The Shogun and the Samurai

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Trafalgar Law was in pain.

He grit his teeth as he ran and used his free hand to assess the damage.

Baby 5's daggers had pierced both his sides and he was bleeding heavily. He had said nothing, though, and still refused to stop. He would make sure Kid wouldn't learn of his injuries... The bleeding couldn't be seen under his black clothing...

"We have to hurry, Eustass-ya..." The samurai growled out from between clenched teeth. "Doflamingo is insane... I have no idea how much time we have left-!"

The samurai was cut off as he rounded a corner and a bamboo rod struck him in the side.

Law shouted in pain as he was sent flying against the opposite wall, the bamboo having dug into one of his injuries.

"TRAFALGAR!"

He barely heard Kid shout his name over the blood roaring in his ears.

The caramel skinned male coughed up some blood and looked up at his assailant. "Vergo..." He spat out some more blood with the name.

The large man in the stark white gi snarled and raised up his bamboo rod again. "IT'S VERGO-SAN TO YOU!"

Law braced for impact, but it never came.

Instead, he heard the distinct sound of metal clashing against bamboo, followed by a pained grunt from Kid.

"Trafalgar..." He growled. "Get your ass up... I know you're not that fucking weak!"

Law nodded shakily and moved to stand, but the pain lancing up his sides forced him down to one knee. He was so dizzy...

The samurai knew the telltale signs of bloodloss, and he was distributing all of them.

Kid's eyes widened as he looked back to his lover and noticed the blood that had pooled on the marble floors below Law's body.

'Just when had he been injured?'

In his state of shock, the Shogun's arms slacked ever so slightly and Vergo used the moment to his advantage.

Shifting his footing faster than Kid had ever seen, the large man darted to the redhead and brought the bamboo rod down onto his chest and injured shoulder.

Kid gave a grunt of pain but did not fall. He stayed standing like a barrier in front of the fallen samurai, protecting Law with his own body.

"Law..." Kid growled back to his lover through clenched teeth. "Before you pass out... Go kill that fucker Doflamingo! Get your revenge so we can go home victorious! GO, NOW!"

Law stared up at the redhead with hazy vision and nodded, determination overriding his logical thinking.

Adrenaline pumped though his veins as the caramel skinned man took off at a run, his destination: the Emperor's room.

Kid watched him leave, then looked back at his opponent.

Vergo was staring after Law as well. When he tried to go after the samurai, though, the Shogun thrust out his sword and blocked the large man's path.

"You're not going anywhere." Kid hissed, then brought his sword up to strike the man's head.

Vergo blocked just in time and was forced back away from where the tattooed samurai had vanished.

Kid grinned sharply as he noticed a trickle of blood run down Vergo's forehead.

"Eustass Kid..." The tall man growled, wiping the blood away on a stark white sleeve. "Get out of my way."

Kid shook his head. "Like hell I'm letting you go after Trafalgar!"

Vergo snarled, then let out a roar as both weapons clashed again.

"Law is Doflamingo's property!" He snarled, striking and blocking.

"He doesn't fucking belong to anyone, ESPECIALLY THAT BASTARD!" The Shogun roared back, lunging with his sword and blocking Vergo's strikes.

"IF ANYTHING," the redhead continued, "HE'S MINE! AND TO HELL IF I'M LETTING YOU TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME!"

The sword and the bamboo rod clashed once more and held.

It was a battle of brute strength now. Who would give first, Vergo? Or Kid?

Vergo grit his teeth and pushed forward, Kid doing the same. Both were littered with injuries and it was only a matter of time before-

SNAP!

Quite suddenly, the bamboo rod broke.

Caught off guard by the sudden lack of resistance, both men went sprawling forward to the ground.

Kid's sword skidded away from them and the two looked at each other before scrambling to their feet to try and get it.

Kid punched Vergo in the face and the large man went down, only to catch the Shogun by his ankle and pull him down as well.

Scrambling on top of Kid's body, the Emperor's advisor began punching Kid in the face over and over again.

'So that's where Trafalgar learned that...' The Shogun thought briefly as Vero got off of him and moved to retrieve the sword.

"You shouldn't have left Law on his own to fight me. Not even your combined efforts could defeat me, so there is no way he will stand a chance alone against Doflamingo-dono." Vergo stated, grabbing the sword. "But, knowing my master, he will go soft on that brat."

Picking up the Shogun's weapon, Vergo turned to the injured Kid and raised it above his head. "So it's just you I have to kill today."

Kid's golden eyed widened and he tried to move just as Vergo brought the blade down, aiming for the Shogun's neck.

And it was at that very moment that a tremor passed through the entire palace.

Vergo's aim faltered and the blade came down on Kid's left arm instead, severing the limb completely from the bicep down.

The Shogun screamed while Vergo looked around at the cracking walls and floors.

"It hasn't been two hours yet..." He breathed in disbelief, then snarled. "What the fuck were those idiots thinking, setting the bombs off so early?!"

The floors began to crack dangerously and Vergo looked up to the hallway where Trafalgar Law had vanished earlier.

"Doflamingo-dono..." He breathed.

Limping forwards, the large and battered man began making his way down the hall. Kid watched with wavering vision as the palace shook violently yet again and a pillar began to shake and fall into the unsuspecting man.

Vergo screamed in pain as the stone pillar collapsed on him, trapping his body and crushing it against the slightly cracking stone floor.

Kid grit his teeth and gabbed his bleeding stump of an arm tightly as he hauled himself painfully to his feet and limped over to the trapped man.

"Well..." The Shogun huffed, his vision hazy as he picked up the once more fallen sword from where Vergo had dropped it. "I guess... this works too...!"

With one powerful swing, Kid brought the deadly sharp blade down on the trapped man's neck, decapitating him swiftly and cleanly.

The Shogun stumbled back against the trembling wall of the hallway, pain overriding his senses to the point where his vision darkened and he nearly blacked out.

But no, he couldn't pass out just yet... Trafalgar needed him... It's not like he needed that arm... He could build himself a new one; one made of metal... Yeah, that sounded good...

Thoughts like these were all that kept the young Shogun from passing out from the pain and bloodloss as he steadily made his way after his long gone lover.