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Part 1 of ocean, desert, the world
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Library, Juricii's Collection of Various Stories
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2022-05-19
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and the waves, they matter

Summary:

Luffy picked up a feral stray cat on Punk Hazard. The rest of the crew learns to deal with it.

They don't like admitting that they're also growing a bit attached.

---
Somewhat of a character study in snippets from different POVs

Notes:

I don't know what this is, if I'm being honest. My Law affliction has gotten bad enough that I just wanted to get my Law headcanons written down and I didn't even manage to get them all in there.

Anyways I hope you have fun with this. Some characters feature more than others, some are deep conversations and some are just interactions I think are neat. Most of it is Law not realizing he's being cared about.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Chopper swings his legs on the chair he’s sitting on in the ship’s library, book open in front of him though he’s looking out of the window instead of the medical text. Law is sitting in front of him, pouring over some of the notes he picked up on Punk Hazard. At Chopper’s request he agreed to exchange some information, talk some medicine , as the others put it.

 

“I hope the kids are gonna be alright.” Chopper says wistfully. He regrets not being able to do more for them. Hell, Law’s done more for them than he could, literally cutting the poison out of them. He’d refused to let anyone see and Chopper still feels sorry for reacting the way he did when he snuck in anyways, for doubting him. Luffy didn’t , Chopper thinks idly, and that should have been his first clue that everything was alright. In any case won’t be put off by Law cutting up someone anymore, especially not if he’s helping them.

 

Law looks up from his notes, head in one hand. He looks bored. Or tired, Chopper can’t read his expressions well. 

 

“They have a chance if those marines get them to Dr. Vegapunk.” He says, voice without any inflection, like he doesn’t care either way, like he didn’t put in extra effort when he was obviously already tired from fighting to make sure the kids would survive the journey. 

 

Chopper hums, looking back down at the book and the notes scattered around the table. 

 

“You are amazing though, for being able to help them that much already.” Chopper hides behind the book as he says it, so he doesn’t see what kind of look Law sends him.

 

“Well it’s easier when you have an ability literally meant for medical procedures.” Law says and Chopper glances up. He’s back to looking at the notes.

 

“But still,” Chopper says, somehow not satisfied, “you have to know what to do. Precisely cutting out a poisonous substance from someone’s body, that’s hard for anyone .”

 

Law doesn’t look up but answers all the same, tone dismissive. “My ability works better the more I know about what I’m doing but in this case I just have-” and here Law hesitates, for a fraction of a second, Chopper would have missed it if he wasn’t paying attention. “-experience.”

 

Chopper hums again, in acknowledgement. He gets the feeling he shouldn’t press. “Well, thanks anyways, for helping the kids and for looking with me through these notes.”

 

“Kaidou’s the one buying SMILES,” Law says, flipping a page, “it’ll be good to get an idea of how they work even if we won’t confront him directly.”

 

Chopper grimaces. He has a feeling they will, inevitably, since Luffy is involved, but chooses not to contradict Law. Not yet, at least.

 

“Besides, it’s always good to have some leverage.” Law adds and marks another section.

 

“Leverage over who?”

 

Law grins. It’s the feral one, the one that makes Luffy laugh and sends shivers down Chopper’s spine.

 

“Anyone.”

 

------



“Did you have a good talk with Torao-kun?”

 

Chopper smiles and nods at Robin, recounting the illuminating session in the library. At some point they’d put the notes aside and just started talking about their fields of study. Law was interested in Zoology, since one of his crew members is a polar bear, apparently, and Chopper was fascinated by the wealth of knowledge Law possesses beyond just the realm of surgery.

 

“He really knows so much, he’s an incredible doctor!”

 

At the other side of the table they see Law roll his eyes and duck his head. 

 

Intrigued, Robin smiles and puts her chin on one hand. “Did you start studying medicine at a young age?” 

 

The dining room gets noticeably quieter. Not necessarily out of curiosity, even Luffy casts cautious eyes at Law and he usually doesn’t care much where people come from, it’s because they know, all of them, instinctually, that there is a reason Law wants to go to Dressrosa. 

 

A reason other than what he's already outlined for them, a capital letter Reason that might as well just have a flashing sign pointing to personal vendetta . They all know the look, hell, most of them had the look. They’re content to ignore it for now, though. He’ll tell them or he won’t but they all know the way a simple question about childhood can pull something loose in you that you keep buried for good reason. 

 

But Robin also recognizes something in Law’s eyes. Something she remembers from looking in the mirror just a few years ago. The kind of emptiness that comes with total loss, when everything good in your life has been ripped away from you once, twice, enough times you’re afraid to pick anything else up and you desperately try to clutch what you have left as close as you can. So any question, no matter what about, could cause a tsunami in Law. But she’s curious and more willing to take risks in this regard than others, even the bluntest members of the crew, so hopefully it won't blow up in her face.

 

Then, though, Law seems to physically shake off any hesitation, glances around the table once and shrugs one shoulder. “My parents were doctors.” 

 

It’s not much, but it’s as much as he’s willing to give, right now. Luffy catches the awkward air and volleys it out the window like usual.

 

“Cool!” he says around his fifth helping of meat, “So you know a whole lot about all kinds of medicine huh?”

 

Law considers him for a moment, with a complicated expression. There’s a lot flitting over his face too quick for anyone to decipher but in the end he seems to come to a decision.

 

“My ability gets stronger the more knowledge I accumula- the more I know about medicine. So I learned as much as I could as fast as I could and I’m trying to keep it up.” 

 

From the praises Chopper is singing he might know enough, at this point. Law seems to truly be a medical genius if his ability can’t be wielded by just anyone, but it’s also a concession. A sign of trust. Here is how I work. A gift laid out on their dinner table and no one hesitates to pick it up.

 

Robin smiles. Luffy picked up another interesting stray.



-----

 

It takes Sanji two days to notice, which is a lot by his standards but they’re trying to avoid clouds which means a lot of sun which means a lot of skin so he’s cutting himself some slack. But. Back on track, he’s finally noticed at lunch two days after Law walked onto their ship and made himself at home in the library. He debates how to approach the topic but in the end he just frowns and confronts Law directly, arms crossed.

 

“Why don’t you eat more? My food taste bad to you or something?”

 

Law looks up from a book. Something something thoracic something whatever. He raises an eyebrow which Sanji doesn’t appreciate and leans back in his chair.

 

“I know that you know that the food you make is more than fine.” 

 

Sanji huffs because yeah , of course he knows but it took him two meals already to figure out Law’s gluten thing even if the bastard didn’t say anything so maybe he missed something else-

 

Law’s sigh interrupts him. “I just can’t eat a lot at once.” He says and at Sanji’s surprised look elaborates, though he doesn’t look happy about it.

 

“My internal organs are a little damaged. There’s nothing I can do about it so I just have to eat small portions multiple times a day.”

 

That just makes Sanji frown harder because- “Why didn’t you tell me then, I’m the cook on this ship and I’m responsible -” He’s already on the way back to the kitchen to make Law a snack because the idiot is like, starving himself or something-

 

“I’m only on your ship for a few more days, Black Leg-ya. It’s fine. I would have said something if it had bothered me.” Law says, like that’s somehow gonna make Sanji feel better.

 

“And when we’re done in Dressrosa you’re, what, going to teleport to Zou? We still have to get there and it’s gonna be farther than getting to Dressrosa.”

 

Law startles, like he hadn’t thought about it, like his mind had stopped at getting to Dressrosa , despite the Vivre card all of them know he carries with him and sometimes pulls out to stare at. Sanji watches him flounder but he decides to be nice, for once. He waves a hand, turning towards the direction of the kitchen once more. “Whatever, I got it now. Keep reading your book about dinosaurs or whatever.” 

 

Sanji closes the door on an indignant “It’s about spine reconstruction- ”

 

With the next meal Sanji presses a bento box for later into Law’s hands and shoots Luffy a stern look when he makes envious noises. Thankfully their captain seems to instinctively know that this is a thing . (Sanji refuses to call it caring.)

 

-------

 

It’s Usopp who asks, in the end, because he likes to know how things work . Likes thinking about combos and techniques and, especially, ways to get out of a conflict quickly. 

 

“So when you make a room do you need to know where things are to teleport them?” 

 

Law blinks slowly at Usopp, Chopper next to him, their eyes wide and curious. He looks like he just woke up from a nap despite having stared into the middle distance for the better part of the morning. 

 

“No”, he says after a long pause and then adds after visibly debating with himself, “when I make a room I know everything in that space.”

 

Usopp, on instinct, calls bullshit. 

 

That’s how they find themselves, Law turned away from them, with an assortment of random items that they put at Law’s back, into the small room he made.

 

From the sidelines, Zoro watches on with amusement. Luffy’s making curious noises a bit farther back. 

 

“A feather, a log pose and two dice.” Law says, almost bored, as if this isn’t the coolest thing ever. 

 

There’s excited clapping from Luffy’s direction.

 

“One more, one more!” Chopper begs and then proceeds to build a word with all the blocks they brought.

 

Law sighs. “Reindeer.”

 

“Yeah, and you better remember it!” Chopper points at him with one hoof. Obviously still a bit miffed about the Tanuki incident.

 

Usopp snickers.

 

Law loses his patience before Usopp can ask about the teleportation stuff. Whatever, they’ll have time when they’re on the way to Zou.

 

----

 

Law feels haunted. And not even in the usual way where the ghosts from his pasts follow him with every step he takes. No, quite literally he feels a presence at his back and he keeps. Hearing things. 

 

There! There it is again, a soft violin from the far end of the hall. He whips around but when he looks there’s nothing and the violin has stopped playing. Law sighs.

 

“ Please tell your skeleton to stop being creepy .” He tells Luffy the next time he comes across him. Luffy has the audacity to laugh .

 

“Shishishi, Brook isn’t creepy , Torao, he just wants to help.”

 

“Help with what .” Law asks, exasperated but Luffy’s already moved on to badgering Franky about his new cool gadget or whatever. Law’s head hurts.

 

And then he hears it again, the violin. It’s closer this time and when he’s not frantically looking for its source it actually sounds quite nice. Resigned, he sits himself down in the shade and tries to get comfortable. Sleep was nowhere to be found last night and it’s made him snappy all throughout the day.

 

The gentle rocking of the Sunny helps though, as does the violin, he notices, drowsily. And then he stops thinking and starts sleeping instead.

 

“Is Law out?” Franky asks from where he’s overseeing Chopper and Luffy fishing with his new and improved guaranteed to be catching even sea-kings fishing rods.

 

“Yohohoho”, Brook laughs gently and steps out from behind the tangerine trees, “he’s a stubborn one, I needed to get a good surprise attack on him but he should be sleeping for a while now.”

 

Franky nods, Brook does the same, satisfied and on the railing of the ship Luffy grins and tries to fish as quietly as he can. Tries to, at least.

 

------

 

He’s been avoiding Nico Robin since the incident at dinner. The incident being that she asked an innocent question and he reacted to it. He knows she picked up on it too, like recognizes like after all, and he is not keen on more of that. 

 

She manages to corner him though, by asking him very politely if he’d like a cup of tea with Luffy in the vicinity so he can’t say go fuck yourself or I’d rather die or shamble away like he wants to and instead has to agree.

 

It’s pleasant, which is the worst part of it. They’re sitting in the shade on the upper deck where the noises of the others barely reach them. Nico Robin has a book open in front of her and seems to be quite content to just sit in silence. Law doesn’t trust it for a moment and is vindicated when she gently closes her book and turns to look at him. 

 

His instinct tells him to bristle, to snap and ask her what she wants but- he knows about Nico Robin - who in the world doesn’t - so he knows that he’s not uncomfortable with her because he thinks she’ll judge him. He’s uncomfortable because she might be one of the very few who might understand him.

 

“Luffy wont ask because he’s probably already aware of it but I was curious.” She says and Law tenses. “Why do you cut people without killing them?”

 

Oh he. He wasn’t expecting that . Wasn’t expecting anyone to pick up on it at all. Law frowns. He doesn’t want to tell her but chances are she’ll just figure it out on her own- and what does she even mean with Luffy’s aware -

 

“I’m a doctor.” Is what he decides on saying, hoping it will be enough. And for a moment it seems like it might be. Robin glances at his hands, at Kikoku next to him and then looks back into his eyes. 

 

“I see.” She says and oh , actually, that’s worse Law decides, that it feels like she gets it. 

 

“I don’t have a code against killing.” Law feels obliged to say. He just. Prefers not to. There’s no deeper meaning to that, at least not if he doesn’t think about it too much.

 

Robin acknowledges him with a hum. She looks like she’s debating something and Law is loathe to find out just what topic Nico Robin is hesitant to bring up.

 

“We turned out different, you and I, it’s quite fascinating.” 

 

Law doesn’t like the direction this conversation is going at all.

 

“Just say what you want to really say.” Because this can’t be it. 

 

She blinks at him and seems to do just that.

 

“Sometimes the world tells you that you should be dead so often, you start to believe it.” Robin’s voice is mild, her eyes turning to her crewmates below. Law feels abruptly cut open. Like he’s the one on the operating table and she’s just pulled out his shriveled up heart for all to see. He wishes they’d go back to talking about him not killing people.

 

It doesn’t look like she needs a reply because she just turns her enigmatic smile back on him. “Luckily I had people around me who told me I was wrong.”

 

Law still can't say anything. He thinks about Bepo, Penguin and Shachi. About his parents. About Wolf. About Cora-san. He looks away from Robin, towards the cloudless sky and speaks without thinking. “What if they’re not around to tell you though?”

 

“There always will be someone .” Robin says, echoing another one of Law’s regrets and something in her voice makes Law believe she means it, even if his brain rejects the very notion of it. He makes a neutral noise but thankfully Robin doesn't push it. 

 

“Good talk.” Law says, even though it wasn’t and shambles below deck into a hidden corner in the library.



-----



“So it’s cursed then?” Zoro’s voice startles Law where he’s been focusing on cleaning Kikoku. He looks up. Zoro set up shop across from him on the deck, his own swords lying next to him and his cleaning kit opened in front of him.

 

“So is one of yours.” Law says and Zoro shrugs with one shoulder, grinning.

 

“Kitetsu? Ah, it’s harmless. When I die it won’t be because of my sword. Besides, we mostly get along now.”

 

That startles an almost-chuckle out of Law. “Mostly huh?” He says and looks down at his sword. “Kikoku’s like an old friend.” 

 

The blade hums under Law’s hand, pleased.

 

Zoro makes an interested noise. “Who made it?”

 

“I dont know.” Law had picked it up on an island shortly after they set sail on the Polar Tang . He’d noticed it was well made and bought it despite the merchant’s insistence that it has been returned many times before and it’s useless, really, I don’t know whyI keep it around . It has served him exceedingly well so far, but the merchant hadn’t said who the swordsmith was that made it and Law hadn't cared enough to ask.

 

“It’s a named blade and you don't know who made it?” Zoro sounds skeptical, and Law hadn’t taken him for someone interested in a sword’s history if it’s strong enough but well. He slides a finger down the length of Kikoku’s blade. 

 

“I was the one who named it.” He says simply, because it’s the truth and Zoro finally puts his own sword down to focus fully on Law. 

 

“You did?”

 

“What, is that not allowed?” Law says just to be difficult. He’s never cared about the swordsmanship code of conduct, if there is such a thing.

 

Zoro frowns. “So it’s not a graded sword?”

 

Law shrugs and picks up another rag to smooth down the side he’s been working on. 

 

“Why do you have it then?” He says it with the tone of someone who’s had old swords break because the opponents kept getting too strong. Of someone who really wants to say what are you doing with a normal sword in the New World?

 

“Because it’s cursed.” Law says and so am I , he thinks.

 

(“Will you remember me?”)

 

That’s why he named it. After himself, after the ghosts that still haunt him and won’t let him go, not until he gets his revenge and even then, probably not ever.

 

Zoro looks at Law, really looks at him and it’s like he’s finally seeing Law for the first time. It makes Law uncomfortable, the thought that he’s being figured out . It’s Nico Robin all over again but Zoro drops it after a few seconds and goes back to cleaning the sword he started on.

 

“You really are crazy.” It’s not said derisively, or with contempt, more like a statement of a fact. Law grins.

 

“Don’t you have to be? In the New World?”

 

That gets a laugh out of Zoro. “Yeah,” he says, but sobers up quickly, leveling Law with another look . “Just don’t get too reckless.”

 

He says it like he would say it to Luffy. Like he did say on Punk Hazard. Get your shit together, this is the New World . Law thinks they’ve stopped talking about cursed swords.

 

“I’ll do what’s necessary.” And Law will . Even if it means his body won’t make it off Dressrosa. Like he heard the thought, Zoro's eyes sharpen.

 

“So will we.” 

 

It sounds less like a promise and more like a threat. 

 

They clean their swords in silence, after that.

 

-----

 

Nami can see it. She thinks Robin can too, but hasn't mentioned it to her. Law looks trapped. She doesn't know if it’s in a promise, the past, or something else but he looks trapped. He looks out at Luffy and the others playing and having fun like he can't join. Like a man watching the blue sky from inside his house because he knows an all consuming storm will hit soon enough. Nami had felt like that, the closer they got to her island, when she knew she’d have to leave soon. 

 

It’ll be fine though, she thinks, even if Law doesn't seem to think so. Because Luffy will help him.

 

Because Luffy knows when people need help but he doesn't offer it until they ask. and Law had asked, no matter how much he tried to veil it in metaphors and hypotheticals and plans, he held his hand out and he’d asked for help - an alliance, which to Luffy just means being offered friendship. So of course Luffy will help him, whatever demon it is he’s chasing Luffy will hit it in the head until it stops moving. For Nami it was a room full of maps and Arlong, for Robin the World Government and CP-9, who knows what it is for Law. 

 

Well , she thinks idly, watching Law watch the sky and goes back to plotting a cloudless route. Whatever it is, it’s probably on Dressrosa . 

 

It’ll be another kingdom upheaved by Luffy’s insistence to punch a problem until it’s gone. She can’t wait to see Law’s face when it happens.




Notes:

Notable headcanons that I'm missing because I didn't know how to put them in so they're just implied:
- The straw hats call Law 'Torao' to his face and 'Law' behind is back just to be annoying
- Kikoku's curse is that it doesn't want to kill

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