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Chapter Text

The Heart Submarine breached the surface in a hiss of steam and churned seafoam, its yellow frame reflecting the early light of the East Blue. 

Law, fifteen, sharp-eyed and already wrapped in the cold steel of resolve, stood at the bow, arms crossed. 

Beside him, his chosen companions

Penguin (17), Shachi (16) and the young mink Bepo (13)

They had just stolen the sub from Wolf in the North Blue and headed out to sea. 

They crowed with excitement at the warm air and the sight of dense jungle on the island ahead.

Law thought, eyes narrowing. 

"East Blue... supposedly the weakest of the seas," 

"Then why is my gut screaming?"

They landed easily enough

No Marines, no grand welcome, 

Just thick vines and sun-drunk birdsong. 

But within twenty minutes of wandering the jungle paths, 

They were halted by a shriek followed by the snapping of underbrush. 

A shape shot past them in a blur

Barefoot, grinning, wild-eyed.

She was young—maybe a year younger than Law

Her black hair messy and her skin sun-darkened. 

A huge crocodile, half-twisted in pain, 

Thrashed behind her as she leapt on its back, 

Punching it between the eyes with a laugh 

So unhinged it made Bepo flinch.

Penguin muttered

 “Did that kid just wrestle a croc?”

Shachi blinked. 

“What the hell kind of island is this?”

Law stared, stunned silent. 

Not because she wasn’t strong

She clearly was, absurdly so

But because she was adorable. 

A bundle of dirt-smudged chaos 

With a straw hat that didn’t quite fit yet, 

Laughing as she tied the crocodile’s mouth shut with vines.

Her grin was wide and her eyes glinted like sunlight.

And then she looked straight at Law.

She said, voice scratchy from shouting, 

But firm and casual as if stating the weather. 

“You got pretty eyes,” 

Law’s brain stalled. 

His ears burned. 

“...What?”

She grinned wider, 

Leaning closer and stretched up

Until she was inches from his face. 

“You blushed! You did! I saw it!”

Penguin snorted.

Law scowled, tugging down the brim of his hat. 

“I didn’t. It’s just hot here.”

She grabbed his wrist, entirely undeterred. 

“Mhm.” 

“Come on! You guys look fun. 

I’m Luffy. 

My brother Ace just left to be a pirate”

She didn’t wait for a response, 

Dragging Law along as if they’d known each other for years.

Shachi and Penguin exchanged a glance and followed. 

Bepo trailed behind cautiously

Through the tangle of vines and fruit-heavy trees, 

Luffy led them up to a where a large, weather-beaten treehouse stood atop a great tree, 

“Me, Ace, and Sabo built this years ago.

 Ace’s gone now, and Sabo...” 

Her tone dipped for a moment, uncertain, 

Before brightening again. 

“Now I just train here. 

You guys hungry? 

I got some croc meat we can roast!”

Law, still slightly red in the ears, muttered, 

“You’re feral.”

Luffy beamed proudly. 

“Probably!”

She didn’t question who they were, 

Or why a mink and a pair of punks had shown up in her jungle.

She simply accepted them

Luffy crouched by the crude fire pit 

Crocodile meat sizzling over the flames. 

Smoke curled upward, tangling in the branches overhead. 

Law sat stiffly nearby, hands in his lap, 

Haze focused elsewhere

Anywhere but on her. 

Law didn’t quite understand it yet, 

But he thought:

“Weakest sea, huh? 

Then why does this place feel 

More dangerous than anything I’ve seen?”

And in a quiet, guarded place in his chest, 

He admitted it:

“That smile is going to cause problems.”

Penguin and Shachi were sprawled on a log bench, chewing happily. 

Bepo had politely declined and sat grooming his fur, wary of jungle parasites.

Luffy grinned and shoved a skewer toward Law. 

“Here. Try it. I picked out the good piece for you.”

He took it silently, biting into the still-hot meat. 

It was surprisingly good. 

She sat cross-legged in front of him, 

Watching him too closely for comfort.

She said smugly

“You liked it,”

He muttered, keeping his eyes on the skewer.

“It’s edible,” 

Luffy leaned forward, her chin propped on her palms. 

“You’ve still got those pretty eyes.”

Law froze, halfway through a second bite.

She tilted her head, grinning still

“You don’t like being called pretty?”

“I’m not—” 

Law cleared his throat.

 “That’s not what people call me.”

Luffy declared, proud of herself. 

“Well, I’m not people,” 

“I call what I see. 

And you’ve got real sharp eyes, 

Like a hawk that’s also a little tired of everyone’s nonsense.

Kinda cool. Kinda pretty.”

Shachi let out a wheezing snort behind them, 

Which he immediately stifled when Law shot him a glare.

Luffy didn’t break eye contact. 

Her smile widened. 

She scooted closer on her palms and knees 

“Hey, hey... you're blushing again.”

Law’s voice was a little too tight now. 

“I’m not.” 

“It’s the firelight.”

“Nuh-uh,” 

 “You’re totally flustered.

Do people not flirt wherever you’re from?”

Law snapped.

“We don’t do it like this,” 

Luffy grinned wider. 

“Then you’ve been flirting wrong.”

Law opened his mouth, closed it, took a long, slow breath. 

He reminded himself this girl had just killed a crocodile in front of them 

Then offered them roasted chunks of it like they were lifelong friends. 

Of course her idea of flirting would be… this.

Luffy continued with no hesitation.

“I think you’re interesting,” 

“Like someone put lightning in a bottle 

And dared you to drink it. 

That’s cool. I like cool people. 

And cute ones.”

Law stood up sharply.

“I am not—” 

And promptly hit his head on a low-hanging branch.

Penguin burst out laughing. 

Shachi howled. 

Even Bepo let out a soft, surprised chuckle.

Law glared death at them all, rubbing his head, jaw clenched.

Luffy, instead of laughing, just leaned forward, 

Chin on her knees, 

Smiled at him like he was the most interesting mystery she’d ever found in the jungle.

“You’ll get used to me,” 

“People usually do.”

Law stared at her, 

Trying to formulate a response 

That wasn’t either a threat or an admission of confusion.

He settled for sitting back down and muttering,

 “You’re insufferable.”

Luffy said, deadpan.

“You’ll like that about me eventually,” 

“Want another bite?”

Law took the second skewer she offered 

Without meeting her eyes.

Luffy teased, laughing as she turned back to the fire. 

“Pretty and obedient,” 

“I’m gonna keep you.”

Shachi wheezed again. 

Law very quietly considered murdering someone before they left the island.

The fire had burned low. 

The night insects buzzed in the thick jungle canopy above, 

They’d been sitting there  for a while, 

Watching the flames crackle, chewing roasted meat in silence.

Finally, Law set down his bottle of water, 

Brushed his hands on his black trousers, 

Asked what had been clawing at his thoughts since they’d landed.

“What exactly is on this island?”

Luffy didn’t answer at first. 

She was lying back her straw hat tilted low over her face, 

She lifted the brim with a single finger. 

“Oh, that’s easy.”

She sat up and pointed vaguely through the dark jungle toward the east. 

“That way’s Foosha Village. 

It’s small.

 Not much there except Makino’s bar, a few markets, 

And a couple old fishermen who’ll outdrink you into the dirt”

She spun and pointed in the opposite direction, 

“High Town’s the other way.

That’s where the nobles live. 

Big houses, big walls, big egos. 

Rich pricks who like to pretend they own the sun.”

Law’s eyes narrowed. 

“And between them?”

Luffy’s hand dropped.

Her smile faded a fraction

Not gone, but dimmed.

“Gray Terminal. Dont go there”

The words hung in the air like smoke.

Shachi tilted his head. 

“What, like a dump?”

Luffy shrugged, eyes on the fire again.

“Yes and no. 

It’s where they toss all the trash. 

People too. 

The poor, the sick, the old, 

The ones who don’t belong in the village or the city. 

They live there. Or try to.”

Penguin frowned. 

“That’s messed up.”

Law’s voice was low, careful. 

“You said people live there. 

But you also said not to go.”

Luffy’s tone didn’t change, 

But her hand moved to rest on the brim of her hat, 

“‘Cause every few years,” 

 “The nobles get scared. 

Say the trash might reach the walls. 

So they burn it. 

Everything. Everyone. 

The whole Gray Terminal. 

Gone in a day. 

Fire so big you can see across the island.”

Silence. Thick. Cold.

Penguin looked like he was going to be sick. 

Shachi cursed under his breath.

Law just stared at her.

“You’re saying they… kill them. 

Just to keep their walls clean?”

Luffy didn’t flinch. 

“Yep.”

“Who lets that happen?”

She looked up at him, 

That crooked, dangerous little grin creeping back into place.

She asked. 

“Who’s gonna stop it?” 

“You?”

Law clenched his jaw.

Luffy leaned back arms behind her head 

Like the world hadn’t just cracked sideways. 

“World’s a mess, Pretty Eyes. 

Has been since before either of us got here.”

“And you’re just okay with that?” 

Luffy’s grin turned sharper. 

“Nope.” 

“But I can’t punch a fire. 

Yet.”

A long pause.

Bepo spoke softly, 

“How do you know all this?”

Luffy shrugged. 

“Lived here for a while with my brothers.” 

Shachi’s voice was low. 

“They knew?”

“Yeah”

“ After I moved up here at seven

“ We got stuck in one of the fires”

“Thats when we lost Sabo”

Penguin and Shachi shared a solemn look.

Bepo lowered his head

Law watched her carefully. 

This girl

This feral, beautiful, wrecking ball in a straw hat

Had grown up in something similar to Flevance. 

And yet she smiled like the sky hadn’t already fallen. 

It wasn’t naivety. It wasn’t ignorance. 

It was something else. 

A kind of rebellion that didn’t need a flag or a ship yet.

Law murmured. 

“Foosha, High Town, and Gray Terminal,” 

“All on the same island.”

“Three heads. One monster,” 

“But hey—wanna see something fun?”

She grinned again, hopping to her feet.

“C’mon. 

There’s a cliff edge where you can see the fireflies. 

Good place to talk”

Law sighed. 

“You’re relentless.”

Luffy agreed proudly, reaching for his wrist again

“I am,”

And once again

Without thinking, without resistance

He let her pull him along.

The climb wasn’t hard, just steep. 

Vines served as handholds, 

Luffy bounced from branch to branch 

With the unthinking agility of someone who had never feared gravity in her life.

Law, a bit less reckless, took his time. 

But he didn’t complain. 

He didn’t want to give her the satisfaction.

They emerged at the top of the cliff

The jungle below darkened fully. 

Below them, the island sprawled out

And then, slowly, the light began.

Tiny golden orbs flitted into view

Dozens, then hundreds, floating lazily on the breeze. 

Fireflies. 

They rose in waves from the grass, 

Catching on Luffy’s hair and shoulders 

As she stood at the edge.

She stretched her arms wide, breathing deep.

Half-whispering, she asked . 

“Cool, right?” 

“I come up here when the world feels too full. 

They don’t talk. They don’t care. 

They just glow.”

Law didn’t answer right away. 

His gaze was locked on her—not the lights.

The way she stood.

There was peace in her here. 

A kind of quiet embodiment, 

They might have been too easy to miss 

When she was grinning and shoving food into his mouth.

She turned slightly, caught his stare.

“Still staring at me, Pretty Eyes?”

He rolled his own this time, lightly. 

“You're the one who brought me up here to ‘talk.’ 

But all you've done is glow at fireflies.”

Luffy grinned. 

“I glow better than they do.”

Law smirked, just slightly.

 “You’re definitely louder.”

She said, poking his shoulder. 

“Admit it,” 

“You like it. The view. The lights. 

Me.”

Law’s heartbeat stuttered.

He didn’t look away. 

Instead, he inhaled

“I’ve seen a lot of things that shine. 

Treasure. Chemicals. Stars. 

But they’re all... cold. 

“You’re not cold. 

You burn bright.”

Luffy blinked.

Then let out a low whistle. 

“Ooooh.”

She looked at him with something new

Curiosity sharpened into interest. 

“Was that your version of flirting back?”

Law turned away, ears pink.

She added, scooting a little closer

“Wasn’t that bad,”

.“Kinda smooth. 

For a grumpy boy with pretty eyes.”

He tilted his head just slightly, 

Considering her now from the corner of his vision. 

“You’re impossible to read. 

You jump from punching crocodiles 

To complimenting me without pause.”

“Why pause?” 

“You are pretty. 

You are interesting. 

And your brain works funny.

 In a good way.”

“You flatter me like you’re baiting a wild animal.”

Luffy tilted her head.

 “You kinda are a wild animal.

Learning the world and compliments.”

He finally looked at her, 

Said quietly.

“You’re not wrong,” 

Luffy reached over and poked his cheek.

 “You should smile more. 

It’s cute.”

“I’m not smiling.”

“You will. Eventually.”

She leaned in a little closer, 

“Maybe if you stay here a bit,” 

“I’ll teach you how.”

Law didn’t move.

Then, slowly, he said, 

“Maybe I’ll stay long enough to teach you 

How to flirt without dragging people by the wrist.”

She grinned.

“You’ll like that about me eventually,” 

And then she nudged his shoulder with hers, 

Turning her attention back to the stars and bugs. 

But she didn’t move away.

Neither did he.

The fireflies danced around them in silence, 

Later that night,

They all fell asleep scattered around the treehouse. 

Bepo curled in a corner. 

Penguin and Shachi snored in sync. 

Luffy fell asleep mid-sentence.

And Law lay awake, staring at the ceiling

His fingers tracing absently on the wooden floor.

He could still hear the echo.

Your eyes are pretty.

What a ridiculous thing to say.

And yet.

He closed his eyes.

And smiled.

Just a little.

———

Morning broke with gold light spilling through the cracked wooden roof. 

Warming the dusty interior of the treehouse.

Law was waking up.

He never slept deeply

But there was something different about waking here, Something loud.

And that loudness, as always, had a name.

“Morning, Storm-eyes~”

Law blinked slowly.

Luffy was hovering over him, 

Crouched low like a monkey, 

Grinning ear to ear.

Luffy added cheerfully.

“You snore,” 

Just a little. Like a baby growl. 

It’s kinda cute.”

Law sat up slowly, face flat, 

But his ears, traitorous as ever,burned faintly red.

“I don’t snore.”

“You do. Ask Bepo.”

Bepo said from across the room, 

“I confirm it,” 

“It was... oddly soothing.”

Shachi groaned from his mat. 

“Too early for this. 

Someone stop the flirting.”

Luffy didn’t even pretend to be embarrassed.

“Why? It’s fun. 

He makes the best faces.”

Law stood in one smooth motion, 

Adjusting his hoodie, 

“You’re exhausting.”

Luffy countered, practically singing the word.

“You’re flustered,” 

Law turned his back to her. 

“We need food.”

Luffy threw her arms in the air. 

“Yup!” 

“Let’s go hunting again!”

Shachi stretched with a yawn. 

Penguin adjusted his goggles. 

Luffy was already clambering down the trunk. 

“Let’s gooo!”

They headed west, into the thicker jungle,

Law finally instructed

“Split into two groups,” 

“Me and Luffy. 

Bepo, you take Shachi and Penguin. 

Sweep north, circle back. 

Signal if you find large game.”

Shachi raised an eyebrow. 

“Pairing off with jungle girl, huh?”

Law replied coolly.

“Quiet,” 

Luffy winked. 

“He just wants me all to himself~”

Law didn’t respond. 

Which, somehow, was worse than denying it.

They moved together in silence at first.

Luffy led with the easy grace 

Ducking under vines, hopping across fallen logs, 

Pointing out tracks in the dirt without missing a step. 

Law followed, quiet, observant, 

Mentally recording every movement.

He asked finally.

“Why do you really live out here?” 

“Gramps got mad I bonded with a pirate that visited” 

“Saw them like family”

“He threw me up here at seven.”

Luffy asked, cocking his head. 

“Where’s your family?”

Law looked away.

 “Dead.”

“Oh.”

Silence.

“No jokes?”

“Nope,” 

“That’s different. 

That’s... heavy.”

Law didn’t answer.

Luffy stepped closer.

“If it helps... I’m glad you’re here. 

I like you.”

Law blinked. 

“What does that have to do with—”

Luffy laughed.

“Nothing!” 

“Just wanted to say it.”

Law turned, resuming his path. 

“We’re here to hunt. 

Not bond.”

Luffy smirked. 

“Too late. Bond achieved.”

Law exhaled slowly.

This wonderful idiot.

But he didn’t hate it.

Not at all.

They reached a stream

Crouched near the edge, 

Watching a herd of boars drinking on the other side.

Luffy crouched beside him, inches away.

Said casually

“Nice eyes,”.

Law closed his.

“Do you ever shut up?”

Luffy replied, chin on her fist. 

“Nope,” 

“You make me more talkative”

That caught him off-guard.

“What?”

Luffy shrugged. 

“You’re fun to bother.”

She turned her face, 

So close now their noses almost brushed.

“And I like your face.”

Law looked away fast, face blank

But a single vein in his temple twitched.

“I’ve killed people for less.”

Luffy just laughed.

“I bet they weren’t as cute as me.”

———-

The sound of boots crunching through leaves 

Sunlight flickered through the canopy 

They hadn’t spoken much since splitting off from Law and Luffy.

Finally, Shachi broke the silence.

“So… we just gonna pretend it’s not happening?”

Penguin didn’t look up.

 “Pretend what’s not happening?”

Shachi gave him a look. 

“C’mon. Law. 

And that straw-hatted jungle girl.”

Bepo sighed. 

“It’s… hard not to notice.”

Shachi nodded eagerly.

“Right?” 

“I mean, Law hasn’t been like this with anyone. 

He barely talks unless it’s strategy, orders, or medical commands. 

Suddenly this rubbery chaos goblin shows up 

Now it’s ‘let’s go hunting together’

 What happened to the Law we knew?”

Bepo said. 

“The Law we knew is still there,” 

“He just hasn’t been challenged like this before.”

Penguin smirked.

 “Emotionally, you mean?”

“Exactly.”

Shachi shook his head. 

“Think Law’s gonna fall for her?”

Penguin raised an eyebrow. 

“Fall? You think that’s what this is?”

Shachi shrugged. 

“I don’t know. 

It’s just… when have you ever seen Law flustered?”

Bepo replied calmly.

“Last time someone said he looked tired and cute,” 

Penguin chuckled

“He almost stabbed them.”

Shachi nodded.

“Exactly,” 

“Luffy called his eyes pretty. 

And he didn’t draw his sword. 

That’s progress.”

Penguin let out a low whistle.

 “The jungle really is magic.”

They all laughed softly, 

Bepo straightened

“Still… I think Law likes her. 

Even if he won’t admit it yet.”

Penguin asked.

“Likes her how?” 

Bepo shrugged.

 “Does it matter?”

Shachi smiled faintly. 

“Maybe not.”

The wind stirred the canopy above. 

Then Bepo’s ears twitched.

“Boar herd. That way.”

They moved.

But the thoughts lingered behind them, 

Unspoken and weighty.

Law’s changing.

And it was because of a grinning rubber girl

Thats had a laugh that echoed through the trees 

———

Luffy walked ahead, 

Humming a tune that sounded like a lullaby 

Her sandals slapped the dirt with each lazy step, 

Arms behind her head, hat swinging gently on its string.

Law followed in silence, ever-watchful, ever-calculating.

But his eyes weren’t just scanning the trees anymore.

They kept drifting forward.

To the girl in red.

Luffy turned suddenly, 

Walking backward now, 

Grinning like he knew exactly what Law was thinking.

“You’re staring again.”

Law blinked.

 “I was observing.”

Luffy teased. 

“Observing what?” 

“My walk? 

My butt?”

Law didn’t break stride.

“Your form’s sloppy. 

You lean too far forward. 

Waste movement with every step.”

“But you still looked.”

Law arched a brow.

 “Doesn’t mean I liked what I saw.”

Luffy's grin widened 

“Liar.”

Law's expression didn’t change,

But something flickered behind his eyes did.

He said calmly, tone silk-sharp.

“I don’t lie, Mugiwara-ya,” 

“But I don’t always tell the whole truth either.”

Luffy cackled. 

“That’s the flirtiest thing you’ve said all day!”

“Then your standards are dangerously low.”

Luffy grinned

“You really are fun when you let your hair down, Torao.”

Law gave her a sidelong look.

He said quietly.

“You’re lucky I don’t take that as a challenge,” 

Luffy stepped closer. 

Her voice low and conspiratorial.

“You keep looking at me like you’re trying to cut me open. 

I’m okay with that.

 Long as you’re gentle.”

Law turned his head slowly, eyes half-lidded, his tone dangerously soft.

“I don’t do gentle.”

Luffy’s grin curved slow and dangerous. 

“Even better.”

They stood there for a heartbeat too long. 

The jungle seemed to hush around them, like the leaves were listening.

Then—crack—a branch snapped in the distance.

Law turned instantly. Blade half-drawn.

But it wasn’t a tiger.

It was a deer.

A massive buck, tall and lean, antlers like daggers, moving slow through the brush.

Luffy whispered,

 “You or me?”

Law didn’t answer.

He slipped forward hand on the hilt, breath low.

Luffy watched with sparkling eyes.

Then—Law struck.

In a flash of motion, the deer crumpled, clean and fast, 

Luffy exhaled in admiration.

 “Damn. That was hot.”

Law didn’t turn. 

“You say that about everything I do.”

“Because everything you do is hot.”

Law looked over his shoulder, eyes cool and amused.

“For someone who grew up with bandits, 

You’re remarkably forward.”

Luffy shrugged. 

“They tried to teach me manners.

 I chased a butterfly instead.”

Law smirked.

He crouched beside the deer, 

Whiped the blade clean on moss, and stood again.

“Help me drag it. 

Then you can keep flattering me.”

Luffy laughed, grabbed the antlers, 

They began hauling the carcass together, 

Arms and shoulders brushing as they moved.

“Y’know, you could stay longer. 

The jungle likes you.”

“It’s a jungle. It doesn’t like anything.”

“It hasn’t tried to eat you.

 That’s a compliment.”

Law said nothing.

But deep down, he knew.

He would be staying longer.

The deer carcass dragged behind them 

Luffy said, his voice rich with mischief. 

“So, Storm-eyes,” 

“Tell me something juicy.”

Law didn’t look up from the path.

 “I’m dragging a dead animal through a mosquito-infested forest. 

What part of that seems like a good time for small talk?”

Luffy beamed. 

“Exactly that part. 

That’s when people say weird things. 

Come on, tell me a secret.”

Law adjusted his grip on the rope and exhaled.

 “Fine. I once replaced a marine's kidney with a pumpkin 

Just to see if he’d notice.”

Luffy blinked, then howled with laughter.

“No way!”

“He died two weeks later.”

Luffy grinned harder. 

“Now that’s flirting.”

“That was surgery.”

“Same thing, with the way you say it.”

Law shook his head, 

But his lips quirked in the faintest curve.

 “You’re impossible.”

Luffy corrected,

Hopping over a fallen log without letting go of the antlers. 

“You’re fascinated,” 

“Don’t deny it. 

You keep looking at me like I’m your next science project.”

Law replied calmly. 

“Dissection takes patience,” 

“And you never sit still long enough.”

Luffy laughed again, this time low and mischievous. 

“Maybe I’d hold still if it was you doing the cutting.”

They kept moving again in silence

The jungle thinned slightly, 

She said, voice soft. 

“You’re too quiet again,” 

“What’re you thinking about?”

Law said dryly.

“Your blood pressure,” 

Luffy snorted.

 “You checking it with your eyes?”

“I don’t need tools to know you run hot.”

Luffy’s grin turned devious. 

“Oho?” 

“You think about me being hot?”

Law didn’t miss a beat. 

“Only when you’re not talking.”

Luffy nearly stumbled.

Law kept walking, 

Then added:

“Which is unfortunate, because you never shut up.”

Luffy recovered fast, bounding forward 

“You keep talking like that, Torao

And I might start thinking you actually like me.”

Law said, calm as the wind. 

“I do like you,” 

“You’re loud, annoying, reckless, 

And probably the worst influence I’ve allowed near us.”

Luffy stared at him, wide-eyed.

Law finished, 

“And that is surprisingly tolerable.”

For a second, Luffy said nothing.

“That’s the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

Law arched a brow. 

“Then you’ve had a depressing life.”

“You have no idea.”

They reached the top of a low ridge, 

Reveal smoke curling in the distance

Their camp. Not far now.

Luffy slowed, her voice dipping low.

“You know,” 

“You flirt like someone who’s not sure

If they wanna kiss me or kill me.”

Law looked her straight in the eye.

“I haven’t decided yet.”

Luffy grinned shyly

“Good. Me neither.”

Law and Luffy stepped back into camp, 

The makeshift fire pit was already lit. 

Bepo crouched beside the flames, 

Shachi and Penguin stood nearby, 

Their faces and clothes spattered with dirt and specks of blood.

Beside them, trussed up between two trees, 

Hung an enormous boar 

Luffy let go of the deer’s antlers and whooped.

 “Hey! You guys bagged one too!”

Shachi puffed out his chest.

 “Biggest boar we’ve ever hauled. 

Got caught in a trap Bepo spotted near the river.

 Thing almost took my arm off.”

Penguin muttered.

“I pulled you out of the mud,” 

“Still counts!”

Law dropped the rope, wiping his hands on a cloth. 

“We’ll butcher both. 

Luffy, help me skin the deer.”

Luffy sing-songed, 

Saluting with two fingers and a wink.

“Yessir, Captain Storm-Eyes~” 

Shachi mocked groaned. 

“She's still doing it.”

Penguin nudged Bepo.

 “Ten beri says Law doesn’t even flinch this time.”

“Make it twenty.”

But Law didn’t rise to the bait. 

He just turned his head slightly and said,

 “Keep talking and you’ll be skinning the boar with a spoon.”

Penguin shut up immediately.

Luffy whispered under her breath. 

“Hes so hot.”

An hour later, 

The fire was roaring, meat sizzling above it, 

They crew sat in a circle, laughing, chewing, 

And trading exaggerated stories 

Luffy stole meat from every plate she could reach. 

Bepo swatted her hand twice before giving up.

Law sat cross-legged near the fire, 

A skewer of meat in one hand

The look on his face 

Could almost be mistaken for… peace.

He wasn’t scowling.

He wasn’t brooding.

He was smiling.

Shachi elbowed Penguin.

 “You seeing this?”

“Like watching a wolf learn how to purr.”

Bepo nodded, chewing slowly. 

“It’s disturbing. But also kind of adorable.”

Luffy flopped down beside Law, 

She held out a stick with a charred piece of boar on the end.

“Eat. I seasoned it.”

Law looked at it with mild suspicion.

 “With what?”

“River salt and jungle herbs.

 And maybe a little mystery fruit.”

“You’re trying to kill me.”

“Nope. If I wanted you dead, 

I’d smother you with affection.”

Law raised an eyebrow, 

Took the meat, and bit it.

He chewed.

Paused.

Chewed again.

“It’s... actually good.”

Luffy leaned closer, grinning wide. 

“I’m full of surprises.”

Bepo said.

“Not full enough to stop stealing everyone else’s food,” 

Luffy held up both hands. 

“My stomach is rubber. 

That’s not stealing.

Just redistributed the load”

Shachi snorted. 

“Sounds like something someone 

From High Town would say about Gray Terminal.”

At that, 

Luffy’s smile dimmed just a hair.

Law noticed.

He asked quietly.

“You still think about that place?” 

Luffy stared into the fire for a moment. 

“Yeah. Every time I eat something warm.”

Law nodded once.

No jokes this time.

Just understanding.

Then Luffy perked back up, 

Grabbing another skewer off the pile 

Dropping it in Law’s lap.

“Here. Eat more. 

Can’t have you getting weak. 

Would ruin your whole mysterious killer aesthetic.”

Law smirked. 

“You talk too much.”

“You smile too little.”

“I smile enough.”

“Barely.”

Luffy leaned closer,

Whispering now, voice low just for him.

“But I like your smile. 

Makes you look human.”

Law turned to her slowly, lips curving just slightly.

“Dangerous words, Mugiwara-ya”

Luffy whispered back, eyes dancing with firelight. 

“I know,” 

“I say them anyway.”

For a long beat, they just looked at each other 

Sitting in the jungle with blood under their nails, 

Laughing like kids who didn’t know 

What monsters could do

Then Penguin threw a fruit core at Luffy.

“Stop hogging the captain.”

Luffy ducked. 

“I’m not hogging! 

I’m courting.”

Shachi choked on his food.

Law took another bite and didn’t deny it.

Bepo just sighed.

“Tomorrow’s going to be weirder, isn’t it?”

Luffy said, grinning at Law, 

“Oh,” 

“You have no idea.”

———-

Days turned into weeks with them staying 

Time on the island lost meaning quickly.

Mornings came with sunlight slanting through jungle 

Luffy was always gone when Law woke up. 

He and Bepo would find her hours later 

Dragging a wild boar behind her, 

Or halfway up a tree throwing rocks at monkeys that had stolen her sandals. 

She’d greet them with a grin and a “You missed breakfast,” 

Tossing half a coconut at Law’s head.

They always hunted lunch and dinner together

Luffy barefoot and bouncing through trees like she had springs in her legs, 

Law moving with surgical precision, cutting throats clean with a flick of his blade. 

She called him “Flashy.” 

He called her “Barefoot Menace.” 

Bepo sparred with her once. Once.

She suplexed him into a mud pit 

Tried to keep him as a “very large talking pillow.”

 Law had to negotiate his release with grilled meat.

Shachi and Penguin adapted quickly

Foosha’s became their daily get away

They brought back gossip, stories, 

More than a few bruises from locals who didn’t like outsiders asking too many questions. 

But no one touched Luffy. 

Not after she slammed a visitor through two crates for insulting Bepo.

Law watched it all. 

Studied her.

And somewhere along the way, 

He stopped pretending she wasn’t under his skin.

—

Weeks turned into nearly two months

The island air had cooled with the changing season.

The jungle remained wild, but the nights carried a bite now.

The stars hung closer, like they were leaning in to listen.

But one night, something was different.

They’d hunted together again, just the two of them. 

A razor-beaked bird that nearly took Luffy’s ear. 

Law had stitched the cut without speaking. 

She didn’t flinch. She never did.

And afterward, 

They watched the moon rise from the cliff edge, 

He turned to her and simply said,

 “Come aboard.”

Luffy blinked. 

“The sub?”

Law nodded once.

She tilted her head, squinting. 

“You never let me inside before.”

“I’m making an exception.”

Luffy grinned. 

“That’s romantic.”

Law rolled his eyes. 

“It’s not.”

“It totally is.”

The Polar Tang was cold, clean, and quiet. 

Compared to the wild heartbeat of the island, 

It felt like stepping into another world. 

Metal corridors echoed with their footsteps.

Luffy walked like she was afraid to touch anything

But not afraid in the way most would be. 

Like she was wandering into Law’s mind.

She whistled. 

“Fancy cave.”

“It’s a medical ship. Not a playground.”

She grinned. 

“Still fancy.”

He led her deeper. 

Past the empty rooms to the one place 

That held everything about him.

His room.

It wasn’t large. 

A single bed, a locked cabinet, a desk that had not been cleaned since their arrival. 

On the far wall, a collection of maps

East Blue among them, with small, precise notations.

Luffy walked in like she owned it. 

Immediately touched the spine of a book, 

Then the edge of the desk, then turned in place.

“So this is your brain,” 

“Kinda tidy. Kinda sad.”

He shut the door behind them.

“You’re not easy to impress.”

“You impressed me the day you tripped on a root 

And tried to pretend it was part of a combat roll.”

“That didn’t happen.”

“Bepo saw it.”

Law sighed and leaned back against the door, 

Arms crossed. 

“I’m regretting this already.”

But he wasn’t. Not even a little.

Luffy flopped backward onto the bed with zero hesitation, 

Hands behind her head, 

“This is nice.”

“Most people don’t say that after entering a room 

Full of medical supplies and books about death.”

“You’re not most people.”

He looked at her.

She wasn’t smiling now—not the wild grin, anyway. 

Just a soft upturn of her lips. 

Her eyes tracked him. 

Not with hunger. 

Not with anything as simple as that.

She asked, not teasing now.

“Why’d you invite me?” 

Law stepped closer. 

“Because I trust you.”

Luffy blinked.

He leaned forward, 

Hands braced on either side of her on the bed

Not touching her, not yet, but close.

He said quietly. 

“You’ve wrecked every part of my routine,” 

“And I still want you around.”

Luffy’s breath caught.

Then she sat up, 

So they were nose to nose.

“You gonna kiss me now, Pretty Eyes?”

He hesitated.

Then, finally, softly 

“Yeah.”

Their mouths met—awkwardly at first. 

She was too fast, he was too cautious. 

Her hands came up, grabbing his collar, 

Dragging him closer, all energy and fire. 

One of his hand slid to her waist, 

Slow and steady, grounding them.

It deepened. 

Not frantic. Not crude. 

Just real.

His thumb brushed the side of her jaw 

As their foreheads pressed together, 

Both of them breathless. 

Luffy laughed softly, her voice a little rasped.

“Told you I’d teach you how.”

Law smirked. 

“You’re a terrible teacher.”

“But you’re a fast learner.”

They kissed again like they were starving.

Like they’d found something neither of them knew they needed until now.

She laid back again, tugging him down beside her

One arm around his middle. 

Her head on his chest.

Law hesitated.

Then relaxed. 

One arm around her, eyes half-closed.

For once, there was no hunt. No test. No banter.

Just two strange, dangerous kids tangled up in something soft.

And the sound of the ship humming quietly beneath them.

He looked at Luffy and knew.

This isn’t temporary.

This is mine.

And Luffy?

Luffy eyes half-lidded, face flushed, 

Grinned into his shirt like she’d won something that couldn’t be named.

She whispered.

“About time,” 

Law only pulled her closer.

———

Back at Camp 

The fire cracked low in the pit

Penguin leaned back on a log eyes half-lidded. 

Shachi lay on his back, hands folded behind his head, 

Humming an off-key sea shanty. 

Bepo sat a little ways off, arms crossed, stared into the fire.

Finally, Penguin broke the silence.

He said, voice low and amused, 

“So,” 

“Are we gonna talk about it 

Or keep pretending they’re just bonding over hunting?”

Shachi snorted. 

“Please. They’re practically glued together..”

Bepo blinked. 

“Luffy is... persistent.”

Shachi muttered. 

“That’s one word for it,” 

“Another is insane. In a charming,

‘probably-going-to-set-us-on-fire’ way.”

Penguin grinned. 

“And Law. 

Man, he tries to act all stoic, 

But have you seen the way he looks at her when she’s not looking?”

Shachi said.

“Like he’s trying to decide if he wants to dissect her or marry her,” 

Bepo tilted his head

. “Maybe both?”

They all paused.

Penguin coughed. 

“...Yikes.”

Shachi sat up, brushing leaves from his shirt. 

“I mean, I get it. 

Luffy’s—what’s the word—magnetic. 

She’s got that wild charisma. 

She could probably convince a sea king to be her pet.”

Penguin said. 

“Exactly,” 

“But she’s also kind of perfect for Law, right? 

He’s all edge and shadows,

She’s just... sunlight with teeth.”

Shachi nodded slowly.

 “Fire and scalpels. Good combo.”

Bepo added, frowning slightly

“Dangerous combo,”

Penguin tilted his head.

 “You worried?”

Bepo admitted. 

“A little,” 

“Luffy doesn’t have limits. And Law has too many.

 I just wonder what happens when they hit that wall.”

Silence again, thoughtful this time.

Shachi rubbed his chin.

 “Well, worst-case scenario, 

We all go down in flames.”

Penguin said.

“Sounds about right,” 

Shachi smiled faintly,

“Yeah, but it’d be one hell of a story.”

Bepo sighed and looked toward the edge of the jungle

“I just hope... whatever’s happening, 

They don’t break each other.”

The other two didn’t laugh this time.

Shachi tossed a stick into the fire

Leaned back with a theatrical sigh. 

“Okay, but seriously. 

You all saw the way Law looked when Luffy climbed into that hammock with him last week, right?”

Penguin nodded solemnly. 

“Like a man who just discovered feelings 

And is personally offended by them.”

Shachi said.

“I’ve seen caught fish less stunned,” 

Bepo blinked.

 “I thought he was in pain.”

Penguin grinned. 

“Oh, he was,” 

“Emotional pain.”

Shachi held up a hand, counting on his fingers. 

“Let’s tally it. 

One: he lets her steal his food. 

Two: he lets her touch his hat.

Three: she calls him ‘Pretty Eyes’ to his face 

And he just... makes that tiny grumpy noise instead of vaporizing her with a glare.”

Penguin added, 

“Don’t forget,” 

“He gave her his blanket last week. Voluntarily.”

Bepo’s ears twitched. 

“He’s... evolving.”

Shachi smirked. 

“Right?” 

“It’s like watching a wild animal slowly become domesticated.

Soon he’ll be purring when she walks into the room.”

Penguin muttered.

“He already does,” 

Bepo blinked. 

“...Does Law purr?”

Shachi cracked up. 

“Metaphor, Bepo. I hope.”

Penguin leaned closer to the fire, serious for a beat. 

“Still, they’re kinda... cute, though.”

Shachi gave a reluctant shrug. 

“Ugh. Yeah. Annoyingly so.”

Penguin said, 

“I mean,” 

“She punches animals and then hands Law snacks with the same bloodied fingers. 

He wipes her face off with that deadpan look like she’s a toddler.”

They all went quiet for a moment, the fire crackling, 

Then Bepo said thoughtfully, 

“They’re both disasters. 

But they look... less lonely, now.”

Shachi and Penguin exchanged a glance. 

The teasing faded a little, but the fondness didn’t.

Shachi said, softer this time. 

“Yeah,” 

“They do.”

Penguin added.

“Cute little warheads,” 

Bepo finished helpfully.

“Wrapped in trauma and attitude,” 

They all cracked up again.

Their laughter echoing in the dark, it was clear:

Yeah. They were cute.

In a terrifying, unpredictable,

Probably-going-to-change-the-world kind of way.

——-

The jungle was soft with morning.

Mist clung to the trees. 

Dew shimmered on every leaf and blade of grass. 

Bepo sat carving a stick.

Shachi and Penguin were arguing over who snored louder

And then, from the trail that led down to the hidden cove, where the Polar Tang hid 

Came quiet footfalls.

Two figures emerged from the green.

Law and Luffy.

Luffy had her hat slightly tilted on her head, 

She was wearing something — Law’s hoodie. 

Law, as usual, looked composed. 

Sword learning on his shoulder and silent.

But the moment the crew saw them, 

Something unspeakable passed through the camp.

A grin bloomed across Shachi’s face.

“Ohhhhhh no.”

Penguin smacked Bepo’s arm. 

“Pay up. They’re walking way too close.”

Bepo sighed and pulled out a small pouch of coins.

Luffy blinked. 

“Wait, what’re you guys betting on?”

Shachi said with zero shame. 

“Whether or not you and our dear emotionally-repressed captain 

Were off making googly eyes all night,” 

Luffy opened her mouth to laugh it off 

But then she glanced at Law beside her.

And she blushed.

A quick flicker of pink at the tops of his cheeks turning red.

It was like watching a wildfire pause.

Shachi's jaw dropped.

“Holy shit, she's blushing

She’s actually blushing!”

Penguin pointed. 

“I didn’t even think she could!”

Luffy turned away, waving her arms. 

“Shut up! I’m not! 

I just—It’s hot, okay?! 

It’s warm out here!”

Bepo snorted.

 “It’s morning. The jungle’s cold.”

“I run hot!”

Law stood just behind Luffy, unmoved.

But inside?

That look.

That flash of color on Luffy’s cheeks did something to him.

It landed in the center of his chest like a precise incision

He enjoyed that look.

He loved being the reason for it.

That raw vulnerability in someone who normally burned like the sun.

That brief flicker of shyness in someone who charged without blinking.

Law didn’t show it. He never did. 

But his fingers curled slightly in his sleeve.

He said quietly.

“I didn’t take you for the bashful type,” 

Luffy glared at him. 

“I’m not bashful! They’re just—!” 

She gestured wildly at the crew, 

Who were now laughing too loud with tears in their eyes 

Shachi sang.

“Flushed and flustered,” 

Luffy groaned and dropped straight to the ground, 

Flopping onto her back like she’d been shot.

“Leave me here. I’m dying.

 Tell Ace I went down with honor.”

Law crouched beside her, voice low.

“If this is dying, 

You’re dying very adorably.”

Luffy froze.

Then squeaked.

An actual, audible squeak.

Law stood, contently with a smile on his face

Walked to the fire, ignoring the stunned silence behind him.

Shachi blinked. 

“...Did Law just—did he—flirt?”

Bepo said with resignation.

“He did,” 

Penguin leaned down toward Luffy, 

Who was still flat on the dirt, arms over her face.

“Damn, Straw Hat. 

You’re doomed.”

Luffy groaned.

Law sat down beside the fire, reached for the kettle, 

Poured himself a cup of morning brew.

When he looked back toward Luffy, 

His eyes softened just slightly.

He finally got an answer he didn’t know he’d needed:

I think this is what I needed.

——

Time, on Dawn Island, blurred into a feral rhythm.

Two months became three.

The Polar Tang became a second home for Luffy. 

She still still refused rules

Some nights, he’d find her in the sub’s medical bay, 

Sitting cross-legged on a gurney, 

Reading upside down from his anatomy books 

Asking things like, 

“So if you stab a heart from the bottom, 

Does it feel different?”

He pretended to be annoyed.

He was not.

He shared with her his story.

White city, his parents and sister.

How he survived under bodies

Doflamingo and Cora

How he found the three and cured himself

Back in the jungle, 

They hunted more fluidly

Silent signals, shared glances, 

Laughter that echoed off the trees like war cries. 

Luffy would leap from branches, grinning and screaming, 

“I got him!” 

As she tackled some jungle beast twice her size. 

Law would appear a heartbeat later, blade flashing, voice low:

“Next time, wait.”

She never did.

She also never stopped flirting.

Once while watching him stitch up Shachi’s arm. 

“Nice hands,” 

“Bet you’re good with them.”

Law’s hand did twitch.

Another time:

 “You keep staring at me like I’m a puzzle.

 Am I the fun kind or the dangerous kind?”

Law muttered.

“You’re the headache kind,” 

“With extra chaos.”

She grinned. 

“Admit it—you like that.”

He didn’t admit it. Not out loud.

But he did start flirting back.

Quietly. Sharply.

He’d say, voice low, 

Reaching to brush it off with his thumb.

“You’ve got blood on your lip,” 

She’d tease, leaning into his space.

“Gonna kiss it off next time?” 

He’d reply, not blinking. 

“Depends,” 

“Do you ever shut up long enough?”

She never did. 

And he didn’t seem to mind.

——

They were getting stronger, too.

Luffy’s punches hit harder now. 

Her control over her instincts had sharpened, 

Though she still had a habit of biting wild animals 

That mad her mad.

Law refined his techniques, 

Often dragging her into training bouts on the cliff edge. 

They traded blows like they traded words

Sharp, relentless, intimate.

One day during a spar

She grinned mid punch.

“Stop watching my hips,” 

He snapped, though his ears were red.

“You telegraph your kicks,” 

“Bet I telegraph kisses too.”

“You don’t.”

They laughed and sparred harder after that.

—

Luffy had become a permanent fixture in Law’s quarters.

At first, it had been casual: 

A nap here, a shared tea there, the occasional cuddle 

Now, months later, 

There was no pretending.

She lived there — without ever claiming it. 

A hat always tossed somewhere on Law’s desk. 

A second cup of tea poured automatically. 

One night in month four

Luffy lay curled against Law’s chest, 

Tucked under his arm 

 She was quieter than normal. 

No teasing, no jabs. 

Her fingers weren’t twitching like they did 

When she was bored or planning something. 

She was still.

Law noticed.

He murmured

“Something’s wrong,”

Luffy didn’t answer right away.

Instead, she shifted just slightly, 

The curve of her brow was tense. 

Her mouth pulled down, 

Like she was holding something in too hard.

When she finally spoke, 

Her voice was almost too soft.

“Don’t forget me when you leave again.”

Law blinked.

Her words weren’t playful. 

They weren’t loud or dramatic. 

They came out hollow.

 Fragile. 

Like she'd dug them out of somewhere deep 

Didn’t like the shape they made in the air.

She didn’t look at him.

She kept her face hidden

Like if she looked at him, 

The truth of it would shatter her.

“Mugiw—”

She cut in quickly, too quickly.

“I know,” 

“I know you’ve got your path. 

I’ve got mine. 

I’m not stupid. 

We’re gonna leave eventually. 

Go out there. Make names. 

Change things. Burn things. 

I just...”

She finally turned her face, just slightly, 

Enough for him to see it.

Her eyes were wet.

Luffy. 

The wild girl who wrestled crocodiles and laughed when things exploded. 

Who called him Pretty Eyes like it was a threat and a promise.

She was crying.

She whispered. 

“I don’t wanna vanish,” 

“Don’t want it to be some thing we both forget happened.

Some footnote in a story we tell later.”

Law stared at her, 

Unable to speak for a moment.

Her voice cracked.

 “What if we don’t see each other again?”

He exhaled slowly, reached up, 

Gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. 

She didn’t flinch. 

Just kept her eyes locked on his, 

Like the answer lived in his silence.

He asked softly.

“You think I could forget you?” 

She didn’t answer with words but nodded.

So he added, 

“You’ve invaded every part of my life. 

My routine. My ship. My head. 

There’s no forgetting that.”

Her lower lip trembled.

 “You’ll meet cooler people. 

Smarter ones. 

You’re gonna be a big deal.”

“So will you,” 

“You’re gonna tear the world apart and laugh while it falls.”

She let out a choked breath 

That was halfway between a laugh and a sob.

Law tightened his arm around her, 

Pulling her close again, 

Resting his chin on the top of her head.

He said quietly. 

“I’ll find you,” 

“We will meet on the sea again.”

“You promise?”

He kissed her head and murmured.

“I don’t make promises,” 

“But I’ll do it.”

Luffy clutched his shirt tighter.

Neither of them said anything after that.

In the dark, they stayed curled around each other

Two kids on the edge of the sea, 

Afraid of a future that didn’t have the other in it.

But for now, they had this. 

The quiet. The warmth. The moment.

Luffy, who never stayed still, 

Law, who never let anyone in, 

That was enough.

For now.

———

The days after that night felt different.

Not in some dramatic, sky-cracking kind of way.

The jungle was still wild. 

But between Luffy and Law, something had shifted. 

Just a hair. 

Just enough for the others to feel the change.

Law didn’t say anything about that night. 

Neither did Luffy. 

But it lived between them

In their glances, in how close they sat now, 

In how he stopped pretending he wasn’t watching her every move.

And how, more than anything

He stopped pulling away.

The first time Penguin saw it

Law had slung an arm over Luffy’s shoulders 

As they walked back from the cliffs, 

Her hair a mess of leaves and scratches, 

His voice low as he told some story 

Penguin blinked. 

“Uh... since when do you touch people?”

Law stared at him flatly.

Luffy, without missing a beat, 

Leaned into Law’s side and chirped, 

“Since he learned I was irresistible.”

Law didn’t argue.

He didn’t let go either.

The second time, it was during a spar. 

Luffy was bouncing on her toes, 

Sweat dripping down her back, fists raised. 

Law had just disarmed her with a sweep of his leg 

Caught her before she fell

Instead of stepping back like usual, 

He held her there

His hand firm on her waist, his eyes locked on hers.

Neither moved.

She asked, voice breathless but amused.

“You gonna let me up?” 

Law didn’t blink. 

“Still deciding.”

She grinned. 

“I don’t mind losing to you.”

“Stop saying things like that.”

Her grin widened.

“Why?” 

“It makes your ears red.”

Shachi and Bepo groaned in mock unison 

From the sidelines. 

“Get a room!”

Law tossed a pebble at them. 

He missed. 

Luffy cackled and kissed his jaw as payback.

In the evenings, when the jungle cooled

Law started seeking her out first.

He didn’t say “come with me.” 

He just looked, 

Luffy would fall into step beside him 

Like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

They’d sit by the fire, knees pressed together. 

Luffy would steal food off his plate. 

Law would swat her hand—gently.

She’d lean on his shoulder. 

Sometimes, he let his head rest against hers. 

Bepo pretended not to notice. 

Shachi kept a mental tally. 

Penguin made bets.

It became routine.

Affection, for Law, was quiet. 

A hand on her back as she climbed aboard the sub. 

A blanket tucked around her shoulders 

Patching her wounds first, 

Even if the others was bleeding harder.

And Luffy, in her own way, reciprocated.

She stopped tackling him mid-sentence. (Mostly.)

She held his hand a little longer after tugging him into trouble.

Smiled softer at him

——-

A calm night in month five

 A breeze rustled through the trees, 

The fire crackled gently, 

The jungle pulsed quietly around it all.

Shachi was sprawled on his back, 

Chewing a dried meat stick. 

Penguin sat cross-legged, 

Sketching something in the dirt with a stick 

Bepo sat leaning against a tree

Watching the fire

Penguin began, voice entirely too casual, 

“So, are we all just gonna pretend that” 

He jerked his thumb toward the jungle trail, 

“isn’t a full-blown relationship now?”

Shachi snorted.

 “They cuddle like it’s a competitive sport.”

Penguin added. 

“They synchronize sighs,” 

“Who does that?”

Shachi said.

“They have secret cliff spots and inside jokes,” 

“And Law smiles. Voluntarily.”

Bepo added, solemn. 

“I’ve seen it,” 

“It’s... unsettling.”

There was a moment of silence, 

They were all collectively mourning the death 

Of their cold, emotionally unavailable captain.

Penguin sighed. 

“Remember when Law used to only touch people to stab them?” 

“Simpler times.”

Shachi nodded. 

“Yeah,” 

“Now he’s out here brushing dirt off Luffy’s cheeks 

And fixing her hair like he’s her mom.”

Penguin said, scandalized. 

“And she lets him,” 

“Luffy! 

The girl who once bit a boar because it looked at her funny.”

Bepo, ever the voice of reason

“They make each other softer. 

That’s not bad.”

Shachi said, waving a hand. 

“No, no,”

 “We’re not against it. 

It’s just... weird. 

In a ‘my grumpy older brother found a girlfriend who can take down a bear’ kind of way.”

Bepo added, hesitantly

“I don’t think they’re officially a ‘couple,’ though,” 

Penguin stared. 

“Bepo. 

She’s slept in his bed five nights in a row. 

She wears his shirt now.”

Shachi said, eyes wide.  

“She calls him ‘Pretty Boy’ and he lets her”

“That’s commitment.”

Penguin said flatly.

“They share food,” 

Bepo said, looking alarmed.

“They do not share food,” 

Shachi said.

“They do even when it’s each other’s mouths,” 

Bepo looked betrayed.

They all paused as they heard rustling in the trees. 

A pair of shadows passed by the edge of camp

Luffy’s laugh, sharp and bright, 

Followed by Law’s quieter voice

She shoved his arm. 

He didn’t shove back. 

Instead, he grabbed her and tucked her under his arm.

Penguin whispered.

“See?” 

“Gross.”

Shachi corrected. 

“Cute,” 

“But gross.”

Bepo said softly.

“They’re gonna break each other’s hearts someday,” 

Penguin glanced at him.

 “You think so?”

“Maybe. 

Or maybe they’ll burn the world down together.”

The three of them sat in silence a while longer, 

Listening to the jungle, watching the fire flicker.

Then Shachi said, 

“I give it a few more days 

Before we catch them kissing on top of the sub.”

Penguin said without looking up.

“Already happened,” 

Bepo blinked.

 “Wait, what?”

Penguin said smugly. 

“Yup,” 

“Last week. Just before dawn. 

I was doing maintenance. 

They didn’t see me. 

Full-on dramatic kiss with hand-on-face and everything.”

Shachi hissed.

“Why didn’t you say anything?!” 

Penguin shot back. 

“I was traumatized!” 

“Law was smiling. With his teeth. 

I didn’t know if it was love or planning murder.”

Bepo said quietly.

“Both,” 

Shachi agreed.

“Probably,” 

They all leaned back, watching the sparks drift upward into the night.

And even if they teased and joked and gossiped, 

There always some warm beneath it all. 

A strange kind of peace, seeing their captain

A stoic, wounded, sharp-edged Law

Find someone who met his chaos with her own.

They might be a mess.

But they were their mess.

And honestly?

They were kind of rooting for them.

———

Nearing the end of month six

The jungle was quiet that morning. 

Unnaturally so.

No wild boar screeches. 

No monkeys throwing fruit. 

The Polar Tang was prepped. 

Supplies packed. 

Engines purring low 

Ready to go in the nearby cove.

Law stood at the shoreline with 

The brim of his hat shadowing his eyes.

Luffy came slowly from the path

Her straw hat tilted back, hair wild from the wind. 

She stopped a few feet from him. 

They didn’t speak for a long moment.

Then she said, soft and stubborn, 

“You’re really going.”

Law nodded once.

She looked down at her feet. 

“I knew you would. 

Just… didn’t think it’d feel this weird.”

He took a step closer.

 “You’ll be leaving soon too.”

She didn’t sound excited. 

“Yeah.” 

“Whole sea out there. 

Gotta become the King of the Pirates”

“Gotta make a name before Ace makes me look like an amateur.”

A pause.

Then Law, voice low:

 “You’ll do more than that.”

Luffy looked up. 

Her eyes were bright. 

Just full of something raw.

She said, almost teasing, 

But her voice cracked halfway through. 

“What if I forget your face?” 

“You’ve got one of those faces, y’know.

 Like it disappears into shadows.”

Law said. 

“You won’t,”

 “Because I’ll never forget yours”

Luffy’s breath caught.

She stared at him. Blinked once. 

Then, without a word, 

She’s pulled a little bundle from her pocket

Pressed it into his hand.

He opened it.

Inside was a tiny, hand-carved wooden charm. 

Painted red with berries

She shrugged. 

“It’s not pretty.”

Law stared at it.

She added.

“It’s ugly,” 

“But I made it. 

So you can’t forget me, even when you try.”

He closed his fingers around it and said softly.

“I wouldn’t dare,” 

Then she stepped in and wrapped her arms around him.

Hard.

Not some gentle, shy farewell. 

A Luffy hug—tight and full of everything

She didn’t say out loud. 

Her face pressed against his collar, 

He held her back.

Just the beat of hearts that had found a rhythm

Were about to separate for a while

At the edge of the cliff

Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo were waiting uneven smiles.

Luffy came straight to them, 

Eyes wet but stubbornly proud.

She hugged Penguin first.

“Don’t let him fall asleep working again 

Or he’ll turn into a corpse.”

Penguin muttered,

 “Can’t promise that,” 

Then Shachi.

“Feed him real food. 

Don't let him survive on coffee alone.”

Shachi grinned, voice thick.

“You got it, Boss,” 

Then Bepo.

“Take care of him,” 

“Even if he pretends he doesn’t need it.”

Bepo hugged her tight. 

“We’ll look after him. I swear.”

She pulled back, 

Giving all three of them a serious look

“Swear it again.”

They all smiled but all had glossy eyes.

“We promise”

Law pulled her in to one final kiss and hug

He murmured.

“I’ll find you again,” 

She’s bit her lip and choked out

“Better,”

Then she shoved her hat down low and turned.

The jungle swallowed her up.

And the Polar Tang sank beneath the waves.

Chapter Text

THREE YEARS LATER

The Polar Tang sailed through the Grand Line now

Law’s crew had grown. Over ten strong now

Each member is loyal, dangerous, loud in their own way. 

The galley had become the unofficial heart of the ship

Where food, gossip, bickering, and chaos reigned. 

This morning was loud.

Spoons clattered, people playing cards, 

Two newer recruits argued over who ate the last of the spicy rice balls, 

Penguin was mock-threatening to stab someone with a fork 

The door slammed open.

Clione

One of the newer recruits, young, fast-talking, 

Obsessed with bounty posters

Rushed in, waving a crumpled newspaper like it was on fire.

“CAPTAIN— you need to see THIS!”

Law, seated at the end of the table with his tea, 

Didn’t flinch. 

He didn’t even glance up.

Voice calm as always.

“I don’t read garbage,” 

He slapped it down on the table, 

“No, no, no—you want to read this one.” 

“New blood. Real upstart. 

Took down Arlong. 

Arlong.”

The name alone made some heads turn.

But Law’s eyes didn’t move from his cup

Until Clione jabbed the picture closer to him

Then he looked.

And the cup didn’t quite make it back to the saucer.

 It stayed in his hand, suspended mid-air.

There she was.

The headline screamed:

"Rookie Captain MONKEY D. LUFFY Defeats Arlong

New Pirate with 30,000,000 Bounty!"

Law stared.

His face didn’t change. 

But something inside him had just stopped 

And was waiting to remember how to start again.

Across the table,

 Penguin looked up from his food, froze.

Shachi’s grin slowly dropped into something unreadable.

Bepo straightened slowly, 

Eyes already tracking Law’s expression.

Clione kept talking.

 “She’s nuts! 

No crew to speak of, just a handful of weirdos

Some swordsman, a navigator, not even a proper ship. 

But she’s got a bounty, man. 

Straight out the gate. 

You gotta respect that. 

Look at that face

Who smiles like that after flattening a fishman warlord?”

Law finally set the cup down.

He picked up the newspaper and stared at it in silence. 

Her name. Her face. 

That impossible fire behind her eyes.

Penguin leaned over toward Shachi and whispered, 

“Knew she’d come out swinging”

Shachi exhaled slowly. 

“I was wondering when this day would come.”

Bepo folded his paws in his lap. 

“Captain?”

Law said nothing.

He didn’t move.

He just stared.

Like the paper had punched him in the gut harder than any Marine ever could.

He stared at the paper for another few seconds

Then, with a slow, controlled motion, 

He folded it once. 

Then again. 

Not the whole paper.

Just her bounty poster.

Clione scratched the back of his neck, confused. 

“Uh... Captain? 

You good?”

Law didn’t look up.

Didn’t answer.

He slipped the folded paper into the inner pocket of his coat.

Pressed it there, just over his heart. 

The motion was subtle, but Bepo caught it. 

So did Penguin and Shachi.

Penguin leaned back, arms crossed. 

“Damn. I was wondering if she was still alive.”

Bepo said softly. 

“She’s not just alive,” 

“She’s becoming something big.”

Clione blinked between them. 

“Wait, wait. You know her?”

Penguin said with a wave. 

“Don’t worry about it,” 

Shachi smirked. 

“You ever see Law act like an actual human being? 

Laugh? 

Smile without plotting murder?”

Clione narrowed his eyes. 

“...No?”

Shachi nodded toward the door 

Law had just walked through. 

“Yeah,” 

“That’s because she used to be around.”

Clione stood stunned . 

“That Strawhat chick?”

Bepo corrected quietly.

“Luffy,” 

“Her name is Luffy.”

And that was the end of it.

No teasing. No jokes. 

No poking the wound.

The door clicked shut behind him.

Law stood still for a moment, just inside his cabin. 

But his heartbeat was pounding.

He reached into his coat, pulled out the folded bounty

Opened it again.

There she was.

Wild as ever,

With a grin that had cracked something open in him three years ago and never let him sewn shut again.

Her name printed bold beneath the image.

Monkey D. Luffy.

He sat down on the edge of his bunk, 

Elbows on his knees, bounty held loose in one hand. 

Stared at her like she might speak through the ink.

He murmured.

“Thirty million,” 

“You’re finally starting.”

He ran his thumb along the edge of the paper. 

The wooden charm she’d given him

Was still in the drawer by his bed. 

He hadn’t touched it in months.

 Not because he’d forgotten.

Because he hadn’t.

He leaned back slowly, paper still in hand, eyes half-closed.

He remembered her dragging him through jungle vines to chase lightning bugs .

Her stealing his food with a grin and calling him "Pretty Eyes" just to watch his ears turn red.

Her voice—shaky and hollow—asking, 

“Don’t forget me when you leave.”

He hadn’t.

He couldn’t.

He murmured, voice quiet 

“There you are beautiful girl,” 

“Of course you're making waves already.”

He didn’t smile.

But he didn’t frown either.

He just sat there with the paper in his hand, 

The weight of her name in his chest, 

And the quiet, impossible ache of something unfinished.

——

The stars hung low over the Alabasta desert, 

The dunes glowing silver in the moonlight. 

The Straw Hat crew had made camp in a small, wind-carved canyon

Most of the crew had drifted off or were chatting in low voices nearby.

But Ace and Luffy had walked away, out of earshot, 

Boots and sandals crunching quietly on the sand.

Ace slung an arm over her shoulders 

The easy familiarity of an older brother 

Who’d always known 

She was made of sunfire and punchlines. 

Grinning at her sideways

“So, which one of your crew do I need to threaten first?”

Luffy blinked, 

“For what?”

Ace snorted. 

“Please. You think I can’t tell? 

It’s Zoro, isn’t it? Or that cook. 

What’s his name—Sanji? 

He’d cry if I punched him.”

Luffy groaned, dragging her hat low over her eyes. 

“Aaaace—”

He laughed louder, hands behind his head now. 

“Don’t ‘Ace’ me. C’mon. 

Captain to captain. Sister to brother. 

Spill it.”

Luffy groaned and buried her face in her hands. 

“Aaaaace, nooo—”

Ace grinned wider, delighted. 

“So which one is it? 

The sword guy? The cook? 

Sanji’s the type who’d cry during the vows. 

You’d say ‘I do,’ and he’d sob until the reception!”

She blurted, red-faced, 

Yanking her hat down over her eyes. 

“It’s not either of them!” 

“Ugh, you’re the worst!”

Ace cackled. 

“Wait, seriously? 

So there is someone?”

Luffy hesitated.

Ace raised a brow. 

“Oh-ho. There is. 

Spill it.”

She shifted in the sand, suddenly shy, 

Shoulders hunched like she was bracing for a storm. 

“It’s someone you don’t know.”

Ace blinked. 

“Try me.”

She chewed her lip for a moment, 

Then mumbled, 

“His name’s Law.”

Ace tilted his head.

 “Law?”

She said, a little louder this time. 

“Trafalgar Law,” 

“He’s a captain too. 

A little older than me. 

Grumpy. Smart. 

Really good at glaring.”

Ace blinked again, clearly drawing a blank.

 “Never heard of him.”

Luffy gave a quiet laugh 

“He’s from the North Blue. 

He and his crew came to Dawn after you left.”

Ace straightened slightly. 

“What? 

They came there?”

Her voice was soft now, full of memory. 

“Yeah.” 

“When I was fourteen. 

They stole a submarine.”

Ace looked faintly horrified. 

“You fought them, didn’t you.”

Luffy grinned a little. 

“Beat up a crocodile right in front of them. 

Law looked at me like I was a bug that grew a second head.”

Ace blinked, then started snickering. 

“Oh my god. 

That’s the most you thing I’ve ever heard.”

Luffy’s smile turned wistful. 

“Law, and his crew—Penguin, Shachi,

And Bepo whose a polar bear.”

“I’m sorry—what?”

She waved her hand like that explained everything. 

“A talking polar bear. He’s really polite. Loves tea.” 

“Anyway, we trained and hunted together. 

I taught them how to roast jungle croc. 

Law stitched me up when I fell out of a tree trying to catch a monkey with my teeth.”

Ace clutched his sides, wheezing. 

“Oh my god. 

This guy kissed you after that?”

Luffy blushed fiercely. 

“Shut up!”

Ace’s mouth fell open.

 “Wait. Wait. 

You kissed him?!”

She nodded, 

Arms wrapped around herself now. 

“Yeah.”

He was stunned for a second. 

Genuinely stunned. 

“You... you’ve had your first kiss and it wasn’t Sanji? 

I had money riding on Sanji!”

Luffy smacked him in the arm, face still red.

Ace held up both hands, laughing. 

“Alright, alright!” 

“Damn. I wasn’t ready for this. 

My baby sister kissed a guy. 

My heart—my poor, sweet heart” 

He threw himself dramatically onto the sand like he’d been fatally wounded.

Luffy snorted. 

“You’re so extra.”

He sat back up, grinning again, though softer now. 

“So. This Law guy. 

What happened?”

She paused, staring out at the stars.

 “They left after six months. 

We both had our own adventures”

Ace nodded slowly.

 “And you still think about him?”

“I do,” 

“Every time we dock somewhere. 

Maybe hoping to see at least a bounty poster”

Ace’s face had shifted

Still smiling, but quiet now

A little misty in the eyes.

Luffy looked over at him.

 “You okay?”

He reached out and ruffled her hair 

“Yeah. 

Just… you’re not a kid anymore. 

You’ve grown up. 

It’s weird. 

Kinda cool. Kinda terrifying.”

Luffy smiled shyly. 

“Still me, though.”

Ace said, smiling back.

“Yeah,” 

“Still you. Still feral, still fire. 

But with a guy in your heart and a crew at your back.

 Damn, Lu. I’m proud of you.”

She blinked.

 “You are?”

He slung his arm around her shoulders again 

Pulled her into a loose hug.

“Of course I am.” 

“You found something real, huh?”

“Maybe.”

Ace sighed dramatically. 

“Guess I’ll have to track down this Trafalgar Whatever 

Make sure he’s not secretly an old man or a creep.”

“He’s not!”

Ace wheezed, clutching his chest again.

They sat together like that for a while. 

Laughing, nudging, teasing. 

Just two siblings catching up under a sky full of stars, 

He eventually looked at her

 “You’ve got a good thing here. 

But when that Law guy shows up again? 

You tell him I said this”

He grinned.

“He breaks your heart, I’m melting his sub.”

Luffy grinned back.

 “Deal.”

———

A few weeks later

The galley of the Polar Tang was packed 

Noise rattling off the steel walls, 

Laughter bouncing like stray cannon fire.

Lunch had turned into spectacle.

Bounties slapped to tabletops, 

“Three hundred million!”

“Three hundred?!”

“Captain, you seeing this? 

That Straw Hat rookie’s not a rookie anymore!”

Someone tossed the updated bounty poster across the table. 

It skidded to a stop near Law’s cup of tea.

MONKEY D. LUFFY
Straw Hat
Bounty: 300,000,000
Crime: Declaring war on the World Government
Status: Extremely Dangerous

The photo was new.

A sharper image than before.

The grin hadn’t changed.

Not a bit.

Law’s fingers curled around his teacup.

"This girl’s a menace!"

“Enies Lobby, man. 

She broke the gates! 

How the hell do you even do that?!”

One of the recruits laughed and waved the poster like a flag.

“I’m putting this above my bunk. 

This girls my new religion.”

More posters flew across the table. 

Zoro’s new bounty. Robin’s re-issued one. 

Sketches of Sanji that looked nothing like him. 

The crew howled with glee.

Penguin smirked around a bite of bread. 

“She always was trouble.”

Shachi leaned back in his chair, 

Arms crossed

“Told you she’d burn bright.”

Bepo didn’t speak.

Just glanced, once, to the head of the table.

Where Law hadn’t moved.

One of the recruits laughed.

“This kid's insane!” 

Another slammed Zoro’s poster down. 

“This one’s worse. 

He looks like he’ll kill you and nap on your corpse.”

“Nah, look at this guy—what even is this?! 

That can’t be a real drawing of their cook!”

More laughter. 

Bounty posters were passed around like trading cards.

One newbie flipped the Straw Hat's poster over 

And whistled. 

“Think she’s got a death wish 

Or just likes causing chaos?”

“Both.”

Penguin, sitting with arms folded, 

Was quietly grinning.

Shachi had his chin propped on one hand, 

Eyes flicking to Law like he was watching a lit fuse.

Bepo sipped his tea in silence.

And Law, face unreadable, 

Stared at the photo like it had physically punched him in the chest.

The crew kept talking.

“Captain, you hearing this? 

She’s wild, huh? 

You ever cross paths with this Straw Hat girl?”

Law didn’t answer.

Because inside?

His brain was screaming.

God, she looks good.

She got hotter.

That’s not fair.

She’s stronger now. Bolder.

She still grins like she owns every damn ocean.

Law shifted in his seat, 

Fingers curling into the edge of the table.

His heartbeat was crawling up his throat. 

His face stayed neutral.

They didn’t know.

None of them knew besides the original four.

Someone nearby laughed again. 

“What I wouldn’t give to see those Straw Hats in action.

 I bet that Luffy girl fights like a lunatic.”

Law’s jaw twitched.

You have no idea.

His eyes were locked on that face.

That wild, unbreakable grin.

A slow, aching breath left him.

His chest was a tide crashing into ribs.

Pride. Fear. Relief.

Love so sharp it hurt to hold.

Luffy wasn’t just alive.

She was blazing.

The crew kept laughing.

Jokes flew.

“What do you think, Captain? 

Should we challenge them next?”

He reached for the poster.

Took it in his hand.

Traced one finger along the edge of the photo.

Penguin, trying not to grin like a bastard.

Shachi, glancing at him with knowing eyes 

Nudging Bepo, who blinked and nodded.

They said nothing.

Because they remembered.

Law’s face every time he looked at her

Like she was the stars in the sky

Law finally muttered 

Far too quiet for the newer crew to hear, 

But just loud enough for the ones who mattered:

“That’s so attractive”

Penguin bit his knuckle.

Shachi choked on his water.

Bepo blinked, then softly said, 

“Do you need a moment?”

Law rolled the poster and stood, tucking it into his coat.

He left his tea untouched.

As he reached the door, 

Then he walked out.

————-

The Human Auction house was annoying

The room was bright.

The air smelled of perfume, sweat, and old money. 

Rows of nobles in silk and arrogance lounged in velvet chairs, casually sipping wine 

While slaves were marched in one by one.

Law sat near the center row, 

Flanked by Bepo on one side

Penguin and Shachi on the other. 

Their expressions were unreadable.

The auctioneer droned on, his voice oily and proud.

“—and next, ladies and gentlemen, our centerpiece: 

A genuine mermaid, rescued from the depths of the Grand Line! 

Trained, untouched, perfect for display—”

Law didn’t look at the stage anymore.

His fingers tapped slowly on his armrest. 

His eyes scanned the crowd, bored. 

This wasn’t why they were here. 

They were here for information

.

Then the doors near the front creaked open.

Law’s gaze flicked down lazily.

And stopped.

A group entered

Two large creatures

A man with blue hair wearing a speedo

A blond guy in a suit

A woman with orange hair and eyes full of calculation.

Strawhats.

Her crew.

Penguin murmured.

“Speak of the devil…” 

Shachi leaned forward, grinning.

 “They’re really here. Damn.”

Bepo smiled faintly. 

“They look strong.”

Law said nothing.

His gaze tracked the newcomers, 

Scanning every face—every face but hers. 

Luffy wasn’t with them.

He drew his eyebrows as they started bidding on the mermaid

And then, chaos answered like a bell toll.

BOOM

The ceiling exploded.

A flying fish crashed through the roof, 

Raining debris while dust filled the room. 

Nobles screamed and fled.

And then—

There.

Straw hat. Wild eyes. 

Grin like the sun rising behind a storm.

Luffy, older now. 

Her face leaner, jaw sharper

Her straw hat tilted slightly 

Her sandals kicked chunks of debris across the floor 

As she stood tall in the dust.

Law’s breath caught.

Not visibly. Not obviously.

The rhythm of his heart stuttered.

Her fishman friend was shot 

And then without hesitation

She punched a Celestial Dragon square in the face.

CRACK.

The man went flying.

The room froze.

So did Law.

He didn’t speak.

He didn’t move.

But his mouth quirked, just slightly.

Shachi snorted. 

“She just decked a world noble.”

Penguin was giggling slightly. 

“She didn’t even hesitate.”

Bepo whispered, 

“Same girl.”

Law’s eyes didn’t leave her. 

Not for a second. 

Not as nobles panicked and dove for the exits.

She stood there daring the world to fight her.

That same grin. That same fire.

Stronger now. More dangerous. 

And she hadn’t seen him yet.

She didn’t even know he was there.

But Law?

He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Not then. Not now. Not ever.

The auction house was in chaos. 

Nobles screamed. 

The fallen Celestial Dragon lay crumpled in the corner 

The Strawhats were working defensively

More falling from the ceiling taking down two more nobles.

Their weapons drawn, eyes sharp.

Luffy stood at the center of the destruction, 

Panting lightly from the surge of everything.

The Strawhats were regrouping to free their friend

That’s when a voice cut clean through the air.

“The Navy’s had this place surrounded since the auction began... Mugiwara-ya.”

The sound slammed into her 

Luffy’s heart leapt in her chest. 

Her head snapped toward the source.

And there he was flanked by his crew.

Trafalgar Law.

Older now. 

His face sharper, his posture colder. 

New tattoos along his fingers. 

His eyes were locked on her.

The world fell away for a moment.

Luffy stared.

Her chest burned with the weight 

His voice still echoing in her bones.

“Mugiwara-ya.”

Robin stepped forward beside her, 

Brow furrowed, calm despite the whirlwind. 

Her voice was as analytical as ever.

“That is Trafalgar Law. The Surgeon of Death. 

Captain of the Heart Pirates.”

She gestured further behind by the door

“And that’s Eustass Captain Kid. 

Another rising pirate with a bounty near yours, Luffy.”

Luffy didn’t answer.

Because her eyes were still locked with Law’s.

Everything else; the stage, the Marines, the chaos

Had blurred into static.

And somewhere in her chest, something cracked.

He’s actually here in Sabaody.

The tension in the air was unbearable. 

The rest of her crew still fighting to free the mermaid

But then,

A figure stepped from the back with calm energy

That cut through panic like a blade through paper.

Silvers Rayleigh.

He raised a hand toward the mermaid girl on stage, 

Who was trembling beneath her chains, eyes wide with fear.

A flick of his finger.

CLANG.

The collar around her neck popped free

The room froze.

Rayleigh turned with a smile.

 “Well then. I think this auction is officially over.”

And in that perfect beat of stillness

Luffy moved.

She ran.

Straight across the floor, 

Past the debris, the shattered seats

Straight toward Law 

His eyes didn’t leave her. 

He saw the moment she burst forward. 

Didn’t flinch.

And when she hit him

Arms around his middle, face pressed into his coat

He staggered back half a step.

Then, slowly, one arm came around her shoulder.

Then the other around her waist

A full, silent embrace.

Trafalgar Law 

The Surgeon of Death

Hugged her back like she was the only thing that mattered.

Zoro’s hand tightened on his sword hilt. 

“What the hell is she doing?” 

Nami gasped.

“She’s running at him!” 

Robin tilted her head, serene.

 “Interesting... they’ve met.”

Sanji hissed, one eye twitching. 

“Met?!” 

“...What the hell is this?”

Usopp whispered in horror.

“She’s hugging him,” 

Chopper blinked in confusion .

“Who is he?” 

Robin watched, lips slightly curved.

 “That is Trafalgar Law. 

Captain of the Heart Pirates.”

Brook crossed his arms.

 “Why do I feel like 

That’s not the first time they’ve hugged like that?”

Luffy grinned up at him, breathless.

 “Still cold and broody.”

Law’s mouth twitched. 

“Still chaotic and loud.”

Her grin widened.

 “Bet I can take out more Marines than you.”

“Doubt it.”

“You wanna test that, Pretty Eyes?”

Law tilted his head.

 “You’re on.”

They ran out the front of the building with Eustass Kid

Law drew his blade, one hand raised lazily.

Luffy cracked her knuckles.

They moved like no time passed at all between them.

Watched each other backs, 

Sharing looks and amusement with every marine down

Side by side, chaos incarnate and calm destruction.

The battle thundered on.

Then just a flicker, just a breath 

There was a break in the marine lines. 

Luffy turned, blood on her cheek, 

Laughter in her breath

“Looks like this is the split point.”

Law nodded once. 

His face unreadable.

Before she could bolt

He reached out and pulled her into a hard hug.

Murmured into her hair.

“See you on the other side” 

She hugged back just as hard 

Forehead against his shoulder.

 “I’ll be looking.”

He let go first.

She ran to catch up to her crew,

Law stood there a second longer, 

Watching his wild girl vanish into the trees.

—————-

In Shakky’s Rip-Off Bar.

The smell of tobacco hung thick in the air 

The Straw Hats sat, scattered around half-empty glasses and steaming plates of food. 

Rayleigh stood in the back corner, arms folded, eyes closed, listening but not interfering.

Shakky cleaned glasses behind the bar and said nothing but her smirk hadn’t left since they walked in.

Everyone was tense.

Zoro was leaned back against the wall, arms folded.

Nami drummed her fingers on the table.

Sanji had lit a cigarette, but hadn’t taken a puff.

Usopp and Franky whispered theories.

Brook sipped tea.

Chopper looked confused.

Robin was reading a book, but not turning the page.

And Luffy?

Luffy sat in the middle, arms crossed, 

Hat tipped low over her face, 

Chewing absently on a piece of meat 

Saying nothing.

Nami finally said, voice sharp, cutting the room in half.

She didn’t look at her. 

“So, are you going to tell us what that was?”

Luffy blinked once. 

Didn’t answer.

Usopp added. 

“Seriously,” 

“You hugged him. 

You. Hugged. The Surgeon of Death”

Zoro raised an eyebrow.

 “And he hugged you back.”

Sanji scowled. 

“What the hell kind of connection do you have with him?”

Chopper frowned.

 “I mean, he didn’t seem like an enemy…”

Robin looked up now.

“You two knew each other.”

Luffy chewed slower.

Still said nothing.

Rayleigh listened from across the room, 

His eyebrows scrunched just slightly.

Shakky hummed.

 “Ah, young love,” 

 “Always dramatic.”

Nami whipped her head around. 

“What?!”

Luffy’s face flushed slightly.

But it was enough.

Nami said, pointing.

“So you do know him,” 

Sanji muttered.

“He’s not a stranger,” 

Zoro said flatly.

“You’ve got history,” 

Brook set down his cup. 

“Was it a passionate past?”

Franky leaned in. 

“Are you two rivals? Secret allies? 

Did you save his life?!”

Luffy stood up abruptly.

Hat pulled low over her eyes.

“I’m not talking about it.”

The words dropped like anchors.

The bar went still.

Rayleigh opened his eyes now, 

Watching with keen interest.

Nami raised an eyebrow.

 “Luffy…”

She turned her back to them.

“No.”

Usopp blinked. 

“But—”

Luffy repeated. 

“No,” 

“Not now.”

She walked to the bar, shoulders tense, 

Shakky poured her a glass of juice without being asked. 

Behind her, the crew fell into silence.

Zoro’s brow furrowed, deep in thought.

Robin turned her gaze toward the window, unreadable.

Nami looked between them all frustrated 

Chopper whispered something to Usopp,

But Usopp didn’t reply.

Sanji lit another cigarette and didn’t light a third.

Rayleigh exhaled through his nose 

And said only one thing:

“Whatever that connection is, 

She’s not done with it.”

No one argued.

——

The hum of the engines echoed through the Polar Tang, 

Law stood alone in the command room, 

Eyes scanning a series of newly delivered marine reports

He was expecting information on a marine patrol routes, 

Not this.

The words sat stark on the page, 

Brutal and matter-of-fact.

Sabaody Incident: 

Straw Hat Pirates engaged Admiral Kizaru and Bartholomew Kuma. 

Following conflict, all crew members reported missing.

Presumed dead or captured. 

Confirmation pending.

For a long moment, 

Law didn’t move.

The ship kept humming.

His hand tightened around the edge of the report, 

Knuckles turning white. 

His jaw clenched, but his face stayed blank.

Behind him, the door creaked open.

Penguin stepped in first, expression cautious. 

“Captain? We just got word—”

Law said, voice level.

“I know,” 

Shachi was right behind him, slower.

 “It’s... all of them. The whole crew.”

No one said Luffy’s name.

No one had to.

Bepo padded in last. 

He said gently, ears drooping. 

“You saw her at the auction house. 

She was alive and strong.”

Law said nothing.

His mind was oceans away.

Three years ago, she hugged him like he was the only safe place left in the world.

At Sabaody, she grinned at him like no time had passed at all.

And now she was gone.

But the three of them knew him.

Knew the way he kept things buried. 

Knew his silence was always louder than what he said.

Shachi let out a slow breath.

 “She’s not dead. Not her.”

Penguin nodded.

 “No way. Straw Hat? She’s... too loud to die.”

Bepo looked up at Law, quietly. 

“What do we do?”

Law didn’t look away from the report. 

He just spoke voice low

“We wait.”

“She’ll come back.”

There was silence.

And beneath it, something heavier.

————-

A week later

The plaza in Grove 13 was packed with bodies. 

Pirates, locals, tourists, 

All gathered in a tense hush beneath the towering screen that loomed above the square.

A live broadcast was underway.

Portgas D. Ace,

Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, 

The public execution that was happening in Marineford. 

The world was watching.

And so were they.

Law. Bepo. Penguin. Shachi. 

Stood in the back of the crowd. 

Law’s arms were folded. His eyes locked on the screen.

Penguin chewed his lip, fidgeting.

Shachi was stone-faced, his usual grin nowhere to be seen.

Bepo’s ears were drooped low

None of them said anything.

But they were all thinking the same thing.

Still no news or trace of the Strawhat Captain

Law had barely said a word since.

The broadcast glitched.

The camera veered wildly to the sky.

Something massive fell from the clouds

Crashed into Marineford’s harbor in a wall of sea spray 

The crowd gasped.

The feed snapped back into focus

Soldiers running, cannonfire lighting the coast.

And then there.

Amidst the chaos, stepping out of the dust

Straw Hat Luffy.

Her voice ripped through the noise, shrill and furious:

“ACE! I’M HERE! I’M YOUR SISTER!”

It hit like a gut punch.

The four Heart Pirates froze momentarily

Law’s breath caught.

He just stared at the screen.

Shachi whispered, 

“No way…”

Penguin stumbled forward. 

“She’s alive.”

Bepo’s ears perked. 

“It’s her. That’s really her.”

They then suddenly remember years earlier

Luffy chewing on a stick of crocodile meat, 

Grinning upside down from a branch.

“My brother Ace? 

He’s the coolest guy in the whole sea. 

Someday I’m gonna be strong enough to find him. 

Save him if I have to.

 We promised.”

Shachi had asked, half-laughing

“Promised what?”

.

Luffy’s smile didn’t waver.

“Promised we’d never die.”

The screen flickered again

Luffy sprinting across the battlefield with eyes blazing.

She didn’t care that the world was watching.

Didn’t care she was outnumbered.

She ran toward death like it was personal.

The crowd in the square howled in panic 

As the massive screen flickered violently

More static.

Then

Black.

Broadcast: cut.

The execution was no longer being shown. 

Just silence.

But Law was already moving.

He pulled out his Den Den Mushi 

Barked the command:

“Prepare the Tang. 

We move now.”

Penguin blinked. 

“Wait, what? Captain—”

Law snapped, 

His voice lower, tighter than any of them had heard 

“She’s still alive,” 

He said, turning on his heel. 

“We’re going to get her out.”

Bepo fell in behind him. 

“Then we dive fast.”

Shortly Polar Tang slipped beneath the ocean’s surface, 

Law stood at the center console, 

One hand clenched at his side.

Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin entered quietly.

No one else. Just them.

The original four.

The ones who’d seen Luffy laugh in a jungle.

Penguin leaned on the opposite wall, arms folded. 

“We really doing this?”

Shachi muttered.

“Of course we’re doing this,” 

Bepo said gently, looking to Law.

“She’s not just another pirate to us,” 

Law’s voice was steel.

 “She’s not dying in that war.”

Shachi exhaled, looking down. 

“Even if we can’t stop what happens to Ace…”

Penguin cut in. 

“We make sure she gets out.”

Shachi muttered. 

“We’re outnumbered,” 

“Outgunned. 

And we’re going into the middle of a fight 

Between Whitebeard and the entire Navy.”

Law’s lips curled in a smirk 

“I like those odds.”

The sea grew darker around them

No one questioned it.

They all remembered how Law had looked at her.

———-

The Polar Tang broke the surface with a powerful surge.

The hatch opened.

Law emerged, 

Eyes and head whipping try to spot her

Marineford burned.

Than bouncing clumsily through the air, 

Was Buggy the Clown, 

Arms barely keeping hold 

Of the unconscious Jinbie holding the comatose rubber girl.

And Law didn’t think

He shouted, voice cracking with urgency:

“GIVE STRAWHAT TO US!!”

Buggy blinked and shrieked 

“HUH?!”

“WHO. ARE. YOU. KID?!

“I’M A DOCTOR!!”

“I’LL HELP HER ESCAPE!!”

Buggy tried to fuss more. 

But he saw the glare, 

The wild protection in his eyes.

He let go.

Luffy and Jinbie dropped, boneless and limp.

Jean Bart and Bepo caught them

And for a second the whole world stopped for Law.

Than he screamed again

“Get below now!”

The Polar Tang dove, 

Disappearing beneath the waves like a prayer.

Dodging attacks from the admirals

The medbay lit up.

Law moved like fire. 

Gloves snapped on. Tools were already waiting.

“Vitals are dropping!”

“I’ll focus on her”

“Everyone else start on Jinbei!”

Law stood over her.

And for a second, he just looked.

Eyes flicked across every bruise, every scar. 

Every wound that should’ve killed her.

He muttered, heart aching, chest tight. 

“You stupid idiot,” 

“You’re not dying on my table.”

The medbay was blistering with energy.

Monitors beeped in sharp rhythm. 

Suction pumps hissed. 

Gauze darkened red almost as fast as they were changed out.

Luffy lay on the main operating table 

Mild poisoning 

Punctured lung.

Torn abdominal muscle.

Magma burned chest

Exhaustion trauma layered over infection 

Unconscious in a psychological collapse.

Law hovered over the table, 

His focus was cold, absolute. 

Every cut, every suture, every command was precise.

Bepo managed Luffy’s breathing tube, claws shaking but steady.

Sachi managed blood loss.

Penguin sterilized the tools.

Not one of them said anything beyond necessity.

Every movement was critical.

Across the room, 

A younger recruit leaned in to watch.

He’d only been on the crew for two months. 

Still green. Still stupid. 

Too far removed to understand.

He watched the four of them work like demons 

For a pirate who wasn't even one of their own.

And he snorted and shook his head

“Geez… All this effort for one girl?”

“I mean, come on.” 

“Wasn’t she the kid who lost her brother?”

Then, almost laughing

“She probably should’ve died with him.”

Everything stopped.

Not a machine. Not a monitor.

Just the humans in the room.

Law’s scalpel froze mid-motion.

Bepo’s paw clenched on the ventilation bag.

Sachi lifted his head, eyes going cold.

Penguin slowly set a cauterizer down on the tray.

Law didn’t look up yet.

His voice dropped low.

“Say that again.”

The recruit blinked.

Law raised his head slowly, eyes deadly calm.

“Go ahead.”

“Say it again.”

The room’s temperature dropped.

The recruit hesitated. 

“I—I just meant—”

Penguin stepped forward from the tray.

“You don’t get to ‘mean’ anything 

When you don’t know shit.”

Sachi cracked his knuckles. 

“She’s an unofficial crew member.”

Bepo’s fur bristled. 

“You should leave.”

Law didn’t blink. Didn’t raise his voice.

But his eyes were carved with threat.

“Don’t you dare come into my operating room 

And tell me who should’ve died.”

“Because if she dies in here.”

Then smiled ominously

“...Im killing you next.”

The recruit backed out without another word.

The door sealed.

Silence returned.

Sachi handed Law another suture set.

Bepo rechecked vitals.

Penguin returned to his station.

Law didn’t say thank you.

Didn’t need to.

The bond between the four of them was older than orders.

Bepo murmured.

“Heart rate stabilizing,” 

Sachi exhaled. 

“Bleeding slowed.”

Law stitched the last gash above Luffy’s hip.

Finally, he whispered:

“We got you.”

“Just heal now”

And the others kept moving.

Because they knew her smile.

Her wildness. Her dream.

And they’d be damned if the world buried her 

Before she could smile like that again.

———

The Polar Tang sat anchored 

Just off the cliffs of Amazon Lily, 

The Heart Pirates had been granted temporary sanctuary

For the girl who lay in the ship’s medical bay.

Inside the submarine, time moved slowly.

Luffy had been unconscious for over a week.

No fevers. No wild fluctuations.

Just stillness.

Like her soul was somewhere else, 

Slowly walking back through haze .

Law hadn’t left her side.

The others rotated in and out of the room.

They cleaned her wounds. 

Changed her bandages. 

Spoke softly, hoping she heard.

Jinbie after recovering for a few days

Left after realizing how much 

Law cared about her recovery

Law stay in the corner 

When he wasn’t tending to her body. 

Never slept more than an hour at a time. 

Every sound she made, every flutter of breath

He heard it.

It was well past midnight

The submarine rocked gently in the calm current

She finally stirred.

Her fingers twitched. 

Her throat moved to form a whisper.

“...Ace…”

Law’s eyes snapped open. 

He moved from his chair in one silent stride, 

Standing over her as her lips moved again.

“...Ace…?”

Her eyes blinked open.

Unfocused. Red-rimmed.

And then she saw him.

Their gazes locked.

Her breath hitched.

A raw sound escaped her

“…Torao”

He knelt beside her as she crumbled.

The sob burst out of her so hard it shook her body.

Tears poured down her cheeks, 

Her mouth opened in a silent cry 

“He’s gone…”

It wasn’t loud but it hurt more than any scream to him.

Law moved carefully

Her wounds were still fresh. 

But he couldn’t watch her shatter like that.

He reached under her, lifting her into his arms

She didn’t resist. 

Instead she clung to him.

Her face pressed into his chest. 

Her cries came in broken bursts, 

Shaking her whole frame. 

Law held her like she was made of glass.

He didn’t say, “It’s okay.”

It wasn’t. He couldn’t lie to her.

He just kept holding her, 

Tighter when her sobs grew rough, 

Looser when she wheezed for air. 

One hand rubbed slow circles along her spine, 

She’d lived.

But what she carried now?

It would never heal like the body could.

Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo waited just outside the door, 

Sitting in the quiet of the corridor, heads low.

They all sat in silence.

Because there were no words for what she’d lost.

The sobs had eventually slowed.

No more shuddering breaths. No more broken gasps.

Just quiet now. Heavy, aching quiet.

Luffy laid against Law’s chest, 

His heartbeat was steady beneath her ear, 

It was the only thing grounding her.

Her body was still fragile. 

Wrapped in gauze. Burned. Bruised. 

She whispered, 

Her voice raw and fragile 

“Torao… my chest hurts.”

Law froze.

But not because he didn’t know what to do.

Because of how trusting she said it.

She wasn’t reacting to grief anymore.

She meant the magma burn

Law lowered his head just slightly

“I know.”

Outside the room, 

Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo were sitting silently 

None of them had spoken in nearly half an hour

Just listening and waiting.

But the moment they heard her say those words

They were on their feet.

Penguin snapped.

“Painkillers,” 

Bepo said immediately.

“I’ll get the cold packs,” 

Shachi added.

“I’ve got the clean bandages,” 

They came in like ghosts with purpose, 

Law gently shifted Luffy, 

Still enough to support her

But she winced.

He murmured, 

Voice dropping into a tone she only ever got from him. 

“Easy,” 

“Just a little. I got you.”

She blinked up at him, lips trembling, 

Eyes glassy but no longer crying.

He peeled back the gauze on her upper chest.

The skin beneath was a red mess of healing tissue 

The blow that should have killed her.

She hissed. 

Her grip on his shirt tightened.

Penguin handed over the syringe of painkiller. 

Law took it silently, administered it with care. 

Within seconds, she exhaled, trembling

Her body began to relax against him again.

Shachi quietly replaced the dressing.

Bepo draped a warm blanket over them both.

Luffy sighed into Law’s chest.

Eyes fluttered close again.

Law hugged her and kissed her head

The hum of the submarine was soft now. 

Over the next few hours

Luffy had fallen asleep and woken up twice 

Drifting somewhere between exhausted lucidity 

And the edge of dreams. 

Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo sat nearby

Tucked against the wall, talking in hushed tones 

Trying not to watch but absolutely watching.

Luffy stirred again around six in the morning, 

Breath fogging against Law’s collarbone.

One eye cracked open. 

A small smile tugged at her lips

Tired, drugged, and completely unfiltered.

She mumbled:

“Thanks for saving me, handsome eyes.”

Shachi choked.

Penguin covered his face, already grinning.

Bepo’s ears perked up. “Oh no.”

Law paused for only half a second.

Then he kissed her head again

“Anytime, baby.”

Luffy’s face ignited in instant red. 

She let out a squeaky breath, 

Slapped her palm over her own face, 

Shoved it deeper into Law’s chest 

Like she could escape through him 

She groaned, voice muffled against his shirt.

“Toraoooooo—” 

He slightly smirked.

He murmured deeply amused.

“Painkillers making you bold,” 

She whimpered, hiding more.

Shachi nearly fell over. 

“I can’t. I actually can’t.”

Penguin wheezed. 

“He said baby. He said BABY.”

Bepo looked scandalized. 

“They’re flirting and she’s still injured. 

Should I leave? Should we leave?”

Shachi said immediately. 

“Absolutely not,” 

“This is history”.”

Luffy peeked up at Law

Face still flushed 

“They’re so annoying. 

Make them go away.”

Law’s hand cupped the back of her head 

Pulled her gently back into place against him.

“Let them talk,” 

“You’re not going anywhere.”

Her breath slowed again. 

A small shy smile appeared on her face.

And buried in his arms, she whispered,

 “Okay Torao.”

———-

Morning settled over the ocean above.

The lights in the room were low and warm. 

The door creaked open.

Penguin poked his head in, eyes wide. 

“Cap, food’s up. 

We made rice, eggs, soup, and some mango juice”

Luffy let out a muffled groan, 

Her arms wrapping tighter around Law’s waist.

She muttered.

“Don’t wanna,” 

Shachi called from the hallway. 

“You haven’t eaten since before the war,” 

“And we made the good soup. 

You like soup.”

Law exhaled through his nose, glancing down at her.

“Mugiwara-ya.”

She shook her head against his chest.

“No.”

Law stared at her for a long moment 

Smiled and then stood up.

With her still in his arms.

Penguin blinked. 

“Wait, wait!”

“Are you carrying her to the galley?”

Law muttered, 

Adjusting his grip as Luffy clung like a sleepy koala. 

“I’m not dealing with a malnourished pirate,” 

“If she doesn’t want to walk, she gets carried.”

Luffy hummed contentedly, eyes still closed.

 “Thanks handsome eyes ”

Shachi and Penguin cackled 

Following him down the hall.

The rest of the Heart Pirates were gathered 

Eating, laughing, gossiping.

The door slid open with a hiss.

And in walked Law.

Carrying the girl from the war, 

Like she weighed nothing.

Like this was normal.

The room fell dead silent.

Forks paused midair.

Mugs froze mid-sip.

Eyes everywhere.

Luffy blinked at the crew lazily, barely awake.

She mumbled.

“Hi,” 

Law sat down with her in his lap

Not beside him.

In. His. Lap.

She leaned against his chest, 

Grabbed a bowl of rice and started eating.

One hand still loosely holding onto Law’s coat.

Like it was the most natural thing in the world.

A rookie whispered, 

“Captain… is she living in your lap now?”

Someone at the end of the table whispered, 

“Are they dating? 

Or is this just standard protocol?”

Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo sat across from them, 

Completely unfazed.

Shachi said, mouth full of rice.

“You’ll get used to it,” 

Bepo nodded. 

“They been like this before.”

Penguin leaned forward.

 “Actually, this is toned down. 

You didn’t see the treehouse days.”

A fork clattered to the floor.

Luffy grinned between bites,

Whispering to Law

“They’re scared of me, Torao.”

Law didn’t even flinch.

 “Good. They should be.”

Her laughter shook both of them.

He just smiled slightly and didn’t mind one bit

The galley buzzed with low murmurs. 

They had questions.

Only a few of them had answers.

Law sat still, one hand resting on Luffy’s thigh 

She perched comfortably against him, 

Her head tilted slightly, mischief glowing in her eyes.

Then she whisper In a teasing tone

Just loud enough that only the five could hear

“So, Handsome Eyes… 

Gonna tell me who your new crew members are?”

“Or do I have to flirt with them too?”

Law stiffened.

His hand twitched slightly on her leg.

His face didn’t move

But his eyes flicked instantly to the crew 

Specifically the half-dozen rookies who’d dared 

To look at Luffy with anything more than professional awe.

The same recruit from earlier 

Who’d questioning why she mattered

Gulped visibly when Law’s gaze landed on him.

Law said flatly, without looking at her. 

“Don’t, they’d die.”

Luffy grinned, 

“Aw, is Torao jealous?”

Penguin muttered into his cup, smirking

“Possessive,”

“There’s a difference.”

Shachi leaned forward 

Like he was watching a soap opera.

“He’s trying so hard not to throw her over his shoulder 

And lock her in his quarters.”

Bepo said matter-of-factly.

“She would break the lock and do it back,” 

Another recruit raised a hand nervously. 

“S-So, uh, are we not supposed to  

Make eye contact with her or—?”

Law eyes glinted 

“Try it,” 

“See what happens.”

Everyone froze.

Luffy giggled and leaned in close to Law’s ear again.

“You’re cute when you pretend not to care.”

His hand moved gripped her hip, just slightly firmer.

“Keep testing me, Luffy.”

“Oh, I intend to.”

Another recruit whispered from the far end of the table, 

“I thought Law didn’t do feelings.”

Someone else whispered back, 

“That’s not feelings. 

That’s full-blown feral devotion.”

Penguin slapped the table, laughing. 

Bepo blinked. 

“...Should we be worried?”

Shachi smirked. 

“Worried?” 

“Nah. We should be taking notes.”

Luffy nibbled a fruit slice 

Glashed a smile like she was already five steps ahead.

She whispered to Law, licking the juice off her thumb. 

“Introduce me later,” 

“I wanna see who blushes first.”

Law finally looked at her.

“Mugiwara-ya.”

“Yes?”

“You’re asking for trouble.”

She grinned wide. 

“That’s your type, right?”

The rest of the crew tried to disappear into their meals.

The tension hadn’t dropped.

If anything, it had sharpened

Until someone snapped.

A brave, jittery new crew member

Cleared his throat from halfway down the table.

“...Captain?”

The entire galley went silent.

Law didn’t look up. 

“What.”

Uni swallowed. 

“Just… uh… s-sir. 

Permission to speak freely?”

Luffy perked up immediately, amused. 

“Oh, this is gonna be good.”

Law sipped his coffee.

He said coolly.

“Granted,” 

Uni stood.

“...What are you two?”

The air dropped ten degrees.

Luffy bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing.

Law didn’t even blink.

He placed a kiss on the top of Luffy’s head, 

Slow and deliberate, then answered plainly:

“She’s mine.”

The room froze.

They blinked.

 “A-And how long…?”

Another soft press of lips to her hair.

“Three years.”

Gasps echoed around the room like a cannon had gone off.

Luffy smirked, eyes half-lidded. 

“He was moody and pretty.”

 “I decided to keep him.”

Law kissed her head again.

“She never gave me a choice.”

Uni’s face was pale now. 

“W-When did this—how did this—?”

Law kissed her head again, slower this time, 

Then finally glanced up just the faintest glint in his eyes.

“Next question.”

They sat down immediately.

The galley erupted into quiet, stunned chatter.

Shachi leaned back, 

Grinning like a proud older brother. 

“I told you back then .”

Penguin nodded, whistling. 

“Confirmed.”

Luffy curled a little deeper into Law’s chest, 

“You’re making me blush.”

Law kissed her head one more time

“Good.”

Another collective exhale of disbelief followed.

Uni muttered under his breath, 

“I regret everything.”

The teasing had faded into a softer rhythm now.

Luffy’s eyelids drooped between bites of rice. 

The warmth, the food, the safety

It all hit at once exhaustion claimed her like a tide.

Law glanced down at her, 

Brushing a strand of hair from her face.

He didn’t hesitate more.

Without a word, 

Law slid one arm under her knees, 

The other behind her back, 

Rose from the bench in one smooth, practiced motion.

Luffy didn’t stir.

The galley watched in silence 

Their Captain who was usually emotionally unreadable

Carried her like she was his entire world.

The doors hissed open.

They disappeared through them.

And the moment they shut behind him

All hell broke loose.

“WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL WAS THAT?!”

Forks hit tables.

Chairs scraped back.

“Someone start talking!”

“She just fell asleep in his lap!”

“He carried her out like a damn princess!!”

“Someone explain this RIGHT now.”

“I thought Captain hated being touched.”

“Did anyone else see her EATING OUT OF HIS BOWL?!”

One pointed at the door.

 “He kiss her head four times during questioning?! 

Who is he?!”

All eyes snapped to Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo

The only three not flipping out.

Penguin was calmly stirring his tea.

Shachi had already propped his feet on the table 

Bepo sighed like a single parent about to give the Talk.

Shachi said, holding up a hand. 

“Alright, breathe, you gremlins,” 

“You want the truth?”

They all shouted

“YES!!!”

Sachi began

“Three years ago,”

“When it was just the four of us, 

We took a detour to an island in the East Blue. 

It had a dense jungle.”

Bepo added. 

“We’d heard it was the weakest sea,” 

“Captain was curious. 

Thought it’d be... safe.”

Penguin snorted. 

“It wasn’t,” 

“We got there, and within a hour, 

We ran into this wild barefoot kid beating up a crocodile 

Grinning and laughing like it was Christmas.”

A newer recruits stared.

“That was Luffy?”

“Yep.”

Someone else asked 

“She was already punching crocodiles at fourteen?”

Bepo nodded.

“Boars too,” 

“She shared them for dinner.”

Sachi said, softer now.

“Law was… different with her,” 

“More open. Or at least… less guarded. 

Luffy treated him like he wasn’t dangerous. 

Called him pretty eyes. 

Sat too close. Asked questions.”

Someone else asked, shocked.

“And Law let her?” 

Penguin said with a grin. 

“Law didn’t just let her,” 

“He watched her. 

Like he couldn’t figure out what she was.”

Bepo added.

“They stayed up all night talking in a treehouse,” 

“Treehouse?”

“Belonged to Luffy and her brothers.”

Sachi said.

“She told Law about Ace,” 

“About how her grandpa left her with bandits. 

About her dreams.

That kid poured out her whole heart 

Like it was the most normal thing in the world.”

“And Law… listened?”

Penguin said. 

“Listened,” 

“Flirted back. Smiled. 

That was the first time I saw him smile like that.”

“And then?”

“They parted ways after six months . 

But not before they promise not to forget each other.”

The galley was silent again.

Softer this time.

Someone exhaled.

 “And he didn’t.”

Bepo shook his head .

“No, He never did.”

Penguin leaned forward on his elbows, dead serious. 

“She’ll flirt with you just to piss Law off.”

Shachi leaned back smugly. 

“You all thought he had no emotions. 

Nah.

He just keeps all of them for one tiny jungle girl 

Who owns his soul.”

Someone in the back slumped against the wall. 

“I need to lie down. This is too much.”

——-

The morning light swept through the port window. 

Luffy woke first.

Her eyes opened slowly, blinking against the haze of sleep.

Her body was sore, but not in pain

She lay on her side, tucked against Law’s chest, 

One of his arms draped over his waist, 

She stared at him for a long moment.

Older now. His jaw sharper. 

His shoulders broader. The faint scruff at his chin. 

Tattoos he added traced his chest and arms

Luffy smiled softly and whispered

“…Still pretty,”

Law brow twitched 

Gravelingly stated 

“M’not asleep, idiot.”

A beat later, his eyes cracked open.

He looked at her. 

Groggy, amused.

Then rasped:

“Morning, baby.”

Luffy grinned.

“So grumpy. 

Still handsome though.”

His voice was still low from sleep.

“I carried you halfway across the ship yesterday

You’ve got no room to be smug.”

“You let me nap on your lap in front of your crew.”

“I was sedated by your clinginess.”

“You kissed my forehead, Torao.”

“Medical protocol.”

Luffy chuckled and inched closer, 

She tilted her head, eyes shining.

“You like this?”

“What—being woken up with flirtation and elbowed ribs?”

“Me.”

Law looked at her.

Eyes sharp, but warm.

“I’m in love with you.”

Luffy’s heart jumped.

Still. After everything.

“Say it again.”

Law leaned in, forehead brushing Luffy’s.

“I love you.”

Luffy didn’t hesitate.

She leaned in and kissed him.

He kissed her back without a word.

When they parted, 

She mumbled against his lips, 

“Missed you so much.”

Law muttered, pulling her closer.

“Me too, beautiful,” 

A short while later

The doors hissed open to the galley.

A quiet hum of voices dropped immediately.

And there she was.

Straw Hat Luffy.

Wearing an oversized black hoodie 

That was clearly not hers

And she looked disgustingly happy.

Law followed a step behind,

Arms crossed, giving no explanation.

Luffy spotted a seat

Flopped down like she owned it, 

Stealing someone’s toast without asking.

The crew?

Froze.

Forks midair. Bread halfway buttered. 

Full paralysis.

Penguin facepalmed.

Shachi looked smug. 

“Told you.”

Bepo, sipping tea, deadpanned: 

“I warned you. You were warned.”

Luffy bit into toast and grinned.

 “Y’all still whispering about me?”

Someone at the far end coughed, 

“No ma’am.”

She flashed a wink, 

Leaned into Law’s space again 

When he sat beside her.

Law said nothing.

But he slid his coffee in front of her without being asked.

Because of course he did.

“I swear to god if she steals one more piece of toast—”

“She already has five!”

“She took my egg!”

“She took my seat!”

Luffy, seated square in the middle of the chaos,

A piece of toast between her teeth, 

One hand in a bowl of fruit, 

A mug of coffee Law had definitely made for himself.

She was smiling. 

Worse—she was thriving.

And Law?

Sat right beside her, arms folded, 

Watching it all unfold with an unreadable expression 

Except for the tiny twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Bepo, whispering to Penguin: 

“Is that his love language?”

Penguin grinned: 

“Allowing chaos? Yes.”

Shachi snorted 

“He’s not even trying to stop her.”

Across the table, 

A rookie tried to reach for a fresh plate of eggs. 

Luffy snatched it before he could get there.

He looked stocked: 

“C-Can I have—?”

Luffy, mouth full:

 “Nope.”

He looked between Law and her

“But I—”

Luffy pointed with her fork. 

“You hesitated. Weakness. 

You’ll starve at sea.”

He was devastated: 

“...Understood.”

Law calmly reached over 

Stabbed a piece of sausage 

Dropped it onto hers.

“Chew slower,” 

 “You’ll choke.”

She gave him a grin. 

“You’d give me mouth to mouth.”

He replied

“Only to scold you for being dumb.”

Crew silence.

Then

“WHY IS THAT FLIRTING FOR THEM?!”

“Did he just insult her lovingly?”

“That was foreplay, wasn’t it?”

“He fed her off someone else’s plate! I’ve never seen him feed anyone!”

Luffy leaned back against Law’s side, yawning, 

Looked across the room at the crew.

“So, which one of you’s the second-strongest on the ship?”

A dozen eyes widened.

Someone whispered, 

“Why is she asking that—”

Luffy said with a grin.

“I wanna spar later,” 

“Can’t stay soft just ‘cause I’m loved.”

A rookie gasped.

“SHE SAID LOVED” 

Luffy plucked a cherry from a bowl and threw it in her mouth. 

Then, between chews, looked up at Law.

“Hey, Torao. Think they’ll ever get used to this?”

Without missing a beat, 

He kissed the side of her head again.

“No.”

—————

The sun had risen high 

The jungle edge rustled behind them, 

Luffy walked barefoot through the wet sand,

Dragging Law by the wrist, 

He followed without resistance.

Not like he ever could resist her.

She said, 

Glancing over her shoulder with a grin 

“C’mon,” 

“Just five minutes.”

They both knew it would be longer.

They sat at the curve of the beach, 

Where the tide just kissed their feet.

Luffy dropped into the sand 

Leaned back into him without asking, 

Head resting on his shoulder, 

Knees tucked to her chest. 

Law’s arm slid around her instinctively 

The sea whispered.

Birds called from the trees.

Neither of them spoke for a while.

Luffy stared out at the water, 

Watching the waves, 

She murmured:

“I missed you.”

Law didn’t react right away.

Didn’t tease. Didn’t deflect.

He just held her a little closer, 

Festing his chin lightly against her hair.

“I know, me too.”

Their legs brushed in the sand.

And for a while, there was nothing to fight. 

No Marines. No missions. 

She pressed in closer and whispered:

“You got more tattoos.”

Law hummed. 

“Didn’t plan to. 

Just… kept earning them.”

She pulled back a little, 

Enough to study him

Luffy grinned, slow and soft.

“You got more handsome, too.”

Law blinked.

“…That’s the painkillers talking.”

She nudged his chest.

 “Nope. That’s my eyes talking. 

And they’ve always been right about you.”

He rolled his eyes.

But his hand didn’t stop moving across her back. 

His other pulled her legs into his lap like it was instinct.

He murmured.

“Still reckless,” 

She teased.

“But still yours,” 

Law looked at her then

So he just said it plainly.

“You’re beautiful.”

Luffy blinked.

Her breath caught.

Then she dropped her face into his neck 

Let out a laugh that sounded more like it was shaking.

“…You mean it?”

Law pulled her in tighter, 

His chin resting on top of her head.

He whispered.

“I don't say things I don't mean”

“You terrify me,” 

“And I love you anyway.”

She snorted, voice muffled in his collar. 

“You’re the scary one.”

“No. I’m the one who waited.”

A pause.

Then she looked up at him, eyes shining.

“Guess I’m glad 

You have those pretty eyes to wait with.”

He kissed her.

Just to say everything.

She just kissed him back.

Missing every the last three years

The sun shined higher in the sky

Luffy lay on top of Law’s chest now, 

His fingers absently traced along her spine 

It was quiet.

No teasing. No chaos.

Just them.

A distant splash broke the quiet.

Law looked up.

A sleek shape moved through the surf, 

Shoulders cutting through the tide like a knife. 

Silvers Rayleigh strode out of the water, 

Pants soaked, shirt half-unbuttoned, 

Luffy rolled off Law reluctantly, 

Sitting up in the sand with hair a wild mess

Eyes squinting against the sun.

Rayleigh rang out his shirt. 

“Well now,” 

“Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

Law’s expression didn’t change.

Luffy grinned, half-asleep. 

“Did you swim the whole way?”

Rayleigh stretched his arms behind his head

Walking until he wasjust before them.

“I did.”

Then, after a beat:

“You don’t want another repeat 

Of Marineford or Sabaody, do you?”

Luffy’s smile faltered.

Law’s eyes narrowed.

Rayleigh’s tone dropped.

“There’s a storm coming, girl. 

You’re strong, no doubt

But you weren’t ready.”

Luffy stared down at her hands.

She whispered.

“I know,” 

Rayleigh crouched before them.

“Two years. I train you. 

Harder than anyone else had. 

You come back sharper and stronger..”

Luffy chewed her lip.

Then looked at Law, eyes soft but steady.

“I’ll do it…”.

“…But only if I get today or tomorrow. 

With him.”

Rayleigh chuckled.

“Not planning to fight that.”

He turned walking to the jungle path.

Disappearing into the trees.

“One day. Then she’s mine. 

Make it count kids.”

Luffy leaned back into Law’s arms 

Exhaling hard against his neck.

“One day’s not enough.”

He kissed her temple.

“Then we’ll make it feel like forever.”

The hours slipped by in a haze of gold and salt.

Luffy and Law had lingered on the shore 

She’d fallen asleep once more in his lap

Eventually, 

They made their way back to the Polar Tang, 

Law’s arm draped lazily over her shoulders, 

Luffy smiling truly happily for the first time since the war .

———

Lunch was loud.

Luffy was back in her chaotic form.

She was now perched beside Bepo, 

Knees on the bench, 

Chopsticks in one hand and a mango in the other, 

Stealing three people’s lunches with no shame 

Law, sitting across from her, 

Watched with the kind of tired amusement 

Questioning himself

How did I fall in love with this gremlin.

Shachi, Penguin, and several rookies 

Were scattered around the room, 

Already preparing to either be 

Emotionally devastated or physically robbed.

Luffy lifted the her arms high 

Like she was about to give a toast

But broke into song:

🎵 “Ooooooh~ Handsome Eyes~” 🎵

🎵 “Doctor cold and mean~ 🎵

Penguin choked on his rice.

Shachi screamed into the table.

One rookie spat juice halfway across the galley.

Law didn’t move

But his eye ticked.

“Mugiwara-ya.”

She kept going, 

Waving her arms dramatically:

🎵 “He saves my life, he holds my hand~”

🎵 “But if you flirt with me”🎵

🎵 “ He’ll BURY you in sand~!” 🎵

🎵 “OHHHH HANDSOME EYES, DON’T BE MAD~”🎵

🎵 “LET ME STAY, LET ME BE BAD~”🎵

🎵 “STEALIN’ MANGOES, BREAKIN’ RULES~”🎵

🎵 “YOUR GALLEY IS MINE NOW, “🎵

🎵 “YOUR CREW ARE MY FOOLS~!” 🎵

Penguin fell out of his seat.

Shachi was wheezing.

Law pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“I will have you tranquilized.”

Luffy said, grinning, 

Dropping back into her seat 

“You love it,” 

Law stared at her, completely resigned, 

But also jtterly in love.

He reached across the table, 

Plucked the mango out of her hand, and bit into it.

He muttered, deadpan:

“Keep singing, and I’ll start singing back.”

The table went silent.

Luffy froze mid-bite.

Like a challenge had just been thrown at the Gods

“Do it.”

Penguin whispered,

 “They’re gonna duet. We’re not ready.”

Shachi held his head. 

“I can’t emotionally process Law singing. 

I’ll explode.”

Luffy beamed across the table, pure sunlight. 

“End of the world’s coming, 

Might as well go out with a song.”

Law just stared at her and smirked.

A crew member at the far end whispered nervously, 

“Is this what the Straw Hat Pirates are like all the time?”

Penguin said grimly, 

“Probably not,” 

“This is her on vacation.”

Law finally looked up at the others, 

Dead calm, and announced:

“If anyone encourages her again, 

I’ll start removing hands.”

“Captain,” 

“Are we under new leadership? 

She is wearing your hoodie…”

Another whispered.

“She’s singing like she’s staging a coup,” 

“Should we start calling her First Mate or—?”

Shachi screamed, laughing. 

“She’s the Pirate Queen!” 

“Get it RIGHT.”

Luffy launched herself across the table

Landed in Law’s lap again 

“You gonna stop me, Torao?”

He looked at her. 

Looked at the terrified crew.

And finally sighed, voice flat:

“If I kiss you in front of them, 

Will you shut up for two minutes?”

The galley fell dead silent.

Luffy, through a full mouth of food: 

“Try me.”

He leaned in.

And he kissed her.

Half threat, half promise.

The galley erupted in shouts

Luffy leaned up toward Law’s ear.

“I need my dessert now.”

Law’s eyes narrowed slightly, 

Already suspicious.

Her voice dropped sweeter

“And I don’t mean the sweet kind.”

Law’s mouth quirked at the corner.

“What?”

She was already standing, 

Grabbing his wrist.

“Come on.”

And then she dragged him out of the galley, 

Hoodie swishing around her thighs

Like a banner of victory.

—————

The second the door slid shut, 

She pulled him down by the collar 

And kissed him with just hunger. 

Hands found hips.

Mouths clashed and softened.

She smiled against his lips 

As he backed them toward the bed

She whispered.

“Still pretty,” 

He answered.

“Still yours,” 

The world outside slipped away.

And what came next was between only them.

Sharing intimacy that lasted three years

They made love for the first time.

Law was careful of her injuries

Luffy moan as seeing his full tattoos

A few rounds later

The light had shifted.

Filtering in through the narrow porthole 

Luffy lay curled against Law’s chest, 

Hoodie discarded somewhere on the floor, 

Her fingers traced the new tattoos on his chest 

Law’s arms were around her, 

One hand resting at the curve of her waist, 

The other still tangled in her hair 

Neither spoke for a while .

Their breath rose and fell in rhythm 

The kind of calm that didn’t come easy 

To people like them

People made of war and havoc.

But right now?

The world paused just for a little while

Luffy blinked slowly

Head rising just enough for her to look at him

She asked softly.

“You okay?” 

Law’s thumb brushed along her spine.

“Yeah. You?”

She nodded, then after a beat:

“I liked that.”

A small smile pulled at his lips

“So did I.”

Her fingers wandered over his chestt. 

She tapped lightly over his heart.

“I love you Law.”

“I love you too, beautiful.”

She grinned against his skin. 

“You’re getting soft, Torao.”

He exhaled a quiet laugh, barely audible.

“Only for you.”

Outside, the ship gently rocked. 

But in here, in the low light, 

They just stayed.

Not as Heart Pirate Captain and Straw Hat Captain.

Just Law and Luffy.

And the warmth they built between them.

———

The morning sky was still painted in pinks and oranges, 

The sun barely cresting the horizon

Rayleigh waited by the edge of the jungle,

Arms folded, 

Watching the exchange with amusement

By the edge of the water

Law, Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo stood

Facing the girl who’d torn through their ship 

And their lives like a storm wrapped in laughter.

Luffy was wearing Law’s hoodie again, 

The grin on her face was wide.

But her eyes were heavy.

She pointing at all three of them

“Alright, listen up,”

“I’m leaving for a bit again. 

Which means..”

Shachi said, already grinning.

“We take care of Law,” 

Bepo added dutifully.

“Feed him when he skips meals,” 

Penguin finished.

“Make sure he sleeps more than four hours a night,” 

Luffy beamed.

 “Good boys.”

Law exhaled a quiet, almost imperceptible sigh. 

“I don’t need a babysitter.”

Luffy laughed in his direction

“No,” 

“You need three.”

She turned first to Bepo, 

Pulling him into a tight hug. 

“Thanks for being soft, 

Even when I was annoying.”

Bepo replied, eyes heavy with emotion.

“You were never annoying,” 

She moved to Penguin, who tried to dodge it

But she caught him in a fierce hug anyway, 

Lifting him briefly off the ground.

“Don’t fall in love while I’m gone, okay?”

He shouted as she dropped him.

“No promises!” 

Shachi got pulled in to a hug next

“You better keep the mood light.”

He held on a little longer than he expected to. 

“You better come back stronger, wild girl.”

She turned back to Law.

And for a long second

They just looked at each other.

Luffy stepped in slow, 

Her hands sliding around his middle.

She whispered.

“Last chance to tell me not to go,” 

Law’s voice was low. 

“I’d never ask you to be weaker just to stay.”

She leaned into his chest

He held her tightly

Jaw clenched like he could trap the ache in his teeth.

Eventually he tipped her face up 

He kissed her.

Not goodbye.

But remember me.

When they pulled apart, 

Her eyes were glassy. 

She wiped her nose with her sleeve and grinned.

“Bet I come back stronger than you.”

Law huffed, 

Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“You better.”

She turned, finally, walking toward Rayleigh, 

Who gave her a nod of approval 

They disappeared into the trees

The submarine’s engines rumbled 

They descended smoothly into the sea, 

Amazon Lily growing smaller on the screens.

Law stood at the observation window, 

Hands in his pockets.

His expression didn’t shift.

He missed her deeply already.

Chapter Text

Three month of training has passed on Rusukaina

The fire crackled in the circle, 

Sparks lifting into the humid night air.

Rayleigh leaned back on a driftwood log,

Sipping from a cup of something strong, 

Half-watching the embers,

Half-watching the girl beside him.

Luffy, sweat on her brow from hours of training, 

She was leaned back on her elbows, 

Staring up at the stars.

Rayleigh tilted his head toward her, 

Tone casual but laced with curiosity.

“So. You and the Surgeon of Death.”

Luffy blinked and looked over at him.

He smirked.

“What’s the deal?”

She grinned a little

Then sat up and stretched

“Mm. That’s a long one.”

“I’ve got time.”

She stared at the flames for a second, 

Then began.

“I was fourteen. Kinda feral.

 Ace had just left

His goodbye sucked, by the way

But it was just me for the first time in forever. 

I was huntin’ this huge crocodile.”

“Then these four weirdos show up.”

Rayleigh chuckled. 

“Let me guess. 

One of them had judgmental eyes and a bad attitude?”

Luffy laughed, knees pulled to her chest.

“Exactly.” 

“It was Law, Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo. 

They came to East Blue to scout, 

Said it was the ‘weakest sea.’ 

They weren’t expecting me.”

Rayleigh said with a smirk.

“No one expects you,” 

Luffy grinned. 

“He looked at me like I was a wild animal 

I told him he had pretty eyes. 

He got all flustered.

 So obviously, I kept saying it.”

“Of course you did.”

“We ended up hanging out for six months. 

Hunting, training, getting in trouble. 

I dragged them to our treehouse. 

Law got super serious about maps for a bit. 

We had a lot of adventures.”

Rayleigh raised an eyebrow. 

“And?”

Luffy's voice softened.

“We kissed. A lot.”

The fire popped.

Rayleigh didn’t interrupt.

“We knew we had separate journeys.

 I was gonna start mine,

He was already building something with his crew. 

But we promised… no matter what happened, 

We wouldn’t forget each other.”

She ran a hand through her hair, 

Gaze drifting to the stars again.

“And we didn’t see each other. Or talk. 

For three years.”

“Then the auction house in Sabaody. 

Everything was chaos.

 I punched a Celestial Dragon, 

Then I heard him say my name.”

She swallowed, 

Chest rising with something still raw.

“Then the war happened. 

Ace died. I broke.”

A pause. The fire cracked again.

“And when I woke up after that, 

All bandaged and hurting… 

The first thing I saw was him.”

Rayleigh was quiet for a long moment.

Then said, simply:

“Huh.”

Luffy tilted her head. 

“That’s all you’ve got?”

Rayleigh chuckled. 

“I’ve known a lot of pirate romances. 

Most of them start with blood. 

Some with treasure. 

Yours started with a crocodile, feral flirting

And bad nicknames”

“He loves that nickname now.”

“He tolerates it. 

Because you’re the one saying it.”

Luffy smirked and looked into the fire.

“He waited for me.”

Rayleigh nodded. 

“And now you’ve got a hell of a reason 

To keep getting stronger.”

Her grin faded into something smaller..

“Yeah. I do.”

——-

Six more month passed and they sat around the fire again

It casted warm flickers of light over the trees. 

Another long day of training behind them

Luffy had pushed herself hard, 

Sweat still pouring form her brow, 

Arms folded behind her head .

Rayleigh sat nearby, drinking tea into a metal cup, 

Chuckling as Luffy told some ridiculous story 

About fighting a giant boar when she was younger.

“—and then I bit it. I bit the boar. 

It looked at me like I was the crazy one.”

Rayleigh laughed, shaking his head.

 “You are the crazy one.”

But Luffy didn’t laugh back this time.

She winced.

Hand dropping to her stomach.

Rayleigh noticed the shift instantly. 

“What is it?”

Luffy sat up suddenly, 

Arms wrapped around herself.

Her voice was tight.

“...My stomach hurts.”

Rayleigh’s smile faded.

“You eat something weird?”

Luffy shook her head. 

“No”

“It’s bad, Rayleigh. 

It’s like really bad.”

Then she let out a low gasp, 

Curling in on herself.

“Shit—what—what is this?”

Rayleigh was on his feet in a flash, 

Kneeling by her, 

Watching the tension in her body. 

Her breathing was shallow now, 

Her whole frame trembling.

He saw the way she held her lower belly.

And something clicked in his mind.

“...No way.”

His eyes widened.

“Luffy. 

When’s the last time you—?”

But he didn’t finish the sentence.

Another spasm hit her

She screamed

Raw, sudden, full-bodied pain.

 Her nails dug into the earth.

“Rayleigh, what’s happening?!

 I—I don’t understand—!”

His hands went to her shoulders, 

Firm and grounding.

“Luffy. You’re in labor.”

Her voice cracked, 

Half disbelief, half panic.

“WHAT?!”

“That’s not!”

Rayleigh gritted his teeth, 

Already moving. 

“This is happening.

 Right now. 

Breathe. Stay low. 

I’ve got you.”

He ran and pulled blankets from the tent, 

Luffy screamed again

“How is this happening

 I didn’t even know—!”

“You didn’t notice? 

You’ve been training like a demon!”

“I thought it was abs!”

“And Im —AHH - Rubber”

She doubled over again, 

Crying out, sweating more, 

Heart racing faster than any battle she’d faced.

Rayleigh grabbed her hand.

“You’re going to be okay.”

“I’m not ready for this—!”

“You don’t have to be. 

Just trust me.”

A few intense hours later

The sky had darkened. 

The forest was quiet .

Luffy was drenched in sweat, 

Hair stuck to her face, 

Muscles aching like

She’d fought the whole Grand Line.

And in her arms

A newborn girl .

Her breath hitched.

Her hands trembled.

She looked down, still dazed, 

The child nestled against her chest, 

Wrapped the cleanest cloth they had.

She had a patch of dark hair.

And her eyes, 

Though still slightly closed, 

Were just like

Luffy let out a shuddering breath.

“...Torao.”

Rayleigh sat nearby, 

Exhausted but steady, 

Watching her with quiet gravity.

“You did good.”

Luffy was still shaking, 

Raw and overwhelmed.

“I—I didn’t know.

 I didn’t even know.”

Rayleigh reached over, 

Laid a hand gently on her shoulder.

“You know now.”

She looked down again,

Brushing her thumb across the baby’s cheek.

She didn’t understand it yet. 

Not all the way.

But she knew deep in her bones

She’d carry this child across oceans. 

Through war. Through storms. 

Through anything.

The jungle was still.

The fire had died down to glowing embers. 

Everything ached.

Muscles burned in strange places, 

Her throat was sore from screaming, 

And her heart

Her heart felt like it had been cracked open 

But when she looked down

The pain faded, just a little.

The baby squirmed, 

Blinking up at her with barely-open eyes. 

Her tiny hands were balled into fists, 

Tucked close to her chest.

Luffy traced a finger gently along her cheek.

She whispered.

“Haru,” 

The name just came out of her, soft and right.

“Your name’s Monkey D. Water Haru.”

The baby gurgled. 

Luffy smiled faintly.

“Means spring, y’know.

I was thinkin’... after everything... 

Maybe we could use some.”

Behind her, 

Rayleigh stepped out from the camp shadows, 

Rubbing a hand over his forehead.

He’d been up all night. 

Calm, capable, but exhausted 

In that bone-deep way only battle or birth could cause.

He said quietly, stepping closer.

“That’s a good name,” 

“Fits her.”

Luffy looked up, eyes glassy but steady. 

“...She’s real, huh.”

Rayleigh nodded. 

“She is.”

“I didn’t plan this.”

“No one plans life like yours, Luffy.”

She looked down again at Haru, 

Who nestled closer into her chest. 

Luffy’s arms tightened around her instinctively.

Rayleigh hesitated, 

“I need to step away for a bit. 

I’m gonna call Shakky. 

She’ll bring what we need

Supplies, clothes, milk, everything.”

Luffy blinked.

 “Milk?”

Rayleigh just gave her a look.

She flushed. 

“...Right. Babies.”

He chuckled, standing again.

“You rest. 

Don’t pretend you’re not wiped.”

She admitted, without her usual defiance.

“I’m wiped,” 

“But... I’m not letting her go.”

“You won’t have to.”

Rayleigh started walking away, 

But paused before disappearing around the path.

“She’s not gonna be like anyone else, you know.”

Luffy glanced up.

“She’s yours. 

She’s gonna change everything.”

Luffy looked back down at Haru.

“Good. World needs changing.”

———

The dense foliage wrapped around Rayleigh 

As he wandered alone, giving Luffy space. 

He pulled out his emergency snail

His hands were steady, 

But the weight of what happened 

Sat thick on his chest.

He clicked the dial

It rang once.

Twice.

Then the snail opened one sleepy eye.

Shakky’s voice came through

“Mmm... this better be good,” 

“Rayleigh, you know what time it is?”

Rayleigh let out a slow breath, 

Leaning back against a moss-covered tree.

“It’s worth it.”

She caught the tone instantly.

“…What happened?”

He paused. 

Not out of doubt, 

But because even he 

Was still wrapping his head around it.

“Luffy had a baby.”

Silence.

Even the snail seemed stunned, 

Blinking slowly

“…Come again?”

Rayleigh exhaled harder. 

“She went into labor earlier. 

No warning. No clue. 

She didn’t even know she was pregnant.”

“…You’re serious.”

“Healthy girl. 

Black hair, lungs like her mother.”

Another pause.

Then a very quiet, slightly breathless, 

“…Well, damn.”

Rayleigh grinned faintly. 

“That was about my reaction.”

Shakky’s voice warmed. 

“How’s she holding up?”

“Shock hasn’t worn off, but she’s good. 

Exhausted. Protective already. 

Named her Haru.”

Shakky let out a low hum. 

“Thats Precious”

“Good fit for a mom like Luffy”

Rayleigh said plainly. 

“She’s gonna need help,” 

“Can’t train with a baby in her arms. 

And she’s not gonna leave her behind.”

Shakky said, already clicking into motion. 

“I’ll head out at daybreak,” 

“I’ll bring what she needs. 

Formula, clothes, carriers. 

And something soft.”

“She won’t ask for it.”

Shakky said.

“I know,” 

“But she’ll need it.”

There was a long, quieter beat between them. 

Letting the situation really sink in

Shakky asked softly, 

“Rayleigh,” 

“Does she know who the father is?”

“Yeah. She knows.”

Another pause.

“...He’s gonna break when he finds out, 

Isn’t he?”

Rayleigh closed his eyes and chuckled

“Probably .”

—-

After Rayleigh snuck away for the call

Luffy just… stared.

At her face.

At her eyes.

Wide and familiar in a way 

That made something behind Luffy’s ribs pull tight.

Her voice was rough with too many emotions.

“You’ve got his eyes,” 

A small noise escaped Haru

She shifted closer into Luffy’s warmth.

Luffy’s throat tightened.

““I dunno what he’ll do.”

Her thumb brushing gently over Haru’s cheek, 

Over her dark little lashes, her soft nose. 

The way her tiny chest rose and fell. 

“He’s gonna see you once and know. 

You’re not subtle, huh.”

She laughed a little

A pause. 

The moment felt like the truth was finally hitting.

Her voice trembled,

“Maybe he’ll be mad.”

The words spilled out before she could stop them.

“Maybe he’ll think I didn’t trust him. 

Or that I wanted to keep you from him.”

She blinked fast.

“I didn’t know. I really didn’t. 

You snuck in there like a little spy. 

No one told me pirates could get pregnant during survival training.”

Another small laugh escaped her

She swallowed thick.

“But once he sees you…”

She closed her eyes.

“Once he sees you,.”

“You’re gonna wreck him in the best way, baby girl.”

There was silence for a beat.

Luffy pulled Haru in a little tighter, 

Resting her cheek against the tiny crown of her head.

She let a few tears slip and whispered

“He doesn’t know it yet, 

But I hope he stays and isn't angry or disappointed.”

————

In the morning 

The sun had risen fully now,

Casting light through the jungle canopy.

Shakky stepped through the thick vines 

Effortlessly composed despite the humidity.

A satchel slung over one shoulder 

Absolutely stuffed with supplies.

 Two Amazons followed behind her, 

Arms full of cloth bundles, bottles, 

And a wicker basket with what looked suspiciously like a hand-carved baby crib in it.

Rayleigh waved lazily from the fire pit. 

“Took your time.”

She stepping fully into camp.

“I stopped for real milk,” 

“Synthetic formula is fine, 

But if you want strong bones, 

You bring the good stuff.”

Luffy was sitting near the canopy, 

Haru curled against her chest, 

Her hair was messier than usual, 

She looked completely, utterly overwhelmed.

Shakky took one look at her face 

And softened immediately.

“Well, well,” 

 “There’s our mama.”

Luffy blinked at her.

“You’re not freaking out.”

Shakky shrugged. 

“Why would I?” 

“Babies happen. Love happens.”

“Pirates are still people.”

Then she knelt down, 

Eyes fixed on the tiny bundle in Luffy’s arms.

“May I?”

Luffy hesitated for a breath, 

Then nodded 

Slowly passed Haru into Shakky’s arms.

Shakky held her with smooth practice. 

She rocked her gently, 

Brushing a thumb across her forehead.

“She’s beautiful.”

She’s got wonderful eyes too.”

Luffy mocked groaned.

And blushes slightly

 “You too?”

Rayleigh laughed from the log. 

“It’s uncanny.”

Shakky smiled. 

“That’s going to be one very dramatic reunion.”

Luffy shifted but now a little lighter. 

“You brought a lot.”

Shakky nodded toward the stacks of supplies 

“Diapers, bottles, milk, wraps, blankets, 

You’re covered.”

Luffy blinked.

 “I don’t even know what half of those are for.”

Shakky settled Haru into a sling

“You’ll learn,” 

“Now get over here, wild girl. 

I’m changing both of you.”

Luffy squawked. 

“I can dress myself!”

“Sure you can.”

“I just don’t trust you to match.”

Luffy sat in new clothes now

Her (Laws) hoodie finally went to the wash pile. 

Haru was now bundled and tucked into a cradle

Luffy blinked down at her, hands hovering nervously. 

“She smells like... flowers and milk now.”

Shakky said, sitting with a cup of tea.

“That’s a good sign,” 

Rayleigh nodded toward the baby.

“So, Luffy.” 

“Question.”

She looked up, wary. 

“Yeah?”

“How are you planning to train with her in your arms?”

Luffy opened her mouth, then stopped.

Her face fell.

 “...I don’t know.”

Rayleigh chuckled.

Then said, simple as air:

“I’ll carry her.”

Luffy’s head snapped toward him.

 “What?”

Rayleigh smirked, 

“Red and Blue. 

Two little ones on the Oro Jackson. 

You think we didn’t figure it out then, too? 

I trained while rocking kids to sleep.

 Held a sword in one hand and a bottle in the other.”

Luffy just stared.

“You... what?!”

He added.

 “They were family. This one’s yours. 

And that makes her ours while you’re here.”

Shakky gave a soft snort. 

“He’s being humble. 

He was better with babies than half the mothers I knew.”

Luffy’s throat caught.

She looked at both of them

Rayleigh’s calm, unwavering smile 

Shakky’s quiet pride

Something tight in her chest loosened.

“You’re sure?”

Rayleigh nodded once.

“We were training you to be a monsters before. 

Now we can raise one, too.”

Luffy glanced at Haru again

She whispered, a little breathless.

“...Okay then,” 

“Let’s make her proud.”

Shakky gently brushing a hand 

Across the Haur’s soft cheek.

“Alright, wild girl. 

“I’ll stop by monthly for check-ins and supply drops. 

You’re not doing this alone.”

Luffy blinked fast 

Gave a small, grateful nod.

Shakky leaned in close.

 “And if anything comes up you call me.

Understood?”

Luffy replied, quieter than usual.

“Got it,” 

Shakky turned to Rayleigh with a knowing look. 

“You break her, old man, 

You answer to me.”

Rayleigh gave a lazy salute. 

“Noted.”

Shakky looked at Haru one more time

“You’ve got something real here,” 

 “Don’t let the world burn it before it grows.”

Then she was gone through the trees.

A short while later while Haru napped

Luffy and Rayleigh started with simple stretches

Neither wanted to overdo it too much

Rayleigh watched with a sharp gaze,

“Your balance is off,” 

“Shift your weight—there.”

 “Again.”

Rayleigh smirked when she nailed the form.

“Good. Again. 

And don’t look over here just because she makes a noise.”

“I wasn’t!”

“You were.”

Luffy grumbled but repeated the motion.

She didn’t say it out loud, but she didn’t need to.

She was fighting for something now.

Every punch was a promise.

Every dodge was a shield.

Luffy growled through a grin.

 “Hope she remembers this when she’s older.”

Rayleigh chuckled. 

“She won’t. But her instincts will.”

Luffy dropped into a stance, eyes gleaming. 

“Good.”

“ I’ll teach her to punch with her heart.”

—-

Haru - 4 months old

The sky above was blazing blue. 

The wide ledge of cliffs that loomed high above the forest.

It was a new training ground

Steeper terrain, harsher footing, 

Perfect for pushing endurance, 

And every last muscle to the edge.

Luffy stood on the rocky platform 

Wind tugging at her shirt, sweat trailing down her back. 

She was breathing hard, 

Below, about ten meters down

Rayleigh standing at the jungle floor 

Strapped to his chest in a soft wrap was Haru, 

Head poking out over the edge of the sling 

Wide awake watching everything

Like a tiny general surveying her kingdom.

Rayleigh called up, bored and amused.

“Alright,” 

“I said dodge and redirect, 

Not yeet yourself off the damn cliff. 

You listening up there?”

Luffy wiped her brow and grinned down at him.

“Yeah, yeah, I got it this time.”

“You said that last time.”

She backed up a few steps, 

Eyes narrowing in focus.

Luffy took off.

She sprinted across the ledge, 

Foot hitting the final edge

Too hard, too far forward.

“Oh shi—”

She missed.

Her footing slipped just enough to lose control 

With a wild flail of limbs and a loud

“WAAAAAAAAHOOO!”

Luffy fell.

Straight off the cliff.

Feet kicking, arms wheeling.

There was a beat of silence.

Than from Rayleigh’s chest, 

Haru blinked once.

Then squealed with glee.

And laughed for the first time.

A tiny, shrieking baby giggle, 

High-pitched and delighted, 

Bouncing up and down in the wrap 

Like she’d just seen the best comedy routine of her life.

Rayleigh raised an eyebrow. 

“Really?”

Haru laughed harder.

He sighed, shaking his head fondly.

“You’re gonna be just as dangerous as she is, aren’t you?”

Luffy’s head poked from ground. 

She spit out dirt 

“Was that her laugh?!”

Rayleigh smirked.

 “Like it was the funniest thing she’s ever seen.”

Luffy groaned.

 “She’s evil. 

Tiny and evil.”

Haru squealed again, kicking her little feet.

Rayleigh looked down at her and deadpanned:

“You’re going to be dangerous”

————-

Haru - 6 month old 

The afternoon sun poured down on the jungle cliffs, 

Wind moved lazily through the trees, 

Luffy sweat-slicked, bruised, but focused, 

They were focusing on armament Haki

Rayleigh stood nearby, 

Cradling Haru against his chest in her well-worn wrap.

She was a little heavier now. 

Still all cheeks and attitude, 

With her mother’s grin and her father’s eyes. 

Her dark hair was fluffier, wild and wind-blown.

And lately

She babbled alot 

Rayleigh paced near the edge of the clearing 

Luffy launched herself into a set of rapid haki strikes

Elbows, knees, quick turns, 

Raw speed laced with pinpoint control.

Rayleigh called lazily. 

“Focus your center,” 

“You’re leaning again.”

“I’m not—!”

“You are.”

Luffy grunted, wiped sweat from her brow, 

“I swear she throws off my rhythm.”

Rayleigh looked down at Haru.

 “You distracting your mama again?”

Haru squinted up at him, 

Nose crinkled, drool on her chin.

Then

Soft. Garbled. But distinct.

“M… mmm… ma…”

Rayleigh blinked.

“...Luffy.”

Luffy didn’t look at first, still mid-turn.

“Yeah?”

Rayleigh stopped walking.

“Listen.”

Another sound, this time louder. 

A squeak of effort, a breathy babble, 

“Ma…ma…”

Luffy froze.

Turned so fast she nearly tripped over her own ankle.

“Wait—did she—did she just—?”

Rayleigh was smiling now, 

Gentle and full of pride, 

Eyes down on the little girl in his arms.

“She did.”

Luffy crossed the clearing in four steps flat, 

Dropped to her knees in front of them.

“Say it again, Haru.”

“Say it again.”

Haru blinked at her.

And then her eyes lit up with mischief. 

She reached a chubby hand forward, 

Grabbing a lock of Luffy’s damp hair

And babbled again.

“Ma…ma.”

Not perfect.

Not even a full word.

But close enough to drop Luffy’s heart 

Straight out of her chest.

She whispered, smiling wide, eyes stinging. 

“That’s me,” 

“That’s me.”

Rayleigh lowered her carefully into Luffy’s arms.

Luffy pressing their foreheads together 

As she laughed, soft and breathless, 

Her whole body trembling from something 

Training couldn’t prepare her for.

She whispered.

“You got a voice now, huh?” 

“Next you’ll be arguing with me.”

Haru squealed like it was a promise.

Rayleigh chuckled.

 “Now you’re really in trouble.”

Luffy held Haru tighter, 

Her voice low.

“Not trouble,” 

“Not ever.”

———-

Haru - 7.5 months old 

The light slanted through the canopy 

The fire pit was cold for once, 

Rayleigh sat beneath a wide palm, 

Leaning back with his arms behind his head, 

Half-lidded eyes watching the clearing in front of him 

Like it was a stage.

And on that stage?

Luffy, shirt half-drenched in sweat from training 

Crouched low to the ground, 

Eyes locked on a tiny figure a few feet ahead of her.

Haru.

She had discovered something 

Far more powerful than Haki.

Crawling.

She had zero control, no sense of danger, 

And the boundless energy with no off switch.

Luffy lunged.

 “Haru, no—!”

Too late.

Haru shrieked with joy

Darted forward on her hands and knees, 

Weaving toward the firewood pile.

“YOU’RE GOING TOWARD SHARP THINGS—”

Luffy scrambled after her, slipping on a vine, 

Landing face-first in the moss.

Rayleigh didn’t move..

He just smiled slowly, watching the chaos unfold.

From the other side of the camp, 

Haru made a high-pitched giggle, 

Then abruptly changed direction.

Luffy's head shot up.

“She turned?! She can turn now?! 

RAYLEIGH!”

He didn’t even look concerned. 

“Told you. She's evolving.”

“She's crawling like she's training 

For the next Buster Call!”

Luffy dove again.

Haru let out a burst of wild, high giggles

The kind of laugh that echoed through the jungle

Rayleigh’s grin grew. 

The kind of smile a man only made 

When he’d seen all the worst in the world 

And still found joy watching a baby torment her pirate mother.

Luffy finally caught Haru 

Hoisted her into the air triumphantly.

“Gotcha! You tiny outlaw! ”

Haru giggled harder, 

Grabbing two fistfuls of Luffy’s hair and yanking.

“OW—okay, okay, truce!”

Luffy cradled her, 

Half-laughing, half-crying, 

She looked up at Rayleigh, 

Who didn’t even try to hide the amusement in his eyes.

“You knew this was coming,” 

He tilted his head.

“I knew she was yours.”

——-

Haru -  9 months.

The afternoon air was thick with heat and 

The jungle swaying gently in a lazy breeze. 

Sweat dripped down Luffy’s back 

As she stood in the clearing, 

Fists clenched, breath slow and focused.

Across from her, 

Rayleigh stood calmly,

The small baby balanced in the crook of one arm.

“Again,”

 .

Luffy gritted her teeth, 

Breathing in through her nose. 

She concentrated, 

Felt the tension swell in her chest and push outward

Willed it into her arms, her skin, her bones.

She launched forward, fist coated in black

She stumbled. 

Rayleigh called. 

“Too much in your shoulder,” 

“Don’t force the flow!”

“Guide it.”

Luffy let out a groan 

“Uuugh. I suck at this.”

Rayleigh bouncing the small bundle in his arm. 

“You’re improving,” 

Haru kicked her legs lazily,

Her cheek squished against his shoulder. 

Her eyes drifted from bird to tree to Luffy

Then to the soft silver strands of Rayleigh’s beard.

She blinked.

Then grabbed.

Hard.

Rayleigh let out a startled yelp. 

“Oi—!”

Haru squealed in delight

Gave his beard another victorious yank.

Luffy laughed 

“She’s been eyeing that thing all day Rayleigh.”

Rayleigh muttered,

Trying to gently pry her fingers loose. 

“Didn’t know she had iron grip haki,” 

Haru clung tighter, giggling.

In a voice still finding its shape

“…Lelee.”

Rayleigh froze.

Luffy whipped her head

. “…What did she say?”

Haru giggled again, waving a slobbery fist.

 “Lelee!”

Rayleigh stared at her, completely still.

Luffy had wide grin blooming across her face. 

“She’s never called you that before. 

That’s your name now, old man.”

Rayleigh didn’t respond at first. 

He just looked down at Haru, 

Who was now chewing on the edge of his coat 

Like nothing had happened.

He chuckled, low and rough, 

Pressed a gentle hand to the back of her head.

“Well,” 

“Guess I’ve been promoted.”

Luffy beamed.

Rayleigh cleared his throat 

Blinking faster than normal. 

“Let’s try that Haki again, yeah?”

But when a tiny voice called him “Lelee,” 

It hit somewhere deep, quiet, and permanent.

———-

Haru - 12 months 

First Birthday

The jungle was alive with noise.

Birds screeched overhead. 

Rayleigh didn’t even look up at the scream. 

He just took another sip of his tea.

And across the clearing

“GET BACK HERE YOU TINY TERROR—!”

Luffy watching after Haru, 

Who was crawling like a possessed cannonball 

Haru was now an unstoppable blur of 

Baby energy and her mothers chaos, 

She squealed as she veered off course, 

Crashing shoulder-first into a stack of laundry 

“You little gremlin!”

Haru giggled. 

Laughed like a maniac, 

Spinning onto her back and wiggling wildly in triumph.

Rayleigh leaned against a tree 

Gave her a slow, knowing look.

“She’s faster than last week.”

Luffy growled, 

Hoisted her into the air.

“She’s smarter than last week,” 

“I think she waits for me to get tired 

Before she goes on a rampage.”

Haru laughed again, delighted, 

Pointed wildly at the firepit.

“Mama, boom-boom?” 

Luffy said, planting a kiss on her cheek. 

“Not today, short stack,” 

“You’re not lighting anything on fire

Until at least your second birthday.”

Haru squinted at her 

Wriggling in her arms and pointing at Rayleigh.

Than demanded 

“Lelee!”

Rayleigh groaned.

“Sorry, no can do sweetie”

 “Still can’t believe she calls me that.”

Luffy grinned.

“You earned it,” 

“That’s your reward.”

Haru repeated gleefully, 

“Lelee!” .

A voice called out from the trail. 

“I heard that!”

Luffy twisted just as Shakky stepped into the clearing, 

Arms full of parcels 

With an amused smile on her face.

Shakky said lightly,

“Oh,” 

“I see the queen of the jungle has found her throne.”

Haru shrieked in delight.

“KIKI!” 

Shakky chuckled as she approached,

Crouching to open her arms. 

“Come here, wildflower.”

Haru dove from Luffy’s arms with force

Shakky laughed 

Haru immediately grabbed a fistful of her hair 

And started babbling.

Luffy said, a little breathless.

“She missed you,” 

Shakky replied fondly.

“She bit me the last time I visited,” 

“I take that as love now.”

Luffy said, eyeing her with surprise.

“You’re early though,” 

Shakky said, waving it off. 

“Of course I am,” 

“I wouldn't miss my girl’s first birthday.”

Luffy blinked, then grinned wide. 

“Aw, man. 

She’s really one already, huh?”

They spread out  weather-worn blanket 

Shakky laid out small bundles of snacks, 

Along with a surprise 

The’d carried all the way from Sabaody

A sponge cake wrapped in cloth 

Luffy gasped like she’d seen treasure. 

“Is that real? 

Like, real cake?!”

Shakky slicing it unevenly with a pocketknife.

“Yup,” 

“Not even burnt.”

Luffy whispered reverently, 

Already cramming a chunk in her mouth.

“Thank you” 

Haru was planted in Shakky’s lap, 

Tearing apart a soft mango with sticky fingers, 

Alternating between feeding herself 

And trying to smear it into Shakky’s top. 

Every so often she would screech, 

Then clap, then throw something. 

Luffy said with half a mouthful of cake.

“She’s so calm,” 

Rayleigh snorted.

 “She’s plotting.”

“You just don’t speak baby.”

“I do speak baby. I’m fluent.”

Shakky teased. 

“You speak Luffy,” 

“Which is not a known language.”

Haru flopped backward dramatically in Shakky’s lap 

And shouted, 

“Kiki! Lelee!”

“Mama bad!”

Luffy sat up. 

“What?” 

“I’m not bad!”

Rayleigh said.

“You dropped her in the river last week,” 

“She dove in!”

“She’s one. You’re the adult.”

“I panicked!”

Haru snorted like she was proud of the chaos.

As the evening dimmed into a rich orange haze, 

The three adults and one tiny tyrant sat in easy peace. 

The fire crackled low.

Shakky was humming something 

While bouncing Haru gently on her knee. 

Luffy, lying sprawled on the blanket, 

Arms behind her head, 

Slowly blinking through the canopy. 

“She’s bigger than I thought,”

 “Feels like I just had her.”

Rayleigh seated beside the fire nodded.

 “She’s got your energy.”

Luffy muttered.

“She’s got his scowl,”

 “It’s so cute.”

Rayleigh added.

“She threw a rock at a snake yesterday,” 

Luffy sighed.

 “Yeah, okay, that’s all me.”

They laughed quietly.

Haru cried again, suddenly animated. 

“Lelee!” 

“Up!”

Rayleigh blinked.

Shakky looked down as Haru twisted in her arms, 

She gripped Haru’s small hands 

Helped her find her balance and stand.

Shakky asked gently.

“Wanna go to Lelee?” 

Haru nodded.

Rayleigh knelt down a little distance away, 

Arms open. 

“Alright, shorty. 

Show me what you got.”

Luffy sat up straight.

Haru took a step.

Then froze.

Shakky let go slowly.

Wobble.

Another step. 

Hesitant.

Then a third.

Shakky encouraged softly, 

Hands hovering near.

“Come on, Haru,” 

Rayleigh stayed still, focused, calm. 

Haru teetered

Then screamed in frustration, 

Stomped her little foot

And launched herself forward.

She walked, wobbling the last four steps 

Landed in Rayleigh’s arms.

Luffy hollered, clapping wildly. 

“She walked! She walked! 

You saw it! You all saw it!”

Shakky laughed, eyes damp. 

“Our girl’s not crawling anymore.”

Rayleigh beamed, 

Spinning Haru gently in his arms. 

“First steps straight to me, huh? 

Guess I am her favorite.”

They all laughed still joyful for what happened

Haru just giggled and yelled 

“BOOM!”

Later, after the fire burned low 

Haru had passed out curled against Luffy’s chest, 

The adults sat quietly in the glow of the fire.

Shakky murmured.

“She’s gonna be unstoppable,” 

Luffy smiled into Haru’s hair. 

“She already is.”

Rayleigh smiled slightly

 “You’ll need to train harder, you know. 

If she’s walking now, she’ll be running next week.”

Luffy whispered. 

“I’ll chase her,” 

“I’ll always chase her.”

Shakky leaned over,

Brushing a strand of hair from Haru’s face. 

“She’s got more than fire in her.”

“She’s got love.”

“That’ll keep her steady.”

Luffy met Shakky’s gaze and nodded.

For one wild, perfect moment, 

They were just a found family in the jungle. 

Loud, chaotic, and full of love.

And Haru had taken her first steps 

They all knew it was the start of something unstoppable.

———

Haru — 15 months old

Night Before Leaving Rusukaina for good

The jungle was quieter than usual that night. 

Like even the birds and beasts knew something was shifting.

The fire crackled low in the center of the clearing, 

A pot of tea sat between three worn mugs, 

Haru was now a wild storm in tiny legs

Her little sandals smacking the earth with every chaotic stomp.

She shouted gleefully, chasing a beetle with a stick

“Boom!”

Luffy, sitting on a log with her chin in her hand. 

“She’s been yelling at everything since last week.”

Rayleigh added from across the fire, mug in hand.

“She threw a rock at a rabbit and yelled it this morning,” 

Shakky added calmly. 

“She chased a crab into the water and tried to drown it,” 

“I think she takes after you.”

Luffy groaned and buried her face in her hands.

 “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Shakky’s eyes softened.

 “You’re really nervous.”

Luffy mumbled into her palms.

“I didn’t think I’d be this bad,” 

“But I’m—yeah. Kinda freaking out.”

Rayleigh took a slow sip. 

“About going back to the crew?”

Luffy said, finally lifting her head. 

Her thoughts tangled behind her eyes.

“All of it,” 

“What if they look at me different? 

What if Nami gets mad

Or Usopp thinks I got replaced—?”

Shakky said gently.

“They won’t,” 

She stared into the fire, 

Fingers drumming anxiously on her knee.

“They’re my crew, yeah, I know they won’t leave,” 

“But what if I’m different? 

What if they don’t know how to be around me anymore?”

Rayleigh nodded slowly. 

“You’ve changed. So have they. 

That’s not a bad thing.”

Luffy’s mouth twitched. 

At the edge of the clearing, 

Haru was now trying to climb a log twice her height. 

She slipped, landed on her butt with a triumphant 

“Ta-da!”

A few seconds passed in silence, 

Filled only by the pop of the fire.

Then Shakky glanced at her. 

“Why else are you nervous?”

Luffy didn’t answer right away. 

She admitted. 

“Not solely about my crew. 

I miss them. But…”

Her voice faltered. 

Then came back.

“What if the world looks at her and says I’m not ready?”

Rayleigh’s voice came firm.

“The world doesn’t get to say anything. 

You’ve already done more than most captains ever will

With a baby in your arms, in the middle of the jungle, 

Bleeding from training, and still smiling.”

Shakky nodded. 

“You didn’t run. You didn’t break. 

That’s more than half the men I knew on the sea.”

Haru stood and tried again to climbed the log

She shrieked in triumph as she made it to the top, 

Then immediately jumped off with no plan for landing.

Rayleigh caught her mid-fall 

Flipped her upside down. 

“Menace,”

Haru giggled like she’d just robbed a bank. 

“Lelee!”

Shakky tilted her glass toward Luffy.

 “And what about him?”

The question hung there.

Luffy’s face softened.

“I think about him every time I look at her.”

“I don’t know what he’ll say. 

I don’t know if he’ll be mad or scared. 

Or just go quiet and start calculating things 

In that surgeon brain of his.”

Rayleigh chuckled low

“Sounds about right.”

Luffy nodded once.

“Yeah. But it’s more than that,” 

“I’ve had her with me for fifteen months. 

My baby. My little chaos baby. 

You two helped with that.

I don’t know if I can handle it if he…”

Her throat tightened.

“If he doesn’t want her.”

Rayleigh’s brow furrowed. 

“He left before you even knew. That’s not his fault.”

“I know that,” 

Luffy snapped, then flinched. 

“Sorry.”

Shakky’s hand settled lightly over Luffy’s.

 “You don’t have to apologize.”

Luffy stared at the fire again. 

“He didn’t get to choose. 

But I did. And I’d choose her again, every time. 

Even if it meant losing him.”

From Rayleigh’s lap, 

Haru squirmed and reached, 

 “Mama!”

Luffy pulled her close, 

Kissed the top of her head.

 “I’m scared, that’s all.”

Shakky said softly

“You’re allowed to be,”

“But I’ll say this”

“If he can’t love you with her in your arms”

“He never deserved you to begin with.”

Luffy blinked hard.

Shakky added, 

“And if he can,” 

“Then you’ll know.”

Luffy smiled

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Shakky gave her a quiet, approving smile. 

“Then you’re ready.”

Luffy looked down at Haru.

“Yeah,” 

“I think we are.”

Haru smacked Luffy’s chest like a drum.

 “Mama boom!”

Rayleigh chuckled. 

“She’s trying to lighten the mood.”

Shakky said, 

““Whatever happens,” 

“You always have us. ”

Luffy looked at her, voice small.

 “Even if I mess it all up?”

Rayleigh said.

“Especially then,” 

Luffy curled her arms tighter around Haru 

She whispered, 

“Thanks for everything you guys.”

Tomorrow they would go back to the sea

To the adventure.

Chapter Text

The coast of Sabaody was thick with salt and sunlight, 

The Thousand Sunny bobbed gently in the harbor, 

On the deck, 

Nami stood near the railing, arms crossed, 

Eyes scanning the island 

Usopp whispered beside her.

“I can’t believe we’re actually back,” 

“After two whole years…”

Chopper  bounced excitedly near them 

“I-I already smelled Sanji earlier! 

And Zoro too, I think!”

Franky, newly upgraded

“SUPER reunion time, baby!”

Robin leaned against the rail, 

The corners of her mouth hinted at a rare smile.

 “It feels like the start of something again, doesn’t it?”

Footsteps approached on the dock.

“Yo, Straw Hats!”

They turned.

Shakky strode up the gangplank with a wave, 

Rayleigh behind her with a calm smile.

Nami smiled, jogging forward to greet them. 

“Shakky!” 

“Rayleigh!”

Usopp waved enthusiastically. 

“It’s good to see you both!”

Rayleigh nodded with a warm chuckle. 

“You all look stronger. More grounded.”

Shakky gave Robin a light nod, 

Then ruffled Chopper’s hat. 

“You’ve all grown up.”

Franky puffed up. 

“Damn right we have!”

Rayleigh turned to Nami.

 “ I’ll walk you through how the coating works.”

Nami’s brow furrowed slightly, 

Ever the navigator. 

“What are we talking?”

Rayleigh said easily.

“Same as above water”

“Just with a bubble around her now,” 

Shakky glanced back toward the horizon.

 “Brook already got the message I passed along.”

“He’ll be here soon.”

Usopp imitated dramatically, grinning. 

“Yohoho,” 

“It’ll be great to hear him laugh again.”

There was a pause

Usopp squinted toward the trees

“Hey, uh… Rayleigh?” 

“Where’s Luffy?”

“ She’s not here yet”

The crew quieted.

Nami straightened a little. 

Robin’s eyes narrowed just slightly.

 Franky looked around, just in case.

Rayleigh smiled gently.

“She’s fine.”

“She’s already here on the island.”

Nami let out a breath 

She didn’t realize she’d been holding.

Chopper bounced on his hooves.

 “Really?!”

Robin’s lips curved.

Franky clapped his hands together.

 “SUPER?!”

Usopp grinned ear to ear. 

“Captain’s already here. 

Just waiting for her big entrance.”

And amidst the rising excitement 

Shakky and Rayleigh exchanged a quiet look. 

Because soon, the Straw Hats would know.

But not yet.

————

The Pacifista’s body hit the mangrove floor 

With a thunderous crash, bark splintering beneath it, 

 Luffy landed in a crouch, 

Steam still curling from her limbs.

A beat passed.

She straightened slowly.

Beneath her red vest, snug and almost hidden 

Haru shifted against her heart.

Still asleep.

Luffy exhaled softly. 

“Good girl.”

She adjusted the fabric protectively 

Turned her attention to the settling dust.

Then

“Oi, Captain!”

“Luffy!!”

Two voices. Familiar. Loud..

Zoro appeared first, swords on his waist

Sanji followed seconds later,  cigarette glowing

Luffy smiled brightly .

 “Oi.”

Zoro jogged over. 

“Heard some noise. Thought it was you.”

Sanji scanned the wreckage.

 “You one-shot that thing?”

Luffy shrugged, casual.

 “Pretty much.”

Neither of them noticed the small shape 

Strapped beneath her vest yet

Then a rumble.

Another Pacifista burst from the foliage, 

Launching toward the trio with zero hesitation.

Zoro reacted instantly. 

“Incoming!”

Luffy took a step back, 

Hand already on the sling as her eyes sharpened. 

“You two take this one.”

Sanji nodded. 

“You’re hurt?”

She grinned. 

“Nope.” 

“I’ve got precious cargo.”

Still not getting it, 

Zoro smirked and stepped forward.

 “Let’s dance, dart-brow.”

“Try not to stab yourself this time, moss-for-brains.”

And just like that, 

Zoro and Sanji launched into perfect tandem, 

Arguing under their breath 

Even as they worked and struck with lethal precision.

The second Pacifista hit the ground, 

Smoke rising from its shattered chest.

Zoro stepped back, panting lightly.

 “Too easy.”

Sanji lit another cigarette. 

“That’s because I carried—”

“BOOM!”

The sound didn’t come from the wreckage.

Both men froze.

It came from Luffy.

No—from Luffy’s chest.

And then: a giggle. 

High-pitched. Joyful. 

Followed by a muffled

 “Mama boom!”

Zoro blinked.

Sanji blinked.

Luffy sighed.

She shifted her vest aside,  

Revealing the very expressive Haru, 

Who was now clapping enthusiastically 

Zoro took a literal step backward. 

“...Is that a baby?”

Sanji’s cigarette dropped right out of his mouth.

Eye twitched. 

“A baby?”

Zoro’s eyes narrowed.

  “...Did you steal a baby?”

Sanji blinked.

 “Luffy. What. Is. That.”

Luffy snapped.

“I didn’t steal her!” 

Haru grinned up at them, 

Two teeth peeking out, 

Her little fingers still clapping 

Like she was delivered a show.

Zoro blinked.

 “She’s laughing.”

Sanji squatted down, mouth slightly open. 

“She likes us?”

Luffy said dryly.

“She loves chaos,” 

Sanji smiled, genuinely this time. 

“Who’s the little firecracker?”

Luffy laughed softly.

 “Her name’s Haru.”

Zoro crouched down too 

He blinked. 

“You had a baby.”

Sanji looked like he was buffering. 

Then he made a small sound

Something between a gasp and a choked sob. 

“You have a baby.”

Luffy scratched her cheek. 

“Yeah.”

Sanji smile wobbled. 

“You have a baby. Luffy, she’s perfect.”

“She’s so small.”

He leaned forward,. 

“Hi, Haru. I’m your uncle Sanji.”

Haru babbled happily.

“Jiii,” 

Sanji laughed. 

“Close enough’”

Zoro smirked.

 “Fitting, actually.”

“Im your uncle Zoro”

Haru pointed at Zoro.

 “Zoooo!”

Zoro looked horrified.

 “Did she just call me a zoo?”

Luffy laughed

“She names people how she sees ‘em. 

You’re ‘Zoo.’ He’s ‘Jiii.’ 

Deal with it.”

Sanji looked like he was going to cry. 

“She’s perfect.”

Zoro huffed, 

But couldn’t hide the soft grin 

 “She’s got your smile.”

Luffy looked down, 

“She’s got a lot of me.”

Haru squealed, waving her arms.

 “Zoo! Jiii! Boom!”

Sanji sighed dreamily. 

“She’s gonna be trouble.”

Zoro nodded solemnly. 

“She’s definitely yours.”

Luffy grinned.

“I know.”

Neither of them asked who the father was.

And she was grateful.

So deeply relieved they hadn’t asked.

They just saw her.

Luffy who was still their Captain.

And now Haru’s mama, too.

They turned and walked toward the ship

Sanji wiped his cheek with his sleeve 

“Uncle Sanji, reporting for duty. 

I make excellent snacks.”

Zoro grinning faintly.

 “Uncle Zoro, master of naps. 

You want sword lessons, kid? 

I’ll teach you how to cut a tree in half.”

Haru shrieked, delighted.

“Zoo! Jii! Boom!

Luffy’s chest felt light. 

Like air. Like home.

“Glad to be back.”

Luffy walked between Zoro and Sanji, 

Haru was babbling excitedly 

Gesturing at trees, leaves, and at birds   

She announced, 

Pointing toward a bug skittering along a tree root

“Baa! Mama!!”

Zoro said, glancing down.

“That’s a bug,” 

“Not a baa.”

Sanji whispered reverently.

“She’s inventing the language of the future,” 

The path sloped downward,

The branches parted

Revealing the Thousand Sunny 

Luffy stopped at the edge of the clearing, 

Heart beating faster than she expected.

Haru waved toward the ship. 

“Boaa!”

Luffy said softly.

“That’s right,” 

“That’s our home.”

———-

From the deck, voices drifted together.

“Brook’s still not here?”

“He’ll be soon. Shakky said he got the message.”

“When will Luffy be here?”

They didn’t see her at first.

Not until Haru screeched, 

“JIIII!”

Sanji wetly chuckled . 

“You’re gonna make me cry again.”

Heads turned toward the gangplank.

And there she was

Luffy, standing tall and strong, 

And against her chest, 

Was a tiny wild thing with curls and chaos in her eyes.

A pause settled across the deck.

Nami gasped.

“Luffy?!” 

Robin stepped forward, her breath catching softly.

Chopper blinked, stunned.

Usopp’s mouth dropped open.

Franky’s shades slid halfway down his nose.

Brook, having just arrived, 

Looked around. 

“Yohoho? Did I miss something—

Oh my.”

The silence didn’t last long.

Chopper squeaked, hooves flailing.

“IS THAT A BABY?!” 

Nami stammered, wide-eyed. 

“Captain!” 

“You have a baby!?”

Robin’s eyes shimmered, 

Lips parting in a gentle smile 

“Oh…”

Brook stepped forward, bowing low. 

“A tiny goddess has joined our orchestra!”

“I must write a lullaby immediately.”

Usopp pointed, voice cracking. 

“She—she’s smiling at me! 

Guys, I think she likes me! 

She smiled and I didn’t even do anything yet!”

Franky bolted below deck with a shout. 

“TIME TO BABY-PROOF THE SHIP!”

Luffy stood overwhelmed,

Unsure what to say.

Robin was the first to kneel down, hands gentle.

 “And who is this precious little chaos?”

Luffy said softly, smiling

“Haru,”

“Her name’s Haru.”

Chopper was already pulling a stethoscope from his bag

 “Can I check her health? Just a little? 

I promise I won’t poke anything scary—”

Luffy reassured him. 

“Sure Chop.”

“After we set sail”

Nami was still staring, jaw half open, 

Then slowly reached out 

Gently squeeze Haru’s foot. 

“She has your chaos written all over her.”

Chopper started tearing up.

 “She’s so small! 

I can’t believe—you’re a mom! 

You’re someone’s mom!”

Luffy nodded.

Nami’s hand went to her mouth, 

She laughed wetly. 

“You’re a mom.”

Robin was still watching Haru, 

Her voice soft. 

“She’s beautiful.”

Haru clapped, 

Delighted by their attention

“Jii! Zoo! Mama!”

Usopp looked like he might pass out from joy.

 “She talks?!”

Luffy corrected.

“She yells,” 

Franky emerged again with a baby gate under one arm 

Bubble wrap in the other. 

“I’m gonna reinforce everything 

No one argue.”

Brook bent low again, beaming.

 “Little Haru, may I serenade you 

With a welcome song of the sea?”

Luffy said.

“She likes drums,” 

“But if you say ‘boom,’”

“She might try to fight you.”

Everyone blinked.

Haru squealed, raised her fists, 

Shouted: 

“BOOM!”

They burst out laughing.

Luffy felt her chest swell with warmth

Not one of them questioned it.

And that…

That meant more than she could say.

The Thousand Sunny sailed deep below the ocean, 

Its bubble-coating gleaming

Casting lights across the walls and floors of the ship.

It should’ve been peaceful.

But peace did not exist where Haru did.

Everyone was gathered in the galley

Haru smacked a spoon against the table like a drum, 

Screamed with joy every time a fish swam by the window.

She declared, pointing at a whale shark.

“Issshhy!” 

Nami muttered from her seat, 

“She’s so expressive,” 

Robin said mildly, 

Watching the baby with amused eyes.

“She’s curious,” 

After a moment, she added

“I’m curious, too,” 

“Luffy… I’ve been meaning to ask

Where did you give birth? 

I thought you were training with Rayleigh.”

Before Luffy could answer, 

Haru threw both arms up 

And shrieked:

“Lelee!”

Everyone turned toward Luffy in unison.

Luffy just scratched her nose and said,

“Middle of the jungle.”

Robin blinked. 

“You’re serious.”

Luffy said.

“Dead serious,” 

“Rayleigh delivered her.”

Usopp choked. 

“The Dark King? “

“He delivered a baby?!”

Chopper gasped. 

“That’s—Luffy, that’s really dangerous! 

What if something went wrong? 

You didn’t have a hospital, or a doctor—”

Luffy waved a hand.

 “We freaked out a bit, yeah. 

But I was fine. 

Haru was fine. 

Messy, though. 

Rayleigh had to burn his shirt.”

Sanji looked pale. 

“Oh my god…”

Zoro, arms crossed nearby,

Gave a small exhale. 

“That old man’s seen a lot.”

“But I bet even he didn’t see that one coming.”

Luffy laughed.

“He called Shakky that night.”

“She brought supplies every month after that.”

“Diapers. Milk. Clothes”

Robin still watching carefully, 

Tilted her head. 

“And during your training?”

Luffy said with a little shrug. 

“Rayleigh carried her,” 

“Or he strapped her to his chest”

“She loved it.”

Chopper’s mouth dropped open.

 “She… grew up in the jungle?”

Luffy grinned, 

“Yup. 

“She liked watching me train. 

Always laughed when I punched stuff.”

Usopp echoed.

“She laughed when you punched things?” 

Luffy’s grin softened.

“Her first laugh was when I fell off a cliff.”

Everyone froze.

Sanji set a bowl of fruit in front of Haru, 

Stared. 

“What?!”

Luffy chuckled. 

“It wasn’t a big fall! 

But I hit a branch on the way down 

She laughed really hard.

Rayleigh teased me for a bit for it”

Franky slammed his wrench down.

 “That’s it!”

“I’m building a baby hammock harness thing 

That mounts to the ceiling. 

No cliffs allowed anymore!”

Brook strummed a gentle chord. 

“She has your spirit, Captain.”

Nami added, arms crossed

But her voice was warm beneath the disbelief. 

“She has your nerve,” 

“You raised her out there.

 All by yourself.”

Luffy said simply.

“Not by myself,” 

“Rayleigh and Shakky helped a lot.”

Chopper wiped a tear. 

“That’s so amazing.”

“She’s so healthy, and happy, and strong! 

I can’t believe you did all that, Luffy!”

Robin nodded, 

Quiet awe in her gaze.

 “I can.”

Haru yelled

 “Boom!” 

Flung a piece of banana across the room.

It smacked near Zoro

Zoro picked up the banana chunk 

Handed it back solemnly. 

“Don’t waste food. Try again.”

Haru squealed in delight.

Nami smiled through the chaos.

 “She’s going to grow up knowing she’s loved.”

Robin said softly.

“She already does,” 

Luffy kissed the top of her head.

 “She’s got all of you now too”

The ship rocked gently pushed deeper into the sea, 

But the deck wasn’t just carrying pirates anymore.

It carried a tiny queen, loved by them all, 

Born in the jungle and raised on chaos.

And none of them were ready for what she’d grow into next.

——

The Thousand Sunny drifted deeper, 

The glowing dome of Fishman Island 

Just beginning to shimmer on the horizon.

But the ship wasn’t moving by wind, or engine.

It was being carried.

By a kraken.

A massive, towering creature, 

Its tentacles curling protectively around the coating, 

Luffy stood at the railing,

A wild grin on her face.

She declared proudly.

“I told you I’d train him!” 

In her arms, Haru was practically vibrating. 

She clung to the rail with both hands

Stared at the kraken with huge, sparkling eyes.

She shouted.

“Issssshhhy!” 

“MAMA! BOOM!!”

The kraken blinked one massive eye in their direction.

 Haru gasped.

Then she demanded, 

Flinging her arms toward it 

“MAHH!!” 

Chopper blinked at her.

 “She’s not scared at all?”

Nami said flatly.

“She’s yelling at it,” 

Brook laughed. 

“Yohohoho!” 

“She has Luffy’s fearlessness!”

Sanji set a plate down nearby and smiled. 

“Fearless? She’s practically challenging it.”

Franky pointed dramatically at the toddler. 

“She is 1000% your kid, Luffy. 

She’s got your energy and your volume.”

Nami groaned, half-expecting it to happen.

“She’s gonna ask to ride that thing next,”

Robin smiled over her book. 

“She’s more than just Luffy’s daughter. 

She’s… a tiny warlord 

That inherited chaos and unfiltered joy.”

They all laughed at the warlord comment

———

Fishman Island opened to the glowing coral city

But shortly, chaos hit like a tidal wave.

The New Fishman Pirates, led by Hody Jones, 

Had struck hard and fast, 

Their plan clear: 

Overthrow Neptune, claim the island, 

And crush any humans in their way.

And they weren’t alone.

100,000 fishman soldiers flooded the plaza.

Luffy stood at the head of her crew,

Haki already simmering under her skin like a rising tide.

She turned her head slightly.

“Robin.”

Robin already had Haru strapped to her chest 

The toddler blinked at the chaos 

Pointed with a curious

 “Boom?”

Luffy said, voice even, eyes cold.

“Stay with her until Franky’s ready,” 

“I need to know she’s safe.”

Robin nodded, 

One hand resting gently over Haru’s back. 

“She’ll be with me.”

Zoro cracked his knuckles beside her. 

“This is going to get messy.”

Sanji lit a cigarette.

 “Just the way we like it.”

The moment Luffy stepped forward,

The front line of fishmen rushed them.

She instantly used Conquers Haki to knock out half

The Straw Hats charged without a trace of hesitation.

They exploded into motion.

Zoro’s swords sang, 

Sanji’s flames danced, 

Brook’s blade glinted like moonlight, 

Usopp’s pop greens bloomed with explosive power. 

Chopper went into monster point with a roar, 

Nami called down lightning from the sky.

And through it all, 

Robin moved gracefully, 

Protecting Haru with every step

Dodging, twisting, repelling attackers 

Without letting the baby feel any fear.

But instead Haru squealed with laughter.

She was enjoying it.

Robin smiled, despite everything

 “You are truly your mother’s daughter.”

Then a crackling buzz filled the plaza.

“GENERAL FRANKY!”

A massive mech stomped through the chaos, 

Cannon-armed and shining, 

Plowing through dozens of enemies at once.

Robin turned just as Franky opened the cockpit 

She called, her voice calm but commanding

“Franky,”

“Your turn to hold her.”

Franky grinned,

Reaching out as Robin carefully passed Haru.

“Already got the seat ready,” 

The baby slid neatly into the cushioned cockpit 

Wide-eyed and gurgling with excitement 

As buttons lit up around her.

Franky gently pressed ear protection over her ears. 

“There ya go, princess. 

Boom-proof cockpit. 

Let’s tear up the plaza, yeah?”

Haru giggled.

 “BOOM!”

“Damn right.”

Luffy, now at the heart of the battle, 

Didn’t even glance back.

She felt it.

The weight gone from Robin’s chest. 

She exhaled slowly.

Focus returned.

And across the plaza stood Hody Jones, 

Eyes bloodshot with rage and madness.

He roared.

“YOU HUMANS DON’T BELONG HERE!”

Luffy stepped forward 

Her voice low and steady. 

“Lets finish this.”

Some time later

The ocean roared in silence.

The Noah an enormous and ancient ship, 

Was caught mid-plummet 

By Sea Kings’ intervention. 

Cracked, damaged, but stopped.

Floating above it, 

Surrounded by dim trails of blood, 

Was Luffy limp in Shirahoshi’s trembling hands.

She whispered, voice cracking 

“L-Luffy-sama?” 

Her hands trembled around Luffy’s unmoving form.

Blood swirled in the water around them like ink.

Shirahoshi’s face crumpled with panic. 

She dove downward, fast

As she screamed through the sea.

The sounds of battle were dying down. 

The civilians of Fishman Island were safe now. 

The remaining enemies routed.

A cry echoed through the skyr.

“LUFFY-SAMA IS HURT!!”

Shirahoshi burst into view 

“PLEASE! SOMEONE! HELP HER!”

Chopper was the first to bolt forward, 

His doctor’s instincts overpowering any fear.

He yelled,.

“Over here!” 

“Set her down! 

Gently—gently!!”

Shirahoshi’s hands shook as she lowered Luffy 

Her vest was soaked red. 

Her face pale. 

Her breathing shallow.

Chopper muttered.

“She’s lost a lot of blood,” 

He barked.

“She needs a transfusion,” 

Jinbe stepped forward.

 “I’ll do it.”

Chopper blinked. 

“You’re compatible?”

Jinbe said without hesitation, 

Already rolling up his sleeve. 

“I have the right type,” 

“Give her mine. Now.”

But then

A piercing wail rang out from nearby.

“Mamaaaaa!!”

Heads turned sharply as Haru, 

Her tiny face scrunched with tears, 

Reached out from Robin’s arms, 

Her chubby fists waving in the air.

Jinbe froze.

“Is that… a baby?”

Chopper didn’t look up, focused on Luffy. 

“That’s her daughter!”

Jinbe blinked, stunned. 

“Her what?!”

Nami knelt beside Robin, 

Both of them gently trying to soothe Haru.

Robin murmured, bouncing her gently.

“It’s okay,” 

“Mama’s just sleeping. 

She’s strong, remember?”

Haru sniffled

“Swon?”.

Nami whispered, stroking her damp curls.

“She’s so strong baby ,” 

Robin offered Jinbe a soft smile. 

“We didn’t get the chance to tell you. 

Her name is Haru.”

Jinbe’s throat tightened 

He looked between the baby 

And the woman bleeding out beside him. 

“She had a child… while training?”

Chopper barked, 

“Focus! I need your arm!”

Snapping back to the moment, 

Jinbe knelt down beside Luffy, arm extended.

“Do it.”

The transfusion began.

Luffy stirred shortly later.

Just a twitch at first. 

Then her hand shifted, just slightly, 

Chopper gasped. 

“She’s responding! 

Her color’s coming back!”

Robin gently lowered Haru closer, 

Enough for the baby to see.

Haru whimpered.

“Mama…?” 

Luffy’s eyes barely fluttered open. 

Her voice was a rough whisper

“Haru…”

Haru burst into tears again

But now with a giddy, hiccupping kind of joy.

Nami choked on her own sob.

 “Don’t ever do that again!”

Robin, voice trembling, whispered,

 “Welcome back, Captain.”

Jinbe just watched in quiet awe.

He choked himself when he thought

Of Ace never being able to meet her

———

Fishman Island shimmered under the lights of celebration.

The square was packed. 

Music echoed, drums and horns blaring, 

Food piled high at banquet tables, 

At the center of it all, 

The Straw Hat Pirates were being treated like legends.

Luffy sat newly bandaged 

Haru was on her lap, of course. 

Wearing a crown of sea flowers. 

Eating a boiled sea plant.

Every time a new fishman passed by 

To thank Luffy for saving the island, 

Haru shouted “Mama Boom!” 

And pointed proudly at her mother.

Laughs erupted every time.

Robin said, sipping wine from a shell cup.

“Her vocabulary is expanding,” 

Nami smirked. 

“Slightly.”

Usopp added.

“She’s already got the timing of a comedian,” 

“It’s SUPER!” 

“I’m building her something to remember this place.”

Brook strummed a cheerful tune nearby, singing:

🎶 “She’s the daughter of the storm,🎶

🎶She was born in the warm,🎶

🎶Where the Dark King trembled 🎶

🎶And the monkeys wrestled~!” 🎶

Jinbe, seated near Luffy, 

Raised a brow at the lyric. 

“Wait—did I hear that right?”

Luffy blinked. 

“Huh?”

Jinbe turned to her. 

“Brook just said Rayleigh was there 

When Haru was born.”

Luffy said, chewing a crab leg

“Yup.”

 “Middle of the jungle.”

“Rayleigh delivered her.”

Jinbe’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. 

“The Dark King delivered her?!”

Haru squealed 

Smashing food in her hand.

Robin gently redirected it.

 “Sweetheart, that’s not how you eat.”

Luffy continued, licking sauce off her thumb. 

“He called Shakky,”

“She brought supplies every month. 

Rayleigh carried Haru while I trained.”

Jinbe’s jaw hung open. 

“Rayleigh first mate of the Pirate King, 

Was walking around in the jungle 

With a baby strapped to him

While you were practicing haki?!”

Luffy nodded. 

“Yup,” 

“She loved it.”

“Her first laugh was when I fell off a cliff.”

Jinbei just chuckled in disbelief 

King Neptune himself stepped forward 

Flanked by Shirahoshi and the princes. 

He raised a glass.

“To the Straw Hats

Who saved our island, our home, and our people. 

And to the smallest Straw Hat

Who braved the battlefield with the heart of a queen!”

Neptune turned toward Haru 

Knelt with surprising gentleness. 

“Young Haru… 

You are an honored guest of Fishman Island. 

Our gates will always be open to you.”

Haru threw food at him.

Luffy laughed until she nearly fell over.

Robin chuckled behind her hand, 

Nami leaned into her shoulder, whispering, 

“This is going to be the weirdest baby book in history.”

The next morning 

The Sunny was stocked, 

The palace waved them off, 

The ship rose back toward the sea above, 

Luffy stood with Haru on her hip, 

The Strawhats perched around the deck.

“Next stop the New World!”

——

The sea around the island churned strangely, 

The land was split down the middle

One half with rivers of glowing magma, 

The other buried deep in snow and ice.

Nami had never seen weather fight itself before.

“This place shouldn’t exist,”.

Franky nodded, 

“We got a distress signal from the icy side, 

But this much elemental madness? 

Something super messed up is going on.”

Luffy stood near the railing, 

Arms crossed loosely over 

The sleeping form strapped to her chest 

Robin stepped beside them, smiling faintly. 

“She sleeps through volcanic tremors now?”

Luffy grinned.

 “She once naps through everything. 

“This is nothing.”

Usopp asked frightened 

.“So what’s the plan, Captain?”

Luffy looked out toward the split land.

“Me, Robin, Usopp, and Zoro’ll take the fire side.”

She adjusted Haru’s sling 

Nodded toward the frozen peaks.

“Chopper, Nami, Sanji, Franky, and Brook

Check out the snow side. 

The distress signal came from there, 

We still might need people everywhere though.”

Nami sighed.

 “I dont want to freeze.”

Sanji winked.

 “Don’t worry, Nami-swan.

 I’ll keep you warm.”

“Touch me and I’ll throw you in a glacier.”

“WORTH IT!”

Chopper nodded

.“Let’s move quickly.”

“This place freaks me out”

Franky slapped his chest.

 “I’ve got winter mode prepped.”

“Let’s go rescue someone!”

The crew split at the shore, 

The heat pulsed through their boots

 Lava snaked lazily down charred slopes, 

Steam rising in great hissing clouds. 

Luffy walked casually, 

Haru still cradled against her chest, 

Usopp gawked at the glowing lava pools. 

“Okay, but what kind of person sends a distress call”

 “ It’s a place full of death!”

Zoro said, not even sweating.

“Maybe they like heat,” 

Usopp squeaked

“You’re a freak of nature.”

Robin paused beside a steaming fissure.

“These formations weren’t made by natural movement. 

There was a fight here. Recently.”

Luffy’s gaze narrowed. 

“Big one?”

Robin nodded.

 “Deliberate. Controlled destruction.”

Haru stirred in her sleep,  muttering groggily.

“Boom?” 

Zoro blinked and crackled

“Did she just sense a fight?”

Luffy said with a proud smile, 

Patting Haru’s back gently. 

“She always does,” 

“That’s my girl.”

Usopp gaped.

“She’s not even awake.”

Robin chuckled. 

“Instincts don’t sleep.”

They crested a hill

The ground trembled beneath their feet.

A distant explosion echoed down the fiery slope.

Luffy’s eyes lit up.

She adjusted Haru in the sling, 

“Hang on, kid.”

 “We’re gonna go exploring.”

Zoro cracked his knuckles. 

“Hope this island's ready for us.”

———

The sterile halls of Caesar’s labs 

Reeked of chemicals and false loyalty.

Law stood with his arms crossed, 

His expression was unreadable

A few months ago,

As a newly crowned Warlord of the sea

He infiltrated this lab for information on Doflamingo

He heard the shouting before the door even opened.

“Marines just landed, Law-ya. 

The G-5 unit. And Smoker’s with ‘em.”

Monet entered, 

Wings fluttering 

“They’re demanding to speak with Caesar.”

Law tilted his head slowly. 

“Of course they are.”

He turned, 

“Tell Clown I’ll handle it.”

Monet arched a brow.

 “You want to negotiate?”

Law muttered under his breath,

“No,” 

“I want to buy myself the time I need.”

Smoker stood at the head of his squad, 

The ever-present cigar clamped tight between his teeth.

The moment Law opened the door  

The tension rippled across the Marine line.

 Law greeted with mock politeness.

“This is my vacation home.”

“What do you want White Chase-ya?”

Smoker’s eyes narrowed.

“This island is off limits to everyone”

Law smirked back

“That applies to you too”

Smoker grumbled

 “I heard a distress call come through here.”

“One that Straw Hat intercepted.”

Law’s poker face held steady.

 “I wouldn’t know anything about that.”

Smoker scoffed. 

“You sure?”

Law didn’t blink.

 “What do you want?”

“Marines falsify S.O.S signals all the time”

But his heart was screaming.