#meanwhile Luffy is living his best life

[1pcii]

koby going from being absolutely terrified of Zoro because of his reputation -> being angry at the injustice he is facing and deciding to be better, trying to let him free despite still being wary of him but asking him to join Luffy so he can save both of them

is something that can be so personal tbh

[l-in-the-light]

Why is Law so afraid to be used and hates to be ordered around ? I think of the scenes in Wano where Kid makes fun of Law being Luffys subordinate.

I love when I get asks casually giving me the biggest questions I had since the first time I reread those scenes haha. Keep them coming!

There's no direct answer to this question stated anywhere in the manga, at least for now. But we can read a lot between the lines. So let's dive in! And I mean it when I say we will take a dive, because I brought up every. single. scene in which Law complains to be ordered around! We will try to find a common pattern here. But first, let's start from "afraid to be used and hates orders" part:

Most important reason is Doflamingo. No surprise here that he's the one behind Law's fear.

We know Law recruited himself into his family and even tells Cora-san he wants to be "Doflamingo's subordinate" and that "he doesn't have to listen to Corazon" because of that.

And we know as well how Doflamingo operates. He grooms his subordinates to die for him. It might be the first time Law heard about that here and it clearly terrified him, he understands that Doflamingo would keep him around just because he obeys him, like an useful tool, not even human.

In comparison, Cora-san showed him compassion and love. It means a lot to Law, who felt he was no longer considered human by other people because of his disease. And here he learns Doflamingo, a person Law somewhat respected, who defended him in front of others who feared to be in the same room as him, would actually also not see him as a human. This must have been a major blow to Law, breaking his trust, yet again, in other people.

Now let's take a look at that:

That's what Doflamingo tells Monett and Vergo to do, just "die for him". That's how he would have groomed Law as well, if Law stayed with him, he would teach him obedience and to follow his orders, just so Law would be ready to sacrifice his own life as well, one day.

And here we have Bellamy, who would also do just about anything to earn Doflamingo's respect, even if it means dying for him. It's possible Law's mercy for Bellamy is related to this: Law was also once in that position himself. And Law would do everything not to be in that position ever again.

Now let's take a look at Law giving orders himself. He does it but only to people he considers lower in hierarchy than him and mostly to protect their lives. He made an equal alliance with Strawhats and in general he tries his best not to give them orders (he does those funny suggestions instead). There's one exception for it though: if situation truly requires it and there's no other option, he will give an order, just like Luffy.

Meanwhile he himself isn't really great at obeying rules and following orders. How many times has he broken the law of blood while staying with Doflamingo's Family?

He doesn't like other people making decisions for him, especially if he doesn't feel ready for whatever they try to make him do.

The "Don't tell me what to do" attitude. To be fair, Luffy's triggered by that as well. They both don't like it when others decide things for them. For Luffy it also applies to setting destination for adventures, Luffy always wants to be the one to decide that himself.

And finally, we reach the very first scene when Law says it outloud: don't order him around! Please notice though that Kid and Luffy say basically the same thing, yet Law directs his complaint only to Kid. He's fine with Luffy saying the same thing, curious, ain't it?

Again, Law is complaining to Kid to stop ordering him. Law's the one who will decide what he wants to do.

And again, complaining to Kid.

One time he complains to Zoro, but this time not because he feels like he's ordered around. He feels like he's a babysitter, constantly having to support others instead of focusing on his own fight. Well, Law, everyone knows you're actually their babysitter in this alliance, a bit late to complain. And yet, despite complaining, he never denies the Strawhats and does what he's told anyway.

"I won't let it slip this time" says Law outloud for some reason, which is very uncharacteristic of him. It's almost like he's doing it for the show.

Let's sum it up so far: Law complains 3 times to Kid, once to Luffy, and once to Zoro (about babysitting in the last case). And let's take a look in which scenes he actually does what he's told to do without complaining:

This time he doesn't even comment on it, just takes Zoro and shambles out.

Zoro tells him he counts on him. Curiously enough it's the exact same phrase Law used all the way back in Dressrosa when he asked Cavendish to just leave him to rot (Cavendish didn't agree with that).

That's just from Wano, because no matter how much I searched, there was literally no scene in Punk Hazard or Dressrosa when Law complained about people ordering him around. None at all. Despite Luffy destroying his plans, dragging him forcefully through half of Dressrosa, and then undermining their ultimate strategy to take down Doflamingo, the only complaints Law had was "what about my cuffs??" and "we will have to face against a very furious emperor!".

And this here, when Luffy decides against what Law told him. Law did get his revenge when he later shambled himself with Luffy's position, just like he originally wanted, instead of shambling himself next to Luffy to do a combined attack (which would have been more effective!). But it was payback, and payback was important.

And then we have this scene, in which he just voices his feelings outloud instead.

Now that we have gathered all the necessary evidence, I will share my interpretation of this: Law has no problem usually with Luffy, even when Luffy acts really selfish, destroys his plans and Law has to babysit him. He simply takes it like a man, without complaining about his fate that he chose for himself after all (Law was the one to propose the alliance in the first place, he knows the responsibility is his!).

Curiously enough Law also has no problem with Luffy in Sabaody. That might be because he feels grateful to him there, after all he even gives half the credit for freeing Jean Bart to Luffy. Luffy might have gotten them into trouble in the first place, but Law instead thanks him "for showing him something interesting". That "something interesting" wasn't only about punching Celestial Dragon, but also defending Hachi when people around were afraid of him and crying out bullshit like "he will spread diseases! Don't come closer!!". Law heard those phrases as well when Corazon was searching for cure to Law's amber lead syndrome. It probably triggered a flashback for him. Seeing Luffy punch a Celestial Dragon and with that punch also defending Hachi must have reminded Law of what Corazon did back then as well: punching some doctors for Law. Law probably "let it slip" when Luffy said the same thing as Kid, because he was simply grateful. Meanwhile, he doesn't want to owe anything to Kid or be grateful to a person who talked shit about Law behind his back.

Okay, but then what about Wano. What's Law's problem in Wano all of a sudden??

His problem has a name. That name is Eustass Kid. As soon as Kid became part of the raid, Law is behaving differently and complaining about being ordered around. He comments stuff outloud, he starts to openly compete, he makes a big show of getting angry at Luffy for ordering him around (which he never did before!), complains he's a babysitter... and as soon as Kid is gone to fight Big Mom, Law is back to his normal behaviour again. For me this proves that if Kid wasn't there, Law wouldn't even say that line in the first place.

Let's take a look again at this scene:

Law is complaining to Luffy while making sure their eyes are on same level. He's basically saying "this is an alliance, we're equals, don't give me orders in front of Kid, it makes me look bad". Kid is an outsider, Law has bad beef with him ever since Sabaody, he wants Luffy to be more mindful about Law's own feelings here. Funny thing is, Luffy quickly gets the drift, proposes the stupid chicken game which actually works on freaking Eustass Kid which surprises Law.

Just look at him looking at Kid. Luffy ended up being involved in the conflict between Kid and Law, and took Law's side in it, but not in an obvious way: he made it a competition for all three of them, yet pulled a move on Kid that he couldn't refuse. Luffy is pretty smart at reading people and he basically put Kid back in line here, but he did it only because Law complained. That's because in their alliance Law and Luffy always has each other's backs, and Luffy proves it yet again, not leaving Law alone with this.

So actually Luffy's reaction of "How does that even matter?!" is very justified, because it's literally the first time ever that Law complained about "following orders" to him. And he figured out the reason fast: it was because of Kid's presence.

Now let's dig into one more thing. Kid clearly plays with the idea that Law and Luffy are so close that they seem like they're in one crew. But the way he phrases it is very offensive: he suggests Law is Luffy's subordinate, just like Law was once a subordinate to Doflamingo (again, not bringing up any fond memories here). Meanwhile Law tries to make a point: they're equal, no one is above the other. Luffy actually also minds the "subordinate" part as we can see from his "WHAT" reaction there. He doesn't like the term subordinate nor the term scrub either. For Luffy, his crew are his friends, they're equal most of the time (the only time Luffy actually uses his right as the captain is when he chooses which island to visit or who to fight), they sleep in one room, they do chores all together, damn, his crew can even punish Luffy if he does something stupid that endangers them! Luffy's crewmates are definitely not his subordinates, not in Luffy's eyes at the very least. Is Kid just mean here by calling them "subordinates" or does he actually think of his own crew as subordinates and that's why he uses that word here? Who knows, Kid likes to be full of shit, so maybe he said it knowing exactly well what effect his teasing will have. But he is right about one thing: Law and Luffy in Wano really work together like they're one crew.

Last important thing: Law is a captain and he learned long time ago from Wolf (his father figure he respected a lot, who gifted him the submarine): captain has the image to uphold and responsibility over his crew. Law has his own crew, Heart Pirates, and he doesn't want to be seen as incompetent person who can't even make his own decisions. It's about not losing his face in front of others, something that is important to him, and he commented on it as well in Dressrosa when he said he will at least take care of Trebol. Otherwise he wouldn't be able to face his own crew, feeling like he failed them. His crew holds him in very high regard and he doesn't want to disappoint them, despite the fact he probably isn't sure if he can always meet their expectations.

Yet he tries his best to cooperate with Kid and proposes him a temporary alliance. He dislikes him, he doesn't want to look bad around him, but also he wants the chance to show off/not lose face as well, not leaving everything up to Luffy. But he will remain super petty in his "alliance" with Kid. For example, he won't be talking to him on same eye level, like he does with Luffy. His body language really betrays his feelings towards other people.

Now, you might ask, but why does Law dislike Kid so much? Law doesn't really act nice to strangers in general. Luffy is basically an exception and even then he's almost never cheesy with his words (not counting his big declaration in Dressrosa), instead showing his appreciation of Luffy in not so obvious actions.

But there might be a particular reason why Law is so salty towards Kid in particular. Kid didn't exactly leave a good impression on Law in Sabaody. Not only he talked about him behind his back (and Law could hear that), he also accused him of bad manners. Rewind to Vergo always trying to chastise Law about the exact same thing. Kid voicing it out must have left a really bad aftertaste, so bad that Kid is literally one of the only two people Law flipped off his finger at. Kinda tragicomic, because I think Kid thought he's saying a compliment (he seemed to have a respect for him), but it was completely misunderstood. It might take those two a hundred years to finally talk it out heh.

That's my best shot at analyzing it. Summing it up, Law doesn't like to feel controlled (all thanks to Doflamingo betraying his trust), he's afraid to lose his face in front of his own crew, he doesn't want to be used as a tool (he's fine supporting others in battle, but he wants his own liberty with that and wants others to trust him to make the right judgements), and he also simply hates being ordered around by Kid for a number of complex reasons. Also there's this running theme with Law and his ope-ope fruit and it's ultimate technique. People basically treat Law like disposable goods because of it: only good for performing the operation, even at the cost of Law's own life. All things considered I think it's not so strange that Law gets really nitpicky with any attempt even close to objectifying him, even if people don't mean it that way. On the contrary, every time he doesn't act this way, he shows how much trust he has in his allies or even how willing he is to ignore his own feelings as long as people close to him are fine.

I hope you enjoyed reading about it, anon!

[rumbar-records]

I know I can't be the first one to say this but man... Luffy and Vivi really do have one of the most compelling dynamics in One Piece

There are many reasons for this, but the first thing that comes to mind is how Vivi is one of the very few characters who went through the ordeal of challenging Luffy's principles and having hers be challenged in turn and came out of it with a draw

I mean, Luffy getting into ideological conflicts with other characters isn't anything new, but what happened in Alabasta Saga stood out to me because they show how Luffy and Vivi are foils in a way that I don't think we often see in Luffy's relationship with others, let alone female characters. [more thoughts + rambly analysis under the cut]

like. These two basically took turns - first Vivi in Drum, then Luffy in Alabasta - to grab the other by the collar and tell them no, the way you're doing things is wrong and then forcefully redirect them to a better alternative that I'd argue was against their personal code at that point.

In Drum, Vivi told Luffy off for following his impulse to fight the pirate-wary locals when it could ruin their chances of finding a doctor for Nami; implying he should think about his crew more and how the consequences of his action can affect them. In Alabasta, Luffy berated Vivi for risking her own life trying for a futile, nonviolent way to end the rebellion when the obvious solution is to involve the Strawhats and directly take on Crocodile; implying she should think about herself more and how it's impossible for her to do it all alone.

The narrative is pretty obvious in stating that Luffy is supposed to be a selfish person and Vivi is supposed to be a selfless one. But I think once you take the time to examine their characters and how they clashed, like mentioned above, it's fair to argue that their inherent traits are more nuanced than they may suggest. At its best, Luffy's selfishness extends to every person he considers as his and encourages others to also shamelessly pursue what they want; meanwhile, at its worst, Vivi's selflessness deprives her peers from accountability and places herself as the only one to bear what is supposed to be a collective burden. Selflessly selfish meets Selfishly selfless!

And I like how Vivi and Luffy seem to intuit that when trying to make the other change their mind!! Vivi essentially going I get that you're being protective of your friends but you have to recognize when your usual way of doing things isn't going to cut it in Drum, and Luffy pretty much going I know you don't want anymore casualties but you have to accept that not risking anything will only get you nowhere in Alabasta...

Not only did Luffy and Vivi end up conceding to each other's point, the narrative also framed these fights as instances where Vivi/Luffy is right and the other has to change what is criticized about themselves in order to reach their goals. Luffy needs to learn that defeating an opponent in a fight cannot be his only means to protect his crew and people he cares about. Vivi needs to learn that refusing to involve her comrades and putting only herself on the line won't help her save her country.

Also, although unspoken in text, it's clear that when these two butted heads they were holding the other to their own standards of what a leader is - which is so compelling to think about! Luffy and Vivi are very stubborn people who are very opinionated about their beliefs, but in the short time they have together they'd built a mutual understanding and respect that allow them to unreservedly push and push against each other's notion of captainship and sovereignty. But at the same time it's achingly obvious that the trust and affection is there!! They are friends!!!

just. even them being fascinating foils aside, which is a hill I will die on, the entire "jumbled collision between two contrasting sets of lives (pirates vs nobles) and roles (ship captains vs princesses) and future positions (pirate king vs queen of a desert country) being quietly smoothed out then streamlined into two folks on an equal standing because at the end of the day they're just leaders with people to protect" thing that pre-TS Luffy and Vivi got going on alone is so damn crunchy to me. I'm super excited/anxious to see how late canon would pick up where they left off !!!!!

[purplehairedwonder]

Helloo do u have any Lawlu + Doffy fic recs (any content rating)? the interactions between those 3 are always so good. Just looove how you write them in your fics!

Why yes, yes I do!

"though the stars may tell us it is so" by pascaliana (T)

Doffy’s a monster, Cora-san had said more than once and Law always wondered but never asked, What does that make me? - In which soulmates are a sacred bond and Law's soulmate is Doflamingo.

"a victory every year" by @betsib (T)

Law finds himself imprisoned in Impel Down, injured and possibly dying. His only company is Doflamingo, who tells him Luffy has been captured too. All in all, not the best way to spend his birthday.

"(Love Will Find a Way) Where Wolves Fear to Prey" by betsib (M)

For the last eight years, Law has been held captive by Donquixote Doflamingo, forced to spend his days as a bunny and his nights in Doflamingo's bed. One day, he sees his chance to flee. A little while later, Luffy finds a lost little bunny on the streets and takes him home.

(Side note: I beta'd this one!)

"as I hold your hollow heart" by @betsib (M)

The Straw Hats pick up Bepo and an unconscious Law after the events at Winner Island. Luffy is more than ready to help him, but when Law opens his eyes, he is a stranger. Meanwhile, Law wakes up in Dressrosa, with Doflamingo's symbol tattooed on his chest and servants calling him "Corazon".

"My Heart Is Still Beating (But I Lost It Long Ago)" by betsib (E)

Law is travelling alone between quarantine zones when he comes across a young man with three bullets in his torso and an unflinching look in his eyes.

"A Smile In My Veins" by @betsib (M)

Law is doing his best to live his life and ignore the fact that he is, technically, no longer alive at all. All he wants is a momentary distraction. Luffy is investigating a series of murders that look like they were caused by vampires, but something seems strange about it. He needs more information. They meet in a bar.

(This is the first fic of betsib's that I ever read, and I knew we had to be friends because our brains are on the same wavelength.)

"Hunger for the Absolute" by ObsidionWingsofMidnight (NR)

When Law woke up from his 500 year slumber, he sure as hell wasn't expecting to get a husband out of it. He also wasn’t expecting to learn that he’d lost a chunk of his memories, or that he’d made new friends during this forgotten time. The marriage thing was weird though. To a king, no less. A very loud, very boisterous, very tactile king that never seemed to stop laughing. And what kind of king wore a straw hat anyway? To top it all off, he still has a million other things to take care of, not the least of which is helping his new husband to secure their kingdom against oncoming threats. But what Law doesn’t know is that there are more dangers lurking than he realizes. Ones from his past that have hidden for centuries, waiting for the right moment to strike. And he’ll need all the help he can get to keep them from consuming him.

"Roll Like Thunder, Burn Like Stars" by killingmonsterswritingthings (M)

Law is a private investigator trying everything to forget his past. But there's ties he can't cut - especially when his past comes back to haunt him in a case. or   “Why do you keep purposefully triggering yourself?” Corazón asked, his voice too close despite the tinny effect of the phone. “I'm still talking to you, aren't I?” Law spat back. It was a terrible thing to say but it was also the only thing he could say without making his hands shake uncontrollably.

(I am absolutely obsessed with this Jessica Jones AU; I've reread it countless times, and it has a vice-like grip on my soul. It hasn't updated in six years, though, sob.)

Enjoy, anon!

[rollinouttahere-writes]

Okay now that we know Lullaby was on Amazon Lily with Luffy, I’m assuming she goes to Marineford too. Which then makes me think of the whole “Rosy and the Admirals” post. So what I’m getting to is that all of the Admirals are in shock from seeing this kid that looks exactly like the woman they were sleeping with and know had a kid.

Akainu is probably too busy questioning his life choices, especially now that he knows his maybe child is a pirate, to keep fighting, and is just frozen in place.

Meanwhile, Kizaru and Aokiji both take a moment to be in shock, before rushing over to her in panic because she’s in the middle of a war zone. This leads to them both stopping right in front of her and realizing that they were both sleeping with Rosy. This could lead to a fight between them, but I think it would be funnier if, given how well their personalities mesh, they decide to say “screw it” just go full Mamma Mia, accepting that they’re both her fathers. Does this mean that Kizaru is going to Join Aokiji in his midlife crisis? Will Aokiji decide that he wants that stinky warthog Blackbeard nowhere near his daughter? I say yes. I think it would be even better if they join the Revolutionary Army, considering that they can’t be admirals anymore, and they both have issues with the government, so now Dragon is part of the newly formed Dad Alliance, whether he likes it or not.

I am so sorry for the long ask, but I just can’t help myself. Your writing is so good, it brings my creative side out.

Never apologize for sending a long ask, I live for them!

Yes, Lullaby does end up at Marineford despite the Boa sisters' best efforts. Hancock has Sandersonia and Marigold stay on Amazon Lily to keep Lullaby safe and away from the danger. Lullaby, of course, objects to it and does what she does best and sneaks onto the Perfume Yuda before they can leave. Hancock gets a frantic call from her sisters saying that they lost their niece, and she's very close to turning the ship around when Lullaby pops out of a barrel and asks what the commotion is about with a smirk on her face. Hancock is torn between being upset that Lullaby has put herself into danger and feeling a nostalgic pang in her heart because this is such a Rosy thing to do.

Lullaby manages to then also sneak off the ship later because she assumes that Sanji is going to show up at some point to help, and she needs to see for herself that he is okay.

Now by this point, both Aokiji and Kizaru have already seen her. Aokiji saw her when he first encountered the Straw Hats to try and capture Robin. To say that it completely threw him off his game would be an understatement. Nothing could have prepared him for seeing his presumed dead child alive and well and right in front of him. All of a sudden, he very generously offers to strike a deal with the Straw Hats. He's going to pretend like he never saw them, and all that they have to do is let him have Lullaby. That, of course, doesn't happen and they manage to get away.

Then at Sabaody, Kizaru sees her when he's attacking the Straw Hats. He's about to land a blow on Sanji when he feels tiny fists wailing on his leg. He glances down only to completely freeze up when he sees her face. His mind is racing as he puts together who she is, but before he can make any move to grab her, Kuma appears and uses his powers to send her away.

Marineford is the first chance that Akainu gets to see her. He can't believe what he's seeing. The kid that he thought was dead is not only alive, but is also a fucking pirate. He's questioning if this is his punishment for being happy about his own potential child being dead. All he can do is stare at her while being frozen in place. Part of him wants to get rid of her here and now to preserve his reputation... but the tiny sliver of a conscience that he has left is making him hesitate. He's killed people before. He's killed children before. But now that it's possibly his kid... he doesn't know what to do. Can he really look his own daughter in the eye as he ends her life? He feels sick and is paralyzed.

When Aokiji and Kizaru see her at Marineford, neither of them are messing around. They are going to get their daughter no matter what it takes. They're in such a rush to get her out of an active war zone that neither of them notice the other until they're both grabbing onto one of her arms to pull her away.

They genuinely don't care that both of them were sleeping with Rosy. She's a sex worker and neither of them were delusional enough to believe that they were exclusive. And frankly, neither of them were in love with her. Aokiji was very fed up with her towards the end, and Kizaru only offered for her to quit and come live with him for the sake of creating a stable home life for Lullaby. However, they are shocked to realize that both of them had been told that they were the father. They slowly start to realize the extent of Rosy's paternity fraud scheme as more and more people just at Marineford try to make a grab for Lullaby while insisting that they are actually the father. Neither of them are happy about this, but they quickly agree to work together for the time being when Doflamingo tries to snatch her up.

You can see Sengoku's hair graying in real time as he realizes that all three of his admirals had baby mama drama with not only the same woman, but over the same child. He accidentally yells at Garp out of instinct.

Aokiji really didn't need much encouragement to leave the marines. He would much rather focus on raising his daughter in peace than deal with any more marine bullshit. Kizaru was more hesitant and only left when he realized that the marines weren't going to be willing to ignore the fact that Lullaby was a part of a pirate crew even though she's only seven. He's so horrified by them wanting to execute her for her involvement that he leaves immediately. He did not just get his daughter back only to watch her be killed for bullshit reasons.

I think that them defecting to the Revolutionary Army makes the most sense. Both of them have problems with the world government, and helping the Revolutionary Army would be the most logical way to possibly fix that. Aokiji does not want his baby anywhere near Blackbeard or the rest of his freaky crew, so he never teams up with him in this au.

Aokiji and Kizaru agree to co-parent Lullaby purely because neither of them want to even entertain the idea that they aren't the father. They have invested too much in this emotionally to risk taking a test that could come back negative for both of them. They would much rather live in blissful ignorance. That, and they both feel like they are some of the best father candidates, especially with people like Doflamingo and Kaido being among them.

[oh-dameron]

I want Mihawk to drop by the Thousand Sunny one day to check up on how Zoro is doing, catch him up on what Perona has been up to etc. He'd make intense eye contact with Luffy for ten seconds, they'd both nod and just like that he's a guest and staying for dinner.

Cut to the real reason he stopped by, which is that Zoro spent two years being markedly unenthusiastic for Mihawk's mediocre cooking. He's curious just how good the Strawhat chef is, particularly since apparently he's also Zoro's designated rival. He's not a swordsman, so Mihawk is somewhat dubious, but he knows how important a good rival is for personal growth.

Mihawk: 6'6", tits OUT, fierce gaze: meets Sanji and immediately reprimands Zoro for not mentioning that he's also gorgeous (Is that a silk tie? This pirate chef is wearing a tailored suit and tie at 5 o'clock on an unremarkable Tuesday? Finally, someone with a sense of style). There might be a hand kiss in there, along with a gift of a bottle of excellent wine from his own vineyard-did he mention he has his own vineyards? ("It's overrun with feral attack monkeys, Mihawk, it's not impressive!") - as a thank you for the hospitality.

After one of the finest dinners he's ever eaten - and bearing witness to the impeccable display of blade mastery that went into preparing it (his hands and knives are for cooking only, never fighting-exquisite) - Mihawk is giving serious thought to declaring his formal intention to pursue a courtship and wondering if his and Zoro's impending deathmatch would scuttle his chances. He's calculating tracts of land in his head, wondering if he should raze a few islands to procure rare spices as allurements. Is that still the fashion for wooing? Is he going to have to get advice from Perona?

Meanwhile Sanji is blushing to the roots of his hair and a bit tongue-tied, because again, fierce gaze. Kicking Mihawk in the face seems like a poor life choice but also the compliments and attention are weirdly flattering? Zoro is bewildered and enraged like a toddler who wasn't playing with that toy but certainly doesn't want someone else to take it. It translates into a lot of passionate, silent arguments about whose fault this is and what to do about it whenever Mihawk's attention is elsewhere.

The rest of the crew are living their best lives trying not to die laughing while watching what is essentially a live-action telenovela play out in front of them over dessert. Brook is playing an accompaniment.

[tenacious-world]

| Ace x Reader | Giving Your Life For His.

Summary: You give your life for Ace's saving him, but lose yours in the end. !!!!TRIGGERS!!!!: Death, injury, angst. 1k words. You were on Black Beard’s ship watching the battle next to him, “He’ll be ok, won’t he?” You said nervously. “Only time will tell, for now, we can only hope for the best.” You’ve known Ace Since he was just a kid, you were part of his group long before Luffy came along. Another kid that Garp had taken in. In fact, You were his legitimate grandchild. So you were basically the original. You and Ace had quarrels over every little thing but loved each other nonetheless. You insisted on living a normal life, he wanted to be a pirate. You liked Luffy when you first met, he didn’t. Ace thought he was a bug. You wanted to lead, but so did he. Back then there was hardly any group decision-making. Everyone wanted to be captain, meanwhile, I guess you were just a pedestrian cause they gave 0 craps what you said most of the time as they argued amongst themselves. What a headache right? As you grew up after “losing” Sabo, you were practically inseparable from Ace. You went where he went, did what he did, everything like that. Somewhere along the way you fell in love, and he felt the same. To this day nothing has changed. Other than you still just being support. He was over there fighting to protect who he loves and you were here standing by a wounded Black Beard, also fighting for his loved ones in his own way. You considered going down to fight alongside Ace but were afraid you’d be in Ace’s way. causing him harm. Your devil fruit power didn't exactly help at all. It was useless! The power you had was the Bless Bless Fruit. You were allowed to try and manifest things, just as you would a prayer. Though often you weren’t too lucky. It was a total hit-or-miss with this power. If you wanted it enough it may come to be true. But for whatever reason if they thought you didn’t deserve it, it would make no difference. Only rule, You couldn’t manifest anything for yourself. It was a selfless power. No one wanted it for that reason. It was passed around by a bunch of thugs and they didn’t want anything to do with it so they through it to the ground smushing it into the dirt. You, as a little homeless kid, found this to be the perfect opportunity to eat your fill. You dug right in. Of course this was before Garp had found you. Can you believe it? Being Luffy’s sister must be tuff, and poor Garp. Having to kids with devil fruit powers, whats a man to do? Backto the battle, you decided you couldn’t not be by his side. You’d try your best to stay out of his way and to protect him. “I’m going in.” You looked Black Beard in the eyes as he looks at you. “You sure you can handle it? You dont have much training and you may get hurt down there, or worse killed.” You looked down at Ace,  how hard he was fighting for everything he believed in. “Yes,” You said as you grabbed your sword. “I have to fight for Ace. He can’t do this alone. Neither can Luffy no matter how strong they think they are.” “Then go on.” Black Beard looked forward into the distance eyes filled with hope and grief for the ones lost. You rush down into the battle fighting, dogging, and struggling to reach ace. He was being ganged up on by a bunch of Marines. When suddenly the temperature got 10x hotter. You didn’t know if it was because of Ace’s power, and how much closer you’ve become. Or maybe it was just you, no one else around seemed to notice it, but compared to you, they were crusty, ash covered, and sweaty. So it was no wonder no one else noticed. You looked around, and noticed an admiral coming Ace’s way. “Ace!” You tried to call out to him, but it was no use, he was pre-occupied and wasn’t exactly expecting you to be on the battle field. His complete attention was on the fight. You weren’t even supposed to be down here.

[xoteajays]

period piece fantasy shows

one piece

name: luca allegro-dracule ship: zoro roronoa devil fruit: shakin shakin no mi / slice slice fruit faceclaim: mikey madison summary: born to an unwed mother in a small port town, luca was an odd child who grew to prefer to loneliness of the nearby forest to the company of the other children of the town. raised mostly by her grandmother, she only ever saw her mother when she came back into town between her travels. irida allegro loved her daughter, but she belonged to her ship and the sea; she promised one day that luca could come join her. that promise was lost when bandits descends on their port town, capturing all the women of the town. the only one to escape their grasp, luca was intent on saving her mother and grandmother. stealing a devil fruit from the bandits, she threatens to destroy it unless they free the women but, when she discovers her mother has been killed, she devours the fruit instead.

name: koi rikaine ship: zoro roronoa species: half-mermaid faceclaim: halle bailey summary: koi was born to pirate captain colt rikaine and the mermaid esmarie. she was of the ocean and the land and she spent her childhood both in the ocean and upon her father's ship. her father's crew was as much her family as the merfolk below the waves. all was well and good until koi's young age of 15, when the legendarily cruel pirate lyne tydell, aka captain blacktide, came aboard and demanded control of colt's ship. blacktide was quick to threaten colt's crew using his devil fruit, the ubau ubau no mi. to protect his crew, colt relents his captaincy to blacktide. when koi came aboard later, she was swiftly capture by blacktide to be a prize and trophy. years later, when rumors of a mutiny spread across the ship, blacktide used his devil fruit to steal koi's tail. under colt's desperate plea, one of his crew members took koi to free her from blacktide's grip. she's left on the shore of a small village where she later meets the strawhat trio.

name: joan lock jakki flint, 'jakki of all trades' ship: nami faceclaim: ruby cruz summary: the middle child of a large family, joan often felt overlooked. she hated her life living in a tiny house with too many siblings and not nearly enough of anything to go around. despite her youth, she makes a plan: first, to disguise herself as a boy, and second, to join a pirate crew. renaming herself 'jakki', she's taken aboard as a powder monkey, sailing far away from her childhood village. as an adult, she's known for two things: her talent to pick up various skills, even if never perfect, she was quickly better than most, and that she was a 'ship jumper'. never staying with one crew for long, she hops between whatever crew will take her. eventually, she settles for a while aboard the miss love duck with the alvida pirates. one day, when koby runs away with that stowaway luffy, jakki is sent to retrieve him. instead, she finds herself joining the straw hat pirates instead.

name: fiammetta topazia cherubini, 'fi' ship: sanji devil fruit: ??? faceclaim: alicia boe summary: princess fiametta topazia cherubini, the second-born daughter and the ‘spare heir’ if you listen to the whispers around her family’s kingdom. her older sister, the crown princess dianora violente, had been raised to take the thrown her entire life. fi, meanwhile, was raised with a much less tight leash. she flounced along without a care, attending parties and not her classes, often overlooked by her royal parents. often she took to visiting her friends, in particular her most dearest, kaya. one day, while visiting for kaya's 18th birthday, she meets the 'riffraff' of usopp and his friends. her first taste of piracy is terrifying ... and thrilling. when she later returns home, her parents surprise her with news of an political marriage to the distant prince hyacinthe. quickly swept away again to be married, she takes to one of her parents' ships for the long journey. so it goes, the best laid plans oft fail and her ship is attacked by pirates. fi is captured and a ransom is sent out for her safe return. when the ransom is discovered by the straw hats, they rush to her aid. after her rescue, she insists they accompany her to her home and enjoy a reward. for days, fi thinks over her life, discovering a long lonely thread of unhappiness. desperate to finally make a choice for herself, she demands asks that the straw hats take her along with them.

the witcher

name: thira of vattweir ship: jaskier, tentative/au jaskier x geralt x yennefer species: sorceress, cursed wereowl faceclaim: danielle galligan summary: Thira and Yennefer met for a brief time at Aretuza, Yen close to graduating and Thira early in her schooling. For these brief months though, the pair were close. Thira would soon follow in Yennefer's footsteps, graduating from Aretuza and leaving to become an advisor. She would not make her post though, strangely disappearing. It would be years before anybody discovered her kidnapping at the hands of a scorned sorcerer who shackled and cursed her with therianthropy. Her rescue comes in the form of interrupting the bard, Jaskier's, performance and gaining the attention of the witcher, Geralt.

house of the dragon

name: tyana baratheon ship: helaena targaryen, arranged marriage to aemond targaryen faceclaim: liv hill summary: The Baratheon’s were of swaying support. Of his five daughters, he offered the hand of Tyana Baratheon to Rhaenyra’s son Jacaerys, even sending her to grow up in king’s landing with King Viserys I’ younger brood and Rhaenyra’s sons. When the fight for the iron throne began, it was assumed the Baratheon’s would hold to their oath and support the black’s. Instead, Borros turned towards the green’s. At Aemond Targaryen's arrival on the stony shores of storm’s end, Borros offered the hand of any of his daughters to the young prince. Shortly regarding the five storms, Aemond took Tyana to wed. Tyana would claim the only pleasure was that she would be with her dearest friend Helaena.

game of thrones

name: serana dayne ship: daenerys targaryen faceclaim: anya chalotra summary: The assumed-stillborn daughter of Ashara Dayne and reclaimer of her name, Serana was the ladylord of Starfall. The violet-eyed image of her late mother, she ruled her seat with a clever wit. Her loyalties lay with the Martells until Daenerys Targaryen came into her sights and set a flame in her hearts. The Lannisters would burn and a Targaryen would be on the Iron Throne again, and Serana would be there to see it first hand.

[anonymouspng]

Crush Story * . °•★

"Oh my gosh, he's your first love!"

I don't know if I'd call it love exactly. It's definitely different though. We'd been in the same class for 6 years and for at least 5, I never really looked his way. If I'm really being honest, he was more of a background character in my life. I knew he was pretty smart, good at sports and a semi-quiet person. I'd known multiple girls who'd likes him throughout high school, some being my friends. I'd always have the same response:

"I can see why you'd like him(???)...but personally no."

That was until September 1st of 2023 came. It was the first day of Spring and we'd gone on a school trip. To cut a long story short, I noticed him for the first time. He just seemed like a genuinely nice person to everyone and that's not a trait I usually see on guys. Added brownie points was when he listened me ramble about One Piece. I asked him if he watched the live action (which came out the night before) and it spiralled into me confessing my a tldr of my 6-year long obsession and emotional connection to Luffy and his adventures. Full eye contact, laughing and smiling along, listening to what I had to say as if it had value. I know that that's literally the bare basics of human decency but that kinda tugged something in my heart. It wouldn't be until a few weeks later where I'd reallyyy fallen head over heels. Meanwhile, he carried on with his life without a clue.

When it came to crushes, I'd rarely ever tell multiple people about it. The only time I did was before this guy and even then, only one friend knew. However, this time I decided to tell a handful of friends. I didn't do this just to have more people to gush to. I'm not exactly someone who feels comfortable fishing about a person out loud. I just find it embarrassing and feel super pathetic about it. I told them because I wanted to get comfortable with vulnerability and had really been thinking about future relationships, both romantic and platonic.

At the time, my crush on this guy had calmed down from the usual obsessive, heartbreak type to just a slow, quiet type of crush. This was the first time I'd experience something like this and I've gotta say, it's really nice. I didn't feel the need to pressure myself to make moves or play mind games trying to get him to like me. Rather I enjoyed when we had short conversations about literally nothing every now and then. It would really make my day.

When I told them, I was scared of getting completely obliterated in the lighthearted way that friends make fun. There was no reason to feel scared about it but it still freaked me out. They surprisingly were really receptive and supportive though which made me feel happy. This is also where the word 'love' first enters the picture.

Now. Do I really believe it to be love? Absolutely not. I barely know the guy to be frank. Is it a nice idea to ruminate on? Yeah, it is. I'd like to think that after so long, having had crushes filled with anxiety, insecurity and regret, I'd finally found 'the one'. But that's just not really realistic and I hate building my hopes up just to have them torn down once more. I've been and am still in this cycle of 'he loves me, he loves me not, he loves me' jargon. I'm sick of being hurt by my own feelings at this point.

But maybe there's a shot? I'd like to think there is. Regardless of where anything happens or not, I'm doing my best to leave it up to God. This crush has been such a new experience for me. I'd never considered or seen myself in a relationship. Especially since I come from a background where marriage has developed to become a scary decision. Yet with him, I have actually considered a future. And, unlike past crushes, I've really prayed about this. Not to make it work but I've prayed to God to open my eyes and give me wisdom and clarity. This is a season of life and there's something to learn here. It's easy to get swept in my emotions and obsessions but it's ultimately about the lesson rather than the outcome. And so far I've learnt a couple of things:

1. Feelings are a beautiful thing. It's hard to see crushes and attraction as a positive thing, especially when you've had bad experiences, but Ive realised it's one of the many emotions God has blessed us with. And to think that this feeling of attraction is a very small reflection of how God feels towards us makes it all the more better.

2. I've learnt the types of values and traits I want in a partner.

Like I mentioned, marriage has been a pretty scary idea yet one I desire. I want to have a partner to love and care for, as well as to be loved and cared for myself. Before, I'd never really thought about what exactly I'm looking for. But after this crush, I definitely have a better picture. Even more so, I now know that there are better people out there than the ones Ive encountered. People who are genuine and self-motivated. It feels like God's giving me hope that He has better things in store than what I think I'm going to end up with.

One last thing I want to touch on is the idea of feeling inspired by others. I'm almost 99% sure that it'll never work out and I bet future me will cringe when looking at this but I do feel inspired just by thinking about him. Some usually say that the people that really matter to you inspire you. For whatever reason, despite how distant we are in actuality, he inspires me to be a better person. Not really to appeal to him, but more so for myself. I not only want to feel more accomplished within my own life, but when I have a husband, I want to be able to take care of him. I want to be a better person for my husband. The person that God has ordained for him. His missing rib.

We'll see where it goes though. I'm doing my best to trust that God's got this. Im super grateful for this season though. I've done a lot of maturing and growing up so far and this will only continue. Another reason to keep moving forward and have hope ❤️

I'll leave you with the verses Jeremiah 29:11 and Ecclesiastes 3:11 cause these really fit with the idea of hope for the future and patience in God's timing for things.

[rockyspotwrites]

portgas d. luffy au; the boys set sail

luffy (34), Ace & Sabo (17)

The days leading up to Ace and Sabo's departure were the longest and the shortest of Luffy's entire life. He goes with them to gather supplies and make plans with the sailors for what time would be best for them to leave, learning how to spook the Lord of the Coast if it comes after them, and working with the shopkeepers in Goa to get fair prices on a couple dendens.

It made Luffy, now all of thirty-four years old, wish that he was seventeen with his boys so that he might be welcome to tag along with them. He knows he's still young - hell, people can live well into their one-hundreds, he knows he's a baby to some of them out there - but when he looks to his boys, he can't help but feel that his days of pirating are over.

He couldn't find it in him to be angry or upset with them over it, though. It was his choice to raise Ace, and it was his choice to bring in Sabo, and he would never regret it. Not even for a fleeting moment. He made his choices and he was more than happy with how they had turned out: his boys were free, were old enough to set out on their own, and he would be behind them if they ever need help.

But his heart felt heavy in his chest as he leaned against their doorframe, watching as they bickered over what things they should take with them in the morning.

"The house is gonna be awful quiet without you two arguin' all the damn time." He spoke up, making both of them freeze and stare at him. Slowly, they looked at each other, and Luffy watched as they had one of their silent conversations for a couple minutes before they turned back to him.

"Lu, you... wanted to be the Pirate King, didn'cha?" Ace asked slowly, hesitantly, and Luffy knows that he didn't hide the surprise he felt very well by the way Ace's expression became panicked for just a moment before Luffy gave him a gentle smile.

"I did, back when I was younger'an you." Luffy confirmed easily, if somberly. "I think I'm too pirated out now to ever give 'er another go on my own."

"So why don't you come with us?" Sabo blurted out, making Ace slap his arm hard enough for it to make an audible impact.

"Sabo!"

"What? You weren't gonna ask!"

"Yeah, I was!"

"You let 'im get sad! That's not how you ask!"

Meanwhile, Luffy was left with a mindless smile as his brain struggled to catch up with the bomb of a question they had just dropped directly into his lap. He never considered the option of going with them; he had had his own adventure, so surely they wouldn't want him to tag along. But apparently they did?

They wanted him to come along, even though he was just - just uncle Lu, the boring one? The one who gets too excited about beetles? The one who regularly forgets his sandals but remembers to remind them about their own? The one who couldn't cook a decent meal until he was nearly twenty-seven?

Even though he had failed at his goal once, twice, they still want him to come along?

"Lu?" Ace's voice broke him out of his thoughts, and he realized his eyes weren't quite as dry as they had been, and both of his boys had gotten up to stand in front of him with concerned expressions at some point. Luffy pulled his hands to his chest and fidgeted with his nails, taking a couple soothing breaths.

"Tell me - why would ya offer me a place on your crew?" He asked anxiously, nervously, uncomfortably, gaze flickering between them and then back to his hands for only a moment.

Ace and Sabo looked a bit relieved at having a question they could answer. "Well, you still have your dream, doncha? Even if you are old and fragile -" Ace was interrupted by an elbow to the side, "- we wanna be better'an our parents, and we can't decide who should be captain, so we thought it could be you. Since. Y'know. You wanted t' be the Pirate King."

"You want me to be the captain of your crew?" Luffy asked incredulously, getting nods in confirmation when he looked at them. "You're - what're you two gonna be, if you'd make me the captain?"

"I'm going to be the logkeeper and navigator until we find a proper one, and Ace -" Sabo got a hand to the face as Ace jumped in. "And I'm gonna be the one who sets shit on fire!" He shouted excitedly as Sabo shoved him away.

Luffy still looked unsure, body language tight and withdrawn. "You're gonna be the logkeeper and navigator, and you're gonna be the one'at sets shit on fire." He repeated slowly, eyebrows furrowed. "And you'd be happy in those positions?"

His boys both nodded quickly, eyes full of stars. "So, Lu, will you be our captain?" Sabo asked, leaning in towards him.

"I, ah - um." Luffy pulled at his collar as he took a few slow steps backwards into the hall. "I'll think on it tonight and you'll know tomorrow, 'kay? I... huh. I gotta make a call to someone to talk m' thoughts out, an' you two better be gettin' to bed before it gets much later. Got an early morn', after all."

He scurried down the hall to his own room, oblivious of the wilted looks he received, or the sighs that had followed him, both of his boys sure that his 'think on it' was a solid no.

xxxxx

With the rising sun came the townsfolk waving off the two teenagers, Makino at the front of the crowd with tears in her eyes and a brilliant smile.

But there was no sign of Luffy.

He had already left the house when Ace and Sabo had woken up, and they had barely been able to hide their disappointment from the townsfolk as they had walked amidst them to the docks, but they were certain Makino had noticed and they were certain she knew something that they didn't.

With brave faces and the hats that Luffy had made sure to get for them when he saw them eyeing them only days before, they set off in a little fishing vessel that Luffy had bought with his savings, determined to give them a halfway decent start until they could get ahold of a vessel that was truly theirs.

Once the people they'd known nearly their whole lives were nothing more than blurs on a distant shoreline, they bumped into each other for a moment, then headed into the small cabin to get things settled to their liking.

As soon as they opened the door, though, they stopped dead-still -

Because, fast asleep on the bench that surrounded the little table towards the back, was Luffy and a couple messily packed bags of his belongings.

"You motherfucker!" Ace screamed before charging over to him, effectively waking him up as Sabo was trying to get over the emotional whiplash. Luffy couldn't get anything out as Ace began shaking him like a ragdoll, cursing him as creatively as the sailor he officially was.

"You shit, this is mutiny! Mutiny!" Luffy finally hollered out, playfully shoving at Ace, "How dare y'treat your captain in such a way!"

That got Ace to pause, and the reality seemed to finally dawn on him.

"You actually came with us."

He smiled gently, then fully, a laugh bubbling its way up from his chest. "'Course I did, can't leave you two by yourselves after this long."

[seaoftales]

❝ I can't say I have, but it holds great weight to it. We do what we can, because sometimes a gesture that looks small and insignificant to us might change somebodies life. It's only ironic that most of the things we as pirates do are of greater positive impact than anything the Marines would ever manage to accomplish. ❞ He'd seen it many times. Marines usually didn't care to protect common folk from pirates, be it out of fear or simply because they couldn't be bothered with it. Meanwhile pirates, at least those with grand fleets, whose names were known in all of the world, took the very same common folk under their protection, allowing them to prosper without having to worry of other pirate crews causing them trouble.

When it came down to it, they all pulled their weight, in one way, or another. It wasn't just him that tried to do good in the world whenever possible, and it would be ridiculous for Shanks to take all of the credit for such a thing. ❝ I feel like you're now the one giving me way too much credit. All I do is live how my former captain taught me to. Being a pirate isn't about conquering as many islands as possible, or having a fleet that could beat any enemy. I was always taught that being a pirate means being free and having no rules other than common pirate courtesy to live by, and it's the very same principles that my crew goes by as well. Help where you can, never engage in a fight unless it's out of self defense, and just live your life like you imagined it. ❞

Even with that in mind, it wasn't always easy, especially not for him. After Rogers death and the falling out he had with Buggy, it took Shanks quite a few years to find his own footing in the world. It was years and years of having to live with the pressure of the former crew expecting him to eventually become Rogers successor, even when he knew he was never meant to be that. Claiming the One Piece, it was on his mind for a long time, especially since he knew the exact location, though as he grew older, realization came that he didn't need mythical treasure to achieve everything Roger had. He had wealth and the fame and the power just like his former captain, which was more than he could have asked for. It was why he was the way he was, a simple man living his best life.

Shaking off the negative intrusive thoughts that slowly began to resurface, Shanks in turn offered Ikkaku a small, albeit sad, smile. He'd only ever seen the aftermath of what transpired at Marineford, arriving just in time to stop more bloodshed. Thankfully Sengoku was a man one could reason with.

❝ Luffy and Ace... they were always like two peas in a pod from what I gathered. Luffy wouldn't stop talking about his big brother at times, and Ace was the same the few times we crossed paths. I'd be surprised if he'd recover easily from his death. ❞ Especially if the rumours were true and Ace died sacrificing himself to save Luffy, and that right in front of him. At the same time, he trusted the boy to know that it was alright to grieve, and that it was okay to just take a break from everything to come to terms with what happened, no matter how long it took. ❝ Come to think of it, I never thanked you or the crew or your captain for saving Luffys life. ❞

"You ever hear the saying 'If nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do'?" Ikkaku asked. It was something her grandfather had said once, and it had puzzled her for a long time. But now, she felt like she understood what it really meant. "We just gotta keep keeping on and doing our best. Because in this crazy world, it's all we can do."

The world was dark and chaotic and it usually seemed like there were more defeats than victories, but it was important to not give into despair and doubt. It was best to keep moving forward and try to do the best they could with the time they had.

Ikkaku was a pirate, but while she was a criminal and indeed did some morally questionable things, both on Law's orders and of her own volition, she ultimately tried to be a decent person. Still, it was strange to hear from someone like Shanks that more people should be like her.

"I feel like you're giving me more credit than I deserve," she said, ducking her head, suddenly feeling a little bashful. Yet she couldn't help but smile. "I wish more people with power were more like you. Focusing less on conquest and more on keeping people safe. You're the one who makes the real difference on these seas."

Looking up again, she glanced over to where the Red Force and Polar Tang were both docked. Sooner or later, both vessels would set sail, the crews headed off to make their marks on the world for good or for ill.

Whitebeard was gone, but Shanks remained to keep some of the worse Yonko at bay. As for the Hearts...well, Ikkaku would continue to follow Law's orders, but still do good where she could regardless.

"That Straw Hat kid...he was a real mess when he woke up. He's definitely got a physical scar from all this, but I think the mental scar'll be harder to recover from," she stated, crossing her arms across her chest. She felt sorry for the kid, even if she was annoyed at how his post-coma rampage had damaged her beautiful ship. She couldn't imagine the mental and emotional anguish he'd been in. Ikkaku hoped the rubber boy would be able to bounce back from it. "He's an interesting kid. Hope he keeps carrying on and learns from his scars. The world definitely need more people who can smile as bright as he does," she added, recalling the goofy grin on his wanted poster. It wasn't the smile of a fearsome pirate, as the World Government liked the claim. He looked like a goofy kid living his best life. Maybe he was.

The world absolutely needed more people like that.

[l-in-the-light]

This is a silly ask i know but do you think Law is secretly in love with Luffy? Or does Luffy just remind him of his little sister or Cora? 😉

This is a fun question :D to be completely honest, I think it sometimes does feel suspiciously romantic. But do I think Oda will actually go this way? Make his main character officially gay for another pirate captain? I would love to see that, so many casual readers would get their worlds turned upside down as the result. Something like that would be unprecedensed, especially from a number 1 bestselling shonen manga known all around the world. But I just don't think Oda has the guts to do that. I would love to be proven wrong though.

Despite that, I do think think Law and Luffy actually love each other. It just doesn't have to be romantic to be love. We live in a world that constantly pushes the idea that romantic love IS the ultimate goal for everyone. But does it have to be this way? Why can't the ultimate goal for someone be an adventure or some other passion instead? Or finding that one Best Friend? And what if that someone who decided their biggest love in life is adventure suddenly is ready to throw it away for their most beloved person? Does it have to be romantic to have a deeper meaning? I don't think so.

Sometimes you just find that One Special Thing or Person in your life, that ends up being your most favourite person or thing in the world. It can be your friend, it can be your family or found family even, it can be something you're super passionate about. You would do anything for it. Kisses, hand holding, dates and sex pale in comparison. That's the level of passion I'm talking about here. And I sincerely believe that's what Law and Luffy are for each other. Something even more meaningful than romantic love. Blasphemy!

Now let's look at the second part of the question: do I think Law likes Luffy only because Luffy reminds him of Cora-san and Lammy. Well, that's a tough one. Definitely Luffy is important to Law because of that resemblance. But it's not like Luffy is that similar to Cora-san or Lammy, there are some hints here and there, but ultimately he's just Luffy. He's not clumsy like Rosinante, for starters. He's a terrible liar, contrary to Cora. And he's extremely carefree and doesn't do what he's told. We don't know much about Lammy, but we can assume it's the same, they just happen to share a few things in common. That helped Law to open up a bit and want to protect Luffy, it's kinda thanks to that older brother's instinct in him.

What Law ultimately cherishes in Luffy is the fact he could save his life and that matters to him more than anything else. Finally, he managed to save someone and he can keep on doing it. And sure, we can assume he already saved Bepo, Penguin, Shachi and Wolf before, but here's the thing: they would survive even if he didn't interfere (some of them were gravely injured but should have been able to survive before help arrives). Meanwhile Luffy would 100% die there if it wasn't Law saving him, because only he could have done it.

For Luffy, Law's the reason that Ace's wish got fullfilled (saving Luffy's life). He's the person that allowed himself to be saved, unlike Ace. There's no way that alone wouldn't make Law Luffy's most favourite person in the world. And I think they will only keep on growing more important for each other from now on.

[kaizokuou-ni-naru]

The Voyage So Far: Wano (Part One)

east blue (1 | 2) || alabasta (1 | 2) || skypiea || water 7 || enies lobby || thriller bark || paramount war (1 | 2) || fishman island || punk hazard || dressrosa (1 | 2) || whole cake island || wano (1 | 2)

shirahoshi seeing the sun for the first time is really a relatively minor and understated thing, among all the chaos and revelations of reverie, but it strikes me as one of the most meaningful little moments in the arc. 

i LOVE the luffy fanclub. i love that a meeting of the world leaders winds up being a who’s-who with assorted friends of one of the world’s most notorious criminals, and it brings me SO much joy to see them meeting each other and being able to connect. i feel the same way about coby and rebecca meeting.

in general, and i think i said this at marineford too, i love that the one piece world is developed and interconnected and alive enough to allow for these sorts of interactions. 

fucked up that this was almost a hundred chapters ago and we still have no clue what the fuck was up with this, isn’t it? 

i do find the introduction of im fascinating. up until this point we’ve had two presumed final villains- blackbeard and akainu- who were first established pretty far back at jaya and enies lobby (in robin’s flashback) respectively. meanwhile, im isn’t even seen until chapter nine hundred and something. it feels very late-game, but at the same time, their existence doesn’t contradict anything previously established, and in fact jives pretty well with a lot of information more recently revealed in dressrosa. 

in any case, when in doubt i do trust oda knows what he’s doing when handling his story, and i’m very excited to see what he does with this.

wano is SO PRETTY. i mentioned this before in fishman island, but i think wano is definitely the prettiest setting in the series to date. i think it’s obvious oda was both very excited to draw it and put a lot of work and research into his depiction of it, and wow does it pay off. wano is so bursting with life and detail, and frequently looks like an ukiyo-e painting come to life, and just- wow wow wow.

i love zoro and luffy’s reunion so much... i love how happy they are to see each other. it’s only been, what, a couple weeks in-universe? but luffy is pulling the full tackle-hug like he did for sabo at dressrosa. i love them.

i really like the outfits in wano, too!! zoro’s ronin look in particular i think suits him very well, and i also love luffy’s patchy yukata and robin’s geisha getup and they’re just very cool. this also applies to the non-strawhat wano characters, for the record, and kind of ties back to what i was just saying about wano being so full of detail. it has a very specific look, and everything from the outfits to the way things like the fire and the waves are drawn folds very neatly into that aesthetic. 

as i’m writing this i just finished on the paramount war posts, so with that fresh on my mind, i have to say i really like the way ace (or rather, his memory) is incorporated into wano. he’s not really a major presence- that is, the fact that he was there before luffy has no real bearing on the plot. but there are people who knew and cared about him and remember him fondly, tama and yamato, and it just really helps add to this feeling that ace was a person and his life and death had real and lasting affects. 

and it adds, too, to the fact that even if it took ace way too long to realize it, he was so thoroughly loved everywhere he went. 

i have a lot of thoughts on the intersection of food and heroism in one piece (i keep trying to compile a coherent meta post on the subject and mostly failing). but i’ll settle for saying that in wano luffy is a hero by his own definition, as someone who shares food with others, and i doubt he realizes that, but i think it’s really interesting. 

i know luffy’s fight with kaidou is kind of controversial in fandom but i love it, personally. it feels like a logical outcome for luffy to get his ass kicked the first time he tries to go up against a yonkou singlehandedly! he got wrecked when he tried to throw down with a shichibukai the first time, too, and this is just the next logical step from that. 

luffy’s always been an underdog starting from nowhere and working his way up and up and up, and i love that for him. of course he’s going to get messed up the first time he tries punching an entire order of magnitude above his weight class. and then he’s going to get up and try again, and again, and again until he wins. 

the act structure of wano is really neat, i think. it helps such a long and complicated arc feel a lot more structured and less interminable than it might otherwise, and it also gives specific breaks where we can cut away to the story happening on the outside world. 

honestly i really like the whole udon prison segment. it’s fun! i like it for similar reasons i like the colosseum mini-arc in dressrosa, honestly, which is that there’s no real stress because we know luffy is the scariest person there by a country mile so we can just watch him go ham, and that’s fun. it consistently cracks me up that absolutely nobody is worried luffy’s in jail. they’re all just like “yeah, he’ll be fine.” and they’re right! he’s having the time of his life!

wano’s cast is fascinating, because almost nobody is who they first appear to be. almost everyone is wearing masks, whether literal or not- fitting, for an arc structured after a kabuki play. everyone is playing roles, from hiyori to denjirou to kanjurou to yasuie, and everyone lies. 

this entire sequence at orochi’s party is one of my favorites in the whole arc- in fact, it was my favorite, until we reached a certain part i’ll get to in the next post. everything from komurasaki standing up for toko and slapping orochi to denjirou “killing” her to robin getting caught by the oniwabanshu and dissolving into petals to nami calling down a massive lightning bolt to cover their escape- it’s really good. 

i’ve written extensively before about the smile fruits and the themes of smile and laughter in one piece and how important the freedom to feel and express emotion is. suffice it to say that for all the atrocities orochi commits against the people of wano, it’s feeding the smile fruits to the people of ebisu town that is his greatest crime, and the revelation of just what happened to those poor people ratchets up the tragedy of wano tenfold.

i do think it’s interesting to think about how if denjirou had been just a little less committed to his role, zoro would’ve killed orochi right here. it really drives home that orochi is nothing- he’s weak, he’s cowardly, he’s just lucky and clever and cruel enough to be able to get much more powerful people to do his work for him. 

it’s infuriating that someone like him has been able to hold such power over the lives of the people of wano and ruin them so thoroughly, and that’s exactly the point. 

wano is the arc where oda says you Will care about the supernovas and i’m like yeah

hey, another of my all-time favorite luffy panels!! i honestly just think this one sums him up as a character in a line more than almost any other- “i’m always free.” 

just look at the detail on kidd’s metal hand holy shit holy shit. on occasion certain panels jump out at me that remind me that oda really is just, a genius at drawing on a technical level, even setting aside his writing and storytelling chops, and this is one of them. 

oda is really, really good at creating the sense of a darkest hour- a time when all hope seems lost. the other best example in the series is in water seven, when the crew seems to be falling to pieces, merry is marked for death, robin’s gone, and the aqua laguna is coming. here, too- nobody comes to meet the akazaya nine, and the one chance they’ve waited twenty years and staked their lives on seems in danger of slipping through their fingers-

but the point of making it so all seems lost is so that when hope does appear, it shines all the brighter, and feels all the more triumphant. it’s always darkest before the dawn, and we all know how wano has been waiting for the dawn. 

[nyasha-of-germa-66]

Hello! I just found your blog and I'm in love with it ❤v❤ Could I maybe ask for hcs for Luffy, Law and Kid (separately) with a 45/55 year old friend who's like their mom figure who also lives on an small island with her grandkids and they accidentally called her "mom" in front of their crews and they're embarrassed and later she talks to them alone about not being embarrassed because there's nothing wrong with that? I'm so sorry if this was too much to ask for!

Hello, hello! Hopefully, my failure to post at a reasonable time hasn’t tainted your view of my blog, but if it did... I completely understand haha.~ I really loved this request, it was so wholesome and creative! I hope you’ll enjoy, and thank you so much for the request and your patience! 😁

Accidentally Calling Motherly Friend “Mom” HCs - (Luffy, Law, Kid)

Luffy

Dadan and Makino were perhaps the closest people that Luffy could consider as mother figures, but now he's very close friends with one woman who's motherly inside and out. He sees the way she treats her grandchildren, and he feels as though she treats him in a very similar way.

On top of that, Luffy's crew is always teasing him about how his friend is almost like his mom, the way she frets over him and constantly feeds him along with her grandchildren and the way she hugs and comforts him as if he was actually her son.

With all of his crew's teasing and his friend's motherly personality, it's no wonder that one day Luffy slips up and calls her "mom." He doesn't even realize he's said it until Usopp or Nami points it out to him.

Now, Luffy rarely, if ever, gets embarrassed, so to see his cheeks begin to grow a rosy tint before he pulls his straw hat down to hide his face is truly a strange sight to witness.

Things are a little awkward afterwards with Luffy staying relatively quiet, only speaking when spoken to but with a mopey tone in his voice. He wants to run back to the Thousand Sunny, but he reckons Zoro or Franky will stop him, maybe even Robin, too.

Luffy eventually finds a chance to leave when his friend's grandkids ask him to go outside to play, to which he happily accepts and flees the scene. How could he say something so weird?

Once the children are done playing, they go inside to wash up and grab some snacks while Luffy chooses to stay outside. He's so caught up in his thoughts that he hardly hears his friend walking up to him until she takes a seat next to him and puts a hand on his shoulder, startling him quite a bit.

She laughs and asks him why he's outside by himself, and when he tells her its about the embarrassing mishap, she laughs and brings him into a tight hug. Seeing her lighthearted reaction, he'll laugh, too, saying that he doesn't even know why he called her "mom" in the first place since he's never called anyone that before.

As she reassures him that she doesn't mind being called "mom," Luffy's wearing a huge grin on his face and joking about how he's finally found himself a mom.

It's not obvious since Luffy is almost always grinning and laughing, but after this encounter, he's just gleaming with joy. Blood-related or not, anyone who treats him like family would get nothing but the best from him.

Law

From time to time, Law will mourn the loss of his family even after all the years that have passed, especially when it's their birthdays or the anniversary of their death. The death of his family weighs heavily in the back of his mind, but he never once thought he'd become so close to another motherly figure.

Law was surprised at all of the advantages of having a motherly friend to dote on him. He likes to think that he's got his life figured out and that he's capable of handling himself, but he learns so much from this friend that he'll often call her up in search of advice.

His crew absolutely adores his friend and her grandchildren, so they've all pretty much integrated themselves into her family. They even go so far as to call her "mom," too. Unfortunately, the crew's habit of calling her "mom" must've grown on Law subconsciously.

Out of the blue during one of their visits to the small island, Law mistakenly call his friend "Mom" and doesn't even pick up on it. The room suddenly grows quiet as his friend and his crew stare at him in bewilderment.

He's confused at first, and when they reveal to him his slip-up, he looks on with astonishment at his embarrassing mistake. Just what was he thinking!?

His face goes red, of course, because his crew is laughing and teasing him about joining them as his friend's "adopted children." And all he can really do is slump back in his seat and pull his hat down over his face.

Luckily, he's not the center of attention for long since the conversation quickly changes to a new subject, but he replays the memory in his head over and over again, wanting to throw himself into the ocean. With everyone else preoccupied, he makes a quick escape to the other room where he grovels at his mistake.

When his motherly friend enters the room to check on him, he apologizes for making things awkward. He's more than surprised at her lighthearted response saying that she doesn't mind being called "Mom."

It's comforting to hear her say that, and her kindness and acceptance is something he cherishes. He sees his own mom in his friend, and it's almost as if he's been reunited with his deceased mother, just through a whole different person.

Despite the horrible first experience of calling his friend "Mom," Law feels relieved at having someone he can consider family, almost like he's filled a hole in his heart that he never knew he had. And with his friend's fondness toward the nickname, Law decides he'll call her "Mom" but only when the two are alone.

Kid

Kid has never really prioritized making friends or building strong relationships with his family, but he does make one exception for a very special lady.

Sure, she tends to scold him for his reckless behavior and his unprecedented cruelty which gets on his nerves, but he can never bring himself to dislike her in any way. He's much too attached, and the pros of having her as a friend far outweigh the cons.

Her constant encouragement and support of his dreams are more than welcoming to Kid. And for that reason, he's sworn to protect her island and her family, often mentioning that she's the only person to ever get this kind of treatment from him and that she should feel lucky.

One day during a particular visit, Kid is spending his time catching up with his motherly friend, while Killer and a few others are playing with the grandchildren in the same room. Meanwhile, the kids keep calling for their mom to watch them do somersaults despite their mother being in the middle of a story.

She apologizes to Kid for the disruption and turns her attention to her grandchildren for a moment, praising them for their impressive skills before returning to Kid to continue her story.

As Kid was waiting for the mother to finish, he noticed a new picture frame hanging on the wall. Curious, he decides to ask her about it. And in the midst of the children chanting for their mom and Kid preparing to ask his question, he accidentally says, "Hey, Ma, what's-?" He barely manages to catch himself, and it's absolute torture for him.

His face is nearly as red as his hair, and he doesn't even know how to react. He can hear muffled chuckles from his crewmates with Killer trying to shush them. When that fails Killer shoos the children and small group of pirates outside, leaving Kid to pout alone with his friend.

Kid tries to tell her it was an accident and that she ought to forget about it if she knows what's good for her. They're nothing but empty threats, and his friend knows that. So instead, she gives his arm a comforting squeeze and tells him that she doesn't mind if he refers to her as "Ma" since she finds it fitting.

He tries to argue with her, but she uses her motherly skills to quiet his fussing and convinces him to calm down. He's still embarrassed, of course, yet he's now able to calmly ask her to never bring it up again since his crew is likely to poke fun at him later. And she agrees, much to his relief.

It's comforting to know that such a close friend is willing to consider herself family to him. In fact, he's delighted to hear her say that, but Kid feels that it's better if they remain friends. After all, it'd be hard on his friend and her grandchildren if someone they considered family never returned from the seas again. But hey, he now knows someone he can call "Ma."

[gh0sture]

Under the Sea

Trafalgar Law x gn!reader

Part 2, Meet the gang

You've never been particularly good at meeting new people or making good first impressions for that matter but this, by far, has to be your worst one yet. Your clothes are soaked still, your hair a sticky mess from the saltwater and your mouth is opening and closing lika a fish gasping for air as it flaps around on a bridge after being caught. It's not one of your best looks you'll admit but it is all you can offer at the moment given the circumstances.

You try to form coherent thoughts, you really do, but this is just way too much for you to take in. He reaches a hand out and you flinch before grabbing it to make an awkward shake.

This isn't just insane. This is completely knock-your-socks-off bonkers.

You feel as if you were looking at the golden gates of heaven themselves, not daring to look him in the eyes out of fear that you might go blind from the sheer radiance of his aura meanwhile the man in question just looked at you blankly. Possibly with a hint of disgust. Definitely a bit of disgust.

"The name's Trafalgar Law, captain of Polar tang" his handshake is firm and he looks at you expectantly while retrieving his hand and crossing his arms over his chest.

Neither of you say anything. He clears his throat but you give no reaction. Still staring at him like a five year old looking at a blackboard of university level algebra equations. He grimaces slightly at your behavior.

"Are you ok? I don't remember finding any trauma to your head, you should be fine" he grabs your chin and tilts your head around to inspect it disapprovingly in search of an injury. Although, he is an expert doctor so he would never miss any injuries, his pride wouldn't let him. This does nothing to soothe your symptoms though and doesn't exactly help with calming your heartbeat at all.

"I wouldn't have missed anything what's wrong with you" he mutters to himself when you finally managed to collect yourself enough to remove his hands.

"uhh no! no, i'm ok! thank you for ,uh, saving me by the way" this is the best and worst thing that have ever happened to you.

"it wasn't my choice" he deadpanned and turn back into the room to get a den-den mushi with a familiar penguin hat on it. Its so strange seeing on in real life. Although, you don't know if this is real life (is it just fantasy?). He proceeds to make a phone call (mushi-call? den-den call?) into it while you shift awkwardly on your feet in the hallway. Your feet ache from walking on the metal grid barefoot you had barely noticed until now. After exchanging a few words he walk over to the desk where he'd previously  been sitting and open a journal, presumably to continue doing whatever he did before.

"One of my crew members will be here shortly to get you settled for now and give you some necessities. We reach a port in nine days where you can leave." his voice was calm and composed, like pouring molten chocolate into your ears even though the words themselves were less than pleasant. When he spoke you could feel your knees get weak and you feel tempted to ask him a question for the sole purpose of hearing him speak more. God this man was hot. You nodded at his statement at first, not really paying attention to what he had actually said until you realized that nothing he said had been actually registered in your head.

"Wait, what?" you asked. He doesn't look up from his writing but you can hear the mild annoyance in his voice when he answers.

"Looking at you, you are rather ill equipped for staying here until we reach a populated island. Since you don't have any money or anything valuable, my crew will provide for you until we reach the port where you can find another ship to go back wherever you came from...Whatever weird country that's supposed to be...Now go down the hallway, He should be there already to help you so leave me alone" you get the feeling that you'll loose a limb if you stick around longer so you turn to head down the hallway and find "Him" who you hoped would be more polite.

"Not that way" you hear from the study and you turn around to head down the other way, somewhat (very) embarrassed.

You really wished that your first time meeting a celebrity would've gone better, but then again they do say that you should never meet your heroes. Was he always this rude in the series and book? Sure he came across as a bit of a tsundere but he seemed at least approachable in the series. You don't have the charisma or extroverted superpowers that Luffy have so that is probably an important thing to consider. As you head down the hallway you come across a man walking in your direction pretty soon. He seem far more ok with your existence and even appear to lit up a bit when he sees you and give you a friendly wave. This is already going a lot better than last time.

"Yo! You're the one we found floating around yesterday! Nice to meet you, people around here call me Penguin" He gives you a wide yet genuine smile as he grab your hand and shake it enthusiastically before you even have the chance to reach out.

"thought you were a goner when we found you haha!So it's good to see that you're up n' about, c'mon let me show you a round!" he turn around to walk from where he had just come from while you follow behind him silently.

Penguin makes it his personal responsibility to keep a conversation going even if it's pretty one-sided but it's nice. Comforting even, as he went on about how nice the other crewmembers are with the exception of the captain but you shouldn't take what he says too personal as he's a bit misunderstood. He  ask you different questions like your name, where you came from, complimenting you on your weird clothes, although it feels like that was mostly him being polite and you didn't have heart or energy to tell him that you're wearing PJ's. He doesn't mind your short answers and seems satisfied with the information he's able to divulge. To be fair you aren't sure how to answer since you don't know how you ended up here but also out of fear of ripping the space-time continuum open by telling him forbidden knowledge about his universe. It would be rather awkward explaining to him that you know a lot about them and what they've done/are about to do. You've technically stalked them through tv and books and if someone told you that they've been watching you, you would freak out. Rightfully so too. They might even think that you're a navy spy sent to gather information action for their arrest and they could kill you. Yeah, this is a mess and a half but you'll burn this bridge when you get to it. You did tell him your name though and he doesn't seem to suspect you working for some nefarious organization so all is well.

He showed you where the important places in the submarine was such as the kitchen, living quarters, rec area and bathrooms. You still have trouble telling up from down will undoubtedly get lost but he assures you that after a while you'll know this maze like the back of your hand. After leaving the living quarters he guides you to the top deck to find someone else he says will help you so that he can get back to work.

The yellow ship had surfaced at a deserted summer island and everyone was outside enjoying the sun after spending several days in the dark of the ocean. You hadn't been down in the submarine for that long , at least not while being conscious, and was already getting a bit unnerved over how cold and cramped it was. As soon as the warm rays of light hit you both the cold and your worries melt away.

"Hey Ikkaku! You have to help the drifter get some clothes!" He yelled at a woman laying in a sun-chair on the deck with her eyes closed. The familiar heart pirates uniform was open to reveal a green tank top and an orange and yellow striped hat was laying beside her.

"Haah!? Why do I have to do it?" She sat up to glare at Penguin and was about to protest when she spotted you behind him. One second you were hiding behind Penguin and the next you're face to face with a very pretty woman with very poofy hair. Her glorious lion name bounces a bit as she hold up both your hands in hers and lean over a bit to stare into your eyes. Everyone is so tall here why is everyone so ridiculously tall. Anime proportions are wild.

"Oh my god!! We were so worried about you, we thought you were dead when we found you!" You felt uncomfortable with her being so close to your face and politely thanked her for saving you while doing your best to avoid eye contact.

"Oi! Where's your manners! They've been through a lot being stranded in the ocean have some respect!" He bops her on the head and she lets you go to tell him off (and/or punch him back) but she remembers the shiny new toy in front of her and settles for staring daggers at him instead.

"Oh shut yer trap" She stares at you intensely as if to make sure you wouldn't run away or vanish into thin air. It's kind of nice being fawned over like this, and clearly the crew enjoy having a visitor.

"It's so nice having a fresh face around, It's been years since Captain let anyone new stay onboard  and being stuck with all the same jerks weeks on end gets a bit tiring you know. Now come on and let's go find you some proper clothes!" She grab your hand to drag you along back into the dark,dark depths of the submarine.

Oh joy. more cold, feet grating and claustrophobia.

"You're a bit smaller than everyone so we should probably ask Uni to sow it in for you if it's way too big" She says more to herself rather than you while handing you the classical white uniform with the heart pirates logo on the chest over your heart.

The woman who's name you had learned to be Ikkaku turn around and continued rummaging around the small closet in front of her in search of more clothes for you while you change into the white uniform when she isn't looking. It feels incredible to finally get out of those damp and sticky clothes and into something soft and warm instead. You are also the proud owner of a pair of fuzzy socks and black boots. Your poor abused feet are overjoyed that they no longer have to walk the metal grid of a thousand needles. Life is good.

"Once we get to the port of Pellar island you can probably trade your way to some more clothes but this should be fine for now"

In the little time you had spent with her you had learned quite the few things about the crew on the ship. For starters there were 21 members in the crew (including the captain), You were lucky number 22 according to Ikkaku, even though you aren't a part of the crew it's apparently better to have an even number of people aboard the ship. And hearing the stories of what they've been through it seems like you're their new rabbits foot. Since you're considered baggage or fancy cargo rather than someone useful she gives you some times on how to stay out the way, especially out if the captains way which you feel is probably a wise decision but you offer your help should she need it in the kitchen which she greatly appreciates. You hate feeling useless.

You can't help but wonder where you are in the Once Piece timeline as you rolled up the long sleeves of the uniform on your arms and legs for comfort. Had Luffy and Law already formed the alliance? Were you before the timeskip and the incident at Marine Ford? Maybe you were even ahead of the manga and anime itself in a future arc even. You were snapped out of your thoughts when Ikkaku pushed a bundle of toiletries into your arms involving a towel, a toothbrush, and a bar of soap.

"We haven't figured out where you'll sleep for the moment but it'll work out soon enough. Otherwise you can just sleep in a spare bed in the infirmary but come help me gather food from the island! We don't want to get scurvy while we're submerged!" She drag you away towards the deck after leaving your things in her room for safe keeping for now.

This woman is going to pull your arm off.

She seemed very sweet but all the touching and stereotypical anime arm-pulling is weird since you have literally just met. The way she smiles while asking you about your favourite foods and how she excitedly plan different recipes out loud make you almost forgive her though. Almost.

You move sluggishly towards Ikkaku's room to get the only material items you currently own in this world. Foraging for fruits and herb until nightfall was tiring but at least you didn't have to carry that much stuff, a guy with a black pompadour haircut had come along to help carry the crates of stuff you and Ikkaku gathered. He seemed very nice too, somewhat cocky though. You had asked Ikkaku for information on a certain Straw-hat pirate while making small talk and have come to the conclusion that he probably hasn't even started his adventure towards becoming the Pirate King yet. She didn't know who you were referring to and was even showed some seagull newspaper from their library but no info of the gummy monkey man could be found whatsoever. Since you recall him making news very early on in his "career" it's fair to assume that he hasn't gotten up to his mischief yet.

It feels a bit weird to be honest. To be in the prologue of the story like this and you have no idea what kind of things anyone other than the Strawhats and Luffy had been up to since the story followed them, maybe some vague details about Law's past and fragments from some characters backstories but this is all uncharted territory. Your thoughts are interrupted as you suddenly bump into someone and fell backwards. You reach your arms out like a bad imitation of a seagull in attempt to grab the wall but someone grabs you before you manage to take hold of anything. Your grab their shoulders to steady yourself and let go once you're back on your feet but they don't remove their hands from you. You look up to thank them for catching you when all the colour drains from your face and you realize who you're standing prom-slow-dance proximity to. It is but the one and only person you'd least want to embarrass yourself in front of. Again.

"Do you have a death wish or are you just plain stupid 22-ya" He looked down at you with what you assume to be the ghost of an amused smile or slight disgust. Probably disgust. Again. while you're distracted by his closeness and the humiliating event that is currently taking place. It could be much worse though, right? you can salvage this situation probably.

"Crap, sorry I was just zoned out.." You tried looking anywhere but his oh-so-handsome face to avoid you making this anymore awkward than it already was. You are not immune against handsome people after all. You tried moving away from him slightly but his hands stayed firm on your shoulders and could feel his gaze on you like needle pricks on your skin. you definitely do not dare looking him in the eye.

"You have to look where you're going or you might get seriously hurt next time" He mused. He may be attractive but he's definitely a jerk.

"It's impossible to see down here it's so dark..." you mutter under your breath and quickly move to side to walk past him, he let's go this time rejoice that your attempt to escape the harassing captain is successful, desperate to get away from this weird atmosphere you have created. Unfortunately for you, the universe have other plans  as he start walking behind you in the same direction you are and boy, is it awkward.

After a bit of walking you start to get a bit suspicious though. Was he following you around, waiting for you to get lost so that he could make a smartass comment about it? He is the kind of person who would find great amusement in petty bullshit like that for sure but then again you do have a tendency of assuming the worst in every situation. You decide to test this theory out by steeping to the side and make as much room as you could in the hallway and drop down to pretend fixing your shoelace. Instead of trying to walk past you he stops completely right behind you. You move as slow as you can without arising suspicion but he so kindly wait patiently behind you. When you're done "tying your shoelace" and stand up to continue your journey he follows close behind.

Oh hell no.

You can handle rudeness but this is some psychological warfare or foul play that you want no part of. No matter how handsome the guy is you will not stand for this kind of fuckery. You make a sudden halt and quickly turn around to kindly tell him to fuck off.

"Do you need something from me?" you ask with as much calm you can currently muster, irritation building up behind your customer service smile but he doesn't say anything and only look at you with the same dumb face as before. Almost like he's sizing you up before a fight. Possibly with even more disgust this time.

This Motherfucker.

When he still doesn't say anything for several seconds you just decide to be the bigger person and turn around to start walking again. Of course, with him still following you. It's better to just ignore him and he'll go away, you know where you're going. You finally reached Ikkaku's room and gather up the few items that belong to you when he finally speak up.

"You don't have a room assigned yet right?" You gave him a somewhat puzzled look. That's what he needed to know? That is why he followed you?? To ask you this???

"No? why?" You admit cautiously, almost preparing for him to start fighting you or using his power to "confiscate" one of your organs. For a brief second you could've sworn you saw a mischievous glint in his eyes you know that something bad is brewing. The cogs of evil are turning in his mind and you know that whatever comes out of his mouth next will undoubtedly mean bad news for you.

"I have an idea"

[cienie-isengardu]

The development of Law’s relationship with Zoro - Part 4: Dressrosa, The Breaking Point (Saving Law)

<<Part I: Before Meeting>> <<Part II: Sabaody Archipelago, The First Meeting>> <<Part III: Punk Hazard, The Alliance (A)>> <<Part III: Punk Hazard, The Alliance (B)>>  <<Part IV: Dressrosa, The Breaking Point (The Plan Failed)__ (Saving Law)__(Protecting Law)__ (Birdcage, Pica and Doflamingo)__ (Aftermath)>>

The mission of saving Law (chapter 731) was carried by Luffy, Zoro and Kinemon, while Franky, Robin and Usopp were responsible for destroying the factory with the help of dwarves.

Before Luffy left the Colosseum, he met Sabo (his and Ace's long-lost brother that up to this moment was considered to die in their childhood) which made Straw Hat emotionally shaken. Due to the excess of emotions, Luffy couldn’t stop crying what didn’t go unnoticed by Zoro:

Though Zoro is usually lenient in regards to Luffy’s moods, the trio managed to run away from marines in disguises made by Kinemon and get close to Royal Palace while Luffy still cried without a proper explanation why. Zoro’s patience finally ran out:

Zoro not only told Luffy to get a grip of himself (“do you still want to go save Law?”), but also actually smacked him. This… is a very uncommon act for Zoro. Because yes, he never beat around the bush when it comes to telling hard truth nor hesitate to reprimand his nakama (or, just straight sum up their antics as “idiotic”), but hitting Luffy is mainly done by Nami and Usopp or Sanji. It can’t be said that Zoro never displayed “a rough approach” to Luffy before - because he did it too from time to time, especially in the earlier parts of the story yet after time-skip, I can’t recall any moment similar to this one. It is so uncommon now for him to lose patience in regard to Luffy’s antics and/or emotional “breakdown” to the point of hitting him and yet it happened when Roronoa and Luffy were in the middle of a rescue mission to save Law.

Luffy - a man for whom Zoro was ready to give up his life, and for whom he was so worried once he learned about Ace’s death - was a crying mess since he left the colosseum (and some time already have passed between that and now) and Zoro just smacked his captain in a way Nami and Usopp usually do. What speaks a lot about the level of distress / pressure he must have felt.

Of course, it is hard to tell for sure, if Zoro was so worried about Law because he already took to liking him, or was that more about saving ally as returning debt, since Law saved Nami, Chopper, Brook, Momonosuke and Sanji from Doflamingo. I personally think it is a mix of both reasons. Zoro always took seriously his duties and “promises” (and alliance is a form of unsaid promise) but for all Straw Hats, at this point of story Law was no more “just ally”. Whatever his reasons were, taking down Doflamingo was something very personal; a matter worth dying. Straw Hats, not even knowing the full story behind Law’s choice, did not want to let him down.

In the meanwhile, in the Royal Palace, Law was put on the throne of Corazon. It is hard to tell, was he truly unconscious or did he pretend to not bring the enemy's attention to himself but if the latter, he could listen to Doflamingo’s talk with (ex)King Riku about the situation. Luffy was stuck in the Colosseum, ignoring the plan. Franky was actually doing what he promised to do, but without any support, which was not good enough. Like Doffy said, the alliance's only pieces left were Pirate Hunter Zoro and samurai Kinemon whose location and intention were unknown. What wasn’t the best information but not the worst either - there was still hope Straw Hats had some plan in mind. Especially since Doflamingo did not mention at all what happened with the rest of the crew, so Sunny Go could sail already far away from Dressrosa.

On their way, the rescue team was aided by dwarf Wicca and Viola, who had personal reasons to hate Doflamingo. With her help, pirates get a chance to invade the palace by secret passage not known even to the enemy (chapter 735). The long stairs were going to take them inside lower part of building but Zoro came with smart shortcut by using “handmade lift”

While Kinemon was making sure Viola was not left behind, Zoro’s impatience showed up again by rushing Luffy - even though his captain wasn’t even fooling around and did as he was told.

Was Zoro in such a hurry because of the heavy pressure of time (Law captured by enemy willing to hurt him beyond necessary and Franky’s team already on move) or just simple desire for fight, hard to tell for sure. But in all fairness, looking how Zoro was willing to follow Viola to another secret passage rather than directly attacking enemy soldiers (in contrast to Luffy who simply punched the main door with gomu gomu no gigant pistol), seems like saving Law was a serious matter to him, not just an occasion for a good fight. His reaction to Luffy’s directness points to that too, because usually Zoro was first to follow the captain into fight and not so ago his idea to get inside the colosseum unnoticed was to cut it… gently.

Now, Zoro, Kinemon, Wicca and Viola were pretty shocked and / or pissed at Straw Hat. Zoro’s whole reaction was, well, extremely expressive.

Once Luffy made ruckus, Doflamingo was informed about intruders (chapter 736):

Since Doffy was still in the same room as Law, Trafalgar may or may not hear that Luffy (who was supposed to fight in Colosseum, to Doffy’s great surprise) and Zoro actually get inside the palace. To save him, instead of destroying SMILE Factory. What, in the current state of Law’s mind was the wrong decision to make.

Anyway, the rescue team was soon confronted by Pica, one of three top Doflamingo’s officers. Zoro stayed behind to fight with the enemy, so Luffy and Viola could head to the throne room, to save Law (chapter 740).

In meanwhile, Law clearly regained consciousness, listening in silence to Doffy’s rant about Straw Hats and their unexpected attack on Sugar and connection to the little Tontatta people.

Law of course couldn’t know what was going on since he had no information about Sugar’s role in enslaving people nor who the dwarves were. He said to Doflamingo he barely could understand what he was saying. Yet one look at his former boss (the biting nails reflex) could tell Trafagar how serious the situation was and maybe, just maybe the Straw Hats knew what they were doing which means that his plan wasn’t a total failure. Yet questioned, Law also said “I have nothing to do with them anymore… the alliance is over”.

Law could say that to confuse (mess) with already uneasy Doflamingo or because he truly believed the alliance was over - or maybe rather, should be, to not drag Straw Hats into their death? Most likely it was a mix of all reasons, but one thing was clear - Law didn’t wait for rescue.

Soon it turned out that Straw Hats dealt a serious blow to the enemy. Law probably didn’t know what was going on, but hearing Trebol crying(?) over the Den Den Mushi and seeing Doflamingo’s reaction was some sort of reassurance in the difficult situation of his.

A victory of the alliance that seriously reduced the enemy's advantage. Then out of nowhere, a one-legged man (Kyros) attacked Doflamingo and soon Monkey D. Luffy showed up to fight Shichibukai. Law’s reaction? So, so unhappy to see Luffy who should (alongside with Zoro) worry about destroying factory rather him (chapter 744):

Not that Luffy listened or cared for what Law had to say on the matter.

The situation get out of Doflamingo’s control to the point he decided to use “Birdcage” - something that clearly terrified Law (a detail that will be important later to talk about):

Luffy had a short lived skirmish with an enemy that ultimately ended by throwing Law, Luffy, Viola, KIng Riku, and Kyros out of the room by Pica (who went to aid Doflamingo). All of them landed in the place where Zoro already was (chapter 745), still looking for Pica who just disappeared during their fight. Doflamingo then started the Birdcage, intending to A) kill everyone (beside his own Family) before the truth would come out and B) make everyone play his “game” in which people murder each other (“Kill or be killed! All of the people of this country are now “hunters”!!! If you want to be saved… you have no choice but to take someone’s head!!!”) and C) set high prices on Straw Hat-Heart pirates and their allies. Zoro, Law and Luffy get on the list of course.

The next part: Protecting Law