Chapter Text
"Torao,
We're having a party at my place on Friday, you should come by!
Love, Lu-ya"
Law sat at a booth in a dingy North Blue bar, reading the torn note Bepo had just passed him and developing a headache.
He had had a plan. The Heart Pirates had surfaced at this small, merchant island to collect supplies and stretch their legs before continuing on. They split up for their errands and were to meet up at the bar to relax before chasing rumors of the Will of D through ghost towns. But Luffy had ruined his plans again. The complete gall of this asshole.
"Sorry captain, I kinda ripped it..." Bepo stood at the end of the table, worrying the fabric of his jumpsuit.
Law gave a taciturn shrug and gestured for Bepo to sit down across from him. Penguin, Shachi, and Ikkaku were laughing with a slippery woman at the bar. Her cross body bag was slung across her back, bulging with small packages and letters. A miniature Straw Hat Jolly Roger was patched on to the front and the skull grinned sardonically at Law from across the room. Had it always been so mocking? Where did he get off having such an ass hole Jolly Roger plastered all over the place?
---
Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi had been tasked with collecting the necessary food and drink for the next leg of their journey. Pleased to be back in the North Blue, the three had been lazily walking through town, enjoying the familiarity of the region, when Bepo stopped suddenly in his tracks and a woman slinked past them.
Penguin watched the woman walk away as Shachi turned back to find Bepo hastily trying to open a letter.
"What the hell? Who's writing to you?"
"I don't know, that lady just put it in my paw and-" Bepo growled in frustration as a loud rip seemed to echo off the stonework around them.
The woman whipped around, registering Penguin's blush, Shachi's confusion, Bepo's dismay, and the complete lack of a "tall, pretty, tattooed brunette" who the letter was for. She stomped up to Bepo and snatched the letter from him.
"Unless the surgeon of death is a cool bear with loser friends, you shouldn't be opening his mail." She stuffed the torn letter down Bepo's front pocket, his body limp with shame. She turned to his loser friends, laughter cutting through the tension.
"Holy shit imagine Bepo as the surgeon of death!” Shachi was doubled over, wheezing, and wiping tears from his eyes. "I can't, I can't!!”
"The mink isn't Law, we're part of his crew. You should let us buy you a drink and introduce you to the captain, though. Any friend of the Straw Hats is a friend of the Heart Pirates." Penguin chuckled, gesturing to the Jolly Roger on her bag.
Her chest swelled with pride; these losers knew her boss!
-----
"Ugh, why would you tell us that you checked out her ass while poor Bepo got handed a weird mysterious letter?" Ikkaku took a drink. This crew needed more women.
"Well because that's how I knew she was a friend! Because when I was starimg, I saw the straw-" Penguin's defense was cut off by calls of "creep" and "pervert" from Ikkaku, Shachi, and the messenger.
"Look he got his stupid letter, it's fine!" Penguin blushed as the chants devolved into giggles at his expense.
Law closed his eyes, massaging his temples with his finger tips.
"I'm really sorry about the letter, captain." Bepo began his apology again.
Law didn't care that this stupid note was ripped. Why did everyone keep calling it a letter? It's one sentence. He interrupted his friend, "What day is today?"
"Uh, Thursday."
"How long would it take for us to get to Laughtale from here?"
"I don't- I can't- That's not- What???”
Law sighed. Since parting ways with the straw hats on Wano a year ago he had received actual letters from Robin, keeping him up to date on her findings. He had received "official Straw Hat Grand Fleet announcements" from Usopp, as though he were a member. But this note was something else.
His epithet had been written in a familiar chicken scratch on the envelope. Inside was a new bounty poster. Luffy grinned off the page, big and otherworldly in Gear 5, announcing his new title as Pirate King. As if Law didn't get the paper. On the back was the note.
Law sighed again, "We have to visit the new pirate king and I assume he means for us to meet him where he is, on Laughtale."
Bepo gawked, "we're weeks away from the Grand line, nevermind this mystery island. Are we sure they're even there?!”
Bepo was right. The party was tomorrow, they were too far away, and they had no idea where "Luffy's Place" even was. He typically referred to the sunny as "his place" but they couldn't get there any quicker than Laughtale.
And they had their own plans, dammit. He always did this.
"No but I'm not sure what else to do." Law ran his hand through his hair, pushing his hat out of place. "Just don't go." At this suggestion, Law looked Bepo in the eye with a sad and tired expression. "I'm going back to the tang. Stay here and wait for everyone else, have a good time." Law stood up, putting the note back in the envelope and tucking it into the interior pocket of his coat.
He waved his good byes, tipping the messenger well. Ever since he became an emperor, Luffy's notes began being hand delivered by some one from their fleet. It was always someone different and even though this one hadn't made the delivery perfectly, he wanted the straw hat messengers to know he appreciated their efforts. He wasn't easy to find, having thrown his transponder snails over board after Winner Island, and he wanted to continue receiving notes.
---
Back in his room on the Polar Tang, he retrieved the envelope and a key from his coat. Sitting down at his desk, he began inspecting the tears.
The envelope was beyond saving, Bepo truly did a number on it. It's not as though he really wanted to save the envelope but Luffy rarely called him Surgeon of Death anymore. He chuckled and discarded it.
The note itself was partially torn through its single sentence. He taped it carefully, making sure that the chicken scratch aligned perfectly. Satisfied it was back to it's original legibility, he smoothed it against his desk, considering this invitation. Luffy was pirate king and here Law was, hiding in the North Blue. If he wasn't such a coward, he never would have left Luffy's side.
Sighing for the umpteenth time, he bent to unlock the bottom left drawer of his desk. Pulling it open, a mess of notes fought to press out.
There were notes of all sizes and on all matters of "paper" including bellies, discarded blue prints, and napkins. There were notes sent long distances, notes shoved into pockets, and notes left on his nightstand the morning after. They dated back to Punk Hazard, when Luffy already knew what Law didn't. But he had saved those ones anyway, loving being loved by Luffy even then. Every note was short, hastily scrawled, and addressed to "Torao" and signed "Lu-ya".
He put the newest note on top, pressed the pile down, and quickly pushed the drawer closed before they could spring back out. He turned the key and returned it to his coat pocket.
He flopped on his bed, throwing his hat against the wall. Luffy loved him, Luffy wanted him by his side, and Law just kept running. It didn't matter how much he loved him back or how badly he wanted to be by his side, Law knew it was too dangerous.
But one party couldn't hurt, could it?