Work Text:
While the recently-arrived Straw Hats were distracted by the reunion with their other crewmates, Law broke off from the group. Watching the Straw Hats reunite ached like a physical blow after months apart, and he felt the tug of Bepo’s vivre card like a hook in his chest. With every step that he took through the Whale Forest, Law felt his insides twisting into increasingly complex knots. Now that he had come to terms with his survival after Dressrosa, Law was faced with the consequences of his actions before he’d gone to Punk Hazard.
Over the years, he’d come to care for his crew like family while the Polar Tang had become the closest thing to a home Law had had since Flevance before the outbreak. Such attachments, he’d realized as the time to enact his plan approached, were incompatible with his quest for vengeance against Doflamingo.
Law’s fight with Doflamingo was Law’s and Law’s only; it would be selfish of him to bring his nakama into that fight. Plus, he knew Doflamingo would use them against him; it wasn’t that his crewmates were weak—he’d never thought that—but rather that Doflamingo was simply that dangerous. He would never risk them like that. Moreover, there was a strong likelihood Law wouldn’t survive the encounter, and while he’d made peace with that, he knew his nakama wouldn’t. He couldn’t afford to let them talk him out of his mission, not when the last thirteen years of his life had been dedicated to it.
And so, in the weeks and months leading up to his separation from his crew, Law had become distant and snappish with his crew. The others—especially Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin—had argued and even pleaded with him, but he’d shut them down coldly, hoping it would make the sting of him leaving easier on them (and him).
As he’d stood on the shore of Punk Hazard watching the Polar Tang sail away, he’d never expected to see it—or them—again. He’d told himself that it didn’t matter; he’d been living on borrowed time since he was thirteen anyway—dead men walking didn’t need homes.
But now, Law was alive. Cora-san’s mission had been completed, and Law… well, he wondered how his crew would react to seeing him again after all he had put them through. He wouldn’t blame them if they could no longer accept him as their captain—it would hurt, but he would understand; after all, he sure as hell hadn’t acted like one in leaving them on his one-way quest for vengeance.
And Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi… how would they—his closest friends who’d been with him for thirteen years, who’d seen him in the wake of Cora-san’s death, who’d watched him claw his way out of the depths of despair only to run headfirst into certain death—feel about his return? Would they forgive him? The prospect of their hatred was enough to take his breath away, forcing him to stop and lean against a tree to collect himself.
But the tug of the paper in his hand reminded Law that Bepo had given it to him right before Law had left for Punk Hazard.
“For after,” he’d said tearfully, as if he could guarantee an after for Law with his will alone.
Law had taken the paper. “For after,” he’d agreed, pocketing it with no expectation of needing it. But on certain long, cold nights on Punk Hazard, Law had laid in the bed he’d been provided by Caesar and watched the vivre card tug toward its owner, letting himself feel comfort that at least the people he loved would be safe from this and ignoring an ache in his chest that he refused to acknowledge as homesickness.
Law pushed himself away from the tree and kept walking until he came into a clearing where he sensed he was being watched. He paused, and, a moment later, white boiler suit-clad figures erupted from the brush almost as one. The relief at seeing them nearly buckled his knees, but he managed to stay upright. Law’s gaze found Bepo first, and the mink’s eyes filled with tears.
“Captain!” he cried, springing out of the bushes toward Law while the others echoed his cry and followed him into the clearing. “You came for us!” The mink, despite being larger than Law, jumped into his arms and wrapped his arms tightly around Law as he garchued him. Law’s injuries immediately protested, but he ignored them because this…
This was everything.
“I missed you,” Bepo admitted quietly. Then, seeming to read Law’s thoughts before he even had them—as always—added, “All the members of the Heart Pirates are here.”
Law let out a breath it felt like he’d been holding since arriving at Zou, and the tension bled from his shoulders. His nakama were here. All of them. Despite everything that had happened, they had waited for him. And they were as happy to see him as he was to see them. Despite his barking wounds, he couldn’t have stopped the grin that spread on his face if he had wanted to.
“Bepo, do you wanna squish him?”
“Eh?” Bepo’s eyes widened at Shachi’s words, and he jumped off. “Sorry, sorry.” Law couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped him at the familiar apology. “Captain, I’m so amazed you beat Doflamingo!”
Law felt his smile slip a bit at that—and the memories of everything that led up to it. Not to mention, after everything, he hadn’t even been the one to finish the job. “No, that’s Straw Hat-ya’s…”
Penguin seemed to sense Law’s hesitation. “We have a lot to catch up on,” he said pointedly. And that’s when Law realized that all the Hearts were wearing bandages. His eyes narrowed a bit as he noticed bruises and some of the Hearts limping, and Penguin inclined his head. “Let’s go deeper into the forest.”
“Okay,” Law agreed, letting the others take the lead. Bepo fell into step with Law, while Shachi and Penguin walked just in front of them.
“So,” Penguin said slowly, glancing over his shoulder at Law as they walked. “The Straw Hats, huh?”
“The Straw Hats,” Law agreed, feeling tired just thinking about them.
“How did that happen?” Shachi asked. “We were as surprised as anyone to read in the papers that we were in an alliance with them. And then half of them showed up a few days later, saying they left you in Dressrosa...”
“I told them to go,” Law said, mildly surprised at his desire to defend the Straw Hats. “It was the right play at the time.”
“Yeah, yeah, they told us all about it,” Shachi said, waving a hand. “But it was the first we’d heard about you in months, Law. And the last they saw of you—”
The last that group of Straw Hats had seen of Law was when he was facing Doflamingo on the bridge. That hadn’t exactly gone well for Law. The bullet holes in his stomach twinged as Penguin interrupted quietly, “Later, Shachi.”
Of course. While they might be happy to see him, his crew still wanted answers. And they deserved them.
Looking for something lighter to talk about while they walked, Law glanced over at Bepo. “How is it being home?”
Bepo’s ears twitched, and he shrugged. “It’s… kind of weird, I guess.” At Law raised eyebrow, he went on. “It just… I left when I was so young, and I’ve spent more time with you guys than I ever did here.”
Law felt a stab of guilt at that. When they were younger, he’d promised Bepo they’d get him home, but it had taken just as long to get Bepo home as it had to avenge Cora-san.
“But,” Bepo went on, smiling widely at Law, “it feels much more like home now that you’re back, Captain!”
Ah. Law cleared his throat. “Did you find your brother?”
Bepo’s expression dropped, and he shook his head. “He, uh. Turns out he died. A few years ago. His crew was caught by Big Mom, and she. Killed him.”
“Fuck.” That was the last thing Law was expecting—or wanted—to hear. “I’m sorry, Bepo.”
Bepo gave Law a wan smile. “It’s okay, Captain. He knew the risks when he went to sea. There’s always a chance you won’t come back. But he was following his dreams, and that’s all any of us can do, right?”
Law’s throat tightened, and he just nodded.
Their conversation was cut off as they broke the tree line and found themselves walking on cobblestones. Someone up ahead called out, “We’re here!”
Law peered ahead to see a large number of lit treehouses as well as minks milling about a square with a fountain at its center, watching the approaching group, and raised a curious eyebrow.
“This is where we’ve been staying thanks to Nekomumashi,” Bepo said. “He was very kind to take us in even though we’re pirates.”
“You’re from here, Bepo,” Penguin said with the air of someone who’d had this debate before.
“Sorry,” Bepo said, ducking his head. “Minks are just really protective about who knows about Zou.”
“Apparently for good reason,” Shachi muttered, scratching at the bandage on his cheek.
Law opened his mouth to ask what Shachi meant, but he didn’t get the chance as excited chatter broke out.
“This way, Captain!” Ikkaku called from up ahead, waving back at Law.
“Let’s celebrate Captain’s return!” Clione called.
Law wasn’t typically a fan of parties, but he didn’t have it in him to fight being dragged along by his nakama to one of the treehouses, where a large spread of food and drink had been laid out in the living space. He shot an amused look at Shachi and Penguin.
Shachi’s cheeks reddened. “When we heard you were here, we... asked the cooks to prepare some stuff.”
How had Law lucked out with friends like this? He certainly hadn’t done anything to deserve them, but he resolved then and there to do his best to deserve them moving forward.
“Welcome back, Captain,” Jean Bart said, walking up to them and pressing a mug of ale into Law’s hand.
Law offered the larger man a fond smile. “Thanks, Jean Bart.”
Jean Bart gave him a small smile of his own then headed back into the mess of Hearts, who had wasted no time grabbing food and drink and getting into a festive mood. As the evening wore on, Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin never let him out of his sight, and every other Heart made a point to find Law and let him know how happy they were to have him back. Ikkaku punched him in his good arm before giving him a quick hug. Clione, always one to show affection with the food he cooked, brought him his favorite onigiri. Uni threw an arm around Law’s shoulders while Hakugan and the others pulled him into tight hugs.
It was honestly a bit overwhelming, and the warmth spreading in his chest was so much gentler than he was accustomed to. For a brief moment, he let his Observation Haki blanket the treehouse, and it practically sang at the feeling of every member of the crew present and buzzing with happiness—and alcohol.
Once the initial excitement at his presence had worn down, the Hearts gave Law the space they knew he preferred; he sat to the side of the room, mug in hand, watching his crew—his friends—celebrate his return. Soon, he’d have to round them up and introduce them formally to the Straw Hats. He’d need to find out why they all seemed to be bandaged and bruised and check their injuries for himself. And later, he’d have to answer the questions they had for him about what happened on Dressrosa and why he left them behind. But for the moment, Law let himself have this—to have them.
Because, for the first time in as long as he could remember, Law was home.