The Shogun and the Samurai

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Law groaned as he opened his eyes to the now familiar stone walls of the Pit and decided that he had just about had enough of being knocked unconscious in the past few days.

Wincing at the pain in the back of his head, the samurai could vaguely pick out bits and pieces of the evening prior.

The Shogun had come to him in a fit... Law taunted him, and then... Nothing.

With a soft groan, Law glanced around the Pit, and noticed- with slight surprise- that he was the only person in the well-like structure.

A few memories came to his mind, from the time after the murder of his foster father.

Doflamingo had- on several occasions- kept child Law in solitary confinement for days on end without food or water, all because of his position in line for the throne.

The samurai scowled at the memories and pulled himself to sit up against the stone wall.

After several hours of nothingness and empty silence, Law jumped at the harsh sound of the grate being pulled from stone, followed shortly after by the rope ladder.

As it was the last time, Law was treated roughly as the two guards prepared him for the arena.

A minute passed and he was thrown into the sunlit colosseum, the soles his bare caramel feet scraping against the dusty, sun-baked earth.

A quick scan of the arena revealed over at least half a dozen men, all of whom were armed with some sort of weapon and poised, ready to kill upon command.

Law cursed under his breath, but a thud on the ground behind him caught his attention.

There lay his precious nodachi, a little dusty, but still in good condition.

Law snatched it up instantly and unsheathed the long blade, holding it in front of his body defensively.

From high up in the stands, Law heard a familiar voice clear his throat and all eyes darted to the source.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN," Eustass Kid shouted, a malicious sneer on his face. "I GIVE YOU A DOG SHOW UNLIKE ANY OTHER!" The crouds cheered.

Stands of Kid's ruby hair caught the light of the mid-day sun as he looked down into the arena, creating the illusion that his pale head had caught on fire. Law would liked to have thought so, at least.

Steely grey caught molten gold as the Shogun's taunting gaze locked with the samurai's glare.

"THE FIRST ONE TO KILL THE DOG WITH THE TATTOOS WINS HIS FREEDOM FROM MY KINGDOM! BEGIN!"

Law's eyes widened at the sudden onslaught of men charging at him and, after deflecting a few blows, he retreated to a moderately safe distance to assess the situation.

But there was no time.

Kid watched from high in the stands (having learned from his previous mistake of sitting too closely) as Law was forced to fight against the other ten samurai.

With so many men, Kid wouldn't give the wayward prince any time to think. Action was the best way to judge a man's character.

The Shogun had been throughly floored by Law's first fight, not having expected something so animalistic from the man as beating his opponent to death with a rock.

No matter how furious he was with the caramel skinned male, Kid couldn't deny the large part of him that wanted, no, craved to see that instinctive side again.

"COME ON TORAO, YOU CAN DO IT!" Prince Luffy's voice brought the Shogun out of his slight stupor and he looked to see what the boy was cheering for.

Kid's eyes widened as he stared at the blur of movement in the arena.

Law was like water. His body flowed with his sword as though it were and extention of himself.

The samurai could hardly feel the strain being put on his arms from not having wielded his nodachi in so long; he was running on pure instinct, having no time to stop and think.

He was so tuned out of the world that he nearly stabbed the large back that pressed against his own.

"You fool! Have you not realized that you are surrounded?!" A familiarly deep voice hissed to him.

Law relaxed ever so slightly as he recognized the other man as Kinemon, then looked around with critical eyes for the first time since he began fighting.

He was indeed surrounded and nearly backed into a corner at that.

"Thank you for bringing me to my senses, Kinemon-ya."

The larger samurai grunted. "Don't thank me, just fight."

Law nodded and the two put their attention back into the remaining opponents.

Kid watched Law in facination, not caring about the dog that had decided to fight by his side. Not caring at least, until Empress Bonney cursed a few seats away from him.

"Shit, is that Kinemon of the Wano Country?" She gasped, nervously nibbling at the manicured nail of her thumb.

"What of it?" Kid growled, annoyed that he was being pulled away from his prime source of entertainment, but Bonney said no more, too absorbed in the fight.

An uneasy feeling pooled in the Shogun's stomach as he turned back to the fight and continued his silent rooting for the man he despised.

After around seven minutes, Law was breathing heavily as he and Kinemon brought down the last man.

Exhaustion washed over the samurai in waves and he slumped his shoulders, his sword dropping into the dirt.

"Oi... Kinemon-ya." He called over his shoulder. "You still alive?"

The samurai turned to look at his aquaintance, only to be rewarded with dirt and dust being thrown into his eyes.

Law recoiled with a yelp of surprised pain, blindly grabbing and swinging his sword around to fend off his assailant.

From the stands everyone gasped and Kid found himself involuntarily rising to his feet .

Law's ears were ringing as he stumbled and toppled onto his back, one shaking hand holding out his nodachi while the other vainly clawed at his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Law-san." Kinemon breathed from above the tattooed man, raising his own sword in preparation to strike. "But I need my freedom."

Law grit his teeth and waited for the cold metal blade to peirce his chest, but impact never came. Instead he heard the clatter of a sword falling to the ground, followed by the thud of a large body.

The arena fell silent as Kinemon of the Wano Country fell, a jewel encrusted dagger embedded in his forehead as if it had been repelled at full force from its owner.

All eyes turned to the source of the blade and Kid found himself breathing heavily in rage, one arm still extended in a throwing position.

The ruby haired man was just as mystified at his own actions as anyone else.

"Who's there?" Law shouted in an almost fearful voice, swinging his sword around once more and tearing Kid from his trance. "Show yourself! If you're going to kill me then do it already!"

The Shogun collapsed back into his throne, suddenly feeling exhausted as he watched Trafalgar Law, the man who had only the previous evening acted so bold and proud, blindly call out to nothing like a scared child.

"This fight is finished... I have won." Kid breathed to his advisor.

He was still staring at Law as Killer made up an excuse to the audience on why the tattooed samurai was still alive.

The Shogun stayed in the arena long after everyone else had evacuated, questioning himself over and over again on his own actions.