~~~

"Where were you for so long?! The game has already begun, you jackass!" The greenette slurred, the insult being meant for the close approaching redhead. Bartolomeo was leaning on the chair as if he was the inferior among lower classmen, moreover drinking beer, two cans of it already emptied.

"Bartolomeo, be quieter. We came, so there's no meaning in arguing any further." Killer simply retorted, taking the seat on Kid's right side. The boss didn't even flinch at the provocative comment, a new discovery which wasn't in his usual style of confronting things. But the strange dismissive response made the other mafia companion grit his teeth in boiling anger.

"Gentlemen, let's just spare this conversation for a more...appropriate place. Let's not forget, we found ourselves in a sophisticated company. No blood today." Law mocked, shuffling the pile of playing cards. After contributing them, he wickedly smiled, giving a beforehand warning that his expression would soon be a deadpan one, the right choice for a quick win at the poker game. "Shall I start?"

"If you like losing, you piece of shit...then be my guest." Kid menacingly glanced up, his bared teeth gleaming in the feeble corner of the sitting table. While every spectator near them froze in real fear for their well-being, the participants stayed on their seats. However their auras nevertheless radiated the full preparedness for launching and ripping the living soul of the other. That would have happened if it weren't for their alliance. Kid had cursed under his breath before he lifted the sake bottle to his lips and drank it all in two slips.

"Then I guess I start." Law said. "Be ready to lose, Eustass-ya."

~~~

"Johnny... Why are you so pale?"

"John, what's wrong?"

Kid felt an annoying twitch coming up his muscle. He was before-hand prepared to restrain himself from quieting a hassle for good, but the reassurance of self-control he had given to Killer was close to the limit of being broken when an annoying soprano voice meddled into their poker.

"Hey, are you alright, sir?"

"Darling?"

The whole game was interrupted by an earsplitting scream and commotion from the other side of the Grand Hall. Both Law and Kid spun in time to see a man reel backwards to the dining table and turning it around with berserk moves. The people in vicinity quickly jumped from the man, women shouting while a couple of man rose their canes and struggled to hit the beast with it.

It would be a quite comical, if not even delightful scene for Kid to observe, but due to the enormous commotion, that was near impossible.

"What the hell is happening?" Bartolomeo groaned, his posture on a fighting stand-by position.

"It seems that someone finally went berserk. I told that Old Man to start throwing more interesting parties. What a shame indeed." Kid commented, his low-vibrating chuckle gaining Killer's attention.

"I don't think this is the right time for trash-talking, Eustass. It's serious"

The grin disappeared and was replaced by a thin, black line. The redhead's icy glare told everything. "I know it's serious. That bastard ruined my chance to use my good cards."

Killer sighed. "It was too soon for us to say that no blood would be spilled today."

"Killer, you should know that this kind turn of tables is welcome. It's fine by me." The redhead licked his bottom lip, eyes shimmering in bloodlust, while waiting for the action. Fortunately for the boss, the danger didn't come just from that one particular direction. Their table had the chance to see up-close with whom they had to deal.

Without any sense of direction nor perseverance for normal confrontation, a disformed male sprinted towards them and five meters before reaching the table, jumped high I the air, landing on the white cloak. The porcelain dishes shattered immediately, bursting into tiny pieces.

"Bege Capone!" The beast spoke, his sleazy voice resonating around the mafia group. "Where. Is. Bege Capone?!" His eyes frantically searched through the razing crowd. "Where are you, you motherfucker?!"

It was disgusting.

The rotting smell of flesh.

The inexplicable groaning while slurring human words from the bloody mouth.

Skin which was detached from the body and hung in pieces from the previously recognized person. Irises were colored white.

"How the hell did these freaks get in here!?" Penguin shouted, his skin color draining to a sallow one. It was hard to feign repulsion in this state.

Law, now standing, explained, a subtle enjoyment playing on his face. "Easily. Like every normal human beings. Before the pill finally began working."

Gimlet eyes, Kid immediately understood Trafalgar's hunch. "He's on to us..."

"You mean to tell me that this happened in less than 3 hours!" Bartolomeo roared, his two companions standing beside him. "Oh, that's not all. Judging from these guys here, it seems the overpowered advantages finally started to kick in. It'll get messier." Wide-eyed, but still calm, Law reciprocated, his hand now in mid-air, which was a hint for Penguin to hand him over his sword.

"Now only one obstacle remains..."

Kid really restrained himself from slicing that revolting throat. But they had to wait. That thing had to be the first one to start provoking. Then there would be no breaking the conditions for the alliance.

When counting, there were five of them. And every single one of the living corpse had a similarity. They all had the same symptoms. Woman or man. It made no difference whatsoever. One of them separated from the group and pierced the glazed glare towards Law. It groaned before it launched itself from the floor, almost making a long scratch on Trafalgar's face. He anticipated the movement, and with a roundhouse kick, tossed the body away, a loud break of bone filling the room.

"Those were the overdosed lab rats." He screwed up his face in disgust. "That bastard Doflamingo used noblemen for this opportunity."

In the background, flashes of anger, jeer and shouting came. A window was smashed. Some of the guests panicked and dissipated as fast as they could, fleeing to the elevator. But it was no use.

"Ok, Kid. Nothing is stopping us, not even the contract. We have full access to kill the corpses!" Killer said, but the redhead didn't hear him. He was already reaching for his gun.

"Finally! Some fun!" he ecstatically slurred, slowly strutting towards the bests, as if he was the tamer and they soon-to-obey animals. The heavy boots pumped the floor beneath him, loud hits resonating when walking. He got the drugged people corralled around him. The redhead pointed his gun at them each. In chilly voice he teasingly counted: "Eeny Meeny Miney mo..."

Bang!

When the first beast was down, blood purring from the bullet hole in the head, everything stopped. But only for a brief second, which was a strange sight nevertheless. Then the brainless companions recollected and began leaping towards Kid. Precise shots made the attackers fall one after another, the pond of red liquid increasing within the frighteningly enormous number of dead people. But he did all of that without flinching, without moving a single muscle on his face, for the horror that was before his bare sight ...Was nothing to him.

Turning around, his face mirrored to the grim expressions.

To be continued...