Law stepped closer and looked straight into the captain's eyes.
There was no rage in his gaze — only cold, surgical calm.
"I am a doctor," he said quietly. "And a pirate."
"You attacked first. This is the result."
The pirate captain began to tremble, his breathing uneven. He stared at his hands floating in the air and finally understood — this was no illusion.
"Put them back… put them back!" he hissed.
"I am the captain of the Circle Pirates! Do you know how many men stand behind me?!"
Law tilted his head slightly.
"Stood."
He snapped his fingers.
"Shambles."
In the next instant, the captain's hands returned to their place. He screamed and collapsed onto the deck, clutching them to his chest as if afraid they might disappear again.
"I'm not going to kill you," Law continued calmly. "Not yet.
I am a pirate… but not a butcher."
"If you hadn't killed civilians… things could have ended differently."
Meanwhile, the battle on the deck was coming to an end.
Shachi, breathing heavily, stood among the defeated pirates. His sword was lowered, but his grip was steady — without a trace of hesitation.
Penguin knocked the last opponent away with the shaft of his spear and stepped back, carefully assessing the situation.
Bepo stood there, panting, looking at the tied-up pirates. Then he awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
"S-sorry… I think I overdid it…" he muttered.
"It's fine," Law replied calmly without turning around.
"You did exactly what you were trained to do."
The Circle Pirates were broken. Some lay unconscious, others trembled while clinging to the mast. Their fear was almost tangible.
Law turned back to the captain.
"Your crimes are known. Murder. Robbery. Kidnapping."
He paused.
"I will take your supplies… and your freedom."
"Y-you're going to hand us over to the Marines?" the captain asked with difficulty.
Law smirked faintly.
"No. That would be too easy."
He looked at the sea, then at his crew.
"We'll leave them on the nearest uninhabited island.
No weapons. No ship."
"Let them survive on their own."
Shachi slowly smiled.
"Harsh… but fair."
Penguin nodded.
"And this is just the beginning, right?"
Law looked at the Heart Pirates' flag fluttering above the Polar Tang.
"Yes.
This was our first battle."
"And the world has just taken its first step toward learning my name."
In the distance, the waves gently struck the hulls of the ships, as if confirming his words.
"I am a pirate," Law said calmly. "But not a butcher."
He snapped his fingers, and ROOM vanished.
The surviving pirates dropped their weapons and fell to their knees.
Silence covered the sea.
Shachi wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"The battle is over…"
Penguin looked at Law with respect.
"That was… fast."
Bepo raised his paws happily.
"We won, Law!"
Law looked at the defeated ship, then at his companions.
"This is only the beginning," he said.
"No one knows our name yet."
"But soon…"
"The world will remember the Heart Pirates."
They began searching the ship for supplies and money.
Law entered the captain's cabin — and suddenly noticed a large box shaped like a sword, placed beside the captain's chair.
He carefully opened it.
Inside lay a long sword in black scabbard, with a black hilt and a circular guard.
He recognized it immediately.
Kikoku.
Law's original sword.
He carefully lifted it and slowly drew the blade from the scabbard. A sharp gleam flashed before his eyes, and he felt the weight of the sword.
It was heavy.
He never imagined he would find this blade — a sword that perfectly complemented the power of his Devil Fruit.
Later, they found an uninhabited island and left the pirates there. After that, they continued their journey toward Minion Island.
One day later, they arrived.
Law was in the library, reading a medical book, lost in thought.
Law's talent in medicine was truly exceptional.
If he had been born into another world, he would have undoubtedly become one of the most renowned doctors of his era.
He knew that himself.
Law possessed profound medical knowledge, fought skillfully with a blade, and already wielded the power of the Ope Ope no Mi at a level unreachable for most. In time, he had even managed to awaken Haki — something few were capable of.
Yet his thoughts sometimes wandered further.
What if he had trained the same way as the Straw Hat?
Two full years. Real training. A real mentor.
If someone like Rayleigh had guided him…
Just how strong could he have become?
Could he one day face an Admiral alone?
Or perhaps… even a Yonko?
The thought didn't frighten him.
It stirred something deep within.
While he was thinking, Penguin's voice reached him.
"Law! Shachi says we've arrived at Minion Island!"
Law stood up and grabbed Kikoku, which stood nearby.
"So… we've finally arrived."
That very day, he began training with the sword. It was heavy, and he needed to get used to it quickly — he never knew when the next battle would come.
When the Polar Tang surfaced, Law stepped out onto the deck.
A familiar cold wind brushed against his face.
He looked at the snow-covered island.
This was where everything began.
Law descended onto the island and walked forward, knowing exactly where to go. Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo followed silently behind him.
They looked around, and Shachi spoke quietly.
"Law… what happened here?"
He pointed ahead — to a house that had been sliced apart as if it were butter.
Law looked at it and said calmly:
"This was done by the man I intend to kill."
The three exchanged glances but said nothing, continuing to follow him.
Everywhere was the same scene — houses, rocks, even trees, all cleanly cut apart.
As they climbed a small hill and reached the top, Law spoke softly:
"I'm back, Corazon-san."