“Wh…what’s wrong, Captain? Did something happen?”
Law had always been aloof and reserved, a trait that hadn’t changed since setting out to sea.
Shachi and Penguin both went down a wrong path after their parents died. It was Law and Wolf, who had taken in and cared for Law, who accepted them. They lived together, fought alongside each other, and eventually set sail on their journey aboard the Polar Tang that Wolf had given them.
After escaping Swallow Island, Law experienced a relatively happy time.
He had companions he could call friends and learned what it meant to find joy in living.
However, even in such a life, the scars of his past could not be erased.
Deep in his heart, there was still a lingering stain: the destruction of Flevance, his hatred for Donquixote Doflamingo, and the restless desire to fulfill Corazon’s wish.
At first, he thought that as long as he made it to Dressrosa someday, everything would be fine.
At that moment, he believed that all ties to Doflamingo would come to an end.
But later, after a certain battle, Law began to yearn to understand what true freedom meant.
In order to understand the meaning of freedom as Corazon had described it, he chose to venture out to sea. From his understanding of the sea, pirates were the most “free” group of people. Under the influence of this prevailing view, Law made his decision.
He didn’t recklessly rush into the Grand Line because of some concerns. Ever since learning the ultimate secret of the Op-Op Fruit, he knew that Doflamingo would never give up this opportunity, the legendary chance at eternal life.
At this moment, Doflamingo was still unaware of his specific situation, but the moment he entered the Grand Line, news of him would sooner or later reach Doflamingo. Having trained under the Donquixote Family, Law knew he wasn’t strong enough to face Doflamingo.
Thus, he stayed in the North Blue, teaching Penguin and Shachi some things. Even though he learned these things from the Donquixote Family, it does not hinder him from using them to enhance his own strength.
Since the day Doflamingo seized the throne of Dressrosa, Law had been keeping a close eye on the news. He even engaged with the underworld forces of the North Blue to gather more intelligence.
Thanks to his medical expertise, he had no trouble finding his footing in the Underworld and managed to unearth some information. However, the more he learned, the more difficult Doflamingo seemed to deal with.
Initially, Law wasn’t in a rush—until he heard that name.
Family was a wound he could never heal. If not for the Flevance incident, he might have been an excellent surgeon instead of a pirate.
“What did you say that person’s name is?”
“L-La…Lami! A female pirate from the Beasts Pirates. She single-handedly took out a large group of Marines. Seems like she’s a Devil Fruit user or something.”
Hearing this, Law snatched the newspaper, quickly scanning the news and scrutinizing the images for clues.
He could never forget his sister’s name. The mention of “Devil Fruit user” sent a shiver down his spine. Because of the Amber Lead Syndrome, both his and his sister’s lifespans had been limited. While he had used the Op-Op Fruit to cure Amber Lead’s effect, there is only one Op-Op Fruit.
Under normal circumstances, even if his sister had escaped Flevance, she would have eventually succumbed to the Amber Lead Syndrome. But a Devil Fruit user was different.
What if some other ability could cure the disease?
And more importantly, she was part of the Beasts Pirates.
Back then during Beasts Fruits’ news conference, Law had seen the sister who had survived. Although she claimed there were no other survivors from Flevance, anything was possible. Law himself was living proof of that.
【Fuffuffuffu, Law, someone’s lying. Your eyes have deceived you, or perhaps, this is all a scam. Do you know what kind of company Beasts Fruits is? They are the front for the Beasts Pirates.】
Law still remembered these words.
An unknown ability, the same force, the same name—these coincidences layered together stirred a glimmer of hope within him.
However, when he saw the side profile in the photo, he was overcome with confusion.
It wasn’t unusual for there to be photos in newspapers. Whether it was the Marines or the reporters of the World Economy News Paper, their photography skills were practically unbeatable. The issue was that the grown-up Lami in the photo looked vastly different from the Lami he remembered.
The Lami in the present was 18 years old, but Law’s memories of her were frozen in time 11 years ago.
Some people’s faces remain nearly identical from childhood to adulthood, while others undergo a complete transformation. Lami belonged to the latter group. She had grown up so much over the years that Law couldn’t determine if this was truly the Lami he once knew—his little sister.
“Captain, what’s wrong?”
“Yeah, Captain, is it someone important?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure…”
Law found himself caught in a dilemma. Only by going to the New World could he uncover the truth, but doing so would force him to bring forward many of his plans ahead of time.
If this was truly his sister, it would be worth it. But if he had mistaken her for someone else, his careful planning against Doflamingo would collapse entirely.
“Captain, why don’t we just head for the Grand Line?”
“Yeah, we’re good to go. Everything is almost ready.”
Having spent years with Law, Shachi and Penguin understood him well. They could tell he was anxious, likely because of what he had seen in the newspaper.
Law didn’t reply immediately, instead falling into deep thought. After a long silence, he finally made his decision.
“No, the original plan stays. It’s still not the right time…”
If he wanted to look for Doflamingo, he had to go to Dressrosa. If he wanted to look for Kaido, then Wano Country was the destination. But right now, he had nothing, and even if he went to the New World, he probably wouldn’t be able to see Kaido.
If he tried to make a name for himself, he would be discovered by Doflamingo. He heard that Doflamingo also has some business dealings with the Beasts Pirates. There is only one life; though Law wasn’t afraid of dying, he refused to die for nothing.
If that really was his sister, being under the protection of an Emperor of the Sea should at least keep her safe. So, he restrained his impulsive urge.
Before he was influenced by Luffy, Law had been a calm person. He made what he believed was the most prudent decision for the moment, though he still slightly quickened the pace of his plans.
…..
Meanwhile, some time later, the Spade Pirates, who had rushed into the New World with a fervor, ran into a huge trouble. According to Ace’s plan, he intended to first visit Shanks, then challenge Whitebeard, with Kaido as the final stop.
But due to the dangerous sea currents and weather of the New World, after experiencing a series of natural disasters, he was instead swept to the outer seas of Wano Country. Here, he encountered the biggest crisis since coming to the New World.
From the depths of the sea, Nereus’ figure gradually surfaced. Seeing the ship before her bore no markings of the Beasts Pirates, she stirred the waves, sweeping them towards the Piece of Spadille.
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