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It’s been a while since Law last spent his time alone like this.
The amiable chill brought about by the vast green fields and the humongous trees on the island of Elbaf offers him some calm amidst the thoughts that have been plaguing his mind since last night. The sound of the waves crashing through the shore nearby also provides him with the rhythm of the pendulum that he likes to listen to whenever he wants to keep his focus.
Law has his small notebook and pen in his hands, his back leaning against a huge tree trunk as he writes medical notes in his journal. The first rays of sunlight peeking through the gaps of the clouds finally kiss his skin, and Law closes his eyes for a moment as he lets himself bask in that pleasant warmth.
It’s been an hour since he left the cabin where he and Luffy have been staying for the past two weeks. Law made sure to Shambles a huge pillow to replace himself in hopes of not interrupting Luffy’s sleep, knowing just how much his fiancé needs this rest before they all face the burden of unveiling the secrets lying asleep on the untouched island.
After all, there are only two more days until they finally set sail towards Laugh Tale.
Bepo and Nami have been busy trying to find the route towards Laugh Tale with the help of Robin’s translations, and they seem to have made quite a breakthrough in their research last night. Luffy had been ecstatic after Nami announced that both crews would finally be able to set sail within two days, but Law can’t really say that he shares the exact same sentiment as his fiancé.
Perhaps it is this conflicting feeling playing with the strings of his heart that has kept him awake for most of the night. It’s not like Law is not excited to finally be able to find the answers to his own questions or to see his fiancé finally achieve one of his dreams. And while Law is not personally privy to all the details entailing the dreams of the entire Heart and Strawhat crew, he knows that getting to Laugh Tale will be a huge step for all of them to finally achieve the different forms of freedom that they all seek.
Yet, Law can’t help the foreboding feeling in his chest as he thinks about what is waiting for them in the upcoming weeks. After all, getting to Laugh Tale will finally mark the countdown to the inevitable war that comes upon finding out the ghastly secrets of this world.
The Surgeon is aware of just how much have they all grown after fighting off two Emperors along with their crew. Law is aware of how powerful have they all become, not just in their individual strength but also in the number of people that are willing to back them all up when the war finally comes into their hands.
Yet, Law can’t help but feel worried because recklessness has always been the constant in the complex equation that is one Monkey D. Luffy.
So, Law has decided to take advantage of the quiet scenery on the east side of Elbaf early this morning, near the shore where both of their ships have been docked. Law has been spending the past hour going through all the odds that they might get into during the war, all the severe wounds and burns that his fiancé might get, and all the possible near-death situations that they might face.
For the past hour, Law has been trying to think of all the possible solutions, of all the speed-based surgical procedures that he himself has concocted in case any of them will require such amidst the battle, and all the medication that Chopper has been working on for the past two years which Law will probably need for the success of his surgeries.
Law finally closes his journal and conjures a huge Room to place his notebook back in his drawer. He’s pretty sure that he felt Penguin and Sanji’s presences earlier heading towards the shore, and Law presumes that they will have their breakfast on Thousand Sunny’s deck for this morning. Law’s palette is already craving for the cup of coffee that he has deprived himself of for the past hour, but he also figures that he should go and wake Luffy up just in time for breakfast.
Yet, before the Surgeon can even start walking back towards their cabin, Law feels a wave of panic pulse through the air.
The Surgeon immediately enables his haki to his fullest range, checking if there are any intruders within the island whom the night guards might have failed to notice. There’s a weird sensation thrumming in his veins as seconds tick by, a weird buzzing on his skin that oddly sends him jitters and concern. After all, there are not many people in the world who are strong enough to make him feel this incommodious dread and anxiety.
Until Law starts to feel a presence running through the island, heading directly towards him in a speed that is so familiar to him. The Surgeon could have easily mistook that presence for a person completely stranger to him—if not for the fact that he had spent several sleepless nights with this same person due to the gruesome memories haunting their dreams.
The presence which always seemed so radiant and sanguine—mirthful and jovial despite the atrocities that the world had made him experience—is once again a presence filled with so much pain and sadness and regrets and fear, fear, fear.
Law creates a Room and starts to transport himself to where he feels Luffy’s haki, trying his best to meet Luffy halfway the fastest possible. It’s been a while since Law last felt this very same presence, since Law last felt these begrimed emotions brought about by the monsters living in the farthest corners of their minds—ready to consume them at any moment, ready to jump into them and eat out all their zest in hopes of bringing them back into the darkness.
And when the Surgeon finally manages to transport himself right in front of his fiancé, Luffy’s breath hitches at the sight of Law. His hair is still stricken from sleep, his feet bare of his usual flip-flops as proof of frantically stepping out of their cabin, his straw hat dangling carelessly on his back, and his hand holding on so tightly to the ring hanging on his necklace.
Beads of sweat run from Luffy’s temple down to his chin, and Law can see the slight trembling of his hand as the younger lad traps the ring on his palm, as if there’s anyone else around who will dare to take their ring away. His fiancé is looking at him, staring at him, as if blinking even once will make Law instantly disappear. Luffy’s shoulders and chest heave up and down as he tries to catch his breath, but the younger lad’s focus seems too pivoted on Law to even realize that he’s already on the verge of panic.
“I’m here.”
Law mutters those two words gently, trying to coax Luffy into stepping back from the dangerous cliff of panic attack that he can easily fall into, trying to keep him away from vestiges of horror still waiting for him at the bottom of the ridge, trying to pull him back into their mundane existence amidst the green fields instead of the bleak.
“I’m here.”
Law repeats those words, but Luffy seems not to hear the words nor see the movement of Law’s lips despite the constant staring that the younger lad is doing. Luffy is still staring at Law, yet his vision seems to be stuck in the place where the thin line of nightmares and reality lie, in the place where the thin line between life and death always resides.
“I’m here.”
Law mutters the words once again, this time reaching out for Luffy’s hand. The Surgeon slowly pulls that calloused hand away from their ring before he squeezes it gently, rubbing the back of Luffy’s palm with his thumb. Luffy finally blinks his eyes repeatedly, the beginnings of recognition dawning upon them as the rays of light slowly reflect through those raven eyes.
The younger lad lets out a shaky breath before he squeezes Law’s hand back so tightly that it almost makes the Surgeon wince. Luffy is still looking at him, staring at him, only this time he finally seems to actually see Law standing right in front of him.
“You’re here.”
And when Luffy finally manages to say those words, Law feels like there are several scalpels continuously piercing his chest forcing his heart to stop its beating. Luffy is still looking at him, his eyes reflecting a miscellany of surprise and awe and relief all at once—gratitude encompassing them all like Law’s presence is the only prodigious benison keeping him standing still at the moment.
“You’re here.”
Luffy repeats the words, as if the tangible proof of having Law right in front of him while he feels those hands against his own is not enough to solidify the fact that Law is right here. Luffy continuously repeats those two mere words, continuously murmurs them as if some form of reminder to himself, and memories of the surprise visit from Sabo a few weeks back starts running through the Surgeon’s mind.
“What is Luffy’s biggest fear?”
“You’re here.”
Luffy says once again, as if doing any less would make all of these a fib, a figment of imagination created by his mind only to pacify him and all his fears. Law gulps an imaginary lump in his throat, the prickling on his chest still unstoppable as realization once again dawns upon him.
“Being alone.”
“You’re here.”
Luffy repeats, and Law finally closes the distance between them to place a soft peck on Luffy’s forehead. He moves one of his hands to reach for the younger lad’s hair, letting his fingers run through those soft locks before he once again reiterates the only thing that he knows will always remain to be true.
“I’m here.”
Law says as a reminder and a vow. The Surgeon slowly pulls the younger lad into a hug until Luffy returns that embrace, tight, so tight, as if having no intentions of ever letting him go.
“I’m here.”
Law says almost inaudibly, voice too hushed that the words could have easily been swallowed by the howling of the wind, but the way Luffy nods and buries his face against Law’s chest lets the Surgeon know that his fiancé hears him loud and clear.
“I will always be here, Luffy.”
And when he feels the wet streaks finally falling against his shirt, Law tightens his hold against Luffy before he conjures up another Room, using his devil fruit powers to make their way towards where their ships are docked. Law immediately transports them both towards the captain’s quarters of the Thousand Sunny as soon as the ships are within his range.
The Surgeon then lays Luffy down on their bed, making sure to place both of their hats on their rack, before he situates himself beside the younger lad—continuously whispering promises and reassurances that he’s still there and he’s not going anywhere. The two of them continue to lie right by each other’s side, Law’s hand running towards the back of Luffy’s neck, rubbing circles on it with his thumb in hopes of providing comfort even in the smallest way that he can.
The Surgeon almost surmises that Luffy has fallen back asleep, until Law hears that rough voice echo inside the room. “Can I confess a little something?” Luffy asks, and Law only hums in response before placing a peck on top of Luffy’s head.
“I was feeling really nervous last night after that announcement from Nami and Bepo.”
Well, that isn’t really the confession that Law has been expecting at the moment. The Surgeon immediately tries to run his memories of the previous night in his mind, tries to think back to all the times when Luffy sat beside him and smiled at him, tries to think back to the times when Luffy exclaimed his excitement and asked the people to dance and party with him.
And Law loathes himself for not even noticing the miniscule difference between Luffy’s genuine smile and that which he had been showing them all last night.
“I’m probably getting good at lying, yeah?” Luffy says with a brittle chuckle and Law takes a deep breath as he once again feels that prickling feeling in his chest. The Surgeon nuzzles his nose against his fiancé’s hair before he answers, “You’ve never been good at lying through words, but you’ve always been good at hiding all of your negative emotions.”
“Ah. Doctors really know everything, don’t they?” Luffy asks in a slightly teasing tone, and Law pulls back a little only to flick Luffy in the forehead. The younger lad pouts despite not feeling any pain at the sudden gesture, but Law immediately places a chaste peck on the area anyway. “I know it not because I’m a doctor, but because I’m guilty of doing that, too.”
Luffy blinks repeatedly at that before a soft chuckle finally escapes his lips. “Yeah, you do that a bunch of times, too! I guess we’re the same then? Ah! We really are perfect for each other, yeah?” The younger lad asks as a small smile finally makes its way towards his lips, and it’s then Law’s turn to elicit a chuckle.
“I wouldn’t say that we are. I am a huge mess, after all.”
“Well, I’m a mess, too.”
“Then that makes us even less compatible, no?”
“I say that makes us perfect for each other.”
“We are getting out of topic, Luffy-ya.”
“Oh, right! Where were we?”
Law can’t help but laugh a little at how their conversation has gone astray, as usual. Yet, Law also feels a little relieved at how their exchange is getting lighter despite the incident early this morning.
“You said you were feeling nervous last night. Why didn’t you try to tell me?” Law asks to get them back on track. Luffy just continues to stare at Law as he bites his inner lip, seemingly contemplating how should he articulate his answer. After a few more seconds of listening to the quiet, Luffy finally heaves out a sigh and shrugs.
“You were also feeling nervous, right? I didn’t want to add up to your worries,” Luffy says with a little pout, as if everything that happened since last night is all because of his own shortcomings. Law closes his eyes for a moment and takes a deep breath, before he runs his hand towards Luffy’s to interlace their fingers together.
“I’m sorry I didn’t notice your nerves last night,” Law starts, but Luffy immediately interrupts him with, “It’s not your fault.”
“Well, it’s not your fault either, is it?” Law answers back and Luffy furrows his brows a little, his lips pursing and his eyes looking at anywhere else but Law as he says, “I didn’t think it was my fault anyway.”
Law can’t help but chuckle at that, reaching out for Luffy’s forehead to flick it another time, this time infusing his fingers with a little bit of haki. “Didn’t I already tell you that you suck at lying through words?” The Surgeon says with a small smile, but Luffy only rubs his forehead before he reaches for Law’s forehead to flick it, too—a little too harder than Law did which finally earns Luffy a wince from the Surgeon.
Of course. Of course, his fiancé would think that this is a teeny little competition that he needs to win, too.
“And how did that go for you? Trying to act like you’re okay, I mean,” Law asks despite already having an inkling about Luffy’s answer. Law is aware that this is not a field of his specialization—despite all the years that he spent trying to self-diagnose himself—but he knows that he can listen intently to his partner until Luffy can finally fully process the incident this morning and all its connections with the events last night.
“I tried to sleep it all off. I thought that I’d be fine when morning comes but…” Luffy takes a moment to pause, and Law doesn’t miss the second his eyes glance at the portraits hanging on the wall across their bed. “I ended up having a bad dream.”
Law only hums in affirmation, letting the younger lad know that he’s still listening without trying to interrupt him. Luffy starts running his fingers across Law’s arm instead, tracing the lines of his tattoos as if trying to find the words to articulate his thoughts through those dark lines. After a few more moments of nothing but silence amidst the room, Luffy finally continues.
“They will come for us once we set sail to Laugh Tale.” The words are uttered not as a question, but as a mere statement of the fact that they will be facing in the next few days. “And in my dreams, they are taking all the important people in my life away from me—again.”
Ah. So they have once again appeared in Luffy’s dream, haven’t they?
“It’s so weird how dreams can both play in slow motion and also happen so fast, right? It’s always been like that. One by one. Little by little. First really slowly—and then coming at me all at once. It’s like they’re making sure that I can vividly see how they’re taking you all away from me, but then it will happen so fast for me to even react on time and take you back.
“It was like Sabaody all over again. One by one. Little by little. First really slowly—and then coming at me all at once. I couldn’t even save one person. I couldn’t even do anything about it. I was just there, watching helplessly as they took my crew away from me, as they took your crew away from you.
“It was like Marineford all over again. I thought I was strong enough to face all these monsters, but they still managed to take people away from me. They still managed to take away the freedom that I thought I already have—no matter how little that freedom may be. After all, we are pirates, aren’t we? We’re supposed to be free, right?
“And then it was like Ruskaina all over again.” Luffy finally takes a moment to pause, to take a deep breath and process all these emotions flooding him as he recalls the nightmare that has caused this panic and stress early this morning. Law lets the younger lad continue tracing the tattoos on his arms until he can finally continue.
“It was like Ruskaina all over again. Because the next thing I know—I was all alone screaming in that darkness.”
Law gulps a lump in his throat as he feels the weight of the guilt stabbing him in the chest once again. After all, it’s so easy to forget that he’s not the only one who is feeling uneasy because of the thoughts of what is waiting ahead of them; that he’s not the only one who is still plagued by the pain and regrets even several years after losing their precious treasures; that he’s not the only one who has this fear of losing yet another person in his life after starting to gain this semblance of bliss within this new family.
With all those smiles and merry laughter, it’s so easy to forget that Luffy carries the same sin and burden as him.
Before Law could even start to drown in all the worries about his stupid blunders and incompetency as Luffy’s partner, the Surgeon hisses as Luffy suddenly flicks him in the forehead harder than he did earlier, and Law almost worries that his skull would have a dent from Luffy’s attack.
“It’s not your fault, you dummy,” Luffy says before Law can even voice out his protests, and Law feels all the arguments caught up in his throat as his eyes once again meet Luffy’s. The Surgeon takes a deep breath while rubbing his forehead before he answers, “I didn’t think it was my fault anyway.”
“Liar.”
Of course. Of course, Luffy will see through all his lies despite him not having a tell when it comes to lying. The two of them only stares at each other for a moment or two, seemingly having this silent argument over this little incident, before Law finally sighs in defeat.
“I know that neither of us are at fault in here,” Law starts, trying to choose his words carefully to articulate his thoughts properly. “But I still want to apologize for amplifying that feeling of loneliness after you woke up from a nightmare with no one by your side.”
Law immediately raises his hand as Luffy seems to want to argue, probably to convince him once again that it is not his fault for wanting to be alone and clear his thoughts. The Surgeon then pinches Luffy’s cheeks ever so lightly before he says, “I know you think that it’s not my fault, but I still want to be there when things like this happen. I still want to be there to remind you that it’s just a dream, to remind you that you are not going through all of these challenges alone, and to remind you that no matter what happens—I will always stay.”
Law then leans in and nuzzles the tip of his nose against Luffy’s, pulling away a little only so he can look Luffy in the eyes and flaunt a small smile before he finally continues.
“After all, we’re partners, right?”
Luffy lets out a shaky breath as he hears those words, and Law leans in to place chaste pecks on the marks of dried tears on Luffy’s cheeks. The younger lad chuckles at the gesture, and Law feels the weight in his heart slowly getting lifted the more he sees that smile so befitting to one Monkey D. Luffy.
The two of them basks in the warmth of the sheets and the silence amidst their small haven. Law lets his hand run on Luffy’s back once again, slowly coursing his fingers across that back while he hums his favorite song. He doesn’t miss the way Luffy smiles as he hears the song once again, and he takes it as his cue to continue humming along with the gentle ministrations on Luffy’s back.
The younger lad’s eyes are slowly becoming more droopy, the fatigue of waking up from yet another nightmare probably coming back to bite him. Law then moves his hand to ruffle Luffy’s hair before he mutters, “You should sleep.”
Luffy doesn’t even try to fight off the way his eyes are shutting down from the exhaustion. Yet, Law should have really known just how stubborn his fiancé could really be.
“But breakfast will come soon…”
“I promise to wake you up just in time for breakfast, Luffy-ya.”
The younger lad keeps his silence for another moment, before he poses a question which doesn’t cease to send Law a farrago of emotions.
“Will you stay?”
It doesn’t really matter if this is a question that he has to answer over and over again. It doesn’t really matter if this is a question that will pop up once again later, tomorrow, or in all the other days to come. If the Surgeon can provide Luffy with what little reassurance that he can so long as he answers this question, then Law will never tire of reminding him of his answer.
“I will. Always.”
It doesn’t even take them half a minute until Law notices the gentle heaving of Luffy’s shoulders and the small smile on his partner’s face with his eyes already closed. Law starts humming once again in hopes of letting his partner fall into a deeper slumber, a peaceful repose after the disquiet that he had to experience this morning.
And when he finally deduces that Luffy is deep asleep, the Surgeon slowly gets up to sit and lean against the headboard instead. Law conjures a small room and uses his Takt to get his clipboard with all the blank scented papers still clipped on it, along with his pen lying on top of their desk.
Law has been too preoccupied trying to set sail towards Elbaf, and trying to enjoy what little time of peace and serenity does he have left with his fiancé before the inevitable comes—that he almost forgot the one thing that he promised himself he would do after the shenanigans with Garp, Sabo, and Shanks.
Yet, this one little incident this morning just reminded him of the promise that he wanted to make and of the letter that he said he would have to eventually write. The Surgeon takes a moment to glance between Luffy and the papers on his lap before he finally writes a greeting on the scented paper.
‘Hey, Ace-ya.’
Law feels a sudden chill run down his spine upon writing down that greeting. He has never been too convinced about the lingering connection between the world of the living and the dead, but denying the existence of such also feels like denying the warmth that he feels whenever he’s writing a letter to Cora-san. So, the Surgeon can’t help but roll his eyes and chuckle at the odd drop in temperature within the room. Millions of distance between this island and the afterlife, yet Law can still feel Ace glaring at him and threatening him for trying to taint his little brother.
‘Stop glaring at me, why don’t you? It’s already kind of awkward trying to talk to you on a letter considering that we’ve never even met each other before. Let’s try not to make this even worse than how it should really be.’
It’s not the first time that Law is writing a letter to a person from the afterlife. Yet, he still feels a little stupid for trying to argue with Luffy’s brother as if he can really feel his presence around. But Law has long since thrown the idea of rationality in the air when a wise person reminded him to do whatever the hell he wants—especially if it’s stupid.
‘Garp, Sabo, and even Shanks got their chance to meet me and give me the shovel talk in all their little unique ways of doing so. Even if Sabo already fought me to have your share of the blessing for my marriage with your little brother, I figured that it would still be rude not to talk to you.’
Law takes a glance at Luffy still sleeping beside him, gulping an imaginary lump on his throat as he remembers the memories of a certain night in Ruskaina when he found the younger lad scraping on his chest, trying to dig his fingers deeper into that huge burn as if doing so would make all the bad feelings go away, as if doing so would change the series of events which eventually lead to his demise.
‘After all, you were his big brother, too.’
Law immediately brushes the somber thoughts away with all the stories that Luffy painted out for him through his words, with all the adventures that Luffy told him in vivid details as if all of it happened yesterday, and with all these little what if’s fueled by the two portraits hanging on the wall.
‘Based on all the stories that I’ve heard from Luffy, I figured that you would be just as opposed to this relationship as Sabo first was. You would probably hunt me down and try to kill me without even giving me the chance to express the sincerity of my intentions for Luffy.’
Memories of his fight with Sabo resurfaces into his mind, and Law can’t help but smirk at the thought that Ace—as impulsive and as short-tempered as he is based on Luffy’s stories—will probably burn the whole forest down in hopes of ending the life of the person trying to get married to his little brother.
‘I’ve already done the courting practice of your country, courtesy of Garp. Sabo has already tried to fight me and even has all the dirt of my past that can easily put me down in his hands. Shanks has already talked to me about my feelings for Luffy amidst all his booze shenanigans. I guess that you don’t have the space to tell me anything anymore. Not that I can hear you from where I am anyway.
So, in return, would you listen to me for a moment?’
Law almost wants to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Within that decade of writing and keeping all these letters for Cora-san, not once did he think that there would be another person in the afterlife whom he would want to share his thoughts to.
‘Sabo told me about that little incident back when you were still kids, about the time when the two of you finally understood why Luffy kept on following you around, about the fear which has already been rooted deep into his mind and heart.
And earlier, Luffy had another bad dream about this certain fear of his.’
Luffy starts shifting in his sleep—his face sour and his breathing becoming more erratic. Law reaches out for Luffy’s hand and squeezes it gently, smiling a little as Luffy stops twitching and unconsciously holds Law’s hand back, slowly falling back into a trance.
‘I know just how much your death has brought him strength as much as it has brought him suffering. After all, there will probably be never enough time in this world to process the pain, to stop all the nightmares from coming back, to keep all the regrets from eating him away, or to keep the fear of losing another person away from his mind.
I know just how much your death has caused this monster hiding at the back of his mind to finally resurface, just how much your death has amplified this fear of once again falling back into the despair of weakness and loneliness.
After all, you and Sabo were his very first friends, weren’t you?’
Law takes a glance at the burn on Luffy’s chest, before he finally shifts his gaze towards the portraits across their bed. Law takes a moment to stare at the painting of the three brothers, who seem to enjoy watching the clouds as they breeze through the wind; of the smiles on each of their faces; and of all the burn scars still lingering on their bodies.
‘I know just how much your death has amplified the strength of these monsters in his mind, but I can never bring myself to blame you for that. Not just because Luffy has helped me in finally being freed from the strings, and not just because Luffy has made me feel the happiness that I never even thought I deserved to feel. I can never blame you for trading your life in exchange for Luffy’s safety.
After all, I was once a big brother, too.’
Law lets out a shaky breath as he remembers the brunette kid on a hospital bed, trying to get all the courage that she could through the promises and reassurances that her big brother kept on telling her. Law lets out a shaky breath as he remembers the brunette kid who trusted her big brother with all of her heart, so much that she didn’t even hesitate to believe her brother that hiding in the closet would keep her safe.
‘I guess, one way or another, I understand the notion of wanting to protect your little sibling. I understand just how narrow our perspectives can be when danger comes towards them. After all, there’s nothing else in our mind aside from getting them away from harm, aside from keeping them away from the venomous world trying to claim them—even if it means trading our own lives for the sake of their own tomorrow.
I was once a big brother, too. But the only difference between the two of us is the fact that you were able to successfully protect your little sibling—and I wasn’t.’
Law takes a deep breath as he closes his eyes for a moment, memories of the past once again flashing through his mind—of the burning hospital, of the blood amidst the snow, of the gunshots outside the treasure chest.
‘I failed to protect a lot of people in my life. Quite an ironic record for a person who once had a dream to be a doctor, and probably not the kind of record that you’d rely on for a person who wants to marry your little brother. But…’
—but Law has long since resolved to move forward from his mistakes, to accept the weaknesses that he has and to use it as his steppingstone for the future lying ahead of him. Law has already resolved not to run away again—not from his nightmares, not from his pain, and not from the memories which reminds him of all his faults.
‘I hope that you’d still let me protect the life that you wanted to protect. I hope that you’d still let me protect that smile on his face, all the dreams that he treasures, and the family that he chose to be with.
I can’t promise that I’ll be able to keep all the nightmares or push all of his fears away. I can’t promise that I can heal the fright already rooted in his heart. I can’t promise that I’ll be able to erase all the pain or help him move forward from the memories of that fateful day.’
Law has never been fond of baseless promises. He has never been fond of words which only seem like fake reassurances when no one in this world knows what the future will entail. He has never been fond of making a pledge when he himself has never been sure about a lot of things—has only ever been sure of the death awaiting for him, and even that ended up being a mistake.
‘But please allow me to promise you one thing.’
Yet, there is one thing which Law is sure that will continue to be true from this moment until the end of his scanty existence in this world.
‘I can promise to never let Luffy feel alone ever again, to stay right by his side—now, tomorrow, and every other day after that until I reach the end of this journey with him.
So, you don’t have to worry about him anymore, Ace-ya.’
“Meat…”
Law chuckles a little as he hears the mumbling from his fiancé. There’s a distinct sound of cabinets opening and closing from the kitchen, and Law can feel Nami’s presence in the navigation room once again along with Bepo. The Surgeon rubs Luffy’s hand with his thumb before he finally writes the last few messages that he wants to convey.
‘I hope that you’d find peace in our marriage through this letter, Ace-ya.
P.S. If you ever see a tall blonde man wearing a huge black feather-coat with a weird make-up on his face, I hope that you can help me in keeping the said man out of trouble.
After all, I wouldn’t want Cora-san to be thrown out of heaven for something as stupid as tripping over and accidentally burning the deity’s clothing.
Sincerely,
Trafalgar D. Water Law, your future brother-in-law’
“Eat more meat, Laaaaw.”
The Surgeon can’t help but elicit a chuckle as he realizes how Luffy is still making him eat more even in his dreams. Law gently removes his hand from the younger lad’s hold only to ruffle his hair gently as he answers, “Breakfast will be ready in a few, Luffy-ya.”
Law then folds the letter into three sections before he uses his Shambles to grab an envelope from the top-most drawer of their desk. The Surgeon stands up from the bed and heads to the corner of the room where a new safety vault is situated. Law takes one, two, maybe three or more seconds of just staring at the vault as he tries to push the churning feeling away every time he presses the code to open their safety vault.
After all, he never really thought that Luffy would remember the exact date when their alliance was formed.
As soon as the vault opens, he places his letter on the right side where his former letters to Cora-san are all piled up. He takes a look at the tone dials on the left side of the vault where Luffy’s letters sit, and a small smile plays on his lips as he realizes that another tone dial has been added to the set.
“Hmm? Did’ya write another letter to Cora-san?”
Law shifts his gaze to Luffy when the younger lad’s groggy voice echo inside the room. The Surgeon can’t help but smile at the sight of Luffy with his hair still disheveled, rubbing his eyes gently before a yawn escapes his lips. “Ah, no. Not this time around,” Law answers as he locks the vault once again.
Luffy furrows his brows and tilts his head at that answer, opting to sit at the edge of the bed and dangle his feet on the ground as he asks, “Who did’ya write for then?” Law proceeds to walk back towards the bed, leaning in to place another peck on Luffy’s forehead before he answers, “It’s a letter to Ace.”
A wide smile immediately flaunts in Luffy’s face as he hears those words. Yet, before the younger lad can even jump out of bed and probably wrap himself around Law ten times over, Sanji suddenly knocks hard on the door with an announcement.
“Oi, lovebirds! Breakfast on the deck! Now!”
Luffy gasps in excitement upon hearing Sanji’s voice, but the beam on his face is immediately replaced by a purse on his lips, as if he’s currently facing the biggest dilemma of his life. Law can’t help but chuckle at the sight before he walks to grab their hats on the rack, placing Luffy’s straw hat on top of his head. “We can talk about it during breakfast,” Law says as he grabs Luffy’s hand and transports them both towards the deck.
The two of them is immediately welcomed by the noise on the deck as both crews start filling up their plates before Luffy can have the chance to finish them all. Like a part of a certain routine, Luffy grabs two plates and starts placing all sorts of food on it before handing one to Law—making sure to eat all the bread that he got before the Surgeon can even complain about it. Law surmises that the younger lad has already forgotten about the letter and starts eating his own share, until Luffy starts rambling with his mouth full of food.
“Did you talk about our engagement to Ace? Shishishi! Ace is gonna be soooo against this marriage! Ah, it would have been fun if you two met. Did’ya know that Marco told me he can lead us to where Ace and Shirohige-ossan are? Oh! But then we should also visit Cora-san!! Should we visit now or maybe later? Ah, but it’s gonna be our wedding after the battle!! Do you know where Cora-san’s grave is?”
Law chuckles a little and grabs a table napkin before handing it to Luffy. The younger lad begrudgingly accepts the offer, wiping his lips immediately before he folds the table napkin in half lest Law cut him up again into a thousand pieces in the middle of their breakfast. Law grabs his cup of coffee and sips on it, placing it carefully back on its holder before he answers.
“I know the marine base where Cora-san’s grave is.”
A smirk immediately forms on Law’s lips as he sees the glint in Luffy’s eyes. The noise on the deck is starting to dwindle as seconds tick by, until there’s nothing else but the sound of the waves crashing against the shore and the breeze of the wind pushing the clouds away to make way for the sunlight shining upon the deck.
The Surgeon props his elbow on top of the table before leaning his chin on his palm, shifting his gaze towards his fiancé as he finally asks.
“Luffy-ya. Do you want to do something stupid?”
Ah. Law has really long since thrown the idea of rationality out of the windows. There’s no benefit in trying to visit Cora-san now, of all times. There’s no advantage in making themselves seen before the start of the final war. There’s no proper logic to support the idea that the two of them are probably agreeing on at the moment.
Yet, Law still feels so oddly accomplished and utterly in bliss as he sees the wide smile on Luffy’s face. The younger lad only laughs that signature laughter of his before he stands up and finally makes his announcement.
“Buckle up guys!! We’re sneaking inside a marine base!!!”
Stupid people, they really are. But Law knows that he will never trade his idiot for anybody else.
—
The freckled man narrows his eyes as he stares at the tall blonde man profusely apologizing to one of the residents of this place. He may not have been here to witness the incident, but surely one can’t just accidentally fall over on this grassy and flat terrain until said man almost rolls over a dog who is just peacefully playing catch with their owner, right?
“I’m sorry again! Have a nice day!”
The tall blonde man waves his goodbye to the owner of the dog, and only then does he notice the stare of the man standing a few meters away from him. Said man, with his black wavy hair dancing to the breeze of the wind, has his arms crossed against his chest and his brows furrowed as if the blonde did something to offend him.
The blonde blinks his eyes repeatedly, trying to remember where has he seen that face staring at him as if seeking to see through his soul—and recognition comes when the freckles dancing across the cheeks of the man finally catches his attention.
“Ah! You’re that guy!” The blonde exclaims as he starts walking towards the man, only to trip on the grass and face-plant on the field, again. That seems to finally break the chill in the air as the younger man bursts out in laughter. The blonde only groans as he sits cross-legged on the ground instead, grabbing his red hat and placing it on top of his head once again.
“Man. Law was right. You are one big trouble,” the younger lad says as he wipes the stray tears from the corners of his eyes. The blonde would have been a little more embarrassed for tripping in front of the stranger, if not for the excitement bubbling out of him as he hears the name of his son coming from this man.
“Ace, right? Luffy’s older brother.”
Those words seem to finally get the freckled-man out of his high, and a small smile plays on his lips before he properly bows his head to introduce himself. “Ace, the future pirate king’s older brother.” Ace straightens up before he heads towards the blonde, moving to sit by his side before he asks, “Cora-san, right? I’ve been looking for you ever since Luffy composed a letter for you, not that I knew what you looked like back then. But man, this place is huge!”
The blonde only chuckles at that before he nods as an answer. “I agree. I don’t think I’ve met all the people of this place even when it’s been ages since I got here. The name is Rosinante, by the way. But I guess I’m used to getting called as Cora-san now. Even Luffy calls me with that name.”
Ace chuckles a little at that before he nudges Corazon’s shoulder with his own. “You better be thankful that he remembered your name! Guess that only means that you left a mark on him. He either butchers one full name or just gives silly nicknames to the people around him.”
“Well, he did call Law as ‘Torao’ for quite some time.”
Ace only rubs the back of his neck upon hearing that statement, before a sigh escapes his lips. “I really hate to admit this, but that one is more of an endearment rather than him simply not knowing how to pronounce Law’s name.” That statement seems to confuse the blonde, his head tilting a little as he looks at Ace with his brows a little furrowed.
“What I mean is, I’ve heard Luffy say Law’s full name over and over again in front of the mirror. So I’m pretty sure that Luffy remembers every single syllable of that name that sounds so out of this world.”
Corazon only blinks repeatedly at that cute information before a chuckle finally escapes his lips. “You know what? I expected you to feel a lot more…” Corazon takes a moment to pause, snapping his fingers repeatedly as he tries to think of the word to describe Ace without actually offending the younger lad.
“A lot more furious over the fact that Law exists in that world and is actually trying to get married to my innocent little brother?” Ace says instead to fill up the blank in Corazon’s mind. The blonde can’t help but laugh at the statement before he nods at him, even if he doesn’t really agree that Luffy is anywhere near being innocent.
“I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t try to find some ways to go back there the moment I found out that Luffy wanted to get married to him, even if I already had an inkling that it would all lead to this marriage the moment he accepted Law’s offer for an alliance.”
Corazon takes a moment to let those words sink into his mind. He isn’t sure if he feels more surprised over the fact that Ace is keen enough to have seen this development coming back in Punk Hazard, or over the fact that this man is a little too overprotective to actually look for ways to go back there because his brother wants to get married.
“I’d be lying if I said that watching the two of them act so lovey-dovey didn’t make me feel so furious. All those forehead kisses? All those nose nuzzles? And don’t even get me started with those cuddles in the morning! Don’t those brats know how to hold back?!”
Ace then takes a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment the same way he remembers Sabo teaching him whenever his emotions are getting the better of him. After a few more seconds of silence between them, the younger man then heaves a sigh as he continues, “I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t like the prospect of Luffy getting married at first, but for some reason, I just can’t seem to actually dislike Law.”
Corazon can’t help but chuckle at the burst of emotions and honesty that he’s being shown in just the few minutes that they’ve started talking to each other. The former marine decides to push a few more buttons and take advantage of this affinity as he asks, “What do you think is that reason then?”
Ace glances at him for a moment before he leans back with both of his hands on the grass to support himself. A small smirk flaunts on his face as he shifts his gaze towards the field before he answers, “Probably the same reason why you’re not mad at Luffy, even when that brat is causing all this chaos in Law’s life.”
Corazon blinks repeatedly at that, and he can’t help the laughter that escapes him when he realizes that Ace is a lot more intuitive than he first expected. The blonde takes a moment to find his calm before he finally voices out the thoughts probably running through both of their minds.
“Luffy saved Law’s life and is making Law really happy,” Corazon says.
“Law saved Luffy’s life and is making Luffy really happy,” Ace replies.
The two of them only share another moment of silence, watching the other residents of the place walk around and interact with one another—until Ace breaks the silence with a snicker that reminds Corazon of the young lad about to cause another havoc within a marine base with his son.
“I just had a really great idea,” Ace says with a grin. Corazon closes his eyes for a moment before a sigh escapes his lips, because watching his father and his son deal with Luffy and his family is enough to let him know that there’s nothing else but trouble in whatever is in Ace’s mind.
“I don’t really think I trust the concept of ‘great ideas’ from Luffy’s family.”
That only causes a hearty laughter to bubble out of Ace’s chest as the younger lad repeatedly smacks Corazon’s shoulders. The blonde only heaves out another sigh before Ace finally announces this great idea of him.
“Do you wanna send a letter to Luffy and Law?”
Well, Corazon will have to take back all of his earlier assumptions. He’d be lying if he said that it didn’t occur to him to send a letter to Law after watching his son write him letters for so long. Yet, not once had Corazon ever thought that he would actually find a way to send them letters from this place.
Ace’s words from earlier flashes through his mind, and he can’t help the grin forming on his lips as he realizes that this is probably related to whatever Ace found out during the time when he was looking for ways to go back to realm of the living. Corazon finally heaves out a sigh, already sure that he can’t back down anyway now that he finally has the chance to talk at least once to his son. The former marine extends his hand towards Ace, and the two of them shares wide grins on their faces as they start the undertaking of this little alliance between the two of them.
“Deal.”
Well, maybe Luffy’s family do have some great ideas, after all.