TO CALL LAW'S MOOD TURBULENT was an understatement.

Worse, he had nothing to direct this anger, helplessness, and battered feeling of defeat to, besides himself. After his encounter with Vergo, when he arrived at his hotel room he was too conflicted to do anything but stand there, and coldly release his carry-on handle. When he had sorted through his light luggage, to his chagrin someone had tampered with its contents.

The two packs of camel cigarettes he had packed were nowhere to be found. What replaced their location in the mesh pouch was a small, white note. His gaze flickered away, as if the guilt was so potent he was stung just by looking at it. It could have been Corazon, it could have been Lammy. Regardless, he didn't dare open the note. As if the sight burned him, he violently tore his eyes away and let out a low curse.

Law marched to the reception. When he appeared before the young man with deep bags and brooding demeanor, the poor employee startled.

"Store."

At the single word, laced with so much venom, the young man limply wondered if he had done something to offend the man earlier today. He still had the good sense to point a quivering hand in the direction of dining hall, and had told him, "Th-there's a convenience store right after you exit the—"

Law didn't wait for a reply and stalked to the convenience store in long, purposeful strides. It had classic knick-knacks and souvenirs, snacks and candy, neck cushions, magazines, and right at the counter he grabbed a pack of Camel cigarettes resting in a display shelf—then hesitated.

The cashier glanced at him, half-apprehensive, half-curious, as if to say, Well are you gonna buy it? Law's knuckles brushed the box, his gaze somewhere far away, then he made a ' tch' sound .

He removed the thin plastic packaging, pulled out a single cigarette from the box, tossed the rest onto the counter, then fished out ten bucks from his pocket as he muttered, "Keep the rest."

Law spent the next half an hour in his room, staring at the stick of death, lung cancer, and heart disease—a real 3 for 1. He furrowed his brows and went to sleep, but at minutes past 6, he had reached the last of his patience.

That was when Luffy heard shuffling.

Law stood out in the cold, dead of night, faithfully smoking that cigarette until it became half its original length. Besides the moment he felt like he was being watched, he stood there, alone.

As his eyes stared blankly out at the darkness, the sound of sea waves crashing against rocks was a distant white noise. Faintly, his mind wondered how he could hear the sea from this precarious terrace on the side of a mountain, but neither his joints nor his soul had the will to move.

Mechanically, he could only stuff his hand into his pocket, solemn as he reached for another fix, but his hand came up empty. Some part of him had managed to leave the rest of that box on the counter. His throat burned from the sting of the cigarettes—he always avoided menthols, as some sort of self-retribution.

He sighed, brought his hands to his face, and tried desperately to resist the urge to check his bank account. Instead, he walked to the edge of the terrace, towards the sound of the sea—all the way to the end of the 13th Garden. Snaking past 1307 , 1308 —Law glanced over the edge, and the sight before him cut through his self-destructive haze.

In a small pond, decorated with bushes, hedges, and spring flowers—at the centre of this pond, with inky black water that reflected the moon, a geyser shot skywards.

Sound returned to Law's ears, and the world around him came back to life again. He heard everything with clarity, as if his head was no longer underwater. He stared at the flurry of white foam, the relentless battle against gravity, unending, before him. Every bit of water that sluiced down the side, unable to reach its spot in the heavens, was not wasted. It merely pooled at the base of that stubborn column, gathered its strength, then was shot back up into the air once again.

Law knew in his heart that geysers did not shoot up to the sky, in some desperate, poetic battle to touch the clouds, a battle against fate and circumstance—he knew this in his heart, but he couldn't help but feel some inexplicable... hope .

Then it died in that instant.

He chided himself bitterly, and turned to trek back to the villa. What battle against the heavens?

It was just a simple geyser, and he was just in abysmal debt.

'

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'

'

'

Luffy couldn't hide his curiosity as he and Robin walked back to the 13th Graden.

The path back to the community villa was about a 7 minute walk. From the reception, they made their way past the hallway on their left (that led to the dining reception), and went straight. The large, 8ft high automatic glass doors whirred open. The cool AC left them, and immediately, their faces were slapped with humid, tropical heat. Outside the air pressure wasn't so high that it oppressed Luffy and Robin as they walked to the garden, but it wasn't a cool day, and once again Luffy felt a drop of sweat trickle down the side of his face.

On instinct, he checked his phone in his pocket, and found that Usopp had left him a slew of messages.

[LookingForBodyDouble]: Luffy…

[LookingForBodyDouble]: AHHHHHHHH…. [crying_emoji] [soul_ascending_emoji]

[LookingForBodyDouble]: I just received an email from the professor...new notes were uploaded to the Internal LMS.

[LookingForBodyDouble]: ….Along with the new rubric for the semester project….guess what it said ;-; [cat_in_ ]

[LookingForBodyDouble]: Deadline extensions—impossible! 50% term weighting! Concept, Screenwriting and script—30% Just what is this madness?! Is a film only a piece of paper?

[LookingForBodyDouble]: If i can find someone who looks just like me and send them to school I would!

[LookingForBodyDouble]: Oh please, some wandering soul, possess me...

Luffy laughed at Usopps misfortunes, not understanding why he was so upset. Robin cast him a curious glance, but she didn't ask. They turned from the wide path, with large open, terraced fields on either side of them. To his right, there was a white gazebo, and on Luffy's left, there was a small thatch-roofed hut with the words Juice Bar. A few tourists mingled around—one couple sat on the stools of the shack, while in the gazebo, a little boy sat on a bench swinging his legs. His head was buried in a mobile game.

A gentle wind brushed between the two scenes, and in those few seconds, Luffy's short healthy laughter came to a natural end as he looked back down at his screen. Next to him, however, Robin was still tense as she followed luffy.

[PirateKing]: what body doubl? ur nose is on kind usopp! HAHA! i'llt alk 2 u l8tr

Usopp wanted to tell Luffy he didn't need to put a 't' behind the 8, and that he could go fuck himself, but the man's status already appeared offline.

Satisfied, Luffy pocketed his phone.

Did that silly professor tighten the guidelines for the project? Luffy's eyes squinted as he chuckled and thought to himself, Well, whatever. I'll think about it later!

Right now, he was just excited to get a peep at his flight companion again. At this point, it wouldn't be strange to call them friends.

As Luffy rounded the corner and saw a familiar gate, with a stout, brown guard relaxedly sitting in his guard house, he opened the gate for the two of them and Luffy led Robin down a path.

The 13th Garden didn't have any parking lots. As soon as you passed the gate, There was a simple gazebo at the front, with many decorations and adornments, and a sculpture below it with the simply number '13'.Behind the gazebo was a backdrop of a tall, cream wall, with the stucco texture that permeated the entire property, hidden behind creeping vines and and tall hedged, green bushes.

On either side of the sign were two-way stone paths that led into the actual Garden. Once you walked on those paths, hedged by bushes, palm trees, and iron-wrought light posts, it really felt like you were in your own little corner of the large, industrial hotel.

Luffy took the path on the right—his house was an even number, and 1306 would be at the end of the winding path. It wasn't at all linear, and reminded him very much of a long, lazy snake.

When he arrived at his villa, he passed the glimpse of the infinity poolwalked through a small path to the side, and ended up at the narrow stone tiles between 1305 and 1306.

Luffy finally opened his mouth and said to Robin, "We're here!"

Robin looked thoughtfully at the exterior, and even recalled the scenes she passed as she came here. "The layout of this villa is very intentional. It feels very private."

At the mention of privacy, Luffy looked away from her face obviously and rubbed his nose—neither of them were one to talk. What privacy? Luffy had shamelessly spied on his poor neighbour earlier this morning. Annoyed, Luffy said to Robin, "Well, I'm off! I gotta go work on my semester film outline with Usopp!"

Robin raised a brow. Sometimes she forgot Luffy, this kid, actually went to school and didn't just sit around all day selling fish.

"You have a semester project in your sophomore year?" Robin found this odd. Usually, that was something reserved for seniors, such as a dissertation.

Luffy's eyes gleamed, and he said excitedly, "Nope! For our course we make a film every year starting in year two!" Luffy exclaimed, and he laughed as his eyes squinted. "They say it's for portfolio building, blah blah blah. For our senior year we're gonna submit our final film, and it will be graded against the previous ones, and like...maybe other stuff too?" Luffy asked.

Robin looked at him. Why are you asking me?

Luffy didn't really pay much attention to it when his professor explained it in year 1. He also didn't care to go back and read the curriculum. That LMS site was so boring. He preferred to ask Usopp whenever he needed to know something. Eventually, Usopp would tell him everything without asking.

Robin simply smiled, amused, and told him to go on his way.

Then, she stared at the foreboding door for a few seconds.

She lifted a hand to ring the door bell to 1305. Unexpectedly, it opened right away.

The speed at which the door was yanked open told Robin that perhaps he had been expecting someone, but immediately as Law opened the door, his eyes widened, his jaw slacked, and his arm let go of the door. Awkwardly, it creaked open, the hinges releasing a sound, still caught in the momentum of his swing.

The angry words on the tip of Law's tongue died down when he saw the equally stunned expression on Robin's face.

Law: "…"

Robin: "…"

They just stood there.

Two intellectuals,

with a vast, interdisciplinary vocabulary.

One liked reading medical journals in her free time, despite being a history major, and the other read the same, tired publication, the habit hard-wired into him, no different from eating and sleeping.

With such deep wells of knowledge, and boundless wisdom, the two daftly stared at each other, speechless.

One with his mouth parted open, the other frozen so still she turned to stone.

Finally, a word was said.

"R-Robin-ya..."

'

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'

In Law's villa, the feeling of privacy described by Robin could only die the minute you entered. What floated around in the air was a feeling of seclusion even more bone-deep than a quiet introvert's small, special space that they kept to themselves—instead, the open floor plan of the downstairs living and dining was suffused with loneliness.

It had only been less than a day since Law inhabited the small villa, yet it had already taken on the temperament of its occupant. Even the green tea Law prepared for Robin, no doubt given by the hotel, stubbornly lost heat to the ice-cold desolation of the room. As if to say, why bother heating me up? Have some cold tea, won't you? This is the nature of this house.

Robin tactfully did not open her mouth.

As Law returned from the kitchen—nothing more than a small corner adjacent to the door, with 4 small countertops and a small electric kettle and tabletop stove, she carefully observed his mannerisms. As he sat down besid her, a comfortable distance between them—not too far, to her relief, but not exactly close, Robin's mind flashed back to their quiet days sitting under the sycamore tree.

She sipped some tea—that increasingly seemed to be cooling her hand instead of warming it. Outside, the sun's rays of a radiant morning, beams imbued with heat, could not seem to penetrate the floor-to-ceiling windows. That warmth died the minute it touched those frosted glass panes—it was stifled so much, that it could neither reflect nor refract. Instead, it was ground to dust.

"You…" a raspy voice trailed.

"What are you doing here," Law muttered quietly, bringing a styrofoam cup of tea to his lips. His tone didn't hold any malice, annoyance, or hostility. It was said with a neutral temper, and had he said more words, Robin might've heard his exhaustion.

"What am I doing on this island, or in your hotel villa?"

"..."

Law did not speak. He let out a sigh, rested the cup on the table, and leaned back on the couch. He chuckled, but it was a dry, humorless laugh.

"Do I owe you anything? Why have you come looking for me after so many years."

Robin wanted to reply that it had not been so many years. He graduated 4 years ago, and he was currently 27. 4 years only amounted to less than one-seventh of his life so far. Of the average life expectancy, 4 years were nothing more than 5% of someone's entire life. Their time together was not so meaningless; Robin dared not regard it only as this minuscule 5%—her memories were very vivid. It really was not so long ago—so far a thing of the past, that this 1/7th could be already treated as 1/20th.

Just how much had he aged, to think that those 4 years were so buried in the distant past?

Were their days of quiet understanding so long gone?

That 5% drove an invisible wedge between the two of them, and Robin had no reason to hurriedly force it back to 1/7th.

At Robin's thoughtful silence, Law felt annoyed.

"Spit it out," he said, casting her a sidelong glance. "Are you gonna say I owe you an explanation? How did you find me here?"

Robin smiled, not quite as sarcastically, but she was amused by the implication of his words. "I did not need to do any 'search'. I could always find you. Your medical circle is so small. Her reasoning was logical, and she was laser-precise about the specifics, and her words as usual. "But I had no idea of your condition. And I was busy with my own projects."

She took another sip of tea, sat in silence for a few more seconds, then patiently said, "To answer your question, you don't owe me anything. Instead, it is I who must apologize."

Law's gaze had not left her. Now, he twisted his brows in confusion. Just what was this woman saying? He hadn't seen her in so long, and this is what she says?

"I'm…." Robin began, staring intently at the tea in her hand that fought relentlessly to lose its warmth. "I'm sorry."

Law felt frustrated. Sorry for what? He wanted to ask. He was the one who suddenly dropped out of university, only managing to complete his degree after submitting his final thesis. He hadn't even attended the graduation. Now, she was telling him sorry. Sorry for what? For being abandoned? Law wanted to howl.

He didn't bother hiding his temper any longer. "Why are you apologizing to me!?" he raised his voice a decibel—it was close to shouting, but with his low, gentle voice, it only sounded like he was speaking a little louder. "To be honest, now is not a good time to have this discussion. I-" Law looked around helplessly, and then, his gaze hardened again, "Whatever you're sorry about, it's not your fault. It was completely out of your control." It was out of my control.

Robin patiently sat there, observing his face. "Then, would you like to speak to me?"

Law frowned. Wasn't he already doing exactly that? Then it dawned on him that she might mean something with more depth.

Robin placed the cup on the table, and enquired, "What happened?"

It took a few moments for Law to process her words. In one immediate burst, akin to the flurry of water the geyser released, shooting up to the skys, Law was tempted to unload everything. But he couldn't. At this point, it might as well be written in the terms.

"Things came up."

More silence, and Law stared at the cup in his hand. The tea had gone cold. There was no point anymore.

"How have you been doing?"

Robin didn't like the distance this question put between them, but she supposed she could not help it. Usually, the spells between which they would not speak at most would last a month. Now, over 40 of those had passed. What hasn't she been doing would be an easier question. Losing her only friend, Robin completed her degree, moved onto her masters, and completed it a year earlier than expected. That was when she finally decided to date Franky. There was so much to talk about, but Robin felt it would all be insult to injury. She only answered his question with:

"I'm on a research trip across French Polynesia. Here is my last stop."

Law nodded, but didn't say anymore words. Robin could tell that he didn't want to speak any longer, but she was not going to leave him alone. Not like this. She took their cups, emptied the tea into the sink, and disposed of them in the recycling bin.

Law was neither intent on making her stay, or insistent on making her go. He seemed too caught up, deep in thought, to really spare her any considerations. For nearly an hour, he sat right where she left him, silent—stalwart in his solemn staring—but in Robin's eyes, he was plaintively crying aloud: Help. I don't know what to do anymore.

'

'

'

When dusk came, Robin couldn't accompany him anymore. She asked for his phone, and Law weakly complied. Dialing her phone number, she called his phone, added the most recent call to his contacts, and titled it, Robin.

As she was in the middle of typing, a text message banner popped up.

[Meddlesome Old Man]: hello? Why aren't you replying?

Another message popped up right after that.

[Meddlesome Old Man]: Son….are you ok?

Robin cast a glance, now filled with new information, at Law's quiet disposition. The man seemed as if he was constantly fighting a battle of wills. Instead of sadnes,s now she felt a little upset with him.

"Your father keeps messaging you."

Law took the phone back from her. "Hmm."

"You should tell him you're ok," she advised.

He didn't acknowledge her, lost in thought.

"Law!" she raised her voice too, and Law finally gazed down at her. Sitting a short distance side-by-side, Law was only slightly taller.

"Law," she said carefully, trying to cut through whatever fog had its hold on the man with a vice grip. "People care about you!"

I care!

Corazon!

Lammy!

Bepo, Shachi, Penguin…!

They all care!

It had only been one stick, but even so Robin had smelt the nicotine on him the minute he opened the door. Sitting close to each other didn't help his case at all.

"Stop reverting to old habits, and breathe!"

Law stared at her, his eyes slowly widening. He was still perpetually frowning, but this time, it seemed to be in self-criticism. His heart lurched—he didn't want to think of any of the people who cared about him. It didn't make his heart warm at this moment. All it filled him with was guilt.

"Don't trample the affection of others," Robin carefully said. "I visited today…because I was worried for you. Me, and though he might not realize it, someone else too. Just accept it," Robin advised, and her tone held a bit of a smile. "You...make it impossible for people not to care about you."

"..."

Law kept quiet, and his thoughts flashed back to the white note that had been tucked in the mesh of his carry-on. Out of guilt, he hadn't read it. On the bedside table in his room, sat the smartwatch, its battery dead, tormenting him with the heavy hopes and intentions it held.

What happened to taking the time to relax? Taking the time to worry less? Was a simple message from Doffy all it took—after so many years?

Recalling he had uttered an expression similar to what he said to Robin a while ago, Law felt the guilt gnaw at him like a mouse gnawing at cheese. Robin was too patient. It only made him feel more and more guilty.

Why does anyone like him?

This guilt was simply too much.

On one hand, fate wanted him to completely surrender himself, on the other, time after time, he is shown that he is not alone.

But he really is, Law thought. In this issue, and this issue alone, he really is!

No.

Was.

"I'm in debt," Law finally said. He dropped this bombshell with the straightest, most serious face. For once, he met Robin directly in her eyes. The older woman couldn't hide her surprise.

"What?"

"13 million, at a 34% interest rate. But, they've added more. The loan period will have to be extended, or they will take back everything I have." Take back Lammy and Corazon.

Robin quickly gathered her thoughts. "When did this start?"

Law's face was expressionless. "Two months before the end of senior year."

Robin was shocked. This nearly perfectly coincided with when Law suddenly cut off all contact. She hardly saw him at school, and the few moments she had, he was smoking through a pack of cigarettes like lightning. He might as well have lit the entire pack on fire and inhaled all the fumes at once.

Now, her brows furrowed as she connected the dots. "Did you...did you quit to find a job?"

Law's reply sounded like he was reporting the weather. "Every month, the payment increased, and they threatened to extend the loan term. I couldn't keep up. It was endless. I managed to set a fixed amount once I found a part-time job, but I spent the time looking for a hospital to start my fellowship. I…" Law didn't need to look at Robin for her to hear the sadness in his voice, "I didn't want to work at the university hospital."

He continued, "A connection put me on to Trust Hospital. The director there was very humanitarian, and soon Bepo and the others followed me from their own unis. Once i began my residency, I didn't have time for anything else. I managed to complete it two years in advance. I worked endlessly, and got promoted." Law recalled his life during those 4 years. Other than holidays, when Bepo forced him to go out to parties, or the others came over to his house to eat, his hours were endless. Law still kept some of his wits, and his sanity remained intact, but he had become a machine, existing solely to serve.

"Then," Law said bitterly, "yesterday they increased the interest by 20%."

Robin couldn't listen anymore. "But that's illegal! An interest rate above 45% is predatory. Law, how did you take out this loan in the first place? Were you coerced?"

Law knew Robin was faintly aware of his family situation. As a child, Lammy was sick. Coupled with Law's amber lead, which was late to manifest, their father died from overwork trying to juggle paying for her treatment and medication, and also raising the two of them. Stretched between research ALS, and tackling two jobs to put food on the table...also heartbroken by the death of his wife…..

Before Law knew it, they were all alone.

And then he met Doffy.

"It's the fee I had to pay," Law said quietly, and too tired to feel anger. He only laughed coldly, and his grim grin was a lazy crack in his tense face. The smile was filled with self-ridicule. "Dad, Lammy, everything…" he chuckled, and he gazed outside at the brilliant sun.

In that moment, parts of a cloud was blown forth by the wind, and it obscured some of that radiance. It cast a shadow on the room, and the bright light outside the windows momentarily dimmed. The room turned cold, and Law's words had a biting derision, mixed with caustic sneer.

"...For my family, I had to pay the liquidated damages he would suffer. I suppose in total, we are worth this much."

He scoffed, the grin on his face fading. Now, all he felt was anger.

"Really, most of it went towards me. But I couldn't remove myself from the equation—" Law choked, recalling the many times he contemplated leaving a note, a bank account, everything he had—and simply giving Doffy what he wanted. If he couldn't have Law alive, and existing solely for him, he was better off dead. Doflamingo didn't want it directly by his hands—so many times, his mind flashed to the secret, very illegal clause of the loan contract. Should Party B suddenly pass away, the loan will be nullified, and the debt will be paid in full by Party A, the loaner. So simple a term—keep up with this game, that you can never win, or end it—where you can still never win. The choice was his, but it never was. The collateral hadn't been Lammy and Cora-san, with him thrown in the mix. It was just Law. It always had been. The price had been his freedom.

"...So I bore the brunt of its force instead." Law's throat was dry, his eyes bleary from the forked-up memories that pulsated at the back of his head. Just digging them up made his skin crawl—he felt anger, despair, helplessness. His deep, gentle voice sounded strained, as he sneered, "I amounted for most of that liquidated damage anyways." His fists clenched, and his grim, taut expression didn't match his words at all.

Vaguely, he felt relief. A part of him relished being under this much pain, and duress. A part of him felt like he deserved it. He couldn't tell if it was resignation, or self-loathing. Maybe it was Doffy's psychology—years of manipulation slowly melded into the folds of his brain, supplanting organic neuropathways carefully, sowing small batches of self-doubt, now inextricable from his own philosophy. Maybe—it was some kind of subliminal brainwashing—or maybe it was due to simple, impartial rationalizing.

"So accordingly, I suffered on my own too." His lips parted to emit a dry, coarse laugh. Whatever the reason was, as Law uttered the words, he knew in his heart that he believed them to be true.

"Maybe...that's a good thing."