Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Captain!” shouted Bepo as he sighted the island above. “CAPTAIN!”
Trafalgar Law put down the medical journal he was reading after bookmarking the page and went to inspect. Sure enough they were getting close. It had been nearly a week since they’d left Luffy at Amazon Lily and he couldn’t help but wonder how Luffy was doing. His injuries had been bad, he hoped Boa Hancock was looking after him well.
Of course, he knew he would not be welcome on the island to check because of their No Boys Allowed policy.
Of course, he knew he couldn’t get hung up on Luffy when he knew they had more important things to do like conquering the North Blue and planning how to take down Doflamingo.
“What’s the matter captain?” Bepo asked as he noticed his companion deep in thought. “Thinking about the island?”
“Yeah…”
The island up ahead looked to be the perfect place to capture some pirate hearts as part of the plan.
Of course there was one pirate’s heart he could not help but think of…
Straw Hat.
No, don’t be silly, he reminded himself. Luffy’s straight. Pretty sure he has something going with Boa Hancock. She was a Warlord after all… And so would he be once he succeeded in his current mission. If everything went to plan it would get the marines and government off his back for the next phase of his plan… And maybe Luffy would notice him too, as he did with Hancock. He hoped Bepo didn’t catch him blushing as he thought of Luffy. Hold it together, Trafalgar you son of a bitch, he scolded himself as he drew his sword and ordered the crew to head towards the island.

Chapter Text

The townspeople were all huddled in their homes as the sound of gunfire went off. Already there was a standoff between the pirates and what was likely a bounty hunter in the main square. The pirates who had taken over were rookies but the hole left by Whitebeard’s defeat filled them with a level of bravado. The town had been unprotected since and the pirates had opportunistically come in. Many of the people had fled ever since the pirates moved in, however the ones who stayed did so in hopes of a miracle.
Today a bounty hunter filled them with a glimmer of hope. However, it was apparent that the bounty hunter wasn’t much stronger as he was struggling against an ax-wielding pirate. “Pathetic, your knife is blunt and you’re clumsy with that gun, think you can take on the Great Cornholio??”
“I …I can try.” The bounty hunter’s breath fell short as the fight wore on but he showed no sign of backing down.
“SHAMBLES.”
The fight paused as they spied a slim dark-haired man with black spiral and circle tattoos wearing a yellow hoodie and white dotted fur hat who’d just arrived, coming from the direction of the port. Next to him was a polar bear walking on both legs in an orange jumpsuit. How had he gotten here so quickly?
“Hey he looks familiar!” one of the pirates announced.
“Yeah it’s Trafalgar Law! He’s one of the Worst Generation.”
“The Surgeon of Death!?” The pirates looked petrified. He was one of the few new pirates who’d quickly amassed a bounty of 200,000,000 berries.
However, their leader who had been preoccupied with the bounty hunter seemed unphased and almost irritated. “We are the Cornholio Pirates, what do you want you freak? This is our territory.”
“Not anymore,” Law replied coldly.
This irritated the Great Cornholio. The rest of the pirates charged at him alongside their leader, following his orders. Surely they had the advantage. One against one-hundred. Even more of their crewmates emerged from nearby buildings, ready for battle. This crazy surgeon guy was outnumbered. It was just him and his bear.
“ROOM!” He shouted as the pirates approached. The blue energy field around them stretched out around them until it nearly covered the entire town square.
He then drew his sword and sliced through the pirates nearest to him effortlessly, chopping them into tiny pieces. The ones behind them watched as their crewmates were sliced and trembled in fear. Law wasn’t called the surgeon of death for nothing.
The bounty hunter knew he was outmatched with Law now in the picture and decided to flee but Law paid him no notice. It was the pirates he was after.
“Oh my god this guy’s some sort of freak!” one of the men shouted as he watched his comrade sliced into floating pieces. Almost like Buggy the Clown but he had no control over the parts of his body.
“Should we run away?”
“Nonsense that would be cowardly, what would our captain think?”
“You’re right, let’s all charge!”
The more they charged at him the easier they made things for him. He sliced at the incoming pirates without breaking a sweat. They were all amateurs. It struck him as silly that they just kept coming one after another like sheep to the slaughter but he wasn’t surprised. Pirates weren’t immune to herd mentality. Soon there were over one hundred hearts ready for the taking.
It was easy but tedious gathering up all the hearts. These guys hardly put up a fight but he now had to walk through the mess he’d made with all the dismembered body parts.
“Care to lend me a helping hand, Bepo.”
He could tell Bepo was almost disappointed he didn’t need to jump in and help but the polar bear’s eyes lit up at the thought of helping his captain collect hearts. “Anything for you captain!”
Nervously, some of the remaining townsfolk who hadn’t fled since the Cornholio Pirates had first invaded watched on. They didn’t know what to think. On one hand this man had saved them from the pirates who had invaded, but on the other he appeared just as dangerous.
Law spied them from the corner of his eyes. “I’m not here to hurt you. I came for them.”
“Thank you sir,” an old man said as mustered up the courage to greet Law. “You can take the treasure as a token of our gratitude, they have it in the town hall.”
The town hall was now empty by the time Law and Bepo arrived but it was obvious that the pirates had done a good job trashing the place. There was junk everywhere. They found a trunk which would be useful for transporting the hearts, however. Along with the trunkthey decided to take some treasure from the building after they’d slayed the captain. There were several piles of it conveniently waiting in bags by the time they got through the door and, judging by the size of the piles, would be enough to get some new medical equipment on the submarine. While carrying out a bag of treasure along with a trunk of hearts, Law spied something on the counter of the table.
He picked up the newspaper, hoping once again to read about Luffy but there was nothing today. He tossed it aside with a sigh. Instead, he picked up Luffy’s wanted poster again. It was the same one which he kept in his journal on the submarine alongside the newspaper clippings from the siege at Marineford. Nevertheless he couldn’t help but smile at that carefree face. Luffy…
“CAPTAIN” called Bepo impatiently.
“Coming.”

***

It had been a long day but, just as planned, the mission had been a success. The Heart Pirates now just had to hand the trunk full of hearts in and Law could could apply to be a Warlord. That would make things a whole lot easier.
However, right now their main focus was on getting some rest.
Bepo got the submarine ready to head towards the next nearby island while Law had gone straight into his quarters. Using Room drained his energy so all he wanted to do was get some good R&R.
He tossed off his shirt and jeans and threw the thin blanket over his lean muscular frame. It got stuffy underwater so he rarely slept with all his clothes on. However, he still found getting to sleep was harder than he thought it would be as his mind just kept wandering.
He reached for the journal in his bedside drawer and opened it up to Luffy’s poster.
He didn’t know how Luffy was doing and wished Boa had let him and his crew stay longer with Luffy on Amazon Lilly. Darn that stupid girl’s only shtick, he thought to himself. The pirate empress may have been beautiful and he was sure his crew would be excited over the idea of an island full of women but Law only had eyes for Luffy.
Luffy…
His mind wandered back to Sabaody as he thought alongside Luffy as his hand reached for his waistband and pulled his trunks down…
“CAPTAIN!”
Bepo barged through the door.
Law nervously tossed aside Luffy’s wanted poster and tossed the blanket over himself so that Bepo couldn’t see that his pants were off.
“Not now Bepo!” he shouted, red-faced.
“What’s wrong Captain?”
“It’s been a long day I need some sleep.”
“You look red in the face do you have a fever, Captain?”
“Maybe.”

Chapter Text

“QUICK EVERYONE! CAPTAIN’S SICK!!!!” Bepo announced with a look of concern on his face as he emerged from Law’s headquarters to gather the others who were at the mercy of a panicked polar bear. “Captain has a fever. We need to help him!!!”
He heard the frenzied sound of footsteps rushing towards his room. The situation was embarrassing but he couldn’t blame anyone because it was Bepo.
Bepo was worried he had some kind of fever. It was adorable, he chuckled, making sure no one could see the smile on his face. Typical of the bear to act this way. He felt guilty for making Bepo worried about him but then again he felt like he was falling sick himself. Why had he come to Marineford that day anyway? Admittedly he hadn’t been able to get Luffy out of his head ever since Sabaody.
He didn’t believe himself sick but he didn’t think he was well either. At the very least he was worn out.
He didn’t know if it was from the fighting earlier or exhaustion from using the Op Op fruit but his body ached. His face also did feel unnaturally warm. Then there was the other place where he felt the warmth…
At last he still had his blanket covering him. His loins burned as a consequence of his mind wandering earlier. He’d never felt like this about anyone before so why now and why Luffy? He clenched his teeth as he felt his jolly roger go stiff…
Not now not now not now…. He scolded himself.
“Don’t worry, Captain!” Bepo burst right into his room, accompanied by Penguin and Jean Bart. The rest of his crew came in behind them as they huddled around his bedside. “We will look after you to the best of our ability with the medical expertise you trained us with.”
Law felt his face grow even redder and this time the embarrassment manifested itself into rage. His crew had picked one of the worst times to barge in on him. “Hey! I may be sick but I still want some privacy!” he insisted, tossing one of his pillows at the door.
“We’re sorry Captain,” Jean Bart apologised. “It was Bepo’s idea.”
The others went back to work although he figured he best let Bepo stay.
“I’m sorry,” Bepo apologised, realising he’d probably overreacted over the thought of Trafalgar Law being ill. “I’m sorry I overreacted again.”
“It’s fine.”
Bepo got him some water and put a wet cloth on his forehead. Compliantly he lay down as though he’d been injured in battle. “Drink up captain, you said yourself how important it is to stay hydrated,” Bepo insisted, putting the glass of water up against his lips. The water felt good even though he was exhausted. Besides, Bepo’s actions reminded him of Corazon who’d stayed by his side when he was sick all those years ago. And it took his mind off Luffy for now.
“How you feeling Captain?” Bepo asked as he put a thermometer in Law’s mouth after putting the rest of the water on his bedside table along. “Looks like your temperature is still a bit high.”
“I’m feeling a bit better.” What a coincidence… I actually did have a fever.
“Don’t worry, if you get some rest you’ll be better in no time.” Suddenly Law felt Bepo’s strong and fuzzy arms wrapped around him like a weighted blanket. “Not if you crush me to death.”
Bepo loosened his grip. “I’m sorry captain!”
Law smirked. “It’s fine. Perhaps you can go and get me some herbal tea.”
“Will do.”
Bepo left the room in determination to bring his captain herbal tea as Law was low-key relieved. At least now he had a moment to pull his underpants back up before Bepo was back. He was still semi-hard but he could feel the blood flowing back to his head. It was a close call.
Of course now there was the problem that he must have actually picked up a virus or something and that Bepo always overreacted whenever he was sick.
He could hear the bear frantically rummaging through the medicine store room next door looking for the herbs for herbal tea as he closed his eyes and tried to get some rest. He tried to distract himself and clear his mind but of course, his thoughts turned to Luffy.
He wondered how Luffy had been feeling today and when they would meet again. He wondered what Luffy would think hearing the news that he planned to be a Warlord. Or how Luffy was dealing with losing Ace. He had so many questions…
I’m going absolutely crazy, he thought to himself right before he drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

Law’s dreams took him to an ornate palace surrounded by towering cliffs that seemed awfully familiar, especially with the tall and densely packed trees and lush vegetation visible from the window.
Now he realised it… He was back at Amazon Lilly, home of the Kuja Pirates. Someone approached him. She was a tall curvaceous woman dressed in clothes which were as regal as they were revealing. Her long midnight hair was in sharp contrast to her perfect porcelain skin. “Where’s Luffy?” he asked.
He didn’t show much emotion in his voice but he was concerned for Straw Hat.
It was the Warlord Boa Hancock after all. She was beautiful but for some reason her beauty didn’t seem to cut it for him. He wondered if it was because he wished he were her. Perhaps if he possessed her beauty he would have a change with Luffy? He could tell from their brief encounter she liked Luffy but he was unsure how mutual it was. Obviously, however, for Luffy to have been allowed to set foot on Amazon Lilly in the first place there must be something between them and she was closer to Luffy than he was.
Did she want a fight with him? Either way, he had an idea - or rather he glimpsed a window of opportunity.
He already had a hunch how her power worked. Law closed his eyes to ensure it wouldn’t work.
“ROOM.” The blue field around them of his operating room set the stage for the fight. He knew he had to act quick. Hancock was powerful and he knew just what she was capable of. “And SHAMBLES.”
He was now Boa Hancock. He admired himself in the mirror of the palace in awe. He had never felt so beautiful in his life. Perhaps now he actually had a chance with Luffy.
Now there was the problem of the real Boa in his body but he was easily able to deal with her. “Love love beam!”
His real body turned to stone.
“Hey Hancock.” called a cheery man’s voice, suddenly from across the room just as he was admiring his handiwork.
“I’m here Luffy!”
He recognised that man’s voice and he felt his heart flutter in a manner which made him worry he had atrial fibrillation. Soon he spied a slim figure in the distance in a red vest shirt and a straw hat standing by the doorway. The free-spirited wide-eyed overly trusting face of Luffy’s under which lay a fierce determination.
Luffy was admiring her - his - curvaceous figure, long silky hair and flawless skin. “Why don’t you tell me about the Will of D, Luffy.”
“Oh Hancock, you sure know how to talk dirty.”
Law took off his clothes, giving Luffy a further glimpse of his breasts, more so than Boa’s revealing outfit usually showed.
“What’s the matter Hanock, why are you taking your clothes off? I’m hungry”
“If you’re hungry, why don’t you have a taste of me?” he teased with a moan. “I’m…I’m a pretty sweet appetizer, Straw Hat-ya.”
He drew Luffy closer into his embrace and buried him deep within his cleavage.
Hancock wore an expensive floral perfume, it had a much lighter and delicate scent to it than the cologne Law usually wore. He wondered if Luffy preferred it.
Luffy jumped back, surprised, before meeting his embrace with a tighter, more rubbery one. “Sorry if… sorry If I’m being a bit forward.” He hated apologising so much and he started to worry if it was Bepo’s influence.
“It’s alright, Hancock.” Luffy smiled, pulling him closer. “I just thought there’d be meat. But you do smell pretty nice today, Hancock.”
Meat. That’s right. Luffy must have been hungry. At least he didn’t want bread.
“I… I have meat if you want it.”
“Really?” Luffy’s eyes lit up as Law raised his skirt.
“EAT ME ALL YOU LIKE STRAW HAT-YA!”
Luffy moved closer, his eyes ravenous as he descended between Hancock’s - Law’s - legs. Law felt his heart beat faster as Luffy drew closer. Yesyesyes…

“CAPTAIN!!”

Law woke with a jolt and the feeling of something shaking him. “WAKE UP CAPTAIN!” shouted Bepo.
“What’s… what’s going on?” he muttered, disappointingly coming to the realisation it had all been just a dream and realising the only one with their arms around him was a polar bear.
“Captain, I was so worried you started making noises and moaning in your sleep! I thought you were being attacked.”
“There’s no problem, Bepo. Don’t worry about me. I was just having… a bad dream. It must be from the fever.”
There, however, was a problem. His breasts were gone. And his c*ck was rock hard enough to pitch a tent under his sheets which were suspiciously sticky. He couldn’t go address the crew like this and hoped Bepo hadn’t noticed it. The bear still had his arms wrapped around his shoulders and torso in a tight embrace… Much like Luffy in his dream.
Think of something unattractive… C’mon. Think of something unattractive… he muttered to himself.
His thoughts moved to Doflamingo. It was the time he’d walked in on Doflamingo getting changed and he’d seen his pink flamingo underwear. And that slimeball Trebel. There was nothing sexy about him.
Bepo, however, was surprisingly unconvinced. He’d noticed his Captain had been acting strange since Sabaody but couldn’t quite figure out why. Perhaps he’d caught some kind of virus there? Law may have been a genius surgeon but he was still not immune to viruses. “I don’t know. You still seem a bit sick, Captain, I think you should take it easy.”
Law sighed. Perhaps his mind being idle was to blame. “I’ll go take a shower, have breakfast and then I’ll meet everyone for an update. We still have a long way to go until we reach our next destination and maybe we should make a stop somewhere. Sometimes it does get a bit stuffy in the Polar Tang and we don’t want to end up with cabin fever.”
Given Bepo’s reaction to his “illness”, he was certain Shachi and Penguin were probably guessing what was going on with him. He had to act as if everything was fine. He was the captain after all.

Chapter Text

“The captain has been acting really weird since Sabaody, has anyone else noticed that?” Penguin remarked as the Heart Pirates gathered around the breakfast table minus Law who was washing up in the bathroom.
“I’m concerned he’s been working too much, burnout is so common in the medical profession. Perhaps we should be doing more to help him.”
“Maybe we need to train and be stronger so we can be of more help to him.”
“There’s a spa island nearby. Perhaps we can reward our captain for all his hard work by taking him there.” Ikkaku suggested.
“That sounds wonderful,” replied Bepo. “Do they offer massages for bears too? I could really use one.”
“Are we sure Captain will like that?” Jean Bart asked. “I know everyone’s on board with it but doesn’t he already have plans.”
“Captain works too hard, he needs a rest.” Penguin replied, pouring himself some more orange juice that matched the hue of Bepo’s jumpsuit. “Whether he likes it or not. Our poor captain must be all burned out.”
“Ayeeeee.” It was decided, as they toasted each other with their glasses of juice to sign the deal. They would head towards the spa island as their next pitstop and just hope Law didn’t find out till it was too late to change direction. As stubborn as their Captain could be, a little R&R would be good for him.

***
The shower on the Polar Tang used recycled seawater and Law generally tried not to spend too long in there in case the device which filtered and heated the water needed to be recharged but he had never felt as dirty as he had the past few days. What had gotten into him? He wondered. And why now? Why was he having these thoughts and why did it affect him so much physically? He would need to scourge the medical journals for answers later. The hot water felt good against his lean, muscular tattooed body and he hoped Bepo didn’t mind he was stealing his favourite limited edition Uta 3 in 1 shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. Once he had his hair sufficiently foamy he turned his attention to his beard.
Part of being a pirate captain was appearances. Some pirates rocked the scruffy look but he liked to look clean and that meant keeping his beard neat and the rest of his face (and chest) clean shaven even if shaving every day was a nuisance.
Does Luffy like hairy guys? he wondered. No wait. He’d like me without hair. Like Boa Hancock.
Shut up! He scolded himself for thinking about Luffy and the dream again. Why did he suddenly care what Luffy thought of how he looked? He’d never cared before. Law grimaced and clenched his teeth as he realised he’d accidentally nipped himself on the neck while trying to shave his five o’clock shadow. It was his fault for not paying attention.
Once his beard was tidied up he rinsed his hair out and scrubbed down the rest of his body.
He dried down in a rush and threw on his bathrobe as he hurried out of the bathroom, not wanting to spend a second longer alone with his thoughts, and headed to breakfast where he could hear everyone else waiting for him
Law emerged from the bathroom looking more refreshed than he had for a while only to feel his anxiety levels rising as he realised he was the topic of discussion of his crew. The Heart Pirates were deep in discussion and most hadn’t noticed Law sneak in until now… what were they scheming? “Making plans without me are you?”
Bepo, who had been the main one to notice Law’s entrance, wrapped his arms tightly around him as he sat by the table with his hair still dripping wet, taking a bite on one of the rice balls which had been left. He coughed as it went down the wrong way.
“There you are captain, we were worried about you.”
“Hey don’t crush me to death! I nearly choked on my rice ball.”
“Sorry Captain! So sorry.”
“It’s fine. What’s the ETA to the nearest island. We may need to stock up on food.”
“I’m sorry,” chimed Bepo, admitting to having raided the pantry again. “I didn’t mean to eat all the rice pudding and gluten free donuts Captain! If it makes you feel better I didn’t touch the instant soy lattes.”
“I should have known it was you,” Law teased. “Always is. Now back to the updates…”
“We are a few days away.” The crew spoke as if they knew something he didn’t. “Perhaps? You should take it easy captain.”
“I’m just going to do some reading today and maybe go through catalogues of surgical equipment.”
“Don’t work too hard Captain!! We don’t want you to get sick!”
He flicked through the medical journals hoping to find some answers to his condition lately. He suspected it may be partly psychosomatic but he wasn’t quite sure. The symptoms included intrusive thoughts and a tingling in his loins, a fast heart rate and…
Oh my…
WAS HE DYING? Perhaps he still had remnants of the White Lead disease even after all these years? He was sure he’d cured himself with the Op Op Fruit though.
Surely it wasn’t fatal??? Law tried to remain calm, but Bepo noticed his unease.
“Put the book down, you look stressed. Perhaps if we all sing it will make things better, Captain.”
It was then that all of them except Law, who flicked through his medical journal trying not to act embarrassed, started to sing: “We all live on a yellow submarine… a yellow submarine…And all our friends are on board.”

Chapter Text

“RESORT!?” Law couldn’t believe what was coming into his ears.
His crew had decided on stopping at a resort and hadn’t even bothered to tell him. Now he knew what they had been scheming the whole time. That explained a LOT…
“It will be fun, Captain!” they insisted in unison. “Everyone let’s get ready!”
Fine….
What should I wear? Law thought as he returned to his quarters. It sounded like the perfect opportunity to bring out his Hawaiian shirt collection. His crew liked to tease him about it but they were his favourite guilty pleasure. Law picked a Hawaiian shirt which had pink and orange flowers. It was cute, the shade of orange reminded him of Bepo’s jumpsuit. He had thrown it over the top of his swim trunks which had been coordinated to match the black and white spotted hat. He also packed some floaties and a swim cap with the same black spotted pattern as his regular hat in case there happened to be a pool - which given it was a resort was almost certain.
The Polar Tang soon arrived by the shores of the resort island and the Heart Pirates made their way onto land. It was a relief to finally be on some land even if it was not the island Law thought they were going to. He saw a luxury hotel complex and several pools looking on ahead.
“Welcome,” greeted one of the fishmen who met them as they disembarked. “Do you have a reservation? If not, how long do you wish to stay?”
“We are the Heart Pirates, we want to stay three days,” Penguin replied.
“Come right in.”
They were led towards the entrance of the hotel building where they could check pay and check in. Pirate resorts were something else. Bounties didn’t matter here and in exchange for some berries they could just let loose and relax. He needed the break as much as he hated to admit it. They were taken up to the rooms through a luxurious entranceway and soon found themselves in a large suite with beds with fancy sheets and an expensive looking coffee machine next to the snail transponder.
“This place looks great Captain!” exclaimed Bepo, excitedly jumping on the bed. The bed made a creak which unnerved Law. “Be careful Bepo you could break it!! We don’t want to lose our deposit.”
“Sorry!”
They could see the pool overlooking the balcony so took turns to get changed and head downstairs. They found themselves a nice spot by the pool and got out their towels which they stretched over the sunbeds and laid down.
“Do you fellows care for some ice cream?” offered the waitress who walked by. She was a buxom older woman who looked to be part fish.
“Yes please!” a group of the Heart Pirates announced as Law was distracted by his thoughts. “And what about hot stuff over there?” she asked, referring to Law.
“Our Captain is on a gluten free diet. He’s also lactose intolerant so don’t give him too much dairy or it’ll give him the runs,” Bepo explained.
“Just give me some Aperol spritz and a soy latte,” replied Law nonchalantly, finally realising that everyone was staring at him and it was getting really awkward.
“Sure thing honeybuns,” she replied before disappearing behind the bar.
Law took out his book while waiting for his Aperol spritz and coffee. He’d put it away once the drinks arrived, he reminded himself.
He was certain he’d removed all the traces of the white lead disease years ago. So what were his strange symptoms? The bizarre dreams of Luffy had become part of the regular rotation of dreams alongside the nightmares of his time with Doflamingo. Law flicked through the pages of his medical compendium in search of answers before closing it once his Spritz arrived. Perhaps his crew were right and he should try to relax for once, as difficult as it was to switch his mind off at the best of times.
He sipped on his spritz and watched on as Bepo and some of the rest of the crew had decided to start a game of beach volleyball. “Are you going to join us, Captain?” they called.
“I’m not in the mood,” replied Law.
“But it’s fuuuuun,” the Heart Pirates insisted.
Law sighed as he cupped his face in his hands in consternation as he got up off the sunbed and headed towards the sand area where his crew had set up the game. “Fiiine, you win! I’ll play with you.”

Chapter Text

“Shambles!” Suddenly the beach ball had switched places with the sand Law had picked up. As reluctant as he was to play, he could get competitive when it came down to it.
“That’s no fair captain!” protested the Heart pirates who then told him to stay out of the game if he wasn’t going to follow the rules. Law shrugged and went back to laying back on his beach towel.

He tried to focus on his medical journals and Sora Warrior of the Sea to keep his thoughts drifting back to Luffy. It proved an effective distraction. He could have watched his team play but he already knew Bepo had an unfair advantage.

However, it wasn’t long before something else caught his attention. His Observation Haki must have been improving because he immediately sensed the presence of someone powerful nearby. No. Not one person. Two.

Without drawing too much attention to himself, Law surreptitiously peered in the direction of where he’d sensed the presence.

Mihawk. What was he doing here? And who was the strange pink haired girl accompanying him? She was literally floating behind him like an apparition.
As much as he tried to be discreet that he’d noticed Mihawk, it was obvious Mihawk would have noticed him too. Even without using Observation Haki, Law stood out as a lanky man with a lean muscular figure and distinct black tattoos. “Trafalgar Law of the Worst Generation, what brings you here?”
“Mihawk. I could say the same to you.”
From the corner of his eyes he caught the Heart Pirates gaze in their direction before returning to their game, certain that whatever Mihawk wanted with their Captain was none of their business.
Suddenly the second presence made herself known. She was a pale young woman in a gothic lolita-style dress with long pink hair styled in pigtails. Law had never seen her before. Was she Mihawk’s girlfriend? She looked a bit young for him? But then again, knowing Mihawk, he probably had the funds to get himself a younger girlfriend and he wasn’t that bad looking for a middle-aged man. His perfectly styled beard which framed his perfect pale face made Law curious what beard oil and skincare products he used but he reminded himself he wasn’t supposed to be checking out one of the Seven Warlords. What had gotten into him? First Luffy and now this? Gotta think of something else, he thought as he felt his face grow red as he desperately tried to get himself “turned off” by imagining Big Mom in her underwear.
“Is something the matter, Law?” Mihawk asked. “You don’t seem too well.”
“Oh it’s fine… uhhhh,” Law stumbled. Shit, he thought. Mihawk’s noticed me acting strange. I’ve gotta explain it somehow. “Been out in the sun too long.”
Mihawk laughed. “I can tell by the tan. I envy you, being able to get a tan. I am so pale I burn. So is the Sun what brought you here?”
“In part,” Law replied, not wanting to go into too much detail. “But you don’t seem the type to go for the sunshine?” Mihawk’s presence here seemed even stranger than his. The pink-haired woman beat Mihawk to explain their reason for coming here. “Yes do go on Perona,” Mihawk replied, I’ll let you tell him.”
“Horahorahora…” she laughed, completing the explanation for Mihawk. “We live on a creepy deserted island, it’s great and all but can sometimes do with a change of scenery,” she replied cheerily.
Moments after the ghosts flew through him a wave of immense hopelessness washed over him. “I AM USELESS AND LUFFY WILL NEVER LOVE ME. WHAT IF I NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN? WHAT IF HE THINKS ME AND MY CREW ARE TOTAL LOSERS WHAT IF…?”

Mihawk raised an eyebrow while Law turned red-faced as he realised what he’d just said during his sudden depressive episode. “Luffy? As in Straw Hat Luffy?” he inquired although he knew there was hardly anybody else who went by that name. The last time he’d seen Luffy had been at Marineford and before that, on the Baratie.
Law froze. He had revealed too much. Darn it! He hadn’t been expecting that to happen.
“We won’t tell anyone. We can keep a secret,” Mihawk replied. It was just him and Perona on the island, he didn’t think there’d be anyone he’d want to tell.
“Perhaps if you see him again you can tell him that you’re madly in love with him,” suggested Perona. “Horohorohorohoro.”
“But if I’m friends with Luffy, he won’t see me as anything else,” Law replied, frustrated by the predicament.
“Hmmm” Perona was deep in thought. “Ooohhhh I know, perhaps you can start an alliance?”
“I don’t know…” Actually she had a point. An alliance could just work and allow him to get close to Luffy while still keeping him at an arm’s distance. It would also be advantageous in his goals of defeating one of the Four Emperors. “Horohorohorohoro.”
Mihawk appeared to be able to read his mind. “In fact, Law, if you come to our room we may be able to discuss some matters in private. As they relate to Kaido.” Mihawk’s proposition seemed tempting. Kaido as in one of the Four Emperors? Mihawk and Perona invited Law up to their hotel for a more private discussion on the Four Emperors.

Chapter Text

Bepo noticed Law was no longer there after they wrapped up their volleyball game. “Where’s Captain?” he asked Penguin who seemed just as confused. They had lost track of time and been too absorbed in their game to notice that Law had walked off with Mihawk and Perona somewhere.
“He may have been doing business with Mihawk.”
“Oh that’s right there’s other pirates here.”
They decided to head back to the hotel room as soon as they had finished packing away the equipment. Some other pirates seemed to be waiting to play, ones that seemed vaguely familiar. The one in the blue and white mask and matching mankini swimsuit with long blond hair seemed especially familiar. He was Killer from Captain Eustass Kid’s crew.
“Sorry,” Bepo told them. “We’ll be moving out of your way soon.” What was Kid’s crew doing here? Bepo wondered if he should alert their captain.

***
“So you wanted to speak to me about Kaido?” Law asked as soon as they got back to the hotel room. Mihawk had booked one of the nicest suites.
“Yes, in private, Trafalgar Law. And you shall soon see why,” Mihawk replied.
“Horororor,” added Perona as she clung to his side. He could see some designer shopping bags from the resort mall by her bedside table which further confirmed his suspicion Mihawk was her sugar daddy. I’m not jealous, he reminded himself even though he admittedly wouldn’t mind being spoiled by Mihawk either. However, he had more important things to discuss here: Kaido. Even though they had only met by chance, Mihawk seemed to be able to read his mind.
Mihawk offered him some whisky before they began their discussion on Kaido.
“So you’re planning to challenge Kaido?” Law wondered as he took his whisky.
“I have no intention to challenge Kaido,” Mihawk replied. “But he’s starting to get on my nerves. There’s been rumours he’s linked to an operation where the Navy suspects there are kidnapped children being kept on a private island and I fear they may raid my island.”
Mihawk took another sip of whisky. “Of course if they raid my island all they will mostly find are some pissed off gorillas but I’d rather they didn’t disturb my peace.”
“And what makes you feel they’ll raid your island?”
Mihawk pulled out a scrap of paper containing a hastily drawn map of an archipelago.
“There are numerous other islands in the archipelago mine is located on. See here’s my island,” he pointed to an island which had been marked as M before pointing to one on the far side. “One of the furthest is owned by a wealthy financier who goes by Little St Jeffstein. There are rumours he is behind the kidnapping of children,” he explained. “They say he’s been the one funding secret experiments on Punk Hazard.”
“Punk Hazard?” Law had heard of the name and it brought back memories of the chemical experiments on children being run by the World Government. It was also now the site of a laboratory he’d heard was used to manufacture SAD for SMILE fruits for Kaido… Now he saw where this was headed. Ultimately it led to Doflamingo and Kaido.
“That’s where they are apparently doing gigantification experiments on children,’ Mihawk explained. “But as for how they are getting the children, they currently say one of the main supplies of children for the experiments is from Little St Jeffstein. Goodness knows what unspeakable things happen on that island but it’s frequently visited by the Celestial Dragons and even members of the World Government so I would say they’re all in on it.”
“Those sick bastards.”
“Indeed.” Mihawk took out another piece of paper which appeared to be a map of the Little St Jeffstein Island. He put it out in front of Law who examined the markings and landmarks depicted. “I don’t like getting my hands dirty but my intel has helped me obtain this map. The island itself appears quite deserted and unprotected for the most part. It contains a mansion which is apparently quite empty. There is also a port at the back of the cliff. On the cliff is where things get interesting. It contains this unusual temple.” He offered Law some more whisky before he continued. Law accepted as he continued to pore over the document. So far it didn’t appear particularly suspicious. “This is where it gets interesting,” Mihawk continued. “There are rumours that there is a whole hidden underground part of the island and the temple is one of the main entrances. However, in order to fully determine what is there, one would be required to do an on-site investigation.”
“And you are telling me this why?” Law pressed.
Law was sharp. He’d immediately inferred Mihawk had decided to tell him so he would go and investigate. Conveniently for him, it already tied into some of Law’s goals.
“Because I think it is fate out paths crossed today and you may just be the person for the job. You see, I want some peace and quiet without worrying about raids on my island and at the same time we need to stop Little St Jeffstein. You are one of the Worst Generation and I feel it aligns with some of your goals already given what I’ve heard so what do you say?”
Law smirked. “Count me in.”
Mihawk shook his hand and offered him a toast. “Hororororo” replied Perona, joining in. She’d changed into a nightgown while they’d been talking. Underneath he caught the site of some leather dominatrix gear and a leather crop by the bedside. Whatever floats his boat I guess…thought Law, admittedly starting to feel jealous.
Mihawk caught him looking and laughed. “Now that the deal is done you’re welcome to stay or leave. But we can meet again tomorrow to discuss the operation.“
“Stay?” Law wondered where this was heading.
“Oh come on Mihawk,” Perona replied. “You can tell by the look of him he’s a virgin. Hororororo. He may not like it so rough.”
“Oh come on dear, we can always go easy on him.”
“SHUT UP!” Law replied, excusing himself immediately and heading back to his crew before he could embarrass himself any further. He heard a vague “see you tomorrow” through the door but he used Room and Shambles to get himself as quickly as possible to the elevator before he heard anything else.

Chapter Text

Whew that was close! Law thought, taking a deep breath as he tried to erase from his mind what he’d just witnessed. Admittedly, given everything that had happened up until now he’d never had much time nor opportunity to lose his virginity but he didn’t need it pointed out so brazenly by that weird vampire sugar couple who he swore had wanted him to join them in a threesome.
Law decided to break the news of Mihawk’s mission to his crew. By now they were back in the hotel room and had wrapped up playing volleyball. He found them largely already sprawled out in the suite playing cards with Jean Bart as the dealer.
“Captain’s back!” Bepo announced excitedly upon his return, pulling him into a tight embrace.
“Hey not so tight! Are you trying to break my bones!?” Law exclaimed.
“Sorry Captain!” apologised Bepo, loosening his grip.
“All right, listen up,” began Law as he was free of the polar bear’s tight hug. “I got some news to share and it relates to my discussion with Mihawk just earlier.”
The Heart Pirates looked up intently from their game of cards.
“As part of our mission our next target should be a small island in an archipelago which goes by the name of Little St Jeffstein,” Law began. “Mihawk informed me it’s a private island known by a financier of the same name who has ties to both the World Government and pirates like Doflamingo and Kaido.”
He explained how it was being used to supply Punk Hazard with children to use in experiments. The idea would be to investigate Little St Jeffstein’s private island. It didn’t sound like it would be too difficult and he could tell by the look on his crew’s faces they felt similarly. All they had to do was dock on the shores and storm the temple which was believed to hold an underground compound. Mihawk would hopefully provide them with more information tomorrow.
“But what about delivering the hearts to the Navy and becoming a Warlord? Wasn’t that our initial mission?”
An oversight. Shachi was right he would have to discuss this with Mihawk. Perhaps the mission to investigate Little St Jeffstein may even be easier carried out under the protection of the Warlord title.
“I agree,” Bepo added. “It might be wise to first give those hearts over to the Navy and secure yourself a place among the Warlords first. If you’re a Warlord, you won’t be given as much trouble should things take a turn and no one will question your presence on that island.”
“Good point,” Law admitted in agreement while he heard Hakugan suggesting they get room service to deliver their dinner.
Shachi passed around the catalogue. By the time it got to Law he had already decided on rice and fish and some rum. No bread. He was almost certain he was coeliac and whenever he ate bread he had the worst case of bloating and gases but he just hadn’t had time to test himself.

***
“WAIT!? He’s here? Trafalgar Law?” Eustass couldn’t believe what he was hearing when Killer relayed the news to him as he did his makeup in front of the opulent mirror of the luxury suite he’d booked and paid for with treasure they’d plundered from a nearby island.
Captain Eustass Kid hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the Surgeon of Death since Sabaody. Fate had brought them together when Straw Hat Luffy had punched the Celestial Dragon and he’d scarcely been able to stop thinking of him since.
His crew so far hadn’t suspected anything was up with his obsession with Trafalgar Law and he intended to keep it that way. But if the Heart Pirates were here, then he needed to come up with another way to get close.
“Do you know which room they are staying in by any chance?”
“We didn’t find that out but we can try,” Killer admitted. “I don’t think it’s anywhere near as nice as ours though.”
Eustass Kid burst out laughing. “Well obviously not. Those amateurs can’t match us. They probably don’t have much treasure on them.” He reminded Killer that his boots and trousers were both authentic Lucci Spring Collection pieces that cost a good amount of berries. Most pirates didn’t know much about high fashion, of course, especially ones like Straw Hat Luffy who looked like he got his clothes from a cheap department store. Law on the other hand looked well-dressed and Eustass wondered if he also liked Lucci. As most pirates weren’t into fashion, they probably didn’t know that Rob Lucci was the name of one of the most popular designers in the fashion world right now and his new collections were the perfect mix of punk meets haut-couture.
Killer left the room as Kid finished applying his smoky eyeliner. Left to his own thoughts, he began to devise a scheme to “accidentally” bump into Law. He even considered threatening Guest Services to let him know which room Law was in but didn’t want to risk being kicked out for antisocial behaviour.
Next was his hair. It had lost some of its volume and spikiness when he’d been swimming earlier so he needed to reapply some hairgel.
“Are you ready captain?” A voice belonging to Heat called faintly through the door leading into the main suite and cut off the last part.
“I can’t hear you,” Kid replied in frustration.
“I SAID ARE YOU READY CAPTAIN?”
“ALMOST!!” he shouted, hurriedly adjusting his hair spikes. Of course, he often took his time getting ready and it sometimes annoyed his crew, but he couldn’t go out looking less than perfect. He HAD to not only be the strongest pirate of the Worst Generation, but the hottest one too and his competition was Trafalgar Law.

***

Chapter Text

“Hororororo.” A shrill laugh filled the hall as Eustass opened the door of his room the following morning and was considering heading down to the breakfast buffet. He turned in the direction of the sound and briefly caught glimpse of three figures heading into one of the suites. Two of them seemed oddly familiar even though the door was closed before he got a proper look.
The pale vampiric man was likely none other than the Warlord and formidable swordsman Dracule Mihawk.
Eustass trembled as it dawned on him that Mihawk was in one of the other luxury suites down the hall from him. Just what was he doing here?
And the slim man going into his room Eustass was almost certain was Trafalgar Law. He hadn’t caught a glimpse of his face but no one else knew wore a white hat with dark spots and had their jeans clinging to the outline of their ass so well.
Breakfast could wait… curiosity got the better of him as he crept closer to the door and pressed his ear against it hoping to hear what they were discussing. He couldn’t hear too much and wasn’t sure exactly what was being discussed but he did hear some keywords which intrigued him such as “Little St Jeffstein island”, “temple raid” and “Kaido”. They were by all means planning something. Law didn’t seem the type to form an alliance so he wondered if Mihawk was going to be paying.

***
Law had gotten up much earlier than usual. He’d wondered if Mihawk would be fine to see him now? It would take his thoughts back to reality. He’d been dreaming about Luffy again.
As much as the logical side of his brain told him he couldn’t see Luffy now and that Luffy had to recover and train after Marineford, the emotional part of his brain wished he could stay by Luffy’s side. Before Marineford, he’d assumed Luffy was just wild and carefree like he’d been at Sabaody but he noticed the death of Ace had changed him.
His crew were all asleep as he got ready.
He went up to where Mihawk’s suite was. Hopefully it wasn’t too early. Mihawk didn’t seem the type of guy who slept much.
Law gave a careful knock on the door to his room. There was no sound after the first knock but after the second a familiar voice called: “Who’s there?”
“Hey Mihawk, it’s not too early now is it?” Law asked. “It’s me, Trafalgar Law.”
“No it’s not too early. If you’re here to discuss you-know-what, we have time.”
Soon the door was opened and Mihawk opened it. He was wearing a white shirt which had been unbuttoned exposing his perfectly toned chest. Law couldn’t help admire his muscular physique but it only made him desire to get more muscular himself. Certainly Luffy would think him more attractive if he was built like Mihawk?
“Is something the matter?
“Hororororo.” The laugh was unmistakable. It was Perona. He had assumed Perona would still be asleep but it seemed she was up too. And she probably realised he’d been looking over Mihawk.
“It’s nothing, just a bit tired.”
“Perhaps we can come in.”
He followed them inside the suite where Mihawk offered him a seat on the sofa.
Once he was seated he offered him a glass of wine, it looked like one he’d taken from the minibar. “Isn’t it too early to drink?”
“We’re pirates, it’s never too early for a drink,” Mihawk reminded him as he was handed a glass. Law was no wine expert but it looked like fancy stuff. He took a sip. “Not bad,” he commented as he noticed Mihawk glaring at him for approval. “But let’s get to the real reason I’m here.”
“Ahh yes Little St Jefftein Island.”
“Indeed.”
“So have you decided you’re in?”
“I spoke to the crew and we’re keen,” Law replied. “But there’s one thing I would like to do first. Hear me out.”
He shared information about the hearts they had on board the submarine and had been planning to take to the Navy in exchange for Law being granted a Warlord title. Given the developments with Mihawk’s mission, it would mean that the title could be advantageous.
“Hmmm,” Mihawk momentarily pondered over the idea. “I agree, it is a good idea. You having the title of one of the Seven Warlords will mean there will be less suspicion. So let me guess the plan is you will first deliver the hearts to the Navy and then meet at my Island.”
Mihawk ripped a plain sheet of paper. “Here’s my Vivre card,” he replied. “Once you are done with your delivery to the Navy meet me at my island. It’s not too far from Little St Jeffstein’s and no one will bother us there.”
“Thanks. I guess we are something of an alliance then,” Law replied as he took the paper strip.
“Indeed,” Mihawk replied, finishing off his glass. “Although like I said, I don’t want to look like I’m getting involved myself.”
“Hororororo,” Perona refilled Mihawk’s wine. Law glanced from the corner of his eye and saw that they’d already gone through at least a few bottles. The guy could certainly drink!
“I understand your desire to stay in the shadows,” Law replied. “Don’t worry, me and my crew should be able to handle the raid on the island and the temple.”
“That’s reassuring. I have heard the reports and have faith in your abilities,” Mihawk replied. He was drinking more wine but didn’t seem remotely tipsy. Law wondered just what his alcohol limit was. He seemed just as good at tolerating alcohol as he was at swordfighting. “Once the raid is pulled off we expect to rescue those children. It will certainly be a blow to Joker and, in turn, Kaido.”
“You are planning to stop Kaido too?”
Mihawk smirked. “Me? I can’t be bothered but I would like to see some change in the Emperors’ roster.”

***