Checkmate

Chapter Three

Rosinante stared at the door - the world seemed to be frozen, and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest.  It thumped quickly, and to Rosi it seemed so incredibly loud.  Doffy was behind that door.  Law was behind that door.

"Open the doors," Sakazuki commanded gruffly to the marines standing by.

Without further adieu, the marines opened the doors to the meeting room.  Sakazuki brusquely walked in first, his coat flapping behind him.  Rosinante walked behind him, shoulders hunched, yet peering around Sakazuki to get a glimpse of the warlords.

From the papers he had studied, he recognized Dracule Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman.  A giant sword was positioned behind the man's seat.  Mihawk himself seemed rather bored with his legs crossed and and clasped hands resting on his knee.  Still, Rosi could sense the man's killing intent.

He also recognized Edward Weevil, self proclaimed son of Whitebeard..... and his mother?  The minuscule woman had apparently coerced her way into the room, commandeering a seat next to her son.  He could hear her high pitched, nagging voice even from the front of the room.

Buggy the Clown was also present - a conundrum within itself.  Rosi wasn't sure how the man became a Warlord, having only 15 million berries on his head, but there Buggy was, a Warlord  (Of course, his status was most likely because of the cult the clown had amassed, but he hadn't been able to confirm it).

And then......and then.....  Law -

"Most of you are here," Sakazuki began, tossing aside any pleasantries, not that Rosi expected any.  "Good.  As of today I am assigning a new officer to supervise over you pirates."

Taking that as his cue, Rosi stepped forward, unable to take another breath - here is was, the moment of truth.  He was able to take in the room as a whole, seeing both Doffy and Law, the room feeling like a ticking time bomb.

Sakazuki's hand came down on his shoulder.  It was heavy, and almost restricting - a threat - but Rosi was so caught up in seeing those two that he almost missed what Sakazuki was saying.

"-answer to Commander Donquixote Rosinante.  Report to him, and do as he says," Sakazuki said, his tone growing menacing.  "I'll leave the consequences up to your imagination."

The room seemed frozen.  Rosi could only stare at Law, who stared at him, and he could feel Doffy's burning rage skyrocketing - 

"What are you doing here, Corazon?" Doffy snarled,the vein in his forehead popping, and Rosi turned to look at his brother, carefully.  "You're dead, you traitor -"

Rosi made to step forward, but somehow instead of traveling forward, he crashed into the ground instead.  Even so, Rosi made eye contact with his brother.  "Why is it, Doffy," he said, his voice low.  "That you won't call me by my name?"

Light shined on Doffy's sun glasses as they stared each other down - Doffy looking as tense as a springboard, but Rosi actually felt calm.  He'd faced down Doffy once, and he could - and would - do it again if he had to.

Instead of answering, Doffy turned to Sakazuki.  "What the hell is this, Sakazuki?  I don't like surprises -"

Two low ranking marines in he room jolted into action, swords out and lashed at each other - one only got grazed but a long bloody line appeared on the other's chest.  The man trembled, but stayed standing via a shimmering line - string.

"Enough of that, Doffy," Rosi warned, his voice steely, back on his two feet.  "They didn't do anything to you."

Doffy's glare swiveled back to Rosi again as the two marines were hurried out for medical attention, as if he were unsure of who to be more furious at - at some point, Rosi knew he'd just decide on everybody.  The outcome would not be good, for anyone.

Rosi quickly glanced at Law - the boy, or rather, man - stared at him.  Law's face was pale, yet Rosi couldn't decipher what Law was feeling - he'd always been hard to read, but now he was entirely closed off.  

I'm sorry, Rosi wanted to cry.  But he didn't.  He wouldn't dance along to the tune Sakazuki was trying to play, not with Law's life on the line.  In fact, it was better that he couldn't tell what Law was thinking - it was safer for Law, if Sakazuki couldn't gain a reaction from him.

Or, that's what he told himself.

Rosi looked towards Sakazuki, whose cold eyes surveyed the room.  He couldn't be sure, but the man seemed to be pleased.  He frowned - that couldn't mean anything good.

"Obey the Commander," Sakazuki continued, ignoring Doffy's outburst.  "I expect to hear great results."

With that, Sakazuki turned swiftly and left before Rosi could even get a word out.  Leaving Rosi in the room with the Warlords and an uncomfortable tension.

The first to speak was Mihawk.  The man stood up, effortlessly strapping on his giant sword.  "If this is all the meeting was called for, I shall take my leave."

Rosi nodded - he could understand the annoyance the man felt.  To be called to such a meeting, for what?  Just to meet him?  

"Keep an eye out for upcoming orders," Rosi felt compelled to say as Mihawk swept past him - the man barely even blinked at Rosi before the door softly shut.

"I don't even know why I'm here!" Buggy exclaimed.  "Foolish marines, sending for me for such a paultry meeting!  Ridiculous!  That Hawk-Eye has it right, I'm leaving!"

Buggy pompously left, and soon followed were the Weevils.  That left Law, Doffy, and himself.  Plus the random low ranking marines left in the room.  

Doffy hopped off the table he was perched on and sauntered over to Rosi, with a type of cool he knew Doffy didn't possess.  "I don't know how you're here, or what game you and those marines are playing," his brother said, looming over him.  "But it won't make a difference, I assure you."

Pushing past Rosi, Doflamingo slammed the door.

Law still hadn't moved.

"I watched you die."

Rosi swallowed.  "I -"

"You said that he wouldn't kill you," Law continued.  "You lied."

He took a step forward, towards Law - this time retaining his balance.  "I had to, Law.  One of us had to survive, and I wanted you to be able to live a full life -"

Law's eyes narrowed, and that's when Rosi noticed the steady anger in his eyes.  "So you decided that your life was worth mine, without consulting me on that?  You died, Cora, when it should have been me."

"Law...." Cora said softly.  

Law looked away, finally standing up.  "I'll be here for the next couple days, Cora.  Just look for our symbol."

Raising his hand, a blue bubble appeared, encasing the whole room.  And in the blink of an eye, Law was gone.

Rosi stumbled forward, grasping at the chairs as a feeble attempt not to fall over.  Cora....Law had still called him Cora.  He let out a shaky breath - he had wanted Law to live a full life, a happy life....but Rosi hadn't even been able to accomplish that.  Doffy was still free and committing atrocities, and Law harbored such deep self-hatred.

He wiped away his streaming tears.  "Don't worry....Law," Rosinante murmured to himself.  "I'll fix it....you deserve that much."