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When he first hears the drums, Trafalgar Law feels like he is dreaming. Or maybe, he thinks, maybe he is dying instead and his parents' god is greeting him to a dancing beat.
It feels like relief, sweeping away the taste of ashes Kaido's previous announcement had left in their mouths.
The beat removes worries, like what will happen to them afterwards, invites them to stand up and dance instead. But they are exhausted, all of them are. Their bodies are far too weary and hurt for dancing...
Then the ceiling burst.
Nika himself has descended in blinding white splendour. Like the others, Law is too mind boggled to comprehend what he is seeing at first. Then there is awe ; fear and reverence for the god who comes to save them all.
Then he realises. It is Strawhat Luffy.
All in white, surrounded by godly whisps, but it is him. And he cannot have ascended.
But maybe he awoke his Devil Fruit power.
Law feels resentment then. Of course the god of his parents, the one he worshipped as a child and has reneged since, is a Devil Fruit power.
It sounds so trite, disappointing, and Law tries to cling to the anger.
God is beating Kaido.
No. Law corrects himself. Luffy is.
It would be so easy, oh so easy to fall into mindless devoutness. Gratitude for the saving, joy for the drumming music.
Law gets it. He now understands the Strawhat crew's unwavering devotion. Their Faith in their captain. At this point it would be so simple to do the same. But Law refuses.
With one word from their captain, the Strawhat Pirates would all jump from a cliff... and the fool himself right with them.
Law has already experienced that plunge, though not by choice.
All of them, every single one, have such an unwavering belief in their captain that their navigator dared stand up to Kaido to affirm it. All of them could do so.
The scariest one is their first mate. Zoro's devotion has an edge of madness to it. And now Law understands. God mad.
It would be easy, but Law does not want that. One word from this god and they probably all would stand back up to dance until they dropped.
One word from him and they would launch themselves into battle. Territory conquest. Crusade.
Law absolutely refuses that.
Strawhat is a man, not a god. He should know, he had his hands in his entrails for hours after the Summit War.
God made man.
No. Whether god made man or man made god, it is Luffy. Luffy and awakened Devil Fruit powers. That is all.
Still, basking in that preternatural white light, Law feels the echo of old worship. He reminisces about the god of his childhood, whom he had revered, adored, briefly carnaly desired, implored and reneged.
No. Any love and gratitude are for the Strawhat. Luffy. Luffy was the one always accomplishing miracles so far.
Looking up smiling, Law chooses to wait.
And if he thinks quietly : "Beat him up, Luffy-ya!" It is encouragement, not prayer.