The Long Con [[ Nami x Law ]]

Ch 9 - Watching

Law and Nami stood shoulder to shoulder in the large throne room. They had just finished giving Doflamingo the abridged version of their mission. Law was ready for the king's reaction, but Nami shifted her weight in annoyance, seemingly unsure how to take it. Doflamingo didn't notice her unease though. He couldn't. He was hunched over, holding his stomach, utterly overcome with laughter.

"Brother and sister..." he wheezed between cackles. "...And then he just handed it to you!"

After struggling to suppress further fits of giggles, Doflamingo finally settled down, wiping his eyes under his red glasses. He let out a deep sigh before pointing at Nami. "I knew you'd be amusing, Kitten, but that was something else."

He snapped his fingers, and a moment later, a servant was placing the file binder in his hands. He thumbed through it before addressing Law.

"The Vinsmokes might be strong, but I'd hardly consider them clever. Are we sure those enhancements didn't also rot their brains? Or were they just eager to believe anything in a skirt?"

Law stared back at Doflamingo. He knew better than to respond to the slights he made toward them. He had learned a long time ago, this was just his way of getting information. People are far too transparent once you make them angry.

"It wasn't their stupidity that made them easy to fool." The staring contest between the two men came to a halt with the sound of Nami's voice. Her tone was bored and she was idly checking her nails as she spoke. She spared the king a pointed glare before continuing. "It was their hubris."

"Fufufu," he chuckled lowly as he stood from his throne. The room was silent apart from his footsteps as he descended toward Nami. He was still smiling, his pink, feathered cloak floating gracefully behind him. The bright colors and soft materials of his clothing served as a stark contrast to the demon of a man who wore them. Law held his breath, waiting to see if Doflamingo took her statement as the sly insult he knew it to be.

"Cheeky," he mused lowly, placing a large hand on her shoulder.

Her face remained stoic and nonchalant, but Law didn't miss how her back tensed at the unwanted touch. The sound of another low giggle pulled Law's gaze away from the hand on her shoulder and back to the man it belonged to. Doflamingo was watching him carefully from the corner of his eye, his wide Cheshire grin full of mirth. He wanted a reaction from Law, but he would get none.

The doors into the room opened.

"I apologize for the interruption. You wanted to know when we had an update on Operation Mousetrap."

Doflamingo released Nami, giving Vergo his full attention and signaling him to enter further into the room.

Vergo walked forward but remained several steps behind Nami and Law. "The package is in hand. It should arrive before dinner."

"So much good news in one day! I can hardly stand it," Doflamingo chuckled. He turned back to Law and Nami. "You two take the rest of the day off. I insist. Go hit the town, but be back by dinner. Tonight we celebrate."

Law followed Nami as they turned to leave. He watched as she bumped into Vergo, making an unusually less stealthy reach for his badge. He pulled away in time, clutching the breast pocket of his suit jacket and sneering at Nami.

She just shrugging and stated playfully, "Worth a shot," before turning to leave again.

"Oh, one more thing, Kitten," Doflamingo bellowed across the room. "You're safe here on Dressrosa, but you might want to keep a low profile while you're outside of the castle. Just in case."

He signaled to a nearby servant who jogged forward before handing them each a copy of today's newspaper. Law looked down to see his own face staring back at him. The Vinsmokes had put out bounties on them. Fifty million belli each, only alive.