The deck was bathed in the dying light of sunset, the sky a vivid, almost defiant blue streaked with gold. The sea breeze tugged at loose strands of hair and the edges of coats, carrying the sharp salt of the open water.
Law sat at the small table near the railing, legs stretched out, arms folded tightly across his chest. Kikoku rested against his shoulder, its sheath held securely in the crook of his elbow like a silent warning.
A heavy silence stretched between them.
Hellfire leaned back in her chair, trying to appear relaxed, but the tension coiled beneath the surface pulled at her nerves with every passing second. She found it difficult to meet his gaze — or what little she could see of it — hidden deep within the shadow of that fur hat, framed by the rigid wall of his raised collar.
She broke it first, voice light but edged with challenge.
“Interesting look. The fur suits you, Trafalgar Law. Never thought I’d see a katana wrapped in it, though.“
Law didn’t smile. His golden eyes stayed shadowed under the brim of his hat.
“I’m not here for small talk,” he said, voice low and flat. “Name your price.”
Hellfire raised one eyebrow, the corner of her mouth curving.
“Not so fast. Tell me why are you interested in Doflamingo all of a sudden.”
“That’s none of your business.”
“That so? You’re asking for sensitive intel on his operations. The kind that paints a target on anyone who touches it. His enemies don’t stay anonymous for long.”
She leaned forward slightly, eyes sharp.
“You want me to risk my entire dressrosa network against a Warlord? Then give me a reason. A real one.”
Law’s jaw tightened. A short, irritated hiss escaped him.
“You’ll get the reason once I have the contract.”
Hellfire’s brows lifting slightly, leaning back.
Law speaks again, his voice dropped low and cold, edged with quiet superiority, “But you came here anyway.”
“I assume I have something you want too. So cut to the chase. Name it, Hellfire-ya.”
A beat.
Hellfire pressed her lips together. She broke eye contact for a second, gaze drifting to the horizon. The sun was almost setting, yet the sky remained a clean, bright, joyful blue, the breeze soft and quiet against her skin.
“Payment,” she said, voice crisp. “Expect the contract by tomorrow night. No negotiations on the price. Take it or leave it.”
A faint, cold curl touched the corner of his mouth — gone as quickly as it appeared.
“Good.”
Hellfire stood and starts to leave.
“Well, that’s it, Surgeon of Death. I’ll be on my way now.”
She tossed a small transporter snail toward him. He caught it mid-air with effortless precision.
“Oh, and next time you want to meet me… just ask nicely. No more clever tricks. I might even show up on time.”
She turned, the paper wing unfolding behind her like living feathers, ready to glide off the deck like she’d arrive.
Law moved.
In a heartbeat, the blue shimmer of Room expanded around them — silent, precise, deadly. No warning. No sound. His hand sliced forward in a clean, surgical motion straight to her chest.
Scalpel.
A small, glowing cube appeared in his palm — her heart, still beating steadily inside the transparent box.
Hellfire’s eyes widened. Her body jerked, knees buckling as the sudden emptiness in her chest hit like a hammer. She dropped to the deck, one hand instinctively clutching at the hollow space where her heart should be, breathing in short, shocked gasps.
She looked up at him from the ground — shock clear in her wide eyes.
Law towered over her, holding the cube, expression ever cold and assessing.
“That wasn’t a trick,” he said, voice icy. “I don’t work with people who don’t take this seriously. And I will eliminate anyone who sabotages my plan — whether by choice or incompetence.”
He emphasized the last word.
Hellfire stared at him for a long second, chest heaving, wind tugging at her hair. Then her lips curved — slow, dangerous, a rasped edge to her voice.
“Oh, Trafalgar… you really know how to make a girl feel special on the first date.”
copy.
Before he could react, she surged up from the ground, her hand slicing forward in a clean motion straight to his chest.
Law’s eyes widened as a second cube appeared in her palm – his heart, beating strong and steady.
The world tilted as the pair both falls onto the ground.
Law’s hand flew to his empty chest, breath locked in his throat, his usual gloomy half-lidded eyes snapping wide in shock.
Hellfire looked down at the glowing cube in her palm – law’s heart, still pulsing steadily – and her face twisted in dramatic horror.
“Ew — a bloody heart!” she yelped, voice pitching high with genuine shock and theatrical disgust. “It’s squirming! Why is it so warm?!”
She recoiled and dropped it like it had burned her. The cube hit the deck with a soft, fleshy thud.
Law jerkly violently, a sharp hissing escaping through his teeth as pain lanced through his empty chest.
“Fuck——!” he gasped, one hand flying to his sternum. “That’s my heart. Be careful with it.”
Hellfire stared at the dropped cube, then at him, her dramatic expression cracking into a startled laugh.
“Oh my god. I’m so sorry —— it just felt so weird in my hand.“
Law shot her a glare that could cut steel. He exhaled sharply through his nose, the pain already fading as he reached out and carefully picked up his own heart cube. He tossed her heart back to her with controlled precision.
“Put it back”, he said voice tight but no longer angry.
For the first time since they’d met, the heavy tension between them eased.
They both pressed the glowing cubes back into their chest at the same time. The sensation was strange – a warm, pulling rush as their hearts settled back into place. Both of them let out a simultaneous breath of relief.
Law leaned back against the railing, rubbing his chest absently, golden eyes scans her with a mix of annoyance and newfound intrigue.
“How?” he asked quietly.
Hellfire flexed her fingers, testing the return of her heartbeat. Then she met his gaze — her eyes softer now, less guarded.
“Kopi Kopi no Mi,” she answered simply. “I can copy another user’s ability upon physical touch. Though…”
A beat. She pressed a hand to her chest, steadying herself, breath still a little unsteady. “I normally never use it in front of the original user.”
Then her voice sharpened, steel cutting through the softness. “That was rude of you. If we’re going to work together, we need to trust each other.”
Law’s eyes narrowed. He watched her for a long second, then gave a single, curt nod. “Point taken”
Hellfire exhaled, as if exhausted, and turned toward the railing. She was already forming giant paper wings from both arms — wide, powerful, edges fluttering like living feathers in the breeze.
Before she leapt into the air, hellfire glanced back at him one last time. “Sorry for making you wait.” she said lightly, “But next time…maybe don’t assume I’ll come running just because you called.”
With that, she leapt off the deck.
Her massive paper wings caught the wind, carrying her upward in a graceful arc. She rose into the sky like a bird, white sheets shimmering against the blue, until she was nothing but a distant silhouette.
Law remained on the deck, heart back in his chest, staring after her. His face was unreadable, but no longer tense.
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