Chapter Text
Law could hear his own screams again, and that made him slam his fists against the wood around him with every scrap of strength he had left.
Because if the silence was gone, so was Cora.
Law’s hands were bloody, his throat raw, but he couldn’t stop. Every second he stayed trapped was a second he couldn't reach Cora, couldn’t help him, couldn’t save him.
The chest tumbled forward and broke open, propelled by Law’s assault on the wood between him and the only person left who made him feel safe. Law tumbled out of the chest and into the snow, but he didn’t pay attention to the cold, or to the stench of blood.
Only Cora mattered.
He lay in the snow, blood staining his stupid pink shirt.
Law stumbled towards him. He had to stop the bleeding, had to get help…
But the last time he went for help, this had happened.
So Law had to help him, alone. Law was alone, and so was Cora.
Except Cora wasn’t alone.
Someone was crouched over him, touching him. Blue light flickered around the person’s hands, dancing over the blood on Cora’s shirt.
“Leave Cora alone!” Law shouted, charging forward.
“If I do that, he’ll die,” the person touching Cora replied. Law froze in his tracks, holding perfectly still.
“What?”
“Sorry I couldn’t let you out of that treasure chest earlier, little guy. But if I waited, this guy would’ve died. If I stop now, he still might.”
Law stared at the stranger, who looked up from Cora just long enough to give Law a lopsided grin.
“I’m Marco. What’s your name?”
Two years before Marineford
Law blinked away the remains of sleep and memories, grimacing as the emotions of the dream clung to him like his overdramatic crewmates.
“Cap? You up yet?” Clione stuck his head into Law’s room. “Damn, you had the dream again, huh?”
“What?” Law grumbled as he pushed himself up to a sitting position.
“Your eyes are all red, and that only happens when-”
“When I’m about to dice you up and let the others use you as poker chips?” Law interrupted. Clione clearly didn’t get the hint, though, because he kept talking.
“No, when you’re feeling all mopey and stuff. Or when you have nightmares about-”
“Clione, the poker chips thing isn’t just an idea. It’s a threat,” Law informed him with a scowl. Clione blinked at him for a second, then gulped and retreated outside the room.
“Bepo says we’re almost there!” Clione called as Law heard his hasty footsteps retreating down the Tang’s halls. Law groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face, knowing he needed to go after Clione quickly and shut him up before he said something to the rest of the crew. He took a second to splash cold water on his face to hopefully clear up whatever redness or irritation Clione had picked up on, then made his way to the bridge.
“Clione, I swear, if you-”
“Captain!” Bepo cried, immediately distracting him. “Captain, Hakugan isn’t listening to me!” Law turned to frown at the helmsman, who managed to make the unchanging mask he wore look smug.
“He wants to surface before we get there,” Hakugan explained. “I think it’s more fun if we anchor underneath instead, and then you can just zap us all on board.”
“That’s dangerous!” Bepo objected. “What if they don’t realize it’s us and think we’re attacking them?”
“If they don’t know us well enough to recognize us when we appear on deck by now, then they deserve the heart attack they’d get,” Hakugan scoffed. “They’ve known you and Cap for like a decade.”
“I’ve only known most of them for eight years,” Law corrected. “But they should also be expecting us, so using a Room to get on board should be fine. Everyone knows who’s staying on board as the skeleton crew and who’s coming up as the boarding party, right?”
“Yes, Captain,” everyone on the bridge chorused.
“Approaching the Moby Dick now, Cap,” Hakugan called.
“Bepo, have the boarding party assemble,” Law ordered. Bepo beamed and grabbed the transponder snail. Law could hear his cheerful announcement as he left the bridge and shambled his sword and research notebook into his hands.
“So we’re docking with the Moby without surfacing? You’ll give poor Vista a heart attack.” Law couldn’t fully suppress his smile as he came to a stop beside Cora, who had definitely been waiting for him since before Law woke up.
“If Vista can’t sense us coming or recognize us in time, he deserves to have a heart attack,” Law replied easily. Cora chuckled and shook his head in amusement.
“Are you going straight to meet with Whitebeard?” he asked.
“You make it sound like I’m worried about the old man,” Law scoffed. Cora glanced pointedly at the research notebook in Law’s hand. Law scowled and didn’t say anything else.
The ship eased to a stop, and Law heard the distinctive sounds of his crew attaching the Tang to the trailing chains beneath the Moby Dick for exactly that purpose. The rest of the crew members going aboard - Shachi, Penguin, Bepo, Ikkaku, and a few others - gathered around. Law did a quick headcount to make sure everyone he planned to bring aboard was present, then expanded his Room and shambled them all into the lower decks of the Moby, switching their places with a pile of stones that were left there for the purpose.
“Have fun, but make sure you show up for dinner or Thatch will send the cooks to hunt you down,” Law ordered. His crew chorused their agreements, then mostly dispersed to find their friends among the Whitebeards.
Law headed for the main deck, while Cora slipped away in what he thought was a stealthy focus on seeing his husband. Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo stuck with Law as he stepped out onto the Moby Dick’s deck.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Marco’s wayward stepchildren,” a familiar voice teased. Law rolled his eyes as Shachi and Penguin grinned, and Bepo bounded over to greet Thatch with a hug.
“The prodigal students return, then.” Shachi and Penguin bowed to the next Whitebeard Pirate who noticed them.
“Commander Izou!” the two of them chorused.
“I hope you two haven’t been slacking since I saw you last,” Izou said, crossing his arms sternly.
“Of course not!” Penguin replied hastily.
“Prove it.” Izou’s words were sharp, but his eyes were bright and welcoming. Law shook his head at them, knowing that the three of them would be thoroughly distracted for the next hour at least. Law didn’t see his own combat mentor, Vista, so he was free to continue to Whitebeard’s quarters.
Law nodded to various crew members he recognized and made note of several that he didn’t. It wasn’t like he knew every member of the extended Whitebeard family, especially those that had joined in the last few years since Law and his crew set off on their own.
Still, walking across the Moby’s deck felt almost as familiar as being on the Tang. Law finally reached Whitebeard’s quarters and knocked on the door frame.
“Enter!” Whitebeard’s voice boomed. Law stepped inside, bracing himself. “Law! You’re back!” Law found himself on the receiving end of a clap on the shoulder so strong that it almost made him lose his balance.
“You can’t get rid of me that easily, old man,” Law grumbled, tugging his hat lower over his eyes to hide how pleased he was that Whitebeard still greeted him the same way he had for years.
“As if we’d ever want to get rid of you!” Whitebeard laughed. “How’s your crew?”
“As troublesome as ever,” Law answered. “Cora’s already disappeared to go find Marco.”
“Ah, that’s good. If I had known you all would be back today, I would have arranged a welcome party,” Whitebeard sighed.
“That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you,” Law retorted. “Now, how are you feeling?”
“Doesn’t Marco keep you up to date?” Whitebeard chuckled. “I swear he’s gotten more and more like a mother hen since you went off on your own.”
“Marco’s reports aren’t the same as seeing and hearing for myself,” Law replied. “Are you going to answer my question, or do I need to run a Scan?”
“You’ll use Scan anyway,” Whitebeard pointed out. “Might as well save us both the time.” Law didn’t have a retort for that, so he just held out his hand instead.
“Room. Scan.” Blue light circled them, and Law took inventory of Whitebeard’s physical health. There were the usual issues, from his poor overworked liver to his overburdened immune system, always trying to fight a disease that even Law’s expertise and Marco’s flames couldn’t cure. Law did his usual brisk cleanup, purging the beginnings of any potential infections before they could cause any new problems, and checked for Whitebeard’s chronic issue. It had gotten a lot worse since the last time Law visited, and he grimly set about doing what he could to mitigate it. The disease never seemed to have a single source, and always reappeared no matter how often Law wiped it from Whitebeard’s system. Law scowled, frustrated that he still couldn’t make any permanent progress.
“You worry too much, Law,” Whitebeard said softly as Law refocused on the world outside Whitebeard’s cells. “I’m just fine.”
“Don’t lie to me,” Law replied just as quietly. “You know I can see exactly how bad it is.”
“It’s not your problem,” Whitebeard insisted. “You have your own crew, now, and-“
“And you’re still family , Pops,” Law interrupted, his tone low and sharp. “I’m going to give what I’ve found to Marco and the other doctors later. I still think there are answers out there.”
“Law,” Whitebeard sighed. “Even your stubborn brain has realized how unlikely that is. You just said answers, not a cure.”
“That’s not-“ Law broke off as a strange man he’d never seen before came barreling into Whitebeard’s quarters. Law had just enough time to process the flames around one of his fists and the knife in his other hand before the stranger lunged straight for Whitebeard.
Law reacted instantly, unsheathing Kikoku and coating her blade in haki as he slashed the intruder in half. The intruder fell to the floor with a strangled yelp, and Law separated his hands from his wrists and his feet from his ankles in another instant.
“What the fuck?” the stranger cried.
“How stupid are you?” Law muttered to himself as he separated the stranger’s head from his shoulders next. “Takt.” With a crook of his fingers, he brought the stranger’s head floating over to rest in his hand. “I’ll be right back, old man; I’m just going to drop this guy’s head overboard real quick.”
“What?” the stranger yelped. “Hey, wait, that’s not-“
“That is unnecessary, Law. That is Portgas D. Ace, and he is our guest,” Whitebeard said solemnly, though his mustache twitched like he was concealing amusement.
“Your guest just tried to stab and charbroil you,” Law said flatly, thoroughly unamused.
“He does that a few times a day,” Whitebeard replied. “So far he’s been unsuccessful, and we’re actually hoping he’ll stick around.”
“You’re recruiting this moron who tries to kill you several times a day and isn’t even smart enough to know that I can kill him with a thought?” Law scoffed. “Your standards are slipping.”
“We kept you, didn’t we?” Whitebeard laughed, not bothering to hide his amusement anymore. “Didn’t you stab Marco when he came back to collect you and Rosinante?”
“That doesn’t count. He’s a phoenix and I was fourteen,” Law replied. “This is a half naked arsonist with a knife and a cowboy hat.”
“It’s been too long since we had a real gremlin on board,” Whitebeard sighed wistfully. “It’s been wonderful.”
“You make no sense,” Law grumbled.
“Hey, real quick, what the fuck are you? You cut me in half! I’m a Logia user; you can’t do that!” the disconnected head of Portgas D. Ace snapped. Law tossed his head up into the air just as it spontaneously caught fire, and let the head float a few inches above his palm, where the flames couldn’t reach him.
“Clearly I can, and clearly you’re even more stupid than I thought,” Law sniffed. “There are plenty of Devil fruit abilities that can affect Logia types, not to mention basic armament haki.”
“Huh?” The flames vanished, and Ace frowned at Law, who twirled a finger and spun Ace’s head upside down just for fun. “You bastard! Stop that!”
“He doesn’t even know what haki is?” Law demanded incredulously, ignoring Ace’s protests completely. “How is this a good choice for a recruit?”
“I’m not being recruited!” Ace protested. “I’m just staying until I kill Whitebeard, and then- hey!” Law spun his head like a gruesome roulette wheel.
“Hush. The grown-ups are talking.”
“Says my gremlin grandson,” Whitebeard chuckled. “Ace is harmless enough; put him back together and send him back to Thatch, since Marco will be occupied until dinner.”
“Marco‘s in charge of this thing?” Law said in disbelief. “Why?”
“Same reason he kept you around after you stole his kidneys,” Whitebeard replied cheerfully. “Now put him back together, and I’ll introduce you two properly.” Law hesitated, then sighed. Whitebeard was nothing if not a good judge of people. If he said it was fine to put this fire ant back together, then it was. Besides, if the kid didn’t even know haki, he couldn’t be that big of a threat. Law reassembled Ace’s body and let his Room dissipate with a sigh.
“There. Happy?” he grumbled.
“Thrilled. Like I said earlier, Law, our guest here is Portgas D. Ace. He’s the captain of the Spade Pirates out of the East Blue,” Whitebeard announced. “Ace, this is Trafalgar Law, my grandson, captain of the Heart Pirates and the Surgeon of Death.”
“Wow, you really gave him my whole résumé.” Law shook his head. “You must be feeling sentimental in your old age.”
“You’re the one who said I was still family right before he came in,” Whitebeard pointed out smugly. “Now, Ace, I’m going to talk with Law a little more, so you can sit quietly and listen, or you can go back to Thatch.”
“Thatch is hanging out with a talking polar bear,” Ace replied. “Since the day was already so weird, I figured I might have a shot at taking you out.” He rubbed his wrists, then his throat as he glared at Law. “Didn’t realize you had a homicidal maniac in here.”
“Says the failure of an assassin,” Law smirked. “You sure you want him in here while I tell you what I’ve been up to, old man? I can dump his half naked ass in the ocean instead if you want.”
“No, Law, I actually like keeping him alive. But it’s sweet of you to offer,” Whitebeard assured him. “And I trust Ace.”
“You trust the living firework that wants to gut you,” Law repeated, unimpressed.
“Like I said, we’re recruiting him. He’s family,” Whitebeard insisted. Law eyed Ace for another few seconds, then shrugged.
“I tracked down a few leads, but so far we haven't found anything concrete. So I might have raided a Marine medical facility in the meantime.” Law smirked as Ace’s eyes widened, but he otherwise ignored the so-called “guest”. “Anyway, we’re only staying for a day or two, and then we’re heading into Paradise. There’s an island there I want to investigate next.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay longer? I’m sure Rosinante would appreciate a longer visit,” Whitebeard insisted. Law sighed, but he wasn’t really as exasperated as he tried to seem. The old man was right, after all. Cora probably would like a longer visit. Marco, too. Hell, even Vista would probably be thrilled.
“Maybe. But the next time the walking campfire there tries anything while I’m on board, you’ll have a much harder time convincing me not to drown his dumb ass,” Law warned. Whitebeard chuckled and addressed Ace when he spoke again.
“Hear that, Ace? Law isn’t as easily charmed as the rest of my family. You may want to take it easy for a while.”
“I could take him,” Ace grumbled. “He just caught me off guard, that’s all.”
“That overconfidence might be cute if you weren’t trying to kill the old man,” Law smirked. “If you ever want to test that theory, try me any time.” Law let his expression fall into an unforgivingly stern frown as he continued. “But if you try to kill Pops while I’m around, I meant what I said. I’ll dice you into toasty little bits and feed you to the sea kings.” Ace seemed to actually take that seriously, or at least as seriously as a walking barbecue could.
“Fine. I’ll wait until you’re gone. Or at least asleep or something,” Ace sighed.
“Great! Now let’s all go see what Thatch is making for dinner,” Whitebeard decided. Law rolled his eyes, but didn’t bother reminding the old man that Law had other plans, specifically sharing his leads with the other doctors in Whitebeard’s family to strategize their next steps. He knew a losing battle when he saw one, and the way things were going, he’d end up with plenty of time to consult with the others.