Prologue
Corazon Memorial Hospital. The only medical institution in the world that can boast its one hundred percent recovery rate. It is located on Raftel, that some call 'the island of the beginning' and others dub it 'the place of the end'. Some others consider it solely as the domain of the Pirate King, and one specific group of people tries to forget it altogether, for it spelled the death of their welfare, ambitions or dreams, that day over ten years ago when Monkey D. Luffy discovered what exactly was One Piece and the whole world learned the truth about it.
For Trafalgar D. Water Law, Raftel is just a place where he lives and works. As the owner, administrator and the chief physician of the hospital, he's simply too busy to contemplate either the past or the historical-political context of the island. He spends his days - and often nights too - practising medicine, that is treating people and supervising treatment, perfecting his skills and educating others. He's not the only doctor here; even with his exceptional capabilities, he would never be able to take care of that mass of patients that every day come here, believing they would be cured. Law works only on the hopeless cases, those that conventional medicine can do nothing about, and he delegates the whole rest to his team. Apart from his former crewmates of the Heart Pirates, who are on the staff to a man, the hospital employs much more people who, in last ten years, arrived on Raftel, aspiring to work in the most unusual clinic and under the guidance of the greatest doctor in the world. Specialists of every medical branch can be found here, as well as the students, trainees and interns, to say nothing of the extensive nursing staff and support personnel.
This is Trafalgar Law: a man of thirty eight, not too tall and just right slender, with ruffled black hair, always composed expression, and sharp eyes that are grey like the sea by daylight and yellowish in the dark. He wears simple clothes: blue jeans and black shirt, with white coat over it. There is stethoscope around his neck and glasses on his nose, given he is reading. With goatee, multiple tattoos and a few earrings, he doesn't look like your average doctor - and he never was one. His Devil Fruit, Ope Ope no Mi, enables him to penetrate and affect any living form, which makes him the perfect doctor. Once, when he was a pirate, people used to call him a 'Surgeon of Death', yet at present hardly anyone remembers that epithet, for in the last decade Trafalgar Law hasn't allowed a single life to perish after it had been put into his hands.
Since he quit with being a pirate - first having helped Monkey D. Luffy to claim One Piece along with the title of the Pirate King, and almost accidentally brought about the revolution, too - his existence has been filled completely with medicine. He lives, sleeps and eats in the hospital, and he gives the work almost every moment of being awake. He doesn't think of anything else, only concentrates solely on the patients and educating the next generation of the physicians. He hasn't left Raftel for a long, long time. He enjoys finally doing something useful, something that wouldn't make him feel guilty, something to ease that remorse he's been living with for years. Ope Ope no Mi, the gift of life, heart and love he received as a kid, burns in his chest and urges him forwards... yet it's so tightly integrated with his personality that he rarely wonders about his motives. He's long since accepted his past and internalised the name of the clinic that, just like his Devil Fruit, is the only bridge to the said past. In the first instance, the Corazon Memorial Hospital is a hospital - a place where the future is being forged every day, often with Law's own hands.
Trafalgar Law believes that his future is already determined, and he expects nothing to be changed. He still doesn't know that the fate prepares him a surprise.
Chapter 1
"Happy Birthday, Captain!" Bepo's cheerful cry welcomed him in place of the usual greeting. "I mean, Director," the mink corrected the very next moment.
"Bepo, it's four AM," Law muttered, running one hand through his hair and deciding to spare himself the trouble of making a remark about calling him Director. Apparently, Bepo just had to address him in a specific manner, and no remarks, requests or threats could change it.
"Which means that your birthday started four hours ago already!" the head of the emergency department pointed out with enthusiasm, blinking at him at the same time, although Law didn't need that to know that such exaltation was at least half faked.
"I'm thirty nine already... Nothing to be happy about," he said in reluctance that turned into a yawn.
Bepo patted him on the back to wordlessly express his support and then followed him when Law headed for the canteen. The hospital worked day and night, so one could get coffee whenever needed. Since Law didn't have regular hours of sleep, the idea to have fresh coffee brought to his office every morning just wouldn't do. Things being as they were, he at least had an occasion to use his legs right after waking up.
"Everything fine on your end?" he asked as they walked.
Bepo nodded. In general, the hospital on Raftel handled the chronically ill patients that would be referred here from all over the world, but it did have a small emergency unit for the sake of the local population, too. The submarine ambulances, inspired by the Polar Tang, could quickly transport the patients of the surrounding islands here. Since such cases weren't very often, Bepo was also in charge of teaching emergency medicine, both to medical students and the doctors working in this region of the Grand Line. When the Great Pirate Era had ended and the World Government had been formed anew, the priorities of the authorities had changed as well, and the promises to provide all citizens with the equal access to the health care had been quickly brought to fruition. Law had known well that there was never too much doctors, so he'd opened the doors of the Corazon Memorial Hospital to everyone wishing to improve their medical skills.
"What about your day?" Bepo asked. "It's your birthday, you really should take a day off..." he suggested timidly and without any conviction since every year the result was the same.
Law waved his hand. "I told you it's no reason to celebrate. And my work won't happen by itself," he pointed out.
"No need to sound like you didn't like it," Bepo noticed, "since everybody knows you're a workaholic. And I know I repeat myself, but you should really take better care of yourself. How much did you sleep last night?" he asked when Law yawned once more.
"Three hours," Law replied and continued before Bepo commented, "But let me remind you that for my modified organism it's perfectly enough."
Bepo looked at him, clearly not convinced, but said no more. They reached the canteen and took the table by the window. It was still dark outside, and the soundproof panes made it impossible to hear the sound of waves, but they both knew that the sea was certainly there. They were immediately offered breakfast that Law dig into eagerly. They knew each other two-thirds of life, Law suddenly realised, and Bepo had hardly ever let him go by without a breakfast in the morning. No arguments could persuade the mink to do otherwise; even in the least favourable conditions he would make sure that his boss ate something after waking up. Law could skip any other meal, but this one Bepo would never absolve him from and, long ago, would often prepare it himself. Nowadays, there was no longer any need for doing so - after two and a half decade of such measures, Law's stomach demanded food in the morning itself - and yet Bepo would often accompany his former captain in breakfast nonetheless.
"Besides, look who's talking," Law muttered between one bite of fish and another. "You're awake too at this hour."
"But I still sleep much more than you," Bepo replied.
"I can modify you too if you want to sleep less..."
"Thank you, there's no need for that. Contrary to you, I like to sleep."
Law said nothing and drank his coffee instead. It was true. He considered sleep to be a completely useless invention... That was, as a doctor, he knew perfectly well that a living creature wasn't able to function without sleep, yet himself he would rather not waste time in such an unproductive way. Well, for now he just had to accept that three hours. One day, he would undoubtedly lower that amount to two...
"Then, what's your plan for today?" Bepo's voice interrupted his reverie.
Law shrugged, running through his schedule in his thought. "Surgeries until noon, consultations in the afternoon, new admissions until the evening, and then preparing for tomorrow. Day like every one."
"But of course you have that half an hour for him, right?" Bepo said, looking at him intently. "I bet he'll be here at six, like always."
Law frowned, trying to understand. "Damn..." he muttered upon remembering. Bepo nodded. "I thought he wasn't on Raftel?"
"He returned yesterday."
Law ground his teeth. "Maybe he wouldn't remember...?" he asked hopefully.
Bepo gave him a sceptical look. "But he always remembers."
Law swore again under his breath. He was right, a birthday was never a reason to celebrate, but now he realised it was really so. The day that had promised to be so pleasant amongst the usual routine and medical challenges, was disturbed by the vision of the visit of the man that Law would like to see anywhere but his own hospital, no matter how ungrateful that was on his part.
It was Monkey D. Luffy who had made possible everything that Law enjoyed now. Apart from their previous collaboration that had helped Law close one chapter of his life, Luffy had let him stay on Raftel, finding the idea of building a hospital perfect, and supporting the enterprise both financially and workforce-wise. In the main hall, right in front of the entrance, there hung a board informing that the Corazon Memorial Hospital had been established owing to the invaluable support of the Pirate King. Law didn't doubt he would make his dream come true this way or another, yet thanks to Luffy it had taken shape even before he'd sat down to making any detailed plans.
After celebration of having reached Raftel and claimed One piece, after revolution and establishing a new order, after coronation and the royal wedding, the Straw Hat Crew - having nothing else to do and threatened by the worst perspective of being bored - had eagerly started to realise the idea. With Nami as an administrative director and Franky as both architect and construction manager, the project had had a substantial chance of success. Usopp had been nominated as Franky's assistant in the technical matters, while Zoro and Sanji had been put in charge of providing the building materials. Robin, with her artistic sense, had been the only sound candidate for an interior decorator, while Chopped had helped Law in the recruitment process of the staff. Brook's task had been to ensure safety and comfort of the workforce.
The hospital had been opened one year later - just in time to deliver the first-born son of the Pirate King. How Luffy had become a married man was a story itself; in short, he hadn't noticed when shrewd Boa Hancock had taken advantage of the multi-day libation to carry out a marriage ceremony. Rumour had it that she'd been instigated by Nami, who believed that one should take matters in their hands and always took the women's side. Presented with a fait accompli, Luffy'd said his typical 'It can't be helped', totally unbothered by such a sudden change in his civil state. It could also be that he'd expected something like that - after all, the empress of the Kuja Warriors wasn't someone to give up on her ambitions - and besides he'd probably agreed that the king should have his queen.
However, if one could somehow imagine Luffy as a husband, it required time and some mental strain to see him as a father. Claiming One Piece and the Pirate King title hadn't influenced his character in the slightest, which made Luffy always seem a kid despite his actual age. It had been over a decade since those events, but Luffy hadn't changed a bit, and Law suspected that even at the age of hundred the Pirate King would be that steadfast silly, whom absolutely everyone around him loved.
Drinking his coffee and staring at the invisible sea outside, Law thought about Luffy and Hancock's offspring, that totalled seven already. A cold shiver ran down his spine at the thought that the next kid could be on his way, because after Luffy's brother and all male members of the Straw Hats he was the next in the line to become a godfather. And even though something like that might seem a real honour... Law fervently hoped that seven was what Pirate King and Queen would stop at. Putting aside he didn't like kids, he really didn't want to see Luffy more often that once a year, when the man visited him on his birthday. Actually, Law couldn't understand how someone who seemed to use his brain for something else than the rest of people could remember about it, yet he always remembered. Maybe it was one of those mysteries that would never be logically explained.
In any case, it seemed that around six PM he would have a half an hour break... Law updated his inner schedule without wincing, trying to see positives, which was that Luffy made do with just half an hour. Which was also creditable, over the years the Pirate King had learned to come at the specific hour, for in the beginning he'd used to visit the hospital in the early afternoon and demand to see Law at once, disturbing the work of the whole facility.
His inner clock told him it was half past four, which meant he should begin his work. It was still dark and quiet outside. Bepo was yawning in his chair, and Law suddenly felt he was grateful to him for this morning. The mink that had been staying by his side two-thirds of his life, was his faithful friend - and the only person whose sentiments and caresses Law accepted. He'd long since stopped wondering how it was that Bepo was always awake to greet him as the first man.
"Have some sleep," he said with a smile, getting from the table. "There's still time until classes."
After a moment, Bepo nodded. "Happy Birthday," he said again, and Law kept from rolling his eyes. "It's going to be a good day," the mink added convincedly.
Law wished he had his optimism, but as he was soon on the way to the ward he should perform the first surgery today, he managed to convince himself that, birthday or not, this day would undoubtedly be good, just like every previous one. Once he reached his destination, all thoughts unrelated to medicine had already vanished from his mind. The ability to focus entirely on his task was one of his greatest assets.
Most of his patients were people with malignancies and life-threatening genetic disorders. While the first group was multi-age, the former consisted mostly of children. He also happened to tend to acute cases - those that the emergency unit couldn't manage - but something like that was rare, with Bepo's skills. Taking everything in the consideration, there was no such thing as a 'standard patient' in the hospital on Raftel; every day could bring a man suffering from a disease that was completely unfamiliar to the staff along with the chief doctor. Because of that Law used to consider every patient as a challenge to meet - and he always succeeded. He was called a miracle man, even though he wasn't a god; the only thing that was divine was those skills given by the Ope Ope no Mi: the abilities to break the limits of physiology and pathology. Of course, his achievements filled him with satisfaction, but the most important was that after his treatment people returned home healthier than ever before.
The patients arrived in the hospital either referred by the doctors from another clinic or by themselves. It was the policy of the Corazon Memorial Hospital to never deny anyone the right to seek counsel. Still, it didn't mean that everyone was treated here. If the initial diagnostics revealed that the disease is so moderate that it didn't require the hospital treatment, the patient was sent back to his doctor with due orders. Law operated only on those, who needed the Ope Ope no Mi; medics working under the guidance of the greatest doctor in the world were constantly getting better in isolating those cases. Sometimes it happened, too, that a person initially classified as requiring a conventional treatment, appeared to need the power of the Devil Fruit. Law was at every ward's disposal, and, in the critical situations, he as able to operate simultaneously.
Law started his every day from the patients that didn't require any special preparation. Those people often didn't even realise they were undergoing a surgery, for Law dealt with them when they were still sleeping, in the perfect silence, in their own rooms and beds. Those who happened to be awake would later tell how Doctor Law moved alone through the wards, making the patients healthy again. A girl suffering from a genetic defect of the blood vessels that caused life-threatening aneurysms. A boy with the tumours being produced in his organism and disturbing the function of every organ. A pregnant woman with a dysfunctional placenta, who despite many attempts couldn't carry a single baby to term. A young woman with the congenital disorder of copper metabolism that in a few years would lead to progressive dementia and death. An elderly man with a rheumatism, unable to move due to deformation of joints and constant pain. Law used to examine those patients the previous day and form a plan of treatment.
This is Trafalgar Law at work: His patient is sleeping more or less calmly, maybe seeing in dream what would he do once he's cured. He doesn't know that the doctor is already standing by his bed and that upon opening his eyes, he will be a healthy man. Law activates the Ope Ope no Mi, surrounding the patient with his operating room. Now the patient won't wake until it's over. Inside that dimension - separated from the reality and all other matters - Law acts, relying not on senses but on another function, unavailable to him in normal circumstances. The patient's organism - its every part and function - opens before him in a way much broader than it could be examined by sight, hearing or touch, it reveals its all secrets. Law removes the results of the pathological processes on the tissular and molecular level and then repairs the genetic code to annihilate the disease once and for all. He always strives to perform the whole treatment, but sometimes he is forced to phase them, especially when it's a new and unknown disease in question. Now, however, it's already over. The patient is still sleeping, he has yet to realise that the obstacle on the path of his life was removed and the road can be seen all the way to the horizon again. It will be no sooner than upon waking up that he will notice that he can breathe or think with ease, or that he is able to walk normally and no longer feels any pain. For now, there is no need to interrupt his sleep.
As for the patients whose treatment requires preparation, Law works on them when the day has started for good. He does it together with Shachi and Penguin, whom - despite the best hopes and efforts - he didn't manage to turn into more than assistants. However, Law doesn't consider them merely as helpers; they are his partners in the fight for the patients' life and health. Law knows the two of them as long as he knows Bepo, and he trusts their skills as much as his own. As for their ability to create a good mood, he trusts them much more than himself.
"Good morning!" Penguin called with a wide grin when Law entered the surgery room.
"And Happy Bir-" Shachi started, but a jab to his side made him stop in the half.
Law rolled his eyes but didn't comment. At least, they hadn't decorated the room with the garlands and other nonsense, which they'd used to do before, although he was sure later he would be given a 'surprise' gift anyway.
"Good morning. Everything's ready?"
"Sure," Penguin replied, taking the medical record from the pile next to him and giving it to Law.
"Then, can we start?"
"Right away."
The first person today was a middle-aged man whom the work conditions had exposed to toxic substance, and in a prolonged period of time. The poison had been accumulating in his body for years, leading to the multi-organ failure. Actually, it was yet another case of the same disease. Law, who'd experienced a similar thing himself, had already used his connections, which resulted in the company having been closed and those at fault punished. He suspected that man wasn't his last patient with that particular condition - and he waited for the rest. He hoped that everyone poisoned would manage to reach this place before it was too late. The tragedy of the Amber Lead mustn't be repeated.
That patient was already in a critical condition, but it still wasn't too late for him. Law could cure any person, even severely ill, as long as they were still alive. With the Ope Ope no Mi, he was able to stabilise the patient - a kind of freeze all functions of the organism at a certain level - and then calmly prepare to operation. In this particular case he didn't need any specific preparation. He'd learned how to remove poison from the tissues and organs as a kid already, and on himself. The operation was performed as planned and was soon over. It would take some time before the patient regained his consciousness - his organism needed time to recover to its previous strength - but once he did, he would realise that the sentence had been miraculously lifted from his head.
"Good job, boss," Penguin said when the patient had been moved to the post-operative room.
"Good job, Penguin, Shachi," Law replied like he'd used to. "Now, to the next one."
This is how Law's hours pass until its noon. He usually has a quick lunch then, followed by two-hour counselling session. It is the time when other doctors have possibility to discuss the difficult cases with him, the ones they cannot manage by themselves. Apart of the Ope Ope no Mi, Law has an outstanding medical knowledge and thus is the greatest authority in his field for his subordinates. He intently listens to the presented cases - the doctors had long since learned to be concise yet maximally detailed when doing so - asks questions and offers his advise. He gives them as much time as needed, aware that if it wasn't for those people, as much as they admire and respect him, this very hospital just wouldn't roll.
After that, Law begins to admit the new patients, examine those he's going to operate on tomorrow. This part is, in a way, more important that the treatment itself, for it determines what kind of surgery a person will need. Law tends to operate the next day, for it's the only way to process the waiting list. He admits children, adults and elderly people, focusing on each of them fully, giving prescriptions and making decisions. Every patient feels like he or she were the only medical cases in the world. No, they feel as if they were received by a god, because Trafalgar Law, for all his tattooed arms and chest, his tousled hair and stern expression, is considered a god by the majority of people whose life is in his hands.
The inner clock told him it was six PM. He'd managed to admit exactly the amount of new patients he'd planned. If nothing unexpected happened, all that was left for today was to see those he'd operated this morning and to prepare for the surgeries he'd do tomorrow.
Foot-stomping in the corridor told him that something unexpected - at least, until yesterday - was about to happen indeed. He suppressed a sigh as the door of his office opened the next moment, letting inside a yellow-blue-red tornado that was the Pirate King.
"Torao! Happy Birthday!" Monkey D. Luffy cried out and came to the halt before Law's desk, dropping a whole pile of gifts onto it.
"How many times should I tell you not to run in my hospital?" Law grunted, although his discontent was mostly faked.
"Come on, it's only from the balcony."
"You jumped on the balcony, then," Law said, though there wasn't really such need.
"It's the fastest way," Luffy replied, then sat down on the desk and grinned at him. "There's too much corridors here, and I always get lost," he added with a disarming honesty.
Law suppressed another sigh. To be frank, times when he could be angry with Luffy, had been so distant he hardly could remember them. During all those years around the Straw Hat, he'd learned how to see only positives. Now, for example, he appreciated that Luffy had indeed used the nearest balcony instead of creating a chaos and running through all the floors. Which was also creditable, he'd remembered which balcony it was.
"Are you doing well, Torao?" the Pirate King asked, and Law knew his concern was real.
"I have nothing to complain," he replied truthfully.
Before he managed to ask the same, Luffy looked around and seemed clearly disappointed. "Where's a snack? You didn't forget I'd come, right?"
"It'll be here any moment... Look, there it comes." A trolley with a cake, teapot and two cups drew into the office, pushed by no-one else but Bepo. (Law had never loved his friend, who always remembered about such things, as much as he did now).
Upon seeing him, Luffy beamed like a sun. "Bepo!" he cried and flung himself into the mink's arms.
Law observed that explosion of joy, trying not to smile, which was difficult. It was how Luffy affected people. He might be the most annoying, unpredictable and untamed incarnation of chaos, and yet he could always bring smile to the faces of people he loved. It had been over ten years since he'd brought the Grand Line under his control and become the Pirate King, but he was just like before. He hadn't changed physically either, and Law suspected it was because of the Gomu Gomu no Mi, that must have given his skin unparalleled elasticy. Then again, in his heart Luffy had probably remained a child, which sometimes made a person truly resistant to aging.
"The weather is great, you should sit outside," Bepo decided and opened the balcony door.
Law didn't protest. The weather was great indeed: a serene autumn day, devoid of the summer heat and still far from winter so no-one got cold, even now that the sun was setting already. It wasn't windy today, but the air smelled of salt all year long. The ocean under the azure sky had the colour of deep sapphire, and the scream of gulls completed that seascape. Luffy jumped on the railing and stared at the scenery, although he probably could see the same from his palace all the time.
Bepo poured tea to the cups, cut the cake and then disappeared. Law took his cup. "What's up?" he asked.
Luffy turned to him and reached for the rhubarb pie. "Effyfing fine," he replied, then swallowed down, licked his lips and grabbed another piece.
"Where did you travel this time?"
"The very far part of the South Blue!" Luffy called with enthusiasm. "They have such a looooooooong lizard there," he stretched his arms for some dozen of meters. "You know, I persuaded them into changing their diet from humans to seafood. People living there didn't have it easy before."
"Where do you plan to go next?"
"No idea, but I'll think something up," the Pirate King answered with a wide grin and took yet another piece of cake.
"Don't you miss your family?"
"Nah, I'm home most of the time anyway. Or half of time. Almost half of time. And this time I had Ace with me!"
As far as Law knew, Ace was Luffy's first-born and a terrible rascal whenever his mother didn't look. "Did he like it?"
"He did, but not so much after one of those lizards tried to eat him. Haha, that was really funny...! Hancock almost killed me when we returned yesterday, but then she decided it was a good lesson of survival for him," Luffy stated cheerfully, and Law came to the conclusion that the eldest son of the Pirate King and Queen had suffered no harm, at least not physical... "What about you, Torao? When do you plan to get married?" came the question Law hadn't expected.
He waved his hand. "Now, I have more important things to do..."
"Come on, you'll see it's great!" Luffy encouraged him, although he sounded as if he was asking Law for some kind of adventure. Not that it didn't fit; for him, the whole life meant an adventure... "And it's a real fun with the kids. I'm never bored at home," he added convincedly, which told Law that in contacts with his offspring Luffy didn't act like an exemplary father, rather like a friend at the same level of development.
"I think you fill the quota for me too," Law muttered and drank his tea.
"To be frank, I've no idea where they came from," Luffy said, and this time there was some confusion in his voice.
"I didn't want to know that," Law replied. "Do you even remember their names?" he asked with not so little dose of a taunt.
"Of course I do, what do you take me for?!" Luffy resented the very suggestion. "And I didn't name them First, Second, Third, and so on... I even remember who their respective godparents are!"
Law felt the familiar shiver running down his spine. "Well, seven is a great achievement!" he called with an exaggerated animation, which didn't suit him at all; had it been anyone else than Luffy, he'd been exposed immediately. "I think you should settle for it."
"But I tell you that I don't know where all those kids came from..." Luffy replied with a moody resentment.
Law closed his eyes and ordered himself patience. It sounded as if Boa Hancock had her children through parthenogenesis... but those were definitely too difficult words, to say nothing of the ideas, to use them in the conversation with this particular Pirate King, so Law gave up at once. And besides, even if Hancock did come from the all-female Kuja Tribe, the gender of her five sons was incontrovertible... at least for Law, who had been present by every delivery.
"Speaking of the naming sense... How is Mister Prince doing?" he asked to change the topic to a safer one.
"Ah, he's just doing great as the chef of the All Baratie. He only complains all the time that Nami is bad for him. But she agreed to live with him, so I have no idea what he's talking about. But of course he always adds that even bad Nami is wonderful."
"What about her? Casino brings profits?"
"You don't even imagine!"
Law knew that some two years ago a great entertainment complex had been opened next to the Pirate King Palace. The former navigator of the Straw Hats, after she'd managed to create the charts of all oceans, had became its administrative director, while Brook was the art manager. The renowned restaurant All Baratie was situated there, too, and for Sanji it'd been the very same dream as the Corazon Memorial Hospital for Law. The complex housed also the History Museum, but its curator rarely came to Raftel, conducting archaeological research.
"Zoro still travels with Robin?"
"Let's hope so! Why, if he gets separated from her, he won't find his way home for the next ten years, even if he has ten Eternal Poses."
The best swordsman in the world had taken advantage of the fact that Robin was the only one of the Straw Hats that hadn't settled yet on Raftel, and often accompanied her on her trips. He was considered the greatest master of sword ever, and yet he believed that only a fool rested on his laurels. Law didn't know what Zoro did during his trips, probably trained himself and others. Even if the man was the most composed amongst Luffy's former crew and appeared to need nothing more than good sake and some sleep, in reality he'd always aimed high and constantly strived to improve himself. Law couldn't say he didn't respect that.
"Everything's fine in Franky's shipyard?"
"You bet! They're so busy with Usopp that sometimes they lack workforce. But they always manage to meet the deadlines. You know that the government orders the ships from there, to say nothing about the private clients."
"Then, Usopp still hasn't agreed to take the post of the shooting instructor in the Navy?"
"Sure he hasn't. But he sometimes organises courses that the recruits are allowed to participate in, privately. But you better tell me how's Chopper doing...? He hardly ever visits us nowadays...!" Luffy said in a reproaching manner. "You have a bad influence on him, Torao!"
"Maybe he tries to avoid your kids, after they decided to keep him as a beast of burden...?" Law suggested mockingly.
"Of course not! I bet you're giving him too much work and too less holiday, Mister Director," Luffy retorted.
"What can I co? All doctors are workaholics..." Law muttered in reply but then added defensively, "I never deny my workers holidays."
"Okay, okay..." Luffy settled for that. "I'll visit him. Where's that intern ward he works?"
"Internal ward," Law corrected, rolling his eyes. "Tell him he can take leave whenever he wishes to."
They kept talking for a while before Luffy jumped down from the railing. "Then, I'm not taking more of your time. I know you're busy," he said in a serious tone, which was unlike him. Then it seemed he'd remembered something, and he started to grabble his body all over until he finally drew a folded paper from under his clothes. He spent a moment, hopelessly trying to resmooth it and then ceremonially handed it to Law, who had risen from his seat, too. "It's from the girls. The guys didn't remember about your birthday, but La and Ca didn't forget."
Law opened the paper, which was de facto a picture depicting two spotted creatures - he guessed they were the snow leopard and spotted seal, his favourite animals, which he'd once mentioned in the company - decorated with flower garlands. There was also a colourful writing, 'For Dear Uncle Torao'. The picture seemed exactly like a work of a seven-year-old kid, but for some reason Law was almost touched. He didn't like children as a rule, but Laelya and Catleya - the only daughters and twins in Luffy's family - had clearly wanted to give him joy.
Luffy patted him on the shoulder. "You should visit us sometimes, Torao," he said with a slight reproach. "We don't live far."
Law wanted to reply with his typical excuse, but he checked himself this time. "Thanks for coming," he said instead and realised he was glad indeed.
Luffy's smile was brighter than the sun, that was sinking under the horizon, and Law almost felt guilty that their contacts were nowadays so spare. The next moment, the Pirate King jumped down from the balcony. "Hey, you didn't ask me how to get to the internal ward!" Law called, leaning out.
Luffy looked up, holding his hat. "I'll have a look at the list in the main hall," he called back. "You know that I would get lost even after getting the best directions. See you, Torao!"
He disappeared inside the building before Law managed to raise a hand to wave him goodbye. He had to hope that the Corazon Memorial Hospital would survive that visit... Law smiled to his own thoughts. Of course it would last... and maybe even take in some of that positive energy that the happy Pirate King radiated always and in every place.
Law returned to the chair and stared at the darkening skies. He decided to spare a moment before sitting down to the patients' records and notes. He poured himself tea and drank it, pensive. He really enjoyed Luffy's visit, even though it'd filled him with frustration only this morning.
Luffy was one of the nicest people Law had ever met and someone whom he owe to much more than just this hospital. Also, he was someone who had stuck to him and never let go, regardless of how much Law had tried to shake him off... but it had been long since he'd tried. He knew from autopsy that people like Luffy never gave up... and he himself was probably some kind of a magnet for them and could do nothing about it.
Drinking the lukewarm tea, he recalled the conversation he'd just had. Luffy had showed him a beautiful picture of how his friends were doing. It seemed that the Straw Hats - even after the crew as such had ceased being - didn't feel like breaking up, although nowadays the relationships they had with each other were different, somehow even deeper. Nami still bore with Sanji - not only had she allowed him to accompany her on her journey for the glory of the greatest cartographer of the world, but she also had agreed to live with him after they'd returned to Raftel. It could mean only one thing: she reciprocated the feelings of the greatest chef, who had been able to postpone his own dreams for her. Zoro still travelled with Robin, and it proved the trust the two had in each other - and they'd been the most distrustful members of the Straw Hats, to begin with! Usopp had long since married Kaya and fathered two kids, Luffy's family happiness was even bigger (that was, he had both bigger wife and number of children), even Penguin and Shachi had families, as did most of Law's companions from the Heart Pirates. There was only one conclusion to be drawn from that: a man wasn't meant to be alone.
To Trafalgar Law, however, the idea to have a family was distant, even though there was more than just a few women that would gladly stay by his side and give him love. (Sometimes those ladies needed to be politely yet firmly escorted outside the grounds of the Corazon Memorial Hospital, among them those who claimed to be terminally ill). Nowadays, Law's life was entirely filled with work, which was perfect for him. He couldn't imagine himself as a husband and father. He was a doctor possessing the Ope Ope no Mi and its amazing powers. It was the only reasonable option to spend his life using those powers to help others. Only he could perform such medical miracles, and no-one else. He was the hope for salvation for many people. Every moment of his time was precious. He couldn't just hang his white coat up on the wall and occupy himself with the personal happiness; the very thought seemed unethical. Trafalgar Law belonged to the whole humanity, and he was happy about it. That knowledge gave him strength and pushed forward, and filled him with sense of purpose.
But when he let himself think about it, like now, he could see something else streaming through that rational-ideological cover, something deeper, more instinctive and strongly rooted in his very personality. As much as he could present himself with the logical arguments and fully agree with them, the motives of his behaviour were much more complicated. After he'd lost more than any person should ever lose in their life, he was scared to become emotionally involved again. He didn't dare to become attached to another person, for the fear of loss was too strong. He'd first lost his real family, and when the fate had given him someone who could have been his new family, he'd lost him, too. Two times was enough to crush any man for good; he'd somehow managed to raise from his knees and continued to live on, but wounded for ever. He appreciated all those who kept staying by his side and wouldn't leave: Bepo, Shachi and Penguin, and the rest of his former crew, Luffy and Sengoku-san, but he never let them come closer than the proverbial length of arms. (Even and especially if they didn't care a bit about it). Putting aside the fact he probably no longer was able to open himself to another person and enter into relationship, he couldn't imagine having a family. He was perfectly certain that the fear for his important ones would sooner or later eat him from the inside and didn't leave as much as a bone.
No, Trafalgar Law would rather lead his life alone, filling his days and nights with medicine, helping others and restoring hope, and never wondering about his motives. Alone, he was strong; he felt he had control over his existence. Doctor's work, regardless of the responsibility connected to it, was incomparably easier thing than so called personal life. Then again, knowing that there were areas in which he was far from ideal, strengthened his awareness of being just a human. Being a human wasn't bad.
He returned to his office and shamblesed all presents to the adjacent room - he knew they were gifts from the majority of the Straw Hats. He would browse through them one day, as he would do with the presents from Shachi and Penguin. He attached the Laelya and Catleya's picture on the wall, where he used to hang all works by his little patients. He was always baffled by the thought that someone minded him, but he accepted those tokens of affection without as much as a blink. He was well aware that a single gift was sometimes enough to change the whole life.
He knew that there was one man he wouldn't get any 'Happy Birthday' from. Sengoku-san used to visit him once a year, on that particular autumn-winter day that they both held in a greater significance than October 6. It was that day in the late November that Law considered as a real date of his birthday, for it was then, twenty-six years ago, that his new life had started. He would always stop working in the afternoon and sit in the arbour with the retired admiral. They had a good view on the stylised inscription hanging over the main entrance: Corazon Memorial Hospital - name which meaning only the two of them understood. They would talk, reminisce and drink good sake - scandalising the rare patients that happened to see them - and then parted for yet another year, wishing each other good health. That day was to come also this autumn, this winter.
Law sat down by the desk and started to look through the medical records of his patients. Within a minute, he submerged himself in work entirely.