knuckles. “I'd want nothing more than to stay, but if I'm gone too long, Luffy will start raiding my pantry. But before I go…”
Sanji backed up, placing a plate of fruit-filled cream sandwiches and a bottle of strawberry milk on Chopper's desk. “There you go, buddy.”
“Wow, yummy! Thanks, Sanji!” Chopper gasped, licking his lips.
Sanji patted the mink on the top of his hat and left. The two dug into their food.
“Oh, wow… so good!” Leona squealed.
“I know, right!? Sanji's the best!!” Chopper gushed, whipped cream all over his mouth.
Soon they finished their food, and Chopper dabbed at his mouth fur with a wet wipe. “Anyway, you were saying?”
“Mm?”
“You were about to say something before Sanji came in.” Chopper reminded her. “About your joint pain?”
“Oh, uh… yeah, the joint pain…” Leona sucked her teeth. “Th-that's not a… um.. That’s not a recent thing… I've been dealing with that since I was young.”
“Oh, really?” Chopper grabbed a pen and a notepad. “Do you know what causes it?”
Leona began to sweat. “Uhh…”
“No? What about medications? Do you take anything for it?”
The mink scribbled something down. “Okay, do you know the type of medication and dosage? Are you still taking it?”
Leona rubbed her arm. “I… I was… I eventually ran out about six months ago, but couldn't do anything about it since I was on Punk Hazard…”
“Oof, that's not good. What was it—” Chopper looked up, concerned. “Penumbra? Is… something the matter?”
Leona couldn't look him in the eyes. “I… mmnh… I-I… really don't like to talk about this…”
“There's no shame here.” Chopper said, scooting his chair closer.
“It's… really complicated…” she whispered, eyes shifting.
“Penumbra…” Chopper said, voice soft. “You can trust me. I took an oath when I became a doctor, and I will never ever break it. No matter what.”
He placed a gentle hoof on her leg. “Anything you tell me in this room stays in this room. It's a place of medicine, not judgment. I'd rather someone shoot me dead than break confidentiality for any reason! So please… trust me.”
Leona stared into his big, sweet brown eyes that were so full of sincerity and kindness, it made her heart ache.
"...Do you promise?" She asked, voice wavering.
"Of course."
"Cross your heart...?"
"And hope to die." Chopper finished.
Leona gave a deep, defeated sigh.
“Alright… I trust you.”
***
When Leona entered the galley with the dirty dishes from her and Chopper's breakfasts, all eyes snapped over to her.
“Penumbra! Are you okay?” Nami spoke first.
“What was that, anyway?” Zoro asked next. “You were sayin’ something about—”
“She doesn't wanna talk about it right now, Zoro!” Chopper chided.
Leona blushed in embarrassment. “Y-yeah, um… it's uh… a bit touchy… I ask you to please just give me a bit of time…”
“That means stop being a nosy asshole and drop it, mosshead!” Sanji barked at him, walking up to Leona and taking the dishes from her hands. “I'll take those, beautiful. Just have a seat and relax.”
Leona smiled. “Thank you, Sanji.”
She walked over to the sofa and sat down next to Brook (albeit with a considerable gap because, well… corpse), and folded her hands in her lap. “So, what'd I miss?”
“We're gonna help Kin save his friend while we're in Dressrosa!” Luffy said, beaming.
“Hm… quite a lot of work to be done, it seems.” Leona hummed. “Between handing off Caesar, destroying the SMILE factory, saving this friend, and the ultimate goal of overthrowing Doflamingo… it might be best to split into groups for each task… oh, and of course someone needs to guard the ship, as well.”
“I can take care of the factory,” Franky said with a smirk. “No facility can survive a super Franky Radical Beam!”
“It should go without saying that I'm delivering Caesar to Green Bit,” Law said. “But I'd like Nose-ya, Nico-ya, and Glasses-ya to come with me for backup.”
“Why ME!?” Usopp cried.
Law side-eyed him. “You're a sniper, aren't you?”
“W-w-well yeah, but—”
“I need someone to keep an eye out for assassins. Don't forget Glasses-ya and I are prime targets.”
“What will I be doing?” Robin piped up.
“You're intel,” Law said, sipping his tea. “Your powers are useful for eavesdropping.”
“Hold on, Law!” Chopper interjected. “You can't put Penumbra in that position! You're leading her right to Doflamingo!”
“It's okay, Chopper,” Leona said. “I understand why Law wants me with his group. Out of all of us, I know Dressrosa the most. I can lead them through the shortest route to Green Bit, and warn of any potential dangers Doflamingo may be hiding around the Island.”
“B-but what about—”
“Chopper,” Leona started, giving him a sincere look. “It's okay. While I am terrified, I…” she sadly glanced at Law for a moment before looking away. “I-I have an obligation… Please trust that I'll be okay.”
Chopper didn't respond, but sadly frowned and looked away.
There was a pause for a moment before Leona spoke again. “Oh, I just remembered… Sanji, could I please borrow your notepad and pen for one moment? I-it'll be quick…”
“Why of course, my moonflower!” Sanji swooned, producing the items from his apron pocket and handing them to her.
“Thank you,” Leona said, scribbling something on the page and tearing it out. She handed the pen and notepad back to Sanji, then walked around the table to hand the paper to Franky.
“What's this?” He asks, taking the paper with a tinier yellow hand he made come out of his normal hand.
“Detailed instructions as to the factory's whereabouts, since I won't be with you to give you directions. I… hope they're clear enough.”
Franky grinned. “Hey, thanks, armour babe! You're the best!”
Leona smiled, but then gasped when she remembered something else. “Armour! Oh, I should repair my armour before we dock!”
“Good idea. We have about five hours until we reach Dressrosa, so it's best to get that out of the way now. Once we dock, I'll go over more of the plan.” Law said, finishing off his tea. “I need to finetune some things, anyhow.”
“I think I'll start working on making some medicine.” Chopper said, scooting off his chair and making for the galley door.
Leona stood up, taking a deep breath in… and out. ‘Alright…’ she thought.
‘Get ready, ‘dad’... It's about time I started thinking for myself.’
On the way to Dressrosa, Law explains the plan to everyone else, and then some Strawhat-typical hijinks ensue...
CW: This slow burn fic delves into some distressing topics such as drug addiction, violence, gore, and dark themes. Please check AO3 for all tags.
Character reference || Masterlist
Previous || Next
Leona leaned on the Sunny's upper deck railing, taking a deep breath through her nose and sighing contentedly. She had gone so long without the sun on her skin and the salty breeze flowing through her hair that she had almost forgotten how wonderful it felt to sail the ocean. It would take her a little while to regain her sea legs, but hey, it beats the hell out of being chained by her ankle several feet underground!
“Glasses-ya!” Law called from the lawn deck. “C'mere, we need you.”
“Coming!” Leona called back. Her bare feet silently tiptoed down the steps out of habit while she carefully lifted the long skirt of the clean dress she had changed into so she didn't trip. “Yes?” She inquired as she approached.
“How long would you say a trip from Punk Hazard to Dressrosa typically is?” Law asks.
“Uhh…” Leona hums, tapping her lip. “Well, it depends on the ship. Something like an SAD tanker takes less than a day, but a ship like this, considering the sea slopes, would likely take…” She sucked her teeth. ”About a day and a half max?
“I see.” Law nodded.
“Have you been to Dressrosa, Penumbra?” Nami asks.
“Yes, I live there, actually,” Leona says.
“Whoa, you're from Dressrosa!?” Luffy asks, butting in on the conversation. “So, is it cool, or what?”
“Oh, n-no, I'm from the North Blue.” Leona corrected. “I've only lived in Dressrosa for ten or so years… ah, well, minus the near two I spent on Punk Hazard, I suppose…”
“We aren't going there to sightsee, Strawhat-ya.” Law chided.
“You intend to make for Dressrosa as well!?” Kin'emon interrupted.
Luffy grinned. “Yeah, I think so!”
“You have no idea what's going on, do you?” Law deadpanned.
“Nope!”
Law's eyelid twitched, and he sighed.
Leona giggled, but then the ship suddenly rocked rather violently, making her lose balance and slam into the nearest person's chest.
…it just so happened that the nearest person had to be Law of all people.
Law tensed up, and Leona gasped, immediately scrambling back once she could right herself. “Sorry! So sorry!”
Law didn't respond, but thankfully, Nami saved her from any further embarrassment by crying out. “What's wrong with the current!?”
Leona hurried over to the railing to see, while Franky rushed to the helm and Luffy rushed up to sit on the figurehead… for some reason. “Oh, speaking of sea slopes… Mr. Franky, sir! There are reefs in this area, so be careful!”
“What the hell is a SEA SLOPE!?” Usopp cried.
“A sea hill? You know, a stretch of ocean that tilts downward?” Leona explained. “It's not uncommon…”
“YES IT IS???”
“It's best if we don't go against the current,” Law explained, cool as ever. “The middle needle on your Log Pose should be pointing in the exact direction of Dressrosa. But don't try to go straight. I'd like to take a detour.”
“A detour? Why?” Nami inquired.
“It'll work out better for us.”
“Is he always such a know-it-all smartass?” Zoro asks.
Leona sighed. “Yes.”
“Come to think of it,” Robin started. “You were talking to someone on the transponder snail earlier. Mind telling us who it was?”
“Doflamingo,” Law answered curtly.
Leona's blood ran cold. “Do.. Dof…D-Dof…”
“DOFLAMINGO!?!?” Usopp shrieked. “THE WARLORD!? HE'S THE MOST EVIL ONE!! WHAT ARE YOU CALLING HIM FOR!?”
“Y-y-y-you didn't mention m-me, did you…?” Leona whispered, hugging herself in an attempt to self-soothe.
“Relax, I didn't. The plan's in action, so there's no backing out.”
“Mind filling the rest of us in about this plan?” Zoro interrupted.
Luffy squealed in inappropriate excitement. “Yeah, let's tell them about the plan!! Gather around, everyone!!”
With everyone together on the lawn deck, Law got to explaining. “I've made this alliance with you all in order to cause a domino effect that—if it goes right—will end in the death of one of the four emperors.”
There was a deafening silence as that information soaked in… and then…
“WHAAAAT!?!?”
“I thought you just wanted to overthrow Doflamingo! What the hell is this killing-the-emperors crap!?” Leona cried, tugging at her hair.
“Just one of them.” Law reiterated.
“That doesn't make it better!! W-which one are you trying to kill, anyway!?”
“I'm getting there,” Law said with a pointed glare.
“W-wait wait wait wait wait!” Usopp interjected. “I'm completely against this alliance!! Anyone else!?”
“Me!” Chopper raised his hoof.
“Me!” Nami raised her hand.
“Me as well!” Leona raised her hand.
“Does it really make a difference?” Brook muttered.
The four opposers gulped nervously.
“You know what happens when Luffy makes up his mind…” Sanji said, serving Robin a cup of tea before coming up and whispering to Law. “I'll warn you right now… There may be a slight difference in how you and Luffy define the word ‘alliance’. Don't be surprised if he doesn't want to follow every step of your plans to the letter.”
Law's eye twitched again.
Sanji then looked over at Caesar, who had been sitting in a heap in the grass this entire time, ignored by everyone. “At least the whole kidnapping thing makes sense now, considering it's not Luffy's style. If he'd just come to me with this weird sheep thing out of the blue, I'd assume he'd just want me to make him dinner out of it.”
Leona couldn't tell if that was an off-colour joke or complete seriousness on Sanji's part, but she decided not to correct him on the fact that Caesar was human. After all, she didn't want to tell such a blatant lie.
Caesar began to quietly chuckle. “Do you simpleton bastards really believe you'll get away with this…? The biggest names in the world are going to come after you now!” he inhaled, raising his head. “YOU SAVAGES!! YOUR STUPIDITY SHALL BE YOUR DEATHS! THERE'S A SPECIAL PLACE IN HELL FOR—”
In a flash, Sanji zoomed across the deck and landed a side kick square into Caesar's already broken nose, sending him flying.
“Not cool, Sanji!! I'm still treating him!” Chopper admonished, rushing to patch him up again. “...at least wait till I'm done.” He added soon after.
“What, and then it's okay?” Sanji muttered.
“Boooo! I wanted to see him cry his own teeth!” Leona heckled.
Law loudly cleared his throat to steer the conversation back. “You guys executed stage one of my plan when I asked you to kidnap Caesar on Punk Hazard. And while you were doing that, I destroyed the machine manufacturing a chemical substance called SAD.”
Leona watched as various crew members got comfortable around Law as he spoke. Some seemed to be falling asleep, which irked her as a tad disrespectful, while others busied themselves with tasks, like how Usopp tinkered with Nami's strange bo staff weapon.
“Most of the great pirates in the New World often rule their own territories, governed by their subordinates. They lead countless numbers of people and reign like a gigantic underground syndicate. It isn't anything like any of you have dealt with before.” He warned. “Trying to take them down with a single pirate crew won't even let you catch a glimpse of their captain's face.”
Leona pulled out her coin from her skirt pocket, flipping it back and forth across her knuckles as she listened to him, feeling the anxiety slowly form a pit in her chest. “That's true, and yet they still have to operate underground to avoid the Marines… It's a network of trades and treaties being built on mountains of power, influence, and blackmail.”
Law nodded. “Yes, and the one who carries the most trust amongst them, the one with the most power, influence, and blackmail of all… is Doflamingo. As you may know, his black market alias is ‘Joker’, and out of all of Joker's business dealings, he's got one business partner who's more important than the rest. His biggest spender…”
Leona dropped her coin. “Law, don't tell me—”
“Kaido, King of the Beasts,” Law said with far too little hesitation.
Leona felt like her soul had left her body then. She grabbed Law's collar and shook him around a bit. “Kaido? KAIDO?? Do you hear yourself, Law!? That man tries to kill himself every other day and has never ONCE gotten anywhere close to succeeding!!”
“Why? Does he back out every time?” Zoro inquired.
“No! He fully commits, but that huge bastard just can't die!! He always survives no matter what!” Leona turned back to Law. “Which is why I reiterate… What the hell are you thinking!?”
Law grabbed her wrists, tugging them off of his collar. “Get off of me.”
“K-Kaido…!? Your target is Kaido!?” Kin'emon yelled.
Everyone turned to the father and son, who appeared white as sheets.
…Well, Momonosuke was actually more pink, but—
POOF!
In a cloud of orange smoke, Momonosuke transformed into the little pink dragon from before.
…Ah. That's right. Devil Fruit.
“Something wrong?” Zoro asked.
“O-oh! Pay me no heed! By all means, continue!” Kin'emon waved, cheeks glowing in embarrassment.
“Um, M-mr. Kin'emon, sir…?” Leona whispered.
“Hrm?”
Leona pointed towards Momonosuke.
The father and son looked at each other, then Kin'emon cried out in shock. “WHY IS THERE A BABY DRAGON HERE!? WHERE DID MOMONOSUKE GO!?”
“That is Momo,” Luffy said.
“Wh— HUHH!? THIS… THIS CREATURE BEFORE MY EYES!? IT'S TRULY YOU!?”
Momonosuke nodded his little reptilian head sheepishly, making Kin'emon's panic even worse.
Leona bit her lip. “Oh dear… Kaido must've affected their family personally in some way…” It would explain Kin'emon's apparent hatred of dragons.
Law cleared his throat again, but it was much more aggravated than before. “Getting back to the point… if we want to defeat Kaido, we'll have to strike at his alliances before we face him head-on. Here's the deal: he's getting a bunch of Devil Fruits from Joker. A mass-produced Zoan type known as SMILES.”
Usopp accidentally whacked his finger with his mallet during that statement. “THEY CAN MAKE THOSE NOW? So he could just create whole armies of Zoan-type users if he wanted to!?”
“He already has…” Leona muttered, pulling her knees up to her chest. “And it's only getting bigger and bigger with each shipment of SAD… Until now, of course…”
“Yes,” Law agreed. “Even so, it seems SMILE fruits aren't completely stable. But despite the risk involved, Kaido now has over five hundred power holders.”
“Oooh!!” Luffy gasped with far too much wonder.
“Oh, goody! Who among us doesn't want to do this!? Raise your hands!!” Usopp rallied with a raised hand.
“Me!!” Nami and Chopper said in unison, mirroring him.
“Would you shut up already?” Zoro muttered.
“Sorry.”
“At least we stopped them from producing more fruits,” Law said, glancing up at Caesar from across the deck.
“Seriously? He was the one making them?” Sanji muttered.
“Really? You invented the foundation to make Devil Fruits!?” Chopper gasped. “Incredible!”
Caesar had a look of pure glee on his face that frankly pissed Leona off. “Please, he was stealing Dr. Vegapunk’s research on the Lineage Factor.” She spat. “All he is is a plagiarist with half the talent.”
Caesar's face warped into ugly rage. “OH REALLY? LET'S SEE YOU MAKE SAD THEN IF YOU KNOW SO MUCH!!”
“I DID!!” Leona yelled back at him. “WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK I WAS SENT TO PUNK HAZARD TO DO BEFORE YOU FORCED ME TO BECOME A BABYSITTING SLAVE, YOU FILTHY SHIT-BRAINED WORM!?”
“HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT, YOU UNGRATEFUL WHORE OF A WOM—”
Sanji zoomed across the deck again to deliver a roundhouse kick into his face. “Do us all a favour and learn to keep that mouth shut.”
Leona sighed heavily, resting her head on her knees. “So I assume the next step in your plan is to destroy the SMILE factory?” She asked Law.
“Precisely. And since I'm sure Joker keeps its whereabouts closely guarded secret, that leads me to my next question. Do you know where it is, Glasses-ya?”
Leona nodded. “I do. I've had the privilege of visiting it once or twice many years ago.”
It was barely noticeable, but Law's eyebrows raised like he was pleased with this information. “Good. I've never been to Dressrosa, so I'm counting on you to give us clear directions to it, then.”
“Understood.” She hummed. “But I won't be able to do much in terms of destruction. The elegant sunflowers inside render my abilities rather weak.”
“That's fine."
“Hey, Kin’!” Luffy said, leaping up from his seat. “You said you needed to go to Dressrosa too, right?”
“Yes, indeed!” Kin'emon exclaimed, drawing his blade. “One of my people is being held prisoner there by our shared enemy!!”
“There is!?” Leona gasped. “I had no knowledge of this… f-for how long?”
Kin'emon was about to answer, but then something small suddenly fell from the sky, hitting him on the head. “Huh?”
Everyone looked up, witnessing thick black clouds forming above that began to rain sizable chunks of hail.
“Oh my… perhaps we should go inside?” Robin suggests.
“Something feels wrong…” Nami muttered. She ran over to the starboard side net and began hastily climbing.
Luffy's face split into an excited grin. “Looks like the weather's gettin’ crazy!”
“T-that's not a good thing when you're at sea, Luffy…” Leona muttered.
Luffy just giggled. “When you're with us, it means—”
Nami's call cut him off. “Furl the sails! Franky, prepare the Coup De Burst!”
“Anytime, any place, sister!! Someone take the helm for me!!” Franky exclaimed, opening a hidden deck hatch and jumping in.
“Looks like I'm up!” Usopp said, making his way to the wheel.
“W-what's going on? What's a Coup de Burst?” Leona worried as the crew all scrambled across their ship in preparation for whatever the hell they were doing.
“Oh dear… trouble is always around the corner with us, isn't it?” Brook hummed, all too calm for the situation. He then turned towards the crew's guests. “I'd suggest you hold onto a sturdy rail, or press up against a stern-side wall.”
“For what!? You're all scaring me!” Leona cried, yet still heeded his warning, leaning flush against the wall behind the foremast. Robin joined her, possibly for moral support.
“Now, hard to port! Coup de Burst at nine o’clock!! Aim for the spot with no clouds!!” Nami's voice shouted over the intercom. Usopp turned the ship.
Leona was about to demand an answer again, but then an overhead shadow large enough to eclipse the entire Sunny appeared. Leona looked up…
Oh…
Oh fuck no.
It was an absolutely monstrously sized chunk of hail descending right on top of them.
“WHAT THE FUCK!?” Leona shrieked.
“Get ready,” Robin said as a low humming was heard from under the ship, gradually increasing in intensity.
Leona squeezed her eyes shut, shielding her head with her hands, and then…
COUP… DE… BURST!!
There was a huge explosion somewhere at the stern, and a wave of intense g-force pinned Leona flat against the wall. She could hardly scream at all from how heavy the pressure was on her body.
Slowly, though, the pressure lessened more and more to the point where she could finally breathe… and then it lessened more than that. And then even more. In fact, it was so light that her body even began to lift off the deck. At that moment, it was abundantly clear to her…
They were falling.
Leona screamed bloody murder the whole time they plummeted to the sea, her body instinctively curling up to protect her from the impending impact once the vessel hit the water.
When it finally did, Leona was bracing so hard she hadn't realized she wasn't in pain at all from the impact. She cracked one eye open from behind her arms, seeing Robin smiling down at her.
“I got you. You're safe.” She giggled
“Huh?” Leona's eyes fully opened, glancing around to see that she was being securely held by a multitude of disembodied arms sticking up from the grass. “Ah!”
“Haha! Man, I love it when that happens! Hey, Pepperoni! Wasn't that fun!?” Luffy giggles, stretching his way back down after unfurling the sail.
The arms holding Leona in place disappeared into hundreds of tiny pink flower petals. “A-absolutely not! I thought I was gonna die!” She cried, fixing her skewed glasses and hair ribbon.
“Really? ‘Cause you sounded like you were havin’ the time of your life!”
“YOU THOUGHT THOSE WERE SCREAMS OF FUN!?”
Luffy had already walked away. “What about you, Momo? This kinda stuff happens all the time!”
“D-does it really?” Leona asked Robin while adjusting the tubetop bodice of her dress. “How are your insides not paste?”
Robin laughed. “I suppose you just get used to it after a while.”
Leona sighed. “Well, hopefully it doesn't happen for the remainder of my stay on your ship… I very much would never like to experience that ever again.”
“Hey, Penumbra!” Nami's voice called from farther away. “Come join us! I'm giving Momo an inside tour!”
“Oh!” Leona gasped with sparkling eyes, realizing that the most she's seen of the ship's interior was just their shower. “Yes, please! I'd love to see everything you have to offer here!”
The tour began with the aquarium bar, an aptly named bar and lounge with a ginormous aquarium that housed all of the fish the Strawhats catch, both as a decoration and as fresh seafood storage. Leona was absolutely blown away by Franky's ingenuity in both practicality and aesthetics.
Then there was an expansive library stocked to the ceiling with novels and encyclopedias of all kinds of genres and subjects. There was even an absolutely gorgeous drawing table seemingly used for cartography. Maps were hanging from the ceiling, too, likely for drying.
“Goodness me!” Leona gasped. “Who draws your crew's maps? These are beautiful!”
Nami beamed with pride. “Why, that would be me, of course.”
“Aah!” Leona squealed. “I'm so jealous!! I'm more of a sculptor, personally, but I've always had such a deep adoration for cartography! I've always wondered what the process was!” She took Nami's hands in hers. “Would you please teach me your ways one day, Nami? Pretty pretty please?”
“Aw, Penumbra, of course!!” Nami gushed. “In return, would you make me something out of that moonglass stuff you make?”
“Oh, yes, yes!! As many as you want!”
The next stop was the kitchen and galley, where Sanji prepared late afternoon snacks and beverages.
“Penumbra, my darling!” Sanji swooned. “Just the beautiful woman I was looking for! I have a question for you.”
“Oh?”
Sanji produced a notepad and a pen from his apron pocket. “I forgot to ask earlier, but I wanted to ask you about your food sensitivities. Allergies, intolerances, stuff like that. Law, too, if you know them.”
“Oh, how thoughtful!” Leona gasped. “Well, for me, I don't have any food allergies that I'm aware of… oh, but I do hate cilantro. I'm like, weirdly sensitive to the taste, and it's ruined every dish I've ever eaten with it, so I avoid it like the plague.”
“Noted, no cilantro whatsoever.” Sanji wrote down.
“As for Law, I do recall him suffering from mild celiac disease when we were younger, but I'm unaware if that's changed at all since we were apart… He avoided bread like I avoid cilantro, so I guess take that into account?”
“Noted.” Sanji nodded, taking her hand and lightly kissing her knuckles. “Thank you, gorgeous. And might I add that your voice is as beautiful as a songbird's. I could listen to you speak all day long.”
Leona flushed and giggled bashfully while Nami made an exaggerated gagging sound in the background.
Nami then took Momonosuke to the med bay, but something up the stairs caught Leona's eye, so she decided to check it out instead. Up the stairs, surrounding the main mast was a variety of plant life that made for a gorgeous spectacle. On one side, there was a flower bed that could rival the arrangements all over the palace of Dressrosa. On the other side, there were tangerine trees that looked as though they were maintained with all the love in the world. The one that Leona was most curious about, though, was the garden of exotic plants she had never seen before. She crouched and leaned close to a bed of brightly coloured flowers, curiously reaching to touch one—
“Careful! I wouldn't get too close!”
Leona shrieked, flinching back hard at the sudden voice and landing on her ass. Her face immediately burned red when she realized it was only Usopp.
“Whoa, s-sorry! I didn't mean to uh… to startle you like that,” he apologized, helping her stand up.
“N-no, it's alright, it's alright…” she gasped. “I'm sorry for screaming! I just startle easily, that's all…”
“You're okay! But uh… seriously, be careful with those. They're ripe for harvest and might, I dunno… explode in your face or something.”
“You grow exploding flowers?” Leona asks, cautiously stepping away from the plants.
Usopp beamed with pride. “Yep! The seeds they grow are called Pop Greens, and they're native to the Boin Archipelago! These are several breeds and crossbreeds I've cultivated that I use as my special Usopp-brand ammunition!”
Leona's eyes glittered. “Plant ammunition? That's so unique!!” She gasped. “Oh, that's right! You use a big slingshot, don't you? Tell me, is there a reason you use a slingshot over a firearm like most pirates? Or do you use both?”
“Ehh, well… I think it all boils down to recoil. I always felt that it throws off my aim.” He shrugged. “And they're too loud. Slingshots are way quieter, and they let me get creative with my attacks. What can I say, huh?”
“I totally understand!” Leona gushes. “When I was a kid, I had a mishap with a gun that sorta scared me away from them forever, so when I discovered archery, I just fell in love! Totally quiet and easy to control!”
“A mishap?” Usopp inquired.
“Oh, it's silly, really… When I was around nine, I was forced into sharpshooter training by my superiors, but when it was time for me to take my first shot, the recoil made the gun slip out of my hands, and it smashed into my nose really hard. It even broke my wrist, too. I might've been holding the gun a bit wrong in retrospect, but…”
“The recoil did that??” Usopp gawked. “How high a calibre was the gun!?”
“A .40, I believe.”
“Wow.”
“I-In my defense, my bones are a bit less dense than average, though we didn't really know at the time. After a few corrective surgeries, you'd never be able to tell that my nose was broken at all!” Leona laughed. “Since then, I've been designated to be more of a passive combatant, so to speak.”
“I can see why you'd shy away from them since then.” Usopp nodded.
“Penumbra!!” Nami's voice called from below. “Where'd you go? We have something to show you!”
“Oh, I'll be right there!” Leona gasped. “Thank you for telling me about your Pop Greens, Usopp! I'd love to learn more later!” She waved as she hurried down to where Nami was, outside the door to the women's quarters, by the looks of it.
“Sorry for deserting you, I found your garden up there and had to admire it.” Leona giggles.
“You're alright. Check this out!” The ginger said, stepping aside and revealing the large bedroom. It was quite roomy, likely because there were only two women on the crew, with two beds, a side table with two lounge chairs, a fancy makeup vanity, and closets, all complete with a plush pink carpet. Franky and Robin were also there, proudly standing next to a net hammock filled with pillows and blankets that hung from the ceiling.
“Tadahh!” Franky exclaimed. “I set'cha up a comfy place to sleep! We didn't have any spare beds, so I had to get creative.”
Leona gasped. “Really?! Oh, gosh… You didn't have to do this for me…!”
“Nonsense, babe! We're better than making our guests sleep out on the deck! Now get up there and try it out, I wanna make sure it can hold weight.”
“I… o-okay!” Leona nodded excitedly, climbing up into the hammock and settling in.
Oh… oh wow.
Leona damn near melted into the pillows the second she got situated. Who knew hammocks were so comfortable!? The cushions and blankets were so soft, too. Leona wondered just where they'd gotten them. She breathed a deep, contented sigh and felt her eyelids growing heavier.
Franky was turned towards Nami and Robin. “I was trying to set it up somewhere that wouldn't get in the way, but I'm not entirely sure I like where I put it. I might be soundin’ crazy, but I feel like it disrupts the feng shui a little. I dunno, what do you ladies think—”
“Franky,” Robin tapped his arm, then smiled and pointed behind him. “Look there.”
Franky turned around, chuckling when he saw Leona had completely fallen asleep in the hammock so quickly.
“Poor girl must still be super tired.” He said, crossing his arms.
“Let's let her rest,” Nami said. “She deserves it.
As the three left the room, Robin used her powers to sprout arms that gently removed Leona's glasses and put them on the vanity, pulled the blanket over her, and turned out the lights.
***
“Mmmh…” Leona mumbled, stirring awake. She yawned and stretched, opening her blurry eyes to a dark room. “Mm?”
Silvery-blue moonlight poured in through the window, bathing the room in its gentle glow. And while Nami and Robin were deeply asleep in their beds under that glow, Leona was wide awake—an odd side effect of her devil fruit.
“Oh my…” She muttered, getting out of the hammock and locating her glasses.
When she stepped out of the girls' quarters, she sighed blissfully as the unfiltered moonlight emitting from the waning crescent moon soaked into her body. She never quite understood why moonlight made her feel so rejuvenated, even if it was just temporary, but it was always welcome whenever she was feeling unwell.
She bunched up her skirt and tiptoed down the steps, raising her eyebrows at the few Strawhats she spotted dead asleep in the grass, wearing elaborate samurai-esque costumes.
“What on earth happened here…?” She muttered aloud. “How long was I out?”
Law peeked out from under the brim of his cap when she spoke. “About six and a half hours, give or take.”
Leona yelped, whirling around. “Law! God, you startled me!”
“I can tell.”
The blonde huffed, approaching the surgeon and sitting next to him on the foremast bench. “I would've expected you to be sleeping by now.” She said, “Unless you're on night watch?”
Law briefly glanced at her before staring at his shoes again. “I'm an insomniac. Even if I were sleeping, I wouldn't leave this spot.”
Leona cocked an eyebrow. “Sounds uncomfortable.”
“The men's quarters smells like a barn. I refuse to sleep there.” He said simply.
Leona snorted. “Ah, I see.”
A long stretch of silence passed between the two, listening to the lap of the waves and the creak of the hull as the ocean gently rocked the ship. Leona snuck a few glances towards Law then, feeling ever-growing guilt bloom in her belly and gnaw on her. Eventually, she had to say something.
“Um… Law?”
“Mm?”
“I… um… I believe I owe you… several apologies…”
A beat of silence.
“Several?” He asked.
“Yes, um…” she said, reaching for her coin to soothe her nerves. “First… I want to apologize for all the nasty things I said to you on Punk Hazard… I called you insensitive on two occasions, when I… I-I don't think it was really called for…”
“...two occasions?” Law asked. “I recall one.”
Leona's cheeks pinked. “Well, uh… okay, the other one may have been under my breath… b-but I still feel bad about it…”
“Hm.”
“Next, um… I'm so sorry for that argument I started at the med bay door when you were treating the children. I got way too aggressive, and pulling a knife was a million steps too far. I'm trying to… er…” she gestured with her hand as she tried to come up with the right word. “Unlearn that behaviour… if that makes sense.”
Law nodded. “Uh-huh…”
“And finally, I'm especially sorry for… how I was when we were young.”
Law glanced at her again. “...what do you mean?”
“You know… how pushy I was all the time? How much I tried to… I dunno, be in your life? For lack of a better term? I've realized since then that all it ever did was make you hate me. My intention was never to be so annoying or to be clingy… I was just… worried sick for you.”
Law watched the shiny coin flip through Leona's fingers back and forth as she gazed up at the moon and poured her feelings out. “From the moment I met you, I could sense you were in a lot of pain, and I don't just mean from your illness. And while I realize now that it isn't my business if you don't want it to be, back then I was so pushy for you to tell me because… I just really wanted to help ease the pain I always sensed behind those glares.”
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and rested her head against the mast, continuing. “It reminded me a lot of how I felt… I thought that… That if I was the one positive force in your life when we were caught up in the hell that was our lives… maybe that soul-crushing loneliness would be a bit less… lonely...” A single tear rolled down her face. “...for the both of us.”
Her eyes opened again. “I've always wanted to tell you this since you left… but since you never came home, and your presumed date of death passed, I was stuck with this regret that just rotted a part of me for so long. I was heartbroken. I would lie awake sometimes, longing for a future where you were alive and where I could tell you everything… which…” she chuckled, though it sounded empty. “I suppose it ended up coming true, right? Ah, but still… all this is to say that… I don't expect forgiveness. I just wanted to finally let it out.”
Law stared at her, watching her continue to flip her coin. Eventually, he nodded. “I… see.”
A heavy silence fell between the two for a long stretch of time, and neither knew what to say to the other. Anxiety swirled within Leona's chest, threatening to make tears spill from her eyes. She had no idea why she felt like crying right now. She had no reason to. All she did was tell the truth, so why did it hurt so bad?
Suddenly, Law spoke again. “You've gotten better at that.”
Leona stopped playing with the coin. “Huh?”
“The… coin flipping thing. You used to drop it every 3 seconds, but now you're pretty good.”
Leona's eyebrows raised, eyes gleaming with pleasant surprise. “Oh…! Um…” Her cheeks faded pink again. “Yeah. It's sorta become an anxiety fidget thing for me, so I can pretty much do it without thinking now…”
“And by the looks of your fingers, I can tell it replaced the nail-biting habit.”
Leona snorted. “I have you to thank for that. You're the one who told me about pinworms, after all.”
Law looked down with a small smirk on his lips and gave a puff of air from his nose. “Yeah, I remember how freaked out you got.”
Leona erupted into giggles. “I did, I did! I was terrified of touching anyone's hands for years!”
“Heh… Hey, I was wondering…” Law started. “That coin you got… Do you mind if I see it for a sec?”
“Oh, of course.” Leona nodded, handing it to him. “Here.”
Law held up the coin to the moonlight, squinting as he rotated it in his fingers. “Aha… I thought so.”
“What? What is it?” Leona leaned in, curious.
“This coin is an extremely rare Dressrosan ceremonial coin made to celebrate Riku Doldo III's coronation when he became king. Look, the portrait is of him when he was eighteen.”
“Ooh! You know your stuff!” Leona gasped. “But wait, you've never been to Dressrosa, right? How do you know that?”
“I have an interest in these kinds of things.” He said simply, handing it back to her. “Hang onto that. There were only four of those ever made.”
Leona's eyes glittered, staring at the coin, then shifting her eyes up to Law's face as she took it back. Her eyes softened, and she smiled. “I will.”
“Yohoho! My, how romantic!”
Leona screamed, nearly falling over at Brook's sudden appearance. “Don't do that!!”
The Strawhats cook up a giant feast to celebrate their victory, and after some tearful goodbyes, Law and Leona board the Strawhat's ship to make for Dressrosa...
CW: This slow burn fic delves into some distressing topics such as drug addiction, violence, gore, and dark themes. Please check AO3 for all tags.
Character reference || Masterlist
Previous || Next
“The garbage room!?” Leona gasped, just learning from Luffy where Momonosuke had been the entire time. “Dear god… no wonder he was missing for over a week!”
She turned to the boy, who was now clothed and resting in his father's arms after nearly fainting from hunger. “You poor thing… having to eat a devil fruit out of desperation like that, too… oh, Momonosuke, I'm so sorry, sweetheart…”
“It is quite alright, Nursemaid. All that matters now is that Momonosuke is breathing.” Kin'emon said, bowing deeply. “You needn't burden yourself for means outside your control any longer. I am eternally grateful for the benevolence you have shown my son, and am forever in your debt.”
Leona opened her mouth to protest and insist (again) that she hardly deserved any praise, but a distant, squeaky voice from the ship caught her attention.
“LAAAAW! GET OUT HERE NOW!!!”
“Son of a— s-sorry, Kin'emon, I'll be right back…”
Leona manifested a cylindrical moonglass object, held onto it with both hands, then quickly levitated the object to propel herself, much like a winched grappling hook up onto the deck.
“You sick bastard!!” Chopper cried. “How could you do that to those poor kids!? You'll regret doing this, I swear to god—!”
Law emerged from the shadows of the med bay. “There's a reason I told you not to look inside. I had a feeling you wouldn't understand why I had to slice them apart.”
“Way to help him understand, psycho ass.” Leona huffed.
“Would you rather I sugarcoat it, or tell it like it is, fussy britches?”
“Who's calling who ‘fussy britches'?” Leona rolled her eyes. “Come with me, Chopper. I'll explain everything.” She said, offering her hand for his hoof, which he takes.
“Do you have to baby everyone you meet like this?” Law asks her.
Leona flips him off over her shoulder as they enter the med bay.
Inside, the children all looked despondent for a moment before Aoi's eyes lit up at the sight of them. “Ah!! Look, Miss Penumbra is back with the raccoon!!”
The children all cheered, and Chopper's face lit up in glee. “Wait! You're all okay!?”
“See? I was telling the truth.” Leona said with a big smile. “He was cutting out the drugs from their systems with his Devil Fruit.”
“Yeah!! It was really scary at first, but I feel awesome now!!” Doran said.
“We were all chopped up in little pieces, but it didn't hurt at all!” Sind added.
Chopper looked awestruck for a second, then sighed in relief. “Oh, thank goodness…!”
“Miss Penumbra?” A boy asked next to where Mocha lay. “Is Mocha gonna be okay? She hasn't woken up yet…”
Leona walked over, sitting beside the boy and Mocha, ruffling his curly hair. “She's gone through a lot of pain, sweetheart… It's only natural she'd be exhausted.” She looked at the giant girl with a melancholic smile. “Thanks to the combined efforts of Mr. Chopper and Mr. Law, she's gonna be just fine after some rest.”
“So… she's gonna get to go home with us? Please say yes!” Asked Marcy.
“Of course!” Chopper nodded. “You're all safe now! Your suffering is all over!”
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. “Excuse me?”
Leona turned. “Oh, Miss Tashigi, ma'am!”
Tashigi smiled, holding a clipboard. “I'm so glad I found you, Penumbra. I… wanted to ask you something.”
“Sure, what's up?”
Tashigi came closer and sat down on a stool next to Leona. “I wanted to request that… the children be handed off to the Navy to be returned to their homes.”
Leona's eyebrows raised. “To the Navy?”
“Yes.”
As Leona let that request soak in, her eyebrows furrowed. “Tell me, will they really be going home? Or is this a cover-up for something else?”
Tashigi blanked. “I… huh? What do you mean?”
“Don't play dumb, Captain.” Leona seethed. “I'm well aware of what the navy does with whatever forsaken children they can get their hands on. It won't work here, since none of these children are orphans. So don't you dare even consider trying that with me. Unless you're some of those truly despicable marines who—”
“Hold on!” Tashigi interrupted. “Please… just hold on a second, Penumbra. I… I really don't know where you got that idea from, but I assure you, we'd never dream of doing anything so heinous…”
The blonde's eyes narrowed, and Tashigi became flustered. “Honest! Please, look here!”
The naval captain showed Leona her clipboard, showing the names of each child, the names of their parents, home islands and addresses. Some were even grouped if they were siblings.
“This data came from G5 headquarters, detailing the families that are searching for their children. Rest assured, we're doing our part to make sure these children make it home. Not to mention the fact that this tanker is large enough to carry all of them, while the Strawhat's ship isn't nearly big enough for the biggest children, let alone one of them.” Tashigi explained, bowing her head. “So please, I implore you… let me right the wrongs the Navy has caused these children…”
Leona knew Tashigi was referring to Vergo's involvement when she mentioned the Marine's wrongs. Her face softened, and she took a breath.
“Alright… I see you're being sincere, Captain… but know this, these children have been through an absolute living hell on this island for up to three years. They've suffered being injected with hundreds of unproven formulas and fed poison that, without Trafalgar Law's help, would have killed them before they ever reached the age of ten. And that doesn't even come close to the suffering they endured between all of that. Trust me, because I've witnessed all of it.”
Leona firmly grabbed Tashigi's shoulders. “So if I trust all fifty-two kids to you today, and I find out one day that you lied to me and sold all of these poor children to become Cipher Pol agents, noble's slaves, or god forbid Celestial Dragon's slaves, believe me when I tell you that I will hunt you, and all the rest of your unit down, slit you all chin to groin, peeling your skin off your meat in one go until you're all nothing but skin suits. Those children went through hell. Don't make them go through worse. Understood?”
Tashigi swallowed. “L-loud and clear! You have my word, Penumbra!”
Leona smiled. “Good. Don't disappoint me.”
There was a heavy silence in the room until it was interrupted by a child whispering. “...Miss Penumbra is scary when she's serious…”
***
“Newkama Kempo Technique!” Sanji bellowed as he finished up seasoning his giant pot of stew. “Ninety-nine vital recipes: a cold, exhausted body needs a heaping helping of fat and warmth! So here it is! Hormone soup de jour with sea pig pork!”
Leona couldn't help the watering of her mouth as Sanji set bowls of stew and other exquisitely prepared side dishes on a table set up for his crew, Leona, and the Wanoans.
Sanji gave a sweeping bow as he poured Momonosuke a bowl. “It's no trouble at all, my dear.” He set the food down in front of the boy. “I know you've been running on an empty stomach for days now, so start with this and eat it slowly, okay? Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself.”
The chef then made a show of twirling over to Leona, picking up two bottles on the way. “My darling Penumbra, would you like to indulge in a delectable glass of Merlot? Or, if you prefer white wine, I also have a delicious Chardonnay. Both were brewed and aged ten to twenty years in the islands of the Sabaody Archipelago.”
“Oh brother.” Nami rolled her eyes and sighed. “There he goes again.”
“Goodness, are you sure you're a pirate?” Leona giggled. “So hospitable! I'd love some Merlot, please.”
“Excellent choice, my dear lady.” Sanji crooned as he poured her a glass.
“If you ask me, it seems like she's eating it up,” Usopp observed while Sanji and Leona engaged in friendly conversation.
“She's not used to Sanji's incessant flirting. Give it another day at least.” Nami replied.
“Fair point, fair point.” Usopp nodded.
“Nngh! I-I do not want this! You cannot force me to eat your strange food, chef!!” Momonosuke suddenly bellowed, holding the bowl of soup over his head like he was about to throw it.
Sanji's head snapped towards the boy, and in a flash, he grabbed Momonosuke by his scarf. “What was that!? You'd better put that bowl down! I don't care if you're a child; anyone who wastes food around me gets their ass kicked!”
“Wh— Sanji, are you insane!?” Leona cried, getting up to stop him.
“...or he could immediately blow it.” Usopp hummed.
Momonosuke continued to protest eating despite the constant growling of his belly betraying his words. Before it could come to a head, however, Kin'emon clasped his hands together and shouted. “I gladly accept your feast, sir chef!!”
All attention was on the samurai now, who began ravenously devouring a bit of each dish and voicing his approval. “Delicious! I can feel my strength returning to me!”
“B-but… father…!” Momonosuke whimpered.
“This meal is safe to eat, my son,” Kin'emon told the boy through his full cheeks. “Please accept their kindness. In fact, these people saved my life! You can trust them!”
“I… can?” Momonosuke began to tear up.
“The Nursemaid had told me you haven't eaten anything since we last saw each other…” he took more bites. “It must've been terrible!”
Tears poured from the man's eyes as he continued to stuff his face. “My son… You have nothing to worry about anymore… we must have faith that everyone else is alive and well… come, Momonosuke… let us choose to live!”
Sanji gently put Momonosuke down, and through his own tears, he drank the soup from the bowl.
No one had a single clue what was going on with the two of them, but it didn't matter. They were just content to see the young boy eating after so long.
Suddenly, there were marines and children alike lining up at the soup pot, itching to have a taste.
“What happened to your sacred boundary between good and evil, you jerkasses?” Sanji grumbled at the soldiers.
Bashfully, a couple held up their empty bowls. “Temporary truce?”
“A truce, huh?” Zoro smirked. “If that's the case, mind fetching us some booze?”
“Ooh, could you get some juice for the children, too? Pretty please?” Leona added.
Law pulled Luffy aside, “Strawhat-ya, a word?”
Leona watched as the two stepped away to have a private conversation and figured she may as well pour Law a bowl of soup. She was beginning to feel a bit guilty about the whole door argument from earlier.
By the time she was finished, Luffy came back and got everyone's attention. “Listen up, guys! We have trouble headin’ our way, and we're outta time… so let's party as fast as we can!! Dig in!!!”
Everybody cheered, stuffing their faces and drinking merrily.
Leona walked up to Law, who had a look of utter disbelief frozen on his face. “Soup?” She offered.
Law snaps out of it for a minute. “What? No. I don't want any.”
“Come on, it's delicious! I dunno what it is, but something about this stuff makes me feel like I haven't been running off of minimum sleep for the past week.”
“No, Glasses-ya, I said I don't want— Mmgf!”
As Law spoke, Leona rolled her eyes and shoved a spoonful in his mouth, shutting him up.
Law yanked the spoon out of his mouth, ready to argue with her again, but then he swallowed the food with a look of realization on his face.
After a second of contemplation, Law swiped the bowl from her, ears fading into a darker shade of red. “Give me that…”
She smirked as Law stomped off elsewhere away from the banquet, then went to fill up another bowl to give to Chopper, who was still in the med bay, and then made the trek up there herself.
“Knock knock.” Leona vocalized as she entered the room.
Chopper was teary-eyed, kneeling next to Mocha while she continued to sleep. “Penumbra?” He meekly asked.
Leona smiled warmly. “Are you hungry? I brought you a bowl.”
“Oh! W-wow, thanks…” the mink sniffled and dried his eyes, taking the bowl from her as she knelt beside him.
“So, you eat this kind of food every day?” She asked as he ate. “Gosh, I'm jealous… your chef is incredibly talented.”
Chopper smiled. “He is!”
A bit of silence went by, and Leona stroked the back of Mocha's hand. “Law said we'll need to ship off soon… Do you think Mocha will be able to wake up before then? I think it'd be a shame if she didn't get to have any of Sanji's cooking, too.”
“I think she's almost there.” Chopper said, face saddening a bit.
“...You're thinking about what happened to her, aren't you?” Leona asked.
Tears welled in Chopper's eyes again, and he nodded. “I… I feel so guilty!” He confessed. “I keep thinking about when I told her what that candy really was… i-if I hadn't… m-m-maybe she wouldn't have… eaten them all…”
Leona frowned, rubbing his back. “I understand… to go through something that traumatic…” she sighed. “Even though she was a selfless trooper through it all, she's still only nine years old… the poor baby's gonna be having night terrors for years.”
“I-I just wish…” Chopper hiccuped. “I wish that… I could've done more for her! For all of the children! I wish I could've prevented this altogether!”
Leona gently took the now-empty bowl from Chopper's hooves, and she pulled him into a hug. “You and me both, little guy… You and me both.”
As Chopper sobbed into Leona's chest, Mocha stirred. “Mmh… Chopper…? Miss Penumbra?”
“Mocha!” Chopper gasped, leaping out of Leona's arms and on top of Mocha to give her as good a hug as he could manage. Leona shuffled over and played with the girl's hair. “How do you feel, sweetheart?”
“I feel… normal!” Mocha smiled brightly. “It feels like I never ate the candy at all!”
“Th-that's… that's wonderful!” Chopper sobbed. “I'm so happy for you, Mocha!! You were so brave!!”
Leona wiped her eyes of tears that were starting to form. “You woke up just in time, Mocha. Are you hungry? Mr. Sanji made some yummy food for us all.”
Mocha's eyes lit up. “Really? What'd he make?”
The blonde gave her a toothy grin. “It's called Hormone sea pig pork stew.”
***
Finally, it was about time for the Marines and Pirates to go their separate ways. The children all loaded up onto the tanker with the Navy, and the pirates cleaned up their supplies as fast as possible so they could ship out.
Next to the ramp leading on board, Leona spoke with Brownbeard, who was in chains.
“Are you sure, Brownbeard?” Leona asked, concern on her face. “You're really okay with this?”
“It's quite alright, lass. Them kids ain't the only ones Caesar's been experimentin’ on. The Navy cut me a deal that my crew and I will be gettin’ free medical treatment if we surrender ourselves. I much prefer gettin’ well to sufferin’ from somethin’ I don't understand while out at sea. That and I honestly feel content with me piratin’ days bein’ over.”
“Mm… alright, but...” Leona sighed. “I still feel horrible about my part in all of this… It's my fault that you're suffering from everything that happened…”
“Lassie, I was sufferin’ long before I got here. Don't forget that Hawkins was the one who took my legs!” He laughed. “I ain't mad at ye one bit for sendin’ in the call that led me here. If anything, ye helped me and my crew move on despite everythin’.”
“But—!” Leona tried to protest.
“No buts, missy! No more worryin’ about my ugly mug. Just worry about yerself for now on, y'hear? Focus on what ye need to do now, instead of what'cha think ye should've done then. I'll be fine! I survived a cannon to the face after all, didn't I!? UOOHOHOHO!!!”
Leona sniffled, slamming into his giant belly with as big a hug as she could give. “I'll miss you, big guy! Be good, okay? Get better!!”
Brownbeard reciprocated her hug with a gentle press of his much larger finger to her back. “Raise some hell, girly!!”
The foghorn blared, signalling the last call before departure. So Leona and Brownbeard separated with a wave.
“Hey! Knight girl! Get behind the barrier!!” A soldier ordered her. “When'd you cross the line!?”
“Oh, go fuck a goat! I was just giving my goodbyes! That's not a damn crime!” Leona barked as she ducked under the cloth barrier they were holding up and rejoined her fellow pirates. “Marines, I swear…”
The blonde crossed her arms irritably as the Marines ordered the children to ignore the pirates despite their tearful pleas. “We are men of justice!” She mocked in a stupid voice. “Fucking whatever. Hypocrites, the lot of ‘em…”
“Are you mad because they won't let you say goodbye to the kids?” Brook inquired.
“Of course!!” Leona cried. “I spent nearly a year breaking my back taking care of these little ones, and they won't even allow me to send each one of them off with a hug!? It's complete bullshit!”
Suddenly, a gunshot went off, and a Marine yelled. “If any of you wanna say goodbye to the pirates, you're just rotten kids!! And if you wanna thank ‘em, we'll drag you off the tanker and leave you here!”
It didn't take using Observation Haki for everyone to feel the bloodlust radiating off of Leona in that moment. Before she could pounce on the offending Marine, Usopp, Chopper, and Nami all restrained her as she thrashed and foamed at the mouth. “LET ME GO! LET ME GO!! I'M GONNA FILLET HIM!! THAT MAN IS FUCKING DEAD!!!”
“Calm down, Penumbra! You'll just make things worse!!” Usopp cried.
“Don't give them an excuse to hurt people, Penumbra!” Chopper added.
“THEY'RE CRYING! THOSE BASTARDS ARE MAKING THEM CRY!! LET ME GO!!!” Leona continued to struggle until a woman's voice echoed above the screaming and chanting.
“STOP IT THIS INSTANT!! SHAME ON YOU ALL!!”
Leona's fury screeched to a halt. It was Tashigi, admonishing her subordinates.
The soldiers lowered the cloth barrier, tears spilling from their eyes. “You don't understand, Tashigi!!” One sobbed. “We have to keep saying bad things about them!! If we don't… w-we might do the unforgivable! We might end up loving theeeemm!!!”
“I swear to god, these fuckers are gonna send me into a stroke with how high my blood pressure is getting.” Leona seethed.
“Then we should probably go before that happens.” Nami chuckled.
After more tearful goodbyes and well wishes shouted between the pirates and children, everyone headed to the Strawhat's ship, ready to at long last leave this hell island for good.
***
If there were one word Leona could use to describe the Strawhat's vessel, The Thousand Sunny… it'd be a theme park. Everything about the ship was so bright, fun, and colourful that without the giant jolly roger painted on the flags and sail, Leona would believe she was on a luxury cruise liner. From the lawn deck to the slides, to the most adorable lion-shaped figurehead, Leona was purely in love with just how fun the Strawhats were to their core.
“...I think I love it here.” She sighed dreamily with her hands resting on her cheeks, admiring the architecture. “Sooo cute!”
“Don't get too attached. We're making for Dressrosa, remember?” Law reminded her.
Leona deflated. “Yes, yes, I know… can't a girl enjoy herself for at least a little while?”
Law rolled his eyes. “Strawhat-ya! Where do you keep your snails? I have a call to make.”
Franky pointed him in the right direction. “In the galley next to the dining table.”
Law nodded, making his way there. “I'll be back in a moment.”
There was a passing moment of silence before Nami stretched. “After all of that, you know what I could use, Robin? A nice hot shower.”
“You read my mind.” Robin giggled.
“Ohhh yeah…” Leona sighed, now feeling fully aware of the ache in her joints beginning to return. “A nice hot soak would be absolute heaven, now that you mention it… I'd love to get out of these sticky clothes, too…”
“Would you like to join us? We have an onsen-style bath if you're feeling sore.” Robin offered.
Leona's eyebrows raised. “M-me? Join? Are you sure?”
Nami cocked her head. “Yeah, you. Why not? Unless you'd rather bathe alone.”
“Oh, w-well, I'm not opposed…” Leona muttered shyly. “I just… I wouldn't want to be a bother—”
Nami rolled her eyes and grabbed her wrist, tugging her along. “Come on, girl, let's do some self-care!”
“Oh! Um… O-okay!” Leona gasped, barely grabbing her suitcase of clothes in time to take with her.
The wonders didn't cease beyond the Strawhats’ communal bath, as it was designed like a spa with a changing room outside to put aside your dirty laundry, and the inside set up like a gorgeous stone-laid floor onsen with shower stools.
“Which noble did you guys kill to procure this ship!?” Leona gasped in the changing room as they stripped down. “Everything is so… nice!”
Nami giggled. “Actually, Franky gave us this ship as a sort of thank you. It's a bit of a long story, but we helped each other out during a really rough and scary time after our first ship couldn’t go on any longer. He built it with his own hands… with some help, of course.”
Leona's eyes glittered as she folded up her dress to put aside. “That's… goodness… I still can't believe you people are real…”
Robin giggled, grabbing some towels and soap from the cabinet. “I'll get the water heated up,” she said, and went into the bath.
Leona was about to remove her underwear when she felt something in the pocket of her dress. Curiously, she removed it, gasping when she retrieved a crinkly, folded-up crayon drawing. Yoshie's crayon drawing.
The paper was quite damaged, like someone wadded it up without a care to throw away, but forgot they had it still. It was likely Vergo's work, seeing as how he was there when Leona shed her armour and surrendered. The question remained, though. When did this get here?
“Penumbra?” Nami asks. “You coming?”
Leona startled. “Uh— yes! So sorry! I'll be right there.”
“You're okay! You just seemed lost in thought.”
“I-I'm okay, thanks.” Leona waved.
Nami slipped back into the bath, and Leona took another glance at the drawing before stripping her underwear and following.
Man, Leona was underestimating how incredible it'd feel to get some heat on her aching joints. She was damn near melting under the shower as she shampooed her wild golden locks. She couldn't wait to sit in the bath and soak the rest of her weary body.
“So, Penumbra… I'm curious,” Robin started, catching the blonde's attention. “You've mentioned before that you and Law weren't exactly close, but you were raised together, yes?”
“Oh, yeah. Not very long, mind you. I was about nine years old when I met him, and then three years later, he was dragged off by one of our superiors, and I didn't see him for the next thirteen years. I'm sure you remember me mentioning he was terminally sick, right?”
“Oh yeah, you did! What'd he have? Do you know?” Nami asks.
“It's called ‘Amber Lead Syndrome’, or ‘White Lead Disease’, in some circles,” Leona explained. “Basically, from what I understand, is that through exposure to a very toxic material, Law's body was pretty much attacking itself. His immune system was like a honeycomb with how holey it was. I remember days when he could barely move with how much pain he was in…”
“I can see why seeing him now was such a shock,” Robin said.
“Oh, you're telling me!” Leona gasped. "I barely recognized him! Like, forget the fact he's healthy now, I didn't even know he was alive! Imagine thinking a kid you knew was dead for years and then suddenly seeing them grown up when you never thought they'd get there! Gosh, I'm still reeling…”
Leona rinsed her hair, continuing. “Hell, the only reason I recognized him at all was his hat. It's a dead ringer for the one he used to have, but it looks slightly different… I wanna ask him if it's the same one, but…”
“...But? Go on!” Nami prodded.
Leona clicked her tongue. “I dunno, I guess I still feel intimidated by him? Don't get me wrong, I'm incredibly happy to know he's okay, but… it kinda feels like my whole world is flipping upside down.”
Leona squeezed some conditioner into her palm, massaging it into her hair. “He's not easy to talk to whatsoever, so it makes talking to him kind of… really frustrating. I want to get to know him, you know? I've always wanted to be his friend. For some reason, I've just always… I dunno…” she waved her hand as she tried to come up with the right word. “Gravitated? To him? I've always detected this wavelength coming off of him with my Observation Haki that had such a strange and comforting sense of familiarity. Am I making sense?”
“I'm not entirely sure what you mean at the end there, but I think I get the gist?” Nami hums. “He has a sort of... aura about him. Right?”
Leona sucked her teeth. “It's very difficult to explain if you don't really get Observation Haki… I realize it sounds so alien to others, but I struggle to explain it any other way.” She giggled bashfully. “But… yeah. That, and uh…”
She looked over her shoulder at the two women. “Is this a safe space? Can I be completely honest and trust you two not to make fun of me?”
Nami and Robin nodded. “Go ahead.”
Leona's cheeks flushed. “He's kind of… hot now? Like… I never really thought of him that way as a kid, but seeing him as an adult, I honest to god catch myself getting lost in his eyes a bit. Is that weird? Maybe I've been isolated for a bit too long…”
Nami and Robin looked at each other, bursting into laughter and making Leona curl in on herself in embarrassment. “Um… n-nevermind… I shouldn't've said anything…”
“I feel like it means that you still care just as much about him now as you did then.” Robin smiled. “I think that's a good thing.”
Leona perked back up a bit. “Yeah…? Mm… I suppose I can see that.”
Leona rinsed her hair, and Robin caught her attention again. “Penumbra, what fragrance would you like in the bath?”
“What do you have?” Leona inquired.
“Let's see…” she hummed, sorting through packets of bath salts. “There's Lavender, orange blossom, peach blossom, vanilla jasmine…”
“Vanilla jasmine sounds lovely,” Leona said, standing up and shutting off the shower.
“Ooh, that one's so nice!” Nami said as Robin poured in the salts and stirred the tub. As Leona stepped over, she noticed Nami's eyes briefly flitting toward her belly, and she instinctively tensed, folding her hands in front of herself.
She decided to push those thoughts away for the time being, inhaling the scent of the salts and sighing blissfully. “Wooww… gosh, I can't thank you enough for everything… I don't think anyone's ever shown me so much kindness before…”
Robin smiled. "It's no problem, really. You're our friend now.”
“Friend…” Leona muttered as if trying out the word on her lips. She had never really given it much thought, but… has she… ever truly had friends before? If she had, she doesn't think they've ever felt so… safe. She felt so relaxed, like she could fully drop her shoulders and be herself. Is this what friends were supposed to be like?
If so, she never wanted to go back.
“You're so sweet to me…” Leona sniffled, turning to them, wiping her eyes. “Thank you…”
“Aww, Penumbraaa! You're gonna make me cry!!” Nami whines.
Robin just giggled. “You should get in the bath before the water cools.”
“Oh, y-yeah.” Leona giggled, stepping into the tub and sitting, fully melting into the sweet-smelling bathwater.
After getting Mocha somewhere safe enough she can be treated, Leona passes out and wakes up to a banquet celebrating their victory, where Law gives her an ultimatum...
Note: I wanna preface something at the start here, up until this point, I've been dividing time cuts with a *** each chapter, but I decided I'll also be using them to cut between both Leo and Law's POV's now that he's more involved. Any beginning and time cut starting with a +++ from this point on will be from Law's POV, and will return to Leo's with the usual ***. I may also be thinking of another symbol for a character we've seen but haven't really gotten to know yet, so look forward to it 🤭
CW: This slow burn fic delves into some distressing topics such as drug addiction, violence, gore, and dark themes. Please check AO3 for all tags.
Specific CW for emetophobia
Character reference || Masterlist
Previous || Next
Leona was sobbing, kneeling at the girl's side and holding her much larger hand while she gargled blood and trembled. “Oh god… oh my god oh my god oh my fucking god… w-w-w-what do I do..!? Mocha, sweetie, I-I-I’m…” A broken sob escaped her lips. “Goddammit, I'm so sorry!!”
“What happened?” some of the kids were muttering.
“Is she hurt?”
“Did she just… puke blood?”
“But all she did was eat the candy…”
“That’s what happens when you’re greedy, Mocha!”
“MOCHAA!!!” Chopper sobbed as Robin carried him down the steps with a syringe in his hoof. He wriggled free from her grasp and fell onto the floor, opting to drag his limp body over to her himself. “I’m here! Stay with me!!”
The children were speechless, staring in shock as both Leona and Chopper tried desperately to console Mocha. One kid felt brave enough to speak.
“What’s wrong…?”
Chopper whipped his head around. “What's wrong? WHAT’S WRONG!? DON’T YOU SEE IT NOW!? THIS IS WHAT THE CANDY DOES TO YOU! NOW MOCHA IS DYING BECAUSE YOU ALL WOULDN’T LISTEN! SHE SACRIFICED HERSELF TO SAVE ALL OF YOU!”
Leona reached her hand out, stopping the young mink’s tirade. “Please, Chopper… don’t be angry at them...”
“Why not!? You saw how they all attacked her! They wouldn’t even listen to you!”
Leona removed her helmet, meeting Chopper’s enraged gaze with soft, tearful eyes. “They… they don’t know any better, Chopper. They can’t think rationally right now…”
The doctor watched as she did her best to hold Mocha and offer her whatever little comfort she could. “It isn’t their fault… s-so please… I beg you not to blame them… please never ever blame them…” She rested her head on the girl’s arm, softly weeping.
“Chopper…” Nami spoke. “If you want to sedate the children, then now’s your best chance…”
“M-Mocha comes first! I have to treat her!” Chopper yelled.
“There’s no time!” Robin cried, but Chopper didn’t listen. He turned back to the girl anyway.
“THE CHILDREN ARE STANDING STILL!! EVERYONE GO!”
In that moment, dozens of G5 soldiers stampeded down the stairs, using the children’s stunned silence as an advantage to pin them all down.
Everyone gaped, eyes wide when they saw that Sanji was leading the charge.
“No violence, men!! Fight numbers with numbers and get these children sedated!!”
“YES SIR!!!”
As the Marines ran around the room and gave each child their shots, a few ran up to Mocha.
“Holy shit!!” one yelped. “What happened to this one!?”
“Is she okay!?” asked another.
“No, she isn’t!” Leona cried. “She’s in critical condition and needs emergency treatment!”
“This area isn’t safe for emergency treatment, knight lady! There isn’t much time left!”
“We are NOT letting Mocha die here!” Leona snapped. She grabbed two fistfuls of a soldier’s uniform and tugged him down to her level. “If you need a safe place to do it, then I’ll lead you to one! There are examination rooms downstairs with heavy blast doors! I’ll even reinforce them if you need me to, please just save her!!”
The soldiers were a bit stunned until Sanji spoke up next. “Well? You heard the lady! Stop standing around with your thumbs up your asses and get that little girl to that room!”
“Yes!” The men saluted, combining their strength to hoist Mocha up on their shoulders. Leona and Chopper were on top of her belly to monitor her. “Straight down this hall, then take a left!” Leona directed as they raced down the hall.
“YES, MA’AM!”
“N-nmgh…” Mocha whimpered, erupting in a weak coughing fit.
Chopper began to sob, scrubbing his eyes with his hooves. Leona rubbed his fuzzy back. “You did well, Chopper...”
“B-but…!” he hiccuped. “But I—! I—!”
“Chopper…” Mocha’s weak little voice interrupted, reaching her hand up to touch him.
“Mocha!” The two gasped. Leona gently grasped one of her giant fingers in both hands.
“Are you okay, Mocha? Are you in pain?” Chopper asked her.
“Chopper, I…” she coughed. “I did it… I didn’t… give them the candies…”
The mink was taken aback, but then broke into sobs again. “Y-you did! You tried to save your friends, didn’t you? Thank you… Thank you so much…!”
“Was I… a brave girl, Miss Penumbra…?”
Leona removed her glasses, wiping her eyes. “Yes! Yes, you’re so, so brave!” she hiccuped. “The bravest! Everyone will get to go home because of you…!”
Then, Mocha gave a soft smile. “Mhm…!”
When they had arrived at the examination room, Leona jumped off of Mocha’s body and rushed to lock the door behind them. As she entered the commands on the keypad, she suddenly felt her lightheadedness and nausea return like a freight train.
“Hey, you okay, knight girl?” one of the Marines asked her. “You’re looking pretty green around the gills, there.”
“I… I think I’m gonna—hrgh! …th-throw up…”
“Whoa!” The Marine rushed to her side when her knees buckled. “Hey… hey, I got ya. You’re okay, knight girl…”
Leona wanted to respond, but she was interrupted by the vomit spewing from her throat and onto the wall. The Marine held back her hair through it, even when she tried to catch her breath through the rounds of painful dry-heaving and hacking fits. “Uh… hey, raccoon guy? I think your friend here is about to faint…”
“She must be giving in to her exhaustion.” Chopper said. “Lay her down on that cot there! On her side!”
“You got it!” The medic confirmed, helping Leona walk over to the medical cot. Chopper continued to give orders while he set up an IV for Mocha. “If she still isn’t awake by the time we're done, I’m counting on y…arry her ou…o the gate…”
Leona’s ears rang, and black spots took up her tunnelled vision as she felt herself being handled like a boneless puppet. She could barely tell which direction she was facing, but all she knew was she was so… so tired…
Her eyes fluttered closed, and everything went dark.
+++
“It’s over… Mr. Vergo.” Law told the double agent after placing the hat knocked off during their fight, back on his head. With his heart wrestled from Vergo’s grasp and finally back where it belonged—all thanks to Smoker—Vergo had lost his biggest advantage over Law. The scales were tipping back in his favour.
“Now you decide to remember your place?” Vergo questioned him.
“Tell yourself whatever lies you want to hear… But I don’t believe you’ll be sitting atop that throne of power much longer.” Law then glanced up from under the brim of his hat. “Either of you.”
Vergo didn’t respond, but there was a slight twitch in his brow.
“I know you’re listening in, Joker.” Law continued. “You should know that Vergo is as good as dead. You’re about to lose your right-hand man, and Strawhat is taking care of Caesar as we speak. Not to mention, with the way things are going, that so-called ‘daughter’ of yours seems like she’s ready to defect as well. You got too confident. I’m sure you’re starting to sweat, now that your most trusted secret holder and your supply of SAD are slipping away from you. So just keep laughing on that gilded throne and think about your next move… it won't matter anyway.” He smirked. “We're about to do the unthinkable.”
Vergo abruptly stripped his quilted trenchcoat, throwing it on the floor along with the transponder snail that had Doflamingo on the line.
Doflamingo cackled like he didn’t care in the slightest. “You do a decent tough-guy act, kid… but I think you’re the one being overconfident here. Take a good look at Vergo.”
Law’s glare hardened at the sight of Vergo’s entire body coated head to toe with Armament Haki. Including his staff, there wasn’t a single spot untouched.
“You know what happens when you piss him off, right? Think hard about what happened last time… how’d it turn out for you? You crossed Vergo, and what did he do then? You remember, don't you?”
Law calmly readied his blade despite the pounding of his heart in his chest, his eyes never leaving Vergo.
Doflamingo continued. “Was it traumatic? Surely it had to have been… you’re afraid of him, aren’t you? Just like that daughter of mine. At least she knows her place… but now that she knows you’re alive, well…” he chuckled darkly. “I hope you’re proud of yourself, Law. Her blood will soon be on those stained hands of yours, too.”
Vergo readied his staff. “Let’s begin.”
Law summoned his Room, and Vergo charged at him with the speed and force of a missile. Law’s gaze never wavered, and his hands remained steady. With a deep inhale, he waited for the exact moment to draw his blade…
SSSLASH!
And with one powerful horizontal swing, Vergo, along with the entire laboratory… had been bisected.
The second that everything came crashing back down to earth, Law wordlessly sheathed his blade and stepped towards Smoker, who lay injured on the floor next to his jitte.
“It’s been two years now since the war in Marineford. Had anyone actually accomplished anything? All you did was maintain the status quo. All Whitebeard did was end the era. The Navy regrouped and bolstered their strength… and none of the big shots have taken action. It’s as if everyone’s been holding their breath… preparing for something. The war was just a prologue to this new era you’ve always told me about. The age of the daring ones… and I’ve opened the gate, Joker. The gears are broken, and there’s no turning back… for anyone. Not even you,”
Just then, a small crumpled ball of paper near Smoker caught his eye. Not because paper was particularly out of place in a laboratory, but because it appeared to have been drawn on with… crayon?
Law was suddenly alerted by a noise dragging across the floor, followed by Vergo shouting, “I’LL TEACH YOU YOUR PLACE, BRAT!!”
Vergo wasn’t finished just because he was missing his legs. He had vaulted himself into the air with his staff, intending to kill Law once and for all.
And yet, Law had already predicted this outcome. He quickly summoned his Room again, slicing Vergo to pieces before he could land a hit. To add insult to injury, Law picked up his scattered pieces, sticking them across the railing like a strange art display and walked back to where he was.
“Well damn… how will I have breakfast tomorrow now? What a terrible turn of events.”
Law ignored Vergo, picking up the scrap of paper he had his eyes on before. Before he could unfold it, though, Vergo kept talking.
“You weren’t supposed to win this round, Law. I bet you’re proud of this upset you’ve pulled off. But mark my words, you will regret this.”
Law didn’t respond. At this, Vergo began to get irritated.
“You don’t know as much about Joker’s past as you think you should. You’ll pay for that ignorance. Upstarts like you get a taste of fame and suddenly believe they can take on the world, but they couldn’t be more wrong. There’ll always be someone stronger. Right, Smoker?”
Smoker didn’t respond either, opting to retrieve two cigars from his coat and light them, then entertain his drivel.
“The only thing you rookies have is energy. The real world won’t—”
Law quickly silenced him by slicing his head in half from the chin up. “Don’t worry about me, just worry about yourself,” he told him, resheathing his blade.
Finally, as he was leaving the room with Smoker, he unravelled the paper. It appeared to be a crude children’s drawing of a little girl with pigtails holding the hand of a blonde adult labelled ‘Miss Panumbra’ with what looked like a chain attached to her ankle leading off the page.
Law stared for a second before folding up the paper and placing it in his pocket for whenever he saw Glasses-ya again.
***
“Mmnh… nnh…?” Leona mumbled, eyes fluttering open. Where… was she? Last she remembers, she passed out in the examination room they’d brought Mocha to after locking the doors… but now she was… on a pile of blankets?
“You’re awake!! Oh, thank goodness!!”
Leona yelped at the sudden squeaky voice, bolting up from the blankets she was lying on.
“Oops! S-sorry, Penumbra! I didn’t mean to scare you!”
Leona blinked, squinting her bad eyes at the little blue and yellow smudge peeking in reverse from outside, recognizing who it was. “O-oh, Chopper! I-it’s okay, I'm just a bit… on edge.” She then took in her surroundings. “What happened? Where's—”
She gasped, abruptly remembering their situation. “Mocha! Is Mocha okay?! I need to—!”
When Leona tried to stand up, she was jolted by the intense overexertion pain the adrenaline had been ignoring the entire day, crying out. “ACK!”
Chopper gasped, scrambling to her aid. “H-hey! Take it easy! You didn't have any debilitating injuries when I examined you, but that doesn't mean you're just good to start running around!”
Leona flinched, arms instinctively wrapping around her stomach. “You examined me?”
“Well, of course I did. It’s my duty.” Chopper answered matter-of-factly. “What if you were seriously hurt?”
Leona’s cheeks pinked at her own knee-jerk reaction. “Oh, um… r-right. Sorry, that was dumb…”
Chopper began looking through his little blue knapsack for something. “Anyway, to answer your question, Mocha and the rest of the kids are all safe! The gas is all gone, and we even managed to capture Caesar, too! Now Sanji's cooking us up a big meal to celebrate!!”
“Oh my goodness…” Leona marvelled. It was so much information to take in all at once, but ultimately it was… unbelievable! Overwhelmingly joyful tears welled in Leona's eyes, and she cried into her hands. “Thank god… oh, thank you, god… where are the kids? You said all of them are safe? All fifty—”
“All fifty-two of them,” he nodded happily. “Law is treating them inside the med bay on the ship, but he said that he wanted complete and utter solitude. The Marine guys set up a medical tent for me so I could treat you.”
“Well, wasn’t that sweet of them?” She smiled. Then, something came to her. “Oh, I-I should go and—”
She tried to stand up, but sharply gasped when the pain hit her again. “Ooh, ow ow ow ow…”
“I told you not to run around!” Chopper scolded.
“B-but I want to check on the kids!” the blonde pleaded. “Sure, Law’s treating them, but he’s about as delicate as a bag of hammers!” Her eyes shifted awkwardly for a second. “…E-emotionally, I mean.”
Chopper gave her a chiding glare for a moment, but ultimately sighed in defeat when she crossed her arms and glared back. “Alright, fine… I can give you something to ease the pain a bit… but you still gotta take it easy!”
“Of course.”
“On a scale of one to ten, how’s your pain?” he asks, sorting through his knapsack again. “One is barely noticeable, ten is about to pass out.”
“Ummm… seven?”
“Gotcha.”
A stretch of silence passed in the tent before Leona spoke again. “So, um… I can’t help but notice you left my greaves on… where’s the rest of my armour?”
“Oh! I knew I was forgetting something! We have it with the rest of our supplies in that white trunk you had. It’s kind of… busted, though…”
“Busted?” Leona inquired.
“As soon as you went unconscious, a big crack went down the middle of the whole suit. I dunno if that’s easy to fix…” Chopper explained. “B-b-but I did my best to keep them intact! I couldn’t figure the boots out, though, so I left them on.” He handed her two capsules and her glasses.
“Oh, that’s not bad at all. I can fix things like that in my sleep.” Leona put her glasses back on and swallowed the pills dry. “Thank you.”
“Oh, and Nami left you this coat and gloves, too!” he said, pointing his hoof at a long, grey and black striped winter coat topped with said gloves next to the blanket pile.
Leona’s heart swelled. “Oh gosh…! You Strawhats really go above and beyond, don’t you? I-I’m not sure I deserve this…”
“What are you talking about!?” Chopper gasped. “You were amazing!!”
“I-I really didn’t do much…” Leona insisted.
“But you did! Without you, the children would’ve been in way more danger! We wouldn’t have known where to take Mocha to save her life. You gave us information on Caesar, you helped me go through Caesar's notes so I could fix up some sedatives… Ooh! Ooh! And then there was that super cool move you used to get rid of that dragon, too!!”
Leona snorted. “How did you know about that? You weren’t there.”
“Usopp told me all about it!! How you and him bravely shot the dragon out of the air with a super duper double sniper attack!! So cool!!!” Chopper recounted with big glittering eyes.
Leona stared blankly for a moment before erupting into laughter. “Yeah? H-he said that?” How silly!
“Yeah!! I wish I could've seen it!”
While Leona was a bit uncomfortable receiving praise for, in her opinion, bare minimum effort, the way Chopper's whimsical view of it all made her feel very… touched.
“Alright… if you say so.” Leona giggled.
Eventually, the painkillers were beginning to work, so Leona donned the winter clothes she was given and stepped out onto the dock next to a broken Donquixote SAD tanker that was being repaired.
It seems the Navy were in a bit of a skirmish with the pirates, having painted a line across the dock to divide “good and evil,” or so they say. It didn't matter much to Leona anyway. Her eye was more so drawn to whatever Sanji and Brook were up to, stacking bricks in a circle.
The chef's visible eye lit up at the sight of her. “Penumbra, my darling! You're awake! I was so worried!”
“Aww, Sanji… you're too sweet.” Leona blushed, bashfully waving her hand. “What's all this?”
“I’ve been wondering that myself,” Brook said.
Sanji blew a cloud of smoke. “It’s a fire pit.”
“It’s rather massive for a fire pit, no?” Brook inquired.
“Well, there’s a massive number of hungry people here,” Sanji gestured. “I have to use a big pot, so I need a big fire pit.”
Come to think of it, now that she had some time to breathe… Leona was starving! All she had to eat today was breakfast! “What are we having?”
Sanji grinned. “It’s a very nutritious Newkama Kempo recipe I picked up. Hormone sea pig pork stew!”
A bit of drool escaped the corner of her mouth. “Ohh, that sounds absolutely amazing right now…” she moaned. “I can’t wait!”
Brook chortled. “Indeed! Ah, but…” He turned to the side. “What a shame that Kin’emon won’t get to enjoy any…”
“Why, what’s wrong with—” Leona began, but when her eyes followed, she yelped. “OH MY GOD!!”
It was Kin’emon, completely crystallized by the effects of the poison gas in a running pose, mouth agape in a terrified scream.
“Kin’emon!!” Leona cried, rushing towards his remains. She wanted to reach out her hand to touch him, but couldn’t muster the courage to do so, terrified of accidentally breaking him. “No… god, no… why!?”
“I know… It’s too painful to see him in such an awful state…!” Brook (somehow) sniffled. He sobbed onto his sleeve. “I have to avert my eyes… even though I don’t have eyes to avert!!”
“Fuck…” Leona wiped her eyes, feeling anger boiling in her gut. “This isn’t fair… You never deserved this! Y-you hadn’t even found your son yet…!”
The blonde turned to Sanji. “You guys captured Caesar, right? Where is he? I’m gonna break all of his fingers backwards!”
“Luffy might’ve beaten you to the punch already, but he’s over there,” Sanji said, pointing her to an icy rock across the Marine’s painted line.
“Thank you.” She huffed. She stomped her way over, ready to unleash nearly two years' worth of pent-up rage and hatred on the mad scientist. But when she got closer, a sight froze her mid-step.
Next to Caesar were the beaten-up, frozen, unconscious bodies of Buffalo and Baby 5, wrapped in emergency blankets.
“W-w-w-why… why are they here…!?” she whispered, terrified of the possibility of them waking up.
“HEYYYY, PEPPERONI’S AWAKE!!” Luffy shouted from nearby. “Boy, you missed a lot while you were out!!”
Leona choked. “Q-quiet! I can’t let them see me!” she whisper-yelled at him, grabbing his shoulders. “How long have they been here!?”
“Oh yeah, Traffy said they were old buddies of his! Are they yours, too, Pepperoni?”
“No! And stop calling me that! They—ugh…” she pinched her nose. “We were raised together, but that’s not the point! When did they get here?”
“Uhh… a few hours ago, I think.” Luffy hums. “They showed up outta the sky to attack us and take Caesar, but we kicked their asses, and they fell in the ocean. That’s why they're all frozen!” he giggled.
Leona withered. “N-never mind… but just to reiterate, they didn’t see me, did they?”
“I don’t think so.” He said, picking his nose. (gross). “I don’t really remember. Why?”
“Th… I… you…” Leona tried to find her words, but she just shook her head and sighed. “Don’t… don’t worry about it. I’m just gonna go see the kids.”
‘And hide from Buffalo and Baby 5 until I know they’re gone.’ She thought.
“Okay! They’re up there, behind a big steel door,” he pointed to the tanker. “Uhh… was it starboard or port side?”
“I-it’s okay, I know the layout of the tankers. Thanks, Luffy.” Leona nodded.
With that, she silently tiptoed as fast as her body would allow away from her fellow “family” members and aboard the ship.
Using her stealth prowess, she managed to slip past everyone who was fixing up whatever harm had been done to the ship and into the storage room in front of the med bay, because she really wasn’t in the mood for any more unwelcome surprises.
Now, all that was left in front of her was the steel door. For some reason, despite the fact that she knows who’s behind it, she couldn’t help the racing of her heart as she quietly approached the door.
Babump, babump, babump, babump…
Nervously, she knocked. “Law? It’s Penumbra. I’d like to check on the kids, please.”
No answer.
She knocked again, but a bit louder. “Law? Hello? I understand you said you wanted solitude, but I worry about your bedside manner.”
Silence.
Leona’s brow furrowed. He was ignoring her on purpose, wasn’t he?
Leona knocked much harder. “Law! Would it KILL you to give even just a short answer!?”
Nothing.
Leona groaned, rolling her eyes. This time, she pounded on the door. “TRAFALGAR D. WATER LAW, OPEN THIS GODDAMN DOOR, OR I WILL BUST IT THE HELL DOWN, YOU HEAR ME!?”
There was muffled stomping, and then the door opened just enough to poke his head through. “Was the full government name really necessary?”
“It got you to give me a fucking answer, didn’t it?” Leona shot back. “I’m worried for the kids and would like to check on their well-being. Now let me in.”
“No.”
“Law—”
“Outsiders aren’t allowed in the operating room for a good reason, now go.”
“That’s rich coming from the man not wearing scrubs, gloves, a hair and beard net or a mask.” Leona shot back. “I can handle whatever is in here, now please, if you would—”
“Leave,” he said, about to slam the door.
CLANG!
At a sudden loud noise, Law looked down and groaned at the fact that Leona had thrust her moonglass-clad foot through the door to keep it from shutting all the way.
“For fuck’s sake, Glasses-ya!” he hissed through the gap. “What part of ‘no’ do you not get!?”
A hand shot out, grabbing the collar of Law's coat and tugging him forward. A second hand followed, pointing a small moonglass knife at his face. “I've seen what your devil fruit does, Law, and I mean it when I say I can handle it. And while I am here to see the children that I've been taking care of for so long to make sure they're okay after everything they’ve been through, I believe I am long overdue for some proper answers.” She said, poking the tip of the knife into his face, just enough to draw a mere drop of blood. “Now let me in, or else a broken door will be the least of your worries.”
The two shared a very tense staring contest. “Well?” Leona whispered, digging the knife eeeever so slightly deeper, “What's it gonna be?”
Law’s eye twitched. He knew fully well he could absolve this issue quite easily by teleporting her somewhere else or cutting her into pieces. And yet… despite how annoying she was being, he did have some inquiries of his own that he’d rather settle in private.
Reluctantly, he moved the door. “...Fine. But if you want those drugs out of these kids’ systems, you’re not to touch anything or interrupt my work in any capacity. We can talk, but that’s it. Otherwise, I’ll warp you outside, cut into bite-sized cubes. Understand?”
“Acceptable terms,” Leona replied, drawing her hands back and evaporating the knife away.
Upon entering the room and closing the door, Leona viscerally yelped and averted her eyes at what she saw. The children were scattered around the expansive infirmary in pieces, some with various organs removed and in the same rubbery-gelatinous cube thing Law's own heart was stored in not too long ago.
“‘I can handle it,’ she says…” Law mutters under his breath, returning to where he was.
“S-shut up!” Leona fumed. “I know they aren't being harmed, but it doesn't make the sight any less shocking!”
“Uh huh.” Law rolled his eyes, summoning a Room and getting back to work, physically removing the NHC10-affected cells from the most affected internal organs.
Leona sat on a wheeled stool, awkwardly crossing her legs and pulling out her coin to fiddle with while she looked around. “...is it necessary to have them scattered all over in pieces like this?”
“Everyone has a system, and this is mine,” Law said, not looking up. “If you can’t ‘handle it’, then—”
“Ugh—okay, okay! Fuck…”
There was a pregnant pause as Leona thought about how to approach her questions. She knew that if she were too intrusive, he wouldn't want to answer, but if she were too vague, he'd get pissed off.
“So… how long have you been on the seas, if I may ask?”
“Around eleven or twelve years.”
“That young!? Good lord… What on earth happened in those six months when you left Spider Miles?”
“No comment.”
Leona sighed. “Yeah, I figured…”
Another pause.
“So… why are you here alone?” Leona decided to ask. “Do you have a crew?”
“I do.”
“Do you mind me asking… um… where they are?”
Leona internally winced at her phrasing, sincerely hoping her tone wasn't coming off as demanding.
Law didn't seem phased. “Again, no comment… but they're alive.”
The blonde kept fiddling with her coin. God, he was so fucking dry! How the hell was she supposed to get anywhere with him!?
Another pregnant pause went by, but it was Law who spoke this time. “So what will you do now?”
Leona blinked. “Pardon?”
“Now that everything's said and done here, what do you plan to do?” He repeated.
“Um… well…” she floundered. “I think… I was just gonna go back home…”
“Why?”
“Huh? Um…” Leona was beginning to sweat, not quite knowing how to respond. “W-w-well… I'm… I guess I'm done with my mission… It's… it's what I usually do…”
Law's eyes curiously flitted up from his work before returning to it. “Do you think Doflamingo is gonna be happy with the outcome of your mission, considering the events of today?”
Leona flinched, dropping her coin from her shaking fingers. “Shit.” She gasped, scrambling to grab it. “I-I-I mean… he probably won't, but… m-m-maybe If I explained what happened—”
“Like how you blatantly were going against your orders?” Law interrupted.
Leona tried to ignore that. “...I-if I explained and maybe bent the truth a bit… m-maybe it won't be so bad?”
“Glasses-ya—”
“L-like, if I just told him where I've been all this time and just sort of… left out a lot of what happened here?”
“Glasses-ya, you—”
“He still might be a bit angry, sure, but… I know he's understanding enough! Any other time I've messed up, I've gotten away with just one punishment… e-e-even if it's a beating this time, I'd gladly take it over being—”
There was a slam on the table that made Leona scream and shield her face, followed by Law yelling, “PENUMBRA-YA!”
“Don't do that!” Leona cried, fully trembling. “What!?”
“Look at yourself!” Law said. “You're scared shitless at the idea of going back because you know what he'll do!”
“B-but he might not—” Leona tried, but Law interrupted her again.
“You just said you'd even take him beating you if it meant you got away with this.”
Leona flinched. “Yes, but…”
“There are no buts here, Glasses-ya,” Law told her. “Vergo said it himself. You've been labelled a traitor. You know fully well you can't come back from that. Not in the family.”
Big fat tears welled up and streamed down Leona's face. She wanted to fight Law kicking and screaming about this. To prove to him that he was wrong and knew nothing at all since he didn't know Doflamingo even half as well as she did…
…but who was she kidding?
She was well aware of how depraved and cruel Doflamingo was. No man with even an ounce of care for human life would have his reputation even within his innermost circle. Leona's always pushed it away because she wanted and tried so hard for her to be the exception… but it was true. It was always true. To Doflamingo, she was disposable. Even if she called him ‘Dad’… at one point.
“What am I supposed to do…?” Leona choked.
“Well, if you want my opinion…” Law starts. “You could either go back anyway and face whatever it is Doflamingo decides will be your fate… You could spend the rest of your life on the run, living in fear… or you could leave this island with me and Strawhat ya's crew to aid us in overthrowing Doflamingo. None of them are easy choices, but I can't force you to make a decision.”
Leona didn't respond. She just stared at the floor, silently sobbing and hiccuping as the three choices rotated in her mind over and over like some fucked up carousel.
“AGH!”
Leona's head shot up at Law's sudden yelp, surprised to find that he was clutching his hand away from the disembodied head of Yoshie on the table, who had apparently just bitten him.
“That's what you get fo’ making Miss Panumbwa sad!” She bellowed.
“YEAH!! HOW DARE YOU MAKE HER CRY!!” the children booed.
Leona couldn't help the snort that left her. She should be scolding this behaviour, buuut…. It was kind of funny…
“You brats! How would you like to stay in pieces!?” Law yelled at them, making the children scream.
Leona was about to settle everyone down when the door suddenly slammed open, followed by a shout. “What are you doing to them!?”
“Chopper?” Leona gasped.
Abject horror spread over Chopper’s face at what he saw, and he ran away shrieking. “LUFFYYY!!!”
“Chopper, wait!!” Leona shouted.
“Great, another massive pain in my ass…” Law grumbled.
Leona got up, sighing. “I’ll go after him…”
She stepped out onto the deck, following the sound of Chopper’s cries. “YOU HAVE TO STOP HIM!! HURRYYY!”
“CHOPPER!” Leona called. “Please, you’ve got it all wrong!”
“How could I POSSIBLY be wrong about what I saw!? Law’s killing them!!!”
“The heck is he talking about, Pepperoni?” Luffy asked.
“It’s okay!” Leona said. “Law is removing the toxins from their bodies with his Devil Fruit. He said it's his ‘system’ or something. They’re all alive!”
Another set of shrieking sobs caught everyone’s attention. It was Brook this time.
“M-Mr. Soul King, sir? What’s the matter?” Leona asked.
“I-I murdered someone, too!!” the skeleton confessed. “I mean, Kin’emon was already dead, but… I SHATTERED HIS BODYYYY!!!”
“WHAAAAAAT!?!?”
Sanji, Luffy and Leona began panicking at Kin’emon’s now desecrated remains.
“HE’S DEAD, AND YOU SHATTERED HIM!?”
“YOU KILLED HIM AGAIN!?”
“WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO, MR. SOUL KING, SIR!?”
“HOW DO I FIX HIMM!?” Brook sobbed.
“What do you MEAN fix him!? He’s already dead! Sanji barked.
“W-w-w-what if we glued him back together!?” Luffy asked.
Leona leapt over the rail and onto the dock. “Glue isn’t going to bring him back to life, Luffy! Be serious!!”
But then, a true miracle happened. Kin’emon actually did revive, breaking free of his shell like an egg. This, of course, scared everyone absolutely shitless, so much so that Sanji nailed him in the face with a roundhouse kick.
“You’re supposed to be dead!!” he yelled as the samurai was knocked backwards.
“W-wait, Sanji! Don’t hurt him! What if you ended up killing him for real!?” Leona cried.
“...Oops, sorry. It was a reflex, I promise.”
“F-Father…!?” a young voice cried.
When everyone turned, there was a pink dragon—a very small one— standing on its back legs with tears in its eyes.
“Another dragon…?” Leona wondered aloud.
The ‘dragon’ didn’t stay one for long, though, as it suddenly burst into a cloud of orange smoke. When it cleared, what remained… was a crying, naked little boy with his hair done up in a samurai-style haircut.
“Muh… Momonosuke…!?” Kin’emon gasped.
“Y-you’re… you’re alive…!” the boy sobbed.
Finally reunited after so long, the father and son ran into each other’s arms, bawling their eyes out.
“Huh? That kid’s Momo?” Luffy wondered aloud. “Oh yeah, he did say somethin’ about bein’ human once…”
Brook raised his finger into the air. “Ah, so the tiny dragon was Kin’emon’s son! How wonderful that they’re reuni—”
“UWAAHHHH!!!”
Leona’s own sudden blubbering cut off Brook. “Th-thank… thank goodneeessss!!! Oh, Momonosukeee!! I was so worriiiieeed!!!”
The strawhats looked at her, then at each other, a smile creeping on their faces.
As time ticks down, Leona and the Strawhats race to save the children. However, things quickly go from bad to terrible...
CW: This slow burn fic delves into some distressing topics such as drug addiction, violence, gore, and dark themes. Please check AO3 for all tags.
Specific CW for children being harmed and mild emetophobia
Character reference || Masterlist
Previous || Next
Well, the plan was to go help the children, but unfortunately, the G5 seemed to ignore Smoker's orders in favour of arresting pirates. With guns and swords drawn, they threatened Leona, the Strawhats, and the other few miscellaneous lawbreakers of her group.
One of them spoke. “I have no idea what Trafalgar meant when he said we only have two hours, but we aren't letting you get away, Strawhats! You have nowhere to run!”
Leona's hackles raised. “Can you do this later!? There are kids in danger downstairs!”
“Save it, knight girl!” Another barked. “We're Marines! It's our job to catch high-profile pirates. If we don't do this now, we’ll never get another chance!”
“Stand down!” Zoro demanded, grabbing the hilts of two of his blades, but the G5 Marines did not waver.
Soul King and the samurai also stepped forward, readying their blades. This made the G5 get noticeably antsy, which the three took as their time to strike. They and the Marines entered battle as Usopp, Nami, Sanji, and Leona all climbed up onto Brownbeard.
“That's our boys!” Usopp cheered. “Way to go!”
Leona perched on top of Brownbeard's shoulder, forming another moonglass bow and arrow. “Let's charge! I'll cover the rear in case they start coming after us.”
“Much obliged, little nur— uh… little miss!” Brownbeard thanked, remembering what Leona had told him prior.
Leona smiled. “We should be thanking you for carrying us.”
“Yeah! It's a huge help!” Sanji exclaimed.
“Don't mention it! But uh… I am curious as to why you brought that dragon along.”
“Oh, uh…” Sanji muttered, staring back at the drowsy-looking green dragon Leona somehow hadn't noticed earlier. “Well, the original plan was to make it fly us away from the gas, but… he didn't even make it off the ground.”
“That's because he's pumped full of sedatives, lad,” Brownbeard explains. “That monster would be rainin’ hell in here if he hadn't been. Once they wear off, we might be in a bit o’ trouble. Y'shoulda just left it outside!”
“...I missed a lot more while I was down in the nursery than I thought.” Leona thought aloud, firing a warning shot at some Marines who began to chase Brownbeard's tail.
“G5! This is no time to fight! Head to the back passage immediately!” Everyone heard Tashigi yell.
The G5 stopped to listen to their Captain. “There's only one safe corridor out of the building, and the door's already closing! Caesar plans to trap us all here, and if we don't get through that gate, he'll get his wish! Hurry and get through that gate!”
Leona breathed a sigh of relief. “At least there are some Marines that actually have a brain…”
“Indeed.” Robin agreed.
…
Wait, what the fuck?
“Robin!” Leona gasps.
Usopp slid down Brownbeard's back. “Hey! Where'd you run off to?”
Robin smiled. “Luffy just had me do him a little favour, that's all.”
Nami decided to steer the conversation to what was actually important. “You heard that Navy Captain, right, Brownie? Run faster! The gate's closing!”
“I-I'm… I'm sorry, lass… I can't go any faster…” Brownbeard panted.
“I'm sick to death of all this running!” The samurai complained.
“Getting tired on us, now?” Zoro needled.
“ABSOLUTELY NOT!”
Soul King spoke up. “Well, seeing as I'm not a samurai, I can feel justified in saying it… I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!”
BOOOOOM!!!
There was a sudden, deafening explosion, followed by a horrific sight that made Leona cry out—the gas. Someone had breached a wall to the outside and allowed the gas in!
“Hurry it up, Brownie!!!” Usopp and Nami screamed as the poor man did his damn best.
Leona watched in terror as more and more G5 soldiers got swallowed up by the gas, their screams of fear and agony bouncing off the walls. She wanted to run back and help, but she knew she couldn't. Not when she had her kids to save. She screwed her eyes tight with trembling fists. “I'm sorry… dammit… I'm so sorry…”
“Hang on tight, everyone!!!” Brownbeard bellowed. Leona yelped when the massive man suddenly leapt off the ground, slamming his tail onto the floor to spring himself sideways through the quickly closing gap in the gate.
When Brownbeard hit the ground, Leona was flung off his shoulder into the air with a scream. She quickly used her abilities to float her armour in midair.
“EEEEEEKK!!”
The relief was short-lived, though, when Tashigi suddenly flew through the gap like she had been thrown.
“Tashigi!” Leona managed to catch her by the waist in midair as she flew toward her. “I got you! Are you okay?”
Tashigi gasped. “My men! Put me down!”
Leona gently lowered herself to the floor, and Tashigi didn't even wait for her boots to touch the ground to start rushing back. Unfortunately, the men who had made it over got in her way.
“Move! There are still Marines back there! I have to help them!”
“You can't, Captain! It's way too dangerous!” One protested.
As Tashigi struggled against her subordinates, Leona gazed at the soldiers with haunted eyes through the rapidly shrinking gap in the doors. One by one, she could sense the wavelengths of each man's terrified emotions being suppressed and weakened. Pain, helplessness, and anguish… hitting her all at once like the waves of a deadly storm eroding a cliff. Even if she were to reach out her hand or pry the doors open for just a second longer, it'd be far too late for them all. They were all infected and crystallizing fast.
And yet, she realized, among it all, she could sense another emotion just as strong, if not stronger… Devotion. Selfless devotion to their team and to their Captain. The devotion to sacrifice their lives so that the others may live.
Leona decided that if she couldn't save a single one, then the very best she could do for them was offer them a piece of solace in their last moments. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath…
“YOUR CAPTAIN AND FELLOW MEN HAVE MADE IT THROUGH UNHARMED! WE PROMISE THAT YOUR SACRIFICES WILL NOT GO IN VAIN! THANK YOU, BRAVE G5!!!”
Tashigi froze at this, eyes wide when she caught a final glimpse at the remains of her men before the doors shut for good. Their final poses did not show frozen agony or fear. Instead, each one showed a prideful thumbs-up.
While the wavelengths of their emotions grew dull, a slight shift had emerged amid the cacophony of agony before they faded completely. There was a small glimmer… of peace.
Leona opened her eyes and walked up to Tashigi, gently touching her shoulder. “My condolences, Miss Tashigi, ma’am.”
“Dammit…!” Tashigi sobbed. “I couldn’t save any of them…!”
“We have to focus on the mission at hand. We can’t afford to grieve… not while Caesar is still free to do whatever he wants.”
“But…!”
“Look at me, Captain,” Leona said, getting in front of her and firmly gripping her shoulders. “Right now, your men need you. It's fucking terrible, but if we waste any time grieving, who knows how many more will end up the same? Your men saved your life to lead the rest, and I know you care for them, so don't throw that away!”
Tashigi's eyes widened, flitting up to meet Leona's intense gaze from within her darkened helmet. “You—”
“Penumbra! Hurry!” Nami yelled from Brownbeard's back as he was taking off.
“C-coming!” Leona replied. She turned back to Tashigi. “I have to go, but please, Captain, stay strong.”
Tashigi watched as Leona sprinted to catch up to her group and leapt back up onto Brownbeard's shoulder. As they ran off down the hall, she scrubbed her eyes dry and fixed her glasses.
“...Thank you.”
***
“I can't believe he compromised his own lab. He must really want us dead.” Robin remarked, staring down the hallway toward the opposite end where they had come from.
“I get the feeling this Caesar fellow might not be entirely right in the head…” Soul King muttered.
“What gave it away?” Leona huffed, crossing her legs.
Usopp removed his coat, looking around for a moment before hanging it on one of the osteoderms on Brownbeard's new reptilian back, as if it were a coat rack. “Well, no matter the case, it's good we managed to escape. But that doesn't mean we're safe by any stretch.”
“That's right… We have to find those kids ASAP and then get our asses over to Gate 66. Penumbra! Do you know where the Biscuits Room is from here?”
Leona looked around. “We're close to room B… I'm sure Caesar must've cut the power to the elevators, so we'll need to take the stairs down to the 3rd floor once we're in the next room.”
“The sooner we get off this island, the better.” Sanji huffed, blowing a cloud of smoke and ashing his cigarette. “I’m fed up.”
“Hey!” Zoro called over to Brownbeard. “Can’t you run any faster?”
Brownbeard whipped his head back, nearly knocking Leona off balance. “Are you KIDDING me!?” he roared. “When the hell did so many of ye get on my back!? It’s getting heavy!!”
“You’ll have to forgive us, Brownbeard, but you’ll need to tough it out. We have no other choice.” Zoro said.
“There is? It better be a damn good reason!” Brownbeard shot back.
“We’ve been running all day, and now we don’t want to.”
“Ugh, now that you mention it… I’m gonna be so sore after this...” Leona grimaced while subconsciously rubbing at the dreaded future knee pains. She was absolutely not looking forward to being unable to walk or sit properly for possible weeks.
“THAT'S A TERRIBLE REASON! GET OFF OF ME!” Brownbeard howled.
“You know, it's kind of stuffy in here,” Zoro says, ignoring Brownbeard and stripping his winter coat.
“Just hang it up here with mine.” Usopp offered.
“You're right, I'm taking mine off too,” Nami said, stripping her own coat. Though, since the samurai made it, it dissolved into a puff of pink smoke. “Penumbra, aren't you warm in all of that? Why not shed some to keep it breathable?”
“I'd prefer not to leave any openings for weapons to slip through,” Leona explained. “Thank you for your concern, though.”
“Hey! My back isn't a lounge!” Brownbeard griped. “If you aren't hurt, get down and run for yourselves!”
“I'm a bit peckish.” Soul King hummed. “Brownbeard, you wouldn't happen to have some snacks back here, would you?”
Leona turned to Nami. “I-isn't he…?” she gestured vaguely at his skeletal self.
“Yeah, we have no idea how it works either.” She shook her head.
“Shut up!! As soon as I get to the post where my men are all stationed, I'm bucking you all off and going my own way!”
“Thank you for putting up with us, Brownbeard,” Leona said to him. “Your help really means the world.
“I HAD NO CHOICE!!!”
“Oh Nursemaid, I had just thought of something!” the samurai said.
“Hm?”
“When that woman got thrown through the door, you were flying with magic and caught her in the air, right? How fast can you fly?”
“If you're asking me to somehow carry you on my back and fly down the hallway, I'll have to decline. Not only am I much too small to carry all of you, but my powers take energy. I'd collapse very quickly.”
“Ah, I see. A shame.” He nodded.
“You have to remember that Penumbra is running on fumes at this point,” Sanji said, taking a drag. “You shouldn't ask her to exert herself so much.”
Sanji's cheeks became rosy. “I'm just looking out for you, my sweet Penum—”
Sanji suddenly went rigid, as if he were detecting something.
“...Sanji? Are you okay?” Soul King asks.
“Something happened, I have to leave.”
“Leave? Why? What happened?” Usopp asks.
Sanji didn't respond. Instead, he leapt off of Brownbeard and took off in the opposite direction like a bat out of hell.
“SANJI!! WHERE ARE YOU GOING!?” Nami cried. “GET BACK HERE!”
A stretch of silence passed before Usopp spoke again. “...Why do you think he took off like that?”
“I think I felt a dangerous presence creeping up. He might've gone after it.” Zoro guessed.
“Dangerous presence?” Leona muttered. She tapped into her Observation Haki to try to discern what it was, but gasped when she sensed an instant, overwhelming flood of murderous intent. However, it wasn't human murderous intent. No, this wavelength felt much more simple. Territorial, animalistic even. The fact it's so strong could only mean…!
“It's here!” Leona shouted, readying her bow.
“Oh, what now!?” Usopp groaned.
Flying overhead was the dragon that had been brought from the outside, yet now he seemed far more aggressive.
“Oh, the dragon we didn't ride on.” Soul King remarked.
“Why does he look different?” Nami questioned.
“Huh? Ah, hell. The sedatives must've worn off.” Brownbeard grumbled.
“Pick up the pace, Brownbeard!” Leona commanded, firing arrows at the beast.
The dragon was much more agile than she had anticipated; however, weaving between shots before diving forward with bared fangs, as if he was about to snatch the group in his jaws.
“We're gonna die!!!” Usopp screeched.
“That flame breath could instantly turn us to char.” Robin calmly mused.
“No one asked for your academic analysis!”
Nami jumped down from Brownbeard's shoulder. “Get up and do something, Brook!” She cried.
“Huh?”
“Yeah! It's all up to you now!’
“WHAT!?” the skeleton shrieked as Usopp and Nami shoved him forward bit by bit. “Why are you putting this on me!? I'm scared of it too, you know!!”
“You're the only one who can do this! You're the oldest!” Nami insisted.
“You shouldn't sacrifice your elders!!!”
Leona lowered her bow, interested to see what a living skeleton was capable of in a fight, especially against a dragon.
…and yet, instead of actually doing anything, Soul King (Brook?) just… screamed. Surprisingly, though, once the dragon got close, he sniffed the man before seeming completely disinterested and going back to terrorizing from above.
“Huh? Huh!? HEY!!!” Brook cried.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake…” Leona bemoaned, going back to firing arrows as best she could at a moving target on unstable footing. “Fucking— ugh! Brownbeard! Quit moving your shoulders so much!”
“Can't ye just do that from my back!?” He argued.
“Oh, I'd love to, truly! But I don't trust these guys enough to not panic their way into my line of fire!”
“...Aye, fair enough, that.”
The dragon, now somehow angrier, spewed streams of flame all over the area.
“He's causing a lot more damage than the big one did. Pretty damn cool, actually.” Zoro observed from a reclined position.
“Would ye get the hell off my back and fight it!? It's settin’ the whole damn buildin’ on fire!!” Brownbeard barked.
“This is bad, isn't it? What happens if one of these tanks gets too hot and explodes?” Usopp pondered.
“Then we either all die in the blast, or it'll rupture a wall and let in the gas! What the hell do you think!?” Leona snapped. The fact that she was the only one doing anything at the moment while simultaneously doing nothing to the dragon was beginning to immensely piss her off.
“Oh! Well, okay then, does anyone want to slay the dragon!?”
“Look no further, my long-nosed friend!” The samurai declared, striking a pose reminiscent of Wanoan Kabuki Theatre. “I happen to have a score to settle with dragonkind, so my fury shall be unbridled! By the might of his blade, I do swear, the beast shall be destro—”
“Not so fast!” Brook interrupted, shoving the samurai aside, blade drawn. “That loathsome beast has done me a great wrong, and I shall reclaim my honour in blood!”
“You just met it today.” Usopp reminded him.
Brook suddenly (somehow) looked saddened. “While that is true, did you not notice its cruelty before!? He charged to consume me, and then turned me away as if I were just some bag of bones! Which I mean is true, but I'm sensitive about that!!”
“Dragons need real nutrition, I guess.” Usopp shrugged.
“I'll have you know that bones are plenty nutritious!!!” Brook shrieked.
“I COULD USE SOME HELP, PLEASE!” Leona yelled at them.
“Er… yes! Kin'emon, I insist you allow me to vanquish this dragon!”
“I shall take your revenge, so stand back!”
“I'll do it myself!!”
“You shall not!”
“I shall too!”
“You shall no—”
“AAAAGH QUIT FUCKING MOVING AREADY!!” Leona screamed. Out of sheer overwhelming frustration, she shattered her bow and gathered energy above her head in a wide range, which solidified into hundreds of moonglass arrows.
“Waning Crescent: Lunaris Volley!!!”
With a snap of her fingers, Leona fired a hail of arrows that the dragon couldn't weave through. They tore through his leathery wings and skewered his body until he resembled a pincushion. With an agonized howl, the beast plummeted to the floor in a bleeding heap.
“Ah…” the samurai and Brook muttered. They then suddenly realized the dragon was vulnerable and rushed to be the first to finish the beast by themself, all while bickering.
Leona panted heavily before releasing the rest of her frustration with a furious scream of “GODDAMMIT!!!” that startled everyone.
She then sat back down, rubbing her temples and continuing to catch her breath. “Sorry, I… it was just…” she gasped. “Way too much all at once…“
“Are you okay, little miss?” Brownbeard asks.
“Yeah, I just… d-don't worry about it, I'm… I'm fine.” She then quickly muttered under her breath, “Fuck, that took a lot out of me. Why'd I do that…?”
When Leona looked back up, Kin'emon—if Leona had heard correctly— and Brook were kicking and insulting the dragon's corpse, which was now smouldering for some reason. Perhaps one of them had an attack involving fire that Leona hadn't seen? It didn't matter either way. At one point, Brook had ceased his assault and looked rather concerned as Kin'emon's just grew angrier and seemed more personal.
“They've been at that for a while,” Robin muttered as Brownbeard continued to carry everyone further away.
Nami rolled her eyes and yelled. “BROOK! GET YOUR BONY ASS BACK ON BROWNIE'S TAIL, OR ELSE WE'RE LEAVING YOU BEHIND!!”
“EEEK! PLEASE WAIT!!!” Brook's shrill cry echoed off the walls as he and Kin'emon sprinted to catch up.
A sudden rumbling caught Nami and Leona's attention, and they looked up towards the overhead bridge to witness the now awake children, still very deep in their withdrawals, stampeding with weapons in hand. The most shocking part, however, was that they charged at Chopper, who was in his monster point form.
“That doesn't sound good!” Robin gasped.
“CHOPPER, STOP!! PUT THEM DOWN! YOU'LL HURT THEM!!!” Leona cried out when Chopper let out a terrifying roar, snatching up children in his massive hands while tanking beatings from others.
Leona grabbed Nami's shoulders in her panic. “I know he went berserk last time because it was Franky inside his body, but how good is HE at controlling that monster form!?”
“He's trained for two years to be able to control it, so he should be completely sapient…”
“Should?! You mean you don’t know for sure?!”
“EEAGGH! LET GO! YOU'RE HURTING ME!!” A distant boy's voice echoed from above.
“Oh, fuck my life…!” Leona gasped, jumping off Brownbeard's shoulder and bolting up the stairs.
“Penumbra!” Usopp called after her.
“We need to help her! Hurry!” Nami cried, jumping off Brownbeard. Everyone else followed suit.
By the time Leona got up to the bridge, the children had forced their way into the Biscuits Room, and Chopper was now back to normal, battered, and sobbing on the floor.
“CHOPPER!” Leona cried, rushing forward and scooping him up.
“Ah! Penumbra!!” Chopper gasped. Tears began to pour from his eyes. “You're okay!!”
“I could say the same to you!” Leona panted as she ran.
“Thank god you're alright!” Nami said as everyone caught up.
Brook chortled. “It looks like we’re just in time!”
“I-I’m so… I’m so glad you’re all here...! I can’t handle them alone!” Chopper wailed.
“What happened after Caesar brought them back?” Leona asked.
“When I was escaping Caesar’s lab, I managed to run into Mocha being harassed by a bunch of guards into coming with them, but she was hallucinating and in hysterics! I took out the guards and injected her with a sedative, so she’s the only one in her right mind… she was helping me guard the door and keep the candy away from the others, but I… I was too weak to hold them back!” The poor thing sniffled. “Now she’s all alone in the Biscuits Room with the candy! She’s in danger!!”
Leona felt her heart plummet into her stomach. “Shit! We’re coming, Mocha!!”
When they finally reached the Biscuits Room, the kids were already pretty far across the floor. “EVERYONE, PLEASE STOP!!” Leona called out to them as loudly as she could. “LEAVE MOCHA ALONE RIGHT THIS INSTANT! PLEASE, LISTEN TO YOUR TEACHER!!!” But of course, it wasn’t enough to stop them.
Leona handed Chopper off to Nami and retrieved her whistle, trying her best to get the crowd of kids to at least stop. But when that didn’t work, Robin crossed her arms in front of her chest.
“MIL FLEUR - GIGANTASCO MANO!”
On her command, thousands of human arms sprouted from the floor in front of the children, fusing together to form a giant pair of hands that blocked the way. “I’ll hold them off while you go find the girl!”
“Th-thank you so much, Robin!” Leona gasped, sprinting ahead.
It wasn’t long before the children started finding creative ways to bypass the giant hands. Still, thankfully, through the stampede, Leona had spotted Mocha bravely guarding a giant wrapper full of candies close to her chest and begging the others to see reason.
“MOCHA!!” she cried. “It’s no use, sweetheart, they won’t listen! Hurry and run!”
“B-but, Miss Penumbra—!”
“Just do it! I’ll help you get away, so please, for the love of god, RUN!!!”
Mocha yelped, making a mad dash for the exit. Leona followed close behind, weaving through and sliding under the legs of several angered kids to get there. However… there was yet another obstacle.
Leona had felt it before it happened. The telltale icy chill shooting up her spine, signalling the dreaded reappearance of one of the two people she prayed wouldn’t show up at this moment.
A frigid wind blasted through the broken doorway, making everyone shield their faces. When it had subsided, the door was completely sealed with packed snow.
“Goddammit, not now! Where are you hiding!?” Leona cried.
“Did you forget how to look up, Penumbra dear?”
Perched atop the second-level railing… was her.
“Ah! Miss Monet!” Mocha gasped joyfully.
“Who the hell is she?” Leona heard Zoro mutter from farther away.
Usopp shrieked, apparently recognizing Monet. “That’s her! The crazy bird woman I told you guys about!!”
“Miss Monet, please help me! Please!” Mocha cried.
“Mocha no!” Leona gasped. “She’s not—”
“Oh Mocha dear, you shouldn’t hog all of that candy for yourself. Be a good little girl and share with everyone else, okay? Monet crooned.
“...huh?”
Monet licked her lips and used her abilities to create a blizzard within the confined space, then flapped down from her perch. “I won’t say it again, Mocha, my dear. Please share the candies with your friends. Stop being greedy and do as you’re—”
THHWUNK!
Monet was unable to finish her sentence when an arrow suddenly flew and lodged itself in her forehead. The harpy’s golden eyes flitted upwards at the projectile before zeroing in on Leona, who held a newly conjured moonglass bow. “My my. Was that necessary, Penumbra?”
“I’m not letting you hurt these kids anymore, Monet…” Leona panted. “I refuse… to kneel to your torment! These children will be going home, and if we have to… haah… have to kill you… then so be it!!”
Monet stared for a moment before her face warped into a sly grin. “You say that, and yet you look moments from falling over! Oh, poor Penumbra, are you tired? Did running around all day take a toll on you? That must be why you’ve teamed up with the Strawhat Pirates, isn’t it? You’re too weak to fight by yourself!”
Leona didn’t want to admit it… But Monet was right. She’s been ignoring the burning in her legs and using her abilities this entire time for the sake of the children, and she didn’t know how much longer she had before she’d faint from the exhaustion.
Suddenly, Monet disappeared, and Leona drew her bow in a panic.
“You two!” Robin’s voice called toward Usopp and Brook. “We don’t have much time! Find seastone handcuffs! I’ll do my best to handle the children!”
“Luffy asked me to go find some! Now go!” She then turned to Leona. “Hey, Penumbra!”
“Huh?”
“You don’t have to do this alone! Let us take care of the heavy stuff! Just focus on your duty as a caretaker!”
“But—!”
“Trust us, Penumbra!” Nami spoke up.
Leona was speechless for a moment, but realized she couldn’t argue. She swallowed her pride, nodded, then turned back to Mocha. “Mocha! I need you to carry me. Could you do that?”
“Huh? Um… okay, Miss Penumbra…” Mocha obeyed, picking Leona up and letting her climb up on her shoulder.
“I know it’s scary, but I need you to run as fast as possible and smash through that snow wall. I’ll guide you to somewhere safe, so don’t worry. You need to be a brave girl, Mocha. Are you ready?”
Mocha gulped, clearly terrified, but nodded anyway.
“Good girl. Alright… GO!”
Mocha began sprinting for the exit while Robin prepared to hold the children back. There was a scream, and Mocha wanted to turn back and look, but Leona pushed her face back forward. “Don’t look back, Mocha! You need to run!”
Tears spilled from the young girl’s eyes, but she nodded, using her shoulder to break through the packed snow and into the hallway.
“Right, Mocha! Go right!” Leona instructed.
Mocha turned, gripping the candy for dear life as Leona led her through the winding halls.
“W-where are we going, Miss Penumbra?” Mocha panted.
“Downstairs, there are holding rooms we can lock ourselves in! The doors are very sturdy, so we should be safe!”
“O-okay!”
“You can’t take the candy for yourself, Mocha!! You better share!!” the voices of the angry children following close behind cried out.
“You can’t have them!! They’re bad for you!!” Mocha wailed.
“Listen to Mocha!” Leona attempted to reason.
“Cien Fleur!”
A hundred arms sprouted from the floors and walls, tripping up a number of kids and pinning them to the floor.
“We’re giving them some sedatives!” Nami shouted. “Just keep running!!”
“Thank you!!” Leona cried.
“Miss Penumbra… I-I’m tired…!” Mocha sobbed.
“I know, I know, sweetie… please hold on, okay? We’re almost there, I promise…” Leona whispered, stroking her hair. “Take a right and go down the stairs at this fork!”
Despite her efforts, Mocha couldn’t help but slow down and stop while descending the stairs. “I-I can’t… I need.. To rest…” she wheezed.
“Shit, okay,” Leona whispered, heart beating out of her chest. “Just take a second. I think Miss Nami and Miss Robin managed to hold the rest back. Are you okay, Mocha?”
“I’m so scared, Miss Penumbra!” she sobbed, tears pouring down her face. “I-I wanna go home! I want my mama!!”
Leona hugged the side of her giant head and stroked her messy hair. “Shh, I know, my love, I know… and we’ll get you there, I promise. But we need to get through the scary part. You’ll be alright. You’ll all be alright, and no one will die.”
“D-do you promise…?”
The blonde’s eyes welled with tears. She tried to suck in a breath and keep herself together, though her voice trembled. “Yes, sweetheart, I promise. Now, do you think you can keep going?”
Mocha nodded. “Y-yeah, I should…”
“CAAAANDYYY!!!”
“Oh shit!” Leona cried. “We stayed here too long! Hurry, Moch—”
Mocha could hardly take a step before the kids descended upon her, tugging on her hair and clothes to try to pry the candy from her death grip. The force of it knocked Leona from her shoulder and tumbling all the way down the stairs.
“MISS PENUMBRAAA!!!” Mocha screamed. “STOP IT!! STOP!! YOU HURT MISS PENUMBRA! HOW COULD YOU?!”
“Nngh! Leona grunted, struggling to pick herself up. “I’m okay, Mocha! Hold on, I’m coming!!”
Leona tried to get up the stairs as fast as she could, despite her shaking limbs and blurring vision. The stress of everything made her stomach churn, and she could barely hear the arrival of Nami, Robin, and Chopper through her ringing ears.
At a point, her knee buckled, and she felt the telltale burning in her throat. She gagged and slapped a hand over her mouth. ‘Fuck, not now! Hold it down!’
The crowd of kids pinned Mocha down while she screamed at them to stop. Leona took a few breaths, raising her head to yell some more… but when she did… Mocha ripped open the wrapper… and began shoving handfuls and handfuls of the red candies… into her mouth…
For a moment, it felt like time slowed to a complete stop.
“Mocha…” Leona whimpered, frozen in place. “What… what did you just…?”
It took until the candy gas puffed out of her lips and nose for Leona to snap out of her stupor.
“MOCHAA!!!” Leona and Chopper screamed, scrambling towards her and pushing past any child in their way. “MOCHA! SPIT THOSE OUT RIGHT NOW!!”
“I’m shorry…” Mocha tried to speak through her full cheeks. Gas spewed out with every word. “Vey’re all… my fremns…!”
She reared her head back, and Leona climbed up her dress. “DON’T MOCHA! DON’T YOU DARE—”
GULP!
But it was too late… Mocha had swallowed… every single candy.
The ringing in Leona’s ears deafened the screams of everyone around her, even her own, when Mocha started coughing uncontrollably and tumbled down the rest of the stairs to the bottom. There, she spat a frightening amount of blood from her mouth, sobbing and wheezing in agony.
Thinking about when i went to get a deep tissue massage in november cause i was having terrible back pain issues and the lady i saw revealed that my back wasn't the issue, my ENTIRE BODY was the issue.
Law breaks everyone free of their chains, but the poisonous gas is approaching quickly...
CW: This slow burn fic delves into some distressing topics such as drug addiction, violence, gore, and dark themes. Please check AO3 for all tags.
Character reference || Masterlist
Previous || Next
Everyone watched in horror as the sentient slime beast evaporated into a massive, never-ending cloud of thick purple gas that spread quickly across the frozen wastes. The feed switched between various snails, showcasing those unfortunate enough to be swallowed by its toxic haze. When the feed cut to a shot of four specific people sprinting like the wind, Luffy gasped. “Hey, that's Zoro and the others!”
“They look stupid running like that,” Franky noted.
“Oh look, the samurai got his whole body back together.” Robin mused.
“Whoa, you're right! Guess that means he won't let me borrow his legs… WAIT! This isn't the time for that!” Luffy tried to scoot closer to the projection. “HEY!!! RUN FASTER, GUYS!! THAT GAS'LL FREEZE YOU DEAD! YOU GOTTA RUuuhh… ruh… nngh…”
Luffy toppled over, catching his breath. “Can't yell… too weak… I hate seastone…”
“Shurororororo!!!”
Caesar's stupid cackle made everyone glance up at his towering form. “I take it those are your friends? It would explain why they're so difficult to kill… too bad their lungs will give out and they'll be swallowed up like all of the rest!”
Leona rattled the links of the cage with her knee, attempting to get Caesar's attention.
“What?”
Leona didn't answer; instead, she just kept rattling the cage. Caesar's brows furrowed. “Yes, what is it, you worm? Hurry it up!”
Leona didn't speak, only signalling him to come closer with her head like she had an important secret to share. Caesar rolled his eyes with a theatrical groan and crouched down to her level. “What!? Can't you just-”
The scientist was cut off by a spray of water from Leona's mouth hitting him in the face. Leona had been holding in the melted snow from the chunk of Monet's wing she had bitten off, waiting for an opportunity.
Caesar paused, wiping down his nonplussed face with his gloved hand and shaking it off. “Are you proud of yourself? Just had to get that out of your system?”
“Yeah.”
Vergo held up Law's heart once again, threatening to squeeze, but Caesar threw out his hand. “Hold on now, Vergo. That won't be necessary. You see, in a mere matter of moments, this island will be engulfed and transformed into a place truly befitting the moniker "Land of the Dead." Not a soul alive can survive outside of this lab…” He then grinned wickedly at his caged victims. “And of course, that includes all of you!”
A lever was pulled, and the entire cage began shaking. A sudden rush of cold air swept in as a hatch behind the cage opened up, tilting the cage back and sending Luffy and Leona tumbling painfully back into the wall with a startled yelp.
Caesar continued to cackle. “Yes, and now I offer you all as proof to the world… evidence of the true destruction of my Land of the Dead! A pirate captain worth 400,000,000 Berries, a Vice Admiral of the Navy, even a warlord of the sea! You're all helpless against my tide of death!!!”
The freak continued to cackle madly as the cage was lifted by a crane and hoisted into the frigid air outside. All while Chopper watched the whole ordeal in paralyzed horror from behind a corner.
When Leona had bolted from the lab moments ago, he had attempted to follow her, but when he'd witnessed Leona surrender to Vergo, he realized he needed to hurry, grab as much information as he could, and get the hell out of there for the sake of the children. But now… now he was conflicted. He had everything he needed to concoct a cure, but… but now his friends were in danger! And yet… he wasn't in good enough shape to help…
Bonk!
A wad of crumpled paper smacked him in the head, and he unfolded it to reveal a message.
“Don't do anything…?” Chopper read aloud.
Who threw this?
***
Everyone attempted to stay upright as the crane lifted the cage high into the frigid air, while onlookers below pointed up and gawked at the spectacle.
“Urgh…” Smoker groaned. “You just HAD to piss him off, didn't you, brat?! Now look at us!”
“Oh, sh-sh-shut up… h-he was gonna d-do it an-n-ny way… I m-m-might as well h-have some f-f-fun.” Leona spat back, violently shivering as she was the only one without proper winter wear.
The cage swayed once the crane had lifted it high enough, then slowed to a stop. Everyone looked down through the cage at what was happening below.
“Look! I think that's Smokey up there!”
“I see Captain Tashigi, too!”
“They're alive! Thank God!!”
“Wait… are they chained up!? Dammit, we're gonna die after all!!”
The Marine in Smoker's body, Tashigi, inched close to the links of the cage. She was about to yell down to them, but the sight of Caesar's rapidly approaching Land of the Dead gas made her frightened speechless. Leona didn't blame her one bit. She herself was speechless at the sheer amount of it that billowed toward them. It was even swallowing up the mountains in the distance…
“Gotta say… that lab is more like a fortress with how solid it's built,” Franky observed.
Tashigi whipped her head towards him. “Huh?”
Robin giggled. “Very true. And well designed for maneuvering large equipment, might I add.”
“Hmm… how are we gettin’ outta this one?” Luffy pondered.
“How can you all be so calm!?”
Law grunted as he forced himself upright. “Vergo showing up really threw a wrench into things, but it doesn't matter. I'm not letting a small hiccup like that get in the way of things at this stage, Strawhat-ya.” He glanced at Luffy seriously. “Stick to the plan, and don't screw it up this time. Time for the counterattack.”
“A counterattack?” Luffy parroted.
“Do t-t-tell.” Leona prodded.
“I have a couple of ideas… but if anyone here can burn things, it might speed things along.
Franky can make fire! And laser beams!” Luffy exclaimed. “Wait, why didn't I think of that sooner? Franky, can you laser our chains off?”
“No can do, little buddy. I need two hands for that. The most I can do now is shoot a Coup de Boo out my ass.”
Leona blinked. “I b-beg your f-f-finest pardon?”
“Focus.” Law steered the conversation back. “Is it possible to set that navy ship on fire?”
Franky peered down below. “That broken one down there? Say no more, pal!”
The cyborg made a show of standing up and inhaling a deep breath, which made his chest puff out and glow red, even through his winter layers. He finished his attack by shooting an enormous fireball from his mouth like a cannon, which flew straight through the cage and onto the scrapped ship below, instantly engulfing it.
“Ooh!” Leona marvelled. “How cool!”
The amusement was short-lived, though, when the smoke billowed up through the cage and made everyone but Smoker—technically Tashigi—begin to cough.
“Wh-” Leona sputtered. “What now, genius!? You'll—cough—kill us at this rate!”
“Didn't think this through, did ya?” Franky wheezed.
“You burnt the ship.” Law deadpanned.
“You TOLD me to!”
Suddenly, Law shifted, and his chains miraculously just… came off?
“HUHH!?!?”
“Now that the video snails can't see us, we'll have a few minutes before he realizes what's going on. We should hurry along, though…”
“How… how did you do that!?” Leona gasps. "Aren't these seastone? A-and I watched Vergo tie you up! There weren't any weak links in that chain!”
“Nope. Mine were iron, but no one knew.” Law said, picking up the chain. “I've been switching out the seastone ones for these all over the lab for the last few weeks, just in case.”
Leona's mind flashed back to when she woke up chained to the nursery floor, puzzled at the fact that she didn't feel any symptoms despite what she was told about the chain's material. “Oh my god… so that's why…!” She whispered in awe.
“Room,” Law commanded, expanding his energy field outward. He flicked his fingers, and both his sword and Monet’s suitcase appeared out of thin air.
“Ah!” Leona gasped. “My armour!”
“Hurry and put it on once I free you. Can't have you freezing to death.” Law says, unsheathing his blade and slashing apart everyone's chains.
The moment the seastone no longer touched her body, Leona felt her energy return. She immediately rushed to open the suitcase. “I owe you my life!”
“YAHOO!!!” Luffy celebrated, jumping for joy. “Freedom at last!!!”
“You're still in a cage, idiot.” Law deadpanned.
While Luffy continued to celebrate and Law spoke with Tashigi and Smoker, Leona popped open the suitcase, revealing the cubes stacked together quite pleasingly, like a briefcase full of money, if she had to compare it to anything.
“The hell? That ain't armour, those are cubes!” Franky pointed out.
“I like to turn my creations into cubes if I need to transport or stash them anywhere. They're a very convenient shape.” Leona explains, smiling. “I can turn them back easily, anyhow.”
“How can you tell which piece is which?” Robin asks. Picking a couple up. “Some of them are different colours, but they're all pretty much identical.”
Leona pointed at some small letters spelling “left cuisse” shallowly carved into the surface of one of them. “I passed them off as building block toys in case Monet decided to snoop around, so I made sure to make the labels easy to miss, since she's quite farsighted.”
Leona's eyes glowed as she levitated multiple cubes out of the case, snapping and having them reform on her twirling body piece by piece until she was fully suited up again. “Ahh, much better!”
“EEEEEKK!!!”
Leona whipped her head back at the sound of a woman screaming, which turned out to be Tashigi, now back in her own body, apparently now fully aware of her… state of undress. Leona had assumed she simply liked having her shirts unbuttoned that much, but perhaps it was a wardrobe malfunction Smoker was a bit too chained up at the moment to fix? Or… did Smoker do that on purpose while he occupied her body? Eehh, on second thought, Leona didn't want to dwell on that…
“You're a Marine, dammit. Quit squealing like a schoolgirl.” Smoker admonished his subordinate.
“J-just get the chains off, please!” Tashigi begged, curled up into a ball to preserve her modesty. “I'll do anything you say if you get us out of here!”
“Don't you have any pride!? A Marine would rather die than beg a pirate for their life!”
Tashigi shot up and got in Smoker's face. “We have much more important people and things to worry about right now! If we get killed over our stupid pride, all of our men die with us! The Vice Admiral will-”
She caught herself then, remembering the fact that Vergo was a traitor. “I-I mean… Vergo… will continue to cover up what's happening…”
“Not to mention…” Leona added, leaning against the back wall of the cage and looking at her gauntlets like she was checking her nails. “There are still fifty-two kidnapped children in dire need of rescue and rehabilitation. Correct me if I'm wrong, Mr. White Hunter, sir, but aren't the Marines built on protection and absolute justice?”
Leona strode forward, crouching and lifting Smoker's chin with her finger.
Smoker grits his teeth at the menacing, glowing eyes staring daggers at him from inside the shadows of her helmet. “Tell me, is there absolute justice in allowing so many families to be torn apart, and Caesar getting away with his crimes? Are you really willing to keep your silly pride for that?”
“They're right, you know,” Law said. “I frankly have no obligation to spare your life, White Hunter. However, if you make it out alive and expose Vergo for who he is… that suits my ends. But there's a catch… I need you to forget what you heard about my ties to Joker.” His eyes flitted toward Leona. “And I assume you share the same sentiments, right?”
“If you'd be so kind.”
Law's gaze returned to Smoker. “Right. And that's not a petty request… that's a requirement. Well? Do we have a deal?”
Smoker glared venomously for a moment before ultimately conceding with a sigh and losing his defensive posture.
“Aw, thanks, Smokey! You're such a doll~” Leona cooed.
“Don't push your luck, brat.” Smoker spat.
Law cut the chains and resheathed his blade in one go. Once free, Smoker stood up, and Tashigi hurriedly rebuttoned her shirt.
“Man, there's too much smoke… I can't see anything!” Luffy groaned. Everyone turned towards him just in time to witness him tearing a hole in the cage and leaping out as if he were skydiving.
“What the hell are you doing!?” Law barked. “You don't even know the plan, yet!”
“Yeah, you should've kept him chained up, then,” Franky said.
“Luffy can't keep still for a second, so the second your back is turned, he's always god-knows-where,” Robin added. Both were smiling as if that was a good thing.
Luffy landed on a rooftop railing below, but his sandals caused him to lose balance. Leona gasped in horror when he ended up falling forward into the smoke below. “Luffy!”
The pirate continued to surprise her, however, when his feet anchored onto the rail and had his legs stretch all the way down, and then pull him all the way back up unscathed, much like a bungee cord. “Hey Traffy!!! How do we get inside!?” He yelled up.
Law was practically vibrating with rage, while Leona was just relieved Luffy wasn't hurt. “I thought I was gonna have a heart attack…”
“Hey man, do you still need my help? ‘Cause I'm worried about my ship.”
“...do what you want…” Law forced through his clenched teeth.
“HELL YEAH! I'M COMIN’ SUNNY!!!” Franky cheered, leaping out of the cage and quite literally flying away using his… flatulence…
“Oh my god… he was serious.” Leona blinked, watching him disappear into the distance. With each new thing she learned, the Strawhats were becoming less strange and more completely bizarre.
“HEYYY C'MON TRAFFY! HURRY UP, PEPPERONI!!! LET'S GO!!!” Luffy called, waving, giggling, and smiling ear to ear like a gleeful child. Law sighed in much the same way an exhausted father would.
“You have to admit…” Leona mused. “It's a bit endearing in an odd way, isn't it? How carefree he is?”
“Not even a little.”
***
Thanks to Law's powers, he was able to teleport everyone into the lab safely and without detection. Now they went onward to find the lever to open the shutters and let the G5 Marines inside.
“You're keeping that?” Law asks Leona, eyeing the empty suitcase she carried by the handle.
“Why not? It's a free carrying case for my armour, and I think I'd like to keep using it after all is said and done here.” Leona said, admiring her handiwork. “Call me weird, but… It makes me feel a little more… confident.”
“Fair enough.” Law hummed.
When they reached the dark room containing the hydraulics for the main shutters, Leona put up her hand for everyone to pause. She peeked around a corner, grimacing when she saw a group of three guards patrolling near the lever. One was clearly slacking, leaning against the wall, while the other two at least put in a little effort, but they were still pretty relaxed.
“Three guards… all pretty heavyset, by the looks of them.” She whispered.
“Got any ideas?” Law asked, analyzing the area.
“Hmm… Well, first we need to take their gas packs away so they're unarmed… after that, they really shouldn't be an issue. We could probably take them all out at once.”
She then looked back at her group. “The shutters' original purpose is for emergency lockdowns, which means they redirect all the power to important functions inside the lab. We need to redirect some power back here so they can open again. Do you think you all could take care of them while I power on the mechanism? It'd be much faster.”
Luffy punched his fist into his open palm. “You got it!”
Law nodded. He summoned his room, expanding the dome and engulfing the three now-bewildered guards.
Law drew his sword, imbuing the steel with his power. “Scan”
Shiny spots appeared in his vision where their weapons were attached to their suits, and he quickly teleported them over to their side.
“Now!” Smoker ordered once they were disarmed. Leona raced in the opposite direction to the emergency generator, hitting a few buttons and then pulling the switch to ‘ON’. The mechanism began whirring to life, and hydraulics could be heard pistoning inside the lever.
“Come on, come on…” Leona muttered as she waited for the light on the lever to turn from red to green.
Meanwhile, Smoker held one guard within his ‘White Out’ technique, with detached hands wrapped around his throat. Luffy absolutely pummeled another with a flurry of his fists, ending with one grand punch to the face. And Robin used her devil fruit to sprout arms all over another guard, binding his limbs and neck back so Tashigi could deliver a subduing blow with her blade. Finally, the light turned green.
Leona gasped, scrambling to the lever to pull it up. Because it was quite large and heavy, she was having difficulty getting it to budge.
“Hnnngh!!” She groaned, pulling with all her might. “Come… on! We don't… nngh! Have time…!”
Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed the handle as well, managing to help heave it back. Leona blinked in surprise to see that it was Law.
Law looked back at her, and Leona returned his look with a determined grin.
Both of them grunted, using their combined strength to pull it up fully. They had done it. The shutters began to rise.
“Yes! Just in time! Thank you, Law!” Leona cheered. In her excitement, she was about to go in for a hug, but immediately stopped when she remembered that Law prefers his space. Instead, she cleared her throat and awkwardly rubbed her arm.
When Law looked at her oddly, but stepped away to the front lines with Luffy and Smoker, Leona let out a nervous sigh. ‘Thank god that didn't end like last time…’
“What dumbass touched the lever!?” A guard running down the halls below yelled.
“Crap!! The G5 are getting in!” Yelled another. “What the hell is going on!?”
“Up there!” Shouted a guard who had just noticed the group.
Everyone looked up in time to witness the light outside slowly rise, revealing everyone.
“It can't be… Vice Admiral Smoker… Trafalgar Law… And Strawhat Luffy!? How are they here!? I thought the Master had them locked out!”
“We made it!” Tashigi declared. “All of our men are inside!”
Leona grinned smugly. “I'm so glad you're all still as incompetent as the day I had to take charge.”
Luffy was giggling with pure excitement. “This is gonna be so fun!”
Smoker just sighed. “Reduced to working with pirates… where did I go wrong?”
“That's the last of us! Close the gate!!!” A Marine called up.
Law wordlessly shoved the lever back down with… noticeably less effort than Leona had to use when she tried pulling it.
“Oh, of course it moves much easier for you,” Leona grumbled.
“Try lifting weights, maybe,” Law advised, walking away.
Leona flushed in embarrassment. “Wh-!? Rude!”
The sound of distant screaming broke Leona from her anger. She tried to peer down to look, but the gate had just closed. “Wait! Did you hear that!? Did we miss someone!?”
A beat of silence… until two huge flaming slashes went through the shutter, followed by the triangular piece that was cut being rammed through by none other than the presumed to be dead Brownbeard, carrying the missing Strawhats and the now whole samurai on his back, roaring in victory. “WE MADE IT!”
“NOW THERE'S A GIANT HOLE IN THE SHUTTER!!!” the G5 cried, rushing to plug the entrance back up before the gas could get in.
Leona found herself not worrying about that now as she had her hands to her mouth, crying tears of astonishment.
“B-B-Brownbeard… but you… how…!?
“Looks like ‘ol Crocobeard is made of stronger stuff, huh, Pepperoni?” Luffy laughs. “He's so cool!”
Leona jumped down from her higher position, tearfully rushing towards Brownbeard and slamming into him with the biggest hug her much tinier self could give. “BROWNBEEEARD!!! I can't believe you're alive after getting shot in the face like that!!! You scared the shit out of me, you big son of a bitch!!!”
Brownbeard didn't exactly know how to respond as Leona wailed into the fur-lined coat covering his belly. “Oh, uh… I'm… I'm sorry fer scarin’ ya, little nurse…”
“No, I'm sorry!” Leona sniffled. “I said such awful things to you before that yeti man snuck in! I'm just so glad you're alive… You even helped Luffy's crew and the samurai!”
Leona hiccuped, ineffectively trying to wipe the fountains that were her eyes. “To be so kind as to save them after everything we've put you through… please find it in your heart to forgive meeee!!!”
“You had a valid reason to yell at him, though…” Nami mumbled.
Suddenly, something caught Nami's eye. “Ah! It's him! HEY!! TRAFFY!” She yelled up at Law.
Law peered down, and Nami yanked Sanji by the collar. “Now's our chance! Hurry! Do the thing! Switch! Us! Back!”
Sanji timidly tried to protest, which led to an argument between the two. Law rolled his eyes and sighed. “Room.”
Once trapped in his room, Law flipped his fingers around. “Shambles.”
Nami and Sanji gasped and were now back to normal.
Leona turned to face everyone else. “I saw you all running on the video snail feed. I'm so glad you're all okay…” She then looked over to the samurai, steeling her nerves. “Especially you, Mr. Samurai, sir. I…” she took a breath, fidgeting with her fingers. “I want to confess… and apologize.”
“Hmm?”
“A-about your son, Momonosuke… if he's the boy I believe him to be, then… then I failed him and you terribly.”
He perked up. “What do you mean!? Do you know where he is!? Tell me, nursemaid!”
Leona shook her head. “I should've been paying more attention… your son wouldn't eat for the whole day despite how much I begged him. Even at bedtime, when I tried to give him at least a snack. I went to bed, but when I woke up, he was gone. He… he somehow snuck out of the nursery during the night, likely to look for food…”
“What!? And you didn't look for him!?”
“I couldn't!” Leona argued. I had that chain on my ankle, remember? I tried getting those pigs working here to look for him, but they didn't even care! That's why I wanted to apologize for failing you…” Leona hung her head. “I don't know if he's okay, or even alive at this point… but if he is… come hell or high water, I won't rest until he's found. That's my promise to you.”
The initial anger on the man's face softened at this, as if he'd realized something the moment she mentioned food. He bowed respectfully. “Ah… I see. I am terribly sorry for my regretful outburst. I am grateful for the care you've shown my son, valiant nursemaid, and I am grateful for your assistance in his search.”
“EVERYONE SHUT UP AND LISTEN!” Law's voice bellowed through the room, demanding attention.
“As you can probably tell, the island is nearly completely engulfed in poison gas. However, there's one passage that can bypass the air outside that leads directly to the sea.”
“Oh!” Leona gasps. “That's right! Passage R-66!”
“Correct. We're in building A now. If you continue through the gate at the back of this one through central building B, you'll end up at building R. There's a door labelled R-66, as Glasses-ya said. It enters directly into the passage to the sea. I'd rather not have a massacre on my hands, but I'll give you two hours from now to get to that gate.”
He then turned his back. “If any of you stay longer than that… then I can't guarantee your survival.”
The men below booed in disbelief, shouting expletives as Law walked off.
“Insensitive dickhead.” Leona huffed, crossing her arms. “He hasn't changed one bit.”
“G5!”
Suddenly, it was Smoker's turn to make a grand speech. “There are prisoners here! Fifty innocent young children who were-”
“Fifty-two!” Leona corrected, holding up two fingers.
“...Right. Fifty-two innocent young children who were kidnapped two years ago. Your mission is to retrieve them and take them to that R-66 door! If what Law told us was true, that passage leads to a harbour. Steal a ship, and we'll finally be off this godforsaken land!”
The crowd erupted in cheers, raising their weapons.
“The children! That's right!” Nami gasps. “Alright, everyone! Let's split up and look for those kids, then take them to that gate!”
“Roger that!” Everyone affirmed, running off.
“I'm coming too,” Leona said, following. “I have a duty to protect those children, and that hasn't stopped just because we got separated. All of those children are going to make it home whether Caesar likes it or not!”
Nami gave a determined grin. “Would you have any idea as to where they are?”
After locking Leona, Law, and a few others in a cage, Caesar unveils his greatest weapon yet...
CW: This slow burn fic delves into some distressing topics such as drug addiction, violence, gore, and dark themes. Please check AO3 for all tags.
Character reference || Masterlist
Previous || Next
“Ughhnn…” Leona moaned. Being affected by water and seastone was by far one of the worst sensations. The vertigo was horrific, and it always made her joints ache like fuck. Especially now that she's chained up in a cage with Law, who was beginning to stir.
“Law? You okay?” Leona asks gently, not wanting to aggravate a potential concussion after the beating he took.
“Nnngh… What happened? Where…?” he mumbled, attempting to pick himself off the floor. But when he moved and found himself bound in chains as well, he just sighed. “Goddammit.”
“How's your head?” She prodded. “Any ringing or nausea? Can you see straight?”
“Ngh… I'm fine.” Law grunted, trying to wriggle himself upright as best as he could. When he properly got a look at Leona, his brows furrowed. “Where'd your armour go?”
“Ask her,” Leona said, pointing her socked foot at Monet, who giggled and held up a sizable white and blue suitcase with her wing.
“It'd be a shame to kill you and let such a pretty material go to waste. I might just melt it down and make some jewelry out of it.”
Leona scoffed. “Good luck trying to find its melting point, asshole. Provided it doesn't just up and disappear when I'm dead.”
Suddenly, the doors opened, and several guards came in with Vergo, carrying five unconscious people, all chained up like Law and Leona: Luffy, Robin, Franky, Smoker, and some other Marine officer.
Leona gasped as they were thrown into the cage as well. “What? No! What happened to you guys!? H-hey, wake up!”
“Caesar made quick work of them,” Vergo said, taking a seat on the sofa. “They'll wake up pretty soon.”
Purupurupurupuru… purupurupurupuru…
Monet perked up at the sound of a transponder snail ringing and went to answer it. “Hello, Monet speaking.”
“All of the shutters have been closed, ma'am! Everyone's been completely isolated!” Whoever was on the other end spoke.
Monet licked her lips. “I see, very good. I'll call for the video snails to be set up.”
As Monet got to dialling and commanding whatever she needed, the people within the cage began to stir one by one… except for Franky, who was snoring like a bear on Robin's lap.
“Ugh… where am I?” Luffy moaned. “Why do I feel so weak…?”
“You're in seastone chains,” Leona answered. “Are you all okay? Anything severe?”
“Who the hell are you?” The female Marine asked Leona in a rather gruff tone.
“Oh, you know… just the repairwoman, the code inspector, a scientist, a lab manager, a nurse, an around-the-clock child caretaker, and whatever the hell else MONET apparently designates me to be!” Leona yelled bitterly at the harpy.
Monet hung up her call. “Well, well, it seems everything is going as planned. Too bad about all the Navy soldiers…”
“I know you heard me, bitch.” Leona muttered.
“Hm? Did you say something? You really must speak up, Penumbra dear.”
“I said, ‘I hate you, kill yourself,” Leona said, a bit louder.
“Are you two… sisters or something?” the Marine woman asked.
“No.” Leona deadpanned.
“I don't believe sisters act like that toward each other, sir…” Smoker said to the Marine woman… oddly enough.
“Well, we are in a sense, wouldn't you say, Penumbra?” Monet smirked.
“Please, I've only known you for thirteen years, and it’s made me want to paint the ceiling red with a twelve-gauge more than once. I couldn't imagine spending my whole life knowing you.” Leona sighed, slumping against the wall. “I feel bad for Sugar, having you as her role model.”
Monet's face dropped quickly. “You watch your mouth, princess,” she hissed.
It was Leona's turn to smirk. “Aw, what's wrong? Suddenly not a fan of cheap shots now that you're on the receiving end?”
“Ladies.” Vergo interrupted. “Behave, please.”
Monet ruffled her feathers, as if she were shaking off her agitation. “Yes, so sorry. By the way, Vergo… did you have a hamburger for breakfast today?”
“Why yes, it's my favourite.” Vergo responds. “How did you know?”
“You have some on your face. Just a smidge.” Monet says, tapping her cheek to mirror the one the nearly whole hamburger patty was stuck to.
Vergo looked at his reflection in his coffee, raising his eyebrows. “Hm. So I do.”
He proceeded to unstick the food from his face and eat it. “I'd like to witness this experiment before I leave, if I'm able. You said everyone outside will die?”
The Marine woman appeared to bristle at this and interrupted their conversation. “HEY! VERGO! Those men are G5 soldiers! Those are your men, and you're just gonna leave them all to die!?”
“It appears so.” Vergo coldly responded.
Smoker and the other officer grew angered. “How could you!?” Smoker gnashed.
“I'm sorry you had to find out this way,” Leona sighed.
“Find out!? Find out what!?”
“You know…” Vergo interrupted, walking over with his hands at his back. “It's interesting to see so many big names in one cell. What a view.”
Robin giggled, looking at Luffy and Smoker. “You know, seeing the two of you locked up together… it reminds me a bit of back then.”
“Oh yeah! In Alabasta, when you locked up Smokey and me in that cage! Haha, good times, right buddy?” Luffy laughed.
“Quite a bit of history, huh?” Leona observed.
“Goddamn idiot pirates…” the Marine muttered. “Don't you realize the gravity of the situation!?”
Smoker unexpectedly began to softly weep. “So I was right… I feel so… so disgusted!”
“I feel sick, too. It seems Caesar abducted those kids, and Vergo covered up all the incidents as accidents at sea. A double agent… these bastards played us like a damn fiddle.”
Leona's eyes widened, head whipping forward. “What…? VERGO!? You were in on that!?”
“Hang on, I'm lost…” Luffy muttered. “So he's a bad guy?”
“Fucking evil is more like it!” Leona hissed. “I knew you were a corrupt bastard since I met you, Vergo, but this is unspeakable! Using your Marine persona to cover up missing children reports!? You're scum!”
“Persona…?” Smoker gasps.
“Do we need to spell it out for you?” Law interjected. “He was a pirate from day one. Joker ordered him to enlist in the Navy from the bottom and climb his way up as a mole. Joker couldn't ask for a more reliable peon under his boot.”
“Joker… there's an underworld broker by that name, but…” the Marine muttered. “Grrgh… how the hell did I never smell a rat when it was right under my nose!?”
“Aww, don't beat yourself up over it. You should commend that rat for being clever enough to elude you, the ‘Great White Hunter’, Smoker.” Vergo taunted.
“Smoker?” Leona mumbled confusedly at the female Marine as Vergo prattled on. “Oh! Are they…”
“Switched, yes.” Law confirms.
“Ahh, that explains it. I was wondering.”
“...as for you, Law…” Vergo continued, holding out the rubbery cube containing his heart. “You've run your mouth far too much. Did I not punish you enough?”
Leona gasped. “W-wait, no! Please don't, Vergo!”
Vergo paused, looking over his shoulder. He didn't say or do anything; instead, he just strolled over to the bar and poured himself a drink. “As for you, Penumbra… you've screwed up at a magnitude that not even grovelling for mercy can fix. It's true that the boss favoured you quite a bit, but even he has limits to his patience.”
Vergo paused to down his glass. “You were aware that some sins were unforgivable, and yet you did them anyway, like a bratty teenager acting out. That being said…”
Vergo suddenly shattered the glass in his hand to emphasize his point. “You'd better be just as ready to face what's coming for you, young lady.”
“Would you quit treating me like a fucking child when threatening me with death!?” Leona yelled. “Fuck, you and Joker always do this shit!”
“What does it matter?” He calmly retorted, strolling back over. “I admit, it's a fault on our part that you continue to be so soft. Perhaps we should've taken more extreme measures to beat that habit out of you. After all, what good is a spy who can't separate her morals from her work? It's a shame we have to do this to someone with such a versatile long-term memory capacity, but as it stands, you've disappointed Joker for the last time… and you know far, far too much for your own good.”
Leona began trembling, clenching her teeth so hard they could crack. “Damn you…”
“Hey, uh…” Luffy spoke up, looking at Law. “Who's this Joker?”
Law side-eyed him and sighed. “I know Vergo because I know Joker. I used to work for him. Glasses-ya still does.”
Leona bit her lip and hung her head, desperately trying to hide her shameful tears.
“Joker is just a fake name he uses on the black market. You know him already… very well, in fact. His real identity… is one of the seven warlords, Donquixote Doflamingo.”
While everyone else gasped in disbelief, Luffy hummed. “Doflamingo… who was he again?”
“He was at the battle at Marineford. Surely you saw him there.” Smoker said.
“Marineford… hmmm…” Luffy wracked his brain, making exaggerated faces and humming noises. “Oh! That pink bird guy with the stupid walk!”
“Don't take him lightly just because he looks stupid.” Law admonished.
Vergo walked off to the other side of the room to look through the bookshelf, while Monet continued to brew coffee.
“So Pepperoni is a spy for that guy?” Luffy asked.
“...Yes,” Leona said, voice quiet. She pushed herself back against the wall, curling up tight with her head on her knees. “I was raised to be one since I was little… not that it really matters anymore.”
“Why do you say that?” Luffy asked.
Leona peeked at him before putting her head back down. “Have you not been listening at all? Figure it out yourself.”
A stretch of silence passed, when the transponder snail began ringing again. Monet picked up.
“This is Caesar. Are you there, Monet?” The snail relayed.
“Yes, sir.”
“I've retrieved the children without difficulty. Have you prepared Smiley's food as I asked?”
“WHAT!?” Leona gasped.
“Quiet, Penumbra.” Vergo admonished.
“No, I will NOT be quiet! What the hell did Caesar just- OUGH!”
Leona was cut off when Vergo quickly thrust his bamboo staff between the chain links, jabbing her in the stomach.
“I warned you.”
“Hnngh…! Vergo, you cocksucker…!” Leona wheezed painfully as she slumped forward.
“...the Marines are still stuck in front of the shutters, so we can transfer the Strawhats whenever you see fit. The video transponder snails are on standby outside, as well.” Monet continued her conversation as she poured Vergo another cup of coffee.
“I see… so when my dear sweet little Smiley arrives, we can broadcast the experiment for all of our associates to see?”
“Certainly.”
“Lovely. Would you be a dear and connect me to all of the receivers now?”
“Stay calm, flex your hips and knees and take shallow breaths,” Law instructed as Leona struggled to get air back into her lungs.
“Th-thank… thank you…” she gasped.
“Ahem, hello to all of you illicit brokers out there.” Caesar's voice spoke through the intercom snails above. “I do apologize for the short notice, but you're all about to witness something extraordinary. This is a poison gas weapon I've developed, much like the one you had witnessed four years ago, but with some… shall we say, non-government-approved features. At any rate, it just so happens that I have some uninvited guests on the island, and I've volunteered them to aid me in my live test today!
“About time you got up.” Smoker spat at him. “While you were off in dreamland, something disastrous is occurring outside!”
Leona glanced at Law nervously. “What does Caesar mean by a live test…?”
“Don't ask me. I know about as much as you.”
Caesar eventually finished his grand speech, and Monet served Vergo his drink.
“Any milk, Mr. Vergo?”
“Just the creamer is fine,” Vergo said, pouring a spiral of cream into the rich coffee and stirring with a small spoon. He took a sip, and the spoon ended up stuck to his face, much like how his meals somehow tend to do. “But what on earth is taking Caesar so long?”
As if on queue, the doors opened to reveal Caesar's lanky form gliding through. “Shurororororo… why Vergo, what a pleasure it is to see you this fine afternoon. I apologize for my tardiness.”
Leona saw red. Everything she had gone through up until now had been entirely his fault. The children and their poor families were suffering right now due to him, and now some sort of gas bomb attack is happening, all while she had no clue what happened with Nami and Usopp, who had been watching the kids!
“HEY!” Leona yelled, interrupting Caesar's jovial teatime chat with Vergo. “What did you mean when you said you'd retrieved the children a moment ago!? What the hell did you do to Usopp and Nami!?”
“Hmm?” Caesar looked over boredly. “It should be obvious, no?”
He then floated towards the cage, grinning wickedly. “But my, what an all-star cast we have here. I have to say, Law looks quite fetching in chains. So grim!”
Leona trudged up to the chain links on her knees. “What. Did. You. Do?” She hissed through her teeth.
“Oh, relax. I just brought the little ones back to where they belong, that's all! They were in so much pain without their candies, you know.” Caesar waved flippantly.
“They're in pain because you're drugging them!” Leona yelled. “How could you fathom being so cruel!?”
“Yes, yes, sing my praises all you wish, Penumbra. But it won't suddenly make me change my mind. You've set your fate in stone once you decided to double-cross me!”
“Those kids don't belong here; they belong at home with their loved ones! How the fuck could you kidnap children and manipulate them like that!? I don't understand Caesar!”
Caesar was doing a chatty hand motion the whole time Leona yelled. “Oh, blah blah blah whine whine whine, do you ever shut up, woman? I'll tell you why I do these things, Penumbra. It's in the name of science! You can't make an omelet without cracking a few dozen eggs, can you?”
Tears welled in Leona's eyes. “You're a fucking monster…!”
“And you're just figuring this out now?” Caesar laughed. “It's never a good idea to place trust in others for any reason, no matter how small. Isn't that right, Law? You reap what you sew, and all that?”
Vergo walked up to the cage, holding Law's heart.
“If you're worried about your heart, don't be. Vergo is taking very good care of it.”
Vergo wordlessly held up the organ in his hand, staring directly at Law before squeezing tight.
“HNNGAAAAAHHH!!!”
Law screamed in pure agony, writhing on the floor.
“LAW!!!” Leona cried. “STOP! STOP IT, VERGO! DAMMIT, I SAID STOP, PLEASE!!!”
“Aww, resorting to begging for your little boyfriend now, are we?” Caesar taunted as Vergo finally let up, allowing Law to recover. “Monet wasn't kidding when she said you folded pathetically easily.”
“Ngh…” Leona growled, staring Caesar in the eyes from the floor. “I swear to god, once I get out of here, I'm gonna slaughter your ass!” Tears freely streamed down her face, spittle flying from her mouth in her screaming rage. “You'll suffer for every single innocent baby you've harmed! Do you hear me, Caesar!? YOU RAT BASTARD! YOU LIMP-DICKED HORSEFUCKER!!!”
Caesar growled in anger, slamming his fist into Law's heart, making him screech in pain once again. “Watch what you say to me, you brat!!
“GODDAMMIT, THAT'S ENOUGH!!” Leona cried. “YOU FUCKING COWARDS! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL FUCKING- I-I'll… fuh… hnnh…” Leona gasped, falling against the netting of the cage in exhaustion. Fucking seastone…
Monet cackled, sauntering up to Leona as she caught her breath. “Aww, poor princess… are you all tuckered out from shrieking? That seastone is doing a number on you, isn't it?”
Monet poked some of her finger-like feathers through the cage, poking at Leona's cheek to further taunt her, but Leona quickly snapped her teeth on them in a last-ditch effort to fight back.
Monet flinched, but ultimately wasn't affected since she was made of snow. She simply pulled her wing back, reforming the lost feathers as the snow Leona had bitten melted to water in her mouth.
“Man, you're kind of amazing…” Luffy marvelled as Law desperately tried to stay conscious. “He took your heart, and you're still alive?”
“Undone by your own powers, huh? That's some record-breaking stupidity.” Smoker said. “The hell did you do with mine?”
“Oh, you mean this one?” Caesar taunted, waving a second severed heart in his hand. His fingers twitched like he was preparing to crush it. “Poor little Smo-”
“Master, the video feed is ready.” Monet interrupted.
“Really? Well, lucky you, Smoker.”
Caesar giggled with glee as a projector screen was lowered from the ceiling and the lights were turned off. “Let's see it!’
The giant video snail received a signal, projecting the feed through the light emitted through its eyes. What was shown appeared to be… a gigantic candy?
“What's with you and candy, you freak?” Leona huffed.
“Zip it,” Caesar demanded, snapping his fingers at her. He began to giggle like a creepy child at a creepy birthday party. “At long last…! Ahem,”
He picked up the receiver to the Snail connected to the intercoms. “Greetings once again, all you unlawful brokers! Thank you all for tuning in. The show will begin shortly! A horde of fragmented Smiley is currently en route from the Burning Lands, and soon enough, they will all conjoin at this central point of the Ice Lands. Upon this happy reunion, they will all converge into one lovely, happy Smiley, huge and deadly! Then the experiment will begin…”
Caesar paced a bit, looking as if he were recounting a pleasant memory. “You see, my Smiley… He's the living incarnation of the toxic H2S gas. In fact, I had already utilized Smiley once before. Four years ago, in fact, to kill Punk Hazard as you see it.”
“A gas monster…?” Smoker wondered aloud.
“Unfortunately, the biggest weakness of my previous experiment was that my subjects could still evacuate even after suffering such a dose. So, I found that this time, by giving dear Smiley an enormous helping of a special treat to stimulate the toxicity of his composition, it will transform him into a perfect weapon of mass destruction! Yes… today you shall all witness the birth of a new weapon, one that I call… Land of the Dead.”
***
Marine HQ, New Marineford
“What in god's name…?” Vice Admiral Tsuru muttered, watching Caesar's sudden broadcast. Caesar Clown had been missing ever since he had escaped the prison ship taking him to Impel Down four years, so for him to end up hiding on the same island he utterly destroyed was very surprising and yet very obvious in hindsight. Of course, a man able to survive in a land destroyed by poison would hide there. It was too perfect.
“This makes that distress call from a week before make much more sense…” a young marine beside the Vice Admiral muttered as the broadcast showed a strange gelatinous creature consuming the enormous candy.
“Indeed. And yet, it's making me raise some questions…”
“Like what, ma'am?”
Tsuru put her hand on her chin. “If this is where Caesar has been hiding for the past four years… where has he been getting the funding for a project of this magnitude?”
“Ah…” the Marine mirrored his superior in holding his hand to his chin. “That's a good point… he'd have to be in bed with someone of great power, right?”
“That's exactly my thoughts.” Tsuru nodded. “It's highly likely it's a kingpin in the black market… that or a much too overzealous noble hellbent on some sort of goal.”
“I'm leaning towards the black market on that one, ma'am.” The Marine said. “If Caesar is calling this thing a weapon, then it's reasonable to assume he'd be supplying this kingpin with whatever he's been concocting.”
“That is quite true.” The elderly woman nodded. “I will look into this matter at once.”
“Do you need any assistance, ma'am?”
“Not at the moment, but I will be sure to call for you if I do. You are dismissed.”
The Marine saluted. “Yes, ma'am!”
Just as he was walking out, however, Tsuru spoke. “Oh, hold on a moment, Len. I had nearly forgotten.”
He turned around. “Ma'am?”
“Would you be so kind as to brew me a fresh cup of tea, my dear?” She asked, holding out her empty teacup on a saucer.
Leona joins Law and Chopper for their part in Law's plan, but things take an unexpected turn for the worse real quick...
CW: This slow burn fic delves into some distressing topics such as drug addiction, violence, gore, and dark themes. Please check AO3 for all tags.
Character reference || Masterlist
Previous || Next
One would think that seeing someone you cared about alive and well after thinking they had died years ago would be a happy experience, but in Leona's case, it was more like… horribly awkward. Nerve-wracking, even. What would she even say to him? It didn't help that their last interaction back then was about as stiff as this one…
“Y-yeah, so… um…” Leona starts, rocking on the balls of her feet. “You look… very healthy! I see your skin tone has evened out… uh… a-are those colour contacts? They look great on you!”
“No.”
“Really? Because I remember your eyes being grey… not this honey-gold colour.”
“That's because the Amber Lead was killing melanin cells in my irises," Law stated bluntly.
“Oh! Y-yeah… that'll do it, huh?”
A heavy silence hung in the air, and with every passing second, Leona just wanted to die.
Luffy looked back and forth between the two. “Huh? What's wrong? Didn't you say you two were friends?”
“I-I never said-”
“We aren't.”
Ouch.
“...y-yeah. We just… knew each other as kids. That's all.”
“Huh. Alright then. Hey guys, listen up! Traffy proposed we team up with his crew, so starting today, we're allies!”
Now it was everyone else's turn to be shocked. A beat of silence happened as they fully absorbed what their captain had dropped on them, and then…
“WHAAAAAAT!?” FORMING AN ALLIANCE WITH THE HEART PIRATES!? WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU!?!?”
Usopp grabbed Luffy's coat, shaking him around wildly. “Dammit, Luffy! Did you lose your sanity on the way to rescue Nami or something!?”
“Calm down.” Luffy groaned.
“This psycho already scared the crap out of me, and now we have to trust him with our lives!? How do you expect me to sleep at night with the surgeon of DEATH around!?”
“Surgeon of death?” Leona muttered, watching as the Strawhats argued amongst themselves.
“Uughhh…”
The sudden agonized groaning made Leona look down, startled at the battered state of Chopper's body, which was being loosely held in Law's hand. “Ah! Franky!”
“Oh yeah,” Law says, walking forward and holding him up. “Hey doc, fix this raccoon.”
“We have more important things than raccoons to worry about right now!” Chopper initially yelled at him, but when he realized what he meant, he panicked. “AHHH! THAT'S ME!!!”
“suh… su…per…” Franky wheezed.
Chopper snatched his body from Law's hand and frantically began wrapping himself in bandages and crying. “What did you do to meee!?”
“...Luffy,” Robin spoke up. “I will go along with this… but we are all pirates. And where you have pirates, you're sure to have betrayal. I'm just… concerned. Because you trust so easily.”
Luffy turned to Law. “Hey, are you gonna betray me?”
“No.”
Luffy looked back with a confident grin and hands on his hips.
“That easily…!?” Leona gasped, horrified.
“The rest of us are gonna need more than that!!” Usopp objected.
Luffy smiled widely in his oddly charming, Luffy-like way and crossed his arms. “Aw, come on, it sounds fun! My gut says Traffy is an alright guy, same with Pepperoni! And since she knows him, having her on our side is a plus!”
“Penumbra…” Leona meekly tried to correct. “A-and it isn't quite that simple…”
“And besides!” Luffy continued. “Even if he isn't, what's the big deal? You guys've been training for the past two years! I can count on you all to protect me! Hahaha!”
“HUH!?”
His crew stared in shock for a second before immediately becoming… bashful!? Their cheeks grew rosy, and their faces beamed with a mirth Leona hadn't expected.
“Aww, Luffy! You're making me blush!”
“Thanks a lot, buddy! I'm SUPER flattered! We won't letcha down!”
“Aww, it's only our job! You don't have to sweet-talk us like that! Jerk!”
“Don't worry, Luffy! We've got your back! Besides, if worst comes to worst, you can always count on me, right?”
Leona and Law stared in utter disbelief. “Are they… usually like this?” Leona whispered.
“How should I know!?” Law whispered back.
“Well, I dunno! You proposed this alliance! I figured you knew them in some capacity!”
“I've only ever met their captain! Twice!” Law emphasized, jutting his thumb at Luffy. “If anything, you seem better acquainted with them!”
“I've only ever met them a few hours ago!”
“What're you guys whispering about?” Luffy asked.
“Nothing!” Leona and Law replied in unison, turning their backs on each other.
“Well, since you're here, it saves us having to find you to reverse whatever you did to them,” Leona pointed at Nami, Chopper, and Franky.
Law rolled his eyes. “Room.”
The same blue energy dome from before spawned from his hand, growing to engulf both him and the affected strawhats.
“Shambles.”
The three of them reacted like the wind was knocked from them again, and they took a second to feel themselves.
“YEAAHHH! IT'S ABOUT TIME!! Man, it's good to be me again! SUUUUPERRR!!!” Franky cheered, doing his silly pose once again.
“How wonderful.” Robin smiled. “Now, never take possession of Chopper's sweet little self again. Ever.”
“I'm back,” Chopper stated from his position lying on the floor. “But I'm not happy. MY BODY IS ALL BUSTED UP NOW! WOULD IT KILL YOU JERKS TO BE A LITTLE MORE CONSIDERATE!?”
Luffy and Franky deflated. “We're sorry…” They then pointed at each other. “He did it.”
“ME!?” Luffy yelled. “YOU'RE THE ONE WHO TURNED INTO A MONSTER AND FLIPPED OUT! ALL I DID WAS STOP YOU!”
“YOU HIT ME WITH THAT OVERPOWERED-ASS MOVE YOU BEAT THAT KRAKEN WITH! IT WAS OVERKILL!” Franky yelled back.
“IT WAS BOTH OF YOUR FAULTS!” Chopper interrupted, absolutely steaming with rage.
Franky and Luffy hung their heads. “You're right, we're so sorry, Chopper.”
Nami, however, was neither happy nor angry. Since Sanji was god-knows-where still inside HER body, she was left… with his.
“Well, at least you two got your bodies back… why am I the only one forced to be without mine!? First I was Franky, and now I'm Sanji…”
Luffy began to laugh hysterically. “Haha! It's even funnier this way!!”
Chopper and Usopp couldn't contain their laughter, and Leona couldn't help but snort either. She covered her mouth, trying to stifle her giggles. ‘So strange! So funny!’
“Can't you fix this? Please?” Nami begged Law.
“Not until we find your body,” Law replied, walking off towards the kids.
“So…” he muttered, looking up. “This is where they've been.”
“Yeah. We've gotta help them.” Luffy says.
Law seemed to be thinking for a moment. “We should just forget about them. It's too much work. All of them are addicted to drugs.”
“Ohh no no no no, mister!” Leona objected immediately, getting in his face. “Don't you dare suggest that! These poor things have suffered enough!”
“You'd know, wouldn't you, Glasses-ya?” Law retorted. “You've been the one supplying them with all those growth hormones and drugs, haven't you?”
“Wh- no! No, I have not been giving them those growth serum shots! The only thing I've been giving them is those candies, and that's because I was forced! They chained me up down there, Law!”
“If that's true, why did I find these inside some of those disabled workers?” Law said, reaching into his pocket and retrieving a couple of moonglass pedicle screws. “That, and the fact I sensed you crawling through some vent shafts the other night.”
“I- I was- they-!” Leona stumbled. “GRRGH! That was before then! I was sent here for a different purpose, but Monet decided to make me a live-in babysitter! I had no choice in the matter! It wasn't until after I had to sneak into Caesar's room to figure out what was in those damn candies that I was locked away! I never wanted to hurt them! God, you're just as insensitive as you've always been!”
“So I'm to understand you came here to play doctor?” Law asks, holding up the pedicle screws again.
“No! The medical team was just running low on staff and supplies, so I helped! That's all! I never conducted any surgery!”
“Then what was your purpose, Glasses-ya?”
“To oversee why Joker's SAD production has been so slow!” Leona blurted.
As soon as it left her mouth, Leona slapped her hands over her mouth, knowing she had made a grave mistake. She had already misspoken twice, but to reveal that much to an outsider… she didn't even want to think about it.
“...is that so?” Law asks.
Leo immediately curled up on the floor in the fetal position, hands still on her mouth. Law stared down at her as she trembled, expression unreadable.
“Penumbra?” Nami gasped.
“What's… going on?” Usopp inquired nervously.
“...nevermind it,” Law says, looking back up at the kids. “If I had to make a guess, I'd say Caesar's trying to manipulate the size of these children to create an army of giant-sized soldiers.”
“But… to little kids!? Who'd even think of something so cruel!?” Chopper asks.
“Well, the world government, for one,” Law explains. “They've been trying for hundreds of years to make a perfect, unbeatable army. Caesar's probably trying to beat them and Vegapunk to the punch… but I don't believe it's that simple.”
He turned back to look at the group. “So, you sure you want to help them? I mean, you don't even know who these kids are, do you?”
“It's true, we don't,” Nami confirmed. “But the way they looked at me with tears in their eyes, begging for help… The Master may have tricked them into coming here to this hellhole, but it didn't take long for them to realize something wasn't right.”
Nami turned her gaze down to Leona, who was whispering to herself, “What the hell is wrong with me!? I'm gonna die… I'm gonna fucking die…!”
“...even Penumbra was begging on her hands and knees for us to do something. I may not fully understand what's up with her, but… despite it all, she's sacrificed so much taking care of them by herself. She was willing to give up everything, even her life, if it meant they went home to their families.” She continued, kneeling to comfort the blonde. Leona cautiously looked at her. “So I'm going to make sure every single one of them is safe and sound… for their sake, and hers.”
“Nami…” Leona whimpered.
“If I leave with Luffy, are you gonna stay here with Glasses-ya alone?” Law asked her.
“Huh? I'm not going anywhere.” Luffy said. “If this is important to my friends, I'm staying too.”
“Hm?”
“And Sanji wants to put that samurai back together, too! So if you're gonna be allied with us, you better get used to helping people!”
Law just stood there, nervously sweating like he realized he had just made a grave mistake of his own.
Usopp sighed. “You have no idea what you're getting into, do you? Listen, here's the thing: most of the time when you're forming an alliance, you have a couple of groups with a common goal, and you negotiate the best way to go about it, right?”
“...obviously.” Law nods.
“So you'd think! But in Luffy's world, that logic gets completely thrown out the window!”
“That just means we're friends!” Luffy said with a smile of pure childlike wonder.
“Anything and everything you think you have a say in is actually up to him!”
Luffy began picking his nose. “Aaaall up to me…”
“As soon as this guy makes up his mind, that's it. You're doing it his way whether you like it or not! In a selfishness competition, he'd be the undefeated champion!”
“How do you stand me, huh?” Luffy says, flicking his booger away… onto Chopper's face.
“Look, I get this is what your friends want, but that doesn't concern our pla-” Law tried to say, but Chopper interrupted him.
“HEY! Luffy! Don't flick your boogers on me! It's disgusting!”
“Just wipe it off!”
“I CAN'T MOVE, ASSHOLE!”
“My bad.”
Leona snorted, and Nami smiled. “Feeling better?”
“A bit, yeah…” she nodded, wiping her eyes. “You're probably the funniest people I've ever met.”
That, and it was funny to see Law being humbled a little like this, but she won't admit that out loud.
“Okay, fine.” Law relented. “We have to hurry it up, though, there's little time. Putting the samurai back together can be your group's issue, but I guess I can investigate the kid's drug problem.” He then turned his head towards the group. “Who's your ship's doctor again? He can come with me. I'll also need Glasses-ya, since she was looking into the research as well. She can lead us to where she found it.”
“R-right!” Leona said, standing up. She figured it was a bad time to tell him that she accidentally destroyed the research, but thankfully, it didn't matter, since she remembered every detail. Besides, there was surely more research pertaining to the growth hormones she hadn't found due to her time constraints.
“That'd be me.” Chopper said. “But unfortunately, thanks to SOME PEOPLE, I can't go with you… I'm sorry.”
“Now now, hang on… I think I can figure something out here.” Usopp said.
The long-nosed man hummed, looking around in their supply bags. He pulled out a hank of thin rope, eyeballing the length. “Should be enough…”
He then went over to Chopper, carefully scooping him up into his arms.
“OW! Watch it!” Chopper yelped.
“Sorry.”
Usopp walked over to Leona and Law, holding up Chopper and circling them as if searching for something.
“Maybe here? Ehh, no… too pointy. Uhh… hm… maybe… aha!”
Then, much to Law's horror and everyone else's amusement, Usopp placed Chopper's tiny body atop Law's fluffy hat, securing him to it with the rope.
“Oh my gosh!” Leona gasped. “Adorable!”
“Haha! That's a lotta hats, Traffy!”
“S-sorry for laughing! I-I just… hehehe!!!”
“SUPER cute!!”
“Careful out there, Chopper,” Usopp whispered.
“You can count on me!”
Law didn't move an inch. His face remained frozen in the same look of shock the entire time Usopp was tying the rope.
“Wh… what’s wrong, Law?” Leona wheezed through her laughter. “It's a good look on you! I'm sure it's super comfy for Chopper too!”
“I'll kill you.” Law threatened.
Much to everyone's disappointment, Law swiftly removed Chopper from his hat and carefully laid him back down, opting to tie him to the sheath of his sword via the red cord tied to it instead.
“...killjoy.” Leona coughed into her fist.
“Don't even start.” Law retorted.
“Hmm?” Leona batted her eyelashes. “Start what?”
Law glared for a beat, but decided to drop it. “Anyway, if we're done playing games… since you could probably tell by the assassins he sent, Caesar wants to eliminate you all, as well as White Chase and the G-5.”
“White Chase?” Leona inquired. “You mean Captain Smoker's here?”
“Didn't you see him when you came running out of the lab?” Law asked.
“I was a bit preoccupied with learning that you've been alive this whole time.”
“...Caesar wants to eliminate you so he can take the children back.” Law continued. “He won't stop pursuing you. Not until he gets what he wants. Before the incident four years ago, when he became a criminal, he was a government scientist. Punk Hazard is restricted territory, so if word gets out that Caesar's been living here, he'll be forced to leave his perfect hideout.”
“Oh yes, he'd even kill a world noble to keep hiding from the government… and the coke and alcohol induced sex binges he has in his downtime, according to the shipping ledger I've dug up…” Leona hums. “I should mention that he has a 300,000,000 berry bounty, and he wields the logia type gas-gas fruit. Not only that, but he has an entire factory's worth of weapons that could level whole nations at his disposal. There's a reason I've had to kiss his ass so much just to survive living here.”
“Those of you unable to use Haki should steer clear of him,” Law advised.
“Well, we do have a few Haki users…” Luffy says. “There's me, Zoro, and Sanji… oh, and you, too.”
“As am I,” Leona added.
“Should be enough.” Law decided. “We'll head to the lab. Be careful out there.”
“Sure!” Luffy beamed. “So we're gonna kidnap the Master, right?”
“Yeah, it should be the quickest way to do this.” Law nodded. “And we're not doing it for money, but for chaos.”
“Chaos?” Robin inquired.
“We don't have time to go over the fine details. We can worry about it later. For right now, it's better to focus on capturing Caesar Clown.” And as soon as that's done… I'll explain the entire plan to you in detail.”
Leona wrung her hands nervously. “Capturing Caesar… if we do that…”
‘If we do that, Doflamingo won't be happy one bit…’ Leona thought, swallowing.
“Then everything will be set into motion.” Law finished. “Last chance to change your mind,” he then glanced at Leona. “Especially you.”
Leona’s breath hitched.
“I…” she started. She knew that she was already on extremely thin ice by not reporting back to Doflamingo in months—though not on her own volition, mind you—but this? This was outright suicide! She would practically be begging for Doflamingo's wrath!
…But then again… she could never forgive Caesar for everything he's done to the poor children. She wanted to see him suffer for each and every child he's hurt ten times over. Yes, he needed to be punished, lest she never rest easy again.
“...Yeah. Let’s… let’s go.” She nodded, trying not to think about her consequences for right now.
***
“Room.”
The blue energy dome expanded from the cliffside to the snowy ground below. Law flicked his two fingers around. “Shambles.”
On his command, he, Leona, and Chopper found themselves from the desecrated laboratory exit to the ground below in the blink of an eye. It had hardly felt like anything, save for the ear popping the change in elevation caused, of course.
“Wooahh… that was awesome!” Chopper marvelled. “Your power is so cool! Did we just teleport!?”
“Shut up and stay in the bag,” Law replied. “We've almost reached the back door of the lab.”
“Sorry, Chopper… he's a bit… direct.” Leona apologizes. “Though I am curious… What devil fruit did you consume? I-if you… don't mind me asking, of course…”
“The Op-Op fruit.” Law states.
“Op-Op…” Leona hums. “Wait! Isn't that-”
“We don't have time for small talk.” Law interrupted, making Leona pout in annoyance. “Listen, here's the plan: we'll try to find a way to get them outta this place. While we're gone, you take raccoon-ya to where you found that info and learn all you can about the drug.”
“But… I don't understand.” Chopper says. “It seems as though you have easy access to the Master, and your powers are really strong! Couldn't you just capture him easily?”
“It isn't so simple. There are certain circumstances preventing that, which is why I'm taking the both of you along.”
“Circumstances?” Leona repeats.
“It's not important. All I ask is your cooperation.”
Leona grumbled. “Why are you so goddamn cryptic? If you aren't gonna explain anything to me, maybe it would've been better if I told Chopper where to look and stayed behind.”
“Quit your whining.” Law rolled his eyes. “There's something else I need you for. Your Observation Haki… It's still keen, right?”
Leona perked up. “Yeah, sharp as a tack.”
“Good. I'm counting on you to pick up on anything Caesar and that bird woman might be hiding, whether that be an ambush or deceit. I know you can sniff that out from a mile away.”
Leona was taken aback. Was that… genuine praise? From Law of all people? She couldn't help herself from bashfully twirling a strand of hair around her gauntleted finger. “Oh goodness, I'm surprised you remember…”
Suddenly, an explosion fired off in the near distance, accompanied by the screams of several men. The group looked over, shocked when Luffy, inflated like a giant beach ball, came rocketing out of the sky with Franky and Robin on his back. Robin leapt off before impact, using whatever devil fruit ability she had to sprout wings on her back and slow her fall. Luffy and Franky crashed headlong into the ground.
“What on earth…?” Leona muttered, adjusting her glasses inside her helmet.
“ALRIIIGHT! COME ON OUT, MASTER GUY! OR ELSE WE'RE GONNA BREAK IN, KICK YOUR ASS, AND KIDNAP YA! SHOW YOURSELF!” Luffy bellowed so loudly that it echoed through the snowy valley.
“Luffy no!!!” Chopper cried.
“What is he thinking!?” Law exclaimed through clenched teeth. “Can't he do a single damn thing quietly!?”
The group continued to stare in awe as Luffy's group laid siege upon the marines below, before Leona spoke up. “...We should hurry. We might lose our chance. ”
Law nodded, quickly using his power to teleport the three of them past the locked door.
“Alright, let's go over the plan so it's fresh on our minds,” Law said as they made their way down the dim hall. “Glasses-ya?”
“First, we locate Caesar and Monet and spin a story that'll distract them and have you lead them out, then I'll take Chopper to where I found Caesar's research, and we'll comb through for information on the NHC10 and the growth serum.” Leona recited. “Then Chopper and I will get to work on figuring out a cure while you work on kidnapping Caesar.”
“Perfect.” Law nodded.
When they had reached Caesar's chambers, Leona had gotten that godforsaken chill shooting up her spine again.
“What's wrong?” Law asks.
“I sense Monet… but Caesar isn't in there,” Leona whispers.
“That's good… that gives us a chance.” Law nods.
The two entered the room, Leona with her sword drawn and on high alert. Monet glanced up from whatever it was she was doing at the bar.
“Oh? My, my.” Monet crooned, licking her lips. “It seems that the little miss princess had felled my house of cards. I must've gotten careless.”
Leona's eyes narrowed. “That's all you have to say? After everything you've put me through?”
Monet grinned, turning around on the barstool and pushing up her glasses with her wing. “I'll admit, I am surprised you've gotten free from your cuff. Though I suppose I should be crediting those intruders who helped you, shouldn't I? Nice outfit, by the way.”
“Don't dance around the subject!”
Monet just giggled, turning back around. “If you're looking for the Master, he isn't in right now.”
“Oh yeah? Where'd he go?” Law asks, taking the reins.
“Probably outside to watch the fight going on. That degenerate just loves to watch people getting killed.”
Law covertly and gently put the bag with Chopper inside on the sofa. “That's fine, I don't need him. I've seen everything, so I'm through with this place. I'll be taking my leave soon.”
“What a shame…” Monet sighed, scribbling away at her notes. “I'll be so lonely with you gone.”
For some reason, Leona felt a twinge of anger flare up in her chest at this statement, but she clenched her jaw and swallowed it down.
“I could use your assistance with something first, though,” Law stated. “Could I borrow you for a sec? It'll be quick.”
Monet perked up, turning around again. “What's this? A date? Well, lucky me!”
Leona again swallowed down her biting comments, tapping her foot to distract herself from her rage.
“Will her highness be accompanying us? Or will we be… alone?” Monet asks, glancing at Leona from the corner of her eye.
“I'm not falling for it, Monet.” Leona spat. “I'm only here to look for my snail. I have an extremely long overdue call to make since you hid him from me.”
Monet giggled, removing her glasses and sauntering over. “Hid him from you? Oh no, no, dear Penumbra, I just simply forgot to give him back! My memory isn't as sharp as yours, you see. I do hope you'll forgive me…”
“I hate you.” Leona hissed.
“I don't have all day.” Law interrupted. “Let's go.”
“Yes, so sorry, handsome. Where are we going?” Monet asked, following him.
“You'll see.”
Leona waited until they were out of earshot to let Chopper out of the bag. “Can you move now? Or should I carry you?” She whispered.
“I should be able to walk, I think.” Chopper nodded, carefully sliding off the sofa and onto the floor. His legs were a bit wobbly, but it was much better than before.
Leona led him to the cabinet she had rifled through weeks ago, opening the drawers a bit more aggressively than she would've had Monet not tried to provoke her like that.
“That bird woman…” Chopper starts. “You seem like you have some history with her.”
“Unfortunately.” Leona huffs. “She's a gigantic bitch who's made it her life mission to be better than me in every conceivable way for whatever petty reason. It's been that way since we've met, and it'll probably continue to be that way for the rest of my fucking life.”
She put down two drawers' worth of files on the floor. “Comb through this one, I'll do this one.”
“Got it.” Chopper nodded.
For the next several minutes, the two scanned through each file as quickly as possible, removing pages they presumed might be most useful and stacking them in a separate pile.
Chopper broke the silence. “...um, do you mind if I ask about… what you said about being a spy?”
Leona sighed, pinching her nose. “I should've cut out my damn tongue years ago—Look, exhaustion does stupid shit to people's brains, and I'm no exception. Let's just leave it at that, plea-”
Leona gasped when her Haki had alerted her to a surge of agony radiating from the direction Law and Monet had gone. Law's agony. Cortisol flooded her system, and she bolted to her feet. “LAW!”
“Law's in danger!” Leona cried. unsheathing her sword and sprinting out of the room.
“PENUMBRA WAIT!” Chopper called out. “Where are you going!?”
It was too late; Leona was already long gone. Chopper looked back and forth between the papers and the hallway, deciding to drop everything and run—or, well, hobble— as fast as he could after her.
“Hrrghk…!” Leona heard Law's laboured gasping up ahead, followed by Monet's voice. “Hmm? What's wrong? It seems as though you're in pain…”
“MONEEEEEEEET!!!”
Monet narrowly dodged the swipe of Leona's Haki-infused blade, then flapped away from two subsequent swings.
“I've let you get away with this shit for too long, you bitch! I'm sick of you always hurting me, sabotaging me, and taking away everything I love, just so you can feel important! I'm gonna fucking kill you, do you hear me!?”
“I haven't a clue what you mean, dear Penumbra.” Monet feigned concern. “Where is this coming from?”
“You knew Law had been alive all this time, and you went through more trouble than it's worth to hide that from me.” Leona spat. “I want to know why, Monet! To what end!? Did you find out how much he meant to me? How much I cared about him and his limits brought on by his illness, despite NO ONE apparently giving a shit otherwise!? And now that he's alive, you just couldn't help yourself, could you?”
“My, whatever do you mean?”
“THIS!” Leona cried, gesturing to Law clutching his chest and groaning on the floor. “What did you do to him!? You two were working together, and you decided to try to kill him!? I repeat, Monet! To what end!?”
“Hnngh… it's not… her…” Law wheezed.
“What?”
“Who… w-who are you…? Nnngh… show yourself!” Law gasped.
“It's me.” A deep, smooth voice spoke from the dark.
Leona's blood ran cold when a set of footsteps echoed from beyond the darkness of the hallway, steadily getting closer until the veil lifted to reveal a very tall, built man dressed in a quilted white trenchcoat and designer shades with a piece of hamburger patty stuck to the side of his face, and arms tucked behind his back. In other words…
“M-mr. Vergo, sir…” Leona whispers, straightening her posture.
“No… not you…!” Law wheezed again. “What the hell are you doing here…!?”
“It’s been quite a long time… look at you, all grown up… Law,” Vergo observed. “You think the boss doesn't know what's going on? I'd hoped you'd be smarter than that.”
He turned his glance to Leona. “The same could be said for you, Penumbra.”
Leona winced, every muscle in her body tensing at once. “I-I-I'm so terribly sorry, Mr. Vergo, sir! I can't fathom my own stup-”
“Quiet.” Vergo interrupted.
“Yes, Mr. Vergo, sir.” Leona quickly clamped her mouth shut.
“You're not the only one who doesn't trust this Caesar character.” Vergo continued. “The guy is shady, which is why we sent two undercover agents to this location. The lovely Monet to keep tabs on his actions… and Penumbra to report any and all secrets flying under the radar.”
Monet used her wings to quickly leap over to Vergo's side. She grinned smugly at Leona like a teacher's pet who'd tattled on misbehaving students.
“When did you get here… hah… Vergo…!?” Law wheezed, blood dribbling from his nose.
“Not long ago,” Vergo answered. “I was spending time in Dressrosa until I'd received some intel about a traitor in our midst. I then hitched a ride on an SAD tanker leaving port to confirm for myself. Turns out, it was entirely correct.”
“Then…” Law forced through laboured breaths. “What the hell… are you targeting me for!? I hadn't done a damn thing to you!”
“Because, you just so happen to be our traitor's Achilles heel.” Vergo clarified. “Besides, even if you had, you'd be dead where you stood. I hate to break it to you, but there's no fooling us adults, you two.”
“Well… in that case…” Law quickly grabbed his katana and leapt off the floor. “I should just finish you here!”
“One more thing,” Vergo began. Law suddenly dropped his weapon and gave a guttural scream.
“LAW!”
Vergo drew his bamboo staff coated with Armament Haki. “That's Mr. Vergo to you, boy.”
With a swift blow to his head, Law was knocked to the floor, unconscious.
Leona dropped her sword, rushing to his side. “Law! Law, no! Wake up!”
She turned her angered, tearful gaze toward Vergo. “You monster! Hasn't he suffered enough!?”
Vergo tutted disappointedly. “No matter how much we try to correct it, that habit always rears its ugly head, doesn't it? This is exactly why we've done all we could to keep Law being alive a secret.”
Leona's eyes widened. “‘We’…?”
“We painstakingly raised you into the fine young woman you are today, Penumbra, and here you are, repaying us by going against your orders, even conspiring against us… and for what, Penumbra?”
“Answer me!” Leona cried. “What do you mean ‘we’, Vergo!?”
Vergo remained stone-faced. “Losing your manners as well, are we? Tell me, what would your dear father think of this?”
Leona growled, snatching her sword off the floor and standing. But before she could swing, Vergo revealed what had been hiding in his hidden hand. It was a human heart encased in a clear, rubbery cube of some sort. “Ah-ah. Not another step, young lady.”
Leona paled. “What is that…?”
“Law's heart,” Vergo answered matter-of-factly. “One of the many wonders the Op-Op fruit can behold.”
Leona pointed her blade's tip toward his face. “Why… Why do you have his heart? Is that why he was screaming in pain!?”
“I don't believe that's any of your business.” Vergo retorted. “But if you value what life he has left, I suggest you stop playing dress up and surrender quietly, Penumbra.”
“Don't talk down to me like I'm a child!” Leona yelled. “Like I'm gonna fall for such an obvious bluff, anyway!”
“Oh? You believe I won't?” Vergo asked, tilting his head. “Did you use that Observation Haki of yours to discern that?”
Leona stayed quiet, gaze unwavering, though her hands trembled.
“Lose the armour and drop the sword, or Law dies. It's quite simple.”
Leona bit her lip, tears streaming down her cheeks. The trembling in her hands worsened.
Vergo's fingers tightened ever so slightly around the still-beating organ. “Tick tock, Penumbra.”
“...ngh.”
Leona lost her grip on her sword, and it clattered to the floor. She then used her powers to turn each piece of her suit into cubes at once, which all tumbled around her like a tower of blocks crumbling down, and she fell to her knees in defeat.
I hope my followers dont mind me going so hard on my current fic hyperfixation. I've been working with my therapist to use it as a way to unpack my traumas and understand myself through a fictional lens, so it's come to mean a lot to me 🥺
