Archive of Our Own ^beta

“You’re smile is fucking terrifying.”

Luffy’s enormous smile grew even bigger when he burst out laughing, “Torao doesn’t mean that- you love my smile!” Luffy was teasing him now, all playful and confident as Law rubbed a soothing hand along his arm. Law found himself avoiding eye contact because he just knew that his face was red.

“I never said that I didn't like it, I was just stating a fact.”

“Shishishi, whatever you say Traffy.” Luffy’s smile dimmed when he noticed that Law had yet to stop rubbing at his arm. He reached out to rub his hands over Law’s shoulder in an effort to help, and Law moaned at the sudden massage. He leaned into Luffy’s hands with a strained sigh, and gave Luffy a weak glare.

“Why the fuck did you pick this damn boat Luffy-ya?”

Luffy’s smile disappeared completely, and he sighed with just as much resigned frustration as Law felt, “Because Bartolomew was really convincing and eager to help.”

He tilted his head back further so that Luffy could feel the full effect of his glare, “I’m picking the boat next time.” Luffy tried to smile in reply, but couldn’t bring himself to when he saw the bruise that was blooming across Law’s shoulder. “Okay Torao.”

They both fell quiet as they glanced around at the chaos that surrounded them. The sun had just set and they had lit a few lamps in order to keep the deck illuminated- even if everyone else was already passed out. There were holes all over the deck from the hail storm that morning, and as a result, everyone was sporting more bruises and head trauma than the day before.

“How are they still alive- it's a fucked up miracle, that's what it is.” Law continued to grumble as he shifted uncomfortably. He had taken a nasty hit to his wounded arm from that damn hail, and it was still throbbing in protest.

“Torao,” Luffy’s hands cupped Law’s cheeks and turned Law’s head toward him. Luffy leaned in close, his expression worried, “are you okay? How badly were you hurt?”

Law sighed, and allowed himself to slump forward into Luffy’s arms, “I used up too much of my power Luffy-ya. It set back my healing rate, and now I can't do anything for this fucked up bruise because I can't form a goddamn Room because these idiots don't have a fucking navigator and-”

“Torao, out of all of us you had the worst injuries- if Chopper was here you'd still be tied to the bed!” Law let himself smirk a little at the thought, and mumbled something about never letting anyone tie him to a bed. Luffy’s cheeks puffed out in irritation, “That’s not the point Torao! You should have been resting!”

“Well, it wasn't my fault that a mother fucking typhoon appeared out of nowhere- I had to use my Room in order to get us the fuck away from it, because this ship doesn't have a handy cannon installed in the back! And then there was that freak lightning storm we only survived because we used you as a lightning rod, and then- ”

Law descended into a rant about all the various disasters that had befallen them that day, and Luffy felt his body becoming wearier and wearier with each mention- until he just didn't want to argue anymore. Luffy leaned forward and interrupted Law’s rant with a quick kiss, and they both found themselves relaxing against one another. Silently, they both prayed that they were close to Zou, and Nami, and Bepo- and their own ships.

“... you need to get some sleep.”

Luffy ran a gentle finger underneath Law’s eyes, tracing the dark circles that were the result of his insomnia. Law grimaced at the thought of moving, though he didn't contradict Luffy's observation. After a moment of painful contemplation, and double-checking to make sure that no one else was awake to witness his humiliation, Law mumbled a request for Luffy to carry him to their room. Luffy’s smile was big and enthusiastic as he hauled Law over his shoulder, and Law was silently depressed at how familiar the motion was.

Why was it that Luffy always saw him at his worst? Why couldn't he be the one being a mother fucking badass while Luffy was the one needing to be carried around like a sack of potatoes?

Luffy chuckled, and Law blushed when he realized that he had mumbled that last part out loud. Luffy didn't tease him about it though, surprisingly enough, and they spent the rest of their short journey in a comfortable silence- mostly because they were both exhausted. When they reached the captain's quarters, Luffy gently laid him down on the bed and Law released a grateful sigh.

“Where’s your medicine Torao?”

“In my bag, side pocket.”

Luffy was kind enough to grab a cup of water from the bathroom along with his pill bottle, which Law opened gratefully. He swallowed his pills, drank the glass of water, and then scooted over to make room for Luffy as he began to get settled. Law stared up at Luffy in confusion when he shook his head at the gesture.

“Luffy-”

“Someone needs to keep watch Torao.”

Law frowned, “Then it should be one of Bartolomew's crewmates- you were the one who did the most work today, out of all of us, you should be the one resting.”

“No.” Luffy shook his head slowly, and Law was taken aback at the guilt he could see on Luffy’s face, “No, you need rest the most. Because of me you’ve been using your powers all carelessly, and then we needed them, and because of me you’re hurt!”

Law raised an eyebrow with confusion plain on his face,  “What are you talking about-”

“I know that Torao used a lot of energy to heal me.” Law’s eyes went wide, and his body stiffened. Luffy was staring down at his bandage free chest, his face depressed, “I’ve never healed this fast before, and I know that my injuries were not exactly small.” Luffy straightened, and his piercing eyes dared Law to argue with him, “I should have been in those bandages for at least 3 more days.”

Law’s eyes drifted down to the blanket in his hands, and he did not say a word to contradict him. Luffy’s eyes softened, and his expression became a bit exasperated, “Why Torao? Why did you heal me first- you should have healed yourself first!”

Law chuckled a humorless chuckle, and then he forced himself to sit up. Luffy’s eyes went wide when Law leaned over and wrapped his arms around his waist, and then nuzzled his face into his exposed belly.

“Because you make me reckless Luffy-ya.” Because I can’t lose anyone else, because seeing you in those bandages brought back too many memories. Luffy blushed a bright red, but his grin was happy as he hugged Law’s upper body closer to him. Luffy loved how free Law was with his affection, and it never failed to amaze him how easily Law reached out to touch him.

They stayed like that for as long as Luffy could allow himself to. He wanted to climb into the bed right next to Law, and sleep for the rest of their journey- but Luffy knew that he had already been away from the deck too long. Leaving the ship unprotected in the New World was just asking for trouble, and they had found more than enough trouble that day. Luffy was hoping that they would have a quiet night, but he wasn't getting his hopes up.

When Luffy pulled away, Law felt as if his body was suddenly weighed down by a thousand pounds. Falling back against the mattress, Law turned and pulled Luffy’s pillow into his arms. When he heard Luffy moving toward the door, he finally allowed his eyes to close. “After your shift is finished, wake up Bartolomew and then come back to bed.”

For a moment there was nothing but silence between them- with Law drowsily fighting sleep and Luffy halfway out the door. But despite not being able to see it, Law heard the smile in Luffy’s voice, “Okay Torao.”

The door shut gently behind the strawhat pirate, and though Law’s answering smile also went unseen, Luffy did not need to see it in order to know that Law was happy with his answer.

Now, to get this watch over with! Luffy pumped his fists in an effort to try and boost his energy as he made his way back to the deck. The unexciting sight of everyone sprawled out in uncomfortable positions greeted him, and Luffy grimaced. He made his way around their snoring bodies and settled himself against the mast, right next to a mumbling Bartolomew. Normally he would have sat on top of the figurehead, but even though Luffy was trying to convince himself that he was not tired- he wasn’t that much of an idiot. If he fell off of the ship because of how tired he was, no one would be awake to save him- and then Torao would have to force Zoro to fish his dead body out of the ocean in the morning so that he could revive him, and then kill him again for being so stupid.

Laughing quietly at the image of Law strangling his zombified body, Luffy found his thoughts drifting over everything else that had happened these past few days. And what a crazy few days they had been. From thinking that Law had been killed, to kicking Doflamingo’s ass, to finding out that Sabo was alive, and then making a bunch of new friends. It seemed almost unreal to Luffy when he realized that all of this had all happened in less than a week-

And then there was yesterday.

Luffy couldn't stop himself from grinning ear to ear every time his thoughts drifted back to the day before, and he honestly didn't care because yesterday had been…

It had been amazing.

Luffy’s stomach flip-flopped at the memory of Torao’s smiles, and then his abs flexed at the memory of Law’s hands and his tongue- and then Law was on his back and looking up at Luffy with those eyes and calling him-

“My king - mine”

Luffy shifted against the mast, and glared down at where his dick was straining against the zipper on his shorts. He squirmed, and scowled at the stars when he slammed his head back against the mast.

Stupid Torao. Luffy cursed him in his mind, because before yesterday, he had never even given a passing thought to sex. And now  Luffy’s body felt like it was punishing him, like it was trying to make up for lost time because every moment where Luffy allowed his mind to drift-

Torao was waiting with a wicked smile, and eyes that shined like gold.

Luffy groaned, and hid his face behind his hands before pulling at his hair. Luffy knew that it was going to be a long night, but he still hoped that it would go by quickly. He tried to distract himself by doing a headcount, and hoped that he’d find some kind of entertainment in all of the different ways that everyone had passed out.

Robin was the only one who had made it into a decent sleeping position, curled up on a hammock that the Barto Club had strung up before collapsing beside of it. Zoro was snoring away next to the door that lead into the inner ship, and Luffy smiled at the sight because he had seen Zoro passed out in that exact same position almost every day- right next to the door that lead into Sanji’s kitchen. Luffy took a moment to wonder at why Zoro had never passed out inside of Sanji’s kitchen, because surely that would have been a better sleeping place? He could probably even sneak a few bites of whatever Sanji was cooking when the cook was distracted…

Next he spotted Usopp, who was leaning against Franky’s shoulder in obvious discomfort- though he didn't seem too interested in moving. Franky was sitting unnaturally straight right next to where Robin’s hammock had been constructed. His head was the only sign that he was actually asleep; it was completely lax, and he was snoring up at the sky with his sunglasses crooked on his face.

Luffy’s smile was soft- but even though the sight of his nakama made him happy, Luffy couldn’t help but notice what was missing.

Nami should have been laying on a hammock right next to Robin- snoring like a train, even if she would never admit that she snored. Sanji should have been resting with head pillowed on Zoro’s thigh- he should have been curling around the slumbering swordsman like a clingy octopus, because Sanji was a cuddler. When Usopp was the one to wake him for his watch shift, Luffy always saw Zoro and Sanji curled together.

Brook should have been sitting unnaturally straight right next to Franky, a teacup in one hand while he let out a snore almost as loud as Nami’s. And Chopper should have been curled up either in Usopp’s lap, or beside Nami because Chopper hated sleeping alone. He liked listening to Nami snore, and he also liked it when Usopp began to unconsciously pet his head. Or maybe he would have been snuggling up to Torao, because Luffy had discovered that Torao also hated sleeping alone.

The only time that Luffy had ever seen Law sleep, now that he thought about it, was when they had started sleeping next to each other two nights ago.

“Let’s sleep Mugiwara-ya.”

Law had tried to make the request seem casual, but Luffy could still remember how tightly Law had held him- as if he’d been afraid that Luffy would leave him. Guilt settled low in Luffy’s stomach when he recalled the way Torao had curled around his pillow- because that was where Luffy should have been.

Where he should be right now; curled around Torao on that nice comfy bed, maybe stealing a few sleepy kisses while Torao smiled that perfect little smile because he’d be so happy-

Luffy slapped his cheeks in order to stop his train of thought, because both the guilt and the longing in his gut were demanding that he kick Bartolomew awake, shift be damned.

Come back to bed.

Luffy’s couldn't- not yet. Soon, he promised himself. Soon.

Because Luffy couldn’t bare the thought of asking anyone else to stay up while he went and relaxed next to Torao, even if  that was what he really wanted to do. So Luffy stretched his arms above his head, stifled a yawn, and tried to think about anything else in order to distract himself from the churning in his stomach. But the guilt in his gut refused to be ignored, and Luffy could only hope that Torao had been able to fall asleep, because Torao really needed it.

And who’s fault is that?

Luffy stilled at the thought. His head fell forward and his eyes landed on his hands. They were clenched so tightly, that they were beginning to shake.

It’s your fault.

Luffy found himself shaking his head in denial, even when he could hear a ring of truth in that malicious voice. It sounded an awful lot like Doflamingo, and Luffy tried desperately not to think about it- not to remember the fight with Doflamingo because-

You’re the reason Law is hurt.

Torao said that Doflamingo fucked with people’s minds, and Luffy was not going to listen. Luffy was going to ignore it, because Doflamingo was a liar-

If you hadn’t hesitated in that fight against Bellamy, then I would never have had the chance to cut off Law’s arm.

Luffy flinched and curled into himself. His arms crossed protectively over his stomach, because he felt like he was going to throw up.

I shot him too, don’t you remember? Didn’t you count the holes on his back?

Seven. You shot him seven times.

And where were you? Where were you after you made that arrogant promise to defeat me?

Stop it.

Where were you when Law was screaming - you’ve never heard someone scream like that before, have you?

Shut up.

Oh, you’ve heard plenty of people scream in anguish- in emotional pain. But until that moment, you’d never heard someone scream in that special way that they can only do when they feel like they are dying.

Shut up!

Even your brother didn’t scream like that when you watched Akainu punch a hole through his-

“ SHUT-” Luffy slapped a hand over his mouth, his eyes wide as they darted around the deck to see if he had woken anybody up. A few people were shifting in their sleep, and Zoro was wearing a dark frown on his face- though he seemed to settle down after a moment or two of silence. If Luffy had finished his shout, then he had no doubts that Zoro would have woken up. He was lucky that he had been quick enough to catch himself.

Though, would you really call that luck?

Luffy slumped against the mast, and brought one of his shaking hands up to cover his eyes. It was only then that he noticed the wetness on his face.

He had been crying. Luffy let out a bitter laugh, though even that sounded wet with tears because Luffy discovered that he was actually still fucking crying. Fuck Doflamingo- fuck him and his manipulating, demonic personality because everything that his stupid voice had said was fucking true.

It was all Luffy’s fault.

And these past few days had been so chaotic- so wonderful, that Luffy had been able to forget. Forget that horrifying sound that terrified him to his core, because Luffy had left Law alone.

Left him alone to face his demon when he was already hurt, already exhausted- and if it had not been for Princess Mansherry’s powers, then Luffy would have caused another person he loved to lose an arm.

He had felt guilty over Shank’s arm for the longest time- but the years had softened that guilt into acceptance. Luffy had been a child, he could not have helped Shanks, or defended himself from that sea king. He could have done some things differently, that was true, but in the end it had been Shank’s decision to jump in after him. And if Shanks had not done what he had done, then Luffy would have died. An arm for a friend.

Luffy would not have hesitated to do the same for his brothers or for his nakama, and because of that, he had finally been able to accept the fact that it wasn't his fault.

But with Law, it was different. With Law, he could have helped- he could have done what he had fucking promised to do, and not let Doflamingo get into his fucking head. He could have tried harder to not get separated, he could have tried harder to get away from Bellamy and back to Law-

But he hadn’t, and Law had paid the price.

Luffy stared out at the black waves that were churning around the ship, and bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.

After Luffy had been reunited with his crew, he remembered talking with them for hours. Catching up with them, hearing their adventures, and eventually, he had told them about the war.

In all honesty if he had thought that he could get away with it, he would never have told them anything about it. He loved his nakama, trusted them with his life and everything he held dear, but...

But Luffy couldn’t bring himself to tell them about how much he was beginning to doubt himself. He was their Captain- they had waited two whole years because they trusted him, and though now they all agreed that it had been for the best, Luffy could still see how much that separation had hurt them.

For instance, Zoro now made an effort to talk with everyone at least once a day- even though he was a man of so few words. Nami spent less time in her study creating maps, and instead started reading outside where she could see everyone whenever she wanted. Robin had taken to gardening beside Usopp, and though she still read her books, it was not nearly as often. Franky used to spend hours under the deck tinkering with his inventions, but now he was hardly ever in his lab. Instead he spent his time writing songs, and playing his guitar next to Brook. Chopper floated in between all of them, and he always looked so happy because he was back home, and Luffy could only be thankful that Chopper didn’t hate him for making him be alone for so long. But out of all of them, Sanji had been the worst.

It wasn't only his sudden crippling weakness to women, though that had been the most obvious change. Luffy was observant when it came to those he cared about, and he saw how exhausted Sanji had looked those first few nights together. And while Sanji had always been mildly affectionate, especially to the ladies, after their reunion he had become downright clingy. Luffy could see it in every casual shoulder brush, every time Sanji’s hand lingered when he passed someone a drink or a plate of food. Sanji had become touch starved, and Luffy wasn't the only one to notice. Zoro now made it a point to argue with Sanji every chance he had- though nowadays he often tried to make the arguments last instead of provoking a fight, just so that he could be in Sanji’s personal space for longer periods of time. It was odd, but Luffy knew that it was just Zoro’s way of looking out for Sanji. They had been close before the separation, and were even closer now.

And Luffy had also not missed the way that all of their eyes had lingered on him- the sad way that they all stared at his chest because his scar was a glaring reminder that they had not been there for him. And so he told them about the war, because he knew that they needed to hear him talk about it- knew that they needed to hear that he was doing fine. Hear that he was okay, that he was still the Luffy that they had known before-

… before the war.

But Luffy was not the same, and he could never let them know just how much he had changed. Because Luffy could barely admit to himself that he had doubts, and everyday was a struggle not to fall into self denial. In the depths of Luffy's heart, he silently hoped that if he pretended to be fine long enough, then one day it would become true. 

Before the war, he had thought that he could save anyone. He had thought that because he had good intentions, because he was strong enough to do the work- that everything would work out because the world was just a good place like that. But then that confrontation with the Warlord Kuma had planted a dark seed of doubt in his heart.

“WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!”

He had saved Zoro, Usopp, Nami, Chopper- Skypia, Vivi and Alabasta, Franky and Robin, and then he had saved Brook. He had beaten impossible odds.

“I-I couldn’t save a single nakama…”

After he woke up on Amazon Lily, he was able to put that seed of doubt out of his mind- because the fact that he was alive meant that so were his nakama. It meant that he had not gotten them killed, it meant that they were alright.

And so he charged into Impel Down, still thinking that he could be a savior. He survived an impossible dosage of poison, gained new allies, and then charged toward Marineford because Luffy was going to save his brother no matter what the rest of the world had to say. He flew onto that battlefield, fought alongside all of those amazing pirates, and everything was working out like he knew it would because Mr. 3 made a key, and then Ace was free. And Luffy had looked up at his smiling brother, and known that everything would be okay.

Hmhmhm~ what a fool you were Mugiwara.

What a fool he’d been indeed.

Luffy’s body was shifting like it couldn't sit still, and his hands were twitching and scratching at each other because Luffy could still remember the feeling of blood leaking onto them and I’ll never stop feeling blood on my fingers, what good am I, what kind of savior am I?

Two years he had trained so that he would never have to feel that way again. Two years he had endured the loneliness, the savagery of that island because Luffy refused to be what his mind whispered that he was.

Oh Mugiwara, you are still lying to yourself. Come on, admit it, admit that you are-

And then Luffy had saved Fishman Island, and it had been a balm to wounds that he would never admit to having. Because Luffy could still save people, he was a good person, and he made good things happen for people who needed him. He wasn’t cursed, he didn't bring misfortune to everyone that he loved- he might not be invincible, but he could still save those he cared about. He could make sure that their dreams came true, and he would die before letting any of them come close.

But you are cursed Mugiwara. You trap people with your smile and your promises, and for awhile it may seem like you are doing them a favor- but then one day you won't be able to keep your promises. And on that day, they will scream- just like Law did. And they will bleed all over your hands just like Law did too- just like Ace did, because it was all. Your. Fault.

Luffy pressed his palms hard enough against his eyes to see stars. Anything was better then seeing those images again, and Luffy curled up on the deck and tried to drown out the sound of Torao’s scream with a bit of desperate humming. It didn't help much.

Luffy laid on that wooden deck and wanted nothing more than to jump up and run to the captain’s quarters- just to check on Law. Just to make sure that he was alright, that he sleeping soundly and maybe even smiling- because before Dressrosa, Torao had almost never smiled. Luffy made him smile, and Luffy desperately needed to feel like he had done something right right now. But when Luffy shifted, intending to stand up and do just that, Luffy found his that his body wouldn't listen to him. He was shaking like a leaf, curled up into a ball, and crying shameful tears. Luffy had never felt more pathetic in his life.

Luffy didn’t deserve him- Luffy didn't deserve those smiles, that beautiful look on Torao’s face because Luffy was a disease. Luffy had promised him, and Luffy had left him to fight on his own- even if he had beaten Doflamingo in the end, Law had lost an arm and nearly his life as well.

Luffy closed his eyes, and stayed right where he was on that deck, praying that the thoughts would eventually stop like they always had. And eventually they did- when Luffy finally gave into his exhaustion, and fell into a restless sleep.

It was inexcusable. It was dishonorable, and when Luffy woke up with bleary eyes and a pounding headache, he felt like shit. He sat up and looked around him with as much energy as he could muster. Everything appeared fine, and after a quick headcount, he stood up and found himself swaying. His vision doubled for a moment, and Luffy felt like the worst pirate Captain ever born. He had left his nakama vulnerable- left them open to an attack, and the guilt that was gnawing at his stomach felt like an actual living thing. Luffy just couldn’t do anything right could he?

And so after he kicked Bartolomew awake like he promised he would, he turned and made his way toward the kitchen. While the thought of food made him want to gag, his stomach was rumbling because it had been hours since he had last eaten anything. Law wouldn’t be able to sleep with his stomach rumbling like a starved beast, and Luffy had eaten his guilt away more times then he would like to admit. Sanji had become quite considerate about it too- there was always a snack waiting for him on the kitchen table nowadays, and Luffy both loved and hated it because Sanji should have yelled at him. He should have been furious at him for breaking into the pantry, he should have thrown an empty bottle at his head while he ranted that Luffy was going to cause them all to starve- but instead he had taken one look at Luffy’s face, and not said a word about the mess Luffy had left his in his kitchen.   

Luffy heard Bartolomew stumbling behind him while he mumbled something about needing to pee, and so he tuned him out. Luffy was half asleep, physically exhausted, and feeling incredibly guilty to top it all off. And so as a result, he wasn’t paying as much attention as he should have been. When he smelled the smell of meat- of fresh baked honey glazed pork- Luffy was just distracted enough not to not question why it was flying through the air. It was instinct more than anything else that had him running after it, and he only registered how stupid it had been after both he and the meat hit the water.

Bartolomew had jumped in after him, but as a fellow devil fruit user, they were both left helpless and could only hang on to the the meat for dear life as it was reeled in by what looked to be a pirate gang.

The gang approached Bartolomew’s ship, and Luffy could only watch in silent horror as he and Bartolomew were dumped onto a small lump of sea stone. When he tried to move the platform tilted dangerously, which meant that he couldn't move without falling into the sea. Luffy cursed internally, because these assholes were smart. They were probably professionals at whatever it was that they did, and after hearing them mention the bounties of his nakama, Luffy’s face went white. They knew how his crew fought, knew their weaknesses, and Luffy nearly cried from how grateful he was when the leader gave them the order to fall back.

It was just him and Bartolomew, his nakama were safe- they wouldn’t have to pay for his stupid mistakes this time. Luffy turned his face away from Bartolomew as their captors sped away from the boat, and he was grateful that the green haired man could not see the tears that did escape his eyes.

Because this time, Luffy knew that he had gotten lucky.

It was the cannon fire that woke Law up. His eyes shot open, and his wounded arm automatically reached for Kikoku even as his eyes darted around the room to search for intruders. He ignored the pain throbbing in his arm as he unsheathed his blade, and then switched it into his left hand as he stood up. Law remained tense even when he confirmed that he was alone, because he could still hear the cannons and now there was shouting paired with it. Luffy was nowhere to be seen.

Law’s body fell into an aggressive stance, his sword held steady and poised to strike as he exited the captain’s quarters. His eyes were sharp, and his pace was cautious as he prepared himself for any unexpected surprises that might be waiting around the corner.

His time spent on Punk Hazard had made him wary of ambushes, and Law made sure that all of his senses were on high alert for anything that didn’t belong. The near undetectable scent of sleeping gas, the symptoms of poisoned food, the sound of someone using the shadows to hide their assault. Law heard Franky shouting something that was made unintelligible by the next round of cannon fire.

Whether it was poisonous gas or a hail of fire, Law was prepared- and he would crush it. He slipped outside and made sure to hide his presence from both Haki and sight as he took in damage. The sight that greeted him was not as horrible as it could have been, but it was still a far cry from the ideal situation. Everyone on deck was covered in some type of slime that was apparently ‘sticky’, and therefore none of them could move to fend off their attackers. Law did a quick headcount, and was alarmed to notice that even Nico Robin had been incapacitated. His eyes scoured the deck for Luffy, but he couldn’t find a trace of him or Bartolomew anywhere.

Law’s eyes seemed to glow in the dark as they shifted toward the sea to seek out his prey, and when Law heard the sound of boats treading water, his eyes snapped toward the sound like a predator scenting blood.

It took his eyes only a few seconds to make out a familiar red shirt and Law’s fingers went white around his sword, and he found that he couldn't breathe- because Luffy was laying in between the boats on a small platform like a piece of cargo, and his body wasn’t moving.

He heard Franky yelling something- trying to get his attention, but Law found himself feeling detached from it all. The sounds that surrounded him became muted, and Law did not even register when his body began to move toward the attacking boats. He had been hiding in the shadows for a reason, he remembered. The element of surprise.

He could hear a voice cheerfully yelling out for them to attack. Again! Again! Again!

Law heard a few more explosions go off behind him, however they were too far away to affect him, so he ignored it as he stepped up to the ship's railing. The explosions had provided a convenient smoke screen that shielded him from view, and Law took full advantage of that fact as his right hand moved into position and he called forth a Room.

The moment the smoke cleared, he met a pair of startled blue eyes that belonged their leader. She was riding her battle boat at full speed toward their ship with Luffy as her captive, and Luffy was not moving.

She hit the breaks on her boat almost immediately, but Law didn’t give a damn what she did because she was going to die.

They were all going to fucking die.

Law’s golden eyes were glowing in the dark like he was some kind of demon, and his lips were curled up into a threatening snarl. He was beyond furious- he felt insane. Law stared into those now terrified blue orbs, and silently promised their leader that she would be the only one allowed to live. He was going to make her wish that he had killed her.  

And their leader was ordering them to retreat before she even realized that she had opened her mouth. Her hands were trembling at the malice she could feel rolling off of him, and she could taste blood from where she had accidentally bitten her tongue.

The man who had been ordering the assault was reluctant to leave, but the woman turned her boat around without giving him a passing glance and her voice commanded that they return to base. The man had not seen Law, and was whining about her cowardice- but Desire tightened her grip on her handlebars, and refused to look back as she pushed her boat as fast as it could go. Her heart was beating so fast that it felt like it was trying to escape her chest, and she could hear the blood pounding in her ears.

The sound that erupted behind them had everyone jumping in shock. The man who had been complaining about her actually fell off of his battle boat, and now he was the one trembling as he scrambled back onto it while listening to the inhuman roar that was echoing through the air. It did not sound human, and the sound of metal slicing through the wind- slashes from the demon's claws- had all of them speeding away as fast as they could even as they tried to tell themselves that it was only their imagination.

Desire didn’t have the luxury of self-delusion. She knew exactly who had made those sounds, and could only thank God that they had gotten out of Trafalgar Law’s range before he could rip their bodies apart, and leave the crows to pick at their corpses.

Luffy had been yelling for hours even though he knew that it was hopeless.

“Let me out! Let me out right fucking now you idiots! Let. Me. OUT!”

His voice sounded raw, and after that last scream he had begun to taste blood in the back of his throat. Since their arrival he had not been given anything to eat or drink, and as a result, his energy levels were becoming distressingly low. The heat was also getting to him, and the fact that his body was already aching from dehydration was not a good sign. Luffy hung his head and took in a deep breath- and then proceeded to cough because smoke had drifted into his cell.

Luffy looked up when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching, and he saw the woman from the night before walking toward him. Flanked by two other women that he recognized from the heist, she stared up at him with a confident stance and an arrogant expression.

“Look at yourself- you should just give up without fighting.” Her smile wasn’t ugly, but her words were merciless, “Because you are going to be executed by Bill soon.”

For a moment all Luffy could do was stare at her. While yes, he was nowhere near his peak performance- and yes, they had him encased in some kind of metal prison- her confidence was baffling. This was the New World, and she should know better then to assume that he could be defeated so easily. She had taken him by surprise yesterday, and because of that he was in prison. But Luffy was awake and paying fucking attention now, and she was not going to get so lucky a second time.

“Bill?” He did not recognize the name, but he filed it away because she knew about his defeat of Doflamingo- she knew about his bounty increase, and yet she was standing in front of him like it meant nothing. If she was that confident in ‘Bill’s’ abilities, then he was likely to be a problem.

Her smile became fond, and she seemed to relax just at the mention of his name, “He’s our leader.” Luffy frowned at the lack of information, and snarled out the question that had been burning on his tongue ever since he had lost sight of Bartolomew’s ship, “Where are my friends!?”

Her smile was easygoing as she began to turn away from him, “Who knows? But you shouldn’t expect help.” She tilted her head back and and waved her hand dismissively, the delight obvious in her voice, “We sank that tasteless ship with our battle boats, and I wouldn’t be surprised if all of your precious nakama were floating to the bottom of the sea right now.”

Luffy’s eyes narrowed and he felt his expression darkening. The two women who were accompanying her took a defensive step back, and their actions stopped Desire before she could finish her speech. When she turned to see what was wrong, she found herself flinching at the look on Luffy’s face.

“You’re lying.”

Desire grit her teeth together, and smoothed out her expression, “It’s the truth.” Luffy’s eyes were black, and they seemed to be staring into her soul, “It’s a lie.” Desire ran an agitated hand through her hair, “Trust me it's-!”

“You didn’t sink the ship because you ordered everyone to retreat.”

Desire stiffened. The memory of golden eyes sent shivers down her spine, and her face rapidly lost its color. Luffy watched her reaction closely, and rolled the ball as close as it could get to the bars. The shadow on his face was truly terrifying, “Why did you run away?”

Luffy remembered it- he could remember how frightened Desire had looked before ordering her troops to retreat from what should have been an easy victory. Retreating made no sense unless-

Luffy could still hear that roar echoing in his ears, and it sounded far too familiar for his comfort. Desire swallowed thickly, and then tried to paste a convincing smile onto her lips, “That was because searching for survivors would have been a pain-”

Even her companions were beginning to shoot her baffled looks, and Desire felt sweat beginning to form on the back of her neck. Luffy’s eyes were merciless, and they glared into her own blue orbs without pity, “What did you see.”

Desire’s eyes darted away, and she began to back away from the cage, “I didn’t see any-”

“What did you DO!”

Luffy rolled the metal ball back and slammed it forward as hard as he could, his expression darkening even when Desire jumped back like a scared rabbit. She was looking up at him like he was a monster, but Luffy didn’t care about that because, “What did you do to Torao?”

Luffy felt his control snapping when he saw the confusion on her face, “TRAFALGAR LAW! WHAT DID YOU DO TO TRAFALGAR LAW!”

His scream echoed through the caves like a death cry, and he was left panting with dilated eyes as he stared down at where Desire had collapsed to her knees. Her eyes were full of fear and tears that she refused to let fall. Even as her lips trembled, she shook her head stubbornly, “I-I didn’t see Trafalgar Law when we were attacking-”

“Stop lying to me!”

“Ane-san, maybe we should get out of here-” When Luffy’s eyes locked onto the woman that was trying to interfere, his eyes were inhuman. She froze like a mouse cornered by a lion, and her protests died on her lips even as she backed away and bowed her head submissively.

“Leave them alone- they have nothing to do this!” Desire hurried to stand on her unsteady legs and the she put herself between Luffy and her crewmates. She grimaced when his eyes landed back on her, “I’m telling the truth- when we were attacking the ship I did not see Trafalgar Law.” Desire hesitated, and then crossed her arms defensively over her stomach. She resisted the urge to throw up, because as much as Desire wanted to deny it- she was beginning to doubt that Bill could actually handle this creature that they had brought into their fortress.

Monsters. They’re both monsters.

“I saw him afterwards,” Luffy’s expression became hidden in the shadows of his hat, and Desire finally found herself able to turn away from him. She reached out to grasp her friend’s hands, and plastered a fake, reassuring smile onto her face. She could feel Luffy’s gaze burning into her back.

“... I ordered them to retreat because he was going to kill us.”

Her voice was cheery and betrayed none of her true emotions, but that did not matter. All that mattered was that it was the truth, and Luffy obviously realized it.

“Why would he want to kill you?”

Because Torao was not someone who hurt people without a reason. He was level-headed, calm, and even when he dismembered bodies they were always left unharmed. He even treated Caesar Clown, that disgusting excuse for a human being, somewhat decently. Luffy had never seen the demonic need for murder in Law’s eyes, not even when he had battled against Doflamingo. Law hated Doflamingo with every fiber of his being- but it was a cold, smoldering kind of hate. He had only battled Doflamingo out of desperation; he would never have tried to kill him directly if he could have avoided it. Because Law was a doctor, he saved people- Torao had saved him when he had not even known him.

Torao was kind.

And here was Desire, trembling in fear and telling Luffy that Torao had been trying to kill her. And Luffy could see in the way that her hands trembled and her breath hitched, that she was telling the truth.

What had she done- what could she have possibly down to make Torao that angry?

Desire began to walk away from Luffy’s cage, pulling her crewmates along behind her. She paused only long enough to answer his question, “I don’t know.”

Even if she didn’t know what it was that she had done, she had done something - of that Luffy was sure. And so Luffy would keep an eye on her, and he would not trust her, because anyone who could make Torao scream like that was not somebody to be trusted.  

He was left alone for quite some time after that. Distantly, he could make out the sounds of cheering, and a single name being chanted.

“Bill! Bill! Bill!”

When the girls came back, it was with the purpose of bringing him to their leader. Luffy eyed them wearily as they unlocked his cage, and then they began rolling his imprisoned body with practiced ease. They were heading toward the sound of cheering, and Luffy took in a deep breath to help calm his thoughts. His eyes sharpened, and his senses were working overtime as he took in his situation; because while Monkey D. Luffy might be a lot of things, he was not a man who would go down without a fight.

When Law saw those-deaddeadDEAD- bastards running away, Law felt something break inside his mind. He was slashing Kikoku as fast as he could before he could comprehend anything else, roaring in frustration because his Room was flickering- he was stretching it out too far, and just before his slashes could make contact, they were out of his range.

By a fucking hairsbreadth they escaped, and that was just not fucking allowed. His slashes had been desperate, and at any other time Law might have called them careless, because the front of Bartolomew’s ship had been caught in the crossfire. But Law was a clever man, and not only was he good at thinking on his feet, he was also an opportunist.

“Tact.” He threw the dismembered pieces of wood toward the retreating enemy, and when the pieces had reached the limit of his Room, Law began to chase.

“Shambles.” He switched himself with a small piece of wood, and then he was able to move his Room foreword because he was now closer to his target. He continued his hunt relentlessly- ignoring the signs of overexertion when he noticed them.

First, his hands began to shake. Law mutilated the pieces of wood with his sword until they were little more than splinters, and then continued to slash his sword because he was literally at their heels. If he stopped swinging his sword for even a second, then he could miss a golden opportunity- all he needed was for them to enter his range for one fucking second, and then they would have nowhere to escape.

Next came a headache that caused his vision to waver. Law had to continuously use his Tact in order to keep both himself and the wood airborne, but after his vision began to blur, Law knew that he was using up too much of his power. Reluctantly, he assembled a small raft out of his wood supply and lowered himself onto it so his Tact only had to propel him forward, instead of also keeping him aloft. It was a compromise doomed for failure.

Because next came the nosebleed, and his heart was beginning to pound unnaturally fast. Law had held this Room open for almost twenty minutes, and it was literally at its maximum size. Law had never been able to hold a Room this size open for longer than five minutes- and usually he only held it open for seconds, because it drained so much of his energy.

His Room gave a dying pulse, and then everything shattered. The few pieces of wood he still had in the air fell lifelessly, and Law stared uncomprehendingly at the battle boats that were slowly disappearing from view.

“No.” Law’s hand was back into position, and he was gasping for breath even as blood entered his mouth, “Room! ” His body began to sway in exhaustion, black spots clouded his vision- but Law shook his head violently in an attempt to shake off the side effects, “ROOM!”

It wouldn’t form, and his heart gave a pitiful stutter before Law’s body collapsed. For a moment he couldn’t breathe, and then his vision completely disappeared.

When his senses returned, Law’s body was screaming at him- and Law felt angry tears gathering in his eyes.

Because he was well aware that his body could not take another attempt to make a Room. Just listening to his heart rate and taking in the various symptoms of his body- Law knew that if he tried, he’d cause his body to have a heart attack.

“Fucking damn it!” Law slammed a weak fist against the raft he was laying on, and he bit his lip in order to hold back the pitiful sounds that his body wanted to make. The tears began to fall, and Law brought a shaking hand up to cover his eyes. He was gasping for breath, miles away from both Luffy and Bartolomew's ship- and his raft could be tipped over at any moment. But all Law could think about was the fact that he had let those fucking bastards get away- he had let them take Luffy away from him.

Law was so fucking useless.

The sobs that tore from his throat were heartbreaking, and Law screamed his frustration at the stars as he violently pushed his palms into his eyes to stop (or maybe hide) his tears.

For hours he laid helpless on that raft, and it was only by the devil’s luck that the sea was calm enough for his raft to survive. Hours later, the sound of a boat approaching finally caused Law to move. He removed his hands, and found himself looking up into Zoro’s single eye with his own bloodshot pair.

They stared at each other in silence for several moments, and then Zoro was glancing at someone that Law couldn't see, “Franky, get the ropes ready!” And then Zoro was removing his swords from his waistband and stripping off his tunic. Before Law could register what those actions could mean, Zoro was diving off of the boat and into the water.

The raft nearly capsized from the resulting wave, but Zoro was quick to resurface and he steadied it with his hands before Law could fall into the ocean.

Zoro silently took stalk of Law’s injuries, his eyes lingering on the blood around his nose and mouth. He took in the trembling of Law’s hands, and the awkward way he was forcing himself to breathe- and then Zoro surprised Law.

“Luffy won’t die from something of this level.” He reached out and clasped Law’s shoulder awkwardly, and Law couldn’t even muster up amusement at how uncomfortable Zoro looked, “Luffy’s vivre card is fine. We’ll follow it, beat the shit out of the person responsible for this, and then continue on our journey to Zou before the day is up.”

Zoro gave him a confident smirk, and then Law found himself balanced on Zoro’s shoulder as he climbed up the ship and back onto the deck. Law stared forward with a blank expression on his face as the ship's physician began to look him over. He distantly heard the doctor’s shocked ramblings as his body was moved around like a rag doll, and then he found himself laying on a familiar mattress with pills being forced down his throat

“-needs rest.”

“-damn lucky he didn't have a heart attack-”

“-he’ll be in and out of consciousness for awhile, try not to-”

Law fell asleep with his face buried in a pillow that smelled like Luffy.

Zoro was kind enough to wake him when they reached the island, and Law woke up feeling like he had just clawed his way out of hell. His vision was blurred, and his body felt like an endless minefield of pure pain. But Law still forced his body to sit up, and ended up cradling his head in his hands because he could barely function with the sudden pounding in his skull. Zoro watched his struggle silently, and did not comment on his blatant show of weakness.

When the room stopped spinning long enough for Law to focus his eyes on the swordsman, Zoro offered him a hand. He eyed it wearily but accepted the offer, and Zoro helped him stand on his unsteady legs. They made their way out of the captain's quarters, and Zoro debriefed him on their situation. “We’re approaching the shore as we speak, but the ship’s already been spotted and they sounded the alarm.” Zoro helped keep Law balanced as they hurried down the hall, though he respected Law’s request to walk on his own when the reached the doors to the deck.

“They are already coming after our ship in droves, and while they are relatively easy targets, there are just too fucking many of them. If too many of us go ashore, then this boat will be damaged beyond repair. Franky is too busy keeping the ship afloat to deal much damage himself, and it’s all everyone can do to just keep thinning them out. Luffy’s on the island, and we’ve already decided that we can only afford to let one person go and get-”

“I’ll do it.” Law’s hands were disturbingly steady as they unsheathed his sword, and even though he was swaying dangerously, he was still able to slice through a stray cannonball with as much ease as Zoro on a regular day. Zoro recognized the glint in Law’s eyes, and he felt his respect for the man grow even as he put a restraining hand on his shoulder.

“Zoro-ya-”

“You’ve done more than enough Law.” Zoro shook his head and pushed Law’s body backwards, plopping him none too gently beside the mast.

Law grit his teeth at the rough handling, and gave Zoro an intimidating glare. The swordsman didn't bat an eyelash, and instead met Law’s demonic expression with one of his own, “Let me finish this. I’ll bring Luffy back.”

Their eyes stayed locked in a battle of wills for a long moment, and they both absently slashed through every stray cannon ball that came their way.

“Zoro, we don’t have time for this!” Usopp’s annoyance was easily heard as he unleashed another pop green at their enemies, “Get on that island and find Luffy!”

Zoro didn’t move an inch, and his stare bore into Law, “You’re a doctor, you should know better then anyone just how much you need to rest right now.” Law opened his mouth to argue, but Zoro pushed on, “Luffy would never forgive me if I let you run after him while you're in this condition. I'm more then capable of slashing through this cannon fodder, and then bringing my Captain back.”

Zoro bowed his head forward ever so slightly, and Law was taken aback at the blatant show of respect, “I'm going to finish this, and if I don’t bring Luffy back, you are more then welcome to kick my ass.”

Law felt his lips twitch in reluctant amusement at the thought, though his eyes remained deadly. Law gnashed his teeth together, and let out an irritated sound even as he stood and stumbled his way toward the doors to the inner ship. Zoro was forced to steady him when he almost fell over, “What are you-”

“Go get the den-den mushi out of my bag. Take it with you, and call if you need any backup.” Law’s expression booked no arguments, “I have enough energy to make one Room without damaging my body. I can hold it open long enough to scan the island and switch out someone if you get backed into a corner.” Zoro glared at him, but reluctantly nodded his head because he knew that Law would not settle down for anything less, and they did not have the time to argue.

He dumped Law back into his seat before running inside and retrieving the snail phone. He dropped another den-den mushi into Law’s lap, and then gave Law a parting glare, "Never order me to do anything, ever again."

Zoro leapt off of the ship and onto the island, and then he was a blur of movement as he ran in the direction where his Haki had picked up Luffy’s presence. Law watched him go with a bitter look on his face, and ignored Robin’s comforting look.

She clutched another handful of enemies, and swiftly moved into another combat combo, “Don’t worry too much Torao-kun, Zoro will bring him back.”

Law nodded absently, but his eyes lingered on the island even as he stood and prepared himself to help defend the ship. Law silently acknowledged that yes, he was being overly protective and Zoro could more than handle these bastards. Law knew  that Zoro could rescue Luffy with no problems, and yet-

And yet Law’s instincts were screaming at him that something was wrong. The last time he had felt like this he had ignored it, and as a result, he had walked directly into Doflamingo’s trap on Green Bit. And so, because of his recent experience with everything going wrong, Law wasn’t surprised when the den-den mushi began to ring. He had kept it close, and was able to answer it on it’s second ring.

“What’s the situation.”

He heard the sound of Zoro running and his katanas clinking together, “I found them, but their exit is blocked by a bunch of goons with flame throwers. I’m going as fast as I can, but I won't make it in time-”

“Room.” Law grimaced when his chest began to feel overly tight, but he ignored it as he forced his Room to expand as fast as he could. Law felt sweat beginning to drip from his temples as he gritted out his question, “Who should I switch-”

“Leave it to me Law-dono.” Kin’emon slashed another wave of fire at the next round of cannonballs, and then rushed to Law’s side with a determined expression, “There is no fire that I cannot cut.”

“S-Scan.” When Law’s sensor located Luffy and found him to be in almost perfect condition, something in Law’s chest relaxed. It was one thing to intellectually know that Luffy was alright because of his Vivre card, and another thing entirely to confirm it with his own powers.

Law's lips formed a tight smile, “Are you su-”

“Kin’emon is telling the truth, you can trust him.” Law grimaced, but nodded his head to acknowledge Zoro’s vote of confidence. Law supposed that even if Kin’emon couldn’t cut the fire for some inexplicable reason, he could at least provide a body to shield Luffy from the flames.

And neither Luffy or Law had the luxury of time to be picky.

“Shambles.”

One hand gesture later, and Kin’emon was replaced by someone Law’s sensor had picked up near Luffy. Law let his Room disappear, and then gasped for air as he gripped his arm to help steady its throbbing. He was already regretting his decision, even as Kanjuro moved to cover his back from the newest wave of attacks. He should have switched Kin’emon for Luffy- he could have had Luffy next to him, and put an end to this stupid tightness in his throat that refused to go away. Because his stomach was rolling like it was sick, and Law knew that something horrible was going to happen on that fucking island.

But his sensor had showed him that Luffy was physically just fine, if a bit dehydrated, and Zoro had been close enough to provide him a decent amount of coverage and backup. If Law had switched Kin’emon for Luffy, he would have been furious. That wasn’t enough of a reason to stop Law if he had truly been determined, but Law didn’t want Luffy to think that he didn’t trust him. Law trusted him with his life, and Luffy had asked him to believe in him and his nakama. If Law had sent Luffy’s friend in the middle of a warzone and left him and Zoro without any backup, then that was the same as saying that he didn’t trust Luffy’s friends to protect him. That was the same as saying that he didn’t trust Luffy to be strong enough to make it back on his own.

Law grit his teeth together and reached for his sword, because even if he was trusting these guys, that didn’t mean that he wasn’t on edge because of it. He trusted Luffy with his life- but trusting Luffy’s nakama just as much, was going to take a little time.

When Zoro returned to the ship without Luffy, he was prepared for the feeling of Law’s murderous aura. Law’s golden eyes glowed demonically, and from the way he was holding his sword, he was seconds away from physically attacking him.

“Where is Luffy-ya?”

Kin’emon swiftly stepped forward in an attempt to attract Law’s attention, and he hoped that he could help diffuse the situation. He had hesitated in leaving Luffy behind because he had seen the interaction between Law and Zoro, and he knew what would await them should they come back empty handed. But it was Zoro’s decision to leave, and it was really none of his business. “We got to see him but-”

Zoro interrupted him, but he gave Kin’emon a nod of appreciation to show that he knew what he had been trying to do. But Zoro was a man of honor, and he would not shrink away. He met Law square in the eye and said, “They wanted to settle things themselves, and asked us to help defend the ship while they were doing that.”

Law’s knuckles went white around his sword, and his lips were twitching with their need to curl into a snarl. Zoro didn’t flinch, “If we stay here, they’ll come.”  

Law let out a frustrated yell, and turned to slash at an unsuspecting battle boat in order to vent his anxiety, “Goddamn it Mugiwara-ya! How can you be so fucking easygoing!”

Robin chuckled in the background as she dodged a stray bullet that had come her way, “I’m glad they’re alright.” Franky hovered beside her in order to shield her side from any other bullets, and released an onslaught of missiles in vicious retaliation, “They had better be super quick, because I am getting tired of these hit and run tactics!” Usopp grunted his agreement as he switched out his ammo and began shooting Firebird Stars.

It was then that Law found his body freezing. It felt as if his entire body had been submerged in ice, because out of the corner of his eye, he saw something glowing. When he had turned to investigate what it was, he saw fucking magma flowing like water in the direction that Zoro and Kin’emon had come from.

“What the..! Everything’s melting-”

“Law-dono-?”

“You left Luffy alone to face THAT!”

Everyone took a startled step back at Law’s sudden shout, and they all watched in confusion as a look of utter horror crossed Law’s face. Law began to hyperventilate, and he was running as fast as he could toward the island before anyone could question him.

“Torao-kun!”

Hands sprouted from his body and beside his feet. They bound his arms and legs together in an unrelenting grip, and Law squirmed defiantely- trying to find a weak point that he could exploit, “Let me go!”

“Torao-kin please stop-”

“Oi! Law, didn’t you hear me say-”

“Do you guys not see that mother fucking magma pouring off of that island like a fucking river!” Law’s eyes were feral, and he was bearing his teeth at them like a cornered beast, “Luffy needs-”

“You don't know shit about what Luffy needs right now you dramatic bastard!” Zoro clucked his tongue irritably even as Usopp began doling out orders for them to pull away from the shore in order to avoid the magma. Law let out a sound like a wounded animal, and Robin looked at him with sad blue eyes, “Torao-kun you have good intentions, but if I let you go on that island you will be more of a hindrance than a help.”

His struggles ceased abruptly, and when Law turned his eyes to meet her own, Robin felt pity for him, “Not only are you exhausted, but you also cannot access your devil fruit ability. If you showed up where Luffy is fighting, then he would have to divert his attention in order to protect you. ”

Law stared at her as she were speaking another language, and then he hung his head and hid his expression in the shadow of his hat.

“Torao-”

“Let me go. I won't go run- you've made sure that I can't in any case.” The ship had indeed gotten far enough away from the shore that the the magma would no longer be a problem, but it was also too far for Torao to jump- and he obviously couldn't swim to shore, no matter how determined he was.

The hands disappeared in a shower of flower petals, and Law’s mouth twisted into a bitter frown. He stumbled his way past them in order to reach the infirmary, and then began rummaging through the cabinets in search for painkillers with Zoro’s eye boring into his back. As luck would have it, the ship's doctor was too busy fretting with the rest of the Barto Club to pay Law’s actions any mind.

“What are you doing?”

Law’s hands were steady when he found a box of herbs he recognized, and then proceeded to set to work, “I’m making a mild sedative.”

Zoro raised an eyebrow, his expression uncomfortable, “I thought the doctor already gave you something for the pain.”

Law scoffed, his smile darkly amused, “Yes he did indeed. A low powered sedative that sacrifices effectiveness in favor of making the drug less addicting. It's like putting a fucking band-aid on a hole gouged into your body with a rusty spoon.”

Zoro grimaced at the imagery, and shifted awkwardly as he debated whether or not he wanted to ask-

“I’m making this because Luffy is going to need me to be as functioning as possible. Damn it, I fucked up- if I hadn’t gone on that wild fucking goose chase yesterday then I wouldn’t be in such bad shape, and the last thing Luffy needs right now is to see me like this-”

“What are you rambling on about? What is going on with you- as soon as you saw that magma you’ve been acting-”

Zoro couldn’t finish his sentence, because when Law turned to look at him, his face was completely incredulous.

“Do you honestly not know?”

“Know what? What is going on here?!”

Law stared at him for a long moment, as if he could not comprehend the thought that Zoro had no idea what was wrong. Zoro felt his eye twitch with annoyance, because there was something incredibly irritating about being looked at like you were a special kind of moron. As if everyone knew what you didn't- as it were a fact of life.

Law turned away without another word and continued on with whatever it was that he had been doing. His body language was dismissive in a way that reminded Zoro just enough of Sanji to piss him off.

“Oi! You shitty swordsman, tell me what the fuck-” The dark look that appeared on Law’s face was only half the reason that Zoro didn’t finish his sentence. Zoro felt his face go slack when he fully registered what he had just said.

Shitty swordsman!

“It’s not my business to tell.”

Zoro clicked his tongue, turned, and walked away without giving Law’s response a single thought. Let the man have his secrets, Zoro thought to himself, because his mind was on anything but Law and his problems at the moment. Zoro’s right hand clenched into a fist, and his left hand began fiddling with his katanas out of habit- which was something that he had not done in years. It was a bad habit because it alerted enemies to his conflicted thoughts, and it had taken him months to train himself out of the habit. Zoro forced himself to stop fidgeting and joined the Barto Club in waiting for Luffy- trying not to think about what had just happened, because it was something that should never be acknowledged.

Zoro reached up and ran an agitated hand through his hair as he tried to pay attention to whatever it was that Bartolomew’s first mate was saying.

Why didn’t you just call him a Marimo- that would have been really telling as to what’s going on in this rotting brain of yours.

Shit, even his thoughts were starting to sound like that damn shitty cook.

Not my fault you have moss growing on your brain, you bastard.

And the worst part of it all was that Zoro would have given anything in that moment to feel the heat of fire against his skin, and the bone crushing weight of Sanji’s foot in his gut. Stupid fucking ero-cook.

“I can see them! They’re heading this way!” Zoro’s eye came back into focus at Usopp’s ecstatic shout, and he followed his pointing finger to see Luffy and Bartolomew riding a battle boat towards them with an unknown driver. Zoro eyed the woman wearily, and prayed silently that they were not about to have another Nakama on their ship.

“Hey guys!” Zoro could make out Luffy’s enthusiastic smile even from so far away, and he felt a smile tugging on his own lips in response. Luffy was waving his hand and shouting like the carefree idiot that he was- he was fine, and Zoro found himself relaxing when he had not known that he had tensed in the first place. Law’s worries seemed to have gotten to his head.

Everyone enthusiastically greeted the two captains, and Luffy seemed to find amusement in their coddling. He laughed easily, but Zoro saw his eyes wandering, looking for someone.

“Zoro, where is Torao?”

Zoro’s eye narrowed at the deceptively innocent question, because he could hear something in his captain’s voice that he could not identify. Zoro found himself tensing, and his instincts were screaming at him to answer the question even if Luffy’s expression seemed friendly enough- his eyes were hidden in the shadow of his hat.

“Law is-”

“Right here, and ready to see what wounds you managed to get this time Mugiwara-ya.”

Luffy’s hat was hastily pushed back to reveal wide eyes and a huge smile- and then Luffy ran to gave Law what could only be defined as a ‘soft’ tackle. Zoro winced at the constricting mess of limbs that encircled Law’s body, and suddenly Zoro was beginning to understand why Law had wanted stronger painkillers…

“Torao!”

Luffy’s face was as bright as the sun as he began running his hands all over Law’s body without a hint of shame, and Law allowed him to do so indulgently, “Are you okay, were you hurt during the-”

“I’m fine Mugiwara-ya.” Luffy’s hands froze along with his smile, as if he had suddenly registered something threatening on an instinctual level. He slowly looked up and met Law’s golden eyes with a hint of wariness on his face, “T-Torao?”

Law sighed, and reached down to pat Luffy on the head because Luffy was kneeling in front of him and feeling up and down his calves in search of some imaginary injury. Though it was beginning to feel more like groping, because Luffy’s hands were lingering way too long on his legs. He gave Luffy a small smile, and Luffy relaxed, “I’m more worried about you- what exactly happened last night?”

Law’s eyes narrowed when he saw something flash across Luffy’s face before it was hidden by his unnaturally large smile.

“It’s a long story- Bartolomew, why don’t you tell everyone what happened!” And just like that, everyone’s attention was diverted onto Bartolomew’s enthusiastic reenactment of their captivity. He quickly dragged Desire into his childish acting as well, and Luffy was the first to laugh when their playful teasing descended into a fight. Law found his eyes lingering on the woman called Desire, and he met her weary eyes with his own as he sat next to Luffy on the deck. He wound a protective arm around Luffy who gave him a curious look, but Luffy was too happy to question Law’s affectionate gesture, and he snuggled his way onto Law’s lap without any protests.

Law gave Desire a sharp toothed grin, “I’m glad you all made it out without any serious injuries, though I’m surprised that you were able to capture Luffy so easily.” His arms were around Luffy’s waist, and Luffy was lounging in his lap like a spoiled cat. A flash of understanding hit Desire like a freight train when she saw Law’s hidden message in the possessiveness of his hold, and the coldness in his eyes.

If you had hurt him, you wouldn’t be alive right now.

Desire wondered if that was what Luffy had been thinking when he had stared them down from the inside of his cage.

If you hurt him, I will make you wish you were dead.

Desire shuddered, and tried to focus all her attention on what Bartolomew was saying. He was safe to look at, safe to talk to- those other two pirates… Monsters. Those two were fucking monsters.

Not too long after that Desire’s crewmates came to pick her up in their own battle boats, and though Bartolomew’s offer had been kind, Desire found her smile became strained when her eyes glanced over to where the so called ‘future Pirate King’ was lounging.

He was smiling at her with that disturbing smile on his face, and Desire wondered silently if that was his subconscious way of threatening someone. A bearing of teeth indeed.

And the man shadowing him wasn’t much better- in fact, he was infinitely worse. Trafalgar Law was looking her with a smile so creepy, that Desire actually shuttered. That man was looking at her as if he was imaging how she’d look strapped to a table as he cut off her limbs and played with her insides.

Desire tried to give Bartolomew a polite smile as she slowly backed away from the deranged fan club her friend had founded, “I’m afraid that I’m going to have to pass on that Bartolomew. As much as I appreciate the offer, I’m just not a big fan of Mugiwara.”

Desire was half-afraid that she would offend the man in question, but she relaxed when Luffy let out a carefree laugh, “Fair enough! I’m not a big fan of you either!”

“What?!”  Desire found herself held back by her friend as she hissed at Mugiwara, who had dared to say something like that while laughing in her face.

Luffy only laughed harder when Bartolomew puffed up indignantly, and began to berate her and her apparent insult, “You two are funny~” That stopped their argument cold, and Desire left not too long after that with cheerful goodbyes yelled at her departing battle boat.

“Let’s get going!” Luffy shouted with a cheeky grin, and the Barto Club happily began their preparations to set sail, “Onwards! To Zou!”

“To Zou!” The Barto Club enthusiastically echoed, and Luffy laughed happily, before turning his grin at Law.

Law wasn’t looking at him though, strangely enough. Luffy followed his eyes, and quickly looked away when he realized what he was looking at. Law's eyes were on where the island had once stood, and now all that remained was a cloud of steam rising in the air. The entire island had been sunken into the sea.

“Neh, Torao?”

Law finally tore his eyes away from the island, and jumped when Luffy’s hand reached up to cup his cheek. Luffy sighed, and his body slumped forward into Law’s startled embrace.

“Let’s sleep Torao.”

Law didn't hesitate to steer them back toward their quarters, though Luffy began to pout because why hadn’t Torao just shambled them back into bed? But then Luffy remembered how doing silly little things like that had caused Law’s body to over exert itself when he had actually needed to use his power.

“Luffy-ya?” Luffy forced back his sudden onslaught of dark thoughts in order to focus on Law, who was holding the door to their room open with a raised eyebrow. Luffy blushed, and gave him a sheepish smile before grabbing Law’s hand and tugging him into their room. Luffy’s smile became mischievous, and Law grimaced. He pulled away from Luffy’s playful hold with the excuse of locking the door behind them.

Luffy watched his reaction with confused eyes, and then tilted his head in order to look over Law with a critical eye. He suddenly noticed how tense Law was, and Luffy reached out to rub his hands up and down Law’s back in what he hoped was a soothing motion, “Are you sure you’re okay Tor-” before Luffy could finish his sentence, a horrible thought occurred to him. Luffy stared at Law’s tense back, at the stiff way he was holding himself, and a look of horror passed over his face, “You never told me that you weren't hurt, did I, oh god did I hurt- ”

“I’m fine for now Luffy-ya, don’t worry.” Law turned to face him, and reached out to run a soothing hand through Luffy’s hair. He rubbed his fingernails in gentle swirls on the nape of his neck, and only then did Luffy allow himself to relax.

“I do wonder why you are trying so hard to hide from me though, or you’re crewmates for that matter.” Law’s touch remained gentle, even when Luffy’s hands clenched into his shirt and his nails dug into his skin.

Luffy tried to swallow past the lump in the throat, “W-what are you talking about?”

Law frowned slightly, and his hands stopped their soothing motions on Luffy's skin, “That’s what I'm talking about.” Law leaned back, and made sure to meet Luffy’s evading eyes, “You’re pretending that everything is fine, when it obviously isn't.”

Luffy bit his lip, and quickly hid his panic by taking a deep breath.

“Luffy-ya?”

Luffy gave a questioning noise, though his hands were trying to unclench in order to soothe the hurt he had unintentionally caused. The voice was beginning to whisper in Luffy’s ear again, and Luffy couldn't help but run his hands over Law’s chest, just to make sure he was okay, because Law was fucking hurt and he had jumped on him like an idiot-

“Do you trust me?”

Luffy’s eyes snapped to Law’s face, and a disbelieving half-smile formed on his lips, “Of course I do Torao! You shouldn’t even have to ask!”

Law nodded his head like he had expected this answer, “And why do you trust me, Luffy-ya?”

It was an honest question that Law was indeed curious about, though it wasn’t the point of this conversation. Luffy opened his mouth, probably to give an instant non-informative reply, and so Law covered his mouth with his bandaged hand, “Really Luffy, why do you trust me so much?”

Law’s expression conveyed just how serious he was, and Luffy swallowed back his previous reply. Luffy took a moment to truly think about his answer, and he tried to come up with a way to express it, in a way that Torao could accept.

Law slowly removed his hand, and Luffy met his golden eyes with an expression just as serious. Slowly, hoping that he could convey everything that he needed to, Luffy began.

“... Because I- I can’t use a sword.”

Law frowned at the strange answer, but Luffy was utterly serious- and because of that, Law didn’t interrupt him.

“I also can’t navigate, or cook, or fix things. I can’t play an instrument, or invent cool weapons- and I can barely read.”

Law’s hands tightened around him, and he brought Luffy closer to his chest because his eyes were tearing up and his voice was starting to crack.

“And I-I… I can’t save people Torao.”

Law shook his head rapidly in denial, his face earnest and downright worried, “That’s not true Luffy-”

“It is true Torao!”

It took everything Law had not to protest further, because tears were streaming down Luffy’s face, and there was something dangerously fragile in his eyes. Luffy’s teeth were bared aggressively, and he wiped angrily at his eyes, “All I can do is beat up the bad guy! I’m fucking worthless Torao!”

“Hey, Luffy, Luffy- shh.” Law cradled Luffy’s sobbing body close to his own, and ran his hands soothingly across his back, “Don’t talk like that Luffy, please don’t say that- please-” Law gently pushed Luffy towered the bed, and then settled down on it with Luffy curled up on his lap, “You are worth more than this world Luffy, you are anything but worthless.”

Luffy was silent for an impossibly long time, and all Law could do was try and be as comforting as he possibly could.

“... Torao, you can save people.” Luffy looked up at him, and his eyes were wet and full of wonder that Law knew he didn’t deserve, “You and Chopper- you save people. Put them back together again even when it seems hopeless. You- Torao you saved me.”

Law stared into Luffy’s loving eyes because there had to be more to it then-

“I was so badly injured that no one else could have brought me back. But You did- Torao…” Luffy moved closer, his hands came up to cradle Law’s gobsmacked expression, “I wanted to die. I wanted to fucking die, and you held my hand and told me to live.”

Law’s throat went dry because Luffy had not been lucid, there was no fucking way that he could remember-

“You gave me the strength that I needed to wake up again.” Luffy closed his eyes, and the smile on his face was utterly heartbreaking, “Torao… I can beat up the bad guy, but that day I couldn’t.”

Law’s eyes were beginning to feel suspiciously wet themselves, and then Luffy’s eyes opened, and his expression was so incredibly beautiful. “But you- I was ruined Torao, I was expecting to die and then there you were. You saved me without asking for anything in return, and I never even got to thank you- do you have any idea how happy I was to see you again on Punk Hazard?”

Luffy couldn’t take the distance anymore, and relished in the fact that he was actually allowed to kiss Law, allowed to hold him because-

Luffy pulled back from the desperate kiss and whispered against Law’s lips, “How delighted I was when you said you wanted to be allies?”

Luffy’s voice was hoarse and Law’s breathing was uneven. His eyes were shining and Luffy never wanted to stop looking at them, “I trust you Torao, because I know that when I screw everything up, you can fix it.”

Law’s tears began to fall.

“Because you can work miracles, Torao.”

Luffy’s legs stretched and circled around Law’s waist, his arms around his neck, and Law couldn’t stop himself from grabbing Luffy’s head pulling him closer so that he could devour his lips.

“I’m not the only one who can work miracles Luffy-ya.”  Luffy whined when he broke the desperate kiss, and his face was begging him to not continue. He pulled weakly at his shirt, and tried to stop Law with more kisses, but Law was just as stubborn.

“I might have saved you Luffy-ya, but you also saved me.” Law smiled softly, “And I even told you not to.” Law couldn’t help but tease him, before his face became serious again.

“I was planning to die on Dressrosa, Luffy.”

Luffy let out a loud, distressed noise and his limbs tightened around Law, “NO, Torao is not allowed to die- ”

“Luffy-”

“YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DIE!”

Luffy looked utterly terrified even as he began shaking Law desperately, unable to remember to be gentle in his need to shake sense into Law, “You can’t leave me, you’re not allowed to leave me Torao! Don't make me lose anyone else I care about- please -”

Law made soothing noises and cradled Luffy’s face in his hands. He peppered his face in kisses and his thumbs wiped away his new tears, “I understand, it’s okay, I’m okay. I'm not planning on dying anytime soon, don't worry Luffy-ya, I was just trying to make a point, I’m sorry I upset you so badly-”

“Torao can’t leave me behind.” Luffy pulled Law’s hands away from his face, and glared stubbornly at the man whose lap he was sitting on, “Promise me you won't leave me behind.”

Luffy wanted to demand that Law never die, but, Luffy couldn't bare to form those words again. This would have to do, and it was better in a way- because Luffy was silently terrified that asking that question again would cause the same tragedy.

Don't leave me behind. Don’t die before me, please don't make me lose anyone else.

Law’s heart crumbled at the look on Luffy’s face, and he vowed to do everything in his power to keep this promise, “I promise I won't leave you behind Luffy-ya. I promise.”

Luffy wished that he could relax after hearing those words, but Luffy could only stare up at Law with sad eyes because a part of him didn't believe them. Law gave him a strained smile, “Promise me you won't leave me behind Luffy-ya.”

Luffy looked stunned at the demand, blinking rapidly as he gaped up at Torao. Law’s smile turned into a genuine grin, and he laughed even as his words became harsh.

“If I lose one more person Luffy-ya, I am going to break.” Luffy’s eyes went wide at how relaxed Torao was while speaking of something so terrible, “If you die Luffy-ya, I am going to go insane. I won't be able to pick up the pieces this time.”

Law leaned down and kissed Luffy’s nose, his eyes serious even if his smile was teasing, “If you leave me behind Luffy-ya, I will never forgive you.”

Luffy swallowed thickly, and hid his face in Torao’s chest as his rubber entrapment of Law’s limbs tightened in a gentle hug, “I promise Torao- I won't ever leave you behind.”

Law chuckled, and ruffled Luffy’s hair, “Good.”

They stayed like that for a moment suspended in time. They relaxed against each other and simply basked in the fact that they both existed. That they were both here, alive, and healthy. They were safe.

I can’t save anyone.

Law’s arms tightened around Luffy to the point that an ordinary human would have been in pain- would have been struggling to breathe. But Luffy hummed happily, because he only felt the warmth of the gesture. Law swallowed thickly and then leaned back. He settled them comfortably under the covers, and then they curled around each other like they had been sleeping next to each other for years. Luffy yawned big and wide, and Law couldn’t help but smile a sad little smile.

It seemed that he and Luffy were more alike then one would think.

“Cora-san would have liked you.”

The straw-hatted pirate blinked sluggishly, and tried to recall where he had heard that name before. It sounded important, but Law hummed a nice tune that he couldn’t remember the words to, and continued without waiting for a response, “He was always worried that I wouldn’t be able to allow myself to be happy, and so he always tried his best to make me smile.”

Luffy made an interested noise, snuggling into Law’s neck and kissing his skin just because he could. Law let out a shaky sigh, and blinked curiously when Luffy leaned back so that their eyes could meet.

“Neh Torao?”

“Hmmm?”

The smile that grew across Luffy’s face was completely unnatural. It showed too many teeth and almost looked like a threat. And Law smiled in return, because that smile was absolutely perfect.

“I think Ace would have liked you too.”