Chapter Text
Millenia ago, further back than most can remember, a mortal caught the attention of the Sun as it peered over the horizon one morning. While most beings mortal and immortal alike tended to offer massive amounts of worship and deference towards the Sun for being the center of life, this little human down in the lower realm seemed to regard the Sun as a friend. An equal. How comically absurd, the Sun thought.
This little one didn’t see the Sun as a rival either the way countless before it had. This one didn’t seem to hold any ambitions to shoot the Sun down or attempt to devour its essence for the sake of power. The human simply smiled up at the sun when morning came, and bid it goodbye when dusk rolled around. So peculiar.
Could it be because the human lived in such a cold climate where the clouds sprawled across the skies, perpetually staining it gray in their likeness? The Sun enjoyed the clouds’ company in the sky, but rarely did the Sun want to ruin their good fun by bearing down on them. Could this human perhaps yearn for the Sun to stick around longer?
Ridiculous. Those who begged for the Sun’s blessings often performed some sort of dance or offered live sacrifice. This human was far too strange, the Sun thought. Then one day, the Sun got a good look at the human’s face for the first time and what had started out as a passing curiosity quickly evolved into ardent interest.
Such beauty!
The Sun wasn’t sure what this human’s main trade was, but the fingers were fine and the eyes were sharp. Tall lean body, dark hair and eyes of liquid gold that glimmered with the light of the soul residing within its earthly vessel. The Sun was an ancient being, but it had never experienced such feelings and desires. It would weave together its finest threads of light, ranging from bright pinks, rich purples and glimmering golds, and create an exquisite gossamer veil that shone softly.
Warm, but not enough to burn. Bright, but not enough to be blinding. A gift that the Sun bestowed upon the mortal every day at dawn, and began crafting a new one every day at dusk. All the inhabitants of the lower realm would hold their breaths whenever the Sun cast the veil across the skies, wondering if the human understood how lucky they were to be favored by one of the primordials.
The ones living in the upper realm however, were of the opinion that this mortal was terribly cursed.
With hunger under its domain, the Sun oversaw things like the birth, growth and propagation of flora and fauna for others to take sustenance from, the fire that burned in one’s eyes to fuel their strive towards ambition, and the warmth in one’s belly that helped them revel in simpler pleasures. Naturally, this meant that the Sun itself had an enormous appetite incomparable to any other immortal. Once it had decided that it wanted something, that desire persisted for countless years.
More more more, the Sun took until its lust was satisfied. Typically uncaring of the consequences that came after as no other being had the power to stop it.
Thus it came to no one’s surprise when, even after the day had ended, the sun would peek into the lower realm with the help of the moon, granting it a bit of its light in return. The more the Sun saw, the more it craved. Soon, the window that the moon provided became insufficient to slake the Sun’s ever deepening desires.
Overcome with them, the Sun did something very few immortals deigned to do. In the dead of night, the Sun sent a portion of itself down to the lower realm. For the mortals that saw the primordial’s partial descent, it appeared none at all different compared to stars shooting across the sky. Only this one headed straight down and touched earth with two human-like feet.
The Sun took the visage of a young man. His hair glowed a soft white, not unlike the light that the Sun gifted the moon in return for its selfish favors. With a wave of his hand, a long white item materialized out of thin air, slithered around his back and floated over his shoulders. It possessed the appearance of clouds with its deceptively soft swirls and curls, behaved like a snake with how it coiled and snapped, and it was warm like fire — white fire that shone with the light of the sun. It was his hagoromo, an item that was like a crown for primordial beings like the Sun. It signified his exalted status. His true identity.
Even the grass and the ants beneath his feet bowed timidly as he made his way through the clearing. The winds flew down from its playground up above to greet him, ruffling his hair playfully and asking him his intentions for descending. The clouds cried for him, not wanting to lose their lord and companion. The Sun needed only to click his tongue in annoyance and the whole world stilled. He was not in the mood to answer questions or entertain pitiful farewells. The lower realm wasn’t that far away from where most of him still resided, so it wasn’t like he truly left.
He was here for one objective and one objective only. To find his favorite little human and have them all to himself. After he’s devoured everything this mortal could offer, the Sun will return to its throne in the sky and it will be as if none of this had ever happened. The Sun had observed this mortal through several lifetimes now. Their last two lives were as a man, and this one was spent as a woman. One thing that’s never changed however, were the piercing gold eyes and the lustrous dark hair.
In every life, his beloved was always kind. Always giving. Ever the gentle soul that eagerly fluttered about helping those around them. The Sun would see this little human give away everything they had for those in need, hesitate to kill animals when it attacked first, take in other broken creatures and unfortunate souls into their abode to treat and care for. As a being who always took and did as he pleased, the Sun was fascinated by such acts of senseless giving.
How would that fulfill you, my love? He always wondered.
The Sun also saw that his beloved was a collector of sorts. In every life, this human kept a little box of shiny round items that looked a lot like precious metals. The items gleamed and twinkled when sunshine hit it just right. They reminded the Sun of his beloved’s eyes. Perhaps this golden soul found kinship in the valuable little trinkets.
My beloved is a treasure.
The Sun searched for her, and became both puzzled and frustrated when days passed by without any sign of the woman anywhere. He was sure that this was where he saw her last. She couldn’t have gotten far. She’s spent her whole life in this frozen village living with her physician father and mother.
Although the humans instinctively bowed their heads upon seeing him as they should, their nervous trembling proved to be inconducive to the Sun’s search for his human. So one morning the Sun decided to go with dark hair of his own just like his human. Locks that wouldn’t float or flicker about like a flame that had life of its own. Something more basic. His eyes shifted from brilliant sunrise red to a rich brown and his hagoromo was made imperceptible to human eyes, all to ensure that his appearance would stop causing unnecessary distractions.
It wasn’t until two days later when a crowd had gathered at the cemetery area did the Sun finally found her. All eyes were on the cold body of a young lady, laid bare and humiliated in her final moments after what seemed to be endless days of brutalization. Red stained her thighs and parts of her face while the rest of her body was a broken canvas littered with blooming bruises in every color there was.
The Sun had always been indifferent to the deaths of mortals. But that day as he gently held her icy stiff corpse against his burning chest, the primordial learned two things about himself. One, was that the desires he never bothered to name were known by the humans as something called ‘love’. A connection between souls if the whispers of sympathy were to be believed. Second, was how loudly he could break while his heart was torn to shreds by the agony of loss. The Sun had lost all grip on his sanity at that moment. His powers flared violently and the entire village that had been covered in centuries long frost was burned down to ash in mere minutes. Not even bones remained, and none of the wildlife was spared either.
The only area untouched by the Sun’s cruel flames was the small diameter around him and the lady he held fast in his arms. The Forest God tripped over itself several times as it raced to prostrate before the Sun and inquire the reason for his abrupt and merciless punishment. The Sun barely spared the Forest God an ounce of his attention. He was too absorbed in tracing his human’s face with the very tips of his fingers, extra mindful of his own strength so as to not cause more hurt for his beloved. The Sun left the Forest God in its prostrated position for long hours before he spoke. His voice was low and mournful, muttering in a language that came long before time itself.
“Maeo jodt eelin thossurook, jodt eeline thosaym.”
Humans are so easy to kill, so easy to bruise.
The Forest God could only nod, not daring to respond until directly asked to do so.
“Moyari,” The Forest God perked up at the call of his name, “Mihya lura…mihya sala…eckh ssurook eyr jodt kala kurseen. Lan yet manelar mei viot sook?”
My beloved…my soul…they killed her this heartlessly. Was it wrong for me to exact revenge?
The Forest God had no words to refute that. It knew, just as all the others, how vengeful immortal beings were by nature. Forever was an awfully long time to hold a grudge after all. It was best that these people died here and now. If that rage was allowed to fester in the primordial’s eternal soul, it might conceive a resentment so corrupting that it would spell the end for the entire lower realm.
“Ka. Voi mipt kan sii bou.”
Leave. I don’t want to see your face.
The near paralyzing chill brought on by the Sun’s grave tone was thankfully not enough to keep the Forest God from sprinting out of there.
・・・
After the loss of his beloved, the Sun had refused to return to the sky for fear that he would lose them again. This time, he was determined to be there to protect his beloved, to spend time with his beloved, to learn his beloved’s name. The Sun had to endure the excruciating pain for another forty years before he caught sight of the familiar soul he’d been aching to see once more. However unlike all the previous lifetimes, his beloved’s soul had reincarnated into that of a small beetle this time. An insect. Something that could not be further in station compared to a primordial lord of the skies above.
But the Sun did not care. His beloved was back. As promised, he cupped his hands protectively around the small little creature. Always keeping it close to defend it from the elements and predators alike. The beetle’s shell looked black and majestic in the dark, but once sunlight hit it, it shimmered a brilliant gold. The Sun was absolutely taken by the beauty. That gold was the color of his beloved’s very soul. The reason why it shone through their eyes when they were human. Tragically, his beetle beloved only stuck around for eighteen months. To the Sun’s acute dismay, insects weren’t promised long lives.
His beloved came to him next after another fifty years, and this time as a snow leopard. The Sun found his beloved as a cub whose mother and siblings just died. The runt of the litter, somehow surviving the unforgiving cold through sheer will. One look into those golden eyes, the Sun immediately knew. He took the cub in and gave it great care. At least, that was what he intended to do. But try as he might, he kept failing. The Sun had never reared its own offspring. He didn’t know the first thing about keeping an infant alive. The cub kept falling sick.
Panicked that the cub might meet its demise too soon, the Sun brought the young thing to a healer in a populated town far in the east. He’d been so distraught that his hagoromo sometimes flickered into visibility. The healer paled when she understood who she had in her tiny abode. Wisely, she didn’t waste the Sun’s time and patience with questions or small talk and immediately got to work treating the sickly snow leopard cub.
Tucking the cub in as it slept soundly, the lady hesitantly turned to the young man she had sitting by her messy desk. “Do you have a name?” She dared to ask. Her heart sped up to a painful degree when she saw how the young man’s eyes flashed a bright red for a split second and the eerie way a large smile carved itself across his face. Everything about this man looked unassuming, but one’s base instincts never lied when it recognized an inhuman being. She wasn’t sure if the entity she welcomed as a guest was benevolent or malevolent in nature.
“I hear the humans recently started calling me Nika,” he replied, voice dripping with a cocksure swagger that only a higher being could afford. The lady gasped softly. “If you’re Nika then that would mean that you’re…,”
The Sun, Nika, smirked. He placed a lone index finger over his lips, making his wordless decree clear. The lady nodded her head vigorously, her fear of the unspoken ‘or else…’ was palpable in the air. In a peculiar string of events, Nika ended up living closely with the lady in order to help him raise his snow leopard cub. Miss Amber, he learned, was quite knowledgeable when it came to deciphering the different cries and behaviors of the infant. She was useful, so he kept her around.
After three and a half blissful years spent playing, cuddling and caring for his beloved, Nika was shocked when he realized one day that his beloved was slowly distancing itself from him. His beloved would refuse spontaneous cuddles or belly rubs, would prefer to nap under the sun than play, and wanted to spend its alone time perched on some high tree branch away from Nika.
“Miss Amber!” He nearly broke down her door in his distress at this heartbreaking revelation. Listening to his story, Miss Amber placed a placating hand on his shoulder. “It’s not that it hates you, Nika.” She offered him a comforting smile. After years of keeping in close touch, the initial intimidation had abated somewhat. “It has now grown into a mature adult male. Of course it wouldn’t want to play around anymore. Snow leopards are solitary creatures on top of that, so although he still clearly loves you, you must also give him some space to enjoy his alone time.”
Nika’s frown was severe. All Miss Amber said basically boiled down to his beloved needing to be away from him. Nika didn’t want that. He despised the very idea of it. He wanted his beloved! He growled, blowing out actual steam from the corners of his mouth as he stomped out of Miss Amber’s house. Back at his home, he spotted his beloved curled up serenely by his bed. Good. That’s where his beloved should be. He would never allow what happened a hundred years ago to happen again.
That night, he hugged his beloved close, reveling in the leopard’s deep purrs. “You’re not allowed to leave me,” he whispered, mouth pressed into a firm line. “I do not grant you that permission.”
The snow leopard didn’t speak. It couldn’t. There was no telling that it even understood what it was told. It simply continued purring as it snuggled its fluffy head against Nika’s chest. Nika fell asleep to the sound of the leopard’s affection.
When he woke up at the crack of dawn the next morning with his arms empty, he snapped. His furious roar and the subsequent wave of powerful magic crashing through everything around him served as a violent wake up call for all the non-human creatures in the vicinity. His beloved came bounding towards him with something in its mouth, fear stark in its gold eyes that Nika adored so much. Once the beast came near, it dropped what it’d carried by Nika’s feet. A dead rabbit. The leopard had gone out to hunt before sunrise. But Nika couldn’t care less about some insignificant carcass.
“How dare you leave me?” he snarled fiercely. His hagoromo became visible and his magic was so potent it was suffocating. The snow leopard pressed itself flat on the ground, paralyzed in terror. Nika’s glowing red eyes could see its soul trembling. But he was so overcome with rage that his heart had no room for sympathy. He grabbed the disobedient snow leopard by its neck, missing the scruff by several inches, and dragged it across the ground back to their house. The snow leopard thrashed in his hold, but all that muscle was powerless against Nika’s one hand strangling it in a death grip.
“You dare fight me?”
Nika slammed the snow leopard on his small dining table, knocking the air out of the pitiful creature and causing it to yowl in pain. Then with his magic, a glowing white collar took form tightly around the snow leopard’s neck, attached to a very short chain that kept the distressed panther tethered to the middle of the table. Now the leopard wasn’t even able to walk fully to the edges of the dinner table. Nika was panting not from the exertion but from the anger seething beneath his skin, threatening to burn his human visage to a crisp along with everything around them. Just like that first time when he’d held…
Nika shook his head to clear his thoughts of that heartbreaking image. He never wanted to lose his beloved ever again. He extended a hand, the very same hand he’d used to choke the snow leopard, and gently caressed the side of the beast’s face. This caused the snow leopard to freeze, appearing too scared to take full breaths of air with that hand so close to its vulnerable spot.
“No, don’t be afraid,” Nika crooned, trying to comfort his beloved. “Forgive me for hurting you, it was not my intention. My anger just got the better of me. Forgive me, my love.” The words would sound sweet if they weren’t uttered like a string of orders.
“Do not take this the wrong way. I still care for you. I will still feed you, and hug you, and clean you. Just…don’t leave. Don’t leave me, ever.” His tone was as hard as steel, and just as cold. It did a poor job of concealing the desperation and grief poisoning his heart.
When Miss Amber caught wind of this, she was horrified. “Nika, if you chain it to you, then no matter how much love you show it it will only grow to resent you. Such is the nature of mortal beings, unfortunately. Without freedom, the suffering can be painful enough to kill a soul.”
However Nika had no ear to grant her. What he wanted he always got. Such was the nature of an immortal god. His magic formed a protective barrier around his house, keeping everything out, and keeping one snow leopard in.
For the following three years, Miss Amber received no news from Nika. That was, until she woke up in the middle of one night to see the Sun deity standing at the foot of her bed looking hollow and ghostly. His hair was white, languidly swirling upwards like fire. She nearly screamed but she bit down on her tongue hard. One unwise course of action and it would cost her her life. Possibly the lives of the whole town.
“What happened, m- Nika?” She almost uttered ‘my lord’ out of pure fear.
“Miss Amber,” Nika hissed, looking genuinely distraught. “Why is my beloved dying?”
Miss Amber rushed to Nika’s house with the god close on her heels. When she saw what Nika had on his dining table, her hold on her tongue slipped away as she shrieked. Instead of a sick snow leopard, Miss Amber was greeted with the haunting sight of an emaciated carcass. Its fur had long lost its dignified sheen. It looked as if it hadn’t eaten a bite in months. What’s worse was its eyes…in death it had immortalized the snow leopard’s heart before it passed: betrayed, angry and hurt. One glance at the matted fur around the snow leopard’s neck told Miss Amber all she needed to know. “Nika, do you…understand the state your friend is in right now?”
Nika was still as stone where he stood, pinned under the accusatory gaze of the dead snow leopard. Miss Amber’s reaction caused reality to truly set in. He wasn’t hallucinating. His beloved had really…
“I was trying to protect him,” the words tumbled out of him like a confession of sin. For the first time, Miss Amber witnessed the primordial god sound well and truly regretful over something. He was breathless, voice cracking as he insisted whether to himself, to Miss Amber, or to his dead friend that “I did it to keep him alive for as long as possible. I wanted to love him as long as I could. I did it for him-”
Nika’s mouth snapped shut, as if he caught himself in his own lie. Did he do it for his beloved? Who did he do this all for?
Guilt and remorse pierced his heart and mind like ice daggers, spreading its frost everywhere it could reach, leaving Nika feeling immobilized; and for the first time in his millennia long life, frigid cold.
・・・
The entire town got swept by terrible winter storms after that. Storms that lasted weeks on end, sometimes months without break. The winds howled and the clouds wept. Together they cried alongside their kneeling god who hadn’t left the place where his beloved took last breath. The humble little house that once stood there was no more, blown away by the god’s anguish. The trees all around him bowed low, casting their leaves away in mourning for the soul that left too soon.
Nika held onto his beloved’s stiff body until all that was left in his arms were polished white bones. He made no move to search for the next reincarnation like he’d eagerly done before. He couldn’t. Shame and guilt kept him rooted to where he was, locked in an eternal pose of repentance. His inner fire had dimmed. For seven long years, the Sun never made an appearance in the town to give its blessings. Always hidden behind a cloud or mountain.
A compassionate old man passed by his prone form and took pity on him. Possibly the first person to see Nika as the grieving man he was. He walked over and placed something over Nika’s head. A straw hat.
“It’s harsh weather out here, young man. We’ve all lost someone.”
Nika had no words to respond. He wasn’t sure if what came out of his mouth would sound remotely human at all.
“I wish I could give you a blanket, but this straw hat should keep your head dry.”
The kindness from this man touched the god deep in his ragged heart. It reminded him of the kindness that his beloved had during his time alive. His final action as a snow leopard had been to hunt for something to share with Nika. To give Nika food. The featherlight weight of the straw hat on his head was like a key, unlocking all the tender memories he’d had of his beloved for the past century. Slowly, the crystalline hoarfrost over his white lashes and golden skin began to thaw.
At dawn, the Sun rose once more.
Brilliant golden rays bathed the town for the first time in years, banishing away the chill that had taken root in the heart of the land. Blessing its people with warmth and crops, reviving the sick and dying. The Sun was life, and the people wept as life was allowed another promising breath. Everything Nika touched looked a little bit brighter than before. A little bit more hope in places that had been infested with shadows.
After laying his beloved’s bones to rest, entrusting their care to the earth, Nika began his long walk. He had no intention of seeking out where his beloved would return next. His hands were still stained red. The old man said that everyone lost someone, but not everyone killed their own loved ones. Not the way Nika did. Until he could clean his hands, he didn’t dare face his beloved again.
His legs carried him tirelessly through searing deserts and belligerent storms. The winds, ever his friend, kept asking him what’s next? What was his reason for being down here if it wasn’t for his beloved? A million and one questions came billowing in such a chaotic flurry that Nika didn’t bother to make sense of it.
The answer to that first question came when Nika was passing through an affluent neighborhood and saw a row of people outside a grand mansion, crouched on the cold floor with frosty chains around their necks. The sight of those chains alone made his heart twinge in agony. But when he met their harrowed empty gazes, it’s as if he could hear the howls of their tormented hearts ringing in his ears.
Without freedom, the suffering can be painful enough to kill a soul.
Such was the nature of mortals. Nika wasn’t sure how much time had passed since he laid his beloved to rest, but the anguish inside him stung like a fresh lashing. Seeing these people treated like this made the fire inside of him roar. Just as his beloved had cried for freedom from Nika’s cruel hand, the Sun’s heart began growling for the same. His human facade melted away, and all the chains keeping the people trapped there burned to dust without leaving so much as a mark on their feeble flesh.
They began cheering, the light returned to their eyes. The common folk who weren’t aware of the situation ran screaming upon seeing something non-human in their midst. The slave owners ran towards him in outrage, but Nika had little mercy. So he burned them all where they stood. The accusatory fingers directed at him all crumbled to the ground in a pile of black dust.
“Hey, guy with the straw hat!” Someone called from a ways away. It was one of the trapped humans that Nika had freed. “Thank you! Thank you so much!”
The joy on their faces, that bright smile, the tears of relief after being freed from suffering. Nika’s sunrise red eyes could see how each of their souls, ragged and beaten as they were, shone with brilliant light. Beautiful. Resilient. Just like his beloved had been. Nika realized that he was rather fond of the sight of a free spirit. It was so strange, how an action that benefited another somehow made him feel satisfied.
Nika craved more of this feeling. This joy.
He looked down at his empty hands as his heart stirred. If he atoned for his mistakes in this way, could he one day be worthy to reunite with his beloved?
The Sun continued his long walk.
Every slave he came across, he would burn their chains and their captors. It didn’t take him long to realize that collars and chains existed in many forms, oftentimes not visible to the eyes. So he adapted. He learned to listen to the voices of these downtrodden souls. His eyes grew keen to identify when someone was being held against their will. He moved from just incinerating people to physically hitting them with his fists to communicate the pure anger that burned molten in his chest every time he faced these cruel slavers.
200 years of this and his worshippers started calling him the Warrior of Liberation. His name as Nika spread far and wide across all the corners of the world he hadn’t even been to yet. It got to a point that he’d be interrupted during mealtimes or naptimes by zealous people who wanted to either use him or get rid of him. However, what was Nika if not a grieving god? He had no intention or care to entertain prayers for wealth and power.
Thus, he changed his face and his name every hundred years or so to blend in with the human population. Sometimes, he would make himself into a giant. He let stories of the Sun God Nika fade into the background of his mind. The more powerful and influential mortals began erasing his legends from books. His temples and churches were raided and destroyed. But he didn’t feel any threat to his person. Even without worshippers, he would always be the Sun. The throne in the sky would be his for millennia to come.
He did what he had always done; slake his desires until he was satisfied. More, more, more, and no one had the power to stop him. He fought alongside the humans he wanted to liberate. He put down their abusers and danced on their defeated corpses. He ate and drank at every celebration, befitting his gluttonous nature. He basked in the joy that welcomed him after the victory. At one point in time he was even called Joyboy.
He met as many kind people as he did the bad, and made dear friends along the way. Whenever they offered him food, his mind always took him back to when he stood over his beloved snow leopard who’d given him the rabbit, and his heart would ache something vicious. Not once had he ever been able to silence the small croaking voice in the corner of his heart that yearned for his beloved. Every day he would see his beloved’s eyes whenever he closed his own. Constantly at odds with his mind that wondered, had he done enough? Was he truly worthy yet?
Sometimes he would spot an eagle or a fish that had lustrous golden eyes and he always found himself subconsciously reaching for it. Wanting to hold and to love, but his heart knew that its soul was different. That wasn’t who he fell in love with. When his nights got too lonely and he’d invite a dark haired golden eyed beauty into his bed, the fire in his loins may be appeased but the ache in his heart never abated. That yearning voice wouldn’t quiet down.
・・・
“Luffy, you have to stay awake!” A deep masculine voice called to him. He cracked open one eye and saw his friend, Jinbei, looking down at him panickedly. Luffy lifted a hand to cup his friend’s face, and then he realized that his hand was stained a bright red. Whose blood? His own? Jinbei looked worse for wear.
Ahh, he’d become a bit reckless with himself these past few decades. Any hurt was welcome if it dulled the pain in his chest.
“Luffy, I found someone who can save you. Just stay awake. Don’t succumb to it!”
I won’t die, he wanted to reassure Jinbei. Though he supposed if he took too long a nap in this form, he’d have to leave with a new name and face all over again. What a pain. The last thing he heard before he let himself go was a smooth deep voice that soothed him for some reason.
“Don’t worry, Jinbei-ya. I have him now,”
His dreams were filled with visions of those adored golden eyes. Sometimes filled with sadness, disappointment, pain, sorrow, anger and bliss. He longed to one day see it from up close filled with soft affection, heady pleasure, or just pure joy. Shining with light that would only come from a free spirit.
As the sun rose over the horizon, Luffy also rose to sit up in bed. Directly to his right, he saw a long nodachi partially impaled through the ground. He looked across the cluttered room. The bed was a bit small for his eight foot bulky frame, but it seemed to be the only one available. There was a desk to his side that was filled with stacks of books, vials of mysterious liquids and other equipment Luffy didn’t see every day. His straw hat sat pristine and patched up on top of the pile.
On the floor over the other side of the desk, Luffy finally registered the large body laid on several thick blankets. Jinbei. His friend’s nine foot frame looked even more cramped in the space between the desk’s legs and a heavy shelf of books.
Placing the hat back onto his head, Luffy lightly caressed the nodachi’s sharp blade with one finger. He heard it hum in response as blue light gleamed across its steel calmly. The blue magical energy didn’t zap or sting the way Luffy half expected it to. Instead, it just left him feeling a light tingle. Magic borne from a mortal soul. Inferior to his but could be sufficient depending on what it’s used for. “Tell me where’s your master,” he ordered softly.
A bit of the blue light shot out and pointed in the direction of a door before it fizzled away. Luffy smiled down at the sword. In that moment, there was an undeniable magnanimous air around him. Although he’d spent a thousand years among mortals, his true identity as the Sun could never be fully masked. Especially not to magical beings. Mortals tended to register it subconsciously. That depended on one’s natural aptitude towards the unseen forces.
Luffy made his way out the door and down a set of stairs on quiet feet. It was still quite dark out, and the surrounding area was silent. When he turned the corner into the main area of the small wooden house, he spotted a figure curled up underneath a blanket on a single sofa. He couldn’t see the person’s face, but something about their magical signature made Luffy’s heart lurch. Magic was something metabolized by the soul, and this soul seemed very familiar. He couldn’t help but walk closer to get a better look.
Just then, the first rays of sunlight poured in through the window, showering the curled up figure in its soft glow. Everything happened in slow motion for Luffy. His breathing stopped when the person popped his head out from the blanket and blearily blinked any lingering traces of sleep away. Long dark lashes fanned across his high cheek bones. They open fully to reveal the most radiant shade of gold Luffy had ever seen in his millennia old lifetime. The shade he fell in love with.
There, sitting up on the single sofa while stretching his arms, was the love of Luffy’s life. The mortal who effortlessly captured the heart of the Sun. The Fates must have had a good laugh at this, because Luffy was struck like a fool without words. He could only stare at the person he’d been pining for for the past thousand years.
Just like before, this person had straight dark hair and golden eyes. This one had tan skin with lighter patches here and there where Luffy could see. He had long arms and legs, his body was lithe and sinewy. Decently muscular with broad shoulders and a tapered thin waist. A bit of facial hair on his chin. The way that there was grey fur on his distinctly nonhuman-looking ears and a long tail coming up from behind took Luffy off guard for a moment. The coloring on those ears and tail was heartbreakingly recognizable.
“What? Never seen a half-mink before?” The person huffed, rolling his eyes.
That finally snapped Luffy out of his stupor. “I’m sorry what?” He asked dumbly while he collected himself.
The person sighed softly, pulling the blanket off of himself to fold up. Luffy could see that his legs starting from below the knee down to his feet were also covered in fur and looked like panther paws.
“Trafalgar Law,” the person, Law, muttered while he stood to rearrange the blankets and pillows he’d slept with neatly to one side. “Mother was a human, father was a snow leopard mink. That makes me,” he extended his arms to the side as if to display himself. Luffy realized that Law was quite tall. His head reached level to Luffy’s chest, right where his heart resided.
“I’m also your doctor, so it would be nice if you didn’t gawk at me like I’m some kind of freak,” his voice dropped into a flat exasperated tone, suggesting that this might have happened often.
Luffy was still reeling from the shock of having his beloved right before him after years of abstaining from searching him out. His brain was sluggish as he forced his tongue to move. “Tr…Tra…Torao?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Law didn’t seem to pay his very apparent bewilderment any mind as he made his way over to place an elegant hand over Luffy’s chest. A soft blue light glowed from under his palm. Luffy shivered when Law’s magic came in contact with him. He felt it travel through his skin and flowed through his meridians. His own magic yearned to intertwine itself with Law’s as it passed by certain pools where they gathered.
“Hm, strange.” Law noted quietly, almost to himself.
“Will I be alright, doctor?” Luffy tilted his head curiously. Law glanced up at him and Luffy felt his heart flutter. Such a beauty. His twitchy fluffy ears on the sides of his head were also terribly adorable. As if his body wasn’t decorated gorgeous enough with different shades of his skin, he also had tattoos from his fingers to his forearms. Possibly even more underneath his shirt. Everything about this man was captivating.
“You’ll be fine,” Law took a step back, and Luffy silently mourned the distance. “In fact, you seem a little too fine. I for sure did not expect you to wake up today. Not even your fishman friend is up yet, and he was less banged up than you,”
Luffy could only smile sheepishly. “I’ve been through a lot of battles. I guess my body just fixes itself up quick-”
“You also have a lot of magic in you. A scarily large amount,” Law interjected. “Are you a part of the God’s Knights or something?”
Back when Luffy still bore the name Nika, he would have most likely let out a derisive laugh. It was insulting for mortals to think that their artless unrefined magic would be anywhere near sufficient to dub themselves as knights of a god. He refrained from giving voice to that comment however. Mortals could play around in their little world down here to their heart’s content and Luffy could not care less.
“No, mihya lura. Not a knight, just a guy.”
“Sorry, what was that?”
Luffy’s blood froze in his veins. He hadn’t realized that he let a bit of the old language slip through. He hadn’t had a hiccup like this since 600 years ago. Luffy coughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck while his brain scrambled trying to come up with a decent lie. Urgh, he’d always been terrible at this part.
Law’s eyes narrowed at him, but then he just shook his head. “Forget it. What matters now is that you’re getting better. I would tell you that the scar would be a bit rough but with how your body works, I doubt that there would even be a mark.”
“Do you think scars would look cool?”
Law actually broke out into a chortle at the extremely frank question. That small laugh had Luffy enthralled. Law’s deep dulcet voice brightened by amusement resulted in such a sonorous sound. He could listen to that every day for the rest of eternity. Law mumbled something that sounded like “Ridiculous…,” or something but Luffy wasn’t paying attention.
Law cleared his throat, “I suppose it depends on who you ask. Trying to impress someone, Luffy-ya?”
Luffy’s eyes zeroed in on how lovely Law’s pink lips looked when they moved to form ‘Luffy-ya’. “No. Not trying to impress anyone,”
Law smirked. “Has anyone told you that you’re a terrible liar yet?”
“Well, you haven’t answered my question.”
“What question?”
Luffy took a step forward until he’s right in front of Law, standing tall and giving no thought to the fact that he was completely bare from the waist up. “I asked you, do you think scars would look cool?” He was amused by the way Law’s fluffy ears pressed flat against his head and his pupils trembled slightly.
“So we’re just flirting now huh, big guy?” Law tipped his chin up, trying to look proud. But with their proximity and height difference, he only ended up looking like an affronted, bratty little kitten. He lightly smacked Luffy’s defined abs with the back of his hand, “I’ll give you a ‘maybe’. How’s that for an answer? Satisfied?”
If only Law knew that the Sun’s desires for him were seemingly never satisfied. “Sure,” Luffy shrugged with an easy grin.
“Enough of this,” Law scoffed, moving to climb up the stairs. “I can’t believe you chose to flirt right after waking up from life saving surgery. Find a more normal way to express gratitude or are you just a dog that shoots his shot at anything that moves?”
Luffy opened his mouth to retort when Law glared at him, “I’m going to go check on my other patient. Don’t play with the doctor,” before disappearing behind the door upstairs.
Left alone, Luffy began thinking of ways he could, in Law’s words, express his gratitude in a normal way. All that thinking made his stomach hungry however, so he promptly beelined for the tiny kitchen and dug into the even tinier fridge. There wasn’t much, Luffy frowned. Maybe he should go out hunting. That’s when it struck him. He could just go hunt for something big, cook it up quickly and invite Law to eat with him!
The area that surrounded Law’s cozy little cottage was lightly forested. It grew denser up a nearby mountain, with more open clearings further down the incline. Luffy closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the crisp morning air. A chilling breeze blew in from the mountain tops, but Luffy was hardly bothered despite being shirtless. Specks of red in his rich brown eyes glowed like fine embers as he engaged more of his dormant magic.
In a second, Luffy was off. Charging after the first giant boar he registered through his magically enhanced senses. It was unimaginably light work for the god, taking the beast out with only one hit to the side of the head. Dragging its body back presented slightly more of a challenge, and Luffy took the time to figure out his next plan.
He now has Law with him. His heart’s greatest treasure. Should he confess? He never got the chance to before. He wanted to win Law’s heart too. It was not just about him choosing Law. Law needed to choose him out of his own free will. He probably shouldn’t overthink this. The last time he entertained pointless fears and worries, it led to him killing his own beloved in the most slow and painful way…Luffy’s gut twisted itself into knots at that memory.
He squeezed his eyes shut to will those mental images away. Luffy whimpered when his brain flashed him the last image of Law’s dead eyes looking at him so forlornly. He opened his eyes and trained his focus to what was directly in front of him. No use looking back at the past. It was done and over with. Law had been reborn. Luffy had another chance to love Law right. He couldn’t mess this up. The mere thought of losing Law again, especially if it was in any way his fault, threatened to rip his mind apart. Luffy didn’t think he’d be recognizable if that were to ever happen. It took him 800 years just to recover from the last tragedy.
His mood was subdued the entire time he pulled together enormous pieces of wood to make a bonfire. His hands just went through the motions as he skinned the behemoth of an animal and willed a fire to start on the woodpile. He was so lost in his own head that he hadn’t realized how long Law had stood leaned against his front door staring at him doing work.
“Luffy-ya,” Law called, his voice reflecting the dimness of the sky above. The sun had hidden itself behind thick grey clouds. Luffy hummed with a noncommittal tone, focused on tying up the boar’s feet so that he could roast it over the open fire.
“Look, I’m sorry that I called you a promiscuous dog.” Despite his steady voice, there was the barest hint of uncertainty in his tone. Alarmed, Luffy spun around to take a proper look at him. His face was nonchalant but the rest of him looked properly chastised. His ears pressed flat and his long spotted tail curled around his long legs.
“I’m not a dog but I do have sex when I feel like it though,” Luffy replied straightforwardly. “My heart only likes one person, you see.”
“Besides, why are you apologizing? We were just bantering,” He asked, feeling genuinely confused. Surprise blossomed on Law’s face, “Oh? You seemed so sad and I thought that it was something I said so…ehem, my apologies. Forget I said anything,”
Luffy had already made his way to stand before Law, using the back of one unsoiled finger to gently nudge under his chin and make him meet his gaze. “Torao is an overthinker, huh?” He chuckled fondly. “Words won’t hurt me, Torao. You checked me over, didn’t you? You know I’m much tougher than that.”
His eyes darkened when he caught how a hint of pink had made its way onto the apples of Law’s cheeks. Law pushed him aside and took large strides over to the bonfire.
“Jinbei is recovering well,” he brought up all of a sudden. Trying to change the topic? Luffy cooed in his mind. “What’s with this giant boar anyway?” Law injected ice into his tone, as if it would remove the heat from his face.
Luffy grinned proudly, hands on his hips as he announced “It’s for you!”
The sun had left its hiding place behind the clouds unleashing grand pillars of warm golden light that bathed the land. Now he could appreciate how beautiful Law’s face was, especially when he could see how brightly his eyes glowed as sunshine passed through them.
“For me? What do you mean?”
Law’s tail was flicked upwards, with the tip of it curled to one side. Luffy found those subconscious movements to be very telling.
“I meant exactly what I said. I hunted this boar to eat with you. I guess it would also be a thank you for saving me and Jinbei,”
He didn’t know what he had said wrong, because Law’s tail immediately dropped and the flush on his face faded back into his skin as if it was never there. Law was straight faced when he replied with a short, “I see. Well, I appreciate it. Thank you.”
Just like that, whatever easy-going energy and soft flirtatious tone they had set between them had shattered. Luffy could almost see the way Law closed his more vulnerable side off the way one would slam close a steel door. Cold and unwelcoming. Law excused himself to go work on something up at his desk and no amount of pouting or begging was able to convince him otherwise. In the end, Luffy had to eat most of the boar alone. He had sectioned some of the meat onto a plate that he later delivered to Law’s desk. But other than that, no more conversations happened. Law had his nose buried staunchly in his thick books.
This was a disaster, Luffy moped outside under the shade of a tree. From his viewpoint, he could see a pair of birds lovingly preening each other’s feathers. A pair of squirrels quarreling with each other. A pair of bugs mating with one another. Argh, he groaned.
Why did he detect a bit of anger in Law earlier after he’d said what he did? The peculiar part was that anger didn’t seem directed towards Luffy. At least not all of it. So, what had Law been angry at? The boar? He accepted the plate of meat just fine. The books? Law had been attached to that boring thing all morning till noon. At himself? Well, that just didn’t make any sense. Luffy was completely lost.
The only thing that would make a person close themselves off like that would be fear. Was Law afraid of something? But what was it that made him afraid after Luffy said what he said? This was too much thinking for his comfort. He felt the urge to keep wailing Law’s name until the man took pity on him. He didn’t think marching in there and forcing Law to talk would be prudent. Maybe him from the past would have done so. But Luffy was a changed man -err, god. He wanted to be good. He wanted Law to love him freely.
While he ruminated on this very serious issue, white hot energy that flowed lazily within his body began coiling around a straggling little blue wisp, trapping it in a possessive hold. The poor little thing was a bit of residual magic from when Law treated him, and Luffy was loath to let it dissipate now that its work was done. Luffy wanted to treasure anything his Law deigned to gift him. Cradled in white plumes of powerful magic, the blue wisp eventually gave up its fight and snuggled in. Luffy intentionally didn’t continue healing the wound on his chest, making sure that there would be a scar there no matter how large. It would be a sign of when his beloved had tended to him so carefully.
・・・
That evening Luffy hunted for more meat, a large deer, and made dinner. This time he put his foot down and told Law that if he didn’t join Luffy down by the fire then he wouldn’t be getting any. Luffy ate through half of the deer before Law skittishly showed himself at the front door. “Bout time you came, Torao!” Luffy called out with his mouth full of succulent meat. The fire had cooled down by quite a bit. One glance from Luffy and the flame began blazing again, illuminating the surrounding area now that the sun had set.
Law’s face made him look grumpy, but Luffy could easily read curiosity from his movements.
“Is this another one of your thank you’s?” he asked as he plopped onto the ground next to Luffy. His ears twitched as he bit into the juicy meat, lightly seasoned to perfection.
“It could be if that’s what you want,” Luffy answered cryptically. Law sent him a deadpanned glare, choosing not to comment on it. His long tail wrapped itself comfortably around his waist like a fluffy belt. Luffy didn’t bother to hide the adoration in his eyes as he gazed at Law, taking care to appreciate all his little movements and gestures.
“I must look really beautiful while I stuff my face like this, huh?” Law laughed sardonically, a bit of grease dripping down to his chin.
“Yes,” Luffy immediately shot back, a serene expression on his face. Law choked on spit and began coughing violently. Luffy smoothly passed him the glass of water he had ready on the side by the pitcher he brought out. While Law calmed down, Luffy continued to admire him. Under the soft light of the moon, Law looked inhumanly ethereal. His eyes shined like fine gems.
“...Are you inebriated?” Law asked incredulously, still wiping spittle from one corner of his mouth.
“Alcohol doesn’t get me drunk and I hate the taste of it, so no.”
“Then what’s with that dopey look? I don’t remember giving you anything to make you loopy,” Law grumbled.
Luffy shrugged, going back to eating. “You’re beautiful. I enjoy looking at you,”
Law’s face burned furiously, his ears pulled back. “So what?” he grumbled, “You just gawk at any person you find attractive? That’s rude, Luffy-ya.”
“But I only do it with you, though. Do you find it rude?” Luffy’s tone was light, as if he was casually discussing the weather. Law looked like he was about to explode. His tail was puffed up, Luffy could tell that he was now on guard.
“So you’re a natural flirt,” Law mumbled before he took another bite of the meat. A comfortable blanket of silence descended upon them, save for the occasional rustling of nearby trees and the crackling of firewood.
When bedtime came, Luffy and Law were at a stand still. Luffy wanted Law to go sleep in the coziness of his own bed upstairs, insisting that he was more than happy to take the living room sofa. While Law wouldn’t budge from his idea that since Luffy was both his guest and his patient, he should have the bed.
“Torao, you said so yourself that I’m already healing at an incredibly fast rate. I’m fine with taking the couch,”
Law growled, “I know for a fact that you won’t be comfortable squeezing all your bulky limbs into that small sofa. Go up and sleep on the bed, Luffy-ya.”
They had been going back and forth about this for a solid half an hour by now. Luffy didn’t realize how stubborn his beloved could be. But that defiant glint in his eyes somehow made him all the more attractive. There was a fire that burned inside of Law. Perhaps not too different from the one that blazed in Luffy.
An indomitable will.
Growing tired of the arguments, Luffy planted his bum firmly on the round carpet on the floor and lied down comfortably with his arms folded behind his head. He closed his eyes and promptly went to sleep. He could hear Law lightly cursing his actions, followed by the rustling of soft fabric coming from the sofa. He nearly sat up in shock when he felt the light graze of a blanket draped over his body. His heart squeezed in his chest. There was that kindness he recognized from Law a thousand years ago. The inability to let anyone go through cold or pain. He’d wager that Law did all this with a grumpy look on his face as well.
Oh my love, there is so much about you that is terribly endearing.
Later, Luffy’s dreams were filled with brilliant gold and several shades of the loveliest red on tan skin.
・・・
The next morning, Luffy was only half surprised to find Law’s curled up form next to him on the same carpet. It would seem that going to sleep on the bed would be forfeiting his side of yesterday’s argument. Now without a blanket to obstruct Luffy’s view, he could take in how innocent and young Law appeared while in this vulnerable state. He slept with both hands by his face and both knees tucked against his chest. His tail was long enough to wrap around to the top of his head. Luffy found it adorable how one of his hands lightly held on to the fluffy tail as if it were a comfort bolster pillow.
Then his eyes spotted something that made all the air in his lungs dissipate. On the tender skin of Law’s neck, there was a series of very fine white lines that appeared to loop all the way around. Luffy had seen more than enough of that mark to understand what it was. A scar from a special type of slave collar. It came more recently in the last couple centuries, collars that were equipped with blades facing inwards. One wrong move and it would dig itself into the victim’s neck. If the slave ran outside a certain perimeter, the vicious teeth would close in to decapitate them. Any attempt to forcefully pull the collar off would cause it to detonate like a bomb. How did Law escape that?
“Mihya sala, lan visc salan yiipo sii kursei?” he whispered breathlessly.
My soul, was this life cruel to you as well?
Now he was sure that the Fates were sniggering at him. Had his actions eight centuries ago doomed Law’s fate to be chained down in every lifetime?
“Suryu mei,” he croaked softly, fighting the urge to collect Law’s unconscious form into his arms like he’d done so many years ago. “Suryu mei, mihya lura.”
Forgive me.
Law’s eyes cracked open, confusion clear on his face as he stretched himself awake. “Luffy-ya?” Law moaned softly, getting all the kinks out of his joints and muscles. “Good…morning, I suppose.” He yawned, permitting Luffy a glimpse of the sharp fangs in his mouth.
“Morning, Torao,” he smiled, still feeling a bit solemn. The sunlight streaming through the window also dimmed slightly. Law stood up, rubbing away any remnants of sleep from his eyes. He wasted no time climbing upstairs to check on Jinbei’s condition, leaving Luffy alone to stew in his tumultuous thoughts. He knew that reliving the past like this was not productive however, especially for an immortal like him. So he picked himself up and headed out the door to hunt for breakfast.
Just as he was about to break into a sprint, a voice called out to him.
“Luffy-ya, wait up.”
“Torao?” Luffy turned to face his beloved jogging after him.
“You’re my patient. I cannot in good conscience just let you keep hunting for us like this. If everything’s in order, your fishman friend should wake up some time today or early morning tomorrow. So we need more food anyway.”
Luffy was entranced at how Law’s nails extended into claws and a pulse of electricity buzzed between the tips. He could definitely see the mink heritage there. Law smirked. “Just because I’m more of a doctor than a fighter these days doesn’t mean I can’t catch my own prey, Luffy-ya. Maybe you should relax today. Let me handle the hunting,”
Law took a leaping start and bolted into the wild bushes. Luffy needed half a second to collect his jaw off the floor before he dashed right after him. Law running through the woods was an unforgettable sight. His dark hair tousled in the wind, the wild fire blazing his golden eyes, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips, Luffy felt like he was falling love with Law all over again.
The way his lean muscles moved in perfect harmony with one another to propel him forward as he bound through the undergrowth, changing direction without sacrificing an inch of speed and leapt up a tree to stalk his prey down below could only be described as art in Luffy’s eyes. In contrast, Luffy’s heavier set body and endless stamina allowed him to simply chase prey down and knock them out with raw strength alone.
On this expedition however, Luffy chose to stick close to Law. Not wanting to lose his view of his gorgeous beloved being focused on a task. His pupils narrowed into slits, his ears twitched in multiple directions as he tracked prey and his tail was still as a rod. When an unsuspecting doe passed by, Law descended upon it like an angel of death. Razor sharp claws embedded themselves in the doe’s neck followed by a powerful jolt of electricity and the deer was on the ground.
Silent and efficient. The perfect hunter.
Luffy felt tempted to take Law up on his offer to just kick back and let Law do most of the hunting. Law turned to him, grinning triumphantly. “You’re welcome,”.
Well, now Luffy simply had to step forward and show him how it was done. Luffy led their next pursuit. Feeling a bit cheeky, he went after the biggest beast he could detect in their nearest vicinity. A short-haired mammoth along with one offspring. Showing off, Luffy allowed a bit more of his magic to manifest outward, and he killed the two beasts with only the pure shockwave of his oppressive power. He didn’t even need to touch them.
He whirled around grinning proudly at Law with his chest puffed up, eager for praise. Law merely rolled his eyes, but he failed to suppress the smile that etched itself on his face. A beat of silence, and then they both broke into full-bellied laughter. The exertion had washed away all the negative thoughts that had been fogging up Luffy’s mind, making his shoulders feel lighter. The mid-morning sun beamed above them, drying their sweat and warming their hearts.
Their laughter melted into easy conversation about everything and nothing as they dragged their slain quarry. While Luffy went on and on about his fascination with bugs, Law opened up about his interest in collecting unique commemorative coins.
“I will never understand why you’d spend time looking at insects,” Law chuckled while they skinned the beasts in preparation to cook and smoke them. Luffy hummed, “Bugs can be cute. They can even be really beautiful when you find the right one.”
“Sure, whatever you say, Lu-ya,” Law laughed.
‘Lu-ya’? That was a new one. Luffy loved it already.
“That stack of coins you talked about, do you have it stored upstairs? Can I see it?”
Law’s smile tightened slightly, looking strained at the corners. “About that…I don’t have them with me. Not now at least,”
“Oh? Where’d you left them? Don’t tell me you buried them like some kind of pirate treasure? Shishishishi,” Luffy was so engrossed in his work that he didn’t see what kind of expression Law had when he replied softly, “Yes, I guess you could say that. I plan to retrieve it one day,”
・・・
Just as Law had predicted, Jinbei woke up later that evening. Right as Luffy and Law were finishing up dinner by the bonfire outside.
“Luffy, Law! Nice to see you two getting along,” Jinbei laughed in greeting. Luffy leapt to his feet, overjoyed. He pulled the limping Jinbei into a careful hug, mindful of his injured midsection.
“I recommend at least another two weeks of rest while your body recovers,” Law advises with a clinical tone. Luffy hadn’t realized how much more animated, warm and vulnerable the manner in which Law spoke to him until then. Judging by Jinbei’s reaction, this dry delivery seemed to be the norm with Law. Though he supposed that the difference between Law’s normal speaking voice and his teasing playful voice wouldn't be much to a casual ear.
Jinbei bowed as much as he could while supporting his abdomen, “I can’t thank you enough. We were lucky to have passed through here during our escape.”
“Jinbei knows Torao?” Luffy piped up, tilting his head curiously.
“Yeah,” Jinbei smiled, settling himself down carefully to sit by them near the fire. “We met, what, was it eight years ago? Back when I was still a warlord. It was during one of those meetings when I bumped into Law who came with Doflamingo,”
“Mingo?”
“I believe he’s still a warlord…or is he a king?”
“He’s both. He reigns over Dressrosa,” Law replied curtly. An invisible layer of frost settled over his sharp facial features making him look extra cold and distant. Luffy offered a comforting pat on his shoulder, but Law showed no reaction. Jinbei carried on none the wiser.
“Ah, I see. Well, Doflamingo introduced him to me as his prodigy doctor. I found it interesting that he brought you along,”
“We had other matters to settle after the meeting, so I just stuck by in the meantime,” Law explained. He’s lying, Luffy could tell. A well-worn excuse by the sound of it.
“Me and Luffy must have had divine luck to have found you here then. Such a high profile physician out in the woods. Who would have thought,” Jinbei lifted a glass of water to his lips and took several large gulps.
The air between Luffy and Law that night was tense. Both of them took the rug just like the previous night, neither bothering to engage in another argument this time. During the following couple of days, Luffy had tried getting Law to talk about his reaction that night but all of his advances got shot down. Not wanting to risk chasing Law further into his protective shell, Luffy eased up and the rest of their two weeks living in Law’s tiny cottage was filled with a lot more fun and laughter.
It turned out that Law was quite the conversationalist when prompted with the right subject. During their treks through the forest, he smiled a lot more. Eyes glimmering like a child’s. Then he’d disappear for an entire afternoon studying at his desk and come out looking haggard, any trace of the lighthearted fun they’d shared wiped almost completely off. If reading his thick medical textbooks made him so upset, Luffy wondered why he kept doing it?
As the two weeks drew to a close, Luffy watched as whatever shadow that haunted Law every time he left his desk grew darker and darker.
“Will you two be alright on your way back?” Law asked him and Jinbei as they made preparations to return to the rest of the crew waiting for them in Sabaody.
“It’s about a four day trip, but Jinbei and I are tough. Don’t worry, Torao.”
“We really don’t know how to repay all that you’ve done for us.” Jinbei bowed once more.
Law worried his bottom lip between sharp teeth, contemplating something. Luffy waited for him to speak his mind, but it wasn’t until Luffy and Jinbei were at the door did Law finally open his mouth.
“You know what,” he started, his voice slightly shaky. “Maybe there is a way for you to repay me,”
Luffy and Jinbei exchanged a glance, and turned to look at Law expectantly. Law’s tail flicked nervously to one side and his ears lowered themselves flat against his head. While his face betrayed nothing, his body language outlined his process plucking up courage to make his proposition.
“Jinbei-ya, what I need from you is secrecy. Swear that you won’t tell anyone you met me here.”
If Jinbei was startled by the request, he didn’t show it. He nodded his head nobly, “Of course, Law. You have my word.”
Next, Law turned to face Luffy. Soft brown met fiery gold. “And Lu-ya, I need…you.”
“Hm?” Luffy pointed a finger to his chest, “Me?”
“Let me finish,” Law grumbled. Luffy would call him cute if they were in any other situation. “Since I saved you and your crewmember, I want you to help me rescue someone very important to me. It would be incredibly dangerous so-”
“Sure.”
Law looked taken aback. “You didn’t even listen to what I have to say. I’m asking you to do something that could jeopardize your life,”
Luffy shrugged, a boyish grin playing on his lips. Jinbei guffawed. “Oh, he heard you, Law. I don’t think you understand the kind of person my captain is just yet.”
Luffy smiled reassuringly. He took one of Law’s hands and placed it over his sternum, right where Law had checked him two weeks ago. “I’m strong, remember?” he murmured in a low, comforting tone. “Very strong. I’m probably the strongest person you’ll ever meet,” he continued without a hint of vanity. He firmly gripped Law’s hand beneath his own to stop its subtle quivering.
“So put your trust in me, Torao.”
・・・
Luffy closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of sunshine on his golden skin, the sweet sea breeze playing with his dark hair and the song of seabirds overhead. Him and Law had boarded a passenger vessel, a decision that initially had Luffy a bit befuddled.
“If we’re travelling by sea, why don’t we just use my ship?”
Law shook his head, “The Thousand Sunny has too much notoriety. The moment we arrive, the entire kingdom would get word of it. I want our approach to be discreet.”
Luffy sighed now as he leaned against the metal rails. It was nice to be back at sea, but having to share his space with a bunch of strangers was getting tedious. He couldn’t eat whenever he felt like it. He couldn’t even eat as much as he’d felt like either. He couldn’t go to certain parts of the ship. He couldn’t take a nap on the deck. He couldn’t do this and that or this and that. Too many rules! This was suffocating. They’d only been on this cruise for seven days and Luffy already wanted to pull his hair out.
“Hey, Torao,” he whined. “It’s going to take another three weeks to reach Dressrosa on this slow old thing. What is this need for pointless secrecy anyway? We should’ve just taken the Sunny.”
Law swept his gaze towards the people standing idly around them. Most of them were engaged in casual conversation with one another, commenting on the weather and all that. He grabbed Luffy’s hand and pulled the larger man down to their sleeping cabins. A private one just for the two of them. Luffy was thrilled when he discovered that these cabin arrangements only offered one large bed meant for couples. Law wordlessly took it in stride.
With their door locked, Law nudged Luffy to sit on the bed. He opened the palm of his hand and a thin blue bubble formed around them, about the size of the room itself. “Now no one can hear us anymore,” he muttered. Once that was done, he finally joined Luffy on the bed, plopping himself down next to him.
“There is a man I want you to help me kill.”
Luffy’s eyes widened, “Alright…,”
“He’s very powerful and cunning. With just the two of us, I would prefer to avoid as much confrontation with his generals as possible. This will be a swift operation. We go in, kill him, and then rescue a dear friend of mine.”
“You’re talking about Doflamingo?”
“Yes, and after we have my friend, we can just sneak on a ship out of there to make our escape.”
“Sounds like a confrontation with his generals would be unavoidable, not that I mind.” Luffy scratched the side of his head. Law had a complicated expression over his face. “I know I’m asking you to do something reckless. But as long as I can get my friend’s body back, I promise you everything will be fine. You could even abandon the fight altogether and save yourself- in fact, I seriously recommend you prioritize that,”
“Hold on, Torao,” Luffy put up a hand. “If we’re talking about running away from deadly fights and whatnot, I’m going to need you to tell me exactly what’s going on,”
Law frowned, looking perplexed. “Lu-ya, I just told you what’s going on. I didn’t think the plan would be difficult to comprehend.”
“No, this ‘plan’ you just laid out for me sounds half-baked at best. You felt rushed to come up with it and now we’re here, on what sounds like a suicide mission.”
Law cursed under his breath. Luffy turned so that he would sit facing Law directly. His gaze must have held weight, because Law shrunk beneath it. “I will not ask you to tell me anything that you do not trust me with. I won’t ask you to relive whatever past angst that haunts you. But please, Torao. I’m here to help. Don’t ask me to run when the battle gets ugly. Tell me exactly how far you plan to take it, because I am not willing to let you die,”
Law became pensive, and the air between them grew deathly quiet. After what felt like forever, Law finally parted his lips to speak. “I know that I owe you an explanation now that I’m asking you to risk your life,” his voice sounded tired. As if his soul had been chipped at and burdened by years of unrest. Luffy knew what that felt like.
“The plan sounds rushed because it was.” Luffy watched as Law’s eyes flicked from one spot to another in their small cabin, anywhere but at him. “I don’t have the power to take down Doflamingo by myself. Then you came. I didn’t think much at first, but then…then you were about to leave, and I realized that there was an opportunity presented before me. I’d spend the rest of my life regretting it if I didn’t try,”
“So, because you saved my life, you knew that you’d have leverage to ask me for help? Was that the opportunity you were talking about?” Luffy asked.
“No,” Law shook his head, gaze still carefully averted. “I wasn’t counting on that. I barely had to do anything to get you back on your feet. You did most of the work yourself. What I felt like a viable opportunity was…it wasn’t just your power, but that you seem to have fond feelings for me.”
Luffy broke out into breathless laughter. One that he quickly tampered down when he saw how it made Law curl up into himself. He had his knees up to his chest and his tail wrapped over them along with his arms.
“Was it that obvious?” Luffy grinned. Law scoffed, glaring at his face. “You didn’t try to cover it up at all.”
Luffy got into another short fit of chuckles, his chest feeling lighter now that he had Law’s eyes back on him. Law began picking at the fur on his tail, straightening some and smoothing out others. “I don't know the reason behind these feelings, but you always look so smitten. I knew I could convince you to…,” he ended the sentence with a groan, burying his face in his hands. “You must think I’m the worst person alive.”
Luffy’s chuckles bloomed into full on guffaws, causing him to clutch his stomach. Law shrunk further into himself. Luffy got closer to Law, as close as physically possible and pulled the flustered doctor into a tender embrace. The very first time he was able to hold his beloved as both a human and alive. Luffy tucked this precious memory in a special corner for him to cherish for all of time.
“Oh my love, don’t be shy now. Your convictions were correct,” Luffy nuzzled the top of Law’s head, biting back the urge to plant kisses on those twitchy fluffy ears. He feared once his lips got a taste, he wouldn’t be able to hold himself back from devouring his beloved whole. All the realms knew his appetite to be something monstrous after all. “You did convince me to do this with you. In fact, I would do it all for you. Don’t lift even a finger, my love. Let me show you how powerful I can be.” His eyes glowed a vicious shade of red.
His bashful beloved took his sweet time to come out of his shell, but thankfully over the millennium Luffy had learned a bit of patience.
“I didn’t want to put you in harm’s way like this. But I am desperate,” Law murmured. If Luffy were a cat, he would purr at the pleasure of having Law’s head rest tentatively against his chest like this. “To save your friend?” Luffy asked.
“He was more than just a friend, actually. He saved my life and freed me from Doflamingo,”
“He was the one who broke you out of your chains?”
Law pulled away to look up at Luffy confusedly. “How did you know…” One hand reached to caress his own neck and it dawned on Law. His soft ears drooped further if possible. Luffy couldn’t bear seeing him so upset and downtrodden. So he squeezed Law tighter against his chest, once again killing his desire to place a fat kiss right on Law’s chapped lips.
“My friend didn’t physically break me out of those chains. He freed me from the hold Doflamingo had on my mind. He had been grooming me to one day die for him,”
“Die for him?”
Law managed to crack a small, wry smile. “Yeah. Despite being a freak I still had my uses. Doflamingo wanted me to make him immortal. Said that he didn’t belong down here with the mortals. But if I do that, I will die. There was exactly one other person who managed to accomplish it in the past and that’s how Doflamingo knew.”
Luffy felt his dormant magic flare up. “This man thinks he stands with the gods?” No human should feel comfortable even placing themselves next to the local forest gods that resided in the lower realm. But to presume a seat in the upper realm among the old and truly powerful?
“I want to say I blame his Celestial Dragon upbringing but that would not be the case for his younger blood brother, the friend I was talking about. His name is Rosi…but I know him as Cora,” Law’s voice grew wistful at the mention of this ‘Cora’.
“If Cora wasn’t the one who freed you from those chains, then how did you get away?” Luffy asked. His voice had dropped into a tender croon as he observed Law fully leaning against his chest, not that he had much room to begin with caged inside Luffy’s arms, knees tucked under his chin and hands playing with the fluffy tip of his wiggly tail. Perhaps this was what’s comfortable for Law as he continued to share such vulnerable stories. Luffy had nothing to complain about.
“Would you laugh if I told you I used to pray to this old god called Nika?”
Luffy tensed slightly. “Hm?”
“I know it’s ridiculous. He’s forgotten by most of the world. But some people still believe. The people in Flevance…we believed. There used to be a legend passed down that Nika had lived there a thousand years ago with his beloved pet snow leopard. But even after that leopard died and Nika was heartbroken, he still blessed us with warmth and bright sunshine. That’s why Flevance grew so popular up north where everybody else just got snow. The White City of Flevance. I prayed to Nika all the time. When Flevance fell to ruin, when all my loved ones died, and when Doflamingo took me in at ten years old,”
Law adjusted his posture and brandished one hand. “Nika never came. But I worked really hard on my magic and I discovered that I could do this,”
Soft blue light sliced through Law’s forearm and half of it came off. It suspended in the air, separated from the rest of Law’s arm but there was not a speck of blood. If Luffy hadn’t still been reeling from Law’s tale of Flevance, he would have asked a hundred questions about how he pulled off such an astounding feat.
“With my sword,” the hand suspended mid air gestured towards the nodachi leaned against the wall by the nightstand, “I lobbed my own head off and got out of the collar that way. I ran away after that and hid where Doflamingo couldn’t find me.”
“Cora didn’t come with?”
Law’s forearm reattached itself and his face went back to looking solemn. “Doflamingo has him unconscious. He’s alive, but I don’t know what’s going on with him. Doflamingo said that he would let Cora wake up once I give in and make him immortal. When we get Cora back, I’ll do everything I can to heal him,”
Luffy hummed thoughtfully, remembering how stressed Law looked every time he finished reading his heavy medical textbooks.
“As a last resort, I plan to make Cora immortal. That will guarantee his survival,”
Luffy growled, his magic becoming so potent in the air that it crackled like lightning. “You will do no such thing, Trafalgar Law. I will not let you die.”
All of Law’s hairs and fur stood on end. Gooseflesh pelted his skin. His face turned pale and blue as if he wasn’t breathing enough air. Luffy’s deep red eyes could see the way his beloved’s soul trembled in its vessel. That was a stark wake up call for the primordial god. As if he’d been flung into frozen rough waters, all air was punched out of his chest and his head rang with a startling level of clarity. The searing magical energy in the air lost all its heat and sunk back to rest under his skin.
Luffy gently rubbed Law’s back, rocking him back and forth to calm him down after his careless slip up. “Forgive me,” he croaked. A far cry from the overly imposing and dominant tone he’d used a second ago. His mind kept showing him flashes of Law 800 years ago as a snow leopard. Terrified, trapped, beaten and crying. Dead. He was so distraught that he didn’t realize when he stopped speaking the modern tongue.
“Suryu mei. Suryu mei, mihya lura. Mihya lura, mihya sala. Suryu mei. Voi jodt bremli, mihyun nive,”
Forgive me. Forgive me, my love. My love, my soul. Forgive me. I’m so sorry, my heart.
His mind was a violent storm. He couldn’t even see in front of him anymore. His chest felt like it might tear itself apart. His hair had turned from black to bright white, glowing and levitating like strands of pure flames. His hagoromo was now visible for the first time in centuries. His agitated magic manifested itself around them as plumes of white fire that bore a minor resemblance to clouds. Strings upon strings of it twisted and coiled loosely around both Luffy and Law, making the small space of their cabin look like a den of white snakes.
Luffy was pulled out of his frenzied state by two elegant hands cupping the sides of his face. He blinked several times, and when light was starting to register to him he found his vision to be extremely blurry due to overflowing tears. Two thumbs gently wiped them away every time they fell. It took a good while longer for his hearing to come back to him as well. It felt as if he was under water and sounds came from a far off distance. Slowly, a low soothing voice caressed his ears.
“-ya…Can you hear me, Lu-ya? Do you recognize me? Do you know who I am?”
He almost broke into another round of sobs when he recognized who was with him. Who had been comforting him. “Mihyun nive, mihya lura,” he moaned softly. The thumbs on his face continued to wipe his tears and caress his cheek. “I’m here, Lu-ya. I’m here,”
Luffy wasn’t sure how long it took for him to calm down. But he tethered his sane consciousness on Law’s reassuring voice, his gentle hands, his slight weight on Luffy’s lap, his lovely scent, and most of all the brilliant color of his soul.
“Torao?” Luffy croaked after he opened his eyes for what felt like the first time. When he saw how close the plumes of white fire were to Law, he panicked. “Did I hurt you?” Nothing smelled like it was burning yet. Law blessed him with a small, sincere smile. “No, Lu-ya. These guys here,” his smile grew wider when one of the white flames playfully nudged his cheek, “...Don’t seem interested in burning me at all. I’ve never seen fire magic behave this way before.”
Luffy nearly deflated in relief. His shoulders sagged and he pulled Law in for another hug. “Thank goodness,” he whispered. Nothing struck fear in him like the thought of going crazy the way he did all those centuries ago and harming his beloved again. Once was once too much. When they pulled away, Law leveled him with a concerned gaze. “You are forgiven…I suppose. But I need you to tell me that you’re okay. What happened? Was it something I said wrong?”
Luffy shook his head, “I’m fine, Torao. I just…I really don’t like the idea of you laying your life down and dying. I would do anything to prevent that. Please don’t think of your life as something disposable, my love. I will go crazy.” His tone was dead serious. Law’s face softened considerably. He took one of Luffy’s hands and placed it over his chest where Luffy could feel the strong thumps of his heart. “Well, I’m not dead. So don’t go crazy just yet, Lu-ya.”
Luffy leaned in and brought their foreheads together. He wasn’t sure why he did it. But the light brush of Law’s breaths against him managed to calm him down further. Alive. Law was alive this time. He hadn’t messed it up yet.
“If you say so, my love,” he whispered.
“What does it mean?” Law asked as he leaned back, whispering as well. “You began saying interesting things earlier. Uhm…,”. With their proximity, the air between them felt incredibly intimate. They had both shown such vulnerable sides to themselves here.
“What? ‘Mihya lura’ or ‘mihyun nive’?”
“Yeah. I’ve never heard that before. What language is it?”
“The first one means ‘my love’ or ‘my loved one’. ‘Mihyun nive’ means my heart,” Luffy explained. “As for the language…it’s a very old one. Not many still use it.”
Law nodded slowly, “You mean like a language between gods?”
Luffy was caught off guard. “Yes- I mean, uhh…I think? I don’t know actually.”
Law laughed softly, lightly smacking Luffy over his broad chest. “Has anyone told you that you’re a terrible liar yet?”
“I can think of one person,” Luffy smiled dopily. He was so smitten by the beauty of Law’s smile and laughter. “How did you even figure out the gods thing?”
Law rolled his eyes playfully. “Oh please, didn’t I tell you that the people of Flevance believed in the Sun God Nika? Didn’t you think we would have portraits and tapestries of Nika in our churches? You look just like him, Lu-ya.”
Luffy looked down at his arms where the tail ends of his hagoromo loosely coiled itself. Ah, he realized. He was still in this form. He was just about to return to his human disguise when he felt a tentative hand comb through his hair. Law let out a gasp when his fingers carded through the softly glowing strands.
“They feel…like hair! Just warmer,” Law proclaimed in astonishment. “Since they move like a live flame, I thought they’d burn like fire too but…,”
Luffy sat still, allowing Law to observe and explore to his heart’s content. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Law kept his touching and prodding everywhere from the shoulders up.
“You’re really the Sun God?” Law asked, breathless and in awe.
“Yes,”
“Then why me?”
“Huh?”
“Why choose to fall for a mortal like me?”
Despite the heavy question, Luffy found himself unable to stop smiling. Regardless of what had happened in the past, nothing could overshadow the joy Luffy got when he realized that he had well and truly fallen for Law. His love made him do terrible things, but it also made him do many fun things. Discover things he never bothered to know about the world. He spread that joy with the people he passed by in his years of travel. His long life as a primordial god became so much more colorful and fulfilling after he fell for Law. The happiness, the pain, he would take all of that rather than revert to his previous monotony.
“You are too lovely. I didn’t have a choice, I had to descend to come find you,” Luffy grinned.
Law crossed his arms, his fluffy ears flicking as he gave Luffy a contemplative look. “Hm…all the old texts say that attracting the attention or interest of a god is bad luck. Should I consider myself cursed?”
Luffy’s smile tightened around the corners. “Please don’t.” Law looked contrite and cupped Luffy’s face with his hands again. This time Luffy leaned into his beloved’s palms, letting himself be comforted. “Oh no, Lu-ya I was only teasing. I didn’t mean to phrase it that way. I’m sorry,”
“Does that mean that you accept my love?”
“Well, how could I deny a god anything?” Law asked, sounding half in jest.
Luffy had mixed feelings about that. Forcing his love led him to the worst mistake of his life. He wasn’t eager for a repeat. “I only want you to like me if you like me,”
Law was quick to calm him down. “Of course I like you, silly. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be in your lap right now, would I?”
Luffy supposed it would be a no. Especially since Law not only had his scary decapitation powers, but he also had electric shock and sharp claws from his mink heritage. He knew that Law wasn’t one to just take anything he didn’t like without a fight. It’s that indomitable spirit inside of him.
“Since when?” he couldn’t help but ask.
“Since…,” Law chewed on his words for a bit. “...If I said it was since the boar?”
Luffy’s hair lit up like a lightbulb. “But you seemed angry that I caught that boar for you? Were you just…,”
“Oh, don’t rub it in,” Law grumbled. “You’re a handsome strapping young man who looked at me as if I hung the moon and stars. How else was I supposed to react when I thought that you’d went out to hunt for me-”
“I did though,” Luffy’s grin was blinding as his heart danced in joy. “Also, you think I’m hot?”
“I definitely find your company pleasant,” Law said, deflecting from answering the question. “You’re warm…and kind and fun. I like how honest you are with your words. I suppose I do like your face,”
Luffy continued to glow under Law’s shower of praises. Figuratively and literally. “Do you like my body?” Luffy sat up straight and flexed both arms, showing off his muscles and golden tan skin. “Because I really like Torao’s body. I like Torao’s everything!”
Law’s face was flushed red. “I know you like my body, Lu-ya. You never stop staring at me whenever we do anything,” Law averted his gaze and his soft tail curled over to hide his nose and mouth, but Luffy heard him loud and clear when he bashfully confessed “I do like your body, Lu-ya. A lot.”
That night instead of sleeping on each side of the bed, the pair shyly closed the distance between them and slept in each other’s arms for the first time. Law was awkward the entire time, as if he was unsure of what to do with his limbs nor what to make of the gentle touch on his back as Luffy folded him into a loose comfortable embrace. No kisses were shared, neither were any words of good night exchanged. As they lay intertwined under the private cover of darkness, sharing the same breath and rhythm in their beating hearts, a tentative connection between their souls began to take firm root.
・・・
They had three more weeks on this cruise. Suddenly Luffy didn’t feel like it’d be that much of a drag after all. The ship offered entertainment like theatre, an extensive selection of indoor games and a swimming pool on the deck. But Law was always standing by the railings in the most quiet areas, staring off into the horizon. Eyes closed, ears pinned back and tail limp. Just basking under the sun and allowing the strong breeze to blow away whatever thoughts that plagued his peace of mind.
Sometimes he would touch the silvery scars on his neck, especially on days when the sun was absent and the sky was overtaken by dark stormclouds. However, even on those days Law refused to return below deck for cover. He would resolutely stand with his face to the oncoming bitter winds, unflinching despite the daggers of frost they’d hurl his way. It was clear as they got closer to Dressrosa, the shadows that hounded Law’s every step grew more daunting. The fiery determination in Law’s eyes juxtaposed by how he would wrap his arms tight over his shivering shoulders spoke of a boy who was groping for courage in order to resume a life-long fight.
Luffy had seen this type of behavior countless times in other survivors he’d encountered. Resilient souls that volunteered to plunge themselves back into hell to take down the demons that wronged them. In their fight for liberation, Luffy unleashed the fire of their rage onto the wicked monsters. He became their spears, the calamity for their righteous vengeance. He longed to be that for Law. To stand by his beloved, hold his hand and be his shield as much as he would be his sword.
However every time he took a step to cross that threshold, to reveal himself where he stood quietly hidden behind a large barrel or wall, the crimson mark of sin on his hands would reproach him wordlessly. He’d once been one of those wicked monsters. A demon that made Law’s time on earth hellish and unbearable. Although they now shared meals and a warm bed nightly, Luffy never did manage to find the right words to address the scars Law carried from his time enslaved by Doflamingo.
The Fates were handing him a second chance, he knew. He never got to directly atone and beg for forgiveness from his beloved last time. Now that Law had undergone this type of suffering at another’s hand, Luffy could offer his breast as solace. To be the lover he couldn’t be before Law died traumatized and brutalized all those years ago. Here and now, he could right his past wrongs. He could finally wash his hands off the red that stained them by helping Law heal from his hurts in this lifetime.
But it all felt wrong. The act of washing his hands clean by himself felt cheap. What right did he have to decide that they would be free of the blood he spilled? Blood that was not his own. If he swooped in now and comforted Law through the pain with the intention of atonement, wouldn’t he be acting on self pity and the desire for absolution rather than in Law’s greater interest?
The warring feelings of guilt and yearning paralyzed him where he stood. Exactly like what happened 800 years ago when he’d knelt on the ground holding Law’s bleached bones, unable to search for Law’s next reincarnation nor able to accept the reality of his grave offence. What could he do?
“Lu-ya?”
The dark whirlwind in his mind was chased away by the light of two golden eyes looking up at him curiously. Luffy suddenly felt his lungs take in a full breath for the first time.
“How long were you planning to stay hidden there, silly? You always follow me here but you never say anything to me. I was beginning to worry about you, you know? I’m not used to you being so…quiet,”
Law’s hands held both of his own in a gentle grasp. His bloodied hands. The hands that had caused so much hurt to the soul that stood before him. Law was holding them, caressing them, cradling them as if they were precious.
“Ah, what is this?” Law’s eyes narrowed. “Lu-ya, your hands are hurt.”
Luffy hadn’t realized, but when Law turned his palms upwards, there were deep crescent shaped gashes where his nails had dug in too roughly. His own blood smeared on his hands in an unsightly mess of crimson.
“Let’s go to the infirmary,”
Luffy allowed himself to be pulled along the ship’s decorated corridors until they reached a large brightly lit room that smelled strongly of disinfectant chemicals. The doctors and nurses on board seemed occupied with a handful of cruise-goers who had gotten hurt while playing by the pool. Law requested for a basic first aid kit to attend to Luffy’s minor injuries in the waiting room himself.
Luffy watched with glassy eyes as Law wiped away all the blood on his hands, even making sure to get under each individual fingernail. His movements were careful and his hands were deft. Luffy got to see what Law looked like when he was focused as a doctor. He made sure the wounds were clean before applying some sort of ointment and bandaging it up neatly.
“There you go. Don’t hurt yourself anymore, and don’t pick at this one either. It will heal over time and you’ll be alright again,”
Luffy’s eyes trailed after Law like a lost puppy as Law went to return the rest of the medical kit. He didn’t expect Law to bring him to the buffet right after. Nor for Law to start piling on various meat dishes onto their table.
“Lu-ya? Can you eat?” Law asked softly through the cacophony of other dinner attendees bustling about and chatting up a storm. Luffy picked up a fork, stabbed it through a large steak and shoved the entire thing into his mouth without saying a word. Next into his mouth would be grapes. Candied apples. Fried sausages. More steak. Beef stew. A whole grilled turkey. More steak, the thicker kind this time. Watermelon slices, three at a time. Roasted sea king. Luffy ate and ate and ate. Swallowing it all down while he choked back the sobs climbing up his throat.
Once they returned to their sleeping cabin, Law no longer afforded him the mercy of keeping mum. Sat next to each other in bed, Law took both of his hands once more and gave them a critical look.
“Talk to me, Lu-ya. I don’t suppose you’re also feeling the pressure of having to face Doflamingo, are you? He is a dreadful man though, I can attest to that,” Law spoke in a casual tone, as if he was recounting about that one estranged family member instead of his cruel abuser.
“Torao,” Luffy swallowed around a lump in his throat, “If Doflamingo came to you and said that he wanted to make amends, would you accept him?”
Law blinked. If he was taken aback by the question, he hid it well. “Lu-ya, what kind of question-”
“Humor me?” Luffy pleaded.
Law let out the softest sigh just through his nose as he carefully pondered his answer. The whole time, his fingers never stopped drawing nonsensical little shapes on Luffy’s bandaged hands.
“Doflamingo is a cruel man without a heart. He doesn’t love a person more than what they’re worth to him and his benefit. I was worth immortality, so he kept me extremely close. During my time under him, I was no more than a decorative pet and a vital tool. He made sure that I would never see a way out of it. Remember when Jinbei told you that he met me during a warlord meeting?”
Luffy nodded.
“Warlord meetings are held at Mary Geoise with the world’s top authorities all present. Doflamingo wanted to make sure I understood that even in the presence of those who preside over all of the world’s justice, I could never taste freedom or retribution. I say all this because…I’m not sure how you want me to answer your question, Lu-ya. Doflamingo would never come to me asking to make amends because that would require him to first see me as an equal. If Doflamingo wanted me back it would be through threats on my loved ones — which he’s already doing right now.”
It took Luffy a good long minute to realize that the shapes Law was drawing on his hands were little hearts and stars. “Torao,” he said as he pulled his hands back. But Law’s hold on him was firm, refusing his retreat. Their eyes met and there was a familiar defiant glint shining in Law’s eyes. That indomitable will. It seemed what Law wanted, he was determined that he got it. A stubbornness that would rival a primordial god, Luffy mused.
“What if I told you that this isn’t the first time we’ve met, and that I’ve actually fallen for you a long long time ago?”
The corners of Law’s lips lifted slightly. “I knew it,” he said. He looked seven parts happy and three parts triumphant.
“You knew?” Luffy couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “How?”
“When you first saw me, you stared as if you’d seen a ghost. Initially I thought you were just blunt, but ever since you showed me that you’re the Sun God, it’s made me rethink some things.”
For the first time, it was Luffy who averted his gaze first. “Well…what if some time in the past, I did this really horrible thing and now I feel really bad about it and-”
Luffy’s eyes snapped up towards Law’s when he felt hands cupping his face, lightly squeezing his cheeks together and making his lips look smooshed like a fish. Law had a soft look on his face. If Luffy had to place a word for it, it almost looked like adoration. All his life he’d been feared, worshipped and even lusted after. He’d never been looked at so affectionately before.
“Is this what this whole thing is about? Have you been carrying guilt from a past life?”
Luffy’s eyes stung with tears, and the trembling of his bottom lip was made more pronounced with how it’s squished sideways. “I-I didn’t get to apologize. You d-died…It was too late…and I feel s-so bad, Torao I-” his voice cracked on a particularly strong sob that managed to force its way out. Tears, snot and drool leaked out of him now. It wasn’t a pretty sight, but Law’s gaze remained unchanged as he tenderly wiped it all away with his own sleeves.
“Tell me what you did, Lu-ya. Let’s get it all out in the open.” Law pulled his hands away and Luffy immediately mourned the loss of touch. But he was just as quickly placated by Law climbing into his lap and making himself comfortable with his legs on either side of Luffy’s waist. They both wound their arms around each other at the same time. The pair stayed in each other’s embrace like that for a long while as Luffy sobbed himself hoarse.
“...I got here a-and then Torao was dead…and then I didn’t want that to happen again so I…I did t-things and I killed Torao and then Torao died again but this time it was because of me and I hurt Torao and made Torao cry and killed Torao and he died and-”
Law caressed his back, his shoulders, one hand even went up to run fingers through his hair. He was quiet as he listened to Luffy’s cries and ramblings. When Luffy didn’t continue where he was cut off by his own loss of breath, Law began working to piece together a coherent picture from the information that was vomited out all at once.
“Let me see, when you said you ‘got here’, you meant this world?”
Luffy nodded, slowly collecting himself. His crying gave him a headache. His head felt too hot and his mind felt foggy with steam.
“...and when you came here, I already died?”
Luffy nodded again. He felt so worn out all of a sudden. Which was weird because he just had a big dinner. He usually had a lot of energy to burn after he ate.
Law had a solemn thoughtful look on his face. Dread kept Luffy’s shoulders tense.
“It sounds to me like you have been grieving for a very long time, Lu-ya,” Law muttered. “From the moment you descended to this world, you have been grieving. How long has it been, Lu-ya?”
Luffy didn’t have the energy to cry anymore. His eyes were dry now. But the sharp stab in his chest upon hearing Law’s question was still painful enough to draw a small whimper out of his chapped lips.
“I don’t know,” he breathed deeply. “A thousand years. Maybe more, maybe less. A lot of my days blur together sometimes.” He didn’t understand why Law didn’t look angry or reproachful. “Torao, I killed you. I went crazy and did really bad things to you. I am no better than Dofla-”
“Don’t finish that sentence, Lu-ya. You don’t know that monster like I do. You are nothing like him,”
“But Torao hasn’t seen me eight hundred years ago either I was horrible too-”
“Impossible,” Law cut him off with a curt tone. His face was like stone, so sure in his conviction.
“How could you say that, Torao?” Luffy growled back.
“Because Lu-ya,” Law raised his voice, matching Luffy’s fire. “You actually have love for me!” Luffy was taken aback hearing the crack in Law’s deep voice. He’d been such a steady and calm presence this entire time as he comforted Luffy. But now Luffy saw a profound sort of pain shine through Law’s golden eyes. “You actually grieved my death. Or deaths, I suppose. You care. You don’t want me to die. You hurt yourself out of a thousand year old guilt of hurting me. You’re not Doflamingo, Lu-ya. You’ll never be that demon.”
Law spat out the word demon with so much contempt and scorn that Luffy half expected the doors of hell to open up and set the room ablaze. A hate so potent that it colored his entire face. His eyes looked bloodthirsty like a predator that had been starved of fresh prey for too long. Luffy could tell that there was more that Law wanted to say about Doflamingo, but he quickly composed himself with several deep breaths.
“You’re right, I don’t know you from eight hundred years ago. But grief drove you to do crazy things? Won’t be the first time I heard a tale like that. I know you now, though. I know that your heart is so warm and tender that you still carry the weight of regret to this day. I know that you would never hurt me now if you could help it. Lu-ya, I’ve lived most of my life under Doflamingo’s thumb. I know a monster when I see one. I don’t see that in you,”
Luffy’s eyes glowed a monstrous shade of red, his hair shedding its black camouflage to reveal a shimmery white. “Are you sure about that?” he made a snarling face, showing off a set of sharp fangs. Law chuckled and gently tapped the tip of Luffy’s nose with his fingers. Then he smirked to show off his own set of fangs. They both broke into subdued laughter after that. By this point, most of the heaviness in the air had dissipated. However, there was one last matter to be handled.
“Can I still say sorry though? Just to…you know,” Luffy implored plaintively. Law nodded his assent, so Luffy took a deep breath and removed Law from his lap so that they could sit properly facing one another.
“Torao, eight hundred years ago I was so scared to lose you that I chained you to me. I killed you because I was unreasonable and selfish when it came to love. I feel terrible about it…,”
Law hooked a finger under his chin and tilted his gaze up. Then he offered him a soft smile. “I forgive you, Luffy-ya. Or should I say Nika?”
That touched a vulnerable and sore spot in Luffy’s soul that he didn’t even know existed. He’d changed his name for convenience moving around in the lower realm. But perhaps there was another reason he was eager to don a new identity.
Law caressed his cheek with his thumb and his golden eyes pierced all the way through Luffy’s ancient soul when he said “I forgive you too, Nika-ya. Now please, forgive yourself. Forgive yourself and move on. Forgive yourself, and let yourself be happy with the one you love.”
Forgive yourself, Law had told him three times as if to hammer it home. Then, he picked up both of Luffy’s bandaged hands and placed them on the sides of his own face. His fluffy ears tickled Luffy’s fingers. His smile was serene as he leaned into the palms of the old god’s hands. He said nothing more, but Luffy heard him loud and clear. These hands were absolved. They were welcome. Luffy remembered when these same hands had strangled Law and caused him to flinch afterwards. But now, it was Law who willingly placed them there.
For the first time in eight centuries, perhaps even longer than that, Luffy felt the suffocating weight of grief slowly leave his chest and weary shoulders. His beloved had returned to him, and his beloved loved him back.
“Oh my love,” he breathed out what might be the biggest sigh of relief in his life. He’d finally found salvation from his living hell. “Thank you.” He closed his eyes and slumped all the way forwards till his head rested by Law’s crossed legs on the bed. Law scooched over closer and pulled his limp body up until his head was on Law’s lap. Law then proceeded to massage his back and shoulder muscles. His long tail curled over and its fluffy tip accidentally brushed Luffy’s ear.
Reflexively, he turned his head and lightly bit on the tail causing Law to yelp. Luffy guffawed, full-bellied and warm. The sound of his joy bounced off the walls of the small cabin, making the area feel brighter. Law playfully rolled his eyes and shoved him off his lap. His tail flicked from one side to another in mock annoyance. Luffy’s eyes tracked the movement. He felt the urge to pounce on it.
“Enough of this,” Law shot him a warning glare. “Let’s go to bed. Tomorrow’s another day. We have a week and a half left before we see Dressrosa over the horizon.” Law laid down and got comfortable on what had become his designated side of the bed. Luffy pouted. “You’re sleepy already?”
“You’re dead tired too, Lu-ya. You can’t fool me. Rest now,”
“But I’m so happy! I can’t go to sleep now. I’m still soaking it in. Torao loves me.” He heard Law cough dryly, carefully hiding his face using his pillow as he laid with his back to Luffy. Feeling mischievous, Luffy leaned over Law and lightly blew air onto his ears. He delighted in how it twitched irritatedly.
“Lu-ya!” Law groaned. Luffy broke into another laughing fit. After he’d calmed down, the room was silent for a moment.
“Hey Torao?”
“What?”
Luffy chuckled. So he hadn’t fallen asleep yet.
“Is it okay if I love you from now on?”
Law turned to face Luffy, looking perplexed. “What have you been doing with me until now, Lu-ya? We sleep in the same bed. We hold hands and you literally pull me into your lap whenever you feel like it,”
“That’s not true!” Luffy protests. His cheeks were nearly as red as his eyes. “I only get to do lover things when we’re in private because Torao is too shy to do anything in public,”
Now Law’s cheeks also take on a bashful shade of red.
“I want to do so much more! I want to kiss Torao, and hold his hands when we walk anywhere, and tell the world that Torao is my lover. I want to have sex with Torao too. I want to do it all,” Luffy listed things off one by one with his fingers.
Law’s face now hid behind his hands. “One at a time, Lu-ya,” he whimpered. Luffy nodded enthusiastically. “Sure, sure! We can go at Torao’s pace. Where do we start?” Luffy plopped down to lie next to Law so that they were face to face in bed. He amused himself with Law’s tattoos that decorated his hands and arms while he waited for Law to finally emerge from his hiding place.
“Hand holding and hugging is okay,” Law mumbled, “But kissing is not for the public.”
Luffy’s eyes lit up. “You mean we can kiss?”
“Hold on, I’m not finished,” Law growled softly. Luffy settled himself back down and eagerly listened. Law took a deep breath and he took one of Luffy’s hands into both of his own, clutching it close to himself.
“I’ve never had a lover before. Not even casually,” Law confessed with a hushed voice. His entire body language screamed for comfort so Luffy pulled him by the waist until they’re flushed chest to chest. Appearing to have gotten used to Luffy’s manhandling, Law simply carried on speaking without missing a beat. “I’m afraid you’d find my inexperience inconvenient. I’d like to try kissing, but I don’t know about sex. I’ve seen it often during my time with Doflamingo. It never seemed pleasant,”
Luffy smiled, his previously monstrous looking red eyes shone with only the purest affection. He ran a hand over Law’s hair and took the chance to lightly caress behind Law’s soft ears. His breath caught in his throat when Law’s eyes grew lidded and he began purring very quietly. His tail thwacked about annoyedly though. Law quickly tamped down on his purrs and glared. Luffy’s heart grew three times its size, nearly making it impossible for him to breathe.
“Don’t pout, my love. Don’t worry about your inexperience either. This is my first relationship too, after all. Let’s just go slow, okay?” Luffy lightly squeezed Law’s fingers clinging to his one hand. His voice was low and gentle as he continued to reassure his lover. “We can try kissing to see how you feel about it. Sex isn’t supposed to be unpleasant. It’s about playing with our bodies to feel good together, but we’ll talk about that when we get there. How’s that sound?”
The tenseness on Law’s face had melted away some, but for some reason his beloved still looked grumpy. “Well someone seems well-versed in these matters,”
Luffy shrugged. “My love, I’ve lived for a very long time.”
Law wasn’t appeased. “Well, what was all that about loving me?” But then his eyes widened, he looked mortified at what had just come out of his mouth. “Forget I said that. This is ridiculous,” he hissed, showing his fangs. “We should just go to sleep, Lu-ya.”
He tried to toss over and face the other side. Unfortunately Luffy had both of his hands in his grasp, so his escape attempt was unsuccessful. Luffy chuckled, low and gravelly. His belly felt warm seeing his young lover so shy while putting on a tough front. He reminded Luffy of a feisty kitten.
“Don’t be jealous, my heart,” he purred. That made Law even more flustered and his next plan of escape was to hide his face in Luffy’s chest instead. Right where I want you, Luffy thought darkly. Luffy patted one cheeky hand on Law’s hipbone, not making contact with the supple flesh below just yet. That was enough to have his adorable lover tensing in his arms.
Oh this will be fun, he growled in his mind. He must be patient.
“Let’s sleep,” he said contentedly. “But first, how about a kiss good night?”
Law peered upwards curiously from his hiding place. Only two golden eyes framed by luxurious dark lashes and a forehead available for him to see. Luffy didn’t mind, so he leaned down and placed a soft lingering kiss on Law’s forehead. After he pulled away, he lightly nuzzled against Law’s hair. “Thank you, my love,” he whispered, a smile evident in his tone.
With one wave of a hand, he switched off all the lights in the room. Now blanketed under the darkness of night, Luffy laid back with Law cuddled to his chest and promptly closed his eyes to sleep. He purposely ignored the lost puppy look his beloved stared at him with, because if he looked at it too long then he might not be able to hold his patience. And patience, he learned, was a crucial thing.
Tomorrow was a new day.
They had a week and a half before they’d even see Dressrosa.
He had time to teach Law a thing or two until then, he thought blissfully as sleep took him under.
・・・
The next couple of days, Luffy was still reeling from the fact that Law now regarded him as someone worthy to call a lover. He hadn’t descended from cloud nine just yet, and the tiniest voice in the back of his mind would sometimes raise doubt on whether or not he’d wake up from this prolonged delusion. However, that doubt was not able to successfully root itself permanently in Luffy’s mind because any time he thought he saw that haunting crimson on his hands, Law would grasp it tightly into his own and even plant a soft kiss or two on his knuckles when no one’s watching.
Luffy felt like swooning. His beloved was shy, but he wasn’t above showing small acts of affection when they were carefully tucked away from prying eyes. But as the storms of Luffy’s past were being quelled little by little thanks to Law’s attentiveness, Luffy could tell that the same might not be the case for Law. The closer they approached Dressrosa, the dimmer Law’s eyes became despite the soft smiles and chaste kisses they passed back and forth in the warmth of each other’s embrace.
This overcast wasn’t something Luffy could just chase away with the white light of his fire and it aggravated him greatly. His anger simmered beneath his skin, restrained like a predator just biding its time. But occasionally it would twist around and its flames would devour Luffy’s lungs, turning everything inside him into the darkest ash. Like today, when Luffy caught Law once again touching his neck as if the bite of his previous collar still stung him. The act always seemed subconscious, but it told Luffy all without words of how Doflamingo persisted in Law’s mind.
He wanted that man dead.
“I need to be the one to kill him,” Law ground out one bright afternoon as the both of them overlooked the vivid blue waters. The sunlight reflected off of the waves glimmered like fine silver that danced in the warm breeze. Following Law’s sharp gaze, Luffy could see what looked to be Dressrosa peeking just over the blue horizon. The gold of Law’s eyes seemed metallic as the topic of Doflamingo was brought up. Like twin blades that longed for retribution through blood.
“And you will be,” Luffy whispered as he rubbed the pad of his thumb over Law’s knuckles. Their fingers slotted together perfectly and the movement was natural as if they’d done this for decades. Law’s other hand was tightly gripping his nodachi that rested against his shoulder. “I just need to rough him up a bit and then he’s yours.”
Law shut his eyes lightly and let out a deep exhale. “Do what you want. I need to find Cora and get him back. If we ever get separated, you know where to find me.” Luffy wasn’t sure if he did. But that didn’t really matter. He didn’t plan to be separated from Law anyways.
The night before they reached Dressrosa, Luffy sat Law on his lap and gingerly traced his fingers over the curve of Law’s fluffy ears and the length of his spotted tail. His other hand rested on the dip of Law’s waist. His lover shivered and his face was a gorgeous shade of red. Outside of little pecks on the cheek and forehead, they have also been working on Law’s comfort with physical intimacy. Luffy had meant it when he said they would go slow and at Law’s pace.
“Doflamingo only ever saw me as a pet,” Law had explained to him several nights prior. “He would threaten to unleash dogs that would rape me if I misbehaved. Just as he would do himself to the other human servants sometimes. He always kept me around so that I understood what that threat meant,”
“And you’ve been around him since you were…?”
“Ten.”
It would seem that up until now, any notion of physical intimacy that Law was privy to had always involved some sort of sick power play and demand for submission. Luffy didn’t ask if Doflamingo had ever followed through with his threats. He was going to rip his tongue out just for daring to utter those words. Thoughts of that human were shoved aside for the time being however, as Luffy delighted in the sight of his lover squirming shyly in his hold.
“You can touch me too, lura. Come,” he pulled one of Law’s hands and placed it over his bare chest where he saw Law’s eyes darting towards frequently. The feel of Law’s sword calloused hands on his chest wasn’t new, but this was the first time his lover would be touching his skin without the intention to clinically examine him. It was exciting. A tentative fire burned between them. There was a danger to it, but not hot enough to burn.
Law’s long fingers lightly ran across the massive scar left behind by his last major injury. The one Law had saved him from. It felt like he was proudly carrying Law’s mark on him. A permanent reminder of how Law had touched him in a way that nobody else had. Especially with him being a god, because Luffy never really bothered with the hassle of getting any of his injuries treated properly when his body could stitch itself.
Law’s other hand was on the back of Luffy’s neck, idly playing with his short black hair. His digits were cold, causing Luffy himself to shiver in response. Something flashed in Law’s dark golden eyes at that reaction. Luffy smiled when he recognized it for what it was; hunger. Being the Sun, he could never mistake it for anything else. Law desired him, and that only stoked the flames between them higher. Saliva collected in his mouth, but he quickly swallowed most of it down.
Patience.
Luffy quelled his bubbling lust by leaning in to place the chastest kiss in between Law’s brows. Something to feed the starving flames for the time being. When he pulled away, he was surprised to see that a pout had made its way on his lover’s face. “What’s bothering you, my love? What’s wrong?” Law humphed, crossing his arms. His tail thwacked irritatedly and his ears were pulled back. Luffy had to consciously tear his eyes away from his lover’s pink pouty lips in order to have this conversation. “You kiss me as if I’m a child. I see the way you look at me. Why won’t you kiss me properly on the lips, Lu-ya?”
Luffy’s grin was tight around the edges. “I don’t want to rush you, lura. Once we start kissing on the mouth, things could start moving very fast.”
“Well, I’m tired of these tiny kisses, Lu-ya. I feel like you’re my parent. I am already twenty six years old. Am I not the love that brought you down from the heavens?”
Patience. Patience. Patience.
“I will kiss you on the lips if you show me that you can handle sitting a bit closer,” Luffy suggested.
“What does that even mean-”
Law was cut off when Luffy grabbed his waist with two large hands and pulled him so that he sat directly on top of the obscene tent in Luffy’s trousers. Law yelped when he felt the scalding heat of Luffy’s eager arousal pressed directly against his own. Luffy had to stifle a groan. His sensitive cock could feel soft folds tucked shyly away between his lover’s quivering thighs. He didn’t expect to feel it grow damp in real time as he fought back the tantalizing urge to buck his hips.
Luffy tipped forwards and buried his face in the crook of Law’s neck. His breath was ragged and his vision hazy as he collected his composure. Just then, Law let out the softest mewl, breathless and high pitched as he squirmed his hips around. Luffy growled, tightening his grip on Law’s waist to a bruising degree. “Don’t move,” he lightly bit the lower part of Law’s neck to reprimand him. Law stilled obediently, his hands finding purchase on Luffy’s broad shoulders as his chest rose up and down rapidly.
Mustering all the will in his body, Luffy’s arms shook as he managed the monumental effort to push Law back a few inches so that he was no longer sitting on Luffy’s hungry cock. The both of them were panting by the end of it. Law’s pupils were dilated so large that the gold in his eyes were no more than thin bands framing the darkness in the middle. He even had a bit of spittle running down the side of his panting mouth. Unable to restrain himself, Luffy licked it greedily.
“Lu-ya,” Law breathed shakily, “What…What was that?”
Luffy was grateful that Law was still fully clothed. The fact that his eyes couldn’t follow the path of his lover’s alluring red flush down past his shirt’s collar was helping him regain his sanity a bit better. “That…is something that you’ll learn when we get to sex,”
“Then why did you…?”
“I wanted you to understand what you’re asking for when you start demanding kisses on the mouth. Oh my heart, if only you knew how badly I want to devour you,” Luffy moaned softly. He was sure that Law could see exactly what he meant when their eyes met.
“Isn’t there a safer version?” Law whined, fingers digging needily in the flesh of Luffy’s shoulders. Luffy pondered on it with his sluggish mind. He didn’t come up with much, so he led with instinct. He placed a soft, close-lipped kiss on Law’s mouth. Only the lightest caress. Luffy almost groaned at how Law’s petal soft lips seemed to yield beneath his. Tentatively, they reciprocated his tender movements. When he pulled back, Law’s lips chased after him. At the loss of touch, his eyes fluttered open to reveal a pair of heated golds — the sight of which would burn in the back of Luffy’s eyelids for the rest of time.
Luffy gently ran his fingers over Law’s soft ears and up his dark tresses. “How was that for a kiss?” Law looked absolutely winded as if that kiss had stolen part of his soul. “Should we rest for the night?” Law furiously shook his head, pupils trembling with great need. “More,” he whimpered. “One more kiss,”
How could Luffy ever deny his beloved?
They shared another hungry kiss. Their mouths stayed closed, only allowing the sensual dance between two lips. But sometimes Luffy would get impatient, and he would lightly nip at Law’s lower or upper lip just to feel the give of its softness. By the next kiss, Law was already copying his actions. They didn’t stop at one that night. Not at two, and not even three.
Right before bed, Law had excused himself to the bathroom. “I can’t sleep like this,” he grumbled, though there was no edge to his tone. As he got up, Luffy caught his wrist and looked at him meaningfully in the eyes. “If any part of you aches, then soothe it with your touch until you feel satisfied. Learn to understand your body, my love,” he advised. His beloved’s face had burned bright red but he timidly nodded his assent.
While Law was gone, Luffy stared down at his erection. Now was as good a time as any other, he shrugged. Pulling it out of the cramped confines of his trousers, Luffy teased the leaking tip with his finger. Then he rubbed at it using his palm to spread the copious amounts of precum all over his hand. His movements were quick and efficient, following a method he’d gotten familiar with over the years. Law could return any minute and he wanted this to be over beforehand, or else he would have more than a little trouble with this erection.
Unfortunately, as a primarily magical being his senses were sharper than that of a normal human’s. The scent of Law’s arousal hung thick in the air, threatening to drown out all of Luffy’s inhibitions. He was already lightly thrusting into his fist as it moved up and down. Base to tip, a shiver travelled up Luffy’s spine as his cock remembered the feel of Law’s soft dampness pressed so sensually against it. It had gotten a taste that even Luffy’s fingers weren’t fortunate enough to receive.
Wetness spilled out of the tip of his cock in abundance, dirtying the sheets below. But Luffy hadn’t reached his peak yet. This one was eluding him. Now that he knew what Law felt like squirming and mewling in his lap, it was like his body refused to settle for just his hand anymore. Rising to his knees, Luffy’s powerful hips began thrusting harder into his own tightened grip. His ears replayed for him the symphony of Law’s soft panting and stifled moans. His teeth were gritted hard as his jaw remembered the feel of Law’s flesh where he’d bitten him.
His body burned as his pleasure began cresting. “Lu-ya,” he heard Law mutter shakily in his right ear. “More,” he heard Law whine in his left. With two, three, four more thrusts, Luffy came with a barely restrained groan, deep and guttural. His cum splattered onto the bed, creating a thick pool of sticky white. His eyes were lidded and his pupils blown wide. His cock gave another hungry twitch as the scent of Law’s arousal and his own intermingled with one another. His lecherous mind showed him a picture of Law, pink and panting beneath him with his soft belly painted in cum. Luffy moaned at the lewd image, but he quickly stood up and shook his head to banish it away before his cock rose up higher than its current half mast.
He tucked his greedy cock back into his trousers and changed the bedsheets. Just as he got the bed ready for tonight’s rest, Law reemerged from the bathroom looking at Luffy from the door with wide eyes and a pretty flush across his cheeks. Luffy greeted him with a bright smile. “Did you have fun?” Law’s gaze dropped bashfully, his long spotted tail was wrapped around one of his own legs and his ears were down. The picture of a shy lover. Luffy almost wanted to go so far as to accuse him of acting coy, because did he understand how seductive he was behaving? Probably not, his conscience answered.
“I’m tired,” was all Law said. He threw himself onto the bed and curled up with his eyes closed, careful to not meet Luffy’s expectant gaze the entire time. “Let’s sleep,” Law announced. Luffy only chuckled, getting down on one knee by the bed to plant a soft kiss on his lover’s forehead. His lips tingled when he felt the smoothness of his lover’s skin and the warmth of his blush. His scent, freshly washed but still uniquely Law, tickled his senses and drew him in like a siren at sea.
“Good night, my love.” He pulled away reluctantly. Law’s eyes immediately snapped open. “You’re not coming to bed?” he asked in a small voice. Luffy was not sure if it was due in part to the throbbing cock in his pants, but everything Law said and did at the moment seemed to beg Luffy to ravish him fervidly.
He ran a hand over Law’s hair. Law’s eyes fluttered close as he leaned into the touch. “Not yet, lura. I need to go take care of something in the bathroom. I will come back soon, don’t worry.” By the way Law blushed, Luffy knew that his lover understood his meaning. Just as he got up to leave the bedside, Law called to him. “Lu-ya,”
“Hm?”
“When you…if you make sounds, I’ll hear them,” he murmured in a soft voice. Luffy’s eyebrows rose to his forehead at the confession. Ah, he hadn’t been mindful earlier when he got himself off. Which meant that Law had heard him when he was busy with his own pleasure in the bathroom. What a delicious thought. Luffy gave him a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry, my love. I will try to keep quiet so that you can go to sleep.” Law said nothing to that.
As Luffy shut the bathroom door behind him and looked down at his persisting problem below the belt, he sighed. This bathroom still carried a slight lingering scent of his lover’s pleasure. This was going to be a long night, he predicted.
・・・
That morning, Luffy helped Law carry his stuff as they walked to the busy docks. Law was displeased but Luffy’s stubbornness won out in the end. With his strength, the combined weight of their bags amounted to nothing at all. He was able to lift everything with one hand, leaving the other free to snake its way to Law’s waist. His little lover sighed, but otherwise didn’t move to shoo away his clingy fingers even as they squeezed and drummed absentmindedly. It was most likely because they had to stick close to one another anyway in the tumultuous flow of the crowd, but Luffy wanted to believe that their intimate evening last night played a role in Law’s more indulgent mood.
Dressrosa, known far and wide as the kingdom of love, passion and fairies. These words rang in Luffy’s mind as he briefly glanced down at Law tucked close by his side while the pair made their way through the kingdom’s grand gates. It was a massive arch that stretched far into the sky. Green vines blooming with enormous carmine roses wrapped themselves along each side of the arch, slithering up from the ground to meet in the middle. Luffy almost felt vertigo trying to tilt his head far back enough and take in the entire structure for all its splendor. His keen eyes could detect traces of magic on the gigantic plant. These roses must have been maintained by the so called fairies inhabiting this kingdom. These sorts of things were typically finely managed by the local Forest Gods, so Luffy never gave it much thought.
Upon taking their first step into the Kingdom of Dressrosa, Luffy was greeted with the lively atmosphere of summer. The magic in his veins hummed pleasantly, surging up gradually like an incoming tide. The Sun’s presence and influence were strong in a place like Dressrosa, Luffy grinned. The breeze here was sweeter and gentler than anything in the cold climate areas. It carried with it the scents of perfume, sweat, spices from delicious cuisines and a large variety of flowers. Fruits like melons, mangoes and pears were ripe to bursting, and their fragrance smelt nearly decadent in their succulence.
Music could be heard being played in the distance. The air was filled with titters and chortles from men and women outside of quaint restaurants. To one side, a stout young man was haggling with a lady that appeared to have gotten along in her years. Shrieking laughter and playful shouts were all around them as children weaved past all the adults, engaged in an exciting game of chase. Birds were singing all the way up in the trees and all the way down in the various clear water fountains placed in key areas around town. The trees applauded their performance every time a breeze passed by and rustled their leaves noisily.
There seemed to be a neverending supply of joyful smiles on everyone’s faces. Everything and everywhere the sunlight touched glimmered so attractively. It was almost intoxicating, but Law didn’t seem to have lost himself in the ecstasy of it all yet. Despite the warmth all around them, Law’s eyes stayed frigid and his face was as still as a finely carved porcelain mask. The strong sunshine created harsh shadows everywhere, and these nondescript pockets of darkness hid something sinister out in plain sight. Law was glowering at the thing that cast the biggest shadow in this country yet, the royal palace that sat atop a gargantuan hill east of the kingdom. Luffy squinted at the palace as well, wondering if he would find Doflamingo if he just went straight-
“Let’s go,” Law muttered, hastily pulling Luffy into the nearest clothing stall. “H-Huh?” Luffy was caught off guard by the suddenness of it. He had to duck his head in order not to knock down several rows of clothes hung on the top rack. The stall was by no means small, but Luffy had never found himself wading through a sea of clothing like this before. Law was already browsing through several different shirts on one side, his movements jerky like he wasn’t giving much thought to any of the clothes he was flipping through.
“Why are we clothes shopping, Torao?”
Law reached over to grab his bag from Luffy’s arm and made him hold on to his nodachi instead. “We are not shopping for clothes. You are,” he said as he looked across the stall to look for a changing cubicle. There was one tucked way in the back by the cashier’s desk. “I’m going to change into something appropriate for the hot weather here. You find something that doesn’t make you look so…foreign,”
Luffy made a face in confusion. Law just rolled his eyes. “Just get any shirt that fits you and come change after I’m done.” With that, he turned on his heels and closed the curtain to the changing cubicle with a soft ka-chik sound of the hook being fastened in place. Luffy mentally shrugged and plucked out the first shirt he saw. A dark blue short sleeve button up that had sunflowers all over it. This should do. When Law emerged from the dressing cubicle, Luffy felt the earth shift beneath his feet.
Mouth gaping, Luffy barely managed to coherently produce a clumsy “May I kiss you?”
The casual wear in Dressrosa, Luffy just now realized, was quite airy and loose. Thin fabrics that were sheer in some places and outright open in others. Law was wearing nothing underneath a finely tailored black coat made from light material that wasn’t stifling for the skin. This meant that the plains of his stomach and his chest were right there for Luffy to see. In the month or so of them knowing each other, Luffy had never seen Law in any state of undress before. He always thought his lover was shy, and never pushed for it during the times they spent intimately entwined with one another. It was always he who took his shirt off liberally.
Luffy knew Law’s tattoos extended down, but he could never have imagined how gorgeous they looked. The ink covered such a large part of his beloved, coiling and curving across the patches of tan and pale skin all over his chest. Was it…a heart shape? Luffy wanted to trace the lines with his tongue. He wanted to pepper kisses on that flat belly. The subtle definition of his beloved’s lean muscle there was driving him crazy. His teeth ached to bite the little mound of flesh protruding just beneath Law’s navel. Luffy’s unabashed hungry gaze travelled further down and saw a pair of low hanging straight cut jeans Law wore that accentuated his long slender legs. This whole outfit felt like it was serving a bleating lamb directly to the mouth of a tiger.
Law’s tail swiped from one side to the other and his ears lowered angrily. He frowned immediately at Luffy’s request for a kiss. That was enough for Luffy to take as a resounding no, though he did not regret trying. Law clicked his tongue and held out a hand in wordless demand for his sword. As Luffy passed it to him, Law swiftly deposited his bag back onto Luffy’s hand to make him carry it again. That made Luffy smile. He enjoyed seeing his beloved be petulant like this. It made something in his heart melt at the implicit trust involved in it all.
Just as Law was about to move aside and allow Luffy access to the changing room next, a small shadow zipped through the miniature jungle of hung clothing and crashed against Law’s leg. Luffy’s hand sprung up to stabilize his beloved. When the pair look down, they see that the little thing had been a young child. A girl no older than eight, by the looks of it. But what really caught their surprise was the unmistakable wink of gold that had fallen by the child’s side. Law’s ears stood up on end as his gaze locked onto the small metallic object.
It wasn’t any regular gold piece. The child’s mother, and presumably this stall’s owner, could be heard yelling after the little girl. But Law paid the commotion no mind as he plucked the medallion off the ground and brought it up to examine more closely. Emblazoned on its surface was a circle surrounded by eight needles pointing outwards. There were many different variations to this simple design, but they all represented the same thing. The religious symbol of the Sun God Nika. Luffy hadn’t seen it in many years. Not ever since his name became prominent and the people in power outlawed all organizations that worshipped the Sun.
“Uhm, excuse me,” a middle aged lady interjected, “I’m sorry.” She held both her hands politely to ask for the medallion back. Law handed it to her without question, but the lady sweated nervously and she shifted her weight from one foot to another. “T-This is just a family heirloom, you see,” she explained with a strained smile. “My baby was playing with my things and she just…,” her voice withered as she shrunk beneath Law’s quiet gaze. To Luffy who had become a combat-proficient adventurer of sorts in the past several centuries, Law was not only smaller but also shorter in comparison. However, to a lot of people Law was quite intimidating for his size and the understated strength he presented with his build. Not to mention the enormous sword he always carried on his shoulder.
As he stood, Law towered over the lady as she fidgeted for her words and the gaze he bore with his sharp golden eyes added physical weight to her frail shoulders. Law’s face softened somewhat. “I can’t believe there are still worshippers of Sun God Nika,” he whispered. The woman’s eyes shot wide open in panic. “S-Sun God? No, the only gods in this world are the Celestial Dragons of course-” but then she caught herself. “Did you say…Nika? You know that name?”
Luffy felt Law stand a tiny bit closer to his side, enough so that he could feel Law’s body heat. “Yes,” Law smiled faintly. A small, vulnerable thing. “He’s my god too,” he muttered quietly, confiding this secret with the lady. Her eyes became glassy but no tears fell. Law and Luffy let the silence between them breathe for a moment as the lady collected herself. Whether the conclusion she came to in her head was good or bad, she didn’t let it show. Instead the next thing that came out of her mouth was a timid but desperate plea.
“Please don’t speak about this to anyone. I live alone with my daughter. If word reaches His Majesty the King…,”
“Don’t worry. I understand,” Law said with a gravely earnest tone. He didn’t give the lady a hug nor did he placate her with elaborate promises, but the sincerity in his voice was enough to warm her tremulous fingers and make them stop shaking.
“Thank you,” she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
They paid for Luffy’s new shirt and were back on their way through the deceptively high spirited streets of Dressrosa. Luffy dragged Law to every third food stall to grab a quick snack since Law refused to sit and dine at a proper restaurant. “We can’t fight Mango on an empty stomach, Torao!” Luffy argued through a mouth full of food. While one hand rested comfortably on Law’s waist, the other was occupied holding several skewers of fried meat, fish and quail eggs. Law scowled, but otherwise didn’t discourage him from stuffing his face as they made their way through the city.
“I just want to get out of here quickly,” Law murmured. That’s when Luffy registered the inconspicuous way Law had been quietly pulling at the rim of his hat down to cover as much of his ears as possible. He also noted the way his tail was carefully hidden out of sight with the help of his long black coat. This made Luffy immediately hyper aware of the looks that were directed none too subtly at his beloved. It dawned on Luffy just then, the possibility of the citizens of this kingdom knowing who Law was and his affiliation to Doflamingo.
Luffy quickly finished the rest of his handful of snacks except for one skewer of fried quail eggs. He brought the final helping over to Law’s lips. “Eat,” he urged. Law glared at him. “I’m not hungry.”
“Stop being a brat and eat it,” Luffy tutted. He’s surprised to see Law’s face take on the barest hue of pink in response to his words. His beloved dropped his gaze first and dutifully parted his soft lips to accept the food fed to him. He didn’t even bother to take the skewer from Luffy’s hand. Luffy felt his heart race dangerously as Law’s lips wrapped around the eggs before pulling it into his mouth to chew demurely. For the second egg, Law had to take in more of the wooden skewer into his mouth in order to reach it and pull it off. For the third and final egg, Law tilted his head so that he could lightly nibble on it from the side before smoothly sliding it into his mouth. Its grease left a bit of shine on his lips, so a small pink tongue darted out and licked it clean.
Luffy was transfixed. His mind was static and his mouth was dry. He was most definitely planning to sit Law in his lap to feed him during their next meal. Preferably using his own hands this time so that he could feel Law’s soft lips wrap around his fingertips. If he was lucky he might even get to experience that cute little tongue licking him. His mind could already picture it and it was making him hot. That would be for later, he mentally reminded himself. Patience.
The pair halted by a knick knacks store when the palace gates at the foot of the massive hill came into view at the end of the main street. Several guards stood sentry with their polished weapons gleaming silver at their waists.
“Let’s take the castle down.”
“You can’t.”
“Why not? It’s going to take us forever to climb up this thing unnoticed.”
“Because Cora is in one of the rooms and his condition is fragile.”
Luffy frowned, arms crossed while he pondered. “Then how about we just jump up there?”
“Jump?” Law looked at him, incredulous. Luffy grinned. Without preamble, he leaned down and hoisted Law up in a princess carry. Law was left sputtering in shock, panickedly wrapping both arms around Luffy’s neck when the latter suddenly leapt off the ground and sent them both flying into the air. Luffy felt his magic sing in his veins at the exciting prospect of some action as well as the rewarding feel of Law holding onto him so tightly and burying his face against his chest. He could faintly hear Law’s muffled screams and curses through the howling of winds racing by his ears.
Luffy landed lightly on a carved out tier right below the palace. He placed the flustered Law down to stand on the green grass spread before them. It was a field. Not just any field, but a field of towering golden sunflowers. Law tugged Luffy’s head down to duck below the sea of flowers by his earlobe.
“Ow!”
“Hush, Lu-ya. That was incredibly reckless what you did. What if anyone from the palace saw us?” Law hissed.
Luffy pouted. “I didn’t make a sound. And your screeching was silenced by my shirt, so everything should be fine,”
Law looked far from convinced. “If Doflamingo knew that I was here, he would try to move Cora’s body somewhere I can’t reach. I need to get to Cora first. I have no doubt that at least one member of the Family has spotted us already, so we need to move fast.”
“Alright. Then I’ll go say hi to Mingo while you’re busy,” Luffy bumped a fist into his palm as he smirked. Law clutched his nodachi closer to himself. “Sure. But please watch out for the rest of the Doflamingo Family as well. They’re dangerous,”
Luffy’s smirk melted into a soft smile. “Don’t worry. I’m strong. Stronger than anyone you know,” he tenderly cupped the side of Law’s face, using a thumb to smooth out the hard edges of his lover’s nervous frown. “Now, how about a good luck kiss?” Law’s face burned red. “We’re not in public,” Luffy reasoned, casting his glance towards the curtain of sunflowers blanketing them overhead.
Law breathed out a soft sigh through his nose and his face slackened. Taking that as a yes, Luffy hooked his finger underneath Law’s jaw and leaned in. It started as a mere press of lips on lips, but Luffy got impatient and licked the seam teasingly. Half expecting Law to pull away like a skittish kitten, Luffy was surprised when his lover instead parted his lips to allow just the tip of his tongue in. It was now Luffy who pulled away wide eyed, feeling a pleasant buzz under his skin.
Law looked up at him shyly, but the satisfied glint in his eyes told Luffy that he knew exactly what he was doing and the effect he had on Luffy’s better conscience. “Naughty,” he growled softly. Law pretended not to hear him and began walking away in the direction of the palace proper. The sunflowers were tall enough to completely hide Law’s frame, but the same unfortunately could not be said about Luffy. So Luffy chose to disregard sneaking altogether and charged straight through the wall guarding the palace. He tried going for an area that would have less bedrooms that could hide unconscious bodies.
His face brightened when he saw that he just broke through to what looked like an outdoor pool and garden. If he made a racket here, the entire Doflamingo Family would surely race to check on the problem, right? That would buy Law time to get to Cora.
In an instant, Luffy found himself surrounded by a bunch of…unique looking people. None of them were wearing uniforms so they must not be the palace guards. Grinning, Luffy’s eyes scanned the small crowd. “Which one of you is Mingo?”
Before he could receive an answer, missiles and bombs were thrown his way. The ground beneath him and the wall right next to him swelled and detonated all on their own. He felt a hand grab his ankle, trying to tug him out of balance. He raised his foot and stomped on the hand that seemed to come out of the ground. The explosions didn’t affect him much at all other than obscuring his vision and making the air dusty. Frowning, Luffy’s arm elongated and he whipped it around to send all the combatants crashing against several trees and brick walls around them.
“Man, you guys are rude!” he huffed annoyedly. A wrinkly old man with a pot belly flew out of nowhere and began throwing kicks and fists his way. Luffy parried each strike and swiftly got out of the way when another person came barrelling for him from his blind spot. “I came here to talk to Mingo. Not you guys,” he growled. His eyes flashed a brilliant red and everyone in the area fell to the ground unconscious like heavy sacks of flour.
A low baritone laugh shattered the tentative quiet that descended in the aftermath of the squabble.
“Here to talk, eh?”
Luffy whirled around to face a man in a luxurious bright pink feathered coat sauntering towards him with all the grace of a prowling lion. “You’re Mingo?” The man had a wide grin on him, standing two whole feet taller than Luffy. “And if I am? What business could the Pirate King have with the king of Dressrosa? I believe we’d always kept out of each other’s business up until now. What brought you here, Straw Hat?”
Luffy scowled. “I just wanted to get a good look at you before I punch your face in,” he spat. Doflamingo’s smile didn’t falter. He merely tilted his head to one side, eyebrows raised as if he was taken by genuine surprise. “Oh my. So angry,” he chuckled, stalking past Luffy to cast a sweeping glance over his passed out crewmembers scattered across the ground by the blue pool. Luffy kept his eyes pinned on Doflamingo. His instincts felt prickly and alert. Doflamingo wasn’t nearly as strong as some of the other foes he’d faced in the past like Kaido, but there was something unsettling about him. Instead of a powerful threat marching towards him, Doflamingo felt more like a spider, casting his sticky web and stalking for his prey’s weaknesses silently out of sight.
“I have no interest in fighting you, Straw Hat,” Doflamingo sighed. “Whatever problem you have with me surely could be discussed over some refreshments?” He walked with his back fully turned to Luffy, heading into the palace and down one of the connected halls with an unspoken order to follow after. Luffy plucked a stone in his hand and flicked it sharply, sending a powerful projectile directly to Doflamingo’s head. Interestingly, the stone was cleanly sliced into three pieces mid air before it could make contact.
Doflamingo turned over his shoulder and smiled wide, “Now, let’s not be savage. I’m trying to be a gracious host, after all.”
Luffy didn’t bother to act amicable. Begrudgingly he padded after Doflamingo and together they arrived at what looked to be a dining area surrounded by large open windows that let in golden sunshine, the cool breeze and the fragrance of flowers coming from an open garden right outside. With a clap of his hands, servants came and brought in trays of tea and biscuits.
“Let’s talk, Pirate King. What could I do for you?”
Tea was poured and a fancy plate of biscuits were pushed his way. Luffy glowered at him the whole time. It wasn’t until Doflamingo plucked a biscuit from his plate and ate it himself did Luffy indulge in a few treats. “I don’t need you to do anything for me. I just hate you,” Luffy snarled, venom dripping off his voice. Doflamingo leaned his head in his hand propped on his elbow over the table. “Really? And can I assume this sudden hatred you hold for me is attributed to the lost little mink-boy downstairs?”
Luffy immediately stood off his chair and crossed the table to grab the front collar of Doflamingo’s shirt. “Don’t expect me to forgive you for what you did to Torao,” he growled. He could feel his magic roar within him, red peeking through the brown of his irises. Doflamingo continued to laugh as if Luffy’s molten rage was terribly amusing. “Ahh, Law,” he sighed. “Disappeared from me three years ago without a trace. I was wondering where he’d gone. But I could have never suspected that he’d run to the Pirate King,”
Something sliced through the air and Luffy hissed as crimson bubbled on his tan skin from a sudden laceration. More came from all directions, forcing him to let go of Doflamingo in order to dodge all of them. “Ooh,” Doflamingo whistled, “The Pirate King really lives up to his name as the most powerful man in the world. Any other person and my strings would have cleaved their hands clean off.”
Luffy ignored the small cuts littering his arms. Some even made it to the side of his neck, but the cut wasn’t deep enough to kill.
“What did that boy promise you, hm? He’s a prodigy when it comes to healing magic. Was it to save a dear friend?”
Hearing this man’s nonchalant voice grated on Luffy’s nerves. He threw a fast punch, but Doflamingo danced around it just as quickly.
“Did he promise to make you immortal?”
Luffy threw another punch, followed by another, and then a kick. Doflamingo floated and flew over each of them, chuckling the whole time. Luffy took one step, but he paused immediately when he felt cuts behind his ear and against the side of his cheek. All around him were strings coming from the walls, floors and ceiling, limiting his movements.
“Judging from your ire, this must be incredibly personal to you. Did the brat wiggle his little ass for you, Pirate King? Did he seduce you with his beastly ways?” Doflamingo crooned, “Look at you now. Just a dog doing tricks for a treat.” Normally Luffy didn’t care about what people would call him, degrading or otherwise. But something about being referred to as a dog irked him tremendously.
“He threatened to unleash dogs that would rape me if I misbehaved.”
“So much bloodlust,” Doflamingo commented. “And for what? What’s wrong with me keeping a beast on a tight leash so that it doesn’t run away?”
Luffy saw red. His anger was so great that his magic erupted out of him in the form of white fire that viciously devoured all the strings in the room. Not even Doflamingo was safe from the onslaught, as wave after wave of incalescent flames destroyed everything in its path. Burning feathers rained onto the scorched floor. But there was no dead body, Luffy realized. Just a pile of singed threads crumbling to dust. He was startled by the sound of gunshots coming from above, followed by a thud.
“Torao!” He dashed out of the quaint dining area and leapt up to the palace’s rooftop. The scene that greeted him made his heart lodge itself in his throat. Law was on the floor, bleeding profusely from several bullet holes on his abdomen while another Doflamingo stood over him cackling. “I wonder how that beast of yours would react when he sees you all pathetic like this,”
“Get away from him!” Luffy roared, going straight after Doflamingo’s neck. Doflamingo extended a hand and Law was tugged up off the floor by invisible strings. His maimed body was immediately brought in front of Doflamingo, poised to take Luffy’s hit for him like a meat shield. With great effort Luffy twisted the trajectory of his punch and made it land right by Doflamingo’s feet, destroying that part of the roof in the process. Doflamingo simply jumped out of the way, this time bringing Law close to him with a gun cocked to his head.
On Doflamingo’s chest and face, Luffy could see claw marks. Him and Law must have been engaged in a fight prior to this. Luffy could even see a stab mark on Doflamingo’s stomach that must have been the work of Law’s sword.
“What did I say about being savage, Pirate King? I thought I told you I wasn’t interested in a fight,” Doflamingo tutted with a sly smile. Law squirmed and fought against his hold, but it was to no avail. His pained whimpers were driving Luffy to absolute madness. But the gun barrel digging into Law’s temple kept him in place for now. Looking for a way around this, Luffy spotted the strange white thing forming in the sky above them. It was nothing like a cloud, and from this weird formation thousands of strings shot out across the sky to the outskirts of the kingdom.
“I have no mood for your games, Doflamingo!” Everything about this man made him sick. The way he smiled, the way he laughed, the words he spoke.
“Lu-ya,” Law croaked. Luffy’s eyes immediately found his. “D-Don’t get angry. Don’t listen to h-him,” Law pleaded. Luffy was too caught up on the busted lip on his face, on the deep cuts on his arm and the six bullet holes on his stomach.
“Let’s strike a deal, Pirate King. You leave Dressrosa right now, and I won’t kill your pet.”
“Fuck that,” Luffy snapped.
“Fine. I’ll let you come retrieve him tomorrow. I’ve missed him so dearly, you see. It has been a long three years after all,” Doflamingo placed his chin on the top of Law’s messy hair. Something about that smarmy action made Luffy’s stomach twist into impossible knots. “Don’t worry about me killing him. I want him alive as much as you do,”
The frightened and anguished screams of civilians down below alerted Luffy to the fact that the strings flying overhead had quickly formed what appeared to be a cage of sorts encompassing the entire kingdom. Law jerked violently, kicking up a fight once more. But this time, Luffy could sense a very strong feeling of panic emanating from his movements. This wasn’t just a struggle to escape, Law was struggling out of overwhelming fear that had gripped his bones. Luffy couldn’t bear to see his beloved look so afraid. He’d never seen him with such an honest terrified expression over his face before.
“Oi, Doflamingo! I’ll listen to you but let me check on Torao first,”
To his surprise, Doflamingo acquiesced and released Law from his hold. Law fell to the ground in a broken heap, his legs too shaky to properly catch his fall. Luffy was by him in an instant. Law was trembling like a leaf in the wind and his face was pale. Luffy wanted to examine his injuries but Law whipped around to speak with Doflamingo instead.
“Call it off,” he shouted. “Call the Birdcage off, Doffy!”
Doflamingo grinned down at him. “You already know our agreement, Law. If you want me to stop, then make me immortal.”
Luffy wanted to shout his protest, but suddenly he felt something come over his limbs. He couldn’t control himself. “Torao,” he wheezed in panic at the unexplainable situation. However, Law’s attention was rooted on Doflamingo who continued to speak indifferently. “Are you going to be the cause of an entire island’s death once again, Law? Will your stubbornness be the killer that ends my dear little brother’s life?” Every word Doflamingo spoke weighed like heavy chains that pulled Law’s shoulders down.
“Your lover must be appalled to see your selfishness right now, Law. He must be seeing you in a new light. Your ugly nature. Your disgusting taste for plebeian cock,” Doflamingo’s laugh was filled with daggers and it made Luffy’s ears bleed. Law jumped up to punch him, but with how injured he was it was too easy for Doflamingo to grab a hold of his fist and twist his arm causing him to scream in pain. “Did he tell you that yet, Straw Hat? Did he tell you how he cried and begged to get fucked in my throne room by a bunch of lowlife criminals from the dungeons?”
“Enough!” Luffy roared, but his limbs wouldn’t obey his command. He couldn’t move to free Law from Doflamingo’s grasp. He felt a sliver of triumph when he managed to send a fist flying towards Doflamingo, but that triumph immediately devolved into horror when he discovered that the person waiting on the other end of his punch was none other than Law. This time he couldn’t redirect his attack. Law received that powerful punch directly on his chest, knocking the air out of him and making it difficult for him to draw his next breath.
“What’s going on…,” Luffy stumbled back glaring down at his fist. Law was bent over at the waist, still trying to get his lungs to take in air properly. Suddenly, Luffy was running towards his beloved. Not to hug or to hold, but to kick right against the side of his ribs and send him flying to the edge of the roof. “Why can’t I control myself?” he screamed in confusion as Doflamingo guffawed several paces behind him.
“See that, Law? He can’t stand looking at you,” he jeered.
“Shut up!” Luffy spat.
“Ahh,” Doflamingo sighed, still looking amused. “It seems that the beast is furious. Law, why don’t you placate him?” Luffy saw Law rise to his feet with an unnatural twist of his body. The look in his eyes made one thing clear to Luffy: he did not have his body under control either. Law stalked over on shaky legs until he was right in front of him. Then he fell to his knees with a painful sounding thump. Luffy also descended with him and his hands moved to push Law onto his back without him telling it to.
Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop.
His hand reached behind Law’s hip to grope his butt. Luffy wanted to hurl the contents of his stomach. Law had so much fear evident in his eyes even if he tried to mask it behind a brave face. “It’s okay, Lu-ya. It’s okay if it’s you,” Law reassured him with a broken voice. “It’s not okay,” Luffy rasped back. “None of this is okay.”
Holding the life of Law’s loved one and all the innocent people of Dressrosa over his beloved’s head like this, to inspire such fear in his beloved’s eyes like this, to make his beloved hurt like this, none of this was okay. To toy with the mortal vessel of a god like this? The Sun had had enough of this foolish game. This palace was built so high, so close to the Sun. The waves of magic unleashed on top of the roof was akin to that of a tsunami violently flattening everything in its path. An unstoppable force of nature.
The Sun knelt over Law with his head inclined to the sky, welcoming the overzealous winds that blew down from above the clouds in order to greet their lord. His hair was white, blazing like flames as the strands curled up. His eyes were as red as the sky during sunrise. His hagoromo was made visible now, announcing his exalted status as a primordial being to all in the land. His magic was thick in the air, so much so that it crackled in some places with flashes of deadly red lightning. The weight of his presence was oppressive and suffocating, apparent by how Doflamingo was knocked down to one knee clutching at his neck.
“I was testing my luck with that one. Been wondering how long my puppet spell would last on someone like the Pirate King,” Doflamingo sniggered mirthlessly as he fought to stand back up with pride. “It seems I’ve woken up the Lord of the Seas from his slumber,”
“Wrong,” the Sun sneered. “You’ve picked a fight with the Lord of the Skies.” Rising to his feet, the Sun stood in his full majestic glory. The sunflowers in the field down below now turned to face him in veneration. The nearby trees bowed their boughs low in esteem. The fairies rightfully tucked themselves out of sight in fear of the lord’s wrath.
Doflamingo jerked his hand and Law was dragged on the ground towards him. But one glance from the Sun’s murderous red eyes and the strings binding Law’s freedom was set on fire. Law held one hand over his abdomen. Blue light glowed from it and his hand now held six bullets extracted out of him. The Sun regretted that even with all his power, he did not possess much that could help heal a corporeal body. He could help speed up the process, but there was nothing he could do to save his beloved if death came to claim him. He wasn’t able to save him last time either. Or the time before that.
The grief and pain from lifetimes ago distilled into pure frustration and anger that the Sun now directed solely at Doflamingo. “I despise you,” the Sun said with such malice that his voice no longer sounded human. In less than the time it took to blink, the Sun was inches from Doflamingo’s face with a fist cocked back. He punched the human so hard that it sent him soaring halfway across his own kingdom. A building caught him, resulting in a large crash that sent stone and rubble flying everywhere. The people below scrambled like insignificant ants.
The Sun threw his head back and laughed loudly. His voice echoed down from where he floated above the royal palace. The entire kingdom had their eyes on him now. He could taste their terror and confusion in the air, but he had no mind nor care to assuage their worries. “Come out, Mingo! Let’s continue the game,” he shouted, clutching his belly as he recovered from his giggle fit. “Come here before I drag you by the roots of your hair.” This time his voice held more venom, sending shivers through the crowd down below.
Doflamingo emerged from the remnants of the building he crashed into, fixing his glasses and for the first time wearing a scowl on his face. “The Pirate King thinks he can just come here and do as he pleases in my kingdom?” He managed to crack a smirk despite the blood dripping out one corner of his mouth. The Sun gazed down at him lazily, like a tiger languidly regarding a rat that crossed him. Doflamingo pulled himself up using his strings to face the Sun on more equal grounds. This was getting boring, the Sun tsked mentally. It was never fun when they died too easily. This was why he tended to keep most of his magic locked away. This wouldn’t fulfill his bloodlust in the slightest.
Now that Doflamingo had gotten himself all the way back up to meet him, the Sun decided on a sudden whim to descend to the pool where all of the Doflamingo Family still lay unconscious. One by one, he grabbed each human by the neck and ripped it from their shoulders. For some of them, the Sun indulged in tearing all limbs from their torsos before leaning down to sever the head with his own teeth. This was more satisfying. The feel of their mortal flesh giving way under the force of his bite soothed the anger he felt when he thought of the possibility that any of these people had hurt his beloved. As his violent rampage went on, the crystal blue pool next to him bled crimson from the sheer amount of blood spilled into it. The flowers and bushes in the garden caught fire from the unadulterated heat radiating off of the Sun. This once heavenly garden now looked like a pit of hell.
He could feel strings attempting to slice through him from numerous angles but it was no more effective than a fly buzzing past a feasting lion. Doflamingo tried hitting him, kicking him, throwing things at him, cutting him, but none of it mattered. The Sun relished in the crush of fragile bones beneath his grip as he hoisted up another listless body from the ground for him to mangle and maul to a point beyond recognition. For every teardrop Law had to spill during his 13 year long captivity here with these monsters, the Sun made sure to pay it back a thousand fold. It was unfortunate that their bodies broke so easily.
After he was done with them, he turned to deal with Doflamingo. The large man charged towards him with five fiery strings that stemmed from each fingertip whipping through the air aiming to slash him rapidly. The Sun caught the strings with one hand while the other clamped harshly over Doflamingo’s neck. The Sun grinned, his eyes gleaming with savage intent as his grip tightened dangerously over the human’s windpipe. But then the Sun remembered something important.
His heart’s dearest love had wanted to kill this man himself. With Doflamingo in hand, the Sun shot up to the roof to find his beloved. When he saw no sign of him, red began to creep around the corners of his vision.
Where? Where? Where? My love?
The Sun closed his eyes and extended his magic to search for his beloved’s soul.
…There!
He smashed through the roof and all the floors beneath it until he reached the room where Law was hovering anxiously by a lone bed in the corner.
“Mihyun nive,” he purred, low and baritone.
My heart.
He flung Doflamingo unceremoniously onto the floor next to the bed. Law was startled by the large man abruptly deposited in a heap of listless limbs at his feet. Doflamingo coughed, violently sucking in air while his hand tenderly felt around his neck. A large and unsightly bruise had already started to form.
“Lu-ya?” Law peered up at him, concern written all over his face. Why? The Sun wondered. Why the need for worry? Doflamingo was far worse off. “Tell me that’s not your blood,” Law pleaded. Ah, the blood. Now he remembered. It stained half of his face, both of his hands up to the elbows and a large part of his front side. The Sun unwittingly smiled at the memory of his carnage.
“Voi khiirmn, mihya lura,” he crooned, eyes going lidded as his tongue relived the decadent pleasure.
I’m fine, my love.
Law didn’t look convinced, but he dropped the subject for now. He turned his attention to Doflamingo choking for air on the floor. “What did you do to Cora?” he hissed, kicking Doflamingo in the chest to make him look up. Doflamingo gritted his teeth and raised a hand to hit Law, but the Sun was faster. Both of Doflamingo’s hands and feet were bound by two sets of long slithering ropes of white fire. The Sun then grabbed Doflamingo by his blond hair and pulled his head back to make sure he was facing Law properly. He giggled when Doflamingo hissed in pain.
“Lura, eyk ssurook kaln im,” he snickered.
Love, you can kill him now.
He saw that the nodachi was back in Law’s possession. His beloved was so tenacious. He made it all the way back down here and retrieved his sword despite all his injuries? The Sun felt his chest swell with pride. He hummed contentedly when Law unsheathed the sword and its blade came singing out of its scabbard.
“Answer me, Doffy,” Law growled, aiming the tip of the sword right at Doflamingo’s heart. Doflamingo spat defiantly, and so Law slashed across his exposed abdomen in response. His movement was precise and efficient, carrying an air of coldness to it. His golden eyes bore that familiar hatred the Sun had seen before. “You’re pathetic,” Law snarled. His voice along with his entire body was shaking in anger. “You’re a disgusting worthless piece of shit for what you’ve done to your own younger blood brother, for what you’ve done to me!”
Doflamingo scoffed, smirking, “What? Do you want me to apologize and grovel at your feet? Would that help you sleep at night? What’s the matter, Law? I thought nothing I did could faze you,” he cackled. “Or do you still dream about your time with me? You must have enjoyed it, didn't you? You slut-“ Doflamingo let out a short scream before he hastily bit it back into a tortured groan when Law’s nodachi flew in a flash of silver to slice one of his ears clean off.
“You don’t get to speak to me like that,” Law hissed. Doflamingo’s face was severe, marred with a profound fury. “So this is the gratitude you offer me? After I took you in as a child? After I let you follow your passions and hone in your talents? You forget yourself, Law,” Law’s name was spelled out as if it was a wretched curse. “Back then what did you tell me? You had nothing and no one else to believe in. No one loves you! Everyone died and who did you run to? Me. I raised you, Law. I made you who you are today,”
“Stop!” Law yelled, his face alight in anger and his chest heaving with the weight of his emotions. “I should have your tongue ripped out of your mouth. But I need you to tell me what happened with Cora. I need to fix him. I can’t let you kick the bucket just yet,”
Doflamingo barked out a dry laugh, grating on the ears in its cruel tone. “You might as well just kill me, baby boy.”
That nickname seemed to flip a switch inside of Law because his blade immediately stabbed its way through Doflamingo’s inner thigh. The subsequent yell of pain was loud enough to rattle the windows. Law’s golden eyes were wide and glassy, as if he was seeing something beyond the scene in front of him. “Don’t…call me that,” Law murmured in a small voice that shook with a mix of fury and horror. Then his face twisted into pure rage and he pulled his sword out only to stab another part of the same leg. On the thickest part of the calf this time. Followed by the lower calf on the other leg. Next was the thigh on the other leg. Law stabbed and stabbed like he was overcome in a frenzy.
Again and again, Law would cry out “I’m not! I’m not! I’m not!” every time the hard metal broke through flesh and spilled blood all over the carpeted floor. Abruptly, Law left his sword skewered through Doflamingo’s leg to wretch on the far side of the room. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much in his stomach to throw up, so all that came out was a handful of bitter liquid. Whenever Doflamingo’s consciousness began to wane, the Sun would shoot a bit of magic from the back of his neck to keep him from passing out.
When Law came back, he plucked his sword back and aimed it at Doflamingo's stomach this time. “This is for violating my Lu-ya earlier,” he whispered, sounding winded from the frantic violence he’d just committed. With a deep breath, Law sunk the blade deep into Doflamingo’s abdomen. The man didn’t even have the energy to yell anymore. The pain was making him blue in the face as if he wasn’t able to inhale properly from the sheer torture.
Law brought his sword up to Doflamingo’s chest next, right over his heart. “This is for Corazon.” The blade slid through like a hot knife through butter. Blood curdled and poured, coughed out of Doflamingo’s mouth in such large amounts that it threatened to drown him from the inside by the looks of it. Law extracted his sword again, and this time he brandished it over Doflamingo’s bruised neck.
“And this is for me. Go to hell, you monster.” With a decisive swing, Doflamingo’s head went flying clean off his shoulders. Blood sprayed everywhere. The room was permanently ruined at this point. There wasn’t an inch that hadn’t been sullied by rotten crimson. The tears that had been quietly welling in Law’s eyes finally spilled down his face and he fell to his knees in the red puddle.
The Sun was by his side in an instant, folding his lover’s trembling body into his strong arms. Law’s cries started out as soft sniffles at first, but it slowly devolved into whimpers, sobs, and then full on screams that were silent half of the time because it seemed that confronting Doflamingo had taken so much out of his beloved. “I don’t want to see him,” Law sobbed out almost feverishly. “Get him away from me. Take him away. Please, Lu-ya!”
The Sun hushed Law’s anxiety with soft whispers of affection, tucking his lover’s face into his chest to hide him from the gore. Then he summoned his fire that shone the brightest white, incinerating all the revolting scraps of bone, blood and sinew left behind in the aftermath. Including the ones in the pool garden. The Sun’s fire had cleaned off his and Law’s blood soaked bodies as well, taking care not to hurt his beloved in the process. Not even traces of an unpleasant smell were left. As the dust settled, Law had lost consciousness. With his beloved now safe in his arms, the Sun began to reel in his magic and tucked it back under his skin.
Luffy leaned against the side of the bedframe on the floor while cradling his lover close to his heart. It would probably be better to lay Law down in bed next to his dear Cora, but Luffy was feeling extra possessive and protective at the moment. His beloved had a rough day. A rough life even, and that anguish was making Luffy feel a bit more vicious. He curled around his lover’s body like a coiling dragon guarding its treasure. The steady thumps of Law’s heartbeat were gently placating his more inhuman impulses. They stayed like that for what felt like hours as the raucous of the kingdom outside fell to the distant background.
The second Law’s eyes fluttered open, Luffy was wide awake. “…Lu-ya?” Law’s head emerged from where he’d been so cozily snuggling against Luffy’s warm chest. His soft ears twitched about so adorably. Feeling overcome with affection, Luffy ducked down to press a lingering kiss on Law’s forehead. Law blushed prettily but the ghost of fatigue still hung heavy and grey on his face. “How are you feeling, mihya Torao?”
“Everything hurts,” Law sighed. “But your body heat is really helping.” Luffy smiled, “I’ve been pouring some of my magic into you to help you heal yourself. There’s not much I can do outside of that though.” Law responded by snuggling back against him. “Thank you,” Luffy heard, quiet and muffled. Not even half of a pause later, Law spoke up once more in a subdued doleful tone. “I’m sorry.” Luffy’s smile instantly dropped. His hands ran down Law’s back comfortingly, urging him out of his hiding place. “What is this about, my Torao?”
Law refused, his bushy tail coiled around him timidly. “I’m sorry I lied…about my experience with sex.” His voice was so low it would be nearly impossible to pick up if not for how quiet the palace had become. “I told you I had no experience because I…I wanted you to be kind with me. Or perhaps it was just my wishful thinking,”
Luffy hummed, holding Law a little tighter. “I’m sorry my dear, I don’t understand the apology,” he stated plainly, hands never ceasing their reassuring calm movements. Law slowly revealed his face, looking up at inquisitively Luffy through dark fluttering lashes. Luffy placed a soft kiss on each brow, then gazed into his lover’s eyes with earnest ones of his own. “I don’t know everything that you’ve been through under Doflamingo’s tyranny, but let me ask you just one thing: did you agree to any of it?”
The gold in Law’s eyes dimmed down, tainted by a great unspoken shame. “I don’t…know,” his voice broke, and his face was harrowed by confusion and horror. Like a child left alone in a dark wintry forest. “I don’t think I did but…I don’t even remember half of the times I did it. It’s been so long…I’ve been with Doffy for half of my whole life. Doffy wasn’t wrong, sometimes I did beg him for it. But for what reason, I can’t say. I have no answer that will please you, Lu-ya. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Anyone else would say no but I…,”
Luffy didn’t close his eyes, he didn’t look away. He forced himself to pay close attention to the way Law appeared to break at the seams, tearing at himself to make sense of the brutality done onto his person. After Law had concluded his confession, Luffy ran a hand down his head and brought their foreheads together lightly. “The head can be lied to and persuaded. So answer from the soul, my love. When you think of all the things you’ve been through, what does your soul cry out? What does the loudest voice in your heart say?”
Luffy watched as Law crumbled in his arms. His lover didn’t shed a tear, as it would seem that his ducts had run dry. But his soul trembled violently in its vessel, howling with a pain so acute the sound pierced through Luffy’s heart and ripped it in two. “No,” Law shouted at half his strength, breathless and bogged down by heavy anguish. “No, I hated it,” he screamed. “I hate it. I hate it! I hate him! I hate all of them! I hate myself…I hate…,”
Luffy held him fast, not allowing any part of his broken pieces to touch the ground as he wailed. Doflamingo’s death meant so much more than just the removal of a cruel tyrant from a kingdom like Dressrosa. It was more than just the rule he had over Law’s bodily wellbeing. Now Law had to reconcile with an entire lifetime ended by his own blade.
All the memories that were rooted here, with that man ever present. All the knowledge he’d acquired with that man looming over from above and behind. All his dreams that were formed with that man’s influence staining each one of them. Law now had to go through the painful meticulous process of surgically removing Doflamingo from everything that he’d grown to become over the course of his life. It was a form of mourning, having to deal with an emptiness left behind by loss. But Luffy hoped to be worthy enough to fill all the bereft areas in Law’s life, to replace what was cruel with love, and to replace Law’s shadows with his light.
As Law’s voice withered by weariness, Luffy kissed him chaste and short. “Since you never agreed to anything, it wasn’t sex. What was done to you was torture. So you never lied to me and have nothing to apologize for, my love. If you feel uneasy, then all you need to do is talk to me.”
Silence blanketed the pair save for the steady beating of their hearts and their synced breaths. After another half an hour or so go by, Law finally found the strength to extricate himself out of Luffy’s hold and stand up on wobbly legs. Luffy steadied him the entire way up, and dragged over a nearby chair so that Law could sit as he faced Cora.
Law had a hand over the man’s chest and it glowed blue. He repeated the action over Cora’s forehead, his arms, his stomach, his calves and ankles, but each time he would pull away with a grim frown.
“Maybe we should get something for you to eat, Torao. You’re exhausted,” Luffy offered in a placating tone. Law shook his head, pinching the top bridge of his nose. “I don’t have an appetite, Lu-ya. I’m sorry. Maybe it’s better if we carry Cora off to make our escape before guards or the World Military comes for us,”
“Take your time with the examination. I’ll go handle these guys,” Luffy said, turning on his heel to face the door. Law looked like he was about to raise a question, but he swallowed it down when a black haired woman barged in panting and distraught. “Where is he?” she demanded, eyes roaming the room in search of a certain he. Behind her was a fit old man that stood at Luffy’s height. His hair and beard were as silver as the sword he brandished at his side.
Luffy stood firmly, shielding Law with his body. He had settled down significantly after his rampage with Doflamingo, but if any of these people posed a threat to his lover he had little confidence that he’d be able to temper the heat of his fire with patience and restraint.
“What happened to Doflamingo?” came a timid voice from a pink haired mousy young girl peering from behind the old swordsman. “Viola said that she saw him fall from the roof down to this chamber, Rebecca. Perhaps that gentleman over there could answer that question for us?”
Luffy leveled his gaze with the dark haired lady, Viola, and the old man. “He’s dead,” he replied simply.
“If he’s dead then shouldn’t there be a body? And isn’t that his famous prodigy sitting behind you? You didn’t aid in his escape did you, boy?” the old man pressed heatedly. Luffy didn’t appreciate the way that man referred to Law, and red embers began to glow in his soft brown irises.
“Please allow me to explain,” Viola took a step forward, standing defensively in front of the old man and the pink haired child. “This man is my father, the previous ruler of Dressrosa before he was usurped by Doflamingo. Everyone saw the battle you two engaged in and after his presumed defeat, many people who were once enslaved by him are now free. We came here because we wanted to capture Doflamingo and take him into custody to face justice. We’d also like to thank you for what you’ve done, assuming that you came here with earnest and kind intentions,”
At the pointed mention of kind intentions, Luffy could feel how Viola’s eyes saw through him and stared directly at Law. His magic blazed and cut off her line of sight. Viola was taken aback by the deliberate action. Perhaps it was the first time someone had enough magic to override her clairvoyance.
“I’m not interested in Dressrosa’s politics. Doflamingo did my lover wrong, and so we came to pay it back. That’s all,” Luffy explained. Law rose from his chair and stood tall next to Luffy with a hand clasped in his. “We’ll leave immediately, if that’s more convenient for you. Just let us go in peace. We don’t want any trouble,”
Viola’s eyes widened when she saw the man laying in bed. “Doflamingo’s brother?” It seemed as though a million and one questions raced across her mind at that moment. But when she looked Law in the eyes, she suddenly averted her gaze and changed her tune.
“Forgive me, this day’s events have sprung out of nowhere and Dressrosa is currently scrambling trying to make sense of everything. Thank you for freeing us from Doflamingo’s tyranny, Pirate King-“
“Torao was the one who killed him,” Luffy grinned proudly. The silver old man stepped next to his daughter and regarded them with a critical eye. “King Riku,” Law bowed respectfully. His action was aborted halfway due to the serious injury in his midsection. Luffy’s hand flew to his waist and back to steady him. It seemed that only then did the royal family see Law for the heavily injured man he was and not just Doflamingo’s beloved Family member.
“We’ll try talking to our old palace servants and see what we can do for you. Law, am I right to assume that you’d want your things gathered and packed for the road?” Viola asked.
“Some food would be appreciated. But other than that, I have no need for anything left here,” Law kept his gaze respectfully lowered.
“What about your leave? The Marines would most likely swarm our docks once they catch wind of the Pirate King’s involvement in the overthrow of Doflamingo’s rule,” King Riku finally sheathed his sword as it became clear that Law and Luffy were on their way out of his kingdom.
“We deliberated hitching a ride on the first passenger vessel out of here-” Law began, “…and from there we’re going to meet up with my crew!” Luffy added. Law shot him a confused glance as if to ask “We are?” and Luffy just flashed him a reassuring grin in answer.
Viola frowned, “Well, at least allow our doctors to tend to your injuries first. You both should rest and recuperate for as long as you can before you hit the high seas again.”
“No, that won’t be-”
“A doctor, a meal and a nap will be fine. Thanks!” Luffy responded before Law could begin to frame a reasonable excuse to deny getting a physician involved. The royal family took their leave, and the moment the door to that room fell shut, Law immediately deflated. He sank back down into the chair, sighing as if he’d just narrowly dodged a knife to the throat. Luffy made himself comfortable sitting on the edge of the bed next to Cora’s prone body.
“Don’t look like that, Torao. We’re going to make it out of Dressrosa just fine. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, you know that,” Luffy chuckled. Law didn’t seem appeased. “I’m just exhausted and I’d vastly prefer if we weren’t running for our lives out of here.”
Luffy’s brows furrowed, opening his mouth to rebuke. But Law held up a hand, shaking his head. “No, Lu-ya. I’d appreciate it if no one had to get hurt while we’re carrying Cora’s ailing body.” Luffy turned his attention towards the man in question. Red glowed underneath his soft brown eyes as they keenly observed Cora from head to toe. “Have you figured out what’s wrong with him yet, Torao?”
Law worried his bottom lip, shaking his head dejectedly.
“He’s missing a pretty big chunk of his soul from what I can tell,” Luffy intoned offhandedly. Law shot up straight, eyes wide as he stared beseechingly at Luffy. “How do you know that?” Luffy shrugged, “I’ve always been able to see souls, Torao. That’s how I keep finding you through your reincarnations.”
Law gaped for a moment. But then he slumped forward burying his face in his hands, elbows propped up on his knees. “If I were Doflamingo, where would I put my brother’s soul?”
“I can help you find it,” Luffy proposed. “Only if you promise to let the physician look at your injuries.”
Law’s tentative smile fell flat and he went back to burying his face in his hands, groaning. “Lu-ya,”
Luffy leaned over and kissed his fluffy ears. “Be good for me?” he asked, which earned him a light blush on Law’s pretty cheeks. Law sent him a petulant glare, “I hate it when other people touch and prod my body. That’s why I only examine myself.” His long tail wrapped itself around one of Luffy’s forearms. Luffy tenderly caressed it, delighting in the softness of the fur. He regarded Law seriously, looking him in the eyes as he asked, “Do you want me here when the doctor comes?”
He wouldn’t pry, but it wasn’t hard to picture how a physician under Doflamingo would treat Law’s more intimate injuries. Law shook his head, “Don’t worry. I’m just…I’ll be fine. Cora is with me. I just want you to quickly find his soul so that I can heal him.” Luffy acquiesced, but not without first planting a kiss on Law’s forehead. This kiss was unlike all that came before it. Along with the kiss, a thin sheen of sparkling white light enveloped Law’s entire body before it settled itself underneath his skin.
“What was that?”
“A simple spell. If anybody makes you uncomfortable, I’ll know and come to you,” Luffy drawled, his deep voice reverberating in the small pocket of air between them. A shiver ran down Law’s back. “Seems I have quite the protective god watching over me,” he jested. Luffy grinned, all teeth.
“Oh, my love. If only you knew the extent of it,”
・・・
Luffy’s searching procedure wasn’t anything complicated. He simply flew up over the entire palace and scanned the area with divine red eyes. Any sign for a blip of a mortal’s soul. As more people began filing into the palace following the reinstatement of the previous monarch, the task quickly became more and more tedious. It was like having to find a single glass bottle in the middle of the open blues.
It took him far longer than he would’ve liked, and he kept getting distracted by the calls of food and fanfare from the nation rejoicing in the name of their new king. But Luffy soon found himself in a cold stone chamber, tucked far high up one of the two watch towers flanking the palace. The room was dark and desolate with not a breath of life to warm its grey walls. By the lone window was one small round table and a cushioned chair covered in a fine blanket of dust.
It was what’s on that nondescript table that caught Luffy’s attention. It was an open ornate chest, lined with felts and satin in the richest purples and burgundy. Nestled in its soft cradle was a pistol, embellished in gold and polished until it glinted in what little sunlight the room received. Remarkably, this small chest and the weapon it held were the only things inside this room to have received any care at all, with not a smudge or blemish on any of them.
What brought Luffy all the way up here however, was the weeping sliver of soul rightfully belonging to a mortal trapped within the pistol. His red eyes widened when he confirmed whose it was. “Hello there,” he cooed, eyes lidded as he held his head high. The spirit in the pistol quieted down, only now recognizing the presence of an ancient lord in the room. Cora’s soul quivered under his gaze. Luffy saw the reason for his crying easily enough. There was a terribly violent tear on one of its sides, the sign of a cruel split done by whoever Doflamingo had hired for the job.
Were their blades blunt? Luffy briefly wondered, observing the clumsy work. A pair of shears would have sufficed, surely. This looked as though they’d done it using bare inept hands. Perhaps people nowadays were not as practiced or as knowledgeable as the ones Luffy had met centuries ago. The red died down and Luffy’s eyes went back to his soft browns. “Come with me,” he ordered cooly, plucking the soul out of the pistol effortlessly with the pinch of his fingers. The soul dared not thrash about or make things difficult. Fear held it still, thankfully.
Upon his return to the room where Cora lay quiet, Law was nowhere to be found. Tucking Cora’s soul in the pocket of his trousers for the time being, Luffy went out to go looking for his missing lover. He found him in the sunflower field, hidden beneath the sea of golden petals. “Torao!” he waved excitedly as he bounded through. He could see clutched in the crook of Law’s arm was a small wooden chest, covered in dirt and ugly-looking. The difference in appearance this one had with the one Luffy just saw up in the tower was like night and day, except this one looked just as loved, just as cherished. Perhaps even more so, with how closely Law held it to his breast where his heart would be.
“Lu-ya,” Law greeted him with a soft smile, a small but sincere thing. It never failed to make Luffy lose his breath with its beauty. “What do you have there?” Luffy asked, eyes alight with curiosity. Law patted the chest with a hand stained with soil and grass, “My pirate’s treasure.”
As Law walked ahead of him, Luffy could see that the ground had been freshly dug up and the hole was hastily refilled. The tip of Law’s bushy tail twitched from one side to the other as his gait seemed a bit more lively than when Luffy left him. He was offered no explanation until they were settled back in their room and Law had cleaned both himself and the treasure chest.
“How was the doctor’s checkup?” Luffy broached instead, sitting with his legs crossed next to Cora on the bed’s edge. Law set his black coat by the window to dry under the sunlight after he’d washed the dirt off, leaving him now bare from the waist up save for the bandages that wrapped around his belly, the back of his shoulder and parts of his arms. His patchy tan and fair skin now smelled faintly of medicine, which soothed something inside of Luffy. It meant that Law was getting treated. It meant that Law was going to be alright.
“That old lady didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. Could’ve managed it myself but her help was…welcome, I suppose,” Law said calmly. He shivered minutely when a strong breeze blew past. Luffy was by his side in an instant, draping his own shirt over Law’s shoulders to ward off the wind’s shameless groping. His heart squeezed at how his shirt seemed to swallow Law up whole. The short sleeves drooped all the way down to Law’s elbows with how the collar sagged. Adorable beyond words.
Law’s cheeks turned the loveliest shade of red at his courtesy, and he pulled the shirt properly over himself so that it rested on his lithe frame with a bit more dignity. “Thank you, Lu-ya.” Luffy grinned so much he almost felt himself glowing in his joy. His smile only grew brighter when Law plopped down onto his chair and held out the treasure chest for him to hold.
“Open it,” his lover encouraged softly. His tone was wistful and intimate and his lips carried a light smile. Luffy reached for the chest reverently and opened it as carefully as his large calloused hands could manage. What he saw inside was the twinkling of golds, silver and copper, all piled up out of order. “Coins?” he snatched one up to hold under the sunlight. It was a fine thing, but not that different from any other bits of money Luffy had ever come across.
Law beamed, happiness shining bright in the golds of his eyes. “You said you wanted to see my coin collection. Well, here it is.” Law was sitting at the edge of his chair, hands restlessly fidgeting over his lap as if he was fighting the urge to take the chest back and show Luffy all the coins himself. Luffy’s mind took him back a thousand years ago, when he only got to know Law from high above and had seen that man keep a collection of priceless metals. He remembered thinking that his beloved’s eyes shone prettier than any of it.
That opinion hadn’t changed, he realized. Even with the treasure in the palm of his hand, Luffy’s eyes were enchanted by the sight of Law glowing with joy and excitement at sharing this precious thing with him. Realizing that Luffy wasn’t appreciating the coins as much as he’d hoped, Law took the chest back into his grasp and forced Luffy to look at one of the coins he held out.
“They’re not just any coins, Lu-ya,” Law grumbled. “I told you about them. They’re a special kind that do not get made often. Like this one here, it’s from Flevance’s 200 year name anniversary. Now look at this one,” he held up a silver coin this time, “I found this one when a merchant from the West came by to discuss business with Doflamingo. It’s apparently from an island that doesn’t exist on any map. Can you read it?” Luffy shook his head. “It says God Valley! Rumor has it that the gods didn’t like the island’s name and they destroyed it. Is that true?” Luffy shrugged his shoulders.
His ears were too busy revelling in the sonorous tone of Law’s deep buttery voice, his eyes were rapt with Law’s beauty, and his heart was beating all out of tune, making him feel hotter in some places and cooler in others. He was enthralled. This is the love of my life, he thought to himself. Undoubtedly so. He didn’t see himself moving on from this love any time soon. He listened to Law as he talked and talked, even as food was brought to them by the palace servants.
As they ate, Luffy was relieved to see a bit of color return to Law’s face. The last few weeks up until today, Law had been hounded after by shadows and demons. But now that the monster was slain, Luffy could already tell that Law will blossom into a new person given more time.
“Did you find the missing piece of Cora’s soul?” Law asked after he’d finished nibbling on a few bits of this and that on his plate. Luffy wordlessly reached over to finish whatever’s left, not wasting even a single crumb of bread or a seed of pomegranate. It had become a habit for them. Law didn’t have that big of an appetite, so Luffy always made sure to lick his plates clean of scraps when he couldn’t finish his meals.
“Yes, but do you have the energy to do the operation?” Luffy shot back as he downed a tall glass of chilled milk. Law nodded, “Of course I do.”
“Do you?” Luffy pressed on skeptically. “I know that healing magic saps energy faster than anything else.”
“And you should also know that I’m more than capable of doing this. Besides, I won’t pass out…,” Law’s deep voice trailed off, growing softer. His face was a tiny bit red as he whispered the last part, “...I have you, don't I?”
Now Luffy was sure that Law knew what he was doing. Playing coy and using lovely words to twist the god’s hand and get his way, all with a straight face at that! However, being cognizant of this fact did not save him from agreeing with Law’s request. His beloved had asked so sweetly. This primordial god was all but powerless.
After their meal, Law took his blade and the operation began. The whole time, Luffy kept his red tinted eyes locked on Law’s magic reserves and energy levels to ensure that he didn’t drive himself to the ground. The procedure lasted long hours due to the unfortunate fact that Law did not have the sight to tell him where to sew the two pieces of the soul back together. Luffy acted as his guide, telling him where one edge met the other for Law’s sure fingers to feel for and hold fast.
The moon was at its zenith by the time Law collapsed in a heap of exhausted limbs on his chair. One of the members of the royal family, the pink haired girl that Luffy already forgot the name of, came by and whispered that a ship had been readied for them to escape before thousands of marine officers inevitably came swarming in at first light. Cora was still unconscious and Law was halfway to losing consciousness himself. Luffy resolved to carry them both to their boat tonight when his lover was ready.
As he watched Law, pale and gasping for every breath, his mind shot to the snail phone he had stored in his pants. Dialing a familiar number, Luffy ran his fingers through Law’s sweaty hair and waited for the other side to pick up.
“Luffy?”
“Nami,” he smiled. “You think you can come pick me up?”
“Jinbei said you left with your doctor friend to go to Dressrosa after recovering from a mortal injury. Captain, can you tell me what the hell is going on? Was there an emergency? Why the sudden departure?”
Luffy chuckled, heart warming at the thought of the dear friends he’d made in the recent years. Friendship didn’t mean much to a god, especially when they’re mortals. But for Luffy who had traversed the world alone for so many years, he found himself preferring their presence and cherishing each one of them for the reprieve they granted him and the joy they brought.
“Just had to take care of something. It’s done now, so if you’re anywhere close by-”
“Three hours.”
“Thanks,”
Luffy had Cora thrown over his shoulder and Law carried fast against his chest as he leapt out of the palace and through the kingdom towards the coast. Under the clear moonlit sky, the Thousand Sunny cut a striking image from across silvery waters as it cruised close by.
She did not come by the shore because even in the dead of the night if anyone saw the Pirate King’s notorious ship, alarms would most likely be sounded and the entire kingdom would be alerted. No need to disrupt their rest, Luffy thought. With Cora and Law in hand, and their stuff in Law’s hands, Luffy made the final huge jump off of Dressrosan soil. The Sunny rocked and listed from one side to the other as she welcomed her captain on her soft grassy deck.
The quiet sound of a bit back whimper grazing his ears reminded Luffy of the still very injured Law in his arms. Letting his lover down to stand on his feet, Luffy grinned at his crew around him. They paid no mind to his chosen method of boarding the ship. Together the ten of them had spent many years on the seas and their captain’s boisterous and exuberant antics no longer became a cause for chastening. Instead, all nine sets of their eyes were drawn to the dark haired tall young man, slender and curiously possessing the features of some sort of big cat.
“Guys, come meet my beautiful boyfriend. His name is Torao!”
The entire ship erupted in shocked gasps and cries of confusion. “Boyfriend?!”