Desires of Men ~SEQUEL TO THE LIFE I LIVE~

Long Time, No See

Law wore a lazy smirk on his face, outwardly unperturbed by the armed guards on either side of him. He could feel their suspicious glances towards him every few seconds, as if at any moment he'd go berserk and slaughter every man in sight. Yes, he quite liked how much they feared him, and his grin widened.

His eyes scanned the open hallways, taking in the lavish decor and large windows. They spanned from floor to ceiling, meaning they were at least ten feet across. He was surprised it wasn't considered a weakness to the heavily fortified base.

Underneath them, stretching the length of the entire hall, a deep navy carpet softened their steps. One glance at the walls reminded him that he was indeed inside a Marine base. Portraits of previous commanders and Admirals lined the walls between various doors, the faces painted in soft light, making them look almost angelic. Raising an eyebrow, he found he only recognized a few of the faces.

One of the Marines cleared his throat beside him, directing his gaze towards him. As soon as their eyes locked, the uniformed man looked at the floor. "One more left turn and we'll be almost there."

Law noticed the bead of sweat rolling down the man's forehead. He could've laughed aloud, seeing how much he influenced these lowly Marines. He would be lying if he said it didn't boost his ego, just a little.

The group turned left and continued down the hall, a large set of double doors at the very end facing them. He guessed this was the room they were taking him to.

The pirate could only imagine the state of worry his cremates were in, especially the two mechanics and his first mate. It was a wonder they agreed to let him go alone, if at all. Glancing at the two guards beside him, he decided that there wasn't much to worry about.

'They don't seem to be taking this as seriously as how they made it sound.'

The two Marines approached the doors and opened them before him...

Law frowned immediately. 'Unless they bring in a few Shichibukai...'

Facing him was a lone desk, sitting opposite two chairs. Behind the desk sat a female Marine Law hadn't ever seen before, probably some lower ranking official. Behind her stood Boa Hancock, the most beautiful woman in the world, and...

Law stopped mid-stride, eyes narrowing and fists clenching as he faced the tall, grinning man. Suddenly, the thought of becoming a Shichibukai didn't seem so appealing, though that didn't altogether deter him. The benefits outweighed the drawbacks, he had to tell himself as he locked eyes with Donquixote Doflamingo. The older man chuckled, his shoulders shaking up and down.

"Hello, Law. Long time no see, huh?" 

Boa Hancock, who stood beside him, glanced towards the man but said nothing. The two Marines who had escorted him inside took positions at the door, effectively blocking any escape.

"Trafalgar Law, Captain of the Heart Pirates, your presence here proves of your acceptance of the title of Shichibukai. Is this correct?" The female Marine spoke, finally making him tear his gaze away from the man he wished to tear apart with every fiber of his body. Swallowing harshly, he nodded.

"Yes." She nodded in return.

"As Head of the Criminal and Piracy Database Division I, Officer Hatoya Maki, hearby move to place you in the position of Shichibukai, filling the last vacant position within the seven available." Her voice was a flat monotone, as if she were reading from a script-she probably was. She shuffled through the hundreds of papers on her desk, apparently looking for one in particular. Law kept his eyes on her, denying Doflamingo of any sign that his presence there caused him stress. He was absolutely sure the pirate already knew, but he wasn't about to concede to it himself.