The skies of North Blue

It was silent within the cabin, the mood somber and quiet as the wind buffeted from the outside of the Black Whip-covered Arctic Unicorn.

Yamato sat on the floor, while Penguin and Shachi lay in their bunks, faces turned away. Bepo was lying in his bunk, weeping into his pillow. Sora sat by the window, hugging her knees, and looking out into the darkness.

Law was sitting on his own bunk, fiddling with his nodachi; the hilt clicking against the scabbard top over and over again. Shick-click, shick-click. Sora looked up, and saw his ice-cold brown eyes, staring down at the floor.

It had been like this since their journey had started; at least an hour ago. It was getting on her nerves.

"So…" she said aloud, desperate to break the ice. "Do we know where we're headed?"

Shick-click, shick-click.

"First is an island to drop you off," Law replied curtly. "There's a few that'll do. I told Izuku what to look for."

"Oh… but… why?" Sora asked, unsettled. "Aren't you-"

"You're not following us to Germa," Law said, his tone final. "This isn't your fight. We can't ask you to get involved."

Sora hung her head.

"Sora?" Yamato asked, scooting over and sitting down beside her. "Are you doing okay?"

Sora forced herself to look Yamato in the eyes. Her eyes were innocent, full of sympathy; eyes that saw only a friend in pain.

"Law…" Sora croaked, a lump rising in her throat. "For what happened…I…" She gulped. "I don't know what to say."

She trailed off, eyes full of tears. Yamato squeezed her shoulder.

Law stood up, then knelt down and pulled out a strongbox from under his bunk. He took out a set of tools, drew his nodachi, then set to work on it.

"You're fine, Sora," he said, his eyes fixed on the blade as he dabbed it with a soft white cloth. "What happened back there wasn't your fault."

"Yes, I-I… understand." Sora rubbed her arm. "I wish I could help more but…"

"You're not a fighter Sora. You're kind," Yamato assured her with a smile. "This doesn't involve you one bit, and we… we got sidetracked."

Her face fell, and she scratched at one of her horns.

"Will you be okay though?" she asked, her smile looking forced.

"I…" Sora paused, taking a deep breath. "I'll find a way."

She looked down. She could not look any one of them in the eye.

"You're our friend," insisted Yamato. "If you need anything, just ask."

Sora nodded, and buried her head in her arms. Yamato sat by her side, saying nothing.

There was nothing Sora needed her to say.

(X)

The clouds were gray and dark, and getting darker still as Izuku flew on. Behind him, the schooner hung in mid air; borne aloft by his Black Whip; the tendrils wrapped around it and spread out to form a pair of wings.

They were making good time; far better than on the sea. But they still needed to find an island where they could drop Sora off. And every time Izuku dropped below the clouds, he saw a ship below.

He could never tell what sort of ship it was, or who it belonged to. He didn't know enough about ships yet. But it wasn't worth the risk. If someone looked up and saw a flying ship, it would be all over the North Blue as fast as any word could carry. And that was the last thing any of them needed.

'Or the other islands,' Yoichi mused. Izuku winced at the thought. With Germa rampaging over the waves, and pirates fleeing ahead of them, the North Blue was collapsing into chaos. Who knew what might happen if someone spotted a flying ship?

'Sorry.' Yoichi looked sad. "That's probably the last thing you want to think about right now."

Izuku put the thought from his mind. There were plenty of islands in the North Blue; but a lot more people too. He had to be careful.

'Come to think of it, what are the Germa 66 up to now?' Hikage wondered. 'They didn't come to Swallow for its resources. So why come at all?'

'They must've heard of it from the Marines,' Bruce muttered. 'Guess that Malice guy was right about them all along.'

"Knock it off right now,' the Second hissed, though Izuku could sense his frustration.

'Even so, it was too soon,' Hikage went on. 'Unless those snails are crazy fast, they must've been pretty close to respond that quickly. Maybe they were already tracking Law.'

'I don't buy that,' muttered Daigoro. 'Tracking pirates maybe, but why Law specifically? He's never had any dealings with them before, and military organizations like that don't do random."

'Well we can't read minds!' En retorted. 'What do you suggest?'

Before anyone could stop him, Bruce was on his feet.

'You know I'm right! Quit dancing on eggshells! Those Marines should-'

"Shut up!" Izuku yelled. "Just… shut up!"

'Fine. Bury your head in the sand.' Bruce sneered.'Lot of people did that back home. Guess how a certain Symbol of Evil took advantage of that, Midoriya.'

'You bastard!' Nana snarled, yet Bruce stood his ground.

'Glare at me all you want, I watched everyone I ever cared about die and our country BURN because no one had the guts to do what was necessary. I died once because of that already and I'll be DAMNED if I let that happen again. If Aizawa were here, he would-'

"SHUT UP!" Izuku shrieked, stunning them all into silence. Izuku felt his mind pulse, throbbing like it was about to explode.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back and saw the Second there, with Nana and Yoichi. Bruce glared daggers and stormed off, fading away.

'We're done here Bruce' the Second said, giving a sympathetic look to Izuku before they faded away. And the thought entered his head.

To save lives, he would have to end lives.

How many would he have to kill? Thousands to save hundreds? Millions to save thousands?

The thought made Izuku's insides twist up. He wanted to walk the path he'd followed since he was a child; the path of the noble hero, who protected the weak and defeated the bad guys before sending them off to jail.

But the more time he spent in this world, the more he saw of it, the more he realized that it was a fool's hope.

And besides, it had happened once before; back in his own world. In that moment of blinding rage, as Kacchan crumbled into dust, he had ended the life of Shigaraki Tomura. In so doing, he had saved countless lives; and ended any prospect of All for One returning. He had saved the World.

But the price had been Shimura Tenko's life. And his soul.

"Some hero I am…" Izuku thought aloud bitterly. They had saved Doyle, but not Swallow. Was that his fate? To save some but not others? Kill one to save a thousand?

And on, and on, and on…

Izuku snarled, and picked up speed with Fa Jin, pushing himself onward. Ahead of him was gray and more gray, with a few patches of light. He glanced behind to the west, and saw the sun beginning to set.

He dropped down, descending gently through the gray, until finally he saw the faint outline of mountains in the distance. He flew closer, and could see the mountains clearly; wreathed at the feet with green forests. A wide river snaked through the green.

An island then. But was anyone there?

He continued his descent, eyes peeled for ships, or lights, or any sign of life. He could make out a settlement where the river met the sea, but there were no ships coming in and out of the harbor, or boats on the river. And as he looked closer, he couldn't see any lights either.

No lights, no sign of activity, no sign of anything.

"Strange…" Izuku said aloud, as he carried on down. He leveled off just off the coast, carefully setting the Arctic Unicorn down. As he landed on the deck, the cabin door opened and Law came out.

"Where are we?" he asked, looking around.

"Don't know," replied Izuku, stretching his weary arms. "There was a lot of cloud cover. I touched down to get a closer look."

"Finally!" Penguin emerged and started stretching, Shachi doing likewise. Bepo sniffed the air, his ears twitching.

"Hmm. I don't hear anything. Weird." Yamato looked down at the bear.

"You can hear from this far out?"

"Yep. Never doubt a bear's hearing!"

Izuku glanced at Law. He was staring at the settlement, eyes hard.

"Something's wrong here," Bepo spoke up, looking nervously at his captain. "There should be people, but I'm only hearing trees and birds. Captain?"

Izuku followed Law's gaze. The buildings were wreathed in mist, but Bepo was right. There weren't any people there.

"Midoriya… you sure you didn't see anything else when you landed?" Law asked.

"No," replied Izuku. "We were high up in the clouds the whole time."

"Should we go into town? Stock up?" Yamato asked, seemingly oblivious to the possible danger.

"I don't see why not. I mean, the Marines are gonna blame us for Swallow anyway," Shachi grumbled. Izuku could not blame him for being moody, after what had happened the day before.

"Hey Sora, are there any islands in North Blue that have a big river like this?" Yamato asked, as Bepo took the wheel. The sails caught the wind, and the schooner began moving towards the settlement.

"A few," Sora replied, staring out at the island. "Lvneel is one. Whiteland, Duel, Prospero. And there was that one city-state, but it was destroyed by a disease outbreak."

Izuku took his eyeglass from his backpack, and zoomed in on the harbor. There really was no one there. All he could see were burned boats, and buildings covered in greenery, or half-crumbled. It was like Elegia all over again.

"...and it was walled in to keep the epidemic contained," Sora went on. "It was once the jewel of the North Blue, with streets gleaming in white, like a wonderland."

Izuku's heart sank as they drew closer, and he saw more clearly. Once-great buildings abandoned, overgrown, crumbling slowly into dust. A once-thriving city, empty and dead.

"The White City. Flevance," Law finished. Izuku glanced at him again, just in time to see his eyes flash with anger. Then it hit him.

"Wait, is the island still infected?" he asked, suddenly afraid.

"No, it isn't," Law retorted, without turning from the city. "Sora, what you just said was a lie told by the other kingdoms."

"It is?" Sora perked up, surprised.

"Wait, Captain… you said you were a stowaway when we first met," Penguin mused. "And you were sick." Then he went pale. "Are you telling me…?"

Law's shoulders hunched, and began to shake. Izuku stared at him, and shuddered as he saw Law's eyes. They were haunted, like Malice's had been. His hands were clenched by his sides, so hard as to turn them red.

"Captain…?" Shachi pleaded. Law put a hand over his face, and leant against the cabin.

"Dock us near the harbor. We'll make camp here for the night," he said.

"So… aren't we in any trouble though? What is Flevance?" Yamato asked. "A disease took this city?" Law paused, his hand on the doorway, and then went inside. His crewmates set to work, none of them in the mood to talk.

Izuku took the mooring rope, and floated out ahead of the ship. He pulled, drawing the schooner in to dock, taking in the city as he landed.

A dead city, just like Elegia. Another crumbling memory, like those old ruins back in his own world. Another place no one had come to save.

A place Law knew, he was certain.

(X)

He shouldn't tell them. He didn't have to tell them.

Standing a little way from the docked Arctic Unicorn, Law glared down at the debris-strewn street. He didn't want to have to tell them about this place.

But Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo were his crew, his comrades, his brothers. And Izuku and Yamato had come clean with him about their own troubles. They had all joined together to defeat the Germa 66.

Yamato was right. Friends shouldn't lie to each other. Especially not with so much at stake.

"It was a beautiful city, just like Sora said" he said aloud, though he wasn't sure if anyone could hear him. "And that stuff about a disease was a lie. It wasn't contagious." He got off the ship, sword on his shoulder.

"What're you doing there, Law?" Sora called out.

"Scavenging. There may be some things of use here," he lied. He had never thought he would come back there. He had never wanted to come back there.

"We can help!" Yamato called out, trotting out of the ship to join him. Law looked back, seeing Izuku float on behind her and touching down.

"Flevance was a Government-aligned kingdom, right?" Izuku asked.

"It was," Law replied. Yamato's shoulders slumped, and the boy scoffed, bitterly.

"Of course," Izuku muttered, glaring down at the moss-covered street. Law blinked, surprised by his reaction. And then he remembered something, back at Swallow, something in Izuku's manner.

"You've seen this before, haven't you?" he asked. Izuku nodded.

"An island deep in the Grand Line was abandoned by the Government after it was sacked by pirates. It was too out of the way and too poor for them to care." Izuku closed his eyes. "Heard of the Elegia Kingdom?"

Law looked away, brow furrowing as he thought back through every island he'd heard of. "No, I haven't."

Izuku scoffed. "Not surprising."

"Law, what did you mean when you said the sickness was a lie?" asked Yamato. Law looked around, his eyes seeing familiar sights, his heart clenching with nostalgia.

There was Market Street, where mom would go to bring home groceries. And down that boulevard, with the tall buildings, there was the Children's Private School he went to with Lami.

Law took a deep breath. "The sickness was real… but it wasn't contagious."

The young doctor's hands clenched tight, recalling the untold burning rage he'd felt when he'd finally learned the truth.

"Then why did Flevance die like this?" Izuku asked.

"Because it was more convenient for the royal family," Law growled. He started down the street, Izuku and Yamato following in silence. Everywhere he glanced was another memory. There was the park where Lami would always drag him out to play; when he would rather dissect a frog. There was the bakery and the ice cream shop where Lami would get her favorite muffins or her ice cream sundaes. And there was the church where Sister Lauren had tended him, and all the others.

And there was the dad's hospital, where he had spent every moment by Lami's side, cursing himself for being a stick-in-the-mud; for not cherishing every tiny moment.

All gone. All ruins. All covered in shrubs and vines, new life in place of the old; the bloodstains grown over.

"Flevance was known for Amber Lead," he forced himself to say. "A kind of white metal; pure and white like marble, yet glistening like silver. With the right heat and pressure, it could be made into just about anything. It could even replace plastic or metal. But it didn't just bring wealth and fame. It soon took over every facet of manufacturing and production."

He looked up at the gray sky, a lump in his throat.

"It…it was this country. It was everywhere. It turned up in the trees and the grass, giving everything a white sheen. They called Flevance the White Country because of it."

"It could do all that?" Izuku asked, amazed by such a mineral.

"Yes. Flevance has the largest vein anyone's ever found; the only one that was ever commercially viable." He tapped the ground with his nodachi. "We could dig for hundreds of years and barely make a dent in the veins under our feet. We were the richest kingdom in the North Blue, a shining white jewel on the sea."

He trailed off, gulping down the lump in his throat.

"And this Amber Lead…it killed them?" asked Yamato.

"We didn't know it at the time," Law went on. "But Amber Lead gets into people's bodies, and builds up inside them. A little does no harm, but we were using it in everything. Water pipes, buildings, silverware…we were eating it, drinking it, breathing it."

"But if it was poisonous, how'd it take so long for people to learn the truth?" Yamato asked, both horrified and entranced.

"Amber Lead Syndrome is a degenerative disease. It doesn't happen right away. The lead builds up in the body over many years, and then gets passed on in the blood; from parent to child. Every child born in this country had Amber Lead in their bodies from their first breath, and took in more Amber Lead with exposure in this wealthy white wonderland. And with every generation, it got worse and worse; spreading quicker, and killing faster."

His mind's eye took him back to those days; when he'd walked the corridors of his father's hospital, seeing the white-blotched bodies in their beds. He could hear their cries, hear their loved ones pleading, bargaining, threatening.

"By the time we knew for sure, even children barely exposed were dying from it," he continued. "They were being born with near-fatal levels. By then, it was too late."

His lip curled, as his tale reached its denouement.

"The Royal family and their inner circle found out the truth. But the economy was dependent on Amber Lead; without it, Flevance was ruined. So they emptied the treasury and fled in the night, screaming to all the world about how some terrible disease was wracking their kingdom. The other kingdoms panicked, banded together…and purged Flevance."

He shivered, his clenched hands shaking, as he saw through his child-self's eyes. The soldiers of Whiteland and Duel roaming the streets, shooting, stabbing or clubbing anything that moved. He could hear the gunfire, the cries of terror and pain, the pleas for mercy. He could even smell the smoke, the flames.

Then he stopped, as he saw a single small house.

"I barely managed to escape." His voice quavered. "I got out of a window, and hid in a corpse wagon."

He could say no more of it. That memory was too horrible to describe, even for him.

"Were you… infected?" Izuku asked.

"Yes, but…I was cured, thanks to the Op Op Fruit," Law admitted, raising one hand. "I even managed to come up with a cure, or rather a vaccine. Not that it's any use now."

"But…why not?" asked Yamato, confused. "Why can't you share it? Surely it can help people!"
"And reveal to the whole world that I'm still alive, and that I know," retorted Law, glaring at Yamato so hard that she flinched. "Besides, the only place it could ever help anyone is here."

He paused a moment, letting that little factoid sink in, then headed for the house.

"Law, was this your home?" asked Izuku nervously.

"Yes," Law replied softly. "It was." He turned around, and froze as he saw the tears running down Izuku's face. Tears…he was actually crying.

"Law I… I'm so sorry…" Izuku uttered, his face distraught and voice weak.

It was just like…

"You were the one in pain back then! I just… wanted to fix things for you… Law!"

Law turned away, too ashamed to face him, pulling his cap down over his brow.

He opened the door, and stepped inside. The house was a ruin, nearly reclaimed by nature; but everywhere he looked, there were more memories. To the right was the local clinic, where his parents had hosted patients. Further back was the dining room, where they had eaten so many meals on so many days.

And on the wall by the door, just visible, was a brown stain; where his parents' blood had splashed.

He walked on, taking it all in. Rotted bookcases stood at the walls, filled with medical textbooks and childrens' storybooks; damp and moldering. The stairway leading upstairs had collapsed; cutting off the bedrooms and whatever was left inside.

And there, at the very back, was the backyard. The lawn grass was knee-high, his mother's flowerbeds and bushes long since overgrown. But in his mind's eye it was neatly trimmed, and Lami was stumbling towards him, arms outstretched, her little face an artless smile.

Law strode on, heading for the garden shed. The interior was as musty and moldy as the house, but the tools were still there. He took out a chisel, hammer, and nails; then held out his hand.

"Room." The blue energy encased the shed, then he drew his sword and slashed, again and again. By the time he was done, and Room was dispersed, the shed was a pile of neatly-cut timber; old, but good enough for his intent.

"Need any help?"

Law turned, and saw Izuku standing there; his eyes dry, but his countenance somber.

"Yeah, we can help if you like." offered Yamato awkwardly. Law took a breath.

"If you can make these planks into three crosses," he said, pointing to the pile of planks, "I'd appreciate it. It'll speed things up."

He took three small planks from the pile, then crouched down and started work; chiseling a name into one of them.

"Who are they for?" Yamato asked.

"My parents, and my little sister," Law replied, without looking up. He fixed his eyes on the plank below him, trying to ignore the whispers of memory. He could hear his sister and her friends shrieking and laughing as they played hide and seek.

He blinked, as his eyes began to sting. Drops of water began to fall on the plank.

"We should head inside. It's raining and…"

Then he froze, as arms wrapped around him from behind. He turned, glowering at whoever had the nerve to grab him like that. It was Yamato, her copper eyes shimmering with tears. And in their reflection, he could see the tears running down his face.

"It's okay. We're right here. I… I can't imagine… what you're going through right now." Izuku came over, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"But we..we are here," he finished. "If that helps."

Law looked away. A part of him wanted to tell them to butt out; that this was nothing to do with them.

But how could he? When they were doing this?

"You…you do what you want," he blurted out. He couldn't deal with this. But he couldn't reject it either.

"What we want is to help you," insisted Izuku. "I…" he hesitated, and Law saw something in his eyes. A terrible anguish that made his wounded heart clench.

"I know what it's like to lose everything," Izuku went on. "I lost everything too, my Mom, my friends, because of…someone. If not for Yamato, I'd be alone."

Law wanted to deny Izuku's words, but those green eyes would not let him. For a strange moment, it was like looking into a mirror.

"Do you want to kill that someone?" he asked, unable to stop himself.

"No. He's already dead, by my hand." Izuku hung his head, lifting a gloved hand to his heart. "Even so, it didn't bring anyone back."

Law turned back to the plank, and returned to his work; Yamato letting go. He could not say it, but something within him had changed. The weight around his heart had eased, if only a little.

Finally he finished, and held the plank up for them to see.

TRAFALGAR D. NORMAN

It wasn't much. But he owed them this memorial, poor though it was.

"D?" Yamato asked. Law turned, and was surprised by the look on her face. "Law, was your dad a D too?"

"Why…do you ask?" Law was taken aback. Why was she going on about that at a time like this?

"We know a D in our crew," Izuku explained. "And Oden mentioned it in his journal. The Will of D, he called it."

"Will of D?" Law straightened up, mouth gaping in amazement. "You know about that? About my name?" And who is Oden?

It made sense. These were children of the Strongest Man in the World; te rival to the late King of the Pirates Gold Roger himself.

"Yes, we do," answered Izuku. Law looked down at his father's plaque, and took a deep breath. He had waited so long to go to the Grand Line, and avenge Corazon. But this was a question that had haunted him for far longer. Why had his father given him his name? And why had he never explained what it meant?

"Can… can you tell me?" he asked.

"Why?" Izuku looked surprised. "Did your Dad not tell you?"

"No. He said he'd tell me when I was older, but…" he shrugged, gesturing at the ruined country around him.

"Well, we can tell you!" declared Yamato, brightening suddenly. "All about the Will of D!"

Above them, the gray clouds finally parted, and a golden setting sun shone on an empty land.

As Izuku and Yamato told Law about the Will of D.

Big thanks to the team, as always.

So yeah, this chapter and the NEXT ONE were meant to be combined into a bigger one, but IKnowNothing thought it best to have it end at this part. And it does make some sense.

We needed something uplifting, and boy do we get it with this one... which is again another heavy chapter or so, but its giving Law something he never thought possible. Closure, and answers. And you can tell we are laying the foundation for Izuku that once Kaido is taken care of...

As for Law's dad's name. Law's real name is Water Law(based off of Waterloo). Why not harken back to another important battle in history (Normandy).

Will be aiming for chapters of this length up until the pivotal Germa Battle or so. So hope you all enjoy this one.