This is the shortest chapter since some time (since chapter 3 actually smh) but it's been 3 weeks. Also the most depressing yet. Be prepared. Well, pretty sure I'm supposed to put up warnings so every time there's sensitive subjects I'll write it out at the beginning.

Warning: depression and some self-harming. And Ace being a bastard.

Depressed

"We will now be talking about the event that shook Punk Hazard three days ago. During the night, an unknown man was seen walking down the street through the Laboratory Streets where the famous prodigy surgeon Trafalgar Law is well known to be living with his adoptive father, commonly nicknamed "Corazon". Dr Trafalgar's friends, Shachi and Penguin, who were present during the attack, would not say anything about it. «If Law doesn't tell me to talk, I won't talk,» Dr Penguin stated firmly. Dr. Shachi echoed by saying furiously «We have no right do decide what to say or not. Mind your own *beep* business.» Dr Trafalgar not having appeared since, it certainly does not look like we will be getting any information soon.

Let we go back to the subject of Corazon's death. Corazon, by his real name Domquixote Rosinante, was brought to the hospital by the girl seen to have recently been spending time with Dr Trafalgar, to the point where most people theorise her to be Trafalgar's girlfriend. The woman named Monkey D. Luffy arrived to the Hearts Hospital covered in blood, carrying both Corazon's dead body and Trafalgar who appeared to have fainted. Miss Luffy looked distracted and traumatised—"

The TV screen went off with a soft beeping sound. Usopp turned to see Luffy dropping the remote in the nearest trash bin with an empty stare.

"Luffy?..."

The girl barely even looked at him as she strode out of the house. Nami walked out of the kitchen, followed by Sanji who flinched as the sound of the slamming door. The orange-haired woman pursed her shaking lips, looking about to cry. Usopp went to fish the remote from the bin.

"You're lucky she didn't smash the screen. I guess it upset her to see the news talking about it." Sanji gritted his teeth looked away. "Don't blame yourself, Sanji. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Of course I did, Usopp. Don't you get it? I insulted Corazon and rejected Trafalgar. And now!... Look at how miserable she is because one died and the other is depressed!... I should have realised how much she loved them. I–I should've shown more appreciation — I bet she hates me now—"

"I'm sure she doesn't. Luffy still loves you like she always did. She's just suffering from withdrawal."

Nami frowned. "Withdrawal from what?"

"From Trafalgar, of course."

"But he's still alive. Didn't she just go out to visit him? He's perfectly fine."

Usopp sighed and sat back down on the couch. "Yeah, I guess so..." he said softly, turning the TV back on. "If you could call that fine..."

Luffy's mind was blank.

What had happened, she did not remember. What was happening, she did not know.

All she felt was the pile of despair and grief that Law had now become.

Law, whom she loved so much, who was now painfully unresponsive from the shock of losing his father so suddenly. Him, whose beautiful grey eyes had stopped shining. Who had lost his smile to his broken heart.

All she felt was agony.

It seemed impossible that a mere three days before, they had been laughing, blissfully ignorant of the tragedy that was happening, happily going on with their love story. Was it even two days? It felt so far. Maybe it was the previous day. Maybe it was last year.

Luffy did not know. She did not know anything. She did not see the crowds turning as she passed them, she didn't hear the whispers calling out to her and Law, she didn't control her feet that were leading her towards him. Her world was now the desolate emptiness that was her despair.

Hope.

Joy.

Love.

The cruel world had taken it all from him.

"I love you."

What a joke.

What was the point of love? It couldn't protect. It hurt.

It gave you joy, only to break you afterwards.

Hope was simply a way to let you fall even deeper into despair.

Life.

Such pain. Anger, hatred, misery.

What was the point of living?

His very existence destroyed others. He was a failure.

Why did he have to keep on suffering?

Torao

Death sounded much more inviting.

Torao, can you hear me?

Wasn't he forgetting something?

Torao... Law, please...

Yes, something. Something important.

Maybe death could wait. Maybe.

Maybe hope could come back.

I need you.

Law's empty eyes focused slightly on her. How she hated seeing the glazed look, the dullness in those once passionate steel eyes. It was like everything about him had faded; his skin had paled and looked sickly, his soft black hair was a mess, his mouth had a definite pull downwards, and the usual gold shine of his eyes had entirely disappeared.

"Mugiwara-ya?" he muttered absently, for the first time in three days. "What're you doing here?"

Luffy sat on the bed, facing him. They were at Brook's house, where the surgeon was living due to his house having been blown up. Brook being the famous Soul King and Law an important surgeon, the transfer was quickly accepted and confirmed, and Law now stayed in the large house's guest room. Not that he cared, as he hadn't shown any sign of life since Corazon's death. Until now, that is.

"I missed you," she answered simply without a smile. The man didn't reply but turned back to the window he kept staring out of, staring but never seeing. "I brought you food, too. You need to eat." Still he kept silent. It was true, though; according to Brook, he had hardly eaten anything during the last three days. He might not even have eaten at all, seeing his sunken cheeks, or slept either.

It seemed like she had gotten from him all the reaction she could for the day. Law stayed in the same position, sitting against the bed headboard, his head turned towards the window and his eyes empty. Luffy wanted to stay. She desperately did. But she stood up, giving him the space he needed. "We won't lose, Torao. I promise." She turned away and walked out of the room, not seeing Law turn his head slightly to look at her, feeling her sweet warmth go, leaving him so, so cold.

"It's her. Trafalgar's girl."

"So it's true that he moved into Soul King's house?"

"She looks so small and young. Too young."

"Hey, you're making Dr Trafalgar sound like a pedophile."

"Yeah, sorry."

"She's actually kinda cute."

"She looks soft."

"I wanna see Dr Trafalgar! It's unfair, why is he hiding like that?"

"I'm jealous."

"Of whom?"

"Both."

"The hell?"

Luffy didn't pay attention to all the pointing and whispering. She didn't care. They could think whatever they wanted. Right now, she wanted one thing, and that was to visit Ace. The thought that she couldn't protect Law, that she couldn't help him, the sight of his shadow of a self and the pallor of his skin, the sound of his hoarse, unused voice, it all came back to haunt her. She didn't know what to do, and it destroyed her.

She walked on.

Ace heard her. He heard her despair over her incompetence and her tears of frustration towards her weakness. Her grief, her pain and her sorrow. He heard it all. And it was caused by another person, another man. It infuriated him. How could this person steal his precious Luffy away, and break her afterwards?

He felt a burning rage run through him. Where was the damn thief when Luffy was suffering? The coward had abandoned her, leaving her a mess of distress.

And why, why, why was Luffy crying over some other guy and his father?

The jealousy.

The hatred.

Trafalgar Law. This name, pronounced by his beloved Luffy's broken voice.

Ace would bring her smile back. No matter what.

Trafalgar Law had to disappear.

Law snapped out of his trance, unaware of the silent death threat he had just received. He had no idea how long he had been sitting here, but he suddenly became aware of the fact that he was starving. There was a tray next to him, loaded with food. He vaguely remembered Luffy come in and try to talk to him. What a pitiful sight he must've made! He hated himself. He wondered if she would abandon him.

He reached for the tray. A bowl of rice, a grilled fish, a few onigiris, a slice of melon and a cup of coffee. His favorite.

"Luffy-ya..."

He recalled her small, warm body, her childish face, her soft black hair. The large smile, the bright round eyes, the beautiful laugh that made him so weak. He wished she was here. Maybe she hated him now. Law wondered how he would take it if Luffy left him.

He didn't feel the strength to stand up, so he didn't move, he kept on watching the street outside of the window, the people stopping by for a hopeful glimpse of the Soul King, and maybe him too. He would never understand why these people praised him so much. Genius surgeon, prodigy Trafalgar Law? Yeah, right. More like a failure of a son, a friend and a lover.

So painful. Thinking was so painful. So many memories were coming back.

It hurt. Like his heart was breaking all over again.

It hurt. So much

A sharp pain in his palm brought him back to reality, making him notice he'd been unconsciously pressing his knife into his palm. Law hissed at the reddening wound. He was self-harming, he realized incredulously. The doctor part of him was horrified, but another, stronger part was glad of the distraction. He grabbed the tissue on the tray and pressed it roughly onto the cut, making it sting even more. Thinking was a bad idea, something he couldn't afford to do without bringing back hurtful memories. So he stopped thinking.

Law fell back into his trance.

Yeah, well, hate me, hate the chapter, it's already out and you already read it (I suppose). I don't really like the chapter either anyway.

Can't believe things went bad so fast (actually I can since that part was planned since almost the beginning, I just had trouble writing it).

So it feels like I'm just trying to make excuses and I don't like it, but my computer broke somehow which means I lost all the documents I'd prepared and if this isn't a big blow to my motivation. Also I'm working on an One Piece AMV and many art projects (excuses!).

I'm going to have to rewrite the chapter I lost of my other story next.

Sayonara~~