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“But with all my education, I can't seem to command it
And the words are all escaping, and coming back all damaged
And I would put them back in poetry, if I only knew how
I can't seem to understand it
And I would give all this and heaven too
I would give it all if only for a moment
That I could just understand the meaning of the word you see
'Cause I've been scrawling it forever
But it never makes sense to me at all”
It’s more a memory than a dream:
Blood dripping from his head, body moving like a walking wound, he reaches out for Luffy.
Kaido’s words still ring in his head, Straw Hat Luffy is dead. That terrible, empty space where he should have felt Luffy’s presence back then and finding nothing, a moment that still would haunt him for days or more, the sensation still too fresh like an open cut. But then: Luffy’s ridiculous, impossible white form framed by the moon, the sun in the middle of the night, and Kaido’s fall.
As soon as Nekomamushi’s announcement of Luffy’s victory had soared through the battlefield, and before his crew could stop him, Law shambles’d himself to where Luffy was, making a beeline to his ally, the presence of other people surrounding them not even registering in his mind.
Now, Law wraps a hand around Luffy’s wrist, finds his heartbeat. It’s not enough: he opens a Room, the blue dome wavering for an instant due to his decreasing amount of energy and Haki; he grits his teeth, and the Room stabilizes. A catalog of Luffy’s injuries loads into Law’s mind, and he searches for what could have managed to stop Luffy’s heart during his fight against Kaido before, if Luffy is still in danger, and Law will not allow it, Law can’t lose him—
“Torao…?”
Hearing that stupid nickname makes something inside Law’s ribcage ache. Overwhelming warmth unfurls from his ears to the rest of his body. He has to close his eyes briefly, before being able to meet Luffy’s gaze.
“Straw Hat-ya,” he acknowledges, voice tight.
“Stop… that,” Luffy slurs, through half-lidded eyes. “I’m okay. Torao… needs a doctor, too.”
Luffy is not okay, Law wants to scowl. Internal bleeding and broken ribs; lacerations all along his body. Luffy had died for a moment, while fighting Kaido. He should worry about himself, not Law—
Luffy cups Law’s cheek in his hand, and the words wither in Law’s mouth.
“Shishishi!” Luffy laughs, and it’s unfair how bright his grin is, despite his body being so bruised. The expression on his face is so tired, and yet so proud, as he looks at Law and says, “Did you… see? We won. We… did it, Torao.”
Do you want to form an alliance with me, Law had asked, a lifetime ago, on Punk Hazard.
Now, they’re here, at Wano. They have defeated two Emperors.
And they’re still alive.
Luffy is not okay — but he will be. Luffy is not dying.
It finally sinks in, a weight slipping off Law’s shoulders, his body almost going limp with relief. Black points appear at the edges of his vision, energy bleeding out, his Room finally fading.
Luffy is alive. His calloused hand is warm and rough, the lifeline on his palm pressed to Law’s cheek. He covers Luffy’s hand with his own, for once not thinking of what he is doing, of what they will be after this, of anything at all.
He focuses just on this moment.
Just on this warmth.
“Yeah,” Law agrees, through the lump in his throat, with a small smile, “It’s over now.”
Law wakes up with a jolt, already alert.
Having chronic insomnia and bad luck, of course it’s when Law manages to finally sleep more than six hours without bad dreams in a single night that his checkered fate decides to show itself again.
He tries to push away the ghost of Luffy’s touch from his cheek. It’s not the first time he dreamed of Luffy, and he tries not to think about what that means, or worse, the fact he’s used to Luffy’s presence in his dreams.
Old instincts quickly kick in. The morning light breaks through the shoji blinds of Law’s guest room in the shogun’s castle, gentle and soothing, in contrast to the hostile presence his Observation Haki picks up from across the room. Stretching out his hand from under the blanket, Law grabs Kikoku. The cursed nodachi hums in his grip, ready to fight.
Probably it’s a Beast Pirate on the loose, wanting to take revenge on one the instigators of Kaido’s fall. Very well; Law will gladly send them to where Kaido and Big Mom are right now.
He kicks off the blanket and stands up, drawing Kikoku out.
“Room—”
Law’s eyes widen. The Room around him bursts out, his free hand grasping only thin air.
In front of him, by the door, a white and big goose glares at Law.
“What the fuck?” Law says, with feeling.
Maybe he’s still dreaming. Or he might have drank too much the night before (Zoro kept pushing sake to his hands, and Eustass ended up challenging them to a drinking contest, so Law might have exaggerated, because like hell he was going to lose to Eustass on anything), and the evidence of his lack of sobriety stands right there — in the shape of a goose staring at him with black beady eyes, filled with bloodlust.
A loud honk is all the warning Law gets before the goose surges forward, aiming for his face.
“What the fuck?!”
-
Screams and surprised gasps greet Law when he lands his feet on the shoji door he just broke, wielding Kikoku against the devil’s spawn of a goose, which manages to block the attack with its beak. The heavenly scent of the royal cook’s and Blackleg’s food strikes him, and Law’s stomach twists in protest.
It’s too early for this shit and he needs his morning daily dose of caffeine, goddamnit. If only it weren’t for this fucking bird—
Amid the panic and surprise of the other Straw Hats, Luffy cackles, spilling meat and tofu all over the tatami. It’s disgusting, but Law isn’t surprised by his soon-to-be-former-ally’s lack of manners. The laughter fills Luffy’s cheeks with a joyful red, though, and that sight and that sound momentarily distract Law.
Ruthless, the goose uses that opening and bites Law’s arm.
“Fuck!” Law isn’t fully recovered from the fight against Big Mom, and the goose bites right at one of his healing injuries. He kicks the goose off him, the strength of the hit sending the goose flying across the room and breaking another shoji door, and then landing in the middle of the garden that overlooks the room.
At that, Luffy’s laughter comes to a brief halt, and his eyes rest on Law for an instant, taking in Law’s undignified state — bedhead on display, clothes disheveled, feathers stuck all over his hair and yukata —, and Luffy’s eyes crinkle and his lips tremble, before bursting out into laughter again.
Suddenly Law is feeling a lot less sympathetic towards them and the breakfast he just interrupted.
“I’m glad this is entertaining for you, Straw Hat-ya,” he spits through his teeth, swatting feathers off himself, but that only sends Luffy into a deeper cackling spiral.
Scratch being enemies only after leaving Wano; Law is going to anticipate the enemies part to right now, and he’s going to strangle Luffy after he’s done with the goose.
The rest of the Straw Hats, as well as Momonosuke, Denjiro and Kin’emon, finally snap out of their trance.
“What the hell—”
“What kind of bird was that?!”
“I believe it was a goose,” Nico says in a calm tone among the chaos, “Though I’m curious about how a bird was capable of holding its own against Torao-kun…”
Usopp sweats, shifting nervously on his feet, “Seas, I just got the monster-bird-allergy, and I’m not really hungry anymore, you know!”
“Ah, Torao is injured! Someone, call a doctor!” Tony screams, his little colleague waving his arms, until he remembers himself, “—Wait, I’m a doctor!”
“Captain!” Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin appear through the trail of feathers and destruction that the hall leading to this room has become. They were the ones with quarters closest to Law’s, and ended up waking up with Law’s fight against the goose.
“Oi, Captain, are you… okay…” Shachi’s gaze shifts from Law to the room and back to Law. He tries, voice straining as he points to his own hair, “Hum, Captain… I think you missed a spot—” Except he never finishes the sentence and guffaws, burying his head against Penguin’s shoulder, who also cracks up.
The assholes.
“You two are demoted,” Law hisses under his breath, brushing off what he hopes are the last standing feathers from his shoulder and his hair.
“Aw, come on, don’t say that,” Shachi says when he recovers, a finger drying up tears from under his sunglasses as he picks up a kettle from the ruined breakfast, while Penguin grabs a clean mug. Shachi proceeds to fill it with coffee and pushes it to Law’s free hand.
The sweet smell of coffee is the first good thing that has happened to Law so far on this godforsaken morning.
“Don’t think you can bribe me with coffee,” Law snarls, but he sighs with relief as soon as the caffeine hits him, after the first sip.
“I have no idea of what’s happening,” Penguin says oh so helpfully, “but you have to admit it’s kinda hilari— ouch!”
Penguin grabs the shin Shachi kicked. “Not now, Peng! He was just beginning to forgive us!”
“Here, Captain,” Bepo says, ignoring Shachi’s and Penguin’s antics and offering his spotted hat; Law didn’t have time to get it while fighting off the goose. The mink carefully taps the hat, as if to remove some invisible wrinkles, and gives it again to Law, “Sorry.”
Pushing the now-empty mug back to Shachi, Law takes his hat and wears it. With coffee in his stomach and the hat over his head, Law finally feels like a human being. He looks at his friend, face softening.
“Thank you, Bepo.”
The moment is ruined by Luffy, who is still under a laughing attack.
“Oi, Torao!” Luffy finally manages, laugh subsiding at last, but still wheezing a little, “Where… where did you find that weird bird?” He wipes some tears from the corners of his eyes. “That weird bird is super strong!”
Law scoffs, as Tony reaches him and fusses over his injured arm, “I didn’t find it. That thing found me first. It was just there in my room when I woke up.”
“Oh, is that so!” Kin’emon says, a smile taking up his face, “In that case — congratulations, Law-dono! That’s a great blessing!”
All eyes in the room turn to Kin’emon. Except for Denjiro, who nods along with Kin’emon’s words.
“How,” Law drawls, expression darkening, “How does this seem like a blessing to you, Kin’emon-ya? Are you mocking me?”
Kin’emon shakes his head and waves his hands in front of him, in a placating gesture.
“Of course not, Law-dono! I mean it, that’s—”
A screech cuts through the room, and most of them cover their ears, trying to muffle the bird’s piercing honk. The goose climbs over the engawa, spreading its wings. A succession of honks gets out of the goose’s beak, and though Law doesn’t speak bird language, he is almost certain the goose is letting out a string of profanities.
Tony, though, stops bandaging Law’s arm, and snaps his neck to the goose’s direction so fast that Law thinks his colleague might have injured himself. The reindeer’s eyes bulge as he gasps, “EH?! Are you serious?!”
Momonosuke seems to share Tony’s disbelief, gaping at the goose, “Luffy and Law?!”
“Hum, yeah?” Luffy says, unfazed by whatever the bird said, and just laughs again.
Law frowns.
Luffy and Momonosuke listened to Zunesha, back on Zou, Law suddenly remembers. Maybe for Momonosuke, that ability was related to the connection the Minks and the Kozuki clan had in the past; and in regard to his ally… Law added that to the ever-growing pile of inexplicable things that encompassed one Monkey D. Luffy. But that piece of information also means that the goose isn’t a regular animal.
As for Tony, Law has traveled for long enough with the Straw Hats to know Tony can talk to animals.
So, these three understand what this damn goose wants, he concludes.
Somehow, it seems utterly unfair that other people know more about a matter concerning him, while he’s still in the dark about what is happening.
“Can someone,” Law hisses, patience getting thin, “tell me what the hell is going on?”
“Hey, weird bird!” Luffy calls out, ignoring Law and catching the goose’s attention. He grins. “You’re strong! Wanna join my crew?”
Multiple groans fill the air.
“Luffy!” Nami cries, exasperated, “How many times do we have to say to not ask any weird creature to join our crew?!”
Usopp pales, “Luffy, no!”
“Luffy, yes, shishishi!”
“Oi, Luffy!” Blackleg yells, “What the heck do you need a murderous bird for, huh?”
That actually gets Luffy quiet for a few seconds. Eventually, Luffy replies, completely serious and nodding to his cook, “Emergency food supply. And it’s a weird strong bird, Sanji!”
Blackleg pauses; takes another drag of his cigarette. Thinks. After long seconds, he nods back, as if what Luffy said makes sense, but Tony yelps in protest, “Luffy, what am I to you, you jerk!”
If Law didn’t know any better, he would say Tony sounds almost hurt—
Law blinks.
With a groan, he pinches the bridge of his nose. He can’t believe he got dragged in the Straw Hats’ pace yet again. Dropping his hand, he notices that at least the goose also got dragged, neck craning from one side to the other, almost as if it’s following the conversation around them.
The most disturbing thing about that hellish goose isn’t its strength, or its apparent intelligence, though. On his way to this room, Law had cut the goose in parts, and at one point had impaled the bird with Kikoku, but the goose managed to get itself back together, without any injuries or scratches, as if Law’s attacks didn’t have any effect on it. Maybe the goose ate some Devil Fruit; it wasn’t unheard of in the Grand Line, and Tony was the living proof of this.
But there is something else, Law thinks; something off. He decides to test his hypothesis.
A large blue dome appears and grows, wrapping all of them and beyond. Some people in the quarter yelp, and Law stretches the Room past the castle’s grounds.
“Shambles.”
A stone drops in the wood ground, at the same spot where the goose previously was, and the goose is nowhere to be seen anymore.
However, after a few seconds, another blue dome appears, and the goose switches back with the stone. It doesn’t look happy to be sent far away, flapping its wings and letting out more angry honks.
Law swears under his breath. He hates he is right.
“Are you kidding me,” Shachi says, his uneasiness mirrored by other people in the room.
But instead of being disturbed, Luffy gets up, the curve of his mouth turning sharp, scalding like the sun of a particularly hot day — it’s the kind of smile he uses before dragging everyone into even more trouble. Law doesn’t know what exactly the goose said now, but Luffy almost looks… pissed off, for some reason.
“Weird bird, knock that off, okay?” Luffy says, still smiling, but his tone is serious, “Torao is my ally. You don’t get to say that.”
Law scoffs.
“Our alliance is over, Straw Hat-ya. When we leave Wano, we’ll become enemies,” Law reminds him. “And I’m perfectly capable of dealing with the goose by myself. I appreciate you trying to defend my honor, whatever that thing may have said, but there’s no need to help.”
Pursing his lips, Luffy makes a face at Law. Every and each time Law talks about the impending end of their alliance, Luffy wears that expression — a mouth full of sulk, puffed-up cheeks, a frown on his face. If anything, it’s almost endearing (not that Law would ever admit that out loud), but Law needs to remind Luffy of the reality of their relationship. They’re too deep into the New World not to face whatever awaits them out of Wano.
And that includes what they’re going to be for each other, after they set sail from here.
“Yeah,” Luffy agrees, albeit begrudgingly. Then, a moment later, the pout dissolves in his mouth, and his grin comes back in full force, “But Torao already had his turn fighting the weird bird! I wanna have some fun too.”
Apparently, the goose agrees with Luffy on this — it makes a beeline to Luffy like a bull seeing red, honking all the way, and Luffy cackles as he dodges just before the beak sinks at the point where he has been standing.
“You won’t catch me, weird bird!”
The goose wields his beak as a sword, with speed and strength. Despite not laughing anymore, Luffy’s eyes glow, and Law scoffs —of course Luffy is having fun.
Usopp shrieks when the goose almost chunks a piece of him while trying to aim for Luffy, and the sniper rushes to hide behind Zoro, screaming, “Not here, Luffy! Take the fight somewhere else!”
Mouth stretching into a wide smile, Luffy does leave, the goose attacking and Luffy dodging, laughing all along, and off they go — until everyone loses sight of the duo, scaring off some of the castle’s servants on their way.
Law will be damned if he lets anyone else take care of his business — but first, he needs to know what is happening so he can properly make a plan.
He stomps to the source of information.
“Kin’emon-ya,” Law says in a sharp tone, “Tell me everything. Right now.”
Nodding, Kin’emon quickly explains, “Of course, Law-dono. To put it simply — you were bestowed with the blessing of our God of fate and love, Okuninushi-no-Mikoto. He sent you a soulmate goose.”
A long pause follows Kin’emon’s statement. Coming from the garden, the chirping of birds breaks the silence and invades the room.
“Well, that explains everything,” Law says, voice dripping with sarcasm.
Raising an eyebrow, Zoro speaks, “Eh, we’ve met a god before. The guy was full of shit,” and many Straw Hats nod at his words. A satisfied smirk crosses his face as he says, “Luffy punched him in the face.”
A snort escapes through Law’s lips. That adventure on the sky islands, and a Devil User who considered himself a god, it was a story familiar to him — one of the many tales Luffy told him while invading Law’s hiding spots at Bartholomeo’s ship, on their trip to Zou.
“I was looking for you, Torao!” Luffy usually said back then, and he would climb on Law’s bed, or squeeze himself between Law and a barrel, or plop down near him on the deck, leaning back against the railing and also leaning into Law’s side, and he would start to talk.
At first Law resisted, tried to search for other places to be alone, or shambles’d himself away — it wasn’t enough that Luffy had saved him already and despite that, even if Doflamingo was defeated, Law still felt lost? Law didn’t know what to do with his own life anymore, his emotions and past plagued him still, and he couldn’t escape himself — but Luffy had done enough, more than enough for him, more than Law could ever repay, and neither his well-being nor peace of mind was his ally’s responsibility.
But deep down, he knew Luffy wouldn’t accept that. Luffy kept finding him, wherever Law went, and there was a limited set of places to hide in a cramped ship full of Straw Hats fans and part of the Straw Hat crew themselves. In the end, Law told himself it was more practical to simply let himself be found. And Luffy did find him, sat down by his side, and talked, his voice washing over them. Rambling about anything and everything, often also asking about Law’s adventures (though never asking about Law’s past, Law had noticed), or sometimes just being there, without uttering a word, Luffy leaned his head on Law’s shoulder, fingers tracing the tattoos on the back of Law’s hand and knuckles. Luffy would laugh when Law turned his palm up, in a kind of surrender, interlacing their fingers together, and he would squeeze Law’s hand back, not letting go. Luffy never said it, but Law knew it was Luffy’s way of checking if Law was okay after Dressrosa, that rough kindness that Law knew he shouldn’t take advantage of, but still found himself yearning for.
Sometimes, they often ended up sleeping, just like that, somehow comfortable despite lying on the ground or on a narrow bed that was too small for two people, always overwhelmingly close to each other; it was the best sleep Law had in years. Law didn’t know if it was because of the exhaustion of thirteen years of plans and revenge coming to an end, or Luffy’s presence, or both. Somehow, he knew it wasn’t the end of his nightmares, but he appreciated that temporary truce. When he opened his eyes, Luffy usually was already awake, and still by his side.
“Ne, Torao,” he told Law one day with a grin, “your face isn’t so grumpy when you sleep.”
Scowling, Law shoved him in the face, partially so Luffy couldn’t see the blush on Law’s cheeks. Luffy laughed against his palm.
“And I don’t know how I managed to sleep when you snore so loudly,” Law hissed, “It was like there was a sea beast next to me,” but that only made Luffy giggle even more into Law’s hand.
There were times one of the Straw Hats would find them after the naps, their eyebrows raised, or wearing a smirk (except for Usopp, who always walked away, screaming, “I didn’t see anything!”). Law dismissed them with a roll of his eyes — honestly, didn’t they know what their captain was like?
Nothing more happened between them, not back then, and not until now; Luffy was just being Luffy, had never shown any interest towards romance or even sex, and was just looking after someone he regarded as a friend, despite Law’s protests of being strictly allies.
Yet, as the day they would sail apart approaches, Law keeps catching himself thinking about those stolen moments.
Maybe when he reminds Luffy of the end of their alliance, it’s his way of reminding himself, too.
Because it’s something he shouldn’t have.
“I believe it’s a different type of god we’re talking about here,” Nico interjects, unknowingly bringing Law back to his current feathery problem. “While I was working undercover, my training as a geisha got me learning about Wano’s folk music, poetry, local legends… many of the stories revolved around the soulmate geese. Sometimes the goose appears as a prophetic omen, even,” she turns to the Wano residents in the room, her eyes questioning, “But I never imagined they were actually real.”
“I don’t blame you,” Denjiro agrees, “During the twenty years of Orochi’s and Kaido’s reign… I never heard of the soulmate geese appearing again. In a way, it felt like just one more disgrace in between many, one more thing we lost to the enemies. But to be honest, even before that, the soulmate geese were already a rare occurrence. That’s not to say they aren’t real, though,” he clasps a hand on Kin’emon’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze, “In fact, Kin-san here is an example of that.”
“Is that true, Kin’emon?” Momonosuke asks, awe in his voice.
Sheepish, Kin’emon rubs the back of his head. “Yes, that’s how Tsuru and I finally got together.”
“And? How does it exactly work?” Law presses.
Kin’emon now begins to scratch his beard. “We don’t know for sure why and when the sage goose appears, or why some people are chosen, and others not… the ways of the Gods are a mystery to us. But usually, Okuninushi-sama sends the sage goose when at least one person in the fated pair is particularly…”
“…Idiot,” Denjiro adds.
Agreeing with a huff of laughter, Kin’emon continues, “I would say stubborn, but yes, I won’t deny it. In my case, even though I had known Tsuru since we were kids… well, I was young and very foolish; I always thought Tsuru deserved better. I was a thief, and I thought I couldn’t give her a future. I didn’t believe I could even grow, one day, to be worthy of her. So even when I began serving Oden-sama, I blinded myself to my feelings towards her.”
He settles his hands on his lap.
“That is, until one day I woke up to the sage goose pecking at me with its beak. It was just as chaotic as it has been for you, Law-dono! The sage goose kept attacking me, until I noticed it was hoarding me to Tsuru’s house. I tried to go in another direction, but it kept attacking me until I was yet again in front of her house.”
“And how did you get rid of it?” Law asks.
Unfortunately, Kin’emon shakes his head. “You noticed already, didn’t you, Law-dono? The soulmate geese are immortal. And they are, in a way, a mirror of our souls — that’s why they also carry our abilities.”
His stomach sinks. “So that thing was really using the Ope-Ope no Mi,” Law comments. Isn’t there a way around this? With a frown, Law says, “But you’re here, Kin’emon-ya, and you are clearly not being haunted by a godforsaken goose. So, what did you do?”
“All you must do is to follow the sage goose’s advice. That means confessing your feelings to your soulmate.”
Law has to control himself not to roll his eyes.
“Yep, not happening,” Shachi chimes in, with a sigh.
“Captain is the most emotionally constipated person I’ve ever known. That’s simply not happening,” Penguin agrees. “So, I take it that we Heart Pirates are gaining a new crewmate, hum? It’s good to have more birds like me onboard, at least.”
The glare Law sends their way is enough to make Shachi and Penguin raise their arms in mock surrender, shutting up. Law gestures to Kin’emon, “Please, go on.”
“I can’t judge you, Law-dono,” Kin’emon says, with a gentle smile. “Back then… I refused to say anything to Tsuru. I fought, for hours, but the sage goose was too strong. Yet, I still didn’t say it; at least, not until Tsuru slapped me in the face.” His voice is filled with pride for his wife. “She asked me until when I was going to hurt myself. If it was… so terrible, to have her as my fated one. She asked me to tell her I did not love her.”
At this point, his crew and most of the Straw Hats are sniffing. Jinbe awkwardly offers a tissue to each of them; even Blackleg is blowing his nose into a napkin.
Kin’emon says, “Only then I realized I was the one hurting her. And she was the last person I wanted to hurt. So I told her everything, finally. And that’s the moment, Law-dono, when the sage goose disappeared.”
As he finishes, the room erupts with tears and emotional babbles.
“That’s SUPER romantic, Kin-bro!” Franky cries.
“Ah, that warmed my heart,” Brook says, pressing a tissue to his eye socket, “Though I have none— yohoho! Skull joke!”
“Dude,” Shachi gasps, with a strangled sob, a hand over his chest.
Sitting between a sniffing Nami and a weeping Tony, Zoro shoots Law a long-suffering, deadpan glance, for finding himself among the emotional mess that is their respective crewmates.
Honestly, Law can relate.
“Right,” Law says dryly, pretending he doesn’t hear the way Shachi and Penguin boo him, calling him heartless, “But soon we all are going to leave Wano. The goose wouldn’t be able to follow us out of the country, no?”
The expression Kin’emon makes doesn’t seem to carry good news.
It’s Momonosuke who replies instead, “It doesn’t work that way. My parents always told me the story of how they met.”
“You see, Law-dono,” Kin’emon explains, “Oden-sama always wanted to see the world outside the borders of Wano… but that wasn’t his only reason. In fact, a few days before the pirates came to Wano, a sage goose appeared before him, too. And it always made him run to the sea.”
“When the Whitebeard pirates took Oden-sama with them, they ended up unknowingly taking the sage goose with them, too,” Denjiro continues, “They decided to follow the sage goose’s directions as a joke at first, but that…”
“…that led them to my mother,” Momosuke completes, with a warm smile. “How many times did they tell me that story? It was Hiyori’s favorite, too.”
Biting his lower lip, Law discards yet another plan. The combination of that insane goose with a ship makes Law shudder.
So the solution comes down to what Kin’emon said before?
Except—
“How do I know who is my ‘soulmate’?” Law asks, frowning, “That thing just kept attacking me, until—”
He stops talking mid-sentence, his thoughts leading him to a ridiculous conclusion.
It can’t be.
“Law-dono, surely, you must have realized by now…” Kin’emon says, and Law hates how gentle the samurai sounds.
A tug on his jeans catches his attention. Helplessly, Law looks down, meeting Tony’s gaze.
“The goose said you are Luffy’s soulmate, Torao,” Tony tells him.
Everything around him stills. The echo of Tony’s words hangs in the air with a thick weight, and Law’s breath gets caught in his throat.
Then:
“EH?!”
“Congratulations, Torao-kun,” Nico says, smiling at him, not a single sign of surprise in her face.
Bepo has tears in their eyes, “Captain!”
“Our Captain grew up so fast,” Shachi says, using a tissue to wipe his eyes.
Nodding and also wiping his crocodile tears, Penguin agrees, “I know, right?”
“I told you an alliance with Luffy wouldn’t be what you thought at first,” Usopp grimaces, shaking his head and shooting a commiserated look at Law, “Good luck with that one, Torao.”
In agreement, Nami nods, “My condolences, Torao-kun.”
“In a way,” Jinbe says, deep into thought, “it makes sense….”
“Love is SUPER in the air!”
“Yohoho! That’s an occasion for a special song!”
“That’s an occasion for a toast,” Zoro smirks, pushing a cup of sake to Law’s hand, “But also, you look like you need a drink, Torao.”
That snaps Law out of his stupor. He throws the cup of the sake on the ground, and the conversation comes to a halt.
“That’s enough,” Law hisses, glowering at them, “That goose— it made a mistake. I can’t be Straw Hat-ya’s soulmate.”
Stepping toward him, Blackleg grabs the front of Law’s yukata and pulls him into the cook’s space, his visible eyebrow furrowing, “Why’s that? Is there something wrong with Luffy? Do you think you’re too good for him, huh?”
A scoff slips out of Law’s mouth. He disentangles Blackleg’s fist from his clothes, in a harsh gesture. “There are many things wrong with your captain, but it’s not about that. I’m simply not what Straw Hat-ya needs,” he replies, his tone steady and sharp, as he adjusts his yukata. “Believe me, he will be better off me. We’re just ill-suited, and anyway: our alliance is ending. Whatever that goose said, it’s bullshit, but I’m going to deal with this.”
The cigarette almost falls from Blackleg’s mouth. His visible eye widens, staring at Law, like he is seeing Law for the very first time. “Law,” Blackleg breathes, dropping the nickname for once, “What the hell are you saying? Have you seen how you and Luffy—”
“Room.”
“—Law!”
“Captain.”
A paw pauses his arm mid-movement. Bepo squeezes his arm until Law drops it, but the Room still hangs in the air.
“What?” Law asks, harsher than he intends to.
“Sorry,” Bepo says, but he doesn’t back down or flinch. Probably because of all the apologies he says, Bepo may be seen as someone meek — but only by those who don’t know the mink very well.
Law has known Bepo for half of his life, though, and doesn’t mistake this apology for what it really is.
“Sorry, Captain,” Bepo repeats. “I’m going to say something you won’t like, but I think you need to hear it.” He pauses, and says, “Why can’t you believe this? Not the soulmate thing— but that you and Straw Hat aren’t a good match? You two are good to each other.”
A sigh. Law reminds his friend, “I’m not good to anyone, Bepo.”
He receives a shake of head as a reply. Bepo insists, “You’re good to me. And to all our crew.” His paw squeezes Law’s shoulder, and Bepo adds, “And you’re good to Straw Hat, too. You saved him at Marineford, Captain, and you didn’t even know him well, back then.”
Silence falls between them, and not even the Straw Hats, nor the samurais utter a word. Some of the people in the room look at the ground, pretending they aren’t hearing the conversation; others can’t help but stare at Law and Bepo. It irks Law, but he can’t truly blame them; the Straw Hats couldn’t be there for Luffy at Marineford, and knowing Luffy, the only thing they knew about it probably was what they read in the newspapers.
Unlike the rest of the Straw Hats, Jinbe had been there, though. He catches the fishman’s gaze, and the question Jinbe had asked him two years ago echoes in the air again, coming back to Law:
Why did you save Luffy?
The question kept haunting Law, coming in the shape of other voices: Emporio Ivankov; Boa Hancock. Even the World Government, while Law was in the process of gaining his warlord title, questioned him about that.
It was curious the person in question didn’t ever ask Law that, not even once. When Luffy met him again at Punk Hazard, Luffy didn’t ask him for a reason. He simply smiled at Law, and thanked him — earnest, heartfelt.
But Law asked himself, too.
Maybe it was this: he had been keeping an eye on his fellow rookies, and Straw Hat had called his attention since the rumors about his involvement with the fall of one warlord at Alabasta. The punch Luffy descended on a celestial dragon at Sabaody only cemented Law’s impression — Luffy was too much of a wild card to die at Marineford.
Maybe he read the name on the bounty poster, Monkey D. Luffy, and Law wanted to ask him: do you know the meaning of our names? Do you know what is this fate? Do you know why my family had to die like that?
Maybe he had seen Luffy fighting tooth and nail to reach Ace, his despair palpable even from far away, even from the transmission of a visual den-den mushi, and Law understood — he, too, would do everything to save someone he loved. But Law also couldn’t forget the cut the screen on Sabaody showed moments before, of Fire Fist Ace on the execution platform, his broken voice cutting through the air, asking Luffy not to come near, telling him to go away, to leave, and Law had understood that even more:
A younger sibling should never die before an older sibling.
Maybe it was none of that; Law could never explain even to himself why he saved Luffy at Marineford. So he says what he had said back then, and this is true, too:
“It was just a whim. I told you that before, Bepo,” Law answers. “Don’t make this bigger than it really is.”
Another stubborn shake of head from his navigator.
“And it was a whim when you saved me, and when you saved Shachi and Penguin, too, when we were kids,” Bepo points out. “That’s what you said, at least… why can’t you admit you’re someone good, Captain? And I may not know Straw Hat very well, but I know he knows that too—”
“You just don’t see me objectively, Bepo,” Law cuts him off, voice hardening. “Enough of this. I have to deal with that damn goose right now.”
He flickers his wrist.
“Captain—”
This time, Bepo can’t reach him.
“Shambles.”
-
It doesn’t take a lot to find Luffy and the goose.
They have taken the fight to outside of the Flower Capital, Law following the trail of destruction and Luffy’s Voice, loud and impossible to miss. On the mountain field, near the ruins of Onigashima, Luffy lands a punch on the goose’s head, at the same time a wing hits a rubber cheek, the impact sending them both to the ground, in opposite directions.
Landing on his feet, Luffy cleans the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. As soon as Law enters his field vision, though, Luffy’s expression blooms into something brighter.
Law tries to ignore the way his heart squeezes in his chest.
“Torao!” Luffy calls out, waving his hand at him. Using shambles, Law switches places with a rock by the other captain’s side, and Luffy huffs out a laugh, “That’s always so neat!”
With a click of the tongue, Law says, “Alright, Straw Hat-ya. I got Kin’emon-ya to fill me in on what the hell is happening.” He observes the goose, who stares back at him. “Sorry that you got involved in my mess. I’ll take it from here now.”
Knitting his brow, Luffy says, “Don’t wanna. I have to kick the weird bird’s ass first.”
Unbelievable.
Sending prayers for a god he has stopped believing in ever since he was ten, Law asks for patience — it was astonishing how often knowing Luffy made him feel religious — and he hisses, “Straw Hat-ya, you already noticed, didn’t you? You can’t fight this thing like you usually do—”
A stretched wing cuts the air between the two captains, who jump into opposite directions just in time to avoid the punch from the goose.
“Gomu Gomu no… Pistol!” Taking advantage of the opening caused by the missing wing hit, Luffy strikes the goose in full; yet, the goose isn’t sent flying with the strength of the rubber fist. Instead, because the goose had sunk its beak into the ground seconds before Luffy’s fist landed on the bird, the goose’s body merely stretches with the punch, managing to stay right where it had been.
Golden eyes widen at the scene before him. Jaw clenched, Law recalculates his plans. At first, he thought that if the goose shared Law’s ability, then maybe the bird shared his weakness too, being rejected by the sea.
But now, Law has his doubts about that. A user could only have one Devil Fruit ability; if the user ate a second Devil Fruit, their body would explode. But for some unfathomable reason, the goose has not only Law’s ability, but also Luffy’s. Maybe it’s because the goose has their abilities by reflex, and it didn’t have to eat a Devil Fruit to obtain them, so the two abilities rule doesn’t apply to the goose.
This increases the possibility that Law’s previous plan, of throwing the goose at the sea, will probably not work either.
Unaware of Law’s uneasiness and taking its beak out of the ground, the goose glares at the two pirates once more. It spreads its wings wide, letting out furious honks.
Luffy growls back at the goose, and crosses his arms across his chest. The sulk on his face is bigger than before, if that’s possible.
Interrupting the glaring contest between Luffy and the goose, Law asks, “Straw Hat-ya, have you tried to use Conqueror’s Haki against it?”
Luffy shakes his head, without breaking the stare at the goose. “I tried it, Torao. It doesn’t work. The weird bird is tough.”
But Luffy says that in a tone that indicates he finds this fact fascinating and fun. Tired already, Law sighs, “Straw Hat-ya, try to ask it what its terms are. Maybe we can negotiate.”
A frustrated noise comes out of Luffy’s throat, and Luffy shakes his head again and says, “Torao, all the time we were fighting, the weird bird just kept repeating you’re my crewmate! Which, duh? Of course you’re my nakama. I know it already, so why the bird is so stressed?!” He huffs, “And I told it a thousand times that I won’t forgive someone who tries to hurt my nakama!”
At the end of his rant, Luffy sticks out his tongue at the goose. The bird flaps its wings furiously, honking in reply.
Mouth agape, Law blinks, processing Luffy’s words.
Soulmate, Law doesn’t say, realizing Luffy must have misheard the goose all this time. Not crewmate. The goose is telling you I’m your soulmate.
Ignoring the dryness inside his mouth, Law corrects him, “How many times do I have to say I’m not in your crew?”
Turning his neck with a speed that would hurt anyone who wasn’t made of rubber, Luffy grunts, “This doesn’t make a difference! You’re still my nakama, Torao!”
Law looks at the goose, and then his gaze hovers again on Luffy. An idea takes shape in his mind; something fierce, something petty, even.
He will give what the goose wants.
It doesn’t mean Luffy feels the same. And it doesn’t mean that Law, of all people, is the right person for Luffy.
He will just have to shove those facts on the goose’s face and make it go away while technically doing his part. Be careful what you wish for, isn’t that how the saying goes?
Reaching out, Law wraps Luffy’s wrist in his hand.
Luffy blinks at him. “Torao?”
“I’m not your crewmate, Straw Hat-ya,” Law repeats. And I’m certainly not your soulmate. “But I…”
The situation is frankly ridiculous.
But even more ridiculous it’s the fact that a goose decided Law and Luffy are soulmates.
Law isn’t a good person, after all.
He has killed people; he didn’t gain his alias as Surgeon of Death for nothing. He exchanged a hundred hearts for a position as a warlord, even if he had to work for the World Government, which had destroyed Flevance, his home country, his family. He did that for his revenge’s sake — what kind of person did that make him?
It wasn’t the life his parents or Cora had imagined for him. If they were alive, Law was certain they would be disappointed with him, with the person he had become.
Unlike Law, his benefactor was a good man, and he would never be able to kill Doflamingo — even if Doffy was a monster.
“Cora-san was too kind,” Law had hissed, as he fought against his worst enemy, at Dressrosa. “You knew he would never be able to pull the trigger against you,” he said, and put more strength on Kikoku, trying to cut the strings. Vicious, he hissed, “But I could.”
Cackling, Doflamingo replied, delighted, “Yes, you could,” and he almost sounded proud. Law saw himself reflected on the red lenses of Doflamingo’s sunglasses, an image always trapped in there, that Law couldn’t shake off from who he was, even after all those years. A poisonous grin took over Doflamingo’s mouth, and he added, “You and me, Law… we’re birds of a feather.”
Law already knew that. Yet, hearing those words out loud made him feel sick, turned them more real than anything. It was like invisible claws were digging into his flesh, tearing him apart, showing what was inside him all along — something twisted and broken; his true self.
Because he was a monster, too.
But Luffy—
Luffy was so different from him.
As annoying as Luffy was, usually wrecking his plans and driving Law crazy on a daily basis, Law had to admit that Luffy was someone good. It was not that Luffy was naïve, or that Luffy didn’t know the ugly parts of the world. Luffy knew them intimately well, Law knew, Luffy carried a horrible scar on his chest to prove it, gained at a great personal cost. Law had been there to see it, Luffy broken and bruised and beaten at Marineford — and Law took him away, and saved him.
When Law left Luffy to Rayleigh’s and the Pirate Empress’ care, he never thought he would see Luffy again.
But inexplicably, two years later, Luffy had come back to Law’s life, standing and smiling, as the snow of Punk Hazard fell around them. His eyes were so bright, carrying a light even stronger than before. Unlike Law, Luffy came back from that excruciating loss not looking for revenge, but looking forward — to his dream, to a future. And doing whatever he wanted, wherever he went, Luffy saved people and countries; Luffy saved Law back, too.
They couldn’t be more different; Law couldn’t be more undeserving.
So why does a damn goose think Law is Luffy’s soulmate? That someone like Law can make Luffy happy?
Luffy deserves better than this.
Law is fucking done. He will confess, Luffy will reject him, and then that hellish goose can shove it in its ass, and leave them both alone.
Something in his gut twists at the thought of Luffy getting involved in Law’s personal matter yet again; Dressrosa was more than enough, and Law had vowed to himself to not let it happen again. It’s his responsibility to solve this mess, for once and for all.
Taking a deep breath, Law opens his mouth.
“…I like you, Straw Hat-ya.”
The words leave his mouth fast, his ears ringing.
He lets go of his grip on Luffy’s wrist as if the touch has burned him. He wants to face the goose, because Law fulfilled the condition now and even though the confession is not going to have the result the damn bird wanted, it will have to back off.
Instead, Law finds himself unable to tear his gaze away from Luffy.
“Shishishi! I like you too, Torao!” Luffy says, face filled with a bubbly, big grin, “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t accept being your ally, you know? Don’t be silly!” Then, putting his hands on his hips and snickering, Luffy continues, “See? That’s why you’re my nakama, Torao!”
Pressing a hand against his face, Law groans into his palm, at the same time that the goose screeches in frustration.
As soon as he unburies his face from his hand, Law peers at the goose, defiant, “It doesn’t matter Straw Hat-ya didn’t understand. I did my part, so you have to go.”
In reply, the goose ruffles its feathers, hissing with malice.
Luffy laughs, “Ah, I get it now! You and the weird bird are the same. You two are so grumpy!” Again, both Law and the goose huff indignantly, which makes Luffy giggle again. “Ne Torao, ne, look at this! Weird bird impression!” he announces.
In an instant, Luffy transforms: a deep furrow appears in between his eyebrows, and he pulls his mouth, stretching it and molding it into the vague shape of a beak. And with a deep, cranky voice, he says, “Oi. That was the shittiest confession I’ve ever seen. Try again. You have to tell him everything.”
His lips snap back, and Luffy says, still with a smile across his mouth, “But what the weird bird said is so stupid! You don’t have to tell me anything, Torao.” Luffy gives him a nod. “So let’s just kick the weird bird’s ass, okay?”
Law sees the intent, the determination in Luffy’s eyes. And Law—
He laughs. A light sound slips through Law’s lips, heat rising to his cheeks, his shoulders shaking. Luffy blinks at him, mouth opening and closing and opening again, like a fish, before his eyes widen, sparkling, “Torao,” Luffy says, and his voice sounds stunned, “You’re laughing, Torao!” Looking proud, Luffy puffs up his chest, with a mouth full of laughter, “My impressions are neat, right?”
Law shakes his head, his chest weightless.
Of course, Luffy’s fighting for Law’s freedom again; of course, Luffy is against the goose forcing Law to say anything he doesn’t want to, even if Luffy is always the one who breaks down the walls Law has built for all his life like they weren’t even there to begin.
Luffy: this walking contradiction; this ridiculous miracle of a man.
“That’s just like you, Straw Hat-ya,” Law says, snorting, as the laughter fades into a smile, his heart tightening with tenderness, “But it’s alright. It’s something I should have told you before.”
A frown appears on Luffy’s face. “You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to,” he repeats.
“I know,” Law nods. “To be more exact, I don’t have to tell you. But now, I want to.”
Luffy observes him for a long minute. “Okay,” he eventually agrees, nodding back, “If that’s what Torao wants, then it’s okay.”
Dark, yet transparent eyes look at him. They’re so earnest, always so honest to a fault, to the point of being blunt.
Law should tell him. Even if Luffy doesn’t feel the same, he deserves to know.
Law wants him to know.
“Straw Hat-ya. You…” Law begins, “…You’re an idiot. You never stop to think before doing something. You constantly wreck my plans.”
“Toraooo!” Luffy protests with a whine, wearing a frown and a pout, “This again?!”
Law tries to keep his lips from curling upwards. He fails, but he doesn’t care.
“You love meat. One day I’ll take a proper look at your stomach and prove you have an endless black hole in it.”
At that, Luffy barks out a laugh. “Sure, you can take a look at it, Torao! But let me play with it, too, okay? That sounds fun, shishishi!”
Idiot, Law thinks, fondly. He shakes his head, and continues, “You’re a terrible liar. You make the most ridiculous and cute face when you try to lie.”
Maybe it’s the sun shining on them, burning Luffy cheeks with red. He stares at Law, doe-eyed.
“Torao…?”
“And your laugh, it’s so loud, so annoying…” Law says, and he can’t help but smile, “…and so warm. I always want to hear it.”
Luffy listens, for once in silence, and it makes Law able to hear his own pulse, loudly thrumming in his ears.
“You’re free. And because you’re free, you set others free, too. You save them, Straw Hat-ya.” It’s difficult to say it, past the ache in his throat. But he needs to say it. “And you saved me, too. Even when I didn’t want to be saved.”
It’s too much and he has to look away, then, swallowing hard.
“After everything that had happened, and besides my crew… I didn’t believe in anything, or anyone,” Law confesses. He looks at Luffy again, “But I believe in you.”
He closes his hands into fists.
“But my feelings went beyond this, even though I knew I shouldn’t. Our alliance is temporary, and we’ve achieved our objective. As soon as we get out of here, of Wano, we’ll be enemies. These kind of feelings… they can get you killed with the life we lead, especially here in the New World.”
Even though Luffy is standing in front of him, Law can still feel the touch of Luffy’s palm against his cheek, from days ago.
We did it, Torao.
Yeah. It’s over now.
“And I know… I intimately know the price of this feeling. I never wanted to make another person pay it for me ever again.”
Memories surface, haunting. Lami’s small hands, holding his own; his little sister who trusted him, and yet whom he had failed to protect. Cora’s smile, his big hands patting Law’s head. The man who sacrificed his life to save Law.
“I did things I’m not proud of. I’m aware of what I’ve done, of who I am. Someone like me shouldn’t…”
…shouldn’t be loved, he doesn’t say.
“…I knew I shouldn’t. But I couldn’t stop.”
He steps forward. Takes his hand to cup Luffy’s face.
“I’m in love with you. I love you, Luffy-ya,” Law says, with a small smile. Luffy-ya; he finally has said it. The name fills his mouth with impossible warmth. “I know you don’t feel the same, and that’s alright. I just… wanted you to know. And I wanted to thank you. For everything.” Gently, he traces the scar on Luffy’s cheek. “I’m glad I met you, Luffy-ya.”
He lets his hand fall to his side, fingertips burning from touching Luffy, heart racing painfully in his chest.
Unreadable, Luffy stares at him, lips parted in surprise. He blinks at Law, slowly, once. Twice.
He ducks his head. The brim of his hat shadows most of his face, and now Law can only see Luffy’s mouth, his chin.
“So,” Luffy begins, and swallows before he asks again, “so, am I your special person, Torao?”
It’s Law’s turn to blink in confusion. Special person? But after staying by Luffy’s side, Law has definitely picked up some of Luffy’s speech mannerisms, and comprehension soon sinks in, clearing up the meaning of Luffy’s words.
What a way to put it, Law thinks, lips quirking, chest aching with affection.
“Yes,” Law replies, “Yes, you’re my special person.”
A quiet gasp comes out from Luffy’s throat.
“Ah,” Luffy says softly, placing a hand over the scar on his chest, “I think I finally get it, now. So this is what it feels like.”
Luffy’s lips twitch, and then curl upwards; he raises his head, the straw hat no longer hiding his face, and—
And it's like the sun comes out. His brown eyes are dark, and yet carry so much light; it spills from his gaze, Luffy's smile spreading on his mouth, stretching from ear to ear, reaching his eyes.
It reaches Law, too. Warms him down to his bones.
"Why," Law asks, throat dry, feeling utterly lost, "Why are you smiling at me like that?"
“Shishishi! Silly Torao, what are you talking about? That’s because you’re my special person, too!”
Thoughts tangle inside Law’s mind, words dissolve in his tongue. It doesn’t make sense.
“—What?” Law asks, stupidly. When he comes to his senses, and the situation still doesn’t make any sense, Law says, voice tight, “No— you— didn’t you hear me? I— I’m not what you need. I’m no good.” He shakes his head, “I’m not good. And I can’t be good for you—”
“Torao,” Luffy cuts him off, in a determined voice. The softness doesn’t leave his gaze, though, and Law stops, forgets what he’s supposed to say. Luffy tells him, “So, for the Marine guys, we aren’t good guys at all, right? Like, we kicked their butts, they put up wanted posters of us, and all that stuff.”
Confused, Law reluctantly agrees, “Yes?”
Luffy nods. “But like, for the people of Wano! We helped each other, we took down Kaido and Big Mom, and they gave us food! We’re friends. So for them, we’re good guys!”
“I don’t see how that’s—”
“So! Everyone should make up their own mind about someone being a good or a bad guy for them, right?” Luffy says. “You don’t get to decide what you are to me, Torao. That’s stupid.”
Clenching his hands, Law says, in a strained tone, “It doesn’t work that way, Luffy-ya—"
“Torao, you saved me,” Luffy says, his expression similar to the one when he met Law again, on Punk Hazard, beaming, and he holds up a finger as if he is counting. “Torao, you sent your crew away to Zou —which was so stupid, you know? But it was because you wanted to protect them, right? Even if being alone is scary.”
Luffy holds up two fingers.
“You protected my crew, back there on Dressroba. You saved them from Mingo. And you looked after them again, when I went to get Sanji back.” Four fingers held up in total, now. “We fought together, protected Zou, kicked Kaido’s and Big Mom’s butts here on Wano.” A full hand, and Luffy begins to open his other hand, too. “You gave me food—”
For an instant, Law recovers his voice. Desperately, he hisses, “Seas, I didn’t give you food. I gave you bread, which is disgusting and can barely be called food, and I wouldn’t eat that thing anyway, so I gave it to you so it wouldn’t go to waste. You might as well say I was trying to poison you—”
Luffy interrupts him with a laugh, “Yep, you totally gave me food, Torao.”
And Luffy doesn’t stop. He lists even ridiculous things: that Law likes cute things. That he has a good taste in hats. That he has cool tattoos. That his golden eyes are pretty, that they shine when he talks about doctor stuff or the Sora comics. Law tries to make him stop, snarling, saying Luffy’s bar to define if someone was good is low, and Luffy only smiles, keeps talking.
He says: that Law is a doctor, and fixed so many people. That he saw Law and Chopper researching SMILE, together. That Law is so smart. That he is strong. That he is kind, even if he tries to hide it.
All the time, Law remains standing, unable to move, to stay away from Luffy, gripped by his words, by the smile on his mouth, the affection in his gaze. Feels himself coming undone with each word, with each finger Luffy holds up.
And Luffy talks, lifting a finger as he lists something, until it’s more, so much more than he can count in his hands. And then he reaches out, his open hands folding around Law’s, as if he is pressing the words to Law’s skin.
“Torao, you saved me,” Luffy repeats, as he smiles grows, “You saw me at my worst. But when we met again, you still chose me.”
“You don’t understand. Marineford, that was just a whim—” Law finally finds his voice once more, even if it’s cracking at its edges, “And when I proposed the alliance, at first, I only thought of using you—”
“It doesn’t matter why you did those things, Torao,” Luffy says, squeezing his hands, “Because you did save me. And when you asked me if I wanted to be your ally— that made me so happy, you know? Shishishi!”
Luffy beams at him, like Law is the best thing that ever happened to him.
“So to me, Torao is a good guy. Torao is good for me; Torao is more than enough for me. Torao is everything I need. Torao. Law,” Luffy says his name, Law’s real name, like it’s a treasure, something precious and irreplaceable. It’s the same tone he uses when he says Law’s nickname, too, Law realizes. Luffy says it again, “Law. I love you, Torao.”
The words knock the air out of Law’s lungs.
Luffy says like it’s easy; like Law is someone who can be loved—
But memories echo in his ears.
Don’t try to find a reason for somebody’s love, Sengoku told him at Dressrosa, shaking him to the core.
I love you, Law, Cora said with a smile, and Law couldn’t say it back.
I love you, Torao, Luffy says now, and this time—
“Torao?”
Law doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Heat builds up behind his eyes, a lump coiling in his throat. He has to close his eyes, not to let tears fall. A deep breath; a shake of head.
When he opens his eyes again, he finds Luffy looking at him, worried. It makes something in his chest ache.
He swallows hard, and yet the words keep growing in his throat.
“You’re going to regret this,” Law warns, his voice hoarse.
Luffy holds his gaze, and holds Law’s hands tightly.
“I promised to live without regrets,” Luffy answers, his eyes defiant, his smile inescapable; Law has nowhere to hide. Maybe he hasn’t for a while now, ever since he met Luffy. “Torao is the only one I want. It can’t be anyone else.”
It doesn’t make any sense.
But Law isn’t a good person. He’s a pirate; he’s greedy.
He loves Luffy.
He will let Luffy love him back, even if Law doesn’t deserve it.
Slowly, Law leans down, leans into Luffy’s space. Waits for Luffy to change his mind, to back away. But Luffy doesn’t leave. Instead, he closes his eyes, pulls Law even closer through their clasped hands, and—
How many times has Law dreamed of this? How many times did he wake up, his heart racing, and as the sleep wore off, the reality sinking in, and he found himself torn between grief and relief? Because he knew he didn’t deserve to love Luffy; that Luffy deserved better. Because it seemed too much to ask for — to love, and to be loved in return. To be happy, and to make Luffy happy. An impossible wish.
But Luffy is a miracle-maker. He twists fate in his hands, with his will and strength. Follows freely his heart. Makes Law follow his own heart, too.
The kiss — it’s nothing like Law imagined before. It’s clumsy, and Luffy’s lips are chapped, yet soft. It’s better than Law’s dreams.
Because it’s real.
Real, and warm, and shatteringly tender. Luffy slides his lips against Law’s and sighs, muffles a shaky laugh to Law’s cheek, and then Luffy meets him again, mouths molding together once more, and Law gets lost in the kiss, and at the same time found, found at last. Law curls his arms around Luffy, pulls him tighter and near, and Law feels, for the first time in years, perhaps even in his entire life, whole.
Law knows he will never be the same after this.
Because he’ll try to do better. Be better, and stronger, and braver — if only to protect this, to make Luffy smile, to live as freely as Luffy and Cora inspired him to live.
“I love you,” Law whispers as he pulls away, forehead leaning against Luffy’s, their noses touching. “I love you, Luffy-ya.”
Luffy laughs softly against his mouth, puts his arms around Law’s neck. He nods, nuzzling back. “Torao,” Luffy says, like it means everything.
A honk breaks the moment, making them pull away from each other, though they remain close. Law curses under his breath, because he had forgotten the goose’s existence. They turn to the bird.
The goose looks at them. For the first time since all of this began, it finally seems at peace.
It honks at them a bit more. Luffy frowns and nods, and replies, “We’re strong. We’ll protect each other. I won’t let that happen.”
Before Law can ask what they’re talking about, the goose cranes its neck in a curtsy, like it’s nodding at the two captains. A couple more honks, and a gust of the wind hits them, feathers twirling in the sky, the goose vanishing in a blow, as if in a dream.
Only a single, black and dark feather remains, floating in the space before them.
Law catches it before it can fall on the ground, examines it in his palm. It’s strange; the goose had a white plumage. So why—
His eyes go round. His hand trembles.
It’s not possible. That feather should have been buried in blood and snow, so many years ago.
But it’s unmistakable. Law would recognize that scent anywhere, had traveled breathing it in so many times before, black feathers tickling his face, letting him know that he was warm, and safe, and not alone.
That fragrance — a mix of the sea, tobacco, and something burned, from far too many accidents with fire — it’s so nostalgic. He has missed it, so much.
“The weird bird said it was a gift from someone, from the other side,” Luffy explains, in a tone uncharacteristically quiet, “So you would always remember.”
Law can barely recognize his own voice when he asks, “Remember what?”
Luffy’s face softens. He replies, “That you are loved, Torao.”
His eyes feel hot, and Law doesn’t fight against the tears that run down his cheeks. His legs shake underneath him, and he can’t stand anymore, knees hitting the ground. He bends his body forward, pressing the black feather against his chest, over his tattoo. Through half a chuckle, half a sob, he nods, his voice thick and hoarse, “…I see.”
Silently, Luffy kneels before him. Covers Law’s hand with his own, right over where Cora’s smile is recorded in ink, and squeezes his fingers. He smiles at Law.
And though Luffy doesn’t say it out loud now, Law hears the words all the same:
I love you, too.
-
Honestly, what did Law expect?
Luffy refuses to let go of his hand, even as Law is trying to shambles them back to the castle. Snickering, he says that Law can use his technique with only one hand, and Luffy will be holding the other. He’s stubborn, and it’s not like Law can change his mind.
And it’s not like Law wants to let go of that hand, either.
So after a couple of shambles, they teleport to the room they were in before, hand in hand.
For a blessed, brief second of silence, Law lies to himself, saying that everything will be fine. But of course, that’s not true; that’s only the calm before the storm.
Because now in that room, the rest of his crew has also joined the meal, and the Kidd Pirates too, and even Eustass himself.
They all collectively look at their joined hands. Noticing this, Luffy huffs out a laugh, and raises their hands, as if he’s holding a prize, a treasure, the One Piece itself. He declares, voice full of pride, “We’re dating now, shishishi!”
The announcement is followed by an uproar of applause, and whooping, and wolf-whistling, and teasing, and screaming, and smiles thrown at the two of them.
“Fucking finally!”
“Congratulations!”
“—So, what happened to that goose?!”
“Who confessed first?!”
“Ah, young love…!”
“It was about time.”
“Finally, Doctor Heartstealer!”
“Get him, Captain!”
Law scoffs, even as he tries to ignore the increasing heat in his ears, not dignifying them with any answer. On the other hand, Luffy preens, the curve of his mouth impossibly wide.
Trying to get everyone’s attention, Nami claps her hands, reminding everyone that they should pay up today, unless they wish to deal with a penalty and interest, in case they don’t honor the terms of the bet. There’s groans and cheers, and money exchanges hands, and Law’s eyes narrow when he notices that even his crew has taken part in a fucking bet over his and Luffy’s love life.
Luffy, who doesn’t mind this at all and goes on to speak with Zoro and Usopp, but he has his hand still firmly, stubbornly gripping Law’s, letting his arm stretch through the room. Law rolls his eyes, takes advantage of the fact that everyone is busy with the bet and pulls Bepo aside.
“Bepo, about earlier…” he begins. He knows he has a temper, and his crew is used to it. Still, Law usually tries to restrain his bad humor when it comes to Bepo. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have talked to you like that.”
His best friend wraps him in a bear hug. “There is nothing to apologize for, Captain.” Bepo releases Law to look at him, and the mink smiles, sniffing a little, “I’m just happy for you.”
Law gives a brief squeeze to Bepo’s arm, grateful.
“Oi, shitty monkey! Get your fucking arm out of the way, won’t you? I’m sick of this sappy shitshow, I’m leaving,” Eustass snarls, as he glares at the stretched rubber arm blocking one of the room’s exits. He follows the rubber limb with his eyes, until his gaze falls on the intersection of Law’s and Luffy’s interlaced hands, and his scowl deepens, “You two are fucking gross.”
Clueless, Luffy tilts his head at Eustass, then looks at the long way his limb has made so far in the room, meets Law’s gaze from the other side of his arm. Brown eyes crinkle at him, and Luffy gives a little squeeze to Law’s hand, laughing, the sound full of joy.
Law’s chest fizzes, and he decides Luffy is simply too far away. His mouth slants into a sharp smile, and he tugs at the rubber limb, Luffy snapping back with a gasp of whoa!, and Law is far too used to Luffy slingshooting into him to care about the impact; in an instant, Luffy is right where he should be, here in his arms, and Law raises his chin with a hand, aware that provoking Eustass is merely an excuse, aware that he is a very private person and his ears are tinged pink, aware of the dozen of eyes around them; but he is also aware that, right at this moment, he doesn’t care about anything that isn’t touching Luffy, so he says, “Luffy-ya. Indulge me a little bit, won’t you?”
Immediately, Luffy nods, face gleaming with amusement, “Okay!”
Except that Luffy has always been both a menace and a blind spot for him, so Law doesn’t see it coming: not the arm lengthening to wrap around his shoulders, to make up for their height difference, nor the other arm snaking around his waist, and the speedy with which Luffy sweeps him off his feet and makes Law lose his balance, as he dips the other captain in his arms, like Law’s a damn princess, an embarrassing yelp escaping out of Law’s mouth, his hands grabbing the folds of Luffy’s yukata for support; Luffy snickers at the face Law makes, and leans down to kiss the surprise off Law’s mouth — he turns it into softness, melts it into sweetness.
It doesn’t matter that Luffy had his first kiss today, that all the experience he got had been the kisses they have exchanged earlier, before coming back to the castle; Luffy kisses Law with instinct and enthusiasm and hunger and tenderness, and when he pulls away, it’s enough to leave Law gasping, greedy and giddy in the wake of that kiss.
Faintly, from what seems very far away, Law hears Eustass gagging and growling I’m going to throw up, and someone is shrieking where did Luffy learn that, and many people are whistling and whooping yet again, but Law has eyes solely for the smug expression across Luffy’s face.
“You little shit,” Law hisses, cheeks red, and Luffy’s giggles brush Law’s mouth. He lets Law stand on his feet once more, though his arm doesn’t move away from Law’s waist.
Law yanks him with fistfuls of his yukata, and smirks when Luffy yelps. And Law kisses him again, as payback — kisses him because he can.
-
Under the cherry blossom, Law takes a seat on the grass, leaning his back on the trunk of the tree. Nico and Kin’emon sit across from him, as Luffy plops down on the spot next to Law, arms and legs spread wide open, rolling on the grass like a child, chuckling, completely carefree.
Law snorts at Luffy, can’t help the quirk of his lips. Cute, his mind supplies, as his eyes trace the motions Luffy makes on the grass, the word coming unbidden, a reflex, automatic as a heartbeat.
But a stare weights on his shoulders; Law lifts his head and finds Nico observing him, wearing a knowing smile, and to his mortification, Law realizes he’s been caught looking like a lovestruck fool watching Luffy. Heat prickles at his cheeks, a frown surfaces on his brow. Cleaning his throat, he grabs the lapel of Luffy’s yukata and his attention, and says, “Luffy-ya, stop this. We came here to talk about that, remember?”
“Riiight,” Luffy agrees, dragging the letters on his tongue, settling beside Law and staying still. His gaze rests on Law first, and shifts to Nico and Kin’emon. He blinks. “What do we have to talk about again?”
Law resists the urge to shake him by the shoulders.
“What the goose said, before it left,” Law prompts.
The impossibility of Luffy loving him, and the miracle of that feather being brought to his hands (the feather, that for now rests inside the sleeves of his yukata, an anchor and a mirror to the tattoo he carries on his chest), had distracted Law on the day before from the conversation he had witnessed between Luffy and the goose earlier, Law pry only to half of the conversation, unable to understand the goose’s noises. So, a bit after the sunset, Law remembered it and asked Luffy about what the goose said.
The reply had puzzled Law, and he spent the rest of the night distracted, trying to find an answer, much to Luffy’s dissatisfaction, who complained how Torao was not giving him attention, and trapped him in a clingy rubber grip.
Which brings them here, with Law trying to get insights into the goose’s words. Law had always held Nico’s knowledge and sharp mind in high account, and she had studied Wano’s folklore and mythology during her stay in the country. On the other hand, Kin’emon was the only other person he knew who had first-hand experience with the soulmate geese. Law hoped these two could help them understand their current predicament — or, to be more exact, to help Law, because Luffy sure wasn’t worried the least, not prone to plan, going along with the conversation because it was Law’s idea.
“Luffy-ya, can you repeat what the goose had said to you before it vanished? The exact words.”
Scratching his chin, Luffy hums, “Uh… what did the weird bird say again… what it was… Ah!” Knitting his brows and pursing his lips, Luffy makes an impression of the goose, deepening his voice, “Fucking finally.”
A vein throbs on his forehead, and Law groans, “The other thing, Luffy-ya.”
“My job here is done.”
“No, you dumbass—”
Luffy looks at Law like he is the difficult one. He pouts, “So grumpy, Torao… —Ah! Wait, I know now!” Again making an imitation of the goose, he says, “You two are at a crossroads. Choose wisely, or you might lose what is the most important to you.”
“What do you think?” Law asks, turning to Nico and Kin’emon, “And is this a common occurrence, when it comes to the geese?”
Nico hums, thoughtful. “According to the tales, it isn’t common. But sometimes, the soulmate geese do appear as the bearers of a prophecy, too, in a few stories and songs.”
At her words, Luffy tilts his head. He repeats, “Soulmate?”
Law bites his lower lip. He hadn’t bothered to correct Luffy, that he had misheard the word the goose had used to refer to Law. In a way, it didn’t sit well with him to tell Luffy that. The possibility of that information having some influence, of making Luffy feel that he had to stay with Law — Law couldn’t bear it. Luffy is the freest person he knows; Law doesn’t want to become his chain.
Nico regards them with a curious look. Not for the first time, Law feels as if she can see right through him. Kin’emon opens his mouth to explain, but Nico holds out a hand, stopping him. She asks, “Luffy, you understood the goose’s language. What did the goose say that Torao-kun was to you?”
“That he’s my crewmate, my nakama!” Luffy replies, “Which, duh! I know that, right? But the weird bird kept screaming that. It was so annoying.”
Chuckling, her eyes crinkling at their edges, Nico says, “I see. That’s just like you, Luffy.” She glances at Law and says, “I understand your concern... but I don’t think it’s something necessary, Torao-kun. Remember what I told you before, on Dressrosa? Luffy only does what he wants, out of his free will. No matter what, his choice still would be the same.”
His heart aches at those words. No matter what, his choice still would be the same. Law swallows hard, staying silent, suddenly unable to hold her gaze any longer.
“Uh-huh, Robin is right, you know! I just do what I want,” Luffy crosses his arms and nods proudly. However, noticing Law’s expression, his head sways between Law and Robin, “But what are you talking about? Why are you making that face, Torao?”
Nico and Kin’emon stay quiet and look at him, and Law knows they will get along with his decision, even if they don’t agree with it.
He doesn’t want Luffy to choose him because of what he supposedly is to Luffy; he wants Luffy to be free.
Yet, now he wonders if by not telling Luffy, he is not taking away his freedom, too, all the same.
Inhaling in deeply, Law confesses, “I don’t know if it’s true. But the goose said we’re soulmates, Luffy-ya."
Luffy blinks at him. “Right,” he nods, and stares at Law. When Law doesn't say anything else, Luffy tilts his head, “What about it?”
Law shakes his head. He says, past the lump in his throat, “It doesn’t matter if we’re soulmates or not. If your feelings change in the future, you don’t have to stay with me because of tha—”
The rest of his words turn into a gasp as one pair of rubber hands cradles his face, with strength; and suddenly there’s Luffy’s face too close to his, the set of his eyebrows determined, and he squishes Law’s cheeks in his hold, “Oi, Torao. This soulmate thing doesn’t make any difference. And my feelings won’t change. Get into your head that I love you, okay?” He gives a peck to the tip of Law’s nose, and blows a shishishi near Law’s mouth, “Torao, for someone so smart, you can be so stupid sometimes, you know?”
That’s it.
A tattooed hand flies for Luffy’s head and pinches his cheek; Luffy lets out an ouch! and releases Law’s face. Law hisses, aware that his face is burning, and it’s not only because Luffy squished his cheeks, “I get it already. So Seas help me, stop saying embarrassing things.” His gaze flickers to Kin’emon and Nico, who watch their interaction, amused, and he says, eager to change subject, “Let’s get back to the main topic, shall we?”
His hand lets go of the rubber cheek, only to hold a rubber hand instead, the gesture shielded by the grass. Despite his head bouncing from the rebound, Luffy grips Law’s fingers back, grinning at him as if they’re sharing a secret.
Kin’emon coughs and comments, “Well, like I told Law-dono before, Okuninushi-no-Mikoto is our God of love and fate. It’s rare to be bestowed with a sage goose, and even rarer to receive a prediction of the future. But I know for certain that it happens. I wasn’t there on his travels overseas, but I’m sure Oden-sama received a presage, given what we know. And I…” he hesitates and concludes with a sigh, “…I received a warning, too, when the sage goose came to me. It wrote a warning on the ground with its beak, as I couldn’t understand its language like Luffy-dono or Oden-sama, but I only comprehended the message when it was too late. Looking back, now I realize it was a warning about Kanjuro.”
“…So the goose’s prophecies can become true,” Nico observes, serious. She stares at the two captains, “From the phrasing of Torao-kun’s and Luffy’s presage, it seems something that will likely happen in a near future, involving one of you, or even both of you.”
“The problem,” Law says, frustrated, “is that the wording is too vague. It can be nearly anything.”
“Yes, but… I think we might have some clues here. ‘Crossroads’, and ‘now’, and ‘choice’…” Nico’s eyes widen. “Torao-kun, to where is the log pose pointing?”
Law tenses. The Heart Pirates’ log pose usually remains in Bepo’s possession, but Law had looked at it, the day he woke up after the battle of Onigashima. “Three places: northeast, east, and southeast,” he replies. “Nico-ya, do you think we should take ‘crossroads’ literally? That one of these routes is doomed?”
“It’s a possibility. Something might happen, depending on the course we decide.”
You two are at a crossroads now, Law quotes in his head, the words plaguing his mind. Choose wisely, or you might lose what is the most important to you.
His gaze drops to his and Luffy’s intertwined hands.
Cora’s and his family’s faces flash before his eyes, in red and white — the white of Amber Lead and of the snow, the red of blood. Next, he sees his crew, and their unwavering loyalty, and the fact of it kept him awake at night when he thought about his revenge and his chances at survival, and it terrified Law, how they would die for him; and then Luffy, Luffy on his operation table after Marineford, Luffy bloodied and bold and brave on Dressrosa, stubbornly refusing to let Law die, and then Luffy, Luffy’s Voice nowhere to be found in Onigashima for that endless, excruciating moment Kaido declared him dead.
I won’t let that happen, Law vows to himself, to them, with a kind of ferocity he only felt when it came to protecting the people he loved. I won’t lose anyone else.
He tightens his hold on Luffy’s hand.
“Or it might be, in fact, a metaphor,” Nico says, catching Law’s attention again, as she looks at them. “Now that your relationship has changed, have you decided what will happen to the alliance? Will we keep sailing together?”
Law and Luffy look at each other; they haven’t discussed that yet.
Turning his head to Robin again, Luffy whines, “You all are thinking too much! It doesn’t have to be so complicated.”
“Someone has to think, since you refuse to do it,” Law drawls.
Luffy sticks his tongue out at him. But soon, a smile takes over his face, and he stares at Law, tugging him by the hand.
“Ne, Torao! Let’s keep traveling together for now! Dunno what the weird bird meant when it said we could lose something important — but whatever it is, we can fight it together.”
Something tugs in Law’s chest. After taking a deep breath, he reminds Luffy, “Our relationship might have changed, but I’m not part of your crew, and am not joining your fleet, either.”
“Yeah, of course you’re not joining my fleet. That’s stupid,” Luffy replies, tipping his head to the side. Law can hear the unsaid ‘obviously’.
“You can’t tell me what to do.”
“No,” Luffy agrees, easily, with an exasperating smile. “But Torao is thinking the same thing. That we should travel together for now, right?”
He knows.
A part of him isn’t surprised. Somehow, for some unfathomable reason, Law has always been an open book to Luffy.
A wave of affection and annoyance rises within Law. Luffy makes everything sound so simple, even when it isn’t.
He points out again, “We’re not sure about what the goose meant. It could be anything.”
“Yeah. But the weird bird said we could lose what is the most important,” Luffy says, carrying a serious expression on his face. “When Mingo hurt you on Dressroba…” he trails off, shaking his head. Something fierce emerges in Luffy’s gaze. He says, “I don’t want something like that to happen again. I’m going to protect you, Torao.”
He scoffs. “You’re one to talk. You died for a moment at Onigashima, I felt it,” Law snaps, voice tight, shoving a finger against Luffy’s chest. “And you don’t need to protect me; I’m not weak. I can take care of myself.”
Luffy doesn’t back away. His voice is firm and stubborn as he says, “Don’t be stupid, Torao. I don’t want to protect you because I think you’re weak, or something dumb like that. I want to protect you because you’re important to me.”
Law’s breath hitches. Any other argument dies in his throat.
“And Torao wants to protect me too,” Luffy continues as he smiles, “because I’m your special person.”
His jaw clenches.
Luffy is— Luffy is—
“I said, stop being so fucking embarrassing!” Law hisses, flushing furiously, “And fine! We’re still going to sail together, for now,” he stresses the last part. “At least until we got a clearer picture of the meaning of what the goose said—"
It happens too fast.
One moment he’s sitting and snarling at Luffy; on the next, Luffy’s tackling him to the ground, stealing the air out of Law’s lungs, arms all around him, laughing loudly into his ear.
“Ah, Torao is the best!”
And Luffy holds onto Law’s shoulders, and for an instant Law thinks Luffy will get up and get off him, but instead Luffy straddles his hips, Law lying underneath him on the grass. He looks up, and Luffy is giving him a wide smile, his cheeks pink, the cherry blossom branches blooming behind him, as petals and sunlight fall over Law.
Ah, he thinks helplessly, it’s spring.
Breath recovered, Law manages to sit up, and Luffy doesn’t make a move to leave his lap. Law also doesn’t make a move to get Luffy off him, either. His hands settle on Luffy’s waist.
“You’re infuriating, you know that?” Law says, with no heat behind his words, and Luffy just laughs.
“I think it’s settled, then,” Nico says, with a smile in her voice. And right; Law had momentarily forgotten they had company. Worst of all is that he can’t even tug the brim of his hat over his face, since it went flying when Luffy tackled him to the ground.
Kin’emon agrees with a chuckle, “I think it is. But if you need anything else, Law-dono, Luffy-dono, I’ll always be glad to help.” He flickers his gaze to the garden, to a part a bit far away from where they are at the moment. “I think now I’ll try to help Sanji-dono and Zoro-dono…”
They all look over in the direction Kin’emon is observing. Surrounded by some of their crewmates, Zoro and Blackleg are fierily fighting — but Law’s not sure if they are fighting each other, or the goose that appeared to Blackleg earlier that morning.
“Oh, dear,” Nico says, looking thoroughly entertained. Law feels the same. Now that it isn’t him on the other side of a murderous beak, Law has to admit that it’s interesting to watch. The petty part of him also feels viciously satisfied, because now Zoro and Blackleg will get a payback for all the teasing they did against Law.
“It’s curious,” Kin’emon says, “To be honest, I never heard of the sage goose appearing for foreigners before. Of course, our country has been closed for centuries, and it has always been rare for foreigners to appear here. Still, I can’t help but think…” He chuckles, and continues, “I can’t help but think it’s a way of our country to thank you all for saving us, to pay back, even if a little. Maybe I’m just getting sentimental as I’m getting older.”
Nico and Luffy smile at Kin’emon. Law looks away, mumbling “Whatever,” and the three of them smile at him. Law clicks his tongue.
“Well, I’ll go there, then,” Kin’emon says, still with a smile on his mouth and nodding at them, and he steps towards the commotion caused by Zoro and Blackleg.
Nico also gets up, swatting the grass from her kimono, “I should go, too, and see if I can also help."
Before she goes, Nico smiles at them and says, “I’m really happy for you two. Congratulations again, Luffy, Torao-kun.”
Law nods at her, his words sincere, “Thank you, Nico-ya.”
“Thanks, Robin!” Luffy says, waving at her, as she walks to join Kin’emon.
And it’s just the two of them, now.
Luffy leans against Law, comfortable and lazy on his lap, face nestled into Law’s neck. Law presses a kiss to Luffy’s hair, a sigh leaving his throat, arms wrapped around Luffy.
For a while, they stay like that, basking in each other’s presence, in silence.
A bubbly sound blooms against his neck, then, Luffy’s laughter thrumming through his skin, and Law feels it inside him like a heartbeat.
“What is it?” Law asks, already smiling.
“I’m just happy! We’re still going to have adventures together, shishishi!
Law shakes his head. “You do realize it’s going to be more complicated than that. And dangerous, too. With all those changes in the powers of the world… And besides that, somebody could try to use our connection against us.”
Luffy moves his face from Law’s neck, but before Law can miss the touch, Luffy puts his arms around his neck. He says, “I know there’s a bunch of strong people out there. But we’re strong too, Torao, and we are not alone. I’ve got you, and you’ve got me — and we’ve got all our nakama. If someone tries to hurt us, we will just take them down!”
Law snorts, “Do you think you can just punch anyone who gets in your way?”
“Hey, it always works!” Luffy says, with a shit-eating grin. And Law can’t even refute him, it’s really what happened so far, Luffy’s record track of miracles trailing behind him as proof. The smile on Luffy’s face softens. “And Torao, you said you believe me, right? So trust me on this.”
Luffy’s eyes shine, bright as a beacon, and Law can’t look away.
The first time Law had ever seen him, Luffy broke through the rooftop of a slave auction house, and then broke a world taboo too, punching a celestial dragon for hurting his friend. Then, at Marineford, Luffy descending from the sky and landing in the middle of a war, doing everything he could to save his brother.
There he was: Luffy, always falling, like a shooting star.
And Law looked up.
It was like watching the starry nights of Flevance. The stars tracing lines in the sky, and his mom would whisper to him and Lami, with a smile, “make a wish, and it will become true.”
And Law wished; and Law believed in him. After everything that had happened, and besides his crew — that was the first time in a long time that he put his faith in someone else.
“I trust you,” Law says, and only when Luffy starts to beam at him that Law completes the sentence, “I trust you to do stupid things.”
Stupid things like loving me, he thinks.
Luffy whines at him, dragging an indignant “Toraooo!” on his tongue. Luffy’s smile falls as he tries to curl his mouth into a sulk, but his eyes carry barely contained amusement, and Law has to bite back a smile of his own.
When Luffy looks at him like this, like Law hangs the moon and the stars in the sky, for a moment Law forgets to hate himself, forgets to hate the world.
And even if Luffy is, in a way, a simple person, it’s still difficult to tell what he is thinking about. But maybe Law understands Luffy a little more now; and that’s why watching the warmth and the tenderness in Luffy’s eyes sends Law reeling.
Because, Law notices belatedly, it’s not the first time Luffy has looked at him like this. He had looked at Law like this way before the goose incident, way before Wano, many times. How did that happen, when it began, Law can’t pinpoint it exactly. But now Law finally understands the meaning behind that gaze, the emotions underneath it, the name of this feeling.
And it makes Law’s heart beat stronger, steadier; it makes him feel alive.
It makes him want to live.
“Alright, I mean it,” Law relents, caressing Luffy’s cheek with his hand, “I believe in you.”
“Good!” Luffy huffs, bratty and bubbly, a satisfied giggle in his mouth. His legs loop around Law’s waist, earning a half-hearted grunt from him. “You can’t take it back. You’re mine now, shishishi!”
Again, Law shakes his head. Luffy’s laughter is contagious, and Law finds his own lips curling upwards, following that sound.
I’ve always been yours, he doesn’t say it.
Instead, he chases after Luffy’s giggles with his mouth, but Luffy hears him anyway. “I love you too, Torao,” Luffy says when he breaks away, breathless and laughing.
With a full heart and flushed cheeks— flustered, fondly, Law kisses Luffy again.
Maybe one day he will get used to the idea of being happier than he deserves.