There were 37 armored guards surrounding the plaza plus about a dozen more hiding in plain clothes, nestled amongst the citizens. There were four small alleyways they could use as escape routes if necessary. Five if the Shandian could count on whatever that weird power the pirate captain wielded. Six if she rode on Boo and abandoned the others.
These were all important details the Shandian had noticed and kept at the forefront of her mind while she stood behind the pirate captain but what was at the top of it all was the unshakable fact that Law was in control and his presence was formidable when needed.
There were no signs of emotions on his face despite the fact that his own crew member had a gun directed at his skull. He didn't flinch when the murmurings amongst the crowd turned nasty and accusational. He was as solid and steady as a statue. With his cold stare at his crew member and his sword firmly resting on his shoulder, he was starting to resemble one too.
"Bepo," he stated. His even tone managed to slice through the noise and silence the crowd. Whatever he was saying, everyone wanted to hear it, "You okay?"
"C-Captain!" the polar bear wailed, "I didn't do it! They came right to the ship and-and-and-"
"I know. I'm asking if you are okay."
Bepo's lips quivered but he nodded his head. "Yes. I'm okay!"
With that confirmation, Law's eyes slid over to Javier, who instantly took a step back. He may have wanted to face the captain but he certainly was not prepared.
"Release him," Law said.
"Of course I can't!" Javier yelled.
"Why not?"
"D-Don't play dumb with me!" Javier pointed a finger at the captain, "You, pirates, waited until everyone was at the ball so that you could burn down the farmlands and destroy our lives!"
"What's our motive?"
"How would I know?! I'm not a pirate!"
"Good point," Law murmured and then he lifted up his hand, "Room...Shambles."
Within a blink of an eye, the polar bear was suddenly perched on the throne with the crown on his head while the king found himself kneeling before an executioner, who was now Law.
"WHAT?!" Sid gasped when the man in chainmail appeared in front of her. She, along with the rest of the crew, took several steps back away from him out of sheer surprise.
The king doubled over and hacked uncontrollably from the shock. His hands squirmed weakly against the cuffs that pinned his hands to his back.
"King Sadal!" the citizens shouted in horror.
"What are you-" Javier started to protest until Law silenced him with the pull of the gun safety.
Click.
"We're pirates," Law said with his eyes staring coldly into Javier's and not even giving any attention to the prone king, "We don't need to sit through a trial or be accountable for crimes we have or have not committed. Bepo, clear the stage."
"What?!" Javier yelled.
Bepo swiftly got out of his chair and he rushed to the other side of the platform, grabbing Javier by the front and back of his ruffled shirt. The king's crown rolled off the platform and onto the street along with the Chief Editor. "Sorry, Captain's orders," the bear said.
Thud.
The Shandian warrior smoothly stepped to the side to allow the man to fall right onto the cobblestones. Her confused expression was met by the smirk of the pirate captain and he gave a nod towards her and his crew members.
"Get out of this mess and then meet me back on the ship," he ordered and then he lifted his hand up once again, "Shambles."
With that he disappeared with the entire platform, leaving only a long, wooden dining table and 3 chairs in its wake. Chaos ensued in the plaza with the citizens fleeing the scene while the guards closed in. The pirates, on the other hand, seemed absolutely thrilled at this turn of events.
"You heard the captain!" Shachi shouted with a punch in the air, "Time to fight!"
"AHHH!" his nakama replied with vigor. Some of them rushed out to clash with the guards head-on while others drew out various weapons from nunchucks to pistols.
"Does Law do this a lot?" Sid asked with a tilt of her head, "Just leave without warning?"
"Captain sometimes leaves us in the dark," Penguin admitted with a grin, "But it always comes out in our favor as long as we follow his instructions. He knows what he's doing."
"Guards! Seize them!" Javier cried as he tried to scramble away but was caught by the collar.
"Where do you think you're going?" Sid asked.
"EEK! Nathaniel!"
"What's a Nathaniel?"
"Me...," said a low growl from behind the warrior. She spun around and saw that it was the chainmail man. He had his palm directed right at her face. "Needle Needle...Hose Spray."
A burst of needles blasted through the holes in the chainmail. Sid had to let go of Javier and she backflipped away from Nathaniel in order to dodge the sharp stream. Her messenger bag swung around her as she did so and the needles punctured through it.
"AH! Boo!" Sid cried out. She flipped open the bag and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw that the sky sheep was not there. Instead, in place of it was a small green notebook that she had never seen before. "Wait! Where did Boo go?"
---------------
"Boooo."
The sky sheep was thundering, which should alarm the captain but instead, he found it undeniably adorable. Its cloud was dark and stormy with electricity zapping in between its fluffy mounds. It was hovering in a corner of the fortress dining hall with it's back turned to the humans.
There were no windows and the doors were closed no matter where the sky sheep flew and it changed its plan from escaping to sulking. Law suppressed the urge to chuckle, knowing that it would only perturb the sky sheep even more.
He couldn't blame it for feeling this way. After all, he did take the animal without permission. He had switched the sheep out with a notebook he knew Bepo kept in his pocket.
"Eh...D-Don't be mad," Bepo said as he took a tentative step towards the sky sheep with an unconscious king in his arms, "Sorry, we had to take you. Sorry."
"Boo!"
Kaboom!
A bolt of lightning shot right into the stone floor, scorching its point of impact and reminding Law of a child stamping its foot during a tantrum.
"Boo..." Law said slowly, "The faster you come with us, the faster we can return you to Sid-ya."
"...Boo..." The sky sheep's body started to turn a lighter shade of grey and eventually, it turned to glare it's glistening black eyes at the pirate captain.
"We'll get you back to her. I promise," Law said.
"Don't worry! You can trust the captain!" Bepo said with a fervent nod, "If he says he'll get you back, he'll get you back!"
The sky sheep looked to the polar bear and his cloud turned even lighter while his eyes watered even more. He floated towards the polar bear, leaving a trail of rain in his wake. He flopped over the polar bear's head.
"I...I guess he prefers to be with me," Bepo said as rain water started to drip down his fur and over his face, "Ah! Don't rain on me!...Although...that feels nice..."
"Let's go," Law said. He opened the door and ran into the hallway.
"Where are we going?" Bepo cried as he hurried after the captain.
"To find the treasure room. We're low on funds."
They ran up and down corridors and stairwells. It appeared only the grand hall, where the ball was held, was the only room someone thought to decorate. Outside of that room, the entire fortress was bare and weathered. Mold crusted inside the seams and cracks of the stone walls and floors. It left a musty scent in the damp fortress and at times the mold was so thick and vast that it covered the floors like an old carpet.
Law was not surprised to find that it was easy to get around the fortress without much interference. It was clear that most of the guards had been stationed at the plaza so security was at its minimum in the fortress. The situation was exactly what the captain hoped for. They barely saw any guards and any they did come across were easily and quietly disposed of with a quick slice of his nodachi. He wanted to conserve his power as much as possible.
Purupurupurupuru. Purupurupurupuru.
Catcha.
"Hello?"
"Trafalgar Law has taken the king as a hostage! He may be in the fortress right now!"
Javier's voice came out from a room they had just ran past and Law swiftly stopped and pressed himself against the adjacent wall to listen in. His navigator dutifully mimicked his motions.
"WHAT?!" the anonymous recipient cried, "What should we do? Most of our forces are in the plaza!"
"I know that," Javier snapped, "I'm heading over now with some of the guards. Close the gates! Don't let anyone in and out of the fortress and for god's sake, make sure to protect that! No matter what, we have to make sure no one gets their hands on it!"
"Ah! Yeah. You're right!" the stranger shouted, "I'll get right on it!"
Catcha.
There was a sound of feet and papers shuffling about and then a man came storming out of the door with files clutched tightly to his chest. Law recognized the face as someone Sid had tried to confront at the ball. The man's eyes widened at the sight of the pirate captain, who leaned casually against the wall.
"What's your hurry?" Law asked.
"EEP! Tra-Tra-Trafalgar Law," the man squeaked and ran down the hallway with papers flying every which way behind him, "Guards! Guards! Guards! He's here! Help!"
"Not much regard for your king's safety, I see," Law quipped and ran after the man. It only took Law a couple of long strides to catch up to him and he grabbed him by the back of the collars. Law jerked the man back and the rest of his papers flew up into the air, fluttering down on them, "Should I repeat my question?"
"I-I-I-..." the man stammered.
"Ku...Ku...let him go..."
Law kept his grip on his captive while he looked over at his hostage. The king's breath was shallow and he wheezed his words while crunched up in the polar bear's arms. He offered no resistance to Bepo.
"He's...he's not to blame for this. I...I am...I can answer everything."
"King Sadal!" the man gasped, "What are you doing?!"
"I know what's at stake..." King Sadal whispered, "But...I think we're at the end of our rope, Leroy. I have no other choice."
Bang! Shing!
Law lifted his nodachi just in time to stop a bullet from hitting him squarely between the eyes. He tilted his head and glared at the smoking gun that was pointed right at him.
"Halt! Don't move. We have you surrounded!" Four guards stood at one end of the hallway while five more came at the other end. They stamped their spears on the ground and stood shoulder to shoulder, blocking the exits, except for the one at the center of the group of five. He held the gun and he was the one talking. "Unhand the king."
"Pl-Please lower your weapons," King Sadal said.
"I'm sorry we can't do that," a guard said and Law could hear the grin hiding behind his helmet, "We do not take orders from you."
"Then let me exert my authority then," Law said coolly. He unsheathed his nodachi.
Shing! Shing!
With two long slices across their chest and clean through their armor, the guards fell back on each other. Law smoothly redirected his blade at the base of Leroy's throat. The man began to sweat.
"Leroy," Law repeated, enunciating every syllable and relishing on how uncomfortable it made his prey, "Are you going to shout for more guards or are you going to cooperate?"
"Please! I'm just an employee of the newspaper!" Leroy shrieked and threw his arms over his head for a semblance of protection, "Don't hurt me!"
"Ku! Ku! Let him go..." the king said, "I can tell you everything you need to know. You don't need him."
"What a benevolent king," Law replied. He waited for a beat before moving his blade away, "Go."
Leroy lowered his arms. "Really?"
Law nodded and the old man hurriedly scrambled to his feet. He was just about to run around the corner when Law's blade swung once more.
"Amputate."
"EH?!" Leroy's upper body slid off from his hips and both parts of him fell to the side, opposite of each other. They wriggled independently and Leroy's head twisted over to Law. "What did you do?!"
"I changed my mind," Law said. He went down the hallway in the direction Leroy was sprinting towards and stood right in between Leroy's halves, "I want you to stay put instead."
"AHHHH! He cut me in half! He cut me in half!" Leroy screamed.
The king jerked up from Bepo's arms as the polar bear approached his captain but he collapsed right back down again after exerting too much strength. "Ku! Ku! Why...Why would you do that? I am cooperating!"
"I can't risk him following us or causing us more trouble," Law said and then waved his hand out, "Now...will you so kindly show us where we can chat, your majesty?"
The king nodded.
He directed them to the highest room on the eastern tower of the fortress. There were several guards already stationed in front of the heavily bolted door but the guards, along with the door itself, suddenly found itself on the outside of the fortress and plummeting down to the ground level.
When they entered the room, the sounds of fighting from the plaza rose up to their unobstructed level and they could hear the ongoing battle through the many open windows in the circular room. This room, unlike the rest of the fortress, was bright and airy with not a speck of mold or dust.
It was completely empty save for a thin, bare potted tree that rested right at the center. The tree stopped right below Law's chin and it's blackened branches looked like it could snap off with an average gust of wind.
"This...this is what the World Economic Journal wants to protect?" Law said and reached out a hand to touch one of its spindly twigs, "What is this?"
"Stop!" King Sadal gasped. He sat himself up once again in Bepo's arms and managed to stay upright, "You mustn't touch it."
Law's hand stilled and he looked over at the king. "Talk."
"That...that tree...That tree is a very special tree," King Sadal said, "It's been growing for centuries under my family's protection."
"It's not much protection, is it? It looks dead."
"Yes. Usually, the tree is barren and looks almost withered," the king whispered, "But...once every couple of years, it bares a fruit...A Devil Fruit."
"What?!" Bepo asked while Law narrowed his eyes.
"What do you mean?" Law asked, "Are you saying this country has the ability to grow Devil Fruits at will?!"
King Sadal shook his head. "No! Not at will. We can never tell when or how a fruit grows but it always occurs at least once every five years, sometimes sooner, and it's always some sort of Devil Fruit on it."
"I see," Law said and he looked at the tree with fresh new eyes. A Devil Fruit can appear anywhere in the world and at random. With that statistic, any type of guarantee for it to show up would be invaluable
"But...why would a newspaper be interested in something like this?" Bepo asked, "What would they do with Devil Fruits?"
"Trading power for information," Law replied before the king could respond, "Isn't what all of this is about? The World Economic Journal is trying to expand its power and influence...Even so far as to go and usurp the power of a king."
"Ku! Ku! That's right," the king said. His breathing was getting steadier and the color was coming back to his cheeks. However, sadness entered his eyes as well, "I...I am powerless and weak. As you can see, I have no fight in me. My father, he died very young. We share the same weak constitution. He left me to rule this country too soon. I did not know what to do...My people were happy but poor...That's when the World Economic Journal sent Javier here and offered to help..."
"They took advantage of your naivety," Law said and the king nodded.
"Yes. By the time I realized that they were taking advantage of me, using me only as their puppet to gain my citizens' trust, it was too late. However, even if I spoke out, there was no point in me doing so. My country was flourishing and my people were treated well...Until now..."
"The fire," Law said.
"Ah...They are trying to clear the area and grow trees to make as paper for the future," King Sadal said, "They are forcing their way of life on us without any regard to my citizens' wants and needs. I now realize they want to completely commandeer my country and replace my people with their employees."
The king's head lowered and his eyes moistened. "I only wanted to be a good king. I only wanted to help my people. If I had known...This is all my fault. I never should've accepted the deal. I am so weak. I am-"
"Scan!"
"Eh?" Even though the king did not see anything out of the ordinary, he could sense something washing over him, like a high powered spotlight shining down in every nook and cranny into his soul.
"Hrm," Law grunted, "I'm going to take a guess and say that your doctors have been provided by the World Economic Journal as well?"
King Sadal glanced up. "Y-Yes, that's correct."
"What about before? Who treated you and your father before the newspaper came?"
"We didn't seek much treatment," King Sadal said, "There was only one doctor in this country and we did not want to take him away from treating the citizens...When he did treat us, he couldn't find out what was causing our illness...The current doctors either."
Law smirked. "So that's how it is..."
"Captain! Do you know what is wrong with him?" Bepo asked.
Law nodded. "Ah...I can cure you, your majesty...and I can help eradicate the World Economic Journal from your country if you so wish."
King Sadal's eyes widened. "You can?!"
Law's smirk deepened. "Yes...Just give me this tree."