Searching for Brothers [One Piece fanfic]

Chapter LXIX: Biological Welfare

Chapter 69:

Word count: 2.2 k

THIRD PERSON P.O.V.

The pungent smell of death was overwhelming as soon as Clementine stepped into the cave. It was something indescribable. It wasn't really just the sour scent that wafted up Clementine's nose but the heavy, sticky feeling that clung onto her skin that told her something was not right.

While feeling all of that, when first stepping into the cave, the blonde physically couldn't see anything. However, with Kenbunshoku haki, Clementine could tell that this cave was filled with people.

But as her cerulean eyes adjusted to the dark interior of the cave, Clementine couldn't help the small gasp from leaving her lips, the scene in front of her leaving her speechless.

Law calmly readjusted the mask he has over his face while taking in the scene with his eyes narrowed. His two other crew mates are less calm about the situation, Bepo's beady black eyes wide while Penguin had a droplet of sweat dripping down the back of his neck as the two took a wary step back.

"This is....." Penguin trails off, making an audible gulp as he slowly looks around, "bad..."

'Bad is an understatement...' Clementine thinks to herself, her eyebrows furrowing as she moves her gaze around. The cave itself wasn't very big, however, from just where she stood she could count over twenty people that were laid on the ground on top of what looked like straw.

The female closes her eyes as she realizes some of the bodies on the floor don't move. It was a clear indication to the pirates that those people were a hopeless case.

'But... I could-'

"Noble-ya, do not touch those bodies with your bare hands. You can't do anything to a heart that has stopped beating," an icy voice makes Clementine stop in mid step of approaching one of the bodies on the floor.

Slowly she looks towards Law who glared at her with eyes narrowed in warning. The man sighed as he silpped on some gloves, walking past the blonde woman, lightly pushing her back.

Law doesn't say anything as he crouches down beside the body, carefully pulling down the lower eyelid. "The eyes are beginning to already contract as it loses moisture. And the body's stiff, it's already going through rigor mortis. But seeing that this island is a fall island and the location where the body has been kept, it's likely that rigor mortis is delayed so they could have been dead for a while."

Law looks back up, his attention moving to Clementine once more. The female seems pale and sickly, her usual confident posture seeming to be weaker than usual. She still stands frozen where Law had stopped her, her eyes staring at the dead body Law crouches next to.

Clementine couldn't look away from the body that Law stood next to, her stomach twisting sickly. The body, a man who looked to be in his early twenties didn't look anything like Ace. At the closest, they had a similar length of hair, but Ace's were darker and closer to the color of the sky during the new moon.

The similarity was so little. Yet, just staring at the body reminded Clementine so much of her own brother that was lost to her.

'No... Ace isn't dead yet.... He isn't.... We haven't found out if....'

"Clementine."

Clementine is snapped out of her dark thoughts, the blonde blinking a couple of times before she stumbles back realizing how close Law's face was to hers.

"W-What are you doing?!" She snaps, her cheeks flushing slightly as she glares at the man in front of her.

Law doesn't respond to her, examining her carefully with sharp grey eyes. Just a moment ago, he watched the female's eyes unfocus and dull as if there was a thin film that covered them. He doesn't say anything and stares at the blonde female silently.