Author's Note: Hey everyone! I hope you are doing well and are enjoying the holiday season :) I'm pretty pleased with how this chapter came out and I hope ya'll enjoy it!
To GoddessOfFanfictionn: Hey there! Unfortunately, there will be no LawLu in this story. Their relationship will be slightly different than in canon but not romantic. I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Law will be making an appearance this chapter ;) Thanks so much for the review!
To yukino76: Lol XD
To too addicted to fiction: We shall have to see what becomes of Law ;) Papa Kata is indeed everything. I love him so much. You're very welcome and I hope you enjoy the update!
To Phoenix Fire Queen: Aw, all of the warm fuzzy feelings *sighs contently* I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter! I love writing fluff lol, it makes me so happy.
To F l: So sorry for the wait on this chapter! I hope you enjoy it!
To MagicIceDragon: LOL XD
To runswithcats42: Haha there will definitely be lots of fun to be had when Luffy finally meets his crew. Kitty Lu and Chopper would be so cute cuddling together! Robin too. As for Luffy not telling his brothers about his pain, it has to do with his PTSD and his frustration with himself and his weakness. He doesn't want to be a burden to anybody, poor guy :( Don't worry, they will know eventually, but it'll take a while because Luffy has to do some serious mental healing first. Thanks so much for the review!
To gong222: You're very welcome!
To PotatosAndCheese: So sorry about the wait! I hope you enjoy the chapter :)
To Lila Wolf 82: Lol same though XD
To Wishfull-star: Aw thank you so much!
To RFennekin: I will help you. He deserves it.
To ZeroGamerX3: Thank you!
WARNINGS:
- Mama Brulee
- Family fluff
- Self-worth issues
- Attempted kidnapping
Thank ya'll so much for your patience and all of the reviews! They always motivate me and make my day :)
Katakuri pulled his coat further around his chilled body, grateful for the insulation their current ship offered. They'd made good time through the mirror world, however, after weeks of nothing but checkered walls and giggling mirrors, he was glad to be on a ship again. This particular ship had been easy to commandeer from a group of shady merchants who the world would definitely not miss.
He glanced up towards the deck when he heard Luffy's muffled voice and the pitter-patter of his feet. The little boy was no doubt enjoying the snow under Brulee's supervision. They didn't need a repeat of what happened the week before when Luffy had slipped off the yardarm and into the icy water.
Had Katakuri not foreseen the fall and managed to fish him out before he got too deep…
Unfortunately, he had been below deck at the time and hadn't been able to completely stop him from getting wet. Luffy still had a lingering sniffle from the ordeal.
"Yes, yes, that's quite enough of that. Now go and dry off."
"Okay!" Luffy chirped, responding to Brulee as he scurried down the stairs to the area Katakuri was currently lounging in. The cat-boy was bundled up in one too many coats and had a muffler wrapped around his face (likely his sister's handiwork…). "Papa, Papa, the snow is so pretty and fun! You should come play with me!"
"What did I just say, young man?" Brulee put in, making Luffy pout and shuffle his feet nervously.
"To dry off…"
"That's right, now don't make me tell you again. I'll get you some hot chocolate, okay?"
Luffy's ears perked up at that and he quickly made a bee-line for his temporary 'bedroom' they'd set up for him. Katakuri couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips once the boy was out of earshot.
"What happened to spoiling him rotten?"
"The spoiling will be better appreciated when he's learned to do as he's told." Brulee answered while removing her gloves and closing the door behind her, "Honestly, if I wasn't here you'd let him do whatever he pleased!"
"I…wouldn't."
"Yes, you would." His sister shot back, giving him 'the look', "Remember brother, appropriate discipline is the foundation to being a good parent. You're lucky Luffy respects you so much, otherwise we'd have a problem child on our hands."
"And yet you're making him hot chocolate." Brulee bristled.
"I-I just don't want him to catch another cold, okay!? I'm rewarding his obedience."
"Right…whatever you say."
A few minutes later, Luffy bounded out of the room wearing clean (dry) clothing, as instructed. The little cat-boy wore long, black pants and a maroon long-sleeved shirt with a donut on it that made Katakuri smile.
…his son was so cute.
"Papa, look! I'm wearing the socks Auntie Branch made for me!" The boy chirped, holding a foot up in the air to show off the warm, winter socks. At the abrupt action, his straw hat was knocked off his head and onto his back. "They help keep my toes warm."
"That's good, I'm glad you like them." Katakuri replied, accepting Luffy easily when he crawled into his lap and began to purr, his tail lazily swaying across his lower leg. He was pleased the kid was being kept suitably warm, however, whenever he got too warm, he'd turn into a limp noodle and sleep for hours on end.
Katakuri could tell a nap would soon be in order after a few minutes of taking in his body heat.
"Here you go, dear."
"Thank you!" Luffy replied, perking up to accept the steaming mug from Brulee. Katakuri smiled fondly down at the boy who blew lightly on the hot chocolate to keep it from burning his tongue. "Ne, are we getting close to where we're going?"
"Yes, we should be there tomorrow."
Luffy hummed and sipped his coco, ears twitching slightly. Katakuri could tell the boy was getting nervous the closer they got to their destination. He'd explained to him that they were going to the North Blue to find him a doctor, which had brought on an onslaught emotions from the boy.
He didn't like doctors, not at all, and knew there would be needles involved somehow.
"W-Will they make me feel better?" Luffy questioned in a small voice, grip tightening on his mug. Katakuri exchanged glances with Brulee before replying.
"I certainly hope so, Luffy…but I can't make any promises."
Unfortunately, their lead on 'Trafalgar Law', the potential holder of the Op-Op Fruit, was slim at best. All they had was a cluster of islands where he'd been sighted within the last six months. It was nothing concrete.
'Plus, we have no way of knowing if he actually ate it.' Katakuri mused, going over the information again in his head, 'For that matter, we don't even know if he's a doctor.'
"O-Okay…" The boy answered, bottom lip trembling. Katakuri reached up to steady his hands when he almost dropped the cup.
"Don't worry, no matter what, we'll figure something out." Luffy sniffled and looked up at him, ears drooping uncharacteristically low. "We won't stop until this is resolved."
Luffy made a quiet sound of affirmation and went back to his hot chocolate, good mood somewhat soured by the impending uncertainty. Brulee shot him a look of concern before going back to organizing her things (something she did when she felt anxious). Katakuri sighed and ran a soothing finger over Luffy's ears.
All they could do was manage his pain until a solution could be found. Hopefully, with luck, that solution would come in the form of locating one Trafalgar Law.
That evening, Luffy tossed and turned on his make-shift bed, unable to get comfortable. He was warm, so that wasn't the problem. No, the issue was the aching in his joints and under his skin that always got worse in the evening. Even when he took the medication Marco gave him, the pain was still there and often kept him up at night.
He was tempted to wake Papa Kata but didn't want to be a bother. It was hard enough that he knew about his personal struggles (his weakness)…he didn't want to make the pirate worry even more than he already was.
Luffy whimpered quietly when he accidentally laid on his left hip. It had been hurting a lot lately and he wasn't sure why. The weird coat rack guy had 'fixed' it but the pain was slowly flaring back up again.
'Ace…Sabo…' Luffy thought, biting his lip to keep down a sob, 'I'm sorry I'm so weak…'
Eventually, he fell into a fitful sleep, salty streams cascading down his cheeks against his will.
"Is that it?" Katakuri asked, eyeing the island in the distance through the falling snow. Beside him, Brulee nodded.
"Yeah, no doubt about it, though there's no guarantee our target will be there."
"Still, we have to try." He responded, furrowing his brow. Luffy needed this treatment and he would do anything to help him. "I'll take Luffy into town. You stay with the ship."
His sister agreed and began to order her reflections to get to work. Of course, seeing as they were almost all seagulls, it wasn't particularly effective, but they could at least follow basic instructions. Thanks to their 'motley crew', they'd been able to get some well-deserved rest without having to have someone on watch at all times.
Katakuri quickly made his way below deck and was met by the sight of Luffy drooling on his hand, fast asleep at the table. Oatmeal half-eaten.
"Luffy, wake up. We're here." He said softly, gently touching the boy's shoulder. At the contact, Luffy gasped and jolted awake in surprise, tail puffing up instinctively. Katakuri frowned at the dark circles under his eyes. It was clear the boy hadn't slept well. "Hey…you okay?"
"U-Uh yeah, just fine!" Luffy chirped, hastily wiping his mouth. Katakuri huffed when he very obviously looked down and began to whistle. He really was a horrible liar.
"Have you taken your medicine yet?"
"No…not yet." Luffy admitted, turning his head to eye the pill bottle placed there by Brulee. Katakuri raised an eyebrow, content to wait for the boy to take them.
The cat-boy's tail wrapped itself around the chair while he pulled the cap off and emptied three pills into his palm. Katakuri made note of the fact that they were quickly running out and would need to get more soon. When Luffy swallowed them down, he ruffled his hair in encouragement.
"Finish your breakfast, I'm going to get our disguises ready."
Luffy smiled up at him before going back to his oatmeal, digging in with a familiar gusto. Katakuri nodded in approval and made his way over to where their extra clothes were stored. He'd be entering the village with his body a smaller size than normal, so as to not garner unwanted attention. Naturally, both him and Luffy would be dressed for the weather, which would make it easier to conceal their faces (and non-human aspects, such as the boy's tail).
Thankfully, the Whitebeards had packed a good amount of clothing for Luffy so there were many options to choose from. Eventually, Katakuri decided on a mixture of clothing: some that were gifts from him and others from Whitebeard.
The shirt was likely made by Izo, given its style. It was black with holes in the shoulders and was made with very soft material. Katakuri knew the familiar scent would help calm Luffy when they finally reached land. For pants, he chose long deep red cargo-pants with plenty of pockets for the boy to hide treats in.
Naturally, he would be wearing the black hoodie Katakuri had given him back in Totto Land and his straw-hat (that nothing in the world could keep him from wearing). He imagined that Brulee would add other winter items as they left in an attempt to keep Luffy as warm as possible.
A few hours later, they were ready to go. It took a great deal of effort to convince Luffy to hide his straw hat under his coat, but a stern look from Brulee had him readjusting the hoodie so the precious item was appropriately hidden. Katakuri chuckled in amusement as his sister fussed over the boy, making sure his hood was pulled up as far as it would go and his cat appendages were tucked away.
The one thing Luffy wouldn't budge on, for whatever reason, was his sandals. Of course, they'd had mixed success convincing him to wear snow boots on the ship, so they gave up. If his feet got cold, Katakuri would take care of it on the way.
"Be careful." Brulee said, gazing at the smokestacks in the distance, "This may be the North Blue, but we can't afford to have Luffy be recognized by bounty hunters or marines."
"Yeah, we'll be careful." Katakuri assured her, gently placing a firm hand on Luffy's upper back, "I won't let him out of my sight."
It was time to hunt down a doctor.
Luffy looked around in awe at the snowy village, trying to take in all the sights and smells at once. It was quaint and reminded him of Foosha Village. He wondered if Papa would get him some of that nice smelling meat…
He looked up and made to ask but stopped when he saw how serious the man was, scarlet eyes scanning the crowd like a wolf hunting its prey. Papa Kata wasn't messing around. Luffy huffed and turned to his right and left, unsure what they were looking for. He remembered the doctor they wanted to find's name was something like…Trolly? Or Trafago?
'I think it was…Torao! Yeah, that's it!' Luffy affirmed to himself, ears perking up under his hood. Of course, he had no idea what they looked like.
"Excuse me, might I have a moment of your time?" Kata asked a random stranger, taking a few steps away from Luffy. The boy listened as the pirate questioned the man about the doctor, earning a shrug. Guess he didn't know where he was. While his Papa went from vendor to vendor in the marketplace, Luffy swallowed his saliva, eager to get a taste of whatever meat was cooking on the other side of the street.
Seeing Papa Kata was busy, he padded over to the vendor. It wasn't like he was leaving the area or anything, it would be fine. The meat lady smiled down at him.
"Well, hello there! How may I help you?"
"Um…can I have some meat please!" He asked, fighting the urge to ring his hands around his tail. She seemed nice but was still a stranger.
"Of course, though…do you have any money?" Luffy blinked up at her and back to his Papa. He forgot that these things weren't free. The lady followed his gaze. "Ah, is that your father? Why don't you go ask him for money and then come back, okay sweetie?"
"Okay…" He muttered with a pout. His goal had been to get some meat without bothering Papa, but it didn't seem like he had much of a choice. On his way back to Kata, something caught his eye.
A flash of white and orange against the snowy street.
Luffy tilted his head at the weird blob, sniffing the air in an attempt to recognize the scent. What was that? A person? Curious, the boy trotted into the nearby alley. A few twists and turns later, he caught up to the strange being and his eyes widened. No way…was that a-
"POLAR BEAR!"
Trafalgar Law was a very cautious person. He prided himself on his ability to act under the noses of his enemies and strike at preciously the right time. It was part of the reason he was still in the North Blue when he could've already entered the Grand Line.
Especially when Doflamingo would come after him the second he got his first official wanted poster. The man's obsession with his devil fruit was too extreme to end after just a few years. He would do anything to gain eternal life and Law needed to be ready to face him.
To finally avenge Cora-san.
Yes, watching and waiting was definitely the way to go. When the time was right, he would know it.
"Captain, I think we have everything." Shachi informed him, motioning to the bags of supplies they'd purchased earlier in the day. Law nodded, pleased with the work of his crew.
"Good. Let's get back to the sub." He'd chosen this island (one of many that he frequented) because of its obscurity and distance from large marine bases. If his goal was to avoid attention, it was best to stay away from islands that had anything more than a basic militia. Thankfully, they had yet to run into any trouble. "Oi, where's Bepo?"
"Uh…I don't know. Wasn't he with you?"
Law sighed and craned his neck in attempt to locate the bear's bright jumpsuit. Surely he couldn't have gotten too far…
"AAAAHHHHH, GET IT OFF!" A voice screeched, immediately drawing Law's attention. That was definitely Bepo. He wasted no time rushing to his polar bear's aid and stopped when he rounded a corner, unsure what to make of the situation. Bepo was twirling in circles, attempting to dislodge something that had latched onto his head.
"Bepo, what-"
"C-Captain, please help me!" The bear whimpered, pointing to the clothed thing currently attached to his ears. Law sighed and casually approached so he could get a better look at the culprit. He was fairly certain it was a kid but it was kind of hard to tell with the hood up and the white scarf covering the bottom half of their face.
"Oi, let go, brat." Law ordered, drawing the attention of the kid's dark brown eyes. Upon closer inspection, he was fairly certain it was a boy…but he couldn't be sure. Unexpectedly, the child gasped in excitement and leaned towards him (still attached to Bepo's head).
"Is this your bear!? Wow, that's so cool!"
"M-My name is Bepo…"
"Shishishi, hi Bepo! Will you be my friend?"
"No, he will not." Law answered before firmly grasping the kid's waist and dislodging him from Bepo (drawing a quiet 'I'm sorry' from the bear). He found himself frowning slightly upon holding the child. Something under the coat was…moving. Something unnatural.
"Aw, but I was having fun." The kid pouted, kicking at the snow beneath his feet when Law placed him back on the ground, "Stingy…"
"Uh…what's with the brat, Cap?" Penguin asked, having finally caught up with him. Law hummed, looking over the kid with an appraising eye. There was definitely something about the kid that immediately caught his attention, but what?
Deciding to follow his instincts (for once in his life), Law reached forward and removed the kid's hood, causing the now identified boy to gasp and desperately attempt to cover the twitching cat appendages located there. Behind him, his crew went silent in shock while Law hummed, calmly appraising the situation.
A young boy, approximately thirteen or fourteen years old with a crescent shaped scar under his left eye…and cat ears.
"You're…Monkey D. Luffy." Law whispered, prompting the boy to stop his clumsy attempt to put his hood back up.
"You know who I am?"
Honestly, who didn't? The kid's bounty was enormous for one so young, putting him on the radar for many bounty hunting groups. There were all sorts of rumors floating around for why the government was so desperate to capture him, most of which were ridiculous, just like what happened with Nico Robin.
'What's he doing in the North Blue?' Law mused, recalling that the latest 'sighting' had been in the Grand Line. 'How did he even get here?'
"I do." He replied, kneeling in front of the boy. Inwardly, his heart raced in excitement. This child was a 'D', just like him. "Don't worry, I won't turn you in to the marines."
"You won't?" Luffy stated, tilting his head slightly. Law's eyes were drawn to the silver hoops in his ears with the movement. They were quite beautiful and the malicious side of him wondered how much they were worth.
"No…because I'm a pirate." The boy hummed and glanced back towards the street, making Law swallow nervously. Would he call for help?
"Oh, that's cool. My Papa is a pirate too!" Luffy responded happily, pointing in the direction of the market. Law frowned at that. His father was a pirate? Suddenly, the boy's ears perked up, like he remembered something. "That's right! I was gonna go buy some meat."
"I can get you some," Law found himself saying, earning him some surprised glances from his crew and a happy grin from Luffy, "We have lots of food on our ship."
"Wow really! And I can have some?" The boy chirped, bouncing in place, "Thanks Mister!"
"No problem…Mugiwara-ya." He answered with a smirk, finally noticing the straw hat peeking out from underneath the kid's coat. This was almost too easy! "Come on, it's not too far."
"Okay!" Luffy exclaimed, allowing Law to grab him by the wrist. He tugged the kid along, motioning with his head for his crew to follow behind them, just in case he tried to run. There was no way he was wasting this opportunity.
Law could feel Bepo and the others' questioning gazes boring into his back, but he would explain later.
'I wonder what secrets he holds…' Law mused, glancing down at the happily smiling kid padding along beside him (completely unaware that he was being kidnapping), 'To have a bounty as high as his, he must've done something truly impressive.'
Or maybe he was simply a victim of the system, it was impossible to tell just based on the bounty poster. Still, Law had every intention of exploring the boy's history and perhaps acquiring a better understanding what it meant to be a D.
That and getting a closer look at those cat-like appendages…as a doctor, it was all too fascinating.
Meanwhile…
"Hey Captain! We're ready to sail when you are!"
"Yeah, I'll be there in a second!" Ace called, responding to his new first mate Deuce's call. It was surreal, to finally have the beginnings of his very own pirate crew. After so long in the dark, he'd finally made it to the light.
At the moment, their ship wasn't terribly impressive, but they were growing fast, and it'd only been a month since he'd left Dawn Island.
When he emerged onto the deck, he was met by the smiling faces of his three crew members, all ready to sail.
"All right, you guys ready?"
"We've been ready, just waiting on you." Deuce teased, prompting an amused chuckle from Ace. "So, what's the plan?"
"We keep going the way we have been," Ace ordered, moving so he was standing near the bow of their little ship, "pick up new members, and go to the Grand Line."
"Oh, is that all?"
"Actually, no." Ace continued, picking up on Deuce's sarcasm. He had to let them know about their greatest obstacle that would no doubt be waiting for them in the Grand Line, "Listen, there's a certain pirate crew we need to be on the lookout for." Mihar and Saber tilted their heads in confusion.
"Uh, who? We've only been an official pirate crew for a month, so we haven't exactly had the opportunity to antagonize anybody…"
"They're more annoying than anything, always pestering me to join their crew."
"Well that's a relief." Saber said with a huff, "Honestly, you had me worried there. So, which crew should we be preparing to take down?"
"The Whitebeard Pirates."
Ace blinked down at his crew who stared at him in complete and utter shock, jaws dropped to the floor.
"WHAT!?"
When Law and his new captive finally arrived at the sub, he let out a quiet sigh of relief. They hadn't met anyone on the way and Luffy's 'Papa' had yet to make an appearance. More than likely, he hadn't even noticed the boy was missing yet.
However, when he took another step through the snow towards the yellow submarine, Shachi made a sound of surprise.
"Uh, Captain. Who's that?"
Law followed his finger and frowned at the sight of an unknown man leaned up against the railing of his submarine. He didn't recognize him but felt like he should. There was something dangerous about his aura.
"Oh, hi Papa!" Luffy chirped, waving happily at the man with his left hand, his right still trapped in Law's grip, "This nice guy was gonna get me some meat!"
"Is that so." The man growled, lifting his head to meet Law's gaze with his own scarlet one. Almost immediately, Law took a step back. He could feel the man's power with just one look and he knew they weren't any match for him.
"Who the hell are you?" Law asked, doing his best to not give away the fear coiling in his belly.
The man, no…pirate, straightened up and walked towards them. Law glanced behind him and noted his crew was frozen in fear. Well, at least they weren't stupid enough to attack the monster in front of them. When the stranger was about a meter from them, Law released Luffy, sending the boy rushing into the other's waiting arms.
Maybe if he returned the kid to his parent, they would be spared?
"Sorry, Papa…I didn't mean to worry you." Luffy muttered, ears drooping. The pirate huffed and settled him on his hip.
"It's all right…to be honest, I expected this to happen." Law gulped when the pirate turned back to him. "You're a hard man to find, Trafalgar Law. We need to have a little chat."
