Note that I am incredibly sleep-deprived and that this is probably really messy.. But I wanted to post anything I could manage after that stab-wound of a new chapter. Maaaaaajor spoilers, blood, and character death ahead.
Hearts were always an odd thing for Law. He handled hearts all the time, being an infamous death surgeon and all, and in his years, he'd probably cut out hundreds, maybe thousands, of the still-beating arteries.
But sometimes, very rarely, he'd pause as he took a heart in his hand, and evaluate the weight of the life he held in his palm. It unsettled him, even though he knew it shouldn't. It was just a stranger's. Just one heart, among billions of others. He was a pirate. It was practically his job to steal things, and lives were no exception.
But consciousness plagued him harder than it should. It was a human life (most likely) that he held, extra-crushable, in his palm. Even though he never held onto them long enough to watch them stop beating, he knew some of them would.
Some of them always would.
He was quick to dismiss these thoughts most of the time. He needed these hearts to enact his plan, after all. … But they would still loom over him from time to time, dampening his mood. These dark thoughts were always lurking just over his head, like a rain cloud he could only shut off temporarily, and add to the steadily growing storm.
The cloud was packed heavily with thoughts of his savior: a man named Corazón.
He remembered the guy's goofy face, and the way his heavy eye-liner and over-done lipstick turned his smile into that of a clown's. He remembered his tall, clumsy gait, and his inability to stay upright for more than a few minutes. He remembered the patterns the guy had sewn into his clothes, and the two specific shapes dangling from his hat.
They were hearts, like his namesake. And like the ope-ope fruit he had once given Law.
He remembered the insecurity he had felt when Cora-san first saved his life, neglecting to tell Doflamingo about Law's unsuccessful murder attempt. He remembered the weariness he wore around Cora-san, unsure what to think of him, and incapable of trusting him. He remembered the shock he received when he first heard Cora-san speak, and the confusion he felt when Cora-san told him what his middle initial really meant. He remembered the way he trembled when Cora-san told him how much Law's life affected him. He remembered the anger he felt when Cora-san tried to find him a doctor who would help, and the frustration they went through each day of searching for a cure. He remembered the seed of hope Cora-san planted in him when he told him he had found a cure, and the excitement, and doubt, that ran through him as Cora-san described the situation. He remembered the uneasiness that settled in him, buried deep under the pain of his illness, when Cora-san went off to fight for the devil fruit. He remembered his fear as Cora-san came back, drenched in blood, and the nasty grin planted on his face as the man held up the heart-shaped devil fruit. He remembered his unsteadiness, and distaste, after Cora-san forced him to eat the fruit, and the dread that bored into him as Cora-san collapsed, painting the snow red with blood. He remembered the adrenaline that forced its way through his veins as he rushed to deliver Cora-san's note, and the urgency he felt to preserve Cora-san's life. He remembered the utter helplessness he felt when the marine turned out to be on Doffy's side, and the fear that was heavy in the air as the birdcage closed off the sky. He remembered the words Cora-san urged through the box, and the promises he had forced Law to make. He remembered the apprehension that made him catch his breath, and the intensity of the brother's standoff. He remembered the sick sound the bullet made as it pierced him, and the helplessness of not having a voice.
He remembered all of it, each torturous second. Every breath, Every thought.. each flicker and transition of emotions as they burned life-long marks into his mind. The condensed pain of every moment nested itself in his heart, burrowing a deep, sad hole that he knew he could not get rid of. But he did not care.. He welcomed the pain, and let it remind him of a greater, healthier fact that he would always be grateful for.
A heart that was still beating. That was Cora-san's final gift. A heart that pumped blood through Law's veins, and brought a re-assuring color to his skin. A heart that pulled nutrients softly from his lungs, replenishing the energy that was once absent from his limbs. It was a heart that allowed him to stand up on two strong legs, and walk forward. Move on. A heart that gave him time, ever-precious time, to dream, hope, and plan the future.
A heart that let him remember all the crazy things about Cora-san that he knew and admired.
He smiled then, with a rich and toothy grin, and rolled another stolen heart into his palm. The owner of this heart didn't know nearly the same amount of pain or gratitude Law had felt, and most likely, never would. They had everything handed to them, a perfect, corruption-free life, blessed with the privilege of ignorance. That is, until today.
Law's smile widened.
Maybe they'll understand after this. He thought, and placed the frozen cube in the bag.