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Law had been prepared to die to take out Doflamingo. The man had taken too much from him to allow him to keep on going.
He had known what it might cause him, feeling the bullets rip through his chest, losing consciousness and thinking that this would be it.
It wasn’t.
As a doctor you were often told that dying people would see their lives flash before their eyes. Law was experiencing that right now too; flashes of moments with his crew, finding Bepo, Shachi and Pinguin. Those moments with Cora, where love didn’t seem so lost anymore having someone who loved him unconditionally and who had been willing to throw it all away if it meant curing him. Memories he had almost forgotten, those days with his parents, with Lammie, with the nurses and doctors in Flavence before it all was taken from him.
But the memories didn’t stop there, he got a view from a life before. Back when the Gods were still present and some of those on Earth worshipped them. Law had been one of those, or he should have been one of those if the Celestial Dragons didn’t take it all away from him.
As an Acolyte for Nika, the Sun God, Law had devoted his life to him. But when the time came to become a priest, he hadn’t been blessed. For a moment he believed himself rejected, until Nika appeared to him in a dream. A soft, sunny smile on the God’s face as he shared that there were those out there wanting to take their place. He needed someone out there, someone who knew and it couldn’t be a priest.
“You have been so devoted to me, My Dear, I cannot wait to find you in another life”, the God had said before he pressed close and took a hold of Law’s wrist. Where he had touched, an intricate sun bloomed, “A new blessing, one that will linger in your soul until such a time that I come back.”
That had been the first and only time Law had seen or heard Nika, but his heart had been lost to him regardless. To know that he was still favoured, still loved, but that things would happen where Nika needed his help. He didn’t quite know what to think of that.
Memories kept coming, of his family in that past life and how they all worshiped a god. Up until the notices started arriving of others that wanted to take their place. The start of the Celestial Dragons and what they had done to get God Status in this life.
Law understood why he didn’t become a priest once he realized that the Celestial Dragons were draining the Gods of their powers. In doing so the Priests were drained too and died not too long after. Had he been a priest, he would have died there too and whatever Nika had seen or believed would happen would be for nought as he wouldn’t be there. Taking in every detail he could see, every piece that might bring him closer to seeing what Nika wanted, Law found himself grieving for people he didn’t remember. For those people that hadn’t been willing to let the Celestial Dragons just take over and sadly paid for that defiance with their lives.
–
Gasping as he came to, Law noticed Doffy pacing in front of the throne he was in. Despite what he had seen, he didn’t truly die. Not unlike Doffy wanting to stretch it out, knowing what he did now Law could see why the man had been a Celestial Dragon and it disgusted him all that more.
He sassed right back and got a slap for his troubles.
At least until Luffy appeared, his ally, and someone he couldn’t help but compare to Nika. They both had this larger than life attitude and smiled brighter than the sun. Before, something might have been there for Law at least. But now, he just felt like he was betraying Nika in falling for another person.
But he couldn’t quite help himself, ever since meeting Luffy and seeing someone who wore the D initial proudly, and who didn’t let anyone or anything stop him from going his own way. He would have trouble getting away from Sabaody, but that didn’t stop him from hitting a Celestial Dragon. He had been horribly outmatched at Marineford but he still went to free his brother (and succeeded until Akainu baited him). Hell, most of the other Worst Generation were making a name for themselves in the New World (often through striking deals and alliances with bigger players) but Luffy had just taken the time to train and be strong enough to take it all on himself.
The difference now, however, as he was standing over Law and protecting him from Doffy with haki was that he could keep up. Despite Doffy having an awakened devil fruit, Luffy still kept up and kept up well.
It showed a kind of resilience that Law had lost a long time ago.
But he wanted to try, wanted to see what might happen now. Given that he would come out of this alive, he knew certain things he hadn’t before, and he was aware of Nika coming back at one point so he had to make sure he was prepared for whatever came now.
Looking at Luffy’s face where the other Captain was passed out next to him, he looked away, “Even if there had been something there, I can’t…”
If this had been any other time, if Law didn’t almost die and remember what happened before, he would find himself falling in love with Luffy even more than he already did (he had kept it at bay as he had been sure he’d die here). But now, knowing what he knew now, his heart belonged to Nika already and he wouldn’t give it to another.
–
Wano was a rollercoaster from start to finish, but even Law hadn’t seen that part coming. Feeling Luffy’s haki disappear, only for it to reappear and in the same intensity as he had felt it once before.
His breath caught in his throat when he felt it, “Nika…”
Shaking his head, he didn’t know what to think about this. How this could be, he had seen the similarities, but he never would have expected that this was why they were so similar.
Stretching out his haki, he could look on as Luffy fought Kaido. As he used his awakened fruit, his reincarnated soul, to make sure that Freedom was something that could be given to everyone. It felt… Exhilarating, to know that this is what Nika had been talking about. Law didn’t know it for sure, but there was a large chance that this is what He had seen when he didn’t allow Law to become a priest. A chance, a moment in time, to get another try at making sure the World was given its freedom back.
Using his own devil fruit, he was on the roof as soon as the fight was over. At Luffy’s side an instant later, looking him over and making sure that whatever happened didn’t give too much strain on his body. A mortal body wasn’t meant to house a God, but it happened anyway.
“You’re just absurd like this, Luffy-ya”, he uttered as he worked together with some of their allies to bring Luffy and the others who fought here to the infirmary and get them healing as much as possible. Between the Minks, Chopper, Marco and himself that was quite an easy task.
Still, he stayed at Luffy’s side for most of it after the wounded were taken care of. Taking in the man he had come to love, who he had loved all along but didn’t know it, wondering how he could go about professing it.
It was also why he stayed away once word reached him that Luffy had woken up. He had been with his own crew at that moment, and didn’t want to seem too eager to be back there. He had enough grins and comments from the Strawhats as it was.
Luffy found him in the end, sitting down next to him on a cliff overlooking the ocean around Wano, “I heard you’ve been at my side almost the whole time while I was unconscious.”
Flinching, Law looked away, he didn’t know what to say to that. He knew how it looked and while part of him wanted that, he still didn’t know what was going on with Luffy and Nika.
A hand reached out before that same voice from before boomed, “I choose you because of how you loved me then, Law, and I would be honored if we could have that again.”
Shivering, Law turned back, seeing the red eyes looking at him and the way that he could see that Luffy and Nika were in sync instead of different people. They were two parts of a whole and he had been worried he had been falling in love with one part, when it was always them he would love.
Licking his lips, he sees the way red eyes follow, before Luffy is surging forward and pressing their lips together. It’s everything he could want, hesitating before clutching at the red-clad shoulders in front of him, surrendering to the kiss, accepting the love he was given. Realizing that he had been chosen a long time ago and it was high time he cashed in on that promise. But he felt that there would be no issue there.