Title: Justice and the Heart
Cover: _______ Plays Tennis with _______
Page 1
Trafalgar Law wakes up in a damp room with stone walls and floors, lit by a single candle next to him.
???: I'm glad to see you're awake, finally.
Law (trying to sit up): What? Who said that? Ugghh.
???: Careful. Your back ought to be pretty sore after all you went through.
Page 2
Slowly propping himself up on his elbows, Law looks around the room. It's a windowless jail cell that he can only guess is underground. He can't see anyone else.
Law: Why...do I feel like I've been here before?
???: Because you have, but not in a while.
Law: Who are you?
???: You mean, you don't remember me? Did Doflamingo beat you so bad you got amnesia or something?
Law: Stop playing around. Show yourself!
Page 3
???: I can't do that. I have no actual body. So the only way I can communicate with you is through this medium.
Law: What are you talking about? You can't only exist as a voice. It's impossible. Stop fucking around, asshole!
???: Do you kiss our mother with that mouth?
Law: Our? What are you....Wait. No. It can't be. You're not supposed to exist anymore!
???: And yet you and I are talking for the first time in...how long has it been?
Page 4
Law: Thirteen years. Half our life. So wait, the reason we're talking right now is...
???: Exactly. Doflamingo's thrashing turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The trauma was enough that it broke the lock on me. And now we're finally reunited after all this time.
Law (with tears in his eyes): CORAZON!
Corazon: LAW! Our minds are finally back where they should be.
Law: I'm sorry. It was my fault that everything got as messed up as they did all those years ago.
A flashback starts.
Page 5
A young (call is six years old) Trafalgar Law is seen playing in his house. While playing, he knocks over a vase.
Mother (off screen): Trafalgrar Law! What do you have to say for yourself?
Law: It wasn't me, it was Corazon!
Mother: Don't blame your imaginary friend for your actions.
Law: He is not imaginary! He's real!
His mother walks off in a huff.
Page 6
Law: Sorry, Corazon...
Corazon (manifesting himself as a reflected image in Law's right eye): Whatever. I'm used to it by now. Besides, I would have broken it anyway if it were me.
Law: That's why I'm jealous of you. You're always so reckless regardless of the consequences. I couldn't intentionally break that vase if I tried.
Corazon: We balance each other out.
The flashback jumps ahead seven years.
Page 7
The Donquixote Pirates are ransacking Law's town.
Law: Corazon! You have to do something!
Corazon: I know. Get Kikoku, then let me take over. What this situation requires is something a little more up my alley.
Law: Okay. I leave our body in your care.
Corazon exits the Trafalgar residence stepping over the bodies of his parents as he walks out the front door.
Page 8
Corazon: It's time to make these pirates pay for what they've done!
He runs through the town, cutting down any subordinate who gets in his way, their screams of agony giving him a sense of calming reassurance in his abilities. He runs toward the town port, where the crew's big guns are.
Corazon: I found you, you stupid bastard! Prepare to look up to heaven as your blood rains down from the skies!
Doflamingo: Hi, I'm Donquixote Doflamingo. What's your name? Just because you're angry doesn't mean you're allowed to forego proper manners, you know.
Corazon: I am Trafalgar Corazon! Son to two now murdered doctors, and the man who you're going to wish you hadn't crossed!
Doflamingo: My, you have a flare for the dramatic. You might be fun. What say you join me?
Page 9
Corazon (charging at him): Fuck off and die, cockhole!
Doflamingo: My, you're a feisty one.
Corazon: Hey, Law.
Law: What?
Corazon: Think fast!
Corazon withdraws his personality, yielding control to Law.
Law: Damn it, Cora-san! That's not funny!
Corazon: Lighten up. Either way....
Page 10
Corazon: We're going to die here. So I thought I'd teach you something. You might want to watch where you're going.
Law comes to, realizing he is about to slice through Doflamingo. He watches in horror as he is about to take someone's life, with no time to use his ability.
Doflamingo (holding up his hand): Hold on a second there, kid.
Law is frozen in place, unable to move.
Doflamingo: There's something I need to check out. What's your name, kid?
Law: T...T...Trafalgar Law...
Doflamingo: Interesting. Not two minutes ago you said your name was Trafalgar Corazon.
Page 11
Doflamingo (speaking loudly to Law's head): Hello? Anybody in there? Cora-kun...Olly Olly Oxen Free!
Corazon (taking over): Fine! What do you want? God you're loud!
Doflamingo: I've got a proposition for you Co-Co. Can I call you Co-Co? I like people like you. Quirky, homicidal, and with a healthy penchant for bloodlust. It's almost like you're a younger version of me. You have potential, but it needs to be cultivated. What would you say to joining me and becoming somewhat of an apprentice?
Corazon: Eat shit, you flamboyant, aryan fuck!
Doflamingo (now holding Cora over the water): Okay. Now that was uncalled for. Let me rephrase my offer. You're going to join me and become an apprentice. Sound good? Otherwise we'll get to see how deep this harbor is.
Cora: ...Fine. I'll join you.
Page 12
Doflamingo: Spectacular. But you're really the only one I need, so I'm going to make Law go away for a while.
Corazon: No!
Doflamingo: Don't worry, he'll still live, somewhere in your mind. Trebol! Come over here. This kid requires a combined effort of our handiwork.
Trebol: What are we doing boss?
Doflamingo: Putting one half of a split personality into solitary.
Trebol: Is that all? And here I was thinking it would be a challenge.
Page 13
Corazon (talking in his head): Damn it! I can't let him do this to Law. He doesn't deserve it. I'm the bad one. But Law will try to stop me. Sigh. Which is why I must go over his head.
Law: Cora, no!
Corazon: Shambles!
Law: Damn it, Cora, you idiot!
Doflamingo: Here we go. Start the hypnosis. Once you have the personas isolated, I'll hit the dormant mind with haki. Dual unconsciousness kicks in, you know the rest.
Law (feeling mentally weak from the hypnosis.): I gotta put Cora back...Sh....Shambles.....
Trebol (voice sounding low and slow as Law lapses into unconsciousness): Labyrinth...Of...Memories.....
Page 14
Doflamingo: Wake up, idiot.
Law (bolting up): What?
Doflamingo: Morning, Sleeping Beauty. Hey, you dropped your sword. Here you go. Nice piece, by the way.
Law (remembering what happened): Bastard! Bring Corazon back!
He tries to cut up Doflamingo, but is blocked by Trebol. Law's ability seems to have no effect Trebol's haki-imbued viscous body.
Doflamingo: Whoa, hold the den den mushi. You're supposed to be the non-homicidal one. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you use that Shamble-whatever before you passed out?
Law (realizing): Oh no, I didn't switch our minds, I switched our key personality traits! Now I'm aggressive but can't bring myself to kill. No matter how I try my powers won't let me. That means Cora is pacifistic but has no inhibitions about killing.
The flashback ends.
Page 15
Law: And I haven't felt right for the last thirteen years. Yet at the same time, these traits helped to form a new me.
Cora: I know how you feel. I find comfort in knowing I could kill without qualm despite remaining pacifistic.
Law: We could switch them back now...if you wanted.
Cora: I have thought about this day for the last thirteen years. And after much thought, I don't think that would be wise. We've adapted too much to the other's traits. If we're going to switch anything, it's going to be something a bit more...noetic. Our minds will have to work in perfect harmony, or else we're no better off than when the switch first happened. We will almost have to meld our minds, effectively.
Law: So, how do we do this?
Cora: What do you think I've been doing all these years. I've figured out everything already. Everything I've done in here has led up to this day. You just have to do one thing.
Law: What is that?
Cora: Wake up.
Page 16
Law suddenly sits up in bed. He looks around. He is in an airy, well lit infirmary. He looks at his hand, seeing seastone cuffs on his wrists. He winces in pain from his injuries as someone enters the room.
Doflamingo: Well well well. Look who finally had the decency to regain consciousness. Tell me, Law, how do you feel?
Law (with a smug, malevolent grin): Better than I've felt in years!