Author's Note: Good evening, wonderful readers! Riku here with Chapter 17 :) We're getting close to the end of this story and will start the final battle this chapter (to be continued next chapter). I hope ya'll enjoy!

To sarge1130: Haha I'm so glad you enjoyed all the LawLu fluff XD They're so precious. Katakuri is great. If you can't tell...I'm like, obsessed with his character lol. *slaps Teach* Don't worry, he's gonna get what's coming to him ;) Cracker always wanting to get the inside scoop on Law's budding relationship XD, bless him. He's like his older brother...or maybe a cousin. Kikoku enters the chat! Law needs it hehe. Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews and I hope you enjoy the update!

WARNINGS:

- Law finally makes a move

- Luffy's adorable

- Mentions of blood/death/violence

- ACE

Reviews are always appreciated and I hope ya'll are staying safe out there!

After cleansing the pollution, Luffy slept for three days and Law never left his side. He continued to treat the prince's tail and was given 'medicine' for him (though it was different than what he was used to). Zoro, Sanji, Usopp and Marco stopped by regularly, the latter giving him tips on how Mer anatomy differed from a human's.

Their room was constantly guarded by sharks, though after many days, it was clear they were no longer enemies. Young pups (as he learned young sharks were called) visited occasionally, wanting to give Luffy gifts as thanks for saving them.

'I'm running out of room for them all…' Law thought as he placed a woven bracelet on top of the still accumulating pile of gifts. On the bed, Luffy lay still, unmoving.

He swam up to him and placed a hand on his forehead, pleased that his fever had finally dissipated. Both he and Marco believed Luffy would wake soon, which was good…there was much that needed to be done.

The Scavenger King had wasted no time gathering his forces for an invasion of Raftel and according to Zoro, his army was very impressive. Whenever Luffy was ready and healthy, they could depart. Law would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. Though he'd seen his fair share of violence, participating in a large scale battle wasn't something he had ever done before.

He glanced to the wall, where Kikoku rested.

Even with his new 'magic sword', Law couldn't help but worry about slowing the others down. He still wasn't a particularly good swimmer…

Law was drawn out of his thoughts when Luffy groaned, bringing a tired smile to his face. The young prince blinked and yawned before settling his gaze on him.

"Torao…good morning."

"It's afternoon, actually, but considering how long you've been asleep…I suppose 'good morning' is in order."

Luffy giggled and stretched, wincing when he pulled his still tight muscles a little too far. Law gently settled him back down and moved him onto his stomach so he could massage his shoulders. The prince sighed into his ministrations, relaxing almost immediately.

"That feels nice, Torao…" Luffy drawled, nuzzling his face down into the mattress, "…don't stop." Law chuckled and pushed a little harder, wanting to work out all the tension he'd accumulated over the past few days.

"What's with the stuff in the corner?"

"Gifts, from your new admirers." Law explained as he moved his hands down to Luffy's lower back, "The young sharks in particular wanted to express their appreciation. Some have come multiple times."

"Eh…." Luffy managed, eye lids flittering shut, "that's nice of 'em…what about Zoro and the others?"

Law explained the current situation as best he could while trying to slowly wake the drowsy Mer up. Luffy came to his senses after a few minutes, sitting up when he got to the part about the King's army.

"So…they're just waiting for me?"

"Yeah." Law answered, "As soon as you feel up to it, we can leave for Raftel."

"Then let's go!" Luffy exclaimed, attempting to swam towards the door, only to collapse into Law's lap with a moan, "Ow…that hurt…"

"Don't be so hasty, Luffy-ya." He chided, gently moving him back to the bed where he clutched at his head, "You expended almost all of your magic cleansing the pollution. Give your body some time to recover."

"B-But Ace and Dad and-"

"Luffy-ya." Law interrupted in a stern tone, "Lay back down or I will make you."

The prince pouted but did as he was told, motioning for Law to join him. A few seconds later, Luffy made himself comfortable on Law's chest, exhaling a content sigh as he flicked his tail lazily.

For his part, Law hoped Luffy didn't notice his pounding heart.

"Thanks for staying with me, Torao." The Mer whispered, nosing up his neck, around the necklace, and over his gills, making Law shudder slightly, "It means a lot. Was everyone nice to you while I was sleeping?"

"Y-Yes…very…" He replied, readjusting himself in an attempt to hide his nervousness. He'd gotten used to Luffy's need for physical touch, but now…after realizing he was being courted. It was different somehow. "Anything for you, Luffy-ya."

Luffy grinned against his neck and eased back down to Law's shoulder, helping him relax a bit. They laid together for a while, simply enjoying each other's company, until the prince suddenly rolled so he was completely on top of Law, face inches from his own.

"My treasure…" Luffy murmured, delicately rubbing noses with him.

Law swallowed hard as he looked up at the Mer who he'd become so attached to, instinctively looping his hands around Luffy's slim waist. He moved his nose against Luffy's, thinking that this action simply didn't seem enough to convey the emotion he felt.

"Er…Luffy-ya?" He questioned, causing the Mer to pull back with a tilt of his head, "This 'thing' we're doing…what does it mean exactly?"

"It's what we do with our family, to show we love them." Luffy explained with bright eyes, "I do it with Shanks, Ace, Dad-"

"Right, I see." Law continued, gaze moving down to the Mer's lips (behind which waited incredibly sharp teeth), "Would you be willing to try a h-human 'thing'?"

"Sure!" Luffy chirped, beaming down at him, "How do we do it?"

Law gulped, suddenly exceptionally nervous.

"Well…why don't I just show you…okay?" Luffy nodded and watched him expectantly. With a shaky huff, Law gently maneuvered them so the Mer was on his back (it felt better with him on top) and stared down into Luffy's eyes. The prince just blinked, smile never dimming, as he waited for him to show him what to do.

With a deep, steadying breath, Law lowered his lips to Luffy's, causing the Mer to inhale sharply in surprise. He stayed there for a few seconds before moving back, face beat red. He didn't want to go too far.

"That, Luffy-ya, is called a kiss."

"Oh…a kiss." Luffy echoed, reaching up to touch his lips, "That was nice, we should do it more!" Law then had the breath knocked out of him when Luffy slammed their lips back together, arms wrapped around his neck.

He had to stop them when Luffy's teeth tore lines in his lip.

"Ah, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

"I-It's okay…we just need p-practice." Law managed, nursing his busted lower lip. Luffy was incredibly apologetic as he expertly staunched the bleeding, but all he could think about was how soft the other's lips were…

…and how much he wanted to kiss him again.

"Trafalgar, everything okay in there?" Someone called while knocking lightly on the stone near the entrance. Luffy's ears perked up at the familiar voice.

"Oh, is that you, Sanji!"

The blonde Mer swam inside when he heard Luffy's voice, eyes bright with relief.

"Thank goodness, you're finally awake…" Sanji trailed off and raised an eyebrow at their rather compromising position, "…uh, am I interrupting something?"

"Torao was showing me how to do human stuff." The Mer explained happily before grinning sheepishly at Law, "…but I accidentally bit him."

"I can see that."

Law quickly swam off Luffy so the other could sit up, face flushed in embarrassment. He hadn't intended to have an audience for…this kind of stuff. The prince, on the other hand, didn't seem bothered at all and wasted no time rushing Sanji for a clumsy hug.

"How's everything going?" He asked, expression suddenly becoming serious, "Torao told me the Scavengers are fully prepared." While the two Mer talked about the upcoming battle, Law busied himself with his lip, wanting it to stop bleeding before he left the cave.

Though he'd weighed the risks of kissing Luffy and was now paying the price, he didn't regret it.

'I'll weather the embarrassment.' Law mused, eyeing the prince with fondness. He was just glad the teen was finally up and about.

"Come on, Torao, let's go!" Luffy called, suddenly swimming up to him and grabbing his arm, "I need to go talk to Katakuri."

Law allowed himself to be pulled along and out of the cave where the posted guards were waiting. When they saw Luffy, they immediately straightened and offered to escort him to their King. Just before they could swim off, something hit Law in the back of the head, almost knocking him completely upside down.

"Wha-"

You will NOT be leaving me behind.

"Eh?" Luffy questioned, spinning around at his exclamation. Law growled and looked up at the sheathed sword, Kikoku, that had apparently flung itself at his head.

"What the hell was that for!?"

If you wish to protect your new-found love interest, you will need me.

Law pinched the bridge of his nose, recalling that he and Luffy hadn't been quite as alone as he'd thought. Damn sword.

"Everything all right between you two?" Sanji asked, eyes moving between him and Kikoku, "…or is it…jealous."

I am not jealous. Kikoku argued in Law's head. If my wielder wishes to indulge in intimate activities in my presence then I-

"We're fine." He interrupted, snatching Kikoku by the sheath, "It's just whining that I tried to leave it behind." Luffy laughed while the shark guards simply looked on in amusement.

"Shishishi, what a funny sword!"

A few minutes later, they arrived at the large cave that had previously held many dying sharks. Now, it was full of soldiers, most sharpening their spears and drawing war-paint on themselves. Law eyed them, wondering what they used…it was definitely water-proof…and actually looked really intimidating.

When Luffy swam inside, the cavern went silent.

"Your Majesty, I'm pleased to see you're awake." The Scavenger King greeted, swimming forward till he floated in front of Luffy, "How do you feel?"

"Good." The prince answered, cracking his knuckles, "Ready to take Teach down…when do we leave?"

"We can start towards Raftel very soon." Katakuri explained, motioning with his tail for the soldiers to return to their preparations, "…are you certain you want to go right away? You expended a lot of energy and-"

"I'm fine." Luffy interrupted, a frown appearing on his face, "I know everyone's worried but something tells me we need to go today, or we'll regret it." Katakuri examined the young prince with an appraising eye before nodding.

"Very well. In that case, Cracker will help get you and your friends outfitted. When you're ready, let me know."

With that, they swam after the purple-haired shark into an adjoining cave, where a plethora of weapons and other things (that Law wasn't sure what they were) were neatly organized. Marco, Zoro, and Usopp had apparently beaten them there and were already looking over the impressive collection.

"Your Majesty, yoi." Marco said, nodding to Luffy, "We're told that today is the day."

"Yeah." The prince responded, "Are you ready?" Zoro and the others bowed in answer before swiftly swimming to hold whatever weapons held their interest.

Law, unsure what to do, watched the others closely. Zoro and Sanji both grabbed swords while Usopp handled a strange contraption that looked sort of like a gun…but smaller. Would it shoot properly through water?

Another thing he noticed was that there was no armor to be seen.

"You seem confused." Cracker whispered, swimming up behind him.

"That's because I am." Law replied in a low voice, shouldering Kikoku with a huff, "It's not like I've ever participated in a battle before."

"This is all pretty standard stuff." The shark explained with a shrug before elbowing him, a mischievous grin appearing on his face, "I see you made a move…nice."

"…"

"How was it?"

"None of your business."

"Oh, come on, you gotta tell me something-"

Cracker stopped talking when a current of water swished around them, drawing their attention to the center of the room. It was Luffy, who was now holding a long, silver spear. He hefted it in his grip and swung it over his head in a graceful, but powerful, flourish.

"How's it feel?" Zoro questioned, swimming up to examine the weapon, "Looks to be about the right size…"

"It's good." Luffy answered, switching it to his left hand, "Been a while since I've fought with one…but it'll do."

"I didn't know you could handle a weapon, Luffy-ya." Law whispered when the Mer swam up to him, spear in hand. The prince cracked a smile and bumped him playfully.

"Didn't know you could, either."

By the time they returned to the main cavern, all of the Scavengers had lined up and looked positively terrifying. Their King floated in front of them, now covered in blood-red war paint, and subtly motioned for Luffy to join him in front of the crowd. Law swallowed nervously when the prince left his side, suddenly very much aware that they were about to go into battle.

"Say, where'd you get these small weapons?" Usopp asked Cracker in a whisper. The shark smirked.

"Oh, you know…around. Usually from small-Mer who were stupid enough to wander into our territory." Law rolled his eyes when Usopp went white as a sheet and Cracker chuckled to himself, obviously amused.

Idiots.

Everyone's gaze was drawn to Katakuri when he smacked his tail on the rock below, creating a loud, echoing sound in the water.

"Today, is a special day." He began, deep voice reverberating through Law's body, "Not only have our people been saved, but we have made a new connection with the Royal house of Raftel…through the Second Prince."

Luffy, despite looking ridiculously tiny next to Katakuri, straightened up and moved his hands behind his back, causing the spear to be held diagonally. To Law, he looked positively regal.

"Per our agreement, and as thanks for his hard work, we will back the Prince in his endeavors to save Raftel, forgetting any past issues we may have had. I expect that this will be a difficult fight, but we must prevail." The King looked down at Luffy. "For the future of this ocean…we will prevail!"

When Katakuri raised his fist, the cave erupted into cheers. The sharks pounded their chests and bared their teeth savagely as they showed their determination. Luffy bowed slightly to the King before smirking and raising his spear, which caused the noise to become even louder.

"LET'S DO THIS!" Luffy yelled, twirling the spear back down to his side and displacing the water around him. Law tightened his grip on Kikoku, tail spasming in anticipation.

This was it.

Leaving Totto Ravine was an interesting experience, to say the least. All the noncombatants and children surrounded them and threw petals or blew bubbles into the water, creating quite the sendoff. Luffy, in particular, was stopped by many sharks, some giving him a shell or just wanting to hug him.

One pup placed a crowd of shells on his head, which he graciously accepted with a smile, making the sweet girl blush and swim away.

"It's tradition." Cracker explained from where he swam beside Law, "Everyone sends off the warriors and gives them gifts in hopes that they'll return triumphantly."

"…do you think we will?" He asked quietly, making the shark smirk.

"Of course we will! From what we know, Teach has some dark magic on his side, but we have a Silver-Scale, not to mention Katakuri. By the time we're through, there won't be any of the bastards left."

"I hope so." Law replied, his stomach in knots. Though he was more than happy to help Luffy with anything he needed, he hadn't wanted to resort to violence…not after trying so hard to stay away from it for so many years.

"Hey, relax." Cracker said, eyeing him closely, "We'll handle pretty much everything…all you have to do is watch the prince's back."

"Yeah…I'll do that."

Following the shark's advice, Law made sure to stay glued to Luffy's side throughout the long swim. The Mer was uncharacteristically serious and quiet as they went and he wasn't sure what to say to encourage him.

'I just hope this goes smoothly and without issue.' Law mused while making sure to avoid the Riptide Current they were currently swimming next to. Apparently, if you were caught in it, the fast water would take you all the way back to the Scavenger's domain. Zoro and the others were particularly wary of the current, having ridden it when they went after Luffy the first time (at least, according to Usopp).

A few hours later, the lights of Raftel came into view and Katakuri held up a webbed hand, making them all stop immediately.

"What's our plan of attack, yoi?" Marco questioned while swimming up to them. It was obvious the Mer wanted desperately to charge in and rescue Luffy's brother (whose safety he was responsible for, as his guard).

"We will go in first, to clear a path." Katakuri explained, glancing down to Luffy, "I leave locating your brother and Dragon to you, little one. Though I don't doubt the competency of your current company, should you require assistance, my men are at your command."

"Thank you." Luffy replied before turning back towards Raftel, "Whatever happens, I won't forget your kindness."

The King nodded and flicked his tail, which must serve as a signal of some sort because all of his men shot forward with a loud battle cry, rushing the walled city with barred teeth. Katakuri removed his ridiculously massive trident from his back and joined them, leaving only their small group behind.

"S-So…this is it." Usopp stuttered, bringing his weapon into his arms as well. The brown-tailed Mer was literally shaking in fear. "D-Don't you worry, Luffy, w-we've got your back!"

"Damn right." Zoro added while Sanji cracked his neck in anticipation. Marco was stoic but ready to move at any time, if his tense demeanor was any indication.

Law glided up to Luffy and placed a hand on his shoulder, which the younger immediately latched onto with a calloused hand.

"You'll be careful, right Torao?" The prince asked quietly, eyes never leaving the battle unfolding before them. Law squeezed his hand and leaned in to leave a chaste kiss on the other's cheek.

"I will, so long as you do the same."

Luffy nodded and flashed him a small smile as he gently detached them. The prince then swam forward, switching his spear from his left hand to his right and back again rhythmically before reaching up and removing the make-shift crown, allowing it to fall from his hands and float down towards the sand below.

"Come on, let's go find my family."

Luffy led his small group through the chaos of the battle, doing his best to avoid running into any of Teach's men. Thankfully, the Scavengers were doing a great job of finding and killing any enemies that tried to get in their way. He was also pleased that Katakuri made sure his men didn't hurt any of the remaining citizens of Raftel.

While they swam towards the Palace, Luffy noticed a few of his people here and there, some being escorted to safety by a shark (though from the looks of it, they were terrified out of their minds).

Oh well, they'd get over it.

"Luffy-ya, is that it?" Torao yelled over the sound of the battle, pointing at the place before them. It was just as magnificent as he remembered, and he could only hope Ace and his Dad were somewhere inside.

"Yeah, we'll go in through the front!" Luffy replied, swishing his tail harder, "It'll take us straight into the throne room!"

"Are you sure that's wise, yoi?" Marco added while slapping a dark-tailed Mer in the face with his fin, "Teach could be in there!"

"I'm counting on it." He growled, swinging his spear to catch yet another of Teach's soldiers with its shaft. That bastard had taken away everything he'd known and loved, hurt his family, and cursed him. He was going to pay.

While they swam up the carved steps of the palace, Luffy kept a close eye on his treasure. The human was doing pretty well so far but in battle, unexpected things could happen. He wouldn't forgive himself if Torao got hurt (again) because of him. He'd had enough of that on the surface.

Now, in his domain, he would keep Torao safe.

With that thought in mind, Luffy picked up speed and rammed himself into the double doors of the palace, shattering the lock and flinging them open. They gave way surprisingly easy and he quickly looked around for enemies while Zoro and the others swam up to join him. It didn't look like much had changed…at least at first glance.

Upon closer inspection, someone was sitting on his Father's throne, and it wasn't Dragon.

But…it also wasn't Teach.

Luffy's eyes widened in recognition and he lowered his spear.

"A-Ace? Is that you?"

The orange-tailed Mer didn't respond and simply stared in their general direction with a completely neutral expression. He looked okay but did have evidence of bruising and torture all over his torso, which made Luffy bristle. Marco slowly swam forward so he was next to him, a frown appearing on his face.

"Something's…not right, yoi." He whispered, but Luffy brushed him off and continued to glide forward, a bright smile appearing on his face.

"Ace! It's so good to see you again! Where's Dad? Did you guys already escape and take out-"

Suddenly, the water around him began to get warmer and Luffy yelped when it scalded his skin. He looked up at Ace in shock, knowing his brother's ability when he felt it. The first prince propelled himself off the throne and sent a stream of heated water straight at Luffy, forcing him to fall back or risk being boiled alive.

"What the hell!?" Zoro hissed before ordering the others to scatter. Luffy stayed where he was and was joined by Torao seconds later.

"Is that really your brother?" The human whispered, "Why is he attacking us!?"

"I-I don't know!" Luffy replied, watching in horror as his brother swam up off the floor and held his arms out, elbows slightly bent with his palms up towards the ceiling. The room began to shake as the water around them was warped and heated, creating a terrifying image of Ace's incredibly powerful ability.

Luffy gripped his spear in both hands and swam up to his face his brother, determined to snap him back to his senses. The Ace he knew would never hurt him, which meant Teach had done something to him.

The closer he got to the orange-tailed Mer, the hotter it became, causing blisters to form on his skin.

"Ace, stop it!" He yelled, tears forming in his eyes both from the pain and emotion building up inside him. Luffy had never expected to have to face his precious big brother. "Don't you recognize me? It's Luffy, your little brother!"

Ace met his gaze for the first time, and Luffy swallowed hard at the unnatural darkness that had taken over his normal silver irises.

"I serve only my Master," Ace drawled, red swirling marks appearing under his eyes, indicating he was tapping into the full potential of his ability (similar to how Dragon's tattoo would light up when he utilized his), "and he said to kill the one with the silver tail…and his companions."

Faster than he could react, Ace sped forward and wrapped a hand around Luffy's throat, causing him to drop his spear in surprise. The sheer heat coming from his brother's hands made him want to scream but his gills weren't getting enough oxygen to produce a proper sound.

"N-No…big brother…please." Luffy managed, clawing at Ace's powerful grip, "T-This…isn't you-"

Seconds later, someone smashed into Ace, causing him to release Luffy. While he coughed and tried to catch his breath, Zoro and Sanji attacked the older Mer, allowing Torao time to drag him back.

However, their successful attack didn't last long.

Once he'd recovered from their initial assault, Ace easily sent them flying into the far wall with a flick of his tail, power enhanced with his ability.

"T-This isn't good…" Luffy whispered, neck burning. His spear was just below Ace (not that he would ever use it on his brother) and Zoro and Sanji weren't looking good.

"We have to fight him, Luffy-ya!" Torao exclaimed, coaxing an angry growl from Marco who'd come up on his left.

"We can't, yoi!" Marco explained, pushing them further back when the water around Ace literally started to boil.

"I know he's your brother, but right now, he's trying to kill us!" Torao continued, "If we don't do something-"

"No, you don't understand!" Marco interrupted, gritting his teeth as he looked back at Ace, "The first prince wields the most powerful ability ever seen in a Royal. It's not a matter of principle…it's the difference in strength. We're no match, yoi."

Luffy straightened out and frowned up at his brother. He knew Marco was right. Realistically, they didn't stand a chance.

'But I'm not going to back down.' Luffy thought with a determined snarl, 'I'll bring him back if it's the last thing I do!'