Today has been a surprisingly good day.
His brothers have been busy with training, and Reiju accompanies their father to a meeting to discuss matters of alliance with someone called Big Mom. He had sneaked out into the kitchen earlier to cook, and while he thought he had messed the recipe up, his mom had loved every bite.
Sanji is still basking in her praise on his way back when a sudden clatter snaps him out of his thoughts. He whips around at the sound of cursing and hurried footsteps, just in time to see a bunch of guards dragging a small body down towards the dungeon.
In all his time here, aside from his siblings, Sanji has never seen another kid. Curiosity piqued, he sneaks in after the guards left, his heart thumping in his chest.
The boy is lying down on the ground in a cell, and from the dim light filtering through the narrow windows, Sanji sees that the boy seems older than him, with a spotted hat on his head, face drawn with patches of white, and his body is just as small as Sanji's.
It takes a while until the boy finally notices he's not alone in the dungeon, and when their eyes meet Sanji gives him a reassuring smile.
Sanji follows the boy's gaze—the way he looks intently at Sanji's wide smile, then at his blonde hair—and sees something aching in his expression.
"Who are you?" he rasps.
Sanji winces in sympathy at the scratchy tone of his voice, but he smiles regardless, "I'm Sanji! And you? I have never seen you here before. Are you hurt?"
The boy narrows his eyes slightly, before wincing and curling tighter around his stomach. "It's nothing."
Sanji frowns a bit, then he realizes this kid is maybe hungry. Without a second thought, he rushes back to the kitchen. As he reaches his destination, Sanji scans the room, his eyes landing on the pot he had set aside after cooking earlier, with the leftover soup still warm. He ladles the soup into a bowl, thinks a bit, then decides to take a moment to garnish it with a sprinkle of fresh herbs. Holding the bowl steady, he ambles carefully throughout the hallways, walks down to the dungeon, and pushes it through the bar.
"Hey hey, eat this!"
The boy just lies there and looks at Sanji in a daze. Sanji's slightly embarrassed, "If you don't want to try it, then don't."
That snaps the boy out of his own stupor. He hisses, "Don't tell me what to do. I will try it!" He then proceeds to push himself up, and down the soup in one go. Only that much action seems to tire him out more than it should be, and he lies back down heavily, breath expelling in a slight wheeze.
Sanji watches, anxiety gnawing at his insides. He has to strain his ears to hear what the boy says next, "...I owe you one."
That evening, Sanji can't stop worrying. When he goes back to his room, he asks Reiju about it. His sister always knows the ins and outs of the kingdom.
"Trafalgar Law," Reiju reclines back against the chair by the fireplace. "He's brought in a week ago. Apparently he's the only one left in the world to have an incurable disease in his body, and father wants to see if maybe it can be utilized."
She pauses for a moment, looking thoughtful, "As for the hunger, it's perhaps part of what they have been experimenting since yesterday. No food intake to see the deterioration speed."
Sanji is horrified, "They can't do that. That's—that's horrible!"
Reiju looks sharply at him in warning, "Who is there left to tell them off for him? And don't you dare say anything about it. I don't want you to be hurt because of a stranger."
"... Okay," Sanji thinks of what could be done to him and trembles slightly. But the worry is still there, and Law has looked to be in great pain. He decides that everyday he will make his way down to the cell and brings Law some food to help him as much as possible.
Sanji managed to do it for a month before Judge decides he's no longer deserving of having a father, locks his head in a metal helmet, then throws him down in the very same cell.
Sanji is inconsolable for the first week he's there. His only solace is when Reiju comes down to talk with him, and to threaten Law not to hurt her baby brother. Law doesn't deign her with an answer.
"There there," Law pats Sanji's shoulders. This is the second week, and Sanji still cries himself to sleep every night. Law looks uncomfortable, but worried for the state of Sanji's eyes all the same.
"I'm too weak," Sanji hiccups, hands wiping his eyes furiously before Law knocks them out of the way. "If only I was stronger, then he could have loved me."
Law scoffs a bit at that, "That's stupid."
Sanji forgets being sad for a moment, as he turns around and fumes, "How do you know then?"
Law looks unimpressed, "My dad wasn't this mean. This isn't your fault."
"Then whose is it?"
Law deadpans, "I don't know, you tell me." then hurries to scout some books on the shelf since that makes Sanji cries harder.
He shoves a bunch of fairytale books at Sanji. "Come on, read. My eyes hurt. Don't you want to keep retelling me this stuff?"
Sanji sniffs one last time before opening the book, the story unraveling before his eyes—a familiar but no less bright sight. He can feel the telltale spark of awe burning within him, and he feels rejuvenated. Alive. He shows the pages to Law. "Have you heard of the All Blue?"
"Not really. Tell me, then."
And they settle in to read about the place where all oceans collide.
By week four, Sanji sees three familiar figures standing just beyond their cell. The sound of approaching footsteps sends his stomach into a tight knot. He glances at Law, who remains blissfully unaware in his sleep, before turning his attention back to the bars. Ichiji's smirk is the first thing Sanji sees, smug in a way that makes his stomach churn with dread.
"So the failure is still alive after all," Ichiji sneers. "I have no idea why Father would go to so much trouble to get you here."
"Should have killed you for real," Niji shakes his head disappointedly, before unlocking the cell door and steps in.
Yonji is on him in an instant, his fist slamming into Sanji's stomach with a force that knocks the wind out of him. Sanji doubles over, gasping for air as laughter rings out with malice, but Niji gives him no time to recover. Another punch, this time to his left cheek, and Sanji crumples to the floor with a yelp, pain shooting straight through his tiny body.
"Get up," Ichiji orders, his voice delighted and devoid of any sympathy. "Not gonna greet us properly?"
Sanji tries to push himself up, his arms trembling from the effort. His vision blurring as tears sting his eyes. He can feel the resignation and shame burning inside him, chaining him tight to the floor, useless body refusing to cooperate to his wishes.
Then out of nowhere, a shadow falls over him, and before any of them can react, Law jumps into the fray and punches Yonji so hard he falls to the ground.
"Get lost." Law mutters, his voice hoarse but steady.
Sanji blinks in surprise, barely able to process what just happened. His brothers are incensed, but the bell alerting them of training time holds them back.
"This isn't over," Niji glares at them.
"Sure it does," Law drawls, but from behind him Sanji can see the small tremor from his legs, no doubt the result of sudden movements. "Run along, you no-brained brutes."
The moment his brothers go away in seething anger, Law drops to the ground and wheezes. Sanji rushes back and hovers by his side, "Hey, hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah, sure," Law lies down on the ground. "I ruptured my ribs because of that, and I'm bleeding internally. I will probably bite the dust after another minute."
"What?!" Sanji yells, and despite better judgment goes to shake Law's shoulders. "Tell me how I can help!"
Law coughs slightly then bats his hands away, "I'm kidding."
Sanji huffs, "Cool it with the gallows humor." His worry dissipates instantly. Law has always had this dark humor thing going on, and he whips it out at the weirdest times.
Something else occurs to him, and he perks up. "You know how to fight?"
Law nods slowly, and Sanji can't seem to contain the excited smile blooming on his face. "Teach me!"
"Not now," Law replies, and he looks at Sanji for a long moment before gesturing for him to settle down. Sanji hesitates, then carefully sits beside him. With a jolt, he watches as Law envelops them with a small, faint blue sphere. Sanji gasps in awe as the ringing pain on his cheeks is whisked away, the soothing warmth spreading through his body.
"What was that?!" He lowers his voice when Law shushes him harshly. "Do you have special powers or something?"
A tired nod. "I got it recently, and I haven't been able to get a hang of it yet. I'm too tired to do it more than a few minutes," Law grins sharply, "But the Germa bastards don't know of this ability yet. In no time at all I will cure myself of this disease, then get the hell out of here."
Sanji stares at him. He can see the resolve in Law's eyes, along with something almost rabid being held back, and feels like returning that mad smile, "You really think escape is possible?"
"I know so. And," Law gives him a heavy look, "didn't you say you wanted to go out and become a cook too?"
As the afternoon sun filters through the small window, casting vivid shade of light across the dungeon, Sanji thinks he can finally see a way out.
"Tomorrow morning, you are to go meet your future wife."
Despite Reiju repeating that sentence for the third time, Sanji still can't believe what he's hearing. He had originally been happy to see her, but if this is what he thinks it is, he's not sure he wants to see anyone ever again.
Growing up with the fairytales and love stories his mom told him during the darkest nights, Sanji, though still very young, knows that this is wrong on so many levels. He's pretty sure this isn't how romance or love is supposed to work.
For the first time ever, Reiju appears just as troubled as he is. She twists and twirls her hair tightly, frowning harshly. "Father wants to form an alliance with Big Mom, and he's decided that a marriage with her daughter—Pudding—would benefit Germa the most. It's not like the wedding will happen right away, but the union will be formalized tomorrow."
Sanji's heart is beating out of his chest, and he can barely grasp at air. Tears surge up and sting his eyes as he chokes out, "Why would he do that?" It's not really a question, because Sanji has known the answer for a long time. He's refused to see the truth for so many years because this is terrible—this injustice and suffering inflicted by the very person who should have been his pillar.
He looks to Law only to see that the other boy is already staring back at him. At his grim nod, Sanji turns to his sister, "I don't want this. I want to leave this place and become a cook!"
Reiju nods, as if she had been expecting it. She then grabs the bars and bends them aside for him to squeeze through. "You two better hurry up." At Law's surprised expression, she adds, "I don't suppose you want to stay here?"
"Hell no."
"Then run, and don't look back."
Sanji hugs her tightly and begs her to come with him, but she shakes her head. She gently pats down his hair, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips, making her finally look her age. "I have my reasons. Now go. This is the perfect time to escape."
The moment Sanji and Law runs outside, they understand why.
Germa is currently in the middle of an invasion of Cozia Island. The acrid smell of burning metal permeates the air, and explosions and cannon fire echo in the distance as Germa's soldiers clash with the forces of Cozia. Surrounding them are miles and miles of hostile water. Sanji spots a stray boat crashing against the edge of the clearing near them and rushes over.
Law takes one look at the boat, and his expression falls flat. "This can only handle one person."
"What?!" Sanji exclaims as he looks closely at the vessel, puzzled. He doesn't understand how Law can tell. It has bows, sterns, and a small flat space to sit, just like any other boat.
Law blows out a heavy breath. "I have rowed a lot for six months before coming here, alright? This one has low sides, shallow draft. It won't sit very deep in the water. If we both get on, it will capsize."
"Come on, we'll make it work. You don't know that for sure!"
Law's expression remains unreadable as he looks at the small boat and then back at Sanji. He shakes his head slowly, the weight of what he's about to say pressing heavily on Sanji's chest. "Sanji," Law says, his voice a command, "Get on the boat."
"Are you insane? You want out too! I won't leave you here!"
"Consider us even after this, then," Law says, leveling an unimpressed look at Sanji that seems out of place given the situation. Sanji can't believe Law is bringing up whatever life debt he's referring to now, and he's about to argue further when Law halts him in his tracks. "Remember what I told you? I will leave the moment I heal myself completely. You, on the other hand, are about to be sold tomorrow. Which one of us is in more immediate danger?"
There are still too many things that could go wrong, and Sanji doesn't know how to tackle half of them, especially with Germa's forces returning from the fight. He's snapped out of his spiral when Law shakes him harshly.
"Don't worry, your sister is still here," Law says sharply. "You need to go right now or no one will make it! We won't get anything else out of this!"
Sanji must have taken too long for Law's liking, as Law pushes him onto the boat and nudges it away slightly. Sanji almost loses his balance and has to grip the boat tightly, feeling a lump and bile rising in his throat. He shouts over the howling wind and crashing waves, "Will you be okay?"
"Ugh, yes! Now row like your life depends on it!"
In the upcoming days, Law succeeds in curing himself of Amber Lead Syndrome. But that's when things start to go wrong.
Despite everything, Law is still a young boy, and he makes a grave miscalculation. Just because he has cured himself of Amber Lead, doesn't mean his body would instantly have enough energy to make an escape. Like Cora-san said before, it's not magic.
In the morning, when the scientists drag him off the table and proclaim him cured of Amber Lead, Judge is furious, and orders him killed instantly.
Law doesn't hesitate to get rid of the guards.
While part of the Donquixote Pirates, Law has learned swordsmanship from Diamante, marksmanship from Gladius, and martial arts from Lao G—all under Doflamingo's supervision. He not only knows how to fight but excels at it.
After the fight, Judge looks down at him with a thoughtful expression.
Law's only use here was as a test subject for the effects of Amber Lead. Without it, he should be disposed of immediately.
Or, the focus of the experiment can shift. Law's Devil Fruit power and its potential use in combat could be far more valuable for Germa.
What stands in the way is his will.
And Judge has always been skilled at turning children into his emotionless warriors.
Amidst the experiments, the brainwashing, and the mind-altering pain, the only thought that sticks out to Law is this.
Calm. Be real quiet, Law, so no one notices.
When bad things happen, when the pain threatens to swallow him whole, no matter what, the only way to survive is to stay silent.
Reiju takes a delicate sip of tea and reclines back in her seat.
Outside the window, the sea is calm—a rare moment of tranquility in the tumultuous waters that surround Totto Land.
The political marriage between Sanji and Charlotte Pudding is set to happen in just a few days. Reiju knows her role in this: obedience, loyalty, and the execution of her father's will. She and Yonji have been sent to escort Sanji, but somehow she has a feeling that they've missed him.
Reiju's thoughts drift to Sanji, tinged with a mix of regret and anger. He managed to escape Germa for thirteen years, yet now he's right back where he started—under their father's thumb and on his way to marrying Pudding.
The day is still young, and she already feels slightly tired.
A knock sounds on the door. At her call, it creaks open, allowing a familiar figure to walk in.
"There you are. It's a beautiful morning, isn't it?" Reiju greets with a wink.
The man who walks in is a far cry from the small, bony boy she once threatened down in the castle's dungeon what seems like another lifetime ago. Thirteen years have changed them all, but perhaps none more so than Trafalgar Law.
Now a member of Germa, his once gaunt face has filled out, giving him a more chiseled, defined look, though the faint shadows under his eyes remain ever present. He looks all grown up now, even though seeing him without his trademark spotted hat is still a bit uncanny.
Unlike in his younger years, Law now carries himself with a quiet confidence that demands attention.
Emphasis on the quiet part.
Since Law came out of the chamber after the final experiment years ago, he has been quiet, barely answering when spoken to. Reiju has thought about what Sanji had done before to get him out of his shell, so she chose to shove some food at him whenever he was idle.
After that, Law has followed her everywhere, like a guard—or more like a personal assistant. Apparently, even in that blank state of mind, a single act of kindness can still affect him greatly, just as it did before. Reiju sometimes wonders if this happens to him often—being cold and distant, then turning somewhat sweet to whoever shows him a bit of gentleness.
Law doesn't seem to have any emotions, or the rage and grief he once had. To Judge and her siblings, he is a stellar soldier, with heads and hearts crushed wherever he goes. When it's with Reiju, he relaxes slightly, and occasionally talks back to her through hand signs.
She thinks back to his last coherent words to her, right before the final experiment, when she snapped at him, still angry that he hadn't left with Sanji. "They will take everything from you, you fool! What do you think—"
Law shook her shoulders until she stopped rambling and glared. "As long as Doflamingo stays alive, I stay alive, you hear me? They can't take away my goddamn mind, because as long as I'm alive and that bastard is still out there, I can come back from anything."
And Reiju has held onto that. When news of Doflamingo's defeat arrived mere days ago, she did everything in her power to hide it from Law, fearing that the moment he sees it, he will truly have nothing left chaining him to this miserable existence, and he will really stay gone this time. His mind will wholly belong to Judge. And she would have failed them both.
It's no easy feat, considering Law never fails to do one thing whenever he has the time—read the newspapers.
A sudden jolt shakes the ship, pulling Reiju from her reverie. She turns her attention to the window, where she sees a smaller vessel in the distance, the infamous Straw Hat Jolly Roger flapping in the breeze.
"What in the world," she murmurs to herself before turning to Law, "Let's see what's happening out there. I do hope Yonji isn't embarrassing himself."
She rushes to the front of the ship, Law closely behind, and sees that Yonji has already busied himself with taunting the Straw Hat crew about their captain apparently being poisoned. "If you are really pirates, why don't you try plundering our ship for the cure?"
Signing to herself, Reiju kicks him off the railing and into the ocean, then lands lightly on the Straw Hat's ship.
As Reiju steps onto their deck, she takes in the scene before her. The crew, wary and tense, stands ready to defend their captain, who is currently passed out.
Monkey D. Luffy, the infamous captain of the Straw Hats and a rising star of a new era, is probably on his way to the afterlife right now.
Ignoring Yonji's protests, Reiju kneels beside Luffy, listening closely to his labored breathing and observing his rash-ridden skin. She tampers down a laugh. This reckless fool has apparently eaten the armored-stone fish from the boiling sea and is now paying the price.
Reiju is about to suck the poison out of him when Law lays his hand on her shoulder. He frowns as she looks up, and taps out some signs.
Reiju pouts slightly. "But this poison is my favorite."
Law frowns harder. He looks like he doesn't know what has come over him, why he has suddenly offered to help a potential enemy.
He also notably doesn't back down.
Reiju lets her jokes slip aside for a moment and gazes at him intently. To outsiders, he must seem as unflappable as ever, his poker face a carefully trained skill. But Reiju has spent a better part of her life with him following her around, and she can spot it—the tightening of his mouth, the restless twitch of his fingers itching for a Room. He looks… bothered, like he did when he was small and she used to shove pickled plum in his face while he was in the same cell as Sanji.
"Oh my, jealous?" She really can't help herself. Law scowls at her.
He still doesn't utter a word, but this is the first emotion he has shown in months. It is far too entertaining. She flaps her hand. "Go ahead. He's all yours."
Law nods before opening up a Room and methodically drawing out all the poison.
As the last of the toxin is removed, he releases his hold on the Room. Chopper, who has been hovering nearby, finally lets out a relieved sigh. "That was amazing! I've never seen anyone handle poison like that before. Are you a doctor too?"
Luffy, still disoriented, slowly regains consciousness and looks around in confusion.
"Woah," the captain's eyes widen upon looking up at Law, before a beaming laugh hurls from him, his cheeks slightly red. "Thanks for that! Who are you?" He looks at Reiju. "And why is Sanji a girl now?"
Reiju grins, amused despite herself. "I'm Sanji's sister, Reiju. And this one here is Trafalgar Law."
"Nice. And thanks for the help, Torao! I don't know why I fainted when I was just about to eat more of that fish's skin. Where is it now?"
Law wordlessly points to where the fish currently lies before returning to Reiju's side. Luffy laughs delightedly, then lunges for the fish a second time. The only reason he isn't on death's door again is thanks to his crew holding him back.
While this crew's antics are amusing to watch, Reiju doesn't have the luxury of time. She calls attention to herself again, and says what has always been on her mind ever since Sanji's first bounty poster came out, "Thanks for all you have done for my brother until now."
Luffy turns to her, and she's taken by surprise with the intensity of his gaze. He says resolutely to her, "No matter what, we will take him back."
An arrogant and naive thing to say, considering he will have to go against both Judge and Big Mom for that. But it's not in her nature to warn strangers of their foolishness. Reiju jumps back to her ship with Law, and they depart right away, the Straw Hats all but a speck against the horizon.
"Have you done it yet?" Reiju's voice filters through the Den Den Mushi Law's holding.
In a few hours, the whole family will leave for Big Mom's territory. The previous night, he has snuck into Big Mom's place, completely unnoticed with the use of his power, and placed transponder snails throughout the area to overhear internal conversations and gather useful intel. While they don't have strong opinions about Big Mom, it would be foolish to enter unknown territory without some foreknowledge.
Law hums to show his assent before hanging up, then frowns down at the snail. Reiju's voice is as lilting as always, but there's a note of strain in it too.
Law is not present when the family finally reunites with their estranged member, Vinsmoke Sanji. However, based on the few clipped words from Reiju through the transponder snail, it's safe to assume that things did not go well during their meal earlier.
Law's head aches slightly every time he thinks about the third prince, with memories fading into a hazy blur. He vaguely remembers meeting the prince when he was younger, but everything surrounding that encounter is like a heavy curtain blocking out the light. The only concrete thing in his world is this: Reiju is to be trusted, and the rest of the family is not. Orders are to be followed. To stay safe, he must be quiet.
As he rounds the corner of the castle, Law hears distant shouting calling for a doctor. Being the closest thing to a medic in Germa, he rushes over, only to come face to face with none other than Vinsmoke Sanji and an unconscious head chef, Cosette.
He shakes off his surprise and kneels beside Cosette, then opens a Room. There are no cracked ribs or fractures, but Cosette does have swelling and a broken nose. He carefully sets her nose back into place and smooths down the swollen skin until her face returns to normal.
"What," a hand shoots out to grip his wrist just as he's done. "Law?"
Sanji's face is pale as a ghost. Law gives a nod, and the prince looks like Yonji has sucker punched him.
"Ouch ouch ouch," Cosette's voice draws their eyes to her. "Oh, mister Trafalgar! Thank you for your help. Sorry for all the trouble. Are you on your way to Princess Reiju's room?"
Sanji's strangled voice breaks out, "Reiju knows about this?"
Cosette looks confused, "Yes, sir, mister Trafalgar is her personal guard."
Sanji's grip tightens on Law's wrist, his knuckles turning white. "I thought… I thought you escaped," His voice is thick with disbelief, both an accusation and a plea.
Law has never been more dumbfounded in his life. This random prince suddenly acting as if they are close, then asking about escapes and other matters. Law stands up, brushing off his hands, and taps out I don't know what you're talking about.
"I have no idea what that means. You can no longer talk?" Technically, Law can, he just doesn't. Sanji's jaw clenches, his eyes narrowing. "Let's go find my sister right now."
Sanji looks down at Cosette, who is still trying to gather her bearings. "Rest for now," he advises, his voice softer. "You've been through a lot."
Cosette nods weakly, gratitude in her eyes. "Yes, sir."
Sanji turns on his heel and storms off in the direction of Reiju's quarters. Law signs, then follows suit. They march down the corridor, and when Sanji reaches Reiju's door, he knocks briefly, before throwing it open and stepping inside.
Reiju is seated at a small vanity, brushing her hair, her expression surprised as she meets his furious gaze in the mirror's reflection, then it morphs into understanding when she finds Law standing at the door.
"What happened after I left?" Sanji demands, his voice trembling with barely restrained fury. "How long has he been here?"
Reiju sets down the brush and turns to face him, her expression slightly apologetic. "He never left," she admits, her tone hardens when Sanji lets out a wordless scream. "You know as well as I do that in this family, there's only so much one can do. He's alive, isn't he?"
"That's not good enough!" Sanji snaps, taking a step forward. "You have your own reasons to stay here, but he always wants to leave!"
Reiju looks away. "He's a survivor, like you and me. I've tried to keep him out of the worst of it."
"You should have told me."
Reiju meets his gaze again, defiance clear in the jut of her chin. "What could you have done?"
"I could've helped." Sanji says finally, his voice softer now, the fight leaving him slumped and defeated. "Did Judge do something to him?"
Reiju inclines her head. "After Law freed himself of his illness, Father realized Law was suited to be a combatant. He... I suppose he trained the defiance out of him."
Sanji looks like he's going to be sick.
Law has no idea what these two are talking about. Reiju must sense his confusion, as she beckons him closer. "Now that you two have met, I guess it's time to tell you how you came here in the first place."
Law has always been curious about his blank memory, but even after Reiju recounts everything and Sanji chimes in about how they used to share the same dungeon cell, Law still doesn't know how to react. Knowing the information is one thing—it helps him understand that the two people in front of him aren't his enemies—but it doesn't restore the missing memories. The information doesn't automatically fill the gaps in his brain.
He taps at Reiju, and she signs, "I suppose we need to wait until it all comes back to you. Though it's been years, and I don't know the trigger for it."
Sanji gripes sullenly, "Well, it's definitely not going to be here," he turns to Law. "You're still feeling alright? Not hurt anywhere?"
Law can't help it. He rolls his eyes, the action comes to him as naturally as breathing.
Sanji glares, "Well, at least your attitude hasn't changed."
"Now," Reiju stands up, effectively bringing their conversation to a close, "it's time to leave for the Whole Cake Chateau. I assume you won't be wearing that?"
Sanji's face falls, and he shakes his head tiredly. "I'll go change."
The air is vibrant and alive, filled with the sounds of rustling leaves and chirping birds. It's a happy scene, disturbed only by the appearance of the Vinsmoke carriage—ornate and imposing—carrying none other than Sanji and his entire family, heading to Whole Cake Chateau.
While being close to Reiju, Law is still a mere guard, so he walks at the far end of this entire parade, and he's fine with it. It's way too loud at the front anyway. Everything has been going smoothly, intact, and even peaceful.
A commotion erupts when a person flies like a cannonball at the side of the carriage, and Law thinks maybe he should get used to being wrong when it comes to anything involving Monkey D. Luffy.
At the sight of the grinning captain, Law's heart thuds in his chest, and he almost stumbles. There must be something wrong with his health. When the wedding is over, he'll need to do a thorough checkup on himself.
There's no time to think much about it, because the next few minutes bring the most bewildering and brutal event Law has ever witnessed. He can only watch as Sanji stands over Luffy, renounces his connection to the Straw Hat Pirates, and refuses to leave with them.
Luffy, bruised but undeterred, refuses to believe Sanji's words. And in response to that, Sanji rains blow after blow on Luffy, each strike echoing in the clearing. Yet, Luffy remains still. Law has to stop himself several times from calling out, urging Luffy to fight back.
Finally, Luffy collapses to the ground, bloodied and battered. Sanji climbs back into the carriage. The door slams shut, and the horses begin to pull away, leaving the two Straw Hats behind.
Luffy's voice rings out one final time, strong and clear despite his injuries. "I'll just stand here and starve out in the rain and snow waiting for you to come back. Without your help, I can't become the King of the Pirates!"
When Sanji's carriage moves away, Law finds himself staying rooted in his place. Once again, he doesn't know what comes over him.
He finds that his whole body is trembling, shivers running down his spine to the tip of his fingers.
Law's life up until this point has been a fixed routine. His days consist of either training or accompanying Reiju on her assignments. Recently, however, he has developed a new habit for his rare downtime: reading the News Coo. This began a few years ago when Law first glimpsed a wide grin under a tattered straw hat. Monkey D. Luffy's first articles that he read were about Enies Lobby. Law hasn't been able to fully describe what he felt back then—the shiver of something new, something foreign and vast, piercing through his being and making him crave more. Ever since, he has read the newspaper almost religiously.
Maybe that's the explanation as to why he stops in his tracks.
He opens a Room and promptly fixes all the broken bones in Luffy's body. He even goes so far as to heal all the bruises on both Luffy and Nami's skin.
He doesn't owe them anything, but he feels uneasy about leaving them like this.
Luffy's eyes soften slightly when he sees Law standing a few feet away. He exhales and says, "Thanks, Torao."
Nami walks up and squints at him suspiciously. "You've been really nice to us from the beginning. What kind of business do you have in Germa? What's your plan here?"
Law looks blankly at her for a moment, before moving his hands to try shambling himself away.
"Oi, wait!" Luffy's loud voice suddenly rings right by his ear. The captain has no doubt just slingshotted himself over, and Law is so startled that he doesn't dodge the rubbery fingers now twined with both of his palms, effectively trapping him there. Law feels a twinge of annoyance bubbling to the surface. The audacity. "Don't leave yet. We want answers!"
What follows can only be described as roughhousing. Luffy twists both of them to the ground, and Law does everything in his power to free his hands and leave with whatever dignity he has left.
It must have only been a few minutes, but Law feels as if he has aged a thousand years. Maybe he should have minded his own business instead of healing this human hurricane in front of him.
Law looks at Luffy straddling his waist and feels his blood pressure skyrocket. Heat scorches his entire face as Luffy's strong grip pins his hands to the ground, each callus pressing into his inked skin. Any attempt to free himself only tightens Luffy's hold further.
Luffy's weight on his hips and the warmth of his body pressing against Law's is suddenly too much and not enough at the same time. That realization hits him like Reiju's kicks during training, and he freezes, his thoughts spiraling out of control.
"Uh," Nami speaks up awkwardly. "Um, Luffy, let him stand up, will you?"
"Hm?" Luffy takes that as a tacit urge to move even closer, face hovers above him so close their noses are touching, and Law freezes completely.
What the hell is going on.
He's then hit with the full force of that trademark smile right up close, the boisterous shishishi pouring into his ears, the sights burning deep behind his retinas, "Did I win?"
That snaps Law out of his stupor. He headbutts Luffy so hard that the handholding loosens, and he yanks himself free, staggering to his feet.
For the first time in years, Law is about to scream and curse at someone when he's interrupted by a signal from his transponder snail.
The one he uses to eavesdrop on Big Mom's family.
"What was—" Luffy chirps, only to be immediately shushed by Nami as she crowds closer around the snail.
"It's almost too easy, fooling these idiots." A female's voice rings out through the transponder. "That pathetic cook actually believes I care about him."
"My lady, no one can be as flawless an actress as you!" Based on the titles, Law knows that this must be the voice of a servant. And that must mean, this is the audio coming from Charlotte Pudding herself.
"Once the wedding is over, I'll have my fun carving that idiotic smile off his face. Mama's plan will go off without a hitch. The Vinsmokes will be wiped out, and I'll make sure to give that cook a good show before the end. It's the least I can do for someone who was so hopelessly naive."
Law supposes that this is par for the course with someone like Big Mom, so there's no surprise there. Luffy and Nami, on the other hand, are panicking and seething with righteous anger over their cook's imminent doom.
Law pockets the snail and looks at Luffy. He will need to return to warn Reiju and Sanji of this new development soon, but he's unsure whether the Straw Hats will stay here or go off to cause chaos.
Luffy makes eye contact with him, and whatever he sees on Law's face seems to bring him relief. He shouts, "Torao, you're going to warn Sanji, right?"
Too stunned to do anything else, Law nods.
Luffy's grin widens. "Good, because I promised to wait here for Sanji. Go ahead!"
In a sphere of bright blue light, Law shambles himself directly to Reiju's room, where she and Sanji are talking by the fireplace. Ignoring their surprise, Law hands over the transponder snail and lets them listen to the rest of Pudding's spiel.
The room is so silent that Law can hear the wood crackling in the fireplace.
"Big Mom promises that—that as long as I go through with this marriage, she won't hurt my crew."
Sanji sits on the edge of his armchair, his elbows resting on his knees, fingers intertwined and pulling restlessly at his hair as if he wants to rip it all out.
"I do everything for Luffy and everyone's sake, and things went to hell anyway. I thought I could just sacrifice myself and everything would be perfectly fine."
Sanji's voice cracks at the end, the last word breaking into a whisper.
At that, Law feels a pang in his chest. He grasps his shirt briefly before frowning at Sanji's words. Sacrifices might be necessary, but they won't guarantee that everything afterward will be all sunshine and rainbows.
"You are a moron."
"Excuse me?" Sanji looks up, a dangerous glint in his eyes. Law's acutely aware that these are the first words he has uttered to Sanji in years.
"Whatever your intention may be, how would you feel if your people do what you did?" Law slowly sounds out the vowels, feeling wholly out of his depth and unused to hearing his own voice. "What would you do if that navigator or captain of yours sacrificed their lives for you?"
Both siblings gape at him, and Law has to agree with them, because he has no idea where any of what he just said even comes from. He doesn't know why he's so stuck on this either. It's not like there's anyone who has ever sacrificed themselves for him. He can't possibly know what it is like to carry on after that, knowing his life is an exchange for his loved one's.
But somehow he knows deep in his bones that the Straw Hats would be devastated, that it must be a terrible thing to be left behind like this, to watch Sanji hurting himself for their sake.
Reiju shakes off her surprise and speaks mildly, "It's a miscalculation on your part too. You leave because you think it's easy to let you go. And we all know how that pans out."
Sanji is clearly at war with himself. Law decides to give him another push. "Straw Hat-ya is still where you left him." That seems to be more than enough, as Sanji stumbles to his feet, hands gripping tightly on his food basket, face a mix of fear and unbearable hope, before dashing out of the room.
A beat of silence, then Reiju hums, "Do you think they will take him back? He did attack his own captain, after all."
Law thinks for a moment before responding with absolute certainty, "They will help him crash the wedding."
Reiju's eyes widen as she turns to him, "What a deduction. How can you be so sure?"
Law shrugs, feeling uncomfortable, "Straw Hat-ya seems like the type to suggest that."
Reiju blinks at him before bursting into laughter. "You know, maybe you should hitch a ride with them. See the world. Find your own adventure."
"And you?"
"You naive boy, if I leave, how will I overthrow my father?" Reiju's eyes crinkle, like she's amused he didn't figure out her agenda sooner. "Do you want to leave with them?"
"I don't know," he admits, frustration evident in his voice.
"Then leave anyway. You've stayed here long enough," she says, waving her hands dismissively. "And do you really think my brother will leave you here a second time? He'll beat you up and drag you with him if he has to."
Law wants to argue that Sanji can damn well try, but he keeps it to himself. Reiju smiles as if she knows exactly what he's thinking.
"Think about it, and brace yourself. In five hours, I suppose chaos will break out soon."
Law is not upset that he misses most of the wedding, and by extension, all of the action, as Reiju has called to ask him to stay on the Thousand Sunny being docked at Cacao Island. Given his power, she instructed him to wait for Sanji's signal through the transponder snail, and when the time comes, to shambles everyone to the Sunny to flee the scene.
Law finds this arrangement fair, considering he doubts that Big Mom would go down easily.
From Law's vantage point in the Sunny's crow's nest, the battle is a distant yet intense spectacle, with flashes of bright lights and distant screams, interspersed with the occasional ripple of Big Mom's rage-filled roars. Law is slightly relieved to see the unmistakable trail of colorful light coming from the Vinsmoke siblings' Raid Suits, which indicates that Reiju is leading their charge.
Standing there, Law's mind is a whirl of anticipation. He wants to trust in Reiju and the Straw Hat Pirates, but the fact remains that the gravity of this fight cannot be taken lightly. Big Mom is a force of nature in her own right—even with the best strategies, taking her down will not be straightforward.
The sound of Sanji crackles to life, and Law immediately pulls out his snail.
"Now, Law! And bring Pedro too! The jaguar mink!"
Nodding to himself, Law calls for a Room so large it envelops the entire island. With no small amount of effort, he shambles everyone onto the deck of the Thousand Sunny. The moment they touch down, Nami and Brook spring to their feet and start maneuvering the ship out of there. Law takes one look at the burnt mink lying in a pool of his own blood and sets to work immediately. Chopper leaves him to tend to others first.
Pedro has a large laceration on his left side, extending from his ribs towards his abdomen. His pallor is deadly pale, his pulse barely detectable, his whole body under extreme stress, and his heart rate keeps plummeting. This mink is basically on death's door.
Law can't suppress a small smirk; he has always enjoyed challenging operations like this.
By the time the operation is done, Law slumps down by the railing, belatedly realizing that the ship has successfully made its escape. Pedro stirs, then winces at his agitated wounds, and Law pushes him back down to the ground. He'll let Pedro take a breather first before moving him into the infirmary.
Pedro looks up at him, eyes full of somber gratitude. "Thank you. I thought I was a goner. My friend would have decked me if I had died back then."
Left with nothing else to do, Law raises his eyebrows, signaling Pedro to continue, which he gladly does.
"I made a promise to my dear friend Zepo a long time ago, that during my travels, I would keep an ear out for his younger brother Bepo. What good fortune that I didn't break that promise."
Law hums, then looks up just as Sanji descends from the galley and holds out a plate of food towards him. Law takes a bite of the onigiri. Upon tasting it, he scowls and blurts out, "You know I hate pickled plums."
Sanji's eyebrows disappear into his hairline. "That is enough to make you talk?"
Law grips his Kikoku, but before he can knock the chef out, he's roughly pushed to the ground by the force of Luffy's slingshot, his ears ringing with Luffy's excited yell, "You could talk?!"
Law glares at Sanji, who laughs in his face. It must have been on purpose. Sanji then pats Law on the shoulder until his hand is swatted away, his voice clear across the deck, "Everyone, meet an old friend of mine, Trafalgar Law. He helped me a lot when I was young, so don't scare him off."
"If you want to know our next destination, you gotta say something."
Law glares at Nami, who looks back with wide-eyed innocence, unrepentant.
Ever since Sanji's instigation, everyone on the ship has made it their personal mission to draw words out of him. Mostly by annoying him, just like Sanji did with the pickled plum.
Nami charges him berries if he doesn't answer her random questions.
Chopper asks him to explain a medical text he clearly already knows.
Brook keeps playing the same song until he either speaks up or hurls the table at the performance.
Only Pedro and Carrot leave him to his own device, but they do a shit job of holding their laughter in.
Law doesn't want to acknowledge it, because it's so juvenile and mortifying, but there's no way around it - he's being bullied.
Things sort of come to a head when Luffy blocks him out of the bathroom, so Law does what any sane person would do and swap out everyone's bodies. He doesn't deign to switch them back until three days later.
Law scoffs slightly, then leans back in the armchair. He's currently resting in the library, with Nami working on her maps nearby. The only sounds are the soft scratching of Nami's quill on paper and the occasional rustle of pages as Law idly flips through a book. It's been over a week since he's come aboard the Sunny, and already he finds her company to be the most calming. Except for the few times her inventive mind strikes, such as when she tried to use invisible ink on a map and ended up burning the map instead.
Now that Law is no longer at Germa, his blurred past, which used to be a vague annoyance, has become a noticeable wall he has to confront every day. No one actually asks about his past, and for that, he's relieved, but the lack of knowledge about where he came from leaves him feeling unmoored in a now vast and seemingly limitless world. With each passing day, Sanji grows more agitated and ridden with guilt when Law doesn't regain more of his memories, which in turn makes Law feel slightly bad too. It's a whole mess.
Whenever that happens, Luffy barges in and steals Law's attention, regaling him with tales of his adventures, dragging him to go fishing, or even to relax on top of the figurehead. Luffy never presses Law to reveal anything, and Law feels like he can almost relax around him, approaching something like safety.
Law throws a few berries at Nami, who grins triumphantly. "Happy to do business with you. The other half of our crew will be meeting us at Wano, so that's where we're heading. I estimate that we are still two weeks out until then."
He nods, then frowns, "Why Wano?"
Nami shrugs while taking down a few notes, "To take down Kaidou."
Law cannot believe his ears right now, "You're kidding."
"I know how it sounds," she grimaces. "It's a whole thing that started way before the Big Mom fiasco. We passed by Punk Hazard, then Dressrosa where we helped Viola by taking down Doflamingo, who was a business partner to Kaidou. One thing led to another—"
"What did you just say?" A ringing starts up in Law's ears. That name sounds too familiar, and a puzzle piece is slowly slotting into place. Law doesn't register what he's doing or even the words coming out of his mouth.
He looks at Nami, who stands up abruptly, clearly worried by the way he starts gripping the table.
"Law, what—"
"Doflamingo is gone?"
"Yes," she approaches slowly, her eyes searching and hands reaching out. "Luffy took him down about a month ago. He's currently in Impel Down. What's going on, Law?"
Law goes down with a crash, his knees slamming into the floor. The clatter of drinks spilling and bowls shattering echoes in the room, but the noise is drowned out by the rush of blood pounding in his ears. He can't make out what she's trying to say—can't focus on anything other than the hurt and long buried memories swallowing him whole.
Calm. Be real quiet, Law, so no one notices.
Cora's voice echoes through the white expanse of snow, and Law strains to listen. But his cries keep being torn from him, and as the last vestige of Cora's silencing power fades away, an avalanche crashes down, drowning out the rest of his voice.
By the time Law wakes up, it's already dark out.
One look and Law realizes he's lying in the infirmary. The memory of his outburst makes him wince, shame creeping in like a cold draft, tightening his chest.
A soft rustling pulls his attention to the side. Sanji is sitting nearby, a worried frown etched across his features as he watches Law.
"You're awake," Sanji says quietly, handing Law a cup of water. "How are you feeling?"
"Like shit," Law replies, pushing up on his elbows and massaging his temple tiredly. "Is it already night?"
Sanji looks surprised. "Law, you were out for three days."
"Damn."
"Yeah," Sanji huffs a breath. "So, did your memory come back?"
Law nods. Thoughts of Cora-san, gone, and Doflamingo, finally gone, flash through his mind, but he doesn't become a different person. He's still the same—just infinitely more tired.
There it is. The guilt.
"Hey," Sanji asks worriedly. "What's wrong?"
"Just…" Sanji is someone he can trust, and he feels so unbalanced, which is probably why Law is saying this now. "I lost someone before I came to Germa. He sacrificed himself for me," Law chokes out, the lump in his throat making it difficult to speak. "And instead of repaying him, I let myself become a mindless machine for another dictator."
Sanji looks at him helplessly. "Don't you think that this person wouldn't want anything in return?"
"Then why did he save me?" he snarls.
"It's not a tit-for-tat thing. Maybe he did it just because."
"Just because what?"
Sanji throws up his hands in frustration. "There's no reason behind it! Maybe he did it because he loves you? Maybe you can't possibly explain away his love for you?"
Law's eyes sting like pinpricks of needles pressing into skin, and his voice is so small it's a wonder Sanji can even hear it, "What, so all that is because of love? What the fuck."
"Yeah." Sanji laughs tightly. "I'm glad you're telling me this. It makes a lot of sense now."
"What makes a lot of sense?"
"Don't worry about it. It's nothing bad," Sanji says, pulling something from the drawer and dropping it onto Law's pillow. "Here you go."
Law reaches out and picks up a familiar spotted hat, similar to the one he had from Flevance, though with a slightly different shape. He absently rubs the fabric and stitching.
"It doesn't look like the one you wore when we first met," Sanji says, taking a drag of his cigarette. "I think it looks decent, though. Do you want to change anything?"
"No, this is fine." After a beat, Law adds, "I didn't know you could sew."
"I'm decent at it," Sanji preens before standing up. "Everyone is sleeping, but Luffy is still on the figurehead. I'm going to call him in."
Law is slightly offended that Sanji doesn't even ask if he wants to see Luffy. He does want to, but it wouldn't hurt for Sanji to humor him.
As Sanji steps out, Law is left alone in the dim light of the infirmary, the hat still clutched in his hand. Sanji's words echo in his mind, clearing a path forward. He's not sure what he'll do from here on out just yet, but maybe if he keeps sticking around and keeps remembering Cora-san, he'll figure it out.
The door creaks open again, pulling Law from his thoughts. Luffy jumps in with a manner that could be called quiet for him, greeting Law with a smile so bright that for a moment Law forgets it's still dark out.
"You're awake!" Luffy says, his voice bright but with an underlying worry.
"Yeah," Law huffs, sitting up straighter. "Sanji said you were waiting for me."
Luffy's grin widens as he plops down on the edge of the bed, his usual energy making his limbs flail and bounce all over the place. "How are you feeling? If you're still tired, try some of Sanji's food!"
Law rolls his eyes, "Not everything can be solved with a meal, Luffy-ya."
"Yeah? It should. It works for me all the time."
"Don't I know it."
Luffy leans back on his hands and almost falls over the edge if Law doesn't reach out to pull him upright. "You had us all worried. Three days is a long time to nap. Nami said something about more berries."
"Of course she did," Law replies dryly, mentally planning ways to distract her tomorrow. "Well, sorry for taking so long. I needed my beauty sleep."
"Good thing you don't need much of that then," Luffy laughs, nudging Law's legs. "Torao is plenty pretty already."
Law rolls his eyes, but there's a warmth spreading from within his ribcage that he doesn't mind getting used to. "You're insufferable. Have I missed out on anything?"
"Nope, we've just been fishing around here. It's boring," Luffy says, then he immediately leans forward with stars in his eyes. "Oh right! I can't wait to introduce you to the rest of my crew! You'll love Robin, and Zoro, and Franky, and—"
"Alright, alright," Law waves his hand. "Tell me about them one by one."
Upon waking, Law hears snickering amidst Luffy's excited chattering and can already foresee a headache in his near future.
"How adorable," Brook sings, only to yelp when Nami elbows him in the side.
Law tenses, realizing that somewhere during the night, either he or Luffy decided that lying down must be better for storytelling, and promptly fell asleep on top of each other. Luffy is half-propped up on the headboard, while Law's face is pressed against the side of his neck, their legs tightly slotting together.
He tries to untangle himself, but Luffy's arm tightens slightly around his waist. "Luffy-ya."
Luffy beams. "Nuh-uh. It's okay, Torao! Keep sleeping."
He decides he's too drowsy, almost lightheaded, to care about anything right now. He slumps further into Luffy's shoulder, who, while not stopping his excited chatter, slows down and lowers his voice a notch.
Law passes out again.
Things between them start to get weird after that.
It's not weird in the sense that they've become awkward around each other. On the contrary, Law has never felt this relaxed around anyone before. Luffy has quickly become the exception to many of his rules, with the way he keeps hugging Law, talking his ears off, and dragging him to nap under one of Nami's tangerine trees throughout the day.
It's weird, because Luffy's being weirder than normal. He ropes Usopp into telling Law about absurd adventures they have been through, he keeps making ridiculous faces, and keeps throwing one joke after the other at Law.
He even pays berries to ask Nami about it only for her to give him a pitying look, "I don't know either." She still keeps the money after being completely unhelpful, to his great distress.
Needless to say, Law already has a lot on his plate to worry about, so he's a bit irritated and incredulous when Sanji and Chopper drags him back into the infirmary for what they call a much-needed talk.
"Repeat that," Law says, unblinking and slightly hysterical.
Sanji clutches his head and groans, "No, no, no. Don't look at me like that. I don't like this either. But Nami agrees that since you know me the longest, it's best for me to have this talk with you."
"Again, I still don't see how this is necessary."
"Look, I'm going to be brutally honest with you right now," Sanji glares resolutely, not that he's ever been particularly tactful with Law. "You were a small kid when you got kidnapped by Germa and then spent the next decade in their clutches, mindlessly slaughtering in their name. When you had free time, you definitely spent it training with my siblings."
"You and Luffy have been really close with each other lately," Chopper chirps, innocent and professional at the same time. "We figured we could talk to you about intimacy and sex. I brought books!"
Law doesn't know how to react or even feel right now. His soul has probably left his body with the promise of no return. He counts to five, then makes it to thirty until he's calmed down, and intones, "You have got to be kidding me."
"I knew you would say that!" Sanji yells, face contorted in abject mortification. "But I already gave my word that I would do it, so no one is leaving this room until this talk is over!"
"Sanji," Law drawls, "My parents were doctors. There's nothing new you two could tell me. I know."
"Oh."
"Yeah, oh."
Sanji stands up so fast that the chair falls over, and he strides out the door, his shrill voice trailing after him. "Thank god, I'm out of here! No one mentions this again or I will not be responsible for my actions!"
Law gets to his feet and pats Chopper's head, seeing as the little doctor seems slightly disappointed to miss out on the chance to discuss another field of medical studies. "Let's talk about other topics this evening, yeah?" Chopper lights up, his body wiggling in happiness in no time at all.
It isn't until Law steps out onto the deck that the absurdity of the situation hits him fully. He can't help it—he feels a laugh bubble out of him, and this time, he doesn't try to tamp it down. He throws his head back and lets it ring out across the deck under the endless blue sky.
These people are going to be the death of him.
He doesn't hear the footsteps behind him, doesn't sense the jump until Luffy's already crashed into him, knocking them both to the ground in a tangled heap, and then Luffy's face is right in front of his.
Luffy's lips are slightly chapped, and he presses in with a surprising urgency, as if he's found exactly what he's been looking for and wants to savor every single taste. His tongue traces the curve of Law's lower lip before slipping inside with playful and demanding enthusiasm that sends a shiver down Law's spine. Surrounded by the scent of Luffy—sea air, sunlight, and something uniquely his own—Law can feel the deep vibration of Luffy's heartbeat, syncing with his own like a well-tuned shanty.
When they finally part, Law breathes out, face hot and head dizzy. "What was that for?"
"Been wanting to hear that forever," the grinning captain insists, leaning down again.
Well, what can one say to that?
Law drinks in the sight of Luffy greedily, then meets him halfway.