MARINE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE SERVICE

VALERIS ISLAND HQ - ARCHIVES

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT - INTERROGATION ROOM 4C

CASE NO. 2306-4837

WITNESS: MURASAKI ARISA

TIME STAMP

«　03:37:29 - 03:49:02　»
  
 
 
 

- static; clock ticking -
 

- papers shuffling; muffled footsteps-

 
 
 
 
WITNESS: (silence; head sunken into arms)

SECONDARY INVESTIGATOR (S.I.): (silence)

PRIMARY INVESTIGATOR (P.I.): Arisa-san - listen. (chair creaking) Do you really think we're pulling this out of thin air? That we've spent all this time cherry-picking evidence, combing through witness statements to create some sort of false narrative that we're out to get you?

WITNESS: I never said that.

S.I.: Not outright, but isn't that what you're implying?

P.I.: (sighs) All of us here know that we have more than enough reasons to be concerned about what was going on between the two of you. More than enough reason. (papers rustling) Look - here are all my notes. And that isn't even the start of it. We have your sisters' statements. [REDACTED] and [REDACTED]-san's statements. All of Dr. Minerva's notes. The photos. All those incidents leading up to that night... (shakes head) You're telling me that all of these things put together isn't reason enough? (rustling; table creaking) Arisa-san, we're just trying to help you here!

WITNESS: (silence)

- clock ticking -
 

- silence -

[REDACTED]

P.I.: Alright. (sighs) How about... (pause; papers rustling) We're going to have to get into some topics that might be... a bit more difficult for you to talk about.

WITNESS: (silence)

P.I.: Let's talk about infidelity. (chair creaking) Did you ever cheat on him?

WITNESS: (shakes head; barely audible) No.

P.I.: Okay. (flips page) Did he ever accuse you of it?

WITNESS: (silence)

P.I.: Because I have it here in my notes - Dr. Minerva's report - that he was...

WITNESS: Stop. Please just -

P.I.: - that he was very suspicious of you having an affair. He never confronted you about that?

WITNESS: (breathes out deeply)

WITNESS: (silence)

WITNESS: I'm sorry. (muffled voice) But I can't do this anymore -...

P.I.: You need to answer my question, Arisa-san. Did he ever -

WITNESS: I never cheated on him.

P.I.: That's not what I was asking you.

WITNESS: (silence)

WITNESS: (quiet) Towards the end... (muffled voice) Towards the end, he became very paranoid. Yes.

- clock ticking -

P.I.: Okay. (pause) And...would I be correct in assuming that this was before the... (pause; papers shuffling) ...the incident on the [REDACTED]?

WITNESS: I'd rather we not get into that.

P.I.: I know, and I'm sorry but you would be the first to concede that it's very relevant to this case. (papers shuffling) Why didn't you tell your sisters what was going on?

WITNESS: (silence)

P.I.: Help me understand. (chair creaking) You were still trying to protect him, even after he betrayed you like that -

WITNESS: (louder) I wasn't trying to protect anyone! I... (silence; faltering) I only -... (ragged voice) Just imagine being in a situation like that. I didn't know what they were going to do to him. Whether they were going to commit him or press charges...!

P.I.: (silence)

S.I.: (silence)

WITNESS: Calling either of them was the last thing on my mind at that point; I just had to see him. Make sure he was okay. (ragged breath) I just -... I genuinely didn't know what to do...!

S.I.: (quiet) Why did you forgive him?

WITNESS: I didn't.

P.I.: You didn't. But you kept going back to him. Time and time again. Those were your own words.

WITNESS: I couldn't just leave him. (deep breath) He wasn't in his right mind. That much was clear to me -

P.I.: (pause) So was that the excuse he gave you? That he wasn't thinking straight?

WITNESS: (silence)

WITNESS: (muffled) You know exactly what he told me. You have access to the jailhouse transcripts, don't you?

P.I.: (silence)

P.I.: (sighs; papers rustling) Did he ever end up telling you the name of the woman he was with?

WITNESS: (silence)

S.I.: (silence; flips page)

P.I.: (quiet) Would you like to know, Arisa-san?

WITNESS: No. I'm done.

WITNESS: (silence)

S.I.: (silence)

P.I.: (silence)

WITNESS: ...we're done here.

END OF EXCERPT

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"One, two, three, four! Arms to the side, then the knees! Five, six, seven, eight!"

It was the next morning, and clearly no amount of alcohol consumption from the night before was holding Riyu back from breaking her morning routine. This time, however, she'd actually managed to convince a few others into joining her.

Shachi turned away from his fishing pole to watch the rest of the radio exercise programme play out in its entirety. Rakko, Jean Bart, and Azarashi had lined themselves up on the deck in a patch of sunlight, dutifully following the Mink's guidance.

"First to the left! Then back again!" Riyu chanted over the upbeat piano music. "Five, six, seven, eight!"

Shachi sweat dropped.

She's getting a bit carried away...

"Oi Shachi!" Rakko shouted, "You should start doing this too! It's way harder than it looks!"

"It does wonders for your joints!" Jean Bart added.

"Eh... I think I'm fine over here." Shachi scratched the back of his head. He looked around the deck. "Where's Captain, by the way?"

"Last I heard," Riyu called back, "...one, two, three, four... He's headed back to the main island!"

"Back to the village? Is he even allowed?" Shachi turned back to peer at the shoreline over the railing as Riyu merely shrugged. "Was Arisa-chan with him?"

"Nope," Azarashi chimed in. "But she's gone too. Left on an earlier ferry first thing in the morning."

"Yup. ...five, six, seven, eight... She said she had a quick errand to run! But she'll be back by noon!"

"Captain was saying something like that too," Rakko noted, "that it wouldn't take him any longer than an hour or two."

"The strange thing to me," Jean Bart added, "was that he insisted that the med team trio go along with him."

"Huh." Shachi frowned. That was indeed strange. Captain usually liked to go off on his own. Plus, he couldn't imagine that the three in question would have been happy about the request. Ikkaku and Clione, especially, with both notoriously being the antitheses of morning people.

"Oh, he's definitely plotting something alright!" Rakko added, making a face as he swung his arms in time to the pleasant music. "Judging by the rate of depletion of our coffee bean supply, I'd wager he's had to have stayed up all night - again!"

"Well whatever he's got planned, I'm sure it's for a good reason and that we'll hear about it eventually," Jean Bart said patiently. "Besides, Captain specifically told us not to worry."

Shachi cringed.

Yeah. But isn't that what he always says?

──────────────────

"What's taking him so long?" Clione wondered aloud for approximately the third time within the ten minutes they'd spent waiting outside the tiny storefront.

"Dunno..." Uni's pale slitted eyes blinked once, quite slowly, much like a creature stirring from a longstanding hibernative state. He looked as if he were about to drift off again at any moment.

Clione suppressed a small shiver as an icy breeze blew down the street. It was considerably colder now compared to when they'd first arrived yesterday. Or maybe it was only that way because it was still relatively early. He glanced around the quiet town square, then to the unassuming display window of the clothing shop Captain had left them waiting in front of. Given the time, it was one of only a few establishments that had opened so early.

Ikkaku let out a self-injured sniff as she took a tentative sip of takeout coffee.

"This is so stupid," she grumbled into the paper cup. "Why'd he have to bring us along anyways?"

"Dunno." Uni ducked his chin into a scarf and began to scuffle his feet, likely in a halfhearted attempt to stay awake.

"I thought it was gonna be something important, but this is just turning out to be a normal shopping trip!"

Clione muffled another yawn into the back of his wrist.

"...I guess he just really wanted our company...?"

"Then why would he be making us wait out here?"

Ring!

The three jumped as the door opened with a metallic chime and a cheerful "Thank you for your business!" from the clerk inside. Captain - looking decidedly not cheerful as per usual - stepped out with a small paper bag in his free hand.

"Oh, finally!" Clione blew out a breath in relief.

"Captain," Ikkaku called out, "do you know how long that took?"

"Sorry for the wait. I needed to get these for today's plan to work." Captain held out the bag. "Here. Take one each."

Get what first, exactly? Clione shared doubtful glances with Ikkaku. The three reluctantly shuffled closer and peered inside. At a first glance, the items appeared to be nothing more than a few black scarves.

"Eh?" Ikkaku immediately made a face. Tentatively, she reached in and picked up one piece of fabric between thumb and forefinger.

"What are these?" Uni frowned, taking his own. "...ski masks?"

Clione sweat dropped as he reached in to select one for himself. That all-too familiar sense of foreboding was starting to creep beneath his skin, but he fought to refrain from jumping to any premature conclusions.

"What are these for, Captain?" he asked.

"Isn't it obvious?"

The three glanced at each other and shifted uncomfortably.

"...not exactly..." Uni answered.

"Today," Law announced briskly, without the slightest bit of irony, "we are going to be stalking Murasaki-ya."

Another cold breeze whistled around them, stirring up a miniature torpedo of dead leaves over the empty sidewalk. This time, its chill was something that barely registered to the three of them, so dumbfounded they were such an outrageous proposition. And when they'd finally recovered their wits enough to vocalize a response, they did so with near perfect synchronization:

"HAHHHH?!!!"

──────────────────

Arisa waited quietly in the chair with her coat folded on her lap and her heels propped against the wooden rungs. She averted her eyes as Yotsuji went over past his desk and opened the curtains, flooding the dim room in a murky veil of sunlight.

"Am I done?"

"Well. Just about."

Arisa nodded and rose from the chair. Yotsuji finished adjusting the blinds and turned.

"Would you like to stay for tea?" he asked. "Or maybe a bite to eat?" He glanced at his watch. "I ordered a hot lunch for my team, but there should be plenty to spare."

"I should be getting on," Arisa answered. "I told Riyu I'd be back by noon..."

"I see." He stood leaning against the desk, watching as she began to unfold her coat, before stepping in to help as she shrugged on the outer garment. "Well, I would have liked to have introduced you to them. Maybe another time."

She shot him a questioning look over her shoulder.

"Introduce me to who?"

"My students." A shadow of a smile passed over his face. "All three are transplants from the Navy's university hospital system. They're young, but very promising. All accomplished surgeons in their own right."

Arisa stiffened, before forcing a halfhearted smile and turning back away.

"Surgery, huh? So you're retreading your old roots?"

Yotsuji let out a small sigh and stepped back to his desk.

"To quote a doctor far greater than I will ever be: The only things standing in the way between a patient and a cure are the limitations of knowledge and skill. The goal of the field of medicine, then, should be to shatter those limitations." He turned to her, a smile gracing his lips and a distant look settling in his eyes. "Those were the words that inspired me to become a doctor in the first place. It's the least I can do to abide by them."

Arisa paused and bit her lip, her gaze skittering to the floor. A mournful feeling stirred forth from the depths of her chest. From all the years she'd known Yotsuji, she'd long grown accustomed to his reserved nature. But even now, it was clear how much this was all still weighing on him - the same horrid specter from six years ago which haunted them both to this day. The helplessness. The anger. The guilt. She knew she should say something more - anything to try and alleviate that burden - but in the end all she could muster was a barely perceptible nod.

"Dr. Yotsuji?" She swallowed and raised her gaze to meet his pale silver eyes. "Thank you... for everything."

Yotsuji let out a light chuckle.

"What's with the sudden formality?"

Arisa felt her fingers curl into fists at her sides.

"With everything that's going on..." she faltered once. "This is going to be the last time I can come see you like this. So thank you."

Yotsuji's gaze turned bitter.

"You need to stop saying those sorts of things. I remember hearing those exact words last time."

Arisa halted at the door, her hand hovering over the handle.

"You know I meant it then," she answered. "Just as I mean it now. This has only gone on for so long because you keep seeking me out -"

"And why do you think that is?" Yotsuji's voice remained infuriatingly gentle, ringing out over hers with devastating clarity. "Both of us know that you have no one else to turn to, Arisa-san."

The room was very quiet. They stood there in empty silence against the waxing sunlight, their shadows wheeling stark and emboldened on opposite ends of the walls like the overexaggerated caricatures they were. Arisa's hand trembled once and eventually descended fully over the knob in a pale, fluttering motion - like a wounded bird alighting.

"...goodbye, Yotsuji."

He said nothing further. She turned on her heel and left.

Descending down the stairs, she noticed some voices emanating from the far end of the house. As unfamiliar as she was with the general layout of the premises, she could only hazard the guess that the rest of the guest house occupants had congregated in one of the living areas near the kitchen, if Yotsuji's previous mention of a hot lunch being served held any weight. That was all for the best - as long as she could slip out of the house without being noticed, all would be fine. The last thing she wanted was an extended interaction with a stranger - anyone else, really - when all she could think about was Yotsuji's parting words. The reality of it left hanging over her head like a death sentence..

Then the question hit her like a ton of bricks:

Can you really return to Takanotsume in this state?

Arisa stopped short at the threshold, her hand freezing over the handle of the sliding door. She knew she had to be back at the Polar Tang by evening at earliest – there were plans for another officer meeting after Himuro came back with his evaluation. But to go back now... Indeed, how was she supposed to face Riyu and the Heart Pirates like this? No, forget the latter - the Mink knew her well enough to tell instantly if something was wrong.

Where was she to go then? To Shiori's? Or Tatsuhito? But that led to the same predicament. To allow for any of them to even harbor an inkling of what was going on... That only spelled disaster for everyone in the long run.

Arisa barely hid a wince, a small twinge of pain registering.

Suzume's grave, then, she reassured herself.

A bit of time alone is all I need. Nobody will think to look for me there...

With her mind made up, she pushed open the door with renewed force and marched out into the garden.

And nearly screamed aloud when a ski mask-clad head popped up from a nearby bush in a small explosion of leaves.

"Finally," a familiar voice declared.

Arisa's eyes grew wide as she rapidly looked the intruder up and down, her shock giving away to confusion as she caught sight of that unmistakable coat and the Jolly Roger adorning it. Her suspicions were all but confirmed when her gaze locked onto the familiar tattoos adorning the hand that reached up to tug off the ski mask.

It was a small wonder she didn't have Kagerō on her, or else this entire episode would have ended with one decapitated ally and a very angry crew to boot.

"Wha-..? Trafalgar? What are you doing here?!"

"Took you long enough," Law said, tossing the mask aside and returning his hat to his head. He scowled over at the bush as he emerged from the greenery, brushing stray leaves and twigs off his coat. "And these masks turned out to be useless."

As if right on cue, three additional heads popped up from the bushes at varying distances away from the ringleader, all donning the same balaclava-style burglar masks.

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO INSISTED WE USE IT!!" they screeched in indignation.

The voices were unmistakable. Arisa squinted her eyes at the trio as they scrambled to remove their masks.

"Uni, Clione... Ikkaku?"

"We're sorry about this, Arisa-san!" Clione said, bowing his head apologetically.

"We tried to stop him..." Ikkaku deadpanned, plucking loose leaves out of her hair as she glared daggers into Law's back.

"Yeah! I promise, th-this isn't what it looks like!" Uni added, waving his hands frantically in an appeasing motion.

"Please - for God's sake - just don't tell the weasel-!"

Arisa gaped, her bewilderment quickly giving way to horror.

"You guys followed me here?" she sputtered, whipping her head from side to side.

"We're really sorry!"

"But why?!"

Ignoring them all, Law marched up to the entrance in businesslike fashion and craned his neck to examine the towering structure.

"So is this where he's staying?" he demanded.

"W-who?" Arisa faltered.

"Yotsuji-ya."

Yotsuji? But how does he...?

Wait a second...

Arisa froze, all the color draining from her face as she recalled the internal physician's words to her at Tsukinoya the night before.

"Tomorrow at eleven... You know where to find me."

Oh God. He heard that?!

Meanwhile, the med team trio seemed to have reached a similar conclusion - though puzzlingly enough, their collective reaction was considerably less restrained.

"SO THAT'S WHY YOU WERE FOLLOWING HER!" Clione screeched. "THAT'S JUST UNDERHANDED!!"

"So what?" Law snapped back. "We're pirates!"

"STILL-!"

"Wait a second!" Uni stiffened, his eyes growing wide over the brim of his bandana. "Please don't tell me he's planning on asking them about... about-!"

"Oh no..." Ikkaku murmured, her face blanching. "Is that why he brought us here? To teach us a lesson?"

"Huh?" Arisa repeated blankly, glancing back at them in confusion. But the moment was short lived, shattered near-instantaneously with the sound of rattling wood as Law casually pushed the door open and strode in.

"N-no! Wait a minute!" she exclaimed, nearly tripping over her feet in her haste as she rushed after the surgeon. "Trafalgar! You shouldn't be here -!"

The three Hearts dove in after them in a similar haphazard attempt to restrain. Why they'd become so frantic all of a sudden was still a mystery to Arisa, but she wasn't complaining about the help.

"CAPTAIN! WAIT!" Uni begged.

"STOP! STOP IT, PLEASE - WE'RE SORRY!"

"Get out of my way!" Law snapped, struggling to proceed further down the hall the best he could with three Hearts now clinging to his leg like overgrown children.

"NO! WE WON'T EVER ANNOY YOU WITH GOSSIP EVER AGAIN-"

"Clione, let go! Murasaki-ya, help!"

"Help?! You're the one who needs to get out!"

"Not... until... I see... Yotsuji-ya!"

"NO MORE SPECULATIONS, WE PROMISE~!"

"CAPTAIN, WE'RE BEGGING YOU-!"

"Oi, hold up now!" a new unfamiliar voice cut in.

Everyone froze and turned their heads to behold the strange young man standing at the end of the corridor. The unabashed amazement on his face betrayed the fact that they were quite the singular spectacle to behold, with Law still rooted at the entryway via both the tearful trio on the ground and Arisa from his left.

The young man slowly reached up and scratched the back of his head.

"...What the fuck is going on here?"

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"On behalf of everyone here - I'm very sorry for the disturbance!" Arisa bowed low to Yotsuji's three students while inwardly vowing to strangle the Surgeon of Death the next chance she got. Thankfully, she was used to doing this sort of thing - being friends with one Kushihashi Riyu ensured this - but that didn't still negate her right to be annoyed over how unnecessary the entire episode had been.

Behind her, the med team trio sat slumped over the low tea table, utterly gloom-ridden like berated schoolchildren. But the main perpetrator of the incident was a whole different story. He stood leaning against the threshold overlooking the courtyard, scowling out into the garden with folded arms and an impatient look on his face - as if he were the one being inconvenienced instead of the other way around! Not a care in the world, much less the smallest shred of remorse.

Arisa gritted her teeth and snapped her gaze away. Now she was really starting to regret not having Kagerō with her -!

"Eh, don't worry about it. No harm, no foul right?"

The three students had introduced themselves as Koshi, Tsubu, and Shiro. As Yotsuji had indicated, they were reasonably young men, looking to only be a handful of years older than her despite the academic rigor demanded of their profession. Yet with the exception of Shiro - who stood out the most, visually speaking, by virtue of his thick-rimmed glasses - Arisa could already tell that she would have trouble distinguishing between them given how... how inexplicably uniform they were in their bearings. And that wasn't even to say they looked remotely similar; quite the opposite, in fact. It was really almost unsettling, the level of conformity that could be achieved through aura and presentation alone - the style of dress, the subtleties in movement and vocal inflection.

Arisa could almost swear that she could recognize traces of Yotsuji's mannerisms in their own - in a superficial sense at the very least. But perhaps she was reading too much into it.

"Here, have some tea." Shiro adjusted his glasses nervously and glanced over to the melancholic pity party still taking place at the other table. "Ito-chan made enough for everybody -..." he trailed off when the med team trio only curled their shoulders and slumped further. "No? Okay..."

"Lay off them, Shiro-kun," Tsubu broke in, leaning back with a languid grin playing on his lips. He was the one who had discovered them and was clearly the most assertive of the three. "Hell, I'd still be embarrassed if I had to make an entrance like that!"

Arisa couldn't help but sweat drop. And here I was thinking Trafalgar was too blunt for his own good...

"So are we done with the pointless formalities?" Law suddenly spoke up from behind her, sounding miffed.

Oh. Arisa stiffened and narrowed her eyes at him over her shoulder. Speak of the devil....

"I still need to see Yotsuji-ya. He's here, right?" Law turned his scrutiny towards the three students. "One of you must know where he is."

"You aren't seeing anyone after causing this much of a nuisance," Arisa retorted before anyone could get a voice in otherwise. "Much less Dr. Yotsuji!"

Law eyed her as if she'd grown a second head.

"Says who?"

"Says me!"

The resulting staredown was short lived, ending with a scoff on the surgeon's part that could almost be construed as puerile. He grabbed his nodachi and started to turn towards the door.

"Fine, I'll go find him myself."

But Arisa was already moving after him.

"Oh no you don't -!"

But before the anticipated scuffle could commence, Koshi and Tsubu stopped them both short with hearty guffaws of laughter.

"Won't you take a look at that!" Koshi exclaimed.

"C'mon, give him a break." Tsubu smirked. "It's understandable - completely understandable! This is Dr. Yotsuji we're talking about. I'd react the same way if I were in his shoes - Supernova or otherwise!"

"Who would have thought? Even pirates aren't immune to the cult of celebrity~!"

Law narrowed his eyes and slowly turned back around.

"...what?"

Arisa released her grip on his arm, feeling a faint tinge of annoyance as she took in the smug faces leering back at them.

"Isn't that what you're here for, pirate?" Tsubu prodded, a hint of condescension creeping into his voice. "A handshake and an autograph? Or perhaps even a recommendation letter?" He laughed. "Though I doubt any self-respecting university hospital would look too kindly on applicants with a criminal history -"

"What are you even talking about?" Law scowled in annoyance. "I'm here to discuss a case."

Wait, what? Arisa turned back to him, squinting in growing confusion.

"Discuss a case?" Tsubu raised his eyebrows, before sharing dubious looks with Koshi and Shiro. He let out a dismissive snort. "What makes you think you're qualified to consult Dr. Yotsuji on his work?"

"I'm a doctor."

"Doctor?" Koshi repeated. For a split second, his eyes flickered down to the visible tattoos adorning the surgeon's hands. Arisa felt an inexplicable swell of revulsion as a derisive smile crept over his features. "Hah. Yeah, I'm sure you're a doctor."

"Hey!" Ikkaku snapped, jumping up from the table. "What're you trying to imply?
Law looked unaffected. He jutted his chin at Tsubu.

"You," he called out. "If Yotsuji-ya is here, then am I correct in assuming that the brat's family is staying somewhere nearby?"

A ghost of a frown flickered over the young doctor's face.

"...what brat?"

"The diplomat's son." Law narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. "Yotsuji-ya's patient."

The diplomat's son...? Arisa's eyes widened in alarm. Was there something wrong with Tatsusada? Yotsuji had never mentioned it to her - then again, it was none of her business. But Tatsuhito had never mentioned any major developments regarding the young heir's health. And even if there were, how on earth did Law become privy to such information? She back wheeled around to face the surgeon.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded. "Did something happen to Tatsusada?"

"Why don't we ask them?" Law answered distinctively, never breaking his gaze with Tsubu. The latter merely sneered and crossed his arms.

"Hehe. Looks like we've stumbled across a special sort of blowhard here. Are you telling me you came all the way over here to interfere with Dr. Yotsuji's case? The Dr. Yotsuji?"

Law didn't even blink.

"Correct would be a better word. Yes."

Shiro and Koshi visibly bristled. Across the room, it appeared even the three Hearts were taken aback by their captain's boldness. Ikkaku shifted nervously while Uni and Clione exchanged dubious glances. But Tsubu's smirk only widened.

"Hmmm. I see. And where were you trained, Mr. Surgeon of Death?"

"Swallow Island. North Blue."

Arisa held her tongue, feeling another prick of annoyance as Tsubu began to snicker obnoxiously. Koshi grinned, while Shiro leaned back and shook his head dismissively..

"Swallow Island, huh?" Koshi mocked. "I've never even heard of such a place!"

"Most people haven't," Law answered impatiently.

"Oh yeah. I think I understand now." Tsubu slapped his knee. "You got your start catching babies at some seedy backwater clinic, but now that you've gotten yourself a bounty and a fancy Devil Fruit, you've somehow convinced yourself that you're on par with the brightest minds from the Navy's university hospital system." He sneered. "Give me a fucking break!"

There was a small commotion from the other end of the room as a raging Ikkaku spat a litany of obscenities their way, just barely held back from both sides by the long-suffering Uni-Clione duo.

But Law didn't rise to the bait. He simply held his stare with a resolute frown.

"You can claim whatever you'd like," he answered. "But I know what's wrong with the brat and I can fix it."

"Ah, so have you made a diagnosis already? Without even properly examining the patient?" Tsuba jeered. "Looks like we have a real genius here!"

"That's the type of confidence you'd expect from self-assured fools!" Koshi chimed in, rolling his eyes.

A flash of annoyance crossed Law's face. He looked as if he were about to respond, but Arisa broke in before he could.

"Trafalgar - if you want to see Yotsuji, you need to explain what's going on." She gestured over in Ikkaku, Clione, and Uni's general direction. "You haven't told them either, right? I can tell. What's the matter with Tatsusada-sama?"

Law considered for a moment, before eventually letting out a heavy sigh. Arisa squinted in confusion as he pulled out a battered notebook from his coat and began to rifle through the pages.

"...what's that?"

"The notebook he uses to communicate with his parents." Disdainfully, the surgeon eyed the three doctors over the pages. "Most of the key symptoms are described here in the patient's own words. Written out as plain as day."

Tsubu narrowed his eyes as Law snapped the notebook shut and began to pace the length of the room.

"Cyanosis in the hands. Can't go a word without painful coughing. Chest pain, fatigue, and irregular breathing. Just over the course of the voyage here he's even suffered several fainting spells..." Law narrowed his eyes, stopping in place as he aimed a knowing look at the three doctors. "The brat has pulmonary hypertension."

"That would be correct," a new voice spoke up.

All eyes immediately snapped to the entrance feeding into the courtyard where Yotsuji stood watching them.

"Dr. Yotsuji!" Koshi, Shiro, and Tsubu's reactions were immediate. They leapt up to their feet and bowed low as the man in question entered the room. Arisa stiffened and dipped her chin as he passed by, while Law remained unmoved, watching on critically as Yotsuji went over to the doctors' table and sat.

"You seem to have taken quite an unusual interest in my patient's case, Trafalgar Law."

The surgeon only raised his chin.

"What's the official diagnosis?" he questioned.

Yotsuji's pale eyes flickered upwards for a fraction of a second as he poured himself a cup of tea.

"Waka-sama suffers from a rare form of pulmonary hypertension - a veno-occlusive disease with no known cause. He started showing symptoms a little over a year ago."

A year ago? Arisa stared at him in shock. And Koga never told Tatsuhito or Kurowashi-sensei about it this entire time?

"Pulmonary vein occlusion..." Law repeated. He flicked a glance over to the students. "Hey, one of you get his medical records. I need to take a look."

"Hah?!" Tsubu recoiled, affronted by the order. "Who do you think you are -?"

Yotsuji nipped the impending harangue in the bud with a single wave of the hand.

"Waka-sama was referred to me as a final resort," he explained. "Over the last year, he has been examined at every single notable hospital in Paradise at the lord's orders. For every single case, he was discharged with the recommendation to avoid surgical intervention."

"What?" Law frowned. "Why?"

"Why? Are you seriously asking that as a doctor?" Koshi spoke up, rolling his eyes. "Think of the complications! We're talking about a patient suffering from severe hypoxemia paired with right-hand heart failure. It's a recipe for disaster."

Ikkaku frowned in rumination, folding her arms as she glanced repeatedly between the doctors. Uni and Clione appeared to visibly deflate.

"Definitely a hopeless case," Shiro nodded along. "No self-respecting surgeon would accept a patient like that in good conscience. It'd be a tragedy for everyone involved if he were to die under the knife."

Law's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Exactly," Tsubu declared, clapping his hands together dismissively. "So now that you've made your case -"

"I never had a chance to make my case," the pirate retorted, silencing him with an irritated scowl. He directed his stare back over to Yotsuji. "I can operate on this patient."

Yotsuji only shook his head.

"Check his medical records if you'd like - I'll allow it. But this case is inoperable. There is no other way of putting it. There are concerns that he has developed ventricular hypertrophy, and the side effects from his current treatment for hypertension is already exacerbating the risk of pulmonary edema. It's just too risky."

For a brief moment, he locked eyes with Arisa, the expression on his face unreadable.

"It's regrettable, but these are just the facts of the matter," he went on. "No known cause, no known cure..."

"Of course there's a cure." The authority in the Surgeon of Death's words momentarily commandeered the attention of everyone in that room. Law lifted his chin, a glint of determination kindling in his steely gray eyes as he stated the following words:

"Lung transplant."

A transplant. Arisa swallowed dryly and stole another quick glance at Yotsuji. His features remained frozen in his usual courteous smile, though now there was not a hint of reassurance to the expression. Whether or not he intended on rebutting, he needed not utter a single word, as Tsubu rose to the occasion for him.

"Hah - you're a funny one!"

Law barely spared him a glance as one might disregard a stray fly.

"Replace the diseased lung," he elucidated calmly, like he were speaking to a cantankerous child, "and he'll recover. His condition hasn't progressed to the point where the hypertrophy is irreversible. But if you leave him in this state, he'll be dead within two, three months. The symptoms may progress slowly at first, but at this stage we're dealing with a ticking time bomb. You should expect his condition to drastically deteriorate at any given moment."

"Indeed. A transplant." Tsubu scoffed. His eyes flashed with indignance. "Did you really think we hadn't considered something so obvious? Organ donors are so scarce that even high-ranking World Government officials are put on waiting lists! And even then, you're talking about finding someone compatible with an eight year old -"

"So then use a live donor."

Another ripple went over his audience - well, at least over the university doctors, if the thoughtful countenances of the three Hearts didn't count as enough of a reaction. Arisa shot another furtive look at Yotsuji as Tsubu began to sputter incoherently. The mild interest in the doctor's expression had given way to a cold look of irritation. He put the cup down and leaned in deliberately, squinting at the surgeon through his spectacles.

"A living donor lung transplant... on an eight year old child," he repeated slowly.

As if to wholly accept the challenge, Law straightened and unflinchingly maintained eye contact.

"I can do it."

"What a joke! This is...- this is just unbelievable!" Tsubu spat in disgust. He leapt to his feet and leveled an accusatory finger at the surgeon, his face flushed bright red in rage. "The gall of this... this yakuza-looking punk! Are you disregarding everything we just said? Dr. Yotsuji and countless other specialists have already deemed this case to be inoperable! Inoperable! By refuting their decision -"

"By refuting their decision, I would be undermining their authority, perhaps?" Law cut in sarcastically, turning to cut a scornful look his way. "In other words - if I were to prove you all wrong by saving this patient, Dr. Yotsuji would end up with mud on his face."

"Trafalgar!" Arisa hissed, appalled.

Tsubu's face worked in rage, his finger still trembling in the air while Shiro, and Koshi gaped on with wordless indignation. Yotsuji's eyes only thinned ever so slightly, but the subtle twitch in his jaw easily betrayed his annoyance.

"That's what you're implying is my intention, right?" Law scoffed and raised his chin. "But that isn't anywhere close to the truth. I'm a pirate. I don't give a damn about hierarchy or your petty intellectual power struggles."

"Then what exactly are your intentions, Surgeon of Death?" Yotsuji asked suspiciously. "Why bother interfering with my patient?"

A cold smile crept over Law's face.

"It's simple," he answered. "Nothing disgusts me more than the sight of an invalid."

Notes:

Koshi, Tsubu, and Shiro are taken from the names of different types of anko (sweet bean paste). Koshi-an (こしあん) is "smooth" anko. Its texture is obtained by straining the mixture. Tsubu-an (粒あん) is "chunky" anko. The beans are crushed but left unstrained, giving the paste a grainier texture. Shiro-an (白あん) is white anko, in which white beans are used instead of red beans.

(Yes, I named the most obnoxious one Tsubu, which literally means "speck" or "granule." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

Anyways. We finally get a first glimpse into one of the main conflicts for this arc. :) Going forward, I may try to cut down the chapter lengths so that I can update more frequently... We shall see how that goes.

Thanks for reading!

-shiba