Disclaimer: I don't know anything you recognize.

xXx

Chapter 8: Birth of the Grim Reaper

Law leaned against the railing, staring directly into the morning sun which tinged the sky and the sea into a wonderful mix of orange, violet and pink. No matter where he looked, all he could see was the endless ocean, and the limitless freedom that came with it.

Even if his first crack at being a pirate had turned out less than optimal, he'd never lose that feeling when he looked at the ocean. Especially now, after he'd stayed cooped up for weeks in a tiny cell without any prospect of ever escaping captivity.

He might never want to admit it to his face, but Law was infinitely glad that he'd met Ace in his cell that day. If not for him, Law's life might already be forfeit by now, sacrificed to make a power-thirsty man even more powerful. That, or he'd be enjoying the tender care of Doflamingo's subordinates.

Instead, he was on a different pirate ship now, experiencing something he'd never thought he'd ever feel again. Cora-san's strangely knowing smile popped into his head. Yes. Now, he was truly free. Nothing to restrict him anymore.

Should he really, though? Bepo was happy here, that much was certain. It hadn't taken Law much more than a few minutes in his company to realise that. And, if Law was honest with himself, the days he'd spent on the Tigris had been the most wonderful in a long time.

However, it was also that fact which had him hesitating. They didn't deserve to have someone like him on board, someone who'd ruin their lives just by his mere presence. Doflamingo had just proven that he'd certainly not forgotten about him, and this tiny obstacle in his path would surely not stop him for long.

No. Doflamingo would definitely come after him very soon, and if he didn't leave this crew behind, they'd be drawn into a fight they couldn't hope to win.

Yet Luffy had been able to hold his own against Vergo, and together, the crew had bested the Vice-Admiral. So maybe, just maybe ...?

No. Law looked down on his hands, on the delicate letters spelling 'DEATH' he'd gotten just shortly before the entire debacle with Vergo. It wasn't fair of him to ask them to fight for him, a stranger, no matter how willing they seemed to be.

Because there was one thing Law didn't doubt for a second. If Luffy caught wind of the trouble he was in with Doflamingo, he wouldn't take no for an answer anymore. He would march up right to the Heavenly Demon and punch him for hurting his nakama. No regrets.

A tiny, no, actually a very large part within Law would give anything to see that scene. The way Luffy cared about the people on his crew, even about people he hadn't convinced to join yet was absolutely heart-warming. It gave Law a feeling of belonging like he hadn't experienced since he'd lost his family.

It had never been quite the same with Cora-san. No matter how much Law had loved him in the end, at the beginning, Cora-san had only protected him because of the D initial, whatever its significance truly was. This crew, though, seemed to accept him without any ulterior motives from the start.

His mind wandered back to the mysterious letter which had only once saved his life. The same initial that both Luffy and Ace bore as well. Not for a second did Law doubt that they would bring the storm Cora-san had talked about. Both of them were catalysts, simply by the fact that they existed. Though which events they would cause in the end, and how these would change the world would remain to be seen.

And Law wanted to be there to see it. No, more than that, he wanted to be there and change the world with them. Not for any hidden motivations such as getting revenge for the slaughter of Flevance – no, because he wanted to be there for them, to fight on their side.

It was a selfish wish, but nevertheless, Law indulged in it for a short while. Just for a bit, he imagined what it would be like if he agreed to join the crew, as Luffy had been pestering him to non-stop. He thought of all the ways he'd be able to improve his fighting, of all the people who'd be there to support him, and who he'd support in return.

He dreamed of calmly waking up each morning from his peaceful sleep in the cabin they'd assigned him, snuggled against Bepo's fur, the fear of enclosed spaces long since gone. He playfully dreaded the food fights that would break out during meal times because Luffy couldn't keep his hands to himself.

It sounded too good to be true, too amazing to give up. Yet Law knew that that was precisely what he'd have to do when the time came, his feelings be damned. Wasn't it better to know that this paradise existed out there, instead of being responsible for its destruction?

A poodle almost running him over jerked Law out of his thoughts. Well, later, he'd make sure to claim such. After all, it would be far too embarrassing to admit that such a fluffy little dog had managed to throw him to the ground.

Right now, though, Law sat on his ass, looking at the furry menace in surprise. The dog was looking at him with equally wide eyes in return, before deciding to make a break for it. "Oh, no, you don't," Law muttered darkly, quickly creating a room with his hand.

The poor animal probably had no idea what had happened when it reappeared just within Law's arm reach after having been almost across deck a second ago. However, Law didn't exactly care much about the poodle's feelings as he grabbed it by the scruff of its neck, looking straight into its scared eyes.

"Never, ever, do that again. Do you understand me?" Law threw the most dangerous glare he could muster up at the dog, which quickly avoided his eyes. When he put it back down onto the floor between his outstretched legs, it didn't move from its spot, only whimpering pathetically.

When it turned its big blue dog eyes on him, Law scowled in response. "Don't look at me like that. Whatever you want, it's none of my business. Go find someone who cares," he growled at the animal, missing the previous heat in his voice. Damn the dog for looking so pathetically cute.

The poodle sounded almost desperate when he whimpered again, scratching at the leg of Law's trousers before trotting back towards the crew's quarters. In front of the door, it stopped, looking expectantly back at the teen.

"You want me to follow you?" Law asked, perplexed. Then he remembered that he was talking to a fricking dog. At best, it would probably want some food from him. He seriously couldn't be bothered to stand up for that, especially since it was the poodle's fault he was on the floor in the first place.

Then, the animal whined again, looking back at Law with almost pleading eyes. When had a dog's eyes suddenly become so expressive? It was seriously starting to freak him out. It almost felt like it had a personality of its own. Sure, Law'd heard it said that dogs were incredibly intelligent, but until now, he hadn't really believed it.

Grumbling under his breath, he got to his feet and reluctantly shuffled to the door. Of course, the annoying dog started wagging its tail in joy, jumping up to open the door with its paws as Law approached. The teenager stared. How ...?

After seeing the dog's impressive trick, Law was now properly intrigued. Picking up speed, he followed the dog through the hallways and into a bedroom he hadn't been in before. Not that that was a miracle, really – he wasn't yet creepy enough to watch people sleep.

It was a single bedroom, though, so the possibilities were rather limited. Only the two commanders had single bedrooms – whether they'd accepted the position already or not. Aside from them, there was Dante, the head navigator, since he was apparently nocturnal and the first mate, Francis, still confined to the infirmary, though he shared his room with his friend.

Taking a quick look around, Law decided that it was most likely his peer's room. There were no maps, as he'd expect if it was the navigator's room, and he was pretty sure that he'd seen Finn practice with the staff in the corner.

That still left the question why, precisely, Law was in his room now. He turned his eyes back to the dog who'd jumped up onto the teen's bed, looking at Law expectantly again. In turn, he narrowed his eyes. "I don't think I've ever had an animal telling me I need to get some sleep," he grumbled, turning around to leave the room again.

The poodle's barking stopped him mid-motion. "What do you want now?" Law growled, turning back around to find the dog glaring back at him with almost the same fierceness as Law had before. Feeling almost offended, Law crossed his arms. "What is it? I don't speak dog, so stop looking at me like that!"

As he furiously stared back at the animal, a sudden weakness swept over him, his eyes becoming fixated in their spot almost as if he was falling asleep while standing. His eyes turned incredibly dry, his eyelids heavy, and still it almost felt impossible to blink.

It was a strange kind of tiredness to experience, but it was nothing Law wasn't used to. Finally, he managed to close his eyes, rubbing them with incredible weariness. Maybe he should try to get more sleep. But the mere idea of deliberately making himself vulnerable, of not knowing whether he'd still wake in the same place kept him up at night.

Sighing, he opened his eyes to find the dog frozen in its spot, its glowing red eyes still fixed on Law's. As his vision blackened at the edges, Law quickly turned his gaze away from the poodle, breathing heavily. What the heck was up with that thing? It was almost as if ...

It was draining his energy, Law suddenly realised. The mere idea sounded eerie, almost as if he was talking about some demon rising from the abyss, but it made so much sense. Since he'd arrived on the ship two weeks ago, a couple of people had fainted for no apparent reason. But maybe he was looking at it now?

Warily, Law approached the strange animal, step after step, being careful never to raise his gaze beyond its paws. Whatever it was that it was doing, it obviously had something to do with its eyes. So logically, the best course was to avoid them for now.

By the time Law reached the edge of the bed, the poodle still hadn't moved an inch. The dark-haired teenager frowned. If this was supposed to be an enemy attack, the animal was sure going about it in a strange way. Apparently, whenever it used its power, it was completely defenceless, basically dead to the world.

Hesitantly, Law raised his hand, uncertain if he should disturb the dog during whatever he was doing. What if he realised Law was onto him, and suddenly decided to attack? To silence him? Silently, he chided himself for freaking out over a dumb dog. But the tiredness was still stuck in his bones, reminding him of its strange, frightening abilities.

In the end, he lightly poked the animal in the side. His eyes flew to the still open door, praying that nobody was here to witness that particularly pathetic moment of his. Then, a sudden weight on the bed next to him immediately drew his gaze back to the dog's previous spot.

However, there was no poodle next to him anymore. Law froze as he looked into Finn's wide blue eyes, tears in their corners. The other teenager was breathing heavily, the expression on his face one of absolute despair as one hand clutched his chest. "I'm sorry, Gods, I'm so sorry," he muttered breathily, burying his other hand in his hair as he broke eye contact.

Law's discomfort only grew as the other boy completely broke down, hugging his knees, shivering on his entire body as he started to cry. Why was he here of all people? Finn was the one who'd led him here, Law suddenly realised. It was widely known across the ship that he'd eaten a Devil Fruit, but had yet to figure out just what his power was.

Considering that he'd turned into a dog, he was definitely a Zoan. Yet Law doubted that was all there was to it as the glowing red eyes once again popped into his head. Still, the teenager'd likely woken up as an animal and had tried to find help wherever he could get it.

And he'd happened to run into Law. Tough luck for him. Law smiled bitterly, but still stood up from where he'd knelt next to the bed and closed the door. He might be awful at comforting other people, but the least he could do is spare him some humiliation.

He sat down on the bed next to Finn, scrutinizing the teenager while he cried. Occasionally, he'd heard it said around deck that he was going through a difficult phase, but unfortunately for Law, he hadn't taken a great interest in the people on the ship before. After all, he'd been trying to keep his distance.

Now, though, some knowledge about the teen's character, about what was usual and unusual for him would have been worth gold. Well, hindsight was always better than foresight.

At long last, Finn quieted down bit by bit, his head still buried between his knees. "You almost had me fainting there, you know," Law finally drawled, getting sick of the tense silence between them. Finn's head shot up abruptly.

"I'm sorry, I –" he started, his voice trembling. Frankly speaking, Law was getting quite sick of his weakly performance. They wouldn't get anywhere if Finn didn't get his shit together.

"You don't have a clue what you're doing. Yes, I've realised that," he snapped, regretting his harsh tone immediately as Finn flinched. Losing his patience wouldn't make this any easier. "Look, apologising isn't going to do you any good right now. What you need to do is figure out just what's happening to you," he added a bit more softly.

But Finn didn't seem to be quite ready to calm down yet. "I know! I've been trying! But ..." The teenager choked, clenching his fists as he pressed his eyes shut. "T-there's just so much pain, and despair, so much regret ... I can't take it anymore. It's tearing me apart. I hardly know who I am anymore."

Law continued looking at the boy as he delivered his jumbled explanation which he could probably barely understand himself. Only now, he noticed how exhausted the other looked, how deep the bags under his eyes were. It was obvious that there was something nagging at him.

"I hope you know you're not making any sense," Law stated bluntly. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on. So slow down," he added strictly, ignoring the wide-eyes look he received in return, "and try to answer my questions as clearly as you can. What's up with all that negativity you just talked about?"

Finn looked at him hesitantly, kneading his fingers anxiously. "I-it's what I, no, they feel just before they faint. I get flashes of their lives – no, not just that – it's like I live a few moments of their lives, with all their emotions and memories thrown into the mix. And there's always so much –" his voice broke again.

What had he seen? Law had felt the energy flowing out of him, his strength leaving him, so he didn't doubt that Finn had received some impressions from him as well. There were plenty painful memories stored away in his heart, and all of them were too personal for others to know about.

Only barely keeping himself from shouting at the teenager for invading his privacy, Law frowned lightly. For a moment, he was tempted to ask him what he'd seen, but in the last second, he stopped himself. He didn't want any pity, nor did he want to relive his worst moments through another person's tales.

Maybe it was inevitable, though, to figure out what Finn's abilities were all about. From what he'd said so far, he'd only seen horrible memories, moments full of agony and regret. How did this fit in with people fainting, and his own transformation into a dog?

All of a sudden, Law's eyes widened in realisation. An old legend popped up in his head, one he hadn't thought about in ages. It was a dark, scary one, as he'd taken to reading after being confronted with reality.

A legend of impending doom and certain death. The legend of the black dog with glowing red eyes, which could only be seen by people who were fated to perish soon. It all fit – Finn's animal form, the dissipating energy, even the flashes he saw of other people's lives. It was said that your own life, or in this case, your worst regrets pass before your eyes when you're about to die.

Slowly, Law shared his conclusions with the other teenager, keeping a careful eye on his reaction. He didn't protest even once while Law voiced his thoughts, instead appearing strangely resigned. In the end, he nodded. "You're right, it fits perfectly," he muttered, staring at his hands. "I don't want it."

"It's too late for that now," Law replied calmly. The days he regretted eating his Devil Fruit were few and far in between, but he wasn't a stranger to that feeling. "This power is a part of you, and it's your responsibility to learn to control it."

"Yeah, I'm sure people are dying to relive their worst memories and faint only so I can learn," Finn snapped bitterly. "I sure as hell can do without their suffering," he grumbled under his breath, now glaring darkly at his hands.

"You'll only know how to avoid it if you know how to use it," Law said impatiently. Why was he even bothering? It wasn't his problem – but still, he didn't want anyone to see what he'd buried deep within his soul. "I'm sure your captains can remain standing once they know what to look out for," he added pensively.

It was the sort of thing Luffy would surely do for his crew mates. The child didn't shy away from any sort of physical pain if it meant helping other people. Certainly, that would extend to the emotional counterpart, as well.

"Yeah ... You know," Finn suddenly said quietly, his voice serious, "there's something strange going on. Really strange, now that I think about it." Just as abruptly, he shut up again, staring at the wall in silent contemplation.

"What is it?" Law asked as the silence stretched too long for his taste, dread spreading in his chest. He didn't like the look on Finn's face one bit.

"Whenever someone's fainted on me, I saw bits and pieces of their past, some event that greatly influenced them. Their regrets, like you said. But with the captains ..." he paused again, but this time, he continued without prompting. "They're older than they are now. Ace is tortured to the brink of insanity, in body and soul, and he dies in Luffy's arms. And Sabo –"

"Maybe you're just seeing a part of their future because they don't have any past regrets," Law cut in before Finn could reveal anything else as horrid as the small part he'd said about Ace. His big brother dying in his arms – Law didn't even want to contemplate what that would do to Luffy.

"That's just it. It doesn't fit! Just with Ace, he feels so much hatred for his father, and he's part of a different crew, and," Finn suddenly stops himself, taking a deep breath. "It's more obvious with Sabo, though. When I saw him, he was reading about Ace's death, and he remembered. He had amnesia, Law. Since he was in an explosion as an eleven-year-old, he couldn't remember anything about his childhood. Ace and Luffy thought he was dead."

Law's mind was reeling as he tried to make sense of the new revelations. Finn was right. There was something really weird going on here. If only Law could be sure it was just another strange quirk of Finn's ability, but something told him that wasn't the case.

No, it felt more like Law and Finn were starting to scratch at the illusion the three brothers had built up around them, like he was finally getting the chance to figure out what had been bothering him about the trio from the start. Not only their surreal strength, but also their attitude, in particular Luffy's. Something about them had always bugged him, but he could never quite put his finger on it.

What could it possibly be, though? The three boys were strange, sure, but there was plenty of especially unique people out there in the world. How did these visions Finn had fit in with what Law already knew about them?

Determination and a familiar, burning curiosity rose in Law's chest. Oh, he'd find out what they were hiding alright. There was no stopping a doctor on his way to uncovering the truth.

xXx

Sabo strolled through the streets of their rundown town, waving at his most favourite barkeeper ever, who rapidly paled at the attention. Even if he was greatly tempted to stop by and torment the man a little bit more, he continued on his way to the castle, fully intending to arrive there before Ace and Luffy could.

Otherwise, the best food would be gone, and no matter how much he loved his brothers, he wasn't feeling very generous right now. It might be slightly related to the fact that the two hadn't let him live down his pathetic bounty for more than a few blissful moments.

Scowling darkly, Sabo buried his fists in his pockets, quickening his pace. When they'd freed Ace, it had seemed like a good idea to regroup on No Man's Land, since their Log Pose hadn't set at Snowmelt yet. Sailing back to the Marine Base would have been a singularly bad idea after having just destroyed one of their ships and Vice-Admirals.

Of course, they'd still have to stop there at some point, unless they bought an Eternal Pose in this town. That was rather unlikely, though, since Ace was once more insistent on following his father's Paradise Log Pose, now that they'd actually stay long enough for it to set.

If he'd known how ridiculously sentimental his brother would turn out to be, he would have let the hatred for the Pirate King fester like he had during their last life. But it was too late for that now, and he'd have to live with the consequences.

Consequences like being utterly disregarded just because Ace and Luffy had flashier names. By now, his nails were digging into his palms, his mind trapped in an eternal circle of rage and indignation. Thinking about it, he could hardly wait to return to the G-9. It was due for some ... major reconstruction.

"Oi, Sabo, wait up." Despite the calm, almost quiet quality of the shout – and wasn't that a strange impression if he'd ever had one – the blonde captain was immediately alert. He had to be, considering who he'd be dealing with in a second.

"Law," he greeted with a smile, trying to convey as much warmth as he could muster up in his revengeful mood, which was a considerable lot more than Ace would ever be able to show. But if there was one thing Sabo was infinitely glad for, it was that he was different his older brother. He'd die of shame before letting jealousy rule him like it did Ace.

It didn't surprise him that Law wasn't alone. The surgeon was almost always with Bepo, unless Luffy'd managed to separate the two for once to try and destroy what was left of Law's sanity. Quality bonding time for the two former allies, as he liked to call it.

Strangely enough, though, it wasn't the white bear who was accompanying the young doctor. Instead, Finn was walking side by side with him, throwing around anxious looks every once in a while. "What's up?" Sabo asked, trying and failing to keep the suspicion out of his voice.

"We need to talk," Law said seriously, piercing him with his intense grey eyes. "Somewhere private if possible. It's about Finn's Devil Fruit."

"So you've figured out what it is?" Sabo asked curiously, choosing to look at Finn, who wouldn't meet his eyes as he nodded. "That's good ... isn't it?" His eyes darted between the two now, trying to pick up just what was going on. They both seemed strangely tense, suspicious, uncertain. But what was the reason for it?

"I was just heading for the castle. We can talk there," Sabo finally conceded as both remained silent, pointing in the direction he'd been walking prior to the interruption. "What's the problem?" he added quietly when they started walking again.

Once again, Law was the one who spoke as Finn continued to brood. "Let's just wait, alright? We might just be overreacting, or interpreting something wrong, or ..." The older teen sighed tiredly. "It's complicated, okay?"

"Okay," Sabo replied before falling silent for the rest of the trip. His thoughts, though, were anything but as he analysed every tiny movement the two made. Unfortunately, even his talent at reading people didn't do him much good when he had no clue what this was about.

However, two things became very clear: One, Finn was incredibly uncomfortable with whatever ability he'd received. In fact, it even looked as if he felt guilty, though for what still remained a mystery to Sabo. And two, it caused both teenagers to eye him strangely, almost like they were questioning his entire existence.

It was an extremely tense walk to his room, that much was certain. Sabo released a breath he hadn't realised he was holding when he finally closed the door behind them, the two teenager now standing awkwardly in front of the bed. "Talk," he said curtly as he sat down on one of the sofas, gesturing for them to follow his example.

"Finn can turn into a black poodle," Law said without any further preamble, earning himself an incredulous stare from Finn.

As the silence stretched on, Sabo couldn't help but mirror that expression. "That's all?" he asked sceptically, wondering why Law'd blown up a simple Zoan transformation out of all proportion. If Finn's look was anything to go by, though, there was more still to come.

"I thought that the news that one of your crew can turn into a cute, fluffy animal which looks about as threatening as a mouse would be quite sensational," Law drawled sarcastically, which successfully turned Finn's stare into a heated glare.

"That cute, fluffy animal was still enough to knock you to the ground, if I remember correctly," he countered in a poisonous tone, though Law simply smirked in response.

"So you do admit that you look as threatening as a mouse," he repeated again with a surprisingly teasing voice, easily dodging Finn's half-hearted punch. "Seriously, though, he's a black dog. Omen of death and all that but I don't think it quite works that way. You ever heard the myth?"

"Yeah, I have," Sabo replied, racking his brains for the details that meshed together in his head. Unfortunately, it was one of the legends with very few consistencies. "I can't remember anything special about the black dog except for the fact that he strikes fear in the hearts of men, which," he quickly disguised his chuckle as a cough, "Finn apparently doesn't."

"I hate you all," Finn grumbled darkly.

"He's the reason people've been fainting those past two weeks," Law cut in, the smiles on both their faces disappearing. "I've felt it myself, it's like ... I think if his eyes turn red, and he looks at someone, and that person looks back into his eyes, he drains their energy, and eventually, they faint," he elaborated.

Drain their energy? Sabo only barely suppressed a shudder at that thought. Did that mean that Finn could kill with one glance? Had they just been lucky that his new-found ability hadn't had any fatal repercussions yet?

"That's not all, though," Finn said quietly, his voice trembling as he continued. "When I look into their eyes, I ... I see things, experience things they have before. It's not just from a bystander's view, either – it's like I become them for a few moments." He fell silent, clenching his fists.

"From what he's told me, what he sees is pretty ... disturbing," Law took over, his eyes hovering over the other teenager before he focused on Sabo. There was something strange in his gaze. "I think that when people feel they're about to die, he sees their greatest regrets."

Law's eyes had turned so piercing it almost felt he was trying to look in Sabo's soul. The blonde captain froze under the scrutiny while he thought back to his own fainting fit. Ace and Luffy hadn't stopped pestering him to get more sleep for days after that.

Yet his sudden weakness hadn't been what had preoccupied him back then. No, it was the very vivid nightmare of reading about Ace's death, Luffy's disappearance, and remembering, having all those little holes he'd never even known existed finally filled with bits and pieces of his brothers that had completely derailed him. Even now, he shuddered at the memory.

But if that was Finn's doing – if he wasn't the only one to see the memories, but his victim as well – it certainly explained why the two were looking at him so strangely, provided he'd told Law. Which was very likely, given the way the young doctor seemed to try and dissect Sabo with his eyes only.

How should he handle this, though? For a split second, he wished Finn had looked into the eyes of one of his brothers instead, or preferably, none of them at all. How could he explain that they were from the future without sounding completely insane? "You want to ask something," Sabo said in a low voice. "Please, go ahead."

He was trying to draw out the inevitable, he knew that – but maybe it was simply him who'd come to the wrong conclusion?

The two teenagers looked at each other hesitantly for a second, the previously still light-hearted and teasing atmosphere quickly turning tense. Finally, Finn spoke up, "Usually, I ... I see parts of people's past, like Law said, people's regrets ... but with you and Ace," he paused slightly. When had Ace ever fainted? "You and Ace, you're both older than you are now."

Sabo briefly shut his eyes at the confirmation of his conclusion. What was he supposed to do now? Law and Finn were anything but stupid – if he tried to cover their past with a lie, it would have to be a good one. Could he come up with anything believable in such a limited time?

"At first, I thought I was looking into the future or something, but it just doesn't add up! It's not as obvious with Ace, but with you ... when I saw you, you were –" Finn's voice had grown progressively louder as he talked himself into a frenzy.

Before things could get out of hand, Sabo cut him off harshly, "I was looking at a newspaper that announced Ace's death on the battlefield, and I remembered." Both were staring at him wide-eyed in shock.

There was no going back now. Sabo sighed. It wouldn't have been a good idea to lie to their crew, their friends, anyways. It had only been a matter of time until someone figured out there was something weird about them, even if it had happened earlier than Sabo'd expected. "It's not only you who relives the memories. This has been keeping me up for days," he added a bit more quietly.

"But how? How is this possible?" Law burst out, looking at him in disbelief. "You're talking like –"

"I've lived this life before, yes," Sabo finished, holding up his hands in a placating motion when both Law and Finn looked ready to protest his statement again. "I know this is going to sound insane, but please, hear me out."

"The first time around," he continued once Finn and Law had quieted down enough, "Ace, Luffy and I didn't set out together. We could never agree on who'd be the captain, and ... when I was eleven, it literally became impossible for us to do so."

Looking down on his hands, Sabo said in a bitter voice, "You probably don't know that yet, Law, but I was born a noble. I couldn't take their ... lifestyle, though, so I ran away when I was five. But when I was eleven, originally, my father paid some thugs to take me back, threatened to kill Luffy and Ace, the scum who corrupted his precious son, if I didn't go with him."

"I felt like I was slowly dying every single second I spent back there," Sabo told his enraptured audience. "They stuffed me into stiff clothes, told me to study quietly, and to always be their perfect, polite little noble son, so I could one day marry into royalty," he almost spit out that last word.

"Anyways, I couldn't bear it. So, a couple of days later, when my parents weren't at home, I ran to the harbour, stole a boat, and raised my flag," Sabo finished, before sighing sadly. "The only problem was that a Celestial Dragon arrived that day. Naturally, he shot down the boat which had dared to cross his path," he drawled sarcastically, only barely keeping himself from ranting about the injustice in the world.

"I'd have died in the explosion, but Dragon saved me, and eventually, I joined the Revolutionary Army," Sabo continued more calmly. "Because what else was I supposed to do? I didn't remember anything about my childhood, except for the fact that I did not, under any circumstances, want to return to my home."

"I forgot Ace and Luffy, but they never forgot me," he said, familiar guilt rising in his chest. "They swore to live life without regrets because that's what I'd have wanted for them, and set sail at seventeen as we'd promised each other."

"Ace eventually joined the Whitebeard Pirates, and Luffy created his own crew. Not even a year after Luffy'd set sail, however, Ace was captured, and was to be publically executed for his heritage, which he'd kept a secret out of shame." No matter how annoying it was sometimes, it was relieving that Ace had finally left that part behind.

"Whitebeard wouldn't stand for it, and neither would Luffy, who'd already earned himself quite the reputation as an outrageous rookie," Sabo said with a tiny smile. "They managed to free Ace, but in the end, it was for nothing. One of the Admirals followed them relentlessly, determined to kill the sons of Roger and Dragon."

"Ace died protecting Luffy, and Luffy nearly died himself," Sabo almost whispered, his clenched fists shaking at the thought of Akainu. He looked at Law, any prior disbelief gone from his face, replaced by horror. "He would have, too, if it hadn't been for you, Law," he quietly added.

"Me?" he asked with a surprised voice.

"Yeah. You were a pirate captain yourself, a fellow rookie, the Surgeon of Death," he replied with a tiny smile. "Two years later, when Luffy entered the New World after some training, you two formed an alliance to take down Kaido, and in the process, Doflamingo."

"We took down Doflamingo?" Law whispered, obviously torn between disbelief and hopeful wonder. "Together? Is that why Luffy's so insistent on having me join the crew? Is he -?"

Before Law could fully unleash his barrage of questions, Sabo cut him off. "I can't, and won't speak for Luffy's motivations. You'll have to ask him yourself." Law looked unhappy, but didn't protest. "I don't know all that's happened between you, but your crews remained allied until the end, even after you'd long since defeated Kaido."

"The end ..." Finn repeated thoughtfully, looking at Sabo with worried blue eyes. "I guess this is were you tell us how you know about all this."

"Yeah." Sabo smiled. "As always, it's all Luffy. I was with him when he finally fulfilled his dream. When he finally reached Raftel," he said, voice full of pride and wonder. "Raftel is ... a strange island. You'll understand what I mean once you've seen more of the New World. I still can't recall what it looks like even though I was there myself."

Twin frowns of confusion appeared on their faces. Sabo absent-mindedly registered that almost funny synchronisation. They might work well together. "But anyways, Luffy'd become the new Pirate King, and he was given one wish, within limitations, of course."

"I can't tell you what went on in his mind that day," Sabo continued, the details shadier the more he thought about it, "but with his life-long dream fulfilled, there was really only one thing he wanted – and that was Ace."

"And well, since reviving dead people is for some reason more impossible than time travel, here we are," he finished at last, leaning back against the couch.

"So, essentially you're saying that it's a mystery and you don't actually have a clue how it happened," Law drawled sarcastically after a short silence. Sabo blinked. Now that he thought about it ...

"You know, you might be onto something," he laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "With Luffy, you just learn to accept these things without questioning them after a while. And well, both the title of the Pirate King and the last island are so shrouded in mystery literally anything could happen there," he added sheepishly.

"Well, you're right, this is crazy," Finn conceded, looking completely out of his depth. "But it does sort of make sense. What with the stuff I've seen ..." he trailed off, deep in thought.

With a tiny bit of worry, Sabo scrutinized the older teenager. He just couldn't catch a break, could he? First he had bad lucks in his fights, and now such a difficult Devil Fruit ... they had their work cut out for them during the coming month, that much was sure.

For now, though, a little pep-talk was very much needed. "Ne, Finn, stop looking so grim! Now that you actually know what you can do, we'll teach you how to use it in next to no time." He awkwardly rubbed his hands together. "Ah, it goes without saying that you can't tell anyone about this, right?"

Twin nods of confirmation at his question, without a single but in protest. Right. This was really getting creepy.

xXx

Picking at her food, Ivy looked around the dining room, scanning it for someone, something to distract her – or more specifically, she was looking for Finn.

The teen had been acting weird all day, but she didn't get the opportunity to confront him about it since he almost constantly seemed to be in deep conversation with Law, his new peer on board.

Ivy wasn't jealous of Finn finding a new friend, of course, even if that was the case, which she wasn't one hundred percent sure of. After all, Finn and Law had hardly spent any time together before this day, so it was a rather recent development. Still, she was happy that he finally had someone his age he at least got along with.

However, right now, she couldn't help but wish he'd remember her, come to talk to her so she didn't have time to think. But apparently, everyone she might want to have a conversation with was otherwise busy.

She knew the slight feelings of resentment in her chest were completely unjustified. It wasn't Francis' fault that Beckett still kept him confined to the infirmary, nor was it Goode's that he was the head cook and as such always needed during meal times. Finn, however – Finn, she could blame.

As she frustratedly stabbed her broccoli, she pondered with a frown what he could possibly be doing right now. Meal times were the times family got together, weren't they? And considering they'd been travelling as a crew together for such a long time, that term was definitely justified.

Once again, the door to the dining room opened, and as always, Ivy's eyes immediately flitted over. Unfortunately, it wasn't Finn but his new companion, Law, who looked around the room searchingly before heading determinedly towards Luffy.

The youngest captain hadn't looked up, hadn't even stopped eating, but when Law was only a few steps away from him, he cheerfully shouted, "Hey, Torao! There you are! I've been –"

"We need to talk," Law cut him off abruptly, grabbing him around the scruff of his neck and carried him out of the room, ignoring Luffy's vocal protests.

"But I haven't finished eating yet! And you haven't had any lunch either!" A rubbery limb stretched to a nearby table, stealing a piece of meat from a very unhappy pirate's plate.

"Food can wait. I won't," Law replied indifferently before the two finally left the room, the gazes of many pirates lingering on the door.

Sighing, Ivy looked back down on her plate, listlessly pushing a piece of chicken around without any intention to actually eat it. So now even the rude teenager had made an appearance, while Finn was still conspicuous by his absence.

Putting down her fork, she finally gave up on her lunch and stood up from the table, following the two out of the room. Leisurely, she walked through the hallways, trying to enjoy the feeling of actually being on solid ground and in a proper building for once. No matter how much she loved being on the sea, it was reassuring when the ground stopped moving for a while.

Her momentary peace didn't last long, however, as she saw her sister, the focus of many of her recent thoughts coming down the hallway with Beckett, clearly only heading to lunch now. Her slow steps faltered and came to a stop whereas Zandra completely ignored her very presence.

"Father wouldn't have wanted this," Ivy heard more than felt herself saying, immediately freezing Zandra on her spot just as she was passing by. Beckett, as well, stopped a few steps away from the pair, throwing her younger sister a calculating, yet questioning look.

Zandra's gaze, on the other hand, was so cold it could have frozen Ace's fire. "Don't talk to me about father," she hissed poisonously, before she whirled around her again, her long hair fanning out across her back from the movement.

Now that she'd already ventured into the lion's den, Ivy wasn't so willing to give up quickly. Just as Zandra took the first step away from her, she followed, grabbing her sister's wrist in the process. "Please. I can't take this anymore. Us ... being like this," she said pleadingly, deliberately not shrinking away from her glare.

For a moment, the world seemed to stand still, until Zandra finally stopped straining against her grip, relaxing her posture ever so slightly. Looking back ahead, she said in her usual, indifferent voice, "Go ahead, Beckett. I'll catch up to you in a minute."

The doctor nodded and continued on his way, while Ivy was screaming on the inside that this would take longer than that time. It had to. She didn't want Zandra to leave this quickly, to increase the gap between the two sisters even more.

"So. What do you want?" Zandra asked coldly, but just as Ivy opened her mouth to respond, she cut her off, "No, wait. You're not going to apologise, are you? Because that's not going to cut it. That was never going to cut it. After what you did ..."

"Zandra, I –" Ivy started, but her sister didn't even let her finish one sentence.

"No! Don't you dare say anything about it! I don't even want to hear your voice! I can't stand it!" Her brief composure was completely shattered as she shouted at Ivy, her face a mask of hatred far more intense than Ivy'd expected. "You knew you were his only hope, but you spit in his face despite all he did for you, all he tolerated from you over the years. You just left."

"So did you," Ivy couldn't help but snap, sick of that accusation despite it being the truth.

"Please," Zandra huffed, dismissing her words just as she knew she would. "I was only ever second-best. There was nothing I could have ever done to fill the hole sweet, perfect Ivy left," she added with a bitterness Ivy'd never seen on her before.

"That's not true," Ivy argued quietly, but she remembered the look in her father's eyes whenever he'd looked at her. Parents weren't supposed to have favourites, but it was only human.

Maybe something'd shown in her eyes, as Zandra scowled at her words. "You know it is," she hissed, before forcefully tearing her wrist from her sister's grasp. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I prefer to spend my time in the company of people I don't constantly want to punch in the face."

Blinking away the tears in her eyes, Ivy clenched her now free hand to a fist, looking after her sister as she quickly disappeared down the hallway. Even after Ivy lost sight of her, she stayed rooted to her spot for a seemingly very long time.

Why had she even tried to talk to Zandra? It hadn't worked the first couple of times immediately after the incident nearly four years ago, and it hadn't worked after she'd given her sister some months to cool off. Apparently, her resentment had only grown as time passed instead of slowly dissipating.

Still, it hurt. Of course, she'd known how Zandra felt about her, it had been more than obvious in how she treated her every day, but to have all those words hurled at her, to see so much anger and hurt on her little sister's face, directed at her ... Abruptly, Ivy turned around.

But her planned quick escape was suddenly halted by warm body popping up in her way. Fortunately, Azure had paid more attention to his surroundings than she had, preventing both his fall and hers.

"I ... erm ..." Ivy started to stutter, blushing furiously as he looked at her with expressionless eyes, so different and yet so similar to her sister's. "I ... sorry," she finally brought out, brushing past him as soon as he let go off her arms.

Now, her steps were even faster than they would have been anyways, Azure's gaze burning into her back. Her chest constricted even further, her breathing grew ever heavier as the walls and corridors meshed into each other until finally, finally she was outside.

It was a small, beautiful yard she'd stumbled into, strangely out of place on the otherwise neglected island. Even the castle which had housed the rulers of No Man's Land resembled a colourful, disjointed puzzle, each temporary leader adding his own part, more than it did an elegant estate.

So to see such a place of seemingly perfect harmony amongst all the chaos of the rest of the place ... Ivy promptly pulled out her gun, firing several quick shots at a knothole in one of the trees the farthest away from her. Soon, it turned into some sort of game as Ivy started to move around through the garden, choosing her targets at random to vent her frustrations.

By the time she ran out of bullets, she was breathing heavily, and the once so beautiful paradise was now slightly less so. Yet nature was persistent, Ivy knew – whatever damage she'd done today, it would always repair itself over time.

Exhausted, Ivy leaned against the trunk of the only tree she hadn't attacked, closing her eyes tiredly. Why did he do it? Why did he have to ... Bile rose at the back of her throat even at the mere thought. Why did he have to kill himself? He could have sold his belongings, covered his debts, and started over somewhere else ... but as always, even as she considered those possibilities, she knew why her father had chosen the easy way out.

A small weight on her lap caused Ivy to open her eyes again and look down. "So you're back again, huh," she whispered to the now significantly larger orange cat, but she knew it was the same one she'd saved back on deck a while ago.

Absent-mindedly, Ivy started petting its fluffy fur, which was enough reason for the cat to start purring loudly. A tiny but bitter smile appeared on her face. If only humans were as easily pleased as animals.

"Muffin's really sweet, isn't she? She was the first one to join the new crew, you know?" Ivy looked up to see the blonde cook from Azure's crew sit down cross-legged next to her with a grace she could only admire.

As the woman tucked a blonde curl behind her ear and sent the orange cat a loving look with her light blue eyes, Ivy couldn't help but think that she'd never met a woman quite like her before. It was as if she was looking at the embodiment of womanly perfection.

Well, at least where looks were concerned. Any noble woman, even any commoner would have cringed at the pirate-y attire, all loose pants, heavy boots and formfitting jacket. If only she'd worn a bandana, the image would have been complete.

"Ivy?" Now, the blue eyes were looking at her, concern written all over Amaryllis' face. "Are you okay?"

At first, Ivy just blinked in surprise. She couldn't ever remember having had a conversation with the blonde, and yet she was treating her with incredible familiarity. While others might have been put at ease, she worried her lower lip uncomfortably. "I'm fine."

Which was, of course, a lie. But there was no need for Amaryllis to know about that. It was none of her business what was going on in Ivy's head, and frankly, even if her concern probably sprung from good intentions, Ivy was in no mood to talk about her feelings with a virtual stranger.

"Are you sure?" Ivy narrowed her eyes in warning, but didn't answer. Apparently, Amaryllis didn't get the message. "It's just that Azure overheard your argument with your sister, and he said it sounded pretty bad. He asked me to look for you."

Annoyed, Ivy pressed her lips together and focused on that emotion instead of letting herself be overwhelmed by her grief at her sister's mention. "I said I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me."

"Okay," Amaryllis replied quietly, grasping Ivy's trembling hand. Surprised, the sniper looked down at the traitorous limb, her view slightly blurred. "It's okay." Amaryllis' voice was soft, yet strong, but nevertheless, Ivy didn't believe her words.

It would never be okay. Nothing short of time travel could fix that particular mistake of hers, and even then, she wasn't sure she even wanted to. It was her life – she had to do what she wanted, what was right for her, not what other people asked of her.

That one crucial decision would weigh on her soul for the rest of her life. But at least she lived to regret it. If she had given in – if she'd actually married Spencer – it would have been the same as killing herself. After all, she'd sworn that she'd never let society mould her into something that wasn't her.

And if there was one vow she intended to keep, it was certainly that one.

xXx

"And you were all 'Room' and 'Shambles' and I was like 'Red Hawk!'" He could practically hear Luffy moving around, imitating the moves he'd just described. "You should have seen the look on his face! It was so funny!" The straw-hatted captain's signature laughter vibrated through the air.

"And that's how we defeated him? I mean, I know you can pack a punch, but ..." Ace froze up the second he heard his least favourite person's voice, debating whether maybe he shouldn't join his little brother as he'd planned, after all. It was difficult enough to make sense of his tales without his attention being divided by a potential traitor's presence.

"Oh! No! Of course not! Mingo's a lot tougher than that!" Wait ... what? "Both of us nearly died before I managed to defeat him! Shishishishishi!"

"But you just said that that was our ultimate stratagem! How could you use it this early, you idiot?!" As Trafalgar Law continued ranting, his words seemed to flow into each other, turning into a mildly irritating, but otherwise hardly distracting background noise.

Ace's thoughts, on the other hand, were anything but quiet. The gears in his head were twisting and turning at a high speed, but far more problematic was the indecipherable mess that sprung from his slight confusion and mostly disbelief.

Luffy'd told Law. It was the only way the teenager could have found out about Luffy's past, which, judging from the snippets of the conversation he'd just overheard, he definitely knew about.

How could he do this? They'd sworn they'd never tell anybody about their past, about the invaluable information they possessed about various key characters in the battle for the One Piece. Yet Luffy'd gone ahead and told Law of all people.

Why was he even surprised? Luffy did what he wanted, always had. And it had been very obvious, from the first second he'd heard Trafalgar Law was close-by, that he wouldn't forget the relationship he'd shared with the pirate in his previous life. That he'd do his utmost to get him to join their crew.

If that was all, Ace wouldn't have had any problems, since he couldn't possibly deny missing his old friends himself. If they weren't already part of a different crew, he'd have tried to recruit them himself.

Yet telling them about his past? It was a tempting thought, for sure, especially considering that he'd undoubtedly slip up at some point and reveal some knowledge he wasn't supposed to have. Yet he'd never ever do so without consulting his brothers first.

Furiously, Ace clenched his jaw and turned on his heels. Oh, how he would have loved to have a go at Luffy right now, or even better, that miserable little piece of shit who had so easily led his little brother astray.

But ... that would look bad. And cause a rather significant amount of property damage. Not to mention that he'd actually have to explain his actions at some point, and he really wasn't in any mood to defend himself for a reaction that was absolutely natural.

His nails buried into his palms while his shirt inadvertently burnt to ashes. Well. He was accustomed to going without a shirt, anyways, so it wasn't like the lack of it bothered him. The strange looks he received for the action didn't exactly serve to soothe his already frayed nerves, though.

He should definitely raze something to the ground. Watching anything crumble under the flames of his fury was always strangely therapeutic, and it did have the added benefit of burning at least some of his overflowing energy. If that something happened to be a certain spotted hat, or even better, ...

"Ouch! Hot!" Ace glared in the direction of the offending voice, completely unbothered by the fact that Finn was shaking his clearly burnt hand in pain. "Cool down a little, would you? I've been trying to get your attention for ages!"

"Don't tell me what to do," Ace hissed, earning himself a startled and slightly intimidated look in return. Good. It was about time he showed everyone that he couldn't just be ordered around. That he could just do what he wanted, too.

"Geez, someone got up on the wrong side of the bed, huh?" At the slightly forced, but casual tone, Ace's scowl deepened, even though he could still see traces of wariness in Finn's body language. This had nothing to do with beds. It was all certain people's fault. "Sabo wanted to talk to you."

Somehow, this pissed him off even further. "If Sabo wants to talk to me, he can come and talk. I'm not some dog who'll come when he calls," Ace growled, before stomping away from Finn. Seriously, what was with his brothers?

They were equals, weren't they? That's what they'd agreed on when they'd set sail, in any case. But somehow, Ace got the impression that it was always Sabo making the decisions, unless Luffy chose to make use of his ability to create chaos.

Well, so far, Ace had never had any reason to argue with the decisions either of them made, with the exception of their first recruitment which had been quickly resolved. Now, though, it looked like his brothers were acting on their own again, without any regards to how Ace might feel or think about it.

"Listen, I don't know what's up with you but we really need to talk, too." Startled, Ace's eyes wandered from Finn's now even further burned hand on his shoulder to the teenager himself. When had the other become so determined, almost sure of himself?

Automatically, Ace forced down the flames which had heated his skin to an unbearable degree for anyone but him. Finn hadn't done anything to deserve his wrath, after all. No matter how tempting it was, it wouldn't do to vent his fury at an innocent bystander any more than he already had. "What do you need?" he finally grumbled, scowl still etched deeply into his face.

"Well, Sa-" Finn cut himself off mid-sentence, coughing awkwardly. "Um, well, it was recommended to me that I talk to you. Because, um, I've kind of figured out what my Devil Fruit is, and you knew someone who ate a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit once, right, so you might be able to give me some pointers?"

For a few long moments, Ace just stared at him, torn between his still very present fury and another wave of disbelief. How many people had Luffy told? Seriously? This did qualify as a monumental decision that affected them all, didn't it? Why hadn't he asked Ace first?

But maybe, he was just overreacting. Maybe he hadn't told Finn anything specific, just that he'd known a Mythical Zoan once. It was possible, right? If that was the case ... "I'm not sure what you're talking about," Ace said, his voice a bit calmer, more even than it had been mere moments ago.

"Right, um ..." And there was the Finn he was used to, stuttering and uncertain. "This was actually what Sabo wanted to talk to you about, but I guess I can do it just as well," he muttered under his breath, almost too quiet for Ace to catch.

Before Ace could feel his anger at his brother's name rise again, Finn continued. "My Devil Fruit. I'm a Mythical Zoan, a black dog, which sounds kinda lame but that's what Law called it." He completely ignored Ace's growl at the name. "One of my abilities is to, like, live other people's memories. I can't ... I can't control it at all."

The burning fury in Ace's chest calmed to a mere simmer as the implications of Finn's words sunk in. If he'd seen one of their memories, their past experiences, then it might make sense that Sabo or Luffy had told him the truth.

"I talked with Sabo about it, and he told me about your ... time-travel stuff. Not that he made much sense," Finn added in a bemused tone. "He also said that Whitebeard's first commander's a phoenix, and that I should ask you if you had any tips."

So the cat was really out of the bag. Ace wordlessly stared at Finn's expectant face. Somehow, it had never really occurred to him that this might happen. Truth be told, occasionally, he even forgot about it himself – after more than four years in this life, the present gained importance with every passing day while the past continued to fade.

Sometimes, there was a hollow ache in his chest when he stood on the Tigris and watched all those pirates, his crew, bustle around him, drinking, fighting, feasting. But those moments were few and far in between – even if he'd loved being on Whitebeard's crew, it wouldn't be the first time he'd moved on.

Hell, if he'd managed to say good-bye to Luffy, his little brother, his constant companion, at seventeen, he could spend time apart from his adopted family as well. They'd always have a special spot in his heart and he could hardly wait to see them again, but now ... Now he had a new crew to care for.

"So, do you?" Finn's expression had turned vaguely worried as Ace had stayed silent. A Mythical Zoan, huh? That would certainly turn out to be very interesting. Those fruits were even more rare than Logias and, depending on who you asked, considered more powerful as well. Now they actually had one on their own crew.

"Can I give you any tips?" Ace mumbled thoughtfully, tilting his head. "You do realize that by the time I met him, Marco'd mastered his fruit for years," he finally said, wistfully reminiscing about the seemingly undefeatable and unflappable first commander. "He could just do everything already."

Finn visibly deflated. "Well, I guess it was a long shot, anyways. It's not like birds and dogs have very much in common," he muttered, disappointment lacing his voice.

"I did talk to him about his Devil Fruit occasionally, though," Ace added quickly before Finn could fall back into the hole of self-doubt and depression he seemed to have occupied far too often over the last month. "You'll still have to figure out the peculiarities of your fruit, but ..."

He paused, trying to get his thoughts into order as he recalled conversations long past. "Marco said that, especially in the beginning, Mythical Zoans are the most difficult to figure out. He thought that it was because unlike with other Devil Fruits, you get an onslaught of different abilities which often don't fit together at all."

"Like him, he could turn into a bird, his senses were sharpened and his body grew stronger, as with all Zoans, but he also obtained a limited control over fire, and he could heal his wounds. While the last one worked reflexively, the others had him really confused for quite a while."

"It took him ages to wilfully transform for the first time. Before that, he'd read dozens of books about the anatomy of birds." Finn's eyes grew almost comically wide with dread. Ace snickered. "He said that that didn't do him much good, though. In the end, it all comes down to instincts."

"Instincts?" the teenager asked curiously. "What do you mean? It's not like humans have an inbuilt instinct to turn into a dog," he continued, crossing his arms.

"No, we don't," Ace answered, poking Finn in the chest. Teaching was surprisingly enjoyable. "But you do now. The Devil Fruit changed your body, remember? So like I instinctively know how to turn into and control fire, you know how to turn into a dog. You just don't know how to activate it yet."

"How's that supposed to help me now, though?" Finn asked. "It's all nice and good that I apparently have that instinct now, but how can I figure out how to use it?"

Ace shrugged. "Experimentation. Meditation. Near-death experiences. Whatever floats your boat," he replied with a smirk. "Marco jumped off a cliff to see if his body'd sprout wings. Allegedly, that worked."

Finn stared at him incredulously. "You want me to jump off a cliff? That's insane! I don't have a death wish!"

"Neither did Marco," Ace laughed in return. "He knew he'd just heal if he didn't turn into a bird. Pretty handy, that ability." In fact, it was that little perk of Marco's that easily gave him the upper hand against all opponents who didn't have seastone cuffs close-by.

"And it wouldn't do you any good to do that, anyways. You're not a bird, so it's not like you should be trying to fly away," he added, grinning at Finn's dramatic sigh of relief.

"What can I do, then?" Finn asked in a frustrated manner. Ah, to be seventeen and impatient again ... Very soon, this young grasshopper would realise that he really had to work and think hard to get anywhere in this world.

"I don't know. Be creative," Ace replied, shaking his head in despair as he realised that he'd just felt old in comparison to Finn. Shame on him. "You could face down a pack of hungry wolves and hope that your alpha male instincts deign to show themselves."

"Yeah. Definitely not going to do that," Finn deadpanned. "But thanks, anyways. I think I have some clues where I could start now."

Before Finn could turn around and walk away, though, Ace grasped his forearm. "Wait. Who else knows about this now?" It made sense that Finn had found out about their past. But considering the conversation Ace had overheard earlier, Law knew as well, and there was no real reason for him to know. Especially since he hadn't even joined their crew yet. Who knew if he could be trusted?

"Oh. Just Law and me," Finn replied, smiling sheepishly. "He helped me figure out my Devil Fruit, so he was just ... kind of there, you know?" He awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, his expression turning strangely apologetic.

"Ah. I see," Ace said flatly in response, crossing his arms as the frown on his face unwittingly returned. So he'd really blamed Luffy unjustly. His little brother had probably found out about this only moments before he had.

A little bit of guilt rose in his chest, but even though he wasn't proud of it, he tried his best to squash it. Nobody had to find out about the feelings of betrayal he'd suffered from for absolutely no reason, right? His emotions at this moment, with his context had been completely justified.

It was only right for him to be wary of the influence Trafalgar Law had over Luffy. He knew, of course, that Luffy was anything but easily controlled, but the dark teenager was shrewd. If anybody could figure out a way to make Luffy bow to their decisions, it was Law.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly is your problem with Law?" Ace glared at Finn, slightly startled at the question itself, but mostly pissed at the thought of the surgeon. At his dark reaction, Finn immediately lifted his hands in a placating manner. "I-it's not like you have to like him, of course! It's just that ... you're not usually this hostile."

Ace pressed his lips into a thin line before he opened his mouth to answer, "I just don't trust him. I know the kind of person he is. He'd do anything to accomplish his goals, no matter how underhanded or despicable his methods. That's not the kind of person I want on our crew."

Icy-blue eyes stared at him pensively. "How do you know that?"

"What?" Ace snapped in return, confused by the question. Did Finn seriously ask why he didn't want that sort of person on board of his ship?

"How do you know he's anything like that?" ... Right. That did make more sense. "I can't claim that I know Law well, but I don't think you do, either. He's kept his distance from just about everybody since he came onto our ship. So how do you know what he's like?"

Worrying his lower lip, Ace dropped his gaze. Alright, so maybe he didn't actually know Law. Yet so far, his instincts had always been right, and they were screaming at him not to let him get too close. What else could he rely on if he couldn't even trust himself?

"Ace." Finn's voice was surprisingly firm, his gaze hard when the Pirate Prince looked back up. "I realize I'm probably overstepping my boundaries here, but ... please, give Law a chance. He's had a pretty difficult life up until now. I think ... I think he'd do really well here if we accepted him. He needs people he can rely on."

His throat was dry as Ace barely suppressed a pout. "Fine. I'll think about it."

xXx

"You're a blessing, Goode," Francis said quietly as he took a swig of the bottle his friend had pressed into his hand. "Truly, you are."

Goode broke out into boisterous laughter in return, his face red from the sake he'd probably already consumed before liberating Francis. Not that the first mate could blame him – anyone who went against Beckett was either suicidal or very, very brave. Or, as in this case, completely drunk.

Maybe he should try and earn himself such a reputation of his own. It was rather outrageous that the doctor even thought he had the right to keep Francis from taking part in this feast, wasn't it? What good did the position of the first mate do if he couldn't even lord his authority over his subordinates?

Of course, Beckett was only worried about his health. That Francis could understand the still very painful causes for his concerns was the only reason he hadn't protested more vocally when the doctor had still ordered him more bedrest when they'd returned to No Man's Land.

Yet it would have been a tragedy if he'd missed out on this party. It seemed the island had gone all out to welcome its rightful rulers, even if it had been only a little over a month since they'd last been here. Added to that, they were celebrating their two new members. Needless to say, the atmosphere was very exuberant.

It was precisely what he needed after two weeks of practically solitary confinement. Not to mention how calming it was to see his crew right there in front of him, safe and happy, no danger whatsoever in sight. After seeing Ace being dragged away from him, unconscious, unable to defend himself, and being unable to help him, to save him, this picture was practically seeing his wish fulfilled.

"It was a good decision to join them, wasn't it?" he abruptly asked, overwhelmed by his sudden sense of accomplishment and inward peace. "I wasn't sure at first, but ... they seem to have won everyone here over. And I ..." And he would die for them.

An eerie chill ran up and down his spine at the frightening realisation, and yet he wasn't uncomfortable with it. His life was truly in their hands. He knew that if there was anything he could do to protect them, to support them, he'd do it without hesitation.

"Yeah, the best!" Goode slurred as he threw an arm around Francis, causing the first mate to flinch as a few of his injuries complained. "Best decision of my life, short of running away with you!" he proclaimed loudly.

Francis rolled his eyes in response and took another sip of sake. It seemed he still had quite a bit of drinking to do to catch up to Goode. "You make it sound like we eloped, dumbass," he drawled, but didn't push his friend away. That would have been even more painful, anyways.

"We didn't?!" Goode gasped, grasping his heart as if he'd been shot. "But I thought we were celebrating our seventh anniversary today!" At Francis' dry look, he started to cry dramatically, "My entire life is a lie!"

"There, there," Francis said without any sympathy as he patted his best friend's shoulder. "You'll find the love of your life soon enough, I'm sure." In fact, a possible candidate was already on the ship, in Francis' opinion.

A sly smirk spread across his face. "You should go find Ivy, Goode," he added, his pats growing a bit more forceful. "She's a lot better at comforting people than I am."

Faster than he could blink, Goode jumped to his feet, pouting down at Francis. "You cruel, cruel friend," he whined, crossing his arms. "First, you break my heart, and now you won't even take responsibility. I expected so much more from you."

"Yeah, yeah, just go," Francis muttered, waving him away. After a few more complaints, Goode finally left, fortunately without claiming the sake he'd previously gifted him. Knowing Goode, he could have easily been sadistic enough to confiscate it, now that they'd 'broken up'.

Nursing his bottle, Francis let his eyes roam over the gathering in front of him, before zeroing in on the problem child of the remnants of his own crew. Surprisingly, Finn sat there, talking with a few members of the second unit, interestingly enough surrounded by dogs. He couldn't wait to hear the story behind that.

It was nice to see him so comfortable, though, especially with the people they'd intended to assign as his subordinates. Maybe the dream of making him second commander wasn't as far away as it had been before Francis' extended stay in the medical bay.

Seeing as he was already at it, Francis let his eyes roam further over the gathering, searching out the long since familiar faces of the people who'd been with them from the start. There was Dante, as always surrounded by his notes, but for once in a heated argument with a fellow navigator from the first unit – and there were Zandra and Beckett, mostly sitting in companionable silence, but every once in a while, they quietly exchanged a few words.

Goode had by now disappeared from his sight, presumably off to find Ivy who Francis couldn't spot anywhere in his vicinity. Silently, he wished his friend the best of luck – but unfortunately, he knew it was unlikely anything was about to happen.

By now, Francis had suspected that something was going on between them for years, but it seemed both of them were continuously oblivious to the other's feelings. Heck, he wasn't even sure they were aware of them themselves, so how was something ever supposed to happen?

The first mate took another swig of his bottle. Right. Alcohol, lots and lots of alcohol. If there was anything that could bring Ivy out of her shell, anything that could evoke genuine feelings within Goode, it was that glorious liquid.

"Shouldn't you still be in the infirmary?" Francis promptly chucked his empty bottle at the insolent teenager who'd showed up in front of him. Seriously, a few hours on the crew, and he already thought he could be a smart-ass. "I'll take that as a yes," Law drawled as he leaned against the railing next to where Francis sat, pressing a full bottle into his hand.

Was everyone trying to get him drunk today? "Shouldn't you be down there at your party?" he growled, hiding his surprise at the teenager seeking him out. It wasn't like they'd exactly been in contact before, except for occasional long-suffering glances exchanged during Law's much shorter stay in the infirmary.

Law made a non-committal sound in response as he looked down at the campfire in the harbour. "Give it five minutes an Luffy takes the party up here. He's been practically attached to my hip ever since I agreed to join the crew," he said casually, but Francis could easily spot the barely hidden excitement in his voice. "Make that ten. The kitchen's just brought a bunch of meat."

Francis eyed the teenager with equal amounts of curiosity and wariness. It was true that he and Luffy had hit it off even before they'd even met – Luffy'd been obsessed with finding Law from the second the white bear had mentioned his name. While the youngest captain had always made friends easily, the extent of the attachment to Law he already showed was ... concerning.

"You two seem pretty close," he finally decided on saying, watching Law for any kind of reaction. It was, after all, possible that Francis had simply missed some crucial event due to his confinement to the infirmary.

A strange expression appeared on Law's face, but it was softer, much less dark than anything he'd seen on the teen's face so far. "Yeah," he whispered, his voice fond. "We ... we share a history that I wasn't aware of before today. It's kind of personal," he added after a slight pause, a rare smile playing across his lips.

If anything, those words increased Francis' curiosity tenfold. But it was obvious that Law didn't intend to elaborate on his statement, so he supposed he'd simply have to exercise patience. After all, on a ship, no secret stayed a secret for very long.

A chorus of astounded and slightly frightened shouts drew Francis' attention back to the scene in the harbour. "Well, I'll be," Law said drily, looking impressed. "He's already figured it out. And he actually looks intimidating now."

Following the teenager's line of sight, Francis didn't have to search long. Amongst the pack of dogs which had previously surrounded Finn, there was a large black hound, looking almost more like a wolf than it did like their domesticated relatives. Even from up there, he could see its glowing red eyes through the fog that had risen from the ground.

"What the hell is this?" he murmured, getting to his feet as quickly as he could as he saw some people near the dog fainting. What was going on here? The dog let out a whine as the pirates fainted around him.

While Francis grew increasingly disturbed and worried, Law only hummed in interest. "Probably depends on the time. The black dog's only supposed to be seen at the dead of the night," he murmured, drawing his hand into a strange motion. "Room."

A strange, translucent blue sphere enveloped both their ship and the harbour. The dog's whimpering was almost immediately cut off after the teenager had performed a few senseless slices with his gigantic sword that had somehow escaped Francis notice so far, instead barking in a disturbed manner.

"Fascinating," Law said a bit louder this time, looking at his hands. "It seems like he can't turn it off right now."

By now, Francis was sufficiently confused as hell. "What are you talking about?" he growled, annoyed by the cryptic manner the teenager displayed.

Only a second later, he wished he'd never asked. "Look," Law replied, turning around to show off the fricking pair of red eyes he had in his hands. "Aren't you growing tired already?"

He was, indeed, but the shock of seeing the teenager hold somebody's eyeballs as if it was the most normal thing in the world effectively kept him awake. Even so, as he sat there, staring at Law in disbelief, he could feel his eyelids grow heavy, and very briefly, his vision blackened.

Then, just as the irises turned into a bright blue colour, the strange sensation lessened. It didn't quite disappear – his heart was still beating far too fast and his limbs felt like lead – but at least, he wasn't seconds away from fainting anymore. Slowly, Francis was starting to suspect that Goode had put something into his drink. Even after sailing with the Devilspawn pirates for months, this was to surreal to actually be happening.

"Law! What the hell did you do?!" Finn's voice was a mix of outrage and confusion. "Why can't I move my ... Wait, where the fuck are my eyes?" The last part of the question grew increasingly quiet as Finn was very obviously freaking out.

The creepy teenager threw an almost bored look over his shoulder before turning around, eyes – Finn's eyes, Francis realised – still in his hands as he turned them to face down into the harbour. Maybe the alcohol didn't mix too well with his medicine?

"Seriously, how am I looking at myself? This is giving me a headache," Finn moaned after a brief pause during which he'd likely tried to figure out what was happening in this bay. Hopefully, he was more successful than the first mate.

"Law, give Finn back his eyes," Sabo said absent-mindedly as he barely looked up from the eating contest the three brothers had started. "Everyone's going to think you're a psychopath," he added, his full mouth making his speech almost indecipherable, good manners forgotten for the day.

Probably too late for that, Francis couldn't help but think. But what was a bit more insanity in the grand scheme of things? "I'm not a psychopath, I'm a surgeon," Law emphasized, looking very much insulted by Sabo's words. Still, he repeated the strange movements with his hands, the eyes disappearing into thin air.

Francis blinked at the sudden end of this surreal episode, then eyed his bottle sceptically. Maybe it was time for bed.

xXx

A/N: Alright, this has been the most time I've ever taken to update this story, and I'm seriously very sorry. Unfortunately, I can't promise that it won't happen again, since, well, that's life. Always giving you a bunch of tests to write, and sucking at your motivation.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter! It's probably very obvious, but I took my inspiration for Finn's Devil Fruit from Harry Potter. I'm just not calling him a Grim because apparently, the official legend's literally about a 'black dog'. Aside from my Original Characters, this feels like the first big invention I brought to my story, so please, tell me what you thought!

Also, thanks for the tons of reviews, favorites and followers! With so many people interested in this story, I really can't stop writing. Even when I'm stressed. So keep up the good work!

Since we're already on the topic, to reply to some stuff that came up:

1) Sabo's not going to get a Devil Fruit. The decision was already almost made the last time I asked you what you thought about it, but since the majority seems to be against it, I'm sure of it now.

2) Why was Bluejam still alive? Well ... kinda because I forgot he died in the fire. Oops. If it bothers you, just imagine it's some nameless thug.

3) Yes, Law did keep his Devil Fruit a secret on purpose, since he's understandably paranoid about it. However, that has obviously changed this chapter.

4) Sengoku doesn't know Law's joined their crew now - I mean, how? He had no clue that he'd been captured, and I also don't think that he's really keeping an eye out for him. Then again, I can't remember the extent of their relationship, really, so feel free to correct me.

5) What is Shanks doing? ... That's gonna stay a secret for now. Hopefully, it will be as awesome as I imagine.

6) I'll try to make Luffy more happy. It's just, when I write introspective chapters, it always revolves around people's doubts, and how they handle it. But with Law and Bepo now on the crew, he's probably going to be able to handle the loss of his nakama better.

7) Dragon's character - I'll admit that I was a bit wary writing about him at all, but there was simply to much potential there to leave him out of the story. The problem is, we've hardly seen more than a few shots of him saying cryptic statements, and generally seeming mysterious and stoic, but that's simply not how I wanted to portray him. I mean, he's related to Luffy and Garp - I just can't imagine he acts like that all the time. Also, would he really just give away his child and not have any doubts? At all?

Still, please tell me what you think about him. It might be too late to change it for this story but I'm still curious.

Next chapter: Back to G-9! Some familiar faces, and Azure's past! I'll try to type more quickly this time.