Chapter 71: The Room of the Surgeon — The Hundred-Heart Incident
The warm orange glow of Corazon's campfire flickered and died, replaced by the clinical, razor-sharp blue of a surgical theater. The screen hummed with the sound of a
[ROOM]
being expanded to impossible sizes.
The footage didn't jump to the future immediately. It showed Law as a teenager, wandering the North Blue alone. It showed him using his own surgical knowledge and the Ope Ope no Mi to cut the Amber Lead out of his own organs—a bloody, agonizing self-surgery that left the world gasping.
"He... he operated on himself while awake?" Chopper shrieked in Sabaody, hiding behind Zoro's leg. "That's impossible! The pain would kill anyone!"
"That's the 'D' family just like Luffy," Zoro muttered, his eye fixed on the screen. "A man who cuts himself open to stay alive isn't someone you want to cross."
The scene shifted. The environment was no longer snowy; it was a bustling trade port under the World Government's protection. The screen displayed a title: [THE ROCKY PORT INCIDENT — THE DEBT OF HEARTS].
The world watched as Law, now wearing his iconic spotted hat and yellow hoodie, stood alone against a fleet of pirate ships and corrupt Marine officials.
"I need a seat at the table," Law's voice echoed. "And the only currency the World Government understands is fear."
The screen blurred into a montage of absolute slaughter—but not a drop of blood was spilled. Within his [ROOM], Law's blade moved like a conductor's baton. Squelch. Squelch. Squelch.
The camera panned to a massive pile of wooden crates. Each one was filled with a beating, rhythmic sound. The screen zoomed in: One hundred human hearts, still pumping, each encased in a square of blue energy.
The chat window, which had been somber, suddenly ignited with a mix of horror and typical pirate banter.
[Rocks D. Xebec]: "VOHAHARARA! Look at that! A hundred hearts as a gift! Hey, Sengoku! Your 'Justice' is currently being mailed to headquarters in a cardboard box! I like this kid! He's got the flair of a butcher and the hands of a pianist!"
[Eustass Kid]: "A hundred hearts? Seriously, Trafalgar? You will spent all that time being a mailman for the Marines? If that was me. I will just blow things up! You're way too obsessed with the 'creepy' aesthetic!"
[Trafalgar Law]: "It got me into the Shichibukai on future, didn't it, Eustass? While you were busy losing an arm to the Red-Haired crew, I was securing a position that let me move freely. It's called 'Strategy.' Try learning the word."
[Buggy (Floating Duck)]: "SQUEAK! (Translation: HE COLLECTS HEARTS?! I ALREADY HAVE NO BODY HALF THE TIME, BUT THIS GUY IS A FREAK! STAY AWAY FROM ME!)"
[Shanks]: "Easy, Kid. Strategy wins wars. But Trafalgar... those hearts... your future self didn't kill them. He just 'borrowed' them. You're still too soft, just like Rosinante."
[Doflamingo]: "Fuffuffuffu! My little Law, playing at being a king. You think the Shichibukai throne will protect you from me? Those hearts are just toys."
The screen showed the aftermath. A younger Marine Commander Kong and the current Five Elders were shown looking at the delivery of hearts in Mary Geoise.
"Trafalgar Law," one Elder muttered on screen. "A survivor of Flevance. A wielder of the Ultimate Fruit. We will grant him the title... for now. Use him to keep the rookies in line."
The scene shifted back to the present-day Law in Sabaody. He looked at his hands, the word [DEATH] tattooed across his knuckles.
The blue light intensified. The screen showed a glimpse of a frozen, burning island—Punk Hazard. Law was seen walking through the snow, heading toward a secret laboratory where a giant dragon roared in the distance.
[THE THEME: THE SHICHIBUKAI ERA — THE DOCTOR WHO CUT THE SYSTEM.]
"The gears are turning," Law said on the screen, his eyes looking directly into the camera as if he could see the entire world watching him. "And I'm the one who's going to break them."
[NEXT CHAPTER: THE ALLIANCE OF CHAOS — THE SHOCKING DUO.]
📝 Author's Note:
Chapter 71 shifts the tone from the tragedy of the past to the calculated coldness of Law's rise. The "Hundred Heart Incident" is legendary lore that was never fully shown in the anime, so showing it here proves the System's "All-Seeing" power. Kid's roasting adds the perfect "Supernova" rivalry energy. The world is starting to realize that Law isn't just a pirate; he's a man who manipulated the World Government itself to get what he wanted.