Night fell as the Law family made their way home.
It was rare for the entire family to go out together, and the four of them had enjoyed themselves so much that it was nearly dawn by the time they set off for home.
The streets were sparsely populated at this hour, but they weren't worried about safety.
Revenge? Impossible—their family had no enemies.
Robbery? Even less likely. What could compare to mining?
"La-la-la~ la-la~"
Lami hummed a nameless tune, skipping cheerfully at the front of the group.
"Don't jump around right after eating—it's bad for your stomach."
Madson scooped his daughter up and placed her on his shoulders, striding forward.
"Here, ride on Daddy's shoulders instead."
"Wahahaha~"
Lami clung to her father's head to steady herself, laughing with pure delight.
Behind them, Law held his mother's hand, walking at a leisurely pace.
He looked up and asked,
"Mom, I've already learned everything they teach at the welfare home. Can you take me to the hospital tomorrow to study medicine?"
The town had a welfare home run by nuns.
Though called a welfare home, it wasn't for orphans—it was more like an alternative school where teachers provided basic education.
"Oh? I thought you didn't care for my teachings."
Leia chuckled teasingly.
"After all, you're always pestering your father to learn surgery, never showing any interest in my internal medicine knowledge."
Law hastily waved his hands in denial.
"That's not true! I just wanted to take things step by step.
I want to learn both surgery and internal medicine. One day, I'll use the medical skills you've taught me to become the greatest doctor in the world!"
"Mhm! I know you'll do it!"
Leia patted her son's head, her eyes filled with pride.
Every parent hopes their child will surpass them.
"But if you want to study at the hospital, you'll have to at least finish this semester's classes first."
"Okay~"
"Ugh... help..."
A faint plea for help drifted from a dark alley, abruptly cutting through the family's cheerful atmosphere.
Madson exchanged a glance with his wife, and in that moment, they both understood what to do.
"Watch over Lami and Law. I'll go check it out."
He handed Lami to Leia and strode into the alley.
As a doctor, he couldn't ignore a potential patient in need.
The alley had no streetlights. Once his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Madson spotted a man lying on the ground in the distance.
The man writhed weakly, his breath shallow as he gasped,
"Help... me..."
Madson hurried forward and crouched down to examine the man's symptoms.
No blood. No scent of blood. No visible external injuries. The man's face was deathly pale, his lips foaming, his breath foul.
Madson frowned. His expertise lay in surgery—he wasn't equipped to handle this kind of condition.
But until the situation was clear, it was best not to move the patient.
He turned and walked back out of the alley.
"Come with me. The patient might be poisoned or something similar."
"Got it!"
Leia nodded solemnly, but not before instructing the children:
"Law, Lami, stay right here and don't move."
As their parents disappeared into the alley, a flicker of curiosity passed through Law's eyes.
Today was his birthday, but even at seven years old, he had never seen his parents treat a patient firsthand.
"Shh~"
He signaled Mira to be quiet, pulling his sister along as they tiptoed into the alley, intending to witness their parents' rescue up close.
But when his eyes adjusted to the darkness, all he saw were two writhing, sack-like figures.
Law's pupils constricted, and he instinctively opened his mouth to shout—
"D—mmph!"
A towel was stuffed into his mouth, gagging him before he could make a sound.
Looking up, he saw a burly man with a rough face holding an empty sack.
Kidnappers! Mira!!
Before the sack was pulled over his head, Law desperately turned to look at Mira's position, hoping his sister might escape.
Instead, he was met with a sight that filled him with despair.
Another man was already pulling a sack over Mira's head.
Swish—
The sack descended, plunging his vision into complete darkness.
Deno pulled out a rope from his waist and expertly tied the sack shut, ensuring those inside could only squirm helplessly before finally stopping.
"Don't you think we're being a bit too rough?"
The hesitant sailor muttered:
"Won't the boss come after us for this later?"
"What's there to fear? The boss told us to act fast."
Deno hoisted the sack over his shoulder, unconcerned.
"This is the quickest way. If we delay any longer, that's when the boss will really be pissed."
This was the fourth night since their arrival in Flevance.
Thanks to the detailed intelligence Dier had provided, finding their targets hadn't been difficult.
The surname "Trafalgar" was easy to trace—it belonged to the town hospital's chief physician, a man of exceptional medical skill.
The real challenge had been abducting the entire family without raising suspicion.
The two children were easy, but Madson and his wife were another matter.
Every night, one of the couple would stay at the hospital to work while the other returned home to care for the children.
Storming the hospital to snatch them was out of the question, yet Dier's orders had been clear: abduct Law's entire family.
Fortunately, persistence paid off—tonight, they finally caught the family out together.
"Move out. The job's not done until we deliver them to the boss."
Clatter, clatter—
A horse-drawn carriage carrying four large crates stopped at the mouth of the alley.
They had purchased it in advance.
Only ten of the team were directly involved in the abduction; the remaining twenty-seven had other tasks.
Some were responsible for clearing the streets of bystanders, while others blended in as ordinary passersby.
The four sacks were loaded into the crates, and the men boarded the carriage, talking loudly to mask any struggling noises from inside.
The driver cracked his whip, urging the horses toward the coast.
He was one of the twenty-seven—a former carter before turning to piracy.
Without his expertise, the team would've had to resort to a hand-pulled cart.
The carriage raced ahead, soon reaching the shore where a small cargo ship waited to receive them.
This ship hadn't been bought—it had been seized.
Once the crates were loaded, the ship immediately set sail, leaving Flevance's waters behind.
The carriage couldn't carry too many people at once, so aside from the driver, only seven others followed.
Combined with the ten already aboard the ship, seventeen kidnappers departed by sea.
The remaining twenty would leave Flevance the next day, dispersing to the neighboring Visa Kingdom and Lia Kingdom.
As Flevance gradually faded from view, Deno finally allowed himself to relax.
They were almost safe now. All that remained was to wait for the submarine to arrive.
"Untie the sacks. They can't run away now."
Deno personally stepped forward and opened the sacks.
"Bastard!!"
The moment he was free, Law swung a furious punch.
Unfortunately, his fist held no threat in Deno's eyes.
Deno casually caught the small fist, forcing an awkward smile onto his face.
Kidnapping had been a last resort—normal invitations would never have gotten this whole family off the island.
But beyond that, they were guests the boss had specifically ordered to be treated with kindness.
"Kid, I'm sorry we had to do it this way—"
Ptooey!
Law spat right in Deno's face.
"Law!"
Madson, now freed, rushed forward and shielded his son behind his arms, shouting:
"Mister kidnapper, whatever you want—money or anything else—I'll give it to you! Just don't hurt my family!"
The surrounding Pirates, all vicious-looking, had instantly crushed any thought of resistance.
Besides, with his whole family here, he didn't have the ability to protect them all.
"Waaahhh—!"
Lami, who had never experienced anything like this, burst into loud sobs.
Leia held her tightly, glaring warily at the people around them.
"Relax. We're not going to hurt you."
Deno wiped the spit off his face and pulled out a Den Den Mushi, placing it in front of Madson.
"My boss is the one looking for you."
Pururu pururu pururu—
Click.
"Boss, it's Deno. Mission accomplished."
"Deno? Oh—the kidnapping guy."
Dier didn't have time to memorize every name and had to think for a moment before recalling who Deno was.
"You got the whole family?"
"Yes, Boss."
"Good job. Keep heading east from Flevance. We should meet by tomorrow night."
Click.