I'm not sure about this chapter - I scrapped it once - so please let me know what you think. To those who followed, favourited, and especially reviewed the last chapter, thank you very much!
Knowing your strengths and weaknesses was key for successful planning, so Law knew himself well. He knew he was amongst the best surgeons in the world and a powerful fighter. He was viciously intelligent and, at least until he opened his mouth, commonly considered handsome. He was, however, lacking and charisma and was often referred to as 'that creepy bastard.' That was made more apparent through his alliance with Straw Hat. The young man had an abundance of power and charisma, although almost no intelligence. Or sanity, at least, since Luffy seemed to have flashes of intelligence, usually centred around people. Law found it confusing, but even after such an extended alliance, he held no hope of being able to predict the rubber captain.
It had taken Luffy beating Kaido before Law could admit - to others - that he really admired the fearless teen. His crew had been entirely unsurprised by his decision - Shachi commenting that it was 'about damn time' - and Bepo had been the one to get the sake for him. Which was how he ended up seated across from Straw Hat with a bottle of sake and a cup. Kid was eyeing him, clearly wondering where he was going with this, while Luffy devoured all the food within his very long reach, to the astonishment of his new allies.
"Straw Hat!" Law called out, ignoring the food hanging out of the teen's mouth as he turned to face him, "this is my pledge!" If some of his crew facepalmed at that, well, they knew he wasn't one for flowery speeches anyway. Luffy stared at him, apparently uncomprehending. Law frowned at him.
"I believe Law has just joined the Fleet, Captain," Robin murmured with a smile.
"There is no Fleet!" Luffy protested, eliciting laughter from his crew and interested looks from the rest of the table.
"We can't, of course, officially welcome you," Robin commented to Law, "but we look forward to seeing you in the future."
"There's a Fleet?" Haruta asked, glancing from Straw Hat to Law.
"No," Luffy replied, at the same time Law said:
"Yes." He glanced between them, looking more confused, so Robin stepped in.
"A number of pirates asked to exchange sake with Luffy after Dressrosa, but since Luffy values freedom above all else, he refused." There were a lot of people staring at the rubber boy now, which made sense; Law had done the same at the time. A few of the Whitebeard Pirates choked and Law didn't blame them; it was yet more evidence that Straw Hat was entirely irrational.
"Those guys are SUPER funny!" Franky exclaimed. "They ignored Luffy and swore oaths to him anyway!"
"How many people are in this fleet?" Izo questioned, looking unimpressed.
"Five thousand, six-hundred and… twenty-one, now," Robin replied. The Whitebeard Pirates were left staring incredulously at the archeologist, making Law snort. They'd better get used to the feeling if they were planning on working with Straw Hat in the future.
"What's the plan?" Marco asked Luffy, who paused from his eating.
"Plan?" Luffy questioned, scratching his head. Law snorted and Marco looked a little incredulous at the reaction. "Well, we've beaten Kaido and Big Mom, so I guess we'll go beat up Blackbeard next?" The former Whitebeard pirates stiffened at the name.
"You know that he defeated us, right?" Marco told him flatly. Luffy's smile fell off his face and to Law's surprise he put the meat down.
"I ran into him at Impel Down," the captain said quietly. "He said I should be thankful that Ace was the one being executed since he had planned on capturing me." The room had fallen silent at the admission and Law felt himself cringe. He had seen Straw Hat after the incident and it would have been impossible to overstate his grief, if his endless injuries hadn't been proof enough of love.
"I hate him," Marco said dispassionately, "but he's strong."
"I know," Luffy admitted, before pulling a smile out of nowhere, "but I've got my crew and they're the best!" Law was always amazed at how a compliment from the Straw Hatted captain could reduce his crew to a blushing mess. The former Whitebeard pirates looked on, equally amused and concerned.
"Please listen to my new single, Luffy!" Brook called out, drawing Straw Hat, carrying an armful of food, away form the table.
"I'll gather intelligence," Law told Robin, getting down to business. Robin was the only one he figured he could communicate with; every Straw Hat had their own brand of insane defining them, but Robin could almost pass for normal. At least until you realized that nothing her crazy captain did phased her. He might also acknowledge a certain kinship with her since, like him, she had seen her entire island destroyed. "I've spent years gathering information to take down Donflamingo, and if we leave intelligence to one of those idiots," he glanced at Straw Hat who was now dancing with chopsticks in his nose, "we'll all get killed." Robin giggled behind her hand.
"That would be very helpful. Thank you, Law."
"Since Straw Hat can't follow a plan to save his life, this is more for everyone else's sake." Law didn't want people thinking he'd gotten soft. He ignored Kid's snort.
"Nami, Chopper, and Usopp will be particularly grateful for your assistance," Robin assured him.
"Not you?" Vista asked curiously, stroking his moustache. Robin smiled warmly at the man and Law was amused to see the hardened pirate blush. Noticing the looks his crew mates were giving him, he was certain that he'd be the butt of many jokes once they were in private.
"It doesn't matter to me," she told him gently. "Where my captain goes, what he does… I'll follow him anywhere and do anything for him."
"Anything is a big word." Marco pointed out. Robin simply nodded.
"I was eight when every man, woman, and child I had ever known was killed and the World Government put a seventy-nine million belli bounty on me." This was the first time Law had heard her speak of her past. "I lived on the run and learned to do anything, at all, to keep a promise to a friend. There is almost no crime you could name that I have not committed, but Luffy - innocent, loving, forgiving Luffy - reached out and took my hand despite this. It is precisely because of this that I know how far I would go for my captain. If he wants to set the world on fire, I'll light the match."
"Setting the world on fire seems a bit extreme," Izo commented. Robin met his eyes.
"I am wanted because I am the only person in the world who can read the ponoglyphs," she acknowledged, "and, within them, three weapons are mentioned which could destroy the world." Law paled because Robin was inclined to understate threats and that really didn't sound good. "With this crew, my value as Robin far supersedes my value as a translator, but if the captain decides he wants to unleash the ancient weapons, I will lead him to them." There was silence as the gathered pirates considered the fact that the fate of the world rested on a rubber boy's whim.
"That's a dangerous stance to take," Jozu protested.
"You don't understand Luffy," she countered serenely.
"If you aren't usually translating poneglyphs, what is your role in the crew?" Killer asked from behind his mask.
"I have a very difficult job," she told them, her eyes shinning with joy, "I translate Luffy." Law snorted. That would be hard.
"You were known to be highly treacherous." Marco seemed unsure of the archeologist, which surprised Law. Was he worried about Straw Hat? Even after all this?
"Yes," she agreed, "I learned to betray people before they betrayed me, and in time became a skilled assassin." A few of the Whitebeards looked uncomfortable with that declaration, but Robin's smile didn't falter. "Now I use those skills to defend my captain from assassins."
"So you wouldn't change anything?" Izo questioned, clearly shocked.
"No," Robin answered, her smile like bedrock. "My path led me here, now, and I wouldn't change a thing."