Checkmate

Chapter One

Sound.

Blurred voices, loud and jarring, so....out of place.  The lingering cold he felt rooted in his bones, and the unimaginable heat that followed it.  The flashes of light and color as he drifted in and out of consciousness.  The pain that hounded him every time he came too.

Rosinante finally opened his eyes.

He was in a small room, laying on a cot.  Nurses hovered about, back turned to him, murmuring to each other and passing around pages.  His medical information.

On of the nurses caught his eye.  "He's awake."

The nurses quietly sprung into action, all but one leaving the room.  The one that had spoken came forward and wordlessly began checking him over.  But why....

Rosi sprang forwards, eyes wide.  "Law!  Where's Law, I -"

"Stay down, Commander," she said.  "You have many wounds that have been neglected, and it is my job to see to them."

"Forget about that," Rosi protested, not retreating back to the pillows as the nurse had asked.  "What happened?  Where's Law? And -"

The door opened again, a large shadow falling across the scene (though Rosi wasn't one to talk, as he was quite tall himself).  "Listen to the nurse," the man - Rosi had a niggling suspicion that he knew him - said.  "Is he stable?"

The nurse nodded.  "Yes, sir."

"Good.  Then leave us."

The nurse hurried from the room and Rosi studied the man.  Much had changed - various wounds littered the man, and his wardrobe had changed significantly (such as the coat befitting of the Fleet Admiral.....), but Rosi recognized the tattoo peeking out from behind the suit.  ".....Sakazuki?"

Rosi knew Sakazuki, but not well - one of the marine powerhouses, an Admiral of the navy.  He'd never expressed any wishes to see the man, and Sengoku never had them meet.  Besides, Rosi was less than satisfied with his work ethics.

"It's Fleet Admiral Sakazuki to you, Commander Donquixote Rosinante."

Rosi frowned.  Something was wrong.  "What about Sengoku?"

Sakazuki took a seat on one of the chairs a nurse had occupied and leaned forward, hands clasped.  "There are certain matters I need to discuss with you that are of high importance.  You have missed much while you were in that ice block."

"Is this about the Ope Ope no Mi?" Rosi asked, eyes glinting.  "It's long gone by now."  Or, that's what he hoped.  In the best case scenario, Law was safe from both the marines and his brother.

"We already know of your situation.  The....incident that you refer to occurred twelve years beforehand."

"What?" Rosi stared at Sakazuki - it was too much.

"I will have someone else brief you on the major events that have occurred in the last twelve years," Sakazuki continued. "You have been pardoned for any and all crimes committed."

He shook his head - if what Sakazuki was saying was true (which was a stretch to believe) then everything was different.....Sengoku, having either retired or kill - he hoped it was not the latter - left Sakazuki as Fleet Admiral, Doflamingo had likely succeeded in taking over Dressrosa, and Law would now be twenty-five years old, given that the boy survived.

But pardoning him?  That was completely unbelievable.  He'd used marine intelligence, went against direct orders, and stole the Devil Fruit that the marines coveted, a Fruit that could've made the marines stronger by tenfold.  And he was getting off easy?