Work Text:
Law appreciates revenge.
Of course he does. He's dedicated over half of his life to it. Revenge for his home, for Cora. Knew just how important revenge was before he ever went to Doflamingo, then spent years learning directly from the man. Having Doflamingo, a man made almost entirely of hate, nourish the same feelings and methods in Law.
Really, the man shouldn't have been as surprised as he was when Law turned all that rage on him. Law was always going to avenge Cora, the man who gave him his life back and reminded him that there's more to living than hate.
Something that Law is doubly grateful for now. Even if he'd somehow survived, without Cora he wouldn't have the ability to actually be happy now. He wouldn't protect his crew so fiercely. Would never have come to care about his idiots.
And maybe life would be easier that way. If his heart didn't react to every smile from Luffy. If his favorite method to shut Kidd up wasn't to pull him down and kiss him. If he hadn't spent hours thinking, planning, just what he'd have to do to keep each of them with him. In a room on the Tang, unable to mess up his plans and risk themselves in foolish head on attacks.
Yeah, it definitely would be easier.
But there is no part of Law that doesn't want them. No part of him that would hesitate to soak his hands in blood for them.
Neither Luffy or Kidd need protection, of course. The thought is almost hilarious, would be if Law hadn't been around the one time that Luffy did.
(Looking back, now, Law can think fondly of the weeks he spent caring for Luffy after the War of the Best. And feel burning rage at the damage done to him.
But Akainu is someone that will take planning and time.)
However, there are some things that neither is eager to address. Luffy is too quick to race ahead, focused on his goal. The One Piece, the title of Pirate King. The next adventure, whatever that may end up being. Luffy, force of nature that he is, simply doesn't look back.
And Kidd won't either, not when he's pouring all of his energy into trying to match Luffy. Law doesn't doubt that Kidd remembers every injury dealt to him, that he'll repay them if the opportunity presents itself. But for him, revenge is second to ambition. He'll take an opening, but he won't pursue vengeance. Not like Law does, not with the familiarity of an old friend.
Which is why, as soon as Victoria and The Sunny are out of site, Law gives the order to submerge and circle back towards Wano.
No need to let either Luffy or Kidd know that he's up to something. And a submarine is great for setting an ambush. Despite all the dangerous things lurking in the sea, most crews never think to look down until after the attack has started.
All the better for Law.
"Captain?" Bepo sounds confused as he questions the order. "I thought we had to leave now to keep up with the Kidds and the Straw Hats? Sorry."
"Oh, don't worry. I'm sure this won't take very long. Even with a slight delay, it won't be hard to outpace Luffy and Kidd." Law grins, showing his teeth. "Just a bit of unfinished business to take care of first."
~
As Law expected, it didn't take long for Scratchman Apoo to show himself. Law is guessing, considering his association with Kaido, he wore through his welcome in Wano rather quickly. Doubtless the only reason he hadn't been chased off sooner was the fact that the samurai still had to recover. Possibly also some misguided belief in loyalty among pirates and not wanting to offend Luffy.
(Law has no illusions. The samurai don't care about Kidd at all and see Law himself as just an accessory to Luffy at best. Acceptable, mostly, in it means he's underestimated. No one is going to look at him as responsible for what happens to Shinobu in a few weeks, not until it's too late.)
Regardless of the reason why, they've been waiting for less than a day when Apoo's ship appears.
"Take us to right under them."
"Captain?" Even as he asks, Hakugan is maneuvering as Law asked.
"Don't worry; this won't take long."
Penguin and Shachi groan in unison. "Come on Law, I thought we talked about this–"
"–said you weren't going to go into fights alone anymore–"
"–not like Kaido or Big Mom, so–"
"–us help, and–"
"Enough." Law holds up a hand, silencing them. He's not going to hear arguments about this. "This is personal. Anyways, it's not going to be much of a fight."
Not when Apoo needs sound, something that Law can easily take away.
"If you want to help, prep the fridge." Law is sure there will be plenty to go in it once he's finished.
"Laaaw." The two idiots whine together, but he just rolls his eyes. He's already made up his mind, he's not going to change it now. Apoo, his whole crew, is Law's.
"We're right under them, Captain."
"Thanks, Hakugan." Law draws Kikoku, even as he opens up a Room. "Surface in ten minutes. I should be done by then."
Before anyone can try to protest again, Law rapidly expand his Room to cover all of the ship above them. Then, with an easy twist of his fingers, he Shambles himself with a crate from the middle of the deck.
Into the middle of panicked shouts, Apoo's crew far from ready for him. How foolish of them. This is the New World and they let their guard down?
Too bad for them they'll never get a chance to learn from their mistake.
Kikoku is almost purring in his hand as Law gets to work.
~
Luffy hadn't ever planned to go back to Impel Down. But Luffy also didn't plan on at least half the places he ended up, cause he just went wherever it made sense to go. So he isn't surprised to be in the stupid place again.
It's a lot easier this time. Poison doesn't bother Luffy anymore and none of the guards are a challenge at all. Nothing in this place is.
Luffy remembers running through this place and struggling and failing.
Too late to save Ace. Bonclay's sacrifice.
This time, though, things are so different. Luffy reaches the very bottom easily. Prisons are nothing, he's learned. And the heat burning in his chest agrees with him, flares hotter with each unlocked cell.
(Luffy is freedom. He doesn't completely get everything Robin explained to him, all the ancient history. But he also doesn't care. Luffy wanted to be free and now he is freedom and so much stronger. Nothing can cage him.
Especially not after he destroys all the cages.)
There's just one last thing Luffy needs to do before they leave. Then maybe Franky or Usopp can do something clever to make it sink. Luffy would like that. He's pretty sure Jinbei would too, and he likes doing things for his crew.
It only right that the place that trapped Jinbei is destroyed. (The thought makes his fire happy.)
But his last thing isn't about his crew or himself or Impel Down.
Nope, it's a gift for Traffy!
It's been a while, but Luffy knows that Traffy hasn't forgotten. It's what he wants, from when they first met. Before that, even. And Luffy had promised, even if he didn't know what he was promising then. He thought it was Kaido.
But Traffy never cared about Kaido, not really. Luffy still got rid of him, cause he deserved it and they said they would. Plus he'd hurt Jaggy. So really, there was only one thing Luffy could do with someone who kept hurting his friends and Jaggy and woulda hurt Traffy too.
It was a good win. One that let him get stronger and that Luffy enjoyed.
Still. It wasn't who Traffy had wanted to destroy, back when he first gave himself to Luffy. So, now that he has the chance, Luffy has decided to do something about it.
Plus it'll be such a nice surprise. He knows that Traffy isn't expecting it. Traffy wasn't thrilled with how things ended with Mingo before, but he wasn't upset either. He was willing to settle for him being defeated.
Like Luffy would ever let Traffy get less than what he wanted, especially with something so important. Mingo was Traffy's first dream, even if he really didn't deserve it.
Luffy isn’t just gonna let his dream not come true, especially after he promised.
(Jaggy might be a little upset that he didn't get to help. He just knows that Jaggy would wanna do this for Traffy too.
But Jaggy wasn't there for this part, wasn't theirs yet. This is Luffy’s to finish.)
Luffy knows as soon as he reaches the right door. His Observation makes it obvious. Then the door crumples under his fist, letting out the sound of laughter.
Laughter that immediately has Luffy frowning.
Luffy doesn't like this laughter. It's not what laughter is supposed to be.
And Traffy would hate it. Does hate it, Luffy knows. It gives him nightmares. Which means that Luffy doesn't want it to be around anymore. It needs to stop.
So he'll make it.
Mingo may be strong, but Luffy is a lot stronger. So he stops laughing when Luffy uses his Conqueror's haki, pressing down on him as hard as Luffy can. So much stronger than when he last fought Mingo. Not that they're going to be fighting today. Luffy’s already beat him, he doesn't have to do it again.
"Straw Hat! Didn't think I'd be seeing you here anytime soon." What Mingo is doing isn't smiling. Some people would get that wrong, Luffy knows, but Luffy knows better. He grew up in a jungle. Mingo showing his teeth is a threat. Not a good one, but chained up Mingo probably can't do anything better. "Haven't you broken in here before? You'd think they would have fixed however you keep getting in by now."
"I come in through the front door." Luffy doesn't see any reason not to say it, as he looks at Mingo. How he's chained up. He can't fight like that. If Luffy hadn't already beaten him, he'd break those. Let Mingo fight him, to make sure that he'd really lost.
Luffy doesn't need to, though. He just needs to be able to tell Traffy that Mingo was here, that it's really over now. He never has to think about Mingo again.
"And what brought you to see me?" His lips curl, twisting more. Now he doesn't look like any animal. Animals are more honest than Mingo. They fight and hunt and hide. Mingo isn't doing any of those things.
Mingo is a trap. "–maybe you wanna know what secrets I know, that the World Government is scared of me even here."
"Nope." Luffy cuts him off, before Mingo can say anything else. He doesn't care about what Mingo says. Or wants.
(Freedom and chains. He wants to be free himself to make sure no one else is. Luffy hates Doflamingo.)
"No?" He shouldn't be surprised. Luffy has never wanted anything from Mingo aside from making him stop. But he did have to sleep after he beat him, so Luffy guesses he never got to say it. "You want something, Straw Hat. You came all the way here. So go on, tell me what it is and I'll tell you what it'll cost you."
Luffy doesn't say anything, just looks at Mingo from under his hat. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"So I can tell Traffy you were here." Luffy shrugs, easy. There's no reason not to tell him. "And that he doesn't have to think about you anymore."
Mingo doesn't even deserve to be a memory.
"You're here to kill me? You?" Mingo laughs. "If you had that in you, brat, I wouldn't be alive right now."
"Didn't come here for you. That'd be dumb." Mingo scowls, because he thinks he's important. "But I don't like this place. So we're destroying it."
"You–"
Luffy shuts the door, ignoring the way he yells. He's made sure that he can tell Traffy; Mingo doesn't matter anymore.
~
Kidd can't fucking believe it.
After the whole mess of the damn pipsqueak picking a fight with every single damn person in the world, and them coming out on top in all of them, Kidd thought he'd seen it all. Or at least seen people as fucking stupid as it's possible to get. Between stuck up Nobles that didn't understand how the world works and anyone stupid enough to sign up with Blackbeard, that shoulda been it. It shouldn't be possible to surprise Kidd by falling any further.
But somehow, there's still room for idiots like the ones in front of him.
Kidd knows this kinda idiocy has happened before. Luffy told him the story himself, cause he thought it was funny. Bunch of fucking fools that thought it sounded like a good idea to try to pretend to be him and his crew. Trying to use that to get a cheap ride through the New World.
Like they wouldn't just get sunk by the first real crew they met.
That was before, though. Back when it maybe made sense to think the Straw Hats were done, if you'd never actually met Luffy.
Now though? Luffy is the fucking King of the Pirates. (No, Kidd is not still bitter that he took the title without even giving Kidd the chance to get a good fight in first.) He beat the stupid god thing that the even stupider old man was following, the one that was in charge of everything.
No one could possibly think Luffy was done now, in any other way than him already being at the fucking top. But here these idiots are, trying this pathetic trick.
Kidd isn't gonna put up with that shit.
Especially not when they're acting like Luffy and his crew never fucking would. Which, sure, is because Luffy is way too much of a pansy. Doesn't act like any proper pirate Kidd ever heard of, before he met him. And that's before he drug the doc into it too, though he hasn't gone quite as soft. Fucking hell, even Kidd normally pays his tab in bars now.
Just because he doesn't wanna hear the whining. Like Luffy and his lot don't do worse when the whim strikes them.
Something like this, though? Demanding some sorta tribute from a bunch of weak villagers? Yeah, Luffy would be fighting even if they weren't a bunch of fucking imposters. He just got done fighting shit like this.
Normally Kidd wouldn't care. If people are too weak to keep what they got, that's their own problem. Not Kidd's. Law's even got some sorta saying about it, that he uses whenever he's doing his creepy surgeon shit. Or really pissed off.
However, these bozos made a mistake. Cause Luffy is Kidd's. So insulting him like this? Making him look so weak he'd need to do this kind of shit? That's just like insulting Kidd, too.
Kidd only deals with insults in two ways. Either it's a friend and he insults them right back. (Or whatever his idiots are. Not friends, but not crew. Not Killer. But his.) Or they aren't people that get off light.
These fuckers? They're definitely the second group. Which means they're gonna die.
"Kidd?"
"Nah, partner. I got this." He waves Killer off easy, flexing his metal arm. The soon to be dead men haven't even noticed them yet. Pathetic. "Won't need any help for losers like this."
Something that he prove as he jumps forward, fist going through the skull of the fake sniper before he can even react.
It's not much harder to finish off the rest.
~
There are many rules on the seas, that every sailor must know, pirate or marine. And many more, for any that wish to survive the treacherous waters of the Grand Line.
To keep a careful eye on the weather, and be prepared for it to change at any moment.
To keep an eye on the water, for the creatures that lurk beneath the waves are always hungry.
To keep your log pose safe, for it is your only guide to return to shore as all boats eventually must.
To always remember that any island could be a strange and alien place, hiding unknown dangers.
These are all important rules, to survive as a sailor.
The most important, however, is to know about the monsters of the Seas. The ones that wear human skin. Red-Haired Shanks, said to be the strongest pirate to ever sail without a Devil Fruit. Hero of Justice Koby, unyielding in his mission to protect the innocent. Flame Emperor Sabo, killer of kings and admirals alike.
And, of course, be ever mindful of the King. Sun in human form, they say, surrounded by his own court of monsters. Most stay close, and are jolly monsters that fight together.
But know that not all of them do. The King's two strongest monsters often sail of their own.
Eustass Kidd, who can pull swords from hands without ever touching them. Can stop bullets midair. Destroy ships before they ever have a chance to get close.
Trafalgar Law, who sail beneath the waves and strikes before he can be seen. Can pull out a heart and hold it in his hand, as easy as a word. Who leaves his enemies in pieces, sometimes without the kindness of death.
And fear most the King. Monkey D. Luffy. Who smiles and laughs and has changed the world and can do so again. Will, on a whim or a challenge. And who will do anything for those he's claimed as his.
Never forget, what a monster may do for love.