On my side, I was now facing Doflamingo in the sky.
We were moving at such incredible speeds that our exchanges looked more like flashes of lightning streaking across the heavens than an actual fight.
My Keyblade, shaped like a sword and coated in Armament Haki, struck relentlessly, while his reinforced strings constantly tried to slash, bind, or impale me.
Taking advantage of a brief moment when we found ourselves only a few meters apart, I gave him a smug smile.
"With the range of your Observation Haki... you've noticed that the situation has turned against you, haven't you?"
A vein immediately appeared on his forehead.
His teeth clenched slightly.
He kept his usual smile on his face, but I could feel his frustration growing.
Law was no longer alone.
Diamante now had to deal with three opponents.
Senior Pink and Dellinger were completely tied down by Nami's army.
Lao G had to fight both Charles and Sanji.
And Jack...
Even the mammoth's arrival might not be enough.
The Joker knew it.
And it irritated him.
"Fufufufu…"
He forced himself to smile anyway.
"You're celebrating a little too soon."
In my hybrid form, my raw strength had decreased compared to my giant form, but my speed and mobility had increased considerably.
I still couldn't break his strongest strings in a single blow...
But neither could he inflict any real injuries on me.
The battle had reached a stalemate.
Our weapons clashed once more in a shower of black sparks before we separated by several meters.
I smiled.
"You know…"
I slowly spun my Keyblade between my fingers.
"I've got reinforcements on the way too."
The pink lenses of Doflamingo's glasses shifted slightly toward me.
I continued with an amused smile.
"Well... 'reinforcements' might not be the right word."
I tilted my head slightly.
"Let's just say... someone strong."
A second passed.
My smile widened.
"And most importantly... someone who hates you deeply."
For the first time in several minutes, Doflamingo's expression changed ever so slightly.
"Fufufu…"
He laughed anyway.
"Oh?"
His smile became disdainful.
"An enemy of mine powerful enough to change this battle?"
He spread his arms slightly.
"I'm curious to know who that could be."
I was about to answer when my Observation Haki detected a movement.
My expression instantly hardened.
An invisible string—one of Doflamingo's fingers had moved ever so slightly, guiding an attack.
And it was heading straight toward...
Nami.
My face immediately darkened.
He knew perfectly well that he could no longer gain the upper hand in a direct confrontation.
So he was trying to strike where it would hurt me the most.
My body reacted before I could even think.
For the first time since my battle against Maleficent...
I used that new ability.
A strange warmth spread through my arms.
A sickly green flame erupted from my hands.
There was nothing natural about it.
Its green light looked diseased, corrupted, and hungry.
The fire shot through the air like a living serpent and instantly reached Doflamingo's strings.
The Warlord's eyes widened slightly.
Then something impossible happened.
The Haki-coated strings began to burn.
Not just the strings—the Haki itself.
As if those flames were feeding directly on the willpower that strengthened them.
"What...?!"
Doflamingo immediately severed his own strings before the fire could spread any farther.
Then he retreated dozens of meters in a single leap.
For the first time, I saw genuine caution in his eyes as he stared at my hands and the green flames still dancing around my fingers.
His smile had completely disappeared.
"What kind of fire is that...?"
I looked at the green flames flickering around my claws for a few seconds before smiling.
"A reward," I simply replied, distracting Doflamingo while I was already sensing two powerful presences approaching.
Suddenly raising my hand, I fired a massive fireball into the sky.
It exploded like a second sun above the island.
As one, all my companions understood the signal and immediately began to withdraw.
Nami recalled her Card Soldiers.
Law used his Room to disengage.
Meanwhile, Zoro, Kuina, Sanji, and Charles retreated without hesitation.
I then created a massive wall of green flames behind them, walking through the blaze myself without suffering any harm.
Doflamingo tried to pursue me but abruptly froze.
His Observation Haki had just detected the new arrivals.
His face tightened as he recognized their presences.
"Everyone! Be careful! Tsuru and Sengoku are here!" Doflamingo shouted immediately. "Fall back while I go see what's happening!"
Without waiting for a reply, the Joker shot toward the two Marine legends slowly emerging through the snowstorm.
Behind him, the officers of the Donquixote Family paled.
Even they understood that the simultaneous arrival of Sengoku the Buddha and Great Staff Officer Tsuru completely changed the situation.
As for me, I wasted no time and leaped toward Luffy.
The fight against Jack had been surprisingly brutal.
The mammoth was breathing heavily, several marks and bruises visible across his massive body, while Luffy still wore his usual huge grin.
Aspida floated beside him, crackling with electricity.
"Heh heh! We really got him good, didn't we, Luffy?!"
"Shishishi! Yeah! He's super tough!"
The living shield had been especially irritating for Jack.
Every time the Commander tried to use his superior reach with his enormous blade, Luffy would simply raise his shield to block, while Aspida darted in from the side and blasted him with violent electrical discharges.
They weren't powerful enough to truly injure a monster of his caliber, but they disrupted his movements enough for Luffy to counterattack.
And the worst part...
Was that it actually worked.
Jack now looked at the young captain with complete incomprehension.
A mere rookie.
A pirate who hadn't even set foot on the Grand Line yet.
And yet...
He had managed to put him on the defensive.
"What... are you?" he finally asked in a heavy voice.
Luffy simply smiled.
"I'm the man who's gonna become the Pirate King!"
Aspida straightened proudly.
"And the future greatest shield in the world!"
I barely held back a laugh as I landed beside them and gathered them up.
Jack stared at me for a few moments before his gaze drifted toward the horizon, where Sengoku and Tsuru were approaching.
Diamante then appeared at his side, still short of breath.
"We're retreating."
The Beasts Pirates Commander frowned.
"Why?"
"We can't let Sengoku get proof that Young Master is connected to Kaido-sama," Diamante replied quickly. "It could ruin our dealings."
Understanding that this would cause problems for his captain, Jack immediately withdrew with Joker's subordinates.
Meanwhile, Doflamingo had stopped in front of Sengoku and Tsuru.
The former Fleet Admiral was watching him.
Silently.
Then his fist clenched so hard that his knuckles turned white.
A vein appeared on his temple.
His anger was almost tangible.
When his voice finally rang out, it was terrifyingly cold.
"Doflamingo..."
Even the Joker felt a chill run down his spine.
"I am not here as the Fleet Admiral."
One step.
The snow crunched beneath Sengoku's foot.
"I'm not even here as a Marine."
Another step.
The old man's aura seemed to grow heavier and heavier.
"So I'd strongly advise you..."
His eyes slowly lifted.
And for the first time in years, Doflamingo saw something deeply unsettling in them.
Hatred.
"…not to stand in my way."
A second passed.
"I have someone I need to meet."
Doflamingo's face paled slightly.
Jordan's words immediately came back to him.
Someone strong... and someone who hates you deeply.
He wasn't talking about Sengoku...
Was he?
Looking into the former Fleet Admiral's eyes, the Joker suddenly wasn't so sure anymore.
At the same moment, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Jack and his men had already begun retreating toward the coast.
A nervous smile appeared on his face.
"Fufufu... what a coincidence to run into you here. I was merely taking care of a few family matters..."
Tsuru's hand moved ever so slightly.
That simple motion was enough.
Doflamingo instantly leaped backward.
"I'll take that as a refusal to negotiate!"
He didn't wait for an answer.
His strings immediately latched onto the clouds, and he sped away at full speed.
Tsuru watched him disappear without changing her expression.
"Still just as insufferable..."
As for Sengoku...
He hadn't even looked at Doflamingo's retreat.
His gaze was already fixed elsewhere, straight ahead, toward Corazon's grave.
After joking around with Luffy and Aspida for a few more seconds, I finally turned toward Law.
He was still standing there, staring in the direction of the grave, his eyes distant, as though he feared that if he stepped any closer, all his memories would come crashing down on him at once.
I simply pointed toward the grave.
He understood immediately.
Without a word, he started walking quickly in that direction.
Before leaving, however, I turned toward Nami.
I gently placed a hand against her cheek before stealing a quick kiss.
Her cheeks immediately turned red.
Behind us, a whistle rang out.
Kuina was watching me with an amused smile.
"You two are becoming less and less discreet."
Beside her, Lami let out a small squeak and covered her eyes with her hands.
"I-I didn't see anything!"
Nami laughed softly before giving me a light smack on the arm.
"Go keep your promise, idiot."
I smiled at her.
Meanwhile, Luffy immediately placed his hands behind his head.
"Alright! Everyone back to the Merry!"
He pointed toward the forest behind us.
"We'll wait there."
No one objected.
Even the Heart Pirates understood that this was a moment that belonged to Law alone.
I gave them one last wave before heading toward the grave by myself.
When I reached the halfway point, I slowed down.
My shadow gently stretched beneath my feet.
Then it climbed up my body like a second skin.
A few seconds later...
I had changed my appearance.
A long black robe completely covered my body, its wide sleeves hanging almost to the ground.
A hood concealed my face, while a simple white mask painted with a smile hid my features.
In my hand appeared an enormous white Keyblade, almost as tall as I was, its appearance resembling a funerary scepter far more than a weapon.
The Preacher had returned.
As I approached the grave, I could see Corazon's ghost nervously circling around Law.
He was trying to talk to him, to reassure him, to tell him that he was okay.
But of course...
No sound could reach the living.
Then his eyes fell on me.
The ghost froze.
I gave him a slight nod, a smile hidden behind my mask.
I slowly raised one hand, and a pale violet energy flowed from my body toward Corazon's spirit.
It wasn't a true resurrection.
I was simply giving him a temporary vessel, a manifestation of my power that would allow the living to see and hear him for a few moments.
Because of Ammit's importance, I no longer allow the Heartless born from that Devil Fruit to leave me, to avoid any accident that could lead to its disappearance.
Little by little, his spectral body became denser.
Its outlines sharpened.
His silhouette regained color.
His black clothes and the white paint on his face became visible once more.
Finally...
Corazon appeared completely in front of the grave.
Law came to an abrupt stop.
His eyes widened.
His breath caught in his throat.
For several seconds...
He didn't move.
As for Corazon, he looked at him with an equally shaken expression.
Then a trembling smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Yo..."
His voice was weak.
But completely real.
Law felt as if the entire world had come to a stop.
"Cora..."
His voice broke.
Doflamingo's former commander nervously scratched the back of his head.
"It's been a long time..."
Kikoku slipped from Law's hand and fell into the snow.
And for the first time in years...
Trafalgar Law's eyes began to fill with tears.
I slowly looked away.
This scene didn't need me.
I stepped back a few paces and leaned against a snow-covered tree, finally allowing a son to reunite with the father he had lost.
At that same moment...
My Observation Haki detected two new presences.
They were approaching quickly.
I let out a small sigh before leaping forward and landing in the middle of the snowy path leading to the grave.
My long black robe billowed around me, and the Preacher's hood cast a shadow over my smiling mask.
A few seconds later, Sengoku and Tsuru emerged from between the trees.
Both of them froze the moment they saw me.
Tsuru instinctively brought a hand toward her clothing, while Sengoku shifted slightly to the side, ready to fight at the slightest suspicious movement.
I simply raised a hand in a peaceful gesture.
My ethereal voice echoed through the forest.
"Thank you for coming, Sengoku."
The former Fleet Admiral's eyes widened.
He took a step forward.
"It's you..."
His voice trembled slightly.
"You're the one who said... that my son could come back?"
Even Tsuru turned to look at him.
She knew perfectly well how much affection Sengoku had for Corazon, but hearing him use that word...
My son.
It was enough to show just how deeply this tragedy had broken him.
I slowly nodded.
"My Devil Fruit does indeed possess that power."
A brief pause.
"But you must be willing to pay the price."
Sengoku's gaze never left mine.
"What price?"
I raised one hand before me.
"A portion of your own life force."
Silence fell once more.
"Bringing someone back is not a free miracle. You will lose a small portion of your power... between five and ten percent, depending on the bond you share with the person and how difficult it is to anchor them in the world of the living."
Tsuru immediately frowned.
"That sounds very much like a trap."
Her gaze turned icy.
"You're asking a Marine legend to willingly weaken himself for a miracle for which we have no proof."
I didn't answer.
I simply looked at her.
As for Sengoku...
He didn't seem to be listening anymore.
"Five to ten percent..."
He repeated the words as though the number meant absolutely nothing.
Then he looked up.
"That's all?"
Even Tsuru turned toward him.
"Sengoku…"
But he shook his head.
"If that's the only price to see my son again… then there's nothing to discuss."
His fists trembled slightly.
"Show me the way."
This time, even I remained silent for a few seconds.
Then I slowly stepped aside.
And pointed toward the clearing behind me.
"He's already there."
Sengoku's eyes widened.
He immediately moved past me.
Then…
He saw him.
Law.
And standing in front of him…
Corazon.
The materialized ghost was sitting beside his own grave, a trembling smile on his face as he spoke with the young pirate.
For a second…
The world seemed to stop.
Sengoku's face froze completely.
"Rosinante…"
His voice was barely a whisper.
Corazon slowly turned his head.
And his eyes widened as well.
"…Father?"
That single word broke something inside Sengoku.
The former Fleet Admiral rushed forward without thinking.
He crossed the snowy clearing in a matter of seconds before stopping right in front of them.
Law turned around, surprised.
Then he saw Sengoku's expression.
An expression he had never seen on the face of this legendary Marine.
Tears.
The old Marine's eyes were wet.
His hand trembled.
"Rosinante…"
Corazon also seemed unable to move.
Meanwhile, Tsuru remained a few steps behind before slowly turning her head toward me.
Her gaze had become extremely dangerous.
She took a few steps forward.
"I don't know who you are."
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
"I don't know exactly what your power is… or what your goals are."
She stopped a few meters away from me.
"But if I discover that you're doing anything suspicious…"
A faint pressure escaped from her body.
"I'll make you regret it."
A soft laugh escaped from behind my mask.
"A perfectly normal reaction from a worried friend."
She didn't answer, and her gaze remained fixed on me for several seconds.
A muffled sound caught her attention.
A sob.
She turned and saw Sengoku and Corazon finally reunited.
For the first time in years, even Tsuru's expression softened slightly.
"Just let me finish what I started… then I'll leave you together as a family."
My ethereal voice echoed softly through the clearing.
Sengoku turned his head toward me without taking his eyes off Rosinante.
His son was there, only a few feet away, and yet a faint concern still lingered in his eyes.
"Is it necessary?" he asked in a calmer voice.
I inclined my head slightly.
"For him to remain among the living… yes."
A brief silence followed.
Then Sengoku nodded.
"Do it."
I raised a hand toward the former Fleet Admiral.
Immediately, a gentle violet light began to emanate from his body.
The energy slowly flowed out of him like a luminous mist, rising into the air before drifting toward Corazon.
Tsuru immediately observed the phenomenon with great attention.
As for Sengoku, he frowned slightly.
He could indeed feel a portion of his strength leaving him…
But it was almost insignificant.
Like a slight fatigue after a long day.
Nothing more.
"That's… all?" he asked in surprise.
I nodded.
"Your bond with him is stronger than I had estimated."
I let out a soft laugh.
"Barely four percent of your strength."
Sengoku blinked several times. He had been prepared to lose far more than that. But very quickly, he stopped thinking about it because something was happening right before his eyes.
Corazon's body began to change.
His once slightly translucent figure gradually became clearer. The contours of his face sharpened, and his clothes gained substance. Even the snow began to settle on his shoulders.
Corazon looked at his own hands.
He could feel the cold.
The wind.
The snow.
He took a deep breath.
Then his eyes widened.
"I…"
His voice trembled.
"I'm really here…"
"Rosinante…"
Sengoku's voice broke completely.
"Rosinante…"
Tears flowed freely down his face.
All those years.
All those regrets.
All that pain.
It all seemed to finally be released.
For a few seconds, Corazon remained completely frozen.
Then, slowly…
He returned the embrace.
"I'm sorry…"
His own voice trembled.
"I'm sorry I left you alone…"
"Don't say that…"
Sengoku held his son even tighter.
"Never apologize for that…"
Even Tsuru looked away slightly, a faint smile appearing on her usually calm face.
Beside them, Law watched the scene in silence.
A scene he had never imagined he would witness one day.
Corazon then turned toward him with a wide smile. He quickly wiped his eyes.
"Ah… I forgot something important."
He placed a hand on Law's shoulder.
"Father…"
Sengoku slowly raised his head.
"I'd like to officially introduce you to your grandson."
A complete silence fell over the clearing.
Law blinked several times.
"…Excuse me?"
Corazon nodded seriously.
"I raised this kid for months."
He wrapped an arm around the surgeon's shoulders.
"I fed him, protected him, scolded him…"
A warm smile appeared on his face.
"And I love him like my own son."
Then he looked Sengoku straight in the eyes.
"So, technically…"
He gently patted Law's head.
"He's your grandson."
Law's brain seemed to shut down completely.
"Wait… WHAT?!"
As for Sengoku…
He looked at the young pirate for a long moment.
Then he thought about everything Rosinante had done for him.
Everything he had told him.
Everything he had risked to save this child.
Finally…
A tired smile appeared on the old Marine's face.
"I suppose… that does indeed make me a grandfather."
"WHAT?!" Law choked out.
Corazon burst into laughter.
Even Tsuru let out a small, discreet chuckle.
A few minutes later, the three of them were already sitting beside the grave, talking like a family that had finally been reunited.
Corazon was recounting his adventures at lightning speed.
Sengoku was asking him dozens of questions.
And Law…
Despite repeatedly protesting about this whole grandson business…
Still ended up smiling.
For the first time in a very long while…
He looked happy.
I watched them in silence for a few moments.
Then I smiled behind my mask.
No one was paying attention to me anymore.
And that was perfectly fine.
My role here was finished.
Without making the slightest sound, I took a few steps back.
My body was swallowed by my shadow.
And I quietly left the clearing.
Behind me, the laughter of this strange reunited family continued to echo through the snow.
This time…
My promise to Law had finally been fulfilled.
(Author's Note: And here is the conclusion of these three chapters and the end of the Law arc with the Straw Hats ^^ Did you enjoy it?)