The white-haired man pushed the door open, looked at Spandine and said, "Congratulations, boss. Another one taken care of."
Spandine smiled faintly but didn't reply. He walked over to the window and watched Who's Who's back disappearing into the distance. The smile on his face slowly faded, replaced by a cold sneer.
"Blame yourself for being too ambitious, you dog," he muttered. Still dreaming of rising above and becoming the master…
He turned back and asked the white-haired man, "How's the progress on the Sea Train project in Water 7?"
* * *
North Blue. The Donquixote Family's base.
On the coast of ruins behind Spider Miles Island, Law sat quietly, staring out at the sea.
Because of an important deal today, most of the family officers, along with Doflamingo himself, had gone out. That left him with this rare bit of free time.
Baby 5 and Buffalo were by his side, both looking upset.
"Law! We told you our real names already!" The latter called out. "You should tell us yours too!"
He wasn't interested in humoring them. "I don't care. Boring."
Baby 5 pouted. "Aww, you're no fun."
"Why would I want to have fun," he said nonchalantly. "I don't have long left to live."
She glanced at the white spots spreading across his body. "That's true, those marks are getting worse."
Raising his hands, Law studied them. "I don't even know if I can last a year. Maybe less."
Buffalo, however, was full of curiosity. "Who cares! Just tell us your real name! Or I'll tell the young master you stabbed Cora two years ago!"
Baby 5 quickly joined in. "Yeah! I'll snitch too!"
Law's brow twitched. 'These annoying brats…'
He then shut his eyes and sighed. "Fine. Trafalgar D. Water Law. This name isn't supposed to be told to anyone. But it doesn't matter anymore. I'll be dead soon anyway. The 'D' is an alias, and 'Water' is a secret name. My family has carried it for generations—"
Suddenly, his whole body was lifted by a tremendous force.
"Hey! Let me go!" he yelled. "What are you doing, Corazon! You bastard! Put me down!"
Struggling and flailing, Law was carried away in Corazon's grasp.
Baby 5 and Buffalo barely reacted.
"Oh, Law's getting bullied again."
"Corazon looks scarier than usual this time."
* * *
Deep in an alley.
Bang!
Law was thrown hard onto the ground.
Veins bulged on his forehead as he pushed himself up. "You bastard! You wanna fight, Corazon?!"
But Corazon had his back turned, his mind uneasy. He forced himself to stay calm. "What you said just now… was it true?"
Law blinked, confused. "Huh? What? Who's talking!"
He scanned the empty alley. Nobody else was there.
"Your alias D, if it's true…" Corazon's voice trembled. "Then you need to get away. Leave Doflamingo at once."
He turned around, his face pale with fear. "You cannot stay by his side!"
Law froze. That voice… it was Corazon. "You… you can talk?! Since when?!"
"Since always," Corazon admitted, taking a deep breath.
Law's eyes widened in disbelief. "You've been lying to Doflamingo all this time?"
"I never said I was mute," he replied, sitting down on the steps nearby. "That was their own assumption."
"Don't mess with me! That's no different from lying!" Law shouted. "You—"
"Keep your voice down," Corazon cut in. He snapped his fingers. "Silence."
A faint purple glow spread outward, wrapping the alley in a dome that vanished from sight.
"You're too loud. I set up a sound barrier. Now no one outside can hear us, and we can't hear them either." After saying that, he lit a cigarette with an air of mystery.
Law gaped. "So all those dumb things you usually do… that's all an act too?"
Corazon smirked. "Exactly. Every bit of it."
Law's jaw dropped. "Don't lie to me! Your clothes actually caught fire before!"
As if on cue, the feathered coat on Corazon's shoulder caught from his cigarette.
Panicking, he patted it out. With a sigh of relief, he murmured, "Can't help it. I've been clumsy since I was a kid. Nothing I can do about it."
Law facepalmed. "Unbelievable. The most ridiculous stuff about you is the only part that's true? And why would you keep all this secret from your comrades?"
"I don't see them as my comrades," Corazon said calmly. "My goal is to stop my brother, Doflamingo, if he ever loses control. His cruel, fearless nature is something he was born with. Only four of us officers and the former Corazon, Vergo, truly know his nature."
"Vergo?" Law repeated. It was the first time he had heard the name.
"He went on a secret mission before you joined the family," Corazon explained. "A strong man. Even I don't know the details. But that's not important to you. Just… don't become a monster like my brother, Law. Leave this place while you still can."
"I won't!" Law shouted back. "Becoming like him is why I joined the family in the first place!"
Corazon sighed deeply at the boy's stubbornness. "You carry the name D. You're one of that fated clan, the people of D. In my homeland, adults used to scare children by saying, 'If you misbehave, a D will come eat you.' And whenever someone with the name D rose to fame, the elders would frown and mutter, 'The D will stir the world again.'"
Law frowned. "What are you even talking about? You make it sound like I'm some kind of monster."
Corazon exhaled smoke. "Maybe. Nobody knows what the D really means. But it exists in history, passed down through generations. In some lands, people even call the D… 'the enemy of the gods.' If gods refer to the Celestial Dragons, then as their enemy, maybe your destiny is to destroy the world. But Doffy's destruction is nothing but pure chaos. That's different from the destruction of D. The D are supposed to carry the will to defy the gods. To end their rule. Not to annihilate the world. You must not follow his path."
Law clenched his fists, furious. "I don't understand a word of this! And I don't care! You're not my boss, Doflamingo is! I joined this family to kill and destroy! My hometown! My friends! My parents! My sister! They're all dead! So why do so many idiots like you still get to live in this world?! I've got a year left at most. What good is leaving this place now?!"
"Then find a cure," Corazon urged, fists tightening.
"There is no cure!" Law roared. He spun around and bolted toward the alley's exit. "I'll tell Doflamingo everything! About your voice, your powers, all of it! You're dead, Corazon!"
"Damn it… you little brat!" Corazon dashed after him. In a few steps he caught up and lashed out with a kick. But in the next instant his eyes went wide.
"What?!"
Law seemed to know exactly where the strike would land and dodged with ease. With a quick twist, he grabbed Corazon's leg and sent him tumbling into a nearby pile of garbage.
A wicked grin spread across the boy's face. "I haven't been standing still these past two years, idiot. You're finished!"
He sprinted into the crowd, vanishing.
* * *
Bang!
The trash heap scattered as Corazon staggered out, looking frantically around. But Law was gone.
'Damn it… is this the end?'
He stood dazed, his steps dragging as he headed toward the port. 'I trusted him just because of the name D. What a pathetic mistake… I should never have believed that kid. I revealed everything, and now it's too late.'
He raised his head, muttering bitterly, "Doffy shouldn't be back yet. I need to get out of here… before it's too late…"
**
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