#of luffy going above and beyond for the sake of his crew out of zoro's reach

[dykealloy]

luffy getting frozen-hugged to death by a bird harpy woman, so close to giving in and passing out only to be woken up by the very THOUGHT of zoro telling him to get a grip.

[grandlinedreams]

“We should get married.” 

The question in and of itself is a strange one, made more so for the fact that it’s coming from Zoro of all people – and the fact that he’s asking you in the middle of a fight. Your back is pressed against his, the heat of his skin seeping into your clothes – and you wonder if he’s gotten hit in the head too many times. Or thrown through too many things – too much of something. 

“Are you seriously saying that right now?” Your tone is incredulous as you swing your weapon, scowling as you watch another enemy drop with a cry and a splatter of blood. “We’re a little busy right now, aren’t we?”

Zoro grins, expression manic with the deepened shadows of his face from his bandana, adjusting to place the hilt of Wadou Ichimonji in his mouth. “Is that a yes?”

You have the brief moment of considering knocking Zoro out for your opponent – clearly his daily naps out in the sun have baked his brain more than you previously thought. “No!”

–

The question doesn’t turn out to be borne from a brain-based injury flaring up, because Zoro doesn’t let the subject go. He bides his time, waiting about two weeks from when he first asked before he tries again.

This time, the stars are a witness to his buffoonery – now fueled by the bottles of sake he seems to have squirreled away everywhere on the Thousand Sunny. You watch as he tips the bottle to his lips, the brief shimmer of liquid that beads at his lips before it disappears as he swallows. 

“We should get married,” he says, and this time, you scoff. It isn’t one of disdain, rather of amusement as you wait for the alcohol induced flush to rise to his cheeks. “‘m serious, you know.”

“No,” you counter softly as you scoot closer to him, reaching up to wipe a drop of sake from the corner of his lips and bring it to your own for a taste. As ever, his own choices in alcohol seem to be tailored for him and him alone – sake still isn’t your thing. “You’re drunk.”

Zoro hums, eye flicking from the night sky above to you. “Is that a yes?”

You press your lips to his warm cheek. “Ask me again when you’re sober.”

–

The third time that he asks, he’s waited so long that you’ve almost forgotten that he ever asked in the first place. After all, Roronoa Zoro has never seemed like someone interested in the intimate entanglement of marriage – you have absolutely no clue what has possessed him to suddenly ask you with this kind of tenacity. 

“We should get married,” he says, and you resist the urge to sigh as you stare at him, his head pillowed against your thigh. Below the shade of Nami’s tangerine trees, you can hear Luffy’s bright laughter intermingled with Usopp and Franky’s. 

This time you aren’t in the middle of a fight, nor is he drunk. This time, you take a moment to study his face, the dapple of sunlight through waxy green leaves, the scent of citrus in the air. You love him, you’re sure of that – as sure as you’ve been of anything in your life. 

“We’re pirates,” you answer, tapping your fingers against his cheek in an echoed rhythm of one of Brooke’s songs from the night before. “Pirates don’t get married.”

“Sure they do.” He’s watching you now, with the kind of intensity he usually only reserves for battle, and you look away. “Captains can officiate marriages. I asked Robin about it.”

You blink and let your attention shift to Luffy for a minute – you love your captain, you do. But the idea of him being serious about much of anything beyond what matters to him (food, his crew’s safety, finding the One Piece – in that order) makes you giggle. You can’t imagine him officiating something like a marriage. 

“What if I want a ceremony?” Your fingers find his cropped green hair, stroking gently across his scalp. “Those are expensive.”

He shrugs. “We’d find a way. I’m sure Nami would help.”

Your lips curve in an amused smile for a moment before it dims at the edges. “It’d be dangerous,” you point out, and he answers with a short bark of laughter.

“Not any more than shit we’ve already faced.”

“Rings?”

“We don’t need that fancy stuff.” 

Your smile fades completely, hand stilling in his hair. “Why do you think we should get married?”

There must be an edge to your tone now, because Zoro refocuses on you, all signs of mirth gone. “Because we love each other, right? Sounds like the next logical step.” 

Your gaze hardens. “So you’re asking because you think we should? Or because you want to marry me?” He sits up, and you get to your feet. 

“Is that a no?” he asks, and you pause.

“Ask me again when you figure things out, Zoro.” 

–

“Marry me.” 

This time, his voice is quiet. Soft and vulnerable – for the late hour or the intimacy of his bare skin against yours, you aren’t sure. His hand drifts up and down your back, counting the bumps of your spine over and over. 

You shift against him, face nestled to rest against his chest. “Zoro–” 

“I’ve thought about it,” he cuts you off. “So just be quiet and listen, okay?” You don’t say a word, waiting for him to continue on his own. “I don’t want to marry you just because I think that I should, I want us to get married because you...you mean a lot to me. You’re important to me, and I –” He pauses, struggling. This kind of thing is not Zoro’s forte, you both know that – but after a moment, he resumes. “I don’t see myself being like this with anyone but you. I don’t want to be like this with anyone but you. Just want you.” A moment of silence, hearts beating in tandem. 

You move, adjusting enough that you can look at him properly, the gleam of moonlight against his face. And you kiss him. Slow and sweet, eyes sliding shut as you linger for as long as you can before you pull away. 

“Marry me,” he repeats. 

This time, you don’t squawk at him like he’s crazy. You don’t accuse him of being drunk, don’t deflect him for fear that he’s doing it because he thinks he should, not that he wants to. This time, you smile.

“Yes,” you answer. “I’ll marry you.”

[kbstories]

Intrinsic

in·trin·sic (adj.) Belonging naturally; essential.

Just because Trafalgar Law didn't make plans beyond Dressrosa doesn't mean Bepo didn't.

(Or: Law comes home.)

Tags: Reunions, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Nakamaship, Trafalgar D. Water Law Gets A Hug, References to (Past) Suicidal Thoughts, Bepo and Law are soft and I love them

Set in Zou. Content warning for references to suicidal ideation (in the context of Law’s plan).

***

Months Bepo waited.

Months he roamed Whale Forest, him and his crewmates, their leader in name only as the days bled into weeks and the horizon remained unchanged. Up until the Beast came a-knocking, there hadn’t been anywhere to lead them to. The Heart Pirates weren’t budging a single inch, hell or high water or freaking Mammoth shifters be damned.

Finally, finally, the forest murmurs with the presence of someone new, glistening leaves and sun-lit meadows welcoming the silhouette of a man Bepo would recognize anywhere, anytime, be it a year from now or another decade.

Then Trafalgar Law smiles and it all disappears in a haze of happily shed tears as the crew rejoices around them.

Things slide back into place just like that, between the excited cheers of the Heart Pirates and the slump of Law’s shoulders as he relaxes into Bepo’s fuzzy-tight embrace.

“Welcome back, Captain”, Bepo tells him, intense with the wave of love and devotion and relief crashing within him, and designates this the best day ever when Law’s smile stays where it is, eyes warm with affection.

“It’s good to be back.”

(Months they spent waiting and yet the world won’t stop spinning for their sake. “We can’t linger”, Law says hours later, arms crossed and expression guarded across one Strawhat Luffy. Strawhat nods, solemnly; he turns around and declares:

“Everyone! Reunion party now but make it snappy! Traffy wants to get going!”

Bepo decides he likes their new ally then and there.)

A party is a party, and with a crew as boisterous as the Strawhat Pirates, the chances of it remaining somewhat contained go towards zero pretty much instantly. A few hours in, Bepo is vaguely gobsmacked that the crew is as crazy as their captain. Then again, they have to be, to follow a force of nature in the shape of a man.

Suddenly, the resigned sigh Law breathes over his mug of beer – technically Pirate Hunter Zoro’s mug of beer, which he had thrown in Law’s direction regardless of his protests – makes so much more sense to Bepo.

It makes him laugh all the harder. His poor captain’s nerves must’ve taken quite a beating in this alliance: He hasn’t even started slicing limbs off people yet. And that after Bepo saw Chopper cling to Law’s head in an effort to hide during an impromptu game of tag with their long-nosed sniper and Penguin, of all people. In fact, Law didn’t even blink. He merely waited for Chopper to leave before fixing his hat, huddling closer to his drink and going back to ignoring them all with icy resolve.

There is a very real possibility the perpetual chaos that are the Strawhat Pirates broke Trafalgar Law somewhere along the way. Bepo has yet to determine if that’s a good or a bad thing.

Two bowls in hand, he settles beside the fallen tree Law perches on, a nice distance away from the bulk of the banquet in full swing. Bepo nudges Law’s elbow with his own and offers him his share of lasagna. “At least Penguin’s having fun?”, he adds with a hopeful smile. Law glances at the bright grin on Penguin’s face – he holds the tiny reindeer over his head like a trophy and yells, “Gotcha!”, only to be tackled to the ground by God Usopp a second later –, then at Bepo’s pleading eyes. He huffs, an undeniable trace of humor hidden in there somewhere.

“It’s something”, Law grumbles into the first forkful of food.

He eats and Bepo does too, humming in appreciation of the explosion of meat and melted cheese on his tongue; even Law seems pleased, picky eater that he is, and Bepo’s spirits practically soar to the stars above them.

A mere day ago, this exact scenario was little more than a pipe dream. Sure, the arrival of the Strawhats had been a much-needed sign that their waiting was coming to an end (and it was pretty fantastic news for Zou, in the grand scale of things). Rarely in his life had Bepo been happier to meet four complete strangers.

That joy had somewhat faded when Sanji answered Bepo’s call for his captain with a sympathetic twist to his mouth and a shake of his head. Don’t worry, he’d said right after, and faith had burned in that unshakeable gaze. Luffy’s with him. Nobody dies on my captain’s watch.

Bepo had thought of a lonely island far away and the anguished cries of a brother mourning another and winced. It seemed downright cruel to bring that up, and so he didn’t. Instead, he’d taken that trust and used it to summon another bout of patience.

It turns out Strawhat's cook was right all along. Bepo swallows another mouthful of lasagna, his fork pausing on its way back to the bowl. Sanji had looked so proud of his crew in that moment. Would he really leave them behind like that?

“What’s up? You’re awfully quiet.”

Law’s voice is low, the concern in it meant for Bepo and Bepo only. He waits for Bepo to come back to himself with a blink and a soft apology before raising an eyebrow. No more words are needed: Law sets aside his mug and the empty bowl, and slips to the ground, folding his legs against his chest somewhat-gracefully. Like the tides follow the moon, Bepo shifts with him and lets his captain lean back against him.

A quiet sigh signalizes that yup, Law is comfortable. Then:

“Bepo. Talk to me.”

Always so impatient. Bepo smiles and relaxes, too.

“Just thinking, I guess… The Strawhats are our allies now, right? Do you think they’ll be alright, going against Big Mom?”

Law looks up at him with mild surprise, tilting his head back to see Bepo beyond the brim of his hat. Bepo doesn’t bother hiding his unease from him; he’d be able to tell, anyways. A decade of friendship will do that to people.

“You’ve barely known them for a day. You’re seriously worrying about Blackleg already?”

Busted. For a moment, Bepo contemplates the merits of feeling embarrassed about it. “It’s been over a week with Sanji”, he negotiates, pulling his snout into a pout when Law just smirks. “Besides. Whatever trouble they start, we’ll catch it too. It makes sense to worry.”

Law huffs one of his rare laughs, a little rough around the edges but so familiar. Perhaps Bepo can forgive his captain for being a jerk.

“Don’t get me wrong: I don’t blame you. We were in Dressrosa all of, what, three days? Strawhat stepped off that island a national hero, him and Longnose. Don’t ask me how the fuck they do it. It’s exhausting.”

Of course, Bepo read all about their exploits in the paper. What kind of first mate would he be if he hadn’t? What happened, it sounded a whole lot like a nightmare and a miracle and a revolution wrapped in one. It sounded like a lot – and Bepo has carefully laid plans to bug Law into opening up about it once they’re safely wrapped in metal and a few hundred fathoms deep.

Trafalgar Law doesn’t do heart-to-hearts, ironically enough. Thus, Bepo’s plan might’ve taken… unreasonable proportions to ensure he does, this time.

Yet Law mentions Dressrosa so casually. He’s not tense in Bepo’s embrace (yet). A mere stone’s throw away, the Strawhats and the Heart Pirates and the minks dance around the bonfires, all smiles and drunken laughter, and Bepo takes a leap of faith.

“So. Dressrosa.”

Law stills.

“…Yeah.”

With gentle pressure, Law pillows his head against Bepo’s chest. Bepo wishes he could see his face; he compromises with a gentle squeeze to Law’s arm, the uninjured one. I’m sorry.

Law sighs. It sounds fond and really, really tired, too. “I’m not gonna lie, Bepo. It was pretty fucking horrible. I knew it was gonna be a shitshow but… Fuck.”

Somehow, that one word tells Bepo more than any newspaper could. Carefully, he wraps his arms around Law's shoulders, loose enough not to crowd him but there nonetheless. “But you made it”, Bepo says quietly. His voice goes soft with emotion, as close to unsteady as Bepo will let it. “You’re alive. That’s all that matters to me, Captain.”

And it’s that that makes Law stiffen, his breathing more measured, tense. An inked hand rises to meet Bepo’s, hesitant. Bepo intertwines their fingers, soothing.

“You knew.”

Bepo huffs at the numb surprise in his voice, hard enough to ruffle the collar of Law’s shirt.

“I’ve been your friend for about as long as that plan of yours exists, Law. ‘Course I knew. It was your decision to make and I’ll always follow your lead, no matter what. Just… I’m glad it didn’t end that way. Your life is so much more than that asshole ever deserved.”

A long bout of silence follows Bepo’s words. Maybe it’s weird for Law, to be the one out of his depth between them – yet Bepo had nothing if not time on his hands to think, and to wonder, and to hope with all he had that Law would be alive long enough for Bepo to tell him he matters.

Here, where Law continues to draw breath in his arms, it’s hard to imagine a world where he didn’t come back. Where the Heart Pirates waited and waited, safely out of the picture while their captain was slaughtered by the man he hates most.

It’s the very stuff Bepo’s nightmares are made of. There’s no point in putting that burden on Law's shoulders, though. That’s all his, and if that’s the price to pay for Law to be alive and free, Bepo will proudly wear those scars to the end of his days.

Suddenly, Law’s fingers squeeze his, and Bepo tilts his head down to watch his tattoos move. D E A T H, a bold challenge to fate that has served them well, despite it all.

“I’m sorry for– Yeah. I didn’t know there was another way. I just… I needed him gone. So Cora can rest, y’know?”

Bepo nods, his chin nudging Law’s hat so he can feel it. “Of course. No need to apologize, Captain.”

Unexpectedly, it makes Law chuckle of all things. “No apologizing, huh?”, he says, teasing, and– Fine, Bepo walked straight into that one. He grumbles and knocks his knee into Law’s without heat.

Then, Law lets go of Bepo’s hand to burrow deeper into his arms, shifting and turning into his favorite position for a nap. Finally, Bepo catches a glimpse of Law’s face – a little pale, a lot tired but comfortable, at peace – before he smooshes it into Bepo’s fur.

And yeah, okay, Bepo can take a hint. Seems like Law decided to enforce his golden rule of no mushy talk in public, after all.

“Oof. Gentle, Captain.”

“Mhm, sorry.” Law’s voice comes out muffled. “I haven’t slept in fucking forever. Strawhat wakes up with the sun like some kid. Seriously, who just does that?”

“Lunatics”, Bepo answers immediately, mostly to feel Law laugh again. “Figures that’s the kind of friend you would make, all by yourself out there.”

“Ugh, terrible”, Law agrees, a little slurred with oncoming sleep but still coherent enough that Bepo can and will tease him later for sounding so fond. For now, he lets him doze off, warm to his core at the sight of Law falling asleep almost immediately.

Bepo makes himself comfortable and settles in for a long wait. Usually he’d fall asleep right along with Law – there’s something so calming about feeling someone’s heart beat so close to one’s own – but for now, he’s happy to listen to Law’s quiet snoring and watch his crewmates make a fool of themselves to match their new allies.

(Much, much later, Bepo startles awake to wide eyes staring at him just inches from his face. Law is still asleep and thus Bepo doesn’t move – instead he blinks and stares back, watching Monkey D. Luffy’s face move into a pensive pout like he’s thinking hard enough to hurt.

When it’s clear there will be no explanation beyond a long hmmm, Bepo clears his throat and whispers: “Do you… need anything?”

Strawhat tilts his head. Bepo expects him to yell as he always does but his voice matches Bepo's, barely a murmur.

“Kinda? I wanted to ask Tra– uh, Law if he wants to go now. He seemed in a hurry earlier and I kinda forgot. Well, everyone’s drunk but we’ll manage, y’know? He’s sleeping though. Hm.”

There’re at least two things in that statement that Law would tear Strawhat apart for, and one of them is the sudden use his actual name. Bepo wonders if Strawhat still thinks he’s confused by ‘Traffy’, even though he already explained the nickname to him.

Reluctantly, Bepo offers: “I can wake him up?”

Strawhat shakes his head, his signature smile quick to appear on his lips. “Nah, it’s fine. Law needs his sleep. He’s always so angry in the mornings. It’s funny.”

And as sudden as he came, Strawhat's gone, jogging back to the bonfires and instead opting to jump on his sleeping swordsman half-way there. Bepo witnesses the ensuing scuffle with amusement.

Yeah, Bepo definitely likes Luffy.)

[waterchestnut123]

CHAPTER 3 / The Peculiar Perils of Straw Hat Parties

Common commentary throughout the 5 seas held that Straw Hat parties were notoriously wild. This is something that Trafalgar Law, as well as the rest of his crew, are learning first hand. Not that Law particularly feels like partying; after Dressrosa, the Heart Pirates Captain has a little soul-searching he’d like to attend to. But one tends to become… drawn in, to certain things around Luffy—regardless of one’s plans or intentions. This is how Law finds himself developing an unlikely and unexpected friendship with his ally’s navigator—and how that friendship, much like Luffy’s parties, grows far beyond his intentions.

More About This Fic / Read on AO3 Chapter Index | < Prev · Next >

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Chapter 3: The Consequences of Poor Party Planning

Chapter Rating: T Warnings: References to gore, traumatic experiences, mild language.

“Hard to Port! HARD TO PORT!”

Nami clung to the bannister of the top deck as though her life depended on it (and realistically, it probably did) as she shouted instructions to Franky at the helm. Remaining upright was a struggle, the vicious rocking of the ship threatening to dissolve what tenuous equilibrium she had established in her inebriated state. Violent gusts whipped her hair in every direction, cold rain pelted her face, and as a massive wave came crashing down—just shy of where the ship had been moments ago—she debated just how hard she was going to pummel Luffy when all this was over.

The storm had hit fast and hard, but she’d been able to give enough forewarning to the two crews that they were, so far, successfully staying just ahead of the worst of it. How long that would continue to be the case, however, she wasn’t sure. They were in no shape to navigate the Sunny: Usopp was completely passed out after his game of sake-scotch—tucked away in the men’s quarters by Zoro before they set off; the usually unflappable Zoro was unsteady on his feet as the ship rolled violently with the tide—a sure sign of his extreme level of intoxication; Luffy was struggling to keep his meat down, and Brook couldn’t stop laughing at Zoro’s frequent stumbling and subsequent cursing. What little headway they had made was entirely attributable to her early detection. The storm was gaining—and their ability to outrun it was rapidly deteriorating.

“Franky—we need a coup de burst! We can’t keep this up!”

“The cola engine is empty—it needs a new barrel! You’ll have to do it, though, I’ve gotta stay on the wheel!” Franky shouted back, holding tight to the spokes as they pulled violently starboard.

Nami worried her lip. Traversing the ship in her current state and in the present conditions—with every wooden surface slick with rainwater, was firmly in the “bad idea” category; but she didn’t have much choice. She eyed Franky’s wrestling match with the wheel and took a deep breath to steady herself.

“Alright—be ready! We need to head directly east by southeast to outrun the storm!”

“You got it, sis!” He then turned his attention out to the deck. “Oi! Everyone! Raise the sails!”

Wiping sopping hair out of her eyes, she gripped the railing tightly, taking careful steps towards the deck stairs. It felt like an ageless journey to get to the rear of the ship—her progress slowed by the ship’s turbulent thrashing. She was forced onto all fours as she crossed the lawn deck due to a sudden bout of nausea; though she rather hoped at the least that lowering her profile would reduce the likelihood of being blown off the ship by a violent gust. After covering in almost five minutes a distance that should have taken less than thirty seconds to cross, she found her way aft. Sliding down the ladder into the bowels of the ship, she planted her feet carefully on the floor of the cola room, wiping water from her face and taking quick stock of her surroundings.

The cola engine was currently filled with empty barrels as Franky had said, and she quickly set about removing them. She struggled to place the full, fresh barrels in their place—heavy in their own right, made worse by the unsteady ship—but eventually managed to work all three into place with a final, frustrated kick. She breathed a sigh of relief as she heard Franky shouting instructions topside, then the whir of the engine coming to life.

She turned to make for the ladder again, grateful that it would soon all be over—however that was where she made her mistake. Grabbing hold of the rungs, she didn’t get more than four feet up before she heard a particularly strong wave violently crash against the side of the ship, and felt a sudden, sharp lurch. With her weary grip and wet shoes, she lost her footing and tumbled down the ladder, landing harshly on her ankle and feeling a resounding crack followed by a sharp, shooting pain in her ankle.

“AGHHH!”

Her vision went briefly white as she hurriedly pulled the injured leg out from beneath her, cradling it delicately between her palms. Eyes tightly shut and leaking tears, she grit her teeth against the searing ache, feeling her stomach turn in response to the pain. She had barely repositioned herself comfortably at the base of the ladder when she felt the force of the coup de burst push her against the rungs, briefly stealing her breath. The laughter of her crew above followed quickly after, echoing down the chute and signaling their escape from the storm’s clutches. She had that to be thankful for at least.

After a minute, as the ship began to slow, she let out a slow, shaky breath and turned her head up, eyes still leaking pained tears. Now she just needed one of those idiots to carry her to the infirmary.

“Oi! Luffy!” she shouted up the chute, voice pitchy with pain. “Get your rubber ass down here and give me a hand!”

—:—:—:—:—:—:—

“What did you do?”

Law stared down at the swollen mass that was now her ankle with an amused, if dumbfounded, expression, Chopper’s ice pack resting beside her calf atop the infirmary bed. They had managed to find an island nearby with a protected cove at which to make repairs; and it was good, too, as the ship had gotten quite a good trouncing in the storm. Or perhaps it had been their abysmal reaction time. Either way, they had a ship to fix.

And a navigator too, apparently.

Nami grit her teeth as Law gently turned her ankle to examine it, still a bit tender as the local anesthetic had yet to take full effect. A broken tibia was Chopper’s diagnosis—and quite bad, too. No sooner had they had docked than Chopper hailed down Law in his sub who, according to the tiny doctor, was far better equipped to mend such a break with his ope ope no mi than he was with only his hands. Er, hooves.

“I slipped and fell down the ladder in the energy room,” she ground out, attempting not to flinch at the gentle pressure of his fingers.

Law released her ankle, turning to her with a raised brow. “You know you really should have been more careful going up a wet ladder while drunk,” he commented mildly.

She glared at him, eyes narrowed and expression distinctly unamused. “Shut it, Doctor spots. Can you fix it or not?”

He repressed a bemused smirk as he stood, crossing his arms as he eyed her ankle thoughtfully, then turned to Chopper.

“Bring her to my operating room on the sub—I can reset the bone and mend the damage to the surrounding tissue, but it will require surgery. It shouldn’t take too long, but even if I speed up the healing process, the recovery will still be almost a week—and she’ll need to be careful for another month after that. We can go over follow-up care once I’m done.”

“Oh, good!” Chopper breathed a sigh of relief, tense shoulders relaxing. “Thank you so much!”

But Nami’s ears were still ringing with the word ‘surgery’. A wave of anxiety washed over her, momentary visions of an old memory—of bloody scalpels and chunks of flesh littering a concrete floor flashed through her mind; but just as quickly as they came she shut them out, closing her eyes and gritting her teeth until the images ceased their assault. As she opened them she forced the anxiety down, allowing the much more manageable emotion of anger to take its place. Grinding her teeth, she turned towards the open door, shouting with renewed irritation for the closest thing she had to a punching bag.

“Where is that rubber idiot?! I am going to give him such a beating!!”

—:—:—:—:—:—:—

Chopper, in heavy point, carried Nami onto Law’s sub, down an elevator and into the operating theater where he placed her gently onto the operating table. Once she was situated, Chopper wished her a speedy recovery and departed to tend to the rest of the crew’s numerous scrapes and bruises.

Law busied himself preparing additional anesthesia for injection, as well as pulling out the needed equipment. Nami eyed him warily as he worked, placing scalpels, cotton pads, and other supplies upon a metal tray.

Finally ready to begin he turned, activating his room to encompass the bed—only to notice his patient gripping the sheets beneath her in a white knuckled grip, her eyes periodically darting anxiously towards his tray despite the otherwise cool expression of her features. He paused before reaching for his scalpel, eying her thoughtfully. After the roughness of Punk Hazard and Dressrosa, he wouldn’t have thought she’d suffer from something like medical anxiety.

“The surgery shouldn’t take more than an hour,” he said carefully as he pulled the tray towards him, situating himself near the foot of the operating table. “You can stay conscious while I operate, or I can sedate you, if you’d prefer. You won’t feel anything either way.”

“Sedation,” she said without hesitation.

He nodded, reaching for a mask draped atop a metal canister beside the bed. As he approached, he noticed that her posture had not relaxed, and she eyed the mask apprehensively. Drawing upon his patience, he gently pushed her down flat onto the bed.

“It’ll  be over before you know it.”

She closed her eyes, fingers clenching and un-clenching as she took a calming breath, and Law seized the opportunity. Quickly raising his arm, he gently pressed the mask against her face and activated the flow of gas. Her eyes flew open and she attempted to sit up again; but his hand on her shoulder was steady, and though he was briefly subjected to her signature glare, her gaze quickly became unfocused and her eyelids fluttered shut.

Finally, he could begin.

The surgery went smoothly. Her fracture was, as he anticipated, quite bad, and the surrounding tissue severely irritated. Thankfully, though, it had suffered little actual damage. Copious evidence of a previous fracture in the same location suggested that to be the reason for the severity of the break; the bone structure was already quite weak.

In total it took no more than an hour, and by the time the sedative was due to wear off, he had finished the surgery and already started a healing acceleration treatment.

The sound of her groggy voice alerted him to her wakefulness, words faintly slurred.

“Mmmm… ’s nice,” she mumbled.

He lifted his head, glowing palm unmoving from its location atop her ankle. He’d been told by his patients before that the treatment felt vaguely like warm water gently flowing through the affected area—it seemed Nami agreed. Slowly, her eyelids struggled open and amber eyes turned to gaze blearily at him. He could tell from the slightly vacant look on her face that, though wakeful, the sedative was keeping her higher faculties from emerging.

She blinked slowly, repeatedly, gazing at him with her head cocked against the pillow in confusion, “Wha… Hi—hi Torao. Hi. Whas… whas’re you doin’?” she glanced from his face to where his hand rested atop her ankle, then back to his face, expression full of childlike curiosity.

“Healing your ankle,” he answered noncommittally.

She blinked at him, then shifted slightly on the operating table before her eyes widened and she attempted to sit up on her elbows

“Where did you put my foot?” She asked urgently.

Law repressed a snort. While the sedative had worn off enough for her to wake, the local anesthetic may not have, and it was likely sensation from the mid-calf down was, at the least, muted.

“Your foot is securely attached to your leg, Nami-ya. As you can see.” He gestured with his free hand towards the ankle he was working on. She followed his hand with her eyes, but didn’t look convinced.

“But I can’t feel it. You must have taken it off.”

“You can’t feel it because I numbed your ankle for the surgery. Your foot is still attached,” he reasserted firmly, if with a hint of annoyance.

She narrowed her eyes as she examined his face closely. “And what’d I need surgery for, hm? HM?”

He glanced up, feeling his eyebrow twitch with growing irritation as he answered, “Because you broke your ankle.”

At his words her eyes widened, and she nodded with sudden clarity. “Oh—OH! I broke my ankle!” Then, more softly, “I broke my ankle…”

He rolled his eyes, adjusting his hand with a quiet sigh. He never was a fan of dealing with sedative-induced delirium. He had hoped he might be done before she woke expressly so that he could avoid this, but luck was not on his side.

For several minutes she seemed content to watch him work, lying back against her pillow silently as she stared down at him. Then, suddenly, she grinned, sitting up on her elbows again as her gaze rose to his face with childlike enthusiasm.

“Hey—hey Torao… ask me if I’m orange.”

Law’s eyes rose to meet hers, and he felt that twitch in his brow return.

“No.”

She immediately frowned, looking thoroughly put out. “Oh, come on! Ask me! Pleeeeease?”

He sighed, drawing on his patience. He was almost done, he reminded himself—almost done.

“Are you orange, Nami-ya?”

She continued to smile at him, biting her lower lip to withhold her glee, before finally blurting out, “No!” and dissolving into giggles.

He stared at her flatly as her chest heaved with her laughter, feeling a distinct desire to put her under again. Thankfully it seemed her poor attempt at humor had, for the moment, satisfied her; for as her laughter died down she simply settled more comfortably on her elbows, eyes curiously watching his glowing hand slowly, carefully tracking over her ankle.

He was rewarded with another few moments of peace, before she broke the silence again.

“What’re you doing?”

He momentarily shut his eyes before forcing out an answer. “I’m healing your ankle. Like I told you.”

She frowned slightly, clarifying her question. “No, I mean… aspif—epsific—specifically.”

“I’m accelerating your body’s natural healing process by increasing blood flow and feeding your cells mitochondrial energy.”

He had hoped the specificity of his answer would disinterest her from further query; but no. Of course not. Instead, she raised her thoughtful gaze up to his face, blinking rapidly as she inquired further.

“How d’you do that?”

“By feeding you some of my life force,” he answered noncommittally, readjusting himself on his stool.

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, expression becoming sharp despite the bleariness still coloring her expression. “Is… that doesn’ seem like it would be very good for you.”

He shrugged. “By the time I’m done with your treatments, it will probably have taken a few days off my lifespan.”

With unexpected speed and strength she pulled herself upright and yanked his hand off her ankle, expression horrified.

“No!!”

He eyed her with a furrowed brow, crossing his arms over his chest in distinct irritation. “No?” he echoed incredulously, “You were the one who complained about the recovery time.”

She shifted in the bed, moving her arms to support her weight on her hands as she started to sway. The sudden move had clearly been an effort. “I was… I was just mad ‘cuz I didn’t want to have surgery! Don’t waste your life like that! You can’t!”

Once more Law rolled his eyes, moving his hand back to her ankle and re-activating the acceleration. “It’s just a few days, Nami-ya. I lost years on Doflamingo.”

Again she surprised him with her strength as she leaned forward in an attempt to shove his hand away—but this time he wouldn’t be deterred. He grabbed her with his free hand by the wrist to hold her at bay; but she just reached for him with her other hand to pull him off her ankle—and before he could understand how exactly it had happened, they were engaged in slap fight, with Nami managing to muster a shocking amount of speed and strength.

But that strength didn’t last long. Her precision and speed quickly faded and she began to sway in her upright position. Taking advantage, he grabbed both of her wrists, holding them away and her upright, exasperated and irritated in equal measure.

“Nami-ya!” he commanded sharply, “Would you stop.”

“No!” she asserted stubbornly, weakly struggling against his grip. “You just got your life back, and at a huge cost—I won’t let you be so quick to waste it—especially on me!”

That was… not an answer he was expecting. His surprise caused his grip to slacken and she used the opportunity to slip free of him, settling her arms across her chest with a frown. His eyes moved to meet with hers, and though her gaze was still a bit hazy, they were nonetheless resolute. His brow furrowed and he frowned, thinking. He had not anticipated she would be upset about this, nor that she would seem to carry such… strong opinions, as to how he spent his life force.

“This is the nature of the Ope Ope no Mi, Nami-ya,” he said carefully, “Certain abilities feed on the user—that’s just how it works.”

He allowed a moment for his words to sink in before placing his hand back on her ankle, re-activating the acceleration; and when she weakly reached to try and remove it again he grabbed her wrist with his free hand, eying her sharply.

“It’s a worthwhile use of my abilities, and a relatively small sacrifice I’m willing to make,” he said with finality, the glow under his palm igniting again. “If there is anyone between our two crews we need able-bodied, the navigators are at the top of that list. Stop fighting me or I’ll put you under again.”

She frowned at him, and as he released her wrist she thankfully settled back against the pillow instead of making for his hand again. She let out a frustrated breath, closing her eyes. Her posture seemed weary—the energy expended fighting him off had clearly taken it out of her. She remained still and silent for some time, and Law used that opportunity to examine his progress. The swelling had gone down significantly, and he could now feel the bone beneath her skin, smoother now at the break site as the bone began to knit neatly back together.

“Luffy said you made a room so large on Dressrosa he couldn’t even see it,” she said quietly, breaking the stillness. “Is that what cost years of your life?”

He raised his head, seeing her sitting up on her arms again as she eyed him.

“Mugiwara-ya didn’t regale you with the details?” he commented lightly before returning to his examination. She frowned.

“He’s not a complete idiot, you know. He does know when something’s personal and to keep his mouth shut. When I asked, he only told me the basics, and said I should ask you if I wanted to know the rest.”

Law turned to study her annoyed expression, surprised by her words—and Luffy’s. He had assumed that the whole of the battle would become common knowledge to Straw Hat’s crew, as much as he wouldn’t prefer it.

Luffy’s… unexpected tact—a concept he would never have ever thought could be associated with the lunatic captain, was… appreciated.

He turned his gaze back to her ankle, sliding his hand beneath it to examine the tendons. Given that he doubted she would remember much, if any of this conversation later, he decided to humor her.

“Yes,” he answered simply.

She stared at him wide-eyed, expression dumbfounded.

“Why?”

“…Why?”

“Yeah—why would you just… waste years of your life like that?”

“To maintain situational advantage,” he answered absently, carefully feeling along the achilles tendon. “And the years weren’t wasted—they ended up saving my life.”

She stared up at him with something suspiciously like concern, voice quiet. “What happened?”

He paused, eying her a moment, contemplating. It wasn’t something he particularly liked to dwell on, but…

“I was shot by Doflamingo. Twenty-two times, I believe. By keeping up my room too large to be seen, I was able to remove the bullets and heal myself while Doflamingo was busy with Luffy, thinking I was dead.”

She sat up fully, her eyes widening in alarm and a hand moving to cover her mouth. Silence, and the occasional metal creak of the Polar Tang as it shifted in the waves were the only sounds to fill the space between them. She said nothing for several moments, and he was content to leave it at that—but then she quietly spoke, voice soft and words unexpected.

“But… you were still shot, right? The Ope Ope no Mi can’t stop you from… feeling all those bullets—right?”

He held her gaze briefly before offering a small but clear nod.

Her eyes widened a moment before she let out a breath, turning towards the wall, eyes far away.

“I thought you seemed different when you came back to the Sunny with the others,” she said softly. “Luffy told me that you used to be a member of Doflamingo’s crew until he killed someone you cared about; that you had allied with us only because you wanted help getting revenge, and were willing to do anything to get it.” She lifted her head and her eyes met his—her gaze uncomfortably knowing.

“I get it—I do. An old captain you hated, who took someone you loved away from you…” She closed her eyes, one hand raising to unconsciously rub her tattooed shoulder. “I would understand more than anyone else. I’ve wanted to ask for a while, but… I wasn’t sure you’d want to talk about it.”

She opened her eyes and gazed at him with a small, sad smile.

“And why would you understand?” he asked coolly, though with the unexpected turn in conversation he felt suddenly anything but.

She turned her gaze down at the thin cotton blanket lying across her lap, thumb gently stroking her tattoo—though, in looking more closely, he could see her thumb was actually circling a scar hidden beneath the ink.

“When I was ten, the Arlong pirates invaded my village, taking over my island and demanding everyone pay tribute or be killed. We were poor, and my mother had only enough saved to pay for my sister and I. So… Arlong shot her, right in front of us. And when he found out I could make maps, he kidnapped me and forced me into his crew.”

Her voice had grown small, and Law could tell, recalling these events was difficult for her. He felt uncomfortably voyeuristic; as though he were becoming privy to something too intimate, too… familiar—things not meant for the ears of a rival. He was about to tell her she needn’t continue—he felt fairly confident she wouldn’t have were she not under the influence of a drug; but what she said next halted his words on the tip of his tongue, and curiosity overtook his better judgment.

“I hated him so much,” she said with a venom unbefitting the quiet atmosphere. “I spent eight years as one of his executives—robbing pirates to try and buy back mine and my village’s freedom. That was the deal I made with him. The villagers didn’t know why I joined, and they hated me for it—or at least, thats what they wanted me to think.” Her anger dissipated slightly, and she let out a sigh.

“When I had finally gotten almost all of the money, he sent his marine lackeys after me to confiscate it all. He never had any intention of honoring our agreement—never intended to let me go; just wanted to give me false hope.”

She closed her eyes and took a breath, then turned to him, a self-deprecating smile on her lips.

“I found out later that the villagers knew all along—they’d just been playing a role so that if I ever wanted to run away, I wouldn’t feel guilty for abandoning them and leaving them all to die. When they found out about Arlong’s duplicity, they finally decided to go after him. I gave up and went with them; I thought I had no other way out. I was going to kill him, or die trying.”

She stared at him pointedly, then—eyes both fierce and gentle. Her gaze felt strangely piercing for a woman only on the cusp of cogency; and yet he found himself unable to maintain her gaze. He turned his eyes back down to her ankle.

“What happened?” He asked quietly as he shifted his fingers over her ankle bone. She smiled fondly.

“Luffy.”

Ah. Figures.

Silence pervaded once more, and after a moment she settled back down onto the bed, closing her eyes with a quiet exhale.

He allowed himself a moment for his mind to drift back through her story. She was the one Straw Hat he’d gotten to know the least. Their interactions on Punk Hazard had been rushed and frenzied—as most of the endeavor had been, and they’d been separated throughout the events of Dressrosa. Yet it seemed they had more in common than he ever would have guessed.

“I think I would have missed you, y’know,” she said suddenly, unexpectedly, pulling his mind from his thoughts. He lifted his head to find her smiling softly, eyes still closed.

“If you’d died on Dressrosa,” she clarified. “You’re a good guy and a good captain. You’ve grown on me,” she added, her smile broadening just a bit.

Law’s brow furrowed as he gazed at her sincere smile, unsure how to take, let alone react, to the sentiment. He decided instead to deflect.

“Me, or my bear?” he inquired coolly, thinking back to the night before. Nami laughed.

“Okay,” she said with a yawn, “You and the bear.”

Silence stretched between them once more, and Nami hummed contentedly as he moved his hand back to the top of her ankle. He forced his attention away from her face and back to his work, fingers trailing over the the site of the break one last time.

“Thas’ nice…” she murmured, settling deeper into her pillow, “I take it back… you can spend your life force doing that any time.”

Law felt a small smile pull up the corners of his lips, but he didn’t respond, focusing instead on finishing his examination. It seemed just about where he wanted it to be for now—mended enough to get her through until tomorrow. With a flick of his wrist he stopped the acceleration, looking back up ready to pronounce her treatment finished for the day—but instead he found that she had fallen back asleep.

With a breath, he slumped back on his stool with a weary sigh. The acceleration always left him feeling drained, but her argumentativeness—and the unexpected conversation, had taken more of a toll on him than he’d anticipated.

Had he not spend so many years as a pirate, he might find it difficult to imagine she had ever struggled against such hardships. She certainly didn’t carry herself that way; she was clever and headstrong, at time ferocious and at others, playful. Though he hadn’t seen much of it for himself, he knew from the other members of her crew that she could be… tempestuous and domineering; though they remarked upon it with the utmost fondness.

She was flirtatious and often smiling; yet if her words were to be believed, she had suffered—isolated and alone, most of her life. But still she found a way to be cheerful, and to demonstrate seemingly genuine care about his own hardships, even though there was little reason to. He was a captain of a rival crew, in a temporary alliance with her own—beyond his abilities to fulfill their agreement to take down Kaido, there was nothing to be gained from deeply and truly caring. He was torn between thinking her abundantly kind or outright foolish.

But, then again, when had anyone on Mugiwara’s crew ever made much sense?

And though he was loath to admit it, she had struck a cord. Under the lingering influence of the sedative, she was just so damned sincere in her concern. He couldn’t even remember the last time a relative stranger gave two shits about the things he’d been through—maybe the nuns at the church in Flevance. He’d certainly never met anyone with a story like his before, either.

And though he was even more loath to admit it, he was also left feeling guilty. He shouldn’t have let her carry on the way she had. Even if he couldn’t have stopped her, he should have at least tried; but, perhaps selfishly, he’d found himself wanting to know what made her tick. He knew she wasn’t in her right mind, and if she remembered any of their conversation when she woke up, he suspected she would be cross at best, furious at worst.

Though, he couldn’t help the small smile which curved up his lips as he thought back to her final comment. He’d grown on her, huh?

A quiet, yet firm knock came at the door and he wearily stood from his stool. With a click he turned off the brighter overhead lights and opened the door, finding Penguin on the other side.

“Lunch is ready, captain,” he said, gesturing over his shoulder. “Do you want me to bring something for you and Miss Nami?”

Law glanced over his shoulder at her still and slumbering form. Turning back to Penguin, he shook his head. “No. I’m just about done here, and Nami-ya is asleep. I’ll meet you in the mess hall in a bit.”

“You got it, Captain,” Penguin smiled before turning and heading back down the hall.

Law shut the door quietly, turning back towards the operating table. He’d just have to deal with the consequences of their conversation later, when she woke up again. Hopefully she wouldn’t remember, and he’d have nothing to deal with at all.

He began cleaning up his tools and equipment, pausing briefly as Nami shifted in her sleep. He chanced a glance at her; the arm that had risen to her tattoo now rested loosely atop her waist, her head fallen slightly to the side. Orange curls framed her face like a strange halo, and her dark lashes lay peacefully closed.

His mind cast back to the night before—to Luffy’s party out in the middle of the ocean, and his and Nami’s conversation on the aquarium bar balcony. One moment in particular stood out to him—when she’d taken his hat. He could easily have taken it back using his ability just as he’d done with his wallet; but for some reason, he let himself get drawn into her game, just as he’d let himself get drawn into conversation with her not ten minutes ago. And when he had her cornered against the far wall, blinking up at him from beneath those lashes, he’d felt… drawn to her; caught in the orbit of her gravity and unable to pull out.

He could chalk it up to the alcohol. She was a beautiful woman, after all, and had been looking up at him with those impish eyes, face cast in the silvery light of the half moon. He was only human.

She hummed quietly in her sleep, and the sound jarred Law from his reverie. He forced his attention back to the task at hand, picking up the remains on his operating tray before sliding it back into its proper place. He needed to stay focused. Now that he had been reunited with his crew, taking down Kaido was next and that would be no easy task, requiring every ounce of his attention and focus especially with Luffy in the picture—and she was beginning to take up too much room in his head.

As he headed for the door, he quickly checked her IV and tossed the remaining refuse into the medical waste bin on the wall. Reaching for the handle, though, he paused, glancing over his shoulder at her. She still lay quietly on the bed, her chest rising slowly but steadily with her breathing.

Yes, she was taking up far too much room in his head.

He pulled the door open and stepped out into the hall, shutting it softly behind him—and with it, all wayward thoughts of the navigator asleep within.

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[zonamievents]

ZoNa Summer Festival Day #7

Theme: Barbecue Rating: T / PG-14 Word Count: 2,190 words

Nami didn’t think it was necessary to have a ‘celebratory barbecue’ for returning to the Sunny after a night out in the jungle. Sanji, on the other hand, was adamant that it was vitally important. The crew had been forced to wait out the entire evening before they could look for her and the swordsman, and those stressful hours were torture for them. Or so she had been told.

It was the dramatic chef who explained all of this to her while preparing his portable grill on the shore of the island, so there wasn’t any time to properly discuss the matter.

If an outdoor lunch was inevitable, then Nami had no choice but to enjoy the festivities.

Within a matter of minutes, she had emerged from the Women’s Quarters in a brand new bikini. The fabric was a vibrant sangria red, with golden chain links integrated into the straps over her shoulders and the thin bands along her hips. It made her feel elegant after spending the night sleeping on the ground—

Well, no. That wasn’t entirely true. She spent some of it in Zoro’s arms.

“Sanji-kuuun!” she called out to the party organizer rather hastily as soon as her sandaled feet jumped off of the wooden ramp and hit the shore. “How much longer until we get to eat?”

“Just five more minutes, Nami-swaaan! Help yourself to a piña colada under the umbrella with Robin-chwan!” Sanji suggested while squealing like a child. He was behaving very much like a kid on their birthday as he tossed an assortment of meats and vegetables onto the barbecue, something that never ceased to amaze her. The energy he could summon at a moment’s notice for either cooking or women was a feat in its own way.

“How are you feeling, Nami?” Robin asked her the moment she walked under the shade of the umbrella.

Making herself comfortable in the only other lawn chair, Nami sighed as she answered, “I’m all right. It wasn’t that bad, actually.”

Laid out on her own seat, sunglasses falling down the bridge of her nose, the older woman eyed her with soft surprise. “You managed to find shelter from the rain?”

“Oh yeah,” Nami waved off her worry. At the same time, her other hand reached for her awaiting piña colada. “I knew it was coming and Zoro found us a place to hide in time.”

“That’s a relief. We were all worried that you were stranded in some way.” Admitted Robin.

The straw popped out of Nami’s mouth after her very first sip. “The closest thing we had to shelter was some branches leaning up against these chopped down trees! It’s amazing I didn’t catch a cold or anything.”

“Especially if you weren’t able to make a fire.” Agreed her friend, behaving as if the worry had yet to leave her.

“No, but I had Zoro’s big body as a heat source, which is just as good.” Nami promised her at a rambling pace just to put an end to any lingering concerns. Then, she dove back into her drink.

The sounds of Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Franky playing some ball-related game on the beach behind her gathered the navigator’s attention, compelling her to take a look at what they were freaking out about. In some strange way, whenever she was away from the signature Mugiwara crew chaos, she missed it dearly. Listening to her captain demand another turn for whatever exercise they were doing was oddly comforting to her.

“Is that so?” The sung question wiped away the momentary peace Nami was feeling though as it called her focus back to Robin. She had yet to fix the position of her glasses, which only emphasized the suspicious arch in her brow as she stared back at her.

It took her an embarrassingly long moment to realize what could have garnered such a reaction from her friend. As it dawned on her, Nami sat up straight and flailed the way an innocent person totally would have. “I was willing to stay on the ground all night b-but Zoro let me use him as a body pillow! I-In a seated position, w-with me-e-e curled up in a ball like a cat!”

There were imaginary pins and needles prodding her as the seconds ticked by them. Robin was taking her time digesting her words – or perhaps her behavior when saying those words – and then replied with a meager, “I see.”

Nami watched the older woman finally push her sunglasses up to their proper resting place and reach for her drink. Sipping on the icy beverage felt like a cheap attempt at preventing her from saying anything more than that. The polite answer left the navigator feeling dismissed, whether intentional or otherwise, inspiring her to leave her seat and take a stroll around the set up the crew had made on the beach.

Drink in hand, of course.

She already had her fair share of befuddling thoughts about Roronoa Zoro – she didn’t need the scrutiny of her crew mates added to the mix. It was true that she had recently become incredibly… fascinated by him. It had always baffled her, which was a different sort of fascination. But his reactions to her lately ever since their naked dip in the sea had left her feeling scattered. Was she supposed to pretend it didn’t happen? Was she supposed to be timid around him now? Was he avoiding her or was she just hypersensitive to whatever he did now?

It was taking her a while to see beyond his squeamish behavior and figure out how she would react to this perplexing version of Roronoa Zoro, but she’d get there. Even if it meant she’d end up yearning for another evening in his arms for the rest of their journey and it never happened again, at least she’d know what she wanted from him, despite the odds that nothing particularly wonderful would ever take place between them.

Or maybe she was starved in another way: her empty stomach was aching after going half a day without a single bite to eat.

Nami strolled up next to Sanji on swift feet and put on her most feminine voice. “Mmm, it smells delicious, Sanji-kun. What’s on the menu?”

His arms were thrashing about as he managed every single morsel that was cooking on his grill top. Focused, he didn’t have time to fall victim to her flirtations, but the chef proudly answered her with a grin on his face, “We have burgers for Franky, plus skewers of all kinds! Scallops, shrimp, chicken, beef, mushrooms, asparagus and cherry tomatoes wrapped in bacon.”

Every single item of food he mentioned just made her hungrier. Salivating, Nami praised his efforts with great excitement. “Wow, it all sounds so amazing.”

“Oh, also, those sausages over there” – he used his tongs to point at the pyramid arrangement of buns that sat on the platform attached to his barbecue – “are already cooked. I’m just waiting for these to be finished, and then we can sit down and eat.”

“Is there anything I can snack on no-o-ow?” She felt like a child trying to trick him into feeding her, but she wasn’t above using her feminine wiles to get a bite to eat so late in the day.

Sanji stared apologetically at his assortment of skewers, however, she knew the look was really meant for her. “I promise it’ll be ready really soon, Nami-san. I’ll make sure you get the first plate of food, all right?”

Nami didn’t answer him. She just pouted at him in protest of his denial of her.

Nevertheless, he was much too concentrated on preparing a hearty meal for the crew to pay her much attention. In fact, he only snapped his head upwards when he realized that something was missing. The proud chef beamed at her when he suddenly required her help. “Could you just watch the grill for a second? I need to go grab the side dishes I prepared from the fridge.”

“Ah, I could get them—“

“Oh no, Nami-san! I wouldn’t dream of making you do any physical labor! Not after what you went through last night!” He was totally prepared to prattle on, but Nami wasn’t interested in hearing it.

“Okay, okay.” She promised despite the eye roll she gave him.

“Thank you!” He screeched his gratitude as he raced his onto the Sunny.

The hungry navigator glared at the meat that wasn’t fully cooked through yet. Smelling the different kinds of skewers as they were grilled to perfection was draining, like it was stealing what remaining energy she had left in her body. All Nami wanted to do was take a bite of something to quell the rumbling in her tummy…

That’s when she happened to glance at the beautiful arrangement of sausages sitting before her. Cooked. Ready to eat. Practically taunting her in their most likely warmed buns, with a nice char to their skin.

Nami licked her lips, trying to decide whether or not she was willing to risk upsetting Sanji by disobeying him directly. Then she remembered that the entire celebration was for her sake, and deemed herself worthy of having what would surely be the first bite of the meal. With greedy, sneaky hands did she snatch a sausage from the back of the pyramid in the hopes that she wouldn’t be caught. It was probably the largest sausage she’d ever eaten, she surmised when she felt the weight of it in her hands. The girth of it only made it all the more appealing.

Nami opened her mouth wide, ready to take the biggest bite. Her lips flared out around the tip of it due to the size while she began to sink her teeth—

“Hey,” a whispered voice crept up behind her, scaring her into stillness. “I’m starving. Is there anything ready to eat yet?”

Oh no, someone had the same idea as her.

Someone’s with a rather rough texture to their voice.

Someone who made a shiver run up her spine when he spoke in that deep tone of his.

Slowly, shamefully, Nami looked at Zoro over her shoulder while there was a gigantic sausage stuck in her mouth. She panicked about what she was going to do, now that she had been caught stealing food from her own crew at a party. It quickly occurred to her that she could rip it in half and split it with him, hoping to buy his silence!

But the way he jumped back a few feet from her told Nami that her plan wasn’t going to work. No, instead of giving her a chance to speak at all, a suspiciously jittery Zoro stammered, “I-I, uh, n-never mind. I-I’ll eat later!” He ran off in his swim trunks and she assumed he was merely going to run over to play whatever ball game the boys were playing.

No, Nami was compelled to watch the proud, collected swordsman panic until he had walked straight into the ocean and dove underwater like some kind of terrified shark.

All she could do was stand there and watch the spectacle as it unfolded before her very eyes. It was so chaotic that she couldn’t begin to compute what on earth had caused him to react in such a way. It was so distracting that she didn’t even notice when Sanji returned. His high-pitched beckoning reached her first, calling out to her, “Nami-saaan! I’m back—Ah, you’re eating a sausage?”

Guilt rushed over her coldly and she snapped her jaw shut. It was a delicious bite, like she had suspected, making it difficult to prioritize any emotion other than appreciation. “Ah, these are really good! I normally don’t eat these, but it’s… it’s…”

A sausage.

He had run away from her when she had an incredibly thick, long sausage in her mouth.

No, he couldn’t have thought… could he!? “AH!” Nami shouted, throwing her bitten into sausage at the prepared pyramid. The top two rows crumbled from the impact which upset the chef who prepared them greatly. He tried to catch the tumbling ones while she looked back at the sea. Zoro hadn’t resurfaced yet, and a part of her didn’t want him to!

Or did she? Was there something going on with him? Between them? The possibility that he was thinking dirty things like that made her feel jittery too, in her own way. All she wanted to do was tease him and chastise him without facing him. She didn’t know if she was ready to yet! It would be uncomfortable for the both of them if she said something to him and she was completely wrong. However, she didn’t think she was… Was she? “Nami, are you okay?” Robin asked for the second time that day. She had ran over to her when she had made the commotion with the pyramid, earning the concern that was being shown to her.

Nami rebuffed her completely. “I’m fine!” She promised, though this time, she wasn’t so sure.

‘What does it mean, if he’s looking at me in that way?’

[creative-type]

Building up to Arlong Part II

 In my previous post I started my analysis of the East Blue Saga, looking at the arcs leading up to Arlong Park to see how Eiichiro Oda grew as both an author and an artist in those early chapters as he built the series slowly towards the first “epic” moments of One Piece. 

I ended that post with Orange Town and how Buggy managed to do something no villain before him had done (be memorable and interesting). It’s interesting to see how Oda follows up on this breakthrough with...well, this guy

I don’t really have much to say about Gaimon’s arc...chapter...whatever the heck it is. It’s completely random and doesn’t fit well with the rest of the East Blue chapters.To be fair to Oda, he does  cut loose and show off some of his wacky creativity, and there is some world building as the Red Line gets its first inauspicious mention.

There’s also something to be said about Luffy and Nami getting to know one another better and further insight into Luffy as a character, but it’s not anything that isn’t accomplished better in other places

I will admit this made me laugh, though

Syrup Village

Moving on, we jump to Usopp’s recruitment arc. This one is one of the more intriguing of the East Blue arcs (intriguing not equaling good) in that I liked a lot of the individual pieces but found the overall product to be a little lackluster. 

I think part of this is the setting. One Piece is at its best when it’s exploring wild and crazy new places, but Oda hasn’t gotten to that point in the series yet. This arc’s supporting cast is also pretty generic. Usopp’s Pirate Gang aren’t the most annoying little kids I’ve ever seen, but they are annoying little kids. Kaya is...okay. She shows some real gumption after Kuro shows his true colors, but I’m not sure that makes up for all the time she spent being boring early on.

Usopp himself can be hard to like, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Usopp is the everyman of One Piece. He’s not a power fantasy like Luffy or Zoro nor supernaturally talented like Nami. He has the greatest personal flaws of any of the Straw Hats, and his dream is the only one in the crew to be internal rather than external. With that in mind, firmly establishing Usopp’s foibles and his weaknesses makes his victories - both in this arc and later in the series - all the sweeter, even if it makes these chapters a bit of a slog to get through.

This arc does manage two things that would later become staples of the series, and once again we have our villains to thank

There are some very specific trends in One Piece’s villainous organizations. Most are headed by the main antagonist of the arc and are fought by Luffy. Below the leader there’s usually an annoying, but decently strong character taken out relatively early on (think Pearl, Mr.5/Miss Valentine, Satori, etc). This character acts as both hype and a teaser for bigger fights to come, but also carry some narrative weight by giving insight into the plans/mindset/priorities of the enemy organization as a whole. 

Lastly, Oda usually adds a lovable, quirky villain who, if not the second in command, is one of the strongest fighters in the arc. These characters humanize the Straw Hat’s enemies, add levity, and are generally really fun - so much so that more often then not they return later in the series as a recurring character.

The Nyaban brothers fit into the annoying but decently strong category, but Jango steals the show as the first lovable, quirky minion of the series (I think Oda tried with Buggy’s crew, but they lack the necessary charm to pull it off). Heck, the first thing we see him do is accidentally hypnotize himself after moonwalking down the path to Usopp’s village. Later on it’s hard not to feel at least a little bit sorry for the guy when we see the hopeless position Kuro has put him in. Jango may be an antagonist, but he’s fun and likable and honestly having him join the marines through the power of dance is amazing.

Gin, Hatchan, Betham, and Kaku all fit to one degree of another into this mold, and it wouldn’t have been possible without Jango.

Secondly, Kuro is the first cerebral villain of the series. Alvida and Morgan relied on brute strength, and while Buggy exhibited a certain amount of cunning he, too, was focused on overwhelming firepower and his Devil Fruit to win the day. 

Kuro of a Thousand Plans. His epithet says it all. Kuro is conniving, sneaky, underhanded, and without a shred of honor to hold him back as he meticulously plans to murder a sickly girl for nothing more than his own peace and comfort. 

All of Oda’s most memorable villains have this Machiavellian mindset. Crocodile, Doflamingo, and most of all Blackbeard are all chess masters to one degree or another. Though their end goals are completely different, you can see a lot of Crocodile especially in how Kuro built up an unshakable reputation while biding his time to strike. They even share a penchant for breaking speeches

It’s such a little thing, but the words “I suffered” elevate Kuro to one of my favorite East Blue villains, well above even Buggy. It’s so needlessly cruel, twisting the knife right where he knows it will hurt most, just because he can, and I freaking love it.

As a side note before moving on, Oda’s attention to detail is also to be commended during this arc. The way Kuro adjusts his glasses makes for an excellent and chilling re-read bonus, and connecting Morgan’s past to Kuro’s gives the former a little more depth than before.

The Baratie

It’s interesting to compare the Baratie to Syrup village because in many ways these arcs have opposite strengths and weaknesses. Where Syrup village had strong antagonists and a weak setting/side characters, the Baratie is the most memorable locale of the East Blue Saga and has an extremely strong secondary cast.

The Baratie as a concept brilliantly fits into the world of One Piece. The idea of a floating restaurant in a world that’s 90% ocean makes perfect sense, and it’s one of the times that Oda integrates the setting with his characterization. It’s not creativity for creativity’s sake, and unlike Gaimon’s sub-arc...chapter...whatever that was there’s a method behind the madness. 

This excellent setup is the backdrop to some superb character writing. Sanji is by no means my favorite Straw Hat, but his strained relationship between Zeff and the rest of the Baratie is done extremely well. It’s one of those situations where no one is 100% right or wrong and you just wish they’d all enter counseling or something so they could figure out how to talk to one another without resorting to violence.

It doesn’t hurt that this is when Oda figures out how to properly use the power of Tragic Backstory (tm) to its most devastating effect. While no (named) characters die, Sanji’s backstory is raw, painful, and emotional in all the right places. It’s in expressing these extreme emotions where Oda’s cartoony style is at its most effective. Oda’s characters don’t just cry, they cry ugly, and that’s so important when setting the tone of these heavy moments.

I don’t have much to say on Kreig or his crew because he’s boring and I despise Pearl with every fiber of my being, but once again we get some fun fight choreography. I especially like the sequence when Sanji spits his cigarette into Gin’s face before kicking him halfway across the deck, only to get a tonfa to the ribs for his effort. 

Also this happens, and it’s soooo satisfying to see Kreig get punched in the face. 10/10, would watch again

But the one thing that the Baratie does best of all the East Blue arcs - better than even Arlong Park - is world building. The entire series people have been telling Luffy and co. that the Grand Line is super dangerous and that he shouldn’t go, but it’s only here that we see that we see that played out in real time with Mihawk’s introduction to the plot. The Straw Hats have thus far been presented as invincible badasses when they’re nothing more than a big fish in a little pond.

All the stuff with Mihawk is big-picture storytelling and one of Zoro’s best moments. I don’t think that anyone who follows One Piece needs to be told how well Oda does at developing his world. More important to the build up to Arlong Park is Oda’s use of immediate foreshadowing. Right about the time Mihawk shows up Johnny and Yosaku catch Nami checking out bounties, specifically Arlong’s though he’s never named and we don’t see his picture. Immediately after Nami steals the Going Merry so she can run away, and we see her facade start to crack a little under pressure. Note especially how utterly exhausted she looks in this panel here

This all happens in the same chapter Zoro challenges Mihawk, and the action cuts between the swordsman’s pre-fight banter and the story of how Johnny and Yosaku lost the Merry. Zoro’s fight is the more immediate concern, but when constructing the chapter, instead of going out on that high note Oda cuts back to Nami a second time, this time sailing alone on the open ocean

If it weren’t already obvious by the whole rest of the series, this scene proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that there’s more to Nami than meets the eye. This is the first time we see her truly vulnerable, almost to the point of being broken, and it puts a completely different meaning to all her actions previous and what we’ll see coming up in later chapters.

I do think there is some significance to putting the Nami scene last over Zoro’s, because as the last thing the audience reads it’s what tends to stick in their mind longest week to week. We don’t see Nami again for a long time, and when we do all her defensive walls are firmly back in place. This is the Nami Oda wants us to remember when she’s going around Cocoyashi village telling Luffy to leave her the hell alone.

The Conclusion

What really stands out to me when going over these early chapters leading up to Arlong Park is Oda’s vision for the series from the word go, even when his execution isn’t as consistent as later on in the series. The whole East Blue saga exists to do two things 1) build the core of the Straw Hat Pirates 2) answer the question Who is Luffy.

Each antagonist from the lowly Alvida to Arlong himself has a weakness in their leadership ability that directly foils Luffy. These chapters show us what kind of pirate, what kind of captain, and most of all what kind of man Monkey D Luffy is, and what values he will and will not stand for. 

Arlong Park is the emotional peak of the East Blue saga, and it works because Oda has taken the time to build up to that peak. The impact would not have been the same if it had been placed earlier in the series because it would not feel earned without seeing Nami interact with the rest of the crew for as long as she did. Nor would it have worked if Oda hadn’t placed the breadcrumbs of her story for the audience to pick up along the way. 

It’s impossible for every arc to hit all the high points that Arlong Park does, because not all arcs are designed to do so, nor should they. That being said, there’s a steady increase in quality seen even in these early chapters as Oda gets his sea legs and figures out exactly what story he’s trying to tell.

[twinkluffy]

Forgotten island [Fantasy AU]

Day 1 of the Zoluweek2k17, Fantasy Au: Merman Luffy and human Zoro.

Hi, i wanted to take part of this week so badly that I ignored how much I suck on english, bc is not my first lenguage and even when I can read it without trouble when it comes down to write long things I get a little nervous = a lot of failures. So, if there any misspelling i’m very very sorry ;_; and i hope this counts as fantasy

some facts about this one shot: Antemoesa was the place where mermaids habited (well virgilio, the poet, says so) and there is a the oddyssey reference too. Luffy is very old but look young, he is a fatalist (because he has seen so much and being in solitude for so many years tends to mold you in that way) but still is very hard too think about luffy like that so a very ooc luffy 

Warnings: ooc, and none other mayor warning, this pretty sane oneshot in my standars 

                                                              [1]

After several hundred years life in Antemoesa became boring. I’ts no wonder, after all it is a small island forgotten by the gods in the middle of the wide sea and whose exact location is only found in ancient texts in an already extinct language. He’s older than time but not as much as the creation, product of the boredom of the gods who sought to mortify the humans who had the audacity to sail the seas belonging to Poseidon.

 He can walk on land and breathe underwater; If he is hurt, his wounds bleed but his own tears are able to heal him; He can bring wisdom and knowledge to humans but can also destroy them for no reason at all. Luffy is no longer mortal, but a scourge of immortality, terrible, painful, wild and invincible but also doomed to spend the remaining time on earth in the flowery meadows of antemoesa waiting for new humans who seduce through his singing.

That is the price that Zeus demanded to pay to save the life of his older brother, whose face has forgotten over the centuries but whose warmth still remembers vividly. The conditions were simple, seduce with his singing the humans who listen but never approached near enough to be affected by them, according to Zeus, sometimes humans can be kind and this is painful for beings like him.

(Because Luffy is not a human nor a fish. He can walk on the ground and breathe underwater)

Not that it matters too much by now, hundreds of years have passed since the last time Luffy  saw a human and sincerely, he doubts to see one in the coming hundreds of years he has remaining.

                                                        [2]

At first, when he saw a deplorable ship floating in his direction, he thought it was just another unfortunate ship that had crashed against the rocks or an old ship whose crew died in the midst of the treacherous sea, but to his utter surprise he heard the sound of groans Coming from the ship, without even thinking twice he dived into the sea and swam until he was next to it, where a human man struggled to breathe.

Clutching the railing with all his strength, he began to move his fin quickly, dragging the boat with him to the edge of the beach where his tail turned into two legs when they make contact with the sand. He held the human in his arms and laid him down on the sand, knelt beside him and removed those strange clothes that covered his chest where now stands a brutal wound that comes from the right side of his waist to his left shoulder , From where the blood seems to have ceased to sprout but would end up becoming infected if it is not taken care of.

Luffy buries his nails in his arms until small drops of blood begin to slide down his arms and tears make his vision cloud, he leans over the human and let his tears fall on the chest of the man whose wounds begin to heal leaving behind a huge scar.

The first human who passes here after hundreds of years and is half dead," Luffy says in a sigh, sitting down next to the human whose once laborious breathing has returned to normal. "You can’t seduce a half-dead man.”

Luffy sighs again, defeated, while the human emits snoring sounds with both arms scattered at the height of his head, without any concern that he was about to die and that his salvation has been what many call the voice of the doom of the Seas.

                                                            …

When the human wakes up three days after his arrival he seems surprised to be alive and not that Luffy blamed him after seeing the serious wound in the man’s chest. When his dark eyes, black as night meet the intense green eyes sharp as a sword, that an epiphany hits him like lightning, leaving him breathless. He sees the bright future that awaits this man who was born to obtain greatness and a title that positions him above all the other swordsman in the world which falls comfortably on his shoulders, as if it couldn’t have been otherwise.

But noy yet - He still so weak, so fragile … that if Luffy were to press a little he would collapse completely along with all that awaits for him in future.

“You helped me?”  the human asks with a frown

“Yes, but I don’t really did that much”  Luffy responds easily taking away importance, as if it were a matter of everyday that a creature like him saves stupid sailors to die of an infection

“My name is Roronoa Zoro”  the human says, bowing his head lightly in a gesture of respect and gratittude “Thank you for helping me”

“How did you get that wound?” Luffy asks, curious to know how this man, Zoro, arrived in such a state to his domains

"Fighting for my dream," Zoro answers immediately, with a confident smile and a gleam in his eyes that the merman can identify, having already seen him before in a human. Like that stubborn man, Odysseus, which was tied to the mast of his ship so as not to succumb to the charms of his voice because he was fully convinced to return home.

“There you can find fruits to eat” says Luffy raising his arm to point the forest a couple of meters beyond

The human nods, placing a hand on the scar that crosses his abdomen to rise and walks lazily in the opposite direction that the merman points

“It's the other side, stultus!” Luffy shouts at Zoro, who looks embarrassed while now if he walks in the indicated direction  “I found a very troublesome human” Luffy sighs, defeated.

“Aren’t you a little too young to live alone on this island? Did you get lost at sea or something?” Zoro ask, hours later with his arms crossed under his head looking to the sky  

Luffy can’t help laugh, he doesn’t remember how much time has passed since the last time he did it and the human looks confused

“I have more years than you'd know count or you could get to have”  Luffy answered, taking an apple to bring it to his lips  “This island belongs to me, was created by Zeus himself just for me”

Zoro looks at him incredulously as he shakes his head, believing it to be a joke on the part of the black-haired man, Luffy does not bother to insist and simply shrugs.

                                                                [3]

With the passing of the days are installed at a comfortable pace of coexistence, where Zoro would offer to go find things to eat and return with Luffy on the cliff where the dark-haired sit for hours watching the sea while singing softly. Zoro usually remains silent, taking a nap or trying to annoy the merman to kill boredom

"Why are you on this island, Luffy?" - Asks Zoro, with both arms under his head while looking at the sky  “doesn’t get kinda lonely?”

"I'm on this island to sing," Luffy replies, not taking his eyes off the sea as he tilts his head slightly as if trying to see something beyond  “that's all.”

"You're a strange child," Zoro replies, looking at him out of the corner of his eye for a reaction that soon arrives

“I tell you, I'm older than you could imagine!”  answers Luffy annoyed, no longer looking at the sea but the man next to him “You’re a child compared to me!”

“I don’t know” says Zoro, sitting and putting a hand on his chin as if he was seriously thinking about something “I would say that you are definitely a child and a very short one”

“Don’t make me hurt you, brat!” shouts Luffy, completely forgetting his composure and pouncing on the human who only laughs at the hilarious reaction of the raven

                                                           …

There are times when Zoro joins him and makes him company while watching the sea, the eyes of the human acquire a nostalgic glow as he watches the distant horizon, it is then when Luffy remembers that the dream and goals of Zoro are not in A place as boring as Antemoesa, but on the open sea fighting against powerful enemies that help him develop his skills until he becomes the best but every time he is about to open his mouth to say something the human will simply watch him and start to annoy him about his height or age.

                                                              …

One night, meanwhile Luffy is looking at the sea, Zoro sits beside him and begins to talk.

The human tells him how left his home in search of his dream, how he lost his way back  and in a way that he couldn’t no longer get back and his only option would always be moving forward. He speaks of the places he has seen, the things he has eaten, of a drink called sake that is the most delicious of the nectars and about some kind humans and other not so much. He talks about a rival with empty cold eyes and sword handled as it were a extension of his rival body, about an humiliating defeat because of his arrogance and his newfound determination to become even stronger when he leaves this island.

He talks about a future together, both of them, out in the vast sea searching to make their names reach heaven together, because they can go anywhere… the sea is freedom when you want it to be.  

(that is what Zeus had mean, the painful but so warm gentle nature of humans)

but he can’t leave, not because he doesn’t wanna but because he made a promise so many years ago for a brother whose face he doesn’t remember anymore yet he’s still holding that promise, until he dies, until the whole world ends and he welcomes the final end singing.

Luffy makes a decision that night while he look the peaceful face of the swordsman.

                                                          …

When the sun comes out the next day and the swordsman wakes up, stretching his arms and yawning is that Luffy asks him to follow him, after walking in silence they reach the shore of the beach where Zoro seems confused to see his boat in good condition.

“You have to go now” The merman says, taking a step forward and taking the swordsman's face in his hands “Just follow right in direction of the sun for a few days and find dry land, your dream is far from this place... you say you want your name reaches so high to be heard in heaven, then make the name of Roronoa Zoro be heard on this island too when you become the best swordsman in the world”

“What about you?” Question Zoro “Will you stay here, alone?”

“I made a decision hundreds of years ago, which I do not regret, and if I left this island, I would be breaking my promise” Luffy explains, the human has a frown ready to argue when the merman interrupts him again “I have been hundreds of years alone… please don’t feel sorry for me”

Zoro seems to think what to say before a smug smile forms on his lips

 “When I become the best swordsman in the world I will come back and stay with you, so we will both fulfill the promises we have made” 

he says, wrapping him in an unexpected hug that lasts too little for Luffy's taste, the swordsman turns his back on him and begins to move away towards the ship on the shore, to climb and begin to row, without looking back even once while hile with every movement of the waves that move the ship, Luffy's heart sinks a little more because he knows that it is not a promise that Zoro can fulfill.

                                                               End.

[petite-neko]

Dissentient - 4

Fanfiction: Dissentient Story Summary: Trafalgar Law wasn’t a lot of things. But the one thing he most definitely was, was a man in denial. But you’d never hear him say that. Instead, he’d just blame that damned Strawhat. Characters: Zoro, Luffy, Law Pairing: Eventual LawLu Rating: T Warnings: Swearing, Angst, Mentions of Suicide A/N: YOU NEED TO READ THIS STORY FIRST.

So this was longer than intended so I hope you enjoy!

Previous story || Read on Ao3

Part 3 || Part 4: 7.5 Guilt || TBA

Joker… Doflamingo…

Law had to admit: he was still angry – no frustrated was a better word – at Luffy. Luffy had screwed everything up. Luffy had changed his plans. Luffy had saved him.

Luffy made the impossible possible. He had made something that Law had thought was beyond even their combined grasps obtainable.

Yes he was grateful but…

People said revenge was bittersweet, but that wasn’t this. No. Law felt empty because…

What else was there to do?

He knew people would say for him to live, to be free and make his own choices, to go with the flow of life and see where it took him but…

Trafalgar Law didn’t know how to do that.

His life had always been ruled by something outside of his control. Illness and fate. Doflamingo and vengeance.

And now… now he was free and he didn’t know what to do with this newly gained freedom.

Trafalgar Law always had a plan.

And yet he didn’t.

“Torao!”

Law startled at the screaming rubber thing that came flying at him and toppled him over.

“A-Ahk!”

Luffy… only Luffy…

“Hello Mugiwara-ya.”

Ignoring him would get Law nowhere, so he might as well just accept it. Accept Luffy for who and what he was. Accept his antics, however annoying and cumbersome they were…

“Didja hear? Our bounties are matching! Shishishi. I wish he saved your poster though… it probably looked cool…”

Oh by the… was this fucking supernova pouting?

(Over his fucking bounty poster no less!)

“Don’t worry, I’m sure my crew saved one. That is, if Zou gets news coos.”

And that pout faded into his expression of unadulterated joy. “Yay! What do you think the picture was? Could it be…”

Off that idiot went again with his hypothetical tangents…

.xxx.

To be honest, Trafalgar Law wasn’t too certain just what he was expecting.

That it was supposed to get better overnight? That he was supposed to be cured of an ailment that plagued him for over a decade? That he was supposed to be completely fine simply because he achieved his goal?

(Well, no, that was far from his original expectations but…)

Every god damned time he closed his eyes…

He could hear that laughter. See that grin. Feel the bullets as they entered his chest. His arm would start screaming echoes of when it was severed from him. Cora-san and his last smile. The sound of those bullets…

He’d never sleep like this…

It was extremely frustrating because he knew that rest was the best treatment for him. He was still exhausted from the overuse of his powers on Dressrosa and the injuries he sustained there. Not to mention he was still using his powers over the course of the day to promote the healing of his arm.

(Luffy’s curiosity on the actions was rather… amusing actually.)

“Torao? What are you doing?” Luffy asked with wide eyes as he pointed at his hand.

Said hand was hovering above the injured area, a blue sphere around it.

“Promoting the healing process.” He explained neutrally. “Increasing the blood flow and circulation.”

Luffy made a strange expression – as if he was trying to figure something out unsuccessfully. “But… you’re moving it right? So it’s better?”

Law had to sigh. Luffy was just so naïve… “Even though I can still move it, the limb is slow and it’s still fairly numb.” He flexed the arm, demonstrating the slowness of the motions. “I can feel things still, but it’s like my arm is asleep. That tingling sensation when you lay on it for too long…” He paused and took a breath. “It wasn’t just a cut Mugiwara-ya. Nerve endings and tendons were severed, and while that little princess’ devil fruit ability repaired what probably could not have done naturally, there is still much to do. And if I don’t do this the tissues could become necrotic – die – and I will have to cut the limb off again to prevent infection.”

Luffy’s eyes looked like they were spinning. (What was he to expect?) “I don’t think I could ever become a doctor. Too much mumbo jumbo to remember…”

“…I think that’s for everybody’s benefit Mugiwara-ya.”

He wouldn’t want to know what it was like if Luffy, of all people, had to fix him up…

He sighed and took off his hat before running his hand through his hair. He supposed he could just go out and take a watch shift? Sure, he wasn’t necessarily included in them but…

He didn’t have anything else to do.

“Trafalgar? We said you could sleep.”

He shrugged as one of the Barto Club members addressed him.

“It’s fine, you can head to bed of you want. I’m not somebody who takes pleasure in letting others do all the work.”

That was a truth, but not the whole truth. At least it was acceptable and understandable and the pirate nodded before yawning and heading off to bed.

Dressrosa was far beyond the horizon by now, but Law looked for it anyway.

Doflamingo was defeated and yet…

But he had said it himself, didn’t he? It took time to heal his wounds, and he was still bleeding.

.xxx.

For some reason Luffy was clingier than usual.

Well – no – maybe? Ah, fuck it! Law couldn’t decide. There were too many factors to take into considerations to tell one way or another. Regardless it didn’t really fucking matter. He was allowing it.

It was just one more thing he had to accept about Mugiwara no Luffy.

Luffy would talk about some mundane thing like the weather and then what he did on a day like this. Sometimes he’d talk about fishing and the fish he caught once upon a time. And sometimes he’d just stare and watch him as he worked on his arm. Silently. (It was almost creepy.)

The one thing Luffy never did, however, was leave his side. He was always leaning against him. Or hugging him. Or laying on his lap, or…

Clingy, see?

.xxx.

“Did you meet Sabo?”

His voice was hushed and the young supernova stared up at him.

It was relatively quiet around them and the sun was starting to set. Everybody was otherwise preoccupied (including that swordsman which was odd) with tasks such as fishing or reading or training or whatnot. It was more or less a private conversation.

Law had to shake his head. “I was unconscious just as you were when he came to visit. I believe I saw a glimpse or two of him on Dressrosa though. He’s… your brother, isn’t he?”

He had to restrain himself from add in a ‘too’. Their conversation on the Thousand Sunny was still all too pungent in his mind. It wasn’t something he was really willing to revisit right now…

“Yeah… I thought he died all those years ago and… I find out that he’s alive and well…” Law glanced to see this unusual smile on Luffy’s face. It was almost heartbreaking. “I’m just so glad. And he has Ace’s fruit and…” He laughed and brought his arm up to his eyes.

“I’m glad Torao. I’m just so glad.”

And like that, that expression was gone, replaced by this pure happiness.

It only baffled him just how this boy could change emotions so quickly.

“Thing worked out in your favour.” Law replied quietly. It was the only thing he could think of saying. He just didn’t know what to say.

And Luffy, oh he made that usual sound of confirmation, still smiling. “We got Ace’s fruit, and saved you, and beat Mingo’s ass!”

…So Luffy saw it that way too? (He supposed it was true from Luffy’s perspective. Doflamingo had captured him after all…)

“I can’t wait to meet him again! We have so much catching up to do!”

(Luffy just didn’t know to what extent he had saved him… He didn’t know what Law was planning or thinking… so yes Luffy had saved him, just in a bigger way than he thought. But…)

What now?

(He still hasn’t figured that out yet.)

.xxx.

To say it surprised him would be a lie. To say it was unexpected was also doubtful.

If anything, Law found it unusual that it hadn’t happened the night before.

“Torao? What are you doing up?”

Luffy. That’s what.

And that’s who was talking to him. He could feel that worried gaze on him. Could sense it. Could almost hear the question:

Are you still bleeding?

(Of course, who knew just how he’d phrase it. Luffy was unusually perceptive after all. He didn’t doubt the other captain suspected that it wasn’t just a conversation that kept him up all those nights ago…)

“Night watch.” Law replied neutrally. It was the truth after all. Just like the night before…

He wasn’t about to admit that he couldn’t sleep. Wasn’t about to admit that he could still hear that bastard’s laughter in his head. Not to Bartolomeo’s crew. Not to Luffy.

“Didn’t Rooster-head say we don’t have to worry about that?” Luffy huffed.

Why? Why was he huffing? It wasn’t like it bothered him or anything… It was him doing the night watch, not Luffy.

Law sighed. Something told him too that Luffy wouldn’t accept the same excuse he provided that pirate last night: that he didn’t want to be a free-loader. In fact, Luffy would probably just go off on a tangent that he deserved to and needed rest and relaxation and he didn’t have to do night watches and…

(Which was complete bull shit. Well having to after all.)

And he trusted Luffy, he did, but this just…

It wasn’t something he wanted to talk about. It wasn’t something he was ready or willing to discuss and…

There was the fact that Luffy had saved him.

It was Luffy who defeated his demons. Luffy who had avenged Cora-san for him. Luffy who had stopped Doflamingo – the man who killed his hope, the man who wanted him dead simply for the sake of immortality. Luffy who had prevented his death even though he attempted it.

Luffy, Luffy, Luffy.

Luffy had done everything in his power to help and assist and save him. And it was Luffy who would worry at what he would describe and…

It would be insulting him.

Because Luffy had done so much for him and he was repaying this kindness with only hurting his body more by not sleeping.

(Because if defeating his demons didn’t work… what would?)

Law didn’t admit his insomnia on that night and he sure as hell wasn’t about to now…

It wasn’t a matter of trust. No, it was a matter of preference.

…Trust?

…If there was one thing that damned Strawhat didn’t ruin…

It was that Trafalgar Law was an opportunist. He was meticulous and knew how to answer a question truthfully and hide what he wanted to hide.

“It isn’t very relaxing knowing that complete strangers are in charge of my safety Mugiwara-ya.” Law leaned back, relaxing and concealing the recent thoughts that rampaged through his mind. “Certainly they vowed to protect you, but I’m not on that list. I don’t have complete faith in their capabilities to ensure my well-being while I’m unconscious.”

(Sleep implied dreams, and, well… Law preferred unconsciousness over sleep any night. Even tonight he had woken up with a start and a cold sweat and that laughter ringing in his ears.)

“Especially after the incident with the hail.”

Luffy laughed at the last comment. “But that was fun Torao!”

Trafalgar Law didn’t scoff. “Drowning isn’t my preferred way of death Mugiwara-ya.” No, his voice was just an annoyed droll, that was all. “Remember, we can’t swim.”

“Shishi, you’re too serious sometimes Torao.”

Trafalgar Law did resist an eye roll however. “Better than not being serious enough.” Instead he shrugged before glancing at Luffy when silence ensued.

And Luffy, well he walked up to a railing and just stared. Out to the sea like he did before. Up at the stars that reminded him of his late brother.

“I still miss him.”

(This. This was what was not surprising. Law knew, oh he knew that something had awoken this young, naïve, happy captain tonight. And he had high suspicions on what only to be confirmed on yes, this was it.)

“Ace. But then I think of what you said and I remember that I’ll never stop missing him.”

Law tore his gaze away. That damn Strawhat, reading more into his actions than he should have… He hadn’t done that for Luffy’s sake!

“You’re a good friend Torao.”

And there it was again, that soft laughter, that chuckle that was so typical of Mugiwara no Luffy, and Law knew that if he glanced over the other would be grinning up a him, those dark eyes light up with that laughter…

“Sabo misses him too, but… he’s glad. He’s happy that I lived.”

(Sabo, yes Sabo. He knew that was the cause for this nightly disturbance.)

Law could hear the way Luffy clutched tightly at the railing.

“We’re both lucky I guess.” Again, that laughter.

Law sighed – Luffy made him do that a lot didn’t he? – and his hand itched to pull on his hat. He didn’t know what to say, really. Luffy was fortunate… to have somebody come back from the dead like that…

(Nobody from his past could do that, no. Even if Lami had survived the fire, the amber lead would have claimed her by now. And, even if the way his screams echoed out into the cold frigid air wasn’t an answer enough, his conversation with Sengoku would have been the final nail in the coffin…)

“Life works in strange ways.” He finally said.

And that it did. Trafalgar Law was living proof of that after all.

Luffy nodded. “Mmm, and even though it still hurts, I know I’ll be better eventually. Thank you Torao!” He laughed once more and walked off.

Again. Again with the fucking thanks.

Law was never doing anything for Luffy’s sake. He didn’t back in Marineford, and he definitely didn’t do it back on the Thousand Sunny. His hand clenched. It wasn’t like that! He hadn’t!

He wanted to yell out at Luffy. To tell him that he had no selfless intentions on that night. That he was just doing it for his revenge. That he was just using Luffy for this. That they weren’t friends.

That Trafalgar Law didn’t deserve thanks.

That Trafalgar Law was just a selfish bastard.

“You’re such a fucking idiot…” He groaned.

He didn’t know if he was talking to Luffy, or himself.