Law and Disorder - Chapter 9
Luffy
"My crew has mapped out the quickest and safest possible route that we can take after Zou-"
"That's no fun! We need to take the exciting one!"
"Strawhat-ya, you are underestimating the dangers of the New-"
"Oi Nami! You still have the three logposts right?!"
"If we want to get down to taking down the emperors, we-"
"We need to follow the shakiest needle! The shaaaaakiest one!"
"DAMMIT STRAWHAT, LISTEN TO ME!"
Law slammed his hand on the galley table before he could stop himself, earning him a startled look from Usopp, who was also there fixing together some kind of device, and a dirty one from Sanji, who was standing behind the counter and finishing off with the dishes. Law didn't lose his cool very often, especially not in front of other people, but the captain of the Strawhats had a unique quality that made him think about flaying rubber whenever he sat down to have a discussion with him. Even something important, like their future sailing route and strategies to proceed with their objectives, seemed lost on the rubberman.
"If you break the table, Law, you're taking the heat for it. I don't want Franky yelling at me that we're running out of Adam wood again."
Law chose not to respond to Sanji, instead settling with throwing a weary look at Luffy, who was stretched out on another chair and looking completely deflated and relaxed, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. He then tried speaking slowly and sternly to the younger captain, in the hopes that he would finally understand the gravity of their situation.
"We need to discuss this, Strawhat-ya. It's very important that we plan out every move to ensure that-"
"Did you do something different to your hat, Trafalguy? You look different!"
"Strawhat-ya. We. Need. To. Discuss-"
"Usopp! Is that some new slingshot you're working on? It looks so cool!"
Law raised two fingers to his nose bridge and pinched hard as he muttered to himself under his breath, willing himself to calm his own temper and not forget the fact that the person sitting in front of him, despite his inexistent attention span and recklessness, was still very much his equal and his ally. Usopp appeared to notice the twitching in Law's eyes, and as he released his half-finished weapon to Luffy's itchy fingers which had stretched all the way to the opposite side of the galley table to him, he grinned smugly at the silently infuriated Surgeon of Death, somehow not worried about the fact that his precious slingshot was now in the hands of the most destructive force on that very ship.
"I told you back in Punk Hazard, Law. Luffy's only interested in making friends and having a grand adventure. His definition of "alliance" is very different from what you're thinking...and as far as captains go, he's as selfish as they come."
Luffy beamed at Law, instantly agreeing with Usopp's comment.
"Yep! Selfish as they come!"
Before Law could respond, the ship's navigator and doctor strode past the galley door, poking their heads in with only one comment each.
"I can testify to that."
"Yep. Selfish. No other word for it."
Law smacked his forehead with his right hand as Nami and Chopper trotted away snickering, wondering how he had somehow come to live in a comedy skit. As he watched the rubberman finger the dials embedded in Usopp's slingshot, Law mentally sifted through the knowledge he had acquired about the Strawhat captain as he wondered what the best way to gain Luffy's attention was. There was no doubt that what he needed to discuss with Luffy was incredibly important, for both the success of their alliance and the safety of everyone involved in it.
Law's eyes then opened wide as he realised the existence of a point of interest that had been staring at his face the whole time. He vaguely recalled a scene back in Dressrosa, where he had been somewhat incapacitated by the loss of an arm, and where Luffy had proceeded to grant Doflamingo a massive beat-down, all the while screaming about how evil Doflamingo was for controlling the man who used spring-based attacks and for cutting off Law's arm, finishing off the fight with a massive punch and a vicious shout that Doflamingo and his cronies will never lay a finger on one of his friends again, for as long as he was alive.
Beneath his silliness and childishness, Luffy clearly had a serious spot in his head for the wellbeing of everybody who he considered his nakama.
"Strawhat-ya, this is important. It's about everyone on this ship."
Luffy, upon hearing his words, set down Usopp's slingshot, much to Law's surprise. He hadn't expected his strategy to gain Luffy's attention to work instantly. Realising that Luffy was staring at him and waiting for him to continue, Luffy cleared his throat as he spoke.
"The New World is nowhere near a safe place, Strawhat-ya. For the sake of everyone's safety, we need to take easy routes and steer clear from as much conflict as possible if we are to achieve our goals. The last thing I want is for somebody, whether on your crew or mine, to potentially lose their lives. You understand what I am saying, don't you, Strawhat-ya? I'd hate to admit it, but I've grown quite comfortable with your presences over the past few weeks, and it would be an absolute tragedy if something were to happen that took someone away from both you and me."
The galley grew silent at Law's words. Usopp even placed down his tools, and Sanji stopped wiping his plates for a second as they both silently listened in. Luffy bit his lip, as though he were in deep contemplation, before he raised his eyes to meet Law's own, speaking with utmost sincerity.
"You don't have to worry about that, Trafalguy. Everyone here is...strong."
Law frowned.
"But, Strawhat-ya-"
"I have faith in everyone, Trafalguy. I've gone to so many dangerous places already, and everyone has been there for me. We're strong. Trust me."
Law wanted to complain about Luffy's shoddy way of making decisions, but looking into the boy's eyes, and he couldn't help but feel the gravitas that he had been looking for in the Strawhat captain. Deep down inside, it appeared that Luffy really did believe everything that he was saying, that his crew was strong enough to stand up to the rigors of the New World and the threats that lay ahead. And there was a small part of Law, after the multitude of experiences that he had already experienced with them and seeing them hold their own on Dressrosa, that made him quietly concur.
He smiled.
"Alright, Strawhat-ya. Now sit down properly. We still have to discuss other things, like how we're going to manage-"
"SANJI! MEEAAAAAAAAAT!"
As the ex-shichibukai banged his head repeatedly against the sturdy wooden galley table, Sanji strode up to their depressed guest, and trying his best not to laugh, spoke to him quietly.
"Don't worry about it. Zoro, Nami-san and I will discuss the important things with you later."
Luffy merely sat back in his seat, laughing unrestrainedly at Usopp's funny faces and shovelling masses of sea-king into his gaping jowls.
Author's Note - I told you all...short chapter. I really like how it turned out though! After so many serious chapters, I thought my collection deserved at least one funny one, and who better to thrust this responsibility onto but Luffy?
Thank you all so much for your support for Law and Disorder. I can testify that it really is very hard to break into a new area of Fanfiction, and while it was a challenge to get attention in the One Piece fandom, it appears that this fic has helped me make a giant leap forward. I hope you all will continue to show your support in any other future stories that I plan, if I really do decide to continue to write.
There might be one final chapter, depending on how I feel about the whole thing after reading through it all one more time.
Reviews appreciated!
~SUITELIFEFAN
