Chapter Text
Three and a half weeks after Marineford
Law stood beside the infirmary bed, watching Ace’s bandaged chest rise and fall. Ace’s heart rested in the palm of his hand, beating steadily in the translucent cube of the Op-Op Fruit.
The Polar Tang was quiet around him, its engines a comforting hum but not operating at full speed.
There was no rush to get to their destination. It wasn’t like they were going anywhere important, and they weren’t low on food. Though they would need to raid a Marine base or sail to one of Marco’s hospitals to restock their medical supplies. Between the minor injuries some of the crew had sustained at Marineford and the major surgeries that Jinbe, Luffy, and Ace had required, they were low on things that Law’s powers couldn’t replace.
Things like bandages to hold Ace’s body together long enough for Marco and Law to repair enough damage that he wouldn’t just go into shock and die the second he woke up.
Things like IV nutrition to keep Ace from starving to death in his post-near-death coma.
If only Law was stronger, if only he could do more, if only he hadn’t let Ace get hurt in the first place…
If Law had pulled him from the battle sooner, maybe Ace wouldn’t be hurt.
Maybe Luffy wouldn’t have almost died, maybe Jinbei wouldn’t have been hurt.
Maybe Pops wouldn’t have died.
Law knew that Marco blamed himself for not taking out more Marines, for not being strong enough or fast enough to get Ace off the scaffold. He knew that wherever they were, the other Division Commanders probably had similar regrets.
But Law knew he would never blame any of them.
Not when it was his fault.
He had kept his crew back, except for the scouts embedded in outlook posts around the harbor. He had kept himself and Cora hidden. He didn’t regret keeping Cora back, not when Doflamingo had been there, but maybe if Law had been with the Division Commanders…
If he had been with Vista, maybe they could have gotten Mihawk out of the way.
If he had been with Marco, maybe Law could have gotten Ace off the scaffold before Luffy made his entrance.
If he had been with Pops, maybe he could have stopped Squard from stabbing Pops. Maybe he could have put down Teach when he showed his face. Maybe he could have shambled Akainu into the sea before he landed that hit.
If only Law hadn’t stayed hidden, pulling strings from the shadows, maybe his family wouldn’t be hurting so badly right now.
But he had. He’d focused on the injured, on the strategy he’d planned, and it had backfired.
Luffy and Jinbe were hurt, Pops and Oars and dozens of others were dead, and Ace was in a coma.
Law hadn’t been able to protect them.
The disaster at Marineford was his fault.
Law stared down at Ace, who hadn’t woken up, who didn’t know that Pops was dead and Law had failed, and Law couldn’t help but feel like he didn’t have the right to watch over him like this, when he hadn’t watched over Ace well enough during the war.
“You shouldn’t be here right now.” Law flinched, Cora’s voice unknowingly echoing Law’s own thoughts.
“I know.” Law couldn’t even deny it; what right did he have to stand vigil over Ace when he’d let him down so badly?
“I was kind of expecting an argument,” Cora admitted as he stepped up to Law’s side. For a second, he towered over Law, hunched a little to avoid hitting the ceiling. Then Cora sat on the floor, putting his head slightly below Law’s. “Why do you think you shouldn’t be here?”
“Isn’t it obvious? It’s my fault. I wasn’t strong enough or fast enough or smart enough, and Pops died, and Oars died, and so many others. I don’t even know if Vista and Izou are okay, but Teach got away. Luffy’s scars may never heal, and Ace…” Law felt his body trembling, his eyes stinging, his breath catching. He forced his body to settle down, to not react to the way his mind and heart were in crisis. An odd sensation, like tension bordering on pain, ran through him, but he made himself ignore it. His voice came out flat and defeated as a result. “Ace may never wake up.”
“Law…you know that’s not true.” Cora’s voice shook as he reached out and took Law’s hand.
“It is. Even with my surgeries and Marco’s flames, he hasn’t woken up. It’s been weeks. The longer he stays comatose, the less likely it is for him to wake up. And even though we’ve repaired the worst of the damage, he still suffered catastrophic injuries. It’s a miracle he even made it this long, and-“
“That’s not what I meant. I know Ace is stable but still in bad shape. I meant that it wasn’t your fault. None of it.” Law could feel Cora’s earnest, worried stare, but he couldn’t look at him.
“You’re wrong. If I had been with Marco, or Pops…or if I had infiltrated Impel Down, maybe they’d be alive. Maybe Ace would be okay. Maybe our family wouldn’t be broken and scattered to the Blues.”
“By that logic, it’s all my fault,” Cora replied. “Since you made the choices you did in order to protect me and our crew.”
“That’s not-“
“Or my fault,” Marco interrupted from the doorway, his expression bleak. Law winced, regretting having voiced his thoughts. “I could have been faster, or stronger. Maybe I could have gotten Ace off the scaffold if I had dodged or not been knocked back by Garp. Maybe if I’d stayed by Pops, I could have healed him or fended off Teach.”
“But we’ll never know,” Cora insisted. “We can’t know how it might have gone. We only know how it went, and what we did.”
“I know how one thing would have gone,” Marco contradicted. He crossed the room and leaned against Ace’s bed near his shoulder. He rested a hand over the bandages on Ace’s chest and met Law’s eyes as he continued, “If you hadn’t pulled Ace’s organs out, my flames wouldn’t have saved him. If you hadn’t pulled his body out when you did, I wouldn’t have been able to get close enough to even try. We don’t know if or when Ace will wake up, but he wouldn’t even have a chance if it wasn’t for you.”
Law stared from Marco to Cora and back, his heart twisting painfully. The idea that he had done something meaningful, that he had made a difference, that he’d saved at least one person he loved…it was too good to be true. He wanted so desperately to believe it, but…he couldn’t let himself.
He shouldn’t have let himself indulge in thinking about it at all; he’d made it about him, and now Cora and Marco were focused on comforting him instead of more important things like staying safe and taking care of Ace.
Law forced his lungs to expand and contract steadily. He forced his tear ducts not to leak. He would not let his breath catch. He would not let himself cry. The twinge of pain that echoed through his body was concerning, but he could deal with it.
“Stop that,” Cora chided gently. Law froze, and realized that Cora was staring up at him with a frown.
“Stop what?”
“You’re controlling your body’s reaction, and you’re not letting yourself feel anything. That’s not healthy.” Law almost protested, but this was Cora. He had always been able to see through Law.
“I can’t afford to feel things right now,” he said instead. He glanced at Marco, hoping that he’d understand. Marco was a doctor, too; he understood putting his own welfare aside for the sake of his patients. “If something happens to Ace…”
“I’ll handle it,” Marco replied. His frown told Law that he wasn’t going to get the sympathy he’d hoped for from his other parent. “How long have you been using your devil fruit to suppress your body?” Law didn’t answer, even though he knew that would tell them both exactly how long it had been. “Law, that’s not okay. You know it’s not. You know what happens to patients who let stress build up in their bodies instead of coping in a healthy way,” Marco scolded.
“Ace is more important. I can fix whatever damage I’m doing to my nervous system once he’s awake,” Law retorted. Cora and Marco just stared at him in horror, and Law realized what he’d just admitted. “Shit.”
“I’ll stay with Ace. You need to have a breakdown and then rest.” Marco looked at Cora, who nodded.
“No, I’m staying. He could crash, or wake up, and either way, I should be here,” Law insisted. Marco and Cora exchanged one of their looks, the one that made Law feel small and young compared to them.
“Do you trust Marco?” Cora asked.
“What? Of course, but that’s not-“
“Do you trust him as a doctor?” Cora pressed on. Law saw where this was going, and he didn’t like it.
“That’s not the point!”
“Do you trust him with Ace’s wellbeing? Physically and emotionally?” Cora didn’t let up. Law refused to answer, feeling like a stubborn child but unwilling to admit that Cora might have a point.
“It’s not about trust,” Law insisted.
“Then what is it about?” Cora demanded, his voice thickening with emotion. “You admitted that you’re hurting yourself by not giving yourself the time to process everything. I know you know better, so why are you doing this to yourself?”
“Because this is all I can do!” Law snapped. His eyes were stinging again, and he tried to force the tears back, but every nerve in his body flinched, and he hissed at the pain. “I can’t save Pops. I can’t make Teach pay for killing him or Thatch. I can’t make it better for Bepo or you or anyone. I can’t even do anything else to help Ace recover. But I can watch over him and make sure nothing else happens to him. I can make sure that when he wakes up, he’s not alone. I don’t care if it hurts me, or if my nervous system is fried, or if I haven’t slept or eaten. All I can do is be here for him, whether he wakes up or not. That’s the only thing I can do, so just…let me do this. Please.”
“Law…” Cora sounded heartbroken, and Law felt a stab of guilt. He should have been better at keeping it all locked down; he was hurting Cora, and he never wanted to do that. “If you haven’t processed what happened, how can you help Ace when he wakes up?”
“And if you’re exhausting yourself and damaging your body, how can you operate to save him if he crashes?” Marco added.
Law stared from one of his fathers to the other, stubborn refusal warring with the panic and deep pain that settled into his chest at their words.
He couldn’t leave. He couldn’t focus on his own problems, his own loss and feelings.
But…he also couldn’t afford to not be functional when Ace needed him.
“How do you think Ace, Thatch, and Pops would feel if they knew you were doing this because of them?” Cora asked, his voice gentle even though his words cut Law to the core.
Law hung his head. He knew how heartbroken Pops would be; he always lectured Law on not risking himself for a lead on a treatment for Pops’ illness. He knew how disappointed Thatch would be; he always insisted on proper rest and food for the whole crew. And he knew that Ace would be horrified and probably blame himself if he knew Law was refusing to take care of himself to put Ace first. Ace always insisted that Law needed and deserved rest, too.
Something dripped to the floor at Law’s feet, and it took him too many seconds to realize it was his own tears.
“I’m sorry,” Law whispered. “I just…I can’t…”
Cora was on his feet and sweeping Law into a crushing hug in an instant.
“It’s okay, Law. It’s okay. We’ve got you.” Cora held him as all of the things Law had been forcing aside flooded to the forefront.
Thatch was dead. Bepo’s mentor, the cheerful and understanding cook who always had a kind word and a snack for four traumatized teenagers from the North Blue, was never coming back. Law would never taste his cooking or hear him gently teaching Bepo a new recipe or fighting move again. He’d never know how his loss devastated the Whitebeard Pirates.
Thatch didn’t know, would never know, what had happened at Marineford.
Pops was dead.
The kind old man who had taken in Law and Cora as his own family, just because Marco liked them and they needed a home and protection, would never loom protectively over his family again. He’d never be there with a bone-rattling pat on the back or a hearty laugh at Law’s or the Commanders’ antics. He’d never preside over another anniversary or birthday celebration. He’d never be there to scold Law for working too hard.
Law was never going to hear Pops brag about him or tell him he was proud of him again.
He was gone.
They were gone.
So many Whitebeard Pirates had died, and Ace might be next.
Ace, who loved his family so fiercely that he would burn out and destroy himself to save them. Ace, who was so kind and so carefree, but who had been there when Law needed someone who understood grief and worry.
Ace, who had looked at him like he was special and strong and good.
He might die, or he might wake up and hate Law for saving him.
Things would never be the same. Law’s family would never be whole again.
He couldn’t fix it.
There was no surgery that would make it better.
He couldn’t even protect the people he had left in the future if they faced a war like that again.
All he could do was cling to Cora, to the family that was still in front of him, and sob.
Ace had the weirdest feeling when he opened his eyes. He recognized the ceiling above him, but the angle was weird. He usually saw Law’s surgical suite when he was helping the Heart Pirates bully their captain about overworking. Seeing it from the angle of a patient lying prone was…unsettling.
“Ace?” Now that was really weird. Ace turned his head and frowned at Marco, who leaned over him, eyes sharp and intent. “Are you awake?”
“Marco?” Ace rasped. Shit, his voice sounded awful. Had he gotten drunk and Law dumped him on his table in revenge? “What happened?”
“What do you remember?” Marco asked, his tone grim. That was super fucking weird. Marco was never grim. Ace tried to think back, and-
There was chaos. Injured and dying Whitebeard pirates everywhere.
Little Oars Junior-
Luffy!
Akainu’s fist closed in on Luffy, and Ace didn’t have time to get there and get Luffy away.
So he just put himself between them and-
Ace clutched at his chest, gasping as the memories flooded him.
Pain, and then nothing.
He remembered Law lecturing him on deep tissue burns, how once the nerves were destroyed the burn didn’t hurt the same way.
He collapsed against Luffy, knowing he was dying, and breathed his last words into his brother’s ear.
“Luffy!” Ace gasped. His heart was racing. Ace laid a hand over it and found smooth bandages encircling his torso. “Marco, what-“
“Marco!” Law barreled into the room, a translucent cube with a wildly beating heart inside clutched against his own chest. Law locked eyes with Ace and immediately bolted across the space between them, almost dropping the heart before managing to stuff it in his pocket. “Ace, you’re awake. Tell me what you feel. Are you in pain?” Law demanded. Ace just stared at him, bewildered by the thick, emotional way Law’s words tumbled out of him. And…were his eyes red? Had he been crying?
Law wasn’t a panicker or a crier.
Maybe this was some kind of trick? Or a prank. Ace was suspiciously missing his heart, and had that awful jumbled flashback, so maybe Law had found a nightmare devil fruit user or something? But Law wasn’t big on pranks, and he definitely wasn’t cruel. Maybe they’d been in a fight against a nightmare devil fruit user? Now that he thought about it, Ace felt like he’d been in a fight. A bad one. Everything hurt
“Room. Scan.” Ace groaned, realizing he’d taken too long to respond, and now Law was doing his own exam.
“I’m fine. I feel like a volcano erupted on me but…” Ace trailed off as Law and Marco both went completely still.
“How much do you remember?” Law asked. There was a level of hesitance in his voice that Ace didn’t like at all.
“Marco asked that before, but why-“
Thatch’s death. The fight with Teach. Impel Down. Jinbei in chains across from him.
Garp’s visit to his cell in Impel Down.
The scaffold.
Sengoku announcing that Ace was Roger’s son.
The fight.
Warlords and admirals.
Oars going down.
Luffy.
Akainu, bearing down on Luffy, and the briefest flicker of familiar blue haze right before Akainu’s punch went straight through Ace’s back and chest.
Luffy’s horror.
Luffy’s tears.
Luffy.
“Luffy,” Ace hissed. He tried to force himself to sit up even as Law and Marco scrambled to stop him. He seized Law’s shirt - where was his Heart Pirate hoodie, the one with his Jolly Roger on it, and why was he wearing that gigantic oversized fluffy coat? - and stared Law down as he demanded, “Is Luffy okay? Is he safe? Law, tell me he’s okay.”
“He’s alive. He was injured, but he’s healing. I don’t know for sure where he is, but Jinbei and Rayleigh were with him.”
“You left him alone?” Ace couldn’t believe it. Law should know better. If Luffy was hurt, he had to be watched. “Take me to him.”
“No.” Law’s answer was stern and unyielding. “I left him with people we all trust, so that Marco and I could focus on you. Luffy was injured, and yes it was bad, but he woke up. I operated on him myself, and we stayed until we knew he wouldn’t reopen his wounds. But you weren’t healing. Ace…” That made him let go of a little of his anger, if not Law’s shirt. Law called him stupid nicknames a lot. Wildfire was a favorite, or Firecracker. There were plenty of fire-related taunts or endearments Law could pull out easily. If Ace was being dumb, Law might call him a half naked arsonist again. But using his name, especially in that sad, exhausted tone…
That just didn’t happen.
“Shit, you were really worried.” Ace couldn’t look away as an array of emotions washed over Law’s face.
“Lay down and we’ll tell you what happened,” Law said quietly. Ace let himself be guided back to lay flat without taking his eyes off Law. “You have to promise me one thing first, though.”
“Sure. Whatever you want.” Law could be a bit of a tyrant when it came to his patients, but he wasn’t cruel or unreasonable.
“Promise that you’ll stay on the Tang until Marco and I are sure you’re actually recovered.”
“Wow, you make it sound like I died,” Ace chuckled. The sound fell flat as Law just frowned at him.
“You did.”
“Huh?”
“You were dead. Your Vivre card burned in front of everyone. As far as the government knows, you’re dead. Now promise me.”
It took a second for Law’s words to sink in.
Ace had died? He obviously hadn’t been dead dead, or he wouldn’t be alive now. But…
Akainu’s fist through his chest.
Damn.
Okay, Ace kind of saw where Law was coming from.
“I promise I’ll stay on the Tang with you until you’re satisfied with my recovery,” Ace said, the last of his anger leaving him. “Pops might get cranky about it if that takes too long, though.”
Marco made a strained noise. Law just sat by Ace’s knees and picked up one of his hands.
That…wasn’t good. Had Whitebeard been hurt, too? But if he had, wouldn’t Marco be with him, not Ace? It couldn’t be that bad if Marco had left his captain’s side to be at Ace’s.
“Ace, I don’t know how to tell you this in any way except to just say it.” Law’s hands trembled on Ace’s, and his eyes went overly bright with tears. Ace glanced at Marco in confusion and concern, only to find that Marco was moving to sit closer, too, and his expression was one of complete devastation.
“You guys are scaring me,” Ace said slowly, not sure what else to say.
“I know. I’m sorry. It’s just…” Law swallowed hard and looked him right in the eye. “Ace, Whitebeard is… Pops died at Marineford.”
No.
That couldn’t be.
Pops was strong. He was the greatest pirate - the greatest man - that Ace had ever met. He was going to be the Pirate King, Ace would make sure of it.
He couldn’t be…
How could mere Marines kill him?
“It wasn’t the Marines.” Marco spoke, his voice rough with grief. Ace must’ve said that last part out loud. “It was Teach. Blackbeard. He and his new crew killed Pops and took his devil fruit somehow.”
That didn’t make any sense.
Yeah, Teach had turned out to be a sick son of a bitch, but…having a crew? Killing their captain, their father?
Whitebeard was dead. The one man who had made Ace feel like a part of something, the one man who had been a father to him, was gone forever.
How was that possible? Why was it…
“Pops died at Marineford.”
But he had only been there, only been facing such huge odds, because…
“It’s my fault,” Ace realized.
“What?” Marco looked stunned.
“No. You are not allowed to start that,” Law snapped. Ace started to sit up to scowl at him, but Law leaned over him so they could argue without Ace moving, which meant either Law thought Ace might reopen something if he moved, or Law was determined to win this argument. Maybe both.
“But I’m the reason he was there. If I was stronger, if I had beaten Teach, if I had escaped on my own…fuck, Law, if I hadn’t disobeyed Pops and gone after Teach, or if I’d listened to you and waited, then he…” Ace struggled to breathe. His eyes burned. His throat felt clogged. His whole body shook.
It took several seconds for Ace to realize he was crying.
“If I had noticed what was happening sooner, I could have pulled you and Luffy out of there before Akainu got to you. Pops might not have believed you were dead and basically sacrificed himself to get as many of his people out as he could,” Law said. “Marco thinks he should have been able to take down Teach and his crew and heal Whitebeard before he died. We’ve had over three weeks to replay everything, to second guess ourselves and even each other.” Marco shot Law a strange look, one Ace couldn’t interpret, but Marco didn’t interrupt as Law kept talking. “But Ace…none of us blames you. You chose to put your life at risk to avenge Thatch, and only your life. Every single person who showed up to save you chose to put their own lives on the line for the chance to get you back.”
“You shouldn’t have. You should have saved yourselves, saved Oars and Luffy and Pops…” Ace hated how many people had been hurt or killed for his sake. “Why couldn’t you just let them kill me?”
“Ace, we would never leave any one of our family to be executed if we had a chance to stop it,” Marco said, squeezing his shoulder in a way that was probably supposed to be reassuring. It just reminded Ace that he had done this, and now Marco was comforting him.
“But I’m not worth-“
“Portgas D. Ace, don’t you dare finish that sentence,” Marco snapped. Law squeezed Ace’s hand, drawing his attention to the fact that Law was still kind of looming over him.
“We are your family. We love you. We will never abandon you. No matter how much you hate yourself or blame yourself. No matter how much you might hate us for prioritizing your safety, or separating you from Luffy, or failing to save Whitebeard.” Law’s words rang in Ace’s ears, and the tears renewed.
“What? I don’t hate you. I can’t…” Ace choked on his own words and tears. “I’m the one who deserved to die. Not Pops. Why couldn’t you have just saved him instead of me?”
“We couldn’t have saved him. You had a chance, because Law had just enough time to pull and preserve your organs before you took that hit. But Pops…I don’t know if we could have kept him alive this long even if Blackbeard hadn’t finished him off,” Marco said grimly. Ace shuddered, denial and self-deprecation surging in his chest, but Law cut him off.
“We saved you, and Luffy, and Jinbei. That’s three fucking miracles right there. Plenty of others got away, too, thanks to Red Hair Shanks. I know you won’t stop blaming yourself or hating yourself for how things turned out. I haven’t been able to stop torturing myself over it - Cora’s words - and I bet Marco hasn’t, either. But Ace…” Law sighed heavily, looking older and more worn than he should. He was only four years older than Ace, after all. “We have to hold on to what family we have left. That’s all we can do.” Ace was suddenly reminded of how many loved ones Law had lost in his lifetime. He managed to squeeze Law’s hand, and he hoped his expression showed that he appreciated Law’s words, even if he couldn’t actually believe that Whitebeard’s death wasn’t his fault.
“I don’t know what to do without him.” Marco gave voice to what Ace was sure his own brain would spiral into next.
“Yes, you do.” Law’s tone was still stern, but not unkind. “Marco, you’re staying with us until it’s safe to consider what you want. It’s not safe for anyone to be on their own right now. Besides, Cora wants you here, and so do I.”
“Me being here puts you in danger,” Marco insisted. Law openly scoffed at that.
“We’re known affiliates of Whitebeard. We’re in danger no matter what. Don’t worry about that; I’ve got an idea, even if it’ll have to wait a few more weeks. Maybe months.” The way Law said that made it sound like he’d had a similar discussion at least once between Marineford and Ace waking up.
“I don’t know what to do, either,” Ace admitted.
“Lay right the fuck there, to start with,” Law replied. “You’re still healing. I don’t want you to move for another twelve hours at least. And after that, you’ll be on a slow physical therapy regimen for a while. Marco can regrow muscles, bones, nerves, and skin, but that kind of damage lingers. It’ll take time to build up your strength again. Especially since…” Law hesitated, like he had realized he’d left out something important.
“Since what, Law?” Ace demanded. It didn’t carry much weight, coming from someone who was stuck flat on his back after having the center of his torso punched out and regrown in flames. “Tell me, or I’ll-“ Ace broke off, frowning. He had tried to ignite his fingertips, just enough to make his point, but they hadn’t caught fire. There was only one reason for that. “Hey, wait, do I feel like shit because you have seastone on me or some bullshit?” Law and Marco exchanged resigned looks and didn’t meet Ace’s eyes.
“You didn’t exactly give us a choice,” Law sighed. He lifted Ace’s other hand so he could see his own wrist, where he wore a dark red-brown bracelet made of braided leather, with a blue-gray stone wrapped in it. The stone’s smooth, cool surface pressed against the inside of Ace’s wrist.
“As soon as you were stabilized and started regaining energy, you started combusting randomly. You could’ve blown up the whole submarine like that. So we had to keep that to a minimum, even if it slowed the rest of your healing a little,” Marco explained. “Luckily, Hakugan had plenty of supplies for a little arts and crafts.”
“Damn.” Ace didn’t really know what else to say. Everything hurt, especially Whitebeard’s loss. Remembering the way Law had been so panicked earlier made it feel more real, but it also made him realize something else. “I caused so much trouble for everyone. Especially you guys. I’m so-“
“Shut up.” Law cut him off, dropping Ace’s wrist in favor of pinching the bridge of his own nose. “Just…don’t start blaming yourself again, and don’t apologize for causing problems. If you have to apologize to someone for something, apologize to Marco for scaring him or something. Stupid bird was worried sick.” Law’s voice was gruff, and he still wasn’t looking at Ace. “I have to let everyone know you’re awake. They’ll want to see you, but I’ll make them wait until you’re ready.” Law stood, and Ace caught his sleeve before he had realized what he was doing. Law froze, still not looking at him.
“I’m sorry for worrying you. And for not waiting like you told me to. And…I want to thank you. You saved me, and you saved Luffy. I owe you.”
“No, you don’t, you idiot.” Law had always hated being thanked for things, and seeing him act a little more like himself was almost enough to make Ace smile.
“I mean it, Law. I said this to Luffy, before I collapsed, when I thought I was dying, but I want to say it to you and your crew, too. Thank you for loving me, even when I don’t feel like I’m worthy of it.”
“Marco, check him for a concussion again,” Law grumbled. “He’s being weird.”
“Yeah, yeah. Go update the others,” Marco chuckled. It wasn’t quite the carefree sound Ace was used to, but it was better than nothing.
Law left, then, and Ace sighed and frowned at his new sea stone bracelet again. It was weird. Hakugan’s crafts were usually almost suspiciously well-made by the time he shared them, but this looked like a less skilled version of something Ace had seen the Heart helmsman making on their last visit to the Moby Dick. Had Hakugan been in a rush?
“I’m glad you woke up,” Marco said, drawing Ace’s attention away from the bracelet.
“You are?”
“Of course. If you died, everything we did to rescue you would’ve been for nothing. So whenever you start feeling guilty, remind yourself that you have to keep living. For yourself, and for Pops and Oars and the others. It’s what they wanted.” There was an edge to Marco’s voice, one that told Ace he knew just how much Ace had wanted to die when he was on that scaffold. “Besides, if Law frets over you any more, he’s going to get an ulcer or something.”
“He can just purge those with his devil fruit,” Ace pointed out. “And I mean, that panic earlier was weird, but I’m sure it’ll wear off.”
“That panic has been there since you went down,” Marco told him with the beginnings of a smirk dancing on his lips. “That guy has been hovering over you like a fretful husband for weeks.”
“Now you’re just making shit up,” Ace accused. Law did not fret, except maybe over Cora or Bepo. And comparing his actions to those of a worried spouse was just mean, considering Marco knew exactly how Ace felt about their tattooed gremlin of a doctor.
“I don’t have to make anything up.” Marco tapped the bandages on Ace’s chest, right over his heart, and Ace frowned as the bandages dipped strangely beneath the light pressure. It was almost like there was a small section of his chest that was empty. “He’s been carrying your heart around in his pocket this whole time.”
Ace remembered the heart Law had clutched to his own chest as he bolted into the room earlier and felt his face flush brilliant crimson in realization.
His heartbeat must’ve changed when he started remembering.
Law had been monitoring it and came running.
“He’d do that for any of his crew,” Ace tried to argue, but it came out a little squeaky. Marco patted his shoulder gently.
“Sure, buddy. Whatever you say.” Marco waited a whole thirty seconds before he continued. “So, are you gonna ask him to give it back, or…?”