Chapter Text
The first time Law seen Luffy, it was in a bounty poster.
The teen -even though he looked like a little boy- was smiling. The smile was large, bright, and eerily familiar. It made him pause.
Who knew it would eventually lead to him forming an alliance with the strangely happy teen?
Law sighs, feet propped up on the nearest table. He rubs the back of his neck with one hand, ignoring the quaint little restaurant his crew insisted on coming to for their legendary sushi. Most of the crew disagreed, but it was to be expected, considering how many people and their differing taste are among his crew. He also ignores his crew bickering as per usual, while the other half roams the streets for a better restaurant or to shop.
Hopefully this time they won't leave anyone behind. Which is a foolish hope, considering each time that they stop on a island in the rush to leave, at least seven crew members get left behind in the process. Which results in having to arrange a meeting point or a quick turnaround. Really, this is why half stays on the submarine, and the other half are ordered to stick together on land. It's honestly getting to the point where they're going to do the little kid thing, where everyone holds the rope while the selected leader leads.
But who would be the leader? He's sure as hell not going to look ridiculous. It'll have to be Bepo. It would be Penguin, if not for how he bickers with Shachi. Shachi probably wouldn't mind missing out on that adventure, much.
Law sighs again, eyes darting to Bepo karate chopping Shachi for his fish while Ikkaku smacks another crew member. Unknowingly, one side of his lips lift up.
He reaches for another wanted poster, expecting to write the rookie off as useless, or no threat. Much like how he eliminated Eustass Kid. That, and for the fact that they would likely kill each other.
What he comes across makes him pause. It's a teen -more so a boy- happily smiling, all his teeth on full display. Beneath the smiling boy with a peculiar straw hat (like Gold Roger's, his mind supplies) in bold print, reads:
Straw Hat Luffy
Below that:
Wanted Dead Or Alive
Law finds himself smirking, reading the teen's name. Monkey D. Luffy, the D in the teen's name makes his smirk widen, The enemy of the gods'.
Not mentioning the large bounty following the rookie pirate.
"Bepo," not a second later, his nakama's by his side.
A few of their crew members pause to stare at their interaction with wide eyes, many most likely having betting pools already forming in their minds.
"Yes, Captain?"
Law hands the poster over, a smirk on his lips while he closes his eyes and leans back in the chair provided by the restaurant, his hands clasped in his lap.
"Keep your eye on any movement from the Straw Hats' and their captain."
Bepo looks confused while taking the poster, before he bows dutifully.
"Okay, Captain."
Law opens his eyes, tracing the ceiling with one thought running through his mind.
This is going to be fun.
"Sorry!"
"WHY ARE YOU APOLOGIZING!?" their crew howls simultaneously. Bepo once again apologizes a moment later.
Idiots.
The first time Law met Luffy, it was at a Slave Auction House.
Despite annoyance from his fellow rookie, Eustass Kidd, he was impressed by the seemingly innocent teen, with large eyes and an even larger smile.
The Slave Action House is in full swing.
Eustass Kid -captain of the Kid Pirates- is a few seats behind him, just arriving.
"Trafalgar Law, I heard he was rude." The redheaded idiot remarks.
Giving him the middle finger seems like the best idea.
(And something he'll never regret.)
Law smirks, hearing Shachi murmur about: Not starting a fight captain, we're suppose to go to that food stand after this quietly, so nobody else hears but himself and the few members of the crew that have been handpicked to come on land. They were ecstatic, until they had realized that the adventure would be spent gathering evidence in the Slave Auction house. Well, they don't know that they're here to gather evidence against Doflamingo -a tidbit Law left out- no matter, considering that he's the one gathering evidence.
The next thing that happens is curious -drawing even Eustass's attention- members of the Straw Hat crew arrive, but without their captain.
He finds it odd that the captain is nowhere in sight. Even so, it feels as though something is about to happen. Call it instinct or intuition, or call it the arrival of the Straw Hat crew.
Personally, Law believes it's the arrival of a D -a more reckless D- on an island where the Celestial Dragons' (the said to be 'gods') roam in their greed and folly.
Law briefly hears the hurried voice of the navigator discussing outbidding many of the buyers for the particular mermaid girl up for sale in the tank, an apparent friend of the crew.
The auction begins launching into full swing- no Straw Hat Luffy in sight.
.
A little later, Straw Hat Luffy does show up. The only odd thing? He came crashing through the ceiling on a fish.
This should have been Law's first clue to stay far, far away from the Straw Hats' and their rumored to be crazy captain. But he's human, a curious human. So instead, he ignores all warning signs, and becomes intrigued.
He won't say that he's starstruck -that's a term for little island girls with crushes- he's merely a grown man intrigued by the future -perhaps destruction- of the world in the form of a young teen, who appears to be more like a little boy, in a straw hat with dreams spanning the entire sky and every sea.
When Straw Hat Luffy, the rumored to be insane, unstable, reckless, pirate (the rumors appear to be true) punches a Celestial Dragon -The gods of the world; as they so like to believe- Law is impressed, amused even, because Straw Hat Luffy is as crazy as they come. And because he could be very useful in future plans.
Law wants to see what the teen can do to the world. He wants to see the world change because of this teen. He wants to break the gear.
He wants to absolutely, utterly, destroy it. Because for changes to be made, you have to break things, so that they can be rebuilt, better, greater, un-corrupted... but he also knows not to be this foolish, to put all his cards on the table for a future he won't see.
(Courtesy of Doflamingo)
Luckily, Straw Hat's the trump card. An unpredictable one. But if all else fails, at least the world's destruction will make a good show from wherever he is.
And it makes a very good first impression -memory- to look back on.
The first time history really changes since the Pirate King's death, is in the War Of The Best.
It's a war that was caused because the World Government captured one of Whitebeard's sons.
(Because they captured Portgas D. Ace, Gol D. Roger's son.)
It is set into motion -no, it already was in motion- it swung into motion, when Straw Hat Luffy breaks into Impel Down successfully.
It mounted when Straw Hat attempted to rescue his brother. And he did, but Gol D. Roger's son is as reckless as Straw Hat is, is as stubborn.
(Law could already taste the defeat on his tongue.)
It burns when Portgas D. Ace -the son of the late Pirate King, a fact that not any of Mr. Portgas's nakama cared about- dies, in his adoptive little brother's arms. A little bit of hope dies in everyone -minus the bad Marines and enemies, and the people who don't care- watching.
Law wants to say it doesn't affect him, that his dark heart and faith in the world doesn't hurt or surprise him anymore, he wants to say that he has no hope or faith within a fiber of his body -other than for Doflamingo's death- if even that.
(Even if he knew Straw Hat's chances were crumbling, then why did he hold out hope?)
It becomes chaos after that.
This is when Law saves Straw Hat Luffy -the apparent son of Dragon, the man that directly opposes the World Government- due to Buggy throwing him Straw Hat from the battlefield in hopes of saving the teen's life.
Exhilaration runs through his veins, his own heart matching the thrum of his speeding submarine as Straw Hat's heart rate drops once again.
Straw Hat Luffy's laid out on the operation table, barely clinging to life. The teen's heart is giving out every so often, to only be revived by whichever of Law's crew mates are beside him at the moment and time of his hearts latest struggle to keep him alive.
This is the operation of a lifetime; something that will go down in the history books. And if Law can't save Straw Hat, he'll be known as the man not good enough to defy death's cold and unforgiving hands.
(He'll be a failure again.)
Law can already hear Doflamingo's laugh. Can already hear the scoffs at his name of: 'Surgeon Of Death, it fits.' Not that he minds such things, all the he needs Straw Hat for is the future. Though, the plan is incomplete at the moment.
Another thing that irks the Surgeon Of Death, is that this teen's life can't be over. It's to early for him to die. There's destruction and chaos and change still left to cause. Monkey D. Luffy can't die. Not when society wills it, and fate disagrees with the notion. How else, did the teen make it as far as he did and still be drawing breaths when he should have died instantly? The D's blood may play a part in Luffy's survival, but Law has a feeling that it's more than just that. Has a feeling that it's more than just fate.
So, Law breaths in deep, nodachi planted in an act of respect, and does something he promised himself that he would never do again.
He calls out for something higher above for help, tries to reason with something he considers unreasonable, that takes the lives of the wrong people and lets the other ones live.
You still want him alive, don't you? You still have a use for him. Straw Hat's meant for more than dying on a operation table because of a corrupt Government, and you know it. If you want him to keep living, give me your hand. Whether it's by keeping the Marines at bay, or making sure his heart doesn't stop once again, you owe him this.
Law frowns, a rueful smirk pulling up his lips with a familiar bitterness seeping into his heart.
You took from him someone very dear, you're merciless.
He exhales through his nose calmly, ignoring the thundering of his heart.
I don't know what type of person Straw Hat Luffy is -other than reckless- or what his past sins are-... but he still has things to be done, surely you can agree with the notion.
The heart monitor continues screaming its straight line. Clear! is yelled from one of his crew mates. Law didn't expect his reasoning to be answered...
He takes a shuddering breath, one last try.
Portgas-ya, g ather all your will and those seeking to help from beyond, Mister Straw Hat's going to need it.
Nothing.
"Let's start the procedure!" Law calls out, eyes darting down to Straw Hat's closed eyes, tears streaming from under them, as if he's in some horrible nightmare that he can't wake up from.
Sorry, Mister Straw Hat, it's reality. And reality will bend and try to break you, and as of right now, you're letting it succeed.
Like an answer to the unspoken words -which ones? Law isn't sure- the heart monitor stops screaming its buzz, and instead beats in an unsteady pace. It's better than nothing.
"He's stabilizing!" one of his crew members calls out the obvious.
It seems there's some hope after all.
For the first time in two years, Law sees a familiar grin.
It's always snowing on this damn island.
Which was expected, knowing the islands history and what it's known for. Still, it's always, always, snowing.
Being born in North Blue has its advantages of course, at warding off the cold. Truly, it doesn't bother Law. It's the constant snow in this not quite Winter Wonderland that bothers him.
After discovering the presence of Marines and the Straw Hats' -Law wasn't expecting to meet up at the exact location, but he hoped to meet Straw Hat again- it was... a little surprising, to say the least.
Not that he was worried, Law only wanted to see if Straw Hat had given up so easily after having his life saved when it was a twenty percent chance of survival out of fifty percent, because no surgery, no matter how secured and guaranteed, is a one hundred percent chance. it would have been a waste.
It would have pissed Law off that his hard work -the most amazing operation in his whole career, probably life- went to waste on a coward who gave up, when he was promised the chance of life again. Even if scars -mental and physical- would haunt him for the rest of his life.
(That a miracle, was wasted.)
To say hearing the news of Straw Hat on the island -and in general- was a mix of relief, smugness, and irritation, would be an understatement.
"Hey!?" that voice.
Straw Hat's eyes are open and gleaming from the snow, and being alive in general, his lips are turned up in a bright grin.
Smile?
"You're the guy that saved me!"