Hey Guys!~
So this particular fic is actually a request/trade fic for JustARatInACage, she's a wonderful ZoSan, LawLu writer, go check out her stuff!
Song / Movie: I Just Can't Wait to be King - Lion King (First Movie)
Pairing: LawLu
Summary: To sum it all up. Luffy just can't wait to be King! And Law will do everything in his power to get him there. Takes place in a sort of ancient-ish era.
Beta'd by: Emygrl99
I own neither One Piece nor anything Disney. Enjoy!~
"I'm gonna be a mighty King so enemies beware!" the boisterous boy of seven years cried out from where he was perched upon his favored seat in a tall tree his arms extended and fisted as he pumped them into the air to emphasize his determination.
Anyone could see that the young raven haired boy truly lived up to his name, Monkey D. Luffy. As his surname suggested, Luffy was not afraid to meet the challenges and limits placed onto their people by not just nature, but the Gods themselves. Luffy climbed where no one dared to, ran with the swiftest creatures, and almost soared with the eagles in the sky when he dashed from branch to branch many leagues above ground. Luffy even dared to challenge those that were directly linked to their Gods, wrestling a kill away from the mighty Jaguars whenever he could even at this young age.
Luffy was truly the man who would reign over their people, there was no doubt about it in anyones mind. Meanwhile off to the side, Trafalgar Law, a young boy two years older than him always watched with a facade of unruffled boredom that cleverly masked his fascination with the other boy.
"Well I've never seen a king or beast with quite so little height*" Law teased, immediately feeling triumphant upon seeing the young raven puff his cheeks out in annoyance. Luffy, he had learned quickly was sensitive over his height, which meant that Law knew just what buttons to push to get the young raven flustered. Silent laughter filled Law in those moments as his gaze softened unknowingly.
Law was new to the tribe ruled by the Monkey clan, he was more or less a peace offering from a neighboring clan to support some sort of alliance.
Why was Law chosen above the rest of his clansmen? He had wondered that for a while until Cora-san provided Law an explanation through a mess of tears. The reason he was chosen was because of his oddly pigmented skin, a rare sight many believed was a sign of approval from the celestial rules of the land.
Each discolored patch on his body symbolized a past life where he had won the favor of the Gods, and where most people had one or two patches, Law's entire frame was decorated by them. From the moment he was born, Law had been respected and believed to carry the most favor of the Gods, he would become the next chief of their Clan. However, he was still young and an easy target, and the Monkey Clan was quickly proving to be a very formidable, ambitious adversary, one that was quickly gaining ground. Rather than risking a clash or siege from the bigger Clan, the Donquixotes established a truce with them in the form of Law. By sending their most heavenly chosen child, the Donquixotes assured that no threat to them would arise from the Monkeys.
And with that, here Law was, forced to endure his every waking moment with the loud prince.
With his cheeks still puffed, the younger boy was quick to smile that brilliant smile that could rival even the brightness of their sun deity, a smile that eclipsed everything around him and completely drew Law in.
"I'm gonna be the main event like no king was before. I'm brushin' up on lookin' down, I'm workin' on my ROAR!" Luffy had exclaimed that day, imitating the cry of a Jaguar the best he could, which in his young state ended up sounding like a strangled cry of a rearing animal, all screech and howl grating Law's ears.
"Thus far a rather uninspiring thing" Law stated rather unimpressed with the sound that has assaulted his ears, but he found himself believing the young boy, especially after the next sentence he exclaimed.
"Oh, I just can't wait to be KING!"
Those eight simple words had resonated within Law, striking him in his very core. Widened golden gaze looked up sharply to the young Monkey who now dangled off of the tree, laughing without a care in the world.
In that moment, Law held no doubts that Luffy would truly be the king of their lands, the king of their clans. Within him, voices whispered excitedly, urging Law to believe in Luffy, to help him achieve his goal.
Be his supporter. Be his warrior, help him achieve this goal, they whispered. Law knew in that very moment, that Luffy was destined to be their King, and he was tasked with getting him there.
"Well you have a long way to go young Monkey-ya* if you think…" Law stopped short in his speech, forced to brace himself as the moron released the branch and decided that pouncing Law from that height would be a good idea for either of them.
"Monkey-ya!" Law sounded horrified as he crouched back into his legs and leapt upwards, arms extended to catch the laughing idiot as he quickly descended back into the earth.
Law had quickly learned that Luffy listened to no one, not his grandfather-who was the scariest old man anyone could ever have the misfortune of meeting- not his tribe brothers, and certainly not Law.
No one sayin do this... (now when I said that)
No one sayin be there... (now what I meant was...)
No one sayin stop that... (now what you don't realize...)
No one sayin see here... (NOW SEE HERE!...)
Because of this unwillingness to listen, the young boy often got into many odd and potentially dangerous situations, such as when his arm was nearly bitten clean off by a crocodile, his eyes almost torn out of his skull by angry winged demons, and then there was the time with the anaconda. Luffy had truly been a handful when he was younger, and Law had honestly thought that the boy would grow out of it, that it was just a phase he would outgrow and be able to think rationally, plan things through.
Free to run around all day (well that's definitely out of the...)
Free to do it all my way!
No such luck, Law learned over the years. Luffy was as free as the creatures that roamed the forests around them. He listened to his own ambitions and followed them wherever they led him. Luffy was selfish, hardheaded, stubborn, and a fool. Yet, Law had found himself infatuated with the boy. Attraction for him was hard to accept, but in time Law knew that he could never feel what he felt for Luffy for anyone else. Law liked Luffy.
Then Law learned that he loved Luffy.
Law was in love with Luffy and Luffy was oblivious to it. Law could not blame him though, it was Luffy's nature to overlook the obvious, or maybe Law just hid his feelings too well? That could have been it, but even if that had been the case though, why had Luffy overlooked Law as a candidate to be his blood warrior?
Law was hurt, that night had been Luffy's coming of age celebration and as a standard ritual in his clan, he had chosen two people to share his life of a warrior with. As the next person in line to take over the Clan, Luffy was given the task of finding two people he trusted his life with, and in their ritual of blood, they would forever be bonded as brothers not just in body, but in mind and soul. It was the ultimate connection any two living creatures could make under the eyes of the gods that did not involve marriage.
Luffy had naturally chosen Sabo and Ace, two tribe members he got on exceptionally well with. Law could have seen this outcome playing out, he knew actually that they would have been the young raven's first choice. But the fact that he hadn't even been asked to take up the position hurt Law, deeply.
Was he not good enough to be bonded to their future king in such a way? Why was he not good enough? Law had known Luffy was dense, but to the extent to simply look over him when he had made his choice, it cut through Law deeply. And his hurt lead him to drown his sorrows away during the celebration, flinching every time he heard the joyous laughter of his King.
Listen to yourself, Law thought spitefully. Even now you still consider him your king. He would be no where without you. Sure he parades around with the Gods support, but he wasn't chosen by them. They didn't mark him with their favor. They marked you!
These thoughts fueled the young warrior as he set his shoulders in determination and marched into the tent, stepping into laughter that was being shared by his chosen blood warriors. Fresh hurt stabbed Law's heart as he had once thought that he would be sharing that laughter with Luffy, that he would be by his side until the end of time.
"I think it's time that you and I arranged a heart to heart." Law began, his voice slurred, words low and obviously threatening enough to silence the laughter of the three men. "Tell me why Luffy," Law demanded, taking a step further into the tent. "Why didn't you-"
"Oi oi" That was the older of the trio who interrupted Law, and Luffy's first pick, making Ace the right hand man. The dark haired man stood, palms up and expression no longer laughing. "Kings don't need to hear questions* from little outsiders* for a start, if you have business with him take it up with us."
Amber eyes narrowed as they came upon the two chosen warriors who now stood as a wall of flesh and muscle between himself and Luffy. "My business doesn't include you two. I've known him longer than both of you, I was his first friend. I took care of him before you even acknowledged his existence! I LO-" Law stopped himself, biting his tongue on the last confession. He had enough rationality left in his mind to realize it was not his place to make such a remark, and he would rather not have an audience for the reveal of something he had held secret for so long.
Setting his lips in a tight line, Law took a deep breath, darkened amber eyes looking over the warriors who were now Luffy's brothers. "Fine. Luffy-ya if that's the way things are going to be now, that I have to talk to these two now before I can talk to you… If this is where the monarchy is headed count me out." The words hurt Law more than he would ever admit. But looking at Luffy, sitting here, enjoying the company of people who weren't him, it hurt much more.
"I'm out of this tribe*, out of the alliance*, don't think I'll* hang about" Law directed to the next leader of the tribe.
Seconds turned into minutes and Luffy said nothing, he just looked at Law with a furrowed expression until Law couldn't take it anymore. Hurt and anger welled within him, surging up to consume everything in his mind. He could physically feel the surge of emotion as it rushed up, no wait that was bile. With as much dignity as he could muster, Law strode out of the tent, distinctly hearing the dark haired man remark, "That guy* is getting wildly out of wing."
Law ignored the way no defense came from Luffy and he rushed into the woods where he promptly emptied out his stomach and that night's drinks.
'Oh I just can't wait to be KING!' the phrase Luffy had yelled out back in their youth came back to Law that night, the night Law had sworn to see Luffy to become the king of the lands, to reign over the other tribes. He had sworn by the Gods that favored him.
The next day, Law pretended as if his outburst had never happened, and though Ace had looked like he was ready to chew Law out, a single hand on his arm from Luffy had him closing his mouth.
Everybody look left,
Everybody look right, everywhere you look I'm
Standin' spot light
Time seemed to slow down and speed up at the same time for Law after that point. He still loved Luffy, more and more each day, and every way Law turned he could see him, hear him, and fuck, then there were times when Law could actually feel him standing so close that Law could reach out and touch him if he wanted to. But no, he wasn't allowed that, Law was forced to watch from the sidelines as the world succumbed to the idiot with the sunny smile.
Let every creature go for broke and sing,
Lets hear it on the herd and on the wing,
It's gonna be King Luffy's* finest fling
Five years, that was all the time it took for the once young boy to gather the scattered tribes under his rule. Luffy was truly king now, and Law was as Doflamingo had expected, the new Chief. Ascending to that title, earned Law freedom from the Monkey clan, something he would have thought himself elated with the notion, or at the very least content with not being around his source of torment any longer. A person he was forced to admire and love from afar.
Yet, Law found that the knowledge and physical separation between the two was actually infinitely worse. Law craved to at least be within the range of the young man's laughter, he was beyond his line of sight to be somewhere near him! The phantom presence never vanished though, and Law wasn't sure if that was a good sign or bad one.
Oh I just can't wait to be king!
Law could hear that phrase at times, when there was no one around. He would hear the laughter and then find himself missing Luffy. The longing grew day by day, minute per minute, every fucking second it got worse.
Oh I just can't wait to be king!
Law heard him clear as day, the boy from his youth, the teen that made him smile and occasionally laugh, and then there was the adult that held Law's heart firmly in his clutches. Law needed to hear him again, Law needed to see Luffy again.
That single- minded resolve was what lead Law to leave his settlement, a scribbled message left behind to whoever checked his beddings in the morning. Law was running through the dense jungle, acutely aware that it was a three day journey to where Luffy and his empire had settled, but he didn't care. Law's need easily overpowered that rational thought and it was what drove him forward.
It had been night when he fled his encampment. dawn was settling in the horizon and that had been the moment that Law heard the low growl from behind. Jaguar.
Law's mind registered the sound distinctly and he turned to meet the creature, palm reaching down to where his hunting knife lay, only to come out empty handed. In his haste, Law had forgotten his fucking knife.
The creature crouched low, rough tongue grazing its maw as it circled Law. The situation was near laughable, something Law was very tempted to do. God's favorite creature was about to kill the favored man.
Gods are just as cruel as Kings, Law thought and he raised his chin ready to meet the judgement of his Gods. If he must be sacrificed by those above him, so be it. He would go back to them now that his mission had been accomplished.
Oh I just can't wait to be king!
Luffy had become king, Law's destiny had been fulfilled, and with those final thoughts, the jaguar pounced.
This came out so much more different than I had originally thought, but I really like it, I hope you do too! If not let me know and I'll give it another shot.
These are the most changes I have ever done to any song, I hope no one minds? They were as follows:
height* = Hair
Monkey-ya* = master
questions* = advise
outsiders* = hornbills
don't think I'll* = I wouldn't
this tribe* = service
alliance* = Africa
That guy* = This child
Luffy's = Simba's
Thank you so much to everyone who has read, favorited, followed, and reviewed! I love you all!