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Snatching the Op-Op Fruit, he opened his mouth and ate it. "It really tastes bad." He swallowed it, his brows furrowed in disgust. Not a single piece of fruit was wasted; Law swallowed it all.
"Bang!" Law suddenly felt his heart being squeezed. His whole body trembled. His body, weak from illness, slowly gained strength.
"Law, how is it? Can the Op-Op Fruit cure you? You won't suffer from illness anymore..." Corazon looked at Law expectantly. This was his last hope. It had to work.
"Stop wasting time, let's go quickly." Law, feeling slightly stronger, hurriedly pulled Corazon and ran into the distance. Time was short; they had to leave this island as soon as possible.
"Law, what are you doing? Why so anxious?" The two figures slowly disappeared into the snow, moving away from the castle.
Inside the castle, a cloaked young man stared hatefully at the two figures, tears welling in his eyes as he looked at the corpses in the snow. Then he rushed out of the castle.
...
The shattered castle billowed with black smoke. Corpses lay everywhere!
"Heh heh, an hour ago there were gunshots and explosions here. Am I late? Was Corazon one step ahead of me?" A group of fierce-looking men easily dealt with the remaining pirates in the castle. The leader was a man with sunglasses and a light red feather coat, full of domineering aura.
"Corazon really betrayed me, my dear brother." Doflamingo crushed a pirate's neck with one hand and casually threw him to the ground. Behind him stood nearly ten fierce-looking men.
"Beep beep beep!"
"Vergo, when I saw the warships anchored at Swallow Island, I knew Corazon was a spy. Now that he has the Op-Op Fruit, the greatest possibility is that he's seeking help from the Marines." Doflamingo said coldly into the Transponder Snail.
On the other end of the Transponder Snail, a Marine officer, walking on the island, replied, "JOKER, we haven't found any trace of Corazon yet. If he has defected to the Marines, he would only go to the warship monitoring this island on the west coast. I'll patrol the west coast nearby. As long as he enters this area, he definitely won't escape my sight."
"Heh heh, so you're saying they're still on this island?" Doflamingo said with a sinister smile.
"JOKER, I'll find them as soon as possible. Do you need me to keep them alive?"
"Since my dear brother has betrayed me, heh heh, then he's not my family. My family has always been only you. Kill him, but don't harm Law. Law must have obtained the Op-Op Fruit. That's the Op-Op Fruit. I must have him!" Doflamingo said coldly, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Understood!"
"JOKER, should we split up to search for Corazon?" asked one of the many executives behind him.
"Heh heh, no need. Since they're still on this island, they don't have the right to escape." Doflamingo strode out of the castle with his arrogant walk. He spread his hands, and silver threads flickered in his grasp. The next moment, countless silver threads shot vertically into the sky: "Birdcage!"
...
In the snow, Law and Corazon frantically rushed towards the shore, which was only a few hundred meters away. "Law, wait a moment, you're going the wrong way." Corazon tried to pull back Law, who was running recklessly. "Whatever it is, let's get on the ship and leave first."
"Law, we should go to the west coast. There's a warship there. Actually, my true identity is a Marine Lieutenant Commander. Doflamingo is coming. As long as we get Marine protection, Doflamingo won't be able to harm you." Corazon said, his expression somewhat worried as he looked at Law. Could he accept his Marine identity?
"Too much nonsense. Just listen to me." Law's tone was firm. This decision was made after careful consideration of the original plot. He knew all the details of today's events, and he was sure Vergo was on this island and involved with the warship investigation. Going to the west coast would be like walking into a trap. Even if he sought Marine help, he should leave on his own ship, then go to the warship anchored at nearby Swallow Island. That was where Vice Admiral Tsuru's warship was.
"Law, you're just a kid. You should listen..."
His voice cut off abruptly. Corazon stared blankly at the countless silver threads spreading across the island high in the sky, shooting towards the island's edge like a meteor shower.
"Oh no." Law's face changed drastically. He desperately rushed towards the shore, which was almost within reach.
"Clang clang clang!" Countless silver threads shot across the ground. The entire island was confined by a gigantic cage.
Law, did he escape?
...
"One step too late." Law looked at the sky blocked by silver threads and sighed deeply. He had not wasted a single moment, yet he was still one step too late. Is this fate?
"Birdcage, huh?" Corazon also gave a wry smile. "Law, it seems we can't escape." His eyes slowly became firm: "Law, you've just gained new life. I'll do everything I can to get you out." Law looked at Corazon's resolute expression. He gave a bitter smile. He knew Corazon would surely sacrifice his life to gain a sliver of a chance for him to escape, just like in the original. The original plan succeeded. But would it succeed now?
"Damn it." Law knew that his escape in the original work was full of coincidences and almost impossible to replicate. If Doflamingo hadn't mistakenly thought Law was Drake, and if Law hadn't been discovered by Doflamingo after Corazon's death, that kind of loophole was simply unbelievable. He knew that Doflamingo was close by. How could he not have noticed?
Law wasn't a gambler. He hated gambling. He preferred to control everything himself, rather than gamble on a slim chance. Law didn't believe he could replicate the original method. If he remembered correctly, when they were running wildly earlier, he seemed to have seen a figure running in a different direction. It was very likely Drake. He was further behind.
Even if everything was the same as in the original, Corazon would surely die. Law was unwilling to drift alone on the vast sea. Being alone was too difficult. He didn't even know how to sail a ship. Even with the Op-Op Fruit, he would have no self-preservation ability in a short time. He knew he needed a safe environment, a safe environment to grow up in. Once he grew up, where couldn't he go?
"I was once a member of the Donquixote Family, though I wasn't wanted. But I can't change my former pirate identity. The other party in the Op-Op Fruit transaction is the World Government. My entry into Marine Headquarters, there are too many uncertain factors. I can only rely on Corazon's identity and position in the Marines. He's Fleet Admiral Sengoku's adopted son. With him, my safety can be ensured."
"I must get out. Corazon and I must leave safely. What should I do?"
"Swish!" The gigantic birdcage began to retract, cutting into the earth, constantly shrinking its area.
"What should I do?" Law continuously retreated, looking at the tightening silver threads, growing more anxious. The island was large, and he could hide anywhere, but as the birdcage continuously shrank, he would eventually have to face Doflamingo. "What should I do?" Now, no one could help him.
"There must be a way!"