Chapter 1

It might seem odd for a devil fruit user to willingly sail the seas in an underwater vessel, but Law appreciated the privacy it provided, which is just what they needed in order to sneak into the Navy headquarters and intrude on the greatest war the world had ever seen. It was true that a malfunction could send Law spiraling immediately to his death, but death is something he was used to. As a child, death surrounded Law, eating away at him ever so slowly due to an incurable disease- well- incurable for any regular doctor, but Law was no regular doctor. Death surrounded him even now beneath the sea, but death would surely be waiting on the surface to a much larger degree.

"We surface now," Law ordered. Slowly, he and his crew began to rise in elevation until they finally emerged from the cold waters straight into a fiery hell.

"All this for some boy?" Bepo, Law's trusted navigator, complained. "He can't possibly be worth all this trouble." Law didn't dignify the remark with a response. Luffy was not just some boy, he bore the same initial D as Law did. He was a devil living among men, and trouble was exactly what Law was looking for.

The hatch of the submarine was opened, and what they saw truly was a battle of the ages. All three Marine Admirals were present and allied with the remaining warlords of the sea. However, most notable of all was Whitebeard- Emperor of the Sea- and his twelve Division Commanders. Even among such legendary figures, Law's eyes were drawn to Luffy in the same way they were on the Sabaody Archipelago, though he looked much closer to death now than the last time they'd met. Law's first encounter with the Straw Hat Pirate was when he punched a Celestial Dragon, and, together, they had to face the consequences. That was the moment Law truly knew what Luffy was capable of. He knew that he was the devil Law needed, but, unfortunately, this devil was in clear need of medical assistance.

Although the rest of his crew stood stuck in a haze of confusion and chaos, Law acted immediately. "Give Straw Hat to me. I'm a doctor!"

Luckily for Law, the allied forces had no better options, so Luffy was on his vessel in no time at all, accompanied by a Warlord of the Sea- Jimbe, and a commander of the Revolutionary Army- Emporio Ivankov.

Law took Luffy into his arms, his limp body fell against his own as he carried him into his work room. Luffy was quickly dropped onto the operating table while his new companions shuffled in.

"Everyone out!" Law yelled over the commotion of his crew. Both Jimbe and Ivakov stood their ground. He turned towards them. "If I'm going to save him, I'll need all the space and quiet I can get." This seemed to convince them, though, Law suspected they were not happy with the current situation. Law didn't blame them though, afterall, he was a stranger to them. He was a stranger to Luffy too for that matter. Reluctantly the two left Law and Luffy alone, and the door closed shut behind them.

First, Law had to remove Luffy's shirt as well as his iconic straw hat. He suspected Luffy could keep his shorts on, but the others surely could not remain. Luffy now laid sprawled out in front of him. His body was cold to the touch aside from the chest which was seared and blistering from the wound Akainu gave him. That would be the real problem for Law; it was not everyday a doctor had to treat such an egregious wound, especially one inflicted by an Admiral. Luckily for Luffy, Law was the best chance he had at surviving. He held up his hand.

"Room," a blue veil pooled out around them. Now the real work began.

Law wasn't done operating until they reached Amazon Lilly. It would be close, but he suspected Luffy would survive this; both Law's credibility as a doctor, and Luffy's as a pirate were on the line. Now all there was to do was wait. Everyone on the island seemed on edge, but nobody as much as Boa Hancock. It was not hard to see that she was head over heels in love with Luffy. Although, love might not be the proper word for it. Perhaps infatuated was more precise, or, better yet, obsessed. Honestly, it was rather embarrassing to watch. Law could not fathom how someone could come to care for another that much.

The rest of his crew stood around discussing sneaking into the Amazon Lilly tribe since it was entirely full of women. Law was not particularly interested in that. Instead, he sat on a rock and examined the straw hat he'd taken from Luffy during the operation. What was so important about this hat? Luffy was wearing it every time he encountered Law, and it was even fashioned on his jolly roger. If it was the namesake of his crew, then it must be important, right? At least that was the case for Law and his Heart Pirates.

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by a loud and horrifying scream. Luffy was awake, and, by the sound of it, he did not wake up in a good mood. This was to be expected of course, he had just watched his brother die right in front of him after all. Law just hoped he wouldn't ruin all the hard work he had put into the boy's surgery. The majority of their fellowship had settled on a different portion of the island away from Law's submarine. Jimbe was the only one to stay behind incase of this very situation. Now, it would be up to the Fishman to calm Luffy's anger. Law knew better than anyone that this particular anger could never truly be quelled. Akainu left a fire in Luffy's chest when he wounded him. That fire still remained there, fueling Luffy's anger. Right now it was burning out of control. Jimbe would try his best to put it out, but he would never truly put that flame to rest. That worked in Law's favor though, he needed Luffy in that state where he could best stoke the flame and turn it on his own enemies.

After Jimbe finally got Luffy to cooperate, they entered their camp. Luffy looked around until he locked eyes with Law. "That's my hat." He told him. Law looked down at the hat in his hands.

"Of course," He stood up and tossed the hat in Luffy's direction. "I was just keeping it warm for you." Luffy caught the hat and placed it atop his head.

"Thank you." Their eyes locked again. In them, Law recognized the same dull rage he had in his own. He nodded towards Luffy. He'd found his devil.

Author's Note

This summer, I made it my goal to write my first novel. On Memorial Day, I sat down to write, and this is what came out. Not what I was planning on, but I've had a lot of fun writing it. I think this chapter can be a bit of a turn off for readers; I tried my best to keep it short, but it still surpassed 1,000 words. Just know that the tone of this Chapter is pretty different from the rest of the story; I lean a lot more into the Lawlu stuff in the next chapter and every chapter after that. This is mostly just to act as a prologue and foundation for the themes I explore later in the story. Anyway, hope you enjoy it and keep reading!