Disclaimer: One Piece is the property of Oda Eiichiro.

Chapter One:

(Law – Age 13)

The sounds of cannonballs had long since stopped shaking Minion Island. Aside from the wind howling through the trees, everything was quiet. He supposed it meant the Marines had chased the Donquixote Pirates off to the distance, and Doflamingo was now far away.

He was safe for the time being.

Realizing this, Law immediately turned around, silently berating himself as he retraced his footsteps in the snow with haste. What was he thinking?! He couldn't just leave Corazon behind. The least he could do was give the man a proper burial. With that in mind, the boy hurried back to his fallen savior.

He was too late, however, as another group of Marines had already arrived to investigate the scene. All he could do was watch them carry Corazon's body away as he remained hidden behind snow-covered trees.

Cora-san… Law gritted his teeth, holding back his tears. He couldn't even begin to formulate how much this person had done for him. When Law had lost his family, his friends, and his home the way that he did, he had lost all faith in the world. When he lost his faith in the world, his humanity went with it, putting him on a destructive path. He had been so ready to annihilate as many as he could before he would eventually succumb to the Amber Lead Syndrome, but Corazon turned all that around.

The younger Donquixote brother sacrificed himself so that Law could live. So, Law decided that he needed to live in order to honor Corazon. And one day, he would fulfill Corazon's ambitions and take down Doflamingo.

No longer limited by the disease, he now had a new purpose in life.

If Law were to survive, he would have to get off Minion Island. This place was a ghost town. Nobody lived here. Nobody would come here. He even overheard the Marines say that all the pirates on the island were dead, wiped out by Doflamingo. If he stayed, he'd be stranded. That meant his one and only ticket off the island was the Marine ship. So, while the Marines were still busy with investigation and clean up, Law snuck onboard and stowed away in the cargo area.

The journey was long, and he lost track of how many days he'd spent huddling between the crates. During this time, he had nothing to do but think about his situation. Sure, he might have escaped this time, but he knew Doflamingo would look for him. He ate the Ope Ope no Mi after all, and Doflamingo wanted his powers. He'd need to figure out how to use his powers quickly if he wanted to gain whatever advantage he could and survive.

He stared thoughtfully at his hands. Corazon had said the powers of the Ope Ope no Mi went hand in hand with medical procedures, and it was the Devil Fruit wanted by many doctors. That being the case, Law figured he better start picking up medical studies again. Before his life went to hell, he was already an advanced student at Flevance's best medical school. On top of that, he had been learning things from his parents that wouldn't be covered in the school curriculum for a good couple of years. Nevertheless, he had put it down for so long…his mindset going from wanting to save people to wanting to destroy everything in sight…he couldn't help but wonder if he could still do it. Was he still capable of living and functioning like a normal human being?

His stomach grumbled, prompting him to take another bite out of the bread he had stolen from the kitchen when he first got on the ship. By now, the bread was already molding, but it was the only sustenance he had. He didn't want to risk venturing out there now that everyone was onboard and not otherwise preoccupied. So, he'd just have to make do with what he had.

An hour later, the boy found himself at the far back of the cargo hold, puking like there was no tomorrow. When his stomach finally calmed down, he wiped the back of his sleeve across his lips as he sat down, feeling completely drained. "…I'm never eating bread again…"

An unknown amount of time later, the ship finally arrived at its next port. While the Marines were tending to maintenance and resupply work, Law quietly slipped away.

(One year later. Law – Age 14)

He was looking through the titles of all the books on the shelf, trying to decide which one to read when he heard a series of soft knocks from behind. Law turned to find the doctor standing in the doorway of the small break room he was currently in.

The man was short with white hair and thick glasses. He was old and would probably retire in a couple of years. "Well, I'm heading out for the night," he said as he put on his thick winter coat. "Remember to lock up before you leave."

"Alright," the teen simply said before returning his attention to the books.

The old man heaved a small sigh. "A boy your age shouldn't be spending this much time studying. You should go spend time with friends. Enjoy life a little." The kid worked too hard. It was no wonder why he was so knowledgeable. Still, it just didn't seem right to the seasoned physician.

"I have better things to do," Law replied, pulling a book on pharmacology from the shelf.

The doctor shook his head. There was just no persuading the boy. This was a battle he'd been losing on a nightly basis. He supposed he should just consider himself lucky to have such a dedicated assistant. And to think he had been skeptical of Law's young age when the boy first came to ask to be an apprentice. "Well, don't stay too late. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Doctor," Law said distractedly, already immersed in his reading, not even noticing when the doctor made his exit.

The truth of the matter was, studying at an institution just wasn't feasible for Law. First off, he didn't have the money to pay for it. More importantly, he was trying to keep a low profile. Not to mention, he had no interest in socializing with other students, having become more reclusive in nature after everything that had happened. So, working at a doctor's office was an ideal solution. It allowed him some hands on experience and gained him access to books and medical journals which he would study on his own after hours.

When he'd had his fill of reading for the night, eating a light dinner while he was at it, Law locked up the clinic and stepped into the quiet snow-covered streets of the small town. It was cold, and he could see his breath. He shoved his hands into his coat's pockets, missing the warmth and comfort of his hat. He'd stopped wearing it since he got off Minion Island. It was too noticeable and might make those who knew him take a second look...something he'd very much like to avoid.

It was when he turned the street corner that he noticed the shadow moving behind him. He was being followed. The first time it happened, it nearly gave him a heart attack, fearing the worst. But it had been going on for a couple of days now, and he knew exactly who it was. He stopped in his tracks, eyebrows twitching with annoyance.

The shadow gasped. Realizing that he'd been spotted, he retreated to the nearest available hiding spot.

Law turned around and marched over to a couple of garbage cans beside a building where there was a young boy squatting between them with his arms over his head. "Stop following me, brat," he said simply.

The boy looked up, his blue eyes shining with alarm, his short ebony locks a mess. "How did you know where I was hiding?"

"It's snowing. Obviously, there are footprints," the teen deadpanned. "Now, go home." He turned and continued on his way, not really surprised when he heard footsteps following behind him.

Law heaved an internal sigh, cursing his luck. About a week ago, a group of punks tried to rob him on the streets, thinking he'd be an easy target since he was younger and smaller than they were. They got their asses handed to them instead. Even though Law had been unarmed at the time, and he was careful not to use his powers, he still won with relative ease. As a result, he had unwittingly gained the interest of this brat who had watched the whole thing go down.

"Where're you from?" the boy asked as he trailed behind the teen.

"Stop repeating the same question," Law replied unenthusiastically. "I didn't tell you yesterday. I'm not going to tell you today."

"I'm just curious. Your fighting style is different from the one my dad teaches. I want to know where it's from."

Law remembered the boy saying something about his father being some kind of martial arts instructor in town.

When Law didn't make any reply, the boy moved on to his next question. "How long have you been fighting? My dad's been teaching me since I learned how to walk. That's like…a really long time. I'm ten years old, you know."

"I don't care." Law frowned with irritation. The brat sure loved to talk.

"What's your name?" the boy asked.

"I'm not telling you." He didn't want anything to do with this kid.

The boy pouted. "You're so grumpy. Fine. I'll just call you Captain. Wanna know my name?"

"No," was the swift reply. "I prefer just calling you brat." By now, they'd already left the town, entering into the forest area. Law finally turned around and looked at the kid. "What do you want from me?"

The boy blinked up at him and grinned. This was the first time the older boy gave him a response that wasn't a flat out rejection. "I want to spar, of course!" This was a small town. It was rare to find a capable fighter from a foreign place. It'd be fun!

"Not interested," Law said blandly. "Stop bothering me."

The boy saw that weird blue dome magically appear and knew what that meant. "No, wait, wait, wait!" he said, hands waving frantically.

"Shambles."

The next second, Law disappeared from his sight. "Darn it! I lost him again!" He looked left and right. All he could see were trees and more trees. "How does he even do that?! Is he some kind of ninja or something?" He heaved a disappointed sigh. Seeing no other options, he turned around and began making his way back towards the town.

Standing on a tree branch high above, Law watched the boy disappear before jumping back down and continuing on his way home.

'Home' was really more of a loose term for the cave he'd been sleeping in to stay out of the elements. His apprenticeship didn't really earn enough for him to rent a room anywhere, and living in the wild wasn't exactly a new concept to him. When he was on his journey with Corazon, they pretty much slept anywhere they could find a flat surface. He didn't tell his employer about his living conditions; he just said he had a place near the edge of town. Technically, he wasn't lying.

The cave itself wasn't much. It was just big enough to fit a bear…which he had to fight in order to get. However, the bear was either a sore loser or a fearless dimwit who didn't understand the meaning behind losing, because it would keep coming back to try to reclaim the cave. When Law made his way back, there it was again, all curled up like a giant white fuzz ball, sleeping inside as though it owned the place.

The teen stood just outside the entrance with folded arms. He was not amused. "Hey. This cave is mine. Get out."

The bear lazily opened its eyes. Realizing that it was his rival, he got up on all fours and stepped out of the cave. Growling like the predator that it was, it kept its eyes on Law as its muscles tensed up, ready to pounce.

Law jumped back, a smirk on his lips. "Now then. How should I make you understand that coming back here is not a good idea?"

The beast charged.

"Room!" Law whipped out a scalpel from his pocket. The moment his opponent entered his territory, he made a couple of slashes through the air, amputating all of the bear's limbs. Then, with a few hand gestures, the bear floated up off the ground in five separate pieces.

Ignoring the roaring bear for a moment, the Ope Ope no Mi user studied his scalpel with a pensive frown. "I need a knife," he mumbled to himself, deciding the scalpel was far too small.

He then returned his attention to the bear that was swept up in panic and confusion, roaring and growling frantically. "I've always wondered what would happen to the things I cut up if they were to leave my Room," he began conversationally. Amputate was a technique he'd discovered only recently. He had yet to understand it fully. "Looks like you get to be the lucky test subject," he said with a smile.

The blue dome disappeared as Law canceled his Room, and the floating pieces of the bear dropped to the snow-covered ground. He picked up one of the limbs and studied it. The claws extended and the paw swiped at him, causing him to back away a bit. Then he looked at the bear's main body where the head was whining helplessly. "Huh. Interesting." He had a feeling it would stay alive, but he wasn't positive. It wasn't unreasonable to think that all the wounds would suddenly begin to bleed when no longer inside the Room.

He began reattaching the limbs to the bear's body one after the other, watching them magically rejoin, then observed as the furry creature climbed back to its feet. It was completely unharmed. So, they can be put back together even without reactivating the Room… "Good to know."

The bear backed away from Law, fear now clearly in its eyes. Then it made its retreat, running as fast as it could, disappearing deeper into the forest.

Law gave a huff of amusement. "That should keep it from coming back."

With that taken care of, Law got back to doing what he had originally planned to do: practice the use of his Devil Fruit powers. It was something he did every evening. He understood pretty early on that using his powers would drain his energy. The larger his Room, the longer he kept it in place, the more fatigued he'd become. Therefore, he needed to use it more and build up his stamina. He had also come to realize that Shambles was the perfect getaway technique. So, his first goal was to be able to expand the size of his Room as much as possible in order to increase the distance of Shambles as much as possible.

"Room." The translucent dome appeared, and he tried to make it reach just a little bit further than the night before. "Shambles." He traded places with snow on top of a tree branch about thirty feet above ground.

"Wow! So, that's where you go!"

Surprised, Law looked down to find the brat staring up at him with an awed expression on his features. He returned to the ground with furrowed brows. "How did you find me?"

The boy grinned victoriously. "Well, like you said…it's snowing, so there're footprints!" He doubled back when he remembered those words, thinking he'd have to really look hard for them, but it turned out the footprints trail started right where the older boy had disappeared on him.

"Damn it!" Law cursed under his breath. He shouldn't have said anything.

"What's that cool technique? Are you really a ninja?!" the boy asked excitedly. "Hey, Captain! Watch what I can do!" He suddenly tumbled into a rapid series of backflips; practically going airborne on the final jump, wrapping up with something like seven or ten back somersaults…it was so fast, it was hard to tell…before sticking a perfect landing on his feet.

The teen's brows rose slightly. That's pretty cool… But outwardly… "I'm not impressed."

"That's just basic stuff," the boy replied easily, completely unoffended. "If you spar with me, I'll show you the advanced stuff!"

"Not interested."

"Why not? It'll be fun!"

"I don't care."

"Can you teach me that disappearing technique?"

"No. Go away."

"Do you know how to do a clone jutsu?"

"No."

"So, are you a ninja?!"

"I'm not a ninja!" Law yelled, the brat's constant pestering finally getting to him.

"Hey, do you live in this cave?" the boy inquired curiously as he switched gears and approached the cave, his eyes spotting nothing but a sleeping bag and a backpack inside. "How do you bathe? Is there like a secret hot spring nearby?"

"That's none of your business." Law actually would go to the doctor's office earlier in the morning and use the facilities there to clean up, but he wasn't about to explain it to this annoying kid.

The boy looked up at him with the corners of his lips turned down, a bit of unshed tears in his bright blue eyes. "You poor thing…"

Law gritted his teeth. The brat had the audacity to feel sorry for him? Now he was really mad. However, before he could say anything, the boy continued.

"I'll come back tomorrow!" he grinned.

"Don't come back!"

"I'll bring you something good!" the child declared happily as he started to run off in the direction of home.

"Are you even listening to me, brat?!"

The boy waved as he hollered, "See you tomorrow, Captain!"

It would appear that Law's words had fallen on deaf ears. He clawed a frustrated hand through his hair, completely dissatisfied with that entire encounter.

True to his word, the boy returned the following night…as well as every night after that. Much to the aspiring doctor's chagrin, each time he would bring with him 'something good': a toothbrush, a teacup, a small towel, a loaf of bread (which immediately got fed to the birds), a pair of socks, and so on and so forth. Each night, he would perform some acrobatic feat in hopes of impressing and enticing Law into a sparring match, and each night he would fail.

Law decided that the boy must really love the sound of his own voice, because he would talk nonstop. If he wasn't asking questions, he would be telling Law anything and everything about himself. He was an only child, and he lived in the training hall owned by his parents. He wanted to learn about different martial arts styles, develop his own techniques, and be able to train his own students in the future. His favorite color was orange. He even told Law about his pet rabbit that died and how much he cried over it.

The teen had considered moving, but a good cave was hard to find.

When the brat got too irritating to bear, which happened almost nightly, Law would sometimes use Tact to lift him off the ground and keep him suspended upside-down in midair until all the blood would rush to his head and make him dizzy, keeping him quiet for a while. Other times, Law would simply Shambles himself up into a tree with a book and remain unresponsive until the brat would finally give up and leave.

Though, without fail, the boy would always return the following evening.

(Several weeks later)

Sitting at a small table inside the local café, Law took another bite of his oatmeal as he continued to flip through that morning's paper. It was good to keep up with what was going on in the world, but it was imperative that he keep an eye out for anything about Doflamingo. So far, there hadn't been anything. Corazon had mentioned a place called Dressrosa being Doflamingo's target, but he hadn't seen anything regarding that yet either.

When he was finished with his breakfast, he paid and ventured out into the cold, heading towards the doctor's office. Along the way, he caught sight of a couple of strange men speaking with the lady at the fruit stand, holding a piece of paper out to her. It was obvious from the way they dressed that they weren't from around here. Law pulled his hoodie over his head and kept his ears opened as he walked past behind them.

"…with dark hair. Should be around fourteen years old," one of the men said.

"He has white splotches all over his skin," another added. "It's hard to miss."

The lady looked at the piece of paper and shook her head. "No…I haven't seen him."

Law subtly picked up his pace, feeling like the world just wasn't all that big. They had caught up to him again. It was time to leave. This was already the fourth island he'd relocated to in the past year. It was inconvenient, but it couldn't be helped if he wanted to stay out of Doflamingo's reach. He had no idea how many people Doflamingo had looking for him. The ones he'd seen were different every time, and he didn't recognize any of them. The only good thing about this was that they were still looking for a boy with skin depigmentation, unaware that his skin color had already reverted back to normal. He had also gained a bit of height, further changing his physical appearance.

He supposed it was a good time to leave anyway. The brat was getting too attached, and it was making him uncomfortable. He couldn't understand what exactly it was that the boy saw in him. The way the kid would look at him like he was something great…it reminded him of Lami, and it wasn't something he could deal with right now.

"What do you mean you're leaving?!" The boy practically whined as he stood by the cave's entrance.

Law sat on his sleeping bag with his back leaned up against the cave wall, arms behind his head, unperturbed by the boy's distress. "It means I'm leaving," he repeated. There was no way to simplify it further than that.

"But why?" the boy persisted. "Can you even afford to leave?" He heard boat rides were expensive.

The teen's brows twitched at that unintentional verbal jab but said nothing.

"Where're you going?"

"You don't need to know." Actually, he wasn't sure himself either. Anywhere was fine, as long as it was a place he hadn't already been to. It was important that he go somewhere where he won't be recognized.

"Are you coming back?"

"No."

The boy huddled down, wrapping his arms around his legs with a crestfallen frown. "…I thought we were friends," he said dejectedly.

Law averted his eyes. "You thought wrong." He had a mission, and he had to keep moving. Friendship was a luxury and a hassle he didn't even want to entertain. It was a good thing he could finally set the brat straight. "Now go home. And don't come back."

The boy shot to his feet with a glare, looking like he was about to cry. Then he turned and ran away.

Law heaved a sigh. It wasn't like he purposely aimed to upset the kid, but this was for the best. It was highly unlikely they'd ever cross paths again in the future anyway.

Not long after that thought crossed his mind, he heard the boy's scream echo through the forest, followed immediately by the roar of a beast.

"Shit!" Law scrambled to his feet and sped out into the snow, running as fast as he could. His fears were confirmed when he finally reached the boy, a sinking feeling settling in his gut at the sight.

The child was motionless, face down on the ground, his blood dyeing the snow around him red. A white bear…the same one he'd fought off multiple times…was standing over the boy. With one paw on its prey's back, keeping him down, the bear opened its jaws, ready to feast.

Law rushed forth. "Get away from him!"

The bear looked up and immediately backed away when he realized who it was.

Law dropped to his knees beside the child. It didn't look good. The flesh on his back had been completely clawed open. "Hey, brat! Answer me!" He turned the boy over. The front wasn't much better. He was losing too much blood.

Law placed his hand on the boy's neck. The pulse was fading fast. The boy was dying, and it was his fault. He'd known about the damn bear, but he never thought to warn the kid about it. And the only reason the kid was even hanging around out here was because he was here.

He punched his fist into the red snow and hung his head. In that moment, he really hated himself. He felt powerless. Even with the powers of the Ope Ope no Mi, this wasn't something he could fix.

Then his head shot up, a crazy idea brewing in his mind as he fixed his wide eyes on the white bear that had cowered behind a tree.

Sensing danger in that wild predatory look in the teen's eyes, the bear backed away further before turning and really making a run for it.

Law looked between the boy and the bear, trying to make a decision. He didn't really have the time to think this through. It was now or never. He held his arm up, palm facing down. "Room!"

He kept his eyes on the retreating bear as the blue dome expanded, desperately trying to catch up to the beast. Come on! Reach! By now, his Room was already twice as big as he'd ever made it, and he was feeling the strain. Then three times as big. Almost there… Four times as big. Got you! "Shambles!"

The bear collapsed.

Then Law collapsed, completely exhausted by that stunt.

When he opened his eyes, he was confused. What was he doing just lying around in the snow? He sat up and looked around, trying to figure out where he was.

"Do you remember what happened?"

He turned his head to find Law also sitting in the snow with his back resting against a fallen tree trunk, looking up at him.

The teen was looking up at him. That…didn't make sense.

"Why're you shorter-?" He stopped when he realized his voice was different, his hand automatically reaching for his throat. That was when he noticed the feeling of his hand and throat felt foreign as well. He looked at his hand and balked when, instead of a hand, what he saw was a paw. "What?" He looked at himself then and saw that his entire body was covered with white fur. He began to hyperventilate. "What's going on?!"

"You were attacked by a bear," Law provided. "Do you remember?"

Yes. It was coming back to him now. He had been upset at the time, and he didn't notice when the bear jumped him from behind. "But…that doesn't explain…" He held his paws up, not even sure how to phrase it.

"You were dying. I…couldn't do anything to save your body," Law explained. "All I could do was switch the place of your brain and your heart with that of the bear's."

"You…" He frowned, completely lost. "What?"

"I put you in the bear's body to keep you alive," Law said, his tone dispirited. Was it the right thing to do? He didn't know. This was probably one of those miraculous medical achievements of the Ope Ope no Mi that Corazon was talking about, but somehow, he didn't feel very accomplished.

"So…" The child-bear began hyperventilating again. "…I'm a bear now? What about my real body? Where is it?"

Law pointed to his other side to where he had laid the boy's body.

The child-bear looked at the lifeless mangled mess that was himself. Unable to speak, he simply began to cry as he picked up the frail form and cradled it to his chest.

"I'm sorry," the teen finally managed to say, his heart heavy with guilt.

The boy got to his feet…his hind legs. "I have to go home."

Law stood up as well. "I don't think that's a good idea."

The boy didn't listen and began to walk.

Knowing this wasn't going to end well, Law trailed behind. He followed the boy back to the training hall he called home and waited outside.

Shortly after, the agonizing scream of a woman pierced through the air. Then there were angry shouts of men…the sound of things crashing…and finally, the gunshots. Before long, a white bear came barreling out on all fours at breakneck speed, escaping to the forest with tears in his eyes.

When Law made it back to the cave, the child-bear was already curled up inside, sobbing miserably.

"What am I supposed to do now?" the boy asked, noticing the teen's presence. "I'm not human anymore! I can't go home. I have nowhere to go. I'm not even a real bear!" He had no idea how to survive in the wild like an actual bear.

Law clenched his fists as he stared at him, overcome with a sense of regret. He did this to the boy. "I made you what you are," he began, his tone subdued. "You're my responsibility. Come with me. I'll look out for you."

The boy swiped a paw over his eyes. "You live in a cave," he pointed out with a sniffle.

If the situation wasn't so grim, Law might have gotten annoyed. "It'll get better."

Seeing no other option, the boy simply nodded.

Law wondered if he could really make good on those promises. After all, he had issues himself and probably was not the most stable in mind. He really wasn't the best role model…not anymore…and he had powerful enemies. Taking someone with him, a child no less, was far from what he had in mind. It definitely won't be easy, but he owed this kid. He would do his best to keep his word.

The teen sat down beside the quietly sniffling bear and placed a hand on his back, rubbing his fur in what he hoped was a reassuring way. In response, the child-bear placed his head on Law's lap, trying to get as much comfort as possible. "What's your name?" Law finally asked his new companion, petting the fur on his head.

"…Bepo."

"We'll leave this island in the morning." The fact that he needed to run aside, it would be difficult for Bepo to be so close to home and not be able to go home. "But let's get you some clothes first," he suggested.

"Wouldn't it be weird for a bear to be wearing clothes?" Bepo asked, his eyelids drooping, finally feeling the exhaustion.

"A talking bear is pretty weird already. Might as well." It was a matter of dignity, and the clothes should provide some measure of protection for Bepo. At the very least, people would be less likely to think he was a wild bear and shoot on sight.

"Do you think there are other talking bears out there?" Bepo asked tentatively.

Law gave that some consideration, recalling all the strange things he'd seen. The world was filled with plenty of unimaginable things. "I wouldn't be surprised if there are."

Bepo yawned, allowing himself to be soothed by the petting on his head. "I'd like to meet one someday, Captain."

The teen blinked down at the bear, remembering one little detail. "My name's Law."

"Mm…good to finally know…" With that, Bepo drifted off to sleep.

Law settled in, trying to get as comfortable as possible. For better or for worse, tomorrow, they would begin their new journey together.

A/N: Wow…it's been about 2 and a half years since I last posted something. I think that's a record. I feel out of practice.

Anyway, so that's the first chapter. Hope you liked! Obviously, I'm going to be inventing backstories for members of the Heart Pirates…reinventing on Bepo's part. I already had this idea in mind before I found out about Bepo's real origins. I thought about whether or not to revise my story to match canon but eventually realized that I was kind of already married to my idea. So, Bepo's bit is AU, but everything else I try not to contradict what's already been revealed in the series. Bepo's personality is kinda different here, too. That'll get explained later.

I think even though Law was saved by Corazon, and he started to change and turn away from that crazy destructive frame of mind, he still wouldn't be so easy and willing to trust people in general. He did get screwed over pretty bad. He wouldn't be looking for friends or teammates. So, it made sense to me that in order for him to even begin to trust someone, that person would have to be really innocent. That's why Bepo's a child, still bright-eyed and uncorrupted. Throw in some guilt and responsibility, and they're bound together for good. Otherwise, Law would just be doing this thing solo and there'd be no Heart Pirates. LOL!

Law's powers seem pretty diverse and versatile. (Incidentally, it's the first Devil Fruit power I actually would like to have. XD) He can cut up body parts and still have them be linked to their original owner…like what happens when he uses Mes, and usually the case when he uses Amputate. But then he can also cut them and have the body parts be controlled by the being it's attached to…like what happened with Brownbeard and all those weird pirate centaur things on Punk Hazard. It looks like it's pretty flexible, depending on what Law wants to happen. So, in Bepo's case here, he basically permanently rewired his brain and heart to the bear's body. It's not the same as switching personalities like he did with the Strawhats, which was more of an intangible switch of the heart/soul. I just feel I should explain that what he did with Bepo is a bit different from his other techniques. It'll be somewhat important in the next chapter.

This story will be just 3 chapters…though the third chapter might get split into two due to length. I'll try to update every other week. As usual, the thing's already mapped out, so if some crucial info gets dropped in canon here on out, it won't be incorporated.

This chapter was kind of hard to write since Law was on his own most of the time. There weren't a whole lot of character interactions. Hope it didn't turn out too boring. Heh…

I think the only foreign term used in this chapter is "jutsu." It means technique/method/skill. Fans of Naruto should be familiar with it.

Oh, and I guess Ope Ope no Mi, too. Basically, the Op Op Fruit in English.

And, just for kicks, here's an omake…

Omake:

(Aboard the Marine ship, after Law had left…)

Two Marines entered the cargo hold to make sure there'd be enough room for the new supplies they were about to bring aboard.

"What's that weird smell?" the first Marine said, sniffing the air.

"I dunno," the second said, clamping his nostrils shut with two fingers. "Did some of the food go bad or something?"

"All we have in here should be canned goods. Even if they go bad, we shouldn't be able to smell it, idiot."

"Then maybe a seagull got in and died. That's happened before."

They split up to look for the source of the stench.

Marine One spotted something and grimaced. "Ugh… There's a huge splatter of dried puke in this corner."

"Um…there's a pile of shit over here…literally," Marine Two added, refusing to let go of his nose. He was sure that if he did, he'd probably smell urine as well.

"So, there really was a stowaway?" Marine One asked with disbelief. One of the guys said he thought he saw a kid run down the gangplank, but it was dark so he wasn't sure. Not to mention, their last stop was Minion Island. There shouldn't have been anyone there to begin with.

Marine Two shrugged. "I guess." He was more concerned about how to deal with the kid's leftovers. "I'm not cleaning this shit."

"Me neither," Marine One agreed. "Let's just pretend we didn't see anything and let the next guy deal with it."

"That'd be Aldwin and Jabez. They deserve it."

Sharing a laugh, the pair walked out, reporting that there was enough room for more supplies and nothing else.

A/N: Looking at it dramatically, you'd get the second scene in this chapter. Looking at it more realistically, you'd get the omake. (-_-) Poor Law. It was a rough ride. Can't blame him for hating bread if he associates it with this experience. But hey, I'm sure he's at least happy knowing that some unsuspecting Marines had to clean up after his crap. LOL!

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!