Chapter Text
* * * Before Minion Island * * *
Luck had a funny sway over the course of Rosinante’s life. Three weeks was enough time to make it to Minion Island where the trade for the Ope-Ope fruit would take place. But Law’s condition worsened each day, his fever rising and non-stop shivering.
He shouldn’t have counted on his fortune holding when Rosinante and Law sailed on steady oceans for once. A rare moment of water burbling against the hull and the wind cracking against the sails.
Until a sea king geysered forth from the sea’s surface and almost capsized the boat.
"Law!"—was all Rosinante could think, and he felt a sense of relief upon seeing the boy holding onto the mast and tucked in his cloak.
Rosinante regained his balance on the lurching boat, and approached to check the safety of his charge.
—It was his luck that Rosinante slipped on a puddle from the earlier splash-show from the sea king and into the ocean.
“Cora—!”
Rosinante woke up coughing and a slap to the face. Cloudy spotted grey and damp fur was the first impression, then he took in the whiskers, the snout and the familiar steely eyes with flecks of gold wherever the light hit. A seal, a young pup no bigger than Law, stared at him.
What’s a seal doing here?—Where’s Law?!
Then with a voice Rosinante would recognise anywhere, the seal spoke, “Cora-san? Are you okay?”
Only the children at the Donquixote Family called him Cora-san. Only one kid had been with him for the last few months.
“Law?! Is that you?! W-what happened to you? Who did this?!”
Embarrassing to say that it took Rosinante some time to settle down and stop gaping because how else does one react when your kid turned into a seal.
“You’re a selkie?”
“What else would I be?” The seal—Law—if Rosinante thought Law as a thirteen-year-old child was fragile (despite the boy’s vehement argument against otherwise), it didn’t compare to the petite size of a seal pup that couldn’t reach Rosinante’s knee—
“But, but—you never indicated anything of the like!”
Law would’ve rolled his eyes if he could’ve, instead he settled for a scoff but the motion only made him more endearing. “I’d be a terrible one if anyone could tell.”
The wondrous revelation that Shorefolk were more than stories battled with the gnawing worry Law was possibly in more danger than Rosinante initially thought. Within the black market, now and then there’d be vendors bragging about their selkie products, such as leather shoes or bags, but no one could confirm whether they were the genuine article or if it was a scam to hook guilible buyers.
“And, and you’re okay telling me?” Rosinante tried not to tear up. It took a lot for a kid like Law to trust people, if the way Law had spent the first weeks with Rosinante trying to escape his sight said anything.
Law studied his flippers, as if he was looking at himself for the first time, and said, “I think I rather someone know than never.”
Rosinante failed to keep his emotions as he blubbered, “Was it hard, keeping it a secret all this time?”
“It’s not that big of a deal!” Law said. He took a contemplative moment. “Compared to the lead poisoning, hiding from people is easier.”
Rosinante sobered up, remembering their predicament. “The Ope Ope Fruit’s your best bet but if it takes away your swimming…”
“It’s not like I stop being a selkie like you stop being a human. Swimming doesn’t matters if—” Law broke into coughs.
Rosinante rushed to Law’s side and pat him on the back, his sleek fur still damp.
“Why didn’t you dry up?!” Rosinante dug into his backpack and took out a towel, drying the fur methodically and snuggling him into the towel.
He tried not to react when Law’s fluffy seal head poked out of the towel blanket. “I’m a seal, I can’t get colds. Not more worse than I already am.”
“How did you turn into a seal?”
“I just do? I grabbed my pelt, stretch it out—not physically—and I change.”
Rosinante remembered the whispered stories of stolen skins forcefully bounding the selkies to the land. The chocolate brown spots on Law’s white fur, and how odd it was seeing him without his—
“That’s why you keep your hat close,” Rosinante said.
Law nodded. “Selkies can shape their pelt into whatever shape they want. It makes it easier to hide. The hat was my baby fur. But I’m supposed to grow into my new coat later on and I won’t need this anymore.”
“What happens if you lose it? Or someone takes it? You didn’t tell any at the Donquixote Family, did you?” Rosinante said, extra protective of his charge.
“I’m not stupid, my—Mother always warned me about the wrong people learning what I am,” Law said with a hoarse voice. “I’m changing back before anyone else sees—“
“Wait a moment!”
“Mm?” Law the seal tilted his tiny head, and it was too difficult for Rosinante to resist.
“Don’t worry Law!” Rosinante grabbed the pup in one swift motion, ignoring Law’s yelp as he snuggled with his seal kid. No one will take away Law's freedom if it was the last thing Rosinante did. "Hold on a bit longer and you'll be cured!
Law smacked Rosinante’s much bigger hands with his tiny flippers, barely hurting. Rosinante couldn't see any red hints of embarrassment under his fur but his tone said it all. Rosinante grinned wider. Really, how could anyone be afraid of such a child?
“Put me down—Cora-san!”