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Law wakes up.
That's not the largest surprise. Law, whether he wants to or not, always wakes up. Even as it cracks him open, hollows him out, Law is used to waking up after every nightmare turned reality. It's never just a dream. He always wakes up and the world stays the same.
Survival is something Law almost expects, at this point.
So waking up isn't the surprise. Bepo isn't a surprise either, though he is a blessing. Just this once, Law has managed to not quite lose everything. He still has Bepo.
Even if Bepo took him away from everyone else. Even if maybe, if Law died, Blackbeard would have been satisfied. Even if it means that others died when he should have. Again.
That is something. Everything.
(Law doesn’t know that he could do it, if he didn’t have Bepo still. Doesn’t know if he could continue on or if he'd just stop. If he'd even have the energy left for anger. Law has spent so long being angry.)
So. He's alive and he has Bepo. That's a starting place, at least.
However, he must also be delirious. Doesn't have the energy to run a Scan, so who knows what's wrong.
On the off chance that he isn't, this is the Grand Line after all, Law decides to ask. “Bepo. What kind of eggs are those?”
The mink jumps, even as Law stares at the makeshift basket Bepo has made. Collecting eggs is sensible. The eggs themselves aren't. Law has never seen the like, a motley collection of different colors when all the eggs are the same size and shape.
There's a blue one with bright yellow stripes, a pink one with green polka-dots, an orange egg with what almost looks like silver stars of all things. Just a truly ridiculous mix that Law would never think could just happen.
“Captain!” There isn't more time to examine the eggs, though, as Law rather suddenly finds himself being hugged by a bawling polar bear. “You're awake! It's been over a day and there aren't any people on this island and-”
His words become incomprehensible. Law just throws an arm around him and lets him sob, not knowing what else to do. He has no assurances to offer.
Nothing is okay. Law doesn’t have any plans. Doesn’t even know if there's a point to planning anything at all. Bepo has every reason to cry and there really isn't anything Law can do except try to offer what comfort he can.
Law really isn't sure how long they spend like that. Bepo clutching Law as Law does his best to be there for him. The constant ache of his wounds is pushed away with the ease of practice. It's not important right now.
Eventually, though, Bepo pulls back.
“Sorry Captain, I know you should be resting.”
Law puts a hand on his shoulder, squeezing. That's not anything Bepo needs to be saying.
“Don't.”
Don't apologize, not after he did all this to save Law. Don't worry about him. Don't call Law a captain, not when he doesn't have a crew.
Law might never be a captain again.
“Right.” Law doesn’t actually know how much of what Law’s thinking Bepo understands, but he nods and gives Law a little bit of space. “So. I've found clean water here! And the fruit is safe, even if it looks really weird!”
Bepo nods at the basket of eggs. Law stares for a moment, expecting them to somehow change into fruit. They don't.
Law frowns, reaching up to lay his hand against Bepo’s nose. It feels normal.
“I don't have a fever, promise. Just. Okay, the island seems safe, but it's really weird. The only animals I've seen are birds? But they aren't normal birds. Uh.” Bepo looks around frantically, but Law guesses he doesn't see whatever it is he's looking for. “Okay, you know how Kaido had fake zoans? I think someone dropped fake logia fruits on the island.”
Law closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Right. Current crisis, whatever is happening right now. “Bepo, explain.”
“Well. Some of them are on fire? And I'm pretty sure I saw one shoot lightning? And one made ice and started pecking at it? So. Logia birds.”
Logia birds. Of course, because that makes perfect sense.
This is all real. Law knows it, feels it in every blow and every bit of pain from this past month. Still, part of him can't help but wonder if everything after Doflamingo cut his arm off has been some bizarre dream. A symptom of blood loss. It would explain Straw Hat.
And now, apparently, logia birds.
Not that Law has any time to think too much about how impossible that is. No, he has more immediate worries. “But you said those are fruits.”
Law nods his head at the basket of eggs.
“They are! I watched several of the birds eat them first and even had a few myself and I feel fine! I don't know why the fruit here look like this, but they do.” A stubborn expression crosses Bepo’s face. “And you need to eat. Here!”
The basket of apparently-not-eggs is thrust into his lap. Law reaches out to press his finger against the side of one, this particular specimen baby blue with crimson swirls.
At first, it feels just like an egg. Then Law presses a little bit harder, finally feeling it give some under his fingers.
So. Fruit. “So all the fruits here looks the same, except for color?”
Fruit is a good place to start. Fishing, too, if they can. Law can try to hunt some of these logia birds as well, once he has a bit more energy.
“They might be all the same kind?” It's said as a question, Law gesturing for Bepo to explain more. “Well. I found all of these around the same tree. And they look different and some of them taste a bit different, but I think they're all the same thing.”
Of course. Why should any of this make any sort of sense at all?
But Law’s tired and hurting and honestly this should be the least of his concerns. Bepo says the fruit's safe, Law is just gonna go with it.
So he raises the light blue one to his lips, ignoring how strange it is to just be taking a bite out of something that his eyes still insist is an egg.
He can't do anything, figure anything out if there's anyone left to save without building his strength back up. And he has to figure something out.
Bepo’s here.
The flavor on his tongue is sweet, shockingly so. Most fruits have some sour to balance out the sweet. The closest thing Law can think of to compare this to is ice-cream if it wasn't cold.
It's not bad though. And he's going to need all the calories he can get. So he dutifully finishes the sweet egg, before reaching for another.
This one is a dark purple color, seeming to be covered in golden flecks. Something about it is different, though Law can't exactly tell what. Its weight is different from the first.
Natural variance?
Law puts the thought from his mind. He doesn't need to be figuring out strange fruits. Instead he brings it up to bite into, just like the first one.
Only, this time, something shatters at the slight pressure of his teeth. He pulls the thing away from his mouth, tasting blood from his lip and something else.
“Bepo.” Law says very calmly, staring down at the shattered egg shell and ball of feathers now in his hand. “I thought you said these were all fruit from the same tree.”
“They were! I'm sorry captain, I found them all around the base of this tree and they look the same and–”
Law stops paying attention to Bepo’s apologies, instead looking at what is definitely a baby bird. Not looking like something that just hatched, it's feathers are fluffy and feel soft in his hand. More than anything, it's like if someone's idea of what a baby bird should look like somehow came straight out of an egg.
Law would call it unnatural, if he hadn't seen it hatching himself. Maybe it still is, if someone has been experimenting with Devil Fruits here.
It also has several long tail feathers. Law, shockingly, realizes that he's seen a bird like this before. Larger and on fire, but it's unmistakable.
“Phoenixes, Bepo.”
“What?” Bepo stops his own rambling at Law's words, looking at him for answers.
“Either someone was trying to copy the Fruit or mythical doesn't mean nonexistent. Because this looks exactly like a smaller version of Marco the Phoenix when he fully transforms. Not logias, just myths.”
Just. Ha!
Though it leaves Law with several other things to figure out. They are dealing with creatures of legend, are they safe to eat? And Marco the Phoenix is no pushover, how healed does Law need to be to even try and hunt them?
Well. He could try to find out with this one. It's small though, and cute. Wouldn't provide much meat.
And very soft, as his finger slowly moves over its head. Completely dry, despite just hatching. Not as warm as he would have expected.
It leans over, pecking at a bit of shell on Law's hand. Or drinking from it? Law isn’t sure.
He becomes even more uncertain as a warm feeling of curiosity suddenly blossoms in his mind. Not his own.
Law looks more closely, sees red on the shell. Remembers the cut on his lip. And groans.
Telepathic phoenixes. Another complication. Great.
Almost as if sensing this, (It did. Law knows it did, but he wants to enjoy denial for a little while longer.) the tiny bird nuzzles into the side of his hand. And warmth blooms in his mind.
Law dearly wants to revisit his theory that this is all some sort of delirium. Dying fighting Doflamingo makes a lot more sense than all of this.
His own mind won't let him delude himself that much, though.
He'll just have to adapt. Law's good at that, knows how to turn anything to his advantage. He can use this, somehow.
At least it's cute.