Chapter 9
The end of the year wasn't eventful, and that trend continued in January as well. Law spent the New Year's Day according to his own tradition: staying on call. To tell the truth, it wasn't that much of a pleasant change as it usually tested his patience and charity, for the majority of his customers were people injured by playing with fireworks. For some reason, humankind wouldn't understand that the firecrackers were dangerous, and learn to use them with caution, and that was why every year Law spent hours recreating fingers, noses and eyeballs. This time, amongst others, he saw a man whom a cracker hit straight in the forehead, tore his skull and destroyed some parts of brain. Only remembering his medical ethics helped Law muster a little bit of empathy required for treating, for his common sense was of the opinion that the humanity would be much happier without that one idiot, while such thinking didn't really befit a doctor.
Of one thing, however, he was glad: using the Ope Ope no Mi for a longer period of time didn't cause any sensation like fainting, which he'd subconsciously feared. He really didn't want to go through what had happened this autumn, again. The New Year's shift reassured him that everything was fine. After all, he wasn't even forty! According to the medical standards, he was still a young man. (He conveniently 'forgot' the fact that using the Ope Ope no Mi for fighting in the past must have shortened his life expectancy already; he didn't feel like bothering about it now). There was no reason that his health should be affected.
The weather was fine, with the temperatures around zero. Snow was laying in the highest regions of the island, but it had no chance to stay longer on the coast. During those thirteen years Law had spent on Raftel, only one winter had been so cold that the sea by the shore had frozen; this year, however, it didn't seem likely. Of course, there were people who complained about such mild winters, but Law tried not to listen to them... even though he really didn't go outside, so he couldn't care less about the weather.
Then, however, January 15 came, and the situation changed drastically. Law spent a very nice evening with the medical charts, planning tomorrow's surgeries, and was about to inform the wards about the detailed schedule, when his inner calendar reminded him that tomorrow was his enforced day off. His secretary had long since taken account of it and appointed the new patients for the day after tomorrow.
He frowned and put down the receiver, then leaned back on his chair. His good mood vanished, replaced by a feeling of displeasure. In the last weeks, he'd managed to forget about what Bepo, Ikkaku and Clione had forced him to, in co-operation with Luffy and, of all people, the World Government. Now he was kicking himself for having yielded to their will and decided to take one day off per month! One day off! The thought of how many people he could cure and admit in that time, filled him with despair. He almost hoped that tomorrow something unexpected would happen, something that would require him to stay at work... but then he decided that hoping for a catastrophe was fundamentally immoral and couldn't be explained by any personal reasons, so he quickly stopped.
Well, there was nothing he could do about it now. The truth was he had promised, and Trafalgar Law just wasn't someone who broke his promises, so it didn't even occur to him to try and wriggle out of it, or argue again for cancelling that circus. Even if the vision of one day off filled him with... well, maybe not exactly terror, just reluctance... he would somehow manage. He'd defeated Donquixote Doflamingo, had contributed to the fall of the Four Emperors of the Sea, had survived already thirteen years close to the most crazy Pirate King that had even walked or sailed in this world; compare with that, one day off really didn't seem impossible. He would occupy himself with something - he could read the medical journals, have a glance at the blueprints of the new wing, browse through the submitted resumes, or read the recent papers written by his colleagues - and January 16 would just pass. Comforted by that conclusion, he called the wards and scheduled the surgeries for the day after tomorrow.
However, when January 16 came, it once again made him understand that life was never as pleasant as one planned it to be. At first, everything was going well: he remembered not to put on his white coat, then ate his breakfast at 4 AM - alone, for Bepo didn't come to the canteen this morning - and then sat down by his desk to soon become absorbed in the world medical journals. Around seven, however, the door of his office opened, revealing the head of the emergency unit, and very displeased, too.
"What are you doing here?" Bepo asked, clearly striving to remain calm.
"Reading a surgery journal...?" Law replied, moving his glasses down his nose.
"You're supposed to have a day off," the mink reminded him.
"Well, I have."
"You have a day off, staying in your office and reading a surgery journal?" Bepo asked, frowning.
"Actually this office is my flat, too," Law noticed. "I'm not treating anyone; I'm not going to even look at the patients or use the Ope Ope no Mi. What's the problem?"
Bepo closed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking at him again. "Holiday doesn't mean merely 'not working'. Just like health doesn't mean merely 'absence of disease," he said. "You should do something fun. Relax. Do you know what it means?"
Law straightened in his chair. "You didn't need to say that," he declared. "Then, what do you think I sh-" he started and paused, for what he'd planned to say didn't do credit to his intelligence.
Bepo shook his head and sighed, which Law interpreted as 'You're hopeless'. He didn't really know why he'd thought that; Bepo would never make such a remark. The mink looked outside; it was getting bright. "It's quiet now down there," he said. "And I'm free for the next hour, so we can go for a walk."
Law blinked. "Bepo, I'm not a kid," he replied. "You don't have to babysit me."
"I'm not going to babysit you," the mink answered right away. "I only want to show you how you should spend a free day since-" He stopped.
'Since you don't know how to do it, yourself,' Law finished for him in thought, although he still had no idea where it came from. Maybe from the events of the autumn he'd learned to look at his situation from the others' point of view... What a pity that what he saw wasn't pleasant.
"Well, come on," the mink said, waving at him encouragingly. "It's not like you're going to die from it."
Law was aware that if he objected, he would either hear a lecture or get into another argument. Besides... Bepo was right: it wouldn't kill him if they had a walk and talked a bit. After all, it was Bepo, his best friend and someone Law knew as well he knew himself. Talking with Bepo was never a waste of time.
He nodded and got up, put on his jacket, and they left. It was yet another fine day with a cloudless sky that was light-blue at this time of year. It wasn't freezing; a light breeze was blowing, smelling of the salt. Despite January, the lawn in front of the hospital was green. Law wondered where they would head to; if Bepo could spare him one hour, they could have a walk in the park or on the beach...
The mink turned to the side gate, which meant a seaside walk. Soon, before their eyes spread a scenery limited only by horizon, one that every man of the sea must have considered the most beautiful in the world at some point of his life. Under the azure sky water was like a pale sapphire, marked in places by white of spume and gulls. The waves gently and almost noiselessly were washing the sand, peculiar under their feet in winter. For most of the people, the day had only started, so the two of them were the only ones on the beach.
"You skipped breakfast... Anything happened?" Law asked as they walked on the white sand, although he quickly regretted it, certain that Bepo would scold him for talking about work.
The mink, however, replied, "We had triplets with laryngitis."
"Triplets? You don't mean that they oedema at the same time...?"
Bepo nodded. "Mother got them into the pram and ran here... They live in the harbour, so she didn't think of calling an ambulance. Of course, the symptoms subsided on cold the moment they went outside, but the kids started to get blue as soon as they were brought into the hospital."
"All three of them?"
"Yes."
"Biology amazes me sometimes," Law decided. "Though, they were triplets..."
"In any case, we suddenly had work for three people, you know."
Law nodded absently. Then, before he managed to bite his tongue, he asked, "How it is that you work as much as I, and still reproach me for never taking a vacation?"
Bepo looked at him, perplexed. "I don't work as much as you," he replied. "First, I always have one day off per week. Second, I don't work all the time. You know that I sleep at night if it's quiet, and I often take naps during the day, too. We don't have that many patients in our emergency unit. I think that I have some three time less work than you... plus aforementioned day off. Besides, it's a normal work, with no Devil Fruit that would exhaust my energy." He paused, then sighed quietly before speaking again, "I no longer reproach you, for now you do take a vacation."
Law brushed away another pestering thought: that Bepo would rather he took a vacation more often than just one day per month. He realised that sooner or later his colleagues would raise that topic again and undoubtedly demand that extended his holiday... Law wished he could find it amusing or, at least, touching; unfortunately, the whole matter stirred mostly negative emotions because he didn't feel any need to have a free day.
Now that he thought about it, he felt guilty again. He suddenly stopped in his track, which made Bepo stop as well. "It's not right," he said, clenching his fists.
"What isn't?"
Law shook his head, fixing his eyes on the pale sand. "I should be working now," he muttered. "It makes no sense that so many people are waiting for my help, and I'm doing nothing."
"It doesn't," Bepo objected. "And it's perfectly right that you have a day off. You're a human, just like everyone, and you deserve some rest."
"I rest at night," Law muttered under his breath, then ran his hand through his hair. "How could I relax if I know that this one day may decide of someone's life and death?"
"Then maybe I really should have let you continue reading," Bepo replied with another sigh. "You apparently could focus on that...?"
Law shrugged and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket. He stared at the sea to sea a ship approaching the island: the first morning ferry.
"I read that issue of the Journal of Surgery," Bepo said and resumed walking, and Law followed. "What do you think of that new procedure of treating the stomach cancer from the North Blue?"
"It seems they're getting really good results. Uni already consulted it with me the other day. He'd like to try it."
They continued their walk, discussing the most recent medical news. Law was aware that probably Bepo just wanted to draw his attention from unpleasant things, but such conversation were always nice, nonetheless. They'd been still kids when they'd met for the first time, and Law knew he could trust his former navigator more than anyone else. It was never hard to talk with Bepo, and he usually enjoyed it... unless they talked about his own well-being. Well, recently they'd been talking only about medicine.
"Do you remember that the World Congress of Emergency Medicine takes place next month?" the mink spoke.
"Now that you mentioned it, I do," Law replied with a wry smile. "Did they invite you to be a speaker again?"
Bepo shook his head. "No, but I still want to go. It's a high-level meeting, I always learn something new. By the way..."
"Yes?"
"I wonder if we could organise something similar here..." the mink said, pensive.
"Here? In our hospital?" Law asked, frowning.
"No. Just here, on Raftel."
"I don't think we have a sufficient infrastructure..." Law replied. "I do suspect we could turn the New Piece to the congress centre, Nami would probably agree to that, but we have no hotel capacity. I bet a few thousands or even more would like to participate in such an event... Where would we accommodate them?"
"In the palace? Or the Four Islands?" Bepo suggested.
"Or everyone would come with their own tent," Law retorted ironically.
"In any case, I believe many doctors would gladly visit Raftel..."
"You mean that a few thousands people would fool around our hospital?"
"Come one, why fool around..." the mink replied. "Of course we wouldn't let the whole crowd inside! We could make a presentation, show them pictures and describe our work."
"I see you really want to do it," Law muttered, glancing at him. "But organising something like that would require a hell of a lot of work. You would need to find a right person to coordinate everything."
"Then, you're not entirely against the idea?" Bepo asked.
"Why should I be? If it doesn't disadvantage our hospital, why not? I'm sure that the World Medical Association would be interested and contribute to the organisation. You should consult them and set a date for the congress. It should be fine in two-three years, we'll have everything ready by then," Law decided. "But first the realistic estimation of the participants must be made, and ascertain if new hotels could be built on Raftel and the Four Island, and if yes, then who would pay for it. Franky would surely help, if he isn't busy with other things. As for the catering, I think we already have enough restaurants to provide meals even for the thousands of guests. But maybe we will need to increase the ferry connections..." He mused. "What kind of a congress it would be? Of general or specialised medicine?"
He turned to Bepo and saw the mink staring at him with his mouth open. "What?" he asked.
Bepo shook his head and smiled. "Nothing. Your organising skills have just amazed me once again, that's all."
Law rolled his eyes. "Those are just basic things," he muttered.
"Yeah, sure... As for your question, I think that the general medicine is fine... for starters."
"For starters?"
"Well, you know, since we'll already be having that infrastructure and experience, it would be a shame to never use it again," Bepo said innocently, but his eyes gleamed.
"The next thing you'll say is that you're going to make Raftel the centre of world medicine," Law snorted.
"Isn't it already?" the mink asked, rather stating the fact than being presumptuous; Bepo was never being presumptuous. "Speaking of which... If we really organise that congress, the greatest doctor in the world will be bound to show himself there."
"I should've known you plan to involve me."
"Come on, it'll be enough if you have some fifteen minutes speech at the opening ceremony..."
Talking about the possible congress, they reached Roger Bay, the very first town that had been founded on Raftel and the island's only harbour. At the stall, Bepo bought two tuna skewers.
"There's nothing better than a fresh fish in the morning," he said as they headed for the market square.
"Fresh? This one is grilled, though..." Law pointed out, although he felt like smiling.
"Don't play with words," the mink replied with fake indignation. "Why do we have to eat breakfast at four? I must always settle for yesterday's fish."
"I don't force you to eat with me. You can have a breakfast later..."
"You wish," Bepo replied in a voice that clearly said he wasn't going to give up on the meal they used to start the day with... and Law was grateful for that.
The port clock struck a quarter to eight. "I have to go," Bepo said, throwing the stick in the trash bin.
"Wait, I'll return with you," Law said.
"You have a day off," the mink reminded him with a glare. "Go for a longer walk or something. Go to the New Piece, I think they are open around the clock. Have a lunch in the All Baratie. Go to the museum or the cinema. You really could spend the whole day there, you haven't been there before, right? Bye!" Then he waved goodbye, turned away and ran towards the hospital, quickly vanishing from sight.
Law was left alone in the market of the port town... and suddenly noticed how noisy and bustling it was around him. He finished his tuna skewer and binned the stick, then shoved his hands into his pockets, pulled his head into his shoulders and hid his nose behind the collar of his jacket. He realised he hadn't been here for ages. In last years, he'd hardly ever left the Corazon Memorial Hospital, and if he had, then only in emergencies, when the Ope Ope no Mi and its ability to save lives would be needed. Now, however, he was here... privately. And Bepo had told him to spend the whole day outside...! Law would lie if he said he felt comfortable, and wished he could return to his office already.
People were passing him, talking and laughing, some in a hurry, others at a leisurely pace, young and old, women and men. The stalls were besieged by customers wishing to buy groceries and other goods. A pleasant smell of fresh fish was coming from one side, and not so pleasant smell of freshly baked bread was coming from the other. Law could hear the merchants pitching their commodities. A ship's whistle came from the sea; a ship was calling to a port. The dogs were barking. A woman watering her flowers knocked over one pot that then fell down right before an elderly man that was walking underneath, which made him swear. A group of children ran to the school, and their bags were hitting everyone who was so unfortunate as to cross their path.
Law was standing amongst all that and, in the first place, felt amazed that no-one was paying any attention to him. It wasn't a conceit, only... He'd just thought that his face was well known to every person in the world. But, he understood, probably no-one expected to see Trafalgar Law in the middle of the port town when it was a common knowledge - especially after those articles he recollected with a wince - that he used to spend his whole time at work... Still, he didn't plan to tempt his luck... and he wanted to move somewhere with fewer people, too.
"So it's that road that leads to the New Piece?" he overheard a woman speaking.
"That's what it says," a male voice replied.
"But it's pretty far... and uphill, too."
"We can get a taxi, dear."
Law looked up. Two meters away, a young couple was standing and staring at something above his head, although they soon left to search for a transport. Law turned his head and saw a signpost with numerous boards pointing at, among others, the Pirate King's Palace, the Corazon Memorial Hospital, and the nearest taxi rank. It made sense since the market marked the central point where the main roads of the town were crossing... With his eyes, Law followed the main road leading inside the island; outside the city, it started to rise, only to reach the destination after some six kilometres. Even from here, one could see the colourful roof of the palace-entertainment complex New Piece... or how they should call the place where Straw Hat Luffy had made a home for himself and all those wishing to stay near him.
He shook his head. No, he wasn't going there. Even if he did as Bepo's suggested, and spent the day outside the hospital, the New Piece was the last spot on Raftel he would visit, especially that it was probably surrounded by snow. For some reason, however, his legs started moving themselves and carry him towards the mountain. Maybe that wide and empty road stretching before him seemed much more encouraging than the town filled with people...? It wasn't like he had to enter New Piece; he just could walk there and then come back, or even turn somewhere on his way, right?
It was with relief that he left the bustling Roger Bay behind, with its market and harbour, with locals and visitors. Raftel's population was constantly growing, even though the island had been inhabited only for a dozen years, starting with Luffy's arrival. Now there were quite a few towns here and smaller villages, for the Pirate King - and the greatest doctor in the world - acted like a magnets. For many people, Raftel was the place where history had started anew, which made it popular and even trendy. Thirteen years ago, the island had been marked on maps, and establishing the sea connection had made it accessible to anyone. Its location was no longer any mystery, and yet it kept attracting and alluring people.
Geography-wise, Raftel was pretty mountainous, with the only lowlands being situated near the coast. Not so far from the shoreline, the terrain started to rise and undulate, covered mostly in forest. The soil was fertile enough that the crops could be grown, to say nothing about other plants, so not only merchants and craftsmen had come here but also farmers, whose homesteads Law was now passing on his way to the New Piece. As the terrain ascended, the usable area was getting more scarce, as were the houses, which couldn't be said about the signposts, positioned in the regular intervals all along the road. They assured the traveller that he or she was certainly on the right way... although Law was of the opinion that only Zoro could become lost here. The boards themselves were quite a piece of art, decorated with the pictures of Luffy's former crew members in strange poses and with interesting expressions, and, of course, the symbol of the Pirate King. Law remembered that the signs pointing at the Corazon Memorial Hospital contained the former symbol of the Heart Pirates, too, but fortunately it hadn't occurred to anyone to decorate them with Law's picture. He had no idea how Luffy persuaded the rest of the Straw Hats into it; maybe they'd decided it to be a nice change from having their faces on the wanted posters for previous years...
The weather was fine, and the sun was moving up on the azure sky. At this hour, the road was almost empty, and Law was only occasionally passed by the taxis carrying the first tourists to the entertainment centre, those that had arrived on the morning ferry. It was probably the same ship that new patients used to arrive, too... This thought made Law feel guilty again; he slowed down and, in the end, came to the halt and looked back. The Grand Line was sparkling like a sapphire down there. He couldn't see the hospital now, obscured by the hills and trees, but it was certainly there, right to Roger Bay.
He knew he couldn't go back. He'd promised to have a day off and had to endure it, even at the cost of being crushed by his conscience. If he returned to work, Bepo and the others wouldn't leave him be, for his arguments - logical, medical, and ethical - just didn't work on them. Then, he had promised, and it mattered, too. He just had to cope with that, somehow. He looked up again. It was probably around nine, which meant that the day was passing and it would pass completely at some point. The New Piece wasn't that bad idea; like Bepo said, it could busy Law and occupy his thought for many hours, and it was what he needed the most.
Trying to focus on other things than his work and the patients, he resumed walking, moving his legs with more energy than required. The higher he was, the more snow he could see in the shadowy spot under the brush. The road, however, was clean; he remembered that Franky had planted the heating system underneath. After Nami's repetitive complaints about being forced to trudge through the snow (despite Sanji being more than happy to carry her), the chief engineer of the Straw Hats had decided to install such an improvement. Law was grateful both to him and Nami.
He occasionally glanced behind to admire even deeper shade of the ocean. The road kept bending, and the spruces were growing even thicker, so he could spot only a little fragment of water, but even that much gladden him. Just like many former pirates, Law had sea in his blood and felt the best with the sea in his sight. However, he was already pretty high and could no longer taste the salt in the air, which was now filled with the smell of resin, neither could he hear the waves, only screams of the falcons over his head. Apparently, the nature didn't care in the slightest about the great entertainment complex nearby, although Law remembered that Franky had taken great care that it was environment friendly and didn't affect the ecosystem. Much emphasis had been given to soundproofing and lightproofing, otherwise it would have been like opening a disco in the middle of a national park. Even the taxis moving between the complex and the harbour were eco-friendly: they didn't produce any pollution or noise. The Straw Hats had agreed that the nature of Raftel should be preserved, and Law could still remember the great impression that the wild, untouched by civilisation island had made on him when he'd first landed in this place of the end and beginning.
Finally, he reached the dam of the cirque that Luffy had built his house in. The road ran over the edge to descend a bit. Although the scenery was clearly mountainous, with the rock walls hanging from the three sides, the height above sea level wasn't too big to make it impossible for normal green to grow here, and thus the cirque was filled with the majestic spruces. The bottom of the basin, however, was devoid of the trees, and there stood a building that was unlike anything else in the world. Franky must have used his vivid imagination to the fullest when designing it, although it was possible that Luffy had actively participated in the process, as well. Generally speaking, the building was a mixture of probably all existing architectural styles and ethnic influences. Round and square towers, cloisters and arches, big and small windows, straight and upturned roofs. The portions were of different height, materials, and colours. The building was surrounded by ponds, gardens and playgrounds filled with the bronze and marble statues, arbours, and kids' equipment, now covered with snow. On the top of the tallest tower had been attached the jolly roger of the Straw Hat Pirate Crew, fluttering in the wind that hardly ever ceased blowing at this altitude. All in all, the property seemed to belong to a complete madman, which fitted, for Monkey D. Luffy was one of the greatest freaks under the sun and the very negation of the word 'normal'. The palace had several floors and could accommodate hundreds of people; the guests never ended, for Luffy's adventure in search of the One Piece had brought him many, many friends, not only in the Grand Line. It was obvious that every of them wished to visit him at least once in his place.
Right to the palace was the entertainment complex of a proud name 'New Piece', stylistically more consistent and subdued colour-wise. It contained an aquapark, an amusement park, restaurants, shops, museums, a concert hall and even a cinema, together with a hotel for the guests wishing to spend a longer while here.
Law chose the right path, leading to the entrance, but he managed to take only a few steps before he heard a crescendo, "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!", and the next moment the Pirate King, Straw Hat Luffy, landed next to him on the stone pavement. It seemed he'd jumped down from the palace. "Torao! It's really you!" he called happily, patting Law at the back. "I knew you would come! It's your free day, right?"
Law stared at him in silence. Here was standing the last person he'd wanted to meet today... but he could blame only himself for having come here. If anything amazed him, it was the fact that Luffy remembered about his day off. But, he quickly realised, the Pirate King's ability to remember such things had surprised him before, already. "I felt like going to the New Piece," he muttered. "I've never been there before..."
"No way!" Luffy objected. "You must vist us! We can go to the New Piece later! I'll show you everything," he offered with enthusiasm that was adding the exclamation mark to his every sentence.
Law knew from experience that any protest was futile, and only nodded. Luffy brightened even more and took the left path. "But you didn't look out for me since morning, did you?" Law asked ironically.
"No, I was sitting on the roof and-" Luffy suddenly stopped. "I forgot! We can't find Faran. It seems he went somewhere last night, no-one has seen him today, so I got up to have a look..."
Law remembered that Faran was the second to last child of Luffy and Hancock and was... five...! "Idiot!" he called angrily. "He's just a kid. If he went to the forest, he might hurt himself. And it's winter, too."
"Come on, he's my son," Luffy said with a silly grin. "He'll be fine."
"Why didn't you use Haki?" Law scolded him. "Ah, never mind. Let's search for him. You take the left side, and I take the right. If we don't find him, let's meet in this place again."
Luffy nodded and headed for the forest. Law activated Colour of Observation and set it to be able to find any source of energy corresponding to a small kid, at least. According to Luffy, the boy was nowhere near the palace, so he probably could be find in the green. Law created ROOM covering that part of the valley and started to teleport between what his Haki caught. He made an acquaintance of a lynx hunting the hares, ran into a middle-aged guy lying on the snow and, judging from the reek of alcohol, obviously sleeping off the fun of the last night, and startled a couple of apparent masochists in the middle of morning caresses in the bosom of winter nature.
The boy, however, was nowhere to be seen. Could he have gone further up in the mountains? No, Law could detect no energy other than that of the herd of chamois that he saw with his naked eye. Maybe the kid had walked over the dam and down, to the coast? Should he search for him there? No, he first needed to contact Straw Hat.
He returned to the spot they'd parted at, and was relieved to see Luffy approaching from the opposite side, together with a flushed boy who was undoubtedly his son, holding his hand. "HEEEY!" the Pirate King called upon seeing him and waved. "I found him!" he informed as if it hadn't been obvious.
Law narrowed ROOM to the boy and scanned him, but he didn't see anything abnormal. He deactivated the Ope Ope no Mi and nodded. "It seems he's fine," he said.
"I told you he would be fine. He's my son," Luffy answered in a tone of obviousness.
Maybe it really was so, Law thought. Monkey D. Luffy and Boa Hancock couldn't possibly have produced normal humans, their offspring were probably some monsters... and it was dread to think what kind of adults they would grow into. Maybe he'd really exaggerated, he concluded. Then again, over last thirteen years he'd been seeing only ordinary children.
The five-year-old kid was giving him an intent and somehow distrustful look. He had dark-blue eyes and black hair, although now only a few strands were sticking from under his hat. Law noticed that the boy was dressed suitably to the weather, and had a rucksack on his back, as if he'd left for an adventure.
"Faran, look who's visited us. Uncle Torao!" the ruler of Raftel said, pointing at Law.
"I don't know him," the boy replied at once, turning his head away.
"You see, Torao?" Luffy called reproachingly. "You come so rarely that my kids don't even remember you!"
Law said nothing. The truth was he hadn't visited the Pirate King's family for ages, even though he'd been present during Hancock's every delivery. The words 'don't remember' was quite an understatement, for the reality was closer to what Faran had said: the younger kids didn't know him at all.
"Um... Did he say why he went to the forest?" he asked as they walked towards the palace, occasionally glancing at the boy, who was holding Luffy's hand like a good kid.
"He wanted to have a look at the bear in the den," Luffy replied, laughing. "He decided it would be easier during the hibernation."
It didn't really surprise Law that the son of Straw Hat could come up with such an idea. "But why in the morning?"
"The bear's den is in the mountains, so I had to leave early," the boy spoke, casting him a furtive look. "Everyone knows that you should go out in the mountains early," he added with an illumination that Law accepted without as much as a wince.
"You see that smart guy?" Luffy wouldn't stop laughing. "He dressed properly and even packaged provisions."
Law decided that Luffy's kids must have inherited intelligence from their mother, fortunately.
"But, Faran. Why didn't you leave any message?" Luffy asked. "Mom was worrying about you. Or even better, why didn't you take me with you?" he added with reproach. "I'd like to have a look at the bear, too."
"You were sleeping!" the boy blurted.
"True, hahaha!" Luffy laughed so hard that he almost lost his hat. "But you will take me the next time, okay? We'll prepare for that trip, and I'll certainly wake up in time! We'll ask mom to prepare us the supplies. Oh, I can hardly wait! Maybe... maybe we can go tomorrow? What do you think?" he called zealously, looking at his son.
The boy only nodded before pulling his head in the collar of his jacket, but Law managed to see his smile. The vision of going out into mountains with his father must have appealed to him, even though he wasn't going to show his happiness in the same excited manner.
They passed the gate. Up close, the palace made an overwhelming impression with its numerous floors and plentiful ornaments that seemed to tower over the man just like the mountains nearby. The road led them to the main door, which Luffy opened wide and inhaled deeply. "HANCOOOOOK! I FOUND HIM!" he shouted.
Law decided it was a miracle that his ear drums didn't explode. Faran, still holding his father's hand, winced visibly, although Law wasn't sure whether it was due to the sound or the content of that shout.
It didn't take even five seconds before the Pirate Queen rushed into the hall, clicking her heels and waving her hair like a mythical gorgon, and swept her son in her arms. "My little Faran!" she called, embracing him tenderly. "Are you all right? Where have you been? Why didn't you leave mommy a note? Mommy was worrying, and everyone was looking for you, and we couldn't find you...! It's good that you're back!"
For a moment, the boy didn't know how to react to that outburst of motherly affection... or maybe he was just waiting for the rest. The next moment, Hancock put him down on the floor and glared at him from her height of almost two metres. In the dark-blue dress clinging to her perfect figure she was imposing, just like always. "As a punishment you don't eat today," she said in an authoritative voice of a queen. "I hope it will cure you of worrying your parents, young man."
The boy pressed his lips in a thin line and nodded, accepting his punishment like a man... and unlike his father, who gave a loud groan. "Hancock... A whole day without food?! It's too harsh..." he called beggingly. "Nothing serious happened. He only wanted to have a look at the bear!"
His venerable wife whom many still considered the most beautiful woman in the world, looked at Faran, who was standing with his head down, and her eyes filled with concern. "At the bear?" she asked. "Is that true, my son?"
"It's in hibernation, so I thought I could observe him quietly," the boy muttered. "I left early to be back in time."
"I can see that you dressed properly, too," Hancock admitted.
"I even packed a lunch," Faran added, glancing at her with hope.
The Pirate Queen slowly nodded in recognition to his preparation.
"Hancock, have mercy..." Luffy entreated her. "Hancock, please... Hancock...!"
Law saw that Hancock experienced increasing difficulties in focusing on the situation when Luffy, probably unaware of his influence, kept shooting her with his begging. Every time the Pirate King spoke her name, the blush on her cheeks deepened and the gaze in her eyes turned softer. "In that case... You're not eating a dinner," she decided, and her voice was no longer as harsh as before. "You may eat your packed lunch, t-though," she added, stuttering lightly.
Faran nodded. "I apologise," he said in a serious voice.
Hancock stroke his hair affectionately. "I'm not angry."
"We're lucky," Luffy declared, than brightened and called in appreciation, "That's my Hancock!" No longer able to contain her happiness, she pressed both hands to her cheeks and turned away embarrassed.
Law wondered if he really should be here... but, on the other hand, he'd seen that scene so many times that he considered it to be a natural part of the scenery. In any case, it seemed that the woman once called the Pirate Empress was still infatuated with Luffy like a girl. Law would lie if he said he wasn't relieved.
"Faran, you go change," Luffy asked. When the boy followed his request, he said to his wife enthusiastically, "Hancock, look who visited us! Torao! I told you he would come! I told you, didn't I? And he really came!"
Hancock turned to them again and looked at Law as if she'd noticed him only now. The gaze in her dark-blue eyes, so dreamy just a moment ago, was hard again, but Law knew that well, too. Boa Hancock had never given up on that particular animosity towards men, excluding only Luffy and her five sons. Of course, she could be kind to those males who deserved it - Law knew he belonged to that group - but she more often showed them that proud and dignified face of a ruler. She'd always ruled over someone: once over her tribe on Amazon Lily and the crew of the Kuja Pirates, along with the hearts of most of the men and some women in the world, now over Raftel by Luffy's side. Although she was in her mid-forties already and had delivered seven children, her body was still graceful and curvy, and her hip-length hair were pure black. Beauty of her face was still breath-taking and couldn't be described in any words. Her bearing and her gestures were those of a queen, and everything about her made her an image of an ideal woman; many would give their lives for her single glance.
"Trafalgar Law," she said with her head up, but something akin to a gracious smile appeared on her lips. "Luffy did mention you would come."
"Actually, I was going to the New Piece," he muttered, "so-"
"My husband's guests are my guests," Hancock continued, ignoring him altogether and instead waving in an elegant gesture towards the stairs leading inside the palace. For some reason, everything she said sounded like an order. "Welcome."
Next to him, Luffy grinned widely and patted him at the back. Law suppressed a sigh. It seemed he had no choice than follow the queen of Raftel. He comforted himself with the thought that in the evening, at the latest, he would return home and wouldn't have to go out for the whole next month.