The underground auction house at the Sabaody Archipelago buzzed with noise.

Up in one of the shadowed seating areas, the Heart Pirates sat spread out across their row.

Shachi lounged back with his boots propped on the seat in front of him while Penguin scanned the room carefully. Bepo looked deeply uncomfortable, ears flattening every time someone shouted a bid.

At the center of them all sat Trafalgar D. Water Law.

Calm.

Still.

One leg crossed over the other, fingers resting against the sheath of Kikoku.

But his sharp gray eyes never stopped moving.

“Rumors say Jean Bart’s being sold tonight,” Penguin muttered quietly. “Big guy apparently caused trouble for a couple crews before they caught him.”

“He’d be useful,” Law replied evenly.

That alone told the crew Law was interested.

Because Law didn’t waste words on people he didn’t care about.

Another round of cheers erupted from below as some terrified pirate was dragged across the stage in chains.

Law barely paid attention.

His mind was elsewhere.

Weeks ago, he’d sent you away.

The Chaos Empress.

A woman dangerous enough to make veteran captains nervous just by speaking. Crimson-haired. Crimson-eyed. A walking catastrophe wrapped in silk and violence. You had volunteered to infiltrate Doflamingo’s underground operations and gather information on weapons shipments connected to Kaido.

You smirked before leaving.

“Relax, Surgeon of Death. I’ll be back before you start missing me too much.”

Then you vanished.

Law hated silence.

Especially from you.

Because silence around the Chaos Empress usually meant bloodshed.

The auctioneer clapped loudly. “Now then! Before tonight’s featured giant makes his appearance, we have a very special addition!”

The crowd stirred immediately.

Law’s gaze flicked lazily toward the stage—

—and froze.

The doors slammed open.

Two massive guards dragged someone between them.

Sea stone cuffs chained their wrists behind their back. More sea stone wrapped around their ankles, forcing uneven steps across the stage.

Crimson hair spilled wildly over pale shoulders.

Red eyes burned with murderous fury beneath lowered lashes.

The entire auction house erupted into gasps.

“The Chaos Empress?!”

“No way—”

“How the hell did they catch her?!”

Even the guards looked terrified standing near you.

Despite the chains.

Despite the bruises staining your skin.

Despite the sea stone weakening you enough that your knees nearly buckled—

You still looked dangerous.

Like if those cuffs came off, everyone in the building would die screaming.

Law’s heartbeat stopped for half a second.

Then rage hit him so fast it felt cold.

Bepo stared in horror. “Captain…”

Shachi nearly choked. “That’s—”

“I know who it is,” Law said quietly.

Too quietly.

The crew immediately went silent.

Because they knew that voice.

That terrifyingly calm voice.

Down below, the auctioneer forced out a nervous laugh. “Captured after an extremely difficult operation! One of the most dangerous women on the seas! Former kingdoms destroyed in her wake! Ships swallowed whole! Entire crews erased!”

The crowd buzzed louder with every word.

Meanwhile, you slowly lifted your head.

Your crimson gaze scanned the audience lazily—

then landed directly on Law.

For one brief second, something softer flickered in your eyes.

Relief.

Then it vanished beneath your usual sharp grin.

Even chained, exhausted, and bleeding, you tilted your head at him like this was all mildly inconvenient.

“Well,” you drawled hoarsely, “this is embarrassing.”

The air around Law changed instantly.

The crew felt it.

The pressure.

The killing intent bleeding off him in suffocating waves.

Several people nearby physically recoiled without understanding why.

Law stood slowly from his seat.

Kikoku shifted against the floor with a low scrape.

Below, one of the guards grabbed your arm too roughly.

His expression never changed.

But his eyes—

his eyes looked lethal.

“Captain…” Penguin said carefully.

Law didn’t look away from the stage.

“They touched what’s mine.”