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The first time Bepo remembered being lost was when he was just a cub. He’d gotten separated from his family in the Whale Forest and had wandered around trying to find them until he’d worn himself out. In the end, he’d curled up at the base of a tree and cried until Zepo found him just before sunset. His brother—so big and brave and kind—had picked him up and brought him home.
The next time he’d been lost, he’d gone looking for Zepo; his brother had gone out to sea with Pedro and a bunch of others, but Bepo had missed him something fierce. He’d wanted to know what it was that Zepo saw in the sea that made him so desperate to leave home—to leave him—so had climbed down Zunesha’s leg only to fall into the ocean. Thankfully, he was a good swimmer, and he’d swum until a passing ship had picked him up. He wasn’t used to seeing Lesser Minks, but they were mostly kind and agreed to let him stay as long as he worked to earn his food and passage.
When the ship docked on an island in the North Blue, Bepo had felt even more lost; despite being a polar bear mink, he’d never seen snow or felt cold like this before. Unsure of what to do—could the Lesser Minks on this island help him find Zepo? The ones on the ship didn’t know his brother but maybe these did—Bepo had wandered until he’d run into two Lesser Mink children. He’d called out to them, hoping they could help him, but they’d yelled and started kicking and hitting him.
Bepo knew he was much stronger than these Lesser Minks, practically cubs themselves, and didn’t want to hurt them with his claws or electro so curled into a ball, apologizing for whatever he’d done wrong. He wasn’t familiar with Lesser Mink customs, so maybe he’d offended them.
But things changed when another Lesser Mink child had shown up. There had been a blue glow and suddenly the other boys had been knocked out. The boy then turned to Bepo.
“Are you all right?” he’d asked.
Bepo had shakily pushed himself up and brushed off his fur, once white and now dirtied from mud and blood. The outside world was scary; Bepo didn’t understand why Zepo had wanted to come out here so badly. “I… I think so. Sorry.”
The boy had frowned. “Why are you apologizing? They were the ones hurting you.”
“But you… you helped me.” Bepo had taken a better look at the boy then, noticing white spots on his skin. While spots were common among Minks, he wasn’t sure if that was normal for Lesser Minks, though he hadn’t seen any others with spots so far. However, the boy also reeked of sickness—bad sickness—so Bepo wasn’t sure. What he was sure of, though, was that this Lesser Mink had saved him, so he bowed to him. “Thank you.”
The boy’s ears had turned red, and he looked away. “Tch. It’s not a big deal.” Bepo thought it was, but he didn’t want to make the boy upset, so he didn’t say anything. After a moment, the boy had looked back at him. “You’re all dirty. Do you… Do you want a bath? I can look at your injuries too. Make sure they didn’t break anything.”
Bepo’s eyes had widened. “Really?” The boy had already done so much for him. It seemed like too much to ask for, and yet… A bath really did sound good.
The boy had nodded. “I’m a doctor. Sort of. I, uh. I’m staying that way,” he’d said, gesturing behind him.
“Yes, please!”
The boy’s lips had tugged upward at the corners. He stuck out his hand. “My name’s Law.”
The Lesser Minks on the ship had taught Bepo about this custom, but he’d been so relieved that he’d reverted to typical Mink greetings; he’d rushed forward and rubbed his face against the boy’s.
“Garchu. Thank you, Law. I’m Bepo.”
The boy—Law—had sputtered indignantly but hadn’t tried to push Bepo off. And, in that moment, Bepo hadn’t felt so lost anymore.
Over the years, Law became Bepo’s compass, pointing him in the right direction. Bepo might be the navigator of the Heart Pirates, but Law was his North Star. Standing next to Law as the captain ordered the launching of the Polar Tang, watching their crewmates hustle about doing their duties to put the submarine in motion, had become home, and Bepo finally understood why Zepo had gone out to sea.
And that’s why it was so hard to watch Law’s form grow smaller and smaller as the Polar Tang sailed away from Punk Hazard. For the first time since Bepo had left Zou, he would be sailing without his trusted compass guiding him, his North Star keeping him on track.
Oh, his Mink instincts would guide the Hearts unfailingly toward Zou, but without Law, Bepo felt lost, adrift in the waters of the New World.
And Bepo knew he wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Penguin and Shachi had stood next to him on the deck of the Tang as the Hearts pulled away from their captain, each with their own thoughts. Over the previous months, Law had become increasingly distant from everyone, sleeping less and less, muttering to himself, and responding to any questioning of his orders with ice in his tone and flint in his gaze.
When he’d revealed he was going to Punk Hazard alone as the next step of his plan to take down Doflamingo, none of the crew had been happy about it, but Law had made reasonable points about why the Hearts couldn’t come along and promises to meet them afterward. Despite that, the Hearts had still argued. Eventually, he’d shut down the disagreements with a final “That’s an order” and refused to hear anything else about it.
Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin, though, knew where this was going. Of all the Hearts, they were the only ones who’d seen Law in the immediate aftermath of Corazon’s death. They’d woken up to Law’s thrashing and crying in his nightmares and helped him calm down during his panic attacks. They’d been there as he’d clawed tooth and nail out of the depths of despair to make a life for himself—for all of them.
But they’d also known that Law would never have peace while Doflamingo lived. They’d watched him plot against the man without sleep for days at a time until he passed out from exhaustion at his desk. They’d seen him nearly break down when Doflamingo had been announced as a Warlord and, later, King of Dressrosa. They’d seen the corkboard on the wall above his desk littered with newspaper clippings about Doflamingo, and they’d even helped him with Rocky Port and collecting his hundred hearts to become a Warlord because it would help him get closer to his goal.
They’d always thought they would take on this fight alongside Law; their captain’s fight was their fight because he was important to them—he was family. But, apparently, Law hadn’t felt the same. And that…
That hurt.
It hurt to sail away from that island not knowing if the black speck on the shore would be the last they saw of him as he rushed headlong into a solo mission that seemed almost certain to kill him.
It hurt knowing they hadn’t been enough to convince him to stay.
As Law had prepared to disembark, Bepo had pressed a piece of his vivre card into his hand. “For after,” he’d said tearfully.
Before Bepo had met Law, he’d been lost in the world away from Zou. Law had helped him find his way. Bepo couldn’t help but feel Law was the lost one now, lost in his grief and rage and unable to see any way out except down. Bepo could only hope his vivre card would bring Law back, would be his guiding light the way Law had been for him. Law had crawled his way out of the darkness once, but he would have to do it without the people who loved him this time.
Law had looked down at the paper with an unreadable look before pocketing it. “For after,” he’d agreed, but Bepo had known he didn’t think he would need it.
Once Punk Hazard was out of sight, Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin headed back inside the Tang, shutting and sealing the door behind them. Bepo left Shachi and Penguin to head to the helm to give Hakugan their heading. As first mate, Bepo was now acting captain—and he hated it.
It took two weeks to reach Zou, and the Hearts felt the absence of their captain keenly. The heart of the Heart Pirates was missing, leaving the rest of them unmoored as they sailed the waters of the New World.
Two nights before they encountered Zunesha, Bepo found himself standing outside the door to Law’s room. They were the captain’s quarters, and Bepo was acting captain. That’s what he told himself, anyway, as he pulled the handle and opened the door. Stepping inside, he was immediately enveloped by Law.
The room still held Law’s scent, one tinged with coffee, old paper, mint, and antiseptic. His desk had been cleared off—Bepo assumed he’d either taken his notes with him or, more likely, destroyed them—and his closet was half-empty. The bed was made with pristine hospital corners, and there was a thick medical text with a bookmark placed halfway through on the nightstand. The bookshelves were neatly organized, and Law’s prized coin collection sat in a place of honor on the top shelf. Bepo ran a paw along the top of it, remembering how Law had begun his coin collection with the Flevan coins he’d had in his pocket the night the White City fell.
Bepo turned around in a circle, taking in his best friend’s space, but when he looked back at Law’s desk he froze. The picture of Law, Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi with their faces shoved together taken shortly after they’d set sail on the Tang was missing from its usual place of honor tacked above Law’s desk. Law must have taken it with him.
A feeling of hope swelled up in his chest.
Maybe…
Maybe Law wasn’t as lost as Bepo had thought.
Returning to Zou was both easier and harder than Bepo expected. The Minks were thrilled to see Bepo; they’d gone years without knowing what had happened to him and worried him dead, but when the Heart Pirates started making headlines, they’d recognized him in some of the pictures printed in the papers. But at the same time, Bepo had been gone for so long that he’d lost so many of the typical Mink behaviors and customs, training himself to become more like his human friends, that he didn’t feel like he fit anymore. It was like putting on an old favorite piece of clothing that didn’t fit quite right anymore.
There had been mixed feelings about Bepo following in his brother’s footsteps in becoming a pirate among the Minks, and that was how Bepo learned what happened to Zepo. After thanking the heartbroken Pedro for telling him, he excused himself to return to the treehouses they’d been provided by Nekomumashi. Shachi and Penguin found him sitting on a balcony, looking out over the Whale Forest and thinking about the time Zepo had found him when he was lost. He remembered how safe and loved he’d felt in his brother’s strong arms as he’d carried Bepo.
Shachi and Penguin didn’t say anything, instead just sitting down next to him and offering their silent support. Bepo appreciated it more than he could say.
“The whole reason I left Zou in the first place was to find Zepo,” Bepo said after a while, guilt gnawing at his insides. “But at some point, I stopped thinking about finding him and focused on living my own life. He died years ago,” he said, voice cracking, “and I had no idea because I was selfishly focusing on myself.”
“Don’t do that to yourself, Beps,” Shachi said, putting a hand on Bepo’s shoulder.
“I’m sure your brother would have been proud of you for finding your own dream,” Penguin added.
“I didn’t get to say goodbye,” Bepo said, tearing up.
Shachi pulled Bepo into a hug. “I’m sorry, man.”
“I wish Law was here,” Bepo whispered. It wasn’t that Law was particularly good at emotions—the opposite, in fact—but his best friend always made Bepo feel safe. He could use that right now.
“I know,” Penguin said quietly, pain in his voice as he also wrapped an arm around Bepo. “Us, too.”
For a while, the Hearts just existed on Zou. They were guests of Nekomumashi so were restricted to the Whale Forest during the day while the others slept in preparation for their night shift. They did maintenance on the Tang, trained with the Minks, played endless rounds of card games, and tried not to think about what might be happening to their captain.
When Jack arrived, Nekomumashi told them they didn’t have to fight, but Zou was Bepo’s home. He wasn’t going to let anyone hurt it while he was there, and the other Hearts joined the fight as well. The Mink's fight was Bepo’s fight, and Bepo’s fight was the Hearts’ fight. The fighting was grueling, but it gave them purpose when they had been adrift for so long.
And then Jack used the chemical weapon. No one, neither Mink nor Heart, could fight its effects. We’re going to die without seeing Law again, Bepo found himself thinking as he coughed blood and felt the world going fuzzy around him. It was ironic; he’d been so certain Law was the one who wasn’t safe when the Hearts were the ones who’d sailed into danger after all.
But Jack had left, vanishing almost as quickly as he had appeared. The damage from the chemical weapon had been done, though; the Minks’ medical staff was helpless to counter the effects of the gas. Without Law and the Ope Ope no Mi, there was little chance of survival for any of them.
That is, until the Thousand Sunny had reached Zou with half of the Straw Hat Pirates. They fought off the remaining Beast Pirates and forced Caesar Clown to remove the lingering gas from the air. Then they got to work treating the Minks. When they found the Hearts, their expressions shifted.
“It’s Law’s crew,” the blond—Sanji—said.
“You know Law?” Jean Bart asked from where he was leaning against a tree. He coughed, blood dripping down his chin. The little reindeer, Chopper, immediately went to his side and pulled out a syringe.
“This is an antidote,” he said. When Jean Bart nodded, he cleaned off a patch of skin and injected him before moving to Clione.
The redhead, Nami, held up a piece of paper that seemed to be trying to escape her hand to get to Bepo. There was a chorus of sharp inhales.
“My vivre card,” Bepo breathed in shock, though the effort made his lungs burn. “Captain gave you my vivre card?”
“We were with him just a few days ago,” the skeleton, Brook, offered.
“What?!”
“Yeah,” Chopper said as he knelt next to Penguin to give him the injection, “our crews are in an alliance now.”
Bepo blinked. “Alliance?” He must have heard that wrong. Law was a lot of things but trusting of others was not one of them. He couldn’t imagine him entering an alliance.
Then again, Law had rushed into the warzone of Marineford to rescue Straw Hat and operated for sixteen hours to save his life without explanation. Maybe it wasn’t so far-fetched as he’d thought.
As the Straw Hats helped administer the antidote to all the Hearts and tend to their battle injuries, the full story about meeting Law on Punk Hazard, Law proposing an alliance to Luffy, and them traveling to Dressrosa came out.
“How… how was he when you left?” Bepo asked as Nami helped bandage a wound on his head.
Nami pursed her lips. “He was fighting Doflamingo.”
Bepo stiffened, and he could feel the tension in the air. Apparently, the Straw Hats could as well as they paused and glanced around in surprise.
Finally, Sanji let out a huff. “I knew it. Law was acting like destroying the factory in Dressrosa was just a small part of a bigger plan, but he was way too invested in Doflamingo for that. There’s bad blood there, isn’t there?”
“You could say that,” Penguin said darkly.
“It’s not our story to tell,” Shachi added, wincing as one of the Minks began stitching his arm. “But yeah. Law’s been plotting to kill Doflamingo for a long time.”
Bepo’s insides twisted as he saw the Straw Hats share a loaded look. “What?” he asked. “Please, tell us.”
“He protected us,” Nami said finally. “We had Caesar, so Doflamingo was targeting our ship. He told us to leave and took on Doflamingo himself to give us a chance to get away.”
Bepo’s head spun as he thought about Law confronting Doflamingo after all this time. He felt a surge of anger at Law at not letting them be there with him but recruiting the Straw Hats instead, but that dissipated almost as soon as it came on, leaving an empty pit of worry in its wake.
“Don’t worry,” Sanji said as he looked at a gash on Hakugan’s leg. “Luffy’s with him.”
“No offense,” Ikkaku piped up. Sanji perked up at the sound of her voice and turned to look at her with heart eyes. She ignored him. “But that doesn’t mean anything to us.”
“Luffy will go to the ends of the earth to protect the people he cares about,” Nami said, rolling her eyes as Sanji abandoned Hakugan to moon over Ikkaku-chan. “And your captain, for some reason, is now one of those people.” Her expression softened as she met Bepo’s gaze. “He’ll look after Law.”
Though the Hearts were skeptical at the Straw Hat’s pronouncements, they turned out to be correct. The next day, news coos delivered papers with headlines about the Straw Hat-Heart Pirate alliance’s defeat of Doflamingo. Bepo stared at the front page, at the side-by-side wanted posters of Law and Straw Hat, at the words “Donquixote was arrested and will be transported to Impel Down to await a trial.”
“He did it,” Penguin breathed, looking over his shoulder. “He really did it.”
“After all this time, he did it,” Shachi echoed in awe.
Bepo felt tears forming in the corners of his eyes. “He’s free. He’s finally free.”
A week later, an exhausted, heavily bandaged but somehow lighter Trafalgar Law stepped into a clearing in the Whale Forest and smiled.