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Anything Law touched inevitably lost its life. Grass under his heels wilted and died, flowers crumbled against his fingertips, animals seized and died with a mere brush of skin against fur. Humans, Gods, they were no different. They crumbled under his touch, seized when he was around, fled when he approached.
People did not like knowing death lingered, always ready to take, take, take.
(People did not like to know Law could end them all with a brush of skin.)
Most of the time, Law stayed deep underground and watched over the souls entering his realm. He did not humor war, nor did he decide to indulge the people who wandered into his realm and requested his help. It was better if he was here, hidden away and unable to touch anything that had life to it.
Law had been content with this.
Until he showed up…
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Law watched dispassionately as the soul of the King of the Gods made its way towards the River of Purity. It had been a shock to everyone when the glowing king took his last breath, when his glow disappeared and all that was left was a nearly transparent body, eyes grey. His blood, his skin, his bones, every part of him had disappeared into dust within minutes of his death, and the entire population had fallen into a panic.
The war Nika oh-so-foolishly fought with his heir had ended, the side with the King had won, but they had lost their ruler. One thing the world seemed to forget – a thing that the Gods seemed to forget – was that everything died. Everything met its end one day. Even Gods took their last breaths.
(Nothing and nobody was safe from Law’s reach.)
Law met the soul’s glowing eyes, and Nika merely smiled at him, a show of teeth with a snarl on his lips. Law noticed distantly that he almost looked amused. Like he had won.
(Law regretted to even think that he felt a tug of sadness tug at his chest, knowing this would be the last time he would see the only King whom he’s respected.)
“Are you happy?” Law asked, flabbergasted. “Your people are going to die.”
Nika’s soul – so, so bright. Fuck he was so pure , it made no sense to Law, how could a man like him be so pure? – smiled at him wider, a soft noise of amusement slipping from his chest.
“Have faith, Death,” Nika said. His voice was hallowed, dead because that’s what the god was. All that was left of the Sun God was his soul, and soon that would slip away too. “Have faith.”
“In a dead man?” Law questioned.
Nika tilted his head, a secretive lift to his lips and his eyes seemed to glow even brighter, “Perhaps, Death.”
After a moment, the soul turned and walked further towards the water, a beacon of light in the darkness of the underworld. The God of Death huffed a small sigh as he turned and headed out of the realm of souls without another glance at the former King. The death of Nika would rise more trouble than it was worth, it has ruined the balance of the world.
Law smiled darkly as the gates closed behind him with a clang; he always did enjoy chaos.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
The new King of the Gods – Nika’s son, Kaido, God of Beasts – took over the capital within days. Any god that didn’t cooperate ended up in Law’s realm, eyes a light grey glow and heading to the River of Death. Law tried not to think of the influx of dead Gods would mean for the world – it would be even more unbalanced now, he knew. Every god had a purpose, everyone had a job that, if left undone, would spring the world into chaos.
Kaido didn’t seem to care. Law wished he, too, didn’t care. Being the god of death did not make him uncaring of it.
He buried himself in his work, instead. In handling the souls lingering at the river, coaxing the souls of children that it was plenty safe to step into the water, kicking the souls darkened with sins to the proper place. The influx of souls didn’t stop – someone died every second, after all. Be it of a wound, old age, illness. It was Law’s duty to send them to the right place, where they would emerge themselves into the river and flow to the correct place to later be reborn or live a life in bliss.
“Hey,” a soul said from behind him, and Law looked over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow.
Most of the souls were quiet as they lingered, most of them fearful of the idea of being dead and sent somewhere, not bothering to talk. Instead, they paced or sat and fidgeted. But there were times when people spoke up, refused their death, and demanded to be returned to the land of the living. Some even resorted to trying to fight him, and Law would not stand idly and take a beating.
(A lot of the gods were like that. Law wished he could just forget.)
“Can I stay here?” the soul asked.
Law squinted, “Why?”
“I have a friend coming for me.” The soul said simply and there was a distinct sense of determination to him.
Ah. Another must be dying. Law could respect the wish to wait for a loved one, even if he had never experienced something like that himself.
“Very well,” Law allowed, and turned back to the soul clinging to his hand. “Are you ready, child?”
The bright, bright eyes looked back up at him, a hand gripping his robe. “Will it hurt, mister?”
Law smiled slightly, gently, “Not at all.” He assured.
Pure souls never experienced any pain from the river though Law couldn’t say the same to the tainted ones. The soul walked with him, closer to the edge of the water. After a moment, the soul stepped into the water and continued to wade further.
“Bye, mister!” the soul said, and Law let his hand fall back to his side.
“You don’t seem like the god of death,” the same soul from earlier said after a moment.
“How would humans know what I’m like?” Law asked, raising an eyebrow, “The only ones that see me are dead.”
The soul laughed. “I guess you have a point.”
Law hummed his acknowledgement and looked over the beach around him. There were only a few stragglers resisting the coaxing of entering the river. People of all ages watching it and him warily. Law looked them over before deciding they could wait. He didn’t have to heard them all in now; they could have time to understand what was happening to them – even if Human lore of the underworld was certainly false.
“May I ask you something,” the soul he had been speaking to earlier questioned.
Law looked at him curiously. “Speak.”
“Is this not affecting you?” the soul asked. There was no judgment in its voice, but it most certainly sounded bitter. “The war?”
Law’s eyebrows furrowed. “What war?”
The soul stared at him in bemusement. “The war that’s ravaging the world? You don’t know about it?”
“You humans always find a reason to start wars,” Law dismissed.
“This isn’t a human war.” The soul said harshly. “This is a war of the Gods.”
Law paused. Being in the underworld left him with little information; Nika had only visited to inform him of large influx of souls and to explain the conflict before it happened, so he would be prepared. People died every minute, and his coast was never truly clean of souls. There were always people lingering, people arriving, people entering the clam waters.
But you noticed there has been more than usual, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Nika whispered. You noticed it, but chose to ignore it, Death.
“Everyone claims it is you who kill us,” The soul interrupted his thoughts.
“I have no wish to kill mortals.” Law scoffed.
“I know,” The soul said. “You wouldn’t be unaware of the war if you wanted to kill us.”
Law eyed the soul warily. “Tell me what is happening.”
“Well, rumor is that the Sun God perished.” the soul said, glowing eyes sharp. “Things changed after it. The crops haven’t been growing, the sun has been dim, there has been no rain for seasons.” the soul angrily looked to the river. “People are sick, animals are dying, even the trees do not stand! Everyone is fighting a war and it is said that the God of War has bewitched us under the orders of a new King.”
Law hummed. All of that sounded like it was because of the death of so many gods. The sickness has no doubt happened because of the death of the God of Health, the crops die because there is no one to bless their lands, the sun is dim because Nika is gone.
“I’m afraid the mortal realm is in chaos because of Kaido,” Law said. “He is the new King. He killed Nika; took the crown.”
The spirit looked at him intently. “Then why do you Gods do nothing?”
“The crown only responds to someone related to those with the blood of Titans.” Law shook his head, “There are few of their decedents left. And all of them are loyal to him.”
“And what of you?” the spirit asked. “You could fight him.”
Law smirked and waved a hand. “And leave this place?”
The spirt open its mouth, but Law stood and started across the coast. He had spirits to herd into the river, he didn’t have time to talk to the dead.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
When Law returned to the River of Purity the next day, the spirit he spoke to yesterday was still there. He frowned at its figure before sighing and going towards the others on the beach. The older spirits followed his coaxing nervously, the children held his hands, fearful of the unknown, and Law would pat their heads and send them on their way.
Eventually, he approached the spirit from yesterday.
“If you don’t get in the river soon, your soul will be destroyed.” he informed it.
The soul looked up at him. “He will be here. I can wait.”
“Who might you be waiting for?” Law questioned. “You must realize you both will go to the same place.”
“And what place is that?” the soul asked.
“Salvation. Bliss.” said Law.
The spirit smiled at him, a show of teeth more than anything. “We don’t give up.”
“You are already dead.” Law stated dryly. “You have not given up, there is merely nothing else you can do.”
The soul stared at him for a long moment. “You are the son of a Titan, aren’t you?”
Law frowned. “You will disappear soon. And then there truly will be eternal nothingness.” he said simply, and then turned away. “I do not wish to discuss things the dead do not understand. Head my warning, Soul.”
“It’s Zoro,” the soul said. “And I won’t disappear. He will come for me.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Law had been in the middle of shoving a soul into the River of Rebirth when he felt something that could only be described as pure life flood the underworld. He turned sharply, inhaling deeply, and tracked the living being that had somehow entered the underworld.
It was heading to the River of Purity.
He will come for me, rang in his ears and Law cursed. He lifted a hand, twisted his fingers and switched places with a grain of sand at the pure river. He arrived just in time for the gates to be pushed open and a man to rush in, a body on his back and a determined expression on his face.
“Luffy!” the soul – Zoro – yelled upon seeing the man.
Law rushed over to the soul just as the man did. He got between them, pushing Zoro back and towards the river.
“Be gone, mortal,” he hissed, careful to not touch the man in the straw hat. “This is no place for you.”
“I’m not leaving without Zoro,” Luffy told him harshly. Law took a step back with the man took a step forward, keeping Zoro behind him.
One brush of their skin and Luffy would die. Law did not want to kill anyone, he never did.
It was Law’s duty to make sure that those who died entered the rivers. They were either reborn to try their life again, taken to a place of bliss to live out the rest of their existence, or cursed to live eons in pure torture. They were not allowed to leave his realm upon entering, and he’s dealt with runners before.
Never before had a living being enter his realm to take a soul out.
“Move,” Luffy told him, and Law almost laughed at the audacity.
“You are in no place to order me around,” Law snarled.
Luffy lunged forward, and Law moved aside with a stumble. Fingertips brushed his flowing sleeve, but otherwise didn’t touch his body – a relief. The man reached for the soul, and Law panicked, reaching out quickly and gripping his wrist. He only realized what had happened when warm skin met his.
With a gasp, he tore himself away. Hopelessly he wished that the man wouldn’t shrivel, the touch had only lasted a second, perhaps he would not die. But he knew it was futile. Not even Nika had dared to touch him for he would have perished like any other.
But the man did not falter. He gripped Zoro’s soul and shoved him into the body that had no doubt been his before. He did not fall over, his skin did not wrinkle, his eyes did not lose life and his lungs lose air.
“H-How,” Law uttered, awestruck. “How are you alive?”
Luffy looked at him in confusion. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I touched you.” Law said, “You should be dead.”
Luffy scowled at him, “What, you think I’m weak!?”
Law went to respond – call the man an idiot, seriously did he not know who he was speaking to – when the body next to him jerked up and gasped. Zoro started coughing, choking for breath but alive, and Law stared at him.
A body should not be able to support a dead soul, even if it had been their former vessel. Yet there Zoro was, alive and his body holding strong.
Law looked at his hand, and then at Luffy. Luffy had been able to withstand his touch, had broken into the underworld, had brought a man back to life.
Have faith, Death, suddenly came back to him.
In a dead man? Law had questioned, and Nika had looked at him with glowing eyes that laughed.
Now Law understood it.
“Luffy, was it,” Law muttered and the man faced him fully.
His eyes were life Nika’s. Vast and determined and strong. Everything about him seemed too familiar to that of the Sun God’s.
Have faith.
Oh, I see, Law thought. Nika hadn’t died a fool.
He left another son. One that had life leaking out of every pore.
Law stared at the God and couldn’t help but chuckle. “Alright. I see.”
Zoro looked at him warily, one of his eyes were sealed shut with a wound that looked fairly new. His body was dressed in bloody cloth. He had died in battle, Law sees now.
“Follow me,” Law instructed, turning on his heel. “We have much to plan.”
“What do you mean?” Luffy questioned. “Zoro what does he mean?”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“It’s curious,” Law muttered, “That Nika kept you hidden.”
Luffy frowned at him. “I’m not a God.”
“But you are,” Law said, “A powerful one, at that. You successfully brought a man back to life.”
“I just put his soul in his body,” Luffy said, crossing his arms.
“A body that should have, frankly, exploded when a soul was put back in it.” Law said dryly.
Zoro didn’t seem concerned in the slightest and Luffy actually giggled – a shishishishi sound that Law remembers hearing from Nika plenty of times.
Law raised an eyebrow, “Are you really unaware of what you are?”
“I’m Luffy,” Luffy said, “I’m a farmer. But with my stuff dead I became a pirate!”
Law wasn’t even going to touch that.
“Well, pirate ,” whatever the hell that was, “You are also a god. A child born from Nika, no doubt.”
Zoro sat up straight, eye suddenly alarmed. Luffy frowned at him.
Law smiled sharply. “That means you have Titan blood in you. And being Nika’s direct bloodline means that, should anything happen to Kaido, you would have the throne.”
Luffy suddenly leaned forward, staring at him with a dark expression. “I want Kaido dead.” he told him. “I’m going to kick his ass.”
“I shall help you.” Law said.
“Why?” Zoro suddenly spoke up. “You didn’t seem to care before.”
“I didn’t care because I don’t care for ruling,” Law said, which technically was not a lie. “But with Nika having another son–it changes everything. Luffy will be the ruler.”
“I don’t want to rule.” Luffy told him.
Law squinted at him, “We’ll work it out later. For now, we need a plan for taking Kaido down.”
“I already told you,” Luffy frowned, “I’m going to kick his ass.”
“And die in the process,” Law retorted, “Having one human companion and the God of Death? That is like asking for failure.”
“I have a crew,” Luffy told him proudly.
“Don’t you have, what, God friends?” Zoro questioned.
Law paused. “In matter of fact, I do.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“Traf, you know damn well I don’t have time to come to your gross ass realm!” the shout of Kidd – God of Attraction and everything annoying in the world – came three days later. Law’s house was filled with humans, one God, and his Nymphs.
Kidd paused upon seeing everyone.
“Traf, what the fuck.” Kidd demanded, jaw dropping.
“Eustass-ya, this is Luffy-ya,” Law said, waving a hand to the God currently stuffing his face. “He is Nika’s son.”
“Ha-ha,” Kidd told him, scowling. Law stared at him blandly. “Oh. You aren’t fucking with me?”
“When have I ever,” Law intoned.
Kidd ignored him. “So we’re taking down Kaido, eh? I’m so fucking in.”
“Who is he?” Nami – one of Luffy’s friends – asked with a frown.
Kidd made an offended, angry noise. Law simply said, “Kidd, God of Attraction. He rules the Ocean Realm.”
“Which makes no fucking sense! Why make me, a man of metal, someone who looks over fish!?” Kidd barked, throwing his metal arm over Law’s shoulder, but he made sure no living part of him touched Law.
They had learned of Law’s power the hard way, when Law had touched his arm when they had been newly created, only to have to hurry to slice the limb from his shoulder before his power could take over his entire body. When Corazon, the god who took Law in when he had been a child, freshly created from the dying embers of a star and the blood of Titans, had died, Law’s powers had increased tenfold. Whereas before he could walk in the sun and the grass would stay healthy under his feet, suddenly everything he touched started to die.
“Cora-san knew what I was,” Law had told Kidd tearfully. Kidd stayed away from him, arm wrapped in a bandage and Law stayed on his rock, curled up and crying. “He knew how terrible I am.”
“Stop crying,” Kidd told him harshly. “How’s that gonna help us, huh? So, what, I lost an arm, grass dies when you touch it. It doesn’t matter! Now help me fucking eat this, damnit!”
Law cleared his throat, shook away the memories, and looked up. “He’s Nika’s son.” he repeated himself.
Kidd squinted at Luffy. “Looks like an exact copy of ‘im.” Luffy frowned at him, Kidd looked back at Law. “You didn’t know about him?”
“Why would I have known about him?” Law scowled.
“You and Nika were buds,” Kidd argued. “He used to talk to you. He only laughed at me.”
“That’s because it’s easy to laugh at you.” Law argued, pushing himself away from Kidd. “Besides, I feel like Nika knew this would happen. He put all his trust in Luffy.”
“So, you’re putting all your trust in him because a dead King did?” Kidd asked, raising an eyebrow.
Law thought back to how he had touched Luffy and Luffy hadn’t wilted in the slightest.
“Yes,” he lied. “Nika told me to have faith so I will.”
Kidd looked at him, disbelieving, but did not press.
“Well,” He said, crossing his arms. With a smirk, Kidd declared. “Me ‘n my people are in. Let's go fucking destroy Kaido.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
“Why does Gizao call you Traf,” Luffy asked suddenly, shoving his face close to Law’s. His eyes were wide and curious.
Law moved back. “Trafalgar Law is my name.”
“Torao Law,” Luffy repeated.
“No, it’s Trafalgar,” Law frowned at him.
“That’s what I said,” Luffy said and he laughed.
Law didn’t bother to correct him.
Luffy sat next to him after a moment, looking up at the sky like Law did. “I didn’t know stars could be seen from here.”
“Those aren’t stars,” Law replied, hesitant, “They’re...souls.”
“Souls?” Luffy looked over to him once more, thoughtful. “Do all the souls become stars here?”
“No,” Law said. “Only the important ones.”
“Is Nika up there?” Luffy asked.
Law thought back to the bright glow Nika had clinging to him as he walked towards the River of Purity; gold blinding everyone but Law.
“No.” Law decided.
“Where is he?” Luffy gazed back at the sky.
“He is at Bliss.” Law murmured, and who would have thought it. A God like Nika walking the path of the pure.
It was quiet for a long moment, Law leaning back from the balcony railing. He closed his eyes, relaxing for what he knew would be the last time in who knows how long.
Suddenly a warm hand clung to his. Law jerked his hand from the grip, terror gripping his being as he looked over to Luffy. Luffy who stared at him with a determined expression, Luffy who still breathed. This time when Luffy reached for his hand, Law did not jerk back.
“Your hand is cold,” Luffy told him, smiling slightly as he held Law’s hand tightly.
Law couldn’t stop staring.
“Yes,” He whispered. “And your hand is warm.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
The battle with Kaido took place three weeks later and had lasted an entire day. Kaido had fallen by Luffy’s glowing hands, and his allies had all been destroyed by Kidd and his people, Law and his people, and Luffy’s crew.
“Man, did you see her go down!” Kidd declared, breathless and covered in wounds. He was held up by Killer, who was just another wound or two away from matching Kidd.
“Yes, I was there,” Law said, but he was smiling.
Big Mama had been a pain in his ass for eons; with her stealing his souls regularly. It felt nice to take her down. Law looked around as they made it to the center of the battle, eyes falling upon Luffy’s faintly glowing frame.
It was not Nika’s fiery colors, but a pure white that covered his skin and curled his hair. The color of purity, Law couldn’t help but think.
“Torao,” Luffy said as he turned to look at him. He was visibly exhausted, legs and arms shaking and smile slow, tired.
Law felt his heartbeat quicken.
Luffy took shaky steps to him and when he started to collapse, Law hurried to catch him. He heard the shocked intakes of breath around them, when Luffy lifted a hand to brush the blood trailing from Law’s temple. Shocked that he was still alive even in Law’s arms.
“I did it,” Luffy told him.
“Rest now,” Law coaxed. “I have you.”
And Luffy listened, for once. Breathes evening and eyes closing. Law stood up with the God in his arms, and held him gently as if Luffy needed to be treated like a mortal that would perish in his arms.
“This is the new King,” Law said, and Kidd gave him a sharp grin.
“Anyone who can withstand you should be,” He agreed, and added, if a bit reluctantly, “I guess I’ll stick to my oceans.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
When Law saw Luffy again, it was apparently three hours after he woke up.
“Why is everyone calling me King?” Luffy groaned to him.
“The people have spoken,” Law said, slightly teasingly, “You’re the new King, Luffy, God of Life.”
Luffy pouted, huffed and showed his disappointment at being a ruler with a loud, “I told you I didn’t want to be King! Make Yamato the King, he’s Kaido’s son!”
Law hummed, “And then what would you do?”
Luffy paused, thoughtful. His eyes met Law’s and then he grinned.
“Ne, ne, Torao.” he said, eyes shining and smile wide. “Let’s go to the underworld together!”
Law blinked. “What?”
Luffy grinned at him and took his hand, “I want to go with you, silly Torao.”
“Okay,” Law said breathlessly. “Yeah, okay.”
Luffy grinned, and he placed a hand on Law’s face, tucking a strand of his hair back. Law leaned into his hand, desperate for his touch. Luffy leaned forward slowly, and Law closed his eyes when their lips pressed together. He tangled a hand into Luffy’s knotted, curled hair, and pressed himself closer.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy grinned at him as he walked barefoot along the walkway to their home in the Underworld, swinging their hands between them, and Law smiled. Suddenly, at Luffy’s next step, flowers blossomed and grass grew.
And at Law’s next step, nothing wilted and died.