Chapter Text
Let’s go down, Torao!
And what exactly would we do?
Travel! What else is there to do? Sitting here is so awfully boring.
Lu-ya, you’ve done it your whole existence. I’m sure you can continue.
But I want to go down with you.
It’s not like I can refuse the mighty Sun.
Great! Then it’s settled! I will conjure some bodies right away.
I’m not even going to ask how you can do that.
Hahaha. Are you ready?
A flash of pale light spread across the sky, snaking down to the earth below. The impact was nearly silent as two figures rose from it.
“Why does possessing a mortal body hurt so much?” Law groaned, pressing a palm against his temple.
The sensation was unbearable—pressure behind his eyes, a dull weight in his limbs, and the loud pounding of his newly-acquired heart.
“It’ll go away, don’t worry,” Luffy chirped with a smile, already stumbling out of the area they had fallen to.
Only a small dark scar marked the ground where Law stood. It was a little surprising how little of an impact their fall had had on the environment—well, besides the light.
Hopefully no mortals had witnessed their arrival. The concept that the Sun and moon had descended on them in human forms would likely not go over well.
“Wait, Lu-ya,” commanded Law as he hurried after the shorter man. Or rather the appearance of a man.
His complexion was nothing short of stunning—though Law wouldn’t expect anything less from the Sun. His sparkling eyes drew a viewer's attention away from his long red robes adorned with pretty gold emblems.
The outfit seemed quite egocentric to Law. After all, the curling symbols of the sun adorned it.
Law’s own attire was beautiful itself, with its dark, sloping fabric and the occasional golden highlight. He thought the blue suited him at the very least.
“Toraoooo,” whined Luffy, turning back to face Law, his clothes swinging around at the movement.
“Just…wait a second,” Law sighed. The trees were thick and clustered around them, save for the spot where they had fallen.
Fallen like angels—as the mortals say. Though Law would argue they were closer to gods.
“Do you know where we are?” Law caught up to the younger man who flashed him a wide smile. He looked upwards, eyes falling on the Sun, still very much there. A memory of what Luffy had once said came to his mind.
What will happen to our physical forms? Surely life would not survive if the Sun were to disappear.
My body will still be here. And so will yours
“Am I supposed to?” The sound brought him back to the present.
Law must’ve made a face of disappointment because Luffy gave a small laugh. “Don’t look so worried, Torao!”
“You’re the one who flew—or summoned us here,” Huffed Law, reaching out to touch the bark of a tree. He gently ran his fingers along the grooves. “I would expect you to know.”
“Well, I’ve only been here a long time ago, so expect less,” Luffy smiled and padded forward, ducking between trees.
It must’ve been why he knew the mortals’ language. Although it was entirely possible Luffy had gifted them it himself.
“What an inconvenience,” Law muttered under his breath and followed his giddy companion.
“Perhaps we should find ourselves a guide!” called Luffy, giggling as if what he had said was somehow funny.
Luffy was right—for once. Evidently the Sun was capable of intelligence on rare occasions. One would assume that several billion years of existence might cultivate wisdom, but the personality of the Sun had hardly matured in that time.
And it wasn’t like Law was more knowledgeable per se—after all, they had shared practically all they knew with each other once Luffy had gifted him a consciousness—but Law certainly had more common sense.
“I agree,” remarked Law. He lifted his hand up to his face, brushing away a stray bang before studying his palm. The mortal body felt profoundly foreign to him, and yet he somehow had the knowledge of basic motor skills.
It must’ve been something Luffy did. If when they landed, they didn’t know how to walk, Luffy would hardly be happy. Freedom of movement was something he greatly wished for.
“I can tell you’re thinking too much,” Luffy complained whilst tugging lightly on his sleeve.
“Hm,” grunted Law and he began to walk along the ground. The condition of the landscape closely resembled that of one in fall, colorful trees and a cool wind occupying the space.
Luffy seemed most delighted by it, at least. The Sun gazed in barely contained awe at the red and orange.
From the heavens, the forests had always appeared as shifting patches of color—but standing among them, surrounded by drifting leaves and the scent of damp earth, was something entirely different.
“Do you think civilization is nearby?” Law wondered aloud as he gazed above the trees. Clusters of clouds drifted lazily across the sky. By the looks of it, it was afternoon.
“We could fly over and—“
“You can’t fly in a human body. You don’t have wings after all,” interrupted Law. “Maybe choose a bird if that’s what you wanted.”
Luffy pouted a bit, clearly at least a little upset at this discovery. They continued walking, Luffy slightly ahead because he couldn’t seem to match Law’s pace.
The gaps in the canopy scattered freckled light across the forest floor. He would say it was beautiful, but—with Luffy there—it was outshined.
Luffy stopped walking suddenly and Law was pulled from his thoughts. When he looked up, he noticed what had made Luffy freeze.
The ground dropped steeply about ten steps ahead. Beyond that was a village, small but bustling, with smoke rising from chimneys.
“Let’s fly down there!” Luffy said excitedly, turning to face Law with a smile.
Could it be that Luffy had the power to generate wings for them? He had made these bodies, after all.
“…I’m sure it’d be unusual for us to be seen like that. I’d prefer if we didn’t experience pain from being hunted down by mortals,” Law replied with a frown, cursing himself for even entertaining the thought.
Wings honestly would’ve been more fitting for the two because of their origin, but the attempt to blend in would fail miserably if they tried such a thing in front of humans.
“Then how are we supposed to get down?”
“Jump?” mused Law, leaning to gaze over the edge of the cliff.
“I feel like that would cause pain.”
“Your guess is as good as mine.” Law bent down, the fabric over his knees brushing against the dirt as he picked up a blade of grass.
Luffy was looking away from him when Law turned around, seemingly lost in thought.
“Okay. I got it!” He said cheerfully and bent over slightly only for long, elegant wings to sprout from his back.
“You—“ Law began to protest but was taken aback by the beauty of the scene.
Luffy with angelic wings was clearly a breathtaking sight and when Luffy locked eyes with him, Law could only stare slack-jawed. The blatant ignorance of the conversation they just had slipped from his mind.
Luffy tested them with a little flap, bending them down and making a light wind that sent loose leaves tumbling away.
“What do you think?” Luffy startled him and it suddenly felt so odd how this celestial figure could even entertain the thought of speaking to him. But he was the moon after all. Also a celestial figure.
“It’s beautiful,” Law blurted before he could word out his reprimand. The words escaped him without thought. For a moment he simply stared, struck by the quiet absurdity of the sight—the Sun standing before him with wings like something out of a scripture.
Luffy widened his smile slightly, clearly glad that his creation had received admiration.
“…you’re such a child.” Law tore his gaze away to the ground.
“I’m older than you,” muttered Luffy at the comment, curving his wings inward to his sides. Personality spoke otherwise, but it was true that Law only relatively recently gained the ability of thoughts.
“Hm.” Law said. Luffy stepped closer and wrapped his arms around him in a—hug? “What are you…?”
Luffy lifted them off the ground with a powerful motion and Law stiffened at the loss of ground beneath him. Air rushed past them in a cold current, tugging at Law’s robes as the forest seemingly fell away.
“We’ll be fine!”
“If you drop me…” Law warned with a scowl. Breaking any bones in this body would likely feel very unpleasant.
Luffy only giggled in reply, gently shifting his wings to glide down towards the town.
“Why are you carrying me?” Law asked. Surely, Luffy could’ve just given them both wings. Law was fairly sure with how easy Luffy made it look, he could learn how to fly.
“It’s more fun this way.”
What wasn’t fun was how close their faces suddenly were. Close enough that Law could feel the warmth radiating from Luffy’s skin—far warmer than any mortal body had a right to be.
It was as if Luffy had no sense of personal space now that they had entered mortal bodies. Although, to say he was embarrassed by the gesture would be an exaggeration.
“Hardly,” he grumbled as they neared the forest on the outside of the village. It was for the best considering how the sight of an angel might send a human into shock. Although Luffy probably couldn’t promise to not do that.
Luffy landed and gently helped Law stand to his feet. He hadn’t been afraid per se of the height, but he was a little shaky. The fear of pain must be a strong factor in mortal life if even Law had developed a mild version of it.
Law turned back to face Luffy. It wouldn’t be wise to ask how he had carried him even with the blatant height difference. After all, Luffy was capable of many unbelievable things.
His mind drifted back to the idea of a guide. Finding an oblivious enough person to lead two celestial beings and not suspect them of their nature would definitely be a challenge.
Law thought that maybe skipping the guide and using a map would be a more effective use of time.
Luffy was starting to make his way in the direction of the village. The trees were less dense here, and Luffy kept to a mostly straight path, unlike the winding route they’d taken earlier to avoid obstacles.
“Wait up. Seriously,” Law told him, grabbing his wrist to stop him from practically bounding away.
Luffy let out a sound of disapproval. The Sun was awfully impatient.
With a sudden burst of brightness, he darted ahead, leaving Law to stumble after him amidst the brambles.
They were close to running now, Law attempting to tug him back and slow the pace down whereas Luffy was loping forward.
The trees began to grow sparser—a sign of civilization. Luffy finally began to slow as they neared a house on the edge of the village, his wings folding in until they ceased to exist.
Law’s gaze lingered for a moment on the place where they had been seconds before. For reasons unknown to him, his companion had the ability to change the form of matter. It was a mildly unsettling thought that his companion could strip him of consciousness with little effort.
Luffy strode over to the house’s door, looking back as if asking Law for permission to knock.
Law hesitated. Was their clothing typical enough to avoid suspicion? They could probably pose as rich, foreign travelers if it was necessary. It was quite close to the truth.
“Go ahead,” Law allowed, bringing his hand up to gesture at the door. Luffy knocked and shifted back and forth on his feet impatiently.
The door opened with a creak and a brown haired man looked out. Those sunken eyes gazed at the two of them, set deep within a weathered face lined by years and worry.
A thin gray beard clung stubbornly to his chin, and his robes—that of a priest—hung loosely on a frame that looked as though it had grown accustomed to little sleep and perhaps a malnourished diet.
“What do you want?” The voice was gruff and deep, clearly attained by age.
“We would like food,” Law stated, pushing Luffy back a bit so the idiot didn’t say something that betrayed his fake identity. “May we come inside? I believe that we can sort out some sort of payment.”
The man eyed them again cautiously. It surely wasn’t every day two well dressed strangers knocked on your door for food.
“I reckon we can,” he agreed, pulling the door further open to let the two inside.
Law entered first, discovering the humble house to be relatively empty besides the furniture. Apparently this man did not have the luxury of decorations. A small hearth sat empty and dusty to the right of them, looking as if its last use exceeded someone’s lifetime.
“You have a beautiful house,” Law commented anyways, supposing that flattery might make him loosen up.
Luffy looked around silently, looking as if he wanted to say something. Seeing that it was likely going to be something rude, Law clamped a hand over his mouth.
“Thank you. I try,” the stranger said and sat down in a chair at the dining table. He licked his lips as if he were nervous. Law hoped he didn’t believe the two travelers to be an easy mark for stealing. “You two from around here? Maybe Senia?”
“No. We’re from somewhere else,” Luffy answered, sitting down across from the man. Law stood instead, a little wary.
The man extended a rough hand to Luffy. “Name’s Jeopard. You two?”
“Luffy. And that’s Law.” Luffy took the man’s hand, giving it a shake. Must’ve been some human custom.
“You two look out of place here.” The older man mused and gave them another once over.
They were out of place here. It didn’t take much thought to see that.
“Yes. We’re travelers,” told Law and watched as Luffy fidgeted with the sleeve of his garb.
“Nobles, I presume?”
“Something like that,” Law said with a nod. The priest stood and walked to what looked to be a kitchen.
“It’s custom to feed guests,” he explained as he began to pull out some bread. Law held back a grimace at its appearance. Were they supposed to eat that?
He handed a piece to the two of them. The bread was dark and dense, its crust rough beneath Law’s fingers. Law feigned enjoyment as he bit into it.
It was as unpleasant as he had anticipated and he struggled to swallow the dry thing down.
Luffy, likely seeing his discomfort, grabbed the second slice and devoured it without hesitation. Crumbs scattered across the table as he chewed happily, looking far too pleased with the simple meal.
“Glutton,” Law mouthed to him, although internally grateful for the action.
“Torao’s not hungry,” Luffy said, mouth full of food, when Jeopard gave them a look. Thankfully Luffy was there or else he might’ve had to finish the bread out of politeness.
“Are you a priest?” Law asked after a moment, gesturing to his outfit.
“Yes. For our lord, Nika,” he replied, his voice softening with reverence. The tiredness in his expression seemed to fade for a moment, replaced by a quiet devotion that made the small room feel strangely solemn. Whoever this “Nika” was, Law didn’t want to know.
The strange attachment the man had was that of great respect and maybe obsession.
“…That’s nice,” Law finally monotoned, not really knowing what to say.
The man snapped out of his daze to look at Luffy.
“You seem familiar,” Jeopard hummed, scanning Luffy’s face. His eyes narrowed a bit as if the sight displeased him.
“Thanks for the food!” Luffy replied with a smile, not bothering to acknowledge the comment and giving Jeopard a pat on the shoulder. He then started walking to the exit.
“Where are you—? Hey, Luffy,” Law called, quickly hurrying after him as he disappeared past the door.
Once they were outside, Luffy stopped, turning to him. The village stretched quietly around them, smoke curling from nearby chimneys while distant voices drifted through the cool air.
“Tell me why you did that,” Law demanded. The man could’ve provided shelter or at the very least, a map.
Luffy looked back at him, his expression suddenly serious. The easy warmth that usually clung to him seemed to vanish, leaving something far older and heavier in its place.
“He wasn’t thinking very good things about us,” Luffy answered and began walking again.
“But why do you care? And how—? What was he thinking?” Mind reading was not a power Law knew Luffy had.
Could he read Law’s? It didn’t seem likely considering they had communicated verbally this whole time. So his ability was probably that of an empathetic one.
“Nothing. Let’s just go.”
“Okay. Perhaps the next town will have a map of some sort,” Law sighed and with that comment, the two ducked into the forest. Luffy instantly conjured his wings and grabbed Law by the waist.
“Don’t…” he muttered. This way of travel was starting to be most annoying.
“I know you like it, at least a little,” grinned Luffy as he emerged from the forest, flying low over the trees.
While it was good for sensing danger, Law certainly didn’t like the thought of Luffy peering into his emotions. The least he could do was keep it to himself.
Worst of all, his companion certainly did not care if anyone spotted them flying above.
“I’m hungry,” muttered Luffy, mostly to himself. He lifted them a little higher, heading to the west.
The Sun sank lower in the sky, spilling warm light across the trees until the forest glowed a faint gold.
“What’s that feel like?” Law questioned after a moment, gripping Luffy a little tighter when he faltered on a beat.
Luffy paused as if thinking about the sensation. “Like an ache in your stomach.”
Luffy began to fly lower, nearing what looked to be a clearing in the forest. With a couple thrusts of his wings, they settled down gently. Luffy let go of Law and retracted his angelic appendages.
“No wings for me?” Law sighed and looked up at the dimming sky.
“You didn’t ask,” pointed out Luffy as he began making his way towards the tree line.