Archive of Our Own

i.

The rain was dreary, awful, and cold. An island that was moving from fall to winter, the weather left the islands inhabitants feeling tired and sluggish. It even had that effect on some of the pirates who had docked recently. 

Though their captain seemed to care very little about how the weather bothered them all. He was left unaffected. After all, the surgeon of death wasn't known for liking sunshine and warm weather.

With a wave of his hand, Law let his crew members explore the island, with a few going to resupply their stocks. Some ran straight for brothels, bars, a bookstore, Bepo stayed behind on the ship. With everyone having something to do, Law decided that he'd walk with one of the others towards the bookstore. Maybe they'd have some textbooks he could browse through. 

Law purchased a few books, documents about a rare disease that had wiped out an entire island over forty years ago. It was interesting enough and the surgeon of death was ready to take them back to the sub for some light reading when a very small noise caught his attention. 

"Meow..." 

His shoulders stiffened. That was most certainly the sound of a cat, probably a kitten from the sound of it. He couldn't hear any other animals and in this cold weather, Law wondered if the creature would live long enough to see the better part of springtime. The world was just as cruel to innocent creatures as it was to guilty ones.

Law rolled his shoulders and mentally shrugged, deeming the animal unworthy of his time. He wasn't some charity worker, he wouldn't save everything that cried out. He barely even wanted to save that moron, Straw hat. So he took a few steps forward, walking by the alleyway he was sure the animal was in. 

Once again, Law was brought to a stop as he caught sight of a frail, fragile little kitten. It looked much like a calico, but even from this distance, he could tell that most of the color was dirt, mud, and an alarming amount of blood. The actual coat looked to be a pale yellow, almost white. 

His curiosity was piqued and Law moved into the alley way. He crouched down in front of the kitten, watching how it's body curled up on itself. It tried to shuffle away from him. It made it maybe an inch before making a very pitiful noise and Law speculated it was probably injured and was much too small. Malnourished for sure. Dehydrated. It's coat was thoroughly soaked and it would probably die like that.

Then Law caught sight of another cat, resting just a few feet away from the kitten. If Law wasn't so observant, he'd think it was sleeping. But the blood... 

It wasn't breathing.  

He wasn't sure what made him do it. Maybe it was memories of a pale blond who smiled happily, maybe it was memories of starving and anger, maybe it was the distant sounds of his crew members having a great time. He wasn't sure what spurred him to do it, but he reached out with gentle hands and carefully scooped up the kitten. 

It hissed, even tried to bite him, but thankfully Penguin had tossed him his gloves before he left. Mostly to cover the tattoos but it helped with handling the angriest kitten he'd ever dealt with. 

He was stopped on his way back to the submarine by Shachi. He had seen him in the alley and asked what he'd been doing. Moving the bag that held his books, Law let the redhead see the little demon that he was holding. It hissed angrily and would've tried to swipe at him if it wasn't so tired, but it did it's job of spooking the other. 

"Whoa, damn captain. Thing’s spunky. Why is it so angry?" Law made sure it stayed cradled close to his chest. He huffed, amused at his crew mates ignorance. He had explained many times to all of them why you don't go near wild animals. 

"It's hungry, injured, and cold. You try to be in a good mood with those conditions." Shachi put his bags over his shoulder, a few medical supplies from the nearest hospital, and followed along with his captain. 

"Well, sure. What are we going to do with it? It probably won't last a minute out here like this. You see any other cats?" Law thought best not to mention what he'd seen. 

Getting to the submarine, Law stopped by his room first to set down his books. Shachi brushed by to put his own bags away but came back not a minute later to see just what his captain was up to. It wasn't often that they saw Law do something like this and never to an animal. A mink, sure. But that was once and it was Bepo. Shachi felt guilt creeping up as he remembered just why Bepo needed to be saved. 

It was that same guilt that made Shachi follow Law to one of their many medical rooms. They passed Bepo, who waved hello and cringed at the sight of the wounded kitten. Penguin hopped in as well, ready to tell Law the inventory status when he paused. 

"Uh, Cap... That's a kitten." It wasn't really a question. But Law knew the implied questions behind it. He was sure most of the others would ask similar ones. 

“Penguin, I need you to get me a cloth, wet it, warm water. Shachi, get some of the fish Bepo caught today. Only a little bit of it, I need to see if it can eat on it's own." 

While the two disappeared for their task, Law set the kitten down and watched with amusement as the kitten's blue eyes grew in fascination at the room. Sure, it was plain in color but there was plenty that could keep it's attention. Like the stethoscope. 

It reached out with a little paw and bat at the stethoscope when Penguin came back into the room. Law held his hand up to signal that Penguin needed to move slowly. 

With the cloth passed off, Law finally cleaned up the little guy- yes, he was a boy- and set the pale kitten back down on the table so he could do measurements. 

Weight, height, and length were scribbled down on a patient sheet with Kitten-kun written at the top. Penguin had found it cute and since he didn't have a name, Kitten-kun would have to do. 

"He's definitely sick. We'll need to keep a close eye on him. Make sure to handle him with gloves for now, as he-" Law cut himself off as he watched the kitten clumsily roll right off the table. A quickly mumbled Room was all that kept him from hitting the floor, the stethoscope landing with a 'CLACK' instead. 

Law grabbed the kitten by its scruff, holding it up close to his face. It looked almost sheepish, if a cat could make that expression. 

"He's a clumsy little guy. Kinda cute." Penguin commented. The kitten stuck its tongue out awkwardly and Law set him back down on the table, keeping a closer eye on him. 

"As I was saying," 

"Well, he seems to like the fish." Shachi mumbled with a hand over his mouth. Kitten-kun had completely devoured the small fish Shachi had brought back and was gingerly licking his paw to clean his face, but winced often. He was still injured, after all. 

"That will help greatly in his development. I'm glad he didn't notice the medicine I put in the fish." Warm and full of food, the kitten curled up into a ball, taking residence in Law's old hat, and fell asleep. His breathing was a little choppy and he was still in need of a real bath, but that would have to wait until he was feeling better. 

"Captain, what are we going to do with him? Are we tossing him when he gets healed?" Law sat at the desk, taking off his gloves. With the kitten finally sleeping and the possibility of it dying any second drastically reduced, he felt the tension he had been holding in his shoulders finally release. Why he was so attached, he had no idea. The clumsiness didn't help. He had a soft spot for clumsy. 

"I don't know," He answered honestly. He never liked lying to his crew. It didn't feel like something a captain should do often. "But we'll see how this goes." 

A few days went by. 

Health wise, the kitten wasn't doing too bad. He still needed to be given medicine every few hours and Law was very strict on the times he was supposed to eat. Energy wise, he was a bounding, bumbling idiot. His injuries had subsided and after a warm bath, not only had his fur become an even lighter blond, it seemed his angry personality was washed away as well. He was a content kitten, trailing after Law everywhere he went and curling up by his shoes, in his old hats/jackets/shirts. He was very attached to Law.

And Law was attached to the kitten. In his own Trafalgar way. He kept a tight schedule for him, kept him warm, gave him company. He'd give him to Penguin or Shachi if he was too busy. Penguin had even seen Law letting the kitten play with the strings of his jacket. But there was one thing that bothered everyone. 

Law took to calling the kitten, Cora-kun. It had happened after he had tried following Law up some steps. He had tumbled off and Law called out in worried tone, "Cora-san!" No one made mention of it to him. No one called him out for it. But there seemed to be something that Law wasn't ready to talk about. 

They knew about Corazon. What he had done for their captain. Law had been fond of him. He had been almost like a father to him. This kitten resembled him in some way that Law got attached out of love for Corazon. It was a little hard for the others to understand but their captain was happy so they were happy. 

ii.

"Captain, have you seen Cora-kun? He wasn't in your room when I went to give him lunch." Shachi peered into the exam room and saw Law leaned forward in his chair as he took notes from the books he'd bought. Something had caught his interest in them and he'd shut himself in the exam room to figure a few things out. 

"Huh," Law mumbled, not quite realizing Shachi was there until he turned his head to help the ache in his shoulders and caught sight of the redhead in the doorway. 

"What?" He asked, putting his pen down in his notebook and turning fully to look at Shachi. 

"I can't find Cora-kun." 

Law stood up quickly, grabbing his coat off the back of the chair and ushered Shachi out of the room. 

"We'll have to check all the different levels. Have you checked with Penguin or Bepo?" Shachi frowned and shook his head, already turning on his heel to go speak with some of the others when a loud racket was heard and footsteps began approaching. 

"CAPTA- Whoa!" Penguin shouted, almost crashing into Law. He steadied himself against the wall and took deep breaths while Law and Shachi waited impatiently. 

"Cora-kun climbed into the vents while we were repairing some of the damages. I didn't even know he was with us until Bepo saw him dart into the little vent." 

All color seemed to drain from Law's face. They had only seen their captain like this a few times, after horrible nightmares or in very dire situations. It often left the crew just as disturbed as Law, but they couldn't begin to understand just how attached Law had gotten to Cora-kun. 

"We'll have to take the wall down and pull him out. Do you know what part he's in?" 

"Bepo does. He's keeping an eye on him. We'll get him out Captain. I'll go get Jean Bart to help." 

It took a few hours. Panels were pulled off, a few pipes had to be removed, and some wires were taped up to allow them easy access to their furry companion when Law noticed something very, very important. 

Cora wasn't in any danger. He was curled up, asleep, in a cozy little corner that was just warm enough from the pipes that he would be warm without getting burnt. 

The deep sigh that left Law made the others flinch but then a small laugh escaped their captain and he pulled Cora out of the cubby. Cora blinked up at Law before yawning wide. Cora would never realize just how lucky he was to be so cute. 

"C-captain?" Penguin asked, watching nervously as Law and Cora stared at each other. Was Law going to finally toss the kitten out? The others had gotten so attached... 

"Put this back, get a new panel for the vent, and let's all try to be a little more aware of where Cora is." 

Shachi and Penguin exchanged looks while Law let Cora climb up on his shoulder. Cora nuzzled his warm nose against Law's cheek and meowed softly. The sight was too much for the duo and they had to look away, feeling their bodies shake from the cute scene. Their captain...

An hour later, after Cora and Law had both had some much needed lunch, Bepo realized that he had reports for their captain. Paw raised to knock, Bepo heard the voice of his captain and kept quiet for a second. Curiosity got the best of him and he opened the door quietly to peer in.

"You're quite the little troublemaker. You're going to get into trouble you can't get out of if you keep this up." 

Law was reclined in his bed, his novel forgotten next to his pillow in favor of the kitten that was sleeping on his chest. The same hands that had stolen the hearts of a hundred individuals were gently brushing over soft fur of the smallest (unofficial) crewmate the Heart Pirates had ever seen. 

Bepo looked down at the papers he was holding and decided he'd do the reports himself. His captain never got a lot of time to rest. If it took Cora getting into trouble for him to finally relax, then Bepo was even happier they brought him on board. He seemed to make their captain happy. 

iii.

Ever since Cora, the Heart Pirates hadn't really spent much time with other crews. They hadn't run into any 'allies' and it was hard to run into marines when they spent all their time under water. So when they needed to meet up with the Strawhats, Trafalgar was curious as to how this would go. Would Cora be scared, upset, would he ignore them? The only way to find out was to bring him to the Thousand Sunny. 

"Whoa, Traffy, what's with the cat? I didn't know you had a cat on your crew! Nami, I want a cat on our crew!" 

As loud as always, Luffy was a bundle of energy that couldn't stop shouting about Cora. Cora sat patiently on Law's shoulder, looking around at the ship and the others that were shuffling about. His eyes caught sight of Chopper and he blinked slowly. Another animal? He only spent time with Bepo. 

Nami stretched Luffy's face, trying to get him to stop yelling when Cora decided to hop off of Law's shoulder and trot by all his crew mates. He kept his eyes on the little reindeer, nose twitching often as he tried to keep up with the doctor. 

Law let him go, turning back to the Strawhats. He was hoping they could finally get to discussing a few things, but he should've accounted for just who Luffy was. He was so easily distracted. 

"Chopper, you have a friend!" Luffy called out to his doctor, watching the reindeer turn around in confusion only to catch sight of Cora sitting behind him. His blue eyes stared up at Chopper, curiosity and confusion evident. 

"Oh, hello!" Chopper said cheerfully. Cora meowed happily and hopped up a bit, batting at Chopper's hooves playfully. Chopper pet Cora, motioning to the infirmary. 

"Yep, I'm like Torao! I even have a well stocked infirmary. Would you like to see it?" The two disappeared into the infirmary and Trafalgar was left wondering what Cora had said. 

After getting Luffy to calm down a bit and speaking with both Nami and Zoro, they had some semblance of a discussion for the afternoon. At least the whole trip wasn't a waste, Law mused as he watched Cora follow after Usopp. Usopp had a fishing pole in hand and hopped up on the railing of the ship, prompting Cora to do the same. 

Zoro said something that caught his attention and he turned back to the discussion, listening to Penguin and Zoro. Even Bepo was throwing in his piece. 

It didn't take long for Law to grow bored of the conversation. He wasn't one for interacting with others. Especially those who weren't on his crew. With thoughts of his crew, Law scanned the deck to tally up all of his crew that he could see. He stopped when he reached Cora and tilted his head in confusion. 

Cora was sitting next to Usopp and was making a strange face, pawing at his nose. Law wondered if it was from the strong scent of the sea or all the new smells he had to be around. Cora was used to clean smells, like antiseptic and bleach. It would make sense that he'd sneeze at a few of the new smells. Shouldn't be a problem. He'd keep an eye on him, in case of some sort of allergic reaction. 

Then Cora sneezed

And fell right off the ship. 

"Cora!" Law shouted, jumping up from his seat. He dashed by Luffy and pushed the confused captain out of the way to reach the ship's railing. He was honestly ready to leap off the side into the ocean, but Usopp noticed as well and threw his fishing pole at Law before diving in. Law caught it awkwardly, leaning over the railing to keep an eye on Cora and Usopp. 

By the time Usopp came back up, he had a very distressed Cora clinging to his shirt. Law's fingers were turning white from gripping the railing. Shachi had a hand resting on Law's upper arm in fear of him just jumping in after them regardless of his inability to swim. 

Usopp climbed back onto the ship and Law pulled Cora into his arms, throwing the fishing pole at Usopp. Chopper rushed down from the infirmary, towels held in his arms. He passed one to Usopp first then gave Law a softer towel. It didn't take but a moment to have Cora curled up in the towel, trying to keep him from getting too cold. 

Law glared angrily at the others, knowing that it probably looked ridiculous how much he cared about Cora.

"Shishishi, you really care about that cat, huh Traffy?" Law's glare turned even harsher, making his own crew stiffen but Luffy just laughed. Grumbling words that he was certain would upset the Strawhats, he stopped short when a cold paw pressed into his chest. 

Grey eyes darted down and met blue eyes. Law almost snorted a laugh at how indignant Cora looked. Soaking wet with a glare on his cute little face. It was just too much. 

"Captain, is he okay?" Penguin asked, peering over his shoulder to look at Cora. Cora stuck his tongue out, rolling around in Law's arms to try to get comfortable. He had an eventful evening. He wanted to sleep. 

"He's just being dramatic. He's fine." Of course, it reminded him of another dramatic and clumsy dolt. 

iv.

The evening continued on with little to stress about. Dinner came around and Law finally let Cora walk around again. Thankfully it was warm enough from the summer island they were near that Cora wouldn't be likely to get sick. He was mostly dried, too. 

Trafalgar sat on the deck, taking pieces of his meal and letting Cora eat little bits of it. Cora knew how to play the cute card and went around to all of the Heart pirates, hoping to get bites of fish. 

He had absolutely fallen in love with Sanji when the cook set an entire plate of fish for him. It even had small samples of other meats as well. Cora tugged on Sanji's pants leg, causing him to kneel down to see what the cat wanted when Cora climbed on his shoulder and nuzzled his face into the blond's hair. He sealed their friendship with a lick to his cheek before hopping back down and eating his own food. Sanji huffed a laugh around his cigarette. His good mood lasted two more seconds before he was back to keeping Luffy from stealing food. 

Once done, the Strawhats began unwinding from their day. Law mingled with his crew and waved a few of them off. They could go back to the ship if they wanted but Law needed some more fresh air. Not to mention, Cora was having a fun time while playing with Luffy. 

“Shishi, he’s really cute! Here, let’s see you catch me now!” Law was unsure if Cora really understood the concept of tag but he seemed to be ‘it’. Luffy reached up with rubber arms and launched himself up in the air while Cora watched in mild fear and confusion. Then, without much preamble, Cora crouched down and waited all of three seconds. Once Luffy got closer to the ground, Cora darted towards him. He used a barrel for extra help, then jumped into the air. Law felt the air leave his lungs. After watching Cora fall off the ship earlier it made him nervous, but Cora seemed very sure of his abilities. 

Luffy couldn’t see Cora from how he was falling and was in for a surprise when a ball of fluff came into his field of view and hopped on his chest, pushing against him with his paws, and then hopped back onto the ship quickly. Like saying, ‘Tag, you’re it.’

Once his paws were back on the ground, the kitten sprinted back to Law’s side and pawed at his leg quickly. Luffy was distracted with Usopp and Chopper but that didn’t stop Cora from worrying. 

“You know, most cats don’t even know how to fetch.” Law mumbled, picking up Cora. Cora let his guard down and nuzzled against Law’s cheek. Law could hear Robin and Nami in the background, cooing over how cute Cora was. 

He was surprised that Cora could run around so much without falling over his own paws. He was a truly clumsy individual, like his namesake, and it had Law genuinely impressed that he was holding together so well. 

Both were too distracted to realize that Luffy was still it and knew where Cora was. 

He crept up behind Law, not thinking better of it, and wrapped his arms around the two. Law tensed up immediately, his hold on Cora tightening. Being around the Strawhats meant always waiting for the unexpected but after so long of not seeing them, Law fell into a false sense of security. 

“You’re it, Cora-kun!” He shouted, but both individuals were so stunned and thrown off guard that Law pushed against Luffy and Cora shot straight up in the air out of panic. When Law looked around for him, he found him stuck to the mast with his claws digging into the wood. The panic written on Cora’s face, from the scare and now the drastic height he was dangling at, it had Law beyond annoyed. 

“Straw hat-ya…” Law grumbled, raising a room to bring Cora back down. What could he substitute him for…? 

With a smirk, he switched Luffy for Cora and watched Luffy awkwardly trying to grab onto anything so as to not hit the floor. Usopp was the one unlucky enough to ‘catch’ him. A loud thud was followed by varying grunts of pain, though most were from poor Usopp. 

Cora huffed angrily in his arms and wiggled about, trying to get down so he could go give Luffy a good scratching but Luffy was jumping up quickly and running from Usopp. 

“I didn’t get to tag Cora, so Usopp’s it!” 

What a long day it had been. 

V.

Their arrival on the island had been sudden. No one had expected them to stop on this island, since Trafalgar had been very clear about no stops until they got to their destination. But a run in with an annoyingly persistent marine and some torpedos left the Polar Tang with a few scratches that needed immediate care. 

Shachi and Jean Bart were already getting the metals they needed. Since the sub was in such bad shape, Law just paid for his crew to get rooms at a few of the inns. He was thankful for how populated the island was. It meant they could all have somewhere to stay. He wasn’t fully sure that the damage to the engine and outer wall would allow the ship to stay afloat, so this was their best option. 

Not that any of them minded. Stretch their legs, party as they liked, and come back to a soft bed? There was no room for complaining, even the ones who had to work before they could have their fun. Law wouldn’t listen to the complaining anyway. 

Even from a small kitten who kept pawing at the door to the balcony. 

Law didn’t hear it at first. Too busy reading a synopsis about a plague that had been killing coral in East Blue. The ‘ scratch, scratch, scratch ’ didn’t pull his attention away from the pages. He kept flipping, page after page, dog earing where he found certain parts interesting and making note of certain parts to delve deeper into when he had the chance. 

It was when the scratching stopped that Law noticed it had ever been there. He finally glanced over at where the noise had been coming from and noted with confusion that the glass door to the balcony had been slid to the side. Not enough for anything to get by, but something small could squeeze through. 

Like Cora. Who was sitting on the balcony railing and staring out at the world around him. His white tail swishing back and forth with grace. No anger in his movements. He seemed content with the world. It was a type of content that Law was envious of. 

Law stood from the bed and put his book aside. He could read anytime. But enjoying the quiet and lights of the town with his favorite companion? That didn’t happen often. 

He slid the door open and watched the way Cora’s ears twitched before he turned to look back at Law. The night air was warm and inviting enough that Law left the door open. 

It was easy to take his spot next to Cora, running his fingers through Cora’s soft fur. Big, blue eyes blinked up at him before turning back to stare out at their surroundings. It was sunset, but people were still out and he could hear the sounds of children playing, people talking, and could even make out a few crewmembers at the bar only two blocks away. 

This was peaceful. 

Moments passed, just people watching. Law leaned against the railing, waving when Penguin and Shachi walked by. They called up to ask him if he wanted to join them for some sake. Neither took it personal when he said no. It was a pretty normal occurrence. Law turned back to watch the town when the swish of Cora’s tail caught his attention. 

Cora’s eyes were darker and he was staring intently at something at the end of the railing as his tail flicked back and forth. Following the cat’s line of sight, Law found a small bird sitting delicately on the corner of the railing. Perched without a care in the world, the bird seemed ignorant to Cora’s existence. A stark contrast to Cora, who was watching and waiting for any movement from the bird. 

Feathers fluttered as the bird stretched out its wings and it was like a switch had been flipped. Cora gave a playful growl as he launched himself at the bird. He pounced at the bird, but it flew away in an instant, leaving Cora to try and stop himself on the railing. Unfortunately, his paws could do little to stop him from sliding off the marble. It was the least graceful tumble Law had ever seen and he had actually lived with the large idiot that Cora was named after. 

Law’s arm reached out to grab Cora by the scruff but he had already fallen too far and it was with a small wince that Law pulled his hat off his head and traded Cora’s place with it. The speckled hat landed in the dirt and Law grimaced at the prospect of the white hat getting dirty but it was more important that Cora was safe. 

Cora clung to Law’s shirt, claws digging in painfully, but the pitiful look in his eyes diminished some of the annoyance. That didn’t stop him from carefully pulling the claws out of his shirt. He happened to like this shirt and claw marks were imbedded in all of his clothes. This one shirt could be untainted. 

“You know, just because I named you after such a klutz doesn’t mean you need to act like him.” Law said quietly. Cora peered up with those innocent eyes and Law’s own eyes widened when he saw how Cora seemed to smile at him. He wasn’t sure cats could really do that, but he looked so genuinely happy and all Law could think about was… 

“Hey Law, I love you!” 

Tears pooled in silver eyes and he wished he had his hat. He would’ve hidden his face with it, but instead, he was left without anything to hide behind and he felt terribly exposed. Even if it was just a cat. 

“You’re such a pain.” He grumbled, setting Cora down and walking inside quickly. He needed to grab his hat and a walk would do him some good. There was a deep need to get as far away from this moment as possible. It felt like running away, but he could level with himself that he would be back. 

He barely got the door open before a small presence was by his side. Cora meowed up at him and rubbed against Law’s leg. It was almost apologetic. 

Law stopped, hand still holding the door knob, and just stared down at the light of his life. One of the two things in this world he would swear to protect until his dying breath. He wondered if Corazon had felt the same way about him so long ago. 

A sigh left his lips and without time to think about it, he leaned down and picked Cora up. Holding the kitten in his arms, he rubbed the kitten’s head and watched how his ears flickered back and forth at the attention. 

“Let’s go for a walk.” 

+1

It was late. Probably after midnight, but Law didn’t have a clock in his room for this reason. He was often staying up too late. Working, researching, insomniac tendencies. Whatever the cause, he was left without much sleep and often seen around the Polar Tang more during the night. 

Cora was curled up by Law’s feet. He had his face buried in his paws and entire body curled up in a little ball. He had been so tired after playing all day with Bepo. He had come to see Law for the sake of getting a good cat nap in. But that had been hours ago. 

With a wide yawn, Cora uncurled himself and dug his claws into the bedding he had been sleeping on. Law kept a lot of bedding in various places since Cora had taken to sleeping just about anywhere he could fit. While normal for most cats, Cora had started out only sleeping near a crewmate. Now it could take hours to find where Cora would decide to take his long naps. 

Cora pawed at Law’s leg, seeing him still sitting at his desk. He climbed up onto his lap, then onto the desk and took in the sight of the doctor. Dark bags were under his eyes but his face was flushed pink and he was dozing on his desk. His cheek pressed against the cool wood, he seemed off. Cora didn’t know what was wrong with him. He pawed gently at Law’s cheek but got no reaction. He didn’t even flinch. 

Pressing his nose close to Law’s face, he could feel his breath, so why was Law so hard to wake up? It left Cora feeling uneasy and his tail bristled. He pulled away from Law and hopped onto the floor, darting right for the little pet door they had installed for him. He was on a mission. He needed to find someone who could tell him what was wrong with Law! 

The first person he found was Penguin. He had a ladder under one of the many vents in the submarine and various tools pooled around him. These trinkets weren’t of any use to Cora and it wouldn’t do much help to bring them to Law, so he opted for hopping up on the ladder, one rung at a time, before tugging at Penguin’s leg. 

“Wha-” Penguin lost balance and almost fell off the ladder. Gripping onto the ladder, he got himself balanced before looking down to see Cora by his shoe. He was staring up at Penguin expectantly. 

“Uh, did you- Did you need something?” He asked awkwardly, still a little tense from almost falling. He gave up on feeling silly for talking to a cat almost immediately after they adopted Cora. 

Instead of a response, Penguin wasn’t sure what he was expecting anyway, Cora hopped down off the ladder and sat on the floor. He stared up at Penguin and though he wasn’t sure what Cora was doing, he followed and hopped off the ladder. 

“Did someone forget to feed you? I can-” Cora shook his head and turned towards the hallway back to the rooms. He stood up and trotted to the corner, turning around and waiting for Penguin to follow after him. 

“Not the weirdest thing I’ve ever done,” He mumbled. 

Cora led him back to Law’s room and Penguin tilted his head in confusion. What could the captain need that he’d send his little messenger? 

But then he opened the door and saw the state of his captain and panic set in. 

“CAPTAIN!” 

Hours later, grey eyes fluttered open. A sharp pain in his head had Law closing his eyes tight, a hand coming up to help shield his eyes. He groaned quietly. What had happened to him? Last thing he remembered was feeling a little warmer than usual. With how the Polar Tang would heat up, it wasn’t anything unusual. Finding himself in the infirmary as the patient though, that was unusual. 

“Captain, hey!” 

Law turned his head at the sound of one of his crew, blurry eyed and disoriented beyond belief. 

“Whoa, don’t move so fast. You’ve got a really bad fever. I’m glad you’re awake though. Think you can drink some water?” 

He wanted to tell him of course. That it would be no big deal, but the thought of moving made him tired. His limbs felt like mush and his brain was moving too sluggish for his liking. He hadn’t been this sick in a long time. He felt like a kid again, listening to his father tell him that he needed rest and to stay hydrated. His mother would run her fingers through his hair. It was all so nostalgic for him. 

“I-” He coughed, turning his head to the side as he tried to ignore the pain that coughing sent through his chest. Damn, he was really sick. “Water would be nice.” He grumbled with a scratchy throat. 

Shachi nodded his head and got up to get him some water. It gave him a few seconds to wonder who found him and brought him to the infirmary. 

Sitting up was a chore, but finally drinking some water felt great. His sipped at his water, trying not to have an upset stomach on top of all the other symptoms. He felt rough enough without it. 

“So,” Law started awkwardly, running a hand through his hair. “What happened?” He watched Shachi going through medicine, setting some bottles on the table and putting others back into their assigned boxes. He turned his head to look at Law before going back to sorting the medicine. 

“Pen found you. Said that you looked like death. You were passed out at your desk. Thank god for Cora or who knows what might’ve happened.” Shachi gave a triumphant cheer as he picked out one of the bottles and turned to Law. He sat down at the wheely chair kept for the infirmary rooms and glided over towards his captain. 

“Apparently Cora realized you were sick and went to get someone. Thankfully it was Pen. He’s one of the few of us who can actually pick you up. You’re too tall,” He was trying to crack jokes, keep the atmosphere light. Shachi was good for that. “But really. Cora might’ve… kind of saved your life?” 

Law wanted to say something. He wanted to tell Shachi that it wasn’t the first time and that Corazon had done a lot for him, but then it dawned on him. He meant that damn cat. Corazon really couldn’t leave him alone, even in death. That cat… 

Law dozed off after getting some medicine and when he woke up again, he felt a weight on his chest. Something warm. Blinking his eyes open, and feeling much better than the first time, he was met with white fur in front of him. 

Cora was sleeping quietly, sprawled across his chest like he had always belonged there. His nose twitched once, twice, a third time, before his eyes were opening and Law found himself nose to nose with Cora. Blue eyes peered into grey ones. Then they blinked and Cora hopped up excitedly. He licked Law’s cheek and nuzzled against his face before hopping off his chest and trotting in a small circle, like a dog. Happiness radiated off Cora. 

Lifting a heavy hand, he ruffled Cora’s fur. After all, Cora saved his life. He deserved the best treatment. But he still felt too heavy, too tired, too sluggish and his hand slid back to the bed. 

Cora didn’t mind, curling himself around Law’s hand and staying there. Exactly where he belonged.