Chapter 1
Law wakes up in cold sweat.
His chest is rising and falling in quick, shallow motions, and he feels like he's freezing despite the blanket covering him from the waist down. It was more violent this time, the nightmare, and it takes a while for the last dregs of the nightmare to dissipate. Law lifts a hand to his face, over his eyes, and he draws in a deep, shuddering breath.
The dreams feel like old friends by now, a broken record that won't take fuck off for an answer. He'd dreamt of a fight, one big and demanding enough to make sweat and blood mix on his skin in dirty trails of mudded red. He doesn't know what they were fighting for, or who their opponents were, but he remembers calling out orders to retreat to his crew, and holding his gun - but he doesn't use guns, makes a point out of it – in a tight enough grip for his knuckles to turn white.
He'd dreamt of finding the Straw Hats' ship burnt and demolished in the aftermath of the fight. And then —
Nothing, it doesn't matter. It was only a dream.
Law blinks away the last of it with the experience and tenacity of someone who's dealt with the same brand of crap dreams for the past decade-and-then-some. He tries to get up next, because the sheets are sticking to his sweaty skin and it's getting seriously uncomfortable, but he can't move. He's tied down by about three metres of rubbery arms and legs.
Luffy's tanned arm is hanging off the side of the bed while the other is wrapped loosely around Law's middle. Law can feel his fingers twitch as he dreams. Judging by the relaxed, silly look on Luffy's face and the line of drool that falls from the corner of his mouth, Law suspects that the dreams Luffy is having are much happier than his.
Law thanks the seas for the fact that it'd take a navy battleship to wake Luffy up. Or some beef jerky. Whatever works.
They're in the captain's quarters of the Thousand Sunny, a room that only ever sees use when Law and Luffy's crews meet up. The room is used as a storage space of some kind, filled with books and maps and weird contraptions Law doesn't even want to look at without full body armour.
He hears Luffy mutter something about a feast and meat and Sanji, and he rolls his eyes. The sun is yet to rise; even the seagulls are still asleep. Luffy's going to have to wait a few more hours before breakfast.
Law tugs on the rubber arm trapping him until Luffy mumbles something and turns around, releasing his hold just enough that Law can sit up and read a book while the he waits for the world to wake. He likes starting the day like this; waking by himself at his own pace, while Luffy snuffles and warms his side. It's serene, a moment reserved for himself and no one else, which is not something Law takes for granted. When one is contending from a spot as a Yonkou while also allied with the future King of Pirates, life tends to get a bit on the busy and bloody side.
He smiles and turns a page, and time flies. He goes through two books – both on World History and ancient myths, recommended to him by the Straw Hats' archaeologist – before the sunrise catches up to him. He can hear people moving around on the deck, talking and singing and preparing for the day, and next to him, Luffy blinks his eyes open sluggishly.
"Mhh, I slept well! G'morning, T'rao."
Law puts the book away, and when he looks down it's to see Luffy grinning dopily at him. He smiles back. "Good morning, Luffy-ya."
"I had a dream that we had a feast after I was Pirate King," Luffy starts, voice still laced with sleep. "I won an eating contest against a giant and then we went swimming. Guess that's something I can only do in dreams." He yawns and moves to sit up, only to pull his arms to himself with a cry.
"Wah! Where's my arm?" He cries, and yanks his arm back from where it was tied around Law's waist. This consequentially spins Law around, and he lands on his stomach without ceremony. Law grunts at the sudden shift, and he glares at Luffy half-heartedly.
Luffy cradles his arm to his chest and pokes it frantically, and the nearly panicked look on his face is enough to melt Law's ire into amusement. "What happened to my arm, Torao, I can't feel it!"
Law pushes himself back up so he's leaning against the headboard. "Your arm's asleep. That's what you get for trapping me to the bed for all night," he points out, but reaches for Luffy's hand anyway.
He starts rubbing slow circles on the muscles to get blood flowing in them again. Luffy relaxes against the pillows, letting his eyes fall closed for all of half a second before his stomach growls loudly.
He frowns contemplatively. "Do you think Sanji cooked breakfast yet?"
Law keeps working his fingers on Luffy's skin, though it's more for show and to shut Luffy up than for any other purpose — massaging rubber muscles is a bit of a moot point. He hums. "I think so. Is your arm better?"
"Yeah!"
"Then put your clothes on and we'll go see."
Luffy doesn't need to be told twice. He jumps off the bed with speed that makes his bare feet skid on the floor, and he tugs on his pants and shirt long before Law's even relinquished his blanket. He gambols to the door like a wild puppy as soon as he's done, hat pressed firmly on his head and his arm stretching far out the door.
"SANJI, FOOD!" is all Law hears before Luffy's rocketed himself outside.
Law chuckles. He gets out of bed at a much less hurried pace, pulls his jeans on and zips them up, and puts his coat on. The islands they're nearing are cold, winter islands, and Luffy's been talking about building a snow fort once they get there. The last time Law has built a snow fort was in North Blue, and he kind of looks forward to it, even though he's going to leave the actual building and frolicking to Luffy and his crew.
He steps out to the lower deck with Kikoku braced against his shoulder and his hat yanked firmly on his head. There's a crisp chill in the air, carried by the northern breeze, and the calm sea is shrouded in a veil of morning mist. It's going to be a nice day, by the looks of it.
The wooden planks creak under Law's each step, mixing with the sound of calm waves lapping against the ship's sides. He catches Penguin and Bepo waving at him from the corner of his eye, and Law waves back languidly. They're sharing a drink with Roronoa, leaning against the balustrade and laughing at something. He entertains the thought of joining them for a card game after breakfast. Roronoa is terribly easy to beat, even if one doesn't count cards.
As he gets closer to the galley, he can hear dishes clattering and the Straw Hats' cook yelling at someone – probably Luffy - to keep his hands off until the food is done. The smell of steamed rice and grilled fish lures Law closer.
One moment everything sees calm, like a picture perfect serene morning, and the next… it's not.
There is no word of forewarning; only a sudden charge in the air and then an ear shattering crash. The Sunny's figurehead is nearly blown off, and that's it. They're in battle before breakfast.
Law mutters a low curse and he rushes to the railing, eyes darting from the damaged figurehead to the two tall ships that now loom over the Sunny. They've appeared out of nowhere, it seems, hidden by the fog.
A cannon ball flies toward them, but it is deflected by a Strong Right. "Lay off the Sunny!" Franky yells, enraged. "Guys, get out here!"
The call to arms is not needed, as both the Straw Hats and the Heart Pirates march out on the Sunny's grass, some griping about the rude wake up call. They line up in the bow, facing the enemy as a united front.
In front of them, the Captain of the Straw Hats stands on the railing, arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Law casts his gaze up to the ships that tower over the Sunny and the Polar Tang, but he doesn't recognise them or the flag they sail under. Some no-name crew looking for a fight, doomed to fail.
A new round of cannon fire is deflected by one of Roronoa's flying slashes, and it ceases soon after without as much as leaving a scratch on the Sunny.
Luffy huffs, looking mildly annoyed. "We're being attacked, Torao," he states, somewhat incredulous.
"I noticed," Law says dryly. He fingers the red string wrapped around Kikoku's hilt absently, eyes trained on their attackers under furrowed brows. "I would have thought you'd be happier about a fight."
"But I didn't even get to have breakfast!" Luffy complains, and he hits his open hand with his fist. "I don't care what they want, I'm kicking their asses for that. Rude jerks."
Law resists the urge to roll his eyes. "The enemy doesn't wait for a convenient time to strike, Luffy-ya," he points out, and Luffy gives no reply. Law can see the muscles in his jaw working as he grinds his teeth, and he hopes that the attacking pirates' pantries are packed to the brim.
A voice bellows from the larger ship, booming over the waves still separating the ships. "Straw Hat! Brace yourself, because we are here to take your head!"
The brazen claim is met with a roar of approval, a cacophony of stomping and gunshots ringing through the air, and it leaves no room for misinterpretation. These pirates are out for blood. Neither the Straw Hats or the Hearts seem in any way bothered by the threat.
"You going to let them kill you?" Law asks, a hint of amusement in his tone. The enemy pirates introduce themselves, too, but Luffy's answering laugh is loud enough to drown the shouted words. Not that their name particularly matters in the face of the crushing might of both their crews.
"As if." Luffy grins, wide and toothy, and he cups his hands around his mouth. "Oi! I'm not gonna die so easily, bastards, so bring it! I'm going to send you flying!"
In the chaos that erupts at his command, Luffy leans down to peck a quick kiss on Law's cheek, and then he's off faster than the eye can see — disappeared into the heat of battle.
Law unsheathes Kikoku next and aims a piercing glare at the attacking pirates, suddenly made deadly by the sounds of the fight. He may be tired, and his body may be left sore and aching from the battles against the powers that sail the New World's waters, but there's no way in hell he's going to let this scum touch as much as a hair on Luffy's head.
A bullet flies past Law's ear. He tugs the brim of his hat so that it covers his eyes from view, and he joins the fray with a ghost of a smile still on his lips. This is what being a pirate in the New World is like, and Law feels alive.
...
They just keep coming.
Law blocks a blow with Kikoku's hilt, and his fingers curve to the shape of a room instinctively. He established early on that the attacking crew, while larger than both of their combined, is mostly untrained, cocky and quick to act carelessly. They are easy to defeat, and Law's left them mostly for his crew to toy with.
It's not like he's having trouble with his own opponents, either. He's fighting against two pirates, one using a harpoon gun and the other with two swords, and both of them are much more seasoned than their lowel-level crewmates. The fight itself is a bit one-sided, given Law's devil fruit power, but it's made interesting by the rain of sniper fire from the other ship. The bullets come seemingly out of nowhere, shrouded in the thick fog, and Law's nearly shot more than once.
Apparently, their attackers are infamous for their marksmen.
"Watch out!" Luffy calls out and his arms stretch to push Law down, just in time for a bullet to fly over his head. Law hits the deck with a grunt, and pulls himself up immediately, bracing himself against Kikoku. He opens his mouth to thank Luffy for the save, but his ally is already fighting some other group that's threatening his own marksman.
Law grimaces, he owes Luffy way too many tomorrow's already. His haki flares with a warning, and Law creates a room and dismembers the enemy who'd attempted to drive him through with a spear in the nick of time. Sweat gathers on his skin, smearing together with dirt and blood, both his and his enemies'.
He isn't surprised by their opponents' strength, not in the least. This is the New World, for pity's sake; expecting anything less would lead them all to an early grave at the bottom of the sea.
The fight takes him to a broken off piece of their opponents' ship, floating near the Sunny. He garners many bruises and cuts in the process, but in the end Law manages to take out both his opponents. Keeping track of their weapons and the bullets that come from seemingly every direction is difficult, however, and it takes every ounce of Law's concentration to keep himself from being impaled with something.
So, he almost misses it when Luffy swings himself back on the broken ship, the captain of the enemy pirates hot on his tail. Luffy runs past Law, shouting a 'hi Torao' as he skids on the planks and winds his arm around the Sunny's main mast several times. He uses the force of the recoil to plummet himself straight at the enemy captain, and then they're gone.
Law would follow their fight some more – Luffy's strength in the heat of battle is something he'll never tire of – but there's a small army of rivalling pirates hopping from piece of broken boat to the next, and they're headed to where Law's standing.
He takes them out and apart easily, but seeing their captain's nearing his limits, the enemy pirates are ruthless and desperate. Law's left winded and aching in the aftermath. He's grateful that he managed to defeat the co-captain early on, because he really isn't feeling up to going all out now.
A loud crash catches Law's attention, and he looks up just in time to see Luffy skidding on the planks, panting heavily. "I've had enough of you, jerk! Let's end this now!" Luffy shouts, and he throws his hands back. They inflate and are soon coated with black, and Law would call it overkill if it weren't for the fact that the enemy captain is already up and aiming a crossbow at Luffy's head.
Law smirks, looking forward to seeing the other enemy captain sent flying. He isn't given the chance, though — a sword swipes at his head, aiming for his throat, and Law's forced to duck out of the way. Blood coats Kikoku's edge, and Law parries the next blow with a haki-clad arm. He forms a room.
At the end of it, Law's surrounded by dismembered pirates and the planks he stands on are stained red. The enemy captain falls to the sea a few moments after, and Luffy drops down on one knee, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.
When he gets up it's with a grin and a victorious shout, and the fight is over.
"About time," Law comments, but the ghost of a smile on his lips steals the bite from his words. "I was thinking you'd take forever playing with your food."
In hindsight, he should really have known better than to say that word. Luffy groans and holds his stomach, which starts growling piteously. "Ugh, why did you remind me, Torao? I'm hungry…"
"I'm sure Black Leg-ya will cook you anything you want after this," Law placates, and Luffy whoops his agreement. "Once they get their asses back to the ship, that is."
"Yeah, we should go get them! I wanna get going already."
"Shouldn't be long now, Luffy-ya," Law remarks absently. He can hear subsiding sounds of a faraway battle coming from the enemy ships; the word about their captain's fall must not have reached them yet, but it will soon. He eyes Luffy discretely. "Are you injured?"
Luffy checks himself from head to toe and grins up at Law. "Nope, I'm okay! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Law turns to look at the enemy ships. They're still fighting, but whatever's left is nothing but fodder; something Luffy could take care of with one thought. Not that he would rob his crewmates of a fight.
"That's good to hear! Do you still have two arms?"
Law scowls at the reminder. "Evidently so."
"Good." Luffy grins and steeples his fingers behind the back of his head. "This was fun, but I'm really, really hungry now. Let's go find breakfast!"
Law nods, pinching the bridge of his nose. Before he gets the chance to follow Luffy, a pained moan sounds from somewhere behind them. Law turns his head to see light gleam off the barrel of a gun.
One of the enemy pirates, someone who Law doesn't even remember defeating, is leaning heavily on his elbow, harsh pants whistling through gritted teeth. In his hand is a gun, a small revolver that's completely unimposing. But something is out of place here, Law can feel it.
Law's seen a lot of guns in his lifetime; one might say it's an occupational hazard. He's looked down barrels of guns held by marines, bounty hunters, and other pirates so many times that it doesn't faze him anymore, but this is different.
This one is pointed at Luffy, who's picking his nose idly, completely ignoring the potential threat. Though it's not a threat, is it? Not to a rubber man.
The pirate's voice is dripping with pain and the bitter, resigned anger of a man who knows he's about to die. "You and your generation, the Worst Generation, you — you should have been weeded out long ago! My crew was the strongest..."
Law hears the safety click off, and he watches the man curl his finger firmly around the trigger. Luffy stares at the man blankly, and his stomach's growling is the only noise breaking the silence.
"Hey, can't we go already? I'm hungry!"
Law turns away from the defeated wreck of a pirate. Luffy offers him his hand, and he takes it. "Yeah, let's —"
"Fucking die, worst generation scum!" the pirate growls. A gunshot rings in the air.
Luffy steps forward to meet the bullet with a grin. Both him and Law expect to hear the distinctive rubbery twang of stretching skin, expect to see the bullet be returned to its sender. That doesn't happen. Instead, Law hears a surprised grunt tear its way out of from Luffy's throat. He sees a spray of blood in the corner of his eye.
The kairouseki bullet disappears into the murky waves, having fulfilled its purpose. Law is yet to fully register what that purpose was.
Luffy topples off balance from the force of the impact, and his hold on Law's hand goes lax. He falls over the railing and into the ocean faster than Law can say catastrophe.
The waves swallow Luffy whole with a resounding splash, and Law can only watch. Behind him, the attacking pirate laughs.
"You should have killed me before, Trafalgar," the man says menacingly, relishing the injury he's inflicted on the only person Law's let close to his heart in years. He celebrates shooting another man with a shining smile, another one of Law's saviours.
How dare he.
Law realises belatedly, as his hand is already forming a room and his other hand is holding Kikoku so hard it hurts, that he has never seen Luffy get shot before, not up close and personal like this. Not in a way that would take, anyway.
Kikoku sings as it sinks into the man's midriff and Law yanks it upwards mercilessly. The man chokes on his own blood as his eyes close for the last time. Law flips him off as he turns around.
Somehow, he'd been certain that one of Luffy's nakama would have saved him by now, and that he'd be faced with the sight of Sanji chiding his Captain for falling overboard again. But when he turns, he sees no one. The sea remains undisturbed.
He looks around, but the Sunny and their broken off battleground are both vacant. His crewmen and the Straw Hats are far away already, probably congratulating each other for their triumph, which means…
No one else saw it happen. No one else knows that Luffy's —
Luffy's sinking. And Law can't swim.
Law shouts his disbelief and anger to the wind, but no one hears him. His voice comes out reedy, but can hardly hear it. Law can't even feel his lips moving. He's sure that the others can sense that something is wrong, now, but they're all so far away, and Luffy's right here. Underwater.
His legs shake and he feels light-headed as he straggles to the broken bit of railing. When he gets to the edge, Law falters, and he looks down at the deep and murky water, the churning sea. Somewhere down there, Luffy's sinking, drowning, dying. Helpless.
Midday waves wash over the ship's hull, and seagulls caw loudly not too far away. The day is beautiful and serene, and it might be the last thing Law sees. He grits his teeth against the strangled cry that wants to claw its way out of his throat.
A year ago, before his alliance with the Straw Hats, Law wouldn't have minded dying. He isn't so sure now.
The mounting panic both clouds his mind and sharpens his focus, and a plan takes form in his mind — brought to stark relief by the fear of loss that exacerbates things to the point where Law can hardly even breathe.
Air bubbles break the water's surface, and Law doesn't think. Kikoku finds its place in his grip, and Law prays that the ones he's failed before will watch over him now, because he's about to do something really fucking stupid.
The tips of his shoes edge over the security of the ship's planks, hanging over the ocean. Law takes a deep breath, calming down, and he unsheathes his sword during the exhale.
He thinks he can hear someone yelling in the distance, but there's no time.
Law takes another deep breath, and he holds it. He thinks of Luffy as he cuts off the already broken piece of the Sunny's figurehead and leans forward, over the edge.
He falls into the sea.
...
A/N: Thanks for reading! This is just a quick plot bunny I wrote the other day, it'll have about 3-4 chapters. Please leave me your thoughts in a review, they'd be greatly appreciated.