Luffy eventually left to accompany Law, taking part of the crew with him. Zoro, Kuina, Koby, and Sanji joined him, eager to explore more deeply this white kingdom of silent ruins and streets frozen in the past. They moved away together, their silhouettes gradually dissolving into the almost unreal whiteness of Flevance.
Kaya, deeply interested in everything related to medicine, chose to stay with Law, Lami, and the Polar Tang crew, curious to exchange knowledge and experiences with them. As a precaution—and in accordance with the strict rules laid down by Jordan—Usopp, Kazuki, Elise, Nojiko, and Charles also decided to remain nearby. On an unknown island, no one ever explored alone. Jordan was the exception to that rule, not out of favoritism, but because he possessed too many means of escape and survival… and because he was, without any possible dispute, the strongest member of the crew.
Sitting a little apart, Law watched his sister, still unable to fully believe that he had found her again. After a long silence, he finally spoke to her, his voice gentler than usual.
"So, Lami… did you study medicine all this time with Mom and Dad?"
She nodded, a melancholic smile on her lips.
"Yes. Mostly theory. I spent nearly ten years learning everything. It was… one way or another to keep from feeling time pass."
She lowered her eyes for a moment.
"Dad often thought about methods to relieve, or even eradicate, lead poisoning. He had several ideas—serious leads… but since we were already dead, he was never able to test them."
Her voice wavered slightly before she straightened up and looked her brother directly in the eyes.
"And you… what did you do all that time?"
Law took a deep breath. The memory still seemed painful, even after all these years.
"After I managed to leave this island, I ended up aboard a pirate crew. Back then, I thought I was going to die young, so… I didn't care about my life at all."
He gave a bitter smile.
"I'd calculated that, at best, I wouldn't make it past fifteen before succumbing to the disease."
He paused, then continued, his voice heavier.
"But there was a man in that crew. To the others, his name was Corazon. His real name was Donquixote Rosinante."
His fists tightened slightly.
"He took me with him when I was twelve. We traveled all across North Blue for six months, searching for a cure. He refused to give up."
Emotion was now clearly visible on his face.
"Eventually, he heard about a special Devil Fruit. He did everything to make sure I got it… even if it meant getting himself killed so that I could live."
At those words, Lami could no longer hold back her tears. She stood up and threw herself into her brother's arms, holding him with all her strength. Law froze for a moment, then slowly wrapped his arms around her, as if he still feared she might disappear.
Around them, Law's crew and Luffy's instinctively kept their distance, respecting the intimacy of the moment.
Kaya watched Penguin and Shachi with genuine curiosity, her head tilted slightly to the side, her long rabbit ears twitching softly.
"You know medicine too?" she asked in a gentle, almost excited voice.
Penguin scratched the back of his head before answering, a little embarrassed.
"We have some knowledge, yeah… but nothing as advanced as the captain's."
He glanced toward Law in the distance before continuing.
"We mostly know how to handle surgical tools, assist during operations, prepare equipment, that kind of thing. Let's just say we're more like medical assistants than real doctors."
Shachi nodded at once, arms crossed.
"Yeah. Without the captain, we'd be completely incapable of doing anything truly serious."
He glanced toward Law and Lami, still locked in an embrace.
"I wonder what our captain's sister is going to decide…" Shachi murmured."The sea isn't a safe place. Even less so for someone with no combat experience."
Kaya followed his gaze, then replied with a reassuring smile.
"I understand your concern. But I'm sure your captain will make the best possible decision for her."
Before long, the conversation naturally drifted toward more technical subjects. Kaya began asking precise questions, enthusiastically exchanging ideas about medical methods, common injuries at sea, infections, emergency amputations. Penguin and Shachi, initially surprised, quickly got drawn into it.
Then, without them realizing it, the tone shifted.
Kaya's eyes shone with a particular glint, her smile widening slightly.
"And of course… depending on how you sever an artery, the speed of blood loss can vary enormously," she explained with unsettling calm."Some areas cause a quick death, others a much longer agony. Fascinating, isn't it?"
Penguin went pale.
Shachi took a step back.
"Uh… fascinating might not be the right word…" Penguin stammered, while Kaya kept smiling, perfectly innocent on the surface.
A little farther away, Bepo was going through a very different ordeal. Trapped between Kazuki and Elise, he no longer dared to move. The two young women were running their hands through his thick white fur, utterly delighted.
"He's incredibly soft…" Kazuki murmured, her eyes shining."I'd really love it if we could keep him."
Elise nodded vigorously.
"Yes! I'm sure he'd like staying with us."
Bepo had turned bright red, his ears flattened against his head. He stared straight ahead, frozen like a statue.
Off to the side, Nojiko watched the scene with clear interest, but didn't dare approach. Her body remained slightly tense, instinctively on guard. Despite the time that had passed, contact with men was still difficult for her.
Usopp eventually stepped in, crossing his arms.
"Girls… you're really making him uncomfortable. Give him some space."
"But he's so soft…" Kazuki protested with a mischievous smile.
Bepo took advantage of the distraction to suddenly break free and dashed to hide behind Law and Lami, unintentionally breaking the heavy atmosphere surrounding their reunion.
"Captain!" he cried, panic in his voice. "Those two women are trying to kidnap me! Help me!!"
Law let out a small laugh, while Lami smiled, surprised but amused. The lingering sadness vanished at once.
Shachi and Penguin hurried over as well, taking refuge behind the bear.
"Captain…" Shachi murmured." Their doctor wife is scary" Penguin added in a low voice.
Law burst out laughing.
"What were you expecting?" he replied with a shrug."Her wanted poster makes it pretty clear. Kaya, the Crimson Rabbit. Some people even call her the Blood Rabbit."
Kaya tilted her head, still smiling.
Law then gestured for Kaya to come closer.
"Come talk with us," he said calmly. He then began walking slowly toward what remained of his former home, Lami at his side, Kaya joining them with genuine interest.
Behind them, the atmosphere shifted once more. Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin began chatting with Usopp, Kazuki, and Elise, exchanging anecdotes, tales of sailing, storms narrowly avoided, and improbable sea monsters.
Meanwhile, Luffy reached the edge of the city, where the white streets crumbled away into a wide esplanade littered with debris. He barely had time to stop before a large group of armed individuals emerged in front of them, advancing with determined steps. The air immediately grew tense.
Without hesitation, Luffy summoned his shield, anchoring it firmly in front of him. Behind him, Zoro, Kuina, Koby, and Sanji took position almost instinctively, forming a tight line ready to absorb the impact. The flaw in their formation was obvious: no ranged fighters. They would have to take the hits… and push forward.
"Hurry up, you bunch of larvae!" shouted a blond young man with impossibly long legs, a fin protruding from his back—clear proof of his Fish-Man blood."We've been informed that Law is on this island, and I want him captured alive. The young master has decided to handle this personally."
Beside him, an old man in a blue outfit let out a grating laugh.
"Fafafafafafa… we're finally going to put an end to that traitor…"
Both of them stopped short when they noticed the group facing them.
The old man narrowed his eyes, then raised his hands to form a grotesque G.
"Who are you, G?! I am Lao G, and I order you to clear out immediately!"
The Fish-Man tilted his head, a cruel smile stretching across his lips.
"May as well eliminate them right away… that way, I can strike Law-ni-chan with love ♡"
He burst into a high-pitched laugh.
"I'm Dellinger. It's an honor for you to be killed by us. Pistol High Heel!"
He vanished in a burst of speed, shooting forward like an arrow, his leg snapping out for a lethal heel strike aimed straight at Luffy.
CLANG.
Luffy positioned his shield perfectly. The impact was absorbed cleanly—then a violent electrical discharge erupted from Zeus's shield. Dellinger was blasted backward, skidding several meters, his body wracked with crackling arcs of electricity.
"Hehe…" Luffy grinned, tightening his grip."Sanji, take the old guy. I'll handle the fish!"
Dellinger pushed himself up with a snarl, his smile gone. This time, his gaze was deadly serious.
Meanwhile, Luffy went on the offensive. He advanced with heavy steps, shield forward, tanking a flurry of heel strikes so fast they generated shockwaves in the air. Each impact made the metal of the shield vibrate, releasing fresh sparks that forced Dellinger to retreat.
"Tch…" the Fish-Man growled, leaping onto a wall to change his angle.
He dove down, chaining circular kicks, searching for openings. Luffy spun in place, using the shield like a battering ram, sending out a fan-shaped electric wave that scorched the white ground and forced Dellinger to jump back again.
"You're fast!" Luffy shouted, laughing."But so am I!"
He suddenly launched himself forward, shield first, and smashed Dellinger square in the chest, slamming him into a column that collapsed in a cloud of dust.
On the other side of the esplanade, Sanji leapt into the air.
"You and me, old man."
His soldier boots gleamed with a metallic sheen as he brought down a powerful descending kick. Lao G dodged with supernatural ease, pivoting on one foot despite his advanced age, then countered with a flurry of ultra-fast punches, each one packed with compact, precise force.
Sanji blocked, stepped back once, then counterattacked with a spinning kick combo, each strike whistling through the air. The two fighters exchanged blows at a blistering pace, their impacts cracking the white ground beneath their feet.
"G G G… your technique is elegant, G!" Lao G called out as he struck straight ahead.
Sanji deflected the attack and answered with a flaming knee strike that forced the old man to slide backward.
"Sorry, gramps," Sanji replied as he straightened up."But I promised to protect my friends. And my captain gave me an order."
Lao G smiled, his muscles tensing.
"Then show me what you're worth, G!"
Zoro charged into the crowd like a tiger unleashed among a flock of sheep, without the slightest hesitation. His swords traced sharp, precise arcs, slicing through the air before his opponents even realized he was already upon them. With every step, a man fell.
"D-Damn it, what is this guy?!" a henchman screamed as he backed away."He's coming too fast! Stop him!""He's a monster—fall back!!"
The shouts blended with the sharp clang of metal and the thud of bodies being hurled aside. Zoro advanced relentlessly, knocking aside enemy blades with a simple flick of his wrist before striking. One man tried to take him from behind.
"Now! From beh—"
He never finished the sentence. Zoro pivoted, smashing him with the pommel of his sword and sending him crashing several meters away.
"Seriously… you're way too slow," he said coldly.
A few meters away, Kuina went straight into her hybrid form, her silhouette gaining power as a bestial aura poured out of her. In a single motion, she set her sword ablaze, flames licking along the blade with a low roar.
"S-She transformed!" a panicked man shouted."It's a Zoan! Run!"
Kuina lunged without giving them time to react. Her flaming blade swept in a wide arc, sending several enemies flying at once.
"AAAAAH!!""She's burning us! Help!!"
Koby stayed close behind, calmer but just as determined. While Kuina crushed the front line, he positioned himself at her back, repelling desperate attacks.
"This way! Take her from behind!" a henchman shouted, raising his spear.
Koby intercepted the weapon with a sharp blow.
"Sorry," he said simply before striking with a precise hit that took the man out of the fight.
Another tried his luck.
"You're just a kid—get lost!"
Two moves later, he was on the ground.
"This isn't possible…" a man stammered as he watched his comrades fall one after another."Even the little one is dangerous…"
Kuina carved through the crowd with controlled ferocity, fully aware that her back was protected.
"Koby, on the right!""Got it!"
He slipped into the opening and struck cleanly, neutralizing the attacker before he could raise his weapon.
Around them, panic spread.
"There's only three of them and they're slaughtering us!""Monsters! They're all monsters!!"
In just moments, the mass of more than a hundred men had been reduced to disorganized chaos—screams, bodies falling, and desperate flight—at the hands of three fighters.
(Author's note: This takes place at the same time as the previous chapter. I'll leave you with this scene ^^ I'll see whether I write the next one for Sunday or not, depending on how much time I have.)