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As the party raged on around the Straw Hat and Heart Pirates plus the minks, Bepo wondered at the scene. For months, as the Heart Pirates waited alone on Zou, a scene like this was difficult, if not impossible, to imagine. With their captain on a solo mission, and only his vivre card to assure them he was still alive, there’d been little to do but wait and worry. Jack’s arrival had been a shock, but it had at least given the leaderless crew something to fight for to channel their anxiety.
The arrival of the Thousand Sunny and half of the Straw Hats provided the briefest moment of hope until the Heart Pirates realized Law wasn’t with them. Not long after, Law’s vivre card had started burning, causing the crew to panic at their helplessness; though the burning had eventually extinguished and the card had slowly restored itself, Bepo wouldn’t soon forget the choking terror he felt as he thought about his captain—his best friend of more than a decade—facing down the man he hated most in the world on his own.
But Law hadn’t been alone out there. He’d made allies.
The news had arrived about the defeat of Doflamingo and the return of King Riku to Dressrosa’s throne as well as the increased bounties for the Straw Hats and the Heart captain. (“So much for the Shichibukai,” Shachi had muttered at the news. For a short time, it had been nice not to worry about dodging the Marines. Bepo had just shrugged. Becoming a Warlord had clearly just been a means to an end in Law’s plan.) The crew had devoured every detail they could from the Straw Hats and the newspapers about Law, but it wasn’t until the man himself appeared among the trees of the Whale Forest that Bepo dared breathe again. Law had smiled, and Bepo hadn’t been able to help the tears in his eyes as he jumped into his captain’s arms.
The Heart Pirates were finally whole again.
Law had filled them in on his mission on Punk Hazard, meeting the Straw Hats, and taking on Doflamingo in Dressrosa. Bepo knew Law well enough—knew his history well enough—to recognize some obvious gaps in his story, but he didn’t comment. Despite sporting some bandages, Law seemed fine. Tired but there. The darkness and desperation that had haunted their captain prior to him separating from the crew months earlier had lifted.
Bepo and the crew, for their part, caught Law up on what had happened during their months on Zou. It was equally reassuring to watch as Law assessed his crewmates’ injuries from Jack and admitted that “Tony-ya” had adequately treated them. Coming from Law, Bepo recognized the words as high praise for the Straw Hats’ doctor.
Once the reunion was over, Law brought his crew to formally meet their new allies. The Heart Pirates and Straw Hats had taken well to each other, and laughter and cheer echoed throughout the forest as everyone celebrated being alive after everything they’d been through.
Bepo had to admit, he was curious to see how his captain and Straw Hat Luffy would interact; it was an unusual pairing he’d been wondering about since the day the newspaper arrived announcing the alliance. Bepo’s impression of Straw Hat was rubbery limbs wrapped around others in casual touches accompanied by wide, toothy grins and loud laughs. He was kinetic energy and his heart on his sleeve.
Law, on the other hand…
Well, Bepo had known his captain since he was 13, and he’d always been… prickly. Bepo knew Law well, knew that he felt emotions deeply, but he preferred to keep them wrapped up and hidden away from all but those closest to his heart. Hell, he preferred people think he had no heart, the name of his pirate crew an irony. After everything he’d been through in his short life, Law did not trust easily.
So, it was with great interest that he watched Law and Luffy speak before Nekomamushi called for a party, clearly to Law’s chagrin based on his heavy sigh.
As the night wore on, Bepo found himself chatting with Nami. Bepo was intrigued by his fellow navigator and had enjoyed the conversations they’d shared while they waited for their respective captains to arrive from Dressrosa.
“You’re worried about him, aren’t you?”
Bepo started, realizing his gaze had turned back toward Law—who had settled himself against a tree at the edges of the party—and looked at Nami. She had a knowing smile on her lips.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled out of habit.
She waved off his apology. “I know how you feel.” She glanced toward Luffy, who had his arms wrapped around Chopper as he laughed. Her expression softened. “I don’t think that ever goes away.”
“How do you deal with it?” Bepo asked curiously. The dynamics of the Straw Hat crew were endlessly fascinating to him—they were so different from the Heart Pirates.
Nami shrugged. “I think I’ll always worry about Luffy. He’s always running headfirst into danger. But I trust him. And I trust our crew.” She said that with finality.
“That easy?”
Nami let out a laugh, short and a little jagged around the edges. “Oh, it wasn’t easy. But Luffy…” Her gaze turned far away for a moment before she shook her head. “Well, once he decides you’re nakama, he doesn’t let you go. It took me a while to accept it,” she admitted, her hand briefly touching her tattoo, “but here I am.” The smile she turned to Bepo, in contrast to the earlier laugh, was warm and soft. “And Luffy has decided Torao is nakama.”
Something tugged in Bepo’s chest at that. Oh…
Later, Bepo found himself sitting with Shachi and Penguin as the three shared drinks and laughed at the antics of their new allies. Bepo caught some movement in his peripheral vision, and all three turned to see Law, not far away, push himself to his feet. Bepo recognized the slight unsteadiness in his posture and the way he was ever-so-slightly leaning against Kikoku as he straightened.
Bepo gasped in surprise when rubbery arms stretched across the clearing and wrapped around the tree Law had been sitting against and a colorful blur flashed by Bepo’s eyes, leaving an afterimage. He blinked, vision clearing just in time to see Luffy land right in front of Law, invading his personal space. Apparently Luffy, despite being on the other side of the party, had noticed Law’s movement to leave as well. Bepo inhaled sharply and heard Shachi and Penguin do the same from behind him.
Law simply sighed and raised an eyebrow. “Straw Hat-ya.”
“Are you leaving, Torao?” Luffy demanded. “But the party isn’t over!”
“I—” Law began but cut off as Luffy put his hands on Law’s shoulders.
Oh no, Bepo thought, eyes widening. Luffy is just asking to lose a limb or three.
But Law let the younger captain touch him without protest.
Bepo glanced back at Shachi and Penguin to make sure they were seeing the same thing he was. Both men looked as startled as Bepo felt. Okay, so it wasn’t just him.
“Don’t you want to celebrate with your crew?” Luffy was asking as Bepo turned back to the two captains.
Law’s lips twitched sardonically. “They’re used to me dipping out of parties early. Besides—”
Bepo could hear the heavy fatigue in that last word.
Luffy must have heard something in Law’s voice, too, because any further protests died on his lips. Curiously, his hand dropped to touch Law’s right bicep. The touch was surprisingly gentle considering Luffy’s usual overenthusiasm. Bepo frowned. The Heart Pirates had asked what had happened—it hadn’t escaped their notice that the captain was the only member of the newly arrived group still sporting bandages from Dressrosa—but he’d responded with something vague about Doflamingo and strings. Law, despite being a doctor, had always been a terrible patient, especially when he didn’t want his nakama to worry.
“Does it hurt?” Luffy asked quietly.
Law shut his eyes for a moment. “It’s fine,” he said quietly, eyes opening again.
“Torao.”
Law pressed his lips into a thin line but then his shoulders dropped. “A little,” he conceded.
Huh.
“Chopper can—”
“It’s fine, Straw Hat-ya.”
For a long moment, the two captains regarded each other. Bepo wasn’t quite sure what to make of the exchange, but Luffy finally nodded.
“Okay.” Luffy seemed hesitant to let Law’s arm go, but he finally dropped his hand. “Good night, Torao!”
Before Law could respond, Luffy launched himself back toward the party, landing next to Usopp, who was regaling Uni and Ikkaku with some story.
Law stood still for a long moment, eyes trailing the younger captain, before his gaze turned and caught Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin staring. Bepo blushed and mumbled an apology while Shachi and Penguin coughed deliberately behind him. But Law’s lips just turned upward ever so slightly, and he shook his head. He turned toward the Heart Pirates’ rooms back among the trees. As the captain disappeared into the night, Bepo exchanged looks with Penguin and Shachi. They looked as surprised as Bepo felt.
“What just happened?” Shachi asked, glancing toward the trees.
“Straw Hat Luffy,” Bepo replied. Because that was the only explanation.
Bepo gave Law a fifteen-minute head start before following. Usually, when Law ducked out of an evening early, one of Bepo, Shachi, or Penguin would check in on him after a time—to make sure he wasn’t doing something dumb like retreating into that big brain of his. Bepo followed the now-familiar trail through the Whale Forest back to the rooms the Heart Pirates had been provided during their stay.
Bepo headed for the room the crew had reserved for their captain in the firm belief that he would eventually join them. The door to Law’s room was open, and light spilled into the hallway. Bepo raised an arm to knock but froze in the doorway.
“Captain,” Bepo said, the word leaving his mouth in an almost whine before his brain could catch up.
Law, whose back was to the door, stiffened. Apparently Bepo had caught Law in the middle of treating his wounds and changing his bandages. Law’s discarded shirt was piled on the bed, alongside a few medicinal bottles and rolls of gauze. Law looked back at Bepo, his expression unreadable for a long moment before he sighed.
“Bepo. What are you doing here?”
Bepo dropped his arm and took a hesitant step inside the room. “Just checking on you, Captain.”
“You’re missing the party.”
Bepo shrugged. He cared more about his friend than a party. A friend whose vivre card had burned, nearly turning to ash, only a few days earlier. And now he could see some evidence of what had happened that day the crew had thought they’d lost their captain.
Law turned toward Bepo, and Bepo got a full look at the wounds Law’s shirt had masked during the day. Bepo looked past the various scratches and yellowing bruises; instead, he zeroed in on the four round wounds on Law’s chest.
Bullet wounds.
Law had been shot.
For as long as Bepo had known him, Law had hated guns. And Law had been shot…
Forcing himself to breathe, Bepo’s eyes then went to Law’s bare right arm, and he growled unhappily. An ugly circle of stitches and deep purple bruises circled his bicep as though…
“What happened?” Bepo asked rather than finish the thought.
Law looked away. “I’m fine.”
“Law.”
Bepo’s eyes met his captain’s. For a brief moment, Law looked like he wanted to protest, to lie about being fine yet again, but something in Bepo’s expression must have stopped him. He sat down heavily on the edge of the bed. Bepo walked up to him and took the bottle of antiseptic from his loose fingers. Bepo had helped Law enough in the infirmary, from treating small wounds to assisting Law in hours-long surgeries, that he didn’t hesitate to start cleaning Law’s wounds.
Law was quiet as Bepo cleaned the bullet wounds, but once Bepo took the gauze to wrap around his torso, Law exhaled, as though defeated.
“Doflamingo.”
Bepo blinked but continued to unroll the gauze, letting his friend speak at his own pace. He knew some of Law’s history with Doflamingo, knew he’d killed his own brother for saving Law, but much of the history had been too painful for Law to talk about, and he’d never pushed. It had been enough to know that he’d hurt Law for Bepo to hate him too.
“He shot me,” Law said as Bepo started wrapping Law’s torso. “Right in the middle of the city. With lead bullets,” he gritted out.
Bepo froze, thinking back to the boy with white spots on his skin who’d saved him on Swallow Island. “He didn’t.”
Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin were the only members of the Heart Pirates who knew about Law’s Amber Lead Disease, and they only knew because he hadn’t been able to hide it when they’d met.
“I’m sure he thought it was hilarious.” Law’s voice was flat. “Insult to injury.”
“Bastard,” Bepo growled.
“I took them out myself, but…” Law shook his head and trailed off as Bepo finished wrapping the gauze.
Bepo thought he understood. It was dehumanizing and a brutal reminder of Law’s history—and that was the entire point. Bepo really hated Doflamingo. He turned his attention to Law’s arm, remembering Luffy’s gentle touch not long ago. He glanced over at Law and was startled to see the captain watching him, probably gauging his reaction.
“He cut it off,” Law said finally. “With his strings.”
Bepo blinked, not quite registering what Law had said because his arm was, well, attached. “What?”
“Doflamingo. Cut my arm off.” Law’s eyes turned distant, clearly remembering, and Bepo hated the pained look that crossed Law’s face. Bepo could freak out later about his captain losing his arm when said captain wasn't around.
“Did you—?” Bepo asked, nodding toward the stitches. It didn’t look like Law’s usual precise work.
Law blinked and shook his head. Bepo listened as Law explained about the Tontattas, about Leo and the healing princess. It was quite the story, but Bepo was thankful they’d been there to help Law.
When Bepo couldn’t be.
Bepo swallowed down a pang of bitterness. From everything Law had told them—and Bepo knew he’d held things back—it sounded like Dressrosa had been nothing short of hell. But rather than fight alongside their captain—rather than fight for their captain—the Heart Pirates had been halfway across the New World, safe and sound. It had taken the Straw Hats to bring Law back alive. Without them…
Bepo swallowed. He was Law’s first mate, and he’d been completely useless.
“Bepo?” Law apparently had noticed his change in mood. Law knew Bepo just as well as Bepo knew Law, after all.
Bepo shook his head, stewing on his thoughts, and finished treating and wrapping Law’s arm in silence. Law, for his part, didn’t push. Bepo put down the remaining gauze on the bed and stood awkwardly, eyeing the bedspread next to Law’s leg.
“Bepo,” Law finally said quietly. “Look at me.”
Bepo wanted to argue, to storm out of the room and return to the party and forget everything Law had told him, but he pursed his lips and turned to his captain. His nakama. Law was looking at him curiously.
“What is it?”
“We weren’t there.” Law frowned, but Bepo continued before he could interrupt. “Your vivre card nearly burned up, Law. And we were sitting here. You were dying and we couldn’t do anything.”
“Bepo—”
Bepo balled his paws into fists at his sides. “If Straw Hat hadn’t been there, you could have died, Law! He was there, and you almost died anyway!”
“I know.”
Bepo frowned at the soft tone. It was… accepting. And that confirmed something Bepo had been suspicious about for a while. “You were planning on dying.”
Law sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Bepo briefly noted how tired Law looked but pushed it aside because he was angry, dammit! The fact that Law hadn’t denied it immediately spoke volumes.
“I didn’t intend to die,” Law said finally. “But I accepted that it was a distinct possibility. Probability.”
“We could have helped!” Bepo retorted, thinking about how Law had isolated himself in those months before he’d left for Punk Hazard, barely interacting with the crew as he’d plotted. Nothing they’d tried had brought him out of it, and now Bepo knew why; he’d been planning this suicidal mission. “You didn’t have to do it alone, Law.”
“Yes, I did.”
Bepo glowered at his captain. “Why?”
Law leaned forward, elbows on his knees. He shook his head. “It was my fight, Bepo. I couldn’t risk you. Any of you. Not for my revenge. I couldn’t have lived with myself if anything had happened to you for this. I was the only one I was willing to risk.”
Bepo blinked and the anger melted out of him, leaving him feeling hollow. He sat down on the bed next to Law and touched shoulders lightly, careful of Law’s healing arm. “You’re an idiot, you know that?”
Law blinked. “What?”
“We’re nakama, dumbass,” Bepo replied without any heat. “Your fight is our fight. Just like our fights have always become your fights. Do you think any of us wouldn’t want to fight for you? You’re our captain!”
Law grimaced. “I didn’t want you to. This was a vendetta from thirteen years ago. From before I knew any of you.” He rubbed his face through his hands. “I just wanted to know you’d all be safe from the fallout.”
“Don’t you think we should get to make that decision, Captain?”
Law opened his mouth but closed it again. Bepo wasn’t used to seeing Law at a loss for words. He looked young in that moment, a bit out of his depth, and Bepo thought about Nami’s words: Once he decides you’re nakama, he doesn’t let you go. Luffy has decided Torao is nakama.
For all his smarts, Bepo’s captain might be an idiot, but somehow he’d made friends, not just allies, with another idiot—and that idiot had brought him home. He’d be forever thankful to Straw Hat for that. But Bepo wasn’t going to let his captain do something stupid like sacrifice himself again, not when Bepo and the other Heart Pirates could be there to fight for him.
“I’m glad you’re back, Captain,” Bepo said quietly.
Law gave him a wan smile. “Me too.”
Several hours later, when the Heart Pirates returned to their rooms from the party, they checked in on their captain and found him fast asleep, curled up with Bepo. The bear shushed his crewmates, and they smiled and nodded knowingly.
It was good to have the family back together.
fin