Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Unlike what many believed, including his own crew, Luffy was not a complete idiot, he could formulate plans and strategies, just as he was indeed capable of lying and keeping secrets. After all, he was Dragon’s son, even without having much contact with his father, he had inherited a few things from his parents.

But he liked to act with total freedom most of the time, especially alongside those he trusts. He had a great sixth sense for telling whether someone was good or not, everyone in his crew knew that.

What few realized was that that instinct was not only for choosing allies. It served to measure risks. To understand when something should be exposed... and when it should be protected.

He saw what the world did to those the government considered a threat, he understands the lengths they can go to, as was the case with the island of Ace’s biological mother, or everything that happened to Robin. He would not lose anyone important to him, especially after the enormous scare he went through at Marineford, his older brother was alive, but he knew that day could have ended very differently.

Luffy knew that.

He felt it.

The emptiness.

The fear.

The helplessness.

He never wanted to feel that way again, that’s why he trained, and finally, after two years and a few months, returned to action as captain of the Straw Hats. But there were differences that went beyond his physical changes, he kept a secret from his friends and family.

Not out of fear of their reaction or anything like that.

His fear was different.

It was strategic.

The world now watched his every move much more closely. After defeating emperors, after challenging the Government on islands that were supposed to be untouchable, his name was no longer just that of a promising pirate.

He was a threat.

And threats are studied.

Dissected.

Exploited.

Any bond that was too close could become a weak point. Any hesitation could be used against him.

Luffy knew that.

He may not understand politics like a diplomat, but he understands power. He understands danger. He understands when something needs to be protected even from those he loves.

Everything went well for a while, his adventures were incredible, he made new friends and new enemies, reunited with his brothers and even managed to talk to his father for more than five minutes and the world didn’t explode! That was already a victory.

And more importantly, he was able to spend quality time with Law in Wano, without needing to time every minute so they wouldn’t miss him, so they wouldn’t find his behavior strange.

Wano was still chaos after the battle against the Yonkos.

It was time for reconstruction.

There were too many people too busy to pay attention to two captains who disappeared from time to time. There, in the middle of the confusion, they were able to breathe.

The good thing about being almost complete opposites, no one suspected the feelings between the two. It was cliché, but they were like the Sun and the Moon. Luffy had the idea of getting a tattoo together, he would be the sun, Law the moon. It was subtle enough that no one would make the connection.

Law just laughed at his boyfriend and said that maybe one day.

Luffy pouted.

Law kissed his pout.

And so they spent the night on the roof of one of the newly rebuilt sections of Wano, holding hands, watching the moon and the stars. They knew their time together would soon come to an end. They had their own paths to follow.

Law had no ambition to become King of the Pirates. But he needed a good lie to remain close without raising suspicion. He would be there. Not for the title. Not for the crown.

But to see Luffy claim it.

After a few more days, they departed from there, each taking a different route.

Luffy had a piece of Law’s Vivre Card hidden inside his hat, along with those of his brothers. Law kept his with the same care.

They were strong. They knew how to take care of themselves. But the sea was unpredictable.

Now, Luffy was already on his way to Elbaf when he began to feel a different tightness in his chest. At first, he thought it had something to do with his transformation. Gear 5 made his heart beat in a strange way, exaggerated even for him. Maybe it was just a side effect.

Everything was fine.

He had even found Ace and Sabo. Both were sailing with him now. Sabo had something to resolve in Elbaf, and Ace stayed by his brother’s side ever since the Whitebeard Pirates dissolved.

It was a rare moment of calm.

Luffy was laughing loudly at some argument between Zoro and Ace when he felt the light tug on his clothes.

"Luffy... there’s smoke coming out of your hat!" Chopper said, his eyes wide.

The world seemed to slow down.

Luffy immediately took the hat off his head.

He turned it upside down.

The small pieces of Vivre Card fell into his hand.

His brothers’ were intact. Firm and whole.

But Torao’s...

The edges were darkened.

The small flame was consuming the paper slowly and cruelly. By how much had already disappeared, it hadn’t started just now. Earlier, Luffy had been too busy with the battle to notice something was wrong.

"Robin, what’s the latest news we have about Jaggy and Torao?" Luffy’s tone was serious, which was rare, and immediately Robin adjusted her posture.

"Kidd was last seen entering a confrontation with Shanks the last time I saw him in the news, we don’t know his status since then. Law should already be leaving the island we agreed on the last time we saw each other..."

As if the sea itself wanted to confirm the premonition, the News Coo descended in circles above the Sunny.

The sound of their wings seemed too loud.

Robin grabbed one of the newspapers.

She didn’t need to say anything, on the front page there was an image.

A white hat stained with blood.

Unmistakable.

The headline appeared right below it, in large letters:

Polar Tang destroyed, Supernova Trafalgar Law defeated by Yonko Blackbeard?

Luffy finally reached out his hand.

Robin handed him the newspaper.

He looked at the photo.

Not for long.

Just enough.

The image showed wreckage scattered across the sea. Part of the hull submerged. The caption mentioned a brutal clash between Blackbeard’s crew and the Heart Pirates.

There was no confirmation of deaths, only speculation.

Just the fact that Teach’s name was there was enough to make Ace angry. Of course that bastard was still out there. And now he had attacked one of Luffy’s allies. His brother should have been furious, that was the expected reaction. But when Ace looked at him, he didn’t see what he imagined. That wasn’t Luffy angry because a friend had been attacked. It was worse.

He knew that look.

He had seen it before.

At Marineford.

It was the look of someone who had already decided he would walk through hell if necessary.

Luffy stretched his arm all the way to the Sunny’s kitchen, grabbing a small glass jar. With unusual care, he placed the Vivre Card inside and closed the lid before the wind could consume another piece.

He handed the jar to Nami.

“Change course. Elbaf can wait… We’re going after him now.”

Normally the crew would question such an abrupt change, but everyone there could see that Luffy wasn’t asking.

He was ordering.

As captain.

And when he spoke like that, no one argued.

Nami was already moving toward the helm, relaying the new coordinates to Jinbe with precision, while Robin went to inform the giants that their visit to Elbaf would be postponed.

Sabo and Ace watched the atmosphere on deck shift, Luffy moved to his favorite spot on the ship, the Sunny’s head, and stayed there, quiet, which frightened everyone more than any words he could have said.

Luffy’s brothers approached the bow slowly, stopping a few steps behind him, Luffy didn’t look at them.

His fingers gripped his knee tightly, it was clear he was tense.

“Lu… Teach is dangerous…” Ace began, his voice lower than usual. “I know that better than anyone here… I know Law is your ally and he’s saved our skin before but… are you sure about this?”

He would fight gods to protect his brother.

But he needed to know.

He needed to know whether this was a decision or an impulse.

“He’s right, Lu…” Sabo sighed. “You just came out of an absurd battle in Egghead. The whole world is already looking at you differently.”

His brothers barely knew that Luffy’s mind was far from that apparent silence. Behind eyes fixed on the horizon, his thoughts ran fast, fitting pieces together, discarding possibilities, rebuilding scenarios. Law was not reckless. He wouldn’t enter a direct confrontation with someone like Teach just to test strength or out of pride.

He was too strategic for that. If there had been a battle, it was because he had been forced to fight. Because he had no choice.

Teach also didn’t act without purpose. Attacking the Polar Tang out of nowhere made no sense. There were no other Devil Fruit users in the Heart crew that would justify immediate interest, no exorbitant bounty beyond the captain himself. Only one truly valuable target there: Trafalgar D. Water Law. The Ope Ope no Mi.

Luffy’s jaw tightened slightly at the thought. Law’s fruit was more powerful than many realized.

Capable of granting eternal youth.

Capable of doing almost anything within his Room.

Capable of turning the world upside down.

Teach was far too ambitious to ignore something like that. He could want it for himself. He could want to give it to one of his commanders. He might simply refuse to allow anyone besides him to accumulate enough power to threaten him in the future.

For a moment, one possibility crossed his mind and was dismissed almost instantly. No. This wasn’t an indirect message to him. To the world, the Straw Hat alliance with the Heart Pirates had ended in Wano. Publicly, each had gone their separate ways. Teach was intelligent, yes, but he had no way of measuring what truly existed between them. That bond wasn’t in the newspapers. It never had been.

The most logical conclusion remained the same: Teach wanted the Ope Ope no Mi. Simple as that.

And yet… something bothered him.

Luffy didn’t rely only on logic. He relied on instinct. And his instinct screamed that this wasn’t just a hunt for a powerful fruit. There was too much timing. Too much coincidence. The world had been shifting since Egghead, forces reorganizing, Yonko measuring territory. Attacking Law now meant altering a fragile balance. It meant provoking a response.

As long as there was even the smallest flame left in that Vivre Card inside the glass jar, he would cross any sea to reach him.

“Lu… are you listening to us?” Ace placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder.

Luffy blinked slowly, as if returning from very far away. The wind stirred his hair, but his eyes were clear. Present.

“He’s after Torao because of his Devil Fruit. There’s no other explanation.” His voice came out low, but steady. “He needs him alive to take the fruit. If he dies first… it disappears beyond his reach.”

Ace and Sabo exchanged a quick glance. That wasn’t an impulsive guess. It was cold reasoning, something they weren’t used to seeing in Luffy, but Sabo had seen that expression before in Dragon. The same silence before a decision that changed the course of things. The same distant look, calculating consequences no one else could see yet.

“The Ope Ope no Mi isn’t something he would let slip by,” Sabo commented, serious. “Especially someone like Teach.”

Luffy nodded slightly. “He wouldn’t destroy the Polar Tang if he wasn’t sure he could control the field afterward. He’ll want to capture. Contain. Force.” His fingers relaxed a little over his knee. “He likes having the advantage. He doesn’t gamble power like that.”

Ace squeezed his shoulder harder. “And if you’re wrong?”

Luffy finally turned his face to look at him. There was no desperation there. No denial.

“I’m not.”

The conviction was simple. Absolute.

“I don’t know what his situation is right now,” he continued, his gaze returning to the open sea. “But I’m going to find out.”

Meanwhile, somewhere distant along the Grand Line, far from the reach of any known flag, Bepo swam with all the strength still left in his body. The sea was cold and heavy, salt seeping into open cuts, muscles burning with every stroke. On his back, secured firmly so he wouldn’t slip, was his captain.

He remained unconscious.

The blood that had once stained the water had already dispersed, carried away by the currents. Bepo did not dare look back for long. He couldn’t slow down. He couldn’t hesitate. He needed to put enough distance between them and the territory where the Blackbeard Pirates had fought that brutal battle.

Each breath came out heavy, uneven. The transformation caused by the drug still echoed through his muscles, now demanding its price. He knew he wouldn’t last much longer at that pace, but he also knew he couldn’t stop until he found a safe point, an island, a reef, anything that would allow him to pull Law out of the water and assess his injuries.

His captain’s body was far too cold.

“Captain… hold on…” Bepo muttered through clenched teeth, his voice almost lost in the sound of the waves. He could feel the faint breathing against his back, too light, too spaced out. That terrified him more than the presence of any Yonko.

Law had not fought to win.

He had fought to buy time.

Time for someone to escape.

Time for his crew to survive.

And in the end, it was Bepo who had managed to pull him into the depths at the last moment, betting everything on the confusion and the false certainty of death the sea could offer. His captain had said Luffy’s name before passing out, if Bepo could he would contact them and ask for help, Luffy was a kind boy and would help even if they were no longer allies. He could only pray that Teach believed they had died at sea.

But Teach was no fool.

If he truly wanted the Ope Ope no Mi… he wouldn’t let the matter die so easily.

The current began to shift, pushing Bepo sideways. In the distance, a rocky formation rose from the water, uneven and dark. It wasn’t a large island, but it offered enough shelter to pull Law from the sea and assess the damage. Each stroke now was pure willpower. His muscles trembled, his breathing faltered, and the effect of the pill he had used to fight began to demand a cruel toll.

“Captain… just a little more…” he murmured, his voice hoarse.

Law’s body remained inert, far too heavy. But there was still breathing.

Weak.

Persistent.

And that was all Bepo needed to keep going.

Luffy could no longer say how much time had passed since they changed course. Nights blended into days, and the horizon always looked the same. He barely slept, and when he did, it was in short, restless minutes. He hardly ate, which, for someone like him, was the most alarming sign possible.

The Sunny sailed steadily, but the atmosphere on board was different.

Heavy.

Everyone noticed.

No one spoke about it openly.

Luffy hated worrying his family. He knew they were watching his every move, that they noticed when he pushed his plate aside, when he stayed too long at the ship’s head staring at the sea, when he gripped his hat tightly whenever he thought no one was looking.

But he couldn’t calm down.

Not until he laid eyes on Law.

Not until he was sure he was alive, that he would be okay.

Sabo watched everything in silence. He knew his brother well enough to understand that Luffy valued his friends like treasures. He knew he would cross the world for any member of his crew, for any ally who had shared a battlefield with him.

But this…

This was beyond that.

It was excessive.

It was something more personal. More raw.

And Sabo did not like not understanding the variables when something involved someone he loved.

One afternoon, when Luffy had finally been convinced to rest for at least an hour, Sabo began to move around the deck. He approached Nami first, keeping his tone casual, almost light.

“You and Law… spent quite a bit of time together.”

Nami lifted her eyes from the map for a second. “More than it looked like in the papers.”

“Were he and Luffy always that close?”

“As close as any ally, really. Law is serious and likes silence, he used to disappear to be alone even when everyone was together.” The navigator shrugged.

No hesitation.

No insinuation.

The answer was honest.

Sabo studied her face for a few seconds, searching for any sign of something unsaid, but found none. To the crew, from all appearances, the relationship between Luffy and Law was exactly what it had always seemed: an unlikely alliance that turned into mutual respect after shared battles.

Sabo tried speaking with the others throughout the day. Casual conversations, loose questions between tasks. The answers were always too similar. Luffy was friendly with Law. Law was quiet, reserved. Sometimes they argued when Luffy did something impulsively stupid. Sometimes they competed. Sometimes they simply ignored each other for hours.

Nothing that raised suspicion.

Nothing that seemed different from what Luffy already had with other strong allies he respected.

Nothing wrong.

And yet…

Sabo felt it.

It wasn’t logical. It wasn’t based on concrete evidence. It was instinct — the same kind that allowed him to sense political shifts before they became public, the same one he had learned by observing Dragon for years.

There was something there.

Not in what was shown.

But in what was carefully not shown.

If Sabo was right… then Luffy wasn’t just suffering at the possibility of losing an ally. He was afraid of losing someone who occupied a very specific space within him.

And if that was true…

His little brother was far more intelligent than many believed.

Because hiding something like that from his own crew, from people like Nico Robin, who noticed everything around her, required care. It required strategy. It required intention.

Sabo closed his eyes for a moment and sighed.

If it was just intense friendship, fine.

But if it was more…

Then the encounter with Marshall D. Teach stopped being merely a movement between Yonko.

It became something far more dangerous.

Because Luffy had always been more unpredictable when someone touched what he loved.

Chapter Text

The day dawned restless, and the Sunny seemed to feel it as much as anyone on board. Normally the deck vibrated with loud laughter, silly arguments, the metallic sound of someone training or the smell of whatever Sanji happened to be preparing in the kitchen. But that morning, all that could be heard was the rhythmic sound of waves striking the hull and the faint creak of wood under the breeze.

Suddenly, Luffy stood up.

His breathing changed first, faster, deeper, as if the air itself had become different. His eyes locked onto the horizon.

In the distance, a small island began to take shape through the morning mist. Irregular rocks, little vegetation, no visible structures. It didn’t look inhabited.

But Luffy felt two presences.

And one of them he knew as well as he knew his own heart.

"Jinbe," he called, his voice too firm. "Get us as close to that island as you can!"

Jinbe didn’t question it. He adjusted the helm with precision, guiding the Sunny through the treacherous currents that surrounded the rocks.

Soon it was possible to see a familiar orange jumpsuit among the rocky formations.

It was Bepo.

He waved his arms frantically, almost slipping on the wet sand while signaling. His face was swollen, soaked with tears. When he recognized the Sunny’s flag, his voice came out choked, a mixture of crying and laughter.

They were saved.

He didn’t know how the Straw Hats had arrived there.

But they were there.

And that was enough.

Luffy didn’t even wait for the ship to stop. In one second he was at the bow, in the next he had already launched his arm forward, propelling himself to the island. The landing was heavy, almost brutal, sending sand and small fragments of rock flying.

His eyes searched automatically.

Torao.

And then he saw him.

Law was lying on the damp sand, his dark coat stained and heavy, clinging to his body as if the sea still tried to pull him back. His chest rose and fell in weak, irregular but steady breaths, small proofs that he was still there, still resisting. The island wind lightly moved the dark hair over his pale face, and for a second everything seemed too distant, too silent.

Luffy dropped to his knees beside him with a dull impact, his fingers sinking into the cold sand. His breathing came heavy, almost uneven, as if he had run for miles instead of crossing only a few meters. The world around him, the sea, the Sunny approaching, voices in the distance, became muffled. Only that image in front of him existed.

With unusual care, almost hesitant, he took Law’s hand. His fingers pressed against the pulse, searching for the rhythm that confirmed what his eyes had already seen. Weak. Slow. But there.

Alive.

Law’s skin was far too cold beneath his touch, his body light in a way it shouldn’t have been. Luffy slid one arm beneath his back and the other under his legs, lifting him with a gentleness no one there had ever witnessed in the middle of a battle. There was no careless rush, no rough movement. Only steadiness and absolute care, as if a single mistake might break him.

When he stood, he kept Law’s body close to his chest, shielding him from the wind, from the uneven rocks, from everything. His steps across the sand were firm, but measured. Every movement calculated not to cause pain.

On the other side, Bepo was still crying, his hands trembling now that the tension was beginning to fade. He tried to say something, maybe explain, maybe apologize for not having done more, but the words dissolved when he saw the care in the Straw Hat captain’s eyes. The responsibility he had carried alone for days finally found rest.

When he was helped onto the ship, his legs gave out. For the first time since he had jumped into the sea with his captain on his shoulders, he allowed himself to pass out. On the Sunny’s deck, the silence that had marked the morning broke into urgency. Rushed footsteps, short orders, the infirmary door opening in a hurry.

A few hours later, two stretchers were occupied.

Chopper had already examined Bepo from head to paw, determining that despite the miserable state he was in, the damage was superficial: severe dehydration, extreme exhaustion, a few old bruises. Nothing that rest, food, and safety wouldn’t fix. The mink now slept deeply, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm for the first time since the escape.

But the other stretcher was different.

Law was absolutely exhausted. It wasn’t only physical injury, though there were cuts already cleaned and stitched. It was wear. The kind of exhaustion that came from pushing one’s body far beyond its limit, sustained only by willpower. Being adrift in the sea would already be dangerous for anyone. For an Akuma no Mi user, it was even worse. The cold, the constant weakness, the slow draining of energy, all of it demanded a price far too high.

Chopper spoke quietly while adjusting the bandages, but the gravity on his face said more than any explanation.

Luffy didn’t leave the bedside.

He had been sitting there since Law was placed on the stretcher, elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped so tightly that his knuckles had turned pale. From time to time he leaned forward to listen more closely to his breathing, as if he needed to confirm that he was still there.

The difference now was that he was eating.

Not with enthusiasm. Not with his usual carefree appetite. But he ate. He accepted the plates brought to him, chewing silently, his eyes never drifting far from the body lying in front of him. For the rest of the crew, that alone was already a small victory.

Further back, near the door, Ace and Sabo watched in silence.

Ace crossed his arms, his expression serious in a way that wasn’t common for him when it came to his brother.

"What do you think?" Sabo asked, quietly enough that only he could hear.

The blond kept his eyes fixed on Luffy for a few seconds before answering.

"I think I haven’t seen Luffy with that expression in a long time..." He paused briefly, as if searching his memory for something comparable. "No. I think I’ve never seen him this quiet."

"Let’s just keep an eye on things," Sabo finally said, his voice low, strategic. "And see what he does."

Ace nodded slowly. Because knowing Luffy... he would do something.

Three days.

Three days in which Law remained motionless, except for the controlled breathing and the small vital signs Chopper monitored with almost obsessive attention.

To the doctor’s own surprise, the recovery began earlier than expected.

"He’s way too strong for his own health," Chopper muttered on the morning of the third day, adjusting the stethoscope while observing the pupils’ reaction to light. "I really thought he would need at least another week to respond like this..."

Trafalgar’s body was still weak, but there were clear signs of return. Small involuntary movements in his fingers. His breathing gaining a firmer rhythm. His brow furrowing slightly as if he were fighting to emerge from somewhere very deep.

During those three days, Luffy barely left.

He slept leaning against the wall. Ate beside the stretcher. Responded to attempts at conversation with distracted monosyllables. There were no loud laughs, no exaggerated complaints. Only presence.

That morning, when Law’s fingers finally moved consciously, lightly brushing the sheet, it was Luffy who noticed first. He immediately leaned forward, as if that small gesture had pulled his entire body toward it. He approached the stretcher slowly, almost afraid that a sudden movement might drive away that fragile thread of return.

His hand rose hesitantly.

His fingers touched Law’s face with a gentleness that didn’t match the strength he usually showed. His thumb lightly slid across the still pale skin, tracing a silent path as if wanting to confirm that this wasn’t a dream.

“Wake up…” his voice came out low, hoarse from days without proper sleep. “Please… my moon…”

It was almost a whisper. A plea he wouldn’t allow anyone else to hear.

“Let me see your eyes again.”

Law’s eyelids trembled under the touch. His breathing changed, deeper now, more conscious. A small frown revealed the effort of returning to the surface after days drowned in exhaustion.

Slowly, he opened his eyes.

The light in the room made him blink a few times until his vision began to adjust. The first outline he recognized was the straw hat tilted over him. The second was the dark gaze staring at him with almost painful intensity.

Golden eyes met Luffy’s gray ones.

They stayed there.

Locked.

For a few seconds that felt far too long.

Law’s lips curved into a faint smile, weak but unmistakable.

“I knew you would come after me…” his voice came out low, rough, but steady enough to carry the certainty he had always had.

He lifted his hand with effort, lightly touching the wrist that still rested against his face.

“…My sun.”

The smile that appeared on Luffy’s face was wide, bright, the kind that seemed to light up the entire room. It was pure relief, almost trembling. As if only now air could truly enter his lungs again.

He let out a small nasal laugh, quiet, and closed his eyes for a moment, resting his forehead against the side of the stretcher.

He released a long breath, almost shaky.

Finally he could breathe.

“I thought I’d be the one getting into a near-death situation first…” he murmured, trying to sound light, but his fingers squeezed Law’s hand far too tightly to be just a joke.

“It wasn’t my intention to almost die,” Law replied, his voice low, scraping slightly. “I’m sorry.”

The corner of his mouth lifted just a little.

“Next time, I’ll give you a warning first.”

Luffy made an indignant face, but his eyes were still shining with relief. He leaned a little closer, as if he still needed to confirm that Law wouldn’t disappear again.

Then the golden gaze lost a bit of its lightness.

“My crew…?” the question came out more serious. More urgent.

“Bepo is resting,” Luffy answered without hesitation. “He deserves it after everything.”

A small pause.

“…But we don’t have any news about the others, Torao.”

He knew.

He knew what that answer meant. He knew how important the crew was to Law, not as subordinates, but as family. Especially Sachi and Penguin, who had been at his side since before many people even knew his name.

Law’s hand closed slightly over Luffy’s.

“The Polar Tang exploded underwater…” he began, his voice firmer now despite the clear exhaustion. “I’m the only Akuma no Mi user. All of them can swim.”

The golden eyes darkened.

“But with that bastard there…”

The name didn’t need to be spoken to weigh down the air.

Marshall D. Teach didn’t leave loose ends. Law turned his face slightly toward the ceiling, his jaw tense.

Between being dead and being in Teach’s hands… he truly didn’t know which was worse.

Luffy didn’t look away.

“There are rumors that Teach is heading for another island. Probably after another power,” he said, his voice surprisingly steady. “It’s a lot of work to track someone if you’re not sure they’re alive. If he thinks you died… he won’t waste time checking the rest. They have that advantage, at least.”

“Everything’s been a mess since the creation of Cross Guild… pirates hunting marines…” Luffy continued, more thoughtful than usual. “There’s no way to say what his next move will be.”

He had information. Some. But none that directly involved Law’s crew or his own at the moment, and Luffy saw no reason to dump empty speculation while Law could barely stay awake.

Law watched the Straw Hat captain for a few seconds, analyzing every word, every pause.

“Since when did you become so smart?” he asked, his tone light, almost teasing.

He knew very well that Luffy’s mind was sharper than most people realized. That behind the impulsive decisions there was strategic instinct and an almost absurd ability to read people. Even so, provoking him was almost a habit between them.

Luffy made an offended face.

“I always was.”

He gently squeezed Law’s fingers again.

“I just don’t like thinking too much when I can punch someone.”

Law let out a faint laugh, almost silent, but genuine. The sound was small, but to Luffy it felt enormous. It was the final confirmation that he had truly come back.

Luffy’s smile widened automatically, lighting up his face in a way that seemed out of place in that quiet infirmary.

He leaned in.

The kiss was brief, a simple peck, soft, carrying something that had been held back for far too many days. There was no rush, no desperate urgency. It was pure affection. The quiet need to feel that he was really there.

It was a gesture Luffy never would have made if he hadn’t been absolutely sure they were alone.

But longing spoke louder than caution.

And the fear of losing… still echoed in his chest.

Law didn’t pull away.

Even exhausted, even with his body heavy, he lifted his chin slightly to return it, touching Luffy’s lips with softness. There was no shame. No hesitation.

When they pulled apart, their foreheads almost touched for a moment far too brief.

“Rest, my moon…” Luffy murmured, his voice returning to its earlier gentle tone. He ran his fingers through the dark hair, brushing a strand away from Law’s forehead with a care that said more than any declaration could.

“I need to tell Chopper you woke up.”

The gray eyes stayed locked on the golden ones for another second, as if reluctant to separate.

“When you’re better… we’ll figure out what to do.”

Luffy stood up slowly, but avoided truly moving away. His body still leaned toward the stretcher, as if an invisible thread kept him there. Honestly, he wanted to spend the rest of the day in that chair beside the bed, just watching Law breathe.

But he knew he needed to inform the doctor.

He needed to make sure everything was truly okay.

He was so focused on Law, on the eyes that had begun shining again, on the breathing that was now steadier, that he didn’t notice the infirmary door wasn’t completely closed.

Nor that the hallway wasn’t empty.

Chapter Text

Outside, two figures remained motionless.

Ace was holding a tray of food, a snack Sanji had prepared for everyone, insisting that no one would go hungry on his ship while he was in command of the kitchen.

The tray trembled slightly.

Next to him, Sabo stood completely still.

They had heard.

They had seen.

The touch.

The kiss.

The nicknames.

And for several long seconds, neither of them could even react.

Ace blinked slowly, as if his brain itself were trying to reorganize the information.

Sabo was the first to move.

He said nothing. He simply extended his hand with calculated calm and took the tray before it slipped from his brother’s fingers.

Then, without making a sound, he grabbed Ace by the arm and pulled him away.

They entered the first empty room they found, a small supply closet, and closed the door with more care than someone who usually didn’t care about discretion would normally use.

The silence inside the room was heavy.

Ace was still staring into nothingness.

“What…” he finally managed to say, running a hand over his face as if trying to wake up. “What was that?”

The voice came out low.

Shocked.

Sabo took a deep breath, his eyes still serious, but now far more attentive than surprised.

That explained a lot.

Luffy’s silence.

The excessive fear.

The expression he hadn’t recognized, not even after Ace’s own death.

“…It wasn’t recent,” Sabo murmured, more to himself than to his brother. His gaze was distant, mentally reviewing every detail he had been observing since arriving on the Sunny.

“Wow! Seriously? I didn’t even notice!” The sarcasm dripped from Portgas D. Ace’s voice. He began pacing back and forth inside the small closet, running a hand through his hair as if that could organize his thoughts. “I’ve never heard so much logical information come out of Luffy’s mouth in such a short time!”

Sabo slowly turned his head.

“Luffy being smart is the part that shocked you the most?!”

Ace pointed an accusing finger toward the door, even though no one was there.

“I’m focusing on this so I don’t think there’s some organ-trafficker-looking guy touching our brother!”

The silence that followed was brief because Sabo couldn’t help a low chuckle.

“Technically,” he said, crossing his arms, “he *IS* an organ trafficker. Death Surgeon, remember?”

“THAT DOESN’T HELP!”

Ace brought his hands to his head, dramatically.

“I decided to keep sailing by your side and helping as I can in the Revolutionary Army. Because a quiet life on some island Marco wants? Not for me yet.” He pointed at his chest, indignant. “And now I find out my little brother is kissing a guy who looks like he collects hearts in jars!”

Sabo sighed, his expression growing more serious.

“The two of them… clearly it’s not something new,” he said, now in a lower, analytical tone. “But it’s something even Luffy’s crew doesn’t know.”

That made Ace pause.

“Do you realize what that means?” Sabo continued. “He hid it even from Nico Robin. And she literally can have eyes and ears everywhere.”

The silence returned, but now less chaotic, more reflective.

Ace leaned against the wall, crossing his arms, still trying to process everything.

“He called Luffy ‘my sun’…” he murmured, as if that were the most absurd part of it all.

Sabo let out a small sigh.

“And Luffy called him ‘my moon.’”

They exchanged a look.

Long.

Heavy.

“Okay,” Ace finally said, taking a deep breath. “I’m gonna need like five minutes.”

“Only five?” Sabo raised an eyebrow.

Ace made a grimace.

“Maybe ten…”

He looked at the ceiling.

“…Days.”

A pause.

“…Weeks.”

Another.

“…Months.”

Sabo couldn’t help but give a small smile.

“You’ll survive.”

Ace stared at him, still indignant but less explosive.

“Why aren’t you freaking out?”

Sabo tilted his head slightly, thoughtful.

“Because I suspected there was something more between the two of them,” he admitted calmly. “An instinct. Small details. The way Luffy was overly attentive when it came to Law… how seriously he took certain things more than usual.”

He sighed.

“I never imagined it would be this.”

Ace crossed his arms tighter.

“That’s not a small detail, Sabo.”

“No,” he agreed. “It isn’t.”

For a second, his gaze grew more distant.

“I’m going to have a conversation with Trafalgar at some point.”

Ace raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, I also want to have a few words with that trafficker…” he growled. “He’s older than me, isn’t he? Luffy can’t be with some old guy like that!”

Sabo blinked slowly.

“…Aren’t you dating Marco?”

The silence was immediate.

Ace opened his mouth.

Closed it.

Blinking.

“That’s different.”

Sabo tilted his head slightly, crossing his arms with almost provocative calm.

“How exactly?” he asked, far too calmly. “It’s worse. Marco is about twenty-something years older than you. Luffy and Law have less than ten years between them.”

Ace went completely still.

“That’s…” he began.

Stopped.

Tried again.

“…A different context.”

Sabo raised an eyebrow.

“What context?”

Ace pointed at himself, indignant.

“I’m me.”

“Invalid argument.”

Ace huffed loudly.

“Marco is…” he gestured in the air, searching for something that justified it. “He’s calm! He’s responsible! He’s a doctor!”

“And Trafalgar is a surgeon.”

“He looks like a scoundrel!”

“So do you.”

“Hey!”

Ace made a frustrated gesture with his hands, as if fighting against his own logic.

“I just… don’t like it.”

The sentence came out quieter this time.

More sincere.

Sabo’s expression softened.

“You don’t like the idea that he grew up… Believe me, I don’t like it either.”

That hit.

Ace fell quiet.

Because it wasn’t about age.

It wasn’t about Law.

It was about realizing that the little brother who used to run after them in Goa now had someone he chose like that. Someone he protected.

Ace took a deep breath.

“I’m still going to talk to him.”

“With who?”

“With both of them.”

Sabo nodded slowly.

“I figured... I’ll be with you when you do it.”

Ace stared at the door for a moment, as if he could see through the wood all the way to the infirmary.

“…But not today.”

“Let them enjoy their moment…”

Ace ran a hand through his hair, clearly resigned.

“If he hurts Luffy…”

Sabo’s gaze turned firm.

“Then we deal with it.”

Some time later, Chopper had already finished examining Law for the third time, just to be sure, according to him.

“He still needs rest, plenty of fluids, and real food,” the small doctor declared. “But he is officially out of danger!”

The invisible tension in the air seemed to finally dissolve.

Luffy let out a breath he didn’t even know he had been holding.

“Thank you, Chopper.”

“I-I didn’t do anything that special!” he replied, already starting to spin happily from the praise, even while trying to maintain a professional posture.

On the other side of the room, Bepo was sleeping heavily, exhaustion still visible on his face.

Chopper looked at him, then at Law.

“Hm… I think I’d better move Bepo to another room. That way he can rest better and won’t disturb his sleep.”

Law gave him a tired look.

“I won't disturb him.”

“But you will,” Chopper replied, staring directly at Luffy. “Luffy doesn’t know how to talk quietly! And he’ll want to keep talking to you, so it’s better to keep you two separated for now.”

“I don’t—”

“You do.”

Law let out a small muffled laugh that turned into a light cough.

Luffy immediately became serious, moving closer to the bed.

“Hey, careful.”

“I’m fine,” Law murmured, but he didn’t pull his hand away when Luffy held it again.

Chopper watched the scene for a second longer than necessary.

He might be naive about many things because he was the youngest.

But he wasn’t blind.

“…I’ll come back later,” he said, already carefully pulling Bepo’s stretcher.

The door closed softly.

“You’re still holding my hand, Lu-ya…”

“I know…” he answered honestly. “Sorry. Tomorrow I’ll go back to being careful. Give me a break today.”

He lifted Law’s hand slowly, as if it were something far too precious to drop carelessly, and pressed his lips against his knuckles.

“If someone walks in—”

“I know.”

But he didn’t let go.

Law watched his profile for a moment. The tense jaw. The gaze still heavy with concern, even after the “out of danger” diagnosis.

“You were really scared.”

It wasn’t a question.

Luffy breathed through his nose, his fingers tightening a little more around Law’s.

“I don’t like it when things almost take you away.”

“I don’t intend to go anywhere,” he replied, more quietly.

Luffy finally lifted his eyes to him.

“I know…”

He rested his forehead against Law’s hand still held between his own.

“So rest, my moon.”

 

Law closed his eyes for a second, feeling the weight of the day finally demanding its price.

“Stay.”

Luffy breathed slowly.

“I don’t intend to go anywhere…”

He echoed his words with a faint smile before leaning down and placing a light kiss on Law’s forehead.

Law’s fingers squeezed his one last time before relaxing, his body finally giving in to the exhaustion he had been postponing since he woke up.

Luffy stayed there.

He only left the chair when he was sure Law had fallen deeply asleep, and even then he didn’t go far.

He dragged the chair to the side of the bed and crossed his arms over the mattress, resting his chin there.

Usopp was outside the infirmary, holding a bowl of noodle soup with both hands.

Sanji had asked him to deliver it to Law if he was already awake.

Simple mission.

Quick.

At least that’s what he thought.

But as he approached the door, which was slightly ajar, Usopp ended up looking through the small glass window.

And he saw.

His captain leaning over the bed.

Holding the surgeon’s hand.

Kissing his forehead.

With an expression Usopp had never seen before.

No.

He definitely wasn’t going to interrupt… whatever that was.

Moving on tiptoe like he was escaping from a sea monster, the sniper turned around and hurried down the corridor to the kitchen, where the rest of the crew was gathered.

He stopped at the entrance and took a deep breath.

His captain.

The Surgeon of Death.

Clearly.

Together.

But… since when?!

And why didn’t he know?!

His head started spinning.

Robin must already know.

Of course she knows.

She knows everything.

And if Robin knows…

Then Nami knows.

And if Nami knows…

Everyone on the Sunny knows...

He and Nami were the gossip duo on the Sunny, information turned into currency for the Cat Burglar...

Usopp’s eyes widened.

…His gossip partner left him out?

He was… excluded?

But why?!

Did they think he wasn’t trustworthy?

Did they think he’d shout it in the middle of the deck?

Did they really think he was that much of a gossip?

Usopp marched practically back to the kitchen, the bowl of soup trembling slightly in his hands.

He pushed the door open with his foot.

Everyone was there.

Nami organizing maps.

Robin reading calmly.

Franky tinkering with some metal part.

Brook drinking tea.

Sanji leaning against the counter, smoking.

And Roronoa Zoro… sleeping while sitting up.

Everything normal... Everything calm... But nothing was calm inside Usopp’s head.

“You traitor! I thought I was your BFF!” he accused, pointing dramatically at Nami.

“What? What are you talking about, Usopp?” she replied, genuinely confused.

“You too, Robin! Come on! You thought you couldn’t trust me? That I’d go around announcing a wedding to everyone?!”

Robin closed her book calmly, now truly interested.

“Usopp… could you explain what is happening?”

He placed a hand on his chest.

“The captain and the Surgeon! You knew they were dating and didn’t tell me! I feel betrayed!”

Silence.

Real silence.

Nami blinked twice.

“They… what?”

Sanji frowned.

“Dating?”

Franky tilted his head.

“Like dating dating?”

Zoro opened one eye to look at him.

"If this is another one of your exaggerated lies... this one's weirder than usual."

Usopp looked around.

Expecting knowing chuckles.

The kind of looks that said “he figured it out.”

But all he found was… confusion.

“You… didn’t know?” He almost lost his breath. “I saw it! The captain holding Law’s hand! Kissing his hand! Calling him ‘my moon’! Kissing his forehead and promising not to leave his side!”

Silence.

Absolute.

The cigarette fell from Sanji’s mouth.

Nami blinked slowly.

Nico Robin brought her fingers to her chin, thoughtful.

Franky let out a long “Ooooooh.”

Brook tilted his skull.

“That… is quite specific.”

Nami crossed her arms.

“Or maybe Luffy was just… worried?”

Usopp turned to her with maximum indignation.

“Worried is different from calling someone ‘my moon’ and getting all lovey-dovey!”

Robin smiled softly.

“Indeed… that choice of words is interesting.”

Franky slapped his hands on the table.

“So it’s official? Our captain is in love with the Surgeon of Death?”

“He almost died,” Zoro said simply. “Luffy always reacts like that when someone important is in danger.”

“He never acted like that even when you were all messed up!” Usopp shot back.

Brook placed a hand over his chest.

“Yohoho… how poetic. Sun and moon… two captains… destinies crossing…”

“This isn’t the time for poetry!” Sanji complained, though he was clearly thinking too much about it.

Nami let out a sigh.

“Okay. Let’s organize this. Our captain may or may not be in a secret relationship with our ally who almost died. Right?”

“RIGHT!” Usopp answered far too loudly.

Robin tilted her head.

“And, apparently… he didn’t tell us.”

That part weighed a little.

Because it wasn’t just gossip.

It was a secret.

Zoro stood up slowly.

“If he wanted to tell us, he would have.”

Sanji crossed his arms, thoughtful.

“Do you think his brothers know anything?”

Nami fell silent for a moment.

“Sabo asked me about their relationship…”

Usopp turned his neck so fast it almost cracked.

“He asked me too!”

Nico Robin tilted her head slightly.

“Perhaps he suspected something and thought we knew… It’s not our place to tell them.”

Simple.

Direct.

“So we pretend we don’t know?” Franky asked.

Usopp pointed dramatically.

“I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PRETEND.”

Robin gave a small smile.

“Then perhaps… we wait for the captain to say it himself.”

Everyone fell silent.

Because deep down…

They trusted him.

But that didn’t stop the curiosity.

Chapter Text

Surprisingly, a few days passed without anyone bringing up the recent discovery about Luffy and Trafalgar.

Life on the Sunny went on… almost normally.

Although Usopp couldn’t stay in the same space as the two of them for more than two minutes before inventing some excuse and disappearing.

After two days, Luffy started spending more time outside the infirmary. He went back to laughing loudly, running across the deck, stealing food from the kitchen, and acting as if nothing had happened, as if the fear that had consumed him had been nothing more than a bad dream.

Bepo woke up on the fourth day.

The effect of the pills he had taken had taken far too high a toll on him, leaving his body exhausted. When he realized Law was alive… he cried. And clung to him for almost an entire day.

Now both of them could walk around the Sunny without trouble, and, ironically, that was getting on almost everyone’s nerves aboard. While Law recovered his usual composure and Luffy returned to loud laughter and carefree runs across the deck, what really bothered people wasn’t the closeness between them, but the absence of it.

There were no lingering touches. No looks that lasted a moment too long. No soft words slipping out when someone else was nearby.

Ace and Sabo carried a different kind of discomfort. It wasn’t disapproval, nor brotherly jealousy,they had already moved past that stage. It was the uneasy awareness that Luffy still believed he needed to hide something from them. They wanted to say he could stop. That, at least in front of his brothers, there was no judgment. And more than that, maybe it was time to trust his own crew. Those people had crossed wars, burning islands, and irreparable losses alongside him. They were family, chosen, protected. If there was one place where Luffy could be whole, without filters, it was there.

For his part, the captain had already noticed the change. He might not like thinking too much, but he wasn’t stupid. He noticed the looks he received whenever he got close to Law. His brothers were the most obvious, filled with a mixture of analysis and protectiveness. His crew’s were better disguised, too quick, looking away too fast, but they were there.

He felt them.

He just didn’t want to dive into it.

His head already hurt enough with the weight of the things that really mattered: Teach still out there, Torao’s crew missing, the path to Elbaf still uncertain. Thinking about feelings, reactions, and expectations felt like too much.

“If you think any harder, smoke’s going to start coming out of your head.”

Law’s voice broke the thread of his thoughts before he could get too tangled in them.

The surgeon was sitting on the couch in the Sunny’s lobby, posture relaxed but still carrying subtle traces of fatigue in his shoulders. He held a cup of medicinal tea recommended by Chopper, steam rising slowly in front of his face. He was already much better. Strong enough to walk around the ship. Strong enough to fight, if necessary.

“I hate having to think.” Luffy grumbled, throwing himself onto the opposite couch carelessly and burying his face in a cushion. His voice came out muffled. “I’d rather leave the planning part to you or Robin.”

Law raised an eyebrow slightly, bringing the cup to his lips.

“Exemplary captain.”

“I’m excellent at other things.”

“Like eating and punching people.”

The corner of Law’s mouth curved into a small smile.

“Do you think…” Luffy began, sitting up straighter on the couch and casting a quick glance around the empty room, as if someone might be hiding behind the walls. “That they already know… about us?”

Law didn’t answer immediately. He lifted the cup to his lips, taking the last sip of tea before setting it carefully on the low table.

“Ace-ya knows something,” he said at last, his voice low and steady. “I can feel his stare burning into the back of my head every time I look at you.”

Luffy let out a small, almost childish “eh?”, though he didn’t actually look surprised.

“And do you think your crew knows something?” Law added, calmly crossing his legs.

Luffy leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling.

“I’m not sure… but I don’t know.” He frowned. “They’re acting weird. But it could be because of everything that happened recently.”

A pause.

“If Ace knows… then Sabo knows too.”

That seemed like an inevitable conclusion.

“They’re your brothers,” Law commented. “You know them better than I do.”

Luffy let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I didn’t want to make an announcement or anything like that…” He made a visible grimace, almost offended by the very idea. “It just sounds way too weird.”

Law didn’t look away.

“It’s been weird since the moment we started this relationship, Lu-ya.” His voice was calm, but there was something deeper beneath it. “It was our decision not to tell anyone. Especially with targets on our backs.”

It wasn’t paranoia.

It was a fact.

Since Dressrosa, since Wano, since the fall of two Yonko, they weren’t just strong pirates anymore. They were symbols. The Navy, the World Government, Teach… all of them were watching.

Luffy stayed quiet for a moment. The usual lightness faded from his face.

“I almost lost you.”

The words came out quietly.

“I almost lost you and nobody knew what you mean to me.” He finally lifted his eyes. There was no childishness there, no distraction. Just honesty. “If it had gone wrong… they wouldn’t even understand… I’d just… fall apart.”

After everything with those old men on Egghead, after seeing the net closing in, after realizing the World Government wanted Luffy’s head above anyone else’s… logic said it wasn’t the best moment to reveal another weak point.

Because that was what the world would see.

A weakness.

“Would it really make a difference,” Luffy continued, more quietly, “if we just stopped pretending?”

Law rested his elbows on his knees, leaning forward.

“The Government doesn’t need to know,” Law continued, more restrained now. “Teach doesn’t need to know. But your crew would already die for you anyway. Your brothers too.”

He tilted his head slightly.

“Do you really think they wouldn’t realize what I mean to you… if something happened?”

He pressed his lips together, thoughtful, something rare. It wasn’t fear of being judged. It wasn’t shame. It was the conflict between protecting… and trusting.

“I don’t like the idea of being your weakness,” Luffy murmured.

Law let out a small, almost ironic sound.

“My sun…”

The grey eyes fixed on his.

“You already are… just like I am your weak point… But…” The surgeon stood up. “You’re also my strength.”

“You’re mine too…” Luffy stood as well, facing Law. The height difference didn’t seem to matter. “I protect everything that’s precious to me. Everyone knows that.”

And it was true. The whole world knew it.

Islands had burned. Governments had fallen. Flags had been defied.

Luffy tilted his head slightly, studying Law’s face with unusual attention.

“What are you going to do now, Torao?”

“Recover my crew.” The answer came firm, immediate. “Order a new submarine. Tang can’t be recovered, unfortunately.”

A brief shadow crossed his gaze when he mentioned the lost submarine, it wasn’t just a vessel. It was his home. His history.

“After that…” he continued, his tone returning to its usual control, “I’ll follow the same path as before. We’ll see each other at Laugh Tale.”

Luffy kept his eyes on him for a few seconds longer than usual.

"I want to be selfish… I wish I could keep you by my side until the end."

Law didn’t respond right away. He stepped half a pace closer, enough to invade personal space.

“You’re a pirate, Lu-ya.”

The golden eyes were calm, but intense.

“We’re selfish.”

He stepped forward and took Law’s hands, lacing their fingers together without hesitation. It was a simple gesture, but a decisive one.

“I’m not selfish to that point…” He shook his head slightly. “You need to have your freedom, after all.”

The word freedom wasn’t casual coming from him.

“I’ll help you however I can. You know that.” His tone grew more animated, almost practical, as if he were already organizing the future in his head. “I can ask Franky to make some plans for your submarine. Wano is still the closest civilization from here with allies. You can rebuild the submarine there.”

Tang might have been destroyed in the battle against Teach, but that didn’t mean the end of the Heart Pirates. Not while Luffy was around.

Then, in a simple, almost automatic gesture, Luffy took off his own hat and placed it on Law’s head.

It wasn’t the first time he had done that.

But usually… it was Law’s hat that ended up on his head.

That one had been lost in the fight against Blackbeard.

And its absence still weighed.

The straw hat sat slightly crooked over the dark hair.

And yet… strangely right.

“Ask Kin’emon to make a hat for you,” Luffy said, adjusting the brim with his fingers. “I know you miss having something on your head.”

Law stayed still for a second. The shadow of the brim partially covered his eyes, hiding his expression. But his fingers slowly rose to touch the straw.

“You’re ridiculous,” he murmured.

Luffy just smiled, satisfied, as if that were answer enough.

The silence that followed wasn’t awkward. It was comfortable. Decided.

“So,” Law began, adjusting the hat slightly on his head, already treating the gesture as something natural. “We’ll just act however we want in front of your crew and your brothers. We’ll still be careful in public.”

Crew and brothers meant trust.
The world meant risk.

“And if we’re wrong about them being suspicious…” Luffy flashed a wide grin, the kind that always came before chaos. “Well, they’re going to get a surprise.”

The laugh escaped easily, light, almost contagious.

Law exhaled through his nose.

“I’d prefer to avoid the surprise factor.”

“Ah, it’ll be fun!”

“For you.”

“For you too.”

Law sighed through his nose again, but the corner of his mouth lifted once more.

“Are you ready to talk to my brothers?” Luffy asked, now clearly excited by the possibility of chaos. “Ace has always been more protective of me… but I bet Sabo will threaten you in his own way too.”

The word threaten was said with joy, as if it were an inevitable part of the ritual.

Law slowly crossed his arms.

“If they try to intimidate me, I’ll just tell them that you were the one who decided to chase me first.”

“HEY—”

“Besides,” he continued, ignoring the indignant interruption, “I survived an incurable disease, an Admiral, Teach, and a Yonko. I think I can survive your brothers.”

Luffy crossed his arms, making an offended face that fooled no one.

“They’ll like you as soon as they understand how important you are to me.”

Law held his gaze for a second longer than necessary.

Then he lifted his hand to the brim of the hat, removing it carefully and placing it back on Luffy’s head. He adjusted it slightly, as if aligning something invisible between them.

Then he intertwined his fingers with his.

"What do you think about grabbing something to eat and terrorizing whoever is in the kitchen?"

Luffy broke into a wide grin, already pulling Law by the hand toward the door.

"I think that's a great idea, my moon. I'm starving!"

Law raised an eyebrow.

"And when aren't you?"

Luffy thought for half a second.

"...When I'm sleeping?"

"I wish I could say that's true... But I've already seen you eating while asleep, so..."

"It was only once!"

"Only once that I've seen..."

The discussion continued down the Sunny's corridor, light and full of muffled laughter, as if nothing in the world could touch that newly-decided peace.

The kitchen door opened.

Inside were Usopp, Nami, Sanji, Ace and Sabo leaning near the counter, apparently in the middle of a casual conversation that died the exact second they noticed who had entered.

Because Law and Luffy didn't walk in separately.

They walked in holding hands.

Talking.

Smiling.

Luffy only let go of the hand to do what he always did.

Jump on Sanji.

"SANJIIIIII, I'm starving!"

"GET OFF ME, YOU RUBBER IDIOT!" Sanji shouted, but he was already assembling plates at automatic speed.

Usopp froze.

Nami raised an eyebrow.

Everything was normal.

Luffy grabbed an absurd plate of meat, balancing another with onigiri. He walked to the table where Law had sat down as if that were just another ordinary meal.

Without ceremony, he placed the onigiri in front of him.

Law simply picked one up, starting to eat calmly.

Luffy dropped into the chair beside him, already attacking the meat with enthusiasm... and then wrapped an arm around Law's waist.

It wasn't possessive.

It was comfortable.

As if it had always been like that.

And maybe, for them... it had.

Luffy's hand rested firmly on the side of Law's body while he ate, chewing happily and oblivious, or pretending to be, to the weight of the silence in the kitchen.

Law kept eating as if there weren't five pairs of eyes analyzing every micro movement.

Usopp was the first to break.

"So... can we finally acknowledge the elephant in the room? We can, right?!"

"And there's an elephant here?" Luffy looked at him, genuinely confused, a huge piece of meat still stuck on his fork.

"Figure of speech, my sun," Law replied without looking at him.

"It's when it's not meant literally, right?" Luffy added, proud of having understood.

"That's right. 'Elephant in the room' means there's a controversial subject around."

"Oh, okay..." Luffy chewed another bite, thoughtful. "And what's the subject Usopp is talking about?"

Usopp takes a deep breath before yelling.
"YOU TWO."

Luffy looked around.

Then at Law.

"Me and Torao?"

"YES, YOU AND TORAO!"

"Oh..." Luffy blinked. "What about us?"

It was Nami who sighed, impatient.

"Captain," she began, controlling her tone. "You’ve been holding hands since you walked in. You only let go of him to attack Sanji. You put food on his plate. Your arm is around his waist."

A pause.

"And he called you 'my sun.'"

"That’s because I’m his sun, and he’s my moon. What about it?" Luffy replied, genuinely confused, as if he were explaining something obvious like the sky being blue.

Usopp made a strangled noise.

"Lu-ya," Law intervened calmly, bringing the teacup to his lips as if he were commenting on the weather, "stop messing with them. Your sniper looks like he’s one step away from an aneurysm."

Luffy looked at Usopp.

Usopp really did look about two seconds away from collapsing.

He laughed, scratching the back of his neck.

"Sorry, sorry... I didn’t mean to make it a big announcement!"

"So that’s it?" Sabo asked, resting his elbow on the table. "You two have been together... for how long?"

Luffy looked at Law.

Law looked at Luffy.

"Officially? Since... a little before Punk Hazard," Law replied.

The kitchen froze.

"Wait." Nami raised her hand. "When did you talk before Punk Hazard?!"

Luffy pointed to himself, proud.

"During the time I was training, we talked a lot! And sometimes when I disappeared on the Sunny it was because Torao’s submarine was under us." He chewed calmly. "That was before Franky installed the sonar."

Absolute silence.

Usopp slowly turned to Nami.

"I KNEW HE WAS DISAPPEARING."

"YOU SAID HE WAS EATING IN SECRET," Nami shot back.

"THAT WAS MORE PLAUSIBLE THAN THIS!"

Ace wasn’t paying attention to that.

He was looking at the two of them.

"And you were planning to tell us... when?" Ace asked, quieter now.

Luffy didn’t think much about it.

"When I ask him to marry me after I become King of the Pirates."

Law choked.

The onigiri nearly going straight into his lung.

Sanji dropped his cigarette.

Nami blinked twice.

Usopp fell out of his chair.

Sabo went completely still.

Ace... didn’t blink.

Law slowly recovered, wiping his mouth with his thumb.

"And when exactly were you planning to tell me you were going to ask me to marry you?"

Luffy blinked.

"Oops." He tilted his head. "I ruined the surprise. Sorry... But I thought it was obvious. After I become King of the Pirates, I won’t have to hide anything from anyone!" Luffy continued, completely convinced.

Law closed his eyes for a second.

"This is completely different from wanting to marry me, Lu-ya."

Luffy frowned.

"It is?"

"It is."

A small pause.

"You don't want to marry me?"

The question came out simple. The captain still had his arm around his waist, firm, warm, secure.

"... Become King of the Pirates first, idiot."

"So you do want to."

Law turned his face slightly away, but didn't move his body.

"I said to become King of the Pirates first."

"I will."

The conviction was absolute.

No hesitation.

Nami shook her head, a half-smile slipping out.

Usopp dropped back into his chair again.

Sanji crossed his arms.

"If he becomes King of the Pirates and gets married right after, I demand to help be responsible for the banquet."

"I WANT THE BIGGEST BANQUET IN THE WORLD!" Luffy shouted instantly.

"You haven't even proposed yet!" Nami shot back.

"He said he wants it!"

"I didn't say that," Law corrected.

Luffy squeezed his waist lightly again.

Luffy squeezed his waist lightly again.

"You did."

Law didn't move his hand away.

Chapter Text

The confirmation of the two captain’s relationship spread across the ship faster than any official order.

There was no formal announcement.
There was no speech. But after the kitchen, no one pretended not to see anymore.

The looks changed. Conversations quieted when they passed. Not out of disapproval, but adjustment. The dynamic had shifted.

Ace and Sabo kept their promise.

They called Law to talk separately. The threats were direct, objective, and without embellishment. There was no unnecessary hostility there, only the assurance that if Luffy suffered, there would be consequences.

Law listened to everything in silence.

He understood perfectly what it meant to be important to someone like Luffy.

The strategic part came right after.

They would take Law and Bepo to Winner, the island where the battle against Marshall D. Teach had taken place. Without the submarine, the Heart crew wouldn’t have gone far. If they were alive, they were probably still on the island or hiding somewhere nearby.

It was a real chance.

It was everything Law could want at that moment.

Bepo had remained quiet since the plan was mentioned. His paws pressed tightly against his own body revealed the anxiety he was trying to hide.

Meanwhile, Sabo had already moved with his usual efficiency. The Revolutionary Army had been informed of the situation, and a ship would be sent as soon as there was confirmation about the Heart crew’s destination. The vessel would take them to Wano, allied territory, closed to the World Government, strong enough to allow rebuilding.

That night, the sea was far too calm.

Law was alone on the deck when Luffy approached.

Without noise.

He simply stopped beside him, resting his arms on the railing.

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.

“What do you think?” Luffy asked finally. “Are they alive?”

Law took a few seconds before answering. The sea reflected fragments of moonlight, broken by the waves.

“If they are,” he said at last, his voice low and firm, “I’ll find them.”

It wasn’t blind hope.

It was decision.

The same one that had kept him standing since childhood. Luffy tilted his head slightly, studying his profile.

“And if they aren’t?”

The silence that followed was heavier than any previous threat.

Law closed his eyes for an instant, too brief to seem like weakness, but long enough to hurt.

“Then I bury my dead.”

The wind passed between them, carrying the smell of salt and damp wood. Luffy didn’t answer immediately.

He simply slid his hand until it found Law’s, intertwining their fingers with simple firmness, without an audience, without an announcement.

“You won’t do that alone.”

Law turned his face, looking at him.

The same gaze that had endured impossible surgeries, dangerous pacts, and battles against emperors of the sea.

“I know.” he replied.

They returned hand in hand to the inside of the ship.

The Sunny’s lobby was alive as always.

Brook was plucking something soft on the violin, Robin was reading serenely, Zoro was dozing against the wall with his sword resting on his shoulder, Sanji was arguing about something with Usopp while Ace and Sabo spoke in lower voices near the table.

The door opened. A few glances lifted.

Usopp was the first to speak.

“Since Torao is probably going to spend more time on our ship…” he began, crossing his arms as if presenting a strategic plan, “we could ask Franky to finally build the captain’s room. The one he wanted to make from the beginning!”

Luffy immediately made a face.

“What for? I don’t like sleeping alone! I’m fine sleeping in the hammock near you guys!”

Brook tilted his skull slightly, polite as ever. “Luffy-san… our sniper is suggesting this so that you and the surgeon can have more privacy during the night.”

“Privacy for what?” Luffy blinked.

Silence.

Sanji rubbed his face with his hand.

“Captain… I really don’t want to know what you and… your boyfriend do at night. But if you two do ‘things’ with us in the same room, I swear I’ll leave you without meat for a month.”

Luffy’s smile died instantly.

“YOU WOULDN’T DO THAT.”

“Try me.”

“I AGREE!” Usopp pointed dramatically. “I don’t want to have to hear you two! Preferably we ask Franky to make a soundproof room!”

“SUPER soundproof!” Brook added enthusiastically, imitating the cyborg.

Ace coughed loudly.

“For the love of the sea… can we not talk about my little brother’s intimate life? I’m going to end up burning something.”

Small flames appeared at the tips of his fingers, involuntarily.

Sabo sighed, rubbing his forehead.

“For the sake of the crew’s emotional stability.”

Law stood absolutely still beside Luffy, arms crossed, the slight tension at the corner of his eyes revealing that he was amused.

Luffy looked at his crewmates and then finally at his boyfriend.

“What are they talking about?”

Law took a slow breath through his nose.

“Incredible.” he murmured.

Then he leaned slightly toward Luffy’s ear and whispered something short.

The effect was immediate.

Luffy’s face turned red.

“Ahhh.”

Usopp pointed. “HE GOT IT!”

“OF COURSE I GOT IT!” Luffy shot back, still red. “You’re all weird! Why the hell are you thinking about that?!”

Sanji placed a cigarette in his mouth with a dramatic sigh. “Captain, I don’t care what you do or don’t do… but nobody here wants to hear it.”

Ace made a choked sound that could have been laughter or trauma.

Law simply crossed his arms, the shadow of a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

“So,” he said with irritating calm, “maybe the soundproof room isn’t such a bad idea.”

Luffy turned to him, scandalized.

He might be slow, but he wasn’t innocent, and this wasn’t a subject he wanted to talk about in front of his brothers.

“LAW!”

The name came out clean.

Clear.

Perfect.

“That’s the first time I’ve heard him say his name correctly.” Usopp commented, far too emotional for the situation.

“Miracle.” Robin added softly, closing her book.

Luffy was still red, but now he was alternating between indignant and offended.

“I do know how to say his name right! I just don’t want to! Torao is better!”

“It isn’t,” Law replied immediately.

“It is!”

“It isn’t.”

“It is!”

Sanji pointed his cigarette in their direction. “Look, call him whatever you want during the day. At night, inside four thick walls.”

Luffy crossed his arms, puffing out his cheeks.

“You’re all exaggerating! We don’t do anything like that!"

Law tilted his head slightly toward him. “Of course… just like we didn’t do anything when we disappeared in Wano… if any of you even noticed.”

The tone was far too neutral.

Luffy slowly turned.

“TRAFALGAR LAW, can you stop?! If I start provoking you back, you don’t like it!”

Again.

This time the full name.

Correct.

The room exploded.

Usopp fell backward laughing.

Sanji slapped a hand against his forehead.

Ace and Sabo simply looked at each other.

And Law… Law couldn’t stop the genuine smile this time.

“Keep saying my name like that,” he murmured, low enough that only Luffy could hear, “and I’ll actually ask Franky-ya to build the room.”

Luffy turned red all the way to his ears, but he didn’t step back. On the contrary.

He took a step forward, ending up dangerously close to Law, so close their chests almost touched.

“You started it,” Luffy shot back, narrowing his eyes. “You say things like that and then act like you’re calm.”

Law raised an eyebrow, his expression far too controlled.

“I am calm.”

“Liar.”

The answer came immediately.

The crew fell silent.

Luffy tilted his face up just a little, because Law was taller. His smile changed. It wasn’t the wide, goofy one from before.

It was that one.

The one he only used when he wanted to provoke, when he was alone with Law.

“You act all serious in front of them,” Luffy murmured, low… but not low enough. “But when we’re alone, you’re not calm at all. You're actually quite loud.”

Sanji choked.

Usopp made a strangled noise.

Ace slowly closed his eyes.

Law kept his posture, but his fingers tightened slightly around his own crossed arm.

“Lu-ya,” he said in a dangerously soft tone, “you’re talking too much.”

Luffy smiled wider.

“Oh, am I?” He tilted his head. “Then make me stop.”

The world around them simply ceased to exist.

Brook brought his hands to his face. “Yohoho… youth…”

Ace ran a hand over his face, closing his eyes.

“Sabo, I’m going to kill him.”

“Which one?” Sabo replied, equally tired.

“Both, if they don’t shut up! Luffy, get off him!”

Luffy wasn’t even listening to his brother’s voice, completely focused on the man in front of him. He had never had the chance to tease him like this before, he wasn’t going to waste it now.

Then Law uncrossed his arms.

And grabbed Luffy’s wrist firmly, but not with too much force.

“If you keep going…” he murmured near his ear, “I won’t be responsible for what happens.”

The smile didn’t leave Luffy’s face.

“Promises, Trafalgar Law?”

“No, no… absolutely not!”

Ace moved like lightning, grabbing Luffy by the collar and yanking him back with enough force to make him stumble two steps.

“Hey! Ace, let go of me!” Luffy complained, struggling.

“I am NOT going to sit here watching my little brother, who is still a child, practically sitting on this guy’s lap!”

“I’m nineteen!” Luffy shot back, offended. “I’m turning twenty next month! SABO, HELP ME!”

He managed to break free with a sharp movement, twisting his body with the natural elasticity that always saved his skin, but before he could take two steps back toward Law, Sabo was already in front of him, blocking the way.

“No. I agree with Ace. I really didn’t need to see that. And I definitely don’t want to imagine that guy over there taking your innocence.”

“Wait, you think I’m the one on the bottom? Is that your problem?”

“Lu-ya…”
A warning tone. Law’s face darkened.

“I’m the one on top. Torao prefers it that way!”

Usopp made a high-pitched noise and fainted straight onto the floor.

“I’m going to talk to Franky!” Sanji shouted, running out of there as fast as he could.

Ace stood still, blinking slowly, as if his brain had shut down for self-preservation.

Sabo brought a hand to his face.

“Is there any way for me to lose my memory again…?”

In the center of the room, the temperature seemed to have risen several degrees.

Law stood up slowly.

Very slowly.

A shadow fell over his eyes, and the aura around him grew heavy enough to make even Zoro pay attention.

“MUGIWARA-YA!!” The voice came out firm, filled with embarrassment and threat. “There are things nobody here needed to know.”

Luffy tilted his head, watching the surgeon with genuine curiosity.

“You’re the one who keeps provoking me…”

“I was not provoking you at that level!” Law ran a hand over his face, clearly reconsidering every decision that had led him onto that ship.

“So the surgeon likes taking it, huh? Ha!” Zoro didn’t even manage to stand before Law’s blue sphere enveloped the room. In a second the swordsman vanished, and only the sound of something hitting the water could be heard. Law had thrown him into the sea.

“Anyone else want to talk?” Law said dryly, still embarrassed.

“I don’t want to die! Even though I’m already dead, yohoho!”

“Robin, ask Jinbei to go get Zoro. He can swim, but he might swim in the opposite direction of the ship…” Luffy let out a small laugh.

“As you wish, captain.” The woman stood up calmly and left the room, Brook right behind her, carrying a completely unconscious Usopp over his shoulders to take him to Chopper.

The silence that followed lasted only a few seconds.

Ace dragged both hands down his face.

“I give up. I really give up. I don’t want to know anything anymore… I’m retiring.”

“You’re not even thirty yet, Ace,” Sabo commented, crossing his arms.

“Fuck it. I’m calling Marco and asking him to pick me up. I’ll spend the rest of my life on that island with him. A rich doctor husband to support me.” Ace sighed dramatically. “Now that’s a beautiful life.”

Sabo looked at Luffy and Law… then looked back at Ace.

“I think you two finally broke him…” he sighed.

He placed a hand on his older brother’s shoulder and started gently pushing him toward the door.

“I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but… please don’t have sex in the kitchen.”

Law frowned immediately.

“Sanji-ya would kill both me and Luffy if we did something like that.”

“LET’S STOP TALKING ABOUT THIS!” Ace practically shouted as he stormed down the hallway.

Sabo simply lifted a hand in farewell and followed after him, letting the door close behind them.

For the first time since the chaos had started, the room fell silent.

Luffy exhaled through his nose, still wearing an amused smile.

Law, on the other hand, dragged a hand down his face.

“You need to learn to have a filter, Lu-ya,” he sighed, clearly still recovering from the embarrassment.

Luffy simply took two steps forward and wrapped his arms around his waist, resting his chin on Law’s shoulder.

“You love me like this.”

Law stayed quiet for a second.

Then another.

Finally, he ran a hand through Luffy’s hair with a resigned gesture.

“…Unfortunately.”

Luffy laughed.

“Hey!”

“But that doesn’t mean I approve of you announcing our sex life to half the ship.”

“They started it!”

Law closed his eyes for a moment.

“…I should throw you into the sea too.”

“You wouldn’t do that.”

“Oh?”

Luffy lifted his head to look at him, wearing that far-too-confident smile.

“No.”

Law looked at him for several long seconds before pulling him closer by the collar and kissing him.

Short. Controlled.

When he pulled away, he murmured quietly,

“You’re pushing your luck.”

Luffy grinned.

“Yeah?”

Law’s gaze sharpened.

“Don’t test me.”

“You love when I test your patience.”

Law sighed again.

He was definitely surrounded by idiots on this ship.

And somehow, the biggest one of all was the captain.

The worst part?

He really loved him.